The Coolest Beauty Trend You Need to Try for 2018

Sorry, Mia Wallace, Your signature vampy lip is done, done, done! Although I, myself, love a vampy lip color, the hue of dried blood isn’t as groundbreaking as it once was. The new shade that has everyone talking since March is your least favorite neutral: gray.

To me, gray is the type of color that screams “dull.” It often feels so basic to the core that I barely wear ANY gray on my body apart from silver jewelry or a sweatshirt that I lounge in. In fact, I don’t even know what to make of this muddled shade when I first saw Huda Kattan wear it on her Instagram.

Given that the year is coming to an end, you can close the chapter on 2017 by rocking this trend and wear it throughout the new year. Here are some ways how you can wear this color:

Shanghai Surprise

2017 might be coming to a close, but let’s not freak out over 2018. As vacation plans are being booked up left and right for NYE, there is never a time when you can run out of ideas of cities to visit!

If there is one city you need to add to your 2018 travel bucket list, it’s Shanghai. This past November, American lingerie behemoth Victoria’s Secret launched their very first fashion show there. Every VS model and Instagram fashion blogger/influencer attended the show. Thanks to its cloud-grazing skyscrapers and KiraKira+-esque lights in the evening, the beauty of China’s internationally appealing coastal city cannot be ignored.

When I visited Shanghai last month, I couldn’t help myself. In fact, I felt like I NEEDED to Instagram every single street corner and space in the restaurants. As much as I hate to spill secrets, I’ll let the cat out of the bag on this one as I cannot wait to tell you my favorite hotspots!

TLA by Morgan Stewart: The BEST activewear brand you need to stock up on

 

Let’s get real: Have you ever wanted to look this hot while you sweat?

I, like countless other girls like you, definitely did. Eight years ago, I always had to wear a baggy white tee and cotton navy blue shorts with my white Reeboks. It was P.E. class, where almost *nobody* pranced around the track field like the cast of Baywatch (the original TV show, not that Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron movie!) Safe to say, looking hot only looked better after a five minute shower and a freshly changed uniform.

Flash forward to today, there are less baggy tees and shorts than a pair of leggings and a closely-cropped sports bra. Thanks to the Hadid sisters and the Kar-Jenners for spurring this trend in activewear as everyday wear, the one brand that is pushing fitness gear to the next level is Touché LA.

Founded by Jaynee and Karl Singer, Touché LA partnered up with Rich Kids of Beverly Hills star/fashion blogger/Daily Pop co-host Morgan Stewart Fitzpatrick to create a seasonal collection. (Before you continue, check out my interview with her for Galore!) Upon looking at the entire spring/summer range, my jaw dropped to see that sports bras and leggings are meant to be paired together like a Chanel two-piece suit. Thirsting to try a set, I reached out to Touché LA to send me one.

The moment I tried it on, my eyes instantly went acidic. Wearing lemon yellow from head to toe, I thought that I would look bigger than a turkey. Instead, the ribbed waistband and panels on the leggings hugged my thighs to create a contour-like effect. Despite the thickness of the material, it was quite see-through at the back. (Disclaimer: I took countless photos of myself wearing it and it doesn’t show in any photographs!) But what I was truly worried about was my boobs.

As a 32DD, I constantly felt SO self-conscious as A) I was told not to show off my boobs and B) they are too big for anything. From one D cup sister to another, Morgan Stewart really understood the struggle of #bigboobproblems when designing this bra. Based on my previous experiences with sports bras, they’d usually loosen up after an X amount of washes, made me look like I had monoboob and/or not give me enough support (as the band is too loose at the bottom!). Here, the double-cross straps lifted them up and the fabric held on to me when I worked out.

When a sports bras and leggings set looked figure-flattering, would it actually stay in place? To answer this, I popped in a Popsugar video and did the entire workout for 30 minutes. During the workout, I felt moisture running down my back, legs and armpits. Since the leggings were high-waisted, the sauna-like atmosphere inside the fabric made my skin leak out sweat. Simultaneously, the waistband wrapped itself around my waist and hips like Spanx, leaving me to have a better ability to control my abs when I rolled up from the mat. The bra left my two bulbous balloons to stay in place – even as I did some side crunches. Unlike my VS bra, I didn’t need to make ANY awkward adjustments at all!

Although I personally didn’t wear much activewear outside the gym, I finally understood see why so many celebrities and influencers wore it. It was comfortable, slimming, looks great at every angle AND easy to mix with other pieces (e.g. a cropped baby tee and a handbag). Mrs. Fitzpatrick herself once told me that you are meant to rock it at the club with high heels. (I have yet to do this myself, but I’ll try it!) If casual Fridays can be everyday, I’ll happily pull it out from my closet without a care in the world.

P.S. This is me post-workout!

 

UPDATE: The set is sold out; however, you can get a similar set in tangerine at Touché LA’s website.

DISCLAIMER: This set was sent to me for review.