Category:

beauty, fashion + hair

All things related to hair, beauty + fashion!

what I wore : stripes

by Kaylah Stroup
details 
shoes – via Modcloth
camera bag – Jo Totes
plugs – Omerica Organic (use rep code “daintysq” for 20% off!)

The day I took these outfit photos was kind of the best.

I…
▴ ate Barrio for lunch with Jeff and some of his friends from high school.
▴ took a ten mile bike ride with stops including Koko Bakery for bubble tea, and Dodd to check out tripods.
▴ drove an hour away to pick up original 600 film from someone on craigslist. Score!!!
▴ hung out at Brandon’s art show (which is going on until the 26th!) and ate tons of tasty appetizers.
▴ ate a delicious burger at Nano Brew.
▴ introduced my cats to some friends who would be taking care of them while Jeff and I were roadtrippin’. (Squid even came out to say hi. WOAH.)
▴ went to the art show’s after party where I ate some more!

It was a busy day where I smiled, laughed, and joked basically the whole time. The only thing is I didn’t take any other photos than of my outfit which I hurriedly took fifteen minutes before I had to meet up for tacos. I know my day doesn’t really sound all that profound but I enjoyed it immensely. Jeff, bikes, good food, and even better friends – I don’t need anything else.

Hope you have an excellent day!
xoxo

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what we wore : black + white

by Kaylah Stroup
my details
shirt – c/o
shorts – c/o
boots – Palladium Boots
camera bag – Bellbrook via JoTotes
 
jeff’s details
shorts – Levi’s
shoes – Toms

I love the idea of taking outfit photos with Jeff except it’s basically impossible for us to take photos together that aren’t just a lovey dovey mess. At one point I stopped to say “we cannot have every photo be of us kissing!” so he then put me in a headlock and tried to take prom style photos. Not going to lie though, I love love love all the mushy photos of us together. I don’t normally save too many outtakes when I take outfit photos by myself but I save so many of the two of us. What can I say, I just think we’re the cutest. On a semi related note : At an estate sale shortly after we started dating a woman running the sale came up to us and said “You two are so cute you should be on a cake” That still cracks me up. It’s such a funny statement.

By the time this post goes live we’ll be on the other side of the United States starting our second big road trip together so today seems like a pretty cute time to post these photos. I’ve got this whole week queued up with fun posts so nothing here will seem any different despite the fact I won’t be around too much. I’m sure we’ll also be extra active on instagram. You can follow the trip on on both of our instagram accounts – mine + Jeff’s
xoxo

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what I wore : swans + summer legs

by Kaylah Stroup
details 
dress – via
jean jacket –thrifted
back patch – Stay Home Club
belt – thrifted
boots – Palladium Boots
pins – Good Vibes Only by Pintrill, Cat by I like Cats, Pineapple by Valley Cruise Press

I’ve got my summer legs going on. Summer legs being when I’m covered in scratches, bruises, mosquito bites, and of course, an uneven tan finishes off the whole look. They don’t look too rough in these photos but they feel it (the lighting was definitely doing me some favors!) After spending the day previous traipsing around in the woods in shorts it actually stung to put on lotion and sunscreen. Women’s bodies, according to the media, are supposed to be flawless. We’re supposed to have long, lean, absolutely smooth barbie legs. Every year for as long as I can remember this is what my legs look like as soon as the weather warms up. I’ve never felt uncomfortable about it, but rather worn all those things as little badges of a summer well spent. My legs, especially my knees, are covered in scars. I can’t recall what they’re all from but I’m willing to bet they’re all from something fun. I like my summer legs, a lot.

Speaking of leg stuff, I am all about this boot and dress combo. Over the fall and winter I slowly but surely amassed a pretty awesome collection of Palladium Boots except I wasn’t sure how they’d translate into my summer wardrobe. Although I’ve managed to pull it off with a few outfits in the past (see here + here) I was still nervous they’d have to be put away until jean weather came back around. Nope, I’m way into not only how dresses and boots look but how I feel in them. It’s a fun combo. Something about a good pair of boots just makes me feel invincible.

