I’ve been on the hunt for a bomber for the past few weeks – if you guys follow me on Snapchat (CBLied), you may remember seeing me snap two different pink options. With y’alls help, I settled on this metallic pink lady, and she’s quite comfy (and shiny)! It’s not a pink ladies jacket (I’ll forever be dreaming), but it might just be the next best thing.
If you haven’t already seen, bomber jackets are everywhere for fall, and they’re really the perfect lightweight jacket for cool evenings… before it’s actually like, real cold and you need a real jacket. And this squad tee – I am loving all these hilarious tees right now at Nordstrom! I have this one too, and they’re all really soft.
About a month ago I shared my back-to-school beauty favorites, and I loved hearing all of your feedback (and your own favorites), so I thought it was time for some fall picks!
I’ve gotten some crazy fabulous fall mailers that I am so excited about – and a lot of it is lipstick (because you know I am a lover of a great lip). Today I’m sharing some of my favorites from Urban Decay, L’Oreal and Smashbox –
LIPS:
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Palettes – for the bold lip girl, this palette is for you! Each palette has a dozen shades from the massive Vice collection, so no matter what kind of mood you’re in, this kit has it all. I really love this palette for travel (it will 100% be in my NYFW beauty bag).
L’oreal Exclusive Colour Riche Privee Collection – love love love! Six L’Oreal Ambassadors customized their ideal lip shade, and you can choose between JLo, Julianne Moore, Eva Longoria, Liya Kebede, Blake Lively and Doutzen Kroes. My personal favorite nude in the lineup would be Eva’s (sun-kissed nude) and for a little more color I really love JLo’s (a deeper berry shade).
Urban Decay’s Vintage Capsule Collection – this lineup is bringing back nine of UD’s original lip shades from 20 years ago – very cool! When I worked in social media for Urban Decay, fans would ask about these shades ALL of the time, particularly Oil Slick (a sheer black) and Pallor (a really flattering lavender gray). I’m so excited to play with these!
EYES:
L’Oreal Volumious Primer Mascara – a great primer is an essential for me. I use one daily! This one is nice and thick and just one coat under a mascara really does wonders for creating thicker lashes.
Urban Decay’s Naked Ultimate Basics – I use my Naked1 and 2 Basics palettes every single day. I use them for my eyeshadow as well as my brows, and sometimes even to contour! I love matte shades, and this matte eyeshadow palette contains 12 brand new must-have neutrals. This palette is neutral enough for all skin tones, and I know it’s currently sold out but keep tabs on this baby because trust me, you need it.
COMPLEXION:
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer – I know I’ve blogged about this before here, but it’s because it’s the best. And I’m not the only one who thinks so – it’s won numerous awards and has over 5k reviews on Sephora.com. This formula fills in lines and helps to make your foundation or beauty balm go on so silky smooth – it’s like a real-life airbrushed filter. For your face. All day.
Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation – designed to last for 15 hours (that’s no joke), this foundation is the kind you wear for long days when you need to look great from sunrise to sunset. I’ll be wearing it to NYFW for sure, and it’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t cake like so many foundations do.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I’ve been so excited to try this! This is a blend of 15 essential and plant oils that moisturize the face and create that dewy, youthful skin we all want. This primer sits on top of your skin to smooth its texture, while it absorbs directly into the skin to hydrate and boost moisture. This is good stuff (and good for you!).
Urban Decay UD Pro Brushes – these brushes are cruelty-free and the handles are from recycled aluminum. Synthetic brush hair doesn’t hold onto bacteria the way animal hair can, so synthetic brushes are not only easier to clean, but also more hygienic for your face (which you should always treat like gold!). Some of my must-haves: the contour definition, finger brush and the eyeshadow brush.
Have you guys tried any of these products? I’d love to hear what you think! And if your a lipstick lover, please look into some of these lip shades. I think you will love them – the formulas are so rich and nourishing, I’m so excited about pulling out some darker shades for fall!
Thanks so much for reading – hope you guys had a wonderful long weekend! XO –
– a short visit to Oxford, Mississippi for the burial of our sweet Edie’s ashes –
– a walk around the Square with my Dad –
– and back home after several weeks of travel –
– gearing up for a long weekend at home with my guy (and a binge-sesh of The Night Of) –
– catching up on work and treating myself to happy hour for one –
Reunited and it feels so good! I’ve been home all week and have a few more days before I head to New York. It’s been so wonderful to be back in my space and routine. I always feel like my best self when I’m home – it’s the control-freak in me, I confess.
Christian is on call this weekend, but now that he is senior call I can tell a big difference. In years past, “on call” meant Christian’s pager was going off constantly and he would be in and out all 24-hours of the day. Lately it’s meant a few calls here and there, but rarely something that takes him away all day. This is a huge milestone (or at least I think so)! We won’t be going far from the house this weekend so that he can stay close to the hospital, but after traveling so much, I have no complaints.
