Summertime Finds!

it's officially our first day of vacation and I can not wait to relax and sleep!!! i've gathered up some things that i've purchased lately for the summer months plus a couple others that are on my wishlist and thought i'd share!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

1. this is technically a top but I bought it as a swimsuit cover up and it's perfect. 

2. I have used this sunscreen for years on my kids and my myself - the big pump is so handy!

3. I always get a bunch of questions on the blue lamp shade I have in my house (see here) and recently came across this one which I think is a great substitute.

4 & 5. these jeans are my new favorites. love the 9" rise and the button front. the dark ones are slightly lighter weight and stretchier than the lighter pair but I love both pairs equally! I bought a petite in the dark pair so they would hit above my ankle and sized up one size since petites run smaller. 

6. I use this sunscreen on my face every day. it's lightweight, transparent (which means I can apply it without a mirror), and matte.

7. I recently tried this sunscreen and think as long as you really rub it in, it gives a nice glow.

8. this is a purchase I haven't made but want to - these shoes are so cute and perfect for summer.

9. every time I wear these slides I get asked about them. they're the best deal going!

10. a doormat you can hose off and easily clean? yes please.

11. do you ever get suckered into those instagram ads in your feed? sometimes i do and the latest was these goop pads. you use them once a week, you wash it off the next morning, and it's really easy. i'm a sucker for easy beauty products the (hopefully) deliver big. i've only used them once but so far so good.

12. a t shirt that states the obvious 😂 but hey it's cute and inexpensive (buy this one sale)!

Beauty Wish List

well it's been a little while since i've hopped on here but it's that time of year when wishlists start piling up and this is a good place to discuss them! i wouldn't call this a gift guide but definitely a beauty wishlist that i've compiled from my own research and trials and from what my friends love. as much as it pains me to say it, i'm facing the big 4-0 next year and it's shining a big ol' light on something i've been fixated lately - on improving my skin! there are definitely things that i can't "round up" here that would help - more sleep, drinking more water, retin A, and some might say botox and/or filler (i know i'd like to see less of my uneven laugh lines). of these, retin A is the only one i'm doing. ;)

but here are twelve products that i can round up that can hopefully make some improvements!

top row:
1. a peel that you leave on overnight. the overnight part alone sells me because it's one less step before bed!

2. face oil. my sister in law recommended this brand and i'm excited to try it.

3. color corrector. a few people on instagram recommended this when i was whining about the dark circles under my eyes. i loooove it!

4. protein cream. this brand is a favorite and i'm pretty sure i can use more polypeptides in my life.

middle row:
1. overnight mask. another overnight product 🙌 and my skin feels so hydrated in the morning.

2. at-home facial. i have this and need to use it more but i think my favorite part is the little tube of face oil that comes with it that you apply at the end. it's like silk!

3. peel pads. more peptides and peels. i'm seeing a theme.

4. sunscreen, as we all know, is a must. i love this one and use it on my kids and myself. i usually buy a giant pump size every year. (p.s. have you heard this "song"? it's old but for some reason it was on the radio yesterday and is a good reminder of what's important - like not beauty products 😂.)

bottom row:
1. cleanser. inexpensive and effective - not much better than that.

2. pimple patch. a friend of mine swears by these. i haven't tried it yet but i'd like to.

3. skin drink. i'm a big fan and use it when my skin is really dry. they say it's like drinking 8oz of water in one application.

4. instant facial. haven't used it but hear good things.

what would you add to this list?

Function Of Beauty

happy monday from a chilly but sunny carmel, california!! i don't really love surprises but i loved this surprise from my mom - for valentine's day she sent me a function of beauty set. have you heard of it? it's personalized haircare where you fill out a quiz about your hair type, hair goals, color and fragrance preference. then they package up a customized shampoo and conditioner and send it your way!

other than coloring, i'm really low maintenance when it comes to my hair but this got me excited to see what a customized formula can do! anyone already a fan?

Beauty Products!

hey friends! how was your week? i took a complete break from blogging which i have to say was really nice! :) but not from instagram as you *may* have seen a picture or two from our trip on there. i fear i alienated some people but it really was a cool spot.

today i thought i'd do something completely unrelated to design and talk about the beauty products i use a regular basis. i don't think anything here will be earth shattering finds but i think it's always fun to hear what other people use in case you're looking to try something new! i use a mix of high and low

in the shower... ever since our little lice incident i was feeling itchy so i tried a new shampoo called clear scalp for color treated hair. it smells nice and i feel less itchy. might be completely psychological, i don't know.

on my face i use tata harper's purifying cleanser. it's super gentle and feels cool on your skin.

