Fall/Winter 2013 Fashion Trend: Classic Prints

Hello Lovelies! 

As a fan of vintage fashion I am ecstatic that classic prints, such as houndstooth, stripes, floral, and plaid are on trend for this fall and winter season. I am not only excited because I love a classic style, but because this means it is much easier to find vintage-y pieces to add to my wardrobe without having to purchase on-line and in specialty stores. I understand not everyone that visits my page shares my love of vintage style, but I guarantee classic prints can work with anyone's style from girly to edgy, there are classic printed pieces for everyone. Just like all of my fashion posts I will include outfit examples via Polyvore, and a collage of pieces I personally like.


Houndstooth 

Houndstooth by bri-grim featuring blue jackets

Pictured above are samples of Houndstooth pieces that I personally adore. When it comes to Houndstooth print I tend to lean towards simple, classic pieces that stick to the traditional black and white colors.

Below is a classic outfit not only showcasing the trend of a classic print, but also highlighting the peplum trend wonderfully.

Classic Houndstooth by bri-grim featuring a jessica simpson footwear

Stripes



Stripes by bri-grim featuring a chain purse

Stripes are my all-time favorite pattern!  I mostly find myself liking horizontal stripes for some unknown reason, but occasionally I will across a piece with vertical ones that I don't mind. Below is an outfit that consists of comfortable yet classy pieces that could be worn for numerous events or even as everyday wear. 

Black and Beige by bri-grim featuring a long sleeve tee

Floral Print

Floral Print by bri-grim featuring a black skirt

I absolutely love floral print pieces, and could easily show you tons of different "pinup" style dresses that I love, but I wanted to show you a little more different floral options. Although if you are in search of a beautiful floral vintage-like dress, check out Pinup Girl Clothing .



Roses are Red by bri-grim featuring nickel free earrings

Plaid/Tartan

Tartan by bri-grim featuring hoop earrings

When it comes to the tartan/plaid trend all I can think about is the holiday dresses and nightgowns I had as a small child, and old-school punk rockers. I am not sure how versatile a tartan print can be, I see it as something you would find in an either an old woman's closet, on flannel shirts, and in the wardrobe of someone a bit edgy. I myself don't think I would rock this trend, although in my teen years I would have been all about it, I actually owned quite a few plaid skirts that I paired with leggings and boots. Below is a more alternative option, because I think this trend works best with the style.

Tartan Smock by bri-grim featuring a black ring

I want to know what you think about the trend of classic prints? Also, how would you wear them?

Join me on Polyvore if you would like to see more outfit examples.
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Fall and Winter Fashion Trends 2013: Military Inspired Pieces

Hello Lovelies!

It's once again time for fashion related posts!

 I know it's been awhile, and it has obviously changed seasons since my last fashion posts, but today's post will be the start of a series of posts focusing on the fall/winter fashion for this year, paired with outfit examples I created using Polyvore.

Fall and winter have become my favorite seasons for fashion as I have gotten older. This particular year is showcasing trends such as statement coats, over-the-knee boots, turtlenecks, slouchy pants, and military inspired pieces amongst others. Although I will not thoroughly discuss all trends I definitely will discuss my favorites, and the ones that I definitely think should just stay on the runway.

I would describe my personal style for the fall and winter months as cozy, and comfortable, yet fashionable. I absolutely love sweater dresses, black leggings, boots, scarfs, and anything else that is cute, yet can keep me warm in Michigan.  

MILITARY INSPIRED

I absolutely love military inspired pieces! I tend to personally lean more towards military inspired jackets, shoes, and dresses, but you can find tons of different pieces during this time. Below are images of some pieces I personally like, also some examples of how to wear this trend. Military inspired pieces work wonderfully with my personal "pin-up" style, but there is a piece for pretty much anyone out there, some more classic, while others very edgy.

Military Inspired Pieces by bri-grim featuring Dorothy Perkins

Military Inspired Pieces by bri-grim featuring colorful bangles

The example below shows that it is possible to look classic and still rock this trend. This navy shift dress looks classy, appropriate for the office, and has small military inspired details. In the fall I always love pairing dresses with beautiful trench coats, such as this beige double breasted trench. To add a little bit of edginess to this look, but keep it classic, I paired the dress and trench with classic Diane Von Furstenberg Bethany heels, and a Michael Kors studded navy tote bag.

Classic Military Inspired by bri-grim featuring drop earrings

Military Inspired Pieces: Comfy Casual by bri-grim featuring skinny jeans

Above is a casual option filled with numerous military inspired pieces. This outfit consists of a comfortable pair of black skinny jeans, a casual t-shirt, and accessories that bring the outfit to a whole new level.

