Fall Fashion Chapter 2: Quilted Everything

Images pulled from Polyvore.

I went to the mall this past weekend and I couldn't help but notice that I was constantly surrounded by quilted everything! Quilted bags, shoes, skirts, tops- everything! I know quilted things are nothing new, but it really seems to have taken over this year and I think it's so cute. 

I totally have my eye on that quilted black jacket from J Crew Factory. I tried it on in the store and didn't want to take it off- I can see it with so many different outfits!

What's your favorite??

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel

For the longest time I've been wanting to try a brow gel. I don't have crazy or unruly brows, but I thought that a brow gel might make my brows look more polished. I was also thinking that this could be a product I could use on its own to just brush through my brows and move on to the next thing on a day that I'm in a hurry.

I ended up buying the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Granite. The first thing I was hoping was that I chose the right shade and I definitely did. It doesn't have red undertones, which I was happy about because I find that to look really wrong on my face.

I haven't tried any other brow gels to compare it to, but I think this has a really good formula. It's not too thick or too thin, it keeps my brow hairs in place all day, but doesn't look unnatural. I find that it does help to polish my brows off but that I do have to be careful because it's easy for it to get messy. I generally keep a q-tip handy because I always have clean up to do after I apply this. For me, the brush is too long and too wide and I always end up with product on the skin around my brows, which I don't like.

As far as it being a stand alone product, I'd say it's so-so. Technically, I guess, it's not meant for this, so I can't judge it too hard for this, but it doesn't apply very well on its own. I've worn it alone, but it takes a little longer to get any shape to your brows so I'd definitely stick with the traditional way of shaping and filling in your brows first and then using this as a final step to seal it all in.

Overall, I think the product itself is really nice, but I'm not too impressed with the spoolie. I definitely want to try other Anastasia brow products in the future, though. Let me know your favorites!

Fall Fashion Chapter 1: Vests

Images pulled from Polyvore.

So I won't lie, I didn't used to understand the point of wearing a vest. They don't keep you that warm because obviously your arms aren't covered, and most of them are big and bulky, so what's the point?

Still, I don't think they're not the most practical piece of clothing, but last year I really got into them and now that it's getting cooler outside, I'm totally into them again! They are nice for days where it's cool, but not cold. I love layering in the fall and vests are such an easy way to do that. When I think about vests, I think about these 5 different types I've shown here. I've been seeing a lot of people in all of these types of vests and they all look amazing in different ways. As of right now, I have a black faux fur vest and a basic white puffer vest, but I love each style and I'm definitely interested in expanding my collection!

As I was putting this post together I stumbled across Old Navy and they're having a really good sale on their "Puffa Vests" right now, so I thought I'd share that and maybe you guys can add to your vest collection without having to invest too much! This isn't any type of sponsored post, I just found the sale as I was browsing through vests and they have several color choices for pretty inexpensive right now :)

Which style is your favorite??

Link Love: Pumpkin Recipes

Today I thought I'd share a few pumpkin recipes I've tried over the last few weeks! If you're like me, it's pumpkin and apple everything from this point forward and I've just been loving it so far :)

Here are three recipes I've made recently that have been a hit!

I made this coffee cake style and it turned out really yummy! The streusel and the glaze make it and it's perfect with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
Recipe!

We were wanting a dessert that wasn't too involved and I like being able to grab a cookie and go sometimes so we found this recipe. I almost didn't buy the dark chocolate chips because I already have semi-sweet, but the dark chocolate chips make this recipe. They were chewy, had the yummy pumpkin/spice fall flavor we wanted with the deep chocolately yummyness from the dark chocolate chips!
Recipe!

This one didn't get a proper photo because we were honestly too hungry, but this recipe was deeeelicious! The bread gets coated in this thick pumpkin mixture and it was just the perfect weekend breakfast. 

Recipe!
I hope you guys check these recipes out, they won't disappoint!
Happy Friday!

Ouidad Botanical Boost

 I've dabbled around with hair products in the past, but never cared all that much, to be honest. Lately, though, I've been really into hair products so I've been trying lots of things to help keep it healthier and more manageable. One product that has really stood out to me is the Ouidad Botanical Boost Moisture Infusing & Refreshing Spray. 

You can use it on damp hair to help preserve moisture or you can use it throughout the day to liven up your curls. What I love to do with it is pop it in my purse because I have the small bottle and when I wear my hair naturally curly, or when I curl it with a curling iron, I'll use it to touch up my curls during the day. I wanted to get a before and after picture for you guys but it's just hard to see the difference on camera. In person, though, it's SO nice. It really does give my hair a great boost that lifts my curls and makes them look so much more fresh.
I also am a fan of the sprayer on the bottle. It sprays a fine mist, that'll evenly coat your curls, not a stream that just gets a patch of your hair all wet. It has a nice scent, but it's kind of heavy, so that's probably my only complaint.
Overall I'm very impressed with this product. It's made for curly hair so it doesn't weigh it down at all. It just gives the perfect freshening effect to make it look like you just styled your hair and it's super moisturized and like you're one of those lucky people that don't have a frizz problem... ;)
Have you tried anything from this brand?

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara

L'Oreal had some pretty big claims about the Miss Manga mascara with a very "stand-out" advertising campaign. It's part of the Voluminous line and is supposed to give "oversized, over-the-top volume."

I'll be honest, I needed a new mascara and I grabbed this one on a whim because it's one of the newest out. If I had remembered that it had this type of wand, though, I totally wouldn't have bought it. The brush is a cone shape and the wand is a 360 degree flexor brush that's supposed to quickly build volume.

I don't mind the cone shape, it's actually nice because I like to build up length on the outer corner lashes, the wand, however, is just plain bad. I guess because it bends with you as you coat your lashes that's supposed to help, but I find the flexibility to make it take forever to apply because I don't have control.

Above you can see the product applied to one eye and then the finished look. I find that it does give good volume and my lashes look plump with nice length. It can get clumpy as you build it, but I do like the slightly clumpy look so I don't mind. You definitely don't get the look in the advertisements and overall, I don't think this is anything special. It does a good job, but it's a pain to put on and because I accidentally bought waterproof it's a huge pain to remove.

Have you guys tried this one yet? If you haven't, I say skip it!

Looks for Less: Home Edition!

You guys know that I moved about two months ago and my priorities have shifted to decorating! I love decorating and I've wanted to do it for so long, but we've been in apartments and didn't want to paint, put holes in the walls, etc. In addition to that, my budget hasn't been and still isn't very substantial, which makes things in decorating world a little difficult.

When I was asked if I wanted to do a post featuring Kirkland's I was SO excited. I remember my mom taking me to Kirkland's when I was little to shop for home decor and now that I'm decorating my own home, my love for Kirkland's has just grown. Last time I went home to visit family and friends my mom and I went to Kirkland's at my request because, unfortunately, I don't live near one anymore! We had a great time and both walked away with some goodies, one of which I shared in this Friday Favorites post.

To demonstrate why I love Kirkland's so much I decided to design two bedrooms. The first bedroom is made up of solely Kirkland's products and the other is of similar, more pricey products. The price difference is actually insane and while I still like the brands/companies of the pricier room, Kirkland's does not disappoint on quality. You know the saying, "You get what you pay for?" well, at Kirkland's you pay so much less than other retailers but you get pieces that are genuinely good quality.

Let's get to the fun stuff!

Room 1: Kirkland's

Room 2: Competitors

I designed these two rooms based on the look I'm actually going for in the master bedroom in my own house. If you remember from that Friday Favorites post, I actually bought that exact starburst mirror for above my bed. Pictures don't even do it justice, it's so sparkly and glamorous. It's also pretty heavy! I was surprised at the weight, it feels and looks so much more expensive than it was. I also mentioned in that post that we considered buying the sunburst mirror in the competitor room, but that when I found the one at Kirkland's with my mom my decision was instantly made!

I did my best to choose pieces that were very similar in style and color and I was really amazed at how close some of the items were. Not only that, when it came down to it, I could hardly believe the price difference between the two rooms- over $1,000! What I really love about Kirkland's is that I know I'm getting products that are stylish and keep up with current trends, they're good quality AND within my budget- all very important qualities :)

Have you guys ever visited a Kirkland's? What was your favorite piece in the room I designed? Let me know!