fall Archives » Alina Avery

Bite Beauty Swiss Chocolate

November 10, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

Bite Beauty has been doing something really fun this year. Each month they have been releasing a new shade of Lip Lab Limited Release Crème Deluxe Lipstick. The shade is usually very on-trend and appropriate for the month or season and usually very high impact; they haven’t yet released anything remotely nude or neutral.

I love the Bite Beauty lipstick formula, and I love the idea of a seasonal collection, but none of the shades really spoke to me until November’s. Also, it’s a bit of a gamble. If you are the kind of person that wants to see swatches and reviews of a product before you buy it, you’re going to have a hard time with these because they tend to sell out before reviews or even photos hit the blogs/Instagram. And none of the other monthly shades were compelling enough for me to take the plunge blindly. But when I saw November’s color, I pretty much snatched it up right away and hoped for the best. It’s now sold out so I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to post about it since you can’t buy it, but if you’ve been wondering about a warm reddish brown lipstick, maybe this will help.

I do also wish that since these are limited edition and seasonal, they’d come in something a little more interesting than the standard Bite Beauty lipstick packaging. There was a missed opportunity here to create something much more high impact that fits along with the shade or season.

Bite Beauty Swiss Chocolate is described as “deep brown with red undertone” and it’s a very dark, very warm almost oxblood shade.

Shades like this look scary in the tube, but are surprisingly wearable and really amp up a look. The warmer shade makes it a bit less goth but still pretty vampy. When applied directly, this lipstick is opaque and creamy, but it can also be applied over a lip balm and sheered out for a wash of color.

On the lips, it looks a bit browner and deeper than when swatched.

The color I own most similar to this would be the shade Lisa made at my bachelorette party that I loved so much I had them make another one for me too, but that one is a bit cooler and purple toned and a bit edgier. The same with Tom Fords Black Orchid, which I think now is discontinued.

Carrot Apple Muffins

October 22, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

We decided to buy a 5 lb bag of carrots at Whole Foods (because why not, right?), so get ready for a lot of carrot related food posts.

Starting with these muffins. I knew I wanted to make a form of carrot cake because 1) SO MANY CARROTS and 2) our new food processor can shred like a champion. So I searched for recipes using my usual technique and ended up with this one for Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Apple Muffins.

Which I promptly massacred into no longer being remotely gluten-free OR vegan by swapping in eggs, milk, flour, honey, and butter. What can I say, I’m a traditionalist.

These muffins turned out awesome though, and I’m sure the gluten-free and vegan version is at least 75% as good.

You can click through to the recipe. Basically, I just used one extra large egg instead of the “flax eggs”, butter instead of olive oil, 2% milk instead of almond milk, regular old all purpose flour instead of the gluten-free flour blend, and honey instead of agave. I also skimped on the brown sugar because our open package was shy of the 1/2 cup required and I didn’t want to open a new one. They are plenty sweet as it is, so I don’t think we missed it! Other ingredients: shredded apple and carrot, mashed banana, rolled oats, almond meal, and cinnamon.

In lieu of traditional cream cheese frosting, we served these for breakfast with Siggi’s yogurt, which is more tart, thicker, and smoother than other yogurts I’ve found. The tart balanced the sweet perfectly. They also have great fall flavors out like Pumpkin Spice and Apple Pie which are amazing with these muffins. Finally, add a handful of raw walnuts and you’re good to go!

How I’m Changing My Beauty Routine for Fall

October 21, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

As the weather gets colder and suntans fade, you’re going to want to make some changes to your routine. Here are a few updates I’m making:

The other day, it was pretty clear that it’s no longer acceptable to go outside with wet hair. You could catch a cold (or freeze and damage your tresses)! So I’m pulling out the blowdryer more often, and shampooing as infrequently as possible to make those blowouts last. You hair will adjust to more sparse washing schedule over time, but until then you may find it gets greasy along the roots or dry among the ends. To combat this (and prolong my blowout) I make sure to use a heat protectant spray, a hair serum or oil, and plenty of dry shampoo. Since blow drying applies heat to the hair, I’ll also cut back on other hot tool styling so as not to fry my poor strands too much.

