Pretty in Pink

I partnered with Glamour and Ford Mustang to design my own Mustang, alongside fashion designers Tracy Reese and Sophie and Lisa of Vena Cava. While their car designs reflect their gorgeous clothing collections, I went in a sentimental direction. I created the car of my childhood dreams (I had the convertible toy version) and named it after one of my all-time favorite films. Please check out my full article here to read the story behind it. You can also create your own at MustangCustomizer.com and enter it in "Battle for Your Dream Mustang" to win your own self-designed car!

infomercials, and being fancy

Outfit Details:
Izabelle top and Jetta vest - c/o BB Dakota
shorts - H+M
belt - thrifted
Cupid bag - c/o Rebecca Minkoff
Report Signature platforms - LF (super sale - I think it's still going on)
Big Sky frames - c/o Mezzmerlipstick - MAC Watch Me Simmer (blotted a few times)

I made a short journey out into the land of the living, and realized just how dead I was. Fresh air made me feel a little better, but several coughing fits later, I realized that the general public probably wished I stayed at home.

I know I'm sick all the time, so I should just start telling you when I'm not sick, and let that be news. But let's be real: when you're sick, there isn't much else to do except complain that you're sick. That, and watch infomercials. Because when you can't sleep because the coughing is keeping you awake and Nyquil lied to you when they said it was a "so-you-can-rest-medicine", you enter into the 4 AM infomercial territory of gadgets you never knew you didn't need and exercise machines you will never use. I'm not complaining, though, because the fact that I'm watching infomercials means I have a television. And that, my friends, is very fancy. Pinkies up!

That time I met Diane Von Furstenberg and my eyes were closed in the group picture.

Yeah, that time.

...
I almost didn't want to post any of the other pictures, because it's funnier when it's just this one. But that would be a disservice to the lovely rendezvous we had at DVF, and clearly I've already done enough damage. I would just like to note that I can usually count on my girl Helena to have her eyes closed in a photo, but she let me down and therefore, I am all alone in the darkness.
The details of our night were kept under wraps, and we received a new puzzle piece at each destination, which led us to our next. We started out with blow-outs at Wonderland, which is why my forehead is so visible in this photo of me and Christine. I wanted to try a center part, but this made me decide to keep my bangs. Every year, I try two things: 1) forgoing bangs, and 2) a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Each year, I realize two things: 1) I like my bangs, and 2) I still don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Our next stop was DVF headquarters, where we were invited into Diane's personal office space and made ourselves at home. There I am, acting like I own the place, next to Christine, Caroline, and Jessie.

 Keeping with the surprise theme of the night, we had an unexpected guest: Diane Von Furstenberg, herself! She sat and chatted with us about everything under the sun. She's everything you want her to be: strong, radiant, warm - but the best part is she is unfiltered. I have a feeling there's not a person in this city who could censor her. 
We ended the night on top of The Standard, but not before taking that group shot on Diane's stairs. I snapped this sneaky photo of her, like a creep:Thank you, DVF, for such a wonderful night.

All photos (except the last one - which is from my instagram) courtesy of BFA.

don't let me blog at 5 in the morning

vintage San Francisco shirt - thrifted, a million years ago
sunglasses - Beacon's Closet

I have enough clothing to outfit a small army, and yet I always go back to a few staple pieces. One: that ubiquitous moto jacket that I don't even need to link to, because I have worn it that much. Two: cutoffs, every day, all day. Three: my Ampersand heels, which I have in three colors. Four: this shirt. Actually, it's a handful of old shirts - but this one, in particular, has truly withstood the test of time. Along with my NKOTB shirts (ohhhh yeahhh). I've said this before, but I've never actually been to San Francisco. The day I actually make a trip out there, I will absolutely wear this shirt and an epic instagram will be made. Either that or I'll forget to take a picture and then I'll be like, "You guys, I went to San Francisco and wore that shirt. I swear." And then you'll say "pics or it didn't happen" and then I'll look like a schmuck because I forgot to take a picture.

