Challenge Monday: Mixing Gems

Hello loves and happy Monday! Yay, the start to another incredibly busy week? Are you excited!? Because I’m definitely not… (Bet you were expecting a different answer there, gotcha.) But anyways, one of my favorite things to do recently has been layering super delicate jewelry with more statement peices because why not? And I feel like it easily makes an outfit 10X more interesting, and my outfit I mean the black cotton shift dress I’ve worn the past 3 days in a row. No shame. But through doing that, I’ve been pairing various different statement peices with my new favorite cross necklace from Dogeared at Nordstrom. (Which I’ll link here.) I really wanted a necklace that was dainty, good enough quality to shower in, and boldly (or daintily) show my faith at school. Because that’s an important part of who I am and I wanted it to be noticable upon meeting me! (And yes, a tattoo would’ve been another great option but they STICK NEEDLES INTO YOUR SKIN, so no thank you.) Anyway, ALL of that being said, let’s jump into this week’s Challenge Monday of pairing dainty jewelry with statement pieces.

Oh also, my favorite part of this Challenge Monday is that you pretty much can’t fudge this up. Here’s how to keep it trés chic: stick to one statement jewelry piece in your whole ensemble. Then, whatever other jewelry you add in stays dainty. So for example, pair your statement necklace with dainty rings and simple diamond studs and boom, done. Or your statement earrings with a few layered necklaces that are, what else, dainty and a simple ring. You’ll look fabulous while still being bling-ed out to the max. Here are some of my favorite examples from Pintrest:

   
    
 I hope this has inspired you to try something new with your accessories! I’ve been absolutely loving doing this myself! Have a fabulous day!
xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

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My Top Five: June 22nd, 2015

Hello loves and welcome to another week! I now fully understand an appreciate the dread of getting back to the grind on Mondays, so for today’s post, I’d like to inspire you to lighten up (literally) with kind of a Challenge Monday/My Top Five combo.

This weekend one of my favorite you-tubers got married and it was seriously the most gorgeous wedding ever. Alexandrea Garza, or now Alex Maddalena, is who I’m referring to. Check her out on YouTube and check our her Instagram for a few snaps from the wedding! But anyway, what that has to do with this post, and the fact that yesterday was the first day of summer, is that this week’s top five are all white outfits. Inspired of course by summer and the lovely Maddalena wedding!

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I hope this brightens up your Monday a little big, even if it only brightened up the hue of your computer or phone screen for a bit, I have done by job. Now go out and tackle this week, and have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: June 15, 2015

Hello loves! As the weather warms up, I find myself more and more drawn to the brighter shades in fashion and beauty. And natural hair and glowing skin. So for this week’s Challenge Monday, I’m challenging you to try a bold lip this week. There’s no limitation on what bold means to you, so if you want to wear a deep purple, you go girl. As for me, I’m coveting the Marc-Jacobs Kiss Pop Lip Color in Wham, but my Sephora is all out. *sheds a tear* But here is the link to the Kiss Pop Lip Color’s because they have some awesome summery shades and the packaging is amazing. Anyway, let’s jump into some examples of how to pull off a bright lip this summer!

Simplistic: for this look, you really don’t need much! Which is perfect for if you’re running late but want to look like you didn’t throw yourself together in 10 min. Make sure your brows are defined, and focus on getting your mascera so your lashes are defined. A tiny bit of eyeliner just on the upper lash line is fine if you feel you need more definition. And don’t forget to pop on a little blush so the bright color won’t wash you out. (You can use your lip color as a blush too if you want!) {image: harpersbazaar.com}
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Bronze Glowy: I absolutely love a bronze smokey eye and glowing skin paired with a bright lip. This is a bit more formal and perfect for a night out in the summer. Try using an illuminating foundation, or mix and illuminating primer with your foundation. If you skin is more oily and that scares you, use a powder or liquid highlighter on your cheekbones, under your brows, down the bridge of your nose, and Cupid’s bow. For the bronze eye look, just choose some of your favorite golden shades and create an eye look that won’t over power your bold lips.  {image: liptostic.com}
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For hair, my two favorite styles to pair with this are a messy or loose wave, or a top knot. Both look effortlessly chic.

