Review // Lime Crime Carousel Lipgloss

Oh, happy Saturday!

Today I got the great surprise of the all-new Lime Crime Carousel Lip Gloss in the mail. I was pretty excited to see that LC was coming out with a new product line. I adore their lip sticks, so I knew that the announcement of lip glosses was great news.


First allow me to start out by saying how hard it was for me to choose just one color. They're all beautiful! I went with the Kaleidoscope because 1) I am totally in a purple mood, 2) I already have a lot of red lipsticks and lip glosses, and 3) it's a great autumn/winter color. Candy Apple and the Gold both have caught my eye as well, so it was a tough call. In the end, I'm happy I went with Kaleidoscope.


The lipgloss is great and very opaque. The scent is clean and has hints of vanilla. Best of all, the flake is a bluish-silverish-turquoise. The color combination is wonderful! As far as the texture goes, I'm impressed. For as thick and opaque as the color is, I was worried that it would be sticky. It's really quite smooth. I wore it all night at work tonight and it stayed rather well. I got a lot of compliments from moms, men, and young ladies alike. Do you realize how much fun it is to turn people onto Lime Crime?

So enjoy the video (as redundant as I am), and hopefully you can get some Carousel lip gloss when it's released this Monday. I'm looking forward to trying the other colors, too!

Available Monday, November 28th at LimeCrimeMakeup.com.

Black Friday (and Thursday) at Mini Penny Shop

Happy Thanksgiving, Minis! I am monumentally thankful for all of the friends, family, and readers who have made Mini Penny the fun adventure that it has been so far. I can't wait to continue this blog and share many more things with all of you!

To show my appreciation, I'm starting my Black Friday sale early! All day today and tomorrow, you can get 30% off of everything in the Mini Penny Shop by using the code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout!

I hope everyone enjoys their holiday. Be careful out in the crowds tomorrow if you're planning on hitting up the mall or stores. It can really get bonkers out there!

Hair Repair Product Reviews: Ion, Zotos, and Hask

Obviously I have some concerns with my hair's health. I color regularly — well, not as regularly as I used to — with harsh bleach. I also blow dry, straighten, and curl on a daily basis. On top of all this, I live in a cold, windy city that sucks the moisture out of my skin and hair.

Upon moving to Chicago I decided to go on a quest for some really amazing hair restoring products. I had been using the Hask Placenta leave in conditioner after reading The Dainty Squid talk about it a bit. I really enjoyed it. The price is right and the result is very nice. But while it works for me, it doesn't work for everyone — especially considering that it's made of, well, placenta.


First up is the Ion line that I found the other day at Sally's Beauty Supply. I have been really wanting new shampoo and conditioner, and the Smoothed Solutions line seemed like a good fit. I bought the Ion Keratin Smoothing Shampoo, Ion Keratin Smoothing Conditioner, and the Ion Repair Solutions Effective Care Treatment. I also had an in-store coupon for buy two get one free on the Smoothing line (I paid $5.79 each), so I picked up two shampoos and one conditioner. The Effective Care Treatment was originally $8.49 but was on sale for $5.99, plus I had a $5 off coupon).

Ion Keratin Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner — Both of these have a really awesome texture and are very moisturizing. I actually prefer the smell of the Ion products over Matrix Biolagé, which is saying a lot for me. Prior to finding this shampoo and conditioner combo, Biolagé was easily my favorite line of hair products. The shampoo lathers nicely. After using these and blow drying, I immediately noticed a difference in the texture of my hair. It was softer and smoother than normal! The shampoo is sulfate free and both products have no sodium chloride added.

Ion Repair Solutions Effective Care Treatment — This is the sort of treatment that I've been looking for! It's not a leave in, but is thick and moisturizing. The bottle recommends leaving it in for anywhere between 1-5 minutes. I left it in for about 3-4 minutes and when I rinsed it out, my hair felt smoother than ever. Upon drying my hair, not only was it soft and smooth, but it was shiny. Even the blonde sections! This is a huge deal because I have been pretty bummed about my damaged ends lately. The Repair Solution Treatment has really made a difference! Another bonus is that this product is 100% vegan.


Next up is the Zotos Hair Rescue Extreme Frizz Kit. I learned about this product when we started carrying it at work. I thought that I would give it a whirl. At ten bucks it doesn't break the bank — but at the same time, it's not a miracle product. It claims to "reduce frizz by 50%." While it made my hair a little smoother, I wouldn't say that it made a huge nor lasting difference to my locks. The bottles are all very tiny (25ml each) and the first and second treatment only last about two rounds. The creme left my hair with a less-than-desireable texture.

