VIRTUALLY VOGUE

 
     
       

* Disclaimer, the following gift guide is personalized to gifts we would give or have given each other in the past. We realize not everyone has a girl best friend like us, and we suggest the options under "brother" for a present for your guy best friend!

It's that time of year when everything becomes a little bit more - maybe a lot more - hectic because of the holidays. It's around this time in the year when a lot work has to be done. For students, those final unit tests, papers, and projects are due, which means a lot of unscheduled cramming to make sure you complete everything by the deadline. Midterms and finals are coming up and you may or may not have already started studying, and you're probably stressing out in general because you have no idea when to start or even how to. Distant family relatives could be coming in soon if they haven't already, and that means you'll have to update everyone on your personal life. And don't forget to remember that you still have to get the perfect presents for your loved ones! Winter break is so close, and all you want is to be thinking about something other than all the things you have to do. Don't worry, we're here to help!

Stay positive - Radiate positivity and gratitude and you will surely receive the same in return. Don't let the stress get you down. Keep your head up and put a smile on your face. You'll feel rewarded at the end of it all. Another way you can boost your mood, is to make sure your serotonin production is continuous. You can do this by exercising, getting some air and sunshine, and practicing good sleeping habits.

Be comfortable - Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. You can be as dressy as you want or as dressed down as you want. Yes, sweats and oversized sweaters are acceptable. If you feel good wearing it, your whole day will be so much better.

Sleep - As hard as it is sometimes, getting enough sleep is super important and beneficial to your well being. Why? Not only does it put you in a non-cranky mood, but it is also good for immune system with fighting off colds and viruses. You may think that staying up late to cram will help you, but lack of sleep prevents your brain from retaining important information and there is a high risk of memories/info getting lost. On top of that, do not run the risk of being too tired during the thing you have to do the next day. Go sleep. Your cognition will work more efficiently and you'll be able to understand more if you sleep.

Get in the spirit - If you celebrate Christmas, listen to some Christmas music to get you in the mood! Now is the time to listen to Mariah Carey's Christmas album on repeat to your heart's content. With your loved ones, decorate a tree, build a gingerbread house, make lots of holiday themed cookies, and hang up those stockings. You should also watch your favorite Christmas movies and watch a tv series (but you might want to wait till your work is out of the way for that one).

Be creative - When it comes to presents, DIY and sentimental presents are always a good go to and come Christmas time, the person who is getting it will be super touched. You might want to look out for these kinds of gifts because they could be more cost effective than an already made item. In terms of decorating, look for inspiration for fun ideas to make your house ready for the holidays. Check out Pinterest for these things (it has everything you can think of, well mostly)!

Get organized -  With school, plan out your weeks to make sure you know when things are due and how you can optimize your time on certain things. If you have a planner, use it. Use your phone calendar. Set reminders for yourself. Create incentives to get you working. A helpful tip is to put your major assignments first and get them over with instead of leaving them for last minute! Yes, we understand that that can be challenging, but it leaves you with time to spare, and in that case, REVISE your work to get the highest scores you can!
With presents, create a spreadsheet where you can list the things you want to give to your loved ones. Create a budget for yourself, so you don't end up with $0 in your pocket by the end of shopping, or even too soon. Keep the person you're giving the present to's interests in mind so they appreciate the gift. Thought really does count.

Be yourself - Don't feel like you have to change who you are in order to impress other people.  Don't let other people bring down your mood because that's just a waste of time. Stay you and be true to that because you know how hard you're truly working and how passionate you are about doing the things that you love.

At times, it may seem like you're probably the only one who is being put under so much stress and pressure, but trust us, you aren't. There are people out there who will support you and help you if you need it. "The way I see it, if you want a rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain," said Dolly Parton. And as Wooden said, "Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

Now that it's officially that time of year, it's time to break out your most festive outfits! For this post, we would like to share with all of you, outfits that we would wear to a holiday party. Along with some inspiration for our male viewers. Without further ado, here they are:

