March Favorites 2015

I seem to have a lot of nail related products as my favorite for last month. I think it's because I've found my perfect combo of base coat, top coat, and remover so it makes the process of doing my nails so much better. I've been pretty good about not purchasing too many makeup items which is why there's an absence of them for March. 

•  Soy Iced Latte Candle. I normally am not a fan of candles that smell like food, but I love a good coffee/espresso candle. It's just like being a coffee shop! Target has their own line of candles that aren't too pricey that I always purchase. They've been good about adding new scents to the collection, and this iced latte one is one of them. It's about the same size as the Bath and Body Works 3-wick candle for half the price. The only downside is that it only has 1 wick so it doesn't burn as evenly as I'd like. Other than that it's amazing. Definitely my favorite scent from that range. It comes in an even bigger size too! (Target doesn't list all these candles on their website, but they do have the Sugar Blossom one on there. I also highly recommend that one if you want something light and fresh. The full range is almost always fully stocked in stores).
• Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat. I originally bought this in conjunction with one of their miracle gel color line polishes. It worked decently but I wasn't a big fan of the huge packaging. I decided to try just the top coat along with my other polishes from O.P.I and Essie, and it's actually become my new favorite top coat. It's so easy to apply since the brush is on the wider side so usually one or two quick strokes is all you need. On top of that it lengthens the time of my manicures. There is some slight chipping since I'm always typing on a keyboard, but so little you can't tell unless you're examining your nails up close.

•  Essie Topless and Barefoot Nail Polish. I think because there has been more surgery days and it has forced me to be more neutral about my polish colors, I've actually come to enjoy them. I'm not one to wear the same color twice in a row, but I pretty much wore only this all of March. Along with the Sally Hansen top coat it has been my go-to manicure all last month.

•  Zoya 3-in-1 Polish Remover. I've been meaning to try this nail polish remover for a while now and finally picked it up from Ulta a few months ago. I always end up with half used polish removers, but this is the only one I've been reaching for lately. It does a great job of removing my polish, and its smell is not offensive. One of the main reasons why I like to use this is for its pump. I can't count how many times I've accidentally knocked over a polish remover bottle. The pump makes it easy to just take a cotton round and soak the remover onto the pad without having to pick up the entire bottle.
• L'oreal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray. The only time I put products in my hair is when I'm using a hair serum. Other than that I prefer to keep my hair product-free. Lately though I've been straightening my hair due to its length and the little baby hairs that stick up around my face have been bugging me like no other! I bought the mini size of this a long time ago just to have on hand, but I've started to use this pretty regularly.. I basically spray some into my hand and use it to pat down any hairs that are sticking up.

•  Shashi Lilu Bracelet. This is another old favorite that has come into rotation again. It's a simple, delicate bead bracelet with colorful, miniature tassels adorned all around. It's easy to wear by itself, but also looks great stacked up with other bracelets and even watches. Unfortunately it looks like the clear beaded version of this bracelet is no longer available, but Shashi still makes this exact item just in different colors. (I'm actually wearing this in my most recent Instagram post even though it's a little hard to tell).

• Michael Kors Stacked Pyramid Pave Ring. Most of the jewelry that my boyfriend has gifted to me I've picked out myself. His taste in jewelry and my taste in jewelry is very different. We've been together long enough where if I like something I'll show him and he'll keep it in mind for a future gift-giving-occasion. You won't believe how surprised I was when he actually picked out this MK ring HIMSELF. He knows I do like the whole pyramid/studded design which is why he ended up getting me this. I love how it's a statement piece, but you can subdue it by taking out two of the pieces. You can also wear it with the band (with the logo on it) facing upright or upside down. He did good folks.

Unboxing/Review: Daniel Wellington Leather Band Watches

How did I originally hear about Daniel Wellington? Through Instagram. Almost every blogger seemed to be posting photos of them wearing one. I had never hear of the brand before then and was intrigued. I had always been on the lookout for a simple, black leather band watch. When I looked through DW's website and saw the Classy Sheffield (26 mm) I decided to do my research.

If I'm going to be perfectly honest I'll admit that I was a little skeptical of purchasing a watch from Daniel Wellington. I have a decent collection of watches and don't mind spending money on them since I wear one every day. While I definitely have watches that were way more expensive than some of DW's watches, I didn't feel comfortable spending a still good amount of money on a watch I had a)never seen in person and b)from a brand I had never heard of before.

I ended up spending a few weeks looking around for a similar design from other watch companies. You would think it wouldn't be such a hard task seeing how simple the DW watches are, but it actually is! One of the main qualities I was looking for was a plain face with non-silver metal detailing. While Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade had some that almost fit the bill, I didn't want anything that had the brand's logo very apparent or with non-classic details (like the spade, even though it is quite cute).

