Friends, I scored a few pretty amazing buys while I was off on my summer holidays, and just could not wait to tell you about them!
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cheap thrills: my favorite under-$100 fall finds (so far)
Tag Archives: target
four perfect spring dresses (and how to style them)
I’m not much of a dress person. I buy them, mind you. I buy them in bushels, in every color and fabric, convinced they’ll be a snap to throw on when I’m feeling uninspired, and keep me stylish all summer with zero effort.
But in truth, sometimes dresses feel like a lot more work. Better undergarments, more accessories, uncomfortable belts (because we can never wear the belt it came with, of course), more fussing over length and covering up to hide my pasty white arms. In the end, more often than not, I spend 20 minutes frowning into the mirror, then give up and go back to my jeans-and-silk-shirt routine.
This year, I’m going to master dresses, friends. If it’s the last thing I do. So today, I’ll show off a few of my favorites so far this season. And then, we’ll talk styling. Read on
sponsored: change your stripes with target style
{Editor’s Note: The following is sponsored by Target, and you can read all about the gory details at the end. But as always, the content is 100% my opinion, which I’m never shy about sharing.}
For the final installment in our spring style series with Target, we’re talking stripes. I know, not exactly groundbreaking territory. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my mariner tees, and wear them more often than I care to admit. But I’ve no doubt you can style your favorite striped tee in your sleep: add a great pair of skinnies, a statement necklace and a ballet flat, and you’re done. Maybe throw on a cardigan or a blazer if you’re really feeling frisky.
Fortunately, I’m definitely in favor of upping our style game at any opportunity. If the only stripes in your closet belong to a collection of well-worn tees, you’re missing out. So, what if we took our beloved boat stripe and turned it into something a little more fashion-forward? Read on
sponsored: putting spring in my step with target style
{Editor’s Note: The following is sponsored by Target, and you can read all about the gory details at the end. But as always, the content is 100% my opinion, which I’m never shy about sharing.}
More spring style goodness from Target coming your way, friends – this time in footwear form. True, I’m a bit of a shoe snob at heart, but I’m willing to suspend my high-end ways when the weather turns warm. Sandals just aren’t a shoe that’s built for longevity, and all that sun and fun spell heartbreak when your $300 Stuart Weitzmans don’t survive the summer. But when that $29 pair you got at Target bites the dust? You’ll hardly bat an eye. Read on
sponsored: instant spring gratification from target style
{Editor’s Note: The following content is sponsored by Target, and you can read all about the gory details at the end. But as always, the content is 100% my opinion, which I’m never shy about sharing.}
Oh, friends…the future is here! Leave it to those marketing wizards at Target to cook up a completely shoppable ad to promote their spring style goodness. And honestly, after seeing all of these sweet spring wares, I have to admit: insta-shop is exactly what you’ll be in the mood for. Read on
sponsored: perfecting pastels with target style
{Editor’s Note: The following content is sponsored by Target, and you can read all about the gory details at the end. But as always, the content is 100% my opinion, which I’m never shy about sharing.}
Read on
on the cheap: the classic french girl
{Editor’s Note: A hearty welcome to Kristina, who joins us as our resident bargain shopper! Kristina’s going down into the trenches to find the best steals and deals on the www and put together ensembles that prove great style is possible at every price. So happy to have her on the team!}
Kristina ~ White House Black Market’s claim that their City Pants adjust to fit any body shape made me dubious at best. I have what is known as a “pear shape”, and finding pants that fit in the waist without cutting off the circulation in my rear and thighs can be a major challenge. Now add in the fact that I’m 5’2”, and shopping for pants becomes nearly impossible. Imagine my delight when I found that these come in three different hem lengths! Let the challenge begin…
The Red City Pant, White House Black Market, $78
I have found that WHBM is fairly generous with their sizing and I typically wear a size smaller with them than I would with other stores. Sure enough, one size smaller fit me perfectly through the rear and waist! Cue fitting room happy dance! Unfortunately, even the short length hit at the tops of my feet instead of at my ankle, so I will still have to have them tailored to achieve that perfect ankle-skimming length, but hems are a much easier fix than taking in the waist.
