Favorite Style Posts of 2016

Happy 2017 everyone! It's been a crazy year for all of us, and I for one am ready to start fresh! This past year, I've made it through two more semesters of college, lost three great roommates (who are still close friends), gained another great roommate, made more amazing new friends, got to show my oldest sister and my Grandmother around NYC, took a trip to Cancun with my family, got a job at my favorite store, and grew my blog more than I had hoped! 

Today, I wanted to quickly look back at a few of my favorite Style posts from 2016, In no particular order, here are some of my best:

7 Best Coffee Shops in Manhattan

If there's one thing I love just as much as New York, it's coffee. Luckily, the city has some pretty amazing coffee spots all around that offer slightly different brews, atmospheres, and experiences. So whether you're a season New Yorker or just visiting the city, skip the Starbucks habit and hit up a local NYC coffee shop instead!

Glossier Black Tie Set

Glossier has pushed farther into the makeup realm and created a gorgeous set of essentials, called the Black Tie Set, to accent and enhance the natural glow that their skincare products have already created for so many cult-followers. Their skin-first makeup-second mantra has created a popular idea about makeup that they should aim to enhance, not hide. 

Pajama Party

Best new trend that's happening right now? Pajama Shirts. They come a close second after neck scarves in my book, and they look just as chic dressed up with a skirt and heels, as they do with jeans and flats.

I aired on the more casual side with this one and wore my favorite lookout high-rise jeans with black block heeled boots, and then grabbed this Kate Spade bag to pop the red from the tipping of this shirt. Finally, a favorite new addition to my ever-growing collection of enormous earrings are these tortoise ones from J.Crew. Unfortunately, they're sold out, but there are tons of new styles that are to-die-for!

Jack's Wife Freda

One of Soho's chicest cafes, this place is packed from open to close with the most fashionable crowd in Manhattan. Besides the people watching, and the gorgeous atmosphere, the food here will blow your mind. Owners Dean and Maya immigrated from South Africa and Israel respectively, and NY Mag accurately describes the menu as "South African Israeli Jewish Grandmother Cuisine" with fried zucchini in smoked-paprika aioli, tomatillo shakshuka (my favorite), and a rosewater waffle with Lebanese yogurt that can cure any rough morning. (or afternoon, or night....)

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Foundation is the hardest makeup product to get right. We all want something that is going to look, feel, and wear well even after several hours, and preferably with little to no touch-ups. Put the fear of breakouts on top of that, and you have a real challenge here. I recently started a quest to test as many luxury foundations as I can (giving each one at least a month or more to test) and after CHANEL's Les Beiges Foundation, next up on the list is Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation

The Grey Dog

I'm starting a new section here on SNY! NYC has some of the best resturants in the world, and while I''m not often eating at 5-star restaurants, I do know a few off-the-beaten-path places and hyped-up cafes that are worth checking out! To start out, I'm going to tell y'all about one of my favorite places, The Grey Dog. 

The Grey Dog is a favorite spot of my friends and I in the city for a casual breakfast or lunch. The food is amazing, with comfort foods like pancakes, warm press sandwiches, and the best soups in town, you can't ever go wrong here. The atmosphere is warm, and home-like, and the staff is always friendly, making this the perfect spot to dig in and relax on a Sunday morning. 

Brooklyn Haze

Good morning, lovelies! Long-time-no-see! I've been swamped between homework and work these past two weeks, but I should be back to my normal blogging schedule soon. However, I did manage to pop down to Brooklyn Heights during a crisp foggy morning, and after shooting with David, hung out for a bit and sipped coffee while reading and people-watching, with a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline (aka my ideal morning). 

5 Minute Makeup

If only I had the time every morning to spend an hour perfectly applying makeup and styling my hair. Unfortunately, no such luxury exists, and I mainly resort to throwing my messy hair into a ponytail and applying a coat of mascara as I run out the door. However, lately I have almost perfected the art of applying just the basics in a way that makes it appear as though I put more effort than I did!

Excursion

Fall in New York is a beautiful time of year, and while most of the city remains a concrete jungle, Central Park (particularly the upper half of it) turns into a red, green, and yellow forest that almost makes you forget you're in the largest city in the US. I decided to take advantage of one of our first 55 degree days and roam around the forest (with a large cup of coffee and my photographer David in tow of course).

Culottes on Columbus

It's finally starting to get a little chilly up here (meaning it's 75 one day and 45 the next...) so layering is about to become a little more important! I'm obsessed with these black culottes from Zara, because they feel like pajamas, but they're so on trend.