Hey, Longwood Look!

What do we, like, actually wear?



We like this look because the dress is uber-spring, but the blazer is all business. We also keep the makeup quite pink, without too much dark eye makeup, and we love the heeled Oxfords - sexy without the plaid skirts and rulers.



Ryan McGuire (yes, a girl! Named Ryan!) rocks our skin-baring rule: Pick and choose. Since the dress is short and sleeveless, we gave her a long-sleeved cardigan, funky pop-art flats, and lots of textured necklaces. Amazing legs? Check.



Blogger behind both the Longwood Look and Freckled Italian (http://www.freckleditalian.com/) Megan Flynn always looks adorable, but especially in her electric sweater/tights match. By keeping those colors solid, the detail on the bodice of her dress pops, and those caramel heels are a delicious complement. Good sunglasses are a must - instant celebrity, and fewer wrinkles later. What's not to love?



On-campus collaborator Amy Jackson uses neutrals to her advantage in this photo; the orange cat pairs well with her violet tights. We're kidding! She incorporates that mysterious sex appeal that comes in darker, more muted color palettes, and proves that casual shoes can make an outfit (and person) way more approachable.



This is an idea for spring at night - espadrilles, brighter lip color, longer earrings, and a messy updo. To achieve said messy updo, scrunch a curl cream into hair and let air-dry, then tie into a low pony or bun. Wrap hair around the tie to be a little more grown-up.

What's your favorite look? Did we miss one of your favorite outfit combinations? Let us know! We love to hear from you here, on Facebook, or at longwoodlook@gmail.com.

Fashionably yours,
The Longwood Look

Pixies, Princesses, and Pick Combs

By Amy Jackson and Jenni Schweitzer

It's a dilemma that every Longwood lady faces mid-semester. Should you wait until you go home to get your hair cut, or brave the salons in Farmville? In recent years, a few new places have opened their doors to style-savvy citizens of the area. We've consulted an expert panel of judges (our friends), and here are the verdicts.

The Great Escape. This 'spalon' features an impressive repertoire of luxury treatments, from pedicures to perms. If you're looking for a lovely gift, they have spa day certificates, and Jenni's roommate once got a bold pixie cut there. However, it was hard for her to style it, and it can be expensive if all you need is a trim. It's across the street from Macado's for a complete beauty experience.

The Highlight Zone (formerly known as Total Image) sits right outside Midtown Square on Fourth Street. We've not personally been there, but two beautiful women with fabulous hair both recommended it to us independently of each other. It's a small shop, so make sure you call ahead to see if anyone is available, and if you walk in, you may have to wait.



The Outer You probably gets a lot of Longwood patronage solely based on their primo location. It's in the same building as Moe's, for those of you that never venture outside of your rooms. This salon employs a decent number of stylists, so Amy had no problem walking in. They were fast and efficient, as well as accommodating to the style that you desire. It would be helpful to specify what technique you would like your hair to be cut with, if you are familiar with it. Otherwise you could end up with something that isn't quite what you are used to as a result of the wide variety of methods they use. Like the Highlight Zone, the Outer You charges a middle of the road sort of price. For specific pricing, you can pop in and grab a brochure.



Raffles is a skinny corridor of a shop in the Walmart shopping center, to the left of CATO and the right of the Dollar Tree. It was recommended to us by one of our very stylish friends (Moe) and we tried it on for size. It is the most economical option of these four, and the staff was warm and friendly. Despite the extreme difference in our hair types they were able to edge up Amy's bob and successfully layer Jenni's lengthy curls. They also offer a wide selection of salon brand hair care products.



Hopefully your previous life experience has educated you on what sort of cut and style makes your hair look its best. Knowing the lingo can help streamline the salon visit. If you don't know, you could call your hometown stylist and ask or hit up Google. We typically ask for a dry cut, and often this will reduce the total cost and time. This means that they don't shampoo or style it, but we like to style our new cuts ourselves anyway. Another useful tip is to look for and request a stylist that has a similar hair type to yours. If you like his or her hair, chances are that your new style will have that flair. Also, if a trusted friend recommends a salon to you, go for it!

Anywhere we missed? Let us know right here right now.

