Valentine's Day {to Night} Look | Candace Read | a columbus based style blog for the fashionable everyday gal

ALL IMAGES KIMBERLY J.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, #ohthosereads aren’t the most celebratory! Last year, we worked (aka I worked) on lowered expectations and just living life. Not placing so much pressure on myself or Jason to make things grandiose for every single holiday, birthday, etc. Do not get me wrong, we celebrate, but minimally and practically. Right now, TIME is the hot commodity. We are both being pulled in about 5 million different directions with work and such, so having the opportunity to spend quality time together is without a doubt the best Valentine’s Day gift we can give each other. If you read Wednesday’s post, then you know staying home and starring into each other’s eyes would be perfect for me! However, Jason would die. Ole sport likes to get out and be amongst the people! And that’s exactly what we plan to do tomorrow, since Valentine’s Day falls on a week day and I’ll be out of town. Saturdays and Sundays tend to be our run around town day, so we’ll be incorporating some fun “date-esque” things throughout our day to make it a bit more enjoyable than usual.

If your main squeeze is anything like Jason, he really isn’t interested in you making 5 million wardrobe changes in one day! Also, it is likely that he prefers your casual vibe a bit more than your glamour queen vibe. From what I hear, that’s most guys! The simpler the better. Simple Valentine’s Day celebration or not, I strongly believe that there is an innate desire in every gal to feel and dress special. It is both for herself and her dearest darling. Keeping ALL THAT in mind, what better way to kill two birds with one stone than having a day look that easily transitions to night. You get to showcase that casual vibe that he loves for daytime activites and then easily transition it to glam for night. Yup, best of both worlds!

PSA BEFORE WE CONTINUE >>

Despite the look, there is a very important detail that one should never forget, her fragrance! There’s nothing that makes a woman feel feminine quite like a sweet new perfume. To complete both my day and night looks, I reached for Chanel’s N°5 L’EAU,which is perfectly lite, but heavy enough that the scent lingers!

DAY:

Knowing that I was looking to create a day-to-night look, I intentionally shopped for pieces that would allow me to do just that. You guys know me pretty well, so of course, J. Crew and Madewell at Polaris Fashion Place were the spots I naturally gravitated to. I selected the Tippi Sweater, which is one of my favorite styles from J. Crew, that had this adorable embroidery. I have always loved a classic monogram embroidery, but not a graphic. However, in the spirit of LOVE, selecting the lip embroidery felt completely natural! As for denim, Madewell recently released their 10″ high-rise skinny jean and I have been itching to try them. Rather than going classic dark denim, I opted for the black, as I thought it would better compliment the Tippi Sweater and my plans to wear my Adidas Superstars. Nothing screams casual quite like those Superstars! For a little extra splash of color, completing the “day time” look with Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso really makes it more Valentine’s Day-esque!

This look is perfectly comfortable for some shopping around (we’ll be hitting J. Crew tomorrow for Jason) and even grabbing a coffee from the SBUX.

NIGHT:

When it comes to transitioning your daytime look to evening, there are just a couple of things ya need to do. A lipstick, footwear and handbag change! As you can see, I transitioned from my Adidas to Christian Louboutins to elevate the look for evening. For a more muture, sexy look, I transitioned my playful colored crossbody to a blush colored clutch. And to complete the look, I transitioned from the Stilla Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick to Mac Retro Matte Liquid Lipsick in So Me. This lip color is the perfect combination of brown and pink together. In my opinion, it was really the lipstick switch that gave this look that dress up, dress down look that I was aiming to achieve. Oh, and of course a quick fragrance refresh is neccessary before grabbing dinner at Brio (I can taste the Calamri now) and catching a movie!

As you prepare for Valentine’s Day, whether it be celebrating tomorrow or Tuesday or two weeks from now), remember that less is more! Hit up some of your favorite spots and find pieces that you’ll actually wear beyond this celebratory moment and style them accordingly. Also, create your own definition for Valentine’s Day. It can be something as simple and stress free as shopping at Polaris Fashion Place and enjoying one another!

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