Dress Up or Down: The Classic Trench

It's fall and it's time to pull out that classic trench coat. If you find the perfect trench, let me know! This versatile coat is the easiest to dress up or down. Make it classy or funky!

Dress Up or Down: Sweaters

I am so happy it's fall because I LOVE SWEATERS! In the morning, evening, going out or staying in. Period.

Inspired by: Beauty and the Beast

Ah, Belle. Intelligent, beautiful, unique. She has two distinctive looks: her blue and white number and her gorgeous, iconic gold ball gown. Here are some ideas to modernize those two outfits to bring them to life. Don't forget the roses!

Beautiful Uses for Baking Soda

Do you know the wonders that lay inside your kitchen cabinet? So many things found in the kitchen can be used for beautifying purposes. So get out that Holy Grail of natural beauty and lets mix some baking soda! Here are 6 quick ways to use baking soda in your beauty routine.

1. Skin softener - mix a little baking soda in your bath for noticeably softer skin. It's a great natural alternative to bubble bath which can be loaded with chemicals and harsh fragrances. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil in for a soothing aromatherapy experience. My favorite is to unwind with a little lavender.

2. Lip exfoliant - stop paying for lip scrubs! Take a little baking soda, mix it with a little water to make a paste, and spread it on lips. Use a toothbrush to scrub gently for extra-chapped or flaky lips. Make sure to moisturize after with a little lip balm! My favorite is Burt's Bees.

3. At-home mani/pedi - Nails turning yellow from too much nail polish? Rough cuticles from dish soap? Scrub some baking soda/water paste on them to get those off right away!

4. Body exfoliant - similar to the lip exfoliant, use in the shower all over for a cheap way to slough off dead skin and brighten yourself! Gentle enough for sensitive skin.

5. Clear out product build-up - add to shampoo or use alone on scalp for a cheap alternative to clarifying shampoo. Renew your hair, save yourself some money, and save the earth an extra shampoo bottle in the trash.

6. Face microdermabrasion - Microdermabrasion is a way to exfoliate the face to make it photo-ready. Skip high-end beauty products loaded with extra chemicals and fragrances and save those big bucks by using baking soda. Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with water, rub in, and rinse! For more detailed instruction, go here.

Do you have baking soda tips?

Girls Night In: 5 Easy Steps

Who doesn't love a night in with the girls? Here's 5 easy ways to make it great.

1. Treats - what would a girls night be without some sweet treats? It doesn't all have to be cookie dough and ice cream. Slip in some sweet fruit, like grapes or strawberries, to pretend like you're getting some sort of good nutrition into the night.

2. Spa night - slip into your pj's, sweep your hair into your favorite comfy scrunchi, and mix up some homemade face masks (kitchen face masks sounds like a good idea for a future post, right? Stay tuned!)

3. Gab - this is the time to giggle, vent, and dish. No judgment.

4. Movies - chick flicks galore! My favorite are the late-90s early-2000s teen flicks.

5. Nail polish - try some funky colors!

What's your favorite girls night tips?

Animal Testing in Beauty Brands

I have a confession: I am not a vegetarian. While this may not seem that earth shattering, if you knew me it would be surprising. I am an environmentalist that has in-depth knowledge on how the commercial meat industry is basically destroying the earth as we know it. So the way I cope with my guilt on not being able to give up my dad's grilled burgers is to be conscious about what beauty brands test on animals. I've condensed the list to mainly drugstore beauty brands but a more comprehensive list can be found here and here. I am definitely switching out some of my beauty essentials. Were you surprised by any of the brands on the lists?

Summer to Fall: One Dress

Fall is here, for better or worse. And as much as I would like to I am unable to buy a whole new wardrobe to stylishly shield myself from the crisp fall wind. So here's an idea to take a summer staple, the breezy dress, and transition it into fall. One reason I love dresses is that it automatically becomes cold weather friendly by putting on a pair of tights!

Favorite Drugstore Beauty

I don't know what it is but I could spend half the day wandering the beauty aisle at the drugstore. Even though I don't wear that much, I love makeup BUT I do not like to spend a lot of money on it. The drugstore holds some fantastic products that rival even the highest-end brands of makeup. Here are some of my favorites!

1. Maybelline Full n' Soft mascara - this mascara looks natural and makes your lashes look exactly what it says they will look like: full and soft!

2. L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eye Liner - I was a total late bloomer when it came to eyeliner and this eyeliner makes it so easy to use. With the consistency of a crayon, it's easier to control than a pencil or liquid eyeliner. And it stays on all day and doesn't move!

3. Revlon Moondrops Lipstick - Pigmented, moisturizing, and long-lasting! A long time favorite, Revlon knows how to make its lipsticks.

4. Wet n' Wild Icon Palette Eyeshadow - This is one of my favorite drug store finds. There are 3 versions of this palette, all with 3 matte and 3 shimmery eyeshadows. They are pigmented, blendable, and lasting.

5. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeep Conditioner - Leave it in, shave your legs or soap up, and rinse it out for gloriously moisturized and easy-to-style hair. Extra tip: after putting in conditioner, blast your hair for a second with the blowdryer to help melt it into your hair. Seriously soft hair alert.

6. Neutrogena Healthy Defenses Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 for Sensitive Skin - I have really sensitive skin and this doesn't bother it at all! It is so important that sunscreen is worn everyday and it's easy to incorporate it into your daily routine when it's built in with your moisturizer!

7. Wet n' Wild Idols Eye Cream Shadow Pencil - I use this as a thick eyeliner or as an eyeshadow. My favorite colors are the nude, black, and dark blue colors. They also have purple, light green, and dark green.

8. Aquaphor - seriously this is the missing magic element. It's like a thick Vaseline and you can use it for dry skin, cuts, burns, squeaky chair legs, chapped lips, dry heels, and much much more. I like to use a little as a brow gel to keep my brows in order and to put it on my pulse points before putting on perfume to make it last longer. I've also heard about using it in the place of a highlighter on your cheeks and to mix it with dry shadow to create your own creme versions. You can also make your own gloss/tinted lip balm by melting your favorite old lipsticks with this into little jars.

9. Almay Nearly Naked Foundation with SPF 15 - I just started experimenting with liquid foundation (I've been using powder forever) and I love this. It's easy to use (hello foundation novice!), easy to blend, and looks really natural. I was a little worried about getting a drugstore foundation where I can't test the color but the 'Buff' color is a perfect match for me (I'm super pale)!

10. Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm - I. Love. Burt's. Bees. Seriously. I only wish this had SPF. It looks like a sheer lipstick and it's all natural! It's casual enough that you can apply it in mixed company (no sneaking off to the bathroom) but packs a punch of color! My favorite color is Rose and I imagine that it could work for a variety of skin tones.

11. Maybelline Superstay 24 Color - This was a recent purchase and so far I'm liking it! It's in the form of a gloss but acts like a stain. There's also a balm end for conditioning and it comes in tons of colors categorized by red, plum, pink, and nude. But beware, it says it has staying power and it does! Even after washing my face before bed I found that I still had a little on in the morning. A little lotion (my favorite makeup remover) got it right off though.

What are your favorite drugstore beauty buys?

Inspired By Princess Jasmine

Jasmine is the exotic, independent, and strong minded princess that goes searching for a new life and love herself rather than settle. Her outfit is something else I wouldn't recommend copying exactly. While harem pants are sort of coming back, pairing them with a little crop top would serve for an interesting walk down to the street. Here's a day and night outfit, both based on Jasmine's iconic green outfit, and her little red number that got Jafar going.

For the Birds

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