The Real Difference Between Fashion and Personal Style Bloggers

I hope you guys are familiar with one of my last posts on "Why Everyone Can't Be a Fashion Blogger".  If you do you might have noticed a comment from a great blogger I know saying something along the lines of how fashion bloggers and style bloggers are very much different.  I do agree that fashion bloggers and style bloggers are different in a way, but to be honest, the real difference between a great fashion blogger and a great personal style blogger is absolutely nothing.  Yep I said it, stop looking at the screen like I said something dumb or confusing.  The real difference between a great fashion blogger and a great personal style blogger is nothing.  Here's why;

Going back a bit to my last post, it surfaced around how a lot of these girls believe that if they posts some cute pics here and there that there instantly a fashion blogger, and a lot of my readers think that if that doesn't make them a fashion blogger, then that makes them a personal style blogger, and that's also very much wrong.  Even though fashion blogging and personal style blogging are in two different niches, they still serve a purpose of providing quality content that will engage the reader, spark interest, get a conversation going, and sometimes go out of the box when it comes to topics that are being discussed.  Just because you are a personal style blogger doesn't mean that your reader base doesn't expect quality content from you.  I don't care to just look at pretty pictures of the same type of outfits.  We all know the typical Instagram blogger outfit, a signature Chanel chain bag, blazer, and pointed toe heels, sunglasses glued to the face and walking down the street as if she didn't have a goddamn care in the world.  THAT IS NOT BLOGGING!  I would prefer much more style tips on how to dress for different occasions, celebrity looks for less, where to find staple pieces, makeover stories, etc.  Just because your niche is to showcase unique ensembles, that doesn't mean quality content shouldn't follow behind it.

More importantly, a lot of bloggers are both fashion and personal style bloggers, we are indeed.  We like to not only give our opinions on controversial topics going on in the fashion industry but we also try and give some tips and outfit inspirations here and there.  In my opinion, I think we are all fashion bloggers, and then there are the sub categories where personal style comes into play where some people love to focus heavily on that.  Nothing wrong with that by any means, but once again, just don't think that putting up a few generic outfit pics make you a blogger.  It's more work put into it.

The Kylie Jenner Phenomenom (As Stupid As It Is)

The hell is wrong with yall! (Yes I'm starting this post off like that).  For the past 2 days my Facebook feed has been blasted with young men and women using anything from shot glasses, gatorade bottles, and plastic caps in efforts to enhance their lips to look like Kylie Jenner's, better known as the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge.

(Slaps hand on forehead).  Jesus take the wheel!  I really wish the youth of our generation would be more confident in their looks but more so smarter to realize this shit won't work.  First off I know there are "lip plumpers" you can buy, which I'm not so much of a fan of just because, I don't need it, but those tools were professionally design to help plump lips in a safe way.  By using shot glasses and plastic bottles and sucking all the air out, all you're doing is making the blood flow so quick to your lips, that they plump up like you have hives.  And newsflash, you would have to repeatedly keep doing this to your lips in order to keep the look.  Kylie's lips aren't naturally big and plump to begin with, I don't give two shits what she says.  We can tell from past pictures something medical was done, whether that was Botox or lip fillers, something un-natural was put in her lips.  Like do you guys love looking like this?!  Because you don't look like Kylie Jenner, you look like aliens, spitting dribbling down, and just ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!  If you haven't seen the "challenge" take a look here at a video compilation:

Like am I the only one who is disgusted by this? Please let me know your thoughts!!!

What to Have in Your Emergency Fashion Kit

Alright ladies, I will be the first to admit, I am always ill  prepared.  I never have extra anything when it comes to my clothes for the simple fact I carry so much on a daily basis, I have to pick and choose what I bring.  But seeing that I carry purses with more than enough room to bring the essentials, I have decided to not be so lazy anymore.  So if you're like me and are in the process of creating your own fashion emergency kit, here are some helpful items to include in yours:

Hair Tie

Nail File/Nail Clippers

Cotton Swabs

Hand Sanitizer

Mints/Gum

Small Can of Hair Spray

Makeup Remover Wipes

Safety Pins

Double Stick Tape

Floss/Toothpicks

Translucent Powder

Feminine Products

Medicine

Earring Backs

Deodorant

Neutral Lipstick

Small Mirror

Lotion

Tweezers

Clear Nailpolish

Travel Size Sewing Kit

Lint Roller

Tide Stick

Foot Pedals

Downy Spray or Febreeze (I love FEBREEEEEEEZE)

Lighter or Match Box

Bonus: Small Bottles of Liquor (sorry I'm a alcoholic)

Now I know my emergency fashion kit is different from many others so let us know what you stash in yours!

