Royal (Baby) Blues

Welcome to the world little Prince George Alexander Louis! The world has definitely been watching and waiting for your arrival.

To celebrate, I won't inundate you with any more photos of the Royal Baby's big reveal, or of Kate's unbelievably flawless hair after giving birth (seriously, some things in life are not fair, and her hair falls into that category!) but I thought I'd celebrate with some fun beauty and fashion in shades of Royal (Baby) Blues! And polka dots too, to honor this amazing moment: 

I mean, honestly, what a touching and beautiful little nod to Diana.
(via ABC news)

Polish/Liner/Shorts/Candle/Dress

Have you been watching all the coverage?

And what did you think of the name?! 

Hope y'all are happy and healthy and enjoying this Wednesday! 

About Face: Fresh Start on Skin Care

We all went through an awkward phase with acne in middle and high school, but for most of us it never got to a point where we took our skin care "seriously". Personally, I struggled with a few different face washes and bought fancy concealer now and then, but that's about it.
I'll admit to being a girl who has always had pretty "good" skin. If you can call being as pale as a ghost year round good, that is. But lack of a tan aside, my skin had pretty much never been truly problematic, and I always take good care of it in terms of of making sure not to get burnt.
 Up until recently, my routine has been very simple and has involved a basic cleanser and heavy moisturizer. That's it. I've always toyed with the idea of buying a Clarisonic, but basically never did because there was no serious need.

About 4 months ago, I was put on a new immunosuppressant for my Crohn's, and as a result my skin has a been a total mess. I've taken this as an opportunity to get serious about skincare, because I do think it's more important than I had realized. Today I'll outline my plan, and I'm going to update in about a month and then again in 3-4 months to review how my skin is coming along! I'm mostly doing this so that I can review the Clarisonic, but I'll be reviewing the line of skincare that I'm using too!

One/Two/Three/Four/Five

My routine is really simple! In the morning I use the Neutrogena Naturals Purifying facial cleanser to wash my face and the Garnier Moisture Renew Gel-Cream as a Daily Moisturizer before I put on my makeup.
Then before bed, I use the same Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser (which I just decided to buy because I've really liked the Neutrogena Naturals Acne Spot Treatment and I've been using that for a while) and then I turn on my Clarisonic Mia, and do the full minute, making sure to wash my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead well. Then I use the amazing Neutrogena Naturals Multivitamin Nourishing night cream all over my face and neck. I am in love with this cream! It smells faintly like almonds, and it is so soft! Finally, I touch up any problem areas with the Neutrogena Naturals Acne Spot treatment.

I do want to point out that while I used a lot of products from one brand, it is only because I was enjoying the spot treatment and I've had good experiences with Neutrogena skincare in the past. So far I am very happy with all the Neutrogena Naturals products I've bought and would buy them all again in a heartbeat!

 My thoughts so far on the Clarisonic, after about 4-5 uses: I really enjoy using it! It's fun to have a little nighttime ritual, even if it is a little hectic with our bathroom renovation, haha! I am noticing softer skin and that my moisturizer seems to soak in better. So far nothing else super noticeable, but I also haven't had that "purge" that other people have talked about!

I'll keep y'all posted on how my skin care overhaul is going! Have you ever totally shaken up your skincare regimen though? Any favorite products I need to know about? Do you have and love a Clarisonic Mia?

Hope y'all are happy and healthy!

Recharge Your Hair With Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge

If y'all didn't know, I am a BzzAgent, which means that I do surveys, test and review some great products. Recently I was sent three products from the new Garnier Hydra Recharge line.

My Garnier Hydra Recharge Package from BzzAgent- 3 FULL Size Products! 

This shipment timed out perfectly because I've been struggling with my hair a ton lately. As y'all know, my health is far from perfect, and it tends to impact just about every part of my body. I've been so sick that I had started to notice thinner, dryer hair--- so not ok. I had even been struggling with a super dry scalp, and using awful, smelly medicated shampoos to try and remedy my hair problems.

Enter the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge line of products. Let me start by saying that it smells amazing. All of the products are packed with superfruits like goji berry, kiwi, and passion fruit.  I feel like I'm on vacation when I shower.
But the best benefit of the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge line? My hair feels healthier. My scalp feels healthier.  My hair looks better too! It's not as dry or brittle, and it's back on the way to looking like my hair did when I was healthy. Seriously y'all, it's a miracle!

