A Day With Torrid

Do you know what it's like when you are so excited about something, but you can't say anything?  That's how it's been for me, knowing that I was going to be the style ambassador for Torrid! Now, I can finally give you the scoop. My first order of duty as an ambassador was to visit the Torrid headquarters in Los Angeles.  I am very familiar with the brand, but this was an opportunity for me to get to know Torrid from a "behind the scenes" perspective and to bring some of that experience to you.  

When I first got to Torrid I was greeted by their delightful staff and my own photo at the entrance.  Torrid better watch out, I might actually feel special already. HA!  Then on to the selfie wall.  I have some photos in front of it and you may even find your own.  There are a couple of selfie walls, but it's just an amazing concept.  If you wear Torrid and tag your photos #torridinsider there's a chance you can get your photo featured on their social media, but you could also have a spot on the selfie wall.  Let me just say my favorite photos came from that wall.  It made me feel all warm and fuzzy. It was like my peeps were with me. 

Then I was taken to each department of Torrid and shown where all the magic happens.  My favorite department was where the prints are created.  Torrid has real artists drawing designs that are actually transferred onto the clothing as potential prints for the upcoming seasons.  My next favorite place was the bra design studio.  The reason being is that I know a good bra is hard to find, especially for my busty ladies.  I met Vince, who in the world of bras, is quite famous.  He was hard at work trying to create bras that work for the plus size customer.  He was really interested in what I had to say about my readers and their concerns as it pertains to fit.  By far, I know my large busted readers have the worst time finding bras and I was able to share a lot of information that I had received from your comments through the years. Overall, it was really refreshing to see a staff that was passionate and enthusiastic about creating clothing for plus sizes. 

On day two of my adventures, myself and Rumer Willis co-hosted an event along with celebrity stylist, Maeve Reilly, in honor of Torrid at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. It was in the gorgeous penthouse overlooking the city.  You guys know I love all things fancy and this was definitely that.  Guests of the event included Demi Moore (just know I called my mom the next morning to tell her), George Kotsiopoulos from Fashion Police, Kristin Cavallari, Shaun Ross and two girls that are near and dear to my heart, blogger & People Style Watch writer Allison from Curvy Girl Chic and Plus Model Magazine Stylist, Reah Norman. The night encompassed a preview of the fabulous Holiday Collection, which I can't wait for.  It includes lots of sequins, party dresses, and stunning accessories. You definitely want to stay tuned for that. 

 Vince, Torrid's Bra Man

First Day Look:
Top found here, Skirt found here (Please note that I found all items in-store)

Yes! Those are sequin leggings you see for holiday! 

Torrid Signature Models, Philomena & Georgina

Chateau Look Details:  Top (to be released soon), Skirt here, Clutch here, Belt here, Shoes here

I'm the new style ambassador for Torrid.  I'm am truly excited and honored to be working with them.  This will be the first post in a series of sponsored posts throughout the upcoming months.   My excitement (like really excited LOL), styled outfits, and opinions are all be my own. 

Stories

I experienced my first Indian summer here in the Bay.  It was hot as Hades for almost the whole month of October.  I mean miserably, like 90 degrees hot.  Ugh! Temperatures are finally falling and I get to pull out jackets, sweaters, and faux leather.  It's finally starting to feel like fall and it's almost November.  I've been a little slow on the outfit posting, but I promise it's all for good things.  Some of you may be able to guess what's going on from my postings, but I hope to do an official announcement post later this week.  Anyways, thanks for hanging in there with me.  

Style Notes:  I know some of you were wondering about the Kelly Osbourne line from HSN.  I was fortunate enough to be sent a few pieces.  My favorite out of everything is this blouse. It's just super cute and lettering gives it a chic and polished feel.  I got the blouse in a 3X, I should have sized down to my normal 2X.  The line is pretty true to size.  The skirt I got from Eloquii is in a size 20.  I should have sized down to an 18 on that one as well.  It ran a little big,  but the lining ran narrow.  So keep that in mind when ordering.  My lining was tight and short.  It's a bit transparent, so I just my black long shorts shapewear underneath. 

