Here's the Plan

Sorry I haven't been on here:( I am in college and I haven't really had time...
I will try to post...but I can't  promise anything.

All Squared Away:)

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't done a post in a while...I just moved into my college dorm today!!!!! I am so excited for college! This week is Rush Week...so when I get the chance I will try and post some pictures of it. Today has been hectic so I never got around to posting the results of the most recent poll. Sorry.

The last poll was asking what you would like to see next in the "Back to School Fashion" series..and the most popular choice was....ACCESSORIES! So I will try and post that as soon as I can. Be sure to join the site so that you can comment and help me make this site as awesome as possible:)

My New Baby!

Haha! The title of this post got you didn't it?!

Anyhoo...no I wasn't pregnant. My new baby is my beautiful MacBook Air!!! I absolutely love this laptop! I originally had a Dell Latitude E5400 for about two years...and this bad boy totally trumps that laptop. I made the switch from PC to Mac and am absolutely enjoying every second of it *pinch me*

So, right now I am packing for college and man do I have a lot to pack! You don't realize how much "stuff" you need until you are trying to pack it into little boxes and duffel bags;) I leave for college Tuesday morning so I have a lot to do before then....

Well I just thought I would update you guys as to what is happening. So, I have a question for you guys...what should I name my new "baby." Leave your suggestions in the comments section or on my Questions/Suggestions section of the site:) Hope to hear some good ones!

Back to School Fashion: Part Deux

Now you have the basics...

Recap: Things you need as basics for your back to school wardrobe: v-necks, skinny/bootcut jeans, blazer, cardigans (Back to School Fashion: Part 1)

This fall is all about clean, effortless looking, simplicity. So, your makeup shouldn't be any different. Here are some looks that will be sure to impress this fall.

From a Michelle Phan Makeup Tutorial

Simple Makeup

  Keeping it simple isn't bad. Simplicity is beautiful too:) To achieve a simple look don't over emphasize any one aspect of your face. Now, I didn't say don't emphasize any features on your face, I said don't over emphasize. The simple makeup look is without drama, so no bold eyeshadows. What you want is a clean powdered face, simple eyeliner, mascara, and light colored blush. For the eyeliner stay as close to the lash line as you possibly can and tightline your eyes to create a look of fuller eyelashes (tightlining is lining under  your lashline.)

Tightlining your eyes

                                                                  Bold Eyes

Taylor Swift-Bold Eyes, Clean Face

  Another great back to school fall look is bold eyes and simple makeup. The hues for this fall are copper, gold, brown, and warm colors in general. When using eyeshadow know what you are trying to create. Do you want a smoky eye? want to bring out your eye color more? coordinate with colors in outfit? A great eyeshadow palette for fall is Maybelline Eye Studio in Give me Gold. This eyeshadow palette looks great on all eye colors. And this palette has all the great colors of fall! Another way to create a bold eye for back to school is dramatic eyelashes. This can be created with or without false eyelashes (but for school I myself wouldn't do the false eyelashes...that is just me.) 

The Minor Details

Aside from your main makeup look you need to take care of a few other things first: keep your skin clean, fill out your eyebrows, and chapstick. 

1. Keeping your skin clean and clear is the best way to keep it looking healthy and glowing. So adopt a skincare routine that fits your face and stick with it. It is now that you should start taking care of it, so that you can keep it healthy for years to come. 

2. Filling out your eyebrows may not be a necessity for everyone. But, by filling out I don't mean drawing your brows on. Just fill in any spaces to keep your brows looking great a full. And for those who may have over plucked your eyebrows to the point of almost non-existence, filling in is a great way to hide your mistake while giving them time to grow back (we have all done it...or may do it once...it happens...we learn from our mistakes!)

Pink Blossom

3. Chapstick. Chapstick. Chapstick. Keep those lips moisturized and healthy! Moisturized lips look a hundred times better than dry cracked lips! And if you want to try a pop of color but aren't into lipstick try a tinted chapstick like Burt's Bees:)

I hope that you guys are liking the back to school fashion series:) I have a few more posts in this series to go...what things would you like to see in the coming posts? Leave your suggestions in the comments, or under Questions/Suggestions, or in the Community Answers box on the right hand side of the page (below popular posts.) Hope to get some feedback and enjoy your weekend!!! :) Get out there and try something new!

Dress for Success

Every women needs the chance to succeed.

On the right side of my blog I have added a widget called SocialVibe. What this allows me to do is help any charity of my choice (off of their list.) I chose to support Dress for Success because of their mission: to give every women that they can a chance to obtain a job and support themselves. Dress for Success provides each women that they help with a suit and accessories so that they will look great for their job interview(s). And, when they get the job, Dress for Success then provides them with a weeks worth of business attire clothes so that they will look professional for their job. This is a great charity that has touched many lives, and I would like to help them touch even more. In today's economy everyone needs a chance at a job, and providing women with the attire they need to land the job is the first step to a successful life. So, as viewers and followers I challenge you to click on the widget watch the ad and click one of the boxes on the right of the ad that comes up, takes only 3 minutes out of your day to help a great cause. I have taken the first step, now I ask you to lend a helping hand. Thanks for all the support:) 

Summer/Fall Hairstyles

Hair can be a centerpiece or an accessory.

 Wavy                          Straightened                        Braided

This summer has been about "au naturel" hairstyles. I haven't seen much of the hair-sprayed curls or intricately pinned up buns in a while. This summer was and is (until September 23) about naturally wavy locks, starightened hair, and cute braids. And these will carry on into this fall as well. This fall is all about the seemingly effortless locks:)

To obtain these hairstyles is not very difficult at all, and that is the point! "Effortless" chic is the ultimate goal...


