Category:

beauty, fashion + hair

All things related to hair, beauty + fashion!

my earring collection

by Kaylah Stroup

Eight and a half months ago I got my earlobes reconstructed. I had started stretching them over thirteen years ago. After nine years of having them at 38mm, and hundreds of dollars in jewelry, I finally decided it was time to say goodbye. I’ve chronicled the journey (with lots of photos) fairly throughly and now it’s time to move on to the next chapter.

What’s the next chapter? Finally getting my cute new earlobes repieced and starting an epic earring collection!

As you may have seen, I got my ears pierced back toward the end of April. It was painless, and they healed up quick. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to start wearing cute earrings. Loving that statement earrings are so popular right now too. Its made it easy for me to quickly build up a fun collection. Maybe a little too easy.

Just so things wouldn’t get out of control, I made it a rule that I couldn’t buy any earrings until I got my ears pierced. Obviously I bought a pair to celebrate the new piercing and I guess I’ve just been celebrating a whole bunch since then because my collection is already pretty darn awesome. I can’t imagine what it’ll look like in another year if I keep going at this rate.

left to right, top row first; Vintage Acorn, Océanne, Flying Tutu + Acute Designs

BaubleBar

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15

I wore no.12 on my wedding day! They were also the first pair I bought.

And, finally, my current storage situation. Not a good one, clearly. I take that back, it looks fine in this photo but this photo was taken fairly early on. The number of earrings has more than doubled. I think it’s time to suck it up and buy an earring rack like this one.

Now I leave you with two questions – How do you store your earrings? & Where is your favorite unexpected spot to find cute earrings? Right now I’m loving Target’s earring selection. Not super surprising because Target always has cute stuff but I’ve been picking up a pair nearly every time I go there!
xoxo

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nail round up III

by Kaylah Stroup

CND Vinylux in Mint Convertable & Couture Covet + nail stickers

Veque Sea Cliff, ILNP Birefringence + scotch tape

My scotch tape designs are always kind of random. I don’t necessarily think them out before I start cutting out little pieces. Designs just sort of happen. That being said, I feel like I need to recreate whats going on on my ring finger on all my fingers sometime soon! That nail is so cute.

Wet n Wild On A Trip, ILNP Birefringence, Veque Sea Cliff + scotch tape

Sally Hansen Primrose and Proper, China Glaze Purr-fect + dotting tool

CND Vinylux Couture Covet, Veque Sea Cliff, Zoya Abby, Zoya Jordan + nail stickers

As you can see, I’ve kind of been on a color kick. Lots of shades of blue, and gosh darn it, I love ILNP’s Birefringence. I wish I could figure out more ways to wear it and show off how gorgeous the colors are without painting my whole nail in it. ILNP’s polishes are incredible. There are only three nail polish brands I truly love and in the last few months ILNP has definitely earned their place in that list! What are some of your favorite nail polish brands?
xoxo

▴ I’ve got a hashtag over on Instagram – #kaylahsfancynails – if you’d like to see some peeks before my round up posts go live.
▴ Check out previous nail round ups here + here.
▴ Here are a few of my favorite nail tools + some tips on how to use nail stickers.</em

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what I wore – a different kind of polka dots

by Kaylah Stroup

what I wore, the dainty squid, ohio blog, target style pin game, flair, dainty squid, daisy natives kaylah doolan, cleveland blog, fashion blog, ohio

details
hat – thrifted
earrings – Target (similar pair)
cardigan – Charter School Cardigan via Modcloth
pins – girls support girls via Daisy Natives, look on the bright side via Rifle Paper Co
dress – Dalmatian Dress via Target
shoes – ballerina flats via Amazon (under $20 + they match everything!!)

I’ve always loved Target but y’all, they have been KILLING it lately. So many good earrings! I want all the housewares! And the clothes! Goodness gracious, the clothes! I don’t know when it started but basically every time I’ve been in there lately I find an item of clothing I really like. Most recently – this dress from the clearance section! I hadn’t seen in before and I apparently found the only one on clearance. (Most likely a return since it was marked ‘as-is’ and I still can’t find anything visibly wrong with it?) It’s not even my normal size but I tried it on anyway because the pattern was just too good to pass up. As luck would have it, the dress runs large and a small fits perfectly. Basically, it was there just waiting for me. You already know I have it in my suitcase for the wedding trip!

