Summer Skin Care Must Haves

Hello friends! I'm happy to report that it has been consistently sunny and warm in CT! Unfortunately, I got a little too adventurous with my sunbathing and I'm slightly lobster-like at the moment. As I was rummaging around my bathroom in desperate search of some much needed aloe vera, I thought I would pull out some of my favorite products for when my skin needs a little extra love in the summer time!

When I'm a little low on cash, Pond's is my savior. The Classic Cold Cream is perfect for removing make-up and it comes off so easily! I just put a little bit on my eye area with my fingers, rub it in, and then wipe it off with a tissue. My favorite part is that it doesn't irritate your eyes so you can actually open your eyes without fear of it stinging.

The Dry Skin Cream is a great moisturizer which is super important for me since I have dry skin, which gets even worse in the summer from all the sun exposure. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way and I also find that it's really gentle. I've never had a problem with it breaking me out and I've been using it on and off for about 2 years now.

This Lush combo also works great for me, but much to my dismay the products are much more expensive than the Pond's products from the drug store. I use the Ultrabland as a cleanser, but it also completely removes all of my make-up. It's an oil based cleanser so it's almost the consistency of a lip balm type deal. I usually just apply it to my face before I hop into the shower and it just chills there until I wash it off with a wash cloth. It is perfect for me because it doesn't give me that tight and dry feeling that a lot of cleansers (especially those with salicylic acid) do.

The Eau Roma Toner Water is literally going to last me a life time. I just mist it right on my face before I moisturize. I actually thought the sales girl was just getting the best of me when I bought it, but it's actually my favorite part of the trio. It has a cooling effect that is perfect for dry skin (and it's just fun in general).

When I bought Skin Drink, I had asked the sales associate to show me something that would really help with my skin because it was getting so dry it was actually flaking a little which is not cute. So she showed me the skin drink and I liked it a lot! Not super keen on the scent (it has sesame oil in it) but it did help and the smell didn't linger more than a minute or two. This product in particular is pricey though considering the amount of product you're getting (that's why it does help to use it with the toner), so it might be awhile before I can replace mine.

The main reason I wanted to include my foundation in this post is because for me it's really important that I wear sunscreen on the daily. I've never been super picky about foundations, but I do always look for ones that have SPF and the Revlon Photoready has SPF 20. I'm not someone who avoids foundation in the summer and I tend to go for lighter coverage year round (I mean I've never really found something from the drug store that wasn't light coverage...) but I think the Photoready is light enough for summer. 

The Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder doesn't have SPF in it, but it leaves me with a good finish when paired with the foundation. I've never really worn powder before though, so I don't really have too much to compare it to. I think when I finish this one I'm going to try out the Rimmel Stay Matte because I've heard great things about that one!

What are your go-to summer skin care products? Anything you think I need to try? Let me know in the comments!

Friday's Fashion Finds: Utility Jackets

Hello friends! I'm super excited for this post because it's the first one that involves photos from my new camera! I decided to treat myself to a Nikon D3200 for a grad gift. Although I will admit that I may have shed a tear (and my debit card might have too) while actually making the purchase, I think it was definitely worth it. So today I had a mini self-timer photo shoot in my drive way (where I may have received some questioning looks from some of my neighbors), so please bear with me and my super awkward posing for now!

And now we're on to what you actually came here to read about: the fashion! So I don't know if it's because I spent all spring on a college campus, but I feel like everywhere I look I've been seeing girls in utility jackets. I loved the look so much that I made it a point to pick one up for myself! I've always loved the layered look, so it's no surprise that a jacket has become a favorite piece in my current wardrobe. I nabbed this one from Old Navy a few weeks ago and the two of us have been practically inseparable ever since! 

Probably my favorite thing about this jacket (besides the fact that I got it on sale-- your girl is broke!)  is that it has a tie that runs throughout the waistline so you can cinch it in a little bit which makes the cut super flattering! Is there really anything worse than super boxy jacket? I don't think so.

Since the jacket has a military feel to it, I wanted to keep it paired with some feminine pieces since that's more my style. I already had this lace v-neck in my closet from years ago, so it was a perfect match! Especially since I love coral and army green together, such a great color combo for spring time.

And then I threw on these sandals from Target that I have been living in ever since the temperature came into the 50s. They had them in so many colors you would not believe the will power it took for me to only walk away with one of them.

Jacket- Old Navy

Shirt- Forever21 (old)

Jeans- Old Navy

Shoes- Target

Necklace- Burlington Coat Factory

Other Utility Jackets

Macy's / JC Penny / Forever21

Do you have any favorite spring trends? For you fashion bloggers out there, any posing tips for me? Can't wait to hear from you guys! 