nothing else notable in the shower. on to post-shower. i use a toner (leftover from years of proactiv shipments) but i'll need to find a new one once it runs out. i do think toner makes a difference in helping my skin not to dry out. then i put on la mer face cream. it's a total luxury but it lasts a long time and i haven't found anything else that makes my skin feel as yummy.

for the days when makeup happens, my new go-to is beauty counter's dew skin. it's a tinted moisturizer that goes on so easily and blends right in. a little goes a long way and it also doesn't leave your hands all makeup-y which i totally appreciate. bonus - it's spf 20 which i'm trying to pay more attention to now that i've had a bunch of age spots lasered (highly recommend it!!).

for under my eyes, around the sides of the nostrils, and laugh lines i adore ysl touche éclat. i have yet to find a better concealer.

on my cheeks (plus nose, forehead, and chin) i love stila''s duo highlighter.

mascara - mascara is the one thing that i will put on if nothing else. i'm lucky to have long lashes so i always look for mascaras that add volume. i love two - chanel's inimitable and l'oreal's voluminous million lashes. both in black. since i use mascara a lot though, i more often than not reach for the l'oreal.

every night i use clarins lip balm and it cures chapped lips. this stuff really lasts but it also reminds me, i need more.

hair - most days i go for the beachy wavy hair look because i've run out of time to dry my hair. as i've gotten older, my hair has gotten curlier! i like not your mothers sea salt spray which doesn't have any crunchy effect whatsoever and smells like you've been at the beach all day! on the days i do dry my hair, i like not your mother's heat protector spray. these are both drug store finds, nothing fancy. if anyone has a beachy/wavy hair product that they love, please share!!

my routine is very short as i prefer sleeping to primping. :) but i'd love to know your favorite products and what works best for you.

3 Beauty Products I’m Trying

hi friends! this is such a busy time of year which is good but it also means that my blogging suffers.  plus we all have some form of a cold which is annoying and just slows everyone down. but i'm working on a new client project which i'm super excited about and can't wait to share more details!!

i thought today i'd focus on three products that i'm currently trying - with the holidays coming up and parties, it might be fun to try something new!

1. dior nail glow. people that know me will be shocked by this one - i'm a voracious nail biter. but once every few years or so i try to break the habit. like when i was towards the end of my pregnancy i freaked out that my babies would be disgusted by my hands so i grew my nails!! i made it 6 months or so. :) and i'm trying again right now. one thing that helps me is to keep a coat of polish on my nails and from everything i've heard, this one looks just as pretty with one coat as with two or even three. the color just gets a little pinker each time. i can't wait to see how it looks!

2. ysl touch éclat. this is actually something i've been using for a while but it's too good not to share. i use it for my under eye circles but it can also be used as a highlighter. i ran out last weekend and freaked! it's not drying or cakey and it blends in so easily you wouldn't know it's on - except for the fact that you look better :)

3. stila shimmer duo. i was between this and the bobbi brown shimmer brick. i like how you can blend the two colors and give your face some shine (mine needs a little help in the glow department!). and you can also use it as an eye shadow.

ok that's it - what are your favorites? please share!!

Birchbox

hello friends! can i just tell you what a little daylight savings time did for my frame of mind? even though it was cold yesterday, it was bright and sunny and to see all of that sun flooding my house at 4pm was a sight for sore eyes. love it!

for valentine's day this year, my nice mom gave me a subscription to birchbox. my first shipment came, and i think because i hadn't yet set up my profile (obviously since it was a gift!), most of it was a miss for me. however there was one gem that i've been using everyday ever since. beauty protector detangle spray.

looks better next to a monogrammed soap right? :) anyway, it smells like a mix of brown sugar and a caramel apple. yum. and it really does detangle instantly. it's a keeper!

Take The Plunge!

i did it, i took the plunge. for my birthday this year (actually i cheated and did it a month or two before) i decided to suck it up and try la mer face cream or crème. i went to nordstrom and had a full tutorial on the different options, sampled a bunch, and had a lesson on how to apply. this is serious stuff. ultimately i decided to go with the tried and true crème de la mer. their original product. they also have a light weight lotion and a gel but i liked the feeling of the original best.

did you know you have to put it on a very particular way? kind of a pain actually and makes some of the other options more attractive. but the original you have to rub between your fingers to warm it up and then press it into your face. no rubbing it around.

so the price. yeah. but here was my thought process...

• i don’t have to commit. if i like it but don’t love it then i can try something else, preferably less expensive.

• you probably wouldn’t hesitate too long to treat yourself on your birthday to a bag that costs $150 or a pair of jeans so think of it like that. granted the length of time this will last for is much, much shorter but stop raining on my parade ;) actually so far i’ve been using it for about four months once a day and i can see another four months left.