Now that I've told you how much I love using the products as a system, let me tell you a little bit more about each individual product:

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo: 
I really enjoyed this because it has a gel-like texture with moisture beads (similar to the Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer beads if you've ever used those!) and it smells incredible. It's a really refreshing, bright scent, and it doesn't feel like it strips my hair of moisture like some shampoos do.

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner:  
This smells a little more mild than the shampoo because of the creamy, traditional conditioner texture. It's still got that great superfruit blend smell, and is incredibly moisturizing! I love that it's super moisturizing without being heavy and weighing down my short hair.

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge 1-Minute Moisture Plenish Treatment:
This is my favorite part of the set. I use it at least once a week, but it's what really turned my hair around from being lifeless and dry to being healthy and happy again. It smells super fantastic, has a creamy texture, and is a great deep conditioner. I also love that it's a 1-minute conditioner instead of the usual 5 to 10 minute treatments. I hate standing in the shower and wondering if I've let some high-priced goop sit on my head for long enough to have it work. With the Garnier 1- Minute Moisture Plenish Treatment, you can put deep condition while you shave your legs! It's easy and fast when you've got better things to do! I've been using it lots lately after I go in the hot tub, since the chlorine is bad for my hair, and it helps my hair bounce right back.  This is definitely a new holy grail product for me because it's an affordable deep conditioner that actually works, which is so hard to find!


Overall, I've been super impressed with the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge line. I have used lots of  high end shampoos and conditioners in hopes of protecting my hair, but this has really helped to keep my hair healthy and happy while my body is struggling. And that's something to smile about for sure! I would recommend this to anyone who likes fruity smelling hair products (um, who doesn't?) and anyone who feels like their hair needs a little boost. I feel like the best word to describe this line of products is nourishing. My hair feels healthier having used these products for more than a month, and for that I am so grateful!

Out and enjoying happier hair at aTaylor Swift concert with my mom. She has also used some of the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge products I was sent, and she loves them too! 

I did receive all three of these full-size products for free through BzzAgent, a Word-of-Mouth marketing program, which I am proud to represent. However, all opinions on this blog are my own and I will never review a product dishonestly or tell you about something that I am not excited about. These products truly did help my hair and I would absolutely recommend them to friends, family, or a total stranger at the store!

Have y'all tried these products? What do you think of them?

Hope y'all are doing well today!

All my love,
Hannah

March Favorites- Beauty

Y'all I am so sorry I'm behind in blogging! Obviously these favorites are belated, but better late then never, right? I wrote these up right at the end of the month too, so they're all things I was loving in March.

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer: I bought this through one of my favorite beauty sites, Beautylish. I had a $20 credit to Beautylish, so I got the bronzer for an amazing price ($15 total with shipping, it's regularly $30) and I was really excited to try this out. It's a great bronzer for fair skin because it's not too dark, and it's perfect for contouring because it's matte. Overall, I've LOVED it. It smells like chocolate, is smooth, blendable, and flattering for my fair skin. Also worth mentioning is Beautylish's awesome customer service. Each order comes with a handwritten note. How sweet is that?
L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara:  An oldie but a goodie. I ran out of mascara and hadn't liked my last few purchases, so I went back to something tried and true. This is a great mascara  to give you jet black lashes with great volume. 'Nuff said.
Maybelline Babylips in Quenched: I kept this by my beside a lot this month. Even in the hospital, I reached for this constantly. It's just a great staple lip balm!
Illamasqua Nail Polish in Cameo: It's no secret that I LOVE nail polish. I had been coveting this polish for months and after my hospital stay I had to treat myself a little bit. Let me just say, I have a new favorite splurge brand. Oh my goodness, this polish has a gorgeous formula. The color is vibrant, the polish went on smoothly and evenly... no complaints. It's perfection.
Benefit High Beam: This has become a holy grail product for me. I pat it on under my eyes for an instant pick me up (which- let me tell you, I often need) and on my cheekbones for a little lift. It's gorgeous. It's a no brainer product and I'm in loooove.
Maybelline Master Precise Eye Studio Eyeliner in Black: This is the finest tip liquid eyeliner pen I've found and it's awesome. It's perfect for a quick little swipe of liner at the lashline, which is my go-to look. Definitely recommend this for anyone who likes the look of liquid liner but wants a little more control.

