Grey & Black Fall Casual Outfit Of The Day

Fall is HERE! Or apparently that's what the calendar says. Southern California seems to have missed the memo.

Recently I did some shopping and added some basic fall pieces to my wardrobe, today I tried to break out one of my favorite new pieces this, beautiful jacket from Ann Taylor.

I love how the jacket is cropped at the back, but long and loose in the front. This is the perfect layering piece to my summer tank tops or dresses. It also adds a bit of sophistication to my otherwise very casual outfit. 

I took a very relaxed pair of boyfriend jeans I recently purchased from ASOS (on SALE NOW) and rolled up the hem to show off these beautiful, yet incredibly easy to walk in kitten heels from Valentino. Just because I had to be up at 7AM for a work meeting, didn't mean I couldn't be comfy. 

It's easy to take good basic pieces and dress them up for work meetings. If you removed my jacket and shoes, (which I totally did for lunch as it became 80 degrees) then I'd just be in relaxed jeans and a black tank. 

The perfect casual to sophisticated look, or work to picking up the kids/ running errands look. Just bring a change of shoes. 

What are your fall must have basics?

Don't forget to watch my full "Fall Fashion Haul" that will be up on my youtube channel next week! 

XOXO

Serein

Jacket- Ann Taylor, Jeans- Asos, Shoes- Valentino, Handbag- Celine, Tank- Velvet 

Crops & Skirts Fashion Post

 I've been loving the crop top and skirt trend this summer. There's something very put together and chic about the look.

It reminds me of a time when women dressed and put clothes together to flatter and impress. Living in SoCal I tend to get in a rut with cut off shorts, tank tops, and sandals from May to October. 

Photos By CLPhotoLA

What are your fashion favorites this summer? 

XOXO

Serein

California Casual Fashion

I'm all about comfort especially in warm weather. Lately I'm all about neutrals and breathable outfits in this unusual muggy weather for Southern California. 

All photos by CLPhotoLA

• Top- Angel 
• Shorts- Free People
• Shoes- Dailylook.com 

I've been loving my Rebecca Minkoff bag. Changing it up from my usual large handbags has been a wonderful and freeing feeling. The cross body chain is great for leaving my hands free while shopping or enjoying summer activities. 

I always feel like I need a little life in footwear to elongate my legs, being 5'4" I need all the extra inches I can get. These platforms are just the right amount of life while still being comfortable enough for strolling. The straps need to be worn in a bit to avoid blisters. 

The red polish is my new Christian Louboutin Nail Polish. I wrote a whole post about the beauty here.

• Bracelets- Alex and Ani & Love Always

What's your goto warm weather style? 

For up to date pics follow me on Instagram!

XOXO
Serein

Louboutin Red

20 Years after Christian Louboutin painted his first stiletto sole with red varnish as a finishing touch, women around the world now recognize the infamous red soles everywhere. Even if you don't know it, you've seen them and they look nice.

To me Louboutins are a symbol of luxury, art, and sex. Each pair is beautifully crafted and every detail is thought of. Wearing a pair of Louboutins makes you sway your hips a little and walk a little sultrier. The best part is how the toe cleavage make foot fetishes go wild.

Going back to almost 2 years ago (wow time flies), I was newly engaged and before I had a location, dress, or even idea of what I wanted my wedding to be like, I knew what I'd be wearing on my feet. A pair of Christian Louboutins.

My wedding shoes

Many girls dream of their dress, first dance, their ring, mine were the shoes I'd be walking down the aisle in.

Flash forward to last week during an impromptu date night, which consisted of my husband being the best and most patient husband in the world by taking me to my favorite Sephora in L.A., there it was. The most beautiful nail polish on display with NO tester.

I had heard that Christian Louboutin was releasing a nail polish and I had decided that I did not need this beautiful nail polish in the most artistically constructed packaging I'd ever seen, but I had to share the visual with my husband. When I walked up to it and showed him, He said "Wow that's nice." I asked "would you totally kill me for spending $50 on nail polish?" Without hesitation he said "no, it's a collection item and you love Louboutin." I know that I have married the right man for me since our first date, but that moment reminded me how wonderful he really is and how much he just gets me.

My very first pair of Louboutins from my mom 

We walked away to have a wonderful dinner so I could think about it. After some advice from my Instagram crew,  I made the decision to go back and spend $50 on this baby.

