August 2019 Empties! Makeup, Skincare, and Lifestyle!

I know every single empties post I always say the same thing, “this month flew by”! But holy moly this month flew by!!! I started student teaching a few weeks ago and it has been such an incredible yet exhausting experience. Teaching is no joke people!!! But I have loved every minute of it! The first graders I am with are sweet and unique and they drive me up a wall. My master teacher is so so inspiring and I couldn’t be happier to be in her classroom.
Anyway, enough of the sappy stuff. Let’s get into the empties.

MAKEUP EMPTIES

Smashbox Photo Finish Super Light Primer-
This is sadly my only makeup empty for the month! I am super close to finishing a foundation though so hopefully next month will have a few other makeup goodies in here. This was a tiny little baby sample of the smashbox primer. I am not a big fan of the original smashbox primer but I actually did enjoy this one. It was good at smoothing my pores but it was less ‘silicony’. I don’t know if I would actually purchase a full size of this primer but if it came in a subscription box or was heavily discounted, I would be happy to use this!

SKINCARE EMPTIES

Clarins Extra-Firming Jour-
This sample lasted me about 5 days so I did get to try this day cream out enough to develop an opinion. I thought it was nice and moisturizing but it did not do anything magical. It is $87!!! I would not purchase a full size.
Charlotte’s Magic Cream Moisturizer-
I unfortunately LOVED this moisturizer. The scent was amazing and it did feel a little magical on my face. $100 magical?? Maybe not but one day if I become a rich woman (I’m going into teaching so clearly I am dreaming) then I would love to purchase this moisturizer.
Origins Matte Moisturizer-
I did not love this moisturizer. I thought it could be good to use under makeup on super warm days and that did work but I did not love how matte I felt. I don’t think I would be the target audience for this type of moisturizer. I have normal/combo skin. This would definitely be ideal for someone with oily skin. I would not purchase the full size.

Skyn Iceland Hydro-Cool Firming Eye Gels-
I have used these eye gels many times and I do like them! I don’t use eye gels very often but I do like to have a few around for when I am having an especially tired day or if I feel like pampering myself. I would purchase these again.
365 Cleansing Towelettes-
I couldn’t find a link for these but don’t worry you are not missing out on anything. I bought these in a pinch at Whole Foods before a trip and although I did finish them, I did not enjoy it. They did not break me out or anything but it was overly scented and it took a lot more work to get my makeup off. It smelled like fake cucumbers. I finished them as quickly as possible so I could get back to my favorite Neutrogena makeup wipes.
EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm-
This is one of my favorite lip balms. I love using this throughout the day as a light lip balm. The scent is perfect IMO. It is a little sweet and a little minty. I have already repurchased and have a new one open.
Teami Detox Mask-
I really enjoyed this detox mask! I am an avid mask user- I like to use masks about 3 times a week. I used this mask once or twice a week depending on how my skin was doing. I thought it did a great job of making my skin feel fresh and it help to diminish acne. I believe this mask will be in the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale, I would recommend picking it up during then! I still have a ton of masks to work through but I would consider repurchasing this mask in the future.

Farmacy Clean Bee Cleanser-
I received this cleanser in a Boxycharm and I really loved it! It is very sudsy so I ended up using this cleanser in the shower as a morning cleanser and I thought it was perfect that way. It was gentle enough to not irritate my skin but also left my skin feeling fresh and clean! I have a ton of cleansers to move through before I need to purchase a new one but I would consider purchasing this one in the future!
Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser-
I like this cleanser and I have gone through a few of them in my lifetime but I don’t think I would repurchase it again. I have found too many other cleansers that I enjoy more!
Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash-
I really really enjoyed this cleanser! It did have a little bit of the squeaky clean feeling so if that is not your thing then I would avoid this cleanser but I honestly kind of like that feeling sometimes! After wearing my makeup all day it is nice to feel super fresh and then proceed to put on my oils for the evening. Once I move through some other cleansers I would like to purchase the full size!

BODYCARE EMPTIES

I could not find this sugar scrub online but I believe I bought it at World Market during a sale it was heavily discounted. I enjoyed this as a body exfoliator- I have had others I have enjoyed more but it was still very nice. I don’t think I would repurchase however, I want to try to DIY my own body exfoliator.

HAIRCARE EMPTIES

Sedu Revolution Flat Iron-
My beloved flat iron for the past 8 years finally died on me! I have used that thing to death (literally). I was very sad to see it go because I know how expensive they are and it isn’t really in my budget right now. I did buy a new straightener from Marshall’s for $20 and that one will do the trick for now.
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Leave-in Mask-

I really like this leave in mask! I use this about once a week and I thought it was nice. I much prefer the Briogeo hair mask from this same line but it washes out in the shower. That one just does a more effective job. I don’t think I would repurchase the spray.
Briogeo Don’t Depair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask-
Ugh. I love this mask so much. It is so effective and leaves my hair feeling amazing. This was the last one that I had in my stash and I will have to wait until my unpaid internship is over and I have a regular paycheck again to justify purchasing it but I cannot wait.

LIFESTYLE EMPTIES

BDG Wallet-
This is less of an empty and more of a ‘it is time to say goodbye’. I have had this wallet for at least 6 years now (maybe more TBH) and it was its time to go. I loved the size and all of the different compartments. It also did last very well considering it was the only wallet I have used since I purchased it. I have a new wallet I bought from Sole Society that I am enjoying so far.

And that is everything for the month of August! I feel like I was able to move through a lot of product this month! I am super close to finishing a foundation, exfoliator, and a couple of masks so I think September will have a lot of empties as well! Until next time.

XO
Jess

August 2019 Boxycharm Unboxing

How is everyone feeling about their Boxycharm this month?! I have to say– I have heard A LOT of people pretty disappointed by this box. For me I have to say I fall somewhere in the middle. There are items that I am super excited about, ones I’m meh about, and some that are total flops. But on the plus side…. we only spend $22 a month! C’mon I can’t complain!!!

ON TO THE UNBOXING

The theme for this month’s box is Totally. Is that even a theme?! I get what they were trying to do but honestly it was not my favorite. It felt like a filler month. Which is too bad because I thought last month’s box was so well thought out. Anyway, I think the box was good this month. Not great but there are some things I am excited about so lets get into it.

1. Tarte Big Ego Mascara ($23)-
Ok I am really excited about this mascara. Has anyone tried this?! It looks like the type of brush that I like in mascaras and it is black! Super excited to try this one out! And I have to say that the hot pink packaging is pretty dang cute.
2. Lashaholics Instragram False Eyelashes ($14.99)-
This product is a total flop for me because I do not wear false lashes ever. I don’t even own any lash glue. I am lucky that I have pretty good lashes so I don’t have a need for these. They are pretty but they will go unused in my hands.
3. Becca Hydra-mist & Refresh Powder ($39)-
This makes the box for me!! I was super intrigued to try this powder months ago and forgot about it. I have heard that the cooling effect of this powder does go away after a while so I need to dig into this sooner than later.

4. Pur The Complexion Authority Pink Glitter Mask 2 Oz. ($26)-
I am 50/50 on this mask. I do love getting skin care in Boxycharm boxes but I don’t know if I want glitter in my skin care…. I am going to give this mask a try but I do not think it will become a favorite.
5. Wander Glow Ahead Illuminating Oil ($42)-
I am also 50/50 on this face oil. Is this supposed to be used under makeup or as skin care?! I have no clue, I need to do more research on it. I do enjoy using oils in my skin care so if that is the case then I am excited! Updates to come on this one.

That is the box for the month of August! Not a favorite but I am happy to have it regardless! I am excited to see, as always, what will be in our box next month! This box is worth $144.99! Holy moly people. We only pay $22 just to remind everyone….

If you are interested in signing up for Boxycharm here is my referral link https://www.boxycharm.com/refer/Jessi-ADYKTCGK and my referral code Jessi-ADYKTCGK

Until next time.

XO
Jess

Marshall’s Haul|Professional Clothing

Hi guys!!! I have been MIA and I have missed writing so much this week. I have been literally craving writing a blog post but this past week has been CRAZY. I just finished my last day of my nanny job yesterday! I trained the new nanny this past week along with also trying to prepare for my upcoming student teaching. I have had meetings at my school to prepare me for what is to come and I also got to meet my master teacher! And she is amazing! I have been anxious all summer about student teaching and I am finally becoming more excited than I am nervous- which I am shocked about. I have a few days in between my nanny job ending and my student teaching to begin so I am taking that time to prepare (mentally/physically/emotionally) for being in the classroom Monday through Friday. I have wanted this for so long and I am so happy that I am that much closer to my dream of becoming a teacher!

One of the biggest areas that I was nervous about when student teaching was approaching was my wardrobe. I know that seems silly but I have NEVER dressed professional for a job before. I have been a nanny for the past 4 1/2 years (T-shirts and leggings baby) and before that I worked in retail where I mostly just dressed trendy with the occasional blazer. I knew that my wardrobe game needed to be upped immediately.

My sister and I went to Marshall’s because I needed a new straightener. My Sedu Revolution straightener died on me after having it for 8 years!! I wanted to purchase the exact same one because I love it so much but at $130 it is just out of my price range right now (hello unpaid internship). I just needed a cheap straightener to get me by for a year or two until I’m a real working woman and can afford all the things I desire. Little bit of sarcasm there because I am going into teaching and it’s more of a passion career than a rolling in your money kind of career. ANYWAY- while I was there I found some great finds that I wanted to share with you! I know Marshall’s is tough because all the stores carry different items but I at least wanted to share with you an idea of what you can find at Marshall’s and I will have links when I can find them

ON TO THE HAUL….

