Versatile Bridesmaid Dresses

I am at that age when my Facebook feed is constantly crammed with engagement announcements and wedding pictures. If you are like me, happily single, then you are probably not going to be posting your own announcements anytime soon. However, since so many of our friends are getting hitched, it will only be a matter of time before we have to be a part of the wedding party. Eventually, we will all have to bear the title of Bridesmaid (or Maid of Honor if you are lucky).

The part that most people hate about bridesmaid duty is having to buy an expensive dress that they will never wear again. This is where Aisle Style comes in.

Aisle Style is an online retailer that specializes in wedding apparel: wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding accessories like veils and jackets. They even sell flower girl dresses and wedding guest dresses! Basically they are a one-stop shop when it comes to shopping for the wedding party.

What really appeals to me about Aisle Style is how versatile (yet affordable) their bridesmaid dresses are. Their bridesmaid dresses, especially the ones that I have curated below, are ones that I can see myself wearing casually again and again after the wedding.

Empire Floor-Length Deep V-Neck Chiffon Sleeveless Bridesmaid Dress | $201.21 $110.74

Natural A-Line Jewel Chiffon Zipper Bridesmaid Dress | $201.21 $102.94

A-Line Zipper Sleeveless Satin Knee-Length Bridesmaid Dress | $138.81 $82.66

V-Neck Natural A-Line Satin Short Bridesmaid Dress | $154.41 $82.66

A-Line Zipper Satin Short Sleeves Knee-Length Bridesmaid Dress | $185.61 $84.22

Note: the prices shown above may fluctuate because the currency has been converted from GBP to USD.

I can definitely picture myself wearing the above bridesmaid dresses even after the wedding because of how versatile they look. I can picture wearing them in the daytime to transition to the nighttime, and I can even wear them to work! As an added bonus, they are at very affordable prices (relative to the usual bridesmaid dresses).

To sweeten the deal, Aisle Style is currently running a promotion for bridesmaid dresses. If you purchase four or more dresses in one order (for all of your bridesmaids in one go), you will automatically receive a 15% discount on the order!

What do you usually look for in a bridesmaid dress?

This post is sponsored by Aisle Style.

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Are You Guilty of These Bad Skin Habits?

I admit that my face is a mess. I have blackheads, frequent breakouts, and scarring from habitually picking at said blackheads and breakouts. Because of that, I read up on and research ways to improve the condition of my skin. One topic that I constantly stumble upon is bad skin habits and how those seemingly small oversights wreak havoc on your skin.

Since I can't possibly be the only one who has these bad skin habits, I decided to share them here to hopefully start a discussion on how to break these annoying habits.

Overcleansing
It is a common misconception, having to cleanse your face twice daily. Especially for people with dry skin, cleansing two times per day only further dries out your skin. All you need to do is wash your face with only water in the morning, and at night, use a cream- or oil-based cleanser. Overcleansing, cleansing more often than necessary, strips your face of much-needed natural oils. You can read more about the effects of that in this post.

  Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil | $27

Overexfoliating

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and exfoliation is no different. The reason is similar to that of overcleansing: you'll strip away your skin's natural oils. You'll even unknowingly peel off protective layers of skin. Instead of using harsh exfoliants that hurt your skin, you can try mild exfoliants that use microbeads or even sugar.

Skinceuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub | $30

Underprotecting

On the flipside, you can do too little of a good thing for it to be effective. We know that it's always best to apply SPF on our face because the sun is damaging to skin. What we don't always do is apply sunscreen everywhere else, the spots that are easily overlooked like the hairline, jawline, and ears. Also, always opt for sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Anything less will be less effective.

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 | $36

Popping pimples
This is a big one for me like I mentioned earlier. I just can't help popping zits because I can't stand having them on my face, but then, it backfires like it always does, and I end up with ugly scars on my face. What I've learned and am trying to do more of is to use spot treatments on the zits. Benzoyl peroxide is a good treatment to use but only at lower concentrations. The ideal percentage is 2.5 because anything more can dry out the pimples too much.

