Cali Girl

Two weeks ago my mother & I touched down at LAX.

Sunny L.A from above.

Although this move has been in the works for over a year the moment you leave the only home you've ever known, to create a new one, is a moment that cannot be prepared for.  The choice to leave the east coast behind was unexpected yet it felt oddly natural.  The New York/New Jersey area no longer felt exciting & full of possibility but beyond that it no longer felt comforting. 

My new town!

The feeling that I'm on vacation has not gone away. A part of me feels like I'll be on a plane in a couple of weeks to go back "home" & when I catch myself in those moments I'm always relieved to remember California is home now. Analyzing all the differences between east coast & west coast life at this point would be silly. It'll be some time till I can really call myself a Cali Girl but for the time being I'm looking forward to that day! 

A lamp post in Venice.

My niece Val lives in L.A!

Succulents are planted everywhere in L.A!

Here I am poolside & loving life!

XO 

Kara Rose

Summer Hats I Want Now!

With my move to California getting closer & the temperatures around the country getting hotter I found myself thinking the time has come to start talking about the summer hat. It only takes one good sunburn on the old part to make you want to invest in these five bad boys & it doesn't hurt that they are so damn cute! 

• The two tone weave & the leather cord make this floppy hat from Anthropologie fresh & bohemian. 

Two-Note Floppy Hat from Anthropologie.

Two-Note Floppy Hat from Anthropologie.

• This beanie by Neff still works in summer due to the fun bright color. I'm loving the look for chilly beach nights! 

  

  Neon Green Beanie by Neff

• Rock a Fedora in a rich berry tone & keep the sun at bay while looking hot! ASOS got the memo with their felt version! 

  

  ASOS Felt Fedora Hat 

• ASOS gave this boater hat a summer makeover by using straw. I'm drooling! 

  

  ASOS Straw Roll Brim Boater Hat

• Kick back in this snapback by American Apparel. The dainty flowers make this, ordinarily tomboy, style feminine & fun. 

  

  The Floral Printed Cap by American Apparel

I hope you all enjoyed this little post & stay burn free this summer! To purchase any of these looks click the links I've added throughout. 

xo Kara Rose 

5 YouTube Videos You Need To Watch Now!

If loving YouTube is wrong I don't want to be right. If you need to kill time today, or maybe procrastinate a cheeky little bit, this post is for you!

• Ed Sheeran just released his music video for Sing... I know, I know I'm a dork but just watch this video & then see who's judging! Spoiler alert* it features a puppet Ed. 

• If you aren't familiar with the YouTube channel Jack's Gap then today is your lucky day! Jack is a hottie (with a TWIN) but beyond that he creates videos with really interesting content. Watch Jack, his brother Fin & friends complete a rickshaw run across India to raise money for The Teenage Cancer Trust.  A hottie with a hear of gold... I'm melting! 

• This next gem, presented by Buzzfeed, is called "Can You Watch This Without Giggling?" my answer is no... can you? 

• I'm super late to the game with this one but Sia's video for Chandelier is off the hook. I've been a fan of Maddie (the featured dancer) since Dance Moms debuted but DAMN this video is powerful!  

• Last but not least is the latest addition to Jimmy Kimmel's "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets" series. Sit back and enjoy the lolz in the 7th installment of this fan favorite! 

I hope you all got as much joy out of these videos as I did (and still do)! Happy friday!!

Xo Kara Rose

5 Must Have Swimsuit Trends of 2014!

Beach weather is almost here! I'm not going to lie... swimsuit season provokes a wee bit of dread for me but to tame the "beach body" anxiety I always turn my sights on shopping! Here are my fave swimsuit looks right now.

The High Waisted Two Piece

Why I love it: Flattering to all body types, you will never be a don't in this classic yet fashion forward look!

Get the look here!

Chevron

Why I love it: While classic, chevron still feels fresh on swimwear. Warning, this fabulously on trend look can be difficult to pull off so take extra care to pick up a suit with a flattering cut.

Get the look here!

A Bathing Beauty One Piece

Why I love it: Once again our ancestors got it right. This suit is universally flattering and comes in so many cute colors and prints. Bonus points if you also get the two piece version! 

