February 27, 2017

TRANSITIONAL WEATHER MUST HAVES

I know I keep saying it, but I really can't wait for spring! I have prematurely started wearing my open toed shoes & dresses already!  Lucky for me, we've had some days that truly felt like spring last weekend & this week, but according to the weather, it's supposed to get cold again, so who knows how long this weather will last. Thinking optimistically that the weather will stay warm , I'm sharing a few transitional winter to spring weather must haves today. Read on to find out what they are!

1. Light Weight Jacket. Once the weather is warm enough, one of the first things to be stored away are my winter coats. Instead I opt for a leather jacket, denim jacket or trench coat. These jacket styles will still keep you warm but are much more warm weather friendly.

2. Light Weight Sweaters. Because it is still February/March, putting away your sweaters for good probably isn't in the cards just yet, but you can start wearing your lightweight sweaters more often. Also, opt for sweaters that come in spring shades like yellow, blush or blue.

3. Lots of Denim. Let's be honest, I wear lots of denim all year round, but there is no time like the spring to invest in some new denim styles. I have my long time favorites: denim jackets, skinny jeans, etc that I wear into the spring but also use the change of seasons as a chance to style some trendy denim styles. (Next week, I'll be wearing patched denim!)

4. A Midi Dress. As I'm wearing in this post, a midi dress is the perfect length for the end of winter/beginning of spring. It keeps you slightly warmer than a mini dress would (you can even wear cropped leggings underneath!) & hides my not-yet-tanned legs ;)

5. New Shoes/Bags! If there's one thing you can start switching out immediately, it's your shoes & bags! Start wearing some colorful accessories to welcome spring in. Even jewelry & sunglasses can be updated for spring & you don't have to wait to do this! I have been loving wearing these Vince Camuto booties since I got them. The black bootie style doesn't scream warm weather but the cutouts & peep toe make them perfect for the transitional weather.




Jacket: American Eagle | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Shoes: Vince Camuto (went down one full size) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban


XO,
Michelle Paige

February 23, 2017

START WEARING SPRING DRESSES NOW

It's just about time to start pulling your spring dresses to the front of your closet again!! I personally can't wait! We had some 60 degree weather over the weekend so I took the opportunity to let my legs out for an afternoon! 

I am obsessed with this denim jumper that my sister let me borrow. Because it is still February, I paired it with a black turtleneck & sneakers. (I had forgotten how easy it is to throw on a dress and head out the door. I had also forgotten how much I love wearing dresses & sneakers. Prepare to see a bunch of these types of outfits in the next few months!) 

Dress: Free to Move Clothing | Turtleneck: American Apparel (similar) | Sneakers: Circus by Sam Edelman | Bag: Kate Spade | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Jewelry: House of Harlow

XO,

Michelle Paige

February 22, 2017

PRINT MIXING ON WORK DAYS

You guys asked for it in my reader survey so one thing that I'm going to try to incorporate in my blog is more 9 to 5/work day looks & styling tips!! Today I'm focusing on one way to make your work days looks interesting & unique - print mixing!  

A lot of people seem to be afraid of mixing prints in large doses but it's actually way easier than you think! A few things to keep in mind when print mixing for work: 

1. Wear prints that are similar in size.

2. Find at least one common color in both pieces (mine was black!)

3. Prints stand out enough when paired, so wear pieces that are simple in shape & finish the look with simple accessories. 

Top: H&M | Pants: LOFT (old, similar) | Blazer: via Macy's (similar) | Flats: Tory Burch | Bag: Tory Burch | Sunglasses: Ray Ban

What type of 9 to 5 looks are you most interested in seeing? Let me know in the comments below!

XO,
Michelle Paige

February 21, 2017

MY BEST OF THE BEST: BEAUTY

As a blogger, I'm lucky enough to try out a ton of brands & products, some which I really love and some which I don't really love. Today I'm sharing my cream of the crop beauty products; the products I use until the very last drop & then purchase over & over again; my can't live with-outs. Read on to find out what they are!

