Hi everyone! I’m introducing something new on chicisms. As someone who loves fashion and is a self-proclaimed foodie, I couldn’t keep myself from not writing about food. That’s why I’ve decided to begin incorporating my food adventures into chicisms. I hope you enjoy!
If there was ever a coffee shop to fall in love with, it would be Scout Coffee Co. in San Luis Obispo, CA. The employees here are friendly and obviously love their coffee, the atmosphere is open and inviting, the coffee is delicious, and the branding as well as the interior design is beautiful.
Scout Coffee just opened in downtown SLO yesterday and it is, without a doubt, my new favorite coffee spot. Everything is absolutely lovely about this local coffee shop and their cappuccino brightened my morning.
The specialty coffee shop is owned and operated by husband and wife team Jon and Sara Peterson. In addition to the delicious Verve coffee Scout offers, you’ll find teas, milkshakes, house made sodas, and homemade baked goods.
You can visit Scout at 1130 Garden St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
If you’re looking for good coffee and a great atmosphere, I suggest Scout Coffee Co. Let me know what you think of it!
With winter comes cooler weather, but who said you had to tuck your skirts away?
There’s no reason your skirts should be hiding in the back of your closet just because the temperature has dropped. Bring your favorite skirts back out and learn how to transition them back into your winter wardrobe with three simple ways!
1. Try Knit. Too chilly to show off your legs? Wear knit tights and your favorite pair of boots or booties with your skirt. A pair of knit tights can easily add warmth and style to your outfit.
Go simple with a classic pair of knit tights or add more to your look with patterned knit tights. Then, add a belt over your waist to cinch the outfit together. This is a simple way to cozy up and still wear that skirt you love.
Note: It hasn’t exactly reached winter in California which is the reason I went tight-less with this outfit.
2. Sweaters Should Be Your Best Friend: A great skirt paired with a sweater is an incredibly simple outfit to pull together that’s both chic and comfortable. Choose to tuck your sweater in (like I did) or leave it out – either way makes for a great outfit. For those extra chilly days, add a great coat to the mix.
3. Play With Textures & Styles: There is no better time to experiment with textures and styles than winter. Not only should you play with different skirt textures (wool, sequined or embroidered, leather/pleather) but try different styles. Midi skirts are a great fall trend, maxi skirts are essentials, and A-line skirts flatter every body type.
But don’t limit yourself to just playing with the textures and styles of your skirt. The possibilities of an effortless look are endless. Here are a few ideas: Mix textures by wearing a chunky cable knit sweater with a leather skirt. Wear an embroidered sweater or patterned sweater with a simple midi skirt. Embrace layers on top with an A-line skirt and knit tights.
Now, bring your favorite skirts out that have been hiding in your closet and embrace them this winter. Play with textures and styles. Have fun with your outfit, as you always should.
What are your favorite looks for winter that incorporate a skirt?
Earlier this month, I received a package of leopard-print and rhinestone-sprinkled nail strips complimentary from Influenster in my Varsity VoxBox. Not totally fond of the design, I decided to give them a test-run anyway to see how they really looked on my nails and how they kept up after a week or two.
Read on for my review…
In stores and online, you can find Kiss Nail Dress for $6.99. The package includes 28 strips in 14 different sizes, a nail file, and a little booklet to inspire your nail look.
The great thing about these nails strips is how versatile they are. You can choose to use the full look of the nail strips (like I did), or you can use them as accents. Use only one on each hand to have an accent nail (paint your nails your favorite color, then put on a nail strip on your ring finger on each hand) or you can cut the nail strips into fun shapes and accent each of your nails for a fun look.
What I also loved about these nails strips were how easy they were to put on. There are really only two steps:
Stick ’em on! These nail strips are basically stickers for your nails. You simply peel off a nail strip that best fits your nail and stick them on and smooth them out. This can be a little bit tricky because if you’re not careful, you can easily get air pockets between your nails and the strips.
File away. Then, to get the nail strips to perfectly fit your nail bed, you fold over the excess part of the strips. Take the file that was included in the package and file away until the excess tears off.
At first, I though the rhinestone/leopard print was a little too much to have on each of my fingers, but after having them on for a week, I kind of love them. Plus, they’ll go well with a Halloween outfit!
My Bottom Line: I like these nail strips! I have yet to try other brands, but Kiss Nail Dress is proving to be well worth $6.99. I’ve had these nails strips on for about a week and they are nicely staying put. I’ve had no tears and no problems with the strips falling off. I’ll give an update in a few days to let you know how easy (or difficult) these nail strips are to take off, so check back soon!
Have you tried nail strips, from Kiss or another brand? Let me know what you thought about them in the comments!
Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. Other than the products I received in my Varsity VoxBox, I am not compensated in any way. The opinions in this post are honest and entirely my own.
Goodies? Yes, please! This month, I was lucky enough to receive Influenster‘s Varsity VoxBox.
Influenster is an exclusive online community of “tastemakers and trendsetters” who get to share their thoughts about products and experiences. Members can receive access to deals and VoxBoxes (boxes filled with special items that match their interests and what they’re influential about).
The Varsity VoxBox was filled with goodies that are great for really anyone, but specifically college women. Take a look at the great things I found in my VoxBox, below. If you’ve already used some of these products, share your thoughts with me in the comments!
