Don't Sweat It, Workout Fashion: Running Edition.

This summer Natalia and I decided that we were going to do something productive --we were going to work on our fitness. We began the Couch to 5K workout plan, but what we didn't do was plan our outfits. A good run also consists of a good outfit! Because if you look good, you feel good. Just because you're sweaty and working out, it doesn't mean that you have to waste an outfit opportunity.

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Brands like Nike, Puma, Tek Gear and stores like Walmart, Kohls, Dicks Sporting Goods, and Target all have a variety of great pieces to add to your fitness wardrobe.

Personally, I am in love with Nike's running shorts. The small slash on the side of the shorts is really helpful so that the shorts don't ride up while you're running. Also in the Nike line (sorry guys, we're from Oregon, we love Nike --Nike headquarters are just 10 miles away from my house!) are the Nike Free Run+ shoes (6) of which I own a pair and just LOVE. But for those of you who have weak ankles or need more cushioning, there's the classic New Balance shoe (5). Both come in great colors, and add a pop to your workout!

Last but not least, let's not forget that you need to keep hydrated when working out! I love, LOVE, LOVE, the CamelBak water bottles because they're so easy to carry around without the fear that they'll drip everywhere. The bottle has a handy suction straw and is BPA free.

Do you run? What are some of your favorite pieces. Share with us!

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July Favorites

July Favorites by betweenfriendsfashion featuring rimmel lipstick

July has definitely been a month of bright lips for us. We are loving wearing statement lipsticks and keeping the eyes neutral. Especially because the weather has been so nice! The eye makeup melts off within few hours and it is hard to keep it looking polished. 

1. Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers. We reviewed there here. This is such a life saver! It has  great pigmentation and is really affordable.
2. Neutrogena Beach Defense Sunscreen. To say that I'm obsessed with sunscreen lately would not be an understatement. I like that this is a spray and that it is has a high SPF. It's easy to re-apply and the scent isn't overwhelming.
3. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. I've been using the Peach Satin. It's just a nice summery coral blush. I really like the texture of this blush. The only draw back is that I have to apply it with my fingers.
4. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. This is another great lip product. I've been reaching for the 'Smitten' shade. It's easy to apply and is surprisingly moisturizing. 
5. Maybelline Fit Me Foundation.  This a medium coverage light foundation. It smells quite nice. It gives my face a healthy glow. It is slightly on the dewy side. 


 What products have you been loving this month?


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Music I've been loving

Lately I've re-discovered some music that I haven't listened to recently. I've also discovered some new good songs that I'm starting to love. Here are some of my current favorites.

I love the entire albums of each of these musicians, but here are my most favorite songs from each one:

1. One Republic  'If I Lose Myself'

2. Kris Allen "My Weakness"

3. Maroon 5 'Just A Feeling'

4. Capitol Cities 'Safe and Sound' 

5. Robin Thicke 'Blurred Lines'

6. Brandon Flowers 'Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts' 

What songs have you been listening to lately? 

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BFF Beauty Review: Rimmel Apocalips Rimmel Show OFF Lip Lacquer

The Apocalips have hit the motherland! I can not tell you how long I've waited to see these lip products hit the shelves in the U.S. I've read so many reviews and heard people rave about these lip lacquers. I was so happy when Rimmel responded to our tweet and directed us to Walgreens to find the Rimmel Lip Lacquer display.

What exactly is a lip lacquer? It's sort of a cross between a lipstick and a lip gloss. They apply like a lipgloss. They glide on very smoothly and then dry out a little bit and look more like a matte lipstick in an hour or so. They are very pigmented, and a single dab in the tube is all you need to apply to your lips. The Rimmel Lip Lacquers have lasted for about 3-4 hours on my lips. They are a little bit staining, which looks quite nice in my opinion.

I've wanted to sample a variety of the shades of these Rimmel Lip Lacquers. I would have loved to buy each color, but there are about 14 shades of these lip lacquers released in the U.S. , which frankly my budget would not allow. The shades range from nude to pink to bright red, so I'm sure everyone will find a favorite. It took me ages to finally make a decision on which shades to purchase. 

Before we go into the review, can we all just pause and admire the names of these Rimmel Lip Lacquers? Big Bang, Aurora, Luna, Light Year, Celestial, Comet, Solstice and  Galaxy. I mean, really! These names go so well with the 'Apocalips' theme of these lip lacquers. I just wish the U.S. would also have these marketed as 'Apocalips' as opposed to 'Show off'. I really like when the products have such creative names as oppose to 'Red 053'.

