Bright Pants

This spring and summer printed and brightly colored pants are hugely popular. They come in multiple designs and colors of different intensity so you can pick how crazy you get! Here are some of my favorite designs this year:

Rag & Bone Neon, 7 Cropped Skinny Toffee Ikat, Madewell Skinny Ankle Floral

These jeans can be hard to pull off though! With neon jeans, either go with a white top or another neon, depending on your comfort level.

With pattern jeans either go with a neutral like nude or cream or wear a muted color that is in the pant. For example if you are wearing floral print jeans with orange petals, try an orange shirt or accessories. Pair your jeans with a pair of neutral wedges for the perfect summer look!

Fishtail Braid

The fishtail braid is an easy way to spice up your basic braid. It may take some practice but with time it gets easier. Fishtails look good on every type of hair texture but can be harder if you have shorter hair or lots of layers.

1. Start with all of your hair down. It can be wet or dry, it doesn’t really matter.

2. Make a regular low ponytail and secure it with an elastic (preferably one of the cheap, plastic ones).

3. Split the pony tail into two even pieces.

4. Take a piece from the first side and pass it to the second.

5. Take a piece from the second side and pass it to the first.

6. Pull both pieces tightly.

7. Continue this down your hair until you get to the bottom. Secure the bottom with an elastic.

8. Carefully cut the elastic at the top.

9. Gently pull the braid apart to give it some soft, messy texture.

And you’re done! Have fun playing around with them and putting your own spin on it like smaller braids or braiding your ponytail! Enjoy!

Fight Frizz

A couple of days ago I was out and about enjoying the warm weather and happened to walk by a mirror and was instantly reminded  about how frizzy my hair gets in the humid summer days! I’d been spoiled by the drier winter months, focusing more on keeping my ends moisturized than the frizzy mess my hair becomes. Here are some steps you can take to control the summertime frizz!

1. Embrace your natural texture: It can be hard in the summer to bust out your hair straightener, curler,  or blow dryer to get your hair beautiful. Use products like Rene Furterer Control Emulsion Anti-Frizz or John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original Formula Hair Serum For Dry Frizz-Prone Hair with your natural texture to reduce frizz and look polished. If you have to use a heating tool, try to cut back on the amount or only for special occasions.

2. Along with staying away from heat products, make sure your hair is moisturized. It may seem counterintuitive because of the moisture in the air but dry hair fizzes much more than moisturizer hair. Try Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque to add some moisture.

3. During the day try not to touch your hair, especially if you have curly hair. Running your fingers through your hair will only add more volume and frizz, which is what we’re trying to avoid.

4. If you can’t seem to keep your hands out of your hair during the day, master the up-do and braids. Try a ballerina bun or fishtail braid and to keep the summer up-do more laid back and casual pull some face framing strands.

Eyeliner

Applying eyeliner well is a skill some people never master. It can be easy to smear a dark line under your eye, but many times that isn’t the best application for your eye shape. There are many different eyeliners and looks to explore and it’s an easy change that can completely change your makeup look. Many people stick with kohl pencils, which work well for some people, but don’t try any other options that might fit you better. Here are some of the options available which will hopefully inspire you to shake up your eyeliner!

The smudge pot:

In the past this has been an eyeliner only higher end companies were making but recently companies like Maybeline have been coming out with cheaper options that work just as well. The smudge pot requires a liner brush but goes on very easily. Look for a pointed or angled liner brush for the best application. Smudge pot eyeliner should only be used on your upper last because the formula is meant for external use only. The creamy formula is great for creating winged looks and thick lines but be careful when you’re applying it because the long-lasting liner does not come off easily if you make a mistake.

Kohl liner:

This liner is the basic eyeliner and is great for beginners and for creating smokey looks. There are also fun options in bright colors and metallic finishes to play with. Look for kohl liners that can be easily blended and that are safe to use on your waterline. Kohl is great for lining eyes in both your waterline and on your top lashes. Try experimenting with the angle of the pencil as you’re applying it, tilting at a 90-degree angle for a precise line and a 45-degree angle to create a thicker line. Kohl is a good eyeliner to experiment with because it can easily be wiped off and redone.

Liquid Liner:

This eyeliner can be the hardest to master because it has the least room for errors. It offers the most dramatic and precise way to line your upper lid, but should not be used on your waterline. The best use for liquid liner is drawing the cat eye or winged look because of it’s easy gliding. Look for waterproof ones to avoid it running.

