Gift Guide: Tis' the Season to Sparkle!

Happy Tuesday!

I wanted to introduce my "Gift Guide" series on The College Catwalk for the upcoming holidays! Now till New Years, I will be posting themed gift guides, every Tuesday, for you to use as inspiration for when you are purchasing gifts this season for your loved ones.  I know some of you have already started to wonder what to get the special people in your life this holiday. I don't blame you, because so have I! 

While the rest of you are probably taking your last round of exams before the big finals, it may be hard to start your shopping or even make a wish list. My suggestion is to browse casually now and write/ pin items so you can get back to it later!

What are the holidays without some sparkle? 

Glitter, sequins, and sparkles are signs of festivities and holidays. For that sparkle obsessed person in your life, here are some cute gifts/stocking stuffers to dazzle them off their feet. :) The links to each item are under the picture. Enjoy!

Find The Items Here:

FLATS | BRACELET | NECKLACE | HEADBAND | CLUTCH | NAILPOLISH | WATCH | BERET | BOW 

Stay tuned for more gift guides! Even one for guys...!

Turning Over A New Leaf!

Hi Fashionistas!

Happy Friday everyone! Living in Philadelphia this semester has had it's ups and downs.Pharmacy school has been pretty tough, along with the constant noise during the late hours, but the scenery and coziness is breathtaking at times.

I was initially looking forward to the winter so I could see the city turn into a big Winter Wonderland. However, I totally overlooked the beauty of fall! For this past week, I have been venturing to small local cafes that compose great spirits itself. On my way to my new favorite cake cafe, I frolicked through small alleys with cobble stoned roads and beautiful unique homes.

When the scenery is beautiful, it encourages me to dress cute even though the weather is unfortunately getting colder. With the perfect accessories you can conquer the cold, get inspired by your surroundings, and dress trendy! 

I paired my blue satin skirt that I purchased from Forever 21 three years ago for $12 (back then Forever 21 was a little more cheaper)! For the top, I wore one of my American Eagle sweaters that I mentioned previously in another blog post several months ago. These sweaters were only $6 each, but they are so versatile. I wore them in the summer, now in the fall, and definitely will see them again in the seasons to come. The favorite parts of the outfit were the pink statement necklace (Forever 21 online $6), the black tights, and more importantly, my new BEARPAW Glimmer boots HERE !

The tights and the boots primarily were responsible for making the outfit fall appropriate. I was able to stay glam without freezing my behind off! These boots, just like the other BEARPAW boots are made of clouds from heaven. I was absolutely comfortable wearing them, even when I had to trek along uneven paved roads. Regular booties would not have given me the same comfort and warmth that these boots provided. Invest in a pair of your own, I have already received so many compliments! They have fur all over the inside and I honestly felt like I was wearing fuzzy house slippers all day!

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

Tuesday Tips 31: MAX Hair Volume ALL Day!

Hello! 

Since I missed last week's Tuesday Tips, I thought I would bring you my 3 holy grail tips and tricks to help you achieve maximum volumed hair that will last all day! I have been using these three essentials steps for a long time now, and I could not be happier with the results. :) 

Stop the Crazy Conditioning! 

Conditioning is a must for many hair types, but avoid conditioning your roots. Experts say to only condition the bottom one-third of your hair to prevent flatness and excessive hair loss. One expert being my mom. :)  Ever since I was young, she always reminded me to never condition my roots and I'm glad I listened because conditioning the bottom third is all you need to detangle and prevent split ends in your hair. 

Flip Yo' Head Back and Forth! 

Flip your head while blow drying your hair. This step will help the roots dry the opposite direction creating more of a bounce and fullness when it falls back down into place. 

Dry Shampoo= BFF Forever! 

Spray dry shampoo into the hair roots as soon as you are finished styling your clean hair. This will give it more volume as it will soak up extra oils before they have to chance to accumulate and cause greasiness.

