Trend Spotter - Stars and Spots

This week's trend? Stars and spots! To be more exact... small, delicate designs in two-toned prints.

Think tiny white stars on black dresses, navy polka dots on white skirts, etc. The shapes should be small to medium size- nothing too over powering. Giant stars or polka dots read too childish, but a dainty print in classic colors reads feminine and chic.

Try navy and white for a classic look, black on black for a more modern style or have an edge with unusal colors like yellow and black as seen in the Brite Star Collection from Dolce and Gabbana- a collection which has already proved hugely popular with stars like Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Anne Hathaway, and Fergie.

Check out these designer looks below for inspiration and then check out the bargain pieces available to those of us on a budget!

*If you can't afford to buy entire outfits with the latest trends like polka dots and stars, look for scarfs, bags and other accessories to add a fresh touch to your outfits! Over the next couple of posts, we'll be talking about ways you can easily integrate the latest trends into your own closet for a fraction of the cost!



Designer Looks - Inspiration Pieces



          The 3/4 Length Dress from the Dolce and Gabbana Brite Star Collection - $1,225
    




           Sheer Lace and Crepe Butterfly Dress from Dolce and Gabbana - $1,075




                           Techno Twill with Glitter Dot by Marc Jacobs - $1,400
        




                  Double Face Stretch Crepe Skirt with Glitter Dots by Marc Jacobs - $1,400
                  
    


               Double Face Stretch Crepe Dress with Glitter Dots by Marc Jacobs - $2,900
                                       




                                         Ruffled Lynette Blouse by Kate Spade - $295




                                   Polka Dot Lucia Dress by Stella McCartney - $2,155
                     


           Cover of Vogue Espana featuring various pieces from the new Dolce and Gabbana collection
               



 Bargain Looks - Realistic Pieces






















Melonia Polka Dot Pleated Sateen Dress from Kohls - $85.00




























Ann Taylor Cascade Dots Print Dress - $59.88

        























Worthington Belted Sateen Skirt from JC Penney - $17.60






















Alyx Ruffle Polka Dot 2-fer Dress from J.C. Penney - $39.99


















Womens Going Out Blouse from Old Navy - $29.95
                                       









 










Ruffled Tie-Belt Dotted Shirt Dress from Old Navy - $34.95























Gathered Dot Top from Gap - $34.99
























Knitted Spot Jaquard Jumper from Topshop - $80.00


















   






Merona Ruffle Front Black and Gray Dot Dress From Target - $29.99
      
























 MNG by Mango Polka Dot Blouse with Drawstring Neck - $31.92

















Black and White Oblong Dot Scarf from Target - $12.99
























Mod Dot Rain Boot from Walmart - $25.00




















Double Ring Canvas Hobo Bag with Star Print from Walmart (Prices Vary)



















Candie's Silver Tone Simulated Crystal Star Drop Earrings from Kohls - $9.80

Tips for Tanning

During summer, we all love the golden glow. Instead of tanning outside though and risking freckles, burns, and skin cancer, try tanning the safe way! Whether you have never used self-tanner or use it all the time, try using these tips for a smooth, natural looking tan.


1) Exfoliate- Before applying tanner, you need to prep the surface. In the shower, use a loofah and shower gel to gently exfoliate your skin (especially your legs which tend to be the driest)

2) Apply tanner - When you're fresh out of the shower at night, make sure you dry your skin completely before applying tanner. You don't want any moisture left behind since that can cause an uneven tan. Use a streak-free tanner like Loreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion. Start applying on your legs first. Squeeze little drops all over the fronts of you shins, then use your hands to gently rub in and around to the back. You want to cover all areas evenly and not leave things "too" wet. If the lotion isnt rubbed in enough, remove some by gently rubbing a cloth over your legs. You want to keep rubbing until your legs feel slightly sticky but not actually wet. Make sure you don't see any streaks left behind- the built in bronzer helps you see where/what you are applying so you can avoid streaks. Next cover your arms, chest, shoulders, and

neck using the same method. Leave your face for last- only put a small amount of tanner in your hands and rub together to coat hands evenly, then apply all over your face. Don't get too close to your eyes (it's ok to leave a little white line like sunglasses under your eyes and across the bridge of your nose- it looks more natural and if you try covering it all and going close to your eyes, it is more difficult and tends to leave spotty areas).

