July 31, 2015

Her Campus Her Conference 2015

This past weekend, I headed to New York City for Her Campus's 4th annual Her Conference. I spent the weekend with my fellow HC interns, the HC team, HCBN members and so many inspiring collegiettes!
My co-CC at Emerson, Jamie

This was my second year attending Her Conference [see last years recap here!] and this year I was definitely more engaged in the panels and with the fellow attendees.

It's hard to pick a highlight from the weekend because so many amazing things went down. Here are a few of my favorite moments from the weekend.


Business of Blogging Panel- Day One
As one of the Blogger Network Management Interns, I got to help curate some of the questions asked during this uber-popular panel! It was great to see Carly speak again [she spoke at last years conference as well] and hear Tilden, Megan, and Hilary.

Hilary Rushford's Instagram Workshop- Day One
Hilary started off this uber-informative workshop with a T-Swift dance party and gave so many amazing tips, tricks and general insight into building your brand with Instagram. Check out her classes if you missed this workshop!


Journalism Jobs Down the Line Panel- Day Two
All of these panelists hold seriously enviable positions at some amazing publications and companies! Rachel Jo Silver is someone who has totally become one of the more recognizable faces of Birchbox and brought some fun to the panel. Plus, later that afternoon, I won a 6-month Birchbox subscription!

#ActuallySheCan- Day Two
How many times have you said 'I can't even'? I know I've definitely said it on more than a few occasions where in fact, I can do it. This is an amazing movement that pairs hand in hand with Her Campus's mission of empowering collegiettes because we can do anything!

Two of the Her Campus co-founders, Annie and Stephanie

Those are just a few of the highlights from the weekend, I'm sure if you follow me on Twitter you read about everything else the weekend included, like free Chipotle lunch, and amazing keynotes and raffles. HCXO!

July 29, 2015

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: July 2015



I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers: I can't stop listening to this song! It's the perfect beat to run to and always gets me going if I need a energy boost.

Tree Hut Tropical Mango Extra Rich Moisturizing Lotion (℅): I'm obsessed with this lotion! And as someone who has been using the same lotion for at least two years, that says a lot. It smells great, hydrates and really sinks into your skin and doesn't just sit on top.

Safe Harbor Sensitive Lotion SPF 50 (℅): It's been hot here in Boston, especially this week and even on my walk to get an iced coffee, I feel like my skin is roasting.

Lush Creamy Candy Bubble Bar: An oldie but a goodie, I haven't had a Lush bubble bar in so long, but when I do treat myself, this is usually what I go for! I thankfully have a bathtub in my current apartment, so now I can get back into purchasing these treats.

Lauren B Nail Perfecter (℅): When I first got this in the mail, I assumed it was just another nude polish at first glance. But no. This is so much more and so much better than that. If I don't have polish on, this is on my nails because it essentially airbrushes your nails.

LASHEM 'Black Pearl' Colour Strokes Liquid Eyeliner (℅): While I can't say I've been using this long enough to notice a difference in the length of my lashes, it applies smoothly and without gaps.

Tieks: A recent purchase, my Tieks are so comfy and I feel like I could walk miles in them. Well, probably not, but they're coming to London with me and I'm sure they'll get a ton of use there!

Whole Foods Truffled Ricotta Asiago Dip: Stop the presses. This dip is absolutely amazing. Seriously. Go get it. That is all.


Her Conference 2015
Last weekend was spent in New York City with my Her Campus team for Her Conference 2015. If you weren't there you seriously missed out! I'll be doing a full post about the conference on Friday, stay tuned!

July 27, 2015

Traveling Made Easy with Amtrak

This weekend, I headed from New York to Boston for Her Campus's 4th annual Her Conference with Amtrak. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw a slew of tweets and even an instagram about the amazing perks of taking Amtrak. If you don't, I'm here to fill you in on what you're missing if you're not traveling with Amtrak.

