Fall 2016 KCFW - Great Hair & Looks!

 
  Last month (can you believe it's November already?!?!), I attended Fall's Kansas City Fashion week with Beauty Brands.  Kansas City Fashion Week (KCFW) is a 4 night event hosted twice a year - the last few years, and this past one, at Union Station - and I used to go to almsot every night both times a year, but the last year or so I haven't been able to make it to many (travel, work, kids... life man). So, I was really grateful when Beauty Brands invited me to be part of their team and join them for th evening.
Beauty Brands was a sponsor of the Thursday (October 13th) Chiefs Red Carpet event. They had a booth with tons of fee perfume samples, a huge gift basket of goodies to giveaway and were highlighting Lifing Proof hair products - a new offering of Beauty Brands' - and one of my favorite hair brands! Beauty Brands also did all the models hair for the show - and it was fabulous.
As part of the Chiefs night - the first show of the night was full of Chiefs Cheerleads (past and present), and even some past players showing us how to style fan gear.  See below for some of my favorites from the collections that followed.

 Something new this year (at least as far as I know!) was a Runway-type challenge.  Many designers took the same Chiefs t-shirt and turned it into their own, using it in an outfit.  Some of the below looks - again, all using the same red Chiefs tee - were my favorite, with the last one by Kiana Godsey winning (as voted on by the judges).

Barbara Bultman Designs might have been my favorite show (if I had to pick just one!).  I loved the fringe - and love that it could be added on as an accessory, but also was definately the main event of an outfit.  I am trying to figure out how to get my hands on a piece.

Roger Figueroa had very bold and contemporary pieces.  My favorite piece was this blue graffiti art gown - I just loved it!

Kiana Godsey had a beautifully soft and Springy collection. I loved how each piece flowed seasmlessly into the next.  It certainly made me ready for Spring (and we haven't even hit Winter yet!).

MCK Brands was one of my favorite shows of the night. Her jewelry collection is truely an art that stood on their own as models walked down the runway wearing all black.  Many pieces were like nothing I had every seen - like the below shoulder cuff!

Also, right now Beauty Brands is hosting a Beauty Ballot sweeps in honor of our national election going on - but with beauty, so much more fun!  All you have to do is cast your beauty ballot and win a year's supply of your favorite Beauty Brands product! 

How to enter: 

1. Snap and upload an original photo of your favorite Beauty Brands product to a social channel. 

2. Use #BBSweeps, #BeautyBrands and explain why it is a favorite in the caption. 

Giveaway ends on 11/9/2016 at 11:59 p.m. CST and is open to all U.S. residents. Year supply of product is at the discretion of Beauty Brands. For official rules: http://bit.ly/2fgw1n8. Good luck!

This post is in partnership with Beauty Brands! Thanks for having me, Beauty Brands!  

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Transforming the 'Not Nude Lip' from day to night for KCFW!

Last weekend, I attended KCFW with a pre-event with Ulta before the shows.  They hosted a lovely cocktail party for the KC Bloggers and it was full of makeup trends, beauty samples, cocktails and catching up with friends, and then shortly followed by, of course, fashion!  I was freshly back from San Juan (having landed 3:30 that morning!) and the mix of Ulta's swag bag, bubbly drinks and KCFW designer shows was just what I needed to get past the jet lag.  
For my beauty look, I wanted to plus up the more natural make up look and "Not Nude Lip" trend I had just learned about (the tutorial here!) and transform it for evening.  It was really simple to add to this foundation! I just added a cat eye with They're Real Push Up Liner and extra mascara, which also allowed me to try out the Blackest Black spring-time makeup trend!  That's the best part about good products and a solid beauty base, it can be taken straight into an evening look with very little effort!  
Erin also transformed her "Not Nude Lip" for her night look, wearing a stunning red dress...you'll have to get the details and check her look out here. 

For my outfit, having just come back from the beach, I was still feeling that vacation vibe and for some reason, this spring jacket was just perfect for that feeling. In true Megan-fashion, I had to mix prints and threw on this old, but classically striped dress for the completion of the look. I love how the "Not Nude Lip" looked against the soft shades of the jacket and the black, and white graphics added some contrast.  Topped off with some gold jewelry, bright blue heels, a simple face and swept back hair - it was an easy, yet interesting look!
{Outfit Details: Jacket - H&M, Dress - old Anthro (similar here and here), Heels - c/o Rack Room Shoes, Necklace - H&M, Bracelet for Fitbit & Madewell Bracelet, Make Up c/o Ulta}

Interested in trying out the "Not Nude Lip" lipstick trend for yourself? You can shop the look right here, or check out Ulta's top 5 make up trends for spring to find something else!
Huge thank you to Jeannette Howard Photography for these photos! She does really great work if you are looking for a family or portrait photographer in the Kansas City area!
This post is in partnership with Ulta! All of the styling and opinions are my own.

