Jacket: Nordstrom; Black Bell Bottom Jeans: Sevens; Polka Dot Botton Down: Liz Claiborne; Sweater: Banana Republic; Scarf: Vintage; Red Belt: Vintage; Black Suede Boots: Vintage

AH Clothing Collaborative Corner - Classic Top Pattern Mix (Stripes & Polka Dots) + Bell Bottoms = <3

Look is for all ages and body types, but play with it and come up with your own collaboration from your closet!

Incase you were wondering… that is stripes on the sweater and the button down underneath has small polka dots. They are mixed together with this outfit. I love mixing patterns and most of you are thinking it’s a big no-no; well it’s 2012 and it is totally fine. What fashion mix will you create today?

Buh-bye my fashonistas and stretch your comfort zone this week when it comes to your outfit choices.

XOXO ~ Amber

AH Beauty Buzz: Need A Professional Whitening Kit without the Professional Price?

One of my beauty secrets is whitening my teeth. It’s not so much a secret because many people ask how I get my teeth as white as they are. So, today I just let you in on my “go to” kit! Drumroll please… I get to thank the amazing Crest Whitestrips! They will do wonders to your teeth especially on a budget! I personally have done both Crest Whitestrips and professional whitening at the dentist. In my opinion, by far, Crest stomps the professional whitening at the dentist and it is less than half the price. You can’t beat that! For the best results, after starting the strips, finish them as directed on the box! The key is consistency. If you have to take off a couple of days bc of sensitivity then get back on schedule asap. Some other good news is the whitening lasts from 6 months up to a year.

You will see in the pictures above the Crest Whitestrips I recently used to keep my teeth lighter. The second picture is an example of the packet the Crest strips come in. Please note there are several different kits Crest sells to whiten teeth and it varies in price depending on which kit (you’ll be spending between $25-$100+). If you are on a tight budget, have sensitive teeth, and/or would like less bleach in the formula to prevent splotches, then I highly recommend Crest Whitestrips Classic. The other products Crest offers go up in price depending on what your needs or desires are (ex: higher bleach in the formula, quicker results, etc). I just finished using the 3D White Advanced Seal to keep the color that I have developed from bleaching over the past 10 years. Honestly, I have used the Crest Classics up until now and the only reason I am using the Advanced Seal is because that is the box my husband ordered for me. In fact, I would suggest start with the Classic if it is your first time because you will get results and spend the least in addition to less bleach which will not be so harsh on the teeth! The only thing that I don’t love about the Classic is the gel sometimes leaks over into my gums and tongue so don’t swallow it if it does. 

All kits come with an upper strip for your top teeth and a lower strip for your bottom teeth. Depending on which kit you choose will depend how long and how many times you need to put it on your teeth. Some are once a day and some are twice a day. I highly recommend you either keep it on the time that the directions tell you. Do NOT leave it on longer thinking you will get whiter teeth because that could make your teeth look splotchy and become very sensitive. It’s better to leave it on the given time or take it off before the time runs out, especially if you want to prevent sensitivity or white splotches on your teeth. 

Obviously, every person has different shades of teeth to begin with. Also, your teeth will whiten differently than others. Some get better results than others, but you will see your teeth become shades lighter than if you didn’t bleach at all. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t give you ghost white teeth, but look at the difference between the before and after and you will be pleased. I suggest take a before/after picture so you can see the change. Like I mentioned the whitestrips have been good to me!

FYI, I met this random dentist one time when I was in Vegas at a spa and I asked her what was her favorite bleaching kits for teeth and if it was just as good or better than the professional whitening services at the dentist? She had no reason to sell me on anything because again we were at the spa in Vegas both on vacation and she said by far Crest Whitestrips. So if that doesn’t encourage you to try it then I don’t know what else could?

Please reference http://www.crestwhitestripsreview.com/10-cautions-before-you-use-crest-whitestrips/ to read up on cautions before trying the product.

PS: It is important to smile because you never know whose day you’re going to bless. So if that means whitening will give you the confidence to smile, then do it my friends! 

Have a wonderful day and remember to smile!!!

