How to: Steal Another Girl's Outfit.

Disclaimer: I didn't actually steal any of the clothes pictured.

Scarf and jacket: Old Navy

White top: Madewell

Pants: Forever 21

Boots: Delia's 

Despite my total love for fashion, I'm really not the best at putting outfits together. This leads to me stealing ideas from a lot of blogs and celebrities and don't even get me started about Pinterest. This outfit I stole from a passing customer. She had on flats and a floral print scarf, but I'm working 9 hours on my feet today so I thought boots would be more comfortable. The only floral scarf I had was very springlike so I opted for red instead. It's really easy to copy ideas from others once you have basics. A jean jacket is the best staple for dresses and dressing down black pants. I love finding ways to mix basics in new ways like this. I hope this might inspire someone in the same way that the random person inspired me. Xoxo Katie

How to be pretty.

I have to start this post with a little bit of background on me. For the past five months I have had a job in retail and the lessons I've learned from it could take up several posts themselves. My whole purpose of doing so was to get involved in that industry and gain the skills and experience I would need for a future career in fashion. This sounds very college application-y, because it is. I probably phrased it that same way, but it really is true. Every day I'm not there for the paycheck. I'm there to learn and grow, as well as help customers in any way possible. (Tonight I put together something so cute and my customer was thrilled. I think it may make me happier than it makes them.) My attitude at work every day is that with every minute and every folded shirt I am one small step closer to my dreams. However, I have learned so much more than just about retail. One of the things that has affected me the most is being up at register. It's like speed dating. You get a few minutes to have a quick conversation with someone and you have to present yourself in the best way possible. The customer, on the other hand, has no obligation to be nice to you whatsoever. This is where the part about how to be pretty comes in.

Being pretty, attractive, beautiful or whatever adjective you want to use has absolutely nothing to do with your physical appearance. One half is kindness, and the other half is confidence. I cannot state this any more explicitly.

Kindness is something I feel like I've always strived for. I want to be as nice as possible in every situation. It's hard when you're tired or you have something going on. No one is a kind saint all the time. But a few words of gratitiude to your cashier can make their entire day. Every little word has impact. Do not take your anger out on people that do not deserve it. There is truly nothing more attractive than putting others before yourself and considering the other person. 

Confidence is also so important. Smiles, eye contact..what is kindness when you can't properly express it? I know this is a battle for a lot of people, myself included. But the less-physically-attractive person who is making conversation with me is far more attractive than the wallflower. This stings me a little, being shy. I think it's really about just being sure of yourself. So as much as my blog is about fashion and makeup and physical things, none of it matters. These things are not your true beauty. Read all of this for fun and try not to take it too seriously. This is a lesson that I've learned that I hope gets through to others. Xoxo Katie

Red lips, casually

I am making a somewhat pathetic attempt to blog every day, now that I have linked it to my Pinterest profile and am slightly trying to make a name for myself. My shyness seems to translate easily into my unwillingness to show this to anyone. It's also being a perfectionist and not wanting anyone to see it until I'm satisfied. (Which I never am. Of course.) However it is important to me to build a base of posts so I seem like I have knowledge about all this. Which I do, despite it not being obvious. I'm starting to ramble. Anyway, my favorite lip products are the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains for their amazing color and staying power. This is the shade Romantic. I think it's perfect for spicing up a daily casual look. I just had on a tan cardi and a loose white shirt. The only part that came off on my gingerbread latte was the cherry Chapstick I had on over it. :)

Leather and lace! Ootd 12/16/13

Leggings- American Eagle

Skirt- forever 21

Boots- j. Crew

Top- nordstrom

Necklace- charming Charlie 

I might as well title my blog "how many ways to wear an army green chambray shirt." I swear I will actually add some different items at some point. 

Current Favorites!

I have been planning for months to do a monthly favorites post, but at the end of every month I can't remember at all what happened during the month and what products I've used. So, I am just going to do a current favorites post when I have several things I really like! As I do right now. 

If you haven't tried Benefit's They're Real mascara, you almost haven't lived. This stuff is worth all the hype and rave reviews. However, getting addicted to $23 mascara is not recommendable, so definitely consider that before purchasing.

This is a Nars blush in Deep Throat. It's all I've used since about September! It gives my face such a gorgeous glow that is healthy and natural. 

I will admit, my favorite thing about this heat protectant is that it smells like watermelon. However, it dries extremely fast so you don't have to wait before applying heat to your hair, and it doesn't weigh it down whatsoever. Leave your Tressemme Heat Tamer behind!

