What I Wore: Summer in November?

November 7, 2015

This week was insanely warm in Chicago and despite being an avid scarf-lover, I will take any above 70 degree day as a reason to break out my sundresses. Sundresses are so comfortable and bring such a bright pop of color that they always make me feel happier even if I wake up a grump. Enjoy!

Day 1:

Shirt: Old Navy / Scarf: Target / Jeans: American Eagle / Shoes: Payless / Earrings: Charming Charlie's / Lipstick: Bellapierre

My favorite part of this outfit was the cute peep-toe heels. Even though the rest of the outfit was casual and cozy, the heels made the entire outfit feel a pinch more girly.

Day 2:

Shirt: Old Navy / Earrings: Target / Scarf: gift / Yoga Pants: Victoria's Secret / Shoes: Sperry

I was still feeling very fall-y this morning so the hues skewed towards orangey red colors. These earrings from Target are one of my favorites to wear in the fall because they bring a little bit of the outside colors to any outfit I'm wearing.

Day 3:

Dress: Target / Cardigan: Francesca's / Shoes: Target / Earrings: Charming Charlie's / Lipstick: NYX

This dress! It's one of my favorites to wear regardless of the season. The colors are bright but dark enough that they go well with tights in the winter and I love the sweet little lace detailing on the shoulders. I was super excited to be wearing this dress in November :)

Day 4:

Dress: Target / Cardigan: Old Navy / Earrings: Charming Charlie's

Apparently I was really loving these earrings this week - I didn't even realize I had worn them three days in a row until I wrote this post! I originally bought them as a set with a statement necklace but ended up wearing them alone because they pair so well with almost any outfit.

Day 5:

Shirt: F21 / Cardigan: Target / Jeans: American Eagle / Boots: DSW / Lip liner: Lord & Berry

Unfortunately, the summer-like weather didn't last until Friday so I decided to make it simple and cozy with a flowy cardigan and sweet little booties. And can we talk about this lip liner?! I never I thought I would be a nude lip color kind of girl but ever since I received this Lord & Berry lip liner in my ipsy bag a couple of months ago, I've been in love! I use this lip liner all over my lips instead of just on the outline and it stays on all day while making my lips look natural and smoothing out all the little discolorations.

DId you enjoy the warm fall weather as much as I did? As much as I love summer, it's also exciting to finally be able to wear layers upon layers upon layers for fall!

Yoga with Ruby

October 31, 2015

I'm still in the beginning stages of my yoga journey but whenever I do break out the mat, my pudgy cat Ruby is always trying to get in on the action. I'm not sure if she likes the material of the mat (I use this one from lululemon: Towel Mat) or if she just likes hanging out with me, but it makes for a difficult - yet adorable - yoga session.

Anyway - these photos were just too cute not to share! Do your pets join in on your yoga routines? I'd love to see your photos!

love, ella

Ipsy Glam Bag: October 2015

October 28, 2015

I fell in love with subscription boxes when I started in 2012 with a subscription to Birchbox. Since then, I have fallen in and out of love with different boxes, but I'm always excited to try new boxes. I love coming home to a package in the mail and getting to try new beauty samples without having to spend money on full-size products. I originally subscribed simply because I loved the idea of getting a little gift every month, but I've since found that beauty boxes have actually helped curb my makeup buying habits. I find that (contrary to popular belief) I actually buy less makeup since I know that I will always get a new lip product or nail polish every couple of months

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that gives subscribers 4-5 sample and full size products for $10 a month. All of the beauty samples also come in a handy little makeup bag. I love that all of Ipsy's products come in these adorable bags because they are insanely useful for holding just about anything!

IT Cosmetics: Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara

One of my few complaints about my ipsy bag is that I get samples of mascara - a product that I do not use. Ipsy's website allows you to build your own profile and I try my best to provide feedback on the types of products that I use, but so far, it seems to have done very little to change the products that I actually get in my subscription. My eyes are very small with stubbornly straight eyelashes that refuse to curl, so it's nearly impossible for me to wear mascara without blinding myself in the process.

That being said, this mascara has become one of my favorites out of all the mascara samples I've received. To test it out, my boyfriend, David, graciously allowed me to use these on his superlongextracurly lashes (seriously, why is it that the most perfectly gorgeous eyelashes are always on guys?!). See below - the difference between his mascara-ed vs. unmascara-ed lashes is ridiculous!

Hey Honey: Come Clean Propolis & Minerals Facial Scrub

Hey Honey is one of the only brands that I have consistently loved getting in my ipsy bag. Last time, I received a Hey Honey facial serum that I was absolutely addicted to! Ultimately, I didn't buy the full-size product since I already had a similar facial serum of my own, but what I appreciate about Hey Honey's products is that they always go on smoothly and feel very natural. The exfoliating beads in this facial scrub melt naturally with water and actually leave my skin feeling moisturized, a great contradiction to how facial scrubs usually make my face feel - irritated and dry!

Aromachology: Exotic & SpicyEau de Parfum

Unfortunately, my personal fragrance preferences are really set in stone (I love fruity, tropical fresh scents - but can't stand anything spicy or musty) so most fragrance samples automatically go in my "to gift" pile. This one was no different for me.

The Balm: Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

I was really excited about getting this lipstick from theBalm because I've recently become obsessed with nude shades. Even though they don't necessarily change the color of my lips too much, nude shades tend to even out all the little discolorations on my lips and even make them look fuller. I was a little bit disappointed that this lipstick didn't have as much staying power as some of my other liquid lipsticks, but it made up for that with its minty flavor :)

(Side note - I'm one of those weirdos that needs all of my lip products to taste good because I am constantly licking it off my lips subconsciously. PSA: carmex lip balms taste the worst).

Browza: Super Proof Gel Brow Pencil

I'm about as lazy as lazy can get so the fact that this Browza brow pencil had a brow brush built into it made it on point with my lazy girl needs. The pencil was a little bit dark for my brows but having the built-in brush to smooth the color out made up for it!

I've been an ipster for a little over a year now and while there are some blips here and there where I'm not in love with the products I receive - overall, I'm happy with the products I get to try and of course, the handy makeup bags! This month wasn't my favorite because it really wasn't all that tailored to beauty categories I wanted to explore, but I'm still an ipster at heart.

love, ella