#1 The Fancy Sweatshirt

This piece is great for a weekend with jeans and flats but it can also bring some fun to office clothing – of course, considering your office policy allows for some funky stuff every now and then.  I would wear this with super tight pencil skirt and some high heel pumps. I also think that it’s important to point out that if you want to bring this piece to the office a nice make up and hair situation is required.  Reserve your sexy bed head for the weekend:)

#2 Side interest jeans or pants

Those are awesome for several reasons (especially those below from Rag & Bone) – they elongate anyone’s legs and add a cool girl vibe.  They look great with a simple tee but they can also play well with more elegant items like silk blouses and blazers.

# 3 The Elegant Biker Jacket

So at one point I was really annoyed by biker jackets – they felt like “yesterday’s news” to me. I’ve seen them in every version on the runway – lace, plastic, suede, chiffon, you name it.  But the biker jacket just won’t go away and it has become a wardrobe staple of sorts.  I like the two below as they have a slightly dressy vibe but are very versatile at the same time.  They are shown with jeans in these photos but they could look just as hot with crisp shirt underneath and sharp slacks.

# 4 The leather-look something

First, I’d like to make clear that although these pieces from Maje are all (probably) real leather, I recommend vegan leather all the way.  Our vanity is just not reason enough to justify animal suffering. I still occasionally buy some leather but very minimally and all and all I try to avoid it. Anyway, so back to trends – a leather-look pant will be the easiest piece to integrate into a wardrobe although if you want to do the head-to-toe thing – don’t let me stop you. I’ll probably go with a pant and I am particularly after a deep crimson one like the one below.  Again, the reason I like this piece is because it can look great casual but it can also be dressed up with heels and soft blouse.

* BTW – I am obsessed with these boots – just had to share:)

# 5 Something Military

Depending on your feelings about this trend you can try it by just infusing some fatigue greens into your closet. This season I am looking for everything in fatigue green:)  You can also just introduce an abstracted camo print in a pretty feminine silhouette and that would do it.  The good part about military items is that they always come back in fashion so it ends up being something of an investment piece. The other good part – your local military surplus store probably has some hot stuff at a fraction of the (boutique) cost.

# 6 Peplum Top

Oh yes, magazines have been force feeding us the peplum top for a while now but the reality is that it looks good on pretty much every woman and now since it’s a trend you can find many versions on the market.  Few years ago I had to make my own because I wasn’t finding it but now they are everywhere.  Below are couple of my favorites from ASOS.

#7 Some studded footwear

I know , I know – some studs can look really cheap and annoying and some are just amazing – I am talking about the amazing kind:) I actually bought the ankle strap version below from Zara after seeing it on my friend Erica. She was talking to me and I could not hear anything she was saying because my full attention was drawn to these shoes. That’s how I knew I had to have them.  The boots – well, they are just awesome.

#1 Arbonne FC5 Invigorating Body Cleanser

Great body wash that’s concentrated and lasts a really long time (I bought this bottle in the middle of June and you can see on the photo how much there is left). It leaves your skin super soft and hydrated. I think it also has improved my skin with every use.

#2 and #3  Alterna Bamboo Volume Abundant Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

So I have fine hair and no magic (so far) has been able to help it. I’ve tried everything under the sun and some products have made a small impact but nothing that would get me hooked or really solve the issues fine hair comes with…until these …The shampoo and conditioner really do provide volume and the cool part is – my hair does not get used to them, meaning they do their job every time I wash my hair. I also love their scent! It is a little pricey but again, look at the photo – I bought these bottles June 15th and I wash my hair every other day.  That’s the other thing – I used to wash my hair every day but this shampoo and conditioner allow me to have an extra day between washes. I highly recommend them!

I also tried a shine shampoo from Alterna and I am convinced that whatever your hair issue might be – this brand will have a product to solve it!

That brings me to…

#4 Alterna Caviar 3 Minute Shine Boost

This stuff is amazing!!! It gives your hair incredible shine without weighing it down.  It also detangles but it does not make your hair fly away.  If you have to buy one thing this month – this should be it!

#5 Arbonne RE9 Advanced Smoothing Facial Cleanser

I’ve used this for years and I love it. Hands down the best facial cleanser out there according to me:) Last year I decided to explore various brands as I’ve stuck with this for so long that I felt I might be missing out on some new products. For close to a year I tried various brands that were advertised or recommended to me and my skin really suffered. In the end, I am back to using this and the difference is really staggering. It is a superior cleanser and I hope you guys give it a try.

The floral material that you see in the photo are kimono sleeves I bought from FurugiStar as well. The silk is gorgeous, the material has dimensional relief and the print is so gentle and beautiful. I am thinking I will be making something interior-related from those – pillows or wall hangings…we’ll see. Of course, I will keep you posted:)

So I really wanted these pink graphic dots, slightly bigger than those I’m showing but they were sold out so I just went with the classic. This one is called “In the Spot-light”. They have all sorts of cool patterns. I personally will be going for those pink dots (ah, the ones that got away!) and some pastel plaid. They are fairly easy to apply. This is my first time and you can see couple mistakes on the photos. The strips are made of real nail polish and are supposed to last up to 10 days….we’ll see about that, I’ll let you guys know. The kit comes with a mini nail file and one of those wooden sticks.  The coolest part is that once you stick them on you are ready to go. There is no drying time! What do you think? Will you give those a try?

UPDATE: This thing really lasted over 7 days. It finally started chipping (very little) on day 8! Also, found the pink dots! You will see them in an upcoming post.