Winter Skincare Tips & Tricks!

Winter is coming folks! Actually, it’s already here, which means it’s time to break out the protective layers to  arm ourselves against the harsh and volatile weather; but before you run for the closet to pull out every jacket, sweater and pair of boots you own make a quick stop at the powder room to apply a different,  yet equally important layer of protection..to your face! Ladies and gentlemen, just like we protect our skin from the blistering damage of the sun in summer, so to must we protect it from the blistering cold in winter. You wouldn’t walk outside in a pair of shorts and a crop top in 40 degree weather would you? No, so layer up! Same goes for your face! Moisturizer, moisturizer, moisturizer people, slather in on in all forms and keep your skin hydrated just like you would in summer, possibly more so! Yes I know there may be wet slushy stuff on the ground and in the air but at such low temperatures I can tell you  it isn’t doing you a lick of good in the hydration department, in fact it’s doing just the opposite. So here are some things I use to keep my skin from getting dry, chapped and irritated during the holiday season, as well as some of my everyday skincare steps.   

I love a good toner/astringent any time of the year but when the weather starts to cool down I set aside the slightly harsher oil fighting toner for something a bit gentler like a hydrating toner. My go to for all times of the year is my Alcohol-Free Skin Extertise HydraFresh Toner from L’Oreal Paris ($6 at Target):

It’s gentle enough that it doesn’t burn and feels very refreshing yet it still strong enough to help stave off the acne and can really clean of any dirt or makeup clinging to your face after you wash. (I use toner after I get out of the shower even, you’d be surprised how much dirt and grime doesn’t come off in the shower)

The other toner I like is the hydrating toner from Jafra (left), it’s great if you already have chapped or oversensitive skin because it’s very mellow and doesn’t have any burn to it at all. That said, if my skin starts to act up in the acne department I switch over to the L’Oreal again or combine them. I also like the balancing toner from Jafra (right), which I use in the summer to help with acne and to curb oil production. These are a bit more pricey at $15 but they last a long time!

On to moisturizers! Okay so this next one doesn’t really count as a moister sure but I love it, RoC Retinol Deep Wrinkle Night Cream. Retinol as you may know is used for skin turnover, celebrities love this stuff! It’s like a pain free, mini chemical peel that you apply at night and sluffs off dead dry skin while you sleep! I like it because it leaves my pores open to really soak up my moisturizer in the morning and gives my skin a tightness and glow that’s just lovely to wake up to. Plus! It’s not super oily or creamy; it stays on my face, which means it’s not on my pillowcases, yay!

In the morning I use coconut oil. Yes I know, “Ugh, we are back to coconut oil again,” I was a coconut oil skeptic myself but hey, I found it works for me. It goes great under my makeup and helps lighten the redness on my face casued by old acne marks. I get it from a health food store called Sprouts for $10. It sounds pricey but it lasts, you get a ton of it. Really, it’s heavy, do not drop this thing on your foot. It IS a solid when you buy it but dip your fingers into it to apply and it melts to oil pretty fast as it comes into contact with the heat from your skin.

While I’m on the subject I have also fallen for the coconut milk mask. It’s super hydrating, better that lotion! I apply it as if it were lotion, I keep it in the fridge in a tuba wear and when I’m just sitting at home I pop it open and rub some on my face, even in my hair if I’m taking a shower later. It’s cool so it is very soothing, I used to do yogurt masks but they had nothing on this. It doesn’t stink either! I’ve slept in this overnight before, it doesn’t smell sour in the morning as milk or yogurt would . The enzymes in this are very good for both skin and hair. Other masks are exceedingly irritating to my skin but not this. And you can’t beat the price, .79 cents at Sprouts, I prefer the premium kind because it’s thicker:

Finally face creams! I use Verage, it is a natural moisturizer made completely from 99% pure essential oils. No ‘oils’ does not mean ‘oily; I actually prefer this because it’s not super greasy on my skin and does not leave a residue on my face as it is made from essential oils that sink in  rather than sit on. It’s great under makeup; I might even go so far as to say it helps my makeup stay in place! (Another perk is this stuff doesn’t have a shelf life as the only chemicals in in are those found naturally in plants, it doesn’t discolor or become harmful to your skin after so long. That means you never throw half a bottle of it away!)

