August Favorites

Another month has come to an ending, which only means one thing-- time for monthly favorites! This month we have been loving:

1. L'Oreal Ever Sleek Frizz Taming Cream Serum 
I picked this up because my current frizz treatment was not working quite well with super damaged (bleached) hair. This works superbly and it does not contain sulfates (which are bad for your hair from what I hear). It tames my frizz and decreases it to a minimum. The surprising aspect of this product is how silky it made my hair feel. I just kept running my hands through my hair all day. My advice is to use a teeny tiny amount of this serum or else your hair will look greasy. It smells nice and luxurious.

2.Herbal Essences Shampoo & Conditioner in Honey, I'm Strong 
This new product from the line makes hair less prone to damage and lessens the amount of hair splitting. As with all the other Herbal Essences products, the smell is pretty fragrant, I think it is amazing, but it is an acquired taste- so make sure you smell this at the store before you buy it. 
3. Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout  
This is my first matte lipstick and so far I've been loving it. Pink Pout is a blue based baby pink (the blueness helps in making your teeth seem whiter). It slightly reminds me of a Barbie Doll pink, but it is quite subtle. The lipstick is slightly drying, so I do have to apply some lip balm after an hour or so, which kinda defeats the purpose of the lipstick being matte, but the shade is pretty nonetheless. 

4. e.l.f. Essential Beauty School 4-Piece Nail Polish Set 
This was such a steal! For 5$ you get 4 big bottles (not the mini versions) of nail polish. The polish lasts for a while when you add a top coat. The colors in the set are so pretty and make me think of summer.

What have you been reaching for this month? 

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Retro versus Vintage: What's the Difference?

We often throw these two words around interchangeably, but what exactly is retro and what is vintage? Are they the same or different?

Vintage

: of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality : classic

: dating from the past : old 

(Merriam-Webster)

I did some googling and found the above definition of "vintage". The definition of vintage is pertaining to something "old". This definition is pretty broad, meaning something from the 90s could, by this definition, be considered vintage. In my opinion a vintage piece of clothing needs to be at least 20 years old, but that's just me...

Retro

: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past : fashionably nostalgic or old-fashioned <a retro look> 

(Merriam-Webster)

The definition of "retro" is a little more specific, it is used to describe a piece of clothing inspired from the past. A retro look for example can imitate the same shapes (tight leggings, flapper hem,  oversized silhouettes, etc..) or prints and fabrics (fringe, velvet, etc...) of a specific style from the past.

Vintage piece from Etsy
Retro piece from H&M

Notice the subtle difference between vintage and retro; vintage is a piece of clothing that is old, while retro is a piece of clothing that is styled in relation to the past. It's easy to get these two mixed up, and even their definitions seem a little broad.

I created a visual example of what I interpret both definitions to be. The vintage example is a dress I found on etsy; it is a 70s sheer sequin beaded dress. On the bottom is an H&M beaded dress from its website. The H&M dress has a retro look because of the beading and fabric. It is also possible that the vintage dress has a retro inspiration from the 1920's flapper dresses.


What do y'all think? What do you consider vintage? What about retro? Let us know below

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Best Eye Shadow For Your Eye Color

I'm not sure about you, but I've always struggled with finding an eyeshadow that looks good with the color of my eyes. Due to this obstacle, I've always reached for neutral palettes. Recently, Ive stumbled upon an article in a magazine (I think it was Glamour) which explained which colors highlight your eye color when paired together.

In order to make green eyes appear deeper the makeup artists suggests using colors that are in the purple family, such as violet, lilac or eggplant.

 



Brown eyes need bright colors in order to pop. The makeup artist suggested using shades of blue, leaning towards vivid colors, such as cobalt blue or eclectic indigo.

 
Blue eyes stand out when paired with colors that are in between purple and red shade family, such as deep plum or burgundy. 





I hope this guide helps some of you, who are struggling with picking an eye shadow that enhances your natural eye color . 

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Sweaters You Need This Fall

Fall is coming! Fall is coming! and with the lowering temperatures it means that cardigans are always a handy piece to have with you for those chilly (end of) summer evenings. And once fall comes into full swing these will make great layering pieces.

Basic Knit

Your basic knit sweater can be layered and worn with almost anything! Dress it up by adding a cute necklace and a dress for Sunday brunch, or throw it on over a tee with some jeans for a casual day running errands. The cardigan above is from from Aeropostale and a very great find at only $12.

Find it here: X

Bold Pattern

This over sized boyfriend sweater from H&M adds a bold pattern for dramatic effect. These sweaters are so comfy and perfect for a chilly day at the beach watching the sunset or for a cozy night in watching a movie or reading a good book.

Find it here: X

Color Block

Color blocking is a great way to add some color to your wardrobe this fall. The style is very easy to incorporate into your wardrobe and almost never goes out of style. The sweater above from Target has a great addition: pockets!

Find it here: X

Open Stitch

I love open stitch sweaters. They are great to be used as tops because, in my opinion, they always make you look put together whether you wear it with some dark colored skinny jeans and oxfords, or with a wool skirt and some riding boots. This particular sweater is from Dorothy Perkins. I also enjoy open stitch because of the great pattern work that is available. 

Find it here: X

Are you ready for Fall?

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Tomatoes for Shinier Hair

Yep, you heard that right. Tomatoes help make your hair shinier, restore hair color, and balance your hair's pH.

As a child I remember my mom used to cut a tomato in half and then take individual strands of my hair and rub the tomato on them from root to tip. She'd leave it on for an hour or so and then send me to shower. At school all my teachers would remark on how healthy and shiny my hair looked.

For those of you with light colored hair, tomato juice helps remove the chlorine green from all that summer swimming!

