Mini Fashion Haul

It feels good to be back!! 

I got these cute booties with the black rhinestones on the toes from Discovery for only $24.99

I fell into the hype of the wedge sneaker! I was not sure about them until I tried on a pair with some skinny jeans and loved the edge it gave the outfit. Also they give me the height I love with the ability to walk all day without any soreness. These came from Target and I believe they were $34.99

The Aztec patterned sweater came from discovery for $14.99

The black and white silky tops came from H&M and were on sale for $10 each

The white blazer I got at a steal from Lord & Taylor for $30

The camouflage jeans are from PacSun and were $21.99

The blue Aztec pattern jeans are from H&M for $17

and the DEAL of the day was my pair of Joe's jeans for $82...Nothing can put a price on a pair of jeans that make a girls butt look GREAT!

Affordable Fall Outfits! My First Look Book

Check out some of these affordable fall outfits. Click HERE to see
where you can find these pieces.

Eyeing These Boots

There are really only 3 things I like about fall...the colors of the leaves, the candle scents, and of course bring back the adorable boots!!

 You Can Find These HERE

These would be great with a pair of skinny jeans or leggings. I would get more use out of the black pair they offer.

 You Can Find These HERE

The added lace up touch in the back really makes these boots stand out.

 You Can Find These HERE

These are the perfect boots to add that little something to a jeans and plain tee kinda day!

 You Can Find These HERE

Is there any explanation needed for these boots? I mean who doesn't love an OTK boot?

My Current Lusts

Here are a few things I have been eyeing to add to my closet this past week...Part 2 will be the fall shoes!! OH YAY!

 You Can Find This HERE

I really think this is a piece you can pair with anything. Wear it with jeans to dress it down or with a great leather pencil skirt for a night out with the girls or a date night with your beau!

 You Can Find This HERE

This moto vest with a great floral pattern maxi would be great! Pairing something very feminine with a little masculinity is a great way to be a little edgy without going over board.

 You Can Find This HERE

Is there really anything that I need to say about this and why I love it?!

 You Can Find This HERE

Crop tops don't only have to be for summer, pair one with some high waisted  pants and even a blazer to keep warm while the temps keep dropping.

Winter Ready Skin

I know fall has only just begun so who wants to hear about winter skin routines!!! But ladies its fast approaching and we have to be ready. I have 9 simple things to really make a difference in your beauty routine. Each title has the link on where you can purchase the product.

1. PUCKER UP

• Keeping your lips soft and well moistened is very important. Cracking lips doesn't only hurt but is a visual NIGHTMARE. Take a soft toothbrush and lightly brush your lips to get rid of the dead skin cells, then apply a great natural lip balm. Try to keep away from petroleum jelly based lip products because they can actually dry out your lips. Kiss My Face brand is one of my favorites!

2. COLD SHOULDER

• I know that when the weather is freezing out all we want to do is stand in the HOT shower and let it run over us. Hot water will actually dry out your skin very fast, so if you have to warm up keep the extreme hot temps to 5 minutes or less and then switch to luke warm water.

3. SOAP FREE

• If you still use a bar of soap, which many people do, I'm sure you notice that it dries up and cracks all on its own. So just imagine what its doing to your skin. Many of you enjoy that "squeaky clean" feeling, but that feeling is stripping your skin of its natural oils. In the colder months try switching to a lotion based body wash with a loofah. Dove is one of the best options out there. Just make sure your loofah isn't too hard and your only taking off the dead skin cells and not fresh skin.

4. SILKY SMOOTH

• Using an oil on your skin right out of the shower while your skin is still damp is going to re-hydrate your skin. There are some great after shower oils out there, some are more on the pricey side while others you can pick up at the drugstores. Plantlife makes some great natural oils that dont leave you feeling greasy all day.

5. MOISTURE IN A MACHINE

• As the heat goes up in your house the moisture levels go down. If your anything like me and love to sit in front of the fire place sipping tea...you can really feel the dry heat. A humidifier can really help reverse those effects. Having a space heater will really do a number on the skin...so while you sleep keep a small humidifier in the room and balance out the dryness. 

6. SERUM OR CREAM...THAT IS THY QUESTION

• Creams have a higher count of lipids in them than serums. Over usage of lips will make your skin appear dull since they trap the dead cells. Serums are light, but because the ingredients are much more concentrated its great for absorption. Pure makes a great Vitamin C serum and it has dead sea elements to help with the dead skin cells.

