November Updates: Beauty & Travel

Just as I begin to go mad, shopping for new additions to my Fall wardrobe each year, I tend to also re-evaluate my beauty collection and the mad dash for new makeup ensues. I have no real excuse for this apparent frenzy, but so it goes like this every October, and especially in November. Are you the same way? I can't be the only crazy!
Anyway, after falling in love with my Dior Addict lipstick in "New Look" last week, I went back for one more that caught my eye. It's called "Diablotine". It's described on Sephora's website as " a sheer muted poppy red" but I think it has more peach undertones then it leads you to believe. It's one of those that you can slap on your lips rather hastily, no mirror required. This is a nice change from the pigmented reds I tend to favor because it's less work to apply.

Dior Addict Lipstick in Diablotine

Here is the first Dior Addict lipstick in New Look for comparison:

It's definitely more of a true red, as opposed to Diablotine.

Both were photographed in my bathroom using natural light, no flash.

Now let's talk about eyebrows, shall we? It's a touchy subject for me, as I have been trying desperately for about three years to correct the damage done to them by myself and others. So a little back history on them: I had very thick, somewhat unruly brows as a kid. In fact, I was often teased because of them. I was so self-conscious, that I couldn't wait to thin them out and that's exactly what I did one night in middle school. I think I was about thirteen. It was a disaster! I tweezed too much, made them completely uneven, and still wasn't satisfied so I started going to random salons to get them waxed and that was an even bigger mistake because they became so thin. I never filled them in either, so they just looked sparse. I finally found someone to trust them to, and she has really done her best to whip them into better shape. I only touch them about three times per year, and am hands off in between. I know they won't ever grow the way I'd like them to, but I can at least get some extra growth. I use Urban Decay's brow box in "Brown Sugar" to lightly fill them in, then use a spoolie to blend in the powder. Have any of you ladies tried latisse? I know it's meant for lash growth, but my esthetician recommended I use on my brows. I've been to afraid to try it, but would love any feedback you may have if you've had experience with it.

Trust me, they aren't anything to brag about, but they've come a long way! I'm too embarrassed to show you any "before" pictures, but here they are now.

Source

I probably won't post again until Monday, which I realize is the norm these days for this blog. My goal is to begin posting three times per week again, but don't hold me to it just yet! Nate and I are heading out on a California road trip of sorts, and we leave tomorrow morning. As I mentioned before, we are heading towards San Francisco but are stopping along the way, with an emphasis on coastal towns. We have both been to S.F. separately, never together, and it has been a long time. We have no plans really. We don't even have a hotel booked for Thursday or Friday night because we are attempting to be spontaneous and adventurous. Ha, even just writing that makes me laugh because he and I can be two of the most Type A and high-strung people I have ever met. Once we do get to San Francisco, we will have a hotel waiting for us, thank goodness. The rest is a mystery. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited to travel in our car and just fly by the seat of our pants so to speak. Wish me luck! I'll tell you all about it next week :)

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Emerald Envy

Wearing //

Express portofino in green

Loft moto jeans

Zara kitten heels (old) but similar here

House of Harlow necklace, also in silver

J.Crew pave link bracelet, similar here for less

French Connection bag, similar

Ever since last Fall, I've been searching for an emerald or hunter green blouse. Searching what seems like everywhere, to no avail. I had given up already this year, when I walked into Express and spotted my favorite portofino in the color I've been wanting. God I love Express. I've said it before but I'll say it again - it never fails me! One look at the deep, rich color and it was mine, didn't even have to try it on. I think this makes portofino number 7? I've lost count. 

It's feeling like Fall here in California. Halloween usually marks the drop in temperature, but I would say this year was more dramatic than in the past. Windy falling leaves, that certain chill in the air, bad photo lighting now that it gets dark so early...I'll take whatever I can get. 

How was your weekend?

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Back to Basics {Jeans}

There's nothing I live in more than my tried and true jeans. I wear them to work because my job has a casual environment. I wear them on weekends when I don't feel like wearing my spanx underneath  skirts and dresses (and no, I'm not afraid to admit that little tidbit ladies. I love spanx). I wear my jeans A LOT! But I do adhere to a few guidelines:

1) I like mine fairly dark as they are most flattering on my body.

2) I do prefer a skinny or straight leg style, but I don't typically go for "jeggings" because they are usually too tight.

3) At 5'2, I shop for a petite length,

4) I don't spend much money on them. I love higher-end denim brands as much as the next girl, but I just can't bring myself to spend that amount. These days, you don't have to sacrifice quality either.

5) I like to pair jeans with polished looking accessories to elevate the style from super casual, to a little dressy.

Keeping all of these in mind, here are my favorite pairs.

Loft Curvy Skinny jeans

They accommodate a larger bottom, but are still slim through the legs. They are extremely comfortable.

Loft modern skinny jeans in a light distressed wash

These were so different for me! I had never owned a pair of distressed denim before, mainly because my mom used to tease people about them and like most mothers and daughters, her comments annoyed me. I got over that though, and I am still in love with these and wear them quite often. I don't like too much distressing, just enough to look intentional so these are perfect. The fit is great as well.

Banana Republic Skinny jeans, similar

These are an old favorite, as I've had them for over five years now! This picture was taken last year around the Holidays. I'll admit that they are taunting me from my closet as we speak because they are one size too small now that I've put on some extra weight. I hope to fit my booty back into them soon! They are beautifully made, super soft, and almost have a slight sheen to them. 

