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Friday, September 19, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
A little bit of Summer
Hello everyone! Since I last posted, I have finished traveling around Europe and I am back in the United States enjoying the remainder of my summer. During the last three weeks of my five week stay in Europe, I traveled to Paris (where I met up with my lovely friend Julia) and I also traveled through Belgium to stay in the amazing town of Rotterdam (located south of Amsterdam). In addition to summarizing my trip to Europe, I have a little bit of summer fashion for you all (featuring some pieces that were purchased in Europe).
During my time in Paris, I was able to be a tourist while also doing day to day things that any Parisian would do. I got to meet up with the lovely Julia, and we (along with her family) toured the Louvre, Notre Dame, and just meandered around the heart of Paris. Later, my aunt and cousin (who actually live in Paris) showed me around to little cafés and boutiques in the heart of Paris. Being in Paris not only reminded me of the scenes from Les Mis, but showed me how complex and wonderful an ancient city can be. It might be a little cliché, but Paris you'll always have my heart.
As for Rotterdam, all I can say is it is the city that never sleeps. I had an amazing time biking around the city at night and visiting the local zoo and watching Una Noche on the top of a parking garage. Although I don't speak Dutch, I had no difficulty here (it is a very international city to say the least). I loved visiting this city, and for anyone who ever plans to visit The Netherlands, make sure to visit the sleepless city of Rotterdam.
Now onto the present day, and the little bit of summer fashion that I have for you. During my last week in Europe, I made a little trip to the hairdresser decided to change up my appearance. I decided to cut my hair (saying goodbye to five inches is hard) and dye it dark dark chestnut brown. Needless to say I've never been more in love, and I would seriously recommend chopping your hair off if you're ever in need of a drastic change. For my outfit in today's post, I incorporated a couple of my favorite pieces from Europe. The textured blue stretch skirt with waves from Zara is one of my absolute favorite skirts. It's form fitting in all the right ways but is also perfectly feminine with the waves on the bottom. The light baby blue strappy heeled sandals that I received when I was in Europe are the comfiest heeled sandals that I've ever worn, and make even the shortest legs look long and slender. To finish off the outfit I wore a black stretchy shirt with mesh panels from a boutique. Normally I advise against wearing black during summer, but in this case, a black shirt balances out a neon colored bottom (like the skirt), and keeps the outfit from becoming almost too happy-go-lucky.
until next time!
xoxo, Paloma
During my time in Paris, I was able to be a tourist while also doing day to day things that any Parisian would do. I got to meet up with the lovely Julia, and we (along with her family) toured the Louvre, Notre Dame, and just meandered around the heart of Paris. Later, my aunt and cousin (who actually live in Paris) showed me around to little cafés and boutiques in the heart of Paris. Being in Paris not only reminded me of the scenes from Les Mis, but showed me how complex and wonderful an ancient city can be. It might be a little cliché, but Paris you'll always have my heart.
As for Rotterdam, all I can say is it is the city that never sleeps. I had an amazing time biking around the city at night and visiting the local zoo and watching Una Noche on the top of a parking garage. Although I don't speak Dutch, I had no difficulty here (it is a very international city to say the least). I loved visiting this city, and for anyone who ever plans to visit The Netherlands, make sure to visit the sleepless city of Rotterdam.
Now onto the present day, and the little bit of summer fashion that I have for you. During my last week in Europe, I made a little trip to the hairdresser decided to change up my appearance. I decided to cut my hair (saying goodbye to five inches is hard) and dye it dark dark chestnut brown. Needless to say I've never been more in love, and I would seriously recommend chopping your hair off if you're ever in need of a drastic change. For my outfit in today's post, I incorporated a couple of my favorite pieces from Europe. The textured blue stretch skirt with waves from Zara is one of my absolute favorite skirts. It's form fitting in all the right ways but is also perfectly feminine with the waves on the bottom. The light baby blue strappy heeled sandals that I received when I was in Europe are the comfiest heeled sandals that I've ever worn, and make even the shortest legs look long and slender. To finish off the outfit I wore a black stretchy shirt with mesh panels from a boutique. Normally I advise against wearing black during summer, but in this case, a black shirt balances out a neon colored bottom (like the skirt), and keeps the outfit from becoming almost too happy-go-lucky.
