March Favorites!

It's that time again for favorites! I have so many favorites this month to talk about! I have tried a few new things and also re-found some old things and fell in love with them all over again!

So let's hop to it!

Clothing Favorites

1     My number one favorite for clothes this month has got to be my blush pink tulle skirt! I have worn this skirt a few times  this month and I am in love with it! I love it so much I think I'm going to buy it in the other colors it is offered in! I always get compliments when I wear it and it makes me feel very princess-y and what girl doesn't love that! I think this skirt is going to be a great statement piece for spring for me! I bought it from Charlotte Russe and I will link you to it here: Tulle Skirt

2     My second clothing favorite happens to also be in the above picture and it is my platform wedges! I have also worn these numerous times and not only are they SO cute but they are super comfortable and easy to wear! I love that they can dress up any outfit but they aren't killer heels where I will be mentally screaming because I want to take them off! I got these shoes from American Eagle and I will link them to you here (they are also 40% off right now!): T-Strap Wedge Sandal

3     My third favorite clothing item this month is something that has really been a 2016 favorite and it is hair bows! I don't care what people say I always feel so much cuter when I am wearing a hair bow and I have SO many of them! I bought them from a friend so I don't have anywhere to really link you to it, but I'm sure Etsy has a TON of places you can buy hair bows from!


Moving on, I am now going to give you guys a few of my beauty favorites from this month!

Beauty Favorites

1     My first beauty favorite of this month is the Real Techniques blender sponge. I have wanted a blender sponge for months and I finally got one at the end of February and my life has been CHANGED! If you have never tried a beauty blender or blender sponge I urge you to give it a try because it makes my skin look like I have no foundation on it and I just somehow have perfectly smooth and beautiful skin! I got the two pack Real Techniques sponges and they were only $10.99 for a two pack which is honestly a great price! You can find those sponges here: Real Techniques Sponge
              Also pictured are a few of my favorite foundations, I did a blog post about a review of foundations and if you want to read about them you can click here: Foundation Review

2      My second beauty favorite has been a favorite of mine since 2014 but I have recently rediscovered them and fallen back in love and it is my Urban Decay Naked 1, 2 and 3 palettes! These palettes have been nothing but amazing since day one. I have only hit the pan on one shade in the Naked 2 palette after having them all for over a year and a half and all of the shades still apply smoothly and blend amazingly. They really do suite any and all occasions and I often find myself switching interchangeably between them all throughout the year. You can find all of them linked here: Urban Decay Palettes

3     My last beauty favorite is also something that I have had in my beauty collection for a while and recently rediscovered! They are the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks! These lipsticks are long lasting, great color payoff, and just gorgeous all for a super cheap price! My two favorite colors are 104 and 10. The 104 is a nude shade that perfectly matches my natural lip color and the 10 is a beautiful bright red lipstick! These lipsticks are linked here: Rimmel 104 Rimmel 10


The last few favorites I have are random miscellaneous favorites!

Miscellaneous Favorites 

1     The first random favorite I have is Emergen-C. My friend Sarah introduced me to this because I have horrible allergies and take allergy medicine every day but still somehow end up with sinus infections! I have been taking this every day and it has really helped not only my immune system but it also helps my energy levels! I use the super orange flavor in powder form and its like drinking a glass of orang juice every day! Emergen-C is linked here: Emergen- C

2     My last random favorite is a food favorite which is the rising moon organic butternut squash ravioli. I have loved these since I discovered them last year but I have recently been finding myself re-buying them more and more because they are delicious! Not only are they organic but they are also vegan! You can find them at Publix in the freezer section and oh boy are they yummy! They cook in literally 8 minutes and taste so good! I highly recommend them! Ravioli linked here: Butternut Squash Ravioli

These are just a few of the most favorite things I have been loving this month! If you have any favorites tweet me (@thejesslauren)  and let me know what you have been loving this month!

xoxo Jess

Bath and Body Works haul

So I recently had to have a little sneaky peak into Bath and Body Works and I may have gotten a lot more than I intended to! I feel when I go in there they have so many lovely smelling things I just can't help myself!

So here is a list of everything I picked up and what I think about it!

First thing I picked up was a three wick candle. I wanted it in a smaller version but the saleswoman told me it only came in three wick and it smelled so amazing I decided to buy it.