                                                Wavy Hair 

Kate Hudson Naturally Wavy

  Wavy hair can be obtained one of three ways: naturally, with hair products, or with a curling iron. But if your hair is naturally straight and doesn't do well holding curls, this style may not be for you...but there are so many ways to embrace that naturally straight hair that will be discussed a little later on! Anyhoo, naturally wavy hair is great, you can just let it air dry and VOILA! awesome hair. But, in order to clean up the waves a little I recommend using a little mousse before letting it air dry just to polish the curls and tame the dreaded frizz. And if you want to create waves that hold all day, just use a little mousse while standing straight up, and then flip your hair upside down and add mousse to the underneath and scrunch the hair while you add it, just to give it a little more volume. Then, if your hair dryer has settings for speed, put the hair dryer on the lowest speed and dry your hair just a little bit, scrunching as you go. But, don't dry it all the way! You want the hair to dry mostly by itself so that you get that natural look. The third way to get waves is to use a large curling iron and curl your hair in large chunks. Then after you have curled all of your hair, separate the curls with your fingers, then flip your head upside down and shake your hair a little. This will give you a soft wave look. And if you want the waves to hold without hairspray, mousse your hair a little before you dry it, then curl it.

                                         Straightened Hair

  Straightened hair is a go to hairstyle because you can do so much with it. Now, if your hair is naturally straight this is where your tips and recommendations come in to play;) Wearing your hair straight looks neat and polished and is always in style. There are many different ways to wear this hair style too, and it, along with waves is great for fall. Headbands are a great accessory for straight hair. Since your hair isn't super styled you can draw attention to hair accessories instead. Feather headbands are looking to be pretty popular this fall, and you can go either subtle or dramatic with these. And you can also accessorize with hair clips or even braids.

                                                     Braided Hair

Fishtail Braid

  This summer was the season of the braid. There were so many girls rocking this look and it is so cute on so many different age groups! And braids will be great for fall too, you can even accessorize braids...so many possibilities:) Well, since I can't really explain how to do braids in words, I will put some great braid styles for summer and fall up. And, if you like them and would like to know how to do them, just leave a comment and I will find a way to explain it to you;) But my favorite braid right now is the rope braid! It is quick, simple, and sophisticated...here is a link on how to do it (this is where I learned to do the rope braid!)

Rope Braid

So throughout the end of summer and all of fall remember effortless chic!

Back to School Fashion: Part 1

Going back to school???

Pretty Little Liars

There are many great ways to start off your year right, and a versatile wardrobe is a good start. Clothes are an extension of your personality, so it is always great to accentuate it to the best of your ability. I for one remember the days of trying to pick out a fantabulous outfit for first day of school every year to impress everyone (even though, looking back, some of those outfits were pretty awful...) And I am looking forward to my first year in college now where I will get to do just that again:)

The great thing about back to school fashion this year is, there are so many great trends going on right now that are also appropriate for school. I know, sometimes it can be hard to find clothes that look great AND are legal to wear at school. We have all been there! 

One fool proof way to stay in style this year is have some great basics. What I mean by this is, have basic pieces in your wardrobe that can be layered or paired with multiple items in your closet so that you can have many outfits. Having great pieces in your wardrobe helps build your wardrobe tremendously! Pieces to have this year in your back to school wardrobe:

1. V-Neck shirt

Target V-neck

  V-necks are a great basic that can be paired with a jacket, cardigan, vest, skirt, shorts, jeans, dresses, almost anything! That is why it is a great piece to have:) You don't want anything too low cut because you may not be able to wear it to school, and too low cut shirts may not be age appropriate for middle school goers. So look for a great cut. My favorite v-neck right now is one that I obtained from Target. This is one that I recommend for most everyone in the v-neck market...it has a great cut and is super soft. They come in many colors and are on sale right now at Target for $5!!! Why not pick up a few for that low of a price?! 

2. Skinny Jeans/Bootcut Jeans

  Two other pieces that you should have in your back to school wardrobe are skinny jeans and bootcut jeans. These two cuts of jeans are great on most figures and will pull together most any outfit. But try to avoid torn, frayed, ripped, or bleached jeans, these are not in style and are not appropriate for school. Darker washes look great!

Michelle Phan rocking a blazer and a dress

3. Blazer 

  Blazers look great on men, but are making a statement on women now too! Blazers make a great statement piece for this fall and can be paired with anything from a v-neck and jeans to a dress. It is just a great piece to have. 

4. Cardigans

  Cardigans are a great piece if you want to layer, or add some color or texture to an outfit, and they are just so cute!!!

So those were just some basics for your closet. I will put up another post on some great looks for back to school. I am posting this in parts because I was so behind so I wanted get something out there so that y'all don't give up on me:) Enjoy. And, get out here and try something new!

Poll Results 8/1

Ok, so the poll results this week were in favor of Summer/Fall Hairstyles...so I will do a post on that for y'all:) I am a little behind in posting because I am getting ready to start college, but I am trying my best to catch up...soooo after I post the Back-to-School Trends piece I will do the Hairstyle piece and be up to date...thanks for the patience and be sure to follow the site:)

Over 1,000!!!!

1.067 Pageviews!!!

Hey guys,
 I have started working on the Back-to-School Trends post and it will be up soon. But, that is not why I am posting....the blog reached over 1,000 viewers today:) Thank you so much for all the views and participation and I hope to get to 2,000 now.