Hibernation or Reconstruction ?

As you all know winter is a time of hibernation for many. Today’s thought is one that I have lived by for many years now and it has always worked. Instead of setting a New Year’s resolution or trying to become a better person at one specific time of the year, why not choose winter? Winter time is a time of change, layers of clothing cover our bodies and we get to use the cold weather as an excuse to stay inside. The point I’m trying to make here is that the winter time is the perfect time to get healthy and try and turn our lives around.

Water. One thing we can do during the winter is drink LOTS of water. Allow yourself to stock up since during the summer you will be tempted to drink those fruity summery drinks. During the winter all drink choices are pretty much hot so why not have some refreshing cold water some time!

Moisturize. Next you can stock up on moisturizer. One really good winter cream for the face is the St. Ive’s Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer. Those who know me know that I am not a big St. Ive’s fan but I recently used this face cream at a friend’s house and my face did not peel during the day like it has been doing lately. I noticed that my Clinique moisturizer works well during the summer because it is so lightweight, but now that it is colder I need more protection. And this St. Ive’s cream does the job but is not too oily.

Exercise. Since it’s so cold outside I find myself hitting the gym even more during the winter!  I mean come on; do you want to be in the gym all summer long when it will be so nice out? NO! Take the time to work out during the winter and by the time summer comes around everyone will notice a new you because you’ve been tucked under those sweaters for so long.

Shop. Winter is the perfect time to shop for off season clothes. Trust me, I have been doing this for years and saving TONS. You all know what a bargain queen I am! Usually when I shop I pick up clothes that are opposite of the season it is. Not only do you save tons, you also get items that were once sold out or that were higher priced before. For example, a tank top may be $7.99 during the summer but during the winter you can find them marked down for $1.99!! Look for stores that put out summer clearance racks in the winter and if you order online be sure to use, promotionalcodes.com
where you can save on shipping and even your entire order.These are just a few ideas I use to make the winter time more enjoyable. Remember it’s never too late to begin reconstructing a new you! Trust me, the more work you put into the winter the better and healthier you will feel during the summer. Your body and health is what you make it, so make it right!

What are some of your favorite winter rules or ideas?

Winter Season Must Haves !

Hey guys! With the release of my first blog I have decided to continue and big thanks to Celeste Cohen who is my first follower! This is such a big deal to me I mean, I know one follower. Really? Yea! I’m kind of hype. LOL. Anyway onto more important things like how hard it has become to coordinate my winter wardrobe. I must say that I have been so stumped by what to wear this season but there are some fashion must haves that I see are coming into style. Let’s get right to ‘em!

First: DARK NAILS

Dark nails are a staple for any outfit and they can go with absolutely anything. I have to admit that I absolutely adore Essie nail polish and I first bought her on a family vacation in Canada. She traveled with me all the way back to the states and when I landed I knew I could not go back to using my old polish! (Essie triumphs over O.P.I if you ask me, but I still love O.P.I all the same.) I just absolutely love the consistency of the polish and the simplicity of the bottle. Essie as a brand has taken the polish world by storm with its current bold colors and great quality nail polish. Three of my go to Essie colors this fall are def: Bobbing for Baubles, Really Red, Smokin’ Hot, and Tart Deco. Now I know Tart Deco is on the lighter side of the color spectrum but it SO in the running as of the colors I may wear on Thanksgiving! Essie is SUCH a classic, it is the epitome of nail polishes, and it does NOT disappoint in terms of quality.

*I know Essie is pretty expensive but it can be found at SOME drug stores for anywhere from $6-$8.  Also for an always classic look try Mademoiselle or Sugar Daddy which are light pinks.

Second: SCARVES

Now I know scarves can be so casual, but this season they are really being used to dress up outfits in place of some accessories! For me it’s all about a nice statement scarf with amazing patterns, tones, and fabrics. Most of the scarves I own are Pashminas which can be found in malls or in other small specialty stores and they run for about $5-$10 each. But I have found a new love. Forever21 has the most amazing scarf collection (and maybe it is just online because this is where I got mine) I have ever seen. And for the decent price can you really resist? One, my best friend has which I am currently LOVING, is the Geometric Poncho in a yellow mustard and brown color. Now the reason why I bring up a poncho scarf is because it can be used as a light wrap on a chill night, or as a quick cover-up over a nice mini dress, it can even be folded up and used a regular scarf.  I first saw the poncho scarf in American Eagle and I really loved it, it was thick and sweater like and beautifully made. It really was more of a poncho sweater than a scarf but it was around $70! (Not surprising for AE but come on.) This Forever21 look alike is only $22.80 and it would go so well with a plain button up, dark wash jeans, and knee high brown boots. This poncho scarf is such a steal, it is boldly patterned with fall colors, and it can be used in a variety of ways!

*I will post a link to this poncho scarf below. It also comes in coral and there is also one that comes with a hood attached to it!

Third: STATEMENT JEWLERY

Wow! We are def taking it way back here. Statement jewelry has been around since the days of the Egyptians. Then we got into this whole Mod/Contemporary phase where everything went simple and now we are back to making bold statements with our jewelry! YAY.  Now this fall fashion is very quick and simple. Wearing turtlenecks during the winter may keep us warm but they can be so BLAH, so to spice it up why not try a nice chunky necklace or some jaw dropping earrings! You know me I’m ALL ABOUT THE BARGAIN so I have done some searching for you guys and I found that bebe has an affordably priced, great quality jewelry collection in general. But when I came across some of their statement neck laces I was awestruck! The Pearl &Crystal Woven Necklace is looking SO right for the holiday season that I think I might purchase it after this blog! I could not get over the ridiculously reasonable price and the quality. Now this item is new at bebe and I usually wait until I see some product reviews to buy but I certainly cannot even deal with what I have seen on their website. So impressed! It’s so rustic and can be worn during the day well into the night and at $39 it’s a great buy! Next on my list are earrings the Geometric Rhinestone Hoop Earrings and they are def a style I would pull off with ease. Although these earrings are not an everyday look they can certainly add automatic flair to a night out with a strapless top and pulled back hair. With these earrings no necklace or other jewelry are really even needed! These earrings are said to be “boho” by bebe but they are actually the “modern boho”. These earring are crisp clean and super geometric and once again for only $24 the price is SO right!

Now that you have read all my favs go ahead and give them a look and see what else you can find. By the way I’d like to know what are your winter season fashion must haves?

New Beginnings

Hey guys! So today I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time now but I just did not know how to get started. I am starting a blog. I know it sounds crazy right? Trust me it’s a big jump for me to do something that’s so open and out there on the internet and out there for everyone to see. LOL. But the truth of the matter is that I have so many things that run through my mind daily and I’m like OMG I should have written that down! Or I’ll think of something that's a great tip and then later on in the day I’ll totally forget it!

Anyway I sort of “built up the courage” you could say to do a blog because I began watching makeup gurus on YouTube. Now I have only recently began watching some of these gurus for a few months so I really only have seen the more popular ones. I have learned SO MUCH from these gurus and not just about makeup because my makeup collection consists of the very basics. But what makes these gurus so attractive to most of us is that they seem to be just that; Gurus. They seem to know everything about hair, nails, skin, and clothes and while the majority of us want to stop watching sometimes you know you can’t! It’s sort of addicting but it’s an addiction that’s not bad for you. I have friends who have told me that after watching some of these gurus they have gained confidence, they have become more in tuned with fashion and makeup, and most of all they have just become worldlier. That being said I also have a load of friends who do not like the gurus at all. They say they are dishonest, false, and rich spoiled kids. Now my take on all of this is if you are doing something you enjoy and making at least one person’s life a tiny bit better then why not do it?

But what I get asked all the time is why. Why do you continue to watch girls’ video themselves put makeup on their faces? Well the answer is very simple. You see, makeup gurus do what celebrities do but on a much smaller scale. They give us a chance to live vicariously through them and they make life seem problem free. For the person who is going through a hard time this is a great way to get away from your problems. To tell you what reels me in I’ll have to go to a much deeper place. The gurus are popular. Everyone wants to meet them and go shopping with them and have all the coveted makeup, shoes, and jewelry they have. So when a gurus does a video on a Forever21 Haul it makes you feel as though she is running home and personally showing you what she bought. When gurus do Room Tour videos they become instant hits because EVERYONE wants to know where you shop, what’s in your bathroom, and what face wash you use. You see, the more personal the better. The more in depth they get about their day and the more facts they tell us about their lives the closer we feel to them and therefore the more dedicated we become to their videos.

So you ask why this is my first blog ever? About makeup gurus on YouTube? Because these are ordinary girls like I who have influenced so many other ordinary girls. These are girls who make a ten minute video of how to apply gel eyeliner seem like a lifetime of fun feminine class, something that all girls aspire to be. This is something that I want my blog to be not just a place to write whatever I feel like. But to write, receive commentary, and have discussion with my readers. To influence them and let them know what I know and most importantly that they can teach me a load of things I would have never thought of.

Since I am new to this please be nice to my blog and remember good, bad, or indifferent I always appreciate comments! Thanks so much for reading. : )