until next time!
xoxo, Paloma
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
The Modern European Woman
Before coming to Europe, my idea of the modern European woman was filled with thoughts of semi stoic, smartly dressed women, always in a rush, and never someone you wanted to mess with. Partly this image comes from the European women in my family such as my aunt who lives in Amsterdam. She’s in her early 60’s but always leaves the house in full attire with pearls strung around her neck and bright red lipstick on her lips. Maybe she will add an ethnic scarf she would’ve picked up on her travels around the world, but mostly her attire would consist of black and white clothing. Very classy, and very simple. If you were to run into my aunt on the street, you’d be able to see why she is so classically European. She is passionate and stylish, and no matter what age she’s at, she can take care of herself completely. Since I was young, this is what I pictured whenever I thought of the modern European woman. Now, years since that image has been planted in my head, a new idea of who the modern European woman is, is being created.
Since my arrival in The Netherlands over a week ago, my perspective on all things European have shifted (in a good way I promise). But more specifically, my idea of who the modern woman is, has changed. Now that’s not to say that she isn’t still everything my aunt embodies, but I now have an idea of what a younger version of the modern European woman is, and all I can say is that I wish I was European.
Yesterday I started working at a swimwear and sleepwear brand called Cyell which is a fashion brand that is native to Friesland, The Netherlands. Before I ever stepped foot in the office, I had a pre-existing idea about the people I would see and meet here. My mind was thinking very Devil Wears Prada, full of stilettos and bitch stares. Now the reality of that was completely different. Stepping into the office building was like stepping into an Anthropologie decorated, Urban Outfitters aura, and Elle Magazine dressed world. Boards of designs, paper flowers hanging from the ceilings, scrumptious foods and coffee machines, and the obvious passion that was bursting out of every employee, no matter what their job was. Not only is being here an amazing opportunity and learning experience for my 16 year old self, but being here has solidified two things in my life. 1) I, without a doubt, want to pursue writing and fashion, and 2) I wish I was a European woman.
Obviously this is all coming from my 16 year old thoughts so we can’t expect them to be incredibly correct or even remotely true at all, but if there is one thing I know it’s that every opinion should be heard. So considering all of this, here is my opinion on the modern European woman.
The modern European woman is naturally stunning and needs little to no makeup (minus a strong lip or some eyeliner). Regardless of her age, her skin is youthful and bright, even more stunning than the skin of a 20 year old.
The modern European woman has looks that kill, and she knows it, but there is never a slutty or revealing outfit in sight. Jeans of all styles (some baggy, some tight, some ripped, and some cut), a slightly larger shirt (many mens button ups, some form fitting blouses), tennis shoes (yes tennis shoes, not stilettos), and a statement watch. By statement watch I don’t mean that the watch is necessarily decorative or bright, but by statement I mean large. Huge bulky watches with large silver bands, that slide around when you move your wrist. Less really is more, but at the same time, the larger the pieces, the better.
I also can’t stress how much I now wish I had brought my leather jacket with me, because everywhere you look you will see a tall gorgeous woman biking or walking in her perfectly worn-in leather jacket. And yes I’m probably the shortest person in the country considering everyone here is over 5’5. Maybe that’s just here in The Netherlands, but either way, legs are very long here.
Back to the main topic of discussion here; who is the real modern European woman?
The real modern European woman is so utterly confident in who she is as a person (I’m not talking about anyone between the ages of 14-20 who still have traces of self-consciousness) and this obvious confidence or even self approval, is so strong, that it inspires those around her to push themselves further, and work towards what they are passionate about. They have a certain je ne sais quoi (as cliche as that is to say, it’s true) and being in an office full of them (this I can speak of from experience) just makes you want to work harder and push yourself towards obtaining your dreams. That is who the real modern European woman is.
I hope the many words above help you all to understand who the modern European woman is, and how different she is from the modern American woman, and why it's so interesting and eye opening to be amongst them!
Until next Tuesday! (If you click on the image it will give you the sites to purchase everything in the photo below)
xoxo, Paloma
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Welcome to The Netherlands
Hello everyone!
