Fierce Friday

This is my last outfit shoot from Chicago with the amazing Grant Legan!  I am kind of sad that there's no more left.  I definitely felt fierce wearing this and I know that translated through these photos.  I'm so passionate and at times I can be intense when it comes to the things that I love.  I guess that's the scorpio in me! 

Photography: Grant Legan

Jacket: H&M (shop similar)/ Skirt: Francesca's Collection (similar style) (also love)
 Top: Forever21/ Shoes: Prabal Gurung For Target


You probably know by now that I am all about the edgy chic mix.  When someone asks me to define my style I always say that it's chic with an edgy twist and I think this outfit is a perfect example of that.    There was so many cool places to shoot in Chicago and I swear I would move there just to do all my blog pics haha.  For some of these, we went up on top of a parking lot and had the most amazing view behind us.  As Grant would say, "It was rad."
I love my prints, especially aztec/tribal, so I really gravitated towards this skirt.  It's another one of the last minute pieces that I picked up before my trip.  And of course, I am still obsessing over these shoes!  I am so happy that I got them.  My bold red lip was the perfect way to complete this look and add a little pop of color to this black and white outfit.

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

<3

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Brush Love Review + Hair Tutorial

Today's post is all about the hair!  I was in desperate need of some new brushes so I was really happy when Brush Love reached out to me to send me these 2 brushes.  The first one is a Thermal Round Jumbo Brush from BrushLab and let me just say that it has made a huge difference when it comes to blow drying my hair.  The round brush that I used before did not do my hair any justice.  I found that every time I blow dried it looked really dry and frizzy and did not give me the natural volume that I wanted.  I always had to use a flat iron afterwards and that wasn't the look I was going for.  So after using this round brush for the past 2-3 weeks I can say with confidence that it's a must have!
Price: $15.98

BENEFITS
-Thermal ceramic coated barrel.  Helps prevent over drying and damage
-100% nylon bristles.  Can withstand high temperatures
-Cozi grip designed to prevent slip ups
-Faster blow dry

The second brush they sent me is the Cushion Paddle Brush and I am loving the width.  It really feels like I am massaging my scalp every time I brush my hair.  The one I was using before was a lot smaller and it was more rough so sometimes it hurt to brush through.  Not only do I use this for getting out tangles, but I also use it when I am blow drying.  I like to go through once or twice after using the round brush.  It's great for curling the ends under a little bit too.  I love it!
Price: $9.98

BENEFITS 
-Massages scalp
-Heat resistant nylon bristles
-Ideal for detangling and smoothing
-Works on all hair types and textures

They also sent me a Hair Therapy Wrap in pink.  The great thing about this is that is really helps to treat dry and damaged hair without you having to go to a salon AND it's cordless.  It lets your deep conditioning products penetrate more deeply and it helps to strengthen your hair too.  It comes with 3 gel packs that you heat up in the microwave and place inside the wrap.  You leave it on for about 20 minutes and you will notice how soft it leaves your hair after.  Since I have ombre highlights still, I always worry about my ends looking damaged from the dye, so this is great for me to continuously treat my hair at home.  The wrap and gel packs are re-usable too which is awesome.  Definitely recommend.
Price: $29.98

BENEFITS
-Deeply nourishes the roots and and scalp
-Strengthens hair and hair cuticle to reduce damage
-Softens hair and makes it more manageable

Check out my tutorial where I go into a little more detail on both brushes and show you the step by step process of how I blow dry my hair!

Just for being my followers you will receive a 20% discount on any order by entering code: affair20.  This expires 6/30 and cannot be combined with any other promo. 

Brush Love is also having a free shipping promo this summer on all orders in the US with no minimum!

AND 

they are also doing their Question Of The Month Giveaway starting today 6PM EST.  All you have to do is answer an easy question and they will randomly select winners.  There will be 10 winners and you will get to select Brushlab brush of your choice!  

Entry-Form

*This has been a sponsored post but written by me and everything is my true and honest opinion. 


XO

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You May Say That I'm A Dreamer...

Here's another outfit that I shot in Chicago!  I know it's been a few weeks already but I wanted to spread out the looks instead of posting them all at the same time.  I've still got one more coming at the end of the week.  It's always so hard to narrow down Grant's pics, so there's a bunch :) 

Photography: Grant Legan

Jacket: Forever21 (shop similar)/ Skirt: Charlotte Russe (shop similar)/ Tank: Target
Shoes: Zara (old)/ Necklace: C/O Happy Wrist 

You saw me wear this jacket a week or two ago in a previous post and I really am so happy that I found it.  It's such a vibrant orange and really brought this outfit to life.  When I first got it I really had no idea how I wanted to style it.  Once I brought it home I realized all of the different things that I could wear with it.  I highly suggest getting a bright/bold color jacket to add to your outfits this summer! It will be the perfect piece to spice up your looks.  I created the illusion of a dress (which I often do) with my favorite skater skirt and tank.  If you don't have exactly what you want, then why not create it? I was so happy to wear these Zara sandals again too and of course they matched to perfection.  I also added this statement necklace which has become one of my go to pieces.  I wore this my second night out in Chicago to a couple of different places and I have to say I felt super chic and a little edgy at the same time, just the way I like it! I didn't realize how much volume my hair had.  I swear there's something in Chicago water because it made my hair amazing the whole time!

