New Hair + Blogtober!

Hi everybody!

Today we're kicking off the third year of Blogtober! This is technically my fourth year doing this, as the first year was on a previous blog, and I've always looked forward to doing it. Essentially, I'll have a new post up every day for the month of October. It's a really fun challenge for me, and it pushes me to be a bit more creative with my content. I'm really looking forward to it!

Also, I cut my hair. I've been a bit more daring with my hair in the past few years. I realized that, hey, it actually grows back! So last summer, I chopped off over a foot and donated it. I loved the change. The summer before that, I tried my hand at cutting my own hair, and I chopped in some bangs. I also really loved that as well. So, I started cutting my hair some more. A few weeks ago, I snipped off a few inches, and today, I cut my bangs back in. I'm really digging the combo of shorter hair, and bangs. I'd forgotten just how much cuter ponytails and other hairstyles are with a fringe!


Before:

After: 

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Hideaway by Kiesza 

Celeb Style Steal: Lorde

Hi everybody!

I'm starting a new series here on my blog, where I recreate celebrity fashions. First up, is the talented Lorde. Her style is very dark and grungy with hints of femininity. Today I'm recreating her outfit from her appearance at the Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit in New York City. To start off, the main piece is her black, long-sleeved dress. I actually combined a black long-sleeved t-shirt with a black babydoll dress for this look. As for accessories, add a silver pendant or choker. Lorde opted for black combat boots to toughen up the dress. I can't blame her, they're certainly more comfortable than heels! As for her crazy, luscious hair, I added in hair extensions and gave them a quick curl. To finish off the look, I added her signature purple lipstick into the mix.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

black long-sleeved tee - Target || black dress - Brandy Melville || silver pendant - Jewelmint || black combat boots - Target || purple lipstick - MAC cosmetics || extensions - Luxy Hair 

Song of the Day: Million Dollar Bills by Lorde

Rompin' Around

Hi everybody!

I'm back in Dubai again, just in time for the new school year. These photos are from a fun mini-shoot I had with my best friend Daniela just a few weeks before I left. I almost forgot to put them up! What a tragedy that would have been. We trekked out into the wilderness [by the pool] in order to get some nice, nature photos. I really love this floral romper, and I thought it'd be more functional than a dress. It turns out that I was mistaken, and it's still difficult to get around in a romper and sandals. Either way, we both managed to get really awesome shots, and I'm pleased with how the photos turned out.

This is Daniela! She's pretty awesome.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

floral romper - Urban Outfitters || golden necklace - Anthropologie || black sandals - The Gap || watch - Tag Heuer || bracelet - ACTS retreat

Song of the Day: Rather Be by Clean Bandit

Busy In Boston

Hey everybody!

So I went to Boston this week. I went with my mom and little brother, and we were there for five days and four nights. I took lots of photos while we were there, which makes for the longest blog post I've published to date. Grab a drink or snack, this is going to be a long one.

Princess Diaries

Hi everybody!

There's this dress. It's not an ordinary dress. It's bright pink and covered in beautiful embroidery all along the neck and hemline. It's the kind of dress that demands to be seen, and it makes me feel so fancy. It's such a bold piece that the accessories have to be minimal. Instead, I amped up the hair and makeup. I applied complementary gold shadow and made sure my skin looked flawless. As for the hair, I wore hair extensions for the first time and styled it in a half-up do. I really like these extensions, because they're soft and a bit lighter than my own hair, so it provides the subtle ombré I've always wanted. It also reminded me of how low-maintenance my current hair is. Overall, I just felt so glam taking these pictures, and I wish everyday could feel this amazing!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

pink embroidered floor-length dress - Anthropologie || black wedges - Ralph Lauren || hair extensions - Luxy Hair || gold bangles - Dubai

Song of the Day: Cool Kids by Echosmith

Show Your Stripes + 2 Year Anniversary

Hi everybody!

Today marks this blog's two year anniversary! Woo! In honor of this milestone, I made a few changes to the blog, including a brand new header. I designed it myself, and included a few of my favorite things, like cupcakes and red lipstick. If I were ever a cartoon, this is what I'd look like - I have to keep the brow game strong, haha!A change was long overdue, considering I've had the same header for the past two years. I'm very proud of my little blog here, and I hope you know that every single post has been a joy to create. I look forward to making many more.

