a little update ~

It feels so weird to not blog for almost two weeks now. My camera should hopefully arrive today or tomorrow (assuming this eBay seller hasn't totally screwed me over) so I should be back in no time. I'm missing it a lot, way more than I thought I would to be honest. It's a good feeling though. Just totally realizing that it's something you're really passionate about and really love doing. I pretty much feel like a piece of me is missing without my camera. Silly?

SO much going on in the next two weeks  — lots of fun posts to shoot and write, but also some not so fun things like knee surgery tomorrow /flail. Life is totally crazy sometimes. I literally just can not wait to be back into a regular posting schedule.

What has everyone been up to?!

moodboard: deux

“I’d woken up early and I took a long time getting ready to exist.”

· As I wait for my new camera to arrive, I shall moodboard...

My mind has been dreaming in pinks and peaches lately. Possibly even apricots too. Something about the spring and summer sun has me feeling more feminine than usual, and I can safely say that I do not mind one bit. I've been doing some soul searching as silly as that may sound to some, but I'm really enjoying it. Spending time to learn a bit more about yourself is so important in my eyes. This Jennifer Zeuner rose gold Mini Hamsa Bracelet is right up my alley and something I could see myself forever wearing. To match, I've fallen in love with yet another Catbird ring. This time it's a Teensy Ruby Ring by Bittersweets NY. Ruby is my birthstone and my favorite gemstone, and with my birthday coming up, how can I resist. Two simple pieces with a whole lot of meaning (to me).

Accessory wise I am literally head over heels in love with all things Marie Turnor. Beth Goodman's bags are absolutely gorgeous and I'm a huge sucker for beautiful leather. Her Snak and Picnic bags are no exception. Shoes? These very-out-of-my-shoe-price-range Chloé sandals. Not sure I could ever drop that much of a pair of sandals but they're Chloé so...

Beauty-wise, I'm stuck on Jouer. Their cosmetics are all just so beautiful and really appealing to me as of late. This is probably due to the fact that I'm really into naturally looking skin; light bases and just a sweep blush for the slightest pinch of color. Add a little mascara and I'm done. Their Bare Tint and Perfect Tan bronzer are among my current lusts. I also had no idea they did bath + body stuff but once I saw this Perfume Oil, I basically freaked.

photos via tumblr + itsnotheritsme

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve / $6

The smell of roses in a vintage-inspired tin. One of the best products to pop on your lips at any sign of dryness or  dehydration. What's not to love? I picked this up on my way out of Sephora. You know how they put tons of cute little products right by the check-out? Sometimes I have the worst self-restraint. Oops.

I'd read quite a bit about this stuff before, about how good it was supposed to be on lips and other chapped bits. Apparently even burns and rough heels. Who would have thought? I mostly use this on my lips when I'm sat at home doing whatever it is that I'm doing. It provides a nice little bit of hydration and gloss, not too much and not too little. I think it's one of the best summertime "glosses" because it just barely adds a touch of color while keeping your lips feeling awesome in the hot months, and really, it's not a fussy product. No overly ridiculous stickiness or super sweet candy smells (don't get me wrong, I love me some sweet smelling glosses). Just a simple lip product for a simple makeup day.

This is also great to use before bedtime because waking up with super soft lips is one of the best feelings ever; no doubt about that. The only qualm I actually have with this product is (even though it's beautiful)... the tin. I hate sticking my fingers in a little pot of balm. It feels weird and unsanitary sometimes buuuuut I just found out they make a tube version of this now, so all is well. Win/win!

Have you guys tried this before? What are your favorite simple summer balms and glosses?

P.S. I might be a little less active in the next week or two. My camera is broken (RIP) so I won't be getting blogging done until I get a new one :( /sadtimes

Origins (for Men) Save the Males Moisturizer

Origins Save the Males Moisturizer / $36

Backstory: We were in England, staying in a hotel for Richard's grandparents Diamond Anniversary party. We leave the hotel a day later. Richard realizes he's left basically all of his skincare at the hotel. Massive freakout ensues (not really, but maybe). Amongst the lost ones was a pretty nice Kiehl's moisturizer we were both using... aka bummer city. So the night of Christmas Eve, I picked him up a bottle of this as a last resort as Kiehl's had closed ridiculously early in hopes it would be a good replacement.

