Fall Sunshine and new hair style - highlights and an ombre - Irresistible Me Extensions

Happy Monday!
The sun has been shining here in LA but it has gotten "cold," and I love crisp fall sunshine! Although I guess cold is relative because when I say cold I mean between 50-65F. Since there isn't much humidity here in LA, when the temperature drops and the wind picks up, it can get rather cold! I am definitely a California girl now, but the other day when it was 65 and everyone else was complaining about how cold it was, I was in short sleeves and was fine! haha!
Work has been no different, if anything I am more stressed, but I am looking forward to the holidays as I am going to take a week and a half off to go visit my parents in Boston! And the boy is coming with finally! :D
Well, anyway, to combat this cooler weather, I have been wearing lots of sweaters to work; sweaters are nice because in the morning it is cool and in the middle of the day if I am getting lunch on campus sometimes it reaches 70-75 degrees, and then at night time when I am leaving work (it gets dark at like 5 now, so anytime I leave work it is already cold and dark), it is so cold! I found this cute little sweater that I bought from Kaitlyn Clothing, a little boutique store near UCLA. I also just wore a simple white t-shirt with jeans from Zara and heeled boots that I have worn before on the blog! I forgot about these boots and I forgot about how much I love them!

I also got my hair highlighted and cut on halloween - it had been 2 years since I did anything with my hair! I hadn't even gotten my hair cut! It was super long (longer than my waist), and super thick - the pony tail I would make would feel so heavy! So after talking with Samira, my blogger friend from Stylemesamira.com, I went to her hair stylist and got my hair done! I fell in love with it, even though it is fall my hair is lighter and seems super fun! I got a few colors in my hair to have it all blend and look lighter! At the same time I received my hair extensions from IrresistibleMe.com, and decided to put them in. I had never tried hair extensions before and have always had my eye on them, wanting to try them to make my hair even longer and fuller. I never could qualify buying them when my hair was already long and thick, but it was a great opportunity to try them finally! I have always wanted to dye extensions a different color as well so I could change my hair look without damaging my own hair! I ordered them in the Silky Touch Chocolate Brown, 20 inches, and I received them the day before I cut/dyed my hair! My natural hair was the same exact shade as the extensions, which I was amazed at how well it matched! And my hair was just as long if not longer than the extensions, which shocked me and was when I realized, yes, I need to cut my hair!!! After getting my hair done I added the extensions into my hair (they were clip in), and I curled my hair as I normally would, and I LOVED how the look came out! Since my hair was now a little lighter, when I added the darker extensions it looked like a reverse ombre, where the ends were darker! But it wasn't too drastic as it matched with the rest of my hair! It looked and felt so natural, you couldn't tell that it wasn't my hair! They also added a lot of volume to my hair, which was great since I could have the volume but not feel the heavy weight of my hair always! Before I got it cut, my hair just felt so heavy, so it was a breath of fresh air when I could add them in and take them out at the end of the day!

Take a look at the look below! I fell in love!

November Fall Trends Style Guide

Hi loves!
Life has been rather hectic for me with work, leaving me little to no time to myself. I need to figure out how to better balance work and life, as I need to make time for myself, whether it is blogging, working out, or sleeping! Trying to do too much with not enough time always ends up feeling overwhelming.
Every night I browse a couple of my favorite blogs to relax, and scrolling through the fashion hashtags on instagram, I have gained some style inspiration for this November/fall! I am itching to go shopping now!
Here are some Fall November Trends that I am loving right now!

1. Braids - After attending StyleCon OC this past weekend, it was all about the braids! They had braid bars all over the event so you could get your hair done! I got a crown braid which went around the entire top of my head (photo peak on instagram, outfit post to come Thursday/Friday!). And since I am bored with just wearing my hair down to work, I have started trying to do a front pleated braid, which helps my highlights stand out and it keeps the hair out of my face! I want to do a youtube tutorial on this, if I ever find the time to record!

2. Tulle/Full Skirts  - I saw a few bloggers wearing Tulle skirts, and I fell in Love!  I saw my sweet blogger friend Jeannie from Msjeannieandhercloset.com wearing a Tulle skirt in her latest post and it solidified for me the style - it is so chic especially paired with some boots! A full tulle skirt matched with a plain blouse is just the perfect outfit! I am going to buy a tulle skirt soon to style on the blog!

