How Cigarettes Affect Your Appearence

Image from NBC News

I didn't smoke for that long before I had to quit, thankfully. I started smoking way before I should have, probably when I was about fifteen or sixteen years old, and I quit in April. The only reason I quit was because I was pregnant or I would still be smoking, but I still think about it a lot more than I should which people told me wouldn't happen anymore after a month. They lied! So I've had to look for other sources of motivation to stay quit after I have the little because I like to tell my boyfriend, family, and friends that I'll only buy the one pack and once it's gone I'll be done. One of those sources of motivation has been constantly Googling the phrase "affect of cigarettes on appearance," which I've been doing a lot the last few weeks.

If you do what I did you'll find a lot of things like pictures of twins, one that smoked and one that didn't, and the one who did smoke generally looks a lot older than the one who didn't smoke. I personally am not a fan of wrinkles, though it isn't something I really have to worry about at my age. However, nicotine really speeds up the process of getting wrinkles and generally makes your skin look like crap. It dulls the skin, it can cause breakouts, and it can cause wrinkles like I've already said. Why is that? Because smoking actually keeps your skin from getting oxygen and other stuff that it really needs to look as good as it can. I don't want to look like I'm thirty-five when I hit twenty-five, because at the rate I was going that would definitely happen. I was smoking a pack a day or more if I was having a really crappy day. Yes, I know that was a huge waste of money.

Then there's the affect is has on your teeth! As we all know tobacco yellows teeth, fingers, nails, whatever else basically, but it can also do a lot more to your teeth than make them look ugly. It can also literally make them rot and fall out. I know we've all seen someone who has brown spots on their teeth from smoking, and even if you do that's not as bad as it gets so don't think just because you have something like that it isn't going to get any worse! Your teeth could literally fall out and let's be honest, brown teeth are probably preferable to no teeth at all. Plus there's always whitening options if you're not too far in. Thankfully I wasn't and my teeth are getting semi-better.

What didn't I know smoking could cause? Psoriasis! Now of course having psoriasis isn't the end of the world and it can come about even if you don't smoke, but if there's a possibility you could avoid it why wouldn't you want to? If you're wondering what psoriasis is it's extremely dry patches of skin that are scaly and can be discolored as well. They're uncomfortable and I imagine they'd make someone very insecure, but I can't really speak for that because I've been lucky enough to avoid that in my life so far. Also, I had no idea smoking could cause sagging skin, saggy arms, and saggy breasts. This is because the skin loses a lot of elasticity while you're a smoker and that also makes it easier to get stretch marks. Eek! Hopefully that won't be a problem in my pregnancy because of my smoking.

So if cancer, the smell, or the money weren't good enough reasons for you to quit smoking for good you should try to torture yourself with articles like I do. A good place to start would be this WebMD article about how smoking can change your appearance and some health threats in smoking you may not have heard about. You can also Google search for things like I did and keep in mind the things that I read that bothered me. I feel like I've done so much research on it that I'm nearly an expert, only not actually. It may be an ugly truth, but I'm glad I shared it with you guys.

To Pixie or Not to Pixie...

I've been thinking for quite some time about chopping all of my hair off. And when I say all of it I mean cutting it like Michelle William's with her pixie once it grew out a little bit. When we found out that I was pregnant I thought that it would be best to wait and embrace my hair for a little longer since when you're pregnant hair grows like a weed and it would be nice to have a little change after baby and something that's easy to manage at that. So the plan right now is to get my hair cut like Michelle up there in January, I'm just concerned about a few things.

I'm not sure that I have the right face shape for a pixie cut and I'm also not sure that I'll be able to handle something so drastic. My thoughts are that I won't even care if it looks like crap because I'll have the little to look after 24/7 and by the time he's calmed down enough for me to give a crap it'll be grown out if it's really that horrible. However, I'm not a hair stylist and I definitely wouldn't consider hair my forte. If anything it's what I'm worst at. So I'm really not sure how this will look on me, I just love it so much! And from what I've seen pixie cuts can look good on anyone if they pick the right one and if they are happy about it. Personally I don't have such bad self esteem problems that people being rude about me looking like a boy would make me not like my haircut, though. If I like it no one else's opinion will matter.

Obviously I have a lot of time, but I would love to hear everyone's opinion. Sorry this isn't a real content post, again I'm very busy if you haven't noticed and things should calm down as soon as my boyfriend goes back to school for this last semester.

What I'm Sad I Can't Wear Because I'm Pregnant: Summer

Since I've been talking about my pregnancy and the baby so much lately, I thought why not just smother you guys with one more post about it while I'm still baby registry shopping and that's all that is on my mind? But instead of talking about baby clothes or bragging about having a boy, which I'm still excited about, I thought that I would share some things I'm really torn up about not being able to wear this year. And if you saw my wardrobe you'd definitely know why.

Crop Tops used to be something that I wore almost every single day in the summer. I have a really cute crochet crop top in a lovely off-white color that I got last year that I'm absolutely obsessed with, it's similar to this one from H&M although I think I got mine from Pac Sun. I also have a million shirts that I turned into crop tops from thrift stores, because that's seriously my thing. I have at least twenty crop tops all together. I've always been very thin and toned without having to workout or anything, so I could pull that stuff off. Not with a baby in there though.

Anything with a high-waist, because nearly all of my skirts are worn up around the waist line and I have a pair of amazing high-waist shorts that I got from a thrift shop the summer before last that just started to fit me right this year because I started to get a butt. Turns out the only reason I was getting a butt was because I was pregnant. They're semi-similar to these from Urban Outfitter's, but mine are less shredded and a bit higher.

Most of my bras and bathing suits are way, way too small for me now. My boobs went from a large A cup or small B cup to a large C, and I'm thinking there's a possibility I may have to switch to D! Now I know for sure that I actually liked having small boobs and that wasn't just something I said because I was insecure about having small boobs. I've been thinking of buying a maternity swimsuit, but come on look at this little beauty from Forever21.

That really isn't it though, guys! I'm growing out of all of my favorite things because my wardrobe is basically super tiny because I'm small and I like to wear things that are either short or tight. I'm trying to class up my wardrobe lately, though. Tell me if you guys like this and I'll plan another one for the fall. If you can't tell I'm getting pretty experimental with my blog lately. I just want to do the best things I can to help you guys out! What are your favorite summer items? And if you're pregnant is it something that's still accessible to you? Got any tips for extending my pre-pregnancy wardrobe? I'm trying really hard! Damn, I sound cheap.

Inspiring Woman: Iris Apfel

“To find out who you are is like putting yourself on a psychiatric couch, but you have nobody to help you. Really it isn’t easy. I was talking with my nephew this morning and he gave me one of the best quotes I’ve heard in years… ‘Personal style is curiosity about oneself.’” - Iris Apfel

Today is the day I start my monthly series on inspiring women. Mostly I'll be writing about women of all ages, shapes, colors, and whatever else, in the fashion and beauty industry, but also other women that I see fitting. The woman that I'm starting with, who I'm guessing that probably just about all of you know of, is Iris Apfel. She's pretty much the coolest woman in her 90s ever. For real. She has killer style that is totally unique to her and she's accomplished so much. After launching a successful interior design career she was brought to true fame, other than the following she gained for her style, from launching a jewelry line with HSN. Needless to say she's not only a style icon, but a role model to many including myself. Not to mention she's over 90 and still going at it! I hope I can do that. I hope I can make it past 60 without falling apart. And I hope I can make it to 60 with that style, too. Look at those signature glasses of her's! I would totally wear those if I could pull them off.

