Summer Work Style

Summer Work Style

During the hot and sticky summer months, layering is key when it comes to office attire. While the idea of buying an entirely new wardrobe is tempting, there’s no need to splurge. To be honest, there are only a few basic pieces you actually need to give your wardrobe an updated, summery feel without resorting to crop tops and cuttoffs and maxing out your credit card. 

Without further ado, here are my five summer must-haves for all working ladies out there:

1. Put some pep in your step. Add a trendy staple such as a peplum top to your repertoire. Wear it with a swingy skirt, straight legs or even cropped pants for a playful yet professional look.
2. Crop and print. Combine two of the summer’s hottest trends by snagging a pair of printed, cropped trousers. Pair them with pointed pumps for the ultimate summery-chic update to your 9 to 5 uniform.
3. Sharpen your pencil (skirt). Turn this traditional office garb on its head by opting for its colorful counterpart. I especially love the neon coral tweed version included in the collage above; wear it with a simple striped top and dainty heels for an HR-approved summer ensemble. 
4. Refresh your bottom line. Invest is a fun pair of flats, peep-toes, or nice sandals. Heavy boots and darker hued shoes should be stowed away for colder seasons. Summer is the prime time to let that pedi shine, ladies!
5. Keep it under wraps. While it may be blisteringly hot outside, usually offices are just the opposite inside—freezing. By having a light cardigan around, such as a knit pastel cardi like the once included above, you can easily layer it over your summery outfit for both warmth and added modesty. 

If these five picks aren’t for you, just make sure whatever you do end up buying fits the following criteria: It’s modest, it’s bright, it can be layered under a sweater or blazer. 

expert tips for BEAUTY-FULL EYES

SOME {REFRESHER} TRICKS AND TIPS FOR GORGEOUS EYES...

{Note-To-Self: The skin around your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face so it

requires special attention.}

To delay the signs of aging, gently pat on an eye cream both day and night, being careful not to drag the skin. Store eye cream in the fridge to make it feel more soothing.

To reduce any puffiness and stimulate the lymphatic system, gently press along your eyebrow and around your eye socket with your middle finger.

Instant glow-getter: Draw a fine line above the lashes of your upper eyelid, taking it out slightly at the corners. Sweep a neutral shade shadow across your brow bone and a medium shade over the eyelids. Next brush a pale, shimmery shadow on the lower inner corner of your eyes to open up the eye and brighten up your whole face. Finally try a burgundy coloured mascara. It's much softer than black and much more surprising than brown - and it really brings out the colour of blue and green eyes.

Roomate Etiquette

Be forewarned: This is longer than your average blog post. This is a very big subject to cover, so bear with me. I promise you will be happy you read it (as will your roommates or future roomies)!

A while ago I was talking with some girlfriends about roommate horror stories, which got me thinking about the etiquette around living with another person. Whether you’re sharing a dorm room, living in your first apartment with a friend, or splitting the rent with a stranger, there are ways to make living with others fun and easy.

I put together some basic rules for those of you who have a roomie. Stick to these guidelines and you’ll be well on your way to a peaceful coexistence.

Noise. When deciding to live with a roommate, you should first sit down and make sure that you both have somewhat similar weekly routines.  Meaning, if one of you works a 9-5 job and needs to get to sleep early during the week, and the other works nights at a restaurant and will be coming home (noisily) at 2am every morning, that might not be the best match. The worst thing is feeling like you have to tip toe around your own home because you and your roommate have opposite sleeping schedules. One word of advice for living with roommates: Invest in a pair of top-notch earplugs. You will thank me later :-)

Décor. When decorating an apartment or house that you share with a roommate or two, remember that the shared living spaces (kitchen, dining room, living room, etc.) are just that—shared. Feel free to decorate your own room as you see fit; your own, personal space is where you can really get creative. Add twinkle lights around your bed, hang pictures on the walls, go crazy. But when it comes to the shared areas of your home, make sure to consult with them first before adding anything or making any drastic changes, such as painting a wall or covering a wall with photos. Communal area décor should be mutually agreed upon. And sometimes you just might have to compromise, which happens to be the key to growing up.

The Kitchen. First, let’s start with doing the dishes. We all know that it’s best to wash your dishes after you finish your meal, but for many of us, this doesn’t always happen. When you live with roommates, washing your dishes after you eat and making sure that the sink doesn’t start to resemble something out of an episode of “Hoarders” is the easiest way to keep the peace. Nothing creates more resentment than one roommate who feels forced to constantly clean everyone else’s dirty dishes. Regarding food and the fridge, it depends on what arrangements you’ve made with your roommate(s). If you buy food together, split the cost, and share everything, just make sure that you’re not feeding all of your friends with your roommate’s share of the food. If you and your roommate(s) have your own food that you buy separately, remember to always ask before diving into their supply. Most times, people are happy to share their food, but if you eat their treats without asking, things could turn ugly.

The Parking Spot. For those of you who have to share parking spots with your roommate(s), practice good parking-spot-karma.  If you always take the parking spot (even when there’s street parking readily available), your roommate(s) will most likely start doing the same, and all common courtesy will go out the window when your roommate knows you’re coming home late (possibly with luggage in tow)… And you’ll find yourself parking many blocks away. Not fun. If you have tandem parking, my best advice is to make sure that each of you have keys to the other one’s car. Or simply always leave your keys in a common place. This will make life easier for a number of reasons. Especially if you have an early morning, and you need to move your roommate’s car and don’t want to wake her. Trust me, your roommate will thank you for this. Remember, what goes around, comes around.

