We've made it! 2016 is coming to an end and it's time to welcome in 2017! I can't for the New Year; it's a fresh start and many exciting things are happening!

While there are still a few hours left of 2016, I thought I would look back at some of my favorite , fashion items, beauty products, and songs from the past year.

Fashion:

1. Leather: Ever since I moved to New York, I have worn my leather skirt pictured above SO much. It's very versatile and matches pretty much everything, so what's not to love?

2. Floral Romper: I don't have this exact romper, but it's pretty darn close. This romper was my go-to this past summer. I loved wearing it with a lace barrette and either pair of sandals or kids.

3. Ankle Booties: I don't know what I'd do without these shoes. This past fall and what we've had of winter so far, these booties are my go-to shoe. Whether I'm wearing a casual, professional, or going out outfit, these shoes are perfect for any occasion. Plus, they're very comfortable, so that's a huge  bonus.

4. Light Pink / Blush: Pink has always been my favorite color, but this past year, I have been loving the light pink blush shade.  I incorporated this color in everything from my clothes, purse, makeup, and even my laptop case, so it's safe to say I'll be sticking to this color for a while.

6. Bodysuits: You know the struggle. You're wearing a skirt or high waisted pants and you're constantly re-tucking your shirt in. That is such an annoyance, so luckily bodysuits were huge this year! It's basically like wearing a dance leotard as your shirt, but it makes life so much easier and you can find some very cute ones.

7. Athleisure: You probably won't catch me dressed in full workout gear unless I'm actually going to the gym, but I definitely jumped on to the sneaker and legging bandwagon that came out of this year's athleisure trend. I have a couple pairs of cute sneakers in addition to my Adidas Superstars and living in New York, I'm happy this trend came. It's such a comfy option, plus it's cute!


Beauty:

1. L'Oreal Palette Nude 1: I bought this palette earlier last year, and I have to say it was probably one of my most used palettes. There is a great variety of shimmer and matte shades, which allow me to easily create a day or nighttime look. This is definitely a great buy!

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit: 2016, the year of the crazy contour. Over the summer I learned once and for all how to actually contour. I love tis palette because there is a variety in shades, which allow me to control how light or dark of a contour I want. Plus, it's a powder, which works so much better for my skin.

3. ColourPop: This brand was HUGE in 2016. Beauty gurus everywhere were ordering their products left and right. The online only brand became popular due to it's affordable prices and high quality, oh and it is a great dupe for the oh-so-popular Kylie Lip Kits. I ordered three lipsticks this year: Ultra Satin Lip in London Fog, Lippie Stix in Juice Bar, and Ultra Matte Lip in 1st Base. If you haven't already, definitely order a couple; they're fantastic!

4. Face Masks: My roommate got me really into face masks over the past couple of months. The Feeling Beautiful brand is great because there are many different kinds to choose from, they're very affordable, and you get a big tube of them instead of an individual packet like many masks.

5. CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream: Finally! I found a foundation, well BB Cream, that works with my skin. I have sensitive skin, so sometimes foundation make me breakout and it's super annoying. Over the summer I figured I'd try out CoverGirl's new BB Cream, which is specifically formulated for oily skin (aka me). I ended up  loving it! It creates a flawless, light-weight finish. I even forget I'm wearing it half the time. Definitely pick it up if you have oily or sensitive skin like me.

6. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: I'm such a lipstick junkie, I'm constantly trying out new brands and formulas. The Soft Matte Lip Cream is another lipstick I loved this past year. it's affordable, isn't drying, and lasts a long time. Basically, it's everything a girl could want in a lipstick. The liquid formula was extremely popular in 2016, so if you're looking for  kind to try out, pick up this NYX liquid lipstick.


Songs: 

I'm constantly listening to  music, so I'm always on the hunt for some new tunes. Here are 20 of my favorite songs from the past year. I know, 20 sounds long, but it was hard to narrow down.

