Blue & White - The Easiest Colors!

Hi Beauties!

Happy Fourth of July! Many of you probably celebrated Independence day this past weekend with the beaches, BBQs, and some quality family and friends time! Even if you have no plans and are carrying on like a normal Tuesday, buy into the festivities by wearing something red, white, or blue.

I saw someone walking the hospital hallways this past Monday, at 7 AM, dressed like the American flag from her kimono and down to her shoes. I couldn't help but smile, not laugh, but smile! I absolutely love the enthusiasm around the holidays, it's a lot of fun. 

Similar to my previous post, this gorgeous, light weight dress is from Tobi ! When I got the dress, it immediately screamed "Fourth of July." Blue and white are the absolutely easiest colors to incorporate for Independence Day. These two colors are worn year-round and usually people never think twice before wearing them, like they do with red. However, the outfit possibilities are endless ! You can simply get away with denim shorts, skirts, joggers, or boyfriend pants with a white top or ruffle blouse! I just love pieces like this dress because you can wear it pretty much any day of the year to get your monies worth!

Outfit details:

Dress: Tobi
use code: PR50 for 50% off!

Purse: Burberry

Shoes: Steve Madden

Earrings: Anoki Boutique

Sunglasses: Raybans

Have a great week! 

Happy Fourth!

Hey Cutie Patootie!

Long time no talk....

These past few months have been pretty crazy. I recently finished my third year (last didactic year) in pharmacy school and I am now on clinical rotations..hallelujah! We only have about a week between the 3rd and 4th year so the transition was super quick! 

About a week ago I ended my first 6-week rotation, at a primary care office, and now I'm in an intensive care unit at a hospital for the next 5 weeks. 

With the transition between the classroom and real life, along with moving from Philadephia back to Delaware, it has been a little hectic. Somehow in the past 3 years I have accumulated so many things that I am now struggling to store everything in my bedroom at home. However, the upside to rotations and 4th year is the fact that there are no more exams or studying! For the next year, there will be a few presentations and assignment here and there but no more spending endless hours at the library. 

I have more "me time" than I did this past year and I starting to feel inspired again!

OK...enough of the chit-chat! Today I want to share a simple yet cute Fourth of July inspired outfit. With the temps in the 90's, I wanted to stay cool but stay true to the theme without over-doing it. This top from Tobi is pretty much everything to me right now. It is simple, cute, and the memorable tie detailing on the sleeves takes it up a notch! However, the fact that it is not super see-thru is the best thing about it. Recently, I have encountered so many white off-the-shoulders tops, like this one, to be sheer and see-thru. I hate having to wear bandeaus under tops, especially in this heat so this was a plus! 

Outfit details:

Top: Tobi

Skirt: Forever21

Jewelry: Anoki Boutique 

-code: SUN25 for 25% off

Bag: Gucci

Shoes: Bearpaw Footwear

I hope you all have a safe and great holiday! 

Pinstripes & Embroidery!

Hi Beauties! 

I am loving this great weather that has been gracing us recently in Philadelphia (except for the pollen allergies, of course)! The sun is finally shining bright and we are all busting out our favorite dresses. This year, I am seeing a lot less florals and more dresses with pin-stipes and embroidery, like this one! I paired this outfit with studs, keeping my décolletage empty so it wouldn't interfere with the embroidery on the dress.

The Mint Julep Boutique is seriously awesome! They offer so many beautiful summer and spring dresses for a range of particular styles and preferences! This dress is currently only $29, which is a steal! Plus, you can get $10 off your entire order if you sign up for their mailing list! So, stock up on some new spring dresses and clothing for those summer vacations, graduations, and parties! 

Outfit Details:

Dress:The Mint Julep Boutique

Earrings: Anoki Boutique

Shoes: Burlington Coat Factory

Purse: Gucci

  

Spring Florals!

Hi Beauties!

