Hearts and Rainbows

Outfit Details:

Miu Miu sunglasses (I also LOVE these)

NYX soft matte lip cream in “San Paulo”

Wildfox heart sweater

Trina Turk skort (here's another similar style)

Rebecca Minkoff bag (also love this Milly crossbody and especially this heart cross body) - all via Nordstrom Rack 

Schutz platforms

I teamed up with Nordstrom Rack to bring you this happy rainbow of an outfit, and of course, I photographed it in front of my favorite wall in Brooklyn. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I was in Seattle with Nordstrom Rack, earlier this year. We met with the team, toured their flagship (of which I’m incredibly envious), and did a little shopping and a whole lot of eating (two of my favorite things). As part of my partnership, I’ll be styling three outfits that I picked out in our NYC store - or maybe one will be a makeup tutorial, who knows? I actually didn’t realize how much of my favorite makeup brands are available there (NYX, Too Faced, and Urban Decay products came home with me) - do not overlook the beauty and the sunglasses section, because there are treasures.

During my recent trip to the New York store, I left with two pairs of sunglasses, NYX matte lip cremes, Urban Decay liners, a Wildfox sweater, Trina Turk skort, Rebecca Minkoff bag, a pair of pajama shorts, and socks with cupcakes all over them. As you can see, several of those items made it into a single outfit, because I know nothing of moderation and want to wear all of the things at once. Of course, individually, each of these pieces can make enough statement on their own - so if wearing all of the things all at once isn't your thing, you could swap out the skort and platforms for a pair of skinny jeans and pointed flats. Which, incidentally, might be the exact outfit I plan on wearing over the weekend.

p.s. They're having a Rebecca Minkoff sale on the site, until Friday! Check it out.

Makeup Monday: Daytime Smokey Eye Tutorial

(click for full size)
Products used: 
Laura Geller Beauty Spackle Tinted Primer in "Champagne" (under foundation) Laura Geller Beauty Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation in "Porcelain" Smashbox Blush Rush in "Heartbreak" NARS Illuminator in "413 BLKR" (on cheekbones, brow bones, cupid's bow) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Laura Geller Baked Eyeshadow Duo in "Pink Icing / Devil's Food Cake" Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Pencil in "Venus" Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in "Demolition" Urban Decay Perversion Mascara OCC Lip Tar Matte in "Memento"

When I go for a smokey eye, I usually go all out with the drama. Without lush lashes to rely on, heavy liner is my crutch - but with a few remaining lashes left from my second foray into extensions, I felt it was time for a softer look. I call this a daytime smokey eye, because it's soft and has just as much light as shadows, keeping it from feeling too heavy. Best of all, I essentially used one eyeshadow duo and a couple of pencils, so you could easily recreate this while on the go (use the lighter pencil in place of a primer, in a pinch). Follow this step by step tutorial to learn how to achieve this look:

1. Prep your lids with primer. 

2. Using a damp brush (not soaking wet - blot it a bit), pick up "Pink Icing" and apply all over your lids. 

3. Using a damp brush, apply "Devil's Food Cake" over the outer part of the lid. 

4. Using a dry, fluffier brush, pick up a bit of "Pink Icing" and blend the outer edges of the shadow. Do the same with "Devil's Food Cake" and sweep it inward, to give a softer transition between the two shadows. 

5. Line the inner corners and lower half of your lash line with the "Venus" pencil. 

6. Line the outer lashline (top and bottom, wiggling between the lashes) with the "Demolition" pencil. 

7. Smudge the liner with a brush. 

8. Apply mascara. Done! 

Weekend Link Roundup

(photo from my instagram. Wearing the Free People Tell Tale Lace Tunic - also available in black) 

Happy weekend, everyone! I'm currently editing the next Makeup Monday tutorial and watching 20/20, as I often do on Saturday nights. What can I say? I know how to party. I'll be back on Monday with a new tutorial, so make sure to check back. In the meantime, here are some links I'd like to share:

- I just ordered this retro gingham swimsuit. I already have it in black; I bought it years ago and it's still my favorite. Go up a size or two, because it runs really small!

- I usually wear a lot of color, but I'm gravitating toward this little black dress by Cynthia Rowley.

- Will someone please make this DIY pretzel pillow for me? It takes me back to my days of being a pretzel girl at Auntie Anne's. But really, it's also just super cute.

- These sweet potato skins look delicious.

- Carrie of Wish Wish Wish and Miguel (her fiancé) recently went to Tokyo and the photos are making me want to go back (check them out - she is THE cutest). Which reminds me, I never finished posting my Tokyo photos...

