MY HIGH BUN TUTORIAL

Happy Saturday lovies! I didn't get to make an outfit of the day post today but I was able to make this tutorial.  A few people on my instagram requested a video for my high bun.. this is my first tutorial ever and I hope that you like it!! Let me know what you think and if you have any other requests!! XO 

H&M AND FOREVER21 HAUL

Hi my loves! After a few requests I did my first video blog!  This is a video haul for items that I got from H&M and Forever21.  I'm sorry it's a little lengthy but usually these types of videos are long.  I hope you get some inspiration from this and please let me know what you think!! <3

My Favorite Kind Of MINT

Happy Friday!! One of my favorite colors for this season is MINT and I have been searching for the perfect pair of pants.  I'm so happy that I was able to find these and for such a great price.  If you are looking for colored denim but something very affordable then I highly suggest going to H&M... most of them are about $24.95 and the quality is really good.  I have the same style skinnies in multiple colors now.. next on my list is yellow!

I paired these mint pants with a new off white button down.  The material of these are really thin and after wearing them a few times they can get worn out fairly quick.  So every once in awhile I like to get new ones.  I got this one from H&M.

I fell in love with this snakeskin clutch, mostly because of the color combo.  It's a great statement piece to instantly add some color to any outfit and I love the gold hardware. I really like how it brightened up this outfit. I have on my mary jane platform pumps.  Unfortunately these got dirty in the back and I am hoping to get them cleaned.  Shoes like this go with so many things and if I see another pair I will be getting them.

I have on a lot of accessories today.  I ordered these 2 above the knuckle rings from Etsy. They are super thin and tiny but look so cute.  I got this cross bracelet from Asos and my love bracelet is from Forever21.  I have on a collar/choker style necklace that I recently purchased at H&M and wearing my white & gold Aldo earrings.  Also wearing sunglasses from H&M.  Been getting a lot of compliments on these and they were super cheap. Score!

Hope you liked the pictures! Have a great weekend everyone!! 

<3 

THE LOST ENTRY!

I know the contest is over but I received an email from another entry that never sent through to me because of a typographical error.  She originally sent me the email on the 26th and although I wasn't able to include it in my contest I wanted to still share her outfit and inspiration with you just as I did for the other entries!

Gaby

Hi Naty,

I’m @gaby­_vanderslice on Instagram! Attached are my pictures for your contest (my own picture and the inspiration behind it). My outfit was inspired by your blog! I already owned the blazer, the distressed jeans, the clutch, the heels, the jewelery—everything! It just never occurred to me to put it all together in that fashion until I saw your picture.  In fact, one of the reasons I selected this outfit was because I already had what I needed.  They are statement pieces that most girls already own—this is what I like about your style—any girl who wants to recreate any of your looks doesn’t have to go out of her way to buy  items that are costly or hard to find.  This was my appeal to your blog—and sense of fashion.

Thank you again for all the ideas/inspiration your blog generates.  See you on IG!

Gaby

I love this and it would have definitely been one of my top picks!! I'm so happy that my outfit post inspired you to recreate this and still make it your own! I love the effect that white tees and distressed/ripped jeans give to blazers. You definitely rocked this and made it work for you.  I'm loving that clutch too and that chain necklace.  You look great! I always like your outfit posts on instagram and I can't wait to see what you send in for my future contests!! xo  

CONTEST ENTRIES & THE WINNER!

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Belted Poncho

Hump day!  This weather is all over the place.  It was raining a little earlier today and I wasn't sure if I would be able to take pics, but thankfully the sun is shining right now :) First I want to say that I love all of the entries that I got for my contest and I will be announcing the winner tomorrow!  I am still torn between a few so I will be making the final decision later tonight.  So here is my outfit of the day!

I'm wearing a poncho that I purchased from H&M last year.  I've worn this once before but decided to switch up the entire look.  I have on a bandeau from Islay underneath so it shows a little bit of my stomach in the front and I decided to belt it at the waist to bring it together.  Some girls aren't sure how to wear ponchos without getting lost in the material and a belt is a great way to give it shape.  I like that this belt is a darker/rustic color but still mixes well with the outfit.

I paired this poncho with Forever21 leggings and my Jeffrey Campbell Litas.  Felt so good to put my Litas on again! I'm using my H&M fringe bag.. one of my favorite bags.  I have on rings from H&M and Gypsy Warrior along with these 2 bracelets.  Check out my manicure too!  

I got these new sunnies from H&M also for just $5.95.  How cute are these shades? I love them :) 

Ponchos are really a great transitional piece from winter into spring.  It's a nice little cover up that you can wear in different ways so be afraid to try it out! 

<3 

Onward

In upcoming posts, I plan to pursue two main themes.  The first is a more comprehensive exploration of what determines eating behavior in humans, the neurobiology behind it, and the real world implications of this research.  The reward and palatability value of food are major factors, but there are others, and I've spent enough time focusing on them for the time being.  Also, the discussions revolving around food reward seem to be devolving into something that resembles team sports, and I've had my fill.

The second topic I'm going to touch on is human evolutionary history, including amazing recent insights from the field of human genetics.  These findings have implications for the nutrition and health of modern humans. 

I look forward to exploring these topics, and others, with all of you in the coming months.

Recent Media Appearances

Men's Health interviewed and quoted me in an article titled "Reprogram Your Metabolism", written by Lou Schuler.  Part of the article was related to the food reward concept.  I'm glad to see the idea gradually reaching the mainstream. 