Hope you’re having an awesome week (+ that you find some hidden gems in the clearance section!)
xoxo

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what I wore: rainbows

by Kaylah Stroup

details

glasses – Skunkboy in Panda Pearl via BonLook
earrings – Sass, Queen Hoops c/o Modcloth
cardigan – Charter School Cardigan via Modcloth
dress – It’s an Inspired Taste Dress c/o Modcloth
shoes – Color Me Casual Sandal c/o Modcloth

Earlier this month I got a message on Instagram from Modcloth (!!!) asking if I’d like to join #ModclothSquad. The purpose of the ModCloth Squad is to show a diverse range of personal style and creativity in outfitting while promoting the cultural values of inclusivity, female empowerment, and body positivity. Obviously my answer was a big fat yes! The hashtag, #ModclothSquad, is filled with tons of rad babes in rockin’ clothes. It’s one of the very few hashtags I actually follow. I’m super jazzed to be apart of such an awesome partnership!

This was also an excellent push to get back into the swing of outfit photos. I don’t know why it’s so easy to fall out of the habit. (Yes, I do. Winter is hard. Looking cute in the winter is still something I have yet to master!) I enjoy taking these photos so much. Even more than that I love looking back on them. When I look through my blog it bums me out so much that there are huge gaps in outfit photo posts. I truly enjoy them.

Anyway – This dress! I love the way it fits and feels. It’s structured but still very comfortable. Plus (and probably most importantly) it has pockets! I loved it from the second I put it on. I liked it even more after Jeff’s reaction to it. He said “Ohh! That’s going on our wedding trip, right?” Now it definitely will be!

Obviously, I chose the shoes knowing they’d look real rad in one of my found on the beach photos. The morning after I got them I made a point to go to the beach right after I woke up. I LOVE how it turned out. That probably won’t be the last time you see me doing it either! I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – right?

Hope you’re having an excellent week! (Here’s a photo of Professor that should help if you’re not! You’re welcome.)
xoxo

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4 things I tried + loved in April

by Kaylah Stroup

① Rose & Pomegranate Face Cream. I feel like I’m always on the hunt for the next best facial moisturizer. My purchase was swayed half by the packaging which I really like, and half by the incredible reviews this stuff has. I’ve been using it every morning before my make up and most evenings (ya know, when I’m not too sleepy to moisturize) It’s not heavy at all but still leaves my face feeling sufficiently moisturized which is a HUGE deal in the winter. It also has a very light rose scent which I really dig. It’s refreshing!

Unlike most the reviews, I don’t feel like it’s a miracle worker but I do really like the way it makes my skin feel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone on the hunt for something to leave their face feeling smooth and moisturized.

②  Wireless LED Puck Lights. So, for some reason I almost feel like the things I name in this series have to be beauty products buuut they don’t and they won’t all be. This month I purchased these LED puck lights for my curiosity cabinet… and I honestly wonder how the heck I went this long without them.

Four brightness settings, and a remote make them super easy to use, and adjust without ever opening up the glass doors. Since they came with adhesive stickers, I had them hanging and light up in no time at all.  They’re nothing fancy, and definitely wouldn’t be my first choice if I were looking to light a room but they put off the perfect amount of light to draw some attention to my collection. I absolutely love turning them on each evening. I’m already scheming where I can put more of these. Bookcase, maybe?

If you’re interested in getting some cool lights for your home, I highly recommend this post – fun lighting must haves! You know you need a toilet light!

③ NYX BB Cream in Nude. Another product I’m always on the hunt for the next best thing of – BB Cream! To be fair, I’ve never tried one I didn’t like but I really do love this one. It’s super light but still gives enough coverage to even out my skin color. It lasts all day and is pretty darn affordable. Really, it’s just an easy product to use. I love experimenting with make-up but for my every day routine I’m pretty simple, all I want is for my skin tone to be even. This stuff gets the job done wonderfully.