 

I don't know if other people do this but as soon as I walk into B&BW I have a look at all of the candles and I have to smell all of them! This one I fell in love with! It has a light scent that is fresh and has a hint of sweet that comes from a mixture of flowers and fruits. I really love fruit scents and it is a smell that I could see myself using when I am taking a nice bubble bath!

The next thing I got I was probably the MOST excited for! I always miss the time of year when they bring out my favorite scent so when I saw it sitting there I was elated! My absolute favorite spring/summer scent is Oceanside! I grabbed about 6 of the wall flowers in that scent so that I know I will have enough to last a while! I also grabbed a room spray of it (for my room and car, its the best to give a little spritz to make it smell like heaven!).

 

This is such a fresh and summery scent. It reminds me of the beach and can make any room smell amazing! I am one of those people who love to have specific scents for specific rooms but this is really one that could go for any room!  This also has fruity notes but this one is mixed with a bit of a fresh linen type smell so it just makes a room smell clean!

The next thing I bought were some of the newer scents they just rolled out for spring/summer and they are a part of their new Hawaii themed collection. I did the buy two get one free deal because I wanted to be able to try a few different ones and because I thought they all smelled amazing (If you saw my shower you would know I LOVE to have a variety!)

The first one I bought in a shower gel and it is the Waikiki Beach Coconut scent! It smells like sunscreen and coconut. It makes me think of a relaxing day on the beach! Not to mention the packaging is such a fun and bright color it makes me ready for summer!On the B&BW webpage these are the scent notes it has listed:

• Top Notes: Fresh Bamboo, Coral Berry
• Mid Notes: Pink Passionflower, Hawaiian Frangipani, Coconut Jasmine, Saltwater Breeze
• Dry Notes: Beach Coconut, Sun-bleached Woods, Forest Sandalwood

The second one I bought was Maui Mango Surf! I also bought this one in a shower gel and when I smelled it I just knew I had to have it! It has that same beach smell (can you spot a theme?). On the B&BW webpage these are the scent notes it has listed:

• Top Notes: Ruby Mango, Polynesian Tangerine, Guava Nectar, White Pineapple
• Mid Notes: Mango Mai Tai, Sun-bleached Driftwood, Coral Hibiscus, Hawaiian Lily, Pacific Blue Accord
• Dry Notes: Island Sandalwood, Skin Musk, Lanai Ylang

The last one I bought was Oahu Coconut Sunset! This was also purchased as a shower gel because who can't have enough shower gels right? This one smells exactly like a very yummy coconut beach spray on sunscreen! I just love it and when I use it in the shower I can pretend I am about to go sunbathing!
On the B&BW webpage these are the scent notes it has listed: 

• Top Notes: Birds of Paradise, Coconut Blossom, Sparkling Bergamot
• Mid Notes: Seductive Tuberose, Tiger Lily, Hawaiian Monoi
• Dry Notes: Sensual Labdanum, Molten Amber, Cream Suede Accord

The last few things I picked up were just some good ole fresh linens scentportables for my car! I also got a new holder for the scentportables and it is SO summery and I love it!

I have gone into B&BW a lot recently because their summer scents are my favorite even in the summer!

What have you bought recently? Have you gone on a B&BW splurge like me? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo,
Jess

Christmas Time! (Winter favorites)

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! So I decided to do a winter favorites blog post to let you know of a few things I am loving this holiday season and every year around this time!

The first thing is Christmas music!
I am currently obsessed with the new Pentatonix Christmas CD "That's Christmas to Me"

I have been absolutely loving this CD and I have been blaring it in my car every time I get in and I listen to it when I'm working on anything as well. It has some really great new twists to some of my all time favorite Christmas songs! The song I am loving the most is a tie between "White Winter Hymnal" and "Mary Did You Know" both are just SO good!

The next thing I have been loving this Christmas season is scarves!

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a slight obsession with scarves but I just LOVE them especially in the colder months! They are a staple in my winter wardrobe and I am currently obsessed with the sweater/knitted thicker type scarves right now. They just add that nice finished touch to any outfit.

The next favorite I have is any and everything bright and sparkly!

In my wardrobe I have noticed I have been picking up more items that have sparkle in them or shimmer. I have recently just bought a really gorgeous gold shimmer top from Forever XXI (Below)

Forever XXI

I have also been buying really shimmery cardigans and little throw over a shirt type over-sized jackets that I have been in love with ( My favorite online boutique for those is www.mintjulepboutique.com) . I just think it adds just a little bit more to each outfit and helps to add to the feel of the season!