Looking to Collab w/ Bloggers Like Yourself? Then the BCB is for YOU!

As a blogger, you get approach by many different companies to do collaborations, whether that's a product review, special giveaway, or something to benefit both you and that company.  But why aren't there companies geared towards helping bloggers set up collaborations with OTHER BLOGGERS? The only one I have been apart of is the Lucky Community, and ever since it's website has changed, it hasn't been the same.  So we here at #MOAF along with our blogging buddy TheBargainBeauty have teamed up to bring you the Blogger Collaboration Board!  This board is solely for the purpose of bloggers connecting with other bloggers to create collaborations!  Whether you have a link up, would like to do a guest interview or post, or want to get a group of bloggers together for a group giveaway, this group is for you.  And please don't think this is only for fashion bloggers, everyone can join!  As long as you blog, have something to say, and want to link up with other bloggers then you're in!

All you have to do is fill out our inquiry form here, which will let us know what type of blogger you are and what types of collaborations you're interested in.  Once you fill out the form we will send you an email with the link to our Facebook group and BAM, you're all good to go! 

In the meantime, if you have any collaboration ideas please email us at mindofafashionista@hotmail.com so we can get the word out!

Get Crafty At The Makers Ball!

Are you the artsy, craftsy type?  I am on occasion, or at least I try to be.  I have this grand picture in my mind on how my project is going to turn out and it ends up looking like my dogs unmentionables.  Luckily Craft Alliance is here to help!  So you know in the Loop where that cool statue is?  Welp that's Craft Alliance and they are all about providing inspiration and education to a community of artists, collectors, students, and the art-viewing public.  They achieve this goal by providing classes and workshops to the public, displaying and promoting artists' work, and putting on events to bring awareness to their organization.  One of those events, which you better be at, is the Makers Ball.  Makers Ball celebrates makers and the power of craft at their annual fundraising gala.  Proceeds 
support the exhibition series and community education program and will feature live and silent auctions, an open bar, seated dinner, and dancing.  Check out some of the favorite looks from the past two years!

In order to get ready for this art filled ball, you have to dress depart, I mean look above, they came with their A-game!  If  you're like me and can't muster up an outfit and have it look the way it should, go for this sexy yet very formal fringe dress ensemble.

Makers Ball 2015 by akjapbae featuring a black purse

Now if you're daring, this ball encourages for you to let your creative juices flow and create your own masterpiece!  If you like (someone please do it!)  I have below my one and only proud project of my ABC (Anything But Clothes) DIY outfit I created out of nothing but duck tape, trash bags, and cups, better known as Trashin' Fashion.  I would be oh so willing to give a step by step instruction and material list on how to make this outfit, it only took me one day to do so!

Whatever you choose to strut to this event, it's a great event to be at.  You'll be having fun, supporting a good cause, and pumping art back into the St. Louis community.  For ticket information follow the pretty dashes ------- here, to give them monayyyyyyyy (donations) follow the pretty dashes ------- here, and to just say "WASSUP!" follow the pretty dashes ------- here.
*Pictures courtesy of Craft Alliance and #MOAF.  This post is pssonsored by Craft Alliance, Alive Magazine, and MWIN.

