Summerthing with JORD

Patterned Kimono c/o Swell (similar here) | Asymetrical White Shirt Kenar | Destroyed Boyfriend Denim Jeans  Joe’s | Rogan Cognac Sandals Steve Madden | Koa & Rose Gold Watch c/o JORD (here) | Fedora BDG | Bracelets via LE TOTE | Sunglasses Tory Burch | Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick – 4 Danger in Rouge YSL (here) |
A few weekends ago, I spent my weekend “living” in the city. Armando and I spent the final Saturday morning of June at the NorCal Corgi Con at Ocean Beach and then I made my way to make ice cream, souffles and eclairs with my fellow blogger friends and Maison Jules. We finished our Saturday watching Inside Out with a couple of friends (and I loved it!)
Sunday we made our way over to Golden Gate Park for a free concert hosted by Alice 97.3 featuring Elle King, Rachel Platten, Matt Kearney and Kelly Clarkson. Getting dressed for the morning. The concert was a blast, and the weather was perfect for the day! We found a great spot to set out our picnic blanket and Armando took some great shots during the performance.
I knew I wanted to wear something that would be appropriate for the concert in the park. I’ve never been to a music festival, so I think I channeled something more boho than I would normally go for. I started out with my floral print kimono and really wanted the neutral pieces I paired with it to stand out. I scored the jeans recently from Crossroads Trading Co. and they are the most comfortable pair of jeans I’ve ever purchased. I don’t normally opt for boyfriend jeans, but I don’t understand why!
My other favorite piece in this outfit is actually my watch. The Koa & Rose Gold watch, from JORD’s Cora series, is a nice neutral. When I first received it, I wasn’t too sure what I would wear it with, but it does in fact go with everything! Since I was using my phone a lot throughout the weekend for photos, checking it for the time felt like a waste of my precious battery (and made me realize I should invest in a portable charger). Luckily I had this pretty watch to look at to keep track of time and to provide an earthy element to my boho look. This watch is part of the first automatic timepieces for JORD and comes in a variety of other colors. I was pretty tempted getting the Zebrawood and Turquoise or Maple and Lavender, but I had been on a Rose Gold kick lately and really felt this fit my style. 
I will note that the packaging for this watch was on point! It came in a wooden box (so cute!). Measuring the sizing of my wrist for it to fit perfectly when it arrived was extremely easy and I appreciated the level of detail that was given for that. I know I need to share a photo of the cute box soon,  but what do you think? How would you style a wood watch?
Hope you had a great weekend and are having a great start to your week!

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Watch Gift Ideas

This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches. All opinions expressed are my own.

T3Micro Twirl 360 Styling Iron Review

11/9/15 Important Recall Notice: T3 has issued a safety recall on the Twirl 360 Motion-Sensing Auto-Rotating 1.25” Curling Iron (MSRP $230) in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada. The clamp on the tool can detach while in use, posing a burn hazard.
If you’ve purchased one before November 2014, please stop using this tool immediately. For information on how to send in your tool for repair, please contact T3 consumer services at 1-866-8880 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit T3 online at www.t3micro.com and click on the “Product Recall” link at the bottom of the page here. 
Thanks to iFabbo, I had the chance to test out the new T3Micro Twirl 360 Auto-Rotating Styling Iron. I realize it might sound silly that I, the girl with curly hair, would jump at the opportunity to try out this styling iron to curl my hair, but trust me when I say it takes a lot of product to get the curls I have. I do typically wear my hair curly, but my natural hair can get pretty frizzy if I don’t apply products to it immediately after stepping out of the shower. (I’ve bounced between Tresemme and Herbal Essance Mouse, but splurged at Sephora recently and am trying the Mousse and Styling Cream by Living Proof, which I feel is less heavy and a bit more natural looking.)
However, I would always admire girls who could curl their hair using a curling iron. I would have “gorgeous” curls for special occasions when my Mom or family friend would spend a pretty long morning curling my hair, applying hair spray, and generally commenting that my hair was perfect for curling since it was thick and could hold the shape of the curl.
I never became an expert or knew how to curl my own hair, but it is always something I’ve wanted to do. Enter the T3 Micro 360 Motion-Sensing Styling Iron. When I first saw this curling wand, I could hear a chorus singing “Hallelujah”. My typical curls are pretty relaxed, but I dream of having seriously glam curls without as much work as I remember my mom going through when curling my hair as a teen.