What did you love this month? Any great beauty recommendations?
Hope you're doing well!
Love,
Hannah

Pick A Pair: Mani-Pedi Combos You'll Love

I got the idea for this post when I was doing my last mani-pedi. I always try to come up with chic, unique, and eye-catching combos for my mani-pedis. It's easy to pull two polishes from the newest collection and have them go together, but it's much more fun to mix and match old favorites and watch them come to life in a new way.
This Spring's collections from Essie and OPI were a little disappointing in my opinion. There were definite winner polishes amongst the bunches, but I didn't end up purchasing much at all, which y'all know is unusual for me! So I've actually really been enjoying shopping my collection and rediscovering old favorites. These are just suggestions, and feel free to look at your collection and change the combos based on what you have. There are no rules when it comes to mani-pedi combos in my book. If you think it works, it probably does! I also want to say that I've set these up so that you can wear them with either polish on your fingers OR toes, so there's no right way to read this!

The combo that inspired this post! I love these polishes together! I think they work with either polish on fingers or toes. I'm currently wearing Ole Caliente on my fingers and Bikini So Teeny on my toes. It just feels more unexpected to have the baby blue on the toes, which I love. Plus, the hot coral on my fingers is to die for! But I'm thinking I'll reverse this one soon! 

This combo is a little cooler in nature. If you don't have Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pacific Blue, you might have Essie's Butler Please. I like the idea of these two together because they both have purple tones to them. Also, I like to add the Revlon glitter in Radiant as an accent to Pacific Blue sometimes, so that's a fun addition if you're bored! Again, it's up to you which is for fingers and which is for toes!

Zoya Elodie is such a gorgeous color, I feel like it just looks like the inside of a grapefruit! I had to pair it with something equally dynamic, so I chose Essie's Boxer Shorts, which is a blue with shimmer and purple shades to it. This combo will feel really fresh as we head into spring. In a more conservative setting, Elodie works well on fingertips, but I think this combo works well both ways. 

I wanted to do a combo that felt like it would work for someone who had to be in an office setting. This includes a really gorgeous nude shimmer for fingertips from this January's Mariah Carey collection, and my favorite glossy hot pink shimmer from the Minnie Mouse Collection. The shimmers pair well together, and it's a good balance of grown up and girly!

Last, but not least are Where's my Chauffer and Pink Friday! I like these two together because they really bring out the true pastel tones in each other and they were both big sellers in their own collections. I think combined they'd look incredible and feel like Easter came a little early. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes! 

These are just a few of the combos I came up with this week while I shopped my collection. What are your favorite color combos for spring? Do you shop your collection, or do you have to have something new to keep inspiration flowing? Share your favorite pairs with me please, I'm always looking for a new duo!

Hope you're happy and healthy!
Love,
Hannah

Emerald City Beauty- Oz the Great and Powerful Collaborations

It seems like the beauty world is all excited for the new Oz movie: Oz the Great and Powerful. To be honest, I hadn't heard a ton about the movie until I heard about the beauty products associated with it. 

Here's the trailer, though!

It looks like it might be pretty good. The movie comes out March 8th, and has a pretty outstanding cast!

What's even more exciting are some of  the gorgeous beauty products coming out with the movie. Both OPI and Urban Decay are lined up to do collections. We last saw this collaboration combo with Alice in Wonderland, and both of those collections were MAJOR hits.  The news about the OPI collection has been out for a little while (so forgive me if you've seen these photos!) but I wanted to feature both collections.

OPI OZ collection promo pic via StyleFrizz

2013 Softshades collection- Oz the Great and Powerful
(Via)

While I do think some of the shades look nice (I think there's a gold and black glitter in there!) I'm a little bummed that they picked Oz for the Softshades collection. Yawn. 
There are so many gorgeous options  that could be inspired by this movie. With all the witches (which seem to be the focus) you could do some pretty, moody shades. Also, where's the Emerald?  It's even the color of the year, come on!


