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influencing.
Hey all! Time for some recap of my journey so far. So it’s been about four months since I decided to take the guardrails off of my Instagram account and go public.
For years I have been posting privately on Facebook and Instagram a visual diary of our family, our lives, and our matching outfits. I had a great, loyal following of close friends and family, and many would often reach out to ask where I got the outfits, my makeup, where we recommend going in different areas for lodging, eating, etc.
So I started to feel like I’d been an influencer in my own orbit, but also that I could be missing out on the chance to impact a lot more lives. In November of last year, I decided to give this little business – Fashion Meets Jess – a try and just see where it takes me. I went from about 100 followers to over 10k in just a few short months, and it has been such a fun ride!
I have worked with a few major brands so far, and have connections with Amazon, Pink Lily, Pinkblush, Sassy Queen, Magnolia Boutique (of Indianapolis), to name a few. Those relationships are still in their infancy, but I’ve already seen quite a bit of traction on my LTK (Like to Know It) account in terms of sales. I never started this as a means to make money – I did this because I’ve always been good with fashion and design, and think our family and our journey is worth following and sharing.
Most influencers that have been doing this for a while warn that things have changed since a few years ago, and algorithms bury posts and make it so hard for new voices to break through. My thought on that is that I was doing all of this before going public for fun, and I will continue doing it after going public regardless of how large my follower base grows. I really to enjoy it, and also find that many others seem to enjoy it as well.
But even if I never gain another follower, I still have such a blast picking out outfits, sharing them, finding fun stories to share and to tell, and interaction with all the lovely people out there on the Gram. I have made some great new friends, and just feel like over the long-haul I will be able to continue to grow my reach and influence.
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hair.extended.
So the other day, I did a thing. I have been using clip-in hair extensions occasionally over the past year with success, but have been eyeing a more “permanent” option for some time.
I reached out, priced for 22″ sew-in extensions, and set up the time to make it happen. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but to my surprise, it was a painless proceedure that ran about two-hours in total or a cost of around $430. There are other tape-in options that are more affordable but I wouldn’t recommend, or the fusion/glue-in options, which, again, aren’t my preference.
The style I chose is known as an I-tip or I-Link microbead, which use tiny beads that attach the extensions to your natural hair. The hope is that they will only require maintenance every 3 months, depending on how fast my hair grows.
After the appointment, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the newfound thickness and length with these extensions. Buyers remorse. In reverse! I am in love! My first thought was…why did I wait so long?
Since posting the initial pictures and info on my @fashionmeetsjess ‘Gram page, I have been flooded with positive comments, questions about pricing, and also a number of people who are going to follow my lead. To them I say, DO IT! You will not regret it.
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believe.in.santa
So I had the idea a few weeks for us to make a video where Tom transitions to Santa and I transition to an Elf or Mrs. Claus.
We sketched it out, did some scouting, and finally the day arrived for us to put our idea to life.
The whole process, from start to finish, has been a blast. Natalie gave us a creative cue up from with a question bout what “mommy and daddy” do when you (we) go to bed. That questions triggers a dreamlike experience, which me turning to Mrs. Claus and Tom transitioning to the big guy.
Overall, we had a blast filming it. We dance in our “dream sequence” to Meghan Trainor’s I Believe in Santa, a catchy pop tune fitting for our transitions. We also have a great blooper reel of Tom having his hat falling off, and then shimmying afterwards to the beat.
Both posts are live on my instagram as we speak @ fashionmeetsjess.
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beauty tip. plump lips.
Who doesn’t love plump lips? I often get asked if I’ve had any lip fillers or lip procedures. While certainly, as with any beauty area, genetics does play some part, there are steps you can take to ensure your lips are the poutiest, plumpest (yes) they can be.
Feel free to checkout the below video which can also be found on my YouTube channel – @fashionmeetsjess.
Thanks for your watching. Comment below or leave me a comment on Instagram for what beauty tips you’d like to see next.
Visit shop, my.look above to check out the three features products from the video.
Disclosure: As an affiliate of Shop Style, I may earn a commission from purchases made through qualifying sites like the ones mentioned above.
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black friday. red lipstick.
Black Friday. Red Lipstick. I felt it only fitting to do a beauty post with the boldest of color lipstick on a day when retailers only think about Black. And who doesn’t want to have some fun with bright red lips every now and again, especially during the holiday season.
When our family was just Tom & I, we used to line up early in the morning (or honestly, just after midnight) at the Tanger Outlets for a fun shopping experience for the two of us and some good doorbuster deals. Now that we have little ones, we don’t out shopping as long lines, lots of people, narrow aisles and double strollers don’t mix well.
Today we traded in the hustle and bustle of retail shopping with the relative calm and biting cold of the tree farm close to our home. We were able to pick out our annual tree despite the cold, and enjoyed a wagon ride with the kids and a quick visit with Santa and his workshop.
Interested in shopping my look? Feel free to check out this shade on my Amazon Affiliate site:
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases on this site.
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don’t wait. decorate.
our season prep continues today as we move towards Thanksgiving. It is hard to believe November is almost over and December beckons around the corner. With a below 30 degree chill outside, the weather has already brought in some of that Christmas spirit.
After several days of bringing up bins and decorating, we have gotten down to the final few items. We spent today mixed with enjoying the kids being home from school, to finishing up the few pieces of garland and starting getting some of the outside lights ready for Christmas.
While Tom was outside working on the lights, I snapped the picture above with the benefit of some great natural light. My green, long North Face coat paired with a CC beanie were the perfect accessories for a cold Fall day.
The large, bedazzled blue ornaments typically are part of our front-door display, but are still in limbo this year as we work through the difference options this year.
Tom, I, & the kids also had the opportunity to make little turkeys from: brownie, a nutter butter, little candy eyes, candy corn feathers & a twizzler gobbler.
Our apple pie still awaits baking, but it is common for us to peel, slice, and sprinkle the apples in during the Thansgiving Day Parade procession.
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lv style.
Chic shoot with historic brick, urban streetscape, and classic LV handbag. Sweater from Target. Sheer black leggings. Patent leather pumps by Jimmy Choo. I don’t always go crazy spending money on clothes and shoes. I actually prefer a cute 15 dollar target sweater over other brands. Follow me to fashion and see all the places I have found some pretty awesome, very affordable clothing.
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nail.style.
You WILL always find me with my nails pampered and polished. One of my monthly addictions.
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Makeup Favorites Part 1
BeautyA few of my favorite lip glosses, lip plumper, and some of my everyday makeup items. Omg, the possibilities in this category are endless for me as some of you may know. I am A MAKEUP fanatic and I love, love, love teaching, advising and providing input when it comes to all things makeup and skin care. Follow me on this path of beauty and I guarantee I can help improve your skin, not only with makeup but with some of the best beauty tips out there. Believe me, I have researched A LOT when it comes to skin care and I love a natural, no make up look almost as much as I enjoy putting on makeup. So makeup or no makeup look, come find me back here!
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Go-to Lip Gloss
My go-to lip gloss. Milani gloss in Champagne. When you want that pouty neutral look without being over done, look no further. Simple find at Target under $15.
