My top Oscars Red Carpet Dresses of All Time

Who is ready for Oscar Sunday? 

The Oscars is one of the most watched red carpets in the world next to the MET Gala. Time after time the Oscars has blessed us with numerous fashion forward moments, like who could forget Charlize Theron’s glittering Gucci gown from 2004, or Björk’s Marjan Pejoski swan dress? Growing up, I would sit in my room like I was attending the award show and judge all the outfits like Joan River (RIP). In honor of the ceremony being this Sunday I will be doing the exact same but not before I share what I believe were the greatest Oscar Red Carpet moments. If you are ready for some iconic looks read along. 

Gwyneth Paltrow Ralph Lauren 1999

Not only did Gwyneth Paltrow cement her status as an award-winning actress, but she also cemented her status as a style icon in the making.

Julia Roberts in Valentino, 2001

I’ll never forget it and neither has the fashion world, Julia Roberts in her vintage Valentino gown for her first-time Oscars win for Erin Brockovich. 

Charlize Theron in Gucci, 2004

Charlize Theron’s glittering silver Gucci gown is a prime example that less is often way more on the red carpet. Despite its simple shape, it’s one of the Oscars’ most memorable dresses in history. Theron looked the part of a true Hollywood movie star with a touch of sensual elegance. 

Lupita Nyong’o in Prada, 2014

 There was something truly magical about the Prada dress that Lupita Nyong’o wore to the Oscars in 2014. First off, the pale sky blue color was such a great match for the actress, and a shade you don’t see too often in Hollywood. She looked like a real life Disney Princess.

Halle Berry in Elie Saab, 2002

My obsession with Elie Saab begun in 2002, when Halle wore this iconic dress that not only shaped history but is part of infamous memes. Halle wore this beauty while accepting the first best actress award for Black woman. #HistoryintheMaking

Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior Couture, 2013

Yes, she fell going up the stairs to accept the big prize, but boy did she sure look fabulous doing so. So simple, sexy, elegant and chic. 

Hilary Swank in Guy Laroche, 2005

This dress will FOREVER be my absolute favorite. In fact, my prom dress had the same midnight blue and backless design. If I could be a dress this is it! Classy, sassy with a little bit of assy.

Björk in Marjan Pejoski, 2001

When Björk wore Marjan Pejoski’s Swan dress to the 2001 Oscars, Joan Rivers said, “This girl should be put in an asylum” but this dress has been replicated, used in movies, and such an iconic moment in Oscar history. 

With Sunday approaching I look forward to some Oscar red carpet fashion moments. What was your ultimately Oscar fashion moment? 

Why skinny jeans are dead

Recently, a Tik Tok trend went viral discussing how Gen Zs want to cancel the wear of skinny jeans, but as a Millennial, I might have to to agree with them. There is no doubt that when skinny jeans first grew popularity, they were a revelation. They accentuated the butt, elongated your legs, and were high-rise, so before you attack me, here are my reasons why. 

Yes, skinny jeans were once an outfit stable but let's be real, skinny jeans now just make me look lumpy, stuffed and overexposes my body's problem areas. Not to mention that skinny jeans have largely been non-existent on the runways for several seasons now, and no matter what I pair them with, the proportions somehow always just feel all wrong. Another factor that led to the demise of the skinny jeans is the dreaded jeggings. As soon as they started to mix the denim with too much stretch, it just became trashy. Yes, the fabric is extremely comfortable but, so are sweats. Not to mention, that the materials you find in your typical pair of skinny jeans or jeggings is unrecyclable and deeply bad for the planet. 

Now I know, I am not the only one that feels this way either. The truth is, as we get older and our bodies change, showing off our curves or wearing tight clothes is no longer a big priority. I am now in my thirties, and I worry more about feeling sexy rather than showing too much. I prefer to invest in feeling comfortable rather than being in some tight jeans. Sadly, Millennials need to move on from their skinny jeans phase and begin to buy bootcuts, straight legs, wide legs and baggy styles which are classic alternatives to swap out your skinny jeans with. 

