Fragrance samples are far from hard to come by, but that’s not so much the case when it comes to finding scents that you’ll actually wear.
Personally, I prefer light airy smells. Faint florals or hints of citrus. Even better when the notes gently elicit the happiest of feelings.
When I found out about the Ralph Lauren box free through Influester, I wasn’t exactly sure that I wanted it. I mean, another perfume sample? Doubt aside, my curiosity got the best of me. And thankfully so!
Ralph Lauren’s Tender Romance perfume is the ideal fragrance for spring. It reminds me of when things start to bloom and merely walking outside inspires hope and romance.
It’s been a very long time since the last time I purchased a Limited Edition Birchbox. But the Beauty in Bloom box has a couple of products I had been dying to try and a really cute tray to put it all in!
There’s always the option to buy the full size of the products individually. But, why? When for $64 you get $188 worth of products! Which is basically buy two get a bunch of other stuff free!
It is finally looking like New England is done with snow.
Which means it’s time to revive my lips for spring.
Literally.
When it comes to getting the perfect pout for spring, there are really only three lip products that I need. Lip scrub, lip liner, and lip cream.
Starting with Beauty for Real’s Lip Revival Lip Scrub, gently rub to remove any dead excess skin and reveal smooth kissable lips. Rinse and pat dry.
Now you’re ready to get really ready!
Line your lips with the D-Fine Lip Pencil, it’s great for all lip colors. Which brings us to lip cream.
I have been looking for a pretty pink that feels springy without making me look ridiculous. The Beauty for Real Lip Cream in Flash is the only non-sheer pink I haven’t felt like I had to combine with another color in order to wear it out of the house.
MAKE Beauty is one of my top ten makeup brands. They make my absolute favorite lip gloss, plus they are all about collaboration. They select makeup artists and expert artisans to help inspire their color palettes. If you don’t already, you really should be doing your homework on the brands you use.
Lighter shades aren’t typically my thing, but I am totally digging these for spring. The samples may look tiny, but they pack a lot of punch!
The full size versions cost $25 each. They also have a $10 sample kit that includes two eyeshadows and a lip color, and a percentage of their sales is donated to their non-profit partner, We See Beauty Foundation.
If you’re interested in giving MAKE Beauty a try, use the code MAKEYOURSELF for 20% off sitewide! (This code is only valid until this Friday.)
It’s no secret that I like to tweak my skincare a ton, trying new products to find the ones that work best for me and my skin. While I tend to gravitate towards whatever is new or trending, sometimes it’s nice to get advice from a professional.
Dr. Anthony Youn is a top plastic surgeon, but his book The Age Fix is all about how to keep your skin healthy and looking young without surgery.
He shares everything from DIY face mask recipes, to quick makeup fixes. My personal favorite part is the section on what to eat for your best skin. I haven’t been able to fully commit to giving the suggested meal plan a try.
It is on my to do list, though.
For now, I’ve been making a serious effort to drink more water (adding lemon slices has been a huge help, in addition to opting for seltzer water instead of soda every once in a while).
Also, fruit. Apples, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, blueberries. I really like fruit, so making sure to start my day with at least one of something was a pretty easy transition.
Since I’m also trying to use healthier beauty products, I figured baby steps are probably in my best interest.
Each month myself and four other boss blogger babes have been styling the same piece of clothing and since we all look and think differently from each other (hair, religion, location, skin, size, height, style…all of the above), you’ll get five totally different looks. That means you’ll get to see what I style, on other body types so you can find something that is best for you!
Jeans and a tee can mean a lot of things, by opting for camo print Zara bottoms and adding a blazer and heels, you have a look that can be worn to brunch or a night out.
Change into a pair of Converse and you easily run all your errands, while still looking super chic.
There is going to be something fun happening over on Jane’s Instagram a little later today, so make sure to be on the lookout for that. And, as always, don’t forget to check out Deidre, Kaylynn, Jacque, and Alexis, Styled by 5 posts too!
A lot of people say that they only wear black. Or that black is the main color in their wardrobe. I am not one of those people.
