LBS at Coachella: The Recap (Part 2)

So I've already given you a run-through of my crazy first day in The Recap - Part 1. By day two, I had music festival fashion literally down to a science after seeing all the creative outfits and trends re-emerge in similar fashion. I also now officially knew my way around the festival grounds (and where to get a Wifi signal - c'mon 4G, don't fail me now!) Days 2 and 3 had more of the music acts I wanted to see so it was a ton of fun stage-hopping and dancing with strangers. Good times.

Here's what I got into on Days 2 & 3:

Day 2: Performance-Hopping

via @LoveBrownSugar on Instagram

For Day 2, I knew there'd be a ton of running around. Plus, it was a scorcher at 97 degrees so I sprung for a "Florence & The Machines" graphic tee from H&M, jean cutoff shorts from Forever 21 and a pair of Sam Edelman gladiator flats.

The crew headed to the 2 Chainz performance

There were so many great acts on Saturday. Everyone from 2 Chainz to Janelle Monae. I split my time between music performances, heading back to the H&M tent (I was addicted to shimmying down in that photo booth!) and taking street style pics.

Me & Nikita of Darling, Naturally

I even bumped into some old friends! Remember Nikita from our Drop The Dryer series? Yep, she was there in an amazing pair of printed shorts. 

In between shows and street style-snapping, I headed back to the H&M tent for another jam session in the video booth with Nikita and her friends...

After eating and going to a few more sets, I headed over to see my favorite - Janelle Monae.

Janelle played an amazing set. And proceeded to crowd-surf to close out her performance. Amazingness.

Day 3: Poolside Coachillin'

On the final day of Coachella, they rested. Well, not exactly but something close to that. Instead of slaving out in the hot desert festival grounds for the first half of the day, we partied it up at the Adidas Originals Do Over #Dochella Party. 

Finally time to whip out the swimwear!

The pool party took place at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs. Such a chic venue.

Photo-bomb! That's me all up in the pic with DJ Questlove

Guest DJ Questlove was on the 1's and 2's spinning everything from old school classics to original beats. 

Loved all the swimwear on display at the party. Such great colors and patterns.

This two-piece from H&M was such a huge hit, me and Kamaria both showed up wearing it. Such a great style for curvy girls. The high-waisted bottom hides imperfections and the top gives vintage pin-up glamour.

That's all folks! Thanks for tuning into my LBS at Coachella adventures and for those of you who helped me decide what to wear, you're life-savers! 'Til next music festival...

What festivals are YOU guys looking forward to this summer?

For more of my Coachella Street Style pics, head to VIBE Vixen HERE.

LBS at Coachella: The Recap (Part 1)

Whew! California treated me so incredibly well and I'm back on the East Coast with a mini tan and a lifetime of memories from my very first visit to the Coachella Music Festival. As you guys know, I attended on behalf of Indique as their correspondent and I did everything from live tweets and instagrams to interviews and street style.

Coachella was overwhelming but SO much fun. Aside from being excited about the indie artists and live performances, I couldn't wait to snap pics of my favorite fashion and beauty looks. I shot every look imaginable from flower girls to punk rockers. I also got turned UP in the video booth at the H&M tent each day, got my nails done at the DIY bar courtesy Incoco, danced to show tunes at the Red Bull Speakeasy. And I found heaven in a bucket of Crab Garlic Fries. Epic times.

Here's a snapshot of what I got into on Day 1:


The Arrival

Dress: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore | Bag, Sunglasses, Necklace: H&M | Shoes: Minnetonka | Hair: Indique

If you follow me on Instagram @LoveBrownSugar you'd know I was completely undecided about what to wear on the first day and had to put it to a vote. Neon A-line dress or tribal print tunic?

via LoveBrownSugar on Instagram

I opted for the neon look! My favorite L'Amour by Nanette Lepore frock ($30), a gold & turquoise necklace from H&M, a crochet bag and sunglasses from H&M as well, and blue fringe Minnetonka sandals I scored at Marshall's.

We head to our first round of performances. Every stage is packed with festival-oers preparing to see their favorite bands. Preparation includes everything from dancing in circles to hula-hooping. It was intense.

Me & Kamaria (@KamariaLove on Instagram)

Me & DaMonica Boone

In between performances I snap street style shots of festival go-ers. Crop tops, bikinis, tribal print and crochet are the uniform of choice. With graphic tees, cutoffs and flower crowns making regular appearances.

Next up, I stop over at the H&M tent to cool down, refresh, recharge my phone and dance like nobody's watching in their video booth.

 DJ Shiva was on the 1's & 2's playing our favorite tunes.

 Dove Dry Shampoo to refresh your hair in the heat, Kiehls face products to keep the skin toned and hydrated, Aubrey Organics deodorant spray and more!

 This was the most amazing photo/video booth ever. I literally came back everyday for this. Who doesn't love to watch a GIF of themselves acting a ratchet fool? Hilarious.

By this time, it was almost nightfall and the food stands were calling my name. So I beckoned, and I stumbled on a small piece of heaven in a bowl...

Garlic Crab Fries. Garlic fries topped with horseradish aioli and snow crab meat. *swoon*

And that concludes my first day at the festival. Click HERE for Part 2 - all about my favorite performances and the Adidas Originals Do Over Pool Party I'll never forget.

For pics of some of the street style I captured on Day 1, head to the VIBE Vixen "Coachella Street Style" gallery!