④ GlossyBox. I got not one but two GlossyBoxes this month!  The first was their standard monthly box, and the second was their limited edition mother’s day box. Both were incredible but I LOVED the mother’s day box. Every thing in it smelled magical. It was serious eye candy too. I unpacked and repacked the box so many times just because I loved touching and smelling everything. They’ll sell out quick, so if you want one hurry up and grab it!

Loved the regular monthly box too! I have mixed feelings about subscription boxes. I love experimenting but also really like being in control of my purchased so boxes like this are usually hit or miss with me. This was a hit! Out of the five products I received, two of them became part of my daily make-up routine. (The brow pencil + blush, in case you’re curious!)

My first impression of Glossybox is pretty high! Definitely something I wouldn’t mind continuing to try out.

Did you try anything awesome this last month?
xoxo

Check out three things I tried in March!

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statement earring round up!

by Kaylah Stroup

1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7 — 8 — 9 — 10 — 11 — 12 — 13 — 14 — 15

The day has finally come! I got my ears pierced! Ahh!

Thirteen plus years of stretching, a few hours of surgery for reconstruction, and seven months healing time. You can read more about my earlobe reconstruction here plus the four month update here. It’s been a long journey, for sure, but now I’m exactly where I want to be.

Over the weekend Jeff + I celebrated our four year anniversary. His present to me was taking me to get my ears pierced. I was stupid nervous, especially for someone whose body has had so many needles poked in it over the years. It was relatively painless and incredibly quick. I can’t believe how little they’ve been bothering me the last few days. To be honest, if I weren’t so darn excited about them I probably wouldn’t even remember I got them pierced!

The two pairs I’ve purchased so far! Left pair from Target, right pair from Nordstrom Rack.

I’m so excited to start building a collection of earrings now! I’m trying to show a tiny bit of self control until I get a better idea of what I actually like wearing. It’s obvious what I’m into style wise but who know if I’ll actually like wearing them or if I’m gonna just be crabby they get tangled in my hair!
xoxo

If you’re looking for more fun earring picks, I made a little round up back in January as well with some adorable pairs! Check them out here.

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7+ websites to find affordable wedding dresses!

by Kaylah Stroup

affordable wedding dresses

top left, right, bottom left, right

My hunt for a wedding dress was not a fun one. It included buying the absolute wrong (non-refundable) dress, choosing another that I knew I’d probably regret, and spending way way way too much time frantically searching the internet from end to end. I’ve finally found *the* one though, and I bought it online!

Something that might have made my journey go a little bit more smoothly is having a list of places to look online. Obviously, with the huge number of wedding dedicated websites that exist, there are lot of lists out there. I found that most were outdated, and the other half? Well, we had a different definition of what ‘affordable’ meant. We’re having a small wedding, and most of my day will be spent in a swim suit so spending $1000 on a dress just isn’t worth it to me.

In case you’re on a similar hunt, or just like looking at pretty dresses, I’ve rounded up seven websites that offer affordable dresses you could wear on your wedding day!

left, right

Modcloth

Modcloth was one of the first places I looked. I remember noticing the wedding section before ever needing a wedding dress and thinking that I’d definitely be back to look if the time ever came. Modcloth has 28 styles at the time of writing this post. They range from $100-$600 with most falling somewhere in the middle. The customer review photos are super helpful to getting a better idea of what the dress actually looks like.

left, right

Lulu’s

Lulu’s has a wide variety of dresses you could potentially wear as a wedding dress. Over the past few months I’ve probably accounted for nearly half their traffic. I checked back constantly. For what I was looking for – long + white – I found it most helpful to use their filters but you could also find some goodies by searching ‘bridal‘.

Other than the fact they have lots of options (60+) and great prices (most under $200), one of the biggest reasons I wanted to talk about them was their return policy! Free + super easy! I actually purchased two dresses from them early on in my search. Neither worked out but it was nice to be able to try them on and return them with no questions asked.

I highly recommend the dress on the left above. Fit beeeeautifully – was just a little too much cleavage for me. Had to ask myself ‘do I wanna hug my brothers with this much boob?’ and that answer was a solid no.

left, right

ASOS

ASOS has a wide array of dresses, and bridal accesories.  Most dresses range from $90-$300. ASOS is known for having a HUGE selection of clothing so it’s definitely worth browsing a little bit further than just ‘bridal‘. I found lots of pretty things (although most not white) searching ‘tulle‘.

left, right

Fame and Partners

Fame and Partners has less of a selection, and is definitely more pricey than most of the other sites in this post but their dresses are still a lot more affordable than most of what I found in my search. Both dresses pictured above are under $600.

