Twenty Something Plus

September 2, 2015

5 Ways to Use BAGGU

It should come as no surprise that I am obsessed with totes. I like them because they can be used for so many different things. And if you’re a girl who is always on the go, BAGGU has the perfect everyday tote for you!

I use my BAGGU Duck Bag for pretty much everything…

Gym

I won’t lie and say that I go to the gym often, but I was a Personal Trainer for a bit in college and I still enjoy working out.

Mostly classes.

Yoga, kickboxing, and Spinning are my faves.

Travel

When on budget, every little road trip counts.

A day trip to the beach, anyone?

Errands

From getting groceries, to picking up the dry cleaning.

Get. Stuff. Done.

Like the boss babe that you are.

Work

Whistle while you hustle. And look stylish doing it.

But first?

Coffee.

Play

All work and no play? Never!

Make time for what matters and meet up with your besties for brunch.

Mimosas are a must!

Like my phone background? Get it here for free, courtesy of BAGGU!

Super grateful to collab with BAGGU for this post.

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September 1, 2015

My August Julep Maven Box

I pulled a Britney, and OOPS…

I did it again.

I totally forgot to skip my August Julep Maven box.
But I’m not going to lie, this time I’m really happy that I did!

One reason, being the Brave Pretty campaign.

The other? What I got in my box.

Mari, a pretty holographic pink and Sophia, a brilliant bright blue, alone made the box worthwhile.

But after trying baked blush, I was maybe a little too excited to try this Skip the Brush blush crayon.

It’s so easy to apply and great to bring with you in your purse, because you don’t need a makeup brush to use it! Just apply directly and blend with your fingers.

Julep Maven boxes almost always include a little treat which is usually candy, but this month, they switched it up with tiny metallic temporary hand tattoos!

I will most definitely be rocking these.

Another perk?

I now have enough Jules to get the September box for free!

You can sign up to be a Julep Maven here.

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August 28, 2015

Birchbox Book Club: Current Reads

Some people are really good at reading two books at once.

Not me. I can’t even read in the car.

As big a mistake as it might be for me to try doing either of those, I still do…

I’ve had Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin and Yes Please by Amy Poehler tucked away on a shelf in my bookcase for the longest. Too long.

I received both books from Birchbox and wanted to get caught up with the Birchbox Book Club, so I finally started reading Yes Please. I got a decent way through it and just stopped. Not for any reason, just did.

But then, instead of picking it back up, I started Better Than Before.

I don’t know why I would think that was a good idea. My plan is to finish Better Than Before and then go back and finish Yes Please. They’re both really good reads and if you haven’t read either one of them, you should add them to your reading list!

Next on my reading list is one of the many fantasy novels that the manfriend has. He has a blog, and is sharing on going chapters of what he’s been writing. Maybe I’ll be supportive and start with his…

Maybe.

For anyone who has read Better Than Before, I’m a rebel, what are you?

August 27, 2015

My August Birchbox

I don’t know exactly what it is, but I really love the guest editor Birchboxes. And the box for this month’s was just too pretty to pass up!

So, I don’t watch Candidly Nicole but I’ve been a fan since her Paris Hilton days.

Anyways, the first product may look a little too familiar. That’s because I also got it in my July Birchbox. One can never have enough dr. brandt samples, but I think I’m going to save this one for something special…

I am probably most interested in trying the René Furterer LISSEA leave-in, as it sounds super fancy and is for unruly hair.

I have a lot of nail polish. That being said, I am not opposed to trying more. I’m pretty sure this OPI in A Great Opera-tunity is going to be my fall pink. It’s more of a peachy pink, but I dig that.

I don’t just have a lot of nail polish, I also have quite a few lip crayons. That I don’t use. Since this one is a multitasker and is intended for lips and cheeks I’m hoping to use it frequently. Who knows, maybe then I’ll see if my other lip crayons work as a blush as well!

The one product that gave me pause was the in shower tanning lotion. Because I don’t exactly need a tan…

Has anyone used the tanning lotion? I want to see if it gives my skin a healthy glow of is just a complete waste given the color of my skin. Well, we shall see…

August 26, 2015

YSL VoxBox

I know I say that I love things a lot, but what is there not to love about a box that gives you stuff to try for absolutely free?

And even better when the something free is by Yves Saint Laurent!

Finding out I was getting the YSL VoxBox legit made my day.

The only reservation I had was that a lot of products that say they work with all skin tones, don’t. But since the combined retail value of both products was $107, I figured that they shouldn’t disappoint.

And they did not!

The Touche Eclat Blur Primer gives you skin a little golden shimmer and the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector smoothes away imperfections. At first I was worried that I’d look like I’d done nothing but put some gold glitter and matte cream on my face, but after putting on my foundation the difference was very apparent. My face looked FLAWLESS! I couldn’t get over it. I should have taken pictures, but I didn’t. When I do, I will make sure to share…probably on Instagram.

If it weren’t for the fear of running out, I would wear both of these every second of my life.

