Pre-Fall Wish List

BB Dakota Moto Jacket

Rampage Booties

Madewell Plaid Shirt

JCrew Scarf

Aimee Kestenberg Tote

Am I jumping the gun? Is it too early to start scouting for fall stuff? Well, I'm kind of over summer clothes already. I've gotten plenty of dresses, shorts and tank tops and I'm ready to take my boots and skinny jeans back. Here's a little taste of what I have my eye on...even if it's not August yet!

-Lauren

Recent Favorites

One of my favorite parts about blogging is sharing and discovering new products, trends and random things like TV shows, books or food. I've only shared my random collection of favorite things a few times but I'm considering making it a regular feature. So here goes!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream -- I hadn't jumped on the BB cream bandwagon until now. I didn't want to spend a lot, especially since I had never tried BB cream before but I'm glad I picked this up. It's light, has good coverage and is a good swap for regular foundation. Great product for cheap!

Sonia Kashuk brush set -- I snagged this brush set on sale at Target last week and so far so good! I really like the blush and foundation brushes, which is what I was looking for anyway. Plus they have a cute design on the handles!  

Ann Taylor dress & necklace (necklace on major sale!) -- Here I am yet again sharing another wedding outfit. I found this great, classic dress at Ann Taylor of all places! The sales girl helped me pick out this necklace to match and I think it will make a perfect wedding outfit as well as an ideal ensemble for a work gala I have coming up in August. 

John Freida Sheer Blonde shampoo & conditioner -- I saw this product in an article and randomly decided to try it out. I haven't seen any 'blonde' results quite yet but so far I like the texture and smell. We'll see if I get lighter locks!

Narragansett Del's Shandy beer -- This is the perfect summer shandy! Narragansett and Del's lemonade, need I say more?

What are some of your favorite things right now?

-Lauren

Weekend Outfit

Tank (Gap, still on major sale!), Jeans (Hudson), Sandals (Jack Rogers), Clutch, (Gigi NY), Necklace (Kendra Scott)

Wearing this Gap tank top yet again! It's been one of my best buys this summer because it's so light and loose and looks great with a statement necklace. On Friday night it was cool enough to wear jeans so I went for an all light colored look with the addition of my Kendra Scott necklace, of course. (I think I wear that too much but I just love it!) 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

-Lauren

Friday Reads

1. Can't wait for Homeland to start again, very curious to see what they will do this season, given what happened at the end of last season! 

2. Interesting conversation with the real Larry from Orange is the New Black. 

3. Does anyone else still watch Pretty Little Liars? Well if you (unfortunately) do, check out this new theory.

4. I used to be obsessed with America's Next Top Model. Thanks to BuzzFeed you can relive all the funny and crazy moments. 

5. This is a pretty funny satire of what fashion bloggers instagram on a daily basis. 

6. Seafood just fits with summer and this dish looks yummy and easy. Easy being my main requirement!

Happy Friday!

-Lauren

Wedding Guest Staples

Kendra Scott cuff

Butter London nail polish

Ivanka Trump heels

Susana Monaco dress

Baublebar earrings

Benefit lipstick

Gold clutch

It's wedding season and if you're invited to more than one wedding it can be hard to figure out what to wear without buying a new dress for each occasion. I've realized that I have lots of good options that are already in my closet and all I need is the right accessories. An LBD, navy blue dress or a basic shift dress can always work with some bright or metallic accessories. 

-Lauren

Weekly Wish List

North Face half zip pullover

Baublebar necklace

Kendra Scott Earrings

Nike sneakers

This week I'm sharing some great deals that are still available in the Nordstrom sale. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered these Kendra Scott earrings (I got the emerald green ones but they are sold out). I'm considering buying this Baublebar necklace as well. They also have some bargains on boots for the fall and workout gear. May as well stock up on stuff while it's marked down!

Happy shopping!

-Lauren

Weekend Recap

This weekend flew by! On Friday, I went with my bf and my dad to watch Citizen Kane outdoors at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Then Saturday was my brother's friend's wedding at a country club in Ipswich. Before the wedding, I went to Nordy for a makeover and picked up some Mac goodies (eyeshadow in swish, in extreme dimension lash mascara, mineralize gloss in modern romance). And before I knew it, it was Sunday night and time to get ready for the week. Whew! 

Hope everyone's having a tolerable Monday!

-Lauren

Friday Reads

Interested to see what Blake Lively's lifestyle website will be like. Hopefully better than Gwyneth's?

Tory Burch for Fitbit, now I definitely need a wearable device.

A list of the most popular discontinued beauty products...some of these may surprise you!

The next season of Scandal premieres in September and can't come soon enough! P.S. it's not looking good for Harrison.

I've been obsessed with shandy's this summer and this one's making my mouth water!

Happy Friday!

-Lauren

Easy Recipe: Pasta with Brown Butter, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Modified from this Giada recipe

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lemon wedge, squeezed

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pasta:

Approx. 1 pound of whole wheat penne or rigatoni

1/4 cup of butter

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions:

For the dressing:

 In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

For the pasta:

Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes.

In a skillet, brown the butter for 3-5 minutes until melted and sizzling.

Toast the pine nuts for 1 minute in a skillet.

Add the pasta, dressing, tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan into a big bowl and toss.

Enjoy!

