July Favorites!
July was the month that I had become very committed to hard work, whether at my job, internship, or Inbetweenlooks Instagram page, I have been busting my ass the moment I returned from California! My hard work has paid off because I have now created a routine that will seamlessly propel me into August! I've never been this excited or prepared and this feeling is AWESOME! My summer was filled with life long memories that I will never forget! Since my trip to California I have started to pull all my smarts together to create an environment for myself that makes me feel invincible. Along the way I have acquired some goodies that I could not stop using all summer long! Some of the items that I found myself gravitating towards are things that I have had for a couple of years, but never used them as frequently as I have been now. Majority of my July favorites have been purchased with summer survival in mind!
As I mature and experiment , I have realized that It's okay to say no to certain things or people when I am not 100% okay with them or not completely satisfied.On my journey to creating myself I've found that I am becoming rather particular about every detail in my life that I have control of. I can't change the way I look or how others may perceive me, but what I can do is have killer wardrobe that I can be proud of. I think that it is perfectly normal spoil yourself and invest in your confidence! It's so worth it to treat yourself regularly!
Two items in particular that have my confidence peaking this summer would be my H&M off the shoulder top and my strapped rose gold kitten heels! These Items were last minute purchases during my California trip. I was really hesitant about purchasing them because I had already spent a fortune while in California that I didn't think I needed anything else. Boy, was I wrong! I needed this top and shoe combo more than I realized! They have become cult classics in my closet! I will somehow try to incorporate these pieces into to my fall essentials. The cotton fabric of the shirt and how it fits on my body is probably the main reason why I bought it in the first place. The top is super easy to dress up with my leather jacket from Zara or down with my oversized cardigan from H&M.
The shoes are another story! I have admitted to myself that I have a shoe addiction! Most of the shoes that I own had to be put in storage because they would not fit in my closet! I don't think I can resist an extremely cute shoe! It's just not in my nature! These rose gold beauties were calling my name and begging me to take them home the moment my hungry eyes saw them! I wear a size 8-81/2 in US. and 39 in European sizes. I knew it was meant to be when I saw my size right away. I did get a little nervous when I tried attaching the strap around my ankle and it felt kinda tight, but I did not let that deter me from taking these babies home! I made a sound conclusion that my ankles and feet were temporarily swollen and would eventually go back to their regular size! I gave it a couple a days when I got back to Atlanta before I tried then on again and they fit like a glove! The reason why I love them so much is because they give off an effortless appeal. I want to put effort into how I look, but not for the an expensive price! These rose gold babies kill two birds with one stone and I will love them for a very long time!
Some beauty products that have become major confidence boosters for me all summer 16, would be my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Bronze Radiance , Iman cosmetics BB cream in earth deep, 2 NYX matte lip creams in Abu Dubi and London , and last but not least my Anastasia Beverly Hills glow kit in Sun Dipped and dipbrow in Ebony. Because I have darker skin I have tended to back away from make-up products that have made me look less "naturally" or darker than I actually am or wash me out completely. With the encouragement of my mom and little sister I have been emerged into the make-up world and I am never looking back! For two reason, number 1 the money that I have spent on the make-up that I own so far could possibly buy a very small island and for 2 I am sick of my ridiculous insecurities that certain make-up companies thrive off of. I am beautiful and I like make-up, so I should not let certain makeup ranges deter me from reaching my fullest potential. It does take extra time and money to achieve the look that I have created now, but nothing worth having comes cheap or easy and I am SO worth the investment!
Technology has always been straight forward for me. I like what I like and I definitely follow trends. I have been Iphone gag since 2010 and I will remain team Iphone forever! (until something WAY better comes along and that means it has to involve self sufficient robot!) I remember the summer before my first year of college, I was super inspired by getting accepted into a really good school and feeling very proud of myself and excited for my future. As a gift to myself I went to Urban Outfitters and bought the Fuji instax mini 8 Polaroid camera for $100 ( now looking at the website price its $80 wtf!). At the time I thought that was a lot of money. Don't get me wrong it still is, but I'm wiser now and I can afford a little more that I could a year go. So, on my splurge I also invested in the Fuji Film which I did not know at the time was a separate cost of about $30. At that point I was like f*ck this, I am going to get the works and I also bought a storage holder for my polaroids after they were taken. It's been a year and I am can happily say that this camera was a great investment! I love reminiscing in memories of the photos that I have taken. I briefly go back to the moment I took the image and I always smile and feel glad that I was able to capture a happy moment in my life.
Thank you so much for reading! Until Next time!
Disclaimer: All images have been taken by me and any products that I have talked about have been purchased with my own money and I have not been paid to review them. I am also not interested in making money off my any products I review.