New Year's Eve Glam

What to wear this New Year's Eve??

Whether you are going to a chic bar or club or just keeping it low-key at a friend's party or even just at home,  it's always a nice excuse to dress up!

Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

I am in Boston visiting my parents and brothers for a few days before heading back to LA for the rest of the year! It's been nice to have some time off from school to relax for a bit!

What are you up to this holiday season?

Let me know in the comments below!

Xo Andrea

PS want to give to this blog? Give me a like on FACEBOOK and a follow on Instagram! I'll love you forever! Xoxo

Holiday Makeup Essentials

What makeup to wear during the holiday season? Here are my latest picks for that glam holiday look, easily transitioned from day to night for those family holiday parties to night time excursions with friends! This is my makeup routine this holiday season! With a little saving and splurging, you can totally make this work on a graduate student stipend or low budget!

Red Hot Holiday Party Dress - eShakti

This past weekend I attended a holiday party I organized for the department, and it was a little stressful! We had to order a lot of beer and food for the grad students, which coordinating was interesting, but ended up being a success! The next night a friend was hosting a cocktail holiday party at her apartment, and I decided to wear this red hot dress I got from eShakti.com! I was amazed at how beautiful it was and how perfectly it fit! 

Practical Holiday Gift Guide for a fashionista (scientist or not!)

What to get for your fashionista friend (scientist or not) thats practical, cheap, and useful? Here are some things on my list for the holidays that are handy for my lifestyle and stylish!

Natural Green Contact Lenses - Spooky Eyes sample

I have always wanted blue or green eyes. My grandmother has these bright blue eyes and her father had blue eyes but somehow I have inherited big brown eyes. I love my brown eyes but I have always wondered what I would look like with lighter eyes. I have been trying to get my hands on some colored contact lenses but couldn't figure out how to get them without spending a fortune at the optometrist, and after getting my eyes checked and being told I have 20/20 vision, I was advised against getting contact lenses since I didn't need them. 

Lucky for me, I am a part of the eTailPR blogger network, and I was able to get my hands on a sample of natural green contact lenses from Spooky Eyes, who generously sent me a pair to test out! I was super excited to finally receive my samples in the color "Natural Green Yellow Fusion."

I received the package and here are the details:

• Included: One pair of soft, non-vision altering contact lenses.
• Retail Price: $27.95 - on sale for 23.95! plus free shipping
• 

Anniversary outfit - Special occasion casual dress!

It has been raining the last couple of days here in LA (finally!), but last week was really nice. I had my anniversary with the boyfriend and we had a casual date night out with dinner and a movie, it was quite nice! Here is what I wore, a really cute, comfy sundress that I bought in Hawaii! I fell in love with the high-lo look of this dress, and how flow-y it is! The color is one of my favorites, and I used black accent pieces that I have blogged about before (the purse, the sandals).
I have been meaning to post about this outfit all week but have been swamped with work!

What do you think of this look? What would you wear to a casual date?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be thankful for on this day, looking back at my past year! It's been a great ride and I thank you if you have been following or even reading my blog! I talked with my mom on the phone (in Boston) and they got a heavy snow storm, and she was telling me how they had to clean up all the snow. And I was bundled up in my bed in LA with the expected high to be 84 today... haha! Since it is so nice out, this special occasion calls for a cute skirt and some heeled sandals! I love the pale pink color of the skirt from Charlotte Russe paired with black highlight pieces! Simple black tank top was $1.90 from Forever 21! Can you believe it?

I recently bought the purse by Franco Sarto form Marshall's for only $20! I was looking for a small black crossover body purse since my favorite one had the strap snap, and this was perfect! It's small, fashionable, and it has a built in wallet so I can put all my cards and cash! My iPhone 6 fits perfectly as well! Only downside is I can't fit a lot into it.

These are some of my favorite photos. Let me know what you think of this outfit!

Casual Thanksgiving Warmth

What to wear this week to the various holiday get togethers you may have?

Never fear, here are some comfortable but still stylish outfits! I'm loving chunky sweaters and flowy peplum tops with dark jeans or leggings! And I'm in love with smokey eye makeup with some dramatic red or coral/orange lipstick this season!

Casual Thanksgiving Warmth by andreah227 featuring a casual outfit

Coral and boots - perfect for LA "fall"

What's a girl to wear when it's still 60-70 in Los Angeles during the day but the temperatures drop to a chilly 55 in the evening? Being in lab all day, you lose track of the weather until I am ready to leave to go home for the evening. It might be warm on my walk to work but then when I leave I realize that the sun went down and it is chilly! Time to put my fall wardrobe to work, with the addition of almost knee-high boots to keep extra warm and a cardigan to cover up! I am in love with this coral top I received as a gift from my aunt in Cyprus from Debenhams. It is the perfect color and I love the print!

Fashion event in DTLA

FINALLY have my laptop back up and running after being out of commission for 3 months! Now back to more regular posting :)

I was recently invited to a Fashion event at a chic little boutique in downtown LA called 71Stanton. Hosted by FabCounsel and Sazan Barzani, we had a night of drinks, snacks, shopping, and a fashion show, styled by Sazan and modeled by some really awesome fashion bloggers! 