Here's the more exciting part- the URBAN DECAY palettes! Featuring all new shades, these palettes are going to be huge.  The buzz about these started yesterday on People Style Watch,  and I'm sure by the time they launch in a few days they'll be very hyped! These seemed to be modelled after their new palette system, which means each shadow can be popped out if you so desire.  The palettes each  feature a look based on one of the witches, and they are going to be launched as soon as January 25th! They're $49 each, and feature 8 full size shadows (2 are duos, so really 10), a travel liner and a full size lip pencil.

I love that they created a dark, moodier palette for Theodora (the darker witch) and a light, pretty palette  for Glinda. Plus this packaging? Nice!
(Photo via A Model Recommends)

These are some of the promotional photos featuring looks from the palettes.

 I love both looks, it's going to be hard to choose! 

(Photos via Musings of a Muse)

Here's the inside of the palettes! Plus, they come with full size lip pencils!
(Photo via A Model Recommends)

Aren't those palettes just gorgeous? The only thing I feel like I'm missing is a true deep emerald. I think it would have worked well with the Theodora (darker) palette, too. Especially a bright emerald liner to pair with some of the neutrals. It would have been stunning! But really,  at the end of the day, I'm super excited about these two palettes,

Are you loving this collaboration? Which products are you dying to get?
Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Saturday Instagram Roundup 2

Hosted by Sara at Pearls & Curls

I'm just going to go ahead and jump in to this week! It was a good week- I moved back to college!

Sayin goodbye to my puppies was so hard!

New year, new dorm! Happy to be back! 

I obviously had to do my nails for my first day of classes!
This is OPI If You Moust You Moust, my favorite pink! 

My Lilly sale order came in! 

A pretty day on campus is always nice.

I came home Friday to take care of my puppy, but it was just Juno and I when I got home. 

Wild Gracie finally resting after her surgery.

A little craft project I did for my dorm! I'll have instructions on the blog this week! 

Hope you had a great week!
Stay beautiful,
Hannah

Beauty Resolutions

It's a few days into the new year and I've got resolutions on the brain. Most of us do, right?
My life is chaotic enough that I'm not going to make major resolutions about things like weight loss or grades or anything--- but I think making some resolutions about my makeup routine is something I can easily commit to!

Without further ado, here are my 2013 Beauty Resolutions:

1. Invest in quality pieces that I love. Less is more! 

 I realized recently that I can be an impulse buyer when it comes to beauty. Sometimes I want it all, sometimes I want whatever's right in front of me at Ulta. Building a nice collection isn't about buying a ton of cheap lipsticks in shades I'm not sure I'll love. 

This year I resolve to treat myself to quality more often. I resolve to plan out purchases based on reviews, swatches, and needs in my makeup collection. 

This means not always getting another nail polish just because it's limited edition. This means not impulse buying tons of drugstore makeup when I'm not sure about the quality.  

This means falling in love and obsessing over Nars eyeshadows and treating myself to them because they're unique, and incredible quality. Or buying MAC lipsticks after I've gone and tried them on instead of getting 3 Maybelline lipsticks that will go bad because they don't really suit me anyway. This means hunting down cult products.

  Every purchase should be exciting. 

2. Throw things away! 

My name is Hannah and I am a pack rat. I have drawers in my makeup cabinet with mascara that's 95% used up. I have liners I hate hanging out with my absolute favorites. I still have lipsticks that don't perform well because of age. Time to clean out. Maybe I'll reward myself after a big collection purge?

Simplicity and organization mean being able to see my collection and use good pieces more! 

3. Clean my brushes more. Invest in more brushes! 

Using dirty or low quality brushes on nice makeup is like digging into a fancy dinner with your bare hands. You just shouldn't.  I'll admit to being bad about cleaning my brushes. This year, I want to do better. I also want to get some more brushes to help with my technique. For instance, I've been lusting after the Sigma Performance Eyes Kit. Adding this to my arsenal would be great, and would help me improve my technique. 

Sigma Beauty Performance Eyes Kit- $61

Better tools, better results. 