They also have customizable bridesmaids dresses, some of which are available in white (and a bit more modestly priced!)

left, right

BHLDN

BHLDN has lots of dresses, and tons of gorgeous photos. I spent so much time swooning over their selection! A great deal of their dresses are over $1000 but there are also lots at more affordable price points. Both dresses pictured above are under $400.

Something I really liked abot BHLDN, and ultimately what swayed my purchase, was the fact their dresses have so many reviews and customer photos. Buying a wedding dress online is scary but being able to see what it actually looks like on someone really helps.

left, right

Morning Lavender

Morning Lavender doesn’t have a huge selection but they are super affordable (That gown above? $79!) One thing that kept drawing me back was all the seperates they offered. Lace tops + tulle skirts!

left, right

Altar’d State

Altar’d State has quite a few white lacey dresses that would be perfect for a courthouse wedding! I do think that their search engine is wacky. Searching ‘white dress’ didn’t give me all of the options (and most weren’t white or dresses) but it’s definitely worth taking a browse if you’re looking for something lowkey. I tried on the dress on the right – it was GORGEOUS!

A few more websites…

▴ Azazie has lots of dresses under $500 you can try on at home for just $25. They also have a variety of colors for each dress.
▴ Unique Vintage has lots of affordable white dresses + gowns. The only down side is most of their more formal styles are final sale so if it doesn’t fit or just doesn’t work for you, you’re stuck with it.
▴ Macy’s has a surprising number of white gowns.
▴ Tulle & Chantilly is actually bridesmaid dresses but I feel like they have a bunch of styles that could work for a lowkey wedding! I really loved this dress.
▴ Blush has lots of pretty dresses at very affordable prices.

Remeber to read reviews + check return policies before taking the leap. Good luck on your hunt!
xoxo

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a few of my favorite nail tools

by Kaylah Stroup

▴ Seven-sided nail file. This file is numbered 1-7 on each different colored section. You simply go through the steps on each of your nails. After you’re done you’ll have beautiful, shiny nails ready to paint! Every few months, when I run out of files, I try to buy something else, and I always coming crawling riiiight back to this one. They don’t last terribly long but they are only file I feel really get the job done quickly and easily.

▴ Cuticle Oil. I think the biggest thing to having nice looking cuticles is keeping them moisturized. I’m currently using Butter London’s cuticle oil (seems like it might be an older product? I picked it up at TJ Maxx!) and Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream interchangeably.  I apply a generous amount to my nails quite often… basically whenever I think to! I leave one in my office so I can massage my cuticles between emails, and another beside my bed to rub in while I fall asleep.

▴ Nail polish thinner. It’s a miracle worker! You just take an eye dropper (one you plan to designate to this purpose), suck up the thinner, and put a few drops into any nail polish that is getting thick, shake and then TA-DAAA, it’s like new…sometimes even better! I’ve used it multiple times on a few of my polishes and haven’t noticed any more chips or anything different than normal. Doesn’t even seem to effect dry time (other than making it better, of course. Thick nail polish dries SO slowly!) With this stuff you can rescue all your favorites that you were considering throwing away because they got thick.

▴ Seche Vite. My all-time top coat choice! Other top coats pale in comparison!!! It’s a great consistency, and dries oh-so-shiny. According to my Amazon history, it looks like I’ve been using Seche Vite for just over eight years. The only time I ever purchase a different top coat is when it’s a part of a ‘two step’ system, and even then I usually end up using Seche Vite as my ‘step two’ anyway. It’s a must!

▴ Seche Restore. Just like other nail polishes, Seche Vite can become too thick to use over time. I had found that my nail polish thinner of choice kind of ruined a lot of the things I really love so much about the top coat – namely the quick dry time. Then I discovered Seche Restore and all was right! I am totally not one of those people who thinks you need to use this product and that product together just because they’re by the same brand but in this case, Seche Restore really is the best thing you could put in your Seche Vite to maintain consistency.

