Summertime and The Living’s Easy

A while back, I was totally inspired by some shots I saw on The Coveteur on summer escape essentials, but since all of my escapes for the summer have already happened (Costa Rica and LA), I put together some looks for typical Austin summer activities.

{Breezy melon shorts + a lightweight and drapey white tee + a traditional Costa Rican embroidered backpack (or mochilla!) + a vintage Indo-inspired necklace create a look that’s boho but not weighed down. Macadamia Oil curl cream and Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate are perfect summer beauty items that wont melt down while you stroll along South Congress.}

{If you think the greenbelt is a free pass from looking good, think again. A vintage tee + your favorite cut-offs and sunnies + a braided leather belt + Aztec-inspired ring make for easy, effortless style. I threw in three of my current obsessions: The Body Shop’s hemp hand protector, Josie Maran’s beach waves spray, and Meg Wolitzer’s The Uncoupling.}

{I’m usually not so matchy-matchy, but I love this combo for an unusually breezy night like the ones we had earlier this week. A basic black bikini + gold print track shorts + a lightweight pullover + my beloved Swatch are easy, simple, and cool.}

Brrr! Winter Beauty Stash!

{Neutrogena Oil-Free Cream Cleanser, CeraVe AM moisturizer, Nivea original cream, Sonia Kashuk eye makeup remover, and Urban Decay Dew Me Makeup Setting Spray}

My skin is already troublesome and come my winter time, my dry skin manages to become even more parched. I tend to use cheapie drugstore products for cleanser and moisturizer (Neutrogena and CeraVe) because my skin is so sensitive and fancy products usually are wasted on my irritable skin. Urban Decay’s Dew Me is a lifesaver for keeping my makeup looking freshly applied throughout the day. I cant go a day without eye makeup remover, especially this Sonia Kashuk one because it conditions over the makeup, reducing the tug and pull while removing it. Nivea cream is a the ultimate miracle moisturizer especially during the winter when my skin begs for extra moisture in semi-solid form.

                                 {Benefit Box Powders in Dallas and 10}

Benefit reigns when it comes to blushes and box powders! 10 is the absolute most foolproof one-sweep contouring product and Dallas is the perfect almost-natural flush for my skin tone. I love using these Real Techniques brushes to apply. The gold angle brush is actually meant for applying foundation but just so happens to sweep perfectly into the hollows on my cheeks to contour.

    {Butter’s The Black Knight and Tart With a Heart, Essie’s Smokin’ Hot and Matte Coat}

I rarely ever go for glitter polish because it’s such a pain to get off, but this Butter combo pack is the perfect amount of glitter overload. Essie’s Smokin’ Hot has been by far my favorite polish this year and this winter will be no different. The Matte About You top coat is a great spin on a traditionally wet nail look and there are so many fun ways to play around with it.

{Ulta’s Superblender Sponge and Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation}

This sponge is absolutely genius and a great cheapie alternative to the wildly popular Beauty Blender sponge. Stipple foundation on with this sponge for natural and dewy skin this winter.

  {Ulta’s automatic lip liner in Flesh, MAC in Film Noir, Revlon’s Just Bitten in Passion}

This winter I’m challenging myself to combine unexpected colors to come up with new lip looks. I love the matte finish of topping lightly lipstick stamped lips with a lip pencil. Winter is my favorite time to go for bold lips because there’s just something so formal about cold weather and the peacoats and boots it brings with it. 

                          {Joico’s K-Pak Reconstruct and Redken’s Guts 10}

Thanks to my gene pool (Thanks dad!) I’m lucky to have healthy hair that is pretty resistant to any kind of breakage or damage. I rarely have to deep condition my hair but when I do, I only reach for the Joico K-Pak which floods my shower with the scent of freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies (my favorite!) and leaves my hair feeling lush and bouncy with loads of shine. During the winter I usually skip over hairspray and reach for the ultra-volume Redken Guts instead. I’m not kidding when I say this product adds “oomph!” to the sky. It’s the perfect product for achieving Bardot boudoir-worthy hair.

                                     What are you loving this winter?

Fashion Inspiration: Saturday Night

     product information

There’s something sexy about a Saturday night. But there’s something even more sexy about an outfit that looks perfectly thrown together with a touch of punk rock glam. I really wanted to create an inspiration board that would embody undone and accidental glamour.

All Saints is the master of the glamour rocker girl look and so I had to pull two of their pieces to create this inspiration board. I think this drapey tee casually half-tucked into the sequin skirt would add edge to a refined and classic fitted tuxedo jacket. Army green nail polish and crimson cashmere socks just above the tops of undone combat boots prove you’re not taking yourself too seriously on a night out.

Not to mention, some nights the thought of wearing heels just makes you want to die a little inside. 

