UniversiTee Box Review!

Hi Fashionistas!

Whoever came up with the idea of subscription box services is a genius! I love how I can receive monthly gifts without leaving the house! With an intense love for beauty and fashion subscription boxes, I was super stoked when I heard about UniversiTee Box!

UniversiTee Box is a monthly subscription service curated specially for women in college! I immediately respected this company when I heard what they stand for because I mean c'mon, they encompass everything I started the blog for - empowerment through fashion and education!

Okay, so let us get into the details of service before I begin to gush about the February box that I received...

Each month, UniversiTee Box sends a beautifully decorated and packaged box with a bunch of goodies! You have the option to subscribe for one of the three options (each option encompasses the same theme but has a different number of goodies in them) :
- The Bauble Box - $16.95/month
- The Duo Box - $28.95/month
- The Alumna Box - $34.95/month

I went for the Alumna Box! 

Each box, regardless of the size, contains a shirt (duh, its in the name), an affirmation card, jewelry pieces, and lifestyle items. The larger the box, the more items you recieve. The shirts are different and super chic each month and have an empowering message on them! The affirmation card has to be my one of my favorite items in the box though as it is frame-ready which makes it the best morning inspiration and decor!

An awesome feature about this company is that they will let you subscribe month to month so you don't have to dedicate yourself or your wallet to a long subscription. This makes it super convenient to give as a gift to your favorite college girl, or actually any girl - my sister thought it was the cutest box and she has been out of college for eons (lol jk, sista)!

My Box:

The month of February was all about loving yourself. I received an awesome shirt that said "Love Thy Selfie", affirmation card that read "Fall In Love With Your Selfie First", a bold statement necklace, two rings, two bracelets, a bath balm, and the cutest note from the creator of UniversiTee Box. I was overwhelmed with all of the items I received and you will be too considering the low price you pay for it!

If you are looking for a new subscription service, definitely check them out on their website! You will not be disappointed! 

Lace Up Tops!

Hi Fashionistas!

We have a new trend taking over the stores right now. A few months ago, the buttoned-up corduroy skirts were taking over and today it is the lace up or tie up tops! I will bet you your college tuition that there are at least 30 fashion bloggers styling them on Instagram everyday!

Side thought: Truthfully, there are probably more but since this is a pretty big bet so I'm just going to say 30 lol!

These tops look super delicate and classy! The detailing with the strings are enough to make a fashion statement and take over the entire look. As per usual, just like all new trendy items, these shirts are being sold at an array of prices at various stores. To help you find a cute yet affordable one, I have complied a list with few of my favorites!

ONE - $39 | TWO - $29 | THREE - $20 | FOUR - $39 | FIVE - $20 | SIX - $16 | SEVEN - $25

I have the prices listed out for you so you can efficiently shop based on your budget. My personal favorites are THREE and FOUR. The light colors scream spring and with a pair of high waisted jeans - the look would be complete! Which ones are your favorites? 

DIY: At-Home Full Blown Manicures!

Hello there!

I hope you pretty gals are having a fabulous day and that the weather wherever you live is currently beautiful like it is here in Philly. Now, I know that it will not stay for long but a girl can only hope!

Fortunately, I get to escape to the sunshine state for spring break next week to visit my sister! Preparing for the break, I have noticed that I have at least 2 friends getting their nails done at salon every day this week. However, I also noticed that 50% of those friends come back regretting their decision and furious about the money they wasted for a poor nail job. Been there, done that and I feel for them but this is also why I like to maintain and do my nails at home.

In some areas, you can get nails done for $15, which is an awesome deal! However, in my area it is so hard to find a clean place for a decent price.

Disclaimer: I, by no means, have beautiful nails. I bite my nails when I get nervous/anxious, I have nails to define the word "stumpy", and I have no future or chance to pursue my dream of becoming a hand model!

Anyway here are some tips on how I achieve an easy manicure for a fraction of the cost.

1. Invest in proper nail tools
Proper nail tools are worth it, invest in them now so you won't have to dish out the $30 for a mediocre manicure at the nail salon.

2. Cuticles
Cuticles are necessary. You do not want to cut them to short or deeps as they protect us from bacteria, infections, and overall nastiness. Remove them properly for that polished and elongated nail look.

