Change Up Your Hairstyle: CL Reviews Pro Extensions

With prom and graduation season in full swing many of us would like to add some length, volume, or color to our hair. Have you ever thought about Clip in hair extensions? Pro Extensions is the premier brand for affordable 100% human hair. What I love about clip in extensions is the versatility I have with them. With my Pro Extensions I can finally try the Fishtail Braid I’ve been wanting to wear and now my ballerina bun looks full and fabulous.

My Story

I received the Pro Cute #1b Off Black, 20 inch extensions ($199.99). At first I was torn about which color I should get because my hair is chocolate brown in the back but lighter in the front. I’m very happy I got the Off Black because it has tints of brown in it. (If you’re unsure about the color consider getting the color ring before making a purchase.) I choose the Pro Cute collection instead of the Standard or Remy collection because it still has the cuticle intact. This was important to me because the cuticle will keep the hair protected from heat, UV light, and chemicals, which means they will last longer

The customer service is awesome! With any purchase of $60 or more there is Free Express Shipping. The moment they arrived I couldn’t wait to try them out. The set comes with everything you need (1) 8 inch wide weft with 3 clips, one (1) 7 inch wide weft with 3 clips each, two (2) 6 inch wide wefts with 3 clips each, six (6) 1 and 1/2 inch wide wefts with 1 clip each) plus two test pieces in case you want to dye the hair. The hair isn’t too shiny which is good because it looks more realistic. Mine are straight but they also have a Body Wave collection, which is cool too. They are so easy to use and comes with a How-To Guide. My only complaint is that I wish they had more lengths to choose from because 20 inches is super long. Yet, once you experiment with curling and/or trimming the hair they will become your new favorite hair accessory.

Why I Recommend

If you want a change without the commitment definitely try Pro Extensions. Whether you want to add some streaks or go full on Ombre why potentially damage your hair with bleach or other chemicals when you can clip in and go? Prices for the extensions range from $49.99-249.99 depending on length and quality.  To get more information or see more pics check out their Facebook and Twitter! To learn more hair tricks read their blog.

 

Pro Extensions is giving a 10% discount to College Lifestyles Readers. Use code “college” at checkout!

 

 

Disclosure: A special thanks to Pro Extensions for sending College Lifestyles the Pro Cute hair extensions products to conduct this review.

 

 

Amber Ferguson is a senior Fashion/Health Intern at College Lifestyles (TM). She is a sophomore at Prince George’s Community College. She’s obsessed with reality TV & loves traveling. Follow her on Twitter @Ms_AmberDawn!

CL Interviews Sisters on the Runway

 

Three best friends from New Jersey never imagined by the time they were college seniors, they would have organized more than a dozen fashion shows. Gabriela Graham, Juliana Colangelo, and Elizabeth Eddy are the co-founders of Sister’s on the Runway. Each year the ladies plan a fashion show to raise money and awareness about domestic violence. Since beginning the organization in 2005, they have raised over $50,000 for women and children affected by this issue. CL had the chance to chat with Gabriela, Juliana and Elizabeth about how the organization began and their plans to keep raising awareness in the future.

 

CL:  How did Sisters on the Runway begin?

Juliana Colangelo- We started the fashion show as sophomores in high school. As a class we were assigned community service hours and we thought about putting on an event. Liz, Gabi and I really wanted to do something on our own because it was hard to get things done with that many people. I really liked the idea of a fashion show because it was different and we were all a little interested in fashion especially Liz. We wanted to do something involving women’s issue, so we chose domestic violence.

CL:  What made Sisters on the Runway combine domestic violence and fashion?  

Gabriela Graham- Fashion is something that is very relatable. It gets people very excited and gets people coming out to different events because they want to see different styles and to see people modeling. Domestic violence is oftentimes something that people don’t really want to tackle because it’s very serious and scary and people don’t want to sit down and talk about that. So with linking it with such a relatable topic such as fashion we were able to really open that platform and really have a discussion about domestic violence and lead people into it so they weren’t so intimidated by this dark cloud. We wanted people to become aware that it can really affect anybody and it doesn’t matter your race or economic level or culture. We try to break down that stereotype with Sisters on the Runway.

 

CL:  Did you know that combining fashion with a cause like domestic violence would work so well?

Juliana Colangelo- I thought that fashion and domestic violence combined would be interesting because that’s not something you would see put together. Also a lot of times fashion perpetuates negative images of women so we wanted to show that being beautiful and embracing different bod types was ok.