I'm a dreamer in every sense of the word.  Always have been, always will be.  For some reason I thought of this when I looked through these images.  Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and make them come true!


XO

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Red, White & Blue

Happy Memorial Day!
I wanted to wear something patriotic so of course I went with red, white, and blue for this day of remembrance.

Skort: C/O Choies/ Shirt: H&M/ Blazer (shop similar): Forever21/ Shoes: Steve Madden

Ring: C/O Honey Love/ Lipstick: MAC Russian Red


Yes, I am wearing a skort! haha I used to wear these when I was younger and course they have made their way back on to the scene (just like overalls). Just in case you don't know what a skort is, it basically looks like a skirt but it's really shorts. You have probably seen this one everywhere lately.  I have seen it worn in so many different ways, both dressy and casual, so I was anxiously waiting for this to come in from Choies so I could put my own little twist on it.  Since this is really short, I wanted to make sure that I was completely covered up top.  This shirt has all 3 colors in it so I thought that it would be perfect.  It's actually peplum but I tucked that part in.  I do that sometimes to be able to wear my peplum tops in another way.  To add a little something extra I used my blazer.  I am all about white on white and I think it really helped to complete the look.  Of course the finishing touches were the extra pops of red!  How do you feel about skorts?  Will you be trying out this trend any time soon?


Enjoy your Memorial Day!

<3

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In The Pink

Happy Friday my loves!  It has seriously been a hectic week but definitely a productive one.  I just couldn't get to everything that I wanted to post which included a Memorial Day weekend look.  I am hoping to get that up for Memorial Day at least.  But I am wrapping up this week with a fun and chic little number that's perfect for going out on a Friday night :)  

Dress (shop similar) Belt, Shoes (shop similar): Forever21/ Bag: C/O F&W Style

Black will always be a go to color for me, but it's fun to throw in a little pop of color especially during the spring and summer months.  It's a great way to brighten up your look a little bit and make it more fun and interesting.  This time I decided to go with this beautiful hot pink shoulder bag from F&W Style's Spring Collection.  It's crafted with rich leather and Aso Oke fabric (hand loomed cloth woven in Africa.) I especially love the gold hardware because it makes the bag stand out even more.  It's also the perfect size bag for going out.  It's such a great color and statement piece.  Make sure to check out the rest of their collection! 

I added my heart belt to bring the dress together a little more.  I haven't worn it in awhile so I figured that this would be a good time to bring it back out.  I wore this dress once before last year but with a red lip and red heels so this is another example of how to style it up!  I never used to wear the same dress twice, but I've learned that there's definitely ways to make it look different.  

On another note: 

Memorial Day weekend has been rough for me the past 3 years.  It's when my father was diagnosed with cancer.  And even though a lot of time has passed by it still feels like it was yesterday.  It's hard to shake off and it's hard to ignore.  But it's always a great reminder to me of what and who are important in my life.  I'm a strong person and despite my struggles, I am doing well.

 I still don't know yet what I will be doing this weekend, but as I mentioned in the beginning of this post I will still try to do a Memorial Day look.  Whatever your plans are I hope that you all enjoy the weekend! 

XO

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My Visit At Trinity Place

I spent yesterday in the city going to a couple of meetings and my first stop was at

  Trinity Place Department Store.  They were so kind to invite me to come for a little tour and do a little shopping! Trinity Place is such a unique specialty store.  They carry exclusive hand selected pieces, mostly from Europe, for women, men and children and they also sell one-of-a-kind home furnishing pieces.  I loved the vibe as soon as I walked in.  There's such a great aesthetic about the space.  There's 2 floors and all of the styling and set ups were great.  It has a little bit of a vintage feel to it which I absolutely adore! Another thing that I really liked was that everything was spread out giving their customers plenty of room to shop without feeling claustrophobic.  I hate going in to a store when everything seems to be on top of each other.  I guarantee you will love it too!

Loved this display. 

Obsessed with these leather messenger bags. Wish I could get one in every color! 

Jessica was a sweetheart! Thank you for giving me a tour of the store!

The cutest little girl shoes!

Menswear 2nd Floor

Hanging from the ceiling! 

Jessica & Cory.  Loved their prints.

I got to leave with this lovely skirt and I can't wait to wear it.  Thank you Trinity Place! 

They're located in the financial district so if you live in the area you should definitely stop by and check them out! Otherwise, they have online shopping too :)  Make sure to enter their sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 voucher!  It ends this month so hurry!  You can also LIKE them on Facebook and stay updated on all their new arrivals.  Hope you enjoyed the pics!

What I wore: H&M Dress, Forever21 Shoes, and LolaBlue Necklace. 

<3

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*everything in this post are my true and honest opinions