The Closet. One of the perks of living with roommates can mean that your closet has just doubled (or tripled!).  However, just because you can see your roommate’s favorite new shoes peeking out of her closet doesn’t mean you should wear them without getting her blessing first. The most important thing to remember when raiding your roomie’s closet is to always, always ask first. No exceptions. She may be totally cool with you wearing her new shoes, but if you wear them without asking, it might make her feel uncomfortable to think that you were snooping in her closet without a proper heads up. And no one likes a closet creeper. Plus it’s dishonest. Besides asking first, always return clothes in the condition in which you borrowed them. This is essential. If you wear something of your roommates, make sure to wash or dry clean it before returning. There’s nothing worse than repaying someone’s generosity by returning their clothes covered in stains. Same goes for shoes, bags, and all accessories. If you damage a borrowed item, make sure to have it repaired (or replace it entirely) before you give it back to your roommate. You would hope they would do the same for you, right?

The Television. If you live with people who have the same favorite TV shows as you, consider yourself very lucky. In many cases, different roommates want to watch very, very different things. While one roommate can’t get enough of the Kardashians and the Real Housewives, the other roommate may be all about “Intervention” and “Hoarders.” In this situation, the safest bet is to set some ground rules. Rule #1: Do not delete your roommate’s favorite shows from the DVR, just because you NEED space to record the “Mob Wives Reunion” show.  The ladylike thing to do in this case is to delete a couple of your shows to make space. If you do this, your roommate is more inclined to return the favor and delete some of her own shows when space is running low and she just has to record the season finale of “Swamp People.” Rule #2: Don’t lay claim to the TV every night of the week. If you know that Wednesdays and Thursdays are your favorite TV nights, let your roommate have a couple of their own nights, where she gets to choose what’s on the agenda.

Guests. If you have someone coming over, give your roomie a heads up and clear it with him or her first. It’s particularly important to talk with your roommate if you are planning to have someone stay with you for an extended period of time. This means more than one night. I remember hearing about a girl who had her mother come stay with her for a month and never even consulted her roommates. Not cool. The golden rule here is to be considerate.

General Behavior. Many of us girls resort to passive aggressive behavior when we don’t want to deal with an issue head on. Let me tell you from years of experience, this is never the way to handle anything. Ever. If you ever have an issue to air with your roomie, sort out the facts, come up with a few solutions beforehand and calmly talk with your housemate to figure out a resolution. Not only will this make your living situation more comfortable and open, it’s an essential life skill to develop so you know how to deal with people in difficult situations.

Needless to say, the most important thing to remember when living with a roommate or two is to be respectful. Always treat them the way that you would like to be treated. If you eat their food, you are telling them that it’s okay to eat yours. If you borrow their clothes and return them damaged or unclean, they’ll feel free to do the same. Treat your roomies with respect and common courtesy, and (hopefully) they’ll return the favor.

six skin SUPERFOODS

THE FOODS YOU EAT HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON YOUR SKIN!

Here are six superfoods that you can incorporate into your diet now to reveal healthier, younger-looking skin....

Olives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: We need a source of good fats in our diet to help us absorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruits, keep our cells supple, skin glowing, brains sharp and mood upbeat. We also need dietary fat in order to burn fat. Extra virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, which helps us to absorb the omega-3s and other vitamins and nutrients from our foods.

Beans and Lentils: When it comes to maintaining beautiful skin and keeping unwanted pounds at bay, beans and lentils are a body's best friend. They are very low-glycemic and unlike sugary, starchy foods, won't cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. They are anti-inflammatory foods, key in preventing dull, dry, wrinkled sagging skin and body fat.

Green Foods: Green foods are young cereal grasses like barley grass and wheat grass. Nutritionally, they are close cousins to dark green leafy vegetables, but offer greater levels of "nutrient density." An ounce of concentrated green foods contains more of the beneficial phytonutrients found in an ounce of green vegetables. Green foods detoxify the body to keep skin clear and radiant.

Fish: Wild salmon and other cold water fish (salmon, sardines, herring, trout, etc.) are great sources of protein, necessary to maintain and repair the body — including the skin on a cellular level. These fish are high in anti-inflammatory omega 3 essential fatty acids, which keeps skin radiant, supple and wrinkle-free, moods upbeat and brain functioning at optimal levels.

Green Tea: Green tea contains polyphenols, which help eliminate inflammation-producing free radicals. Polyphenols protect healthy cells from cancer causing DNA damage, while ushering cancer cells to their death. Another remarkable finding is the power of green tea polyphenols known as EGCG to reactivate dying skin cells. Researchers consider this reactivation to be a potential benefit to skin diseases such as psoriasis, ulcers, rosacea, wounds — and wrinkles.

Raspberries: High in ellagic acid, a phenolic compound that may help prevent cancer, inhibit the growth of cancer cells and stop the growth of some cancers. They also contain strong antioxidants such as Vitamin C, quercetin and gallic acid. A natural face mask made of raspberries helps protect against the suns rays. Vitamin C's antioxidant powers help fade age spots and discolouration. It also rounds out the skin to fill in minor wrinkles.