Booster at Great Mall!

Holiday season is here! While it's full of joy and excitement, it can also get pretty hectic, with gift shopping at the top of the to-do list. For me, time is precious and any sort of optimization at the mall helps.

Lucky for Bay Area shoppers, Great Mall is now partnering with Booster Fuels to get gas delivered to your car while you shop. The pricing is competitive, oftentimes cheaper than at gas stations. I tested it out over the weekend and no, it's not too good to be true!

Holiday Gifting with Mugler

c/o Angel by Thierry Mugler (with engraving!) and Angel Perfuming Hair Mist

Photos by Rene

We have long seen the Thierry Mugler ads for Angel in magazines, but had never actually been able to try it out in-person.  The scent had been described to us as 'gourmand,' and we honestly didn't know what to expect. Angel is unique and memorable -- with some spice. It's individuality make is a great option for a signature scent.

Beyond the scent, the bottle itself is basically a piece of decor (raise your hand if you are a sucker for packaging). Plus, the personalized engraving makes it feel extra-special.

Coveralls

On Mal: Madewell Denim Tie Back Jumpsuit (There was 30% off and I had a gift card, okay?), H&M trumpet sleeve top (old), Akira Bow On Me satin flats, c/o Furla Mini Metropolis Bag, Forever21 Beaded Hoop Earrings (old-ish...might still be in store), Sojos Pink Mirror Sunglasses

Photos by Rene

The last couple of weeks really got away from me. I have been pretty heads-down at my design program, and am now trying to find some balance.

These photos are actually back from my San Diego trip at the beginning of October. I am just now getting around to getting this post together, oops.  This outfit had VERY mixed reviews from my friends haha. I was going for a '70s vibe, but according to ~some~, it seemed more schoolboy and/or farmer.

WHATEVER. Wear what you want, people!

Frayed Fall Sweater

On Whit: c/o Margaret O'Leary Maeve Pullover  (in mushroom), Banana Republic factory skinnies, Chloe Mini Kurtis, Adidas NMDs in Talc

I was waiting for temps to be cooler this week to style this new sweater.  The boho frayed details are on point. Like all of Margaret O'Leary's pieces,  the quality is exceptional.  Her sweaters are so soft, I may be addicted..

..which is a dangerous, because like Mal, I also have no income at the moment.  If you've been following, we're both going through huge career changes.  She's doing a product design program and I'm halfway through a full-time software engineering program.  It's a frightening, but exciting time because we have support from friends and from each other. At the end of this,  we'll come out a software engineer and a product designer --the ultimate dream team! We're already thinking about what we can build together..

Skincare Heros

It's been a while since I have updated on my beauty routine. You can see my last post about it here. I have explored some more products since then, so here are my current go-tos:

Cleanser:
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser. Every so often, Ulta sells a 4 fl oz bottle for $8...making it comparable to most drugstore cleansers! This cleanser is refreshing and smells really pleasant.

Cleansing Tool:
Foreo Luna 2 Facial Cleansing Brush. I used to hate it when I would swipe toner on after washing my face only to look at the cotton ball and see that not all my makeup was taken off, but I never have that problem now that I use the Foreo. I use it every night in the shower to save time.

Serum:
Clarins Double Serum. I have been using this serum since I first received a sample from Clarins in 2014.  I always spring for the luxury size, which lasts a long time.  The new bottle design (pictured above) makes it even better...you can now control if you want how much you want the pump to dispense. If you check out that skincare post I linked to above, you can see that I credit this serum for helping clear up my skin!

Cleansing Water/Toner:
Son & Park Beauty Water. I previously used Estée Lauder and Lancôme toners, when I heard about Beauty Water from a fellow blogger, Tasha of The Glossier.  This is super gentle, and super effective. My skin looks smoother and more even after using it. I use it after cleansing at night, and in lieu of using cleanser in the morning.

Dark Spot Corrector: 
Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. I previously used the Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, which worked really well, but was a bit pricey and didn't last too long (plus I hated that the bottle was opaque, so you couldn't see how much was left!). A clerk at Nordstrom suggested Kiehl's so I swapped it out. The dropper makes it really easy to get the right amount, and I like that it is so thin because it makes it easy to spread.

Acne Cream:
Differin .1% Acne Gel. I used this in high school and college when it was prescription-only. Now that my acne is mostly under control, this works perfectly to maintain it.

Mask:
Estée Lauder Clear Difference Mask. I am not a regular mask person. Generally I use this when I start to notice my pores looking a bit too large. My pores always look so much better after using this!

