when clothes aren't just clothes anymore.

Have you ever had one of those moments where clothes just bring you to tears?  Okay, okay, we've all had those times when we see something we love and then look at the price tag and - boom - we get a little misty-eyed, knowing we can never afford it.  But that's not the kind I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the moments that you see on Oprah, the dramatical kind where the music swells and it feels like everything is right with the world and unicorns should be frolicking about on cotton candy clouds.  Let me explain.

social bliss the style box june 2014 review

i have been anxiously awaiting my social bliss style box this month since it is always one of my favorites, and as usual, i was not disappointed!  i am always very happy with the combination of unknown & popular brands they include and the wide variety of products that are in the box each month.  it is the most expensive box that i subscribe to but i definitely think that i get my money's worth each month and the products that are included always feel like they are a step above any other box, in my opinion.  they seem more luxurious and classy, which has a lot to do with the value of the items included (especially that one is always a high-ticket, featured item) and the packaging and presentation.  it always makes me smile and feel like i'm pampering myself, which is a nice little treat.  :)

what is the social bliss style box?  it's a monthly subscription box that includes up-and-coming fashion and lifestyle products (usually 4-6 per box) with a minimum value of $100, all for just $39.95, plus shipping (my shipping is $7.00).  each box spotlights one main item that is the highest priced item of the box by a trendy new designer, including a card about their products and their design process.  in the past, this item has been a handbag, a wallet, and a coin purse.  if you are interested in signing up, you can check out the style box here.

fashion friday - maxi skirts

today's fashion friday is on a very versatile piece that gets a lot of use in my wardrobe: the maxi skirt!

like a lot of chronic illness sufferers, i have trouble controlling my body temperature.  i get very hot pretty quickly and it takes a lot to get me cooled down.  this makes summer dressing kind of tricky, since i like to dress nicely and not be mistaken for someone standing on a street corner, if you get my drift.  i draw the line at about a 2 to 2 1/2" inseam on my shorts, and while i mostly wear tank tops, i make sure they aren't overexposed in the front and cover me well in the back if i have to bend over.

while this is all well and good for modesty's sake, it's not always very helpful when i am extremely hot, my face is flushed, i'm feeling the oh-so-pleasant boob and middle-back sweat dripping down underneath said tank top, and there is no refuge in sight.  the last thing i want to be doing is having tight clothing against me, or jean shorts that rub against my legs and create friction that makes me feel even sweatier, especially when you have to use a bathroom that doesn't have air conditioning.  there is nothing that makes me feel more gross and sweaty on a hot day than using a hot bathroom and having to wiggle into, button, and zip up my jean shorts, and go waddling back out into the heat, all sweaty and uncomfortable.  bleechhh.

this is where the maxi skirt comes in!  while it seems like it's a lot more fabric to cover you and therefore counterintuitive, it couldn't be farther from the truth.  most maxi skirts are made from a breathable cotton or a lightweight chiffon material (my personal favorite) that allows it to move with you, and allows for plenty of delightful breezes to cool you down.  whenever i wear my maxi skirts, it almost feels like i don't even have any bottoms on, or like i'm wearing pajamas, because they are just that comfortable!  here are some style tips to remember about maxi skirts!

wantable accessories june 2014 box review

hi everyone!  i apologize for not posting in a long time.  i have been having a lot of trouble with my health, especially with my heart and my migraines.  i will be posting more about it tomorrow and what i've been up to for the last two weeks, but i wanted to get a quick post up tonight to let you all know that i'm still here!  :)

i have been getting kind of inundated with my makeup boxes lately and realized that i have enough makeup for now (yeah, yeah, i know -- my boyfriend was so shocked he made me repeat it twice! haha).  i mostly stick to my 'holy grail' products and try a few new ones every now and again, and i certainly do try out the ones i get in my boxes, but i always find myself going back to my tried&trues over and over.  so i figured, why keep getting boxes that are full of products i won't get a lot of use from?  with that in mind, i have decided to branch out to other boxes.

