Braid Waist Romper

When curating my fashion looks for the Dominican Republic, I knew that I needed them to be simple and easy to throw on yet still afford me the structure that my clothing requires for my body to look balanced. I love a staple romper to accomplish this because they can transition from day to night while not giving up the comfort and ease needed when you’re on vacation. This 100% cotton, non-stretch denim romper from ASOS was the perfect fit! Not only does it fit extremely well, it has a braided belt detail and cut out back for that extra added flair. It can be paired with sandals as I did or even combat boots to dress it down. Rock your natural hair or some pretty braids and go sans bra while you’re having some fun in the sun. Check out the link below to get your hands on it!

FullSizeRender

IMG_6304

FullSizeRender (2)

IMG_6305

IMG_6302

ASOS Denim Braid Waist Romper

XOXO- ARI

 

ASOS SWIM

ASOS is literally my go to site whenever I am in need of special one of a kind pieces. This time around I wanted to treat myself to some stylish swimsuits for my tropical get away with my sister and mother. Not only did these suit me perfectly for the trip but they are also versatile for pretty much any water related event. With recent weight gain I desired more coverage with certain trouble areas and figured one pieces were the way to go. When looking for bathing suits I look for a couple of things, texture, details, and shape. I prefer feminine sweetheart neck lines that accentuate my bust with added surprises like the peplum to give the illusion of a curvier bottom half. I typically steer clear of added material to my chest seeing as it can draw the eye more to this area but could not resist this beautiful ruffle frill trim on this white polka dot suit! Sometimes it’s ok to let go of your style rules and it can pay off in the end. Lastly the scuba material really helps to create structure and sculpt any problem areas like the tummy. This white suit is unfortunately out of stock for the moment but the red peplum is still available in black. I have also linked similar items that may be of interest down below.

  • Disclaimer, if you are more into comfort versus style these wouldn’t be for you! I couldn’t exactly lift my arms with the shoulder straps and the scuba material peplum sucks you in for a tight fit perhaps not working well with water sport activities. These suits are meant to be admired and sun bathed in :0)

imageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimage

XOXO- ARI

ASOS Swim Suits- Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here

Forever Swim

As some of you know from our Instagram posts Ari our mom and I went on a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic during Memorial weekend. We had the best time celebrating our moms 50th birthday, so much eating, drinking, exploring and relaxing by the beach/pool and last but not least sneaking in a few photos for the blog. 

Before any trip I usually like to buy a couple of new things, especially swimsuits since they can begin looking worn out after only a few uses. I picked up two one piece swimming suits and a top piece from Forever 21 (plus size) and I couldn’t be happier with them. Here’s a closer look…

This black and cheetah print one piece ($32.90) has such a flattering heart shaped top, perfect for busty girls who desire some sort of structure in a suit. 

This all black and mesh swim suit ($32.90) was also a good fit for me as it sucked everything in. The mid section is mesh material which adds a nice touch of edge/sexiness.

Unfortunately this is the only shot I’ve got of the Yellow and black top ($17.90) but I’m hoping you can still get a feel of how it fits. I don’t usually wear two pieces but I couldn’t pass this one up. It lifted and supported me so amazingly well. I’m thinking of getting it in another color! 

I purchased all of these swimming suits in a 1x for those needing a size reference. 

Cheetah one-piece

Black Caged one-piece (Similar)

Yellow Top

Hope this post helped any of my plus sized ladies looking to purchase a new swimsuit this summer. 

Till next time, 

xx, Gwen 

Flower Power 

Two weekends ago I was in Brooklyn celebrating a birthday when I stumbled upon some amazing murals along the sidewalk. It’s such a rare occasion when I am able to take outfit photos that I of course jumped at the opportunity and made my friends take some of me on their cell phones.

(Disclaimer: Hence why they aren’t the best quality, but I thought why not share).

Not sure if living in London for part of last year had some influence in my style but as of lately I’ve been very much into dark colors, (Shocking right!). When I saw this dress it immediately caught my eye because it has dark undertones but what really stood out was the pop of orange. The dress is from H&M and I purchased it back in the Fall for $14.95! Side note: I am loving the fact that H&M now carries more of their clothing items in a size xl. Unfortunately it is no longer available but, there’s a similar sleeveless style at the moment in stores. 