7. SAY GOODBYE ALLIGATOR FEET

• Dry cracking feet is a BIG problem in the winter!! Ladies please know that just because you have put away your peep toe shoes and your strappy sandals does not mean you need to neglect your feet! Cover your feet in a thick moisturizer my go to is Love&Toast, its a natural lotion with nothing that will just coat your skin but actually absorb and do what lotion is intended to! After you have the lotion covered all over wrap your feet in cling wrap and pull on a pair of socks. Try to stay laying or sitting while the lotion soaks into the feet. 

8. BOTTLE IT UP

• If your face is really taking a beating from the dry winter months or is just extra sensitive try avoiding rinsing your face with tap water. It contains very drying harsh minerals. Try using a cold cream or cleansing pads to wipe your face clear of dirt and build up, then washing it with bottled water. Even if you only wash your face with bottled water once a week or when you notice that its getting really dry. The Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser is still one of my all time favorites, you really can feel the moisture being replenished. 

9. FRIZZ AND BRITTLE BE GONE

•  Just as harsh as the cold is on your skin your hair takes a toll too. So make sure to deep condition your hair once a week. It will help your ends from getting dry and brittle and causing your hair to be frizzy! The Macadamia Treatment is still my favorite, I love the way it smells and they way it makes my hair feel like silk after using it.

Makeup At The Gym

Its been almost a month since I have blogged!! I was really missing it, but mommy life has taken over again! Between school and soccer for my son and getting everything ready for his big double digit birthday its been CRAZY! We are also do a lot of renovations with the house that I'm thinking about posting...just so everyone can see whats been going on! I'm an open book and love sharing my life with everyone!

I know a lot of people are getting healthy and joining a gym or just working out at home after work. That's great because living a healthy lifestyle can really help your skin! But have you been working out right after work and not removing your makeup first? Have you noticed your skin starting to break out or blemishes? Well ladies working out with your makeup on can have EVERYTHING to do with that! I know being fabulous is a full time gig...and why should working out be any different? Well when you work out and start to get warm your pores open up as they do anytime you start to sweat or get really warm, its like getting a steam facial at the spa...they do this to open your pores before they purge them. If you have makeup on when your pores open all that makeup and dirt from the day is seeping into your skin...clogging all those tiny pores and making them appear larger or even worse causing you to break out.

So ladies YES you need to wash your face before you work out and get it all sweaty again! Even if you only use makeup removing wipes to get most of it off before your work out and you can do a full face wash after will make a world of a difference.

Fashion Mommy of August

I wanted to start a fashion mommy of the month...so to start it off I'm going BIG! Of course one of my favorite...drum roll please.... the one and only Victoria "Posh" Beckham!

 Im always a fan of the Flare pant...so of course this made my top picture!

 Such a chic long camel vest

 The perfect way to make a plain tee and jean shorts stylish...add a blazer

 High wasted wide leg pant can really make you look so much taller and leaner. Love that its paired with a simple pattern blouse.

Black on black you can never go wrong.

Influenster Mary Kay VoxBox!

I got some goodies from Mary Kay to test and review! Here is my honest opinion of everything I received. It has been a really long time since I have used a Mary Kay makeup product. I do however LOVE their sunscreen for the face, it doesn't clog your pores or leave you feeling greasy. And having oily skin to begin with its hard to find a sunscreen that doesn't play that up!

The package included the Lash Love lengthening mascara in black, cream eye color/concealer brush, lash primer, cream eye color in violet storm, and True Dimensions lip stick in pink cherie. 

I tried out the lash primer by itself to see if it made a difference, and I honestly didn't notice any huge change in my lashes. The next day I tried out everything in the box for a spring time look (will post those pictures soon) I did not use the lash primer under the Lash Love mascara, just so I could see how it ranked on its own. And let me tell you ladies I give that mascara a B+, I'm a mascara snob so not too many mascaras will be rewarded with an A. The cream eye color was fantastic, it didn't crease and stayed put all day. The brush that they included was nothing amazing but it did do the job. The True Dimensions lip stick in Pink Cherie was such a pretty color and really complimented my skin tone. I love the packaging that it comes in, because you have to push the top down in order to remove the lid. This really eliminates the chances of the lid coming off and getting all over the inside of your makeup case inside your purse. The lipstick on the other hand was nothing great. I felt like I was reapplying every few minutes, although the color was really amazing but nothing impossible to match.

