It’s spring! OOTD

The weather is finally warming up a bit, and it’s staying sunny until the evening hours. I love the spring. Here in Texas, spring only lasts about a month or two before the sticky, hot summer weather comes around, so I’m enjoying the breezy spring while it lasts.

I’ve been trying to throw some color into my wardrobe, since I’ve been wearing mostly black, gray and brown along with deep, rich colors since winter. I paired two tank tops with a white military-style jacket and baggy, tomboy jeans, plus my favorite part, heels that have become my “go to” shoes for the season.

Starting with the best part, I guess…my favorite heels from Sam & Libby (purchased for around $15 at ROSS!). The only disadvantage to buying designer shoes at a store like ROSS is that I can’t get information on the style name, and they’re probably from last season. Still, a super cute pump that is incredibly comfortable to walk in.

They’re a shiny sort of taupe color with a ruched pattern across the top, and a three-inch or so heel.

Here’s a better look at the top half of the outfit. (The jeans aren’t too exciting — they’re Converse brand from Target, the Tomboy style.) I’ve got an army green tank from Forever21 as the base, with a green and white striped tank (with ruffles on the shoulders, but you can’t see them), and a white jacket with gold detailing over top.

Last fashion element to this OOTD, these earrings from Forever21. I love these little bows! I got them in a 3-pack (all bows, these black ones, along with white and pink) for around $3 or so.

For my makeup, I chose bright lips and cheeks, with more muted eyes. My blush is an NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink, with Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose over top. On my lips, I went with NYX Lip Liner in Ever paired with MAC’s Do It Up lipglass.

Because the rest of my face was so bright, I went more understated with my eyes, just a peachy taupe shadow all over the lid, a medium brown in the crease and a darker brown in the outer v, with a dark brown liner and mascara to finish it off.

I love dressing for the spring. I can still layer cute jackets and tops but can get a bit more adventurous with the colors and patterns of what I wear. And for makeup, bright lips and cheeks are definitely a flattering look on anyone!

Another favorite thing about spring? (Well, this spring…) I got a puppy! Her name is Sadie, and she’s a mix of German Shepherd and boxer and some other breeds, and she’s absolutely adorable.

Hard Candy haul-age with swatches!

I’ve been wanting to pick up some Hard Candy items for awhile and finally got my hands on a few last night. In the 90s, Hard Candy was a high-end cosmetics line, but it’s now available in Wal-mart and more affordable. I tried a HC mascara earlier this year and wasn’t impressed, so I steered clear, but I’ve been seeing lots of positive reviews for some new items in the line, thus this haul!

I definitely wanted to try out Glamoflauge, a concealer that has been raved about online. I also picked up two kits (not sure if they’re holiday kits or part of the regular line. I found them in the cosmetics aisle in the HC display, not in the holiday aisle, so…) that each had a blush/bronzer, lip product, highlighter and face primer.

I got the concealer in 312 Light, which I think is the lightest shade. I don’t plan to use this for all-over concealer, just for under the eyes, possibly even as a brightener after I apply my foundation.

Here’s the product on my hand. I didn’t really know what the consistency would be, but it turns out that it’s super thick and creamy, so you only need a tiny dot, especially if you’re just going to use in a targeted area, like under the eye.

Here’s how the concealer looks after just rubbing in slightly, which gives you a better indication of just how thick and opaque it is. A light hand is for sure the key with this.

And finally, the concealer blended out. You can see that the shade isn’t an exact match, which is why I think it’ll do a great job brightening my undereye area after I’ve got my foundation applied. (but I’ll use way less product next time!)

The Glamoflauge came packaged with a little concealer pencil, which I wasn’t really expecting much from. But wow, this one delivered! Super creamy application.

This little kit was a steal for only $8! It was called Glamazon Glow, and all of the mini products had a bronze shade (except the face primer, which was a clearish-white gel).

It came with a So Baked Bronzer in Tropics, a shimmery deep color.

Super pigmented, as you can see from the color I picked up on my finger, just by swiping the pan.

