Twilight is Ending! (Yay or Nay)?

Source: Twilight saga wiki

I wasn't going to talk about this but it had to happen. Well ladies and gentlemen (but mostly ladies) the Twilight saga is about to come to an end. Whether you like it or not ( I like it, sorry everyone). Many people love the series because of the true love that the two main characters Edward and Bella develop. Although it might sound dreamy to some girls that a guy watches her sleep and caters to her every need. To me, it's a little odd. I feel that the message that Twilight sends is that women should change themselves in order to be with the one they love. Bella had to turn into a vampire! That should really never be the case. Of course I know the story line and everything that goes along with it, but I still feel like Bella felt helpless all the time, especially after Edward broke up with her. For months she stayed holed up in her home and waited for him. Maybe I'm wrong, but that sounds like an awfully unhealthy relationship to me.
I think Bella would have been a really great character if she was a stronger person all around. Empowering women, etc. I think that it's a beautiful story, don't get me wrong, but I still think that it would have been much better if Bella had a stronger personality and didn't put her whole life on waiting around for a man (or vampire). Will I be seeing the movie this week? Yes, and I'll be going for my mom! What do you think about the Twilight saga?

Ruby Woo...

I am obsessed with red lips. I always have been and probably always will be. This is my newest lip color, MAC "Ruby Woo". It's absolutely wonderful, and it's matte. If you're looking for the best lipstick in the whole wide planet, this is it. You'll love it!

Happy (past) Halloween!

 I can't believe Halloween has come and gone already. This year is going by so so quickly. This year for Halloween I decided to make my own costume. I created a tulle skirt with rainbow colors because I chose to dress up as Lady Ranicorn from Adventure Time! What do you guys think of my costume? :) I had a blast. I'm planning on using my costume again at Comic Con! I hope you guys all had a marvelous Halloween!
Leave me comments on what you dressed up as! Better pictures of costume to come!

College is RUINING MY SKIN

Stress, papers due, and two years later my usually clear skin suddenly looked like the skin of an awkward me back in middle school. What was going on? Sometimes, as a girl who loves her skin, you do crazy things. This week it was trying different homemade scrubs, the result? Not bad! My favourite one was a random combination of stuff that sounded good for my skin. I was honestly impressed at how well this worked. haha! Who knew?
College is RUINING MY SKIN
Maybe not drinking water is the culprit to my bad skin days? Or maybe it's a huge load of history reading charts!
What was in this scrub that I favored?
1. Freeman's fruit face (peel) mask.
2. 2 tsp. organic honey.
3. 1 tsp. organic olive oil.
4. Loose green tea leaves (I just ripped open a few packets of green tea and added them to the mix of ingredients.) 
5. A seriously relaxing Sex in the City marathon. 

What about you? Do you have bad skin days too? What helped? I hope everyone is having an okay Monday, Monday's are tough, just remember to breathe and have some water!

What is BEAUTIFUL?

In light of all this girl-bashing "you look..bigger" "not so cute" it is important to remember that just because women in magazines are airbrushed doesn't mean you have to be. Weight and looks have been issues with everyone for as long as well, forever. I even found myself thinking I wasn't beautiful because I gained weight. Is that true though? No.

So what exactly is beautiful? I'll tell you right now what it isn't.

Beautiful is not starving yourself to be thin.
Beautiful is not trying to be someone else.
Beautiful is not always a size zero.

Beautiful is being healthy.
Beautiful is loving yourself.
Beautiful is YOU. 

As long as you're healthy, you're doing your best to stay that way and work out a few times a week, be happy with yourself. Being a size double zero won't solve all your problems, you'll still be you. So eat healthy, work out, and stop thinking negative thoughts about yourself. You'll feel better.

How do I get an internship in NYC? Or Anywhere?

Internships are one of the best way to learn your trade (and in my opinion the best way to learn). But how do you get an internship? What if you can't find anything near where you live? One word.

ASK

I realized last April (of 2012) that I wanted to work in fashion, in magazines, and that after a trip to Jersey and New York, that I wanted to find an internship in the city. Of course I was in full swing panic because everyone had already applied and been accepted to all types of internships. What was I to do? I emailed, I called, I sent texts. By the time August rolled around I had four internships under my belt. "But how Belle?"

