The Rooftop at The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles

|...In the clouds|

The rooftop at The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles was a literal dream. 

Claire Leana Millar at The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles Wearing Dior So Real Sunglasses
HollyWood Sign
Zara Golden Slipper Slides
2 poached eggs and smashed avocado at The Ace Hotel Downtown LA
Ace Hotel Rooftop
Claire Leana Millar
Ace Hotel LA

A Minimalist Take On Summer Dressing via Acne Studios Staples & Other Season Must -Have Statement Acsessories

|...Downtown Los Angeles|

I touched down in Los Angeles last Sunday, leaving snowy NYC behind me, to explore a new city hosted by The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. I've been to LA a few times now, but have never stayed downtown! I can't imagine what I sounded like asking for a drop top Jeep Wrangler, so I could, "literally be the black Cher from Clueless," but I indeed got my dream car, and headed downtown to check in! The Ace was so beautiful; outside they have a small florist window, where you can have a succulent garden made for you, like the ones placed all over the hotel. The rooftop consists of two hang out spots, the pool & then a Moroccan inspired lounge with live edge tables overlooking downtown LA. After stopping at my favorite coffee spot, Alfred Coffee  on Melrose, I found this beautiful peach wall in the heart of the city! Summer dressing is probably my favorite, & for those of you who have followed LatelyIveBeen for a while, you know that white is one of my favorite colors. This Acne Studios dress is one of my most beloved articles of clothing. I call it my sheet. It's hands down one of the most comfortable pieces for summer I own, super easy to pack, and all you need to pair it with, is the perfect pair of slides & glam statement sunnies. These Furry Shearling Topshop Slides, are a bit ridiculous, (my boyfriend refers to them as my sandals with a weave hah,)  but they are insanely comfortable, and even more fun! Then for sunnies, the Dior "So Real" Sunglasses in silver!

Let's talk lips quickly! Curiosity & and inside tip form an editor friend at People Magazine gave me priority access to the Kylie Cosmetics online shop before the rest of the wold buys it out in seconds. As you all know, these are some of the hardest lip products to get, retailing for $30 a Kit, and being up sold on Ebay for about $100, depending on the color. If you really want it, Ebay is the way to go, I myself had to win this Kardashian game & refused to pay ridiculous prices for the kit.  I chose my Lip Kit in Dolce K, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I love it. It's one of the best matte formulas I have ever tried! The pencil goes on super smooth, and the lipstick dries into it's matte form in seconds, and is super long lasting; Now the only problem is getting more!

(shown below wearing Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit in Dolce K.)  

Peace and Love, Claire 

Claire Leana Millar in Downtown LA Wearing an Acne Studios Dress and Shearling TopShop Slides
Mantras to live by
Rooftop at The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
Claire Leana Millar in Downtown Hollywood Wearing Acne Studios and Topshop + Dior So Real Sunglasses
Topshop Shearling Slides
Wearing Acne Studios and TopShop Shearling Slides
Dior Silver so real sunglasses & Dolce K Lip
Jeep Wrangler in Beverly Hills with Claire Leana Millar

SXSW16 at The Fader Fort Presented by Converse Favorite Artist Round-Up

|...Up Close and Personal In the Press Pit|

Here's a polaroid round up of my favorite artists that I had the pleasure of seeing at The Fader Fort Presented by Converse SXSW16! I was lucky enough to be in the front of the crowd in the press pit with about 5 other people for most of the shows, it was so incredible to see all the acts this close, and gave me the opportunity to capture it all on polaroid film!

Peace & Love, Claire 

Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak

Goldlink 

Goldlink 

Gallent 

Gallent 

Rae Sremmurd

Rae Sremmurd

Tory Lanez 

Tory Lanez 

Yo Gotti 

Yo Gotti 

Drake 

Drake 

Wandering the East Side of Austin in a Functional + Fashionable Look To Try for Festivals

|Discovering the East Side of Austin|

Austin Diary 3.