I was unable to post last week due to my final exams, but I am back to posting regularly for the duration of the summer (minus a few unpredicted days of travel). Since you last heard from me, I finished school and traveled 5,551 miles from Los Angeles to The Netherlands, to visit family and work with Cyell (an amazing brand which specializes in beach wear). Although I am still slightly jetlagged, I am eager to keep you all updated (whether you'd like to be or not) on the happenings of The Netherlands.
Let's just say the transition from Los Angeles, the bustling hub that it is, to The Netherlands is quite strange but does allow one to really appreciate all those things we normally forget when we live in big cities (i.e. trees, grass, sunsets, sunrises, exercise, wind, wild animals, and the smell of cow manure). It also acts as a sort of historical reminder of all the things this world, and more specifically Europe, has gone through and how it has shaped how we see the world today. Houses here have been standing for years, and in some cases centuries, with each house possessing a unique look while still maintaining the same century old design. Each and everything you see has a certain quality which, to those interested in history, sparks an urge to learn more and become more immersed in the world around you.
Now less about the Netherlands as a whole, and more about what those of you who are not in The Netherlands should know. First of all, Dutch is a very difficult language to learn and although there are some words which correlate to the English language, it's a completely different language. And no, for those of you wondering, I did not learn Dutch before I came here, and that could easily be my fatal mistake. Second of all, when you come to The Netherlands, be prepared to bike. I have been here for about two days now, and I have already biked about 25 miles (half of that occurred in the pouring rain). Biking is actually very enjoyable and allows you to get up close and personal with the cows (if that's something you want to do) but it will give you the work out of a lifetime if you are not prepared. Well it will give you the workout of a lifetime even if you are prepared but either way it's better to be prepared.
Along with keeping you all updated on the happenings of The Netherlands, I will also keep you posted on what I'm wearing and what I'm learning about Dutch fashion and style.
Today's fashion spiel is based on the activity that I will most likely do the most this summer: biking. Yesterday, when I first took my bike out for a spin, I noticed what other girls and women wore when biking. Some wore the the traditional biking gear of fluorescent jackets and pants, while others wore what could be considered work attire, as it was obvious that they were going directly to or from the office. The most interesting combination of biking and fashion, at least for me, was the high fashion bikers, who biked in heels and high fashion items. This inspired me to try out my own (obviously less high fashioned) version of combining fashionable clothes with biking. I decided to wear grey tights from Target, my brightly colored skort from Topshop, a free people loose flowy shirt, and a light denim jacket from Forever 21. With my favorite black boots from Topshop (which ended up being the only shoes that worked for biking) I set off on the 15 mile bike ride which ended up being a 7 mile bike ride in sun and an 8 mile bike ride in rain. The only thing that I would suggest for those who want to try biking in a fashionable outfit would be to stay away from skirts and/or skorts. Let's just say that wind and skirts/skorts don't mix well.
I hope you all learned a little something about, not only biking fashion, but The Netherlands as well! I will be back next Tuesday with more about the happenings of The Netherlands and the fashion that goes along with it!
Until then!
xoxo, Paloma
p.s. to all my friends and family back in the States, I love and miss you so much and I will see you all soon!
I was unable to post last week due to my final exams, but I am back to posting regularly for the duration of the summer (minus a few unpredicted days of travel). Since you last heard from me, I finished school and traveled 5,551 miles from Los Angeles to The Netherlands, to visit family and work with Cyell (an amazing brand which specializes in beach wear). Although I am still slightly jetlagged, I am eager to keep you all updated (whether you'd like to be or not) on the happenings of The Netherlands.
Let's just say the transition from Los Angeles, the bustling hub that it is, to The Netherlands is quite strange but does allow one to really appreciate all those things we normally forget when we live in big cities (i.e. trees, grass, sunsets, sunrises, exercise, wind, wild animals, and the smell of cow manure). It also acts as a sort of historical reminder of all the things this world, and more specifically Europe, has gone through and how it has shaped how we see the world today. Houses here have been standing for years, and in some cases centuries, with each house possessing a unique look while still maintaining the same century old design. Each and everything you see has a certain quality which, to those interested in history, sparks an urge to learn more and become more immersed in the world around you.
