Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween little monsters! While you'll definitely find me celebrating in my costume today this past weekend was the more "adult" Halloween celebration. With vampire blood punch and other ghoulish libations, this weekend was a spooky good time ;]

Tonight will remain pretty tame for me, but whether you're heading out for a monster bash, treating the little trick-or-treaters, or snuggling up to a scary movie or two, I hope your Halloween is 'spook-tacular'! (yes, I really talk like this.)

Happy Halloween!!

Outfitted: Turtleneck

Turtlenecks.

What I once used to look at in disdain has some how creeped its way into my fall wardrobe. Who knew that one day I would find a turtleneck quite charming and all around cozy-chic.

My unexpected love and desire for this knubby sweater really took me by surprise, and with visions of quintessential Jackie O., Audrey Hepburn, and Marilyn Monroe dancing in my mind, the urge for more of this clever little sweater continues to grow.

What say you? Are turtlenecks back in a major way or still a thing of the past?

Thanks so much for reading!

::Outfitted::

Turtleneck: Moth (loving this, this classic, or this splurge) / Bottoms: Kimchi Blue (similar) / Shoes: Sam Edleman

Getting Kinky: Product Review - Motions Smoothing Conditioner

It's been a long time since I've had a product review and honestly it's because I simply don't venture to new products as much as when I first went natural. I tend to stick with what I know my hair seems to like, plus I get to save money for important things....like shoes, a girl has got to have her priorities, ya know? :]

I'm actually bringing you this review due to a couple of factors:

1. I received the Motions Smoothing Conditioner as a free gift during the Curly Nikki meetup I attended (more on that below!).

2. I conveniently ran out of my other conditioner and have been too lazy/busy/forgetful to pick up some more.

3. I honestly like the product!

A couple of weekends ago Curly Nikki finally made it out to Chicago for a natural hair meetup at Japonais sponsored by Motions Hair Care. As you would expect people came all out for this event! There was literally a line out the door, down the building, and around the corner. There were signature drinks, delicious appetizers, bumpin' tunes, and fluffy, kinky, gorgeous natural hair in every corner of the building.

 

Curly Nikki was front and center, along with celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen (who is famous for creating Rihanna's infamous bob hair style), and both did a short talk about natural hair and the Motions Naturally You hair line products. What I really enjoyed about the meetup was how both Nikki and Ursula intermingled with the crowd and didn't run off and hide in some private back room. This was great because it gave me the opportunity to meet Nikki face-to-face, thank her for my Naturally Glam Hair Idol feature, and even snap a pic together!

All in all a really cool experience!

Now on to this product review! As I said, I honestly like this product and I've been a fan of the brand as I frequently used their products when I had relaxed hair. You'll also remember I did a little post about the release of this new natural hair care line when interviewing one of their Naturally Fabulous Girls, Erica Smith. So it seems only fitting that I try the new line and let you all know what I think! This review is only for their Smoothing Conditioner as I haven't had a chance to try the Deep Conditioning Masque just yet. So finally on to that review!

Before Washing: Popping open the bottle you're hit with a nice floral perfumed scent that is custom to all Motion's products. The product has a thick and creamy texture which is always a good start to a conditioner. One qualm is that there seems to be a lot of added chemicals in the ingredients, which is fine, however I typically go for conditioners that have the majority, if not all, natural ingredients. My rule of thumb is if I can easily read all your ingredients without stumbling over large chemical names (I'm looking at you Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine) then you're alright in my book.

During the Wash: As mentioned it has a nice thick and creamy texture and I noticed I didn't have to use as much as my other conditioner, probably about a dollar coin amount. It felt heavy in my hair, but not in a bad way, more like I was getting extra extra moisture. It isn't very slippery so I probably wouldn't advise using it as a de-tangling conditioner.

After Washing: Once I rinsed the conditioner out I could definitely feel a little more smoothness to my curls, it felt nice to run my fingers through. I didn't add any other products and let my hair air dry, and I have to say I'm very impressed on how it made my hair feel once completely dry. It was very soft and luscious, had a little bit of extra shine and my curls were super defined! All of this without adding any other sort of styling product on top.

Overall I think this is a great product! My hair seems to have really taken to it and I can seem myself continuing to use the conditioner and even branching out to try their other products in the natural hair care line. Obviously this isn't going to work for everyone's hair so let me know if you've tried the product and if you got similar or completely different results.

Whew! This was a long post, thanks for sticking through and reading it all! Hope everyone had a great Halloween Weekend!

Outfitted :: Knits & Paisley

It's no secret that I love standout prints, especially on pants. This paisley pair has become on of my go-to's for a "casual, yet I still care" look. So comfortable they almost double as pajama pants (and may have once or twice ;]). With the 60's style paisley print they make a statement enough on their own, and paired with a neutral sweater and chunky heels -- I'm ready for any fall occasion! Not that I had anywhere to really be....sometimes I just like to get fancy :]

And with that I hope your weekend is ultra-fancy! Thanks for reading!

