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Weekly Roundup: Drugstore Favorites. I’m going over my go-to items that are all under $20. Next time you run into Target or pick up your prescription stop by the makeup aisle for some of these budget friendly products!
This week I am highlighting some of my favorite beauty staples as well as a couple new products. Keep reading for one of my favorite dry shampoos, a soothing mask for sensitive skin and some all natural beauty goods.
It’s definitely been fun trying out a mix of novelty products like this stamp blush from Kaja, and also using cult favorites like the Charlotte Tilbury contour wand in my makeup routine. This week I actually loved every product I tried out but there’s a bit of a learning curve to some of them. Keep reading for my breakdown of these four items.
First up…
Kaja Cheeky Stamp Blendable Blush … $24
I purchased this heart shaped blush in the color “dusty rose.” Obviously I was lured in by the crafty packaging but I am really fond of liquid and stick blushes because the natural flush they deliver I thought this would be a good in between product and liked the sponge application.
All you do is pop the stamp lid off and press it into the blush pad like you would a regular stamp. Push the heart into the apple of your cheek and blend with your fingers or a brush and repeat for your other cheek. One thing I changed after applying this the first time was to blend each cheek out quickly on its own before doing the other side because the blush will stain and not blend as well. The color is really pretty and feels lite on your face so it layers well over foundation and under highlighter.
Next up is the Stila Glitter and Glow Highlighter in Painted Lady
This is technically a highlighter but it doubles for a liquid shadow too! The product comes out very pigmented when you first swipe it over your eyelid or cheekbone so you can let it dry or pat it out for a more subtle shimmery look. I left it more pigmented on my eyes then used a touch of product on my finger tip to blend into the top of my cheekbones as a highlighter. It’s not an everyday item but very fun for a special occasion look.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand … $38
I’ve seen Charlotte Tilbury work her magic on so many celebrities with this contour wand that I couldn’t wait to try it. The applicator is a small spongey tip that you squeeze product into so it delivers a very natural light contour that starts blending when you apply it. The consistency of the product is almost like a watercolor that’s pretty subtle at first so you can add more for a dramatic look or keep it to one swipe for barely there makeup. I got the shade fair/medium.
Milk Makeup Lip Vinyl … $24
Lastly I gave in and ordered another Milk Makeup product. The Lip Vinyl I’ve watched the brand’s makeup artist use on their Instagram stories seemed like the perfect lip gloss/lipstick combo. It goes on very thick and sticky which I didn’t like at first, but after it settles in (or you blot your lips or have a slip of coffee) it mellows out and leaves behind a nice pop of color that’s moisturizing and pretty long lasting. I got the shade “chillin” which is a neutral pink color that can finish off any makeup look.
This week I’m going over three great products. A setting powder, concealer, and a super long lasting lip liner!
I love working in the fashion industry and being part of an amazing brand and team at Novella Royale. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, our designer is from San Clemente, CA and everything is handmade in Southern California. I am lucky enough to …
I bake sweets for my grandma every week and I am always trying to find something a little different that she will like. The other day I threw together a simple cake and decided to add some caramel to the batter before baking it. The next morning when I came to see her, the entire cake was gone! Don’t worry, she didn’t eat it alone, but everyone was asking if I could make another.
I got everything I needed at Trader Joe’s but you could use any similar ingredients and I am sure it would be just as tasty. I like to start with a good boxed cake mix and then I do my own mix ins and ratios. Like I’ve said before, I like a more dense cake. So, I’ve found that using sour cream and butter instead of vegetable oil or water like many boxes call for makes all the difference.
What you need:
– Boxed Vanilla Cake Mix …. I like ones with vanilla bean or an Organic mix because they taste better.
– Two Eggs
– 1 Stick of Butter
– 3/4 Cup of Sour Cream
– 1 Jar of Salted Caramel
– A Splash of Milk or Water
How to make it:
Check out my other cake modifications that were also crowd pleasers, like my Peach or Peanut Butter cake.
