October Favorites

It's November. I'm definitely sad that Halloween is over.

But you know what this means! It's time for another favorites post. Here are some of the things I've been loving this month:

Makeup:

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer: I don't know what's happened to my skin lately, but it's been getting oilier. Having rarely used primer, I decided to pix up an inexpensive one to see if it would help. This stuff is great. It keeps skin matte longer. I don't find myself needing to reach for blotting strips nearly as much, and I'm less shiny. This product only retails for about $5.99, so it's a good deal for a nice primer. Definitely worth a try.

Nyx Powder Blush in Pinched: I wore this with my Halloween costume. It's a shimmery peachy-pink color that's similar to Nars Orgasm. It would work well on a variety of skin tones. The Nyx Powder Blushes are about $5 a pop. They have a clean powder finish without the mess of loose powder, and they go on fairly sheer. The one thing to watch out for is overdoing it - you can put on too much.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Bordeaux - This is a deep red shade. It's a really nice dark lipstick that's trendy without going too vampy. It also works well as a stain if you blot it. It doesn't dry out your lips, either - I like that about Rimmel lipsticks.

Fashion:

I've been wearing these stinkin' Target leggings and combat boots all the time. It's a problem. I need to step away.

Merona winter hat from Target - This thing has been a great thing to have. I throw it on when my hair looks bad, or sometimes I just like to wear it because it's cute. It'll come in handy as the winter months come, too.

What have you been loving lately? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to follow on Facebook or Bloglovin or subscribe via e-mail. The links for all these actions are on the side of the page.

xx Samantha

One Day I'll Fly Away

The weather is getting colder! I chose a bird-print sweater for my excursion this evening and I paired it with my trusty leggings and combat boots...I really need to move away from those things.

Sweater - Forever 21

Skirt - Forever 21

Leggings - Target

Boots - Target
Necklace - Charlotte Russe

Scarf - Vintage

Rings - Forever 21

Earrings - eBay (vintage)

I promise...the next post will be the second costume for the Closet Costume Challenge! I am working hard to make sure I'm creating costumes that won't be super common at parties.

See you then!

Samantha

Soft Grunge Girl

I love Pinterest. It's a great source for fashion inspiration. Somehow I found myself looking at soft grunge outfits today, and I wanted to put my own spin on it.

Totally posing on my brother's car without his permission. (click to enlarge)

Plaid shirt - Forever 21

Black T-shirt - Target

Shorts - Kohl's

Leggings - Target

 Boots - KMart

Rings - Forever 21

Other jewelry - eBay (vintage)

 





Do you like Pinterest? What inspires you lately? Let me know in the comments below.

xx Samantha

Chilly Day Chic

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Today was the first cool day we've had in a long time. It's finally starting to feel like fall, and of course that means longer sleeves and more layers. I pulled out the top that goes with the skirt from this post, grabbed my leggings and combat boots, and I headed out to get a wireless router and HDMI cables...my house now has Wi-Fi for the first time. It may seem silly to some, but it feels so sci-fi when you've never had this kind of technology before.

 

My brother and I also bought two new video games - Croc 2 for the PlayStation, which is the sequel to Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, which we loved as kids; and Pokémon Coliseum for the Nintendo Gamecube. It's been an electronics kind of day.

 

And this is what I wore. I can't go anywhere in sweatpants and I'm okay with that.

 

 

(Click to enlarge)

Top (part of a set) - Forever 21

T-shirt - Wet Seal (no longer available)

Skirt - Forever 21 (no longer available)

Leggings - Target

Boots - Target (no longer available)

Earrings - eBay (vintage)

Rings - Forever 21

 

 

The eyeliner is Wet n Wild Mega Liner in Turquoise.

 

 



Have you been able to pull out any of your leggings, sweaters, or other warmer clothes yet? What are your staples? Leave your answers in the comments below!

 

And stay tuned for more, including the next Closet Costume Challenge post.

 

xx Samantha

Closet Costume Challenge - #1 - Betty Rizzo, Grease

Hello, beautiful people! Welcome to the first costume in the Closet Costume Challenge! In case you haven't read about it, this means that this month I'm creating Halloween costumes using items only from my own wardrobe! To read more about the CCC, click here.

Today's costume is Betty Rizzo from the musical/movie Grease. This costume is based on Rizzo's outfit from her first scene in the film ("We're gonna rule the school.")

Click to enlarge

Jacket - Charlotte Russe

Shirt - Wet Seal

Belt - Vintage

Skirt - Byergirl (I don't remember where I got it. I have had it since I was 12 or 13 and it still fits.)