This perfume smells heavenly! Lately, I've been verging away from my typical girly fruity scents to some that are a little bit more mature as well as fresh and clean. This stuff smells so good-it's not too woodsy. It's perfect for a beginner into that area of scents like myself. It also has some praline, mandarin orange and magnolia in there to make it even better. Definitely smell it if you get the chance in stores. It came with two other rollers, the Clean Skin and Clean Rain. I haven't started using those two as much yet but they smell equally lovely as White Woods.

This moisturizer is amazing. It smells like cucumber and mango which attracted me to it instantly. It also is water based instead if oil based so it won't make my already oily skin even worse than it is. I love the amount of moisture that it gives me-it's baby bear's porridge, if you will. :)

I hope this helped someone in cyberspace! Xoxo Katie

Skincare Routine!

Recently I have been getting a couple skin compliments from strangers which is always quite pleasant so I thought I would share my skincare routine! I will admit my skin is much improved from what it used to be. I am quite oily and acne prone but the acne is finally clearing up! That is thanks to these two products given to me by my dermatologist. I use one in the morning and one at night. I love them because they use benzoyl peroxide instead of salicyclic acid which I am allergic to. However I think a lot if my skin success is due to how particular I am about the routine. I can't skip it even if it's late at night. It's a compulsion. 

I try to use one of these masks once a week. I really like the results! They do a great job and getting rid of impurities.

And here's some products I use regularly! The first two are my daily cleanser and moisturizer. I am in love with the cleanser but could use a new moisturizer. This one  isn't super rich and moisturizing like my skin needs. I also try to use that scrub every few days or when my skin feels super oily! I hope this helped someone out in cyberspace. Xoxo Katie 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation Review!

A few months ago I purchased the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup. (What a name!) I just thought I would put together a little review on my thoughts about it since it's become a new favorite very quickly. First of all, I chose the color 2.0. I wanted a liquid foundation that had medium coverage and would keep my face relatively matte. This product fulfills both of those perfectly! The coverage is just enough to even out my skin without being cakey and it doesn't make me oily. It keeps me matte a good deal longer than other foundations I've tried. It wears really well and blends into my skin so nicely. I am definitely wanting to repurchase this and make it my HG foundation. The price is a bit high at $36 bit I do feel like it is worth it for the quality of the product and how much of it is in the bottle. (Although we will see how fast I go through it since I use it every day!) I highly recommend this to people my age because it's a fast fix and it's mattifying but I think it would work for anyone with oily skin looking for a medium amount of coverage. 

Cranberry obsession?

I didn't realize until just now how great cranberries really are. And how much I seem to like them. I appear to have a growing collection of cranberry products? But honestly, cranberry is kind of the ultimate November scent. Leave pumpkin for October! Cranberry is perfect for thanksgiving anyway. I love my moms cranberry dishes. And this candle and body butter are heaven! I recommend. Xoxo Katie

The babies have arrived!!

No, not actual babies. I'm talking about the beautiful pair of Tory Burch Reva flats I just ordered from Nordstrom! They were 25% off and I've been wanting them forever so I took advantage. I couldn't be happier. They are the perfect classic flat for me and they're very comfortable too. I wore them for the first time today. I love the way they pull together a simple outfit! I'm on the lookout for a better place to take mirror shots just by the way. My cardigan is J. Crew...more details to come. ;) xoxo Katie

OOTD Sunday work!

Dress- Delia's

Top- Nordstrom

Leggings- Delia's

Boots- j. Crew

Belt- Old Navy

Homecoming!

Hey y'all! Friday night was the homecoming game and dance so I figure I'll show you what I wore! This is actually my first and last year dressing up and going to the dance. It's not too much of a big deal at my school but I figured I should do it at least once! I ended up having a great time. My dress is from Dillards and my shoes are from Nine West. I didn't get a huge amount of pictures but here are some of the best ones. 

FALLen for you <3

I am so excited that fall has begun! I love everything that comes with fall. I love the crisp air and the bright leaves but I mainly love the warm apple or pumpkin drinks and foods and being able to wear boots and big cozy sweaters. This pictures captures a few of my favorite things for fall. I love a soft flannel or a pair of ankle boots for this season. Both of mine are from old navy. I especially love bringing out the vanilla perfumes and the dark nail and lip colors. The perfume is Victoria's Secret PINK Warm and Cozy. The lip products are Fresh Sugar Berry Lip Treatment and a Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. Nail polishes are Ulta Chic Peek and OPI I'm Fondue Of You. I also included a candle I picked up recently from Bath and Body Works called Cider Lane. It perfectly captures some of the best scents of fall like apple cider and cinnamon. I can't wait to get into all of these products again! What are some of your fall favorites?

Senior spirit week outfits!