Boing Boing recently covered an article by Dr. Hisham Ziauddeen and colleagues in Nature Reviews Neuroscience that questioned the idea that common obesity represents food addiction-- an idea that I often encounter in my reading.  Maggie Koerth-Baker asked me if I wanted to respond.  I sent her a response explaining that I agree with the authors' conclusions and I also doubt obesity is food addiction per se, as I have explained in the past, although a subset of obese people can be addicted to food.  I explained that the conclusions of the paper are consistent with the idea that food reward influences fat mass.  You can find my explanation here.

HOW TO: "FUNK UP" YOUR DRESS!

Happy Monday loves!  It's super windy out today so I was only to get a couple of shots outside.  I've had a few girls ask me how they can "funk up" a dress to give it some edge and make it a little less dressy so that they can wear it out to different places.  I thought today would be the perfect opportunity for me to play dress up and put something together to give you an idea of how to do that!  I hope that this helps :)

I'm wearing a dress that I got at Target this past summer.  I paired it with black tights and my Steve Madden booties.  When you wear booties with a dress it will instantly add a different vibe to your look and make it a little more fun.  I decided to wear this hat that I got from H&M because it really helped bring this outfit together and definitely added some funk as well.

  I am also wearing my faux leather jacket with zippers.  I think that jackets like these are a great addition to outfits.  You can pair them with dresses like this or with a skirt and top.  It will give you the edginess that you're looking for.  

I threw in a little pop of color with this silver and turquoise ring.  Throwing in some color with neutral tones is always great to do whether it's with your shoes, bag, or accessories.  I also have on these hanging cross earrings that I found at Forever21.  The finishing touch was this studded clutch that I got awhile back at Mandee.  As you can see it's the little things like accessories and jackets that will switch up your look.  If I wore this with a pair of pumps and without the hat and jacket then it would have more of a dressy and sophisticated chic look.  Minor adjustments is the key to achieving this. 

Enjoy your day and you have till tomorrow to email your photos for the contest! 

XO. 

TOMS

Hope you all had a great weekend!  I had an amazing night in the city yesterday at this great little wine bar.  Delicious food, wine and fun! Before going out I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up a pair of TOMS.  I'm not sure if all of you know about them but I wanted to do this post because buying a pair goes to an amazing cause.

Every time you purchase a pair, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.  It's called ONE FOR ONE.  It started back in 2006 when the founder Blake Mycoskie befriended children during his travels to Argentina and found out that they had no shoes to protect their feet. You can read more about it and check out all of the different styles of TOMS on their website here http://www.toms.com/our-movement/

How great is this?  You can find them at different locations but like I said, I got mine in the city at one of the Whole Foods for $54.99.  They're such a cute pair of flats, similar to a loafer style and they come in various colors, materials, prints and designs.  Plus they are extremely comfortable and perfect for day time shoes for a casual outfit.  This is the pair I got!! I will be wearing these often :)

Red & Denim

Yay for Friday!! Today was so hectic for me so I wasn't able to take nice photos outside but I did take a quick shot of my outfit.  I was in Hoboken all afternoon with a friend and it was such a nice day to be outside! I literally put this outfit together in 5 minutes and I'm really happy with the turnout. Very cute, colorful and casual!

I'm wearing red skinnies from H&M with this micro tank from Target.  I paired this with my denim jacket and Target flats.  My necklace is from Gypsy Warrior and my bracelets are from Forever21. 

Denim jackets are so big right now.  They go great with so many things and are a perfect little jacket for warm days with a cool breeze.  I'm so happy that I held on to this one for so many years because for awhile, I stopped wearing denim jackets. 

Now that I am so used to taking good photos with my mom I hate taking these pics in the mirror but I feel like I need to still be able to show you all my outfit! lol Once again, don't forget to enter my contest! I will remind you guys every day till it ends! 

Hope that you enjoy this weekend!!

Food Reward: Approaching a Scientific Consensus

Review papers provide a bird's-eye view of a field from the perspective of experts.  Recent review papers show that many obesity researchers are converging on a model for the development of obesity that includes excessive food reward*, in addition to other factors such as physical inactivity, behavioral traits, and alterations in the function of the hypothalamus (a key brain region for the regulation of body fatness).  Take for example the four new review papers I posted recently by obesity and reward researchers:
Read more »

Mustard & Lime

Who would have thought that we would see such a beautiful day in March?  It's gorgeous outside.  Loving it! I took a few photos at this amazing park but it felt like I was in a wind tunnel.  So then I took a few near my house so there's some different scenery.  I put this together very last minute and wanted to mix these two colors together.  I think it worked well! 

I'm wearing a lime green button down tie shirt from Forever21 along with these skinny jeans that I got there also.  I think this is a great shade for spring & summer.  I paired this with these mustard peep toe platforms that I found at Mandee.  They're super high and very comfy.  Absolutely adore them.  Mustard is another fab color for this season.

I've got a little arm party today.  These are all from Forever21.  I heart this love bracelet.  Super cute.  I'm wearing my choker chain necklace and rings from H&M. 

[Don't mind me, just playing with a pine cone lol]

As you can see I tried to take some photos without my shades on but during the day when the sun is beaming it's so hard to not squint my eyes!  I tried though :) So how do you feel about this color combo?

Don't forget to enter my contest give away! So many girls told me that they're going to enter but I haven't received any photos yet and I'm soooo anxious to see! Email to aloveaffairwithfashion@gmail.com from now till Tuesday the 27th!! 

Love & Hugs <3