Wizard Fashion

Happy Tuesday! As many of you know, I am a huge awards show junkie. I love them! Because really, what’s not to love? This past Sunday’s Golden Globes did not disappoint. Fashion, celebrities, sometimes drunk celebrities (yes I am  thinking of you Emma Thompson), and good jokes (Tina Fey’s joke about Leonardo DiCaprio? Perfection). By far my favorite part was the fashion. My friend came over, we split a bottle of wine and gossiped about everyone’s looks for the evening.

Source:   MTV

At first glance, our favorite Hogwart’s attendee Emma Waston’s dress looked great. At that point we only saw it from the waist up and we thought it was a good color and she looked fabulous.

Later on we saw a picture of the dress – whoa! It wasn’t really a dress at all, more of a top with a long skirt in the front – or maybe just half a dress? Anyways, we loved it! I think it was so fun and daring. I would love to see this trend stay around for a while.

What did you all think of Emma’s Dior gown? Do you think it’s a trend that will stay?

-A

One Step Wonders

To be honest sometimes I’m lazy, and cheap but I think these somewhat negative qualities can often lead to greatness. Health and beauty for example, both can take up a lot of your time and money. I however have a few household items that can work wonders in many areas and I thought I’d share them with you. 

Ginger: Great for digestive health as well as a natural headache remedy. I get headaches often and do not always like to take ibuprofen so I try ginger instead. There are some great ginger teas, I usually go for Yogi’s Ginger tea. It is marketed for digestive health  but can also help soothe headaches. I also have ginger supplements that I take when I feel a headache coming on and don’t have time for tea. These are a nice alternative if you do not like tea or the taste of ginger.

Coconut oil: Everybody’s new favorite oil but it really is amazing. I have a huge jar from Trader Joe’s  that I keep in my medicine cabinet. I most often use it on my hair. It can act as a moisturizing mask or in place of other styling products. I just scoop a little in my hand and warm it up so that it dissolves in to an oil I can then easily rub into my hair. Be sure to wash it within a day however because it can leave your hair looking and feeling greasy after some time.

You can also use it as a moisturizer for your skin. I wouldn’t use it ever day as it my clog your pores but every so often it can be a nice alternative to lotion.  You can also cook with it. Any time you use butter or another oil you can swap in coconut oil for a healthier and usually tastier option!

Honey: I love honey. I add it to my tea and cereal and sometimes I just eat it by itself! That may seem a little overboard but honey is really good for you. I  buy local honey because its nice to support local vendors and it also helps with my seasonal allergies. The bees pick up all the local pollen and by ingesting the pollen it can help soothe your own reaction to it. I would much rather have a little honey than add another chemical or pill to my day.

Honey is also a natural disinfectant and is great for skin that is prone to break outs. I often add it to my face scrub in order to give it a little boost. Check out Ashley and I’s scrub here!

Baking Soda: Another simple wonder baking soda is not just for baking. I keep a little tub in my bathroom and use it both as a face mask and teeth whitener. Just add a little baking soda to your toothbrush or toothpaste and brush as you normally would. It doesn’t taste great but it helps keep your smile nice and bright. When I use it on my face I just add water and make it into a thick paste that I then put on. Be sure not to scrub it into your skin. Just leave on for a minute and rinse.

Baking soda and a little vinegar also work wonders on bathroom clogs!

What are some of your natural or quick and easy remedies!?

-K

Nailed It

I love a good Sunday afternoon of watching Sex and the City and painting my nails! Wine may or may not be included. It’s a good way to relax, have some Ashley time, and get ready for the next week. While waiting for them to dry , a good fashion magazine is always needed. Over the years I have tried many different products and these are by far my favorites.

Boom Boom Room nail polish by Essie is the perfect shade of pink. Not too bright and not too “baby” and you can wear it year round. Essie’s polishes go on smooth and last for a long period of time. Check out all their fun colors each season!

Sally Hansen’s Hard As Wraps is fabulous. I put it on as a based coat and in-between coats or whatever color polish I am putting on. It is a great way to make your polish last.

OPI Top Coat is the perfect way to end any at home manicure. It will seal your polish and will give it a nice shine.

I use Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream before I go to bed at least once a week, it will keep your cuticles nice and soft – and manicure ready!

