Omi B.: style

Oct 22, 2015

VLOGGERS I VLUCKING L❤︎VE!

I absolutely love watching YouTube videos! Since late 2008 it's been my secret guilty pleasure. I can seriously watch choreography videos & makeup tutorials for hours...more than just a way for me to waste time daydreaming though, YouTube videos serve a function: teaching an average joe to do just about anything...& even if you already know how to do something, it's never a bad idea to compare notes with someone else. We can always grow & get better, right? Your's truly will be on there soon enough but until then I will share my current loves from YouTube with you:

MANNY MUA

I stumbled upon one of Manny Mua's makeup tutorials about this time last year. There are plenty of male makeup artists in the industry, so it wasn't that that caught my attention- it was his perfectly done, full-face of makeup! And lawd knows I'm going to watch ANY boy brave enough to don some M.A.C. Not only is he phenomenal at application- he's hilarious! I was hooked by the first F-bomb he dropped in his miami-drag alter ego.

KANDEE JOHNSON

Alright, so Kandee is no flavor of the month, so I really shouldn't say "current" love. She's more of a long-time love. I've been checking out her ish for the
better part of 6 years now. She's not only great with makeup, she's super informative & has a really
positive personality! She's just upbeat & motivational. Like...I wish we could be best friends. I don't think I'd ever feel stressed again. haha.

PIXIWOO

A sister-duo based in the U.K. Pixiwoo is the channel I refer to the most for makeup tips & tricks. They also focus on skincare (which is the little touch I love...Kandee does that too) Their lighting is spectacular so you can really see in depth what they're doing, and frankly, there's just something informative yet capturing about their tutorial mannerisms. I highly recommend this channel if you're looking for Halloween makeup how-to's!

I hope this is helpful as you are all planning your Halloween ideas!!

{❤︎, b.}

Oct 21, 2015

bedhead to school-ready

This is a post for all my fellow mommies out there...

I wanted to share a quick post for the kiddos. Well, and for you too...I personally am NOT a morning person, so it takes me a fair amount of concentration (& coffee) to get my little boo out the door and off to school without forgetting things like her lunchbox, or my car keys...a bra. So the last thing I want to be doing is struggling with her hair.

But I know she gets tired of the standard "ponytail or wear it down" options, so I've decided to start implementing some of the many pins I've saved over the years. These are all styles that look suuuper cute, while actually giving the illusion that "Dom's mom" can function at 7 a.m. (...joke's on you school, joke's on you...)

My daughter named this look "big buttons" when she was in preschool and I actually made it up on the fly. Just separate the hair into 2 sections and twist each pigtail into a corkscrew bun. Then secure w/ bobby pins. You can't tell from the pics but I use 4 mini bobby pins for each bun, crisscrossed on the top and then again on the bottom. The nice thing about this is that even IF they fall while she's in school, she's left with loose beach-y curls, so it doesn't look a mess.

I found this tutorial online and while it looks complicated believe me, it's not! You just need a LOT of elastic bands. I buy the clear elastics in bulk from Target. You can watch how to do this HERE. After I've tied and braided everything I go back through and pull each piece out to make it look fluffier. The higher up the head you start the more of an actual faux-hawk this braid looks like. I've gotta admit that it looks pretty badass and makes Dom feel punk rock in her boots and dresses.

Or as a variation you can just pull up the braided part and tuck into the faux-hawk portion and secure with as many bobby pins as your little one will sit still for.

Sometimes I tie all the sections I need to and just find myself over it. Haha. That's okay too. It makes it a rocker-chick ponytail that has a ton of volume & still looks great.

You get the idea even though she wouldn't sit still for the pic ;)

Then there's always the looped ponytails. Easiest thing in the entire world to do and looks super fancy. All you do is make 2 half-up ponytails, leaving them slightly loose. Going from underneath the ponytail, divide the part right above the elastic into a V, lift the "tail" part of the ponytail with your other hand, grab onto it it using the fingers that are in the middle of the V and loop through. Do this again to the next section and then secure it all with another elastic at the base of her neck. (I don't know if that made ANY SENSE whatsoever, but I can only hope...)

