What I Learned from Teen Vogue Fashion U

This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to attend Teen Vogue's Fashion University in New York City.  It was an incredible experience and I learned a lot about the fashion industry and met some great new friends.  I'll admit, seeing how established some of those attending already were in their career was a little intimidating, especially for my somewhat "lost" and "searching" self, but everyone was very accepting and warm and extremely passionate about fashion.  Here are five big things I took away from my experience:

1)  The only person who can set yourself up for success is you.  As Erika Bearman, the PR head of Oscar De La Renta, told us, at the end of the day, everyone else is going to be putting themselves and their lives first, not yours.  It is up to you to motivate and push yourselves in whatever you want to do in life.  Go above and beyond expectations and be extraordinary.

2) Look for inspiration in everything. A billboard, a pattern of wallpaper, an old man at a coffee shop- all of these can influence your work and life in insurmountable ways.  Look up, look around, find the beauty in everything-- it will pay off.

3) Be open to trying new things. Walking into the door of Express on the first night of Fashion U was terrifying.  I knew no one and had no idea what to do and who to talk to-- I almost left.  But I pushed through it and had an amazing night and an amazing weekend.  Do things you wouldn't normally do.  You'll never know what something is until you try it.

4) Be open to criticism.  Yes, there are always going to be people out there who are just trying to hurt you; but more so, there will be people trying to help you and raise you up.  Listen to them, be open to what they have to say.  Take their criticism and use it constructively, don't let it bring you down.  Let it shape you and mold you into a better person producing better work.

5) Live your life.  This is probably the most important piece of advice I received throughout this entire trip.  People in the fashion industry are artists.  Life shapes art.  So go out and get life experience- hike, take late night drives, talk to new people, explore.  This is something I often have trouble doing myself, often forgetting to go out and experience life and instead spending hours tackling a pile of homework, or studying, or wasting my day watching episode after episode on Netflix.  It is important to go out and experience the world.  Stop waiting for tomorrow, and live now.

All in all, it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the fashion industry.

Winter Skincare Must-Haves

NIVEA Lip Butter in Raspberry Rosé Kiss

I'll be honest, my lips are disgustingly chapped.  Not just in the winter, but all year.  There's nothing grosser than feeling a million pieces of dead skin when you rub your tongue across your lips, yuck.  I've tried so many different lip balms, so many different scrubs and have never quite gotten amazing results.  Well, though my lips may not be completely smooth yet, this lip butter has gotten them into the best shape they've ever been in.  I can feel my lips getting softer and smoother.  The raspberry flavor is more of a scent than a sweet taste, but it's just enough and it smells, and feels, amazing.

No-Crack Super Hand Cream

Okay, so it's not just my lips.  My hands are just as bad, maybe even worse.  It takes A LOT of moisturizer to even remotely clear up the cracks and dead skin.  But this stuff, this stuff is amazing.  It is hands down the best hand cream I have ever used.  It is super super rich and thick, almost like a paste, and a little actually goes a long way.  I purchased my tub at Urban Outfitters.

The Body Shop Body Butter in Glazed Apple

I absolutely adore The Body Shop's body butters.  When I get a new tub, I do everything in my power to not use it all up in a week.  If you've never tried one, I need you to drop what you're doing and get one right now.  At $20 a tub, they may be a little pricey, but they're totally worth it and they almost always have some sort of buy one get one deal.  They're so rich and hydrating, and every single one smells AMAZING.  My current favorite for the winter season is glazed apple.  It's a super wintry fresh smelling cream that reminds you of the holidays (because let's be honest, is it ever too late for a little Christmas?)  However, sadly this is a limited edition scent and may not be available in your local Body Shop anymore, but I'd highly recommend picking up a tub in any scent.


Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer

Yes, another moisturizer, are you sensing a trend here?  I have really dry skin, okay.  I absolutely love to death my First Aid Beauty Ultra-Repair Cream, but I felt it was a bit to thick for day time use.  I needed a new daily moisturizer for under my makeup but didn't feel like splurging on anything pricey.  Off to my local Rite Aid.  I decided to pick up this moisturizer and I am super happy with the results.  It's light and thin, but it's not watery, and it blends into my skin easily.  It doesn't feel greasy at all, in fact I don't even notice it's there, and it is perfect to wear alone or under makeup.  Oh yeah, it does a good job at moisturizing too.

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water

Ah drug store finds, how I love you so.  I picked this up one day to try it out, and it has become a stable.  I harley ever even use a normal cleanser anymore.  I just saturate a wash cloth or a cotton puff with this and rub it all over my face.  That's it- simple!  Haha, get it...  It makes my skin feel so clean and fresh and it's great to use in the mornings when your skin doesn't need a heavy cleaning.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Duel Action Acne Treatment

If you have an, er, blemish, and you need to get rid of it fast, I highly recommend this stuff.  It works like magic, especially for clearing up blackheads.  Sometimes it even works immediately over night.  Sadly, I have a problem with remembering to put this stuff on at night, which doesn't do my skin much good.  If you're gonna buy this, remember to actually use it.

Philosophy Body Wash in Spiced Gingerbread Cookie

There are few things i appreciate more in life than Philosophy's selection of body wash.  Seriously, have you ever smelt that stuff?  I dare you to try and find one scent that you don't want to try and eat out of the bottle.  Yeah, they all smell that good.  Not to mention they always have recipes on them for whatever they smell like!  How cute is that?  Granted, I've never actually tried to make one, but I will get on that someday.  The scent I am currently obsessed with is one left over from Christmas- Spiced Gingerbread Cookie.  I'm very big on matching my body washes to the season, and I know Christmas is well over, but this is still a great winter smell.  It's sweet and spicy, and when I wear it, people often tell me I smell like a waffle, not gingerbread.  And who doesn't love waffles right?  Okay, so maybe that sounds like a weird thing to smell like, but I promise you that it is a reeeeally good waffle!