Introducing my weekly roundup, where I’ll be going over different beauty goodies each week. This week I tried out a couple of Pat McGrath lipsticks, a body oil spray by MoroccanOil and a pretty popular lip sleeping mask by Laneige. Take a look to see how I liked them and which product was my favorite.
Summer is almost over but there is still time to make this delicious spicy watermelon salad! This is perfect to bring to a BBQ and a great dish for Labor Day next week. Plus you can use any leftover watermelon to make these easy 3 ingredient margaritas!
I recently had the opportunity to do a couples photo shoot with the lovely and oh so talented Alex Noelle Duncan! I have to say one of the main reasons I love Instagram is the random connections you get to make with some amazing people. So when she reached out to see if Michael and I would be interested in shooting with her I was so into it! (Also disclaimer *these aren’t engagement photos* haha, but now we’ve got practice for when that time comes. Cough cough…Michael.)
Anyways she made the process so easy and comfortable and was able to capture some really special photographs that I know I will cherish for many years to come. She was able to make us laugh, smile and be intimate without any awkwardness and we were even able to sneak our dog, Beety, in for a few shots (hello Christmas card!).
The next day we got to see a handful of shots and everything was edited and ready for us to download a few days later.
If you or anyone you know is looking for a photographer in the Southern California area I would 100% recommend getting in touch with her! I’ll link her email and Instagram here and so you can get in contact.
But you don’t have to take my word for it… here’s some of my favorite photos from the shoot. By the way, this was difficult to narrow down since from the 300 or so images she passed along I favorite over half of them!
Our trip to Venice was full of pasta, lots of walking, people drinking Aperol spritz and countless dogs wandering the many canals and bridges. Here are some photos from the few days we spent on the iconic island.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Sugar Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.
I am not sure how it is already the middle of April but here we are, well into Spring, and into the 4th month of 2018. That also means I am about a third of the way into my New Year’s Resolution and I figured it’s a good time for an update.
If you didn’t catch my New Year’s Resolution post, you can read it here, but basically I decided that I can only purchase 1 item of clothing a month (excluding the clothing at my work, Novella Royale). I also said I couldn’t buy any shoes or makeup, but that didn’t exactly happen after the boots I bought in February, so I amended it to be one non NR wardrobe item a month.
So…how has it been going? Well let’s just say that I have done pretty well up until now. January, I added a pair of grey Madewell jeans to my wardrobe. Practical, stylish and something I wore several times right away. I even made it through all of February without buying anything, but when the Amuse X Matisse collection dropped on March 1st I couldn’t resist the black and white slip on boots I saw so I counted them for the previous month. I sort of broke the rules then by getting another pair of boots, but it was still my single purchase and I was happy to start wearing them right away. My march item kind of found me more than I found it, but when you get the chance to have custom fitted Levi’s made perfectly for your body, you don’t pass it up. You can read about that here.
So I made it through January, February, and March. Three months, three items. Good to go.
That was until it was this last week.
My problem with buying has been, and continues to be, that once I find something I love my mentality is to get it in as many versions as possible. Those boots come in ivory, black and snakeskin? I want all three. That top is super flattering? What other patterns does it come in? I love how easy this lipstick is to put on…let’s get every color. You get the idea.
So when I set out to limit my shopping and get more use out of my favorite items (that I already have) I was hopeful that sticking to one purchase a month would be enough to scratch my spending itch and also let me utilize my existing closet.
And it was working pretty well until it was time to shop for Easter Baskets. At the end of March, I was shopping with my Aunt to get the annual Easter Baskets my grandma gifts to all of her grandchildren.
Included in each basket are a new beach towel, swimsuit, pair of sandals and a coverup. I happily shopped for my cousins suits and coverups, and scratched the shopping itch by shopping for others but I also knew I would be getting to pick out my items too, and that they didn’t count as my purchase because they were a gift. A bit of a loophole I accepted in February when I got one of my desired items for Valentine’s Day from Nana as well.