3) Wash up- After the lotion is rubbed in everywhere and you are sure there are no obvious streaks, wash your hands (especially in between fingers and around nails) and wrists. The bottoms of your wrists tend to be the whitest parts of your arms, so if you dont wash up there you will have an obvious brown line where your writst meets the palm of your hand. Pat hands and wrists dry with a towel so you dont rub off lotion in other areas of your arms.


4) Let dry- before putting on your pj's and getting into bed for the night, make sure you are completely dry. This will help avoid getting tanner on your clothes as well as avoiding streaks on your skin.


5) Sleep - Applying tanner at night is best because you are lying still and won't be sweating. Tanner can kind of make your pores feel clogged up at first and can make you sweat. So you don't want to apply during the day while you're running around because you can end up with sweat making nice little white trails through your tanned skin. lol

6) Spot removal - Once you wake up, check your skin for any spots or streaks. Even the best application can sometimes leave streaks. If that happens, no worries! Take a pumice stone and soak in water. Apply a little shower gel on the stone and GENTLY rub on the spotty area. You will only need to rub 3 or 4 times very gently. The pumice stone is abrasive enough that it takes the color right off. Rub once or twice and check your progress- you don't want to take all the color off, just the excess color. Use carefully on sensitive areas like neck or face- some people recommend a loofah for taking off color but I have found youhave to rub more/harder to get the exess color off. Using the pumice is easier on the skin- even though it is more abrasive, you can use it gently and it requires only a few rubs until the color is gone. If you have spots on your legs or ankles (or other "tougher" areas)  use the pumice stone with baking soda. If you have extra color around your nails, just try soaking them in lemon juice and then polish them with a clear or nude color.

7) Bronze - If you have sensitive skin on yoru face and don't want to use self-tanner because it causes breakouts, just apply the tanner on arms, legs, etc. Then on your neck and face, use a powder bronzer. To give that silky glow, use a moisturizer first as a base for your makeup and then apply the bronzer last.

8) Enjoy your tan- you are now tan in a healthy, non-threatening way! Tans can make us feel more confident, cover up scars/stretch marks, even our skin tone and actually make us look thinner, so enjoy your glow and go strut your stuff, ladies! :)




                                                              

Favorite Buy of the Week: Mitchum Deoderant

If you're like me, you don't look like a lady in summer. After all, what lady goes around drenched in sweat? I'm sure Godey's Magazine would have informed us that "genteel ladies never perspire!"

Thankfully though, there must be others like me out there in the world. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many clinical strength deodorants on the market! Question is... which one do you use?

Just recently, I bought Mitchum for Women Smart Solid Clinical Performance. Quite the mouthful, huh? I could have saved them the trouble and told them what to really name their product... the Miracle-worker.

 

After just one try, I couldn't believe how great this deodorant worked for me! It has the exact percentage of the same active ingredient as Suave or Dove clinical strength deodorants. Bonus? The Mitchum deodorant costs a fraction of the price! At K-Mart, I bought Mitchum for $3 (as opposed to Suave and Dove which were all $8-10!)

I don't like "sticky" deodorants and Mitchum does have a slightly stick feel like a roll-on deodorant. However I apply Mitchum, wait a few seconds, then use Arrid XX spray deodorant. Arrid has a different active ingredient and somehow the combination of the two have truly worked a miracle for me! I use it on my underarms and also at my bra line (think I'm crazy? all you big-chested or chubby people will understand! lol).  It really has worked wonders- especially at my underwire line. Normally during the summer, I STAY hot and itchy where my bra rests on my ribcage but Mitchum has solved that problem for me!

There are a lot of people that scoff at supposed "Clinical Strength" deodorants. If you check many of the active ingredients in the regular and clinical strength, you might not see a big difference in percentage. However, the difference is enough to MAKE a difference with your sweating! Even if you try one and don't like it- don't get discouraged! Even regular strength deodorants work differently for different people- each brand has their own little "recipe". I'd recommend starting with Mitchum since it is the most affordable and start working from there if Mitchum isn't exactly what you need! I guarantee you will be shocked at the difference a clinical strength deodorant makes. And if none of them give you the result you desire, it's time to see the doctor! They can prescribe you something to help with the sweating or see if the sweating is being caused by something else than just the nearly intolerable heat of summer! :)

p.s. helpful hint: when using google to search for picture of "sweaty lady" to post on your blog, you might want to rearrange the wording a bit to "sweating, tired, exercise, lady". otherwise you might not get the kind of pics you planned on! LOL

Orange for Everyone!

