Spring Style Ideas by Bloggers


Spring is upon us, so it's time to stow those winter coats away and break out your pastels and floral prints. This season's Style Ideas post features gorgeous looks from gorgeous bloggers for all of your Spring fashion inspiration needs.

(Psst: If where you live still demands cold weather clothes, the Winter Style Ideas by Bloggers post is still a great resource!)


Holly is a fashion blogger, influencer, stylist, creative consultant, photographer, and model. Styled by Holly is her personal style and travel diary aiming to inspire her readers all over the world.


Cait blogs at Cait's Cozy Corner where she chats about fashion, food, fitness, and her little family of four (including her cat!). She is a full time career woman, mother, blogger, wife, friend, and coffee addict. She balances it all with a smile on her face and a passion for what she does. Her style can be defined as cozy chic as she loves pairing flattering clothing with an effortless touch.


Navy Striped Peonies is a New Englander's take on fashion, life, and more. Paulina, the girl behind the blog, started Navy Striped Peonies as a creative outlet amidst an academically swamped schedule. Outside of blogging, Paulina enjoys playing tennis, practicing yoga, using excessive amounts of sticky notes, and spreading smiles.


Style Sprinter is the diary of a young Russian American woman, Katya, who is passionate about fashion and beauty. Having a background in Russian journalism and news reporting, Katya created the Style Sprinter blog as a way to document what happens in her eventful life, from outfit choices to New York Fashion Week and everything in between.


Courtney is a Raleigh-based blogger who started Courtney Fashionista two years ago after migrating south from her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. She has always loved creating outfits, and her blog has been a fantastic outlet for this passion as well as a great way to document her new adventure. She loves mixing feminine and edgy pieces to create chic, contrasting looks. This Spring, she's excited about focusing more on the simple, soft looks that are currently on trend.


Pastel N Pink is primarily a fashion blog with bits of Amy's personal life sprinkled in. Amy started blogging as a creative outlet and as a way for her to share her personal style with everyone.


Kathryn is a 22-year-old Navy wife currently living in Mississippi. Her looks are rooted in classic elements but always have a modern twist. Her blog, Jassamine Elaine, offers tips for easy styling and elegant living.


Tomi is a 21-year-old student at Auburn University (War Eagle!) who can definitely be characterized as your stereotypical girly-girl. She enjoys exploring all aspects of fashion, beauty, and pop culture. She was inspired to start Good Tomi Cha when she realized that she can combine her love for writing and her personal style.


Melrose is the creator and editor of Decor Elise, a blog propelled to inspire you to decorate your life! Melrose is also the co-host of the Chic Conviction movement where she focuses on beauty from the inside out. Her passion for the arts, people, and fashion shape her timeless chic style and motivational blog.

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

Who are your favorite bloggers for fashion inspiration?
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Weekly Reading | March 27, 2016


Lifestyle

Last week, I found an article on packing light and two articles featuring beautiful artwork (from humans and insects).


Fashion

These fashion articles can help you take your style game to the next level.


Beauty

The following articles are unconventional albeit informative beauty guides for you (and your friends).

"Eat Your Way to Glowing Skin" via Polished Perfectly

For more lifestyle and fashion posts as well as career posts, check out the previous Weekly Reading.
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Celebrity Style Inspiration for Any Age: 30s


I finally got around to writing the third installment in the Celebrity Style Inspiration for Any Age series. I published the first post in January 2015 with a plan to publish one post per month for six months (teenage celebrities to celebrities in their 60s). Unfortunately, life got in the way, and the second installment didn't go up until April 2015. After that, life really got in the way, and I went into semi-hiatus.

Now that I'm more or less back in the game, I thought it's about time for this post to go up. It has been a year since the last one, after all. Also, back then, I had a different lineup of celebrities I wanted to feature (Jessica Alba, Nicole Scherzinger, and Olivia Wilde), but in the year since I drafted this post, other celebrities fell into my radar, so meet the new lineup: Krysten Ritter, Rose Byrne, and Meghan Markle.

Krysten Ritter

Source: Pinterest

I have been slowly growing into a Marvel fangirl* ever since I started watching Agents of SHIELD, so needless to say, I finished Jessica Jones and am anxiously awaiting The Defenders. I know I've seen Krysten Ritter in other movies and shows before this because I recognized her immediately when I looked into Jessica Jones, but I just can't remember from where. Either way, Krysten Ritter seems like a super fun, sarcastic chick, and I'm really glad more and more people are recognizing her and her work.

*I'd like to point out that I'm mostly a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe because I'm not a comic book person, so I never got into the Marvel comics, although I occasionally look them up to help me make sense of the MCU.

