A dress in winter?

Fall transitioning into winter is a great time to mix up your wardrobe, try something different, maybe even a little bit outside of your comfort zone. But cold weather does somewhat limit you from certain pieces of clothing... if you let it.
One of my favorite outfit trends during cold weather is pairing dresses and skirts with tights. This makes a summer piece available to wear during the colder months, plus is super stylish and playful. Wearing tights is a great way to spice up your style during winter, but you don't want to over due it and you don't want to look ridiculous. There are a few things you should keep in mind when wearing tights, especially to school or the work place.
Sheer tights are great, but shouldn't be paired with a short skirt or dress because it creates a look that is generally too racy or inappropriate. They also aren't flattering on larger legs. Try a more opaque pair of tights or ones made out of a knit material for a more sophisticated look. You can get packs of two cheep at stores like Forever21 (generally around $10).
One thing I have always struggled with is finding a pair of shoes to go with my tights and dress that doesn't make me look like I tried to put too many pieces together at once. While a little variety is key to a great fashion sense, you don't want to mix too many colors and patterns together in one outfit. A general rule of thumb is to have two pieces of your outfit matching in color. If you are wearing a navy blue dress, wear navy tights with black shoes. If you are wearing grey shoes, grey tights will look best. You can't always use the "all neutrals go together rule" in this situation. If you try to mix browns, greys, and blacks, you will often look silly so try to use same-color tights to minimize the opportunity for outfit fails. And you don't want to match your shoes and dress but wear a funky color of tights. The most sophisticated look comes when the pieces that match are touching. This isn't full proof, but it's a good start for a beginner when deciding if an outfit will look good together.
As far as what type of shoes should be worn, I always find that a pair of flats that match your tights look best. If you feel like wearing your short brown boots from fall, match your tights and dress in color and rock your boots!

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Time savers for the perpetually late

Being late is avoidable, however I can speak from experience when I say, once you are in the situation it's a tricky one to get out of. Whether you are a regular member of the late club or it just happens every once in a while, we all end up there eventually. Being time efficient with your tasks can help eliminate the need to speed to work or school, or forget things as your running out the door because you're too occupied with trying to figure out just how behind schedule you are.

Imagine this; Your alarm clock buzzes in the morning and the only thing you can bear to mutter is "not yet," and roll over while simultaneously hitting the snooze button. To make matters worse you forgot to apply deodorant and the lip balm you had stashed in your car ran out.
Classic. That is not going to be a great start to your day. You should always keep an "emergency kit" that has all the essentials you tend to forget in the morning, ready and available. This not only keeps you prepared in case of a situation like this, but for me, it keeps my mind at ease and creates less stress to remember everything in the morning because I know if I do by chance forget something, I have it in my locker where I can grab it whenever I need it.
You should also have a go-to hair style, especially if you tend to straighten or curl your hair everyday. When you are late, you shouldn't have to rush to heat up the tools. You should keep a go-to hair product that you can use in replacement. Something like a wave enhancing spray that you can apply to wet or damp hair right out of the shower and let it air dry on the way to your destination.
Lastly this may seem obvious, but a great way to have yourself off to a head start is to plan and pack the night before. Whether you have an after school sport or you have trouble deciding what to wear in the morning, it helps to plan ahead and lay everything out the night before. Pick out your clothes and set everything you need to remember to bring the next day in plain sight, by the door, or next to your car keys so you can't miss it in a hurry.  A great way to avoid late-ness is to get yourself started on the right foot to begin with. :)

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Are you ruining your hair?

Our hair is a mysterious thing and some days it even seems to have a mind of its own. But even on the days when you and your hair aren't on the best terms, its important to take care of it and prevent it from future damage. Sometimes you accidentally do things that may be causing damage, without even knowing it.

If you don't use protection when you turn on the hot helpers (flat iron, curling iron, etc.) then you are only hurting yourself. Its ridiculously easy to apply a heat protectant spray, spraying it on just like hair spray and letting it dry, to help with split ends and permanent damage. It creates a protective barrier between the hair cuticle and the heat of your beauty tools.

