Currently Loving: Gel Manicures

I may not be an expert hair guru, nor even the most skilled at applying makeup. I love doing it, but let's face it, I can barely trace my liner or coat my lashes in mascara without poking myself in the eyes. I do however have one special talent - I know how to give myself a good at-home manicure. My ex-manicurist mom taught me everything I know, and my endless drawer of nail polish, cotton balls, cuticle sticks, files, and tools can prove it.

Lately, I have been neglecting my plethora of polish and going to a manicurist that I absolutely love. I'm so comfortable around her that I've even told her my life story, unsolicited. I've never had a good experience with gel nails at other salons. I've been cut, sliced, diced and injured more often than I  ever have in my own kitchen! After my last terrible experience, I vowed never to do gel at all. Well for the past month, I've been getting gel manis and am currently in a state of shock.

In all of these pictures, I have gel on my nails. The first was for Vegas so I went a little more out of my comfort zone with glitter. The second and third are right up my alley, as I've come to accept that pinks, nudes, and reds are my go-to colors.

I think the takeaway from my current love is that you have to find the right manicurist. Not everyone will do what you tell them to, and some have more knowledge and experience than others. I plan on doing my own nails again after Hawaii so I don't feel too guilty about neglecting my collection of nail polish. But until then, I'm enjoying this fun little treat.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend and I'll see you here on Monday!

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Off The Shoulder

Wearing //

1. State top

Express jeans

Sole Society heels, similar here & here

Rebecca Minkoff pouch, similar

What do you think of the off the shoulder trend? Love, hate, indifferent? I wasn't sold on it, and although I'm still  unconvinced I need to run out and buy them in multiples, I think the good outweighs the bad if you want to add one to your closet.

Pros:

• If you like your shoulders as I think most women do, an off the shoulder top can be ultra flattering. 
• I'm pretty modest, but I don't want to look matronly. This allows for a little sliver of skin without feeling showy. I suggest using a drop of liquid highlighter on your arms for extra glow.
• It looks great with jeans and shorts, perfect for the hot Summer months. 

Cons:

• This style tends to ride up, and I hate fussy clothing. Maybe this is more of a sizing issue, but I did feel like I had to adjust the way it hung on my body a few times. 

So clearly I can see why this is such a hot trend. I think it's best to keep the rest of the look simple and let your top half be the focal point. I was tempted to really pile on the accessories but the whole point of this is to look easy breezy so I stopped myself. I can't wait to wear it on vacation with shorts, flat sandals, and a frozen drink in hand. June cannot get here fast enough! 

Speaking of trends, what are you ladies loving lately? Even better, what trend don't you love! It's okay if "off the shoulder" is one of them :) 

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Plaid & Lace

Wearing //

Rails plaid shirt

1 State lace top, almost identical

LOFT jeans

Marc Fisher pumps

Kendra Scott druzy necklaces & ring

Chanel bag, similar

Beauty //

Lips in Lancome Juicy Shaker (melimelon)

I went off the rails last week at Nordstrom. Literally. I remember two years ago around Fall, I saw these beautiful plaid shirts by the brand Rails and immediately thought, okay I'll get one. They can't be more than 100 dollars right? Wrong! They are in fact a bit pricey, so I decided to try my luck at finding a good dupe. The problem was, I wasn't satisfied with what I found, and often the fit was off. Fast forward to my trip last week to Nordstrom, when the SA brought me the holy grail of plaid/flannel/modern day 90's grunge rock uniform. I touched it you guys. I touched this perfect plaid shirt and I knew I was dead, I knew my bank account was in for a huge dent. So I tried it on, and it was like slipping into a cloud. The softest fabric I have felt in a long time. I had to have it. Even though I was on a mission that day to find Summer clothes, I couldn't pass up my Kurt Cobain loving fantasy. Even Nate loves it (I think he wants to wear it himself). Which is definitely odd because my style is feminine. To make it more girly, less boyish for my taste, I added a lace camisole underneath and voila...boy meets girl. 

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Wear What You Love

Wearing //

Express dress

INC coat, similar

Steve Madden booties, similar here & here

Le Boutique Shop clutch

Francesca's Collections necklace, check stores (recent)

My friend asked me the other day about an event she was attending, and what she should wear. I think she expected me to have some amazing advice because she knows I blog and so obviously that makes me an expert in the field right? Um, no it does not. Anyway, my advice to everyone (always) is pretty simple - wear what you love. Even if people have seen you in an outfit fifty times, even if you are unsure of what others will be wearing to that same event. Just wear what makes you feel good! Are you a jeans and tee-shirt kinda girl? Then wear that! You can dress it up with shoes and accessories. Not into the casual look? Wear the prettiest dress you own because it makes you feel nothing short of fabulous. We get so caught up sometimes in our appearance that we actually do ourselves a disservice. There's nothing worse than going somewhere in an outfit that you're pulling up, pulling down, or just plain uncomfortable in. For the bachelorette in Vegas, I wore kitten heels because I knew I'd be doing a ton of walking. I didn't care that most of the other ladies I was with wore sky high heels because that's what they wanted to wear. I may have been the shortest person in the club, but I was also damn comfortable and I didn't look like a baby giraffe stumbling across the dance floor. I tried being that baby giraffe when I was in my twenties and thinking back, I know how ridiculous I must have seemed. Moral of the story? Just be yourself. You're already beautiful. Own it.

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