FreeStyleMay 2016

Meet the Team...Table of Contents

my networking skills and experience with customer service to broaden my horizons and learn new things in the fashion in-dustry. I plan on attending cosmetology school in Fall 2016 to continue my career aspirations of being a fashion stylist and/or bridal consultant. With my expertise in makeup application, degree in Fashion Merchandising, and soon to be license in cosmetology, I will be a well-rounded, one-stop-shop for all your fashion and bridal needs.

I am a Senior Fashion Merchandising major with a minor in Business Administration at East Carolina University. I am an enthusiastic individual that enjoys working with people, mentoring and help-ing others, and using

Aja Salaam..

Wendy Davis..

I am a graduating senior at ECU majoring in Merchandising with a concentration in apparel. In May i will begin my internship with a local makeup and apparel boutique here in Green-ville named B.A.A.B.S. Beauty Bar. I enjoy everything fashion related from hair to makeup and of course clothing!

Brittney Melton ..

I am a graduating senior at East Carolina University with a dual degree in Fashion Merchandising and Communications with a concentration in Journal-ism. After college I aspire to one day own my own magazine with all the things I enjoy such as fashion and health. In the meantime I am aspiring to have a summer internship that will put out of my comfort soon and start grad school in the fall to start a MBA program.

Charnae Brown ..

I am currently a senior at East Carolina University, majoring in Fashion Merchandising with a Commu-nications minor, and I will be graduating in May. I am also the creator of Fashcharnista Fashion Blog, a blog dedicated to style rebels like myself. As one of the writers of Free Style I am responsible for not only generating articles but I also contribute to the overall content of the magazine.

“I dream it, I work hard, I grind ‘til I own it”- Beyoncé

My names Lauren! I like long walks on the beach, peanut butter and my dogs. I drink my coffee with a little milk, sometimes I drink too much, but inevita-bly I’m always smiling. I am a Fashion Merchandis-ing major with a minor in Communication. I have a fashion internship in Los Angeles this summer, and I see nothing but positive things after graduation this Spring!

Lauren Knight..

Fashcharnista Style: Graduation

As Graduation approaches, we all look forward to solidifying this

enduring process with our graduation ceremony. This occasion is also a time that we can artistically express who we are, our feelings about graduation, or a humorous thought as we decorate

our caps. Decorating graduations caps is not only an expression but a needed outlet during this time leading to that special day. The creative process of decorating your cap really allows you to have a moment to embrace that you are really about to graduate. If you

have the time in between finals, final projects and stressing, decorating you cap is a great use of your time. I chose to do a Fashcharnista themed cap. My blog is a great deal of who I am and who I intend to be so it felt natural. Anyone who knows me also knows that I LOVE glitter, gold, and cheetah print. Somehow, I managed to combine these elements with-

out it looking awful. I was extremely pleased with how my cap turned out and treasured the time I spent work-ing on it.

The next element of graduation that allows you to express yourself are

By: Charnae Brown aka “Fashcharnista”

taking your graduation pictures. Graduation pictures present not only a time to display your accomplish-

ments, but also the opportunity to

A cap and gown is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a killer ensemble, but the right Fash-charnista can dress up any attire. This is the perfect time to go wild with your accessories, hair, and make-up. Your originality can be

endless when it comes to your pho-tos and you should make the most of it. I wanted my graduation look to

{flaunt your style aesthetic.}

incorporate some of my favorite style elements, while integrating a few new

pieces.

Like all great outfits, I started the foundation of the look with dope shoes. Fabulous shoes are a must when creating a stellar look. My shoes stole my heart the moment I

saw them. Shoes tell a story and give you a lot of insight about your style. My pom-pom heels give me Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City vibes. Simply put, I loved them so I had to have them. As for my accessories, I pulled out a few of my favorite state-ment pieces to jazz up my gown. My go-to gold accessories are not only stylish but sentimental. Years from now, when I show these pictures to my children, I want them to see how

well accessorized their mother was. (haha!) Last but not least, I had the full celebrity treatment and had my hair and make-up done for my photo-shoot. A good friend of mine, Wendi Davis, did my make –up and it looked flawless. It was my first time having full face and I LOVED it!! It was the perfect final touch to my look. All of these elements combined created the perfect Fashcharnista graduation style.