Another way you may be accidentally hurting your follicles is by OD-ing on moisture. This is fairly common because it is usually stressed to moisturize as much as possible, but that's not necessarily the case. Silicons are the ingredients in many smoothing, moisturizing products that leave your hair looking especially shiny, but they can build up over time and lead to dull, stringy strands. One solution? Using a silicone-free conditioner, like Living Proof’s Leave-In Conditioner ($24)

Next, your hair is made up of protein, so make sure you’re eating enough of it. Think: fish, chicken, lentils, and other beans. Other foods that contain an amino acid will also help your hair stay healthy—reach for pork, broccoli, and red peppers.

The next tip comes right after your shower and is something most people are surprised by. 

Drying your hair with a towel isn’t cutting it. A plain cotton tee is a much better option. The texture of an ordinary bath towel actually roughs up your cuticle and leaves it frizzy, while a t-shirt can combat that. Just squeeze excess moisture out gently, pull your hair through the neck of the t-shirt, and wrap it in a turban style.

Lastly, a simple one. And it's aggressive brushing. This one is terrible because it happens most likely every day after you shower, which is when your hair is the most venerable. Its soft because of the conditioner from the shower and its wet, a deadly combination. A tactic that I've been using for years that makes brushing easier on me and my hair is bringing a hairbrush into the shower and combing through my hair, gently, while I have conditioner in. This removes the tangles without stressing out the hair as much.

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The right blush for your skintone

We've all seen it. Someone who overdid it just a tad on the blush that morning and ended up looking more like a clown than a girl. It happens to the best of us, but its an easy fix.
Sometimes how blush looks on the skin has less to do with the amount you apply and more to do with finding the shade that is going to compliment your skin tone and give you the radiant look you desire without looking ridiculous. One thing is for sure, putting blush on is one of the best way to instantly radiate your skin and give a glow that makes you look more cheerful and happy.
Your gut instinct may be to go with the color you like the best or the one you think looks like the one "everyone else wears," but just like we all wear a different clothing size, we all have different skin tones and different color compliment them differently. Whether you prefer cream blush or powder, finding the right color is the most important, second to application. Keeping it light is the best way to make sure you won't have a blush catastrophe. You can always add more, but its almost impossible to remove what you've already done without having to completely start over with your makeup. And when it comes to getting ready for school, time is of the essence.

For fair skin, its important not to go too dark. You don't want to overpower your beautiful porcelain skin. Stick with a light peachy pink and a light application for more of a glow than a "blush".

For medium skin tones, just like fair skin, peaches and pinks are your best go-to, however you may want to take it a step further and go a shade or two darker. A rich pink or even mauve will provide
you with a lasting glow, without being too much.

For darker skin tones, deep shades of red, orange, and brown look best. Pink colors will tend to leave you looking more washed out than flushed.

Keep the blush focused on the apples of your cheeks for daytime wear and bring it up the cheekbones for a nighttime look. If you want something more dramatic you can always use contour shades with darker bronzier colors and a lighter highlight shade on the top of your cheekbones. However when it comes to contouring, especially during the day, like grandma always said, less is more.


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How long is long enough? Knowing when to put down the beauty tools

Oh the thin line you toe, how long is "too long"? The striaghtener, the hairdryer, not to mention all of the products you added before, the ones you'll add after. How much is too much?
This is interesting because most of us don't even think about it. When we get up in the morning, we just just do what we've always done. But you do have to be careful, you don't want to cause long term damage to your hair or skin, just by going about your everyday routine..

Eyelash Curler: 3 seconds per section

We’ve all had the unfortunate experience of over-curling our eyelashes to the point where the curl is more of a kink–not cute. The trick to avoiding crimped lashes is to hold the curler in place for no longer than 3 seconds. If you use our 3-step method to curl your eyelashes, you can press down for up to three seconds at each point.

Facial Cleansing Brush: 1 Minute

Personally, I have become my own victim on this one. Electric cleansing brushes are a lot more powerful than manual cleansing with your hands. It can be tempting to over do it because you are going for the baby soft to the touch texture, but it can cause long term damage if done too frequently. Your skin can become dry and more susceptible to damage because you are ridding it of its natural oils it uses to protect itself.

Curling Iron: 3-7 seconds depending on hair type

Its easy to burn hair with these hot tools, especially if they are part of your everyday routine. Try taking a day of two off once a week. Your hair will be shinier, healthier, and have less split ends.

