Tag Archives: fall

Nov28

Weekend Adventure OOTD

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Weekend Adventure OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday I went on a fun little outing with my dad and Johnny to a lunch and vendor fair event. It was such a nice afternoon with my two favorite fellas! I knew both my boyz were going to keep it casual in their fashion which was fine by me because it was a go there, go home kind of day. A day that called for the softest sweater in the whole world with elbow patches to feel oh so perfectly fall! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Sweater: Blu Pepper, Dry Goods

Boyfriend Jeans: Banjara, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Boots: These were purchased forever ago from Target!

Necklace: This was purchased from a vendor fair by artist John Deveer.

Earrings: These were purchased forever ago from PacSun!

This was actually not the outfit I originally had in mind. However, when I was shopping in the pants department my eyes landed on my Banjara boyfriend jeans and I decided to pivot. I absolutely love these bedazzled beauties and it reminded me of something that Miranda or Taylor would wear from my guilty pleasure, Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives. I had just binged it so it was weighing heavy on the brain! These jeans are just so totally cool and they are exactly what I like – an exciting take on classic staples. Give me distressing and huge rhinestones and I am sold!

As these jeans give such a comfy, chill vibe I decided to pair it with a cozy sweater to match. I went with a lovely little number by Blu Pepper and also had a brain blast. I recently bought a dress of the same brand, knew I had something from Blu Pepper in my wardrobe, and couldn’t remember it for the life of me. Then, there it was in my hands! This dusty pink hued sweater was a lovely compliment to the charcoal grey jeans and I am all about those extra details. I am a sucker for elbow patches for a nod to collegiate chic and the up the side buttons. My sweater was also slightly oversized which was just right for pairing with the slouchy boyfriend jeans.

Next up was shoes and accessories. I definitely needed the extra height as the Banjara jeans are REALLY long on me and selected a pair of heeled grey snakeskin pattern boots from Target. The muted tones fit the color palette I had established to the T and snakeskin is my all time favorite pattern! For accessories, I chose a beautiful hand carved necklace from a vendor fair I attended in Atlanta. I love its simplicity and it can literally pair with anything for jewelry without going overboard. Last but not least was a pair of vintage brooch inspired earrings that offered flowers in the same dusty pink shade of the sweater. With that, I was ready to go on an adventure!

I may have had Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives on the mind but this look was one hundred percent Lil Red!

What is your favorite guilty pleasure show? What are your weekend plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

New Grape & Deep Purple Nails

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New Grape & Deep Purple Nails

Hello! I treated myself to a fabulous fill this past Tuesday and it was so nice to spend an hour getting pampered while I was on break. I have to admit that I was a bit sad to say goodbye to my Halloween nails to compliment my pirate costume but I was excited to explore new colors for fall. Come fall time, I feel like I see endless shades of brown and nude nail polishes and that is not me in the slightest. I adore the gem tones when it comes to fall hues and wanted to go that route for a fresh take on a fall fill. One of the colors was actually not what I had in mind but I loved how it turned out anyways. Talk about a happy accident! Check it out:

As I browsed through the nail polish book, I immediately was drawn to the grape color and moved onto my next shade. Nearby was a deep indigo (Or so I thought!) and that was the winner. When I requested the colors to my tech, she came back verifying that I chose two purples and in my head I was like “huh” lol. What I took as indigo was a really deep purple! I didn’t want to bother with swapping it out and just decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did. My tech and I were swooning over this color combo once all was said and done and she thought it looked “Victorian”. I couldn’t agree more and it was just the Lil Red take on fall colors I was hoping for despite the mix up!

My time spent at Elysian Nails can’t be beat and I recommend the salon to any and everyone. This includes my mom, mother in law, friends, and anyone looking for recommendations on Talk Of The Town pages on Facebook. Earlier in the day, I scheduled my next fill for myself in December as well as a manicure for my mom. Literally thirty seconds after I scheduled my mom’s mani, I got a text from the salon owner asking who it was for lol. He knew darn well I will never be without my acrylics and when I arrived at the salon, we shared a laugh and he said “It could never be you”! That just shows the level of service Elysian Nails provides. Everyone from the owner to the techs knows the clients and I really appreciated that he went out of his way to double check. ❤

I am already chomping at the bit for my next fill and can’t wait to take my mom to her mani appointment – not mine!!!