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For outfits, my suggestion would be to keep it relaxed and casual. Try ripped jeans and a blouse or flowy tank with delicate jewelry and a fun bag and shoes. If you do need to dress it up more though, try monochromatic with white or black, or a more lady-like shape to your outfit. (And if you can, matching your lip color to your outfit is never a bad choice.)

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I hope you guys have enjoyed this post and found some helpful tips and inspiration to give bold lips a shot yourself! Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: June 1, 2015

Hello loves! It feels like forever since I’ve done a Challenge Monday, so it was definitely time to do another one. The purpose behind Challenge Monday is to give you guys a little bit of inspiration or a little push to try something new with your outfits. I know personally, I feel like I end up wearing the same basic uniform almost all the time, and it’s nice to have ideas and a little inspiration to spice it up once in awhile! That being said, today’s Challenge Monday has kind of a funny story behind it. My best friend Jenna, who’s style is amazing, but anyway, she has never owned converse before. (Now would be the appropriate time to gasp, as a teenage girl without converse is like a PB&J without peanut butter.) And she finally, finally got some this weekend. Black high tops to be exact, and I couldn’t be more proud. So to celebrate, your challenge this week is to put together a look that incorporates sneakers into a non-gym-going outfit. This means no yoga pants and sweatshirt combo, NONE. To help you out in this endeavor, I’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you out. (As always, all photos are from Pinterest.)

Tip No. 1: If the whole throwing on your gym shoes with jeans and a t-shirt sounds just awful and all kinds of wrong to you, do not fret, I gotcha covered. For those of you who want to ease into this style, might I suggest some type of slide? For example, a Vans slide, which are super popular. Slides have the same comfort of sneakers, without the laced up look and at a glance look like super comfy loafers. This will ease you into the laid back look of wearing actual sneakers once you feel comfortable.

 
{See, just like a pair of black flats but 10X more comfy.} 

{Oh, well hello there beautiful snakeskin that’s popping against this chill outfit.}

Tip No. 2: (This is more like my own personal rule so you don’t look like you were running late and grabbed your sneakers instead of your heels when you were running out the door, but we’ll call it tip no. 2 because that sounds so much nicer.) At least 1 other main piece in your outfit needs to have a clearly casual vibe. So no, your silk t-shirt doesn’t count. For example, if your favorite outfit is a blazer, tank, and jeans, try pairing your distressed light wash jeans with sneakers. And if you want bonus points, go for a looser tank as well to add to the casual vibe. This helps your look be more cohesive. When playing with juxtaposition in fashion, it’s extremely important to have at the very least one other component that plays well with the piece you are putting on display, which in this case would be your sneakers. If that was too much for you to handle, here are some examples:

 {While the leather look pants and button down are more formal, the distressed denim jacket and loose hair brings it down a notch.}

{The loose v-neck tee ripped skinniest pair well with the sneakers, while her long coat and clutch step this up a notch.}

Tip No. 3: If all else fails, try all black, or almost all black and throw on your sneakers. This automatically gives you a cohesive look, and makes your sneakers the focal point of your outfit. (Unless your sneakers are also black, then you’re rocking the monochromatic look, which is one of my personal favorites.)

  
{This is totally chic because of the different shapes she’s wearing, which they’re still all black.}

 {I’m actually obsessed with this outfit. The red beanie popping against her shoes is everything.} 
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful and will try out this look. And even if you only wear it around the house at first, having an outfit focused around practical and comfy shoes that are actually good for your feet is something I’m a huge advocate of. (And how many super models rock this on a regular basis? I’m looking’ at you Kendall Jenner.) TRY IT. OK? ok. Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: May 11, 2015

Hello loves! I haven’t done a challenge Monday in awhile, so today I wanted to ease back into this with a simple but totally spring time appropriate post. Today’s challnege is to do your own nails or have them done in a way that screams spring to you. I’m choosing this as a challenge for a few reasons, one being that this time of year is super busy for everyone. And being busy usually comes along with stress and disorder. Taking the time to do your nails or have them done gives you a little down time, and in my opinion, really makes you feel put together. I’ll be getting my nails done with my mom this week as part of her Mother’s Day present from me, as well as a little prep for all the senior events and my own graduation that I have coming up. I’m thinking light pink on my fingers and bright coral for my toes. That ALL being said, here are a few nail ideas that I think of when I think of spring nails to give you all some inspiration. All these pictures are from Pintrest.