Nicole

Topshop party dress (black) $85 / Topshop ribbed dress (metallic pink) $53 / Abercrombie Fitch turtleneck sweater (grey) $29/ H M zipper jacket (black & faux fur) $76 / Abercrombie Fitch zip jacket (red) $80/ Abercrombie & Fitch skinny leg jeans (dark rinse) $58/ Adidas Originals white leather shoes, $78 / Nly Shoes black high heel boots, $57 / Nike Air Max Thea mesh and leather sneakers $175/ MICHAEL Michael Kors genuine leather bag $224 / Henri bendel bag $298 / Mvmt Watches White Rose Gold Watch $125 / Michael Kors yellow gold hoop earrings $33 / Bar pendant necklace $30/ Burberry scarve $475/ Mac Diva Matte Matte Lipstick $17 / MAC Lipstick, MACnificent Me! / Benefit black gel eyeliner $24


Fatima

Abercrombie Fitch clothing / Blue Wool Woven Tie / DOLCE & GABBANA two button blazer / Armani Collezioni Modern Fit Shadow-Check Dress Shirt / Bulova Men's Chronograph Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch 40mm 96A174 / Fossil Men's Chronograph Nate Black-Tone Stainless Steel Bracelet... / Sherpa Lined Premium Fishtail Parka MENS / Heritage Bomber Jacket MENS / Muscle Fit Iconic Oxford Shirt MENS / Lands' End Men's Traditional Fit Solid No Iron Supima Pinpoint... / Men / Tomas Maier V-neck Cardigan - Tiziana Fausti - Farfetch.com / Nike Air Force 1 07 High LV8 Men's Shoe. Nike.com / Timberland | Men's 6-Inch Basic Waterproof Boots w/Padded Collar / Shop Men's Casual Shoes, Oxfords & Leather Loafers | Sperry / Mockneck Cardigan - Brooks Brothers / Bushwick Mid Dark Brown Lea - Clarks Mens Shoes - Lace-ups and... / GEO GLOW - NAVY / Michael Kors 'More Plaid' Silk Blend Tie | Nordstrom


Fatima

Home

Bath and Body Works Fall Collection- You may or may not know that I am a huge fan of candles and fall respectively, so whenever Bath & Body Works combine the two, I tend to go a little crazy shopping. This year I tried to control myself and only bought four out of the huge variety of candles to choose from. Out of all four my absolute favorite was "Marshmallow Fireside," because not only does it encompass some of my favorite parts of fall, the smell is incredible! Without even lighting it, the sweet and warm smell spread throughout my room and I honestly am struggling to put into words how much I love it. So basically, everyone go buy it! Also, I love the Christmas collection even more so I can not wait to be back home so I can go out and buy as many candles as I can possibly carry. Out of 10, 9.999999! Price: $22.50 (so worth it).

Clothes

Forever 21 Fall/Winter Collection- I love to shop at Forever 21 for the most part although I often find it a bit overwhelming and have found myself getting progressively bored of them always having the same type of items. But, their fall and winter collection this year blew my mind! They had some of the cutest things I had seen in a long time, which prompted me to buy around 20 sweaters within the span of two weeks. I can't specifically pin down the certain things I bought because there were so many and were only a small percentage of all the things I became obsessed with. If I had to choose my favorite piece I got, it would be the navy blue sweater/vest with a fur neckline pictured above. The reason I love it is because not only does it make me feel fabulous, it is also so cozy and easy to style. Out of 10, I give the collection a solid 8. Everyone must check it out! Price (of mentioned vest): $49.50 (very pricey for Forever 21, but I could not resist).

Hair

Bows- As I mentioned before, one of my favorite ways to accessorize is with headbands, bows, or other head accessories. Recently I've been wearing the half-up half-down ponytail all the time, and I found that putting a bow over it made it ten times cuter. I went on a small hair bow haul, and found some cute ones at Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Nordstrom, and H&M. The prices varied depending on the store and style of the bow, but for the most part they were between 3 and 10 dollars. They are such a simple and chic way to accessorize, and they can be worn in so many ways so I highly recommend you all go out and get one! And if you do, send us pictures so we can feature it on our social media pages!