Old Navy Rockstar jeans

Oh yes, an oldie. Before I was married, before we moved into our condo, and before my husband took over the camera and moved things outdoors for blog photos. I love ON jeans. These have just enough stretch to keep them comfortable, but they don't stretch out too much so you aren't pulling them up around your waist constantly. They come in petite and tall sizes. 

By the way, I can't bring myself to wear that bubble necklace anymore. Man that was a huge trend at the time! 

Loft Moto jeans

My new favorite - I've worn them incessantly since buying them just a month or so ago. I liked them so much, that I bought a second pair last week when they were 50% off!

I hope this little guide is helpful to you ladies who are in the market for flattering, affordable, and comfortable jeans. I may continue with this type of post that features favorite items of clothing such as blouses, skirts, even jewelry. Does it sound like something you'd be interested in reading? 

Also, let me know what your favorite jeans are, especially for petites! 

Oh, and Happy Halloween tomorrow! See you next week.

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White in the Fall

Wearing//

Express Barcelona cami

Express moto jacket

Topshop white skirt, similar here & here

J.Crew pumps

Stella & Dot bracelets

Gorjana cuff

Gorjana necklace, similar here & here

I think white has quickly become my favorite color to wear. Sure, that age old rule clearly states that white after Labor Day is a faux pas, but I love breaking that one. Some rules are just too stuffy to follow!  We associate darker shades for Fall and Winter, pastels and brights for Spring and Summer. I can see where that stems from, and I admit to following this pattern year after year, but it's so predictable! I feel like every year is the same routine. How about we all just wear what makes us happy, and re-think these so-called style rules? Isn't that a novel idea!

And for the record, my weekend was much better this time around. We had dinner with friends, went to a movie, ate some delicious food at a Greek festival, and got some much needed sleep. We also planned our road trip up north that we have coming up on November 6th. So far we have Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Solvang, Monterey, and San Fransisco squeezed into five days. More on that in another post :)

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Beauty Savers

I've been keeping some beauty products a secret from you guys because I wanted to do a collective post about them. I've recently acquired some wonderful things that have not only enhanced my appearance, but have also saved me some time in my beauty routine.

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

I wish this had come out years ago, because I'm almost certain it would have prevented me from investing in some so-so eyeshadows and palettes. You ladies know I'm a neutral girl when it comes to playing up my peepers, and these six shades are perfect! Not too warm, not too cool. Neutral is truly the best description, and I recommend it to every skin tone, eye color, and level of experience with makeup. There isn't a single shade, even the darkest brown, that I haven't used. In fact, I have worn it consistently for the past three weeks. I used it for my friend's wedding as well. 

Soap & Glory Hand Food

I don't know why my hands are so awfully dry and cracked, but I know my new puppy has a lot to do with it. I'm constantly cleaning up after her which means washing my hands like a nutcase. As most of you know, I also work with children so there really is no such thing as excessive hand-washing! While out with my best friend last week for dinner, we popped into Sephora and I bought this cream on impulse while in the check-out line. Good call. This lightly scented cream is working wonders on my desert hands. 

First Aid Beauty's Eye Duty Triple Remedy

The three things that this eye treatment promises include brightening, depuffing, and smoothing. It delivers all three. For reference, I'm 30 years old and although I don't have wrinkles or fine lines just yet, my eye area is a bit dark and tired looking most days. I like to put this on over my regular moisturizer in the morning, but underneath my foundation and concealer. The light pink-peach shade is great for brightening, while the metal applicator is cooling and soothing for tired, puffy eyes. 

Aveda Volumizing Tonic

This is my third bottle, if that gives you any idea of how much I love it. My hair is fine, but I have a ton of it. Foaming volumizers weigh it down, but this liquid spray is the solution for that. Sheer, subtle volume that keeps my roots from falling too flat. In conjunction with the Oribe dry texture spray, my hair has been much happier these days (no easy feat). I also find that I can go an extra day without washing my hair, typically on every third day.

And two very recent buys I have yet to play with...

This purchase is solely because of Lorraine's recent YouTube videos where she raves about Marc Jacob's limited edition nail polish, "Midnight in Paris". It's an inky blue, reportedly inspired by the night sky in Paris. Here, the color looks black, but I can assure you there's a distinct blue to it. 

The sheer red lipstick is by Dior, and it's called "New Look". They both looked beautiful on her, and although I don't even slightly resemble Lorraine, I definitely feel that they are wearable for most people. I'll keep you posted :)

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A Classic Pairing

Wearing //

Asos dress, similar

Sole Society pumps

French Connection bag, love this for less. 

Banana Republic necklace, similar & similar

Beauty//

Essie Nails in "Limited Addiction"

M.A.C lipstick in See Sheer

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

This weekend needed a do-over! I was all dressed up Friday night, leopard bag in hand, red accents on my lips, nails, and feet. Well fast forward to just two hours after these photos were taken, when I got sick after dinner. I'll spare you the fun details, but my poor husband was in for it. The "fun" continued most of the weekend, and I was sad to miss my friend's birthday in San Diego. I did get to enjoy my bed though, and thank goodness it's a comfortable bed at that. You never really appreciate your sheets until you fall ill. The fact that I got to enjoy some time wearing my new red pumps and a classic Autumn look I suppose made up for spending the past three days in yoga pants and a t-shirt.

Please tell me your weekend was better than mine!

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