January Favorites

With the New Year and some new Christmas goodies there has been a bunch of products I have been trying and loving this month!  I have products ranging from makeup to music to books that have been my January go-tos, and I hope you guys try some of them out and like them too!

Lorac Eyeshadow Trio

I received this trio in a set for Christmas, and I can't stop using it!  It's so easy to do a quick natural look or a dark smokey eye just with the 3 shades.  I blend the medium brown as a transition shade, deepen the outer corner/crease with the dark brown, use the shimmer on my lid, inner corner, and brow bone.  Even if I don't do a full eyeshadow look, I almost always reach for the shimmer shade to pop in my inner corner on a day to day basis.  This is my second trio from Lorac, and I love how pigmented and blendable the shades are.  

ColourPop Super Shock Cheek Highlighter

This is another one of my Christmas gifts, and to be honest at first I didn't really know how I felt about it.  It was on my Christmas list, but I didn't realize it was a cream product until I opened it.  After a couple wears, I started to like it more and more because of how buildable and natural it was.  Unlike some highlighters that look just like chunks of glitter and shimmer on your skin, this highlighter makes your skin look glowy and dewey.  I usually reach for this for an everyday makeup look, and I put it on my cheekbones, inner corner, and tip of my nose.  Also, check out my last post about my trip to Florida and the super easy beachy makeup look where I use this product!       

Thigh High Boots

I have posted 2 outfits wearing these boots, and I can't get enough of them.  I found these brown ones at TJ Maxx on a crazy sale for (brace yourself) only $36!  You can pretty much find these style of boots and in any color just about everywhere right now.  They spice up an outfit and are so easy to pair with jeans, leggings, skirts, or dresses.  Personally, I recommend buying either a black or brown pair at first because they would be the easiest to style and would go with the most outfits.    

Nike Leggings

Yet another Christmas gift (shoutout to my brother, Cole!)  I have been loving these leggings because it has been a struggle to find the perfect workout leggings.  No matter where I buy them from leggings are either too see through when you bend down, too expensive, or fall down while I workout.  These Nike cropped leggings are literally perfect because they are completely opaque and stay in place throughout my whole workout.  I never realized how many times I had to hike up my pants while being at the gym until I wore a pair of pants that actually stayed on my hips.     

Lush Lotion

I think I'm a little late on the Lush bandwagon, but I finally got my hands on some of their lotion and I love it.  I feel like I have said "I love it" a million times in this post, but it is about my favorite things, so I guess that's okay, right?  It's in the scent "Sleepy" and smells like the most amazing lavender.  During the winter my skin gets ridiculously dry, especially since I am swimming so much, so I can never have too much lotion.

O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream

For anyone out there who gets dried hands or feet during the winter time, I'm telling you this is a life saver!!  Again, my skin gets super dry in the winter and the skin around my nails always gets gross and cracked.  I put this cream on before I go to bed and within 3 days my skin is like brand new.  It has a weird texture to it, so I only like to use it before bed, but it a miracle worker I swear. 

Cold Weather Outfits

Winter is my favorite season to dress for because I love all of the cozy sweaters, warm scarfs, cute headbands, and just layering in general.  But, you don't want to ruin an outfit by throwing on a plain coat and covering it all up, right?  So here we are with a few different outfits that will keep you super warm and looking put together.  

Outfit #1

This is basically my go to outfit for when I'm going to be outside for a while in the winter time because of how much I love this coat.  The plaid detailing on the cuffs, hood, and inside of it adds a pop of color and it looks good when paired with a red knit headband or a red scarf.  Another winter staple is a big, chunky sweater like the cream one I'm wearing because it's easy to layer with.  I threw on a basic pair of black leggings and my favorite riding boots to keep my legs and feet warm, and that's the whole outfit!  Depending on how cold the weather is, you can wear a long sleeve shirt (I like wearing an army green one with this too), add a scarf or gloves, and/or snow boots instead of leather ones.  I've worn this outfit, or variations of it, a million times to go ice skating, picking out a christmas tree, going to a christmas tree lighting downtown, and just walking to class and around campus.

Coat: Thread Supply Co. (TJ Maxx)
Leggings: Aerie 
Boots: DSW
Sweater: Forever 21
Necklace: Target



Outfit #2

This outfit is good for when it's cold out, but not necessarily for walking around outside through the snow.  For example, if you're going out to dinner and want to be warm walking inside and while eating.  Leather jackets are classic for basically every season, and a brown one is a softer alternative if you feel like black is too harsh or edgy for your style.  I like this sweater a lot because it's actually a tank top which makes it easy and less bulky to layer under jackets.  A big scarf is a great way to bundle up and stay warm while still looking cute too.  Again, layer is key for the winter time!  Ignore how dirty mine are from the snow, but booties are a staple and pair well with a bunch of different outfits and are a great option for a dressy style boot.  Complete with a pair of dark wash jeans, this outfit is super cute for when you want to be warm without the hassle of a big winter coat. 

