Nail Polish Combinations

For those of you who know me, you probably know that I primarily wear black, white and beige clothing. My nails are usually some variation of nude or light pink (Fashion by Deborah Lippmann is one of my all time favorite shades). Boring? Maybe. But I love neutral colors. In my opinion, they are just so chic. Plus, it is easy to mix patterns and textures when you're in all black and white. It's a win-win, right?

Not always. I've been really into splashes of color recently. Whether it's a brightly colored headband or an unexpected bracelet, a hint of something bright completely changes an outfit for the better. My latest color experiment? Nail polish. Here are some of my favorite combinations for hands and toes.

Nail Polish Combinations by prosepearlspolkadots

Teal Glitter + Grey | It's like a Tiffany's box on your nails, all the time. Audrey Hepburn would approve.

Black Multi Glitter + Dark Berry | I love pulling the berry color out of the glitter and highlighting it- looks so cute!

Gold Glitter + Bubblegum | Pink and gold always look sweet together. Pair with a pearl bracelet for the ultimate girly combination.

Pink Glitter + Nude | This is probably my stepping stone from all nude nails to just some nude. The sparkly pink is still girly and goes with basically everything (except red, but I seriously own one article of red clothing).

Silver Glitter + Camel | This combination is so elegant. Layering the silver over the camel would look amazing too. 

Bronze + Peacock | I use this combination in make up all the time to bring out blue eyes. Because bronze has orange undertones (complementary to blue), the colors pop when they are near each other.

Happy painting!

xoxo

What's In My Bag? College Edition

A picture of my school bag and scarf! Woo!

Over the summer, I wrote a post titled "What's in My Bag" while I was traveling through Europe. I love really personal posts like this because I think what a person carries in their bag says a lot about them. So, without further ado, here's what is in my schoolbag, complete with links and pictures.

Day Planner

I use a black Moleskine 18 Month Weekly Notebook as a planner. It's small, light and durable while having all of the features I like about a planner. The left pages of the planner are the weeks with blank spaces to write appointments and the right side is simply ruled. I write my appointments/meetings/blog post ideas on the left side and my daily to do lists (mostly homework) on the right.

Essentials Pouch

This has everything I could need in a pinch- from breath mints to earbuds to sticky notes, it's all in my "essentials pouch." Read a detailed post here.

Pencil Pouch

Pens, pencils and highlighters are all in this adorable pouch with my sorority letters on it (Mine is sort of similar to the one pictured above. Shop cute sorority gear here). 

Folder

I keep one folder for loose handouts (I clean this out at the end of every week and sort things into paper trays) that I get during class. I love using plastic Five Star Stay Put folders that don't tear easily.

Notebooks

I always have at least one notebook in here. I like medium-sized leather journals as I think they fit better in my bag.

Macbook Air

I absolutely am one of those crazy people who lugs their laptop around everywhere. Thankfully I have an 11-inch MacBook air (it's tiny and weighs under 2 pounds). I actually think it might be lighter than my notebooks.

Wallet

I also take my black Epi Leather wallet around with me everywhere. It was originally my mom's but it is seriously the perfect size for any bag. I find myself changing bags a lot (crossbodys on the weekends, woo!) so it's nice not to have to switch from a large wallet to small wallet. It also forces me to throw away or organize my receipts rather than hoard them.

iPhone 5

I love my iPhone 5, so it's always in my bag (with a charger!) in it's hot pink Kate Spade New York 'key pad' case. I love the Kate spade hybrid cases because they protect my phone well yet aren't too bulky and feature adorable designs.

What's in your bag?

xoxo

Writing a Resume

Lately, I've been applying for a lot of different things- internships, study abroad programs, campus organizations, etc. - that require a resume. I've always kept an updated resume on hand but I always wanted it to look more serious and read more professionally. So over the last month, I've been tweaking things until I got it just how I wanted it.  Here are my tips for writing a great resume and some cool designs to inspire you.

Resume Tips

You'll need to include some basic information about yourself. This includes: full name, email address, website (if applicable), mailing address, phone number. You can also include a head shot if possible (I don't do this, but some applications require one). Then list your education. Just list college and graduate school, unless your high school has a great alumni network, and then list that too. Next, you can write a personal statement or objective that "sums you up" in a sentence or two. I only include this when I'm not writing an additional cover letter. Think of a personal statement as an "elevator pitch," meaning what you would say to convince employers to hire you if you could only talk to them 90 seconds (the length of an elevator ride). Next, list your work experience and awards/distinctions. List these in order of importance, not necessarily by date. Important information to include here are the official title of the job/award, a brief description, the date and the organization/company. Then, list your skills. Proficient in photoshop? Microsoft excel? Include that here. Also include any conferences you went to that taught you important- perhaps less tangible- skills (i.e. leadership conference). Conclude with references of people (professors, employers) that the resume reader could potentially contact for more information. Make sure to talk to these references so that they aren't surprised if/when they receive phone calls about you.