To style these, I’d pair them with a classic striped tee (loving the gold hardware on this boatneck from J.Crew!), some leopard flats, and a bag with a pop of contrasting color – red doesn’t always have to steal the show. Layer on the classic trench you already have in your closet (or snag this super steal from Target) and you’re ready for fall as well.
Merona Belted Long Trench, Target, $25 / Painter Boatneck Tee, J.Crew, $45 /
Legacy Leather Mini Saddlebag, Coach, $158 / Speakup Leopard Flats, Nine West, $79
What are your favorite tricks for styling red pants? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
beauty buzz: summer for the sun-phobic
With Memorial Day on the horizon, it’s time to talk sun. Being a girl with a pasty white complexion, not-inexpensive highlights, and a tendency to break out into a rash in the sun (no, really), I dread summer. The moment the sun first peeks out for the season, I bust out the highest SPF I can find, and huddle under any café umbrella in sight. Besides the fact that it causes wrinkles, freckles and melanoma (not necessarily in that order), a lot of time spent in the sun bodes for dry, unhappy hair and skin – not exactly that youthful, dewy look we’re all going for.
But this year, I’m feeling a bit less scared of those sun rays – because I have some excellent ammunition.
Clarins is always be my go-to for sun protection (and, well, most everything else too). For my skin, at least, they offer the best sunscreens around. Not too oily, not chalky in the least, and my skin doesn’t even put up a fuss when I make my seasonal switch from Multi-Active Day SPF 15 to UV Plus SPF 40 Day Screen. This year, they’ve released it in a tinted formula – excellent news if you happen to match one of the three shades. As for me, I’m still layering my Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer on top, but that SPF 40 leaves me much less tense about an alfresco lunch. Best of all? When I whipped out the Clarins for the first time this year (and skipped the Clinique), the husband asked if I was wearing makeup. When I said no, he said – I kid you not – “Wow, you look really nice – all glow-y.” Um, I’ll take a case, please.
For the rest of your bod, I recently got hold of Target’s new up & up continuous-spray sunscreen. Between the Sport SPF 30 and the Kids’ SPF 50, I think you know which I chose. The kids’ version applies seamlessly, isn’t greasy (as so many spray-ons are), and did a fantastic job of protecting me on that charity walk I did last weekend. There is a faint chemical quality to the smell, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a spray sunscreen without it. Oh, and it’s $5. Win!
Then, of course, there’s the matter of your mane. It’s no surprise that summer does awful things to hair – all that sun exposure, a few more trips to the salon for a few more highlights, and those “beachy waves” that turn into impossible-to-remove tangles. I’m kind of in love with Sachajuan, a line I was introduced to by the geniuses over at Woodley & Bunny (go ahead, just try to visit their awesome new online apothecary without being sucked in). They personally test each and every item on the shelves, so I knew I was in good hands. Sachajuan’s products are incredibly gentle and nourishing, with the goal of making you do as little heat-styling as possible (volume powders, repair balms) with as little product as possible, so your hair gets loaded down with moisture and not much else. Love the philosophy, and absolutely love the products.
And I can’t wrap up without dishing on my latest favorite lip balm (SPF 15, naturally). Bobbi Brown Lip Balm comes in this sleek silver tin, and is packed with goodies like wheat germ and olive oil. It feels absolutely amazing on (and can also work wonders with your cuticles in a pinch), and somehow lends just the palest of tints without having any color at all. Plus, it’ll save your lips from that super attractive sunburned-slash-scaly-and-peeling look. As always, I don’t know how Bobbi does it, but I’m sure glad she does.
What are your go-to summer products? Come on, fellow sun-phobes…dish!