So basically the gist of this whole post is I feel real good. I also might have been trying to talk myself into getting a new pair of boots from Palladium Boot’s macaron collection. Just look at those colors!! So darn pretty.
xoxo

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what I wore : owl keep you

by Kaylah Stroup

details
dress – (three years ago)
cardigan – via
lapel pin –
belt – thrifted
camera bag – via
shoes – thrifted

I started cleaning out my closet this week in preparation for a shop my closet sale. (more details on this soon!) This was one of the dresses I grabbed for the sale pile simply because I rarely wear it. It’s been in my closet for a few years but has maybe only been worn five times. Before I started photographing everything I tried on this dress and basically just said “Haha! …No!” I might not be as crazy about the pattern as I was when I first got it but it just fits so darn well. It never needs ironed, and for some magic reason, pet hair doesn’t stick to it. Those are two major bonuses! Yeah, so I’ll be keeping this one for a while longer.

While I was sorting things for the closet sale I kept finding myself thinking “well, maybe if my body looked more like this the dress would look better”, “it’s my size, why doesn’t it look right?” or things along those lines. It was discouraging. I was dwelling on it for the rest of the day then it hit me, there is nothing wrong with me. Why should I feel bad that a certain dress isn’t flattering on me? I’m definitely an advocate of wearing whatever the heck you want regardless of what’s popular but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to wear what I feel flatters my shape the best. I think it took until then to realize that just because something is the correct size doesn’t mean it’s going to look awesome, and that’s okay. Maybe that’s all ramble-y, or doesn’t properly illustrate what I’m trying to say but this is a reminder that your body is perfect just the way it is, don’t you ever doubt that especially because of a piece of clothing!

My favorite spot to take outfit photos is out of commission at the moment. Like I mentioned in a previous post, it’s a giant abandoned building and for the past few weeks a construction crew has been working there. I suppose they’re trying to spruce it up so it will sell. Hope the kitties who live there will still have a place to stay! While they’re working on it I have to find a new dependable spot to shoot. I spotted this wall along the side of the road and figured it’d make a nice background. I didn’t count on the crazy amount of traffic though. Mostly people just slowed down to stare but I had a few folks who honked which scared the heck out of me. I’m just relieved no one stopped to ask what I was doing. I’d have probably done this… which totally reminds me of this gif of Homer Simpson.

very sneaky, right?

Hope you have an awesome Wednesday!
xoxo

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oVertone haircare review

by Kaylah Stroup

Last month I was contacted by oVertone haircare. They have a line of color depositing conditioners made to fight fading. Cool enough, right? What really sold me is that you can rinse with hot water and heat style as much as you want without worrying about your color fading. They actually encourage you to use warmer water. For the past eight years, I have been washing my hair in cold water to fight fading. It is not fun. It’s my least favorite part about having dyed hair. So when you tell me that using warmer water, to open the cuticle and let the product in, will help keep my hair color brighter I am sold!

oVertone currently has seven different colors in three intensities so there is something for everyone no matter if you’re rocking pastels, vibrant colors or suuuuper bright colors. It doesn’t lighten your hair so if you have very dark hair it’s not going to change much but it can still be used to deposit color on hair that isn’t already an unnatural color. Obviously, the color won’t be as bright but it will still be colorful.

The above photo is what my hair looked like on February 28th, the day before starting to use the conditioner.

Since my hair was/is a mix of blue and green they sent over their daily conditioner in extreme teal and extreme green as well as the deep conditioner in both colors. The daily conditioner is meant to be used anytime you’d use regular conditioner. Some days I use a mix of both colors, and other days I just used one color applied all over my hair. Since it does deposit color it tends to stain my hands. Good news is I’ve found that the staining is gone by the time I finish washing and shaving which is basically how I time how long to leave in the conditioner every day.

 This photo was taken on March 9th after using the conditioner for nine days and the deep conditioner once. 