I also always keep a nail file or two on had. Not only do I use them to shape my nails, but also to smooth them before painting them.

I hope this help! If you have any favorite nail care items please let me know!

-A

I’m In Love With Crewnecks

This is true, I have had a love affair with crewnecks for many years. They are amazing! And finally they are widely available for women! No more awkward fits and baggy shoulders!

Here are some of my favorite crewnecks. I could wear them everyday.

They go with everything! Here I’ve paired them all with jeans and chucks, but they can easily be dressed up or down. You can add jewelry or a nice infinity scarf  or pair them with nicer pants and flats. I love the gray sweater because its so versatile. I’ve worn it by itself or piled on jewelry and bolder make up for a concert. Here I paired it with a chambray button up and statement necklace. Something that can easily go from day to night.

Geometric and zebra print, Forever 21 – Gray, Old Navy – Floral, Thrifted

Last Minute Halloween DIY

Happy Halloween! A great holiday filled with candy, pumpkins, scares, and best of all costumes! Now if anyone knows us they know that we LOVE to dress up. We both had dress up boxes in college and endless ideas for friends! So if it is 7pm and some friends decide to go out and you don’t have a costume – don’t freak out! Here are some fun (and easy) ideas!

Grandma or Grandpa – throw on your comfiest pjs, some glasses, and slippers! Put a little baby power in your hair and have fun! Bonus points if you can find a cane or walker!

A bottle of wine – Ashley’s fun costume from last year! Wear whatever you want as clothes, make a label for yourself from an old tee-shirt (cut of the top part from just under the arm holes so you can easily slide your new label on), tie a cork to a headband and there you have it!

Ballet dancer – have leggings and pink? Then you can dress up as a ballet dancer. Throw your hair up in a bun, wear the leggings and a light pink top and put a ribbon in your hair.

Ballpark concession worker – got a neon shirt? Pair it with a black pants and make a sign selling hotdogs or cotton candy!

Chef/Waiter – if you have black and white it is easy to dress as a waiter or chef. Pair it with a utensil or note pad.

A florist – wear something springy, get a bouquet of flowers and pass them out during the night (this can work for a flower child as well!)

Lumberjack – pair your plaid shirt with jeans and boots. If you can craft an axe that would even better!

Athlete/Cheerleader – easy to do if you have a friend that was a high school athlete or cheerleader!

Frat guy/ Sorority girl – pair a college tee with a paddle with greek letters

Pirate – stripes and a bandanna are the way to go! Super comfy with boots and either jeans or a skirt.

Dead anything – with the right makeup you can be a dead person for the night!

Today we dressed up for a fun local Halloween parade! We threw together these costumes last minute!

Kira’s adorable ring master costume can be pulled off with a red jacket, white shirt, and pants. She made her top hat with cardboard and a headband! Pair it with some fun elephant or lion jewelry and even a stuffed lion!

Ashley’s gypsy costume is one that anyone can do! A long skirt, intense makeup, scarves, and gold jewelry is the way to go!

Happy trick or treating!

-A&K

Make up Hack!

For those of you that use powder foundation, blush or shadow you know the frustration of seeing that you have product left and not being able to get to it.  This hack however will allow you to get to everything, needing only a quarter and a little leverage.

Take your product and with your container sealed tight turn it over. Most plastic powders have a ridge in the bottom. Place the quarter in said ridge and pop out the bottom. Easy as pie and will allow you to use all your product!

-K

Clean Sweep

We wash our hands, we wash our clothes and we wash countless other items but we may be forgetting to wash our makeup brushes.

So from me to you, here’s a reminder to do so!

To clean my makeup brushes I use Bare Essentials brush conditioning shampoo. You can also use other drug store versions or any other mild soap or shampoo of your choice. I’d suggest you’d go with a gel like soap or shampoo for best cleaning results.  The rest is pretty easy!

1. wet brush, room temp water is best
2. use just a drop of brush cleaner and work the product through the brush
3. rinse brush until water runs clear (here’s where you’ll see all the left behind gunk)
4. squeeze out excess water and re-shape brush so that it dries correctly
5. lay brush out on a towel and let air dry, only use brush when it is completely dry!

It only takes a few minutes and its worth it! Cleaning can help your brushes last longer and help prevent your skin from breaking out. They will also feel great on your skin!

-K