Every year Salt Lake City is captivated by local talent from local clothing boutiques, hair salons, makeup artists, models, photographers, and the bright lights and loud music that only comes along with a stellar fashion event. This year, we bring you The Runway!

Salt Lake City is forever growing and I'm beyond ecstatic that although I dwell in the land of the sun I am still able to help grow and promote an industry that inspires so much growth and individualism in my lovely hometown. There are are some brilliant and wonderful people behind The Runway making fashion dreams come true.

First of all, I have a really good reason for this article being a few hours late. I was too busy drooling all over my keyboard at the sight of 1- unapologetic curve hugging swimmies that scream "Tell me about it... stud," and 2- Ashley Green. Enough said right? Holy moses. If she wasn't on your girl crush list already then she definitely just made your top 5.

Lets get down to business. Since the beginning of time (yes, the beginning of time) a high waisted bottom paired with a bra-esque top has deemed itself classic and retro. How can you possibly go wrong with a printed two piece that is reminiscent of days long past where summer nights were spent on the beach with a campfire, your parents mustang, a fire pit, loud music, and a six pack. Sure these events still occur today but it just isn't the same. Its rare that you walk the beach these days and find a classic, elegant woman such as what you see here roaming the sand. Its unfortunate really. And don't get it twisted, I'm not saying you need to style your hair glamour style and rock a red lip at the beach by any means. But maybe drink a glass of class before you leave the house. 

<--- Black. The ultimate indulgence. The effortless ensemble. Am I right? This particular suit is amazing for making your legs look longer and leaner. Won't lie, I'm not 100% crazy about the top but hey it looks comfortable and thats always nice too.

Phew. 

Now breathe please. I know these last two images are literally jaw dropping but I'm going to need you to hold it together for a second here. Prints?? Metallics?? Holy I've died and gone to swimmie-fashion-beach-summer heaven. Wherever this cardigan meets retro bikini look came from, we thank you with full hearts. Normally I'm hopelessly infatuated with grunge trends and boy clothes but this whole "innocent yet hot girl-next-door" summer vibe is totally pulling at my heart strings. In other words, even though I roam in the scorching desert I fully plan on purchasing a cardigan to throw over my retro bikini. Fake it 'til you make it ladies.

Where you can find a retro piece of your own...


TED BAKER
Everything But Water 
Nasty Gal 
Nordstrom 
JCrew 

xo- SN

I'm obsessed with androgyny. Whether it be with fashion, hair, or makeup there's always something to be said about a women who is 100% confident rocking masculine looks. Plus, bravo for looking better in your boyfriends pants than he does. 

There are many ways to pull off this look. In an elegant, timeless, and chic fashion you can layer structured pieces such as what you see above on Eva Green. All you need is a tailored blazer over a cardigan covered button up collard shirt and a tie for good measure. I love the added pattern of stripes and the subtle detail on the tie. Do you love her glamourous 30's/40's hair with this otherwise manly attire? I sure do. 

Or, you can channel your inner mountain man and rock an oversized beanie paired with baggy and distressed boyfriend jeans and a baggy plaid shirt. I recommend pairing this ensemble with dainty kitten heels and a lot of fun bracelets and rings. Maybe throw in a killer nail color too.

Now these looks have me drooling. Can I snap my fingers and have these looks in my closet asap? Pretty please, and thank you. The look on the left keeps it simple yet so so perfect with the play on hem lines, textures, and the overall structure of the individual pieces. Some pieces are skin tight, others are loose and hang off the body. The boots are the perfect mixture of sexy and strong and the hair is uncontrived. Killer.

The look on your right mixes some of my favorite pieces and layering techniques. I won't lie, I kind of love this whole 2013 denim-on-denim trend. The pop of color with the emerald green heels and the sapphire blue squares on the blazer add just enough flare for you to keep the accessories, makeup, and hair to a minimum. In fact, you SHOULD be rocking the baseball cap look with this. And please, for the love.. don't forget your aviators. 

1&2- Could not find original image source. Found via pinterest. 
3. All Saints womens Spring 2013 lookbook
4. In the City with Crystalin

1- Rag and Bone Distressed Boyfriend Jean
2- Light grey cashmere slouchy beanie
3- Rag and Bone oversized shirt
4- ZARA Vamp shoe with ankle straps
5- Ted Baker tailored suit blazer 
6- Acne Studios baseball cap
7- Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses

Xx- SN

We've been seeing a wave of neon for a while now and yes, it WAS "so last summer." 
But guess, what? Its "SO this summer" too. So embrace it. I have! 