Dealing with Body Image & Self Acceptance

Thousands of women deal with hav-ing a negative view of their body and

whether to accept themselves for who they are or doing something to fix it. Even if a woman decides to lose weight she still has to be comfortable with herself to know that the road to self-acceptance wont be

easy. Self-acceptance will not come over-night; there will be days where it seems like the journey will be tough and nev-er-ending. Realistically speaking no one can avoid having a bad day. It’s about how you bounce back from those negative moments and continue to look at yourself as a work of art in progress.

By: Wendi Davis

no matter how much she weighs or how she thinks of herself. Women also shouldn’t rely on today’s media platforms to show them how a body should look. In today’s society a woman’s body is looked at as an object or tool, and not as a actual figure. We need to start chang-ing these perspectives so women in the future wont look up to the media for what an ideal body looks like.

Going through a self-acceptance journey myself, I’ve had many moments of de-pression and wondering if I will ever fully love myself for who I am. it has taken many years to not seek validation from others and truly be okay with the body I am in. After many failed attempts at dieting and going to the gym, I realized that even if I do lose the weight I still have to be comfortable with who I am on the inside. For me it goes further than body image. After being verbally bullied for years in public school, I let the words of my peers affect me. Even at 21 years of age, It’s taken a long time to reverse the way I thought about myself inside and out. Today I look back on those times and wonder how would I look at myself now if I was never called ugly or fat at an impressionable age. I wish that I never let those words affect me, but in a strange way it has helped shaped my attitude and how I feel about self-esteem today. I wrote this article to not only share my story, but to hopefully inspire someone else to keep going and never give up on their own self-esteem journey.

{Every woman’s body is valuable}

Make up, clothing, and accessories galore! You mean I can find them

for up to 70% off? Tell me more, tell me more,

Websites and apps where you can your favorite make up, clothes, nail products, accessories and even electronics at their wholesale price are on the rise. The Wish app and the Cute app are the top trend-ing apps where you can find your favor-ite products for up to 70% off. Wish was founded by two ex-google employees. Wish has a similar layout to Pinterest except each link takes you directly to a page with descriptions, ratings, reviews, and a shopping cart link. By eliminating the middle man and retailer, Wish and Cute are able to get your products at a cheaper price, low shipping cost and can get you your product in up to two weeks (sometime more depending on market conditions). Wish is more geared towards fashion, shoes, and accesso-ries, while Cute is catered more towards make up and brushes, nail products, and hair products. I was able to get a contour palette from Cute that originally costs $45, for $11! If that isn’t a steal, I don’t know what is. Other than the extremely low prices and shipping costs, Wish and Cute also offer deals of the day and hour-ly deals. If you order a certain product within the hour or the 24 hours, you could get it for an even cheaper price! Apps like these are sweeping the market and could soon become a great competitor to E-commerce sites like Amazon and E-bay.

Ode to discounts By: Aja Salaam

{tell me more!}

Local Designer Spotlight: Moon and Lola

When we think of the fashion in-dustry, we find our minds drifting

off to some fashion-forward urban city like NYC or LA. It’s hard to imagine our very own state as being a breed-ing ground for the latest in apparel and accessories. Well, think again. In this issue of Freestyle, we’re taking a peek into the up-and-coming North Carolina jewelry brand that is Moon & Lola.

M&L’s owner, Kelly Shatat, (pictured above) got her start after seeking a “creative outlet” to get her through the stressors of being a pharmacist.

By: Morgan Mcleod After discovering her knack for creating beautiful handcrafted jewelry designs out of various metals, stones, and acrylics, Kelly chose to leave the world of pharmacy behind and pursue a ca-reer as a “girl boss.” Naming her com-pany, Moon & Lola, after the nicknames of herself and her longtime best friend, Kelly’s goal was to create beautiful pieces that would bring her customers happiness – the same happiness she found through spending time doing the things she loves.

{MEET KELLY.}

image via: www.moonandlola.com

{THE ORIGINAL ACRYLIC}

{SHOP LOCAL.}

The key to success in today’s fashion in-dustry is to be unique – follow trends, but find ways to refresh them and make them your own. Kelly Shatat did just that. Be-lieve it or not, Moon & Lola’s first jewelry product was, and still is today, crafted from boat-grade acrylic. That’s right, the same acrylic that is used for boats is also being used for jewelry and is offered in a vari-ety of beautiful and bold colors and styles. Kelly saw the trend of monogrammed jew-elry taking off in the South and she decided to find her own way to bring it to life once again. See below:

Since the grand opening of its flagship store in 2013, Moon & Lola has since opened 4 more specialty boutiques, a pop-up shop, and has even made its entrance into a few luxury department stores. Next time you visit Raleigh, Apex, or Charleston be sure to stop in one of the stores and say hello!

image via: www.moonandlola.com

Top Rated Makeup Products under $20

By: Wendi Davis

We know our readers love makeup, But love saving money even more!

