Ash & Rose

I'm SUPER excited to partner up with Ash & Rose today on SS.  This incredible boutique is perfect for women who love all things romantic, whimsical, pretty and practical.  They're all about sustainability, fair labor, and empowering women.  

Their entire collection is made with the planet in mind through the use of organic and recycled materials, resource-conscious manufacturing practices, and minimal packaging.  You'll always know where and how their products are made - just click the "designer bio" tab.  Your purchase will NEVER support forced or child labor, and they offer a wide array of made-in-USA and fair trade artisan goods.

This gorgeous swing dress is pricy but worth EVERY penny.  The chic tie-dyed pattern is effortlessly stylish.  The mid-weigh hemp fabric drapes beautifully, and it flatters ALL body types.  Here's the 411:

Material: 92% hemp, 8% spandex
Made: by ecoSkin in the USA
Vibe: effortlessly chic and girly
Also available: in black
I'm wearing: a size xs
Comfort level: 10/10
Quality comparable to: high-end Banana Republic/Ann Taylor
Perfect for: summer days and nights

I can't recommend this piece enough!  This dress is absolutely gorg, and it's ridiculously versatile. Here are some pairings for you guys:

1.  BEACH - wear this as a stylish cover-up!  Throw on a straw hat to sun safely.
2.  RUNNING ERRANDS - slip on flat gladiator sandals (white or neutral) for maximum comfort.
3.  DINNER DATE (like my OOTD) - style it with a thin cardi and heels/wedges for a sophisticated look.

Alright, imma stop there because I could go on and on, and I don't want to bore you guys.  FYI, my cardi's from Almost Famous, my new fave brand.  I'm lovin' this chic knit!  I can tell that I'm gonna get a ton of wear out of this especially since it'll transition beautifully into the Fall. Look at me being all sensible, already thinking about cold weather.  I can't help it!  When I look at a piece, my mind immediately thinks of the many different ways/uses of it! "How can I wear this? What does this go with? Can this be worn during different seasons?" Ha.  I'm sure you guys know how it is!

Anywho, let's take a look at my accessories.  I seriously heart my new Freyrs sunnies.  They're def. my fave sunglass store - affordable, crazy stylish, and high quality!   They seriously never disappoint.    If you're looking for hot new shades, I recommend browsing their collection STAT.

 Dress:  c/o Ash & Rose

Cardigan:  c/o Almost Famous

Necklace:  Vogue'M

Sunnies:  c/o Freyrs

Shoes:  Deb - old

Beauty Trends: The Lip Edition

Big lips are all the rage lately - I'm sure you guys have seen the "Kylie Jenner Challenge".  Some people have been taking it a bit too far, but the trend's still real.  If you want to make sure your lips look on point this summer, here are the top trends you should know about:

1. Overdrawn Lips

Women have been using lip liner to overdraw their lips for decades because it creates the illusion of bigger lips.  Lately, this technique has really taken off. The idea is simple: you use a lip liner and draw directly onto your skin as opposed to tracing your lips.

The best way to do this is to use a well-sharpened pencil and start the lining at your cupid's bow. Draw the little semicircle a tiny bit above your natural cupid's bow, then follow those lines down the sides of your lips. Make sure the line you draw meets the natural end of your lip. If you overdraw the corners of your mouth it will look completely unnatural! 

2. Contoured Lips

Contouring has been huge lately -- another technique popularized by the Kardashians. However,  a lot of people overlook the contouring of one's lips. Just like the rest of the face, the lips have shadows and highlights that can be intensified with makeup.  To do this, you want to take a darker shade and outline where the shadows are on your lips and take a lighter shade and highlight where the light naturally hits your lips. 

Contouring is different for everyone because highlights and shadows vary on each individual person. The main place you want to contour is underneath your lips -- applying a darker shade right under your bottom lip will make it appear much bigger. For highlighting you should do the opposite.  Apply a lighter shade in your cupid's bow. 

There are other tricks you can do as well, like putting a dark shade down the center of your bottom lip to make it appear thicker - that depends on the shape of your lips though. I recommend taking a bright light and shining it on your lips to help you locate and define where your contours are!

3. Matte Lips

Glossy lips used to be all the rage -- in the 2000's no handbag was complete without at least 3 lip glosses. Now it's all about matte lips!

Every brand, from high end to low end, has about a million different matte lipsticks -- my personal favorite being NYX Cosmetic's awesome collection. Unfortunately, we all probably still have that favorite glossy lip color. Luckily, turning any glossy shade into a matte color is easy! All you need to do is take a loose setting powder and lightly pack it onto your lips. You have to make sure the powder is really finely milled or else you'll get chunks. Also, make sure you don't put too much powder on or it'll make the lipstick/gloss way too thick!

4. Liquid Lipstick

The lipstick bullet has been the classic way to apply for centuries, but tons of brands are starting to develop liquid lipstick.  It looks and applies like lip gloss, but dries like lipstick. 

This product is really awesome because it has the benefit of lipgloss application: super easy to apply and work with. Most liquid lipstick is also matte, following the previous lipstick trend discussed above. The only issue I've had is that it tends to settle into your lips' creases pretty easily. If you're planning on wearing a liquid lipstick out, make sure you bring it to reapply!

What do you guys think of these lip trends? Are you going to try any of them? If you do make sure to snap a pic to post on Instagram and tag #sensiblestylista so we can check them out.  And make sure you check back soon to see the hottest trends for your brows!

Written by Zoe Luiz