Eye Cream:
Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Eye Cream. This stuff is super expensive, and I have only had it from a sample. This is my secret--wait until Macy's or Sak's (or any department store) has a 'free gift with order.' The minimum is generally $30 and you usually get to choose a combination of skincare products. The sample size for the eye cream is 0.24 oz and it lasts a long time.

Night Moisturizer:
Shiseido Ibuki Sleeping Mask. This moisture mask is my favorite way to finish off my nightly routine. It is more like a gel than a moisturizer, so it feels light and cool when applied.

Day Moisturizer:
Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Daily Moisturizer. I previously used Olay, but they discontinued the higher spf version so I switched to Aveeno.  I don't love the smell, but it goes on nicely and works well under makeup.

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New beginnings, a fresh start, and other clichés

 

On Mallory: Madewell Button Back Sweater Tank, Goorin Brothers Hat (old), Holding Horses Lace Up Denim Skirt (old), Seychelles Marquee Boots (old, but found a few similar styles, linked below), c/o Furla Mini Metropolis Bag

Photos by Tyler

We've been a bit MIA over here on the blog, but we promise it's been for good reason. We are both in the midst of major career switches. This week is actually my last week of work! Starting in October, I will be starting a product design program. I'm nervous but excited.

The program is full-time so I will be without an income for a while, which is pretty scary. I am really privileged to have a family and partner who can help support me. So, you might not be seeing very many new items on the blog...but more outfit remixes. You will also be seeing a LOT of this Furla bag.  I had this with me when my apartment was burglarized, so it was one of the few bags I have left. I will likely be wearing it with everything until I can start re-building my bag collection (after I get a new job, obviously).

Note: We get commission for clicks or purchases made through product links. (Hey, we gotta make money somehow during our career transitions!)

70s Denim Dress

On Mallory: Azalea Denim Dress via Crossroads, c/o Furla Mini Metropolis Crossbody Bag, Mango hoop earrings (sold out), Oak + Fort Ball Ring (sold out), Zara lace-up flats (sold out), Celine Caty Sunglasses

Photos by Rene

I was torn on getting this dress, because I was worried I would look like a farmer or an auto-mechanic.  It had a lukewarm reception from those I asked opinions from on snapchat...but I do what I want.

I had been meaning to take in the giant bag of clothing I have been accumulating into Crossroads anyway, so I made myself a deal that if I sold some items, I would use the credit to get the dress. They only bought 4 items, but it was more than enough!

On Mallory:

#PutaScarfOnIt with Centinelle

On Mal: c/o Centinelle Acapulco on the Roof Bandana, H&M Oversized Sweatshirt and Eye Drop Earrings (old),  Levi's 721 Skinnies, Akira Bow On Me Satin Flats, Gucci GG Marmont Mini Box Bag

On Whit: c/o Circus For Tigers Silk Medium Square Scarf,  c/o Margaret O'Leary Lattice Stitch Pullover (old), Cole Haan Oxfords, Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag

Those of you who follow us on Instagram, you might have seen that my (Mal's) apartment was burglarized. They stole my bags (including the one shown here), some sunglasses, jewelry, and electronics. They stole the Nintendo Switch when I was almost done with Zelda! I never really considered someone stealing stuff from my wardrobe...I guess the thieves had good taste. Sigh.

Mostly it's shocking to know someone was in my home.  I'm not proud of how upset I was over losing some bags. If you follow this blog, you know we don't take buying 'investment' pieces like a Chloé bag lightly. I consider every purchase I make seriously, and to have someone take away everything at once made me really sad. Even more so that every single one is sold out. But, as Whitney reminded me, things can be replaced (at least eventually), and I am glad we weren't home/didn't come home during the burglary.

I also am trying to remember that I don't know why this person (or persons), decided to turn to burglary. Might be a couple of thrill-seeking teenagers, or could be someone who really needs the money. Either way, I am sure they assumed that whatever they took I could afford to replace.  Losing some bags and accessories is really a #firstworldproblem, and I am just glad we are safe.

Shop Mal's Look:

Shop Whit's Look:

Ninja Romper

On Whit: H&M Romper, H&M mirrored sunglasses, all-white Converse, Mansur Gavriel mini bucket bag

Hey guys! It's seriously been a while..posing for outfit shots now feels so foreign to me that I only know how to laugh (not that I ever really knew how to begin with..).   I've been busy planning for a huge career change and recently took the first step.  I quit my job!  It feels exciting and scary at the same time.  More on this later...

INSPO // WTF (Why the face)

via Fashion Gone Rogue, Atelier Doré, Always Judging, Honestly WTF, They All Hate Us,  

Have been really feeling this line drawing/abstract body-inspired trend.  I have been trying to find the shirts shown here but for the life of me cannot find them using my well-honed internet research skills (i.e. reverse google image search/keyword search on "line drawing body print shirt"). Someone help me out??