In this article we chose the most recently released beauty products with positive reviews that are under twenty dollars.

$5-$7

This primer is perfect for combination to oily skin women who want their makeup to last all day! You can find this product in any drugstore beauty section (Walgreens, CVS, etc)

$1-$3

Wet N Wild has perfect range of colors that are perfect for making a statement or keeping it natural. The Megalast Lip Color line has about 7 main shades from nude to a vampy purple that has a shade for every reader! You can also find these in your drugstore beauty section.

$6

Kabuki brushes have remained popular within the beauty community despite their hefty price tag. e.l.f is known for provid-ing quality makeup products and brushes at an affordable price and this brush is no different. You can use this brush for blending powder products such as blush and bronzer. e.l.f products are available in your local Target and Walmart.

{Rimmel Stay Matte Primer}

{Wet N Wild Megalast Lip Color}

{e .l .f. Kabuki Face Brush}

$5-$7

This eyebrow pencil and comb attach-ment is the perfect dupe to MAC and Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pen-cils and half the price! This product is great for women who want a more nat-ural brow and don’t have a lot of time to spend on their brow routine. This prod-uct is available in most drugstores.

$3-$5

This product is a great dupe for MAC Fix + setting spray and Urban Decay All Nighter spray. It’ll hold your makeup all day long and perfect for pictures and events! This product is available at your local Target and Walmart..

{Maybelline Define A Brow}

{e .l .f. Makeup Mist and Set Spray}

As you are strolling through campus it is hard not to notice students rockin’ some fresh trends. with choker neck-

laces, “athleisure” wear is bigger than ever, and sneakers are getting a stylish new makeover. These trends are making their way into the closets of students every-where.

Campus TrendsBy: Lauren Knight

{‘90s are making a comeback}

Being 90’s babies, we all grew up in the era where choker necklaces were all the rage. I’m sure most of us used to rock the plastic “tattoo” stretchy chokers growing up. Well, now chokers have made a huge comeback. This girl’s choker necklace is a stylish twist on the plastic choker necklaces we used to rock. The thick metal and the jewel details are eye catching and sure to make the plastic chokers jealous.

, athleisure wear seems to be here to stay. “Athleisure” is the buzzword used to refer to this hybrid of athletic/ loungewear. It is refreshing that the fashion world is blessing us with a trend where it is acceptable to wear sweatshirts and joggers to grab lunch. This girl rocks an East Carolina crop sweatshirt paired with grey joggers, white Converse All-Stars and a camouflage jacket.

{Love it or hate it}

Going along with the athleisure trend, the sneaker game has been on point. Brands such as Adidas, Nike, Vans and Converse are spotted on student’s feet throughout campus and even downtown. We have celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Rihanna to thank for really popularizing this trend and ensuring us that sneakers are always the best show choice. Everyone, tom boy or not, seems to be trading in there uncomfortable heels or sandals for some sneakers.

4 Creative Gallery Wall Ideas to Transform your Desk Space from

Dorm Room Drab to a Designer ’s Dream

If you love Pinterest, because let’s be honest – what else do you find yourself scrolling through during those long lectures – then you’ve probably seen all the latest craze on gallery walls. Gallery walls have always been a designer’s best-kept secret for drawing attention and creating interest in a living space. But today’s gallery walls are spicing up workspaces everywhere. Just because your ECU dorm room or apartment isn’t exactly a Central Park Brownstone doesn’t mean you can’t get the look too. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite gallery walls:

Visit your local arts & crafts store to pick up a few blank canvases. Unleash your artistic side by drawing your own designs and framing them for a very

personal touch.

via: History in High Heels

{Get Crafting!}1.

2.

3.

4.

There are absolutely no rules to creating the perfect gallery wall. Play up those bor-ing white dorm walls with lots of fun color. Nothing better to cheer you up on a long

day on studying!

via: Mirando Sozhina

For your gallery wall, getting creative is key! Instead of choosing the same standard frames for your photos go for a change! Pick out var-ious shapes, colors, and sizes when you spot

them around town. The end result with be much more exciting.

via: Chicfetti

Don’t be afraid to take an idea and run with it – this rule especially applies to interior dec-orating. We LOVE the idea of a gallery wall

expanding over your entire space.

via: 224apparel