optical illusion

The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion
At work, a printed shirt and statement necklace is practically the office uniform.  And I’m more than happy to oblige.  This particular graphic printed top is already pretty bold, and the necklace clearly speaks for itself – but I love that paired together they sort of blend into one another, creating a bit of an optical illusion.  Since there’s a lot going on between the two of them I kept everything else basic black.  In other news, I love that the days are slowly getting longer, which allowed for an after work jaunt down to Soho (where these pretty cobbled streets reside).


The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion

The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion

The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion

The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion

The Steele Maiden: Optical Illusion
    

weekend flashback

The Steele Maiden: Weekend Flashback
These days my wardrobe is a measure of extremes.  One week I feel compelled towards head to toe neutrals with just a touch of color here and there (this is a good example) and the next I’m singing Spring with bold prints and brights (evidence here).  This weekend I see-sawed back and forth between the two, in a split wardrobe-personality that is matched only by the warm one minute, cold the next weather we’ve been having.  However when we did get moments of good weather this weekend, I fully embraced it – brunching outside, garden exploring in Central Park, and taking these pretty floral sneakers for a stroll through Williamsburg.  It’s going to be a busy week (my sister’s wedding is 6 days away, there’s Cinco de Mayo to be celebrated and I’ve got some really fun posts ready for you here), so I’m relaxing tonight with homemade chocolate chip cookies and playing catch up on last season’s Mad Men.  Hope everyone had a great weekend! 
  

may flowers

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers
After several days of April torrential rain showers, I’m hoping the start to a new month (and my strong affinity towards florals this week) really brings out those May flowers.  Warmer temps and sunshine wouldn’t hurt either there, Mother Nature.  I wore this outfit the other day while Adam and I ran some errands right before we got caught in one such ‘shower’.  I like that the sweetness of this skirt is tempered by the easy sweatshirt, practical vest and comfortable wedges.  And ever since I tried out monochromatic blue, I’ve really been on a kick with it.  Of course it’s easier, when roughly half my wardrobe is in some shade of the hue.  Beckoning those blue skies, I hope.

Old Navy Sweatshirt // Mango Vest // Minkpink Dress // Capwell & Co. Necklace // Rebecca Minkoff bag via Nordstrom Rack // Nine West Wedges – old, similar via Sole Society

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers

The Steele Maiden: May Flowers

selfie ready with P&G’s Olay skincare

The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay Skincare 
When it comes to my skincare routine, I’m pretty low maintenance.  Like just remembering to wash off my make-up at the end of the night low maintenance.  But lately, I’ve been wondering if maybe I should up my game.  We’re closing in on my sister’s wedding (those pictures will last a lifetime people) and my next birthday (one that puts my firmly in the ‘late twenties’ category) and flawless, vital looking skin suddenly just seems essential.  Not to mention that we all have to be selfie ready at all times, right? So it was pretty serendipitous when StyleList asked me to give Olay’s complete skincare regime a run for its money.  The results put my old routine to shame.  Out of the 9 products I tried, my new skincare repertoire now includes the ProX Spot Fading Treatment (used twice daily has already started to even some old sun spots), Complete All Day Moisturizer with SPF (sunscreen everyday is a no brainer if I’m looking to improve my skin), 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Moisturizer (used as a base before make-up this felt lightweight yet deeply hydrating and even seemed to subtly even my skin tone too), and my hands down favorite the 7-in-1 Eye Brightening CC Cream (under-circles are now but a faint memory).  The entire routine takes no more than 5 minutes in the morning and again at night, plus all of it can be found at my local drugstore.. oh and my skin has never looked better.  Now let me take a selfie. 
The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay Skincare

The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay Skincare

The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay Skincare

The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay Skincare

The Steele Maiden: Selfie Ready with P&G's Olay SkincareThis is a collaboration between P&G and the AOL Lifestyle Contributor Network.  Compensation was provided by P&G via AOL Media, however as always all opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Steele Maiden possible.  The Girl That Loves ‘Selfie’ Crop Top c/o

twist of lime

The Steele Maiden: Twist of LimeMy sister’s wedding is coming up in less than 2 weeks, and this cocktail dress is a definite rehearsal dinner contender.  But I’ve got a ‘life is short, eat dessert first’ attitude when it comes to party dresses – in other words why save them hidden away in your closet for the perfect occasion?  So a Sunday evening margarita happy hour at our neighborhood Mexican joint seemed perfect for a debut.  Especially since this particular little black dress comes with its own twist of (neon) lime.  Life is short – wear the dress and have that 2nd margarita.  Either way, come wedding season you’ll be armed and ready with this saucy little number.    Darling Dress c/o // Target Bag – similar via Asos // Lulu Frost Earrings // Zara Heels – similar via Zappos
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime
The Steele Maiden: Twist of Lime