AND, some exciting news – Morning Lavender is having a summer sale and several of the pieces from the CBL for ML collection are marked down up to 50% off with code Summer2016! Cute cute cuuuuttteee – if you’re looking for any off the shoulder pretty things, they have you set!
What do you guys have planned this weekend? If you’re laying low like me, I recommend The Night Of on HBO. It’s like Serial-podcast-turned-TV-show. Amazingness! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
Can you believe Labor Day weekend is here? Could summer be coming to an end already!? One of Christian’s coworkers is getting married this weekend (my sister is also celebrating her wedding anniversary – 11 years, cheers!), and it got me thinking about… what on earth am I going to wear?
I’ve shared with y’all that since moving to California several years ago I gravitate toward light, breezy colors. Over the years, light pinks, creams, gray and white fill the majority of my closet. Of course, when you’re a wedding or engagement party guest, you want to steer as far away from whites and creams as possible! It’s the bride’s time to shine, and I usually prefer to wear a fun color instead.
SO, I thought this coral jersey dress would be the perfect late summer cocktail dress for a wedding. This little dress comes in eight colors! You know it’s a popular pick if it’s offered in every color of the rainbow (insert praise hands), which means it looks great on lots of body types because of the draping of the material.
Like everyone else, I’ve been wearing off the shoulder tops since this spring – I’m addicted! I’ve always loved this style, but it used to be so hard to find. Not anymore, my friend! Nordstrom has so many great pieces, and with fall around the corner, there are still so many pieces to work into the season.
For those of you wondering about the bra situation, I recently shared my favorite undergarments including strapless bras here. Check out the scrolling widget above for more picks than just these three – and all of them are under $100!
Do you have a favorite top from summer that you can’t stop wearing? Mine would probably be any white off-the-shoulder number. All day.
Last week I shared the first post of my recent trip to Switzerland with Geneva Tourism, and today I’m sharing the second half of my trip. I have had so much fun going through all of these photos – Switzerland is so easy to photograph because every corner is beautiful!
On my third day in Geneva, I woke up early (only three hours of sleep, but it was totally worth it!) to catch the sunrise over Lake Geneva. Every summer, Geneva offers free concerts that begin at dawn, and you can sip coffee and listen to the live music while the sun comes out. It was so gorgeous and spiritual – an amazing experience (and worth getting up early for!).
After that we crossed the lake to turn on the Jet d’eau – the water jet on the lake that is a landmark of Geneva! If you follow along on Instagram, I shared a photo of it here. It literally reaches 460 feet! Once it had been turned on, a rainbow appeared.
Then we explored Geneva’s Old Town which was absolutely gorgeous. The architecture of Switzerland is just breathtaking – I could look at the beautiful buildings, shutters and flower boxes all day! We climbed a spiral staircase to the top of a church in Old Town that had the most incredible view of Geneva, including the water jet! After that, we had a picnic in the park that was so delicious and relaxing. Before we knew it, everyone was lying down in the grass, soaking up the sun.
We moved on to a watchmaking class at Bucherer (photo below). Geneva is actually considered the birthplace of of high-end watchmaking. It was so detailed and meticulous – now I think I appreciate well made watches so much more.
We ended the day with dinner at Hotel Richemond’s Le Jardin – so delicious – I could have stayed at this hotel for a week. No time was long enough!
Thanks so much for reading! I loved taking you on a little tour of Switzerland. It was such a magical trip and experience, and I hope that the next time I visit Europe, Christian will be in tow.
If you’ve visited Switzerland and had any favorite spots that I missed (like the alps – gorgeousness!), I’d love to hear! XO –
This top and skirt come as a set (and in black too!), but I think they can easily be worn separately, and that’s part of the magic of this combo. There are not enough opportunities in life to wear a ball skirt (ok, I realize this is just my opinion), but sometimes you just have to create your own reason to add some fancy!
I think this skirt would look really cute with a crop top tee (like this one) and heels, or you could wear this top with a different midi skirt or high-waisted pants. Versatility is everything, and when you splurge on a set like this that can be worn several different ways, your maximizing your purchase. A++!
dress c/o Aidan by Aidan Mattox, love this dress | earrings – BaubleBar, get 20% off orders over $50 through 8/31 with code CBL20 | heels – no longer available, love these and these | similar clutch here and here
– waking up to some chorizo and eggs in a white fluffy bed… one of the best parts of hotel living –
– having the opportunity to meet and interview Sophia Amoruso –
Happy Friday!! Crazy to think that last Friday I was in Switzerland, and this Friday I am in Mississippi… oh what a difference a week makes. I will be home for 8 days when I get home from this trip and you have no idea how excited I am to be home for a minute! My skin is like… “woman, what are you doing to me!?”