CL:  Has volunteering always been something you and the other ladies had an interest in?

Elizabeth Eddy- Yes, definitely. We were volunteering at a shelter before the project began so when as sophomores in high school we were asked to do a community service project as a class, we really jumped on it. Two of my friends suggested a fashion show but it kind of got shot down so we decided to go our separate ways. We put on our first event and it was extremely successful, it was one of the biggest student-run events to come out of our high school. It was really nice. It was initially a school project but it became our own thing after that.

CL:  Did you ladies always have an interest in fashion?  

Elizabeth Eddy- We chose fashion not because it was something we were really interested in but because it was something that involved a lot of people, it was something that people get really excited about and it was very social. We chose domestic violence because it is a topic that isn’t talked about a lot. It affects one in four women so it’s something that is sadly very prominent in our society

CL:  What kind of reactions do you get when people find out what Sisters on the Runway is doing?

Gabriela Graham- We received really great feedback. It’s starting really important and difficult conversations between people of different ages and geographical regions. People have come forward and said that I have dealt with something like this or my friend has dealt with something like this or I have seen something like this and I didn’t know it was so common or there were places I could go for help. [Our program] has made people feel more comfortable talking about this issue. We also try to stress that this is not just male to female but can also be female to male, there really are no boundaries to whom or where the violence can occur.

CL:  What life lessons would you say this has taught you?

Gabriela Graham- Time management because we have done these events solely involved with school and work. It has also helped me with people skills; whether we are working with volunteers or models etc. it also it helps me really understand what domestic violence is and who it is this money is going to. We have visited and volunteered at shelters to help us get a better understanding of what this issue really does to a person. We had the opportunity to work with children and we would sit and play with them while their moms were out looking for jobs. These kids had no idea what was going on. But it also helped us understand the severity of the situation. When we were 17, a shelter we were volunteering at gave us a woman’s address but told us please don’t give it to anyone else because that was the woman’s safe house. That’s when we really realized that this is a serious issue we are getting involved in.

CL:  What can we expect to see from Sisters in the future?

Gabriela Graham- We would love to make it a non-profit organization in the next 2 years. That would make it easier to link up with other organizations. Right now, we just want to keep spreading our message. [Our program] is at a couple of high schools and university’s right now. We just want to keep getting the word out. Our generation really needs to take matters into our own hands and make changes in our communities.

CL:  Are you ladies working on any upcoming projects?

Elizabeth Eddy- We would like to continue doing fashion shows. We have done about 13 already and two more coming up in the spring. We currently have three different chapters; one at the University of Massachusetts, one at Montclair High School and one at Parsons School of Design. Two more schools are also currently in the process of developing a Sisters on the Runway chapter.

CL:  How could someone get involved with Sisters on the Runway? What kind of opportunities do you offer?

Gabriela Graham- If anyone is interested in volunteering or modeling or becoming a designer we feature in our fashion show send us an email. At the last event, we had about 15 student designers and we are always looking for more.

 

If you would like to get involved with Sisters on the Runway contact them at benefit@sistersotherunway.org and check out their website http://sistersontherunway.org/for more information. 

 

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

Graduation Outfits: How to be Affordably Stunning on Your Day

 Above are three dresses from Lauren Conrad’s collection for Kohl’s. With the dresses running from $40-$60 each, they are afforadble, gorgous and look extremely flattering on all body types! Now, onto shoes!

If you’re going with a neutral dress, the pop of bright color is a must for shoes. Whether you like high heels like the pink Candie’s above (top left, $19.99) or flat sandals like Jennifer Lopez’ sandals (bottom right, $44.99), bright colors will add so much– especially when you can’t see your dress & just see that potato-sack gown!

If your dress has its own pop of color and you want to go subdtle with accessories, you can go with nude or black! A great pair of nude wedges are Simply Vera by Vera Wang (top right, $39.97). If nude isn’t for you, a classy pair of black high heels always looks great, like the LC Lauren Conrad heels (bottom left, $39.99).

With these great deals from Kohl’s, it’s simple to create a GREAT outfit for your important day (and still have money to go out for drinks with your family after)!

 

 

This post was written by Emily Longeretta, a senior editorial intern for CollegeLifestyles (TM). She is graduating from SUNY Oswego May 12 and is heading to New York City to pursue a career in journalism and public relations. With passion for sports, entertainment and ofcourse great fashion, she hopes to be extermely successful and thanks everyone who helped her get here.