After taking off your old nailpolish:
- Wash your hands to remove the acetone residue
- Apply cuticle oil on to your cuticles
- Wait 30 seconds so your cuticles soften
- Push your cuticles pack and up with a fingernail
(I use my fingernails instead of a cuticle removing tool for steady control and safety)
- Clip off the cuticles with a cuticle clipper (the scissors are not my favorite)

3. Scrub
This is my favorite step! Dead skin clings onto nails even after cuticle removing. The best way to wash away the dead skin, cuticle debris, and chemicals is to use a scrub. You can use a body scrub, nail scrub, or even a face scrub like the St. Ives Apricot scrub. Massage the scrub into your hands and nails gently and rinse. Your hands and nails will look bright and clean after this step.

4. Apply in the proper steps.
By this time your nails should look clean, healthy, and be freshly cut (nails and cuticles). Remember to apply your favorite nailpolish only after a base coat (one to preferably fill in the ridges) and before a top coat (preferably one that is rapid drying and chip-resistant).

5. Adequate drying time.
Proper nail drying takes at least 15 minutes. Most people only wait 5-10 minutes. If you want your polish to look smooth and smudge-free, wait the 15 minutes before doing anything drastic.

Now that is it! I call this a full-blown manicure because if you follow these steps exactly, you will feel pampered and luxurious by the end of it and your paint-job will look like a professional did it (and your wallet won't be crying)! 

Meet My NEW $6 Primer!

Hi Beauties! 

If you have been following the YouTube beauty gurus recently, you know where this post is going...

I want to shout from the tallest building in the world to tell everyone about my new primer - the Nivea for Men Post Shave Balm. Yup, you read right! 

I don't know why or how, all I know is that it works and the lasting power and finishing are fantastic! I saw videos of bloggers comparing it to well known primers such as Makeup Forever and Smashbox so I decided to do it myself to see it with my own eyes.

For two days, I wore my ex-favorite Makeup Forever primer on one side of my face and the Nivea on the other. I was blown away with the results- the Nivea looked just as well as the Makeup Forever side! When I compared the Nivea to the Smashbox primer, the Nivea looked even better! 

I have been using it since for 6 weeks now and I definitely do not see myself going back to the other primers for three reasons -- it's WAY cheaper, smells like cologne (only for a bit), and is perfect for sensitive skin! 

Try to get your hands on it the next time you are at the drugstore and save your friends some money too by letting them know! 

Happy Galentine's Day!

Happy Galentine's Day!

I hope you are staying warm this month! Here in Philadelphia, I am currently dreading the weather every morning. Who knew the cold could make one cry for their momma? I surely did not!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my Valentine's Day "themed" outfit. I am a girl that loves all things pink and chic so the coat/boots combo definitely spoke to me! Both the coat and boots have a great backstory to them but let's first start with the boots.

Ever since the chilly weather arrived back in fall, I had my eyes on the Stuart Weitzman "Highland" boots but with an $800 price tag you weren't going to catch me dead in them! However I wasn't sad for too long. My sister found these Steve Madden "Gorgeous" boots that look exactly like the Stuart Weitzman's but are for a fraction of the cost! When I go them, I was honestly the happiest person on this planet, everyone was wearing over the knee boots and I was kind of feeling left out, lol!

When I first opened the boots, I obviously started to model in them (don't worry, I was strutting privately in my room) and I could not help but image them with a mini dress and a long coat. A few days passed and I went to Forever to find a plaid printed coat but as I was shifting through the racks, this pink coat caught my eyes. I had seen it before on the website and I just loved the length and the color.

In my mind, I was like "You do not need anymore coats....but eh, just try it on." I was so thankful that I did because not only did I love it more, it was only $14.99! Yes, you read right, only $14.99! On the website, it was priced for 4x the price so this was definitely a sign that I needed to snag it! Anyway enough of the recaps, here is my Valentine's day outfit today! The purse is from Primark and the bracelet is Loren Hope. :)

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Stay warm and spread love! 

How To Save $ In College!

Hi Fashionistas! 

This is a post that I have been wanting to do for a very long time, especially for my new to college readers! 

After high school, everyone says that you have now entered the “college life” and that these will be the best four years of your life! I quickly realized that they were right, college years are the best years of your life! You have the opportunity to pursue your passion, make lifelong friends, gain new experiences, and create lasting memories. However, all that comes with a PRICE and no, I do not mean stress, tears, and sleepless nights, I mean actual money! Doing everything you want to do on a college budget is one of the hardest tasks when you enter the college. You will be forced to stretch a dollar to the maximum due to the endless tuition bills, books, and cost of living. However, I have provided a few tips that can help you save and make money during your years in college!