How do you like to treat yourself? What color of nail polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov6

Cozy Coat OOTD

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Cozy Coat OOTD

Hello! I always enjoy styling OOTDs no matter the season because it’s just pure fun for me. It has been a while since I have had a good clothing haul and that is okay. My funds have been strictly for holiday shopping since September! Regardless of if the clothes are new or not, I love shopping in my wardrobe department store, revisiting old favorites, and freshening them up with new combinations. As we are fully in fall weather here in good ol’ Akron, Ohio there has been one particular item that I have been most excited to break out again. The coat you are about to see is one of my all time favorites and it was like being reunited with an old friend as soon as it was on! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Topper Jacket: Lucky Brand

Navy Sweater: Loft

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Smiley Scarf: Nardi & Tagliaferri

Fingerless Gloves: Steve Madden, TJMaxx

Earrings: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx (These beauties were a birthday gift from my niece!)

Red Heeled Booties: Bamboo, TJMaxx

In my perfect, happy world it would be fall weather all of the time. There is nothing better to me than throwing on a coat and adding on cold weather accessories to beat the chill. With all of the extra add ons, the Lucky Brand topper jacket was the perfect way to go. It is a gorgeous neutral which means that I get to pair it with anything I want and it is going to work out fine. This coat is just so beautiful to me lol. It’s uber soft which makes the creamy color even more luxe, has a mid calf length to keep me cozy, and is the ideal in between of a light and heavy jacket. My lovely little Lucky number can go from casual to dressy depending on how you style it and I love it for a day of errands or a night on the town!

When I am on the go, I tend to keep whatever coat I am wearing on ninety-nine percent of the time. The exception being if the place I’m at is super warm. I don’t know why, it’s just one of my things lol. Because of this quirk, I kept what I had on underneath simple with coated skinnies and a sweater. The Lucky topper jacket radiates in its simplicity and I didn’t want to take away from that with a crazy color beneath it. So I kept things neutral with black and navy and it was onto shoes and accessories where I could have some FUN. 😀

For shoes, I opted for a bright red pair of Bamboo heeled booties. They popped so brightly against the cream hued coat and that is exactly what I wanted. I just love a pop of color against a neutral base and these added a vibrant surprise to the look. In the jewelry department I chose the most stunning pair of earrings that my eldest niece got me for my birthday. It is so special to wear these because she wanted to pick something for me all by herself and she nailed it. These earrings feature teardrop jewels that fall into a diamond shape. I had my pop of color and needed that pop of bling!

Finally, it was onto cold weather accessories – my favorite! As this look was all about revisiting my most beloved fall duds, I knew just what I wanted from my accessories stash. For the scarf, I snagged a heather grey little number by Nardi & Tagliaferri. It blended seamlessly with this fit as it was another neutral and the smiley faces provided a cool touch of whimsy. With that, all that was left to do was slip on my go to pair of fingerless gloves by Steve Madden and I was ready to strut my stuff in fabulous fall fashion. ❤

This Cozy Coat OOTD is oh so fall and oh so cute. Stay tuned for more outfit fun here on lifewithlilred. I can’t wait to see you!

What is one of your most beloved pieces of clothing? Have you updated your wardrobe for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Simply Fall OOTD

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Simply Fall OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! The first half of October was unseasonably warm and it has finally cooled down to my perfect, happy temperature. I live for a crisp fifty to sixty degree day. I love the chill in the air but primarily, I love the fashion lol. There is nothing better to me than cozying up in a cute coat and feeling the leaves crunch beneath my feet. I have been waiting to break out my lighter fall jackets for so long and have been eagerly anticipating ALL of the OOTD shoots. Like this one! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Jacket: Philosophy, TJMaxx

Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Pinocchio Necklace: This was purchased forever ago from TJMaxx!

I have no idea where the earrings are from!

The beauty of fall OOTDs is that you can turn something basic like jeans and a sweater into something elevated by simply putting on a jacket. It can transform an entire look and it makes dressing for fall oh so fun! Elevated simplicity was the name of the game for this fit and I started with my Shrinking Violet sweater. This sweater is as old as dirt. I actually bought it to wear during my first day of college at Tri-C. I just can’t part with it though because it is so perfect. It is nice and light and just right for pairing underneath a jacket. Remember, when you are layering you want to use a thinner item with a thicker one and it was exactly what I needed for my OOTD.

Next up was the pantaloons department and I wore my sweater tucked into a high waisted pair of coated skinny jeans. These jeans added a pop of texture and sheen while providing shape to my waist as the sweater isn’t the most form fitting. The All Black Everything palette with this combination allowed me to do whatever I wanted with my coat, shoes, and accessories. A monochrome base is never going to be boring when you add a splash of color or a bold pattern to it!

