beauty and fashion

Of all the fashion advice I’ve ever received, the greatest is this: when you don’t know what to wear, pick a jacket and build your outfit from it.I follow this advice on more days than I can count. When I’m scrambling to get ready in the morning, a jacket can take a pair of jeans and basic T-shirt from “I just woke up” to “I picked this out last night, can’t you tell?” In my opinion, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—worth investing in more than a good jacket, and you can fact check that based on my closet. When you find one that speaks to you, you wear it for years to come, and it’ll be adhered to your body from September until May.
Of course, fall 2020 has no shortage of incredible fall jackets. From this season’s ever-popular “shacket” (yes, you read that right, and yes, it’s a shirt/ jacket hybrid) to classic moto jackets you’ll wear time and time again, these are the best jackets of the year. More

In 2020, there’s no shortage of information on all of the ingredients people claim you absolutely need for your skin, from retinoids to acids to creams promising to give you new skin overnight. And when I subscribed to the idea that I needed to try them all, my skin got worse—way worse. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why: I was using too much, and all the harsh ingredients I was slathering on every night were actually hurting my skin’s natural microbiome, leaving me with irritation and dryness abound. And with the culture surrounding skincare right now, I think this is happening to more of us than we might think.Enter: Mother Dirt, the pioneers of probiotic skincare. You probably already know about the potential benefits of taking a probiotic, but why would you want them in your skincare? In the past, there was a healthy, peacekeeping bacteria that existed on human’s skin called Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB), but with harsher chemicals being incorporated into skincare and our lifestyles changing over time, the bacteria have gotten wiped away. In 2015, the founders of Mother Dirt—who were MIT scientists—recognized this and started a brand that incorporated AOB into its products to help balance the skin. They didn’t believe there was such a thing as bad skin—just bad skincare. 
To give you something good in 2020, Mother Dirt is giving three of our readers a gift package worth over $200, chock-full of their biome-friendly collection that covers everything from your skin to your hair. Three winners will receive Mother Dirt’s Biome-Friendly Shampoo, Cleanser, Moisturizer, Body Oil, Body Wash, Shave Butter, and AO+ Mist—all formulated to keep your skin’s microbiome thriving, leaving you with glowing, healthier skin.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is only open to US residents. Ends 10/4/20 at 11:59 PM CST.

use code EVERYGIRL20 for 20% off

Mother Dirt
AO+ Mist Live Probiotic Spray

The AO+ Mist is the world’s first skincare that incorporates live probiotics, which help to restore and balance your skin’s natural microbiome. The AOB it’s full of helps to keep the peace of your skin—helping the good bacteria thrive while it fights the bad. The result? Healthy, glowing skin.

Mother Dirt
Biome-Friendly™ Foaming Cleanser

This cleanser uses Mother Dirt’s biome-friendly formulation protocol (which means products are tested to ensure they don’t disrupt the skin’s microbiome) to ensure it rids the skin of dirt and makeup without also stripping it of good bacteria.

Mother Dirt
Biome-Friendly™ Body Oil

This body oil absorbs quickly and is applied as a spray, making it the quickest way to deeply hydrate the skin.

Mother Dirt
Biome-Friendly™ Body Wash

Just like the foaming cleanser, this cleans your skin without stripping it of moisture or disrupting its microbiome.

Mother Dirt
Biome-Friendly™ Shampoo

This preservative-free, fragrance-free shampoo is safe for all hair types and will deliver healthy, shiny hair. Bonus: by helping to keep your hair’s natural biome intact, it’ll lead you to be able to wash your hair less frequently—win, win.

Mother Dirt
Biome-Friendly™ Moisturizer

Formulated with squalane and linoleic acid, this moisturizer will leave you looking glowing and hydrated—without ever making you feel greasy. Made with only six plant-based ingredients, it’s the perfect moisturizer to bring you into the colder months.

This post is sponsored by Mother Dirt, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. More

As you’ve probably heard by now, fall is officially in full swing (it’s 55 degrees in Chicago right now and as I type this I’m wearing a sweatshirt over a turtleneck—there’s no going back).This fall, our strategy for fall spending is spending less on super trendy pieces and concentrating more on investing in well-made classics and comfortable options that can be worn at home. The best place to find them? Madewell.
For a limited time, Madewell is offering 20% off for all Madewell Insiders (plus you can earn double points on bags!). That means that you can get all your cool-weather essentials—including their newest pieces—at a rare, discounted price. Stop what you’re doing and get ready for the best season of the year.

