One of the big trends right now is the chunky or “Grandpa” sneaker.
This look is great for several reasons. One, they are super comfy! Two, they come in a variety of colors so you can match any outfit. Three, they look great with everything, dresses, skirts, pants or shorts. Finally, they come in all price points, so everyone can enjoy this trend!
For example, I bought a couple of pair from Amazon, which were inexpensive. I also bought a couple of pair on sale at Skechers, which after the markdown, were also inexpensive. See below for some examples of some sneakers with shopping links. I’ve started with the designer sneakers with the price to match and down to inexpensive. To be honest, since this trend may not last, I would go with the inexpensive ones. So far, I’ve worn them frequently and they still look great.
I recently began building a screen accurate Captain Marvel cosplay (by build, I mean ordering various items, but I digress…). Part of this cosplay is going to be the “The Fonz” lunchbox and teseract. There are several teseracts available on Etsy, but I wanted to save a little money and make my own.
It is so easy, I wanted to share the DIY with you. Shopping links below.
What you Need:
Acrylic box
Clear craft glue
Blue twinkle lights, battery operated
White parchment paper for cooking
Steps:
Take your parchment paper and cut into squares that fit inside each side of the acrylic box
Take a small amount of glue and attach each piece of paper into the inside of the box
Insert the twinkle lights and turn them on
Boom! You’re done!
This is literally the easiest project ever. It took me mere minutes for finish and now I have a great prop for various cosplays. The great thing is that the little box has a swing lid, so you just open it, turn off the lights when you aren’t using them.
Our latest outfit of the day comes from Gold Bubble Clothing.
I love this Captain Marvel inspired dress! The fit is wonderful and the fabric color is beautiful with some tiny details within that are sure to get attention.
As you know, I love Gold Bubble for their beautiful printed spandex fabric selections. The cuts of the dresses and leggings are fantastic. They are size inclusive and pass the “bend over” test as well. Gold Bubble pieces also stay put all day. No tugging and pulling all day.
Gold Bubble has several different lines inspired by fandoms as well as licensed pieces for Star Trek.
Our next outfit of the day is my new dragon dress by Retrolicious.
Recently, Retrolicious had a warehouse super sale, and I cleaned up. I really like their take on the “new look” with interesting fabrics. They do have some great mid-century staples, like polka dots and bold colors, but to have a swing dress with dragons all over it, or witches or dinosaurs, really opens up your creativity.
We have had a lot of requests recently for what make-up and skin care products we use, so I’ve compiled a list here with shopping links, where available. I’ve also included information if a product is a good dupe for something more expensive, and vice versa, I found good less expensive dupes. All products are products that we currently use.
Obviously, everyone is different, so please bear that in mind when trying out something new, particularly with skin care. My skin is very dry, same as most middle-aged people. Benji’s is oily, same as most teenagers. So, keep that in mind and get shopping!
Skincare
All Photos: amazon.com
Benji uses ProactivMD, which is the stronger version of Proactiv. He’s particularly fond of the gel treatment. You can find it on Amazon here. I do recommend subscribing to this program from the get-go. First, you get free stuff. Second, if you don’t like it, it is super easy to cancel the subscription. It is a quick phone call.
Benji loves using this contour kit and this nude lipstick. He keeps it pretty natural, so that’s all the product he uses. Click on links to buy.
I am a “little” more complicated. I start with this great moisturizer from Trader Joes with sunscreen. I wear sunscreen every day, without fail. Obviously, this moisturizer is not expensive at all. I found this link to buy on Amazon if you do not have a Trader Joes around you.
Then I use a wonderful stick foundation by Wet N Wild. This is also very inexpensive and available at all drugstores and big box stores. I’ve used more expensive brands, but to be honest, this is the best one I have ever found. I wear the shade “classic ivory”. Click on link to buy. I blend with this blender dampened with this coconut water primer, also by Wet N Wild. All of these products are available at the drugstore, but click on the links to buy them online.
For the rest of my eye make-up, I use various palettes depending on what I’m wearing. My go-to, is this one by Revlon in “avant garde”. My brushes are by E.L.F. which are a good dupes for the ones from MAC.
For lipstick, I have four shades that I choose from for everyday. I have a burgundy red, bright red, light pink and hot pink.
We finish with our hair care products. Benji doesn’t have a tried and true shampoo really, and he uses my finising products, so here are our go-to’s for both of us:
I use WEN to wash my hair and have used it for almost a decade now. I refuse to use anything else on it. After one try, I never went back to sudsy or foaming shampoos. It works the same as the first day I used it too. In short, I’m a believer. Get yours here. Like Proactiv, I recommend you subscribing for the discounts and free stuff. It is also really easy to change anything or cancel. A quick phone call.
Finishing products I use are the non-frizz gel from WEN. I love to use this men’s product from Redken’s “Brews” line. I’ve found that finishing products like wax and pomades, go with the men’s lines. They have more formulas and are usually cheaper.
That’s it! If you have any recommendations, let us know in the comments. We love hearing from you.
The more that I blog and the more that I post to Instagram, the better I get at taking selfies. Part of getting better is the equipment that I’ve found to use as well. So, for this post I thought I would highlight some useful products that I use in taking a better selfie.
The Ring Light
First up is the ring light. Ring lights comes in a ton of sizes and intensities. I have a clip on ring light for my phone. The light has three different intensities and is rechargable with an android charger. I got mine on Amazon, click on this link to buy.
I also have this eight inch ring light set-up. This kit is fantastic! The light comes with a tripod, an adjustable phone mount and a remote that uses Bluetooth so you don’t have to mess with a camera timer app. If you have ever used those, they are kind of a pain. This light has three different types of light, a warm light, sunlight and a bright bluish light as well. All three of those types have varying intensities as well. The power source is USB, so you can use a power pack with it, which makes this easily portable. I also got this on Amazon, click on this link to buy.
The Selfie Stick
Selfie sticks get a bad rep, but I disagree with that. Used with safety in mind, they are a great tool to get a great selfie. You can get a selfie stick almost anywhere. I like this one from Amazon because it has a button on the handle that allows you to take your picture without using a timer app. Click on the link to buy.
Echo Look
The last tool I use quite often is my Echo Look by Amazon. Part of the Alexa AI product line, this tool is specific for fashion and wardrobe planning. You simply plug it into a wall socket and download the app (the app is free). Set-up takes a couple of minutes. After that, just say, “Alexa, take a picture.”, and she does. Alexa takes the photo and blurs the background for you. The Echo Look also has built in lighting that is perfect for selfies and flashes to reduce red eye issues. The photos are put on the app, and from there you can share them to a number of social media sites or text them. Another feature of the app is a “which outfit is better”, wherein fashion stylists compare two of your outfits and critique them for you. You can also save your outfits in a gallery by occasion, style and even color. It comes in very handy for this blog. Obviously, you buy this on Amazon as well. Click on that link to buy your own Echo.
That’s it! If you have any tools you use for taking a great selfie, put it in the comments below.
