Tips For Creating Your Own Style

As many of you may know I love fashion and style, it's been my favorite thing since I was about 7 years old. I used to have my own designs in my drawing pad and I even wanted to go to FIDM for a hot second when I was contemplating MAYBE going to college. But now I'm a hairstylist and I love what I do and I still get to be creative and still work in the fashion industry! I love that fashion is a way of expression, it's art and it can be collected. Some people collect Pokemon...I collect clothes...and teacups (fun face about me). 

For me my style is a way of self expression and for other people's inspiration. And that's what the cool thing about style is, is seeing something that you like and mimicking it in your own way. That's why I love thift stores or getting things that not many people have. It makes it original and it inspires on lookers such as myself. 

Below are 5 tips to help find your own personal style and help you present yourself your own way to the world!

1. Wear What Makes You Feel The Best

A lot of times I see people wearing things that I think look really cool like the whole Adidas trend that has resurrected from the 90s. I love athletic inspired outfits but I think look really silly in them because that's not what I feel most comfortable in. It just isn't my NATURAL style, I always gravitate towards 70s bohemian or grunge (wow what a combo right? Haha) and I would say that's my style because those are the pieces that I always pick out naturally. You're going to look uncomfortable and unnatural in something that you don't feel your best in. 

2. Brand Yourself

I feel like it's important to find one accessory or article of clothing that trademarks your look. I would say mine is a wide brim hat and tons of rings. Weather yours be stripes, statement jewelry, even a certain color theme, high heels, it can be anything! What is that one thing that you almost always incorporate in your look? It will brand you and when people see something similar and say "that looks like (your name here)". 

3. Finding The Odd Man Out

Go through your wardrobe and reevaluate what can stay and what needs to go. I have to remember what style I'm going for and how I want to present myself to the world. You have to find those pieces that just doesn't go with the vibe of everything else in your closet. For example if you have a lot of neutral colored blouses and then you've got one shirt that's hot pink with little yellow hearts all over it...(really bad example) it's probably not going to look like it's you because it stands out so much of what you already own. Make sure all your pieces vibe together. 

4. Your Go To Outfits

Take pictures of outfits you're really feelin yourself in. Common...you know those days. You probably end up taking a pictures anyway and posting it on Instagram #bodypositive and #feelinmyself. Take Polaroids (that's really expensive) or photos and put them all in the same album on your phone. This will come in handy for those days that are just rough and you feel like you don't look good in anything. Ya know 12 outfits later and you still leave the house not feeling comfortable with how you look...trust me you are not alone. If you take pictures of your favorite outfits it will help you on those bad days to just be able to put on a "good outfit" in a rush.

5. Best For Your Body

For myself I try and find things that will accentuate certain features. My legs are long and I love a good pant that will make my legs look EXTRA long and thin. For example I will never wear pants that are way too tight. I can not have any sort of muffin top or double butt going on in the back of my pants. We all love skinny jeans right? But if you see any thing trying to force its way out of any piece of clothing...just say no. Don't buy it and if you already own it get rid of it. It's more flattering on your body to wear things that fit properly on your shape. Sometimes this may be hard to evaluate for yourself what looks best on your body because a lot of us struggle with loving our bodies. But your body is beautiful! Bring an HONEST friend with you when you go shopping to find things that fit nicely and will accentuate your best feature(s)....trust me you have good features even if you don't think you do. 

Thank you for reading and I hope my tips helped you on your journey to finding your personal style! 

Go out, create and be true to yourself!

"Don't let anyone make you be who you aren't. Stay true to yourself at all time. Even when it's not trendy." -Unknown

What I Am Wearing

Lady Roulette Fedora Hat - Goorin Bros. 

V Neck Crop Top - Urban Outfitters

Black Highwaisted Jeans - Urban Outfitters

Gorjana Mika Lariat Necklace - Rocks Box (use code gracebff165 for a free month)

Belt - Thrift Store

Boots - Thrift Store

Photography by Kiersten Fienning

Forest Feelings

Last week I finally got to visit my most desired place to go in the States! If you guessed Oregon ding, ding, ding YOU'RE RIGHT! (Shout out to Luke & Val for getting hitched and having the coolest wedding I've been to yet!!)

So if you were to creep my Instagram and see who I follow, you'll see a majority of people that I follow are from the PNW and for obvious reasons. They have dreamy pictures full of lots of green (my newly discovered favorite color), trees, nature and the most beautiful views. And last week  everything I saw on Instagram is what I experienced in real life and so much more and it was A M A Z I N G! It is hands down the most beautiful place I've ever been. I questioned everything I was doing with my life while I was up there I just loved it so much I didn't want to leave. Kind of sad but now I'll just have to go again...

