Green Beauty Faves

Hey guys! It's been a while...I've been really slacking on here! I've had this post semi-written for a while now, but wanted to make sure I used all of the products long enough to really know if I loved them. If you know me, you know I am a sucker for makeup and anything beauty related. However, I recently started to change my lifestyle about 6 months ago and really wanted to start paying more attention to things I was putting in or onto my body! My mom had recommended the Think Dirty App, which sounds a little risqué, but it's totally NOT what it sounds like :) It's an app where you either scan the barcode of products or enter in the name and it rates them on a scale of 0-10 (10 being dirtiest) based on the ingredients that the products are made out of. It breaks down all of the ingredients and you can click on each one and read if there are any risks in them and it even shows you the sources that their information came from. You can find tons of different kinds of beauty products, skincare items, hygiene products, etc. Not EVERY single product out there is on the app, but I have been learning the "dirtiest" ingredients and checking for them in products that are not in the database instead. Also, it gives you suggestions for similar products that rate low on the app and are a much healthier alternative. And while I also don't support waste and throwing out everything that I had, I have been trying to slowly replace each one of my empty beauty products for a healthier option -- I think that seems reasonable! After trying out different beauty products over the past few months, I am excited to share my 10 favorite AFFORDABLE products under $10.


 1. Burt's Bees Lipstick in Nile Nude

This is the perfect warm toned nude. It's really comfortable! I am a total nude lip girl, but there are also quite a few bolder shades--would be great for Fall and Winter!

 2. Plant Apothecary RE:FRESH Organic toning face mist

For when my skin is feeling a bit dry, this stuff is super refreshing and takes away the powder-y look. You can use it to tone your face or as a makeup "setting" spray (I definitely would say more of a "finishing" spray as it doesn't make a difference in how long it lasts on me). It also gives a good, even mist -- if you have ever tried a setting spray and you get water drops all over your face or a shot to the eye you will appreciate this. Plus, they donate part of their proceeds to a charitable cause!

 3. Physician's Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara

 I rotate between this one and the Pacifica Dream Big Mascara (which is a few more dollars and has a twisting wand). I really like the Physician's Formula one because it has a really comfortable, slim handle that makes it easy hold onto when applying it. It has a rubber wand--which I am usually not a fan of-- but this one I LOVE! It's the perfect thickness and has lots of little bristles. I have really sensitive, watery eyes and it does not burn them or make them water even more. It separates the lashes well too!

 4. Physician's Formula Organic Wear CC Cream
I feel like if you are going to switch out two products of your makeup routine, foundation and lip products seem the most beneficial (in my opinion). I have really oily skin and it's been really broken out as of lately (I honestly think I am allergic to my own sweat so if you have any tips let me know!!). I like a decent amount of coverage for that reason! I have tried a few "healthy" foundations and they are soooo sheer and way too dewy for my liking, but this one is seriously the best! The only negative is that it comes in only two shades :( I have been wearing light/medium all summer, but I am going to have to go light for sure ASAP. It also has SPF 20 in it! I wore this by itself to the lake during the summer with a hat and didn't burn my face at all. It isn't super matte, but I would say has a satin finish to it. I set it with a powder in the morning and then usually do a quick touch up around lunch with my powder brush. I don't feel like it looks oily, but a little glowy at that point. It smells really natural, kind of like oatmeal? Sounds weird, but trust me. I really wish they could come out with more shades, seriously!

 5. Pacifica Sugar Amber Dreams Hand Lotion
 Smells like heaven--go get it.

 6. Pacifica Seafoam Complete Face Wash
My original face wash I was using was honestly the worst on the Think Dirty App. This one is a 0! It smells like coconuts and really leaves my face feeling clean. I have tried some "natural" face washes out in the past and something in them really dries my face out around my nose and chin and this one definitely does not do that at all. I turned my best friend, mom and sisters onto this one!

 7. Simple Facial Wipes
Lately, I have been using the micellar ones, but both are great! Since I have been having skin problems, I use these to wipe my face off while I workout and really get everything clean! Also, good to have in your makeup bag to wipe makeup off of bottles and your hands!

 8. Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer
The best affordable, non-oily facial lotion I have tried. I can wear it under my foundation and it acts almost like a primer. It's pretty liquid-y, so a little goes a long way. I have had this same bottle for probably way too long!

