Style and Fashion

Today’s blog post is going to fairly interesting from my point of view. It took me a few days to process how and from which angle I should start this article on. I am going to be super honest my closet is black, grey, a few whites and beiges, and more black. I am all about that little black dress – they are my absolute go to. So now that I got that out, aside from wearing my neutrals, there are few other colors that I would occasionally hit up – you know, when I am feeling a little bit of colors (but not yellow or orange).

Navy is one probably one of my favorite colors if I had to choose from my small small collection of colors in my closet.  I like navy because it has that touch of color but at the same time it’s still dark – I am not about that royal blue color. Navy also goes very well with a white, almost giving a nautical look. I think dark navy to navy is a color that really can’t go wrong. If you are wearing it right, it could even match a bright red or orange.

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Around that blue spectrum, I would say that a light/baby blue is my favorite nail color. It is usually my go to. I use to have this thing for pink, but a soft blue almost makes it subtler.

So aside from the different shades of blues that I am very fond of, I had to do some external research to see if there is really a color that everyone looks good in. And from an art and "researched" perspective - there is! It is explained on Realsimple.com that there are certain colors that do flatter all skin tones and even hair colors. And the reason behind this is because of the balance of warm and cool colors. These color are not too bright and I must say, pretty appealing to the eye. The colors here are: a true red, blush pink, teal and a eggplant like purple. 

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I found the formula for determining these colors pretty interesting. I would say I totally dig the four colors (for someone who don’t like colors), and I would totally pick these for my nails too.

Touching a bit on shoes, I am totally head over heels for red shoes. I think that ability to make it pop is super cute. I recently just a got a pair of classic red Tory Burch Reva flats and they seriously go so nicely with all my little black dresses!

What are you favorite colors to wear?

There are five items you must need for this season; these are hands down must needs for your wardrobe. If you do not have it now it is recommended that you head to the mall and pick these up!! These essential pieces will prefect your closet. Also, with these you will be able to get a fresh start with some fabulous outfit pairs.

The first piece needed is a black blazer. A black blazer is one of the most classic piece that works great on all body type. This feminine piece can be put together in so many different ways. You can pair it with a pair of jeans for a more casual look or pair it with trousers or skirt for a more formal look.  And once you get a blazer into your wardrobe you wouldn’t be caught without something else again! A few other outfit ideas to wear with a blazer is with a white V-neck underneath or a little black dress!

A pair of bright and colorful flats is also an essential piece for your wardrobe. A pair of nude, black, neutral color flats are obviously needed but a pair of bright color, such as red, will give you an easy pop of color when you need it. Plus, since it is on your feet its appropriate for work too aka not too flashy.

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This is a specific item that everyone needs from Aritizia called the Babaton - Finch Pant. These pants are super comfortable yet professional and looks hella good. These are elasticated pull on waistband pants aka they will fit super well. They are a bit of a trouser style ft. joggers but the zipper along the bottom of the leg makes it less sporty and classier. There are also pockets! 

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A statement necklace is also an essential part of your wardrobe. The best place to pick up statement necklace is JCrew. They have the best selection and their quality is superb. Many have past experiences with their necklaces falling apart because of the weight but JCrew never disappoints. Having more basics in the closet is more than great with a few great pieces of jewellery it will help make magic in your simple outfit. The key is all in the strong and feminine in a black and white outfit.

Finally, a little black dress. This is essential, you should have more than one LBD because they are appropriate and goes super with everything. It is important to find a LBD that is to your best comfort and can match any cardigan or blazer, even jackets. LBD is also great for matching accessories and jewelry. This can easily be dressed up or down!  

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One of my biggest inspiration for fashion looks is through celebrities. Aside from celebs, I often look at fashion bloggers, browsing through Instagram, and even a casual stroll through downtown Toronto (you will be surprise what I see there). Often times the way celebrity put their outfit together is super chic and very versatile (unless we are talking about a Lady Gaga outfit). I use to find it intimidating flipping through magazine with celebrity couture because usually underneath is the designer they are wearing along with three to four-digit dollar signs. Sorry, but I can’t afford a $300 skirt… but I have realized that it is very common to find celebrity look alike pieces at more affordable prices. Stores like H&M, Forever 21, Dynamite, Aritzia, Target, Wilfred are starting to carry pieces that are often seen on celebrities. So it never hurts to pick up a few pieces to mix and match it to a look-alike celebrity outfit.

One of my biggest inspiration is Kate Middleton. Her outfit are always so on point and talk about classiness. I am pretty sure she is one of the most looked up to fashion icon of all times. Her attire is often a sense of chic mixed with preppy, and of course a hint of royal-ness too. What is even more exciting is that her closet is very similar to mine. All of the pieces are lifetime, from a classic trench coat to a LBD (I have at least 50). As I would like to call it, these are investment pieces because after all it is that signature look. 