There are five different kits you can chose from, and while I'm interested in whether or not they work, I probably won't go out on a limb to try them any time soon.

And finally, my "old" standby. While there are people who are uncomfortable with using this product, I've weighed the pros and cons. The results are pretty darn amazing and placenta is normally disposed of — therefore no animals are actually harmed in making this leave in treatment. It is also not tested on animals. After I get out of the shower, I apply it to my hair, leave for a few minutes and then just style as usual. It makes my hair ultra soft and lovely! I pay $5 for mine at Sally's Beauty Supply, but it's also available at various places around the internet.
So for all of the Minis out there who dye and use excessive heat on your hair, what is your favorite product? Are there any hair restoration treatments that you swear by?

Magnificent Mile

Click to View on LookBook

I spent the chilly day with my mom! We went down to the Magnificent Mile for some shopping and touristy goodness.



First we stopped into H&M. Mom got me an awesome cat dress for my birthday (!!!) and some tights. I was pretty excited that they bagged my purchase up in this cool Versace + H&M bag even though I got nothing from the new collection. Speaking of which, there were some pretty crazy prints and styles in the new Versace+H&M line, but they were pretty sold down on most of it.


Also, I got to hang out with my favorite cowboy, Woody!


I took my mom to the AllSaints Spitalfields store, too. Yesterday was the first time I had ever been into this store and I am borderline speechless at its amazing-ness. Between the plethora of old industrial equipment and sewing machines and the rustic color scheme, I would be content with never leaving! My mom was really into it as well.




Of course we did a little sightseeing. I finally strolled by the Marilyn statue on the way to show mom Millennium Park. There were lots of folks ice skating — majorly cute! After all of this excitement, we headed back to Logan Square for burritos and ran a few errands. It was an awesome day!


So tomorrow we are going to go thrifting and hit up Wicker Park. I have to go back to work on Tuesday and Wednesday before having the holiday off for some wonderful Thanksgiving food! I'm pretty excited to eat my weight in turkey, taters, and gravy. How about you?

Oversized Knit Scarf, UO
Denim jacket, thrifted
Grey basic cami, XXI
Basic black skirt, XXI
Double Wrap Belt, UO
Forest Green Knee High socks, XXI
Canvas and Leather boots, UO
Fingerless mittens, Walgreens (really!)
Leopard print satchel, Target

New Items for Sale!

Slowly but surely I am adding new items to the Mini Penny Shop.


80s Pellini Floral Maxi Dress $24. I love this dress and it would look incredible with a chunky sweater and boots for the winter season. Size S-M.


Vintage Black Pleated Mid-Length Skirt SOLD

The next few items are not listed in shop because they are not vintage. If you're interested in any three of these items, please send me an email with your zip code and I'll give you a shipping quote! The shop my closet series in the past have been successful, so hopefully these three items can find new, lovely homes with you!


Kimchi Blue Striped Ruffle Tank in Navy/White. Originally retailed at Urban Outfitters for around $38. Asking $5 + shipping. Great condition with no pilling. Size Medium.


Celebrity Pink denim dress from Macy's. SOLD


BDG High Rise Grazer Cigarette Denim in grey floral. SOLD

So that's all for right now. Stay tuned for more goodies. Also remember that you get 10% off at the Mini Penny Shop when you use the code BLOGSPOT at checkout!

The Local Firm + Miista

Click to view on LookBook

Cheers, Minis! I don't have a terrible amount to update you with today, but certainly wanted to share my absolutely amazing finds with you. Consider this a "haul" of sorts — except with only two items.

First up is this black sheer dress I'm wearing. It's by The Local Firm and was originally priced at $415 (ouch!). Would you like to take a guess at what I paid for it? Ten dollars. It's really quite lovely and I wish you could see more of the sheer-ness in the photo. I'm wearing it over a black bodysuit and army green opaque tights. Such a fun and flirty combo.


Next up are my new favorite boots! These are the Miista Adiras in black. Aren't they great? They retailed for $230 and I nabbed 'em up for only five dollars. Yeah, that's right. Five dollars. I'm such a big spender these days, eh?

Shucks, either way, I have a four day weekend. I'm pretty amped and can't wait to get new items in the Etsy shop! Hope you all have a great Friday!

Leopard print crop, thrift + DIY
Yellow skinny belt, thrifted
The Local Firm sheer dress, UO Surplus
Miista Adira Boots, UO Surplus
HUE army green opaque tights, Anthropologie

Intarsia

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The weather has really been quite splendid the past few days here in Chicago. Yesterday it hit 70° (according to my phone) and today was in the high 50°s. Love it!