Cortex International Hair Straightener ($19.99)-
I did find this online but it is going for $66 and it is through a website unfamiliar to me. I would recommend going in store and looking for a straightener- most of them were only $19.99! I have already used this straightener a handful of times and I do like it. It is a lot lighter than my old straightener which I don’t know if I love and I’m not quite used to turning it on with a button versus a switch. Overall I do like this straightener for the price.
Eccolo World Traveler Coffee Mug ($3.99)-
Once again I did find this exact mug online but it is much more expensive! This was a last minute purchase for me but I thought it was so fitting considering what I was shopping for that day and I loved the size- this is a big coffee mug! One aspect I don’t love is that it is hand wash only and it is not safe to go in the microwave. It’s not the end of the world but it is something to keep in mind. Marshall’s has the best coffee cups- they are cheap and adorable!

Anne Klein Blazer ($39.99 Size: M)-
This was the priciest item I bought this shopping trip but it is also my favorite!! I’m obsessed with the fall colors and the way this blazer fits. It is a little oversized and had very small shoulder pads to give the blazer more shape. Normally I can’t stand shoulder pads but I am making an exception in this case! I couldn’t find the exact blazer online unfortunately but if you see it at your Marshall’s you should at least try it on!
Elaine Rose Lightweight Jacket ($29.99 Size: M)-
This jacket is the perfect everyday jacket to throw over any outfit. It is not as formal as a blazer but it is also nicer than a sweater. It will definitely be a go-to once it starts to get a little chillier in southern California. I was not able to find this online.

Lucky Brand Top ($34.99 Size: S)-
How pretty is this top?! It is flowy but cinches in at the bottom to give it more structure. I don’t know what bottoms to wear this with quite yet but I am definitely looking cause I can’t wait to wear it!
Beachlunchlounge Top ($14.99 Size: M)-
One piece I was missing in my wardrobe was a basic short sleeve white top. This is perfect for that! It is classy but casual and it will go with just about anything!

Thread & Supply Top ($14.99 Size: M)-
This top will be perfect in the fall time. I am sucker for olive. The pockets are adorable and the structure will be super cute tucked into high waisted pants.
Aveto Top ($5.99 Size: M)-
Unfortunately I did not try this top on so I didn’t realize how see through it is. Right now I am not sure how I would make it would because you can fully see my bra through it. I am going to keep it because I can still wear it going out but as far as work goes- no bueno.

Jasmine & Juliana Pants ($19.99 Size: 6)-
These are adorable! I already have another pair of plaid pants but apparently I love this print! I have so many outfit ideas for these cuties!

That is my haul! I definitely spent a pretty penny on these items but I think they will really help me feel confident walking into the classroom next week. Today is the first day I am going in to help set up and I am so so excited! More updates to come! Until next time.

XO
Jess

July 2019 Favorites| Makeup, Skincare, and Lifestyle!

Oh no! The end of summer is in sight!!! Fall is definitely my favorite time of year but I’m not going to lie, I’m not ready to let go of summer yet! Does anyone else feel that way or are you ready to move on from the heat??

This month I didn’t have a ton of favorites, I’m not sure why…. I just was enjoying most of the products I was using and not necessarily sticking to one product. That being said…. I did have some products this month that I was very happy to have in my collection– Some ride or die products. Let’s jump into it.

MAKEUP FAVES

ABH Blush Trio in Peachy Love-
How pretty is this blush trio?! It was so so beautiful to use during the warmer months when I am going for more warm and lighter looks. It is also the perfect travel blush because of the three color options and the size! I loved using this blush so consistently this month and I am looking forward to pulling it in my makeup box either in September or October!
Colourpop X Kathleen Lights Dream St. Palette-
I know everyone already knows and loves this palette but guys this palette is amazing! I loved using it on an everyday basis for more neutral looks but I also loved using it on the 4th of July for a little pop of blue and some sparkle on the inner corner. It is such a fun palette but also is perfect for work looks too.

SKINCARE FAVES

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream in Green Tea Lemon-
You guys already know how much I love the Ultra Repair Cream- I finished the original Ultra Repair Cream at the beginning of July and then wanted to try this scent. And omg! It is so fresh and clean smelling- definitely does not smell like too much fragrance. My boyfriend loves it too!
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream-
I was so happy to have this eye cream back into my life after I tried the Philosophy Eye Cream and was underwhelmed. I will link my July empties here so you can see my further thoughts on that eye cream as well as what else I finished in July. Anyway, this eye cream just does it for me. Do I think it makes my dark circles non existent? No. Do I think that it depuffs all of my eye bagginess? Also no. But it does do a good job of keeping my eyes moisturized and it does bring down a little of my eye bags. Ya girl is Russian ok, I have a lot of eye bags. Overall I do enjoy this eye cream! I do eventually want to venture out and try something new but I am content for now!

LIFESTYLE FAVES

Trader Joe’s Sweet Basil Foaming Hand Soap-
Listen- I know how random this is but Trader Joe’s has really great hand soaps!! And this one surprised me with how much I like it! It is sudsy and smells fresh and a little sweet but not overly sweet. I actually don’t like the Bath and Body Works hand soaps- I think they are overly scented and are weirdly sweet to be a soap- keep it for the candles people. I think the Trader Joe’s soaps are well done.
Chloe Roses De Chloe-
Ugh this perfume is stunning. If you do not like the smell of roses you will despise this perfume but if you do then you will love this! It is flowery but not in grandma way more in a sweet feminine fresh way. This has been my go-to perfume this summer especially for during the day.
Echo Dot (3rd Gen)-
My boyfriend got me the Echo Dot for my birthday last month and we have been using it incessantly! I love being able to use spotify while I am cleaning or making dinner- it makes it so easy to change the songs or adjust the volume. Also it is great for quickly checking the weather or a measurement.

Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide-
This book was written by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark- the hosts of the podcast, My Favorite Murder. I am a huge fan of the podcast (murderino, hello!!) and I was so happy to get their book they came out with a few months back. Life has been crazy and I haven’t had a lot of time to read recently but in the past month I have been spending a lot of time at the lake, beach, and pool so this book has been by my side all month long. Each chapter Karen and Georgia divulge stories about their past that have made them who they are today along side their hilarious humor. I have been really loving this book!

Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad-
This podcast has had my attention this month! I have been really getting into the crimes they have talking about in each episode. They do a great job of looking at the cases at different angles and bringing helpful guests on the podcast to talk about the cases. Today’s episode talked about a fugitive who went on the run after killing a girl he was dating. He is currently still on the loose somewhere in South America. I would highly recommend checking out this podcast- I think it is a good podcast to start with if you are just getting into true crime.

That is all of my favorites for the month of July! We are only five days into August and I can already foresee what products will be in my August favorites. I hope everyone enjoys the last few weeks of summer while it is around! Until next time.

XO
Jess

July 2019 Empties! Makeup, Skincare, and Lifestyle!

Happy August 1st friends! Isn’t the summer flying by? I’m not ready to let it go yet!!! Also- I start student teaching in 3 weeks! WHAT! Let’s all take full advantage of this amazing weather and the little extra free time while we can!

This month I moved through a ton of products- mostly skincare and samples. My goal for 2019 is to move through a ton of my samples and older products. I don’t have a lot of makeup empties this month but I think I am very close to finishing some products so key an eye out for my August empties!

Let’s jump into the empties!

MAKEUP EMPTIES

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge- I love this sponge! I’ve it about 6 months and I bought a new one to replace it already. This is definitely my go-to sponge. I am interested to try a new sponge though, any suggestions?
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation Shade 30- This was just a little baby sample but honestly I did not love it. The shade was definitely off- a touch dark and too pink for my undertone. Aside from that I wasn’t a fan of how it sat on my skin. I’m happy I got to try it and know it is just not the one for me.
Ulta Brush & Sponge Cleaner- This brush cleaner is the best. I have finished one up before and I will definitely repurchase. I have a cleanser right now that I received in a Boxycharm that I want to use up and then I will be repurchasing the Ulta one!!
Essence Eyeliner Pen Waterproof- I used this product until it became to difficult to use anymore so I am considering it done! It got to the point where my wings were skipping and I had to use a different eyeliner to fix it so I decided to toss it! When this was fresh I definitely did enjoy it though and it is incredibly cheap! $2.99!!! I will say that I do prefer using a gel liner over a eyeliner pen but this one wasn’t too bad.

SKINCARE EMPTIES

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Hydrating Eye Gel- This eye gel was…. just okay. I didn’t hate, but I didn’t love it. I am happily going back to my Origins eye cream
First Aid Beauty Skin Clearing Charcoal Cleanser- This cleanser was in my travel skin care bag and I actually really enjoyed it! My skin felt fresh after using it and I didn’t have any weird reactions. I would definitely consider purchasing a full size in the future!
Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar- I used up this little baby sample and it lasted about 4 days! Don’t sleep on samples people they last a while! I always depot them into a little lip mask container. I liked this moisturizer but it is so so expensive I don’t think it is quite worth the price.
Urban Decay Meltdown Makeup Remover Dissolving Spray- I did not love this remover to remove my makeup. It left a weird film on my skin so I only used it up once or twice like that. I did end up finishing it up by using it to remove swatches and I loved it for that! It did a great job removing swatches but I will definitely not repurchase it for that purpose.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream- This is my go-to moisturizer for me and my boyfriend. We have already bought a backup and are currently using it!
First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser- Once again my go-to cleanser! I will definitely purchasing this size again because we go through it so so quickly!

BODY CARE EMPTIES

Momo Lotion- This is the lotion I leave in my purse. My boyfriend works in a hotel and grabs these for me whenever I need one. This is definitely not as thick of a lotion as I like for heavy moisturizing but it is perfect for during the day.
Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen- I only got one use out of this sunscreen and honestly I got sunburnt! It is very possible that I just didn’t put enough on but it put a bad taste in my mouth and I don’t think I would purchase.

