Guest Blogger | WhyDid.com

Guest Post: Look to the Stars

By Kirsten|December 15th, 2011|Guest Blogger|

Celebrities are always a step ahead of the game when it comes to hairstyles and fashion, thanks to free “samples” from designers, so it makes sense to look to those in the spotlight for up and coming trends. Whether you’re looking for the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve or just adding a few items to your wardrobe, take a look at these five trends celebs have been seen sporting lately.

1. Jewel Tones

Rich, vibrant, saturated colors have been seen on everything lately – from eyelids to clothing, and even nail polish. Need a little inspiration? Browse through your grandma’s jewelry collection and draw ideas from your favorite pieces. Does the richness of the ruby catch your attention? Or perhaps the deep, dark shine of the sapphire? Find the color that speaks to you and make a bold statement by incorporating it into your apparel.

Jewel-toned eye makeup is making a major comeback as well. The bold look adds drama to the eye, with a smoky application of the rich, pigmented colors. Emerald green specifically, has been touted as the season’s “it” eye accent color. Pair it with a dark crimson lip color and you’ll be the hit of your next holiday party.

2. Animal Prints

Though animal print may be considered “tacky” to some, it’s back with a vengeance. Leopard print is particularly hot and can be found on anything from apparel, to tights, and even shoes. Celebrities have recently been seen wearing the stylish prints on the red carpet, at parties, and even in their casual everyday wear. Adding a pop of animal print does wonders for an otherwise drab outfit. Just make sure to use animal print responsibly – overdoing it can take you from fashionista to fashion disaster very quickly.

3. Autumnal Tones

Earthy colors are on the rise this season, inspired by the warm, spicy palette of fall. Mustard yellow is a current favorite, and celebrities are particularly loving cardigans and other knits in the vintage hue. Adding a scarf or handbag in the color will instantly put you at the top of the trends. Embrace the retro vibe the deep shade of yellow brings by trying pin curls on your hair or wearing red lipstick on your pout. Spicy shades of red, sunset orange, cinnamon, and yellow-greens are all excellent choices.

4. Faux Fur

That’s right, fur is back, but not in the head-to-toe, Cruella DeVille sort of way. Instead, it’s appearing on vests, coat collars, gloves, and hats. Fur adds an air of cold-weather charm, while keeping the iconic look of wealth. Pair a furry accessory with jeans and a simple tee to create an appealing mixture of retro and glam.

5. Fair Isle

This traditional knit stems from a small island north of Scotland. Once again the trend is nothing new, but rather a resurgence of an age old fashion. We’ve been seeing this type of sweater in ski shops and woodsy towns for years, but only recently did it make its way mainstream. Try layering the rustic sweater over a collared dress shirt. The juxtaposition of contrasting styles works together to create a high-fashion ensemble. The look works for males, females, children, and even the occasional pooch. Wear this Scandinavian-style sweater with some lace-up snow boots to complete the look.

Follow this five simple trends and you’ll be looking like a star in no time.

xx,

Lisa

About the Author: Lisa is an avid yoga enthusiast who enjoys writing in her spare time for Usdirect.com.

Real People, Real Style: Bikini Babe

By Kirsten|November 9th, 2011|Real People Real Style|

Several months ago, I introduced you to the ridiculously fun and totally customizable bikini brand, Mikini Bikini. The line was a big hit with you lovely ladies, so I asked the beauty behind the brand if she’d like to let us in on her own personal style secrets. Lucky for us, she obliged and now the bikini babe (and newlywed) is gonna share what makes her style so chic.

Name: Christina Iaquinta Stuber

Wearing: Club Monaco dress (bought this for my wedding shower – it’s my wedding colors, grey and yellow!), Lucky boots from TJMaxx (Found these last month and have probably worn them 5/7 days each week!), Crossbody from Banana Republic (“just because” gift from husband when we first started dating 5 years ago – I still love it!) Rhinestone necklace from Pinky Otto (gift from my Momma).

Occupation: Co-Founder of Mikini Bikini, Buyer for TJMaxx and Marshalls

Hometown/Current Town: Hometown: Bridgeport, WV; Current Town: Boston, MA

1. I would describe my style as: Casual luxury. I dress how I feel, and a lot of my pieces come with a story or memory!

2. I can’t leave the house without: RayBans and my wedding ring.

3. Based on wardrobe alone, if I could live in any time period, it would be: The 60’s would be amazing – mini skirts, skinny jeans, and fake eyelashes, what more could you want?

