It's Still Hot

It's still hot and climate change "doesn't exist". Classic Michelle, disappears from her blog for a couple months to return with some excuse. Well to be honest, I have no excuse. I have really been enjoying my senior year of college and that plus taking 17 units has kept me a little busy. 

My friend snapped these photos of me this summer on one of his film cameras and I love the way they turned out. Full disclosure, he did indeed photoshop me just a little. I don't think my ass looks that great in person. Though we shot this in the summer, this outfit is still appropriate in Los Angeles as it is November and still sunny and warm. Just to briefly discuss the outfit, the skirt is from Topshop and the little crop top is from Zara. The burnt orange flatforms are from Urban Outfitters and I believe burnt orange is a color I can wear year round. I kept the accessories simple, as usual. 

Journaling has been the best therapy lately and I always have a lot to talk about. The big elephant in the room this week has been the outcome of the past presidential election. To say I am disappointed in my country is an understatement. I have processed all feelings and if anything, I can now look at this election as a huge wake up call. I am currently a student at a liberal arts college in metropolitan Los Angeles, in California nonetheless. My home of Orange County always shows me the conservative side of America but I have now realized just how much progress this country still needs. To me, this election was not the loss of my political party. It was more a loss of my morals and values being accepted in my country. However, I will remain hopeful and I feel even more encouragement to educate myself further and work toward my passions and goals. Progress will come, we just have to give it time. 

I have some random recommendations for you. I have always loved Chelsea Handler and I especially enjoyed her "Chelsea Does" documentary series on Netflix, specifically "Chelsea Does Racism". My current favorite quick eat is Yalla - it's like a Mediterranean Chipotle. I also cannot stop drinking La Croix. 

Love sharing my thoughts like this! If anyone would like to start a mature discussion with me, please feel free to do so. Opinions are meant to be challenged.

Hope you have a great week. 

xx Michelle 

"We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced." -Malala Yousafzai

Showing Shoulder

TOP: H&M // DENIM: Topshop // SANDALS: Steve Madden

There is no denying that off the shoulder tops are trending this summer. If there ever were a time to show off your shoulders, it would be now when you actually have a tan, right? The shape of this one is particularly overwhelming, but I think it's balanced with the baring shoulders. Anyway, I will definitely be sporting this trend for the remainder of summer. I'll be sure to keep up my faux tan to compliment the look, thanks to St. Tropez. Hope you all have been enjoying the summer. I have been spending mine in Los Angeles, working a lot and catching up on shows I don't have time to watch during the school year. I'm always trying to share more of myself in these posts, so I'll do that today by sharing some goals I've made recently. Sharing them on here will be my way of holding myself accountable! So here we go: 

• Practice consistency. • Get comfortable with asking. Most of the time, you'll get what you want if you just ask. • Formulate my thoughts better to more clearly express my opinions. • 

That's all for now. Talk to you soon! 

xx Michelle 

Good stuff: Girls on HBO is my favorite series right now and the show always features the best music. Lena Dunham's book Not That Kind of Girl is pretty good, too. 

Salvation Mountain

ROMPER: Urban Outfitters // GLADIATOR SANDALS: Pixie Market // ACCESSORIES: Urban Outfitters 

I spent Memorial Day weekend in the desert with some friends. School is out and I have been enjoying my summer thus far. Since we were already in Palm Springs, my friends and I wanted to head out to the infamous Salvation Mountain. I wasn't expecting it to be that much further of a drive, but we found ourselves driving an extra 2 hours inland to see this work of art. Thinking about how much time went into it and the message behind it, I was really happy to actually see it in person. Will I make the trip out there to see it again? Probably not. Nonetheless, it was an adventure and I got some cool pics out of it. Hope you enjoy. 

xx Michelle 

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Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

Good stuff: Pray You Catch Me - Beyonce, My Eyes - The Lumineers, & The Office (yes, I know I am SO late on this bandwagon) 

Mom Jeans

SHIRT: Topshop // MOM JEANS: Topshop // SHOES: Zara // BELT: H&M // BAG: Forever 21