This shirt, and thinking about its many wears throughout my teen and adult years, has made me realize two things: I need to clean out my freaking closet and I need to travel, next year. Obviously, the former will be completed before next year...fingers crossed. I will definitely be organizing another charity sale for the holidays, but I would also like to start selling some of my old stuff and putting the money toward something more important, like my little sister's college fund. Tessa just started her junior year of high school and I am having a heart attack just typing that sentence. Come to think of it, I was probably her age when I bought this shirt. I want to say it was a dollar, but it was probably 25 cents. That was when Goodwill had their awesome 4 for $1 t-shirt bin and you could literally get inside of it and dig for shirts. Then they jacked up the price to 50 cents and I remember being really bummed, because I only made $5.15 an hour at Auntie Anne's. I digress - back to my realizations.

Traveling is more of a selfish want than a need; like much of the US population but seemingly not anyone in NYC according to the looks of disbelief I receive, I have never been outside of the country. It's called growing up poor, with a single (but awesome and hard working) mom and a deadbeat dad. Actually, it's called real life - I'm sure there are families who were way better off than us who never took any vacations abroad. No worries, though - I will soon travel and I will probably appreciate it a lot more as an adult. My goal is to make enough money to be able to take my mom, too; she certainly deserves it. But at the moment, there is still much of our own country that I have yet to see, and this shirt is a reminder of that, as well. I can't wait for our fall road trip - hey Kim, hey Erin. Pack your bags.

Somehow, this post turned into a livejournal entry. I don't drink, so I can't blame it on drunk blogging or anything. I blame it on being sick and sleep deprived. Heyyyyyyy girl.

Makeup Monday: Blushing Beauty

For my last BeautyMint tutorial, I'm bringing you another fresh-faced look, modeled by Kyla. Summer's not over yet, and this is the perfect way to give your face some color without weighing it down. Want to learn how to achieve this look? Keep reading after the jump for step by step instructions.

restores dazzle

Outfit Details:
linen jacket - Joie
blouse - Equipment
jeans - Hudson
nude heels - c/o Sole Society
Legacy Colorblock Candace Carryall - c/o Coach
bracelets and ring - vintage, gifts from my momsunglasses - Beacon's Closetlipstick - MAC Ruffian Red
I've been a little under the weather this week, but my cat eye sunglasses do a good job at masking puffy eyes and red lipstick gives me back a little color. And like magic, I look like a real, live person again. You should've seen me in the morning. 

See you tonight!

Tonight from 5-8 PM, stop by WiNK to celebrate fall fashion. There will be shoe giveaways from Seychelles and BC Footwear every hour, and complimentary prosecco poured by my boyfriend, Bobby of This Fellow!

mama I want to sing

Outfit Details:
hat - Goorin Bros
floral shirt - c/o Sosie
sweater - Loft
boyfriend jeans - Madewell
hot pink heels - c/o Rachel Roy
Miku (!!!) mini nameplate necklace - c/o BaubleBar
Rebecca Minkoff quilted swing bag - Confederacybracelets - forever 21 and the bow one was a gift from my sister and brother in law

Eventually, I will do an actual photo tour of my apartment. You can catch a glimpse of the bare bones here and here, but it's come a long way since then and is starting to feel like an actual home. It takes me a long while to get settled in, partially because I'm horribly unorganized, but also because I'm picky about my stuff. I don't have expensive taste; it's actually quite the opposite. I adore found items, hand-me-downs, and everything ancient. Almost everything in my apartment is old, down to the brick walls that house them. My furniture and decor are all from my mom's consignment shop, flea markets, Brimfield, thrift shops, the side of the road. Barely any of the furniture was bought new, save for my bed frames and sofa - which will eventually be replaced by something ancient and full of history.

I'll save the rest of my stories for when I have actual photos with which to display them, and keep to the two pieces you see here. The large trunk beneath was Bobby's grandfather's, and the one on top was given to us when we lived at our first Brooklyn apartment. We lived in an area surrounded by warehouses, and one of them housed vintage stuff for a flea market seller. When he closed up shop, he gave us a 50s kitchen table, antique chairs, this trunk, and several vintage odds and ends that we still have today. At the time, I was broke, broke, broke, so it was like a dream come true. Actually, it would be a dream come true even if I was the richest gal in the world. Give me millions of dollars and I will still take the old over the new. I got that from my mama.