So overall I would say that I give this VoxBox a C+ and here are my reasons. The lash primer didn't make any difference with the way my lashes looked on its own or with mascara applied. The lipstick had no lasting power and needing to reapply can get irritating. The brush that it came with is OK, I just feel for $10 you can buy something a little nicer. The Lash Love mascara was really nice and I would really consider repurchasing that product. And lastly the eye shadow, I really do love everything about this eye shadow. The texture, the color, the way it doesn't wear off or crease! The only downside is the price... $22! Yes that is right $22 for a jar of cream eye shadow. I really feel that you can purchase other cream eye shadows with the same characteristics for a fraction of the cost.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these products click HERE, I highly recommend the mascara...you really will LOVE it! 

Mary Kay® provided these complimentary products through Influenster for me to try.

Some Fashion Must Haves - Clothing Staples

So fashion and makeup really do go hand in hand, if you love one you probably love the other. These are a few pieces that are the building blocks to a great wardrobe, I really believe that these are some staple pieces to have in your closet to build your wardrobe. Staple pieces may be a bit more costly but just know that they are VERY versatile. So making investments in certain pieces really does pay off, sometimes you can get lucky and find cheaper look a likes. The best places for cheaper look a likes are going to be found at Forever 21 and H&M, but you really need to keep an eye out. But for the ladies out there with a little more tush (like me) if you find a great pair of jeans that makes your butt look amazing...buy them! Great jeans are something to spend a little extra on because jeans can make or break your confidence while looking in a mirror!!

 A black peplum is so classic and chic. You can really pair it with anything and look so put together. I really love the look with a pair of white wide leg pants, but as you can see above it really looks great with a skirt, a midi pencil skirt would be my first choice if I was pairing it with a skirt. Looking for this top click Here

 A great pair of dark washed flare pants can really do wonders for a ladies tush as well as make her look longer and leaner. The key to making sure you have a great fit is not having the pants so tight on your thigh because then it looks like they flare out much more, and gives it a bell bottom look. Also try and find a pair that almost grazes the floor, getting a pair of flares that are too short can really do the opposite of the intended purpose. Your legs will appear much shorter and won't look as lean. My favorite flares can be found Here

 A properly fitted and styled jumpsuit can really make you look chic on your laziest of days. The loose flowy fabric is comfortable and simple. You can easily dress it up with a colorful pump but if your just running out the door throw on a gladiator sandal and your ready to take on the day. To get this great classic Jumpsuit click Here

 A chic well fit blazer can be the best investment to your closet you can make. If you throw on a blazer over a tee shirt and cut off shorts and BAM you look like you spent hours getting ready! Something with a texture really has a high end look but with the white it still looks very clean. My favorite blazer can be found Here

A white wide leg jean can be so chic with anything from the peplum top all the way to a loose fitted tee shirt. Pairing these pants with a flouncy dress shirt can also really dress it up. But remember just like the flare jeans you really have to be careful with the length. Its a bit trickier with white pants because of the chances of them getting ruined on the bottom hem. I definitely would recommend wearing heels and trying to stay away from the flats with any white pants just to be on the safe side. For these fabulous jeans click Here 

Drugstore Dupes for High End Makeup / The Eyes

So ALL of my dupes are for MAC...But I am working on something for the Naked and Naked 2 pallets and its looking GOOD!

Drugstore Dupes for High End Makeup / Lips

So most of my Dupes are for MAC, but I do have 2 NARS lipsticks in here. I hope you enjoy and get to save some money on your lipstick choices now!

Drugstore Dupes for High End Makeup / The Face - Blush

I was really pleased with the dupes from my blushes!! These are a fraction of the price for the EXACT same color payoff! I will be doing more blushes as I come across them. So look out for more dupes to come!!

Drugstore Dupes for High end Makeup - The Face / Primer & Foundations

Ok so I have been really searching for perfect match dupes! And Some of these I feel work better than the High end products! Look for the Rest of the Dupes this Week!!!

                                                                    PRIMER

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