• the very smart saleswoman also mentioned that it can be used as eye cream which is one less thing to worry about and buy.

i’m trying to convince my mom to give it a go as well. did this work mom? so my overall score - 4.5 out of 5. i have noticed a definite difference when i use it regularly but haven't seen quite the results that some people claim to in the reviews on the la mer website. go read the reviews - people are in love with themselves!!

BB Creams?

not surprisingly i'm behind on the bb cream trend. i only just found out that it stands for beauty balm (although i've also heard beauty and blemish)! so i'm asking for help - what are your favorites? what are the good ones?

a friend of mine likes boscia.

online dr. jart and dr. brandt both seem to be favorites.

help!!

La Mer and No No

well this week was a total bust in terms of posting. my to-do list is just too long and i can't seem to get everything done plus get posts done ahead of time. oye.

back in october of 2010 i posted about la mer lip balm. well after putting it on religiously every night using the mouth-directly-in-product technique (see the original post), it finally ran out. that's 2 years!! after feeling guilty about spending $45 on what is essentially fancy chapstick, i feel justified by the cost per use (oh apparently inflation is very high because it's now $50). i'm happy to have bought a replacement thereby keeping these lips chap-free. :)

topic 2: the no no. has anyone ever used this product? i'm wondering if it works. specifically as an alternative to bikini waxes. it's being constantly pushed on radio ads around boston so they have me thinking about it anyway but talk about pricey...

what's up for the weekend? i hope to get our tree...now where to put it so that little 11 month olds who like to pull up don't pull it over :)

Tinted Lip Balm

i have been on the hunt for a lip balm with some color to it, not a gloss and not a full fledged lipstick. something that i can put on really quickly without having to look in the mirror, like chapstick, but better. i found three options (all with spf!) in my search so i thought i'd share my reviews!

1. laura mercier hydra tint: this is actually my least favorite of the three. it gets great reviews on lots of websites - people love it - so i may be in the minority here. because of the reviews i bought two colors, crimson and nude. the crimson is way too bright for my complexion and a lot more color than i expected for a product described as "sheer" color. the nude on the other hand is barely there (ok, it's called nude) and it has a weird taste. i also think this stays on for the least amount of time of the three i tried.

via sephora

2. dior addict lip glow: this also gets great reviews and claims to work with your chemistry to create a color that's a little different for everyone. on me it's kind of a flushy, natural pink. it smells nice and is pretty hydrating. it stays on for a long time and is not sticky. me likey.

via sephora

3. nars pure sheer: for me, you really can't go wrong with nars. i love pretty much everything i try from them and this is another example. i bought this in the angelique color which looks strong but isn't at all once it's on. this and the dior are a tie for my favorites.

via nordstrom

any other suggestions out there? p.s. guys - stocking stuffer ideas here!

Why Do They Do That?

why oh why, laura mercier, have you discontinued my favorite eye makeup remover? it worked so well and it was a sensitive skin formula. grrr.

r.i.p.

does anyone have any suggestions on a moderately priced alternative? doesn't have to be a drugstore brand (or it can be!) but certainly not something in the la mer price range!

Friday Finds: Brenna

i have a new fav nail polish color. last weekend i got a pedicure and the salon only carried zoya brand polish. i knew nothing about this brand but walked away loving the color called brenna. it's the palest of pinks and looks clean, summery, and, well, polished. ;)

brenna

then i was reading the august issue of instyle and saw that one of emma watson's must-haves is a zoya color called grace. do you use zoya?

5 Fave Products

i am no beauty product maven. my daily make up routine lasts maybe 7 minutes. however, there are a few products out there that i think are really great so i thought i'd share (even if they're old news by now!).

1. bare escentuals flawless definition mascara. i'm a bit of a mascara freak, it's the one product i don't want to leave the house without applying. most people would choose diorshow but i am hooked on this one. it doesn't clump, no matter how many coats you layer on, and it washes off easily.

image via sephora

2. nars blush. i own two, oasis and orgasm. i have yet to find a blush that comes in better colors (or better names).

image via sephora

3. la mer lip balm. yes, this is essentially $45 chapstick but it's well worth it. typically i stay away from brands like these, but living in the arctic north causes some major chapped lips. embarrassing fact: i apply it by putting my lips directly into the container. i'm not wasting $45 on my index finger.

image via la mer

4. bare escentuals foundation. if there was ever a make up that didn't feel like you were wearing make up, this is it. the more you apply, the more coverage you get.

image via bare escentuals

5. tweezerman tweezers. so these cost a little more than drugstore tweezers, but again, they're worth it. and you can have them sharpened for free for life.

image via tweezerman

and if you have money to burn, you can even buy the bedazzled version with case from j crew for a cool $100:

so, what are you favorite products?