Fashion Findings

Hey guys I was just browsing on my Instagram and saw a pic Necole Bitchie (Celebrity Blogger) uploaded of her fabulous manicure, this us such a cute idea!!!  Best believe I will find a tutorial for something similar thanks for the idea Necole you're always so fashionly fabulous.

My fashion inspiration of the week!

Today I will feature one of my favorite fashion bloggers Courtney Keer.

I absolutely love her chic yet simple down home texas style...

And courtney if your reading my post I would l♥ve to go on a huge shopping

spree in your closet onday:).......

If you guys like to checkout Courtney keer......

IG:@thecourtney keer

Her blog:What countney wore

 

 

Store Review: Stoney's Boutique

     So as an upcoming fashion blogger I've decided to go out of my own norm and comfort zone and try buying clothes and shoes from other boutiques besides the major retailers I usually deal with, and I would say this experience hasn't been that good. On Feb 25th I bought two faux leather skirts from Stoney's Boutique which I thought were very cute. There was a sale going on, I believe between 15-20% off I'm not really sure so for both skirts plus shipping I got a really good deal of $58. So after about 2, 2.5 weeks I don't receive anything and I don't get a confirmation email of shipment. I emailed one of the owners and I received a response rather quickly, within 24 hours inquiring on the shipment. She said that they don't have a time frame on shipment and that I would get an email when the order has shipped. That struck some curiosity because one, what retailer doesn't have a general time frame of shipment I've never heard of anything like that, and two she contradicted herself because on the website it clearly states processing takes 1-3 days and shipments take 3-10 business days and shipments are not sent out on Sundays.

 So literally approaching 4 weeks of not receiving anything I emailed back and asked if I could just have my money back. In all reality I ordered the skirts for an event that had passed so I really didn't need them anymore. After about 3 days of no response I opened of a dispute in paypal because that's how I paid for the items. By then I'm alittle ticked off for the simple fact that in my opinion it seems like as soon as I asked for my money back communication went downhill, after about 2 days with an unanswered dispute I escalated it to a claim. The reason for this is because I saw that this boutique was constantly on Instagram posting pics of their new products so if you have the time to do that you have time to resolve a customer dispute. Alittle after 24 hours after the dispute was escalated I get a email, a very snippy one at that saying "well do you want your money back since you filed a claim, your package was schedule to ship on Monday". At that point I wanted to cuss this lady out. First off I understand there are back orders or you're having a delay but the key is communicating with the customer. With whatever business you own you have to take this into consideration. Second don't post a time frame if you can't actually produce a product or service  in that amount of time  stated because if I was another customer who really didn't care, I would've filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau. And third, and probably the most important  thing is don't ever respond in an unprofessional way to a customer, point blank. After that I simply stated that I would like a refund and haven't heard anything back or seen money returned to my PayPal account and this was last week. I'm going to give this company the benefit of the doubt and say maybe they have just been backed up but that doesn't excuse the poor customer service I received. Out of 5 stars I would give this company a 1, that's it, I can't even rate on the product because I never revived it. I don't like rating companies like this but as you all know my motto is customer service is the key! It will either make or break your company. Hopefully this company makes some changes soon and if so I would be happy to shop with them again, but not a moment sooner.

 

Instagram: stoneysboutique
Website: www.stoneysboutique.bigcartel.com

My Fashion Inspiration!

Today I will highlight my favorite fashion blogger Micah Giannel....

I absolutely love her simple but edgy outlook on fashion. If

You guys want to check out some of her new looks!!

Her Instagram:@MICAHGIANNELI!

Fashion Findings

I'm bored on instagram, and I come across these shoes by Barbies Only...and they are just to die for!!!  I had to do a quick post to show you guys how insanely sexy these heels are!!!  I highly suggest checking out the rest of what they have (www.barbiesonly.bigcartel.com), and if you purchase something feel free to share what you bought in our OOTD section!

 

OOTN: 3/16/14

Just sharing with you guys what I wore this past Saturday night, it was my mom's 50th birthday celebration so I had to do it grown and sexy.  I honestly didn't feel like wearing a dress so this is what I went with, and it was all for $100, except for the shoes which I already had:

Pants, shirt, jacket, necklace, and purse: H&M

Shoes: Shoedazzle

 



Meet and Greet with Us!

To all of my fashion bloggers in St. Louis or other fashion inspired young people that are looking to become apart of an expanding brand that will definitely be doing some big things within the future please meet us at Saint Louis Bread Company in the Delmar Loop Saturday April 19th from 12pm-3pm.  We would love to meet with you, go over who we are and what we are looking for and just have a nice time!  Please come prepared with a statement of why/how you would be beneficial to the Mind of a Fashionista brand, and if you are a blogger, a sample of your writing.  Can't wait to see you all there!