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Next fashion icon is Beyoncé - Queen Bey. Her outfits are just drop dead glamorous. It will always put you on the spotlight no matter which event you show up to. A hint of glitter and sparkle goes a long long way. Don't you notice how often Beyoncé is covered in sequins ft. a pair of sky-high heels? I am not going to lie, but when it comes to Beyoncé’s fashion inspiration, I save it for special occasions. I know she can pull a spotlight outfit heading to the gym or running errands but I definitely can't.

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Rihanna’s fashion style is also pretty interesting. I can't say I LOVE everything she wears but some of the outfit she pulls together are super cool. Rihanna totally has a cool-girl trendsetter style which I can't always pull off but her distressed jeans and vintage t-shirt makes a pretty edgy look!

Nicole Riche is also a big time fashion icon her "effortless" look is a lot more effort for me. I love the prints she always mixes in and she always look super comfortable! One thing I really like about her style is that many of her pieces can be found in flea market or consignment stores. It is all about mixing and matching and browsing through the outfits Nicole wear it really give some great inspiration on pieces to look out for.

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At the end of the day, Kate Middleton is still my number go to for outfit ideas. Who is yours?  

We all have those days we just hate our hair, we just want to shove it up in a ponytail or a bun or in braids or even under a hat, so no one can see the state of it. It wouldn’t be natural if we didn’t have those days we just hate our hair.

Well, you have come to the right place as this post is for someone who wants to know some amazing new products to help them feel confident all day long about their hair.

Coconut oil is a must have for me and many people I know. I find that when I put it on my hair before I shower (leave it on all over my hair for 10 to 30 minutes) my hair feels softer and shinier than if I don’t use it. It also helps the shampoo and conditioner I mention next work better. Coconut oil can be used for so many things like cooking and as a moisturizer.

The first product I want to tell you about is the Grainer shampoo for colored hair. I love this for just keeping my hairs condition perfect. You may be thinking why do you use shampoo for colored hair. Well, I don’t have colored hair but my mum and sister do. It's just what they both buy and I have fallen in love with it. Don't ask me why because I have no idea. I just love it more than any other shampoo I have used before. In fact I feel I may be very biased towards Grainer as a brand as I have fallen in love with so many of their products over the years.

The next product goes hand and hand with the grainer colored shampoo and it's the conditioner in the same range. I'm going to admit I'm not a huge fan of conditioners but this one is by far the best one I have used. Usually a conditioner in my hair won't leave my hair soft. It will just de tug my hair. Well, this conditioner does both, Result!

Dry shampoo is an necessity for me because I don't have time every day to wash my hair so I usually wash my hair every 3 days so on the third day my hair is starting to get a little greasy so I spray a bit of dry shampoo on my hair and rub it in and then my hair looks more presentable. I also find I use dry shampoo even on freshly washed and blow dried hair as it gives it my hair more volume and texture. Dry shampoo is just overall amazing.

Lastly, I had to include the obvious, a hair brush. A hairbrush helps you do so many hair styles and helps detangle your hair after a night’s sleep and you wake up with a bed head, which isn’t very attractive.

Hope you all enjoyed this post and it gave you some ideas of things you can purchase to keep your hair healthy, shiny and beautiful!

Honestly, I dig the heels days, looking an inch taller, so glam and fanciness but recently I am starting to dig sneakers. Ever since high school, “running shoes” are only for gym. I am either wear flip flops, cute pair of sandals, furry Uggs boots, Steve Madden’s tall black boots, TOMS, maybe even converses, but never runners. But, a few months back I picked up a nice pair of black/white Nikes runners, and honestly I am never going back… Last month, I went on a fancy date night with my boyfriend and thought I should pull out a cute pair of heels, half way through the night I realized I made the biggest mistake ever. So when I say “never going back” I totally mean it.

I go to work in a cute black dress outfit and since I will be walking to the bus stop, I obviously need a pair of comfy shoes – hello Nikes! There is probably at least 8 pairs of work flats on the bottom of my desk because I have to change when I am running around the office. Today’s blog post will be a few cute outfit ideas to dress up sneakers because running shoes, sneakers, and similar type of shoes aren’t only for casual days. Looking glam and comfy is really a thing.

Disclaimer: Although I am all for the sneaker game, it is obviously very important to know the event you will be attending. A date night is nothing too formal, so of course pulling off sneakers is totally cool. But, for a black tie events, weddings, formal parties, you better think-twice before running out in sneakers.