He wasn't so sure about it at first, so I began to try and use it because well, why not. He warmed up to it fairly quickly after that, and so did I. Though I was mostly using Enzymion at the time because the English weather had turned my face into an oil-slick, when we came back home and my skin returned to a normal state, this became my #1 daily moisturizer. It lasted us quite a few months which is surprising but the moment we ran out and I was forced to use something else, my skin wasn't very happy. Now? We're all good.

My biggest issue with most moisturizers is that they sit on top of my skin. This absolutely does not do that. It's lightweight and sinks in nicely leaving me with the perfect amount of hydration. Not too much and not too little. It doesn't make me greasy at all (it's oil-free!), and seems to keep my skin in almost pristine condition. I have absolutely no qualms. It's also really great with Richard's super sensitive skin too, soooo I highly recommend it.

I don't even care in the slightest that this is marketed and made for men. It does the job I want it to do and I absolutely love it. No product discrimination here!

Ladies: have you ever tried a "men's product" that you ended up loving?

Accessory: ShoeMint Lynne Sandals

ShoeMint Lynne Sandals / $79.98

ShoeMint is one of those websites I thought I'd never like. No I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I'm not usually interested in the whole celeb-endorsed hand-picked shopping sites. For these though? I can most certainly put aside my differences. Plus, who can say no to leather?

I bought these about two months ago. I wear them almost every day and they're still in perfect condition. I'm gonna be honest and say I really do think they look better now; a little worn in, a little scratched up. The thing about me and shoes is this: I don't have many (have I mentioned I'm picky?) and those I do have, I really really love. Have I considered purchasing a back-up pair for the sad day when these finally give in? Absolutely. While that might seem excessive, for this pair it almost seems worth it.

They're comfortable. They're versatile. I wear them with disco pants and maxi skirts. Dresses and shorts. I've been asked countless times by random people where I got them, and each time I say with love, ShoeMint. I consider these a staple in my collection now. The type of shoe I couldn't imagine being with out, and the best kind of shoe to fall back on when I'm being ever-so indecisive about my daily footwear. Basically they're everything you could want from a strappy flat sandal. Once again, I'm in love.

Moral of the story? Don't judge a website by it's celeb affiliations because you might just find yourself with a new favorite pair of kicks.

What do you guys think?!

Dior Addict Lip Glow

Dior Addict Lip Glow / $31

Aaaaand we're back. Sorry for the little hiatus, ladies and gents, but sometimes ya just need a little break. With that said, I bring you Dior Addict Lip Glow. I've talked about this a few times before but I'm finally getting around to a proper review.

I love this stuff — probably a little more than I should. I mean, it's only a lipstick/balm/whatever you want to classify this as. Thing is, it's kind of the perfect alternative to your favorite daily lipstick. I suffer from what I like to call chronic dry lips so this stuff is great for giving me a little extra moisture, especially in the way too hot dry heat. It is quite thick, so if you're not into thicker lip products I'd suggest that you try it out before you buy it. Plus, it lasts quite a long time. Win! If I'm running late or just want to apply something quickly, this is my go-to as of late. Pop it on for the perfect pink flush. Something that looks au natural though it's totally not (duh). It's supposed to give each person their perfect shade of pink and I've got to say it does a damn good job at that.

Do you know what else it does a damn good job at? Making me feel stupidly glamorous. Look at the packaging. Silver. Pink. Ridiculously I don't even know what. It makes me feel like a princess when I pull it out of my bag, and put it on my lips. Oh Dior, you don't know how to be subtle, do you? I'm not complaining though. I love anything pink and semi-frivilous — everything in moderation, right?

Anyway, this is definitely one of my top lip-picks for spring and summer. I have a feeling this will look gorgeous with a tan. Though the price is steep, I don't mind paying this much for something (every now and then) that makes me feel so dang pretty.

Have you tried this stuff? What do you think?

