Her Campus Roundup October’13

October was such a busy month of blogging for HerCampus.com for me! Check out my favorite articles of the month below:

Collegefeed: Connecting Students with Employers and Organizing Flash Mobs

The Ellen Show Films Green Monsters, Live from BU

DIY Nail Art: Chevron Mani

Making a Statement with a Tribal Vest

When I found this vest at LF's end of the season sale, I knew it would be perfect to dress up solid sweaters through the winter. While my sweaters lay tucked away deep into my drawer, I decided to give it a test run with a simple dress. I paired the outfit with heeled booties and a spikey statement necklace to go with the edgy look of the moto-style vest.

Dress: Forever 21| Vest: LF Stores | Shoes: Lucky Brand | Statement Necklace: BaubleBar

#insta #ootd

Her Campus Roundup September'13

One of the reasons I don't post on this blog as often as I'd like to is because I am both the Director of Photography and Senior Editor of Her Campus BU. HCBU is a campus chapter of Her Campus, an online magazine for college women. It has great content about lifestyle, fashion, love, career, and giveaways written by college girls all over the country. I write and edit articles for HCBU each week, as well as attending and photographing our events. So, I thought it would be a good idea to start posting the HCBU articles I write here each month!

Transitional Outfit Choices for Fall

MixFest the Photo Essay: Gavin DeGraw Charms, the Backstreet Boys Confuse, and of Monsters and Men take over Boston

HCBU & Teen Vogue Present: Back to School Style Giveaway

NYFW Spring 2014 Collections for Every Style

For more, view my full Her Campus Author page here!

When Photojournalism Introduces me to New People

This semester, I am taking Advanced Photojournalism, a graduate level class that requires me to produce a new photo story each week. To help us start out, my teacher assigned us a project to go to the Boston Common and find a story. Although I may have previously been nervous to go to the park, completely unsure of what I was going to shoot, I did just that. I ended up photographing a henna tattoo artist who refers to himself at "The Great Da'oud."

Speaking to Da'oud was surprisingly fun and interesting. He seemed so happy to have me there and asked me about myself as well. What I love most about Da'oud is his willingness to help the others struggling in the park around him. There are 4 balloon artists, but only 1 henna artist, he told me. They compete with one another, but he helps them by bringing them sandwiches and selling some of their balloons. Over the 3 days I spent shooting him in the park, I came to admire his optimism and generosity. Photojournalism is constantly giving me the opportunity to meet people, like Da'oud who I would not have encountered otherwise. It allows me to take a peek into people's lives and share their stories.



Not to be forgotten, my new friends didn't let me leave without a gift. One of the balloon artists, Marty, made me a flower balloon bracelet. I'm proud to say I showed up at work that day wearing it!



See the full story on my class blog here

High Low Skirts: A Happy Medium for Fall Outfits

If there's something about me that all of my friends know, it's that I hate the cold. Boston winters terrify me and I like to cling on to summer weather for as long as possible. Since these past few weeks have been warm for the most part (and because I blocked the chilly days out of my memory), I haven't put my summer clothes away quite yet. Instead, I've been trying to wear my favorite "warm weather pieces" with a fall twist. This high low skirt from Topshop is one of my favorite fall transitional pieces. It's green, a big color for fall, and it keeps me warmer than the typical miniskirt.

Skirt: Topshop | Stripped crop top with lace sleeves: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: Lola in Vegas | Spiked Shoes: Aldo

A quick change: To update this outfit, I changed into a black crop top and added a brighter necklace, taking it from day to night.

Mint and Spiked Statement Necklace: Claire's | Black Crop Top: American Eagle

Vogue Embraces Social Media with their First Instagram Photo Shoot

When I tell people I'm a journalism major, I don't always get the most enthusiastic response from my peers. Usually, it's somewhere between a polite smile and a nod, while black and white images of newspapers come floating into their heads. "Who reads newspapers anymore?" they tend to say.

Whether I'm an avid newspaper lover or not, I completely disagree that journalism is a dying field. With new advances in technology and social media coming out daily, journalism is thriving and expanding like never before. Those who think my future profession is dying have a narrow view of journalism.

This is why I could not have been happier when I saw Vogue's first Instagram photo shoot. The photos were shot in NYC by Michael O'Neal and edited with nothing but a Nashville filter. #VogueInstaFashion is made up of 3 mini stories: #wednesdaybreakmyheat, onestopshopnyc, and #sleepwalksnewyork. After this photo shoot and Anna Wintour's recent Instagram debut, the magazine has shown its willingness to embrace social media.

When I go to a photo shoot, I bring my camera in one hand and my iPhone in another. My camera is my primary tool of choice, but between every few snaps of my shutter, I give my camera a break to let my iPhone take its place. On my way home to process my digital images, I post my camera phone photos on Instagram and Facebook for instant feedback. Technology is not ruining photojournalism, it's making the field faster and more accessible.

To those of you who worry that apps like Instagram will replace our DSLR cameras, what are you afraid of? Instagram is an excellent assistant to your beloved Nikon or Cannon. Whether it becomes the preferred medium or not, the most important thing should always be strong photography, as Vogue proved in their shoot.

