5 Unconventional Things I'm Thankful For

I started this post as a typical things I’m thankful for and I found that my list was pretty basic.  Like most people, I’m thankful for my friends and my family.  They are a tremendous source of love and support.  However, I wanted to think outside the box and find some non typical things I’m thankful for.  Here’s my top 5 in no particular order.

Current Obsession // Chelsea Boots

Chelsea boots have been on trend for the last few years but they only recently peaked my interest.  Thanks to the Future of Fashion series by British Vogue featuring Alexa Chung, I developed a new interest in Alexa’s style.  After looking at countless images of her outfits, one piece stood out to me.  The Chelsea boot seems to be one of Alexa’s go to pieces and I was instantly mesmerized by how effortlessly chic a pair of boots can make your overall look.

A Savior for Dry Winter Lips

I’ve heard so many great things about Nuxe, especially their body oil and lip balm.  A few months back I found that Nuxe was available in my town (well a limited selection) so I decided to pick up the Reve De Miel.  I’ve used it consistently for a few months so I thought it was about time I let you know my thoughts.

70's Fever

When it first popped up, I had a love/loathe feeling about the seventies trend.  The seventies was a time of twig thin women and fashion reflected that waif image.  As a woman who isn’t a stick, I found this trend hard to pull off.  However, I’m feeling inspired by the pieces I’m seeing online and I wanted to make a post centered on how to translate the trend for a curvier body type.

October Favorites

I hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween!  This year I binged watched my favorite childhood Halloween movies (Hocus Pocus and Casper) and overindulged in all of the candy.  Anyone else prefer to chill at home on Halloween rather than going out to crowed parties?  Ok, now back to the favorites.  This month I’ve been sticking to my usual beauty and skincare routine so I don’t have too many favorites.  Here are a few new finds that I thought were worthy of favorites status.

Falling for Cardigans OOTD

Last weekend I went out to run some errands and I really ended up liking the outfit I put together.   I’ve fallen in love with cardigans recently and I wanted to show you how I style them. 

Favorite Fall Nail Polishes

During the fall, I mostly gravitate to dark plum and berry nail polishes with the occasional grey or bronze thrown in for variety.  It shouldn’t be a surprise by now that most of the shades I picked are Essie.  However, I do have a few non-Essie shades that have been long time favorites.

What I Love About Fall

The deeper we get into the fall season the more I remember why I love this time of year.  This is my ode to fall!  Here are my favorite things about fall in no particular order.

Top 5 Fall Lipsticks

The weather is finally starting to cool off I’m officially in full fall mode.  One of the first transitions I make to my makeup this time of year is lipstick.  Here are my top 5 lipsticks that I love to wear in the fall.

Everyday Liquid Liner

In the past, liquid liner was one of the beauty products I avoided like the plague.  After a horrible first attempt left me looking like a deranged Cleopatra, I swore off liquid liner all together.  However after building up my lining skills with gel liner and then falling in love with the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, I started to warm up to liquid liners.  The only real issue I had with the Tattoo Liner was that it only came in the shade Trooper, which is a black that I felt was too stark for everyday wear.

Laneige Skincare

Usually, I only pick up one item when I want to try out a new product line to see if it’s worth getting more down the road.  That wasn’t the case with Lanaige skincare.  High praise from Lisa Eldridge sucked me in and took a big dent out of my bank account.  Since I’ve been trying them out for awhile, I thought is was time that I shared my thoughts on what I got.

September Favorites

Another month has flown by and another monthly favorites is coming your way.  Also, the leaves decided to join in on the photo session.  They were attempting to be real camera hogs so I decided to use them as props.  Anyway, let’s get onto the favorites.

Transitioning into Fall OOTD

I thought the arrival of fall would be the perfect opportunity to write my first OOTD post on the blog.  Since my style and well my body isn’t the kind of thing you lust over on Instagram, I’ve been a bit apprehensive to do these types of posts.  However, I’m starting to see more real looking women showing there style and it’s inspired me to do the same.

Fall Wishlist

Fall is finally here! Now that the leaves are changing and the weather is cooling off, I’m feeling the urge to add some fall inspired pieces into my wardrobe and makeup collection.

Sweat-Proof Makeup

Now that summer is nearly over, I thought I would turn out one last summer themed post before I dive into all things pumpkin and and cozy.  Since my skin is rather dry most of the year, shine control is only something I deal with in the summer.  I got tired of my makeup slipping off in the heat and decided to try three products and I found the winning combination for all day makeup! 

Clinique Haul

There have been quite a few new launches at Clinique that have peaked my interest.  While the idea of adding them all to my collection is tempting, I don’t think my bank account would be too happy about it.  I decided to be pragmatic and only pick up a few things to satisfy my urge to try some new stuff out.

Essie Summer Nail Polish Favorites

As summer is drawing to a close, I’m reflecting back on my favorite summer nail polishes.  Since I pretty much only use Essie nail polishes, my favorites are a bit brand specific.

August Favorites

I didn’t have many favorites this month but the products I enjoyed were pretty awesome.   This months favorites only has four products but I think there are some definite HG contenders in the mix.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Since I mentioned my experience with the L’oreal Setting Spray, I have been on the hunt for another spray to compare it with.  I’ve heard great things about the Urban Decay All Nighter so I decided to try it out.

July Favorites

Now that summer is in full swing, I’ve been reaching for products to help me look put together while beating the heat.  This month I’ve been all about minimal makeup and effortless hairstyles. 

