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ColourPop Lippie Review

by Kaylah Stroup June 29, 2016

Colourpop Poppin’

As someone with a fairly unique wardrobe, brightly colored hair, and nearly half my body covered in tattoos you probably wouldn’t think I’m shy about self expression but it’s only recently that I’ve gotten brave enough to begin experimenting with make-up. My mom has never worn much make-up and I have two much older brothers so needless to say I didn’t really grow up around it. Photographic evidence shows I’ve done some regrettable things with eyeliner but lipstick has always kind of been a no-go for me. I felt so obnoxious in it, like everyone was definitely looking at me. Nope, it wasn’t the tattoos or green hair. It’s definitely lipstick people are going to stare at. Yeah, I don’t understand that logic either. I always loved the way it looked on other people and wanted to wear it for myself.

A really long time ago my best friend wrote a post about wearing crazy colored tights or maybe just crazy outfits in general, I don’t recall, and her number one tip was that she liked to wear these things around the house so that she could get used to the idea of it instead of immediately going out in public in it. I took that advice and applied it to lipstick. Eventually certain colors became no big deal at all, even in public. I may or may not be obsessed now. I love buying new colors and trying out different brands.

I would normally buy a new lipstick every other trip to Target or so. I like just picking up a little present for myself here and there. Since I wasn’t really sure what I liked in terms of lipstick colors, finishes, etc I was open to any and everything. Sometimes I’d come home and look up brand reviews or photos and for some reason, I kept stumbling across ColourPop even though they only sell online. I was instantly intrigued. They have a really great vibe, and the whole internet seemed to be in loooove with them. I liked their photos, and I liked that they had an active social media presence. Lots of photos to compare colors on instagram! Oh, did I forget to mention the best part? They’re super affordable! I finally decided I was ready to try them out a few weeks back. For $32 I was able to get six lipsticks, and one lip liner! Score!

top l to r; Back Up, LBB, Contempo, Poppin’

bottom l to r; Bumble, More Better

So, did they live up to the hype? Uh, yes!!! I am in love. I honestly cannot wait to buy more. I’ve never felt so comfortable in lipstick as I do in these ones. Let me tell you a little bit more about my experience…

I bought two different kinds of lipstick, the Matte X, and Ulta Matte Lip. The Ulta Matte Lip is liquid but claims to dry completely kiss-proof. (Bumble seemed to be, but More Better transfers color.) I found that my lips would feel moderately dry and like they were flaking after a few hours but much to my surprise they still looked beautiful! No flakes at all. I love how long this stuff lasted, although as I’m sure anyone would agree, I could do without the flakey feeling. It did take some trial and error for me to apply it nicely as well. A little bit goes a long way. There were a few times in the beginning when I definitely over applied and ended up with a mess. I have no complaints what-so-ever with the Matte X lippies though! They apply easily and never left me feeling dried out.

Both the Matte X, and Ultra Matte Lip had a staying power that required the use of coconut oil for me to remove which I found pretty impressive. Coconut oil for errrrything!!! All of the colors I tried were super pigmented. I didn’t have to worry about building coverage either, they’re opaque.

Even though I spent a ton of time comparing swatches and looking at photos of people who I thought had a similar skin tone wearing each shade I was still a little bit surprised by what each color looked like on my lips. Two of the shades – LBB + Back Up – I bought were, without a doubt, too dark for my tastes. At least for now, maybe someday I’ll be into that look. But I did find two colors that I’m just crazy for, Poppin’ + Contempo. Seen below.

Poppin’ above, Contempo below.

colourpop lippie, matte x, green hair, lipstick review

colourpop lippie, matte x, review, the dainty squid

More Better above, Bumble below.

