Friday, January 30, 2015

PopSugar Must Have | January 2015

I have been loving the PopSugar boxes lately. I think it's because I have been waiting for spoilers, so there isn't a way to be disappointed-I didn't order this one until I saw the whole reveal. I love everything and think it's a good mix of products.

Box Breakdown
Jack & Lucy Pom Pom Hat
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
KeepCup Brew 12-Ounce Reusable Coffee Cup
Manduka eQua Hand Towel
ToGoSpa Eyes
Skin Jewel Tattoos
General Mills Nature Valley Protein Granola

The flash tats will have to wait 'til summer, but everything else is perfect for winter. I have already been wearing the Jack & Lucy hat. I fold it up to not be so slouchy. I have tried samples of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and really liked it, so I am excited to have this giant jar. The Manduka eQua Hand Towel will come in handy during workouts. It feels very soft and water-repellant. I can always use another coffee cup, and I love the short stature of the KeepCup. The ToGoSpa Eye thingy-mabobs look neat too. Can't go wrong with granola either. Overall, this box is a win-win-win-win....

If you want to join PopSugar, you can follow my link here

What did you think of this month's PopSugar box?
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Thursday, January 29, 2015

before & after | Brows

Filling in my brows is a recent addition to my make-up routine, but I am digging it. I already have pretty dark brows to begin with, especially for my red hair, and with the full fringe, they are concealed most of the time, so it took me awhile to feel like I needed to. However, it is true what they say, they frame your face.

Some days I definitely over do it, and I am still getting the trick of it. But I do like the big, bold look for the colder weather. My bangs can get jammed up in a hat, so it's good to have some extra definition. I use the Anastasia Brow Whiz in Soft Brown to come through and fill in, followed by the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to keep them in place.

How do you define your brows?
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Lush Valentine's Day 2015

I can't resist a Lush holiday collection (Christmas, Easter, etc.) I feel like most of the time I miss out, so this year I went super early. There were quite a few things I wanted, but I decided to limit myself to just a few bathtime treats.

The Kiss Lip Scrub
This is the only thing I have tried so far. I needed a new lip scrub, especially with this dry winter season. I have never tried a Lush lip scrub before and decided to go with the V-day version. The Kiss smells like cotton candy. It's very soft and gentle, while being an effective exfoliator. Instructions say to lick it off, but that kinda weirds me out, and I hate the taste. It tastes more like bubblegum which I am not a fan of. There is a ton in here as a little goes a long way, but it does expire quickly so I hope I can do the jar justice.

Heart Throb Bubbleroon
This was at the top of my list. I love the heart shape and the gold glitter, perfect for v-day. The scent is a good balance of vanilla and florals.

Rose Queen Bath Bomb
This one isn't a Valentine's Day specific product, but it is definitely appropriate. It's a true roses scent and is supposed to leave petals in the bath. I heard it's messy, but it sounds like a fun V-day themed bath.

I was also wanting Unicorn Horn- it's so pretty & pastel-but my Lush store was out of it the last few times I went in. I got Love Locket last year as a Valentine's gift from Preston. I loved the scent of that one and you can break it up into so many pieces for a ton of uses-especially if you have a tiny NYC tub like me.

Have you been to Lush lately?

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Snow Day | Juno

Our first official snow day of the season. Juno (see Hercules here) wasn't as terrifying in NYC as it was expected it to be, which worked out for me as I had a SNOW DAY. It was fun to sleep in a bit with a cup of coffee (I even did the cliche knee-high & mug in bed shot...) and have an afternoon in the park. It seems every parent & child in Park Slope also came to that conclusion as the hills were covered in tiny sledders & happy pups.

Prospect Park is my favourite place to be no matter the season. 
Fall is the best, but the snow makes for quite the winter wonderland.

I am quite proud of my squirrel photo...

I am surprised (but happy) they kept the water turned on. Yes, they can turn off the waterfalls. 

Our snowy evenings have been filled with Friends. This is our best Chandler impression (The One with the Engagement Picture)-we needed more teeth.  And of course, we took the drone out though the cold weather wasn't conducive to long flights.

macro shots...

Just barely frozen ponds.

Litchfield Villa

Rows & rows of houses.

Though the weather wasn't too crazy, I am glad NYC was prepared for the possibility.
Hope everyone on the Northeast coast is safe & warm!
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Monday, January 26, 2015

New Wet n Wild | Lashes, Lippies, & Liners

Wet n Wild is a brand that I have been obsessed with for the past couple of years, but before hadn't tried anything. It's very unassuming. It's cheap (& honestly- looks a bit cheap...), but I am so impressed with the quality and glad that the beauty blogging world exposed me to it or I probably would have continued to ignore the end-cap. It seems that new products for WnW are mainly limited edition shades or when they did the Fergie line, so I was pretty excited to hear about a lot of new products for 2015. I decided to pick up a few things and have been testing them out.