August 25, 2015

Easy Flatlay Tips

My favorite style of photos on Instagram are flatlays. They are such a great way to showcase things in a really neat way.

There are tons of resources out there to master the art of the flatlay and I’ve already shared my number on Instagram tip (along with what I use for my white backgrounds), but here are five quick and super easy tips to help you nail them!

Think square! I’m all for thinking outside of the box, but for a flatlay you have to get super creative within it.

Move things around, see what works. Keep in mind that sometimes less is more!

Switch things up, try different angles. Who said a flatlay has to be dead on and from above? Zoom in, get close, crop it like it’s hot! You can also try different backgrounds.

Use airplane mode (and make sure your wifi is turned off) if you want to edit your photo in Instagram but save it for later. #latergram (I’ve also done this to brighten up a photo twice!)

Edit! If you want that crisp white background? Brighten up your photo and add a little contrast.

Bonus tip: Try to remember the four F’s!

Fit (Think square), Free-up (Less is more), Focus (Is your phone’s lens clean? Did you tap the screen where you want the focal point to be?), and Fine-tune (Make any changes and add any finishing touches).

If you want to know what I keep in my Instagram prop box (yes, I have one), go check out this post!

August 21, 2015

Splurge or Save: Tall Tote

Baggu Basic Tote $160 | Old Navy Faux-Leather Tote around $20

Although I still have my heart set on one day owning the Baggu Basic Tote, I spotted the Old Navy tote in stores for like $8. I made a huge mistake and didn’t get it. Went home, suffered from a serious case of fomo, then went back later the same day to get it. It had been the last one and someone else beat me to it. (Add this to the list of reasons why I have trust issues…)

They had similar ones in bright colors that were a plastic-y material for $14, but after searching three different Old Navy’s I was able to find a canvas tall tote which was much closer to the style of the faux-leather tote and cost about the same.

August 20, 2015

Throw Yourself a Crabby Party

Did you ever have one of those days where you in a meh kind of mood?

Indulging in the act of self-pity is not something that I would typically encourage. But sometimes you just need to.

The idea of having a literal pity party doesn’t appeal to me, I’d much rather channel my inner happy crabber.

These Woven Pear socks certainly help!

Think of it as a mini treat yo self sesh.

Movie?

Check.

Fun fact: The manfriend and I saw 27 Dresses on our first date and ever since I’ve been obsessed with Katherine Heigl movies!

Noms?

Check.

Wine?

Do you even have to ask?

Company is optional.

But ice cream is not.

It’s not an exact science and really doesn’t take much. And, if I’m being totally honest, I’m pretty sure this is how I spend most of my nights anyways…

So get comfy, pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy. But only if you’re 21.

So happy to have Woven Pear sponsor this post!

August 19, 2015

Rice (and Green Tea) for Your Face

I like rice.

Typically as a side or in a stuffed bell pepper, but as an exfoliant? I’ll bite.

At first I wasn’t sure how this was going to work. I’ve used others before and was not a stranger to OZ Naturals, I just hadn’t tried anything like this.

It’s really a rice enzyme powder so you just add water and rub it onto you face. No big deal. Except big deal, you can really feel the grit to it as it scrubs!

This wasn’t my favorite exfoliant, the powder can get everywhere and I’m already a messy enough person on my own. I also didn’t love the container, I didn’t even notice the top was set to close, since it still came out, when I finally figured it out I decided to store it in a plastic bag, which I highly recommend.

All that being said, I didn’t hate it. My face was left feeling clean and the green tea extract made it so that my skin wasn’t irritated.

What’s your favorite face scrub?

This post is sponsored by OZ Natural, but the opinions are my own.

August 18, 2015

August Loves

I am so excited about my loves this month, that I’m sharing them a little early and I seriously hope you’re even just half as excited about my August loves as I am!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Everyone once in a while I like to give my nails a break from polish and let them breathe for a little. But I don’t really like how my nails look or feel without polish. Julep’s Oxygen Nail Polish allows for the option to do both.

And since we’re on the topic of nails… Cuticles need love too! There is a reason that Essie’s Apricot Cuticle Oil is such a huge hit. If you haven’t tried it, then you really should!

Last month I said, I was trying not to spend a lot of money, this month I couldn’t really afford to spend any cash. I totally lucked out when I found an old Old Navy Gift card (it was seriously like Christmas all over again!) and found the sandals I’d been dreaming about on super clearance for under $8! When I entered my first Polyvore contest these beauts were on the set. Talk about speaking things into existence!

I’m a huge fan of Simple Skincare Cleansing Facial Wipes, so when they let me try their new Micellar Make-Up Remover Wipes, naturally, I was stoked. This may not be the first time I’ve been obsessed with a makeup removing wipe, but it certainly is the most obsessed I’ve ever been with one!

One of my besties got me hooked on C.O. Bigelow Menta Lip Shine a looong time ago. I just recently rediscovered it and, for the life of me, can’t remember why I stopped using it.

So thankful to Simple Skincare for giving me a chance to #TestTheWater!