4. Best/biggest splurge (worth every penny): I try to find good deals on every-day wear, and tend to splurge on my more “timeless” pieces. My biggest splurge this year was actually for my husband – a Breitling Navitimer watch.

5. Best fashion advice I’ve ever received: If you wouldn’t wear it in front of your father, then don’t wear it!

6. Biggest fashion pet peeve (a trend that just needs to go away): High-waisted jeans.

7. What I would tell my 13 year old self: Oh geez – I only can pick one thing?! Some of the items I wore were just absurd. Like a mini skirt that was cow print, or these knee high boots that looked like moon shoes.. and I had this belly chain that I thought was really cool. Even formals, I wore 2-piece dresses! I’d do it all again though – you have to experiment in order to find your true style later on.

8. Weirdest beauty trick that I swear by: I sleep with my hair in a high bun. When I take it down in the morning, it has lots of volume!

9. Don’t care if it ever goes out of style, I’m going to keep wearing: long hair, ha! I’ve never had my hair shorter than shoulder length.

10. I would love to trade closets with: Lauren Conrad

Fun fact: Red cups from Starbucks make me ridiculously happy!

Now go customize your very own Mikini Bikini for your next “escaping the arctic” trip.

xx,

WhyDid

Photo courtesy of UbranoPhoto

Why Did You Eat That: Spar-becue

By Kirsten|September 26th, 2011|Guest Blogger, Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|

This week, I asked one of my oldest (not in age, but in friendship duration) and very dearest friends if he’d be willing to share one of his recipes. I know I’m partial, but I can’t believe that not only can my pal speak German fluently, recite Shakespeare, and mix up the perfect purple drank, he can cook! I mean, ladies, how is this man single? Anyway, this isn’t some froofy girly girl recipe … so if you wanna impress your main man with something delicious that he will appreciate, keep reading. (Oh… and please behold this amazing school dance photo of me my male bff. Sorry, dude, had to):

After a pilgrimage to Neely’s Interstate BBQ in Memphis and sampling their phenomenal BBQ spaghetti, I was determined to recreate it for myself. It’s not nearly as difficult as one would think, but it does take a bit of time. For the record, if my writing seems disjointed or broken, I’m watching Nigella Lawson and am enthralled by her accent and, um, other attributes.

What you need:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic salt
BBQ sauce (recipe follows)
1lb pork, beef, chicken, turkey, dog, cat – cooked and chopped to bits
1lb spaghetti

First things first, the BBQ sauce:

2 cups of ketchup (about 1 20oz bottle)
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard (don’t skimp – get Colman’s)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

What you do:

Combine everything in a pot, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer for about an hour or an hour and a half. Length of time depends on how thick you want it. There’s also a lot of wiggle room in the sweetness/bite of the sauce. The recipe I listed is Neely’s original and it’s got decent balance. However, I like a little more vinegar flavor so I added a bit more and cut back on the sugar. If you want it sweeter, add more sugar/brown sugar. The sauce as is has decent tang, but if you want some heat, throw in some cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to bring the spice up a bit.
Once you’ve got the sauce square, heat up the oil and throw in the peppers, onion and garlic salt and cook everything until it’s nice and soft. Once done, throw in the BBQ and bring to a boil. Once boiling, put in your chopped meat and reduce to a simmer. Bring your pasta water to a boil, salt it appropriately and then cook your pasta til al dente. Mix the sauce/meat and the pasta and voila, BBQ spaghetti.
For the meat, you have a lot of options – you can buy pulled pork (sans any kind of sauce) or brisket, brown some ground beef/turkey/chicken – whatever. Just make sure you chop it up small enough so it blends well. When I made this, I bought smoked pork loin from one of the BBQ joints down here and chopped it up and it turned out really well. I doubled the recipe and it fed a dinner party of 10 perfectly, and I’ll take the lack of leftovers as a testament to how good it was.

OK – back to Nigella.

Real People, Real Style: A Rose By Any Other Name

By Kirsten|September 14th, 2011|Real People Real Style|

I don’t know a girl who doesn’t delight in receiving roses. The rose is beautiful all on its own. It doesn’t need any extra accoutrements. No baby’s breath. No carnations. It is a straightforward beauty. I would go as far as calling it a “stand alone” flower. I first discovered Rose a la Mode when she was kinda enough to link back to me on a post about the return of flare leg jeans. When I perused her blog, I was impressed with her clean, straightforward, and totally relatable style. She wasn’t all about putting on something cuuuurazy for the shock value. I could tell this was really a peek into Linda’s life and her closet– and for that, I was an immediate fan.

