minimal style

Spring Blues

March 22, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

To talk about the latest Spring looks feels a bit strange and out of place. A lot has changed since I last posted. I think at this point everyone is on the same page with current events (like, you literally cannot escape the news right now) so I won’t beat a dead horse. In an attempt for normalcy I felt like I should probably update the blog though.

So, how about jeans folks?! Lolz. I will say, these ultra high-rise Levi’s are pretty awesome. These are their 721 style in a medium wash with just the right amount of cotton (75%) and just the right amount of stretch. I wouldn’t call them true denim jeans because of the decent amount of stretch but they aren’t quite full on “jeggings” either. A perfect blend I should say! And soooo comfortable. I wouldn’t call them as durable as cotton jeans but the comfort factor makes up for it because 100% cotton jeans are so stiff and take forever to break in. To add to the comfort factor, I included this classic waffle weave top from American Eagle, mostly because I just love the color. It’s just so pretty, and looks great with blue jeans! I admit it’s more of a Fall color but I think rustic orange can have its place in the Spring. Adding in my favorite pair of Chelsea boots by Marc Fisher to give this outfit a more minimalist vibe. Happy Spring ya’ll!

**Outfit Details:** Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Levi’s 721s; shoes; Marc Fisher; hat: unbranded

Inside Life

January 25, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

After moving to a new place, decor and furniture are still works in progress–hence this outfit shoot was all about the minimalism! Plus, when January hits I’m pretty much over Winter stuff and just want Spring already! This midi skirt from Adored Vintage is one of my favorite every day skirts that lends itself well to more minimalist looks. I also love the pattern! I have this weird thing about polka dots where in order for me to be on board, the dots needs to be small and unevenly spaced. Is that super weird/OCD? Probably, oh well.

Anywaaays, to complete this look I threw on a basic ribbed pullover top from Forever 21. The ribs/stripes are a nice way to add in some subtle pattern mixing/texture while not actually doing full on pattern mixing (but I am a fan of that too!). Forever 21 is so great with these staple items for your closet–especially semi-cropped tops like these. I like to wear shorter tops with skirts (especially the high-waisted kind) so there isn’t a whole lot of fabric to tuck in and make it messy. This look was meant to be worn while out on a warm, Spring day — now all I need is for it to be April to make it work!

Outfit Details: Top: Forever21; Skirt: Adored Vintage; Bag: Live Fashionable Mamuye Tote; Shoes: Matisse

Spring in December

December 26, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

Technically this shoot was taken in November (before the big storm hit) buuut it has been warming up here in Colorado and most of the snow has melted off — yay! I’ve even had a few chances to wear skirts in December which is a nice change of pace. In my opinion, skirts help break up the monotony of pants during the winter a bit. Lately, I have been loving this skirt from Main Street Exchange. Their site describes it as ‘feminine meets practical’ and I couldn’t agree more!

This skirt comes in three other colorways and this one in Taupe seems like more of a rosy peach than a tan/beige color. The material is on the heftier side and has several layers going on which is nice on chillier days. You can’t beat the price point on this one too. And of course it has some very nice pockets–a feature that sells! I got this for Spring but since it has warmed up here it’s nice to be able to showcase it earlier. This sweater from American Eagle is the same style as the one in rust I blogged about a few weeks ago. You know it’s a winner when you get it in more than one color! The length is perfect for both high-waisted jeans and skirts, and its incredibly soft and cozy. So now I’m kind of wishing I got it in a third color, waaah. Oh well, can’t have everything.

**Outfit Details:** Sweater: American Eagle; Skirt: Main Street Exchange; Shoes: Free People Royale Flat; Bag: Etsy – Leather Strata

Cozy Autumn

October 19, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

I recently took the plunge and bought a Sherpa jacket from American Eagle. I know Sherpa or Teddy coats have been a bit of a trend the last few years and I sort have been putting it off. Eventually I wanted to see if they were actually as warm and cozy as everyone says they are. Since the material is synthetic and not actually shearling wool, I was a bit skeptical. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality and how warm they are! American Eagle offers a very affordable and warm sherpa jacket. I found that I could take a walk in it when its sub-50 degrees with no issue. I don’t think its particularly windproof but it’s great on the 45 degrees-and-up kind of days.

This jacket is pretty much perfect for a sunny, October kind of day which is why I wore it to go pick pumpkins at a local farm! I don’t know why but I absolutely love all the dorky things that you do during Fall. Go apple and pumpkin picking? YES. Go marvel at the Fall colors? YES. Go crunch through a bunch of leaves? YES. Go on a hayride through a corn field? Sign me up. Sorry not sorry, ya’ll. Fall is pretty much the best season and I will make no apologies for liking all the things.