Long Wear:

This can come in many different forms from long wear pencils to long wear liquid liner. Of course the long wear offers many benefits because it does not smudge and will last a long time. The bad thing about this liner is that if you make a mistake, it is less forgiving because it is so hard to take off. I would recommend using this if you are more experienced with eyeliner application. Also, do not use it for smokey looks because it does not smudge and blend as easily.

Makeup For Your Eye Color

Eye makeup isn’t the same steps for everyone. Each of our individual eye colors can be accentuated by the right colors and application techniques. Once you know them you can adjust makeup looks to make them fit you!

The easiest trick for picking eyeshadow for your eye color is to become acquainted with the color wheel. Pick a color that is on the opposite side of the color wheel to make your eye color pop!

Blue Eyes: Pick colors in the brown, gold, and bronze shades like MAC’s Amber Lights for a shimmery bronze/gold.  If you are doing a smokey eye opt for darker steel-gray shadows and eyeliners which will look amazing against your baby blues. The only color to avoid are blues that match your eye color. 

 

 

Green Eyes: If you are lucky enough to have those rare, beautiful green eyes play them up with purple and pink eye shadows. Although red is opposite to green on the color wheel purple has some red tones in it, which will perfectly compliment green eyes. Look to switch your black eyeshadow for deep plum for an easy upgrade. Try Almay’s Intense I-Color in Purple Amethyst.

 

 

Brown Eyes: You have the most colors to play with for brown eyes because not much is going to clash against them. But to really make the color pop look for eye makeup in the blues or purples. For night looks, try a dark sparkly blue like Victoria Secret’s Very Sexy Eyeshadow in Spin.

Spring Pastels

As spring begins we see the days getting longer, flowers popping up, and the end to drab winter colors. It’s time to replace our heavy winter jackets with light, fun, spring colors. A big trend for this spring is pastels in everything from shirts, dresses, jeans, and accessories.

The easiest way to wear this trend is to set it as the statement piece in your outfit by keeping the rest of it neutral. To keep it fresh for spring use neutrals like white and cream instead of black and grays.

If you are on the daring side, mix two pastels together for a bold spring look. Pair colors that compliment each other but are not the same, or you’ll end up looking like an easter egg. If pairing two pastels, keep them muted and soft pastels instead of neon ones so the two are not too overwhelming.

Another great way to incorporate pastels into your outfit without going over board is pastel nail polish. Look for pale purples, blues, yellows, and pinks.

OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy  ,  OPI Do You Lilac It?  , Essie Mint Candy Apple  

   

 

Here’s my take on the pastel nail color. I used OPI’s Steady as She Rose (which is discontinued) and Essie’s Luxeffects.

 

Save VS Splurge

As a working student, I often find myself torn between splurging on products and looking to save my hard earned money. Here’s my list of products to save or splurge on! These are only my suggestions, deciding what you want to spend on is up to you. And of course every persons idea of splurging or saving is personal as well so it will be different for each person. In general, I’d recommend using the rule of taking the cost of an item and dividing it by the amount of times you think you will wear it. If you buy a $100 pair of jeans that you plan to wear twice a week for two years that is about a dollar per wear. But if you’re thinking of investing in a $500 party dress you’ll only wear twice a year that’s $250 per wear. With makeup, think about what you use so don’t splurge on something you’re only going to use once.

Beauty Products:

Save

Shampoo – Most shampoos do the same tasks, just with different prices. Your hair will be just as clean. 

Mascara – There are designer mascaras, like the Dior ones, out there but I’ve found that drug store mascaras work just as well, if not better. My favorite drug store steal is L’Oreal Voluminous Millions Lashes.

Moisturizer – Most moisturizers will do the same things no matter how much you pay for them. There are special ones like firming, tanning, shimmering ect but the plain ones do the trick for me. The only moisturizer that I would spend a little more on would be a moisturizer with SPF.

Speaking of SPF – Although this is one of the most important steps in your beauty regime, a sun screen from CVS is going to do the same as one from Chanel.

(Sometimes) Foundation – If you don’t use foundation very often or only use it on one part of your face, like your chin or nose, a cheaper drugstore foundation will give you what you want at the fraction of the price. A great drugstore foundation is Maybelline New York Dream Smooth Mousse.

