Sweet Summer Dresses

We all love a great summer dress. They're easy, pretty, and lightweight for hot summer months and can easily go from day to night. Summer dresses can take the year's biggest trends and make them a little flirtier.  Here are a few things we're loving at Pretty Chatty- plus they're all under $60!

Nordstrom Soprano Print Ruffle Sleeve Dress- $44
The sleeves on this little shift are just too sweet. 

Old Navy Ruffled Chiffon Maxi Dress- $39.94
The floral on Navy makes this a great dress for sultry summer evenings.

Merona Target Ruffle Front Maxi Dress- $32.99
A sunny dress with a little more coverage!

Ann Taylor Loft Cascade Ruffle Front Dress $49.50
Hello- Tangerine Tango! 

Francesca's Collection Globe Trotting Dress - $38

Gap Neon Crewneck Dress $49.95
Neons are hot this summer, and this is a great basic tee dress made more exciting by the bright pink hue.  

Old Navy Cross-Yoke Dress $24.95
Chevron is everywhere and this dress is a great way to wear the trend. 

eShakti Ruffle Front Dress- Some sizes/colors $35.95 (Others $59.95)
The little white dress is summer's version of the LBD. We love this ruffly number- so feminine!

eShakti Bow Tied Floral Dress $59.95
You know you love that little bow detail.

Modcloth Summer Fair Dress- $47.99 
A little bit of innocent lace looks great with this melon-colored dress. 

 Modcloth Toile You Need Dress $47.99
There's something oh so romantic about this cornflower blue toile. 

AE Scalloped Lace Dress- $59.50
This is such a sultry pick, but sweetened by the soft scalloped detail. A great date night dress.

We hope you enjoyed this pretty range of inexpensive summer dresses, they're definitely a staple in our wardrobes!

Where are you shopping for summer dresses this year? 

Stay beautiful,

Hannah 

Summer Reading

As many of you may know, I'm an English major.  School's about to let out in a few weeks and I'm gearing up for plenty of free time. While I will be taking a few Spanish courses online, I'll be done with Shakespeare and American Lit for a while.
Which, of course, means beach reads. 
I'll be the first to admit that I'm that English major who ditches academic reading and goes for fluff all summer. I love a light read just as much as I love to dig into poetry.
So here are a few things I'm looking forward to grabbing as soon as I head home for the summer. Some of these I just picked up at the library (don't get me started about how underused I think libraries are!) but some I just have been meaning to read.

Katie Crouch writes fantastic adult novels, but this is her first YA novel. It appears to be about  secret societies in Savannah. Sounds like fun to me! 

Oh my goodness, these books are like CANDY. I love them. I am like the Becky Brandon of nail polish, y'all!

 This is a true story about two women who landed summer jobs at Tiffany in 1945! 

From Amazon:  Linwood Breedlove Scott's life has officially hit rock bottom. Her husband of thirty years has run off with a stripper. The IRS has taken everything but her coffee table. And her hot flashes are four-alarmers. The only thing that could make being flat-broke and fifty any worse is having to crawl home to her parents' house in Mimosa Branch, Georgia...which is exactly where she's headed.

A book about trophy wives? Why not?! 

I've read a few Jennifer Weiner books before and I love the idea of a suspenseful twist on lifelong friends. Looks like it will be a fun read for sure!

Did anyone else watch the TV series Privileged a few years back? It was one of my favorites, and this is the book it was based off of!  

What are you reading? Got any fun recommendations for us?

Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Heat Wave Makeup

As things heat up for summer, our makeup may suffer. Long gone are the days of winter where we barely need a touch-up. Suddenly we're melting like popsicles and it's exhausting to even think about putting on a full face. That's not to say we don't love summer makeup, it's just that on a daily basis we might take down our routine a few notches.  Here are a few tips for a gorgeous, easy, melt-free summer look!
Here are 5 quick tips to help you handle the heat wave!

1. Don't skip primer. It matters! It's like the base coat for your face, it helps everything stick.
   PC Picks: Smashbox Photo Finish Light and Rimmel Fix and Perfect

 

 2.  Switch to a tinted  moisturizer or BB cream for daytime. Foundation might feel too heavy in the sweltering sun.  Plus, lots of these formulas have SPF!

PC Picks: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter Beauty Balm and  Urban Decay Defense Tinted Moisturizer

3. Learn to embrace one-step products for your lids. Lots of cream shadows now come with primer built in for incredibly long wear. Plus, you can sweep on one color, add mascara (waterproof or not) and go all day! 

PC Picks: Maybelline Color Tattoos and MAC Paint Pots

4. Try tinted balms to add a pop of color without a lot of maintenance! 

PC Picks: Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm and Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

5. Blend in some natural looking cheek color with stains! These can also double as lip stains! 

PC Picks: Benefit Tints (These come in a range from pink, to bronze to coral!) 