HAIR CARE EMPTIES

Batiste Dry Shampoo- I loooooove this dry shampoo. I have gone through way too many but it lets me get away with only shampooing my hair twice a week sooo.. I will continue repurchase forever.
Marc Anthony Hydrating Dry Styling Oil- This hair oil is amazing! It makes my fried ends look healthy again and it smells like a tropical paradise! I am using the Moroccan Oil hair oil and I will say that I think I like it more but the Moroccan Oil one is way more expensive.

LIFESTYLE EMPTY

Dolce Eau De Parfum- I didn’t love this perfume, I ended up using it up as a hair perfume. Meh.

And that’s all of my empties! I am really happy with everything I have finished up in the month of July. I have high hopes that I will be finishing even more next month! Until next time.

XO
Jess

My Favorite Makeup Brushes! High-end and Drugstore!

Cheers to the weekend! My weekend was filled with babysitting and then a day in Sad Diego with a girlfriend. She said outdoor yoga and I was in. There was Rosé following yoga don’t you worry. I hope your weekend was filled with all of your favorite things too!

Speaking of favorites- let’s chat about makeup brushes. Does anyone remember back in the day when makeup brushes weren’t really a thing? I used to use my hands for everything! Now I have a brush for everything- and I love it! Over the past 5 years I have really gathered what I like in brushes and what brands I prefer over others. Most of the brushes I have are either from youtuber recommendations or from Boxycharm. I love receiving brushes in beauty boxes- they are universal and in my opinion.. you can never have enough (the more brushes you have the less often you need to clean them).

The brushes that I will be going over are my top top favorite brushes- if all my other brushes disappeared then these are the ones I would need to repurchase ASAP! I also use a sponge for concealer and to go over my makeup to make it all seamless throughout my makeup routine. For that- I love the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. It’s soft, lasts a long time, and it is super affordable. For the brushes- I will go in order of how I do my makeup. Also please ignore how dirty my brushes are, this is real life and I was not about to clean these brushes before I took photos of them.

FOUNDATION BRUSHES

It Cosmetics Foundation Brush- I don’t see this brush on the Ulta website! It’s too bad too because this brush is the best! This is typically what I will use every day until it becomes too dirty and I’m not ready to clean it yet. Then I will move on to other brushes. I received this brush as a gift with purchase when I purchased the It cosmetics CC Cream (also a fave). Since then I have adored it! I’m sure It will bring this brush back or something similar.
ELF Selfie Ready Powder Blurring Brush-
This brush is listed as a powder brush but I use it for my liquid foundation. It is DENSE! So I would not use it for powder however it is great for foundation! It leaves a seamless finish. The only reason I do not use it as much as the It cosmetics brush is because the It brush is a bit softer and not quite as dense. If you are looking for a waaaaay more affordable option though you will not be disappointed with the ELF brush!

CREAM PRODUCT BRUSHES

Luxie 516 Duo Fibre Powder- This is my go-to for cream bronzer. It blends seamlessly! I almost feel like I do not have to put any work in at all. Luxie brushes have never failed me but if I had to keep one- this would be it! Essential for anyone who loves their cream bronzers!
MAANGE 5234- It looks like this brush only comes in a set and ordering it may be a little sketchy. If you are willing to take the risk- this brush is perfect for cream blush!!! It does feel like a decent quality brush but I did have to super glue the base to the top end of the brush (insert eye rolling emoji). I’m okay with that though because since then it has been amazing for cream brush. It gives just enough pigment to be visible but not overpowering.

POWDER BRUSHES

Mystery Powder Brush- No that’s not the name of the brush, I just have no clue where it is from and how I got it! Regardless it works wonderful for a quick powder application. I love dusting a light layer of powder over areas of my face that will become shiny quicker (t-zone babyyyy). The brush handle almost gives me It Cosmetics vibes but I am pretty sure it is not from there.
Aesthetica P12- I use this interchangeably with the mystery brush. I do prefer this brush for when I want a little more precise application.

BRONZER BRUSH

Moda BMX-130 Pointed Blush– This is my every day bronzer brush. I love the size of this brush and that it is pointed! It’s incredibly soft so I can use this brush to apply a light amount of product so I don’t get too bronzed too quickly. Also, the pointed end is helpful for more precise areas of my face that I want to bronze. Definitely a favorite. I will link my bronzer collection here so you can see what bronzers I use with this brush.

BLUSH BRUSH

Mystery Blush Brush- Once again, no clue where or how I received this brush but I LOVE it for blush. The dual fibers make it easy to use a small amount of product on my cheeks at a time. It also has a small enough handle to make it perfect for traveling. I will link my blush collection post here so you can see what blushes I use with this brush.

EYE BRUSHES

My go-to blender brushes are these three: the Sedona Lace EB 13, Pur Cosmetics brush that came in a palette years ago, and the Alamar Cosmetics brush that came in the Oijitos Brush Trio Vol. 1. I used these brushes every day I wear makeup. Especially the Alamar brush and Sedona Lace brush. I will typically use the Sedona brush first for my first transition shade, Alamar next for a deeper shade, and then the Pur brush for outer corner work.

My go-to lower lash line brushes all happen to be from Luxie and I love them all so much. They are the Luxie Luminous Eye Brush Set and the Luxie Summer Daze Brush set. They are the lower lash line dream team. The gold brush really pack on pigment and then the summer daze brush is perfect for blending them out.

My go-to inner corner brushes are the Bodyography Flat Shader Brush and a blending brush that came in a Morphe set. The flat shader from Bodyography is perfect for a precise placement of a eyeshadow in the inner corner while the Morphe blender is perfect for putting a light wash of eyeshadow all around the inner corner.

My go-to flat shader brushes are the Luxie Flat Shader in the Summer Daze set and the Alamar flat shader in the Oijitos Brush Trio Vol. 1 set. I don’t really have a preference between the two, I just use whatever is clean but these are the perfect size for me. I love that I can be precise with the shimmer shade so I don’t go overboard.

My go-to eyeliner brushes are the Wet N Wild Angled Liner Brush, the Essence Precise Eyeliner Brush, the ~mystery~ angled liner brush. If I had to pick one out of any of these to keep then I would have to say the Essence brush! And not even because it is only $2! It’s actually the best of them all IMO. It is the thinnest and I can get the most precise wing out of any of these brushes. LOVE.

My go-to brow brushes are the Sedona Lace EB 17 and the Brow Gal Brow Brush. In a brow brush I need the brush to be thin, the handle be comfortable to hold, and the spoolie has to be bomb. These definitely check all of brow brush boxes! I love them!

Whew! That was a whole lot of brushes. I hope this was helpful if you are on the hunt for some great brushes. I know it is less expensive to get a set of brushes but I find that I only like a portion of the brushes that come in sets and now I prefer buying them individually. I will say that I think I am good on brushes for a long time now, I am really happy with the collection that I do have. Until next time.

XO
Jess

My Bronzer Collection|2019

Hi guys! Whew- what a busy past few weeks it has been! It feels good to get back into a rhythm with posts. My birthday was last weekend and we went to my parents house in Lake Arrowhead for the entire weekend. It was the perfect little getaway. We were out on the lake all weekend and we went out for quite the memorable hike! We have been trying to find the hot springs in Deep Creek for months without any luck. Long story short- we found Deep Creek but were too exhausted to make it the whole way and then on the way back my car got stuck! The hills and soft sand were not a good mix! Fortunately we were able to get out after 500 tries- it was glorious.

Back to the makeup! I am currently showing you guys my entire makeup collection by category. I first did blushes- I will link that here. Today we are diving into one of my favorite parts of my collection- BRONZER. There is just something about bronzer that puts the entire look together. I love how it gives dimension and livens up the face again. I do have a few other bronzers in my collection that I have in face palettes but today we are just focusing on singles.

I really enjoy the majority of the bronzers in my collection. There are a few other bronzers that I want to get my hands on but aside from that I am very happy with the ones I do have! Most days I do use both a cream bronzer and a powder bronzer and because of that I do go light handed with both!

MATTE NEUTRALS

Ulta Matte Bronzer in the shade Warm
I don’t see the shade that I have on the Ulta website which I am actually pretty sad about because clearly I love this bronzer! It says that it is warm and I do agree with that but I don’t think that it is too warm- I think it falls closer to a neutral warm. The formula is soft but not powdery and it is not overly pigmented. It also blends like. a. dream. It also only retails for $10! Hopefully they will bring this bronzer back in this shade because it is a staple.
Ciate Bamboo Bronzer in the shade Palm Island
My sister gave me this bronzer- I believe she got it in an Ipsy bag. As you can tell this is just a little baby mini but I think it is beautiful. I have used this bronzer quite a bit and I have not hit pan on it yet- which makes me happy! I’m not ready to finish this one yet! I feel like once I hit pan it will go pretty quick. The formula is very nice, blends easily, not overly pigmented, and a neutral warm shade (my sweet spot). I would definitely consider repurchasing this bronzer sometime in the future- it retails for $28 for the full size which I do not think is an unreasonable price.
Too Faced Long-wear Matte Bronzer in the shade Chocolate Soleil
Once again my sister gifted this bronzer to me and I am so happy she did! Aren’t sisters the best?! This is actually the newest bronzer in my collection but I have definitely been giving it some love. I do have to be a little light handed with this bronzer as it is just a touch too deep for me but I really don’t mind because I love the result. This bronzer retails for $30 but it did go on sale last year during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty so I would recommend waiting to see if it goes on sale again this year.

WARM MATTES

No 7 Bronzer in the shade Caramel
This bronzer definitely pulls more warm on me so I need to be light handed during the winter months when I am not quite as tan but it is really lovely! The formula blends nicely and it when I do have a tan it is my go-to! It is also very affordable- only $12.99! I still have a ton of product left so I will likely not have to repurchase this bronzer.
Alexis Ren X Colourpop Bronzer in the shade Topaz
This bronzer is no longer available on the colourpop website! I do really love this bronzer but this is another one that I have to be weary about during the winter months because it is WARM! Once again, I do love it during the summer! The highlight is too deep for me to use as a highlight but sometimes I will use it (with a very light hand) as a bronzer topper or I will use it on my shoulders to give a lil shimma shimma.