Top Three Picks for Summer Wedding Dresses

Along with the sunshine, summer break and sun tans often comes a slew of summer weddings. The season of affirming love comes in many different styles. With the summer heat, it can sometimes be a struggle to keep your style a little more chic and a little less sweaty. No matter the type of wedding, it is often hot before the big “I do’s” and especially warm for those who attend weddings outside. To keep your cool while attending a summer wedding, check out my picks for the season. This summer is all about cut-outs, sheer and floral print.

Beach Wedding

The colorful blue floral will pop against any sandy backdrop. Find it in your size at urbanoutfitters.com.

 

Black Tie

Although I wore this dress to a banquet, it’s also perfect for a formal wedding. The all black sheath dress is conservative but sassy with the sheer back. It’s also great to accessorize with.

 

 

Casual

A low-key wedding doesn’t mean your outfit has to be overly laid back. Try on this LC Lauren Conrad dress with a flirty floral print to dance the night away in.

 

Are you attending any summer weddings? What do you have planned to wear? Comment below, lovely ladies!

 

Jessica Fecteau is a senior fashion, etiquette and apartment/dorm life writer and is a sophomore at Central Michigan University. Jessica loves fashion magazines, listening to indie/folk music and traveling to big cities.

Sunny’s Sanctuary: May Flowers– Floral Prints for Spring and Summer

Happy May CL fashionistas! There is so much to be celebrating: graduations, internships, moving out, moving away which means there is a lot going on in everybody’s closets. In Sunny’s Sanctuary, May’s weather patterns happen to be taking a life of their own. As the saying goes April showers, bring May flowers, and the flowers have sprung in Sunny’s Sanctuary. My closet is filled with a variety of floral prints, especially amongst blouses. Check out how I mixed three different floral printed tops for a sunny spring stroll, or a summer night out!

Spices and Tulips:

This colorful blouse is not a typical floral pattern; rather than yellow dandelions or over-sized pink flowers, the top is covered with a mix of fragile tulips. The design of the floral pattern is unique in the sense that you have to look closely to notice that they are flowers, and the mix of colors may turn people off at first, but once it’s on it just works. The colors remind me of jars filled with a beautiful mix of exotic spices! I snatched this from the local Francesca’s at Partridge Creek.

Top: Francesca’s

Mid-rise Jeans: Love Culture

Necklace: Forever 21

Wedges: Charlotte Russe

Belt: ALDO

Pastels XL:

A little about me: I was born in Dallas, Texas, and although I consider myself a native Michigander I can’t let go of one innate part of the south. The large, bold prints! They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the XL flowers on this H&M blouse is sufficient evidence for the little bit of Texan I still have left. The reason that this blouse is one of my favorite florals is because of the lovely combo between the subtle pastel colors with the large bold prints. Now if this top had the spicy bright colors that the other top had, it simply could not work. But this top was a match made in pattern heaven. I paired the top with ankle-length, high-waisted dress pants and black patent leather stilettos from Zara. The blouse’s print is easy to mix and match; dress it daytime down with white or light pink pants, and dress it up with a hot pink or black skirt/pants.

Top: H&M

High-waisted Pants: H&M

Shoes: Zara

Necklace: Forever 21

Navy and Nudes

I styled this outfit around the pants, instead of the top. I am obsessed with high-waisted pants, and these H&M dress pants fit perfectly so I really wanted to find a nice top for the spring and summer. JC Penny’s has some great finds, and this navy floral top is one of the many you can scoop up for the upcoming season. The short-sleeve top is light and breezy, and the nude flowers along with a few peachy ones gave the outfit enough color, and the peach especially seemed to work well with my skin tone. I paired the navy and nudes ensemble with peach stilettos (also from Zara) and accessorized with gold jewelry!

Top: JC Penny’s

High-waisted Pants: H&M

Shoes: Zara

Bag: Forever 21

Sunglasses: H&M

Watch: Michael Kors

Necklace: Forever 21

Belt: ALDO

What did you think of these floral prints? What florals are springing up in your closet this season? Hope you had a great time peeking into Sunny’s Sanctuary this week! Come back for some more spring and summer fashion finds next week.

Sana Ashraf is a fashion writer and fashion show intern and is a junior at the University of Michigan. Sana loves reading fashion magazines, shopping sprees, city lights, color coordinated closets, and all four seasons.