Working like a boss on Amtrak

Amtrak has been America's leading provider for intercity passenger rail services since 1971, traveling to over 500 cities in 46 states, plus Canada. Amtrak provided a comfortable and smooth ride, complete with outlets and wifi, which is very important if you're a blogger and have to stay connected!

Plus, if you're in college or high school, they've got perks for you too! You can save 10% on your fare when booking with the Student Advantage card. Not in high school or college? No problem! Amtrak always has regional fare sales which can be found on their Deals page.

I partnered with Amtrak through the Her Campus Blogger Network but am not being influenced by any opinions but my own. 

July 26, 2015

Beauty Sales Week of July 26th

Gilt:
  • La Prairie (Sale begins Noon ET 7/27)
  • Party Prep: Beauty Must-Haves (Sale begins Noon ET 7/30)

HauteLook:
  • Minerals of Eden Dead Sea Hair & Body Care (Sale begins 8am PT 7/26)
  • Brilliance New York Hair Tools Blowout: Up to 90% Off (Sale begins 4pm PT 7/26)
  • Red Carpet Manicure, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics (Sales begin 8am PT 7/27)
  • Aqua Mineral Dead Sea Skincare, Diptyque Paris (Sales begin 8am PT 7/28)
  • Illumiage Beauty, Mally Beauty (Sales begin 8am PT 7/29)
  • Algenist Skin Care, LightStim LED Light Therapy (Sales begin 8am PT 7/30)
  • Argan Magic Hair, Crown Brush, SpaLife Skincare (Sales begin 8am PT 7/31)

MYHABIT:
  • Designer Fragrance: Chloé & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/26) 
  • Healthy Hair feat. Kérastase (Sale begins 9am PT 7/27)
  • Laura Mercier, Kevyn Aucoin & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/29)
  • Gorgeous Skin: Algenist, Murad & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/31)

  • Big. Rue. Sale: Beauty Edition (Sale begins 11am ET 7/29)

July 25, 2015

Link Love: July 19-25



2 Food Bloggers Who Have Tried Every New York City Burger That Matters Say These Are the 15 Best [Business Insider]

10 Genius Tips for Mastering Secondhand Shopping [Cosmopolitan]

Brownie Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches [Tutti-Dolci]

Fruit Pizza! [A Beautiful Mess]

How To Be Broke Without Going Crazy [Refinery 29]

Karlie Kloss Stuns in New Kate Spade Campaign [Her Campus]

TBT: American Girl Dolls Ranked By Betchiness [Betches Love This]

July 24, 2015

Review: Fresh Umbrian Clay Face Mask

Fresh's Umbrian Clay Mattifying Mask ($49 for 3.4 oz) is a multifunctional treatment made with a high concentration of Umbrian Clay, an ingredient proprietary to Fresh. Found only in the Italian town Nocera Umbra, Umbrian Clay's therapeutic benefits date back to the 6th century BC. Its high mineral content soothes irritation, removes toxins, reduces breakouts and aids in regenerating healthy skin cells. This treatment, which can be used as a face mask, daily cleanser, or spot treatment, is further advanced with anti-inflammatory nettle, gentle chamomile, and purifying olive leaf extract.

This was one of the items that I picked up about a month ago at the Fresh store on Newbury Street during a private shopping visit and it's been on my face at least once a week, if not more since then. My favorite way to use it is as a mask [duh, see above!] but also as a spot treatment because I've had a few pesky breakouts lately and this has definitely helped sooth the skin and reduce redness. One of my biggest pet peeves about face masks is when they flake off your skin and get too tight that you can't move your face. This, even marketed as a mattifying mask, doesn't do that whatsoever. Overall, I give this mask two big thumbs up and it's definitely one I'd recommend giving a try!

I was given this for consideration by Fresh but am not being influenced by any opinions but my own.