I left work "early" (5pm) to drive downtown and I was so happy I did! I had such a fun time!

The night started with some networking, socializing, and champagne. After the ice was broken and chatting with some friendly faces, a fashion show started, where fashion bloggers Mel from Melrodstyle.com, Ruby from therubyelement.com, and Rachael from everythinghauler.com showcased some amazing fashions using staple pieces from 71Stanton's AW 2015 collection! I loved them all! Everything looked so comfortable and so easy to style. Sazan did a great job styling pieces together! I had such a great time, I will definitely be back to add some pieces from the boutique to my closet! Here are some snap shots of the event and some of the outfits!

White skirt?! Oh my!

Today I am leaving work at a reasonable time (5 pm, which is rather early for me even though I was at work at 8am) to attend a fashion/blogger event in downtown LA! Figuring I wouldn't have much time to get home and change before having to leave, I adapted my outfit to be work appropriate! I recently bought this textured white bouncy skirt that I have been trying to wear, that I matched with a black tank top, black leggings, and my favorite pair of black boots! Not pictured here, but I am wearing a black and gold necklace! Pretty cute outfit if I may say, and easy to transition for work and events!
The boots are comfortable enough to wear while running around in lab (really, I'm not making this up!), and the leggings just complete the look!

It's also a little risky wearing a white skirt, since I tend to spill things on myself, but I managed to walk to work with my coffee in hand and not drip any on my white skirt (for once)! 

Fall in LA - deep purple/Berry

My best friend from home came to visit me in LA after I went home for her sister's wedding! So of course we had to do some sight seeing and head over to Hollywood boulevard to the walk of fame! 

After being on the east coast where the temperatures were cooler and fall was in full bloom, I had to break out my boots I bought while at home and this really cute deep purple/berry dress I bought from H&M for not too much!  I am loving this color for the fall, it's so lovely! 

It is actually getting a little cooler in LA right now which is perfect! Although I would like to wear some cute jackets and sweaters as well...

I added a sparkly headband placed on top of my head for a boho chic feel, what do you think??? 

New England Fall Outfits

New England Fall Outfits by andreah227 featuring leather boots

Perfect Fall Makeup

I am back on the east coast for a few days for a friend's wedding. Boston is so much colder than LA! I came back in the middle of a storm so it was down pouring and windy. BUT,  perfect reason to bundle up and lots of opportunities for fall fashion!

Went out to do some errands with my lovely mom and did my makeup with my Maya Mia palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills! The shadows are perfect for fall, and I created this nice, daily glam look by blending four of the shadows across my lid!

Shadow primer by Urban Decay, Liquid liner by Maybelline stilleto, DiorShow Blackout Mascara, Smashbox CC cream, and Hikari lipstick in berry. I feel like this look makes my brown eyes pop! 

Perfect opportunity to wear my black pea coat too! 

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1wmTNh7 October 23, 2014 at 10:31AM

Check out the pic on Instagram using the link above!

Is it fall where you are? How are you keeping in fashion with weather changes?

Xo Andrea 

What I'm wearing right now!

Who loves curly hair?? Who loves spending the time curling their hair? Not me.... I'm so lazy when it comes to curling my hair because my hair is so think it takes some time to do my entire head. But today, I was in the mood to curl my hair. I used my hair straightener that I have posted about before and I got these amazing curls! I sectioned off my hair and did each part and then the look came together after about half an hour. Sprayed with some Suave Extreme hold aerosol hair spray and I was off to work. 12 hours later, I leave work and my hair still looks exactly the same! This hairspray is amazing, especially since yesterday I lazily rules curled the ends of my hair to flip it out and give some volume and didn't use any hairspray. It looked great but fell out within an hour and by noon my hair was stick straight again, haha! So this hairspray really works if you have hard to curl hair! 

Bow earrings I bought at a small shop while I was in Hawaii :) I'm in love with them! 

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1rLqorD October 17, 2014 at 09:45PM

Xo Andrea 

Skirt and Leggings! Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!

Today I rolled out of bed, super sleepy and not wanting to go to work after a nice relaxing weekend! What to wear, what to wear? I had a package for this skirt/legging combo I recently bought, so I decided it was the perfect thing to wear, since I wasn't really feeling pants today (lol). I love wearing leggings because they're so comfortable, but I always need to find a long shirt to wear over because some of mine are see through. These skirt/leggings are perfect, from Bottom's Up! that I found and ordered on Groupon! Such a good deal! Paired with a bright pink top from American Eagle and some heels from Nine West, such a cute outfit! Of course I wouldn't wear these heels in the lab, but I switched into some cute flats and I biked to work in this outfit! Cute, stylish and versatile!

