Transitional Trench + Mink Fur Loafers

March 19, 2018

WEARING: GWEN SALAKAIA PATENT LEATHER TRENCH COAT | UNIQLO HEATTECH TURTLENECK |
 LEVI'S JEANS | SORELLE SHOES | ELLIA WANG WHITE LAYERED BAG | ROMWE SUNNIES

Hey, everyone! How was your weekend? I spent the majority of my time working and also caught up with an old friend for brunch on Sunday. I also watched the docuseries, 'Flint Town' while editing yesterday and it is a must watch. It's not just about the problems that surround the town of Flint in Michigan but more about the clashes of racism, political battles and everyday police work that coincides with what is currently happening. You guys really should check it out, not a long one I promise! I've been heavily into documentaries lately while working at the computer, what do you like to have as white noise in the background while you work? Or do you like the silence? Why? Okay, okay... not to get sidetracked; let's get to what I'm discussing in this blog post! In today's outfit post, I'm sharing how a long patent leather trench coat can be chicly styled with a pair of loafers. It's not the typical norm, but rules are meant to be broken and I am far from anything typical ;) Plus, it's still absolutely freezing in New York!

A trench coat is a fashionable product that can’t be separable in autumn, and many girls like the simple matching that a trench coat can solve the dress from head to feet. So in the selection of shoes, flat shoes that are convenient to wear and take off are very matched with a trench coat. I normally will pair a statement coat with more subdued mules or even with some fresh sneakers, but I do like to step outside the box and see what combinations can work when it comes to fashion and styling. And how beautiful are each piece?!

The long patent leather trench coat is from Gwen Salakaia, with a voluminous shape and a beautiful muted color. Isn't the faded brown so lovely? I've always loved a statement coat for any season as I really think it polishes up a look as well as my obsession with outerwear. Because the coat was such a singular piece on its own, I wore my favorite Levi's jeans (yup, total repeat offender) and a Uniqlo Heattech turtleneck due to the STILL frigid temperatures. The mink fur with Swarovski crystal-loafers are from Sorelle Shoes and you can find both the coat and shoes at the NYC showroom, Dreams On Air.

The gorgeous Italian calfskin, multi-layered white crossbody bag is by Ellia Wang and can also be found at Dreams On Air. I wanted something lighter and softer in terms of color to balance out the dark and neutral colors of the outfit. A trench coat such as this is a great staple/investment piece because it can be worn all year round in various weather conditions along with being quite versatile when it comes to styling it. From a dress to jeans, (to maybe even a surprise visit to your man's showing up in nothing but the trench!) this is a trend that won't be dying out anytime soon. What do you guys think of this look? Shop similar pieces at the beginning or end of this post! Wishing you all a fab week! Catch ya guys back here on M + S real soon!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Spring Clean Your Skin with Bioré

March 17, 2018

How many of you are a seasonal skincare user? Depending on where you live, those like myself on the East Coat go through all four, which can definitely alter our skin. In the warmer months, my combination skin tends to get oiler and during the colder months, my skin tends to be drier. So especially in between the seasons like springtime, I like to keep my skin care cleaning regiment thorough but gentle. Bioré® Skincare targets the root of all skin problems—the evil clogged pore. So when it comes to dirt and oil they take a no-nonsense approach to fight smarter, not harder. Our scrub, liquid, powder, strip, mask and bar cleansing products go straight to the source of those pesky pores for deeply clean, beautiful skin that’s ready for anything. Here are two of my latest favorite products from the brand.

The Bioré® Self Heating One Minute Mask is a deep cleansing mask that heats up in just 60 seconds, never hardens, and rinses off clean! It’s infused with charcoal and purifies pores 2 1/2 times better than your basic cleansers. You can also add water to increase heating action times two, either way, I love how refreshing my skin feels right after. I absolutely love this mask because the heat opens up my pores to deeply purify my skin, not to mention it feels incredible! My skin felt super smooth and clean with just one mask. The individually packaged masks also make the product easy to travel with, but I just love the convenience of a time-saving mask that legit works. You can purchase the pack of 4 on Amazon for $5.82. Target, Walmart, and other retailers also carry it. :)

Bioré® Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips work like a magnet to instantly lock on to and lift out deep-down dirt, oil, and blackheads. In just 10 minutes, you'll remove weeks' worth of buildup, see 3x less oil and achieve your deepest clean. The pore strips are dermatologist-tested and remove weeks of build up from your pores - without the pain of removing some pore strips I have tried in the past. The pore strips are also individually packaged, and you get 6 of them in a box for $5.99 from Amazon or other retailers.

