Current Beauty Staples & Recent Buys

My beauty routine changes ever so slightly on the weekends, but regardless of what I'm wearing on my lips, cheeks, and eyes, I always gravitate to these key basics seven days a week. These "current" favorites have been my staples for the entirety of Summer, and I don't see them changing anytime soon regardless of Fall being around the corner. These are all tried and true, and I recommend each and every one.

I linked to the products I could find online

    1) M.A.C. Fix + : I dampen my beauty blender sponge with this spray and then use it to blend my foundation into my skin. I find that it creates a seamless, perfectly blended canvas. The fact that it smells divine is an added bonus. I don't set my foundation with it, as I still swear by the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray, but I love Fix + as an all around refresher.

   2) NYX eyeshadow in Champagne (you can find this at Ulta): This beautiful golden brown is what I wear on my lids Monday through Thursday as an all-over color. On the weekends when I have more time to play with other shadows, I still like to layer it on the center of the lids for a pretty yet subtle pop of shine. I just find that it really brings out the golden flecks in my eyes, and the consistency is very creamy. 

  3) M.A.C. Extra Dimension eyeshadow in Sweet Heat: I feel guilty for mentioning this product because it was limited edition but I know they come out with these every few months now in new collections. I actually don't use this on my eyes - I use it as a cheekbone highlight! It's the perfect amount of sheen that makes my skin glow and it helps my face look more tan. It's just a gorgeous highlight and if you ever spot it in a CCO, grab it. 

  4) Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar: I often used pencils to lightly fill in sparse areas but then my friend told me that powders tend to look a bit more natural. I'm all about natural, so I picked this one up and it's been my go-to ever since. My brows look much more even and fuller than they used to, and while I would love to grow out even more, this powder conceals any bald spots. 

  5) Benefit Eye Bright: I love putting this on my brow bones as a natural highlight, but I also dot some in the inner corners of my eyes to brighten them up and make me look more awake! I have Veronika to thank for her recommendation. It's a great product. 

  6) Origins GinZing: This brightening eye cream (notice a trend) helps to depuff my under eyes and although I still miss my Khiels avocado eye cream, I have really grown to love this. I wear it underneath my concealer and I've noticed a difference in how the concealer applies and the overall look and finish. 

Now here are some recent buys that I have yet to try (I literally just received my NARS order last night). I'll keep you posted on my thoughts, but I can already say that I'm dying to dig in to these gorgeous shadows and liquid illuminator. I hope to wear them for my 30th birthday party and definitely had that event in mind when I bought them. 

Maybelline "The Nudes" shadow palette,  

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione

NARS BLKR Illuminator

If you have any questions, let me know! 

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Labor Day Weekend {Outfits}

Wearing // Express sleeveless portofino shirt

Loft skirt, love this one!

Sole Society sandals

Kate Spade bag

Anthro pearl necklace

Gorjana cuff

Wearing // Express cami

Rebecca Minkoff mini mac bag

Loft curvy skinny jeans

Steve Madden sandals (old)

Random beaded bracelets

Happy September ladies! I'm going to make this quick today because the long weekend and short work week has really thrown me off my whole blogging schedule. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that hubby and I went camping at the beach last Thursday. We borrowed his parent's trailer and spent two glorious days with our toes in the sand. It was perfect weather, actually pretty hot for the beach. Then Saturday, we went to a Jack Johnson concert in San Diego. The rest of the weekend was kind of a blur, mainly because we didn't do a lot aside from sleeping! I'm still trying to catch up on everything, including your blogs. It feels great to unplug from social media for a bit, but then I feel guilty for doing so. Does anyone else experience this? 

I'll leave you with my favorite photos from our mini vacation //

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Tea Time & Girlfriends

Wearing //

Express dress, last year. Love this for Fall

Sole Society pumps, similar. Love these

Kate Spade bag, on sale!