I also painted my nails a few days ago. I tend to not paint my nails recently because they chip so fast with how often I switch gloves at work. I would LOVE to get a gel manicure at the nail salon, which I have gotten in the past, but it gets expensive at $25+ here in LA. I was at CVS the other day, and I came across this Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nailpolish! It's basically a gel polish with no light needed! You just paint your nails with two coats of the base (I have two colors so far, Piggy and Dig Fig, my fav is Piggy, so bright!), and then let them air dry. And once they are dry, just add a layer of the Top coat, and let natural light do its business! I love the look, it matches my outfit, and it has withstood lots of hand washing and glove changing! Perfect for someone working in a lab or another job where gloves are common and a lot of hand washing! Regular nailpolish doesn't even last a day for me without getting a chip, and this has already lasted 3 days! The brand promises 14 days no chip, but I don't believe that for my kind of job. It would probably last 14 days if I didn't have to change gloves so frequently!

Blogging and Vlogging conference - FABDILab

This past Tuesday I was able to attend a Blogging/Vlogging Digital Influencer conference in Santa Monica, hosted by FAB Counsel! It was an amazing day of talks about how to improve your blog, networking with fellow fashion bloggers, and just overall a great experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was on a rooftop of a building in Santa Monica that you could see the beach! And being in LA, the weather was perfect. Much nicer to spend it there than cooped up in lab!

Here are some pictures from the event! 

Feeling pretty at the event! 

Fun fitness Ideas

As a busy grad student, I don't always have the chance to go to the gym, especially here at UCLA where, now that the academic quarter has started, it is very busy and crowded.

When I'm done working a 12 hr day where I have just been running around all day, the last thing on my mind sometimes is working out (although I do feel guilty and wish I would just go to the gym), but dinner and sleep sound more appealing since I have to be up and about early the next day to continue my experiments. 

How to fit in working out?

Here is what I do (and I wear cute gym clothes to help me feel fabulous and stylish while working out, I have posted about these before):

I try to work out on the weekends. Since I hope that I wont be in lab on the weekend (unless needed), I tend to go to a fitness class on Saturday Mornings or, if I would like to sleep in (as is the case now), I will go for a run around the UCLA campus or go lift some weights (some type of upper body combination, either biceps and back, or shoulders and abs, or triceps and chest; I pick a combination that I feel like working out and go with it! I add about 20-30 min of cardio at the end.

On Sundays, I tend to work on legs (my fav day of workout), where I go in the early afternoon where it isn't as busy, and I can easily find a squat rack. I do weighted squats, wide squats, lunges, deadlifts, hamstring curls, and other various leg exercises. And then I get on the stairmaster and do that for 15 minutes. Man, is it a workout, you are sweating within 10 minutes and already feeling sore! 

If I decide I want to be outside, the boyfriend and I have recently started biking to Santa Monica by the beach - we rented bikes last week and it was so fun, that we decided we were going to buy our own bikes! I ended up buying a bike on Saturday and I am in love! Went and took it for a test drive yesterday, rode a total of 20 miles round trip from my apartment down to Santa Monica by the beach down to Manhattan beach and back to my apartment in West LA. It was awesome, fun, and I was able to be out in the sun. And its a hidden workout, since it works your legs and gives you a serious calorie burn!!! I am so sore this morning! 

Makeup palette galore - Maya Mia!

Happy Friday! TGIF! 

I've had a pretty stressful week at work, so glad it's the weekend! 

Recently I have been watching eye makeup tutorials on YouTube and I came across tutorials using this Maya Mia palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. The looks were AMAZING! I did some searching and even went to sephora to try it out but they didn't have it in store, so after some thinking and more tutorials, I took the plunge and just ordered it online! Anyway, the looks that were created with it were amazing, AND it is rather "cheap" if I may say, at only $29.00 (compared to Urban Decay Naked palettes at $50+!). So I ordered it from Sephora and I finally received it in the post last night! Opened up this beautiful baby and can't wait to try it out! 

The shades are so beautiful and contain a mix of matte and shimmery shades that I can't wait to experiment with! A lot of other blogs have swatched these colors already so I'll leave it to them. 

I will start a makeup series of daily looks with this palette next week! Stay tuned! 

I have recently gotten into Anastasia Beverly Hills products, I purchased the Dip Brow pomade which is awesome to define your brows (again more on that later), and now they have started an entire line of eye shadow palettes based on make up artists from Instagram! This one is based off of Tanzanian makeup artist Maya Mia (and this palette is limited edition), but there are other palettes such as the Amrezy palette (can't find this to buy) and the Tamana palette. 

Casual Fall Fashion Easy Transition Work to Play

Recently, I have been working really long days (12 + hrs ) in lab, so  I have been wearing easy to transition clothes (such as a dress with leggings) and can easily wear out for drinks with friends or dinner. Here are some simple outfits, my main staples right now, dresses with leggings or long shirts with leggings and some flat boots!
What are your staples for this season?

- xo Andrea

Casual Fall Fashion Easy Transition Work to Play by andreah227 

Updos, Hairstyles and more

I decided to do a different type of post today, with a little more substance than just my outfits for the day! Today I will be talking about appropriate and easy hair styles you can wear in the lab!
I want to try each of these each day this week and will post the pictures in next week's Monday post! Or if you can't wait I will be posting each hairstyle on my Twitter (@vanillaxcupcake, link on left ) so follow me there!