Here it is blended out. It’s got a great sheen to it. This is not only a pretty bronzer, but also an almost dead-on dupe for a Honey Pot, a Too Faced shadow that you can find in the Natural Eyes Kit! Check out the side-by-side comparison!

Close, right? Here’s what they look like swatched and blended out…

TF on top, HC on bottom

Too Faced Honey Pot on top, Hard Candy Tropics on bottom

The Too Faced shadow is definitely more of a gold, while the Hard Candy bronzer is (duh) a bronze, but they could be fraternal twins. I used Honey Pot and Tropics today to create a shimmery gold eye look. Super pretty!

The kit also included something I’ve been so excited to try…

This is a mini version of Glow All the Way in Glamazon Bronze, a cream infused with 24 karat gold. You can use it on the face or the body to provide a pretty shimmery highlight.

Gorgeous! I love cream highlighters, and this one is a step above the rest. I think this would be great especially for the decollete, if you’re wearing a shirt with a lower neckline.

The kit also included a mini Plexi Gloss in Genie, a pretty pinky brown shade with a ton of shine.

It’s super opaque, so you can wear it over a lipstick or on its own, like I have here. The kit also came with a small version of the Hard Candy Sheer Envy Face Primer…

It’s got a gel-like consistency, which I like in a primer. It’s white but blends into a sheer coverage, so you can see it as you’re applying. I am almost out of my current face primer, so I will give this a try soon.

The other kit I got, also $8, was called First Flush and featured products in pinky shades.

Instead of bronzer, this kit came with a Blush Crush Baked Blush in Living Doll.

Just like the bronzer, this blush is super duper pigmented. It’s a baby pink with silver shimmer.

It looks intense in the pan, but blended out, it’s a rosy pink glow that is so so pretty, especially on fair skin.

I got another Glow All the Way, this one in Doll Face. This is a creamy white-pink highlight.

This is so pretty and definitely will be great for a cheekbone highlighter, and possibly for inner corner of my eyes and cupid’s bow.

The lip product in this kit was Plumping Serum Volumizing Lip Gloss in Uptown Girl.

I didn’t find it really plumping, but I have full lips as it is, so no big deal there. What really struck me was how it seemed to be a dupe for a high-end, highly coveted lip gloss…MAC’s Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass! But, when I swatched side-by-side, the differences were clear. Uptown Girl is a milky pink-white gloss, while Gaga is a Barbie pink. But, when paired with my favorite drugstore pink lipstick, Sally Hansen Baby Pink, it definitely looks a bit like Gaga lipglass.

Left to right, I’ve swatched HC Uptown Girl, MAC’s Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass, Uptown Girl over Sally Hansen Baby Pink, and Sally Hansen Baby Pink on its own. OK, it’s not a dead-on dupe, but it definitely comes close and gives a really similar effect, if a bit more toned down (and perhaps more wearable).

I’m excited to play with these products more, and to pick up a few more HC items. Do you have a favorite HC product? Looking for suggestions, too!

Hard Candy (almost) full face! I’ve got the eye look described above, along with the HC blush, concealer and highlighter(s). Love love love.

Maybelline and NYC haul + swatches

First things first — my promised September favorites is going to be a September/October favorites. These two months have just flown by, and really, I’ve been consistently using the same products so there wouldn’t be much difference between the two sets of favorites anyway.

Now, on to the fun stuff…the haul! I stopped by HEB (a local grocery store) on my way home to look around and came out with a tiny bit of stuff:

I got 3 products from NYC New York Color Cosmetics (a nail polish in Peony – I think a limited edition shade, an Ultra Moist LipWear lipstick in Chiffon, and a Lippin’ Large Lip Plumper lipgloss in Mulberry – this one was for sure limited edition b/c it says so on the package) and 2 palettes from Maybelline (Chai Latte – a quad, and Desert Sunrise – a LE trio from the Salsa Sun collection).

Here’s the Chiffon lipstick swatch. Of course, the camera doesn’t really pick up how pretty this is, but it’s a creamy pink frost that looks like none of the other lipsticks I own (and I own a ton!). Excited to try this one out with a baby pink gloss.

