Campus Talk: Navigating Senior Year of High School and Surviving Freshmen Year of College

Remember high school? Remember the first year of college? Or maybe you’re immersed in it at this very moment. For me, it’s been over a decade. Yikes. Sometimes, I swear I still feel seventeen, or maybe there’s a little part in all of us that hangs on to that feeling, no?

Summing it up, it feels like the entire world is at your fingertips. It feels like you are building the foundation for the rest of your life, for who you want to become. Well, Liv and Car are living it right now. They literally have their entire lives ahead of them. Sharing our small beach-town roots, these girls have nailed Southern California style. They are giving you tips for surviving high school, venturing into college and what to wear along the journey. Ummm, just saying right now, staying caffeinated and staying organized are equally as crucial. For the ones of us who feel like it’s a distant dream, take a little trip down memory lane with us...I promise it will bring back a little nostalgia.

Living it now and need tips for navigating senior year during high school or surviving freshmen year of college? Manage stress with eucalyptus bubble baths, keep your nails looking good on that teen budget with $5 mani changes (genius) and style your hair in a cinch (hello, who has time to flat iron when you have papers to write and exams to cram for?) with simple five-minute-out-the-door-"mermaid" hair. Yes, that's beach-girl style exemplified and mastered.

Meet Liv & Car 

RSP: Tell us a little about yourselves:
Liv&Car: {Liv} I'm a senior in high school. {Car} I'm a freshmen in college, Liv and I have been best friends for years. We launched our company, Liv&Car, early this summer when we received a box of original bikinis from my aunt in Brazil. {Liv} The idea for our business suddenly came to us, and we got right to work.  We decided to make our own style of handmade jewelry to pair with the bathing suits such as, body chains, hip chains, necklaces and chokers. We were on a roll- so excited to actually turn this project into a small business. We invested in stickers, burlap packages, and jewelry pillow boxes, along with other additional necessities we needed to make our sales unique and interesting.

RSP: Let's jump into styling tips. You girls totally get the beach girl look and style. Give us five styling and beauty tips on how to achieve the look.
Liv&Car:
1. We both strive for more of the “natural” everyday look.  We usually stick to neutral colors such as browns and tans for our eyeshadow, along with a thin line of eyeliner, and of course, mascara.  We like to say, “the less makeup the better!”
2. Ladies, wash your face every morning and every night.  {Liv} I love the clairsonic spin brush with the antibacterial Cetaphil soap bar.  During the day, I apply NAKED tinted moisturizer for a nice even complextion and glow!
3. Get the beachy-mermaid look down!  {Car} This is how we do it: Take a shower and when your hair is damp, braid it back into one braid.  We recommend to braid as far down to the tips as you can! Sleep in the braid overnight and take it out in the morning! It's that easy; you have perfect hassel-free waves!
4. {Liv}We are obsessed with shoes! Platform sandals are so in! We love to pair them with a casual outfit, such as a t shirt dress or cuffed jeans!
5. {Car} Who wears bras anymore?!  We adore the simple bralettes.  Free People and Urban Outfitters have amazing lace bralettes that are incredible comfortable and look perfect with any outfit!

Get the look with Brandy Melville. 

Caffeinated and Organized (I hope you're taking notes)

RSP: Three items you can't live without for school?
{Liv} Senior Year has arrived for me! Finally, another year closer to freedom!  I cannot live without my chai green tea in the morning and my lemon water in the afternoon.  I love and need my Iphone, as lame as that sounds, Tumblr is the only thing that gets me through the day!  Lastly, I need my vintage Paris-inspired planner to stay organized and prepared for what the day has in store!
Car} I cannot live without coffee, everyday sometimes even twice a day! My Mac laptop comes in most handy at school, its needed for every class. I cant go to school without my colored pens! I use different colors for notes and homework to stay organized and clear.

RSP: Fashion Fix?
Shoes! Specifically a good pair of Jeffery Campbell heels- our absolute fav!

RSP: Beauty Fix?
{Car} I love my faux liptstick from Mac, can’t go anywhere without it!
{Liv} I need mascara to get me through the day! I feel like I look like a boy without it! Hahaha!

