Fashion, Makeup & More Inspired By The Night Circus

I finished Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus after a friend sent me a copy and I am in love with the tale. The story is magical, romantic (but not in a sappy or over the top) and inspirational. The writing is so well done you can imagine the circus in detail. I kept thinking old time glamorous fashion and magic.

Here are some of my picks and ideas that surfaced from the book. These are total inspiration pieces that I would use to create a look based on the book - in real life or in my head. Also I have included some things that just that reminded me of the story. If you have read the book do you have any of your own ideas? If you still have not read the book - go do so now!

Madd Style Cosmetics Swamp Thing eyeshadow shifts colors from green to blue...No need for a color shifting dress when you have a vegan shadow that adds color shifting magic to your look.

Shadows on the wall that seem so real! Create some of your own imagery out of paper and light with Suowen's paper cut circus shadow puppet.

When performing one needs a look that captures attention and Mme. Padva created so many wonderful looks. Gloomth's shop. contains beautiful pieces like the shrug above and other fancies that will get your performance noticed.

The Magician tarot card pendant in sterling silver by KA Gold Jewelry captures elements of the circus perfectly.

 If I came upon an umbrella that protected me from rain and kept me dry I would not give it back. Maybe this necklace has the same power, or one can dream!

Passing time on the train with red yarn in search of the next circus destination will keep you busy. Make red scarves for your friends - new and old as long as they love the circus. If you need magic to turn yarn into a scarf just buy this vegan safe snood from KnotOriginal. 

Keep your friends updated when the circus is in town with these postcards inspired by the book from LostPlotsShop.

Even if you do not know a skilled German clock maker you can get a clock online. Design objects has a black and white themed circus clock that will help you count down till the circus is in town again!

Matt's Chip Pick

 

I bought Chili Lime PopChips over the weekend to go with lunch. I go for weird flavors but Matt is the one that totally dug these! I can tell when Matt really likes something when I am walking away and the convo has ended and he is still talking about them. Vegan, gluten free and 21 chips is 120 calories! Also unlike some accidentally vegan chips on the market bursting with flavor these contain no MSG if you watch out for it!

ParaNorman

Matt and I went to see ParaNorman over the weekend and really liked it. The characters are cute, the story has a good message and there is a bit of adult humor thrown in. I do not like doing movie reviews because I do not want to give anything away - I will just say this: go watch it and have fun!

Face Foward Friday - Vegan Face Care

I usually oil cleanse my face with olive oil and castor oil. However it is summer we are in the 90s now with a 5 day 100+ streak last week. My skin is a bit red and blotchy - something that can be covered up with makeup but I rather treat it! So after receiving samples* of Fresh: Soy Face Cleanser I am hooked. It is gentle, does not really smell and though it is a gel it feels creamy!

Come on - you know you wanna touch it? Have you had the sonic pulsating vibrations run all over your face? Seriously if you have not experienced the Mia then you need to - it is like amazing! Matt bought me the animal print version (naturally!) for my birthday and I have been using it every day - sometimes twice a day!The cleanser it comes with sucks....also the refreshing gel cleanser is not vegan due to sea life.

Urban Decay Naked Skin is really great! At first I thought I would hate it due to reviews but I actually like it and once my BB cream runs out I will buy it since I have been sampling* it. My cousin and I are different undertones while still be light and Naked Skin had a match for both of us...Some companies only have foundation in like 4 colors...Naked Skin has a rainbow of skin tones. it offers good coverage and my skin can still breathe! It is a little watery but I use a damp sponge to apply it with no problem! I am a 3.0 by the way and my cousin who is more pink in tone is a 2.0.

*Getting samples at Sephora is always a good thing! :)

PetPals Makes Kitties Sleepy!

Mar is taking a nap! Why does he look so tired? He just got done playing with some of his toys from his July PetPals package! PetPals matches you up with another blogger and you get to shop for their companion animal. I was paired up with another cat guardian!

 

Besides the super large kicker Kong he received all the goodies above.  He was very happy with everything! Thank you Truffles and Jenna from Mar!

Strawberry Saturday

New ink courtesy of Woode at Paper Planes Tattoo/Art gallery in Modesto, CA. A seven seeded strawberry - 7 years difference between Matt and I plus I feel that 7 is a lucky number!

A Floral Smell That I Like

As you can tell I like scented products for the body. I tend towards bakery scents and anything fruity. I was out of body wash and at Target, nothing fruity and cruelty free was on the shelves and I needed something. I reached for Method's Magnolia and Aloe Vera scented body wash - not really wanting a floral (but I was desperate).

 

I liked the smell right away, it smelled familiar, clean and comforting. In the shower it lathers well, for a scented product it does not irritate my skin or leave it feeling dry, it is easy to get out of the bottle and the formula is silky. Out of the shower the smell lingers and it it subtle and pretty. A nice touch is my skin feels moisturized and squeaky clean. I have bought this body wash a few times now. It is under $6 for a large bottle and with daily use it lasts about a month or more if you are like me and like creating lots of lather .

Making Your Mail Cute

When I went to Japan Town last month my goal was to buy more cute stationary and packing supplies and less clutter. Whenever I am in J-Town I head to the cute paper/stationary shops. I have an addiction to cute paper and that has now extended to washi/MT tape! I even found washi tape at Target recently!

I also look in scrap book sections at big chain craft stores. I like bright colored or dark envelopes to decorate. The above picture is how I send out my smaller zines in the mail. If I get a big stack of papers/envelopes that are the same I often swap smaller amounts with others on Swap-Bot to get a fresh mix. 

I remember as a kid I had a door full of stickers, now I use my stickers on my packages. I also go to town with rubber stamps and gel pens. Stationary is a fun addiction! Making the mail you send out look happy is easy, even if you think you are not an artist. Colorful sharpies and cute address labels is a simple touch. Often when I bring a stack of mail to the post office I get compliments...I love getting cute mail in return and the clerks often can tell what mail is coming in for me!

You can buy mailing supplies on Etsy - do a search for: washi tape, kawaii stationary or stickers. I have had labels printed from VistaPrint for cheap in the past or you can buy label paper at a office store and make your own! Make your mail fun! 

Do you decorate your mail? If so what methods do you use?

Vegan Razors - A Good One To Get

Vegan razors are sometimes hard to come by, even if you do come by one chances are they suck! What makes a razor non-vegan? The strip can contain animal products such as lanolin and most popular razors are made by evil companies that test.

Schick Xtreme 3 eco is a great disposable razor! I called the company, they do not test on animals and this razor does not have animal bits in the strip. They are made from 100% recycled plastic and the package is also made from 100% recycled paper - win! I had a hard time tracking these down locally, I finally found them at Ulta. If you cannot find them locally DrugStore.com has the cheapest price for them right now.

Do they work? Yes, the shave is close, the blades are gentle enough not to hurt my skin (my pits are sensitive). The handle is comfortable, not to thin - causing an awkward grip or to chunky causing a weird claw type grip. The only problem is I left one out in the shower and the water damaged the strip overnight. If you store them in the shower keep them away from water flow - no brainier right? Sometimes I do not think about simple things!