You can find this and the whole skincare line here: http://mydoterra.com/skinchic

(For a full in depth on this skin care line, right down to the oils used in each product visit my Verage blog post! http://myempresschic.blogspot.com/2015/09/verage-skin-care-seminar-anti-aging.html  )

However as far as cheaper drugstore finds go I also like Garnier’s Ultra Lift Firming Anti-Wrinkle cream ($12.50). Like all non-natural creams it leaves a bit of a residue but if you are going for mega moisture and a nice firm feel this is it. The moisturizing cream is also good but a little much for me, you might like it if you have severely dry skin, I find the firming cream to be a nice in between cream. Also I like the pump cream bottle if you noticed; when you dip your fingers in a jar of cream you contaminate the whole jar. Contamination and bacteria can also cause the cream to have a shorter shelf life as it will discolor more quickly. Also, you know, bacteria..bad for the skin and all that.

My Emma Watson inspired photoshoot!

I'm such a large fan of Emma Watson and when I got the chance and the right scenery I couldn't 

resist! The shoot was so much fun!

Photo inspiration :

Sun's Light

Selfie that happened to capture this amazing sun ray formation. What a beautiful world we live in!

Kors Gold

Stylish Up do's for Quick & Easy Elegance

I have never been very good at curling my hair; my hair has a life of it's own and is very stubborn. I also have pin straight hair with little to no volume, so as a compromise I have become very good at up do's for when I go out and want to get dressed up and my favorite element of an up do are these amazingly easy to do twist and princess braids. Here are some of my past hairstyles:

Twist buns are so easy to throw together and also works great if you have wet hair and don't have time for it to dry or are trying to avoid the hair dryer. It still looks professional for work, and way better than a dripping messy bun. All you need are bobby pins! You can also try the larger version of this.

If you want to give your hair a more romantic flair and you have a little extra time you can go for rope braids. If you apply them to slightly damp hair and wear them throughout the day when you take them down in the evening, if you plan to go out, you will have the added perk of flowing beachy waves. 

You can also  dress this style up with hair accessories, jeweled pins etc. Or put your own spin on both of the above hair styles as I did here:

My final hairstyle is what you can do if you are about to go out to a special event, attempt to curl your hair, and it doesn't work for you. This has happened to me many, many times before and ladies, bobby pins and hair accessories are your best friends. Take those curls and pin them up in a dramatic do, tease them if you must, then cover any mistakes in sparkling jewels.

Monday Morning Sunshine

Soaking in the Seattle Sun coming through my this morning. Happy Monday all!

Emerald City Adventures!

I'm so excited for my trip to Seattle this weekend! My cousin and his lovely wife have recently had their first child and my mother and I are going up to celebrate along with the rest of our family and friends. Along with the excitement that comes with visiting relatives I have not seen in a while, there is also the giddiness derived from the knowledge that I will I will shortly be in one of my favorite cities. I love the hustle and bustle of the Emerald City; the old majestic buildings, the smell of the ocean, and all the different cultures living in one place.

There are so many things I am hoping to do and see on this trip. I am hoping to get to visit Pike Place Market and Uwajimaya's ( Pronounced "Waji-maya's," an oriental marketplace) as I haven't been to either in years; however I also hope to spice things up a bit from simply visiting my old haunts so to speak, by going to the Chihuly Glass Museum for example. Sadly I missed the exhibit when it came to Phoenix a while back and since then they have built and dedicated an entire museum solely to his art, which to me resembles something along the lines of an exotic, under the sea version, of Alice in Wonderland. A great thing about going in October is that Oktoberfest season will be ongoing, and where better to celebrate Oktoberfest than the magical little German town of Leavenworth.

Built to resemble a quaint German style town, complete with bar wenches and horse drawn wagons, I'm really looking forward to going with my family, friends, and their kiddos as it will be a fun experience for all.

