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!

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!

Timeless Summer Pieces

Trends come and go, but there are the classic pieces of ones wardrobe that can be worn every year. 

 One timeless piece to have in your summer arsenal is a nice pair of jean shorts. Nothing skimpy, just some basic jean shorts that you can slip on to go run errands or wear to a last minute get together at the park or beach. Some of the jean shorts that you see now could even put Daisy Duke's shorts to shame! So, when thinking about your wardrobe you need to think classy. Ask yourself, "What will I wear for years to come?" And I would hope jean panties don't answer that question. The shorts that you see at the left are shorts that I found on sale at American Eagle (AE). They are call "high-waisted shorties." Now you are probably saying, "But I thought you said nothing too short..." but hold on a sec. These shorts are a higher waist, so they will flatter many body types. If you need a little something to smooth out your stomach area these do the trick. This beats a muffin top any day! And these shorts look great with a cute top tucked in and a little brown belt and show off those tall ladies long legs. But these really aren't super short contrary to their name "shorties." If you get the right size, these shorts will look and feel great. So, look for jean shorts in a dark and light wash (nothing frayed or acid washed) and in an appropriate length. Years from now you will thank yourself for getting classy shorts when the "jean panty trend" and "ripped-to-shreds-clothing trend" are gone. And wearing cute, classy clothing is always in style!

Another piece to have in your summer wardrobe is an airy sundress or maxi dress. Now for those ladies who say dresses aren't their thing, that's alright. There is something for everyone, but at least consider dresses. And here is why dresses are a must for summer, there are times that I have gotten ready, my makeup is all done, my hair is cutely braided, and I have no idea what I want to wear: sundresses and maxis are your easy and cute life saver outfits. You can  wear the dress as is with a pair of flip flops or pair it with a cute waist belt and some dressy sandals, heels, or wedges. They just work as a great base for a summer outfit! 

Always have flowy tops and thinner tanks for summer too (and you can always wear v-necks, they work in most seasons.) You don't really want to wear uber thick clothes in the summer (if you live somewhere humid or hot or both.) Now some of the airy tops are made of see through fabric so you want to invest in some camisoles and basic tank tops for these, because seeing your bra and what not is not cute nor classy. But on some of the tank tops you can get away with a nude colored bra (a really good one is the Incredible by Victoria's Secret demi bra in nude.) 

Cardigans are a great thing to have in your wardrobe all year long! There are lighter and thicker materialed cardigans that enable you to rock them all year. Cardigans can be worn with v-necks, dresses, tank tops, basically anything that needs some pizazz. but for summer I would definitley integrate this in. Every year they are in style and they look nice and can bring an outfit together. And the idea of belting can be brought to these as well. Belting a cardigan over a cute basic top or with a dress can add a whole new level of chic to an outfit. I know that the picture is of a fall outfit, but if you remove the tights and boots and add some cute flats or sandals this becomes pretty summery and can be worn year after year.

Accessory-wise you just need some basic pieces to mix in with your wardrobe:

1.) Long gold or silver necklace with a simple pendant on it. This one here is mine that I purchased at a local boutique (it's about 12 inches long.) I absolutely love it, and simplicity goes a long way.

2.) A skinny brown belt that you can use to belt dresses, skirts, cardigans, or pair with some cute shorts:) I have one similar to the one in the middle. I just adore braided belts

3.) Cute little statement rings

4.) Airy scarves, either to wear in your hair or around your neck

5.) Sandals and flats that can coordinate with many outfits. Muted metallic colors are great for this. You can glam up an outfit or go casual with muted metallics. And reddy-brown leather sandals, or any shoe in that color really, can go with so many different types of outfits.

When it comes to accessories simplicity is key. You can pair many simple things together to make an outfit as opposed to trying to pair many ornately detailed accessories together. After a while too much detail looks gaudy. 

These are just some basic things to keep in mind if you are building a classy wardrobe that can be worn from year to year. It's great to be trendy, but remember, classy is always in style. So get out there and try something new:)

Shorts are from American Eagle

Soft pink maxi dress pic is from Chriselle's YouTube Channel. Check her out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/chrisellelim
The purple tank is from Forever 21

You can find the Incredible bra by Victoria's Secret here:http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265530713184&c=Page&cid=1308310592285&pagename=vsdWrapper

The belts seen are from Mossimo Supply Co. and can also be found at Target

Sandal by: DV by Dolce Vita

Feather Extensions

Rooster Feather Extensions

Feather hair extensions seem to be the new trend in hair. I have seen it on the East Coast as well as in the Mid-West and have read about it being over on the West Coast as well, and it is not limited to any one age group, I have seen them on college, high school, middle school, and elementary students, and even on parents and grandparents (you think I am lying, but I saw a grandmother with some in at In-N-Out.) So I think it is safe to say that this pretty popular now;) And, I can see why. The feathers are very cute and are placed in the hair just like a hair extension would be. They can be washed just like you would your hair and they can be blow-dried, curled, straightened...whatever you can do with your hair you can do with these feather hair extensions. And, this is a much less damaging way of adding some color or highlights to your hair without dying it or bleaching it. Most of the feather extensions are rooster feathers and some are quail. The feathers come in an array of colors as well, you can get feathers in natural tones such as copper, brown, or black.

Colored Feather Extensions

 Or you can go a little more wild and get feathers in purple, blue, red, or even pink! And the feathers come in skinny or fat, long or short, sizes. So there is much to choose from and most hair salons offer these now (some even at cheap prices!) So it is worth a shot to check out if you would like something different done to your hair but don't want to dye or cut it (but if you want to dye or cut your hair these are still pretty cute;) ) And, if you don't want to go get them done, or don't think that extensions are a full time thing for you, then there are clip ons as well. So this trend is easily accessible to all, and can even be made at home if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Just get some feathers and some hair clips and attach the feathers to the clips (with either glue or thin string) and VOILA!

Multiple types of feather extensions

                                    

You have your very own ready to wear feather extensions! Feather hair extensions are a trend that looks to be staying with us for a while (at least through the fall.) So get out there and try something new! 


And you can check out some great feather extensions and such here:http://www.hairfeather.com/
Also check out this video on feather extensions by Michelle Phan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKO1xi8lB-U&feature=channel_video_title