Snap it up right here!

Straps & Graphic Prints

Why I love it: Both of these trends are so fun and fresh! You might not see them around next year but consider these the fashion equivalent of a summer romance.

Get the look here!

Mix & Match

Why I love it: Mix and match suits can be classic or fun and will be in your summer wardrobe till they come apart. Be bold and choose a neon top with a classic black bottom! Be simple and match a solid color... do whatever you want!

Get the look here!

Now lets get shopping! See you at the beach.

XoXo Kara Rose

Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer reviewed!

Warmer weather has arrived and with it came the bug bites... so I found myself in Rite Aid (looking for some hydrocortisone cream) when I stumbled upon "Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer" on sale. For $2 I couldn't say no!  Impulsively and a little greedily I scooped it up in the shades "Pretty in Peach #115" and "Frozen Over #315". Now here I am (itch free) ready to tell you about my new nail swag!

Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer in #115 & #315

Color: 10 You can't see very well in this picture but Frozen Over is actually a sheer shimmery pale blue however,  I only tried Pretty in Peach (#115) but it was true to the bottle and absolutely stunning! 

Formula: 1 This polish is clumpy, streaky, full of air bubbles and separates after it's dried on the nail creating nasty little cracks!

Application: 5 The brush is a nice thickness but unfortunately that can't save this horror of a formula.

Staying Power: 1 After wearing the polish for one and a half days I'm already sporting little chips.

Overall I'm really disappointed in this line! It was a nightmare to apply due to the formulation. While I managed to get all the clumps that were trying desperately to emerge out I was not able to stop air bubbles from forming. When it comes to nails there are two things I can't stand. Number one is AIR BUBBLES. Number two is cracking polish. Sadly I've been left with both. The only reason I might use this again is the color of "Pretty in Peach" I've been looking so long for a good polish in that color and while I continue to look I might get desperate and crack it out again! As the old adage says "you get what you pay for" maybe next time I'll splurge! 

Have you guys tried this stuff? Have you found a petter bright, poppy peach? Let me know! 

xo Kara Rose 

Flats, Flats and MORE FLATS!

What goes up must come down! Spring 2014's ready to wear collections were all about flats and (in some cases) flatforms. I've already stocked up on flats for the warmer months and I would advise you all to follow suit. Comfort is in so let us rejoice! Peep some of the runways latest flat offerings.       

Peep toe flat booties at 3.1 Phillip Lim

Sneakers at Comme Des Garçons

Pointy toe flats at Helmut Lang

Leather wrap around sandals at Jason Wu

Lace up ballet flats at Jean Paul Gaultier

Moccasin style sandals at Jonathan Saunders 

Classic pointy toe flats at Rochas 

Milani Nail Lacquer Review

After a little hiatus I'm back and ready to review, so lets talk nails! Recently I've been branching out in the nail department. Not only have I been using regular polish (not gel) I've also been shunning Essie (my go to non gel)! The first stop on my new budget nail adventure was Milani Nail Lacquer in "Power Periwinkle".  Read on for the results!

Milani Nail Lacquer in Power Periwinkle

It's been brutally cold in the northeast so I was immediately drawn to this spring like shade. Milani is not a brand I've seen reviewed too often but once I got past my skepticism, into my cart it went!

• Color - 10: The color was true to the bottle & beautifully vibrant 

• Application - 10: This bad boy went on like butter! The formula is so smooth, not too watery or too thick. Even a nail noob can apply this flawlessly. The brush is also nice & flat but not too small which is just the way I like it! 

• Staying Power - 10 Non gel nail color never lasts more than four days on me without chipping... if I'm lucky but Milani Nail Lacquer lasted about a week without a single chip! Once the chipping commenced I was able to squeeze about two days worth of wear before it got real raggedy looking.

  

  Milani Nail Lacquer in Power Periwinkle, after about a weeks wear.

  
  All and all it was a pleasure to wear this fab spring color and I can't wait to try some more shades from Milani. Have you tried this brand? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Let me know in the comments below!  

xo Kara Rose