It took me 2 days to even open the box and expose the beautiful bottle. Then another day to paint my nails with the most beautiful nail polish handle.

peer pressure from the beauty snoop 

I have to say Mr. Louboutin did not disappoint one bit. The formulation is rich, pigmented, beautifully fluid, and so far no chips (we're going on day 31/2 with some major house work). Every time I look down at my toes or my hands, I have a little smile. It reminds me of the shade of the sexy red soles when you walk away wearing a pair of Louboutins.

My 2nd pair. Black suede. 

My Wedding shoes. 

Will you be purchasing your very own polish? Have you ever splurge on a major designer item? I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories.

XOXO
Serein

I'm On AOL.COM Today!

So something pretty cool happened today, I found out my intro video from Allure Beauty Blogger Awards is on AOL.COM as well! Check it out!

I was getting my nails done when I took this screen capture on my phone

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm one of 10 finalist for the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards of 2014. It's all very exciting and surreal to me that it's all happening. I kind of feel like the under dog with the least subscribers and being the newbie among the 10 finalists. Everyone is so talented and offers a lot the the competition. 

It's truly a blessing to be a part of this whole journey, but I really hope I get to stay in the game long enough to share with everyone a few of my challenges I did. I don't think I've ever worked so hard and fast on posting things! 

you can visit the site to view all challenges each week and vote! Voters get a chance to win weekly prizes and a grand prize trip to Mexico!!! So go vote for me! 

I still can't believe it! I'm seriously so grateful to everyone who has supported me near and far. The support has made me continue blogging and vlogging when I doubted myself or thought that my passions where not valid enough. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

xoxo
Serein

Fall Layering Outfits

With Fall comes cozy sweater, but we can't always jump into full on winter gear, especially here in Southern California. Here are some ideas for transitioning your lighter pieces by layering up and still looking fashionable. If you'd rather watch, check out my video here

 Look #1:

I love my summer dresses, they are super easy to wear and always makes you look more put together than shorts and a tank.

Here I'm layering a Brandy Melville sweater over my Brandy Melville summer dress.
Added some leg warmers from Grace & Lace for a bit more warmth and paired it with knee high boots from Clarks.

My purse is from Dooney and Bourke. I love the classic saddle bag style, it'll never go out of style and can be passed on for future generations. The chocolate brown is beautiful and looks rich.

My jewelry is from Stella & Dot.

Look #2

This is a great look for work or anything a little more business casual. 

My pants are from J.Crew the pixie pant, which are unbelievably comfortable and quite sturdy. Top is from Zara.

Boots are from Macy's.

My clutch, scarf, and necklace are all from Stella & Dot. The long necklace dresses up the look and the scarf is functional for keeping me warm in air conditioned rooms or when it gets cooler at night. 

 Look #3: 

This is more my typical everyday go to look. Comfy and Casual.

Jeans are from American Eagle Outfitters. Tank is from Madewell. Boots from Clarks. Sweater from Zara. Necklace from Stella & Dot.

You can find lots of the pieces in my Luvocracy account where you can purchase directly from the retailer! Don't forget to follow me on all my social media and subscribe to my youtube channel!!!

Currently have a Lorac Pro To Go pallet giveaway and will be announcing a new giveaway early next week :-)

Retail Therapy

Sometime a gal just needs a little retail therapy. So I had a bad day and I treated myself a little more than I should have, but hey, you get to enjoy this new video :-)

One of my favorite youtube beauty gurus Missglamorazzi or Ingrid started this tag and what better way to start off spring then mentioning my favs for the upcoming months ahead!

My first get ready with me video, just in time for Spring!

Hope you enjoy :-)

Brandy and Melville Haul

I'm obsessed with Brandy and Melville and love their clothes! So naturally I went a little crazy.

Lush and Love Your Jeans Haul

February Favorites

Christmas Eve Make Up Experiment

New Post Up on Tumblr Because the blogger app on IPad sucks!

Make up obsessed

Lately I've been just slightly obsessed with make up blogs and trying new brands, here's a few pics of the latest damage over the holiday weekend :-)

What My Momma Taught Me

In honor of Mothers Day… a day late, here are some things my mamma taught me about fashion.

1.    You can never have enough shoes, especially if you got them on sale.

My mom is always buying shoes off the sale racks; she has small feet and always lucks out on the cutes flats.

