NYFW: Petite Friendly Favorites

February 22, 2015

"Every year the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future... this is known as Fashion Week." - Sex in the City

Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte said it best and I couldn't agree more, last week we left the past behind and were blessed with the creative visions of Fashion Week. Throughout the City there was a buzz, a buzz more electrifying than usual. The greats presented their Fall 2015 collections and oh, how I've fallen in love! I know I just posted by Spring must haves but can we fast forward to Fall real quick?! 

There were 3 collections in my opinion that were not only stunning but petite friendly. Meaning, that if by some miracle these pieces were available in petites I would go broke purchasing all :) No shame in my game, friends. What were the big trends you ask? Fringe, fringe, and more fringe; comfy neutrals and tons of 1970's flair. I have a feeling like we'll all look a little like Cher this fall. 
Ugh. First of all, I adore Mara Hoffman! Her organic, neutral yet mystical and indigenous collections have always been a favorite of mine. My inner Pocahontas squealed with delight after seeing her Fall collection filled with bold patterns in neutral tones. Bold and indigenous are Mara's staples but in these warm earth tones how could anyone I say no? 

All hail to King Ralph. He does NO wrong. Seriously though, I couldn't pick my top 3 favorites because I fell in love with every single outfit.

Again, neutrals are a girl's best friend this Fall, and hats! You will definitely catch me wearing plenty of wool, floppy, fedora-esque hats this coming Fall. The lace maxi dress was so effortlessly chic with this taupe hat, and the romantic men's wear in look 2 won me over. Finally, check out the fringe in look 3; although I would advise against multiple bulky sweaters at once for a petite, the off-white/creme ensemble would look heavenly on a small frame. 

J.Crew cast a spell on me that left me seeing yellows, pinks and purples. J.Crew told neutrals to take a hike this Fall and are paving the way for beautiful brights.
If I didn't know any better I would've thought this was a Spring collection, but J.Crew made it possible for bold, vibrant color to fashionable every season of the year. Again, there's colorful 1970's inspiration in the high-waisted trousers that work wonderfully to elongate the leg; a modern twist on hippy chic mixing denim and textured sequins; and classic bright color blocking which always is a good option for any body type.

What were your NYFW favorites? Feel free to share below!

xo,
Maia

all photos courtesy of www.style.com

My Must Have Spring Accessories

February 20, 2015

We're officially one month away from the start of Spring! If you're anything like me then you're also extremely tired of freezing weather, endless snow and are ready for warmer temperatures and flowers in bloom.


As I daydream about Spring, my must have list continues to grow and grow. What are your must haves? Check out mine, below.
At the top of my must haves list is the Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag, which I've seen on Lucky Magazine Editor in Chief Eva Chen, and Victoria Secret Model, Alessandra Ambrosio. The gorgeous bag comes at a hefty price ($450) but is a chic accessory for the Spring, especially in the color "Ballerina" pictured above. Another must have is the Stuart Weiztman Myslide sandal, in fact I just ordered a similar pair from Nasty Gal. They'll look great with a pair of jeans or with a dress. 
Also, this Spring I'll be trading in my bulky Michael Kors Watch for a thinner, daintier alternative and this Komono Moneypenny Watch fits the bill. This Ted Baker phone case is the perfect Spring alternative to my darker floral phone case and these Warby Parker sunnies are amazeballs. I'm obsessed and they are neutral gorgeous and a must have in my opinion. The Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette, is right up my alley. From time to time I wear bold eyeshadows and lipsticks but neutral shades are my weakness. I already own the Naked palette and both Naked Basics palettes but what's another neutral eyeshadow palette, right? The Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks, let me see what can I say about them? I'm honestly a big fan of these, and have a bunch of other colors but this nude-y mauve is a perfect new addition to my make up collection. Liquid lipsticks are a huge make up trend right now and personally, I hope they stick around for while. Lastly, I'm still in love with statement earrings so these from Bauble Bar will brighten up any Spring outfit, and I can't wait to wear them! 

Thanks for reading!

xo,
Maia


Weekend Wear: Girls Night Out

February 17, 2015

Coat: old, similarSweater: old, similarSkirt: H&M, Necklace: J.Crew Factory and Francesca's Boutique (on sale now!), Over the Knee Socks: Forever 21, Clutch: old, similar, Bracelet: J.Crew Factory, Watch: Michael Kors, Boots: old

Whether it's bar hopping around the city or exchanging gossip over a fabulous dinner; everyone knows girls nights are the best nights. When I spend a night out with my gals, it always reminds me of the nights early on in our friendship. Endless laughs, singing, dancing, and swapping stories about our love interests. The older I get, the more I love and appreciate those girls nights out.