And on the opposite end of the lip color spectrum, here’s a swatch of the Mulberry gloss, where you can get an idea of the consistency as well as the shade. It’s a jelly sort of opaque gloss that definitely feels like a lip plumper when applied (really tingly).

No individual pic of the Peony polish since I didn’t have a chance to apply it. On to the Maybelline…

Here’s the Chai Latte palette…something I had picked up before in the drugstore but never purchased. As if I need more neutral shadows! But the golden bronze shade here sold me. I really have been into that bronze-y eye with the fall weather, and this is such a pretty shade. The Maybelline quads come labeled with which shadow should be placed where — top to bottom, it’s crease, lid, brow bone and outer corner. Pretty!

And Desert Sunrise! So pretty, I definitely don’t have shadows like this in my collection. I don’t really do colored shadows, except for purples, but the idea of using this green shadow is sort of exciting. Plus, another golden shadow and a really pretty reddish brown.

I think I might try to work Club eyeshadow by MAC into a look with these Desert Sunrise shadows somehow. Club is a super unique shade and one that I don’t wear too often just because I don’t really know how to wear it. But, here it is (on the left) with the green and gold shades from Desert Sunrise.

Club has some green in it, even though you can’t really see it in this photo, but there’s also some red and brown and gray and…it’s just a totally unique shadow! I think it’ll work nicely with these. If I like the results, I’ll do a FOTD post here!

Fall Fashion – OOTD #2 (all buttoned-up!)

I love fall…it’s my favorite season for clothes, like I’ve said. So, you get more OOTDs because I’m having more fun getting dressed! This one is from a weekend or so ago, but it’s still appropriate for the current weather. I might throw a light cardigan on since it’s about 7 or so degrees chillier, but otherwise, it’s perfect for the crisp autumn air!

The top is a super cute button-down with a twist…ruffles! Ruffles are still very trendy right now and add a feminine flair to this otherwise neutral top. Got it for around $15 at Marshalls. I’m wearing a brown cami underneath (even though the shirt is a button-down, I still felt like I needed something underneath…I’m always worried about the space in between the buttons!) The jeans are the same as what I wore in my previous Fall Fashion OOTD — The Flirty skinny jeans from Old Navy.

And on my feet? Gladiator sandals from Forever21! I got these over the summer for under $8 (liked them so much I bought them in black and brown!), and the weather was still warm enough to wear sandals instead of boots. Love that I still can show off my pedi for another week or two!

They zip up the back…love these shoes!

This is what I call my “lazy hairdo” — it’s what I do when I want my hair out of my face and off my neck, but I don’t want to put any effort into it. My hair is so super duper long right now!

Since my hair was up, I wanted to wear a pair of dangly earrings. These are from Kohls and they’re Mudd.

I wish I could remember what exactly is on my face, but I’m 99.9 percent sure it’s a combo of Revlon ColorStay in 150 Buff, MAC eyeshadow in Gesso in the inner corners, a bunch of shades from Urban Decay Naked Palette, and on my lips? Eeek, totally no clue. I do something different there almost every day because I have a billion lip products!

And a closer look at my face! Lots more Fall Fashion posts to come! Hope you’re enjoying the amazing weather, wherever you are!

Face of the Day! featuring Urban Decay Naked palette

This one’s a little belated, from about a week ago, but I’m wearing the same shirt and makeup today so consider it current!

Here’s what I’m wearing..

• Milani Secret Cover Concealer in Warm Beige
• Revlon ColorStay Active in Buff (love this stuff! Amazing staying power.)
• e.l.f. HD powder (to set my concealer and foundation)
• NARS bronzer in Laguna
• NARS blush in Orgasm
• e.l.f Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight (this is a shimmery white cream highlight that I dab on my cheekbones, above the cupid’s bow, on my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes)

• e.l.f Eyelid Primer (I use this to, duh, prime my eyes so my eyeshadow is long-lasting.)
• MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (And, I use this in combo with the eyelid primer as an eye base to make my lids have an even starting point for shadow.)
• Urban Decay Naked Palette – Virgin all over lid to brow, Sin in outer corner (aaah, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette. I am going to post all about it, and other neutral palettes, soon. Swatches and dupes to come!)
• Victoria’s Secret Private Beach in outer corner and crease
• UD Naked Palette – Naked in crease, Buck in outer corner, Toasted as brow highlight – blend, Darkhorse in outer corner
• Whiskey liner (from UD Naked Palette)
• Curl lashes
• CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion
• Loreal HIP Jelly Balm in Plush
• Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lipcolor in Pretentious

MAC Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi Lipglasses: Swatches and Possible Revlon Dupes!

