Monthly Archives: January 2017

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Her & Him

Houston Blogger Lady in Violet shares Valentine's Day gift ideas for her and him.

Happy Monday!! Can you believe Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away?!?  Time to make those dinner reservations and start shopping for the perfect gift.  I filled this guide with Valentine’s Day gift ideas for her and him in a variety of price ranges.

This eye mask is the cutest thing ever! I am a huge fan of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, so this mask is everything.  I own a different mask from this same company, and they are good quality and well made.  You can never go wrong giving a girl a bottle of sparkling wine, especially when it’s a bottle of Veuve!  I don’t usually include perfume in gift guides, but this scent smells amazing.  I have been shopping for a new perfume, and after a few months of sniffing tons of bottles, this one is my front-runner.  It is a light sweet scent.

I have heard so many rave reviews of this tote bag.  It comes in a variety of colors, so you are sure to find her favorite one.  I decided to include one splurge item for both lists, and this classic David Yurman bracelet is perfect for the gal on your list.  It’s a timeless look that you can wear everyday and easily mixes with your bracelet stack.

For him, I composed a list of things my hubs would love or that I think he needs. 😉  I have purchased the small travel kit version of this duffel bag, and love the quality.  This would make the perfect weekend or carry-on bag.  The wood details on this iphone case are beautiful, unique, and still manly.  If I am including wine for her, I have to include a decanter for him.  Pair it with his favorite scotch or bourbon for a cute two-part gift idea.  While women collect all the jewelry pieces, I find men tend to collect watches.   This one is my splurge for him, and I love the sleek, modern look of it.

If you plan on ordering a gift online, don’t wait too long.  Most places take about 7-10 days for shipping, and I know many will celebrate the weekend before since Valentine’s Day falls during the week.  If you are planning to celebrate that Tuesday, check back here on Wednesday for the perfect outfit to go from work to date night.  See ya’ll then!

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How to Wear Over the Knee Boots When You’re Short

Houston Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet styles a winter outfit idea featuring a purple sweater, white jeans, and over the knee boots. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Fashion Blogger Karen Rock styles a casual winter outfit including a turtleneck sweater with white skinny jeans and otk boots. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Style Blogger Lady in Violet shows how to wear over the knee boots when you're short. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Fashion Blogger wears a casual winter outfit including a purple fitted sweater with white jeans and taupe over the knee boots. Click through for outfit details.

Petite Fashion Bloggers shares how to wear over the knee boots when you're short.

Houston Fashion Blogger styles winter outfits featuring over the knee boots, lightweight sweaters, and skinny jeans. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Blogger wears a casual brunch outfit featuring a purple sweater with white jeans and taupe otk boots. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Fashion Blogger wears a winter outfit idea featuring a lightweight sweater, white skinny jeans and over the knee boots. Click through for outfit details.

When the over the knee boots trend first started, my original thought was I’m 5’3 those boots will swallow my legs.  This thought however didn’t stop me from pinning all the outfits with them.  I decided to buy an affordable pair and give the trend a go.  I found this pair on clearance over a year ago, and the brand no longer ships to the US.  A similar pair that does ship here is linked, but I couldn’t find one with the under $100 price tag like my pair.  Since I purchased mine, I have learned what works and doesn’t work for my petite frame.  I wanted to share a little bit about what I learned on how to wear over the knee boots when you’re short.

For starters, aim for the top of the boot to come no more than about 2-3 inches above your knee.  Some item descriptions will list shaft height which is the length from bottom of your foot to the top of the boot. Since I do lots of online shopping, I will pull out a measuring tape before purchasing most boots to ensure the shaft will not be too high.

For my outfit, I leave my tunics in the closet and opt for something that falls just below my waist.  I want to have a good amount of jean showing to create that illusion that my legs are a little longer.  I find fitted tops work best to keep proportions in check.  If you do want an oversized top, I would make sure the length is still on the shorter side or even a high/low hemline.

Over the knee boots look adorable with dresses in early Spring.   For my petite friends, make sure a little skin shows between the boots and the bottom of the dress.  I think 2-3 inches is a good amount, but be sure this doesn’t make the dress too short.  You don’t want a light breeze to catch you off guard.  Dresses with the high low hemline work perfect for us short girls to make sure we still get enough coverage in the back while still having a little skin show in the front.

I chose a taupe color over black because I thought the neutral color choice would work better for creating an elongated look.   Now that I have owned and styled this pair a bit, I feel a darker pair like black would still work with these same tips.

If you have been thinking about giving this trend a go, keep your eyes on the sales.  When sandals and wedges hit the stores soon, many OTK boots will start to get marked down.  It will be a great time to buy without spending $200+ for a really nice pair of boots.  Ya’ll have a good weekend and thanks for stopping by!

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How to Create a Layered Outfit

Houston Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet styles a winter outfit idea featuring a plaid blouse layered under a black sweater with skinny jeans. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Style Blogger shares how to create a layered outfit for winter weather. Ciick through for outfit details.

Houston Fashion Blogger wears a buffalo plaid top with a black sweater and skinny jeans. Click through for outfit details.

Houston fashion blogger Lady in Violet shares tips to create a layered outfit with a plaid shirt and sweater. Click through for outfit details.

Houston Fashion Blogger wears a weekend casual outfit with jeans, heels, and a sweater. Click through for details.

Houston Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet styles a winter weekend outfit idea including a jcrew sweater and old navy plaid shirt.

Houston Fashion Blogger styles outfit ideas with skinny jeans for women in winter. Click through for more info.

