Natalie-Elizabeth

During my free time, I love going on Pinterest or Instagram to take a look at what the latest bloggers and fashion influencers have been wearing to help me get some inspiration. The latest trends for this season are so fresh and unique, I can't wait to start incorporating them into my wardrobe when the weather warms up! There are a lot of trends right now that I am loving, but this blog post would last forever if I listed them all. Here are my top favorites:

Fishnets

Fishnet tights or socks have made a huge comeback recently and I love how they can spice up an outfit and give it an edge! Lately, I have been wearing mine like the picture above. I picked up a pair of  fishnet socks at Topshop and I love how they make a simple outfit look unique. I like wearing them with my adidas or sock booties with cropped jeans. You can also wear fishnet tights underneath your jeans so they peek out through the rips or have it show a few inches above your waistband.

Statement Sleeves

Off The Shoulder Tops 

Denim

You may have seen Ouai haircare all over social media the past year and let me tell you, it definitely lives up to the hype. Jen Atkins, hairstylist to the Kardashians, created this product line to help achieve that chic, effortless, laid back style that everyone is looking for. Knowing that Jen Atkins was the creator of this brand had me running to purchase this product, but it also has some great benefits! According to their official website, their products are designed to help repair, strengthen, and nourish hair to help bring out it's natural beauty. You can go on their website to view the large variety of products they have! They also sell their products in some Sephora locations, so I made a stop while I was in Chicago to pick out a few. When I style my hair, I always go for loose, beachy, texturized waves so I couldn't decide between their wave spray or the texturizing hair spray. Instead, I purchased Jen's Style Edit. This box set contains three travel sized products. It includes the wave spray, texturizing hair spray, finishing creme, and six elastic hair ties. The box cost $25 which is equivalent to purchasing one product. I decided this would be the smarter purchase since I could test out which products I liked the most before committing to a full sized bottle.


Ouai Wave Spray - $26: This product is great when you want to achieve those loose beachy waves. After testing it out a few times, I absolutely love it. It doesn't spray out too heavy, so you aren't stuck with that crunchy feeling in your hair that other wave sprays can give you. I like to use it after I curl my hair to help loosen up the curl and add volume. My hair is naturally wavy, so on days where I don't feel like styling my hair, I will spray this in to help enhance my natural curl. This is the perfect product to use in the summertime if you are spending your days by the pool or beach!

Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray - $26: This is the perfect product to use when you want to put some life back into your hair! Not only does it build texture and add volume, it acts as a hair spray, so you get two products in one. Sometimes after shampooing and blowdrying my hair, it can become way too soft to style, so I like to add this in to help hold my curl. Also, it is great for second day hair because it absorbs oil. I find myself reaching for this product more than my regular dry shampoo.

Ouai Finishing Creme - $24: After I blow-dry my hair, it tends to be a little frizzy, so I like running this through my ends to help tame my hair. I love how soft and shiny my hair looks after using this product.

Overall, this has become my new favorite haircare brand. I noticed instant results when testing the products out for the first time and they helped achieve the style that I was looking for. I also noticed that my style seemed to last longer so I didn't have to do much to my hair when I woke up the next day. The one thing that I love the most about this brand is that Jen wanted to create professional products that are affordable. In my opinion, there are some professional haircare products that are way overpriced, so I love the price range that this brand has. I still feel like I'm buying quality products without breaking the bank. I also can't get over the packaging! It looks so chic and modern. After I made my purchase, I was so excited to go home and take pictures of the products because they photograph so well. The design is simple but it looks so luxurious. All of the products smell great too and it's not too overpowering where it gives me a headache! My favorite is the smell of the wave spray. It includes notes of Italian lemon, amber and white musk. It smells very fresh but also warm.  After testing out these products, I think I am going to purchase everything from this box set. It's definitely worth it! I also plan on testing out their pomade and foam dry shampoo, which looks so cool. Look out for a review on those products!

Whenever I am home for break, I love taking a trip to the city for a day of shopping and relaxing. Chicago is such a beautiful city and I always feel grateful that I live close by. Me and my friend Emma, always have our special routines whenever we go down. We like to visit stores that we don't have at home, and take the time to enjoy some of the beautiful views of the city. Once we get off the train, our first stop is Intelligentsia. It's a cute little coffee shop on Randolph St. near Millennium Park. Their lattes are amazing and I get one every time I go. They are super smooth and have an amazing taste. Sometimes on the way back home, I stop in for a second one! It can get busy since it is near a large tourist location, but it is worth the wait. They also have multiple locations, so next time you are in Chicago, definitely check them out!

