Melissa Chee

We've had some really gorgeous days here in the Pacific Northwest and that means it's time to pull out spring sandals. I picked up this gorgeous pair of Ziera sandals in a limited edition color. The iridescent band is really pretty and almost reminds me of a peacock feather... the way it shimmers, not the color. When I tried the sandals on, I couldn't believe how cute they were because they literally felt like slippers! How great is that--comfy slippers that you can wear to work? Sold.

Even though we're beginning to see some sunshine, it wasn't so warm that I couldn't wear this lovely black sweater. It has beautiful detailing, a lot of stretch and a very smooth feel. This was a clearance rack find at Lane Bryant that was a steal. A simple black sweater is an item that you can wear with pretty much anything and will always be an easy option for a work day.

I love this Tarina Tarantino necklace because it's a functioning book that actually opens. I also have a love of Cameos and this pendant has the tiniest Cameo on the front. I don't like the actual necklace chain because the pendant doesn't hang correctly on it, but I do love the pretty pendant.

And my makeup... so much purple, I know... but I really wanted to try out all my new purple matte lip tints that Cailyn was kind enough to send me. I'm wearing the Purple Lilac Trio. I did a gradient ombre lip using the darkest color at the bottom and working my way up to the lightest color. The eye shadows are all from Urban Decay's Vice 4 palette and obviously continue the purple theme.

Black sweater - Lane Bryant
Crops - Torrid
Dawn sandals - Ziera
Necklace - Tarina Tarantino

Photos by Sarah

*I received the matte lip tints complimentary from Cailyn Cosmetics.

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This outfit is pretty special because it's my birthday party look. I fell in love with this dress in St. Louis. My college pal got married in St. Louis last year and while I was visiting I had time to hit up the most amazing Dillard's. They had a huge plus size section--bigger than I've ever seen. Honestly, it was so good I think it would be a worth a trip just to go shopping. So if anyone is ever up for that... The dress is from Eliza J. It's a new brand for me and the cut is so flattering. It's a fit and flare dress where you feel beautiful the minute you put it on. It's hits in the right places and skims over the others. I love the 3/4 length sleeves also. I wouldn't have minded a slightly lower neckline, but the higher neckline makes a nice base for the real star of the show--a statement necklace. I had my eye on this Barbie collection Tarina Tarantino necklace for quite a while. It finally went on sale and my birthday was the perfect excuse to finally take the plunge. I saved the necklace for my birthday party and then wore it three days straight. I just love it! It's sparkly and over-the-top, but still so comfortable to wear all day long. It's perfect for the Barbie collector or lover. I paired the dress with black tights and my black Ziera boots. A Kate Spade bow purse and "lovely" hair pin completed the look.

For my manicure, I planned to do a black nail with white flowers and a matte top coat, but I found a super dark blue with a slight shimmer that I couldn't resist. I still added a couple flowers because it was my birthday after all. I got my roots touched up and tried a shine treatment for the first time. The shine treatment is essentially a clear gloss. It helps repair your hair (much needed in my case) and makes your strands smooth and shiny. It's supposed to last up to six weeks. The shine treatment definitely gave my hair a boost of shine. You can also do a gloss treatment at home. And since it's clear, I'm guessing it's not as messy as coloring your hair at home. I had to give up at home colorings--it's just too messy for me. I was getting dark brown hair dye all over the place, no bueno.

I completely support birthday traditions that involve new dresses, fun accessories and parties. Do you have any birthday traditions? Also, don't forget the cake!

Black and White dress - Eliza J
Black tights - Assets
Boots - Ziera
Purse - Kate Spade
Barbie necklace - Tarina Tarantino

Photos by Sarah

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