Below is another casual option, but this one features edgier pieces. This outfit also happens to be my budget-friendly version, all pieces shown in this outfit are under $50. I absolutely adore feminine versions of combat boots, although I personally do not own a pair yet, and these specific ones are only $47. I also wanted to use at least one camouflage piece in one of my outfits in this post, and I loved this studded camo jacket from 9xis, so I chose this as my main piece of the outfit and worked around it. I chose to add the camouflage wonder spike cuff as an accessory because it combined both of the main elements in my outfit in a subtle way. A key piece of advice to remember is to not go overboard on the camouflage, choose one or two pieces , and then pair them with more subtle pieces to avoid the "going hunting" look.

Camo and Studs by bri-grim featuring a black studded handbag

So, I want to know what you think of this trend? If you like it, how would you wear it?

It feels good to be back posting fashion posts, and this is only the beginning of a full series of posts focuses on fall/winter fashion trends, so stay tuned!

Next up: Statement Outerwear

Perlier Volcanic Thermo Scrub

Hello Lovelies!

 

I know it has been awhile since I have been active, but my life has been all over the place, and I barely have even had time to do much of anything besides work and run around with my children. Oh how nice it would be to not have to work and be able to stay home with my kids, and work on all the projects that I would love to do, but as of right now that is nowhere near achievable for me, so I am working on finding the right balance. I come back today to give you a review of Perlier's Volcanic Thermo Scrub that I received thanks to Ifabbo, although it is a bit late.  

 

You may remember in the past  I have reviewed Perlier's Lemon Sorbet Crackling Ice Body Water thanks to Ifabbo, so I was definitely curious as to how I would like this product, and I was pleasantly surprised.

 

First off I must point off that I absolutely love the color of the Volcanic Thermo Scrub along with the design of the packaging. Does anyone else pay attention to packaging as much as me? I absolutely love scrubs, I have tons of different body and facial scrubs, and I love to use them when I need a pick me up, or when I have a little extra "me" time.

 

Typically scrubs leave my skin feeling soft, smooth, and looking extra glowy, but occasionally I have came across a scrub that has irritated my sensitive skin, so if you do have sensitive skin make sure you are careful. The Volcanic Thermo Scrub left my skin feeling amazing, it worked wonders at scrubbing off any extra dead skin cells. It also has a wonderful ocean breeze like scent that left me feeling very refreshed.

 

Currently I can't seem to find this particular product on Perlier's website, which is terrible, but I did find it on HSN. They also sell a Perlier Volcanic Thermal Spa pack on HSN, which also contains Perlier's Reinvigorating Body Cream, and Revitalizing Foam Bath, which I personally would LOVE to try.

 

Considering both products I have received from Perlier, thanks to Ifabbo, I would absolutely love to try out more products from them, because so far I have been quite impressed.

 

I would love to try the Double Latte Hair Mask,  White Almond Absolute Comfort Soothing Lip Balm,  and the Green Tea Body Massage Cream.

 

@PerlierUSA

#perlieronhsn

HYD for Men Buffer Stick & Razor Shield Review

Hello Lovelies! 

I know... I know... It has been awhile. 

I said I would finish my review of the rest of the HYD men's skincare line, but between going back to work (after being on leave for a couple months) and my son starting kindergarten things have been a tad bit crazy around here. With everything that has been going on I have not only not had much time to write, but I haven't even had much time to do makeup which completely drives me nuts, but I am hoping to be able to commit again. This point is going to contain the full review for the HYD for men's Buffer Stick, and the Razor Shield. 

Like I explained in my previous post about the Shave Cream, my wonderful boyfriend, Aaron, reviewed these products and I am just writing what he said out, basically. 

HYD for Men Buffer Stick

Both me and Aaron were very intrigued when we first opened the buffer stick, it sported the same type of packaging as the shave cream which Aaron loved, and it was in a deodorant like container (containers that you turn the bottom to make more come up). At first look the buffer stick looks kind of like a deodorant, but you can also see a little bit of exfoliating texture inside which is suppose to exfoliate skin and help fight ingrown hairs. As stated in my previous post Aaron has very sensitive skin, so we weren't sure how well an exfoliant would work for him, but surprisingly it doesn't irritate his skin one bit. The first time he used the buffer stick you could not only feel, but see, a dramatic difference in the dead skin that came off of his face, especially in the nasal region, but it hasn't noticeably changed the amount of ingrown hairs.  The directions read to only use the buffer stick 3 times a week, and so far Aaron has stuck to this quite well, and I have noticed quite a bit of difference in the amount of dead skin he has on his face (remember he has psoriasis). We both feel this buffer stick is a decent product, and would recommend it to someone who need a good exfoliant, but it is a little more on the pricey side at $24.99 a container. 

