Archives for July 2015

I have been loving my daily makeup routine lately. It’s low maintenance, for me anyway, and I’ve practically got it down to a science. It takes me exactly 15 minutes to get through my whole routine and half the time, it’s almost second nature. I think it’s the killer products I’ve found that make my application so flawless and easy to do. When you don’t have a lot of time in the mornings, a perfect routine is exactly what you need. Check out my makeup favorites for the everyday.

Nars Sheer Glow // I have such an on again, off again relationship with this foundation. I end up coming back to it every time and it never disappoints. It gives my face a beautiful glow and has fantastic coverage. Seriously, if you have never tried this foundation, go out and get a sample and thank me later!

Urban Decay Primer Potion // If you have ever had your eyeshadow get oily or disappear throughout the day, you need to grab a tube of this. It’s the best of the best as far as eyeshadow primer goes and it definitely has all day and all night staying power. 

Cover FX Pressed Powder Foundation // I love this because it’s perfect to use stand alone on light makeup days as an all over light foundation. It’s also perfect for the afternoon touch-up to banish any shine.

  Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer // For the mornings when I have not gotten enough sleep, this is my wakeup, fakeup tool. It’s covers up any dark circles and is a perfect touch up to cover up any spots that may have appeared overnight.

  Nars Orgasm Blush // A cult classic for a reason! Another product I always seem to come back to, the Nars Orgasm blush seems to be a product I just can’t seem to quit. I’ve switched blushes at least 5 times this summer and I have now come back to this blush yet again. It’s a universally gorgeous color on everyone and highlights your cheekbones just right whether you’re wearing it for day or night.

  Mac Cosmetics Eyeshadow Duo // I have always loved Mac cosmetics for eyeshadows. They’re incredibly pigmented and they have a huge variety of colors to choose from so I know I will always find the shade I need. It’s also great that you can choose the colors that come in your palettes. This way, you never end up with that one or two colors in a palette that you know you will NEVER use. It’s only the perfect shades for you!

  Stila All Day Eyeliner // I’ve tried at least 4 other black liquid liners and I keep coming back to Stila. The felt tip pen is the easiest thing to apply once you try it out a few times and it lasts for months and months, which is definitely handy when it costs $20 a pop. 

  Diorshow Mascara // The macdaddy of mascaras, Dior never disappoints. It makes my lashes look va va voom every time. It does a great job of opening up my eyes and giving my lashes a ton of volume and I can layer it. A little for day and a bit more for night.

I was super glad of the warm day that was happening as we woke up for our last day in LA. It meant that it was the perfect time to pull out the Lilly Pulitzer T-shirt dress that I had been dying to wear for weeks now! The sunny weather and a day that was filled with shopping seemed to be just the ticket. I wore it in 80 degree weather and was worried I would get overheated and sweaty, but the dress breathes really well! It also has the cutest sailboat print and its SO comfy for all day wear.

If only I could wear Lilly everyday!

I paired the dress with suede demi-wedge sandals that I bought from J. Crew Factory (p.s. they’re on sale right now!). They were a great pairing for the summer heat and no shoe breaking in was required. They were even pretty easy to take off one handed at the airport security line. 

I know I’ve shown this Sole Society cross body bag a million times, but I still love it. It pairs well with so many looks and can handle the fair bit of abuse it gets handed as I carry it around all day.

Sailboat Dress // Shoes // Sunglasses // Crossbody bag (old, similar)

How do you feel about Lilly Pulitzer sailboat prints? 

It’s peak summer time and I spent this past weekend enjoying the sunny weather at Disneyland with my boyfriend. It was a lot of fun, but definitely takes a lot of you. We went from opening to closing both days we were there and that definitely takes a lot out of you. I would like to sleep for the next few days. It was definitely worth it though to see all the awesome 60th anniversary celebrations at the park!

For the plane ride, I sported grey, comfy leggings, a Lilly Pulitzer for Target crochet top and a super comfy cowl neck cardigan. It was perfect for even the short plane ride. I always make sure to bring a few books too.

Around the park, I’ve gotten my outfits down to a science. With all the crazy rides, my hair blows every which way so I tend to go with a low maintenence braid and pin back my bangs. It’s great for keeping my hair in its place during the long day. If you’re planning on being in the park all day, I definitely suggest sneakers and comfy socks. Along with that, I pulled out a pair of jean overall shorts to wear around the park. It was great to have so many pockets for my park essentials.

It was SUPER hot and humid during the day so water rides were a definite necessity. Instead of waiting in line (there was no way I was waiting 60 minutes), we grabbed fast passes for Grizzly River Run. We made sure to grab them for peak heat time so we would have a ton of time to dry off after, since you most definitely get super soaked!

