Lifestyle – BRITTANY ABRAHAM

How to Wear Leopard Print – Fall 2018 Trend Alert

I teamed up with four fashion bloggers to bring you 5 different ways to wear leopard print and stay on-trend this fall!

If there is one print that’s taking the fashion world by storm this fall, it’s leopard print. From dresses to outerwear to accessories, leopard is slowly making its way into everyone’s wardrobe this season.

I teamed up with four fashion bloggers – Michelle from Dressing with Style(s), Lindsey from Cozy Stylist, Kait from Teacups and Things, and Hannah Gladwin – to bring you 5 different ways to style this fabulous print and tell you why we love this trend!

Skirts

I love incorporating prints into my fall wardrobe, and leopard print is the perfect way to spice things up while staying on trend. I decided to style this leopard print skirt from Forever 21. I love this piece because this particular print is subtle and great for everyday wear. I paired the skirt with a knit black sweater and lace-up suede booties. I accessorized my outfit with polka dot tights and rose gold jewelry for a cohesive and warm look.

Skirt: Forever 21

Sweater: Target

Tights: Forever 21

Boots: Vince

Watch: Michael Kors

Dresses

Michelle says:

I’m a 90s gal through and through, so when animal print came back into fashion, I immediately picked up literally everything in leopard print. My favorite find? This ASOS dress that is perfect for nearly every occasion! I’m always running late in the morning, so a dress is my perfect go-to outfit. With this piece, you can easily dress it down –like I’ve done here– with a pair of Vans. If it’s chilly wear you live, black booties and a nice leather jacket give it a bit of an edge. Headed somewhere a bit fancy? Throw on a pair of heels and you’ve got yourself a sexy drape neck dress. And, because of the leopard print, there’s a little pop of that extra something!

Dress: ASOS

Shoes: Vans

Earrings: H&M

Find Michelle’s blog here, and keep up with her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Scarfs

Lindsey says:

I am usually the type of girl to stick to solid colors or very simple prints like stripes or polka dots. So when I saw that leopard was going to be a big trend this season I had to think of ways that I could incorporate the print into my wardrobe. I ended up buying this fabulous scarf and pointed flats. I found that I could style this scarf with many different outfits. It goes perfectly with a long sleeve tee, jeans, and flats or a cute sweater dress and boots. You can mix the leopard print with other patterns but I choose to wear it as the only printed piece so that I don’t overwhelm my outfit. The scarf works perfectly against fall tones and neutral colors.

Find Lindsey’s blog here, and keep up with her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Boots

Kait says:

I’ve always been a huge fan of statement accessories – be it a necklace, statement earrings or a loud shoe. Statement accessories are a great way to experiment with trends that may be out of your comfort zone, and for many people animal prints can be a little intimidating. What I love about these leopard print boots is that they are so incredibly easy to dress up or dress down. You can wear them with virtually anything, like jeans and an oversized sweater for a more casual look like I did here. These boots also look great with a dress or skirt and some tights for a dressier look.

Sweater: H&M

Jeans: ZARA

Boots: Blowfish Shoes

Purse: Kate Spade

Hat: H&M

Find Kait’s blog here, and keep up with her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Coats

Hannah says:

A faux fur leopard print coat adds a bit of luxuriousness to any outfit… plus it’s really warm! Normally, I’m not afraid to mix prints together but, for this outfit, I let the coat be the statement piece and chose a neutral palette for the rest of the outfit.

Oversized pieces and flowy fabrics has also been a big trend, so I put together my favourite nude-pink culottes with a light copper tone blouse with a twist front. I think the tonal colours really compliment the leopard print – the mix of textures and colours create an elegant final look (so of course I wore this to the Dorchester!).

To finish the look, I picked out the black spots in the coat and accessorised with a beautiful croc textured DVF bag (another animal print big for autumn and winter!) and some simple black heels. However, the great thing about this look is that you can easily dress it down, by wearing some chunky sneakers or some leather chelsea boots, if you’re wanting to go more casual.