The T3Micro Twirl 360 promised beautiful waves and curls. (Waves are another item on my beauty  bucket list.) The gyroscopic technology detects motion and triggers automatic barrel movement with the simple twist of your wrist to create easy, flawless curls. Add the T3 Tourmaline Technology of ionic, infrared energy from the Tourmaline gemstone to fight frizz and you should have the perfect combo to achieve fabulous curls!

I really had high hopes for this styling iron. At first glance, I thought it was a beautiful item and I absolutely loved the rose-gold detail. It also had some great features and looked really simple to use.
I will admit that my first attempt using the wand was, in short, a disaster. It was a bigger wand than I was expecting, but as I would clamp my hair under the lever, I would have trouble finding the GO button again. And by the time I hit it and flicked my wrist to move the styling iron to the right position, I had my hair close to heat barrel too long and kind of burnt the bottom part of my hair. I think there was a lot more user error on my part, and initially didn’t understand how the curl would work thanks to the fact that I had reviewed a similar iron before, but definitely not the same as this.
I had started out styling my hair without a mirror when I first began using the T3 Twirl, so that may have also been where I went wrong. I felt flustered and a little bummed I had burnt my hair after also trying to curl the same area with no good results. I had also attempted to reduce the heat of the barrel by trying to press the power button and GO button simultaneously, but was unable to figure out how to lower the temperature.
I do feel a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to get it right the first time (and having to put my hair in a bun since curls were just not forming due.) I took photos of my frizzy hair from before, but really felt bummed I was not good at this right away and for not getting an after shot. I didn’t want to be late for work, hence the bun I ended up doing that day, but I haven’t given up hope that this could work for me and give me the curls I desire to have.
That being said, I don’t think this is the right styling iron for beginners. I am sure if I watch videos on Youtube I can get the hang of it, but I would have been hesitant splurging on this without any prior experience with a similar curling tool. This particular model retails for about $230.  It is a gorgeous device in person, but I recommend watching some tutorials and starting with low heat to avoid potentially burning your hair.
Stay tuned as I attempt this again (once my hair heals) and for the before and after look (or at least some parts of my hair) curled with this styling iron.

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Vintage Florals

Denim Jacket Heritage 1981 | Cream Floral Chiffon 3/4 Dress Ya! Los Angeles c/o Pinkblush (here) | Crystal Statement Necklace Urban Gem via Rocksbox | White Vintage Cross Body  Coach | Red Suede Ulltra Heels  Steve Madden |
Weekends sometimes call for a little extra effort, and pairing a denim jacket with a chiffon floral dress is just what a weekend brunch calls for. I am so excited to share another dress from Pinkblush while they are currently having another 30% off sitewide sale this weekend.  (Use code SHOPFORMOM30).
I love that this dress has a fun vintage floral print and I have spotted it before on a midi skirt from Modcloth. I loved the print, and have contemplated getting this in its midi skirt form, but I am really happy with this in this style! I can dress it down further with flats or sandals, add a hat, and drive off on a road trip or go to a flea market. I love clothes that make me envision doing something, and this one is no exception.
 Don’t forget to check out the Pink Blush sale to pick up a floral dress that you’ll take with you this summer, or that will take you places.

