Trendcasting: boots 'n' bronzer

I'm so excited to feature my first guest blogger today! First, I'll be covering over the knee boots (my new obsession) and then move to bronzer with the help of Erin Bushman guest blogging. We had the best time collaborating on this so I hope y'all love it as much as we do!

Pinterest has been crawling with tall slouchy over the knee boots and it’s safe to say I’m hooked now too. I have to say I wasn’t too into the idea of them at first, but I love how versatile and chic they can make any outfit look. After seeing a few of my fave fashion bloggers rock them I decided I was down to try them out. I kept seeing the same suede over the knee boots with a little suede string tie in the back. I loved the slightly slouchy effect as well as rounded yet narrowed toe & medium block heel. I became 100% zeroed in on this style & there are SO many different kinds of over the knee boots y’all.. needless to say ya girl was overwhelmed. I began ‘liking’ and pretty much relentlessly stalking fashion bloggers (@thecourtneykerr for the most part) to scoop the over the knee boots I was after.

And then came the $800 price tag.. ouch. I prepared myself and my bank account for $100-300 and then I felt the life being ripped right from out of me. $800 for trendy Stuart Weitzman boots on a college students budget was just a complete no go (obvi). So, I turned my efforts into finding acceptable dupes for the boots. I knew the price tag would still be high if I wanted something good quality that was going to last. I made my budget $100 max.. and started the search for the perfect over the knee boots I had floating around in my head.

I started searching at my favorite go to sites including: gojane.com, 2020ave.com, makemechic.com, urbanog.com, boohoo.com, and 6pm.com and found some options. I ended up going into DSW just to get an idea if the style I had in my head was actually what looked best on me. It turned out that I found the Unisa $80 boots pictured at DSW and LOVE them.

BUT, there are SO many different styles of over the knee boots.. I thought I would cover some today + all the options I linked too have most sizes in stock and are all under $100!!

Going through the following options and really determining what you want will significantly help your search for the perfect over the knee boots.

Heel type-

There’s 3 main heel types for the heeled over the knee boots: stiletto, block, & chunky. Stiletto heeled boots are obviously the skinniest heel and chunky are obviously the thickest. My boots are a nice medium- block. I love the chunky heel look, but with my narrow build they just looked a little too bulky on me. As far as stiletto heel boots go, I love the look but I wanted to be more practical for my first pair.

Material-

Main materials will be suede, leather, and PU leather (fake leather). Suede is my personal favorite, but shows signs of wear faster. Neither suede nor leather does well in rain so make sure to be cautious and weather proof before wearing (so easy to do, just let dry overnight and use this spray!). The best part about PU leather is that the boots are cheaper and water resistant. But, they are typically going to be lower quality shoes.

Collar-

The top of the collar of the boot will either be flat, asymmetrical, or fold over. I linked to an asymmetrical option below! Asymmetrical is a split collar look that some people like- just depends on personal preference.

Toe shape-

Rounded or pointy are the main options, however, mine are narrowed and are in between rounded and pointy. I also linked to a pair of peep toe boots below as well!

Hardware color-

Gold, silver, or that black silver color that’s becoming oh so popular lately.

Details-

Little details like the suede string on the back of the boots or exposed zipper detail are really just stylistic and depend on personal preference. Personally, I love the little suede string it just adds an extra touch.

Top row boots (L to R)-

Sam Edelman $76 

Unisa $80 (pictured on me below!)

Guess $80

Bottom row boots (L to R)-

Guess $99

Truffle Collection $69

Pink & Pepper $36 

Here are a casual & dressy look I put together to feature my new bb's + all outfit details. 

Top: Tobi, Scarf: Charlotte Russe, Earrings: Guess, Watch: Akribos, Leggings: Banana Republic, Boots: Unisa (find them linked above!!)

Top: Tilly's, Skort: Express, Earrings: Guess, Watch: Akribos, Rings: Lulu's, Boots: Unisa (find them linked above!!)

Now on to bronzer!!! I adore makeup, but I'm definitely not the best at it! I was so excited when Erin reached out to collab.. she's so talented y'all. I loved how lightweight everything felt on and how she took my individual style and normal makeup routine into consideration!! Be sure to consider her for any event you need to look your best for. 

*hands it over to Erin B*

Hello beauties! My name is Erin Bushman and I am a free-lancing makeup artist who loves to make people feel absolutely gorgeous! My work includes brides, seniors, formals or proms, and any other special occasion or event. I have always been attracted to makeup ever since I was a little girl. I`ve always adored how makeup enhanced our natural features to make us look like supermodels.  

As a makeup artist, people are always asking me what products are good and how to create certain looks that coordinate best with their appearance. Well, I am here today to share some of my advice with you!  

Since it is winter and let`s be real here….. we`re pale. I`m even pale. Being pale is definitely something I hate the most, but so does everyone else. Luckily, makeup is a wonderful thing created to solve our pale people problems. Bronzer is the answer! Bronzer is the solution to everything; it can give you a tan appearance without actually having to go into the sun! Bronzer is a marvelous product, however, you can look like an orange oompa loompa if you do not apply it correctly. So, try to avoid that at all costs! 

 During the winter I use both cream and powder bronzers, but it depends on what look I`m going for that day. For my everyday bronzer, I typically use powder. If you normally have dry skin in the winter, I do NOT recommend you using a cream bronzer…. even if you`re contouring. If you have dry skin and use a cream bronzer, what will happen is the cream will start to crease and smear and basically you`ll look like a hot mess.  

You can use literally ANY bronzer, whether it`s high-end or even from the drugstore, it still gets the job done. My recommendations for high-end bronzers are: Bareminerals READY bronzer ($25), Too Faced Soleil Bronzer ($30), and Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer ($29). Yes, those price tags are not pretty and looking at them gives me a little heart attack too. Luckily, you can snag an inexpensive, good quality bronzer from your local drugstore. Here are some of my favs: NYX Cosmetics Matte Bronzer ($8.99), Physician`s Formula Bronze Booster ($15.95), and last but not least Sonia Kashuk Bare Illuminating Bronzer ($12.99).  

When I apply my bronzer, I usually apply it with a buffing brush of any kind. I use my Ecotools domed bronzer brush ($9.99), seriously ya`ll this is the BEST bronzer brush ever. It applies the product so smoothly and evenly it gives you an airbrush appearance. Seriously ya`ll try it! On a side note, I HIGHLY recommend ectools. If you want good brushes, but don`t want to pay a lot of money then these brushes are for you! Anyways, I apply my bronzer with a buffing brush and start on my cheek where my earlobe is to the end of my nostril. I don’t like bringing my bronzer all the way to the mouth since it can appear streaky in certain lighting. I also put my bronzer on my temples, around the edges of my forehead, and on my neck. Bronzing your neck is exceedingly important! You don`t want your face and your neck to be two completely different colors.  

I hope this little bit of makeup advice helps you this winter. I would love to see your beauty looks if you use this and if you post on instagram tag me @beautybyerinbushman. If you have any questions about products, advice, or want to book a session with me, please feel free to email me at erinbushman@yahoo.com. Thanks again to the amazing, beautiful, and talented Devin for featuring me in her blog post this week. Looking forward to our future together. <3 

Thank y'all so much for reading today!! Please share if ya dig it. & if you need help finding the perfect boots for you/advice on what would be best for your style don't hesitate to email me at devinstatedbydev@gmail.com. :)

XO,

Dev