Reading fashion and beauty blogs helps us to stay ahead of fashion, provides topics to discuss with others and can inspire us how to dress –not to mention that we get to look at the beautiful pictures on the blogs! Here are five of my favorite blogs:

Carly Christman
carlycristman.blogspot.com
Carly Cristman is a fashion/beauty expert who offers her readers tips, advice and inspiration. Her blog covers topics ranging from hair tutorials, look-books, outfit ideas, skincare routines, nail polish reviews, beauty product reviews, makeup tutorials –you name it. Besides that, she is equally blessed in the looks department. She showcases all the clothes featured in her blog herself, and they look especially nice hanging on her long and lean body frame. Cristman’s style is mainly simple with a touch of elegance, which goes along with the classy black and white layout of her blog and the way she writes. In compliance with her simple and elegant fashion taste, she writes in a very succinct and clear style that is still thorough enough to guide readers through the tutorials or reviews. The inclusion of the lists of clothes and products featured in her pictures and videos provides a set of even clearer fashion/beauty guidelines for readers to follow. Next time, when you are stressing over how to do your makeup or hair, or are lacking outfit ideas, definitely check out Cristman’s blog! The solution you are searching for is probably waiting for you in this all-inclusive fashion/beauty blog! It’s really like an encyclopedia for the fashion world!

Xiaxue
xiaxue.blogspot.com
Xiaxue (Wendy Cheng) may not be a household name in the United States, but her blog is all the rage half-way around the world in Singapore. Those of you who follow Michelle Phan, the internationally known YouTube beauty guru, might recognize Xiaxue from some of Phan’s videos. On her blog, she covers fashion/beauty related topics, as well as her personal life, life advice and opinions on current social issues. Reading her blog is highly enjoyable, not only because she is a witty and hilarious writer, but also because she knows how to write in a style that is easy to follow and digest. Another reason that contributes to her popularity has to be her bold honesty. She is not afraid to show her true colors, and she cannot care less about how others judge her. (Dying her hair pink a while ago, and having a head of lilac hair currently are two excellent examples of her unconventional nature.) Despite her popularity, the blog entries are highly relatable. At times, they seem like an e-mail from a friend who is excited to share her beauty/fashion finds or other topics. A lot of bloggers may come off as “riding the high horse,” and convey a sense that they are better than everyone else (even when they don’t intend to); however, this is not the case with Xiaxue at all. Bloggers that are able to build such an intimate personal connection with his/her readers are hard to come by. Lastly, the pictures on her blog are absolutely stunning! With Xiaxue being dolled up and accessorized in all of them, endless fashion/beauty inspirations could be gained! Don’t miss out on Xiaxue’s blog; she might be the most genuine famous blogger that you will ever come across.

Man Repeller
manrepeller.com
This fashion blogger’s style is what most people would categorize as fashion-forward or edgy. In other words, her style is not something you would normally define as “everyday.” As the title of the blog suggests, this blogger calls herself a “man repeller,” and advocates “man repeller” fashion. Interesting! But what does that exactly mean? According to the definition on her blog, a man repeller is: "outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex". What an original and rebellious way to label oneself! The fashion/beauty trends featured are rather avant-garde. Items that have made an appearance include: shoulder-pad jackets, leopard-print nails, full-length jumpsuits, skirts worn over pants, clothes with over-the-top detailing, jewelry that can be mistaken for weapons, etc. Get the picture?  Most people’s style may not have caught up to this edgy “man repeller’s” yet, but, it is always fun to look at her pictures and find out what trendy and funky items there are! Her bravery in trying out different fashion items and not worrying about the potential judgments from others deserves a big round of applause! Let’s embrace this attitude of dressing in a way not to please men or anyone else, but simply wearing something because you like it!

Glossy Lacquer
glossylacquer.blogspot.com
Are you a nail girl? Are you keen on painting nails or having manicures? If so, this is absolutely the blog for you! This recently launched blog posts mainly nail polish reviews, and the blogger herself is a college student with a huge love for nail polish. Being that the author is a student, every nail polish reviewed on this blog can be purchased on a student budget! The blogger’s vivid and lively writing makes you feel as if you have actually tried the nail polish on your very own nails, even though you’re just reading a blog entry in reality. The pros and cons list at the end of each entry, as well as the overall rating, help readers to grasp an even more all-round view of the nail polish. In light of this, the blog can serve as a good guide for nail polish newbies to shop for nail polishes too! I have read a lot of nail blogs, and very seldom is there one that is able to describe/review nail polishes in such a realistic and true-to-life manner.

Merrick's Art
merricksart.blogspot.com
In addition to the usual outfit posts you find on most fashion blogs, this blog has a “refashioning” section that tells you how to convert your old, unwanted to clothes into items that seem fresh and trendy! Next time, when you want to get rid of old clothes but feel like it’s a waste to throw them away, this blog may come in handy! The instructions are stated clearly and are not hard to follow. There are many refashion ideas to choose from that will help readers to save a lot of money and resources!