GTG's Spring 2013 Fashion Trend Report

So what will you be wearing come spring? Well that really depends on your personal style, but you will be seeing a lot of the following at stores everywhere:

Top 7 Fashion Trends of 2013 (as seen in the runways of Michael Kors, DKNY, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, BCBG, DVF, Givenchy and Donna Karan)

1. Stripes
2. Black and White
3. The Short suit
4. Water inspired
5. Ruffles
6. Bermuda Shorts
7. Peek-a-boo pieces

Here are some of my favorite pieces for each trend! Enjoy and let me know what's your new favorite trend?


Seeing stripes: This spring it's all about stepping out in stripes especially if you're afraid of other prints. You should invest in a good piece that you can keep in your closet forever as stripes are timeless.

Stripes

More Stripes

This season designers opted for something a little less traditional such as florals or pastel colors and brought out bold black and white pieces that are perfect for every season and can be achieved with any budget. 

Black and White

Black and White

The first thing I thought of when I saw the short suit was a trend this season was of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Of course the short suit of today is a lot more tailored and fashionable than its' 1990s' equivalent. I'm loving this trend especially when pieces are mixed instead of a matchy matchy look.

The Short Suit

A palette of water colors made a splash on runways, as a lot of designers found inspiration in water and the results are beautiful hues of blues and draperies of seafoam colors. 

Water Inspired Looks

Water Inspired Looks

Ruffles have been popping out everywhere especially oversized ruffles, but I'm not a big fan of this trend that's why I picked pieces that were chic and on trend but nothing that will overpower you.

Ruffles

Ruffles

Bermuda shorts are back this season and they're great because they're not only ultra flattering on just about any body type they also always give you that chic effortless polished look that every girl dreams of. 

Bermuda shorts

Bermuda Shorts

Peek-a-boo pieces are nothing short of sexy, whether you're going for the bare midriff, sheer panels or cut outs you'll have plenty of choices to keep it ultra feminine and sexy. Remember ladies, we love looking sexy not trashy!

Peek a boo pieces (cut outs)

Peek a boo pieces (sheer panels)

What look or looks are you looking forward to rocking this spring?

Until next time,
xo GTG

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“I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright.” Millard Kaufman

Spotlight: Julep Maven February Box

I discovered Julep Maven, a nail color monthly sub, a few months ago, when I was trying to decide what I really wanted to get from my monthly boxes. I don't mind spending money on things I know I'm going to use and I felt like I was getting tired of receiving the same samples from other subs, which have now accumulated inside two drawers of my vanity set.

But I like love to have my nails look pretty in the hottest colors of the season. So joining Julep Maven was a no brainer. Signing up to become a Julep Maven is very easy: you take a quiz, you discover your style profile (It Girl, Bombshell, Classic with a Twist, American Beauty or Boho Glam) and you purchase your first box. All boxes are $19.99/month, but unlike other subs you can pick whichever style you like each month. 

Today I received my February box and wanted to share the colors I received, as well as the inspiration behind this month's collection and the freebies I got from my Julep Jules (Julep Maven's reward program for ordering my monthly box.)

Julep Maven's February Box: Bombshell

Something noteworthy to know about Julep colors:

• Julep nail colors are "4 free" (don't contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toulene or DBP.)
• highly pigmented colors
• Julep donates a portion of the proceeds to organizations that support women through its Powered by Girlfriends program. 

My style profile is Classic with a Twist, but this month I opted to order the Bombshell box because I was smitten with Laura, an olive khaki creme. I also received Ginger, a sand tone in a holographic finish. In addition I got an eyelash curler and a couple of heart shaped chocolates (one of which I ate before I got to take a picture of the box :) )

Almost all of this month's boxes came with the new oxygen nail treatment that is supposed to make nails stronger, thicker and smoother in just one stroke (review will be up very soon) as well as freedom polymer top coat, (an extra this month) which claims to extend the life of your manicure by creating a force field that prevents chipping and a gel like finish (review for this will also be up shortly.)

Because I had accumulated a nice amount of Julep Jules, I added on the Old Hollywood Charm set, which consists of three colors at no extra cost.

I thought this was the perfect add-on because the entire "Get on The A List" February collection was inspired by classic and modern Hollywood leading ladies.

Unfortunately with all the new polishes that I have received in the last week or so I haven't been able to try them all on. As usual, I'll come back and update this post with all the colors received.

FYI: The window for the new monthly subscription opens up later this week from the 20th-24th with a new style profile: Modern beauty that will feature other products besides polishes.

If you'd like to become a Julep Maven use my referral code: 5799024 during sign up or just click on the following link: Julep Maven

What's your favorite monthly subscription?

Until next time,
xo GTG

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GTG Tries It... Zoya's PixieDust Colors

Forty-one!

That's the number of days I sat impatiently waiting for my new Zoya PixieDust order to be fulfilled and shipped out.

Sidenote: the shipping gods have been really upset with me for unknown reasons. So far two of my four pending packages have been undeliverable including my Zoya package, which I had to go pick up myself.

You can't even imagine how excited I was to pick up my package and test out these brand spanking new colors for you! The Zoya Pixiedust collection features six new colors with a special formula that creates a textured, matte and sparkling finish, it's kinda like sparkly sugar or sand on your nails.

As soon as I heard this collection was coming out I knew I'd love Dahlia (a blacky sugary sparkle) and London (a fog gray sugary sparkle.) I also placed an order for Purity (a clean white creme with a glossy finish) and Toni (a dark wine with purple tones.)

Zoya goodies

As a gift, Zoya included a color chart with its other new spring collection, a polish remover and the Qtica half time polish drying accelerator (I will def let you know how the accelerator works in the future.)

On to the pixiedust colors:

Zoya Pixiedust in London

Shine bright like a diamond in London. (Day 1)

Day 3: Minor chipping

Honestly this picture doesn't even do this color any justice. The color is so much more vibrant, sparkly and prettier in person. Every single girl at the salon complimented me on the color because it's absolutely stunning. The texture is a little weird and it does take sometime to get used to because it's so grainy. This can be a problem for some, but not for someone like myself, who appreciates the look. 

In order to achieve the best possible finish you have to make sure your nails are clean and that they don't have any oil or grease. You cannot use a base coat. Apply a single coat and wait for it to dry completely before applying the next coat (always make sure you wait for each coat to dry in between  coats.) I had my manicurist apply three thin coats. Here's the final kicker--you shouldn't apply a top coat either in order to obtain the desired matte sugary results. If you do it will still look pretty, but the final look will be smooth and not sugar-like.

Zoya Pixiedust in Dahlia

Dahlia Swatch (p.s. there's a reason I don't do my own nails it's cause I suck at it!)

Here's my overall review of Zoya's new Pixiedust collection:

Product: Zoya PixieDust Nail Lacquer 

Claims: A long-lasting formula with a magical sparkle and sugary finish. 

Actually: Long lasting? Depends on your definition of long lasting. I started seeing minimal chipping at 3 days, which considering you can't use a top coat is not terrible. The final matte texturized sugar look is nothing short of absolutely stunning.  

Pros: A new, beautiful one of a kind manicure, which can be easily fixed with a single coat that will not smudge like most regular lacquers. The price of $9 also makes this an affordable buy.

Cons: My only issue with this polish was the removal process. I highly recommend that you let each nail soak in polish remover before attempting to remove the color. It's no more difficult than removing glitter nail polish.

I'll update this post in a few days with the Dahlia color so you can see what it looks like.

Until next time,

xo GTG

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