just login to your Madewell account, discount applied at checkout More

I’m going to be honest: I’ve officially hit a point in quarantine where my sweats just aren’t cutting it. Never did I think I’d see the day that real clothes sound better than loungewear, but I suppose that six months of sitting on the couch can change you in the weirdest of ways.I’m at a point that I need to put on some semblance of presentable clothes during my workdays. I don’t need to be wearing what I’d actually wear to the office, but the reminder that I’m a living, breathing human that does indeed have clothes that don’t involve six-year-old sorority clothes can be exactly what the doctor ordered. The catch? Comfort still needs to be a priority.
That’s where these pieces come in: presentable ones that look like real clothes, but feel like your sweats. Plaid pants that are made out of the same material as your sweats? Say no more. More

Whether you’re plus-size or not, one thing is for sure: adding some pieces to your wardrobe for the new season is about the most fun thing I’ve done all year. Maybe it’s some quarantine fatigue, or maybe it’s the ever-exciting begin of fall, but I’m more excited to get some new pieces this year than ever—even if I’m the only one who sees them. This fall, I’m shopping a solid mix of loungewear and trends, plus all the warm and cozy jackets the world has to offer. Here’s everything I’ve had my eye on this fall—and of course, it’s all available in plus-sizes.

Loungewear

Jackets + Outerwear

Tops

Bottoms

Dresses

  More

I’m just gonna say it… I’m broke. I’m living that post-grad just trying to get it together lifestyle and I can’t be bothered to buy things for full price when I can get them at a major discount. I’m sure that one day I will invest in nice pieces of clothing, but for now, with trends coming and going faster than I can even begin to do the hours of research it would take for me to decide to splurge on something, I’ll stick to my sale-loving roots. The fact that I love shopping — and more specifically, hunting down a good bargain — has basically become a personality trait of mine. It’s just who I am, and I can’t help it (I even have a whole Instagram account dedicated to it). The satisfaction of being complimented on something and being able to say what a great deal it was is one of my favorite pastimes. Maybe that’s just the Midwesterner in me.
It probably goes without saying that I am a Maxxinista, a Nordstrom Rack/Last Chance fanatic, HomeGoods-obsessed, and a Marshalls regular. People in my life will often ask me how I’m able to find cute items at discount stores like these, and I definitely have the years of shopping experience (i.e. I admit it, I probably need to work on my spending habits) to possess my fair share of tips and tricks. Here’s what you need to know to find great pieces, sometimes for an even lower price, at discount stores:

Check out the clearance within the clearance
There is no shame in shopping the clearance rack within a clearance store. I often check out the sale sections first to see if I can score an even better deal before looking through all of the full-price items. This is especially true at Nordstrom Rack, where things can still be pretty pricey and they have a much larger sale section than some of the other stores. They also often do “Clear the Rack” sales, during which they offer additional discounts on their already marked-down prices. Another favorite section of mine is the clearance shoe section at Marshalls.
Pro tip: If you live in the Chicago area, head out to Yorktown mall and go to Nordstrom’s Last Chance. It’s described by the Nordstrom site as, “Our final-clearance store for returned and overstocked merchandise from our Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom.com.” It truly is THE discount store of all discount stores, and the markdowns are epic. 

Really take the time to look through everything
Patience is key in shopping at these types of stores. They are big, sometimes disorganized, and there is a ton of inventory. Make sure before you venture out to your local T.J. Maxx that you have lots of time to browse the aisles and take it all in. You never know what you may find tucked between what seems like one million sweaters jammed on to a single rack or on the back of that shelf behind all the fall candles.

Don’t just stick to clothing
I’ve found some of my favorite home decor pieces at discount stores. We all know that HomeGoods is amazing (and my personal heaven), but certain Marshalls and T.J. Maxx stores have great home decor sections as well, even when they’re not attached to a HomeGoods. They also have amazing home organization items — more wicker baskets, drawer dividers, jewelry stands, and acrylic makeup organizers than you could ever need. My other favorite non-clothing department is beauty/skincare. You can get some amazing deals on high-end makeup brands, salon haircare and tools, and skincare products.

Shop at the end of the season
I went to Marshalls at the end of this summer and let me tell you, it was wild. I got so many cute tops for under $5, and a few that were ONE DOLLAR. There was an extra sale section at the back of the store that had much more stuff than usual. I highly recommend stopping in at the end of each season to see what wonderful steals you can find. These stores have so much inventory coming in and out and need to make room for the next season’s clothes, so they practically give it away!

Designer bags, brand names, and shoes…
Three of my favorite things, especially when it comes to discount stores. Nordstrom Rack carries designer and high-end brands at a much lower price. Their designer bag section is awesome, with brands like Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, and so many more. If you love a specific brand that Nordstrom carries, check Nordstrom Rack or their website to see if you can get a deal. Personally, I love to shop for brands like Free People, Topshop, Zella, Ray-Ban, and Madewell at Rack. And lastly, shoes! I swear, 80 percent of my shoes came from Nordstrom Rack or Last Chance. They carry all the nice brands that I love at much lower prices.

