TOP FIVE | LIP PRODUCTS

for  today's post i thought i'd share five of my current favorite lip products. a few of these have been mentioned in previous blog posts, so i hope i'm not being too repetitive, but i can't help it they're my favorites!

here they are at random, my top five favorite lip products:

1. revlon super lustrous lipstick | 616 wink for pink
price: $6.99 (at ulta)
this is literally the first lipstick i ever bought…crazy! & i still love it today, this particular shade is the perfect natural/nudey pink & it always makes me feel pretty.
check it out here!

2. rimmel lasting finish lipstick | 006 pink blush
price: 5.49 (at ulta)
let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that a man complimented me on this lip shade when i was wearing it the other day…that's big! the perfect girly pink shade that apparently draws in the men ;)
check it out here!

3. revlon colorburst matte balm | 220 showy
price: $8.99 (at ulta)
i wore this on valentine's day & absolutely loved it. this matte balm has great staying power & the color is so bright, fun, & feminine.
check it out here!

4. c.o. bigelow lemon lip balm
price: $7.50 (at bath & body works)
i work at bath & body works, & i'd been eyeing this lip balm for a while (i love lemon) i'm so glad i finally bought it because it is now my all time favorite/holy grail lip balm…it tastes amazing, smells amazing, glides on smoothly, & moisturizes all day long.
check it out here!

5. lancome color design sensational lip color | pale lip
price: $22.50 (at ulta)
this is one of those makeup products my mom gifted me (she worked at neiman marcus & saks a few years ago) i just recently started using it & let me tell you, i love it! if you're just starting to get into nudes like i am, this is the perfect transition color, a natural nude that is simply pretty, not too in-your-face or over-the-top.
check it out here!

BAKING | FAVORITE RECIPES

if you've seen my personal instagram (grace_hunter) you've probably noticed i bake..alot. i wish i could say i come up with recipes on my own, but most of the time (okay all the time) i find my recipes online. today, i decided to share a few of my favorite tried & true online recipes.

go-to chocolate cake
i stumbled across this recipe one day when i set out to bake a chocolate cake & since then i've made it nearly half a dozen times (since we're speaking baker.) i have yet to be disappointed with this recipe & i can tell you it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

find the recipe here!


best brownies
i could put a cupcake in my boyfriend's lap & he wouldn't touch it, but if i bake brownies he'll eat the whole pan. because of my boyfriends love for brownies, i set out to find the best brownie recipe & i think i've found it. these delicious, fudgey brownies are fairly simple to make & come out perfectly every time.
*hint: better go ahead & double the recipe ;)

find the recipe here!

yummy sugar cookie bars
this was one of those recipes i found on pinterest & just had to make, & i'm glad i did because let me tell you, they are amazing. i love the taste of sugar cookies but hate the chore of rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, etc. these sugar cookie bars are so simple because once the dough is made, all you have to do it press it onto a cookie sheet & pop it in the oven. plus, that frosting…mmmm

find the recipe here!

looking for more recipes? check out my "bake it" board on pinterest here!

TOP FIVE | BODY MISTS

i don't know why i keep failing at posting every other day, it shouldn't be too hard, right?! wrong. i traveled to austin again this weekend for valentine's day & i just couldn't bring myself to write a blog post, so here i am two days too late…again ugggh. (i'll have to try this again next month, maybe i'll be better at it then…)

i wanted to introduce another feature to my blog: top five. as i mentioned in an earlier post, often when i sit down to blog i can think of a couple of random items worth blogging about & so i created loving lately; but i also noticed i often have a group of similar items i've been loving (lip products, eyeshadow shades, etc.) & so grew "top five" a type of blog post where i share five of my current favorite…well whatever!

for today's top five i thought i'd share with you five of my all-time favorite body mists. i've been doing  quite a bit of light traveling lately + the weather has been warming up & i've found myself avoiding perfumes & reaching more & more for body/fragrance mists. i love how light & fresh they make me feel + they're great for traveling (no glass bottles!) the majority of these are old favorites, scents i've loved for years & a couple have been mentioned on my blog previously. i realize they are all from victoria's secret, but this was by no means intentional (i just looove their scents!)

here they are at random (how could i pick a favorite?!) my top five favorite body mists:

1. victoria's secret pear glace fragrance mist
notes: sugared pear & casaba melon
retails for $12.00 for 8.4 fl oz.
refreshing formula is infused with conditioning all vera & calming chamomile. spray on for a touch of scent. 