▴ Dotting tool. Used to make polka dots, this baby is a must in my little basket of nail supplies. It has two sides, each a different size so you can make different size polka dots. It’s so much easier than a tooth pick for me because it’s larger and easier to hold on to plus the set I own and linked to comes with a variety of sizes.

▴ Scotch tape + nail stickers. My two not-so-secret weapons for awesome designs. Seriously, without these two things I’d probably just be painting each fingernail a different color instead of playing around with unique designs.

PS Check out this recent post for some tips on using nail stickers, as well as lots of inspiration! 

What are your nail essentials? 
xoxo

Check out loads of nail inspiration under the #kaylahsfancynails hashtag.
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nail sticker how to + FAQ

by Kaylah Stroup

For about six years now I’ve been using nail stickers of some sort to get crisp lines in my nail art. They’ve played a huge part in developing my nail style. (That’s a thing right? I definitely feel like I have a style.) I couldn’t imagine not having them in my nail kit. Since I’ve been getting back into sharing my designs I thought I’d do a little post on my favorite tool of the trade! Under $7 and basically unlimited options – there’s no excuse not to give them a go!

First, a quick how-to!

① File, buff, wash then dry your nails!
② Paint base color.
③  Let it dry. No, really, let it dry. Not half dry or mostly dry. All the way dry!
④ Choose your sticker, place it on the top of your hand to get some of the sticky off, and then apply to your nail. Make sure to push it down firmly, especially in the corners of your nail where polish could seep under.
⑤ Paint your nail, and remove sticker immediately. Peel slowly, following the curve of the sticker.
⑥ Repeat on the rest of your nails. The order I find easiest is pinky, ring, middle then pinky, ring, middle on the other hand. Pointer finger from the first hand, pointer from the second and thumbs last. Thumbs are the only nails I do where I put the stickers on more than one nail at once. This way I’m able to really push down the sticker throughouly without messing up an already painted nail.
⑦ Finish it all off with a top coat. I recommend Seche Vite!

Q.  Nail stickers? So, it’s the whole design and I don’t have to do any painting?

A. No, they’re basically just stencils. I’ve found them to be way easier than using tape and you don’t have to do any cutting. If you’re bad at painting your nails or don’t have the patience to do fun designs, I recommend checking out Incoco nail polish appliques! 

Q. Are they reusable?

A. No, they are not. They’re one time use.

Q. The stickers are peeling up my nail polish when I take them off. What’s up with that?! 

A. Sounds like your polish might not be completely dry. I always suggest painting designs with the stickers in two separate days so you’re not rushed. Of course, you don’t have to wait a full day but at least give your polish an hour or so. I normally throw on my first color in the morning and finish with the stickers in the evening.

Q. My nails are completely dry but my base coat is still peeling off. What do I do? 

A. This could be one of a few things. 1. You have a crappy nail polish. I’m certainly not a nail polish snob, I will always snatch up a 99 cent polish but there are some that are just not made very well and these will peel up when the sticker is pulled off. 2. Your sticker is too sticky! Easy fix – put the sticker on the top of your (clean & dry) hand and peel off before placing on your nail. I actually recommend doing this all the time.

Q. The nail stickers are leaving a residue, what do I do?

A.  I’m not 100% sure why this happens, I’ve only had it happen a few times but it was before I started doing the trick of putting the sticker on your hand before your nail to remove some of the stickiness. If nothing else, wait for your polish to dry, and then go wash your hands with soap and water before applying the top coat. Sticky gunk comes right off.

Q. Why aren’t my lines as crisp as yours?

A. The trick to crisp lines with these stickers is peeling them off as soon as you’re done painting each nail. This means polishes that aren’t completely opaque on the first coat are far less superior when it comes to using the stickers. Once you start building layers you’re running the risk of making a mess.

So basically be patient, make sure each coat is COMPLETELY dry before putting down the sticker, and get yourself some great polish (I’m all about Sally Hansen & Zoya!) Set aside a little chunk of time to do your nails or do it over a period of a few days and with some practice you’ll be doing your nails like a pro!
xoxo

Find nail stickers here.
Check out loads of nail inspiration under the #kaylahsfancynails hashtag.
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