I stopped by Sage's art show yesterday before heading into work. His decks will be hanging (and for sale) at Uprise Skateshop for the entire month of November. Not to mention that there are huge prints of me hanging in the shop window!

Otherwise, it was a pretty chill Sunday and Monday. This weekend should be great because I have four consecutive days off of work — my plans are to add new items to the Etsy shop! Keep on the look out. I have some really nice stuff that is just waiting to be shared with you.


This is one of my favorite (warm) sweaters. Geoffrey bought it for my birthday last year. It's super cozy without being frumpy. I've been waiting for the right temperatures to swing by for me to break it out of the closet again. The colors are probably my favorite part and the pattern reminds me of the family vacations of my childhood to the American Southwest!

Oh and did I mention that I'm totally obsessed with false lashes at the moment?

Intarsia open cardigan, UO (gift from Geoff)
Floral corset bodysuit, UO
Guess? Vintage denim, thrift + DIY
Knee high socks, drugstore
Dolce Vita boots, Target

Bombshell Mini Art Show at Uprise Skateshop

Photo courtesy of Bombshell Skateboards

If you're in Chicago, try and stop by Uprise Skateshop today for the Bombshell Mini Art Show! I will be there for the first hour or so before I have to head into work, so stop by and say hello! My friend Sage makes these really awesome skate decks and I did a little bit of modeling for them on Friday. Come see 'em!



There will be some free beers and t-shirts, along with totally awesome people and art. Don't miss it!

Uprise Skateshop

1820 N. Milwaukee

Chicago, Illinois

2-4pm

Wicker Park

Click to View on LookBook

Hope your weekend has been as great as mine! Yesterday my friend Josh and I went to Cemitas Puebla for our free cemitas (Thanks ScoutMob!) and they were absolutely divine.


I'm super partial to the carne asada cemita, but there's also a vegetarian version and some other meat choices. They are delicious. I don't consider myself much of a foodie (other than the fact that I l-o-v-e food), but this is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. If you haven't been there, go now!




The weather has been really nice and made for some comfortable day-time bike rides. Night, on the other hand, it gets quite a bit colder. I'm normally a huge baby when it comes to biking in the chilly temperatures, but I've been dealing with it alright.


Friday night was a bit brisk, and I biked over to Sage's to model for one of his project, make dinner, and catch up with three of my favorite monsters (aka: giant dogs) ever.


Aren't they the cutest? Say hi to Igor, Mugsy, and Boris!


We made some tasty black bean burgers before heading out to an 11/11/11 party. Did anyone else attend any of these? We skipped out on the 80s-themed one (darn it!) and hit up a chill house party near my apartment.



I got to hang out with some awesome little kitties at this person's place. Oh, and randomly met one of the people who films for that show Hoarders. I'll admit, it's a guilty pleasure of mine and just makes me want to scrub my apartment. Hah!


There was also a kaleidoscope lying around that I used as a fun iPhone lens.


Here's a preview of what Sage has been working on...


As for last night, a group of us met up at the Eskell/BikeFancy party. I managed to ride in full makeup and not look like a mess when I got there. Good for me!


Eskell is a totally adorable little boutique in Wicker Park. It reminds me so much of TIGERTREE back home in Columbus. They had the Pendleton Portland Collection (drool), a great window display, and some tasty brandy apple cider. We stayed here for a bit and decided to go grab some pizza.



Something that's totally different about Chicago are the alcohol restrictions. I've noticed that so many places here are BYOB friendly. We never had that in Columbus! Personally, I like the idea — it seems cheaper and I can bring whatever random beer I want. We ended up at Dante's Pizzeria with Sage, Matt, Cupcake, and Trippz. It was a nice place to chill for a little while before I headed home and went to bed.

Thanks to Josh Gibson for taking my outfit photos on Saturday!

As for yesterday's outfit, it was a tad bit basic. That's okay, though. The weather was so perfect and I was in comfy-mode. It turns out that I have to work a night shift tonight. Before that, though, I'll be at Uprise Skateshop for Sage's art show! I'll be posting more on that in just a moment...

What did you do with your weekend? Crystal Amethyst Necklace, DIY
Gap basic tee, unknown
Forever 21 skinny denim, thrifted
Studded bracelet, Forever 21
Mossimo Leopard satchel, Target
KB Suede Mary Jane Platforms, Urban Outfitters

Bicycle FIlm Festival Chicago

Photo courtesy of Heritage Bicycles General Store. Click to enlarge.

I wanna share this awesome little photo with you guys and give a big thanks to Heritage Bicycles General Store. They paired up with Alan Gagne from FourEyePhoto (assisted by Chris Rios) during the Sunday portion of the Bicycle Film Festival in Chicago. Click to enlarge the photo — it's really great!

