Five Fall Fashion Must-Haves for Moms

It’s hard to believe fall is here already! Well, let’s hop to it, Mommies! We need to get our fall fashion wardrobe up to par with a few of this season’s latest trends.

Here are some quick ways to update your wardrobe to keep you looking sassy and stylish with little effort!

1. Printed Cigarette Pants

These are on trend this season and are oh so chic. Get them with a slight flare at the bottom or pegged, either way, you’re going to look cute, cute, cute! Pair them with a simple sweater or shirt, and voila, you’ve got a comfy, stylish outfit. Gotta love these adorable polka dot jeans from Paige!


2. Novelty Sweater

You’re going to see a lot of novelty sweaters with fun graphics on them this season. Layer one over a button up blouse with a longer hem and you’ll be a mom with pizzazz! Not to mention your kids will love the cute graphics! Check out this adorable “French Hen” sweater from JCrew.

3. Low Heeled Ankle Boots

These are great for mommies. The low heel lets you run around with your little ones easily, and they are so versatile. Whether you’re dolled up in a cute dress or wearing your favorite comfy jeans, your low heeled boots will work with everything! Frye’s Dorado Boots are very chic!

4. A Burgundy Handbag

Burgundy is a big color for fall, and what better way to add it to your wardrobe, then to carry a burgundy handbag. Timi & Leslie is coming out with their popular Dawn Bag in burgundy, offered this fall. This will keep mommies both stylish and organized!

5. Graphic Scarf

These are still going strong this fall, and can make any outfit go from bland to stylish. On days when you can barely muster up the energy to wear jeans and a tee, throw on your favorite graphic scarf, and no one will know you’d rather be in bed! This adorable scarf from Aeropostale has great colors to really give any outfit a splash of style!

Busy moms don’t have hours to spend in the morning getting all dolled up, but with these easy breezy ways to update your wardrobe, you’ll look like you have a stylist getting you ready everyday!

Tips to Get Out of Your Makeup Rut …

1. Take Inventory
The first step in how to get out of a makeup rut is to look at your current collection of makeup and sort. Sort out your must-have products with the items that are old, used up or you just never use anymore. Get rid of the items that are old and are no longer used so you don’t have to deal with them anymore. Focus on what you have, do you need to replace any products or stock up on anything? Make a list for yourself and then head to the drugstore or makeup counter.

2. Just Looking
Next up in how to escape a makeup rut is to head to your nearest drugstore or beauty supply store and get some inspiration from the new colors and lines of makeup for the season. Look at all the displays and packaging and see if any look catches your eye. It’s rare that I can go to a drugstore or Sephora and not get inspired by someone or something! Makeup companies are constantly coming up with new products and creating new colors and themes to their products so be inspired!

3. Change up
Another great way to break out of a makeup rut is to change the features you normally emphasize. If you generally play up your lips, try playing up your eyes and play down the lips. Focusing on another area of the face forces you to try different tools, techniques and products. You might find yourself wondering why you never emphasized those sexy cheekbones before!

4. Different Strokes
Escape a boring makeup routine by adding a colored liner or mascara to your stash of beauty products! Some women never venture beyond black or brown liner or mascara and it’s a shame! Add an unexpected pop of color to your makeup by adding a flattering blue, green, violet or grey hue to your eyes to bring out the color of your beautiful eyes!

5. Venture Out
Another easy step in how to get out of a makeup rut is to try a beauty product that you’ve never used before. Instead of shying away from lip plumpers or eye luminizers, try them out! There’s no better way to break out of a lackluster makeup routine than to venture out and try something you’ve never used before! Try a set of false lashes or ombre lips, the options are endless!

6. Try Me
Try out cosmetics in a color you’ve never used before as a way of getting out of a makeup rut. There has to be some shades that you’ve never tried before! If you normally reach for neutrals, try out tangerine or hot pink. If you like bright colors, try using some earth-toned makeup. Try emulating a look that is the opposite of yours and who knows, you might find that you can rock the hell outta yellow eye shadow!

7. Get Versatile
The last tip on how to get out of a makeup rut is to switch up your cosmetics. Try using different products for different areas of your face. Try your favorite lipstick as a blush or a favorite eye shadow as a liner. Use a shimmery eye shadow to get a nice glow on your nose or try adding some of your favorite shade of eye shadow to clear nail polish and create a new nail color.

Beauty Tips for a Fresh “No Makeup” Look…

Take heed of these no-makeup beauty tips and prepare to be amazed at just how chic you can look with fewer beauty products and a light hand. We’ve all seen those girls who always look naturally gorgeous and their makeup looks very minimal, right? Well, I’m spilling the beans on the no-makeup look so now we can all look effortlessly fabulous and feel like natural beauties! All you need are a few tips to pull off the natural look!

1. Get Tinted
One of the most important no-makeup beauty tips is to have a natural base. If you feel comfortable going without foundation, opt for a tinted moisturizer with SPF instead which looks more natural. If you’d rather wear foundation, that’s okay too, pick a foundation with a dewy finish for best results and apply with clean fingers or a foundation brush, make sure there aren’t any harsh lines!