The deep conditioner was made to be used on a weekly basis or as needed whenever you’re looking for an extra jolt of color and moisture. I used it right before I got my hair cut so that it would be super bright when meeting a new stylist. I applied it to wet, towel dried hair and left it on for around a half hour. I used the green was tickled pink to see what a gorgeous green my hair was when I rinsed.

 (March 21, after using the daily conditioner for 21 days.) 

As you can see, my hair is actually brighter now than it was when I started. I’m not even halfway through either bottle of conditioner. Obviously, my hair is also a totally different color but that’s because I was using two different colors of conditioner. That led to a huge variety of shades which is essential to making the color look natural so needless to say I’m totally into it. I absolutely adore my hair right now.

In my years of dyeing experience, I’ve found blue to be the absolute biggest pain in the butt to keep vibrant so for my hair to look like this after so long I am pumped! I am currently considering changing my hair color but only because my roots are so darn long. Normally hair fading is my sign that it’s time to touch up my roots but this color just isn’t stopping anytime soon! My hair is incredibly soft and vibrant right now.

Final thoughts ///
▴ For single color hair, or multiple shades of similar colors (like mine is now) this stuff is amazing – a must have especially if you struggle with fading.
▴ Unless you have a mirror in your shower and want to spend time separating sections of colors daily these conditioners probably wouldn’t be ideal if you’re sporting more than one color. Is it doable? Yes, totally but realistically I don’t see many being that committed. If you are, then by all means, buy this stuff.

You can read more about oVertone and purchase their conditioners on here.

Update May 2018 – If you’re unconvinced by oVertone but are still looking for a color depositing conditioner the good news is there are lots of new ones on the market these days. Keracolor comes in 13 different colors + has tons of excellent reviews.
xoxo

If you’re looking for some tips on bleaching and dyeing, check out my hair master post! 

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what I wore : little black dress

by Kaylah Stroup
details
cardigan – c/o Macy’s (no longer available)
tights – Kohls
boots – Palladium Boots
camera bag – Jo Totes

I’m a pretty colorful person but I’m sure it’s become quite apparent I have an immense love for all things black and white. I like the way it really makes my hair pop. This outfit isn’t my usual black and white striped ensemble but I’m pretty in love with it nonetheless. This dress is from Unique Vintage‘s house brand. It’s so incredibly cozy and something about the fit is just spot on. I’m not usually a huge fan of dresses that lay so flat against my stomach. I’m not sure if it’s how active I’ve been (heck yeah, bike rides!!), if it’s the dress or a combination of the two but I feel darn good in this little black number!

Hope you’re having an awesome week!
xoxo

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what I wore : pattern clashing champ

by Kaylah Stroup
 details
pin – Tumbleweeds
necklace – c/o Shlomit Ofir
shoes – Melissa c/o Loly in the Sky
Perhaps I was kind of jumping the gun a little with this outfit but it was what I thought was the first day of spring (alas, I was actually a week early! Haha!) Showing some skin and wearing something bright and floral was kind of a necessity after the long winter. It was maaaaybe a little bit windier than I had anticipated but SPRING!  It’s funny how 50 degrees after winter is so warm, but at the end of summer it’s freezing. It felt so good to ditch some of the layers that had become necessity. I’m looking forward to many more days of bare legs.
Underneath this gorgeous skirt I’m wearing my first petticoat. I picked out this one from Unique Vintage. I’ve actually wanted one for a while but for one reason or another just never picked one up. First of all, this skirt looks so darn cute all fluffed up. It looked cute without it but with the extra volume it’s just perfect. Secondly, it is darn fun to twirl in a petticoat. I spent the majority of my day just swinging my hips back and forth. I actually took some really cute photos of me flashing the petticoat for this post but I was a little too good at flashing if you know what I mean. Haha. Oh well, I’m sure it’s not the last time I’ll be wearing it!
In the few days since my haircut I have come to love it, like super duper love it. Jeff described it as “your old hair version 2.0” which is pretty true. The hairdresser was a bit crass, putting down the photo I had come in with with such venom, but she apparently is pretty darn skilled and knew what would look awesome on my head.  It’s so darn pretty. I have pin straight hair, I come from pin straight hair. It’s rare my hair has an volume, and it’s pretty thin so it never really looks good long. But this haircut makes my hair do everything I want it to.  Seriously, that first photo of my hair that is my dream hair! I guess change is pretty good after all!Hope you have an excellent day!
xoxo