Straightener: a few seconds per section

The same thing applies with straightening, don't ever do it, you'll just end up with more hair damage. Is it really worth having nice hair for a day if it'll cause permanent split ends? Try adding a heat protectant daily to reduce damage.

As tempting as it can be to tack on a few extra seconds here and there, you really aren't benefiting from it. In fact your only hurting yourself. Burnt hair and dried out skin aren't worth it. You'll still receive the same benefits without the extra time, trust me.

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8 money savers every girl should know

You may be tempted to blow your budget on unnecessary products you think you need, or throw away an item you think is used up. Don't.
There are a ton of inexpensive alternatives to name brand pricey high end products, and many tricks you can use to get the most of out the ones you already have.



1. One of my favorite dupes for makeup brush cleanser is Johnson's Baby Shampoo, you can buy this almost anywhere, it works just as well, and it costs almost nothing. A large bottle will last you months.

2. Get the last of any liquid makeup out of a tube using hot water and a small container, like a contact case.

3. The hot water trick also works for getting the clumps out of dried mascara. You can also add a few drops of saline to old mascara to make it good as new. 

Reuse old brushes from more expensive brands in new bottles of cheaper mascara. Just rinse your brush in hot water to get rid of 

clumps and you’re ready to go.

4. Makeup remover wipes are great. Problem is…those makeup remover cloths are EXPEN$IVE! Especially the big brand name ones. So for quite awhile now I’ve been buying the cheapest, store brand ones. But ANOTHER problem is…the cheap ones are CHEAP for a reason. They aren’t as soft and/or moist as their more expensive rivals.

You can make your own:

Just take some paper towels, 4 cups of warm water, 1-2 tablespoons Coconut Oil. (1-2 squirts of baby wash or your favorite face wash if you want, but it’s not necessary)

5. If your perfume is running low, pour the last drops into a bottle of (unscented!) lotion to make it last longer.

6. Cut open bottles to get all the product you might be missing otherwise. ***This is a huge one***

You never know how much is left that you cant see.

7. Fix broken eye shadows and pressed powders with a little rubbing alcohol. Or, turn broken eye shadow into a custom nail color by mixing the pigment with clear polish.

8. Beauty tools are a huge expense and add up quickly. Cut your makeup sponges and cotton rounds in half to get more uses out of them, you'll quickly realise how much you've been wasting that you don't even use.

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Fall 2014 "Life Hacks"

Autumn has arrived, and with the new season comes new ways to make your life easier, so here's a few "life hacks" that you can feel free to take advantage of that put old things to good use.

Old candles? New storage!

If you're like me, I love burning candles, especially during the fall. When the candle has been used up, don't throw away the old container, put it to new use. Freeze the jar for a few hours, then remove the remaining wax and wick. Rinse it out and you are left with a handy glass jar that you can multi-purpose into a container that can hold Q-tips or cotton balls. If you're feeling festive, take some Mod Podge and some glitter and turn it into a decor piece as well.

Coffee Ice Cubes?

If you're not into watered down coffee, an easy solutions awaits you. Fill an ice cube tray will coffee mix stirred with water, and pop it in the freezer. Next time you need some quick caffeine, just throw 4-5 cubes into a glass of milk or extra coffee and you're good to go.

When they melt, they won't water down your delicious drink.

If you ever need a pair of leg warmers and don't have time to go shopping, just check your closet. Chances are you have a few old sweaters laying around that you haven't worn in ages. It's not hard to turn these old clothes into something new and wearable. Just cut the sleeves off and fold over the ends to create a brand new pair of leg warmers! Leg warmers are stylish and functional, especially for the fall season!

Then if you still find yourself in the mood to DIY, you can take the torso of the sweater and make it into a scarf with a few more cuts.

Another easy trick I use during the fall season, especially when I get too busy to hang up all of my washed clothes, is using my straightening iron to tidy up my wrinkly shirts before school. It takes less than 2 minutes and saves you from dragging out the ironing board.

Hope you enjoyed these fun fall do-it-yourself hacks. Enjoy the new season and the upcoming fashion and makeup trends.

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