Watercolor Florals

Chambray Shirt: Delia's / Purple Tank Top: Old Navy's / Jeans: Loehmann's / Boots: American Rag (Macy's)

It finally rained! I feel like it hasn't rained in so long. I could barely remember what a rainy day was like...

Today, I ended up wearing a new tank top that my mom had bought for me a long time ago. It's hard to tell in the picture but the tank actually is quite loose and drapes very nicely. The floral pattern on it reminds me of watercolors. I know the photo makes it look rather harsh, but trust me, it's like I'm wearing a watercolor painting.

The material's pretty interesting too. It feels kind of like a raincoat? (Haha, perfect for the weather!) Underneath, I just wore a simply purple boyfriend tank to stay covered up. And since it was a tank and for some reason, the weather is still rather chilly, I put on my chambray button-up over it for a very casual look.

Honestly, my chambray shirt might be my favorite piece in my entire closet. It always makes any outfit look more fashionable. It's super comfy AND looks laid-back. It never looks like I'm trying too hard. It has that effortless California look (Think Blake Lively). 

The other day, I saw an interesting make up tutorial that I wanted to try out. It basically involves rose gold eyeshadow all over the lids and turquoise eye liner on the bottom lash line and waterline.

My take on it:

Yeah I know, I take awkward pictures.

 Yup, so that's it for today! Here's a random picture my brother (the photographer) took:

Peppermint Patties

When I saw this hat in my room, I thought it would be a fun addition to this outfit! In this outfit, I combined white, brown, and mint for a slightly bohemian yet coordinated look. When I wear this top, I like to tuck in the front because it looks less bohemian, and leave the back loose so it is more casual. I added the leopard-print shoes to mix up the colors and patterns, while staying with brown colors.

Outfit details: Top: LOFT / Pants: American Eagle / Bag: Dooney & Burke / Belt: Vintage / Necklace: DIY / Earrings: Urban Outfitters / Flats: Nine West 

This hat was a gift from my grandmother. It's going to be a lovely addition to Spring and Summer dresses and skirts! I always make sure to wear plenty of SPF when I go outside. A straw hat like this will be essential for shielding my skin from the sun's rays. I believe that skin protection starts from a young age, and that healthy skin is beautiful skin. I recently read this article about skin care at different ages here on Refinery 29, and I'll be sure to follow it as I get older! 

I always try to remember that happiness and health are the most beautiful accessories a woman can have :)

Chic Black

Blazer: American Rag (Macy's) / Jeggings: Loehmann's / Mint Blouse: H&M / Shoes: Material Girl (Macy's) / Necklace: Forever21

Today's outfit is all about having a black base and then adding pops of color and texture. I started off with my favorite black jeggings and my lace blazer which has a very soft, unstructured feel. For the pop of color, I went with my mint sleeveless blouse and tucked in into my jeggings. For the pop of texture, I wore my glittery silver sequined shoes with spikes.

To match the silver on my shoes, I added some silver bracelets and a silver triangle (spikes?) necklace.

Blossoming with Contrasts

As the weather gets nicer, I'll be taking more of my photos outdoors! The first photo was taken in my school's courtyard, dedicated to one of our teachers who passed away two years ago. It has a wonderful waterfall and beautiful flowers. I love how it has tables and benches for students to sit, eat lunch, chat, and do some homework. 

When I planned this outfit, I wanted to pair the floral tank, a more formal piece that I usually wear with black blazers and pants for presentations or competitions, with my casual white pants. Since the top is sleeveless, I wanted to add another layer on top. I decided on a navy blazer, since the navy blue color pairs well with the cool tones in the top. I added a headband from LOFT, one of my favorite hair accessories. It's got green and blue stone details and matches so much of my wardrobe since I have a lot of aqua and blue! I love the cute lining of the blazer and how the striped pattern contrasts with the floral top. It brings unity to the outfit because it's light colored, like my pants. 

Outfit details: Blazer: H&M / Top: LOFT / Pants: American Eagle / Shoes: TOMS / Headband: LOFT 

In front of my school is a colorful garden. It's nice to walk outside and be able to see natural beauty all around me! 

My hairstyle is the same as the one in this post.

This was how the sky looked that day. Beautiful. It took my breath away.

This is a tree blossoming beside the Environmental Science Building (where I took the photos for this lookbook). I love it!

Hope you're having a spectacular day! 

I Love Spring Tag - Michelle's Turn!

As soon as I saw Xuewei's post, I wanted to write my own! That's why I was delighted to see that she had tagged me. Here's my responses :) I'll have to admit, there's a reason why Xuewei is the makeup guru of this blog...

1. Favorite spring nail polish?

Image from product-girl.com

I actually don't wear a lot of nail polish (I'm not so good at applying it), but my favorite color is aqua and my favorite nail polish color is aqua as well. I love this one, Butter London slapper. It's bright and fun! 

2. What is your must-have lip color this spring?
My go-to lip color is usually Classic Chapstick (I said Xuewei, not I, was the makeup guru!) but if I were to choose a color that I like, it would be Fresh Rosé Lip Balm. I got this in a Sephora sampler and I love it. It's moisturizing and adds just the slightest hint of color.

