Torrid*

If you couldn't tell, I like clothes. I like to shop.
And this is hard for me to admit, because it is pretty embarrassing..but I don't shop at most stores, because simply..I don't fit in most that are carried in the normal stores. Any plus sized teen knows how incredibly hard it is, to find cute clothes that fit. I found a store a few years ago, and it's now one of the only stores I shop at when it comes to buying clothes. The store is called Torrid. The store is the perfect mix of edge and elegance. They carry everything from pajamas to prom dresses and everything in-between. The sizes run from a 12 to a 32, which in lamest terms is a 1x to a 5x. Torrid makes it easy for girls like me, and girls everywhere to feel comfortable and cut in their own skin..and clothes. But seriously people..the clothes are ridiculously beautiful. Not to mention the quality of the clothing is impeccable. The clothes can run a bit steep in price, but considering how hard it is to find a good pair of jeans that are, say a size 18, or a size 32..it is..in my opinion, a good deal. Plus a lot of the time, their clothing goes on clearance, or you get coupons in the mail!

Some of my favorite pieces that are currently being shown on the Torrid website, are:

Dresses-






1. The grey and ivory tiered dress. I think this is adorable! This could be a staple item to have in a closet, because it can be worn multiple ways. Casually, you could wear it with a simple denim jacket and cute sandals, with a few bangle bracelets. Perfect for the day time! Yet at night, pair this dress with a simple pair of black suede pumps and a string of pearls, and you'd be set for an evening out!
2.The black jewel pleated club dress. The right amount of edge and elegance, like I previously said. The detailing on this dress, and simple as it seems, is marvelous. Pleating around the bust helps to hide a tummy, while the studded detailing is a perfect accent, and certainly a trend. Another thing I like about the dress, is..the pockets! I love dresses with pockets. Slip on this dress with a cute pair of strappy gold sandals, which you can also find at torrid..and be on your way!
3.The purple floral print fishnet shoulder dress. I love this. It's unique without being too over-the-top, which is hard to find these days. The fishnet adds the edge to a dress that without it would have been a basic floral! A large belt around the waist would tone the dress down..while a chunky wedge would help in dressing it up for an evening on the town.


Torrid also carries something that I love. Cardigans and blazers. In my recent post, Passion for fashion..I talk about how to dress up or down a blazer and my love for cardigans. Here are a few I found on the site that I really liked...


As I said, again in my other post...I'm not a huge fan of jeans. But Torrid carries multiple brands like Z. Cavaricci, and Source of Wisdom jeans that fit like a glove and look really really perfect on.

Any girl, looking to add some pieces to a wardrobe who is plus sized..should definitely check out Torrid for some cute clothes!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

- K.

Pet peeves....UGH!

Definition : A pet peeve (or pet hate) is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to them, to a greater degree than others may find it.

So basically, it's something, someone, or a situation that is extremely annoying. As the great Peter Griffin would say, something that really grinds your gears. In NY terms, something that.. reallllllly pisses you off.

What what are my pet peeves?
* Now, I'm not trying to be bitchy, for lack of a better word, I'm just being honest.

1. When people post pictures on facebook or any social networking site, and as the caption it'll say.. OMG I LOOK SO FAT HERE. Or, I'M SO UGLY. Obviously, if you thought you looked fat or ugly or didn't like the picture...YOU WOULDN'T HAVE POSTED IT. Fishing for compliments, PA-THE-TIC.

2. When your driving, and a person goes over like 9 lanes of traffic to get to an exit that has been advertised for like 200 miles. If you drive in New York, you better be on your toes. But really...did you like not know the exit was coming? You needed to cut off however many lanes of traffic? You could kill people! UGH!

3. The k text. Any text, is better than getting one that says K. I'll admit, if I'm pissed, and you're texting me..you might be seeing one. Call me a hypocrite, but whatever. You have to admit, sending or recieving a K is a virtual smack in the face.

4. People who stay with cheaters than whine about it. Okay, if you get cheated on..LEAVE? What are you waiting for, your significant other to do it again? I'm sorry but I simply do not feel bad for people who cry when the person they're dating cheated on them for the 90th time. Leave!