GLOWY BRONZER

Milani Baked Bronzer in the shade Soleil
Now I only have one glowy bronzer because I am just a matte bronzer kind-of-girl but I will say that I love having this bronzer in my collection! Most of the time I will use this bronzer as more of a bronzer topper because it is lightly pigmented. I don’t love the packaging though- it is very clunky and it has a wasted space for a brush that I must have thrown away as soon as I bought the bronzer. Aside from that- it is very affordable at only $8.99! WOO!

CREAM BRONZERS

Wet N Wild Makeup Stick in the shade Call Me Maple
This cream bronzer got me into cream bronzers. It blends easily, it is warm but not too warm and it is CHEAP! Only $4.29! And it has lasted me over a year. I may or may not repurchase this in the future though, there has been some controversy about their cruelty free status and though I do not exclusively purchase cruelty free… I do try to be mindful about my purchases and the whole situation with Wet N Wild did leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Maybelline Master Contour in the shade Light
I use the contour shade to contour my jawline and sometimes underneath my bottom lip. I don’t think this product is a staple in my collection and I almost feel kind of meh about it. I don’t like the highlight portion of the contour stick so I have literally cut it out when I needed to use more of the contour shade. It retails for $10.99 and I personally would not pay for it again.. especially at that price. I will use it up but I won’t repurchase.
Measurable Difference Concealer Collection
Listen- I received this palette in a Boxycharm years ago and I first tried it as a concealer under my eyes and hated it. It sat and sat in my collection until I started to get into cream bronzers and then I decided I wanted to try and see if it would work for that and it does! I use the shades Toasted Almond and Bronze as cream bronzers and then I use the shade Milk Chocolate to contour and it works wonderfully. Once I do use up those three shades I will most likely declutter it at that point because the rest of the shades do not work for me. I am glad that I found a use for this product because it was just sitting there unused!

I do have cream bronzers that I have my eye on once I do move through these products. I try to be conscious that cream products do expire quicker than powders so I don’t like to have too many at one time.

Now that we have covered blushes and bronzers, what do you think I should cover next? Maybe foundations? Or powders? Let me know what you guys think! Until next time.

XO
Jess

July 2019 Boxycharm Unboxing

Another successful Boxycharm box! I love looking forward to receiving my Boxycharm box every month. I definitely consider it part of my #selfcare. Right now I am on a budget to prepare for my upcoming student teaching so Boxycharm helps curb my incessant need to purchase makeup constantly. $21 a month for 4-5 full size products is incredibly affordable– I just can’t say no!

I saw the teasers for this box and I was very intrigued. July just so happens to be my birthday month #cancerseason (I don’t know why I can’t stop doing hashtags, I use them sarcastically but I also secretly love them). The theme of this month’s box is Au Naturale.

Isn’t this the prettiest box?! I love the theme!

1. Luxie Gaea 3 Piece Brush Set: This brush set retails for $30! I love Luxie brushes so I was very excited to see that we would be receiving these in our box this month! The quality of these brushes are up to par with what I am used to from Luxie- but as an added bonus I do love the pink wood brush ends! I do not use foundation brushes like these very often but I did end up using this brush to apply a mud mask and it worked great for that! I was concerned that the blending brush was going to be too big considering how dense it is but I have used it a few times and I actually quite like it! It is dense so I do have to use a lighter hand with it but it blends beautifully. I have yet to use the crease brush but I am sure it will work just as well as the other two brushes.

2. Butter London Natural Goddess Eyeshadow Palette: This palette retails for $32. Um how pretty is this palette?! I have yet to put it on my eyes but I have swatched a few of the shades and wow they are lovely! I am dying to use that green! I will update in a future post on the quality of the palette!

3. Alamar Cosmetics Mother of Pearl Gloss in the shade Sirenta: This lip gloss retails for $10. Ok listen, this gloss does look very pretty but I am concerned it will be a little too pink and shimmery for me. I have yet to try it or swatch it. I don’t love having too many lip products open at a time so I will probably wait a month or two before I do open this lip gloss. Has anyone tried this gloss yet? Thoughts?
4. Elemis Superfood Vital Veggie Mask: This mask retails for $35. This mask is very intriguing! I am definitely excited to try it! Once again I don’t like having too many products open at a time so I am going to wait to open this mask until after I finish a few others in my collection. I have a brightening mask open now that I would like to finish and then I can try this baby out!
5. Appeal Gel Liner in the shade Desert Taupe: This eye liner retails for $21. Oh I cannot wait to try this eye liner. I LOVE brown eyeliner in my water line. I currently only have two brown eyeliners so I will probably put this one in my makeup box during August to give it a good try for the month!

That’s it for this month’s Boxycharm unboxing! The entire box retails for $128 and we only pay $21!!!! That is awesome! I love that I am able to try products that I would never actually get for myself. Would I ever buy myself a $21 eyeliner?! NOPE! But I get to now!

I am thinking about doing a 3 month Boxycharm update! Every three months I will update you on the hits and misses in my boxes after trying them instead of having to wait around for favorites or empties.

If you are interested in signing up for Boxycharm here is my referral link https://www.boxycharm.com/refer/Jessi-ADYKTCGK and my referral code Jessi-ADYKTCGK

Until next time.

XO
Jess

Guest Bathroom Decor Redo!

Hi guys! I wanted to chat about an area of my condo that I recently redid the decor on- my guest bathroom! I had wanted to redo that area in my condo because it just felt undone. It only had a bathmat, hand towels, and a random painting of a flower in it. It definitely did not go with the rest of the style in my house which has ~cozy, industrial, bohemian~ vibes.
I then went to the inspiration holy grail- Pinterest! I found lots of inspiration to go off of and then added my own personal touches. The majority of where I purchased the guest bathroom decor was from Hobby Lobby. I love Hobby Lobby because of their deals that they constantly have going on and they always have a 40% off coupon online which is great for more expensive pieces.

INSPO


I LOVE the mix of materials; between the wood, metal, fabric, greenery, and glass it really keeps the eye interested. That was my main focus when I was looking for decor- I wanted pieces that were different from each other but still worked cohesively.

FINISHED PRODUCT

link for the shelves
What do you guys think?! I love it! It makes me happy every time I walk in there because I feel so adult thoughtfully putting together decor. I first fell in love with the shelves! I originally thought I wanted to have shelves that were the same size but I actually love how these look together.

On the top row I purchased the vase and the picture of the plant from Hobby Lobby. I don’t remember how much they were but I believe they were inexpensive. The soap is from Trader Joe’s, I don’t know if it smells good because that is an unopened bottle but I thought it fit perfectly with the vibe and I love that it says French liquid soap. I added the candle and toilet paper (duh) that was just at my house.

On the bottom row I purchased the home sign, the little plant, and the vase from Hobby Lobby. Once again, I don’t know how much I paid for them but I do believe they were all inexpensive. I ended up putting Q-tips and added the hand towels to add more texture and I love how it turned out!

It took a little trial and error to get how I wanted it exactly but I’m so happy with how it turned out. I eventually want to do the bathroom in my bedroom but I’m not sure if I want to do something similar to this or change it up, let me know what you guys think. This was a fairly inexpensive decor redo, The most expensive piece was the shelves ($54.99) and I used the coupon online and got 40% off! I’m excited to move on to a different part of my house now! Until next time.

XO
Jess

My Blush Collection!!!

Happy Friday!!! I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July (for those of us in the states)! Mine was great– My mom’s birthday is on the third so we always do a birthday/4th of July celebration. I went to my parent’s house in Lake Arrowhead and we spent the whole day on the lake & barbecuing. I had to be back for work on Friday so the day was cut a little short but that’s ok because now it is the weekend!

I want to start a makeup collection series and I thought it would be fun to start with blush. Blush is an interesting part of everyone’s collections. I feel like some people go without blush almost entirely and then for some people it is a vital part of their makeup routine. I used to almost never wear it- to the point where I can’t even remember if I had any blushes in my collection a few years ago! Now I am complete opposite, I love how blush gives dimension and gives a youthful look- I love blush on the apple of my cheeks and on the tip of my nose.

I do have to say that I really like all of the blushes in my collection. I have a decent variety of nudes, pinks, and peachy blushes. Some are build-able while others are highly pigmented. I am comfortable with each to know how to make them work. I have a smaller cream blush collection but often I will use lipstick as a cream blush as well.

PEACHY PINKS

Tarte Blush and Glow Blush and Highlighter
This Tarte blush in peachy glow is a lovely peachy pink blush with a build-able formula. As you can tell in the swatches- it comes off more peach than it looks in the pan. Compared to the other two blushes in the swatches, that peach undertone really comes through. I got this blush/highlight duo as a Christmas gift from my sister a few years ago. Both of the powders are fairly hard packed so I am not surprised that it looks brand new still!
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
I won’t spend too much time on this blush because I know SO many people got this blush for a birthday gift from Sephora a few years ago but this blush is beautiful I must say! It is build-able, smooth, and a lovely mix between nude-peach-& pink! It is also great for traveling because it is a mini and the shadow is fairly hard packed so I am not worried about it breaking. It is the only Tarte blush that I have in this formula but I would definitely consider buying another mini in the future!
Pretty Vulgar Make Them Blush Powder Blush
I received this Pretty Vulgar blush in the shade hush blush in a Boxycharm and I really enjoy it! It is PIGMENTED. I definitely have to go in with a light hand and tap off the excess otherwise I will look like a clown but if you go in with the right amount of product, it is perfect! I love using this blush with more neutral or slightly cool tone looks. It is also lovely to use as a eyeshadow for a monochrome look.