When the neon train strolled in I wasn't quite sure I was going to jump aboard. That was until last summer when I treated myself to a gel manicure and rocked some seriously killer neon yellow nails. I wasn't ready for a huge leap and nails did the trick. And they'll do it for you too. If you don't want to flash neon in your ensemble, choose something more subtle like a nail or lip color. Men? please just rock a neon bow tie. Everyone will love it. 
This image captures everything I hope this summer is and more! Water, wet hair, tan skin, perfect complexion  and neon nails. Let a girl dream ok!?

I feel so awkward with the images I've chosen. Although, that in itself is fairly normal. In my day to day life I see the beauty in structured neutrals with solid lines and different hem lengths. But whenever I'm stuck in the darkest circle of the Pinterest abyss, these are the types of looks I find myself swooning over. I LOVE, repeat... LOVE these two outfits. So damn girly in every sense of the word. And I want to eat it for breakfast so I ooze with feminity all day long. Men, these looks may seem over-the-top to you but I promise, sliding into one dress and one pair of heels is a hell of a lot faster than throwing on jeans and a t-shirt. So let us dress up once and a while OK? 

When color blocking was in full swing, I found myself nearly projectile vomiting onto my computer. My head was confused, my heart didn't understand, and I wasn't about to wear a green top, orange bottoms, and neon pink heels. Sorry world, you won't get it from me. These two looks however, I would rock all day long. And just for the record, I've completely warmed up to "color blocking." I've even go so far as to say I've consciously put together outfits for the trend. There I said it. 

The first image is modern chic to a "t". Messy natural waves, classic bold black cat eye glasses, the perfect coral dress, long lean and tan legs, that finish with the most amazing shade of neon yellow-green heels. Yep, I'll take two please.

The second image, who are you? How do your legs look like that? And can we be best friends so I can borrow this dress? Floral dress (with the BEST umbrella shape ever), neon orange bag paired with neon orange heels. Too easy my friends. 

I included these two images just in case you haven't had enough neon yet this morning. Drink it in! 

I love the combination of yellow-green and bright blue. Easily the best neon combo in my opinion. And NO ONE looks like that on the beach. Ever. Sorry. 

My word. Could it be the best fall ensemble with a dash of neon? Why yes, yes it is. Just my style too. I own far too much black. When I saw this outfit I imagined myself getting ready in the morning, naturally gravitating towards everything black in my closet and voila! Who knew a pea green neon skirt was all I needed to mix it up a little bit. I doubt I'd get any phone numbers that day but heck, who needs 'em. I love that every piece in this look is also opaque. So good! And don't even get me going about that shiny black bag.... ugh. This is Neon's day Black. Simmer down, I promise Black will have lots of days.

Get on it my friends! And let me know what neon trends your ALL about. 
xx- SN

*All photos link back to original source.

Now I know all you fashion junkies out there are thinking "Who is this girl? and why is she still talking about Spring fashion?" My only logical retort is "Derrrr, the rest of us on planet earth are celebrating Spring. So get over it and swoon over these pieces from Spring 2013 resort collections please." Someone must have tampered with my coffee this morning because I'm feeling particularly feisty. 

If there's one thing I understand fully about fashion and the cosmetic/beauty industry world its that no matter how hard we try to avoid it, trends follow our current economical and political times. The soft yet bright washes of pastels paired with sheer fabrics and more modern hemlines has quite the modern sixties feel to it. Could it be that our current state of a torn nation, economic and financial crisis, as well as a rise in confrontational topics such as gay marriage, abortion, and women's... ahem, excuse me... equal rights is mirroring the same struggles of the Sixties? Could it be that once again we are seeing that connection and translation through our fashion runways and makeup trends? Or am I just getting ahead of myself? Lets just save my mind and chalk it up to all you people are addicted to pastel once March 1st hits. There's a connection. And thats all I'll say about that. See what I did there?...