Everyone Can't Be A Fashion Blogger...Get Over It

Fashion blogging....everyone thinks they can do it, and from someone who takes this very seriously I am here to say...it's not true so STOP! (proceeds to hit the computer screen as if I was smacking the shit out of someone).  Fashion blogging, when done right, can be a very profitable and fulfilling business, but is also a trend and looked at as a joke thanks to half of the female population.  Why?  Because every female who is somewhat "fashionable", or at least what we conisder fashionable in our society thinks that all they have to do is post a few decent outfit posts and boom, they're a fashion blogger.  To all of my real "fashion bloggers" out there I know you can feel my frustration because it's simply annoying.  Fashion blogging is, what should be, and more importantly what our brand represents is original opinions on different topics in fashion (besides outfits) that spark conversation which makes the reader think, and gets the mind going.  More so, a fashion blogger needs to have some basic skills as well.  For instance, a fashion blogger needs to learn how to construct a grammatically correct sentence let alone a few paragraphs.  Blogging equal writing, and to not look like a fucking joke, using your English education in the proper way is necessary.  Developing a basic skill of photography is helpful not only for original pictures on your blog, but also in social media promotion as well.  Speaking of that, you have to learn, understand, and eventually master how to effectively promote yourself and your brand on different types of social media outlets.  Then there's SEO optimization, understanding CSS and HTML codes when designing your blog template, the list goes on and on, like you jokers don't understand what all goes into being a TRUE FASHION BLOGGER!  And I haven't even touched on spending your own dime to review products and go to fashion shows in order to get somewhat of your foot in the door.  I understand that people looking from the outside in see the perks of well established bloggers, but do you all really think it comes without any hard work?  Well it does, and unless you're willing to treat this as another full time job, you're going to fall flat on your face, and I'm just that petty to laugh right in your face.  It's an insult to real bloggers who work hard every day and night just to get half the recognition they deserve.  

Long story short, fashion blogging is for the big boys, enter at your own risk.

TREND ALERT! Dying Your Armpit Hair?!?

OK Fashionistas, I am appalled at the fact that (1) this is a trend and (2) that this is a trend.

I knew that this was worth writing about because I heard about it twice in the same day within 4 hours of each other from 2 completely different people that don't even know each other.

Apparently, women are not only growing out their armpit hair, but they are DYING IT! And no, they aren't dying it just to get rid of some grey hair here and there, but they're dying them some of the most crazy colors known to man. Some of the women dying them the same color as the hair on the top of their head. Basically, it's like me growing out my armpit hair and dying it sky blue. Now, for those women out there who choose not to shave their armpits, that's fine, just don't wear sleeveless shirts and wave your arms in the air. Ha ha!

Here is a picture of Lady Ga Ga performing and it's not completely clear whether or not she started this trend, but in my personal opinion, it does NOT need to catch on AT ALL! And don't let me find out that my lovely Fashionistas are dying their pubic hair. That sounds like an infection waiting to happen (and thank God that the colored pubs she's sporting here are fake and I hope the armpit hair is fake too)!

For anybody who's ever dyed their hair any color that's brighter than their natural hair color, you probably had to bleach your hair some shade of blonde so that the color can take to your hair and show, right? The smell of bleach is HORRIBLE on top of your head. Can you imagine the burnage that will be going on in your nose trying to bleach your underarm hair? I can't even see someone having hair left in their nose after that process. Seriously!

These women must be doing this in the summer time and always wearing sleeveless shirts because if you wear a shirt with sleeves, your shirt's going to be completely ruined. Like... a semi-permanent doesn't stop rinsing from your hair so the moment you sweat, it's wetting the hair and the shirt and
now you have not only an embarrassing sweat stain, but an embarrassing colorful sweat stain under your arms.

Fashionistas, I don't wanna see you doing this when the summer time is in full swing. Dealing with sweaty armpits is too much to deal with on its own. Don't be out there with the unicorn sweat under your arms. I don't think it looks good. It's very interesting, but I don't think this should be an everyday norm.

Oh! And Fashionistos, you aren't exempt either!

Painting the Perfect Manicure

Getting a little low on money and trying to save or are you a D.I.Y. Queen?!? Well before you jump into being a nail art Fashionista, lets go back to the basics.

Here's what you need to build the perfect simple manicure:

• Cotton Balls
• Nail Polish Remover
• Base Coat
• Nail Lacquer
• Nail File
• Nail Clipper
• Top Coat

When I'm starting off a manicure, I like to clip and file my nails to shape them and bring them all to the same length just for overall look. Having your nails nicely filed also helps in keeping your lacquer from chipping and makes it last just a little bit longer.

After clipping and filing my nails, dampen a cotton ball with nail polish remover and wipe your nails clean so that it removes any extra dirt and oils from your nails which helps your lacquer stick to your nails.

We are now ready to paint our nails!

Some people don't use a base coat, but trust me, it's one of the best things when it comes to painting your nails. It's the equivalent to using primer before your foundation or buttering your cake pan before pouring in the cake batter! Using a base coat protects your nails from yellowing, staining, it strengthens your nails and also lays an even base for your lacquer to go on evenly and smoothly.

