Fashion, Beauty, and All Those Pretty Things

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Be back soon!

Hey Guys, this is a quick post just to let you guys know this week we won't be posting much. Sophie just left for a trip and I as well am leaving this weekend. I am hoping to make a post while i am gone but that will be hard so I will try to make one as soon as I get back. I am currently unsure if Sophie will post or not.
See you guys soon!
Love, Claudia
p.s. my next post will be my July favorites. Leave links below to your July favorites!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Add Some Oomph To Your Outfit!

Hey Guys, its Claudia today. Now I don't know about you but there are some days that I literally think that there is no way in the world to get my outfit to look the way I want it to look. Well I have learned that with the right accessories you can really make your outfit pop. Plus with accessories it doesn't always require you to buy a new top you can simply switch up the accessories. Now here are some tips and things to add a bit of "oomph" to your outfits:)
Necklaces
Necklaces are so simple and can come in so many different sizes, colors, designs, shapes, etc. They add instant excitement to an outfit. Now I am going to talk about a few places to look out for necklaces and some necessities when it comes to necklaces.
One type of necklace that is very simple and easy to add to an outfit is long beaded or braided necklaces. If you don't know what I mean than they are just long necklace that probably come down a bit higher than your belly button. Here are a few I love!
(Both purchased at Forever21)

Another type of necklace is statement necklaces these are necklaces that have something that is big or loud, bright or trendy. A lot of popular statement necklaces lately involve feathers (mentioned in Sophie's last post) or fringe. Some involve big flowers or bows. Either way they all catch your attention. Check out some that really enhance my outfits!
(Purchased at Forever21)
(Purchased at modcloth.com)

Lastly for necklaces are just small and sweet. Necklaces that are tiny and don't overpower an outfit but add a hint of girliness to an outfit.
(Purchased at modcloth.com)

Bracelets
Now I am not the biggest fan of bracelets, personally they get in my way and you know you don't want to wear a dangling bracelet when you are running around. However a select few have made it into my jewelry collection and continue to excite me.

A big trend right now is having a bunch of bracelets all bundled together on the wrist. In these pictures you will see a more fancy put together duo that I love to wear with dresses or a cute skirt. While with the more casual loose bracelets (which actually are necklaces turned into bracelets) are great with a pair of jean shorts.
(Bracelet purchased at Forever21, Watch purchased at BP in Nordstroms)
(Necklaces turned bracelets purchased at Aerie)
Rings
Rings are quite an obsession of mine, although you have to be in the right mood to wear them I can never help myself but look at them. A big trend in rings are bows, which you will see 2 different types. One is fancy while the other is trendier. As another trend you will also see 2 different flower rings. One singular flower is popular in the form of roses and such, another popular flower ring is when flowers are all clustered together. Wooden rings have also seemed to take off.
(Betsey Johnson Ring, purchased at Nordstroms)
(Purchased at Forever21)
(Purchased at local boutique)
(Purchased at Forever21)
(Purchased at local boutique)
Hair Accessories
Headbands are so fun and easy to work with. One, they keep your hair out of your eyes. And two, they look so adorable on! Here are some favorites of mine and *hint, hint* normally I don't like headbands much either!
Braided and twisted headbands are easy and really easy to wear with a lot of things. One headband I want is a braided headband the color of my hair. Those are so cute! However it will take a while to find one that matches my dark blonde/light brown hair. Oh well..
(Gifted from modcloth.com
(Purchased at Aerie)

Crotchet or lace headbands add some classiness to an outfit. Plus the colors are so neutral they go with everything!
(Purchased at Aerie)
Lastly, this headband is hard to explain. I have seen things like it before and this is great with a dress or a lace top and shorts. I like wearing it so all the beading is on the side of my head. So, sorry about the odd angle!

(Purchased at PacSun)
Hair Ties
Not too much to say on these but one thing that is fun to do is do a side pony for some instant glam with a pretty outfit. Add a pony with a flower and head out for a fun day. It is so pretty and easy to do!
(Purchased at Aerie)
Scarves
Scarves are such a great way to add excitement to an outfit. In winter they will help keep you warm, and don't worry you can wear them in summer too..just wear a light scarf! I like to simply wear scarves with tank tops or lace tops. It keeps the focus on your unique scarf for once, and not your clothes.

(Both purchased from Urban Outfitters)
Belts
One great tip I have for people with baggy tops or tunics: add a belt! Cinch around your waist and you are all good to go. Belts emphasize your figure when you would normally be drowning in fabric. A nice thin belt also looks adorable around a dress. Of course you have seen braided belts that literally go with everything that has a need for a belt. However, another cool belt is elastic belts. I like to wear the one below with a skirt and tank top. It helps seperate the two (and the waistband of the skirt is really bland!).
(Purchased at Urban Outfitters)
(Purchased at Forever21)
So that wraps up tonights post! I recommend going to Forever21 when on the pursuit of accessories. Seriously you never know what you might find and normally for only about $3! I love some of the pieces at modcloth.com because they are indie brands so they are all such unique pieces. Urban Outfitters is my love so of course I expect to find things there, however I am shocked at how many pretty accessories I have acquired at Aerie and American Eagle. Often they will have buy one, get one 50% off sales so it is worth the stop!
Thanks for reading and please comment, as a blogger I so appreciate feedback!
If you have any questions/suggestions for Sophie and I email us at pearlswithpeonies@gmail.com
As always, have a good night and I will see you guys soon!
Love, Claudia

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Incorporating Tribal

   Hey guys!! Its Sophie, and i am going to be talking about the tribal theme.  I am sure we have all heard about this boho, native trend.  It has a beautiful effortless look, while still using breathtaking patterns.  I am going to be talking about how to incorporate this trend- bold and subtle- into your outfits.

