Inner Katie Girl // OOTD

WEARING: WET SEAL GRAY SLEEVELESS JERSEY DRESS | BERGDORF GOODMAN BLACK 

CASHMERE CARDIGAN | RALPH LAUREN RIDING BOOTS 

“Hello! C-C-C-Curly!!”

— Carrie Bradshaw

If any of you gals are huge fans of SATC, you'll know what I'm referencing to. How many of you are Katie girls? We're talking about the ones with that 'wild curly hair'. When I was in college, and also when SATC was still airing on TV, I had become quite infatuated with the character, Carrie Bradshaw's Boticelli-esque, ever-flowing ringlets. (Not to mention her all-around adorableness.) And I had begun a new hair cycle.

But I stopped doing this regularly because quite frankly, I don't have the time! It takes me about an hour to complete curling my hair! Sometimes I'll straighten it because it isn't as time-consuming as it is with the curling iron but for the most part I just leave my hair all-natural. Since I haven't really done my hair like this in many years, I was really in the mood to have some big hair today! What's even better? The morning-after hair! The curls will still be intact, but looser and more bedhead. Which is my favorite because it's carefree yet rebellious. What do you think of my curls? Are you into this style?

I have a confession to make on top of secretly crushing on Ms. Bradshaw. The cardigan I'm wearing from Bergdorf's belongs to my husband! It's my favorite cashmere piece and I'll admit that I stole it! He barely ever wears it because I always do during this season! Ha ha ha! It's so soft and comfortable, plus the lil' after smell of the hubs is always a plus.

I've had this jersey dress since I first moved to New York City! That's nearly 10 years ago! I love the versatility of it. You can wear it all four seasons and playing around to mix and match the dress with different pieces is always so much fun. I love that you can even wear it off the shoulder, making it a bit more romantic and sexy. 

Last but not least are the riding boots I'm wearing from Ralph Lauren. I love wearing these during the Fall. They pair perfectly with leggings, mid-skirts or dresses. Tights too! I love boots that aren't too high-heeled. I have a ton of running around to do and need something that won't kill me by the end of the day. I know some of you ladies only wear heels, and I have to say, I don't know how you do it!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my outfit of the day along with my new C-C-C-Crazy do! ;) In case you're wondering, all photos were taken by me. Self-portrait, all the way baby!

We'll be back on Halloween, in costume! All 3 of us. Me, my boo, and my other boo, MaQ! I'm so pumped for you to see! I think it's gonna be a hit this year! Stay tuned... you're going to love it! Until then, check out my other blog posts on fashion & beauty, food recipes, photography, street art, and more!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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Rodan + Fields Sampling

Happy Hump Day everyone! What a dreary, gloomy day here in New York City. Yuck! I hope you're all staying warm and dry today! This week, my lovely friend, Alice, generously offered me some skincare products from Rodan + Fields to review. From what I can tell, most of the current Rodan and Fields reviews are pretty fantastic. Here are the following samples I received:

Rodan + Fields ENHANCEMENTS Micro-Dermabrasion Paste - use this to first and in the morning! Gently massage the paste onto dry skin in the a.m to enhance cell turnover and improve skin tone and texture. For gentler exfoliation, add water. You can use this up to 3x per week as tolerated. I loved it! My face felt clean and refreshed, and not too exfoliated like some other exfoliants I've tried in the past. I could feel the dead skin cells being gently removed and the tone of my skin was amazing afterward! A wonderful glow to it, really!

REDEFINE Night Renewing Serum - After cleansing and toning in the evening, apply the serum (blue ample) over the entire face (avoid eye area) to visibly improve skin texture and firmness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. This serum worked well on my face but left it a tad dry, but my skin always becomes drier during the Fall/Winter seasons so I just finished with a moisturizer to balance it off. I enjoy using serums at night because while you're getting your beauty sleep, these little guys are hard at work! I also don't have many wrinkles (not yet at least) so it was hard to notice any change in that. Overall, a great serum product to use while you catch up on resting!

REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum - Apply this serum (gray ample) to smooth lip texture, reduce the appearance of lip wrinkles and increase moisturization. Okay, ladies. I'm truly obsessed. The following morning, my lips felt like a rose petal. Silky, satiny, and 100% soft! I always get very dry, chapped lips during this season, and this serum was the perfect 'potion' to remedy my puckeroos! A definite recommendation, for sure!