The weather may be inconsistent outside but it is finally springtime! Spring's arrival comes with the floral-craze arrival. A couple years ago, floral summer dresses were the "must-have" in everyone's closet. I remember having 10 full out floral summer dresses by the end of the summer. For spring and summer 2017, florals are still making an appearance, but the prints are now less extreme and more so incorporated in different clothing and accessories paired with common in-trend prints and colors.

This top (HERE)exemplifies it all. This season the denim/chambray blue and pinstripes are so popular! I feel that one in every five off-the-shoulder tops are either pinstriped or chambray blue! This top retails for only $17 at ROMWE and it definitely a favorite and I appreciate the unique and "high fashion" look.

I find it incredible easy to style and it looks great on an array of bottoms such as denim skirts, similar to this, jeans, white or black pants, and shorts! Romwe has numerous similar, yet different, styles of this top. Definitely check them out, make sure you look at the sizing on the right to ensure that you receive the perfect fit for you!

Outfit Details

Top: Romwe

Skirt: Charlotte Russe

Bag: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Quay Australia

Thank you for reading! I hope you find some florals in your future!

Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant!

Hi Beauties!

If you follow me on Instagram, I did a story last week explaining my nighttime skincare routine. I mentioned how much I loved my Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant and many people DM'd me asking for more details! Since I absolutely love it, I wanted to do a special full 30-day review! 

My toughest skin struggle has been achieving and maintaining that clean, hydrated, and "normal skin" on the scale from oily to dry. I just crave for that happy medium but my skin either produces enough oil to fry french fries or is so flaky where it is painful to smile! 

When Dermalogica sent me the Daily Superfoliant, I was over the moon! I am not new to the brand, I have been using the emergency fix spot treatment from their Clear Skin line since the beginning of pharmacy school in Philadelphia (when I started to experience "cheek-ne" - acne on the cheek lol)! 

The Daily Superfoliant is designed to detox the pores and fight pollution triggers which can lead to premature aging. My skin over the years has become dull, dry, and incredibly problematic. If you follow me on Instagram, I had posted a few of my beauty favorites a couple of months ago. I included many high-end products since I found that my normal drugstore exfoliants and cleansers were stripping my skin of the healthy oils and irritating my breakouts. This led my skin to over-produce oils to counteract the dryness which caused my breakouts to grow larger and take longer to diminish.

** Disclaimer: I am not saying drugstore products are ineffective. They worked for me in the past when my skin was not as problematic. If you have a company or product line that works for you, keep doing you!**

I started to see improvement in my skin immediately after using the Daily Superfoliant but I wanted to wait 30 days before I took it to the blog. Since most of my readers do not know my skin or see me personally day-to-day to see the improvement, I wanted to do the product justice and try it for a sufficient amount of time before I did a full review. 

WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL IMPRESSION?

I was amazed! I used it for the first time a month ago and texted a picture of it to my entire family, raved about it on spring break, and shap-chatted a selfie to my friends almost immediately. My skin had never felt smoother or looked more radiant. I also noticed that my serums and moisturizers had soaked in fully overnight because my skin was more plump and elective in the morning and I didn't notice any extra greasiness or residue the next morning like I usually do! My eldest sister described it perfectly, "Facial look without the facial price!

HOW TO USE IT?

The Daily Superfoliant is designed to be used after your normal cleanser (used to remove your day's makeup and dirt, first). It comes as a charcoal sand texture and activates with water. I take about a half a teaspoon in my wet palms and add few drops of water to create a paste texture and apply it to my face and massage it onto my skin in a circular motion gently for about 1-2 minutes. The paste turns into a gentle white foam and exfoliants the dead cells and dirt from the surface of my skin. 

IS IT WORTH THE PRICE?

