Sunday I watched my younger sister, Kelly, graduate from college. Something about graduations and weddings always makes me cry. I was so proud to see her up there accepting her diploma looking gorgeous and beaming. It seemed like a while ago since I graduated from UCLA. But I felt the excitement and remembered my special day 3 years ago.

Santa Barbara has the most beautiful climate. It was sunny with a cool breeze. We ate lunch at The Natural Cafe on State Street. It was delicious and I highly suggest you all try it if you ever visit SB. I haven’t stopped wearing my new Prada sunnies since I got them. They are my favorite color and I love the cat-eye shape. Also, don’t forget to wear wedges to graduations that are outside. It makes walking so much easier and you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in the grass.

Don’t miss your chance to win the Xen Tan Giveaway going on right now on the blog!

Wearing:

• Dress- Urban 1972 c/o
• Bag- Olivia & Joy c/o (black version & colorblock version)
• Heels- Express
• Bracelet- Judith Bright
• Sunglasses- Prada c/o
• Necklaces- Aldo, Nordstrom & unknown

What a weekend! Thank you to everyone who joined me at the Judith Bright event I hosted on Saturday. It was great to see you all. Sunday I got to watch my sister graduate from UCSB. What a treat. I am so proud of her.

For today’s outfit post, I thought we should discuss a common problem… We all have those days when we look into our closets and think ” I have nothing to wear.” You have plenty to wear, you just don’t know it. I try really hard to get a lot of use out of the items I purchase. Take this yellow cropped jacket. I spent $35 on it at H&M years ago and wear it all the time (here, here, and here.)  The skirt- a $17 clearance find from Express and the crop top I bought to match another skirt in the same fabric. It is all about taking what you already have and remixing it.  I was feeling extra creative and daring when I put this ensemble together since it shows my tummy and I don’t usually go for that look. It helps to lay the outfit out before and mix and match different pieces with it until you finally get the right combo.

Style Tip: If you are going to show a bit of midriff, make sure your skirt length is a bit longer. A mini skirt and midriff top is over doing it.

Don’t miss your chance to enter the Xen-Tan Giveaway going on right now on the blog!

• Jacket- H&M (similar)
• Top- Mossimo (Target)
• Skirt- Express (similar)
• Clutch- D’Andrea Handbags c/o (love this one)
• Necklace- Forever 21
• Bracelet- Boutique Goods (J.Crew version)
• Sunglasses- B.P. section of Nordstroms (Prada version)
• Heels- Prabal Gurung for Target (similar)

I do not need much of an excuse to get dressed up. Mix in a horse race, champagne and my girlfriends and it is a party. Combine my two loves, horses and fashion, and I am in heaven. I have been looking forward to attending the races all year and Opening Day is finally here! The fancy hats, chic gloves and stunning dress, oh I just cannot wait!

I knew everyone would probably pick spring florals and pastels for their look and I have been waiting for an occasion to wear this sexy little red dress from Lulu’s.

Don’t forget to check out our first two Style Challenges! Coachella Fashion and Maxi Dresses!! And if you are in Los Angeles, come visit me at the Summer Series Block Party today!

Check out what my fellow fashion bloggers are wearing for the derby…

Everything Hauler
Fashion Addict LA
The B Soup

Wearing:

• Dress- Lulu’s
• Hat- Dynamic Asia c/o
• Clutch- H&M
• Necklace- TJMaxx
• Heels- Calvin Klein
• Bracelet- Vintage
• Earrings- Forever21
• Rings- Express
• Lipcolor- Revlon “Hot Passion”

Last, but not least, don’t miss your chance to enter my Xen-Tan Giveaway! 

Another fabulous blogger brunch with my girls Sophie, Kier, and Rachael! This time at Overland Cafe in Culver City. The mimosas were flowing and it was a jolly good time. I love seeing what the girls wear for our get together. So much style inspiration in one place!

I just had to bring my new palm tree shirt out for the weekend. It is perfect for summer. Check out what I wore to our first blogger brunch. Photos from this past weekend’s get together will be on the blog tomorrow for our latest Style Challenge! Get ready!

Also, don’t forget to enter my Xen-Tan Giveaway!

Wearing:

• Top- Express (similar)
• Hat- Express (similar)
• Bag- Forever21
• Sunglasses- Forever21
• Heels- Steve Madden (love these)
• Shorts- Express
• Necklace- Express (similar)

Every once in a while, a fashion brand comes along that just blows my mind. The most recent example of this is Bleulab. They create reversible denim, how brilliant is that?! I first found out about their line at a blogger event a few months ago and fell in love right away. The concept is genius because it makes packing for trips much easier. Think about it, being able to travel with a 2-in-1 pair of jeans can save a LOT of room in my suitcase. But it was not just the convenience of the jeans that caught my eye…The design is exquisite and super sexy hence why a lot of celebrities can be seen wearing the brand from Beyonce, Charlize Theron and the Kardashians. Also, for being double-sided, the fabric is ultra light weight and comfortable. And another great part, they are designed and manufactured right here in Los Angeles- a genuine Cali brand

Bleulab is now expanding their product line beyond just skinny jeans. They also have adorable jean skirts, cropped pants and even jackets! My advice is, if you are looking for a pair of jeans to invest in, check out their website: www.bleulab.com.

Also, enter to win my Xen-Tan Giveaway going on right now on the blog!