1. Stone Cold - Demi Lovato
2. 11 Blocks - Wrabel
3. Me & My Girls - Selena Gomez
4. Good Girls - Nick Jonas
5. Fix - Chris Lane
6. She Sets the City on Fire - Gavin DeGraw
7. Cheap Thrills - Sia
8. When We Were Young - Adele
9. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) -Adele
10. Million years - Lady Gaga
11. Pay My Rent - DNCE
12. Hands To Myself - Selena Gomez
13. Body Moves - DNCE
14. Church Bells - Carrie Underwood
15. Touch - Nick Jonas
16. Revival - Selena Gomez
17. Annalee - Gavin DeGraw
18. Be Like You - Ed Sheeran
19. Are You With Me - Easton Corbin
20. Cake By The Ocean - DNCE

What were some of your favorite things from 2016? Let me know in the comments!

Fall Outfit of the Day

Hey everyone! I know it has been a while since I've posted, but I'm back with an outfit of the day for you. This is a look a wore a couple weeks ago when I was exploring Greenwich Village!

I'm wearing a white crochet tunic with black leggings, which I paired with my denim jacket. My favorite thing about this tunic is the detailing. It feels really unique and gives off a Free People vibe. This is such an effortless piece to style, and thanks to layering, it's super easy to look like I tried a lot harder than I did. Pieces like that are always a win, right? I also love how I can wear this tunic in the fall and spring, so versatility is a major plus.

To accessorize, I doubled up a long necklace so it was shorter, and also used it to add a hint of color to my outfit. Since a purse is a must while exploring New York, I chose a quilted, light purple cross body bag. To top everything off, my favorite ankle booties made an appearance, of course! I have been wearing these black ankle booties all over the city this past month. They match practically everything, make any outfit feel just a little fancier, and they're surprisingly comfy for heels.

What are some clothing items you have been loving this fall? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @CaitlinRedd13

Tunic: Aeropostale

Leggings: Aerie

Denim Jacket: Macy's

Ankle Booties: Macy's

Necklace: Forever 21

Crossbody Purse: Rebecca Minkoff 

Review and Fall Tutorial: Sephora X Minnie Mouse Eyeshadow Palette

Thanks to Instagram I bought more makeup, well, sort of. While I was scrolling through my endless feed of photos, I found out the Minnie Mouse collection for Sephora was on sale, so what did I do? I went straight to Sephora's website and ordered the eyeshadow palette from the collection. I have been wanting this palette for a while now, but couldn't see spending $48 on it when I already had other palettes, so when I saw it was on sale I HAD to purchase it. I was really surprised with how quickly it came too. I bought it with standard shipping and I received it two or three days after ordering it, which was super exiting!

The eyeshadow palette is polka dotted on the outside and looks like a clutch, it's adorable! You can actually remove the eyeshadows and mirror to use it as an actual clutch if you wanted to. I love how it looks together, so I probably won't be doing that. Each eyeshadow has a name related to the girly mouse; it's so cute!

I've never tried the Sephora brand of eyeshadows before, but they turned out to be really great! The colors are highly pigmented and last all day. I thought they blended well too. The palette is a combination of matte, shimmery and sparkly shadows. There is also a wide range of colors from light and dark browns, to bright yellow and different shades of purple. To be honest, I'm not quite sure how I'll wear the yellow--or if I ever will--but I love having the variety of finishes and colors, it makes it super fun to try out new looks.

Tutorial:

When it came time to do my makeup the day after the palette arrived, I dove right into it. Below is the first look I did using these colors. I was going for a fall vibe when I did this look, but I didn't have anything planned out. I ended up really liking how it turned out, so I figured I'd add a little tutorial with the review.

1. Like any eyeshadow look, start by priming your eyelids so your shadows stays slide-free. I used Maybelline Fit Me concealer.

2. I applied the shade "Put a Bow On It" (matte nude) all over my eyelid

3. Next, I took my trustee crease brush and worked "Flirt In a Skirt"(matte medium brown) into my crease

4. To add a little bit of depth, I took a very small amount of "Pick Me Up At 8"(matte dark brown) and lightly applied it to my crease. Since the shadows are highly pigmented, it's important you keep this color light for the look, that way it won't look too harsh.

