Summer Hair

Hot Summer Hair!!

Looking for ideas to mix up your day to day hair routine, try these!
Inspired by Jennifer Aniston and Lauren Conrad these fresh updates will give you an alternative to the ponytail or half up do.

To achieve Jennifer Aniston's
chic bang braid, part your hair to the side, take an inch of hair and split into three sections and begin braiding. Add in the remaining hair as you go, like a french braid. Pin the braid to the scalp when you get about to your ear. Curl the rest of you hair and let it fall around the braid.

To achieve Lauren Conrad's effortless twists, simply part your hair down the middle and take two sections from the front of your hair and twist back. Pin twists under your hair and curl the rest.

A cute variation of the standard pony tail is to mix the bang braid into the pony tail. To do this, simply braid the bangs as described above, (only on one side) and pin. Take the remaining hair and put into a ponytail. Make sure your bobby pin isn't showing.

Boyfriend Jeans

The boyfriend jean is the new trend in denim this season. At first I was totally put off by this look because when you think of what you want in a pair of jeans, you think of a great fit around the waist, hips, and bottom. The boyfriend jean is just what you would think, a loose fitting jean that looks like you're wearing your boyfriend's jeans.

I became a fan when I found this pair of jeans pictured at far left by Paige Premium denim. I didn't go totally Katie Holmes and pick the really baggy style, I opted for a loose fit that was still figure flattering. I suggest going the same route and wear them exactly as pictured; roll them up and wear them with heels or wedges.

If you want a baggier look go for it! I must warn you though that it looks best on very skinny girls, my suggestion is the pair of jeans pictured below by Rich and Skinny. You can dress the look up or down so play and have fun with this style!

Leggings-The Rules!

So you've probably been seeing or maybe wearing

a lot of leggings this season. They were big this past winter and looked so cute with knee high boots and a long sweater; however I think summer gets a little trickier so here are my tips for wearing this trend:

1) Get them in black-I am going to say definitely stay away from any leggings that are white, hot pink, or patterned. You have to be really young to pull off any of those and by young I mean 12! Not too mention it's too 80's and white leggings are see-though! So, stick to black and if you must, gray or any other shade that is dark.

2) Wear them cropped, it will be a lot cooler and it looks better for the season. Also, cropped leggings can have some really cute detailing like buttons, rouching, and zippers that add a little flair!

3) Wear them with a long tunic or top. DO NOT I repeat, DO NOT attempt to wear leggings with a shirt that does not cover your bottom. No one wants to see that! So find a super cute LONG top and wear it with your leggings.

4) Do wear cropped leggings with flats and sandals. Heels look really good with if you wear ankle length leggings as seen at the top!

You don't have to spend a ton on leggings, they have them at Target and Forever 21!

Trend: Rompers and Jumpsuits

These have come in and out of style and this summer they're back! A twist on a structured classic, the jumper combines the profile of a pantsuit with the movement of a dress. My top picks for this look are found at Bloomingdales; the first is by Aqua and is only $78! Black is the best option to try for this look, it's going to be slimming and when you're trying something trendy it's best to go with a classic color. The second is a romper by Wink and it would be a nice pick for a night on the town. I like that they put a belt with it because when you are wearing something that's unstructured you want to add a little definition. The jumpsuit is also good alternative for the basic black pant that you wear to work; put on a tailored blazer and a belt and it goes from night to day. When considering accessories for either the jumpsuit or romper go with something bold as they are simple pieces. For shoes, go with a high heel for sure! You could pull off a flat sandal with the romper but only if you're super tall!

Things I'm lusting over!

Things I'm lusting over right now: more flowy tops to wear with skinny jeans (an example from Diane VonFurstenburg dvf.com at left), new sandals, and a snakeskin clutch.

There are a few great shops in the valley (will be blogging about that later) but when I just want to shop in my pj's I hit up the internet. Alot of the time I think of very specfic looks and start scouring. So as you might guess it's never easy; Usually I start my search at bluefly.com. If you've never visited bluefly.com it's awesome. My first purchase there was an olive green leather jacket with a fur collar that I had lusted over since I saw one of my girlfriends with it. Everything is discounted but they carry great designers like BCBG, Free people, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Taylor, not to mention they also carry handbags by Gucci and Prada.

So on bluefly I find these cute white skinny jeans. They're by Rich and Skinny which is the most comfortable skinny jean. Around the waist they put silk lining in so it's super comfortable.

Another good website to search is Instyle.com because it pulls finds from several different websites to give you what you're looking for. So I found a cute clutch there by Hobo and it's sold on endless.com. I wish it was more cream and grey but it's cute!

On shopbob.com which is a little more pricey, I find this cute top by Pencey. There are a ton of

flowy tops out right now and you can definately find cute shirts on more expensive sites and then find something very similar on something like forever21.com.

And finally the cute sandals I've been fawning over are Steve by Steve Madden. I love the strap around the ankle it's like a bracelet and they're a pewter color so they go with anything.

Happy Shopping!

Pink's the new Red!

Pink's the new red, well for lipstick that is. A red lip is classic but for a new twist this summer try a pink lipstick. It looks great on all ages! It's young and fresh. My recommendations are M.A.C. chatterbox which is a satin or M.A.C. bombshell, it has a bit of shimmer and a hint of coral. You don't need to top with gloss as the satin finish is part of the look.

To pull together this look with the rest of your face; keep the rest of your look subtle. All you need is a brush of pinky blush on the apples of your cheeks, a little bit of black or brown eyeliner and mascara. If you want to add a little shadow, try one with a gold hue and sweep over the lid and into corners of the eyes.

Summer Fashion Do's!

Ahh the dog days of summer, we all look forward to them especially living in a place that sees 6 months of snow! So drag out your flip flops, I said flip flops not crocs and get ready for the heat!


DO:
1) Wear funky scarfs: You can get them anywhere and you can wear them with anything from cargo crops to sundresses. Play with different ways to wear them. There is an art to the scarf. If it's really long, make one long loop, put it around your neck and pull the bottom through or just wind it around your neck and tuck the ends back into the scarf for the latest look.

2) Explore gladiators: You know the ones that look like Jesus sandals. You can find them in platforms and flats. They are flattering, you just have to get used to them. Try the them in metallic for a versatile look.

3) Cuff your jeans: There are so many options this year. Cuff your skinny jeans! Cuffing your jeans is the easiest way to take your wardrobe from winter to summer. This works best on skinny jeans or bootcut jeans. Start at the bottom and cuff at about 4 inches. Roll two or three times and evaluate the look. Make sure the cuffs are even. If you have ankle length pants make just one long cuff.

4) Max out the Maxi: If you haven't seen them, they're the long dresses that come in all kinds of patterns and usually in a halter style that's flowy and loose. They tend to be too long so make sure you get one that graces the top of your feet but doesn't drag on the ground. Find a fit that's flattering. Unfortunately like alot of the styles right now, Maxis look best on the skinny and curveless but you can still rock it if you find the right fit.