Ultimately, I made the decision to buy the 'Big Bang', which has been an overall winner in all the beauty reviews I have read. I also chose the 'Apocalyptic' and 'Luna'. These are $4.99 at Walgreens at the moment. I think this is a reasonable price due to how pigmented these Rimmel Lip Lacquers are and how long they last on my lips.

The Apocalyptic Lip Lacquer [left] is a fushia pink color with slightly blue undertones, which makes your teeth look whiter and who doesn't like that?


The Big Bang Lip Lacquer [center] is a bright red lip lacquer. I totally understand why everyone loves this shade. It is just the most perfect shade of bright red lip product. It's not a pink red or an orange red. It is just red. 

 The Luna Lip Lacquer [right] is a beautiful Peachy nude. I'll be honest- I was never into 'nudes' because I felt like they washed me out so much more, especially since I'm so pale, but this nude actually warmed up my complexion. I really like how it makes me look a bit like I spent some quality time outside. 



Overall, I think these are great products! I'm already thinking of buying one more shade (Celestial or Stellar). I really like the fact that they are a combination of a lipstick and a lip gloss. I won't ever have to worry whether the lip gloss I chose goes well with my lipstick. I really like the applicator, the sponge head is so soft that these products feel luxurious. It is such a treat to use these. A little of this product goes a long way, because these Rimmel Lip Lacquers are really pigmented.



Have you tried the Rimmel Lip Lacquers? What do you think of them?

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P.S. If you do decide to purchase these yourself, make sure you check that your lip lacquer has not been previously opened. I know that this has been an issue to many girls, because these products unfortunately are not sealed and do not come in any extra packaging. So what you want to do is: 

• Check if the little sticker label is unbroken. (if it isn't your golden!)
• If the sticker is broken or you just can't tell, slowly pull out the wand halfway. The top portion (right at the end of the tube) of the lip lacquer will be clear. (As soon as you pull out the whole wand the shade of the lacquer will be  visible)

10 under $10: Best Drugstore Products

1. Maybelline Great Lash Lot of Lashes Mascara. This little tube is magical. While I sincerely dislike the original pink and green version of this I LOVE this particular re-vamp of the mascara. It makes you look like you have caterpillars on your eyes- in a good way. I have a tube of this in my bag and in my makeup drawer. (And a backup one just in case I lose the first two- that's how much I love this little gem). $5

2.  Flower Easy On the Eyes Long Wear Eyeliner. 
This is a great eyeliner. For a person who rarely wears eyeliner because it tends to smudge this is saying a lot.  Read our full review here. $7

3. Revlon Just Bitten Lip stain. I've just discovered this lip stain and I've been loving it. It lasts for a long time. This particular lip stain has a balm on one end, because as lip stains tend to be a bit drying. I like that the color lasts for such a long time with no need to reapply. $7

4. Rimmel Matte Pressed Powder. As I have mentioned in our April Favorites, this product truly is a must for me. It keeps my makeup looking fresh and matte which especially important during summer. I just dust a little on top of my foundation. $4

5. Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow Mood Busting Blush. This is a great blush and I love its packaging. I'm not sure if my mood is boosted because of it, but  it does give my face a nice natural color. I found this blush on a sale for $7, but regular prices run around $9.

6. Neutrogena Beach Defense Sunscreen Spray. Now that it is summer, more people are paying attention to sunscreen, which is great but we should always wear sunscreen. Those sunrays are present all year round. (Spoken like a true future scientist right?) I like using this spray one during summer, especially when I know I will be outside for a while, because it is so much easier to re-apply sunscreen in spray than one that is in a lotion form. $8

7.  Suave Dry Shampoo with Keratin. Dry shampoo is such a time saver for both of us. We both have long hair and do not need to wash it more than 3 times a week. In between washes I like to 'refresh' my hair with some dry shampoo. My tip is to do it at night, because I always forget to comb through a couple spots and have some white residue. This way I can double check in the morning and fix the spots I missed. Plus this particular dry shampoo has keratin in it, which is a protein that keeps your hair healthier and stronger. $3

8. Nivea Sun-Kissed Radiance Gradual Tanner & Body Lotion. This is seriously the best gradual tanner lotion. I've used a few different ones over the years and I've always ended up with streaks and uneven unnatural tan. I like that this lotion gradually warms up your skin and leaves no streaks. Full review complete with pictures is coming soon. $7

9. Dove Revive Body Wash. I think Dove has the best smelling body washes. Most of the time I get bored with a body wash's smell after a few weeks because of their slightly sickly or synthetic smell. These washes are so natural smelling that I don't have a problem finishing the whole bottle. I do stop myself from purchasing exactly the same body wash again though- I like to keep some edginess in my life. ;) What makes them a winner is the fact that they are so moisturizing, $6

10. Essie Duo Nailpolish. This wouldn't be a complete list without nail polish. Both of us love nail polish. While we both love Essie, I don't particularly like the price of it. Our solution is to look through TJ. Maxx beauty section. There usually are some mini version, often duos, for less than 6$.  