Earrings - Vintage

Shoes - Calvin Klein (TJ Maxx)

None of these items are currently available in stores, but many of you likely have similar clothing. This outfit would basically work for all the Pink Ladies. You could switch out the black T-shirt and skirt with cream or peach versions if you wanted to be Frenchy. Personally, if I were going to be Jan or Marty, I would add some color or patterns (i.e., Jan's tartan skirt) to the outfit.

I added the earrings for a little flair, and I decided to wear black shoes instead of red because I thought they went with the outfit better.

What are you planning to be for Halloween? What kind of costumes would you like to see me try to make from my wardrobe? And if you create your own closet costumes, make sure to use the Twitter hashtag #pleatherandpolish.

I hope you're starting to get inspired for your next masterpiece! See you soon!!

xx Samantha

Black and White and Red all Over

 

Click photos to enlarge

Hello, everyone!! I was looking for a chance to wear this new skirt, so I decided on this fun but comfortable outfit for my trips to the DOT and the library today.

Shirt - Target (not currently available)

Skirt (part of a set) - Forever 21

Tights - JCPenney (no longer available)

Shoes - KMart

Earrings - eBay (vintage)

Necklace - my mother's (vintage)

Rings - Forever 21

Belt - vintage

Bracelet - Claire's (no longer available)

The lip color is Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon.

Hope you're having a great Wednesday!

Samantha

Closet Costume Challenge!!

Hey, everyone! Just letting you know that I'm starting a Closet Costume Challenge this month! I'm going to be going through my closet and seeing what Halloween costumes I can make just from items in my wardrobe!!

While I already have my Halloween costume planned out (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), I thought this would be a good idea to help broke college students or people who are invited to a party last-minute. You never know who's in your closet! Har har.

If you want to join in, please feel free to post what you create in the comments or on Twitter with the hashtag #pleatherandpolish.

See you soon with the first costume!!

xx Samantha

September Favorites

Hey, everyone! October is here, and you know what that means...

That means that I share with you what I've been loving this month.

Once again, all opinions are my own. Ain't nobody paying me to butter them up.

Bath/Body:

Lady Gaga Fame:

I could link you to an online retailer, but if you can get this at a Marshalls or TJ Maxx, you're really doing yourself a favor. If you really want to spend a lot of money, you can buy this most places where fragrances are sold.

For my mini-review/haul, click here.

Bath and Body Works Dreamy Vanilla Woods Shower Gel and Fine Fragrance Mist: 

(click to enlarge)

This product is not currently in production, but I don't feel like this would be a true "favorites" without me including it. You can probably tell from the picture that I've used over half the shower gel.

This stuff is what I use when I want something a little sweeter than Lady Gaga Fame. If you've ever used Warm Vanilla Sugar, this smells a lot less like dessert. In addition to vanilla, this scent incorporates white orchid and saffron. It's a little sexier than your basic vanilla, and I like that (while still loving the WVS).

Makeup:

Crummy swatches from left to right: NYX Maple Blondie, NYX Tiramisu, L'Oreal Fairest Nude. (click to enlarge)

Nyx Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie and Tiramisu: I love the Butter Glosses. They are lustrous, highly pigmented, smell like cookies, and they melt on your lips. Application is easy and the product feels good on your lips. There is a decent color range, too. Maple Blondie is a peachy pink, and Tiramisu is a caramel brown-based nude. I also have Cherry Pie, which is a red, but I prefer these two colors because when they melt, they blend more seamlessly with your neutral lip color. I would highly recommend these to anyone who likes a very pigmented, non-sticky gloss.

L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lipcolour in Fairest Nude: This has got to be the creamiest lipstick I've ever used. It's a pinkish nude that is a bit lighter than my natural lip color, but it's closer to it than a brown-based nude (nothing wrong with a brown-based nude - see Tiramisu above!), which is nice for minimal makeup days. This lipstick is highly pigmented and looks good on a variety of skintones. It is a little drying, but nothing too serious.

Fashion:

Flower Garland Headwrap from Icing: I prefer headwraps and scarves to headbands. I have a pixie cut, so hard headbands hurt my head. This has become one of my favorite hair accessories. It's so soft and pretty, and it makes me feel like a princess or the Greek goddess Demeter.

Ring set from Forever 21: (I can't find the link to these, but they should still be in stores)

(click to enlarge; nail polish is Orly Nail Lacquer in Haute Red)

I love the woodsy, ethereal look to these. This is the first midi ring I've ever had, and I absolutely love the trend. The tips of the "twigs" don't poke, either. If I remember correctly, there is also a set in silver.

And that's my faves for this month! Have you used or purchased any of these products? If so, what do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

xx Samantha