Walter Mercado is My Spiritual Advisor

Posted on October 29, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

For those of you who may not know who Walter Mercado is, shame on you! All jokes aside this tv personality has been a cultural fixation of the Hispanic community for so many years. He is an astrologer/persona who predicted and read horoscopes from the 70’s up until 2010. His mysterious aura was heightened with his choice of flamboyant wardrobe which included jewel encrusted capes and gowns. Call him the “Liberace of astrology” if you will, he has had the attention of latino households who appreciate him for his comedic relief he offers or take his word as up most truth.

I managed to snag this awesome Raglan sweater perfect for the start of fall from none other then the young artist Tony Peralta of the Peralta Project. Founded in 2005, Native New Yorker Tony Peralta has mixed his artwork and designs to include street wear for the masses. His gear is a mix of latino culture with hip hop and New York City’s vibes all in one.

“Those who connect with The Peralta Project are bold, opinionated, intelligent, fearless, humorous, defiant trend setters who run the world at their own pace, trusting their vision every step of the way.” –The Peralta Project

I paired the top with my linen leopard Cynthia Rowley shorts purchased at Tjmaxx for contrast in texture and color. My old season Forever 21 moccasins in olive tone and my neutral Kate Spade quilted purse completed the outfit. Links to items below!

“Walter Mercado” Raglan

ASOS Culotte Shorts in Leopard Print – Mutli • Asos • $18.95
Gianni Bini Tammy Leopard-Print Shorts • Gianni Bini • $41.40
Kat Leopard Print Flippy Shorts • Boohoo • $14.00
Generation Love June Leopard Shorts • Generation Love • $69.00

Les deseo mucha paz pero sobre todo mucho…mucho..AMOR!

-Ari

“Fall” into the 90’s – Tommy Hilfiger

Posted on October 23, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

This last installment of my “Fall” into the 90’s mini-series (check out the previous two here and here) is inspired by the Tommy Hilfiger takeover of the late 90’s urban community. Although hip-hop and the iconic brand have had their ups and downs, the selling power of that magical time cannot be denied. Every “cool” celebrity rocked Tommy Hilfiger and his business expanded as more and more adopted the trend. I absolutely love and adore specifically how the late Aaliyah would wear her Hilfiger gear and it is where I drew my inspiration from for this outfit. She looked tomboy-ish and comfortable but still effortless sexy and urban. I found both the Tommy Hilfiger boyfriend jeans and undies (boy’s size) at my local tjmaxx both on clearance! I spent less than $20 and I couldn’t be happier. In order to give it the “fall” element I wore my sturdy wheat timberlands as well as threw on a sweater crop top that happened to coordinate with my color scheme. Most of the pieces for my mini fall series came from my own closet and were items I could mix and match to get the 90’s aesthetic. Check out similar items below!

Crop Top
Tommy Hilfiger Jeans
Timberland’s
Tommy Hilfiger Underwear- Here & Here

-Love

Ari

“Fall” into the 90’s- Sporty Look

Posted on October 15, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

For the second post of the “Fall” into the 90’s 3 part series I wanted to go for a more sportier look then the first. I found this sweatshirt dress on clearance at H&M and have been able to style it so many ways ever since! In thinking about by the 90’s I went the more urban route and paired it with my nike air max sneakers, holographic clutch and can’t forget my tribal tattoo spiral choker set complete with ring and bracelet. I used to rock these chokers in so many different colors and styles back in the day! This dress is super versatile and can also be worn belted with heels for a chilly fall night out on the town. The cute yellow socks with heart print detail are from forever 21 and are best worn on a less cold evening since they are very thin. Check out the bottom for similar items and links.

Excuse the lack of nail polish…I am trying to grow these babies out!

