Date Night - The White Trend

Top: LOFT Pleated Lace Front Cotton Tee
Jeans: H&M MAMA Skinny Jeans
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Marva
Bag: c/o JustFab Fairmont
Jewelry: Monica's Fantabulous Fashions

Kyle and I are still going to try to do date night every Friday with the baby, and even though we were just going to Mellow Mushroom, I used it as an excuse to dress up a bit a feel a more human.

White accessories are huge right now, so I was super exited to receive this bag from JustFab as my birthday present, one of the perks for being a Brand Ambassador for them. I love the cut out detailing on the side as well as the option of straps. It's a classy, on-trend bag and was the perfect size for all my stuff, as well as the baby essentials.

I bought the shirt at LOFT on sale last week, but unfortunately it sold out between then and now. I picked it specifically because it had detailing down the front. It worked pretty well to disguise the tummy.

You may have noticed, I'm still wearing maternity pants. My weight still hasn't stabilized so I haven't bought any pants yet, but there's no shame in enjoying the comfort of a stretchy waistband a little while longer.

I was going to wear some flat sandals but opted for these adorable wedges instead to dress up the outfit. They give the fancy factor of heels while still having the comfort of sandals (plus the bows are SUPAH CAYOOT).

I've discovered it can be pretty intimidating to show you my post-baby looks. It's not as easy to dress myself these days as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong. I knew that my body would be completely different, but just finding things that fit, and that I feel comfortable in has been difficult.  The biggest thing I've had to learn is not to worry about what size things are. Focus on how clothes fit, not the size listed on the tag. I recently had to buy something at Target in a size 2 sizes bigger than I've ever worn, but it fit, and it looked pretty good. It's not an easy transition to make, but feeling comfortable in what you're wearing, makes you more confident regardless of size.





If you're interested in signing up for JustFab, use this referral link.
If you're interested in signing up for ShoeDazzle, use this referral link.
I'll give you my usual warning that both of these are shoe clubs, so be sure to read the terms and conditions prior to signing up.

ipsy Review - May 2014

I seem to be on a roll with these subscription reviews this month. Let's see if I can keep this up. I'll be honest, it's not easy. The baby definitely takes up most of my time and when she's sleeping, I feel like I have a million other things I need to do. But for now, I seem to be getting into a rhythm and keeping up. We'll see how much that changes when I go back to work in a few weeks. Enough about me. On to the review!

I'm a little disappointed this month. I know a lot of people were already upset when they looked at their "glam room" because they saw it was more skin care products this month and less makeup, which is more what ipsy is known for. I don't mind skin care products so much and was actually pretty excited when I got my bag. It looked like it had a lot of promise, and the sample sizes were quite impressive. But after trying all the products, I was underwhelmed. There wasn't anything great this month, so we'll start with the meh category.



Calvin Klein Endless Euphoria Perfume (sample size)

I'm not the biggest fan of perfume. I could take it or leave it. This stuff isn't completely overpowering, so it's acceptable. I'm not sure if I'll ever wear it, but it's nice to have the option. I appreciated that the sample size was larger than most perfume samples, so kudos for that.



Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask (full size)

This was one of the items I was particularly excited about. I originally thought it was a very large sample, but after going to their website, it seems that this is the full size version of their product. To be fair, I've only had the chance to use it once, but that one time seemed to undo what the Beauty Protector products from my BIRCHBOX did to my hair. Maybe I should've used a bit more of the product, or maybe I should've conditioned prior to using it instead of using it as a conditioner. Either way, I wasn't super impressed. The best thing I can say about it is that it smells decent. I don't think I disliked it enough to put it in the bad category, but it's borderline.



Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo (sample size)

I've been getting more and more into eyeshadow these days, so I wasn't completely bummed out when I found out I would be getting some this month. Unfortunately, these colors are not for me. The lighter color would do nothing for me since it almost matches my skin tone, and the darker color is a bit too dramatic for me. The best part about this duo is the name of the colors (Moonbeam and Unicorn).



Avene Thermal Spring Water (sample size)

So...this is literally water you spritz on your face or body. I guess it's supposed to calm irritated skin, but color me skeptical that I would want to pay $18 to buy some bottled spring water in a sterilized can to spray on me. Maybe I'll keep it on the changing table because it says it helps soothe diaper rash. This is another borderline "bad" category product. I guess I just thought it was more comical than bad.

There's only one product in the bad category this month:



Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen (sample size)

If you read my BIRCHBOX review, you'd see that I rated the sunscreen sample I got from them a "meh". That stuff was pretty standard sunscreen. This stuff was not. It was overly thick, it smelled bad, and it didn't spread well at all. I'm sure as a last ditch effort I would use it, but as someone that has to use sunscreen constantly, I would not want to fight with this stuff on a regular basis. It just didn't work well for me at all. In fact, I wiped it off very shortly after applying because it made my skin feel gross.

The last thing I got this month doesn't really fit into a category because it was an extra item that I used my ipsy points to get.



BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Light It Up (full size)

I appreciated that I got this for free using my ipsy points because it is an $18 tube of lipstick. I just wish I was able to choose the color. The "Light it Up" color definitely did light it up. It's a very bright watermelon color that I'm sure would look great on someone that wore makeup on a regular basis, but to me, it looked a bit too...dramatic. It was a lot of color, and I think it stood out a bit too much with my skin tone. Maybe I'll be brave one day and wear it, but it would have to be the right outfit.

So that's my bag for this month. I know it seemed like I was a bit harsh on the review, but I was pretty disappointed after being so excited about my bag. Almost every month I LOVE my ipsy bag, but eventually I had to get a bad one. I'm sure next month will be better.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, please use my referral link.

