inspiration. disclaimer: if there are any men out there who happen to have stumbled upon this post, you might be bored.

inspiration can come from anything. i usually take fashion and beauty very seriously...for me it's almost down to a science! call me obsessed, a makeup junkie, makeup freak, clothing whore, whatever--all of this is true :)

yet i can't pin down any "signature" look that i can claim to be mine. hmmm... this makes me think. i should do like "face of the day" and "outfit of the day" posts..........maybe. just maybe. anyways, i mean...okay, look. how about this. i'm gonna pretend that you asked me to give you a top five list of things i can't live without, one for fashion and one for beauty.

fashion:
- skinny jeans
- black spaghetti strap tank top
- off-the-shoulder top (any color!)
- nude strapless bra
-black leggings

beauty:
- Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Hairspray
- bronze and gold eyeshadow
- mascara
- black eyeliner
- Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

why thank you, it was so kind of you to ask ;) anyways. i've gotten so lazy/laid back with makeup. it used to be if i was running late for work or church or something and i didn't have a lick of makeup on, i'd, well, be late, lol. but now....well sometimes i just don't give a damn and let my face run nekkid. but i think i found a happy medium--mascara, some sort of color smudged on the lids, a little powder, and lip balm go a long way. i just love that you can, at least for as long as the colors you choose stay on your face, express different sides of yourself. read: different sides, not different completely. makeup shouldn't be used for totally changing the way you look. it's to enhance what's already there. if i'm feeling sexy, yet demure, red lips + winged black liner will do the trick. to me, just plain sexy is a smoky bronze eye and smudgy, imperfect liner. glamour = anything black, silver, grey (or all three!), and smoky--with fake lashes of course! you get the picture...when i say i have it down to science, i'm not kidding, yo.

on to the clothes. i'm not rich, so i am definitely a bargain shopper. and an impulse shopper--BUT i am getting better at saying no! :) one thing i have learned is to never buy anything that i'm not 100% crazy about. case in point: you see a top and it's love at first sight. what do you do? a) grab it fast like there's no tomorrow, b) don't buy it, but keep circling around like a shark surrounding its prey so no one else can buy it, c) walk away for a little bit, then come back. if you are still as crazy about it as you were upon first sight and it's reasonably priced for your budget, then you move to phase two.

okay.....if you aren't the best at multiple choice questions, the answer is clearly the most thought-out, detailed one...C. and that brings me to phase two. okay, so said top passed the first test. on to the second: name five places off the top of your head that you can wear this to. if you can't get past one, it's not worth it.

this is why i invest so much in basics. i have a million plain tanks, camis, and cardigans. my number one rule is to probably own at least two or three black spaghetti strap tank tops! they go with EVERYTHING. i love it. when you shop, you should actually make sure to be wearing one, especially with a strapless bra. that way, if a top is too low you can realistically gauge whether or not you can pull it off. oh, and never shop right after eating a big meal. it'll result in clothes that you have to keep throwing in the laundry just so they'll shrink enough to fit, only to have them stretch out again a day or two later. i've been so obsessed with two things lately: boots and tights. i have a pair of black suede slouchy boots that literally go with EVERYTHING, and i lovethemilovethemi.love.them. and i have a bunch of high-waisted skirts that i'll throw with my growing tights collection (ribbed, metallic, lace, crocheted). oh, and spend the time and money to find a good black leater jacket. i love mine! goes with everything. you can wear all black to get that tough-girl vibe, or with something extremely feminine to add edge and not be too sugary sweet. wear it with a sexy dress and you'e red-carpet ready. oh and zippers! i love love zippers. don't ask...because i sure don't know why.

and no matter what the season, i will always be a big fan of hair accessories....floral, to be exact.they get expensive, so make your own...find any flower you want at a craft store and buy duck bill pins from any beauty supply store. hot glue the two together and voila! my signature look in the summer will usually be beachy, wavy hair with a flower tucked behind one ear. this season you can make it fall friendly by choosing classic flowers as opposed to the more exotic ones (i.e., ditch the orchids and lilies in place of roses or darker colored flowers or feathers). and hair that's less beachy, but more classically wavy.

alright, i'm done being uber-girly. time for this makeup junkie to get some z's. goodnight!