Monthly Archives

July 2016

Beauty

July Birchbox Review

Posted on July 28, 2016

It’s my favorite time of month again (except pay day of course)! Time to review some new samples.  Ready to find out what I loved?  Keep reading…

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Avene Thermal Spring Water | Birchbox $14.00:  At first I thought – what on earth do I need this for?  But after reading about it I got really curious to try it out.  Most noteworthy is that this stuff soothes redness and calms all sorts of skin problems.  You can use it as a morning toner, mid-day refresher or set your makeup.  I have been using it as a morning toner and to spray after I work out.  I wash my face, then spray it on!  Great if you want to spoil yourself!

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle | Birchbox $23.50:  This stuff smells amazing and does a million different things for your hair!  It minimizes frizz, protects your hair against UV rays and heat, safeguards color, and adds shine!  I spray it on before I go to bed and I can still smell it on me the next day while I’m at work.  I will probably buy the full size as soon as I am done with the sample!

What I didn’t care for:

July Birchbox 1

Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara| Birchbox $14.00:  Having tried almost every single high-end and drugstore brand mascara in my 33 years of life, I was not really expecting much from this one.  Sadly, I was not disappointed.  I curled my lashes and then put this stuff on.  Almost immediately I saw my eyelashes fall and go stick straight.  BUT the good thing is that this definitely does lengthen like it says!  1 point for that!

July Birchbox 7

Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream SPF 35+ | Birchbox $32.00:  Didn’t care for this primer and foundation in one.  The color was off, which isn’t their fault.  Good if you don’t wear much makeup and just want to be able to put something on your face with an SPF and some color.

July Birchbox 9

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask | Birchbox $34.00:  This felt more like a scrub than a mask.  It’s clay based (which is good) and it’s supposed to cleanse, exfoliate, and brighten your skin.  It was okay….

Weird how the only products I was able to sample on my hand were the ones I didn’t care for.  ha!  Anyway, the samples this month were okay.  2/5 were winners.  It’s nice to try products I would not normally buy.  Still enjoying getting a present every month!

Want your own Birchbox for $10 a month?  Sign up here!

 

Style

Midi Dress

Posted on July 26, 2016

Midi is my new favorite length in dresses and skirts.  My good friend had this dress on when she was visiting a few weeks ago. I thought it was just the cutest thing ever!  So what did I do?  I told her that I was going to go online, purchase it, and then do a blog post about it.  The highest form of flattery is to buy the same thing as someone else right?  I hope so!

I have worn this dress many times to run errands in the crazy 100 degree heat here.  I also paired this dress with a jean jacket to wear to work (we are having casual dress days right now).  Only negative thing about it is that I have to wear some sort of strapless bra.  I usually like to wear normal bras, but this called for something else since the front and back is cut like a halter top.  Speaking of strapless bras, anyone have any recommendations out there?  I have been on the hunt for a good one for YEARS.  Help a sister out!  Other than that, I think midi length dresses are perfect for a hot summer day!

Outfit Details:  Dress: Kimchi Blue | Shoes: Converse | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Wallet: Prada (similar)| Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: Rocksbox

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Style

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Posted on July 19, 2016

Having worked at the Big Fancy for many many years, I have to say that Anniversary is still one of my favorite times of year.  I love stocking up on things that I need (hello jeans, socks, running shoes, etc.) and also getting a few key pieces for Fall.  This year I tried to be good and only purchased a few items.  Ready to see what I put in my shopping bag this weekend?  Here we go…

Drybar ‘Beach in a Box’ Collection | Sale Price $140/$209:  I am currently obsessed with styling my hair and giving it that beachy wave look.  I recently started to actually style it the way that you’re supposed to.  Blowdry, straighten and then curl.  I used to just blowdry and curl, but then I didn’t get that cool look where the ends are straight.  Anyway, I’ve heard great things about Drybar and I can’t wait to try this out!

AG Ankle Leggings | Sale Price $149.90/$225:  They’re black, distressed and ankle leggings.  Need I say more?  I have been looking for a great pair of distressed ankle pants and I think these are the winner!!!

Kate Somerville ‘ExfoliKate’ | Sale Price $150/$175 : I keep hearing about how great this product is on social media.  Seems like a lot of bloggers with great skin are using this.  Now that it’s on sale (because it can be a bit pricey), I’m going to bite the bullet and try this out!

Wayf Floral Print Ruffle Tank | Sale Price $36.90/$56:  I actually got the navy floral print but it is no longer available online.  I have to confess that I saw a few bloggers with it on and I fell in love!  Super cute for work or dressy casual.