*See examples below

How to take #OOTD pictures

How many times have you scrolled through Instagram and seen girls take these awesome #OOTD pictures? If you follow me, then you know I love posting mirror OOTDs, so much that I have a highlight dedicated to them. When it comes to actual OOTD pictures, you do not need a glam squad, or a professional camera to get a really great shot. I wanted to share 10 of my personal tips to getting an Instagramble shot of your OOTD. 

FIND A LOCATION

I like to take all my outfit pics in front of plain white walls. This keeps the focus on my outfit, keeps my feed cohesive, and allows my outfit's colors, textures and details to pop. It seems like a lot of effort but it is actually not, look around your neighborhood and you will notice how many plain white walls there are. Often times, I will be driving to work, the mall or home and notice so many spots for OOTD pictures around me. When all fails, I like to use my garage door as the background. 

LIGHTING

Even if you have your entire picture, pose, props and outfit planned down to the details, lighting can make or break the shot. Natural light is best for #OOTDs and selfies too. I like to have the light in front of me and try to avoid having too many shadows on my face. Another factor is choosing the right time to shoot your shot to avoid being too bright or full of those unwanted shadows. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Often times, people ask me how do I pose so naturally, and the truth is that for every good picture there is about ten silly faces. Nailing just the right pose can be hard. I like to practice in a mirror so I know which poses work best for each outfit and my body type. Try to remember the poses that make you look and feel your best. Learn your best sides and most flattering angles. For example, I am only 5 feet tall and have very wide hips, so I avoid pictures that are straight on, I like to angle my hips and rest all my weight on the foot not facing the camera. Another tip to elongate your body is to create triangles, whether with your arms or legs. 

HAVE SOMEONE HELP

People are usually surprised to know that a lot of my pictures are taken by my mom, dad, or my bestfriend. Often times, what I like to do is take a pic of them first, lining up the shot exactly how I want it to look. I show them the picture, we swap places, then it is easy for them to recreate the shot easily. This comes in handy when you want an exact shot done in a certain way. Often times, I show an inspo picture at the same exact spot to make it even easier to recreate. Another tip, is having whoever is taking your picture talk to you to achieve those cute effortless candid's. My bestfriend will say things like walk, twirl, look left, and make me laugh, to achieve different shots. It might feel ridiculous at the time, but a laugh makes for a great picture. When in doubt go for a hair flip. Trust me, anything is better than a forced smile or an unnatural pose.

SET TO SQUARE

If you plan to upload your #OOTD directly into Instagram, use the square option on your phone or take the picture with enough space to crop it into a square. That way you’re sure to have all the details in your final shot, because how many times have you had a great shot but you have to choose between your full head or your shoes. 

TRY DIFFERENT ANGLES

Is your straight on picture just not working? Try taking some from a little above or a little below. Different perspectives make a huge difference. Recently, I have started to flip my iPhone upside down when I want to look taller, or I am trying to achieve that perfect kick picture. 

TRY SITTING DOWN

There is no rule that says the picture has to be standing up, so try a seated pose from time to time. I especially love them because they make my legs look longer, if I pose my legs slightly towards the camera. 

TAKE A TON OF PICTURES

Have whoever is taking the pictures keep snapping all while you’re making small, slight movements. This will give you a nice variety of pictures and poses to choose from. How many times has your body looked amazing but you smile is a little off? To avoid this, make small changes with every click, this gives you more options to choose from. 

DONT FORGET DETAILS

Do no wrap your mini shoot without getting a few pics of your jewelry, bag, and shoes so you’ll have even more gorge feed. Recently, my bestfriend took an up-close of my top and the shot was gorgeous. 

EDITING 

Once all the hard work is done, the fun process begins. I personally love editing my pictures and playing with the different colors in the shot. The reality is that no matter how great a camera you use, no lens is better than the human eye. Therefore, I like to use either Lightroom, Snapseed, or VSCO to enhance my pictures, which also helps you create a cohesive aesthetically pleasing feed. About a year ago, I learned how to make my own presets in Lightroom, which makes editing a 1, 2 step. Once I select the pictures I like, I import them to Lightroom and simply apply the same preset to all, which makes it easier to narrow down to the ones I want to post. 