I must confess, one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to is the food.  Sad but true, it is impossible to get good Chinese or Indian food in Arizona, believe me I have tried, but Seattle... basically all you can eat smorgasbord.  Again because of all the different cultures located there, you can find almost any kind of food you can think of somewhere in the city.  My guess is I will probably gain at least five pounds on this trip, but it will be so worth it!  Mmm... almond chicken smothered in gravy, marsala chicken curry, samosas, and boba tea every day! (Bit of a boba fanatic right here!)  I'm with Jennifer Laurence on this one; some things are worth being fat for.



Unfortunately, as excited as I am, I am not fully packed yet and I'm leaving tomorrow! Usually I am more put together than this, in my defense, it has been quite an insane week.  I better get a move on though if I'm going to make the plane tomorrow. I still need to tidy up the house a bit after the insanity of packing as well so the house will be in order for our house sitter, looks like it's going to be a long night.  It took me a long while to dig out my winter clothes, which were buried in the back of my closet in a dusty box labeled "Washington Clothes," simply dying to be worn.  After all, fall in Washington is one of my favorite fashion seasons. Why you may ask?  Because of all the accessories of course!  Gloves, hats, scarves, vests; you have the option to wear them all, without actually necessarily needing them yet.  So many combinations so little time!

See you in Seattle!

The Mystery of the DVF Masterpiece and the Karlie Kloss takeover!

A masterpiece by DVF and Karlie Kloss! Peter Lindbergh did an excellent job directing this! Karlie Kloss has always been pretty big but recently she's really hitting the front page hard. A few days ago I heard she was going to be acting in a movie, yesterday I received a GLAMOUR magazine in the mail and she was front and center with her own 10 page spread, this morning she's starring in a DVF campaign.

Tuesday Morning Caffine

                    "Fashion is my Coffee"

Gearing up for work this morning, had a few extra minutes to get my fashion zen on before walking out the door. It's the little things isn't it?

The Dream to Be...Vogue Life

Like many girls my age I'm obsessed with the latest beauty trends and fashions; I worship the magazines, binge watch House of DVF, Kell on Earth, ANTM, every fashion documentary I can find and practically have The September Issue memorized by heart. Naturally I am always trying different hair and makeup tricks, a few that ended disastrously, with me refusing to leave the house for the day or having to call in backup for a little damage control (we have all been there). I cyber stalk my favorite celebrities cursing their good genes, leave drool marks on store windows that are way above my college student price range, have run out of hiding places for all my clothes that I probably don't need/shouldn't have bought, yet keep an ongoing list of things I still need to acquire close to the forefront of my mind at all times. Basically I'm you're average girl, same as every other that has watched The Devil Wears Prada over a hundred times and dreamed of making it big in fashion, on the red carpet or on the big screen....with a slight difference being that I am about to take my first real giant leap after my dream.

How it happened: 

I was sitting at my computer one night, with two browsers open with at least 18 tabs each, feeding my fashion and luxury life addiction of Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, Vouge.com etc.and trying to figure out how I was going to get 'Me' over to Europe. I'd been feeling the need for change and escape growing stronger over the past year and had been spending hours each night coming up with schemes to travel as I was convinced it would be my only salvation. I had even looked into internships, as I needed experience to get the ball rolling toward my education and pairing it with my need to 'get out' seemed like a good idea. That was when I came across a link to GlobalExperiences (https://www.globalexperiences.com/), fashion internships in Europe. You pay the money, you get the internship and these guys had the VIP passes when it came to fashion internships overseas. It was late in the evening, when my mind is most alive, and the idea of it just latched on and wouldn't let go!

The next day I was the phone inquiring into the program, just to see if it was even legit you know? Curiosity + Cat and all, and of course scouring the internet to see if it was all some sort of scam. I mean..they pay for housing, language classes, set you up with a phone, take you out for activities and set you up with a killer internship in Milan? For three months? Aside from the rather death defying price tag, what was the catch? I ended up talking to a guy named Alex who was very friendly, knowledgeable, seemingly down to earth and open to answering my 10,000 quiz questions. He gave me advice on several different things to look into (even financial advice on how I might be able to fund my trip should I decide to go!), requirements that had to be met, and how I could get some experience under my belt for the position I wanted before applying because I had no "on-paper" experience just overall knowledge. He was on the phone with me for a good hour and a half without trying to get me to 'buy' once, I was impressed. Honestly I don't think he expected me to ever call back, just some girl who saw the ad, got all hyped up about it for a moment before crashing back to reality and dismissing the idea and talking herself out of it. I'm sure they get twenty of them a day over there.