Iris believes that with age you should wear less and less makeup, unless it's a true skill of yours to make your makeup artfully beautiful even with difficult wrinkles. Usually all you can see on Iris's face is a bold lip color and a bold eye shadow color. I'd love to do an Iris Apfel inspired makeup look if anyone would be interested in seeing that. It would be very simple mostly, but with pops of color. As far as her fashion goes it's so eclectic and different, we can all gain inspiration from bits and pieces of it. Just head down to a vintage shop and you'll find tons of Apfel-esque pieces.

Interested in checking out some of Iris Apfel's jewelry? You can check some out at HSN, because there is a lot of cool stuff. There's a lot of cool bangles, like the beetle one that I picked out up there, and there are a lot of interesting statement necklaces, like that beautiful gold one. If I were to get anything from there, I would definitely get the gold statement necklace. Imagine what you could do with that in the summer. I think I would probably wear it every single day.

The photos of Apfel are from Zimbio. Who are you inspired by? Did you know who Iris Apfel was before? On the off chance that you didn't are you interested in here now? Who would you like to see me write about next month? What are some of your favorite pieces by Iris Apfel? What are some of your favorite looks by Iris Apfel? Would you totally rock her huge, round frames?

Gender Reveal Nails

In the spirit of actually being able to announce/brag about something regarding the baby I thought I would make another post about the little one's gender which is, as most of you have already read I'm sure, a boy! Yay! I had these nails in the outfit post from yesterday, It's a Boy, and I've been wearing them for over a week now. I don't think anyone has figured out I did them this way solely because the baby is a boy. Not even my boyfriend, my mom, or my best friend, and they know how I am. I'm just excited that I get to announce something, because I basically got to tell four people I was pregnant before the word some how got out. It was disappointing. Thankfully it was kept a well-hidden secret this time, so I can finally get some joy out of bragging about something!

First off sorry this second picture is so out of focus! I didn't think to upload them to the computer to check before I took the nail polish off, so sorry. To do these nails I applied my base coat like normal. After that dried I applied Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri "Blue Away," but I had to put on about 4 coats. I do not suggest this nail polish! I take very good care of my beauty products so that I can give you guys the best advice I can as well as keep them as long as I can. This is only the second time I've used this nail polish, it was closed and stored properly, but it is already drying up! Good thing it was only about $4. Then I applied Forever21 Love & Beauty's "Baby Face" on my ring finger, two coats. I let that dry then put on a top coat and voila! On my toes I just used the Forever21 polish so it would kind of match, but it wasn't too matchy.

Tell me what you guys think and if you're interested in me doing more posts like this. If you want to know what kind of base and top coat I use, I always use OPI. It's what works best for me! Aren't you guys excited to see all of the little boy clothes I pick out? And meet the little? I know I am!

P.S. If I make it to 100 followers on Bloglovin soon I'll definitely be willing to host a giveaway!

It's a Boy!

It's hard to believe that we're already more than halfway through the pregnancy! I'm twenty-one weeks along and two weeks ago we found out that our little angel is going to be a boy! (Please contain the disappointment, ladies! Hehe.) I can't imagine being anymore excited now that we know for sure and I can start really shopping for clothes. Of course that would be what's on my mind. Not to mention I am so happy that I get to announce something for myself. When we found out I was pregnant I guess we told at least one person we shouldn't have too early on and they decided to spread the word like it was any of their business, so I don't get to really announce that I was pregnant other than the initial shock to my best friends and my mom. We do have a name picked out (I hope, because I love it!) but it's way too early to share, I think. My boyfriend, Jonathan, is a baby name genie.

We were originally going to make these photos a lot more professional looking by having a photographer do them, the photographer being my best friend's mom, but she was very busy and I was wanting so badly to announce it as soon as possible! Then we decided someone could just take the photos with my nice camera and I was going to also have some polaroids taken by my friend for the baby book. But then my boyfriend and my best friend convinced me to just have polaroids taken and scanned.

Blue and Gray Maxi Dress: Wet Seal, it's not maternity; Denim Jacket: American Eagle; Silver bracelets: Juicy Couture; Silver Studs: Forever21; My cross: gifted from my mom, I basically never take it off unless it absolutely doesn't match; Fake Diamond Ring: Unknown, it's old.

My outfit was obviously baby gender inspired. I was going to make my boyfriend matched me, but I didn't want to force him so I let him pick out his own clothes. I think the colors ended up looking really nice together, though. I stuck to something kind of form fitting to show off my bump because that's what I like. I stuck to silver jewelry because my boyfriend likes silver better than gold and I have a lot more of it, too. But basically I had to wear something blue.

This is also the reasoning behind the recent layout update! The light blue was a subtle hint towards "it's a boy," but before we actually announced it. I had to celebrate some way and that way was changing the theme, painting my nails, and baking a gender reveal cake for my sister even though she didn't really care and I can't really cook.

I hope you guys are as excited as I am! If you have any negative opinions you might as well keep them to yourself, because nothing could contain my joy.

Black & White Stripes for Fall

As usual here I am sharing more stuff from ASOS. I seriously can't help it, you guys! I'm obsessed. They're affordable and adorable. Not to mention it's like they can sense the things that I love. For example this year I'm obsessed with black and white stripes for the fall and what does ASOS maternity have? Some totally amazing black and white striped pieces that I would wear in the fall. Thank the lawd for ASOS maternity, I would look so ridiculous during the pregnancy without it. But this isn't just a maternity trend guys, so this goes for all of you! Even if you aren't a mommy-to-be like I am.

The black and white striped mini dress would be awesome with a denim or a leather jacket, some bunched up socks, and a pair of combat boots (I have about three pairs). I may even put on a beanie or another little hat with it along with a million little midi rings and layered bracelets. As for the leggings, I would probably style it very similar to how it is in that picture. I would wear some heels, and a black tee shirt. If I needed it I would layer a big cardigan with a denim jacket. The shirt is so versatile I have a million ideas for it! Probably to start off some jeans, some flats or boots, and a colorful blazer or cardigan. Lastly the trousers, which might I add are my absolute favorite pick, I would pair with a button up like this also or maybe a white tank with a red or blue blazer along with some black flats that had something special going on. Pair that with a big statement necklace and you got yourself a dang classy outfit!

What do you guys think? Is this trend outdated or are you still into it? Do you like to make it look classic or more Beetlejuice than that? How would you style these pieces? What are some of your favorite black and white striped pieces?