HYD for Men Razor Shield 

The website states that the razor shield creates a liquid barrier, protecting the razor's blades from becoming dull and making shaving uncomfortable. To use the razor shield you simply apply a little bit to the blades after every use, and it is suppose to help prolong the life of the blades, making it cheaper and better for you. For a small starter bottle (5mL) it is $7, which they say you can get about 30 uses out of, and for the larger standard bottle (15mL) it is $18, which they say you can get about 90 uses out of it. The razor shield is the product we were least satisfied with, although it does seem to make the blades last a bit longer, for the price of the shield (plus shipping) you might as well just keep on purchasing the blades and deal with the annoyance. 

Overall, we think HYD for men is a pretty decent skincare line, but it is definitely not the cheapest out there, and it also is only available online at this point which makes it a bit inconvenient, especially if you or your boyfriend/husband/friend are like my boyfriend and forget that they are running out of product until it's too late. 

New Photos

Hello Lovelies!

Just dropping by to share some recent photos! 

Check out my Facebook for updates, photos, and looks that I do not share on here!  www.facebook.com/bri.grim.pinup

August Fashion/Beauty Wish List

Hello Lovelies!

So this weekend is the first weekend in a long time that my kids weren't home, so I have been catching up on cleaning, relaxing, and sleeping until about an hour ago when they got here. I figured as soon as the kids got home they would be super clingy and we would spend time together until bedtime, but all they want to do is sit on the couch, relax, and watch cartoons as they have spent most of the day playing outside. So, here I find myself as I watch old episodes of Dexter's Laboratory on Netflix (Connor's choice.) eyeing goodies on Sephora and Ulta among a few other sites, which lead me to decide to write this post featuring some items for my August Fashion/Beauty Wish List. 

Makeup Products-

Although I have tons of different lipsticks I find myself wanting Urban Decay's Revolution Lipstick especially in the shades of F-Bomb, Venom, and Shame. 

I also really want the whole line of Sugarpill Cosmetics Elektrocute Neon Pigments. I love all of the Sugarpill Products and would gladly take everything, but these pigments are beautifully bright and would be fun to own. 

Nail Products-

I was just randomly searching around Sephora and stumbled across this Chalkboard Manicure Kit and figured this would be perfect for back-to-school time, as my son starts kindergarten this year. The idea of being able to doodle on my nails excites me more than it should. 

I am also in love with Color Club's Halo Hues Polishes, this particular one pictured is called Angel Kiss which is a holographic hue with blue undertones. Although I am not a fan of holographic fashion, I find myself loving holographic nail polishes. 

Hair Products-

Although summer is almost over, especially here in Michigan, I find myself really wanting to just wear my hair in beachy waves, or braided, and although my hair is naturally wavy, I find myself lusting after Bumble and Bumble's Surf Set. Maybe I am just trying to hang onto this last bit of summer? 

Clothing & Accessories- 

I absolutely love everything you can find on Pinup Girl Clothing's website and I find myself really drawn to the Hotrod Honey Dress in Red and White Stripe, which is a new item, and also comes in gold and black. (Pinup Girl Clothing carries clothing in sizes from XS to 4x)  

I also would really love to own the Classic Black Handbag from Hold Fast Handbags. This item will definitely stay on my wish list for a very long time because of it's classic style, and unfortunately because of its price. 

HYD for Men Shave Cream Review

Hello Lovelies!

Some of you may be wondering why I decided to do a review on a men's skincare line, well I chose to review the products from HYD for men, because not only did I receive the products from iFabbo, but I love getting my boyfriend involved and we are always looking for products that work well for him. I am going to be breaking down the review of the HYD for men skincare products into four different posts so that I can give you guys a thorough review of each product, starting today with the HYD for men shaving cream.

Aaron's skin at neatly its worst.  

For starters let me introduce you to my boyfriend, his name is Aaron. Aaron is not the typical man and he does pay a little more attention to his skincare, but he doesn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to using products. Aaron also is a little different than the typical man because he suffers from psoriasis on his face and scalp, which means he has very dry, irritated, sensitive skin, which makes it a little harder to choose products that work for him. When it comes to shaving cream he has tried a couple different brands, but nothing has made much of a difference for him so he had settled on using Barbasol Brand Shave Cream with aloe paired with his Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor, which gets the job done, but he is always struggling with ingrown hairs. Now that you guys know what Aaron has to deal with, and you guys kind of understand how difficult it is to find a quality product that also happens to be in our budget I am going to just go ahead and move on to what Aaron told me he thinks about the product.