2. Cover It up
If you have any blemishes or dark circles around the eyes, be sure to disguise those areas with a concealer and let them stay undercover. Use concealer sparingly so you don’t end up accentuating the flaw, if needed, you can always layer the concealer for a more natural, no-makeup look. Wearing concealer might sound counterintuitive to the whole natural thing, but believe me; all those girls sporting natural looks are wearing plenty of concealer!

3. Powder Puff Girl
An optional no-makeup beauty tip is to lightly dust translucent powder all over the face after your foundation or tinted moisturizer sets, or leave it as-is. Keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo the powder or you’ll look made up. Natural skin has some shine to it, so don’t go completely matte.

4. See Your Shadow
This is another discretionary natural makeup tip; apply an eye shadow a smidge darker than your natural skin tone and apply all over the lids. You can also use a shimmery champagne color to highlight your brow bone and inner corners of your eyes as well. Keep those brows groomed to avoid appearing too natural; we’re talking about tips for minimalist makeup here, not lazy makeup!

5. Pucker up
The principal tip for a natural lip is to use a tinted lip balm or lip butter. If you have a nude lip color you really like, feel free to use it. Creamy or semi-sheer lipsticks work best with this look. Apply your lip product of choice straight from the tube or dab it on with your lips with your fingers and your no-makeup look is complete!

Skincare Tips for Summer

Summer is here again and you can finally put on a pretty sundress or shorts and a pair of thongs and enjoy the sunshine! But while you’re having fun, don’t forget to look after your skin by following my Skincare Tips for Summer. Looking after our skin in one of the best things we can do in order to maintain a healthy, radiant glow throughout this summer and for the years to come, so here are my 7 Skincare Tips for Summer:

1. Sun, sun, sunscreen
The first of the skincare tips for summer is simple: wear sunscreen! Protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, which are most dangerous during summer, when you are out and about enjoying the sunshine. Don’t stop going out into the sun completely – summer is fun! Just apply an SPF 30 + sunscreen when you are outside.

2. Exfoliation is great
Did you know that your skin is constantly shedding dead skin cells? If you don’t get rid of them, they sit on top of your body and make your skin look dry and dull. Exfoliation gets rid of the dead skin cells and uncovers the healthy cells underneath, making your skin look luminous again. Tools of the trade include loofahs, exfoliating gloves, body brushes and believe it or not, the old fashioned facial towel. You can use these with a moisturizing soap or body lotion or for double scrubbing power, try a body scrub or an exfoliating soap. Rub the exfoliator in circular movements over your skin all over your body and then rinse off. Do this two or three times a week and your skin will stay silky all summer.

3. Moisturize
After your shower or bath, especially after exfoliating, apply a good quality body moisturizer to your body for shiny, hydrated skin. For summer, you are best to chose a light lotion that is fast absorbing. Lotions with coconut and mango are lovely summery scents. Spray moisturizers are convenient for bare legs in summer while if you have twenty minutes to spare, natural moisturizers like yoghurt and honey applied to the skin for this time and then scrubbed off will get your skin glowing.

4. For your face
A good facial routine will keep your skin from becoming dry over summer so cleanse, tone, moisturize and exfoliate. After cleansing, it is important to use a toner to remove any excess dirt, oil, make up and sweat residue from your active summer day. Keep your bottle of toner in the fridge over summer for a lovely cooling effect. Choose a light moisturizer that will hydrate your face without clogging your pores. Finally, exfoliating your face is also extremely important over summer. Buy a special facial exfoliator, which isn’t as harsh as a body scrub, and use it twice a week or before applying a sunless tan. It will remove dead skin cells, allow moisturizers to penetrate deeper into the skin and leave your face looking fresh.

5. Keep hydrated
My previous skincare tips for summer have been all about moisturizing, which means keeping the skin hydrated. The best way to hydrate your skin is from the inside, by drinking lots and lots of water. Stay hydrated during the day by packing a large bottle of water into your backpack, handbag or beach bag. Drink water regularly throughout the day and refill it when necessary. Don’t wait until you are parched to take a sip – if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. A great, refreshing way to start the day is to add the juice of a fresh lemon into a big glass of water. It will give you a zing to start your day, keep you hydrated and result in clear, bright skin all through summer.

Figure Out Your Skin Type

"I've found that the majority of women guess their skin type incorrectly, which means they could be using the wrong cleanser," says Leslie Baumann, M.D., a dermatologist and founder of the Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute at University of Miami. Baumann stresses that it's best to let a dermatologist diagnose your skin type, but she says you can get a good read from this D.I.Y. test: Rinse your clean face with 10 splashes of lukewarm water, then pat it dry and wait 45 minutes. If your face feels tight or looks ashy, you probably have dry skin. If it's shiny all over, it's oily. If just your forehead, nose, and chin — the T-zone — are shiny, you likely have combination skin. And if your skin is easily irritated, that usually means it's sensitive.