90’s Sporty Fashion by ari-pena featuring genuine leather handbags

-Ari Baby, “Please say the Baby”

“Fall” into the 90’s- Clueless Edition

Posted on October 9, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

What could be better then the weather cooling down? I say continuing to rock those summer 90’s trends straight into the colder months, saving time and money in your pocket! I decided to start a mini 3 part post series called “Fall into the 90’s” so I could get the most bang for my buck and wear some of my favorite pieces from the ongoing 90’s trend straight into the fall season. Here is my attempt at recreating an iconic look from the movie “Clueless” starring Alicia Silverstone as the fashionable Cher Horowitz. This classic cult film inspired me to get creative and reuse some old items I had in the back of my closet. The v-neck long-sleeved top is a basic from target, while the jumpsuit is from the brand “Max Rave” purchased ages ago. For this look the accessories say it all, the knee-high socks with frill detail, sun flower choker, combat boots, and clear clutch all give the look the 90’s aesthetic without being to gimmicky or overpowering. Links to similar items below!

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Awesome video by “Worn Fashion Journal”

Similar Overall Dresses- Here, Here & Here

Sunflower Choker

Similar Socks- Here & Here

Boots- Here & Here

As if!

-Ari

eShakti custom tailored dress

Posted on October 7, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Hello there lovelies! Yes, as you can already tell this is another eShakti post, except I (Gwen) will now be showing you the dress I was sent and my overall thoughts on the ordering process. First order of business, check out this paisley print swing dress which I paired with a belt to cinch my waist, some knee high flat boots and a woven cardigan.

As Ari mentioned in her post we were contacted by this online clothing shop and were thrilled because this was our first custom tailored outfit being sent to us. Jane Carter was who I directly emailed with and she was such a pleasure to work with! I was having issues placing my order for the dress and she gladly processed it for me. What’s wonderful about this site is not only do they have sizes ranging from 0-36 they also customize your clothing item, all you need to do is send them your measurements! This is so great for those of us that have trouble fitting into certain clothing items, I mean lets face it most pieces are created for one body type when in the real world women come in various shapes and sizes. When will designers finally get this through their heads? (Moving on because this could turn into an ugly rant).
All in all I am giving eShakti my stamp of approval! Customer service was on point, shipment was received in a timely manner and best part of all the dress fits me perfectly!

*The dress I received is no longer in stock but I will link similar ones down below

Till next time,
-Gwen

Tulip print dress
Floral a-line

*Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Ari and I always share our own personal thoughts and opinions on items we review or share with you.

OOTD: Black Blazer

Posted on September 30, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Once it starts to become a bit cooler out my absolute go to piece of clothing is a blazer. A simple look like a white t-shirt and jeans can be easily transformed by adding a classic staple piece such as a black blazer. I am obsessed with hats so of course I had to throw one on to complete this look, check it out below…

Now depending on where you are going this outfit can be worn casually or somewhat dressed up. For a day time look this could be paired with flats or your choice of low heeled boots, for an evening look adding a pair of pumps or some sort of heel as I did gives the look a more polished feel.

Style set created below through Polyvore (Click on items for links on where to purchase same or similar items)

black blazer by gwendolyn-pena featuring a shoulder strap purse

What are some of your fall go to pieces? Leave your comments down below!

-Gwen

How to: College Football Makeup

Posted on September 26, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Graduating in 2012 from the University of Central Florida was one of the proudest moments of my life. In looking back at my college experience, I wish I had participated in more “college” activities when I had the chance. In comes football games and tail-gating! I attended my first game ever this past weekend and like most people could not wait to don my colors and rep my school (even though Im an alum now). I decided to go all out and finally break out this beautiful gold pigment from NYX I had been waiting to use for some time. It is so sparkly and intense and can easily liven up any look.The “bondage weightless makeup adhesive” from Urban Decay was the perfect choice & worked so well at holding the pigment. No heavy feeling on my lid as I yelled and cheered throughout the evening!

I first prepped my eye for all that color with NYX skin tone primer all over the eyelid, crease, & brow bone
I then used a yellow shimmer shadow from the NYX Mysterious Brown Eyes Color palette all over the eyelid (as another base to make the yellow glitter pop even more)
I then used Urban Decay Eyeshadows “Tyranny” as a transitional color in the crease & “Vengeance” in the crease up to the brow bone for more depth. Remember to blend!
I applied Urban Decay Bondage Adhesive to my eyelid (straight from the tube) and covered the entirety of the yellow.
With a clean flat shader brush, I patted the NYX glitter pigment on the entire lid. I kept adding more and building the intensity until I reached my desired effect.
Optional-Finally, I used black gel liner to create a cat eye and finished off with loads of mascara!