Since the strict lab safety rules have been implemented at UCLA this past year, we not only have to wear flame resistant lab coats, closed toe shoes, pants, gloves, and goggles, but our hair needs to be securely fastened out of our face, so it doesn't catch on fire, especially if you have long hair (like me!)! Whenever I don't tie up my hair I notice it is in my face, in the way, and since I am touching chemicals with my gloves I can't really move my hair out of my face without getting some chemicals on it!

The way to solve this problem? Tie your hair up! BUT, it doesn't have to be a boring pony tail (this is my fall back, and the quickest way to just get your hair up and out of your face, and what I usually end up doing because I'm lazy).

Here is my schedule of hair styles for this week:

Back to School Fall Fashions

The new school year is starting next week and I am kinda bummed that summer is over. Time for classes and other commitments! But that doesn't mean you still can't be fashionable!
I came up with a bunch of things that I will be wearing this fall, that are still lab appropriate (hopefully this heat wave in LA goes away so it's more comfortable to wear pants!). I am all about the dark colors and blues this fall. Leggings are a staple in my wardrobe, so i can pair it with a flowy shirt, skirt, or dress and still be able to wear it to lab!
I also fell in LOVE with booties from Zara this weekend (the stiletto one, down below) but I couldn't spend 80$ on them because they're not as practical for me to wear to lab (although they still made the cut on this board, haha!). I'm all about the natural makeup while still looking stunning. This is what I normally wear to lab every day anyway as far as eye makeup (thanks to my Naked3 Palette)!

What do you think? What are you wearing this fall? Is there a staple to your wardrobe this fall?

xo - Andrea

Back to School Fall Fashions by andreah227 

Magical Red Carpet

A friend invited me to go to "The Magic Castle" last week in Hollywood, an exclusive members only club, where magic happens! Legit magic, there are tons of magic shows going on throughout the night, set in a 1900s style castle with restored bars and rooms. It is not only a place for magic shows, but there are several bars, it is a dinner restaurant, and a place to hang out. Several celebrities go there to hang out, and we even saw a few people there. No cameras are allowed inside the actual castle, but we took some pictures at the red carpet they had set up outside! It was pretty fun. A couple of glasses of wine, some good company, and awesome magic shows, it was a rather magical night! 

It was also a Monday night, so I had to leave lab early (6 pm, sadly that's early for me...haha!), get dressed up, and have a good night with friends. It was a change from the usual routine, and it made me feel better about working - I have a social life, not just work-work-work all the time!

There is a strict dress code; men must wear suit and tie, and women must dress fancy! 

So I busted out this dress that I bought from Asos.com 3 years ago - it was the perfect bodycon dress, I am in love with the color and it had enough sparkle! I particularly love the neckline, with a little peek-a-boo skin showing! 

Oh and be sure to show some love and "like" my new facebook page! 

Www.facebook.com/phdfashionista

Greek Festival fashions

This past weekend I attended the Greek Festival at the Greek Church in Koreatown/Downtown LA! In past years I have volunteered to help out but this year I was quite busy so I just headed there to enjoy the festival and food. I headed there with some friends and got a Gyro pita and a frappe! (pictured below) I also bought some yummy greek pastries that I devoured throughout the week! It was great, although I did get a little homesick! It was also rather hot in LA that day, so I wore a coral sun dress from H&M. Did I say I got it on sale for $5?!?!?! Such a steal! And it is easily converted to lab wear by adding some black leggings and boots! Can't wait to wear it to the lab! An easy outfit to go from day to night -- lab with leggings and boots to night with legging removal and heels/sandals!

Some Updates - Yesterday's Outfit, networking, and facebook page!

Hi everyone! Happy September! 

I finally returned from my vacation in Hawaii, it was amazing! Very relaxing and much needed! More pictures on that soon! I bought a lot of cute stuff that I have adapted to be able to wear in the lab, I will post about them this week!

In other news, I was contacted by Mary from FAB Counsel, about an amazing opportunity to learn how to Monetize your blog and make it better for your readers, an event in Santa Monica, CA on October 7, with a lot of advice from some top bloggers called FAB DI Lab - Digital Influencer Lab . I bought my ticket after attending another event yesterday at the Microsoft Store at the Century City Mall, where I met Heidi Nazarudin from TheSuccessfulStyle.com and BloggerBabes.com, and both Mary and Enrico from FabCounsel.com. It was a short 1 hr workshop where I got to learn about what I really need to do to help build my blog! and afterwards there was a short networking event where I met some other bloggers! It got me really excited! 

If you want to purchase a ticket to the #FABDILab Event, check out this link: http://fabcounselevents.eventbrite.com/?aff=FABDILABAFFILIATE2&afu=115468858365

and let me know if you are going! I would love to meet you! 

I think this is a great opportunity to network! As a grad student, I feel like I am constantly around the same people, and while networking is important for my professional studies, this allows me to network outside of my comfort zone and meet people I look up to, whether it be fashion or beauty related, or even just pros in whatever they are doing. It gives a new perspective to grad school because there is life outside of the lab! 