Everything I bought from Colourpop lasted nearly all day before I felt like I needed to touch up which for someone super self conscious about their makeup is a really really awesome thing. For five or six bucks per color you really can’t beat it! I almost feel like I need to clarify, I don’t only like these because they’re cheap. It certainly adds to the appeal but I’d be happy with them if I had paid triple the price! I feel confident in them. Out of everything in my lipstick collection so far, these are the ones I find myself reaching for over and over!

Are these the absolute best things in the whole wide world? Probably not. Will someone find some sort of silly issue with them? Of course! But right now I can’t think of a way these could be better (…unless they were like hair dye, except for your lips because I think that’s a really fun idea. I’m only half joking too. I would love something slightly more permanent than lipstick.) Colourpop is super awesome, and affordable. I have definitely found my signature color for the summer in Poppin’!

Have you tried Colourpop yet? What do you think? What color is your favorite?! I’m going to have such a hard time choosing which to buy next.
xoxo

falling in love with summer

by Kaylah Stroup June 28, 2016

urban waterfall, ohio, waterfall, bedford reservation

I feel like I’ve shared my frustrations with summer many time before, or maybe I’ve just typed and deleted one million times. Basically it boils down to the fact that there is so much to do, and just not enough time… so I get stressed and end up doing nothing. Or maybe I plan to do something but realize, dang, it’s just way too hot for me. Both Jeff and I are complete weaklings in the heat. We wilt like flowers so most plans have to be taken care of early in the morning or in the late evening. I really do love summer, but it definitely stresses me out.

A week or so ago Jeff and I ended up stumbling across a waterfall while on a day trip to Columbus. It was a nice little hike and splashing around in the water was super refreshing! When we got back in the car it hit me, we should spend our summer checking out all the local waterfalls. Ohio probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of waterfalls but surprisingly, we have A LOT of them.

Sunday morning I woke up to my phone vibrating. It was Jeff asking if I wanted to go check out a some falls at Bedford Reservation. Less than an hour later we were on our way! There were a handful to choose from but I thought Great Falls of Tinker’s Creek looked the most promising… and I was totally right! A very short hike from the parking lot is this gorgeous waterfall.

I wasn’t too interested in shooting the falls until I finally listened to Jeff and tried a long exposure. Part of me feels like long exposures of waterfalls are kind of played out, and result in the same exact shot that just about everyone else has ever taken but I always have to remind myself that just because someone else has probably taken a similar shot doesn’t mean I shouldn’t take my own. We actually sat in bed and talked about that subject for a great deal of time later that night.

Anyway, once I got started with the long exposures of the falls I didn’t want to stop! I only got a few shots before we left. Part of me considered just filing them away since I didn’t have enough for a full post on our falls adventure but I am really excited to share these and be able to look back on them at the end of summer to see how much my waterfall photography has hopefully improved. So I tossed in some photos from later in the day at my brother’s house. I think they all flow together pretty well. They’re not all waterfall shots but they do sum up a pretty perfect summer day.

Did you spot the tiny worm in the photo above?

Three waterfalls down for us so far this summer; Indian Run Falls, Paine Falls, and Great Falls of Tinkers Creek. (photographed above) Here’s to finding many more!
xoxo

on my deck – summer 2016 update

by Kaylah Stroup June 27, 2016

I’m going to be real with you here, since my last post about all the things growing on my deck, I’ve kind of been ignoring my plants. I barely watered them, didn’t really check on them, and basically tried to forget about them. This started after a few things didn’t go quite as planned. I had picked up two or three plants specifically because they were great candidates to tear apart and make more plants from. They were leggy which meant I could steal the leaves to propagate, leave the stem planted to grow some babies from there, and chop off the top to plant as is. Basically the whole plant failed. Stem died, leaves burnt, and the top rosette absorbed too much water. It broke my poor little spirit. I didn’t feel like putting any effort into them anymore.

Over the weekend I decided to get back outside, get everything cleaned up, and quit being a baby. Failing a few plants doesn’t mean I have a black thumb! I got rid of anything that was dead or dying (basically just some leaves I wanted to propagate) and I’m trying to nurture the things that were still growing despite my brief abandonment. I also rearranged my whole deck. I’m back at square one – obsessed!