Best memory is when we were in NYC and she was waiting at a Starbucks. While I walked around and came back, she had gone next door to buy a pair of clogs she saw on sale. This was on top of the leopard ballet flats she just bought a few days ago.

2.    Comfort is key.

No matter what, if you’re uncomfortable it’s not fashionable.  Plus you should wear your close, not the other way around.

3.    Less is more.

My mom rarely shoes off too much skin, she always looks cool and classy in any occasion. You won’t catch her with too much cleavage or her undies hanging out.

4.    Stick with what works.

Don’t follow trends unless it works on you. It’s always important to know what you like and what looks good on you and stick to it no matter what the fashion world is hot on this minute.

5.    Don’t be afraid of patterns

My mom is so brave with certain colors and patterns, but always manages to tame it down with a solid and look fashionable and fun.

Happiness is a Bow and a Bone

I’ve been pretty busy lately, so busy that I haven’t even taken my dog to the groomers. Her hair had gotten a little crazy. She started to look like a little 4 lb lion.  This week I made an appointment to take Dolly to the groomers. While she was there, I’d take a yoga class and breath.

Before groomers

When I got her back they had put these cutes bows in her hair. This was a first, normally they just tie an adorable handkerchief around her neck that gets torn off the second she gets home and plays with her brother.

The grooming and the bows made Dolly look like a doll. She was adorable. She seemed to even know that she was more adorable then normal. She ran around the house all happy and wagging her little butt. It must feel good to be able to see and not have all that hair in her way, plus it’s been really hot lately in the valley, so I’m sure the shorter hair was appreciated.

After Groomers

This got me thinking about if animals really do know how cute they are? Of course not, but I bet they feel good after a much needed bath and good brushing. I bet that they sense how cute they are by how humans react to them. I know that when I get a haircut I feel better. For one thing I can see again because my bangs get trimmed out of my eyes. Having someone massage your head as they wash your hair is fantastic too and of course it’s always great to hear the complements of your new do.

Check out my cool bows

While animals don’t know how cute they are, they feel good by all the complements and attention they get from us. It’s amazing to watch my dogs soak up the attention from me, my fiancé, or even a complete stranger. Why don’t we allow ourselves to truly enjoy the attentions given sometimes? I think it’s a fear of accepting a complement because it might be true or maybe we don’t want to seem conceded or vain. What’s wrong with taking care of yourself to feel good and accepting the compliments? We groom ourselves to feel good, so soak it up.

Dry Bars have been popping up all over lately, which is a great idea. If you don’t have time for a cut or can’t afford a trim every 4 weeks, why not treat yourself to a blow out? They offer wine and a great head massage as your shampooed and your hair looks great for a few days if you can manage to not wash it.

My dogs are some of the happiest creatures and I really think it’s because they can take a complement and soak up the admiration. Nothing makes Dolly happier than a bone and a bow, the bone for her personal pleasure, the bow because of the attention it brings. 

Traveling Lite

So in preparation for my NYC trip this past weekend, I decided I was going to travel in fashion, but lite. Normally I have to always check in luggage and bring a carry on. I’m a little bit of a freak and have to have at least one day’s worth of clothing on me while traveling along with all of my necessities in toiletries. I’m always afraid of loosing my luggage. So this time I challenged myself to not over pack and to only bring carry on. This was going to be hard since I like options in clothing, shoes, accessories, and I tend to always lug my whole bathroom with me.  Since I really didn’t’ need to bring my computer, I was going to leave it at home. Scary thought. Which is also why my blogs are a bit late this week.

In preparing for my version of traveling lite, I started to collect travel sizes and samples of my favorite make up counters. If I couldn’t get a travel size, the merchants were always great at making me a sample in those tiny little containers, which I will be saving for future travel. Normally I freak out with such a small amount, what if it’s not enough for the whole trip and god forbid I was to run out of anything! This time I would be gone for 3 nights, so I kept reminding myself to ration things out and that a little goes a long way, besides I never use all of the products at home. So while I made sure I had everything liquid and gel in small containers less than 3 oz. and that they all fit in a zip lock bag, I started to obsessively check the weather.

