GJU Featured in the WSJ

Remember my blog post about bold and beautiful brows? (Here's a reminder: The Bold and The Beautiful: Brows) 

Well, on Halloween, my thoughts were included in a broader piece about the bold brow trend. Elizabeth Holmes, style reporter for the WSJ, found my blog while doing her research for the piece. I was so excited to share my opinions with her, and flattered to see that some of my comments made it into the article!

Here's the link to the article: http://t.co/rgMYxLaZXl

Bits and pieces of the article

Read up! This is some good stuff! And that includes you, man friends. "Guy-brows" are in. 

I'll leave you with this thought:

Decision made!

To those who voted on the two dresses, thanks for your input! 

If you saw any of the photos posted last night to my Facebook, you would have noticed that I went with Dress B! Ultimately, I fell in love the lace-covered bodice on the front, the deep V in the back, and sweet bow around the waist. 

Thanks again for weighing in!

The wedding I attended was beautiful! I was honored to be part of Dani and Amanda's special day. Here are some more photos from the ceremony and reception:

Every wedding should start with a selfie. Here's one of me and my mom!

Family photo before the ceremony

Two beautiful brides. What a lovely ceremony!

Mother/daughter photo, with an adorable flower girl photo bomb

With my friend Tiffany, my date for the evening :)

Mom and Dad

The cutest little flower girl I ever did see!

They're married! 

Their first dance as newlyweds. So sweet!

Make it your own:

Dress: Cache, $198

Heels: Jessica Simpson, $99

Earrings: Cache (Similar, $48)

Bracelet: Coldwater Creek (Similar $49.95)

Which LBD for the Wedding?

Hey guys.

I'm going to a wedding this Saturday, and I'm torn between two little black dresses! I posted the pics to my Instagram for some feedback, but figured I'd share the two options on GJU and get your thoughts.

Dress A:

Black Lace Back Dress, Cache $188

Dress B:

Black Lace Bow-Tied Dress, Cache $198

Which do you prefer? I love the cut out on the first dress, but I equally love the lace-covered sweetheart bodice on the second dress. Let me know what you think!

Pretty Little Midi

Midi rings are taking over. Well, they're taking over fashion blogs and Pinterest... and for me, that qualifies taking over.

The philosophy behind midi rings, if you will: why ignore the rest of your finger's joints? Beautifying the whole hand > beautifying only the top portion of your ring finger. It's about layering, and mixing/matching.

The midi ring can be done in many ways. Top three, from my observation:
1) Mix and match shapes/sizes of rings
2) Mix and match metals
3) Spell out a word

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Mix and match shapes/sizes

Mix and match metals

Say something

I like this combo

Photos- Pinterest: Midi Rings

This past weekend, I picked up two of these midi finger rings to try it out. I definitely like how they look, but I will say they took some getting used to. I kept feeling like they were going to fall off throughout the day.

Wings and Heart Midi Rings, $7, Poppy and Stella

For now, I'm starting with two. I'll play around with them and try them out on different fingers to see what I like best. Once I'm more comfortable with how they feel, I'd like to try adding on some more and see how it looks!

Is this something you would try? Would love to see any cool combo's you've come up with :)

pucker up

Like Lil' Mama says, my lipgloss is poppin'. #preach

On a related note, I'm an avid fan of Mac Cosmetics, especially their lipgloss and shadows. Even more, I'm a fan of their recycle program. I've mentioned this before on GJU, but here's a friendly reminder: When you bring in 6 empty Mac cosmetics cartridges (they can be anything- old lip glosses, eye shadows, blushes, whatever) they will gift you a free lipstick, lipgloss or eye shadow in return.

I'm a lipgloss girl. I like feeling shiny and, I don't know... supple. Therefore, I usually go for a lipgloss trade-in.

Today, however, I wanted to try something new. I went the lipstick route. I love how chic a red lip looks, but I have never felt that I could pull it off. After trying on a bunch of different shades to see which complemented my skin tone, I narrowed it down to one neutral tone, a peach tone, and a bright pink.

The girl at the counter convinced me to get the bright pink since it was most outside of my comfort zone. She made a good point that 1) it was a color I'd not usually pick for myself and 2) why not go with an adventurous color since I was getting it for free? Valid.

The color I chose was "Saint Germain."

And here it is, on...

It's a little "pinker" than I'd usually go for, but at the same time, I think it has a young, fresh look.

Do you prefer lip gloss or lipstick? Any good color suggestions? Shoot 'em my way :)

Throwing shade

I've been wanting to switch up my shade game for a while now, so after doing some research I decided on these:

Ray-Ban Clubmaster II, $150

Earrings, Seychelles Chandeliers by Stella & Dot, $44

This is now my second pair of Ray-Ban sunnies. As you've seen in other pics, I have a pair of classic Aviators, as well.

Ray-Ban Aviator Large Metal, $145

So far, it seems the Ray-Ban brand is a good fit for me and my personal style. Do you have a favorite pair of shades? What's your go-to brand when you need a new pair? I know some of my friends swear by Michael Kors, and others won't buy anything other than Coach. How about you?

