LA by Diana - Personal Style blog by Diana Marks

August 26, 2014

Oscar De La Renta Sunglasses Giveaway ($600 Value!)

I am happy to announce the most exciting (by far!) giveaway on my blog! As you know I am a huge fan of sunglasses (who isn't!? :) ), and I am SO EXCITED for the person who is going to win these amazing Oscar de la Renta sunglasses from Marissa Collections. They cost $600 and you can win them with just 2 simple clicks! Here are the requirements:

1) Follow @marissanaples on Instagram

2) Follow @byDianaMarks on Instagram

3) Wait for the winner announcement in 2 weeks!!!

The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and it will last until September 9th. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on September 10th via Instagram (don't miss it!). If the winner doesn't claim the prize within 3 days of notification, the glasses will go to the next randomly chosen winner.

Good luck!!!

August 22, 2014

Polka Dot Retro Playsuit in Malibu

Are words necessary for this post? :) Summer, sun, beach, retro... Enjoy!

Anti-Aging Cacao Smoothie

I know I got you all excited for a cooking post, but I forgot to mention, I don't cook :) I am terrible at determining if the food is ready so I either burn or undercook food, so I am forced to come up with easy solutions for myself. For example, I absolutely love making delicious smoothies, because they are super fast and easy to make (just throw everything in a blender!), delicious and so good for you! My first smoothies recipe that I'd like to share with you is this cacao based anti-aging smoothie!

Skinny Boyfriends and Gosling

I'd like to start this post by saying thank you so much for your support on my latest post. Your words of encouragement gave me reassurance that I am moving in the right direction. I am so grateful for each and every one of you! My first non-fashion post is still cooking ( is there a hint here?!:) ), so for now we are back to outfits!

I am usually not a big fan of light denim, but these boyfriend jeans from Target made me change my mind. They are actually called skinny boyfriend jeans, because they are not as lose at the bottom as regular boyfriends would be. That, plus 90s inspired wash and relaxed low rise fit made me absolutely fall in love with them. Styled them with a dreamy tee from ASOS and simple shopping tote.

What about you, do you prefer light or dark denim?

Blog Announcement

It's been a while since I wrote personal posts (or have I ever?!) but I feel the need to share this time so I hope you bare with me.

Denim Overall

I know. Enough is enough. Denim overalls are everywhere, yet still...I can't resist if I find another great ones, especially if they are ON SALE!

Décolletage

Sunday was a perfect day for me to wear this feminine but extremely comfortable dress from ASOS. The dress is supposed to have V-back and boat neckline in front, but I couldn't resist wearing it backwards. This V-shaped neckline accentuates décolletage area in en elegant but never vulgar way.

Yeah Right

Triple Denim

No matter how many seasons and trends go by, one thing is a classic - DENIM! From light to dark, skinny to bootcut, short or long - you can never go wrong with denim. I picked up a perfect pair of jeans in Target and decided to experiment with denim-on-denim trend and went a little too far...or did I? :) I created a daring look by wearing three different shades of denim combined with white details . Voila - I am ready to rock'n'roll =)

Picnic Look

It's been a while since I went on a picnic, so when I finally made it this weekend I made sure I arrived in style =) This ASOS playsuit has been my obsession the whole summer (it's on SALE here now!) and I think I finally found perfect wedge sandals as well (on sale too ;) )! Happy Monday!

Siciliana

There is something of a true lady in classic Sicilian style dresses and today I surely felt like one in this absolutely beautiful elegant and feminine dress from Karen Millen. Happy August!

Volume Skirt

Remembering Cannes

This is one of the looks I wore for a casual yet stylish walk in Cannes last month - a simple dress from For Love and Lemons (that literally goes with anything!) and comfy flats with my fave Proenza.

Tulle Chic

Who said that being elegant has to be expensive?

Sneakers Obsession

Ever since I discovered Twins for Peace I just can't get enough of their sneakers! These are another addition to my ever growing collection in checked pattern and leather material. Styled them with Club Monaco crop pants (ON SALE here) and a blouse from Sandro.

