Monday, August 30

hair repair.

Here are some conditioners that save your hair from the heat, chlorine, and lake water. Once a week (especially in the hot summer months) you should treat your hair to some amazing products that moisturize and smooth your lovely locks. Here are 3 products with insanely descriptive long names that my hair dies for:

  • VO5 Moisturizing Hot Oil Treatment
click to buy.  (i do this at the end of summer to get hair looking healthy)

  • Aussie Moist Treatments Deeeeep 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment
click to buy. ( i do this couple of times a month- smells sooo good)
  • Garnier Fructis triple nutrition 3 minute undo dryness reversal hair treatment
click to buy.  (i do this weekly. you can feel the avocado seeds and it is so refreshing)

Thursday, August 26

YOU (and I) could win $1000! Just make some sets!


Powered by Polyvore

Win $1000 through our Fall Wardrobe Styling Challenge

What are your favorites for fall? Show us and you could win $1000!

We're so excited about the launch of our new Mini Editor widget that we're giving away $1000 to a blogger AND $1000 to one of their readers! The Mini Editor is a free, easy-to-install widget that brings the Polyvore virtual styling tool to your blog, giving your readers a fun, interactive way to mix & match products and create outfits.

Calling all bloggers!
What will you be wearing (or swooning for) this fall? Create a Mini Editor with up to 100 of your favorite products for fall. Post it on your blog and encourage your readers to make outfits. Send us an email at bloggers@polyvore.com before 11:59PM PDT on Tuesday, September 7th to enter the contest. Make sure to include the link to your blog post, your Twitter handle (if you have one), and some information about your blog, so that we can feature you.

Not a blogger?
How would you style your favorite blogger's top picks for fall? To enter the contest, check out the participating blogs below, create sets in their Mini Editors, and you could win $1000! Each set submitted on any of the blogs below is another opportunity to win, so check them all out! Be sure to come back often, as we'll be updating the list of participating blogs.

One blogger and one reader will each win a $1000 Visa gift card. The criteria for selecting the best Mini Editor will be based 50% on how many sets are submitted and 50% on style & aesthetics. The winning blogger will select his or her favorite set created by a reader, and that reader will also win $1,000. See the official rules here.

travel size me.

Since moving out to Texas, I have become a frequent flyer. Any chance I get for a quick weekend trip home I take and in anticipation of an upcoming trip to SC next weekend- I am already mentally packing my bags. Probably crazy but it’s just how I prepare for all the funness that I know is about to occur.

One thing I find quite useful for editing what I decide to bring is the Touch Closet iphone application. Upload pics of your clothing and you put together outfits on your phone. I know exactly what to bring so I don't over pack because checking my bags isn't even a option. Since everyone starting charging per bag- I refuse to check unless I am home for 6 plus days.

The other dilemma this creates is the liquids under 3 oz. all in a 1 quart size bag. For a psychotic product purchaser, this is beyond annoying; but I found a solution. I am not promoting Wal Mart, but since I learned of Target's donation to an organization that would like to hinder the equalization of our country, I am no longer shopping there. This was my favorite store on earth. I am distraught but I have to stand for what I believe is right. MOVING ON- any supermarket type store has a travel aisle near the beauty products and I LOVE to stock up on the numerous cute $1 sample sized products. Soap, lotion, hair gel, hairspray, toothpaste, and downy wrinkle releaser (MUST HAVE). Why are mini versions of things so cute? Is that just me?

While my zip lock bag is typically and literally bursting at the seams- I get through security and I don't have to wait on baggage claim when I land. Very nice.

Monday, August 23

try polyvore!

Hey pretty ladies- I put a mini polyvore application under polyvore whore. I added some lovely dresses and shoes- make your own set. It's too much fun. As if it isn't obvious- I am addicted.

warning:

Got this email from my bestie Megan. We both have to be EXTRA careful with our skin due to our high risk in developing Melanoma.