In the overflowing jacket section of my closet, I chose my deep red Philosophy coat with a houndstooth pattern. This little number is so fabulously fall and is one of those coats that you can just throw on and go. I am an avid fan of houndstooth anything and couldn’t believe my good fortune to find this coat at TJMaxx in one of my favorite colors and patterns. That red was popping against the base I had established and livened up this look with a classic fall hue.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Olivia Miller. These are my go to fall boots – I love the chunky platform shape and that chunky chain across the ankle! For once, I also decided to wear a necklace. In the summer, my tattoos are out in all their glory and no accessories are needed. Fall is a different story and allows me to access my jewelry collection once more. I chose a long necklace with Pinocchio on it and it swayed and moved with every step. To match the brassy hue of the necklace, I popped on a pair of deep gold cross earrings and was ready to go!

This Simply Fall OOTD was the first fully fall look of the season for me and I felt awesome in it. I can’t wait to style more looks for the best season of all!

What is your favorite season? What is your favorite season to dress for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep29

New Hair Sneak Peek

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New Hair Sneak Peek

Hello! One of my absolute favorite things in the world is getting my hair done at the Shear Shop. My amazing stylist, Anna, has been doing my hair for over twenty years and we just have so much fun at all of my appointments. While she works her magic, we are nonstop chattering away about our updates, laughing, and daydreaming about what to do with my hair next. Sometimes Anna and I just freestyle what we are going to do the day of my appointment. More often than not, however, we go into it with a plan and then we’ll see what happens. As Anna and I were messaging about my new do at my upcoming appointment, we were both totally on the same wavelength and will be working with this color palette:

This is the time of the year when I ditch summer colors and start delving into the deeper hues of fall. Anna and I have been experimenting with beaucoup blue by Pulp Riot for the warmer weather and I have been loving it. Blue has become a staple in my hair palette and I have been looking forward to using the gorgeous deep navy Nightfall for fall. Then, Anna sent me a picture of a blue jean shade called Asteroid and I just had to go for it instead! It’s not a huge jump from Nightfall but it’s enough for something different and I am never one to shy away from new Pulp Riot colors. I can’t wait to see it and smell it lol because all of their hair dye smells like Sweet Tarts! 😀

With red always being featured in my hair, we also had to decide on a new color for the middle layer. Currently, we have a pretty peach mixture of Desert Sky and Lava and that won’t do for fall. I told Anna I was thinking purple and coincidentally, she was looking at purple options when I suggested it! We considered it fate and will be using a Kelly Osbourne-esque violet called Elixir. I felt very inspired by her hair when she hosted Lego Masters Junior and repeatedly told Johnny how much I liked her color. Elixir is a perfect match and I adore that we read each other’s minds to pick it out. ❤

Red, purple, blue – oh my! Peep my brand new do soon on lifewithlilred!

How often do you get your hair done? Are you changing your hair for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep28

What Is The Weather? OOTD

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What Is The Weather? OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! I have been daydreaming of fall weather since last fall and Ohio is simply not delivering. It has been hot AF here and still feels like summer and I genuinely can’t stand it lol. It flip flops from needing a hoodie in the morning to wanting to be in a bikini by mid afternoon and it begs the question of what the hell to wear! As I refuse to shave my legs once fall hits (Even if it doesn’t feel like it!), my formula is jeans on the bottom paired with an itty bitty top. Just like this new look! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

He Loves Me Not Crop Top: This was purchased FOREVER ago when I worked at PacSun as a teenager!

Bedazzled Boyfriend Jeans: Banjara, TJMaxx

Lavender Platforms: Olivia Miller, Walmart

The cross earrings are Lucky Brand and were a gift from my mom!

After a long summer of shorts and shaving, you can catch me posted up in jeans even if it is ninety degrees on a fall day. So, in the case of this OOTD, I started styling with the pantaloons department. As you all know, I am a skinny jean girl through and through. However, my favorite pair has got to be my bedazzled boyfriend jeans by Banjara. Try saying that five times fast! I adore the slouchy fit, the distressing, and the blingy surprise and I have never seen a pair like them before – which is exactly how I like it! These jeans are uber cool and unique and make something special out of a basic essential. Boyfriend jeans are made to be worn with a close fit top and I knew just what I wanted to pair it with…

The cutest little crop top from PacSun! This top is old as dirt but I just love it so much. How sweet is that he loves me, he loves me not pattern?! I vividly remember doing shipment at work when we received this crop and bought it immediately after my shift. It’s one of those items that I can’t part with and I’m glad I held onto it for all of these years because it’s perfect with my boyfriend jeans! It provides this OOTD with some shape to balance out the baggy jeans and shows some skin too. That’s ideal because it keeps me cool when I am forever questioning What Is The Weather? 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a pair of lavender Olivia Miller platforms from Walmart. These babies were only FIVE DOLLARS – talk about a total steal! As my jeans were pretty long in length, I needed that extra height to keep them from dragging and it provided a pastel pop of color to the All Black Everything look. Since a lot of my tattoos were on display, I kept jewelry minimal with a pair of dangly turquoise cross earrings and was ready to step out in whatever climate Ohio found itself in!