Mani Moment: InstaMani

Today, I finally tried out a nail trend I usually stay away from, nail stickers! I received the chevron glitter stickers as a free sample while I was in Las Vegas (no brand name on the packaging!) and saved them for a day when I didn't have time to draw my own design. The sample only came with one sticker, but I cut it in half to make it fit on both of my "statement nails." Luckily, both sides were rounded. I paired the chevron print with a deep magenta color, perfect for transitioning to fall.

Last First Day, Last First Day Outfit

Whether you're going into middle school, high school, or college, there's always hype over finding the perfect back to school outfit. Perhaps you want to show off the new clothes you bought over summer, or maybe you just want to make a good impression. Well, as a college senior, I recently had my "last first day" of school, so I knew I had to make my outfit stand out. I opted for a skirt and tank, knowing that the weather won't stay warm here in Boston for much longer.

Shirt: BDG at Urban Outfitters | Skirt: Ecote at Urban Outfitters | Necklace: BaubleBar | Spiked Shoes: Aldo | Earrings: Betsey Johnson

Mani Moment: Make a Tribal Statement

 

 

For this look, I first used the white side of a Revlon neon nail art set to paint my statement nail. Then, I outlined the tribal design with a Mattese NYC black nail art pen. This "pen" was more like a long, thin brush. I filled in the design with Essie first timer and Essie lapiz of luxury, which I also used to paint the rest of my nails.

 

Style Crush: Lily Collins

Lily Collins, a rising star in Hollywood, has found her niche on the red carpet. When I saw Lily rock a palm tree print skirt at the Teen Choice Awards, I instantly put her on my style radar. She has since impressed me with her countless, polished looks at the global premieres of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Lily's formerly demure style has grown edgier lately, with her love of crop tops and high-low skirts.

 

Lily in Fausto Puglisi at the Teen Choice Awards

 

  Lily wears a Paper London crop top an Halston Heritage fishtail skirt at the Berlin premiere of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

 

Lily wears a Houghton top and skirt at the Madrid premiere of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

 

Lilly wears Cushnie Et Ochs at the Los Angeles premiere of The Lost Instruments: City of Bones

Macklemore's Same Love: The Atypical Summer Hit

When my brother first turned up the radio and told me to pay attention to Macklemore's "Same Love," I nodded my head along to the rhythm of the song until it finally hit me. This rapper was actually talking about something besides sex, money, and fame; he was rapping a pro-gay message. These unexpected lyrics have given me my favorite song of the summer, and here's why you should love it too:

1. An unusual combination.

Even Macklemore is first to admit that rap and pro-gay messages don't typically mix. "If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me. Have you read the YouTube comments lately?" People toss around the word "gay," regularly, using it with a negative connotation. As "Same Love" says, we've been desensitized.

2. It calls us out for stereotyping.

At the beginning of the song, Macklemore talks about a math equation he used to determine whether or not he was gay based on preconceived notions. As a kid, he associated being gay with being able to draw, having a gay relative, and keeping his room neat. He thought he might be gay, just because he had characteristics he associated with being gay. On the other hand, he played little league, part of the "straight stereotype."

3. The acknowledgement that we can't change who we are.

In "Same Love's" chorus, a female singer (Mary Lambert) literally says that she can't change even if she wanted to. But why would she want to change who she is? She couldn't, even if she tried.

4. Looking at our history of oppression.

Macklemore raps that hate is behind denying gay marriage. He goes on to say this is the same hate that was behind the oppression of religions and races. We are denying people the right to marry by calling them the lesser.

"A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it."

"Same Love" carries a strong, important message in the unexpected form of a rap song. Macklemore has gay uncles, who he believes should have the right to marry just like any other American. In this song, he stands up for his family and what he believes in, putting himself out there to receive public criticism. Controversy and insightful lyrics have definitely made "Same Love" a hit.


"No freedom till we're equal, damn right I support it"

Note: This article also appeared on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-shinners/macklemores-same-love-the_b_3793275.html

My BaubleBar Obsession

From left to right: Double Chiclet Strand, Pomegranate Marquise Fringe Collar, Mint Wana Bib, Mystery Makeover, Gold Multi Mini Triad Pendant

Confession: when statement necklaces first started trending, I completely avoided them. I thought I was too petite and that an oversized necklace would overwhelm me. Boy, was I wrong! Statement necklaces are my latest trend obsession. I love wearing them to dress up a casual outfit or to polish off a collared shirt.

After stalking the BaubleBar website (and twitter and instagram...) for way too long, I finally purchased my first baubles. Thanks to my new Spiked Quad Stand, I am completely hooked. My purchase may have been long overdue, but I plan on wearing my baubles often to make up for it!

Mani Moment: Nail Art with Revlon Neon

When I first saw Revlon Neon in CVS, I knew I had to have it. This double sided brush just screams nail art! I opted for a chevron style mani, which I shaped using scotch tape.

Get the look:

You'll need a base coat, top coat, any revlon neon nail art set, and scotch or masking tape.

Step 1. After applying your base coat, use the white brush to completely paint your nails.

Step 2. Once the white polish is completely dry, cut off small pieces of tape. Then, put 2 pieces of tape over your first nail, forming an upside down triangle shape, and apply the neon nail polish.

I find taping one nail at a time makes it easier to get the shape right.

Ultimately, I found this nail polish fun and easy to use. I can't wait to try out more designs!