November Trends Report

Recap of Life: #FABDILab Blogger event, Halloween, my take on social media, and giveaway winner!

Hi loves!
Sorry for lack of posts this week! I am working for more posts for you guys for next week but it has been a rather stressful and busy two weeks, and only will be as busy this weekend!
Juggling 12 hr days at work where I am on my feet all day doing experiments is exhausting, and I have all the intentions to work on blog posts and outfit posts but I end up passing out on the couch from 10 pm! I think I will be graduating in this next year (hoping to walk at graduation, defend by summer!), so I can see the end of the tunnel which is great (so exciting to finally be done with this journey) but terrifying at the same time because I still have so much to accomplish in my projects!!

Two weekends ago I attended #FabDILab, a blogger conference that I attended last year and met some good blogger friends! So it was nice to go back again this year more experienced in the blogging world and I felt like I could take away so much more! The day started off with a networking breakfast followed by back to back talks - focusing on social media, branding yourself, how to work with companies, and much more! It was cool hearing of these things from others who do this full time! I definitely took home some tips that I hope I can share with you! If you follow me on twitter (@phd_fashionista), I was tweeting some good quotes from various speakers throughout the day! It was rather interesting to hear some statistics - what particularly stood out to me was that 81% of Consumers trust info and advice from bloggers! So Influencer marketing really works! I know I love to see a certain piece styled with an outfit rather than just seeing an ad for a piece by itself - so it makes sense! Another tip was, No's are not the end, they are a part of the process. Which really resonates for me, on more levels than just blogging, but in life. Sometimes you get down when you get rejection after rejection, but to be honest, it might mean you are saving yourself for something even more epic and a bigger opportunity!

I struggled with that today, as I applied to be a part of this social program that sends you samples to review, and I was instantly rejected. And it was because my instagram following was not up to par - apparently you need a minimum of 1000 followers. Number of followers is misleading because nowadays it's so easy to buy followers! I was a little upset but then it really made me realize why I started blogging - not for the free things or the glitz and glamor, but because I seriously enjoy writing and creating - I absolutely love creating outfit posts and styling them, doing my makeup and taking great photos to showcase my outfits - and then I enjoy writing the posts even more! It really helped put things in perspective - I didn't start blogging to become instagram famous, I started blogging because I love blogging, fashion, and this outlet! It was kind of funny because I had this epiphany along the same time as another Instagram star Essena O'neill posted about quitting social media - whether or not it was a publicity stunt or she genuinely was sick of the ridiculousness - I agree - and it's so upsetting to realize how much I have started obsessing over instagram and number of followers. And having photos to post - must be perfectly posed, must take so many shots of the same thing until it's perfect - she is completely right!

Well, anyway, if you have read down to hear, I really appreciate you reading my ranting and ramblings. I really had a great time at FabDILab, learned a lot, and also got some free goodies in a goodie bag (see photo below), that I will be reviewing in some posts coming up soon!

Keep scrolling to read about my Halloween and the announcement of the Giveaway winner!

What I wore and Cute DNA Necklace by Eclectic Eccentricity Jewelry!

Hi Guys!
Happy Halloween!
Today I bring you an outfit post of what I wore to #FabDILab event last weekend (recap coming early next week along with the winner of the Firmoo Giveaway!), and a really cute necklace that I want to showcase!
#FabDILab blogger conference was a great time, I learned so much, and I decided to wear this really cute Chambray dress that I bought myself from Charlotte Russe. It was nice because it was casual but still chic and could easily dress it up with heels! I decided to go with gold accessories, and it was the perfect opportunity to wear my Eclectic Eccentricity Paired for Life Double Helix DNA Necklace that I received and fell in love with! What a better opportunity to represent my blog at the conference and to stand out than a DNA necklace that is super cute!
I went to their site, eclecticeccentricity.com to look at their necklaces and they were all SO CUTE! I couldn't pick just one favorite! I adored their unique take on accessory main pieces! Everything was science and space themed, I wish I could have everything! From dinosaurs, to planets, to space ships, to DNA, to moon dust, to special element rocks, everything was so unique and beautiful!
The Double Helix DNA necklace is really great, it is a brass double helix pendant along with a small red Cherry Quartz and another quartz and hematite cubes on a gold plated chain! DNA is the basis of our entire world and being, so this is a really cute necklace to showcase the importance of science!