5. Ugg boots with mini skirts. What, is your body bipolar? Your legs are half cold on the bottom so you need winter boots, yet your thighs are on a tropical vacation and you can wear a mini skirt? Did you get dressed in the dark? I never really understood that whole trend. Hopefully it won't come back!

6. People who say.."text-es." I know a person, no names..but for example, they would say.." I just looked thought all of my text-es and blah blah blah. It's texts. No E. It just sounds so dumb.

And last but not least..

7. I'm still in highschool so I see this a lot. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to be an over achiever, but if you get a 99 on a test, and you thought you'd get a hundred..DON'T WHINE. It's going to be ALRIGHT. I've seen people cry over things like this. CHILL OUT.



SO, what grinds your gears? Let me know!
-K.

A passion for fashion.

I take a lot of pride in my obsession for fashion. All aspects of fashion, not leaving out a single detail. I do consider myself addicted to shopping, but I'm very picky when it comes to what I choose to drape myself in. I consider myself a simple..classy girl, and to uphold that idea that label..I dress classy. As girls should.

I find nothing more disgusting than a girl who finds it appealing to look like, well..a tramp. Ladies, no person wants to see your junk, so put it away! Hasn't anyone told these girls who dress trashy to say the least...that they leave NOTHING to the imagination? Now, I'm not saying that a little cleavage here and there, or an above the knee short skirt is scandalous, because in this day in age, it's simply the norm. But comeon, seriously people..the shorts that look like underwear aren't cute.

^ like, seriously?

SO, what do I like to wear? (clothing)
- Lately, I'm very into the whole high skirt, tank top combo. I think it's cute, and comfortable, while still looking like it took a while to put together an outfit. I wear dresses, a lot. I figure while the weather is nice, a dress is acceptable. Plus, it's a thousand degrees here lately, so it really is the only way to stay cool.
I'm also the girl who is always wearing a cardigan. But, like I said, I'm very picky. I can't wear just any old cardigan. I either like them long, so I can wear them with leggings, and cardigans that are very loose, to throw over a dress or tank. I believe a simple basic colored cardigan adds to any outfit, and is a staple piece to have hanging in a closet. Also, I love blazers. Mind you, I am 17 years old, so a broad shouldered blazer is not really the best option to wear to school. But a simple one, again, is really cute to throw over a band t-shirt to spice up an outfit and add a flare that the outfit normally wouldn't have. Another thing, which is the opposite of most of these items above..is a cut up tee, or v-neck. I LOVE the cut off the shoulder college t shirts. I don't know why, I just have a thing for them. And I must own probably around 20 v-neck t shirts. They go with everything, and I'm not exaggerating. Hm..what else, what else? Oh yes, pants. I'm not big into jeans. I actually hate most jeans. I never got into the whole ripped/shredded/bleached jean craze. I really only like dark wash skinny jeans, just saying. And leggings. You'll probably catch me in a plain black pair of leggings, just because of how cute and comfortable they are. (Any girl who wears leggings should know, that they aren't truly pants.. and the shirt that is being worn with leggings, should cover your tush.)
*SO, my fav's are:
- High waist skirts.
- The tank top and skirt combo.
- Cardigans.
- Blazers.
- Cut (off the shoulder) t-shirts.
- V necks.
- Dark wash skinny jeans.
- Plain black leggings.


If you couldn't tell, a word used a lot in that last paragraph was simple. I'm not the most eccentric person you'll ever meet when it comes to clothing, but when it comes to accessorizing..that's a whole different ball field. I'm the girl with the over sized bag, that is extremely over sized..as well as sunglasses. I wear a wrist full of bracelets one day, the next I'll have on a huge cocktail ring. I love accessories. Also, if you know me..you know I have another small addiction...to pearls. I love them. I think pearls add a hint of elegance to anything.And another thing, taken straight off Gossip Girl, headbands. Headbands can add to an outfit just as much as cute jewelery can. One word that also takes my breath away..shoes. I love shoes. I'd rather have shoes than food. Anything from sandals to stilettos. I personally think I acquired this addiction from many nights of watching Sex and the City. I love all shoes...except one. Crocs. I hate them. Hate is an extremely strong word, and I could never hate anyone in this world. But those shoes..are just so repulsive. Now everyone has their right to an opinion, so here's mine. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU WANT TO WEAR THEM. UGH! Just, stop. They're for doctors! And even some doctors should know better.