-Lauren

Summer Makeup Wish List

[Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand palette]
[Benefit Some Kind A Gorgeous cream to powder]
[Tarte Amazonian Clay blush]
[Diorshow mascara]
[Sugar lip treatment]
[Benefit Feelin Dandy kit]
[Too Faced Melted lipstick]
[Milani baked blush]

Lots of new makeup on my radar right now. It goes in waves, sometimes I'm really into my tried and true makeup and other times I'm on the hunt for the latest and greatest new product. It's always nice to wear lighter makeup in the summer, just a bit of bronzer or blush and a pinky lip color so I think it's the perfect time to incorporate a few new things into my routine. 

Please let me know if you've tried any of the products above...I'd love to know what you think before I buy!

-Lauren

Weekend Outfit

Tank (Gap), Jeans (7FAM), Sandals (Marshall's, similar), Purse (Kate Spade), Necklace (Groopdealz)

I've been loving these Gap muscle tank tops, they are loose in all the right places. I got them in two colors and have been wearing them with everything, not to mention they were on sale for $6 a piece! Today it's back to work and I'm already looking forward to getting all dressed up for a wedding this weekend. Can't wait to finally wear my BCBG dress!

Happy Monday!

-Lauren

Friday Reads

TGIF! It was definitely hard coming back from the 4th of July to a full 5-day week at work. I'm excited to hang out with some friends and take it easy this weekend. Here are some Friday reads before you jet off to all of your fun plans!

1. So excited for the Gone Girl movie -- it better not disappoint! Here's the latest trailer!

2. For Boston residents: my neighborhood is under major development. We're getting a Target AND Wegmans!

3. The inside story of Kiel James Patrick -- very interesting read. 

4. Great suggestions of books to read before you see the movies -- some new, some old. 

5. Hahaha, this is amazing for everyone - whether you're a wino, beer drinker or liquor connoisseur. 

6. Lastly, how good do those crostini look?!

-Lauren

Weekly Wish List

There are still so many good sales even after the holiday weekend. This Gap tank is a look alike to the popular Rag & Bone one, but it's on sale for $8! I'm loving neon yellow lately so naturally this quilted bag (also on sale!) and tassel necklace caught my eye. Has anyone tried the Benefit Lollibalm or any of the other tint-inspired lip balms? I'm anxious to try one!




-Lauren

What's in My Bag

Lodis wallet - I used to have a bigger wallet but it just got way too heavy. This one holds just enough and always stays light.

 BCBG sunglasses (similar) - Love these, I've had them for years.

Mirror (old) - Always necessary for lip gloss or touch ups.

Eos lip balm - I always have one of these within arm's reach. Loving the honeydew one right now.

Mac lipglass in angel - A classic pink color and everyday gloss.

 Benefit Fine One One - I use this if I have something to go to after work and need to reapply a bit of color on my cheeks.

Almay liquid lip balm in blooming balm - This is a good in between lip product, it's half lip balm, half lip gloss.

Ice Breakers Duo Mints - Yum!!

Juicy Couture perfume - Good to have on hand for when I forget perfume or need some throughout the day.

Benefit Sugarbomb lip gloss - Another good lip gloss that's easy to apply and isn't too sticky.

Milly iPhone case - Found this one at Nordy Rack!




What's in your bag?



-Lauren

4th of July Weekend Recap

I did not want this weekend to end!! The few extra days off were much needed and it felt nice to have   time to do whatever I wanted with no schedule or have-to's. My bf and I had a chance to go out to dinner, see 22 Jump Street, do a bit of shopping, go to the Sox game and lay out by the Charles River. We also went to my parents house for a bbq and met up with some friends for drinks. Why can't every weekend be a four day weekend?

-Lauren

Recent Favorites

Sharing some of my favorite things today -- hope you are all enjoying the long weekend!

I'm usually an Essie or OPI girl but I decided to try a different brand of nail polish when I saw this coral/orange color. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this one -- it didn't chip for 4-5 days and dried really fast. (Plus it's cheaper than Essie, OPI and even Sally Hansen) 

Loreal Colour Riche Nail Polish in Tangerine Crush

Normally I drink a lot of water but occasionally I want a drink with flavor. I don't drink soda so seltzer is a good alternative for a carbonated drink. The Polar summer flavors are awesome and are great to mix with vodka or cranberry juice. My favorites are cucumber melon and mango papaya. 

I've already posted about this one but I think I found my new favorite foundation. I had been using Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse for years but this Benefit Hello Flawless foundation made me want to change up my routine. It's the lightest liquid foundation I've tried and has great coverage. 

I'm so excited about my recent Marshall's find. I had been wanting a new dress to wear to some summer weddings but didn't want to spend a lot. This is a BCBG dress (similar) and was almost 50% of the retail price. I'm going to wear it with nude wedges, a gold clutch and gold earrings. 

My bf and I made these mini pizza quinoa bites for dinner the other night and they were absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling. We had them with a salad and it was enough for a meal. The pepperoni and black olives make great additions but you can add whatever you want to the quinoa. Don't forget tomato sauce for dipping!

-Lauren

4th of July Style

Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy the long weekend!

-Lauren

Splurge vs. Steal: Striped Maxi Dress

If you're on the hunt for an easy maxi dress for the summer, you're in luck. There are tons of options but if you want to get the designer look, check out this comparison. 

This Milly navy striped maxi dress is $295 at Nordstrom but nearly the same striped dress is on sale for a fraction of that price at Gap. Why pay more for the same look? At this price, you could get the dress in both colors!

-Lauren