Oh hi, hello! It's time already for another favorites roundup- this month was a good mix of trusted brands & trying out ones for the first time, and the jury is out now.
Let's see what the jury says:
I've never used an actual dry shampoo- just the baby powder hack for between washes. The powder really works, but sometimes it does tend to leave residue & I'm left looking like I had a powdered donut mishap. (I'm 100% pro-donut, just not in my hair) SO I decided to try out Fresh Start dry shampoo since most Tresemme products work well for me. This shampoo doesn't leave ANY residue & when I put it on I immediately feel a difference & an instant va-voom. 
Staying on the hair subject, if you read my March favorites I talked about my first experience with the ogx range & now I can't get enough! I picked up their coconut oil mist as I was looking for something to spritz on when my hair is dry for a little refresher & to tame those DANG FLYAWAYS. My hair gets pretty thick the longer it is, & as I'm growing it out it gets a little wild at times. This oil really helps smooth everything down and make it a little softer. 
On a recent Target shopping trip I found they had some of the Soap & Glory range and my little heart fluttered, as I've always heard such great things about it. The Scrub of Your Life caught my eye because it's exactly what my skin needs- a little TLC. The formula foams up & is SOOOO super silky and I think it's true love....
Okay so, remember this post on the under eye circle remedy? It's already changed up a bit. Don't worry, I still LOVE my chic luminosity, but I also made room for the Pixi undercover crayon in perk up peach. I was looking for an under eye concealer made specifically to help erase circles because I STILL needed some help. It definitely does more than a normal concealer, & when used with her correction cream in brightening peach, (along with my trusty chic luminosity) it does more than I could have ever imagined. It totally corrects the blue tone that haunts me so, HA!
On the fashion side of things, I'm still having a choker moment (dare I say the moment will last forever?) and I just love how much they've come back & I think they're a new summer staple. 
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Mossimo striped halter tee- it's such a simple & versatile piece that can make any outfit look chic. Plus there's like 5000 ways to style it. My favorite? Denim skirt, obviously. I also honestly can't say enough about this floral cold shoulder dress- I love the sleeves & the colors in the pattern are just soft enough. OBSESSED.
I've been listening to a lot of these songs, & also Ariana Grande & Fifth Harmony's new albums, because girl power. duh.
What have y'all been loving in May? Tell me tell me!
PS just realized the next time I do one of these posts I'll be 22. Cue existential crisis in 3, 2,........
xo,

The Cold Shoulder

Did you know that these kind of sleeves are called cold shoulder? You learn something new every day.
Anyway, this little floral number makes a great summer dress, especially dressed up a bit with a pair of wedges or sandals. Add a pop of color through an accessory for an added bonus! 
What do you think about the "cold shoulder" trend?

dress | xhilaration (no longer available online- should still be in Target stores! similar found here & here) shoes | Cherokee (similar here & here) sunglasses | Target choker | f21 bag | Kate Spade xo,

Lip Color Mixing

I've been feeling like a bit of a lip mixologist. A lipologist, if you will. Okay, so I've only concocted one creation. But we all gotta start somewhere, am I right? Do't worry, I've tested this out before intoxicating you with it. (ok Kaeleen, enough with the alcohol jokes)
I've never been too much on the neutral lip trend, especially once Kylie started happening. (I'm just not a fan) I tend to go either dark or bright, but nothing really in the middle. BUT I recently bought NYX's liquid suede lipstick in Tea & Cookies and decided it was the PERFECT matte neutral. It's got the slightest pinkish tint to it, (because pink IS a neutral) so I thought I'd try it over a coat of elf's Dash of Pink. (also matte, also pink)

My routine:  + Start with Rimmel's transparent lipliner- helps the color stay! + One coat of elf + One coat of NYX
Three steps. That's literally all it takes for a chic pinkish nude.
Cool, right?

{choker found here}

I kinda like this color mixing thing... if you need me, I'll just be testing out all the possibilities EVER!
Have you ever tried "lipology"? 
xo,

Summer Mini Haul | Old Navy & Ulta

Oh hey, hello! Yesterday I popped over (did I just say popped over? Okay Zoella) to Ulta & Old Navy for a few thing & I wanted to share first impressions. 
SO let's get to it, shall we? 
I'm just gonna go ahead and call Ulta the Target of makeup stores, because, let's be real. You go in for one thing & come out with a partridge in a pear tree. OOPS. I'd been searching for some temporary hair chalk because I always see those super rad girls with pretty pastel hair & since I don't think I could pull a whole head of color off, hair chalk is the way. I spotted Dippity Do's hair chalk palette (it's not available online but in stores it's 97 cents. CENTS.) I'd never heard of this brand before but apparently it's been around since the '70s-ish. So it's gotta be good, right?? Will update.
Aside from the chalk, this was kind of a NYX haul.... I've been wanting to try their liquid suede lipsticks as I've heard good things about them, although I tend to stray from liquid formulas because I just feel like I'm putting on gloss. These do dry more matte, but I will say the formula is kind of intense. Overall I think it's got the seal of approval though! Life's a Beach is pretty vibrant and Tea & Cookies is more of a muted nude, which I don't have a lot of when it comes to lipsticks. 

