Author: JulissaRamirez

The One Thing Every Girl Needs in Her Closet

We all have those days when we wake up late and scramble to find a decent looking outfit for school or work. Or when we look through our closet full of clothes, yet, just don’t feel anything that’s in there. There are even days when we want to look dressed, but don’t want to wear a skirt, dress or pair of heels.

I have realized that in the midst of these days, there is hope. There is a cure for the days when you are battling between laziness and fashionable and that is a pair of printed bottoms.

I have always been a fan of printed bottoms and a plain top—and that is for any event. This duo can work for comfy/casual days where you just want to throw on a pair of sneakers. It could also go for a night when you want to go out to a party. A pair of floral bottoms along with a plain, black top is always a go-to. Or ever go out on a Friday or Saturday night and have work the next morning? Or are you running a little late for the office so you need to quickly throw something on? Black and white have always been the way to go for professional attire and this can work with your printed bottoms as well. Dark printed bottoms along with a white top are perfect for any day at work and of course, is so easy to pair up and throw on. You can wear simple flats or sandals and if the job requires something more professional, heels can easily be added and upgrade the outfit.

Of course, there are different patterns that best suit different occasions, but overall printed bottoms can save your day, no matter what the situation is. A rule of thumb I would definitely go by is to stick with simple, black and white patterns for work (if your job can be stick on attire) and every other pattern for school, a party or event. But wherever you are going, there is a pair of bottoms for you.

So rack up! Whenever you go to the store, always be up for a pair of printed bottoms because we all know we will encounter a day when outfits just aren’t working out for us. And when our wonderful, printed bottoms save our lives for the day, let our Fashionista/o know in the comments below.

Where were you going? What pattern did your bottoms have? Where did you get them? And how was your life saved for the day? We all want to know!

Beauty Routines For Summer Selfie Season

As the school year comes to an end and everyone is getting ready for the summer, we have more time to hang out at the beach, go to music festivals and stay out late without the worries of an assignment being due the next day. All of the events that we have planned out for the next few months are exciting, but what about what we have planned for our skin?

For the summer, we must consider things such as SPF, tanning, and different makeup routines. Although figuring out what works best for you can be a bit intimidating, I have asked a few Fashionistas for their skin care routines or any rule they always follow by.

Brittany Cuellar, Dry Skin
“My daily skincare routine consists of washing my face twice a day once in the morning when I wake up and once before I go to sleep. I use either just regular Dove soap or clean and clear blackhead eraser scrub (I switch off between them both). I do not sleep with any makeup on, and every time after I wash my face, I use Olay complete moisturizer which has SPF 15 in it.”

Yvonne Njoku, Oily Skin
“If there is one thing that I can say never EVER to do is to sleep with makeup. No matter how exhausted I was the night before, I always regret it in the morning.”

Vanesa Coger, Combination Skin
“I like to give myself a facial mask two to three times a week with Freeman’s Avocado and Oatmeal clay mask. It works wonders and smells so good too. After that, I put on Philosophy’s Renewed Hope in a Jar moisturizer, guarantee moisture throughout the day. I don’t always wear makeup, but if I don’t want look like I just rolled out of bed, I’ll put on some mascara (Urban Decay Perversion), eyeliner (Kat Von D tattoo eyeliner), and lipgloss or liptint (from Sephora or Colorpop). It gives me a long lasting glow and it takes no longer than 30 minutes.

Everyone has different routines or rules to follow by, but asking a friend and comparing tips could be a great way to find out what works best for you. A few more tips could be to always wash your face—before wearing any makeup—with a soft cleanser that won’t be too harsh onto the skin and a light moisturizer with SPF in it. Something to always keep in mind are face masks just to hydrate the skin and keep it healthy. Since sweating has a major impact on our makeup, wearing less makeup could be a huge help. An all time favorite is wearing a BB Cream or tinted moisturizer. By focusing less on makeup and more on skin care routines, the summertime could be the time to embrace the skin you’re in.Tell us your summer beauty routin@carsongarc

Let us know in the comments below or share your look and tag @CFashionista !

STYLE ADVICE: Bringing the Heat

In the midst of wearing sneakers and trench coats, I have found a Fashionista on campus who is all about being a little bold when it comes to getting ready for class. This Fashionista is bringing heat from head to toe with her bright red bomber jacket along with her flaming, red hot chili pepper jeans. She has matched each piece of clothing along with another—from her red bomber jacket to complement her hand painted flames to her black top to match her black booties. All our edgy Fashionista needs is a pair of sunglasses to finish off this situation.

Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to switch up your style when you are so comfortable with your typical clothing, but what if we break this outfit down? The pieces that make up this outfit can be found in our own closets: a plain black top, pair of blue jeans and a simple pair of boots. It is only the repetition in color between the bomber jacket and flames in the jeans that make this outfit really stand out. Yes, the pair of jeans have flames painted on them(unfortunately, not all of us have the same artistic ability as this fashionista), but let’s try to mix and match a couple of things.

Sample out the blue jeans for a pair of black jeans. As we all know, you can never go wrong with all black. So, let’s say we have black jeans along with the black top and booties—this outfit would still be straight fire with the red bomber jacket. I would also say, if you were willing enough, to create a small tear in the jeans where your knees would show to add a bit more edginess to the outfit.

It’s all about creativity.

Now, what if the bomber jacket was a different color, like green? We could style this Fashionista with the same basic, black pieces, except maybe with red lipstick or red shoes for some contrast. I know, I know, red lipstick might sound a bit bold, but don’t forget, we’re trying to go big here.

As we see with these different ideas, creativity is key. Mixing different pieces of clothing results in different looks. For example, if the jeans did not have flames on them, but were plain jeans, there would not have been such a statement. If this Fashionista had on a black bomber jacket, but bright red lipstick, there would be a different level of boldness as well.

It is simply the combination of pieces of clothing along with how confident you wear your outfit that can really bring the heat onto campus. This Fashionista lit hers up with edginess and did not care to show it, which should inspire us all to be bold and get creative this season.

STYLE ADVICE: Balling on a Budget

After the holidays and with spring semester’s term bill coming up, students can agree that their bank accounts are not looking so nice. All the christmas gifts, holiday sales, and saving up for books for the new semester can take a toll on how much you spend in the new year.

With this in mind, minimal outfits may be be something you would want to try out when shopping. A simple coat, jeans, and some sneakers can come together when there is consistency and a bit of color.

As I was shopping, I ran into a Fashionista who was following this idea. She remains consistent with her choice of color in her top and sneakers, then adds a pop of color with her long trench coat.

Her choices of clothing are basic: black turtleneck, blue jeans, black sneakers, and a coat. These pieces can be mixed and matched with other colored coats, or the outfit could be made with the same coat but perhaps with a grey top and shoes. Black goes with everything, so adding this turtleneck or pair of sneakers with other pants and coats can be pretty easy. With it being winter, wearing a scarf or hat that remains a consistent with the color scheme could add to the outfit as well. Here is a basic outfit for going to class or out with friends that is easy to put together and comfortable to wear around all day.

When you decide to do a bit of shopping while on a budget, keep neutral colors and basics pieces in mind and think about whether or not these pieces can go with a few other things in your closet.

STYLE GURU BIO: Julissa Ramirez

Hey loves! My name is Julissa Ramirez, and this is my very first semester here at CollegeFashionista. I am a sophomore at Rutgers University. I was originally a journalism and media studies major, but I have become a bit motivated over the summer and decided to double major and double minor. I am adding on Spanish as a second major while double minoring in Latino/Caribbean studies, and digital communication and information media.

Something about me is that I am all about women empowerment and loving yourself for who you are. I believe CollegeFashionista is such a great opportunity to get to meet new people and show others how your embrace your own creativity, style, and of course, love for fashion. I have really big, curly hair, and even though I used to hate it, I have grown to love it. Because of that, I try to dedicate myself to help others see their worth, throw away their insecurities, and reach their potential.

I would say that my style has a pretty wide range. Some days I will wear a skirt with booties and a blouse, while the next day I will wear sneakers, jeans, and a graphic T-shirt. When I am not lazy getting dressed in the morning, I like to try different looks while still making sure it is comfortable and fits my style. Although I take pleasure in switching up my outfits each day, something that remains constant is the simplicity throughout my outfits. I have never been the one to wear a lot of jewelry or have a lot going on with my outfits, hence besides layering different items, I go for the idea of less is more.

In this outfit, I am wearing a black top and jeans along with a denim shirt and black boots. Whenever I go out, I like to wear one color then add another with only one piece of clothing. Whether the pop of color come through my shoes, jacket, or accessories, it is something I like to do on a regular basis when I am going to class.

Thank you guys for getting to know more about me and I hope you all enjoy my tips and tricks this semester.