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?