BROW PENCIL - Thrive Causemetics Brow Pencil. I was gifted this brow pencil along with other Thrive products about a year ago, but this product is by far my favorite of the bunch. It is available in 2 shades: universal light & universal dark. I use the darker shade to fill in my brows & I love how natural it looks!

MASCARA - Benefit Roller Lash Mascara. I received this product as a blind tester & I fell in love with it before even knowing what the brand was. I have bought it religiously ever since. It's the best at simultaneously lengthening & adding volume to my lashes.

FOUNDATION- Bare Minerals Bare Skin Foundation. I love how many shades this comes in (20 to be exact!). If you visit a Bare Minerals store or make up counter, you can get shade matched! Make sure you buy the brush for it as well. It makes a huge difference in the application.

TINTED MOISTURIZER - Jouer Moisture Tint. I believe I first got this tinted moisturizer in a BirchBox. It was a tiny sample that I squeezed & used until there was nothing left and then I purchased a full bottle & did the same all over again. I usually use this product in the summer when I have more of a tan and don't need or want as much coverage. This product is so lightweight & contains SPF.

BRONZER- Physician's Formula Bronzer. Sometimes you just can't beat the drugstore brands. I have been using Physician's Formula bronzer's since HS and I have yet to find anything better. I love the Glow Boosting Bronzer the most!

CONCEALER - Benefit Fake Up Concealer. I've tried so many concealers over the years & this one has great coverage & lasts all day. I am a sucker for good packaging & I love that Benefit puts a little extra effort into their tubes & bottles to make everything look pretty!

LIP BALM - Blistex Flips. I love Blistex as a lip balm brand in general because it is so moisturizing but the flips are my favorite from the Blistex line due to the cute packaging! They come in blue & pink!

LIP CRAYONS - Laqa & Co (fav shade: Mixtape). I was introduced to these lip crayons from BirchBox as well & immediately fell in love with how easy lip crayons were to apply. I received this shade later on & Mixtape instantly became a favorite. It is the perfect, confidence boosting, bold red! 

RED LIPSTICK (GLOSS) - Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro (fav shade: 400). This lip product is considered a gloss on their website, but I'm considering it a lipstick because it is matte, not sticky at all & so pigmented. When I really want statement red lips, I always reach for this product. It looks so great in photos & in real life, lasts all day & feels so smooth.

PINK LIPSTICK - ELF Cosmetics (Favorite shades: Bold Berry & Touch of Pink). If you're looking for a hot pink shade, Bold Berry is it. It is actually so bold, that I often dab it along my lips and then use my finger or a lip brush to blend in into the corners. A little goes a long way with this shade. Touch of Pink is that baby pink shade. It has a softer look but is pretty pigmented considering how light it is.

NUDE LIPSTICK - ELF Cosmetics (favorite shades: Touch of Nude & Marsala Blush). Touch of Nude is a true nude lipstick that I wear on off duty days when I do my makeup while Marsala Blush has a pink/brown color that I wear when I want a nude color but don't want to look washed out. It adds the perfect touch of neutral color in photos so that my lips still pop a bit. 

BERRY LIPSTICK - ELF Cosmetics (fav shades: Deep Burgundy & Touch of Berry). For a vampy lip, I use Deep Burgundy. This is such a statement lip color & I love wearing it in the winter. For a softer, day to day berry lip,  I use Touch of Berry. (Are you sensing a theme with the 'Touch of...' collection?! I love all of their shades!) 

That about wraps up my favorites!!

Did I leave anything out? 

Let me know if there are other products you want to hear about!

XO,

Michelle Paige

February 20, 2017

THE FIRST THING THEY SEE

It got COLD these last couple weeks after the snow, like couldn't even handle walking the one block from the subway to my office without freezing in the process. When the weather is cold out (& in NY it's pretty cold for a decent amount of the year), it's impossible to leave the house without a coat. That's why I find statement outerwear to be so important. It's the first thing everyone sees & if you're walking the streets or running errands, it might be the only thing anyone sees!

