Welcome to my blog, I'm Ricki! I always wanted to share my love for fashion and beauty and a few other things so I finally took the leap and did it! I am almost 40, a wife, mother of 4 and work in progress! I hope to show you with all that life brings your way, you can still be stylish and beautiful! No matter your age, shape, size, budget or imitations I hope to show you that you can always be the best version of you!
And this jumpsuit is not for me! Happy Friday beautiful people! My family is going thru several transitions this year and one of those changes involves downsizing. To meet a future goal we will be moving into a smaller place temporarily and I honestly am looking forward to it. Less to clean and less expenses and I’m going to enjoy that. I am not however looking forward to a smaller space but I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too! So I am working on revamping my wardrobe and having less BUT making sure what I have are clothes and shoes I love and make me look and feel great. You will see more of me defining my style and putting together my wardrobe on blog posts to come.
Well I can tell you this jumpsuit is not making the cut. I purchased it over a year ago from the BeBe outlet and I did try it on in the store. I loved it when I tried it on but I didn’t think about the fact that I had a bra on AND that this jumpsuit was backless. When I got it home I tried it on again without the bra and with the way I tied the ties in the back I figured I could make it work. BUT I have never worn this jumpsuit! As excited as I was to get it, it has sat in my closet for a whole year. Everytime I was going somewhere where it would be appropriate to wear this, I passed because I didn’t feel comfortable in it overall. It was not made for women with a larger bust (see the darting in the front pics) and even though it was cute overall, I didn’t feel cute in it. It was hard to find the proper undergarments that would hold me to wear it. I could go without but I realize I am an almost 40 year old woman and in my opinion and with the way gravity works it just would not have been a good look for me! So that leads me to say this: we may love something but it may not be the best for us. Apply this where you want: fashion, people, relationships etc. People may even say it looks good (we’ve all heard y’all are so cute together lol)but only you know what is best for you. So this jumpsuit will be given away or sold and I will be on the search for a more versatile summer jumpsuit that looks good on me AND makes me feel good in it. Ladies, do you have things in your life that you love that don’t work for you? I suggest you really evaluate the benefit and joy you actually get from that thing (or person) and decide if you really have room enough to keep it! Make space for the good things!
Well I guess that other job isn’t going to work out lol! So I’ll be cute at the one I have for now.
So if you follow me on IG (rickiloves, go follow!) you know I posted yesterday about a possible job change lol. Well the way this body is set up that’s not an option! Also , I can’t dance or shake with any type of coordination so I probably wouldn’t make any money anyway:( I’ll just keep the job I have for now. Even though I don’t love my job I am grateful for employment and to make days better it also helps to be cute and feel good about yourself! I told yall in my last style post I would stretch my wardrobe and switch up my casual look to a more work appropriate one wearing the same jumpsuit from Forever21. To switch it up I pulled out one of my fav basic wardrobe essentials, a belt! I bought this wide brown leather belt a few years ago from the local Express outlet and I love it! It has elastic and a snap closure so it so it can fit me at just about any size but I especially love what it does whenever I wear it: cinches this waist hunny! Who doesn’t like a small waist? I know I do especially after having 4 children (another reason why I couldn’t take the other job)! The belt also helps you look more put together and professional. Go get you one, I’m definitely on the hunt for more!
To help the look be work ready I wore minimal jewelry, put my hair in a bun and added heels.
I work in a business casual enviroment but if you have a more professional dress code add a blazer or cardigan. I hope you like this look and it encourages you to think about different ways to wear the same pieces and stretch your clothes and your budget! Let me know in the comments about what pieces you have that can be worn for work and play.
I have put myself on a blogging schedule in an attempt to bring more content to the blog. I absolutely love blogging and I am grateful to God to finally have found my purpose and passion but it still can be work and being organized helps. I am going to bring you more posts talking about all things beauty particularly for us women in our 30s and 40s. So on Monday I will dedicate my post to make up, hair, skin and anything that makes us feel pretty (on the inside and outside) so I hope you look forward to these posts.