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

I’ve been trying to eat healthier for a while now. It’s taken me a while to find healthy food options that are not just good for me but that I would actually enjoy eating on a regular basis. These are a few go to ideas that I reach for when I want a healthy breakfast.

June Favorites

Yet another month has flown by and I have quite a few favorites to share. Since I didn’t do a favorites last month, some of these are more a May/June favorites.

Nars Contour Blush in Paloma

In the past year I’ve gotten really into contouring.  I’m not referring to the super contoured Kim Kardashian look but more a nice everyday contour.  I searched high and low until I stumbled upon the Nars Contour Blush duo in Paloma.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish

I mentioned this little guy in a new in post I did a few months back and recently realized I forgot to report back on my thoughts.  This is yet another beauty Youtuber enabled purchase that I couldn't resist trying out. 

Beachy Summer Waves with John Frieda Beach Blonde

Summer is officially here!  With all the sun and fun outdoor activities summer  brings, it also brings heat and humidity.  Even if I wanted to have sleek straight hair, it is virtually impossible to keep it that way for more than five minutes.  Since I just can’t be bothered to put much effort into my hair when it is sweltering outside, my go to hair routine for the hot summer months is the effortless wavy hair.

Daisy Marc Jacobs

Probably one of the biggest highlights about spring is the chance to pull out this perfume.  Daisy is my go to perfume in the spring and summer months. 

L'oreal La Palette Nude 1 and 2

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so excited about a drugstore beauty launch.  These palettes were raved about in Europe for a while before they made their way to the US.  I was able to get my hands on them pretty soon after they started appearing in stores but I held off on a review until I had plenty of time to work with them.  Now that everyone and their mother has had the chance to get their hands on this palette, I thought I would share my thoughts.

April Favorites

Monthly favorites really sneak up on me. I almost forgot about it this month but luckily I had it jotted down in my blogging calendar. Horray for blogging organization! Anyway, this month I thought I’d show you some of the makeup bits I’ve been enjoying.

L'oreal Visible Lift Blur Concealer

I went on a beauty bender recently and decided to pick up a ton of new makeup products.  This was one of the products I got.  I’ve heard really good reviews about it so it thought I would give it a go.

Empties #6

It’s been ages since I’ve done an empties post.  Since my last empties, I got into a habit of throwing stuff out right after I finished it up.  While that’s good for minimizing clutter, it’s not so good when you want to do an empties post.  I finally collected enough empty stuff to show you what I’ve used up and what I thought of the products.

Spring Makeup Routine

Now that the weather has warmed up and the sun is coming out more, I’ve been in the mood to bring more color (read pink) into my everyday makeup routine.  I realized while writing this post that I forgot to include eyeshadows into the picture.  Let’s pretend that the eyeshadow is there so this picture doesn’t have to go to waste.

L'Occitane Shower Oil

This winter it seemed like my skin refused to be hydrated.  I would put on tons of heavy lotion only to have my skin be uncomfortably dry hours later.  When I discovered body oils, that changed.  I don’t know the exact science behind it but I now know that my winter skin needs body oil.  In my quest to find any way to incorporate oils into my skincare routine, I decided to pick up this shower oil. 

Sephora VIB Wishlist

It’s that time of year again!  The Sephora VIB sale started April 16th and runs through April 21st.  Although 15% off doesn’t seem like much, when you take into account that the only other sale happens in November, it’s worth it to stock up on staples and try out new items.   Here are the things that I’m really tempted to pick up.

Spring Wishlist

Spring is here and I feel inspired to revamp my style. These are the items I want to add to my wardrobe and makeup collection.

Liebster Award

Thank you to the wonderful Natalie of Salt & Sail for nominating me!  I've seen this award on other blogs and I'm excited that I get to share more about myself and nominate some awesome bloggers.

10 Facts About Me

I've wanted to venture into more personal/lifestyle type posts but I could never decide how I wanted to start.  Since I have haven't really mentioned too much about myself, I thought a 10 facts post would be a good way share with you a little bit about me.

L'oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray Review

Before I begin this review, I should let you know that this is my first experience with a setting spray.  I’ve always wanted to use one but I was always too wary of spraying liquid on my freshly made up face.  It just seems like it would end in mascara running down my face so I steered clear.  Recently I decided to get over my probably irrational fear and pick up a setting spray to try out.  So, this is not only a review but also a request for advice from a setting spray newbie.

Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry Review

If you haven’t noticed by now, I really love Bumble and Bumble products.  Last week, I posted a review of the Gentle Shampoo and Super Rich Conditioner.  This week, I am going to share with you my love for the Straight Blow Dry styling balm. Talk about a spoiler alert!  Well now that you that I love it I will fill you in on why it is such an awesome styling product.

Birthday Wishlist

March is finally here! Spring is around the corner and my birthday is just 28 days away. While I’m a little overwhelmed about being a year older, I can’t help but also get excited at the opportunity to do a little retail celebrating. Some of these items have a steep price tag so they are probably more wishes than what will actually be on my real birthday shopping list. Either way, I thought it would be nice to show you what I have been coveting lately.

February Favorites

Valentine’s Day has come and gone but these favorites still have a place in my heart.  Sorry, I couldn’t help but see a connection between the month of love and my favorite products.  The amount of favorites this month is small but they are all on their way to becoming some all time favorites.

L'oreal Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer Review

I have been on the hunt for a good drugstore alternative to my well loved NARS eyeshadow primer. When I was picking up a few other makeup products at Target this caught my eye and I decided to try it out.