TREND ALERT: BANDANA SCARVES + FINDING A SIGNATURE LOOK

I love when people see clothes or shoes & tell me they think:

"nicole would wear this."

it means I have a very specific look I and I'm v into achieving that.

branding allll around, ya know?

VINTAGE DENIM: IT AIN'T FOR EVERYONE

you might want to sit down for this blog post.

I'm going to admit something v unusual about myself.

it might be relatable for some, & others may judge me entirely, but...

I don't like vintage denim. 

TREND ALERT: HOOPS + MY CURRENT FAVES

I've never really been into hoops...or statement earrings for that matter. 

stack my wrists w/ bracelets & layer my neck w/ necklaces but earrings? 

they're uncomfortable, bulky & hurt my ears.

while I still somewhat feel the same way about hoops, I'm finding more of a tolerance for them as of late. I've always wore studs, but now I want to go bigger & better. I think it has to do with (finally) having long hair. I bought these silver bbys from urban outfitters for a music festival and they've quickly become a regular in my accessory rotation. 

TREND ALERT: MINI SKIRTS & WHERE TO BUY 'EM

it took quite a few shopping trips for me to (finally) find the perfect denim mini skirt & I'm so pumped to finally start wearing it. 

what I took into account while on the hunt: 

+ length and what's appropriate

+ tightness & again, what's appropriate

+ comfort, because gone are the days I picked fashion > function

my coworkers called me out a few weeks ago for repeatedly saying I wanted to wear this shirt w/ a skirt, or that shirt w/ a skirt. (quick backstory: I work for century 21 dept. stores' ecomm dept. so I see all the merchandise that goes on the site, allowing me to shop our sample racks.) ironically, I remember saying a few years ago that I'd never wear a skirt again—I rebelled against super girly clothes, so aside from one staple black denim skirt, I owned none...'til my latest spring shopping haul, when I came home w/ three ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

FASHION FEELS

I might look all cute & happy, but I was feeling pretty bad ass in this outfit.

fun fact: this moment wasn't staged, it was authentic—a group of people walked passed my girlfriend and I taking these pix and were totally judging, so I just sat there, smiling & wavin' because I had my idgaf #ootd on 👊

LAYERED UP

I've always been a layer-er. remember back in the 2000s when it was cool to wear two tank tops, two tees & most times, one of 'em had a popped collar? that was my jam then & it still is now—minus the ironed stiff collar, of course.

the key to a good layer is contrast: different colors, textures, silhouettes. 

TREND ALERT: BOLD BOOTIES

this is me admitting I can't stop wearing these booties.

my company's creative director pulled them for a photo shoot, & it was love at first sight.

bold booties are one of, if not the biggest, shoe trends rn. whether they're embroidered, texturized or eccentrically colored, they're a necessity in every statement maker's wardrobe. the best thing about this trend? it elevates any & every outfit. I wear mine w/ tons of tops & jeans, dresses (see here) & minis, and even oversized sweaters & leggings. (yes, I wear leggings. everyone does—don't let 'em tell you different. ☝️)

LBD X STRIPES

I've never felt more "me" than I do in this #ootd. 

allllll about the lbd x stripes combo, and then these booties? 

home fcking run! 

TREND ALERT: OVERALL DRESSES & HOW TO WEAR 'EM

 I'M V V V EXCITED.

for two reasons:

1. I'm finally utilizing my merchandising profession & launching TREND ALERTS on NICOLE LEIGH.

2. my favorite childhood outfit is on trend: the overall dress.

since starting my career, I've experienced many different fashion realms and throughout all of them, one thing stayed true: my love for trends, following & sometimes chasing them. I was always most fascinated with how they trickle through social and economic classes—starting w/ the high-end, couture customer and then ending, years later, with the price-conscious, discount shopper. 

NUDE SUEDE SHOES

fall weather has been taking its sweet old time coming to the metropolitan area, and despite my impatience for the seasonal change, it isn't happening. so here I sit, anxiously waiting to wear my leather jackets, turtle necks & dark makeup. it's my true obsession I can't stop though: styling my new fall shoes.

#LOVINGLATELY: HAIR TEXTURIZERS + SHEET MASKS

two things I can't live without: 

1. hair texturizing spray 

2. sheet masks 

I use a texturing spray every morning & I wear sheet masks as often as life lets me, which I'll admit is not as frequently as I'd like. it's not every day that I have 10-20mins to sit w/ a mask full of serum on my face peacefully.