I loved this old tire shop I came across walking through the trendy East Side of Austin! It was so beautiful, and really gives you a good idea for the feel of the city. This was probably one of my favorite looks of my trip, It by far was the most comfortable, and got me through my longest day of standing in the masses for concerts. I bought these Silence + Noise Basketball Shorts in both black and taupe, and can already see them being my summer staple. The length is perfect, and the lightweight silk is easy to pack, taking up little to no space in you're luggage. From here we walked over to Hillside Pharmacy for brunch, an awesome place if you are looking to be outside & eat in their cozy garden! 

Peace & Love, Claire 

Claire Leana Millar in East Austin Leals Tire Shop
Leals Tire Shop Austin
Bloggers at SXSW16 Claire Leana Millar
Beautiful Old Austin at SXSW16 with Blogger Claire Leana Millar
Camo Converse ChuckII from the SXSW Converse Gifting Event
Follow me on IG @LatelyIveBeenMe for more!

Follow me on IG @LatelyIveBeenMe for more!

I wore; Hotel San Jose Tee (available at Hotel) , Silence + Noise Basketball Shorts, Chuck Taylor All Star II, and Zara Denim Jacket

Dressing A.M. to P.M. During Music Festival Season

|..."Wether the Weather Be Cold, Wether the Weather Be Hot"|

The Austin Diary 2.

Picking a look that would carry my through the early mornings to, well, the early mornings of the next day, proved to be one of the hardest things to do on my trip to SXSW16. I left our apartment around 10 am to shoot around Austin, then would head to The Fader Fort Presented by Converse for the rest of the day, then off to dinners, then after hours events! Austin was not as warm as I had thought it would be, or as the weather had told me it would be before leaving NYC. The nights ended up being about 45, and mid day it was 75, so you needed a few layers to get you through the full spectrum of temperatures.

I shot this look outside of the famous Franklin BBQ. After meeting a lot of local Texans, this was a huge subject for debate wether this was the best BBQ in Austin, but the likes of President Obama, Kayne West, and countless other celebs, have made this their go to BBQ spot. One thing you can count on is a 3 hour wait in line, any given day of the week. 

Peace & Love, Claire    

Perfect festival looks at SXSW16
Wish you were here sign in Soco
Colorful Austin Texas Houses
Topo Chico
Claire Leana Millar
Converse All White ChuckII

My First Time in Austin, My First Time at SXSW

|...Discovering Austin for the First Time @ SXSW16|

The Austin Diary 1.

I'm currently at the Hotel San Jose in Soco, updating Lately I've Been for the first time since landing! I never thought it would take my whole trip before posting again, but since my arrival, I have been non stop just trying to see everything possible in this new city! Austin is so cool. I love the vibes of this city, I found a few nooks that I would definitely come back to, Hotel San Jose & Hotel Saint Cecilia being 2 I absolutely love, probably the most beautiful boutique hotels in the city! I'm currently sitting at a table in the outdoor patio space, having a rose by the pool, surrounded by bamboo trees! One thing that I think is most notable about Austin is all the color, & the mix of old and new buildings. I spent most of my SXSW time at The Fader Fort Presented by Converse, (pics coming soon) , listening to the likes of Drake, Yo Gotti, and Anderson .Paak, to name a few, before spending warm evenings at the Apple Music pop up with friends, as the iconic DJ Jazzy Jeff spun us all into the wee hours of the night. Ill be posting an installment of The Austin Diary every day this week! This look was shot outside of a huge pink Bingo Hall on the East Side of the city!

Peace & Love, Claire 

Motel Austin Sign in Soco
Bingo Halls in East Austin Texas
Claire Leana Millar in Austin Texas for SXSW
Sait Mary mural in Austin Texas
Claire Leana Millar in Austin Texas Wearing Denim and a Zara Knit
Bingo Hall in Austin Texas
Claire Leana Millar in Austin Texas for SXSW16 wearing Re/Done Denim and Camo ChuckIIs
Camo Converse ChuckIIs, Denim Shorts, Zara knit tank