Basic Spring Colors:

   
     

Easy-Imtermediate Nails Designs:

   

  

Medium-Difficult Nail Designs:

   
     

I hope this inspires you to give yourself and your nails a little love this week. Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: April 6, 2015

Hello loves! I hope you had a great weekend spending time with friends and family. It’s time for another challenge Monday! Keeping with the whole theme of this past joyous and colorful weekend, I wanted to challenge you to work pastels into your outfit this week. Now, being one who doesn’t wear pastels super often, this is a more difficult challenge for me personally, but I think it’s totally doable. Let’s break it down into 3 levels of difficulty:

No. 1: Accessories. This is doable for just about anyone. Accessories are the easiest way to try out something, because they’re smaller parts of your outfit. Now, you can make it the focus of your outfit by pairing whatever your choice accessory is with an all neutral outfit to make it the focus.

  

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No.2: One Piece. Working one piece of pastel clothing into your outfit is probably my favorite way to wear pastels. Something I’m loving for spring is pairing one or two pieces of the same shade with light neutrals to make up the rest of the outfit. Try pairing a pastel top with white or lightwash jeans, neutral shoes and bag and delicate jewlery. I’m obsessed with this look, obsessed.

  

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No. 3: Pastel Everywhere. Now, wearing lots of pastels at once can go very right, or make you look like you let the Easter Bunny dress you. So let’s go over a few guidelines with this. Even if you wear multiple pastels, you still need to balance out your outfit with neutrals to avoid going overboard. It’s also important to make sure the pastel pieces in your outfit are super chic silhouettes. This will make sure you still look grown up and sophisticated, since pastel colors are sometimes reminiscent of youthful dressing.

 

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I hope you’ve picked up a some helpful tips to try working pastels into your wardrobe! Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: Black and White

Hello loves! Happy Monday! For today’s Challenge Monday, I wanted to challenge you all to try one of the spring trends that is prominent this season: black and white. I love this as a trend for spring, it’s definitely a great transition from winter into spring, so we can all ease our way out of our black obsessed winter looks. For this trend, there aren’t really “rules” for pulling this off, it’s pretty simple. So for my tips and tricks today, I wanted to share with you some different things to consider when picking out your outfit. Pick whichever one feels best for you!

No.1 Spring Textures. To make any black and white outfit more spring appropriate, focus on picking pieces that have lighter or more lady-like elements, such as lace, floral or geometric patterns. This gives your outfit some interest and makes your two-tone look stand out even more.

  

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No.2 Keep It Classic. I am a huge fan of an effortless outfit of classics. So pull out your tried and true black jeans, and your classic white button down, maybe a boyfriend fit one if you have it. Throw on some delicate jewelry and a stack of rings. Then just grab some flats or heels and your purse and you’re good to go, looking effortlessly chic.

  

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No. 3 Keep it Casual. All our basics are in black and white, tshirts, jeans, you name it! I love the effortless look that black and white can give when paired together, it looks like you didn’t have to try hard yet still look incredibly we’ll put together. Here is my favorite causal look from Pintrest.

  

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No. 4 Keep It Simple. Mixing plain black and white together and keeping it simple also makes a great impression. I love this outfit because it’s so easy! I’m sure all of you have a LBD or a LWD that you can pair with the opposite color shoes, and bam. Outfit complete.

  

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I know this is a super easy Challenge Monday, but all that means is you have no excuses this week! Share your outfits using the hashtag: #ChallengeMonday so I can see your outfits! Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: Transition Into Spring

Hello loves! I’m sure getting up an hour earlier this morning was not the happiest occasion, but it does mean one thing: spring is upon us. Which means, it’s time to bring spring fashion into our wardrobes (if you haven’t done so already.) This week’s challenge is to start transitioning your looks into spring. Maybe this is just mean, but if I see someone out and about in bright white and florals and pastels while there’s still snow on the ground, I think they’re a little bit crazy. So I would recommend transitioning into spring, instead of just jumping in head first. Plus, does anyone have enough spring clothes to be that bright and peppy everyday? I know I definitely don’t. So without further-a-do, let’s jump into my tips for transitioning into spring gracefully.