Now less about the Netherlands as a whole, and more about what those of you who are not in The Netherlands should know. First of all, Dutch is a very difficult language to learn and although there are some words which correlate to the English language, it's a completely different language. And no, for those of you wondering, I did not learn Dutch before I came here, and that could easily be my fatal mistake. Second of all, when you come to The Netherlands, be prepared to bike. I have been here for about two days now, and I have already biked about 25 miles (half of that occurred in the pouring rain). Biking is actually very enjoyable and allows you to get up close and personal with the cows (if that's something you want to do) but it will give you the work out of a lifetime if you are not prepared. Well it will give you the workout of a lifetime even if you are prepared but either way it's better to be prepared.
Along with keeping you all updated on the happenings of The Netherlands, I will also keep you posted on what I'm wearing and what I'm learning about Dutch fashion and style.
Today's fashion spiel is based on the activity that I will most likely do the most this summer: biking. Yesterday, when I first took my bike out for a spin, I noticed what other girls and women wore when biking. Some wore the the traditional biking gear of fluorescent jackets and pants, while others wore what could be considered work attire, as it was obvious that they were going directly to or from the office. The most interesting combination of biking and fashion, at least for me, was the high fashion bikers, who biked in heels and high fashion items. This inspired me to try out my own (obviously less high fashioned) version of combining fashionable clothes with biking. I decided to wear grey tights from Target, my brightly colored skort from Topshop, a free people loose flowy shirt, and a light denim jacket from Forever 21. With my favorite black boots from Topshop (which ended up being the only shoes that worked for biking) I set off on the 15 mile bike ride which ended up being a 7 mile bike ride in sun and an 8 mile bike ride in rain. The only thing that I would suggest for those who want to try biking in a fashionable outfit would be to stay away from skirts and/or skorts. Let's just say that wind and skirts/skorts don't mix well.
Until then!
xoxo, Paloma
p.s. to all my friends and family back in the States, I love and miss you so much and I will see you all soon!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Prom pt 2
Hi everyone! Although I said that I would do the second part of my prom post last Tuesday, I realized that none of my friends (including me) wanted to publicly show off our dresses and outfits for prom until after prom. So I decided to postpone the second part of the prom post until today, so that I can show you all what fashionable decisions were made for prom.
Considering I love saving money and deals, I decided to rent my prom dress from Rent the Runway. I rented a Hervé Leger dress for $40 (the retail was $1400) and I absolutely loved it. If any of you ever need a fancy dress for a short amount of time, and you don't want to pay a ton, I seriously recommend Rent the Runway. For the rest of my outfit, I wore black stiletto heels from Charlotte Russe ($25), and earrings and a necklace from my mom's closet. To top off the outfit, I matched my nails to my lips and wore neon pink lipstick (Fuchsia Flash from Maybelline). I felt very mod in my dress, considering the neon makeup and the flare waist, and I loved it all. I absolutely loved my prom look, and luckily my date Ollie, was able to match his bowtie to my dress.
To help show some variety, I will also show you what some of my friends wore to prom. My friend Arley (who could be considered a blonde mirror image of me) decided to take a slightly more formal approach and wear a long blue dress from BCBG (which was absolutely stunning on her). She paired this with simple makeup and nails, and a pale pink flower necklace as a sort of statement piece. With Arley's dress, considering it was so simple and elegant, you honestly cannot go wrong with any sort of accessory or any type of makeup.
As for my lovely friend Jordan, she took another approach; the fuchsia approach. Jordan wore a gorgeous fuchsia pink dress, which she retouched to its perfection. She paired this dress with bedazzled sandals and a simple necklace. To finish it all off, she wore her hair up in a simple updo, and wore light pink lipstick. With a bright dress such as Jordan's, it is important that you do not overdo the dress with too many accessories or too heavy of makeup. If your dress attracts attention, let it speak for itself.
