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Favorites: June 2015

So, yet again, I’ve failed to maintain my blog for the month of June. But there have been crazy big changes in my life! I wound down my job in NYC, and accepted an exciting job back in New Jersey. It means I’ll no longer commute four hours a day to work, and will have time for more things in my life. I’ve been car shopping, picking up things for my new job, and even vacationing. Life has been busy, to say the least. But my goal here is to do a recap of things I loved over the month of June, and to do posts in the coming days around some of my experiences (ex: what to wear/bring to an outdoor country music festival). This new life change has me excited about blogging again. So what was I busy loving in June?

I discovered Audible! Okay, so I know I’m late to the game here, but this is seriously incredible. I must say that I can’t get into it when there is a narrator that isn’t the author (read: I can only listen to biographies/autobiographies or memoirs) but I’m nearly finished my first book and it has just made me fall in love with reading all over again. My first audible book was I, Justine An Analog Memoir. Her style of narration is captivating, and although I’m not super into the tech world, the book is fascinating. Everyone who signs up for Audible gets a credit, so their first book is free! It is SO worth it.

I made a series of large purchases this month. When I realized I would be leaving my job, I wanted to take the time and invest in new pieces and things to elevate me for my next position. It all started when I saw a picture of these sunglasses on Kim Kardashian:

I knew I just had to have them. I’m so into large aviators, and these Porsche Design sunnies are NO joke. They take up half of my face. I ordered them from Otticanet.com which is based out of Italy and had read mixed reviews. I have nothing bad to say. They seem to always offer a 5% discount of some kind, and even reimburse you for the charges from FedEx, because they don’t want their customers to pay international fees. I LOVE my glasses, and really want the same pair but in purple. The style number is: P8478 in the largest size 69/10/135.

The blogger/Youtuber I’m loving this month is Kristina from Pretty Shiny Sparkly. I ADORE her, and watch her videos religiously. I’m so enamoured with things she buys, I always end up picking up the same things for myself! Go check her out!

prettyshinysparkly.com

Because I knew I had several big events/vacations approaching I decided that I would get a keratin treatment on my hair. Typically these are very expensive, but because I have massive, lion’s mane type hair, my stylist was kind enough to offer a massive discount. I never realized the process until I was actually in the chair getting it done, but it is kind of weird. You can’t wash your hair for 72 hours (I think) and it was REALLY hard because my hair gets so greasy when I put heavy product in and straighten it. Overall though, my straightening time has decreased immensely, and it doesn’t pouf so much when I’m in the humidity or on the beach. It will only last a few months, but I’m going to enjoy this time of easy hair prep. If you have thick, curly, coarse hair like mine, then this is totally worth a shot at least once. But make sure to have it done by a highly educated stylist. Below are the results!

What were you all loving in the month of June?!

What’s on my iPhone June Edition

Lately I’ve kept my iPhone apps pretty status quo. I get into a routine and get used to what I have. However, I wanted to share my photo editing and Instagram friendly apps for those of you, who like me, spend forever editing photos before making a post. Click below for links to some of my favorite photo apps! SpacePaint and Picfx I use to add or adjust lighting, aviary helps whiten my photos and make them look crisp, POMELO has some pretty great filters, and Stationery has the cutest way to add text to photos! ENJOY!

SpacePaint

Aviary

Picfx

POMELO

Stationery

Review: Birchbox May 2015

Sorry for the delay of this post – I’m playing catch up with some things!

I was super excited to hear that Emily of the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere would be the guest curator for May. I adore her blog, and typically love most things she recommends. I forgot to pre-select my samples, so I wound up with the regular box. I’m not at all disappointed. While I’ll probably trade some things, I really enjoyed the theme.

*All prices are for the full size products.

amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – $21

I LOVE trying new dry shampoos, and I’ve been eyeing the amika brand for a while now. It smells a little fruity for my taste, but I’m excited to give it a shot.

