Lincoln Motors Hello Again Tour, Miami

Hi!

Last week I was invited by Lincoln Motors to attend their Hello Again #helloagain tour in Miami and experience the Lincoln MKZ.  I was so happy to see Kara of Sprinkles in Springs there, along with her boyfriend who was so sweet to snap some pictures of us.  Together, we drove in a Lincoln MKZ through Wynwood, part of Miami's Design District.  We hit local spots Panther Coffee and the Wynwood Cigar Factory.  We drove through (yes, drove through the middle of) an art gallery that had various prints and Miami skyline photos displayed on either side of the 'road,' (Curated by RAWartists.org.  At the end of the event we were treated to bites from Wynwood Kitchen & Barat SoHo Studios.  The tour is now open to the public - if you would like to test drive one of these luxury cars and also enjoy light bites along the way, while touring Miami's Design District, you can sign up here. 

Thank you to Tricia for our invite. 

Click below for more photos and information.

OOTD: Stripes and Florals + Pattern Mixing

Hi everyone, this week I did a pattern-mixing outfit on the blog.  There is a subtle rhyme and reason to this style.   My main suggestion is to pair one of your prints with another print that has more 'white space.'  In other words, pair a very busy pattern, with a less busy pattern, that is less dense.  Here, the striped peplum top from Conversation Pieces is less busy than the floral print skirt from LOFT, so the outfit works.  That's just my suggestion, but I've also seen other styles that work just as well.  Larger stripes on smaller stripes seems to work out well, and polka dots and stripes can work, too.

It's really about playing with the outfit, and choosing something that you feel comfortable in.  Attempts at styling these can leave you feeling a little bit like a clown in a circus, so don't go overboard; keep one pattern as the neutral, and the other as the standout pieces, so that your don't have pieces that compete with one another.

I'm not afraid of a little color, obviously, so I chose brightly colored blue heels from Zara.  My cat eye sunglasses are cheapies from Forever21.

Premios Billboard 2013 Miami + Gifting Suite

Hi! I have been a little lost from the blog recently, but I am back to bring you this post about a super fun event that I was invited to which was held backstage at the Premios Billboard 2013 Awards here in Miami.  I was invited by WorkShopCollective to take part in this event that they called a Gifting Suite.  Ok, I don't know about you, but when I hear the words Gifting + Suite together, I'm there.

How much fun, right?  The event was set up so that different brands had their items on display for us bloggers to sample, photograph and take!  Everyone that I met was really, really nice.  I especially enjoyed chatting with Adrianna and Cristal of Carlo Pazolini (their shoe store at Merrick Park is amazing), Brett from Dockers, Shelly Street who did my hair, and Raquel from Uno de 50.

Wearing Forever 21 crocheted shorts, (still available) and here in ombre (size up a full size) and my neon chartreuse Victoria's Secret lace bandeau that I had hoped would peek through a little more because the contrast looked great against the black.

Also wearing my new pendant from Uno De 50! It's called the Ojo Que Te Veo pendant and is also available in pink. and what they call blue, but what I call jade (it's the color that I'm wearing in the picture above). 

Beauty File: Makeup Forever Pro Finish + HD Foundation Giveawy

Images via Pineterest #makeupforever

A couple of months ago, Make Up For Ever (MUFE for makeup fanatics, and industry beauty junkies) sent over three full sized products for me to try out.  As you may or may not know, I am already a huge MUFE fan, and I own a lot of their products.  I had recently experienced a not-so-great skin MONTH and had vowed to only use the products in this post  until my skin got back on track.  But, then I went to a party, ran into an old friend from middle school (another Fashionable ESQ.), and you know how girls get to talking....
...I, of course, left my powder in the bathroom that night.  It was time to open and try out the Make Up For Ever products.

To put this review into context - my skin is mostly oily with the very rare, random dry areas (at times showing up on and under my nose and on my chin).  It is extremely sensitive.  I am fair; pretty light skinned, to the point where everything shows on my face.  Everything makes me red so sometimes I need more full coverage products.  I applied all of the products in this post with either a moist foundation sponge or my fingers.

Miami Fashion Bloggers Go Vintage

I had the opportunity to get my hair and makeup done by the (now known to you) Brandi Henderson and Marianne Shows (as seen in this post) at Miami blogger event, where I also got to play dress up in a closet full of fab vintage clothes and hang with great girls.  I went with Nathy of the blog Earnest Style, one of the sweetest Miami bloggers I've met.  The fashionable and sweet Juliana and Ginger were also there to share in the fun.
Check out the pictures below:

How to do a hair bow? I have no idea, but she sure did.

OOTD: How to Style A-line / Tulip Dresses + Messy Fishtail Braid

Tulip dresses have a really feminie cut and they're perfect for springtime weddings or bridal showers.  Perfect, that is, if you pair them with the appropriate accessories to keep you from looking like a cupcake.