Make sure to clean up afterwards thoroughly seeing as I had a lot of fall out (not after once it was already dried on my eye) I am just messy during my process! These steps can be replicated with any of the variety of pigments depending on your team colors (blue or purple would look spectacular). Links below!

urban decay, nyx, glitter, pigment, cat eye, glitter glue, ucf, college, football, makeup

***On my lips I am wearing Gerard Cosmetics in the color “1995”, also both my Anastasia contour kit and Loreal telescopic mascara were used.

Nyx Pigment

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction

Nyx Primer

Go UCF Knights!

-Ari

Fall into Fall

Posted on September 24, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Happy Fall everyone! Although I am a bit sad the summer is officially gone I am also very excited for my new Fall wardrobe! I’ve already done some shopping and cannot wait to post a few more outfit ideas for all you lovelies. Well then, shall we get started?

The weather can still be somewhat unpredictable in the beginning of Fall which is why layering or wearing pieces that have a bit of a thicker material will come in handy. In the outfit below I paired a gray and black hummingbird sweatshirt from H&M with a textured skater skirt from Forever 21. Here’s a closer look…

I also wanted to add a bit of fun to this outfit by adding a floppy brim round top hat and my black fringe handbag. Adding accessories with various textures can make all of the difference on a once seemingly simple outfit.

Here are quick links to where you can find these exact or similar pieces.

Sweatshirt
Skater Skirt
Fringe Bag
Floppy hat

Special thank you to my hopefully new-found photographer, my best friend Emily.

Stay tuned for more outfit of the day looks!

-Gwen

Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit For Her

Posted on September 20, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

How freaking cute is this Pinch Provisions minimergency kit! I saw this baby at the Sephora check out line (don’t they always get you) and knew I needed it in my life the moment I laid eyes on it. The small packaging is genius and they offered a variety of colors to choose from besides the leopard print. I am someone who likes to be prepared for any catastrophic events that can occur (especially having to do with my wardrobe). It often happens that when I need that safety pin, or tide stick for example…I never have it! This little bag keeps everything you could possibly need in one convenient location that is easy to throw in any purse. 17 items for any and all malfunctions that could possibly occur, from tape, breath refreshments, bandaids,wipes and earring backs you are pretty set for any emergency you may face. It even had enough space for me to add even more bandaids and also a small tiny sample AVON lipstick that could be used for lips or cheeks. I love it and feel prepared when I step out the door now. Links below!

Yes all 17 items fit perfectly in this tiny pouch! I personally added more (normal sized) bandaids and the tiny lipstick sample.

Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit For Her

-Ari

eShakti Custom Dress +Coupon Code!

Posted on September 14, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

We were contacted a couple of weeks ago from an online women’s clothing company named eShakti with regards to reviewing the site and process of clothing customization. We of course jumped at the opportunity, after all this site boast to cater to women from sizes 0-36W and besides your ready to order items it will customize anything from the site whether its size or style.The following is my impression of my process.

-First things first- Customer service is on point! They were so gracious and extremely helpful in the customizing aspect (since it was my first time ordering from the site.)

-I loved how easy it was to send your measurements and changing aspects of the garment such as length.

– The options are beautiful, well made and well suited for many occasions.

I chose this “embellished print poplin dress” because I was in need of more work place attire and thought this could merge my love for trends and being work appropriate. It is beautiful! It fits perfectly tailored to me and although it is lined it didn’t feel heavy at all and can be worn to transition throughout the seasons. I sent my personal measurements as well as opted to make it at the knee instead below knee-length (since I am only 5’3). It worked out and the olive tone looks great with my pink Nine West heels. The a-line gives me more shape and the high empire waist creates the illusion of curves. I would definitely order from them considering you get to design your own piece from start to finish!

They were gracious enough to send us a coupon code for anyone that might be interested in customizing and purchasing something from the site. Good for 10% on any purchase and will only last until September 27, 2014 so hurry and check it out!

Use the code – applesandoranges