Riveria Maya Mexico

 

 

Vlogs are often my favorite type of videos to watch, I love getting to see everyday life or amazing trips around the world. If I start watching one I will generally find myself sucked into a binge watch of vlog after vlog. My love of watching vlogs has led me to try my hand at vlogging a bit more and recently my BF and I went to Mexico for a wedding. I made a short vlog of our time their and hope you all enjoy it!

 

 

We stayed at Generations Riviera Maya, It was a nice resort with pool balconies right outside our hotel room. The rooms were spacious with a mini living area and large bath with shower and Jacuzzi tub. Our stay was relatively short only a few days so we did not venture much outside of the resort but took walks along the beach and relaxed pool or ocean side.

The food was decent although not the best I have had. With an array of restaurants and rooms service to choose from we gravitated to the Chef Market which had a beautiful atmosphere with huge glass windows for walls that let you look out over the ocean.

 

A few details on what I wore, per usual I over packed but ended up wearing the 2 dresses I initial bought for the trip. For the rehearsal dinner I wore a French Connection dress that was perfect for a beach wedding. It had a tropical leaf print with birds and had pockets (always a plus in my opinion).
 

 

For the wedding I went with a baby blue lace overlay midi dress from the brand Alexia Admor. I bought both on Ruelala which is my go to online store to find affordable dresses for any occasion. Both of these dress were around the $60 mark.   

We had a great time in Mexico and I hope you enjoy the vlog! P.S. have you been to an all inclusive in Mexico? If so tell me all about it in the comments!

 

Purple Monochromatic Spring Tutorial

 

 

Lilac purple is one of my favorite shades for spring and I had a look in mind for quite a while that involved shades of this nature and my biggest inspiration came from a single product. The Milk holographic highlighter in Supernova is a creamy highlighter with the most beautiful purple to pale blue and pink holographic shift that leaves you mesmerized by your cheekbones.

 

 

With the Holographic Stick as my main inspirational product I decided to go with a monochramtic purple look and broke out my new Tarte Make Believe In Yourself palette to use on my eyes.For my lips I decided to finally use a product I have been loving offline and use it in a video... the Lancome Le Metallique Metallic Lip Lacquer in Lavender Patina is the perfect lipgloss that gives a beautiful metalic shine.

 

Overall I found this to be an extremely easy and wearable look. 

 

Check out the full video below to see how I achieved this!





Sephora VIB Haul

 

 

I always try to practice self restraint when it comes to making purchased during the Sephora VIB sale and sometimes I am more successful than others (ahmm fall VIB you get me every time with those holiday kits). This year during the Spring VIB Sale (15%) I picked up a few items that had been on my list for ages and also tried out some new brands for products I had previously ran out of.. you know the necessities like face wash.

 

 

 

 

The one Item I was dying to get my hands on were the Stila Magnificent Metals glitter eyeshadow! I have been trying to get my hands on these since they were first released and every time, EVERY SINGLE TIME, the shades I was most interested in were sold out. I was so happy when I was able to finally pick a few of these amazing shades. I ended up choosing Rose Gold Retro, Sea Siren and Violet Vixen.

 

A few other highlights from this haul were the Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Deep conditioning mask along with a recent favorite of mine. Their Rosarco Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Creme. The Briogeo brand is quickly becoming a favorite line of hair products!

Did you pick anything up during the Spring VIB sale? Let me know down in the comments and be sure to check out my entire VIB haul down below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends and Family Haul | Tarte & Bobbi Brown

When it comes to sales in the beauty world we typically only hear about the Sephora's twice a year VIB sale but we often times forget most companies will have their own friends and family sale. These sales are the perfect time to stock up on old favorites or try new released products. I typically see the discounts being greater than during the VIB sale so I always keep an eye on my favorite brands websites for these F & F sales to hit. I even ran across YSL Beauty having their F & F sale it took some serious restraint on my end to not place an order immediately
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I happened to be browsing on Ebates the other day and stumbled across the fact that both Bobbi Brown and Tarte Cosmetics were having their F & F sale. The discount at each was 20% off (plus cash back of course) and I managed to stock pile on new foundations, skincare, and I picked up a lot of the new releases from Tarte.

Do you all keeps tabs on these types of sales for your favorite Beauty Brands?! If so let me know which ones!

Click on through below to watch the Haul!

April Subscription Box

 

It's time again to open up my monthly subscription boxes. This month I received my usual BoxyCharm and also decided to receive my Julep Maven Box. There were a few stand outs from both of these boxes this month so be sure and watch my video below for all the details!

