{Beauty} 4 Tips For Making Your Manicure Last

I love switching things up in the nail department as much as the next girl, but when the average mani only lasts a couple of days, you have to take matters into your own hands... pun intended. Now I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I just can't be bothered to put in the work to stop my nails from mad chipping, but when time is on my side, so are these four steps. So if you want to make your favourite shade last just a little bit longer (but hate the idea of gel polish), here's a good placee to start:

GET BUFF — Once your nails are clean and bare, gently buffing the surface can really help your polish stick to your nails. But be warned: Too much buffing and your precious digits will pay the price. Stick to about twice a month at most to avoid damage.

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT — Once your nails are nicely buffed, go over them with a little nail polish remover to get rid of any residue. Skipping this step will prevent you from getting the best possible result, so, well, don't.

BUILD YOUR BASE — This step is the biggest pain in the butt, and definitely the one I skip the most, but using a base coat can go a long way towards making your manicure last and giving your polish a nice, even surface to adhere to. Plus it helps keep your nails from yellowing (one of the many joys of excessive polishing).

PUT YOUR TOP ON — Last but certainly not least, try using a gel top coat like this one from Dior. It's my absolute fave because it makes my nails look super shiny and gel-like, plus it makes my polish last twice as long. A reader once told me that she didn't care for this one, so if it's not for you, find a top coat you love and stick with it... Your nails (and the people looking at your Instagram feed) will thank you.

Photos by Mr. AiF

Weekend Reading: 02.01.14

 

1. This here is one seriously fascinating read: The state of the blog union.

2. Kelly's DIY conversation heart balloons are the cutest.

3. Crushing on this cheeky sweatshirt, big time... I may just cave and buy it.

4. My girl crush on Amy Poehler is growing by the day.

5. Check out these great tips for dry brushing.

6. Loved the way Caitlin asked her besties to be her bridesmaids over this fab brunch.

7. 10 moisturizing lip balms you gotta try (I'm making my way through the list as we speak)

8. Stephanie's uber cute workspace makes me want to run out and redecorate.

9. What actually happens to clothes left at the dry cleaner.

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Weekend Reading: 01.25.14

This week has been a doozy, with a different event or obligation nearly every night on top of everything else. So aside from a couple fun outings (including a date with Kastles and a trip to Swept), I'm laying low this weekend. So if you're like me you have a chill weekend ahead, here are some links to check out  — happy reading!

 1. Grace's reflection on blogging over the years really resonated with me — especially that plaguing feeling of not adding anything of value to the world.

2. I loved these 10 tips for a productive life.

3. Ever since Sandy Joe shared the video on her blog, I'm obsessed with this song! So. Good.

4. This photo prop DIY is the cutest.

5. Totes feeling Krystal's date night style.

6. An interesting read for those selling online: What kind of Instagram photos drive sales.

7. The 7 best online workouts (in case you're like me and still need a little push).

8. This copper leaf mani is stunning.

9. I wrote a story for the Edmonton Journal about personalizing your bridal wear — get ready for leather and fur!

10. When imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery — this post really hit home for me as I'm dealing with a similar situation.

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{Beauty} The Skin Detox

After the inevitable sugar binges and late nights that go hand-in-hand with the holidays, I started to notice that my skin was paying the price. Under eye circles? I had them (read how I dealt with that here). Break outs? You betcha. Listless overall appearance? Unfortunately. So after watching countless Youtubers go on and on (and on) about Glamglow's Youth Mud, I decided to build a three-step program around it to fix my facial woes. It's nothing groundbreaking, but so far it's working wonders for me. 

1. Hydrate. One of my goals for this year was to up my water intake (which, touch wood, is going really well so far), but for the sake of detoxing my skin, I've added fresh lemon and apple cider vinegar to the mix. One glass of that first thing in the morning — followed by plenty of water throughout the day — has helped create a brighter, plumper complexion.

2. Mask it up. I've been giving myself a facial every Sunday night using Glamglow, and so far I'm totally hooked. It draws out all the impurities (what a euphemism) from your pores in the most delightfully tingly way, then when you wash it off it transforms into an exfoliator, essentially giving you two treatments in one. Believe the hype, ladies — this stuff is magic.