TRIOS AND CORALS

Alamar Cosmetics Colorete Blush Trio
This blush trio from Alamar Cosmetics in the shade fair-light is the newest blush in my collection and I am OBSESSED! It is a build-able formula that comes with three shades: Castaway (orange), Paraiso (neutral pink), and Scorcher (peach, pink, and gold). I love mixing Castaway and Scorcher for warmer looks and Paraiso for neutral and cool tone looks! It is the perfect palette to travel with because it is thin in size and it has a range of shades to use!
NOTE Cosmetics Luminous Silk Compact Blusher
I received this NOTE Cosmetics blush in the shade desert rose in a Boxycharm and it is super pigmented! I think it is interesting that they call it desert rose because I think it is a straight coral! I definitely have to go in with a light hand with this blush but it is very lovely when using a teeny amount! I typically am not gravitated to this blush but when I put it is my shop my stash and I do use it- I love it!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Trio
I bought this ABH blush trio in the shade peachy love during an Ulta 21 days of beauty for half off and it was worth every penny! I have had it for almost a year and I am still so excited to use it every time! It is one of the most pigmented blushes that I have but not quite as much as the NOTE or Pretty Vulgar blush. I would say that this blush trio is in my top 3 faves.

SHIMMERY BLUSHES

Laura Geller Baked Blush- and- Brighten
I believe I received this Laura Geller blush in the shade tropic hues in a Boxycharm a while ago. It took me awhile to want to use this blush, I’m not sure why but it isn’t a shade that I am typically drawn to. Now that I have used it a handful of times, I actually do enjoy it! It is a rosy flush to the cheeks, almost a sunburnt shade and it isn’t TOO shimmery! I think it will look really lovely in the fall time.
Lancome Blush Subtil All-In-One Contour, Blush, & Highlighter Palette
My boss gave me a ton of samples (because she is a Sephora addict and constantly has samples coming in) and this tiny baby Lancome palette in the shade nectar lace was one of them! I only got this sample a month or two ago so I have not used it enough to give a review of it but after swatching it for the photo, I am intrigued. It definitely has visible sparkle so I am interested to see how that will convey on the cheeks. I should have technically have put this palette in my face palette collection but oh well! Maybe I will use it a few times and then include it in there along with a proper review!
Too Faced Blushing Bronzer
This Too Faced bronzer in the shade Pink Leopard is the only blush in my collection that has been discontinued! I looked online and it looks like you can still find it on ebay and amazon but I would not bother because it is incredibly over priced. I like this as a blush and bronzer topper but it is not a necessary step in my makeup routine. I still like to use it occasionally because it is in my collection but it isn’t a need.

BLUSH SINGLES

Makeup Geek Blush
I received this Makeup Geek blush in the shade bliss in a Boxycharm at some point. It is a very lightly pigmented blush and it is very light, I typically will mix it with the other blush single that I have. I can’t tell you what the second single is because I have no clue! I don’t know if I got it a Boxycharm, or if my sister gave it to me. There isn’t a sticker on the bottom of it either. It is a really beautiful rosy shade that mixes well with the Makeup Geek blush in Bliss!

CREAM BLUSH

Pur Chateau Cheek Stain
I love this Pur cheek stain in the shade peach bellini! Cream blush used to be so intimidating to me and now I am obsessed and it is an essential part of my makeup routine! This Pur blush was my “gateway” to my love of cream blush. This shade is the perfect peachy orange that is stunning with warm looks. I still have a significant amount left and I have many other lipsticks that I can use as cream blush but I would consider repurchasing this blush at some point!
Smashbox L.A. Lights Lip & Cheek Color
I received this Smashbox cream blush in the shade Beverly Hills as some sort of gift with purchase. I sat on this cream blush for way too long because it is so stunning! There is such a tiny amount inside of this too which made it even more ridiculous that I wasn’t using it. Now that I am using it regularly I think it will be used up before the end of the year.

And that’s all of my blushes! I do have a few others in some face palettes that I will include in a future posts but these are definitely my most reached for. What part of my collection should I attack next? Bronzer maybe? Until next time.

XO
Jess

June Favorites! Makeup, Skincare, & Lifestyle!

June flew by, friends! I cannot believe we are moving into July already! I have lots of favorites for this month that I was going back to time and time again and loving them every time!

My first favorite actually does not have anything to do with makeup- it was a trip to Solvang I went on with my boyfriend for our 5 year anniversary. FIVE years?! Crazy! We had the best trip that weekend full of wine, food, bike rides, and taking photos. I’ll share a few of my favorites from that weekend.

BACK TO THE FAVORITES

MAKEUP FAVES

https://www.ulta.com/blurring-primer-pore-minimizer?productId=xlsImpprod15931121
https://www.ulta.com/pores-no-more-luminizer-primer?productId=xlsImpprod15961083
Oh this duo has been my go to all month long! It is a pricey duo but I did receive both in a boxycharm at some point so I can’t complain! The Cover FX Blurring Primer is a pore filling primer with a slight tint to it. I LOVE it. It does a wonderful job blurring my pores without making my makeup feel slippy and slidey.
The Dr. Brandt Luminizer Primer gives the skin a glowy appearance while also actually moisturizing the skin! Definitely the dream team right here!

https://www.ulta.com/double-decker-lashes-mascara?productId=xlsImpprod13831067&sku=2302279&_requestid=12156835
Holy lashes! The Butter London Double Decker Mascara gives your lashes VOLUME! I am incredibly high maintenance with my lashes and I use 2 mascaras in my routine (one for volume and one for length). I do have pretty generous lashes to begin with but I also can be very particular when it comes to mascaras- they need to reach a certain standard and this one does! I did use a different mascara for my bottom lashes so I cannot attest to if it smudges or not but I will say that I didn’t have any issues with flaking. I also feel that there is a ton of product in this tube so I definitely think this mascara will last as long as you feel comfortable using it. Does anyone know if it comes in a mini?

https://alamarcosmetics.com/collections/face/products/colorete-blush-trios
https://www.ulta.com/chocolate-soleil-matte-bronzer?productId=xlsImpprod18031041
The Alamar Cosmetics blush in fair-light is so beautiful for this time of year. I could not put it down this month! If I was going for a warm tone look I would mix castaway and scorcher and if I was going for a more neutral or pinky look I would use paraiso. All three shades are a touch glowy without being sparkly (my sweet spot). It also comes in three shades based off of skin tone! Mine came in a boxycharm so I did not get to choose- I probably would have gone with the medium/tan trio but I am happy to have the fair-light trio!
I do not know why I haven’t tried the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer before. It is buildable, neutral in color, and it smells like chocolate! Sign me up! This was a gift from my sister– we both love makeup and she loves to spoil me.

https://www.ulta.com/lip-gloss?productId=xlsImpprod17571089
https://www.ulta.com/long-lasting-liquid-lipstick?productId=xlsImpprod15931207
Ok this Dose of Colors lip gloss in Just My Type is my favorite lip gloss- not just for the month but.. ever. It is just so lovely! The Dose lip glosses are pigmented- which is not always my favorite but in this case I love it because of how pretty this shade is! It is a soft pink that looks so pretty over a nude lip pencil! This gloss was in my makeup box last month but I was thinking about it so much I decided to just roll it over into this month as well! LOVE!
This Ofra liquid lipstick in the shade Verona is a perfect grungy-90’s-cool tone-brown (is that enough adjectives for you?). And I love grungy-90’s-cool tone browns! I haven’t played too much with this shade so I pulled it into my makeup box for the month and I fell in love with it!
Last up is the Colourpop lip pencil in Skimpy! This shade paired so well with the Dose of Colors gloss and pretty much all of the pinky nudes I wore this month! Probably my most used lip product for the month! I tried to find the exact shade on the Colourpop website but in true Colourpop fashion- the shade is already discontinued. It is ok though because the formula is bomb and they have tons of shades to choose from! I can’t wait to finish a few lip pencils so I can try the new packaging! I have to be very careful with my Colourpop lip pencils because they are always trying to fall out on me!

SKINCARE FAVES

https://www.ulta.com/drink-up-intensive-overnight-mask-quench-skins-thirst?productId=xlsImpprod15071361
https://www.sephora.com/product/clean-bee-ultra-gentle-facial-cleanser-P431187
I don’t have a lot for skincare faves this month but the ones I do have are total standouts! The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is incredible. I use this “mask” (I use it as a thick night moisturizer) every other night and when I wake up in the morning my skin is feeling plump and healthy. It also smells amazing- like sweet candy oranges.
The Farmacy Clean Bee Ultra Gentle Cleanser has been my go to night cleanser all month. It was a lovely gentle cleanser that made my skin feel cleansed without stripping my skin. It gets super sudsy too! Just don’t get in your mouth- it reminds me of when my mom would put soap in my mouth for talking back. Did any one else’s mom do that?!

LIFESTYLE FAVES

https://www.sephora.com/product/vanille-insensee-cologne-absolue-P375819?icid2=products%20grid:p375819&skuId=1447903
Atelier Cologne’s are amazing. The Atelier Cologne in the scent Vanielle Insensee is ridiculously amazing. It is sweet- but not too sweet- smells like vanilla but maybe with a shot of whiskey in there. I use this scent for every date night, it’s the perfect scent to go with sushi and wine (my date night preference). I have also gotten a sample of the Atelier Cologne in the scent Orange Sanguine and that smells incredible too! Very fresh and citrusy!

I have to give a shout out to the two podcasts I was the most obsessed with this month. First- The Last Days of August I binged in less than a week! This podcast had me wanting to know more! I would definitely recommend if you are interested in true crime/investigative podcasts!
Also- the new season of Ear Hustle started this month! They took a long hiatus in between seasons so I was very excited to see that they are back! This podcast takes you inside the San Quentin prison and gives insight on what life is really like in prison! The hosts are incredible and give a perspective that you would not be able to see otherwise!

I think that is everything for the month of June! It has been an exciting and busy month for sure! Until next time.