I emailed everyone I admired in the fashion industry, senior fashion editors, other interns, web assistants, even copy editors. I emailed anyone that would listen or give me advice. And some people got back to me. Actually a lot of people emailed me. I used Craigslist and that landed me an assistant buyer internship with a wonderful fitness company. Craigslist helped me get another position as a Social Media Manager for an Ethiopian Pop-up dinner. I emailed a local newspaper where I was living in Jersey and asked if they were hiring interns/freelance writers and I was given a position there. Craigslist came in to play again in July when I found a Fashion Marketing position for a start up company. Don't be afraid to ask, the worst that can happen is that you get a no. On of my family friends suggested I try to meet her friend in NYC at Hearst, and she knew someone at Seveneteen magazine. Getting advice from someone in the fashion industry seems daunting, but everyone I met was so incredibly sweet, and full of advice. When I went back to visit in NYC I TWITTED a senior fashion editor at Hearst and she TWITTED back. We got coffee together and I got some insanely good advice.

Not in NYC? Don't worry! Just email everyone, just ask, you'll never know unless you try.

Three DO's and Don's to Tips and Tricks?

DO's

1. Use twitter to follow your favorite people and make sure to comment on things you love. Like her skirt? Tell her so! (POLITELY).
2. Do email people that you want to meet, get advice from.
3. Do dress professionally for any meeting (obvs).

DONT'S

1. Don't follow people on twitter that you might work for one day if your twitter is disturbingly honest "this grl in frnt of me got the wrst muffin top i eva saw." Rule of thumb, if you wouldn't want you grandma to see it, then don't put it on Twitter/Facebook/whatever.
2. Don't forget to offer to take them to coffee or lunch. You're probably taking up their break, so make it worth their while, and don't forget to say thank you and send a thank you email or note. It's a nice touch.
3. Don't wear anything low cut, short or see through, I feel that I really shouldn't have to say this but unfortunately people do it all the time. 

Chanel Slingback Heels

This past summer was one of the most fashionable/intense/really exciting ones of my whole life. I worked FOUR jobs all at once. And I loved it! I loved every second of NYC and I made a ton of new friends. To treat myself I bought a pair of Chanel slingback heels. They were on sale (75%) off! I adored them and they were pretty affordable! This was definitely my splurge for the summer. I hope everyone else had a great summer. What do you think of my new shoes?

Sometimes Life Happens...

Well everyone, I'm so so sorry I haven't been keeping up well at all. I started University (the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to be exact). But a month before school started, I was in a pretty bad car accident and haven't been feeling too great. Luckily I'm alive and better and will soon be writing for all of you, daily!
I'm not one to lecture, but please please please don't drink and drive. It's not worth it. When you climb into the car, buckle up and leave your cell off if you're tempted to text. In fact, if you think you'll be tempted at all, put your phone in your trunk. That way you'll have no physical way of looking at it.
In other news, I went to Fashion Week in NYC and it was AMAZING. I'll give you all the details soon...

Do's and Don'ts for the NY Newbie

I realize that I completely fell off the Earth. I'm sorry! I found not one, not two, but FOUR jobs in Manhattan from June to August and I've been very busy. I had an amazing time and I learned a ton, here's just a sliver of some things I picked up.



DO

1. Wear the ugly sneakers you own, as long as they don't mess up your patterned tights. You shoes are going to go through hell whether you take the subway or hit the streets walking. "What if I want to wear my heels while I commute?" haha. No.
2. Find a copy of the MTA subway map Iphone cover (the best five bucks you'll ever spend on Broadway/Canal). You're going to get lost. Your phone is probably not going to work underground, and your phone is even more likely to die when you need directions. 
3. Be a little adventurous, there is tons of things to see and do. Get out of your comfort zone, go to Chinatown and eat at a hole in the wall ramen place. (I ended up in the middle of a marketplace somehow and scored a sick tea set for $10).
4. When you see that someone is clearly lost, and you have a map, or if you know where you are, help that person out. Karma, right?
5. Lend a hand every now and then. Don't forget to be kind. There are so many homeless in NYC, you have an extra pb&j sandwich, why not let that hungry little girl have it? 
6. Follow your gut, if you're unsure about walking down that shadowy dark alley, turn around and go another way. Better safe than sorry, always.
7. Buy mace. Self explanatory.
8. Say yes! To lunch, to shopping to drinks or whatever a new friend invites you to come along to. You were just going to go home and go on the internet anyway. Wouldn't you rather explore SoHo "best smoothie ever!"?
9. Always try to look your best. You could meet anyone in one day. Out of the blue on a Tuesday, I was invited to go to an interns mixer. Important people were also there. Thankfully I had a nice enough outfit on.
10. Be polite, mind your p's and q's and all that basic stuff that your mother taught you. Unfortunately, it's not always common sense to be professional. No matter how much you dislike it you probably shouldn't tell your boss that "that tie is disgusting". Um, rude?
11. Buy a wristlet if you don't already own one. Nobody appreciates the women holding up the rest of the world while they dig through their purse to find their Metrocard. 