I'm all about "naturally messy" hair, so I depend on texturizing and/or finishing sprays. I was enough enough to receive bumble & bumble's dryspun finish spray (c/o influenster), and tbh, I have mixed feelings about it. while the spray did provide the advertised "airy" texture, it didn't hold throughout the day. so, I'll consider this a great hair refresh product to keep in my purse, but not depend on for all-day wear.

SLIP DRESSES & WHY I NEED MORE

it's v rare that I wish I had more of something in my closet, but when it comes to slip dresses, 

I don't have enough of 'em.

this dress from H&M is the -only- one I own & I'm not sure why because slip dresses are the easiest #ootd and so versatile—keep it casual during day, or dress up for nighttime. I think they're perfect for date night too, esp. when paired w/ a lace-up shoe. 🔥

BODYSUITS, THE WARDROBE MUST-HAVE

imo, the #1 thing you need in your wardrobe = a bodysuit.

buy them in every color, print, fabric, texture, you see because trust me when I say, you can never have too many bodysuits ☝️ or leotards as I tend to call them, no thx to my cheerleading days...

#LOVINGLATELY: LANEIGE + MARIO BADESCU

we are in the height of summer in the metropolitan area and my skincare routine has taken a drastic change...and so should yours—everyone's should change w/ the seasons, for that matter.

I'm the first person to get in the sun w/o applying SPF. (I know, I know. how ignorant of me?) sometimes it's just absentmindedness when I'm packing my beach bag, but whatev. with that being said, the laneige water bank moisture cream is my life saver. fun fact: it was an allure best of beauty award winner in 2016!

A GOOD #OOTD = A GOOD WORK OUT

pre-shoot: I ran 2mi & then biked another 2mi. 

to say this is something I normally do would be a lie, but as of late, I've had this drive to be as active as possible. I think it's because I'm starting to see the toll that some food, sweets and alcohol have on my body from more mature eyes. my diet isn't too bad—I eat lean meats, lots of fresh fruits & veggies and try to moderate my carb/sugar intake as much as possible...but I realize the difference in not only my physique, but my mentality too when I over indulge in the bad stuff. 

LBD C/O TOBI.COM

pleased to announce that it's finally lbd season!

(& that I linked up w/ www.tobi.com to bring you this look.)

I'm a firm believer that there's no such thing as 'too many' little black dresses as long as they all have different uses. for ex: one for day, work, party & dress. this simple, cotton LBD c/o of tobi.com is ideal wknd attire for the summer. 

NEVER SAY NO TO BACKLESS

if I have the opportunity to buy anything backless, I'm going to take it.

shirts, tank tops, dresses, leotards that expose my back are my constant go-to for when I go out. (no, I don't wear them to work & neither should you.) I'll admit that it's a combination of things that make me love the look. for starters, I always feel like my best self and then, I get to show off my tattoo which is something I rarely get to do. win, win! 

LIGHTER VIBES AS OF LATE

lately, I've been gravitating towards lighter tones & as someone who constantly turned to black, it's hard to accept the fact that when I get to a retail rack, I'm looking for nude, white, pastel things. 

consider it dramatic, but I feel like this outer shift is deeper a metaphor for something... 

#LOVINGLATELY: MARC JACOBS + NARS

my last trip to sephora was a complete success! 

(except for when I had to check out & spent 20x more money than I told myself I would...)

after finding what worked for me in the skincare dept., my face has cleared up a lot, so I've been shopping for products that enhance my 'natural' look. I was recommended to nars' velvet matte skin tint for my oily skin over a bb cream which was what I originally wanted to buy. because I use a daily moisturizer, adding a bb cream would be duplicative & non-beneficial for my skin type. (bonus: it has 30SPF in it.)

NOTHIN' MUCH, JUST CHILLIN'

so, it's been quiteeeee some time since I've posted & it's on account of some lifestyle changes but it's nbd because the dust has settled and it's back to the daily grind that I lost sight of throughout these last few months.

my boyfriend & I started house hunting a few months ago to buy in jersey city. after running out of time w/ my lease ending this month, we decided to rent 'til we find the right property. the process was emotionally & physically exhausting and it really tested our relationship, and my personal patience but...