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Raisin Red

Denim Button Down Banana Republic Factory Store | Grey Jacquard Dot Skirt JOA via LE TOTE (here) | Estelle Cluster Charm Bracelet Noir Luxe via LE TOTE (similar here) | Rose Gold Watch Marc by Marc Jacobs | Burgundy Knit Scarf Handmade (similar here) | Newspaper Clutch Kate Spade | Raisin Suede Issax Lug Pumps Enzo Angiolini c/o DSW (similar color heels here) | Le Rouge Intense Color Lipstick – 307 Grenate Initie Givenchy (here)
I am excited to share one of my first outfits inspired by Enzo Angiolini Issax Lug Heels in Raisin Suede I scored at DSW. I adore the color and thought they would be perfect for my Fall work wardrobe and a great shoe to carry me into the holiday party season. I am a big fan of the grip these shoes have underneath which can prevent a major fall from happening, especially if I decide to wear these after some light rain. They are no longer available on their website, but you can still find them in either black, gray or raisin suede at the DSW on Post Street in San Francisco. If you do visit the store be ready to spend more than a few hours in there because it is HUGE and they have a large selection of boots and heels. I can’t wait to share my latest pair of boots I found there as well in an upcoming post!
The grey circle midi skirt I am wearing is from Le Tote and it is in fact very cozy. They grey color is a nice neutral and these shoes just pop against it. I remember spotting this skirt on Kendi Skeen from Kendi Everyday, so I was excited to style this skirt when I received it in my latest tote. Little did I know that it was a blogger favorite, and I discovered my friends Chanda and Carlina also styled this skirt after receiving it in one of their totes. It is a very fun piece and I am looking forward to styling it a little differently for a more casual affair or for work.
For this outfit, I also wanted to keep a cozy vibe by wearing my handmade burgundy scarf. I don’t feel I match my outfits as much as I used to, but it was hard not matching my shoes to my scarf. The scarf was a gift from my friend last Christmas and I felt it added the extra warmth not only because of the material, but because it was handmade for me. My Kate Spade newspaper clutch, one of my latest finds from +Poshmark, also feels very me because I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper. It made a huge impact in my life because it helped improve my writing skills and exposed me to the publication world. I love quirky pieces like this and being able to wear something that can tell a story about me.  
Hope you are having a great week so far and stay tuned for some Fall inspired cupcakes in my next post that you can easily make for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Until next time, 

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

LUNAFEST- Flms About, By and For Women

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Luna Bar. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the world premiere of LUNAFEST at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. LUNAFEST is a national traveling film festival featuring short stories of women, by women, for women. The event is presented by LUNA Bar, whole nutrition for women, and all tickets sales from that night benefited the Breast Cancer Fund. 
The film festival—by, for, and about women—has  raised 2.5 million dollars to date for the Breast Cancer Fund and other nonprofits around the country. It is also rare in that it is one of the few recognized and heralded avenues reserved for women filmmakers, and enables them to get their films out into the world and to impact and inspire other women filmmakers and their audiences.

I was able to attend the LUNAFEST VIP Reception before the screening of the films and had the chance to hear the songs of the all-female mariachi band Flor de Toloache. I had seen the LUNAFEST trailer before the event and realized when I saw them that they were the band featured in one of the films. They were amazing to hear in person and it was very inspiring to not only hear their music live but also to hear their story and how they are changing the gender norms of mariachi.

I attended the event solo, but luckily I ran into a few of my blogger friends such as Jessica from Fab in Lombardia, Elise from WTFAB! and Aimee from The Ohio Transplant. Jessica and I arrived at about the same time and that made the whole experience for me a lot more fun. We took photos at the photo booth and enjoyed the food, wine and s’mores desserts before we headed in to the theater to find our seats. 

After filing into the auditorium and hearing the opening remarks, I was really excited to watch these short stories featuring women in film. All of the filmmakers were in attendance and they took a bow before the screening. This part was pretty inspirational to me because it felt good attending this event and supporting women who are changing the game in film. Out of the 8 films, it is hard to say which one was my favorite since they all featured a great narrative. If I had to pick a favorite film, I would say it is a tie between Chica’s Day and A Good Match because they both featured similar themes of friendship. 
Chica’s Day revolved around what appears to be a mother and daughter living a life of luxury having a day of fun with no rules. The plot twist when the father returns home from work at the end is unexpected but really makes you wonder about the deep relationship the woman and child have. 
A Good Match featured a girl named Ann who spots her Ex with his new Fiance and his mother at dinner and reveals she does not miss her ex, but instead misses her ex’s mother. She then sets out to give her relationship with her ex’s mom another try. The film seems to ask if splitting up with an ex means the end the relationship with your ex’s mother.
After viewing the films, attendants had the chance to meet with the filmmakers and ask questions I met with the woman behind the lens of A Good Match, Lyn Elliot.  I was able to express how easy it was relating to the main character Ann and how people do have some type of expectations of what a persons mother will be like. If you get along and become friends, shouldn’t the friendship continue even if the relationship with the boyfriend runs south. 

