Sounds Darling

Museum of Ice Cream: San Francisco- An updated review

Posted on July 25, 2018July 26, 2018 by soundsdarling

UPDATE: This past month I was back at the Museum of Ice cream in San Francisco and noticed some MAJOR changes. They have added some more Ice Cream themed rooms and completely done away with a couple of OG’s. Never fear- the sprinkle pool is still there.

The Banana Swing alcove was still my favorite photo stop- thankfully that has stayed the same.

New Room ALERT! The popsicle room is no more. I honestly prefer this new attraction ( to see the original room scroll below to my post from last year). The Circus Animal snack room made me feel nostalgic. I remember eating these by the handful as a child, wallpaper serves as such a cute background for photos.

The Rock Candy room is sadly gone (See below for OG pics). It has been replaced with a bubblegum pink and mint safaree. Overall this room was super cute, but to be honest the lighting setup was not amazing for an experience that is centered around cute photos.

The unicorn feature was so popular that they’ve added 2 more (not pictured). That’s right, they now have THREE unicorns. Love it!

Click here to shop my entire outfit from the museum of Ice Cream on liketoknowit click HERE

Click HERE for similar outfit links.

At the end of last year I was so excited to finally able to make a trip to the Museum of Ice Cream. In case you haven’t heard about it I highly recommend checking out their Instagram here . The Museum of Ice cream is an interactive millennial pink, photogenic, museum experience. The museum is composed of over ten rooms some complete with ice cream snacks!

One of the first rooms is comes decorated with cotton candy clouds and floating cherries. The best part is they give you cotton candy!

The sprinkle pool comes later on in the attraction and is SERIOUS fun! The pool comes equip with inflatable floaties and a diving board. However, one thing I should mention is that you have a set 5 min time in this attraction and the sprinkles get everywhere. So take photos QUICKLY and really brush off.

Rock Candy room comes with MOIC employees that will gladly take your photo and blaring Beyoncé music. Its safe to say that I LOVED it!

This wall paper was bananas! Popsicle wallpaper + popsicles coming out of the wall is a winning combo.

Overall Impression

The Museum of ice cream is a cute pop-up with plenty of chances for photo ops however its not really a Museum. Personally, I loved it but if you are expecting a traditional Museum experience like SFMOMA you will be disappointed. The museum is filled with a unique combo of young children and their parents mixed with adults taking a photo op.

Rosé for the week

Posted on July 25, 2018July 26, 2018 by soundsdarling

I am a huge fan of unicorn hair colors and am always toying with the idea of dying my hair pink or purple. I went to Target to pick up some wrapping paper and a gift card and ended up leaving with a cart full of nonessentials- the typical result of my shopping experiences there. The most interesting product I couldn’t wait to try was a shower spray that promised to give rose-gold hair that washed out after 2-3 shampoos. I was intrigued.

Kristin Ess Rose Gold Temporary Tint did not fail to disappoint! This is an in-shower product that you use on damp hair and leave in for 1-2 minutes. I accidently left mine on for 4. It worked amazingly and the fadeout was beautiful. I should note that it is well suited for prelightened/blonde or highlighted hair. My ombré hair is growing out and is dark blond on top, with fairly light ends. As you can see from the next photo, it picked up best on the ends and minimally on the top.

I was very pleased with the results- a haze pink with golden tones. I left this product longer than directed and after the first two shampoos ( using a moisturizing shampoo for color treated hair) it was still pinkish. One final wash using my go-to clarifying shampoo took care of the last of the pink. I use B&B Sunday shampoo after a few days of styling and product use, or if I have used dry shampoo for too many days in a row. Below is the photo of my hair after that final wash.

Back to blond ombrè with no pink. I had so much fun matching my hair color to this strawberry romper (pictured below) that I wore on my lates beach adventure. I will definitely be looking for more temporary hair tints that last a few washes and doing some more reviews. Overall, I was very impressed by how long it lasted and how vibrant the color was for a temporary hue. I will definitely keep my eye on the clock next time I have it on.

Stripes: This Summers Hottest Trend

Posted on July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 by soundsdarling

I can’t get enough of this summers latest trend- the bold stripe. From dresses to tops I am seeing brightly colored stripes on EVERYONE. It truly is the summer of the rainbow- stripes are HOT right now. I have compiled a list of some of my favorites, many you have seen on my Instagram (or will be seeing in the upcoming weeks).