After letting the base coat dry completely, you are now able to apply your nail lacquer!

In order to get the perfect first coat without getting any all over the cuticle of your nail, it's best to have the hand you're using to paint with firmly placed on the table for stability.  This is especially important when painting your non-dominant hand.

Shake the bottle of lacquer to loosen up any of the product that may have settled in the bottle. This is very important with glitter and some pearlized polishes. You can sometimes see the settled product from the outside and it kinda looks like oil and water.

Now for the most important part, applying your nail color! Check out this quick video by cutepolish, a very popular nail guru on YouTube. I hope this helps!

Post your photos below!

Rebranding: Steps to Take if You're Considering

You guys know I went to Go Blog Social a few weeks ago, and when I tell you I felt so inspired, it's so true!  One thing that struck me was the thought of rebranding and how it can make your personal brand and blog brand much more stronger.  I knew we would have to rebrand eventually because as you all know, Mind of a Fashionista consists of Diamond and myself, and the cheetah print logo everyone knows of is fading from my love.  Of course I will always love it because it was my first logo but it doesn't represent who I am, or what our blog brand is anymore.  And after a great weekend of blogger resources and tips, we have started the process of rebranding Mind of a Fashionista (hints the new logo and blog design).  For those bloggers who are also considering the idea of rebranding, here are some tips I have gathered on how to go about it:

Why are you rebranding?

There has to be a legitimate reason for you to rebrand, not just because you want to follow trend.  To be honest you should ask yourself are you blogging because you enjoy and love it or because everyone else is doing it (I'll get more into that in my blogging 101 segment).  Once you have determined that you're here to stay when it comes to the blogging life then you must find the reason for rebranding.  Are you looking to develop or enter into a new niche?  Are you wanting to give your blog a new persona or attitude?  Or maybe you have changed your blog entirely with a new name, new blog category, or new people added on?  Whatever the reason may be, once you have found that reason everything else will be easy.

Implementing new design features

Now it's time to show your readers and the rest of the world the new "you".  This step is going to be whatever works better for you.  We did everything in one night actually.  I made our new logos that we could use for the time being (which was easy, again blogging 101 segment) and searched for a blog design that would suit our needs.  Finding a template isn't as hard as it sounds, ours cost $6.00 for the premium template and it's a very minimal, black and white theme.  Since our main color scheme is black and white we thought it would be perfect.  After your blog template has been installed and you feel happy with the outcome, change alllllllllllllllllllllllllll social media profile pictures with your new logo, as the next step will follow and tie everything together.

Announce your change to the world

After everything has been implemented, take to your blog and social media accounts and share the new changes.  I also suggest using your subscription mailing service and announcing the changes to your subscribers, this way everyone is on board and more so not confused once they see your new logo and template.

After you have completed those steps, I suggest getting the necessary stationary and business cards to tie everything in.  But I put this as the last step just because the other steps are way more important.  You can get away with using your old business cards as long as your information is correct, and just announce the new change while networking as an "ice breaker" while talking.

Other steps to use when announcing your rebranding

Host a giveaway in honor of your new brand

Host a link up party in honor of your new brand

Host a follow party in honor of your new brand

There are definitely more steps that you can take just depending on where you are at in your blogging life.  If you have any we would love to hear them!

Style is Timeless

There is major misconception that fashion and style are one in the same when they are vastly different. Fashion is about wearing the latest trends while style is about wearing what identifies you. Fashion is what the world wants you to wear at any given time. Style is about who you are as an individual and what you want to accomplish in life. It involves everything from your color choices all the way to the brands you select.


That's not to say that someone with a sense of style can't be in tune with fashion or vice versa but there is a distinct difference between the two. Ideally, you want to be someone who has a sense of fashion and style and someone who has good taste.

This is why I enjoy being a professional stylist. For me, it's not about finding something that will look good on a person or implementing my style on that individual. It's about discovering their personality, figuring out what they want to accomplish and bringing to life the beauty and confidence they possess. It's about presenting yourself to the world without saying a word. I find that your appearance leaves a bigger impression on people who do not know you than what you do or say (to a certain extent). It's not about dressing for yourself or others, it's about maintaining your image.