If you decide to give Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips and/or One Minute Self Heating Mask a try, I picked mine up on Amazon. You can buy them at major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens. etc. You can see distribution here. Have you ever tried Bioré products before? Unclog your pores! You can learn more about Bioré on their website but follow them on Instagram and Facebook for news and tips!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Spring 2018 Trend: Motorsport Gear

March 16, 2018

WEARING: ROMWE TWO TONED BOMBER JACKET | UNIQLO HEATTECH TURTLENECK | 
LIE COLLECTION PANTS | ADIDAS HIGH TOPS | ROMWE SUNGLASSES

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROMWE.

Happy Friday! I am definitely having a much better week than last! Doesn't it seem like that's how it always goes? "Tomorrow's another day" always resonates, in that yes, normally the day after always turns out alright. If not a little bit more than alright. Us, New Yorkers, are heavy with anticipation for spring, when will the day finally come when we can step outside without a heavy coat on? To kick off the weekend, I'm sharing with you one of my favorite trends of the season, that's been cultivating for the past few years now is the motorsport // racing gear sportswear. From helmets to goggles and track pants, gloves and more, it's all about the aesthetic. Bringing an edgier contemporary look to anything but casual, it's a trend that won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

If you've been following my NYFW adventures for the past couple of years, perhaps you have heard me mention of Concept Korea and the two designers within the fashion house. One of the designers, Chung Chung Lee, began his design career in menswear on the famed Savile Row under the guidance of the celebrated menswear designer Oswald Boateng, Chung solidified his tailoring skills, which eventually led to launching a menswear line, A. Hallucination in London. Upon the introduction of his first collection, Chung received critical acclaim by notable fashion magazines such as Vogue UK and GQ UK followed by multiple awards including two consecutive “Winner of Ones to Watch” awards in 2010 and 2011 by Vauxhall Fashion Scout, “Bright Young Things” by Selfridges, and “Menswear Designer” award given by Fashion’s Finest Awards in 2011.

In 2011, Chung partnered with his sister Nana to form the fashion label LIE. Since its launch, LIE has grown to include two freestanding stores in Korea, multiple pop-up shops throughout Asia and a permanent section in the flagship LIE SANGBONG Concept store in New York’s Meatpacking District. The line is distributed across the globe including select boutiques, specialty shops, and department stores. These tuxedo/track pants are by this particular designer and this piece speak for themselves. The pop of neon from the 'BELIEVE/LIE' tag is perfect with the side race pant detail in plastic and print. Along with tailoring skills, his attention to detail is immense and well-executed. I'll be sharing more pieces by this designer coming soon so keep your eyes peeled when that new content pops up.

I can never get enough of mixing high and low together when it comes to fashion. And would you believe it if I told you these sunnies are under 5 bucks AND this bomber jacket is under $20?! They are both from Romwe and you can shop these pieces at the start or at the end of this blog post. As always, the layout is the same for each outfit/fashion post. Got questions or want to drop a comment? Leave me something down below! Have a rad weekend, everyone!

LOVE & XX'S,

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ADIDAS CLOUDFOAM DAILY QT HIGH-TOP SNEAKER - WOMEN'S

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Transitioning into Spring

March 7, 2018

WEARING: MAKE ME CHIC FLORAL MAXI DRESS | ALEXIA ADMOR TUXEDO SPLIT SLEEVE DRESS |
 THACKER NYC BOYFRIEND SHIRT NINE WEST HENRA PUMPS | ZAFUL TASSEL EARRINGS | 
VENDULA LONDON BOOKS SHAPED BAG | ASOS WHITE FISHNET SOCKS

THIS POST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MAKE ME CHIC, ALEXIA ADMOR & NINE WEST.

If you know my style you know how much I'm into the layering game. It's a form of art that may look effortlessly chic to do, but alas, it's not as easy as it seems. And so in today's post, with the dreary thundersnow (yes it was literally snowing and thundering simultaneously this morning in New York) and my longing for the upcoming season, I'm sharing a fairly simple but elegant look that is definitely spring-wear, but can be simply transitioned and mixed in with fall/winter pieces too! This look has a touch of librarian morphed with simple romanticism in a modern-day vintage-y feel. Continue reading to learn more about where these pieces are from and also how I came to style this outfit.

