Spring Rose and Winter Black

        

Right now it's that in-between time of the seasons. We're a few days into spring, but it's not until Easter and afterwards that one wears a lot of white and pastels. It's that small part of spring when we're still wearing blacks and other winter colors. Today's pictures show my combination of the winter and spring fashion stage we are in right now. Diving into my closet (just kidding, I don't have that kind of energy in the morning), I pulled out a rose colored spring sweater that I absolutely love (from Kohl's) and my long, black, lace skirt (from Maurice's). For a classy and elegant look I added these nude pumps, which are a new addition to my closet I got for $24 at Payless. Let me add here that finding heels that aren't stilettos or almost-stilettos was so difficult for me! I was looking online in most every store I could think of, but 3" or less pumps weren't to be found... until I finally thought of Payless. These 3" nude pumps are such nice shoes because they go with so much and I found them to be rather comfortable, as far as heels go. Another note on these shoes: I have officially ran in these heels several times... just for the sake of feeling cool because I was running in heels, (even if they're small ones). Regardless of the running in them though, these shoes were definitely a great buy.

I realize I haven't actually had many outfit inspirations recently, especially ones that I myself have modelled. Maybe it's because of the lengthy process of getting the camera, tripod, and everything ready and finding the outfit; however, this was the outfit I pulled together for church and loved, so I just snapped a few pictures. This is undoubtedly a formal outfit, but it could also be worn to simply nice events, like dinner, and can be less dressy with flats instead.

~Mariana

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

 



Saint Patrick's Day... I do love the holiday, but I most always get into that last minute situation in the morning where I'm franticly looking for something green to wear so I won't get pinched (even just on my way to get a little breakfast). This year, I've come up with a list of items I have that are green to prevent that:

1. Although I'm not the biggest fan of wearing shirts with words or brand names on them, on Saint Patrick's Day if I just want to be comfy while doing school or anything else, it's an easy go-to.



 2. Flower print is also an easy way to get some green on you, for flowers almost always have leaves. It can be a top, or some pants (know that mine are looser than the pants in the image below), or a dress

3. If it happens to be a cold day and you're going out, a military jacket is always a green option for March 17th, even if it's not a clover-green. In fact, a green hoodie or sweater could also work well.

4. Don't forget jewelry! It can be mint, emerald, olive, etc., but a green necklace or bracelet could save you from a pinch



















5. Scarves are tricky this time of year, but since the weather is still on the chilly side, a lightweight scarf is still in season and if you happen to have a green one like me, it could easily be a nice green article if you're going out somewhere






















6. If your closet still fails you or you just feel like wearing a little extra green, don't forget the sock... yes, the sock. Although they aren't a large or really much of any part of fashion, having warm feet is always nice in the cool of March and green socks are nice for the cool of March 17th















I wish all of you lasses some Irish luck finding something green to wear this Saint Patrick's Day!

~Mariana

New on the Makeup Page: Skin Care

Hey there ladies! Before we dig into lip liner and BB créme, there's one topic I must cover and that is skin care.

Your skin is the canvas for your make-up so it is absolutely essential that it be at its prime. Now I know that if you're a teenager like me your belief in good skin is probably somewhere between unicorns and leprechauns, but I assure you it's not a myth! With a little determination, you can get your skin looking its best.

The first thing you'll need to do is determine your skin type- oily, dry, or combination. Oily skin is constantly shiny except right after being washed. If you have oily skin, washing your face in the morning probably doesn't seem to cut it. Dry skin is the exact opposite. It tends to be dull and flakey and can never soak up enough lotion. Combination skin, as you probably guessed, is right in between, although it can lean toward different sides of the spectrum. It is oily in some places, but dry in others. For example, I have combination skin that tends toward the dry side. My cheeks and nose as often dry, but my forehead tends to break out. If you aren't sure about your skin type, talk to your dermatologist or a cosmologist like the people who work at make-up counters in the mall.

Once you know what skin type you are you have to learn how to care for that specific skin type. There are three steps for taking care of your skin: cleanse, tone and moisturize. If your skin leans towards the oily side, a gel cleanser is a good idea. A gel cleanser will be mostly clear, like shampoo, and lather when you rub it on your face. With oily skin, I also suggest you wash your face with a clean wash cloth to avoid transferring oils from your hands to your face. If you have dry skin, cream cleanser is best. It looks something like lotion (not clear like gel) and doesn't lather as much when used. Take your time finding a face wash that suits your skin's needs. You'll need to give a face wash a week long trial to give you skin a chance to react. If your skin doesn't improve after a week, move on to the next. Once you've found a good cleanser, it's time to find a toner. The point of a toner is to give your skin that extra clean, bright feeling. Lots of companies make toner, but honestly, good old fashioned witch hazel works as well as anything. Sure it smells a little funny, but it serves it's purpose. Put some on a cotton pad and dab your face with it and voilà! The final step in taking care of your skin is moisturizer. Obviously if your skin is dry you want to use an intense lotion. If you have oily skin, don't be deceived, you DO need lotion. If you don't use it, your skin can overcompensate by producing more oil and that's the last thing you want. I would suggest finding a lighter lotion if your skin is oily. Finding the right lotion for you is a lot like finding the right cleanser- trial and error. Pick some products that sound like they'd be good for your skin type and give them a try for a week.

So those are the basics of skin care! I'll probably go over things like exfoliants and masks in a later article, but those things, while good for your skin, are extraneous.

Good luck finding the right products for you!

Julia <3 font="">