Although I love color, I do own a lot of black clothes. Particularly a ton of skinny jeans and leggings. And I very much so prefer it when my black clothes stay dark, bold and vivid. Black is my confidence color.
I would love it if I could pick out all of my outfits in advance. However, life happens and that’s not always possible. Black is the perfect color for that. I feel confidence and look chic, regardless of what else I am wearing. Well, within reason…
Nothing is worse than having a favorite shirt or pair of jeans fade overtime. I know I don’t want that to happen. So, I switched to Woolite Darks.
My darks stay dark.
I stay confident.
I’m going to be sharing some outfits that make me feel like my very best, so be on the lookout for that post!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GoodyBrushEd #CollectiveBias
One of the questions I get asked the most is about my hair. When it was blue, everyone wanted to know how I did it. Did you bleach it first? How do you get it to look so good?
The truth is, even though I have bleached and dyed my hair countless times in the past, I haven’t recently. So, how did I do it? Hair extensions.
Currently, I have been wearing clip-ins, because they are easy to put in and take out, which allows me to take regular care of my own hair. The Goody Clean Radiance Oval Cushion Brush from Walmart helps me do that, by reducing buildup and restoring my hair’s natural moisture balance. The bristles give a little, but not so much that they can’t brush through my hair. And my hair is THICK.
If I could only use one brush, this would be it.
With or without extensions, there are really only three ways that I typically style my hair. The classic ponytail, the princess roll, and a sleek top knot.
Gum isn’t something I chew very often, because of issues with my TMJ. But, I like to keep some in my bag. There wasn’t really a flavor of gum that made chewing it worth my while. Then, Target did it again. Project 7 gum, specifically the grapefruit melon, is phenomenal!
Attending the Lady Project Summit was not only a great experience, but I got to try a ton of products thanks to their amazing swag bag and gifting suite event. One such product? The Living Proof Flex Styling Spray. It’s doesn’t smell the best, but I love the brand and the spray is seriously the best holding spray I have ever used. Ever. All the hold, zero crunch.
Funny story, I was so excited to find NYX Cosmetics Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Beauty Mark in store, that I didn’t realize the only one left had already been opened. After getting that sorted out, I totally get why it’s so hard to find! If you are a woman of color and you do not have this color in your makeup kit, you have got to change that! Like, now. It is without a doubt the best nude color for dark skinned beauties.
When your friends do awesome things, you want to shout about it from the rooftops! BBA bracelets has branched out and is now also making BBA leather bracelets. Her stacks are always on point, and leather matches everything. So while I may coordinate the beaded bracelets to my outfit, the leather cuff is one that goes with really anything. The “liveANDlove” bracelet is the first one in the collection and is available for preorder here!
I hate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. HATE. To the point where when I was younger I’d get fluff sandwiches. However, Too Faced has persuaded me to be a bit more open-minded, with their Peanut Butter and Jelly Eye Shadow palette. I am seriously loving the different looks I can create with it!
Majority of my shoe collection consists of Zara and Steve Madden. I’ve had my eye on a few pairs of new shoes, but I’ve been trying to save and didn’t really want to spend anything over $100 on just one pair.
They were still in my shopping cart, that is until a recent trip to the mall.
Charlotte Russe was one of the stores that I went to most often in college. Now, I kind of walk by it and look in but keep it moving. It’s more of my younger sister’s taste than of my own. She’s more Wet Seal, I’m more H&M.
Almost serendipitously, I went in and saw a few very familiar shoe looks. Styles similar to Steve Madden’s Slithur, Carrson and Sassey for a whole lot less!
If you don’t know, Charlotte Russe almost always has some huge sale going on. This time? Buy one pair of shoes, get one for $10. So, obviously, I got four pairs. All for less than one of the pairs of Steven Madden shoes I’d been wanting.
The only drawback is that Charlotte Russe doesn’t carry half sizes. As someone who wears a 7.5 size shoe, this can be huge. Luckily, the size 8 shoes (except for the tan chunky heeled ones) fit pretty much perfectly.
