January 2015 | A few of my Favorite Things

 

(1. Gap Body sweater. 2. Elizabeth Arden 8-hour Cream. 3. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 8 (Pink in Confidence) 4. #Girlboss by Sophia Amoroso 5. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks 6. Heidi Swapp "Everyday" Memory Keeper 7. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, Facial Radiance Pads and Ultra Repair Cream)

 

 

January brought 2015 in with a month full of opposites. I planned and then I went with the flow. I spent time becoming a gym rat and then, I got the flu and become one with my mattress. I saved, saved, saved my monies and then, well, I splurged (hey, I had a gift card) on a New Year, New Me gift to myself. January was warm and cold, in both temperature and disposition.

 

I spent most of the frigid month in my Gap Body sweatshirt. I loved my cream one so much that I had to go back to get a second one in gray. They are the ideal sweater to spend the afternoon in, drinking tea cuddled under a fuzzy blanket. Along with the ice cold weather of January came some very dry skin and lips. Enter Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream. My gawd, this stuff is perfect. Dry skin has no chance with this. I used in on my lips, and hands mostly, at night, and in the morning would wake up to baby soft skin. And now, the splurge - I bought my first YSL lipstick. I was gifted a very nice gift card from my team at work and purchased this for myself to take on 2015. It is called "Pink in Confidence" because that's how I plan to take on 2015 - with confidence. The packaging is perfect and the color is even more perfect. A soft pink with a bit of shine for an everyday oomph to the mundane.

 

 

 

I challenged myself to read 50 books in 2015. So far, #Girlboss and "The Longest Ride" has been my favorites. #Girlboss brought on some of my favorite quotes to live by for 2015. And hello, because I want to be a #Girlboss because I want what I want, I want to work for it, and I'm a badass #Girlboss. "The Longest Ride" while typical Nicholas Sparks romance novel is going to be made into a movie and I wanted to read it prior to seeing it. It was good, easy to read, and I gobbled in up in less than 24 hours.  

 

A clip from my favorite chapter on the power of thinking and the power you give your thoughts in #Girlboss.

 

 

I was really disappointed in 2014 because I didn't have anything to look back on it that house'd memories, my thoughts and some of my favorite moments. Hence, the "Everyday" Memory Keeper. I plan on writing a little something, taking a photo, or documenting each day in some way to keep a running memory of 2015. So far, I have loved doing this and find it very rewarding. I have made a post on my memory keeping: here.

 

 

And finally, my dear skin. January was a rough skin month for me from being sick, to my continued living in a hotel, to new year stress, my skin has taken hit after hit and I don't know what I would've done without my First Aid Beauty regime. The cleanser made my skin feel clean and fresh - without drying it out. The Radiance pads I used twice a day to exfoliate, tone and brighten my skin which I could even tell the difference. And the Ultra Repair Cream leaves my skin moisturizer but not sticky - and it's prefect for travel because it is safe for my face as well as my body.

 

While I enjoy January a lot, I'm so ready to say good-bye to it. I'm ready for February and to start fresh, again. What did you enjoy about the first month of 2015? Any favorite moments or products? Please share.

 

Yours xx

March Favorites

WARNING: This post is quite lengthy but, it's a good one. I promise. The month of March is my favorite for several reasons: Spring has (officially) sprung, I turned 22 this month, my university had Spring Break, and my favorites are awesome! Without further ado...

Beauty and Body Care

For beauty products this month, you could say I branched out on a limb with the first one. I had never ordered/purchased a product from Lush Cosmetics and after using "Angels on Bare Skin" Facial Cleanser I wanted more and more and more....

For those who don't know, Lush Cosmetics are fresh, handmade cosmetics that use only natural ingredients. They are based out of Canada and, obviously, I don't live in Canada so I ordered from their website. Very quick and easy, might I add. I was on the hunt for a new facial cleanser that left my skin light and refreshed without being too harsh. I have fairly sensitive skin, so I always am a bit nervous about new products (tip: try a small amount on an inconspicuous bit of skin before trying all over your face) so I did my research and read lots of consumer reviews. And ended up with Lush! Wee!








I purchased Angels on Bare Skin from Lush because it was their best seller and was made for all skin types. It is very exfoliating which I find to be nice after my face as been put through the ringer I put it through everyday. Plus, it was cleansing and quite soothing. It makes my face feel like it has been blessed by Angels (ay, ay, see what I did there..? :O).

While Angels is my favorite cleanser, I needed something to take my makeup off before cleansing and I'm loving Maybelline's Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. It's not greasy at all, which as been a consist problem for me with makeup removers. It literally takes one swipe and my eye makeup is completely gone! I love it!! (PS I'm on my second bottle already.)


Speaking of eye makeup, I purchased a bit of a splurge birthday present for myself: Urban Decay Naked Palette. This palette is like the holy-grail for me. It has neutral matte colors for a simple everyday look as well as sparkly neutrals and colors to create the perfect smoky eye. I'm obsessed and have basically used it everyday since it arrived on my doorstep. (I purchased mine from Amazon, in case you were wondering).

Now, I've been a Moisturizing Chap stick girl for, like, ever so in the rare event that I find a lip balm or chap stick that I love more it is kind of a massive deal.

Dearest Nivea Lip Butters, you have found a home in my purse, makeup bag, backpack, beside stand (read: everywhere). I adore you to no end. You look so adorable in your little tin. You're not shiny, and yet add color and not only do you smell like absolute heaven but, you are moisturizingly thick, without caking. I love you.