Be careful about your products on your blog with RETINOL or RETINA in them. I went to my mom’s melanoma doctor with her and they told us that even though it has not been mainstreamed and removed from products on the shelves yet RETINOL actual draws the UV rays to your skin and can not only completely counteract the sunscreen that you think you are getting in that product but actual put you at a higher risk for activating cancer cells. Any sunscreen or skin product that has anti wrinkle in it usually has retinol in it CHECK THE LABEL so only use it if you aren’t going out in the sun and if you have sunscreen like that FLUSH IT AND RECYCLE THE BOTTLE (bc the earth doesn’t need to suffer for your mistakes)

FYI- I checked and nothing I have blogged about contains Retinol or Retina.

Thursday, August 19

i want your waves.

Tips for achieving the curls you desire.
1. brush before showering to detangle
2. don’t over-lather when shampooing too much to avoid tangles
3. DO NOT BRUSH hair after shower.
4. squeeze damp hair with towel 5 min. out of shower (same manner as you would scrunch)
5. apply your favorite scrunching gel/mouse/cream. Here are mine!

Garnier fructis Wonder Waves & Curl Definition lines
John Frieda Curl-boosting mouse
Aussie Sprunch collection

6. If you need your hair to dry ASAP- blow dry with a diffuser. This will also give your hair body like whoa.

*If you have hair has absolutely no scrunching abilities I have found a great option. My friend Ashleigh just flew out to Texas and first thing I notice about her is this amazing volume and wave she’s sporting right off the plane. What did she do? A body wave. I really haven’t seen many but hers was done right and looks natural. She says straightening is more difficult now but she has INSANE volume when she blows out her hair.


Tell me if this works for you!

Tuesday, August 17

Razzberry Fizz

Next time you are in Clemson, you should check out my aunt’s awesome gift shop, Razzberry Fizz. You walk in to the smell of delectable candles and coffee (make yourself a cup at their Senseo machine). Then your eyes will feast on a beautiful little shop full to the brim with precious home dĂ©cor, dinnerware, and a whole bunch of random cute things that you NEED. I “registered” at The Fizz and most of my favorite gifts came from here. I didn’t even pick out anything because I absolutely LOVE everything in the store. My aunt has always been a fan of monogramming any and everything. They now have an on site monogrammer to personalize any purchase! This is a GREAT place for unique gifts at ANY age. Every time I come to town I find myself discovering new products; and every time I leave with something fabulous!


Wednesday, August 11

Two shows you should be watching all you fashionistas

Tuesday- The Rachel Zoe Project
Thursday- Project Runway

That is all.

Work it baby.

Nothing inspired me to hit the gym more than the thought of my wedding dress and honeymoon bikini. Now- when I say hit the gym- I never actually stepped into a gym once- “hit the gym” just sounds cool. To get into your ideal wedding day shape- you need to know what inspires you. For me- that is dance and group exercise. You blend those two together with an eclectic mix of music and viola- you get JAZZERCISE. I cannot go on enough about this form of working out. Even if you didn’t dance 20 out of 24 years of your life- you will probably love it. For one, you know you are burning calories and fat because 15 minutes in you are already dying, but you don’t care because you’re shaking your booty to The Veronicas, Fall Out Boy, Michael Bubble, Beyonce, and some random techno songs that are perfect for getting you hyped up. Each class is about 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of strength training. In every class you will work every muscle; some more than others but ALWAYS your abs and outer thighs. And the arm work- ohhhhhh the arm work. I die for these 40 plus year old instructor’s arms. My goal is to become an instructor in the next 3 years.
http://www.jazzercise.com/

In addition to jazzing it up about 3 times a week, I have been practicing Iyengar Yoga for 2 years. This isn’t your purely relaxing, stretch, and pretend to find inner peace yoga. This is work your booty off, use every muscle in your body while properly stretching and strengthening, and find inner peace through hard work and tuning into your heart instead of your head, yoga. I love the discipline of Iyengar yoga because I grew up learning a very strict form of ballet- Cecchetti (we took yearly exams in front of professional dancers and had to use French terms). I think that is why I have stuck with it and will continue to. It’s a challenge but I also feel like I am discovering a tranquil place outside of mind (where I spend the majority of my life planning, organizing, working etc.)
 http://www.bksiyengar.com/

The mix of both of these forms of exercise prepared me for my wedding day and feeling confident beside my hubby on the beach in the Dominican. I am continuing with both even though the inspiration of the approaching day is no longer there. Not going to lie though, it’s definitely harder to get my butt there after working a nine hour day. But I want to be active when I am 70 and starting now is the only way I can get there.