The first time he used the HYD for men shaving cream I stood in the bathroom with him and watched him open the package, listened to his thoughts, and continued to watch him shave so I could fully take in his initial reaction to the shave cream. First thing he looked at was the packaging, Aaron is a graphic designer so nice packaging always stands out to him, and we both loved how manly and simple the design is. Aaron didn’t really read what is on the box itself, just like most men, but I skimmed through and loved the fact that the shave cream is infused with oils to help moisturize, it is paraben free, and they do not test on animals, which is definitely a plus.

So Aaron went ahead and wet his face with warm water like the directions state, lathered and applied the shave cream and quickly noticed that this particular shave cream felt like nothing he has ever tried before, because it has the consistency of a lotion. Before he begun shaving he also noticed that the shave cream has a pleasant and rejuvenating light citrus scent, and that scent does linger even when the face is shaved and dried, and I absolutely loved it. Aaron continued to shave in his typical manner and when he was done revealed a smooth cleanly shaven face. Normally when Aaron is done shaving his skin looks red and pretty irritated because of the ingrown hairs, but this time it was just a tiny bit red, and looked 20x better than normal.

Aaron's skin about a week in, as you can see there is less redness, and irritation.

Aaron's skin a couple days ago, pretty much no redness or irritation. (This was taken during a video shoot.)

Aaron has been using the shave cream paired with the three other products from HYD for men for about a month now and absolutely loves them. I have noticed quite the difference in his skin, and it seems to be much more hydrated, and less irritated than normal, which makes us both happy.

A lot of times when I receive products to test we use them up if we like them, but never purchase again because typically the products are quite expensive, but this shave cream from HYD for men is only $12.99, which means we will definitely be ordering this when he is done with this package.

I also happen to have a coupon code for my lovely followers to get 20% off of your first purchase at HYD For Men, just enter SAVE20 in the coupon code section of the cart before purchase.

Next up is my thorough review of the HYD for men Buffer Stick, which is also quite amazing, so stay tuned!

#HYDForMen

www.facebook.com/HYDForMen

www.twitter.com/HYDForMen

www.pinterest.com/HYDForMen

Updates, Upcoming Reviews, and Two Looks!

Hello Lovelies!

 

Well, it's been a crazy time in my little household lately so I haven't had much to post, I have created a couple looks and I will throw some photos of those in this post, but I haven't really been as active as I would like to be and I will tell you why.  

 

About six weeks ago I had to take a personal leave from my job so my little one could have her tonsils and adenoids removed, and tubes put in her ears, because her tonsils were enlarged and she had six ear infections in about two months, on top of that we also found out that she had hearing problems. So, I took 9 days off so she could have the little surgery, which went well, and so she could heal. At the end of that time period I found out that me taking that leave meant I lost my current position as a wireless sales associate, so long story short I have been home for about six weeks now waiting for them to call me with a position, and also fighting to try and get unemployment. \

 

Now you would think I would have tons of free time to dedicate to my blogging and creating looks, but no, being home this much has made me feel cooped up and made me slightly depressed, and overly sleepy. On top of me feeling blah, my children are also home with me, so no more daycare fun, which means crabby kids.

 

Now, enough with all of the craziness I will tell you what I do have coming soon.

 

In the near future I will have a thorough review of HYD for Men skincare products that my boyfriend has been testing for me. I know this will not apply to all of my followers, but if you have a husband, boyfriend, or even just a guy friend who needs a good product recommendation make sure you check it out. I received these products thanks to IFabbo, and although there are tons of people out there reviewing these products, I think I will have a interesting point of view due to the fact that my boyfriend has issues with  psoriasis (extremely dry skin).

 

I also will have a review of the trending ItWorks wraps soon. I have used a couple so far, and I will give you detailed honest results as soon as I am done.

 

Here are a couple looks I have recently created, for more updates check out my Facebook.

www.facebook.com/bri.grim.pinup

 

 I created this look above using:

Nume's Reverse Wand and Titan 3 Wand

NYX Cosmetics Lavender Studio Perfect Primer

NYX Cosmetics Stay Matte but Not Flat Foundation in Ivory

Maybelline Shine-Free Loose Powder in Light

NYX Cosmetics Powder Blush in Angel

NYX Eye Shadow Base in White

BH Cosmetics San Francisco Palette ( Brown Shade )

BH Cosmetics Malibu Palette ( Gold Shade )

Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette ( Half Baked, Chopper, and Verve )

BH Cosmetics Eye Liner in Black

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara in Black

Rimmel White Eye Liner

E.L.F Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Natural

 

This look is Dr.Nefarious from Ratchet and Clank and I created this fun look for a contest.