Do you notice that after hanging around a certain person for a while, you start speaking like them and involve yourself in similar behaviors? Believe it or not, the same can be said for the way you dress. If we dressed for ourselves, many of us would not wear what we wear to work and possibly not even what we wear when going out. Yet, we may wear it anyway because it's what everyone else around us tends to wear (if we're not required to). Have you ever gone out and felt underdressed, overdressed or simply out of place because people weren't wearing things similar to you? When you possess great style, you are able to reflect who you are and possess great confidence in which it doesn't matter what other people are wearing. You become in tuned with your image in a way that allows people to associate you with your inner beauty without knowing you.


This is because your inner beauty and confidence has truly come to life. For example, when you wear a suit your mindset tends to change. You feel and look professional so you are inclined to speak in a professional manner. When you see someone in a suit, you think of them in this way as well.

This is why style is timeless. Your personal style will never go "out of style". Just because no one else is wearing it doesn't mean you should stop wearing it as well. If the piece truly reflects you, you should continue wearing it (unless you've changed). This is why confidence is so important. It's difficult for someone who has low self-esteem to be in tuned with their personal style as people will try to break you down for not wearing what they think you should wear. Define your style and live by it because it truly makes a difference in your life.

Lady Stylistique
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Night of Spring Fashion with Alive & Siteman Cancer Center

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Thursday was an evening of food, laughfter, but most of all the celebration of life.  This year Alive Magazine and Saint Louis Fashion Week partnered with the Siteman Cancer Center to put on the best Spring Style Soiree yet.

The event took place at one of my favorite malls, West County Center located in Des Peres.  Filled with more than 150 specialty stores including Coach, H&M, and ALDO Accessories (my favorite), West County is among the more popular malls in the St. Louis Area.  The night kicked off with mingling, networking, and a chance to give back to a great organization, better known as the Stieman Cancer Center.  If you don't know (which you should) Siteman Cancer Center is an international leader in cancer treatment, and we are so lucky to have a site here in our own backyard.  Siteman Cancer Center is the only cancer center in Missouri to hold the prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute andmembership in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.  In addition to treatment and research programs, Siteman pursues an active outreach programof cancer screening and education that involves tens of thousands of individuals annually throughout the St. Louis region.

Besides the fact that we were gathering for an amazing cause and celebrating the life of past cancer patients and their survivor-ship, with the help of Siteman Cancer Center, the runway show itself was amazing.  The show opened with White House Black Market.  But the typical runway model didn't come from behind the curtain, no, we got instead some inspirational, strong, and beautiful women, all celebrating their survivor-ship ranging from their first year all the way to 26 years cancer free!  It was so moving that everyone was to their feet and this was just the first presentation!  Every presentation there after, including Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, The Gap, Altar'd State, & Macy'st was so chic and fashion forward, giving the best of what spring style should be.

I had a lot of fun before and after as well and there were so many booths!  From NOW96.3 to the delicious food and wine tastings, and let's not forget our hand made leather stamped bracelets everyone made at The Foundrie booth, I can be safe to say it was an eventful night.  I was even more happy to participate in the raffle that Celebrate Style & the Siteman Cancer Center had, including some great goodies like a movie night box, spa set, and jewelry!  I was even more surprised that I won both of the raffles I entered! You guys know I never win anything!  All in all it was a fashion filled night and once again a celebration of life.

Check out my recap vid below and if you were there send me a hey in the comments!

Black on Black on Black (OOTD)

 I don't know about yall, but my go to fashion event color is black.  I love black for the fact that it can be elegant and edgy, casual and formal, and slimming too, hello!  So for my outfit for the Spring Style Soiree hosted by Alive Magazine and Saint Louis Fashion Week (recap coming soon), I had to bring my A-Game.  Not only was this the first big show of the year, but I was one of the bloggers covering the event so, I had to look depart.  This isn't the outfit I planned on wearing at first though.  I wanted something with a pop of color since it was for a spring fashion show, but the way my arms were set up, they weren't going to fit in the shirt.

 So thanks to The Fashion Lane Truck, H&M, and Justfab I was able to put together a sleek outfit that everyone loved, and peep the pics! I just got my new Nikon and I am sooooooo excited, be checking for a post soon, specifically for bloggers when it comes to your first professional camera.  In the meantime let me know what you think of my outfit, and make sure to enter into our OOTD Challenge for a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card!