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How to clean your makeup brushes

We gave you tips on how to spring clean your makeup bag, now CL is here to show you how to clean your makeup brushes. Your brushes can not only become coated with old makeup but with body oil and dead skin. This can cause skin problems, such as rashes and sometimes infections so cleaning your brushes is important.

Ideally, makeup brushes should be spot cleaned after every use but with busy schedules you might not have the time to do that. Experts recommend a deep cleaning once every month.  We’ll show you what you need to do both types of cleaning.

Spot Cleaning

To spot clean your makeup brushes you will need a bottle of alcohol, a small container and a dry towel.

Step 1: Pour a small amount of alcohol in the small container. You can add a little water to help dilute the alcohol.

Step 2: Take your brushes and dip them in the solution. Gently swipe the brushes back and forth to loosen up the makeup on the brush.

Step 3: Rinse the brush under water (make sure you hold the brush facing down) and then lay it flat on a towel to dry. The brushes shouldn’t take longer than a minute to dry.

 

Deep Cleaning 

To deep clean your makeup brushes you will need a small bowl or container, a gentle cleaner like baby shampoo and a dry towel.

Step 1: Pour a small amount of cleaner or shampoo in the small bowl. Hold the brushes under water to wet them. Make sure you hold your brushes facing down and on an angle so water doesn’t seep into where the glue holds the handle and brush together, because the water could slowly damage the brush.

Step 2: Dip the wet brush in the cleaner and use your fingers to lather the soap on the bristles.

Step 3: Rinse the soap off again holding the brush down and on an angle.

Step 4: To get excess moisture off the bristles you can use a paper towel or napkin and gently wipe the brush back and forth across. Lay the brushes flat on a towel to dry.

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

Sponsored Post: Savvy Shoppers Unite! We Review CouponCodes4u

As savvy shoppers, College Lifestyles prides itself in finding gorgeous and fashionable finds for less.  Whether shopping at vintage stores, Goodwill, or designer lines at our favorite department stores, we know how to spot a good deal.  Imagine our excitement when we were asked to review a site devoted to coupons, deals, and discounts at our favorite stores.  Welcome to CouponCodes4u.

CouponCodes4u is a website featuring over 200,000 coupons, deals, and discounts by various stores including The Body Shop and White House Black Market.

How does the site work?  Simply visit the CouponCodes4u website (click here).  Use the ‘search box‘ on the site and type in your favorite store, department store, or boutique to discover what discount codes are available.  You are then directed to the store site to print the code or coupon.  In addition, one can sign up for a free email newsletter delivered to your inbox giving you the latest scoop on deals and discounts.

Some codes to check out right now include:

•  Chicos Coupons.  Just in time for Mother’s Day, use the Chico’s discount to purchase mom a great necklace and earring set.
•  Puritans Pride Coupon Codes.  Stock up on your health and wellness needs/products for summer vacations and travel.
•  6pm.com Coupon Deals.  Stock up on your favorite fitness gear (workout clothes and shoes) for your summer workouts.

Since the site is updated regularly with codes, deals, and coupons; be sure to check the site each time you head out the door.  You never know, you may get a great discount!

Disclosure:  The review of CouponCodes4u is a sponsored post.  As always, reviews and opinions are all our own.

 

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CL Spring Sparkle Guide!

Some trends come and go, but I like to sparkle and shine all year around! We saw huge trends in sequins this year, but it seemed like most of our favorite bloggers were too focused on the colder months!  So here’s a quick list are some outfits and accessories we can use to dazzle our way through the spring flowers and summer nights!

1. Head Bands

Sparkly hands bands are my best friends, (especially when my hair is looking a little flat first thing in the morning). The good thing about hair accessories in general is they’re rarely too much or too loud. A little bit of sparkle at top of your head will really bring out an outfit, so unleash your inner princess with a sparkly hair piece! If you have short hair like me, sequined flowers really add pizzaz to your ‘do. And if you’re a DIY gal, headbands are totally you! Tipjunkie has a ton of ideas!)

2. Tops

Now if you’re looking for a little bit more sparkle and shine than average, don’t worry, you’re still reading the right blog. Check out how Kara from Kara’s Closet plays up her flowy, heavy sleeved sequined top with a plain black mini. It’s elegant, chic, and ready for a night on the town. You wouldn’t need many accessories with an outfit like this- the great thing about sequins is they really are an outfit all by themselves. Perfect for a day when there isn’t a lot of time to get ready!

