LA by Diana - Personal Style blog by Diana Marks

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December 16, 2015

Scotland Fashion

My trip to Scotland was brief but full of memories. The weather was terrible that weekend - it was rainy, windy and very very cold, but it didn't stop us from having a great time full of adventures. From visiting the Edinburgh Castle, exploring spooky Greyfriars Kirkyard, having coffee breaks at the Elephant House Cafe, where JK Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter, and ending the day on a bar tour around town, there wasn't a moment not to feel bored.
As promised here is one of the looks that I wore during the trip. I was so excited to visit the country for the first time and took time to decide what look I am going to wear - tartan was on my mind and I found this perfect mini-skirt at my favorite Lulus. I wore the skirt from day into the night, switching a few items around for a glam look.

December 14, 2015

One For All

This post is sponsored by Target
This is the season of inventive ways to gift more with less. Target invites us to choose one key centerpiece (apparel or accessory) of the "perfect gift" for multiple friends, family members or colleagues.
I created three different gift packages for three different people in my life, and included the same key piece: these incredibly cute winter mittens. :)
The first gift is for my best friend's daughter Sophie. She loves everything cute and everything shiny. The mittens are perfect accessories for an 11-year-old girl, and those shiny Essie nail polish colors will definitely excite her this holiday season.

December 13, 2015

The Power of The Body

We are so close to winter and the best and most stylish item for the season, to my mind, is a turtleneck. This year I went wild and bought tons of turtlenecks in all colors imaginable. It's just so easy to throw it on and immediately add a touch of elegance to the look. But I went even more excited when I discovered the Colorado body from Wolford - it has a perfect form fitting silhouette with a light shimmering effect on the outside. A truly luxury piece to add to a classy look for a touch of class and sophistication. It's also definitely a great gift idea this holiday season ;)
By the way, I used my Anti Static brush to style my hair here.

December 11, 2015

London Gal

As you might now from my social media, I recently took a trip to the UK. It was such a great experience to come back to a place, which I once called home - rediscover myself and more importantly, reflect on my life especially considering the important changes I am going through. One might say that vibrant London is not the best place to reflect, but since it has a special place in my heart, it definitely was the perfect option. I walked around local streets, caught up with friends and met a few new interesting people, but most importantly, I recharged myself emotionally and simply had a great time. 
To stay stylish on this trip I relied on my favorite Lulus, which saved me on my previous European trip back in June. I managed to find perfect outfits both for London and Edinburgh (where I went for a weekend) and this one is my London look: vegan leather pants, true Londoner booties and obviously a hat. Stay tuned for my true Scottish look in Edinburgh :)

December 7, 2015

Accessories First


This post is sponsored by Target
Most of the time when we style our look we add accessories at the very end, to complete the outfit. But this time around, Target is challenging all of us to make accessories a priority and start styling our looks with them to spice up an outfit by inspiring unlikely twists in your style - especially with winter accessories which are decked out in sparkles, shine, metallics or fur. ;) 
I was challenged to create two looks inspired by my favorite accessory from Target's Wonderlist (search "Wonderlist" on Target.com). I chose the fluffy and very cozy faux fur scarf, which is perfect for winter, and came up with two looks
For the first look, I thought it would be great to have a tight turtleneck sweater underneath the scarf to draw all the attention to the scarf. For the second one, I added a winter dress with leggings and booties for a little more casual feel. Both looks are styled with gray colors, which I think is a great color combo with white.
So make dressing a little more fun and glamorous this season by starting a look with your favorite scarf, fur, clutch, bag, hat or mittens. ;) Let me know if you already have something in mind. And by the way, Target offers FREE standard SHIPPING (3-5 business days) and returns on ALL orders from now through December 25. 

November 29, 2015

A New Way to Stay Hydrated

Healthy levels of hydration can increase energy levels, regulate circulation and digestion, and improve overall skin complexion. I don't know anyone who doesn't know this, yet most of us are still dehydrated due to our busy lifestyles and/or frequent travels. It's especially easy to forget about hydration while on a trip. As you might know from my social media, I am in London right now and I found a great way to help me reach my hydration goals before and during my trips.