Last summer I did a write up on NYX's colored liner, and I still love the idea of playing that up. Even better? Glitter colored liner, because I'm twelve. I picked up lavender  & sky shimmer, which are both light & pretty pastels that I think can play up any look.
NOW ONTO CLOTHES:
I've only just recently started shopping at Old Navy & I can't believe what I've been missing! They have some gold finds, like this dress that I immediately fell in love with. It's 100% cotton so it's super light & cool, and I obviously love the stripes. Speaking of, one can never have too many striped tees, no? SO MANY styling options. The crochet on this tank is so pretty & I love the coral-y color I picked! Can easily be tucked into some denim shorts. BAM.
* PS Right now THE ENTIRE STORE is 40% off!! Online, too. Don't worry, I got you. 

xo,

Bits & Baubles

{ice cream + blue nails}

WHEW it's been a hot minute since I did one of these posts! I think I'm gonna start them up again because I like giving you a glimpse of things going on that aren't long enough for a full post. HA.
I've been experimenting a little more with photography as I really do love taking photos, especially on my little instant camera. BUT I'm semi-clueless when it comes to digital shots- I know just enough for my blog photos! I've been researching/ pinteresting but any advice is welcome.....

{experimenting}

{SUNdays}

Speaking of blogging, I'm SUPER excited about Helene's new project! There are so many dreams & ideas I have for WDAC & a community like Blog Boss Babe is EXACTLY what we need. Check it out!! (she didn't tell me to say this, promise) 

{chokers are where it's at right now}

I'm not sure if I ever updated you BUT I'm officially caught up on Grey's & I'm not ready for this finale tomorrow! There's so many directions it could go. ANYWAY I need a new show to watch! I STILL haven't done Fuller House so I think I might start that soon. Or Gossip Girl, even though I'm about seven years late to that party.  
Watched anything good lately I should know about? Update me on your happenings! I'm nosy like that. 
Happy Wednesday!
xo,

Perfectly Floral

When I saw this little floral halter dress recently I had a moment. The flowers, the color, the texture (cotton- SO SOFT!)..... a perfect summer situation. You know my denim rule (adding it to anything makes it better) & while wearing the dress as is is perfectly pretty, adding a vest gives it a bit of a grunged-up look that contrasts the softness in the dress. 
The best accessory? CHOKERS. aaaaand now we twirl.

dress | Mossimo vest | Mossimo (similar here & here) shoes | Cherokee (similar here & here) choker | f21 (the charm came off so instead of returning  I just wear it plain- HACKS! similar plain here) earrings + watch | francesca's 
xo,

Choker Moment

Chokers have made such a comeback & my '90s baby soul is kiiiind of happy about it. I mean, what's better than rocking your tattoo choker while drinking your capri sun & listening to Backstreet Boys? 

Like any necklace, there are lots of different styles of chokers (& I kind of want them all!) and so many styling options. I've been loving a good overall + choker combo lately..... what about you?

xo,

Fitness Routine

{sports bra | VS}

*Disclaimer: Before I start this post I should probably let you know that technically I haven't worked out in about oooh five days. Whew, feels good to get that off my chest! Transparency is the way, am I right ladies? I'm also in no way a fitness expert but I want to share what works for me!

SO with that in mind, my workout routine isn't so much a "routine" as a "squeeze it in when I can" situation, because life is hard & the retail life is not glamorous, nor are the hours stable. I try to do SOME form of working out at least three times a week, but sometimes it's less, sometimes more. I tend to exercise in the evenings & I don't really have a reason for it.... I'm just a night owl who likes to party it up! What can I say? 

For the longest time my only real form of exercise was yoga. I still like to incorporate it a lot, but I also like to get a little cardio in. I'm more of a work from home (*cue fifth harmony) kinda girl, & luckily my parents have this cool stationary recumbent bike I like to use. (the perks of living at home, folks!) I'll usually queue up netflix or put on my workout playlist and do about twenty minutes or so. Walking my dog is another form of cardio I always like! When the weather lets us, of course. 

Also, we can't forget about weight lifting. Thinking about the weights I lift compared to those intense ones you see at the gym is preeeetty comical, I must say. But we do the best we can, and sometimes our best is a five pound weight. Look ma, I've got upper arm strength! 

Then we move on to the yoga. I've talked before about my two favorite yoga youtubers, but HERE THEY ARE AGAIN. Adriene has some longer routines for when you have more time. I love all of her stuff- she's super relaxing. Tara Stiles has a lot of shorter (under 15 minutes) routines that are quick but get the job done and you still feel like you did something. 

I don't always do the cardio & yoga together, some days I'll only do one. But it's a little groove that works for me.... you know, when I actually do it. HA. Who knows? Today might even be the day....