I took all the leaves that were still growing and arranged them neatly.
Sometimes, when I have a huge number of them at once, I get bored with
laying them all out. It takes a great deal of time, and after a while
your hands start to feel big, dumb, and clumsy. But I’ve found that when
they are at least somewhat neatly organized I want to take better care
of them so taking the time is actually worth it.

It’s really encouraging to look back at the post from early June, and see how much everything has already started to fill in. It’s hard to notice that stuff in person when you see the plants all the time. I actually wasn’t sure anything had grown at all but I see definite changes which is very exciting. I honestly don’t think I’d be half as interested in my plants if I wasn’t able to compare before and after photos. Seriously – photograph your plants! It changes your mindset!

Below you can see one of my favorite plants, to the left of the tall cactus. That is THE perfect example of how the stem of a plant will product new babies after you remove the top. I can’t believe how much it’s grown since the beginning of the month. If I could just have a collection of things growing just like that I’d be all set! The leaves in the pot with it? Also growing stupendously! I recently shared a photo of them on instagram, check it out here.

So, have I convinced you to be a crazy succulent person yet too? Don’t worry, I probably will by the end of summer. 😉
xoxo

See here for tips on propagating succulents.
To see more photos of my plant collection browse the “plants” tag or follow me on instagram. I recently started using the hashtag #kaylahheartsplants.
See my tips for house plants here, and tips for healthy succulents here.

#flockCLE

by Kaylah Stroup June 23, 2016

crackingart, land studio, state bicycle co

I’m not sure how closely any of you out there follow politics, especially American politics (I am always blown away by how many international readers I have!) but the Republican National Convention is coming to Cleveland this summer. That doesn’t mean much to me personally, but I do realize this is a HUGE deal for the city. It’ll bring in tons of people, as well of lots and lots of revenue. Everyone is hustling to get ready for the influx of business. Bars have petitioned to stay open much later, businesses are hiring extra help, and the city itself is doing everything possible to get cleaned up. Most recently, and most exciting to me, has been the addition of public art!

CrackingArt, an Italian art collective, has done large installations all around the world and this summer, with the help of Land Studio, they brought some color to Cleveland! I’m passionate about a whole slew of random things including Cleveland,
and giant animal statutes. Well, this clearly combines them both! I could not be more excited to have these things in my city. I only wish they were permanent.

land studio, public art, cleveland ohio, crackingart

Earlier this week I took a quick ride down to the Great Lake Science Center, where one of the largest groups of the statues is located. When I first heard about the project, before seeing any photos, I was on the fence about whether or not I would like how it looked. It sounded a little crazy. After seeing them in person, and seeing how people interacted with them I’m smitten! I really enjoyed watching people take funny photos with them, and smiling at the sight of these colorful critters. They’re definitely bringing joy! I, of course, loved getting cool photos of my bike with them. They’re really neat, and I bet they look even more amazing at sunset since they’re right near the lake!

This is a little off track but it blows my mind how close I am to the science center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I remember visiting them before living here and it just taking foreverrrr to get there. Now it’s like “Hmmm, I guess I could take a quick ride down there.” It’s less than 3.5 miles! SO cool! I really, really love living in the city.

Prior to these last few months, Cleveland didn’t have too much in the way of public art. We do have little nooks with graffiti which the city I’m sure will do it’s best to eliminate before the RNC actually happens but seeing cities like Toronto makes me ache for more. Even if right now the big push is only to make our city look more approachable to a bunch of out-of-towners, I’m excited! Land Studio also recently helped organize another project where they brought in a bunch of amazing artists to line one of our train routes with huge murals. I have yet to go grab photos but when I do I will definitely share.