Sell Your Books!

This is the easiest way to make back the money you spent on your books! Textbooks are expensive and sometimes you don’t even need the books for more than one assignment (which is super frustrating).  It can be tempting to throw them away or stash them far inside your closet after the semester ends. However, you should sell them! You can get 80-90% of what you paid. Students are usually willing to buy a slightly used textbook from a student for $80 instead of buying one from the bookstore for $100.

Buy Your Books, Smart!

If you can, avoid the bookstores! Don’t procrastinate and as soon as the textbook lists are posted, go online and search! I use the following websites to find my textbooks for 50-60% less than the retail value. You can buy them or save even more by renting!

Buy: abebooks.com

Rent/Buy: Amazon.com or Chegg.com

Ebates!

It is a cash back website with absolutely no hidden fees or gimmicks! Ebates is free to join and use. When you sign up, you'll find the latest deals, coupons, promotions, and a specific cash back percentage for each store. These stores include Nordstrom, Sephora, American Eagle, Target, Amazon, Groupon, and the list goes on and on. Just search the store's website through the Ebates.com, shop as you normally would and when you buy something, you will earn cash back in your Ebates account!

Ebates accumulates your cash back money and sends you a check every three months. I always go through Ebates before buying anything! During the holiday season, I received a $60 check from them in the mail!

Campus Jobs!

Campus jobs are the easiest and most convenient jobs to get. They understand that you are in school and give you hours based on your schedule. There are so many jobs where you can even study or do homework while working, such as a desk attendant at the libraries or dorms!

Happy Hours!

College towns have some of the best (yet expensive) restaurants! If you and your friends are on a budget but want to try out the great food, go during happy hour! Restaurants offer the same quality food for reduced prices. This way you can get the most bang for your buck!

Fashionista On A Budget!  

If you follow my blog, you know that I am obsessed with Marshalls! In my outfit posts, I wear at least one or two things from Marshalls or their sister store, TJ Maxx. They stock the latest trends and great brands for amazing prices compared to the department stores.  The quality is usually great and the clothing is not crazily massed produced like stores like Forever 21, so you are bound to stand out!

Student Discounts!

There are numerous restaurants and stores that provide a student discount. You may have to ask your favorite store as the discount is not always advertised to the community. Search on Google frequently. 

http://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/student-discounts

Speak to Your Financial Aid!

Do not wait for scholarships to come to you, look for them! When scholarships are publicly advertised in your school, the whole student body receives the email and you have competition. Ask your financial advisor to let you know about private and public scholarships as soon as they are released! There is so much money year after year that is left untouched!

I hope these tips will come in handy during your college years! Make sure you study hard so you can play hard! Education is priceless!

I hope you find some of these tips useful! 

Splurge VS. Steal: M2Malletier & Forever 21!

Hi Fashionistas!

Whenever I find a dupe for a luxury item, I need to share it with the world. I do not care if you want to know or not, I will let you know even if you're not in the market for it. I just cannot keep my mouth shut! So many affordable brands are bringing us closer to high-end fashion by mimicking the designs. Now in no way am I insisting you always buy the dupes, you should splurge a little and treat yourself, but in college, ain't nobody got the time (or money) for that! Also, when I say dupes, I DO NOT mean counterfeit items that you find from vendors on the streets. These are legit items from reputable stores that resemble the real luxury inspiration.

Today, I want to talk about the M2Malletier La Fleur Du Mal clutch. When I first saw this bag, I instantly fell in love. It looked completely funky and odd but I think that was what I loved about it! It wasn't your basic cross-body or tote, it had a freakin gold bar attached to it!

Unfortunately, the closest I have gotten to owning it was in my dreams! However a few days ago, I was casually browsing the accessories section when I saw a bag that resembled nothing other than the La Fleur Du Mal clutch. It did not look quite as "high-end" as the real thing but for $25 I thought it was a crazy steal!

I'm not going to lie, I still like the real thing from M2Malletier (HERE) a whole lot better but if you love the funky yet classy design but cannot afford the price tag, go for the Forever one (HERE) ...like why not?

I hope you enjoyed the post! Cannot wait to share my next Splurge VS. Steal with y'all! 

Beauty Chit Chat: Say Bye-Bye to Raccoon Eyes!

#14

♥How can I stop my eyeliner from breaking?
Eyeliners and lipliners are so frustrating to work with when they break and leave you with a stubby point. It's like a regular number 2 pencil... no one wants to use a dull one! If this happens to you a lot, put your pencils in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to applying. This will help prevent it from breaking on you in the middle of a cat-eye masterpiece.