RSP: How do you unwind after a stressful day at school?
Stress can be horrific, especially at our ages!
1. We both love a good organic lavender or eucalyptus bubble bath.  Iced green tea is great after a hard day of school or work.
2. We both love getting the “$5.00 color exchanges” at nail salons, which are cheap and effective for those of you who are tight on cash like we are! Hahaha!

RSP: Words of Advice for Surviving School? Socially? Academically?
{Car and Liv} High School is a culture shock.  It is where young teens experience diversity and discover themselves.  It is really important to keep your head on straight and to make sure not to ignore your morals and values, in other words, stay true to who you are.  In our teen years, we are vulnerable and it is easy to be influenced.  We really want you to know that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, people will still like you nonetheless.  Really keep on top of your school work and don’t fall behind. Classes can be hard and boring, but it’s important to learn because all those classes will benefit you in the future for college and deciding what you want to do in life. All around, high school is one hell of an adventure!

RSP: Tip for balancing it all? 
Balancing everything can be hard at times.  Okay, lets face it- many times it will be difficult. Sometimes you will be forced to use the “pick-and-choose” method.  Make sure to have your head on straight and know what you want.  Our advice would be to try to plan ahead and make a small amount of time for everything- use a planner!  Whether its work, school, a boyfriend, or friends, you can usually make time for everything if you have it all written down and physically in front of you!
Liv- I love my planner.  It really helps keep my life in check!
Car- Don’t overwork yourself, I like to plan my days ahead of time and keep a good balance of fun and work so I don’t stress myself out.

RSP: Favorite place in the La Jolla?
There are so many!  For a great cup of coffee, we usually walk over to a nearby café called Brick&Bell! (They have amazing scones.)  For an amazing breakfast, you can find us at Coffee Cup, splitting a fruit bowl and rosemary eggs with toast!  Ironically, our boyfriends are best friends as well which makes double dating so fun!  All four of us love to go out to PB Sushi right down the road! Okay, so enough about food.  We love Warwicks, a fabulous bookstore in La Jolla village- you can get just about anything there with high quality!  We also love morning yoga at the beach!  It’s a great way to kick off your Saturday!  We both love to go on walks together to stay fit and keep in touch!

Get the look with LF.

RSP: Words of Advice?
{Liv}I like to live by thinking, “life is to short to wake up in the mornings with regrets” and “everything happens for a reason.”  Both are such genuine and honest statements that make situations in my life easier to handle.
{Car} Life is an adventure, its important to take advantage of what you have around you, but in order to have fun you have to work hard as well. Doing your best and working hard always pays off in the end and gives satisfying rewards.

RSP: Thanks for sharing your tips and insight to surviving your teens. Funny enough, the same outlook gets you far even in your thirties ;)

{Photography by the ultra-talented Kyle Jetter}

Bisous ♥

Dress Like a Miracle Worker: Interview with the Make-a-Wish Foundation's Wish Assist Manager

A Note from the Editor:

I have taken a step back from my blog at different points over the past five plus years, however it has always and will always be a piece of me. It started as a creative outlet as I felt restricted in my early career and simply wanted a platform to create. I wanted to tell stories, not about myself, but about others. I had no idea that it would lead to the opportunities it has.

It helped me secure a role as a copywriter for a global fashion brand, as well as led to a role as the Public Relations Director for Rolls Royce and Bentley Beverly Hills. As I consumed myself with helping build other brands I took a step from building my own.

The most critical reason for taking a step back was due to battling a life-threatening diagnosis in the summer of 2010. I battled a chronic illness that was without a doubt the biggest challenge I have ever faced. Not only was the diagnosis traumatic, the recovery and aftermath was treacherous. With that said, Rich Skinny Pretty has remained a part of me. Having an outlet to channel my creativity when I was on bed rest, healing and returning to normalcy was definitely one of my biggest tools during recovery.

I'll never forget I had an opportunity to partner with Teen Vogue on a campaign at MAGIC in Vegas during my recovery phase. I did not hesitate to go even though I was not fully in a state of good health. I was still twenty pounds underweight, wearing a wig because I suffered from hair loss in correlation with the heavy prescribed medication and was in physical pain due to severe arthritis. I was embarrassed of my situation to say the least.