I ordered my swim suit, a pair of shorts for my coverup, got new rainbows in my basket and was excited to open them all up on Easter. Well, the swimsuit was way too cheeky and not long enough for my torso, my shorts were too short and I realized I didn’t really need another pair of rainbows since I had finally broken in my pair from last year.
I took my items back and received store credit. Enter the other loophole that has sort of knocked me off my “no shopping” wagon.
I now had exchanged a handful of items, so I reasoned that I could pick out items to replace them. I used my store credit to get different shorts and a different swim suit and still had some leftover so I got a top. It was an even trade. Then I remembered I had some gift cards I hadn’t used from Free People a few months ago. If I used store credit I wasn’t spending any of my money so it didn’t count. Right?
Let’s just say that my old habits kind of creeped back up this month and I have definitely exceeded my one item purchase only three weeks into the month.
Before everyone says “I told ya so” or laughs knowing I couldn’t do it, I plan to get back on track in May. It’s not like most people haven’t stopped going to the gym a few times or messed up on their New Year’s Resolution diets, so let’s consider this a hiccup.
Here are the items I gave in on and the April purchases I made:
1. Serpentine Boots
In my defense… these PSKaufman boots have been on my mind (and in my screenshots) for a long time and there was a 25% off sale when I was finally contemplating making the splurge. So my weakness for sales came back and I added both the Ivory and Black serpentine boots to my shoe collection.
2. Brown Suede Booties
Matisse suckered me in too. I had eyed these boots many months ago, pre-resolution, and they were sold out of my size. Then they went on sale so I looked, out of curiosity, and they had ONE pair left and it was magically in a 10. Sure, that’s a bit bigger than the 9 or 9.5 I would order, but nothing some thick socks can’t fix.
3. Denim
I used my Free People Gift Cards to order a few pair of Levi’s to try on, but once they arrived I realized they weren’t as good as my custom pair or as comfortable as other styles I have…so these will be going back but I’m keeping a pair of 501s with a button fly
4. This Flirty Blouse
This blouse is the same style as the red polka dot one I got for Valentine’s Day and I love the flattering cut that cinches around the waist and shows off your cleavage in a tasteful way.
5. Glossier Lidstar Duo
Lastly, I ordered some of the Glossier Lidstar liquid shadows I have been enviously eyeing on one of my coworkers. She happens to be a rep so I couldn’t resist ordering through her link. Btw, if any of you have been wanting to try Glossier or are regular consumers, order through this link and you can get 20% off your first order and support a good friend of mine!
Plus, I got 20% off. Win, win.
Or… cheater, cheater. But May brings a fresh start and if I am good I will skip the purchase all together. Stay tuned! I hope everyone else’s resolutions are going better than mine!
A few weeks ago at work I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to get custom fitted Levi’s jeans…and let me tell you it was special. Read about the process, check out pictures, and see how you can get your own pair if you live in Southern California.
I cook for my grandparents a couple times a week. Their menu requests range from classic casseroles to short ribs and risotto to recreating something my grandmother loves. This past week my mission was to recreate the sauce from her favorite Cheesecake Factory meal, the Da Vinci Pasta sauce. This is a creamy Madeira sauce with mushrooms and lots of butter and while a few recipe searches came up with some similarities I had a little trouble landing on one to follow.
So I did what I usually do and take the method I need from a recipe and improvise with the flavors and amounts of each ingredient.
Having tasted the sauce I knew what my finished product was aiming for so I set out to make a creamy sauce that Nana could add to pretty much anything she would be eating for the next week or so.
When all was done my improvisations ended up with something that was close and still delicious. It was creamy, you could taste the Madeira wine enough but it wasn’t strong and there were a good amount of earthy mushrooms mingling with the pasta.
This needed up making about 3 mason jars worth of sauce and tasting close enough to the original goal. I added a bit more cream, more mushrooms and more onion than what I saw online and think it turned out pretty good.
Plus, most importantly, it got Nana’s stamp of approval so I know I’ll be making this again in the future. I used a lighter colored Madeira that was “medium dry” and later realized I probably should have used a red one to have the color be closer to the original sauce from Cheesecake Factory but I think the flavor was still there so you can use whatever type of Madeira you find at the market.
