Spring/Summer Sandal Picks

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Yes I know it's still February and parts of the country and probably many other countries in the world are covered in snow, but I'm already planning my spring and summer sandal picks for this year. I feel like the general consensus is that most people aren't to keen on winter so I didn't think you guys would mind seeing this type of post so early in the year ;)

I don't mind winter so long as I have the appropriate gear, however, I will say that I'm pretty excited for some warmer weather after adding all these babies to my wishlist.

In the past when it comes to sandals and flip flops I've always gone the cheap route. The problem is that every time spring and summer roll around I'm buying new pairs of cheap sandals or wearing beat up pairs because mine had to be thrown out or I'm still wearing a pair that I shouldn't be anymore...(reallyyyy guilty of this!) But I decided that this year I want to invest in a few really nice pairs that I'll have for many years to come. I chose pretty neutral colors so that they would be versatile for me and I figured that if I want something brightly colored or super trendy then I wouldn't mind going the less expensive route because they're less likely to still be in style years down the road.

Let me know what you guys think of my wishlist so far, tell me your favorites and if you know of any that I should add!

Too Faced Melted Kisses Set

I was so excited to receive this Too Faced Melted Kisses set for Christmas! I thought it was a great deal at $25 to be able to try four different colors when one full size is around $22 alone. I literally took these photos on Christmas morning because I wanted to photograph them before I started using them so excuse the berry candle holder...;)

I know this set isn't available anymore, but I will say that you got a nice range of shades in it...a nude, a pink, a bright pink/fuchsia and a deeper wine. Also, I like the smaller size because it takes forever to go through a full size lip product as it is and some lip packaging is bulky and this is nice and small.

I had heard a lot of talk about the applicator on this product and I am a fan of it as it seems most people are. It makes the application process so easy and the color just glides on. Speaking of the color, these are very pigmented. The only one that seemed to have issues was the "Peony". It's fine now when I've worn it, I guess it just didn't want to cooperate when I swatched it!
As far as the colors themselves and my opinion...the nude is a little dark for me, I typically prefer lighter pinkier nudes. I'm sure "Nude" would look good on people with a darker complexion, but at least for right now, it's not my favorite. "Peony" is a nice color, nothing over the top about it. "Fuschia" is very bright and for myself, I have to have a subtle makeup look going on to wear it because it's very overpowering. "Berry" is my favorite and is the type of  dark berry or wine color that I gravitate toward in the fall/winter months.
The finish on these isn't quite matte, but definitely not glossy either. They have a creamy texture that's comfortable on the lips. The lasting power is okay, not amazing, but decent. What I don't love is the way they wear off because you end up with a ring around your lips and the product worn off in the middle which isn't the best look...
Overall, I do like this set, but the products themselves are a really nice option for a pigmented lip gloss in a sense. I would definitely recommend giving these a shot and there are a few other colors that I've seen and am interested in trying next.
Have you tried these? If so, what is your favorite shade?

How to Winterize your Nails with Julep

Last year you may remember that I did a whole series on winter hydration. However, I never actually addressed how to keep your nails healthy in the winter so I thought this was a great topic of discussion that Julep asked if I'd like to write about! Our hands and nails can really take a beating in the colder months so these are some tips I've learned to help "winterize" your hands and nails!

A couple of other quick tips I have before you paint your nails with any beautiful wintery colors:

- Drink lots of water! This is good for pretty much everything, including your nails.

- Use an exfoliator on your hands. I use one that's specifically meant for hands, so it's gentle. You'd be amazed at the difference!

- File your nails in one direction, going back and forth can cause damage such as weakening.

Now that we've done the prep work, how gorgeous are these swatched shades? I just love Ilsa and Joanne for the winter and Shari would be great for spring! Take a look at their new nail polish color page for a ton of other gorgeous shades. 

Alright, that is my routine and all of my tips on how to winterize your nails!  Let me know what you do and if you have any other tips for me!