Benefit Cosmetics Total Moisture Facial Cream – $42

Benefit is one of my favorite brands, and I appreciated getting a generous sample. I need to be careful what I put on my face because I don’t want to break out, but the smell is so lovely, I think I’ll give it a try.

Coastal Scents Revealed 3 Eyeshadow Quad – $20

I was most disappointed by this one. I’ve wanted the full palette for a while now, and was quite upset when they cheaped out with the quad. Colors are nice, but total bummer.

Marcelle Clay Mask -$15

I haven’t had a nice clay mask in a while, so I might be willing to try this. But because I have sensitive skin, I’ll have to read some reviews before I give it a shot.

Whish Flawless Swipes – $22

These are designed to banish bumps and prevent in grown hairs. I’d rather have a lotion or creme than a wipe, but thats just me. The brand hasn’t proven effective for me in the past, but I love their ideas and the fragrances of their products. This goes to the swap pile.

How were your boxes this month?

Favorites: May 2015

It has been so long since I last did a blog post! Between working tons of overtime and mini weekend trips – I’ve been busy. I wanted to post my favorites from the past month – things that made time fly and really excite me.

While I’ve been waiting for Orange is the New Black to return, I’ve become hooked on a new show. Wentworth is an Australian drama – similar in topic to OITNB. The main difference is this is pure drama. I breezed through seasons one and two on Netflix, and am now catching up on season three which is currently airing in Australia. If you are looking for a new show to marathon – this one is it.

This year I’ve been all about Lilly Pulitzer. I tried SO hard to get things from the Target collection, but ultimately failed. So instead I patrol Poshmark for affordable Lilly. I must admit I’m in love with one of their latest prints – Scuba to Cuba. I want everything in that pattern, and have already splurged on a few pieces.

I recently had to take a little break from kickboxing, which has become one of my favorite ways to work out. I’m slowly getting back into it, and it reminds me why I fell in love with it. It is intense, heart pumping and so incredibly fun, I never regret going to class. You can burn up to 800 calories – who doesn’t love that?!

Now that I’m getting tan I’m looking for new bronzer’s and blushes. I came across Becca’s Limited Edition Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Blushed Copper. Shimmery is an understatement, and a little goes a long way. But it looks fantastic with a base tan!

These are just a few of the things I’m into/loving this month! What things are you guys into?!

Review: Sample Society April AND May 2015

So it seems I was slacking a bit last month. Things have been crazy and I’m ready to get back to blogging more regularly. I received both of my Sample Society boxes for April and May, and thought this would be a great place to jump back into things.

April 2015

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Rio – $25

This is an itty bitty sample. The color isn’t bad though, and I definitely think it would compliment a variety of skin tones.

Benefit The PoreFessional – $30

I absolutely hate this product. I’ve used it more times than I can count, and it does nothing for me. I use it to try and use up the samples, or when I’m in a pinch, but I don’t believe it does a thing. Am I alone in this?

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream – $76 for 1.7 ounces

I’m a huge Marc Jacobs fan, but this isn’t for me.

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil – $39

I LOVE this line. So happy to have another sample. It makes my hair feel AMAZING.

Mt. Sapola Lavender-Chamomile Body Lotion- $24

I love lavender, but this was a bit too strong for me. I had to throw it out because it was giving me a headache. Super bummed.

Illume Tonka Noir Candle – $20

This candle couldn’t smell better if it tried. I can’t stop smelling it, and want to use it constantly. Major love for this one.

Overall I think this wasn’t a bad box, but I know I’ve seen better from Sample Society.

May 2015

I lost my card indicating amounts and info about the products in the box, but I found the necessary information:

John Frieda Luxurious Volume In-Shower Treatment– I don’t really need this since I have gigantic hair. Definitely swapping this one.

Alterna Caviar Repair Multi-Vitamin Heat Protection Spray– I’m excited to try this. I always need something to protect my hair from my insanely hot flat iron, and I’m willing to give this a shot.

Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray – I wasn’t sure what to make of this. Anyone out there a fan? Right now it is in my swap pile!

Julep Lip Gloss in Graceful – Love Julep lip glosses! The color is super sheer, but I can use it.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask– I’m always up to try new face masks!

Versace Eros Pour Femme Perfume– This bottle is ADORABLE. Super tiny, and I definitely want to give the perfume a try too…

Verdict: Not bad! This box had some fun products for me to try, and a nice box for spring!

Review: Birchbox April 2015

This month I selected the pre-curated box from Birchbox. I already liked some of the brands in the California box, so I decided to choose that one.

I absolutely love the brand 12 Benefits and their Instant Healthy Hair Treatment is something I wanted to try. Its a healthy sample! (reg $21)

When I opened the box I immediately smelled something that smelled like soap. It was the perfume called “Clean” and it was disgusting. I threw it out. (reg $69)

I love Cynthia Rowley, so I was thrilled to receive a sample of her illuminator. (reg $28)

Laqa & Co. is a company I’ve encountered before, but never tried. In the box was their Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in Honeypot and its gorgeous. Perfect for an easy, breezy type of day. (reg $20)

I’ve never heard of Not Soap, Radio. I got their Body Wash in Bathing with Sharks and am excited to try it this summer on vacation! (The nod to sharks just makes me want to save it for my beach vacay!) (reg $16)

IMATS and VIB ROUGE SALE HAUL

I’m so excited to share my IMATS and Sephora VIB Rouge sale haul (and a few products from CVS too)!

Brands:

Becca, Marc Jacobs, Bite Beauty, Nest, Milani, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Model in a Bottle, Esquido Mink Lashes, Z Palette, Tarte, Stila Cosmetics, LA Girl, Buxom, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Josie Maran, Smashbox, Korres

IMATS NYC 2015

Last weekend I decided to head out to IMATS, the International Makeup Artists Trade Show. It is held in various locations throughout the year, and I was able to attend the show in NYC. I wanted to write about my impressions, advice and what I would do differently next time.

I bought my ticket months in advance, and planned everything out – which vendors I wanted to hit, which products I wanted – a day or so before. I packed light, and unfortunately this time I went alone. I had a notebook with the items and the original prices so I could compare, and also kept in mind that anything I could find at Sephora I could pick up with the VIB Rouge sale that started the next day. I took a mid-morning train, attempting to beat the hundreds of people in line at Pier 94. I walked right in, and initially it didn’t seem that bad. However, once I started to head over to the brands I wanted, the lines were LONG. Some were shut down, some were an hour or longer. To avoid this, I walked around to understand the layout, and then headed over to the less crowded lines. I set a low budget for myself, and didn’t overspend because I missed some of the brands I wanted due to the lines. If I stood in the line for Sigma or NYX I would have been there all day and only left with those products. The line for Lime Crime was bad too – and Anastasia was shut down. I wanted to pick up some Ben Nye – but I can find it way cheaper on line, and I’m not in need of any at the moment.

I REALLY wanted to hit Lady Moss, but I couldn’t get a good view of the booth, and didn’t want to wait in line to see what they had.

I was able to get to the following tables:

-Tarte (all mascaras, blushes and lipsticks were $10!- I did snag a pic of their price list!)

-Zpalette

-Model in a Bottle

-Stila

-Esquido Lashes

-One table that sold LA Girl Cosmetics (I can’t remember the name of the stand!)

I made it a bunch of others, but they either didn’t have a decent discount, or were sold out of what I wanted (ahem, MUFE…)

I advise planning ahead and take a friend. If I wasn’t alone I could have waited in the longer lines. I also only stayed a few hours, but should have stayed much longer. Knowing the products you want ahead of time helps too – so you budget for what you want, and bring extra for the fun things you find on the way. Oh and DRESS COMFORTABLE! You are waiting in lines and wearing heels and fancy clothes doesn’t make that any easier. I forgot to take pics during the day – but I did snag a selfie!