What you need:
⁃ Madeira Wine … 1 cup
⁃ Shiitake Mushrooms … 8 medium ones
⁃ Crimini or white mushrooms … 1 package sliced
⁃ Salted Butter … 1 stick
⁃ Heavy cream … 1 pint
⁃ Red Onion … 1 large
⁃ Fresh Garlic … 3 cloves minced
⁃ Flour … 4 tablespoons
⁃ Salt and Pepper
How to make it:
1. Wash all mushrooms thoroughly. Cut up shiitake mushrooms into small pieces and set aside. Both types mushrooms will add an extra layer of flavor.
2. Dice red onion and mince garlic.
3. In a pan, melt two tablespoons of butter and add the chopped red onion.
4. Allow to cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic so the garlic doesn’t burn.
5. Once the onions and garlic are mostly cooked add the mushrooms and allow to cook for about 8 minutes covered and stir occasionally.
6. After the mushrooms are reduced and cooked down, put the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
7. In the same pan you cooked the onions in, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add the flour slowly to cook the flour and make a roux.
8. Now add cream and combine until smooth and then add the wine.
9. Once all combined, add back the cooked mushroom and onion mixture.
10. Allow everything to simmer for a while for all the flavors to develop.
11. Let cool and jar. Serve over pasta, chicken, steak or anything savory and put the rest into a jar and store for a week in the fridge.
Enjoy!!
Another month of the New Year has passed which means I’m two months into my New Year’s resolution and can only buy one thing a month. Take a look for the 6 Things I wanted this February and the 1 item I got.
My February playlist is up on the blog and Spotify. Check it out for some of my favorite love songs. Happy listening 💕
This is the ultimate dessert for the peanut butter lover in your life. It starts with a dense peanut butter sheet cake, gets covered in a sweet peanut butter glaze and is smothered in the creamiest peanut butter frosting you’ll ever make. Try out this decadent and delicious cake that is sure to please.
I’ve been really into making cakes lately and seeing how I can transform a box cake mix in the something special. A couple recipes ago, I figured out that using sour cream in a cake, instead of the oil and water a lot of mixes call for, adds a really great denseness and creaminess to any cake so I’ve been using that for a lot of the desserts I’ve been making including this peanut butter cake that is so decadent and delicious, yet simple to make.
What you need: ( for one cake, the glaze and frosting)
⁃ White cake mix … 1 box
⁃ Peanut butter … 1 cup
⁃ Sour cream … 1/2 cup
⁃ Cream cheese … 1 package
⁃ Powdered Sugar … 1 1/2cup
⁃ Sweetened Condensed Milk … 1 can
⁃ Butter … 2 sticks
⁃ Eggs … 2
⁃ Milk … 1 cup
How to make the cake:
1. Pre heat oven to 350
2. Melt one stick of butter in the microwave
3. Combine cake mix, milk, eggs, sour cream, 1/2 cup peanut butter and melted butter until thoroughly combined.
4. Grease a glass baking pan with butter and pour in cake batter.
5. Cook until golden about 25 minutes.
6. Let sit for about 10 minutes and use a fork to make holes over the whole cake.
7. Make the glaze and pour over the cake so it soaks in.
To make the glaze:
1. This part is simple but adds so much to the cake by making it really moist.
2. Combine 1/4 cup of peanut butter with 1 can of condensed milk in a microwave safe container and heat in 25 second increments mixing until it’s all blended.
3. You will need 2/3 of this to pour over the cake and the other 1/3 for the frosting.
4. Pour over the poked cake.
To make the frosting:
1. Pour the remaining 1/3 of the glaze into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add room temperature cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and powder sugar and mix well.
3. Continue adding powder sugar until it thickens and you reach the desired sweetness.
4. Wait until cake is cooled and frost it over the top using a butter knife to make waves.
5. Serve and store at room temperature.
Enjoy!
