March 2013 Favorites

I really can't believe spring is halfway over already. I mean, it hasn't even started here! It's colder in March than it was in February. And I am beyond ready for spring. If we ever get lucky enough to even get one.

I haven't really been using many new beauty products this month, simply because I am happy with the makeup I use every day and what I do works well for me, so there isn't really a reason to try anything new.

Coffee Don't get me wrong - I've pretty much always been obsessed with coffee, but this month I've just been really enjoying it for some reason. I drink mine with milk, if you were wondering, but now that I'm fasting (which means no animal produce whatsoever) coffee is kind of gross to me - I can't stand black coffee. Oh well.

"Lover of the Light" by Mumford & Sons I'm pretty sure this song isn't exactly "new", but I discovered it from tumblr (yay for tumblr) and have been listening to it every single day (multiple times a day). I just love everything about it - the lyrics, the melody, the whole song is just lovely.

"Wild for the Night" by A$AP Rocky (feat. Birdy Nam Nam & Skrillex) I mentioned this in my Spring 2013 Playlist and I have been listening to this a ton on those mornings when all I want to do is wake up. It's so energizing and fun to dance around my room while getting ready to!

Gossip Girl This show ended last fall, but I think it's safe to say that I will never forget it. I'm pretty sure I know everyone's lines in the first episode. No joke. Well, this past month I decided to re-watch the whole show in order - I'm on Season 4 now! Some of my friends still haven't seen this show and I don't recommend anyone to start watching it because it will consume your life. I warned you.

Sperry Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe As I said before - spring has not yet sprung. But I did go to India for a week and I wore my Sperrys every single day. It was the first time I've worn them since I got them for Christmas and I love them! They are so comfortable and cute - does it get any better?!

Green tea I set a goal for myself to a cup of drink green tea every day in March, and even though I didn't drink tea at all in India (it was way too hot for tea!) - I didn't miss a day. I think I'm addicted to tea every night before bed.

Maybelline The Eraser foundation This foundation was kind of a spur-of-the-moment purchase, but I regret nothing! It has pretty light coverage, but just enough for me; it's moisturizing, but also not too oily. Also, it's from the drugstore, so it's super cheap! So if you're looking for a new foundation to try out - this is the one!

The Body Shop Mango lip butter This has been my favorite lip balm for quite some time, but for some reason I just stopped using it after a while. This month I began using it again - every morning when I wake up and every night before bed - and I love it! It keeps my lips so moisturized - and besides, who doesn't like their lips tasting like mango?!

What were some things you've been loving this month? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,
Liz

Spring Things: J.Crew Haul

I am in desperate need of three things - spring (it's still below freezing here), basic bottoms, and spring things. Incidentally, these three words sum up the order that I just placed from J.Crew.

Everyone knows and loves the J.Crew chinos, and I really need shorts for the spring (if it ever comes, that is) - I've heard so many good things about them! I will also tell you that I've heard they run a bit big - all J.Crew bottoms do - so go a size down if you're getting these. Khaki shorts are extremely basic - but believe it or not, I have no shorts. Not one pair. So I could use some basic things in my wardrobe. Hot pink 3" are more fun than basic, but can be styled so many ways!

Pixie pants (the navy ones on the right) are also a classic - if you haven't heard about them, I'm pretty sure you've been living under a gigantic rock. They're basically really thick leggings - perfect if you live in leggings, like I do. The cargo scout chino pants (pictured on the left) I wasn't planning on purchasing - I just ran into them while browsing the website, but I absolutely fell in love! In the picture on the website they are worn with the bottoms rolled up a bit - a very relaxed, laid back, summery look.

Cargo Scout Chino :: 4" Chino Short :: 3" Chino Short :: Pixie Pant

Hope you guys enjoyed!

xoxo,

Liz

How To: Forget

We all have those days when we don't feel like doing anything - everything you do seems going wrong and you just want to lay in bed all day in cry. And don't tell me this never happens to you, because I know for a fact that it does.

Whether it's something little or something major that you feel bad about - I've found that these things are what help me forget what's happening for a while and move on.

1. Call a friend A friend you haven't talked to in a while, to be exact. Catch up on what's been happening in their life, laugh, talk about anything and everything! In addition to rekindling old memories and talking with an old friend - it will help you get your mind off of whatever that is bothering you.

2. Take a walk A nice, calm, quiet walk alone with your thoughts is one of the best things you can do to concentrate on what's happening and figure things out. First of all, it'll help you calm down and relax, but you'll also get some exercise in! I, personally, love walking around the city in the evenings for hours and then coming back home to a nice hot bath.