Every day I would check the hourly forecast; I needed to know how I was going to get by with just 2 pairs of shoes max. If it were to rain, I’d have to switch out my leather boots, for my wellies.  Also if it were to rain I’d need my water repellent coat instead of my pea coat. I waited to the last possible minute to pack my clothes based on the weather. I was trusting the weather predictors with my wardrobe needs. Please don’t fail me now!

I decided to wear on the plane my skinny 7 jeans, a gray tank top, green long sleeve American Apparel sweatshirt, and Tom’s shoes for easy security check point. Then I packed for my first day in the city, a long sleeve dark gray cashmere dress, black tights, black over the knee knit socks, black leather knee high boots, and my only coat for the trip a charcoal gray pea coat. I wanted to look nice for the show we were seeing that evening and not slum it. Just because I’m out all day and traveling with a carry on didn’t mean I had to look it.

For Easter I brought a gray v-neck long sleeve, my favorite J. Brand dark denim skinny jeans, and wore the same black leather boots. I added a bright green scarf for some color.

Then for the travel back, which I had to rush straight from the airport to a last minute audition, I luckily had a maroon long sleeve button up that I wore with my 7s and Toms so I was able to travel easy and comfortably and still look presentable off the plane straight into an audition.

So everything worked out, I ended up having brought too much product as usual, even in those tiny containers. I had way too many pairs of underwear. I was even able to fit all of the new clothes I purchased from Brandy and Melville in my carry on to take home. So it was possible to pack lite, even for me. It just took a little planning and imagination when you don’t get to bring your whole wardrobe with you. 

What a Good Manicure Taught Me

It’s amazing what a good manicure can do for you. I like to go to this little place in Studio City called La Flora Nails. The place is small with no bells or whistles, but they give the best manicures I’ve ever had. Usually when I leave a place, I have cuts or some hang nails because of the aggression that the nail technician took out on my cuticles, even when I tell them that my skin is really delicate and cuts easily.

Lillian however, is my savior when it comes to my nails. She is an artist. My paint job is never better. The time and care she takes for everything is amazing. She sculpts my cuticles with such delicateness I barely even feel it. She exfoliate my dead skin and chisel it away.  She then paints them like she is filling a blank canvas with her own art. I leave with beautiful hands and feet for a reasonable price. Lillian’s work gives me a little piece of beauty to take home with me.

Manicures are great because when I see them first thing in the morning, I feel pretty. If I’m in “down dog” position at yoga I can smile a little as I struggle through different poses. Training for my race in May, I feel like a sweaty, blubbering mess trying to keep pace for one more mile. But then I see my nails and it just makes things a little better. So why don’t I get them done more often?

Usually I make excuses. “Well I can do them myself”,… which never has the same effect and looks like a finger-paint job gone wrong.  “I don’t have time”…which is crap because everyone can carve out an hour out of their month to take care of themselves a little. “It’s too expensive”… yet the $5 per day Starbucks could easily be nixed, since it’s over priced calories added to my diet that doesn’t nearly make me feel as good or lasts as long as a manicure.

So why don’t we take the time to make ourselves feel good? Is it that we don’t think that we deserve it? Why do I wait till there’s a special occasion to visit Lillian? I take my dog to the groomers more than I take myself to get a manicure. I know I can afford a manicure 2 times a month. I can find the time for it. With as much joy as it brings me, I should make it a priority and I am now.

What are the small pleasures that make you feel beautiful? When was the last time you allowed yourself to have it? Why can’t it be part of our routine? We take care of our cars and everyone around us; make sure you take the time to take care of yourself. 

What Pretty Little Liars Has Taught Me

As I sit here in anticipation for the midnight screening of The Hunger Games, I can’t help thinking about how movies and TV have influenced fashion.  For me, I have always gone to the extreme in inspiration. When I was obsessed with the movie, The Three Amigos, my brother drove down to Tijuana and got me an authentic Three Amigos outfit complete with a matching sombrero. You can bet I wore that thing out and about. When the movie Clueless came out, I went shopping with my sister and she decked me out in mini skirts, knee high socks, and matching tops, of course this was totally inappropriate for elementary school. 