Exactly two months later I had started a blog, opened a whole new Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest account fully dedicated to marketing it, had redone my resume, written a killer cover letter, had bumped up my part-time hours to almost 48 hrs a week to help save enough for a down payment.

 He was pretty surprised when I called him back, doubly so when talked to me and realized how much research I had done and how fast I had moved in such a short time, but he DID remember me. Honestly though, who wouldn't remember a girl who asked you that many questions? A couple weeks later I did something crazy, after being accepted I put down my $1000 (a small fortune literally) down payment on my Fall of 2016 Milan internship; virtually locking myself in. There was no turning back now.

A Little Bit of History:

This is truly the craziest thing I have ever done. I am in no way financially set up for this, but will probably never really be financially set up for it so it's kind of the 'you jumped off the cliff now pray for a soft landing' moment. I realized there was never going to be  right time for this, but right now was the closest I was going to get. Let me back up and tell you a little bit about me.

I am a 22 year old only child who was adopted by her grandmother when she was eight; we lived the nice middle class (not by any means rich but solid financially) life for a short period of time in Washington state before realizing the money, even living as frugally as we were, wasn't going to stretch much further and we moved to scorching, dusty Arizona. My 'Mother' is now 75 and rolls have reversed somewhat as she, retired and semi disabled, now depends somewhat on me. Luckily we have always been money conscious so we make due, but understandably, dropping over $10,000 on an internship borders on insane. In reality, I can't pay for it; I'm a part-time working community college student using a pell grant to get through school, but because I have made a study of the ways of money (having constantly been faced with the lack of it) I have found a few ways to do my best. Scholarships naturally, pulling equity off my car, selling stuff...basically whatever I have to do. And here is why I'm going to such great lengths.

I came to a crossroads in my life/education where I was going to have to choose between the safe life of getting a standard degree in business, which practically guarantees me some sort of financially safe, stable and life sucking job. Or following my dreams which, with as little opportunity (No connections, No wealthy relatives to fall back on, No financials of my own, No special talent for drawing, sewing etc) as I have available to me would be kin to walking the tight rope, inexperienced, without a safety net. Basically if my plan fails...yeah it's really going to suck.

I am about to graduate community college with a Bachelors of Science in Business then it will be off to university to study...here's the life choice. If I decide to pursue a career in fashion, it is going to take me a very different course (pun intended) than say, a degree in international marketing, possibly even to an entirely different university. I believe I want to pursue my dream instead, it is a large gamble for me but I pretty much have my mind set. I just want to be sure which direction in the fashion world I want to go before I rack up thousands of dollars in student debt on an education that might not land me where I want to be. So far I'm thinking Fashion Editor as a career path, but who knows? With this internship I will be exposed to many different aspects of the fashion world, when I'm in there hands on, I might take a shine to something I never thought of before.

Here's The Plan:

Right now I have absolutely NO competitive edge over most of those who will be working in the fashion world, or even in this internship program for that matter! As above mentioned I lack money, connections, and natural talent for anything tangible (though things like photography and styling are my strongest suits alongside a love of writing). Alex was actually excited to tell me I was accepted to the program purely because most of the other applicants have tons of background experience already and it is rare someone who isn't even taking fashion based classes yet is accepted. Most applicants are currently in school to be designers, have already begun designing or have interned  or worked at large fashion cooperation's, and/or their parent's just have a crap ton of money and know the right people (sad but reality). The same will be true when I graduate and go looking to start my career. By then I am not going to have time to graduate and then spend two or more years interning before I can even land an actual job, I'll need to start paying off those student loans!