DON'T

1. Don't panic if you get lost! There are millions of people living in NYC, most people are more than happy to tell you that you're in South Ferry and you are at the bottom of Manhattan. (Yes, this also happened to me).
2. Don't assume anything. Just because you can't see the building you're looking for, doesn't mean it's not there. It's probably hiding behind another building! Ask for help!
3. Don't wear heels on your commute. Carry them in a bag and toss them on later.
4. Don't feel weird about your body touching someonelses body. You're going to be crammed on the C train. It's not a big deal. 
5. Don't be closed-minded. If your friend takes you to a super sketchy place just try to remind yourself that she knows where you're going!
6. Don't miss out on museums, the Metropolitan of Art is donation only. I got in for $3, it's worth it. In fact, take a whole day to just walk around museums.
7. Don't be afraid to go to that random bloc party in Williamsburg. As long as you have a friend with you!
8. DON'T go to Tasti D Lite, don't waste your money. If you want a vanilla fro-yo to taste (and look) like milk, then just go buy milk. It'll be cheaper. Seriously though, don't bother.
9. Don't leave your phone at home! You are going to need that thing. Don't forget to also bring a charger, google maps takes up pretty much all of your battery. 
10. Don't think that because you're new that you should be given a get out of jail free card. Whether you have an internship or a job, be on time. Preplan your whole commute a few days in advance. Or if you're unsure of where you are supposed to be, physically go and find the place.

$10 Charlotte Russe...

50% off from Target...

Princess Shoes

$8 Qupid. Special occasion shoes. I feel like a princess in these.

I'M OBSESSED!

Steve Madden steals my heart.

Real Purse

Okay, I realize that handbags are expensive, but I must insist to all women of the world to stop toting fake designer bags. Why? Because, most of the time it's obvious that the bag is fake, and it makes you look bad. If you are absolutely in love with your fakie then take it where ever you would like, just don't take it to work! You may not be able to tell the difference, but maybe your employer will. Fake bags that are obvious say, "I think I'm getting a deal and nobody can tell I got this in China Town". Sorry honey, we can all tell. Go out and buy a real purse, wait for one to go on sale (sometimes it happens), or buy a purse that is more likely to fit your budget. May I suggest Michael Kors, the have bags starting at $100 and they are very cute, very stylish, but best of all... real. You're real, don't you deserve a real bag?

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Tights, Color, Action!

Summer is here! You know what that means...sunglasses, skirts, platforms and...tights?

Many women don't realize that just a few simple items can transform their day outfit perfect for the night! One of my personal favorite things to keep on hand is patterned tights. Why? Because, patterned tights can go from day to night, super easily. I chose a deep purple pair that I bought from Target! For $8! To dress them down I wore a basic v-neck tee I bought from Forever 21 and a pair of Coach sneakers. Not only did the colors match perfectly, but it was a super cute, easy, out the door outfit.

To dress up the tights for a night of dinner and dancing, I paired the purple with a pair of  platform heels, a deep purple v-neck Express shirt, black skirt I kept from earlier that day and a belt. Scarves optional. This was a super easy day to night outfit that every girl can wear. I definitely suggest running out to buy your favorite color patterned tights, because you never know where you'll be at 9pm on Saturday!
You can never go wrong with black patterned tights, but don't be afraid of some color, summer is the perfect time to break out all those colored clothes you haven't worn yet! Colored tights are a great way to spruce up an old outfit and make it feel new again. Plus, you'll feel a little glamorous!

Most Wanted

How cute is this peplum dress? On trend, yet still very wearable, I think a peplum dress is a great addition to your closet. The shoes? It really couldn't hurt to have just one more pair...
What are you thinking about buying this season? I'm definitely going to invest in this dress! Perfect for a date, work, even dinner with family, it's versatile enough to be in your closet all year long. Both available on Nasty Gal.

A good lip gloss.

Nature...yeah that is me. Don't ask why I'm wearing all that. :)

My friends are a HUGE source of my inspiration. I truly believe you can never have too many good friends.

Dove Clear Tone ROCKS!

I was skeptical about using this product but I can now tell you with confidence that Dove Clear Toned Deodorant works. Works like a charm! If you have badly chaffed underarms or you wish that your underarms were smoother and even toned, this is perfect for you! I have been using it for six days, and I LOVE it. I wasn't proud of my underarms but now I'm a lot more comfortable about going sleeveless. Go try it for yourself.

Tyra Banks EYE CRAZE

Noted to be trendy, Tyra certainly shocked us all with this look.. I'm not sure if I'm crazy about it for events. But I do think that it would look great in a ad. Hmm...what do you think?