Coat: Forever 21 (old, similar) | Top: Zara (similar) | Jeans: DL1961 c/o Shopbop | Boots: Steve Madden | Beanie: similar

In this look, I wanted to prove that you don't need to save your faux fur winter coats for special occasions. You can add a dash of glam & make a statement with your outerwear on any day of the week. Simple black and white basics allowed the leopard printed coat to really stand out.


XO,
Michelle Paige

Shop Statement Coats:

Don't forget to shop these great weekend sales! My mom, sister & I are heading to the mall today for some pre-spring shopping! 

40% off with code WEEKEND at Ann Taylor
40% off select items at Banana Republic
20% off select items at Bloomingdales with code NEWARRIVALS
25% off select items at Kate Spade with code BUBBLY
40% off winter clearance at Nordstrom

February 17, 2017

NON BORING ALL BLACK OUTFIT

What do you wear when you don't know what to wear? For me, I always end up in black. It's easy, it's chic & it always looks good. I woke up one morning this week and just couldn't find the perfect outfit for the day, so naturally I ended up in this one & it actually turned out to be one of my favorite looks as of lately. I felt like a bad ass wearing it.

Wearing all black (or really any monochrome outfit) can look so chic but I do think there is a trick to making it look effortless and flattering.  For me, it's all about texture! I paired a fuzzy sweater with a chiffon top, leather pants, suede boots & a leather belt (shop all pieces below!). No two fabrics were the same which sounds like a lot, but in the same color, it very subtly allows each piece to stand out. 

Sweater: Forever 21 | Top: Express | Pants: Zara (old, similar) | Belt: similar | Boots: Steve Madden | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sunglasses: Ray Ban


What are you all up to this weekend? 
I extended my long weekend (yay for Monday's off!) & took today off from work also :) 


XO,
Michelle Paige

February 14, 2017

COZY VALENTINE'S DAY OUTFIT

Happy Valentine's Day! J & I are heading to the movies tonight to see the Lego Batman movie LOL. Not quite a romantic date night, but a good one for a Tuesday night in my opinion. What are your plans??

Sweater: Keleigh's Boutique (love this one) | Jeans: Urban Outfitters (old, similar) | Boots: Aldo (similar) | Bag: Tory Burch | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Lip: c/o Maybelline (shade: All Day Cherry)

I wore this outfit over the weekend after our snow storm! This sweater is actually my mom's - she picked it up when we visited Keleigh's Boutique back in the fall (remember this top?! It's also from Keleigh's!) I had been thinking about wearing this sweater for Valentine's Day since she bought it & once I put it on, I never wanted to take it off. It's SO cozy! Perfect for a wintery day.

XO,

Michelle Paige

Shop Hearts:

February 13, 2017

GAL-ENTINE'S DAY DATE IDEAS

Even though I'm in a relationship, I still love my girl time! Sometimes there is nothing better than catching up with your girlfriends & enjoying the girly things that your boyfriend won't take part in. In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I'm sharing a few girl date ideas for all my single ladies or for the gal's who love girl time as I much as I do!

 

1. Eat at your Favorite Restaurant. I love heading out to eat especially when dinner involves friends & great drinks! Pick a fun restaurant, order the girliest drinks on the menu & cheers to your girl's date night! 

2. Head to the Movies for a Chick Flick. J & I love heading to the movies for date nights, we even drive to a theater 15 minutes away because it has reclining seats! SO comfy! But the movies we see together are limited to comedy & action. I won't see anything scary & he won't go to the movies to see chick flicks. 50 Shades Darker just came out making it the perfect movie to see with your girlfriends! (I also want to see Hidden Figures & La La Land!)

