Summer Dress Outfits

During the summer months I love to wear dresses more than any other item of clothing. Pants are a no-go where I am from since more than likely it is around 90 degrees everyday. Though I like wearing shorts, I feel like dresses are just more comfy and so much cuter! I like to have an assortment of dresses in my closet so that I have some that are more casual and some that are dressier. I even love having dresses that can be dressed up or down so that they can be worn anywhere. I also like to have an idea of what shoes/bags/jewelry I can wear with each dress so that in the morning I don't have to spend an hour picking out my outfit (I'd much rather use that time doing my hair and makeup). Here are some of my favorite summer outfits from 2016!

Outfit 1



I love this outfit because it's casual so I can wear it anywhere like to an afternoon lunch or a trip to the mall. It is very fun and girly, and the print just screams summer. I like the look of pairing the slightly larger bag with the flowy feminine dress.

Dress-Urban Outfitters (this one is similar)
Bag-Nordstrom (It's currently on sale for half off!)
Shoes-American Eagle
Necklace-H&M
Sunglasses-Ray-Ban 

Outfit 2



This dress can be casual, but because of the cutouts on the side, it would make a great summer evening dress as well. I like to wear this outfit for casual night events. This would work well for going to dinner or even a walk around town. The longer necklace compliments the higher neckline on the dress. The bag is a great size because it is not too big or overwhelming.

Dress-American Eagle
Shoes-DSW
Bag-Urban Outfitters (this is a similar one)
Necklace-Forever 21(this one is similar)

Outfit 3



I love this outfit because it is the perfect mix of girly and tough. I've been obsessed with chokers lately, and I love the look of the choker with this floral shirt dress. I am also obsessed with wearing these Birkenstocks with a more girly look. I feel like they add a needed toughness to the look. The clutch, on the other hand, adds a perfect elegance to the outfit.

Dress-Target
Shoes-Birkenstock
Bag-Michael Kors
Necklace -Asos
Glasses-Henry Bendel (These are unavailable, but they are similar to the Ray-Bans from outfit 1.)

Outfit 4



This is the dressiest of all the looks, but I love having a dressier outfit in my wardrobe especially for last minute events. This outfit can be dressed up even more. However, I love these more casual sandals with this dress. The dainty necklace is perfect because it does not take away from the dress. This dress makes me feel like a princess because it is slightly full at the bottom.

Dress-Banana Republic (This one is a similar style)
Necklace-Forever 21
Shoes-DSW
Clutch- Coach

Outfit 5



This might just be my favorite look. I love the pattern of this dress especially when it's paired with the gold jewelry. This is a perfect day to night outfit. The denim jacket is perfect for those cooler summer nights.

Dress-American Eagle (This one is similar)
Bag-Urban Outfitters
Jacket-American Eagle
Necklace-Forever 21
Bracelet-Forever 21 (This one is similar)
Shoes-American Eagle (These are similar)


I hope some of these outfits have inspired you to wear more dresses this summer!

XO Tres Chic Lifestyle

M&M Cookie Bars

        

Recently I've been craving M&M cookies. The type you might find at Mrs. Fields. They tend to be my cookie of choice whenever I buy cookies. Even the smell of cookies makes my mouth water for them. There's just something about cookies with candy, especially M&Ms that I just love. 

I've  been looking for a recipe that has a similar taste to those very familiar cookies. While on the hunt, I happened to stumble upon this incredibly easy recipe for M&M Cookie Bars, so I thought I'd give them a try. It turns out that not only were they super easy to make they were absolutely delicious as well. They are gooey and moist with a deliciously buttery flavor not to mention the scrumptious taste of M&Ms in each bite. 

Summer Makeup Essentials: Drugstore

 

Well summer is officially here and for most of us that means many more outdoor activities. During the summer I like to wear as little makeup as possible, or at least wear the right type of makeup during hot days. Here are just a few of my go-to favorites from the drugstore.