An A-line skirt plus sneakers is a great match. A pair of low top sneakers will give an super elegant look. Similarly, a athleisure look with a feminine denim skirt is also a great catch!

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A few celebrities inspired outfits:

As seen on Karlie Kloss she is bringing back the 90s style fashion but nailing it with the black pair of yeezy sneakers and a pair of flared-leg trousers.

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White is one of my favorite colors for Summer, and wearing a white pair of sneakers will keep a monochromatic tone. Ivory, whites, and off-whites colors are fun to play around with! One of my favorite: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wears a plaid Stella McCartney off-the-shoulder dress with Isabel Marant white sneakers

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Also playing around with whites, is adding one piece that pops out more color aka mixing the white palette. This will give a perfect accent to play off of.

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And, you can definitely not go wrong with a classic black and white sneaker outfit look – check these out for some great inspirations!

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Matching it will definitely type of skirts is always a easy dress-up sneakers look. One really popular trends this season is the long tutu like skirts. If your skirt is a white, grey, black, it is very easy to dress it up with a colorful pair of sneakers. This will work for either a mini skirt, maxi, the sky is to your limit. A pencil skirt will give a more professional look but sneakers can definitely still be pulled off. 

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Check out all of these looks for great inspiration because a pair of sneakers can put together a thousand outfits many of which is more than just a pair of sweatpants, leggings or gym clothes. Remember always… comfy first. (minus the few “very” special occasions”. 

Hair accessories have been a thing from centuries. Early on women used flowers to accessorize their mane and as the time progressed bows, hair bands and clips of all sorts found a staple place in the market. If you aren’t good at styling your hair, a chic hair piece can immediately transform your overall look.

Headbands: These are a favorite of many and will become yours too! The gossip girl trend set by Blair Waldorf has never given up its momentum and is my personal go to. Just be sure that your pick the right one and feel comfortable wearing it. There are many styles of hair bands available. Embellished ones, Floral ones, Plain ones, Plaited hair bands etc.

Bandanas: The trend of the 70’s-90’s is back and it’s here to stay. It is perfect to fix a bad hair day and is pretty easy to tie. Check out this video for quick and easy 1 min bandana hairstyles.

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Flowers: Perfect to add a touch of spring-summer in your hair. You could use real flowers or just add a fake floral clip/band. It instantly brightens up the whole attire  and is ideal for an effortless look.

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Butterfly clips: Butterfly clips were the hottest thing of the 90’s and we aren’t surprised that it’s coming back. From Kristen Dunst to Scarlett Johansson celebs rocked this accessory almost everywhere. Recently North West was seen sporting butterfly clips and she nailed it.

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Embellished bobby pins: Bobby pins are one thing, and then there are the embellished ones. Which are complete game changers. These bad boys instantly lift up the overall look of your hairstyle and make it look like you’ve taken time to tame your mane.

Hair Donut: A Hair donut is used to make the perfect donut bun. It adds volume to your usual buns and also gives the illusion of bigger and voluminous hair. It is easy to use and wear. In case you don’t own one. You could totally try the sock bun. Check out this easy and quick sock bun tutorial for more information.

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Bows: Happiness comes in all sizes and so does the classic bow. Bows are what dreams are made of, effortless, quick and princess-y way of stepping up your hair game. These have been around from decades and are a perfect go to. Keep one in your purse or in locker to add a feminine touch to your hairstyle. These look great on buns, braids, loose hair which is tied together using a bow. Just like in the picture shown below.

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 So, these are some of my favourite hair accessories. Don’t forget to experiment and have fun styling your hair. After all there are a lot of accessories; you’ll eventually find something that works great for your hair! My personal favourite go to is a messy bun with a bow on top. What’s yours? Do share it with us in the comments below.

There is nothing better than an easy minimal effort hairstyle. These are the perfect hairstyle for lazy people but who want to look great. It takes very little effort but turns out great. Saves time, saves the amount of product used and (sometimes) even less damage.

This is a classic: the messy bun. The key is to add a headband that will give a bit more volume in the front and also an accessory.  It also totally have the ballerina look to it! 

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Also playing the headband is to have your hair in the high pony tail. The headband this time will help with keep the fly away hair in place. This is also great if your hair is a bit oily, because it hides away it. Adding a bit of dry shampoo could help too. Ashley Tisdale knows how to rock it!  

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A small twist on the side is easy to do and makes a super cute hairstyle too. If your hair is naturally wavy, take a bobby pin or two, twist a small portion of your hair and bobby pin and tuck it in the back of your ear.  