Stop in more frequently
If all else fails, just keep checking back. New inventory comes in very frequently, so if you had one unlucky experience, it most definitely will not be like that every time. I’ve had my fair share of shopping trips where I come out empty-handed, but then come out with way too much stuff the next time. Don’t give up, girl!

I hope that my shopping obsession has finally paid off, and you’ve learned something from this. If you’ve always been weary of or unlucky in these stores, now you have all the tips you need to try again and get yourself some deals. Happy shopping! More

Hi, I’m Ashley and I am the proud CEO of taking everything too far. If I like a TV show (as evidenced by my experience with The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, and Outer Banks), I’ll rewatch episodes and seasons over and over until I know every line and use them effortlessly in everyday conversation. I love pizza rolls so much that my obsession with them has become a bit of a personality trait. In an effort to learn how to budget and invest, I spent $145 on financial self-help books. 
Moderation is not my strong suit, so it’s no surprise that I’ve fallen into the trap of overspending on fall fashion year after year. This season, I’m taking a different approach. Instead of haphazardly and sporadically clicking add to cart over the entire season, I’m allowing myself to purchase everything now (and now only) with the plan to put a chastity belt on my credit card after I hit $200.
After much deliberation, deleting item after item from my list to stay within budget, and searching for my favorite seasonal trends, I’m excited to introduce the items I’m adding to my wardrobe for fall 2020:

Oversized blazers
I have been obsessing over the blazer trend for so long and am finally pulling the trigger on ordering two for myself this season. I usually wear a small but I’m sizing up to a medium for an oversized look that I can dress up or down. I plan to wear these bad boys a ton and know that one day when things return to normal and office life makes a comeback, I’ll be able to wear them on workdays, too.

A cozy flannel
Last year, one of my friends allowed me the pleasure to borrow her oversized flannel for a trip to the cider mill. Upon wiggling into it, I promptly fell in love, took it home to wash it, and stared at it on my clothes rack for a little longer than I should have. I considered changing my name, moving out of the country, and starting a life on a small farm so that I wouldn’t ever have to give it back but, alas, my guilty conscious prevailed and I returned it in two business days. This year, I’m buying one of my own so that I can wear it at all times and live my best, sexy lumberjack life.

A statement bootie
While I consider black booties to be my number one fall staple, I have accumulated so many over the years that I am nearly swimming in them. My goal for this year was to buy a statement heel that I’ll actually wear. Initially, I had my eye on a pair of snakeskin booties but then, I had a better idea. My new and improved plan was to find a pair of white bootie heels that would complement my fall plaid purchases but would still make a bold statement and boom…I found these bad boys:

A cropped sweater
Sometimes I look at my bank account, wonder why I don’t have as much savings as I should, open my closet door to find a wardrobe bursting at the seams with chunky knit sweaters, and am politely reminded. While I would consider fall sweaters to be one of my 14 love languages, I need to cool it this year out of respect to my bank account. I don’t have many cropped sweaters in my collection and I love these balloon sleeves so I decided on this one:

A plaid skirt
If there is one shelf in my closet that is particularly empty, it’s the one that I previously allotted for skirts. I found the need for an autumn-friendly skirt two weeks ago when I decided I wanted to dive deep into fall fashion amongst “still too warm to fully embrace fall” temps. I figure that a plaid skirt will be super cute with a cropped or tucked in knit sweater and will help me transition into full-fledged fall fashion.

Dupe faux leather leggings
Alright, let’s be real… if I had the money, I’d definitely be buying the Spanx faux leather leggings that all of my coworkers gawk over. While they’re at the top of my “to invest in” list, I’m just not yet ready to take the financial plunge. Maybe next year will be my year! For now, I am going to try out these dupe faux leather leggings from Target and manifest winning the lottery for next fall. A foolproof plan, if you ask me. More

If fall had a mascot, it might as well be a soft, cozy, chunky sweater; after all, what signifies the change in season more than that first day that you can finally throw on a sweater instead of the T-shirts you’ve been living in for months prior?Good sweaters are a staple of any wardrobe; they need to be soft and durable and well-made, and believe it or not, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on them to achieve it. Brands have seemingly mastered the art of the affordable, staple sweater, and to lessen your fall stress, we’ve scoured the depths of the internet to find the very best ones of 2020—all under $50.
Light that pumpkin-scented candle and fill up your cart with the tops you’ll be living in until next spring—these are bound to sell out fast.

  More