Fashion for Less : Icing on the Cake

If you've ever checked out Five Sixteenths (or the now archived blog Cross My Hooks) you'll know my love affair with Claire's & Icing stems from a long time commitment to working for a girl-conscious business.  I loved working there not only because of this discount *wink* but because of the kids who came in to discover their style.  Now this may sound lame, but I loved how girls would come in & mix and match our styles.  We had loads of inspiration around the store & tons of helpful staff ready & willing to help the girls by earrings, necklaces, & bags to accentuate a style they loved.

It is no surprise then that eventually a post on est. 1839 would feature these stores.  Recently I applied to work back at an Icing store in the new city I moved to.  I am hoping to reschedule an interview soon so I can get back to being on top of the hippest trends this side of awesome.

When I went in the other day, unaware that I wouldn't interview, I have on a super fly 80s inspired outfit complete with biker short leggings & blazer!  I do have a thing for Molly Ringwald-esque fashion.  My hair was doing the perfect hair flip thing & I felt super confident:

I am growing my hair out (if I keep saying it, I'll keep doing it!) & I really want it to have more texture.

My mother has given me her old hot rollers set & I tried it Wednesday,

the curls fell out before lunch :(

So speaking of 80s I am in love with the neon color (or how about Day Glow?) pallet for this summer.  I can't wait to translate it into fall too.  It's weird, but to mean, sometimes neon colors go into jewel tones so I don't feel there is a complete lack of color in the fall.  I've already talked about my love affair with Gray Tights for Fall on Five Sixteenths & neon goes great with gray especially citron & hot pink.  These color pallet I found sum it all up:

citron, hot pink, & gray

black, hot pink, citron, guacamole

The point of this post is to showcase some Fashion for Less right?  Two of these things aren't so on the less side (unless you are payin $8+ for yours) & one is on the alright side.  What are they? Nail Polish! I took a cue from miss Megan & decided to pick up a few to add to my own collection!

Icing Chip Resistant Neon Yellow & Crackle in Hot Pink, $4.50 each

NYC Gray, ~$2

I know summer is on it's way out but I really want to keep the neon trend into the fall so I thought about purchasing some knock-out neon nail color & a bottle of a gorgeous gray.  

the neon pink is crackle & the neon yellow is chip resistant.  I have to say it stays true to its word too!  I few coats are required to get the grand neon pop, (and make sure you wait long enough for it to dry!) but otherwise you will be totally satisfied with no chip nails. I wore this for about a week & goodness gracious no chips!

When using the crackle, make sure you have a top coat! It feels kinda weird to the touch, like it will just rub off.  I didn't test it!  If you want a lot of cracks, use a thin coat.  More thicker cracks? A thick coat is your friend.  For fun, blow on it right after you've applied the crackle, you'll see it break!

Did you dig this summer trend?

How will you carry it on into the fall?

ps. did you know you can follow us on twitter? Est. 1839 tweets all the time!!

follow @est1839blog

We love today: A Taste of Your Own Medicine.

pepto nicki emma

It may seem like I’m talking about the sweet taste of revenge, but actually I’m referring to a trendy summer color palette for makeup and accessories that I have nicknamed “medicinal mod”.  Recently I have been noticing starlets sporting mint green, pepto-bismol pink, and bright yellow in subtle spots such as nails, lip color, and eyeshadow.  I think this is a pretty, yet daring trend and thanks to the popularity of this look it’s easy to find these beauty products for pennies at the drugstore.

source

What thematic color palettes are you drawn to?  And whose styles inspire you?

Until next time, friends!

We Love Today: "Nudity"

When it's too darn hot outside, everyone wants to be naked, but nobody wants to be arrested. It's a catch-22! Here's how I deal with the heat, and how sometimes those naked pieces can bolster your wardrobe.



Shoes are a good place to start your career in acceptable nudity.  There's something sexy about barely-there shoes, and I tried a very sheer pinkish topcoat instead of my usual brights. I personally prefer my coral nails, but it was fun and a good excuse to buy $2 nail polish from Charlotte Russe.



Yep, that's my underwear drawer. Notice the set right on top - nude bra, nude panties.  These aren't the sexiest things I own, but they are incredibly useful, and I would recommend them for every woman.  I hate to break it to you, but everyone can see that white bra through your white shirt.  Sorry!  Just for the record, I prefer bras by Jockey.  More expensive, but so worth it.                



I found this beautiful little shift dress at Kohl's, by Lauren Conrad, for $18.  It's a little big on me, but all I had to do was add a belt, put up my hair, and choose some fly accessories.  The shoes are Steve Madden, which I got at Ross.  If you're not crazy about heels, wedges will definitely work, as will black.  It also works for fall/winter with tights and a coat that covers the hem, preferably worn open, and at night.

Other than pulling a Madonna, what indecent fashion exposures lurk in your closet, waiting to sell you a watch?  Let us know here, and follow us on Twitter!

Manicure Monday: Happy 4th of July!

Image: Freckled Italian 

Personally, I love a good manicure. Also, if I don't keep my nails polished, I will most certainly bite them. I think holidays are the best time to try something new and fun and festive.

 

 

Products Used

OPI, Yoga-ta Get This Blue

Essie, Who's She Red

OPI, Alpine Snow

Sally Hansen No Chip Acrylic Top Coat

You could do these little designs with really any color combination, and you can always not stripe the red nail for a simpler look. 

Have a beautiful holiday.

Fashionably yours,