Please note this post and others on my site contain affiliate links.

One Top, Multiple Looks

Posted on July 17, 2018July 18, 2018 by soundsdarling

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Possibly the most used piece in my wardrobe at the moment is this colorful button up. This piece has been appearing on my Instagram in a variety of ways for the past month. It’s colorful, light weight and perfect for summer look books.

A must have for any wardrobe is a unique print, or unexpectedly colorful button up. A non-basic button up is incredibly versatile, and has the ability to be reused and styled in multiple ways.

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This top served as the centerpiece for this rainbow look. I really wanted the decal on the shorts to pop without being overpowered, the primary colors in the top really did the trick.

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Adding a brightly colored button up under a black sweater is one of my go-to looks. In this case I went for color on color . The two pieces, both statements by themselves, paired nicely with a simple black skirt.

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CROP TOP! My favorite way to wear a button up is by tying the tails and transforming it into a crop top. This top looked so much better cropped, instead of just being tucked into the pattern.

Tops and outfits linked below

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Bold skirts +Basic tops = a Winning Combo

Posted on July 11, 2018 by soundsdarling

As anyone who follows me on Instagram, in my @soundsdarling account, knows I love mixing prints. Lately for summer I have been relying heavily on a few basic tops paired with bold printed skirts or rompers. All of the looks below that are still available have been linked at the end of this post.

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I am OBSESSED with this Blondie top. The red-orange text really pulled together with the stripes on the skirt. As you can see from my next photo this skirt has been getting a lot of use. Its fully lined, but is light enough that its comfortable in this July heat.

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Same skirt, different shirt.

There was so much going on in this outfit that a plain red top was my favorite option to tie in the skirt and the strawberry bag.

This strawberry romper was just too cute for me to pass it up! I paired it with temporary pink hair, and of course my strawberry bag. I added the simple yellow shirt to break up all of the pink that was going on in the look.

All products that are still available are linked below. Let me know in the comments how you style bold skirts!

My Favorite Highlighters

Posted on June 21, 2018June 21, 2018 by soundsdarling

For me highlighter is my must have makeup product. There’s something so satisfactory about finishing a makeup look up with some sparkle! I’ve rounded up the ones I use on heavy rotation in my makeup case!

From top to bottom

This Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder is my latest obsession. It has a pinky champagne glow and is incredibly layer able. Compared to the BareMineral highlighter its shine is on the micro level (AKA it doesn’t look like you have obvious strokes of glitter. This is the highlighter I used in the photo below. When I want highlighter to strobe (or insanely pop) in a photo I take a tiny scoop out and mix it with my lightest concealer and dab where I want for a WOW- I CAN SEE YOUR HIGHLIGHTER FROM THE MOON NO FILTER REQUIRED- look. Out of all of my highlighters this is my current favorite.
This next item is bareMinerals Invisible Light Translucent Powder Duo Matte- Mat, Glow- Brilliant and is considered a matte and glow setting powder. One side has matte powder and the other is a subtle glowing setting powder. I like using the matte side on the traditional t-zone area and the glow on top of my cheekbones (usually over a traditional highlighter) for extra POP. This is one of those products that lasts AGES. I’ve had it since the summer of 2016 and use it several times a week.
This bareMinerals Invisible Glow™ Powder highlighter I’ve had for so long they’ve redone the packaging. The formula looks the same. Its cheaper than the Bobbi Brown one and a little goes a long way. Its not as buildable as the others but is a universally flattering champagne glow.
This product is the deluxe sample of Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter and has lasted me for ages. Its cream to powder and I usually use it over a light bb cream and blend with my fingers. This one is perfect for my travel makeup and is easy to blend in for a more natural shimmer.
This product is a dupe I bought when my Benefit Cosmetics Girl Meets Pearl Golden Pink ran out. The color overall is more of a pearlescent pink unlike the previous highlighters champagne colors. The color of the dupe is spot on but I wouldn’t recommend it based on the formula differences
. The original formula is easily buildable and will blend into skin super easily. The dupe needs to be blended ASAP or it dries really fast and looks streaky. Overall Girl Meets Pearl is a fantastic color that really pops, this dupe while cheaper is not a great formula.