Coat: H&M

Bag: Diane Von Furstenberg

Blouse: River Island

Culottes: Asos

Shoes: Asos

Find Hannah’s blog here, and keep up with her on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin’!

A special thanks to Lindsey for coordinating this fun and fashionable collaboration! Be sure to check out all of these ladies’ blogs – they’re all amazing and so chic. If you love my content, you’ll love theirs too!

My Fall Fashion Must-Haves – Fall 2018

From the layering to the rich colors, fall is my favorite season to enhance my style and dress to the nines.

The best season for fashion is amongst us: fall! From the layering to the rich colors, fall is my favorite season to enhance my style and dress to the nines. I love experimenting with different outfit combinations, patterns and colors, but I do have a few staples that I absolutely need to complete my fall wardrobe.

These are my fall fashion must-haves for 2018:

Warm & Cozy Skirts

Photo from my Instagram.

Although it may seem counterproductive during the colder months, skirts are hands down my favorite thing to wear during this season. I love wearing tights and boots with a cozy skirt, particularly those made from wool or corduroy fabrics.

Both Skirts: Forever 21

Over-the-Knee Boots

The days before over-the-knee boots are times I don’t want to remember. Over-the-knee boots have been a staple in my colder weather wardrobe for over two years. I like having a black pair and a brown pair to choose from.

Black boots: Marc Fisher

Brown boots: Carlos by Carlos Santana

Rich Colored Nail Polish

Instead of going to the nail salon, I’ve been doing my own nails for the past few months, and I’ve been loving it. I always look forward to wearing darker, richer nail colors when the season changes, and this year is no different. I’ve recently been loving fall tones from KL Polish, a nail polish brand created by one of my favorite YouTubers, Kathleenlights.

Nail polishes: KL Polish

(Left Column – Mindy, Chloe, Central Park. Right Column – Jane, Brick Sidewalk, 1435.)

Faux Fur Jackets

I definitely jumped on the furry jacket bandwagon this year! These glamorous faux fur jackets have enhance my wardrobe in both the style and the warmth department. I love this trend so much that I have another faux fur jacket on the way to my house right now, and I plan to add more to my collection.

Jacket: WYLDR at Bloomingdales Outlet

Plaid

Plaid certainly isn’t revolutionary for fall, but it’s definitely my favorite pattern for the season. I do enjoy the typical flannel shirt, but my favorite way to wear this classic pattern is as scarfs or skirts. I have a fair share of plaid scarfs that go perfectly with any casual outfit, and I’m happily adding to my plaid skirt collection (see cozy skirt photo above).

Brown plaid scarf: Nordstrom Rack

Grey plaid scarf: Nordstrom Rack

Green plaid scarf: Chelsey II

What I Wore to a Music Festival – Country LakeShake

Long time, no blog.

But I’m back! And my first post on my revamped website is one I’m excited for. I recently attended Country LakeShake, a three day country music festival in Chicago.

Aside from the impressive music lineup, I was most excited about picking outfits for the festival, as LakeShake 2018 was my “Coachella moment” this year (hoping to eventually go to the real thing!) Here’s a roundup of what I wore that weekend.

Day 1: Frozen Boho

The first day of the festival was much colder than expected: 60 degrees and rainy. But that didn’t stop me from wearing what I planned (aside from some alterations). I wore a beautiful hand-crocheted top that I purchased from Etsy, and although I planned to wear denim shorts with this top, my black jeans suited the look and kept me warm. My black lace duster truly fulfilled my dream of looking “as Coachella as possible”. I accessorized with a dainty long necklace, a black belt with gold hardware, and my most comfortable black sandals. I made sure to bring a black faux leather jacket to replace the duster at nightime.

Top: JayblueHandmade on Etsy

Jeans: Forever 21

Duster: Forever 21

Belt: H&M

Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Steve Madden

Day 2: Wildflower

This gorgeous dress from American Eagle was the star of the show for my day 2 outfit. This dress reminds me of something you would find by For Love and Lemons, but way more affordable! I accessorized the dress with a double layered horn necklace, a cuff bracelet and hoop earrings. My shoes were the same as my first outfit, only brown. And yes — I bought them in two colors. They’re that comfortable.