I still want glowing skin in the summer, but my skin tone is a growing paler every day and a more matte finish is starting to appeal to me more and more. I’ve been mixing about 5-6 drops of the Armani Maestro Fusion Foundation in shade 5 and 2 drops of the Bare Minerals Bare Skin Serum Foundation in Bare Latte. I put both on the back of my hand, blend them together and apply in sections with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. These formulas are both so lightweight and together I can make the perfect shade with a natural satin finish. I’ll finish up with the Armani Maestro Eraser concealer under the eyes, using the same brush.

Colder weather can dry out skin, so I’m reaching for heavier eye and lip and skin creams, and being careful with my cleansers so as not to strip or dry out skin. I use the original Bioderma formula to remove all traces of makeup while keeping my skins moisture balance intact. Another product I’ve been relying on night and day is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. I love this for lips, cuticles, anywhere you’ve got dry skin really. Also the Nuxe Multi Use Dry Oil has been a lifesaver for arms and legs. My go-to cold skin eye cream is the Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica Eye. The thick formula is super moisturizing.

Fall Jacket Styling

October 20, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

Let’s talk about the J Crew Downtown Field Jacket.

You might not know it by name, but chances are if you don’t own this jacket, you know someone who does. It’s a classic in every way: cut, color, fabric. It’s simple, but the gold tone hardware and slim but structured shape make it a perfect fall jacket. The only problem is everyone else seems to think so, too. So how can you style it to stand out from the crowd?

Add a fur collar. Or if your moral bar is set higher than mine, a vintage or faux fur one. Etsy is a great place to find them. Usually, they’ll come with 5-6 pins and you can attach them to any jacket or sweater you’d like. It’s also a great way to transition a lighter fall jacket into early winter. It adds warmth while still feeling chic. It’s a great investment since you can keep the stole forever as jackets go in and out of style.

Enamel pins. They’re so trendy right now! And an easy and inexpensive way to show some personality. Sara M Lyons (of NSFW nail decal fame) has some great ones in her shop, like this “Whatever Forever” pin and these false lashes. You can also find pin forms of emojis, your favorite foods, cartoon characters, etc. This is another one where you can probably stumble upon some great vintage finds.

Layer it. Vests are also quite trendy right now, and as it grows colder, you’ll only want to pile on more and more clothes whenever you venture outside. You already know how much I love wearing leather, but suede, fringe, and shearling are also popular and chic options. Throw one on over your jacket to elevate it just a bit.

Leather / Fringe / Shearling

A Week in (Leather) Outfits

September 28, 2015 by Alina Avery 1 Comment

I’m in San Diego this week for work, so it’s a lot less like fall all of a sudden, but I’m sticking with it anyway. And what says fall fashion more than wearing leather? Well constructed leather pieces are perfectly structured but soft, sleek but warm, and classic but versatile. I’ve been accumulating leather (and leather look) pieces for years and decided that last week I’d honor the onset of fall weather with one whole work weeks worth of outfits styled around key leather pieces from my wardrobe.

The pieces:

Like I said, I’ve been collecting leather wardrobe staples for years, so a lot of these aren’t available online anymore. But they are pretty classic and therefore easy to find similar versions of. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in similar pieces to any of these styles and I’ll do my best to hunt them down for you!

To kick off the week, I eased into it with a pair of super soft semi-sueded joggers. Mine are from Anthropologie, and I snagged them on super sale a few years ago. When looking for a jogger style, which is still pretty trendy, go for a slimmer cut and a cropped length so they look more sporty and less “I Dream of Jeannie”. I paired mine with a cropped cashmere/cotton blend sweater from Banana Republic. The cropped length makes the top appear more fitted and balances the cut of the pants. Try not to go too voluminous, but you don’t want it skin tight either. You’ll also want to go with a pointier toed shoe, either a flat or a pump, to elongate legs a bit (these are on sale, I say forget the white after Labor Day rule and go for it!) I also wore my (leather, duh) House of Harlow necklace (via Rocksbox) and the Kate Spade Cedar Street Mini Maise in black which I always get compliments on as it’s the most adorable tiny purse ever.