When in doubt, consult Youtube. They have a bajillion tutorials on braiding and other kid looks that you can watch for a step by step. Eventually I will be adding on videos of my own to each link, so you can watch my tutorials face-to-face (sort of) but I haven't gotten that far yet...I promise it's being worked on though.

I hope these help to make your morning routines a bit easier & that your little chicks feel as glam as mine going to school. Thanks for reading this! And as always leave a comment below if you have something kid-related that you'd like to see in the future.

{ ❤︎, b. }

Oct 20, 2015

style guide for petites

Hello loves! Just wanted to share my essential jeans guide for petites. If you're a "legal midget" like I am (joking) then you know how what a HUNT it is to find the right pair of jeans. Standing at a mere 5'2" and 105 lbs. I can easily get swallowed up in even the skinniest stretch jeans. (I wish that I had the curves to fill out most pants...guess the grass is always greener...)

Hopefully this quick guide can help to narrow down your search. Links are listed below of each item and can be found at Nordstrom's. Don't forget to ask a sales rep there for styling advice either! I always do....and they've not only helped with selections but brought current trends for me to try on. You never know....you could find your unknown favorite new brand just by asking.

This season is all about playing around with different colors and textures so I provided an assortment in each. I'm actually LOVING the crimson washes I'm seeing everywhere--they are perfect for the upcoming season and are a statement without being a statement.

Just the way I like my fashion...

{❤︎, b.}

Citizens of Humanity white jeans
nordstrom.com

Paige Denim jeans
nordstrom.com

Paige Denim black jeans
nordstrom.com

DL1961 Premium Denim white jeans
nordstrom.com

STS Blue blue jeans
nordstrom.com

Standards & Practices black jeans
nordstrom.com

Oct 17, 2015

Fall staples // day to night

Fall staples // day to night by jenbreslin785 on polyvore.com

Some more current loves in my soon-to-be Fall wardrobe....clearly I have a certain obsession with dressing up casual staples like plaid button-ups. With a sexy pair of skinny jeans, in multiple colors, it allows all pieces to be mix-and-match--giving you countless ways to wear each look. Certain pieces I'm on the hunt for at a "steal" price rather than splurge that they're listed at....but at least I know what I'm looking for now.

Okay--now back to my vampires;) Seriously tho' ladies, if you wanna watch some fine ass men....

{❤︎, b.}

Slow Change of Season

Slow Change of Season by jenbreslin785 on polyvore.com

I have been spending the weekend in a blissfully comatose state, binge-watching Netflix. (The Originals, anyone??)

While I have the downtime I've been playing my favorite game: ONLINE SHOPPING!! I created a few collections of fall essentials. This one having some mixes of summer pieces still 'cuz, well....this heat is still taking it's sweet time going away. But at least the temp has dropped enough degrees to start adding some lightweight button-ups!

You can click the Polyvore link on my page to see more collections like this as well as create your own account and make some sets of your own. If you do, don't forget to follow me so that I can follow you back!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

{❤︎, b.}

Oct 13, 2015

✢ organization // erin condren ✢

I hate using my phone for organization. I love it for everything else, but the calendar is just one of those features I don't use. Call me old-fashioned but I guess I need to break up the digital-obsession where I can, and I much prefer to actually write down my to-do lists.

Last year I ordered a planner from Erin Condren after I saw my bestie's ADORABLE customized one and now...i'm hooked! In fact, as I'm writing this I'm actually customizing my new planner online since mine is coming to an end in December. I can't fathom how disorganized my life will become without one!

When you visit her site you start by selecting from a bevy of different templates she offers (all equally feminine and cutesy) and from there you can begin customizing everything from the colors to the cover design and the display name. In my 2015 planner shown above I literally customized every detail down to the line placement. And of course, the display name was edited 'cuz I'm a freak about penmanship and how my name is written-- "it needs to say 'jen b.'...and there needs to be a period after the b...AND it needs to be all lowercase--no, I don't care about grammar, oh and can we make it white?"

{poor Erin}

But my girl delivered! And it came precisely how I'd asked her to make it...every single annoying request I made. I also chose to purchase one of her add-on features: custom STICKERS!! I sound like a 13 year old girl saying that so excitedly but I'm telling you--they're awesome!