Image from fresh.com

3. Show us your favorite spring dress!

I have so many dresses, it's actually really hard to choose! I'm liking the longer lengths this season, and I think this one will be my go-to dress this spring. I got it in the fall but I think the lace and neutral color will make it a wonderful layer. I wore it here: 

4. What's your favorite flower?

Hmm, this is a good question. I love flowers, and nature in general, but I've always loved the variety and color of tulips. They come in so many colors and their shape is just beautiful.

Image from theflowersavenue.com

5. Favorite spring scarf/accessory?

I think we all know what the answer to this question will be! My scarf, gifted from my grandmother, which you can see here, here, and here. 

6. What spring trend(s) are you most excited about this year? (Makeup, fashion or both!)
I am loving the intricate braids for spring and summer. As someone who loves to wear her hair long, sometimes it can be tough to keep it out of my face. Braiding it (and finding braid inspiration on Pinterest) is super fun. Here's my Hair and Makeup Pinterest board, where I'm constantly pinning my favorite looks. 

7. Favorite spring candle?
I'm usually not a candle user, but I really like this candle that we have at home. After reading what Xuewei had to say about the relaxing abilities of scents, I think I might give it a try! 

Image from pcfallon.com

8. Favorite body spray/perfume for spring?
My flute teacher recently gifted me Viva La Juicy, and I love how it's got a little hint of floral. It's not too overwhelming, and it's youthful. Although I don't usually wear perfume, I might use this more in the spring. Spring is always a great time for change! 

Image from juicycouture.com

9. What is spring like where you live?
Spring is like a refreshing breath of air after a long day. Although I like the winter, I find spring to be a pleasant change. However, my allergies have made it difficult for me to enjoy the start of spring. I hope this year I'll be able to enjoy it more! 

10. What's your favorite thing about spring?
I love how the weather gets better and warmer, but there are no pesky mosquitoes that plague me every summer! 

11. Are you a spring cleaner?
I don't mind organizing and I find myself doing it all the time, but there is something satisfying about cleaning in the springtime. In short, yes, I am a spring cleaner. A clean, neat and sunny room - that's what I love to see coming home from school.

12. Any plans for spring break or an upcoming vacation?

I had spring break a few weeks ago and I spent most of my time at home getting some well-deserved relaxation. 

I think this post was fun to write (thanks for the tag, Xuewei!) and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season :) 

Ravenclaw Pride!

Yay for my physics textbook (which I've opened maybe twice this whole year)!

At my school, we have a tradition of "Senior Spirit Days" every Friday towards the end of the school year. Basically, all the seniors who want to participate dress up according to a theme. We've had Crayon Day, Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Cowboys, and Geek Day.

So, this Friday, as many of my friends and I are huge fans of Harry Potter (like just about every other child born in the 1990s), we dressed up for Hogwarts House Pride Day! Most of us were sorted into houses by Pottermore (a hyped-up website that I obsessed over two years ago), but others just picked their favorite house.

If you couldn't tell already, I'm a Ravenclaw (Woot! Go nerds!)! Ravenclaw colors are meant to be blue and bronze, but I don't own much bronze, so I just went with silver.

I wore my dark blue boyfriend-style cardigan and a blue and white striped tank. Funny story actually, I realized I wore the shirt inside out halfway through the school day (it's still inside out in the picture!), but I just kept it that way because it looked better.

Normally, I'd wear jeans, but since I already had too much blue going on, I decided to wear some khaki-style pants. Unfortunately, these pants did NOT fit well. You can kinda see how baggy they are in the picture.

                                                                        I think I look more hipster than nerd....                                                                           Reminds me of "It feels like a perfect night...to dress up like HIPSTERS!" - Taylor Swift

To top off the nerdy, blue-loving outfit, I added a headband with bow on the top and my most fashionista shoes, sequined flats with spikes! And  to emphasize my bookish nature, I wore these hello kitty frames that my friend bought for me in China. 

Of course, I couldn't not wear my Deathly Hallows earrings. My lovely fellow HP-fan friend in California sent me them for my birthday a few years ago.

On a very quick sidenote, does anyone else remember those Mary-Kate and Ashley movies from a long time ago?

That's all for now!

Tie-dye Days

Shirt: American Apparel (Tie-dyed by yours truly) / Jeans: American Eagle / Shoes: TOMs

Today's outfit was inspired by the recent crop top trend. Since I didn't feel like buying a crop top from Forever21 (Senior year is expensive!), I decided to dig through my closet for other options. I found this tie-dye shirt I made last year in my AP Chemistry class.

People usually associate tie-dye with little kids, but like with any trend, if worn in the right way, it can become pretty stylish.

Originally, I had picked a crop top (unlike everyone else who picked those typical free over-sized t-shirts you get at events) to tie-dye so that I would actually want to wear it. I'm a huge fan of surprises and unexpected pairings, so naturally I decided to tie-dye a crop top.

I think the crop-top is definitely a mature trend and pairing it with tie-dye keeps the outfit from becoming too indecent for school or too second-grade.

To keep my stomach covered up, (since school's dress code doesn't allow exposure of the belly) I wore high-waisted jeans from American Eagle.

That's it for today!