I still have another Switzerland post to share with you guys this coming week to wrap up that dreamy trip (first post here) – so more to come! This week I spent two days in Los Angeles with Netflix, a Hollywood moment that I’m not sure how I got in on, but I am thanking my lucky stars. We played on set with Chelsea Handler for her Netflix show (you may remember the other show I attended of hers and mentioned here) for one day, and then we got to walk the set of Sophia Amoruso’s new show, Girlboss, coming to Netflix in 2017! To have the chance to hang with both of them was so surreal… talk about fempire inspo.
We walked the set of the new Girlboss show, walking around her apartment (based on Sophia’s real apartment in San Francisco), walking through the costume closet and hearing the details behind the wardrobe – so now I’m like, can this show start already because I’m dying to see it!
After that crazy inspirational Netflix #girlboss getaway, I changed gears and hopped on a plane to come to Mississippi to be with my family as we lay Edie’s ashes to rest. It will be an emotional weekend, but one that I think we all need. Even though we now our girl is flying high above us, we miss her every day. I thank her every day that she sends so many butterflies to me – they are all around my neighborhood and it just fills my heart.
Hope you guys have a beautiful weekend – thank you so much for reading and sharing your love. XO –
These photos were taken in my little neighborhood on the most beautiful evening that truly felt like sneak peek to fall. Probably like so many of you, fall is my favorite season of the year. I think it helps that it’s connected to so many happy memories – starting school, cheerleading, beginning college, getting married… and I can’t believe it’s around the corner!
This striped sweater dress is such a great base layer for the upcoming months. It can be worn with additional pieces, making it warmer – or dressed with a denim jacket (I just ordered this one, so excited) or military jacket. I think mixing textures is a really fun way to add interest to an outfit, especially for fall and winter – hello faux fur. Try pairing a masculine piece with a feminine piece (more about my love of that combo here), or mixing metal pieces or rockstud accents to a preppy look to add some edge.
I’ve been surprised by how many times y’all have asked me about my undergarments – what kind of bra I’m wearing, what I wear under a dress or top, etc. I admit I have no groundbreaking information to share – the answer is usually one of the following: a slip, no bra, sticky petals, a bralette or Spanx. Voila! My secrets revealed!
I’m so excited to share my first post of my trip to Geneva, Switzerland with Geneva Tourism! I shared some info about this trip in this packing post, but I had not been to Europe in nine years and was so excited to go back.
The first full day I was there, we walked to the lighthouse on the lake. There is such a beautiful view of the city from the lake, and I couldn’t get over how many white swans were everywhere! In the morning, they were sleeping – I had never seen a swan sleep and they curl into the tightest little ball. So as a true tourist, you know I had to take a photo.
We went to Victorinox to make our own Swiss Army Knives, and the whole time I just thought, “Oh if Christian could see me now, he would be so proud!” After that we walked around the neighborhood of Carouge for the first part of the day, and I couldn’t get over how much it resembled Italy. Turns out, it’s called “Geneva’s small Italy.” Each building was more beautiful than the next, and we had lunch at Restaurant du Mont-Saléve. Délicieuse!
The afternoon was my favorite part of the entire trip. We rode electric bikes to the countryside of Geneva. If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (CBLied), you may have seen me compare it to my vision of heaven. Absolutely stunning. There were sheep, cows, horses, geese and pigs roaming fields (just as they should be). There was the largest field of sunflowers I’ve ever seen. We even biked to France (you’ll see the little hut with “beinvenue” toward the bottom of this post)! We stopped at a local winery, and the view of the countryside was breathtaking. You guys love how much I enjoy biking around Orange County on my little beach cruiser, so this was my dream afternoon!
We had dinner on the lake at Brasserie des Halles de I’lle as the sun set, and walked back to the beautiful Le Richemond hotel under bistro lights beside the lake (can we talk about the darling macarons they left in my room?). I think any trip where you don’t have to plan and can just follow along is the mecca in my book, and Caroline and Kristelle of Geneva Tourism couldn’t have been better hostesses.
One of my favorite things about the Swiss is how peaceful and respectful they are. So much of the country is based on the “honor code.” For example – you don’t have to show your bus, train or trolley pass every time you hop on, rather they trust that you are truthful and have paid your way. The same policy goes for newspaper sales. How amazing that there is still a community with people whose core values and intentions are honest. Geneva is known for this state of mind, and it’s been called the “Geneva Spirit.”
Thank you so much for reading! I LOVED reading all of y’alls comments about your trips to Switzerland and hearing about your favorite things! Part two of this trip will be on CBL next week, so there’s still more fun stuff and recommendations to come.