Dress: American Eagle

Necklace: Neiman Marcus Last Call

Bracelet: Lucky Brand

Shoes: Steve Madden

Day 3: Space Cowgirl

I made sure to saved the best for last: my favorite outfit inspired by this belt. Its baby pink velvet fabric and its amazing silver hardware made me fall in love with this piece instantly. The buckle features cestialial designs, and I love the beaded lining. I styled this belt with a distressed white denim skirt, a corset-like striped top, and cool silver velvet booties. A silver choker, cuff bracelet and earrings tied the look together.

Top: American Eagle

Skirt: American Eagle

Belt: Urban Outfitters

Choker: Forever 21

Shoes: Steve Madden

I Went to New York City!

Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of visiting New York City. Little did I know that I would be going on a girls’ trip to the Concrete Jungle during my senior year of college!

On January 19th, I boarded a plane and discovered that New York was everything I wanted it to be: big, busy, and full of life, lights and history. My friends and I lived the dream of pretending to be Gossip Girl characters all weekend long.

Here’s just a few highlights of our trip:

Time Square

They say you can see Time Square from outer space, and I believe them now.

My friends and I visited Time Square during on first night in the city. We had the luxury of lodging in Manhattan, and Time Square was only a 15 minute walk from our place.

Although it was past midnight, the street looked as if it was mid-afternoon. Full of bright signs and branded images, Time Square truly is an advertising student’s dream!

We also ate at Joe’s Pizza – a joint known for its authentic New York style pizza and for being featured in Spiderman!

Brunch in Brooklyn

For our first proper meal in New York, we had brunch at Glasserie, a delicious Mediterranean restaurant located in Brooklyn. We ordered the Brunch Mezze Feast, a fully vegetarian family style meal. I had a spiked coffee and sipped some mimosas that my friends kindly shared with me. If you’re looking for a yummy restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, I definitely recommend visiting this spot.

Brooklyn Bridge

When you visit New York, of course you have to go to the Brooklyn Bridge! We enjoyed our 1.1 mile walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, posing for tons of photos and appreciating the scenery.

New York’s Own – Cupcakes and Coffee

It isn’t NYC without cupcakes and coffee!

While in Brooklyn, we stopped at Baked by Melissa to try their famous mini cupcakes. They were so delicious and had us wanting more. The cookie dough and sugar cookie cupcakes are my favorites!

We also grabbed coffee at a nearby cafe called Financier Patisserie. I enjoyed a vanilla iced latte, my go-to order for a special occasion, and the cafe didn’t disappoint.

SOHO and Ladurée

There are few places in U.S. more glamorous than SOHO New York. My friends and I grabbed Sunday brunch at Ladurée, an amazing French cafe originally from Paris. The Paris location has been in business since 1862. The moment you walk into SOHO’s Ladurée, you feel like you are right in the middle of France.

I ordered rose tea, and it truly was one of the best teas I’ve ever had. For brunch, we all ordered avocado toast. This entree was prepared with wheat bread, avocado, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on top. I’m not a fan of smoked salmon, but this dish had me questioning my preferences. Highly recommend it!

I bought a variety of macaroons to bring home to Chicago. Although I’ve never been to Paris (yet!), my friend assured me that SOHO’s macaroons taste just like they do in Paris.

After brunch, we explored the streets and shops of SOHO. This area is full of luxury boutiques, sample sale shops, coffee shops, and luxe antique stores.

Central Park

Our last stop was a classic – Central Park. Beautiful and big, just like NYC.

Central Park might have been the last stop on our trip, but it definitely wasn’t my last adventure in New York. I look forward to going back. But until then, xoxo… you know the rest.

My Top 5 Holy Grail Beauty Products

Confession: I am a makeup and beauty geek. I absolutely love learning about new launches and trying new products. Walking into Ulta or Sephora, seeing all the makeup I have yet to try, excites me.