As soon as MAC released its limited edition Viva Glam Lipglasses (Cyndi – named for Cyndi Lauper, and Gaga – named for, of course, Lady Gaga), I placed an order online and (not so) patiently waited. I love Viva Glam, and I’m trying to build up my collection of Lipglasses — some people think they’re too sticky, and they are, but I actually like that consistency. Plus, they’re pretty pigmented and opaque.

Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass is a red-tinged coral shade.

Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass is a blue-based pink.

I have the coordinating Viva Glam Gaga lipstick, but not the Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick — I thought it’d be tricky for me to pull of such a red shade. Even though the Gaga lipstick is bold, it’s lighter, so I feel like that’s more wearable, at least for me.

However, I think both of the lipglasses are wearable, over natural lips or on top of a lipstick. Super pretty shades, great consistency and definitely must-haves if you love a variety in your lip products. But the price tag? A bit steep at $14.50 (but, 100% of the proceeds from the MAC Viva Glam line goes to HIV/AIDS research).

Fortunately, I’ve discovered some semi-dupes from Revlon that you might be able to use in place of the limited edition MAC lipglasses.

On the right, Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass, and on the left, a possible dupe — Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle. Of course, in the tube, there are obvious color differences, and the swatch on my hand is the same:

That’s Gaga on the left and Lilac Pastelle on the right. Yes, I can see, and I’m sure you can, too, that Gaga is a baby pink and Lilac Pastelle is more of a lavendar. But, because both are blue-based, they look almost identical on my lips, and if you have darker, pigmented lips, you may notice the same thing.

Full face with Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass on my lips (no lipstick)

You can see, with just the Lipglass, I get a really pinky nude, slightly milky shade on my lips.

Full face with Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle (no lipstick)

And here? The same effect! Just a touch more purple in the mix. I think it’s a decent dupe!

Now for the Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass dupe…

On the right, it’s Cyndi, and on the left, a near identical dupe — Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze in Continuous Coral.

Here are the swatches on my hand — Cyndi on the left and Continuous Coral on the right. At first glance, looks like it could be the same product, but upon further review, the Cyndi swatch is more reddish while Continuous Coral has a bit more orange to it.

Full face with Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass (no lipstick)

This is a really bold lipcolor, but I love pairing it with a dark or neutral eye to contrast.

Full face with Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipglaze in Continuous Coral (no lipstick)

And on the lips? Exactly the same as the Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass! It has the same, or even better, wear, too. That ColorStay lipgloss really has staying power!

Let me know what you think! Did you get the limited edition lipglasses from MAC? How are my dupes? Have you found any dupes for these?

One last splash before summer’s over!

Wow, it’s almost September! Today was the first day of school, which to me almost officially means summer’s a done deal. Labor Day will put the final nail in my sunshine-y coffin. My husband and I are trying to soak up the last few rays while we still can, so we went to the waterpark last weekend.

For someone who’s never been at a comfortable weight, waterparks can be disastrous for fashion. There’s no getting around spandex/Lycra/a really clingy material when you’re wearing a swimsuit, and there’s sort of no way you can’t wear a swimsuit at a waterpark.

But, I think I’ve found a solution that’s a happy medium between way-too-skimpy bikini (and I saw a TON of those at the waterpark!) and a full-on tracksuit, and I wanted to share my solution with you.

So, in order to not feel totally naked, I pair a tankini top (this one’s from Target, but I think it’s from last summer so you probably can’t find this particular style in stores now) with a modest neckline (I really can’t stand the ones that have deep Vs that leave your chest sort of hanging out) paired with some shorts I bought in the workout section of Target. They’re a water-friendly material so you don’t have to worry about walking around in wet gym shorts at the pool or beach or wherever. I feel like this shows off my figure and lets me enjoy the summer without baring more skin that I’m comfortable with.