Your Essential Coolgirl Style Sheet:

Coolgirl style is that hard to explain sort of look, that embodies sexy and messy pieces that mix and match from every end of the spectrum, from era pieces, to high and low brands, to textures and materials, and staple pieces that become mainstays. Hopefully this post will become your cheat sheet to mastering your version of what coolgirl style could be:

Your Celebrity Mentors:

Your new teachers are Nicole Richie, Kate Moss, Rachel Zoe, Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, Carey Mulligan, The Olsens, and Leighton Meester. Study them. Stalk them. You’ll thank me later. 

Rules to Live By:

1. The key to to coolgirl style is to make every outfit look as if you just threw it on and it happened to look amazing—effortless and casual. Even when you dress up, there should be some relaxed and casual element that throws everyone off track, for example with Carey’s Oscar dress (2nd row, 2nd image from the left), she’s wearing a gown, but the gown embellishments are actually hardware nuts and bolts.
2. You can never have too many layers! I know it’s hard here in Austin, when it’s the sun makes layering virtually impossible, but as the fall sweeps over, it’s time to put your cardigans and blazers to the test. Almost every look above is layered. If you choose not to layer a cardigan, then pile on necklaces, or tie a belt over your outfit. There’s always something else to add before you walk out the door. 
3. Keep it loose! Flowy tees, dresses, and cardigans are perfectly breezy and nail the coolgirl look. An exception to the rule is denim, which for the most part should be formfitting to your legs.
4. Develop a signature item. You don’t have to wear it all the time, but take something you like and really make it your own. Rachel Bilson rocks more ankle boots than any other girl in Hollywood, and Rachel Zoe might as well have a trademark on the fur vest. Kate Moss does it big in black leather, while Nicole Richie has mastered boho dresses and caftans. Whether it’s a ring you always wear, or dark denim skinnies, or a huge leather carry-all tote, take an item and make it your new mainstay. 
5. MIX EVERYTHING! The best way to master this look is take items from totally opposite categories and put them together. Pull a menswear-inspired tuxedo jacket over a black lace dress to mix feminine and masculine. Rock Abercrombie jeggings with an James Pearse tee and vintage scarf to mix high-end and low-end brands. Mix gold and silver jewelry. Pair shredded boyfriend jeans with a sequin top for daytime, or dress up a burnout tee with a flouncy skirt for night, to redesign what nightwear and daywear really is.

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 Hair and Makeup:

SHOULD BE MINIMAL! Keep it easy, undone, not fussy, and lightweight. For hair, if you want those perfect coolgirl waves, curl your hair the night before and sleep it in, to muss them up by morning. Airdry your hair with a touch of Moroccan Oil to keep hair frizz-free. Ombré hair is a perfect match for this effortless look. For makeup, go for smudged eyeliner, a few coats of mascara, and matte lips. If you go for a bold lip, keep the eye makeup minimal with a lightly lined eye, and if you go for heavy eye makeup, keep the lip nude or subtle. 

Examples of Makeup: (Olivia Palermo, Jessica Szohr, Leighton Meester)

Examples of Hair: (Whitney Port, Rachel Bilson, Drew Barrymore)

Cash Money Millionaire

Caitlin Cash, 21

What are you wearing?

Borrowed Skinny Jeans, Top from a Paris Boutique, Nike ID High Tops

What’s the thing you stray away from most fashion-wise?

I don’t wear anything really sparkley or glittery. No, no girl. I like to add really cool shoes to whatever I am wearing to make it kinda sporty. Whatever I wear needs to be comfortable and I need to be able to move in it.

What’s your non-clothing personal style must-have?

Garnier Shampoo and Condition smells amazing and chapstick is a no-brainer. 

Halloween Costume Inspiration: Hipster Ariel

If you haven’t met Hipster Ariel yet, then where the hell have you been? Under the sea?!?

…Okay, now that I got my shamefully bad joke out of the way, on to the costume inspiration…

If you don’t already have a head full of fabulous red hair, then pick up a red wig. You can cut down on costume costs by shopping the youth section if the size of your head allows. Also, you’re more likely to find a red wig actually meant for an Ariel costume in the youth section. But who says you have to be a kid to dress up like a Disney character?

Spray paint a few shells from your local craft store  and glue them onto a cheap (or old!) strapless bikini top.

Since tails are hard to come by and make already questionable dance skills even worse, I’d suggest going for a flowing and sheer emerald-toned maxi-skirt. The ones above are from American Apparel, which match the hipster theme perfectly.

Product Information:

Adult Wig, Youth Wig, Hipster Glasses, Bikini Top, Shells and Starfish, Spraypaint, Pleated Maxi, Sheer Maxi