Thank you to Land Studio for doing great things for Cleveland. They’re just giant colorful animals but they add so much to the city.
xoxo

what I wore : kung fu queen

by Kaylah Stroup June 22, 2016

Colourpop poppin' matte x, cleveland blogger, kaylah doolan

fashion, blog, the dainty squid, kaylah doolan, lbd,

pink lipstick, the dainty squid, green hair, kaylah doolan

kaylah doolan, star dress, green hair, colourpop

details

sunglasses – Moorea Seal

dress – Modcloth

pins – bear by Finest Imaginary, camera by Photojojo

belt – vintage

sandals – Saltwater Sandals (basically a summer must-have!)

Sooo, my hair is getting long! Woo! Finally! Compared to a lot of people this isn’t really all that long at all but for the past probably at least fifteen years I’ve been rocking some kind of short-ish bob. I LOVE getting my hair cut. I normally start to feel real anxious and like my hair isn’t pretty at all if I don’t keep my cut maintained but for some reason earlier this year I decided I wanted to see what it would be like a little bit longer. For a few months it just felt like it looked the same then all of a sudden one day I looked in the mirror and was like “whaaaat!? where did this all come from?!” Actually the last few times I’ve shared outfit photos I feel like I’m also sharing a new look just because my hair feels so different. I’m so happy with how it looks, especially curled! I’m sure the urge to cut it will come on randomly and I’ll have to cave but I am living for it right now.

Other “new” things, this dress. It’s been in my closet a while. I was considering selling it because even though it’s super cute and fits well it’s just a hair too short. It’s sheer and underneath is a slip except the slip is just not long enough at all, like booty almost showing even while you’re standing still. I’ve never been huge on wearing shorts underneath dresses just because it always feels like a clunky addition to an outfit but for some reason I tried on a pair I wear around the house and yeah, this dress is definitely not leaving my possession anytime soon. I wore this outfit downtown to watch the Cavs win (seriously, best night ever!) and on our walk there I told Jeff “I feel like I could do kung fu in this outfit!” I don’t exactly know how to explain what that means but I certainly hope you’ve experienced the same thing in something you’ve worn even if you wouldn’t describe it the same way. It’s like feeling really attractive but like you could still totally whoop some butt if anyone crossed you. So, strong, sexy, and confident? It’s a great feeling, and I will probably be wearing this dress all summer long, only taking it off to wash it.

Hope you’re having an awesome week!
xoxo

Lagoon Deer Park

by Kaylah Stroup June 21, 2016

Last week I took my annual trip to Lagoon Deer Park. It’s a deer petting zoo located in Sandusky, OH – and if you’ve never been to one please make it a priority! The set up is basically one massive pen that you’re allowed to walk in. Along the edges of that pen are a bunch of other pens with deer, llamas, goats, emu, etc. In the large part that you walk in there are usually twenty to thirty deer, maybe even more, that are free to roam. They’ll approach you, and you can feed them peanuts. It is magical. You feel like Snow White, just absolutely surrounded by deer who are so very interested in what you have for them! One of my favorite parts of this park is that it’s almost always empty. There has never been more than one other group of people there at the same time is me. Since 2013, I’ve been visiting this place and it’s still not losing it’s appeal… I mean, how could it?!

I normally head out in there in the fall but this year I wanted to visit a little bit earlier in the season in hopes of seeing some babies. As I walked around I was joined by a man who worked there. He gave me some grass to feed whatever animal wanted it (no one wanted it except a donkey who bit my finger!) and walked around with me for a bit pointing out different highlights. Normally I enjoy just being alone with my thoughts, and of course the deer here but it was like getting my own personal tour which was rad. He directed my attention to two barely one day old fawns that had been born the previous night. In the rocks they were easily looked over since with their spots they basically blended in. If you aren’t looking for them, you aren’t going to see them. I was disappointed they were in the cage where I couldn’t get close but excited to just be able to see them. I watched for a while as one little guy stood and took a few shaky steps and eventually laid back down. Those loooong legs are just too cute.