As for makeup, I didn’t do a ton because cosmetics tend to wash off in the water But I’m not about to leave the house without evening out my skintone at the very least, so I’ve got some waterproof concealer and tinted moisturizer on with some waterproof mascara. Any maybe some eyeliner. And possibly MAC paint pot in Bare Study. Hey, it’s not a full face!

How are you spending the last stretch of summer, and what’s your beach attire?

5 minute eye look (featuring drugstore & high end products)

Sorry for the sporadic posts this week. I’ve been cuh-razy busy at work! But, I wanted to give a quick overview of a 5 minute (or less) eye look I’ve been going to just about every morning this week because it’s easy, fast and flattering.

As you can see, it’s pretty much my signature eye look…brightening and defining but not too dark or smoky. Call it boring (even though it’s not!) but it’s something that is appropriate for work that takes almost no time to pull together.

I start off with a double dose of eye primer. First, e.l.f. Mineral Eye Shadow Primer.

For $3 (either at the e.l.f. website or Target, if your store carries the line), this is hands down one of my favorite primers. It works just like Urban Decay Primer Potion and helps my eye makeup to stay put all day.

Once my lids are primed, I like to even out my skin tone with an eye base. I make sure to use light layers of both primer and base so it’s not too heavy. For this look, I go to MAC‘s Paint Pot in Painterly.

Next, I reach for my Wet n Wild Color Icon palette in Vanity.

You get 6 shadows in this palette — 3 matte and 3 shimmer (each finish comes with a light color, a medium brown/gold and a deeper brown). I start by highlighting the inner corners of my eyes with the lightest matte shade (sort of a peachy skin tone color) using an e.l.f. Defining Eye Brush, which is a small eye brush with slanted bristles, perfect for placing shadow in a really specific area.

Next, I use the lightest shimmery shade, more of a white than a peach, to pack on my lids, using an e.l.f. Eye Shadow Brush — just your average flat shader brush.

After that, I use the e.l.f. Blending Brush to sweep the medium matte brown across my crease, to add a bit of definition and depth.

Then, I grab my flat shader brush again and take the shimmery gold (the medium shade) and sweep on the center of my lid, blending to the outer corner. I keep the inner part of my lid really light. Then, I grab a clean e.l.f. Defining Eye Brush and take the dark, deep brown and form an outer v on the outer corners of my lids. I blend it all out with the Blending Brush to make sure there are no harsh lines.

To finish, I line my bottom waterline with Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal eye pencil in pure white and add Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Bold Brown to my upper and lower lash line. Then, I curl my lashes and top it all off with CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion on my lashes!

I’d definitely recommend this as a quick work or school look. If you need an eye look in a hurry but don’t want to look like you sped through it, this is going to be great for you! And, I’m giving away one of the Wet n Wild palettes and Prestige liners in my August giveaway, so check that out and enter!

FTC: Even though I’m mentioning a lot of e.l.f. products, I purchased them all myself and was not provided any of the products mentioned by any company…I use them because they’re inexpensive and good quality!

Quick CVS Haul – 90% off makeup!

I made 2 trips to 2 different CVS stores after work today. The first one still had items from the 50-75% off beauty sale — score, I thought! This sale started back in the spring, and I’ve found some leftovers! I got a Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick in Born With It, and a Sally Hanson Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick in Lilac, both on clearance (and a $1 off coupon for the Maybelline lipstick!).

That’s the Born With It on the left and Lilac on the right. Born With It is a really pretty, sort of nude pink-y shade that I think will work nicely on my pale skin. Lilac is quite a bit more dramatic, with deep purple undertones. Still super pretty, though, and since I’m a fan of the Sally Hansen Natural Makeup lipsticks, I immediately tried it on…

I also got two CoverGirl Eye Enhancers shadows — one in Golden Sunrise and another in Brown Smolder — because I had two coupons for $2 off any CG product (and CVS was having a buy one, get one 50% off with CG).