Not quite fall, not quite summer but one hundred percent fashion fun! What Is The Weather? A forecast of hot days and hotter OOTDs!

What is fall weather like in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite fall activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep20

Cute Cardi OOTD

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Cute Cardi OOTD

Hello! Johnny and I visited an amazing vintage store called The Bomb Shelter a few weekends ago and it was an absolute blast. You can peep my TikTok for a video tour for even more from our outing! The day we went was honestly a weird one. I wouldn’t say I sleep in like crazy over the weekend and the latest I am up is usually ten o’clock. However, I ended up sleeping until one forty in the afternoon that day! In my defense, I was coming off of a long week where I was feeling pretty crummy thanks to an ugh bug from my nieces. I guess I was more worn out than I thought because I felt like I woke up in a new year! Because I slept in till an ungodly hour, I needed to get ready quickly and put together a simple fall OOTD perfect for running errands and bopping around town. Check it out:

^^^ In case you couldn’t tell by the lack of pictures, I hated a majority of them lol. It was just one of those days!

Who? What? Wear?

Cardigan: American Eagle Outfitters, TJMaxx

Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Wedge Loafers: Steve Madden, Walmart

Heart Earrings: SugarFix By BaubleBar, Target

Fall fashion really speaks to me because it can be as elaborate or simple as you please and still look put together. You could elevate your look with cold weather accessories or throw on a cardigan and go. Obviously, I chose the latter! I am a huge fan of knitwear and just love the feeling of being snuggled up in something cozy. Currently in Ohio, the weather is in the eighties which I am so not there for. When I wore this look, it was actually quite chilly and I couldn’t wait to browse in my cardigan department after being separated for so long.

To keep things quick and cohesive, I went with a darling cardi by American Eagle Outfitters with a flash of red and white stripes. I purchased this almost a decade ago at TJMaxx and it costed a whopping thirteen dollars. Despite it being eight years old, it still looks brand new! I love the collegiate vibes and it was just right paired with a tighter fitting tank underneath and skinny jeans. It reminded me of outfits that I would wear when I was in college and always had to put together a little something something when I was on campus. Such a nice blast of nostalgia!

To wrap up this look, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went for a super rad pair of wedge loafers by Steve Madden. I got these from Walmart and they were only twenty bucks which I thought was a total steal. They fit the color palette I was working with while providing a pop of color and the loafer style further enhanced the college cool aesthetic. These loafers are comfy AF and are probably the lowest heel of shoes that I own – it took me a minute to get used to the minuscule rise in elevation! To complete my fit, I put on a pair of dangly heart earrings to add some length to my neck as it was the only open real estate available. With that, I was ready for a shopping trip to The Bomb Shelter!

It has felt like summer in Ohio as of late and I have had to resort to wearing shorts and tees again. Can I have fall weather now for more OOTD fun or?!

What is your favorite cold weather accessory? Have you updated your wardrobe for cold weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

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New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

Hello! This past Friday was a wonderful one. After work, I treated myself to a brand new full set at Elysian Nails and then had a delicious dinner with my birthday girl bestie at one of our favorite restaurants. My day concluded by playing Lego 2K Drive with Johnny and it was the perfect way to break in my new nails! It has felt so gloriously fall in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and I wanted to pick some colors to ring in the best season of all. It was bye bye to my neon hues from last month and hello to an updated Strawberry Shortcake palette. Check it out:

I absolutely live for fall fashion. Part of it is because I come alive in a good cardigan or jacket and the other part is loving fall colors. Burnt orange, gem tones, and deep berry hues play an integral part in the many gorgeous shades of fall and I hate to toot my own horn but they all look really nice on me too lol! With fall colors weighing heavily on my mind since last fall, I was so excited to pick out nail polish colors to match the autumn aesthetic. As soon as I opened the nail polish book, my eyes instantly locked in on the deep raspberry sample nail and it was a winner. For my complimentary shade, I went for a mauve polish and the pair had me feeling like a grown up Strawberry Shortcake!