Although new shiny things ignite my love for trying different products, I have my go-to, die-hard, holy grail beauty products that never let me down. I’ve narrowed my list down to my top 5 products:

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Coverage Foundation

Image from here.

I have been religiously using this foundation for over a year now, and it has never let me down. As a person with normal to dry skin, I need a foundation with lasting power and the ability to keep my skin from looking crusty. This foundation does it for me!

It has medium coverage and a natural finish. This foundation comes in a wide range of colors to choose from, and I love that Make Up For Ever offers warm, cool and neutral tones.

I wear this foundation year round. It holds up in the summer heat and doesn’t dry out my skin in the harsh Chicago winters. Want to know how well it holds up? I wore this foundation for every day of sorority recruitment and for a 12 hour Black Friday shift this year. My skin still looked good. If that isn’t proof of a good foundation, I don’t know what is!

This foundation retails for $43 and can be found at Sephora.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Image from here.

I can’t tell you the number of these sponges I have gone through. I use this sponge for applying both my foundation and my concealer, and I have yet to find another sponge that does it better. I’ve tried the original beautyblender, and in my opinion, it does not compare to the softness and ease of the Real Techniques sponge. Plus, it’s not worth paying $20 for a sponge.

A single Real Techniques sponge retails for $5.99 at Ulta. I prefer to purchase the packs of two for $10.99 or the packs of four for $17.99. In the long run, I save more money buying the value packs. These sponges can also be found at Target and other drugstores.

Lorac Unzipped Eye Shadow Palette

Image from here.

I love rose tones. Anything rose gold or rosy pink is destined to be mine. Because of this and the undeniable quality of Lorac shadows, the Unzipped palette has been my go-to palette for years. I travel with it, and I use it for both everyday looks and nighttime looks.

This palette is composed of three true mattes, five shimmers, a satin/matte highlight shade and a glittery/matte-acting shadow. The shades range from shimmery rosy tones to bronze tones to a maroon matte. The palette also includes a beautiful gold shades and transition shades. All of the Unzipped shadows are super flattering.

This eye shadow palette retails for $42 at Ulta.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft-Spoken

Image from here.

I have a huge collection of lipsticks. Even so, if you see me wearing a rosy nude lip color, I’m probably wearing this. I have gone through two tubes of this product, and it never fails me. I love how comfortable it feels on my lips and how flattering and wearable the color is!

This lipstick retails for $6.99 at Ulta.

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Perfume

Image from here.

I’m very picky with scents that I like, so it can be hard to find my perfect perfume. A few years ago, I tested Black Opium in the store, and I instantly fell in love. I looked up the notes, and I wasn’t surprised why I loved it so much: coffee beans, white flowers and vanilla.

Coffee notes… No wonder I – a coffee addict – love it!

Black Opium is the perfect combination of spicy, sweet and floral elements. It has been my go-to scent during the colder months. I love the sexy yet sweet smell of it, and I receive a lot of complements when I wear it.

This perfume retails for $69 for a 1 oz bottle.

Welcome to the Journey

Hi! Welcome! I’m so glad you are here.

This is my first post on my new blog. I am beyond excited to begin the adventure of documenting my style, my thoughts, and my experiences. However, this is not my first rodeo. I had a blog during the spring of 2016, but I didn’t keep up with it.

I know the reason my former blog didn’t live for long. It was a compilation of what I thought was an acceptable fashion/lifestyle blog: cookie-cutter, aesthetically designed, and limited. I felt trapped by the self-titled “fashion/lifestyle” blog positioning. I struggled to create content that fit this mold because it wasn’t organic. While fashion is a big part of my life, it doesn’t make up my entire self. Inspiration sprouts in many places, and limiting your voice only leads to the demise of your success.

I envision this blog to be a well-rounded representation of my life, including (but not limited to!) fashion, beauty, travel, music, and reflection. Through this blog, I want to be everything that I am and learn to be even more than that.

It’s a journey. Join me?