 

Reviews and Swatches of the Mary Kay Voxbox from Influenster

Hello Lovelies!

Yesterday morning I received an amazing package from Influenster featuring Mary Kay Cosmetics, and was definitely excited to try the products because the only product I have ever tested from Mary Kay was a blue and pink eyeshadow combo quite a few years back.

I have never purchased lash primer in the past because I just typically purchase mascaras that work quite well without it, or I use fake lashes for dramatic effect, but it was exciting to be able to test this. As I brushed on the clear primer I noticed that it made my lashes seem a little bit longer, but it didn't make enough difference to make me want to take the extra step every application, or to persuade me to ever purchase this in the future.  

 Although I wasn't particularly fond of the primer, I do absolutely love this mascara. This mascara does an amazing job at lengthening and volumizing the lashes, without making them appear clumpy.

 

When I opened the container of this cream eye color I was really hoping it was highly pigmented because I do not own much purple shadows, but unfortunetly it is very light even with primer. The last photo in this post shows every product from this box, and as you can see the shadow is very light, even though I layered the shadow on. I also noticed that it creases easily, and it is impossible to blend out.

I used this brush to apply the cream eye color and it worked quite well, the brush seems to be high quality. 

For starters I must say I absolutely love the design of the Mary Kay lipstick tubes, and I also love this shade. This one is called Pink Cherie and it is definitely great for this summer. This lipstick is very glossy, and it seems to be quite moisturizing, but it also smells quite fruity and makes me think of my childhood lip balm, which some may not mind, but I think it's too much.

Here is a quick look using all of the products. As you can see the mascara made my lashes look amazingly long, and the shadow is quite light. The lip color, although it is quite perfect for summer, doesn't really compliment my pale skin tone, but it looks good if I actually use bronzer.

Overall it was interesting to try out some Mary Kay products, but I wasn't overall thrilled. 

Current Shoe Obession: Wedges

Hello Lovelies!

I came to the conclusion that it was about time that I did another fashion post, considering the fact that I haven't done anything fashion related since my Summer 2013 Fashion Trend Series, because I have been heavily wrapped up in promoting my Facebook, and doing makeup lately. Even though I haven't posted anything I am always finding myself creating outfits on Polyvore, which is like a giant dress up game for adults, and lately a lot of my outfits have contained wedges, so I decided that I needed to dedicate a post just to them.

To start off here is picture of three pairs of my own wedges from my Instagram. The polka dotted pair are from Payless, plain black pair are from Torrid, and the black strappy pair are from Just Fab.

I absolutely love wedges because not only do they tend to be more comfortable, but they can be worn many different ways. I also think wedges are perfect for all seasons, as there are many different styles of wedges, even wedge boots for winter. Lately wedge sneakers have been trending and are available in almost every shoe store I have came across, although they do not fit my personal style they do look cute paired with the right outfit.

Here are a few examples of my outfits using wedges from my Polyvore.

Untitled #269 by bri-grim featuring v neck tops

Untitled #262 by bri-grim featuring raffia wedge shoes

Untitled #274 by bri-grim featuring wedge heels

Coral and Navy for Summer by bri-grim featuring a raffia purse

Untitled #275 by bri-grim featuring a clear dress

Strobe Cosmetics Review, and Swatches

Hello Lovelies! 

Yesterday I received some AMAZING samples from Strobe Cosmetics and I was super excited to get some swatches because they look absolutely beautiful in the package. Strobe Cosmetics sent me twelve different shades and I love every single one of them. As you can tell from the names and the shades the shadows are very reminiscent of The Little Mermaid, which makes me even more excited.

Swatches of all the shades prove how beautiful these shadows are, even without primer they look spectacular. Strobe Cosmetics products are 100% handmade, and cruelty-free. These shadows blend splendidly, and are highly pigmented, and I definitely would recommend them.

This is my third look in my ice cream series, and I used Miracle, V.I.P, and Shellbound on the lid.

Check out my Facebook for more looks using Strobe Cosmetics, as well as other looks!

www.facebook.com/bri.grim.pinup

I also happen to be running a monster themed makeup contest on Facebook, so check it out!