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what I wore : bikes, bikes + more bikes!

by Kaylah Stroup
 details
cardigan – c/o Modcloth
belt – Modcloth (many years ago)
Y’all, it is still stupid cold outside. I’m so sick of wearing layers upon layers every time I leave the house. It seems weird to think that I could ever wear shorts and a tank top again, it just feels like winter has been here so long. You know it’s bad when you start getting excited about 30 degree weather. I’ve taken to dressing up nice while I’m in the house so I don’t go crazy. I’ve actually worn this exact outfit twice this week. I mean, if no one saw it did I really wear it? As long as I still smell nice, and only have a minimal amount of pet hair on my it’s all good in my book. Although as soon as the camera comes out, all bets are off. That dog is a total ham. I cannot step in front of the camera in the house without Klaus running over and trying to get in on the fun. Needless to say, these photos put my pet hair on clothing limit over the line.

This is another post in collaboration with the #iamunique campaign by Unique Vintage. It’s a year long campaign to celebrate how you express your own unique style, embrace your own unique body, and embody your own uniqueness. I’m a member of the Style Society along side four other awesome bloggers. I’m still so excited to be a part of something so positive like this. Right now they’re actually focusing on “every body is a beach body” which I love! I’m bummed to not be participating but uh, like I said it’s freezing. I don’t exactly have anywhere to be wearing a swim suit. Check out their instagram for a really neat polyptch they made promoting the sentiment. (It looks better in app than online, of course.) I’ve actually always wanted to do a swimsuit outfit post but felt kind of silly frolicking in the water with a camera pointed at me. “Oh, don’t mind me. It’s for my blog.” Maybe this is my year.

Hope you’re having an awesome start to your week!
xoxo

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Blue + Green Foreverrrr

by Kaylah Stroup

My hair was orange for a while there, around two months which is pretty long in my world. I actually think that orange, pink and purple combo might have been one of my favorite dye jobs in the history of me dying my hair. But one night, when it was a bit faded, I was bitten by the hair dye bug and decided right then that I had to dye my hair. I went blue, yellow, and purple. From the second I rinsed it out, I wasn’t too crazy about it. So, of course, I did the worst thing possible, I didn’t take care of it. I showered in hot water everyday and within no time at all it was looking way worse than ever. I cannot stand faded colors. I pride myself on having vibrant hair. I had another “must dye my hair NOW” moment. Checked my bathroom cupboard that is usually stocked full of options to find that I had about 5 brand new jars of turquoise, a half a jar of purple, and half a jar of green. I decided to wing it, nothing could look worse than the faded look I had going on.blue hair, green hair, dyed hair, colorful hairblue hair with bangsI applied Punky Colour Turquoise with a dash of Punky Colour Alpine Green mixed in to the top. Same but a little more of the green to the middle, and mostly green with a pinch of turquoise on the bottom layer. My hair was faded when I applied the dye but very much so still blue on top, yellow in the middle, and purple underneath so there are definitely some areas the purple affected the green (as seen in the photo above) but I’m really digging it! blue hair, green hair, dyed hair, colorful hair, the dainty squid, kaylah doolan hairblue hair, green hair, dyed hair, colorful hairFor a last minute dye job I think it turned out really well! My favorite part is that it looks a little different in every lighting. These photos were taken right in front of a window but depending on the room I’m in it can either look totally blue, or totally green.
xoxo 

Plugs are from Omerica Organic and as always you can use rep code “daintysq” for 20% off your first order. 

You can find tips & guides in my hair master post – including Bleaching your hair 101, 7 tips for maintaining bright hair color, Two tips for switching hair colors easily. & so much more! I also have a handful of hair videos on my YouTube channel.

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