I have been looked for a nude liner to line the waterline within the cruelty-free, drugstore market and the Kohl Crayon Calling your Buff is perfect. It doesn't tug to apply, but it also doesn't leave gobs of product like super soft pencils can. The colour is perfect for canceling redness without being obvious. I have tried quite a few WnW mascaras and all have been okay- but not great. This one, Max Volume Mascara Plus, however, is pretty good. It reminds me a lot of the Physician Formula mascaras, but it's only $5. I definitely disagree with the 'max volume' claim, but it gets an 'A' in lengthening and separating. I am not even much of a fan of rubber bristles, so if you are, you might want to give it a try. We are all aware of my WnW lipstick obsession, basically a whole drawer in my Muji storage is dedicated to them, so I had to try a new one. The packaging is slightly different, still a clear top and black plastic bottom-but now it has to click to shut, which I find annoying, but I guess it keeps the top on. I picked up 537A Blind Date. I love these shades of lipsticks and probably have many similar ones. It's kind of like the colour of Urban Nights (another WnW lipstick), but instead of the matte finish it's more glossy while still opaque.

Have you picked up any of the new WnW releases? I have seen a lot of cool things online that I am hoping to find-like the Fergie eyeshadow palettes and the velvet matte lip pencils.
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Saturday, January 24, 2015

ABM Happy Mail | January 2015

Woo-hoo! More Happy Mail. It's never a surprise as I can't wait to watch the reveal videos, but it's exciting to get the package. I actually have ideas on who to send some of these to! I like that there are a few Valentine's related cards, but it's not overwhelmingly themed.

I love the simple cards the best like the 'hello' card and the pineapples. But then I never want to send them, I just want to keep them... There were quite a few that cracked me up. I can't wait to send the 'Happy B-Day Bro' card with the hipster dude. First thing I did when I saw it was ask Preston when his (moved to Portland) brother's birthday was. The heart-shaped sunnies Dachshund is another funny one that I have to send to Preston's family as a little V-day shout out as they have a Chiweenie named Teacup. I also really like the script of the 'Let's Make Out' Card, and I need a housewarming party to go to to give the neon houses card or even the little cheese plate print.

Another good month! Though I am missing my gold-foil-I guess this month it was about the neon. I am going to have to go through my cards from previous months and mail some "thinking of you" letters out as the stash is getting larger & larger.

Are you subscribed to Happy Mail?
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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Haul | Target Dollar Spot Valentine's Day

Yes, Valentine's Day stuff is here. Weirdly enough, Valentine's Day is one of my favourite holidays. Every V-day post, I am always defending it. It's such a polarizing holiday. I just love all the cute little gifts and decorations, and dinner & a movie will always be one of my favourite date nights no matter how cliche.

Even though it's a bit early, Target always seems to run out of the holiday stuff, so I decided to get it while I could. I loved the selection of washi's and tried very hard to limit myself by picking tapes that could be used for other occasions. I loaded up on sticker sheets and threw in some sticky notes and page flags as well. They had so many cute erasers, and even though I rarely use pencils, I decided to get a bag of the little robots. I could say the word 'cute' a million more times, so I think I will just let the pictures sepak for themselves...

Any V-day purchases & plans?

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Saturday, January 17, 2015

evlady

Just a quick update-I bought a domain name! It's been a long while coming, but I went for it. This isn't going to change my whole philosophy on blogging, but I do feel very 'profesh' even if it's only been 15 minutes. I decided on simply evlady.com. I thought it would be easier on all of ya to google instead of having to remember to spell my whole name backwards...

Alright, PSA over. I'm going to get back to my busy night of watching Friends
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Birchbox | January 2015 Relax & Recharge

Birchbox picks were pretty awesome this month. I decided to pick the Relax & Recharge box. I am usually one for surprises, but I liked so many things in the box, I decided a guaranteed success this month was a better option. They also had a box from Tone it Up and even just the sample selections were nice.

Box Breakdown
When TravelMate Sheet Mask
Perlier Intensive Nurturing Body Balm in Shea Lavender
Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Manna Kadar Lip Locked Priming Gloss Stain in All of Me
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream
Teapigs Tea Temples in Licorice & Peppermint and Chamomile Flowers

Sheet masks, mauve lips, tea-it really was like this box was made for me. I think the theme describes the contents perfectly. I love masks in general, but sheet masks are super fun, even if they make you look like a serial killer. They are just easy to store, easy to travel with, and you can mix up your masks since you aren't opening a whole pot that you need to make sure to use before it expires. I love the bright packaging of the When TravelMate Sheet Mask. I don't really get the bike thing, but it's cute. I have heard a lot about the brand balance me from UK beauty bloggers, so I am excited to try the Wonder Eye Cream. Plus, you've read my ramble about how much it sucks to be eye cream...For hair, there's a little sample of Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. I am looking forward to using this to help out my winter-dry hair. The little pot is pretty adorable, and it should be enough for one use with my long hair. One repeat product I have tried before is the Perlier Body Balm. I had a vanilla/almond-y scent previously which was more my speed than the Shea Lavender scent which is a bit too baby powder for me. I love a good liquid lipstick and this Manna Kadar Lip Locked Priming Gloss Stain is in one of my favourite lip shades. Finally-what probably made my decision for picking this box-tea! Another UK brand that I heard about before thanks to Essie Button. She talks about the Licorice & Peppermint one frequently, so I am excited to try it. Though, I have heard that it's super sweet which may not be my thing-we will see. I think I will just have to have a pamper night with all these goodies. If you want to join Birchbox, you can follow my link here.
What did you pick for your Birchbox this month?