Fossil watch

One of my friends is getting married in October, and this is what I wore to her tea themed bridal shower. She's the last in my close circle to be tying the knot, and I am honored to be a part of her wedding just as she was in mine. It's a funny thing, really. I mean, this whole getting older thing. Just a few short years ago, my girlfriends and I were all either single or in horribly awkward, dead-end relationships. We would go out every night and have way too much to drink. We would commiserate together, share laughs together, and more often than not, we would cry together. Fast forward to today and we still do many of these same things. Some of us have children, some like myself still don't. But we have all managed to stick by each other, even if we live miles apart and have more responsibilities that take us away from one another. My husband is my most intimate friend, but I still need my girlfriends and they still need me. There's a huge comfort in knowing that, especially when times are tough. I hope you, reading this, have the same experience with your girlfriends. 

I just wanted to get that out there. 

my beautiful friend and bride to be

Happy Wednesday! Hubby and I are camping for the next two days and guess what? It's on the beach where we got married last year. We are also seeing Jack Johnson on Saturday, so we are both looking forward to a relaxing 5 day weekend! Have a great Labor day and I'll see you soon :)

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The Sleeveless Trench

Wearing //

Ann Taylor sleeveless trench

Asos dress, similar

Vince Camuto pumps, super similar!

Kate Spade bag

A sleeveless trench. A sleeveless trench? Hmmmmmm. I couldn't quite wrap my brain around that for awhile, but then I started seeing this one from Ann Taylor on a lot of girls (Jean and Khatu are just two examples) and it suddenly just clicked for me. A sleeveless trench coat is genius. It's the perfect transitional piece, especially when you live in California and it stays fairly warm year-round. I like to think of this as a longer vest, so it's perfect for layering over anything! It can also be worn as a dress, though I probably won't do that often. It's just as chic as a regular trench coat which I love, but it adds a fun twist on the classic style. During Ann Taylor's F&F sale, I snapped it up for less than 100 dollars. I immediately threw it on once I received it and fell hard guys. Oh and you can still tell that I'm obsessed with my blue Kate Spade and will carry it well into Fall and Winter. The color is surprisingly versatile!

Happy Monday!

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Sunny Days

My little sunglasses collection is growing. It's apparent that I favor a particular style. I tend to listen to the professionals and abide by the "rules" for my round face. I like a shape that is more square or elongated, because it makes my cheeks and chin look less round. I also love the glamorous oversize style, as they remind me of old Hollywood starlets. They all look quite similar, don't they? I also don't spend more than twenty dollars on a pair because although I am very careful with handbags and shoes, I throw sunglasses around like they are going out of style! I'm very rough with them. I like to scour places like Forever 21, the BP section of Nordstrom, and Target for fun sunnies that look designer minus the steep price tag. When I was contacted by Polette to pick out a pair from their website, I decided on trying something new (I chose the Parisienne, pictured above with the gold hardware). They remind me of Ray-Bans! I'll have to wear them soon in an outfit post. It's safe to say I'm done growing my collection, at least for awhile. Maybe I'll take the plunge one day and buy my dream pair from Tom Ford. Or...with so many affordable options...maybe not. I'd rather buy a handbag :)

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Party Goer

Wearing //

Forever 21 sheer top and camisole (old), similar

Topshop skirt

Aldo clutch (old), similar here and here

J.Crew Factory sandals

Anthropologie pearl necklace

Stella & Dot engraveable bar necklace

Gorjana bracelet

Beauty //

Benefit PosieBalm Lip Tint

Zoya nail polish in "LC" (can't find a link but I've seen it at Ulta)

I had an entirely different outfit in mind for my friend's 30th birthday party on Saturday. I really wanted to wear this Asos dress, seeing as it's elegant enough for a party yet still extremely comfortable to dance in. I wanted a timeless look because lord only knows that when we are 65 and looking through old photos of the "glory days", I don't want to think "what the heck was I wearing?"
I often dress with that scenario in mind, and I'm not sure if this is normal. Anyway, it was over 100 degrees that day and it wasn't going to cool down much at night so I decided to nix the black, elegant dress in favor of something a little more appropriate for the heat. I know you guys are probably tired of seeing this white Topshop skirt but I reach for it all the time. I love the way it swishes as I walk, and it has pockets that I can stick my hands in when I'm feeling a little nervous (which I proceeded to do all night). I threw in a little happy colored clutch for good measure and away I went! Her backyard party was perfect. The same DJ that played during my wedding reception was there. I felt very nostalgic about that, as well as realizing that my friends and I are bidding adieu to our twenties. So far, it's been my favorite night of the year :)

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