Hey Everyone!
Welcome back to my newsletter 🗞

What a month it has been. We're just days away from officially entering the fall season (and Libra season...love a balanced era) and I can already feel the good vibes in the air.

I've been going 110% on my creator journey and cold emailing brands/influencer marketing teams to further expand "LaChicCouture". One thing about me...once I have a goal in mind or something I want...I am getting it 💁🏽‍♀️ (Taurus sun, Scorpio Moon sooooo....lol). I think the biggest challenge when you have SO many creative ideas/goals is staying locked in during the interim phase of "it's slowly growing day by day" to "OMG...it's taken off".

I feel like there have been two very distinct eras of "making it big" in the digital creator world. For sure 1.) the OGs who started creating in their teens/early 20s and never stopped and 2.) the creators who popped off in 2020 aka the pandemic. Well guess what...I plan to be the 3rd quadrant: 3.) corporate girlie of over 10+ years who finally decided to turn her creative brain back on in her 30s and pick up where she left off in college...and I can not WAIT until the actual payoff is here in my reality. Because when you never give up on your dreams you can technically never lose. As within, so without. ✨💫

This week's edit features my Beauty Recommendations, The Under $250 Chic Boots Edit - Steve Madden, Fashion Items Worth Spending More Money On + much more! Enjoy 😘

Girl Like Me + Kaytranada PinkPantheress, KAYTRANADA PREVIEW   ​

currently listening to 🎶

latest OOTD/style inspo

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Weekly Beauty Edit 💋💄

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The Investment Pieces Edit: Fashion Items Worth Spending More Money On 👜🥿

Listen...not everything in your closet needs to be expensive. In fact, fashion is all about the "high-low" mix; the $25 or vintage find styled with the one really good piece you’ll still be wearing five years from now. But there are certain items that are simply worth the splurge. Think of these as your key investment pieces (perfect for a capsule wardrobe): elevated, timeless & effortlessly chic.

1. A quality leather handbag — a structured everyday bag in black, brown or burgundy.
2. Classic leather ballet flats — a well-made pair that can work with denim, trousers & dresses.
3. A tailored wool coat — camel, black, navy or charcoal in a timeless silhouette.
4. Premium denim — one exceptional pair of straight-leg or wide-leg jeans with great construction and fit.
5. A cashmere sweater — a classic crewneck, cardigan or turtleneck in a neutral shade.
6. A quality leather belt — a simple designer or beautifully crafted belt with minimal hardware.
7. Timeless jewelry — solid gold hoops, a delicate chain or a classic watch that can be worn for years.

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10 Beauty Trends Actually Worth Trying ✨🪞

Beauty trends come and go, but a few are actually worth trying/adding to your routine. Think glowy, healthy skin, softly blurred lips and a little strategic blush...the kind of beauty that looks effortless rather than overly done. And if you want to have a little fun? Try a pop of pastel eyeliner, a romantic blush drape or a glossy hair moment. The goal isn’t to chase every TikTok trend; it’s to implement the ones that make you feel prettier, fresher and a little more fabulous.

1. 💦 The Dewy Skin Routine: Layer lightweight hydration—think milky toner, essence, hyaluronic acid serum & barrier cream—to create that juicy, bouncy-skin effect without making your face feel heavy.
2. 🧼 Milky Cleansers: Swap harsh, squeaky-clean face washes for creamy or milky cleansers that leave skin soft and comfortable. Perfect for achieving that healthy-skin glow instead of an overly stripped finish.
3. 🍒 Berry-Tinted Everything: Try a berry lip stain, cream blush & sheer berry eyeshadow for an effortlessly coordinated look. Deep cherry, raspberry & wine-inspired shades are especially fun for 2026.
4. ✨ Peptide + Barrier Serums: Serums featuring peptides, ceramides, ectoin or other barrier-supporting ingredients are a great way to build a simple skincare routine around hydrated, resilient-looking skin.
5. 🎀 Heatless Curl Everything: From satin curling ribbons to overnight rollers, heatless styling is an easy way to get big, bouncy curls or soft waves without excessive heat. Bonus points for doing it while you sleep.
6. ☺️ Cream Blush Sticks: Cream and balm blushes make it ridiculously easy to create that fresh, flushed look. Try unexpected shades like cool pink, strawberry, terracotta or lavender instead of defaulting to peach.
7. 🧴 Scalp Serums & Scalp Care: Haircare is moving beyond the lengths of your hair. Scalp serums, gentle exfoliating treatments & lightweight scalp oils turn your routine into a full scalp-to-ends routine.
8. 💅🏽 Micro Nail Art: Instead of elaborate designs, try tiny details: mini hearts, chrome dots, tiny bows, delicate stars, micro-French tips or one accent nail. Small details = major manicure energy.
9. 💆🏽‍♀️ Glossy Hair Treatments: Hair glosses, shine masks, leave-in conditioners & lightweight oils are perfect for creating that reflective, expensive-looking shine without needing a complicated hairstyle.
10. 💚 One-Color Statement Makeup: Pick ONE unexpected shade—cobalt blue, emerald, lilac, cherry red or metallic silver—and make it the star. A colorful liner or shadow paired with otherwise simple makeup feels bold without becoming overwhelming.