REDFINE Acute Care Skincare for Expression Lines - This should be used in conjunction with your nighttime skincare routine. Don't use it on active acne or areas of sensitivity, redness or irritation. I got a defined wrinkle right in between my eyebrows from all the squinting I've done burning the midnight oil with my writing and other projects. I saw a subtle change after using one application, but not enough to say that it'll make any wrinkle disappear overnight! This takes time (up to 10 applications) to notice a difference. But I would strongly recommend this product for women who are battling with some wrinkles!

Interested in trying any of these products and more from Rodan + Fields? Please contact my friend, Alice! Here's the deal, just email her for a consultation and mention my blog, and you'll get the sign up fee of $19.95 waived! Pretty groovy, right? Did I mention discounts, free shipping and then some? Score!

Alice Kim

Rodan + Fields Independent Consultant

email: alicekimRandF@gmail.com

I thoroughly enjoyed these samples! My complexion feels revived, more luminous and youthful-looking than ever before! Thank you so much, Alice! And isn't my girlfriend just the cutest? I was just telling her today how adorable she looks with those pigtails! I could never pull it off! Don't forget to contact her for your own personal face goodies! And please refer my blog for your free sign up today!

Stay cozy my friends! ♥

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Mickey & Butterflies

WEARING: FOREVER 21 MICKEY SWEATSHIRT | JENABELLE FLUTTER MARLEY SKIRT 
| BAMBOO SHOGA SUMMER WEDGES |PURPLE SPARKLE PASHMINA SCARF

This week I'm pleased to announce I've teamed up with Jenabelle, an online fashion retailer based here in New York City, in collaboration with Shopping Links. Jenabelle's motto is 'Fun. Affordable. Fashion.' And it is so much more than that. They carry many different fashion trends, with it's clothes, accessories and shoes, serving any stylish gal a silver platter of endless tasteful chic choices.

I've never been one to only wear one style or label. I'm a mixer, just like my ethnic background and love to combine feminine and masculine pieces, even high end and lower end labels or vintage, and west coast vibes with the Midwest's. Detroit Rock to be exact! To me, style is all about how you carry yourself in whatever choices you make with your statement.

For today, my statement, of course, is even though I'm totally infatuated with the Fall Season (it really is my favorite!) I'm a California-born chic and am never fully willing to let go of summer! Now that it's getting colder in New York, but warm enough to hold on to maxi skirts and wedges (perhaps too stubbornly), I'm all for bundling up, but my legs and feets are not! I blame it on 20+ yrs of being a rink rat. Or what most people refer us as: figure skaters. :P

I mixed up a Fall statement pashmina scarf, a more masculine piece with Mickey (cause this mouse is from Cali LOL), a Bohemian flowing skirt from Jenabelle, and my go-to summer wedges! I like to think of this outfit as "Hippy & Shabby-Chic meets Casual & Fun!"

As a New Yorker, I am guilty of wearing too much black and barely smiling in photos. New York will make you too honest, raw, and sometimes, sadly, will unknowingly start to take yourself too seriously. Life should be fun and your clothes should be too! (At least from time to time... if you're really that into black..) ;)

Here's a close up of Jenabelle's skirt's gorgeous fabric and illustration of butterflies with some floral foreshadowing in the background. I love how feminine and free-spirited this piece feels on me! As soon as I tried it on, I got major L.A nostalgia, reminiscent of Venice Beach, Disneyland and my mom's immaculate flower garden at our first home in Anaheim.

I love the shoe embellishments of these Bamboo wedges. The beachy, west coast vibe shoes go very well with the lightness of the Jenabelle skirt. And I'm all for adding a few inches on my short self when wearing long dresses or skirts. Plus, my feet want to soak up as much sun until it really gets too cold! Brrrr!

Here's the back of the Mickey sweatshirt. How many of you are a fan of the messy bun btw? I love it but when my hair gets too long, there's literally too much to bun! Ha ha ha! I'm thinking about cutting the hair short again, but I love my hair long. Ah, decisions, decisions. :)

What's your signature style? Feel free to share and comment! We love to hear from our readers! See a fashion piece you're eyeing for yourself from this look on my blog today? You can shop for it below!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you had a not so manic Monday. <3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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October Beauty Favorites

TGIF! October is officially here and there are a few beauty products that are my must-haves at the moment. And one of them, you will laugh at, but it's something I love to have from time to time! Don't judge me, I fully embrace myself just the way I am!

