Since working with Elements Beauty Shop, I’ve switched up my skincare to include several Erno Laszlo products. I’m so excited to be trying out their newest, the White Marble Treatment Bar. It’s described as a gentle, daily corrective cleansing bar that deeply hydrates as it counteracts discoloration. It promises brighter, fairer and more even-toned skin by lifting away impurities and gently clarifying and refining skin texture and tone.

I have had it about a week, and I’ve been loving it so far. Skip the Pre-Cleansing Oil, because the White Marble Treatment Bar has a nano- encapsulated  brightening agent, and the oil will block the penetration. (I still love my my sea mud treatment bar and Pre-Cleaning Oil too.) Follow with the light controlling lotion (the toner)  and Oil-Control Day Lotion from this kit. It smells wonderful and feels super smooth on the skin. I’m looking forward to see how it lightens the discoloration I have from acne scarring.

There are a few other products I can’t wait to talk to you about, so stay tuned for a full skincare routine post.

Don’t forget to use the code TIRAMISU to get 10% off these and any other products you like at Elementsbeautyshop.com or in their Carytown boutique.

*This post is a sponsored collaboration with Elements Beauty Shop.  All opinions are my own.

Here are my favorite beauty-related things for the month of March!

Bumble and Bumble Dry Shampoo

Hot Tools Curling Iron (I think mine is 1 1/2 inches)

Erno Laszlo Kit

Erno Laszlo Moisturizer

The Somme Institute Serum

Gloss Moderne Shampoo/Conditioner

*I have a partnership with Elements Beauty Shop, and receive their products at a 10% discount. you can too with the code TIRAMISU at Elementsbeautyshop.com! All opinions are my own.

PS: My actual favorite thing of the whole month was this photo of my cat. I can’t stop looking at it.

Meet Hannah, a senior artist at Sephora, aerial silks performer, animal lover and contouring pro. She’s letting us take a peek inside her makeup bag.

Photo by Dave Parrish Photography.

She posts great tutorials and eye looks on her Instagram.

Tiramisu for Breakfast: What’s your favorite beauty brand?

Hannah: How can you choose?! I love having the best products from each brand, it’s all about creating your personalized beauty wardrobe! 

TfB: What product have you been using the longest – your tried and true?

H: Clinique Acne Solutions Foundation, if they ever discontinue it I’ll die.

TfB: Who’s your beauty inspiration?

H: Carole Lombard. She had such strong features and perfect hair and a glamorous tomboy sort of duality.

TfB: What’s in your makeup bag right now?

H: Sephora mattifying compact foundation, Smashbox bb undereye concealer, Diorshow Maximizer lash primer, Marc Jacobs Omega Lash mascara, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes liner, Lancôme powder pencil for the brows.

TfB: Skincare routine?

H: I’m obsessed with natural skincare brands, especially Ole Henriksen and Boscia. My skin is really prone to breakout so when I find something I can rely on I am very loyal!

TfB: What are your travel essentials?

H: Sephora collection Waterproof eye make up remover, a baby size of the Vita Liberata sunless tanning mousse (in case I need to touch up my tan), a bb cream to give me light coverage and SPF and I buy a new fragrance for every vacation so that whenever I smell it I’m transported back to that time.

Who else’s makeup bag would you like to peek inside? Post requests in the comments!

I’ve been seeing these mules from Vince all over (I even got to wear them here). Here are a few more styles I’ve had my eyes on.

1. Kenneth Cole Reaction Edge Hill Mules | Macy’s | $55.30 I just got these and I’m so excited about them. I mentioned them before here, when I first noticed they were a dupe for the ones Julia has from Vince.

2. Harper Mules | J Crew | $118 I love these flat ones!

3. Sechelle Perfect Match Perforated Suede Mule | Nordstrom | $99.95

4. Mossimo Jane Heels | Target | #34.99

Last weekend was amazing, thanks to a bunch of awesome folks working on the Style Weekly Black Book of Style. Dana Elmquist, their Publishing and New Media Director, reached out and asked if I’d help them out by trying on the clothes for photos. YAAASS. I didn’t know much more about it, but soon learned we’d be working with Sydney from Chic Stripes. (yay!) Scott, Dana’s husband, took all of the photos for the shoot.  He’s GREAT.  I also recruited my friend Patrick to show off the mens’ clothes.

I posted a lot of these pictures already on my Instagram, but I thought you might like to hear a little more about the shoot and see links to the pieces in the photos. Here’s how it went:

We started the day our at La Bella Hair Studio for hair and makeup with Susannah. She did an awesome job and was so fun to talk to.

Patrick even got a free brow wax. Bonus!

We met Sydney Page Lester and Dana and Scott Elmquist at the Glave Gallery for our first set of shots. Dana and Sydney unloaded the goods, while I got a latte. Diva model life. Just kidding, I totally helped. (I did get a latte though. It was early!)

The look was “athleisure,” which I was super excited about about. I love these Vince mules. I’d seen them on Nordstrom’s site a bunch and contemplated using some saved up Banana points to get them from Piperlime, so I was definitely glad to try them on in real life.

The shoes had fancy white soles, so Sydney had to tape the bottoms to make sure they didn’t get messed up and we stood on napkins to protect them even more. Glamor.

The top and bottoms were both from a local consignment shop, Ashby, so I don’t have links to the exact pieces. I have the Express Barcelona Tank in white and it’s a great basic piece. A lot of the colors are reversible, too. They do have a pencil skirt in a similar print.  The pants are Athleta brand.

I loved having fake lashes!

I got to wear an awesome pair of Dana’s own shoes, too.

Next, we went to LaDiff, which is where I got to try on my favorite outfit of the day.

This skirt was SO COOL and this cropped top with a high waisted skirt look is my new favorite thing. Both are by Alice and Olivia.

Dana loved it too.

Our last stop was The Rogue Gentleman, where we shot some cocktail looks. This striped crop top and pop art midi skirt are both by Milly from Saks.

I don’t remember who the shoes were by, but I had to post this picture because it was hilarious to me that Dana and Sydney had to help me take them on and off so they wouldn’t get ruined on the floor. 

This beaded bustier and Floral Jacquard midi skirt are both by Phoebe, also from Saks. 

Dana posted a sneak peek; I’m so excited!

Thank you SO SO SO much to Dana and Scott, Sydney, and Susannah!

I love some of the new things they’ve come out with for spring. I browsed the site last night and wanted to share a few favorites:

BR Monogram Pieced Silk Blouse

Perforated Yoke Tank

Colorblock Crepe Tank

Mixed-Media Cutaway Tank.

(I Love tops that are cut like this. The neckline looks like it would be super flattering.)

Read More

amirite?

Update: Ann Taylor is having their friends and family sale this weekend. I ordered it online, along with this skirt and this blouse. I also tried it on in-store. Like a lot of Ann Taylor pieces, it runs a bit large.

Read More

This post from Young house Love (miss them), has also always stuck with me. I was so impressed at their frugality and discipline. I also love Kristen from Minima. She teaches her clients to carefully choose the things they bring into their lives.  For me, it’s an interesting balance. I’m a huge believer in taking care of yourself, treating yourself, and having fun with your life in general. That’s actually where the name of my blog comes from. Tiramisu for breakfast? Why not? I love buying things and sharing about them, but I also want to be aware. It’s easy to get sucked in, reading blogs, seeing things on Instagram and watching hauls on YouTube. I don’t want to spend my thoughts and time on things I want to buy, and I don’t want to feel guilted into into buying things I don’t want at the mall because I’m easily convinced by sales people.

This January, one of the Youtubers  I follow, LisaLisaD1, did a no-buy month. I watch her videos because I love living seeing all the clothing and beauty goodies she picks up each week. She teamed up with her friend and they both challenged themselves to refrain from shopping at all for one month. I followed along as she shared and decided I’d try a no-buy month out for myself. I went for February, the shortest month (sneaky sneaky). I thought It’d keep track of all my temptations and what I did to keep myself on track. I told a couple of friends I was doing it, but I’ve been waiting until now to post in case I caved and went on a shopping spree. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. Here’s how it went:

2/1: I noticed the new grey super-soft sweat shirts that my Barre studio got in. I was just about to tell the instructor to charge my account when I realized nope, today began my no-buy month.

2/6 On the way to our ski trip in Wintergreen, VA, we stop at the mall. I needed to pick up my work computer from the Allie store and get the security tag removed from a bra I purchased from LuLulemon that was left on by mistake. The salesperson invited me to check out all the pink and red stuff they were featuring for Valentine’s Day and I glanced longingly but bolted out of the store to avoid temptation. I didn’t like the new IT cosmetics mascara I got in the mail from ULTA so I did exchange that for the Too Faced one I know I like. The difference was $0.22. Maybe this was cheating? My boyfriend said it was not.

2/8: I order a subscription to Real Simple from Amazon and feel guilty. Is this cheating!? Still not sure… I notice Nordstrom now has two new colors in these comfy lounge pants that I LOVE.  You guys, these pants are SO soft and wonderful. These are definitely going on the list. (I kept a mental list of all the things I thought about buying but didn’t, so I could decide at the end of the month if I really wanted them.

2/10: I stop by Elements on my lunch break to pick up samples and am tempted to buy the full size Erno Laszlo toner. I’m really loving the oil, cleansing bar, toner, moisturizer system and am worried everything will get out of sync if I run out and have to skip the toner step. I decide I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it and walk out with just some samples.

2/11: Sephora emails to say they’ve picked up the Armani line. I peek, of course, but don’t add anything to my basket. I noticed the Kenneth Cole mules I want from Macy’s are on sale. This was hard to resist. What if they sell out?! Then, I see this coat on Js Everyday Fashion. Stunning. How is this only $72? If I had not been on a no-buy, I would totally have gotten it.

2/17:  I went on the Sephora website to order a gift, and then thought I’d check-in on my Nordstrom shopping cart. The pants I wanted are sold out. 🙁 Such a bummer

2/19. A coworker got a Sephora delivery at the office and I freaked out and made her tell me what she got. So many withdrawals. The vitamin C serum I wanted to try is sold out. This is the worst.

It’s so funny looking back on the notes I took throughout the month. Obviously, some days were easier than others.  I feel so lucky to receive things from companies to blog about (like the Erno Laszlo products in this post), so that definitely made not shopping a lot easier.  One cool thing I noticed is that I rediscovered old products that I’d forgotten about and tired new things that didn’t cost anything extra, like this female version of a “man bun,” that I saw in an ad for Tresemmé.

3/1 No buy is finally over I made it! Throughout the month, I planned on heading to the mall as soon as the 1st came, and splurging on all the stuff I’d deprived myself of throughout the month. It was  Sunday, so I started the day with a barre class and then went to Marshall’s for the first time since February. I was used to stop in there every time it was on the way workout classes in the West End but I hadn’t been there in a month The magic wasn’t there. I even passed up this Kate Spade bag.

I came home and did end up treating myself to a few things from Elements, all of which I feel good about (of course they always throw in extras for me, which makes it even more worth it). The pants I wanted at Nordstrom also came back in stock, so I ordered those. Overall. A no-buy month was a pretty cool experience.