Bandage Dress and Pearls

This is my first bandage dress and I must say, I love it! It fits the body like a glove and accents its natural shape and curves! Accessorized with pearls - they add elegance to virtually any look. My favorite accessory at the moment is my new pearl necklace from The Pearl Source - a website that has the biggest variety of stunning pearl pieces.

Parental Advisory: Classy Nerd in Town

When I was a little girl I had a very bad eyesight but I was so terrified of looking ugly or nerdy in glasses that I preferred to see very poorly than to look funny! Nowadays, years after my laser eye surgery, I find myself obsessing with clear fashion glasses because a) they look so awesome and b) being nerdy is very cool (or am I the only one who thinks so? :) ).

Love the colorful frame of these glasses from Trioo and obsessing with the affordable version of popular "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" sweatshirt from ChicWish. Happy Monday!

One Dress Three Ways

I love a dress that I can style for many different occasions and this one from Target is another one of those. I absolutely love how it goes from casual to elegant with the right accessories.
I am also excited to announce my partnership with Cosmic Cart, the universal shopping cart for the web. Cosmic Cart lets you buy items from multiple retailers without having to leave my site! When you see the Cosmic Cart icon in photos, just click it to shop the look. It's that simple!
So for the fist look I turned the dress into a skirt by wearing a crop top and a wide belt to make the transition from top to bottom smoother. This outfit is a perfect elegant look for a day full of meetings.

Vive la France (Bastille Day)

I didn't even realize until now that today I wore an outfit which is so appropriate for the Bastille Day. It was blue, white and red! I styled a simple white dress (perfect for summer) with sneakers this time. Yes, I've been wearing so much more flats these days as you can see in my previous posts. I am a huge comfort lover, so heels are not an option for long summer walks. Besides, there is nothing uglier than a well dressed girl who can't walk in heels (and trust me, these are probably 80% of all girls wearing heels).

But enough of this. Heels are important, but flats are just a must. I've been expanding my fashion sneakers collection recently and these ones from Twins for Peace are my absolute favorites! They are a) from PARIS; b) made from silk with satin shoe laces and c) just so comfy and adorable! Shall I say more? :)

And lastly, a final touch was my new super trendy Daniel Wellington watch. They are perfect with any look (especially if you are going for preppy or casual cool) AND great for both guys and girls! See for yourselves ;) By the way, you can get a 15% discount on their site using the code labydiana at checkout!

Strapless Summer

Summer is the time of strapless dresses (my favorite type!), but apparently it's very hard to find a perfect fitting dress. Club Monaco saved me this time. I added my Tod's gomminos, a big city bag (I really miss Paris now!) and voila - I am ready for an evening stroll.

What's In My Bag

My days are always different from one another. One day can be a quiet work-at-home day, the other can be a busy day full of meetings and events. On those days I usually pack a lot of stuff in my go-to bag to stay refreshed, energized and stylish throughout hot summer days. Here is a sneak peak of my current must haves while on-the-go: two pairs of sunnies in different colors, two bracelets in different styles, a lipstick, lip treatment with SPF, a moisturizer, small bottle of perfume, my phone with headphones, a wallet, rose water which I use as a body splash and my favorite flavor of Bottled Starbucks® Iced Coffee to stay refreshed and energized at any point of my day. The coffee is available in four delicious flavors and you can buy it at any grocery store - yummy, uplifting and easy to get!