Rainy Day Hair

It's been very chilly and raining non-stop for the past few days here in Roanoke, and it made me start thinking about that fall fashion that I love so much. Leggings, boots, sweaters, hats--scarves!!!!! I get ridiculously excited about being able to wear these items of clothing again and I think I start to bother everyone around me with my enthusiasm.

The only problem with all this rain is my hair.

When I was back at Longwood, I just wrapped a scarf around my head or threw on a knitted cap--it was so simple to go to class and look cute, even in the rain. But now I have to go to work every day, and I feel like hats are sort of awkward in the office.

So, what's my new head hero? A braid, pulled over to the side. It looks good no matter how my hair is acting, and even when my bangs peek out the side or my layers start falling out of the braid in the back, I can just pin them back and continue with my day! I actually think that the messier it gets, the better it looks.

we heart it

What's your go-to rainy day hairstyle? What about for you short-haired ladies?

Happy puddle jumping!
<3 Megan

Review: Olay Total Effects Cooling Hydration

I have a gig as an Ambassador for Glamour Magazine-- a "Glambassador," if you will. I have cards and everything. Every now and again they send me some free stuff and I get to use it and let them know what I think about it. But, I just realized that I barely even write about any of it here, which is weird, because sometimes I feel like I'm going to run out of things to write about. So let me tell you about Olay Total Effects Cooling Hydration, ya digg?

photo

 It was light enough to wear during Virginia's muggy summers and didn't make my skin feel weighed down or anything. I could tell it wasn't clogging my pores, and that's important to me because I have really temperamental skin that refuses to grow up and sometimes breaks out just for the hell of it. It smelled really good and felt even better. 

My only criticism is that it has no SPF, which is really too bad because slathering sunscreen on over it pretty much takes away from its overall lightness and non-greasy texture. But you guys know how I feel about sunscreen. After about a week I ended up only using it at night so I could switching back to my original moisturizer with sunscreen in the mornings. Overall, though, it was really good.

So if you're in the market for some new moisturizer, you might want to give this a try!

Let me know what you think.

<3 Megan

Polished

Some of my girlfriends and I obviously have a couple big things in common, but one strange and important one is that we're all really good at doing our own nails. Seriously. It bothers me so much to even think about paying for a manicure (even/especially one that involves French tips) because I've gotten so ridiculously good at doing my own. If I go to a spa to have them done, it's probably my birthday or I've had some sort of bizarre emotional crisis that warrants pampering from some nail tech that I don't know. It's fine.

There's a new-ish spa in downtown Roanoke called polished by claire v. that I can walk to from my apartment and I really wanted to try it out. I went online and looked at their prices and thought they were pretty reasonable. For $20 I got a really good manicure, plus an up-to-my-elbows massage with a raspberry-lemonade scented scrub and lotion that smelled so delicious and juicy, it made me have to consciously think about not licking it off my arms.

Because I hate spending money on something that I can do just as well by myself, I've learned that adding an extra layer of topcoat 24 hours after a manicure usually makes your polish last days later. This cool blue/green hue (from their own collection of polishes that you can buy for just five bucks) stayed with me for more than a week after I left polished without so much as a chip. I ended up having to take it off with remover nine days later simply because I was ready for something new.

If you live in or close to Roanoke I'd really encourage you to give polished a try. It's always nice to support local businesses and they do a really good job. On Thursday and Friday nights ladies get a complimentary beverage and the second Tuesday of every month is Guys' Night--complete with beers and snacks. If you aren't close to Roanoke, then you might just have to plan a visit and we can go together!

I'll make us an appointment.

<3 Megan

Original or Extra Crispy?

Written by Megan Flynn and Jenni Schweitzer

As you might have guessed at some point, sometimes we run out of fashion-y things to write about. We’re good at being creative on the fly, but this week we’re going to talk about something important that has turned from a simple warm-weather pastime to a strange and freakish “look” that so many girls are trying very hard to work.

“What are we going to write about this week?” Megan asked.
“Tanning? We’ll probably break some hearts,” Jenni replied.

Big deal. It’s time for some tough love.

As the temperature wandered up to above 65 degrees a few weeks ago, we started seeing the emergence of a traditionally summertime trend: sunbathing. In class, one person's skin tone suddenly matched her rich brunette hair, whereas another person appeared as though they had just fallen into a vat of Tang.