XO
Jess

June Empties! Makeup, Skincare & Lifestyle!

Holy moly June flew by!!! Can you guys believe that we are already entering July aka cancer season aka my birthday month?! Now I am not a big birthday person… I always feel that there is a weird pressure that you HAVE to do something big for your birthday every year and that is just not me! I would rather just go out to dinner with my family accompanied by lots of drinks. My grinch attitude on birthdays may be because I am turning 27 this year and that is way too close to 30 for my liking but either way I am keeping it very low key this year!

ANYWAY- back to the empties. I feel like I went through so. much. product. this month! Most of the big hitters I finished right in the first few days of June too so I started this month with a bang. I’ll categorize my empties by type of product rather than when I finished each product to keep it more organized. Lets start with makeup:

MAKEUP EMPTIES

https://www.ulta.com/telescopic-carbon-black-mascara?productId=xlsImpprod560124
https://www.ulta.com/naked-skin-weightless-complete-coverage-concealer?productId=xlsImpprod11911129
This month I went through a mascara AND concealer! The L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black mascara is a definite favorite. I held onto this mascara way past its 3-4 month expiry because I did not want to say goodbye. I eventually had to let it go before I got an eye infection and because I have quite a few mascaras to move through. I will definitely repurchase this mascara at some point once I have less mascaras in my collection. I’m not going to lie though, if I am missing it too much…. I may have to pick up one a little early.
Next up was the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer in the shade medium-light neutral. This shade was a little dark for me during the time I was using it (fall-winter-spring) but with a tan it is perfection. I typically mixed it with tarte shape tape (which is not my favorite formula but I am trying to use it up) because that concealer is in a shade that is a bit too light for me. I LOVE the urban decay concealer, it is a definite favorite- I even took out the stopper and scraped every bit out! I am currently using the FAB Bendy Avocado concealer and I do like it but I do prefer the Naked Skin concealer. I will definitely repurchase the Naked Skin concealer at some point but there have been some other concealers I do have my eye on to try next so I will likely not repurchase the Naked Skin concealer this year.

SKINCARE EMPTIES

https://www.ulta.com/ginzing-refreshing-eye-cream-brighten-depuff?productId=xlsImpprod15071307
https://www.ulta.com/maracuja-oil?productId=xlsImpprod4490053
https://www.sephora.com/product/luminous-dewy-skin-mask-P429537
The Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream was nice! Before this eye cream, I was using an inexpensive eye cream that I got off of amazon. I noticed that my eyes, especially my lids, were becoming increasingly dry and I needed to up my eye cream game. I wasn’t expecting any miracles but I will say that I have not had an issue with dry eye lids anymore! I did buy a backup of this eye cream when Ulta was having their 21 days of beauty sale during the spring so I am already stocked up. Currently I am using a Purity deluxe sample and though I do like it, I do prefer the Origins eye cream.
Ok I was shocked how long this little baby sample of the Tarte Maracuja Oil lasted! I used this oil in conjunction with my rose hip oil that I use every other night. I did 2 drops rose hip oil and 2 drops maracuja oil and I loved it! It lasted 3 weeks when using it almost every other night! Not bad for a free sample. This baby is pretty pricey though so I don’t know if I would actually bite the bullet and purchase the full size but possibly if there is a mini or if it goes on sale.
I got 2 Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Masks in a boxycharm a few months ago. I have been saving them for when I really needed a moisture boost and over the weekend I had a bad cold and my face was completely dehydrated from blowing my nose 150 times in one day. I took a hot bath and threw on one of these masks and it was really lovely! I definitely felt moisturized and there was more than enough saturation to apply the extra on my neck and chest (face mask hack). I have one more that I will likely save for a similar situation. I don’t think I would purchase these on my own because they are $12 for a one use mask but if they come into my life again I would be happy to use them!

https://www.target.com/p/soap-glory-peaches-clean-deep-cleansing-milk-11-8oz/-/A-51207498
I had two mini packs of the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes that came with the costco pack of makeup wipes. Listen- these are a cult favorite for a reason… they are great! I was in a pinch before a trip last weekend and I bought the 365 brand of makeup remover wipes and though I will finish them.. I much prefer the Neutrogena wipes. Once I do repurchase I will from costco!
Ugh this Soap and Glory Peaches & Clean Deep Cleansing Milk was trash. I used it as a cleanser only a few times before I completely broke out from it. The scent is way too overpowering to be a face cleanser. It was sitting in my medicine cabinet untouched for months before I finally decided to use it as makeup remover for swatches or makeup on my hands. I typically use the top of my hand to mix whatever foundations I am using that day to color match and I will also use it to warm up my cream blush before applying it on my face with a brush. I then would use this cleanser to remove the makeup on my hands after I am finished. It didn’t even remove the makeup off my hands very well! Once it couldn’t come out anymore I tried to cut it in half to remove the rest and the bottle actually BROKE my scissors!! I will definitely not be using this product again and I am happy it is gone! Whew!

BODY CARE EMPTIES

https://www.ulta.com/phenomenal-organic-tan-infused-cloths?productId=pimprod2006907
I looked at the bath and body works website and the sage and mint scent I had in this lotion is not available anymore! Which is too bad because I did enjoy it! I am currently using their “energy” aromatherapy body lotion which is the orange ginger scent and I like that one as well!
The Vita Liberata Organic Tan infused cloths I got in a beauty box that Carli Bybel collaborated on. I used one of the tanning cloths because I had a baby shower to attend and wanted to wear a dress without blinding anyone with how white my legs are. I do tan well when I am in the sun but it has been a cold cold spring and early summer here in Southern California so my legs have barely seen the light of day! I am not the most experienced self-tanner-user but this was easy to use and it gave me a nice but not too overly bronze look! I would consider buying these cloths again!

HAIR CARE EMPTIES

https://www.sephora.com/product/rosarco-milk-reparative-leave-in-conditioning-spray-P396733
https://www.sephora.com/product/dont-despair-repair-deep-conditioning-mask-P388628?icid2=certona%20carousel:p388628:product

I received the Briogeo Rosarco Milk in a boxycharm I believe. I usually use this leave in conditioner after I wash my hair when my hair is still damp. I do like it and I have 3 backups from other various beauty boxes and Briogeo sets I have purchased!
The Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask is a holy grail. I am currently on my last tub of this mask and I am waiting for a good sale to come around so I can make my repurchases!
The Batiste Dry Shampoo in original is another holy grail! It is affordable and does a great job of keeping my hair fresh and clean! I already have two backups!

LIFESTYLE EMPTIES

I looked online and I could not find a link for the Live Green Bath Salts but I did find it at Marshalls and it was incredibly inexpensive! I took A LOT of baths this month and I loved these bath salts when I was feeling sore from the gym and when I had a cold. I would definitely repurchase these again if I can find them!
I know what you are thinking with the bubble bath but the Johnson’s bubble bath is amazing! It’s gentle, sudsy, and the fragrances are so lovely! I will say that I do not like the new packaging with the pump, I much prefer the pop top but that won’t deter me from repurchasing.

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/prada-la-femme-prada-eau-de-parfum/4414961
https://www.bathandbodyworks.com/p/cinnamon-spiced-vanilla-single-wick-candle-023810191.html#q=cinnamon%2Bspiced%2Bvanilla&lang=en_US&start=3
I used this sample of the Prada La Femme Eau De Parfum. I didn’t hate this but I didn’t love it either. I ended up using it as a hair perfume and I did enjoy it that way but I will definitely not purchase.
I LOVED this Bath and Body Works candle in the scent Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla. Morgan got it for me on Valentines day and although I tried to use it sparingly, I still blew through it so quickly. It’s a warm cozy scent that is not overly sweet. I will definitely repurchase but most likely during the fall– it looks like they only have this scent currently in the one wick candle which is not my preference.

Wow! That’s all of my empties for the month of June! I am very interested on what I end up finishing during July…. I am pretty close to finishing one of my foundations so you could see that in next month’s empties! My goal is also to go through a few more samples. I have too many! Until next time.

XO
Jess

How to: Keep Your Hair Fresh Between Washes!

Hey guys! Welcome back- today I wanted to chat about something I feel very passionate about….. washing your hair as little as possible. I was once one of “those people” who washed their hair every. single. day. My hair had zero body to it and I was applying heat to it everyday to style it therefore it would never grow because of how dead it was. I always felt that I had to because of how oily it would be the following morning but about 2 years ago that I was going to bite the bullet and try this whole not washing your hair every day thing.

It took a little trial and error and some getting used to but now I can up to 4-5 days in between washes! It was all about finding the right products and having the patience to let your hair’s ~oilyness~ get used to not being washed out everyday.