BoxyCharm Contents:
1. Meaurable Difference Concealer Palette - $20
2. PUR Blend Squad- $36
3. OFRA Cosmetics Highlighter in Rodeo Drive - $35
4 Cargo Cosmetics Lip Gloss - $16
5. Project Beauty Hairgurt Strawberry Banana Smoothing Yogurt Shampoo - $10

Julep Maven Contents:
1. Feels Like Velvet Full Coverage Eyeshadow Duo in Cinnamon & Spice - $20
2. When Pencil Met Gel Eyeliner in Smoky Taupe Shimmer - $16
3. Stardust Finish Polish in Sherri - $14
4 . Polish in Jenny $14

 

 

Spring Confetti Bar Cookies

With tomorrow being Easter I thought there was no better time than now to share these spring confetti cookies with you all. I found the recipe while browsing pinterest and was immediately drawn to them for their fun pop of color and the ease of the recipe it's self. The recipe comes from Chelsea over at Chelsea's Messy Apron, if you haven't checked out her blog I recommend giving it a go as she has a never ending supply of amazing recipes. 

I actually made these for Easter last year and never got around to sharing the recipe and these shots. Usually I would be trying something out new this year but being sick with both the flu and strep throat I figure I am better off taking a rest this year. 

What you will need:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cups white chocolate chips separated 

3 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 cup spring M&Ms

3 tablespoons sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. combine butter and both white and brown sugar in medium bowl. Mix together until creamy and fluffy. 

2. Mix in egg and vanilla until incorporated. 

3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the four, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Stir together and slowly add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until combined.

4. Stir in one cup of the white chocolate chips. Press the cookie dough into a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 

5. Bake the cookie dough for 10-13 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. 

6. Remove from oven and immediately top with the miniature marshmallows and M&M's. Return to oven for 1-2 minutes until marshmallows become puffy.

7. Remove and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips and sprinkles over the bars.

8.  Let cool completely and then cut with a wet knife. 

You can check out a quick video tutorial on the recipe over on Chelsea's blog.

3 Looks | Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

Too Faced well known for their fun, creative, and scented eyeshadow palettes with their "chocolate bar" series being one of their most popular. Recently they came out with the Sweet Peach line which included this lovely palette perfect for spring. The line also includes several coral and peach shades of lip gloss blush and highlighters.

I was mostly drawn to this palette for its peachy and bronze warm tones. I also hadn't bought a new palette in quite sometime and thought this would be the perfect purchase. This palette contains 18 shades of matte and shimmers. It's full of peachy pinks, corals, bronze, warm transitions shades, and even a pop of green and purple.

When I opened up the palette I browsed through the how-to guide that gives 3 looks that can be achieved solely using the shadows in this palette. I thought it would be fun to test out the guide and get a good impression of the shadows at the same time! With that I promptly set up my camera and went to filming!

I hope you enjoy!

Thrive Creative Conference

I have a new Vlog for you all!

Over last weekend I went to my first ever blogging/creative conference! I was really excited to be there to learn and grow with other creative types like me. I had a great time and really loved the conference environment I am even looking at maybe attending another one this year.

Have you ever been to a creative conference? If so which one did you attend and was it worth while? Let me know down in the comments!

The Thrive Conference's Key Note speaker was Emma Chapman Co-Owner of the Lifestyle and DIY blog A Beautiful Mess. Her message was all about being a boss babe and called it 3 traits of being boss. Here is a high-level overview of these traits.

1. Set measureable goals OFTEN! Give yourself permission to dream and start now!

2. Embrace learning and failure. Real life has failures and is just a step on the path to success.

3. Power through negativity. Negativity can come from ourselves, close relationships, and the "peanut Gallery".

Other speakers included Christina Scalera ho spoke all about the legal basics and the importance of protecting yourself and your business. The amazingly talented Dominique Broadway who was one of my favorite speakers who shared the financial side of things and how to make money work for us. There were also panels which were covered working with your spouse and . All the speakers were wonderful and I feverently took down notes to review later.

For day 2 of the Conference I signed up for the instagram workshop which was given by Bonnie Bakhtiari founder and  director of b is for bonnie design. This was by far my favorite portion of the convention, getting to break out into smaller groups and get into the nitty gritty of the business. We talked about how to grow your followers and how to have an engaged community. I definitly wrote down pages of notes from this class.

For the convention I stayed at the Westin woodlands waterway which is where the convention was held. I ended up booking through booking.com and got a very reasonable rate for the room. The hotel itself is fairly new so everything is in tip top shape and very nice. I would definitly recommend staying as the room was great and staff was extremely nice. I had originally booked a room with a balcony and when I had checked in they gave me a regular room. They said the error was something they have been experiencing with websites like booking.com where that room type sells out but they still have it showing available on their site. Unfortunately they didnt have any available but gave me access to the club level that has breakfast and snacks available. They worked quickly to resolve this for me and were pleasant to speak with.

I had a great time and was able to meet lots of fellow creative types! I am already looking for my next convention to attend!

Products I Travel With

I recently went to a local blogging conference and turned it into a mini staycation. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share what I take in my travel bag for skincare and haircare! Plus it would be a different background to where you all usually see me.

I stayed at the Westin Hotel in The Woodlands and it was so nice and comfy. I mean look at that bed could you just jump right into it for a snooze! Ill be talking about my stay and the conference in another upcoming post so make sure you keep an eye out for that.

