Hero Piece: Three Ways To Style Your Boho Festival Maxi Dress

Meet the festival fashion OG: a simple boho maxi that can be styled any way your heart desires.

Boho white dresses have definitely earned their place in festival fashion culture. Long before Instagram #OOTDs in front of the infamous ferris wheel were a thing, there were plenty of free loving hippies with flowers in their hair frolicking around in crocheted and fringed numbers at the original Woodstock in 1969.

In recent years, celebrities and influencers like Selena Gomez, Sara Samapio, Rocky Barnes and Camila Coehlo have given white maxis a modern update for Coachella. These stylish muses know how to work it, whether they’re pairing theirs with antique-style jewelry, cowboy boots….or an In-N-Out burger in hand (the ultimate Coachella accessory).

We might not be able to replicate their enviably glam lifestyles, but at least we can borrow some styling cues from these women. A white maxi has endless potential, making it the gift that keeps on giving. Whether your style is romantic or rock chick, here are three ways to make it your own.

Grunge Meets Girlie

Wondering how to tone down the prettiness of a white maxi? Add some tough, borrowed-from-the-boys accessories like biker boots or a leather jacket. Luckily, you don’t need to rely on any boy, ever; just stock up on a chunky pair of shoes, a leather crossbody bag and some cool shades.

High Key Sunglasses by Quay, $65

Boho Babe

A white maxi dress is the boho babe’s kryptonite: she just can’t resist it. She’ll get her power back by styling hers the way she knows best – with a wide-brimmed hat, a fringed bag and an abundance of silver and turquoise jewelry.

Alexis Festival Crossbody, $48

Grecian Goddess

Sure ancient goddesses had servants to fan them with palm leaves while feeding them grapes, but have you ever been to the VIP area of a festival?! This might just be the outfit to gain you that coveted AAA pass and get the treatment a 2019 goddess deserves. Think gold chains, arm cuffs, delicate anklets, lace-up gladiator sandals and you’re on the right track.

Juliette Gold Coin Chandelier Earrings, $38

Why You Need To Be Including Vitamin C In Your Beauty Routine, Like Now

In the veritable alphabet of skincare, here’s why vitamin C should be your BFF.

Fine lines and dark spots and pigmentation, oh my! When it comes to skin complaints, we all have our issues. When every second product on the market claims it can change our lives, finding the secret sauce that really does improve what bothers us can seem next to impossible. Enter: vitamin C; let’s just say not all superheroes wear capes.

You probably know that you should be chowing down on vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits and red bell peppers. That’s because the vitamin cannot be produced by the body. When it comes to reaping the benefits for your complexion, a vitamin C product such as a serum or moisturizer helps to create a brighter complexion, even skin tone, reduce signs of fine lines, shield skin for pollution and increase hydration.

It’s not just beauty industry buzz either – there’s plenty of legit research that backs up the star status of vitamin C. Here’s what you need to know about it… brighter, tighter skin comin’ up.

Look for Ascorbic Acid

This is the most common form of vitamin C used by skincare companies, as it absorbs the quickest and has the highest potency.

Collagen

Vitamin C stimulates the production of collagen, which improves the skin’s texture and quality. Put simply, collagen equals glowing, vibrant skin. Sign us up.

Brightening

As vitamin C helps to keep pesky inflammation at bay, it’s a key step in any regime to brighten skin. Vitamin C also helps to inhibit an enzyme called tyrosinase (which is in charge of converting tyrosine into melanin) therefore preventing hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

Packaging

Vitamin C is as unstable as a former child star. Once vitamin C comes into contact with air, it will ‘destabilize’, so picking the right packaging is crucial. Look for small opaque or glass bottles that have a pump so no air gets into mess with the product.

Sun Protection

Repeat after me: SPF SPF SPF. While you should always be shielding yourself from the sun’s rays, it is extra beneficial to do so when you incorporate vitamin C into your routine. According to experts, vitamin C helps protect your skin from sun damage and photo damage from ultraviolet rays even further when combined with SPF 50.

All things considered, we’re wondering if there’s anything this miracle worker can’t do. If you’re still reading this article..... good.

But, if you’ve ran off to your nearest beauty store – that’s even better.

Every Instagram Friendly Hotel In The US You Need To Know About

We’re not saying that the only reason for booking a hotel should be its photo opps: but then again, we won’t judge if a backdrop is more important to you than a late checkout.

Hoteliers and hospitality groups are pretty upfront about the fact that they are continually designing with the younger, Instagram-obsessed generation in mind. It makes sense too; according to market research company Curalate, 97% of Millennials post about their travel experience on social media – that’s a *hella lotta* hashtags doing the rounds.