Clothing for a cause.

Outfit Details:
floral blazer - thrifted
handmade crochet dress - c/o Emma O (worn with a slip)
vintage bag - gift from my mom
lipstick - MAC Love Forever!

This crochet dress was given to me by Emma, who started a beautiful clothing line that is handmade in South Africa. The sales help families in South Africa and Zimbabwe.  Taken from her blog:  "I support over 20 unprivileged women and their whole families in Zimbabwe;
Creating job opportunities for adults and education for children in Africa... It's more than I EVER though would have been possible when starting this company in the first place."  Pretty cool, right? Check out the rest of her gorgeous pieces here (they have kids clothing, too).

Join us at WiNK!

This Thursday from 5-8, join Bobby and me at WiNK, where we'll be kicking off fall fashion with my dear friends of Seychelles and BC Footwear. Bobby will be serving complimentary bubbly, and I'll be on hand for personal styling sessions and to walk you through the new collections. Plus, here's the best part: we'll be giving away a pair of free shoes every hour! 
When: This Thursday, August 23rd, 5-8 PMWhere: WiNK, 129 Prince Street between West Broadway and Wooster

Makeup Monday: Day Glow Skin

(click for larger image)


Left to right: BeautyMint Renewing Moisturizer, Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow, Too Faced Natural Face

Left to right: Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner in Demolition, MAC Studio Fix Lash, Bobbi Brown Rose Lip Color

BeautyMint is sponsoring Makeup Monday for the month of August, and since I've already covered my skin care routine, travel skin care, and defining your brows, this week I'd like to talk about enhancing your skin. Clearly (no pun intended), the first step to getting great skin is to have a solid skin care routine - but even those blessed with seemingly perfect skin might need a little help now and then. Enter, the magic of makeup. But we're not going to be hiding our skin beneath a mask, we're just going to enhance it. Since my friend recently gave me the handy, all in one Too Faced Natural Face kit, I decided to follow their "day glow" card, step by step. Want to learn how to recreate this look? Keep reading after the jump.

My Week, On Instagram

My week, on instagram (follow me @keikolynn) - back in Brooklyn. Can you tell I missed Miku?

1) Farewell, Los Angeles.2) My baby princess, Miku.3) I hosted a fun hair styling event with ghd at Sephora. I'll have tutorials for you, soon!4) Who doesn't love the smilebooth? Click here to see all the pictures from the ghd event!5) Kim hosted a wine party at her apartment and The Bumbys were there! My "fair and honest appraisal" was hilarious.6) cute little raccoon.7) Miku, sleeping. So fluffy!8) My new favorite necklace from Bauble Bar, on my favorite little pup Miku's paw.

Leaving Los Angeles

Outfit Details:
Rebecca Minkoff sunglasses - c/o Rebecca Minkoff
double back jacket - Anthropologie
reconstructed vintage floral peplum top - Shareen Vintage
shorts - H+M
Time Will Tell heels - c/o Seychelles
bracelets - forever 21, c/o Tory Burchzip clutch - c/o Cynthia Vincentlipstick - MAC Unlimited
I was only there a week, but I packed my trip so full of activities (I can't say that word without thinking of Step Brothers - so many activities!), it felt like I practically moved there. I think I might have more friends in Los Angeles than I do in New York, which is fun when I'm on the west coast, but also proof that maybe I should get out more. Or maybe my friends should stop moving to LA! On my last full day there, I met up with three of my close girlfriends (Vanessa, Holly, and Kimbly) for brunch. Once upon a time, all three of them lived in NYC. Now, I have to make a cross-country journey just to have some pancakes with those jerks. The nerve!



p.s. If you're in NYC, please stop by Sephora in SoHo today for a free hairstyling session with ghd! Read all the details here.