Summer Nails

Bright nail shades were totally in this past year. I hope this trend keeps on because Essie is releasing its new summer collection nail polish, which features a gorgeous shade called Braziliant. MSRP $8, and you'll get that nice orange shade with the shimmer that comes with an Essie (see title link).

Simple hair ideas

Using the Pantene Pro-V Fine Hair Styling Products, you can make simple hairstyles that also look beautiful. When I want a change, for example, I just put a small section of hair aside, wrap the rest in a ponytail, and wrap the strand around the elastic before securing it down with bobby pins. Hairspray works, of course (see title link)!

Barrettes

Check out the Goody Modern Organica Floral Bling Bobby Slides! For two pins you pay $5, and they're available exclusively at Target stores for a limited time. They look great behind your ear (see title link)! Love stacked barrettes.

Purr (not like the cat)

I've blogged about this one in the past for sure. But Purr by Katy Perry is worth mentioning several times. I'll admit I love her music mostly because of the melodies and instruments, rather than her relatively ordinary voice. But Perry makes no mistake when it comes to beginning her beauty empire. The Eau de Parfum is the latest in fragrances for women, and available at Nordstrom stores. With the "Earn My Affection" feline motto, the fragrance contains peach nectar, forbidden apple, jasmine, rose, and vanilla orchid, along with the standards of sandalwood and musk. Surprisingly sophisticated, too. Not crazy about the bottle look, but hey, I applaud her boldness. Available for $45-$65, depending on the size (see title link).

Epiduo

Epiduo Gel promises to fight your acne breakouts. It's a prescription medication that is applied once a day. Pay no more than $35, depending on your insurance (see title link)!

Wedding-style heels

Summer weddings leave us many shoe options to choose from (not our weddings, of course!). These heels from GoJane are affordable and glam. The Printed Platform Pump costs just $14.95 right now and is a whopping 5.5 inch heel. Man made material ensures quality (see title link).

Girly as can be

I personally can't stand bows, ever since my mom forced me to wear them when I was 5. But some girls really rock them and look sweet, so I'm posting a cheap one here. The girlie satin bow from Ban.do is just $15. If you're a tomboy, this can be way out of your comfort zone, so go at your own risk of being super-girly. Multi-purpose (see title link).

British mascara

I know I've written about this one before, but it really is the best mascara in drugstores right now. Rimmel London Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara has two caps, with one for length (75%, in fact), and one for volume (12x). Their model, Zooey Deschanel, makes the 001 Black shade look so dramatic (see title link).

DIY

I, personally, do not have the patience nor the talent to make my own clothes cooler. But for those who do, a budget-friendly way to do it is with the Seventeen Fashion Accessory Kit, which costs only $13 (see title link) on Amazon. Includes crafting tools like gold and rhinestone chains, pink cording, ribbon ties, charms, clasps, and stickers.

l.a.m.b. tote

A splurge for a tote but I've heard it's pretty heavy-duty. This L.A.M.B. 'Malibu' Canvas Tote is currently on sale at Nordstrom for $65, a 1/3 price reduction (see title link). Love the graphic and canvas fabric. The only flaw is that its top is open. Why pay so much for a tote that doesn't zip? DOES feature an interior zip pocket, though.

Playtex Sport

Gotta love Playtex Sport Regular Absorbency Tampons (see title link). The unscented 18-count box costs just $5.25, and you can feel confident with the anti-leak backup layer and good level of protection.

Daisy fresh

Daisy Marc Jacobs is one of my all time faves. A great fragrance for women, with some innocence, playfulness, elegance, and enchantment. Contains notes of strawberry, violet leaves, ruby red grapefruit, gardenia, violet petals, jasmine petals, musk, vanilla, and white woods. Costs $60-$75 at Sephora (see title link).

Mix themes with accessories

I'm not very experienced using belts, since I usually just buy pants that fit me well. But they can really add to your look if you want to look tailored. I like that this belt is preppy, yet the dark color roughs it up a bit to look sort of punky. It's the Aerie Distressed Leather Perforated Belt and is available for $29.50 (see title link). It's the subtle details: curved brass buckle, 1" width (not a skinny belt), and Dark Brown color.

Oversize clutch

I thought these went out of style, but oversize clutches are still in among us common-folk. The problem is, they can be pricey to obtain. H&M came to the rescue and designed one for just $18 (see title link). It's understated with skin tones but over-the-top with its size at the same time.

U by Kotex

U by Kotex Ultra Thin Maxi Pads in the Heavy Flow variety are great for those middle days. Get 32 for just $8. Comes with wings and is super comfy! They're sort of hard to get out of the wrapper, but otherwise no complaints (see title link).

Cheap Dresses!

What a find! I was at Walmart last week and found this Op Juniors Knot-Back Knit Dress for just $10 (see title link). Made of cotton, it wows with its scoop neck and fits well with the elasticized waist. The back is criss-cross!

Cheaper Wayfarers

Couture sunglasses can be great if you can afford them. But if you're just trying to keep on trend and stay unique without busting your budget each summer, try these AMI Clubwear wayfarer shades. The Yellow Plastic Frame UV Protected Sunglasses cost just $9.99 (see title link) and are made of plastic, with metal detailing. Great pop of color!

Tom Ford Shades

Get high-class style with some Tom Ford shades. Emma Roberts rocks the Bachardy style (men's!) while shopping at Fred Segal in Los Angeles on January 13. The 50F style here looks great, as the dark brown fades to a honey brown. Retail at around $200 (see title link).

Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley's Boysenberry collection is great for summer (see title link). Love the lunch bags!

New way to do nails

Sally Hansen came out with these Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips (see title link). According to the rave reviews, a pack costs $10 and has no dry time, despite the fact that it is real nail polish. Like a sticker, but not? You just have to file the excess off and go. Love the sparkly silver Raise a Glass color.

Nice boy?

If you have a boyfriend, enter him in the Best Boyfriend in America Contest (see title link). You could win a $1,000 flat-screen TV and an XBox 360 and Kinect.

Free stuff!

A good and productive way to pass the time in the summer? Enter sweepstakes and contests! Who knows, you might win some free stuff (see title link). Freebies are out there waiting to be found!

Pretty Little Liars

I have never watched a single episode of this show in my life. But word on the street says Pretty Little Liars is quite the guilty pleasure. The Complete First Season DVD is coming out Tuesday, so preorder now for $47.95 (see title link).

Designer Lipstick

Dior Addict is the new fashion lipstick - a force to be reckoned with. What shine! What color! And hydrating and volumizing to boot (see title link). Costs $28. Available at Sephora.

Fendi bracelet

Love this Fendi bracelet, as shown below on Demi Lovato. The stitched bracelet costs $120 at Barneys New York, and is 15" long in a black color (although it's really a very dark brown). Buy it if you can afford it (see title link).

Hair/Earring combo

Long, dangly earrings look great when hair is up. Do it creatively by pairing cute butterfly earrings from Lulu's (see title link) with Sailor Knots! Basically you just make two high pigtail buns. Surprisingly, you DON'T look like an alien.

Beach hoops

Love this pair of Urbanog earrings I found. They are affordable and will look perfect with a slick pony on the beach. If you pull it straight back, you'll look stylish and keep the attention focused on the hoops (see title link).