Welcome to the salon where you can get naked in a strange building, wear goggles Lady Gaga would be proud of, and lay in heat and light so intense that it damages your skin cells in five minutes. If you would like, we can also spray paint your body to resemble a traffic cone. Creepy! Here, read these silly magazines.

Not only is this trend tacky, it's dangerous. There are numerous reports of varying stages of melanoma - a cancerous growth caused by overexposure to UV light from the sun - in women as young as 20. It has become so common that younger people are encouraged to have birthmarks removed because of the potential danger. Palest Person In The World Megan has had a threatening-looking mole removed from her head, and she applies sunscreen to her freckled face every morning. We both love sunscreen. It’s the best! This week, we want to shine some non-UV light on how you can better spend your time and money than in a tanning salon.

What You Also Might Enjoy...

- 1 session. 10 minutes, 5-10 dollars. Rather than wait in line for the Easy-Bake Oven, head to the Bakery on Main Street for a refreshing citrus drink or peruse the latest Glamour at the bookstore.

- 1 month. Anywhere from 20 to 120 dollars. We would much rather head up to Goodwill and pick up a cool vintage lamp or costume jewelry. We might also go pick up some friends for some classy cocktails, take a trip to Richmond, or maybe invest our money for once and NOT buy shoes. As if.

- 1 package deal. Time and money both depend on the salon, but some have monthly payment plans and contracts are enforced. A contract to have someone rob you of your beautiful, youthful skin? No way. We don't think premature aging is ever going to be a trend, and anything risking your health definitely will not.

Our solution: Jergens' Natural Glow body lotions. They keep skin moisturized and toned while adding a gradual, natural-looking tan to all depths of skin tones. They're safe and effective, so just learn to be patient and you can have your tan without worries. Cost: around 8 dollars. And no wrinkles!

Remember to be kind to your body and especially your skin. You can always change your shirt, but the skin on your face is yours forever. If you're naturally dark skinned, more power to you. You can be tan now and not look 60 years old when you're really just 30. The sun is fun, but aging gracefully will always be stylish.

Photo:  Anne Hathaway looking awesome next to the really scary Oompa Loompa sometimes known as Valentino.

Clothes Indeed for Friends in Need

Written by Megan Flynn and Jenni Schweitzer

We think there’s a pretty good chance that anyone who actually reads our columns knows that we love, love, love clothes, and that we think you should love them, too. However, we realize that your resources may be better spent on other things, so why not make them go farther when you decide to use them? Help other people while you shop by doing a bit of research or following our philanthropic guidelines.

If your thing is:

--Two for one: TOMS shoes sends a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that you purchase for yourself. With your purchase of the comfortable and fashionable sneaks, you’ll be making sure that one less child in a developing country has to go barefoot, which prevents them from soil-transmitted diseases, cuts, sores, and sometimes you’ll even allow them to go back to school since shoes are usually required as part of their uniforms. You can finally buy that pair of shoes you don’t really need and give a pair to someone who does. No more frivolous shopping for you! toms.com

--HIV/AIDS Research: There are many ways to show your support, like a simple red ribbon, but perhaps the most popular clothing brand dedicated to raising awareness is The Gap’s Product RED. Product RED is a line of tees printed with empowering statements which end in ‘red’, like “inspired” or “cultured”. These comfy graphic tees are made of African cotton and 50 percent of the profits go to drug research.



--Have too many t-shirts? MAC is running a campaign with two of their new lipsticks, the “Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick” and the “Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick.” Some of the proceeds from purchases of the pink and red lipstick shades, go to the MAC AIDS Fund to support men, women and children who are affected by AIDS and HIV globally. Check out http://www.macaidsfund.org/ for more information.






--Recycling: You knew this was coming. There are countless recycling projects across the country, and fortunately, you can contribute and benefit with minimal effort and cost. Coca-Cola Drink 2 Wear shirts, made from recycled Coke bottles, are available at Wal-mart. Freecycle.com is a website dedicated to recycling gently used goods by allowing individuals to post them and others to pick them up. Additionally, several outfitters offer handbags made of recyclables. It’s even easier to go local in Farmville. Madeline’s House is a thrift store across from Wilck’s Lake and the proceeds go to a shelter for abused women and children.

December isn’t the only time to think of good will toward men and women. These are easy ways to make it part of your spending sprees.