As for Fall activities, I enjoyed checking out a u-pick pumpkin patch at Bartel’s Farm and going on their $2 hay ride. It was such a lovely Fall day and everyone there seemed to be in such a good mood. They had a huge field full of pumpkins to pick from, tasty food stands and delicious roasted chilis. It was such a great time!

Outfit: Sherpa Jacket: American Eagle; Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Adriano Goldschmied Corduroy; shoes: Free People; Jewelry: Forever 21

Into the Rockies

October 9, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

We’ve recently had a bout of lovely Fall weather and it has been so gorgeous! I took advantage of the milder temperatures by posting one of my latest favorite dresses from Abercrombie & Fitch. I initially bought this one in the snake skin pattern (not without some amount of trepidation) but it turned out to be a lovely dress! So naturally I had to see what the floral pattern was all about and bought another (it didn’t hurt that it also happened to be on sale). Needless to say I am thrilled with this one as well! This dress has more of a viney pattern than a typical floral design that I just love. It goes great as a Fall layering base — pair it with a cardigan, jacket and tights and you are good to go for cooler weather. This dress is weirdly versatile; it fits in well as part of an every day outfit but could be dressed up for a night out or even a wedding.

I also recently discovered this Etsy shop that sells Babouches in all kinds of patterns and colors. What are Babouches you ask? Well, they are pretty much a slip-on shoe that hails from Morocco. These simple black ones with a foldable heel caught my eye (one of the few they sell with a foldable heel). They are perfect for a more minimalist wardrobe and I am a big fan!

Over the weekend, we did a little road trip to check out the Aspens changing at Rocky Mountain National Park. While I do miss the Midwest falls that have a huge variety of colors, the all yellow trees along the mountain sides are truly stunning! It’s neat to see the little veins of gold in the distance in between all the evergreen trees. If you’re in Colorado, it’s worth checking out this time of the year.

If you do visit Colorado, don’t forget to wear sunscreen! Especially if you are hiking in the mountains, the sun is incredibly powerful. EltaMD’s Broad Spectrum Physical tinted sunscreen is my favorite. It goes on totally matte and is a perfect base under makeup. Shop Here.

Outfit Details: Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Shoes: Etsy/Fezsouk; Jewelry: Forever 21; Hat: Brixton

Snake Print Dress

August 11, 2019 by The Partial Ingredients

I have no idea how I fell in love with this dress. There are two factors here that would make this so improbable that I can hardly believe it. First off: I HATE snake skin print. To me it’s the heavy hitter of trashiness, second only to leopard print. Hate it. I probably don’t need to explain my reasons, you probably already know and are on the same page. Moving on.

Second: the brand is Abercrombie & Fitch. I actually worked at Abercrombie Kids briefly while I was in high school and let’s just say the brand has come along way since then. They have some awesome, well made clothes for reasonable prices that don’t look like kid-wear. No longer do I see the gaudy “AnF” writing on everything nor do I see the oversized moose insignia stitched on everything. Gotta take my hat off to them for getting me to buy something snake skin, seriously. I mean come on, the pattern is gorgeous though right? Also, another awesome thing with their sizing on this dress: they offer this in tall which they recommend for anyone over 5’8. I’m not over 5’8 but I bought it anyways to get an extra few inches in the length, which paid off. I don’t like mini dresses and having the option to add some inches was great. Another smart touch to this wrap dress was the little snap enclosure. While I love wrap dresses it can be annoying to keep the front always secure so that little snap was a perfect touch. I love all the little details of this dress and it’s great to branch out into something I don’t normally wear!

Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Bag: unbranded; shoes: Birkenstock; necklace: Urban Outfitters

Next up is a bit of a makeup experiment. I was curious whether my favorite — but pricey — concealer by NARS (the Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly) could be duped by a more affordable brand. It’s hard to find a perfect tone for fair skinned folks so I thought it would be tough to beat since NARS’ offering is a perfect skin tone match. NYX’s HD Studio Concealer in Porcelain (retails $6) gives a pretty good run for its money though and I was overall very happy with it. The coverage is pretty much the same but maybe slightly less creamy. The tone is a very good match but has a bit more of a pinky tone than NARS. For 1/5 of the price, their dupe is a pretty amazing option. I have tried both as an undereye concealer and am happy with both of them. If you’re a pale person like me and have been on the hunt for a perfect fair skin concealer, try both of these out!