3.Skirts

We talked about tops, now let’s talk about bottoms. Sequined skirts were a huge trend earlier this year, but now they’re even better because it’s warm and you won’t have to wear tights or nylons under them.  Threegirlsandamic set up a beautiful collage of ideas for us to sample, and what’s good about sequins is like any other piece, you can go as simple and as decorative as you want. If you don’t want to feel like a mermaid in the blue sequin skirt, you can always opt for a neutral color like black, on the bottom, and a wild crazy color on top. The choice is yours!

4.Belts

Now I understand that not everyone’s a belt gal, but I am, so I’m going to have to do a shout-out to my sequined belts. We all know that belts can be worn with pants, shirts, and dresses, but when your waistline has an extra sparkle; it really makes you stand out from the crowd.

 

I hope these idea are an inspiration for you. I plan to get my shine on this semester (well, what’s left) and I hope you do the same. Let those sparkles on the outside complement that beautiful glow you have on the inside!

 

Spring cleaning your makeup bag

Maybelline, L’Oreal and M.A.C. have been with us through the good times and bad. They enhanced our beauty for first dates and glamorized our look for special occasions.  If you’re like me you probably have a drawer or bag devoted to nothing but these beloved products. But let’s be honest, how many tubes of “Ravishing Red” does a girl really need? With summer right around the corner, now is the perfect time to clear out that makeup drawer so CL gives you our tips on how to spring clean your beauty bag.

Assess the damage
Gather up your entire makeup collection and lay it out on a towel. To make things easier to identify, separate the content into  piles- lips, eyes, cheeks and miscellaneous.

 

Discard old products
As much as we would like to think our favorite product will last forever, chances are it might already be expired. Old makeup can cause irritation and infections. It might not be easy for everyone to be able to tell when their cosmetics have gone bad so below we give you a general consensus of when it should be tossed.

• Lip/eye liner- if it is a pencil they last 2-3 years; liquid lasts about 4 months (lip and eye liners should be sharpened on a regular basis to keep bacteria down)
• Lipstick- 1-2 years
•  Mascara- 4-6 months
•  Nail polish- 1-2 years
•  Foundation- 6 months
• Powder based products (blush, eye shadow etc)- up to 18 months

Discard unnecessary duplicates
It might be a good idea to keep backups of your favorite or most used products but having five cases of that eye shadow you only wear for Halloween is a bit much. Toss it or if it’s still good pass along to someone else.

 

 

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

LOVE IT: Francesca’s Fancy Flops

With warm temperatures approaching, it is time to pack away our sweaters and tights and bring out our sundresses and flip flops!  Personally, I LOVE sundresses and shorts, but don’t love ‘beachy’ flip flops worn with these items.  I will however, wear Fancy Flops!

Enter Francesca’s Fancy Flops!  This amazing company offers various ‘fancy flops,’ not flip flops, for us classy co-eds, our moms, and the little ones in our life.  From flowers to ‘bling,’ Francesca’s Fancy Flops, can be worn on casual occasions, weddings, and brunches.  What we love most about Francesca’s Fancy Flops is their partnership with various philanthropies, including breast and ovarian cancer organizations, by donate proceeds with the purchase of a Fancy Flop.

Included in MTV Movie Award goodie bags and worn by the fabulous Alexis Bellino of the Real Housewives of Orange County, you can imagine how I felt like a supermodel when I received my very own pair of Fancy Flops for my photo shoot!  I am honored to be the Editor in the category of fabulousness who wear Fancy Flops!

Fancy Flops fit perfect into my Editor and Mom wardrobe of sundresses, maxi dresses, skirts, and rompers (I own very few pairs of jeans).  I’m only 5’1,’ so I LOVED the kitten heel on the flops and being ‘girly girl,’ I loved the bling decor.  The bling on the Fancy Flop matches all my sundresses and spring/summer wardrobe AND will match all my summer pedis!

Francesca’s Fancy Flops are a great addition to any classy co-eds wardrobe AND our mom’s wardrobe!  With Mother’s Day quickly approaching,  Fancy Flops make a great present for any mom!  Check out these other lovely selections.

(All photos courtesy of Francesca’s Fancy Flops)

(All Photos courtesy of Francesca’s Fancy Flops)

 

Shop additional selections for you AND Mom here.

Shop ‘Go Pink’ selection here.

 

Disclosure:  We’d like to thank Francesca’s Fancy Flops for providing a pair of Fancy Flops for our photo shoot and review!

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