Everyday Value

As much as I love to dress up and change my outfits every day, I sometimes find one item that I am obsessing about (which will definitely be versatile!) and wear it several times a week creating different looks with it. But regardless of the frequency of wearing one item, we all love to have a huge selection of clothing at home ;) But how do we keep it going without spending all our monthly salaries on it? The solution is Target Style! They have a huge selection of everyday value pieces which are extremely affordable and so versatile! For example, I got this nautical crop top for just $16.99 (What a steal!) and I already have countless options of styling it in my mind! Here is just one of them: high waisted pencil skirt, my top and brown accessories - simple, chic and definitely elegant! ;)

By the way Target has a huge selection in each category of "10 steals of summer" being that swimsuits, crop tops, dresses, sunglasses, shorts, tees, bags, sandals, drapey pants and whites - you are covered from top to bottom! =)

I am also excited to announce my partnership with Cosmic Cart, the universal shopping cart for the web. Cosmic Cart lets you buy items from multiple retailers without having to leave my site! When you see the Cosmic Cart icon in photos, click it to shop the look. It's that simple! Happy shopping!

Lazy Day

When it's very hot outside and you are stuck at home thinking what to wear...

Velvet in Milan

On my one day stop in Milan last month I wore a velvet mini skirt from Sandro with matching t-shirt (that I wore too much after that). Obviously wore good old Converse on my feet since they are a perfect shoe for a day of sightseeing.

Avant Garde

I am finally back in LA chilling in shorts and a printed tee on a Wednesday afternoon ;)

White Shirt in the South of France

When I got this shirt from Subtle Luxury, I could stop thinking about wearing it on my upcoming trip. For some reason it felt perfect for the South of France and as it turned out it was! The fit, material and design are screaming "relaxed and stylish" - just what one needs on the French Riviera!

Catamaran Trip in Cannes

Wow! It's been a whole week since I last uploaded a post. I sincerely apologize for such a delay. As you know form my Instagram, I am traveling at the moment, but who wants to sit at the computer when you can go to the beach in the South of France? ;) Anyway, I hope you are excited for the next series of posts where I'll show you what I wore during my trip to Cannes.

I'll start with my new purchase from Sandro (I am obsessing with this brand lately), which I wore immediately after purchase for a catamaran ride. It's very chic and glamorous - prefect for the French Riviera ;)

Long Shorts

I never liked long shorts, but this year I tried wearing them with bright details and flat shoes and really liked the outcome. What do you think? ;)

Silver Details

I am really into high-waisted shorts and I went crazy when I saw these - a perfect option for a weekend night out. I apologize for lack of posts these days - I am prepping for an exciting trip to Cannes (which you might know from my Instagram), so stay tuned for my Cannes adventures ;)

Color Block at the Pacific

My new summer fashion idea is wearing a swimsuit under the shorts to create a tight form fitting shape. Added a classy touch with this perfect white blazer from Tommy Hilfiger and some fun with color block Hunter Boots. Not only they are a great fashion statement but also a perfect shoe to wear for some fun by the ocean ;)

Shades of Blue

Blue is one of my favorite colors and I am so glad that I found this pretty summer dress in all shades of blue (on sale here)! Complimented the look with my new Saint Laurent heels (scored them on sale here as well) and this beautiful unique ring from Ines Atelier - a Serbian jewelry brand that carries the most sophisticated pieces!

Denim Shorts

This summer I am planning to wear lots of shorts and these feminine and sexy denim shorts with crochet hem are a new addition to my wardrobe. Not only they look nice with any type of top, they are also super affordable and on top of that on sale now!

White and Neon

Ever since the NY fashion week last September, I had a dream of finding the perfect flare pants in white and finally I did! Not only I wore them on the day I bought them, I also definitely decided to take them to fashion week this year! White is a perfect color for summer and nothing makes it stand out more than a crazy color paring like this one with neon yellow.

Fashion Addict

Midi Dress in Malibu

Today was a perfect weather to go to the beach and for that occasion I chose a floral midi dress from ChicWish - a playful and pretty option for a beach walk.