Totally! The 2 oz. bottle retails for $58. It may seem a little pricey for a face wash but after a month of use, it completely changed the texture and look of my skin completely and I cannot imagine my routine without it.  I still have so much left in the bottle, even after sharing it with my 2 sisters for a week! I go through a bottle of drugstore exfoliants ($8-10) in about a month. In the long run, for the results that it grants, the Dermalgica Superfoliant is more than worth it! At 23, I'm at a point where I am using anti-aging skincare and want to invest in my skin for the long run. My mom has always said "Spend your money in whatever you want but always make sure that you prioritize what you put in your body and on your body." If you want to try it out, before committing fully, you can get a 0.45oz bottle for $18!

30-DAY REVIEW

Happier that I have been before! It was truly the step in my skincare regimen that was missing this entire time! Everything else, such as my serums, eye creams, and moisturizers work better to their fullest potential now and my skin feels healthier than ever before. I have found myself skipping makeup most of the days and for that my skin has responded in less blackheads and clogged pores. I still break-out here and there, but that is normal. I can safely say the Dermalogica Superfoliant is the best product I have ever used to clean my skin!

I hope you found this helpful! I would seriously recommend the Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant to just about anyone that simply wants clean skin! You can get it on the Dermalogica website, Sephora, or Amazon.

Steve Madden Ecentrcq Dupes!

Hi Fashionistas! 

If you see me out, there is a 99% chance that you will find me wearing my Steve Madden black quilted slip-ons. I literally wear them every single day because they pretty much go with any look! I bought mine many months ago when Steve Madden first debuted them. I first saw them in the magazines and on Instagram and instantly became obsessed.

Now months later, I not only love them for the super cute style but for the comfort and versatility.

I will always recommend my Steven Madden pair to everyone because of the great quality and comfort but for a retail price of $60, they may not be the best option for everyone. So today, I wanted to share a few similar (almost identical) quilted slip-on styles that I found for less than half the price! Keep in mind that many of these stores, including Steve Madden, offer many different colors and finishes, but I am just sharing the black ones as those are the ones that I wear. 

Target $25 | Target $25 | Steve Madden $60 | Payless $20

I hope you find the perfect pair for you!! 

Happy 3rd Birthday To The College Catwalk!

Hi Everyone!

I cannot believe that it has already been 3 years! Where has the time gone?! I want to keep this short and sweet but I really wanted to do a post to thank you all for your support for these past few years! This "blog" would be nothing without you and all of the kind and encouraging words.  When I started this The College Catwalk, I did not even imagine how much happiness it would bring me! 

Today, I want to thank my friends for taking my pictures, always double tapping on the Instagram pictures, and waiting to eat so I could take the perfect brunch picture. I want to thank my family for believing in me and encouraging me to keep up The College Catwalk even when they secretly wanted me to put it on the side to ensure I would pass pharmacy school (lol don't lie, fam...I am sure that crossed your minds)! Lastly, I want to thank the many amazing companies that I have had the opportunity to collaborate with! It has been a true pleasure and has granted me with the opportunity to grow as a blogger and a person. 

Overall, you all are the best! I am so happy with what has come from this and it has truly been a blessing. One advice that I want to leave you off with is to do want you want and start today. Start it for the right reason and always believe in what you put out there. Numbers and followers will come and go, but the impression you put out in the world, will always stay. Be the best version of you, learn to say "no", but also learn to say "yes" to new opportunities. 

Thank you x a million! I love you guys!

 

Coffee Dates!

Happy Hump Day! 

I recently went on a coffee date with my sister in Kennet Square at a coffee shop called Philter last weekend and this outfit was perfect for the semi-chilly (but not too cold) morning. The suede booties were only $15, which was definitely a steal! 

Now for the bulk of the outfit, I scored both, the distressed jeans and the open-shoulder sweater, for under $15--TOGETHER! Forever 21 was having a crazy sale before President's Day and clothes were more than 65% off so I scored some awesome pieces for great prices! 

Outfit Details

Sweater: Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Chinese Laundry Booties: Burlington 

Earrings: Anoki Boutique(code:collegecatwalk20 for 20%off)

Definitely keep an eye out for Forever 21's deals before and around major holidays, they are the best! 