Urban Hikes in Tieks

On Mallory: c/o Tieks by Gavriel flats in Ballerina Pink

Okay, using the term 'urban hike' loosely.  

Last week I got called to jury duty and had to go in for selection.  Because selection was all day, we got an hour and a half off for lunch. The courthouse is right next to Lake Merritt, so I decided to walk around the lake to 19th street to meet up with my friends to eat (for those who are not from the East Bay that's about a mile if you walk lakeside). After lunch, I also walked back. 

Now, in normal, broken-in shoes, this walk is NBD. But on this day I was wearing my Tieks for the very first time. I figured it would be a good test of initial comfort. 

Basic overview of Tieks before I get to my thoughts:

• Italian leather
• Stretch opening
• Split sole
• Can be folded in half to fit in a bag

At the end of day 1, here is how my feet fared:

• NO rubbing or chafing! I was a little worried about the stretchy top rubbing, but this was not the case. I would say they rub less than a flat that has a hard back and sides.
• The bottoms of my feet were feeling good.  Most flats are just that...flat. Tieks' cushion sole really helped during the walk. Normally the ball of my foot is a bit sore after walking around all day, but the Tieks did a pretty good job preventing that.
• The top of my big toes were feeling constricted.  The way these are sewn, the height of the toe area is pretty small. At the end of the day, they were feeling tight on the tops of my toes. However, I am not too worried about this...the shoes are leather and will stretch as I break them in. This was the least comfortable part of wearing these for the first time.

Overall, I think these are a good option for people who do a lot of walking/standing at work, or for traveling. Tieks are advertised as super comfortable, and they are...for flats. They are obviously not going to win out over sneakers, or boots for that matter. However, I would say that I haven't worn a flat that feels as comfortable. Other flats don't stay on as well (the stretch opening really makes sure they don't slip off) and don't have as thick a sole.  If you need some shoes that look fancier than sneakers while still being comfy, I would recommend these. I don't have this shown here, but my favorite part about these is that they fold up super small so you can throw them in your bag...definitely useful for when you need to change out of your heels!

Sale Stalker // Extra 50% Off at J.Crew

Use code YAYSALE at checkout!

Shopping Guide // Straw Hats under $30

Summer may be on its way out, but we aren't ready to say goodbye...especially now that straw hats are getting marked down.

$30 is generally the most we will spend on a hat because we don't wear them enough to warrant spending more.  Don't get us wrong, we love a good hat. However, they are more of a weekend/vacation thing so we will only buy them when they are on a good sale. Scroll through our under $30 picks below!

Eyelet

On Mallory: Zara off-the-shoulder dress with schiffli embroidery (sold out, bought during Zara sale), Vintage Coach classic mini backpack, Celine Caty Sunglasses, c/o SUGARFIX by BaubleBar Filigree Tassel Drop Earrings, Zara block heel sandals (old, similar linked below).

Photos by Rene

The Zara sale is no-joke. I nabbed this dress for under $20! When it arrived though, I noticed the sleeves did not look like the website. The sleeves on my dress were sewn incorrectly. The cuff was attached at the wrong spot so that the sleeves bloused over the cuffs and hid the scallops. I still really liked the embroidery, and it was sold out so I wouldn't be able to exchange.  To make it work, I ended up pulling the fabric up and tucking the excess into the top to make the sleeves less voluminous (and also shorter). The top elastic is very tight, so the sleeves actually stay tucked in without sewing no-problem.

I guess you get what you pay for...

Hydrangeas

On Mallory: Mango ruffle crop top (old), Ann Taylor wide leg crop (old), Soko Double Dash Choker, Zara block heel sandals (old)

Photos by Rene

Remixing some old favorites.. these culottes from Ann Taylor are still my go-tos for when jeans are too casual. As an added bonus, they also feel like pajamas!

See how else I have worn these pants:
Culottes
Lilu
Legion

Fourth of July Weekend

On Mal: Bardot Ruffle and Frill Shirt (and more affordable option here), thrifted high-waisted shorts and basket, H&M espadrilles (old), c/o Baublebar Sugarfix Choker

I found this basket years ago in a Carmel thrift shop for $1.  I thought it was cute, but possibly a bit too picnic-baskety so have been using it to store my sewing supplies. Now that basket bags are back in a big way, I decided to dump all my supplies out of it and try using it as a purse, for fashion.

That being said, I kinda get why this wasn't originally intended as a purse. The handle placement on the top of the basket means that you cannot just easily get into the basket (you have to hold it from the bottom or put it down).  TBH I will probably still use it every so often, just not for times I know I'll be out and about for too long.