As as I walked out of the pen and back into the building to leave a man who works there, who I’ve seen every year, started up a conversation. “You’re back! Did you see the newborns?” I responded that I had been shown the ones in the back pen and that they were soooo cute. He said “Yeah, and the one right out there?” Whaaat? We walked back outside together and he pointed out a tiny fawn that I had apparently looked right over. I bolted over to it’s side and took a handful of photos that I’m just smitten with.

The babies were very very cute, obviously, but the little guy on the right hand side of the photo below was my absolute favorite of the day. He was apparently born last fall…and I think he might be one of the silliest looking little critters I have ever seen. I like that he’s really furry. He didn’t look like any of the other deer there. He had these scrawny little legs with knobby knees and oversized feet. I was reminded of Dr. Seuss. Don’t you just want to eat him up!?

Lagoon Deer Park, Ohio, Sandusky, Petting Zoo

The photo below was originally hanging out in the middle of this post but it definitely seemed a little out of place but I couldn’t not share it…because emu are terrifying. I guess I’ve never really paid all that much attention to them but I stood there and stared at these beasts for so long just trying to take them all in. They’re like dinosaurs but they also look like handpuppets? I don’t know! Definitely one of those animals that you’re like of like “how is it real? kinda of seems made up…” Giraffes also fall into that category.

As always, if you live ANYWHERE near Sandusky, Ohio – you have to visit Lagoon Deer Park.
xoxo

Orange Hogsback Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup June 16, 2016

Summer is supposed to be the most fun time of the year but it’s almost always the busiest which kind of makes it not so fun. Finding time to hang out with everyone lately has been hard. I’ve been that friend that is like “we HAVE to do something. I don’t care what it is, just something! It’s imperative!” So last week along with getting ice cream twice (seriously, my favorite way to meet up with friends) we did some long overdue geocaching.

We had plans to head to a cute little town not too far away that has a waterfall, hoping there would be lots of caches there but on the way I was browsing the app and found a cache in a cemetery. Geocaches in cemeteries combine two of my favorite things – cemeteries + finding treasure so I suggested we stop in and look for it.

The cache turned out to be a quick fairly easy find but the cemetery itself was a real treat. Nestled in the woods, you’d never know it was there if you weren’t out looking for it. We actually drove right by it and had to turn around. Orange Hogsback Cemetery has a total of sixty two permanent residents. The oldest we found dated back to 1813. That’s ninety nine years before the Titanic sunk!!!*

While someone else signed the log for everyone, I darted around taking photos. I had no intention of taking any photos when we got there, let alone enough for a post but it was such a wonderful location. Not to mention, it was a beautiful evening- not too hot, not too cool. I feel like the photos captured that. Clovers always feel like summer to me. The grass just looks so soft I want to crawl into the photos with a blanket and a book and spend all day relaxing.

If you haven’t tried out geocaching yet, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s such a fun hobby and a most excellent way to discover hidden gems. If I had never started I wouldn’t have found my new favorite beach or this wonderful cemetery! Plus it’s an awesome excuse to get your friends together.
xoxo

*When I was in grade school I was really into learning about the Titanic. While I was a hair too young to watch the movie without my mom covering my eyes when it came out, I still pored over every book I could find on that big boat. I don’t really remember much of what I learned about it but the year it sunk is still clearly ingrained in my head so it’s often how I compare history dates.

what I wore : all the green

by Kaylah Stroup June 15, 2016

Cleveland Fashion Blog, green hair, Kaylah Doolan, colourpop bumble

green hair, the dainty squid, fashion blog, cleveland, green

green hair, colourpop, kaylah doolan, cleveland, fashion blog, bumble

details

sunglasses – Kenley c/o Moorea Seal

sweater – Modcloth

dress – Modcloth

pins – planet c/o Moorea Seal, ufo via Nasty Nasty

belt – Foxy Moxie Belt in Black via Modcloth

purse – Robinson c/o Moorea Seal

shoes – ASOS

lipstick – Bumble via ColourPop

You guys, these photos don’t have any green in them right? Haaaa! I go back and forth on what my opinion is on matching my hair to my clothes. First of all, it’s annoying when random dudes on the street point it out. No waaaaay? But there’s this part of me that seriously thinks nothing is better than being all matchy-matchy. I would love to have a gang of lady friends with brightly colored hair all wearing clothes that match. Not in a cheesy way like you’d fake for a photoshoot but in something they’d really actually wear, like this.