Now on to the boots! These white block heeled boots are one of my favorite purchases I’ve made in a while. I saw them on the Aldo website and proceeded to hunt them down in store. They are sort of an off white/beige shade with a chunky black and silver heel. They can easily be worn with jeans, dresses, skirts, shorts, you name it! Once again they are not available but I did tag the clear heeled missguided boots my sister wore in a previous post.

H&M Dress
Missguided Boots
Ray-Ban Aviators

Hope you all enjoyed this quick ootd. Ari and I will be traveling together soon, which means I’ll make her take loads of photos of me! 

Till next time, 

xx, Gwen 

Sale at Sephora 

If you love Sephora you know that their twice a year sale is very much awaited by many. For about a week or so the store offers 10-15% off products (this percentage depends on your reward status). I purchased my items in store, picking up some replacements and three new products that I am very excited to try. Here’s a closer look… 

 


Top left hand corner
: Beauty Blender solid cleanser I really love this for those times my brushes need some inbetween cleansing. Wet your brush, give it a swirl around the soap and boom all clean! (For a deeper cleaning I use Dr. Bronners Pure Castile soap and a little drop of coconut oil)  

Bottom left: Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with rose clay This mask is one of the new products I cannot wait to try. It’s described as a two in one purifying mask and skin refiner. It Gently deep cleans while refining skin’s texture. I’m planning on staying in this Friday night and giving it a go. 

Center: Dr. Jart+ Bright Infusion sheet mask Yet another new product, which claims to moisturize and brighten while improving complexion and skin texture. I’m all about brighter skin! Brighter equals youthful in my opinion. 

 Top right: Drunk Elephant Framboos Glycolic night serum The last new product I purchased, which is the main reason I waited for the sale (this bad boy is pricey!). This serum is a chemical exfoliator which claims to resurface your skin by gently lifting dead cells all while hydrating your skin at the same time. I am on a very clear path to having the smoothest and brightest skin as I possibly can! 

Bottom right: Smiths’s Rosebud minted rose lip balm An oldie but always a goodie. This is a multi purpose balm as you can use it for your lips, elbows, knees basically where ever you notice any dryness. I go through this super quickly as I also use it for my cuticles. 

Did any of you shop during the sale? If so what did you get? Please share down below! 

Till next time, 

xx, Gwen 

Rompin’

As most girls may agree, I have a love hate relationship with rompers. Sure they are easy to throw on and go but yet don’t work the same as far as taking them off sometimes even requiring an extra pair of hands. Despite the inconvenient longer bathroom breaks, rompers are a must for me living in Florida. For one they usually require minimal ironing (big plus in my book) and they take the guess work out of curating an entire outfit. You instantly look put together and are left free to have fun with the rest of your look. For this casual day out I decided on this newly purchased draw string waist jersey romper. I purchased it from ASOS but it is actually from the brand misguided. The V-neck and light weight material make for the perfect fit while the light grey color serves as a neutral base for any wild accessory your heart may desire. I paired it with my old favorite kimchi blue fanny pack (purchased from urban outfitters) and my lace up booties from aldo shoes. Links to items below!

 

IMG_5641

IMG_5635

IMG_5638

IMG_5642

IMG_5640

XOXO Ari

Romper

Octagon Sunglasses

Color Correcting

Color Corrrecting is all the rage these days as many brands have recently launched their own shades to help with problematic areas. I’ll start off by giving you a quick overview of how each color is meant to enhance your skin.

Orange: Corrects dark circles and deep discoloration

Green: Corrects redness from pimples, acne scars or widespread redness such as rosacea.

Purple: Corrects dull skin as well as yellow spots by neutralizing 

Pink/Peach/Salmon Shades help to brighten an area and mask signs of fatigue.

Yellow Corrects purple/blue veins, bruises etc. Good for evenning out skintone.

Now that we’ve got that covered I wanted to talk about the two colors I recently purchased and my thoughts on them. I purchased the Sephora Collection Bright Future Color Correctors ($14) in the Green and Melon shades, (Green once again is for redness and the Melon shade is basically a darker hue of peach helps promote brightness under the eye area). I will say that I really liked the melon shade but the green shade did nothing for the minor redness I have. They both have thin consistencies which make them great to blend, but I find that the green one is a bit too thin and it sort of looses its pigmentation once you begin to blend it. It barely covered any of my redness even while adding a second layer. The Melon shade did not eliminate all darkness under my eyes but it did cancel some of it out and really gave my under eyes the “awake” look.

 

  I like to apply the correctors with the applicator and blend them out with my fingers or either brush shown above.

Top Brush: Zoeva #110 Face Shape Brush

Middle Brush: Real Techniques deluxe crease brush

Third Brush: Zoeva #142 Concealer Buffer Brush

I hope this post was helpful for those still a bit confused about what color correcting really means. Note: Correctors aren’t necessarily a must have item for everyone, all depends on your need for it.

Till my next post,

Gwen, xx

Spring Forward 

It is technically Spring in the North East, although it seems as if winter wants to stick around a little bit longer. For the most part I enjoy wearing which ever color I fancy on my nails, but I do tend to stick to darker hues for the winter and lighter for the summer. Which is why I went ahead and dug up some of my favorite pastel colored nail polishes in lieu of the “warmer” weather. Check them out…

From left to right:

EssieBikini So Teeny (Periwinkle blue shade, with a slight shimmer)

Essie – Mint Candy Apple (Minty turquoise shade)

OPIYou’re such a Budapest (Periwinkle purple shade)

EssieA Crewed Interest (Light peach shade)

Barry M Coconut (Milky Off white shade)

All of thee Essie and OPI shades were purchased either online through Amazon.com or at local drugstores/beauty supply stores. The Barry M nail polish might also be available on Amazon, but I purchased mine in the UK.

  

These five shades are great spring staples and are muted enough to wear even at the office (except for the minty blue). Hope you enjoyed this quick post and please share down below what some of your favorite “springy” nail polishes are.

Until next time,

xx, Gwen

Sensible Fashion

Dressing fashionably doesn’t always have to take such a toll, it can be sensible just as much as it is on trend or chic. Granted I still have my moments where I want to wear heels and a dress to go grocery shopping (don’t think that will ever change. I am becoming more aware of the old a phrase “less is more” when it comes to dressing for day to day. Once you figure out the fit and cut that best suits your body type, the rest of the details can be tweaked here and there to add interest. This shirt dress was an amazing find from forever 21. With a solid neutral color, slit detailing and shape it is so versatile and comfortable. It can be belted and worn with booties as I did or given a more ethereal look with sandals. The dress, booties and belt are all Forever 21 while the Tommy Hilfiger cap and Ralph Lauren Cross body were scores from Marshalls. Wear what you like, be comfortable and overall remember that clothing can be simplistic and yet still make a statement. Links to items below!
imageimageimageimage

image

High Slit Shirt Dress

Similar Booties

Tommy Hilfiger Cap

XOXO- ARI

L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil

L’Oreal is one of the tried and true OG brands for makeup and beauty items alike. With its classic packaging and solid reputation, you know you are getting good quality anytime you pop into your local drugstore and try one of their products. When we received this extraordinary oil hair care set, the experience was no different. This advanced hair care shampoo, conditioner, leave in crème and oil serum were sent by Influenster for testing purposes. At first I was hesitant seeing as not many products work well on curly hair. After its first use I knew it was a winner! This is great for the days when you are in need of a deep cleanse rather than just co washing. The leave in conditioner defined my curls while the serum helped to seal and lock all the moisture in.

Pros

Very light weight

Nourishing

Some curl definition

Delightful scent

Deep cleanse without over-stripping

 

Cons

Light weight- (this is also a pro depending on how much hold you are going for, it would be best to follow up with a heavier item for humid days)

Mainly great for a one day hair look (doesn’t last beyond for second or third day curls)

 

I would definitely repurchase this line in the future for the days when I need to start fresh from product buildup seeing as its cleansing and light weight. Here’s to #extraordinaryhair !

FullSizeRender

FullSizeRender (3)

First Day Curls

 

FullSizeRender (2)FullSizeRender (1)

Second day Curls