Subtle

Accessories:
Accessories are so easy to incorporate into your looks. In the first picture shows a very beautiful scarf that is so easy to wear.  You could easily throw this on over a plain white t' to spice it up.
Nordstrom $18

The second item is a colorful headband.  The reason that this is so easy to wear, is that it has so many different colors in it.  You can just incorporate one of the colors in the headband into your outfit.

Forever 21 $3.80


 Clothing
This piece of clothing is very simple but yet elegant.  It has the tribal looking front and then a beautiful lace back.  You can pair this with a simple pair of jeans.


Hollister $49.50
  I really like this skirt because of the print.  It has a gorgeous tribal print to it, that you can incorporate with a plain t-shirt.  Add a necklace, and there you have a beautiful tribal outfit!


Nordstrom $26
Bold


Accessories
 This necklace is very feathery and bold! The blue is a gorgeous color that plays well with the feathers.  When incorporating this into your outfit it may be a bit more difficult.  I would pair this with a white lace shirt, with some rolled boyfriend jeans.


Forever 21 $7.80



Clothing
Now with this shirt, some people may be a bit scared to wear it. But, have no fear!! This shirt can be easy to wear, by just keeping the rest of your outfit simple.  Do natural makeup, with little to no jewelry.  This will help from having the outfit being too much.  A white pair of jean shorts would also work very well with this piece.

Forever 21 $15.80
   I hope this helped you, weather you will be going for the subtle look or the bold.  I am absolutely in love with this trend! Let me know what you guys thought.  Until next time...
     XOXO,
         
            Sophie
 


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Summer Nail Trends

Hi Everyone, its Claudia posting today. I decided as my first official post I wanted to talk about summer nail trends.
I picked my top 5 favorite colors of polishes to talk about in this post.
Although there are never necessarily those "in" colors because pretty much all nail polish is accepted, there are those polishes that you can't help but wear during a certain season or for a certain event.
Everyone has their own opinion on what colors are in and this is mine. I hope you guys like this post and please leave comments below!
Now lets get to it...

Orange, Coral, and Hot Pink!
I'm sure not just this summer but last summer as well you noticed the overwhelming amount of coral popping up here and there. But this summer it is not only time to get back into coral, but also to try out hot pink and orange. All of these colors are so bright and scream summer. It reminds me of beautiful summer sunsets. Summer is all about having fun and with these colors you are bound to have it, or at least look like you are!
(Essie's Brazilliant, OPI's Cajun Shrimp, Essie's Peach Daiquiri)
(Essie's Brazilliant)

(OPI's Cajun Shrimp)

(Essie's Peach Daiquiri)

(Essie's Brazilliant, OPI's Cajun Shrimp, Essie's Peach Daiquiri)

Tiffany Box Blue
Another big trend for the summer is shades similar to the famous Tiffany box. I have found that there is an Essie shade that is very similar. Wear it alone as a simple Tiffany Box blue, or try painting one finger with tons of glitter such as your ring finger. I did this combo last week and it reminds me of mermaid nails. Love it!
(Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, Sinful Colors' Nail Junkie)

(Essie's Turquoise & Caicos)
(Sinful Colors' Nail Junkie)

(Essie's Turquoise & Caicos, Sinful Colors' Nail Junkie, Nail Junkie on top of Turquoise & Caicos)

Bold Pinks!
Sometimes we neglect pinks  because we feel it doesn't necessarily fit into any certain season, for others it is a staple. Well one great time to wear it is this summer! But no plain old pink, instead go for bright and vibrant barbie pinks or magenta's.
(Sinful Colors' Pink Forever, Essie's No Boundaries)

(Sinful Colors' Pink Forever)
(Essie's No Boundaries--it is an old color that I got at a Trade Secret Outlet)

(Sinful Colors' Pink Forever, Essie's No Boundaries)

Pretty in Pastels!
One trend that I admit to love all year long is pastels. They are so lovely and easy to wear. They look pretty and delicate against my fair skin but also really make a tan pop in the summer! I have to just say all 3 of these are American Apparel brand nail polish and I just have to say they really are my favorite nail polishes. You truly only need one coat. I did two coats in these photos so you could see how vibrant they are but really I normally only need one coat!
(American Apparel's Office, L'Esprit, and Coney Island)

(American Apparel's Office)
(American Apparel's L'Esprit)
(American Apparel's Coney Island)

(Top to Bottom: American Apparel's Coney Island, L'Esprit, Office)
And lastly, my very favorite hue would be... Blues!
Blues are very in this summer. It isn't drifting towards any shade. Any blue works, they all remind people of different summer things. The ocean or beautiful clear sky. Here are some of my very favorite blues that are great for the summer!
(OPI's Whats With The Cattitude?, Milani's Dude Blue, Essie's Lapiz of Luxury)
(OPI's Whats With The Cattitude?)
(Milani's Dude Blue)
(Essie's Lapiz of Luxury)
(OPI's Whats With The Cattitude?, Milani's Dude Blue, Essie's Lapiz of Luxury)
Thanks so much for reading my first post! I recommend all the polishes mentioned and most of them can be purchased at Ulta, Target, Walgreens, etc.
As always thank you, and if you have any questions or suggestions leave them below in the comments or email us at pearlswithpeonies@gmail.com
Love, Claudia