Monday, October 21, 2013

Floral Chiffon and Stripes

I love the blend of two complete opposites in an outfit. Structured, ridge-striped mini's with flowy, pastel floral chiffon shirt. This top from American Apparel has got to be one of my favorites -- I love it so much that I own this pastel floral pattern in a few of their other shirts (i.e. cropped shirts). It actually comes in only one size, yet that's the beauty of this shirt - you can shape it & wear it sort of the way you want to feel in it. You can tie it in the front as a cropped top, or you can let it flow & tuck it in a bit messy, like I wore it here.

This week is pretty jam packed with meetings & such -- hope your weeks are off to an amazing start!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

Outfit
Shirt: American Apparel (similar here)
Skirt: Madewell
Bag: American Apparel L'epicier Tote
Shoes: Zara (similar here)
Watch: Michael Kors

Friday, October 18, 2013

Weekly Obsessions


Hi guys, happy friday! Love the feeling of friday mornings, knowing there is a weekend just ahead of us. So many things to be thankful for this week (as with always) -- follow me on instagram for updates throughout the weekend. Thank so much for visiting C&S!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

a. Dry Fall season calls for a good lip balm to keep my lips nice & moisturized. La Mer works wonders!
b. I'm not the first to dress up for Halloween - but these 10 celebrity couple costumes are rather intriguing. Who knew Sarah Jessica Parker & Robert Downey Jr dated in the 80s?!
c. I love sunrises and sunsets, it's so calming, beautiful & romantic - wouldn't mind checking out all of the best places to watch sunset...
d. Fashion week continued with Bridal Market shows in NYC the past week, featuring designers from Monique Lhuillier to Vera Wang and Reem Acra -- love the classic & feminine looks of these dress trends.
e. I'm so blessed to have all the loved ones in my life - positive reminder of the little things we should all appreciate in life, even something as simple as your morning cup of coffee :)

photo credit: refinery29, usatoday, vogue, huffingtonpost

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Weekend Adventure in Plaid

Weekends are meant for relaxed, casual destroyed jeans, plaid and gladiator sandals!

Neon pink hair band I made over the weekend (will post DYI - super easy and cheap!)
This picture does not do it justice - Ricky's fish tacos are hands down THE BEST fish tacos! *drool*


Thai Iced Tea is one of my favorite drinks -- but I'd never tried Thai Tea Latte HOT! It was beyond delicious!
Natural make-up with "modified" cat eyes (not as dramatic for the weekend)!

Hi guys, happy thursday! This is in Instagram term "latergram" from this past weekend. For casual Sunday look, what better way than to pair your favorite light weight plaid/tartan shirt with destroyed jeans and top it off with comfy gladiator sandals. The past weekend weather totally called for this comfortable look that is one of my "go-to's" for lazy Sundays. I had been obsessing over fish tacos lately and found this amazing gem in Chinatown (Ricky's Fish Tacos), where they fry the fish fresh in an outdoors setting with deep fryer! So delicious - both the fish & shrimp tacos! And right next door was Chimney Coffee House and they had a hot/latte version of my favorite Thai iced tea! Honestly these pictures don't do justice of the great food + drinks from this past weekend. Definitely worth the try if you're nearby. Enjoy!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

Outfit
Shirt: Jcrew tartan/plaid shirt (similar here)
Pants: Abercrombie destroyed jeans (similar here; on sale $39!)
Bag: Longchamp Le Pliage Large tote 
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Gladiator Sandals (similar here)

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Fall Candle Scents

Hi guys, quick post today on candles & scents. I love burning candles throughout the year, but especially during the season transition into Fall/Winter. Something so cozy and comfortable about having a subtle yet aromatic scent burning in the background. I love relaxing in my room with my favorite candle lit, while catching up on some reading, magazines, or just getting inspired in general about things around me that I want to write & share with you guys about! Or my other favorite thing to do is lighting up a candles while taking a long, much needed bath (with some bubbles for fun!). What's your favorite candle brand and/or scent and when do you usually light up your candles? Please tell me in comments below!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

I fell in love with Capri Blue candles some time ago - you guys probably may have smelled the scent when walking into your nearby Anthopologie stores. They usually have it burning throughout their stores and I almost every time do a "wait, that smells so good" -- and walk back to where it initially caught my attention.

They have a pretty wide selection of scents - ranging from Jasmine & Rain to Mandarin & Peony.

My favorite scents by far are Volcano & Aloha Orchid. Volcano is a bit exotic with tropical fruit & citrus lemon/lime, where as Aloha Orchid is more floral with orchids, jasmine and white blossoms.


It’s fascinating how certain candles can be more luxurious & elegant. That’s how I feel about Voluspa candles, just by looking at their packaging (sometimes, I am more attracted by the packaging than anything else!) I feel like each candle light adds a bit of elegance. 

Voluspa uses creamy coconut wax blend that enhances the fragrance & burns clean (rather than leaving you with any burnt smell). 

One of my favorite scents (really one of many) is the Citron Vert & Vanille, characterized with tart green citron, caramel sugar, whipped creme fraîche and vanilla. It really smells as yummy as it reads.


Speaking of packaging, Jo Malone's signature cream packaging with black edging is so iconic. I love her success story – she started by making her own perfumes with flowers from her garden & grated soap, and at the age of only 19, she took her personal passion to an actual business, featuring handmade scents & products. So inspiring.