Kiss Nail Dress: I’ve wanted to try a pair of nail strips, but have been holding out just because I don’t want to be disappointed. Luckily, the Varsity VoxBox included a pair of Kiss Nail Strips! I’m looking forward to trying these out so check back soon for a review on my leopard/rhinestone print nail strips from Kiss.
NYC Big Bold Plumping Lip Gloss: I’m not a fan of lip gloss, especially plumping lip gloss so I was very reluctant to try this, but I was happily surprised! It’s not sticky, which is the problem with most lip glosses. It also has vitamin E in it which is great for moisturizing your lips. I can’t say that it did any “plumping.” At least, it wasn’t noticeable to me. But this lip gloss felt great on my lips and was definitely moisturizing! This lip gloss is around $3 so it’s a great lip gloss if you’re looking for something inexpensive.
Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Wash: With a blend of raspberry and cranberry extracts, this face wash smells delicious! It’s a great scent to pick you up in the morning and it leaves you feeling fresh and clean.
Airheads Xtreme Bites: I’m not a huge candy person but have always loved Airheads as a child. I haven’t had them in a while so seeing the colorful packages of Airheads Xtreme Bites in my Varsity VoxBox was a nice surprise. These fun and fruity candies in Rainbow Berry taste delicious and are even better bite-sized! If you’re looking for something sweet but (very mildly) sour, grab a bag of Airheads Xtreme Bites.
Tide PODS Detergent: I have a love/hate relationship with Tide PODS. For someone who is in college and has to do her laundry somewhere other than her own place, it’s great to have detergent in a compact pod that you can easily carry to and from the laundry room. The pods are simple to use – just throw a pod in the laundry and you’re good to go. You don’t need messy liquid or powder.
However, as simple as it sounds, I’ve also experienced Tide PODS not doing its job – it didn’t pop in the washer like it was supposed to so I had to get my other detergent and re-do my laundry. However, this may have been just one defective pod. But I have a whole package of Tide PODS (that I purchased separately before I received this VoxBox) to try out, so I’ll update this post with the outcome!
If you’re looking to try other great products, check out samples that I tested from the Spring Fever VoxBox.
Have you tried any of these products? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. Other than the products received, I am not compensated in any way. The opinions in this post are honest and entirely my own.
On Thursday, New York Fashion Week kicks off its first round of shows. For those of us who aren’t lucky enough to attend the runway shows, we are so grateful for social media and the opportunity it brings us to stay in-the-know from the home.
To make sure you know everything that’s going on during NYFW and behind-the-scenes, here’s your guide for the top 7 people to follow on Twitter and Instagram.
YouTube has also, once again, partnered with MBFW and will live stream more than 25 shows at youtube.com/liverunway.
The top 7 people to follow on Instagram for endless double-tapping:
@evachen212: Eva Chen is Lucky Magazine’s editor-in-chief. But she’s also an instagrammer-extraordinaire who is always snapping great photos of fashion, her killer shoes, her insane amount of beauty products, and delicious food. She never disappoints for NYFW and is a must-follow.
@eholmeswsj: Elizabeth Holmes writes for the Wall Street Journal and takes stunning scenic shots. As the style reporter, she knows great fashion and trends when she sees them.
@annstreetstudio: Fashion photographer Jamie Beck is behind this Instagram account and you won’t regret following her. Her photos are incredibly beautiful and artistic. She provides a different look at NYFW, one that’s more refined but so amazing.
@bergdorfs: Bergdorf Goodman’s social media guru doesn’t disappoint on this account. You’ll see beautiful shots of the runway, behind-the-scenes, and details.
@rebeccaminkoff: Personally, I can’t get enough of Rebecca Minkoff. I love the brand, her collections, and her Instagram. Follow for an inside look into the growing brand. (P.S. You can also add Rebecca Minkoff on Snapchat (search rebeccaminkoff) and they’ll reveal spring 2014 looks on Friday, before they hit the runway!)
@manrepeller: Get a blogger’s perspective on NYFW from Leandra Medine of The Man Repeller. You’ll appreciate her sense of humor and fabulous photos.
@intothegloss: For beauty, who better to follow than the ladies from beauty website Into The Gloss?
The 7 best people to follow on Twitter, so you can retweet and favorite all your favorite tweets from NYFW:
Eva Chen: She’s all over Instagram, but she’s also a serious tweeter. If you’re not following her already, go.
OscarPRGirl: She’s Oscar de la Renta’s PR girl and tweets all things Oscar. Follow her for her comments and for an inside look into the prestigious fashion house and its serious fashion.
Women’sWearDaily: For the last NYFW news and commentary, you’ll find it at Women’s Wear Daily.
MBFashionWeek: Obviously, you should follow the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Twitter account for the latest and greatest.
BryanBoy: For the realest and some of the funniest tweets, follow this fashion blogger.
DKNY PR GIRL: Aliza Licht is priceless. She’s DKNY’s PR girl (obviously) and tweet commentary and give you a peek into the brand.
Karlie Kloss: Get the latest from the runway from this supermodel.
You can also follow the hashtags #NYFW and #MBFW for everything NYFW.
Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. Other than the products received, I am not compensated in any way. The opinions in this post are honest and entirely my own.