I hear Zumba is amazing and would love to try it out sometime. If you like kickboxing, Turbo- Kick is INSANE! Pole-dancing class will kill you. It’s not just for the sake of just being sexy, it’s for boosting your confidence and getting possibly the best workout around. Not kidding. Just ask my bridesmaids.

Tell me about classes you have tried and what you think.

Tuesday, August 10

fabulous find!

Walking through the beauty aisle at a supermarket is difficult task for me. I have so many urges to read every product label that jumps out at me. I can tell when products are new and I can’t resist trying them. That’s why I typically try to drag Nicholas with me so he can steer me awaaaaay. My new excuse is that is it research for the blog. Which is 100% true. Unfortunately I am the provider for our little family right now so it’s not very smart of me. However- yesterday while doing a “quick trip” to get “essentials” I stumbled upon a product you NEED to use every day that has extra benefits. Olay Regenerist Eye Make-Up Remover plus Anti-Wrinkle Treatment. Time will tell if it’s working. What I noticed after one use though- my sensitive skin around my eye felt refreshed and I woke up with less bags under my eye (6 hours of sleep people). Now, I will see if this was just a lucky experience but what I do know is that the skin around your eye is very delicate and you need to treat it well starting NOW. I bought this product for a couple of reasons.
  1. I am super lazy about taking off my makeup at end of day.
  2. I need anti-aging cream.
  3. My skin is very sensitive and some eye makeup removers contain alcohol which makes my eyes burn or the stuff gets in my eye and irritates the heck out of it.
Now that I know I am doing an anti aging routine as well as taking off my makeup – I am motivated to actually use eye makeup remover. Maybe you will be too.
Shout out to my BFF Casey who never goes to bed without washing her face. I’ve known her since 3rd grade and the chick never forgets. Well- there may be one occasion I recall in NYC…haha. We should all strive to be Casey. And here is her blog-
CaseyintheCity

Monday, August 9

lips that last...

On August 6th, 2008, Nicholas and I packed up all of our belongings, drove 15 hours west, and moved into our apartment in Denton, Texas. Well- we didn't do it ALL on August 6th- but we got our keys that day. The moment I walked in I could see sunlight beaming through the French doors and it felt like home. We started an entire new life with no family or friends around. One year later, we had a plethora of AMAZING friends and were looking forward to the next 4 (or more) years we would spend with them. August 6th 2009, Nicholas proposes. I walked into our humble abode and get called into my room (yes- we had our own rooms). I find my vanity cleared and replaced with 4 dozen red roses, 4 pictures of us taped to the mirror, a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon on ice in the sink, Nicholas on his knee with a box in his hand, and the words "Will you marry me?" written in lipstick on the mirror. Pure happiness. We got married on May 29, 2010. Extreme pure happiness. So this August 6th, we celebrated by trying out a new restaurant annnnnd well, I sort of haven't been able to clean off the lipstick on my vanity mirror yet. I'm not really sure if I can do it. It just marks the start of a new life for me and I'm SUPER sentimental. But I think it's time and it's battling with my OCDness. That bottle of Windex is just staring at me.

So- what in the world does this have to do with pretty little products? Well it's somewhat (very somewhat) metaphoric of a new favorite product of mine- lipstick. And to be specific- long-lasting lipstick. I experimented with this almost as much as I did water-proof mascara. So- to save you the $$$ of finding a brand that lasts, and a color that suites your skin tone and goes with your "theme" of makeup for your wedding day (or any day really) here is what I found and L-O-V-E almost as much as my hubby. Just kidding of course lol.

Covergirl Outlast 16 hour lipstick. The 16 hour thing isn't exactly true though- I will say it lasts VERY well for 10 hours. Very well. And who really needs 16 hours of fabulous lip color? My wedding day "theme" was au naturale. I wanted to accentuate my blue eyes by doing a nude lip. But not dramatic nude. Just natural nude. I wore Nude 593. Unfortunately, this was the 5th shade I bought and they cost around $11. yuck.

However, I am obsessed with the first color I found- Coral 575. It's a VERY red coral and I believe it's a great way to ease into bold red lips.