While your parents might still have postcards of Lady Liberty or polaroids from the Grand Canyon, the beauty of having a smartphone with no photo limit is the endless potential to ‘gram your way (in real time) through the best a new place has to offer.

When it comes time to switch on the ‘out of office’ response, here are some of our fave hotels to flock to – sit back and order yourself a cocktail, pose, and watch the likes flood in.

Hawaii: Shoreline Hotel, Waikiki

Murals? Check. Acai bowls? Check. Rooftop pool? Check. Neon light installations? Check. Grab your sunblock and we’ll see you there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvVKUAYBAL9/

Utah: Amangiri

Accommodation at this slick, futuristic-looking resort sure doesn’t come cheap – but can you really put a price on having your own outdoor plunge pool and a personal bar on your private terrace?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpE7eo5DUbX/

Nevada: Bellagio Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – except for the snaps, of course.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxC4vBBs--/

California: The Joshua Tree House

If a night in the Mojave desert is calling your name, seek out this famous ‘hacienda’ which has even spawned its own book. With quintessentially Californian boho interiors, you can even rent a 1971 VW camper van to use in your impromptu photo shoot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BY3pC04AMoP/

Tennessee: Urban Cowboy, Nashville

Name a place where more people have taken bath selfies – we’ll wait. This eight-room boutique hotel, in a historic Victorian mansion, will bring some ~ yeehaw ~ to your feed. (Ps. the original Urban Cowboy is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and can also be booked solely for photo shoots!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnC5c4hkWs/

Florida: Faena, Miami Beach

Visiting this luxury five star hotel is like stepping into a wonderland. Stop by to see ‘Gone but not Forgotten’ (Damien Hirst’s three-metre tall golden wooly mammoth) and stay for the awe-inspiring fun fair-themed decor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk8EobMFh0l/

Michigan: The Siren Hotel

This Vogue-approved hotel is bringing some Golden Age Hollywood glamor to downtown Detroit. From the vintage and Art Deco accents to a 1,500-pound chandelier and a beaded cocktail corner called the ‘Candy Bar’ – it’s a veritable feast for the eyes…. and your feed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bntb9Q-BUY-/

New York: The Standard Highline

New York, New York: a city so nice they named it twice. Naturally, the hotels in the big apple are as sensory pleasing as the metropolis itself. While there’s no end to the amount of Instagrammable hotels in NYC – The Standard seems to be the most popular. We blame the wall-to-wall windows because, well, …. dat view *heart eyes emoji*

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3VbpCDlnq/

Five Things To Do To Reduce Your Phone Screen Time

Hey, don’t forget to look up once in a while and remember what’s going on *IRL* around you.

It’s more than a bit ironic that with all this connectivity, we are increasingly found with our faces glued to screens – after all what’s so social about our solitary social media scrolling habits? With real-time Instagram and Snapchat stories coming @ us every second, it’s getting harder to tear ourselves away from the virtual world that lives in the palm of our hands.

Detox is a total buzz word when summer approaches, but this time we’re advocating a diet that restricts phone use. This season, here’s how to ~ rEcOnNeCt ~ with your offline self.

Phone-Free Zone

When hanging w/ friends over dinner or drinks, think about banning phones from the situation for a while. The always-buzzing group chat is there for a reason: when you’re having actual Face Time, it’s important to be present.

Text Neck

A Florida-based Chiropractor recently realized that teens and young adults are in danger of what he terms ‘text neck’, due to the amount of time they are spending hunched over looking at screens. Is double tapping images and retweeting memes really worth sore shoulders, poor posture and (gulp) neck wrinkles? We think not. Keeping these side effects of too much phone use in mind is one incentive to ditch the tech.

Screen Time

Yes, you can police yourself and your app-happy reliance. Certain phones have built in screen time limits allowing you to only use your guilty pleasure apps for the amount of time you deem appropriate. Find yourself on a social media deep dive while in bed? You can also enable ‘down time’ settings which turn off your apps and notifications while you catch some precious Zzzs.

BYOB

That’s bring your own book, of course. If you know you’re going to be waiting around (say for an appointment or while on a loooooong bus journey) stash a paperback or your fave glossy mag in your bag.

Wake Up Sans Phone

Ok, ok we’re all culprits of logging on to check notifications before our eyes are even properly open in the AM. Try sleeping with your phone outside your bedroom… you can buy an old school alarm clock if that’s your excuse for snoozing with it under your pillow. Trust us, waking up and NOT seeing some Instagram bikini babe on the beach first thing really sets your day off on a better note.