Happy Friday!!!!!!

::Outfiitted::

Sweater: F21 / Pants: F21 (similar) / Bag: Target (old) / Shoes: We Who See

11 Killer All-Weather Boots to Help You Survive a Chicago Winter

Despite the unseasonably warm weather in Chicago these past couple of days, temperatures have dropped, winds have picked up, and I swear it rained everyday this past week before our mini heatwave hit.

We'll be taking a dip back to fall temperatures come this weekend and before we know it snow will be pilling high creating a wet and slushy winter wonderland. So prepare yourself with an all-weather essential that should belong in every Chicagoan's shoe closet. From your classic rain boot to wedges and lace-ups, you can stay warm and dry while still looking uber-chic with some of these kicks. 

Shop It!(from top left): Mukluks, $49.95 / Sorel, $225 / Kate Spade, $150 / Dirty Laundry, $59 / Sperry Top-Sider, $112 / Sperry Top-Sider, $74.99 (on sale!) / Anthropologie, $168 / Rachel Comey, $196 / Tory Burch, $385 / Sporto, $80 / JuJu, $24.99

And just to prove a point, here are some stylish outfit options to help inspire your all-weather ensemble!

(Shop It!: 1. Denim Jacket / Plaid Top / Skinny Jeans / FurVest / 2. Chambray Top / Bulldog Sweater / Leather Skirt 3. Striped Tee / Moto Shearling Jacket / Cargo Pants / Backpack)

Thanks for reading!

Outfitted: Leopard + Faux Fur

Hi everyone! How many of you build your outfits from the ground up? Whenever I'm planning a specific outfit I always start with my shoes, to me they're the defining element for any look. Having a lazy weekend? Sassy flats or loafers will see me through. A day around town? Breaking out those comfy booties or riding boots. After dark? A dashing pair of heels that show my wild side, and these leopard wedges do just the trick ;)

Not only do they make me (and sometimes others, haha!) want to say 'me-ow!', but they are also surprisingly comfortable, which is a huge plus in my book!

I really love dressing for a night out during the cooler months. There's more opportunity for layers and stylistic elements that just aren't possible during the summer due to the possibility of overheating. After dark outfits during the fall/winter are my favorite as they're a little darker and sophisticated, with just a touch of edginess. 

Author's Edit: I'm a naughty little blogger and failed to mention what actually inspired this post, besides the urge to prowl the city after sunset ;) Stuart Weitzman just released a brand film featuring a series of four vignettes that were directed by James Franco, featuring Petra Nemcova and, of course, starring some Stuart Weiztman foot candy ;) You can check out the full video, Walking After Midnight, below. It may come as no surprise but my favorite shoe Nemcova walks in are the scarlet leopard booties (which you can actually find here). Can you imagine hitting the town in those beauties?

Do you have any go-to shoes for your after dark looks?

Thanks for reading!

::Outfitted::

Faux fur vest: thrifted (similar) / T-shirt: H&M / Skirt: H&M (similar) / Wedges: Adrienne Vittadini (similar)

Fashion Focus: The Designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator

Hi everyone! Apologies for the lack of posts this week, there's just not enough hours in the day! Haha ;) No matter, before the weekend fully hits I had to share with you all a little fashion event my friend and I attended on Wednesday. This week is Fashion Focus Chicago, which is Chicago's version of fashion week with fashion events and runway shows happening all around the city. I got the opportunity to snag some tickets to the Chicago Fashion Incubator (CFI) runway show presented by Macy's and CS Magazine which featured six designers currently in residence for the CFI program and a handful of their alumni showing their Spring 2013 collections.

I honestly didn't know what to expect, as this was my first runway experience, but it turned out to be really exciting and there were some beautiful designs presented. Some designs almost made me wish it was summer time again....almost ;) I took a ridiculous amount of pictures (way more than what you see here) which was funny because I... 

1. didn't really know what I was doing so I just took shots of everything and I mean everything and 2. kept filling up my memory card so during the short 30sec break between each designer's collection I was trying to delete old pictures off my card, haha! So, needless to say it was quite a different experience, but I would totally go back again next year and would look into attending different shows across the city.

Enough of my blabbering, enjoy the pictures below and I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Outfitted for the night...

She focuses her designs on white blouses and names each blouse after friends and family...loved.

Gorgeous floral head pieces...

Hand-dyed silk dress...love the addition of the beaded lace sleeve

Embellished collars...

The galaxy-like print was too cool, especially the way it looked when she walked...

The model with the scarf was the best "smizer" :)

Want this dress.

And this dress.

Creme wide-leg jumpsuit and studded bow belt was the bomb-dotcom ;)

Gorgeous webbed shield necklace

That's all folks! Thanks for reading!