Broke College Style

Britney Spears (right) has proven herself to be a fan of the thong bikini. 

This is the topless bikini from Victoria’s Secret, they tried to market it two years ago but it didn’t really work. It had a removable bandeau piece that you could put in, making it a little more… American. In all honesty though, I would have loved to have it, hoping one day I’d be on the French riviera and get the balls to take the bandeau slip off. (Let’s get real, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it even if I was in my own backyard with a twenty foot fence.) 

What do you guys think? Would you ever go for the itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini?

Leopard Print Bandeau from Forever 21, top $11, matching bottom $10. 

This one I’m totally obsessed with and I feel like I  need it NOW. Bandeau Swim Top with Bow from Target, $12. 

Bandeau Bikini Top in Pink Animal Print at Asos.com, $11. 

This one is adorable too, and for the record I think Target wins the “Best Cheap Bandeau” contest. Twist Bandeau Swim Top from Target, $12. 

I can’t lie, I love this one from Victoria’s Secret. It’s by Kenneth Cole and $100 so I won’t be buying it anytime soon, but I’ve got a cheap little monokini instead. 

What do you guys think about monokinis? Do you like them? Would you wear one?

I know we all look forward to coming home with that vacation glow, but when it comes to your face, the sun really is your worst enemy. Your face is the most sun-sensitive part of your body, making it susceptible to skin cancer. Even aside from the cancer factor, sun damage makes you age prematurely. Fact. It’s not a “maybe” as cancer is, it always always always harms your skin when it comes to aging. So here are some ways you can protect your face from sun damage: 

Moisturizer with SPF 

Just about every moisturizer has some SPF in it, and it’ll say so right on the bottle. Wear it CONSTANTLY. Never go without it. You should be doing this anyway, by the way! 

SPF Powder 

I get super self conscious wearing absolutely no makeup, so this is perfect! It’s by ELF (eyeslipsface.com, $6) which is known for its quality knockoffs of the best and priciest cosmetics. This powder is pretty translucent, barely any coverage. It can even out your skin tone in the tiniest way, but the most important part is it’s SPF 45 and protects you from both UVA and UVB rays. I know when I’m tanning I’ll be in this and a tad of brown mascara for the “I’m not wearing any makeup… but I am” type look! 

Jergens Natural Glow for Face 

While protecting your skin, you don’t want to end up with your face and your body completely mismatching! In all truth though, your face should always be a little lighter than your body because it needs a little more protection. But you don’t want it to be noticeable! This stuff is great and I actually started using it a couple weeks ago. It’s super subtle but also buildable. It’s even SPF 20, two birds with one stone!

If you’re anything at all like me, you’re breaking or losing your sunglasses left and right. The solution to this problem isn’t to buy really nice sunglasses that may last longer - it’s to buy the cheapest possible so it’s no big deal when the inevitable happens. 

As always, the links are clickable and take you right to each pair! 

Floral Trim Sunglasses from Loveculture, $7.

For the more classic aviator look, there’s these from H&M, $7. 

Ask anybody who knows me, I’m always in sunglasses that cover as much of my face as possible. These are from Forever 21, $6. 

Colored Aviator Sunglasses from Loveculture, $7. These are super fun for spring break - what better time to break out an old classic in a fun color? They have them in purple, orange, lime green, hot pink, light blue and yellow. 

For some reason, a great bikini can be pretty expensive. In my opinion, Victoria’s Secret makes some really well-cut ones, but it’d be pricey to fill your swimsuit drawer with them! So here are some great alternatives: 

The “Green Leaf Miduo” from swimwearplace.com, $29.

As usual, you can find great cheap staples at Forever 21. This colorblock one sells for about $20. 

Bikini a la Legally Blonde! This one from Charlotte Russe retails for about $40, but you can find discount codes online to get from 10 to 25 percent off. 

This pushup bikini from Forever 21 is less than $20!