Even today, I notice how I’ve been inspired by the movies and shows I’m watching. My latest inspiration…ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. I know this sounds like a silly teen girl soap, but it’s actually really good. You’d have to start from the beginning to know what’s going on, but there’s a reason this show is such a hit. There was even a blog about it on the Huffington Post about how Pretty Little Liars is a great feminist show that empowers young women. So in honor of my latest obsession, I’m wearing pure lacquer nail apps (instant nail polish with designs printed on them). I even started wearing more Aria type dresses. For those of you who don’t watch the show, Aria is the creative, artsy, funky type, who will mix prints, colors, and styles on any given day depending on her mood. In my fiancé’s words he describes her style as fun, youthful, and sometimes jailbait gothic.

If you follow the show you’d see that each girl has a very distinct style and personality. While I’m probably more of a “Hanna” girl, who obsesses about fashion and can tell you what designer everyone is wearing or where they got their clothes, I wish I were a little more artsy, creative, and bold like Aria. I also find it interesting that like Hanna, I always tried to fit in. I wore designers and clothes that were fashionable and popular, to be popular. While Aria, who marches to the beat of her own drum and isn’t afraid to take risks, always knows who she is and isn’t afraid to show it. I know that I have both girls in me. I started being an Aria, as a kid, with my costumes and dressing how I felt. In my teens, I became a Hanna, somewhere along the way, I turned into a little bit of the over-achieving, preppy Spencer, and now I’m trying to find my way back to Aria.

So, instead of the conservative burgundy or light pink nails I normally get, I opted for lace printed black nails. While I normally admire others with bold choices, I rarely make any myself. Usually I tend to stick to things I know that works on me. So even though I only changed my nails, which are completely temporary, it made me feel a little bolder, a little fearless. It’s funny how such a small thing can change your whole attitude about yourself and how you feel. This small gesture for myself even allowed me to explore my wardrobe a bit more. I had this red knitted tank dress that I never wore because it was completely see through. Well I found a black slip in the back of my closet and wore it under, then I found a cream woven belt and some matching thigh-high socks to go with my knee high biker boots. I made it work and it was completely appropriate and actually really fun to wear.

photo from ABC Family

So if a manicure can do this for me, what can it do for you this week?

Life's Too Short, Put on Your Good Jeans

It’s funny how some things that you were told as a kid stays with you for life. Then you spend your adult life trying to unlearn those things. I grew up with the idea that nice things should be saved for a special occasion.  Those pretty, new, shiny shoes shouldn’t be worn until it was a special occasion and even then, don’t get them dirty or god forbid a scratch on them. Yesterday when I woke up, I looked at my closet and thought, well I’m not doing anything but working from home and then meeting a friend at Starbucks before I go for my run, so I shouldn’t wear my nice jeans. I should put on my old jeans, that don’t fit well, are a little stiff, and make me feel a little fat. WHAT WAS I THINKING? This goes against everything I believe in, but it’s been so ingrained in me to save things. This stops now!

This isn’t living and it definitely isn’t fun. So what if I don’t have anything special going on for the day? I should still dress my best and I should definitely dress to make myself feel great. Why did I knowingly put on jeans that I don’t feel great in when I have 5 pairs that do? Because God forbid the ones I like fade or get dirty.  I take really good care of my things, but this is a little extreme. The jeans will most likely go out of style by the time they fade or get holes in them. Also if they do fade, it’s not the end of the world, I can drive my butt down to the mall and get another pair. Somehow this thing that my parents kept telling me or expected of me when I was growing up, has stuck and it keeps creeping back into my life.

If I look back, it goes all the way back to my grandmother and probably her mother. My grandmother would save cookies and candy for special occasions, but usually by the time she brought them out to enjoy, they had gone stale or expired completely. This is where I get my phobia of mold and food gone bad, I have no problem tossing food that is slightly old. I can’t stand mold and I will freak out if the sell by date has passed and the food is still in my fridge.

Life is too short. These clothes, shoes, and accessories are just material objects, if you can’t enjoy them, then what’s the point? Clothes should be worn and enjoyed. They should make you feel great when you put them on.  What is a special occasion anyways? My last special occasion that really mattered was when I was proposed to wearing sweats, no make up, and messy hair. The moments that are important to us aren’t defined by what we wear and it wasn’t like I told my fiancé to hold on while I go put on my cute sweats, but I can’t help imagining the situation where I allowed myself to wear my nice sweats that morning. This is a perfect example of why you should always dress your best and for yourself, you never know what’s going to happen. You don’t want all the important moments in life to happen while your wearing jeans that make you look fat or sweats full of holes and coffee stains, do you?