Hawaiian tailgate! Got my shirt at old navy the night before. And I got to wear my urban outfitters dress for derby day! Kmart hat and old navy cardigan. I also had on Delia's heeled sandals.

Crayon day! All turquoise! Everything is from old navy but the flats are Delia's and the necklace is my tried and true from etsy.

Pajama day! Thanks old navy for the cute comfy tops and pants. 

This week was such a fun experience. All of the seniors in my class really game together to bond over delicious catered food and crazy dress up outfits. My favorite part was the tailgate before the football game Friday night. All the classes compete and our class did amazing in decorating our tailgate Hawaiian. There was great food and music and I has so much fun dancing with everyone and socializing. We also won the game and I got my five seconds of fame cheering on the team on the local news that night!! I hope y'all enjoyed my outfits and can maybe use my ideas if you ever need them! Xoxo Katie 

Southern trend: frockets!

If you're in high school or college here in the south you may know what a frocket is, but if not you may be able to understand my phone auto correcting that to 'froglet!' A frocket is a front pocket on a shirt. I ordered this shirt from JanaBelles on etsy. I got to pick the colors of everything and the color of my monogram! Monograms and chevron print are huge trends down here too. I love all 3 of these trends but you have to be careful not to overdo it! 

School OOTD

Shirt- Nordstrom rack

Dress and belt- forever 21 (10$!!)

I am in love with this outfit! I recommend an army green chambray shirt to anyone looking to get into the military trend for this fall. It can work so many different ways! I used it today to transition my favorite spring dress into fall. Xoxo Katie 

Ps. Ignore my messy room but say hey to Taylor back there :) 

Urban outfitters haul!

Dress- kimchi blue (80$ value and I got it for 10!!) I love this so much. I won't be able to wear it too much now unless I use a lot of layers but I'm so glad I decided to get it. The back is beautiful!

Peach colored button down by BDG. I thought this would be a nice transition piece into fall and a good back to school staple.

Sparkle and fade twisted back top. I love the back of this and I needed a basic tshirt! I love simple clothes that have a cute twist to them.

Best friends birthday dinner! OOTD

My best friend Shannon and I went out to P F Changs to celebrate her 17th birthday! This morning she went off to college. I'm going to miss her like crazy. Here's what I wore!

Dress- boutique in Asheville 

Pearl earrings

Old Navy cardigan

Silver Jack Rogers 

Makeup of the day 8/13/13

Going to work and felt like breaking away from my typical minimal summer makeup! 

Neutrogena shine control primer

Revlon colorstay whipped creme makeup in 200 sand beige

Covergirl and Olay simply ageless eye concealer in 205 very light 

Urban decay 24/7 concealer pencil in Dea

Revlon nearly naked pressed powder in 010 fair

Benefit Bella bamba blush

Urban decay naked palette (virgin to highlight, sin and half baked on lid, naked in crease and toasted on outer corner)

Urban decay 24/7 glide on eye pencil in demolition

Estée Lauder sumptuous bold volume lifting mascara

Anastasia beauty express brow kit

Maybelline color whisper in pin up peach

Revlon super lustrous lip gloss in pango peach

Xoxo Katie 

Downtown Friend Date OOTD

Shirt- Urban Outfitters 

Shorts- American Eagle

Earrings- Old Navy

Phone case- Palmetto Moon

Lipstick- Revlon Just Bitten kissable balm stain in Smitten

Pretty Summer Nude Lip Combo!

I tried out this combination of lip products the other day and fell in love with it for summer! It's fresh and not overdone.

 Here's the swatch on my lips.

The gloss on top is Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Electric Ginger Shimmer. These smell AMAZING and aren't sticky on your lips. I highly recommend them, they're everything one could want in a lip gloss.

The lipstick base is Maybelline Born With It. It is such a perfect nude. It's not overly pink but it doesn't make lips look dead either.

I will be wearing this look a lot during the summer when I'm not taking advantage of bright reds, pinks and corals! Any lip favorites of yours for the season? xoxo Katie

Summer Nail Polish Favorites

 Pixel Show Me The $
OPI I Vant to Be A Lone Star
Essie Bikini So Teeny
OPI Done Out in Deco
Revlon Colorstay Provence

 Essie A Crewed Interest
Sinful Colors Easy Going
Revlon Peach Smoothie
Revlon Minted
Orly Gumdrop

Essie Off the Shoulder
Essie Raspberry
butter London Trout Pout (favorite of all my friends and family)
OPI Melon of Troy

For spring and summer I absolutely love these color families! Pastel blues, purples and greens are still going strong, and nude nails were big on the spring runways. I love them for a simple look. And we can't forget about the bright pinks, reds, and corals! I hope this is enjoyed! xoxo Katie