Skirt:  Eloquii, Top: HSN Stories by K.O., Shoes: Torrid, Bag:  c/o Torrid, Belt:  c/o Torrid, Lip:  

WetNWild Fergie Collection Penthouse Sweet

Is the Designer Nail Polish Worth It?

I had no intention of walking into Sephora and purchasing nails polish that is a whooping $18.50.  To make it worse, I bought two shades. LOL! Why did I do it? Well, I walked in looking for some beige/brown polish, my nails were clean, so I figured I'd try a few shade on. I knew about the Marc Jacobs polish, but hadn't tried it.  I'm looking through the colors and I said why not just try it.  Why did I do that?  I honestly didn't expect much, I'm like polish is polish.  I do tend to stick with OPI & Essie.  I get the longest wear from them and the colors are fab. This Marc Jacobs polish is niiiiiicccccceee.  My initial impression from just trying it on in-store was that it's super opaque (even the glittery colors), super smooth, and the brush gets the job done in two strokes.  The end result is a super shiny gloss polish that doesn't need a clear top coat if you don't want one.  As a person on the go, I thought this would be good for last minute polishing when I have to rush out (which happens a lot). I could literally do one coat and no one would bat an eyelash.  From doing a full polish I'm on day 4 with no chipping.  

To sum up my feelings on it:

Will I purchase again? Yes

What is occasions would you buy this polish for? I think is this a perfect gift for those who love nail polish.  This makes for excellent stocking stuffers for the holidays.  For me, this is a definite #treatyoself gift for myself or for the any of my polish loving friends, so I see myself picking up a color or two when I'm feeling like I deserve something fancy. 

What colors did you buy?  Evelyn & Le Charm

How does it compare to OPI & Essie?  The chipping time is similar with base and top coat. It's the opaque-ness and smoothness that makes this stand out, in my mind. 

Here's a quick note, the glittery polish did not take forever to remove. It came off pretty quickly, which is a plus in my book.  Glitter polish can be a nightmare to remove. 

Birthdays Was The Worst Days...

...now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay. I just felt like a Biggie t-shirt was totally necessary for my birthday ensemble. I'm not much of a birthday person since I left the east coast.  The majority of my friends and family live there and unless I travel, things are pretty quiet.  Birthdays often just make me homesick for Georgia, so it was nice to have friend,  offer to take me to lunch.  We lunched, got manis, I went to the DryBar, found delicious cupcakes, and (of course) shopped. Later I came home to flowers from my blogger boo and dinner made by my hubby (at my request). I also had tons of texts, phone calls, and birthday wishes online.  Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes.  I had a very nice birthday!!! 

Style Notes:  My tee is from Rebdolls.  I purchased it in a size 2x.  I love the quality of the tees there.  They fit great as well with no rolling from two much stretch and they keep their shape. If you are looking for a classic black blazer then you'll want to check this one out from ASOS.  To me, it provides a good cut, fabric, and fit.  It's not stretch.  I got a size 20 and it fit perfectly.  So I purchased one of the last skirts Ideel had.  It's has a patent leather look with stretch.  I got the 3X.  I purchased it, because it was different and interesting look. It kind of reminded me of Missy's plastic bag suit in "I can't stand the rain." I still love Missy's boldness in that video to this day.  This skirt was also something I had never seen in plus sizes before.  I actually had people say they liked the skirt and thought it looked really cool.  The only thing I didn't like about it is that it created a lot of static and it makes a lot of noise when you walk.

Tee:  c/o Rebdolls, Skirt: Ideel (sold out), Blazer:  ASOS, Shoes: Sole Society, Lip - LimeCrime Velvetine Red Velvet

Fab Finds Under $30

1. Lord & Taylor 2. Boohoo 3. 6pm 4. Forever21 5. Style by Stories 6. Torrid 7. Macys 8. eShakti 9. Kohls 10. Nordstrom 11. Ideel 12. Rebdolls 13. Eloquii 14. Land's End 15. Kohls

I have totally been slacking on the "Fab Looks Under $30," I am going to try to kick this segment back into gear on a monthly basis.  Codes that you will need for under $30 pricing are:  Kohls 20% off - OCT20CC, Land's End 25% off Code - 1652 and Eloquii 20% off: FIRSTELQ. 