How to style a scarf as a main piece - Jordanian Scarf and Zara Jeans

Hello!

It's been a hectic week and weekend, super busy with work and a blogger event (recap post coming soon!) and hanging out with long lost friends (my college roommate was in town so I got to see her for a halloween party in hollywood!). It was so nice because I hadn't seen my friend in 3 years, so it was really convenient to see her! I went to a halloween party at a club in Hollywood hosted by IronMan Magazine, it was a rather busy day because I went to a blogging event #FabDILab in Santa Monica (outfit post to come!), got home, quickly changed into a makeshift halloween costume, and headed out! I managed to develop a small cold too, I think from constantly being on the go and not allowing my body to rest! So I took yesterday off and worked from home. It was a nice little break.

The weather in LA has recently gotten a little cooler, so I'm pretty happy we have somewhat of a fall (but I am still in shorts during the day). On one of the cooler days I decided to wear this outfit I wore to lab, with my Zara skinny jeans and a plain white tank top from Forever21. Since it was a little chilly, I covered up using this beautiful scarf I received as a gift from my boyfriend's wonderful mother from Jordan. It was gorgeous!!! I fell in love with it and the pattern, it is totally fall! Matched with my black ankle booties from Target (Brand: Sam & Libby), I thought it was the perfect fall outfit that could be worn to work or out to dinner, drinks, whatever! Sorry for the multiple photos, I loved this shoot and couldn't decide on just a few photos to post!

My New Glasses and Firmoo Giveaway!

Hi Loves!
I never had to wear glasses before, but with all the time I spend in front of the computer with blogging and work as well as being on my phone a lot, I have been getting a lot of headaches and migraines. I went to get my eyes checked because I noticed that my eyes would start to hurt and then I would have a cluster headache behind my eye. I went and got my eyes checked and I found out I have astigmatism and a very slight slight prescription, and also because of how much time I spend in front of a screen, the more tired my eyes get from having to focus constantly. So, I decided to get glasses to do the work for me when my eyes get tired, so my prescription is slight but it has drastically helped with my headaches and it is awesome!! Just goes to show you how slight changes in your lifestyle can affect you!

Well, anyway, a few months ago I was contacted by Firmoo Optics to test out a pair of their glasses and they gifted me a pair, and since I hadn't updated my prescription yet (I hadn't gotten my eyes checked then), I used an old prescription and while they still work for my eyes they are a little straining. You can see that post from April HERE. So with my updated prescription I bought a new pair (with my own money) and found an even more fashionable pair that I am in love with and am currently wearing as I type this post! The total cost was around $30 because there was a sale going on and they offer free lenses! Which is awesome because at the optometrist it was $60 for lenses and then super expensive frames! Firmoo gives free lenses and a couple of free add ons, or cheap add ons like glare removal, etc., and the frames are super stylish, durable and cheap!

Here is my look with these dark rimmed glasses with some gold accents! There is also a touch of purple on the frames which is awesome! Keep reading below for a chance to get your own pair from Firmoo for free (Giveaway!)

Lee Stafford Ubuntun Oils from Africa Hair Product Review

Hello loves!
Hope you had a lovely weekend!
I had the opportunity to go to a Vanity Fair Social Club (#VFSC) Two Day event over the weekend in celebration of and leading up to a viewing party for the Emmy Awards, so I have lots to post about that coming up soon! It was a lot of fun and I got some freebies, if you have been following my Instagram or Twitter feeds! (If you aren't, you should! Go click the links above and to the left!!)
But more on that later this week!

 

Yellow Blazer and Back to work!

Hello loves!

I am finally over my jet lag, but I found out my wisdom tooth is infected, which isn't making me feel too great... Got some meds and hopefully I'll be back to 100% soon! I am also back at work, and slowly easing back into the daily routine, it has been a struggle getting back into it after relaxing and being out of the country!