We always stop off at the Cove Bar  for lunch when we’re hanging out at Disney California Adventure. We get to sit by the water and enjoy a bit of shade and some tasty lobster nachos. 

The Animation Academy at Disney California Advenure can totally get overlooked, but if you need to take a quick break from walking around or dealing with the heat, it’s perfect. The center room displays the animation and concept art from some of your favorite Disney films.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the park, they had all these cute photo setups around some of my favorite rides. They also had the most awesome light up parade to celebrate called, Paint the Night. If you’re thinking of hitting the park in the next couple months, you definitely need to check it out. 

I had to stop off for a my favorite drink at the park, the mint julep. It’s non-alcoholic because it’s Disney, but it’s so refreshing, especially when it’s super hot like it was this weekend!

Are you a big Disney fan? Share with me in the comments below!

The weather has been getting hotter, which is both great and terrible. Great for all the pool parties, hiking trips and outdoor events, but terrible for your makeup. It’s awful when 5 o’clock rolls around and you notice that all of your makeup has melted off your face due to the heat. No need to have a real meltdown, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite setting sprays that are perfect for keeping your makeup in check all day and all night. 

Kat Von D Lock N’ Load Setting Mist – As a tatoo artist, Kat Von D knows how to make something that lasts. If you’ve ever tried her tattoo foundation, you definitely know what I mean. That stuff does NOT come off unless you want it too. If you’re looking for something that has heavy duty staying power, definitely pick up a bottle of this. 

Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Spray – If you’re looking for something that is a little lighter with some in-house hydration, pick up this Make Up For Ever mist. It’s not at sticky like some mists and definitely gives you a nice little glow. 

Dr. Jart Pore Medic Pore Finish Mist – If you’re someone who gets super oily, then this is your mist. It’s great for reducing the shine that shows up on your face after a long day. 

Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray – This spray is my go to during the winter months. I think it’s just as helpful in the summer, but it’s really perfect for anyone who has dry skin year round. With temperature control technology, it actually cools your face to prevent your makeup from sliding around or settling into lines. It also gives you a great dose of moisture so your skin doesn’t dry out.

Coola SPF 30 Makeup Setting Spray – My new setting spray favorite! I’ve always loved Coola’s products so I was so excited when I heard they came out with their own makeup setting mist. It eve has SPF in it, which those of us with pale skin definitely need. I spray it on in the morning right after I finish my makeup and I noticed that I didn’t need to reach for my compact the entire day. No shine, no problem! Its under 3oz too so it’s great for travel! I’m definitely using this for all my summer days spent in the sun. 

I am still getting a ton of use out of my Rocksbox subscription over these past few months. Even more so now that I switched jobs! My office is full of fashionable ladies so I love to be able to show off a few new pieces of beautiful jewelry every week. It definitely makes putting together an outfit a whole lot more fun. I’ve talked about Rocksbox before, but for those who don’t know, Rocksbox is a subscription jewelry rental service that charges a once a month flat fee to send you unlimited pieces of high end jewelry. They charge you $19 per month for a selection of personalized pieces to fit your specific style. When they offered me a trial subscription to test out the service for myself, I jumped on that chance.

Perry Street Ariana Necklace – Such a gorgeous piece! Perfect combination of color and sparkle, this necklace is great for a transition piece from day to night. I wore it with a a cream colored peplum dress to work for a bit of color and then transitioned it to night by pairing it with a black sleeveless blouse and a pair of dark skinny jeans. 

Perry Street Mercer Crystal Earrings –  Cute and sparkly! I am forever worried that earrings will wear my ears down, but these were great for a fun night out. I like to wear my hair up when I wear sparkly earrings to give them an extra dose of attention. It definitely worked!

Loren Hope Carson Bracelet – I love Loren Hope pieces and this carson bracelet was no different. I have yet to meet a bow that I didn’t like and I loved the Loren Hope crystal bow bracelet. It definitely added a bit of whimsy to my arm candy.

Have you check out Rocksbox yet? Use the code: redheadlovesxoxo to get your first month free!