Disclaimer: Pricing doesn't include shipping or taxes, just the pricing with discounts provided. This is a popular segment and items can sell out quickly, but note that I check for stock and sizing before posting. If items are sold out, they sold out while the post has been live. 

Celebrity Style Capture: Kim Kardashian & Rebdolls $600 Gift Card Giveaway

It's been a while since my last celebrity capture.  I think I gravitate towards the Kim or Khloe Kardashian is because of the body type similarities.  I'm a much larger version, but they are both very hip and booty centric.  Let me just say, when hubby say me in this dress his eyes lit up.  Oh men, they can be so easy to predict. LOL.  Let's just say, he gave me the thumbs up. There was a rule that I used to always follow and it was to never were nudes/beiges just because I'm kind of a beige color and thought it wouldn't work with my skin.  There can be so much value in just trying new things, which is what drew me to this dress from Rebdolls.  It's just so daring and I love a challenge.  This is definitely one of those dresses that people would want to shout, if you are plus size you shouldn't wear this.  Well, I'm plus size and I'm wearing it.  I felt super sexy in this dress and this is one of those dresses that just stop traffic. Sometimes, it's fun to have that feeling. 

With a dress this fun and my birthday on Friday (whoop!), of course we had to do a giveaway.  Rebdolls is giving away (4) $150 gift cards.  This contest is open to US & International residents. It will done similar to the last contest. Entries will be taken through 12am on Oct. 17 on the widget below and I will draw and announce the winner that same day.  I announce via facebook, but the winners are always displayed the widget below.  Good Luck!!!

Style Notes:  Now I know you must be curious as to what I have on under this dress.  This type of dress is when I usually wear two shapers. Yes, I said two.  My readers that have rocked with me from the beginning know that I will do it, if I feel it's going to give me the look I want. You can actually see Kim's shapewear, well I opted from my capri shaper for this one.  I didn't want bubble leg.  I then a spanx high waist long leg one over.   That will help smooth out any bubble leg issues.  Let me just say, capri shapers are like unicorns.  They are so hard to find in plus size.  The one I have is from the Avenue from years ago, but of course it was discontinued.  I scouted out one here, for those who are interested. 

Dress - Rebdolls, Cardi - Rebdolls, Shoes - 6pm (similar), Lip - WetNWild Ravin Raisin, Clutch - Dorothy Perkins (similar)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post is sponsored by Rebdolls, opinions are 100% my own.

The Leggings Post

Leggings - Nordstrom, Shoes - Sole Society, Top - Eloquii, Lip - WetNWild Ravin Raisin w/ MAC Current Lip Liner

I've been getting so many questions about legging and to be honest, I really don't wear them for more than being around the house or to work out.  Even then, I haven't found too many leggings that I liked.  My biggest issues is thin fabric that is can have a sheer appearance or a bad fit.  These also seem to tear easily and I've ended up tossing, so many of these types in the trash that I just stopped buying leggings altogether.  I stumbled across these when I was shopping and ended up trying them on.  They are pretty fantastic. They hit on a high waist, have a wide waist band to keep everything in place, and are made from a thick ponte material.  This is not my usual outfit post, but I wanted to review these really quick because I know they are sale and I didn't want anyone to miss out and these just were too perfect not to talk about.  I purchased these in a size 22. 

My Tips For Buying Leggings

Thin & Cheap Material = Thrown away money ~   I can't tell you how many leggings I've thrown in the trash shortly after I've bought them because they got a snag or the middle seams started to open up.  One year I probably wasted $100 or leggings that had to be thrown aways instead of me just spending $50 - $80 on one good pair that would have lasted me a year or two. 

Opt for a high quality ponte knit ~ I've seen leggings in ponte in some of the lower end more fast fashion retailers, but those leggings will get sweater balls and will loose their luster quickly and will end up getting tossed only after having them for a small time.  

Luxe & Budget Friendly ~ My best leggings have always come from Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack.  Nordstrom Rack will tend to sell the high end leggings for around $30, but you just have to constantly check for stock.  Even though Nordstrom is priced higher they are usually good for a 40% off sale. 