I Wrote a Guest Post: DIY Hydration Tropical Mask

If you guys are interested at all I wrote a guest post for my friend Daphne over at her blog Peanut Butter and Chocolate Life. She's been really busy with her internship and I thought I would offer a helping hand. Her blog is lovely. She has a lot of beauty advice and recommendations, and I read it on a regular basis so give it a little look. My post is just a simple little DIY face mask that I came up with during my dry skin horrors. All you need to make it is a banana and some coconut oil! If you want more detail on it, head over to Daphne's blog and check out my guest post by clicking here. I would appreciate the support and I'm sure that Daphne would also.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin

As most of you probably know from my constant complaining I am a very busy girl who is constantly running around doing stuff for baby (and occasionally other people, too). I'm not sure if it was from pregnancy hormones, my change in activity levels from laying around all the time to running around all the time, or something else, but suddenly my skin got very, very dry. And when I say dry don't take the word loosely. I couldn't wear any makeup that I already had because it made the dryness too obvious, so I just went bare skinned almost every day. My skin was cracking in some places and peeling in others, and it was horrible. So after a mask and using Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin (which I saw on the back of a baby magazine might I add) my skin is finally fixed! I was thinking of getting just the regular Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, but I got this stuff instead because of how crazy my skin has been getting lately.

I pretty much love everything about this stuff. The bottom line is that it moisturizes my dry skin really well and it doesn't break me out, which is really important to me right now because I have been breaking out like a thirteen year old who just hit puberty (thanks a lot, pregnancy hormones). It doesn't leave my skin looking oily or shiny, which is also a plus, but in my opinion it's easier for me to cover shiny skin than dry skin so I would still like it if it did. It doesn't though! It doesn't smell bad or like anything really and that's coming from me with my pregnancy senses. It didn't break the bank or anything, I'm pretty sure I got it for about $9, but if you pay attention to coupons you can maybe find it for less. It's alcohol free so it isn't drying at all and it's water based instead of oil based, so it's okay for oily skin, too. Basically this stuff is ideal no matter your skin type.

The only problem that I could even find with this stuff is that I had to use three pumps when the back of it says to use one for all over your face and neck. I was excited to only use one pump because that's a huge money saver! Unfortunately it didn't work out that way, but I still love the formula and everything else about this stuff. I would give it 4.7/5 stars, definitely recommend it to my readers, and I plan on using it for a long time unless I find something better.

If you guys like this review let me know what products you want me to review so that I can do some more! What kind of moisturizer do you use? Have you ever tried this stuff? What were your thoughts?

Bump Fashion: Kate Middleton

Although I am from America, I thought I would celebrate William and Kate's little prince being welcomed into the world by making a post dedicated to the Duchess of Cambridge and her classic maternity style. Although most of the things she wears are pretty out of reach for most us (Come on, she's married to a prince!) it's still nice to fantasize about and lust over some of the pieces she wore while she was preggers.

Kate knows how to dress it up and dress it down in a classy way even with a baby bump poking out. Although I did notice even after she came out with the pregnancy that she kept holding her hands in front of her belly like she was blocking it. I wonder why, because I love showing off my belly. It's a baby after all, not extra pounds that you're putting on for fun. However, one thing I did hate that she did a lot (photos not included) were those horrible hats that she kept wearing. I know it's a trend for the royals, but no. Yes, I know that in the last photo she's post-baby, but she's so cute and bump-y still.

What were some of your favorite Kate Middleton looks from the pregnancy? What other celebrities do you think I should feature before I have my baby? What other looks didn't you like from her pregnancy? Isn't the little prince just so adorable?

10 Ways to Feel Better About Yourself

People these days definitely have problems with self confidence. With constant pressure to live up to impossible standards of beauty, fitness, and style it's difficult to actually feel good about ourselves. And everyone deserves to be happy with who they are are the inside and the outside, even if we aren't stick thin, even if we don't have perfectly clear skin, and yes even if we have insanely frizzy "humidity hair," as I like to call it. So, here are a few easy ways for us to feel better about ourselves without altering our appearance. They work for me and hopefully they'll work for you, too, if you need them to.

1. Stop telling yourself that there's something wrong with the way that you look. There's no reason to be looking in the mirror every day and telling yourself that you're fat, that you're ugly, that your skin isn't clear enough, that your hair isn't straight enough, that you don't have the right curves in the right places, or anything else negative. When you tell yourself those things it just reinforces them, so even if it's hard you need to try to cut out the negative thoughts.
2. Stop worrying so much about being seen without makeup. You're beautiful even without your face on, girl. After I started participating in makeup-free Mondays I started feeling a lot better about people seeing me without makeup in public again. People don't really care as much as you think they do about the way that you look, and if you stop obsessing over it then you'll feel a lot better about those times you have to rush out of your apartment without any makeup on and without your hair fixed
3. Share your insecurities with someone. Even if you feel like they're going to laugh at you, even if they do, it will help a lot just to get those thoughts out of your body and into the air. What's they're out and someone tells you that you're beautiful anyways or that they don't see that problem it's easier to feel better about yourself. I shared some insecurities of mine in my makeup-free Monday post.
4. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. That includes your friends, your sisters, random girls you're friends with on Facebook, and even celebrities. You're not them and you're never going to be, so you should start focusing on yourself. They aren't going to be you either, after all.
5. Start eating right and exercising regularly. I know this probably sounds ridiculous coming from me, because I'm 20 weeks pregnant and getting big and I can't really do that much to work out, but I do indeed do yoga and I've been eating better than I ever have before even though it's really hard. Just don't starve yourself, make healthy choices, and come up with a workout plan that works for you. It'll make you a lot happier to be healthier.
6. Be present in the moment. That means don't be dwelling on things that you've done or things that happened to you in the past as well as don't be constantly stressing yourself out about what is going to happen in the future. It's important to be happy with who we are right now more than who we used to be and who we are becoming.
7. Follow a beauty routine in the morning and evening. It's definitely an accomplishing feeling when you get done with everything you need to do before you go to bed or after you wake up. Though I've changed it a little since I made the post at the beginning of the month, I follow a very strict nightly routine before I go to sleep and I wake up every morning feeling happier about myself than I did before I  started doing it when i fell asleep every night with makeup on watching TV with my sister or boyfriend.
8. Cut negative people out of your life. If you don't live up to someone's standards for how you should be then you don't need them. If they're constantly making rude comments, laughing at you, or adding any negativity into your life then tell them that they need to change it. If they still don't then you probably shouldn't be spending time with them right now. It should be important to your loved ones that you're happy, and happy with yourself.
9. Don't dress for other people. I know we've all been through that phase where we strictly follow trends or we dress how all the girls at school dress, but that may not be how we're most comfortable looking. It's important for self-esteem to develop your own personal style and disregard the standards of others. If people don't like you for who you are no matter how you dress then you should just number eight them.
10. Do the things that make you happy. We shouldn't be brought down by doing things we don't love doing. Just stick to what makes you happy, it'll make you a lot happier!

What are some things that you do to be happy in your own skin? Do you consider yourself insecure or self confident? Let me know what you're thinking.

Sometimes I Shop at Baby GAP...