What are your favorite inexpensive products? Have you tried any of these? 

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P.S. Congratulations to Rebecca from English Prepster! She is the winner of our little giveaway! 

3 Dresses to Wear For a Summer Wedding

Cocktail Dress for a Summer Wedding from eFoxcity.net

Weddings are very common during summer; plenty of sun, nice weather, and lots of open spaces. My friend is getting married in August and I've only just begun shopping for an outfit!

The lovely thing about summer weddings is that they can be really casual and laid back. A nice cocktail dress would be perfect for the occasion. Above, we chose three dresses from eFoxcity, the wholesale ladies clothing retailer, that would be perfect for a summer wedding.


Dress 1: a nice grecian style royal blue cocktail dress. It has some nice layering that will be perfect for any body type. If you're on the thin side it will add some dimension and curve, while if you're a curvier girl it will hid your tummy area.

p.s - if you're looking for a longer version of this dress, check out their evening dress 2013 collection for a very similar cut also in a royal blue.

Dress 2: this is my favorite of the three. I think this dress is flirty and feminine. The material looks like it will keep you cool for that summer heat. It just looks so comfortable and simple to add accessories.

Dress 3: This third choice is for a more formal wedding, but I think that because of the floral it still would be easy to wear casually if you added some sandals instead of heels. The color on this is very neutral, perfect for summer so that you can accessories with bright nail polish or makeup. 

 
All three of these dresses can be easily dressed up or worn down depending on the type of wedding, which is the reason I love them. 

Check out eFoxicty's site and let us know what your outfit choices for a summer wedding would be.

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This post c/o eFoxcity, wholesale clothing from china.

Summer Shades: Sunglasses under $20

It's officially summer! And what is a summer without fabulous sunglasses, right? I love sunglasses. My favorite are any sunglasses that are over sized. I usually stick to the neutral colors like black or rose gold, when picking out my sunglasses. 

I like to have a few different pairs. I always either break or lose sunglasses. Every summer I seem to get through at least a few pairs.  I would rather get few different affordable pairs of sunglasses each summer and not be too upset when I lose them than have expensive designer shades that I would worry about losing anywhere I go. 

When picking out new shades I usually go to Target, Kohl's or Forever21. I find the best deals on sunglasses there. My current faves are these (featured on our twitter and instagram a lot) which are aviators from Vera Wang's line at Kohl's.  A few additional pairs that I'm considering for this year are the ones above.

Sunglasses #1 are Aviators. Yes. Another pair.  These are black/grey, which are completely different than the rose gold that I already have, right?  These just add the 'cool factor'. You could be wearing jeans and a T-shirt and once you throw on aviator sunglasses you look so cool- as if you were just heading to a festival as oppose to going to the store to buy apples. Plus they go well with any face shape.

Sunglasses #2 &3 are Wayfarers. I've actually considered buying the real Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses awhile back, but like I said before I lose sunglasses too often to spend that much money on an item. These alternatives are pretty adorable. The sunglasses at the bottom left have a cute detail on the side frames. These sunglasses look best with a heart shaped or oval face shape.

The last pair of sunglasses are Cat Eye sunglasses. I like these because the 'cat eye' shape of them is very subtle. Clara is a HUGE fan of this shape of sunglasses, whereas I am just starting to like them. I featured both colors of these sunglasses, because I'm having a hard time choosing- both of them look adorable.  These look great if you have a heart shaped or square face shape.

The best news is that all of these sunglasses are below 20$, so you won't be breaking the bank trying to look fashionable this summer. Especially if you are on a student budget. 

What kind of sunglasses are your favorite? Do you splurge or save on sunglasses? 
 

-Natalia


P.S. Our international GIVEAWAY is still open!  Don't forget to enter! :)

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In Case You Missed It: June

- picked out our graduation dresses.

- received our very first blog award. 

-talked about summer reads

-shared our favorite Spring & Summer Scents.  

-relaxed with our how to de-stress guide 

-finished our first book of the summer Girls in White Dresses 

-contemplated first date fashion choices. 

-hosted our very first BFF Club giveaway ( you can still enter )

-reviewed Flower Cosmetics' Eyeliner and Mascara. 

-showed our 4th of July looks 

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