this month, i signed up for the wantable accessories box.  i am a sucker for accessories, because i really think they are what make the outfit.  i am always on the hunt for anything that 'completes' an outfit -- whether it be just the right scarf, perfect color shoes, a statement necklace, etc.  i have often been known to buy a shirt i love and not wear it until i have gathered the right accessories that match it just so!  i rarely leave the house without matching and without a full outfit on (even if it's just a t-shirt and jeans, i still have matching shoes, accessories, lip color, and purse), so when i go out in sweatpants, you know i'm really sick.

after reading the wonderful reviews about this box, i was so excited to give it a try and i was not disappointed at all!  upon signing up, you take a very detailed style quiz to determine your style preferences and your love, like, and dislike lists.  you will never be sent anything on your dislike lists, so choose carefully.  you will be sent mostly things on your love list, but also things on your like list now and again.  my taste is pretty wide, so the quiz was easy for me, but i love that it's so personalized!  you can always update your style profile, so if you feel like you are getting too much of one thing or are looking for one specific item, it's very easy to change so you only get that. now, onto the review!

fashion friday - hats

today's fashion friday is on an accessory that i enjoy all year round -- hats.  as i'm sure many of you also struggle with, there are lots of days when i just don't have the energy to take a shower or deal with my hair.  when you're healthy, you take for granted being able to hop in and out of the shower, brush your hair, or the twenty minutes it takes to style a cute updo!  so many days my limbs just will not cooperate (or feel like they weight 50 pounds -- each) and taking a shower seems like a gruesome task, one that will leave my joints screaming in pain for hours afterwards.  so instead, i just throw on a cute hat and out the door i go!

especially handy in winter weather when they do double duty to keep us warm, hats are equally trendy in the summer.  great for the beach as an extra layer of sun protection, they also look adorable with a sundress or maxi dress, can look dressy when paired with khaki shorts and a chiffon shirt for a nice dinner, and are a great pairing for an outdoor summer wedding.  they are also an easy outfit topper for just running errands or a quick lunch with friends, and a must have for any summer concert or night out on the town!  they're so versatile and easy to match with just about any outfit, whether it's colorful and vibrant, classy black with an edgy vibe, or preppy and nautical, there's a hat for every chronic illness fighter to be able to perk up your wardrobe, look great, and save yourself the pain and struggle that comes with getting ready.  i also included a few head wraps because they are a great alternative to hats in the super hot summer months when the temperatures are soaring but your hair is dirty and a hat just isn't appealing -- these great wraps will still cover the front of your hair without making a sweaty mess out of your whole head and will keep you cute while doing it.

now... check out these awesome finds!

fashion friday.

one of the things that i find most frustrating is finding clothes that are both comfortable and fashionable.  i love clothes -- just ask my boyfriend and our overflowing closet! -- and i used to love shopping for them.... until i got sick.  now shopping for them is hours upon hours of frustration.  nothing seems to fit right anymore, and because of the pain and bloating in my body, it's so hard to tell from day to day what size i am going to be, what body part is going to hurt and can't be pushed against that day, and i never know what size i should buy.  there are days that i can wear my skinny jeans in the morning, and by the evening my stomach is so distended from the inflammation in my bladder and belly that nothing else fits but drawstring sweatpants!  UGH!!  i know i am not the only one who has this problem (and who is so frustrated and upset by it), so i thought that i would start something new on my blog.

every friday, i am going to have fashion friday, where i showcase a type of clothing that i have found is especially friendly for those of us with chronic illnesses.  i have tried so many different styles of clothing over the years (with many hits and misses) that i want to be able to share the information with you all so that you don't have to waste the time that i did, too!  this way you can find the information right here, all compiled for you so you don't have to go searching on your own.  i will include many different price points and a variety of stores so that hopefully i cover all ends of the spectrum.  and hey, even if you don't have a chronic illness, i hope you enjoy the fashion finds as well!