Street Fashion Inspiration!

Street fashion is a type of fashion that is personal to you.It's something that

displays your personality but still highly trendy and Cool! Here are a couple of 

Looks!

 

Unveil the Ugly Layer

Are you having trouble evening out your skin? Do you have dark patches where your skin does not match the rest? Or do you suffer with dark elbows and knees? These things are all caused by hyper-pigmentation. Hyper-pigmentation can be due to many things such as not wearing sunscreen, acne scars, and rashes. It is very hard to fully get rid of these factors without the help of hydroquinone. But, their are some natural ways to help lighten those areas for those who are hesitant in using hydroquinone. I typically like to use honey and lemon because these two are brightening agents and are found in most fade creams. I combine honey and lemon, sometimes sugar if I want to include an exfoliation process. I then rub the mixture, using a circular motion, into the problem area and leave it on for about 45 minutes (usually longer). After the time is up, I rinse with warm water making sure to rub in a circular motion and then I switch to really cold water. The cold water shocks your pores and shrinks them remarkably. This gives your face or problem area a plumped and tightened look. In order to see improvements you must use this method regularly and always wear a sunscreen to prevent reversal of the process. Their are many other ways to naturally lighten your hyper-pigmented skin and some may take longer to notice then a product that is intended for fading. Before trying out a new product containing hydroquinon consult your dermatologist.

Spring '14 Hair Challenge

Hey Friends!

As you all may have noticed, spring is just around the corner! I'm introducing a new "spring clean" challenge that focuses on assessing problem areas your natural hair journey may be giving you. These things include fairy knots, shrinkage, split ends, breakage, dry hair, and etc. The idea of this challenge is to focus on one thing a week and after each week you will incorporate what you've done into the next week. For example, if you want to tackle shedding, split ends, and thin hair; then for the first week you will focus on shedding and how to prevent that from occurring. The following week you will focus on shedding and split ends. Taking progress pictures really help for you to visualize the changes your hair undergoes. It also serves as motivation! A few tips to get you started are listed below:

Ask yourself these questions before beginning:

1) What don't I like about how my hair looks at this moment?

2) Is my hair healthy?

3) What can I do to my hair that will benefit it in the long run? ex. vitamins, essential oils, etc.

Escada in the US? YES!

 

For those of you familiar with Escada, then you know that there has only been an E-Commerce site for the brand in Europe, but not anymore.  As of March 5th Escada has launched it's online store in the US!!!  The E-Store will offer a wide range of Escada lifestyle products, including apparel and accessories from the Escada and Escada Sport brands. The Escada online store provides a variety of different shipping options via Fedex, including free standard ground shipping as well as express shipping. Furthermore, the ESCADA E-Store offers its clients an easy and cost-free returns handling including a 14-day return policy.  So if you are an Escada wearing and lover, head over to www.escada.com and start shopping now!

 

Find It Keep It Program by Build Direct

Hey guys, just wanted to pass some information along I was sent by a good friend name Julian who is apart of the Find It Keep It Program.  This program helps with the renovation project of people just like you and me by sharing your renovation pain, selecting their new products to help transform your space and sharing with your social community, you could win up to $5,000 in home improvement products!  Sounds pretty cool to me.  If interested please go to http://www.builddirect.com/finditkeepit for more info, good luck!

Why Shoedazzle won't be around much longer

Ok guys, so I am almost positive that you all if not have shopped, are at least aware of what Shoedazzle is.  It is an online boutique where customers can select different styles of shoes each month selected by a "personal stylist" only paying $39.95 plus free shipping, or at least that's how it use to be.  Ever since they re did the concept of Shoe dazzle, in my opinion it is very much confusing and a little frustrating.  I recently placed an order for 2 pairs of shoes and 1 purse.  My total was $69.85, I'm guessing I qualified for more than 1 discount because my account was for a new customer.  After I clicked the place order button my total jumped to $99.85.  Of course I emailed customer service right away with this issue and was instructed to call the customer service line.  I almost wanted to punch all three of the customer service reps I talked to.  The first one couldn't even hear me and hung up.  So after calling back and explaining my situation to the second rep, she explained to me I could get a refund if I returned the items, but why would I return items that I meant to buy, the issue at hand is that I was quoted two different prices and after going back and forth I threaten to report this to the BBB, and the line went dead.  The final rep I talked to went further to say that their website and system is more updated than the computer I use and that they can investigate it but he couldn't help me as far as issuing me a refund.  I might wear glasses but I am not that blind to mistake a $30 difference, so after arguing with him, I finally hung up and reported this to the BBB and I am waiting on my response.  This is one of the reasons why I stopped being a customer with Shoedazzle in the first place and that was my last order I will EVER place with them.  Besides this whole bs of a situation I went through, how they operate is so confusing it makes it not worth trying.  All of their shoes are not $39.95 anymore, now they have shoes that are over $100 that I feel shouldn't be because of the material and structure of the shoe.  When you initially sign up and make a purchase you will be charged $9.95 to use towards future purchases or you can become VIP where you can pay $39.95 a month, but with doing that I couldn't even find a "Skip Month" button like Just Fab has just in case you don't want to be charged for that month.  Overall I give Shoedazzle a 2, if that, and I don't recommend anyone shopping there, use Just Fab instead and that's my honest opinion.  They have better quality products, a more easy to understand system, and a little bit better customer service.  I would love for you guys to let me know what you think and share your opinions on Shoedazzle in the comments below.