You get to choose the colors and names for those as well, cuz she means it when she says "customized" (yes, I was a pain in the ass with those too) and they're a really cute way to quickly mark dates that are important and make those dates stand out when you're glancing at your calendar.

Inside looks like this. Each month is color-coded. I want to meet her and hug her and maybe ask her to be best friends for enabling my OCD tendencies! It's just a very functional planner that happens to be f'ing perfect to look at. The ONLY downside is that it takes awhile to arrive, what with everyone making a fuss about periods and lowercase lettering...

Mine took about 6 weeks to finally be delivered. I was like a sad puppy staring out the window every time I heard a UPS truck drive by--but it's worth the wait!

And even though I wouldn't normally spend $55+ on a day-planner of all things, I can honestly say that I am so in love with it and I'm totally happy with my purchase! (Clearly....I mean...I AM buying it again as we speak)

OH and ps: they make great gifts for girls in your life, especially those who are a little harder to shop for. Everyone has loved mine since I got it and I've ordered 2 as gifts that were total hits! They're unique and come on...everyone loves having something personalized, right?!

{❤︎, b.}

Oct 8, 2015

oh baby!!!

One fantastic advantage of being newly 30 is that everyone is finally having babies!! Having my own peanut at the tender age of 22, it's safe to say I've been waiting a looooong time for this day! So sufficed to say, I've been absolutely basking in baby clothes shopping! ....just because I'm not having one of my own doesn't mean that I'm not going to be the weirdo "auntie" who isn't purchasing every cute infant accessory I see.

Below are some of the current items I'm oooh'ing and ahhhh'ing over. A few of them I've actually recently gifted at baby showers and some are just because I have an addiction to online shopping and babies... but hey, I guess there's always Christmas, and hopefully some of my preggo friends that read this can add them into their own shopping carts.

These are items from Aden + Anais. If you've never used their muslin swaddles then you're missing out! They are the most comfortable material in the world and they kinda set the trend for swaddles that were functional yet chic!...now that they've added muslin clothing to their catalogue I may just have to have another baby...just sayin'

These next items are from Burt's Bees, who I had no idea even made clothing!! But boy was I happy when I discovered that they did...not only are they still on the all-natural band wagon, with organic cotton blends, but their baby sets are adorable and super affordable! The only problem is that they aren't carried many places from what I've seen, so it's easiest to just go to their website. Here's what I'm liking of their's:

By now you're probably seeing a trend of mine-- I always shopped pretty gender neutral even with my own daughter. I like to dress girls in whites and grey...i'm not much of a "girly girl" myself. But if you, are all of these looks come in multiple different colors and are a bit more gender specific. But enough about you, let's talk about me some more ;)... These are some more neutrals from Zara:

{Zara onesie pictured at top of post}

There are so many more that I could share but it'd be impossible to fit them all. If you're interested in other fashion-savvy or comfy basic baby clothing, you can follow me on Pinterest. My "BABY BOARD" has a ton of really fun baby items on there.

{❤︎, b.}

Oct 1, 2015

➳ The Beach People Giveaway ➳

Photo provided by The Beach People

For those of you who follow The Beach People on Instagram, you may have seen details of the giveaway they're doing to promote "The Adventure Tote"--a new carryall from their line of totally amazing beach accessories. 10 lucky winners from all across the globe will receive a prize pack, complete with an Adventure tote, Aztec Roundie,and Leather Strap!

The Beach People, started by two sisters based in Australia, are the creators of the original "Roundie"....a circular beach towel 5 feet in diameter, that is seriously the

c-u-t-e-s-t thing to hit the beach since Kelly Slater and baby-bikinis. And of course, being a cali-native, I want them ALL. Hey, if we don't get real seasons then I at least want year-round beach cuteness. I'm already on-board to preorder their limited edition Palm Springs Roundie, which I got a sneak peek of during a recent photoshoot they had at Ace Hotel....a print that made my southwest-obsessed heart practically implode.

All you have to do is visit them online HERE and sign up to enter by October 9th, 2015. Entries close at 11:59pm (AEST) so be sure to sign up in time!!

❤, b