for this first fashion friday, i am going to be covering a new trend for the spring and summer that i was very happy to see come back: shorts with elastic waistbands!  some stores are calling them "soft shorts" this year, but either way i am thrilled they are back! they are super comfy for us without looking like we are wearing sweatpants (which they kind of are, but who is gonna tell?! not me!).  combining them with a loose tank or tee, a sandal and a chunky necklace, and we can fly out the door looking great (even if we don't feel like it inside).  it's important to feel somewhat put together on the outside, even if we aren't feeling too great inside, because it boosts our spirits a bit and gives us just enough of an attitude change that we feel like we can face more than we could if we were in our sweats.  that's why i think it's important to try to put on "real" clothes when we leave the house, and that's where fashion friday comes in.  this way, we can wear regular clothes without stuffing ourselves into something that is uncomfortable and makes us feel worse.  so without further blabbing from me, checking out these awesome shorts.  :)

julep may 2014 box review

hi everyone.  i hope you all had an excellent weekend!  mine was a little rainy and gloomy -- pretty typical around here for this time of the year -- but it was still a nice one.

today i have the julep may box to share with you all!  i was looking forward to this box because it is the one where they introduced their plie wand, a new nail brush technology they have been talking about for a few months now with us mavens, and this is the month they are introducing it to everyone!  i always love to try out new products and improve the way i do things, so i was looking forward to giving this sucker a try.

for those of you that don't know, julep is a monthly nail polish subscription box for $19.99 that ships to both the US and canada.  you get to pick your polishes every month, in addition to having access to special sales and discounted prices all month long.  you can learn more about it here and can use coupon code FREEBOX to get your first box for free (plus $2.99 shipping).  on to the review!

this month i chose to go with the boho glam option, which included two polishes and the plie wand.  i also added on a color from one of the other profiles, and i added two sets of plie brushes/tops.  i wanted to add the striping brush and dotting tool set, but they were sold out by the time i made my polish choice, which i was pretty disappointed about.  i made my selections on the very first day of the maven selection window and they were already all sold out by the time i picked my collection.  i do a lot of nail art so i was really looking forward to getting the dotting tool & striping brush, so i am hoping they include them as add-ons for the next few boxes so i can get them that way.

the colors this month were pretty, but a lot of them seemed similar to ones in other collections recently, and there were a lot of pinks (over half the collection).

the first boho glam polish i got is jeanne, a "jet-set blue creme".  this is an absolutely gorgeous color!  i love all of the pastels this season.  i recently got a bright robin's egg blue from julep, but this is a more muted version of it, more of a baby blue.  it is very creamy and the formula is wonderful.  it's opaque in one coat.

the next boho glam polish i got is paulette, a "golden lilac tulle shimmer".  the golden shimmer in this is what really convinced me to get this set of polishes this month, because as soon as i saw it, i knew i had to have it!  i'm a sucker for purples in general -- i probably have 20 different shades -- but nothing quite like this.  the gold is absolutely stellar in person, and it really translates well onto the nail, unlike some of the other shimmers recently that looked beautiful in the bottle and not as well on the nail.  application was a dream, very smooth and even.  it was pretty opaque in one coat, but i added another just to really bring out the gold shimmer.  i think this will be a great color to last through until fall as well, a great transitional color to go with the golds and browns of the season.  really loving this one!

from the bombshell options, i also added on laree, a stunning "golden pink taffeta shimmer".  i just had to add this color on -- doesn't this just scream summer!?  i put it on as soon as i got my box, and it makes me happy just having it on my nails!  it's so bright and fun, and the gold really shines on the nails with this polish, too, especially in the sunlight.  i had a little bit of a problem with application -- i had to use three coats to get it completely opaque and if i wasn't very careful, the precision brush would pull up the coat beneath it.  i don't know if that is the formula or if the new brush has a different type of bristles than the typical ones.  either way, it's totally gorgeous and worth all three coats!