Lately, my skin has been experiencing a few breakouts, so I decided to pick up a couple new face masks from Sephora to try out. Face masks are my favorite skin care product, so I am always trying to find new ones that will help my skin. I decided to test out a traditional clay mask and a sheet mask, which has been the new trend in the beauty industry.



Dr. Jart+ Dermask Micro Jet Clearing Solution - $9.00

I love using sheet masks and have definitely started reaching for them more than the traditional form of face masks because they are so quick and easy. Sheet masks are face shaped fabrics that are soaked in a serum. They are really convenient to use! You don't have to wait for them to dry and then scrub them off. Just throw it on for 20 minutes (sometimes more) and then rub in the excess serum. Boom. Done. They are also cheaper too. I've used Dr. Jart+ sheet masks before, but the brand has come out with a few new ones. I picked up this clearing one and I really enjoyed it. This mask includes Glutathione which helps brighten the skin, improve dark spots and discoloration. Other ingredients include salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and niacinamide. These will help control oil and keep your skin clear. This mask is perfect for people who have oily skin. I wore this mask for 10-20 minutes and rubbed in the excess serum before I went to bed. By morning, I saw instant results! Some of my blemishes were reduced in size and my skin was glowing.




GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment - $22
When it comes to face masks, GlamGlow is the brand to go to when you want instant results. Whenever my skin is super dry, their Thirstymud mask is a life saver! Now this is a high-end brand and their full size mask goes for about $69.00. I would never purchase a face mask for that amount of money, but their travel size products are a reasonable price. Also, a little goes a long way with these masks, so the smaller size will still last you a long time. The tinglexfoliate mask is perfect for taking away impurities and exfoliating the skin. The grainy texture helps buff away dead skin and gives you a healthy glow. After my first use, I noticed my skin looked tighter and my pores already appeared smaller. Also, a few minutes after applying, your skin will start to tingle. I don't purchase these masks all the time, but they are my go to when I need something stronger for my skin!


Whenever I put on a face mask, I like to take that time to read since I don't have the opportunity to do it that often. Since graduation is right around the corner, I recently picked up The Career Code! This book is written by the women that created WhoWhatWear.com. This gives great tips and advice for women that are getting ready to start their careers. Since I am a senior in college, there are some tips that I already know about and are pretty obvious, but this is perfect for any undergrad that is getting ready to look for that first internship. It is also interesting to see how these women started their careers and what they have learned throughout it.

My coat collection has a lot of pieces that are more on the trendier side. The aviator style jacket has been my favorite trend for the past year and I invested in two coats with this style. Recently, I have been on the hunt for a simple classic black coat to complete my collection. I found this one at H&M a few weeks ago, and it is perfect for this bipolar weather the Midwest has been experiencing. It is warm enough for when the weather gets really cold, but light enough to wear when there is a slight chill in the air. I love the style of this coat because even though it is a basic piece, it still has subtle details that make it unique. The diagonal zipper and the lapels with the metal notches, gives an edgier vibe.  Last weekend, I decided to go home to take a mental break and do some shopping. Look out for another post next week to see what I bought!

On this day, the weather was really cold and breezy, so I decided to wear this coat with a thick scarf from the Loft. For the rest of my outfit, I just wore a plain black sweater and jeans from Topshop. These Topshop jeans are also a new purchase. I've heard great reviews on these jeans, but I was always hesitant to make the purchase because they are on the pricer side. I have always spent a decent amount on jeans in the past because they are a staple item in your wardrobe, but never this much. Over the Christmas season, I decided to pick up a pair and I don't regret it. I like when my jeans are super tight, but I have always struggled with different brands losing their fit after I wear them a couple of times. The Topshop jeans don't have this issue. I can get multiple wears out of them and I don't have to put them in the dryer to help get that tighter fit back. They are also high-waisted, which I think is really flattering and helps make my legs look longer. For shoes, I wore my favorite Zara boots that I got for Christmas. Sock boots have been a huge trend this year and you can easily dress them up or down. Besides pairing them with normal skinny jeans, I like wearing them with cropped jeans too. My favorite is pairing them with my American Eagle two-toned vintage jeans that I talked about in my last fashion post. This look has become my favorite trend this month, and if you have a little bit of your ankle still showing, fishnet tights look so cool underneath.

Outfit Links

Biker Coat: H&M ($79.99)
Scarf: The Loft (It is sold out, but here are some other options from Zara):  Option 1, Option 2, Option 3
Sweater: H&M ($19.99)
Jeans: Topshop ($70.00)
Shoes: Zara ($59.99)