Jeans- American Eagle

Sweater- TJ Maxx

Leather jacket- Target

Booties- Forever 21

Scarf- Gifted to me 

Outfit #3   

Shoutout to my friend Ally for wanting to be featured in this post!  Her boots are actually practical, unlike my booties, for trudging through the snow because they're rubber and meant to get wet.  Her hooded fur coat will keep you super warm because of the fuzzy lining, and I'm also a huge fan of fur hoods.  It might just be because I really love Christmas, but green and red is one of my favorite color combinations, so I love the way the scarf and jacket tie together.  Ripped jeans and a loose sweater keep this outfit casual, and the red scarf gives it a little pop of color.  Her outfit is perfect for a casual, winter day with its laid back style. 

Boots- J Crew

Jeans- Hollister

Jacket- Pacsun

Scarf- Gifted to me

Sweater- Garage        

Ft. Lauderdale Training Trip // Quick & Easy Beachy Makeup

The Trip

As my first "random" post I decided to blog about a super cool experience I had this month, and also a quick and easy makeup look!  Every year the Oneonta Swim & Dive team takes a training trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and this was actually my first time going to Florida!  Our days consisted of an early morning practice, another in the afternoon, and 3 of the days we had to lift too.  Despite how physically drained we all were by the end of the week, this trip was all around amazing.  The gym we went to, appropriately named The Gym, was awesome because we worked out on the rooftop with a beautiful ocean view.  Our hotel rooms were directly across the street from the beach so we relaxed and got some sun in between practices, and one of the days the waves were so big they literally swept us off our feet.  We went to the beach, hotel pool, and to all of the cute beachy shops everyday, and got plenty of ice cream.  A bunch of us had GoPros and we took a million pictures and videos, so my friends compiled it all together into one giant video of our week (I'll link it down below)!  It was so much fun to be surrounded by some of my best friends for a week and make even more memories together!

      

The Makeup

When I go to the beach or am on vacation I like the keep the makeup to a minimal.  This whole week I pretty much lived in a bathing suit, but we went to dinner a few times and this is the makeup look that I did.  It is super simple and natural, which is perfect for the beachy vibe.  All I did was put on some BB Cream to even out the little bit of sunburn I had, lots of mascara for big lashes, and the most important step was the highlighter on my cheekbones, inner corners, and tip of my nose.  I love being tan and when my freckles come out, so I don't like to cover them up with makeup and this look accentuates your already glowy and sun kissed skin without overpowering it. 

BB Cream: Covergirl CGsmoothers in light to medium

Highlighter: ColourPop Super Shock Cheek Highlighter in Lunch Money

Mascara: Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Black

Videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaqxRHHZWFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u27Xiplcc18

Tips for Healthier Skin

If you search "healthy skin tips" you can find DIY facial masks, skin treatments, detox waters, and a million other different ways to achieve "perfect skin."  However, some of those tips are a pain to keep up with or just plain don't work.  Here are some foolproof skincare tips that are easy to incorporate into your everyday or weekly life that truly WORK: 

1. Clean Your Makeup Brushes/Sponges

I used to never wash my brushes and once I finally did it was disgusting how much makeup was stuck in them.  The makeup clogged in the bristles or sitting in the sponge becomes old and bacteria ridden.  So basically you're spreading bacteria all over your face everyday when you put your makeup on, which makes me cringe just thinking about it.  I am still guilty of not cleaning them as often as I should, but at minimum you should cleanse your brushes, sponges, or whatever you use to apply your makeup once a month.  Not only will freshening up your brushes improve your skin, it also makes your makeup look nicer and your brushes will last longer.  I use the Real Techniques brush cleansing gel, but you can also use baby shampoo or another type of gentle soap.    

2. Take ALL Your Makeup Off at Night

This is one of those things that everybody knows, but not everybody does it.  After a long day or night it's hard to not just crawl into bed with a full face of makeup on, but leaving all of that makeup caked on your face for that long clogs your pores and irritates your skin.  I can't live without makeup removal wipes because they make it so quick and easy to take everything off.  You'd be surprised at how much makeup is still left behind, so I follow up with a toner on a cotton round to remove anything the wipes missed.  I use the generic Walmart brand wipes and lately I have been a fan of using Witch Hazel afterwards to make sure my skin is all clean.         