So, nice kind of boring haul, right? I stopped by a different CVS just to see what they had, and as soon as I walked in, I saw a table with a sign that said “90% off” and wouldn’t you know…there were a few makeup products just begging to be bought.

And how much did it cost?

That’s right, just over $5 for 3 shadows and 2 blushes!

I’ve never tried Almay shadow before. I have a cream blush and a bronzer from them, which I like…nothing that’s holy grail, but they work for good everyday products. I got these shadows in the shades (l-r) Apricot, Ivory and Petal. You’d think this could create a nice neutral eye look, right? Maybe the Ivory all over the lid, with Apricot in the crease and Petal as a highlight. But when I got home and swatched them (and the CoverGirl shadows from my first CVS stop), I was a teeny bit disappointed (or as disappointed as you can get from not loving 80 cent eyeshadows).

The photo quality isn’t the best, but the Almay shadows really were not all that pigmented and were kind of chalky. But, I think I can work with them, and if I use an eye primer (like Urban Decay Primer Potion or e.l.f. Mineral Eye Primer) with a base (good ole MAC Paint Pot in Painterly), they might be OK. Left to right, that’s Almay Apricot (kind of a peachy bronze), Almay Ivory (the most pigmented of the 3…a shimmery off white), CoverGirl Golden Sunrise (I like this one…very bronze-y with a touch of gold), CoverGirl Brown Smolder (a rich, deep brown that I’ll use for defining the outer V of my eye), and Almay Petal (super sheer and frosty).

The mineral blushes I got will be fun to test out. I have a ton of blushes in my collection but rarely reach for anything other than NYC Blushable Creme Sticks topped with NARS Orgasm.

Maybelline Mineral Power blush in Gentle Pink. Got it for 95 cents!

The sticker says 50% off, but it rang up 90% off! Just like rock beats scissors, register beats sticker!

24.7 Minerals Anti-Aging Mineral Blush in Champagne. Not sure I love this as a blush, but it’ll probably be a pretty highlight color. I don’t know much about this brand, other than I first saw it in CVS maybe late last year, and soon enough, they had just about everything from the line 50% off (and now the leftovers at 90% off).

Don’t you love impromptu shopping trips that turn into major reasons to brag on how much you saved?

July favorites!

Yikes, I created a draft of this post the last week of July, thinking I’d have it published on the blog around July 31, but here it is, Aug. 3, and I’m still drafting. Time goes by so fast sometimes!

But yay, it’s August…love this month for one reason and one reason only — my birthday! I’ll be the big 2-6 this Saturday, Aug. 7. Not excited about the number, but I love my birthday, so I’ll deal with being in my (eek) late 20s.

Enough with the ramble, let’s get on to the things I was loving in July (and am still loving right now).

Makeup: Pink and coral lips
For me, summer has been all about playing up my lips, something I tend to neglect because they’re the last step in my everyday makeup routine. Usually, I toss on a generic berry gloss for some shine, and I’m out the door. But in July, I began experimenting with really pretty pink and coral lipsticks and glosses, and I’m loving pairing a neutral eye look with a pop of color on my lips, like I did in this recent Face of the Day. Favorite pink and coral lip products for July?

• Sally Hansen Natural Makeup Inspired by Carmindy lipstick in Baby Pink (This was in my Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products list, and it’s a go-to for me when I’m in a hurry and can’t decide what I want on my lips. It’s a pretty sheen of the sweetest pink, but not too Barbie.)

• MAC Dazzleglass Creme in Do it Up (Got this at the CCO. I think it was part of a 2008 collection of Dazzleglass Cremes. Loooove the formula and the shimmery, blue-toned pink color of the gloss. I love topping a neutral lipstick with this. It’s just the right amount of “BAM!” pink. If you see this at your CCO, grab it up! So fun for summer. Excuse the sloppy swatch. Took the picture on my webcam, so it’s not great quality.)

• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef (one of the spring/summer colors in this line. LOVE that it’s bright but really wearable.)

• Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lip Glaze in Continuous Coral (I’m a sucker for Revlon glosses in coral tones, I guess! Here’s a recent face of the day featuring this gloss. See what I mean about pairing light, neutral eyes with a wow lip? Love it.)