Radiant + Full Coverage Foundation

Hi Beauties!

I have always been a fan of matte foundations because of my oily skin, especially near my T-zone! The concept of having to touch up my makeup during the day sounds like a pain. I just want my foundation to set and stay set.

The past few months, due to the cold harsh weather, my skin has become so dry and chapped! If any of you don't know... dry chapped skin plus matte foundation is a horrible combination! I could always get the hydrating medium-coverage foundation to help with it but like many other college students, I rather just manipulate my foundation than buy a new one.

Today I want to share with you a foundation concoction that I have been whipping up for the past few months! As it covers all of my acne and scars underneath, I have been told that my skin looks healthy and radiant when I wear this foundation "formula."

Here is what you will need: 

Full-coverage matte foundation

Thick face moisturizer

An illuminator/cream highlight

Mix 2:1:1 of foundation, moisturizer, and an illuminator on the back of your hand. Combine the liquids and apply it to your face. I personally like to combine and apply using a beauty blender as it presses the foundation into my skin more flawlessly than a makeup brush. Once everything is covered, set your t-zone or any oily/creased areas with a translucent powder. The full-coverage foundation will give you the same complete coverage while the moisturizer and highlight will add the radiant factor.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if it works for you! :) 

Harry Potter Hoodie!

Hello Beautifuls!

Today I am wearing what I wear most...hoodies!! I swear, five days out of the week you can find me in a hoodie at some point. I just love how hoodies are considered to be so "in trend" now... like who would have ever thought? Whenever I am flipping through magazines or scrolling through Instagram, I see A-list celebs sporting the hoodie and sneaker look so often which is the complete opposite of what it used to be! 

TIP: Skim through the hoodies in the men section of stores like Forever 21 and H&M -- they are sometimes 100x cuter and 50x cheaper on sale! 

Today, I wanted to share one of my recent favorite hoodies -- Harry Potter inspired! I am absolutely obsessed! I went out to lunch a few blocks away from my apartment today and I got so many "nice sweatshirt" comments on the way. Casually I was like "Oh, thanks"and played it off cool...JK! Lets be honest--instead, I was like "Oh! Thanks! You NEED one in your life -- I got it from Romwe and it's a great deal, do you want me to spell that for you?!" I mean, if you are not a fan of the series -- I just cannot even....

HAHA! I get so excited (maybe too excited) when I can share my special finds with strangers so I definitely need to tell you guys first! You can get this awesome find (HERE) and they have so many colors! I just love the back which is personally my favorite feature of the hoodie. :) 

I hope you Harry Potter fans have a chance to snatch this hoodie up before it is gone! 

Valentine's Day Gift Guide!

Hi Ladies!

It is almost February which means that Valentine's day is only a few weeks away! Regardless of your relationship status, we all have ladies in our lives that deserve to be recognized every single day of the year whether it is your mom, sister, grandmother, or friend. This gift guide is compiled with gift ideas under $50! From that gorgeous statement classy cuff to Henri Bendel travel accessories, there is something for every leading gal on your list! 

UMBRELLA | BACKPACK | CUFF (code:collegecatwalk20) | SHIRT | BOOTS | EARRINGS | EYESHADOW | TRAVEL POUCHES

Hope you find a great gift on this list for your loved one or even yourself!

Duster Coats!

Hi Everyone!

Duster coats with a lapel front scream "classy and feminine". I absolutely love the trend and love it even more when it is combined with the year's "it color scheme", nudes!

When SheIn reached out to collaborate, I was over-the-moon ecstatic! This brand is a leading fashion retailer that offers high quality, stylish clothes, accessories, and shoes for great prices! If you see a new style trending on Instagram or in magazines, I bet you that SheIn will have it! They offer a wide selection of high style pieces at an affordable price + FREE shipping and as a college student, it does not get better than that!