My plan for this is simple, the internship will give me: the international experience in need on a resume to put me ahead of the game (Key Phrases: +intern, +Milan, +well known company, +international, +speaks Italian, +Milan Fashion Week +designer). I will have an internship under my belt already when I graduate! That cuts out a lot of time after graduation and could get me a much cushier second internship, should I need one, than the green, 'doe eyed wanna-be with a degree' fresh off the university press. Possibly a paying internship even which would be great. And think about the connections I am going to make! Many alumni of the Global Experiences program make out pretty well career wise after their internships, and often 'give back' by helping other interns get positions after they graduate. Regardless,just putting the word 'international' on your resume earns you an extra gold star these days. Can you imagine? This is really going to give me the leg up I need (I hope) because without it there is no way I will be able to compete. I just won't have any foundation to build from.

How I'm going to Get There:

So I live in Arizona where, naturally there is positively no fashion base whatsoever. Sure they have Scottsdale fashion week here each year for local designers, but it's really a very small circle. We don't really even have a fashion magazine here except perhaps for Arizona Foothills Magazine, which I am hoping to apply to upon my return from Milan (fingers crossed!), even then they are not purely a fashion magazine, they cover a variety of content. The only way to gain more experience and showcase,  more my knowledge of than my hands on work with fashion, is to become a fashion blogger. Which- is a heck of  lot harder than it sounds let me tell you. I'd be rich if I wrote a decisive and relevant manual on the subject. The Blonde Salad (Chiara Ferragni) did, however it's in Italian, costs over $100 and is impossible to get in this country. Believe me, I've tried; the woman started her blog in college at law school and now makes over $8 million a year, not including all the free merchandise. Who better to take advice from?

Alex confirmed my plan as the only way to go about it and agreed with me that the only way to achieve enough standing and background to land a decent internship would be to gain a massive following. Again, this is a ton of work and I am proudly broke 100 followers on Instagram mark about a week ago. Only took me two months, haha! Sad I know. (So if you care to follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/myempresschic/ or Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyEmpressChic ......)

So that is my plan! Save! Blog! Instagram! And learn Italian! I am currently working on learning the new language by using Duolingo.com. Again, it's all about getting as much competition edge as possible. From what I have read, and it makes sense, even though many people there speak English, interns still tend to move up faster if they speak the language. One intern of Global Experience was even asked to stay on after the program ended! That's huge! I am wondering how she managed it if they didn't pay her, because her housing was cut off when the program ended, not to mention she would have had to quickly get a work visa (as you can only stay 90 days in that region of Europe without one) but still this is the ultimate goal here! Being asked to stay on as an intern or even as a job, talk about a giant leap for this fashionista!

I'm Going on an Adventure!...

And so Ladies and Gents, if you would like to follow me for the next year as I prepare for the next epic chapter of my life, it looks to be one heck of a ride, as I will be following the advice from one of my favorite books off all time, The 33 Strategies of War: Strategy 4 :

"4 CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY AND DESPERATION: THE DEATH-GROUND STRATEGY:"

"You are your own worst enemy. You waste precious time dreaming of the future instead of engaging in the present. Cut your ties to the past; enter unknown territory. Place yourself on "death ground," where your back is against the wall and you have to fight like hell to get out alive."

Testimonial Video From Global Experiences:

OOTD

Feeling retro today in my 'SOLD OUT: Add to Wait list" shirt, but couldn't resist carrying my new Michael Kors bag! So cute! Thank you Labor Day sales!

What Essential Oil Are You?

September Issue: Sneak Peeks and This Years Trends!

Tis the blessed month of September, the time of the year when the new Vogue bible is published mandating all the new ‘in’ styles of the upcoming year. Naturally I had a few ideas what the newest (or in some cases old reborn) trends would be and I was for the most part right. Having gone through the book cover to cover about four or five times now, these are the trends that I found were most prominent and really jumped off the page:

1.) Fur (Anna Wintour loves her furs!)

2.)Snakeskin (I SOOO called this one! It’s been popping up everywhere lately)

3.) High Waisted Jeans/ Bell Bottoms (Finally! Love high waisted jeans! The 70's are making a comeback)

 4.) Plaid/Tweed ( This one surprised me!)

A few extra spoilers for your pleasure!