How do you beat the heat? Any great tips for fun summer makeup that lasts in the sun? 

Stay beautiful,

Hannah

Roses and Ray Bans

I've always been in love with the various bloggers and their amazing outfit posts. I think they're always so put together, but unique at the same time. Since Hannah and I decided to venture into Pretty Chatty, I definitely knew I wanted to start doing these posts as well because it's a new look into my daily life. I didn't know where to begin except for in my "Fashionality" folder on my Macbook, where I keep a variety of saved outfit inspiration pictures I've collected from Pinterest, Tumblr, and even Facebook. I usually play it pretty safe, but I was excited to try out some new outfit combinations for the sake of this blog. Today's outfit was inspired by one of mine (and Hannah's) current favorite style icons, Dianna Agron, in this picture:

The look is so effortlessly chic and totally perfect for transitioning into Spring with the Chambray top tied over a fun patterned sun dress. (Plus, I was dying to find a way to wear this orange floral dress I bought last Fall that's been gathering dust in my closet!) I think the Chambray top is a must for every spring wardrobe because it's a perfect neutral layering piece that is comfortable, loose, and goes with so many different outfits, it's crazy!

Chambray Top - Old Navy, Orange Floral Sun Dress - Forever 21, Sunglasses - Ray Ban, Wedges - Frye, Watch - Michael Kors, Bow Necklace - Tiffany & Co, and Nail Polish - OPI Stranger Tides

Take time today to really stop and smell the roses (like I got to during this shoot). There's nothing like the beautiful fragrance of roses blooming in the spring time to make you appreciate your day. 

Sealed with a kiss,

Danielle

Gingham Glory!

Gingham has always been one of my favorite prints ever since I saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time. There's something sweet, homey, and summery about Gingham that other prints just don't have. 

(Oh, and unless you want to spend an hour obsessing over how cute gingham is for children, do not look at little baby outfits in this checkered print! Too cute!)

Perfect pigtails, a gingham dress, and a cute little dog to boot! 

J Crew Gingham Shorts (4inch) $39.99
I recently got these in hot pink and I love them. I like that they're a little longer, too! 

Delia's Gingham and Eyelet Headband Set $6.50
How cute are these? They'd totally make a summer outfit!  

Gap Gingham Linen Dress $59.95
This dress would be perfect for a summer barbeque! 

Old Navy Lightweight Camp Shirt in Light Blue Gingham $24.95
This is an awesome deal, and comes in a few great shades of gingham. 

Charlotte Russe Gingham Wedges- $32.99
Spice up your solid color summer dresses with this retro shoe.

  

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in Checken Out- $8-10
Why not take this trend to your fingertips? 

J. Crew Gingham Swimsuit $89.99
Retro and flattering, this suit is totally timeless.

Do you love gingham? What's your favorite way to wear this nostalgic print?

Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Sephora Sun Safety Kit

I'm very excited to bring you this post about the brand new, limited edition Sephora Sun Safety Kit! I received the email from Sephora for Beauty Insiders this morning (4/28) and knew it had to be in my hands before it sold out. This $30 set is absolutely full of top rated skin care products. It's a phenomenal value for only $30, it includes 17 deluxe sized samples of various moisturizers, sun screens, primers, mattifiers, self tanners, etc. It has something for everyone! It's a $193 value which is absolutely amazing. 

I'm very big into protecting your skin especially during the spring and summer months. 100% of this set's profits benefit the Skin Care Foundation which is really really cool. I'm very excited to share these products with my mom as well because we're both so huge into skin care. I'm including it as part of her mother's day present, so that's a great gift idea too. I'm going to share with y'all the products included without reviews because as I said, I just purchased it. I can guarantee this set is going to sell out fast because it is such a great value and these are some of Sephora's Best Selling Products!!!

• St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Moisturiser in Medium Dark (2.5 fl oz)
• Philosophy Hope Daily Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30 (.4 fl oz)
• Ole Henriksen Protect the Truth SPF 50+ (.5 fl oz)
• Supergoop! Very Water Resistant SPF 30+ Everyday Face & Body Lotion 
• Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer (.25 fl oz)
• Sephora Age Defy Moisture Cream SPF 15 (.169 fl oz)
• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 60 (.23 fl oz)
• Shiseido Urban Environment Oil Free UV Protector for Face SPF 42 (.23 fl oz)
• Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 30 (.5 fl oz)
• Boscia Oil Free Daily Hydration SPF 15 (.5 fl oz)
• Origins Vitazing SPF 15 (.5 fl oz)
• Kate Somerville Somerville 360 Face Self Tanning Pad
• Tan Towel Self Tan Towelette Full Body 
• Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15 (.33 fl oz)
• Dr. Jart+ BB Beauty Balm SPF 45 (.33 fl oz)
• Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
• bareMinerals Mineral Veil with mini flawless application brush

It also comes inside a very cute small plastic train case which is great for storage after you take out the products.