Matchy Clunky

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Tank Top (I honestly have no clue where I got this I'm so sorry). Bandeau. Sandals (no longer being sold at Payless). Jeans. Sunglasses (similar).

Today, I went to a huge family dinner at a nice restaurant! I needed to look nice, but I also wanted to put yesterday’s purchases to good use. So, I chose to wear my white jeans! One reason I bought white jeans yesterday was because lately I’ve been picking out tops and realizing that I haven’t worn them because they would only go well with white pants, which I didn’t have.

Lots of people think it’s really courageous to wear white pants, but I don’t really care. One thing most people are afraid of is their underwear showing through their pants. A solution is to wear underwear that matches your skin tone! You can’t see your skin through the white, so you won’t see the skin-colored fabric underneath either. That goes for bras too! Most people wear white bras under white shirts, but your best bet is to wear a skin-colored one for the same reason. Others are afraid because, you know, periods. I was sort of expecting mine today, so I threw in a tampon and put on a panty liner as precautionary measures. And if I did get my period, I’d be like whatever, being a woman is the greatest accessory ever can I get a hell yeah ladies?! I probably wouldn’t wear white pants if I had my period, but honestly, who gives a shit?

Since I have white pants now, I paired them with this light blue top that I haven’t worn in forever, It’s sheer, and the entire back is blue lace. It’s adorable! I wish I wore it more often. Instead of wearing a bra, I wore a white bandeau to match my pants. I think it looked really good! At first, I left it out, but for some reason I decided to see what it would look like tucked in and I actually loved it, Here we go again with my levels...

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I was planning on wearing nude heels, but then I realized that my toenails perfectly matched my top, so I went with silver sandals instead. They matched my silver jewelry, which I kept basic. My blue Pura Vida is the same shade as my shirt, so I went with that one and my black one to match my kimono.

Since I knew it would be chilly in the restaurant, I chose to wear this kimono that I love but haven’t worn in a while. The white arrows matched my pants and bandeau, which also happened to match my nails! I also wore white sunglasses with silver lenses.

This look was completely matchy-matchy, which I love to do every once in a while. This was one of those looks that I looked in the mirror and just felt really great about what I was wearing. Always a good sign!

Stay matchy!

-The Clunkster

Charlotte Russe Jeans Haul

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These Refuge Hi-Waist Skinny Jeans can be found at Charlotte Russe!

I’ve expressed how much I love going shopping before. When I walk into a store, my heart sings, my worries fall off of my shoulders, and I feel like I’m flying. So, imagine how I felt when I walked into Charlotte Russe to find that they were having a buy one get one for $10 sale on jeans today. Freakin. Magical.

Let me tell you guys something about Charlotte Russe jeans. I’m in love with them. First of all, they’re high-waisted, and we know how much I love high-waisted things. Second, they come in sooooooo many different colors, it’s insane. They stretch like leggings but fit like jeans. The only downside is that they don’t have front pockets, but when you have such a difficult time finding jeans that fit you, sometimes you need to compromise.

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Not only was there a sale, but they had every color I wanted IN MY SIZE. I’m a 6, but for some reason, Charlotte Russe never seems to have that size. I would buy online, but I like buying jeans in person for some reason. 

So, I walked out of Charlotte Russe with not one, not two, but six pairs of jeans. And I saved $70!!! My mother taught me from a young age the importance of shopping during sales, and I have definitely put that knowledge to good use.

As a result, there will be lots more styles on The Clunkster! I’m super excited to be experimenting with my look a little bit more. Stay tuned, and get to Charlotte Russe ASAP!

Scorpio Day

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Hat. Top (similar). Leggings. Jacket (similar). Sneakers. Sunglasses (similar). Lipstick.

Every now and then, I start to really feel my dark, Scorpio vibe. Today was one of those days. I was meeting friends for lunch, and I wanted to look cute while also expressing my feelings. So, I decided to go dark and a bit urban since I really miss living in the city.

I started off with my high-waisted leggings. Even though they’re like really super high-waisted, they go really well with crop tops like this one. I added the varsity jacket since I would be in a chilly restaurant, and because it would look cute with both the crop top and my baseball hat! Your Emerson Dad is back with yet another bad hair day. Maybe I just need a haircut.

Levels are something that I seem to incorporate into almost all of my looks. I do a lot of high-waisted things with crop tops and long pieces of outerwear, but I’m starting to realize now that maybe it’s because I like the way the different levels come together. I’ll keep that in mind while I get dressed from now on!

I was between solid black high-tops and black Converse, but I went with the Converse because they looked better without the jacket, which doesn’t make a ton of sense, but I’m happy I chose them. I also chose my rounded glasses since they’re the darkest I own, and they looked awesome with my lipstick.