Another favorite this time of year is all things comfy and cozy. I have recently bought a few super comfy and cute Victoria's Secret sleep shirts and I have been living in them during these chilly winter nights! They have the cutest sayings on them and are great for people who get hot at night!

Victoria's Secret

Another holiday favorite of mine is a place in my city. It is Bellingrath Gardens. It is a place where you can go and walk through a beautiful historic home and garden and look at TONS of Christmas lights! It is always a tradition to go with me and my friends and we went this past weekend and it was so magical!

It is always such a magical experience and I love going and having fun spending time with friends and enjoying the spirit of the holiday season.

Another absolute favorite during the holiday season is buying everyone's gifts! For me, I really enjoy buying gifts for my friends and then wrapping them really cutely and giving it to them! I love surprises and giving gifts is just so enjoyable for me! I really love sentimental things and so this time of year really makes me want to craft and make the cutest gifts for friends! I have been really busy this past week trying to get everyone's gifts figured out and bought so that I don't have to worry about rushing around as it gets nearer and nearer to Christmas day!

Some of my next favorites are makeup and skin care products! Some of the things I have been LOVING recently are the really yummy holiday scents and colors!

First is a new fragrance by Bath and Body Works called A Thousand Wishes. It smells so heavenly and it has a sweeter scent but it is still very strong and is something that just smells so great. I also got this in a shimmer body lotion because who doesn't want their skin to glow!

Bath and Body Works

Another favorite I am loving right now is the Urban Decay Naked 3 palate. It just has so many Christmassy colors and festive bright colors and I have been wearing it every day for the past month it is SUCH a good purchase!

Urban Decay

This palate is mostly rosy tones and I am loving that so much right now. It also has some really nice subtle darker colors that are great for blending into your eye crease to make a nice smoky eye.

Another favorite makeup product I am loving is something that I think everyone should have in their makeup drawer! A good concealer is something that is super hard to find and I have been loving the Benefit 'Stay Don't Stray'  in light/medium as an amazing under eye concealer.

Benefit Cosmetics

A favorite winter relaxation product line that I have fallen in love with is Lush Cosmetics. They have some of the most amazing bubble bath and bath bombs I have ever tried. They always smell so good and leave your skin feeling so refreshed afterwards! The best thing about it is they have the cutest holiday themed bath products!

Lush Christmas

Not only are they amazing products but they also are festively shaped and scented! Such a great little gift idea too!

These are just a few of the great things I am loving right now during the holiday season! I have also left links under all of the products I have shared in case you want to go check out these awesome products!

What are some things you are loving this holiday season?

xoxo Jess

Let me introduce myself

Hey there!

My name is Jessica and I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for the longest time and I am finally jumping off the cliff and diving in! 

I want to begin by telling you all a little bit about myself!


I am currently working on my masters degree in communication. Spring boarding from this the one thing to know is that I love to talk. I have loved to talk since I came out of the womb. I love to talk about any and everything and I love to listen to what others have to say. 

I am an only child and so I believe that friends are like family. I love my family dearly and enjoy spending time with them when I have free time.

I love to perform and sing. Along with talking I also came out of the womb singing. I have been singing since I can remember and when I was obtaining my bachelors degree I also minored in music to help fine tune my gift. I love being on a stage and performing and I hope to be able to do that for the rest of my life because not only does it bring me joy but it also touches the lives of others.

I am a health nut. About a year ago I changed my life around and wanted more than just being unhappy and overweight. Since then I have dropped 70 pounds and continue to work towards my goal weight. I do this through clean eating and exercise (especially Pure Barre).

I love the holidays and fall/winter is my favorite time of year. I love the vibrant colors and cozy weather. I also love fashion and beauty. I have a very casual and laid back style but I also love to get dressed up and go to nice events.


So what can you expect to see on my blog?
-Posts about my family and friends and activities I am dabbling in
-Health related posts regarding food/recipes and also about Pure Barre
-Beauty and fashion trends that I am loving or product reviews 
-Life advice or rambling about graduate school and how to overcome stress

I hope that you enjoy my blog and reading about my life!

xoxo Jess