OOTN: F2 Event

Just wanted to share with you guys me and one of my best friends outfit from last nights event!  And no we did not plan to match but this always happens when we go to fashion events, I guess great minds think alike!

 

Dress: Pink Basis

Blazer: Forever21

Shoes: Shoedazzle

Purse and Necklace: H&M

Jumpsuit and Earrings: Charlotte Russe

Blazer: Body Central

Shoes: Steve Madden (Macy's)

Purse: Rue21

Bracelet: Macy's



Fashion and Food Review

So as you all know I attended the Fashion and Food Fashion Show hosted by Brainchild Events.  The concept of the event was to one, find new ways to showcase fashion besides the traditional runway show, and two, to incorporate food, friends, and a great atmosphere.  I will say I had a wonderful time and really did enjoy myself.  The event was held at Hiro Asian Restaurant, downtown on Washington Ave.  Since I went VIP, I received 2 complimentary drinks, and was able to enjoy a 5 course meal, where each course represented the clothing which I thought was really unique.  The collections showcased last night were Paulie Gibson designed by Paul Gibson and Victrola designed by Lauren Cram.  These two collections were absolutely amazing!!!  I was actually able to speak with Paul Gibson for a brief moment, very down to earth and very humble, hopefully we can work together within the near future.  Check out the pictures below where you can see how the inspirations from set of clothing came alive in each course:

 

Course 1: VICTROLA

 

Quinoa Salad

smoked tofu, pickled daikon purple cabbage slaw, sunflower seeds

 

Course 2: PAULIE GIBSON

 

Kabocha Squash Bisque

sweet corn, coconut cream, lemon zest

 

Course 3: VICTROLA

 

Asian BBQ Pork

cauliflower, coconut raisin rice

 

Course 4: PAULIE GIBSON

 

Popcorn Chicken

egg noodles with spicy peanut sauce, roasted black sesame seeds

 

Course 5: VICTROLA & PAULIE GIBSON

 

Macaroons

Chocolate, rose

 

I would definitely say my favorites were from Course 1 and Course 5 but all of the designs were absolutely amazing!!!  Brainchild events will be doing more Fashion and Food events this summer so I highly suggest checking Eventbrite.com for those updates.  I would also suggest visiting these designers websites if you are interested in purchasing their collections:

 

Paul Gibson: pg@pauliegibson.com

                        www.pauliegibson.com

 

       Lauren Cram: www.victroladesigns.com

           314.378.9998

 

 





 

 



Brainchild Events Presents Food and Fashion

Very excited about tonight, because I'm going to a fashion show, the first one is months, but I'm more excited because the show is being directed by Dwight Carter. For those of you who do not know Dwight Carter he is a very influential man within the fashion scene here in St Louis, producing many of shows including St Louis Fashion Week, and now owning Brainchild Events. I've actually met him once at my school and had a brief conversation with him, very cool and down to earth person and I am excited to see him again tonight. As far as the fashion show he is producing tonight, called Food and Fashion or Fsquared, it is by far a new twist on the traditional runway fashion show setting. Check out Dwight Carter's interview on STL TV Live giving exclusive details on the event and the concept behind it and other ventures he is working on right now.

 

 

 

Elie Saab Spring 2014 Collection

Lace Graden is the theme for Elie Saab's spring and summer collection 2014.

The collection was full of lace and feminine embellished growns,tops and skirts.

The color pallette reminds me of the outdoors with a mix of eglantine rose,
bougainvillea and verdant green.

Spring & Summer 2014 trends

Spring is right around the corner, so that means bold metallics, athletic wear to pastels

and cropped jackets, and to help you prepare for the up coming warm weather

here are our picks for Spring and Summer 2014 fashion trends.

Metallics

Altuzarra spring 2014

Athletic wear

Gucci

pastels colors

Cropped jackets

Balmain

Tea length skirts

Wide leg pants

bomber jackets

Graphic print

Peter som

Embellished details