Not for myself, though... for the little. I have been endlessly shopping and shopping so that I can have my registry together for my baby shower. Which I realize may seem kind of early, but apparently it's not and I just learned that I'm way behind. It's a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be, because as it turns out I am almost as picky about baby clothes as I am about my own clothes. And my boyfriend's sister said that she needs my baby registry information as soon as possible! Ah! Though I did find out that I love, love the baby clothes from Baby GAP. Considering my baby registry is at Babies R Us, this information is only kind of helpful.

They have a lot of neutral clothes at Baby GAP. Yes, we know the gender, but I still prefer gender neutral clothes. They're  versatile, easier to sell, and easier to pass down no matter the gender of a friend's baby or maybe even one of my own. Not to mention I'm kind of against forcing gender stereotypes on my baby. I don't want my kids to think boys can't wear pink and girls can't play with toy cars.

They have quite a bit of baby clothes that look like adult clothes. I don't know why, I just love when infants dress all sophisticated and mature instead of cheap and baby-ish. I plan on putting my baby in lots of cardigans and lots of knit sweaters all winter long and again next year. I already found some cute ones from Babies R Us, but there is a lot more at Baby GAP in way better colors.

Bear ears, and that's all I need to say. Seriously, who doesn't love baby stuff with bear ears on it? I've been dying for a onesie with bear ears that I can bring the baby home in from the hospital because I love it so much. They have just about a million hoodies and hooded sweaters with bear ears on Baby GAP and it makes me so happy.

I'm sorry that this is a post about baby clothes, I've just been working really hard on baby stuff and my brain is so fried other than baby, baby, crib, diaper, baby! I promise that posting will continue as normal tomorrow and it won't be about baby clothes or what's going on in my life. In the meantime how much do you guys love these baby clothes? If you had a baby how would you dress them? Or how do you dress your baby? If you have a kid what are some good places for me to look for baby clothes that aren't too manly and aren't too baby? (Did that even make sense?)

A Look at the Next Few Months

As most of you already know from my endless tweeting and posting on the subject I am pregnant. Twenty weeks pregnant to be exact. On top of that craziness I have to work, renovate the house for the little one that's on the way, shop shop shop, help plan more than one event, and keep up with the blog and my social media outlets that are connected. That's a lot for one girl to do, don't you think? And even though it may be difficult at times I'm going to try my best to keep up with the fast pace of things and not stop doing anything that I need or even want to do. It will just involve a lot of planning, pre-writing, and effort. I'm okay with that though! So here is what will be happening in the next few months with my life that will effect the blog. This definitely isn't everything, but I will update you guys if anything significant is happening that will keep me from updating.

• Posting and social media both should pick up around August 15-18, 2013 when my boyfriend goes back to school. Until then I want to spend a lot of time with him.
• Mid to late September I'm maybe throwing my friend a baby shower. In the planning process my activity may slightly decrease sometimes.
• October 2-8, 2013 I'm going to Orlando, FL. I'll probably have some guest posts lined up as well as some scheduled posts that I wrote before hand. If you're interested in guest posting there will be more information soon, but fashion, beauty, and DIY posts would be ideal. Email me your ideas to debbieshapesandsizes@gmail.com
• My sister's birthday and my boyfriend's birthday are on October 11 & 24, so for those two days I'll be pretty absent.
• My baby shower will most likely be in mid October. My boyfriend's sister is probably planning it, but I'm going to have to help her out a lot because it's a handful so again my activity could possibly decrease.

I am thinking about adding a calendar to my sidebar to help keep my readers up to date about what's going on and why I may not be publishing comments as frequently or tweeting back, but I'm not sure how I would do that considering there's no option for it. Sorry this wasn't a very content-filled post, but I felt that it was necessary. If you have any questions or suggestions let me know. Again if you're interested in doing a guest post shoot me an email at debbieshapesandsizes@gmail.com with a pitch.

Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner

I have been looking about for some makeup brush cleaner all over the place for every day, or at least every other day, use that wasn't going to be more than $10, because let's be honest it's just makeup brush cleaner. It's meant to get the germs and makeup residue off of your brushes and that's it. If it does that then why would I spend $10 on the product and then $8 on shipping when apparently I can just go to Sephora and get this amazing $6 bottle? And it definitely does the trick!

I know a lot of girls don't bother to ever clean their makeup brushes, literally ever. They just wait until their brushes are making them breakout or until they're starting to make their makeup look crappy, then they just throw away perfectly good brushes and buy new ones. As you can see at the top up there my brushes look brand new right now and I use them every single day, other than makeup free Monday, of course. Other than that though my makeup brushes get used a lot and I know the leftover makeup, oils, dead skin, and (worst of all) bacteria can be really bad for your skin especially if it's sensitive, acne prone, or both like mine is right now. And even if your skin isn't sensitive or acne prone, acne is definitely something that can get caused by dirty makeup brushes. We all know that I've been a huge germaphobe lately because of the pregnancy and ridding the germs from this area of my life has greatly improved my skin even over the last few days.

How do you use it?
1. Spray your brush's bristles 2-5 times depending on the size
2. Gently rub it in circles on a paper towel to get all of the makeup off until there isn't anymore.
3. Let the bristles air dry before you use them and make sure they don't dry out of shape.
* You can do this as often as you like to either keep your brushes clean or keep them cleaner than they would be for a deep clean with baby shampoo later on. I suggest doing it every day or every few days at least. Eyeliner brushes must be cleaned more often than the rest.

How often do you guys clean your brushes? Do you use a spray like this or do you do a deep clean with baby shampoo like I do sometimes? Which do you prefer if you do both? Do you use a different method than I do? Are you guilty of throwing your brushes away instead of cleaning them? Because I know I have been in the past.

Studded Boots from Buckle

As some of you may already know I went out of town for a tiny shopping trip with my sister, her best friend, and my boyfriend on Saturday! The only things that I came home with was a new shade of Stila lipstick, makeup brush cleaner (review coming soon!), and these amazing boots that I absolutely love from Buckle. I have been looking all over the place for unique, brown boots that were decently priced and when I saw these were only about $40 and they definitely came in my size, because my size was on display, I literally couldn't resist. They're going to be so amazing in the fall, though there isn't too many things I have right this second to pair with them. I'm not even sure I like this color of jeans with them.

Here is the front and back view pictures of them on me. I love that they're part rocker, part bohemian and part dainty because the studs are so tiny. There are so many things that I have envisioned for these little beauties. If you'd like to buy a pair of your own or just check out the other boots from Buckle they're called the Twisted Trooper Boot, I got mine in brown, and there is a Buckle website with very reasonable shipping and it's one of those stores that isn't outrageously expensive, but you can still find some awesome stuff there.

Do you like my boots? What would you pair them with? Do you like wearing army/combat boots or are you more of a girly girl? Or do you like to mix up the girly and the tomboy like I do? I would love to hear any sort of opinion or advice you have regarding the shoes.

HATCH: Maternity Dreams

It seems that all of the maternity clothes that I come across that I really, really love are incredibly expensive and completely out of my price range and it's honestly depressing because I have an urge to buy all of it. One day my boyfriend is going to come home to me hormonally sobbing over maternity clothes that I can't afford and he will laugh at me. But honestly, why do women spend so much money on clothes that they're only going to wear for a few months?! Unless you're loaded with spare cash I personally think that it's ridiculous to do that. But then again this is coming from the girl who can still put on some of her size zero jeans at nearly 20 weeks (I'm a lucky woman). This brand that I just found via an interview with model Lily Aldridge is so amazing, but really pricey for me personally. It's called HATCH and it's absolutely to die for!

