Things I'm Currently Obsessed With: PURPLE!!!!

One of the hottest colors this Spring/Summer 2015 has been a variety of shades of purple, and I must say that I'm loving it! I have found myself gravitating toward every shade of lilac, lavender, and orchid this year. From literally head to toe, it seems everyone is loving the color. Here are a few of my favorite purple things I have procured so far this year. Enjoy!

NAILS

First we'll start with nails. This is me wearing "Play Date" by Essie. I can't tell you how many times I get complimented whenever I wear this shade. It's such a subtle, feminine, yet different color. Although it is just a form of light purple, it's an excellent choice for anyone looking for color, yet wanting something that can be subtle and professional for the corporate world.

SHOES

These bad girls are from ShoeDazzle.com, from their Madison collection. This shoe is called the "Marella" in purple. These shoes are GORGEOUS!!!! They have a glossy finish which makes them dressy and make a statement. Although, the shoe itself is comfortable, I must admit that the laces which are a thin "leather-like" cord can be really tight around the ankle. I'm still trying to get used to them before busting out to the rest of the world but believe me, they are FABULOUS! And in case you needed ideas on what to wear them with, here's an easy neutral Spring look that I'd wear them with. I think a knee-length or midi pencil or a-line skirt would be perfect with these shoes to wear to a social event, wedding, party, shower, church, or brunch. So treat yourself to these babies, which are now on sale for $27.97 on Shoe Dazzle's website!

LIPS

One of the hottest hues in the lipstick world this year has been various shades of purple! If you want to elevate a basic look and turn it into something MAJOR, one of the easiest ways to do that is with a bold lip. These are 4 of my favorites, in an array of purple. In this order, from left-to-right in the top two pictures, they are "Asian Flower" Sheen Supreme lipstick by MAC (2nd Row 1) $18, "Purple Rain" by The Lip Bar (2nd Row 2) $20, "Heroine" by MAC (3rd Row 1) $16, "BLS05 Hunk" Butter Lipstick by NYX (3rd Row 2) $6. (Please excuse my zit, Pedro in the picture. He wanted to join the fun...) All of these shades are beautiful and although some of them look similar, they are all still different and create a unique look. All of these shades are long-wearing. Asian Flower is very creamy and a little goes a long way. Purple Rain is from the Vegan lipstick brand, The Lip Bar, which I might add, is black-owned. It went on really smoothly and smells great! Heroine is a MAC crowd favorite due to its rich bold color. The Butter Lipstick line by NYX is a great inexpensive option that still packs a punch. It hydrates your lips while giving amazing color! 

Because lip colors look different in different lighting, I also took the same pictures with the flash of my camera on. It makes a world of difference, while making all of my facial imperfections in high-def. smh I still am going to show what it looks like so that you can tell the difference, and it is a big difference. Remember, this is a no judgement zone! 

These colors are all in the same order as the previous picture. You can kind of see the difference in the boldness levels with the flash on. The colors now don't look as pink as they do in the previous picture, as well. And side note, just because it's funny: I took these pictures on my phone and when I tried to retouch the pictures to get rid of "Pedro", my phone tried to be sweet and said "There are no imperfections". Thank you Samsung for trying to make me feel better, but I really wanted to ex Pedro out! lol

Jewelry

Everyone that knows me knows that I LOVE accessories! A good piece can make a basic outfit into a look! Here a couple recent finds I found at one of my favorite shops, Charming Charlie. A good statement necklace is a must! It can take a plain tank top or tube top and kick it up a notch. This set is a beautiful necklace and matching earrings that was full price for $20, but is currently on clearance for $9.99. What a deal! While there, I also found this perfect bracelet in a honeycomb style that features the same color scheme of yellow, turquoise, and purple, which was $15, but is now on clearance for $7.99. Although, the purple of the bracelet is slightly darker than that of necklace and earrings, it's still so far away from the chest/neckline that it still coordinates. I also recently bought this beautiful long gold necklace with a polished purple stone pendant from Charming Charlie for $15. This can go well with a solid color plain tee, button-down shirt, layered look with dolman sleeves, etc. Although I hate paying retail, it still is a great find at 15 bucks, plus I had a coupon and reward certificate that I used that shopping trip, so I still got a great deal.

HAIR 

I absolutely love that young women are taking their hair color to new levels by dying their hair all of the colors of the rainbow. It exudes confidence and style. Particularly, the purple hair that ladies are wearing looks so cool and refreshing. It mixed with gray hues in hair looks great on people of all different complexions and in all different hair lengths. Here are two of my favorite celeb looks who are rocking this trend. Maybe one day, I'll take the big leap and go there with my hair, maybe...

Mad props to Kelly Osbourne, who brought the purple hair look to town! She looks amazing with it!

Raven-Symone has been giving us life with her fearless hair color changes! Although I disagree with some of her political and societal opinions, I totally agree with her hair color choices!