Steve Madden Splurge

I splurged on Steve Madden, but looking at these shoes, wouldn't you have done the same thing? While on vacation in New Jersey, I did some shopping at Lord and Taylor. Why? Because, first off, there is no tax on clothing, and second, there is no Lord and Taylor where I live!

Deep Clean Scrub

I am no dermatologist but this one product has improved my skin so drastically I had to tell all of you about it. This deep cleansing scrub is powerful and gently buffs away at acne as well as dead skin cells. I can definitely see a difference after using it for only a week. My skin is not only clearer, but it's also glowing! My slight acne on my cheeks completely disappeared. Neutrogena is a wonderful line of skincare products and they are all very reasonably priced. I definitely recommend that if you have normal to oily skin that you go and get this and try it out yourself! The Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub cost me $7! You can get it at a drugstores such as Target or even Walmart.

Designer Shoes Anyone?

ACTUALLY, they are OLD NAVY.
When trying to find the cutest shoes and best bargains, sometimes you have to get away from your comfort zone. I haven't always been a fan of Old Navy, just because I personally like to have more unique items, but when I saw these shoes...
I was won over, guess I'll be going back for more soon! These gorgeous sandals were exactly what I was looking for, and the best part?
They cost me under $20 with all the quality that a pricey shoe would have!

Aishwarya Rai Post Baby

Aishwarya Rai looked absolutely stunning in a gold sari at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS shindig in Cannes, France. Rai has been bashed and criticized recently about not losing her baby weight quick enough. Please, she has the title "most beautiful woman in the world". I think she's fine with a few extra pounds. Obviously this gorgeous girl isn't going anywhere! I definitely loved the sari. It suited her and she looked great! I think she definitely made her critics look ridiculous. Nobody can rock a sari like Aishwarya!

Buy a Good BRA

One thing I can't stress enough, is buying a good bra. It may not be cheap, but it will help give you shape, and hold everything together. Buying a bra should be an investment, not a cheap fix. A good bra will cost you about $50, and trust me it'll be worth it once summer hits and you want to wear all those low cut dresses. Without a good bra, you'll look unshapely and make even the best clothing look unfitted. I recommend Dream Angels Push Up by Victoria's Secret. Although they have many beautiful colors, it's best to buy a nude one because you can wear it with absolutely anything and it won't show through. This is a bra every single woman can (and should) wear.

BLOGS I ❤

Here are some of my favourtie blogs, obviously they are a must read.

http://www.darkberrybeauty.com/


http://fuckyeahnailart.tumblr.com/


http://pancakestacker.blogspot.com/


http://couturelust.com/


http://blogs.nailsmag.com/365nailart/

CONTACT

You can contact me to say hi, talk business, fashion or for any other reason! You can reach me at my

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TheBelle

Twitter: @BelleSansone

Email: belle_sansone@yahoo.com

ABOUT

Who am I? Well for starters I'm Belle! I'm a twenty-something living in the Queen city. For those that don't know where that is, Charlotte, North Carolina, home of the abundant crocs trend. I'm a complete newbie to the blogging world but I one day hope to blog and write for some very fashionable magazines. I love fashion, coffee and everything pretty.

This blog is called seven twenty-5 because that is the minimum wage in North Carolina. I realize that many girls, just like me, and want to be stylish on a lower income. I"ll also be explaining what I think is worth saving and spending on and what you can expect to get out of your purchases.

In this blog I will be discussing everything I see in the fashion and beauty world with an open mind and an honest opinion. I've always wanted to make fashion and beauty my life, and I've finally decided to chase my dreams and do just that. I hope you'll stay with me while I discover the stylish world around me!

xoxo
-Belle

MAC Foundation

My whole life (which began at 15 when I was allowed to wear makeup) I have been looking for a foundation to match my skin tone. Finding a foundation has always been difficult because of my ethnic skin, being that I am half Mexican, and half Ethiopian. I have always wished for a perfect match and I finally found one, with MAC prolongwear foundation shade NC 40. I am so shocked at how flawless and clear my skin looks. It looks like a magic eraser went over my face! Needless to say, I am definitely going to be a loyal MAC customer from now on.

Essie "Muchi Muchi"

Alright, as most of you know, spring is upon us. (Thank goodness!)

I just discovered the most lovely pastel pink nail polish that fits everyone's skin tone. $7.30 Essie "Muchi Muchi". Get Muchi Muchi! If you're going to go for mint (one of the hottest colours this season), may I suggest Essie "Mint Candy Apple". Get Mint Candy Apple!