Name: Linda Rose

Wearing: A White T-shirt and Wide leg jeans both from Gap, Platform Sandals from Target, DKNY White Watch, Charm Bracelet

Occupation: Part Time Blogger and Housewife

Hometown/Current Town: St. Louis, MO

I would describe my style as: Easy clothes that everyone can wear…with some extras to make it special

I can’t leave the house without: Burts Bees Lip Balm

Based on wardrobe alone, if I could live in any time period, it would be: The 70’s! I love how glamorous everything was!

Best/biggest splurge (worth every penny): The best hair straightner money can buy. I have frizzy hair and those things work magic for me!

Best fashion advice I’ve ever received: You can wear anything you want as long as you’re confident in it.

Biggest fashion pet peeve (a trend that just needs to go away): Tapered pants (as in baggy on top and skinny at the ankle). They are just not flattering—I don’t care how skinny you are!

What I would tell my 13 year old self: Keep current with the jean trends – that will give away your style intellect every time.

Weirdest beauty trick that I swear by: I don’t use conditioner because I heard that it can burn your hair if you use a flat iron after. I stopped using

conditioner that day and it’s worked for me.

Don’t care if it ever goes out of style, I’m going to keep wearing: SCARVES! They keep me so much warmer in the winter, I couldn’t live without them!

I would love to trade closets with: Jennifer Anniston!

Fun fact: I only started to find my style after I got married in 2005. Before then I had no sense of style.

xx,
WhyDid

Guest Post: Why Don’t You Try It?

By Kirsten|July 21st, 2011|Beauty Buzz, Guest Blogger|

They say good things come in small packages, but in a society where we’re always stressing bigger, better, more, more, more, sometimes it seems hard to believe. Luckily, Stephie is here to remind us just how great the “little things” really can be.

I die for beauty product samples and recently Sephora has been on a tear! A number of very exciting minis have overhauled my usual summer skincare and makeup routine. A Beauty Insider VIP-sized sample of DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew is my new defacto nighttime summer moisturizer. During the winter, I opt for a thicker formula, but this one is truly hydrating without leaving my face an oil slick. It’s heavy duty moisture without the weight. For seriously sticky days, I turn to Elemis Daily Shine Control, a treatment moisturizer for oily to combination skin that fights shine while it moisturizes. Two birds, one sample.

Of course, all of this goes under Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, or what many beauty buffs would call the best all-around light coverage product on the market. Speaking of SPF, a facialist recently told me not to use SPF 15, but rather 50 on my face, neck, décolleté and hands every day to prevent aging. I took SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 for a test drive. Not only does it not stink, but it also goes on (YES, girls) in a strangely accurate human skin color not that creepy pasty white. SkinCeuticals avers it a “universal tint.” Somehow I believe it.

Sephora hit a sour note with a Father’s Day promotion giving samples of men’s products. Who gifts dad three tiny tubes of random skincare? Awkward. Rather than waste these samples, I selected a few men’s cleansers I could test myself and compared them with a Kiehl’s specimen stolen from my husband’s drawer (he only gets one). The test confirmed that although men’s cleansers can be truly awesomely gritty (Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Face Scrub) and wonderfully experientially tabacco-y (Kiehl’s Energizing Facial Fuel Skin Buffer for Men) or energizing and brightening (Anthony Logistics for Men Facial Scrub), there are simply no men’s cleansers that can remove eye makeup- ya hear that Adam Lambert?

Forget a chihuahua in your handbag: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is an eyeliner-wearing lady’s best friend. It is also somehow gentle enough that if you left a smidge on, it would be good for your complexion. It has a lovely scent and a famous gelatinous texture (if you tapped a bowlful, it would jiggle). It’s better than anything the boys have got, trust me.

Summer means light and fresh for color on the face too. Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation is the only bronzer that doesn’t look dirty on my very fair pink-undertoned skin and a Sephora sample is what introduced me to it, (kinda makes up for the father’s day weirdness). Fear not: this gel formula did not make me look like I walked into a dusty clay factory, like some powder bronzers – it actually made me look tan (what a concept)! Smashbox O-GLOSS Intuitive Lip Gloss provides a pretty pink counterpoint. The O-GLOW (cheek version) will not work if you pile on hydrators, sunscreens and tinted moisturizers like I recommend above, because it needs to come in contact with both bare skin and air to work. But, O-GLOSS provides that magical same out-of-thin air magical fuschia branded just for you – it works with your lip chemistry to create a shiny, entirely non-sticky “custom shade of pink” (usually in the hello-kitty cuteness category).