 For my face, I absolutely love using a BB/CC cream. This one from REVLON is super lightweight, has SPF, moisturizes, and blurs flaws. I apply it with a damp beauty blender, it goes on smooth and has light to medium coverage which can be built up.  It can be worn alone or on top of moisturizer. I my apply it on top of my  moisturizer and primer once they set. I think that the finish is much better that way. I usually just apply it to the lower portion of my face. (cheeks, chin and around my jawline/neck)

 Okay, so as always I need concealer for my dark circles. So I actually just purchased this about a week ago. The only two concealers I have are Bye Bye Undereye by IT Cosmetics, and Naked Skin by Urban Decay. I ran out of my Urban Decay so one day while I was at Rite Aid I browsed through the concealers and chose this one from Rimmel London and I am super pleased with it! I might actually like it more than both my other ones!! It is a 2 in 1 highlight + conceal. It is the perfect shade which also adapts to your skin tone.  It does have a brush applicator which I don't prefer to use, so I just squeeze some out onto my damp beauty blender to apply and its blends FLAWLESSLY! I have not experienced any creasing either which is always the biggest concern with concealing the under eye area.

 Next up is BRONZER! Another recent purchase. I saw this on of my favorite beauty blogger's channel. Um, hi. It's waterproof. I mainly wanted to try this to see how it holds up being on the beach/outdoors in the hot weather. I haven't tested that yet, but will know in a few weeks when I'm at the beach for a week :)  So far I like this for the price ($4.99) yet the quality is still great. It blends easily, with good pigmentation and has a smooth formula with a natural feel. This bronzer comes in four shades and I believe some have shimmer. I have the shade Sun Bronze which is matte and does not have any shimmer in it. I usually use Too Faced Chocolate Soleil  but so far I'm liking this more inexpensive one enough to not buy high end bronzer anymore!

I don't wear blush every day, but when I do I go for these particular blushes in the summer: Colour Pop Cosmetics Super Shock blush. Obviously these are not sold at the drugstore, but as everyone knows Colour Pop is so affordable that it falls into the category.  The two I have are Holiday and Prenup and they are $8.00.  These blushes are the absolute best, especially for hot days. As we all know blush usually wears off quickly, and is usually the first thing to fade on your face throughout the day. These swatches on my hand are obviously excessive to show the color pigmentation. Let me just say that a few hours after I took this picture, I washed dishes and the color obviously faded but still stayed on my hand. I should have taken an after picture! These are a creamy formula, not sticky at all and the way I apply these are with my ring finger. I lightly dab onto my cheek for a hint of color and like I said, it lasts! If you have not tried Colour Pop products yet and decide to, proceed with caution because you may become obsessed :) This won't be the last time I talk about my love for this brand!

This might be my most favorite thing to talk about. This mascara has been LIFE. It's by Essence and is definitely one of my new favorite drugstore brands which I buy at Ulta and Target. This has been my favorite waterproof mascara I have ever tried. I actually bought this in the winter time because I was realizing that my EXPENSIVE mascara was wearing off during the day. So this caught my eye while wandering around in Ulta, and to say I love it is an understatement. It gives me so much volume as the bottle claims, and stays put ALL day. The brush is big but not to the point where it's a mess when applying. I make sure to have completely bare lashes (none left over from the day before! haha)  then I curl them, apply a clear coat of mascara and then apply the waterproof. At night, I remove the mascara using coconut oil. I've gotten some other things from Essence and have been super pleased with them!

 As I mentioned above, I apply this Clear Great Lash before applying my actual mascara. I feel it gives me an extra layer of volume and helps the mascara go on super smooth without clumping. I recently stopped applying mascara to my bottom lashes due to them touching my face and giving me racoon eyes, so I only apply this to the bottom because it still gives them some life! I also use this on my brows to hold them in place after filling them in.

 I don't wear black eyeliner in my waterline, but I do like to wear nude. It  gives my eyes a more open and brighter look.  It glides on smooth and doesn't irritate my eyes. It is also waterproof. I'm now realizing as I write this that I must really enjoy the Rimmel London brand since I've talked about three of their products!

Finally there's the setting spray. I like this one from NYX. It comes in a matte and dewy finish.  It definitely does it's job keeping you matte. I mainly spray it on my forehead, nose and cheek bone area.  

That completes my summer makeup essentials from the drugstore! If you haven't tried any of these, I hope you do and enjoy them as much I do. 

Happy Summer!

 Xo Tres Chic