Behind the Beauty- My Top 5 Picks

The beauty of a final product is what's photographed, written about, and remembered. And while being perfectly made up is so much fun to do and a must for any kind of occasion, what you do behind the scenes is most important. How you treat the canvas is absolutely crucial and must be done with care. Any mistreatment beforehand is magnified when makeup is applied. Here are my behind the scenes beauty must-haves that I use everyday to keep myself looking my best!

Bubble Bath and Shower Gel

Bubble baths are my necessary extravagance! I use them to unwind from a stressful situation, relax tired muscles, undo headaches and get ready for dances and dates. Bubbles make me feel so girly, so my tub always has to at least an inch of foam! Miso Pretty Hot Sake Soak is my absolute favorite! The bubbles form quickly and last the whole time I'm in the tub. The light, sweet perfume of Sake and orchid gives a beautiful aura around the water, and leaves your skin smooth and delicately scented. The Miso Pretty Deep Sea Body Wash is the perfect companion to the bath soak! It lathers into a luxurious foam and leaves my skin so soft and smelling great! The way this dirt fighting duo is packaged is so adorable and every time one of the super cute Miso Pretty girls catches my eye, I know I need to have it! It's an absolute must for me!

Chapstick

Since I'm a perpetual lip-biter, I am constantly putting on chapstick multiple times a day. Chapstick also smooths out the wrinkles and little dry spots that creep up along the edges. One of my favorite chapsticks is Nivea Kiss of Moisture. It glides on like nothing I've ever put on and it's as smooth as 100% silk. It keeps my lips tangibly moisturized for hours and smells wonderfully delicate. My other favorite is Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. It's all natural ingredients keep my super sensitive lips from dialing 911! The mint smells gives me a little moment of stress relief and the little tingles is radiates makes my lips feel revitalized and fresh. I have one in every one of my purses and at least two in my room!

Lotion

Aveeno lotion is my daily must! I use it on my legs after shaving, on my elbows in winter, even on my face when it becomes too dry. It is so nourishing, and I can feel it's moisturizing powers the second after I apply it! Because it's fragrance free, I don't get headaches from too much perfume in the lotion, and it really does last for a full 24 hours! I love how Aveeno makes so many different sizes of lotion too! I keep a small bottle in my purse for my hands, a larger bottle in my travel bag, and a pump of it in my bathroom for everyday use!

Perfume

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume doesn't have a future." - Coco Chanel

I can never leave my house before squirting some DiorAddict Shine on! The scent is absolutely exquisite! It is so light that I can only smell it on myself if there's a breeze, which is great because a strong perfume gives me a non ending migraine! It also makes people lean in a little when we talk. I have made it my signature scent and my whole closet smells delicious! It's scented with notes of citrus cedrat, fruity raspberry, and floral gardenia and cedar wood.

Tea

Tea is my drink of choice. I drink multiple cups a day. Black tea, green tea, white tea- it's all delicious! Herbal tea is so good for the body too! It helps with your mood, headaches even stomach pains! I feel so refreshed and renewed after each cup! Black tea wakes me up in the morning and gets me ready for my day. Tea with extra honey is my favorite remedy when I'm sick, and on a super stressful day a cup of tea really helps me calm down. Herbal tea helps with your skin too since it flushes out your pores and the antioxidants in green tea do wonders too!

Beauty come from the inside, so treat it kindly!

--The Fashionista Photobooth

Waltz of the Flowers

Flowers are a beautiful everyday staple. We use them as inspirations for perfume and in our backyards, as well as to mark special occasions like weddings and showers. Flowers can also be a great wardrobe staple. Here's four ways to get yourself blooming!

Combine Two Florals

The undershirt is a a cream chiffon sleeveless blouse, with embellished flowers adorning the collar. Covering it is a berry-colored elbow length mix of wildflowers. Both shirts are from Forever 21 and are under $25.
Wear it with a casual pair of skinny jeans to counter the volume of the floaty shirts and ruffles, and continue the streamlining with a pair of dainty flats


Why this works: Because of the subtlety of the color of the chiffon blouse, it needs a pop of colors to make it stand out. The family of jewel tones in the wildflower shirt works, because there are hints of cream to tie it back to the chiffon blouse, and because the colors are of the same saturation and are next to each other on the color wheel, they don't distract the eye. Also, the positioning of the chiffon flowers around the neck and chest make it a focal point and pull the eye up, effectively working with the ruffles to make the bust appear larger. The contrast of the large chiffon flowers works with, rather than overshadow, the smaller print of the wildflowers.

Give a Rose Some ThornsWith everything in it's place, you'll turn up looking like a too-proper primrose. Pair a lady-like floral shirt with subtle hints of punk grunge. This gorgeous Paul & Joe mint green, 100% silk shirt is the happiest marriage between East and West! The combination of Parisian floral wallpaper with a kimono design leaves for truly stunning results.
Pair this with jeans that have a small focal point of gold studs or small rips. It's important to keep the rest of the outfit simple to minimize competition with the top! Keeping the shoes elegant ties the whole outfit together. I've chosen a pair of black leather kitten heels.
To put emphasis on the top, wear skinny jeans that contour the body's natural shape. Because of how the shirt drapes and folds across the shoulders and bust, these areas are highlighted and seen as slightly bigger. The band around the waist highlights the curves of a beautiful hourglass figure.