Also, on a kind of related note, you know how people draw hipster Disney princesses? This outfit actually kind of makes me feel like the human version of a hipster Saria from Legend of Zelda, especially photographed in these very green surroundings. I dig it!

Other fun things – these sunglasses!!! Okay, seriously, Moorea Seal has THE best selection of sunglasses. I’ve been meaning to photograph my collection of them for some time now. These ones are my newest acquisition and I’m obsessed. They’re ridiculous but not too ridiculous that they couldn’t be worn with any and every thing. PS. If you’re in the Seattle area, you can shop in person. Go try on all the sunnies for me, please + thank you.

Hope you’re having a lovely week!
xoxo

PS. Check out the last time I wore this dress on the blog here.

17-year cicadas – Brood V

by Kaylah Stroup June 14, 2016

More cicadas today! Woo! A few weeks back I shared photos of my first encounter with the 17-year cicadas that recently emerged in my little corner of Ohio. See here. I hadn’t seen any more since but really wanted to find some. Mickey pointed out on instagram a few days ago that the next time these guys will be around she’d be in her forties. At first I was like “Nuh-uhhhh!” (Our birthdays are only a few days apart.) Then I realized, yep, in seventeen years we’ll both be forty two. While it may not be entirely accurate that we won’t see them again until then since sometimes there are stragglers that will appear up to four years early, I definitely won’t be seeing these guys with this great of numbers again for a long time… even then, will I still be living in this part of US at forty two!? Either way, this is a seriously awesome event to experience.

Last week Jeff and I went on a hike with his sister, and her son. She mentioned that she wanted to see some cicadas and had seen a post on instagram by the Nature Realm that were were a lot of them emerging along their trails. So after lunch (and making the baby cry in the photobooth) we headed over to the trails to get our sweat on. My love / hate relationship with summer is going strong!

As soon as we got out of the car you could hear the cicadas! We followed the trail in a direction where the sound seemed to get louder with every step. There was a girl taking photos with iPhone of something on a leaf but as soon as we got close she scurried away and that was when we started noticing them…everywhere!

When I found all the cidadas at the cemetery there were a lot, definitely more than I’ve ever seen with any annual emergence, but this was different. At the cemetery it was kind of like I showed up late to the party. There weren’t many adults remaining. They’d already flown off to find mates or had been eaten by predators. At the park there were just tons and tons of adults. I guess there was no sense in leaving since the area was ripe with potential mates and trees perfect for laying their eggs in.

I found myself wanting to photograph individuals because they’re just sooo cool looking but really wanted to capture photos that showed how many there were! I don’t know how well I’m really portraying with my words how many cicadas there are out right now but hope that my photos can help emphasize the sheer madness of it all. They were everywhere. It was so noisy. It’s something similar to sirens off in the distance, except lots and lots of sirens, and very close. They were flying around every which way you looked, landing on any and every thing. I highly doubt there was a person in the park that day that didn’t at some point have at least one on them.

If you’re in the area, I can’t recommend getting out to one of our beautiful metroparks enough. Even if you don’t particularly like bugs, you have to admit their life cycle is pretty neat. If you’re interested in reading more about these guys, Cicada Mania
is a great resource! There is a ton of information. Finally, if you’re curious
when the periodical cicadas will be emerging in your area, this site has an easy to read chart.
xoxo

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