Although I wasn't able to get really in-depth about all the various prom looks, I hope you all enjoyed seeing what I saw at prom and got some ideas on different prom looks and how to wear them!
xoxo, Paloma
Considering I love saving money and deals, I decided to rent my prom dress from Rent the Runway. I rented a Hervé Leger dress for $40 (the retail was $1400) and I absolutely loved it. If any of you ever need a fancy dress for a short amount of time, and you don't want to pay a ton, I seriously recommend Rent the Runway. For the rest of my outfit, I wore black stiletto heels from Charlotte Russe ($25), and earrings and a necklace from my mom's closet. To top off the outfit, I matched my nails to my lips and wore neon pink lipstick (Fuchsia Flash from Maybelline). I felt very mod in my dress, considering the neon makeup and the flare waist, and I loved it all. I absolutely loved my prom look, and luckily my date Ollie, was able to match his bowtie to my dress.
xoxo, Paloma
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Prom pt. 1
Hello and a happy Tuesday to you all! I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend without forgetting what Memorial Day is really about (and no it's not just a day of good sales).
With prom just around the corner (and yes I am aware that many of you have already had prom), I thought that it was only appropriate to dedicate this week, and next week's post about prom. Instead of just jumping straight into all that is prom and showing off the bedazzled dresses and ten inch heels, I decided to take it slow and break prom down. Now, what really is prom? A dance? A stereotypical rite of passage for all highschoolers? An opportunity to show yourself off at your best? Regardless to what you think prom is, everyone can agree (ok maybe only girls) that prom takes preparation and dedication. Believe it or not, before I was introduced to prom, I had never experienced such a rushed and insane preparation for any type of event (besides from a wedding). But if a wedding and prom have similar types of preparation, that should just be an obvious red flag that you are wading into uncharted territories.
Now before I discuss dresses and shoes and what you need in your clutch, I thought that I would start simple and discuss hair and makeup. Hair and makeup are two of the most important things in prom preparation (minus the date and the dress). You want your makeup and hair to fit you and your dress perfectly without being too much. Most girls tend to choose the natural side of makeup with either or an updo or hair down, but since I'm me, I decided to explore the natural and dark side (it's like the dark side of the moon).
Natural
For my natural prom look, I decided to do basic face makeup and light eyes and light lips. For my eyeshadow, I used a gold color on the lips of my eyes, a darker brown on the creases, and a light silver in the corner of my eyes near the waterline. For eyeliner, I used a dark brown pencil from Sephora and basic black mascara from Sephora. For my lips, I used a primer lip balm from Victoria's Secret and a light pink lipstick from Whole Foods.
Dark Side of the Moon
For my more gothic take on prom makeup and hair, I started out with basic face makeup, dark eyes, and a red lip. For my eyeshadow, I used a dark brown for the lids of my eyes, and added a dark purple to my creases. For my eyeliner, I used a liquid black eyeliner from Whole Foods to create a cat eye look. Finally, for my lips, I used the primer to being with, and then added a scarlet red lipstick from Sephora.
Now I'm sure you are all wondering why I presented you with all this information, and I promise you there is a reason. I wanted to show you all the two basic makeup looks for prom, in hope that you will find your own unique prom look! For my personal look, I'm planning on going with the semi natural/semi dark look considering my dress is quite basic. If you have a very bold dress, you may want to try natural makeup first to ensure that it will not overshadow your dress. But luckily, it is all up to you, and you can play around with it as much as you like! I hope you all found some value in this post, and if you want to share your makeup and hair looks for prom, email me and I'll post them in the next post!
I hope you all enjoyed this little intro into prom, but if you tune in next week, I will have the full prom experience for you all!
xoxo, Paloma
With prom just around the corner (and yes I am aware that many of you have already had prom), I thought that it was only appropriate to dedicate this week, and next week's post about prom. Instead of just jumping straight into all that is prom and showing off the bedazzled dresses and ten inch heels, I decided to take it slow and break prom down. Now, what really is prom? A dance? A stereotypical rite of passage for all highschoolers? An opportunity to show yourself off at your best? Regardless to what you think prom is, everyone can agree (ok maybe only girls) that prom takes preparation and dedication. Believe it or not, before I was introduced to prom, I had never experienced such a rushed and insane preparation for any type of event (besides from a wedding). But if a wedding and prom have similar types of preparation, that should just be an obvious red flag that you are wading into uncharted territories.