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NICOLE'S FAVES

Skincare + Makeup

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+- I have been using this for a while but now that the air in San Francisco has been a lot more brisk because of the fall season, my skin has become drier. So I've found myself using lotion, especially on my face, very frequently to hydrate my skin to keep it feeling soft. It is super important to keep your skin hydrated during this fall/upcoming winter season, even if you may have an oilier skin complexion, to avoid from possible flaking and cracking of your skin. This lotion from Clinique is absolutely perfect for all skin types and I use it everyday in both my morning and night time routines. A little goes a long way with this product and it doesn't feel heavy on my face, and it doesn't leave a shiny residue or break me out. 10/10, I highly recommend this product! Price: $26.00

Limited Edition ChapStick Candy Cane- I had been using the EOS lip balm for the longest time, but I knew it was time for a change because after a while, it didn't give me the moisture and result I wanted from a lip balm. I switched to the original flavored ChapStick, until a friend recommended this flavor to me in late October, and I instantly fell in love! The peppermint goes so well with the holiday season and I really like the minty, cooling sensation on my lips. In addition to hydrating my skin, hydrating my lips is a must. ChapStick is always a great go-to. It's simple and it really does the job. I rate it 9/10. Price: $1.49 on the website (prices vary for multipacks in stores)

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush (color: 80 Jersey)- I haven't always been a fan of blush because I have struggled with the color not lasting very long or looking too clowny. I have a tan skin complexion, so finding the right shade took a while. My aunt is a makeup consultant and she gave this to me, and I was surprised to see how well the color complimented my skin tone. It has shimmer in it, but not too much. This color is not too pink, which is great because the product is very buildable and it gives me a natural looking flush. I also found that it lasts throughout the day, which is a plus, so I don't find myself reapplying it often. I would rate this product 8.5/10, because it works really well for me. Price: $45.00 (Pricey, but feel free to check it out if you would like!)

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Spf 15 (color: N30)- I don't know why this is, but liquid foundations feel too heavy for me and it's not my favorite makeup product to use on the daily. Using a powder, especially a sheer powder, has been something I've been doing for a while because it's fast for me to use, and theres almost no way to put on too much to look cake-faced. It's light coverage, which I like because it looks very natural. It also smells good and the Spf is such a plus. It leaves me with an almost matte finish, and lasts the majority of the day. I would recommend this if you are looking for sheer coverage. This also works as a powder to set your liquid foundation and concealer. Price: $58.00 (again, it's high up there, but feel free to check it out! I really like it.)

Clothes

Faux Leather Moto Jacket- I have been looking for the perfect moto jacket for the longest time and when I got mine from H&M, it was almost impossible for me to stop wearing it with every outfit I wore in November. It has gold accents and it has a detachable faux fur collar, which dresses up any outfit I put on. It's fitting and matches my style very well because it adds edginess to anything. For any leather jacket, I 10/10 recommend (check out Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters, too!). Price: varies from store to store and depends on the style of leather jacket, but it can start from $20+. The one that I described was $80. I wanted to invest in a jacket that not only looks super cute, but is very durable, warm, and comfortable.

H&M Conscious V-neck Sweater (color: white melange)- I haven't had many fall season sweaters in my closet before November, so when I walked into H&M and saw their new holiday/fall collection, I was immediately drawn to the simplicity and neutrality of the colors and designs of their clothes.  The cotton blend material is thin (but not see through or too cold if worn alone) and comfortable in this sweater. The deep v-neck allows for me to use statement necklaces, or even just simple charm necklaces. The color I chose to is a really universal color and matches with nearly everything - I've been wearing it with a lot of blacks, whites, greens, and burgundy. I would recommend 9/10! Price: $19.99

Hair

Caramel Balayage Highlights- I had a sombre (subtle ombre) in my hair since the 8th grade, and just last year in my sophomore year, I tried out highlights. I went back to my stylist last month and asked for lighter, cooler tones because I felt that I was ready to do more dramatic things to my hair. Only now, coloring my hair lighter has sparked my interest in exploring more fun colors.

Music

I have a passion for music - both listening to it, making it, and even jamming out to it. As this season dawned on us, so many artists came out with new music, including Adele with "25", Troye Sivan with his EP "WILD" and newly released album "BLUE NEIGHBORHOOD", "Pentatonix" by Pentatonix, and "Delirium" by Ellie Goulding. These albums have stood out to me the most and I have been listening to the artists's music non-stop last month. I highly recommend these artists and their music, so check them out!


These are just some of the things we have been loving recently and if you guys have things you would like us to check out, please leave a comment below and we would love love love to talk to you all about your personal favorites!