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ModCloth IRL: San Francisco FitShop

Posted on June 16, 2018June 24, 2018 by soundsdarling

acs_0262 — ModCloth FitShop Photo: Jamie Atchinson

As many of you already know, I love the ModCloth brand. Their whimsical prints and designs have been a long time favorite of mine so when they opened a FitShop in San Francisco I had to go. For those of you wondering what a FitShop is, I’ve got the scoop. The store features a plethora of their online designs in an inclusive range from XS-4X for you to try on. At the fit shop you try on the apparel and find your fit before purchasing online and having it shipped to you free of charge.

acs_0263 — See the Rainbow Photo: ModCloth Instagram

For my ModCloth visit I booked a free hour long ModStylist appointment online, and from my experience I highly recommend you do as well. If you come to the FitShop without an appointment you still have access to everything, but the one-on-one appointment has so many perks. With an appointment you have a reserved dressing room( no waiting in line!) and a stylist assigned to you, who helps with finding pieces and giving some great recommendations. With this appointment I felt like I was shopping with a friend for an hour!

acs_0257 — Vintage Photo Jamie Atchinson

The store has a huge variety of ModCloth pieces, but one of my favorite sections was the vintage area. Unlike the other pieces in the FitShop you do not have to wait for shipping. These unique vintage pieces can be taken home the same day. The ones I looked at were in excellent condition and had the cutest prints! I will definitely be back to peruse this section again.

Calling all brides to be. Right across from the vintage section is bridal wear. These swoon worthy dresses were all very reasonably priced, and so very gorgeous. I almost tried one on for fun.

acs_0258 — My Amazing ModStylist Jacqueline Photo Jamie Atchinson

Upon arrival I was paired with my Stylist Jacqueline. She was seriously the best! When I asked her why she chose to work at ModCloth she talked about how the brand is is championing diversity and working to empower women. Her favorite part about working here is ” working one on one with lot of different people everyday”. She talked about how the ModCloth dressing room was ” one of the most supportive places with women complimenting each other in a positive environment”. We talked about my style preferences ( I am currently on a quirky print and stripe binge) and the two of us went around browsing the store with her writing down my favorites. She also said that she would pull more styles that she thought I would like.

acs_0260 — Dresses Photo Jamie Atchinson

The ModCloth dressing rooms are too cute! Mine was floral themed. There are also cat and Fungi themed ones! I ended up trying on so many dresses. It was really nice being able to see the fabrics and prints in real life. If I needed a different size the amazing ModStylist Jacqueline was right outside.

acs_0267 — More clothes to try Photo Jamie Atchinson

When ordering online I usually stick with dresses and skirt- items that I know will fit. Jacqueline pulled some super cute separate outfits together for me to try on. This was helpful for future online orders as I now have a better sense of sizing.

Another huge perk of the stylist appointments is when looking for the perfect outfit accessory the two of you can explore the lobby together. Also, they are more than happy to take non-dressing room photos when trying on outfits

d5eb5f83-5dca-4bfa-9ab4-4e0806c8be07 — Dressing room couch

If you are shopping with friends the store has this cheerful yellow couch right outside the waiting room. This is the perfect place to try on outfits as a group and get opinions on them. Also this pink background makes for an #INSTA worthy photo.

acs_0261 — Say it Louder. Neon Lights and Floral walls Photo from Launch Party

I had a great time visiting the store. The staff were so friendly and incredibly helpful! I ended up ordering some dresses that Jaqueline picked for me that I would have never even thought about ordering online. Shopping in real life can be stressful, this was not. The store exudes a positive and inclusive energy. I ordered some super cute outfits courtesy of ModCloth and can’t wait to share them once they arrive. If you guys want to set up your own ModStylist appointment ( which I highly recommend) click here . Feel free to message me in the comments or on Instagram if you have any questions!

Feel free to say hi to me Here on Instagram 💛

Click HERE for youtube haul video showing what items I actually purchased!

5 best sunscreens for sensitive, acne prone skin

Posted on May 26, 2018 by soundsdarling

I am one of those individuals that has a combination of super pale sensitive skin that will break out for pretty much any reason. When I add a new skin product I get a rash, the weather changes- acne, and sometimes both. For this reason I am VERY picky when it comes to my SPF. Here are my top five SPF containing products that work with my skin type. If anyone has some other favorites please feel free to drop their names in the comments.