Alright, I'm sure your routines are much less boring than mine. Tell me about them! Even if it's just eating pizza, that's cool too. I approve.

xo,

Girl Discovers Shocking Revelation While Crying Into Wine Glass

{via}

Two of my best friends graduated college this weekend & I got a mother's day card from my dog! So we're doing pretty great today, ya know, aside from the quarter-life crisis. Can those even exist before you hit 25?
Apparently yes. Yes they can. I've gotten to know the question "What am I doing with my life??" inappropriately well lately. It usually comes late at night, episodes deep into a netflix binge, or the middle of the day after I've spent twenty minutes I'll never get back editing a very staged photo. (but I do love the instant validation that comes with the likes, obviously) When I was a kid "adulting" seemed oh so glamorous. No bed time? Driving? College? FUN! (The college years of Boy Meets World really painted a very unrealistic expectation in my mind)
Unfortunately tiny Kae didn't take into consideration all the less than glam stuff like taxes and finding a job and resisting the urge to buy the entire Target inventory. Who knew?
Anyway. Back to the question. I think I've figured out the answer to it too. Besides wanting to be Alexa Chung, I DON'T KNOW. I have no idea what I'm doing. I know that I love this little space I've created & that I want to keep it & let it grow. Maybe that's all I need right now and I'm trying to be ok with the fact that I, in fact, don't have everything figured out.
Luckily I don't think you have to know exactly where you're going or what you're doing at any certain time. We're all just faking it, yay! But seriously folks, if you're Chandler Bing-ing it out, it's okay. 
PS I'm seriously reconsidering this post's post-worthiness, but too late for cold feet! 
xo,

Styling The T-Shirt Dress

I feel like the t-shirt dress is a quintessential staple, no? It's such a simple concept with hundreds of styling options. OKAY maybe not actually hundreds. I don't know, maybe I'll count one of these days.

In the mean time, one of my favorite looks to put together is probably one of the most casual, but still fresh. Maybe a little.... street chic? (Or so I like to think, HA) This tee dress in particular is more swing cut, so I like to put something around my waist in order to get kind of a defined line. (My fellow petites can agree) In this case, a denim top deconstructs it a notch. I also love a good sneaker with these dresses! 

All the breezy summer vibes over here.

dress | Mossimo

denim button down | f21 (similar)

shoes | STEVIES (similar here)

necklace | LC Lauren Conrad

sunglasses | Target

bracelet | Francesca's 

xo,

Ten Good Things

In light of last night's political news, I've decided to throw all the positivity around today. I feel like it's so much easier to get caught up in negativity in the social media age than ever before. You can't just turn off the news and call it a day. Everything is everywhere, staring you in the face, crawling around in your head, like that girl from The Ring. (What an image to give you on a Wednesday) 

SO, to contrast that, a few good things:

1// Lighting a new candle

2// Those stories you hear of pets running across the country back to their owners

3// Driving with the windows down while your favorite song is on the radio

4// Girls complementing each other

5// 90s/ early '00s music (we know we all love it)

6// People who find lost phones/ wallets and track down the owner

7// PIZZA.

8// Those photos of people recreating old photos

9// The pitter patter of a dog's paws when they're running for your lap

10// Rereading an old book or watching your favorite show and it feels like coming home. (EW Kae, this isn't hallmark)

We can always go back to fearing for America's future tomorrow...... for now, there's glitter. Metaphorical glitter, of course. Unless you casually have actual glitter on hand, in which case I ask you..... where can I get some?

xo,

My Messy Waves Routine

The reason behind the cheesy grin and casually placed hand so the nail polish is seen just so? 
I'm bringing you a little tutorial today on some easy messy waves! 
* Disclaimer: I say the word tutorial very loosely. I'm in no way what the young people call those "beauty gurus." I know. You're disappointed. We can get through it together.
ANYWAY. I first started doing my hair in beach waves more back when I had the Lauren Conrad cut & now it's become one of my favorite ways to style it. Once I got the routine down it became like second nature & I like the way it looks kind of free. (Can hair even look free? I picture an entire head of hair blowing loosely in the wind, Stevie Nicks playing in the background. Casual.)

First things first: prep. At first glance this may look like a Tresemme ad, but alas. I just love these products! If I know I'm gonna wear my hair wavy the next day, after my shower I'll spray on this sea salt spray, scrunch, and air dry. But you can blow dry as well! The spray will give you some natural texture & serve as a good base.

Once it's styling time I'll heat up my flat iron and brush everything out, then I'll section my hair off, starting with the bottom. 

Then I spray some heat protectant on (I use this Tresemme one) and start curling my hair AWAY from my face. TIP: Twist the iron slightly as you move down and stop when you get to the ends; you'll want to keep them straight.

Take the next layer down, spray the heat spray, and continue the process on your whole head. Once you've finished curling everything, you'll wanna finger comb all over to get that messy, loose look. For even more effect you can scrunch the waves up a little & sometimes I'll tease the roots. 

{It's either cheesy grin or super serious model face. I'm real good at this blogging thing.}

RECAP:

1// Prep wet hair with sea salt spray and air or blow dry to natural texture

2// Section off hair starting with the bottom. 

3// Curl away from face, leaving the ends straight

4// Finger comb & scrunch waves for messy look

5// Teasing optional!

AND that's it. Told you it was easy! 

Let's talk hair. How do you do messy curls?

xo,