The Alexia & Admor navy blue double-breasted tuxedo split sleeve dress is quite versatile. You can wear it alone as a dress all buttoned up which I chose not to do in this look, which I styled it as a blazer/jacket. I think the split sleeves gives the piece an edgy modern quality to it and the rich blue colors is super trending right now. So much so I think it's a great transitional piece to mix in with spring clothes. For example, like this floral maxi dress.

The Make Me Chic rose-print maxi dress is short sleeved, but given the stubborn weather, I opted for a little more layering with my favorite white boyfriend shirt from Thacker NYC. I wear it often, both in layered looks or just bumming around the house. It's that comfy and chic looking at the same time! The floral dress has great movement and the material is fair. It can be styled in other ways such as with a leather jacket, a thin duster/trench, and even with jeans. The Vendula London Books-Shaped bag is unfortunately sold out, but please check out their site for other amazing vintage-style bags!

I tucked my hair and pulled it back into a low updo so the earrings would have a bigger focus on my face, framing it more. These Zaful tassel earrings have been a part of my accessories since this summer and I still wear them all the time. The black Nine West Henra pumps are great for any look either dressing up or dressing down, it can polish up any outfit. And yet, they're comfortable to walk around in. (Dies a little inside with so much joy.) What do you guys think of the paired ASOS white fishnet socks? I even tried them with a pair of Puma and jeans this past weekend and I think they definitely put a twist on the traditional black fishnet, for sure.

LOVE & XX'S,

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An Alexander in London

February 27, 2018

WEARING: SAKU NEW YORK BLUE BOMBER JACKET |  ODETTE &ODILE TWIGGY WHITE 
SUN SHADES | FOREVER 21 HOT PINK RIBBED SWEATER-KNIT CROP TOP |
EGO SKYE KITTEN HEEL SOCK BOOT | GENUINE PEOPLE BELL BOTTOM CROP JEANS | GUCCI BELT | 
MEDUSA MINI BLUE CLUTCH/CROSSBODY

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY SAKU NEW YORK.

When it comes to working with photographers, I'm quite selective. There's really only been one person aside from myself that photographs street style for me, and that is my husband, but when I had to travel to London and he had to stay behind, I needed to find someone reliable and with quality (which my standards can be very high... eek!) but when a new friend of mine from this year recommended someone she had worked with, I took a look at her Instagram and was immediately open to her style and vibe. But like any first encounters, they can be a bit awkward, even nerve-wracking to some, but Elena and I had commonalities such as a passion for photography, both Eastern European, and same headstrong go-getting kind of attitude. We broke the ice quickly.

But when the time came to shoot, her camera suddenly was not turning on. At first, we (I know a thing or two about cameras) both thought it was just the battery/sensor that had a small dust or something on it and we tried to clean it. Nothing. We took out the memory card and restarted the camera again, and tried many other crazy things one photographer will try to get the camera to work (this is definitely part of the problem in the digital world, yeah?) again, but to our dismay, nothing was happening. We finally ended up at a camera repair shop about a five-minute walk in central London.

When we arrived, Elena saw a man with a Canon body similar to hers, and immediately wanted to test his battery on her body. He was happy to do so, but it still didn't solve the problem. Her camera was still not turning on. A technician in the shop finally assesses her body and battery and can confirm that there is something wrong with the body. She was disappointed as everything was fine that morning (as I know me, myself, a photographer will check to make sure everything is working before even leaving the house!) and on top of working with me, she had 3 more clients that day. She tapped away into her phone before the man with the Canon, named Alexander, popped in once more.

Overhearing she had to work for fashion week that day, Alexander, 'Alex', straight up offers his camera to her, with no expectations. At first, Elena refuses, even at some point offering money herself to borrow his camera. He says no and then asks for one thing in return. If she ever needed an assistant and just had the time to give him a few tips, and he was not a professional photographer, that would be the next best thing. I honestly have to say that meeting Alex and his friend Amelia the way that I did was something you don't have happen to you every day. What are the odds we'd all be in the same camera repair store in the heart of London on some random weekday in the middle of the afternoon and for this to occur? It's as if as just when I start to think that the world is just crazy and that's that, an angel descends down to earth and I mean... wow. I am still so touched by one person's kindness. All thanks to an Alexander in London, my first shoot was a success!