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Spring 2015 Kansas City Fashion Week Highlights

Well, it actually happens twice a year and it's a 3-day event packed with awesome shows from local designers to Project Runway contestants!  But regardless, this past weekend was a pretty fun time to be in Kansas City if you love fashion, because KC Fashion Week does a great job.  I missed most of this year, since I was galavanting around San Juan, but after landing at 3:30am Saturday morning, hugging my kids all day, I was able to squeeze in not just the final show, but the Ulta pre-event for the KCFW bloggers, too!  It was a super fun night!
I wanted to share with you some of my favorite looks from last Saturday night's show - some really good stuff!  The last night is always my favorite, as I feel like no one holds back, and this season was no different. See what I mean...

^^^

 Besides the sunglasses that all the models wore, this season Architexture shared fall looks rich in burgundy and navy.  I love burgundy for Fall, and the collars on the jackets were perfection. I could totally go for a pair of those sunglasses, too...

^^^

Kate Walz continues to surprise me! When I first started attending KCFW several years ago, I remember Kate's prom and event-perfect dresses! They were detailed and fabulous. But more astounding was her age - a teenager creating these design-perfect ballgowns!  Over the years (through many KCFW shows and an Omaha one in there), I've seen her mature, evolve and experiment - and it's been fun!  This season was no different!

^^^

House of Cochon might have been my favorite show of the night! Courtney is the owner and designer behind this jewelry and accessories company, and I was all about her wooden pieces and awesome styling.  Her brightly painted wooden bangles and necklaces popped against  the navy backdrops of each models' outfit and the neon accents had me jones-ing for summer!

^^^ Switching gears a bit, from summer-perfect jewelry to cocktail or special event-ready with Whitney Rorah Design.  Her entire show was breathtaking and for the next black-tie event I have, I'm totally begging her to borrow one of these dresses.

 ^^^ 

And the final show of the night and this season was by Project Runway alum, Laura Kathleen!  She showed last season, too, and now the two times I've seen her, she has not disappointed!  My only disappointment lies in that I did not have that gorgeous white maxi dress on my San Juan trip!  The rest of the collection was a lovely mix of whimsy and structure, and honestly, it was filled with pieces that could go from spring into fall!

And there you have it - my favorite parts of KCFW (the part I saw), which ended up being quite a bit! If you are a designer or model - feel free to share this post!  For photos, please contact me via email!

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Favorite Wears: Mixing Prints & Textures

I wanted to keep my outfit for KCFW comfortable and sleek, after having glam'd up for it the night before.  And as luck would have it... these loafers arrived on my doorstep earlier that day. Talk about perfect timing - because what is more sleek than leopard print anything, and especially mixed with (faux) leather pops and a mixed material purse (that held everything - camera included without looking like a diaper bag).... Then throw a little camo in the mix, because why not? You know me and mixed prints...
So, I styled my outfit around my new shoes. Can you blame me?  If you live in the Kansas City (more specifically, the Leawood/Overland Park, KS) area - I have some really good news for you. Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse is opening up a brand new store in Corbin Park (135th & Metcalf) on Friday, October 10th! 
For starters, the word "warehouse" is in their name - so it's pretty much a shoe-lovers dream.  Plus, I love that they offer such a variety to really have something for everyone (or in my case, a lot of somethings).  So, if you are in the area - get excited!  And get EXTRA excited, because Friday (the evening of their grand opening on the 10th) from 5pm-7pm, they're having a fun party.  So come check out the new store, new fall styles and bring a friend or two for a fun way to start your weekend.
{Outfit Details: Jacket - last year's Old Navy (this year's here); Grey w/ leather sleeve tee; Pants; Loafers c/o; Purse c/o; Necklace - Hello Cheeseburger (last year); Bracelet - Loft (old); Lips}

This post is in partnership with Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, but all opinions, thoughts and obviously, styling is my own.

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