My hair now grows very rapidly because I do not have to apply heat every day to it (mostly just touch up’s about every other day). Also– it has body!!! My flimsy thin hair actually has body!! Here are a few products that have transformed my hair and allowed it be washed as little as possible:

https://www.ulta.com/dry-shampoo?productId=xlsImpprod2040049

Numbero uno-can’t live without-life (just hair-not life) saver
DRY SHAMPOO. Batiste has been a definite favorite and really the only way I would be able to get away with not washing for more than a day. I have found that the OG is my favorite but I have tried tropical (too scented), fresh (liked this but harder to find on sale), and divine dark (like this because of the lack of white cast but it does not clean as well and the color gets… everywhere). The white cast was one of the areas that I had to get used to but I honestly think that it has been easier to manage. Maybe my hair is getting used to it or I know how to blend it in easier, either way I have not found it to be a problem. I will say that I do prefer the Moroccan Oil dark tones dry shampoo more but the price is not quite worth it when Batiste does a very similar job.
The 6.73 oz goes for $8.99 but I do see it on sale for by one get one half off on Ulta and Amazon has a pack of three for $16.22- which is an amazing deal.
In conjunction- The Moroccan Oil dry shampoo goes for $26 pretty much across the board and I rarely see it on sale. Therefore- for me- it is an easy decision to go for Batiste.

https://www.sephora.com/product/dont-despair-repair-deep-conditioning-mask-P388628?icid2=products%20grid:p388628:product
https://www.sephora.com/product/scalp-revival-charcoal-coconut-oil-micro-exfoliating-shampoo-P418507?icid2=products%20grid:p418507:product
Next up: Hair masks and a good shampoo. Hair masks- especially the Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair mask have been hair changing. I use this once a week instead of conditioner and my hair feels soft for days. It is definitely pricey… I do tend to wait until I see a coupon code for 30% off to buy off of the Briogeo website or wait until there is a sale and I will buy the value packs. Aside from that- it is a hair investment for sure! The Briogeo Charcoal shampoo is also amazing. It doesn’t suds up like a normal shampoo so I will usually mix half of the charcoal shampoo with a normal shampoo and start with the roots and then move to the ends. I find that this still does a good job at extracting the oils and product built up in my roots and it tends to make the charcoal shampoo last a little longer. I will usually use this shampoo once a week. I am currently out and waiting for a sale to repurchase because I am missing it!

https://www.ulta.com/renewing-argan-oil-of-morocco-weightless-healing-dry-oil?productId=xlsImpprod3560033
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/marc-anthony-true-professional-hydrating-coconut-oil-%26-shea-butter-oil-treatment/ID=prod6250554-product
Hair oils! This is a newer part of my hair routine (about 6 months in) but now I feel that it is essential. I will typically use the argan oil after I wash my hair and I will put it in while it is damp. The Argan oil smells amazing and it is really does my the ends of my hair silky and soft. One complaint is I don’t love the spray nozzle on this, it can be messy and I prefer a cap that I can put a few drops in my hand and apply it on my hair.
The Marc Anthony coconut oil smells AMAZING. Like a tropical holiday. I will use this oil in between washes when I feel that my hair is starting to feel dry and it needs a refresher. I do have a deluxe sample of the Moroccan Oil hair oil that I am going to use when I finish the Marc Anthony but I will likely repurchase the Marc Anthony Oil when I am in need of another oil.

Lastly- I will spray perfume samples occasionally in my hair to spruce it up. I will typically use a perfume that I like but do not love as a way to use it up but not have to force myself to wear it as a regular perfume. I have found that this is a way to use up my samples and keep my hair smelling great for as long as I need.

Here are all of my tips and tricks for keeping my hair feeling clean and looking clean for extended periods of time. It also has allowed me to use way less heat on my hair (I haven’t blow dryed my hair in over a year) therefore making it much healthier! If you have struggled to fall into the “don’t wash your hair everyday” trend, try these tips and see if they work for you too! Until next time.

XO
Jess

June 2019 Boxycharm Unboxing

Another month, another boxycharm! It is such a treat to get my boxycharm every month. I have thought about discontinuing my membership but I can’t get myself to do it. I look forward to it every month, it has four-five full size products for only $21, and i have found some favorites from boxes! It has also cut down my spending on makeup. I haven’t bought an eyeshadow palette in over a year- crazy! With how good of deal it is and how much I enjoy it- I can’t give it up.

This month I was a little nervous to see what I would get after seeing some of the sneak peeks. There are a few variations each month and it is just a toss up on what you get. I will say- I am VERY happy with my box this month. One of my favorite boxes I have gotten!

1. First up is the Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Cheek Palette V3 ($45). WOWOW! I am so excited to play with this baby. I have the Pro Glow Palette with the cream bronzer in it and I do enjoy it but I am very excited to play with these blushes. This was a win considering the other option was a Tarte eyeshadow palette and I am not a HUGE fan of their eye shadow formula.

2. Next is the Touch and Sol No Poreblem Prime Essence ($23). I am very intrigued by this product. In Kathleen Lights unboxing she used this as a primer but on the packaging it says it can also be used as skincare. I will definitely have to play around with this guy- I am looking forward to it.

3. Onto the Dominique Cosmetics lipgloss in Peach Tea ($17). Ummmm this is so beautiful. The packaging is stunning and the gloss looks beautiful. I have been recently very into gloss so this product will be a wonderful addition to my gloss collection.

4. Next is Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Whipped Cleansing Cream ($25). I have not heard of this company before but this product just sounds lovely. It seems to be a cleanser that can be used everyday. I do have a few other cleansers that I need to work through before I open this one so it will be a few months but look forward to seeing this in my empties and I will give a little review!

5. Lastly is the Dirty Little Secret lip liner in the shade Rosie Posie ($15). I also did see on Kathleen’s unboxing that she did not like this liner at all so I do not have the highest hopes for this product but I am definitely going to give it a chance. If this is the only dud in the box, I still think this box is a winner.

Overall this box is worth $125 and we only pay $21!! It can’t be beat! Looking forward to July already. Until next time.

XO
Jess

True Crime Podcast Recommendations!

My job as a nanny requires a lot of driving. I take the kids to school, run errands, and take them to all of there various after school activities. I mean seriously these kids have a way busier schedule than I do and they are 6. With all of that driving I have a lot of down time. Very quickly I got sick of listening to the same music all of the time so I turned to podcasts! I first got recommendations for true crime podcasts from one of my favorite youtubers- Nicole Cutler. I have always been totally obsessed with Cops (bad boys bad boys whatcha gonna do), How to Catch a Predator, and all of those amazing shows on a&e like “Killer Kids” and “Moms Who Kill”. It’s the best. True crime podcasts were very clearly an easy avenue to go down.

I want to share with you my favorites! The ones I am fully up-to-date on or have completely finished along with a few that I have my eye on to check out next.

1. Serial

Ahhhhh Serial. My first love. This podcast was a recommendation from Nicole Cutler and Oh My God it is so addictive. I finished the first season in days. I do have to say that the first season was my favorite but season two and season three are also very interesting. The first season follows Adnan Syed and the murder of Hae Min Lee. Sarah Koenig is the host and she does an amazing job investigating the story. Season two and season three take a completely different focus but it still falls under the true crime umbrella. Highly recommend!

2. Criminal

Out of all of the podcasts that I am recommending, this is the one that I think most people would enjoy. My boyfriend is not into murder quite as much as me (that was a weird sentence) but he does like this podcast! It is fairly short episodes running between 20-40 minutes and each episode follows a different subject. The host, Phoebe Judge has the most soothing and lovely voice that anything she says– I am totally into. The most recent episodes have followed prostitution, being a high end escort, and the very famous Bunny Ranch. There are so many episodes to choose from I really do not think you will be disappointed. I personally have listened to all of them and I still can’t get enough.

3. My Favorite Murder

Hello my name is Jessie and I am a murderino. I am totally obsessed. I even went to see them live this past Halloween and it was such a fun experience. This podcast has turned into way more than a podcast. It is a little murderino community making people like me feel less weird about being into true crime. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are funny and relatable and real. They just recently came out with their own podcast network, Exactly Right, and their own book, Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered. Yes I did buy the book, I will update you in a future post with a mini review! My Favorite Murder is more of a storytime, casual chat type of podcast- not so much investigative. I think it is great though, definitely would recommend but I know it is not for everyone.

4. The Murder Squad

The Murder Squad is a new podcast on the Exactly Right Network! It is hosted by Billy Jensen and Paul Holes. Paul Holes is the cold case investigator who along with many other investigators brought down the Golden State Killer (!!!!) When I heard that Paul was going to be hosting this podcast- I was already sold. It has not disappointed either! It takes a look at cases that are partially solved but have elements such as the identification of the victims that are still missing. Very very interesting and interactive podcast.

5. Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle takes you inside the San Quentin Prison to learn about prison life. It is hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods. Earlonne was actually an inmate at San Quentin and his sentence was recently commuted after serving 21 years in prison. There was a long delay during season three and season four but they just came back and Earlonne is still a host but he is now going to be interviewing people on their lives after prison. I just listened to the first episode of the fourth season this week and I am very excited for what is to come.

6. The Last Days of August

Oh boy. This one was a doozy. The Last Days of August was another podcast that I finished in a week. It takes an investigated look at the death of August Ames, a pornstar who committed suicide at age 24. The host, Jon Ronson talks to family, friends, and coworkers of August to try and discover what drove August to this point. August had so much depth and layers to her and that made this podcast take many unexpected turns.

There are my podcast recommendations to add onto your lists. My “to listen to” list is as follows: Crime Junkie, Female Criminals, and Up and Vanished. Are there any others I should add onto my list?

It is funny as I have been writing in my blog the past few weeks how many different topics I have covered. When people used to ask me what my hobbies are or what I like to do in my spare time; in my head I would think, “Uhh is wine a hobby??”. No Jess, wine is not a hobby therefore I wouldn’t know how to answer. I now see I actually do have a lot of hobbies! And if I do say so myself, they are pretty great. Until next time.

XO
Jess

May 2019 Empties!

Happy June 1st everyone! May definitely felt like a long month to me. There were also quite a few birthdays in May in my family so there was a lot of celebrating (and money spending) that happened this month. My sister turned 20 this month- finally not a teen! SO weird! We did a day trip to Catalina Island to celebrate her birthday and we had the best time. I haven’t been there since I was a kid and I forgot how beautiful it is.

It was also my boyfriends birthday this month! We had a three day celebration filled with all of his favorite things: boxing, drinks, shopping, and food. He was very satisfied. Along with all of those birthdays there was also mother’s day and memorial day! Busy busy busy! And it does not look like June is going to be any slower!

Along with all of the craziness of the month I actually managed to move through quite a few products! I did not take photos of all of my empties for the month but I will insert a photo of the product if I did not take a picture of my own.

Does anyone else have an obscene amount of chapstick!? I honestly don’t even know where most of them have came from! My goal for this year is to focus on the chapsticks that I have and move them out of my collection. Especially because I am very picky about chapsticks. The blistex chapstick was ok. I don’t think I will repurchase it but I was fine using it. I only had about half left in it so I went through it fairly quickly.

