as more and more people claim that personal style is gone and we are all 'trend following clones', i've been on my own path to develop my personal style.
i've always loved older women who just have their lives put together. they have unique scarves, apply their signature lipstick without needing a mirror, never miss a hair wash day, and they have a perfume they've been using since 1986.
as a kid whenever the coolist trend was circulating, i had a tendency to try to get said cool thing, but then get some variation that made it different. then (because dumb kid brain) i would be embarrassed because i didn't have the exact cool item as everyone else. now i appreciate how cool i was as a kid. i don't follow a lot of trends anymore unless it happens to fit into my personal style and feels like it could be timeless and effortless.
i've grown up alongside the fastforwarding of the trend cycle. i remember how embarrassing it was to take off your jacket and have to tie it around your waist, and then in high school your outfit wasn't complete without a flannel tied around your waist. 90s fashion was cringe in the 2000s/2010s, the 2000s were embarrassing in the 2010s, now Y2K is an aesthic and it makes me happy that my mom was terrible about remembering to take stuff to donation bins because i still have some iconic accessories i get to rewear now. i love that this encourages thrifting and reusing old clothes but i hate the knockoffs pushed by fast fashion like shein. its especially bad when the trend dies and the cheap stuff floods the thriftstores making it impossible for people to find authentic quality items in a sea of polyester.
a few years ago i decided I was going to be one of those women. not only because they are so stylish, but because they are effortlessly stylish. i have never been a morning person. morning me runs on autopilot so effortless is always the goal when i get dressed/do my makeup/fix my hair. so i setout to find what I love and stop constantly trying/hoarding the latest hot item.
a habit i picked up from elementary school was picking out my outfit the night before (which is funny because my school had uniforms so it was always the same) but as an adult i often pick a whole week of outfits ahead of time. if i don't have the mental energy to plan a full week, i have some default 'outfit formulas' i fall back on. like most people, i've had a pinterest board dedicated to outfits i like. recently, in an effort to cultivate my own style i made two additional boards. one names 'MY style' where i moved pins that i had saved multiple times or variations of multiple times. the other names 'outfits to try' where i moved pins of outfits i thought i could recreate using clothes i already owned. i also keep a list in my pocket notebook of pieces i think would be a good inclusion in my wardrobe so that i remember to keep an eye out for them (in a good fabric!)
this has helped me make some new outfits and also told me that i really don't like croptops so i need to stop holding on to them. things i definitely love = a loose dress with leggings and a jacket or vest. things i definitely hate = shirts that cannot stay tucked in to pants. i did a clothing purge last spring and filled two garabage bages full of clothes to donate. getting dressed in the mornings has become easier and also more fun!
the other part of my style i really wanted to lock down was my skincare/makeup. in high school i wanted the latest product even if it really didn't work for me. as i've grow older, my makeup has become simpler and my skincare is a lot more mindfully selected. i stick to two brands for skincare Sunday Riley, and Clinique. because i am not constantly changing products and i use every last drop of a product before i repurchase, both brands are worth the higher price tags. i use supergoop sunscreen or glossier whichever i can find a good deal on.
for makeup, it was a little harder to narrow down. i loved makeup in high school and college so i have a decent collection. over the years i have had to get rid of expired product because it feels impossible to reach pan. now that i'm a little older i rarely do a full face of makeup (it feels icky) so the products i use are way less. i use Urban Decay's eyeshadow pencil, Clinique mascara, and Clinque 'Black Honey' almost lipstick. if i do use face products it is Estee Lauder's skintint serum, Benefit blush/contour and Bobbi Brown's face cream primer. i can do my whole face in about 5 minutes which is nice when i'd rather be sleeping in in the mornings.
perfume was something i never thought i'd get into but its so nice have a signature scent and having people tell you that you smell nice. i splurged on a bottle of Versace Yellow Diamond that i use for special occasions and then i use Sol de Janerro cheirosa 76. i smelled a lot of perfumes before i figured out i like florals, amber, and light musk, definitely not sugar cookies.