Here is what I wore to the event yesterday! I wore a dress I posted about recently, with red stone earrings, and my makeup was done using my Naked3 Palette and just some pink lip gloss! 

What I'm wearing right now! Hawaii-to-Airport-to-Lab Fashion

Here's a preview of what I wore to the airport in Hawaii for my flight back to LA! 

I had a crazy couple of hours leaving Hawaii; it was a pretty chill day, I spent the day with my cousin at the beach, and after laying in the sun and swimming in the crystal clear blue waters, we went shopping at a local store called Local Fever; I bought 70 dollars worth of clothes and jewelry, and let me tell you I got a lot of pieces! One of the dresses I bouht was this mint green patterned Maxi dress with these strappy black heeled sandals. It was beautiful! I decided to wear this on the plane. 

I had a red eye (overnight) flight back to LA (5-6 hr flight), landing at 5 am. Since my friend had my only key copy to take care of my cat and I had a meeting at 9 am, so  I went straight to lab right after landing in LA. I needed something that was lab appropriate and covered my legs. The Maxi dress was great, it was very long and covered my feet - and when I got to lab I changed into my sneakers. While not the most fashionable combination, it did the job for when I was working in the lab and then I could easily switch back to my sandals when getting lunch. I bought some more cute dresses and tops, I will post full outfit posts soon about these outfits! What do you think?

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1pkp9OH September 01, 2014 at 09:33PM

Jet setting off to the islands - Hawaiian Escape!

I am super excited because the other day I booked a last minute ticket to Hawaii! My cousin lives in Oahu and I have been in dire need of a vacation (I don't think I could have lasted another week at work without some kind of break!). I found a deal on Expedia.com and I just went for it and booked it! Since I wouldn't have to pay for a hotel, it didn't end up being that expensive! I am leaving tonight, and I packed my bags this morning so last minute. I am wearing these gypsy harem pants with flowers and prints that my boyfriend's mom brought me from Jordan, with a black tank top and some gold sandals from Forever21. I can't wait for sun, beach, and relaxation! I am planning on spending most of my time at the beach, relaxing by myself, and possibly going to a spa or something!  It is my goal to watch the sun set each night, and I will be taking my Nikon with me, so be ready for some nice photographs! 

Urban Decay Perversion mascara

I recently received a small sample of Urban Decay's new mascara, Perversion in my August Ipsy Glambag! I was really excited because there was all this hype about it!

My usually mascara is the DiorShow Blackout mascara! 

I really liked this mascara and it did a good job lengthening and separating my lashes! Almost better than the Dior mascara!

The DiorShow mascara tends to cost your lashes and makes them dark and long, but thus perversion mascara separates each lash! 

Here is a comparison of the brushes from each mascara, DiorShoe Blackout (left) and Perversion (right).  The Urban Decay mascara wand has several bristles that separates and coats! 

City Glam Wedding Style

Carolyn from lover.ly  asked me to style my dream wedding....so picture this:

A rooftop view of the LA skyline - set up with rows of tables, adorned with intricate center pieces made of roses and another selection of flowers in light pink/white/red selection (in this dream I haven't quite decided the color scheme yet, hah!), the ceremony done and the celebrations starting as the sun is setting...light fixtures with twinkling lights above, and by the small overhead covered section, the whole overhead part is adorned with flowers... and a central dance floor where the DJ is getting ready to introduce the bride and groom...

haha! this is what I'm picturing as my wedding. I hadn't given much thought to it as all other little girls do, and I had constantly been going back and forth with what kind of dress I would choose. For a while, I wanted a poofy princess ball gown with a tight corset detailed lacy top with a sweet heart neckline. But now, I am in love with the sleek dresses with sweet heart neckline. When I took a look at wedding dresses at lover.ly, I fell in love with the selection of dresses, and I absolutely adored a couple, it was hard to decide which one to pick for the big day, but I went with the one shown below!

Summery Dress

Hey everyone!
I have been meaning to post this outfit since I got it last month but never got around to it since my laptop died!! Here is what I wore to work at the lab today! It was a beautiful day out, and I walked to lab (with flats of course, not the heels pictured) and then I put on long black leggings and sneakers when I got to work. When I went for lunch I just slipped off the leggings and put on my flats again :) pretty versatile outfit I may say :) what do you think? I'm in love with this pattern! its so vibrant and beautiful!

Dreaming of a Summer in Greece

I am seriously in need of a vacation. Every summer I usually take 3 weeks off and jet set off to Cyprus to visit my family... it is a great break because I can shut my brain off, no science for 3 weeks... sleeping in late, staying out late, laying on the beach getting super tan, and relaxing. Oh how I long to travel! :( I am dreaming of flying to Mykonos or Santorini right now... a girl can only dream.... sigh... what are your vacation plans (if you haven't already taken a vacation!) ? Where do you want to visit?

xo Andrea

Summer in Greece by andreah227 

New project, details coming soon!

