Mackage F/W 2012

[photos from Mackage]

I had the exciting opportunity to travel to Canada earlier this month to watch the Mackage show in Toronto Fashion Week. If you haven't heard of Mackage, I'm SO happy to be introducing you to this brand! I'm sure you can tell just why I'm obsessed with them from the photos above- Black coats. Belted waistlines. Leather leggings. Elbow length gloves. Stop me. It's like my winter soul reincarnated in a runway show. This show was everything I adore about ready to wear clothing for the colder seasons- layers of edgy, yet feminine pieces that come together to create a glamorous style that's perfect for every day wear.

The show itself was circus-themed and SO fun. Seriously- there was a cotton candy machine, even cotton candy flavored martinis [Really. A show filled with mostly black apparel and martinis? ...are you picking up how happy I was?]

Cotton Candy-tini's at Mackage F/W 2012

My seat! [Front row!][^Yes, I still take photos of my name setting]

Overall, the show was everything I thought it would be. The bad parts? I want every single coat from the show && am now wishing it was October. It's fine.

The trip was SO fun && I absolutely loved meeting everyone from Mackage! If you like my style, you will LOVE their pieces! I'm apologizing in advance for introducing you to your new obsession :)

How To: Easy Beachy Waves Hair Tutorial

I've gotten a lot of requests to do an updated video on how I've been curling my hair in my most recent videos- watch the video above to see the technique I'm using! This tutorial will teach you how to create loose, beachy waves [or 'bed head waves'] with a curling iron. 


You can use any clipless iron to achieve the loose wave hairstyle. I'm using the Sarah Potempa Beachwaver [it's available online here]. This curling iron was actually a life saver for me back in february- I went to New York for fashion week and completely forgot to pack a curling iron! This iron came in a gift bag I received for walking in Polyvore Live- I opened the bag && thought '...how did they know I forgot this?!?'. I've been using it ever since! The results mirror the relaxed curl of a clipless iron, but the baby clamp and rotating barrel remove the need to place your hands near the heat [a wonderful invention for careless girls like me. Can't tell you how many times I've burned myself to the point of missing fingerprints]. This technique will work with any clipless iron you currently have- it will give you similar effects as long as you are using a larger barrel size!


Some of my biggest tips when using a clipless iron:


1. Brush out your hair before curling. Whatever knots or tangles are present will show in the curl, so make sure it's smooth!


2. Smooth the hair for a more ribbon like texture/looser wave. The flatter the hair, the wider the wave


3. Curl closer to the scalp for volume. I always curl as close as possible around the top of the crown and upper back layers to create a more voluminous lift. 


4. Curl further from the scalp for a more bohemian wave. The further down you start, the less extreme the wave. Do this technique around your face to have the waves open off from your cheek bones as opposed to having tight George Washington-esque curls


5. Hold the iron straight up/down for easier control. If using a regular clipless iron, hold the iron straight down near the back of your head for easy access 


6. Leave your ends out for a true beach wave. You want to leave at least an inch out of the barrel, but 2-3 will give you the truest natural feel. No hair dries in perfect curls at the end, so leave yours out to create a natural, air-dried effect.


7. Brush out your curl! You can leave the style as is if you like the tighter, curled look- but they need to be brushed in order to truly create beachy waves. This will make your style softer, bouncier and fuller! 


Let me know if you try out this style! Make sure to tweet me any pictures if you recreate the look! 

My Spring Style Diary: Colors && Prints!

Hey guys! It was unbelievably nice here in Chicago this past week- seriously, I can't remember ever being able to wear dresses in March! I took full advantage of the sun and thought I'd show you my first warm weather looks of the year :)

Day 1

1. Dress- Karta

2. Bag- Louis Vuitton [borrowed from Gina]

3. Bracelets- Von Maur

4. Upper Arm Cuff- unknown

5. Sunglasses- Prada Baroque

6. Shoes- Enzo Angiolini

I've had this dress in my closet for 5+ years. I love the bright color and the same colored stones- they add the perfect amount of sparkle to this simple cut. The upper arm cuff I'm wearing is actually a regular cuff bracelet, I just prefer to wear it higher. If you want to recreate this style, just find an expandable cuff that you like and try it out! Thanks Gina for letting me borrow your purse to complete the look! 

Day 2

1. Dress- Akira

2. Sequin Clutch- Coach

3. Heels- Michael Kors

4. Headband- CVS 

I just found this dress hanging in Akira this past week. I feel like Akira's prices are usually on the higher side, but this dress was a fairly reasonable find at $39. I love pairing bold colored dresses with metallic accessories! One of my favorite looks as well is the over the forehead headband. I found this regular strappy elastic gold band at a drug store && chose to wear it this way instead.

Day 3

1. Tie Dye top- Hard Tail, Nordstroms

2. Leggings- Hautelook

3. Boots- Steve Madden

4. Bag- Valentino

5. Bracelets- Kitson's, Jewelmint, Tiffany & Co, Louis Vuitton

6. Nail Ring- BijulesNYC

7. Nail Polish- OPI 'Designer ..de Better!'

ME IN TIE DYE!? Did you ever think you'd see this day?! I LOVE the baggy shirt combined with the asymmetrical cut. It's so relaxed yet still a little edgy [..edgy and tie dye in the same paragraph? I promise I haven't lost my mind]. I've paired this with my favorite sparkle bag, stack of bracelets, nail ring && flat boots to complete the comfy, urban-chic vibe. 

I'm SO excited about this upcoming season- I absolutely love spring fashion! 

PS- If you're interested, I always post pictures when I wear these looks on my twitter/instagram/facebook accounts. Don't forget to add me if you have any of those :) 

Spring Accessory && Nail Polish Haul

You've probably seen most of the pieces I show in this video if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter. I've posted so many pictures showing my recent obsessions && I got crazy requests to show them on video! So finally my new favorites are getting some well deserved screen time.

Pieces Shown [Linked Where Available]:

1. 'Renegade Necklace', Jewelmint [Receive 50% a first time purchase with the code VIDEO]

2. Sideways cross bracelet, EvesAddiction 

3. Nail Ring, BijulesNYC

4. Sideways cross necklace, gift

5. Mini Initial Necklace, Maya Brenner Designs

Polishes Shown:

1. Sally Hansen Smooth Perfect Color Care in: "Satin", "Sea", "Sorbet", "Air", "Whisper"

2. Essie "Trophy Wife"

3. LOreal "Walk On The Beach"

Here are close ups of my favorites from this haul:

"Trophy Wife" and my nail ring have both become fast favorites. Watch the video above if you're interested in further review!

Have you found any new polish color or accessory for spring? Any new obsessions? Let me know below in the comments! 

Apartment Tour- Home Decorating Inspiration && DIY Ideas

I promised I'd be back with an apartment tour video && better pictures- here they are! I know this isn't my FULL apartment, but I wanted enough time to explain all of the details in case you were interested in replicating any of the ideas shown. My bedroom/closet/bathroom tour video is soon to follow :) 

Make sure to watch the video below if you're interested in where anything is from or how it was done!