LOVING LATELY | FEBRUARY

often, when i sit down to write a blog post i can think of one or two random share-worthy things i've been loving, but despite all their greatness, i can't bring myself to blurt out an entire blog post over one lipstick or beauty product. so, i decided to gather all the little things i've been loving & put them into one blog post: loving lately. in the future, look for all my loving latelies in the features column of my blog.

lately, i've been loving…

1. the date lightly lined bra from victoria's secret / flirty, girly, & comfortable 

2. rimmel lasting finish lipstick in 06 pink blush / the prettiest pink color & smells like bubblegum 

3. xhilaration two pack v-day crew socks from target / dorky 'n cute (my favorite combo) 

4. victoria's secret pear glace fragrance mist / an old favorite, smells amazing

WEEKEND TRIP | AUSTIN, TX

this weekend i hopped on a bus to austin to visit my boyfriend. it had been a while since we'd seen each other (a month almost) & i loved walking around the city with him. being away from someone for a while really does make you appreciate the time you have with them, or at least it does for me. we walked up & down guadalupe street more times than i can remember, took a bus to soco, & just plain sat in bed & watched netflix (we all do it.) i took quite a few photos throughout the trip & wanted to share them, i love flipping through the photos on my phone remembering all the things we did & places we went. 

i felt like the biggest tourist taking this picture but i love the way austin looks (don't look now but there's an extremely loud & annoying group about to get in the way of my shot.)

woke up one morning with a massive craving for donuts, little did we know ken's fryer was broken, boo you ken.

decided on breakfast tacos from taco shack, taco shack we love you. 

mmm...

cute store we stopped in, very similar to anthro (my favorite.)

i loooved this store, but not so much their prices.  

i've always wanted to try a cupcake from hey cupcake! & i hate to say it, but i was slightly disappointed in my red velvet. 

i loved the pink picnic tables though. 

sometimes, just sitting with you makes me happy. 

possibly my favorite thing i ate/drank during my trip, raspberry lemonade from wildwood bakehouse.

their gluten free cupcakes however we're extremely disappointing (looks can be deceiving.)

i loved falling asleep to this view. 

donuts, finally! stopped at shipley's back home. 

all photos were taken by me with my iphone 4s, edited using the app "fotorus," & enhanced on my macbook pro. 

TRAVEL MAKEUP + BEAUTY PRODUCTS

i don't want to look anything less than my best while visiting friends & family, so when packing my entire collection of makeup & beauty products just isn't an option i turn to my go-to travel makeup & beauty products to get me through the trip.

in my makeup bag...
1. covergirl outlast stay fabulous 3-in-1 foundation (+ cosmetic sponges for applying)
2. covergirl cgsmoothers bb cream
3. urban decay naked basics palette (+ ecotools angled liner brush for applying "faint" to brows)
4. maybelline eye studio gel liner (+ sonia kashuk angled liner brush for applying)
5. maybelline great lash big mascara
6. bobbi brown blush in sandstone (+ estee lauder small blush brush)
7. co bigelow lemon lip balm
8. rimmel lasting finish lipstick (pink blush 006)

in my beauty bag…
1. clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion
2. secret clinical strength deodorant
3. bath & body works travel size body lotion ("sun")
4. victoria's secret mini bombshell body mist
5. shea moisture reconstructive finishing elixir
6. conair wide tooth comb
7. mini spray bottle of baby oil (for removing makeup)
8. & finally, my toothbrush!

& that's it, a list of everything i take with me (from makeup to beauty products) when going on a trip. you may have noticed i left out shampoo + conditioner, body wash, & toothpaste because more often than not i am visiting family or friends that have these items already, but if not i bring mini versions of whatever products i'm currently using or just fill up a few travel sized bottles & i'm good to go!

technically this post should have been up by wednesday night (i promised to blog every other day this month) but i had a disagreement with the wi-fi that didn't get resolved until now, so here it is now two days too late.

FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

for today's blog post i decided to sit down and compile a list of my all-time favorite hair care products. some of these i use currently & others are old favorites, whichever it may be these are the hair products i have used for quite some time & will continue to go back to.

1. herbal essences smooth collection- (aka the pink one) i almost feel like i used this when i was younger but i could be making that up in my head, for whatever reason, the rose scent is nostalgic for me & i absolutely love how it lasts all day long.
2. argan oil- i pictured josie maran argan oil but really i am a dirty liar because i have never actually used this brand. i do however, know it has received tons of praise in the beauty community & if i'm honest it fit into the picture quite nicely. i've used a couple of different less expensive brands i found at tj max; i'm always on the lookout for them there because 100% argan oil is very expensive. it leaves your hair shiny, soft, & smooth, & improves the health of your hair from the inside.
3. shea moisture reconstructive elixir- i recently picked up quite a few shea moisture products during a sale at target & i've been loving every one of them. this elixir is meant to repair & strengthen hairs + it smells amazing & keeps hair moisturized & shiny. not to mention it's 100% organic & uses raw shea butter.
4. shea moisture restorative conditioner- this conditioner is meant to moisturize & repair lifeless & damaged hair & i love that it is all natural, utilizing the properties of sea kelp, argan oil, & raw shea butter. not to mention it is free of sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic color, etc.
5. it's a 10 miracle leave-in- chances are, if read beauty blogs or watch beauty gurus on youtube, you've heard about this product. it does ten different things at once: repairs damaged hair, adds shine, detangles, protects from heat, seals & protects color, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, & acts as a flat iron spray. personally, i love the way it smells + it smooths, de-tangles, & de-frizzes my curly hair.
6. chi silk infusion- this product is a favorite in my family, my sisters & i have all used it for years. it works amazing when used with heat while flat-ironing or blow drying your hair + adds shine, smooths, & de-frizzes. my hair goes mad when i blow-dry it, it becomes extremely poofy & fluffy but a couple drops of this works miracles, smoothing and de-frizzing my hair instantly.
7. garnier fructis anti-frizz serum- this is another family favorite that is constantly fought over. it smooths & adds amazing shine to your hair + leaves the most delicious fruity scent behind.
8. shea moisture curl & style conditioning milk- this is another shea moisture product i picked up at target during a sale & again it is organic & free of sulfates, parabens, etc. i apply this to my damp hair before combing through it; it detangles & conditions my hair + gives my curls bounce.
9. loreal total repair 5 damage-erasing balm- this my current favorite hair mask, i apply it in the shower after shampooing & let it soak into my hair for the length of my shower. it rids my hair completely of tangles, smooths, softens, & conditions.
10. wide tooth comb- the comb pictured here is from the body shop, but any will do. if you're used to using a brush straight out of the shower, cut that habit quick! wide tooth combs are gentle on your hair & prevent it from breaking, which is extremely important especially when your hair is damp & prone to breakage.

JANUARY IN PHOTOS

here's a look at my month of january in b&w photos.
from left to right…
1. i reorganized my makeup collection with a little help from the container store.
2. my boyfriend bought me the cutest v-day mug.
3. i took a selfie.
4. i decorated my room for valentine's day a month early (it's my favorite.)
5. the weather was finally nice enough to break out the jean shorts.
6. i added a couple of books & things to my favorite little shelf.
7. i took another selfie…oops.
8. i bought this jewelry holder from anthropologie (and tested it out in the store.)
9. i picked up a couple of festival-themed goodies from american eagle.

& that's it, a quick look at the past month according to my iphone, what did you do this month of january?