So in the end I decided to go ahead and order the Classy Sheffield with the black leather strap and the rose gold case. BEST. DECISION. EVER. I always thought certain outfits would just go better with a black leather strap watch vs the metal/ceramic band watches (which I normally wear) so I would just rotate this in every now and then. I originally purchased my first Daniel Wellington watch back in August of 2014 and for the past 7 months I've been wearing it 95% of the time. It's so lightweight, goes with everything, and the leather is even better than it was when I first got it (it's gotten a bit worn in and fits perfectly on my wrist).

And that brings me to the Classy St. Mawes Lady (36 mm). I was also interested in the lighter brown strap too during my first look through so decided to order this one in the larger size (which seems to be more popular...on IG anyways). I like this style as well though I wish the brown was more lighter, but overall it's another amazing addition to my collection. Since it is the larger version it does tend to move around on my wrist a bit more (but all watches do) and the leather is taking longer to "break in." For this time around I remembered to snap some photos of the packaging so decided to share along with my review.

Got this delivered to my parents' place and the UPS man totally called me out! 
Mom: "Another package?!" Him: "It's something good though it's a watch!"

Pricing is fair. The US website shows $199 but apparently pricing can vary depending on where it's being shipped from. (That's the only reason I seemed to be able to find). It showed up as $159.20 for me during check out (but paid a total of $135.20 using a discount code).

Well loved Classy Sheffield. Listed as $149 on the website though at checkout it showed up at $119.20 (with a discount code paid $101.32). If anyone knows the reason for the differences in price let me know!

February Favorites 2015

I thought I would bring back these monthly favorite posts since I tend to shop too much and love trying new things. So why not share them on here? (Ironically I noticed the last time I did this was February as well...but two years ago, oops).

• Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. I actually first noticed this book because of its cover. And this was before I even saw it in full color since it was one of the covers on my Kindle box when I first received it. My friend started reading it (and never finished) but she did rave about it so I decided to pick it up when I was feeling in the mood for a real, physical book. It was a pretty easy read for me so that was nice. Not too heavy but entertaining. Most of the book is written via correspondence between all the different characters. The narrator's mom (who is Bernadette) is hilarious. Definitely my favorite character throughout the novel.
• Symphonized Noise Isolating Headphones. Small, portable headphones that also isolate noise are a must for a public transportation commuter like me. I live pretty far from work so I have to get up extra early to arrive on time. Every morning I try to at least get some more sleep on my train ride, though it gets difficult when the moving train makes so much noise. I never cared about noise isolating headphones till I started commuting. Now I can't survive without them. I used to use these white Skull Candy ones that I was obsessed with, but after having to re-purchase them for a second time after they broke I decided to look into a different brand. I saw all the good reviews on Amazon and for the price I couldn't pass them up! They are made out of genuine wood and on top of looking pretty darn cool they work amazing. The only gripe I have with them is that they don't have volume control. This is a bummer since I try to keep my phone tucked away on the train (I've seen way too many people have their phones snatched). 
• Ariella Collection Crystal Ear Jackets. I have been looking for some ear jacket earrings ever since they started becoming popular. I know Bauble Bar usually has a good collection, but never got around to making an order since the ones I had my eye on were always sold out. I decided to browse through Nordstrom's earrings when I was making an online order and saw these. I had never heard of the brand before, but they appealed to me right away. I have pretty much been wearing them every single day since I've gotten them. I have never gotten more compliments on a pair of earrings until I got these (the fact that my hair is shorter probably helps too). They aren't too flashy that I can't wear them to work, but are noticeable enough that I've gotten comments on them from patients, coworkers, and other strangers alike.
• Laneige Multi-Cleanser. I originally was buying a cream from this brand for my mom at Target when they happened to be having a special where if you bought something from Laneige you got a free mini sample set. In it happened to be this cleanser. I'm pretty happy with my Cetaphil cleanser but decided to try this out one evening after I had finished taking most of my makeup off with a wipe. The description claims to "melt away sunscreen and makeup." Most cleansers that state this are usually too harsh and drying for my skin, but this one didn't give me any of those side effects. It almost gives your skin a squeaky-clean feeling without making it feel too stripped of essential oils. The cleanser does contain "exfoliating papaya" but I wouldn't recommend it if you're just interested in an exfoliater since the papaya dissolves pretty rapidly. I don't mind since I have a separate cleanser I use just for that and I don't want my main cleanser to have that property anyways. I now switch off between this and my Cetaphil cleanser.
• NatureBox Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels. I've had a subscription to this company for a while since I love snacking. I try not to get them every month though since I'm the only one who's usually eating them and it takes me a while to get through them. I recently made a new order after not getting a shipment in a while and loved these pretzels. They are just the right amount of sweet and crunchy. I almost finished the whole bag in one day...(You can find promo codes online if you're interested in signing up for NatureBox. I also am able to send three invites to anyone interested in joining where you can get a free deluxe box [the size I get] for the first month).