BrownSkinMaven

Traveling can be a not so smooth event at times, but that doesn't mean you can't look good while jet setting from city to city.  When dressing for a travel day I try to keep two things in mind, first, the temperature on the plane, and second, the temperature of the destination that I will be headed too.  The planes always get a little chilly, so I always travel with a scarf!  It serves as a light weight cover up for me if the plane gets a little too cold.  On Christmas Eve I caught and early flight here's a peak at what I wore.

My lifestyle and career have caused me to become quite the traveler, and in doing so I have crafted my art of packing.   It usually takes me about two days to pack my clothes, depending on the length of my trip. In doing so, I count out the days and then pull outfits according to the type of trip I am taking.  Once I get all the outfits pulled, I take the time to try each and every one on down to the shoes and accessories, and yes, even my purse that I am going to carry.   When I am not traveling, getting dressed is a five minute process.  I pick a shirt or bottom out and then pull the rest of the outfit together based around that one piece.  However, when traveling I do not have the same access, so I have to carefully pull each outfit together to ensure I have everything I need to make it look just right.  Once I pull the outfit together, and its to my liking, I put it on a hanger and put it on my rolling rack.  When I have all my outfits together, I pull out my suit cases and

Sundays are usually a casual day for me, as I am typically running errands and getting ready for the coming week.  Today I was up early and out the door running around town taking care of some quick to-do's.  When I am out and about on a down day, I like to be comfy yet still chic and ready for anything.  Today I knew I might be trying on a few pieces of clothing at a couple places, so on days like this one, my attire is ready for quick and easy changes.  I went with some leggings, a long sleeve T-shirt,  some knee-high boots, topped off with a leather jacket and wrap-scarf.  Here's a peak at my outfit: Outfit Details Leather Jacket - Gap (super old) Long Sleeve Boat Neck Top - Gap Leggings - BCBG Boots - Dolce Vita Pashmina Wrap Scarf - (purchased at random boutique) Cross Body Purse - Gucci Happy Sunday! BrownSkinMaven

Whether for the body or even the home atmosphere, I am a lover of all things that smell good!  A great fragrance can be the essence that identifies you to the world.  As a little girl I remember always knowing when my mom was close by because her scent was always such a comforting elegant perfume that filled the air in our home.  So I definitely inherited that smell good factor from her.  This is a rarity for me to share my favorite scents, but below you will find a few of my go to perfumes and candle scents that I just can't live without.  I tend to like those that are in the sweet, powdery, floral family.                 See By Chloe                                  Thierry Mugler Alien                            Prada Candy                               Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille                                    Forever Midnight                        Chanel COCO MADEMOISELLE                Bath & Body Works   Japanese Blossom & Frosted Cranber

Today I decided to wear one of my favorite body hugging dresses, however, there is a time and place for certain clothing fits.  I try to stay conscious of my day to day attire while handling business, so I chose to wear a outer garment to tone down my sexy.  Its great to have options when piecing outfits together because it makes it easy to take a look from day to night or dressy to casual.  I teetered between a blazer and a long sweater this morning.  I ended up wearing the sweater, just because I wasn't really doing anything extra special so I went for the more casual look.  Here's a peek at both options:  

Black and white stripes are always a great combo by themselves, but sometimes a splash of color takes it to another level.  What better than a pop of red to throw in the mix!  Today I decided to play with this striped blazer and add a long tank over some harem tuxedo pants. Here's a peak at today's outfit: 

Sometimes, it pays to have patience when shopping for clothing.  It is to my extreme pleasure when I can find mind blowing deals on items that I have been lusting over and possibly passed on or even missed out on because of a size not being available when I wanted to purchase the item.   I was overly excited this weekend while at an off price store, that I usually despise going into because of the extremely chaotic madness that takes place.  To my surprise, I copped this jumpsuit that I had my eyes on and missed my opportunity on initially.  It retailed originally for $150 and I got it at a steal of a deal, only paying $19.97.  I snatched it up so fast and dropped everything else in my hand and ran to the register.  I didn't care about anything else at that point!  Now this is what you call a deal you can't resist!                                              Outfit Details Belted Long Sleeve Jumpsuit - Michael Michael Kors Dark Natural Patent Leather Pumps -

While on the hunt for a certain branded pair of wax coated denim jeans in the color wine, I came across a pair at a price I just could not pass up.  While they weren't the pair I lusted for, they were still great enough to satisfy my desire.  Today my whole outfit was based around these awesome else jeans that I picked up at Macy's.  Not bad for $31, and the best part, they are stretchy with and amazing fit.  They still cover my backside when I bend over!  Its hard to find a great pair of jeans sometimes that are both cute and fit just right!  I truly got lucky with this amazing find! Here is the outfit of the day:

I love color but there is always something clean and classy looking about black and white.  Today I was going for a simple sophisticated look that allowed for movement but still screamed "Bosslady!" Here's a peak at todays outfit:

This is the time of year when I stock up on my footwear because of all the great sales that take place.  Over the last few weeks I have picked up a few fabulous items to add to my collection!  I was especially excited because I have been on the hunt for some red heels and was able to find a couple sassy suede pairs.  A girl can never have enough heels and boot options to choose from! Oh yea and of course when you love it, buy it in multiple colors! Here's a peak at my fab findings: Enzo Angiolini Felycia Pump

