Summer 2014 Trends

 Summer is here and as much as I will miss winter, I have been religiously looking up street style photographers and runways for the trends. I really loving the trends this year, because they are very wearable.

White

The all white trend has been on runways, red carpet and street style blogs. It looks expensive and very summery. I feel like white goes with all skin and hair colors.

 You can pull off the all white look without looking washed out. A white embellished dress like this one from Karen Millen doesn't look like you focused on white only. 

 White always seem like a good idea when wearing something sophisticated, but a casual look can look extra chic in white. Tops like these would look great with white shorts.

Speaking of shorts, the white work short can look great paired with a white blouse. White denim is not 1986 anymore, you can also take a girlie look with lace like these shorts from Vero Moda.

An all white can be booth girlie and casual with a skater white skirt like this one from Vero Moda. This cross tight white skirt from H&M looks like designer and of course paired with minimal sandals it will look like million dollars.

White converse is a classic and can be incorporated with many pieces. I would prefer wearing nude shoes with white, but this summer the all white look is really big.

I would also wear a nude bag with an all white outfit, but I have been seeing a lot of white bags with all white outfits and I am really liking it.

Sheer

The Kardashian / Jenner family made this possible with bringing back mesh fabric and sheer outfits. Of course we can't over do it like the reality TV stars, but sheer can still be pulled off in a classy way. 

Most of the sheer pieces are in black or white, but you can incorporate color with sheer. This Only Jeans top is a great example of a sheer color casual piece.

All sheer dresses like this all lace dress from H&M or sheer in cheeky places like this mesh dress from TopShop need something under it. A bralet or an under tank top shows a little less skin.

If you are not into mesh, other sheer fabrics include lace and chiffon can look very sophisticated while still following in the trend. The chiffon skirt from TopShop is a perfect example of a sheer non mesh dress.

Metallic 

Metallic is great trend that was introduced last season. The good thing about metallic pieces that they make such a statement and that's always a good thing. 

If you are not into big metallic statement pieces, a shirt like this one from New Look can be a great way to incorporate the trend without stepping out of your comfort zone.

Metallics aalso can be very girlie with mixed with different fabrics in a pattern like this short from TopShop.The metallic colors can be worn morning when you wear them in casual like shorts. 

If you are looking to try the trend but afraid of commitment a metal accent in your shoes can be a great idea like metallic cuffs in the white heels sandals from Zara. 

A metallic bag doesn't have to look like you stepped out of the 70's. Straw metallic is a thing now like the New Look bag in gold metallic sheen.

Cropped 

& Covered

 The Cropped top was there in the 80's and was huge in the late 90's early 2000's, of course it's making a come back and it's huge.

The amount of options offered on the market are endless. There are bustiers like these ones from H&M and TopShop, girlie like this NewLook one, you have the cut out t-shirts and even dressy.

There is no belly button showing happening anywhere, even through there are cropped tops. The high waist skirt is the conservative twin sister of the cropped top.

If you are looking to show off some legs you can go for a nice pair high waist shorts with your cropped top. A jeans or pants is a good option as well, but I felt like skirts and shorts are more summery.

Athlete

This summer is all about mixing slouchy sporty athlete apparel with classy pieces or casual pieces.

    Layering a muscle tee over your bralet is officially a trend. Mostly I think of a muscle tee with a sports bra, but now you can wear it over your short and you've got yourself an outfit. 

 A pair slouchy athlete pants are seen on minimal heels in most of the street style blogs. A sports pair of pants doesn't have to look so sporty, like these printed ones from River Island and Ted Baker.

For these chilly nights by the beach or the late summer days, you can still be trendy and warm. A romper jacket is in and comes in very summery details and prints. 

That's it for 2014 favorite summer fashion trends, I wish you have a fun trendy summer. xx

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5 fitness myths

I have been in the "diet" atmosphere for 10 years now. Like any female, I have had my ups and downs. What I learned during this time helped me reach a state of mind that I wasn't near when I started. I have heard and followed so many misconception regarding fitness, diet and health that are unbelievable. So many girls are still under the impression that these myths are right, and then we're left wondering "Why isn't this working?" .. here they are

"Weight training will make a woman bulky"

We have enough estrogen in our bodies to grow breasts, have babies and have less hairy bodies than men, there is no way some weights are going to make us bulky. For a woman to be bulky, she needs years of training and a crazy amount of supplements. Weight training will actually tone your body, and the muscles will increase your fat burning rate as well as your metabolism.

"Fat will turn into muscle"

Saying that your fat can turn into muscle, is like saying you can turn into a dog. Unless you cast an evil magic spell on it, it's never going to happen. Under your skin, you have your fat cells and your muscle cells. As shown in this very scientific picture, they are very different things. The way you feed and exercise your body will determine which of them will grow and which will diminish. 

"This food will make you fat"

Fun Fact! A Chocolate bar has the same calories as 3 apples! There is no fat food, there is good food and bad food. Good food doesn't have saturated fats and it helps in feeding your body, bad food doesn't. Also there is something called portion; if you have a cupcake, you won't gain weight. If you have the whole cupcake shop, you might gain weight.