Chantelle Underwire Sports Bra | Sale Price $47.90/$72 : I do Orangetheory and Soulcycle so I need a good supportive bra!  All I care about is functionality, so when I saw this – I figured I would give it a try.  Wore it to OT yesterday and so far so good!

Clarins UV Plus SPF 50 Duo | Sale Price $62/$84:  This is my favorite SPF.  Of course I have to stock up if they go on sale!  Read my post on it if you haven’t.

Spanx Higher Power | Sale Price $27.90/$38:  I do not care what body type you have or if you think that you do not need Spanx because let me tell you something… EVERYONE can benefit from a pair of Spanx.  First of all, there are no lumps or rolls in your mid-section, no panty lines, and plus, if you are wearing a dress and it accidentally flies up – you have instant coverage for your bum!  Anytime I have a skirt or dress on, you can guarantee that I have Spanx on underneath.  Just makes everything smoother.  Trust me… EVERYONE needs a pair.

Leith High Slit Midi Dress | Sale Price $51.90/$76 : I love the color of the dress, the midi length and frankly, I have a pair of booties that same putty color that I think would look great with this dress!  Also, I can wear it to work or when I feel like dressing up a bit.  I ordered this online, so I can’t wait to try it on!

There are so many other great deals for the Anniversary Sale.  If you need any makeup brushes, the best running socks ever, or just some new floral print running shoes – definitely take a look because prices do go up after the event is done.

Did you find any great finds at the Anniversary Sale that I need to know about before the event ends?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

 

Beauty

Benefit Gimme Brow

Posted on July 15, 2016

In the past few months, I have been a little obsessed with my eyebrows.  When @hairbyliaa suggested that I try growing my bangs out, I gasped in horror!  That means I will have to make sure BOTH my eyebrows are filled in and even.  ha!  I used to just make sure that my right eyebrow was on fleek and did a half a** job on my left one.  Well, NOT ANYMORE.  So you can imagine my excitement when I found out I was going to bett receiving a sample of the Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel $24 in my June Birchbox.

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What it is: Benefit recently came out with a whole line of eyebrow products.  I used to actually get my eyebrows waxed at the Benefit Brow Bar inside Macy’s, so I get why Benefit is expanding their brow line.  The Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel is supposed to make your eyebrows look full and defined.  With volumizing microfibers and a water resistant gel, this product should give you bold, beautiful brows.  It is suggested that you “back brush” against the eyebrow hairs when putting this on to add volume.

My thoughts: I have used this a few times with and without other eyebrow products.  For me, it is just okay.  It’s great if your brows are NOT sparse and all you need is a “tint’ to help fill them in.  However, if you are like me and have sparse eyebrow hair, then this is not for you.  BUT – if you are planning on filling in your brows with another product and then using this on top – then YES.  I did try to “back brushing” that was suggested.  What happened was that I ended up with a ton of product on my patchy eyebrows.  Not a good look.

I like how the brush is small so it’s easy to control.  I got the medium shade which matches perfectly with the other eyebrow products that I use.  My final thoughts are that I’ll be sticking with the Cle de Peau and Anastasia eyebrow products that I have been using for now….

Bare brow

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Brow with Benefit Gimme Brow (without the “back brushing”)

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Has anyone else tried Benefit’s line of brow products?  I would love to know your thoughts and if there are any other products I should try!

 

Style

White Converse

Posted on July 11, 2016

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I had all of last week off from work and it was the best staycation ever!  I got my hair cut by my new favorite @hairbyliaa, went to LACMA with my girl friends, ate a LOT of great food in LA, went to Universal Studios for Harry Potter Land, and celebrated a good friend’s birthday.  It was a very eventful and I do not want to go back to work!  Who else feels my pain?  *raise your hand!*

Now on to my outfit…I had been looking for a pair of cool sneakers for awhile – about a year to be exact.  I finally decided on these white Converse “Shoreline” Slip-ons.  I have a few problems with my feet which makes shoe shopping difficult.  They’re big and narrow!  I cannot just pick any ol’ shoe and stick it on without having to double check to make sure that I don’t look like I have clown feet!  These are incredibly comfortable (I wore them pretty much all last week!), they run half a size large for me (so I had to size down), and they look great with just about anything (hello all black)! The only problem – how will I keep them clean?

Outfit details: Top: Madewell | Shirt: Halogen | Jeans: Current Elliot | Shoes: Converse | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Handbag: Chanel Rectangular Mini (Sold Out) | Watch: Michael Kors | Bracelet: David Yurman