Today I want to share my love for lashes. I am apart of the big eyes club (I get it from my mama ha!) and I was constantly teased about my eyes growing up. I was always called fish eyes growing up and but it’s funny the things you were insecure about when you were younger you embrace as you age! Hunny I love these big eyes now! I love wearing eyeshadow and playing up my eyes with winged eyeliner and as the title of this post tells you I love lashes! Now the love for lashes grew though because I will not lie to you it was a struggle learning to put these suckers on! When I first started really wearing make up (like a full face) I was well into my 30s so my patience for certain techniques was thin and putting on lashes were one of them. I mean it was messy, it was irritating and it was frustrating. I watched so many tutorials and tried so many kinds but was unsuccessful. I honestly gave up. But finally I realized if it was something I wanted to incorporate in my make up look I was going to have to have patience and PRACTICE. If I can give you my #1 tip for applying lashes is practice. It is not something most of us will get on the first try. It is what it is and if you realize that you will win the battle and learn how to put them on. And with the other tips I share hopefully you won’t take as long as I did!
My tips for Lash application:
Make sure your lashes fit your eyes. You need to take them out the package bend them up and then put them against your eyes. It is okay to trim them if need be!
Find a glue that YOU like and that you can tolerate. I use DUO glue that goes on white but dries clear. However it is latex based so if you are allergic to latex, DUO also makes a brush on version which is latex free and has vitamins. Now this is my opinion because I know people who use it (and theirs looks good) but I DO NOT USE HAIR BOND glue. It is not made for lashes and I have seen some terrible eye irritations due to wearing it. Also when you are a beginner you do not want that sticky smelly glue all over your eyes! I know people do this so they don’t have to reapply everyday but I would rather do that then have pink eye, I’m just saying!
Apply a thin layer of glue but make sure you apply enough at the ends. These are the places you need the glue to stick the most. Nothing worst then having an eyelash hanging off.
After you apply the glue, give it 30 seconds to a minute to dry before trying to apply them. I usually apply my glue to my lashes and then let them dry while applying my mascara or highlight. If you apply the lashes right after putting on the glue they will not stick. This is not hot glue lol and it needs time to get tacky so they will stick.
Use tweezers when applying as a beginner. Once you become a pro you can do what you want but tweezers give you the control you need to get a good application.
When applying, place your lashes on your lash line in the center of your eye. Then take your tweezers and apply the lashes to the end and corners of your eye. Check out Maria Antoinette on YouTube, she has a helpful, detailed video on applying lashes for beginners. I’ll also make sure to share it on my FB page so make sure to like Ricki Loves on Facebook! (Shameless plug!)
I just recently learned to not try to put my lashes all the way to my inner corner. For me this doesn’t work. My eyes would water and they would never stick. Now I pull them further away from the inner corner and I promise it still looks good!
After you have applied your lashes, take your finger and press the lashes against the lash line. This will help them stick closer to your lash line and look more believable.
If you don’t have them close enough to your lash line, that’s okay! Use eyeliner to bridge the gap! No one will even know!
Apply a thin coat of mascara to blend the lashes with your natural ones. This helps them to look more realistic.
Finally like I said before practice and have patience! You will get it down. And when you do you may even feel naked without them!
Now below I have shared pics of my favorite lashes with links cause I love ya’ll. They are all from the drugstore or beauty supply (no fans though ladies! PLEASE!) and very affordable. I have honestly never tried mink lashes and maybe I will in the future but for now these are my go to. I also would suggest starting with these because the bands are thinner, easier to work with and look better when you are just learning how to apply them. I also get the most bang for my buck because I do reuse them by cleaning them after I take them off with Micellar Water, tweezers, and I spray them with alcohol to disinfect. Most times I can get anywhere from 5-10 wears or more out of a pair!
Here is a great pair to start with: Half lashes. These are so easy to apply and add just enough flair to your own lashes. Just make sure you use mascara to blend them with your natural ones.
I hope you give wearing lashes a try. They are not for everyone but it doesn’t hurt to try a new look or technique and shake up your normal routine. If you are a lash lover like me, which ones are your favorites and what tips do you have to make application easier? Let me know in the comments!
Jumpsuit: Forever 21 Sandals: Charlotte Russe (old) Bucket bag: Just Fab (old)
Happy Friday! Even though we had a day off during the week it just wasn’t enough, so I’m going to keep this post short and sweet so that you can start weekend!