The risk with these dresses is that they're so sweet, you could end up looking like a toddler wearing her Sunday best.  No thanks!  They have a naturally flattering cut because they nip your waist and then flare out a bit on the bottom - meaning this style dress works on many body types.  They're basically A-line's that hide problem areas!  I know a lot of women are very hesitant about this style dress because they feel it will make them look wider on the bottom - to those women I say, try - just try one on and see. You will thank me later ;)

The dress I'm wearing in this post is by Alexia Admor and it was love at first sight!  Because my tulip dress has a high neck, I opted to pull my hair up into a messy  fishtail braid.  I accentuated the waist with a gold belt to bring out the bright colors of the dress and paired it with unexpected espadrilles (these guys have seen a lot of use lately).  I think the most common shoe pairing for this style dress is a rounded pump, which I believe makes the look seem too juvenile, so I went a different route.

I wore this for a bridal shower last weekend and I couldn't help including some of the shots of the lovely day.

Loving a messy fishtail braid - great for keeping your hair tame in Miami weather.
Wearing a vintage turquoise and gold bracelet, as seen in this post. 

OOTD: How to Wear Ikat Print Pants + Hair Bow

Don't mind the hair bow, that's a discussion for another day...
Just kidding! A couple of weeks ago I met Brandi Henderson and Marianne Shows, two really talented girls in the hair and beauty industry.  My makeup in these pictures - the awesome glitter eye, all of it, is by Brandi Henderson.  My Hair bow was done by Marianne Shows.  Check out these girls and their social media channels, including their you tube pages (where I may or may not have made a little cameo appearance).

Earrings by Septimo Jewlery available here.

Crazy glitter eye and crazy long falsies. 

I'm wearing ikat print pants which are a little tricky to match because of their maroon and black color scheme.  I like to wear them with this pale pink knit top from TJ MAXX, heather gray, or black.

I obviously really like how turquoise and gold look together because all of my pieces in this post are turquoise and gold!  I got the vintage turquoise bracelet I'm wearing at Vintage Revenge and Couture in Miami.  I also got the vintage gold belt there as well.  My heart necklace just so happens to match perfectly because it has flecks of gold all over it.  

I'm wearing snake earrings by Septimo Jewelry.  This line is sold locally in Miami, and carried by ISA Boutique.  Designer Silvia Fassardi is super sweet! I met her when I got these at a pop up shop event for her line at Aventura Mall.  Really pretty stuff - I also love her tassle necklaces.

Ikat print is a fun, tribal print that is all over spring and summer styles.  My favorite color combo is when I see blue and white ikat.  So cute.  Shop some Ikat accessories below:

Shop some ikat printed clothing below: 

What I wore: 
Top: TJMaxx // Pants: Vigoss via Nordstrom (try these) // Belt and bracelet: Vintage Revenge & Couture
Shoes: Butter // Heart Necklace: Forever 21 (old) // Rings: Lee Angel (old) (try these) // Snake Earrings: Septimo Jewelry // Lipstick: MAC Saint Germain

OOTD: J.Crew No. 2 Neon Tweed Pencil Skirt + Stella & Dot Spirit Bracelet Autism Awareness Month

This is what I wore for Easter, last weekend.  The second I saw this skirt, I had to have it.  I love that the tweed is classic and that the neon is so updated and modern.  J.Crew is so covet worthy!

Peace Love Threads Spring Collection

Peace Love Threads, the online boutique that I wrote about in this post  is about to launch their Spring line!  Currently, the site does not have their merchandise up, but on Sunday, April 7th, the Spring collection will debut on PLT.  They have expanded the brands and designers they carry and with that change comes more bold colors and prints for Spring.  The pieces are curated by two New York based models, whose style aesthetic is on point.  I was one of the lucky bloggers that got to preview the Spring collection and I'm sharing some of those pieces with you today.  Be sure to check back on April 7th for the rest of the  PLT Spring debut.

OOTD: Beach side at The Trump International + J.Crew Pleated Shorts

These shots are from last week's Betsy Moss show at Bella Beach behind the Trump Tower International in Sunny Isles.  Speaking of, the lobby of the hotel smelled so amazing.   I wandered into the spa to ask what the fragrance was - they said it was a grapefruit fragrance by Thymes.  Have you guys heard of this brand? They have candles, soaps, bath products, room sprays, etc.  The hotel was out of the grapefruit fragrance and I'm starting to think they don't really sell it because I've googled it and searched the Thymes site and they don't offer it.  A Trump ploy!
Anyway, if I had an oppulant bathroom or sitting area, these are the bottles I'd display and never use, because they're too pretty to touch.

I knew this event would be held oceanside so I considered being practical and wearing flip flops.   You can see how well that went.  Luckily the terrace extended throughout the back of the hotel, saving the day.  Miami weather has been "cold" then warm, then "cold" again.  This day was particularly warm, which is why you don't get to see my smiling face in these pictures, as I was basically a shiny, red mess.  You know how everyone always looks radiant on the beach, when they lay out? This is not me.  I am fair, with an undertone of red lobster.  My plight.