here is how the wand came in the julep box this month.  it's nice to have it in a little storage-type box with the foam protection to keep it in when you're not using it.  i wouldn't say it's fragile -- it's made of durable plastic for polishing your nails, after all -- but it is small and has moving parts, and if you have devious dogs like i do or other small creatures that like to pretend like they're starving, it's a good idea to keep the box around to store it in while you're not using it.

i was skeptical about using the plie wand because i don't usually have that many problems polishing my nails anyway, since i do it so often.  the box came with a little direction pamphlet this month showing how to attach the plie caps to other julep polishes, so you can use the wand with any julep polish.  it also says in the instruction packet to make sure to wipe off the precision brush with nail polish remover before you use it to remove the protective coating on it.  it mentions this twice in the little packet, so i figured it was pretty important.  i don't use regular nail polish remover because i hate the smell, so i wasn't positive if it would be an issue or not (i use la fresh eco-beauty acetone free remover pads), but i just rubbed the brush with one of my pads and i could feel the bristles of the brush softening and becoming less plastic feeling, so i knew it was working.  i rinsed it with some hot water, dried it on a towel, and that was that!  it didn't affect color application at all.

i wanted to use the coral color first, so i took the regular cap off like the instructions said and put the plie cap on.  i pressed down firmly but not too hard, and i painted my nails.  i didn't notice much difference when i used the wand and shorter precision brush with my dominant hand, but i did notice quite a bit of difference when i bent the wand and polished using my non-dominant hand (my left hand).  it was easier to use, and the wand fit nicely in the crook of my hand.  the bend in the wand gave it a slight weight that tilted it back just enough to keep it in place in my hand and balance it so that the polish was easier to apply and went on more smoothly.  the shorter, precision brush was much more helpful when applying the polish as well -- i had a lot less clean up to do around my nails, and i like how the brush was the same width and length as the normal julep brush, not fatter like some shorter stemmed brushes end up being.

this is how it looks when you bend the plie wand in the reverse position, which is for when you are polishing your non-dominant hand.  i also found it useful when polishing my toenails.

i also used the wand to polish my toe nails, and it was quite helpful then as well, with the movement of the wand syncing with my hand movements so that application was cleaner and and less of a struggle.  this is where the shorter brush really shined in my opinion, because it allowed more precise brush strokes, less pooling of color on small toe nails, and less polish ending up on the skin around the nails.  even if i don't always use the wands for my fingernails, i will definitely always be using it for my toes!

i did have a problem when i tried to remove the cap from the bottle of polish, however.  even though i did not press it on very hard when i put the cap on, it would not come off.  at all.  i pulled and pulled and nothing.  so i guess it's a good thing i ordered extra brushes and tops, because my coral polish is now permanently stuck with a plie top.  it's not really a big deal since the shorter brush is good even without the wand, but i didn't want to waste all of my extra brushes on my first day.  this happened when i used another cap with the purple polish as well, so just be really careful with how firmly you press the top onto the bottom.  it doesn't click or anything to let you know it's in place and i was worried it might come off, but just one quick press down seems to be enough to keep the cap on while not being too tight later so that you can't get it off.

i am interested to know how easy it would be to use the dotting tool and striping brush with the wand, since it was so much easier to apply polish with it.  i'm still disappointed i couldn't get a set, but i hope that i will be able to next month.  were any of you able to get the extra tools?

three coats of laree with one coat of seche vite as a topcoat.  this is in artificial light.

same swatch, but this is laree in natural light.  the gold shimmer really comes out and it's beautiful!  it's even more gorgeous in person -- none of the photos really do it justice.

base coat of paulette (two coats), with jeanne used for polka dots.  i used my own dotting tools for the dots.  no topcoat.

which polishes did you pick this month?  do you like your plie wand and were you able to get the extra dotting tool & striping brush?  what do you think?  i would love to hear from you!  leave a comment down below  :)