3. Catch some z's. Totally common sense, but easy to overlook. As part of 'Operation Save My Skin,' I'm shooting for 8hrs/night which, even with the best of intentions, can be a bit of a stretch sometimes. Still, getting as much sleep as possible is priority one as I try and reboot my system.

If you have any tips, tricks — heck, even old wives tales — for keeping a youthful appearance, I'm all ears... Not to pull a Madeline Ashton or anything, but I'm very, very interested. xx

{Beauty} Holiday Makeup Must-Haves

Deborah Lippmann nail polish in 'Red Silk Boxers,' $20 | Nars lip gloss in 'Bleecker,' $26 | Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in 'Dark Chocolate Ink,' $24 | Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Color, $30 | Dermablend Cover Creme SPF 30, $38

It's no secret that I rarely stray from my daily makeup routine (save for the odd, seasonal lipstick switch-up), but the holidays are the one time of year I actually get excited about makeup. Aside from the products I use on the regular, I could generally take it or leave it where makeup is concerned (what, I really like skincare!). But the way Sephora dangles gift sets in my face and M.A.C. inundates me with flashy, limited edition everything, it's no wonder I can't say no. So aside from some shimmery shadows I'll probably never wear past the new year or yet another illuminator that I really don't need, my holiday must-haves this year are all about creating flawless-looking skin (complete with uber rosy cheeks!) and bright eyes, with festive (and in my case, standard) pops of red thrown in for good measure... Because less is more, right?

These are just a few of the products I'm including in my holiday makeup arsenal, but I'd love to hear what you're obsessing over right now as well! And as a tip from one homegirl to another, if you're looking to try a new skincare range, I would totally recommend Tata Harper; I recently splurged (and believe me, they aren't cheap!) on a few products to help restore my totally neglected (aka- sleep deprived) skin and I'm officially obsessed... Who knew natural skincare could actually be good? xx

{Advice} How To Take Your Blog To The Next Level...

It's been a while since my last blogging advice post, and since these days it feels like running AiF has become a full-time job, I thought another tips posts was overdue. So in my humble opinion, here are the top six things you need to do to take your blog to the next level, whatever that happens to mean for you!

1. Step out of your comfort zone.

To make blogging work for you as a career, you have to step out of your comfort zone and do things that scare you. For me, that meant public appearances. I'm ridiculously afraid of public speaking, but I made the conscious decision to put those feelings aside for the good of my blog. In the past year I've given several talks in front of hundreds of people and appeared on live TV — Something I would never have dreamed of a couple years ago! When it comes to your career, feel the fear and do it anyway.

2. Diversify.

Blogging is great, but regardless of how many ads you sell or sponsorship deals you make, there needs to be another layer to it if you want to pay the bills. Be it styling gigs or contract work writing, consulting or making public appearances, take a look at your skill set and interests and figure out how you can cash in on them. For the first time in nearly four years of blogging, I can see going full-time on the horizon and it's all thanks to using my blog to get projects like these.

3. Put yourself out there.

Make new connections, network like a crazy (and non-sleezy) person, utilize social media and, above all, be nice and genuine when doing so. You never know who might need your services in the future — or who might be able to recommend you for your next big gig — so be sweet and awesome, and let nature take its course.

4. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Seriously, this is a big one — Don't do it. You'll literally drive yourself crazy if you do. I've been guilty of this pretty much my entire life (blogging and otherwise), so I can tell you first hand how harmful it can be to your productivity and overall happiness. It's fine to admire what others have achieved, how they look or what they wear (fashion blogging can be particularly bad for that last one!), but calculating your net worth based on your perception of other people's value is just toxic. Don't do it... Ever.

5. Get organized.

Invoices pile up, emails go unanswered and deadlines get dropped unless you get diligent about your to-do list. When you're balancing blogging with a full-time job and other commitments — or when you're grooming your blog to be your full-time job — this one is a must. I make a monthly editorial calendar including any deadlines I have coming up; I make Excel sheets to track invoices and in-kind revenue, making notes of when I receive items, when they get featured on the blog and when I contact the company to thank them and share the link; I make detailed to-do lists each morning and I don't stop until the most important items have been crossed off — You get the picture. Figure out what system works for you and get organized!