I just love when you're ahead of the game! :) If you check out pages 99-100 in the June issue of In Style, you'll see that they are singing the praises of the color tangerine! Seeing this article called to mind a blog I posted LAST spring/summer about why orange is a great color for everyone. I thought I would repost it here, along with a few updates and more recent pics.

I used to hate all things orange (well exept the fruit that is). Under the "about me" section on facebook, somewhere after I proclaim my love for Caramel Lattes from Starbucks and tacky jewelry, I wrote that I hate the color orange. Not sure what it ever did to me except remind me of that horrible orange carpet people decorated their houses with back in the 70's. However, the fact remained that I hated orange- peach was okay. So was coral. But orange? Bleck! However, these vibrant, gorgeous shades of orange have changed my mind for this season's wardrobe musts. Besides being bright and summery, it is hands down one of the most universally flattering shades on any skin/hair color! If you don't believe me, try it out! If one shade of orange doesn't look quite right, try a few more until you find the perfect shade for your skin tone. You will be surprised (as I was!) The color works out to be a bit Indian, slightly tropical, very cheerful, somewhat retro, but yet very modern.

And if you don't believe me on the flattering aspect of the color, check out how great orange looks on the varied skin/hair tones of these gorgeous women!

                 

                          

                                                             

Convinced yet??? If you're ready to integrate orange into your closet, you'll soon be aware of what a versatile color it really is.  A good tip from In Style is that orange goes well with navy blue, gray, beige, and hot pink! Avoid too much black so you don't look like a leftover Halloween pumpkin!

OPI Shattered Polish

Ok, I admit it. I'm obsessed with Johnny Depp and anything that makes me even think of Johnny Depp! So how cool are the new OPI polishes inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean???

                                                          

Wake up... think of Johnny Depp. Catch a glimpse of nails... think of Johnny Depp. Eat breakfast... think of Johnny Depp. Look at nails holding cereal spoon... think of Johnny Depp. Look across table and imagine Cpt. Jack Sparrow sitting there and...

I think you get the picture.

Perhaps I don't need anything else to make me think of Johnny since he is ever present in my daydreams, but for cool colors with super awesome pirate names (like Sparrow Me the Drama and Mermaid's Tears) I'm happy to oblige! Especially since Cpt. Sparrow is the most rocking character Johnny has ever played!

                                    

*Sigh* How I do love that eye-liner wearing, dreadlocked, scruffy, strange bearded, gold-toothed pirate...

Ahem.

Anyways...

Apart from the great new shimmery colors in this new line inspired by POTC, comes one of the most awesome things you could ever put on your nails.  A polish called "silver shatter." Once you apply polish to your nails and let it dry very well, just dip the brush in silver shatter and apply on your nail (without coating too much). Within seconds, the polish will start to dry, crackle, shatter and start looking like a weathered plank. As painful as that sounds, it really turns out quite nicely. :)

                              

Some people give this product mixed reviews, but I think you just have to play around with it (like any new product) and find out how it works best on you. Also cool is the black shatter polish available through OPI, though the silver is a bit softer and prettier. It has a dull finish so just put a clear top coat on and you're ready to go! Below you can see the Pirate collection by OPI with and without the silver shatter polish.

                         

There are other shatter/crackle polishes out there, so even if you don't want silver (or don't want to pay for an OPI nail color), branch out and experiment with some shatter polishes! I really think you will enjoy something different. But if you're a Johnny Depp fan like I am, I guarantee that you'll enjoy having Pirate themed polishes. :)

Style Icon: Audrey Hepburn

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey... the epitome of style. Remembered in the fashion world for her classic beauty and full-out glamorous style. When you think of Audrey, you think of the little black dress, pearls, diamonds, ball gowns and Givenchy.

Often overlooked though is the equally fashionable and adorable style she displayed in her casual wear. Want to get Audrey-inspired style but have nowhere to go in glamorous gowns? Try preppy plaids, high-waisted shorts, gingham capris, summer dresses and ballet flats.

Audrey's look is as fresh and modern today as it was years ago. Bonus? It's super easy to put together and won't cost a fortune... unlike the iconic black dress designed by Givenchy for Breakfast at Tiffany's which sold in 2006 for $923,000!

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Clockwise from top Left: plaid shirt from H&M, white high-waisted shorts from Topshop, American Eagle wedge slides from Payless, woven belt from Aeropostale.

*Sorry for the very long delay in posting! I have been having a lot of health issues lately but look forward to now posting more regularly!