Favorite Lippie Alert! Buxom Cosmetics Full On Lip Polish

Fashionistas, I'm just a pinch of a lip gloss junkie, especially the sheer tinted and colorful kind. I was able to get my hands on a free sample of Buxom's Full On Lip Polish in the color "White Russian" and I'm willing to try any lip stick, balm, gloss, whatever! Especially if it's a free sample! I fell so in love with it, that I went ahead and bought the full size along with about 3 or 4 other colors.

What is it that's made me so obsessed with this product?

Firstly, the packaging. Talk about BRANDING! I love how the brand represents itself. I'm a Fashion Marketing major and I look at things like packaging and branding even more than before I started my academic journey, but it's so cool and different! Each color has their own name, as in the name of a woman, accompanied with a sexy 40s pinup girl. Call it a way of giving your lips a sexy alter ego.

Not only does the packaging look amazing, but the actual product itself is quality! It's the "sexy younger sister" to BareMinerals cosmetics so it's already attached to a company that provides quality. The Full-On Lip Polish line comes in 100 sexy shades and gives off a pigmented, yet sheer finish. For those ladies who are looking for that extra boost, it also has lip plumping components which gives off and awesome tingling sensation. I don't necessarily desire the look for a fuller lip because I think mine are full enough, but I still like the tingling sensation.

You put this product on with a wand which adds to the sexiness of this awesome gloss (kinda sounds like "awesome sauce", huh?).

Most importantly with anything lipstick, lip gloss, lip stain, whatever! You want it to last for at least a good 3 hours right?!? Well, Fashionistas, I'm here to tell you that these lip polishes stay on! Now, sometimes when the product claims to be long lasting, it goes on very thick which can even sometimes turn into a cake fest, which isn't sexy nor does it feel good. I mean, it's bad when you can't even rub your lips together because a lip gloss is so darn tacky! Buxom's Full-On Lip Polishes aren't it. I wouldn't call it a thick gloss, but it isn't so thin that it would be literally running off of your lips either. It's a great medium between the two, which gives it that staying power.

And for my ingredient conscious Fashionistas, these lip polishes are paraben, sulfate, and Phthalate free! It also contains Vitamin A and E to keep your lips soft and moisturized!

Right now, I own about 4 different colors. I own one of the basic colors in White Russian. In the Full-On Lip Polish, I own Dolly (shimmering sultry mauve), Nicole (shimmering strawberry). and I believe that I have one more that I can't remember, but I love them all and I'm craving for more!

After all of this hype, I bet you're wondering how much this product costs, right? Well, it's only $19 (USD) and it's exclusively available at Sephora in-store and online. When I tried going to the brand website, but it just had me click on something that took me to the Sephora website and the Buxom Cosmetics brand page on the website.

Let me know if you have any, the colors, you have, and what you think of this brand and it's products.

Don't Make Yourself Up With Makeup

Makeup is something that should highlight your features, it's not something that should transform your natural facial features. People should still be able to recognize you when you wear makeup compared to when you do not. Think of it as an accessory for your face. If the focus of your look is a blouse, you wouldn't wear too much jewelry that would take away from that focus, would you?

I think women wear a ton of makeup because they're insecure and this is a great way to hide what they don't love about themselves. Many of the prettiest girls are the ones wearing a ton of makeup. When you see them wearing absolutely no makeup, they look like a completely different person. I imagine after years of pilling on the makeup, they find themselves relying on it to believe they are pretty as people never see them without it.

Apparently, 80% of women go a month before letting their boyfriends see them without wearing makeup. They either sleep in their makeup or get up early to put on their makeup so their boyfriend doesn't see them without it. So women are wearing a mask consistently for a month to keep a man that may be attracted to their looks. He has seen the exterior beauty of this mask for a month and after a month they expect the man to appreciate their natural beauty?

I wonder what percentage of these women still have that same boyfriend after a month. These women have conditioned their men to appreciate the look they've created and they're pretty much saying that they don't find themselves attractive without their makeup. By doing this, men will either appreciate their inner beauty more and find them even more attractive without makeup or men may think they need to wear makeup to be attractive as they have presented the message that they need to wear makeup.