I hope this helps! Incorporating just one of these steps will cause a massive difference for your hair. 

Silver, Stripes, and Sequins!

Hi Fashionistas!

Sorry for my absence! I had been sick for the past week, but I am all better now (just missing my voice) and wanted to post something today.

Blue jeans and leggings can get boring, and sometimes, the biggest fashion statement is simply incorporating a pair of colored pants. Beginning of this fall, I made a promise to myself that I would only buy a pair of bottoms if they were of a different color or print than the ones I already owned.

I bought this pair of gray skinny jeans from H&M for only $6! I was hunting for gray jeans the week prior to the purchase, but when I could not find a pair of my liking, I stopped looking and forgot about it. Fortunately, I walked into H&M with my cousin looking for sweaters and found this gem on the back rack in the rear part of the store. I have paired it with numerous shirts and sweaters, but its pairing with this top (Marshalls $11) is my favorite! I was immediately drawn to the shirt's incorporation of colors, sequins, and stripes. So simple, yet so different!

I wore this outfit when my cousin came to visit me in Philadelphia. To accessorize it, I kept it all silver with my watch (MK), bracelet (Forever 21) and necklace (Forever 21 $9). After all, the focus point was the top so I did not want to look gaudy with too many colors. As we went out and about in the city, I took along the cutest black cross-body that my cousins from London gifted me when they came to visit!

I hope you enjoyed! I cannot wait to get back into the groove of things after finals week! Thank you for keeping up with the blog thus far, I honestly appreciate each and every reader. :)

Swimming In the Coral Leef?

Hi Fashionistas!

It's November. It's freezing. So, does this mean that pumpkin spice season almost over yet? I feel like I only have a few more weeks till I am taking blog pictures in a blizzard, sipping on my peppermint hot chocolate! 

But for now, the perfect fall outfits are the ones that you can cuddle up in anywhere, and everywhere. I just love the baggy sweaters and stretchy leggings. During the most random times, you will literally find me folded in an origami position and under my sweater like a turtle, taking a little nap. 

I found this sweater at Urban Outfitters for only $20! Like I said before, check their sales section because even though it can be a hit or a miss, the "hits" are completely worth it! With the sweater, I paired my leggings and black tank-top from Forever 21. To accessorize, I tossed on some Alex and Ani's and a coral scarf for a "pop of color." 

For shoes, I slipped into my Kay boots from BEARPAW, which are perfect for the fall and winter weather |HERE| . I adore my combat boots to pieces but these Kay boots are a hybrid between the combats and a fur blanket, so stylish, yet warm. As you may already know, I am in love with BEARPAW's boots and shoes. I have been wearing my Octavias to class every single day and its fur is still fluffier than ever! Definitely check out their shoes for your winter essentials. :) 

Till next time! Remember to layer up and get your flu shot! 

Tuesday Tips 30: Make Hairstyles Last Longer!

Hi Beauties!

Here are a few hair tips that can make your hairstyles last longer and look better with common items that you probably already have on your vanity!

1.) Spray the bobby pins! 

Whenever we have loose ends, we usually bobby pin them into our hair to hold them in place. Before a night out, make sure you hairspray the bobby pins before pinning them into your hair. This will help them stay in place longer so you can avoid the messy situation of having to re-pin the loose strands while you are out and about. 

2.) Use a heat protectant! 

Heat protectant does double duty. Yes, it obviously protects your hair from the heat damage from hot tools, but it also helps hold curls and keep straight hair frizz-free! 

3.) Toothbrush + hairspray!

This is one thing that I always get weird stares for. Like I have said many times before, toothbrushes have so many other uses besides cleaning your teeth. For a sleek hairstyle, I spray hairspray on my toothbrush (a separate one for only cosmetic use) and gently comb over the top of my do to tame all the frizz and fly-aways. It works like a charm! :) 

I hope these tips will help you combat a bad hair day! See you soon! :)