LBS at Coachella Style Contest Winners + Festival Survival Kit

I'm finally here guys! I'm in sunny Indio, California for Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and I am so ready to get my life. Aside from being ecstatic about day 1 of the festival, I'm overjoyed to announce the three winners of my LBS at Coachella Style Contest! I asked you guys to send me fashion inspiration for my trip to Coachella and I received quite a few amazing entries on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. But unfortunately, there can only be three winners. Drumroll please...

Day 1: Boho Chic

Congratulations to Jessica Andrews! She submitted this collage of a super chic bohemian look via her Pinterest page (MsAndrews) and I'm in love with it. From the crochet bag to the navajo/tribal dress, cat eye sunnies and the bold lip. I will be recreating this look - thanks Jessica for inspiring me!

Day 2: Casual Cool

Congratulations to Ashley Williams! She submitted this super cute pic on the LoveBrownSugar Facebook page HERE. I love the simplicity of this look featuring just a pair of cutoff shorts, a graphic tee and a massive arm party. Can't wait to replicate this one at Coachella.

Day 3: Poolside Party

Congratulations to Shelyn Mouton (@standingbystars) who submitted the above inspiration via Instagram. This look is SO me! From the sexy bathing suit to the gladiator flats and printed shorts. I will be doing an exact replica of this look for my pool party on Day 3.

And now for the Summer Festival Survival Kit:

Each winner will receive a special gift package featuring one each of some of my festival faves including: A pair of t-strap Lacoste jellies in a fun bright color (comfy and bright enough to make a statement!), a set of Color by Amber bangles (can't go wrong with mix & match arm party), nail appliques by Jamberry Nails (my new fave!), Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (light coverage for hot & sweaty occasions when foundation is too much), Archipelago Botanicals travel sized toiletries (they smell amazing and they're perfect for on-the-go), and Pond's Luminous Clean Towelettes and Moisture Day Lotion with SPF 15 (both products I can't stop using - the towelettes are great for keeping my skin fresh on-the-go and the moisturizer is light with SPF protection - win!).

Thank you to everyone who submitted looks! Follow along with me @LoveBrownSugar and @iloveindique for street style shots, instagrams, tweets and more straight from the festival!

LoveBrownSugar at Coachella: My Mix & Match Style with Indique

Only 2 days away from LBS at Coachella and these past few days I've been in mega PREP mode - from shopping to packing and everything in between. As I mentioned over the past week, I'm taking my talents to the Coachella Music Festival in partnership with Indique Hair and I'll be vibin' to indie tunes while snapping hair & beauty street style, tweeting, and Instagramming on behalf of the @iloveindique account - can't wait!

To prepare for my Cali trip, the stylists at Indique gave me a super chic bohemian hair look, mixing and matching a few of their stellar curl patterns. They used a combination of the Bounce Coil Curl in 14" on top, Bounce Deep Wave in 18" in the middle (the same two textures I had for my 5 Hair Tips for Rocking Extensions post) and the Pure Curly in 18" at the very bottom. 

I never would've thought of mixing and matching the three textures but it came out beautifully because the Pure Curly on the bottom adds length without too much bulk, while the Bounce Deep Wave adds volume and the Coil Curl on top matches my natural hair texture best for blending.

I spent this past Saturday shooting with the stylists at Indique as well as makeup artist Ashley Stewart (@ChinkeyChyna) to bring you guys this exclusive video about my Coachella mix & match look. Here are some snaps from behind-the-scenes:

Upon arrival at the Indique Hair Studio

Me with no makeup and hat hair!

Makeup artist Ashley Stewart @ChinkeyChyna and Indique pro stylist Joyce dolling me up

After hair was complete! Photographer Jerome Shaw (PhotosbyRome) in the background

Watch the video with my finished look below:

Make sure you guys follow me at the @iloveindique Twitter and Instagram accounts starting Friday for live updates from Coachella!

LoveBrownSugar at Coachella 2013 Style Contest

It's almost time! I'm 3 days away from my trip to Coachella Music Festival in California and I'm so hyped for #LBSatCoachella I can nearly breathe! This year is officially my first time attending the Coachella Music Festival, and per usual I have no idea what to wear. I need your help!

I'm going for 3 different looks based on the three different days I'll be there for the weekend. I have a few different activities planned that I'll need attire for. Here are the looks:

Day 1: Boho Chic

This look should have a bohemian vibe to it. Think fringe, maxi-dresses and prints galore.

Day 2: Casual Cool

This look should be simple but chic and incorporate jean cutoff shorts (my faves!) for the hot Coachella Valley sun.

Day 3: Poolside Party

This look should incorporate swimwear and chic beach/pool-ready accessories.

Gather inspiration from across the internet and share it with me via Instagram, Pinterest OR Facebook for a chance to win a custom LoveBrownSugar Summer Festival Survival Kit with special gifts for your own summer festival chic, including nail appliqués, skincare essentials, hair goodies, makeup and more!

Entry Instructions:

1. Pick ONE platform to share your inspiration. You must be following LoveBrownSugar on the platform you share your pictures on (either Instagram, Pinterest OR Facebook)

2. For Facebook: Upload inspirational pictures to the LoveBrownSugar Facebook Page and title each entry with either "Boho Chic", "Casual Chic" OR "Poolside Party".

3. For Instagram: Upload inspirational pictures to your Instagram account, tag @LoveBrownSugar with hashtag #LBSatCoachella and give each entry a title of either "Boho Chic", "Casual Chic" OR "Poolside Party".

4. For Pinterest: Create a Pinterest board titled "LBS at Coachella"with your inspirational images. Once the board is complete, leave a comment on this post with a link to your board so I can take a look!

Three lucky winners will take home a prize. 

Good luck, can't wait to see your submissions!