1) Hawaiian tropic silk hydration is my daily sunscreen moisturizer that I use on my body- not my face. It’s SPF 30, so I mainly use it for daily around school/town outings and switch it out with a sunscreen that has greater SPF for the beach. I like this sunscreen because it has a very light fragrance that doesn’t irritate my skin. Hawaiian Tropic

2) For beach days, or summer days where I will be out in the sun I use Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum on my face. It’s SPF 70 and is invisible under makeup and doesn’t cause breakouts.

3) I love Neutrogena products and always pack their Ultra sheer body mist in my bag for a quick, non messy reapply during outdoor adventures. At SPF 100 it’s hard to beat that kind of protection.

4) This suggestion falls more into a makeup category- Supergoop CC cream . This is my go to SPF +light coverage on days where I don’t feel like doing my makeup. I never skip SPF and I love the light coverage this product provides with a SPF 30.

5) For me Supergoop setting spray falls into the must have product category. It’s a makeup setting spray with SPF 50. It’s light weight, synthetic fragrance free and helps control oiliness. I have combo skin, so for me oil control is a must. In the summer I keep mine in the fridge and use it as a cool makeup finishing refresher.

Bay Area Beaches

Posted on May 4, 2018May 5, 2018 by soundsdarling

Now that the weather is warming up these beaches are perfect for weekend trips. Here are my top three Bay Area beaches.

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Capitola

Capitola is one of my favorite weekend trips. The beach here is typically less busy than Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk area and has that authentic beach town feel. My favorite part of this beach is its eclectic beachside houses. These colorful rentals are one of the most recognizable places in Capitola and make amazing photo backdrops.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes National Seashore is perfect for a long weekend. You can drive down the coast for several hours and take in the gorgeous views. Some areas that you can pull your car over to include its iconic beached ship, succulent fields on the beachside hill, and its classic lighthouse. Be sure to check the hours of operation before visiting the lighthouse.

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Next time you are heading into San Francisco be sure to exit right before the Golden Gate Bridge and check out Kirby Cove. One can capture great views of the bridge before hiking down to see the beach.

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Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

This beach features some of the best tide pools in the bay area, as well as scenic hiking. Additionally you might get lucky and catch a look at the nearby seals colony. If you are interested in the tide pools, be sure to google the tide before making the trip

Disneyland and California Adventure Photo spots

Posted on April 19, 2018April 21, 2018 by soundsdarling

One of my favorite places to visit when in SoCal is Disneyland. The parks are undoubtedly nostalgic with plenty of things for people of all ages to do. Additionally the parks undoubtedly provide the perfect photo backgrounds.
Here are some of my must stop locations!

DISNEYLAND

DIsneyland Castle

Disneyland Castle

The Disneyland castle is always my first stop for photos. The earlier you are there the less people you will have to angle out. One of the best shots to limit the amount of people in your photo is sitting on the lip by the side spires. You can use your body to angle out most of the people on the walkway while still getting a good amount of the castle in the background.

Teacups ALice in Wonderland

Fantasyland Disneyland

MY second favorite stop for photos is in Fantasyland. I LOVE LOVE love the cuteness of the teacups for photos and all of the whimsical Alice in Wonderland themes attractions.

Honorable mentions: King Arthurs carousal provides a particularly photoesque backdrop. The flower Micky upon first entering the park is lovely as well. Additionally the Dumbo ride as well as the It’s a Small World ride provide great backdrops.

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK

Cars Land FLo’s Cafe

Cars land

Cozy cone Motel Cars Land

Flo’s Cafe Carsland

Cars Land is the BEST spot for pictures in California Adventures Park. Its bright backdrops really make a photo pop. I recommend using the vintage looking mint gas dispensers in front of Flo’s Café to use as a backdrop. The path next to the Radiator Springs Racer is perfect for photos as there are minimal to none people in the background. On your way in be sure not to miss getting a shot next to the Cars Land billboard.

A bugs land

Gaurians’s of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout

bugs land

I am going to be sad when they remove A Bug’s Land attraction later this summer. This part of the park is designed to be from the perspective of a bug. The benches look like popsicle sticks and the fronds tower over you and provide a great place to take a photo of the Guardian’s of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout ride.

Disney’s Pacific Warf area is a great place to stop for Ice-cream or a bite to eat. Its bright buildings and SF feel serve as excellent photo backdrops.