Love your boo, but not the type to dish out money for overpriced, usual Valentines flowers and goodies? I hear you. I'm more of a practical, timeless and within-my-budget kinda girl myself. And the husband and I always go low-key with presents on Valentines in favor of hitting the shops together after the 14th.  On the hunt for chic, minimalist presents that will work for you and your boo? Here's a few gifts that will please just about anyone and everyone:






TOP ROW, L-R



1) Shinola The Runwell Chrono Blue Dial Brown Leather Mens Watch S0100117- File this under ultimate watch goals! Proudly Detroit-made Shinola watches and other leather products are all the rage as of late, and obviously for good reason. Simple without compromising style, Shinola watches embody a more understated kind of luxury. A Shinola watch is my ultimate to-gift goal for my husband, as well as for myself!


2) Sfumato  "Mocha Valentino" limited edition fragrance - Because smelling like delectable chocolate for your bae all year round sounds perfect! Made from neroli, tobacco absolute, tofu balsam and other natural materials, you're guaranteed to smell sexy all year round. Also, you'll be supporting a proud Detroit business. 


3) Xiaomi Mi Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness tracker, Gearbest.com - You want a fitness tracker, but you don't feel like coughing up 100++ dollars for one. It may not be as popular as some of its higher-priced counterparts, but the Xiaomi Mi tracker has really stellar reviews online for something that's priced quite less than the competition. If you're in the market for a simple tracker that performs the monitoring benefits that you need minus the bells and whistles, you might want to give this tracker a go. Check out GearBest.com for some seriously affordable tech deals... and funky men's hoodies, while you're at it. They kind of sell everything




SECOND ROW L-R


1) Calvin Klein CK2 Unisex fragrance- CK1 is a legendary fragrance and completely redefined the unisex game. Let's see how the newly released CK2 does!




2) White Faux Taxidermy Templeton Deer Head Wall Decor, Mini, White - A must for every hipster urbanite, naturally.




3) The Honest Company Everything Tote  - I like everything The Honest Company represents, and this simple, classic tote looks good on both you and your guy. Time to move past the overly floral diaper bags, and move on to something that won't clash with your outfit. 

THIRD ROW, L-R


1) The Wandering City: Colouring Book by Moleskine X Carlo Stanga - Because adult coloring books do work in relieving your stress, and because everything Moleskine has on their line is nothing short of awesome. The visuals in this book, in particular, are quite beautiful! I definitely see myself working on this book with the hubs.


2) Polette Eyewear "Heroes S" Faux Wood Sunglasses  - the generous people over at Polette has offered to send me glasses for consideration and review, and I zeroed in on this classic but edgy stunner! 


3) Monopoly: Game of Thrones Collector's Edition Board Game - because you want to gear up for April with this sweet gift. Winter isn't just coming, it's already here! 

Can you guys believe how fast 2015 has come and gone? I don't know about you, but it seems like the older we get, the faster time seems to pass by. Sure, there were moments that I felt like things have been going on foreever, but most of the time I wonder where it all went. My son is already a year old and soon enough, I will be spending my second year as a permanent resident in the US. Crazy, right?

Trying to come up with resolutions in all aspects for 2016. Do you guys have your personal list already?

Sometime ago, I met up with my always entertaining gal Mademoiselle Leah V for lunch and light conversations in the Troy area. Living on completely opposite parts of Metro Detroit, it's always a pleasure to see Leah on my side of town.  After a hearty lunch at La Botana (amazing Mexican food, btw), we decided to head over to visit our blogger pal Larita of Lalatrips to check out her awesome workplace that is Halston Heritage in the Somerset Collection. I was personally excited to check out what they had for fall-winter, as well as examine the pieces up close and fit some of them - read on after the jump to see more Halston goodness!

As you may have noticed, I've changed my blog banner logo yet again, probably the 4th (or it may be 5th) time I did so in the six long years I've maintained my blog. My banner has had many iterations in the past, evolving along with my style, and me as a person on the whole. After all these years,  I'm finally leading my blog closer to how I've always personally wanted it to be. It's easy to get strayed and lose some clarity when you're pressured by certain aspects (keeping up, staying competent, keeping your sponsors happy, etc), but since I basically moved away from the chaos of my old blogging lifestyle and into a new, more solitary environment, I thought it was high time to strip this blog down back to basics and write about things with a fresh set of eyes.

You may have noticed I also indicated the primary breakdown of how things will be here, primarily, these three subtopics:

LIFE + STYLE

Combining the best of both worlds, and also because I feel like I can't really classify myself as exclusively a personal style blog nor am I a lifestyle/girl about town these days. Let's just say it's little doses of inspiration as I see and experience it, and it could go anywhere from my personal outfits here and there, new tastes and flavors I experience here in Michigan, choice collaborations, and many more.

FILM

Needs no explanation! I've always wanted my blog to function as a portfolio of sorts for my ongoing work and other projects, so you'll definitely be seeing a lot more of my own micro mini film projects, fashion films and other inspirations in the coming days.

TRAVEL

No, I do not have the time and the luxury to be living the kind of wanderlust life that you kind of see everywhere on social media these days (good for you if you're living that, though!), but since I am new to Michigan and to the United States, basically every new place I go to IS a travel experience in the sense of the word. Ha. Someday I'll do that chic European trip those awesome bloggers are doing (or I could go back to sleep and dream. ha), but for now, expect to see a lot of Michigan and United States eye candy + travel tips. Oh, and Canada! I can't forget Canada. :)

Ah, 2013. The year of awesome hair, not-so-sweltering days back in my old city, and deliberating on many, many tough calls and life decisions. Oh, and let's throw skinny legs in the mix! Good times, good times. My pre-partum physique may have left the building (temporarily, at least), but I did get to keep the sick military coat and boots. Fall isn't until a few more months away, but I can already feel it beckoning!

Eyeshadow and Mascaras:


Estee Lauder Little Black Primer- I love mascara as much as the next girl, but I hate having to deal with the end-of-the-day cleanup routine! Estee Lauder's LBP is my favorite new product from the line this year-- it curls and lengthens so magically sans the "spidery" mascara look. Perfect for grocery and errand days!

Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara - I use the Little Black Primer on a daily business, but keep this tube in case I need a bit more drama.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Quad in "Brewed Awakening" - I own several neutral palettes, but this little box from Tarte is my current go-to! Tarte's Amazonian clay formulation is divine and these pigments stay on until the end of the day without primer. It is SO good.



Liners and Lipcolor

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in "Stockholm" - Wow, just wow. I have to admit that I'm a tad bit late to to the NYX matte lipcolor party, but I am seriously hooked.. They are so worth all the hype they're getting everywhere! The color stays on forever, doesn't dry your lips out, and is super affordable compared to other matte lippies out there. "Stockholm" gives a great pink-y nude tone perfect for everyday wear.

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen - I've already mentioned how much I love this gel liner here, and I'll say it again -- this is a GREAT liner. It glides on like silk on skin, gives the inkiest pigment, and doesn't budge when it dries... a very worthy dupe of Lancome's Le Stylo Waterproof, which I worship, but  can't afford. Pixi offers the same payoff but costs only a fraction!



What are your absolute must-haves in your makeup bag? Let me know in your comments! x

The MAZE Hipzone Spring-Summer 2013 Ad Campaign Shoot from Thaad Sabolboro on Vimeo.