To have a balanced body shape, wearing a fuller jean, such as a boot cut, produces fullness in the top, as seen in the sleeves, as well as in the bottom, where the jean flares out. Make sure that the jeans are fitted through the thighs, though, so the outfit doesn't become too boxy. Wearing a drapey top with wide jeans will take any shape you hope to achieve. Keep the sash around the waist with this look too to produce and emphasize shape around the waist.

I created these two necklaces specfically for this blouse. The first is a double strand made from freshwater pearls, in both traditional and colored potato shapes, as well as Swarovski crystals and sterling silver. The second is made from freshwater pearls, gold-plated findings, and Swarovski crystals.

Be a Little Whimsy

This outfit is so much fun! It's a little whimsy, a little girly, and a whole lot sophisticated! The dress is a beautiful carnation pink with, of course, carnations printed all over! The top is in a bustier style with elastic in the back to allow movement. It also zips up the back with a clasp at the top.

The key to a whimsy style is only having one or two subtle pieces. This outfit works with whimsy because the pink carnation print is just a tint of the backround color, and is therefore eyecatching but not distracting. The bows on the cardigan are also similar in color to the knit, however the sheen of the silk and the glimmer of the jewel buttons make it luxurous and fun at the same time. The dark charcoal color of the leather plays wonderfully with the lighter grey of the cardigan, and the cork of the wedge continues the organic feel of the flowers of the dress. The shoe is light and playful and because the dress has a shorter hem wearing wedges will make your legs look sky high! The perfect girly accessory is a feminine hat, and this one couldn't be more lady like! The charcoal leather and cork wedge shoes are from DSW and the cream felt hat is from H&M.

The Embellished Wallflower

Even the shyest of girls can wear florals through jewelry. Forever 21 and H&M have great pieces of jewelry for buget prices. Try wearing rings of jeweled roses, or strands of faux-pearls with flowers interspersed between. A big collar-style necklace with jewels and flowers makes a statement without screaming 'Look at Me!' Having problems finding a bejewled bouquet? Try finding some great animal jewelry, like owls or birds instead!

Bronzer Review

The number one must-have for summer is a gorgeous, dewey glow. And since baking in the sun does more harm than good, I decided to look at this season's bronzers. I came across the L'Oreal Paris gel bronzer, and it was promising.

It's wonderful when you first put it on--the gel is dark enough so you can see exactly where you are putting it, and it almost dissappears when you've rubbed it in. I loved the sparkles it had in it that made your skin have a beautiful glow when outside. Then the tan started to develop.

It was impossible for me to get a realistic tan! No matter how many people I had helping me rub it in, or how carefully I thought I put it on, I always got streaks, and sploches of dark and even places that didn't develop at all! Putting on an even coat does not produce an even tan! The build-up of color is too sudden and too dark right away, so it's really hard to loofa away mistakes.

I was really dissappointed with this product, and had to throw it away half used.

Affordable Night Out

There's only so much money being made babysitting that can be spent on clothes. And with college coming up, frugal is going to have to be fashionable. Here are some pieces from my closet, each one under $30, that can be mixed and matched with almost anything. I put them together in this look for going out on a date, going out to the clubs, or even work. It's embellished, yet simple enough to look professional, and the way the different textures work together makes it flirty.

The lace up booties are from Payless. I love how they give a boyish feel to the outfit! Any pair of booties will work, but to keep the transition from leg to ankle to foot seamless and smooth, make sure the shoes you choose are black, so they continue from the black legging. Speaking of leggings, this pair is a blast to wear! It really was love at first sight in the middle of H&M. They are black satin with rouching detailing along the bottom. The curved waistband with a side button clasp and zipper nicely keep the leggings from riding anywhere and keeps them very comfortable!The beautiful top is like a wonderful double-edged sword: the chiffon and flowers make it romance novel approved, while the diamond detailing and sparkly fabric used to make the flowers give it nightlife approval. It's from Forever 21 and was around $23. It will be put to work in my closet as a great multitasker!

The faux-leather jacket is from the LC Lauren Conrad line at Khols. It was on sale for $28. The material is super soft and the brass details on the studs and zippers plays nicely with the creamy color of the blouse. I can't wait for it to get a little cooler out so I can wear it and not sweat out my iced caramel macchiato!

Who said silver doesn't go with gold?! Metallics play gorgeously against each other, especially classics like gold and silver! I love these costume jewelry rings from Forever 21! The look super expensive, but were each under $9!So here's how I do nightlife...affordably. Good luck and happy shopping!
~ The Fashionista Photobooth