I have my committee meeting next week (after fourth year we meet with our dissertation committee to update them on our progress and future plans/timeline to graduation), and this is an outfit that I am planning on wearing! It is a rather casual meeting, but I still want to look presentable, so I opted for simple solid colors that definitely make a pop!

Everything that I am wearing I bought while I was abroad (with the exception of the shoes)! I fell in love with Zara and Mango stores, found throughout Europe, and the prices are really affordable compared to their counterpart stores here in the USA! I had a previous pair of jeans from Zara that were super comfortable, so of course I tried on a few pairs and ended up buying this pair, dark stretchy jeggings from Zara! I also loved Zara's blazers! They had a few styles on sale, and I almost bought a white blazer (so close!) but decided against it because I don't have the best luck with not spilling on white things... I ended up finding this even more flattering yellow blazer that was more expensive but definitely worth it! It is made of quality material and I fell in love with the cut! 

PhD Fashionista turns Three! Birthday Giveaway

Hello loves!

PhD Fashionista turns three this weekend! To celebrate,  I am hosting another giveway, this time a bunch of beauty samples/minis in a cute little makeup bag! This giveaway is not sponsored by anyone or any company, just my own makeup bag because I want to thank you all for your continued support!

I have grown so much with this blog in the last three years, and I originally started it not thinking anything serious about it! I wasn't posting regularly, didn't have any dedication, and slowly throughout the years I have grown in the blogger community and have greatly upped my quality of posts, photos, and am posting more quality content in a regular fashion. This blog has also opened many doors for me and I have met some great people, some of whom have become close friends! Who knew, that a side hobby would link me with so many great people! And it offers a nice place to release stress when I don't want to think about work/science! I actually look forward to preparing my post the night before when I get home, even if I am exhausted from a long day at work!

Only within the last year has my blog really taken off, when I started taking it more seriously, started going to blogger events in LA, and bought a new camera and lens. Putting a little effort really goes a long way, and it's really nice to have something to provide a work/life balance! I am all about work/life balance recently, after coming back from my trip!

I have accumulated several really pretty makeup bags due to my Ipsy glambag subscription, but I figured I would gift one of my favorites, this pretty pink white and gray patterned makeup bag!

Summer in Greece - Denim and Lace

Hello loves! 

I am back in full swing, finally back from my conference in Spain and vacation in Cyprus! I hope you enjoyed my previous posts during my trip, and now I bring you another fun photo shoot I had with my cousin in Protaras, a town of Cyprus with some of the more beautiful beaches on the islands! We stayed at a resort by the beach for the weekend and it was a great time! The resort had a really nice pool and its own private beach, walking distance from other picturesque beaches! I will share some photos from this on another post this week! 

I had a great time at the conference, I got to meet and network with other scientists and make some really great connections! I also got to see and explore Barcelona, which has been a city I have been wanting to visit for a long time now (since middle/high school!). And then hopping over the mediterranean to Cyprus was the icing on the cake, where I got to further extend my trip and relax by the beach and see family! 

I am currently suffering jet lag, I had a pretty awful trip back, making three stops, a twelve hour layover and attempting to sleep in the airport in Barcelona, a delayed flight that caused me to miss my connecting flight to LA, so I had to spend the night in a hotel in Philly. It was a 3 day process (its never taken me more than 20 ish hours to get back across from Cyprus to LA...). So with my lack of sleep I haven't been able to catch up yet and going back to work...its a tiring experience. Hoping I can get back to normal schedule soon!

Living Room Inspiration - Blue like the Sea

Hello loves!
Happy first of July! I can't believe it is already July! Where is time going!? It feels like it was New Years Eve just yesterday!
I have had a rough couple of weeks with non stop work and stress, and getting really stressed out about my move this weekend to university apartments. I was really anxious to make everything official, but everything is working out and I have transferred all the utilities etc.! Now comes the hard part - packing up a whole apartment's worth of furniture!

I currently have a living room/dining room set up that I like, but with having a new place, I want to switch it up a bit, and what better way to switch it up than with changing in some cool accent pieces!
Living Room Inspiration - Blue like the Sea by andreah227 featuring a leather loveseat

Sunny days and pretty prints - Summer lab wear in LA

Hello loves!

