1. My sunny nail polish collection. This was a staple for me at then end of the summer.
2. My high-waisted, worn out denim shorts. My mom gave me these as levi's jeans from the 70's, which I then cut to be shorts. They're the perfect softness after 35 years of use, and include a 3-button fly instead of a zipper–the old school way. It's getting chillier and I'm still hanging onto these for dear life, wearing them with different tights and boots. I have maybe 2 pairs of jeans that I wear because it is so difficult to find the right fit, so I'm surrounding myself with shorts and tights at the moment. I don't know how I'd live without these.
3. My black bikini: this is a necessity for everyone (with the exception of men of course). It's good for the beach or a pool; it's a staple in the bathing suit department.
2. My high-waisted, worn out denim shorts. My mom gave me these as levi's jeans from the 70's, which I then cut to be shorts. They're the perfect softness after 35 years of use, and include a 3-button fly instead of a zipper–the old school way. It's getting chillier and I'm still hanging onto these for dear life, wearing them with different tights and boots. I have maybe 2 pairs of jeans that I wear because it is so difficult to find the right fit, so I'm surrounding myself with shorts and tights at the moment. I don't know how I'd live without these.
3. My black bikini: this is a necessity for everyone (with the exception of men of course). It's good for the beach or a pool; it's a staple in the bathing suit department.
4. My Aveda curl enhancer cream may just be the best thing that ever happened to my hair. I used to have extremely thick, long, frizzy hair, but then I cut it chin length and was forced to burn the curls out of it almost everyday. Now I'm growing it out and it's about shoulder-length and I'm leaving it curly all the time. I don't straighten it anymore. The Aveda leave-in conditioner/cream makes it smooth, but a little curlier and tones down the frizz. It also makes my dry, growing out split-ends a little more nourished. If it sounds you have my hair problems, I would seriously look into this product. It's a little steep, but you only need about a dime size amount, and it's a great investment.
5. A fitted, stretchy black skirt is such an outfit-saver in so many situations for me this fall. It looks great with a graphic tee, tights and boots, or a nice top tucked in with a belt. You can probably find one for ten bucks, so it doesn't have to be a big decision, but even if it was expensive, I'd still splurge because I wear it so much. It's actually more comfortable for me than jeans, also, and I'd definitely be stuck monday morning without it.
6. My main face ritual basic is my Kiehl's Frownies pH-Balancing Complexion Wash and the light Kiehl's face moisturizer. These I discovered in my mom's medicine cabinet at home. Even though the name is Frownies, you don't need to have wrinkles to see an improvement. I get acne, but I still need to moisturize parts of my face because if I don't, and leave my face dry, my skin produces more oil, and I break out. So, to keep everything under control, this is a great purchase in the skin department.
7. A great addition to a late summer wardrobe, even though it may seem excessive, is a comfy sundress. I love sundresses and wear them until it snows, adding tights, sweaters, scarves, boots–anything to keep me warm. During the summer I'll live in my favorite sundress. They are light, flowy, and the perfect addition to your wardrobe this fall.
8. A trend that's exploding this season is matte, bright colored lipstick. My friend gave me this lipstick, and I absolutely love it. It's nice and thick and goes on really well, and brightens up all my clothes.
9. Something which I wish I had thought of sooner because it is such a genius style, is patterned knit tights. I live in these tights which I bought at a local store for $10. They are the perfect accessory for fall and would make any sundress work for chillier weather, as well as skirts and shorts you always wish you could keep wearing after October 1.
10. Covergirl lashblastfusion mascara was an incredible buy for me. I don't know what I was doing with my eyes before I tried it out because it lengthens and thickens your lashes to crazy measures. Waterproof was good to buy for me during the summer, even when not swimming because it doesn't smudge. But if you are swimming, it stays settled as long as you don't touch your eyes. The surprising thing here for me was that when I went swimming and wanted to wipe my eyes, I just went underwater and scrubbed my eyes gently and voila: it was completely off, there wasn't any excess black gunk around my eyes making me look like the Joker. Definitely a staple.
11. For 3 years, I'd wanted a pair of roman sandals, and since they're were popular, I didn't think that'd be hard to achieve. I was wrong. I looked and looked everywhere and the only ones I could find were either crappy and silver, boring, or the buckle was too confusing or didn't even work. I ended up finding the best pair I could ask for in the place I least expected it: American Eagle. They were a cross between Native American, Egyptian, and Roman styles. I'm still wearing them.
I hope this helps you ease into the fall after a summer which I'm sure was fabulous. Happy changing!
