These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: January 2014

Love Me Again by John Newman // Essie 'Wicked' Nail Polish // Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Radiant Touch // NARS Orgasm Blush // Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve // bareMinerals Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer // YummyEarth Citrus Grove Vitamin C Drops

Love Me Again by John Newman: How fun is this song? I find myself jamming out to it daily.

Essie 'Wicked' Nail Polish: This has been on my nails and toes all month long. I really prefer Essie polishes because they tend not to chip as much as some of my polishes that are more expensive!

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Radiant Touch: I had a few samples of this in varying shades, and I've got to say I'm considering splurging on it because it works amazing under my eyes. If you have any drugstore dupe suggestions I'd love to hear them!

NARS Orgasm Blush: I've had this for almost 4 years (do you think it's time to throw it out?) and it was the only blush I brought home with me on Winter Break that I got so used to using it, it's been my everyday blush since returning to school.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve: I've had this for quite some time, but since my lips are really feeling the cold weather, this is truly a lip saver.

bareMinerals Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer: This is the hands down best primer I've ever used. It completely erases any redness or imperfections on my face and allows me to use only a little extra BB cream on my trouble spots. For days when I'm running late it comes in handy because I can throw it on and go!

YummyEarth Citrus Grove Vitamin C Drops: I've been pretty sick this month, and with the weather below freezing and gloomy most days in Boston, I need a little Vitamin C in my life.

Beauty Sales Week of January 26th

Gilt:

• Ahava Skincare: Dead Sea Minerals (Sale begins Noon ET 1/27)
• T3: Luxe Styling Tools (Sale begins Noon ET 1/28)

HauteLook:

• Donna Bella 24K Gold Skincare (Sale begins 8am PT 1/26)
• L'OCCITANE en Provence, LORAC (Sale begins 8am PT 1/27)
• Burberry Fragrances, Hair Tools Blowout (Sale begins 8am PT 1/28)
• Alima Pure Cosmetics, NuFace Facial Toning Devices (Sale begins 8am PT 1/29)
• Kinerase Skincare, MicrodermMD (Sale begins 8am PT 1/30)
• Aramis Lab Series Men's Skincare, GLO Science (Sale begins 8am PT 1/31)

MYHABIT:

• Gotta Have It: Luxe Fragrances, Skincare Picks Feat. Crystal Peel (Sale begins 9am PT 1/27)
• Goldfaden Skincare, Home Spa: Bath & Body Treatments (Sale begins 9am PT 1/29)
• Mad For Makeup: Lipsticks & More (Sale begins 9am PT 1/30)
• $29 & Under: Beauty Head-To-Toe, Best of Beauty: Skincare to Haircare (Sale begins 9am PT 1/31)

Recipe: Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies with Toffee and Sea Salt

Taylor Swift sang "I knew you were trouble when you walked in," and I knew I would be in trouble if I decided to make these and boy was I right because these are downright addictive. They're another favorite of mine from Ambitious Kitchen (I've also shared her Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt recipe) and they're a huge hit at parties, but I warn you- they're extremely rich so you only need to eat a little to get your chocolate fix.

Style Icons: Alexa Chung

Without a doubt, former model and current British Vogue contributing editor Alexa Chung, has one of the most down-to-earth yet polished street style out there. She finds ways to easily dress up or down basic pieces and totally masters the 'British it girl' look many Americans try to imitate.

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Manicure Monday: OPI 'Lincoln Park After Dark'

This is a classic fall and winter color, it's the perfect shade of deep purple that looks amazing on every skin tone. No surprise here it's one of OPI's best selling shades.



Buy it here.

Beauty Sales Week of January 19th

Gilt:

• Dr. Brandt Skincare (Sale begins Noon ET 1/20)
• Deborah Lippmann (Sale begins Noon ET 1/23)
• Top Pro Beauty Tools (Sale begins Noon ET 1/24)

HauteLook:

• Alterna Haircare, HerStyler Hair Tools (Sale begins 8am PT 1/19)
• DermaHeal, Laura Geller Beauty (Sale begins 8am PT 1/20)
• Mario Badescu, Mirenesse Australia (Sale begins 8am PT 1/21)
• Crown Brush (Sale begins 8am PT 1/22)
• Medpeel Skincare, Molton Brown (Sale begins 8am PT 1/23)
• blind Get Amazing Eyes Discovery Collection, epilady, Stila (Sale begins 8am PT 1/24)
• I Coloniali Fragrances (Sale begins 8am PT 1/25)