From left to right, clockwise.

1. Formula X For Sephora Nail Polish in Ignite
2. Fresh Sugar Cherry Tinted Lip Treatment - Sunscreen SPF 15
3. Cartier Pasha Édition Noire Travel Rollerball Cologne
4. Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara
5. L'Oreal Glam Bronze GG Cream

I actually wore this Formula X nail polish the day I married my husband. We married in the Fall almost two years ago, and ever since, I have been constantly stocking on this particular deep red for the Autumn/Winter seasons here in New York. A definite must-have! They give my nails a modern, classic look and the rich hue complements my skin complexion very well, even when my summer tan is starting to taper off. ;)

Okay, let me just say, I cannot get enough of Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment! This season is the first time I'm trying an actual color from this line, and I went with 'Cherry' to go with my red nails. It provides 6 hours of moisture, leaving you with only soft, supple lips. Most women I know can rock full red lips, but I look like a blow fish if I go the scenic bright rouge route! I am loving it's subtle tint!

Normally I'd talk about my current perfume, but my current aromatic obsession is this new cologne by Cartier I got for my hubby. It's style is authentic and elegant (just like my man) with hints of mint, rose wood, coriander, mandarin, thyme and lavender. It's a very masculine perfume, and you cannot deny the expressions of virility and pure sophistication in it's scent. Perfect sexy vibes for Fall. I'd recommend it for any man who enjoys the finer and more beautiful things in life. And... (here's the laughable part), I like to spritz it on one of my hubby's shirts and wear it around the house sometimes, especially on rainy days like today! ❤︎❤︎❤︎

I've been using Lancôme's mascara for years. I sometimes use one from Kiehl's, but for everyday usage, this doll lash effect mascara gives a wide-eye look but also with perfect volumized, extended, luscious lashes. (Without looking like some cartoon character!) And the comb is really good in those hard-to-reach corners.

And now, last but not least, my favorite current bronze cream from L'Oreal. I love how weightless it feels and the coverage is very natural, giving my skin the perfect glow. It is a very sheer cream and has a very summery, floral scent to it. I love it! It doesn't give you much coverage, but I'd like to think of it as a lighter kind of contour for your face.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed some of my monthly beauty faves! Have a wonderful, super cozy weekend!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

PS The beauty products laid out on that super snugly faux fur blanket is from one of my all-time favorite stores, West Elm. :)

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Call Me Greta

NARS has done it once again! Last week on my OOTD post, I mentioned one of their lipsticks from the new Audacious Lipstick line I was wearing. I didn't put on as much on as I did today, given the pink hue is very rich, but for fun, I thought why not try putting it fully on instead of dabbing it on my lips like some little chicken. Live a little! Brighten up those lips for Fall! Am I right?!

Creamy, dramatic depth, and long-lasting, I had full coverage with one stroke! Super smooth and hydrating to my lips, I found this pigmentation to work fairly well with my complexion as well. I think I'm in love (swoon)!

The color is called Greta and has now become the name to my alter-ego lol! All kidding aside, do you think I could ever look like a Greta? When I think of a Greta, I think of a voluptuous Swedish blonde bombshell. Writers are weird. Nah, I wouldn't change my imagination for anything! Who do you picture in your mind when you think of the name, Greta?

I've been strangely told many times I look like a Samantha! I told 'em Sam might work, but I actually love my name. My father chose my name, but my closest friends call me Suz. My brother is the one who originated this nickname! It's crazy, but my mother wanted to name me either, Jennifer or Diana, but I'm glad my Dad came through with a more 'unique' name and how my mother loved it just as much when presented with the idea. ♥

I don't know about you, but I always love to hear the story behind a person's name. I like to know this part of their history because it somehow brings more character in a person, rather than just knowing a face. I like to think of it as kind of like a tiny piece of intimacy left behind, but not too much for it to be way too personal. To me, names are truly beautiful and should carry some sort of special message or meaning behind them.

What do you all think about Greta? Both the lipstick and the name? What's in a name to you?

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

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