fashion accessories Archives - Serendipity Mommy

This Is What You Need to Know About Buying Jewelry for Your Girlfriend

January 9, 2020 by Mandy

It should come as no surprise that jewelry is the most popular Valentine’s Day gift, with billions of dollars being spent each year on baubles and bling for loved ones.

But whether you’re buying jewelry for your girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, her birthday, the holidays, or another occasion, you also want to be sure she loves what you’ve given her.

Giving a gift of jewelry is an opportunity to pick a piece that’s personalized and has special meaning for the wearer. You want your girlfriend to enjoy wearing her gift with pride and hold onto it for the rest of her life.

Don’t know where to begin? Here’s a general guide to buying jewelry for your girlfriend that they’ll fall in love with.

Observe What She Loves to Wear

If you’re clueless about what kind of jewelry to pick out for a woman, a good place to start is observing what she wears when she’s with you. Does she opt for more conservative pieces when meeting you from the office, and flashier accessories when you’re out on the town?

If you can, try to sneak a peek into her jewelry box to get a better sense of what she owns (and maybe what you never see her wear). This will at least give you an idea of her sense of style.

Remember: you want to buy her a jewelry gift that she likes and feels comfortable wearing, not necessarily something that you want to see her wear.

Ask Her BFF

A woman’s friend will also be able to tell you exactly what your girlfriend goes for when it comes to the jewelry counter. Perhaps she’s had her eye on a special ring or bracelet that her friend knows she would love to unwrap.

Go Shopping With Her

If you’re at the mall and her eyes light up when she sees certain pieces of jewelry, you can make note of that and return alone to buy it for her. Even clothing shopping with your girlfriend in general can give you an idea of whether her style is classic or if she loves browsing the latest trends. You can use her fashion sense as a guide to what to give her for jewelry.

Make It Personal or Sentimental

You usually can’t go wrong with a sentimental jewelry item or one that reflects her interests or passions. If your loved one is crazy about the beach, for example, a charm bracelet full of ocean-related charms is sure to please. Buying jewelry in this way shows you celebrate everything unique that makes her the person she is.

When in Doubt, Keep It Simple

Women can wear smaller jewelry pieces anytime and anywhere, whereas large gemstones are usually only appropriate for special occasions. So if you’re still unsure what to buy her, go for something simple and classic like a diamond pendant necklace or stud earrings. Browse these products to see the many diamond earring styles available.

Buying Jewelry for Your Girlfriend Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

As you can see, choosing the right jewelry for your girlfriend doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to take some time to know her likes and dislikes, and what would work best with her personal style.

Check out our fashion posts to learn more about different types of jewelry and how to give them.

CZ vs Diamond Rings: What’s the Difference?

December 30, 2019 by Mandy

Did you know that diamonds are at least 58x harder than any other substance found in nature?

That hardness earns this substance a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Cubic zirconia diamonds, on the other hand, rate an 8 to 8.5 – and this is only the beginning of the differences between CZ vs diamond.

When you need a sparkling gemstone ring for a gift, an engagement, or a special occasion, both CZ and diamond rings are beautiful and bright. But that’s where their similarities end.

Before you start sizing your band, read this to make sure you’re getting what you pay for.

What Is Diamond vs CZ?

There’s a difference between zirconium and cubic zirconium. Zirconium is a silver-white metal that can be found in a powder form. Powdered zirconium is melted and mixed with zirconium oxide at 4,982-degrees Fahrenheit to create cubic zirconia crystals.

CZ crystals, or what we might call CZ diamonds, are an affordable diamond substitute. CZ diamonds are man-made in a laboratory whereas diamonds are naturally-occurring, rare, and expensive gemstones.

How to Tell the Difference Between CZ vs Diamond

To the naked eye, CZ vs diamond look and feel the same. But there are a few ways to tell the difference between the two.

The Heat Test

CZ diamonds are thermal insulators. Diamonds, on the other hand, conduct heat.

Although you can’t exactly see this, there’s a way to test for it. To do so, breath on each stone. On a diamond, your breath will vanish immediately because of the higher thermal conductivity.

Density Differences

CZ diamonds are nearly twice as heavy as real diamonds. At 1.7 times the weight of a diamond, a CZ stone will feel noticeably heavier than a diamond of the same size.

Beauty & Brilliance

Diamonds have a much higher refractive index (2.42) than CZ diamonds (2.15-2.18). This means that light passes through CZ vs diamond in different ways. And this is a measure of the brilliance and beauty of the stones – with diamonds being much more brilliant than CZ.