2. victoria's secret sunset bloom
notes: brazilian orchid & acai
retails for $12.00 for 8.4 fl oz.
refreshing formula is infused with conditioning all vera & calming chamomile. spray on for a touch of scent. 
*this scent came out around valentine's day last year & may no longer be available, look for it during the semi annual sale!

3. victoria's secret pink pretty & pure
*this scent is no longer available on the victoria's secret website but i was able to find it on amazon. & unfortunately, my eau de toilette version of the scent does not list any information. be on the look out for this scent during the semi annual sale!

4. victoria's secret pink sweet & flirty body mist
notes: sugar berry & pink grapefruit
retails for $18 for 8.4 fl oz / $8 for travel size (2.5 fl oz.)
refreshing body mist shows skin some love with conditioning aloe & a subtle hint of scent.

5. victoria's secret bombshell body mist 
notes: purple passion fruit, shangri-la yellow peony & vanilla orchid
retails for $25 for 8.4 fl oz. / $10 for travel size (2.5 fl oz.)
sexy today. sexy tomorrow. sexy forever. a glamorous blend of purple passion fruit, shangri-la yellow peony & vanilla orchid.

VALENTINE'S DAY MAKEUP + OUTFIT IDEAS

i decided to cheat on today's blog post by simply posting about the two valentine's day themed youtube videos i've been working on over the past couple of days, it was exhausting, so i think i deserve just a little cheat. and hopefully, if you're a blog reader who hasn't seen a video of mine today will be the day. without further ado, here's a little bit of valentine's day makeup + outfit inspiration…happy valentine's day loves!

watch the videos here:

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT

valentine's day has always been my favorite holiday. as a bona fide girly girl, there isn't much greater than walking into a store filled with pink, red, & heart-shaped everything. i can't quite put my head around the fact that valentine's day gets so much hate; (perhaps because it makes some feel lonely by reminding them of their "singleness") but to me, valentine's day is about so much more than a relationship status. it's about showing love to those around you, whoever they may be...

one of the simplest ways to show you care is by giving a hand-made gift, so i thought i'd share one of my all-time favorite valentine's day gift ideas, the "52 things i love about you" deck of cards. this idea has been circling the pinterest realm for quite a while now & by no means do i take credit for having thought of it. i did however, create my own over the past few nights & thought i'd share exactly how i did it & what i used.

what i used…

-a deck of bicycle standard playing cards (i found mine at target)

-a handful of note cards

-one black ultra fine sharpie

-one red ultra fine sharpie

-modpodge

-a hole punch

-a binder ring (also found at target in a multi-pack)

-& finally, a piece of ribbon

what i did…

1. to begin, i used my paper cuter to cut my index cards in half until i ended up with 52 halves (+ 1 more for the cover)

2. next, i first created a cover page & then used my sharpies to write out my list of 52 things i love about __. i also added doodles that went along with what i wrote. here are a couple of examples just in case you get stuck:

"the way you cuddle"

"when you play guitar"

"the notes you leave on my phone" 

"when you talk in your sleep"

"the way you sing in the car" 

3. when all 52 pages were finished, i applied modpodge to the back of a playing card, (i used the white side because i wanted the red to be showing but use whichever you'd like) stuck on one of my 52 reasons, & then applied a layer of modpodge on top to completely seal the piece of paper to the card.

side note: i put the cover page on the front of one card & the first reason on the back to accommodate for the extra page, all other cards were one-sided. 

4. once i had finished applying all 52 pieces of paper to the card & allowed them time to dry, i punched a hole in the top left corner of the cards.

5. finally, i looped them onto a binder ring & tied on a bow for a cuteness! 

& ta-daa! this diy is incredibly simple & inexpensive to make though it does take a little bit of time & thought. but at the end of the day nothing beats a thoughtful, hand-made gift!

if you're short on time or don't consider yourself the crafty type, i think it would be equally as cute to put the decorated cards back into the box they came in. your loved one will be extra surprised when they open the box to find not just playing cards, but 52 reasons why they are loved! (+ bonus points for a little more manliness) 

happy valentine's day!

photos of the card book i created to come...