Guest Bedroom Planning & Inspiration

Because we have some family coming to stay with us for a few days in February it has kicked us into high gear to FINALLY get our guest bedroom completed...or at least close to it. If you remember from months ago when we moved, we had the bedrooms painted and the guest room is a gray that I absolutely love. To me, it's a true mid-tone gray, it's not too blue or too brown, it's just a perfect gray.

Being the scared-of-color "decorator" that I am, I just have a hard time committing to an accent color so I decided that I would go for a monochromatic color scheme meaning grays, silvers, whites, etc. One night I went on Pinterest and I typed in "Guest Bedrooms" and this beautiful room came up:

  

It's pretty much exactly what I'm going for. Very soft colors, very cozy with just a hint of color in the flowers. Luckily for me, the photo led to a blog post (Dear Lillie Blog Inspiration) and she listed where she got very single piece in the room. JACKPOT!

I went and ordered the duvet and shams she has right away because they're gorgeous, the perfect color and were reasonably priced (unlike another set I found that I was contemplating buying :/)

I did want a little bit of color, and most colors look nice with gray, but I still couldn't decide. When I happened upon a particular pillow from Anthropologie, though, it didn't really matter because it has multi-colored tassels which I think is adorable.

My guest room inspiration board is below:

Pillow: Anthropologie, Chair: Wayfair, Headboard: Kirkland's, Duvet: Ballard Designs, Clock: Kate Spade, Print: Anthropologie, Side table/nightstand: Target
The pillow was a little on the expensive side to me, but it seemed like good quality and I just loved the tassels so I went for it. I wanted an accent chair for the room just because it's nice to have for guests so they have somewhere other than the bed to sit or put their jacket, etc and I was lucky enough to find the one picture from Wayfair during a 2-day sale they had. It's a gorgeous weathered gray color with cream cushions and padding and I'm so happy with it.
You can see the bedding, which I already spoke about, in addition to a gorgeous headboard, with a shape that I love and stud detailing to accent. I wanted to find a headboard that was also a mid-tone gray color similar to the wall because I already have a couple of wall accessories to make the area stand out. I love the print from Anthropologie because it's the exact same colors as the tassels in the pillow and I thought that would be a nice way to add more color.

The above picture is of the sunburst mirror that will be going above the headboard and two wall sconces to go on either side of the headboard. The sunburst mirror was a worn and weathered blue color when we bought it from Burlington Coat Factory, but it was only $20 so I didn't want to pass it up! We ended up sanding it and painting it white (and unfortunately having to replace the mirror several times) and it's been ready and waiting for months for us to get around to putting this room together. (Ignore the random stuff on the floor, we measured how much space the bed would take up and used random objects as guides.)

The wall sconces were another DIY project. I bought them from a thrift store for about $4 a piece and they were a dark, dingy gold color when I brought them home. We ended up spray painting them with a metallic silver spray paint and I think they're going to look amazing against the gray wall!

I'm so excited to see all of the pieces of this room come together and I'll definitely show you guys the finished product in a few weeks!

If you made it through this post you are a champ and I'm giving you a virtual high five!

Have a great weekend!

