The Academy Awards 2014 Round-Up!

The Oscars are here, the Oscars are here! This award show season has been a little bit underwhelming for me in terms of fashion because there was either only a handful of looks that I fell in love with or none at all. However, tonight, the Academy Awards proved to me why the best is always saved for last. Everyone - and I mean everyone - looked stunning! Here are my favorite looks:

Emma Watson in Vera Wang
Emma is high fashion. She lives it and breathes it, so of course she came ready to amaze.

Charlize Theron in Dior

Oh Charlize! No words.

Amy Adams in Gucci

Some may argue Amy Adams' dress was a bit boring and safe for such a huge red carpet as this, but I personally think she looks gorgeous, clean, and classic. This look is timeless.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

She tripped - again - and just like that, I loved her even more! The peplum part of this dress, her hair, and makeup are ultimately what made me fall in love with this look. So elegant!

Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein
Naomi Watts always looks glamorous and effortless and tonight was no exception!

Lupita Nyong'o in Prada

The red carpet queen. Again, no words. Lupita is just a darling and, although totally predictable, is certainly my vote for best dressed.

What were your favorite Oscar red carpet looks? How was this year's award show season? Let me know!

Hugs and kisses,

Maria

In Preparation for Spring: Topshop Wishlist

Purple Sweater | Dress | White Sweater | Floral Skirt | Sequin Skirt | Pants

Also seen on my Polyvore here

As you can see, I've developed a little obsession with everything Topshop (...just a little bit.) With Nordstrom taking in the uh-mazing British brand allowing more convenient access to those in the US, I've been dying to get my hands on almost everything! Unfortunately, I have yet to pay a visit and satisfy my needs. So here I have assembled a small wishlist of my must-haves to help prep my wardrobe for the upcoming spring months.

Living in Seattle, sweaters are, of course, major essentials all-year round. Recently I have been interested in tops that outline and flatter my figure rather than opting for the popular slouchy look that is so often associated with winter which is why these two sweaters are high up on my list. I love skinny long sleeves and the cropped trend, so these are perfect! These black high-wasited faux leather skinnies are also an item I have been eyeing for months now. I saw them on one of my favorite bloggers and have wanted a pair ever since.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am, by all means, a skirt/dress type of girl. Not even the freezing weather can stop me from wearing a skirt and tights everyday! Spring is known as the floral season ("Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.") but no matter how much I would hate to be judged by The Devil Wears Prada Meryl Streep, I will never stop loving the print! It's very girly which is exactly the type of word I would use to define my style. I can already imagine myself wearing this daisy print dress and floral skirt more than I should. I love skirts, I love sequins - you probably wouldn't want to see my reaction to a sequined skirt. (Spoiler alert: I would probably die.) I would love to own this Topshop skirt to have on deck for dressy events but I would also shamelessly wear them for more casual days, such as a school day or for shopping.

What are your spring essentials? What trends have you been loving this season? Let me know in the comments below!

Hugs and kisses!

Maria

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Happy New Years Eve, everyone! As promised, here I have a little post I've been meaning to make for quite a while. I gave you all a sneak peek of my Christmas dress a few weeks ago when it arrived in the mail, so now I'm here to give you the deets.

I ended up wearing this dress to Christmas Eve mass while I opted for something a little more casual for Christmas day. This dress was actually my first online purchase at Forever 21 so I was really excited for it to come in! I squealed like a little girl when it did. I read reviews about it being too long, that it hit too close to the knees, but I personally found it to be the perfect length. It was flattering and classy, just what I was looking for. After all, what's more classic than a little black dress?

Dressed down and layered, I could definitely see myself wearing this dress to school. It has this sort of versatile feel to it that I find all black dresses seem to have. A cold night meant it was time to add a blazer, tights, and booties, and voilà!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have a safe New Years Eve!

Hugs and kisses,
Maria

bold halter bodycon dress - forever 21 (similiar here)

black semi-sheer tights - forever 21

black ankle booties (similar here)

tan blazer - h&m (similar here)

Three Days Later

And just like that, my Christmas money disappeared. Today, I finally made my first trip to and purchase at Sephora in the gorgeous downtown Seattle! I was pretty excited, to say the least. So, here's the lowdown on everything I scored. Let's get to it!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation - Barcelona

$44.00

I've had my eyes on this foundation ever since I borrowed it from my mom, but since that bottle was running low, I decided to invest in one of my own. I admit, it was a bit of splurge but after reading countless positive reviews and even using it for myself, I couldn't resist!

E.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner - Black

$1 - 2.00 (at Target!)

This eyeliner wasn't actually purchased at Sephora. It was given to me by one of my best friends, Mary (love you)! Unlike the foundation, this was a very inexpensive buy. On Target's website, it is listed as costing just $1, but my friend said she bought it for about $2 - the cost may vary. I've lived my life for the past few months convinced that eyeliner just wasn't for me, but recently becoming fascinated by Alexa Chung's obsession for cat eyes (which she talks about in her book, It, which will be part of an upcoming post... stay tuned!) I decided to give it one more try. As I am a beginner, this eyeliner was a little difficult applying by myself, but I was quite satisfied with the results nonetheless. Definite must-have.

Smashbox Lipstick - Plum Scene

$20.00

I've wanted a darker lip color for a while since lighter colors don't stand out on my lips as much as I'd like. I had my mind set on the MAC rebel lipstick but this seemed to be the perfect alternative. Described as a burgundy plum color, I picked up this Smashbox product as it was the cheapest lipstick in Sephora and because I was open to try a new brand! New things are always good.

And there you have it! So, bit of a splurge, yes, but totally worth it. To end this post, I want to mention a few bloggy things:

• Starting in January, I am going to begin a monthly favorites feature! I will pick about 5-10 items I bought in the past month and offer links, reviews, and pictures. Yay!
• Also in January, I hope to begin (at the very least) bi-weekly posts on anything that I can. School, working out, and family time has kept me busy and tired, but this is my New Years resolution! Let me know if you have any suggestions in the comments below or at my Instagram, @mariavmarin :)

UPCOMING POSTS

november/december favorites (as promised)

christmas outfit details

Get excited, folks!

xo ♡ Maria

Sneaky sneaky

                

Hey guys! How is your Thanksgiving weekend?

Sorry for the total lack of posts lately, but I pinky promise weekly posts (at the least) will begin soon. To keep your appetites satisfied until then, here's a little selfie Saturday sneak peek at my Christmas look! (Also seen posted here on my Instagram.) The dress and lipstick I ordered online arrived in the mail this afternoon and I couldn't have been any happier. Details on those will be up sometime after Christmas. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys all the goodness that comes along with the holiday spirit leading all the way up to New Years! Woohoo!

Hugs and kisses,

Maria