every lipstick i've worn during the 30 day #aoklipstickchallenge

Hey thanks for all the well wishes / support for the #aoklipstickchallenge! Like I said, please feel free to join along. AND! If you're curious what shade I'm wearing, I'll be updating this post daily with links.

Day 1: NARS Dragon Girl

Day 2: NARS Dragon Girl

Day 3: Tarte Amazon Lip Butter in Poppy

Day 4: NARS Schiap

Day 5: Mary Kay Rouge Red

Day 6: NARS Heat Wave

Day 7: Inglot Costmetics Pink

Day 8: Jennie Fresa, Ballerina

Day 9: Jennie Fresa, Ballerina

Day 10: Glossier Generation G in Crush

Day 11: Ilia Lipstick in Strike it Up

Day 12: NARS Dragon Girl

Day 13: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Beloved

Day 14: Jennie Fresa, Ballerina

Day 15: Chanel Lipgloss in Sonate

Day 16: Glossier Generation G in Crush

Day 17: NARS Train Bleu

Day 18: NARS Bolero

Day 19: Jennie Fresa, Ballerina

Day 20: Tata Harper Very Sweet

Day 21: NARS Dragon Girl

Day 22: Jennie Fresa, Ballerina

Day 23: Inglot in 231 (thanks Amanda for this rec!)

Day 24: NARS Cruella

Day 25: Tata Harper Very Sweet

Day 26: Glossier Generation G in Crush

Day 27: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Beloved

Day 28: NARS Bolero

Day 29: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Beloved

Day 30: Nude Lipstick 

Day 31: NARS Train Bleu

If you're just stopping by, I wrote earlier in the week that I'll be wearing lipstick everyday for the month of May. As a way to shake things up, and as an act of defiance against negative thoughts and feelings. I'm not a big challenge person, so cleanses and workout regimens don't really work for me - but I've always turned to fashion to upend the sads, and this case is no exception.

I'm encouraging you all to participate with the hashtag #aoklipstickchallenge, however you like. So maybe you don't like lipstick but you want to wear color every day, or do a cleanse, or call a friend. Whatever activity will take you out of a doubtful state of mind. And know you can check in here with me every day!

One last thing: If you're a Snapchat 👻 fan like me, I'll be sharing my look / lipstick every day over there. Username allisonboc. 

And that's all I've got for you today.

xoxo,

aok

the 30 day lipstick challenge (+ met ball)

Whew! I don't know about you but I've got a fashion hangover after last night's Met Ball. It's one of my favorite nights of the year; I usually just glue myself to my laptop to geek out over all of the unreal works of art that grace the steps of the Met. Last night was no exception. I've mentioned before that the fact that there are best / worst dress lists at all is just silly to me, especially at the Met Ball, which serves solely as a night to appreciate fashion in the context of art. So you won't be hearing from me about that, but real quick, let's go over some of my favorites from last night:

Selena Gomez in Louis Vuitton

She's going to get so much shit for this look but I just love it. The detail of the dress up close is so cool - tiny little beads, and that leather harness! Remind me to put a kidney on ice so I can afford those boots come fall...

Kristen Stewart in Chanel 

Kristen Stewart always looks so good. Her entire look is on point; whoever does her makeup knows what's up. Always excited to see what she has up her sleeve.

Emma Stone in Prada

One of my favorites every time. Again, I bet the detail on this gown up close is unreal.

Freida Pinto in Tory Burch

She's flawless, and this look is so unexpected. It's modest but so utterly feminine.

Herizen Guardiola in Monique Lhullier

I'd never even heard of Herizen Guardiola but she absolutely took my breath away. I love the blood red accessories paired with the green dress. Her hair. Her BROWS.

So that's all I've got for you about the Met Ball. And let me just run through what's been going on in my brain over the past couple of days. Whenever I'm in a weird spot (emotionally, financially, physically, whatever), I turn towards something I can control to give me a sense of place in the world: fashion. The other day I decided to put on some lipstick before a walk with Raven and Charlie, and this little act made me feel so good.  