The first dress, the Slouch Dress in Poppy, is $198 which isn't too bad for some people, but for my budget it's really not all that reasonable for a casual dress that I could only wear until September and then never again in my life. I would wear this one to lunches with my pregnant best friend (that's what I call her because we both got pregnant at the same time and it bonded us) or to visit with my best friend for a shopping day after she goes off to school. It's something that could easily be dressed up or down for pretty much any occasion though, so it's versatile and if I had a little more money I would definitely buy it.

Though I love the entire outfit in the second picture I saved it for the cape. I could probably wear this thing pretty deep into fall here, all the way up until mid November if I'm really lucky before it would get terribly too cold. Why don't I buy it then? It's $318 for a cape specifically made for a pregnant woman. I make myself sound so cheap, and I'm really not because when I really love something I will save the money to buy it, but maternity clothes are just sadly outrageous.

I personally believe that the third image of the burnt coral Dinner Party Dress is the most reasonably priced. It is only $298 for a special occasion dress that I could wear to my baby shower, my friend's baby shower (that I could possibly be planning), a wedding, a fancy party, or anything else that I needed to really. It's pretty and flowy and probably incredibly comfortable I would image and when you're about to pop that's an important thing to look for when buying clothes. Out of any of these if I was going to splurge I would definitely get this one, probably in burnt coral but I would also consider the other colors because I'm a sucker for broadening my horizons color-wise.

Finally the button down in navy silk is something I think I could pull off for a long time. If I bought a decent jacket to go over it I could probably pull it off for the rest of the pregnancy, as a matter of fact. However, I would never in a million years be able to pay $248 for a maternity button down. Couldn't I buy a car for that much? (Just kidding guys! I'll stop making myself seem so stupid now.) I would pair it with a light wash jean and some dark shoes and it would be season-less, in my opinion. I really love it though. Oh, how I wish I was rich.

Don't you guys wish you had the money to buy all of the beautiful things that you find? I would have bought so many things for me and baby so far! Do you like my maternity style finds? Don't they kind of make you wish you had a bump? Just a little bit? Do you know of any cheap maternity stores that don't sell horrifying clothes? Help a sister, out! By the way, today I'm finding out the gender of the little! I'm beyond excited!

The Liebster Award

Last Monday the beautiful Adrienne of Late Night Nonsense nominated me for a Liebster award. It makes me so happy to be nominated for something like this, especially after only having had my blog up and running for a week (two weeks now). Unfortunately I have been very busy with house renovations, hair makeovers, boyfriends, babies, and other things so I haven't been able to answer the questions Adrienne wrote and make nominations of my own. I also got nominated by Daphne from Peanut Butter and Chocolate Life a few days ago. This is the only time I'm going to post about the Liebster Award so if I get nominated by anyone else, thank you, but this post is a one time thing.

Fashion and Feminism

In the past fashion and feminism were never considered things that could coexist. As a matter of fact, fashion has been considered anti-feminist because of the way that the industry treats women. Designers, models, and other people who were influential in the industry have been criticized for calling themselves feminist and yet on the opposite side female scholars have been criticized for paying attention to fashion because they should be spending their time with something more productive. As most of us know the fashion industry is known for demeaning women with revealing images, body shaming and portraying unrealistic images of women, and lacking diversity in color and size. However, bloggers and other influential members of the fashion industry could be changing all of this.

The fashion industry has been highly criticized for over sexualizing women's bodies with revealing images in ad campaigns and sending women half naked down the runway when we were raised to believe that no self-respecting woman would be caught dead seen like that. But is it really a problem with the fashion industry or what we have been taught? Women should be allowed to wear whatever they so please, and the models aren't being held down and forced into the clothing, they should know what they're getting themselves into. "Some women find empowerment in wearing very little, such as the topless protestors of FEMEN, while others find empowerment in covering up from head to toe, in the case of Muslim women donning the hijab," says Diane Taha, founder of the fashion and beauty blog Style Context, who just so happens to also be a feminist. "Regardless of where you lie on the spectrum, I think it's a testament to how powerful a medium clothing (or lack thereof) is for expressing oneself." If you feel good dressed in barely there shorts and a crop top then you can wear that, but if you feel better in pants and a long sleeved shirt then that should be okay, too. It isn't hurting anyone if it isn't hurting the girl and we shouldn't be judging her for what is on her back, or not. Though Diane mentions that it's important not to impose your fashion views on others.

Body shaming and the portrayal of women as "perfect" beings is another key issue in the industry for women. As we all know most models are stick thin with perfect hair and perfect skin, but not actually. The pressure is on to lose that weight, get rid of that acne, and just generally be perfect. Although it's been getting better, many brands and shops, such as Abercrombie & Fitch, brand their products distinctly for "beautiful" people. And this beautiful isn't all inclusive. This beautiful is tall and thin with perfect hair and skin. Barbie dolls, in other words. We've been trained to believe that this is what we're supposed to look like even if the standard is unrealistic for the most beautiful women in the world. Even when photographers are uncomfortable with doing so more times than not they are convinced to Photoshop the images to unrealistic lengths. They smooth the skin, elongate the bodies, and add boobs that weren't previously there. They turn images of perfectly beautiful women into something that they aren't and the rest of the women of the world are expected to follow along.

And as we have all figured out, I'm sure, the fashion industry is white washed out the wazoo. It's not very common to see a super model of color, though black models are starting to spread there are still definitely more white girls and barely anything of anyone else. On top of that racist stereotypes really affect the way that women dress and fix themselves up. For example, an Asian woman may not feel comfortable looking "too Asian" and may curl her hair or try to make her eyes look bigger because they have pin straight hair and smaller eyes. Stereotypes like that really just hurt how the person comes across. It makes it difficult for women to express themselves, including their background which is a huge part of a person.

It is our job as consumers, bloggers, and people actively involved in the fashion industry to stand up to these issues and to let the world know that fashion is an art meant to express ourselves through clothes. Clothing can be just as powerful in expressing something as words or traditional painting. Women should be defined by their complex personalities and not the way that they look, everyone should be defined by their personality! We need to express that the fashion industry should be all inclusive and that models can be short or fat or stick thin or tall. And we need to let it be known that we can believe in women and fashion. Fashion and feminism aren't mutually exclusive things. "It's important to make a distinction between fashion and the fashion industry," says Diane regarding the rep that fashion has gotten for being anti-feminist, "The former is an art form and mode of communication, while the latter is an institution with its own self-interests." This speaks volumes for fashion today. We can't judge the art of fashion by what some people do in the mainstream fashion industry, because there are bloggers, brands, charities and websites that promote inclusiveness in fashion. J Magazine, for example, is a fashion magazine that had it's first issue revolve around neofeminism. Blogs like Jezebel, Man Repeller, and Style Rookie (for young women) definitely put down some stepping stones for us to make a difference.