5. Now, this is wear that fall vibe comes into play. I applied the shade "Miss Minnie"(shimmery red) on my mid to outer crease. It is extremely important to blend this color so you're not left with a harsh line in the middle of your eyelid.

6. Next, I wanted to tie in the shimmer from "Miss Minnie" into the crease colors, so I took the shade "Some Like It Dot" (shimmery copper) and applied this on my outer corner and blended into my crease.

7. To finish off the eyeshadow, I used "Red Carpet Arrival" (shimmery nude) as my highlight. I applied this on my brow bone and my inner corner to brighten up my eye.

8. After getting my eyeshadow in place, I decided to go for a winged eyeliner. I used Maybelline Line Stiletto in brown-black.

9. Just like any eyeshadow look, I completed it with a couple swipes of my favorite mascara: L'Oreal's Voluminous Butterfly mascara. 

The finished look:

If you recreate this look, or even try out your own with this palette, I'd love to see pictures! Be sure to    use the hashtag #MinnieMouseFallLook so I can seek your look too! 

Warby Parker: Details Matter

Hey everyone! I have a super exciting collab for this post. I teamed up with Warby Parker, an eyeglasses and sunglasses brand to tell you guys about their new fall collection. The brand offers a wide variety of affordable eyeglasses and sunglasses, plus with every pair your purchase, one pair is given to somebody in need--I love that!

For their fall collection the focus is: Details matter. The collection is inspired by playful constructions and visual trickery from Surrealist artists. I know, you're probably wondering how that translates into glasses. For you that means there are inverted keyhole bridges on the frames, exaggerated end pieces, two-toned laminated color ways, and 24-karat gold accents.

Below, check out a breakdown of the fall collection.

Two Tones: 

Bowen Eastern Bluebird Fade 

This style comes in a many colors, from teal, white, light blue and rose. I'd have to say the rose shade is my favorite, but are you real that surprised? 

Basso Tone: 

This design was inspired by the basso-relievo sculpture. The design was created by two layers of acetate together and then carving away the top layer to reveal a contrast. 

Duckworth Cognac Tortoise with Bermuda Blue 

The contrast between the two tones on this style is very unique, and I've honestly never seen glasses like this before. 

Mixed Materials:

This design took a classic silhouette, then modernized it with hued acetate and 18-karat white gold and 24-karat gold around the lenses for a one-of-a-kind look.

Tansley Jet Black 

I love how sleek and simple this design is. The contrast of the gold with a solid color is clean, and is sure to match any outfit. This style comes in other colors as well, which are available in the new collection. 

Fall Palette:

This design was created by taking some of the favorite silhouettes and mixing them with a seasonal color palette. Think, blush, classic tortoises and deep red shades.

Casey Melon 

Even though the this style inspired by the lovely fall colors, it's safe to say they these will be spotted around town all year long. The colors are neutral enough where you can definitely pull them off no matter what season. 

I love how versatile this entire collection is. The frames are flattering on a wide variety of face shapes, and the colors match just about any outfit you could imagine. Plus, these glasses give off that cozy vibe we're all looking to achieve in our fall fashion. 

If you're looking to purchase a pair, but you don't want to risk choosing a pair you won't like on yourself, there it no need to worry; try #WarbyParkerHomeTryOn. All you have to do is select five frames you want to try, and they're sent to your house for free. After five days, you send back the frames with a prepaid return label. Super simple, right? I think that is such a great idea, because let's face it, nobody wants to go through the struggle of returning an online item they ended up not liking.

Will you be purchasing some new glasses for fall? Let me know if you will and what you think of the new collection in the comments below!

New York Fashion Week

Life in New York has been pretty great, but two weeks ago in particular was just a little more exciting (okay, ALOT more). If you didn't already know, New York Fashion Week was two weeks ago! Through my internship at New York Girl Style Magazine and F.I.T, I had the opportunity to attend three shows and volunteer at one. I've always wanted to go to fashion week, so being able to do this was incredible! Oh, and let me tell you, the street style really is as fabulous as it looks online. Everyone put on their best outfits and shuffled around from show to show. It's also crazy how many photographers were there. I guess I never really thought about that, but someone has to capture the fashion on the streets, right?