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The Under $250 Chic Boots Edit - Steve Madden ✨👢

Boots season has officially entered the chat (well...not here in Houston yet) and Steve Madden is making a very strong case for the under-$250 splurge. Think sleek knee-highs, polished ankle boots, pointed toes, and just enough statement-making detail to make your outfit feel instantly chic. These are the boots you throw on with denim, a mini skirt or an oversized coat and suddenly look like you have your entire life together. The best part? You don’t need a designer budget to get that expensive-looking effect. The trick is choosing a silhouette that feels timeless, keeping the styling effortless and letting the boots do the talking.

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The Art of Becoming Harder to Manipulate 😏😈

There is a particular kind of woman who is very easy to manipulate: the woman who has been taught that being “good” means being agreeable, forgiving, understanding, available and endlessly willing to give people another chance. She explains herself when a simple “no” would do. She feels guilty when someone is disappointed with her. She stays on the phone for three hours trying to convince someone to understand a boundary they already understood the first time. She calls it being patient. Sometimes, it is. Other times, it is someone slowly teaching her that her discomfort is less important than their access to her. In romantic relationships, this can look like a partner who repeatedly crosses a line, apologizes beautifully, becomes affectionate, promises to change and then does it again...until the apology becomes part of the cycle rather than evidence of change. At work, it can look like the boss who constantly moves the goalposts, praises your loyalty while quietly piling more responsibilities onto you or makes you feel “difficult” for asking for the same respect and clarity everyone else receives. With family or longtime friends, it can be even harder to recognize because history creates its own kind of fog: "After everything we've been through, how could you do this to me?" But history is not a lifetime membership card to your emotional availability. So ask yourself: Who benefits when I feel guilty? Who becomes uncomfortable when I become more confident? And how often am I calling something “love,” “loyalty,” or “being a good person” when what I am actually doing is abandoning myself to keep the peace?

One of the darkest lessons is realizing that manipulation does not always look sinister. Sometimes it looks like charm. Sometimes it sounds like concern. Sometimes it arrives wrapped in vulnerability, tears, compliments, shared history or a perfectly timed “I just thought you were better than this.” The person manipulating you may not even think of themselves as a manipulator; they may simply be accustomed to getting their way through guilt, pressure, silence, anger, withdrawal or emotional punishment. That is why watching what happens after you say no is so revealing. Does your partner respect the boundary or suddenly become distant until you give in? Does your boss punish you for having reasonable limits by giving you the worst assignments or implying you aren't committed enough? Does your friend turn your private vulnerability into ammunition the moment you disagree? Does a family member rewrite the entire history of a situation until you begin questioning your own memory? Pay attention. A person who only treats you well when you are compliant is giving you information. And you do not need to wait until something becomes catastrophic before deciding that a pattern is unhealthy for you. Sometimes the red flag isn't the explosive argument...it's the quiet realization that you have started rehearsing your words before speaking because you are afraid of how someone will react.

Becoming harder to manipulate ultimately means becoming less willing to betray your own perception just to preserve someone else's comfort. It means you can love a partner and still leave when the relationship consistently makes you feel smaller. You can respect a boss and still document conversations, protect your time and recognize when “team player” has quietly become code for “person we can overwork.” You can adore a friend you've known for twenty years and still admit that familiarity does not make disrespect acceptable. You can love your family without automatically accepting guilt as the price of belonging. And perhaps most importantly, you can stop treating your ability to tolerate pain as proof of your character. Not every relationship needs to end. Not every difficult person is secretly toxic. Not every disagreement is manipulation. But you owe yourself enough honesty to examine the difference between a relationship that challenges you and a relationship that conditions you. Ask yourself the uncomfortable questions: If I stopped over-explaining, would this person still respect me? If I stopped rescuing them, would they still show up for me? If I stopped being useful, agreeable, forgiving or endlessly available, what would actually be left between us? Becoming harder to manipulate isn't about becoming hard-hearted. It's about becoming so deeply acquainted with your own boundaries, values and reality that someone else's disappointment no longer has the power to make you abandon yourself.

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Finance Chic Series ✨💵

We're back in week two of my multiple part finance series. Continuing on with "Saving Money" this week’s topic will focus on High-Yield Savings.

TOPIC #2 - SAVING MONEY: "HIGH-YIELD SAVINGS" 📈📉✨

Okay girl...if your money is sitting in a regular savings account earning next to nothing, it may be time for a little financial glow-up. A high-yield savings account (HYSA) is a savings account that typically pays a much higher interest rate, meaning your bank pays you for keeping your money there. The key number to look for is the APY, or Annual Percentage Yield, which tells you how much your money could earn over a year, including the effect of compounding. Unlike investing, your goal here isn't to make your money wildly rich overnight...it's to keep your cash accessible while allowing it to grow instead of sitting there collecting dust (an extra incentive can be the coffees, bags, etc. you could get as well from the savings 👀). Think of it as putting your emergency fund in a cute little financial apartment where it actually contributes to the rent.

A HYSA can be especially useful for money you know you'll need but don't need today: an emergency fund, a future move, a vacation, a wedding, a car or that “I refuse to be financially stressed” savings cushion. For example, if you have $10,000 sitting in savings, earning 0.01% isn't doing much for you. At a hypothetical 4% APY, that same $10,000 could earn roughly $400 over a year before taxes, assuming the rate stayed the same and there were no withdrawals. Rates can change, so always check the current APY, fees, minimum balance requirements, withdrawal rules and whether the account is FDIC-insured if you're banking in the U.S. The goal is simple: make your money work a little harder without taking unnecessary investment risk.

Think about buying a $100 pair of pants versus putting that same $100 into a HYSA. The pants might make your outfit incredible but the money in your savings account can keep earning interest while you decide whether you actually need those pants. This doesn't mean you should never spend; it means you create a “pay yourself first” habit where saving happens before the shopping cart opens. Start with an automatic transfer every payday, even if it's only $25 or $50. Financial confidence is rarely about making one huge, perfect money move. It's about creating small systems that quietly build your security over time. Chic clothes are fun. Having money in the bank is the real luxury.✨💸👛

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Fashion Week/Runway Shows Extravaganza: Cult Gaia ✨👗

September is the biggest fashion month for the fashion girlies around the world for a reason. Particularly, New York Fashion Week is ALWAYS serving designer looks where the clothes actually have a personality and Cult Gaia is exactly the kind of fashion fantasy we want to see on the runway. I purchased one of their bags a few years ago and get compliments on it every time I wear it out. Known for its sculptural accessories, feminine silhouettes and that effortlessly glamorous “yes, I just happen to look this fabulous” aesthetic, Cult Gaia brings a little art-gallery drama to the fashion conversation. The collection feels less like getting dressed and more like curating a moment bringing in statement textures, unexpected shapes, sensual silhouettes and pieces designed to make an entrance. It’s fashion with a wink: polished enough for the front row and playful enough for the girl who refuses to blend into the background.

Watch the S/S 27' Cult Gaia Ready-to-Wear Collection Runway Show:

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Quote of the Week

"Romanticize Monday morning. Put on the cute outfit, drink the good coffee/tea, make the list and remember: your next chapter can start on an ordinary day." 💕💫

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