Tuesday I was heading to an evening event for #bostonbloggers so I thought I needed to keep my style a bit edgy. I wore these leather-look trousers from River Island which I snagged right after Anna posted about them. They are the perfect high-rise-skinny-leg cut and the leather is almost passable as genuine, even though these are vegan. I paired them with a white silk back tee from Theory (my version of an elevated basic), my favorite gold lariat necklace from Madewell, a classic J Crew canvas jacket that pretty much everyone and their grandma owns, and a pair of (super uncomfortable) ankle boots from Steve Madden.

I love this look for Wednesday. I actually wore this dress for our wedding rehearsal dinner back in March, but with a few styling updates it’s great for fall too. I toughened it up with the same booties and purse from earlier in the week, a pair of sheer black tights, a simple black cardigan (because the office is freezing) and a stack of gold bracelet from Baublebar (tassels are so hot right now).

Thursday I opted for a pair of Helena Quinn Suede Shorts that I got on mega ultra sale at Anthropologie last year. Seriously like 90% off. Shorts can be a little much for work, so I toned it down by paring it with a casual grey cardigan and flats. These are the Jimmy Choo “Alina” flats that I bought for my wedding because 1. they are named after me and 2. duh glitter flats. Topped it all off with a simple black cami and Tom Ford nail polish in Scarlet Chinois.

And finally Friday. A leather jacket I picked up from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this summer but had to leave in the closet for months until it was appropriate to wear. I dressed it up with a pair of (ok judge me) “Alina” pumps from Diane Von Furstenburg and a blingy necklace from Rocksbox (another item I wore at my wedding!) Then I dressed it back down with a simple v-neck t-shirt from Madewell (these are the best t-shirts EVER) and my favorite destroyed denim from J Brand.

So all-in-all, a pretty solid leather (slash “Alina” shoes, slash clothes from my wedding) week. As you can see, I tend to wear a lot of neutral colors when it comes to fashion and try to incorporate color with a bold lip or pop of eyeshadow. How do you wear leather? Do you have pieces you like to bring out every fall?

Fall-ish Polish

September 16, 2015 by Alina Avery 2 Comments

It’s September. It’s fashion week. So it’s fall, right?

I mean, kind of.

Temps are definitely cooling down, but it’s still sunny and relatively warm (this is Boston after all!) I’m dying to get back into tights and booties and leather jackets and scarves, but it’s still much too summery to dive into full on fall outfits.

So how do you transition to fall while still staying weather appropriate?

Easy. Switch up your nail polish!

Summertime screams for bright colors in jelly or shimmery finishes. But an easy and subtle way to start shifting towards fall is to break out the creams in sophisticated shades. Easy guide below!

If your summer color was a bright white, go for a warm cream. It’s like your familiar white polish with two pumps of sugar-free nonfat caramel. My pick: Essie Urban Jungle.

If your summer color was baby pink, ditch it for a dusty rose. Something that’s still light and feminine, but less “oh, I’m eating cotton candy” and more “oh, I’m flushed from chilly weather”. Say hello to Dior Lady!

If your summer color was a flirty fuchsia, try a modern deep purple. Aubergines are in-season until October, just saying. Okay, fine, eggplant if you want to be American, but doesn’t aubergine sound nicer? OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark is the perfect blackened shade.

If your summer color was aqua sparkles, check out a vibrant cobalt. Just because you’re not hanging out on a sailboat anymore doesn’t mean you can’t channel the sea. It’s just more of a fall sea. It’s colder. And cooler. Like Jin Soon Blue Iris.

And if your summer color was a candy apple red, upgrade to an understated oxblood. Goodbye beach, hello orchard. This is the ultimate classic fall color and my personal favorite! Julep Coco is my go-to shade (this is my 2nd bottle…)

Of course nothing is done without a finishing coat of Seche Vite.

What are your favorite fall polishes? How are you getting ready for fall?