New year, new rules. This year I am saying goodbye to good buys and can only get one thing a month. So each month I’ll be rounding up my favorite things and narrowing it down to the one thing I can’t resist. Take a look at my January picks and see the one thing I couldn’t resist.
Read on to make this creamy garlic and maple dressed kale salad with crunchy green apple sticks and fresh cracked black pepper. It’s so good!
The new year is here and I’ve decided to put together a short playlist every month with a different musical vibe to it. This month features a mix of some pop, disco and rock starting off with KC and The Sunshine Band and finishing up with The Black Crowes. If you listen in order each song moves seamlessly into the next but feel free to shuffle it up and listen to my favorite songs I’ve been playing all month.
Happy listening!
Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry served over white rice with a glass of red wine. This is the perfect dish for the rainy weather in Southern California and the crazy cold and snow on the East Coast. It is total comfort food packed with flavor and heat to get you warmed up and it’s a fun dish to make if you’re sick of soups and stews but want the same hearty feel.
This drink is as delicious as it is stunning, and surprisingly easy to make. Throw together a pitcher of this show stopping concoction for the perfect Christmas cocktail.
I’ve said it before but I’m definitely kind of lazy with my hair. I wash it every five days or so, let it air dry, don’t brush it enough and I use too much dry shampoo. It usually looks good enough on its own for a couple of days but the third day is when I start to notice my natural wave falling flat and the rest of my hair looking a little messy and greasy.
Last week when I was getting ready to leave for work I took my hair out of the pony tail I had it in to do my makeup and realized it looked too sloppy to just wear down all day. I looked at the clock and had about 10 minutes till I really needed to go so I figured I would try and make it look at least half decent.
Enter the fast way I figured out to do half of my hair and get out of the house on time. It only takes about 10 minutes start to finish so you can fit it in to a rushed morning and still get out of the door on time.
Part of how your hair turns out following these steps has to do with the texture and length of your hair but if your hair is anything like mine with some natural wave or body, I think this will work well.
One of the main tips starts with the night before.
1. Add dry shampoo to your roots before bed and don’t do anything.
I read this in a beauty article once and it made a lot of sense. You’re trying to get rid of oil so don’t use your hands to rub it around. Instead, sprinkle dry shampoo on your roots and hop in bed. Your tossing and turning and sleeping on the pillow will move it around enough so in the morning you just need to brush your hair.
2. Brush your hair all the way out and add a little bit of a leave in conditioner or oil to the ends.
My hair tends to be dry on the ends so when I think about it I try to put a couple pumps of Moroccan oil on my ends or spray it with a light leave in conditioner. This will also double as a heat protectant.
3. Heat up a curling wand and section your hair into two parts split in the middle.
Focusing on the front of your hair curl 1 inch pieces around both sides of your face then again a few inches apart. Only do about 3 curls on each side focusing on the bottom half of your hair, and then do another one or two curls on the underneath/bottom half. This way you only have to do about 8 curls for your whole head instead of a bunch. If you have shorter hair you can do less.
4. Next run your fingers through and blend the curled pieces of hair in with the ones you left alone.
I like to keep my hair pulled to the front of my body most of the time anyways, but since that is where most of the curlers are, it looks like it’s all done with half the work and half the heat damage.
What are some go to hair or beauty tricks you use to get out of the house on time?
25 songs for the 25 days of Christmas. Starting off with rock versions of my favorite Christmas songs and heading into the traditional tunes we all know and love. Happy listening and happy holiday season!
Super nervous about this one but I am opening up about my experience with eating disorders and recovering and sharing my story on The F Word Podcast. Take a listen and read this post for my advice to to those dealing with eating disorders and how to help…
“July 10, 2013 I stepped onto the cold glass scale in my bathroom and closed the door. The numbers 1..1..0 flickered under my feet before taking hold to reveal my latest weight. I had lost another 17 pounds since my doctor told me that 127 was about as low as I should go with my height around 5’9” and not to keep losing weight when I saw her in the beginning of June.”