Here's a look inspired by Krysten Ritter's Spring street style:

Celebrity Style Inspiration: Krysten Ritter

Shop the look:


Rose Byrne

Source: Daily Mail

I first saw Rose Byrne when I watched Insidious (five years too late, btw), and I was immediately drawn to her. After that, I started seeing her in a bunch of rom-coms (which I also always end up watching waaay after everyone else) and sci-fi and thrillers. Personally, I think this Australian woman is great in any genre. Besides that, she just seems like a really laid-back person who'd be great to hang out with.

Here's a look inspired by Rose Byrne's street style:

Celebrity Style Inspiration: Rose Byrne

Shop the look:


Meghan Markle

Source: Pinterest

Oh, Meghan Markle. I will forever see her as Rachel Zane, the strongheaded paralegal on Suits who will definitely hunt you down if you try to mess with her. I looked her up on IMDb, and she's apparently been in 90210 (the 2008 "sequel") and Horrible Bosses, but I don't remember her. From the first time I saw her on Suits, she instantly became my woman crush (Step aside, Eva Longoria). She's a fellow blogger, btw, on The Tig.

Here's how you can get Meghan Markle's Spring street style:

Celebrity Style Inspiration: Meghan Markle

Shop the look:


Which is your favorite outfit?

Which celebrities in their 40s would you like to see featured in the next installment?
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Weekly Reading | March 20, 2016


Career

I am very excited to have found these amazing posts on how to kick more ass in our careers.

"Work/Life Balance: An Update" via Alicia Tenise

Fashion

These posts focus on style simplicity.

"5 Ways to Make a Simple Outfit Next Level" via The Chriselle Factor

Lifestyle

Learn some neat tricks to be more efficient at saving money and cleaning up. Plus, a great post that hits home the importance of self-love.

"5 Tips for Saving Money in 2016" via Wonderful You
"Choosing Me" via Wonderful You

For more lifestyle posts as well as beauty and college posts, check out the previous Weekly Reading.
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Macy's and Drugstore.com (Mini) Haul


I'm not a fan of collective hauls, so I'm finding it hypocritical and ironic that I'm doing one myself. I have a reason, though! Since I started graduate school, and my income decreased (again), I've enforced a strict budget on myself where I can only buy things I need and skip on things I want. And since I don't usually go through beauty products that quickly, I haven't been buying enough to warrant haul posts. Note that I skipped last month's purchases entirely because I only bought, I think, two beauty products. Anyway, on to what I bought this month:

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown, $23 at Macy's
I have been hearing so many good things about Anastasia Beverly Hills' brow products! Luckily, my current brow powder (Sleek from the Nude Tude palette) is running out, so I can buy this without feeling guilty! I've mainly heard people rave about the pomade, but from past experience, I've learned that my eyebrows hate cooperating with gels. In fact, they hate cooperating with everything except powder. Anyway, I haven't tried this product out yet, but if I end up loving it, I'll do a How I Do My Brows-type post. Otherwise, I'll just do a plain ol' review.

2. Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Light/Medium Sheer Tint, $6.70 at Drugstore.com
My current BB cream is the Dream Fresh BB Cream, also from Maybelline, and I like it. I've completely swapped out foundation for BB cream from my everyday beauty routine, and not only does it save time, it's kinder to my face too! I got this one, also because my current BB cream is running out, to see if I'd like it better because it claims to clear acne-prone skin.

3. Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner, $8.99 at Drugstore.com (Repurchase)
If you remember from my December Drugstore.com haul, I was enthusing about a new favorite toner, the Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner. At around the same time, I (accidentally) bought the Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner, and I mumbled angrily about it for a while because I completely neglected to see that it's an alcohol-based toner, and my face can't handle alcohol-based toner! What I didn't expect was for my face to not only react very well to this toner, it's starting to really clear up my acne scars and brighten up my skin. Surprise, surpise! Funnily enough, when I ran out of the previous bottle of this, I resorted to the leftover Boots toner I had, and I ended up really disliking it! Sure, it's gentle, but it also leaves a sticky film behind on my face and makes it feel icky when I put moisturizer on. I guess this Neutrogena toner is my new favorite. Sorry, Boots.

4. Boots Botanics All Bright Soothing Eye Makeup Remover, $5.35 at Drugstore.com
Fortunately, I still have a piece of my heart with the Boots brand, so I decided to try this eye makeup remover. The ironic thing here is that I swapped my Boots toner for Neutrogena, and I swapped my Neutrogena eye makeup remover for Boots. I wonder if there's some subconscious self-guilt-tripping going on here.

5. Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer, $20 at Macy's
Ok, so I had initially wanted to repurchase the Urban Decay Primer Potion because, let's face it, it's the best eye primer out there. But what happened was that I had a ton of Plenti points sitting around that I figured I might as well use. But since I don't have a car that I need to buy gas for, and there's no Rite Aid in Ames, the only place I can use my points on is at Macy's (online, of course). And for some reason, Macy's doesn't carry the Primer Potion standalone, only in a set of three travel sizes. Why?! So, I begrudgingly went for the second best eye primer, which, according to the beauty blogosphere, is the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Granted, I've worn it a few times already, and it's not bad, but I'm currently working on a Urban Decay vs. Too Faced-type post where I wear them both at the same time for a day and see what happens. But that's for another day!