July 22, 2015

All Things Pretty: Mid-Summer Metallics


Can you believe summer is almost over? Even though we're mid-summer, I'm already thinking about going back to school. Metallic accessories are easily transitioned as pops against glowing skin on a breezy summer evening to accent pieces against all dark ensembles on chilly fall afternoons.

July 20, 2015

Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk

I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.


photo credit: John Deputy
We all have some connection in some way to cancer. According to cancer.org, in 2012, there were over 13 million Americans with cancer. Cancer is a dehabilitating force currently without a cure, but organizations such as the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are taking steps towards a cancer-free world through fundraising efforts such as the Jimmy Fund Walk.

I've been living in Boston for two years, and I've been fortunate enough to experience and attend momentous occasions in the city such as the Red Sox World Series win, 2 Boston Marathons, and the New England Patriots Super Bowl win, so now it's time to give back to the city that I call home by walking in this years Jimmy Fund Walk.

Aside from giving back to my city, I want to dedicate this walk to two special people in my life that have been affected by cancer. When I was 12 years old, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer and thankfully, he completely beat cancer and is in good health eight years later. Around the same time, in February 2007, my mother suddenly lost one of her best friends, Gina, a woman whom was like a second sister to my mother, and an aunt to my sister and I to a combination of several cancers. I'm walking for both of them, and hope to do them proud.

photo credit: John Deputy
This isn't my first time working towards raising money for cancer, but it is my first walk of any kind. In high school, as president of Fashion Club, I was responsible for organizing the annual Rock the Runway, a charity fashion show that raises money for the organization of the presidents choice. I chose to donate all proceeds of our show towards the Oncology Unit at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Soon after the show, I proudly walked a $5000 check to the hospital and I can imagine myself in two short months walking just as proudly along the 26.2 mile route towards Copley Square.

Lace up with me on September 27 and choose from one of four different routes to walk: Hopkinton (26.2 miles), Wellesley (13.1 miles), Boston College (5 miles) or Dana-Farber (3 miles) or resister as a virtual walker!

Register here through my website and use the code BLOG to get $5 of your registration price.

Learn more about the Jimmy Fund Walk on their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube and don't forget to register!

July 19, 2015

Beauty Sales Week of July 19th

Gilt:
  • Best of Beauty: Top Pro Tools (Sale begins 9pm ET 7/19)
  • Gilt City Presents: Lancôme.com (Sale begins Noon ET 7/20)
  • Grooming Essentials feat. Tweezerman (Sale begins Noon ET 7/21)
  • Korres (Sales begin Noon ET 7/23)
  • Beauty Must-Haves: Up to 80% Off (Sale begins Noon ET 7/24)

HauteLook:
  • Naturalmente Hair Products (Sale begins 8am PT 7/19)
  • Hair Tools Blowout: Up to 85% Off (Sale begins 4pm PT 7/19)
  • Epilady: Hair Removal & Facial Tools, Fake Bake (Sales begin 8am PT 7/20)
  • Face Base (Sale begins 8am PT 7/21)
  • Stila, Summer Fragrances Under $25 (Sales begin 8am PT 7/22)
  • Botanifique Skincare, Eyelashi (Sales begin 8am PT 7/23)
  • Dr. Brandt Skincare, Macadamia Natural Oil Haircare, Posh Brushes & Beauty Tools (Sales begin 8am PT 7/24)
  • DermaMD, Eyeko London (Sales begin 8am PT 7/25)

MYHABIT:
  • New Arrivals: Designer Summer Fragrances (Sale begins 9am PT 7/19) 
  • Luxury Skincare feat. La Femme & Donna Bella, New Arrivals: SK-II (Sale begins 9am PT 7/20)
  • Up to 80% Off: Beauty (Sale begins 4pm PT 7/21)
  • Best Sellers: Skyn ICELAND, Marula Oil & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/24)
  • $5 & Up: Skincare, Bodycare & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/25)

  • Bond No. 9 Women's & Men's Perfume (Sale begins 11am ET 7/25)