It has been a phat minute since I got a full set and it took around an hour and forty-five minutes in total. The process would have been quicker but I need my nails soaked off no ifs, ands, or buts. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but I simply cannot do popping off acrylics. It makes me hurt just thinking about it! Once the nails were soaked off, my new acrylics couldn’t get placed soon enough. It’s SO weird seeing my hands without my signature claws! Just as soon as they were off, fresh new talons were well on their way and all that was left to do was sit back and relax. When I get a fill, I go during my break at work and the pressure of returning on time is always in the back of my mind. This time around, I had nothing to do but be pampered, chat away with my beloved tech, and anticipate a dinner out with my best girl. ❤

New nails, who dis?! I can’t think of a better way to welcome my happy fall time than with some fresh new acrylics with a color palette to match!

What is your favorite fall color? What color of nail polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep10

Let’s Make Caramel Apple Bites

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Let’s Make Caramel Apple Bites

Hello! If there is one thing that I am guilty of, it is endlessly scrolling through Facebook and saving a bunch of recipes that I will never make. Seriously, I must have hundreds of saved videos and posts at this point that I have done literally nothing with lol. UNTIL THIS PAST WEEK! A post for Caramel Apple Bites showed up on my newsfeed from a creator named Andrea and I just had to try them. I LOVE all things caramel apple and this tasty treat only required three ingredients which is my kind of recipe. They were a huge hit with me, Johnny, and my dad! Check it out and be sure to follow her page for more yummy and simple recipes:

^^^ Very aware that my chocolate is a little burnt lolol -_-

The Caramel Apple Bites required round pretzels, Rolos, and Granny Smith Apples and all you had to do was stack them! To start, I covered a baking pan with aluminum foil and placed my pretzels in orderly lines. The next step was the most annoying one because I didn’t realize that a bag of Rolos still came individually wrapped. I kind of assumed they wouldn’t be but you know that old saying about making assumptions! Unwrapping the Rolos was the most time consuming part of this process and I couldn’t resist snacking on a few of them and some salty pretzels as I unwrapped, and unwrapped, and unwrapped some more!

After the Rolos were on top of the pretzels, I stuck them in the oven but made the mistake of broiling them instead of baking them like the recipe called for. I kind of assumed it would have the same result but you know that old saying about making assumptions SMH! My chocolate did turn out a little burnt but it actually wasn’t a bad thing because it tasted like it was made over a campfire. Once the pretzel/Rolo combo was out of the oven, I topped each one with a piece of apple and put them in the fridge to cool down.

The end result of this treat was absolutely delightful despite the burnt parts. The salt of the pretzels were complimented with creamy and smooth chocolate and caramel. This would have been delish on its own but the Granny Smith Apples created the perfect bite. It added some crispness, juice, and a slight tartness for an explosion of flavor. These were a home run and I can’t wait to make some more and, yes, I will be baking them this time!

If you are looking for a quick and easy fall treat, this is the recipe for you. It will be fabulous for Halloween parties, bonfires, or an after school snack. Highly recommend!

Have you made any new recipes recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

New Burnt Orange & Tiffany Blue Nails

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New Burnt Orange & Tiffany Blue Nails

Howdy!! This past Tuesday I enjoyed my monthly break time fill appointment at Elysian Nails. While I absolutely loved my pink and purple nails for my Candy Queen Halloween costume, I was definitely ready to add some fall colors to the mix – especially after getting my hair darkened up for the season. I had a few ideas in my head of what I might like to have for a fall palette. Oddly enough, it was a combination that I live for in the summer… but with a twist, of course! Check it out:

IMG_0852IMG_0850

As soon as the warm weather hits, I instantly want bright blue and orange nails. There is just something about that combo that hits different and it screams fun in the sun. As I contemplated fall nails, I thought about how I wanted something that strayed from the traditional autumnal hues of gold, burgundy, and deep purple. So, I took my go to summer palette and turned it fall. My original plan was to use burnt orange and a deep teal or turquoise. However, none of the shades of blue at the nail polish wall along those parameters spoke to me. In fact, none of the orange ones were either.

When I didn’t have immediate luck, I almost pivoted to an orange and purple motif but that felt too much like Halloween. So, I kept on digging for what I really wanted and ended up finding the perfect shade of burnt orange. The blue hue I was looking for continued to evade me so I threw my hands up, selected a Tiffany blue, and made my way to my tech’s station. My nails were back to their former glory after being expertly repaired, shaped, and sharpened. I still wasn’t sure how the colors were going to turn out, but at least my stilettos were on point!

Happily, these summer inspired fall nails came out even better than I could have hoped. I was slightly worried when the burnt orange applied way darker than what was seen in the bottle. This ended up working out though because the blue was much lighter than what I planned for and added some brightness to the burnt. Now, if only I could find a sweater in that burnt orange shade because I am obsessed!

What are your nails and hair like for the holidays? What is your favorite fall color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah