WED: Warby Parker// Fall Collection 2014

Hello everyone! How did you guys enjoy that three day break? Unfortunately, I was working all weekend including Labor Day but, I am loving my new job and the people I work with, they are so amazing so, I have no room to complain. 
I hope you all enjoyed yours though because summer is rapidly wrapping up, and by golly! the leaves have already started falling in front of my house, it's crazy. 
Earlier in August, I got a little email in my inbox from Warby Parker asking me if I was interested in sharing their collection of eye wear for the summer. I was very interested because I already knew the brand and I was floored that they would want to work with me, however, by then everyone's mindset was on summers imminent end, including my own. I was hesitant to share their beautiful summer collection, when summer was coming to a close. Collaboratively we decided in a couple weeks I would be sharing their new fall collection!  So, here we are now, about to share with you Warby Parker's stylish and modern offerings for the autumn. 

Before that however, I will briefly explain the company, how I came across them and why I think they are awesome.

" Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eye wear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses "

The folks at Warby Parker create exceptionally stylish glasses with amazing quality. They believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun and also good looking, with money still in your pocket. 
I was first exposed to this company while browsing through YouTube. The gal I was watching informed me about the company and their "Home Try On" Program, where you pick out 5 frames you'd like to try on, Warby ships them to you for free, you test them out for 5 days and see what you  and what your friends think, then you send them back, absolutely no cost what so ever. I thought, " What a genius idea that is!" Too bad I don't need to wear glasses..
That's right ( the jig is up!), my blog profile picture is a partial lie ( I'm sorry), those spiffy specs I wear are purely an accessory and not actually for vision. I have perfectly fine vision. Which may lead you to wonder, Allegra, why are you sharing this collection of eye wear when you don't even wear real glasses? Well, dear blog readers, I felt that even though I don't actually need glasses myself, I know SO many people that do and thought could possibly benefit having a more cost effective and chic option for their eye wear. In any event if I ever do need glasses, I will be turning to these guys for sure!

" Personality is what makes a good pair of glasses great. Our fall collection is for those who own their style, exercise their wit, and add life to the party." 

In this new collection there are nine new shapes, and two new hues. There is a signature look for everyone. For the bold, there are three clever styles in crystal which are my personal favorite. There is just something so unique about that crystal color. I just love how they look.

For the polished professionals there are updated three hardworking acetate frames with titanium temples.

Lastly, for the folks who really mean business, there is a handful of angular silhouettes. So sophisticated right? 

If you are in need for some spiffy new specs for the season ahead I highly recommend you check out the rest of this collection. Warby Parker's Fall 2014 Collection is available today! September 3rd online at www.warbyparker.com/fall-2014 and in stores, frames starting at only $95.  

I hope you enjoyed this post! Thanks to Warby Parker for letting me share with you all. As a disclaimer I am not being paid by Warby Parker, or receiving any other personal benefit aside from receiving the opportunity to share a cool thing that might interest some of you. 

Go check out their website guys! Its beautifully designed and if these styles don't suit you, they have many others to choose from! Including a monocle, yeah that's right a fricken monocle for all you dapper folks out there!

https://www.warbyparker.com/

See you all next time! Have a good one! 

- A 

M O N // Summer Essentials

Happy Monday everyone! It's already August, wow I can't believe it! I have been seeing stores all around starting to gear up for fall and back to school (ick). However, I am trying to savor every last sweet bit of summer. Soon enough the leaves will be turning, it will get dark early again, and I will be stomping around campus silently wishing for summer to come back. Today, I am participating in a little campaign with raise.com sharing with you my summer fashion essentials! 
 Raise.com is a really fascinating and cool company that lets you buy and sell gift cards.They have tons of gift-cards discounted in price to brands such as Forever 21, Macy's, Target, Sephora, etc. You could grab a gift card for a friend or yourself as a treat and relish in those summer sales before they end! Also, if you have any gift cards lying around to any store or restaurant that you personally are not going to use yourself, you can sell them on raise.com's marketplace for the price you choose. Be a savvy shopper and a savvy saver that is how I like to shop. Please go and check them out! 

I am super excited to share this with you all because this will be my first ever fashion post on The Bats & Rabbits. I gotta commend all those fashion bloggers out there,getting used to posing in front of the camera is a challenge! 

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think summer is being able to throw on a airy frock and hop outside onto a picnic blanket for a actual picnic or for some casual reading. My first summer fashion essential is a airy dress! It's "easy, breezy, beautiful" I don't even need to think about it. I got this dress in an ASOS sale and I am in love with it! When it's hot and humid and I need to head out and run errands I tend to gravitate towards this piece. I just slip it on and go! 

My next summer fashion essential is a hat. Having black hair or dark hair with the sun beating down on it is not fun at all so I opt for a hat so I can avoid feeling the heat on my head. This super cute hat came from Forever 21 and it makes me feel like a gardener or one of those dudes that push gondola boats in Italy.
My third fashion essential is a pair of boots..Yes I know! boots in the summer is a unusual choice, most people would opt for sandals but I think these boots in particular go under the category of a "summery boot" because they are a pretty cream color that pairs well with any summer ensemble and these also have this "holey" texture that provides some breathing room for my feet. These are also from Forever 21 and are still around in stores and online.

 My last summer essential under the fashion category is cute pair of shades to protect the retina's. Gotta admit..polka dots have practically taken over my life so my sunglasses are also polka dots. These cute shades are from Target. 
As for summery makeup I have been loving my Naked Flushed Palette which you can read about in full here and Loreal's Miss Manga Mascara which I should review soon, and for the lips I pretty much always pop on my NARS Velvet Lip Pencil in the shade Red Sq. 

So..tell me, what are your summer fashion essentials? Leave your answers in the comments below! 

I hope you enjoyed my first fashion post! I hope to curate some more outfits to show and maybe inspire you guys especially as the school season quickly approaches 
( this will also provide me more practice and confidence posing in front of the camera!)Don't worry though I have a good amount of beauty to talk about too. You can keep up with The Bats & Rabbits easily by following me on Bloglovin, Twitter or Instagram for frequent updates! See you all soon! 
                                                           - A 

Show and Tell: Collective Haul! VIB Sephora Sale! + More

Hello my dears, its been a little bit hasn't it. Life has been pretty busy lately its been a challenge to get back into the gear. However, I think its safe to say that we have made it into spring!

( whoo hoo!!!)

I have been quite the shopping bug recently, hoarding things left in right. With the current VIB Sephora 15% sale going on I kicked my heels in glee. Because I had just landed VIB status about a week before the sale started. I spent quite a while eyeing up products and contemplating. I only managed to pick up three things but before the sale is over I might go in for one more hit. However, I was pretty chuffed with what I did pick up and I am exited to show and tell you about what I got.

Let's get started!

---Naked Three Palette

After being one in many desiring to own this palette. The latest edition to the Urban Decay Naked Palette's I decided to bite the bullet and grab it while I could get it at a reduced price since it is so hefty at $52 normal price. It was between this or the Lorac Pro Palette ( that is regrettably not sold at my Sephora or online at this time..) So I came home with this in my little Sephora bag and I am really happy with it. Out of all three of the Naked palettes, this was the one that intrigued me most with its beautiful romantic rose gold themed eyeshadow tones. I am sure all of you have seen this and talked about to death so I won't go on. But it was probably the most exciting purchase I made. 

---Sephora Lip Stain in the shade Red Essence

I am not sure which blogger spoke of it but I am positive I picked this up due to a bloggers influence. ( Like that is of any surprise.)Though when I was swatching these new lip stains from Sephora I was pretty impressed with the color payoff and how it feels on the lips. I picked the shade Red Essence but I am always on the quest for nice very deep red shades. It's almost my comfort zone to wear red. An odd observation you might find with this lip stain is its scent. It reminds me of a pool, its not too offensive, just odd. But not to worry! the scent does not linger.  

--- Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm 

Actually when I was in the store searching of what I wanted I spent the majority of my time browsing through skincare. With my skin embarrassingly bad as it is I have been wanting to try out anything I can ( with proper research) that might work for me. With that in mind I decided to pick this cleansing balm up by Clinque seeing as it was affordable and I have been wanting to jump onto the balm train. After trying it out a couple times I am not sure how I feel about it. It is supposed to take all of your makeup off while not over-drying the skin. But even after I have cleansed and wiped my face multiple times with a hot cloth I still find lots of makeup residue on my face which I find kind of annoying. Perhaps I should have gone with the Ren Rosa Cleansing Balm instead. If you guys have any tips on using this cleansing balm let me know!  

--- * Free Sephora Makeup Bag 

 Not much to say here but with my purchases I also received a free makeup bag. Pretty cute right?

--- It's A Ten Miracle Shine Spray

After my little trip I also stopped at Target for something and also ended up coming out with this hair product because my hair stylist usually uses this on me as a finishing touch. It smells amazing and unlike other shine sprays I have used it does not make my hair look greasy, nor does it feel heavy. I like it so far! 

On a completely separate shopping trip I picked up two clothing items, a nail varnish and a little travel perfume set from NEST fragrances.

--- High-Waist Black Skater Skirt - Forever 21

Was in desperate need for another black skater skirt. Its a big staple in my wardrobe and due to some weight loss recently my trusty one from H&M is getting a little big. The skirt I picked up from F21 was really affordable no more than 12.50 and came in a couple different colors. I have already worn it to death. It's just one of those things.

--- Navy Striped Bodysuit- Forever 21

I was browsing around Pinterest and I kept seeing a picture of a girl wearing a low back navy striped body suit with some shorts and a boater hat. I thought it was so cute and I knew I had seen similar bodysuits at F21 so when I went besides the skater skirt hunt I also sought after a striped bodysuit and in no time I was able to locate one. I REALLY love this clothing piece. Although it makes going to the restroom a larger hassle than necessary... I love the way this piece showcases my collar bones and my petite shoulders. Super cute! 

--- Nails Inc. Gel Effect Porechester Sq. 

Yet another thing on my never ending "want to buy" list was this polish. A beautiful neutral color that is a "greige" ( grey/beige) with a hint of purple. After application this nail polish has lasted longer than any other nail polish I applied by myself and that is a testament because it seems no matter what I do whenever I paint my nails the same day I manage to warp them or chip them WITHOUT FAIL. So this polish is definitely exceeding my standards. 

--- NEST Fragrance Midnight Fleur Mini Set 

Want the big bottle of this perfume because the scent is just amazing but was too chicken to spend that much so I got this little mini set. The hand cream is very nice and just as good smelling as the perfume. I wish the scent of the perfume lasted longer on my skin though! It seems to fade away with time which is sad but I will still enjoy using it and smelling it... a lot! 

   --- Hand Lettering Ledger by Mary Kate McDevitt 

A bit of a random thing to haul but it was recent purchase that I am really in love with. I saw this after a college trip to the Portland Art Museum in the gift shop. Even though I live so close to Portland and have gone to the museum often I have never really realized the cool stuff they offer at the giftshop! This book caught my eye because I want to get into more illustrative works and such and really wanted to learn some hand lettering techniques because its so cool and really beautiful! I hope that maybe I can incorporate some of my designs into the blog at some point! Wouldn't that be cool! 

'

I apologize again for getting so behind! I guess all and all it harms me in the end. Its a constant kick in the butt to stay on top of everything! I hope I can kick myself into gear. I hardly can get a handle on Twitter either. It's all a big learning lesson right! Just gotta enjoy the journey because that is how you get somewhere. 

- A 

Fancy Friday Findings! March 14th

Hello my dears. Happy Pi Day and Friday~ 

It is a little late but, I thought I would quickly share my Friday finds with you.

Here is a collage of dresses I have loved from Ruche. Especially the one on the far left. All of these dresses would be perfect for summer..I think my mind is in a summer daze.

