Robin Hood, Men in Tights

So I have a complex with this shade of kelly green, especially when it's a dress. Everytime I pair it with something brown, like the waist belt I wanted to wear, I feel very Robin Hood-esque. Weird I know. That's why I decided to leave the tie belt on this dress rather than replacing it with a real belt, and I tried to keep the brown to a minimum by wearing my trusty light brown chain embellished sandals. I think I've safely steered clear of Robin Hood chic, at least this time.

I rediscovered this dress in my closet recently; I picked it up from Torrid probably 3 years ago now. I remember why I loved it so much! It's made of the softest, most comfortable cotton, and the cutouts at the neckline keep it airy, even in the 97 degree weather we had yesterday. Today's supposed to be even hotter...What I wouldn't do for a day off, a lounge chair by the pool, and a cocktail!

Dress: Torrid
Sandals: Steve Madden
Watch: Syms
Bangles: Old Navy
Necklace: Chrdesigns (more on that later!)
Earrings: Katherine's
Ring: La Casita

I also wanted to talk really quick about a product I came across recently. I know many of us battle with the dreaded chub-rub, and I've said before that I usually rock the oh-so-sexy bike shorts or Spanx under my dresses when bare-leg season rolls around. I've tried Monistat Chafing Relief Gel, and though it works, I hated the fact that you had to rub it on with your hands and get the gooeyness all over your fingers. Yuck!!

Enter Secret Shield by Skindura.

Description: "Protection no one knows you’re wearing but you. This non greasy, invisible balm provides long lasting prevention from skin on skin friction. Made of 100% veggie derived ingredients, (no petroleum, no animal by products, no silicone). But it also helps soothe skin that is already chapped and chafed so your skin will be good as new in no time."

And Secret Shield lives up to it's description! I smoothed it on before I left the house for work - with  no mess and no hand-washing because of the convenient twist tube applicator. Through an 8 hour work day and then an hour+ of shopping (lots of walking!) I reapplied twice, and experienced no irritation at all! Obviously the product doesn't prevent your thighs from rubbing together, but it creates a barrier that eliminates friction and allows your thighs to glide right past each other. In the 97 degree heat and humidity we had yesterday I have to tell you I was extremely impressed with this product. I'll definitely be using it on a regular basis - I love being able to go about my day without worring about Spanx rolling down or bike shorts riding up! This is going to be my savior when it comes to beach time and running around in a bathing suit!

Have you tried Secret Shield, or any other anti-chafing product? Let us know your experience!

You'll be gone and I'll be happier

Sometimes the simplest looks are the ones I like best. A simple black tee, bright cardi, and a printed skirt. Easy peasy and office appropriate!

Cardigan: H&M
Tee: Syms
Skirt: Thrifted
Flats: NY&Co
Chain bracelet: Christmas gift from my brother
Watch: Syms
Long necklace: H&M
Short necklace: Chrdesigns (more on this later!)

After an emotional rollercoaster of a weekend, I find myself yearning more than ever for my light at the end of the tunnel - my vacation in August! One of my closest friends from college and I are taking a two week trip; four days in Amsterdam, and the rest of the time spent at my family's house in Greece. I'm so excited I'm likely to explode!

Do you have any fun plans for the summer?

Don't forget to enter the GianneCREATIONS giveaway, it closes tomorrow at midnight! Only open to US readers, sorry to my international loves!

Colourless Color - And a Giveaway!

I've said it before; I love black and white, especially in a graphic print. For me, the combo can be more striking than bright colors when it's done right. This outfit was one of those last minute, already gonna be late, thrown together outfits, but it's one of my favorites recently as far as officewear goes.

I can't get enough of this lace blazer! I love how blazers can be like the cherry on top of an outfit, pulling the whole thing together and streamlining the look. I especially love the whimsical touch the lace gives this one. I also love how lightweight it is - the front and sleeves are lightly lined, but the rest of the blazer is just a thin bit of lace, so it's got great ventilation, and won't have me sweating bullets in the summer.

Top: Michael Kors via Macy's
Blazer: Forever21+
Leggings: Kenneth Cole via Syms
Flats: Preview via Nordstrom Rack
Short necklace: Chrdesigns (more on that another day!)
Long Necklace: H&M
Earrings: Katherine's
Bangles: Forever21
Watch: Syms

Did you spot my sweet 'ari' wire ring?? It was sent to me by reader and fellow blogger Gianne of GianneCREATIONS! Gianne started jewelry making as a hobby, but happily for her, her wire jewelry has boomed into a business, and she sells rings, keychains, bracelets, necklaces and more on her Facecbook page, GianneCREATIONS! She was also nice enough to send me this adorable keychain:

'Fatale'! So cute! I love the flowy cursive lettering Gianne uses for her wire jewelry. Because they're wire they are a little bit delicate, so I decided to hang my 'fatale' keychair off my rearview mirror instead of putting it on my keys, I didn't want it to get messed up if I threw it in my handbag (lord knows I've got ridiculous amounts of crap in there!).