My favorite time of year is fall/winter time because, being from the "Great Northwest, originally, I have an extreme appreciation for warm weather clothes, i.e. boots and sweaters!  At a whopping 36 degrees, I decided I wanted to layer up this morning.   I was excited to put on some tights,  a sweater dress and one of my many pairs of boots.  A girl can never have to many great pairs of boots.  They can be worn with a little of everything!  Check out my fit of the day:

I had to jump up this morning and run a few errands but I still wanted to make myself presentable.  I threw on a cozy over sized sweater, some leggings boots, a hat, and I was out the door.  You want to ensure that when you are building a wardrobe, you have items that allow you effortless style for moments when you don't have much time to get yourself together.  Quick, Simple and Chic.  Happy Sunday!

I, like many other women of color, had a hard time finding the best make-up brands that were conducive to my needs.  I do not wear heavy makeup,  but I do go for a little enhancement to brighten up my face and keep my daily look polished from head to toe.  These items are my daily go to's that keep my look simple and easy. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder This powder gives a very natural finish that is not cakey.  It can be worn wet or dry. This is a quick and easy to do if I am in a rush and do not have time to put on tinted moisturizer or if I need touch up throughout the day.  Also great because there is buildable coverage if you need it.

Saturday I met with some friends for lunch and a little shopping.  I always like to dress comfy yet sassy when I am out just enjoying a non work day.  I usually build my weekend wardrobe around a nice blazer or jacket and leggings.  Two pieces that are effortless and make for easy shopping attire when when trying on clothes.  Here is the outfit that I wore:

Happy Friday!  Today I wasn't feeling the greatest but I had a couple of mandatory meetings that I knew I couldn't reschedule.  Being that my meetings were less formal today, I decided to have a casual Friday.  Now for some people this outfit may not be casual, but we all have our own comfort zones when it comes to fashion and its important that you customize your wardrobe to fit your lifestyle and what's best suited for your line of work or daily environment.  Here's a peek at what made the cut today.

In my line of work I need to be able to look great as well as be comfortable enough to run around like a mad woman for a couple hours or more at a time.  My go to for those much to do flexi-fab moments is a great jumpsuit!  I have one for every occasion, from comfy jersey material to a dressy silk, and they are also great for travel because they don't take up much room in your suit case. :-)  This week I had an event, so here is a peek at my jumpsuit worn for that evening.

Who doesn't love a good bargain, especially on your favorite items.  This past Sunday and Tuesday I did some shopping at the BCBG outlet and Marshall's and scored! I am a sucker for a great jacket, blazer or coat.  I feel like no matter the weather if you have one of the above you have a great layering piece to any outfit!  I particularly had been on the hunt for a black leather jacket as well as a specific BCBG coat from last season.  Lets just say, it pays to be patient and do your research, shop around and dig for items you are on the hunt for.  Fortunately for me I scored twice this week with these two fabulous, and, in my opinion, quite practical and timeless pieces.

Since I am an independent contractor I have the luxury of dressing any kind of way that my mood sees fit.  When you look good you feel good, so I always try to look my best at all times.  I am not one of those night time planners, meaning I don't put my outfit together the night before, nor do I put a lot of thought into my outfits. It's whatever I am feeling at the moment. Truth be told, I truly never know what I am going to wear until I walk into my closet.  Usually the first piece of clothing I see, whether it be a blazer, shirt, skirt, belt, shoes, scarf, etc., is the what I base my entire look of the day on.  This morning my blouse was the first thing I saw, and so this outfit was born.

I don’t know about you, I always prefer to try my clothing on whenever possible! However, I usually seem to find my best items online, and it can be very challenging because I never know how they are going to fit me compared to the “fit model” that is used.   I’ve always said it would be quite helpful to know their “stats”, as it would truly save me the process of having to return items if I just had a few more details before purchasing.   That being said, I decided that I would share “my stats” with you, so that as you browse through and try to determine how some of the items I wear would fit or look on you, you have a bases of go off of.    Black Anne Klein Sweater Dress Size L Black Dolce Vita Flat Knee High Boots Size 10 Measurements - 34 – 28 – 38 Height – 5’9” Weight – 170 Inseam – 34 Pants Size – 10 or 31 Dress Size – 10 -12 Shirt size – M to L Shoe Size - 9.5 to 10 One thing to remember is that some brands ru

Hello and thank you for checking out my blog.  It was created by request, and due to my own past issues in searching the internet long and wide for a blog that I could relate to in hopes of finding beauty and fashion items and ideas best suited to my needs, I thought it only fitting to contribute my daily journey.  I am a 5’9” with long arms and legs and an addiction to fabulous fashions.  Over the years I had trouble finding items fitting to my stature, but through trial, error and my passion for shopping, I was able to found my own comfort zone in the fashion world.  I have often been told that I have effortless style and even to my surprise been labeled a maven.    So with this intense love, along with the desire to always help and influence others in a positive way, the birth of Brown Skin Maven was created.  Hopefully, my blog can be resourceful to you in some way or form.  So thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this blog.  New posts coming soon so stay tuned…..