The Jazz Age Eyelet Dress ----X

Bike Stripe Dress ----X

Endless Summer Dress ----X

Here are my more random picks~ with warm weather on the mind I dream about gardening and oxfords with cute cutouts. Plus, that tea paraphernalia bunting....too cute to handle! 

Seed Tape---X

Sort Your Stuff Shelf---X

British Tea Party Bunting---X

Firefly Cutout Oxfords--- X

And that's all I have for you today my dears.

I hope all of you have enjoyed your Friday and Pi day as well!

Tell me something fun in the comments. I would love to hear from you. 

Until next time!

- A 

Show and Tell : Collective Haul

  

Whenever I see or watch a haul, my mind harks back to elementary school when we had show and tell. I think that was one of my favorite activities besides story time. I think we all like sharing a part of ourselves with others. The things we buy have reasoning behind them and are catered to our likes and personality. So, I see hauls as a very interesting and positive sharing experience. 

The weather gave us a nice, warm reprieve from snow storms this past weekend.

( aka : opportunity to get outside and also shop around!)

The first batch of things I got are shown in the picture above.

Boater Hat --- Forever 21

"Hipstery Glasses"--- Claires

Tokyo Milk Dark: La Vie La Mort Eau Du Parfaum --- Sephora

It's been a while since I have picked up accessories for myself 

I am pretty sure those glasses have changed my life! 

( I kid! I kid..)

I just really loved how they look on me. No matter how "hipstery" they look I just feel so good and cute in them. They are plastic lenses so they do get dirty quickly but I just never want to take them off my face!

Not soon after, a trip was made to Bath and Body Works where I took advantage of their famous two for $22 deal. 

Raspberry Peach Macaron

&

Renew and Refresh 

( Just two more beautiful smelling beauties to add to my ever growing candle collection.) 

      And lastly, I got two fashion bits!
        These are new stretches for my wardrobe and I love             the two pieces together and separate.
         
    ( Also the burlap bunny garland is also new~ -- Target) 
      
    Navy Polka Dot Cropped Top --- Forever 21
 Grey Striped Button Up ---Target


The end of February is near. 
I can feel some spring like energy underneath the ground and in the air. Birds chirping, warmer winds and a bit more blue sky than normal.
Its all rather exciting!
Hurry up spring! 

I hope you are all doing well.
Have you made any recent and exciting purchases lately?
Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you.


-A

  

A Little Retail Therapy

Recently, I have picked up a little of the shopping bug. It doesn't help that all the retail shops have been having great sales. The picture above does not even capture everything I have been collecting these past three weeks. Mostly,I have been making back and forth trips to Sephora. Eager, to try out new things in the beauty world so I can come back here and report back my thoughts.

I have also had pretty good luck with fashion. H&M and Forever 21 have been treating me well with pretty florals, cream colored blouses and those fancy pointed shoes.





( scores at H&M! a cream blouse and a suspender skirt!)

We all need an excuse to go shopping right?
Besides the sales enticing me I also have had quite a stressful transition back to college as always.
It is always a uphill battle for me and has given me quite a lot of stress and tension.
Coping with a learning disability is no easy walk in the park, lemme tell you that.
There has been a lot of things in my life thrown into question.
Should I be doing what I planned to do with my college degree? Or do I have to try something else?
Now, I am going through my irrational fear stage in this "crisis"
" What will I think of myself? if I make this choice?" " Is this the right decision for me?"
" What is going to happen after all this?" 
" Which destination will I reach if I pick either or?"

It's all up in the air and I am stuck on the ground.
 There is nothing I can do instantly to make everything seem all better.
I have to go through this painful cycle of; pain, self doubt, anxiety, coping/acceptance, revelation/peace of mind. 
Though, at least I always have things I am working towards.
Including this blog. What I feel most passionate about right now.

I know I am not alone when it comes to self doubt in college.
Let me know your journey's and thoughts in the comments. I would really love to hear from you.

Also, I wanna hear any of your recent beauty or fashion purchases! Are they a favorite product of yours? Something new? I wanna know!

See you all soon!

- A