"Carbs are the enemy"

The classic way of starving / dieting of cutting carbs, is depressing and just wrong. The recommended ratios for a healthy diet is 50% Carbs, 30% Protein and 20% fat, you actually need carbs for your body to function. There is something called simple carbs, your body doesn't burn any calories while digesting them; these are the bad carbs you don't want. The good carbs are complicated, your body needs to burn calories to digest them; like brown bread or pasta or rice.

"Crunches will help you lose belly fat"

 While you can train your muscles by spot, arms or thighs or abs; you can't target fat burning. Your body loses fat as whole depending on your body ratios. Your stomach will get smaller as you get used to eating healthier food and smaller portions, that's why your diet is very important.

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How to look good in Photos with makeup - Part 2 (Eyes & Lips)

Last time we discussed everything on how to adjust your face makeup to look good in photos. Click Here to check out everything from primer to blush. The crazy thing for makeup on camera, eyes mostly look frosty, brows look like they are fading and lips mostly look either over done or washed out. The reason why I split this, is that I felt like it would have been the longest post in the world and we don't want that.

Eye Shadow

I have tried a lot of shadows and I have tried to take various pictures with them. The more shimmer there is in the shadow, the more frosty and undefined my eyes would look on camera. I would have a great smokey eye going on in real life and them BAM shimmery frost going on. I would recommend using matte shadows and one or two shimmery colors for the center of your lid and brow bone. Most of the eyeshadow palettes would have one or two matte shadows, L'Oreal hip has matte duos where you can have the smokey color and transition color completely matte.

Liner 

In real life you can get away with a messed up eyeliner flick or thin line on one eye and a thick line on the other eye or maybe even a little print of the eyeliner on the lid. Get your eyeliner together, if you aren't sure of your flick ; then go for a smaller flick or no flick at all. The best eyeliner I used was elf cream eyeliner, it's super creamy and it stays on forever.

Lashes

  

I know loading on mascara can make lashes look great, but whenever you are taking a photo in a big event that flash will make you look like you have half the lashes you actually have. Faux lashes can be scary, but they are not for every day use so they might be fun and interesting. The single lashes are great for a natural look, but if you are a beginner like me I recommend the strip band. The ARDELL Demi wispies look natural and great.

Brows

I have thick brows and seriously on camera it looks like I have thinner brows, if they are not filled in. I tried felling them with henna and the looked good on camera, but it was kind of high maintenance having to go to the salon weekly. I fill them in with an angled brush and a brown shadow, there are brow kits like the elf one that has the gel and everything.


Lips

 make sure to have your lips lined and get a a glossy lip color. A shimmery gloss will appear very frosty on camera, matte lips might look dry on camera. I find the Lippies from butter London is the right product on camera, it's highly pigmented and it has a slight gloss in it.

So that's how you look good in pictures using only makeup, don't forget to pose! xx

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How to look good in Photos with Makeup - Part 1 (Face)

Have you ever left your house looking like this?

And when it was time to take a picture you ended up looking like this?

 

That's because real life and camera have very different lighting and dimensions. Since I have suffered myself from looking really white on camera, I have discovered tricks that will make your makeup photo friendly so you can get that picture perfect look especially if you are going to a special occasion like a wedding or your graduation and you know these pictures are going to last for a life time of memories. I decided I am going to mention the face products first and then I will have another post for eyes and lips.

Primer

When you are going to get your photo taken, a primer is a really good base to build your makeup on. What a primer does is blur your pores so they won't appear on camera and protect your face makeup from seeping into them. Some primers also give your face a matte finish so you can glide any type of foundation on it and still look perfect. I have used up ELF and Bourjois and I also heard wonders about the Maybelline baby skin, some even said it's a dupe for the Porefessional by Benefit. 

Concealer

 

Apply your concealer before foundation so you can have a one color canvas to work with. Using a concealer lighter than your skin color to hide dark circles, redness and blemishes is a myth. Once the flash hits your face, these areas are going to appear ashy and highlighted. You can either dab a little bit on a concealer same color as your foundation or you can use colorful concealers. The green is to hide any redness, like the areas around the nose or any red blemishes. The pink or peachy color is great to hide dark circles under the eyes and dark blemishes. It is a little bit hard to find an affordable colorful concealer, but I have found one in Oriflame and one in Essence that works perfectly.

Foundation

One of the deadliest mistakes we commit when taking pictures is using a foundation that has SPF. The SPF creates a fair layer that might be invisible at regular light but is very reflective on camera flash. This layer reflects the light to protect your skin from the sun, also making you look very pasty on camera. Use a foundation with little or no SPF in it. The second thing you need is to use a foundation that is one shade deeper than your skin tone. The camera takes around 20% off your color, so you can bring out your color by using that deeper color. Make sure to use it covering your ears, neck and decollete so you won't have two different colors. Finally you need to find a matte finish foundation, because a shiney face appears like a sweaty face on camera. I really like the Rimmel 25 hours foundation, because it doesn't have SPF. Revlon colorstay is brilliant and even though it has SPF 6, it still looks matte and stays for a long time in photos. Surprisingly the Garnier BB cream looks good on camera with matefying powder. Click Here to see a full review on it.

