Closet Essentials Summer Edition: The Dreaded Swimming Suit

Hey Beauties!

For my next few Closet Essential posts, I want to discuss essentials for summer. I thought there was no better way than to begin with the essential we love, but hate: The bathing suit.

Truth be told, most people aren't too thrilled at the idea of bathing suit shopping. Who can blame them? You are now going to be showing off parts of your body that are generally covered up by clothing. We get insecure about scars, cellulite, skin tone, etc. Not to mention, the shopping experience can be a little rough on the self esteem (um, hello stupidly bright lights that give EVERYONE cellulite). Today I want to talk about finding a good suit for your body that is cute, and makes you feel good about yourself.

Just like jeans, there are many different styles of swimming suits, and not one style looks good on everyone. When shopping, you have to consider your body type, as well as your personal style. My general advice is to make sure that the suit is not too loose, and is not squeezing anything too tightly. Have bigger breasts? Look for tops with more support. Girls with smaller breasts can better pull of badeau tops, etc. Embarrassed by your tummy? Tankinis are great options. Seventeen Magazine has tons of great content about finding the perfect suit, and feeling good about it! Start by taking the bathing suit quiz: http://www.seventeen.com/fun/quizzes/fashion/bathing-suit-quiz?click=main_sr

Something to keep in mind: nobody and no body is perfect. Everyone has flaws, and your probably your own worst critic. The most simple way to look great in a bathing suit? Confidence. Even if you don't believe it at first, just keep telling yourself that you're the hottest girl on the beach. When you appear confident, others will think you look great, too. Remember to have fun. The whole reason you got a bathing suit was to swim and do other fun activities, right? :)

X's and O's,
Amanda

Getting Ready: Time Savers

Hello Gorgeouses!

One of my favorite parts of every day is getting ready. Getting ready is thereputic for me and I really enjoy it. But like alot of people, I don't always have alot of time to spend getting ready for the day. That doesn't mean you have to comprimise looking great! Here are a few of my tips to save you time getting ready, without sacrificing the glamor!

1.Plan your outfit in advance. Sounds pretty obvious, right? But alot of us spend so much time trying to decide what to wear when we are getting ready. My advice is to pick your clothes out the day before, so you just have to throw your clothes on and go! Set the outfit and accessories out so you don't forget anything. Another piece of clothing advice? Have a few go-to looks, and ditch things you don't feel great in. Having a few go-to looks for a variety of occassions will give you an option when all else fails. Go to options should make you feel confident. Sometimes when I am getting ready, I avoid clothes that I percieve to make me look "fat". I would spend time going through your wardrobe, and get rid of anything that you aren't 100% confident in. That way, you'll only own clothes that make you feel beautiful.

2.Practice with your hair. Spend time on a weekend or lazy afternoon practicing some fast, yet stylish hairstyles for your hair. Look up youtube tutorials, etc and get 3 or 4 hairstyles down that you can do in just a few minutes. This way, when you're running late, you just have to pick one!

3. Practice with your makeup. Like your hair, get a few quick makeup looks down that can be done in a flash, or on the go. Usually fast makeup is more natural, but if your daily routine is a little more complex, you can still do it fast. The more you do a routine, the quicker you become.

4. Shower the night before. Most people I know take their showers in the mornings. I have always been an evening showerer, and it saves alot of time. I also feel like it is more hygenic. If you're out and about all day long, working out, etc., waiting until morning to shower is...gross in my opinion. Think about it: you are sleeping in your own ickyness. Showering the night before also saves time. You don't have to wake up extra early to shower and then blowdry your hair, etc. You can either sleep in, or use time you would normally shower to get fancier with your hair or makeup.

I know. All of this is so obvious, but so many people don't consider these things! Trust me, they have saved me more than once! :)

X's and O's,
Amanda

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder.

Hello Hello! :)
First off, I want to apologize for not updating in a few days. My flights to Germany were all delayed, and I am horribly jet lagged. All things aside, I am finally here, and my adventure begins!:)

There's a topic that has been brought to my attention alot recently, and I've been feeling it alot as well. So I wanted to ask you guys: are you 100% happy with your looks?
If you answered yes... i'm going to go out on a limb and say that's probably not 100% true. Sure, many of you are probably happy with your appearance, but we all have things about ourselves that we consider to be flaws. For example, I have very short legs. I have always wished for them to be longer and leaner. I am also self concious because I am very busty, and I think that it makes me look top heavy in photos. I have never spoken to a person who loves every single inch of themselves. We all have aspects of ourselves that we wish we could change, or that they would disappear. I have been kind of depressed about my body lately, wishing I could be thinner, more attractive, etc.

Then, reality hit me. This is the body that god gave me. This is the body I am going to have for the rest of my life, and if I don't begin to love and accept it, my life is going to be miserable. I started to put things into perspective. I wish to be thinner, but the reality is, I am at a healthy weight, and I wear medium sized clothing. I have a gorgeous boyfriend who thinks the same of me. So why do I end up feeling so insecure about my looks?

We all know that models and actresses are airbrushed a thousand times over before their photos grace the pages of magazines. Actresses spend hours in makeup before appearing on camera. They all look flawless. Their skin is perfect, their hair is glossy, their smiles are perfectly white, they don't have a hint of cellulite or fat, their nails are perfectly manicured, their outfits perfect. But even though we know that they undergo hours of makeup and airbrushing, we tend to forget and compare ourselves to them anyways. We even see real life people who we perceive to be more attractive then ourselves, and endlessly compare ourselves. Comparing yourself is one of the most destructive things you can do to yourself. When you do, you are only making yourself feel down, and ruining your own confidence. You are also forgetting that the person you think is so flawless has things about him or herself that they feel insecure about.

Like I mentioned before, you better make peace with yourself, because there is only one of you, and you're stuck in your body forever. Having confidence and loving yourself is beautiful. There is also beauty in personality. Maybe your tummy isn't so flat, but you are the most forgiving person in the world. Maybe your skin isn't perfect, but you enjoy helping others. Just because you will never be a supermodel does not mean you aren't beautiful. The most beautiful girl in the world who is also selfish and mean, has an ugly heart.

So instead of comapring ourselves to others and moping around about our looks, start finding things about yourself that you love and focus on those things. Surround yourself with people who love you for you, and remember that confidence is the most beautiful thing in the world. Underneath a beautiful person, is a beautiful heart. What makes you feel beautiful?
X's and O's,
Amanda