Anywho..I just felt like rambling a bit about clothes. Although, right now is what I find the absolute worst time to shop. All of the summer stuff is out, and starting to leave the shelves, but yet there is still time left so the Autumn clothing is still locked away in a far far away fairytale land. Until around August, they're still there..UGH!

What is your favorite thing to wear? Let me know!
Thanks so much for reading!
- K.

Product Review!

For my first review post, I'm going to be talking about a product that I have a bunch of. They are the L'oreal HIP jelly balms.
If you've never heard of these little babies, you need to check them out.
Comparable to the MAC tendertones, these lip balms are smooth and sweet without too much stickiness..like everyone hates. No girl enjoys having that extremely sticky gloss. I found in my experiences with using the four shades that I own, the darker colors stay on longer, and look somewhat better then the lighter balms. One thing I really do not like about about these are the price tags that come with them. In my Ulta, they run around nine dollars, and recently I picked up two from Target, which were around five dollars. Though they do run a bit pricey, I'd rather spend the nine dollars on a jelly balm, then around 15 for a MAC tendertone. You can purchase these at any drugstore that sells L'oreal, or stores like Ulta. They come in glass containers similar to the tendertones..but they are a little bit heavy.
If I had to rate these out of a ten, I'd give them a steady eight.





* Note- I would never do a false review of anything, because I think if I'm going to spend my time typing this up, it might as well be the truth.

The lip balms come in four different colors..
1. Ripe - The ripe jelly balm is a orangey red colored lip balm. It's a way to wear that almost perfect red lip, without being too intense. I really like this color for summer, on light and tan skin tones, although I do believe it could look really really lovely on darker tones, as well as olive skin.

2.Succulent - Succulent is a really rich deep lilac colored balm. Again, succulent glides right onto the lips and looks very glossy, while not looking to harsh. This color looks good on darker skin tones, as well as tan. I'm not sure how well the color would look on fair skin, as it is very pigmented, and a bit purpley.

3.Delectable - Delectable could possibly be my favorite out of the four jelly balms that I've collected. It's hard for me to find a good red lip gloss, without it looking extremely tacky. Delectable is a beautiful red balm, that looks almost as if you're wearing a red gloss..which isn't tacky..at all. I love this one. If you're looking for a good red lip color that isn't extremely intense..I'd definitely recommend trying on delectable.

4.Plush - Plush is the first jelly balm I tried and the reason I purchased three others. Plush is bright pink balm, that comes out not as pigmented as I expected, but still looks good on the lips. It almost looks like a pink lipgloss was applied to the lips when you have this color on. I do really like it, but it's not my favorite.


Overall, these lip balms are really cute and pigmented, and I'd definitely recommend them to anyone looking to try a cheaper version of a MAC tendertone.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like a review of any other products, let me know and I'll try to get one up!

-K.

End of junior year/ summer of 2010 photos...ENJOY!

well...that's all for now!
-K.

what a shock.

SUPRISE. I've neglected this thing for such a long time, and honestly, I don't know why. The last time I wrote on here, I was a junior...now, I'm a senior. Junior year was wonderful, yet hard at the same time..but be that as it may, I'm still happy it's over. Onto bigger and better things I guess you could say.
NOW, here's a little bit of what has been going on in my life.

1. My best friend, Joseph, who moved to, North Carolina moved home. Officially. He is now living in New York, where he belongs. I've never understood why anyone would truly not enjoy getting out of here, until my best friend left. I've never spoken to someone who loved this state as much as he does. I guess when you live here for so long, the glory that is NYC begins to fade into such a normal thing, that you just don't see the beauty. I don't live near the city, but I do live in New York. I've been to " the city " multiple times. I still act like a tourist, my camera in hand and I'm snapping photos of every sign, light, store etcetera etcetera. He missed it here. I missed having him here. I'm happy he's finally where he deserves to be.