Though there is a lack of feminism in the mainstream fashion industry, it is slowly creeping it's way in and with our help we can definitely speed the process up. Bloggers from around the world are letting it be known that they aren't going to let mainstream beauty ideals change who they are as women, posting photographs of their personal style regardless of what the rules are, and expressing their own personal views of what fashion really is and how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The power is in our hands because we are real women with real bodies that we should be proud of, and we can use fashion as a feminist statement. We can make a change by promoting inclusiveness and feminism in fashion in our own ways. How could you help out on your own? Make a response to this post and entitle it "Re: Fashion and Feminism," make your own post about feminism in the fashion industry, be thoughtful when making a post and don't body shame models, bloggers, or anyone else, complain about the issues in mainstream fashion endlessly because believe it or not we do have power, and anything else that you can think of!

I would like to thank everyone who sent their interview responses back to me, but a special thank you to Diane who had especially thoughtful responses and sent them back in time to be edited into the final draft. You can follow Diane on her blog here and on Twitter right here. If you would be interested in a Feminist Fashionista Twitter chat, let me know in the comments, so I can get a head count. If you have any ideas to promote feminism in fashion go ahead and leave a comment below. Also, if you are a woman of color and would like to be involved in my next post like this (in August) on Racism in Fashion leave your blog URL and a way to contact you so we can talk.

My New Favorite Lip Shade: On Fire Red

Every girl needs her favorite "true red" lipstick that isn't too berry colored and isn't too orange. That perfect red that goes with basically any outfit and that you don't have to refresh every hour on the hour to make sure that your lips are just as beautiful as before. I think I found my new favorite and that would be Maybelline's Color Sensational Vivids in On Fire Red. The color of the container is what caught my attention at the store and the name is what kept me interested, then since my hands were full with other products I asked my boyfriend to lift the lid and show me the color and I knew I had to have it without even reading anyone else's review, which is something I do on a regular basis to make sure that I'm not wasting my money on a product that I won't love. I guess it's lucky that I really loved this lip color.

As you can see the color is a nice "true" red. What this means, if you don't already know, is that it's not too orange and not too pink/purple. It's just red. It looks like this when you put it on which really makes certain eye colors (like my icy blue) pop and you can wear it any time of the year that you want to. You may have to put it on once then wait a few seconds and put on another layer to get the right color which isn't too much of a hassle. Especially considering this lipstick stays on a pretty long time. I wore it all day and only had to reapply after I ate something (which is something I personally would have done anyways just because I'm especially anal about my makeup lately when I'm out). It's always safest to bring your tube of lipstick with you just in case you need to reapply, even if you're positive you won't have to.

As far as the texture of the lipstick goes it isn't too slippery and it also isn't too dry on. You can rub your lips together comfortably the whole time you have it on, although I wouldn't recommend doing this because it can increase the number of times that you have to reapply. It's a habit of mine, and probably a habit that a lot of you are stuck with also, but it's something that we all need to break. The only complaint that I have is that it is kind of drying. I had to pile on some lip balm before I went to bed the day that I wore this stuff. But it's definitely still worth the money that I spent on it which was only about $8.00 and I would also highly recommend it to a friend and my readers.

What's your favorite lip shade right now? Do you have any true reds that you'd recommend? Are you more of a red or a pink lipstick kind of girl? How do you like the sneak peak of my new carpets? (; Let me know what you guys think!

Fashion Resources That Aren't Blogs

Those of us who are super obsessed with fashion and beauty (and let's be honest, if you're actually reading this I know that's you!) need more than our daily blog fix to get our fill for the day. While the content on blogs are helpful, personal, and just as interesting as any professional outlet, sometimes we just want more. If you have a blog of your own it can get old trying to find inspiration and information from other bloggers and you can feel like you're regurgitating the same information over and over again to your readers that they've probably read from another blog. That's where these can come in handy, to help you come up with original content that other bloggers may not have thought of. Here are the top five that I use on a regular basis to get inspiration for looks and posts.

1. Magazines and their websites: This one may be obvious to most of you, but you would be surprised how many people don't read actual print magazines anymore. I personally love to have magazines. It comes in handy when you see something you really love because you can just grab a pair of scissors and cut it out. What I usually do is cut out the stuff I love and put it into my inspiration book (Do you guys want a DIY tutorial for it? You'll love it!) which I look at sometimes just to get ideas for posts, outfits, etc. But as helpful as magazines are there is more content on websites for your favorite magazines that weren't printed. You know you will like their content because you read the magazine, so go ahead and check it out. Chances are you won't be disappointed if you like the magazine.

2. Pinterest and other social networks: When you search the right words, follow the right people, and like the right things, social media networks can be so helpful in getting information on fashion. On Pinterest, for example, if you follow the fashionistas that you love I guarantee that they pin stuff that they don't blog about. It's just something extra on the side. Tumblr can be helpful, too, as well as Facebook and Twitter. You just have to make sure you follow the right people and brands for you! It can be a challenge, but once you have it figured out it's incredibly helpful.

3. Style.com and other websites: Finding websites that share good fashion content is a lot easier than you think. You can find decent websites through other websites, from Googling what you're interested in regarding fashion and beauty, and through links people post to social media. Two of my favorite fashion websites are Style.com and Fashionising. I often save photos from both websites and I have a style.com account to save images on the internet which is convenient in the instances you don't get to carry your laptop with you or if you use a desktop.

4. Lookbook.nu: I realize that Lookbook could go under websites or social networks, but it's such an original and helpful resource I thought it deserved a category all on it's own. Even if you don't make an account it can come in a lot of handy. Basically, if you don't know what this site is, it's a place for fashionistas to post pictures of their own outfits that they styled themselves. You can make an account to share your own outfits and like other people's content, or you could just make a Lookbook inspiration folder on your computer to save your favorite looks into (but make sure you don't save and reupload any of the images without crediting the right source).

5. Email newsletters from your favorite brands/shops: Most of your favorite clothing shops, brands, websites, magazines, etc. have email newsletters you can sign up for to get updates directly from them. This can be helpful to keep you up to date on the latest trends and the newest items in your favorite stores as well as keeping a lookout for sales! And we all know sales are the best way to get our style fix without killing our wallets.

How do you keep up with style, fashion, and beauty other than your favlrite blogs? Do you have anything to add? Any favorite websites that you would love to share? Any tips? Let me know!

Neutral and Relaxed: OOTD

As most of you know I went to get my hair re-done at the salon yesterday closer to my original hair color as well as getting some bangs cut. Usually when I go to the salon I try to wear something comfortable, but cute. That way I can feel good about myself when I leave, but I don't have to be incredibly uncomfortable sitting in the chair for possibly hours. That's why I put together this cute but sensible and accessible outfit for going to get my hair done. Sorry for the crappy lighting, ugly nails and ugly feet. Check out the baby bump that's coming along!

Tank top: Express; Denim Shirt: Forever21; Charcoal Leggings: ASOS Maternity; Lipstick: Maybelline's Color Sensational Vivids in On Fire Red; Bracelet: Unknown (gifted from mother); Shoes: Kino's (my boyfriend picked them out).