You can test this by turning the stones upside down and looking at the colors in the stone when light enters. A diamond will produce a rainbow of color reflections. A CZ diamond will only produce a range of blues and oranges.

Clarity & Rarity

Flawless diamonds are incredibly rare. That rarity is what makes them so expensive. If you’ve found a flawless diamond at an unbelievable cost, it’s probably a CZ diamond.

CZ diamonds are made in a laboratory and are therefore flawless and clear. They don’t have the same imperfections that would occur in nature. Meaning they’re not only clear and flawless, but they’re also colorless.

Check Your Costs

CZ vs diamond costs are drastically different. Because they can be produced in a laboratory, CZ diamonds are significantly more affordable than a real diamond gemstone.

Whether you’re looking for princess cut or art deco diamond engagement rings, CZ diamonds are always the more affordable option.

Stay Fashionably Informed

Besides the cost, the major differences between CZ vs diamond can be found in how they’re made. Flawless and colorless, CZ diamonds are made in a laboratory and lack the natural imperfections of a real diamond. Though, because they’re not as hard, they wear more than a real diamond will over time.

When wearing your fashion and jewelry isn’t enough, stay fashionably informed with us. Check out all things fashion here.

How to Wear Hoop Earrings: A Very Simple Guide

October 15, 2019 by Mandy

Did you know hoop earrings are a powerful symbol dating back to 2500 BC, the time Sumerian women wearing gold hoop earrings lived? The practice of wearing this style spans many cultures beyond Sumer and even to this day.

Egyptians in 1500 BC wore the same style we know today; they even adorned cats with a pair. In Japan, we have Ainu men and women who wore brass hoop earrings during the 19th century. Today, you’ll see men and women from all parts of the world wearing different types of hoop earrings, whether for fashion or as tradition.

Keep in mind this rich history when learning how to wear hoop earrings below.

How to Wear Hoop Earrings

Let’s face it, hoop earrings look bold and daring. How will it work outside a bold and daring outfit? History teaches us it looks good with almost anything, like so:

Casual

Hoop earrings in a casual look? Yes, why not?

Whip out your jeans, a white t-shirt, a pair of boots, and hoop earrings to top it off. The result is a casual look that doesn’t look bare – a classic example of the accessories making the outfit.

The beauty of this ensemble is that you can use any design of hoop earrings you like and it will still look exceptional.

Use the classic gold hoops and you look timeless. Experiment with some animal print hoop earrings and you look fearless.

Vintage

Want to go for a vintage look? That’s easy – pair your hoop earrings with red lipstick and you’re good to go.

This pairing brings drama to your outfit, bringing a certain attitude to the whole ensemble. You don’t need to be extra in your clothes because the hoops and lipstick will be all the statements you’ll need. You can wear anything and it will still look classic.

Keep in mind that this pairing brings attention to your face instead of your outfit. Complete the look with some dramatic hair, too, and choose to keep the rest on the low. Some light eyeshadows will work to keep their attention on your lips and hoops.

Boho

If you want the hoops to do all the talking, though, choose a big, sleek pair. Don’t get confused, though; when we say big, we mean huge. You can wear a pair that almost reaches your shoulder for this look.

This will go well with any boho ensemble in whatever hairstyle you choose. Whether you want to wear a flower crown, wear your hair half-up, or keep it tamed with a scarf, big hoop earrings will complement it well.

You can even wear hoop earrings with some pizzazz. Going to the beach? Wear hoops with some seashells or tassels hanging from them.

You don’t even need to wear dramatic makeup. Keep it natural – wear an MLBB lipstick and instead pay attention to your eyes. If you don’t want to, wear some shades instead.

Day Out

A brunch out or a coffee date with the girls always warrant an ensemble that will make you cute and chic. For that goal, you only need some hoop earrings.

Even if you want to keep it simple or you want to emulate your favorite fashion blogger’s style, a pair of hoop earrings can get you through the day.

It’s even better if you’re only out for some errands. Look your absolute best while you’re in line at the bank; you might enjoy this day more than the ones spent at the office. Choose sleek hoops for this, though, as you don’t want it to weigh you down.

Night Out

Of course, hoop earrings are the perfect ones to wear for a night out. Have a chill drinking session at the bar or dance the night away at the club – in either scenario, a pair of hoops is what you need to look adventurous without any effort at all.

You can even wear whatever you were wearing during the day to the bar. Swap a nice, daring lipstick and you’ve transformed in an instant. The same pair you wear during the day out can be the perfect one for your night out, too.