Get "Yo" Size ~ Too big or too small and you will be pulling them up every 5 minutes.  Don't do it to "yo" self. 

My Favorite Lippies

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: MakeUp Forever #19, LimeCrime Velvetine Red Velvet, MAC Girl About Town,  MAC Violetta (Pro Store)

I love my lipstick bright, opaque, and true to it's natural color.   I wanted to do a compilation of my favorite lipsticks that I wear often and some tips on wearing and getting the true color of a lipstick as a woman of color, and dishing on a few of the brands I wear.   

Being a woman of color or a woman who has any sort of darkness in their lips, you know the pains that getting your lipstick to show up in it's purest and most opaque color.  For me, I have brown ring around my lips.  Most makeup artists tell me that my lips are naturally lined.  I guess that's could be a good thing, but it seems to distort the lip color of my lipsticks that have any sort of sheerness.  For me, I often line my lips in a similar color or I put concealer on to mute out my natural underlying darkness on my lips. Then if I want to take it one step further, I will put a matching lip gloss over it. That may sound like a lot of steps, so if you don't want to do all that you may to lean towards lipsticks that give great coverage.  

Make-Up Forever's Aqua Rouge Lip (top left) goes on almost paint and the coverage is great.  I don't have to line if I don't want to.  The only thing is that it can be drying.  They do come an attached gloss for moisture.  You will want to exfoliate your lips just so the drying doesn't make your lips get crusty or peel while wearing (I know that's gross).  You can exfoliate simply by using sugar/honey combo and rubbing it against your lips (See the DIY Lip Scrub Video below). Exfoliation will also help with getting the lipstick's truest color by brightening your lips and making them super soft (added bonus). 

Another lippy I love is the LimeCrime Velvetines.  I am a fan of a matte finish and the velveteens definitely do that.  They are drying as well, but the colors are so magnificent.  I exfoliate before wearing them as well.  

Budget Friendly Lipsticks: The lipsticks featured are a little pricey, but I definitley have some drugstore brands that I love as well.  Milani Lipsticks are probably my biggest "go to" in the drug store.  MAC's Candy Yum Yum is always sold out, but it's much cheaper dupe, Milani Rose Hip, is a dead ringer. I also often pick up lippies from the WetNWild are fabulous.  I bought a lot of the Fergie for WetNWild, her colors were all really nice.  If you are looking for a nice matte finish, the NYX soft matte lips cremes are a inexpensive "go to."  The Velvetines are my favorite, but the NYX run a close 2nd and they have more colors. 

Favorite Milani Shades:  Rose Hip, Black Cherry, Nude Creme, Violet Volt
Favorite WetNWildShades:  Ravin Raisin, Fergie's Penthouse Sweet (very similar to Girl About Town)

Quick Tip: So I hate going into the drug store and all the shades I want are gone.  I will generally order my lipsticks online for the colors that always seem to be sold out.  Drugstore.com gives you free shipping over $35. So I'll order a few household items and the my favorite and rarely in stock lippies. 

Neutral

I'm a little slow today on posting, the hubby's birthday was yesterday so I took the weekend off to fun birthday stuff.  Since it was his birthday (yeah our birthdays are like 2 weeks apart), I knew I should probably refrain from asking him to take some snaps and ultimately asking him to work on his birthday. Anyways, he told me that he wanted to participate in wine tasting for his birthday.  I've done wine tasting a few times and I always forget that most of the time it is a complimentary service. So in essence, he was a cheap date. HA! We did end up purchasing a few bottles of wine.   I'm not sure if this was the smartest outfit to wear to such a thing, because of the white and all, but I made it through.  

Style Notes:  In this top I got the Size 2. In JIBRI, you always want to go by the size chart.  This top has no stretch, so you will definitely want to measure you bust. This Modcloth skirt is in a size 2X and has a little elastic in the waist on the back half of the skirt.  It came with another belt, but I added in my own skinny belt.  

Top: JIBRI, Skirt - ModCloth, Shoes - Sole Society, Lip - Milani Violet Volt, Bag - SimplyBe