I love how Jo Malone candles pair unusual ingredients you may not expect and create very versatile fragrances.

My personal favorite: Orange Blossom & Nectarine Blossom & Honey, featuring subtle blend of floral + fruit without smelling too sweet.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Fallin' in Floral


Hi guys, hope you had a great weekend! I had a fun day on Saturday, with a quick outing to Knott’s Berry Farm, not even for the amusement park part, but to get yummy southern fried chicken @ the Knott’s chicken dinner restaurant :) It’s one of those spots I crave on a hot summer weekend (even though it’s technically Fall) and just want to be lazy! To match my “lazy weekend,” I wanted to wear something super comfortable & flowy (and honestly, something that was going to give me easy breathing room lol). So for this look, I paired a vibrant floral dress with brown suede ankle boots. Because there were a lot of colors already to this outfit, I kept the accessories light with watch with white leather band + pastel based jeweled bracelets. This outfit was light enough for the hot weather, but still carried a warm Fall tone. I love all things floral + earthy tones, which tend to give casual yet put-together look as long as you mix/match right – also these tones are pretty fool-proof, and not very hard to coordinate. Enjoy!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

Outfit
Dress: Anthropologie Botanica Swing Dress
Clutch: American Apparel Carry All Pouch
Shoes:  Minnetonka Ankle Hi Boot
Watch: Michele Urban Mini 
Bracelet: Jcrew (similar here)

Friday, October 11, 2013

Weekly Obsessions

Hey guys, Friday is finally here! I'm seriously looking forward to the weekend after this long work week - I don't know about you guys, but it sure was a long one. As much as I LOVE Fall (recent realization as my favorite season), since the weather is picking up again in LA this weekend (mid 70s!), I'm going to put every effort in enjoying the summer-like weather. Possibly some floral shorts with cropped tops? Also been wanting to check out a fish taco spot (cheat meal!). Hope you guys have a fabulous weekend. Follow me on instagram for weekend updates/looks! :)

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

a. Plum seems to be the universal lip color for Fall - are you going to give this a try?
b. H&M's sister brand, COS is coming to US - and we don't have to wait until next Spring to get our hands on it. COS is setting up a month-long pop-up shop @ Opening Ceremony on Howard Street in Soho, as well as on openingceremony online
c. I like Refinery29's diverse picks on Booties for this Winter to keep us nice & toasty
d. For red wine lovers, I thought this was a great easy to follow tip showing how to pick your red wines
e. Loving this "beauty moment" with Kate Bosworth - her style just seems so effortless

photo credit: nymag, refinery29, fashionista, cupcakesandcashmere, vogue



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Classic Leather Pumps Under $100


Hi guys, as a follow up to last week's post on "Classic Leather Designer Pumps" - I wanted to share my finds on more affordable options, but still giving you that classic look. This is a great alternative to high price-tagged designer pumps, without breaking the bank! All under $100 -- you can find great pairs of black pumps with 100% leather, so you're still getting great value for your dollars (rather than paying for synthetic, polyurethane leather). One of my favorite brands is Vince Camuto (you'll see that I picked 3 of the 6 pairs from this brand ha!), as I think their leather is pretty darn good quality for the money and his shoes typically last me for few years without really wearing out or deteriorating. I first discovered it via Nordstrom, but when I was visiting New York a few years back, I stumbled upon their boutique store inside Grand Central Station and I went nuts! Since then, I try to stock up on their classic pumps that come in both plain & patent leather in variety of styles (platform, heels, rounded, peep toe, etc).

For other affordable options, Ann Taylor has great ones called the "Perfect Pumps" (the name says it all) -- I recommend getting it in stores, as these pumps often sell-out quite fast. Jessica Simpson is another one of my go-to options for affordable black pumps that are your Louboutin look-alikes :) Enjoy!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)

1. Ann Taylor Perfect Leather Pumps ($60)
2. Vince Camuto Zella Pumps ($98)
3. Vince Camuto Sarika Patent Pumps ($98)
4. Jessica Simpson Abriana Leather Pumps ($60 - on sale!)
5. Vince Camuto Hallee Pumps ($98)
6. Sole Society Topanga pumps ($70)

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Water For the Skin

Hi guys, I wanted to share one of my favorite beauty items that I absolutely cannot live without (sounds like an over exaggeration, but honestly that's how amazing this product is). I have been using AmorePacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System - a super long name for hydrating mist - for over a year, and it's hands down a-mazing! With the dryness that Fall/Winter season brings, a travel size hydrating mist is always a great item to keep in your purse, so that you can spritz as you please throughout the day to give your skin hydration & energy boost.

It's really is an incredible product that not only gives your skin instant hydration, but also gives a bit of radiance/glow and your skin visibly looks more moisturized. I also love that you can use this over your make-up, and I've noticed it also softens your "done" make-up look and gives that natural glow. I love anything that makes your skin NOT look dry & makes it glow!

As you guys know, I did an earlier post on preventing dry skin -- and the AmorePacific hydrating mist has "Aqua Sponge Complex" which stimulates Hyaluronic acid production, which is an element that improves skin's ability to retain water & prevents dehydration to keep your skin moisturized. So definitely give this item a try, to keep your skin nice & supple throughout the dry seasons!

cheers, julie
(aka cotton and sparkles, @cottonnsparkles, follow me on instagram)