When I look back at times in my life where my situation was less than desirable, I realize that I have always turned towards fashion to pull me out. The way some folks turn towards cleanses, workout regimens, therapy, drinks with friends (all completely valid options), I turn towards my closet. So, for the next 31 days (now 29 since it all started May 1st), I'm going to wear lipstick and rebel against shitty thoughts and feelings. 

Will you join me? It doesn't have to be lipstick for you. It can be a cleanse, a workout, baking, whatever. But for the next 29 days, let's choose to let any negative feelings or doubts we have pass us by like taxi's on the street during a rain storm. Do one thing, everyday, to shake shit up, and tag me where you see fit with #aoklipstickchallenge. 

And that's! All I've got for you today.

xoxo,

aok

this post first appeared on www.allisonkoehler.com on 5.3.16.

weekend advice: move

Good Morning and Happy Friday! Despite the chilly weather we're having, I am so pumped for this weekend. My sister is on her way into the city as we speak, and we're going to spend the day shopping before dinner tonight at the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare! My sister and I rarely get to spend one-on-one time together since we live so far away and she has 2 little guys, so I'm really excited to have some QT with her. As for the rest of the weekend, Raven and I are taking it easy and weather depending are headed for a hike with Charlie on Sunday (your recs are welcome!!).

This weekend's advice? Move. April has been a busy month for me and I've barely had time to exercise at all. Which is kind of just a way of saying I didn't make exercise a priority, but I'm feeling kind of gross about it. I am terrible at staying consistent with workouts, but doing them at all consistently makes an enormous difference in my mental and physical health. So with our hike on the horizon and a free weekend, I want to give myself a chance to workout. Yeah? Sound good? I hope your weekend is the BEST...here are my favorite links of the week:

Speaking of workouts, if you're bummed about the ClassPass price hike, here are some alternatives!

Loving little heels like this for Summer!

Watership Down is one of my favorite books of all time, so this news is so exciting!

This Instagram is adorable! 

My favorite make and model of jeans on SUPER SALE!

This documentary looks gripping.

I think I'm addicted to sandals. These and these please.

Devouring this podcast, it's so good!

And lastly, my friends made a web series (and I did wardrobe!)! Check out the first episode of Let's See Hamilton here!

And that's all I've got for you today.

xoxo,

aok

what to wear today.

Hi there! You know what we haven't done in a while over here? Gotten dressed. Way back when, I used to do a mood board almost every week depending on the season, the circumstance, and my mood. Let's revisit that today because dressing for Summer (even though it's straight up cold here right now) has always been extremely intimidating to me. 

Right now you're going to want to layer the shit out of your outfit, but the summer foundation can be there.

top // cardigan // denim // sunglasses // shoes

Shorts are a long way off, so can we just start things off with some light colored levi's? They're also cropped. You can thank me later for how beautiful your tush will look in these. All I want to do is wear this cardigan, but that's never going to happen, so I love the above version by J. Crew for the cuteness + function. It looks preppy at first glance but with this outfit it just looks fresh. And slides. They're everywhereeeeee and are a great opportunity to add on a heel to any outfit. Throw away your flip-flops. Seriously. 

Psst - Astorians! Nicole sells Le Specs at The Brass Owl if you want to go try some on!

And that's all I've got for you today.

xoxo,

aok

monday mood: summer sandals

Had the best weekend celebrating the most amazing lady. With the incredible weather we're having, I'm only thinking about summer sandals. Here are 5 I'm coveting:

A new pair of Birks...but what color? 

I like feeling strapped into my shoes...these Matt Bernson sandals are perfect for days with lots of walking.

Love these slides for weddings, brunches, or date night.

We talked about block heels at The Brass Owl...how great are these?

These red sandals give me Bottega Veneta vibes.

And that's all I've got for you today!

xoxo, 

aok