I vividly remember asking my friend CorEy to help me get dressed for the Teen Vogue blogger lounge since the swelling in my hands and ankles made it painful as well as difficult for me to dress myself. Words can’t convey the humility I gained from my experience. I’m not a victim, this is not “poor me.” I’m sharing my story for the exact opposite reason. These circumstances have only made me stronger, more determined and more grateful. That is why I am so especially thankful and excited to share stories about women like Kristin with the Make-a-Wish foundation and later this week, breast cancer survivor, Lauren with the Daily Debut. Thank you for following Rich Skinny Pretty these last five plus years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely hope we continue to inspire you.

Now without further ado, I welcome you to the relaunch of RSP. Let's meet Kristin:

RSP: Occupation ?

Kristin: I'm the Wish Assist Manager at the Make-a-Wish foundation. I always knew I wanted to help people, I just didn’t know in what arena. I had a couple of jobs that I did because I thought I was meant to do them-ones that utilized my degree yet I was absolutely miserable. I was so lost and worried that I would never find something I was passionate about. I always resented the quote “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” because I wanted that so badly, but hadn’t found it yet.

I think I finally came to the realization that I couldn’t settle, so I didn’t. I reached the decision that I was the pilot of my own journey and if I was going to do anything worthwhile in life, I needed to pursue what I wanted to do…without the influence of others. No one should feel trapped. I think being “comfortable” and fear also paralyzed me for a while. Everything I did acted as a stepping-stone for what I would eventually end up doing. And looking back, everything I did led me to where I am at Make-A-Wish, and I am extremely grateful for that.

RSP: Which experience has helped you grow the most?

Kristin: Working for Make-A-Wish has made me realize that life is such a beautiful gift and one that we take advantage of too often. It’s incredible how a child can teach you so much. These kids are inspirational, motivational and some of the strongest people I have ever met. I was really sick when I was a kid, so I get it. I can relate to what they’re going through and it’s a hard thing to take in at such a young age. Instead of playgrounds and going to school, your childhood gets tainted by doctor’s appointments and surgeries-it’s scary and it’s a heavy weight to carry that young.

I find a lot of peace in sharing my story. I discovered that everyone has a story. A story that not only deserves to be told, but heard as well. It took me a while to be comfortable sharing mine, but once I did, I found people were able to relate to it and in some cases, it gave them the ability to share their own. If what I went through can help one person get through what they’re dealing with, that right there is enough.

RSP: How can you use this experience to help others?

Kristin: I want to use what I went through as a kid (as well as my experience at Make-A-Wish) to spread the message that’s important to care about others and care about what they are going through. I think compassion and kindness are two things a lot of us lack in this world. When someone is going through an uphill battle, they need to know that they’re not alone in their fight.

Many of us are lucky to have our health, but others are not as fortunate. We can never take advantage of that.

RSP: Career Tips? 

Kristin: If you haven’t found your passion, keep looking, don’t give up and don’t settle. You’ll find it eventually and don’t get discouraged that you won’t. I hope you know that it’s O.K. to start over and start again. You’re the captain of your own path and it’s O.K. to switch courses every once in awhile if it’ll lead to a more fulfilling life and better future. This is your own beautiful, magnificent life…choose to have an adventurous one.

Wealth is defined in a number of ways.  To me, it’s not defined monetarily. I’m sure being rich financially would be great, but I know that’s not what I was meant to do in this world. I just care to be a good person. And if that’s all I ever do in life, I’ll be completely content.

RSP: Beauty Fix? 

Kristin: Moisturizing-my face and skin. I do it every morning and every night. I also love my MAC Zoomfast mascara!

RSP: Fashion Fix?

Kristin: I love wearing heels (I’m clumsy though, so I need to be careful!!!). I’m definitely NO fashionista though and would consider my style to be eclectic. I shop at Buffalo Exchange and TJ Maxx, I think you can find the coolest things at those places. I do look out for trends and if I see one I like, I’ll try it out. I just really like to be comfortable and I think that’s when I feel the sexiest.

Honestly, I beat to my own drum when it comes to clothes.

RSP: Last Words of Advice?

Kristin: Everyone is different. We all have differences, imperfections, faults, but that’s what makes us unique. And we need to understand the importance of that. If we go into the world with positive intentions, filled with love, truth, kindness and courage, we can have the ability to change the world and impact others. You can’t rid the world of evil. Evil is always going to exist, but you can contest evil by putting as much good into the universe as possible.

RSP: Well, we couldn't agree more. You're definitely on to something, Kristin. 

Bisous ♥