I am finally bringing you an outfit post, that I am actually wearing to work today! I shot this look a few weeks ago and never got around to posting it! I am in dire need of sleep, but my experiments leave me no mercy and I must go to lab tomorrow (its Saturday, sigh...).

But anyway, I am wearing this cute comfy outfit today since I have been wearing jeans and sneakers all week. Leggings are my favorite, although I do need a longer top to cover my bum, so this floral print floaty top is perfect! Super cute print that I have had in my closet for years now, and never fails to look great! Top is from Forever21, and leggings I believe I just got them from Ross, but you can find them anywhere - I usually get them from H&M and buy new ones when I get holes in them! Just plain black leggings. The accessories I love, because they are simple yet super cute, with gold accents! 

Summer Trends - Dresses galore!

Hello lovelies!
I've had a rather busy/stressful couple of weeks, so apologies on lack of regular posts! Busy with pushing forward a project as fast as I can before I leave the country for a conference, in addition to finding out I'm moving at the end of the month (thank you University housing for the last minute notification!), I've been a little bit of a mess with very little sleep!
In addition I have been itching to go shopping, I haven't had a chance to go to the mall/stores recently, but I have been online window shopping... every few months I decide to spend 100$ or so on some new pieces. I had been looking at new arrivals/dresses on Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, and my fashionista friends told me about Zara's summer sale on summer dresses! I was ecstatic, but I don't get paid until next month so dresses will have to wait (my online shopping cart is full and waiting! ;) ) I am tired of the clothes I have and I need some new pieces for outfits to shoot!

While online shopping, I decided to pop over to eShakti.com, and came across eShakti's new summer dresses, and if you remember back in December I had a collaboration with them where I reviewed one of their dresses, and I remember how cool it was to customize my dress. Well, here are some of my favorite upcoming summer trends, with picks from their website - and then a coupon code at the end! There are some really cool pieces that are totally lab appropriate, and the code will give you $35 off (There's a lot of stuff on sale too, so take off 35$ and you are getting an amazing deal!)

I really think this is cool - same dress, different neckline, sleeves and length!

Summer Shoe Picks - Wear to...

Hi lovelies!
With summer basically here (depending on where you live, but in LA it is summer already!), ever wonder what shoes to wear? I love shoes, but working (or basically living) in the lab really limits what kinds of shoes I can wear... must be closed-toed shoes, but on the weekends/evenings I branch out and wear a pair of my cute shoes (my closet is full of shoes!!).
Here are some picks for this summer, with selections to wear for various places.

Summer Shoe Picks - Wear to... by andreah227 

Some food for thought

Hi lovelies,

Today I bring you a post that's rather different than the rest. A more thoughtful post, coming to you straight from my heart at 4 am. Granted, there are no photos (outfit post next week!), but I still have some thoughts to share. Take it as some food for thought.

I just spent the evening in the ER with my boyfriend after he injured his leg playing sports (don't worry, he's ok!), and it got me thinking about what I really want to do with my life. 

I am a people person. I love interacting with and helping people. I see it every day when I'm at work and a student asks me a question or needs advice on an experiment. Sometimes I wish I had the opportunity to work in retail or even food service, so I can interact with more people. In some ways I feel like being at the bench all day is kind of lonely. But then again, seeing the fruits of my labor in the form of data is rather gratifying and exciting! As I was sitting in the exam room with my boyfriend, a thought popped into my head. What if I became a medical doctor after my PhD? That way I could directly interact with and impact patients. And then I thought about the sheer amount of time and debt I would get into by not doing an MD/PhD program... (darn it Andrea, why didn't you think of this sooner?!)

I am a scientist, I am a female, I am a fashionista at heart with a passion for research and helping others. I want to inspire others to do their best, while also creating something I can call my own. 

Geometric Prints and Summer in LA!