*If you're reading this and you have never been to Manhattan, which I have been calling "thecity" this whole little paragraph..get your butt out of the chair, and go..now. Pinky promise you will NOT regret it.


2. My time as a cosmetology student is officially over. O-V-E-R. Anyone who believes that cosmetology is a joke, and it's like taking the easy-street..you better think again. I've taken advanced placement classes, as well as honors courses..never have I ever been in such a hard class. First of all, you work your little tush off from the moment you walk in the room, til the minute the bell rings. Honestly, in the beginning, I hated the class..because we were learning the essentials of running a salon and the basics. I must have done about 9,000 braids..and never fully completed a head of cornrows. Anyone who can do a head of cornrows..god bless you child because I don't have the patience or the skill to do such work. As much as I'm complaining, the class taught me a lot, not only about the field of cosmetology, but about myself. Corny? Yeah well..you take a class for four semesters, with all girls, who are stressing about everything under the sun..including me.. and stay in a classroom from 1130, to 3 everyday. As much cattiness as you would believe would happen in that room..there was barely any. That I saw. I fell in love with those girls, and some of them have became like sisters, if not all of them.I'm not sure if my decision to leave the technical school was right yet, but we'll see. I decided to move on to pursing more in fashion merchandising at my school. I hope in the end my choice was right, as of now I feel like it was.

3. I still do NOT have a job. If you are my age, and you are looking for a job like I am..GOOD LUCK TO YOU. This is the complete roughest time to get and hold a job for teens. I really need to work, because sitting in the house and watching youtube guru's all day, and not getting a call back from any place I have applied at, isn't making me the cash that I need to pay my car insurance.


It's really late..I believe it's around 2:30..so I'll stop blabbing for now. Hopefully it won't be another two months before I get around to posting again because I really do enjoy writing.


By the way, I am planning on posting this on my facebook. If you are reading this off of the think that I have posted..and you are planning on mocking me, making fun of me, or being rude in anyway..don't bother. As much as you'll try to hurt me with rude comments..I will simply take them with open arms, and read them as constructive criticism.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!.
-K.

i'm back :)

A new month, a new girl. A lot has happened since I last posted, and I guess you can say that is part of the reason I wasn't writing like I had been.
My junior year is rapidly speeding towards the end, and it's almost..terrifying. Some of the people who I was introduced to this year have completely changed my life for the better, and I learned to let go of those who truly were tearing me down. I personally believe that I'm a strong, independent girl. And I am. But, I've built walls around me to block out people who have too much hate in them to be a part of my life. And I like myself this way. I like me, finally. Junior year was probably the best of my years so far. I finally learned who I am, and proved to myself that hard work actually does pay off.
Who am I? I'm Kristen Nicole, the high school student who works her ass off just to try and pass her classes. The girl who wears black almost everyday, but refuses to double an outfit during the weeks that fly by.The girl who reads like a fiend and shops like it's a job, though she still cannot seem to snag one. The beauty school dropout who ironically has grown to fall even harder for makeup then during the entire year in cosmetology. The girl who finds beauty in everything and has no room for hatred in her mind. I like me. I'm sorry if you don't, but I forgive you.
I find it extremely hard to believe that for one, my best friend is finally moving home. Home where he belongs. Home with me, his best friend..my other half. Two, I'm researching college and recently took an SAT. I remember being in elementary school and watching saved by the bell, and being so confused as to why there were more than 100 points on a test.. and why it was such a big deal. 3, I'm going to be leaving my technical school, cosmetology, where I fell in love with a group of the most incredible people I've ever been surrounded with in my entire life. I'm going to miss the 11-4 days at MTC, but I'm sure I'll stay close with most or all of the girls I've met. And lastly, that I'm going to be a senior, which means college..which means growing up. I'm planning on going to FIT if I am one of the lucky 19,000 freshmen to be accepted in the fall. Which means, New York City. New York City is a vacation for me, usually. But living there? Not with mommy, daddy, or big sis to hold me when I'm sad. Growing up is scary.
I'm happy and excited for what the summer, and my senior year has to bring. I'm optimistic. I'm ready. I'm new. Bring it on.


:) Talk to you all soon

Love always..Kristen.