LBB: Little Black Blazer

Whether you prefer a more tailored fit or relaxed, boyfriend fit, a little black blazer is this fall's must-have piece.

The best thing about a good black blazer: it will work with almost everything. Paired with jeans and pumps, a blazer elevates an outfit and carries it seamlessly from day to evening. A boyfriend blazer over leggings with boots is a fun, effortless, daytime look. Swap out the leggings for skinny jeans, and replace the boots with sky-high pumps, and BOOM: you're ready for happy hour!

Here are some of my favorite LBB's:

J. Crew Schoolboy Blazer, $198

Gap Classic Two-Button Blazer, $98

Banana Republic Heritage Tipped Black Blazer, $130

Michael Kors Ruched Pocket Boyfriend Blazer, $110

Vince Camuto Faux Leather Trim Boyfriend Blazer, $179

The other day, I wore my LBB from Banana Republic to work over jeans, a flowy black blouse, and a statement necklace. Photo is a little blurry but you get the idea.

Do you have a favorite LBB? Where did you get it? I'm always on the lookout for another one to add to my wardrobe :)

Nail Art: Because I never grew up

When I was a kid, I had this book with cool nail art ideas and tips on how to create fun patterns on your nails. I wish I still had that book. I'm sure my parents have it stowed away somewhere in their house.. or maybe they gave it to one of my cousins or one of their friends with a daughter in the age range the book was intended for.. but either way, wish I had it.

To this day, I still have an obsession with funky nail art. I'm always changing up the color of my nails (since that's all I am capable of doing myself), and browsing ideas on Pinterest that eventually I'd love to try, such as:

Nail images via Pinterest

Have you done any fun nail art lately? Would love to see some pics!

The Bold and the Beautiful: Brows

I'm a firm believer that eyebrows matter.

Sometimes I see people who have over-waxed or gotten a little too happy with the tweezers... and honestly, they run the risk of crossing the fine line over into trashy-town. Thankfully, it looks like the trend is moving away from barely there brows.. and I think it's for the better.

Gwen Stefani

See what I'm saying?

The good news is that full brows are "in" for fall. They're sultry. They tell a story. They draw people in and bring attention straight to your eyes. Think of Brooke Shields a la her Calvin Klein days. Sex. Pot.

Brooke Shields

We're seeing this bigger, bolder brow on our favorite celebs as well:

Diane Kruger

Camilla Belle

Chloe Moretz

Keira Knightley

Sofia Vergara

This goes for men as well:

Mr. Beckham, himself

R. Patz

I've always been on the bolder brow bandwagon. I have a thick head of hair, so for me, I didn't really have a choice but to the go with the fuller brow flow:

How do you do your brows? Do you like to keep them a little fuller in the fall? 

(p.s. This article in Elle gives some fabulous tips on shaping your brows to achieve the perfect arch!)

Until next time,

GJU

Photos: Glamour

It's finally fall...

Fall is my favorite season for a couple of reasons:

1) I love the colors. The reds and oranges of the leaves, the deeper greens, the rich browns and burgundies... they're inherently luxe.

2) Layering is my jam. I love to add on, mix and match, and play around with different textures, colors, and patterns.

3) My scarf collection can come out of hibernation. I have a slight scarf obsession.

As the weather teeters back and forth between a little windy and officially autumn, the outfits can sometimes be a little tricky. I always say layering is the best way to go. It allows you to effortlessly add on/remove layers throughout the day.

Here's an outfit I wore over the weekend, implementing the layering technique, and of course, wearing one of my fave scarves.

Make it your own:

Denim Jacket: Old Navy

Skirt, Belt, Scarf: LOFT

Boots: Madden Girl, DSW (Similar)

Nails: Vested Interest, Essie

What do you wear during this transitional time?

Oops.. I did it again!

That time I said I wouldn't leave you guys hanging for months at a time.....  oops.

Here's the truth: I didn't hold up my end of the bargain. I am not putting aside time for my blog like I used to, and it has to change. I don't work at a desk anymore.. and my hours are different every week, so it makes it hard for me to set aside the time to sit down and write. But the truth is... I miss it! I miss writing, I miss researching new fashion trends, and mostly, I miss you.

Here's my pledge (again): This time, for real, it's on. You'll be seeing a lot more of me. If I start to slip, I challenge you to hold me to this pledge. Get after me! Remind me you're here and I should be too. Thanks in advance for your constant support and gentle pushes :)

Since the last time we chatted on July 4th weekend, so much fashion has happened! I went on a family vacation to the Dominican Republic (first time there-- gorgeous!) and work has been busier than ever. The social scene hasn't changed too dramatically. I'm still taking it one day at a time, and seeing where fate leads me. So far, it's led me to the fridge and a couple extra lbs. I've developed a little bit of a snacking habit, so hopefully redirecting my attention to the blog versus my boredom hunger will help reverse the curse.

Let me catch you up on some of the fashion you've missed.

Bottom line: this girl is back! It feels good to be blogging again. See you soon.