No. 1: Layering. Layering is like the robin of spring fashion. Once we put away all our heavy one and done coats we bring out the lighter weight jackets and layer up underneath. The key to this is not adding too many bulky layers; that can make you look bigger than you really are. So think thin when going for more than two pieces. This way, you can wear multiple thin layers, like a thin blouse, a light cardigan and a jacket on top. If you want to wear a thicker sweater, try layering a light blouse underneath or a thin utility jacket ontop. Both of those layers are thin enough that they won’t add more ontop of a thick sweater, but will still keep you warm. Here are some examples of my favorite layering looks via Pintrest:



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No. 2: Light Colors. It’s time to stop dressing in head to toe shades of burgundy and emerald and start trying shades of light gray and cream. These shades scream warmer weather in any form, which is great because this means that your favorite white sweater is totally acceptable for those chilly spring days. Lighter wash denim is also something I’d suggest trying out with the new season. I know your dark wash skinnies are super flattering, but if you can find the perfect pair of light wash jeans I promise they’ll do the same.





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No. 3: Patterns. Spring style is all about colors and prints, so obviously spring reminiscent prints are a must. This doesn’t mean it’s time to break out your dress with the neon abstract floral just yet though, we don’t want to look too eager. Subtlety working in more stripes, florals, gingams, and plaids into your daily wear is something I highly recommend. This gives your outfit a punch, and also shows that you’re ready for all the upcoming season brings.



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Now you may have noticed in my examples, that not every outfit is layered, light colored and a spring pattern. By following every rule at once will probably make you look like you’re a bit over zealous for the spring weather that’s not quite here yet (or is for some of you lucky ducks.) So my suggestion is to pick one of the three, layering, light colors, or pattern, to focus on for your outfit of the day. I hope this has helped you transition into spring, and has made you a bit more excited for the new season. Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: Stripes

Hello loves! We’re finally back for another challenge Monday. This week I wanted to go back to an old classic, that is still one of my favorites: stripes. Audrey herself deemed this as a timeless style, and it still is, but the challenge this week is to add a modern twist. That twist is mixing prints. Yes. You read that right, mixing prints. It’s not as scary as it sounds, so let’s jump into the key rules for mixing it up.

No. 1: Keep the same color palette. Basically, this means that the colors of stripes you wear need to be included in the other pattern you’re choosing. Example: black and white striped shirt, red, black, white and gray plaid scarf.

No. 2: Proportion is key. One of the patterns needs to be more subdued, and one a little larger in scale or more of an eye catcher. Example: a thinly striped t-shirt with a floral print jacket.

No. 3: Keep the rest of your outfit relatively simple. You don’t want to over do it with mixing prints and a whole bunch of statement pieces. Example: Wear you mixed prints with classic dark wash skinny jeans, neutral shoes and bag.

Keeping those rules in mind, here are some of my favorite examples pulled from Pintrest! (The last two are my personal faves.)

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I hope this post has inspired you to try the classic stripes with a whole new twist! Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette

Challenge Monday: Pop of Color

Hello loves! Happy Monday! For today’s Challenge Monday, your mission is to bring a pop of color into your outfit. I feel that dressing colorfully is so much more challenging in the winter, and we tend to fall into the rut of blacks and grays. Maybe it’s the colder weather, and lack of Vitamin D from the cloudy weather, but it happens to the best of us. So this week your challenge is to bring a pop of color into at least on of your outfits this week. Let’s talk tips and tricks on the easiest and most effective ways to pull this off.

For the simplest pop of color, try doing this through accessories. This is my personal favorite way to add in color. If you’ve built your closet up by having all your classics (i.e. the perfect jeans, a white T-shirt, a black blazer), this should be easy. Put on your classics, and add a pop of color through your shoes, bag, or jewelry. My personal favorite is through shoes, but that’s just me! If you don’t have anything that would be considered a “pop” of color, try picking out an accessory in your favorite color. You’re more likely to wear it because your eye will be drawn to it when you see it hanging in your closet, and you’ll make yourself wear it. Trust me, I have an absurd amount of cobalt blue shirts because of this, no shame. Here are some examples of basics that are propped up with pops of color:

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If you naturally have a more colorful wardrobe, try using just one piece of clothing with a more vibrant color with a neutral outfit. This creates more contrast between the colors and the eye will be automatically drawn to the color, making it more of a statement. Here are some of my favorite examples of this:

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I hope these examples have shown you what an awesome and statement having just one pop of color in your outfit can make! Use the hashtag #challengemonday to share your OOTD from the week! Have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

The Blonde Brunette