All over Instagram, I have been seeing a gorgeous shiny midi skirt with a an adorable flamingo print all over it. After seeing it for the like the umpteenth time, I finally double clicked the image to see where the adorable skirt was from. The skirt was from Chicwish, a clothing website that I had actually stumbled onto several times through other bloggers. I had never made a purchase before, but after seeing a killer sale going on, I couldn’t resist taking a quick peek. While going through their website, I became totally obsessed with so many of their skirt designs. I am always looking for a few pieces that will truly make an outfit stand out. A piece that you just know you will get loads of compliments on because it it just too cute. I decided I was going to allow myself to pick out one skirt that would fill that quota. With so many amazing choices, I definitely had a hard time narrowing it down to just one, but I finally decided on the Oh London skirt because I couldn’t get over the black and white with pops of red design. I can’t wait to wear it out! While I only let myself pick out one, I did add a bunch of skirts to my future wishlist. Check out my some of my Chicwish skirt favorites below!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Way back when, like two whole years ago, I was really into themed movie nights. I would grab a movie that I was dying to see and combine it with a whole dinner menu that was based off the film. It was a really fun to spend a night in putting together a tasty dinner together with friends to then sit down on the couch to enjoy it while we watched an awesome new movie. Like with most things, I totally forgot about doing them the busier I got, but lately I have been craving to do a few more. My first dinner and a move night was with the film Safe Haven. If you haven’t seen Safe Haven and you like Nicholas Sparks, then you need to check it out! It didn’t get the best reviews, but I absolutely loved it. It was actually the menu below that first sparked the idea to start planning themed movie nights. I picked some of my favorites off this menu and went from there. 

We ended up making some seriously delicious dishes. We made our own crab cakes, seared up some tasty scallops, made homemade crab dip (which was soooo good) that was served on toasted crostini and also made a bunch of deviled eggs. We also whipped up a batch of Bourbon punch with pink grapefruit and mint as our southern drink staple. All in all, it was probably one of the best meals I’ve ever put together. Plus, the prep was a ton of fun. 

I am currently trying to decide what film I should do for my next dinner and a movie night and I’ve narrowed it down to a few, but I definitely need you to help me decide! 

Should I Do:

A) Ratatouille w/ French inspired cuisine

B) Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? w/ Southern inspired cuisine

C) The Princess and the Frog w/ Louisiana inspired cuisine

The Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale is finally here! It’s seriously one of my favorite sales of the year. It’s always packed with amazing deals, free shipping and returns (heck yes!), and new products that will become my go-to favorites for Fall. For me, I’m always buying for Fall during the sale, prepping for those cold months when I need warm boots and cute accessories. It’s really great because you’re getting these deals BEFORE the season has even started so it’s not something you have to hold onto for an entire year or something that might go out of style by next season. This is the time to splurge on those more expensive items, like the Tory Burch ‘Joanna’ riding boots, which will last years and years and years and never go out of style or even the Sperry take on the duck boot with the ‘Saltwater’ rain boots. Seriously, so cute! Don’t wait too long because these items are going SUPER fast so get in there now and thank me later.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

I’m like…SUPER into snacks. I hardly ever have time to eat a full and proper meal during the day. To be fair, I prefer to eat small snacks throughout the day anyway. It definitely helps to keep my energy up! The issue I always seem to have though is finding the right amount of snacks with the right amount of nutrition to make them both healthy and delicious. I’ve rounded up some awesome snack boxes that are the best kind of combination. 

1. Good Habit Box – This is a totally new subscription box for me, but I love that it has a bunch of options. It’s not just snacks, but also breakfast oatmeals, teas and even power smoothies. It’s definitely the epitome of setting up good habits. The combination of smoothies, snacks and teas will definitely keep you happy and full for a good long while. 

2. Nourish Snacks – I love Nourish Snacks when I’m looking for a bit of fun variety. They have a ton of variation with their snacks and they are really, really tasty. I love to get the variety pack and toss a couple snacks into my purse for on the go. 

 3. Graze Box – If you’re looking for portion control, then you definitely need to sign up for a Graze box. They have a million snacks and they are all in portion controlled small boxes that actually fit inside your mailbox. I’ve always hated heading to the post office when I miss a package so I’m glad this one is thin enough to fit inside my mailbox slot. 

4. Nature Box – This is my favorite snack box for trips! Big bags of tasty treats that will totally keep you from going stir crazy in long car rides. This way no one has to deal with getting hangry. 

The theme for this month’s Birchbox was Go Bold. Summer is all about bright lipsticks, colorful polishes and traveling so this box is a perfect way to amp up your normal beauty routine. I was super excited when I found what products I would be getting in my box this month! It literally seems like the perfect combination for the middle of summer. Haircare products, skin exfoliants and bright shades of lipstick! Check out what’s in my Birchbox this month:

What’s in my box:

– Oribe Après Beach Wave & Shine Spray

– Dr. Brandt Microdemabrasion Skin Exfoliant

– COOLA SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray

– MD SolarSciences Mineral Crème SPF 50 Sunscreen

– Stila Look at Me Liquid Lipstick

Oribe Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray – Most of us have heard about Oribe. They’re like the king of summer haircare products. I actually haven’t tried any of their products before, but I can’t wait to try out this beach wave and shine spray. I love that this is a two in one spray, for both beach waves and shine!