Lipstick/Lip gloss – I have this on both sides because it really depends on what makeup you wear. If you rarely wear lip gloss or lipstick then a cheap and simple product will work just as well.

Makeup Remover – Although people don’t usually think about splurging on makeup remover, there are some pricier option out there. But you can find the best removers in the drugstore without a doubt.

Curling Iron – A cheaper curling iron will almost always do the same job as an expensive one. The only drawback may be the time it takes it to heat up but other than that you’ll get the same curl either way. Beauty stores like Ulta have a great selection to chose from.

Splurge

Conditioner – All conditioners are not all equal. Having a good conditioner can completely change your hair. The key thing to look for is the conditioner that matches your hair type and can give you what you want like frizz ease or volume boost. I use PHYTO Phytosésame Express Hydrating Conditioner with Sesame Oil  for split end repair.

Eyeliner – Having a long lasting eyeliner can actually save you money because you don’t have to keep reapplying it and they usually don’t break as easily. Look for ones that suit your taste like a gel or a pencil. My favorite, love-of-my-life eyeliner is MAC Fluidline Eye Liner Gel. It won’t budge all day or all night and it will last you a long long time (I’ve had one pot for about a year).

Eyeshadow – There is a huge difference between a department store eyeshadow and a drug store one. They go smoother, crease less, and will stay on longer. Drug store brands tend to crumble  and don’t have a very rich color. If you want to save even more, splurge on eyeshadow colors that you wear every day, like browns and shimmers and buy drugstore eyeshadow for colors you don’t wear very often.

Foundation – Finding the right foundation that is suited to your skin tone, type, oiliness and specific needs can be a hard search but can have a huge payoff. Having an amazing foundation will mean you don’t have to splurge on other face products because you already have a perfect base. My favorite is Lancome Teint Miracle.

Lipstick/Lip gloss – If you wear either of these two (or both) on a regular bases then splurging on both of these will make a huge difference. Higher end lip glosses and lipsticks give better staying power and are usually creamier.

Makeup Brushes – Having a good brush can make any makeup look better. Drugstore brushes tend to be made of synthetic hair which usually shed and don’t give you very smooth coverage.

Hair Straighteners – They seem like a pretty basic design but the difference between a high end hair straightener and the cheaper option is huge. The cheaper options usually don’t heat up as fast and can snag your hair and break it.

Clothing:

Save

Simple T-Shirts: I work in a clothing boutique and it blows my mind everyday when people come in a buy $150 white v-neck t-shirt. I always find myself thinking that they could get the same shirt from the gap for around $15.

Crazy, Fun, Not Everyday Shoes – Having a variety of shoes at your disposal to go with your every outfit whim is awesome but save on the shoes that you’re only going to wear once or twice like those 5 inch bright pink heals or leopard print boots.

Party Dresses – Every girl should have a couple of fun party dresses in her closet that you’ll probably wear once or twice or will only wear for one season. Save on these dresses at places like Forever 21.

Fun Blouses and Tops – As a teenager I find that I wear a top a couple of times and then it gets pushed to the bottom of my dresser to make room for new ones. My style is still changing and finding cheap and pretty tops are perfect for that.

Crazy Jewelry – Save on funky, loud, fun jewelry you wont wear very often. It’s fun to dress up outfits with them but you’re not going to wear them everyday.

Sunglasses – Alright this one might just be me because I end up losing/breaking about 10 pairs of sunglasses every year. I find that I can find perfectly useful sunglasses for a cheap price. If you do splurge on a pair, make sure you take care of them so they last you a long time.

Splurge

(A Great Pair of) Jeans – Having one or two pairs of jeans that fit you perfectly, have the right wash and style, and make you look fabulous is worth the splurge. Jeans are a staple in most women’s wardrobes and a well made pair will last you a long time.

Everyday, Classic Shoes – These are your black flats, black high heals, great pair of leather boots, or running sneakers. Invest in shoes that you’ll wear a lot, are made of good material that will last a long time, are comfortable and don’t give you blisters, wont go out of style next season, and can go with every outfit.

Staple Dresses – Basically any version of a LBD (little black dress) can go in the splurge section. These should be your standbys for any occasion and that you know will last you a long time.

Everyday Handbag – Having one amazing bag that you carry everyday will pretty much set you for the rest of your life (alright but for a couple years at least). Go for one in a neutral color to go with everything and one that is made to last.