 9. EOS Chapstick Mint
GET THE STICK KIND! I have tried so many of the little ball shaped ones and they only make my lips feel waxy and even more chapped, but about 6 months ago I saw this in the checkout at Target and tried it out and it is honestly my favorite ever! I love minty scented lip products and this one doesn't have harsh chemicals going into your mouth like many other chapsticks do!

 10. Burt's Bees Gloss Lip Crayon in Outback Oasis
This is my favorite color! Honestly, I am never really drawn to a twist-up lip crayon, but I was really into to this color. This is always my go-to lip product to keep in my purse. It looks good when I am tan, pale, wearing a full face of makeup, no makeup, literally all of the time! It's really comfortable and the mauvey, cool-toned nude color is perfection.

While I truly believe that everything has to be done in moderation and I definitely am not perfectly "green" by any means, I have been trying to slowly replace empty products healthier options. It's especially nice when they can be bought at places like Target and Ulta, where I would go anyways to pick up beauty items and they can be found for an affordable price. Plus, who doesn't like trying out new stuff?! I can't wait to share more with you guys! Let me know what some of your favorite healthy beauty products are :)

Affordable options for high-end pieces

Hey guys :) I had a little time off from work, so I have been taking full advantage and can't believe this is my THIRD BLOG POST THIS WEEK! Anyways, as you guys know, I love affordable fashion! I wanted to show you guys some affordable dupes for designer pieces! Some of them are more "inspired by" and some legit look the same! These are all pretty popular designer items and they are all things that I would actually use or wear. Obviously, nothing will ever be the same as getting a designer piece, but maybe you could try out some of the dupes to see if you really love them for at least a season and then make your purchase! Over the past few years, I am all about trying to keep my wardrobe as functional as possible and limit the amount of "junk". I hope you enjoy this and expect a lot more of these in the future! Also, make sure you scroll the arrow to the right to see all of the items!

Finding your perfect pair of shorts

Hey guys! So, for literally as long as I can remember, I have always hated wearing shorts. I am very grateful that I have two legs, and that I am alive and healthy, but that still doesn't help the fact that I always feel uncomfortable in shorts!  Every time I walk I feel my shorts creeping up in between my legs and I am constantly pulling them down! Another huge problem: they look okay standing up, but you go to sit down and again, TERRIBLE! It's currently summertime and 90+ degrees outside, so shorts are kind of a must. I wanted to share with you my favorite tips and styles for wearing shorts if you are in the same boat as me (or not! I still think you may find this useful). I did some serious trying-on and research to find the best and most flattering AFFORDABLE options for you guys :)

Tip #1: Be confident in what you wear! However, if it isn't going to happen, DON'T WEAR THEM! If you absolutely feel uncomfortable no matter what pair you try, just wear what you feel good in :) A couple of alternatives would be: wear a dress (short or long), jumpsuit (pick a light and airy fabric and with a strapless or skinny strap top so you aren't dying in the heat), or linen pants. Linen pants are so underrated! They always look so classy and beachy and are completely breathable. Pair them with a plain, tight top to balance out the flowy-ness of the bottoms and a cute sun hat and you will still look summer-y even with pants on :) Alternatives:

Tip #2: Prep. Make sure your legs are shaved, moisturized and give yourself a self-tan (optional)! I get spray tans and while my husband absolutely hates the smell of them, I feel so much more confident with a little color on my legs! Or, totally rock the natural color you have :) I am switching over to more "green" and organic beauty products, otherwise I would totally recommend the Sally Hansen Airbrush legs. I have never used any Vita Liberata products, but they have really great reviews and are free of harsh chemicals.

Tip #3: Get shorts with a raw edge. Every time I have tried on shorts that have a rolled up edge or a thick stitch, they feel so much tighter and so much less flattering around your legs--especially when you sit down! What to look for: a fraying on denim shorts, scalloped or laser-cut edges, paper-bag shorts, seamless edges, and check the width of the leg-hole (make sure it gets wider to make sure it doesn't squeeze your thighs!)

 Raw edge:

Tip #4: Flatter the length of your legs. For me, I have super short legs and although it is a little bit less conservative, I feel like the longer the length of the shorts, the shorter my legs look and less flattering everything looks. I try to look for shorts that are a little shorter in the front and longer in the back to make sure they cover my butt!


