clothes – The Raw Raw Newsletter

My favorite red lipsticks for Fall

October 29, 2017October 29, 2017by Nicole KatLeave a Comment

Out of all the seasons, Fall is my favorite. Not because of the Pumpkin-flavored everything, but because of the fashion and lipstick options. I tend to wear more nudes and lighter colors in the Summer. However, in the Fall – it’s game-on!

One of my favorite colors is a classic red. To ensure you are reaping the benefits with a red, always make sure you have a red that has blue undertones. The blue undertone will make your teeth pop and look sparkly white. I tend to use matte liquid lipsticks more often than creme lipsticks because I really like how long they last. Also, it dries instantly so I never have to worry about walking around with lipstick on my teeth, and it’s kiss-proof.

My favorite red lipsticks include:

Liquid Mattes: Mary Jo K by Kylie Cosmetics (pictured), Immortal by Gerard Cosmetics (last picture below), Creeper by ColourPop. *Tip: Make sure you exfoliate your lips before you apply a matte liquid lipstick. I use a tooth brush and brush it on my lips in little circles to ensure there is no flakiness when I apply my matte liquid lipstick.

Creme: Dubonnet by MAC Cosmetics, with a layer of Fire by Revlon lipstick gloss on top which makes it more shiny and hydrated.

*Picture directly above: wearing Immortal Liquid Lipstick by Gerard Cosmetics.

beauty, clothes, lifestyle, travel

The Perfect Desert Getaway

July 16, 2017July 17, 2017by Nicole KatLeave a Comment

Living in San Diego, you have it all: the mountains, the beaches, the lakes and the desert. If you live in Southern California and haven’t made it out to the desert yet, I highly recommend you do so. In the desert (Yucca Valley, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, etc.) you can find affordable, clean, and modern houses up on Air BnB, that will give you a real “desert” experience. For our anniversary my boyfriend and I decided to rent a beautiful house we saw on AirBnb that was tucked away in Flamingo Heights just outside of Yucca Valley. The house looked beautiful in the pictures, and once we arrived and ran through the house in ‘awe’ we realized that the pictures didn’t even do it justice.

The house was tucked away on a long dirt road with 180 degree views of the desert terrain. The neighbors were so far away that it didn’t feel like we had neighbors and we were all by our lonesome in the desert wild. The house didn’t get cell service, but we found it as a blessing that we didn’t have an option to be sucked into a vortex on social media and got to give each other our full and undivided attention which was very romantic. Overall, the two bedroom house had a very rustic feel with a jacuzzi, fancy indoor bathtub, a very large modern shower, and AC in every room (THANK GOD). Although we spent most of the time indoors enjoying the features of the house, the 108 degree heat didn’t feel as bad as we thought since it was extremely dry.

We spent the weekend appreciating each other without any disturbance from our phones, blasting the owner’s rock vinyl collection on the record player, cooking delicious food, and relaxing in bed. The environment the house provided allowed us to rid ourselves of the unimportant things, live in the moment and deeply appreciate each other. I will never forget this anniversary weekend and will definitely go back.

If you haven’t ventured out to the desert yet, I recommend doing a trip with friends or your significant others and finding an AirBnb that meets your requirements of a perfect getaway. Remember to bring your own water (desert water tastes awful), and if you are allergic to bees remember to bring your Epi Pen.

Please enjoy the pictures below.

beauty, clothes, lifestyle, travel

A Perfect Place for a Date

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017by Nicole KatLeave a Comment

When you grow up in San Diego, going to the Del Mar Fair becomes an annual tradition. A day or evening at the fair can be a great way to get a group of friends together or the perfect place to take a date. There is so much to do at the fair such as going on rides, playing games, eating questionable deep fried foods, face painting, photo booths, and the magnificent people-watching.

Every year that I go to the fair I always have so much fun whether it is with a date, a group of my girlfriends or my family. I will admit, there’s something romantic about going on a date or with your significant other to the fair. The fair can be the perfect environment for some great romantic moments like riding the Ferris wheel, kissing in a photo booth, or having your man win you a stuffed animal.

If you have yet to go to the fair, I highly recommend making plans to do so this summer so you can experience it first-hand. A tip for anyone going to the fair: make sure you wear comfortable shoes (there’s a lot of walking) and make sure you bring some cash, however, most of the vendors now take cards.

