5 Lip Glosses Worth the Money

Ever since I was little I've collected lip glosses, chap sticks, lip balms and lip sticks. I used to love the Bonne Bell lip smackers and Burt's Bees and then I got into Mac Lip Glass. I still love to try all different types of lip balms such as Eos but lately I've been getting into good quality lip glosses that stay on and aren't too sticky. Here are five lip glosses that I'd recommend:

1. Buxom Big and Healthy lip gloss (I have this in the "Katie" shade)

2. Bobbi Brown Tube Tint (I have this in "Pink Cloud") 

3. Bare Escentuals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss (I have this in "Show Off")  

4. Benefit Ultra Shines (I have this in "Life on the A List")  

5. Mac Plush Glass (I don't actually have this one yet but have tried Lip Glass and love it)

Which lip glosses do you splurge on?

-Lauren

5 Easy-to-Make Summer Cocktails

Summer always gets me in the mood for a cold alcoholic beverage. I'm a fan of summer beers like Sam Adams Summer and Lemon Shandy but I also like to try out different fruity cocktails. All you need to keep in the fridge is some Sprite, vodka or gin and different types of fresh fruit. Here are 5 easy-to-make cocktails I'm planning on making for the warm weather this weekend.

Moscow Mule

Blood Orange Lemon Fizz

The Sarasota

Vineyard Fizz

Chilled Cherry Limeade

What are some cocktails you'll be trying this summer?

-Lauren

Memorial Day Sales: Outlet Finds

I braved the crowds and went to my local outlets because I thought the rainy weather would discourage people from going shopping. Man was I wrong! I waited in line to get into Kate Spade and even walked out of JCrew without a single thing because the lines for the fitting room were so long! However, I did have enough patience to shop around Kate Spade and check out some great stuff at Theory...and got some amazing deals. Here's what I bought:

The Kate Spade outlet had 40% off all handbags, jewelry and clothes and the handbags were an extra 20% off. 

I got this nylon jewel tote for around $50...originally $118.

I found this cute t-shirt for $25...originally $68. (It can be found here for $34!)

Snagged these earrings for $15....originally $38. (These can be found here for $38)

I also went to Theory and tried on quite a few cute dresses and decided on one.

I couldn't find the exact style but this one is pretty similar to the navy shift dress I found. It was originally over $290, then marked down to $145 and I ended up getting it for $108.

What deals did you find over Memorial Day Weekend?

-Lauren

Fragrance Favorites

Ever since I bought my first real bottle of perfume, Marc Jacobs Daisy, when I was in college, I've loved collecting good quality perfumes. I recently got Chanel Chance for my birthday and frequently borrow a splash of fragrance from my mom or sister. I also collect lots of fragrance samples to keep in my purse or travel bag.

 Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy / Marc Jacobs Daisy / Chanel Chance / Chanel Coco Mademoiselle /  Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey

What's your favorite fragrance?

-Lauren

Tell Me About Yourself...

I don't typically go into too much detail about my personal life on the blog. I feel that bits and pieces are appropriate but oversharing when it comes to my love of fashion, clothes and nice things is totally fitting. Thank you to Design Darling's Mackenzie Horan for starting the "So Tell Me About Yourself" feature on her blog. It's great to learn little tidbits about bloggers I follow and I thought I'd join the trend.  

**Favorite look of the moment: a basic sleeveless button down, leggings and a classic bag

All-time favorite movie(s): The Holiday, Anchorman, Vertigo, Billy Madison

Blog(s) rocking your world lately: Life with Emily, Southern Curls & Pearls, Such Good Style, Happily Grey, Metropolitan Thread

Favorite nail color: Sally Hansen "Lavender Marquis"

Now playing while you work: "Beat This Summer" by Brad Paisley

The last thing you bought: a coral colored shift dress from Banana Republic

What you have planned for summer: as many beach days as possible!

**and a few of my own original questions....


The last book you read: Defending Jacob

TV show I've been wanting to watch: Scandal

Thanks for reading and pass on the trend! I'd love to hear about everyone's favorite things.

Have a great weekend!

Best of Cannes

Every year, Cannes Film Festival is the ultimate red carpet event in Europe. This year some of the biggest trends were nude colors, classic silhouettes, heavy beading and deep jewel tones. Here are some of my favorite looks:

Carey Mulligan

Isla Fisher

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Jessica Chastain

Nicole Kidman

What were some of your favorite looks from Cannes?

-Lauren

Summer Wishlist

I can't believe it's already the end of May! The weather has warmed up quite a bit in the last week or so and before we know it, it'll be in full-on summer. I've already stocked up on some good summer work dresses but I could use a few more summery staples like a good pair of sandals, a lightweight tote bag, a fun summer dress for nights out and some bright jewelry. 