What do you guys normally wear to the salon? Do you actually get dressed up or do you go super casual like I do? Are you into my totally adorable and comfortable shoes my boyfriend got for me at the beach? What about my awesome red lipstick shade? Should I review it?

P.S. Kino's are the best things that could have happened to me. They're so comfortable and my boyfriend is obsessed with telling people he picked them. It makes him so happy that I wear them. Also, my hair isn't even close to that dark. It's the bad lighting. Blah.

Extreme Makeover: Hair Edition

I was planning on saving this post for tomorrow, but I ever so stupidly forgot to take the pictures for my OOTD post before I got my hair done. Therefor I decided to reveal my hair today so that I could post the pictures of the outfit tomorrow. There is kind of a preview of the outfit on the right. It's very casual, cool. Also, before I start I'd like to apologize for the picture quality. They're iPhone pictures taken in my bathroom (the before) and my best friend's bathroom (the after). So not only are they kind of bad pictures, but the colors are different. My teeth aren't actually that yellow! Ah! But without any further delays...

Here it is! My hair before I got it done and after I got it done. I was really back and forth about whether or not I should get straight across bangs so I asked my stylist if I got side bangs cut if I could use clip in bangs and if they would look normal, but she said she wasn't so sure so I crossed that off. I kept thinking and thinking about it and as you can see I got bangs, but my stylist suggested I get bangs that I can style straight across and to the side which worked out perfectly for me. I absolutely love it! Although I will admit that I was really nervous at first. Luckily my sister was there because she scheduled a last minute appointment at the same time as me with a different stylist and she talked me into it.

 Unfortunately I didn't get to get all of my hair back to the natural color yet, just highlights which lightened it up a lot. I'm happy with the way that it turned out, it just isn't want I imagined. It's so close to my natural color I can't even complain. Next time it'll be completely back to normal, but I don't think I'll go back until November. Or October at the earliest. She thought the smell of the dye would bother me too much if I got it done completely today being pregnant and she was 150% correct! I got sick just from the highlights and I was holding a towel over my face. It was horrible. Once it was done though I almost cried I was so excited (dang, hormones!).

As far as the cut goes I didn't do anything but get layers and have it trimmed. I didn't want it to be too much shorter because I want my hair to grow out, but it was driving me crazy that I didn't have any dimension to my hair at all. It was just brown and flat and cut straight because of the way I got it cut when I had it cut short. Now it's a lot better and once it grows out for a week or two it'll be absolutely amazing.

What do you guys think of my new hair? Does it work for me or should I style it differently? How do you want to get your hair cut?

Makeup Free Monday and Insecurities

This post is difficult for me as I am pretty self conscious about the state of my skin right now. And though it doesn't bother me to not wear makeup out in public it bothers me when there are pictures floating around of me without makeup, but why should I be bothered by that?

Today is my first makeup-free Monday! The whole idea is from TheBeautyBean.com and I think it's a beautiful, positive concept. I'm going the whole day without makeup, including the shopping trip I'm going on with my best friend. The point of this is to promote positivity and learn to love ourselves for who we are. We shouldn't be so ashamed of our flaws that we're ashamed of ourselves. We shouldn't have to apologize for not wearing makeup in public, because these are our bodies. We should be happy in our own skin, even if it isn't perfectly clear.

Yes, I did try to hide this picture farther down in the post, don't judge me. I have been very insecure about a lot of different things since I've gotten pregnant whereas before I just didn't give a crap, but now that I'm gaining weight I want to look better in other ways. My skin is covered in spots, the tone is uneven, I have horrible lines under my eyes. Not only do I have acne on my face, but I have acne scars from pimples of the past. My teeth are also not as white as I want them to be, so I hate smiling for pictures, but that isn't something that I can fix with makeup. I have short eyelashes, too. I look like a twelve year old, especially when I don't wear makeup and being pregnant that isn't exactly fun because people give you dirty looks. And lastly I hate my natural hair and eyebrow color which is showing at the roots right now. But I like my lips, I like the color of my eyes because it's very distinctly me and I like my cheeks. Find things you like about yourself. No one should be so bothered by their flaws that they can't do what they want.

The point is that you are beautiful no matter what you're insecure about and you should believe that! I'm working on it. How can you do something? Get liberated and take part in Makeup Free Mondays with me. You can tweet me your pictures @debbieshapes or you can post about this on your blog to spread the word. Just remember that you are beautiful, everyone has insecurities, don't apologize for not wearing makeup, and go makeup free this Monday.

Fillyboo: Maternity Dreams

This week I am officially eighteen weeks pregnant and I'm still wearing clothes from before I was pregnant. Slowly, but surely though, I am having to move into maternity clothes. And you know what that means? Shopping! Sadly there aren't all that many affordable maternity shops and I don't want to spend a hundred dollars on a piece I'm only going to get to wear for a couple of months. Although it is very tempting because I have found some pretty cool websites in my endless search for stylish maternity fashion.

One of those sites is Fillyboo, a bohemian maternity shop full of hippie-esque dresses and things of the sort. I have spent a lot of time creeping around this site and drooling over everything that they have. The bad news about Fillyboo is that it is way out of my price range for maternity clothes. I have a baby on the way, guys! Lower your prices! But of course I will continue window shopping just because I like looking at the pretty dresses like the ones at the top of this post.

The Dream Catcher, which is the dress on the left, looks so comfortable and airy. If I had $69.82 to spend on something I will only be able to wear for a couple more months and then never again I would definitely buy this. Plus, it's so minimal you can do so many things with shoes and accessories! This dress could be dressed up or down for whatever occasion you need to be dressed for. It's out of stock in my size anyways. That's probably the only thing keeping me from splurging on it and being upset with myself a couple weeks from now.

The other two pieces are between $80-$135. The powder blue dress in the middle is cool and nearly worth the price because of the chic fringe-y tassels and the gypsy feel/aesthetic and the lilac dress on the right side is perfect for accessorizing however you want to also. If it was for a big event I would definitely get one of these! A baby shower, a wedding, a nice party, a brunch, something like that. I might be throwing one of my friends a baby shower in a couple of months and if I am I would totally match the colors to one of these dresses so I could match the whole party!

Is there a brand that you love right now that you can't afford? Is there any big event coming up in your life that you need to put together a really nice, stylish outfit for? And are you into the maternity style that I've been sharing with you guys?

July Wishes 2013

These are the things that I want to buy really badly this month! And hopefully, if I save up correctly, I'll be able to get a lot of them or something close enough to satisfy me. However, some of these things are things that I will never be able to afford, but a girl can still dream, right? Let me know in the comments what you've been wishing for lately and let me know if you're into any of the stuff I shared here.

1. Army Parka $93.34: This army parka from ASOS is literally the cutest thing that I've ever seen and I want it so badly that I can hardly stand myself. The only problem is that I don't have the money for it. It would be so perfect for fall and the early weeks of winter. If I actually had the money I would be willing to splurge for it, but I just don't. I have to put more important things above clothes... sadly. Times are a-changin', I suppose.