3. Clean Your Phone Screen

People don't really think about how dirty your phone screen can get, but take a second to imagine all of the things your phone touches everyday.  The germs and bacteria from every floor you drop it on, public table you set it down on, or thing you spill on it is then transferred to your hands and face.  It takes about 5 seconds to grab a Clorox wipe and swipe it across your screen, but it makes a huge difference.  

4. Change Your Sheets Often

Your body sheds dead skin cells all the time, and although you may not see it, your sheets get covered in a lot of that dead skin.  Besides just sounding gross, it also irritates your skin and causes break outs to sleep in sheets that are not cleaned often.  It can be hard, especially in college, to take time out of your busy schedule to wash sheets that appear clean, but it's so so important.  At school I have two sets of sheets, so even if I don't have time to wash, dry, and remake my bed I can at least switch out my sheets weekly so my bedding is always fresh.

5. Cut Down On Makeup

I love getting creative with makeup and I think it's so fun, but I also love wearing no makeup.  I used to wear makeup pretty much everyday, but now I wear barely any or none at all on a regular day.  During a breakout, the first thing I want to do is load on the makeup to cover up all the blemishes, but it's so important to let your skin breathe.  If you aren't super confident going bare faced, try to ease yourself into it and start doing "No Makeup Monday's" and before you know it you'll be confident in your own skin.

  

6. Stop Touching and Picking at Your Face!!

I am soo guilty of doing this.  I get lost in my magnified, light up mirror poking, prodding, and popping every tiny mark on my face until my skin is all red and splotchy.  I, and I'm assuming many of you, do the same thing and then hate yourself afterwards for irritating your skin so much.  Try putting a sticky note on your mirror to remind yourself not to do it  or just have amazing self discipline to stop yourself.  Every pimple will go away in about 7-10 days so just relax and leave it alone.  Aside from the purposeful poking at your skin, try to stop yourself from mindlessly touching your face.  Our hands have so many germs on them that you can stop transferring to your face by simply not touching it so much.

7. Clean Your Face Before/After Working Out

I love to workout and stay active, and I noticed that my face and back/shoulder area started to breakout.  My ponytail touching my back and shoulders along with sweat is what was irritating my skin, so this seems pretty obvious, but it's important to shower right after you workout to prevent breakouts.  Also, washing off your makeup before you hit the gym is another necessary step to prevent pimples.  The sweat mixing with makeup will just clog your pores more and create more issues.  Throw a pack of those trusty  makeup wipes in your gym bag so you have no excuse for not taking 2 minutes to wipe off your makeup before you workout and your face afterwards too.  
  

Sweater & Boots

Sweaters and boots are classic for fall and winter, but the thigh high boot trend is a refreshing twist to an old favorite.  This outfit was a inspired by Kourtney Kardashian because those photos of her in a Yeezus sweatshirt and thigh high boots was what got me hooked on these shoes in the first place. With only two things needed, a sweater dress and boots, this look is easily achieved.  You can mix up the color of the sweater, add tights, wear different boots, or anything else you want and still look just as good.  To go along with the ease of this outfit, I wore my hair just down and straight with pretty pearl earrings.  These are the same boots as I wore in my last post, which shows how versatile they can be with a bunch of different outfits!     

Sweater- TJ Maxx (I think)

Boots- Macy's 

2017

Happy New Year everyone!  2016 was quite the year for me, graduating high school and completing my first semester as a college student at SUNY Oneonta were the most notable experiences for me this past year.  I made amazing new friends at school while keeping my friends from home near and dear to me, I accomplished many of my goals as a swimmer, I finally had the courage to start my own fashion blog, and I have made some pretty awesome memories throughout the last 365 days.  Some people find resolutions to be too cheesy or cliche, but personally I love them.  This year I want to continue reaching my goals in swimming, learn two new things, become a better sewer, and the resolution I am most excited for is to put myself full force into Up Clothes & Personal.  

Up Clothes & Personal is not only a creative outlet where I can express myself, but hopefully it is/will become a place that people can use as inspiration to express themselves too.  My posts have been a bit sporadic and have been clothing oriented, but I have developed a posting schedule and format to stick to.  I am going to post every Sunday, and the first week of the month will be an outfit post, the second week will be a beauty post, the third week will be another outfit, and the last week of the month will be random.  Random posts can range from topics like a DIY, recipe, life hack, or even something cool I happened to do that month.  Also, on the first of every month I will do a bonus post about my favorite things from the previous month! With all of that being said, cheers to a new year!!