Happy Shopping!

eShakti Through Pregnancy

Any of you that follow my blog know how much I absolutely adore eShakti. It's my favorite online dress store by a long shot. I love the retro styles as well as the option to customize sleeves, dress lengths, and necklines at a nominal price. One thing I see requested a lot on their facebook page is maternity options. Well, I was able to wear a lot of their styles all the way through my pregnancy, and out of all of these dresses only one of them was customized to make it a maternity dress (the chambray dress).

The secret to wearing their clothes through pregnancy is to look for the styles with higher waistlines, longer lengths (to make sure the skirt doesn't ride up too much in the front) and elastic backs. Also important is to make sure you are ordering the right size. A few months in I had to start ordering a size up to accommodate the extra weight I was putting on elsewhere (my arms for instance), but other than that, no additional customizing was necessary. I can't thank eShakti enough for selling dresses that kept me stylish and comfortable through all 9 months of my pregnancy.

If you would like to view the posts corresponding to the looks above, just click on the picture!

eShakti did not sponsor this post, nor did they send me these dresses as promotional items. These opinions are all mine. Just trying to share the eShakti love!

BIRCHBOX Review - May 2014

I've come out of my new mom cocoon to do a BIRCHBOX review for you! Aren't you excited? I know I am.

This month was actually better than the last couple of months. It doesn't look like much but what I got was pretty quality stuff. We'll start with the good.

Beauty Protector Protect & Shampoo (sample size)
Beauty Protector Protect & Condition (sample size)

I've already used the Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle and LOVED it, so I was excited to try out these. They smell absolutely amazing and with just the amount in the sample size (enough for about 3 washes), my hair is noticeably stronger and smoother.

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil (sample size)

I'm usually pretty happy when I receive lip product samples (when they aren't bright red) because I have a bit of an addiction. I always have at least 2 tubes of something in my purse even if I rarely actually wear it. I was a little skeptical of this coral color because I didn't think it would look good with my fair skin, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a nice subtle color that adds just the right amount of oomph to my lips. It went on pretty smooth too.

There wasn't anything in this month box that I hated so we'll move onto the meh category.

Supergoop! Everyday SPF 30 (sample size)

This wasn't a bad sunscreen, but it also didn't impress me anymore than my current everyday moisturizer (Neutrogena's Daily Defense SPF 50). My biggest complaint was that the instructions said to use a shot glass sized amount. I'm not sure if you can tell how big the sample size is, but it wouldn't fill half a shot glass. It's a pretty big fail when you can't even follow the instructions with the given amount.

32 Oral Care Effervescent Breath Crystals (2 packets)

These are literally Pop Rock breath mints. Sounds cool (pun intended), right? So why the meh rating? Because the "long lasting fresh breath" isn't so long lasting. I tried the spearmint flavor and the flavor faded less than 2 minutes after they dissolved. Nothing to get excited about. It was kind of fun though.

The last thing I'm going to post about is that I've been added to BIRCHBOX'S "Aces" VIP program. From what I gather, it means I get free shipping on ALL orders, one-on-one consultation to find the perfect products for me (don't think I'll use that perk too often), exclusive early access to product launches and special offers, an anniversary present when I hit one year in the program, and other "surprises".

This was my first "surprise" as part of the program. It was a nice gesture, although I don't think it'll get much use. It's about the size of a billfold and the zipper sticks when trying to close it, but hey, it was free and they didn't have to send it to me. No complaints here. Keep the surprises coming.

If you're interested in signing up for BIRCHBOX, use my link. The points program is still my favorite part of BIRCHBOX and every referral is appreciated!

ipsy Review - April 2014

It's been a lazy couple of months when it came to my ipsy and BIRCHBOX reviews. But in light of the fact that I won't feel like posting outfit posts for awhile, this may be a good time to start doing them again. So, returning to my usual format of the good, the bad, and the meh, we'll start with the good.

Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black Velvet, Travel Size

I was SOOOO excited to find out I was getting one of these in my bag this month.  This is one of my favorite eye-liners! It goes on so smooth and lasts all day without smudging. I was disappointed it was only "travel size" but I was happy to get it nonetheless.

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Apple Pink, Full Size

Another item I was super excited to get. I've been waiting a few months for this to show up in my bag. It's a great neutral color and it goes on smooth. It's also great that it's full size. It's worth more than the cost of the bag ($19).

Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in Champagne, Full Size

I know in the past I've usually relegated eye shadow to the "meh" category, but I've been getting more into simple eye shadow lately. Nothing crazy. No neon or bright colors, but neutrals go a long way in highlighting the eyes. This was the perfect neutral for my eyes. This shadow is also worth more than the cost of the bag ($13).

Now that we've covered the good, we'll move onto the bad:

St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Anti-Aging Multi Action Face, Sample Size

Every time I see a St. Tropez item in my bag, I roll my eyes a bit. I don't do self-tanners. I always end up looking streaky and orangey (totally a word). Also, I kind of like my pale skin. I've accepted it as is. I certainly wasn't going to try this one on just my face and risk having my face be a different color than the rest of my body. That may be dismissive of me, and I usually like to try everything in my bag, but this one won't be getting used. I'm sure I can find someone to give it to. Did I mention it has a shimmer to it? If I can help it, I try not to shimmer.

Lastly we have the meh:

Cover FX Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment, Sample Size

Why is this in the meh category? Since I don't wear foundation, I don't really need primer. I also don't particularly have a problem with face shine so the "mattifying" isn't necessary either. I'm sure it's a great product. Just not necessary in my beauty routine.

Overall, this was a great bag this month. Definitely worth the $10.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, please use my link here. I've been told if you use a referral link, you get off the waiting list sooner.

Happy Shopping!