As for today's outfit, I'm totally excited about it. Most of the pieces were on sale at The Gap, and sales make me super happy. I have this navy and white striped top, which is very airy and loose fitting. I love stripes, they're my favorite pattern. Next I have this amazing pair of bright blue jeans. I knew it was meant to be when the last pair were in my exact size - no tailoring needed! Finally, I have these incredibly comfortable black sandals. The grandpa-style straps seem to be very in right now, and I'm not complaining!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

striped black and white tee; blue skinny jeans; black sandals - The Gap || silver head band - Ulta || watch - Tag Heuer || silver bracelet - ACTS retreat || sunglasses - Michael Kors

Song of the Day: Somebody Told Me by The Killers 

Flower Child

Hey everybody!

Today's outfit is super comfy and relaxed. I really channeled my inner flower child with this look. On top I have this awesome blue and white striped crop top that I scored for a decent price at Forever 21. Then I paired it with an old favorite, this navy swishy skirt. I added bright pink accessories, like the floral headband, pink wrap-around bracelet, and pink rose. It was really fun having a prop to play with, maybe I'll do it more often!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

blue striped crop top - Forever 21 || skater skirt - Mango || black wedges - Ralph Lauren || watch - Tag Heuer || pink bracelet - Target || silver bracelet - teen ACTS retreat || flower head band - Zara

Song of the Day: The Flowers by Regina Spektor

Owl Be There

Hi everybody!

The star of today's post is this amazing owl maxi dress. There was a deal on dresses at Target, where you buy one and get one for half price. So, I knew I couldn't pass up this cute dress (you'll see the other dress soon enough). Plus, it's not too long, which is pretty impressive! It feels like a t-shirt, so it's very comfortable. Since it's black and white, I decided to accessorize with hot pink accents. I have these amazingly comfortable thick sandals that are the perfect neon color. I also slapped on some bright lipstick to match the rest of the accents.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

owl maxi dress - Target || pink satchel - H&M || fabric woven neckace - Target || bright pink sandals - Zara Kids || anklet - Pacsun

Song of the Day: Tangled Up by Caro Emerald 

Review: Dior's Sundeck Eyeshadow Palette

Hey everybody!

I normally don't do reviews, but I received an amazingly pretty eyeshadow palette by Dior for Easter, and I'm so excited! This eyeshadow palette is in 546 - Sundeck and is part of their Transat collection for Summer 2014. This collection has a rather retro feel as its "inspired by the travel spirit of Dior's first Resort and Spring line in 1948," hence the name Transat[lantic].

This palette contains the same amount of product as their permanent collection palettes, which is 6 grams. The packaging also features their signature holographic design.

Here's an overview of the eyeshadow colors. The light cream shade in the upper left has a nice matte finish and isn't too chalky. The peachy shimmery shade in the upper right complements the main orange shade nicely. The antique gold shadow in the bottom left has a nice metallic finish. The dark brown shade in the bottom right has hints of purple undertones. The center shade is a bright, pumpkin color and is the shade that originally caught my eye.

Here are swatches of all 5 colors. As you can see, they're all pretty pigmented and show up true to pan color. None of the shades were chalky or patchy in the application process.

To test out the shadows, this is the look I tried out. I applied the lightest cream color to the browbone and inner corner. In the inner third, I applied the peachy shimmery shade. The main lid color was the bright orange color. I blended the antique gold into the crease, and applied the darkest brown shade to my lower lash line. This is how the shadows looked like prior to eyeliner and mascara. 

This is the finished eye look after eyeliner and mascara. I didn't do anything crazy with the liner, because I wanted the eyeshadow to be the main focal point. I'm really digging this eye look, because orange has proven to be surprisingly wearable. 

And here's the finished face look. On the cheeks, I have on a blush by Wet -n- Wild called Mellow Wine and on the lips I have on a lip balm by Jack Black. 

Now for the verdict: 
Packaging: 5/5
Pigmentation: 5/5
Texture: 5/5
Longevity: 4/5
Application: 5/5

All of the shadows were very pigmented, and didn't have chalkiness or bad fallout. The diversity in finishes is also great. I like how the light cream color and dark brown are both matte, because they can be then be used in other ways, such as filling in the eyebrows or highlighting on the face. I applied a base before starting the eye look, and didn't have any problems with the application process whatsoever. I will say that the shadows creased on me within 6 hours. However, I also have unusually oily eyelids, I was sweating throughout the day, and I've never, ever had an eyeshadow last all day on me. I think the eyeshadows could easily last all day (or night) on someone with normal eyelids. Overall, I'd give this palette an A.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero