Trend Watch: Craving for Crop Tops

As I pass the hours- sometimes very slowly- of my shifts at Urban Outfitters, my thoughts often turn to brainstorming for new topics to write about for our beloved Femmes in Gems. Either that, or I pretend shop for myself, checking the prices of all my fave items under the pretense of "straightening the racks," with all of the money that will hopefully come with my next paycheck ("so 40% off of this would be...?"). Very 'True Life: I'm A Shopaholic,' right? But anyways, a trend that has seemingly taken UO by storm this summer is the crop top- all colors, patterns, etc that you can imagine. Crop tops used to scare me off admittedly, but with my recent health kick that involves training for a half marathon in the spring, I've been less and less afraid to bare my tummy. Healthy is in, as is showcasing all of your hard work and progress! And what better way to do this, beat the summer heat, and be a fashionista all at once than with the perfect crop?

To give you an idea of the beautiful specimens I'm forced to gaze longingly at every day while I work, here are a few I'm enamored with from Urban:

Top left to right: Sparkle and Fade Burnout Bodycon Tank ($19.99, was $34), Cooperative Eyelet Strapless Top ($19.99, was $29), Silence & Noise Pieced Lace and Mesh Bustier ($29.99, was $49)

Bottom Left to Right: Title Unknown Cropped Fringe Tee ($34), OBEY American Super Crop Tank ($68), Reverse Lattice Seam Tank ($49)

And the best part about the crop top is that it's up to you how little or how much skin you want to show. If you want less to show, pair your crop with a high waisted skirt or shorts, like on some of the UO models above. For those of you feeling a little friskier (ow ow !), sport some lower riding shorts or jeans. It's also easy to dress up or down, depending on how you work the rest of your outfit: a tight skirt, sexy wedges, and some fun jewelry is a quick and easy combo to take the vibe from casual weekday lunch date to Friday night out with the girls!

UO obviously isn't the only store taking advantage of this trend's comeback, so here are a few examples  as shown by myself and some of our stylish readers:

Me: Coral Crochet Top (Nordstrom Rack, approx. $15)

Laur W.: Black Flowy Top (TJ Maxx, approx. $12)

Chelsea H.: Hot Pink Structure Cutout Top (South Moon Under, approx. $60)

Bekah S.: White Knit Top (H&M, approx. $12)

And our contributing Brit Jenny L. from across the pond gives us a European take on the trend:

Left: Black Bustier with Gold Buttons, Denim with Zipper (Both Topshop, approx. $35)

Right: Striped Crop Tee, Crop Tee with Heart (Both H&M, approx. $8 and $15)

As you can see, there are stores galore where you can find very affordable versions of this fun trend. Dare to bare ladies!! 

Haha I couldn't resist a little throwback- even the Spice Girls knew how to rock the crops!

____

XO, NB & RG

Ring Fling

When it comes to jewelry, every fashion lover has her favorite type , or in my case , ultimate weakness. Rathi won’t leave the house without the perfect pair of earrings on (keep your eyes peeled for a future post !), whereas I feel incomplete without one or more rings perched on various fingers. I’m one of those shoppers who will have everything all decided when I get to the counter, have already put back a top or skirt so as to not go over my budget for the day, only to arrive at the counter and see the ring display… And disaster strikes. I’ll spring for a more expensive cocktail ring every now and then if it’s very versatile and will go with a number of different outfits or occasions, but I tend to stick with more reasonable $10 or under purchases from Forever 21 or H&M so that it’s not as big of a deal if they break or I lose them. 

My biggest splurge this past semester occurred while i was conveniently shopping Stella and Dot for Rathi's 21st birthday present (oops). Pictured below is my Stella and Dot 'Aurora Cocktail Ring' (Stelladot.com, $49).

       

Stella and Dot is great if you have a little extra money to spend or are looking for quality jewelry that will last and won’t turn your fingers green (haha). It’s also a great place to shop for gifts- I got Rathi a gorgeous pair of earrings for her 21^st, and my mom a pair for Mother’s Day!

But as I mentioned, I usually stick to the cheaper side when it comes to my rings, so that I can afford a wider variety to match any and every outfit! 

Mine (left to right): Turquoise Stone (Forever 21, approx. $5), Black Rose (Forever 21, approx. $3), Silver Giraffe (Gift from Italy from Rathi!)