 Tip #5: Try a size up from your normal jean size & the less elastic, the better. Jeans with elasticity are pretty much all I wear. They hug your curves in all the right spots and make sure you get a really nice, comfortable fit. However, every time I try a pair of shorts with elasticity, I feel like all they do is ride-up and shrink in the wash! This tip is especially for jean shorts. When choosing a jean short, pick something that feels like a sturdy, thicker denim--that way it holds the way it fits, no matter what you are doing.


 Tip #6: High-waisted (especially for the girls with the short legs :) ). They will make your legs look longer and make the shorts look longer, without compromising with tip #4


 Tip #7: HANG DRY YOUR SHORTS! If you find a pair you love, don't let the dryer ruin it for you. I even like to kind of stretch them out in the legs a little when they are wet to make sure they don't squeeze my legs!


 Tip #8: BUY 2 PAIRS! When you find a pair you love, just go ahead and buy a couple of pairs. If you buy at American Eagle or Target, they have BOGO 50% off all of the time, so look for sales!


 Tip #9: Wear a kimono or light duster. Not only are these super in-style right now, but they totally eliminate the worry of "is my butt hanging out?!". Also, they look super cute as a swimsuit cover! Here are a few really cute ones that you could honestly wear every time you wear shorts :)

Kimonos/Dusters:

Tip #10: Try a romper. Something about having the top piece connect to the shorts can make things a lot more flattering. (still stick to the above tips, but if you still aren't having it, try one!). Get a basic style so that you can style it a bunch of different ways :) Also, they make great swimsuit coverups since you just step in and pull them on! Rompers:

Flattering shorts I found at H&M and Forever 21

My favorite new comfy shorts made out of a sweatshirt material that come in a bunch of different colors. These are great because you will feel comfortable in them and especially because the athleisure/loungewear style is totally in right now! I got a small in these and I normally wear a 4-6 US bottoms, sometimes even an 8 in denim shorts, so they run a little big!

Click Here For Link to These Sweatshorts: http://tinyurl.com/yb75xoqm

Paper bag shorts: 

Scalloped H&M Denim Shorts (These were one of my favorites! But I couldn't find them online. Try going to in store and see if you can find a pair hiding!):

Frayed Forever 21 Shorts:

H&M Polka Dot Seamless Edge Shorts:

H&M Raw Hem Black Denim Shorts:

Tip: GO IN PERSON!! And try these on. I couldn't find all of these online, so use them for inspiration when looking for your shorts and sometimes they have different things in store at H&M and Forever 21 than they do online! My 3 favorites were definitely the sweatshorts, Forever 21 frayed denim and the scalloped denim! 

DIY Pinterest-worthy dressing area

Pinterest Inspiration:

My Take:

Hey guys :) I am obsessed with home decor and being creative to make my house my own (my husband always rolls his eyes because I am always rearranging things in our house, but that's just the creative side in me!). I wanted to share a really easy and (can be) affordable way to create a pinterest-worthy dressing area. Our second extra bedroom is currently being used as my closet and get-ready room pretty much, so this is where I have my dressing area set up (the pictures I posted were actually in our living room because we are painting and the house is a bit of a cluster). However, you could totally put this in a corner in your bedroom or wherever you have space! It really doesn't take up much space and it's not only cute, but serves a purpose! If you are a clothes collector, like myself, you know that sometimes things can get buried in your closet and you can honestly forget they are even there. A clothing rack (mine is from Home Depot and is $20) is a great way to put all of the pieces you want to wear for that season and give you inspiration for outfit ideas! Same with the shoe rack (this shoe rack is linked below, super easy to assemble, and only $14).

In order to create your own dreamy dressing room, first pick the style you are going for! I like light and airy, with a little bit of rustic charm to it--but you could totally do modern, romantic, industrial, pretty much whatever you can dream up! Secondly, LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE! Look around your apartment or house, in your closets, in your garage, wherever you might have random things lying around that you could use to dress up this area and make it more aesthetically pleasing. I found the actual rack in my basement (my husband was using it to put "gear" on it--whatever that means lol), I found the lantern in my garage, and the candle sticks I spray painted from black to a matte grey (tip: check out your local thrift store for candle sticks and baskets you could easily spray paint and make them look super cool for really inexpensive!). Thirdly, you need a full length mirror--very necessary for trying on your outfits to see how they look together! I got this one from Target for somewhere under $100, but you could honestly use just one of those cheap $10-20 ones and lean it against the wall or hang it. Next, put some baskets below the clothing rack to add some more interest and to throw in accessories (or more shoes). Finally, a cute rug to finish the area off and section it off (especially if it is in your bedroom). I hope you guys find this helpful! Send me pictures if you try it I seriously love seeing stuff like this! And if you need help let me know as well! 