The main reason for this trip was to watch and celebrate our friends marriage and of course I was going to wear a dress that was covered in blue wildflowers to compliment the greenery. This is my favorite maxi dress and its because it has the most flattering slits in the front to show off some leg! And it wouldn't be a party without my fluffy white jacket...that jacket turns you into a rockstar instantly. 👌🏼

xx

"Let's take our hearts for a walk in the woods and listen to the magic whispers of old trees." -Unknown

What I'm Wearing For Your Inspiration

Dress- Some Days Lovin (bought mine from Urban Outfitters awhile ago but found this dress for sale on Poshmark for y'all)

Tribal Necklace- Ebay (I know I wear that necklace a lot)

Booties- Kelsi Dagger

White Jacket- Forever 21 

Round Sunnies- Forever 21

Photography by: Kiersten Fienning

My 5 Favorite Things

Here are five things that I've been using for years or have also recently invested in that I use a lllllll the time and would recommend to any girl just because I use them pretty much everyday! 
(THIS POST IS NOT SPONSORED, these are my actual opinions)

1. Clearsonic Mia 2 Face Brush

I bought mine years ago and it really gets all the grime off your face that would have been otherwise missed by just washing your face with your hands or a wash cloth. I swear by this tool! It gets all the junk off and really makes your skin radiate!

2. S'well Bottle 

These bottles are higher end on the scale of water bottles but they are insulated and keep your water cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 hours. I've had the same Nalgene bottle since I was in sixth grade and that was before all that discovery of BPA business came around...so you could say I was due for a new water bottle. These bottles are stylish and come in tons of colors, designs and textures! They sell a bottle size that will hold an entire bottle of wine and the best part about this company is that some of the proceeds go back into organizations that help build wells and bring clean water to parts of the world that don't have drinking water! 

3. Purposeful Planner

My friend had recently found this company on Instagram and said this planner was really great. She has always used written planners and I had always been using my phone forever. I always felt that I would dismiss things on my schedule because I would see it on my phone and forget about it and eventually never get to it…kinda like my text messages. Causing me to feel like I'm a horrible person because I'm always feel like I needed to complete so many tasks in one day and if I don't get to them all I just feel rotten. (Yes I have control issues and a constant need to feel accomplished okay!) I like this planner because it is something I can physically hold and write down my day, monthly goals and dreams, budget, my thoughts and prayers. It even has a section to mark how much water you've drank during the day and it has encouraging quotes and bible verses for each week!

4. Tangle Teezer

I waited a long time before I picked up one of these babies up. I had been using the Wet Brush for years and was pretty pleased with it but I couldn't help but feel I had to try this brush out because I'm a hairstylist. I'm suppose to know about the greatest things right? I had heard really great things about it and have seen them in every magazine and they look cool too.Well it went on sale at Urban Outfitters for super cheap...cheaper than what I would have found it for at the supply house where I buy all my hair tools and color! So I got it, used it and I now love it! I don't think I'll ever go back to use anything else! 

5. Limecrime Cashmere 

This is my favorite nude lipstick I have found yet, the color is just great and lasts all day! Limecrime has a really great formula for matte lipsticks. So far of the formulas I've used this one sits at #1. It's also vegan and cruelty free! If you are not wanting to support this company because their system was hacked that's okay and you can make your own educated decision on where you'd rather do business elsewhere and if that is how you feel Colourpop makes a dupe for Cashmere that is their Lippie Stix called Tootsie and it is pretty comparable but definitely is not the same formula by any means, it's just similar in color. 

Here is another product I swear by and you had to read this blog to find out there are actually six things on this list of my favorite things instead of five. If you are grossed out by "that time of the month" kinda talk then stop reading righttttt…..now! S*** is about to get real.

If you're not grossed out by that, then continue and be a little open minded while you scroll down and finish reading the rest of this post.

6. Diva Cup (Menstrual Cup)

You may have heard of this and thought, "ew I would never use that!" Or you've thought it's something that only feminist hippies would use. Well call me a gross feminist hippie I guess because this is my favorite, very life changing product I've used that I PERSONALLY BELIEVE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD for so many women. You'll need to google what this is because I don't want to go into super deep detail about this; but basically this product cannot kill you (when I say that I mean give you TSS), you only have to change it twice a day, you never have to travel with or purchase any other feminine "napkin", it is great for the environment, it won't harbor bacteria because they are made of silicone and they last for 10 years!

After going to Kenya and meeting girls who were LITERALLY selling their bodies to purchase pads so that they wouldn't miss school for a week every month, I knew that this type of thing could be distributed to villages all around the world….and it's happening! Believe it or not menstrual cups are being donated and given to women in these exact situations; enabling girls to NEVER sell themselves or get sick from an infection and/or die. It will help to keep them in school at all times of the year allowing them to complete their education, get a job and provide for themselves and their families. So maybe you will never use it yourself but I think this may be the future for these girls that need something like this! 

And there are my SIX favorite things! 

-Grace 

xx