MYHABIT:

• Lovely Locks: Haircare Must-Haves (Sale begins 9am PT 1/23)
• Stunning Skin: Serums, Kits & More (Sale begins 9am PT 1/24)

Rue La La:

• Just Add Roses: Fragrance Gifts For Your Valentine (Sale begins 8am ET 1/23)

Link Love: January 12-18

QVC New Beauty Test Tube Unboxing! [herlatenightcravings]


10 Sex, Hookup And Dating Tips From Blair Waldorf [Gurl]

Gooey S'mores Bars [Freut Cake]

Happy 40th Birthday, Kate: 10 Classic Kate Moss Covers [Birchbox UK Blog]

Nars Spring 2014 Collection [Miss Whoever You Are]

The Broke Girl's Guide To Designer Decor [Casa Sugar]

Currently Craving: Fancy Fragrance's

Prada Candy // Marc Jacobs Dot // LAVANILLA Pure Vanilla Fragrance

Recently, my go-to fragrances just haven't been doing it for me, so I'm thinking about purchasing one of these three. What do you do when you feel like you need a little pick-me-up?

Lily Aldridge for XOXO Spring/Summer 2014

Lily Aldridge returns to XOXO as the face of their Spring/Summer 2014 ad campaign, featured in the brand's national print, digital, and out-of-home campaigns. Included in the campaign is a 90-second fashion film featuring the exclusive for XOXO song "Be My Girl" by up-and-coming band Rebel Ship, as well as behind the scenes footage of the campaign.

The ad campaign is the brainchild of a  new creative team comprised of Cathrine Westergaard leading art and creative direction, 8112 Studios with video production by Nicholas Cambata and photography by Douglas Sonders in New York City and post production provided by Vici London.

"I am really excited to continue as the face of XOXO for another season," said Lily. "My experience with the XOXO team has been so much fun. The spring collection is amazing and I had such a great time shooting the campaign. I feel really lucky to be a part of the brand."

This campaign is an evolution of the iconic "Hugs & Kisses XOXO" campaign launched in the early 90's featuring supermodels including Tyra Banks, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, and Miranda Kerr among others.

"We are extremely thrilled to continue with Lily," said Suzanne Desiderio, XOXO Division Head. "We really honed in on who the XOXO girl is and feel that Lily's look truly represents her - modern, smart, confident, and sexy."

Shop the Spring/Summer 2014 Collection by XOXO in store and online at Macy's, Dillard's, Bon-Ton, and Carson Pirie Scott.

Beauty Sales Week of January 12th

Gilt:

• Designer Fragrances (Sale begins Noon ET 1/14)
• NuFace: Facial Toning Device (Sale begins Noon ET 1/15)
• Beauty Best Sellers for Less (Sale begins Noon ET 1/16)
• Klorane (Sale begins Noon ET 1/17)

HauteLook:

• Smile Sciences B Brush Toothbrush, Whitening Lightning (Sale begins 8am PT 1/12)
• e.l.f. Cosmetics, Zirh Men's Skincare (Sale begins 8am PT 1/13)
• Drunk Elephant Skincare, Flirty Eyes Mink Lashes (Sale begins 8am PT 1/14)
• LAliss Hair Tool, Tei Spa (Sale begins 8am PT 1/15)
• Coach Fragrances, RapidLash, Zegna Uomo (Sale begins 8am PT 1/16)
• ISO Beauty Dryer, Valentine's Day Fragrances For Her, Valentine's Day Fragrances For Him (Sale begins 8am PT 1/17)
• Booty Parlor (Sale begins 8am PT 1/18)

MYHABIT:

• Tanda Skincare (Sale begins 9am PT 1/12)
• Glowing Complexion: Luxe Skincare (Sale begins 9am PT 1/13)
• The Scent Shop: Fragrance For Her (Sale begins 9am PT 1/17)

Review: NYC New York Color HD Color Trio

NYC New York Color Cosmetics's HD Color Trio Eyeshadow line includes 12 unique color trio palettes. These trios house 4.5 g of color and only cost you $2.99 each at the drugstore. 'Long Beach Sands' contains a pink-toned champagne, warm medium brown, and light taupe shade, some of my favorite eyeshadow shades to wear daily, so when I saw this was going to be in my Influenster Jolly Vox Box, I was ready to try it out.

These claim to be 'high pay-off colors that pick up the intensity with a true staying power,' and while I don't think that they're super high pay-off, they do stay on all day without creasing.

Overall, I found these shadows to be pretty once applied, but during the application, they were a little too chalky for my liking, and very delicate because some of the corners have already shattered after only having them for about 3 weeks, especially the lightest shade which you can see in the photos didn't apply as evenly as the other two shades.

Please note: I did receive this item for free, but am not being compensated in any way to share my opinions.

Review: Influenster Jolly VoxBox

Can you hear the children's laughter? Do you see the candy-colored lights lining the street? Can you taste the thrill in the air? It's the most wonderful time of the year: Filled with treasure to keep you smiling from ear to ear, the Jolly VoxBox is finally here!

Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong To Go Tissue Pack: Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong To Go is still our best non-lotion facial tissue to use in the car, for on-the-go, wherever you go!

NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow: HD Color Trio Eye Shadow delivers high intensity color with a silky soft texture. This lightweight formula blends effortlessly for the ultimate smoky eye look.

Rimmel London NEW Show Off Lip Lacquer: It's the end of color as you know it! This intense rich color of a lipstick combined with an invincibly smooth lacquer shine. Available in 14 shades.

Skinny Cow Candy: TA DA! Presenting almost too good to be true Skinny Cow Candy! Unbelieveably chocolatey. Melt-in-your-mouth madness. Perfectly yummy portions. Skinny Cow's line of candy weighs in at 110 to 130 calories. So if you've been avoiding the candy aisle, welcome back. You're gonna feel like a kid in a candy store.

Ducklings Mini Rolls: Excellent for repair, crafting, and imaginative projects. High performance strength and adhesion characteristics. Tears easily by hand without curling and conforms to uneven surfaces. Ducklings are perfect for small repairs, trimming out projects or for when you just need a little tape!

Please note: I did receive these products for free, but am not being compensated in anyway to share my opinions.

Beauty Sales Week of January 5th

Gilt:

• No!No! Hair Removal (Sale begins Noon ET 1/6)
• Winter Skin Rx (Sale begins Noon ET 1/10)

HauteLook:

• Brilliance New York Hair Tools, Lotus Cosmetics (Sale begins 8am PT 1/5)
• Kevyn Aucoin, Osmotics Cosmeceuticals Skincare (Sale begins 8am PT 1/6)
• Salon Worthy Strands (Sale begins 8am PT 1/7)
• Belletto Studio Airbrush Makeup, WrinkleMD (Sale begins 8am PT 1/8)
• NuMe Style (Sale begins 8am PT 1/9)
• CARGO Cosmetics, CLEAN Fragrance, ReFa PRO Face & Body Toning Device (Sale begins 8am PT 1/10)
• SPAfrica Skincare (Sale begins 8am PT 1/11)

MYHABIT:

• Kevyn Aucoin (Sale begins 9am PT 1/7)
• Beaute Basics Palettes & Tools (Sale begins 9am PT 1/9)
• $29 & Under: Skincare (Sale begins 9am PT 1/10)

Link Love: December 29-January 4

How To Be Happy, Love Yourself, & Love Your Life [beautybaby44]


Broke Girls, Rejoice! 6 Must-Know $$$-Saving Skin Care Tricks [Refinery29]

Pat McGrath's Crowning Achievement [Style]

New Law To Put Calorie Counts On Vending Machine Snacks [The Vivant]

New Year, New Home: How To Freshen Up Your Space Without Spending a Dime [Apartment Therapy]

The 12 Most Delicious Foods You'll Discover Abroad [Huff Post Destinations]

Two Thousand Thirteen

Happy 2014!
Wishing you a happy new year and many blessings this year.
Here's a look back at some of my highlights of 2013.

February: turning 18

March: getting accepted to Emerson College

April: senior prom

May: interning as a web stylist (& hand model!) at the Urban Outfitters Head Quarters

June: graduating from high school

August: moving to Boston to attend Emerson College

2013 was definitely one for the books, filled with major changes, challenges, and new opportunities. Looking forward to see what 2014 brings.

xo

Style Icons: Lauren Conrad

I adore Lauren Conrad! She's been my style icon for quite some time (I even met her at a book signing in October 2012!), ever since her days on Laguna Beach.