But if you don't feel like rubbing tomato juice all over your hair, Yes to Tomato has a line of various tomato based products, including shampoo and conditioner (you can find them here on ASOS).

What do you think? Will you try tomato on your hair?

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Phillip Lim 3.1 for Target

hello! 

Yesterday I found out that Phillip Lim is going to collaborate with Target this fall. What I'm most excited about this Phillip Lim collaboration is that I will finally be able to own a grown up bag. While previous Target collaboration were spectacular I never found an item that felt like any of the pieces featured could become an everyday staple item or at least a statement item that I could wear for more than one season. 

This Phillip Lim collaboration looks like it has potential to be a winner in my book. The Phillip Lim bags look chic and classy. As a recent college graduate I have been on a lookout for items that will help me transition into professional workplace. Sadly, my budget does not allow for a real Phillip Lim bag, so I'm hoping that this Target collaboration will satisfy my craving for a designer item. 

The Phillip Lim collection hits Target on September 15th. I'm excited to see if these bags look as beautiful in person as they do in the photographs. 

The Phillip Lim bags that I'm currently loving are the first black one in this series and the grey one. I am not sure of the prices yet, but the word on the street is that these will be around 30-40$.

The Phillip Lim Target Collaboration also includes clothing for both women and men. I found a few pieces that I liked (a black-white dress & floral shirt), but I did not love them as much as I love the accessories, so I decided not to feature these items in this post. 

Do you like anything from the collaboration?

  
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Someday Summary: Monday

hello ! I hope everyone is doing really well and had a nice weekend. I thought we'd try and write a more personal post today and share with you what we did this weekend. 

♥ Clara kindly helped me 'ombre' my hair, which is a lot harder to do than I initially thought.  My hair is now a loooovely shade of orange.
♥ We attended a beautiful wedding of a friend. We danced and laughed and drank wine and had such a great time. The wedding was in such a remote location with no cell service which definitely helped guests be carefree and truly enjoy themselves. Our little group of friends were the last ones to leave. We closed down the wedding with style. Our legs were hurting the next day.
♥ We won a giveaway over at Kallie's blog. Now we get to pick a jewelry piece from Jewel Mint. So so exciting!
♥ Clara decided to chop off 10 inches of her hair and donate it to Locks of Love.
♥ We discussed the wedding details furthermore over margaritas and pina coladas.
♥ After watching many many YouTube videos I learned how to fishtail braid. This is a major accomplishment!! I was so stoked that I've braided my hair in a fishtail braid about 3 days in a row. Plus my ombre mess is not as visible and looks somewhat decent in this hairstyle.


Overall, lots of fun with friends. Lots of lovely memories made. And lots of hair talk- this is a beauty & fashion blog after all.

What did you do this weekend? 

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P.S. We did get the idea of this summary post from the lovely Zoella.

BFF Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

The inside cover:

“Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.”

{via}

My review:

I really liked "Looking For Alaska" by this author so I thought I might also like this book by the same author. I foudn my copy at the library and I happen to have a signed copy- if you'd like to see it I made a video on our Instagram.

This novel is about two teenagers that have cancer. Yes - the book is just as sad as it sounds. The author is brilliant though and makes this novel so refreshing to read. The main characters are full of charm and are filled with gut- wrenching humor. The book made me laugh and cry at the same time. I could not read this in public because I kept tearing up. Especially the last few chapters- that was just a not ending cry fest. It is a beautifully written book about Hazel and Augustus ( I LOVE their names). I really like how clever these characters were and how they chose to deal with hardships of life.I felt like the people in this book were real, as if they really were someone I know in real life. I loved how these characters dealt with life, whether it was a swing set they were not able to use anymore or writing an obituary .

Overall

If you would like to read a book that could make you rethink your life this one is definitely a front runner. Personally I would recommend this book to anyone. It is filled with everyday cleverness and brilliant writing. Just be forewarned you might cry a lot.

Some Memorable Quotes:

“I lit up like a Christmas tree, Hazel Grace”--- When Augustus told Hazel about the return of his cancer.

" You say you're not special because the world doesn't know about you, but that's an insult to me. I know about you" --- When Hazel was writing an obituary.

" I bought them a minute. Maybe that's the minute that buys them an hour, which is the hour that buys them a year. No one's gonna buy them forever, Hazel Grace, but my life bought them a minute. And that's not nothing" ---Augustus

P.S. This book is being made into a movie, so watch for it in theaters. I just hope they don't ruin it too much. 

Have you read this book? 

 

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BFF Review: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

I ran out of my beloved Revlon Colorstay foundation recently and once at the drugstore I noticed a display of Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation, so I decided to live on the edge and purchased it. 

GOOD:

-I liked the idea of having a primer, concealer and foundation in one bottle, because honestly I almost never bother with all three when I'm in a hurry. 

- There is not a noticeable smell.

-This is a full coverage foundation, but it is very breathable. It does not feel like you're putting a second layer of skin. It has a silky texture, that feels really nice on your skin.

-It lasts almost all day on me.

-It has a pump.

NOT SO GOOD:

-It is so hard to get the last few drops out. The pump doesn't go all the way down to the bottom of the bottle. I really had to work hard to get the last few drops out, and even then there is still some product at the bottom that I just can't get to. The foundation is in a glass jar so I can not cut through it. 

-The price is quite high for a drugstore foundation in my opinion ( it's around 12$)

OVERALL:

I really like this foundation. I would like for it to have a SPF higher than 20. It provides a really nice coverage and it doesn't feel too cakey. It is a definite winner for me and I am planning on switching this up with my Revlon Colorstay.   

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In Case You Missed It: Best of July

In July,we

-contemplated our favorite sunglasses

-picked dresses to wear to a summer wedding

-chose our top 10 best products under 10$

-raved about Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquers

-listened to some great music

-talked about our most reached products of July  
-worked out with style