Boots, boots, boots!

The temperatures have been somewhere between hot and hell* lately which ironically fuels my need to shop for fall clothing. Actually more specifically, boots -in hopes that I can persuade mother nature to hurry up with some cooler weather. These Chloe studded boots are at the top of my wish list - the expensive, unrealistic list not the affordable, practical one. Now for the more affordable Zara made children of the Chloe boot I give you these and these. After seeing the exorbitant price of option number 1, $190 doesn't seem so bad, dare I say a steal - this is my downfall. Being that I currently just took out loads of moo-lah for school, contracted myself into an apartment which still needs some essentials like say, a couch, and needed two, yes two, men to carry my box of shoes up to the apartment one would think the last thing on my mind would be a new pair of boots. Sadly, this is not the case - let's just call it the American way, livin' the dream.


*the non air conditioned, humid, three level staircase leading to our new apartment, up which the contents of my life had to be carried - not that I was the one actually carrying say the bed or desk but those few boxes of kitchen utensils were still a bitch and justify complaint - to me, at least. 

Aforementioned boots:

10 Favorite Beauty Products

Here is a list of my 10 favorite daily beauty products at the moment. This is just a clip of the products that I love to use on a regular basis. I'm constantly trying new things so my favorites are always changing but these babys have been on the favorite list for a while now so they get their own special feature!




1. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
Washing your face morning and night is key to keeping your skin looking fresh and clean. If you skin doesn't look good chances are your make-up won't look good. Dermalogica & Skinceuticals are my favorite skincare brands if you're looking to upgrade your skincare routine.

2. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Hydrating
Feels like silky pearls going on your face! Sometimes I put it on even if I don't plan on wearing any makeup haha.. It helps your foundation go on even smoother and stay on, especially in hot, sweaty weather. I get the hydrating formula because my skin tends to be drier so this specific one may not work best if you have oily skin.

3. Make Up Forever HD Foundation
I usually switch up my foundation after I've used up the bottle however, I have gone through at least three bottles of this one. It's sheer enough to not make you look cake-y but still gives good, even coverage. I have even ventured out and tried a couple other popular foundations but this is still my number one.

4. Skinceutical C E Ferulic
It is simply the best. This is a special antioxidant serum that provides lots of benefits to your skin (you can read their description for the list). I have never read SO many amazing reviews and testimonies for a single product, no one seems to have anything negative to say about it. Most definitely worth the money - your skin will absolutely look younger and more radiant in a few weeks!

5. Moroccanoil Treatment
My hair would be even more of a frizzy mess without this product. Being a natural curly girl, I am constantly fighting frizz and awful split ends this is the only product I use religiously whether in wet or dry hair that doesn't make it look greasy.

6. Lorac SelfTANtalizer Gradual Self-Tanner
Since, on a good day, I could be mistaken for a vampire having a good self tanner is a must. Previously I loved to use St. Tropez mousse but since my friend recommended this one by Lorac I fell in love. My skin is probably the perfect tester for tanning products since I'm extremely pale so any orange-y tint or streaks will show. Out of the bottle it looks and smells like chocolate/vanilla and leaves a really nice brown glow on your skin and no streaks. I still like the St. Tropez tanner but compared to Lorac's it is a tiny bit more orange.

7. Tweezerman Eyelash Curler
I know, they are intimidating and scary, but I promise they will be your new best friend if you get over your fear! Regardless of whether you have thick, lushes lashes or barely there ones curling your lashes properly will take them to new heights.

8. Urban Decay Naked Palette
Just in case you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about the craze over the Naked palettes, it really is as good as everyone is saying. I have had the original for a while and use it everyday. All the colors are complimentary to any eye color. Both the Naked and Naked2 have universally wearable colors but as with most sequels the original is better!

9. Clinique Chubby Stick
Lip balm with a natural tint and easy application. Love these! Perfect for everyday wear.

10. Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder
Having lots of freckles makes finding a good bronzer difficult. One that is all one color tends to make my face look like someone splattered mud all over it. All the different colors in this one gives me a nice even glow and some highlight! Even if you don't have freckles using a single color bronzer all over can make your face look flat. You want one that is going to accentuate all the contours and colors of your face.

DIY: New Deck & Succulent Table

Every summer, me and Tim try and come up with a project we can do together. Last summer, we decided that we had this huge deck that lacked any sort of function or purpose. With a limited budget I came up with an idea that I thought was feasible. We had an old, rotted picnic table in the back yard that no one was using and decided to convert it into a coffee table. To add more liveliness to the table I wanted to add two small "gardens" embedded in the table with succulents. The final product came out better than I could have imagined! We also created extra seating using 3 palettes (free behind any home depot, lowes, etc) which I painted bright green. All the cushions, pillows and my favorite pouf I got from Pier 1, the blue chairs are from Target and the rug is from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Lastly, we purchased a grill and had our friends and family over for a cookout! It was a huge success!

before & after pressure washing.. what a difference! 

The Perfect Woman: Blake Lively

Blake Lively is undeniably one of the most beautiful women. Her smile is contagious and her beachy blonde, just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-still-manage-to-look-perfect hair is enviable by all women. At the premier of her movie Savages she showed off her God given curves in a beautiful Zuhair Murad corset dress. Rather than succumbing to a stylists, Blake chooses her own outfits, and (usually) does her own hair and makeup. Beauty, brains, style & talent? What doesn't this girl have. 

imgs source: dailymail