Paula's Choice Daily Skin Clearing Treatment | $17 $12.75

Ignoring sweat
We tend to leave sweat on our faces for too long because, to be honest, it's very tedious to have to wash your face after the gym. Besides, it'll dry off in a little while, right? Wrong! Sweat means bacteria and dirt, and those make up a horrible combination. What I've recently started doing is bringing face wipes with me to the gym so that I can wipe the grime off my face once I'm in the car. Doing so gets rid of the bacteria and dirt until my usual skin care routine time when I can properly cleanse my face.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes | $7.49

Which of these habits do you have? How do you work towards breaking out of it?

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Conditioners for Colored Hair

Last week, I shared with you a list of shampoos that can help you preserve your hair dye. This week, let's take a look at some conditioners that can complement those shampoos. Especially if you went for a hair color that required you to bleach your hair, conditioner is so, so, so important in your hair care routine.

This list is again sorted in order of ascending price.

Pantene Pro-V Color Preserve Shine Conditioner | $4.99

Infusium 23 Color Defender Conditioner | $13.25

Keratin Complex Color Care Conditioner | $20 $15.50

Joico Color Endure Violet Conditioner | $17.03

AG Color Savor Sulfate-Free Shampoo | $18.99

Kiehls Sunflower Color Preserving Conditioner | $19

Lanza Healing Color Care Color-Preserving Conditioner | $25

Bumble and Bumble Color Minded Conditioner | $34

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Seasilk Volume Shampoo | $42.77

Pureology Nano Works Condition | $51.99

So, there you have it: a list of conditioners for color-treated hair. If you're looking for the list of shampoos for colored hair, you can click here.

What is your tip for maintaining color-treated hair?

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Shampoos for Colored Hair

The biggest hair trend this summer is undeniably brightly colored hair.

Source: Playbuzz

Source: Hairstyles & Haircuts

Source: Indulgy

It might just be a slight color change, it might be something more adventurous like bright ends, or it might even be a more drastic change like an all-over pastel shade. Regardless, this trend has taken over the season.

Before I started teaching full-time, I had bright colors in my hair. It started with electric blue, then I changed it to emerald green, and the last color I had was Mardi Gras purple. My biggest concern with the colors was trying to keep them vivid for as long as possible, and one of the ways to maintain colored hair is to swap out regular ol' shampoo for shampoo formulated to not only help your color stay on but to keep them bright and vivid as well.

So, for those of you with colored hair or are considering colored hair, here are some shampoos for colored hair that I've heard good things about arranged in order of ascending price.

Herbal Essences Color Me Happy Color Safe Shampoo | $12.98

Matrix Biolage Color Care Shampoo | $19 $17

Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo | $20.24 $17.19

Nexxus Color Assure Radiant Color Care Shampoo | $21.99 $18.19

Fekkai Technician Color Care Shampoo | $20

Amika Color pHerfection Shampoo | $22

Phyto Phytocitrus Color Protect Radiance Shampoo | $22

Davines Minu Shampoo | $25

Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo | $30.68

Oribe Shampoo for Beautiful Color | $39

Please check back next week for a list of conditioners for colored hair!

What is your tip for maintaining colored hair?

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How to Prevent Summer Beauty Emergencies

The season is in full swing; the sun is unrelenting, and summer beauty emergencies abound!

Last year, I wrote a post about surviving summer beauty emergencies. This year, I instead decided to write about how to prevent summer beauty emergencies before they even happen!

{ Frizzy Hair }

The summer is notorious for causing frizzy hair because of the increased level of humidity in the air. According to Mo, the hair blogger behind Mo Knows Hair, frizz happens when moisture seeps in through your hair cuticles and swells the strands. Dehydration is the reason behind raised cuticles, which is why people with dry hair tend to experience frizzy hair more often.

Therefore, the method to combat frizzy hair should be simple: hydrate your hair. However, the cause of dry hair in the first place varies from person to person, so the solution varies as well, but generally the following are the most common solutions that can help the majority: first, drink more water to hydrate your entire body; second, sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to avoid rubbing your hair on drying material; and third, try these products to further hydrate your hair.

Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo | $24

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner | $2.97

Moroccanoil Frizz Control | $36

{ Oily Skin }

In my previous post, I touted primer as your best bet against melting makeup, but in order to nip melting makeup in the bud, we need to understand what causes it, and the answer is oily skin. Sesame, the beauty blogger behind Viva Woman, summarizes that oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum in your skin. That, in turn, is caused yet again by dehydration. Your skin needs a certain level of natural oils to be healthy, and when that level is lower than it should be, your skin basically overcompensates by producing more oils.