Michael Kors Fur Pom Pom Bag Charm

I'm probably super behind, but I feel like bag charms are getting more and more popular these days. I've seen scarves, tassels and various other types of accessories added to bags.   Originally, I bought this Michael Kors Fur Pom Pom to be used as a keychain on my key ring. I had it that way for several days, but then I realized that even though it's light, it was still slightly oversized for my key ring and I was always shoving it in my bag when I didn't need my keys. I felt like it was almost a waste because I think it's so cute, but no one ever got to see it. After a couple of days, it dawned on me that it would be a perfect bag charm!   If you've seen my outfit posts, I know you've seen this bag. It's definitely my most-used bag because it's black, has two different ways I can carry it and is a great size for every day. I popped my fur pom pom on it and alas, a match was made! The bag and the charm do both happen to be Michael Kors so the chains on my bag perfectly match the charm which is really nice. Since this photo, I did put the pom pom on the other side of the lock with the leather key-holder that came on the bag (after looking at it, it looked weird and I guess...messy to me to have things hanging from both sides.)   The actual pom pom is jet black all over and very full. The fur is super soft and I love how on the ends the strands kind of taper of, so it's not a blunt cut. Overall, I think it's a whimsical little piece and it kind of reminds me of the lucky rabbits feet you would win from arcades game gift shops as a kid, except a nicer and more grown up version.   I've had a couple of Michael Kors keychains before so I know this one is going to tarnish, which is a bummer.  However, I'm hoping that since it's not something I really touch a lot since I moved it from my key ring, that it will not happen for a long time.   I really love this little key chain, but I will say that when I bought it, I didn't realize that it was real fur. It does say it on one of the tags when you buy it, but I was so excited to see that the store had it after spotting it online that I didn't even read anything until days later. Needless to say, I am disappointed about that, but on the other hand, I do have a couple of bags and pairs of boots that are real leather so I'm not adamant about not having products like this, but I guess it does make me a little sad to think about.   Other than that oversight, I think it's super cute bag charm and I've been loving having it as a fun new accessory to spice up a bag I've had for years.   Are you into bag charms? If you are, which ones do you have/ where do you look for them?

Fall/Winter Revlon Lip Butter Favorites!

Today I wanted to share with you guys two Revlon Lip Butters that were on my list for SO long. I remember trying to find them multiple times and them being out of stock, but my persistence has paid off and I now have them both!

The shades are Raspberry Pie and Pink Truffle. They are very similar in color to the lipstains I bought recently from Revlon- one is a berry color and the other a pinky/brown.  I love berry colors, but the Pink Truffle is one that I had seen on various bloggers/vloggers and never really cared for. Something clicked a few months ago and suddenly I was interested in the pinky/browns and the hunt began for Pink Truffle.

As I'm sure you know, the lip butters themselves are really creamy and pigmented. They're so easy to apply and don't wear off all patchy and weird looking. I wouldn't call them moisturizing but they're definitely not drying, which is perfectly fine with me.

I think these two colors are great for the fall/winter for a nice rich berry shade and a deep neutral. If you haven't tried them yet I would definitely recommend you pick them up and give them a shot!
What are your favorite lip butter shades?

Dove Refresh + Care Volume Dry Shampoo

So, as you can probably tell, I planned on putting up this post before Christmas. Buuuut, that didn't happen, so hopefully you guys don't mind a little Christmas action in the background :)
Recently I've been pushing the limits, if you will, with my hair and trying to wash it every 3 days instead of every 2 days. By the third day, I really need dry shampoo to help freshen everything up and make it look decent enough that I don't mind being seen in public... ;)  After running out of my last bottle and not wanting to repurchase it, I finally just picked up the Dove Refresh + Care dry shampoo on a whim.
My biggest pet peeve with dry shampoos is the smell. The last bottle that I used had way too strong of a scent that I would be able to smell throughout the day and I really disliked that. I'm really happy with this one, though, because it has a fresh scent, but I can barely smell it even when I'm spraying it, so it definitely doesn't overwhelm me throughout the day.
Other important things to note are that it sprays really nice and evenly and is easy to massage/blend into your hair. Obviously, what really matters is whether or not it does a good job at being a dry shampoo and in my opinion it does! It makes my hair look fresh like I've washed it (it doesn't necessarily feel fresh, but let's be real, nobody's actually touching my hair during the day), I can totally get away with a third day and it doesn't weigh my hair down at all. I've been wearing my hair naturally curly a lot lately and it doesn't weigh down my curls or make my hair go flat at all, which is a total plus.
Overall, I'm really impressed with this dry shampoo and would recommend you all give it a try if you're in the market for one.
Happy Friday!!