Hey guys! So I'm working on a couple of projects for next month, I will release details soon! 

How are your weeks going? It's almost the weekend!

New outfit post this weekend, be on the lookout! 

Xo Andrea

Casual Friday Work Outfit

So last Friday I decided to get a little dressed up for work since I have finally received my Forever 21 package with a lot of cute stuff that I got on sale! So excited! Everything is so cute!
I wore sandals on my walk to work but then changed to some comfy sneakers (we have to wear closed toed shoes...).

Summer Fashions

Sorry for being MIA the last week or two... work has been so crazy! I have been a bum and haven't really had a chance to take some pictures of any recent outfits. BUT! I have recently purchased several items from Forever 21 that I am eagerly awaiting, so once I have those, expect some outfit posts :D
In the meantime, as I sit at my desk at work (Shhhh!!! I am waiting for an experiment to finish....) I made a polyvore board with my picks for Summer fashion! I'm all about bright colors (blue (both light and dark), coral, green, black and white), and waves (literal catching waves at the beach or hair! haha! sorry, I'll stop the puns...). I am also in love with these strappy sandals. I bought a pair of sandals from Forever21 to update my summer shoes.
I love these relaxing, laid back prints and colors, they just make summer feel that much more special! What are your favorite colors/trends for this summer?
Let me know in the comments below!
PS. I want to buy all of theseeeeeee especially the Michael Kors tote and satchel...but alas I will have to settle with the 13$ tote I recently bought from Forever21. :)

xo A

Summer Fashions by andreah227 

Naked3 Daily Make Up Tutorial - Youtube Video

Motel Rocks Skirt! Casual Weekend Outfit

Hey everyone!
Here is Part II of my Motel outfits from my recent purchase! Here is my styling of the Motel Antonia High Waisted Skirt in Huge Paisley Navy! I am in love with this skirt, and the print is amazing! It is perfect for a casual summer day out in Los Angeles! I also curled my hair with my PYT Iron, it is so handy!

Graduation Fashion Styles - Motel Rocks!

It's been a stressful last couple of weeks, with finals and research deadlines....so sorry I've been MIA -- but I am back and I have a lot of posts planned for the next couple of days/weeks!

First of all, I recently purchased some really cute clothes from MotelRocks.com, I used to be obsessed with their clothes but I found that on my grad student salary and higher rent I couldn't afford the cute things they had, but there was a sale and I used a code for 20% off (use my code "andreah227"for 20% off your order!!) and how happy am I that I bought these!! I had to go to the post office to pick up my parcel and it was great timing because I was having a hard time trying to decide what to wear to UCLA's graduation ceremony!

A lot of my friends just graduated with their PhDs!!! SO proud of them! And my boyfriend also graduated! Can't wait for my turn in 2-3 years! :)

I was also meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time so I wanted to make a good impression. The Motel dress was PERFECT! and I estimated my size perfectly, I was worried it wouldn't fit. Last time I ordered from Motel the dress was too small, so I ordered a medium this time. This is the Motel Girly Skater Dress in Nude Lace (Cream).
What do you think of this dress?

 

#theyachtweek fashion!

If any of you are fans of traveling, I have been following a travel blog called "The Blonde Abroad," and she is having a contest to win a spot on her Yacht for you and a friend at the yacht week Croatia and VIP passes to Ultra Europe! I have been posting every day on Instagram in hopes of being selected! Today's post is a compilation of what I would pack with me if I won! Check out my posts on instagram, and give them a like if you want! :)
Meanwhile, I'm wanderlusting to travel... if only I could be on a yacht in the mediterranean... I can always dream....

#theyachtweek fashion! by andreah227 

Bachelorette Party Fashion

My friend is getting married in October so we decided to have her bachelorette party this weekend, especially since so much is happening the next couple of months, with her graduation, moving, new job, etc. We decided to surprise her and get dinner at Drago Centro, a really high scale Italian restaurant in downtown LA, and then we moved the party to drinks at Silo Vodka Bar. It was a great night! We went into their Freezer and tried different types of vodka! Their "freezer" was actually a cold room, haha, we use a cold room for our experiments in lab and it was kind of cool seeing it storing vodka. Although that means its a cold room storing ethanol, and is a fire hazard, according to EH&S. 

 

Bikinis and Sun

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1oZc42v May 23, 2014 at 12:43AM

I am dreaming of a summer vacation sailing in the islands, and here is what I would pack with me! BIKINIS!! Featuring my favorite brands, L*SPACE and Beach Bunny Swimwear! All so cute! I can't wait to wear them all to the beach! :)
What are your favorite bikinis/outfits for the summer?
xo
Andrea

Kayaking at the Marina!

This afternoon, it was beautiful and I went kayaking in Marina del Rey with the boyfriend. I took my new camera out for a spin afterwards and I got some awesome shots! I am wearing a tube dress I got from another vendor at UCLA Bruin Plaza for $20, there's no brand. Perfect summer dress and cover up for the beach! I am wearing my Victoria's Secret swim suit from last year/season. 

What are you doing to enjoy the nice weather this weekend??

