Mandy-S-Heart

These past couple of days I've been going over the items in my wardrobe and I thought to myself, what are the items there that I could not do without. This is when the light bulb went off and I knew I had to write this post. I think everyone needs to have a wardrobe that defines who they are as individuals and should definitely include some classic pieces that are a part of the person's sense of style. So all of the items I have mentioned down below are the ones that I adore and what I feel are essentials for any 20 year old something.

So to start off, are shirts. I love shirts whether they are printed or plain and they are definitely a staple in my wardrobe. I think a shirt in white or light blue is a classic piece to own. It is so versatile that it can be styled in any which way you want, whether you neatly tuck it, or be more comfort oriented by partially tucking it or even by rolling up the sleeves. Whenever I buy shirts, I find myself going for a size which is a bit bigger but not too baggy. I also like a lot of shirts with collars (cue the inner prepster) and I particularly like the ones with the peter pan collar like the one below.

Over the years, the little black dress has evolved as one of the most versatile pieces of clothing that a woman can own. The fashion gurus have almost made it a rule that every woman should own a black dress which can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion, whether it is a wedding or a party or even for memorials. To me personally, being in love with the 60s, the most iconic black dress I can think of, is the Givenchy number worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love the detail on the neck of this dress and it reminded me of Holly which is why I had to have it.

A pair of dark washed jeans is all you need. That's not exactly what The Beatles said, but jeans are an absolute for anybody and can be flattering for any size or shape. Whether it is high waisted or skinny or flared like in the 70s, jeans are quite handy to have in anyone's wardrobe. Of course distressed jeans are on trend right now but a pair of straight leg jeans can be adaptable whether the function is in formal or formal (by pairing with a blazer).

Although you may wonder why, owning a blazer is an just important as any one of other items mentioned here, especially when you are in your twenties. They can be worn with jeans or a pair of black peg trousers, but the reasons to own one goes beyond the different ways to style it. You may have to participate in interviews or internships or attend formal meetings where not only being your professional self but also appearing as such is expected. A blazer has the ability to transform your entire outfit, whether it is a dress, a pencil skirt or a regular pair of trousers.

I love stripes, whether it is because of James Dean in rebel without a cause or Elvis in jailhouse rock or seeing Twiggy in her striped dress or just being in love with anything nautical, I don't know. This love without a reason is actually taking over half of my wardrobe. Nevertheless I think owning an item in a print is absolutely essential, if not stripes, then polka dots or even floral. To make it more modern, you can mix prints like stripes and floral. Prints always manage to make any outfit.look more interesting. I love wearing this top below with khaki pants.

Nothing is more comfortable than wearing a simple white tee, which is why it is one of my staples. It can be styled with a colorful skirt for a formal occasion or just a pair of distressed jeans to look uber casual. Even with a simple tee, there are various styles to choose from, whether it's v neck or scoop neck you can select a style which is flattering for you. I tend to stick to either white or black simply because they are more convenient to style.

Although my family questions me whenever I chose to wear sweaters, especially when it's scorching hot outside, my obsession with them will never really go away. They are so comfortable and chic and can be worn in a lot of different ways. Patterns in sweaters not only add to the texture but to the whole look of the outfit. Taking a style tip from Marilyn Monroe herself, I think sweaters and capri pants are the perfect match for a relaxed day in or out. I love this sweater for its details in the form of little gold beads.

No wardrobe is complete without shoes. A pair of flats can help you through anything and I think everyone knows that I am obsessed with sandals. To me, no wardrobe is complete without a pair of heels. When choosing a pair I opt for either black or nude colors because they can be worn with almost anything. Despite others feeling ambivalent about the return of the kitten heels which were popular back in the 50s/ 60s, I absolutely love them and think that they are very chic. I am also loving the platform heels that I bought, which are surprisingly more comfortable than any other pair that I've tried on.

Although I love tote bags for the luxury of space they provide, I find myself most often grabbing my clutch bag whenever I go out. It has ample space to stuff all my necessities into it but yet is small enough that it doesn't look like I'm carrying all the contents of my vanity. The gold chain detail is just a feast for the eyes. To me the key to finding a good bag is the material. Most of my soft leather bags have scratches and tears, so I've learned the hard way to also pick out ones in a more durable material.

That's it for my wardrobe staples. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post and please comment down below if you find any other item to be a wardrobe staple. Also don't forget to subscribe via e-mail, just so you don't miss a single post.

