Budget Buys: Skincare

Sometimes a girl's on a budget.  It may be because she's saving up for a ridiculously expensive pair of Louboutins, or she's living off student loans at the moment, or she's just trying to be a bit more thrifty with her cash. Did I just describe my life? Maybe. But are a lot of girls I know on a budget right now? Yes. It's that time in our lives where, as Britney would put it, "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman", ya know?

In any case, here are some great skin care items I've found at the drug store lately that, even if I had oodles of cash, I doubt I'd use anything else.

(Image from Dermstore)

My derm swears by Cetaphil products. You can buy them at most drug stores for around $6. If you're looking for a mild, daily cleanser, this is your best bet.

(Image from St. Ives)

St. Ives is typically known for their apricot scrub, which I also love, but this happens to be my all-time new favorite product. Maybe ever. The St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer is smooth and creamy, leaving your face and neck incredibly soft and moisturized. It fixed my dry-skin problems almost overnight. A jar the size of Texas will run you $5, and will last you forever. I've had mine going on three months and haven't even made a dent.

(Image from Drugstore.com)

An anti-wrinkle under eye cream may seem laughable, but it's never too early to start! This one ($10), by Olay, is a decent substitute until you are at the point in your life where you can afford a more expensive one, or better yet, Botox. I like to consider it a good-habit-making cream -- it doesn't necessarily do much, but it gets you in the good habit of putting a thicker moisturizer on under your eyes at night. The skin under there is so thin and delicate and loses moisture easily. This cream is rich and non-greasy. Putting makeup on over it is a breeze.

There you have it. I'll be posting more once finals are over for me in a few weeks here! xx

Weekend Favorites - Summer Edition

Hi! I've been horribly neglectful of the blog lately. School has become a front-runner and the rest of my life has fallen by the wayside. This weekend is my good friend Meag's wedding and I'm so looking forward to sharing the day with her and her new husband tomorrow in Eugene.

Here's some fun things that have kept me busy lately.

Pretty ponytail holders from Anthropologie - perfect for keeping the hair off your neck in this hot summer weather. ($12/pack)

New breakfast joints. Our friends Anna and Jared invited us to a little place called Bakery Bar in NE Glisan. This is one of those places that makes you wish you had two (or more) stomachs. I stuffed myself on their Summer Scramble (scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, red peppers, scallions, and chevre), with hash browns and their homemade black pepper buttermilk biscuit. Sipping on a delicious caramel latte didn't hurt, either.

Summer veggies. Nothing's better than some freshly grilled vegetables on a summer evening. We used our new cast iron grill from Williams-Sonoma (a generous wedding gift) and sprinkled the stalks with some cayenne pepper and garlic salt.

Fun summer tunes. Marina and the Diamonds have me bobbing my head in my car every morning on my way to school. She just played in PDX a week or so ago and I'm totally bummed I missed out on it.

And with that, I'm back to studying. I can't wait to post some photos of the lovely wedding tomorrow. xx

All Things Wedding Attire

I'm trying not to go nuts with the wedding posts, and thus far I think I've done an okay job. It gets hard to think about anything outside of your wedding during this process - much how I imagine new parents must feel. You're kind of in your own bubble and only people who've been there get it.

That being said, I think any girl can get into the following things from BHLDN:

 


(All images from BHLDN.com)

Part of me wants to get married like six times (to the same man, of course) just so I can wear all these pretty dresses!

And for those of you going to a seemingly endless amount of weddings this summer, check these lovely partygoer and bridesmaid dresses out, also from BHLDN.

(All images from BHLDN.com)

I may be biased because my bridesmaids dresses are from this company (though no longer available), but I just love each and every one of them. I prefer bridesmaids dresses that don't like so...bridesmaidsy. I wanted to ensure my girls could wear them again.

What are your thoughts? Love it? Hate it? What are your favorite styles of wedding gowns?

Manicure Monday: 3D Holographic Nails

It's no secret I have a nail polish addiction - and this Monday is no exception. Today I have on the wonderful Deborah Lippmann's brand new holographic polish in the shade Sweet Dreams - a bright, uber-sassy pink.

The formula for this polish is thick and difficult to work with, which I have to imagine has something to do with it being "holographic". The polish dries quite rough and is very opaque (which makes it hard to wear on top of or with other polishes, but is great on its own) and I wasn't sure I liked it the first day or two. In the right light though, you can really see the holographic detail. I can honestly say I've never owned a bottle of polish quite like this one.

It's a fun change from your basic nail polish, but I'm not totally convinced it was worth the $18. On the bright side, the thickness/lumpiness of the polish makes it practically chip resistant.

(The second shade in her 3D Holographic collection, called Ray of Light. See it, here. Photo from Nordstrom.com)

Photos truly don't do this polish justice, so if you get a chance to see it in person, try it out.

xx

A Day in the Life: My Bridal Shower

I'm so excited about this post, you guys! This past Saturday was my bridal shower and I have to say, it turned out to be one of the loveliest nights ever. We all gathered on the back patio at my favorite Italian restaurant in my hometown. My aunt, maid of honor, and close family friends put in a ton of effort to make sure I had the night of my dreams. The menu was fabulous, champagne flowing freely, and the cake....oh, the cake.

I'll shut up now, and just let you see some pictures.

 The lovely table settings. Ashley, my maid of honor, decorated the table with a burlap runner and a mix of succulents from a friends garden and peonies and dahlias in little glass jars. Votives were strategically placed for a soft, romantic lighting as the sun went down.

Our menu. The restaurant, an all-time favorite and my fiance's previous employer, really went all out to make sure I had everything I wanted. I don't think an empty glass touched the table once.

My BFF and MOH, Ashley!

I think peonies are every girly-girl's favorite flower. These blush pink ones were scattered all over the table mixed with dahlias and wild flowers. I made sure my seat was right in front of this lovely little bunch.

My cake! It originally came completely plain from the bakery, and my bridesmaid Tess took it upon herself to decorate it with tons of gorgeous flowers and free handed the "J&W" sign to match our custom invitations. Everything about it was classic, elegant and beautiful - not to mention tasty! I need to double check on the exact name of the cake, but it was a lovely white cake with custard and raspberries (my favorite) on the inside! I took several pieces on the plane home with me to enjoy back in PDX with my fiance.

Another precious detail my MOH didn't overlook. How cute is this?!

I had to show a picture of my dress, from Anthropologie, because who doesn't like to see what the bride wears to her events? I loved everything about this dress - the edging, the lace, the hem of the skirt - it flowed like a dream when I walked and I can't wait to find a place to wear it again!

I only included this last photo for you to see the amazingly cute garland Ashley hand made for the shower. Can this girl start up a party planning business already?!