I found this jumpsuit at Forever 21 a few weeks ago. Here in Houston at the Woodlands Mall location every item located on the second floor of the store is $10 or less and there is usually a sale on top of that. This jumpsuit was $7.99 with an additional 30% off! And I am in love with earth tones and olive green and my favorite metal is gold which looks really good with this color so it was definitely going home with me. I knew this was a good piece to wear on the weekend casually. I love these strappy minimal lace up sandals and because they’re nude they match with everything. Minimal jewelry and makeup and a small bag which can be worn as a crossbody finish this laid back look. I think this look is perfect for a weekend lunch or brunch or shopping. BUT I am editing my closet and learning how to get the most out of my wardrobe so I figured I could pull a work look off with this piece as well. The material of this jumpsuit is not see thru at all so it could definitely work. So next week I’ll be showing you how adding some accessories you probably already have and some heels you can stretch your wardrobe and get work and play from the same item! What do you like to wear when you’re out and about on the weekends? Let me know in the comments and have an awesome weekend!
Hey ladies!!!I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend and sad face for everyone that has to work Monday (me included) but hopefully me and my blogger boos can brighten your day with some fireworks! Cue the Katy Perry song! But seriously my friends and I thought that we would get together and show you how to slay the 4th of July without help from Old Navy No shade because I was tempted to get a flag tee this weekend when I heard they were $2.50 but I challenged myself to not be lazy and come up with two looks in my red, white and blue! My friends Ranisha from The Cost Conscious Fashionista and Eve from On the Eve Style (click the names and check them out because they’re awesome! Thank me later!) encouraged me to put that Old Navy tee down and gave me inspiration by also creating looks in our flag’s colors! Make sure you check out there looks for more ideas on styling your 4th of July outfit!
Slay Ranisha!
You are too cute Eve!
So moving on to the outfits! I actually bought this first dress never intending for it to be apart of this post but it kind of just fell into place when searching my closet for a look. The dress is from She in (they’ve been getting all my coins lately) and I will admit it is an item that looks different from the pic but I still liked it when I received it. I thought the dress would be a different material and it has absolutely NO stretch. So if you think about purchasing definitely size up! And because there was no stretch it was difficult to put on and take off. I felt like a little kid getting dressed by my mom with my arms up over my head while my daughter was helping me slide it on. But I think it’s still a cute look. Let me know what you think! The red floral slides (size up) are from She in as well and I did buy them when I ordered this dress because I wanted to experiment with mixing prints and this is an easy way to do that.
For my second look I actually ordered this dress from Amazon. It was my first time ordering clothes from them but it definitely will not be the last. They have tons of items for us budget fashionistas and with Amazin Prime you can’t beat it (sign up for a 30 day free trial, I promise you’ll be addicted!) I love midi dresses and I knew I wanted a white dress for the summer for any all white parties I may be invited to (still waiting). The material of this dress is like a swimsuit material and it sucks you in!! I would still suggest undergarments for a smoother look but the ruching on the dress helps hide problem areas as well. This dress was not the easiest to put on either but the stretch and fit made it worth the struggle!
Dress: here Scarf: Target Body Chain: old from Forever21 Purse: vintage
I paired this again with red floral slides for a casual glam look and my gold body chain. To bring in the blue I added my vintage Dooney and Bourke purse with an American Flag scarf from Target (thanks Eve) tied in a bow on the handle.
It was hot!
I am in love with this dress and I will be remixing it on the blog again and ordering more colors (there were so many to choose from!) Now I wanna know how you celebrate the 4th? Does your family have any traditions or is it just nice to relax and have a day off? Let me know in the comments and of course share what you wear! And I still might get that Old Navy tee lol!
I have put myself on a blogging schedule in an attempt to bring more content to the blog. I absolutely love blogging and I am grateful to God to finally have found my purpose and passion but it still can be work and being organized helps. I am going to bring you more posts talking about all things beauty particularly for us women in our 30s and 40s. So on Monday I will dedicate my post to make up, hair, skin and anything that makes us feel pretty (on the inside and outside) so I hope you look forward to these posts.
severalpeoplesmama.com 