Before sending off your resume, proofread it twice and then ask someone else to read it. Seriously. Nothing says "don't hire me" like typos! 

And a word on formatting- less is more. A few tasteful accent colors and you name in a cool font should be enough. Your resume doesn't need to be full of fancy diagrams- let your work speak for itself!

Here are some resumes with functional and fun formats:

Good luck!

xoxo

Make Your Own Mini Emergency Kit

A few months ago, I purchased a Minimergency Kit from Pinch Provisions and was quickly obsessed. The tiny little pouch seemed to have everything I need- hairspray, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, lip balm, earring backs, clear elastics, safety pins, mending kit, double stick tape, stain remover, deodorant towelette, pain reliever, tampon, breath freshener, dental floss and an adhesive bandage. 

However, I've recently realized that at school I need a few other items on hand, just in case. Here's what I've added to my own mini emergency kit (which is now in a larger pouch):

• Tech:
• iPhone 5 charger
• USB Drive
• Earbuds
• Personal:
• Altoids smalls
• 5 bandaids of varying sizes
• Kleenex
• Writing:
• Pen
• Pencil
• Sticky Notes
• Make Up:
• Concealor stick
• Mini mascara
• Mini perfume
• Lip balm
• Lip stick
• Mirror/compact
• Random:
• Spare pair of earrings (not always)
• Nylon hair elastic
• Claw clip

Stay prepared!

xoxo

A Little Bit of Sparkle

I've always loved sparkly things, especially when they're unexpected. From diamond earrings that catch the light to a crystal necklace that glitters to a shimmery bracelet that pokes out from under a sweater sleeve, a little bit of sparkle always looks feminine and chic (two things my style aims to be). So I was really happy when I stumbled across an article about tasteful, sparkly single strand necklaces in October Vogue. This is exactly the kind of look I love. While I do love colorful statement jewelry, a single strand of crystal-like sparkle is usually what I end up wearing. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Find product links and pictures on my Polyvore post.

Necklaces: J. Crew, C. Wonder, Kate Spade, ASOS, Kate Spade

Earrings: J. Crew, Kate Spade, Betsey Johnson, Oscar de la Renta

Bracelets: Max + Chloe, Vince Camuto, J. Crew 

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

Weekend Reading

First, an apology- sorry for going MIA, I had two midterms Friday so I didn't have time to post! Now, for the fun stuff: here's what I've been looking into lately...

Lisa Eldridge

Eldridge is an internationally acclaimed make up artist who has worked with everyone from Cara Delvigne to Kate Winslet and has been the artist behind the make up for almost every major magazine. Her website is full of helpful videos. Obsessed!

Olivia Palmero

"I want what she's wearing." Many of the posts on Palmero's website bear that title and it sure is true. Who doesn't want to dress like Palmero?! While she looks a bit Audrey Hepburn, she is by no means an LBD kind of girl. Love her.

Savvy Home

According to the 'about' page, this blog is about "tasteful, affordable living." Tasteful is an understatement- it's all gorgeous.

Happy reading!
xoxo

Cute Kids: The Best Dressed Children on the Planet

A bit of a random post today, but oh well! This is definitely something that has been on my radar lately. It all started with Suri Cruise. Already a style icon by age five (not kidding), Suri has been the "It Girl" of children's fashion since she could walk. And get this: according to her mom Katie Holmes, Suri picks out her own outfits. At six, she has better style than I will ever have. Too chic!

Hi, Suri!

Recently, my Pinterest feed has been filled with re-pins of insanely well-dressed and adorable kids. I seriously can't get enough. Here are some of my favorites:

Chic and sweet

Hunter Boots + Dress + Messenger Bag = Adorable

Sneakers with a blazer have never looked so good.

This looks like an outfit I would wear now, at age 19. Yikes.

The dress, the shoes, the socks, the topknot? All perfect! And I wish that dress came in my size.

A young Serena van der Woodsen?

The pocket square is too good.

And the cutest, best dressed kid of all? Chuck and Blair's son on Gossip Girl!

Happy Thursday!

xoxo