Powder

I love loose powder, I really do but they seriously look awful on camera if not blended really well. You are still at risk even after blending them perfectly to look like a clown on camera. If you need a extra matte armor you need a pressed matte powder, you can get it in a translucent color if you don't need extra coverage. Everybody swears by the Rimmel stay matte, and I have tried it myself once and it worked fine. I also have the Georgia face powder  from benefit and it does have a peachy color that is so sheer and it doesn't appear on my skin shade.

Bronzer & Blush 

 

In pictures, our faces tend to seem flat with no depth or dimension. Make sure to contour your face and nose with a matte bronzer 2 to 3 shades deeper than your  skin shade, I love the Oriflame bronzer, it does appear to be shimmery in here; but don't worry it's just a covering layer.

Use a a matte blush or one that has very little shimmer, because you don't want to look like you have sparkles on your face. If you are going simple on your eye makeup, your blush should be a brighter color. Please don't use a bright crazy color with a smokey eye, because you will look over done.

Next post will be featuring the tips and tricks I use to make my eye makeup and lips look better in Photos , Stay tuned! xx

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Building your wardrobe: 15 essentials accessories for women

I know that the last post of this series was forever ago and I am guilty. This Building your wardrobe series mentions all the stables to a timeless chic wardrobe. Click Here to see the 15 shoes essentials, which was my first post of the series. Clairee Belcher once said " The difference between us and animals is our ability to accessorize", as dramatic as this sounds it's really accessorizing that changes outfits. There are too many options out there, I have summed up the basic can't live without accessories.

Black Leather Belt

When I was younger I didn't release how crucial it is to have a belt, I was that teenager who has to adjust her pants every 10 minutes. A black basic leather belt will go with any pants you have, also depending on how thick the belt is . you can wear it above a cardigan for an extra stylish mile.

Brown Leather Belt

By now you probably know that whenever you have anything leather in black, you have to have it in brown. The looks that are more boho or earthy will go best with a brown belt, also you get to match your shoes or bag if you are wearing brown leather one day.

Decorative Scarf

I have so many, I am obsessed with having a scarf with me when I am going out. A decorative scarf can make any basic look much more interesting, it also doubles as a shawl to cover up cleavage or arms.  Go for a nice neutral print, so you can match it with different outfits.

Diamond / Crystal Studs

A pair of diamond studs are an essential for any lady's closet, if diamond will break your bank; your second best option is crystal. I can see myself wearing a pair of diamond / crystal studs anywhere with any outfit.

Statement Earrings

A pair of big earrings will totally turn heads, especially if you have your hair up. I would have more than just one pair, but I think if you have to own just one pair; it should go with what you have in your closet. 

Dainty Necklace

A girlie simple necklace is really essential because it adds a personal touch to your look. You can wear something with a pendent like this one from Guess or a pearl one like the one from Love 21, according to your personal style.

Statement Necklace

Sometimes all what you need is a statement necklace and you are good to go. I think that we are no more limited to a choice between gold or silver, Caroline Channing got away with wearing a statement pearl necklace for 3 seasons of "2 broke girls". 

Diamond / Crystal Bracelet

Again, wear your crystal proud if you won't go for diamond. A diamond / crystal bracelet can be worn alone, with a watch or with other jewelry. The key here is to wear it effortlessly, like it's a part of your hands.

Cuff

When I was younger I always used to think that a cuff needs to be a tall and chunky piece, things have changed a lot. A nice cuff bracelet will always look nice on your wrist. If you need to skip the gold Vs silver, go with something a neutral color like this one from Forever 21.

Statement Ring 

Even if you are not a ring person,you need to have at least one ring. A nice statement ring to twirl around your fingre can be a great way to go with your manicure. Statement doesn't have to be gypsy, this one from TopShop is very girlie and still makes quite a statement.

Girlie Hair Clip

Who doesn't like to have something nice in their hair. A sparkly clip like the ones from Accessorize and Claire's are very cute, if you are someone who doesn't like sparkle; the floral option like this one from New Look is another great option.

Beanie

A beanie in a neutral color will keep your head warm in the winter and can hide a bad hair day while running errands. A loose beanie is kind of great to stuff all your hear in, but I really see a lot of tight beanies that can work great as an accessory.

Leather Gloves

Let's face it, leather is the best way to keep yourself warm. I have chosen to showcase a variety of black leather gloves, because I think black is the most classic color that goes with everything.

Metal Watch 

Since mixing silver and gold is no longer an issue, a metallic watch is a great stable accessory. I couldn't help myself to put a small watch, because they are kind of hard to find.

Umbrella

 I love walking in the rain, just not when I have my hair blow dried and a face full of makeup. I would high recommend a black umbrella, or something with a daring print that has neutral colors ;like this hound tooth one from Forever 21 or the floral one from Mango.

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