- Speaking of Japan - remember my trip to Nara? I really should have taken that little deer home with me. Miku would have loved him!

- I love true crime dramas and documentaries, so this little list has now been bookmarked.

The beginning of my newest tattoo.

I was going to wait until it was done to do a post (and I'll do a full one once it is), but I'm so over the moon with the progress on this new rose tattoo by Amanda Wachob, and I couldn't wait to share. I've joked that I want to cover myself in flowers, and now I'm well on my way to having a full garden on my arm. I can't resist a floral motif.

p.s. Want to see more of my tattoos? Check out this post and this post.

Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.

Outfit Details:

ASOS Reclaimed Vintage floral dress  (out of stock but available in the same style in this floral print for $30!) Schutz "Korona" green platform sandals (c/o) Rebecca Minkoff crossbody (I got it at Nordstrom Rack but RM is currently having their big sale) Illesteva sunglasses (old)

I basically wore this same exact outfit, last summer (with shorter green sandals and different tort sunglasses), and many times since. The great thing about a dress like this is that all you need to do is throw on a pair of shoes and you're ready to go. It makes enough of a statement on its own (although, so do these shoes). That's why it usually ends up in my suitcase, when I'm traveling. I most recently wore it on my trip to Nashville, where I met up with my mom, aunt, and several cousins. It was my mom's first time in Nashville, and I knew we had to take her to Loveless (and Edley's, City House, Jeni's, Las Paletas, Arnold's, etc). Comfort food and kitschy vibes are what my mom and I are all about!


p.s. If you want to know some of my favorite places in Nashville, check out this post.

Makeup Monday: Pink and Orange Sunset Tutorial

Products used: primer,  Urban Decay's X eyeshadow, MAC Vanilla pigment, Sugarpill "Birthday Girl", Sugarpill Burning Heart palette, MAC Copperthorn fluidline, Urban Decay 24/7 pencil and liquid liner, Dollywink lashes, MAC "Alpha Girl" beauty powder on cheeks, MAC Divaish on lips in step by step photos, NYX "Tea Rose" in top and final photos.

1. After applying primer, sweep a peachy eyeshadow in the crease and inner corners (I used Urban Decay's X).

2. Pat shimmer white shadow in the center of the lid (I used MAC Vanilla pigment).

3. Pack bright pink shadow in the remainder of your lids (I used Sugarpill "Birthday Girl").

4. Blend the three together, focusing on the outer edges.

5. Now, layer bright orange shadow on the outer edges and pull it partially through the crease (I used  Flamepoint from the Sugarpill Burning Heart palette).

6. Blend, blend, blend.
7. Line your lower lid with MAC Copperthorn fluidline.

8. Layer with orange shadow.

9. Line your lashline and smudge.

10. Add liquid liner and mascara or false lashes. Done!

Monster Faux Fur

Outfit Details:
Coach Faux Monster Fluff Oversized Coat  and Rivets Flap Dakotah Crossbody - c/o Coach Pixie Market dress (tucked in) Family Affairs scallop hem leather Frankie skirt 
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in "San Paulo"
Miu Miu round sunglasses Free People slouch beanie  Report Signature platforms (old, but these are a great alternative and only $32.90)
Many friendships and amazing opportunities have come my way because of Coach, a company who has supported me since I was a wee little blogger with nary a following. And now, they've made my 90s/early 2000s dreams come true with this monster faux fur coat. In short, they have my undying loyalty. You have no idea how much I freaked out over this coat, when I first saw it. And when I first tried it on, I felt like my sixteen year old self - except with shorter hair and more (read: any) makeup and more of a love life. Hey, Grandma - remember that crazy faux fur coat that you bought for me when I was in high school, because I was absolutely in love with it? I found my modern-day equivalent. Insert heart eyes emoji, here. P.S. at the risk of sounding old, I can't figure out how to update with the new emojis.

Road Trip Outfit

Outfit Details:
Sunbody hat (I bought it at Imogene + Willie)
Levi's jacket (on sale for $39.90)
thrifted shirt and shorts
Miu Miu round sunglasses pizza pin from Pygmy Hippo
Coach Rivets flap Dakotah Crossbody bag (c/o)
Charlotte Olympia Kitty flats

Road trip essentials: kitty flats, lightweight shades, and a hat to cover my greasy hair.

Weekend Link Roundup

Wearing Levi's jacket (on sale for $39.90), Zara dress (also $39.90), ModCloth tights, Miu Miu sunglasses, and Rebecca Minkoff bag.