July 18, 2015

Link Love: July 12-18



16 Sneaky Ways New York Can Make You Go Broke (Hint: It's Not Your Rent) [Refinery29]

17 Little-Known Hacks for Finding Cheap Flights [My Domaine]

Brand Partnership Thank You Note Etiquette [Lilly & Lemons]

NYFW Men's Is Diverse, So Why Can't NYFW Women's Get It Together? [Huff Post Style]

Six Super-Annoying Things Fashion Bloggers Do [The Untouchables]

The Morning Routines of Successful Freelancers [Levo League]

What the Most Stylish Women Wear 9 to 5: Meet Beyoncé's Personal Assistant, Sam Greenberg [Vogue]

July 17, 2015

Currently Craving: British Beauties


I'm going to London in a month [eek!] with my sister and we couldn't be more excited! Our tickets are purchased, our hotel is booked, and we have a general feel for the things we want to do while we're there. Next up planning wise is outfits and a shopping list! I'm sure I'll buy more than I should while I'm there, but I want to focus on things I can't really get in the states. Any British readers out there who want to share your favorite beauty products, leave me a comment below because I'd love to check them out while I'm there.

July 15, 2015

How Her Campus Has Shaped My College Career

As many of you probably know if you follow me on twitter or instagram, this summer I'm interning at Her Campus. To keep it short: Her Campus has truly shaped my college career thus far and has opened a lot of doors for me as a student, blogger and woman. It's something I have been heavily involved in throughout my college experience, and something I genuinely love being a part of. Members of the Her Campus network have moved on to jobs and internships at Seventeen, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, just to name a few!
(Visit bit.ly/mycampuschapter to apply to start your own chapter!)

For those of you unfamiliar with the brand, Her Campus is the #1 online global community for college women (aka collegiettes), written by college women, with on-campus chapters at 270+ campuses across 7 countries worldwide. In addition, Her Campus offers the HC Study Break email newsletterHer Campus Blogger Network with over 950 members, High School Ambassador Program, Her Conference, Her Conference: High SchoolCollege Fashion WeekHer Campus Shop, The Her Campus Guide to College Life,  and even more products, programming, tools, and events to fulfill its mission of serving college women across every platform!

Her Campus chapters serve as a section on HerCampus.com devoted to each school, so students can have an individualized experience on the website through the five main sections: Features, Blogs, Campus Celebrities, Campus Cuties, and Snapshot.

I found out about Her Campus in August 2013, the last month of summer before starting my freshman year of college when Emerson’s chapter followed me on Instagram (hint to current chapter members- this is a great way to get new members, try searching relevant hashtags related to your school), and the rest is history!
(Me as a baby Her Campus member, during an event my chapter hosted in September 2013!)

I was immediately intrigued and made it a point to find out more info about Her Campus, so I went ahead and applied to become a member of my chapter. Over the past two years, I have grown more and more involved with Her Campus, not just within my chapter but within the company as a whole, speaking on panels at the Her Conference: High School in 2014 and 2015, attending 2014 and 2015 Boston College Fashion Week events, attending the 2014 and (upcoming!) 2015 Her Conference’s, held in New York City, and most recently and what I’m most proud of, becoming the Campus Correspondent of the Emerson College Chapter and being a summer intern at their Boston office.

While I didn't begin the Her Campus chapter at Emerson, starting your own chapter is a great way to gain writing experience, participate in marketing campaigns, make network connections with other college journalists online and in person at the annual Her Conference each summer. If there's already a chapter at your school, what are you waiting for? It's time to get involved!

Interested in starting your own chapter? Her Campus is accepting applications for Fall 2015 through August 15. to find out more, visit bit.ly/mycampuschapter

July 13, 2015

Page Turner: Rich Bitch by Nicole Lapin

Rich Bitch (n.): A woman who empowers herself by taking control of her finances in order to get what she wants in life.