Outfit Details // Reader Glasses – Urban Outfitters, Ramones Tee – Forever 21, Jamie Jeans – Topshop, White Classic Low Top Converse, Silver Nixon Watch, White Purse – Gucci //

Makeup Details // Lipstick – Kylie Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in High Maintenance, Hair Extensions – http://www.remyclips.com

clothes, travel

My Not So Little Find in San Fransisco

June 4, 2017June 4, 2017by Nicole KatLeave a Comment

When you think of California you think of perfect weather, beaches and surfers…. not in San Francisco. San Francisco is a sophisticated city that reminds me of a small-scale New York. Even if it is the middle of summer and there are record highs along the California Coast, you would still need to bundle up and wear a jacket in San Francisco.

I’ve been visiting San Francisco every year since I was very young. Being here countless times there are many different things to do such as Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge and going to Alcatraz. All those things are awesome, but already having gone to those places in past trips I start to look for new places to go. For this trip I was on a mission (literally) to find something different.

One of my favorite parts about the trip was discovering Clarion Alley. Clarion Alley is located in the Mission district and is a wall of murals (aka artistic and meaningful graffiti) that is stretched throughout the entire 6-foot-wide alley. Walking through the alley you feel like you are in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, however the murals on the walls have meaning and some of them date back to 1994. Below are some pictures of Clarion Alley.

I stayed at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square. It is a very old and nice hotel right next to all the shopping. One thing that never gets old is the shopping in San Fran. Some of my favorite shops have flagship stores there which means they will have waaaaay more inventory than the normal stores in your hometown. So, I made sure to have time to go shopping while I was there. I went to H&M and Express (love express for work clothes) and found vast inventory that I haven’t seen before. Be sure you have enough room in your bag to take it all home with you.

If you are going to visit San Francisco, make sure you bring a jacket and leave your sun dresses at home! I wore a Faux fur jacket during our visit to Clarion Alley and it was perfect in protecting me from the wind and cold. Anyone that travels to San Francisco will find an array of activities, tourist attractions and an overall fun experience!

clothes, lifestyle

What does this outfit do for me?

May 28, 2017May 28, 2017by Nicole Kat4 Comments

My Mom always told me to wear an outfit that does something for you. And what that means is to wear something that highlights your best features. For example, if you are like me, you consider yourself to be short and curvy, you might want to wear tops with a v-neck in order to lengthen your torso and possibly show off some cleavage. In these photos I am wearing a typical Saturday-night outfit. My outfit includes a v-neck body suit to lengthen my body and highlight some of my assets. I paired it with a leather jacket to tone it down, and high-waisted black jeans and heeled booties for a slimming effect.

Wearing clothes that are fashionable, but not flattering to your body only does a disservice to yourself, your body, and the people around you. If you are deciding on what to wear you should always ask yourself one question, “What does this garment do for me?”

The next time you are shopping for clothes, shop with this mindset. If it does something for you, then it will make you feel confident and sexy. You won’t have to question it. If it doesn’t, you will most likely feel insecure or be filled with doubt. I don’t know about you, but I would rather feel good about myself than wear something because it’s trendy. My two cents for any woman out there is to gravitate towards wearing trends that are right for you – there is nothing more sexy than a confident and stylish woman!

If you’re looking to make a statement or dress like an icon, do it in a way where people will comment on how good YOU look not how good your outfit looks. Every woman is different and some trends may be right for you while others are not. Just because one trend doesn’t look good on you, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.

Clothes: Zara Leather Jacket, Forever21 Nude Body Suit, BDG High Waisted Black Jeans via Urban Outfitters, Forever21 Black Perforated Belt;

Makeup: Aveeno Daily Moisturizer, Neutrogena Shine Control Primer, Nars Creamy Concealer ‘Light 2 Vanilla’, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer ‘Sand’, Maybelline Mineral Powder ‘Nude Chair’, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brown Definer ‘Ebony’, Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit ‘Java’, BH Cosmetics Carli Babel Palette ‘highlighter #3’, Kylie The Burgundy Pallette ‘LA’, ‘ Brick’, & ‘Almond’, Maybelline ‘Golden Halo’, Maybelline The Colossal Mascara, Lancome Art Liner ‘Black’, and Too Faced Matte Bronzer ‘Deep/Tan’, Kylie Lip Liner ‘Dolce K’, Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick ‘Stripped’;

Jewelry: Sophia Harper Necklace, Forever21 Lariat Cross Necklace, Slate Crystal Ear Jackets, David Yurman Petite Albion Ring //