I believe the only exception to wearing a heavy amount of makeup is if you're in front of a camera or if it's Halloween. It can sometimes take a heavy amount of makeup for any of it to show up on a stage, photo shoot or taping. if you're going to be a certain character for Halloween, it may require you to wear a lot of makeup for people to recognize you as that character.

The most makeup I wear on an everyday basis is lip gloss. I tend to wear makeup if I am feeling inspired one day, going out or doing something special and it is still kept to a minimum. It will usually involve powder or bronzer, lipstick, eyeshadow and maybe mascara. I enjoy highlighting my features but I want to look and feel natural for the most part. If I am wearing a heavy amount of makeup, I have to be careful not to get it on my clothes, not to touch my face and not to get it on other people. It can be hassle, at least it is for me.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy putting on makeup and getting glam but I hate the process of taking it off and it's just not necessary to wear so much makeup. You're beautiful just the way you are and once you realize that, you'll discover that makeup is an accessory and

not a need.

Lady Stylistique

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Me?!? Explore St. Louis Summer Ambassador?!? Hmmm!

A couple of weeks ago, I got the opportunity to attend the VIP Blogger Lounge hosted by Alive Magazine and while I was there, I was presented with an even greater opportunity to join in the running to become an Explore St. Louis Ambassador for the summer of 2015!

For those of you Fashionistas/Fashionistos who aren't aware, both AK and I are based in St. Louis, MO. I, myself, born and raised here! My family and I gave taken residence in the City of St. Louis for as long as I can remember and I don't plan on changing it anytime soon.

Unfortunately, in the recent months, Our city has been plastered all over the media in it's most sensitive, vulnerable and tense state and it's overshadowing all of the great positive energy and things this city has to offer.

I love going downtown more than anything and exploring the Arch grounds. I'm super excited about the construction going on down there and I can't wait until it's complete because of how much more beautiful it's going to be!

On top of that, IT'S CARDINAL'S SEASON!!! St. Louis is home to one of the best baseball teams in the WORLD and the summer isn't complete without going to at least one game in the new Busch Stadium and after a win (of course) celebrating at Ballpark Village. If sitting outside isn't your thing, you can even enjoy the game with food and drink as well inside of Ballpark Village (BKA BPV).

I could go on and on about the things I love about St. Louis, but I don't wanna bog you down with reading an impromptu novel. Ha ha!

Press PLAY to view my entry video!

Why you guys should help me become an Ambassador for this city? Well, why shouldn't you? Ha ha! Being someone who has lived in the city all of my life and having an adventurous family, I have s seen and discovered so many hidden gems that people have yet to discover and realize that they're there. Despite all of the things that have happened that aren't celebratory, there is still so many things to be proud of and celebrate about this city and I would be HONORED to be the face that represents that. Plus, how cool would it be to have an Ambassador with hair as cool as the things to do around the city?!?

Go ahead and CLICK HERE!!! to review other entries and to especially VOTE FOR ME (you can vote for me as many times as you want to in a day and you can vote everyday until April 15th)!

I greatly appreciate all of your support and lets make this happen!

ALSO, mark your calendar to attend the Explore St. Louis "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" event which will take place at the amazing Ballpark Village in Downtown St. Louis on April 30th!

How to Organize Your Closet

It's morning, 6:58 to be exact.  It's time for you to get up, get ready, and get going.  After showering, brushing and flossing your teeth you head over to your closet and say to yourself "What in the f***".  Shirts are hanging off of their hangers, pants look like they got up for a late night drink and passed out on the floor, and long story short, your closet looks like an abomination.  But you're not alone.  In fact my closet use to look the exact same way, if not worse because I never took the time to put my clothes in the correct place.  For some reason my way of thinking is to dig and find outfits out of piles of clothing (makes no sense) and by thinking that way, it has caught up to me.  For those of you who need a crash course on how to tame that closet so that picking the perfect outfit isn't a nightmare, check out these tips I came up with:

Ditch what you don't wear

I have a rule that if you have something you haven't worn in at least 2 months, not given the season changes, then most likely you won't wear it again.  Either find a way to get some extra coins and sell it, or be charitable and give it to the Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any other local thrift store or charity.  No use in having a shirt or pair of pants still in your closet you won't wear when someone else can get more use out of it.