3. Have a cup of tea Tea is the best drink to relax. Honestly. Coffee gets you energized and can actually trigger stress, water is...well, water. But tea is warm, yummy, and just plain heavenly. It will calm you down and give you some time to feel sorry for yourself in order to move on.

4. Read a good book I'm pretty sure this one is my number one favorite out of all of these. Who doesn't love reading?! I find that reading a good book is the best remedy to stress and just the best way to forget - you're living in another world, after all! An hour does the trick and makes you more relaxed and stress-free.

5. Sleep it off This is my second favorite (just because I can't always just fall asleep if I want to) out of the five - it's definitely super effective. Sleeping it off makes everything so much easier and better. You'll wake up in the morning/in a couple of hours feeling refreshed and complete. And besides, don't we all love sleeping?!

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed :) Let me know what your favorite things to do when you're trying to forget something are!

xoxo,
Liz

The Shopaholic Tag

As all of you probably know - I have a huge shopping problem. I shop online all the time and I probably place an order about once every week. Oops.

Anyways, I found this tag on YouTube and I thought it would be fun to do, since the last tag I did was a looooong time ago! 

1. Would you consider yourself a shopaholic? :: Definitely! I love to shop and it's kind of scary/dangerous...

2. How would you classify your style? :: I'd say preppy, girly, and classy. I rarely wear anything "trendy" and I dress really simple.

3. What store can you not leave without buying at least one thing? :: Definitely Target! Target has everything - clothes, makeup, school supplies, snacks - it's impossible to leave the store without getting at least one thing!

4. Where do you find the best deals? :: RueLaLa! I raved about this app/website in my February Favorites - it's a website that has flash sales and you can find great deals there!

5. What designer are you willing to splurge for? :: Definitely Tory Burch. I just love her! Her designs are a classic and her leather goods are such great quality! Still mad about not getting the Reva flats - will get them this summer!!!

6. Do you have a go to shopping outfit? :: I don't have a specific outfit, but whenever I go shopping I try to wear a dress and flats - it can get so frustrating to take 20 layers off and put them back on when you're trying things on! 

7. What is your guilty pleasure? (Not including makeup) :: I assume this is talking about a "shopping" guilty pleasure... I'd have to say expensive shoes, or just shoes in general. 99.9% of the shoes I buy are expensive, because I believe that it's better to have 5 pairs of really nice shoes that 50 pairs of super cheap ones. Plus, I have a ton of foot problems, so expensive shoes fit best ;)

8. What is one staple clothing piece you cannot live without? :: Nude tank top! I probably wear one every single day and it's definitely something I cannot go without!

9. What is a trend you hope never goes out of style? :: Jeans? I don't know - is that a trend? My style is pretty classic, so I don't really follow trends, but also if pastel is a trend - that, too! I love pastels for the spring and summer!

10. What trend did you love that passed way to quickly? :: As I said before - I don't follow trends... But I love the color blocking trend and I'm not sure if we're over it yet or if color blocking is still "in" for the summer this year...

11. Who is your fashion icon? :: I honestly have so many! Jackie O, Marylin Monroe, SarahBelle93x from YouTube, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn - I honestly can't remember all of them! 
This was pretty fun to do, so if you want to do it - leave the answers below!
xoxo,
Liz

Incredible India

I don't think many people are aware of this, but I've had an obsession/fascination with India ever since I saw Jenna Marbles' "Oops I'm in India" video. Just the whole Taj Mahal story and the culture holds something that I still cannot forget. 

I just flew in from New Delhi this morning and I can't help but feel sad (but excited to be back home at the same time) - India was so much fun! My family was actually invited to a wedding there - my mom wasn't able to go, but I went with my little sister and my dad. The wedding was beautiful - as was pretty much everything else about in the few cities that we visited (Jaipur, New Delhi, and Agra).

India is definitely the most unique country I've been to so far - there's such a contrast between dirt poor and mega rich. There are monkeys, elephants, and cows everywhere - so fun! The Taj Mahal was gorgeous! I cried when I saw it for the first time I was so excited to see it! 

Can you tell I'm completely obsessed with the Taj? I took, like, 150 pictures of it. No joke.

We went to three different cities and saw so many temples and mausoleums - all of them were gorgeous! We went up to Fort Amber on elephants, which was super fun, and for the wedding everyone wore traditional Indian clothes - they literally feel like pajamas!

Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this little rambly post :)

xoxo,
Liz

5 Things I Can't Leave the House Without

I rarely leave the house without my Longchamp. It's so roomy and basically holds my whole life in it. Every single thing I (or anyone else) might ever need can be found in my bag - everything from an agenda to snacks or perfume. 

However, carrying around 25 tons on your shoulder everyday can get a bit annoying, especially when I'm only heading out for a bit or for times when I don't need absolutely everything. 

Besides the absolute necessities (shoes, shirt, and pants, for example) - these are the things that I absolutely cannot leave the house without:

iPhone This baby saves my life dozens of times a day. Really, I don't even need an agenda if I have my iPhone with me (but I still keep one - who doesn't need a Lilly planner?). If I ever remember something that I need to do, I can just type it up in my notes really quickly; other times - when I don't have my laptop with me and I have some time on my hands - I can type up (or start typing, at least) a blog post. And, besides, who can go a day without Instagram?!

Caffeine I can't go a day without coffee. I just can't. On those mornings that I don't have enough time for coffee or just when I'm feeling extra tired and sad - these are a lifesaver. Chocolate-covered espresso beans - talk about delicious!

Blotting sheets My skin is pretty weird - my T-zone (chin, nose, and forehead) is super oily and my cheeks are usually pretty dry. I don't wear makeup every single day, but when I do my skin isn't usually that oily, simple because I use powder. I find myself using these every single day - whether I'm wearing makeup or not - and I don't know what I'd do without these babies!

Lip balm If this isn't your number one essential - I don't know what is. No one likes chapped and dry lips! My all-time favorite lip balm is the Jack Black one - it's super moisturizing, lasts a long time, and comes in super yummy flavors!

Hair ties Hair is definitely not my number one forte. I usually just wear it down and let it do whatever it feels like doing, but on some days it just doesn't happen. I think ponytails are super cute, and you never know when you might need to put your hair up!

Hope you all enjoyed this post - let me know what your everyday necessities are below!

xoxo,
Liz

Favorite Spring Nail Polish

I am beyond ready and excited for Spring - it's still freezing cold here in Moscow! Thank gosh I'm going to India! Actually, when this will be up - I'll already be in India! Hello warm weather and spring nail polish!

Before I start, I am so sorry for the sketchy camera quality - my professional camera broke, so I had to take a picture from my iPhone! Oh, and I applied 2 coats of each nail polish, just so you know ;)

1) Chanel "May" 

The name says it all - I mean, it's named after a spring season! This is from last year's Spring collection, so I'm not sure if it's still available or not, but I love this nail polish. A beautiful, creamy pastel/barbie (but not an "in your face") pink - a color you can wear with anything and anywhere! I find that 2 coats is enough with this nail polish - 3 will be too thick. It's also super shiny (not sparkly - shiny), so you don't really have to use a topcoat - but I still do, since I like my nails so shiny that I can see my reflection in them, basically.

2) OPI "Samoan Sand"

I may or may not have mentioned this nail polish before, but around the Summer of last year I became absolutely obsessed with this color! A beautiful, creamy nude - also something that is very neutral, girly, and classy. It goes with everything and chips aren't as visible, which is why I prefer to wear this when I'm going on 4-5 day trips, so I don't have to touch up. I usually wear 3 coats with this nail polish, but 2 coats give a more sheer, natural look - which isn't bad, either.

3) Sally Hansen "Lacey Lilac"

I'm pretty sure everyone owns (or has seen) this nail polish - pastels are always "in" for Spring, and this is a perfect "Easter-egg" color! I'm not usually a big fan of purple shades, but this one is straight up irresistible. I find that 2 coats of nail polish is just the right amount for this shade - the color is opaque and applies very smoothly.

4) Essie "Turquoise & Caicos"

After years (well, okay, maybe months) of hearing people rave on and on about this nail polish - I finally bought it. Essie offers amazing colors and their quality is impeccable! I can definitely say that my nail polish collection is going from "mostly OPI" to "mostly Essie"...whoops. Anyways, this color just screams Spring break to me - beaches, flowers blooming, positive thinking, and tons of fun! 2 coats is just the right amount for this color and the ideal opacity.

5) Essie "Snap Happy"

Every season has a red. In fact, every month has it's red. Red is the classic nail polish color that you cannot not own! This color is sophisticated and classy, but the coral-ish tone adds some fun and playfulness (is that a word?..) - perfect for Spring! One coat is actually opaque enough, as I've discovered, but I still did 2 - just in case ;)

What are your favorite Spring nail polishes? 

xoxo,

Liz