The first show I went to was called Jeans for Refugees, which was actually on the first day of fashion week. I thought it was super interesting. Johny Dar, who created the brand, takes jeans which are donated from people like Anna Wintour and Karlie Kloss, and then paints them and embroiders them. After that, he sells them and all of the proceeds go to various charities. I love the concept of it! It's an innovative way to recycle garments, while helping others in need.

KYBOE! was the second show I went to. KYBOE! is a luxury watch brand. Their watches come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. It was really neat seeing how the watches were displayed. Obviously the models wore the accessories down the runway, but the watches also were displayed on hand mannequins that circled the runway, sort of like a stylish conveyor belt. This was such a fun show! It had a fun/party vibe and really upbeat music.

The third show I went to was Orlando Dugi and Patricia Michaels. This was a joint show between the two designers. Both designers showcased evening wear lines with gorgeous gowns. Dugi's collection was a  little more traditional for what you would think of when "evening wear" comes to mind. For Michael's part of the show, her collection was more eclectic.  For this show, I was able to sit in the balcony, which I actually liked a little better than being flat on the ground. I had great view of all the looks, and best part of all? There weren't rows of heads in front of me!

Did you have a favorite show from fashion week, or get to attend any shows yourself? Let me know!

I'm in a New York State of Mind

Hi beautiful readers! I've officially been living in New York City for two weeks! For those of you who are super confused, sitting at your computer thinking, "I thought she went to school in Pennsylvania?" let me explain. 

I went to Mercyhurst for my freshman, sophomore and junior years of school and studied fashion merchandising there. My school has a visiting student program with the Fashion Institute of Technology, which allows me to study at F.I.T my junior or senior year if I want to. I chose to spend my senior year in the Big Apple, so that's exactly what I'm doing! I'll be graduating in May (yikes...thats scary) with a bachelors degree from Mercyhurst and associates degree from F.I.T, so there's not much to complain about there. While I'm here in New York, I'll be studying advertising and marketing communications. 

When I moved to New York, I had a week to explore the city with two of my best friends, Sophie and Natalie,  before classes started. There was so much we wanted to do, so we started crossing things off our list right away. But let me tell you, when you want to spend a limited amount of money, it's amazing how hard and easy it is to find activities to do. Sure, you can find countless museums and parks to go to for free, which are all really awesome. But if you want to do a more "typical" New York activity, like the Empire State building or see a Broadway show, it's going to be expensive. 

We did so much exploring and walking; I loved every minute of it! We went to Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park, tried the black ice cream at Morgenstern's Finest ice cream, had a picnic in Central Park, explored Times Square, and even went to the DNCE concert when the band was on the Today Show. 

At the end of the week, my fourth roommate, Ceci moved in! Of course, we did even more exploring with her! We checked out Cha Cha Matcha to see what all the hype is about (personally, I wasn't a big fan), went to The Highline and Chelsea Market, and The Met. Oh, I can't forget about our second adventure in Central Park where we found a castle. I'm probably leaving out activities, but check out some of the pictures I took during our adventures! 

I can't wait to explore more of the city and try new things out. I'm going to try to keep you updated about life here in New York at least once every two weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I have to admit though, it is a little weird being at a different school, having different professors, and not having all of my friends here, but I'm so happy to be living in the city. I'm so excited to see what the rest of the school year has in store. 

Back-to-School Outfit Look Book

Summer is just about over. I’m sorry. It’s time to revamp our closets, load up on new school supplies, and breakout our shiny new planner, so maybe I’m not sorry after all. Oh, I guess there’s that little thing called studying, we’ll see if that happens.

As we’re rolling into the last week of August, it’s crunch time when it comes to locking down our back-to-school essentials. While we’re stocking up on our school supplies and apartment items, we can’t forget about clothes! I’ve put together four outfits that I think would make great outfits for the start of school.