Outfit 1:

• Denim- Bleulab c/o
• Top- unknown
• Necklace, sunglasses & bracelet- Forever21
• Sunglasses- Forever 21
• Necklace- Forever21 (similar)
• Heels- Prabal Gurung for Target (similar)
• Clutch- Aldo (similar)

Outfit 2:

• Denim- Bleulab c/o
• Top- Guess (similar)
• Hat- Target 
• Heels- DIY project 
  
• Earrings- DIY project
• Lipcolor- Revlon “Spellbound”

I am beyond excited to be hosting the first annual Summer Series Block Party at District La Brea this Saturday at the Judith Bright store! The entire block will be partying it up with shopping, discounts, giveaways, gift bags and more! Come visit me from 4-7pm!

Also, don’t forget to enter the Xen-Tan Giveaway on my blog!

It is time for this month’s beauty review! Summer has arrived and for June we are covering the best tanning lotion.  Now, just because I live in California does not mean I have a year around tan. Quite the opposite in fact. I do not tan easily and often end up getting burnt. I tried tanning products years ago and it was a nightmare. Orange streaks, funky smells made me quit using them. I started getting back into the whole tanning lotion thing this past year as we hear more and more about the harmful effects of tanning in the sunlight. I received a trial kit of Xen-Tan products while at Luckyfabb. I took the lotions home and tried it. I will be honest, it took a few times to get the process down correctly to leave an even tan. But now I am a pro! The trick is to exfoliate well before applying the lotion. It also helped to watch this Youtube video too. The lotion gives you an instant color and gradually gets darker over a period of hours. It dries fairly quickly so within 10 minutes I can put on dark loose clothing and be completely fine. My favorite part is a natrual glowing color and not smelling like a tanning cream.

Curious to try Xen-Tan yourself? Well you are in luck! Xen-Tan has graciously offered to giveaway a box set of products worth $106!  The kit includes the Scent Secure, Dark Lotion Absolute Lux and the Hard to Reach lotion.  What are you waiting for? Bikini season is here! Get your summer tan started by entering below:

These photos were taken before and after putting on one light coat of the Dark Lotion Absolute Lux cream.

Before and After

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For those of you who want to try Xen-Tan’s other products, you can enter the coupon code LUCKYFABB at checkout for 35% off. The code is good until August 1st. Need another opinion? Just check out the review my friend Kier did on her blog FashionAddict.la.

FTC Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions express here about XEN-TAN are my own. I would only giveaway a product that I use myself. Any questions you can contact me or XEN-TAN.

Recently I attended a Divas Who Dine networking function where I got to meet incredible woman from all different aspects of the entertainment and fashion industries. The night began with a cocktail hour sponsored by Skinnygirl (their Moscato is delicious by the way) held at the Epione Center in Beverly Hills.

Next we headed over to Villa Blanca, a beautiful restaurant close to Rodeo Drive owned by Lisa Vanderpump from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The ambiance inside is lovely. Only in Los Angeles would you hear a tag line like this: ”Villa Blanca is where you take your wife, Sur (her other restaurant) is where you take your mistress.”   Zoe Alexander, the founder of Divas Who Dine, gave me some great insight for my blog. I am officially going to offer my services as a professional shopper and stylist to you all. It is what I love to do and I ought to share my expertise with the world. Email me if you would like to set up a consultation: lauralilyjewelry@live.com

For the event, I wanted to wear powerful, yet feminine business attire. I opted for the beautiful mint scuba skirt I received thanks to 2020Ave and a short sleeve blazer I bought on clearance at Express years ago. My silk shirt underneath has this fun bow that adds a chic Parisian touch without being overwhelming.  Finally, I got to wear the beautiful neon/pastel statement necklace I found for $15 at Macy’s. Such a great find I could not believe it. The Prabal Gurung lace up heels I wore are one of the best shoe purchases I ever made- $40 and these heels are comfortable and feisty, I love it. I might just have to buy a back-up pair incase anything happens to these.

Wearing:

• Blazer- Express
• Top- H&M
• Belt- Vintage
• Necklace- Macys
• Skirt- 2020Ave c/o (it’s only $16!!)
• Heels- Prabal Gurung for Target
• Watch- Sieko (similar)
• Clutch- Aldo (similar)

Get ready for the annual Rock/Style event Tuesday night at the Sound Night Club in Hollywood! Last year’s show was a blast and I cannot wait to see what styles Macy’s will have on the runway this year!  The show will run from 8pm to midnight with music by host & DJ Stryker from KR0Q and a live fashion show! You can get your tickets right HERE and right now Laura Lily readers get $10 off with code:  RS2013. See you there!

If you can’t make it, you can follow along with me through the night via Instagram & Twitter @Laura__Lily 

As soon as I saw this top at Target I snatched it. Not only am I head over heels for peplum, but the animal print on this top is fierce! It is black and white so it will go with everything! This was also the same trip where I found my Prabal Gurung for Target lace up beauties. I figured there were perfect to match with the top and a mini skirt. Add a bright clutch for a pop of color and you have a perfect outfit for a date with your man or a night out with the girls.  Or you can even switch out the mini for a longer length skirt and wear this outfit to work.

• Top- Mossimo
• Skirt- Express (love this one)
• Belt- Express (similar)
• Shoes- Prabal Gurung for Target
• Clutch- Aldo (similar)
• Sunnies- Benji Frank c/o