Hey, everyone! I'm currently in Nashville, spending time with my family and celebrating my mom's birthday. We happened to come during an NRA convention (and apparently some cheerleading thing, too), so the hotels were completely full. Luckily, the always friendly and helpful Hutton Hotel came to the rescue and found a room for my mom and aunt to stay in...woohoo! Bobby, Miku and I are crashing at my cousins' adorable house in East Nashville, and loving every minute of our trip. You can follow along on my snapchat (find me @keikolynngroves) and my instagram. Without further ado, here are some links I suggest you check out.

- First, you have to give a listen to my incredibly talented (and very handsome) cousin, Jeremy Groves. You can also catch a peek of him serenading Miku with his amazing song "Stay The Night" - it's on my snapchat!
- I live in this top. (p.s. it's available in S-4X!)

- Confessions of cats and dogs.

- A roundup of DIY fashion tutorials to try.

- This is really important.

- 100 years of beauty, decade by decade (originally saw this on Junebugs and Georgia Peaches)

- I want a colorful kitchen. I especially love the yellow and the mint green ones.

That 70s Flare

Outfit Details:
vintage headscarf (see my tutorial on how to tie it)
old heart sunglasses
vintage Disney tee
old Coach leather moto jacket
Hudson Taylor high rise flare jeans (c/o)
Coach bag (c/o)
old Seychelles ankle boots  lips ring and necklace by Virginie Millefiori   Studebaker Metals cat cuff (c/o) MAC "Maria Moretti" lipstick

Remember how I said I was on the hunt for some higher waisted flares? My friend Amy, strawberry blonde bombshell and angel that she is, answered my denim prayers with this pair of Hudson flares. They flatten out my bum (as most highwaisted jeans do) but considering I got them just one week ago and have already worn them three times, I think it's safe to say that they're my current favorites. Oh, and don't mind the last photo being taken from my instagram - I somehow managed to not take any other full length photos from the front.


P.S. Happy Birthday to my beautiful mom!

Makeup Monday: Too Faced Melted Metals (with lip swatches)

I love Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks, so I was excited to try the new Too Faced Melted Metal line. I don't normally do reviews (and this does not go too in depth) and intended to just swatch them, but I felt it was worth noting a few little things. I wish they would have given them an entirely new name, because even though the applicators are the same, the formulas are very different. These aren't as long wearing (note that it isn't in the name) - and though nicely pigmented, they're not as saturated (they're described as a "glaze").  If I'm comparing them, I definitely prefer the original melted lipsticks, but as a stand alone product, I think they're worth checking out. These have more of a gloss consistency (but with less sheen, more frost), and for glosses, I think there pretty great. Some of the colors tend to settle in the cracks and corners, so they would benefit from a primer or initial lip shade underneath, but I wanted to give you a good idea of what they look like completely alone. Also worth noting: I found that if I applied, blotted, and reapplied, I got more even coverage. Check out all the colors and let me know what you think!
Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Violet" (metallic violet orchid, up top): Though "Jelly" seems to be the overall favorite, I found "Violet" to be easier to apply/less streaky, and I love the color. It doesn't seem like it would be as wearable, but I think it is! Though not my #1 favorite, I did find this one to be a standout.


Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Macaron" (metallic warm bright pink): This is kind of a coral pink - saturated and even in application. Overall, I found this one to have the best consistency and color payoff.

Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Debutante" (metallic apricot rose): This light, peachy color is pretty and subdued, with an apparent metallic sheen (more so than some of the others). Perhaps because of the stronger frost, it's a little on the dry side. 

Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Bunny" (metallic bubblegum): I would have lived for this color, back when I wore some version of a smokey eye on a daily basis. I still think it's pretty, but it washed me out a bit and settled into the corners and inside of my mouth.

Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Dream House" (metallic electric fuchsia): You know I love a bright pink, so I'm happy to report that this finish was smooth, even, and nicely pigmented.


Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Peony" (metallic dusty rose): This color was my favorite, by far. I think it lives up the the "melted metal" name more than the rest, as it looks like liquid rose gold. It's also much more opaque and pigmented, and required the least fine tuning.


Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Jelly" (metallic deep plum): From the handful of reviews I've seen online, I've gathered that this is the popular favorite. I'm wondering if my particular tube was oilier than the rest, because I had a really hard time getting this one to go on evenly - but I seem to be the only one. It might be because it's dark but not completely opaque, and my lips are so light. The color is gorgeous but it did take a little extra work for me to get it right.


Too Faced Melted Metal "Melted Metallic Tutu" (metallic warm flamingo): Another favorite, but I'm sure you're not surprised! It would look gorgeous with flushed cheeks and little else, in the Spring/Summer time. 
Which color is your favorite? Do you think you'll check out Too Faced Melted Metals?

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, from my little bunny to you and yours.