Houston Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet styles a winter outfit idea for casual Friday at the office featuring a black sweater with a red plaid shirt. Click through for outfit details.

This time of year I tend to get a bit bored with my closet.  I’m somewhat patiently awaiting the arrival of spring dresses and sandals in stores and trying to pull a few different outfits out of my closet to get me through the few cold days we have left.  Some days putting an outfit together is all about looking in my closet and putting new items together.

I wanted to share an easy winter outfit idea featuring items that you may already have in your closet.  Winter is the perfect time to add on the layers.  This look comes together with three closet basics – a plaid shirt, solid color sweater, and skinny jeans.  Adding a layer to peek out underneath your sweater is such an easy way to create a new outfit out of some of your basic sweaters.    With a button up blouse, I like to roll the sleeves back to allow the cuff detail for a little added bonus to the look.

If you don’t have a plaid to pair with it, you can also use solid color tops or another fun print like florals.  Another idea is to reverse the look and pair a long solid color top underneath a printed sweater.  The layering possibilities can be endless, and it is all waiting for you in your closet.  When trying to pick what to pair together, look for similar colors or color schemes.  This look was easy red and black plaid with a black sweater.   If I had say a green and navy plaid, I might pair with a beige sweater.  A light blue and white might pair with dark blue sweater.

You can also play with your color mixing and try combos like burgundy and mustard yellow or dark pink partnered with navy.  It’s all about playing around and finding a color combination you love.  Toss on your favorite pair of jeans and heels, and you are ready to go.  I hope this helps inspire a few more outfit ideas for you this winter.  Thanks for stopping by today!

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Winter Skincare Routine

Houston Blogger Lady in Violet shares a winter skincare routine for women to use in the mornings and evenings.

Houston Blogger Lady in Violet reveals her skincare routine for the morning and at night.

The best day and night winter skincare routine to survive cold weather dry skin.

| DETAILS |
Morning:  IT COSMETICS c/o No. 50 Serum  |  PIXI  c/o Hydrating Milky Mist  |  CLINIQUE Smart Moisturizer
Night:  CLARISONIC Mia 2  |  TULA Exfoliating Mask  |  GLAMGLOW ThirstyMud Mask   |  CLINIQUE c/o Treatment Oil |  DR. DENNIS ROTH Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum |  CLARINS Multi-Active Night Cream

Last year, one of my goals was to improve my skincare routine.  I tried multiple products and various routines, and by the end of the year I felt I had a pretty good routine going.  Then I went and had a facial in December.  I was surprised to hear that I needed to be moisturizing and exfoliating more often to reduce dryness and the amount of dead skin cells I had causing those fine lines I was trying so hard to erase.

I went back to my cabinet of products and re-worked my routine.  The seasons had changed and my skincare routine needed to as well.  After a few weeks of playing around, I feel like I found a winter skincare routine that is helping my skin glow and stay hydrated.  I kept some of the products from my previous routine, added a few more, and changed up my overall application schedule.  Below is my step by step winter skincare routine for anyone looking for a little change up of their regular routine.

MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE

I hit the gym most weekday mornings, so my routine starts with a quick face wash in my post workout shower.  After my shower, I apply this serum/primer to help hydrate and provide all those beneficial anti-aging nutrients to my skin.  A little goes a long way with this product, and I love how moisturizing and thick it is.  I allow this serum to soak in while making my coffee before moving on to the rest of my morning routine.

I use this hydrating mist under my morning moisturizer to add even more hydration to my skin.  I lightly spritz it on and let it set for a minute or two usually while I straighten my hair for the day.  After trying a few different morning moisturizers, I ended the year back with this Clinique one. I loved the results I received from using it for a couple months, and I have yet to find another product that helps moisturize and even out my skintone as well as this one.  Plus, it has SPF which is a major bonus in my skincare book.  I allow all these products to set and soak in before starting my daily makeup routine.

NIGHT SKINCARE ROUTINE

Every evening my routine varies just a little bit.  I rotate hydrating, exfoliating, and using my anti-wrinkle retinol serum.  I typically exfoliate 2-3 times a week, hyrdrate-3-4 times a week, and use my anti-wrinkle serum 1-2 times a week.  While every week is a little different depending on my schedule, I try to do a 2-1-2 routine, with the  2 days of hyrdating followed by either exfoliating or my ant-wrinkle serum.  Some weeks I will only put a day between exfoliating.  I really gauge how my skin looks and feels to determine which I need more of.

All of my routines start with a thorough face cleansing removing all the makeup from the day.  For my hydrating days, I will apply my hydrating mist followed by my night moisturizer or do a hydrating face mask followed by my moisturizer.  I try to do the mask at least once per week.  For exfoliating days, I will do either my Clarisonic exfoliating brush or an exfoliating face mask usually followed up with my treatment oil.   Occasionally, I will use my regular moisturizer instead of the oil.  I find that while effective, my anti-wrinkle retinol serum can be a bit drying in winter months.  For these months, I’m only applying 1-2 times a week.  When I apply it, I only apply this one product to my skin.  I know other products can interfere with retinol, so I don’t want to apply anything that will take away from it’s effectiveness.

Overall, I have been really happy with my results this past month or so using this routine.  I definitely can tell a difference in my skin from early December.  It’s not as dull from too many dead skin cells clogging pores and enhancing fine lines, and I really feel my overall hydration has greatly improved.  Do you make any changes to your skincare routine with different seasons?  Any products you swear by during the winter months?  I’d love to hear about them!

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