♥What eye shadow colors are the best for dark skins?
This question is a bit hard. I have seen extremely talented make-up artists use the craziest colors on their eyes and still look flawless. I love doing make-up but one thing I never mess with is eyeshadow--it requires too much patience from me! My best advice is to use deep burgundies, plums, and copper tones for an understated look to complement your warm skin tone. If you are feeling a bit on the adventurous side, definitely play around with neon brights such as electric blues and purples!

♥How can I prevent my wing eyeliner from smudging?
This is so common! It is so easy to go from fierce to a raccoon throughout the day. If I am going to a special event or a party where I know I will sweat a bit, I like to line the top and bottom of my wing with concealer. It will take a few extra minutes but it is totally worth it! Apply some on a thin brush and sweep it underneath and above your wing, it acts like a lipliner for your eyes.

I hope these tips were helpful today! 

DIY: Affordable Wall Art!

Hi Friends!

I'm obsessed with DIY projects. I may be too lazy to do them all but I love watching videos and pictorials on them. During the summer and winter breaks, I love the late night Netflix and DIY sessions. I have been into making canvases for the past year and my apartment bedroom is full of them! I literally have seven hanging up on the walls of my little room and two outside in the living area.

With temporary apartments it is so difficult to decorate when your lease/contract does not allow you to do certain things and to be honest, it's not completely worth the money for one or two years...definitely not on a college budget!

An easy way to spice up any room is by displaying wall art whether it is pictures, canvases, or random frames with prints. Prints from Etsy or Amazon can cost you anywhere from $7-$25, but why pay that when you can DIY them yourself in under 10 minutes and for only $2!

You will need:

Photo printing paper

Printer

Frames

Pinterest

How To:

1.) Go on Pinterest.com and find a print you love (quotes, pictures, patterns, anything)
2.) Save the picture onto your desktop
3.) Resize the image to fit your chosen frame. I resized all of mine to 8 in. X 11.5 in. You can even alter the sharpness, color, and tone of your image at this step.
4.) Print the image onto photo paper and pop it into your frame!

I bought certificate frames from A.C. Moore which I later found at the Dollar Store for only a $1. The simplicity of the certificate frames is nice because it allows the print to shine and stand out. The best thing about this particular DIY is that I can change the print at anytime. I am so indecisive and grow bored of decor very quickly so I can now theme my living area according to my mood, occasion, and any holiday!

Hope you recreate your own! Have a great day! 

The Winter Blues...!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all a wonderful holiday! I desperately needed this break from school! I was able to spend great quality time with all my friends and family which felt necessary after the fall semester rollercoaster. I will be heading back to school in a few days and the craziness will once again begin. However, I know a nice degree will come at the end of it all so I have to keep reminding myself that "Punam you gotta do whatcha gotta do". 

For New Years, my cousin came to visit from North Carolina. She is a year older than me but we used to spend almost every single holiday together when we were younger. However, now as we are older and with her also being in pharmacy school, our conflicting schedules for the past 4 years made it so difficult to spend the New Years together. I am very thankful that it all worked out this year! 

She always comes up to my family home so this time I wanted to show her around the wonderful city of Philadelphia where I go to school. We celebrated New Years up there and did touristy things such as eat, see the Liberty Bell, eat some more, Love Park, eat until we couldn't fit into our pants, and go to Magic Gardens!

With the temps in the low 20s on our way to Magic Gardens it was a serious hassle to doll up and look cute. Thankfully when I opened my suitcase, I saw that I had packed my blue coat and a faux fur stool. This winter, colored coats inspired by men's blazers are very popular and luckily, if you head over to your Forever 21right now, there should be a huge selection on dramatic clearance. I bought this coat, amongst others, for only $14.99! With the holidays over with, stores are trying to get rid of the pre-Thanksgiving stock.

For the rest of the outfit, I wore a matching baby blue shirt and two basic leggings, yes two -- double up girls before your legs fall off. To cover my neck, ears, and mouth when I was walking, I wore the faux fur stool which I now probably owe my life to--it was incredibly warm! All in all, bundling up warm served to my advantage as the "garden" was outdoors. If you are ever in the area, you MUST visit, it was absolutely gorgeous and the artist Isaiah Zagar is extraordinary talented!  

I hope you enjoyed this post! Have a great 2016!