Summer Brunch in LA

May in LA means summer. Quite literally. While today wasn't that hot, we are expecting a heat wave this week (so I can't enjoy it while I'll be busy in lab.... great timing mother nature) in the 90s-100s. I went to brunch with some friends and I decided to wear this cute gold trimmed sun dress I bought from a vendor at UCLA. It was handmade, so theres no brand, but its just so cute! I'm in love with the flower print! and the gold accents, too cute. I matched it with gold bangles/bracelets and my nude Jessica Simpson pumps (my favorites, they are so comfortable to walk in!).

How is the weather like where you live? What would you wear to brunch?

Meet my new little friend! Nikon!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1fXTncI May 10, 2014 at 04:14PM

So I have been looking for cameras for a while, and I figured I would get some good use out of it, for this blog and for my own photography. I tried out my friend's Canon DSLR when I was in San Diego and I fell in love. I love being able to have full control of the shooting -- I use the camera more in manual than using any of the preset programs! SO EXCITED! Can't wait to shoot some HD 1080p videos for here, and brand new higher quality outfit photos!! Get ready PhD Fashionista readers! It's about to get good! :D 

What I'm wearing right now!

Our last night in San Diego we went for a walk by the beach and a little hike -- it was a beautiful day and it was super hot! Perfect for this playsuit I have been meaning to wear out! I love the pattern!

I was also wearing my new L*SPACE swimsuit top in Wild n Free that you can see peeking through a little -- I love it!

What I'm wearing right now!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1lU1Tfg April 26, 2014 at 04:46PM

Leggings and Shirt: H&M
"Leather" jacket: Express
Flats and Purse: Forever 21
Sunglasses: Armani Exchange

So on the first day of the conference, we decided to explore a little first before heading to the convention center to check in, so we headed to Mission Beach. It was so windy!! Caught this snap! What do you think of this outfit? It was casual but still appropriate for business if necessary!

xo
Andrea

Dark Lipstick - Urban Decay Venom

Hello!!
So I finally caved and ordered another Urban Decay Revolution lipstick that I had been eyeing for a while now, in shade "Venom."
I fell in love with it when I saw a swatch of it on another fashion blog (I can't remember which one! ah!). Sephora had a 15% off sale for Beauty Insiders so I found it as the perfect excuse/opportunity to finally buy it!
It arrived last night along with my DiorShow Blackout Mascara that I had ordered since I was running out of my daily use one. I also received some samples, but they aren't as exciting as this lipstick!
All of my makeup came in this huge box that was filled with filling paper and then my makeup was just sitting at the bottom of it -- what a waste of resources Sephora! I am disappointed! But oh well.

To be honest I was a little self conscious to wear such a dark shade to work -- but I wore it anyway because I was so excited and I think it looks good on me? What do you think?
I managed to wear a cute dress that I got in Cyprus years ago, it has some dark fuchsia shades in the flower print, so it matches perfectly! I also wore some leggings and little gray booties. Cute outfit for a Wednesday! Especially since I will be sitting at my desk and at meetings all day!

What I'm wearing right now!

I wore this dress on a night out to a club in Downtown LA! I originally bought this dress to wear to a wedding in August but then realized you shouldn't wear black to a wedding! So it just sat in my closet. This was the perfect occasion to wear it! You can't see in the picture (I didn't get a good pic, I tried) but in the back of the dress there is a little cut out so you can see some of my back.

What do you think?

Dress - Guess
Necklace - New York and Co.
Belt - Kaitlyn Clothing
Shoes - Charlotte Russe
Purse - Aldo

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1gm7yms April 12, 2014 at 01:45PM

Black Dress Pant Yoga Pants????

I was browsing my Facebook newsfeed when I came across a "Sponsored Post" about Black dress pant yoga pants from Betabrand.com!
This sounds like the best invention ever. I had to post about it!
Dress pants that look professional for the work place, but are also comfortable?!? you can move around in them and they don't feel too tight or constricted! I would totally wear these to work every day if they were as comfortable as they are made out to be!
At $79.20, the price is a little steep for my graduate student pocket, but maybe one day I will splurge on these... ah a girl can dream. Maybe they will be a great investment??

Find them at Beta Brand!

Festival Fashions

Sorry I've been MIA the last two weeks! Been stressed out with work!
I have my third year Midstreams presentation coming up in a little under 2 weeks so I have been working my bum off with experiments!! I have my presentation in front of the department on April 18th, which just so happens to fall on the same weekend as weekend 2 of Coachella! No!! It looks like a great line up this year! One of my friends is going that weekend and I'm a little jealous!
But anyway, even though I can't go to Coachella, here are some outfits I would wear to the 3 day festival in Palm Springs!!