Now on to the beauty related bits. 

When I travel I try to bring things that are 1. Travel friendly and 2. Products I know will get the job done. To me travel friendly means size and packaging are conducive to traveling. I tend to travel with a lot of products, I have my routine which I am most comfortable with when it comes to skincare and haircare and I want to feel that same level of comfort whether I am at home or away. So keeping travel size mini's of some of my favorites is key for me. 

Check out my video for the full run down!

February Boxycharm

Would You Be My Galentine?

This month's box was themed around valentines day and more specifically "Galentines Day".  As usual this months box did not disappoint. I mean how many times can I repeat myself when it comes to how good of a value these boxes are. I have yet to find another comparable box.

What came in this month's box.

1. Sedona Lace Trio Eye Kit $39.95
2. Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans $12
3. Doucce Mineral Matt Lipstick $20
4. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion $79
5. Z palette Small $14

Total Value: $165

Sign up for BOXYCHARM !

January Sales | A Haul

The month of January is always a free for all in the sales department. So many stores start marking down all of the winter clothing not to mention all of the after holidays sales going on. I tend to take the opportunity to spruce up my wardrobe and start getting ready for spring.

I did a little shopping at Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor along with picking up a few beauty bits from Ulta. Check out my video for all the goods!

Pretty in Pink | Valentines Day Tutorial

This Year for Valentines Day I was really into creating something that was soft and romantic. Nothing over the top sultry just a look that was feminine and pretty. I ended up deciding to stick with soft pink and purple on the eyes and pink glossy lip.

If you want to see how I created this look be sure to watch my video!

January Boxycharm

It's time again to share another monthly Boxycharm box! I can never say too many times just how amazing of a value these boxes are. You get full sized products NOT sample sizes like other subscription boxes. This month the theme was the Hollywood glitz and glam of award season. 

My two favorite items from this month's box is the PUR cosmetics bronzer, a radiant bronze shade that doesn't have any glitter in it but gives such a healthy glow. The other item of course is the the highlight palette! We received a highlighter from this brand in the past and it was stunning. This set is equally as fabulous.

Head on over to my YouTube channel to see everything that came in the January Boxycharm box!

best of beauty 2016

I wasn't sure if I really wanted to film a best of beauty for 2016, I felt like you could tell what I loved through my monthly favorites videos but then I realized I really didn't film that many and a lot of the products that I loved during the year would be missed. This year I feel like I focused on my skincare routine and not just trying out a bunch of products just to try them but to find products that really work for my skin and stick with them. I also found a whole slew of new make up products that will be forever staples in my beauty cabinet. 

If you want to see everything that made it to must have list in beauty for 2016 be sure and check out my video!

January Julep Maven

Future Fresh

The past few months I have skipped over the Julep Maven Box for one reason or another but call it a happy accident or call it fate I totally forgot to skip the January box. I am so glad I did. 

This month Julep released a new beauty oil and I was ecstatic to see that it was Rosehip Oil! I have been using Rosehip Oil for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoy the stuff. Julep's Rosehip Oil is meant to be a light weight oil making it wearable day and night. This oil claims to help balance and hydrate skin, along with helping to reduce the appearance of scars and hyperpigmentation. Julep suggests using it a few different ways, besides the normal layer on clean skin method they say adding it to your regular moisturizer or liquid foundation will give your skin a boost of hydration and radiance.

As for the nail shades that were released this month I was equally happy with the range as I was with the oil. This month saw moody dark colors with a sheer holographic top coat to amp things up when you are starting to feel a little drab.  The two shades I received were. I quite frankly can't wait to pop them on my nails. You can go to the Julep blog if you want some nailspiration, they have all kinds of nail art tutorials.

Winter Box of Style

The Winter Box of Style just arrived and I was so pleased with the contents! The RZ Box of Style Subscription box is a favorite of mine because you get such a great mix of beauty, fashion and life style products. They are always packed with high end products that are such a treat to receive in the mail. This time I was really blown away with the selection, I think I popped this necklace from Dylanlex on the day it came in and even wore it out on New Years Eve. The second product I couldn't wait to try out was the Sunday Riley Tidal Cream. Sunday Riley is a great skincare brand and I have been a fan of their Luna Sleeping Oil for a while and have had my eye on trying this cream since it first debuted.

Check out everything else that came in this seasons Winter Box!

What came in the box:
Dylanlex Zoey Custom Necklace $200 | 15% off "ZOEY"
Sunday Riley Tidal Enzyme Brightening Water Cream $65
Soia & Kyo Olivia Cable Knit Hat $50 | 20% off  "ZOE"
D.L. & Co. Birch Candle $50 | 20% off "DLCO20"
Dagne Dover Leather Card Case $50 | 20% off "BOXOFSTYLE"
Clinique Pop lip color + primer Berry $18.50 | 25% off "ZOEREPORT"

Interested in signing up for box of style?! Check it out here: http://fbuy.me/dNr5n