Timeless

Big hoop earrings are timeless in and of itself, but small ones are a classic. Jewelry doesn’t always have to make a statement for you. Sometimes, you only want something to add to your outfit, not overpower it.

In this case, opt for small hoop earrings rather than button ones. This keeps the look interesting without people being able to pinpoint it on one element.

They don’t draw a lot of attention, but they do add a lot of character. They’re easy to style, too. You can wear them with different kinds of ensemble. You can even wear them every day and no one will bat an eye.

This means a pair of high-class hoops is all you need for any kind of looks. Frankly, that’s all you need to know when learning how to wear hoop earrings.

Professional

Who says you can’t wear hoop earrings in a professional setting? While there may have been negative connotations surrounding this style in the past, you can still make it work with your slacks and blazer.

Don’t be afraid to arrive in your office wearing a pair of hoops. It doesn’t make you look any less of a professional. If anything, it can make you look more powerful and authoritative.

Gold sleek ones work well with any professional outfit. It’s enough to add spice to your business attire without being too overpowering.

Have an all-white or all-black ensemble? Gold hoop earrings won’t look out of place.

Rocking a new pencil dress? Gold hoop earrings will complete that look.

Try it in the mirror now. Be careful not to overdo it, though; it might distract your clients instead.

Wear Your Hoop Earrings Proudly

The main takeaway in this article? Hoop earrings work with almost every look. You only have to know how to wear hoop earrings using the right pairings to achieve the look you want.

For more fashion tips like these, keep browsing our blog and check out our other articles.

The perfect everyday handbag

August 22, 2019 by Mandy

I think it’s probably fair to say that most girls have a bag in their wardrobe that they would consider their everyday bag. It’s the bag you carry daily when commuting to work, take into town when shopping and use when having a casual lunch with friends. It’s a bag you’ve used and abused and simply taken for granted so it needs to be good quality, comfortable and practical.

Eventually though it will undoubtedly need replacing, so what should you consider before making your purchase? This is a handbag that will be your daily companion so it’s worth taking a little time to consider what your perfect everyday bag needs to be.

What size works for you

Well first of all this is a bag that you will take to work and go shopping with so it needs to be a reasonable size. If you’re anything like me, I often go on a shopping trip and forget to take a carrier bag, so a larger bag can work out to be quite useful. When commuting to work you may sometimes want to carry a packed lunch for instance, a change of shoes if you do a lot of walking or a tablet or another device. Having said that, it doesn’t want to be so big that it’s awkward or uncomfortable to carry. It’s also important take your own stature into the equation. What works for one person may not work for another.

Suit your style

There are two obvious styles that stand out that would be up for the task and that is the shoulder bag and the tote shopper. Overall the shoulder bag would be the most comfortable to carry. If the shoulder bag is your preference then just think about whether you would prefer structured or unstructured as there are fors and against for both. A structured bag looks smarter but slightly harder to carry and a slouchy hobo is more comfortable but the down side is that smaller items can get a little lost at the bottom.

The tote shopper is a good practical choice but can get a little tiring to carry in your hand or on your forearm over a period of time. A good compromise is to choose a tote shopper with longer handles to allow you to carry it over the shoulder.

Another option to consider if it’s more for work is a messenger bag. This is definitely a smart alternative and will even allow you to carry it cross body which is especially useful on busy commuter trains.

The quality is very important

This is a bag that you are going to use on a daily basis. It’s going to be picked up plonked down, bashed against surfaces and carried around in all weathers. It is important then to make sure it’s well made and of good quality. If you buy cheap, you buy twice is a saying that most people only appreciate once they’ve fallen into this common consumer trap.

Bags can be made from all sorts of materials such as plastic, faux leather, nylon and fabric but for a bag that will be in regular use it really has to be made with good quality leather.

As you know handbags are made all over the world especially the Far East. However, it is Italy that has the enviable reputation of making the best quality handbags you can buy. They are handmade by artisans using traditional skills that have passed down through the generations. The leathers that they use are of the highest quality and are normally tanned with vegetable dyes which is not only environmentally friendly it also gives the leather a unique depth of colour.

Speaking of Colour

For an everyday bag, most women would choose a classic colour such as brown, black or dark blue. However, you may be tempted to choose a statement colour but before you do, just consider that this a general bag that you will be using with all sorts of outfits.

As this bag will be a daily companion, it really is worth considering these point before making your purchase.

Written by Penny