Rathi's (left to right): Orange Stone (H&M, approx. $8), Multicolored Tribal (Urban Outfitters, approx. $20-25, Turquoise Stone (India, less than $10)

Reader Contributions:

Axelle E.'s (left):  Turquoise Multi-Stone (top right, Target, approx. $5-7), White Rock (bottom left, H&M, approx. $2-3), All others from Glitter for $1

Nichole B.'s (right): Sparkle Flower (top left, F21, $4), Multi-layered and Turquoise (top right, TJ Maxx, $10 and $12), Silver (bottom left, Dillards, $15), White Multi-Stone (bottom right, F21 $3)

And if you're looking for a super splurge (Christmas or birthday list material from the p's maybe?), our fave post grad has a few ideas for you:

Shikha G.'s (left to right): 'Petite Albion' Ring with Diamonds and Onyx (David Yurman, online), 'Elsa Peretti Open Heart Ring' (Tiffany & Co., $255) 

In summary, places to find great, inexpensive rings for $2-$15:

-Dillard's

-Forever 21

-H&M

-Target

And if you can afford to spend a little (or a lot) more, i.e. $20-$250+:

-Urban Outfitters

-Nordstrom

-Stella and Dot (online or through reps)

-David Yurman

-Tiffany & Co.

I wholeheartedly encourage y'all to rock some finger candy- every size, shape, and color ring adds its own twist to any outfit!

_____

XO, RG & NB

Instagram Tales of Pretty Nails

INSTAGRAM,INSTAGRAM,INSTAGRAM.            

These seem to be the only kind of pictures you ever see anymore, whether they are monopolizing your timeline via muppies to FB or Twitpics on Twitter.  Don’t get me wrong, I myself am the InstaQueen- I started using the app back when they only had like six filter options (how did we live like that?!) and you were cool if you had two likes on a picture. This year, Instagram is the perfect substitution for a camera- why carry around one more piece of technology that you’ll probably lose by the end of the day, right?! Along with being a self-proclaimed profesh instagrammer, I am an avid liker- showing my appreciation for my fellow instragrammers’ art-whether it be gum on their shoe (#shoe #gum #gumonshoe), their dog lying in the exact position as their previous 15 Instagram (guilty!), or the perfect (and
EXTREMELY rare) selfie and outfit combo.
However, my personal faves for instas are definitely food and a good old nail pic. My obsession with nail polish stems back to 8^th grade when I started painting my nails so I wouldn’t bite them (helpful hint!), and they haven’t been naked a day since. Some current trends with nail polish this year have been the shatter, glitter, confetti, random-unrelated-ring-finger, mirror metals, intricate designs,  inside out frenchies, and more! And with it being summer, everyone’s dying to show off their tan by wearing brights and pastels. Thanks to OPI and Essie: your wish is their command. It’s how us artsy folk (the Instagram photographers and professional bloggers) express ourselves! Plus who doesn’t love a great tan enhancement? This is one app I don’t see dying out in the near future- so keep those nail pics coming!                           

Special thanks to these ladies and their awesome instagrams in today's post:

Nicolette Killen 

Kristen Carden
Kelly Luker
Marlee Newman

Kara Braunstein
Shikha Gupta

Amy Salamon

Katie Hammaker
XO, RG & NB

Quick Tips for Luscious Lips

When I was little, I always used to watch my mom put on her lipstick and think she was so old and sophisticated. I thought I would literally never be old enough to pull it off and not look like a little girl playing dress up with her mom’s make up, but ever since I got back from studying abroad in Spain (maybe it’s that European fashion-forwardness getting to me) I’ve been obsessed. I made my lipstick debut this past winter with Revlon’s Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple ($6.49 Target). Maybe a little aggressive to start out with a bright red never having tried lipstick before, but go big or go home right? 

Left: Me in Revlon's Candy Apple.

Right: Rathi looking ravishing in an even brighter red- MAC's classic 'MAC Red' (Nordstrom, $14.50).

Then, on a shopaholic whim and with some solid beauty advice by a MAC saleswoman, I purchased MAC’s Sheen Supreme Lipstick in 'Full Speed' (Nordstrom, $14.50), and my life was forever changed. I can now say that I’m addicted- I don’t go to my art gallery internship, work at Urban Outfitters, or out for a fun night on the town with the girls without first slicking on a coat of this bright coral pink shade. In fact, I’m almost out of it and the thought actually gives me heart palpitations. So, moral of this short story is not to be afraid to ask the makeup counter girls what shade they think would look best on you (that’s what they’re there for!), or even just try a few different cheaper ones at the drug store before you find something you really love. I guarantee that once you get used to seeing yourself with lipstick on, you won’t ever go back to nude lips!

 

Rathi and I both in MAC's 'Full Speed' this past St. Patty's Day!

And for a long-lasting lip color, try Maybelline's Superstay 24 Lipstick (CVS, $7.49). My roomie Kierstin's fave is 'Reliable Raspberry.' According to her, it stays on all night with only one re-application needed, and the dual-sided feature gives your lips a fun glossy look!

One last quick tip for hydrated and healthy lips, as well as to make sure that your lipstick of choice goes on smoothly- don't forget to start your lip routine with a layer of chapstick . One of my recent finds is Blistex's Fruit Smoothies (Kroger, $3.79 for a 3-pack). You can't beat the price or yummy fruity flavor!

Reader's choice: Sephora Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 (Sephora, $22.50) is "a great option for easy color that goes on smoothly and feels just like chapstick!" -Shikha G.

____

XO, NB & RG

The Kardash Bun

The Kardash Bun- also known as the Sock Bun! This is a great new going out style that my friends and I are trying out this summer. Yes, the Kardashians did it first- but at least we gave them credit by naming ours after them. The key to the bun is to make sure that all your baby hairs are slicked back so that you get an extra tight bun at the top. 

How to create the perfect Kardash Bun:

1. Slick your hair back using any Frizz-Ease product ($8.99) or Moroccanoil Treatment ($15.49) and mass amounts of hairspray 

Pantene Pro-V Classic hairspray ($7.49) smells so good! Big Sexy hairspray ($18.99) holds hair for a long time!

2. Pull your hair into a normal pony at about the height you want your bun (but make sure it is a little lower since you will wrap your hair above the pony)

3. Buy a "Bun Wrap" (we got ours at Urban for $10) or save money and create your own "Sock Bun"using a sock (I guess you could have guessed that)

4. Now pull the Bun Wrap up your ponytail to the ponytail holder and begin tucking pieces in so that your form a two smooth semi circles (this is NOT a messy bun, think ballet!) 
This is one of the harder steps for an overall easy look, so don't stress if it's not completely smooth! Try and use minimal bobby pins!

5. Voila!
 

It's a little intimidating to try because we're all so used to teasing and giving our hair extra body- but the slickness is so fun and classy- not to mention extremely cooling in the summer! It's also awesome because it's perfect for all sorts of hair types! One of our best friends, Lauren, has the teeniest hair, but her Kardash Bun stayed just as full looking and high as my thick hair. And how high you make the bun is definitely up to you, I say the higher it is- the more daring it is. The point is to at least make the bun high enough that you can see it straight on. The lower you make it- the more casual the look becomes -which is great for work and class!

___

XO, RG & NB

Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend! (Pun Intended)

       Well, we finally decided to do it!! And by we, I mean my best friend of ten (till forever) years, Nina Blumberg. We may seem like total opposites: she’s a tall glass of water, I’m on the petite side, I’m a Hokie, Nin’s a Cavalier, I can talk a mile a minute, Nin can drive a mile a minute, etc, but in the end- we couldn’t be a more perfect combination. Besides the fact that we are the best of friends, we share the head over heels and completely obsessed love for fashion. Skydiving, zip-lining, rollercoasters: those are the ridiculous kind of things that exhilarate and awaken a person. That’s all fine and dandy, but for us- it’s walking into a store . Doesn’t quite seem like it would cause that same rush of adrenaline to race through your body…. until you combine the bright flashes of colorful fabrics, the sparkle and glint of fab jewelry, an enticing waft of yummy perfume, and the hustle and bustle of those affected just as much as you are. Alright, maybe that’s just us. But that’s definitely the reason for our blog- we are LITERALLY obsessed and in love with everything fashion, and we want to share that special feeling of finding the perfect gem with all of you!

       And now my turn to chat with y’all for a sec! I’m Nina, or ‘the tall glass of water,’ as my other (and better) half Rathi Gupta would apparently describe me to the inquiring mind. Ratty basically covered all the bases, though- her and I are probably the most similarly opposite best friends you’ll ever meet. We may fall in love with the same handbag, dress, or even boy, but you can trust that whatever the newest obsession may be, we’ll work it in a completely different way. And we definitely believe this to be one of the most important principles of fashion: to always be two steps ahead of everyone on the newest trends, but at the same time be aware and unafraid to rock whatever works best for your body, style, and personality. Our second and equally as important guiding fashion principle is that it’s not about the price of the piece, it’s about the feeling it gives you when you wear it! So on that note, we present this blog as the lovechild of our contrasting but interconnected visions, bonded together by our shared love for fashion, life, and one other!

With love to all you precious gems out there,

XO, RG & NB