I have had this Pur lip scrub in my collection for over a year! I got it in a boxycharm in February 2018 and I have finally finished it. Most of the time I just forgot that it existed. Once I started to incorporate it in my face mask routine I moved through it in about 2 months. I did enjoy this lip scrub but I didn’t love it. It didn’t have quite enough scrub to it and it felt a little oily after I removed it.

I loved this cleanser! I have heard of it from a bunch of beauty youtubers and I was really excited to try it. My boss is an avid sephora shopper and she never uses her samples so she always gives them to me! This was a deluxe size sample and I do have a backup deluxe size sample of this same cleanser. The first 2 or 3 times I was unsure about it but the more I used the more I enjoyed it. It is very gentle but I do feel clean after using it but not as though my skin is completely stripped of all its natural oils. I definitely would consider purchasing the full size during a sale in the future but right now I do have a handful of cleansers to move through before that happens.

This Amore Pacifica Essence was another sample that my boss gave me. I used it 2-3 times a week for about 2 months and I am not sure it did anything (both good and bad). To be perfectly honest I’m not sure what an essence even does! I will not be purchasing a full size of this item or probably any essence!

I finished three perfume samples this month! I only took a picture of the Clinique Happy sample and that was the most recent one that I finished. I did not love this scent- a little too mature for me and not my favorite. I do have another Clinique Happy sample but I am going to give it to my mom along with a few others that are not my style of fragrance. The other two that I finished were Gucci Bamboo and Viva La Juicy. I enjoyed both of these! Viva la Juicy was a little too sweet but I did enjoy it. Gucci Bamboo was so so lovely, I would definitely consider purchasing it in the future once I move through some of my other perfumes.

I did finish a small size of the Briogeo Scalp Revival Shampoo. I love this shampoo. I have used an entire 8 oz before and I will definitely be repurchasing sometime in the near future. I use this shampoo once a week and I feel like it does a great job of getting all the excess dry shampoo out of my hair from the week. I only wash my hair twice a week (one day using a regular shampoo) so I need a shampoo to do a really good job removing product out of my scalp. Definitely worth the price but holy moly it is expensive so I am going to hold off until a sale.

Mac Strobe Cream (full size). I actually had to cut this product in half to dig out the rest and it lasted me another month! I repotted it in a Milani lip treatment container that is the perfect size for these situations. I have had this primer in my collection for probably 5 years. I know. It’s terrible. The smell, color, and consistency never changed and it never broke me out so I think it’s fine. Anyway- I love this primer. I think it is very moisturizing and it gives a nice sheen to the skin. I do have a small size of this primer that I will be opening after I move through some other primers first.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (Small size). I also had to cut this item in half and dig out the rest. This one only lasted about two weeks after that. I have mixed feelings about this product. While I definitely will never purchase this myself and I did not love it; I did find a way for this to work for me and I was able to use it up. The only way that I liked this primer was when I warmed it between my fingers and then really massaged it into my t-zone. Even then I do not think it helped with the longevity of my makeup and I am already seeing a big difference with a different pore filling primer that I am currently using. Overall- I didn’t love it and I am happy I used it up and it is out of my collection.

Well I think that it is it for the month of May! I am happy with what I have finished up this month- especially the primers. I am super close to finishing up a few other products so I have a feeling that June is going to be a big empties month as well. Until next time.

XO
Jess

Bathing suit haul! Target and Nordstom!

Because June is just a few days away I took it upon myself to do a bathing suit refresh. Living in southern california you put a lot of wear on bathing suits. Also, my parents just moved to Lake Arrowhead last summer so I was there every weekend on the boat, in the jacuzzi, and wake boarding. I also found a new love for one piece bathing suits, who knew they were so cute!? And functional! I can actually jump in the lake without having to worry too much about the girls popping out!

I am pretty good about controlling my spending habits when it comes to clothes shopping, most of the time I can control myself. Apparently except for last week when I bought four bathing suits (face palm). In my defense I will only be keeping three and the ones I am keeping are seriously adorable.

I saw that Nordstrom was having a sale so I put in an online order and bought two bathing suits and a wallet! I have had my current wallet for 6 years and it has seen better days. I have actually used that thing to death and it was time to get a new one. The one that I bought is a little big for my current purse but it will be perfect in the fall time when I use a larger bag for student teaching. Aside from the wallet I did buy two bathing suits! They both caught my eye and I figured what ever did not work I will just return so there is no harm in buying both!

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/sole-society-travel-faux-leather-wallet/5118379?utm_source=email&utm_medium=transaction&utm_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_product_img3&utm_channel=email_tran_ret_p&sp_source=email&sp_medium=transaction&sp_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_productimg3
The wallet is from Sole Society and I paid $14.96 for it. Not bad right?! And it feels like it will hold up well too. I will definitely be keeping this guy. It does look like it is sold out right now but if it comes back in stock I do recommend snagging it up.

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/trina-turk-getaway-solid-high-leg-maillot/5345420?utm_source=email&utm_medium=transaction&utm_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_product_img2&utm_channel=email_tran_ret_p&sp_source=email&sp_medium=transaction&sp_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_productimg2
This bathing suit is from Trina Turk and I paid $79.20 for it. I know I know that is pretty high for a basic black bathing suit but I was looking for a quality staple piece that I will use for years and I really love this one! Also the original price was $132 so I think I got a great deal on it! I love that it cuts higher on the leg and the material is ridiculous comfortable. I also think this one is out of stock but I do recommend it if you are looking for a high quality and adorable bathing suit! Oh and I got a size 6!

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/the-bikini-lab-solids-lace-up-side-high-leg-one-piece/5344728?utm_source=email&utm_medium=transaction&utm_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_product_img1&utm_channel=email_tran_ret_p&sp_source=email&sp_medium=transaction&sp_campaign=T200OrdCfm_052219_productimg1
This bathing suit is from The Bikini Lab and I paid $38.40 for it (Size Medium). Annnnnnd I will be returning it! I love how it laces up on the sides and how low it cuts in the back but the straps cut way too low in the front, my boobies were one move from popping out! Also it fits way boxier than I like. Definitely not my favorite! It looks like it is currently in stock but I wouldn’t waste your money.

After I made that purchase I happened to go to target the next day and I made my way through the bathing suit isle. Side note– is it just me or is target really stepping up their clothes game?! I was seriously impressed! I tried on 4 bathing suits all in size medium and I actually like all of them! I wound up with two though because I knew I just made that Nordstrom purchase and I needed to practice some sort of self control.

https://www.target.com/p/women-s-cinch-side-ribbed-texture-one-piece-swimsuit-xhilaration-153-olive/-/A-54292830?preselect=54277180#lnk=sametab
This bathing suit is xhilaration and I paid $29.99 for it. One of my favorite colors to wear is olive green so I was immediately attracted to this bathing suit and it did not disappoint. I love how you can adjust how high the leg is with the ties on the side and I love the back! This one was my favorite of the two I got from target, in fact I already wore it over the weekend!

https://www.target.com/p/women-s-crochet-inset-one-piece-swimsuit-xhilaration-153-black/-/A-53742619?preselect=53701409#lnk=sametab
This bathing suit is also xhilaration and is also $29.99. I love the crochet detail on this suit. It makes a basic black bathing suit super cute and fun for the summer. I also love the strappy detail on the back!

Both of the target bathing suits are still in stock but honestly there are so many cute and affordable bathing suits at target you really can’t go wrong with any of them!

I think I may be good on bathing suits now for the year after this haul! I will keep you guys updated if any others sneak into my collection. Until next time.

XO

Jess

Hi- I’m back now. (Life Update)

Hi guys!

Remember how I said until next time and then I never came back?? Yeah that happened- oops. Well now I am back! And actually hoping I will stick around a bit longer than I had before!

Just to start this off why don’t we start with a life update since it has been almost 2 years…..

-Remember how I said I had a good lead on a new nanny job that is in the same city that I live in??? Well, I got the job and I am still with the same family! Now as with most jobs there are positives and negatives but I must say this has been one of the best jobs I have ever had. But just to give you an idea of what I am dealing with I will give you a quick list of positives and negatives. Positive #1: My job allows for a lot of independence during the day when the kiddos are at school. Positive #2: I have the same schedule every week and I get off work at 11am on Friday (HALLELUJAH PRAISE JESUS) Positive #3: I have benefits friends!!! From a nanny job! Paid vacation days and paid holidays yes baby!! Positive #4: The family is pretty great and I feel comfortable in their home. Ok now for the good ol’ negatives. Negative #1: The kids are twins….. must I say more. Negative #2: They do not get along very often and are complete opposites. Fun. Aside from those details though, this is a great job so I will miss it when I am gone which will not be long from now because…. duh duh duh duh…..
-I am student teaching in the Fall!! Woohooo!! It is crazy but I am actually done with all of my masters and credentials courses and my last step in my program is to student teach! All of my tests are completed now aside from the RICA which to be honest I do not even want to think about right now so I will file that away in the “Think about in 3 months” folder. I am very excited to finally student teach but I am also incredibly nervous because I have not spent too much time inside a classroom and the internship is completely unpaid so ya girl has been saving.
-My boyfriend and I are still in the same condo that we were in before and are still very obsessed with where we live- maybe even more so. I do feel in a bit of a home decor rut right now so in future posts I can talk about areas in our home I want to redo and some inspo along with areas I have redone recently that I am obsessed with.

Oh and fun fact- my boyfriend and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary in a few weeks! It is crazy that all that time has passed so quickly. Does anyone have any anniversary date ideas?? I haven’t even thought about it yet and I need some ideas friends!

I think that will be all for now. I have a post coming soon on one of my favorite hobbies as of late- project panning! Until next time.

XO

Jess