#OOTD: Autumn Hues (Feat. StyleWe)

November 22, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Burrrrrrrr! It sure has gotten cold here in the ‘Burgh recently (much to my dismay), but I’m not letting the dropping temperatures get me down during my favorite season. And though it’s been chilly lately, we’ve still had a few nice days to take the opportunity to dress up— without having to dress in a ton of layers. And since yesterday was probably one of those last nice days we’ll have this year, I decided to take the opportunity to show off some fabulous fall colors by stepping out in my gorgeous new dress from my sponsor and affiliate, StyleWe, and strolling through Sewickley to do a little early holiday shopping, before grabbing a fabulous dinner at Bruneaux.

Colors Of The Season

Though getting a jump start on Christmas shopping isn’t necessarily a glamorous affair, due to the fact that it was absolutely gorgeous yesterday I decided to doll myself up a bit since I haven’t had the chance too since it has been so cold lately (and unfortunately will now continue to be until spring). But as we all know, I will take any and every excuse to dress up, so doing some early bird holiday shopping followed by dinner afterwards was as good as any! So I chose to go with this chic little dress, due to the fact that it was dressy enough to go to dinner at Bruneaux yet casual enough to stroll through town without being uncomfortable or feeling overdressed.

Much like everything else I have received from StyleWe over the years, this dress is made incredibly well, fits like a glove, and just makes for an overall flattering look. The first thing I noticed about this dress is how rich the color of the fabric is. This beautiful red hue is perfect for the fall season and is sure to get anyone who is wearing it some compliments. I also love this color because it really warms up my fair complexion as well as adds a pop of color to the grey backdrop that southwestern Pennsylvania becomes in the fall and winter. Aside from the dress’ color, another thing I adore about this garment is it’s fit and it’s cut. Due to having an hourglass shape, I tend to wear many clothes that have a fitted waist, which this dress most definitely has, which accentuates my curves perfectly. I also love the asymmetrical cut of the dress’ hem, giving this look a very cool and modern feel, which is great because that is a big trend this season.

The final thing I love about this dress is the zipper detailing on its sleeves as well as its adorable split bell sleeves. Much like I’ve mentioned in the past, I love bell sleeves due to their feminine touch and chic feel. And to keep this dress’ chic and feminine feel, I chose to style it with one of my favorite layered necklaces, along with some Kendra Scott earrings, my JORD Hyde series watch, and my beloved Chloe Drew bag, just to keep things light!

Lastly, to finish my overall look, I chose to keep my makeup subtle, and opted to use my bareMinerals BarePro foundation, bareMinerals blush, along with some Maybelline eyeshadow and NARS lipstick. The reason I chose these particular shades is because they complemented the rich color of the dress as well as the earthy tones of the fall season.

One Last Look

How have you been styling during the pre-holiday season, and have you gotten a jump start on your Christmas shopping yet? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarKRavingChic! Curious what I've been shopping for or want to share your own holiday scores? Feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic! Later, dolls.

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

#OOTD: Go Bananas! (Feat. SheIn + bareMinerals Compliments of Influenster)

October 10, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Every year throughout the fall and winter seasons, my long time readers know there are a couple common themes:

1. The fact that I absolutely love every single thing about the fall season, in particular the month of October (I'm a BIG Halloween fan and lover of all things spooky).

2. I usually run one or two giveaways depending on sponsorships and time constraints. (You can check out my current one HERE featuring my affiliate and sponsor JORD.)

3. Since fall is my favorite season I tend to post more "#OOTD" posts during this season than any other due to all the fun fall activities I enjoy and dress for!

Well today's post is no different, except for one key component: Today along with my fabulous, new babydoll dress from my lovely sponsor SheIn, I am also thrilled to announce that I have also had the opportunity to pair up with Influenster and my affiliate bareMinerals and test out their newest product: BarePro, which is a long lasting, liquid foundation! So before I dive into my outfit and what I was up to over the weekend (if you follow me on Instagram you know after Sunday brunch with my mum I had a photo shoot!), let me tell you a little bit about the company bareMinerals, Influenster, and of course my review on their product!

A Bit About bareMinerals

If you have been reading my posts here on Stark Raving Chic for awhile, you know that bareMinerals is by far my absolute favorite makeup company. Though I have (and still do) use and work with other brands on occasion, most of my makeup case is predominantly bareMinerals products. But one quest I have never addressed is why I love this company and their products so much. Well, today I'm thrilled to finally have the chance to explain!

First and for most, you should know bareMinerals is a makeup company based out of San Francisco that has been in business for over 35 years. This company is 100% dedicated to producing all natural makeup in order to make you, and your skin, look and feel your best. I personally started using their products back in eighth grade due to having easily irritated skin, and it just so happened that bareMinerals makeup was the only makeup that did not cause me to break out at that time. Another thing you should know about bareMinerals is along with being a 100% natural makeup line, they are also 100% cruelty free, meaning none of their products are tested on animals and their products are not sold in China. Now that you have the important info on the company, let's talk about the product I received compliments of my sponsor Influenster.

As I stated earlier, the bareMinerals product I received complimentary from Influenster is bareMinerals newest liquid foundation, BarePro. The product itself comes packaged very nicely in a glass bottle and contains a little more than three ounces of foundation, which of course is a hefty amount of liquid foundation! I also felt that the foundation was easy to use and apply to my brushes.