Obviously, my makeup is a bit different than usual. I’m wearing my favorite lipstick in the whole world, Mahogany by NYC, which I know

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Will I ever learn how to take mirror selfies? Probably not. 

is not cruelty-free, but guys I may need to make an exception because this lipstick speaks to my soul. I first bought it when I dressed up as Wednesday Addams one Halloween and this past year I wore it for fun and I didn’t realize how much I was actually in love with it. I wear it as often as I can. I kept my jewelry normal (a purple Pura Vida to match my hat!). I wore my dog tag necklace, which I haven’t really been wearing lately, but I thought it was cute because it’s shorter. 

So, there we are, a dark little Clunkster taking over the world.

xoxo!

Tired and Slouchy

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Tank (no longer being sold at Wet Seal). Shorts. Sweater (no longer being sold at The Gap). Shoes. Sunglasses (similar).

Today, I was getting ready to meet some friends for dinner when I realized that I haven’t worn this outfit in a while. The last time I wore it was probably in September. I remember throwing it together and thinking, hey, this looks kinda cool. I love the chill vibes it gives off. It’s super comfy too!

I love these shorts so much, but I definitely need to get new ones since they’re getting very worn. They already came with ~edgy~ rips and tears, but my massive thighs (yay for quad muscles!!!) ripped one hole so there aren’t any threads covering it. The pocket pokes out, and it looks so weird.

This shirt is one of my favorites that I never really wear! For those of you who don’t know, I’m literally in love with Spider-man. He’s my favorite superhero. I’m going to marry him. There is no question. When I saw this shirt, I freaked out because like, Spider-man. And it’s super cute and girly. It’s so light and comfy too!

And how do you make an outfit even more comfy? Add a sweater! Specifically the sweater I’ve been wearing a lot more lately. It’s the most comfy thing in the world, and it goes with almost everything. It made this look a little more casual and slouchy, which I really loved.

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I went with my black Converse (I was going to mismatch, but it actually looked weird) and my rounded sunglasses, as per usual. I kept my makeup kind of normal. I wanted to go a little more natural, but I added a little more mascara that I hoped I would. Oops! Jewelry was normal as well.

I love writing The Clunkster, but sometimes, I am just so tired. I usually get around to writing these posts super late at night when I’m half asleep (like right now), so I apologize if I’m being skimpy or incoherent. Maybe one day I’ll actually learn to budget my time wisely!

Goodnight!

Cruelty-Free Skincare!

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Today, we’re gonna talk about cruelty-free skincare! My mom has always expressed to me the importance of washing my face every morning and night as well as always taking off my makeup before I go to sleep. Those are things we’ll be talking about today!

I’d like to preface this post by reminding y’all that everyone has a different skin type, so these reviews may not necessarily be on point for all of my readers. However, since I wanted you guys to join me in my cruelty-free journey, I wanted to continue posting about changes I’ve been making to my beauty routine. I’ve never had an issue with acne, and my skin isn’t oily or anything. Sometimes it gets dry, but otherwise, I got pretty lucky as far as skin is concerned.

What I Was Using: Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

What I’m Using Now: e.l.f. Daily Face Cleanser

I’ve been using this Aveeno scrub for as long as I can remember. It never made me break out and it kept my face clean, as it should have. The microbeads made my face really soft, but microbeads were just banned in New York, so this scrub has been slowly disappearing from stores around here. I figured it was the right time to try something different, especially since I found out that Aveeno tests on animals. Since I’ve been having so much luck with e.l.f products and this Daily Face Cleanser was so cheap, I decided to try it out. It’s been working really well! My face is still soft and I’m not breaking out, so it’s getting the job done. I would definitely recommend this! It smells really nice too.

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What I Was Using/Am Continuing to Use: Pond’s Cold Cream

What I Tried: Nature’s Way Unrefined, Vegan, Organic Coconut Oil

I’ve been using Pond’s Cold Cream to take off my makeup forever, and I realized a few years ago that I could use it as a moisturizer. It was working out really well for me, no breakouts and my skin was super soft and hydrated. Then, I found out that Ponds tests on animals as well. I remembered that I had coconut oil in the house, and decided to try it out again. Last semester, I wrote an article about coconut oil (that I adapted into a web article; check it out here!), so I needed to do lots of research. I tried using it as a makeup remover and moisturizer and I really liked it! It made my skin soft and it smelled great. However, I did notice that I was breaking out. I stopped using it, but then I realized that I was getting my period the next week, and I usually break out around that time. This time, I tried coconut oil again nowhere near my period week, and I still broke out all over my chin and under my eyes, and like not even normal breakouts, like huge, painful zits that didn’t go away. It was an amazing moisturizer and got ALL of my makeup off my eyes. People have told me that coconut oil has made them break out before, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. I switched back to my Ponds for now, but if anyone has any recommendations for moisturizer, please let me know! Maybe I’ll see if e.l.f. has some since they have yet to fail me. I would definitely recommend coconut oil either way, but proceed with caution.

If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!