Rich Bitch by financial journalist and economic expert Nicole Lapin is the guide for any millennial girl through the mumbo jumbo that is the world of finances. Lapin, a CNBC news anchor shares with you her 12-step guide to getting your finances together with a modern and sassy twist, making it easy and enjoyable to read and understand.

What I especially loved about reading this book is that it's targeted towards women (woo!), it's written in plain text, and she let's you know that it's ok to buy your latte everyday, as long you're not splurging in every category of life. There's nothing more that I hate hearing when it comes to finances than "you need to stop spending all together to save," and Nicole faces that old tale, and proves it wrong.

July 12, 2015

Beauty Sales Week of July 12th

Gilt:
  • Best of Beauty: Skincare Essentials (Sale begins Noon ET 7/12)
  • Beauty Best Sellers (Sale begins Noon ET 7/14)
  • StriVectin (Sale begins Noon ET 7/16)

HauteLook:
  • 2 Second Hair Super Thickening System, H2O Plus (Sales begin 8am PT 7/12)
  • Hair Tools Blowout: Cortex & More Up to 90% Off (Sale begins 4pm PT 7/12)
  • Edward Bess Cosmetics, Measurable Difference Beauty (Sales begin 8am PT 7/13)
  • Fromm Brushes, Royale USA Remy Hair Extensions (Sales begin 8am PT 7/14)
  • ClariSEA: Sea Salt Solutions, Too Faced (Sales begin 8am PT 7/15)
  • Arganicare Argan Oil Haircare, ghd: good hair day, every day (Sales begin 8am PT 7/16)
  • Brush on Block Sunscreen, Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive Bag (Sales begin 8am PT 7/17)
  • Brilliance New York Skincare, PureO Hair Solution Products (Sales begin 8am PT 7/18)

MYHABIT:
  • Up to 85% Off: Makeup Palettes & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/12) 
  • A-List Beauty: Glamglow, Clarins & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/13)
  • $18 & Up: Hair Tools & Hair Care, New Markdowns: Philosophy & More, Up to 70% Off: Beach Season Beauty (Sales begin 9am PT 7/14)
  • The Scent of Luxury: Gucci, Burberry & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/15)
  • Hi-Powered Beauty: Epipür & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/16)
  • Going for Glam: Makeup for Evening Looks (Sale begins 9am PT 7/17)
  • Bobbi Brown, NARS, YSL & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/18)

  • TATCHA (Sale begins 11am ET 7/13)
  • FabFitFun Beauty & Fitness Boxes (Sale begins 11am ET 7/15)

July 11, 2015

Link Love: July 5-11



15 Things We Still Totally Believe from Sex and the City [WhoWhatWear]

Favorite Summer Salads [Love and Lemons]

How to Make Product Collages for Your Blog [The College Prepster]

Make Your Own Espadrille Sandals [A Beautiful Mess]

The Carrie Bradshaw Guide To Beating Summer Heat in Style [Refinery 29]

Trina Turk and Jonathan Adler Just Took the Most Insta-Worthy Summer Vacation of All Time [Town & Country]

Why New York Needed Its Own Men's Fashion Week [The Cut]

July 10, 2015

Brand Spotlight: Flynn Skye



Designer Amber Farr's line Flynn Skye offers pieces that are simple with an edge- dresses and rompers that can easily transition from coffee with friends to a music festival, inspired by her world travels and home of Venice, California. 

July 8, 2015

Blogging Business: F.A.Q's

You'd be surprised at the amount of questions I get about blogging, and I've been meaning to get a blog series going on here, and figured this would be the perfect opportunity.

How much money do you make?
While I’m not comfortable disclosing it, I can tell you that there are plenty of bloggers who break down monthly how much they make via their blog. There’s also more to be made than just money. Compensation comes in forms of social shout-outs, products, services and more. Compensation is different depending on a bloggers combined following.

How and why did you start blogging?
I started Polished Perfectly, which has since gone under several rebrands since its October 2009 launch as a way to express my love for beauty way back when I was a high school freshman.