The reason for skin dehydration also varies from person to person, so the measures to be taken again vary. However, the general gist is that you want to return the level of natural oils in your skin back to normal, and you can do that by using a milder cleanser that doesn't strip your face or by using a light moisturizer. You can try these products.

Roc Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Restoring Night Cream | $27.99 $22.39

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream | $17.13

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash | $21.50

{ Razor Burns }

If you live in a place like Iowa, you learn rather quickly that you can get away with not shaving your legs for most of the year because they're always covered up anyway, so when warm weather rolls around and brings along with it an onslaught of revealing clothing (bikinis, eeek!), you have to dejectedly pull out the dreaded razor. The obvious reason why shaving is such a chore is because hair grows fast, but another reason is how prevalent razor burns can be and how unsightly they are. The eponymous beauty blogger behind Miss Natty's Beauty Diary shares that razor burn is essentially caused by skin irritation. When you shave, your razor sometimes sloughs off a layer of skin with the hair, giving you the unflattering inflamed skin we call razor burn.

Fortunately there are ways to prevent razor burn so that you can confidently dress your fine self in booty shorts all season long. First, contrary to popular belief, you shouldn't exfoliate before shaving. Yes, exfoliating does expose trapped hair follicles to prevent ingrown hairs, but exfoliating also removes dead skin cells, completely pitting a fresh layer of skin at the mercy of your razor. Second, throw away that dull razor you've been using for months! Ideally you should only use your razor cartridge for three or four shaves, but you can probably get away with double that amount depending on how well you take care of your razor. Third, use proper shaving products such as these.

Eos Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream | $3.49

Skintimate Signature Scents Moisturizing Shave Gel in Strawberry Tangerine Twist | $3.99

Whish Flawless Post Wax and Shave Serum | $22.50

As is with most things, prevention is better than cure. Armed with these ways on how to prevent summer beauty emergencies before they happen, go forth and enjoy the rest of this warm weather!

Which is your least favorite summer problem? How do you prevent or ease it?

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Summer Style Ideas by Bloggers

Last week, I wrote about the trendiest colors this summer along with some dresses that look good in those colors. This week, I would like to follow up with a more in-depth post about styles you can rock this season. Sure, you've seen summer style ideas in magazines, but those are with models and celebrities wearing clothes tailored specifically for them. In this post, I'd like to share summer style ideas with you featuring real women wearing styles that they handpicked for themselves.

Beth is the blogger behind Wandering Forevermore. She is also a college student and creator based in Georgia. She is inspired by all things nature and vintage and can often be found kayaking, travelling, or exploring antique shops.

Ruya is the writer behind Sweet, Short & Stylish, a fashion and lifestyle blog. When she's not blogging, she's busy studying media management in college and saving up money by working at a local fashion house so she can travel the world. You'll often find her wearing J. Crew and Zara, and she believes that it's possible to look stylish without breaking the bank.

Mikayla is the blogger behind A Seersucker State of Mind. She is a high school student from a small town in North Carolina who has been introduced to style and fashion. A Seersucker State of Mind is a fashion and design blog created for style inspiration, tips, and home crafts. Not only does she love to blog, but she also spends her time on the sports field, scrolling through yards of pins on Pinterest, and modeling. Through A Seersucker State of Mind, she hopes to inspire her readers to wear what they feel best in!

Hayden is a southern girl who, on Haute Table, shares her love of fashion, food, travel, and anything else under the sun. She is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a degree in journalism and is the editor-in-chief of the online publication District Magazine. Haute Table is a blog that appreciates the little things in life, from a beautiful brunch to the latest pieces off the runway. It is a culmination of all things southern, preppy, and haute.

Maricor is an engineering student from the Philippines. She is currently in Taiwan as an exchange student. The Golden Record was born out of her great love for fashion. It then slowly evolved into something more personal - a small space where she shares (and keeps) her thoughts, passions, adventures and a few other things in between. She does it for the love.

You can check out their respective blogs for more fashion inspiration.

Who are your favorite bloggers for fashion inspiration?

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