When Sage and I arrived at the skatepark, these nice fellows pulled me aside and asked to snap a picture of my bicycle in me. How could I say no? I really love how they turned out!

I went ahead and threw this image up on LookBook. My outfit wasn't anything über-creative, but it is a change of pace to see what I'm wearing when I'm riding around the city!

A note about this jacket — it's amazing. My mom got it for me for Christmas two years ago for my winter bike riding. It's a super thin shell, but it's really, really warm and weatherproof! I love that it's cut a little lower in the back to prevent the unsightly butt-crack, plus an inside zipper pocket to hold goodies. Thanks, mom!

Tomorrow is Friday (TGIF!) and 11/11/11. I'm sure it will be a Twilight-Zone-esque type of day.

Ripped tights, DIY

Big Buddha Rylee Oxfords, Bakers

Vintage Guess? Shorts, Thrift + DIY

Black belt with gold hardware, Thrift

Alternative Apparel heather grey tank, UO

Mossimo Red flannel, Target

Champion weather-proof shell, Target

Gold triangle necklace, Etsy

No Laughing Matter

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Just kidding, laugh it up.

I came to realize that I don't have many photos on my blog of smiling. I look so... serious. Frankly, I'm not a terribly serious person — I giggle, I'm awkward, and I make bad jokes. So here. This is me smiling and being me.

More reasons for smiles:

• I love my new job
• I love my apartment
• This amazing deal on ScoutMob to get a free cemita at my favorite Chicago restaurant, Cemitas Puebla! Thanks for the tip, RetroTrash!
• My mom is coming up and staying with me for a few days around Thanksgiving. We're going to make dinner at my apartment and invite some of my friends over who are unable to go home to their families for the holidays!
• Geoff is coming up the first of December to celebrate my birthday! In all of this excitement, I almost forgot that I'll be turning the big 25 in just a couple of weeks!

I'm just so happy here. I love Chicago, really. I never thought that a place could make me feel so good. Today it was rainy and what most would consider "miserable" outside. That's okay. I got my little butt on the bus and went to work as usual, listening to Pandora on my phone and toting my little leopard print bag around. Keep it simple and keep it happy.

This weekend I hung out with my friends Matthew, Erica and Sage. It had been a long time since I had been with them all, and it was beyond awesome to catch up. I also made some new friends and connections. Exciting! With all of the fun events (and 40 hours of work that I'm completing) every week, I'm trying to keep you all updated. Getting the outfit photos is a little tougher without my Geoffrey around. In due time...


So, here are a few highlights from my weekend:


I spotted this perfectly a-okay pumpkin next to the dumpster on my way home from work. The poor little guy looks so unsuspecting and happy!


On Thursday I went out to a little hole-in-the-wall called Danny's to meet up with some friends. We danced a bit, but I had to work Saturday morning, so I headed home early. (PS: I love the mirrors in my bathroom!)



Since I've been here I've been on my bike a lot more than I was back in Columbus. I missed my Madeline! It's been cold, but being on the bicycles with friends makes up for the chill!




On Saturday night I met up with my friend Josh to have burritos and horchata at 2 Amigos. This little place is super close to my apartment and is so tasty! For the record, Josh has totally amazing hair.


We also hit up the Bicycle Film Festival on Sunday. It was alright but I wish we had been able to get there on Friday evening instead. They had some veggie burgers and hot apple cider during the tricks contest. The weather was nice and autumn-like, so it was totally bearable to be outside for a few hours. I had my photo snapped by some nice fellows and can't wait to see how the photos turned out! Hopefully I'll be able to share that with all of you later this week.


After the BFF, we went to Revolution Brewing Co to meet up with some of the organizers. I tried this extra delicious cider for kicks and totally love it. It's definitely one of my favorites now!

On top of all of this greatness, I also was tipped off to a hilarious movie on Netflix Instant called Thankskilling. If you're into campy B-horror movies, check it out. It's about a vulgar talking turkey who is trying to kill everyone in a small town in Ohio. Pretty silly and totally cheesy!


So I finally picked up some knit shorts! These are pretty cute and cozy. I still haven't totally unpacked all of my clothing, so I couldn't find my bolo tie nor my bow tie. Bummer! Either way, I'm digging the torn tights lately and still can't get enough of these wedges.

Express sheer blouse, thrifted
Express skinny purple belt, thrifted
Sparkle & Fade Knit shorts, UO Surplus Chicago
Torn tights, Target + DIY
Vintage black cardigan, Chicago Vintage Bazaar
Suede Mary Jane Platforms, UO Columbus
LimeCrime Lipstick in Glamour 101, LimeCrime