4. Try new things! 

Even if this just means rocking neon lips in my dorm room, it's important to experiment. I want to be bolder this year, and learn more. This means watching more Youtube videos,  reading more blog tutorials, and even trying on bolder colors in Sephora and at MAC to see if I like them.  I may love my Naked Palettes, but I have some really great products in my arsenal that need a chance in the spotlight! Add new techniques to different products and the possibilities become endless. 

New year, no fear.

5. Make beauty fun every day.

We all have days when we throw on makeup without thinking or enjoying all the great products we've invested in. This year I want to enjoy getting ready every day. I think resolution #4 will help with this, because new products and techniques make getting ready so much more exciting.  So I'll try not to throw on a cream shadow and mascara like it's a hassle this year. This will be time consuming, but I have a good feeling it will be very worthwhile. 

Getting ready is (at least) half the fun.

Those are my 5 big beauty resolutions for this year. Have you resolved to shake up your makeup? What's your biggest priority in beauty for 2013? Share your resolutions with me! 

Stay beautiful,

Hannah 

Prematurely Ready For Fall?

I live in Charlotte, NC.
I need to remind myself of that. That, and the fact that it's still August.
It doesn't help that Pinterest, Bath and Body Works, and all my favorite stores are coming out with pretty fall things. I'm a summer girl at heart, but I'm ready to move on.
Here's a little lust list for when fall finally rolls around. In, ya know, November.

Bath and Body Works Candles in Yummy Scents:

Darker Polish (I may have already indulged in some of these!)

CG Safari Collection (I own the glitter I'm Not Lion, and the purple Jungle Queen)

OPI Germany Collection (I own the vampy Every Month is Oktoberfest and the dark taupe Berlin there Done That)

Clothing: 

J Crew Dream Crewneck Sweater

J Crew Schoolboy Blazer in Navy

LOFT animal print sweater

I could go on and on, but I think I'll just get grumpy that it's still 100 degrees out and neon appropriate weather.

Are you ready to move on? What fall trends are you looking forward to? 

B&BW Obsession

What girl doesn't love Bath & Body Works?! Ever since I was a little girl, I loved going to Bath & Body Works and smelling just about everything and leaving smelling like a fruit salad. Now that I'm older I have a little more restraint, but I still love to play with all the delicious smelling products. Here are a few that I'm dying to try!

Pocket Bacs: My ultimate obsession. Everyone thinks I'm crazy with the way I collect (or hoard, whatever) Pocket Bacs, but I adore them! They smell amazing, don't dry out my hands, and keep away germs. I keep several in every bag. These are the latest scents I'm hoping to try:

   

From left: Cilantro Peach, Bee Nice (Berry Honey), Wilberry Dahlia
These all seem so deliciously summery! I'd have a hard time resisting picking up these sweet little treats! Plus, they're an inexpensive pick-me-up. Definitely worth the $1.50 or $5 for 5.

Body Butter:  I can not live without B&BW Body Butter. I got one for Christmas this year in my stocking and I am totally hooked. I have super dry skin, and I slather this all over to keep my skin soft. It's a miracle worker. I'm currently using the body butter in "Carried Away" but I think this one will be my next pick:

Hello, beach scent! This would be perfect for my week at the beach this summer.

Shea Socks: With dry skin and a lot of time at home this summer, I love keeping my feet soft and warm in fuzzy socks. I love that theirs are infused with shea! I definitely would enjoy trying these, I always have fuzzy socks on my feet. I love to paint my toes, then slather body butter on my feet and put soft socks on!

Aren't these little stripes cute?

Fine Fragrance Mist: This is a redefined classic. I've always loved the B&BW fragrances, but these new bottles are gorgeous! I received the Japanese Cherry Blossom fragrance mist in my Influenster Vox Box (more on that soon!) Which was such an awesome surprise!

This came with my Spring Beauty Box from Influenster! I've been really enjoying this classic scent.

Some other fragrance mists I'm hoping to try this summer:

Rio Rumberry
This looks like a delicious summer drink!

Wild Berry Tulips
The perfect mix of spring and summer!

Carried Away
I'm enjoying this scent in the body butter so much that I'd love to try it in a mist!

I think I could make a list three times this long, but I'll spare you! What are your favorite Bath & Body Works Products? Please share! I love to hear favorite products and scents!

-Hannah