The second shade was Coral Silk 568. Very very light pink and didn't last as long (probably bc I only wore it the night of my bacherlette party and was constantly sipping on margaritas and water) PS- while I am on the topic I highly recommend drinking water while drinking especially on a special night like your bachelorette party. I rocked out and had a crazy fun time- but didn't want to kill myself the next day. In fact, I started drinking at brunch. Had to nap- but I mean, what do you expect when in NYC?

The next shade I must have been trying to mimic my lovely mother when I purchased Blushed Mauve 550. She has only ever worn mauve. Momma- this is YOUR shade but not for me. Honestly- it's a little too mature looking for what I am going for at this time in my life.

The next shade was Red Cashmere 579. This one is a lighter and pinker version of coral and is shimmery. Very young and fresh. I like wearing it with coral (which is my favorite color this year, hence my coral wall in the apt). I feel kind of 80's-ish in it.

covergirloutlastlipstick

I recommend starting lipstick not in the long-lasting formula though. Maybelline New York has $5 lipstick in numerous shades. I wear Park Ave. Peach all the time. My bridesmaids wore Born With It on my wedding day. Revlon has a really great totally matte nude shade- Nude Attitude. It's great with dramatic/dark eyes. Otherwise- don't go there.

In conclusion of this ridiculously long post, lipstick makes me feel like a woman. Cue Shania Twain song.

And yes- I finally Windexed my mirror.

Wednesday, August 4

wear your white.

Fashion Union › Christy Dress
20 GBP - fashionunion.co.uk
More dresses »

Dolce Vita PELA
$165 - solestruck.com
More Dolce Vita shoes »

PJĂ„TTERYD
$50 - ikea.com


how clemson girls tailgate.

Lemlem dresses ORANGE
74 GBP - matchesfashion.com
More Lemlem dresses »

Jack Rogers Women's Navajo Thong
$104 - endless.com


clemson tigers logo
midlandsconnect.com


Monday, August 2

a flawless face.

A flawless face starts with the base. Here are some of my favorite products for the first step in your makeup routine.

Concealer. I prefer Physician’s Formula Concealing Twins. The yellow shade helps to mask under eye circles VERY WELL while the other can be used to cover other imperfections. Always be sure to blend blend blend! This stuff lasts all day. There is also a green/neutral combo perfect for hiding zits and red spots. I recommend just going to Wal Mart or Target and checking out Physician’s Formula section- it’s pricer than you may want, but a concealer that won’t irritate what it is hiding is clutch. Yes I just used clutch.

click to buy.

Foundation. For daily wear I swear by L’Oreal True Match products: liquid foundation, roller- foundation and compact powder. All of these products run around $10 and are remarkable for the price. I have used the liquid foundation for years, and have recently found the roller- foundation (the ad with Kate from Lost sold me!) It’s so easy to apply and there is a shade for every single skin tone. First, match your skin tone (fair, fair light, light, light medium, medium, medium deep, deep). Next, find your undertone (warm, cool, or neutral). There is a foundation for every combination. Matching your undertone enhances your natural glow. Matching your skin tone helps avoid the line around your chin-gross. You can use L’Oreal’s Beauty Filter to find your perfect match.

loreal website.

Powder. If you’re going to splurge, do it here. Powder keeps everything you put on under it in place. You want something that isn’t going to add on too much to your foundation, but will keep you from looking shiny all day.

If you prefer a powder based foundation- I discovered Merle Norman Luxiva Ultra Powder Foundation freshman year of college thanks to Ashleigh! It makes you look flawless.

If you prefer cheap- loreal’s true match line is great but won’t last all day

If you prefer mineral- Bare minerals “Mineral veil” works for all skin tones and keeps you shine free almost all day. I haven’t used their entire line but I know many that do and love how light it feels.

If you have red undertones- I have this problem really bad so I found Clinique Redness Solution Instant Relief Mineral Powder. I put it on my cheeks and nose to get rid of the red tone- I don’t think what I have is rosacea (but this product is PERFECT for it) but it gets bad after eating lunch at work I’ve noticed and after drinking red wine. And y’all know- I love my red wine.

If you want to look flawless, shine free and ready for high definition photography- I die for Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder.It is very every skin tone. I used it on my wedding day and sprinkled some on all my bridesmaid’s lovely faces before heading out to walk down the aisle.