BP color block sandals / Tory Burch canvas tote / Kate Spade earrings / Rebecca Taylor Asymmetrical V Neck Dress

What do you have your eye on for the summer months?

-Lauren

Weekend Recap

Back from a long weekend in Ithaca, NY for my little sister's graduation! We were back at my alma mater and spent some time as a family, visited a winery and heard David Boreanaz from Bones give the commencement speech. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Hope everyone has a good Monday!

-Lauren

Graduation Dresses

I'm in the midst of the graduation tour of America. We're headed to Ithaca, NY for my sister's college graduation this weekend and I've packed some great dresses for the weekend's festivities. I've still been browsing for a possible last minute dress to add to my collection and found these great ones from JCrew, ShopBop and Lilly Pulitzer.

 JCrew Sheath Dress / DVF Sandine V-Neck Sheath Dress /  Nanette Lepore White Dress / Alice + Olivia Blue Polka Dot Dress / Lilly Pulitzer Delia Dress 

Happy Graduation to all of those graduating this year!

-Lauren

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Firmoo sunglasses giveaway here! 

It will run until May 23.

Firmoo Sunglasses Giveaway!

Firmoo, an online glasses store, is giving away six $20 vouchers for sunglasses just in time for summer! The vouchers can be put towards any frames seen below or any seen here. Firmoo has a great variety of eyeglasses and sunglasses in all the trendy styles. 

If you wear prescription glasses, Firmoo has some tips here for how to make your eyeglasses into stylish sunglasses. 

To enter: please visit Firmoo's sunglasses collection here and leave a comment telling my which pair of sunglasses you would choose. Then follow me on Twitter: @laurenpaige1988. Additional entries are available through the widget below.

The giveaway will run until May 23. Good luck!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**If you would like to place an order from Firmoo, please visit this page for details.

**Also, see here for shipping and tracking information.

Whirlwind Week

We had our big work conference at the Boca Raton Resort & Club...this is the entrance. 

Just one of the many cool pieces of art at the hotel.

View of the golf course at the Boca Raton Resort.

This was my bf and I after a long three days of the conference and the gala dinner.

Some of my colleagues stayed at this mansion in Ocean Ridge, Florida.

This was the view from the mansion.

This was the amazing pool and patio.

The lovely back deck.

From Florida, I went straight to my brother's MBA graduation at UMass Amherst.

Then we went to the Red Sox/Blue Jays game at Fenway.

Heather Abbott, injured at the Boston Marathon, threw out the first pitch.

After the game, we went down to Copley Square to see the memorial.

Hope everyone had a great week last week! I finally had a chance to rest and relax yesterday and spend some time with my family.

-Lauren

Business Trip Checklist

I'm headed to Florida on Saturday for one of our biggest work events of the year. I've stocked up on some good work-appropriate dresses over the last few months to wear for the conference and gala dinner. Along with several pairs of comfortable shoes, plenty of pantyhose and sweaters and blazers, I'm packing these four dresses with statement necklaces.

Banana Republic shift dress from the Mad Men collection (sold out but similar here) - got this for an extra 30% off the sale price! Planning to wear it to a private executive dinner. Hoping my new nude Tory Burch flats will be delivered in time to bring them with me!

BCBG colorblocked dress - got this a few months ago on sale and wore it to an alumni event with black tights. Planning to wear this to our gala dinner with nude wedges. 

Club Monaco paneled shift dress (similar here) - got this on sale and will wear it during the conference sessions with a cardigan and chunky black heels. 

Cynthia Steffe lace dress - bringing this as a backup because it's super easy to wear and can be casual or formal.

Hope everyone is having a good Thursday!

-Lauren

Recent Spring Buys

Some of my favorite stores have had great sales recently so I've been stocking up on some new stuff for the spring and summer. Lately I've been living in basic t-shirts with scarves and accessories but I've also been adding some staple dresses and shoes to my closet as well. Here's some of the great stuff I've found:

I love the vintage cotton v-necks from JCrew. They are soft and thin, so they work well for the warmer weather. I got this bright purple color in a size small. The shirts aren't super long but do cover the top of my pants. I wouldn't recommend drying these t-shirts though, they do shrink quite a bit in the wash.

I got this ponte swing dress in red from JCrew recently. I plan to wear it to work and to some spring and summer events. It has short sleeves and is made of a thick cotton fabric. The skirt is pretty wide but the top is form fitting. I got a size 2. 

These "Caroline" Tory Burch flats were on sale for 25% off so I couldn't resist buying them. I wear my silver Reva flats all the time so I figured these would be a good investment. I got the nude color in a size 9.5, which is the same size I have in the Revas.

I had been wanting Benefit's Fine One One cheek highlighter for a while and finally purchased it when I got a 15% off coupon to Sephora. It's great to keep in your bag for a quick mid-day touch up. Plus, you can use it as lipstick too. 

If you've found any great spring deals, please share them here!

-Lauren