XoXo ~ Amber

AH Clothing Collaborative Corner - Vintage Prep Outfit Choice 

Welcome back my fashionistas! This look is for all ages; just add your style to it, but looking at my photo can give you a jump-start ;). Today I am sharing with you an outfit I put together after being inspired!  One look I am really digging for 2012 is the vintage prep look. This look is very easy to create. First, you need a button down shirt (loose or tight). Then add a boyfriend blazer that is more on the casual end and not business professional. If you choose to wear a long sleeve button down, it would look cute to roll up the sleeves along with the blazer sleeves and stop the roll at the elbow. Find some looser fitting corduroys (aka boyfriend fit) but tight fit will work as well. Just roll them up enough to see your nice socks. If the rolled up pant look is out of your comfort zone that is fine, but one of these days take that risk and feel confident when doing it. Remember the way you carry yourself is what makes people believe in you and make the comments “oh you can wear that look but I couldn’t”. Most of the time that is just an excuse because people can wear anything that they feel confident in. The only thing that you need to be aware of is making sure it fits your body type and that the colors compliment your skin! This look will go great with jeans, but corduroys add a nice change during the winter if you usually wear jeans and need a bit of a change. I am wearing brown socks with cute diamond designs, but even solid color socks would look great too. You could even do a bright colored sock to really create a twist to the outfit. I could have gone for red socks with my outfit. Then find some ankle boots (flat/heel) or loafer type flats. If you wanted to add some flair to the outfit, then a nice closed toe matte or suede heel would work too. Finally, time to accessorize your outfit. Believe it or not, the necklace around my neck is a vintage belt. The vintage belt actually came from my mother-in-law that she was just going to give away! Well that give-a-way, I snatched up quickly because I knew it would be too fun to pass up. Vintage is a good way to spice up what you’re wearing but a cheaper way of doing it. Then the last step was that I just added some pearl earrings.  If you have any questions please email me at fashion@amberhiggins.com.

PS: Not everything needs to be matchy matchy. Steer clear from matching every color perfectly when it comes to this look. 

XoXo ~ Amber 

AH BeAuTy BoX sEcReTs ~ Make-Up Foundation Tips

I have frequently been asked numerous questions about make-up. Well I have tons of secrets that work great for me that I would love to share with you! Two products I am revealing to you today are two of my favorites that I selected for my foundation kit. L’Oreal’s foundation falls under the budget friendly make-up that is photo friendly (explanation below). Estee Lauder’s foundation product is a wonderful long lasting foundation that also is PF. 

With the economy the way it is, people are watching how they spend their money. We are all trying to make as many cut backs as possible. Us women want to always wear make-up in order to feel comfortable in our skin. The fact is, all of us women are beautiful without make-up, but unfortunately society has made us feel as though it is a necessity when really it’s not. On the other hand, if you enjoy wearing make-up and are looking for a excellent priced foundation, then L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable is the perfect budget friendly foundation. You can find it where any L’Oreal products are sold (Walgreens, CVS, Target, Walmart, etc). Plus, the price is unbelievable for such a great product that is also great quality. You can expect to spend $8-$12, depending where you find it. Most foundations are double and/or triple that so for the amazing quality, you will be happy with the product. Most likely with the selection, they should have the true match just for you!

Have you noticed that some foundations wear off within 2-4 hours after putting it on? In my opinion that is a complete waste of time, effort, and money if it doesn’t wear well. Estee Lauder has an incredible product called Double Wear and Double Wear Light. The original Double Wear is a matte that is full coverage but unfortunately it’s not PF. The Double Wear Light, which is my personal favorite, has a sheer to medium coverage and it’s PF. They both wear up to 12 hours and the best part is, it doesn’t feel like you are wearing foundation. You would think that you would have to apply a significant amount of it (which you don’t) and that it would feel heavy, but ironically I can’t feel that I am wearing foundation. That is one thing I can’t stand is to feel like I am wearing a product on my face. I don’t care how good it looks; I will throw it away if it feels uncomfortable. The DW foundations are reasonably priced because you don’t need much when applying to your face. The bottle will last for awhile depending upon how frequently you apply it. The price that you would be spending is $35-$40.

When I mention photo friendly foundations, those are foundations that compliment you when in front of a camera. An example of what a photo friendly is NOT: have you ever noticed ladies in photographs whose face is washed out compared to the rest of their body? That my friend is most likely because they are wearing a foundation that is photo UN-friendly and although it looks great in person, the camera is not complimentary. Wearing photo friendly foundations in front of a camera helps you look flawless with a beautiful complexion. ;)

When choosing a foundation shade, it is important to match the shade that blends onto your neck where you can’t tell where you applied the foundation. If it matches your neck, it will apply beautifully on your face. Therefore, there will not be a make-up line from your chin to your neck. One of my pet peeves is seeing beautiful women with a make-up line. 

Although part of my blog is to share my beauty secrets, please know you are beautiful and you have your own marks of beauty. It is first important to feel beautiful from within. My mom always told me it doesn’t matter how beautiful you are on the outside if you don’t feel and act beautiful on the inside. I hope the suggestions and recommendations will help you in the future. If you have any questions, please feel free to email fashion@amberhiggins.com. Have a wonderful day and be looking out for more beauty tips on my blog! 

XOXO ~ Amber