6. Build a support system.

I've talked about this one before, but you need people you love and trust around you for encouragement and to bounce ideas off of, to give you a pep talk when you succumb to #4 (ahem) or to give you a reality check when your ego gets the better of you (hey, it happens). I'm lucky enough to have key confidants that I trust and whose opinions I value, as well as more amazing, ridiculously talented blogger friends than I can count. One of the best things you can do for your blog is to get to know some other bloggers in your area and arrange monthly get-togethers — It's amazing how much you can learn and grow from one another!

Image via stylemotivation.com

{Life} Balancing Work + Blogging...

Writing this blog is the single most fulfilling project I've ever worked on, and I'm always thankful/baffled that you guys pop in each day to see what's up. But as many of you well know, running a blog can be more akin to a full-time job than a side project, so figuring out how to balance work and blogging (and, well, life) can be tricky. I myself work full-time and write a weekly column (which together require me to attend about four events per week), and since people always ask how I manage to post 5x a week on top of that, I thought I would share what works for me here. I'm by no means an expert on the subject though, so if you guys have suggestions or tried-and-true tricks for balancing everything and not ending up in a straight jacket, I'm all ears... So with that said, here goes!

1. Schedule, schedule, schedule

Working ahead is the only way I'm able to post Monday to Friday, so I schedule my time down to the minute. I know exactly when I'll be taking outfit photos, how long it will take to write and promote each post, etc, so I schedule my time accordingly.

2. Make an editorial calendar

Outfit posts are one thing, but if your blog is made up of different features and content, having an editorial calendar is key. I like to sit down at the end of each month to plan DIY's, giveaways or anything else that comes to mind for the following month. This is also an opportunity to remind myself of any project/collaboration due dates I have coming up, which are easy to forget when things pile up. So in the end, not only does having an editorial calendar keep me on task, but it helps break up my content and add another dimension to my personal style-focus as well.

3. Enlist the help of friends + loved ones

This is a big one. If I didn't have supportive people around me willing to snap photos or bounce ideas off of, I would literally have to stop blogging. My co-worker Brittney is always game for snapping lunchtime photos (even in the dead of winter!), and Mr. AiF's (usually) more than happy to play the role of photographer/blog manager, listening to me go on at length about different projects and ideas. And considering the type of blog I run, there really wouldn't be an Adventures in Fashion if not for their help. 

Another great way to stay on top of content creation is to make friends with other bloggers with a similar focus to yours, and simply help each other out. For instance, no coffee date or hang out session with my pal Kastles happens without a round of outfit photos, so find a Kastles, Brittney or Lobbie of your own and get them drinking your blog's Kool-Aid, so to speak.

4. Work ahead 

Days off are definitely meant for having fun, but when the majority of your content just so happens to be generated from the outfits you wear, weekends suddenly become a fashion blogger's best friend. I like to photograph one or two looks over the weekend to have a cushion for the following week, editing photos and scheduling posts in between episodes of Girls or Downton Abbey. Besides, you never know what may come up or what the weather will be like (I found this discipline particularly helpful during the harsh winter months), so having a back stock of photos translates into less stress and time wasting later on. This applies to bloggers of all kinds — Like those adorable little boys in beige say, always be prepared. 

5. Batch

I find the best way to boost my productivity is to focus on one task at a time. I do that by carving out periods dedicated to different tasks throughout the day, like responding to emails or processing ads. It can be difficult balancing the creative (aka- fun) aspects of blogging with the business side of things (if that's your focus), so designating 20 min to one task or an hour to another really helps me focus and GSD rather than jumping from one thing to the next.

6. Recharge

You know how I said that days off are for having fun (in addition to working ahead)?  Well I meant it. Taking the time to relax and recharge will boost your creative juices and not only make you a better blogger, but a better person as well. So unplug, disconnect and do things that make you happy each week — Your mind and body will thank you for it.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to chime in with all your brilliant, task-juggling tricks — The more the better! xx

Photo by John Rawlings (Vogue, 1953)