I hope my tips can help any girl or guy, who often struggles to create OOTD content. Let me know if you have your own tips and tricks, I am always looking for new ideas. 

Budget & Bougie

Let’s be real, we all want to look classy, expensive and well put together, but, often times our wants don't meet our wallet's need to stay green.  

While I believe that some expensive fashion items scream wealth and individuality, I also know some tips for looking bad and bougie on a budget. This post is not about how to show off that you have money but rather how to look expensive, powerful, and put together. 

Before we go on, you may be wondering why do I care to look more expensive? For me, dressing to look more expensive is less about trying to impress other people and more about feeling confident, well put together and polished everyday. Ultimately, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you attract positivity into your life. In fact, studies show that dressing well, does in fact effect our performance and makes us feel better about ourselves and more confident. So, here are a few tips to looking more expensive. 

1. Wear all black

2. Dress Monochromatic

 

3. When buying basics, stick to black, white, gray or camel tones.

4. Always wear the right size.

5. Avoid wearing distressed or ripped jeans.

6. Add gold jewelry to elevate any outfit.

7. Presentation is key, always take care of your clothes by ironing, washing and steaming them properly.

8. Only splurge on pieces that are inter-wearable to create a volt of staple pieces.

9. Avoid wearing too many labels and mixing labels. You don't want to be a walking ad.

10. Invest in quality over quantity. Do we have nothing to wear or have we spent too much money on high quantities, rather than high quality pieces? 

11. Wear a structured bag.

12. Keep good personal hygiene.

13. When in doubt simple is better. 

I hope these small tips are helpful enough to make subtle changes in your day to day outfit selections and always remember to ...

dress for the life you wish to live. 

Ten Summer Must Haves

Living in Miami, summer is year round but it also happens to be my favorite time of the year. Tan lines, tropical drinks, bikinis and endless Sunday Fundays. As summer comes, so do the new trends. I have listed ten of my 2017 Summer Must haves items, most under $100. 
XO Mimosas and Pumps 

Crazy about Brunch

 

If you haven’t discovered the magic that is brunch, I highly suggest you do. I can give you 5 reasons why breakfast and lunch foods mixed together to make one awesome, mismatched meal that usually involves getting dressed up and mimosas is the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

1.     Brunch drinks

 Brunch drinks usually consist of mimosas, sangrias and Bloody Marys, which have just enough juice to feel like a morning drink, but enough alcohol to make you feel some type of way.

2.    The food

 Does this even have to be said? You get breakfast and lunch choices, like chicken and waffles which is perfect for those indecisive eaters that can't choose if they love breakfast or lunch more.

3.    Sundays are for brunch

 Brunch is usually reserved for Sundays, which to me makes perfect sense. You eat brunch, and then get to go home and fall into a food-induced coma for a few hours without worrying about work or responsibilities. Talk about the perfect Sunday Funday.

4.    The perfect time for a meal

 Not a morning person, good because Brunch is never at the crack of dawn, so it being late is just fine by me. Sleeping late and good food, what else could anyone ask for?

5.    It's just plain out fun!

 This Sunday, I decided to try out Crazy About You's brunch and I can say I was pleasantly surprised with the menu and the food. Crazy about You is located in Brickell Bay drive and is from the creators of Dolores, but you can call me Lolita and Love is Blind. Crazy About You brings a new and fresh option to Brickell's scene. They have a wide selection of dishes from the European and Latin cuisine, along with a great selection of wines at affordable prices.

 "In victory, you deserve champagne; in defeat, you need it!"
XO Mimosas and Pumps 

What I ate:

Appetizer- Maybe the Best Serrano Ham Croquettas

Meal- Brunch Pizza

Drink- Mimosas

What I wore:

Dress- Shein

Shoes- Zara

Bag- Gucci

Necklaces- Taudrey 21

Sunglasses- Christian Dior

Lip Color- KoKo K Matte Kylie Lipkit