My next post will be a haul!! Were any of you at IMATS NYC???

Living Healthy

Over the past few years I knew that I needed to start living a more healthy life. I wasn’t happy with myself, and needed to figure out a way to start myself on a better path. When I left college I was 10-15 pounds heavier than I ever had been in my entire life. And I had lost weight since my junior year when I was even a little healthier. The truth is that I just didn’t know what to do. Now I see what I was doing wrong, but back then I couldn’t figure it out. I over ate, ate things that made my body run poorly and hated to work out.

Ok, so who really likes to work out? I don’t mind it now, but when I was heavier I would joke that the only way I would run was if someone was chasing me. And even then, I’d say there was a marginal chance that would happen. When I turned 25 last fall I made a promise to myself to make this my best year yet. And so far, so good. Shortly after my birthday I joined a kickboxing gym, and fell in love. It is the hardest thing I’ve done in my life, but I have never felt so good and empowered. I’m so thankful I decided to give it a try because I was terrified I couldn’t keep up when I joined the class. Now I feel like I can take on the world.

Unfortunately with the ups, comes the downs. Last summer I was sick constantly and my stomach hurt terribly. After a few months and some tests I found out that I have gastroparesis. Basically I can’t digest properly and have to take medicine multiple times a day to regulate it. I also need to follow a FODMAP diet (I can do a post on my daily eating soon) and I live as gluten free as possible. No, I don’t have celiac, but I feel so great eating gluten free. And it bothers me deeply when someone dismisses a gluten intolerance. I wish those people could live my life for a bit, and see how hard it can be to eat foods with gluten, and feel like crap. I’ve seen how foods go through my body – and I can feel the aftermath often for a day or two. I’m all for eating clean, but I always indulge! And just to mention it – I’ve been out of college since 2011 and have lost 60 pounds. I’m living proof that hard work and dedication pays off!

Thankfully I have a great support system, and everyone takes care to make sure there is something I can eat when we go out. I hate making a big deal about it, but it adds unnecessary pressure to situations. I’d love to connect with others who know what its like to live this way – because while hard, its been the best life style change I’ve made, and I’d like to hear how others have done it as well. I’m going to post more about my diet, work outs and health in the future. But wanted to get the ball rolling!

The healthiest I’ve ever been!

Review: Birchbox March 2015

So this month Birchbox first upset me, then totally surprised me. I had logged in and selected my item for March box in plenty of time, only to receive a notice that something was wrong with my payment info. I can’t figure out why that would be, because nothing changed from the month before. So I fixed it, and was disappointed when the item I pre-selected wasn’t in my box. (VERY disappointed because it was a product I was itching to try, but I digress…) However, I wound up with seven items in my box instead of five, and it was quite the pleasant surprise!

Harvey Prince Singular Scentsations Imperial Gardenia: $29

I haven’t even smelled this yet because I couldn’t believe I received ANOTHER Harvey Prince sample. Since I first joined BB I now have something like 8 or 9 different ones. Enough is enough…. (I also don’t like anything floral)

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: $34

I’m really into face products lately, and this is supposed to mimic microdermabrasion. Can’t wait to give this a shot!

Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Body Balm: $29

I think I’ll be swapping this one. The scent is super strong, and I so badly want to like it, but I just can’t. The aromatherapy scent just isn’t for me.

Jelly Pong Pong GLOW GETTER Highlighter: $14

I’ve heard great things about this brand – can’t wait to try it out! It looks like a tiny bottle of nail polish and is a gorgeous color.

Davines Ol/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion: $41

This is a FULL SIZE product. I love hair oils, and hope this is really nourishing.

Somehow I wound up with both the shampoo and matching conditioner! It is so rare to receive both, let alone THREE products from the same line. I received shampoo from the same brand last month though, so I’m hoping I don’t get a three-pete. But for now, I’m excited to actually try the line!

GabGoesGlam

Beauty. Lifestyle. Fashion.