Looking for a dessert to bring to Thanksgiving that isn’t pumpkin pie? Try this quick and easy peanut butter cup, salted pretzel cookie pie. This is so easy to mix up and always a crowd pleaser. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or eat it plain for the perfect sweet and salty combo.
What you need (makes 1 pie):
– Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Packet … 1 per pie
– Salted Butter … 1 stick
– Egg … 1
– Salted Pretzels … 2 cups
– Reese’s Mini PB Cups … 10-15
– Brown Sugar … 1/4 cup
To make the pie:
1. Start by preheating the oven to 350.
2. Peel Reese’s cups and cut them in half. If they are warm and sticking to the wrappers you can put them in the fridge for a little before handling. Set cut Reese’s aside.
3. Place pretzels in a plastic bag and use a spoon or rolling pin to crush the pretzels into a course crumble the place in a bowl.
4. Melt butter in a mug and add a splash to the pretzels.
5. Add brown sugar to pretzels and mix together.
6. Press pretzel bits into the bottom of pie tin and set aside.
7. Make cookie dough according to package instructions. I use a packet instead of made dough because it is easier to mix and add the pb cups.
8. Mix in the halved pb cups and combine thoroughly.
9. Spoon cookie dough mixture over the pretzel crust. It’s okay if it isn’t even because the dough will spread as it bakes.
10. Cook for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
11. You want it to be gooey in the middle so don’t over cook it.
12. Let it cook a few minutes before cutting in and enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
I teamed up with wellness babe and health guru Erica from Bring Your Own Kombucha to make the perfect workout playlist for her active audience and mine. Listen in order for the perfect warm up, workout and cool down. I’ve got David Bowie, Terraplane Sun, Portugal. The Man, Max Frost, SAFIA, Fitz and The Tantrums and many more in there so there’s something for everyone’s music taste and workout style.
There are few things more dangerous to a makeup hoarder and shopping addict like myself than the annual Sephora Sale. Right in time to start early Christmas shopping, VIB and VIB Rogue members get to knock an extra 20% off their makeup wishlist and stock up on their favorite beauty buys. Check out my top picks in this post. The sale runs until Wednesday 11/15 so don’t miss out!
Whether you have holiday parties coming up or have to bring a dish over for Thanksgiving, you can’t go wrong with a charcuterie spread full of meats, cheeses and fresh produce.
The other day at a birthday party I went to, I was captivated by the vibrant arrangement of vegetables, cheeses, herbs and more that one of the guests brought. It was simple, rustic and everyone kept raving about it.
I can’t take credit for arranging this beautiful basket of goodies but I did snoop around to notice what made it so special and wanted to share the serving hack that made this appetizer a showstopper. I’ve picked apart the 5 steps that made this a great dish to bring to a party so read below to see how to recreate this for your next gathering.
1. She used an interesting serving vessel. Instead of a classic glass platter or slate, I loved how she used a large basket. This let her fit a lot more in it to serve a larger crowd and also lended a fun rustic and effortless look to the presentation.
2. She lined the basket with lettuce. This way it still blended in with all of the other foods and created a buffer between the wicket basket and everything else. She drizzled the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic and the lettuce kept a barrier so she didn’t have to worry about anything dripping. Plus she didn’t have to bring oil and vinegar because it was already on the things that needed it.
3. She included bunches of herbs. I don’t think I’ve seen a spread like this with fresh basil and green onions anchoring the display before. With burrata and tomatoes in the basket guest could do a DIY caprese salad, or add some green to whatever they chose to plate.
4. There were tons of fresh veggies. It is easy to stand by one of these at a party and fill up on cheese and bread but since there were kids of fresh vegetables you didn’t feel guilty about eating too much before the main course.
5. She went easy on the meat. Sometimes prosciutto or salami can get kind of slimy if it sits out for a little while. Since there wasn’t a lot of it in the basket that wasn’t something to worry about and it made this charcuterie arrangement more vegetarian friendly as well.
I can’t wait to throw one of these together using these tips!