Outfit #1

This outfit is casual, cute, and comfy, so what more could you want? When the calendar hits September, I break out all of my burgundy clothing. I love wearing this color so much during the fall months.  Since my shirt is cropped, I figured I’d pair it with high-waisted denim shorts. To accessorize, I chose a long necklace to add a little extra color to my solid top. My white eyelit Keds are perfect for conquering a full day of class, and of course I had to add a headband. Don’t forget your backpack, school might be just a tad difficult without it.

Shirt: H&M

Shorts: JCPenney

Shoes: Keds

Necklace: JCPenney

Headband: Forever 21

Oufit #2

My next outfit is perfect for those days when you want to look a little dressy, but not over do it. I chose to wear a floral dress and I dressed is down with an army green jacket. Since I wanted to make this a casual look for school, I opted for my white Keds again—they’re just so comfy!  I paired this outfit with a simple gold and light pink necklace with an appearance from yet another headband (no surprise there)

Dress: Forever 21

Jacket: Macy’s

Shoes: Keds

Necklace: Forever 21

Headband: Forever 21

Outfit #3

 This outfit is school girl central. I’ve never been one to  wear jumpers/overall dresses before, but when I saw this on the mannequin at Primark, I loved it! I can’t wait to start styling this dress for fall, plus it’s burgundy, so it fits right in. I paired it with a short sleeve floral Tshirt, since it’s still warm out, but I think a lightweight sweater would look great once the temperature drops. I’m sure you are all exasperated to find that I chose my white Keds and a headband to accessorize.

Outfit #4

For my fourth and last back to school outfit, I decided to wear a pair of medium wash skinny jeans and paired them with a white and gold polka dot blouse. This outfit is perfect for those ladies who want to go for a casual put together look, but don’t want to wear a skirt or dress. For my shoes I chose my blush ballet flats and accessorized with a pearl headband.

Do you have your back to school outfit planned? Which outfit if your favorite? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me!  

Covergirl Clean Matte Makeup Review

Hello beautiful readers! Last week, I made my way over to Target (surprise, surprise) and I picked up Covergirl's newest collection: Clean Matte. The two piece collection is made up of a bb cream and powder.

After trying out the Maybelline Dream bb cream over a year ago--and wasn't a fan--I thought it was about time to give this makeup product another try. I didn't want to hand my wallet over to Sephora, so I figured I would see what the drugstore had to offer.

After a little research, I decided to try out Covergirl's Clean Matte  bb cream. This is an oil-free product that evens out your skin tone, hides blemishes, doesn't clog your pores and keeps your lovely skin shine-free all day long. Oh and you know what? It's suitable for sensitive skin (shoutout to all my sensitive skin girls out there. Yes!). In addition to these wonderful benefits, it only costs $6.99.

Covergirl is not lying one bit about these claims. This product is amazing! I was actually surprised I ended up loving it so much. Normally I'm not one to wear a foundation. Since I have sensitive skin, dealt with acne for a while and don't like the feeling of a heavy foundation on my face, I would just skip this step all together. Recently, I wanted a product that would even out my skin tone on days I felt like wearing a little extra makeup, but most importantly, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't breakout from it. As it turns out, this bb cream fulfilled all of my makeup hopes and wishes.

The bb cream felt so nice; it was like I wasn't wearing any makeup at all! I would describe it as a light-weight foundation. It kept me shine-free all day, which is pretty amazing, since I have slightly oily skin. And that claim about it evening out your skin tone? It does that in the most natural looking way possible. I give this product 10/10 stars, so basically go treat yourself and give it a try. 

The Clean Matte powder worked extremely well for me too. I was originally going to pick up the Covergirl sensitive skin powder that I usually use, but I think this product replaced it, so I bought this one instead. There is nothing to complain about here. It is your basic pressed powder, which leaves you with matte finish for a very long time. It looks like this little compact receives a 10/10 as well. 

What kind of a review would this be if I didn't show you the finished product? Here is the bb cream and powder, along with the rest of my eye makeup and lipstick for the day. 

You should all run to Target right now and buy this bb cream and powder. I absolutely love these two products! They're an amazing quality for an even better price. 

I want to hear from you! If you have any questions, or try out either of these two products, tweet me or comment below. Have a lovely day!