August 2012 | girl avant garde

Life Lately

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Courtney Starr

{Delicious deserts at Garden of Eden in NY}

What a week! Did you love the guests posts by the amazing Jyoti, Amy, and Rachel? While I was MIA, I started my last year of school and summer has unofficially ended. To me, the end of August feels more like a new year than January 1st, which is wonderful because I have an additional excuse to celebrate! Tomorrow brings September, which is always a busy time of year. It’s also Josh’s birthday and we’ll be having a romantic night out in NYC. I’m also looking forward to this long Labor Day weekend and my *last* days shoreside on Sunday/Monday. And then next Wednesday, I’ll be attending Lucky FABB (pictures to come later). Until Monday, here are some photos of my life lately.

{My maltese Hudson getting some sun}

{A skyline view of the city I call home}

{A spontaneous box of Godiva chocolates}

{A sparkly clip in my childhood bedroom}

Guest Post ~ Life Unsweetened

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Courtney Starr

Hi everyone! I’m Rachel and I blog over at Life Unsweetened, a lifestyle, fashion and beauty blog. I was very flattered when Courtney asked me to guest post on her blog, and was thrilled when she told me she wanted me to write about my favorite fall beauty products. Here are a few of my must-haves for the fall 2012 season- each one correlates with a fall beauty trend.

fallbeautyproducts

For thick and defined brows… try Too Faced Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit. Big brows are still in, so put down the tweezers! This handy kit includes stencils to shape your brows, shadow to darken and fill in sparse spots and a wax to set everything.

For matte brown eyes… try Smashbox Photo Op Eye Shadow Trio. Lay off the smoky eye this fall season and opt for its less-flashy cousin- the neutral eye. A palette with multiple shades of brown works best- experiment with blending to find the shade of brown that looks best. This matte eyeshadow trio works with all skin tones and eye colors.

For just enough coverage… try using a BB cream, such as Garnier B.B. Cream Miracle Skin Perfector or Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream. There’s no need for heavy foundation during early fall when you still have a bit of your summer glow left from summer. Take advantage of that natural beauty by using a BB cream to even out your skin tone. The Smashbox version has SPF 35, while the Garnier is a less-expensive alternative.

For the trendy greige nails… try SEPHORA by OPI Nail Colour in “Metro Chic” or Essie’s “Miss Fancy Pants”. Also referred to as “the new neutral”, greige nail polish is the perfect mix of grey and beige with a hint of purple. The pretty shade goes with almost any outfit and is even office-appropriate.

For deep and dark lips… choose a burgundy shade or a deep red, purple or brown. My favorite picks are the deep red shade of NARS “Fire Down Below”, the best-seller Clinique “Black Honey” and the flattering brown shade of CoverGirl Lip Perfection in “Enamor”. Spotted on beauties Camilla Belle, Lana Del Rey and Kate Bosworth at this year’s Met Gala, it’s easy to see that the bright lip colors of summer have been replaced.

Guest Post ~ Leopard & Lillies

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Courtney Starr

JCrew Dress as Top (similar), Free People Skirt, Christian Louboutin Pumps, Shih Clutch (similar), Elizabeth and James Sunnies, Gilt Collar Necklace (similar), Hermes Bracelet,Cartier Watch

Hello everyone, I’m Amy and my blog Leopard & Lillies talks about fashion, style and my life living in Dubai. As Courtney is enjoying her first week back in Law School, she asked me to stop over and share some of my favorite fall tends. While it doesn’t start to cool off in Dubai till November or December I am always looking for ways to find Fall-friendly items that will work with our hot weather here in Dubai. The trend I love most this fall is leather. However, leather pants and leather jackets aren’t ideal in Dubai with our current temperature averaging close to 100 degrees in August and September. However, a cute leather pleated skirt and leather shorts are perfect transition pieces that also work great in the Dubai heat. This vegan friendly leather skirt from Free People is perfect with bare legs but also great with booties and tights when it starts to cool off later in the year. Thanks so much for inviting me to guest post Courtney! Have a great first week back! Feel free to stop by and check out my blog Leopard & Lillies.

Much love from the sandbox, Amy

Guest Post ~ Style Delights

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Courtney Starr

Meet Jyoti of Style Delights! I love Jyoti’s blog because her fashion sense is practical, yet perfect. She’s no frills, colorful and totally timeless. Take a look at Jyoti’s favorite Fall pieces below, then go stop by her blog for more fabulous styling!

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Can you hear the Fall coming? The early morning nip in the air, subtle lightening of leaves, the whispers of the changing season? For fashionable dressing, Fall is on of my favorite seasons as it allows greater flexibility of layering, play with fabrics and more choices in terms of accessorizing. Changing season also means change in the wardrobe. But it does not have to be bank breaking. With some addition n the existing Summer closet and some clever tweaks in the Summer dressing – you can be ready for Fall in no time! Here is the plan of action for updating the wardrobe from Summer to Fall -

1. Add some basic Fall essentials to your wardrobe like a classic trench coat, a good quality leather jacket, layering tee shirts, long cardigans and sturdy yet stylish boots. 2. Just mix and layer these Fall essentials with your Summer wardrobe and you are done!

First lets discuss some essentials -

Now onto fall styling. Here are 3 examples of how to update a Summer piece for Fall. Take your good old white shirt or tunic. You wore it with cut offs and flat sandals all Summer long. For Fall, just add a leopard print loafers (a big trend for Fall 2012) and a deep toned light weight scarf and a braided brown belt. Voila – your Summer shirt becomes your fall shirt!

For all you working gals, a simple bow tie chiffon blouse and pencil skirt is great professional attire. Come Fall, just update your shoes- a simple pair of boots with low/medium heel do the trick. A fitted jacket (or even a cardigan) takes the outfit from Summer to Fall!

For us moms out there, nothing says chic comfort than a well fitting denim and a pair of ballet flats! Just replace your Summer nautical stripes with a knit sweater or a loose pullover for an updated Mom Uniform!!

Enjoy the rest of the Summer and get excited for Fall y’all!!

Fall Transition

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Courtney Starr

Dress c/o Sincerely Sweet Boutique | Necklace c/o Sincerely Sweet Boutique | Jacket – Celine (also love this) | Boots – Chloe

Today is the first day of my last year of law school. From finger painting to corporate law, this year marks my 21st and final year of education. Although I’m sad the summer has come to an end, I look forward to completing my education so I can graduate and take the world by its reigns. As I begin school and the weather still hints of summer, I still love diving into my back to school wardrobe. I’m trying to sneak in the last few wears of my favorite warm weather outfits (like summer dresses and pastel prints) while mixing in the Fall trends (leather booties and jackets, more and more denim). Here, I’m wearing a perfect example of the two. (And in case you’re wondering, I did color my hair. But I’m not loving it. Too rock star for sweet little me, so I’m deciding what to do about it.)

And while I adjust to my new schedule, I’ve asked some of my favorite bloggers to guest post their favorite Fall trends on GirlAvantGarde. I can’t wait to share them with you over the next few days. These girls are seriously stylish and I find inspiration on their blogs daily. Enjoy and cheers to a new season!