Food and Drink Favorites

Food, everyone's favorite and between eating birthday cake and Easter candy, this section could turn into a bit of a circus act but these two products have stuck by me all month long and I adore them for it.

The Brookside Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry are indulgent and perfect. The dark chocolate is thick

but doesn't overpower the fruit pieces inside. To me, they seemed like Fruit Gushers without that awful sugar syrup oozing out of the middle.

Tazo Passion Tea has been a favorite of my for quite a while but this month I got the tea bags as a birthday gift with my lovely tea kettle. (Yes, I'm practically a 80 year old woman, between my tea kettle and knitting hobby, in a 22 year old's body. Do I care? Nope.) It is fruity and sort of, mm, tangy? Yeah, tangy. I've been making it hot with the tea bags but, also, I've been making it cool by taking two tea bags and hot water, placing it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours, and pouring it over ice. I'm obsessed.

Music Favorites

All you need to know for this section is this: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE'S THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE. Please, listen to this. Buy it. Download it. Whatever. It has been playing non-stop on my iTunes since arriving on the scene. I regularly jam to "Let the Groove Get In," "Pusher Love Girl," and "Don't Hold the Wall."

This next girl group from the UK, I found because of Little Mix (please go get on the Google right now if you don't know these girls. I love them to know end.). They have this awesome 90's type, hip-hop vibe. And this song! Sometimes music, like books, find you, ya know? 

M.O. - Ain't Got Time

Books and Movies Favorites

For the first time, I listened to an audio book from Audible.com. I listened to "BossyPants" by Tina Fey on my road trip. This book is hilarious, which was too be expected. But also enlightening. It was a lot about female empowerment, which apparently I've been obsessed with since I this month I also read Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In." This read, readers, it is a-maz-ing. She talks about women in leadership roles, women in the work place and encourages women to "lean in" in all things. I highly recomme

nd this read to anyone!

Oh and Girls. Lena Duhman knows my life. It is Sex in the City but with "real" girls in their 20s, navigating life. Hmm, I wonder why I could relate?? :)

Thanks for reading, y'all. Anything you've been enjoying this month? Let me know in the comments!!

Yours xx

Disclaimer: Everything mentioned above was purchased with my own money and all opinions are mine. This is NOT a sponsored blog post. You're beautiful.

February Favorites

I'm a curious little bee. I want to know what everyone is loving whether it be beauty products, body care, books, or even movies. Inspired by my curiosity I thought I might jump on the monthly favorites bandwagon. (Yes, there is a bandwagon.) I figured I'd share with all of you, at the beginning of each month, what I consider to be my favorite things. So without further ado...cue music.

Beauty Products & Body Care Favorites:

I've been loving my Maybelline Baby Lips in Coral Crush and Pink Punch. It is super moisturizing as well as adding a hint of color to my lips. It is a perfect every day basic balm.

My February Favorite as far as nail polish goes has to be Play Date from Essie. It is a lavender color so it is very spring time and very Easter appropriate. Plus, for me, Essie color always seems to last quite a long time on my nails.

Body Care Favorites consist of a hand cream that I've been loving for quite sometime. The True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere and Silk Hand Cream is like a dream for my hands. It does exactly what the back of the bottle says (no lies here): "Wrap Your Hands in Cashmere and Silk." Plus, it seems like vanilla!

This next product I picked up on a whim one day: Boots Brazil Nut Body Butter. Now, I'm not usually a big fan of body butter, the idea of thick, cake-y cream just gives me the shivers, but this product is nothing like that! It is very moisturizing, as expected, but doesn't seem like you're "frosting" yourself. My skin has become super soft and smooth since using this. Which has been great during this loving spring SD weather (sarcasm). And this particular scent is a combination of almond-hazelnut-vanilla; it is intoxicating.

Music Favorites:

I have narrowed my choices down to three, which is fairly impressive since I've been obsessed with a lot of music in the past month. (Warning: My musical taste is varied and not for everyone)

Demi Lovato's "Heart Attack". Don't lie you've sang it in your car...

Fall Out Boy "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" I think I'm a professional air guitar drumming extraordinaire when this songs comes on. Plus, it's Fall Out Boy. You know I'm stoked for their new album.

Bernhoft "C'mon Talk" This one I can't actually take too much credit for. It was introduced to me by a friend. Obsessed doesn't even accurately describe how I feel about this song. 

Oh what am I saying...here's one more: 

Allen Stone "Sleep"

Book & Movies Favorites

This one of going to be a lengthy one this time due to Spring Break allowing me actual leisure reading time! 

If you have yet to read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green stop whatever you had planned for today, go get this book, grab the Kleenex and READ IT. Serious. I've read it twice since purchasing it and the second time I took a highlighter to it because I loved it THAT much. 

The other recommendation I talked about in the Fashion Friday of last week so check that out here. As far as another read, I'd say "Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal" by Chris Colfer should not go unnoticed. It reads like you're having a conversation with your snarky, although lovable, best friend. 

And finally, whether it comes into your life in book or movie form, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" forever changed everything for me. It is a real, brave and honest look at, not just high school, but friendship, love and being a teenager. 

Thanks for reading! Yours xx

PS: Starbucks drink of the month for Haley: Direct tie between Green Tea Frapp and Iced Chai Tea Latte. 

Disclaimer: Everything mentioned above was purchase with my own money and all opinions are mine. This is NOT a sponsored blog post. You're pretty.