I am all about the crop tops lately! I love the cut, not too short (so as not to be right under the breasts) but not too long! Paired with some cute ripped jean shorts, super cute. I also love lace tops -- lace + crop = so cute. Cute white playsuit would also be suitable for the festival -- I love the one I chose in this set, it is so pretty! But there are so many more out there!
Since it is hotter during the day, you would definitely need shorts! And some comfortable shoes! Which is why I chose flat sandals or sneakers! No use in wearing heels if you are going to be standing around all day listening to great music!
For the night time when it gets colder (in the desert it is hot during the day, cold during the night), I would wear some cool ripped jeans or some faux leather leggings!
I would pair these outfits with some white or cream colored purses (keep you hands free!) and some big sunglasses! I love the cat eye style sunglasses, or the big round lenses! Very retro!
I would also accessorize with some beaded bracelets or charm bracelets, and some head pieces -- either a headpiece like the model is wearing in the lower left or a flower headband! So cute!

 I am missing out this year.... Ultra 2014 in Miami already happened last week... Coachella is coming up, and then there is EDC in Vegas in June.... I wish it wasn't so expensive for tickets and I could take the time off! Maybe next year! I vow to go to a festival once before I graduate!!

Are you going to any festivals this season? Let me know which ones and what you are wearing! Leave a link to your blog for me to check out! :)
xoxo A

Festival Fashions by andreah227 featuring hair clip accessories

What I'm wearing right now!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1iBFOy5 March 19, 2014 at 12:17AM

All day eye makeup!

Using my Be a Bombshell eye shadow quad that I received in my Ipsy Glam bag this month, I came up with this cute look for a Krewella Concert I went to at Club Nokia in downtown LA!
I first primed my eyelid with my Urban Decay Primer Potion, let it dry, and then put in the light gold color on the inside of my eye, and then transitioned into the reddish color, making sure I blended it nicely, and then put a touch of teal in the corner, finished off with black liquid liner and some of my all time favorite DiorShow Blackout mascara!

The top left picture is from the morning, and the bottom right picture is over 12 hrs later! Make up still intact! The pictures aren't very clear but the makeup STILL looked great! I definitely LOVE the Urban Decay Primer potion, I won't put on eyeshadow with out it anymore!! :D

Do you use an eye shadow primer that you can't live without? What about your favorite eye shadow?
I think my favorite is still the Naked3, but I really like this Be a Bombshell palette as well!!

xo Andrea

Hey NewsHour, this is why I chose basic research video

So my lab and I are entering a competition for PBS NewsHour, This is why I chose basic research, and we made it into a kind of music video based on Katy Perry's Last Friday Night.  This is only a 1 minute clip, but we will be releasing a full length video soon!

What do you think?

March Ipsy GlamBag

I finally received my March Ipsy GlamBag!  I really like everything that is in this bag. The body butter smells amazing. I really like the Pacifica creams. I really like the Bombshell eyeshadow quad, the colors are so bright and stunning! I also really like the lipstick! I didn't know that bare minerals makes a lipstick line!!! Can't wait to try the color tomorrow! And lastly, I received a Chella Indigo Blue eyeliner pen, which glides on perfectly! I will also try that on in the next couple of days!
I know some people received a Nicole by OPI nail polish, which I was disappointed I didn't get, but apparently it might just be random and depend on how you scored on their Ipsy Match quiz? I don't know. But I really liked the color this month and didn't get it :(

I will try to get another video review up soon, or a video tutorial for another Naked3 or makeup look!

Sorry for my lack of posts. I have been a zombie with work overload. My mom and brother are coming to visit this weekend/all of next week so I have been trying to get a lot of my work done this week (I have worked 12-14 hr days since Monday....) so bare with me!!!
I am going to do a 30 day lip challenge, where I will post different lip glosses, pencils, lipsticks I use for 30 days!
I am also going to be starting a fitness challenge next week, I need to get serious about fitness, I have lost my motivation but I want those abs by summer. I don't want to be on the beach regretting not working hard enough when I had the time!
But OH I forgot, I have my midstream presentation coming up in exactly a month (Where 3rd Year Grad students present their progress in front of their committee and department). I have a lot of data but its just going to be very stressful. But when is grad school NOT stressful?

Anyway, how do you cope with stress and other pressures from work or school? Any advice on how to not overload yourself? Also, how do you stay fashionable while still practical? I want to write an article on this soon (when I have more time, I'll keep you posted!). Would you be interested in reading an article about fashionable and practical style for the workplace?

xoxo Andrea

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1lYQfic March 12, 2014 at 11:06PM

Sephora purchases - Urban Decay!

AH so I FINALLY bought a lipstick from Urban Decay! I am in love with the color! I got "Turn On" and it is perfect! I thought it would be too nude/bland pink but it is a really good shade! I wore it to work and got some nice comments!
I also bought a bigger tube of the primer potion! It really does work! I put some on this morning and did my makeup with the Naked3 Palette and my makeup lasted the entire day! I even played soccer tonight and then lifted at the gym, and I was shocked to see my makeup still in place after a long day!
Today I also tried the Make Up Forever mini lipstick, and I am in love with the shade. I'll post a picture later but its not too far off from my regular lip color but it still has a small shading which makes it perfect for an every day lipstick! I am thinking of buying the full size if its not too expensive! :D
What do you think of these products?

xo A

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1ddSFob March 02, 2014 at 07:14PM