Hello loves,
Summer has officially arrived in LA (along with the official June gloom weather), but there are days in between where the sun is shining and it hits 90 degrees! Amazing beach weather, but alas, being a grad student, I am stuck in the lab while I see facebook posts about friends being poolside or at the beach! It's ok, there are some nice weather days on the weekends where I am trying to not be at work and enjoying a nice dose of Vitamin D (with some sun protection of course!)
Here is an outfit I wore out with some friends to enjoy the day! I wore this cute geometric print romper from Kaitlyn Clothing, a small boutique here in LA near UCLA, and I haven't worn it out yet, until now. And I am showing my LEGS! something that is rare nowadays because of how much I wear pants and leggings in the lab! I am a little insecure about my legs, but pairing this romper with these chunky heels, I think the look pulls together well! When I first bought the romper I didn't think it was the most flattering thing but I think it looks ok!
What do you think?

Hawaiian Luau Inspired Makeup Tutorial - Vice 3 Palette

Happy Friday loves! TGIF! 

I'm glad its the weekend! Even though I feel like I didn't get much done experiment wise, I still feel exhausted, from running around doing things I needed, and finished a final presentation for a class I was taking. Today I helped plan a End of Year party for the graduate students in our department that is Luau themed! I love anything Hawaiian themed, and it brought me back to last year when I went to Waikiki to visit my cousin! I bought the decorations and leis and I am really excited to start setting up in a few hours!

Here is a makeup look inspired by the colorful hawaiian vibes! I used my Vice 3 Palette (seriously, the makeup looks and combinations are endless!), and the colors are so vibrant, I love how it came out. I still haven't mastered the great photography techniques other makeup bloggers have mastered, but I am trying!

Florals in June - Summer is officially here!

Happy June! 

Everyone talks about how fast time is flying, but jeeze! It is already summer and I am finishing up my 4th year of graduate school! I can't believe that I am getting closer and closer to finishing! Becoming a senior graduate student is rather frightening, but at the same time super cool, as I am much more wiser and knowledgable than I was 4 years ago! And I can say I am feeling rather ready to get a well paying job to finally make some moolah! 

Well, anyway, this past weekend was beautiful, the weather in LA was nice, and I hung out with a bunch of different groups of friends -- I got brunch in West Hollywood on Saturday with some of my LA blogger friends, and then got celebratory drinks in Santa Monica that night with some lab friends. And then Sunday was followed by a nice dinner with some colleagues in Thousand Oaks. I wore this cute floral print dress from H&M (I reused it both days, oops! Fashion paux? Or totally fine if you are going somewhere new/seeing new people?). With some cute sandals and gold accessories, I fell in love with this outfit! Again, I am reusing pieces I have worn before (the accessories and sandals), which makes it nice to get multiple uses out of simple pieces! 

Smokey Eye Makeup with a pop of color - Tutorial and Giveaway Winner announced!

Hi everyone!

Happy Friday and weekend! This week seems to have flown by and I am not sure I got a lot done this week! I have a final presentation for a business class I'm taking, so I decided to dress up a little for my presentation in a few hours with a cute navy blue blazer and some gold accents! And to pair with some nice makeup, I created a Brown smokey eye look with a pop of some blue/green color!
And at the bottom of the post I announce the winner of the Anjolee Necklace Giveaway!

Here is a tutorial for this look created using my Anastasia Beverly Hills Maya Mia palette I have had for some time now! I also created a double winged look, which I think adds a nice chic touch! I lined the lower lid with my liquid liner so I had to be careful, and then used eye pencil to line the inner lower lid!

#LApassport #PassportProgram Launch Party - Now Boarding!

Happy Tuesday everyone!
Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend! I had a relaxing weekend trip and took Monday off to BBQ with friends!
To kick off my weekend, this past Thursday night, I had the chance to attend the Launch Party for the Passport Program  launch in LA, for their "LA Passport," at the quaint new bar "Now Boarding" in West Hollywood! It was a rather fun experience, and the airline theme was SO CUTE, kudos to the organizers!
The Passport Program has launched in numerous cities across the United States, starting in Colorado and spreading to California and across to the east coast! For $20, you can get your hands on a Passport Booklet that contains several drink specials at various bars around town starting yesterday - Memorial Day, until Labor Day in September. You just show the passport to your waiter/waitress and they stamp your passport!