DIY: Crayon Art

Hello friends! I know that this DIY isn't exactly new or anything, but I made these almost 2 years ago and their still one of my favorite things that hangs in my room. As a person of the internet I've seen a lot of crayon art, but I've actually never seen anything quite like these ones. I'm pretty proud of them so I thought I'd let you guys in on the secrets of how they came to be!

Supplies:

Canvas (size of your choice)

Crayons (I used a 64 pack for each)

Hot Glue Gun

Duct Tape

Exacto Knife

Hair Dryer

Sharpie/Pen

First you need to choose your design, preferably something you can figure out how to draw or trace. I actually free handed the mockingjay so I didn't need to trace it.

To make the duct tape stencil, take strips of duct tape and make a square large enough to draw your design. You should do this on a surface that you don't care about and not on the canvas itself because the Exacto Knife will ruin it. Make sure to overlap the strips so they stick together and you'll be able to peel them up in one sheet. This will actually be pretty easy if you start peeling with the first piece you laid.

Next you need to draw your design onto the duct tape. Like I said, I was able to freehand the mockingjay but I did trace a plate to get the perfect circle of the ring. I started with pen and then once I got it looking how I wanted I went over the final lines in Sharpie so they'd be easier to see. Then I went over the Sharpie lines with an Exacto Knife which made it really easy to peel away the parts that I didn't need.

I hot glued my crayons to the canvas before I moved the stencil over but I guess the order doesn't really matter as long as you leave enough room for the crayons at the top. I went with the classic rainbow but my friend who I did it with used all green and hers also looked really nice so I think that's a great way to customize!

Once all your crayons are glued to the canvas and the stencil is on you can start with the blow dryer. Be careful with where you do this. We laid down newspaper to protect the table but some actually got on the walls a little (not terrible to get off if you wait till it dries but I wouldn't want to mess with white walls).

Once the wax is dry you can peel up the stencil and reveal the awesomeness underneath! A little bit of the color got behind the stencil but I think it actually looks cool like that.

Have you been doing any DIYs lately? Let me know if you try this or if you've done another project that you're proud of because I'd love to see it!

My Favorite Kardashians

Hello friends. I hope you've all been enjoying your weekend! As I've previously mentioned, I'm rounding out my first week of summer vacation and it's left me with a lot of time to relax and to reflect on some really important things in my life...like my favorite Kardashians! It took a lot of careful consideration, but I've finally made my decisions. I know we never thought this day would come, but here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for--my definitive rankings of the Kardashian clan. 

1) Khloe

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I don't think I'm the only one who finds Khloe to be the most down to earth and relatable Kardashian and that's why she's coming in at #1. Throughout the show, we've seen Khloe struggle with body image, infertility, and her heart wrenching divorce with Lamar. Because of these things, she's always just seemed to be the realest of the bunch. Not to mention, she's usually the voice of reason who calls the rest of the family out when they get a little crazy.

2) Lord Disick

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Okay, so we can't forget that Scott had some serious low points on the show. Now that he's gotten the help and support he needs to manage his problem with alcohol, he's a much more likable guy. In fact, now that he's healthy, he's pretty hilarious (and beautiful). Not only is he always dressed to impress, but this guy has perfected the "scruffy look" and arguably grows the best facial hair on the West Coast.

3) The Children (specifically Penelope)

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Say what you want about the Kardashians, but they produce some pretty adorable children. Penelope is currently the front runner in my book (just look at those big eyes and chubby cheeks!) but North and Mason are also very cute. Regardless of the fact that I love all toddlers (famous or not), I can't help but think the reason these kiddos rank so high is because it's a lot easier to like a Kardashian when they can't speak in full sentences...

4) Kourtney

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Okay, at first I was going to say that Kourtney also seems to be a "normal" member of the family. But then I remembered her latest health kick where she intentionally gets oil enemas and I had to rethink that statement. But despite some of her interesting habits, she does seem pretty normal. I'm glad she and Scott have been doing well lately because I think they have the cutest family!

5) Brandon & Leah

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Brandon and Leah aren't necessarily on the show a lot, but they have been increasing their appearances lately and I can't say that I mind. They're a beautiful couple who seem to be genuinely in love. And if you need more convincing, you should check out their music video for Showstopper because it's super cute and the song is pretty catchy.

6) Rob

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Mostly when I think of Rob Kardashian, I think of how much I want his family to stop giving him crappy advice about his weight loss and his mental health. Based on recent episodes of the show, he seems super down on himself and is in need of professional support which I'm not sure that he's getting.  But hopefully he starts to make some strides in the right direction and then he can feel positively about his life again! 