November 23, 2015

First on the List


This post is sponsored by Target
In November, holiday gifting is already on everyone's mind. In the hustle of gift ideas, we often forget about the most important person in our lives - ourselves. If we are lucky enough, we may have  a surplus in our allocated budgets to spend on ourselves, but, more often than not, we spend our entire holiday budget on gifting others.
This year I am teaming up with Target to change that. We encourage you to put yourself first on your holiday list...right now! Before holiday madness kicks in, find a gift for yourself! Target believes that when you treat yourself first, you'll be inspired to treat others with more  optimism and excitement. So I decided to check it myself :P
I shopped Target's Wonderlist (search "Wonderlist" on Target.com) and found myself three little gifts: one piece of apparel (a green turtleneck), one accessory (a holiday-friendly velvet clutch), and one beauty item (Essie nail polish with golden glitters). These three little gifts are going to be a great foundation for many holiday looks to come, but here are two of my favorites thus far: a casual comfy look with a warm cardigan for a holiday stroll around the neighborhood, and a classy look in green and blue hues, finished with over-the-knee boots and a statement necklace for a holiday party.
Now I am definitely more excited to shop for others ;)
How will your treat yourself first this season with Target's Wonderlist?
Casual look:

November 21, 2015

Party Perfect with Lulus

Holiday season is right around the corner and this means - party season! I love an all-black glam look for a party, especially if it's as sexy as this jumpsuit! :) I found it at my favorite Lulus.com, which also carries a million options of cute and glam holiday dresses and I am already eyeing a few. What are your favorite pieces for the holiday party season?

November 19, 2015

Layering 2.0


This post is sponsored by Target
Winter is right around the corner, and, being an L.A. resident I couldn't be more excited. We'll finally get those few month of cold and have a chance to show off some winter fashion! I am partnering with Target again to showcase the most popular way of dressing this time of the year: layering. Instead of going for typical layers of clothes, I decided to spice it up by introducing accessories as a layer and, most importantly, layering the bottom of my look (the boots) as well. Both the top and bottom of my look have three layers, and they match perfectly in one cute and cozy look.
I love adding a statement jewelry piece to a turtleneck, or any tight top for that matter. It adds an extra layer of chic without being too bulky. The thin, long, gold necklace was a good addition to an overall winter ensemble.
As for the white long socks, I was amazed. I found these at the back of my closet, barely worn due to being too long, but they added such a level of coziness and made my boots look so different. Will definitely be incorporating more of these layers through the winter.
And what are your ways of layering this season?

November 11, 2015

Two Dots: The Game You Won't Stop Playing

I am not a big fan of games, but I found this one game that is so addictive that I simply CAN'T STOP :) It is called TWO DOTS. It is super simple, but very fun. The point of the game is to connect the dots of the same color, sink the anchors and do it in as few steps as possible. But apart from its addictive concept, it has the most relaxing and playful background music. Perfect for an afternoon break or a fun distraction. Check out the game's Facebook page here, download the game and let me know how you like it.

November 5, 2015

Knit Coat and Anna Wintour

The temperature finally dropped here in LA and I can start wearing jackets! This is so exciting for me :) Couldn't wait until I could finally rock this knit coat from Abercrombie. It makes a simple leggings+t-shirt combination look cool and trendy.

October 28, 2015

Suspender Pants

This season I didn't go to fashion week. It's been a very rough period of my life and fashion week plans quickly fell apart... I did however plan a few looks for it and this was supposed to be one of them. But who needs fashion week to dress for it? :) I can just dress like this here in LA.

October 19, 2015

Little Details

I like my outfits to be simple yet stylish and sometimes it's all about the little details that you add to the look that change the whole perspective. In this particular case I added a sophisticated pendant from Michael Hill to the feminine lace top, velvet skirt and ankle boots, and this added a touch of elegance and charm that the look was missing. Michael Hill is a great site for sophisticated jewelry options for every pocket.

October 16, 2015

Lace Up

I am back in LA after a month long absence and the weather is still not willing to admit that it's fall. Showcasing my "still-early-fall" looks in the next few weeks ;)

October 7, 2015

3D creativity with Sprout

If you follow me on social media, you might know that I've been super excited to explore HP Sprout in the recent past. It is so high tech, that it's hard to believe it's real. We are talking 3D printing and scanning, people!

October 3, 2015

Dating Tips for Men + Play #AYTO to WIN A Trip to Hawaii

I have noticed quite an increase in my male audience and wanted to start a little section for guys. Whether it be male fashion, lifestyle or dating tips, I'll be sharing some articles every once in a while. But I am sure ladies can still benefit from this material and, if they like it, share it with men in their lives.
Today I am going to share a few dating tips for guys, which are especially relevant for first dates. So without further ado, here is my list: