Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Erika, Narci, and Andrea (some of my favorite bloggers) to share some of my favorites this week!

This week I've been doing a lot of this...

Studying for my Series 7 licensing exam for my new job. It's a required license for my job and it is a lot of material. Studying is definitely not my favorite.

#1

My roommate mentioned that 7th Heaven was on Hulu and I freaked out! Growing up 7th Heaven was my favorite show ever and I've been wanting to re-watch it. So the past week I've been watching several episodes after work. It's still one of my favorite shows! Coffee and 7th Heaven are my favorites.

Spotted my Anthropologie Hack Coasters :)

#2

I'm so lucky that my work has a full gym in the building for us to use! So one of my coworkers and me go every morning at 6:30 for a workout class. I love starting my day with a workout! It's also forced me out of my comfort zone to try new classes. Usually, I like cardio, weight lifting, bootcamp type of classes but I've been trying Yoga and Pilates. It definitely is hard but it's good to cross train!

Here's me before my Pilates class started bright and early at 6:30 am. Hopefully, I will continue to improve. Trying new workouts is definitely a favorite!

#3

One of my friends (thanks Lo!) shared the new trailer for Dark Places on my wall yesterday. I am so excited for this movie and the trailer just made it even better! I read the book not too long ago and it's a good one. I would definitely recommend it.

Trailer

Gillian Flynn is a fantastic author. If you haven't read any of her books you need to check them out!

#4

I'm obsessed with eyelash curlers. It helps you look more awake and helps make your eyelashes look longer. I've had the same one since I started wearing mascara so about 10 years! My eyelash curler finally hit a wall where it was kind of gross and I decided I needed a new one.

I went to my favorite place ever, Nordstrom's website and looked for 2 things 1) An eyelash curler that is inexpensive and 2) One that has high reviews. I found both and got this guy...

Laura Mercier Eyelash Curler

It's very different than my old one but once I got used to it I really like it! It really curls my lashes with only a few pumps. I would definitely recommend it! It's a new beauty favorite.

#5

Work has been a roller coaster of corporate training and preparing for my licensing exams. I feel like I dream about bonds and stocks ha! But one great thing about my job is going through everything with great coworkers! We really support each other and they quickly have become my friends.

Last Thursday, we went to this event called Alive after 5 in Uptown Charlotte as a group and had such a great time!

So blessed! Have a great weekend and see everyone back here Monday!

Birchbox Review

Good morning! 

I mentioned in my Friday Favorite's Post that I have a Birchbox subscription and I loooooove it! If you're a fellow beauty junkie, it is completely worth the price. I figured since I try all these products they send me I can review them here and let you know what to try and what not to try.

For those of you who don't know what Birchbox is, it's a monthly box with 6 beauty samples of various brands and products. It is automatically mailed to you every month like a magazine subscription!

I travel a good bit (or try to) and shower/get ready in the gym at work most days so I really like how I get monthly travel size products. If I don't use it I save it for when I need to stock up my gym bag or go on a trip. So I do like it for the products but I do have an ulterior motive :)

I got my June box last Wednesday. Here is the loot from my box...

1.

Temple Spa Good Hair Day Shampoo

2.

Temple Spa in Good Condition Conditioner

I'm going to combine my comments on the shampoo and conditioner. I liked these. But I know this isn't politically correct to say but I don't see a big difference in different shampoos and conditioners. Gasp! I do see that drugstore brands of shampoo definitely strip your hair but all nice shampoos tend to work well for me.

Several of the reviewers online didn't like the smell. The smells didn't bother me at all...I would even say I liked it. For my hair, I wash it every 2-3 nights and let it air dry to it's natural texture (thick and wavy). So when I use shampoo and conditioner, I'm looking for products that won't weight down my hair and will help add texture while still making it soft and bouncy.

I think it worked! Here are my very early morning selfies...yikes!

3.

L. Erickson Grab & Go Pony Tube

Well, this was a new one for me. I haven't ever received a hair tie in my box before. I first I was confused and thought it was a bracelet. Maybe the company did that on purpose so that when you wear it on your wrist it can look like a bracelet? I don't know. But I was weary of this one. I'm plenty happy with my regular Target hair ties.

This hair tie is supposed to hold more and tear your hair less than others so I thought I'd put it to the ultimate test: my cardio gym class. If it could hold my short, layered hair during a class where we're running, jumping, moving around then it probably could survive anything.

Here it is...

Great picture, I know. But it shows that it held my hair pretty well! I don't know if I would go out of my way to buy it but I definitely do like it! If you have hair that breaks, creases, or is damaged this would probably be a good fit for you. I'm not crazy about the fact that it's so big. I don't really like my hair ties to be seen if that makes sense. 

4.

COOLA SPF 50 Sport--Mango

I love getting sunscreen. Anytime Nordstroms gives out samples or I go to the dermatologist I always stock up on nice brands of sunscreen. It really is crazy how much better nice brands (read: Expensive) feel and work! I only had one opportunity in the past week to wear this. I wore it to my cousin's cookout birthday party. The verdict is...

I loved it! It smells so delicious...like sunshine, coconut, and mango. Also, it went on like a lotion not like a sunscreen. I'm not a huge organic everything kind of person but it certainly does help that it isn't full of chemicals! I would definitely buy this again!

5.

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant

Honestly, at first I was kind of confused on how this works. I've heard of Glycolic Acid and how good it is for your skin but this was different. It says it's an exfoliant but that's it. In true Lauren fashion I went to use it as a face wash before doing my research to see what it is really for. I could instantly tell it wasn't mean to be rinsed off. The back of the bottle offered no help so I retreated to online. It's an exfoliant that is meant to go on after your face wash and before your serums and moisturizer. #Duh

So I learned my lesson on reading instructions first :) I used this exfoliant day and night as suggested. I definitely agreed with some of the reviews that my skin got worse. But don't fret, I don't believe this is a bad thing. Apparently, how this product works is that it purges your skin of all the junk to make room for the good stuff. I think this product came at the right time because when I began my job I started wearing full makeup all day everyday and it shocked my skin. I'll keep you updated if I think this product works long term.

6.

Marcelle Mini Waterproof Eyeliner

This little guy is definitely out of my comfort zone. I didn't know when I would have the chance to try this out because my work dress code is pretty conservative so I decided to try it out at church :) I was apprehensive because my eyes are blue so I thought it would look weird. I've always heard that blue eyes look better with shades of brown. But I think it looked good...here are some awkward selfies of my eyes! haha 

These selfies crack me up! I think it looks good but I'm not sure if I'll buy it. I'm not really an eyeliner kind of gal. 

Phew, that was a long one! I hope you found these reviews helpful! You should definitely check out a Birchbox subscription. Check back on Friday for Friday Favorites! Have a great day!

Bedroom Inspiration

I love decor and decorating but have never really had an outlet to decorate. When I moved into my apartment and had the opportunity to decorate from scratch I was thrilled! To me, the most important part of my bedroom was the bed. 

My theme for my bed was neutral with feminine touches and lots of textures. I wanted my bed to be relaxing and comfortable, like a hotel room. You spend a third of your life sleeping, why not have a comfortable bed???

Here were some of my inspirations for my bedroom: 

I love the headboard, animal print, & gold lamp that pops with the neutral comforter.

I love the neutral textures in this one. 

This really captures the feminine aspects I wanted. 

How my room is arranged it's hard to get a good picture of my bed but here are a few...

Source List

1. Comforter (Similar)

2. Quilt in taupe

3. Shams

4. Throw Pillow

5. Bed frame

I love how it all came together. It definitely encompassed what I was looking for in my new room. What are some features you like in decorating a bed?

Friday Favorites

 

Happy Friday! I'm linking up for my very first time with Erika, Narci, and Andrea (some of my favorite bloggers) to share some of my favorites this week!

#1

I consider myself a very logical and mature person but I have a reality television addiction. Yea, yea I know it's trash and ridiculous but its mindless entertainment to me. That being said, I am loving this new season of the Bachelorette. Kaitlyn is and was my favorite and I can't wait to see how this season plays out!

Also, can we all agree that her style is fabulous. #Amen

#2

I have a Birchbox subscription and I love, love, love it! It's like receiving a gift every single month. I am a beauty junkie so it is worth the expense for me :) For my May box I received a tinted moisturizer that I LOVE! Tinted moisturizer is my favorite because it's light and protects my skin at the same time. It's called Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Day Tint and it is fabulous. 

#3

 Last Friday, my roommate and I went to a Charlotte Knights baseball game! It was a blast! It was my first game supporting my new home team and it didn't disappoint. They even had fireworks! The view from the stadium is incredible. Trying new things in my new city is definitely a favorite.

#4

I'm a voracious reader. I always have been and hopefully always will be. I hate to say it but I definitely didn't read as much in college because when I start a book I get sucked in! So I made it a personal goal that after graduation I would consistently read again. I picked up a book I have never heard of before called The Book of You at Target because it looked like an interesting thriller. I'm a little over halfway through and it's good but I can just tell it's going to escalate. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

#5

My last and most important favorite to wrap up this week is all the positive feedback I've received since launching my blog on Monday. I really dragged my feet on launching it because I was worried about what people would think and the judgement. So many of my family and friends have reached out and shared their support and encouragement. For that, I'm so grateful. Through this experience I've definitely learned to worry less about what people think.

Have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday!

Anthropologie Hack Coasters

I don't take it for granted how fortunate I am for my beautiful apartment full of my dream furniture. My parents, for my graduation gift, helped me out with furniture and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it all came together.

That said, with all this beautiful furniture I knew I needed to add decorative accessories that would complement my design while still sticking to my Post Grad budget. I spent many hours searching stores and websites looking for the perfect accessories.

Some of my favorite decor inspiration came from Anthropologie. I love the unique look that Anthropologie products have. One item I fell in love with was the Gilded-Edge Agate Coasters. I love Agate stones and I love pops of gold so naturally, these coasters caught my eye.

Anthropologie Gilded-Edge Agate Coasters...gorg!

But as much as I adore Anthropologie...I hate the price tags. The coasters that I already knew I needed were a whopping $98...ouch. That is definitely NOT in my budget. But my crafting wheels in my head started turning and I knew I could create these on my own.

I am an avid fan of Etsy so that was my first stop to find the Agate stones. I found this great shop that had great stones for the most reasonable prices. The price of the stones plus shipping was around $30, which is a lot more reasonable if I do say so myself.

In my craft supplies I had all the other things I needed.

1. Acrylic setting spray
2. Paint brush
3. Sharpie
4. Scissors
5. Gold leaf paint
6. Super glue
7. Agate stones
**Forgot to label the black felt that is under 2, 3, &4**


I first off started by tracing the coaster onto the felt using my sharpie.

Then cut the felt out. 

Next, I covered the agate stone with super glue and placed the felt on the stone. Press down hard once you place the felt on the stone to ensure it sticks. 

 Take your paint brush and dip it lightly into the gold leaf paint to paint the edges of the stone. Don't worry too much about making it perfect because the gold leaf can be scrapped off with your nail. Then seal it all together using your acrylic spray.

And you're left with such cute (and inexpensive) coasters!

If you really don't feel like DIYing or want more coaster inspo here are some of my other favorites

West Elm

Uncommon Goods

One Kings Lane 34% off!

Jonathan Adler

I hope you love these coasters as much as I do! I would love to hear what you think. Hope you have a great day!