Much love,

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Review: Jordana-Quickliner for Lips

beauty 8:32 PM

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Review: Barry M Lip Paint- Peach

beauty 5:51 PM

Hey lovelies!
As you know I purchased some lip products from ASOS among many others, which I included in my May Favorites blog post. (Link: http://mandy-s-heart.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-favorites-mini-asos-haul.html) So I will be doing a detailed review on the Barry M Lip Paint in this post. They have 8 colors on the ASOS website, each for $ 8.15 and loads more on the Barry M website for £ 4.49. The ingredients can be found on their website as well. The shade I chose was the Peach shade (No. 54) which was on sale for just $2.72. I thought the peach shade would compliment my skin tone and since peach/orange shades have become the ubiquitous color of summer, I knew I had to have it. The fact that they make beauty products that are affordable and cruelty free is commendable. I do feel obliged to mention here that I have never tried anything by Barry M cosmetics before, so this review is solely based on my experience with this particular product.

Packaging:
To start off, I have to say I just love the packaging. It's not fancy nor is it intricately designed. It's in black with a matte feel to it, with the shade number at the bottom and their logo at the top. In fact, I think that it is very straightforward.

Wear:
Although this shade is referred to as 'peach', it is more orange toned and is quite bright. Some might like the fact that it is brighter than what you would normally expect and some might not. When I swatched it on my hand, I absolutely loved the color and the way it turned out. However when I actually applied it on my lips, I was feeling more ambivalent. It's such a pretty color, but on my lips it looks even more orange and stands out in a way that I didn't think was flattering. I managed to blot and tone it down a bit and ended up liking the result.
In terms of pigmentation, it is very pigmented which is always a plus. In terms of consistency, it glides smoothly but after a couple of hours of wear, tends to accumulate into the cracks of the lips, making them look and feel somewhat dry. Although the website has listed it as a matte lip paint, I feel as though it isn't a true matte, at best it is semi-matte. Having said that, it is very light weight and comfortable to wear.

Would I buy this product again?

As much as I love the colors of the lip paints, I'm not sure if I will purchase another. I don't know if the consistency of the rest of colors is similar to this one, as I've read that it's either a hit or a miss for most people. But I have been eyeing their nail polishes and lip liners so I might purchase those instead.

Rating (out of 5): ❤❤❤

Please leave a comment below sharing your experience if you've tried any of the Barry M Lip Paints, or if you've got any recommendations. Also don't forget to subscribe via e-mail, just so you don't miss a single post.

You can check out their website here: https://www.barrym.com/product/Matte-Lip-Paint

Or you can find some of their products on ASOS: http://www.asos.com/Barry-M/Barry-M-Lip-Paint/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=219628&cid=5020&Rf-400=66&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Shockingpink&totalstyles=23&gridsize=3

Much love,

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May Favorites/ Mini ASOS Haul

Fashion 7:45 PM

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Review: Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm-Standout Remarquable

beauty 10:59 PM

Hey lovelies!

I’ve been meaning to write this post for some time now, but never got around to it. I’m going to review Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in No. 250- Standout Remarquable (yes that’s how it’s spelt!) for you in this post. Revlon also has a range of Lacquer Balms but I specifically went for a matte balms and the shade I was searching for- Sultry (No. 225) was not available. So I picked this one out after much deliberation. I bought mine from the mini Revlon store at K-Zone Jaela for Rs. 1850 ($13.8).

Packaging:

The matte balms have an appropriate matte packaging while the packaging on the laquer ones are shiny with a metallic effect. The store had a lot of testers and the balm itself came with a safety sticker which was some reassurance that it was not swatched by others. It is basically a chubby stick which is retractable. The color on the package is similar to what’s inside, so that's a plus point. The ingredients are mentioned in the package (underneath the label) which include coconut oil, mango and shea butter.

Wear:
For those of you who don’t like scented lipsticks/ balms this is not for you, because it has a strong mint smell. I personally didn’t mind it, as a matter of fact, I enjoyed the fresh peppermint scent. Does it standout? Absolutely! I’m so glad I got this because to me, this is the perfect red. It has blue undertones and has a true matte finish. I was more impressed by its ability to keep my lips hydrated while having the matte effect. It glides evenly with no patchiness whatsoever and is light-weight so you don’t feel caked with makeup. It's very opaque and one application is enough because it’s very pigmented and removal is quite easy as well. Just don’t mistake this for one of those tinted balms.

Having said that, the downside to me is the staying power. I expected this to last me quite a while but as it transfers quite easily I have to reapply every 3-4 hours. Re-application isn’t much of an issue as it can be done quite smoothly unlike with other matte lipsticks. Another tiny issue would be the tip, as with every application it would wear out. Eventually I would have to line my lips with a liner before I apply this to avoid any bleeding.

Would I buy this product again?

I do feel like I would repurchase this one because never before have I come across a perfect red shade. Then again considering the price tag I expected to get something that would last me quite a while. So right now, I’m on the fence about it but it’s a great lippie if you want to own a matte shade which doesn’t dry your lips. I swatched many of them while I was at the store and I would definitely say go for the brights because the colors available are just glorious.