Get Your Wardrobe Ready for Summer

Summer is just around the corner and here are some of my tips to get my closet summer-ready:

1) I clean up my closet and get rid of all the unnecessary stuff, that I am sure I won't be wearing this summer. As you know, I don't like keeping my clothes for several seasons, unless it's something extremely special, so I end up with a huge pile that will get consigned later on. I find consigning and selling my clothes a great way to accommodate the wardrobe change I am looking for, because the money I get from it gets reinvested in my new wardrobe. So step one for me is choosing what stays for the summer and what goes to the "consign" department. I also incorporate a lot of stuff from spring in my summer closet, but that's so easy if you live in LA ;)

Black and Gold

If you follow me on social networks you might remember that I attended style and beauty event by Style2020 a few weeks ago. The panel included guest speakers from such powerhouses as Sephora, L'oreal and LVHM, who were naturally such an inspiration! All the conversation was accompanied with a delicious meal and champagne. Not bad for one Friday afternoon ;)

I wore this awesome set from Three Floor, which is quickly becoming my favorite brand, and gold accessories for a chic polished look.

Sheer Bowknot

When I wore this outfit the other day I felt like a million bucks and even forgot for a second that my look is way lower than $100 total! How cool is that? You walk on Rodeo Drive and get stopped by women wearing head-to-toe Versace asking you where you got that skirt (which is ridiculously affordable, click here to see for yourselves!). I guess the point is knowing where to shop and not telling anyone :) But since I really love you guys I will reveal my secret spot (don't tell anyone else though ;)) - it's ChicWish! Versatile, feminine and affordable fashion is just one click away!

As for accessories, I have the opposite philosophy. I don't believe in multiple cheap bracelets hanging on your hands and making you sound like a gypsy. I prefer a one time statement piece that can be worn on multiple occasions and always look sophisticated (not flashy!) with any set you wear. This Siren Cuff with Amethyst stones from Monica Vinader is definitely that one piece that will say it all - the stones, the gold and the irregular shape of it make it a unique way of expressing your personality.

Affordable Chic

This nautical look is inspired by my upcoming trip to the South of France, which I cannot wait for. I am absolutely obsessed with the top's golden neckline (no need for a necklace ;)), which makes it look so chic. You can dress it up and down, day to evening and still look your best. Basically, there is no way to go wrong with XOXO. It is a truly feminine, sexy and trend conscious brand that is also affordable (most pieces retail under $100!)

WTEVR

Summer Beauty Essentials

I decided to make a post about my current beauty favorites and, who knows, maybe it will become regular content for my blog ;) Here are the beauty products that I can't go without these days.

Messy Hair Don't Care

This is my first time trying to pull off the LA girl look. A messy hair bun, loose tank dress and ankle boots. But the best part of the outfit is this awesome fringe bag from Hammitt LA - comfy, stylish and so LA ;)

Bobcat

Preppy French

I don't know why but I felt so french in this outfit. Preppy burgundy and navy combo with my favorite flats of the moment - Tod's gommino driving shoes, reminded me how much I miss walking around in Europe. And the super cute wicker bag from Kate Spade was a perfect finishing touch, which also came out handy for a bottle of wine that I carried for dinner to my friend's house.

Rain Boots No Rain

Since I live in LA, I might have to wait a little while until a get a chance to use my rain boots from Ted Baker (how cute are they?) for their purpose. But why wait? I decided to wear them as soon as I got a chance: on a sunny but a bit chilly day. Styled them with my new "gravity defying" Joe's Jeans and a zipped up blazer with nothing underneath but a bright orange scarf ;)

Back-Packing

The weather is very hot in LA and I am feeling young and playful in the look by Hi! Expectation. I recently got into backpacks (first time since middle school!) and this one from MCM is my current fave. Happy Sunday!

Color-Blocking

Hug Me

My colorful Monday look is all about "business meets fun" :) A classy blazer with a cool tee and bright pants is complemented by this awesome bag from Divo Diva, which is unique, original and most importantly fun! Obsessed with my new Prada sunnies from Shade Station. Have a great week!

Chill Weekend

The Perfect Skater Dress

There is not a single thing I don't like about this dress from AQAQ: the colors, the print and the shape are just perfect. Love that the waistline is curved to the front making the skirt appear even fuller. I definitely feel like a real lady in this dress :) Accessorized with bright shoes, fun mirrored sunglasses and a lovely key necklace from Saressa Designs with matching color stone.

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