I am very happy I had the chance to attend the LUNAFEST festival and would definitely recommend checking out their website for tour dates to see if they’ll be in your city next.  You can always request to host LUNAFEST in your city if you don’t see a tour date near you anytime soon and this festival  can benefit local charities along with the Breast Cancer Fund. You’ll definitely feel inspired when you leave the screening.
I left the event thinking about the women in my life and which of them inspires me the most. Is there a woman that is game-changer/inspiration to you? I’d love to hear about it and if you plan on attending LUNAFEST. I’ll be sharing who I think is a game-changer in my life in my next post.

Until next time,

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

“Up All Night” Make Up by One Direction Review

Disclosure: I received makeup to sample from BrandBacker and Markwins International, but all opinions are my own.
I recently began experimenting with beauty products, so when I was given the opportunity to try out a new makeup collection by One Direction, I had mixed feelings about using it. I was psyched to try out new makeup, but what would a boy band know about makeup? Well, that question made me ask Google and I found out they already had makeup out as well as perfume, so this isn’t the boy band’s first time venturing into the world of beauty. (I will come out and admit right off the bat that I have listened to a few of One Direction’s songs, but I don’t even know all of their names except Harry Styles, because come on, who doesn’t know Harry Styles?)
The makeup came in a collectible tin, and there are 3 available named after their albums. I was sent the “Up All Night” Looks Tin and it has a removable plastic sleeve with the boy band and their signatures.  The “Up All Night” tin came with: the Little Black Dress mascara, Na Na Na teal nail polish, Taken pink liquilights glow gloss, I Should Have Kissed You lipstick, Stand Up Navy eye & body crayon, 5 eye shadow palette with colors More Than This, Save You Tonight, Up All Night, Gotta Be You and Another World. The set also included One Direction doodle stencils.  
My first impression of the kit was that it featured really bright, make up colors that are fun, but not what I am used to wearing everyday. I like to have fun with my clothes at work, but makeup is an accessory that I never want to have too much of. Some of the colors on the eye shadow palette as well as the lip colors seem like they are more appropriate to wear to go out at night, but I was able to incorporate a few of the eye shadow colors for everyday wear. They lasted all day, especially a few of the ones I tried with sparkle.  liked that I could wear the Little Black Dress mascara everyday. My eyelashes are pretty long and the mascara adds just the right amount of definition and gave the right amount of volume. It earned extra points for being fairly easy to remove at the end of the day too.
Out of all the items in the set, my favorite was the mermaid teal-green nail polish named Na Na Na. I shared a photo yesterday on instagram showing off the pretty color that this nail polish. I needed to apply 3 coats because it was slightly thinner than other polishes, but it dried really fast. I loved the color and experienced no chipping on the first day I had it on. 
The eyeliner was new for me, having only used liquid before. I had never seen a big crayon like the one in this kit before either, but I like that it is versatile and can be used on your body as well or as a dark shadow. The color is very rich and bold, and I wore it a few times for attention on my eyes. I am not sure if I would ever use the doodle stencils on myself with this body crayon, but it might be fun to try them out with my 9 year old niece. 
I was a little overwhelmed by the lipstick and liquilights glow gloss in the set. At first I was in love with how girly the colors were. Now in retrospect, I would have preferred the “Midnight Memories” tin only because of the more classic red lip colors. The Should Have Kissed You lipstick was a little too pale for my skin tone, and was not as smooth too apply nor long-lasting. The Taken liquilights glow gloss is very intense. It is easy to apply and is sickeningly sweet. It is practically liquid sugar on your lips. The sweet smell was a little too overwhelming at one point to me, but the color was great and it took awhile for it to fade. I might want to try out the two lip products together to decide whether I like them or not, but out off all the items I did not like the lipstick too much.
Overall, I would rate this makeup set as 3 out of 5. It is in a reusable collector’s tin, has products with clever names based on song titles ( or so I am told), and features some pretty trendy colors. It would make a great gift for any One Direction fan, but would not be ideal for someone who prefers subtler makeup. If you’d like to get your hands on a set, here are the scheduled released dates for participating department stores:
Macy’s – August 11thStage Stores – August 25thDillards – August 25thBeauty Brands – August 25thLord and Taylor – August 25th
You can also like this Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MakeupbyOneDirection for more news and other makeup tutorials as well as announcements for when they are available at other stores. If you happen to snatch up one of these limited edition tins, don’t forget to share your beauty looks with the hashtags: #thelookscollection #makeup1D and #markwins so other 1D fans can discover this makeup set.
Hope you enjoyed my review and until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER |