I got my haircut! I wanted a blunt “lob,” so I took in this creepy thorough set of Olivia Palermo images.
Here’s what I was working with:
And here’s how it turned out!
I really love it. Shout out to Trip at Bombshell in Carytown for doing an awesome job!
Read MoreWhen I’m taking a break from work wear, here’s what I like to hangout in:
I saw this hoodie on a girl at the mall was surprised when she told me she got it from American Eagle. That store is sometimes overwhelming with it’s neon and crop tops, so I can see how I missed this. I ordered it online and I love it -super soft!
This top is one of my favorites. I think I wore it every week of the winter. I picked up my first one at Need Supply Co. and went online to look for more colors. They had it at boutique called Minx in Asheville NC. They had tons of colors and even a dress version. I picked up a black and another white one for my friend Emily.
I feel like I found the perfect tee in Gap’s Short Sleeve Crew Tee. I love loose fit and the distressed look.
Ann Taylor LOFT recently started carrying a new line called Lou and grey that I LOVE. I picked up this soft moto jacket in sweater material that I wear around the house and to run errands.
I love this sweatshirt. It’s the Zella (Nordstrom’s workout line) “Flattery Cowl Neck.” It’s sold out now but you can try to snag one it eBay.
And as far as bottoms go, J. Crew’s Pixie pant is perfect for weekend wear.
What are your favorites to lounge around in?
Read MoreSephora had there biannual sale a few weeks ago so I picked up a few things I’d been wanting to try:
1. Clinique Uneven Skin Tone Solutions Kit. I was talking to one of the salespeople about how to even out my skin tone (acne scarring/fairly pale skin,) and she recommended this. So far, it feels/smells nice and doesn’t make me break out, but I’m not supposed to see result for a few weeks I think.
2. Beautyblender Solid Sponge Cleanser: This was kind of an impulse buy. I just thought having a solid bar sitting on my sink to cleanse my brushes would be a lot easier than liquid soap. I’m a little suspicious about it though so far. It smells/looks like cheap hotel bar soap but we’ll see how it does.
3. WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner: Another impulse buy. I have always heard great things about this stuff and decided to give it a try. I have super long hair and am always looking for a product that makes it feel super clean. I do wish it gave my hair a little more volume.
4. GlamGlow Thirstymud Hydrating Mask: I had been wanting to try this for a long time and I’m so glad got it. I heard about it on YouTube from Jaclyn Hill who raved about it. It was different than I expected and I love the coconut scent. I like to wear it overnight on my forehead and cheeks
5. Better Than Sex Mascara: This is so embarrassing, but kind of hilarious. Too Faced definitely chose this name to get people talking, and I guess it worked. I asked one of the sales people working at Sephora if I should try diorshow mascara and she told me to try this instead. I actually really like it. I always go for volume in a mascara and usually use this one from bareMinerals (which I still love.) But, this sale is such a good excuse to try something new.
6. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner: Because I love the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner for my top lids, I decided to go with this stuff for my waterline. I haven’t tried it yet because I don’t do my waterline for every day – only when I’m getting real “done up.”
7. Tarte Positive Energy Skintuitive Lip & Cheek Set: I honestly just picked this up because it was only ten bucks but I really love it. The lip tint is very similar to the Dior Addict Lip Glow but I like it better because it’s more subtle. It looks like a really sheer pink but turns darker when you put it on. The cheek stain matches perfectly. I’m not in love with the texture; it feels a little greasy. I apply it with a stippling brush and set it with a pink blush like this one or this one. The set is no longer available, but you can buy a full-size of the lip tint here.
8. Shiseido Facial Cotton: I don’t know why I felt like I needed designer cotton pads but I did. Maybe I’m crazy. They do feel soft though.
9. Derma Doctor Wrinkle Revenge Facial Cleanser: I picked this up to try out since I usually just use this balm and wanted to try a cleanser with Glycolic acid to exfoliate once a week. I think it’s OK so far – nothing amazing. The sales person told me this one could also be used as a mask so I’ve tried that too.
10. Murad Oil Control Mattfier SPF 15 PA++: I did a post with more details on this here.
11. Bobbi Brown Nectar & Nude Eye Palette: I totally didn’t need this. I even tried to cancel the order after I felt buyer’s remorse but it was already processing so I couldn’t. Oh well, it’s lovely.
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One reason I love watching YouTubers is finding out about cool new things first. It’s where learned about BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector, GlamGlow face masks, Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter and almost all of my favorite products. One of the girls I subscribe to, Michelle, just made a video comparing Old Navy’s new “Pixie Pants” to J. Crew’s Minnie’s. Now, I can’t wait to try them. J. Crew’s are around $90 bucks, and Old Navy’s are $25. Michelle even said the quality of the Old Navy pants is better.
Here are the Old Navy Pixies:
And here are J. Crew’s Minnie Pants:
Check out Michelle’s video here:
And to add to the confusion, J. Crew also has a Pixie Pant (which I LOVE) but it’s a little different from these. Here’s a review comparing the J. Crew Minnie and the J. Crew Pixie. Side note: I don’t usually order petite sizes, but I had to get a short in these to get the right length. Also, when you buy full priced items at J. Crew I believe they do hemming for free.
Read MoreEven though I had to combat dry skin all winter with oils like this one, as soon as Spring hit my foundation started to slide off and wasn’t lasting through the day. I thought I needed to switch foundations and was ready to try Make Up For Ever’s Mat Velvet + when I walked into Sephora. Then, the girl helping me showed me Murad’s Mattifying Primer.I pat it on with a foundation brush (like this) after my serum and moisturizer and before my foundation. It’s been a game changer. I didn’t have to switch up my foundation and it’s been lasting all day. I find that it also helps keep it from transferring. Because of the shininess, I had been blotting my face with a tissue mid-day. I did it out of habit my first day using the Murad primer and was surprised to see none of my foundation came off on the tissue. I like that it has SPF too. I love that I can just add this into my routine in the warmer months and keep the same foundation year-round.
Read MoreI was SO excited to see beautiful pale blue top at LOFT. I had just bitten the bullet and paid too much for this one from Vince that I talked about in an earlier post. When it arrived and ended up being too small, I was secretly grateful; I wouldn’t have had the will power to return it if it had fit. The Vince is 100% silk and feels more luxe, as it should. But, the LOFT one is machine washable (bonus!)
Here’s the Vince blouse…
… and the LOFT look-a-like:
As my friend Lauren says, LOFT is on point these days. Definitely check it out if you haven’t been in lately.
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There’s nothing I love more than the smell of roses. Here are some of my rose-scented picks:
1. DIOR Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush: There’s nothing more glamorous than a blush that smells like roses. The color looks intimidating but it’s stunning on.
2. BVLGARI Rose Essentielle Eau de Parfum: My faaaavorite scent ever. This is probably my fourth bottle of this stuff and I adore it. It’s not too strong, and perfect for everyday. I also have a little purse spray version that I carry with me to reapply.
3.DIOR Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm: My “special occasion” lip balm. It’s may not beat Carmex as a dry-lip treatment, but it sure does make you feel elegant when you use it.
4. PETER THOMAS ROTH Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask: I want to try this! I spotted it the other day in a Glossybox Facebook post and couldn’t find it on Sephora.com. I checked back again and it was there (and 15% off. Seriously, people; get on that sale.) I think I’m going to resist for now because I just splurged on the GlamGlow trifecta. It has stem cells; it has to be good!
5. ‘Rosa Mundi’ Scented Candle (Limited Edition:) This candle smells beauuutiful. I first saw it at Space N.K in McLean but didn’t pull the trigger until I was shopping online at Nordstrom. I justified it because it’s “limited edition.” haha – Whatever you need to tell yourself, I guess.
6. REN Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm: I talked about this in a previous post so I won’t go on and on. But, I love this stuff. I use it to rub all off my makeup (on dry skin) and then rinse it off.
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I’ve been thinking my all-white place needs more art. (You can never have enough art in your life.) I came across these pieces on One Kings Lane and I love them! Which one should I get? Both?
Update! I decided I like the first one best, but it’s sold out. I checked out the artists website, though, and she has tons of fun stuff for sale. The painting (Navy GEO) I liked even comes in a phone case! How cute is this?
I’m going to look into getting a print, but I need to figure out the difference between matte rag paper and a canvas roll.
Read MoreI’m so excited about this steal from Ann Taylor. I got this collarless tweet, 3/4 sleeve jacket for just $10. The online price is $79 (minus 60%) and the original price was $129. It’s crazy how much better the prices are in-store.
They only had the grey in my size at my local store, but I called another store and ordered the navy too (for $10, why not, right?)
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I just noticed that my favorite lipgloss brand came out with a TON of new colors. They’ve always used women’s names for the color names, but before they had only had a couple (Krystal, Dani, Stella, etc.) Now, I’ve seen my own name, Shannon, Erin and a bunch more.
I picked up Erin because I liked the bubblegum pink color and I picked up Christina because, well, you know.
I think they’d be so fun to give out to friends.
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