Lastly, I have to say that I have absolutely fallen in love with this foundation. The first reason why is the shade I received, Aspen 04, is spot on with my own complexion, which most of the time it is hard for me to find a product that isn't a little too light or a little too dark. I also have to say that BarePro blends so incredibly easily and seamlessly with my other bareMinerals products and provides excellent coverage, all while giving me a desired natural look. The foundation is also light making it comfortable for all day wear and also lives up to its name of being a "performance" foundation because it really does last all day!

Candy Shopping

So after applying my awesome bareMinerals BarePro foundation and the rest of my makeup, I was off to run some errands and shop for one of my favorite October traditions: Trick R' Treat. Though I don't have much of a sweet tooth myself, I have always enjoyed handing out candy to the little ghouls and goblins in my neighborhood on the night of Trick R' Treat. And every year I do my candy shopping locally in Sewickley, because village candy seriously has one of the best selections for Halloween!

Though this adorable babydoll dress from SheIn has a bit more of a summer flare, I chose to style it for my errands this weekend because it was fun, casual, and cool-- as in it kept me from sweltering in the not so fall like weather we had on Saturday. The dress itself though is made of a light cotton material, though I would describe it having a feel more similar to linen, and runs true to size (for reference, mine is a small, and due to the cut and nature of the dress you want it to be loose fitting). I also just love the banana pattern and button detailing on this dress because they each give this piece a fun and playful feel. As always, like all of my clothes from SheIn, this dress is also made incredibly well and is very comfortable. Like I said earlier, it's perfect for a warm day and will keep you looking chic while keeping you cool! The only thing I would caution my readers about is if you want to purchase this dress, you will need a slip to go underneath it because it is a tiny bit see through.

Lastly, to style this cute little number, I chose to keep it simple and pair it with some white Kendra Scott earrings, my newest wooden watch by my sponsor and affiliate JORD, and my plain white and gold Tommy Hilfiger sandals. The reason I chose to pair this playful dress with such simple accessories is because I did not want to take away from its fun pattern and whimsical nature.

One Last Look

How have you been styling during our very unseasonably warm weather? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic. Have a playful outfit you'd just love to show off? I'd love to see it so feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic! Later babes, hope you're enjoying the warm weather!

Xx, Bree

P.S. In case you missed it: if you love the JORD watch I styled in this post, be sure to enter my giveaway by October 15th, 2017 for a chance to win one of your very own plus a $25 e-gift code just for entering! Gets all the details here, in my JORD Fall Campaign + Giveaway post!

P.P.S.

Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

#OOTD: Flares For Fall (Feat. JORD + Ann Taylor + Rocksbox)

October 08, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Ahhh, crisp air in the mornings, leaves crunching under foot, and pumpkins galore! Fall has officially begun here in Pittsburgh and I have been enjoying every minute it of it-- well every minute that I have free too enjoy it anyways, since I recently have been buried in college text books while studying for my midterms. However, I was thrilled that this morning I was able to break away from my studies for a little bit until this afternoon, and take a lovely morning stroll through Sewickley before meeting my mum for our weekly Sunday brunch.

Sunday Strolls

Since it has been rainy the past couple days here in the 'Burgh, I was happy to wake up this morning to see that the sun was shining and that it was an absolutely gorgeous fall day. So, though I probably could have used the the extra hour and a half to work a bit more on my studies, I decided to take a little breather and head to town a little earlier and take a nice autumn morning walk before meeting my mother for brunch, and I have to say, this outfit choice was the perfect combination of comfortable and chic.

For my stroll, as well as our mother, daughter Sunday outing, I chose to pair a simple white blouse from my affiliate, Ann Taylor, along with this adorable pair of flared jeans (which I was thrilled to have found at Marshall's, I've been looking for a good pair of flares for ages!) by American Eagle, and completed this look with some plain white and gold Tommy Hilfiger sandals. And though I know the fashion rule "no white after Labor Day", my long time readers know that I feel that this is a rule that is most definitely meant to be broken!

The reason I say this is because a white blouse is such a kick-ass staple piece for fall, really I firmly believe (and have repeatedly said throughout the years) that every woman should have at least one in her fall wardrobe. "Why", you ask? Well firstly, because you can pair a white blouse with just about anything, whether it be with a cute fall skirt, dress slacks, layered with a sweater, or with jeans for a laid back look such as this one, there is just too much you can do with a white blouse to put it away for the season! Not to mention, there are ways you can dress up a basic white blouse to fit the season: For instance, as you can see in my outfit here, I chose to pair my blouse with some red drop earrings and a gorgeous red Kendra Scott necklace, which are perfect to reflect the colors of the season.

Another way to spruce up this look for fall, was to coordinate fall colors into my makeup palette, which was very easy to do thanks to my sponsor Influenster. (Full post coming soon!) Who provided me with bareMinerals liquid foundation, the awesome Maybelline City Mini's palette "Rooftop Bronze", and Kat Von D's "Bow N Arrow, Fawn Nude" lip liner. All of these darker, earthy tones are an absolutely perfect fit for fall.

And last but not least, I just have to mention the final staple piece to this casual fall outfit: my Hyde series watch by my affiliate and sponsor JORD. Though I can gush about this timepiece for days, the main reason I would like to highlight it is because currently JORD and I are hosting a GIVEAWAY where you can have a chance to win any watch from their Hyde, Frankie, or Frankie 35 series! The contest ends next Sunday so you still have plenty of time to enter, but to read all the rules and entry guidelines you can check out that info HERE.

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite casual fall looks? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about it at @StarkRavingChic! Have a cute fall look or JORD watch of your own that you just need to show off? I'd love to see it, so feel free to tag me in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later babes!

Xx, Bree

Also, In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!