If you'd like to get your hands on your own personalized piece of wire jewelry, Gianne is giving away one piece to a Fatale Fashion reader! Here's just a few types of items she can make:

Go simple with one of her new 3D rose rings, show your Greek pride with a letter ring or necklace, or make a statement with a 4 finger ring with the word of your choice :) Entering is simple!

You must:
1. Be a follower.
2. Like GianneCREATIONS on Facebook, and
3. Leave a comment saying what you'd get!

Extra entries:

1. Like Fatale Fashion on Facebook. (Leave a comment with your FB name)
2. Follow @fatalefashion on Twitter. (Leave a comment with your twitter handle)
3. Tweet about this giveaway! (Leave a comment with a link to your tweet)

Four chances to win! The giveaway will be open until 11:59PM on Wednesday, June 8th. Good luck :)

I cheated a bit and used this post for this month's lace EBEW since my blazer's in the wash! You won't tell, right?

Food Files: Creamy Mushroom Soup

Here's the second recipe I made last night from Skinnytaste; our main course, creamy mushroom soup! This soup is so so so delicious, I'm still in disbelief that it's only ONE POINT for a 1 1/4 cups of soup!! And it's super easy to make! This soup will become a staple for me for sure.

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 49 • Fat: 1.8 g • Carb: 6.6 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 3.2 g

• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• 5 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, whole with leaves removed
• 1 tbsp light butter (optional)

Place cold water and flour in a blender and blend until smooth, pour into a medium pot and set heat to medium. Add celery, mushrooms, chicken bullion and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove celery and a cup of soup, blend, then return back to the pot.

 Ta da!! Quick and easy and so tasty!! I didn't bother to blend the celery, my soup was creamy enough so I simply discarded the stalk and served. I had 2 cups for dinner and gave myself 2 points for it, even though it's not even that many. I'm having another cup and a half along with Trader Joe's Portobello Mushroom Ravioli (can you tell I like love mushrooms?) for my lunch today :)

Food Files: Baked Onion Rings

The cooking bug bit me again yesterday so I stopped over at Fairway Market to pick up a few ingredients for two recipes I've been eyeing from Skinnytaste. The first one I made as a snack/appetizer for my sister and I: Onion rings! I know it sounds fattening, but look - only two points!

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings
Adapted from Life as a Lofthouse
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 2 pt*
Calories: 74.7 • Fat: 0.6 g • Carb: 14.7 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 1.7 g • Protein: 2.9 g 

• 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk - *(substitute 3 eggwhites for the buttermilk, no need to soak. -Ariana)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste 
• olive oil baking spray (I used my Misto)

Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 - 2 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes and place half of the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions.

Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 

After reading through the comments it seem that some people had trouble getting the bread crumbs to stick to the onions using buttermilk, so I decided to substitute eggwhites for the buttermilk (I used 3 - eggwhites are less points than the buttermilk anyway, and you don't have to let them soak) and I also made sure to crush up the breading mixture so it was finer and would stick easier - I did this simply by pouring it into a ziplock and rolling over it with a glass.

When dipping your onion rings I recommend using one utensil to dip in the eggwhites, and then another to dip in the breading. I used a fork in the eggwhites and tongs once I was working in the breading. Keeping them separate will prevent a lot of the breading from clumping in the bowl and on your utensil.

Bottom line, these were delicious! Crispy, crunchy, full of flavor, and that plateful you see right there is only 2 points! My sister ate the other serving and she declared them better than normal onion rings. They're light and not at all greasy like restaurant onion rings. I highly recommend them, they make a great snack or appetizer!

*A note for all you point calculating WW ladies - If you put all these ingredients in your point calculator, it will come out to about 9 points. Don't forget that you are not eating all the leftover breading and buttermilk/eggwhites. Excess has been calculated by Gina and points adjusted accordingly :)

Hot Hot Heat

And no, I don't mean the basketball team. I mean literal heat. Because it has been hot!

Nothing like a breezy maxi for those scorching days! This skirt is actually a dress, which I ordered from Dorothy Perkins a few months back (it's actually still available, on sale, up to a UK18/US14). With a navy v-neck tee layered over it, this outfit has become one of my favorites. I love the boho vibe and it's easy and super comfortable to wear. The length is definitely long but I don't mind, I love the way it swishes around my ankles as I walk.

Out come my turquoise Forever21 pendants again; I've been wearing them nonstop. They've become a summer staple as far as jewelry goes.

Maxi Dress: Dorothy Perkins
Tee: Gap
Sandals: Target
Sunglasses: Target
Round Pendant: Forever21
Nugget Pendant: Forever21

These OOTD photos were probably the quickest shoot I've done to date - why you ask? Here's why:

My dad fancies himself a beekeeper. Seriously? Bees are non conducive to my photo sessions!

May Style File
Which was your favorite look this month?

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