What’s the best and worst part of blogging?
Best: The connections I’ve made, people I’ve met, and brands I’ve worked with. Worst: FOMO and experiencing jealousy.

What brands have you worked with?
To name a few- Nokia, Always, Brita, Fresh Beauty and Sassoon Salon.

How do you deal with haters online and in real life?

Online, thankfully I’ve only dealt with a few rude commenters on various blog posts, so that’s pretty easy to brush off. In real life, I’d say people hate less and poke fun more. But I deal with both the same way and don’t give them the satisfaction of letting it get to me.

What’s your major in school?
I'm a rising junior at Emerson College and am majoring in Journalism and will (hopefully!) be double-minoring in Political Communications and Women's Studies.

July 6, 2015

Review: Tree Hut Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub

Tree Hut Tropical Mango Shea Sugar Scrub ($4.99 for 5.5 oz) is a gentle body scrub made with certified organic shea butter and mango purée. Additionally, it is made with safflower seed oil for deep moisture, the anti-aging agent evening primrose oil, sweet almond oil to improve complexion, avocado oil which reduces sun damage and age spots, macadamia seed oil- an excellent skin protector and orange oil to support collagen formation.

Real sugar grains polish away dead skin to leave your skin smooth and feeling hydrated, without any kind of an oily residue left behind. This is perfect for the summer, not only because of the fruity scent, but as an all-over body exfoliator, and works excellently on a pumice stone if you're in-between pedicures. Overall, I'd highly recommend this, because it works just as good, if not better than the higher end body scrubs I've used that leave you feeling oily instead of hydrated.

July 5, 2015

Beauty Sales Week of July 5th

Gilt:
  • Luxe Bath & Body Essentials (Sale begins Noon ET 7/5)

HauteLook:
  • Start Pure Teeth Whitening (Sale begins 8am PT 7/5)
  • LAliss Hair Tools Blowout: Up to 80% Off (Sale begins 4pm PT 7/5)
  • ilike organic skin care, Studio Gear Cosmetics (Sales begin 8am PT 7/6)
  • Avani Dead Sea, Designer Fragrances for Men & Women (Sales begin 8am PT 7/7)
  • Laura Geller Beauty, LOTUS by Dr. K Sonic Cleansing Brush (Sales begin 8am PT 7/8)
  • Bioelements Skincare, Fromm Beauty Tools (Sales begin 8am PT 7/9)
  • Morphe Brushes (Sale begins 8am PT 7/10)

MYHABIT:
  • Clear Skin Winners: Evologie, Philosophy & More (Sale begins 9am PT 7/5) 
  • New Arrivals: Eve Lom Skincare (Sale begins 9am PT 7/6)
  • New Arrivals: NuFACE Facial Trainers (Sale begins 9am PT 7/8)
  • Tried and True Beauty Secrets feat. Shiseido and La Prairie (Sale begins 9am PT 7/9)

  • AHAVA (Sale begins 11am ET 7/5)

July 4, 2015

Link Love: June 28-July 4



7 Stretches Your Body Really Needs [Refinery 29]

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Peach Filling [My Name is Yeh]

Life's a Picnic for Boston's Yuppies [BostInno]

My Vintage Clothing Shopping Tips [Cupcakes & Cashmere]

Organizing a Vanity for Small Spaces [Slashed Beauty]

The Declutter Challenge: 116 Things You Can Start Tossing *Now* [Levo]

Tools of the Job Trade: LinkedIn [Career Contessa]

July 1, 2015

All Things Pretty: Etsy Turns 10

Dress by Suite // Tassel Garland by BlushBazaar // Print by Holly Nichols Illustration // Travel Mug by TrendySparrow // Keychain by CardinalGift // Phone Case by WildHumm // Print by LucilesKitchen

Happy July and happy birthday Etsy! This month, Etsy turns 10, and in honor of this milestone, I'm sharing a few pieces currently available on Etsy that I've found recently that I love. Enjoy!