2. Maternity Full Length Soft Touch Legging $20.36: I've come to learn I'm not going to be able to get $10 maternity leggings like I was so hoping. But they're a necessity, so I have to get them anyways. Most of them are at least $20 and if they're cheaper all of the reviews tend to say how poorly they fit. Everything I get from ASOS is really good quality though, so if I get these I can hopefully just get two pairs for the entire pregnancy and be happy with that. A charcoal pair and a black pair.

3. Maternity Peg Trouser in Bird $37.33: If you guys haven't been able to tell yet I am completely obsessed with ASOS and ASOS's Maternity clothes lately. These pants are no different from the rest of it. I absolutely love the pattern and the way that they look. I actually bought some solid peg pants from ASOS a few days ago, but they haven't gotten in yet. It says that they're really soft and should fit the entire pregnancy.

4. Capsule Ponytail Clip $18.00: If you guys didn't know this, which most of you probably don't, Nasty Gal is one of my favorite websites, but it's mostly out of my price range right now. However, I can't resist the urge to constantly window shop anyways (even if I can't fit into the clothes and wouldn't spend that much money on most of the accessories). I figured out yesterday while I was shopping I'm going to have to buy 95% of my accessories these next two seasons probably from Forever21 because I'm broke. I have tricks to keep those in good condition though.

5. Miu Miu Cat Eye Frames $325.00: Sorry that I won't shut up about these, but I just love them so much! If I could just make any item in the world appear in my hands right now it would be these glasses (and I wouldn't complain if everything else on this list appeared, too). They're just so fresh and fierce, okay? I totally don't have $325 to spend on something that I wouldn't use literally 24/7 though.

6. Zoeva Bamboo Pinsel Set 30 EUR: This set is kind of pricey, but it seems like it would be totally worth it. For 30 euros (about $38.50 in American dollars) you get the 12 makeup brushes and the travel cases, and you know what? 12 brushes are a lot of brushes for that amount of money. They're made of bamboo and they're completely vegan and they've gotten some killer reviews from what I have seen.

7. Conditioning Makeup Brush Cleanser $15.00: I originally was recommended this product from another blog, but the link they provided was more expensive than this. I'm pretty sure this is the cheapest you can buy it. It's the original website. Basically you use this stuff daily to clean your makeup brushes after using them. That prevents breakouts and spreading germs around on your face unnecessarily which is really important to me because I am a huge germaphobe lately. I carry around 3 bottles of hand sanitizer at all times and I refuse to touch door knobs with my hands. I'm that girl in the bathroom opening the door with her elbow.

8. Lady Danger Lipstick $15.00: You guys are going to shame the heck out of me for this, but I've never gotten MAC lipstick. I've been lusting after a million shades for a million years and I've heard from everyone under the sun that it's the best thing ever, but for some reason I can't will myself to spend that much on lipstick. I'm planning on it this month though. I've heard from so many people that it's worth it that I thought it couldn't hurt to give it a go because the colors are so fantastic, especially this one.

So what are you into lately? Are there any products that you could recommend me, clothes and beauty wise? Or even brands! Remember though that for clothes I am pregnant and right now I'm trying to buy mostly maternity clothes other than big shirts and dresses that will fit for awhile. What are you wishing that you could get this month? I hope I hear back from you guys.

Should I Get Straight-Across Fringe?

I've had this same exact hairstyle for a year and I am getting sick of it. I don't know about you guys, but I like changing my hair a lot and if I can't get it cut a lot I get boxes and boxes of hair dye and dye my hair like crazy. Or at least I have in the past. In the last few months being pregnant has opened my eyes about how badly I treated my hair before because I started having to pay for it. I couldn't dye my hair every month like I used to and I had to start working on getting it back to my natural dirty blonde (you can see it at the roots) so I wouldn't have to mess with my hair anymore.

Well on Tuesday I am going to the salon for a hair makeover! I'm getting my hair all the way back to my natural color, that is if I have the guts because I absolutely hate the color, and I was thinking while I was there I may get my hair cut a little bit. If I do I was considering getting straight across fringe because the look is so chic and classic. It's not going out of style any time soon! I'm a bit scared to though, because my sister thinks it's going to make me look even younger than I already do or that it will just look weird on my face shape. I absolutely adore the look, though. Help me!

Do you think I should get it done? Do you think side bangs will look better? Do you like the look or do you think that it's overdone?

P.S. If you didn't notice I started some renovations to the blog! A whole new layout right now. I'll be making more updates in the coming week, so stick around. Also I'm sorry that this post was posted so late in the day. I was busy shopping and pricing items all day. I'm learning how to coupon and use rewards cards at different stores to save money.

Affordable Shops With Fourth of July Sales

Today has been a very rainy Independence day, so naturally I've just sat around internet shopping and chatting with my friends on Twitter and Facebook. We had big plans to run around in the sun, cook on the grill, and later tonight roast marshmallows. If we're lucky we'll still get to make smores, but it will be on the front porch under the roof. Smores are good though, so that's okay! But I'm also okay with internet shopping because I made a few purchases today and discovered some things that I need/want to buy for the future. In my shopping quest I have come across a few helpful sales for today (and some beyond).

70% off certain items & 20% off full-priced items at ASOS. ASOS happens to be one of my favorite shops for a lot of different reasons. They have decently priced clothes, cute accessories, clothes for a wide range of people including women, men, plus sized women, and pregnant women, and everything is good quality and really cute. This year for fourth of July they are having a huge sale! 70% off on some items, as a matter of fact. And if you pay for full priced items that aren't part of the sale you can use the code HAPPYFOURTH to have 20% taken off! I bought a pair of maternity peg pants that I've been lusting after. Click here for the sale.

Free shipping if you spend $25 at Sephora. Though Sephora can sometimes be pricey, they have really nice products and it's usually worth the money that I spend there. For this independence day Sephora is giving us free shipping if we spend $25 or more on their products. And though that may seem like a lot on beauty supplies, let's be honest with ourselves, it's worth it! The code for free shipping is SHIP25 but make sure you've spent the right amount of money!

75% off certain items at Forever21. I try my hardest not to shop at Forever21 for one reason and it's that the clothes sometimes only last a few washes before they start falling apart, but I can't resist because the items are actually really well priced and they're so aesthetically pleasing. Is that shallow? Anyways, they have sales up to 75% off for women, including plus sizes, and men! Click here for the sale.

Free shipping on all orders at Topshop. Topshop has the best clothes! For real! And although they can also be kind of pricey sometimes, it's the kind of pricey that you should pay for because it's quality. You just have to make sure to pick out the right pieces so that they won't go out of style for a long time. Anyways, Topshop is giving us free shipping on all orders with the code STARSANDSTRIPES so no money restrictions for this one.

20% off at Nasty Gal. Nasty Gal is probably in my top three favorite online shopping destinations. Everything on the site is something that I would buy, though for now I'm mostly having to stick to buying accessories from there because of the person that is growing inside of me. They're having a 20% off sale of anything in the store though, so that's okay with me! The discount is applied at the checkout so don't fret if it's not taken off in your basket.

What fourth of July sales have you come across? Are you going to use any of these? Do you closely pay attention to sales or are you just excited when you happen to come across one?