7) Kendall

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Overall I typically like Kendall. She seems to be aware of how many opportunities and resources she has, and seems very appreciative of them instead of entitled. But other than that she seems to fly under the radar (possibly a good thing in this family?) so I don't have too much to say about her. Although I am pretty disappointed she never dished on her relationship with Harry Styles. She would have won serious points with me if she had at least admitted they were dating!

8) Kim

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Oh Kim, where do I even start? Sometimes she's cool, but other times she's just too much. Although I guess if I had paparazzi in my face 24/7 who knows how I'd come out looking. But I have to give her credit because without Kim, there would be no show! And then where would I find inspiration for my blog?!

9) Bruce

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Most of the time, when Bruce is on the show, I kind of just feel bad from him. They definitely play it out like Kris dominates his every move (which is probably true?). But Bruce also shows up for some great father/daughter moments with all of his children which may or may not warm my heart. However, I do feel bad that as an Olympic Gold Medalist this gig is now his claim to fame.

10) Kris

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Here's everyone's (least)favorite mom-ager. The matriarch of the Kardashians gets a lot of flack and I hate to say it, but most of the time it's well deserved. I don't doubt that Kris loves her kids, but I also don't doubt that she equally loves the fame that comes with her kids. She tried to change her last name back to Kardashian when she was still happily married to Bruce Jenner (rude!). And her latest stint of thinking she could just walk onto the cast of Chicago on Broadway had me thinking she needed to seriously check her ego.

11) Kylie

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Ugh, sorry Kylie, but I have to put you at the bottom of the list. I have to admit this is mostly because of a clear violation of Instagram privileges (specifically an overuse of the pouty lip). But, lately she's also come off kind of whiney and spoiled on the show. Granted, she's 16 so hopefully she'll grow out of it soon, but in the meantime she could benefit from thinking a little bit more before she acts. But I have to admit, at 16 I was probably no walk in the park either.

Do you have a favorite Kardashian? Do you disagree with the ranks? Let me know in the comments!

Fashion Tips from Baby Elise

Well everyone, I'm officially a college graduate! And now that I'm done with school I'll be having much more time on my hands. So I promise that I'll get back onto a schedule of more than one post per week. And to kick things off with a bang and celebrate the end of an era, I thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and get some fashion tips from baby Elise. So here are the fashion rules I live by (even 20 years later).

1) Always match your shoes to your bag.

You don't always have to be as matchy matchy as mini-me was, but it's nice to have cohesion within an outfit. I like my accessories to finish a look, so I want them to be contributing to a similar theme. If I have one really loud accessory, I usually keep the others neutral. Or if everything is neutral I usually try to keep them in the same color family (browns and tans vs. blacks and grays).

2) Florals are always in.

You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. And now that it's May it is definitely floral season! If you've been following this blog for a while then you know that my style is definitely on the more feminine side, so working in romantic floral patterns is one of my favorite ways to make an outfit. I've heard it's going to be a hot summer, so I'll be stocking up on flowy floral dresses to stay cool and look cute this summer.

3) Don't sacrifice practicality for style.

I'm better about this now, but in high school I would rather freeze to death than wear a winter coat on a regular basis because it wasn't "in". Then I went to college and all of a sudden the trends seemed to be based around what was practical (who knew that wearing a parka down to your knees would ever be considered chic?) At least here in the US it'll be a while before you have to bundle up again, but keep in mind that you should never sacrifice comfort for fashion and even practical pieces can still be cute!  So keep that in mind the next time 6 inch heels are calling your name. 

4) No matter what the outfit is, you just need to commit.

Stepping out of your comfort zone? Good for you! I know it can be nerve racking to walk around all day in something you haven't tried before, but a little confidence can go along way. You'll never look ridiculous if you hold your head up high and walk around like you and your outfit own the place.  So when trying something new, be sure to fully commit and I promise you that the feedback will be positive!

I'd love to hear your favorite holy grail fashion tips and if you do a similar post I'd love it if you left me the link in the comments so that I could check it out :)

Life Updates!

Well guys, I have less than a week until my college graduation! I never thought this day would actually come. Yesterday a few of my friends and I got all dressed up and had a pre-graduation photo shoot at some of the hot spots around campus. It's supposed to rain on Sunday on the day of my actual graduation, plus UConn has so many different graduations that I won't even be walking with any of my friends!

Here are a few of my favorites from the past week :)

And here's a few from my final SUBOG Banquet (which is the campus programming board).

P.S. My dress is from Marshall's if anyone wanted to know!

Congratulations to my fellow 2014 graduates! I know April was not the best blogging month but I promise that May will be 100 times better! 

What have you guys been up to lately? Let me know in the comments!