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A few more here, that LOOKS kind of complicated, but when you try it, it is most definitely not even close to hard! A few of these are perfect for a typical day out, or even to a party. If you are beginner try out the braid wrap around pony tail. Going for a fancy night out, impress everyone with the hair bow!

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Short hair can still have a lots of fun! Check these cool hairstyles out by Kayley on Youtube. They are so easy to follow along and super cute especially for the Summer!

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Another easy way to be creative is by dying your hair. That way your hair will look super cool even without doing anything to it. But this is definitely a more damaging style to your hair compared to the other ones. All of the hairstyle uses minimal tools, and products – it’s the au-natural ways!

Summer is the season of weddings so it's only fitting that we go over proper wedding etiquette. A lot of people don't know this but there is a proper way to dress for weddings. So no that dress you wore to the club last weekend is probably not the best idea for the wedding you're going to. Below I'm going to give you guys 5 tips on dressing properly for a wedding! 

 Rule #1 NEVER UPSTAGE THE BRIDE!

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Recently my friend purchased a dress for a wedding sh was going to and it was a red skin tight dress with a slit going al the way up to the upper thigh. It was a super sexy dress for a very intimate laid back wedding. Long story short she rethought the dress and got something a little more classic. Im not saying that you can't wear something sexy just make sure you know the feel of he wedding and have an idea of how the bride might feel if she sees you.  

Rule #2 Look into the Location

This is so vital because of course you will know how to coordinate your wardrobe. The shoes you wear to a rooftop wedding may not be the same ones u would wear to a beach one. Check out the location and figure out how you want to dress. If it's inside there might be air conditioning and you may want to bring a light jacket. So it's super important to have an idea of the location! 

 Rule #3  Never wait last minute for an outfit

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Please don't be one of those people that waits two days before a wedding to find an outfit. Rushing to find something to wear is this worst! You run the risk of picking something you don't really like or spending way more money than you wanted to. Plan at least three weeks ahead to find something for the wedding! 

#Rule 4 Wear Comfortable Shoes

You ever go to a wedding that's not on time? Or how about one that you have to leave the location to go somewhere else for the reception? For some reason weddings tend to require a lot of walking or standing around. Wear comfortable shoes! This is not the time to wear those heels that hurt your feet five minutes in. Weddings are usually about 3-4 hours generally so take that into account when choosing shoes.

Rule #5 Look GOOD! 

If you're single weddings tend to usually be a great place to meet other singles. So its the perfect time to look amazing! I usually always suggest a dress for summer weddings because its so hot who wants to be in pants. Add a cute shoe and even a clutch to add hat extra oomph to your outfit! Oh and don't forget the accessories.  

Catch me at StephRoyalty.com

Images from Pixabay.com

Can’t go wrong with RL – it’s classy and elegant. Also, sexy and professional.

http://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay/zinna-lace-crepe-dress-0003-250558353005--24?gclid=Cj0KEQjwv467BRCbkMvs5O3kioUBEiQAGDZHL8EYFvpToH-t-TgI6cmbTj_uwLgcTGIXmu-E8Qzy3WUaAucD8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Another gorgeous piece by RL – the color green is unique but super glam. The small bedazzle on the neckline gives the dress that extra tad of sparkle!

http://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay/embellished-jersey-dress-0003-250592768001--24?gclid=Cj0KEQjwv467BRCbkMvs5O3kioUBEiQAGDZHLywGNsUprGakyVwKhh4heOg0mQxnmMyE5jLjFSacFSQaAnGo8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

If you are on a budget for dresses this season. Macy’s is your perfect stop. They have such cute stylish dresses for amazing price. Here are a few of my favourites that are less than $100!

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/city-studios-juniors-strapless-lace-a-line-dress?ID=1081757&CategoryID=18109#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D15%26ruleId%3D38|RS%26slotId%3D6%26kws%3Dgraduation%20dress

So many colors to choose from – white is SO in this season!

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/bar-iii-cap-sleeve-fit-flare-dress-only-at-macys?ID=1975629&CategoryID=5449#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D15%26ruleId%3D38|RS%26slotId%3D15%26kws%3Dgraduation%20dress

Halter neckline is always a bit different and unique!

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/trixxi-juniors-soutache-trim-dress?ID=1920612&CategoryID=18109#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D15%26ruleId%3D38|RS%26slotId%3D14%26kws%3Dgraduation%20dress

If you want black, but a bit more edgy, then check these out!

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/dress-the-population-gwen-knit-midi-dress/4252752?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=BLACK

https://www.lulus.com/products/proof-of-perfection-black-skater-dress/346022.html

Add a bit of color with floral or embroidery – but don’t over do it!