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Friday, January 16, 2015

Filofax 2015

Getting organized is one of those popular resolutions for the new year, and it's always one of my goals as well. Though, as far as planning is concerned, I think I have my system sorted out and that's another year of Filofaxin'.

I just love the customization and convertibility it allows. Anytime I see a cute image or paper I can simply punch and add it in. For winter, I have a cut-out of a Rifle Paper Co. card of a girl in a cape-quite appropriate for the cold. For spring and fall, I will switch for this little owl from a set of prints from Ikea.

Like last year, I am using the inserts from the little Punctuate planners from Barnes & Noble. I am also still decorating my weeks-when I have the time. I am trying to do a few weeks at a time so that if I do have a busy week I'll have some ornamentation. It's fun and a good way to use up stickers & washi.

I've been incorporating some of the items from the A Beautiful Mess Happy Mail subscription, like cutting down the notepads (like Today's Goals from November) and making dividers using the stickers from December. I will probably end up punching some of the cute cards too.

I use this agenda for my personal planning and work events where I have to go to a different site. Regular work-hour meetings and goals go in a weekly planner that my office provided and of course, the Outlook calendar. I also have a million & one calendars posted around. I just think they are pretty & bonus as functional.

What's your agenda for this year?



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Thursday, January 15, 2015

Workwear | Blazers

I splurged a bit with a new bag and then decided to save on a couple of new blazers from Forever 21. Surprisingly, they have some quality blazers, especially in the Love 21 line. And at $25 each, I was able to get a gray & cream to work for a variety of occasions. I thought the gray one would be more practical, but I really love the fit of the cream. Both are open-style, which I notice I never really button my blazers anyway. My office is pretty business casual, but I thought it would be nice to dress up the sweater, pants, boots combo of this winter with a blazer to just send it on the business side. Eventually, I will invest in a more expensive option (at least a Zara number), but until then I am quite happy with these finds.

What items do you splurge and save on?
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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Updated | Muji Drawer Make-up Storage

It's been a year (exactly) since I shared my Muji 5-drawer filled with make-up goodies. I got it for Christmas 2013 (how time flies...). Over 2014, I kept thinking of doing an update, but feeling like the system and products haven't changed too much since the last time. In looking back though some things have changed a bit and the things that haven't demonstrate that they are working out, right?

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Monday, January 12, 2015

New In | Rebecca Minkoff Rose Gold Mab

I treated myself to a little Christmas present. I was going to use all that Christmas money and those Visa gift cards for bills (which I did a little), but instead decided to get a new handbag. I got a new title at work and was feeling like I wanted to refresh my 'work-drobe' to match the change. My mission was blazers & a work tote, and I definitely succeeded. Today, I will be sharing the new bag. It's a Rebecca Minkoff Medium Mab Tote in Saffiano Rose Gold. Those words are some of my favourite things...

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Bath & Body Works Winter Haul

Christmas may be over, but winter has only just begun! We have been getting snow quite frequently-but not too much of it. It will be nice to have these cozy scents on chilly days.

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Julep Maven | January 2015

Someone forgot to skip Julep Maven last month... It's cool though at least I have a few new surprise beauty products. I haven't got a Julep box in awhile, make that exactly a year. I have ordered things since then (For Christmas, I got my mom the Birthstone Collection.) I just have too much polish to get a box every month, but it seems Julep is getting more and more beauty items. The collection this month is Chrysalis. I think there was also a top coat that could change the look of the polish for limited boxes. I have no idea.

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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Photo Diary | Florida Holiday

Before
My hometown is in Florida, so every year Preston & I (& the cats) fly down to spend time with our families. We are lucky that it doesn't have to be a choice since our parents live so close to each other (though 45 minutes in high school felt like forever). My 'hood is definitely more suburban beach town (and old rich peoples...golf) while Preston's house is almost a petting zoo in the woods. I love it. 
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Favourites | Beauty December 2014

December came & went so quickly. I can't believe I am already back at work, trying to get into the swing of things. For beauty favourites, I have a lot of repeats. Sometimes it takes an old fav running out and having to use a hum-drum product to make you realize what you love. I also have many that have been featured each month it seems. My spending money definitely went to gifts this year rather than my beauty addiction. Which is a good thing!


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Saturday, January 3, 2015

ABM Happy Mail | December 2014

My newest & most favourite subscription arrived just before I left for Florida. I was excited to dig through it but didn't have enough time to share it until now. I love the originality and the value of this sub. Cards, especially gold foiled ones, can be so pricey. The mix of occasions means I will probably never have to buy a card again. Though, knowing me, I will...

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