Fashion on a budget

There are a few things I’ve learned over the years most come from the magazines and articles that I spent countless hours reading. I think the most important tip I have picked up along the was is what to splurge on and what to buy at a bargain. I am a big follower of trends, I almost always love all the new items that are hot each season and I always want to give new looks a try. This is where learning to buy at a bargain comes in handy!

What to splurge on:

Everyone has staples in their wardrobe, it’s different for every individual. One of mine happens to be a great pair of jeans. I love them and wear them all the time therefore I will spend more money on finding the perfect pair that will fit me the best. When jean shopping y suggestion would be to start at Nordstrom, they tend to be more expensive but I find they are generally of a better quality and have a longer life which is useful since I wear them so often. The three staples of any jean collection is to have a great fitting pair of dark, light and black jeans on hand, they are classic styles and can be worn with many different things.

The second item I splurge on is a great pair of boots. If you read one of my earlier blogs you know I love boots! Once the weather switches jeans and boots is my go to outfit choice! Much like the jeans, it normally makes sense to spend a little more on a quality pair of boots since you getting a little more life out of them. Since I get a lot of wear out of my boots I like to try and buy at least one pair that are a classic look that will last me a few seasons. Usually I tend to spend a bit more on a knee high black pair or a knee high camel colored pair.

What to buy at a bargain:

Rule number one: anything you think is quick fad--buy cheap. For instance, I am currently love the plaid trend! I think it’s so adorable for the fall and right now I can’t buy enough plaid/flannel type shirts. I know though next year I probably won’t be as fond of them therefore I try to not spend as much on them. I have great luck at Forever 21 with these types of items. I recently just purchased this plaid shirt from their and it’s perfect! If I don’t wear it next season I don’t feel too bad either because I didn’t break the bank on it.

I'm a big believer in buying layering items on a bargain. I buy all of my layering tank tops, long sleeve shirts and t-shirts on a bargain at Forever 21 also. They are meant for layering and not really seen so this created a great opportunity for some savings. They range from $1.90- $9.00 depending on the item and for the most part they are good quality and get a lot of wear out of them. These are a few tips I've picked up along the way. Happy Shopping!

Photos from Forever21.com

I am someone who loves to wander around any makeup department; I am like a kid in a candy store at Sephora. I love to see all the latest and greatest things in beauty and skin care and ooh and ahh at all the amazing products. I am a pretty basic girl when it comes to make up.  A little concealer, eyeliner and mascara and I am good to go! I always look but never try but I decided it was time to give some of the new trends a whirl! Currently this fall a big trend is a dark matte lip. This is absolutely something completely out of my comfort zone; I am a Chap Stick girl thru thick and thin with maybe the occasional lip gloss for a special evening. I went to Sephora and decided to try and find a color that would work for me but also venture out of my comfort zone a bit. There were so many gorgeous colors, I really loved the deep wine and burgundy shades. It has been such a huge trend this fall I knew I had to try it. I choose a Nars lipstick; I have tried this brand before and have really liked it. The color is called oxblood burgundy and while it was definitely different from my norm I have to say I didn’t hate it! I have seen this look worn with a very minimal makeup look and that was the same way I wore it. I got loads of compliments and even my husband thought it was a nice change! Another look that has been really all over the magazines and runways this fall is a bronzed smoky eye. I have a love hate relationship with eye shadow. I love it on other people, I love to own it but I hate it actually on myself. I never feel like it looks right on me. I decided to put my fear aside to give this trend a try. I knew I did not need to purchase anything new for this look as I already own 3 of the Urban Decay Naked Pallets but have never used them. I did some online research and decided to use my Naked 2 pallet and use the colors snakebite, suspect and pistol. I used these 3 to create a typical smoky eye, I used suspect all over my eyelid and snakebite and pistol in my crease and as eye liner. I was pleasantly shocked! While I don’t think I would wear this everyday it was super fun to do for a night out! It really made my eyes pop and I had a lot of fun attempting to recreate the trend! All in all I am very glad I got over my fear of trying new makeup and gave these Fall trends a go! I plan to recreate both again very soon!

Photos from Sephora.com