Now before I discuss dresses and shoes and what you need in your clutch, I thought that I would start simple and discuss hair and makeup. Hair and makeup are two of the most important things in prom preparation (minus the date and the dress). You want your makeup and hair to fit you and your dress perfectly without being too much. Most girls tend to choose the natural side of makeup with either or an updo or hair down, but since I'm me, I decided to explore the natural and dark side (it's like the dark side of the moon).
Natural
For my natural prom look, I decided to do basic face makeup and light eyes and light lips. For my eyeshadow, I used a gold color on the lips of my eyes, a darker brown on the creases, and a light silver in the corner of my eyes near the waterline. For eyeliner, I used a dark brown pencil from Sephora and basic black mascara from Sephora. For my lips, I used a primer lip balm from Victoria's Secret and a light pink lipstick from Whole Foods.
For my more gothic take on prom makeup and hair, I started out with basic face makeup, dark eyes, and a red lip. For my eyeshadow, I used a dark brown for the lids of my eyes, and added a dark purple to my creases. For my eyeliner, I used a liquid black eyeliner from Whole Foods to create a cat eye look. Finally, for my lips, I used the primer to being with, and then added a scarlet red lipstick from Sephora.
I hope you all enjoyed this little intro into prom, but if you tune in next week, I will have the full prom experience for you all!
xoxo, Paloma
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Revamp of Overalls
Hello everyone! To continue, in a sense, with the challenge, I decided against another post with three or four of my school outfits, and decided to be a bit more creative and show you all two outfits that I can guarantee you've never seen before (along with helping you create your own versions of them).
Now whenever I think of the word "overalls" I picture Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton with pitchforks, standing in the picture for their reality show The Simple Life. And believe it or not, that's not really the look that I'm going for when I have brief over-moments (or moments of wanting to wear overalls). In order to try and change the somewhat scaring image of overalls that I have, I had to wear a pair. Or better yet, make Miranda wear a pair (or a dress I should say).
For Miranda's outfit, we used my mom's old floral-patterned overall dress and a neon pink brandeau from American Apparel. To try and up the anti, she wore the dress folded over as a skirt, added a pair of Urban Outfitters socks, and heeled black boots from Topshop. If that doesn't change your view on overalls, then I don't know what will.
I learned a very valuable lesson today: if you wear semi-sheer tights, and you do the splits, they will tear. So, in conclusion: my outfit includes a very very ripped pair of semi sheer black tights.
For my semi grunge/semi alternative girly outfit, I paired the very ripped tights with a blue cutout skirt from Forever 21, an army green crop top from Target, and my favorite platform boots from Topshop. All of these lovely pieces all came together to form an outfit that would fly up every single time a car would drive past me (really recommend wearing shorts under your skirt).
I hope you all find inspiration in these outfits (as well as learn my little lessons) and I hope you all enjoyed this semi continuation of The Challenge!
xoxo, Paloma
Now whenever I think of the word "overalls" I picture Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton with pitchforks, standing in the picture for their reality show The Simple Life. And believe it or not, that's not really the look that I'm going for when I have brief over-moments (or moments of wanting to wear overalls). In order to try and change the somewhat scaring image of overalls that I have, I had to wear a pair. Or better yet, make Miranda wear a pair (or a dress I should say).
For Miranda's outfit, we used my mom's old floral-patterned overall dress and a neon pink brandeau from American Apparel. To try and up the anti, she wore the dress folded over as a skirt, added a pair of Urban Outfitters socks, and heeled black boots from Topshop. If that doesn't change your view on overalls, then I don't know what will.
I learned a very valuable lesson today: if you wear semi-sheer tights, and you do the splits, they will tear. So, in conclusion: my outfit includes a very very ripped pair of semi sheer black tights.
For my semi grunge/semi alternative girly outfit, I paired the very ripped tights with a blue cutout skirt from Forever 21, an army green crop top from Target, and my favorite platform boots from Topshop. All of these lovely pieces all came together to form an outfit that would fly up every single time a car would drive past me (really recommend wearing shorts under your skirt).
xoxo, Paloma
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