So of course I stared at my closet clueless not knowing what to wear but I was feeling funky and decided to mix soft pastels with edgy leather, and BAM this outfit was created. Sometimes my outfit are thoroughly planned out and some not so much but I do love seeing the development of an outfit. I love tweaking and planning around with different fabrics and textures but I digress. Y'all know the process of getting ready for a girls night goes! Anyway, the girls and I planned a night out bar hopping in the city so I knew my quilted leather skirt was coming out to play. I'm in love with winter pastels so I added this pale blue sweater too. It took some time to decide between over the knee socks and black tights but eventually the socks won. Granted, I haven't worn socks like these high school because they were part of the uniform but I actually loved how it looked!  My jewels were a mix of golds and silvers which is always fun and a trend that should wear more often. Finally, to top it off I walked out the door with my studded Forever 21 clutch which is old but so very loved.

The night ended with full bellies, empty glasses and wonderful new memories.

xo,
Maia

Photos by Vianel De La Cruz




Short & Sweet: Follow me everywhere!

February 14, 2015


Want to follow my petite findings? I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin' now. 

Xo, Maia

My Current Skincare Favorites

February 3, 2015

As I might have mentioned before, Winter isn't exactly my best friend. I mean I appreciate the snow and think it looks lovely but the brutal low temperatures and wind hurt my skin terribly. As a child I had eczema and many allergies so I was used to having sensitive skin. I often used cortisone creams to help combat my patchy dry skin without much success. As an adult I've outgrown the eczema and allergies but my skin is still tremendously sensitive, especially in the winter.

I've tried many lotions, creams, and serums for my "combination" skin (a mix of oily/dry) and had not found my perfect combination until recently! So far this winter, my odd combination of higher end and drug store (really it's mainly drug store) have really helped me and I hope you find them helpful too :) 

I'll start with the cleansers. As a teen I developed Peri-oral dermatitis (yes, I've had quite a unique skin history), and hated it. I mean who really enjoys having difficult skin but can you imagine being 13/14 years old, starting high school, and having dry patchy skin specifically by your mouth?! It looked horrible and was so uncomfortable. My dermatologist at the time recommended Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (on sale!). It's a gentle face cleanser, sold at drugstores, that was a thicker liquid that cleansed without water. It's been a Holy Grail product for me ever since, and we're talking 10 years now. It helped my skin so very much, and over time I discovered my peri-oral dermatitis was an allergic reaction I was having and has since gone away, but the Cetaphil cleanser stayed in my skincare routine. It's gentle and keeps the face very moistureized. I like to use it in the morning as a way of prepping my face and moisturing my face before I put makeup on. 

My second favorite cleanser is the Simple Foaming Cleanser and I use this like I'd use the Cetaphil cleanser but I like to use the Simple Cleanser to help me remove my makeup. I do use makeup remover wipes but the foaming cleanser is so gentle (it doesn't hurt if you accidentally get some in your eyes) and takes my makeup right off! I usually use this at the end of the day. 

Lush Dream Cream was sent from heaven. I truly believe it was. After a long day and a warm shower I lather myself up in this cream and it leaves my skin, so soft! I discovered it one day about 3 years ago on my first time to Lush. Of course, the employees convince you that everything in their store is fabulous and most of their stuff is but I instantly fell in love with this cream. It's a thicker consistency, and if you have dry skin this is for you! I use it more in the winter because it is so thick but it's so great. I  use it daily during the winter months and it's saved my skin!

Aztec Secret Bentonite Indian Healing Clay was a recently discovery, and I found it as I wandered around Whole Foods looking for organic skin and beauty products. I had also been recommended this mask by a friend who said she loved it. After my first time using it, I loved it. It removed my stubborn chin acne after one use. I don't have severe acne so I don't know how it would work in those cases but I did enjoy the tingling sensation and loved how my skin looked afterwards. I mixed equal parts clay and water, and left it on for about 15 minutes. I washed it off and by the end of the day, my skin looked clearer. This and a little bit of Lush's dream cream, and you're good to go. 

When I'm feeling fancy I use the
Sephora Pomegrante Face Mask and it has really brightening up my face. I don't know how it does it but it does! Sephora has many face masks but this by far is my favorite. So after a long wintry day, I'll put this on and pretend I'm at a spa in the Caribbean :)

Christian Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm is also for when I'm feeling fancy and feel like splurging. It's definitely the most expensive lip balm I've ever purchased but I'm a sucker for the Rose scent. It smells so good! It says it's a plumping lip balm but I haven't seen that affect on my lips. It's very moisturizing and very smooth. As much as I recommend face and body moisturizers, your lips should be just as important! :)

What are some of your skincare favorites? Share them below. 

Stay Warm,
Maia

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