Create Your Own:

Wardrobe staple: Wide-leg pants

Hey guys! Today's post is going to be all about another wardrobe staple: a pair of wide-leg comfy pants! I love the look of dress pants and jumpsuits (definitely prefer them over dresses). I think you can make them look really casual or edgy and dressed up. Also, I am all about comfort and feeling good in my clothes, no matter what I am doing. I recently got these pants from H&M and am obsessed! Even though they may look like a statement piece, I really think these can go with a lot more outfits than you think. They are high-waisted, extremely flattering, pull on (how easy!), and have pockets (my favorite for putting my awkward hands ;) ). You can wear them in the summer/spring months dressed down with your favorite plain t-shirt knotted in the front or tank top and flip flops, add a denim jacket to go over out to dinner, or you can dress it up with a fitted body suit and your favorite heels or booties! I also think that these pants could go in the winter or fall with a blazer, cropped sweater or leather jacket. The stripes on the ones I bought are a pretty timeless print, so I honestly think that $24.99 is a total steal and will get so many wears over the next few years. I can only find them in black and this other striped print online, but if you want the ones I have I would suggest going to your local H&M in person. Hope you guys enjoyed this post! P.S. you could wear these with so many other colors, I just love my neutrals :)

Wide-leg pants (Exact, but different color):

Master Bedroom Inspiration

If you guys follow me on Instagram, I have mentioned a couple of times that we are painting our interior of our home right now. We bought our home about 3 years ago & at the time we painted it a darker tan color. It goes with all of the lodge-y woodwork in it, but made the house seem pretty dark overall. It was definitely time for a change! We also have put off finishing our master bedroom for so long, just because we are the only ones that see it, so it didn't really seem like a priority. Your master bedroom is such an important part of your house and for me, my overall calmness. When you wake up in a clean, bright room, it really sets the tone for the rest of the day! I love white bedding in bedrooms it just feels so airy and timeless (makes me feel like I am waking up in my favorite hotel room on vacation!). We aren't totally done (lighting & wall decor is next), but I wanted to share the progress and some reasonable priced bedroom furniture & decor. Also, why are King beds soooo much more expensive than queens!? We had such a hard time finding a really nice bed within our budget, but we finally found one we absolutely love and agreed on. We found ours at Walker's Furniture, but I linked some similar ones below! I hope you guys enjoyed this post :)

             Shop this look:

Classic & Affordable Designer Handbags

Hey guys! I thought I would share with you one of my favorite ways to dress up any outfit. I, like probably every other girl out there, LOVE designer handbags. I love the idea of a classic, well-made leather bag that you can wear with any outfit and make it look that much more expensive and put together! However, I don't think I can justify purchasing a $1000 + handbag (not saying that there is anything wrong with that, I just think about all of the other stuff I personally could do for $1000!). Plus, it would totally blow the thrill of bargain shopping :) I usually will treat myself to one "designer" handbag a year...But when I say designer I am talking Kate Spade, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Rebecca Minkoff or Vince Camuto. Some of those bags can still be $300 or so, which still is a little steep for that kind of purse in my opinion. So, I decided to include 30+ "designer" handbags for under $170. These are all really good quality, will last you a long time, are in neutral colors so that you can wear them with any outfit, and are all classic styles. One of the things I look for when buying handbags is a cross body strap, just because I find it the most comfortable with my lifestyle. Choose a hardware color that matches your wardrobe (I like to personally have one purse with gold hardware and one with silver). I also love using inspiration from my favorite high-end designer bags. The one I recently got  has a really similar shape to the Givenchy Antigona bag and I listed a bunch of them that are inspired by Chloe, Gucci & Celine bags. I hope you guys found this helpful and that there is something for everyone :) Also, these would make great gifts for Christmas or birthday's so make sure you come back! If you are someone that likes going in person to shop, my favorite places to find affordable designer handbags are: Nordstrom (always check on their sales!), Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Macy's and Marshall's.