Body: Sugar scrubs
I am all about lotions and body butter and all that jazz, but believe it or not, July was the first time I experimented with a sugar scrub in my shower routine. And? I shall never shower without sugar again! After washing my body and rinsing off the soap, I cover myself in the scrub and rub it in to lather before rinsing again. My skin is left so soft and smooth, and the scent is really sweet and pleasant.

I’ve been using a Bath & Body Works scrub in Japanese Cherry Blossom, but I wouldn’t say I’m above trying out different brands/scents/etc. Give me your sugar scrub suggestions!

Hauling:Sales!
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good sale. And if there’s a second thing I love, it’s being able to use a coupon during that sale. And if there’s a third thing I love, it’s getting something good for nothin’ (or close to nothin’). When it came to hauling in July, I scored majorly by pairing clearance/sale finds with coupons and got some great buys for pennies.

You have to remember that steal of a deal from one of my recent Target hauls, right? Under a buck for tinted moisturizer and bronzer! The best tip I can offer for saving money when you know you’re going to be spending money is clipping coupons. It may only be $1 off, but if you’re getting something on clearance or during a sale, that $1 will be off an already reduced price and make more of a difference. And speaking of awesome Target clearance, check out these cute peep-toe flats I scored for under $5:

Super cute, right? And because I live in Texas (where the weather is either hot, or super hot), I don’t really have to worry about how seasonal something is. I’ll be wearing these babies in July, September, and even into October and November. Another good tip is at places like Target and Kohls — never buy full price if you can wait! All their items eventually make their way to the sale rack.

Reviewing: Organic products
One of the awesome things about beauty blogging is that I get to try out new products and help to spread the word about companies you may not know about. Two of those companies that I found in July feature awesome, organic, paraben-free skincare — Bubble and Bee and Passport to Organics Turmeric Cream. I owe you full reviews of both (coming soon, since I’ve had some time to test both out) but I’ve done quick first impressions here and here.

I’ve been testing out the Bubble and Bee organic lip balm and organic lotion stick, both in Rude Raspberry, and my lips and feet have never been happier! A+ to this company for super cute packaging, legit products and giving me a non-water-based lotion in a stick form, which is perfection for keeping my feet soft and smooth.

This turmeric cream lotion from Passport to Organics is doing wonders for my skin! Turmeric is a miracle ingredient…it’s an anti-inflammatory, so it helps with redness, which I have a ton of. The consistency is lightweight, so it’s moisturizing but not heavy. Really liking this.

Fashion: Casual, but pulled together
I love the combo of burnout tees (those warn, vintage looking shirts) or boyfriend tees over cute tanks/camis and gray wash jeans (I know, I know — it’s summertime and I shouldn’t be sporting jeans. I spend a lot of time in air conditioning, so no worries!)

You can’t really see the lacy green tank under this white pocket tee from Target ($8! the cheapest, cutest, most comfy tee you’ll find), but I love that I can be comfortable in clothes like this but not feel like a complete and total bum. I dress up for work (like I showed in this outfit of the week post) so when it’s time for going out on the weekend, I want to be young and fun. I pair simple, casual pieces like this with fun accessories, and overall, I end up with a look I’m really happy with.

And now for some July favorites that are sort of random and not on the fashion/makeup/beauty subject…

Food find: Cake Balls!
We took a weeklong summer vacation at the beginning of July to San Antonio and Austin (two of my favorite TX cities) and I made a very important discovery…

Cake balls. These are from Holy Cacao in Austin, and they are magnificent. Imagine your favorite cake ever. Now imagine that cake crumbled with your favorite frosting, formed into a ball and frozen, and then dipped in ganache. Yeah, it’s that good.

Listenin’ to: Tony Lucca – Rendezvous with the Angels
Tony Lucca is awesome, and if you haven’t heard his music before, what are you waiting for? His latest CD came out in July, and I’ve been listening to it nonstop. So good. I saw him live earlier this year and got a bunch of video for my YouTube channel, so check it out if you like amazing music (and I bet you do!).