Shirts

After doing a mini "spring cleaning" of your closet, it's time to get things in order.  First, when organizing your shirts sort them out by color. The color categories are white, pastels, brights, dark, and blacks. Next you will organize by sleeve length. No sleeve goes first, then cap sleeve, short sleeve, 3/4 quarter length sleeve, long sleeve, cardigan/sweaters, and last blazers/jackets. After organizing you will find that your closet will look like a uniformed color spectrum roller coaster, each color going from no sleeve to long sleeve.

Bottoms

Whether you hang your bottoms in the closet or fold them on the shelf above, organizing your pants, denim , and other bottoms is just as important.  Just like with shirts, you will organize your bottom by leg length and style, meaning skirts first(short to long), capris, and then long pants (skinny, boot cut, flare).  Next is the color.  You will arrange your bottoms by white, colors, dark, white denim, colored denim light denim, medium wash denim, dark denim, and black denim.  Lastly if you hang your bottoms up, I prefer to put them before my tops.

Shoes

This is definitely optional because a lot of people, including myself, tend to not have their shoes in the closet, rather in separate locations in the house.  But if you do keep your shoes in the closet, I simply organize them by sandals, tennis, wedge, kitten heel, then pump, and put my shoes I wear the most in the forefront for easy access.

These tips sounds a little insane, maybe narkish, but from experience it shaves time off in the morning when you're tying to get ready, which equals less stress for you.  Do you have another way to organize your closet, let us know in the comments below!

The F*** is Wrong with Cosmo?

Dolls, I have a problem.  To start off, my good friend Laura tags me in this picture that another young lady saw that Cosmopolitan put up, I'm guessing showcasing the beauty trends that are out and the ones that are in....ohhh my god.  First off I have dropped my level of "likeness" of their magazine to the lowest point, I have just been annoyed with a lot of their stories they choose to write or more so blast on social media, it's just not my cup of tea.  So to see this on top of that puts a real bad taste in my mouth.  I don't think they tried to do this intentionally (lets hope not) but as a magazine you have to look for shit like this, avoid it at all costs, and most importantly have writers, editors, and staff that know not to have this portrayed how it is.  What that is you might ask, well let me ask you a question.  Why is it that the "R.I.P" pics are all women of color and the "Hello Gorgeous" pics are all European women?  In the eyes of most women of other races and ethnicity  besides European, it looks shady, it looks distasteful, and it looks offensive.  Again, I don't think this was their intent, but it sometimes doesn't matter what their intent is but more so what the end result is.

What do you guys think of this particular article, comment below!

What's on your Fashion Bucket List?

As an active member in the fashion community, you always think of things you wish you could do or will do once you get more status, more money, or more time.  In general this would be called a bucket list, but for our purposes this is a fashion bucket list, and below is mines!  Comment and let me know what your fashion bucket list is!

Meet Ann Wintour

Design my own pair of shoes

Visit one major fashion magazine's headquarters

Sit front row at New York Fashion Week

Have my own reality tv show on the Style Network

Buy an Aldo Store

Create and teach a fashion blog course at a notable university

Wear a one of a kind wedding gown by a deceased designer

Go to Paris, Milan, Dubai, and London

Get my first Chanel bag and pair of red bottoms

Color my hair navy blue, then peach

Own a fashion school

Visit Chanel's grave

Visit an old house/apartment owned by a notable designer

What it Means to Get Dressed

When you get dressed, what is your thought process? Is it just about the outfit you've put together or is it something more? I hope you put more thought into it than that.

Getting dressed means getting ready to present yourself to the world. It's about displaying your inner beauty by wearing the pieces of yourself that you want people to see. If you want to show your confidence today, you should get dressed accordingly. Wearing a bold lip is an easy way to wear confidence or select a heel to grab people's attention.

It's also about expressing how you feel at any given moment. If you feel depressed, then maybe you'll wear your hair in a messy bun and put on some sweats to attach your feelings to comfort. You could also decide to wear something sexy to put yourself in a better mood or wear a professional suit because you like to "work" through your pain. It just depends on your personal style.

Getting dressed is about creating a look that will allow you to accomplish your goals for the day in a way that speaks to who you are. Someone who is well-dressed successfully presents her style in the way that she envisioned and that other people can easily recognize..

So tomorrow when you wake up, I hope you decide to get dressed and not just throw on some clothes.

Lady Stylistique