Have you tried any of these products?
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Weekly Reading | March 13, 2016


Beauty

Last week, I found helpful, inspiring posts to take our beauty game to the next level.

"3 Simple Ways to De-Stress Your Skin" via Career Girl Daily

Lifestyle

These lifestyle posts focus on staying safe and healthy, with the last one just being plain cool.

"Road Safety and Driving in Winter" via Beautiful Solutions

College

Whether you are new to or done with college, these posts can come in handy.

"How to Figure out Your Post Grad Life" via Look through My Lens
"How to Survive Freshman Year as an Introvert" via Society 19
"20 Things You Wouldn't Think to Bring to College" via Society 19

For more college posts as well as New Year's resolutions and food posts, check out the previous Weekly Reading.
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Influenster Glam Voxbox Unboxing


Another Voxbox showed up on my doorstep, guys. I didn't even know that I was on the list for this one until I got the email asking me if it's in my mailbox yet. No complaints, though! Here's what's in it:

1. Cutex Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover Pads, $3.99 at Drugstore.com

2. Gillette Venus with a Touch of Olay Vanilla Cashmere Shave Gel, $2.97 at Walmart

3. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo, $6.19 at Ulta

4. Q-tips Precision Tips, $2.99 at Target

5. Gillette Venus Razor, $6.49 at CVS

6. SheaMoisture Facial Wash and Scrub, $9.99 at Ulta

7. SheaMoisture Anti-Aging Moisturizer, $11.99 at Ulta

8. SheaMoisture Anti-Aging Facial Mask, $14.99 at SheaMoisture

Words can't explain how excited I was to see the dry shampoo. I've tried it in the past when I got it in my Violet Voxbox, and it was the best dry shampoo I've ever tried. Admittedly, I never ended up buying the full size, but maybe this is a sign that I should.

Also, I just bust out the nail polish remover pads and the Q-tips when I did my nails earlier, and they impressed! I'll talk about them more soon, possibly on my Instagram.

I'm very intrigued by the SheaMoisture samples, so I'll be trying them out this week. Unfortunately, I won't be testing the scrub because I stopped trusting my sensitive, paper-thin skin with exfoliants of all kinds. Check back soon for more in-depth reviews of (some of) these products!

Have you tried any of these products?
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5 Great Ways to Cure Your Boredom via the Internet


Everyone experiences those moments of complete boredom where we just don't know what to do. Of course, we can always do some beauty shopping, but that soon becomes a financial burden! So, what do you do when there's nothing to watch on TV, and everyone you know is busy? You hit up the internet! The internet is a pathway to many boredom-curing tools, and it's not always a waste of time. You can do research, or you can learn new skills. Let's go through some of these boredom busters.

Games
Wherever you turn, you're bound to come into contact with games on the internet. Facebook has them embedded within its website, and they've become massively popular. There are also flash game websites that host hundreds of the thing! They've been around for ages, and what better way to kill time than to play a game? From sports to puzzle games, there's something for everyone.

Top 10s
We all love a good Top 10 article. Naturally, we're intrigued by what others think of our favorite items or TV shows. If our favorite isn't at #1, we want to know why! There are dedicated websites for lists like these such as toptenselect.com. You can even go on YouTube and watch Top 10 countdowns. Before you know it, hours will have passed. You'll have learned something new and cured your boredom in the process.

New Skills
Although you can pay loads of money to learn new things on the internet, there are many other free tools too. You can learn practically anything you want if you know where to look. Places like futurelearn.com regularly offer free courses. If you're bored, and you've got some time to spare, why not browse through them? You might find something that you like and potentially begin a new career, making yourself happier in the long term.

Social Media
Facebook and Twitter are often lambasted by the media for being timewasters. True, you can spend hours upon hours on these platforms, but if you've got the time, why not use it? Set up a new profile, connect with friends old, current, and new, and enjoy posting status updates. Obviously, follow social media safety tips and don't give out your details to anyone you don't know!

Videos
Ten years ago, YouTube was just getting started. Nowadays, it's full of TV shows, old films, and documentaries. It's not just YouTube, either. There are websites out there where you can rent the latest films or TV series from. You can catch up on missed episodes on websites such as BBC iPlayer. There are so many possibilities when it comes to watching videos that boredom will be a thing of the past!

A lot of the time, we end up finding things that cure us of our boredom as we go along. Clicking on one video or Top 10 list inevitably leads to another and another and another, so be careful with your time, and make sure to take breaks every now and again. Also, don't shop too often!

What do you do on the internet to cure boredom?
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