Back to fashion. One reason I love this Spring 2013 Resort collection Valentino is because no matter how over-the-top some of these pieces may be, I would wear ANY of them. Even if I'm just running to the post office. The soft wash of pale yellow covered by a sheer white material has such sophisticated yet fun vibe. The short hem line is perfect for adding a bit of sexiness to an other wise Easter morning dress. And then you have it in black. ENOUGH SAID. Gimme. Gimme. Gimme. Yum.

This Spring 2013 Resort collection from Celine is EVERYTHING I ever dreamt about as a child. No seriously though. When I was younger I knew three things that were my ultimate goals in life; 1-I would own my own thriving business, 2- I would be a successful lady walking around my lovely big city wearing all three outfits you see above (not giving a d*** what men find sexy while making every woman pinning to pick through my closet- and you may :)) and 3- (warning: about to get mushy) I would have a wonderful loving partner who was just as motivated, driven, and adventurous as I am. That being said, upon seeing this collection my heart about flew through my chest. Theres not a lot more to say other than this collection is utterly and unequivocally, me. 

Its obvious that for Celine this collection wasn't about creating something new. It was about taking what we've got and whats been hot, and making it better. So, so much better. Leather, polka dots, white-on-white, scarfs, stripes, blazers, and I could go on and on. I adore the long uncontrived hair flowing freely or otherwise tucked into fully wrapped scarf. This collection makes my heart sing.

MAKEUP. Makeup. Makeup. I live for this stuff. 

Three main trends you saw in Spring runway and will continue to see through out the year is as follows:
1- Effortless skin. Freckles in all their glory. Soft yet structured brows and lashes. A titch of bronzer and blush for good measure. And girlfriend, get out your bright lips and nails because they are smokin'. Easily my favorite look. Try MAC's lipsticks in 'Candy Yum Yum' and 'Niki Viva Glam 2' to recreate this look.

2- Effortless skin with an extra dewy highlight. A solid contour to help you amp up that bone structure. Leave your blush at home. Bronzy smoky eye thats got that 'slept in' sort of look. A structured mess if you will. Pack on that mascara and keep the brows soft and groomed.

3-Last but most certainly not least. The 'no makeup' makeup look. I am swooning. In my opinion, its much harder and more creative to create a beautiful 'no makeup' makeup look than it is to pack on something over-the-top and theatrical. I LOVE THIS. - Soft skin. Subtle amounts of a contour and bronzer. Highlighted bone structure. Nothing on the lashes or brows. Dewy pops around the eyes. A strategic amount of lip color to enhance your natural shade. And wonderfully enough, a disconnected winged eyeliner for a bit of everyday elegance and fun.

Spring Fling. I love you.

*Click on images for original source. All photos credited.

Hello you UGLY world. I'm so excited to share my fashion inspirations with you You'll learn a lot about me simply by the type of fashion you're exposed to here. I like my style and fashion pieces the same way I like my makeup and my coffee. Subtle intricacies, sharp lines with soft blends of color, black, and effortless. When it comes to fashion, I always push myself out of my comfort zone and often find I'm attracted to various types of style. My main attraction is the perfect balance of effortlessness meets timeless beauty. But perhaps that's because I'm a makeup slinger by day and a fashion dreamer by night. Enough about me! I found these two photos via Pinterest which linked to 'In the City with Crystalin'. I was instantly drawn to them and here is why... 

A classic neutral outfit like the image you see above is not only timeless but its sexy in a humble way. But wait? 'I thought you loved black?' I know, I know. And you'll see lots of that but this particular outfit needs a serious shout out. I mean come on, look at the hem lines of each piece and how the layers perfectly blend together. With a neutral look like this its best to play up the textures in the pieces, some sheer and some solid. The solid white blazer with the sheer white blouse is perfection. Not to mention the line work. So simple yet killer. Don't even get me started on the hair. Straight military-esque outfit with soft, wavy uncontrived hair. I could die.

Now, for a little taste of something different. If you've never paired your favorite printed tee with a jean jacket and girly skirt, you haven't lived. You all own printed tee's right? or you have one you can steal from your boyfriend? If not, get on that. Stat! There is seriously nothing better than wearing one of your favorite feminine pieces then throwing on your favorite band or superhero tee shirt. And although I know this is a place for fashion, would this look really be complete with out her huge wavy hair and killer makeup? I think not. This season its all about mixing the effortless look of Kate Moss with the perfect look of Betty Draper. Get on it. And welcome to my world of FASHION.