Well, this post is long overdue. I shot this look when I was back home for a little. Old Town Orange is one of my favorite places to visit in Orange County. There are a lot of cute boutiques and restaurants to stop at and they finally opened up a permanent shop of the Aussie Bean. For a coffee enthusiast, this is very exciting news. For this look, I started with the basic mom jeans. These bad boys are so comfortable - they are easy to wear with a sweater for class or dressed up a bit like I did here. If you couldn't tell, I am loving anything with laces right now. Always paired with my black crossbody bag because I am too lazy to switch my bags out all the time. Talk to you soon. 

xx Michelle 

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Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

Recommendations: The True Cost documentary. Winner of best picture, Spotlight. My s'well water bottle.  

Current Favorites: January 2016

Bioderma micellar water

Micellar water is sort of new to the beauty scene. Different then an oil based makeup remover, micellar water cleanses the skin without leaving any sort of residue. I picked up the twin pack of Bioderma when I visited France and it has become my go-to makeup remover just because it is so gentle on the skin. A lot of other brands are catching onto the micellar water trend so thankfully, it is becoming more accessible in the states (Garnier and Simple). 

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation

I am a huge fan of Chanel foundations but am not willing to drop the money on them right now. Bourjois is apparently owned by Chanel, which is why some say there foundations are a bit similar. The healthy mix foundation is the only Bourjois one I picked up at Superdrug and I am very impressed with it. The texture is nice and smooth - not too thick! I would say it's a medium coverage and it lasts really well on the skin throughout the day.

Redken Wax Blast 10
As I am a girl with very thin and straight hair, I am always frustrated with its inability to have any sort of texture. I was complaining about this to my stylist and she recommended this product to me. The Redken wax blast is exactly as it sounds. It's a nice smelling spray wax that just kind of roughs up my hair a bit. I am a huge fan of it at the moment and I feel like it's a better alternative to the sea salt sprays that can sometimes dry out your hair and leave it feeling a bit crunchy.

Lime Crime Velvetine "Cashmere" 
Liquid lipsticks are the new thing right now. I am not a fan of them for everyday wear but the shade of this one is definitely noteworthy. Cashmere is a very cool-toned, almost lavender-grey shade. Definitely not for everyone but I am a big fan when worn with the right look.

Lancôme Hypnôse Drama mascara
Nothing much to say about this other than the fact that it has been my go-to mascara for the past couple months. It holds curl really well and gives my short lashes lots of volume, which I think has something to do with the oddly curved wand that just works so well.

Bourjois bronzing powder
Another bronzer that smells like chocolate! I also picked this up at Superdrug when I was in London and I think it's a great alternative to the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. It blends well and is a nice matte shade that isn't too orange. 

Hope you enjoyed the beauty catch-up! Talk to you soon.

xx Michelle 

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Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -Joseph Campbell 

Ties

CROP TOP: Urban Outfitters // MIDI SKIRT: Forever 21 // SHOES: Zara // BAG: Forever 21

I hope your new year is off to a lovely start. I'm home from my semester abroad and will be talking more about it in some future posts. Sometimes the most important realizations you make about an experience are made after it's over. My first post of 2016 is featuring the look I wore for Christmas Eve. A midi skirt has been on my list for a while now and this one is actually a deep green color that is not showing up too well in the photos. To avoid looking like Betty Crocker at twenty years old I paired the skirt with a rather low cut crop top, leaving just a bit of skin showing at the midriff. This definitely keeps the look classy but still young and playful. To top it off, I wore my lace-up shoes that have a short stacked heel. Even with the knee-length skirt, I still felt a bit sexy in this look. Some may think otherwise. 

This look was shot in the dry hills of Southern California. Remember to conserve water, my friends. 

xx Michelle  

Follow me? 

Instagram - lifeonlotus

Twitter - @itsmemichelleg

Extras: Will Darbyshire's beautiful video on his travels in New Zealand. "Think About You" by G-Eazy & Quin. 

"For what it's worth: It's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over." - F. Scott Fitzgerald