Browsing through the SheIn website, I fell in love with this mauve duster coat! It was pretty much love at first site. It is perfect for the fall, winter, and early spring-time. You can dress it with black ripped jeans and white sneaks, thigh-high boots, or with heels like I did. Dress it up or dress it down, it works either way!

Coat: SheIn

Top: Forever 21

Jeans: Old Navy

Heels: Madden Girl

Necklace: Anoki Boutique (code: collegecatwalk20)

Purse: Primark

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Definitely check out SheIn's website for stylish pieces at affordable prices! 

A big thank you to SheIn for sponsoring this post but as always, the opinions are mine! 

Winter BFF: Tights!

Happy Hump Day!

The cold never stops me from wearing dresses and skirts. Year-round, I rarely wear a dress without tights, especially when I have to dress professional for lab and events at school. I have realized that in the past year, I have become obsessed with 2 things -- mugs and tights. It's like Pokemon -- gotta catch em' all!

During the warmer weather I wear sheer tights with most of my dresses and skirts if I am going to an event or class. However in the winter, I wear thick tights with all skirts and dresses, regardless of the occasion simply since it's so freakin' cold! I have realized that adding tights during the winter will make you look not only a little less crazy but a little more classy, too! These Berkshire tights were sent to me along with 2 other more sheer pairs, Shimmer Oqague and Trend. I absolutely love them and honestly have 5 more pairs in my drawer from J.C. Penny that I have accumulated since I started pharmacy school.

This outfit, without the plaid coat, could easily be a summer or spring look but the tights allowed me to dress winter appropriate with a feminine kick without having to pull out my sweater dresses. Don't get me wrong... I love sweater dresses but they just are not as fun!

Outfit Details

Coat - Forever 21 ($13 January 2016)

Top - Forever 21 ($8)

Skirt - Charlotte Russe ($6)

Boots- Sears 

Bracelet - Anoki ($12)

** Holy smokes! I did not realize how affordable this outfit until just now as I just typed that ^ up!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you are ever in need of a good pair of quality tights, I definitely recommend Berkshire! And don't forget, Forever 21 is having a great sale right now -- take advantage of it!

Winter Holidays in Philly!

Hi Everyone!

Happy 2017!

I am currently at  home away from school for winter break but I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Philadelphia to partake in the city's holiday festivities over the past few weeks! Like many cites, Philadelphia during the holidays is beautiful! The true nature of Philadelphia's "brotherly love" shines even brighter during the holidays. During the semester, even though I have been living in Philly for the past 3 years, I rarely get the chance to experience the holiday festivities to the fullest so this year I made it a priority!

The numerous events, fairs, and festivals occurring at this time of the year is absolutely great and I wanted to experience them all before school starts back up next week. The week before Christmas, my friends and I went to Dilworth Park's Christmas Village which surrounds Philadelphia's City Hall. It truly reminded me of what the holidays are all about and I genuinely felt the love and spirit.

The best part of these events are witnessing the non-Philadelphia residents travel up with their loved ones to enjoy the music, ice-skating, and local pop-up shops (...and I know it is weird but get excited when people ask me for directions for some reason)! Christmas Village had a little something for everyone including delicious hot chocolate, of course!

This very past weekend, I was in the city once again to ring in the new year with some of my dearest friends. During the day we frolicked through the city, induced a few food comas and went to Waterfront Winterfest at Penn's Landing! This area is incredibly beautiful, day and night! Winterfest is everything that you would expect from the name! It has a cabin vibe with faux cabins, fire-pits, marshmallow roasting, iceskating, and an area that serves food and hot beverages all day! Winterfest is open till March, so definitely check it out if you have not yet done so!

I hope you all get the opportunity to experience the great holiday festivities that are in your town/city!  If you are near Philadelphia, definitely check out Christmas Village, Winterfest, and Franklin Square at this time of the year!