My favorite time of year, coat season, is officially warming up and I’m looking forward to bringing the hottest looks this fall/winter. Getting a late start, it took me a while to narrow down my top preferences and decide which of these 2021 outerwear trends I’ll be wearing this year and hopefully next. From puffers to long-line trench coats, it feels like the options are limitless when stalking the net for your next purchase but it's the styles that stand the test of time that make it all worth it.
Start early when building your seasonal wardrobe, guaranteeing first dibs on the flyest styles before they’re gone. Also keep in mind, that functionality, design, and comfort are necessary requirements when securing the shopping bag. For a few everyday outfit ideas, here are the coats I’ve recently added to my cold-weather line-up.
Leather Puffer
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
It was love at first sight when I spotted this chocolate brown puffer coat. Elevating the darker tones, I opted for a slinky leopard print dress and black leather boots. Planning a quick morning trip to the corner cafe before taking care of today’s business, I threw on a sleek cap to top off this look.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Long-Line Trench
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Being that green is my favorite color I had to keep the love going while looking for new additions to my closet. Long-line trench coats are going strong this year but it's the color and design that cause a selection of styles to stand out from the rest. Paired with printed denim and black boots for a sharp contrast, next time I want to try wearing muted tones allowing the jacket to speak for itself.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Sherpa Aviator
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
High on the hottest trends list this season are aviator jackets lined with contrasting sherpa. Quirky and fun, I love this two-toned faux leather and shearling combination. Keeping it light and colorful, I added a soft green trouser along with a cropped cream knit top complete with multi-panel boots.
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
To get your fashion fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Style section here.
Featured image by Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
RELATED
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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