Carol's Daughter Monoi Oil Sacred Strengthening Serum

Carol's Daughter Monoi Oil Sacred Strengthening Serum / $30

Sometimes there are products that you really don't like at first (and I mean really). Then you use them, and you use them some more, and you start to notice a difference. In fact it's a great difference and you end up enjoying the product you previously didn't really like... and the rest is history.

There are a few different ways you can go about using this stuff and all of them are A++++ would do again. More times than not, I apply a pump to my palms, rub 'em good and either smooth through my just-blowdried straight hair, or kind of scrunch/kind of smooth into freshly curled hair. This gives me a ton of shine plus the added bonus of a little nourishment thanks all of the yummy oils in there. It most definitely helps to reduce any type of frizz and fly-aways and be sure that any product that can help in those departments is a lover in my book.

For naturally curly hair, however, I'll apply to towel dried hair and my locks air dry. What happens when I do this? Frizz free, shiny shiny, bouncy, lightweight curls. This is one of the only products that actually makes me want to leave my hair in it's natural (lioness) state. Go figure.

It can definitely make you a little greasy if you use too much but what oil/serum doesn't do that? Once you get the hang of it though, it's such an awesome product for all of the reasons I said above (how many times can I say "frizz" in a blog post?). A little goes a long way with this serum meaning that pretty glass bottle will last you a very very long time.

Have you tried this before? What are your favorite Carol's Daughter products?

My (short) time with WEN

A little less than a month ago I purchased a WEN starter kit and talked about how I was excited to see if there were any changes in my hair (link to that post). Spoiler alert: there were. It wasn't much different to what I expected, but I'll talk about the things I liked/disliked/and found now.

Surprisingly the Sweet Almond Mint Replenishing Treatment Mist and Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment were the things I enjoyed most. I mentioned the first in my favorites and will be repurchasing STAT seeing as I've already run out. It helps keep frizz away and adds just the right amount of moisture to my hair when it's feeling a bit dry. I love spraying this all over before blowdrying for just an added touch of help, I guess you could say. The latter was something I didn't really have high hopes for. That said, it's the kind of treatment you notice right when you wash it out — your hair feels silkier and smoother almost instantly. It also feels more hydrated which is always nice if you have naturally drier hair. I'm not positive if I'll repurchase as I still have lots of LUSH hair masks left to use but it's definitely something I'll be keeping on my radar.

Now onto the big one — the cleansing conditioner itself. I really loved using this. The way it makes your hair feel as you're massaging it in is incredibly nice buuuut of course it had to have it's downfall(s).

Firstly, about a week ago it stopped pumping out (because I basically used it all) so I had to take the pump out and dump it into my palms to get the last remnants out. It's not surprising considering how much (and how often) I used this; 7+ pumps almost every day. It's much less excessive than the 10-15 the instructions tell you to use, but it still seemed like so much product. Hydration wise I sometimes felt like it wasn't conditioned enough which seems funny since it's a cleaning conditioner.  Did I mention I was using this basically every day? This is coming from a curly haired girl who likes to keep washes to every 2-3 days. My hair seemed to get oily way faster which was not what I was used to at all. I don't actually have time to meticulously wash my hair daily and plus I hate styling it that much. Maybe this is due to lack of crap in the ingredients which is great and a bummer all at the same time.

But the good? My hair felt different. When I blow-dried it, it had some great body and volume. It was basically weightless. But what's great volume if you're going to end up oily faster? Not to mention how fast I went through a bottle.

When I went back to using my normal hair-washing products, I could definitely tell that Pureology was a bit more harsh. It wasn't anything awful but it did feel weird having even the teensiest bit of lather. My hair is once again back to its normal state and I can once again go back to not washing every day. The shampoo I use, I love. The conditioner is fantastic and smells like a dream. Plus, it's hydrating AND lightweight. I should also mention that both of these last me months not just a month.

Conclusion? If you don't mind washing your hair daily and spending quite a bit on the WEN cleansing conditioner, you should totally try it. As much as I liked it, I just can't see myself washing my hair that much. I'm definitely repurchasing the mist and I'll update again if I purchase the treatment. Maybe one day I'll go back and try some of the other WEN cleansing conditioners. For now? I'm sticking with my old faithfuls: Pureology Hydrate Shampoo + TIGI Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Conditioner.

What do you guys think?