3. Pamper Yourselves. Another BFF friendly activity? Spa day! Head to the salon for manicures & pedicures, facials or massages. Not only will do you get quality time with your gals, but you will leave the salon feeling relaxed & refreshed.

4. Treat Each Other. No one knows you better than your BFF so why not buy each other silly love gifts for Valentine's Day??! For Christmas, one of my friends got me a NY Rangers themed Build a Bear & I thought it was the cutest thing ever! Find a cute, out of the box gift for your BFF this Valentine's Day and give them a gift to let them know how much she means to you!


Sweatshirt: Zara (similar or similar) | Jeans: American Eagle | Boots: Stuart Weitzman | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Choker: Self Branded

What are your Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day plans?

XO,

Michelle Paige



Welcome back our co host for this week's Start the Week Stylish link up: Adriele from Style Assisted. Adriele has co-hosted the link up with us multiple times so you may already be familiar with her blog, even if you are, be sure to stop by & say hello this week! She just redesigned her site & it looks great! 



Last week we loved how Grace from Color & Grace and Karen from Lady in Violet styled the color red.

An InLinkz Link-up

February 10, 2017

BOLD STRIPED DRESS & SUEDE JACKET

I had been dying for a little warm weather & finally we got hit with a 60 degree day on Wednesday...only to be followed by a snow storm on Thursday. Weirdest February weather ever, am I right?!  It was so nice to take a break from sweaters & jeans and let my bare legs see the sunlight again even if it was short lived. 

I had been saving this dress for warmer weather of course, but also for the start of fashion week & I was so excited to finally wear it for an event! Bold stripes are still such a huge trend in 2017 and I love the color blocking & drop waist on this dress. I paired this dress with 2 of my favorite pieces: my suede jacket & velvet booties! These are two pieces I'm so glad I invested in because I've gotten a ton of wear out of both.

(See the jacket styled here & here)

(See the booties styled here & here)

Jacket: Blank NYC (also available here)| Boots: Michael Kors (on sale for under $100)| Bag: Kate Spade (similar) | Sunglasses: c/o Topman

XO,

Michelle Paige

February 09, 2017

THE BEST JEANS ON A BUDGET

I was looking through my Instagram & recent blog posts this past weekend & thought 'boy, I have been wearing a lot of jeans lately.' (Don't worry, I'm finally letting my legs see some daylight tomorrow & will be sharing a dress on my blog!)  Partly, I think you've been seeing jeans non stop because the weather has been freezing and my legs can't handle being exposed, but I also I loooove wearing jeans! You may or may not be surprised to find out that I purchase my jeans almost exclusively from American Eagle. I have tried brand after brand over the years & nothing fits as good as AEO jeans. Check out some of my favorite pairs & how I style them below.

Wearing: Denim Super Low Jegging (shade: Sapphire Burst)
Seen With: Game Day Attire,  Casual Sweater & Sneakers, Bold Outerwear & Fall Outfit

Wearing: Denim Skinny Jean (Shade: Rich Ink)

Seen With: Spring Print Mixing, Sweatshirt & Heels, & Timeless Accessories


Wearing: Jegging (shade: Bright Ultramarine)
Seen With: Fall Staples, Sweater & Sneakers, Closet Staples & Summer Tunic

Wearing: Hi-Rise Artist Flare

Seen With: Spring Sweater, Monochromatic Outfit & 70's Inspiration

Wearing: Knit Jegging (shade: Onyx Black)
Seen With: Cozy Layers, Off the Shoulder Florals & Monochromatic Black

Wearing: Midi Short (also love Tomgirl Shorts)

Seen With: Summer Sweater, Blazer & Wedges, & Boho Styles

Wearing: Denim Jegging (shade: Destroyed Slate)

Seen With: Double Denim, Graphic Tee & Statement Coat


Anyone else out there share my obsession with AEO jeans? Or maybe you have an obsession with another brand? If so, let me know what it is so I can try it out!

XO,
Michelle Paige

Shop AEO Jeans: