Review: 29 by Lydia Mondavi Exfoliating Crush Facial Scrub & First Crush Lip Scrub!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to do a review of a few products from the 29 by Lydia Mondavi skincare line at Target. Specifically, I bought the Exfoliating Crush Facial Scrub and the First Crush Lip Scrub. Target is trying out a new luxury beauty department featuring some more higher-end lines than they usually offer. I saw this skincare line and was immediately intrigued. Read on to hear my thoughts on these two!

fashionABLE: Fashion for a Good Cause!

Hello lovelies! I just have a short little post today that I wanted to share with you about this beautiful clutch that you are looking at below. It is made and sold by fashionABLE, a really great online retailer that focuses on creating business opportunities for women in developing countries. Because I recently purchased one, I have a discount code for 10% off for all of you that I am excited to share. Please keep reading for details! 

Full credit for this picture goes to fashionABLE

Hautelook Haul + Tips for Jewelry Scavenging on Hautelook!!

Hey guys! Today I wanted to share with you my latest Hautelook jewelry haul, as well as a few tips for finding quality jewelry at a low price on Hautelook that I've developed over time! My friend Casey and I are pretty much obsessed with Hautelook. In case you don't know, its a really cool online store which posts new sales every day at 11 am. You have to be a member to gain access to the sales (its free to join!) and you have to be fast, because things sell out quick! 

Lake Pewaukee in Wisconsin

Hey guys!  I know I know, I have been MIA these past couple of weeks. Classes started up again two weeks ago and I have just been slammed! Now that I'm settling into my schedule I should have more time to post more regularly. Today I wanted to share with you some of my pictures from a recent trip to Wisconsin with my fiance to visit his family. Enjoy! 

bareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation!!

Hey guys! Today I want to talk to you about my latest obsession that I have been using nonstop since I bought it, the new BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation by bareMinerals! I was so excited when I found out that bareMinerals was coming out with a liquid foundation, and even more intrigued that it was going to be a SERUM liquid foundation, as I had never heard of that before. There are several serum foundations now, which I think is great. There really was something missing on the spectrum of liquid foundations that serum foundations have filled, lighter than a regular liquid foundation but more pigmented then a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. Read on to hear my thoughts on the serum foundation that started the craze!

Affordable Antioxidant Serums: Desert Essence Pomegranate Face Serum and Trader Joe's Antioxidant Facial Serum

Hello ladies! Today I am going to be talking about two affordable antioxidant serums that I am trying at the moment. As you know, antioxidants are a skincare ESSENTIAL (read my in-depth post on antioxidants to learn more). Unfortunately, a lot of antioxidant serums that are sold at certain stores (ahem, Sephora!) are super expensive. At the end of the day, you don't need to be spending huge amounts of money to get your antioxidant fix. As long you buy a serum with stable antioxidants, effective packaging, and you store it in a dark, room-temperature location, you will reap the benefits. I recently found these two serums that I want to tell you about because they both have a really good blend of antioxidants (remember, combinations are better) and are SUPER affordable. Plus, they are all-natural, which is always a good thing!

Our Engagement Story ❤

So today I have some very big news..... I'm engaged!!! My boyfriend (fiance now!) Alex proposed to me over the weekend. I was expecting it so it was not a huge surprise, although he still managed to surprise me in the way he did it! In this post I thought I'd give you a little history about us, as well as tell you about how he proposed!

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum and Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45!!

Hello lovelies! Today I wanted to talk about two skincare products I am currently OBSESSED with. As you know, skincare is very important to me. Especially since I was a little sun worshipper in high school and used to laugh at the thought of SPF, I am seriously trying to stave off any further damage (as well as repair some of the damage I'm sure I've already done). For me, that means sticking to my top skincare essentials: SPF, Antioxidants, and Retin-A (post on Retin-A coming soon). I have other skincare ingredients that I think are really important to use, (i.e. peptides) but as far as every single day, without fail, its really those three: SPF and antioxidants to protect, Retin-A to repair. 

Cult Classics: Benefit Benetint and Nars Blush in Orgasm

Hey guys! I hope your summer is going good, mine is busy but exciting. In addition to my law clerk job at an IP law firm I am also working as a graduate research assistant at my law school one day a week. I was a little apprehensive about juggling the two at first, but I decided to just go for it. It's been totally fine and I'm glad that I have two great new experiences to add to my resume! After a busy couple of weeks at my new jobs, I decided to go to Sephora and treat myself to two beauty products that I have been lusting over for AGES. These two products are seriously cult classics in the beauty world, and after hearing so much about them I decided to try them out for myself and let you know if they are worth the hype... (Spoiler alert: they are!)

Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be talking about a new foundation I picked up a couple of months ago to try. I always try to use a product for at least a month before I review it, just so I can be sure of how I feel about it. As I've mentioned before, I really like the Make Up Forever makeup brand; they are marketed as being a professional makeup line used by real makeup artists backstage at runway shows, movies, circuses, plays, etc. They focus on formula rather than packaging, which I think is a really cool thing and definitely shows through in the quality of their products. I definitely want to buy more from this line, but as of now I only have a cream blush (that I talked about here) and this foundation.

Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream and Alba Botanica Hawaiian Oil Free Moisturizer....

Hey guys! The recent natural skin-care craze is a minefield. Newly burgeoning brands are flooding the market with their organic offerings, promising to deliver the seemingly impossible: amazing results without any of the questionable chemicals used in conventional skincare brands. Unfortunately, while there are some amazing all-natural skincare products out there, some inevitably miss the mark. This post is about two of those products, as you can see from the banner lol. 

Miller Union in West Midtown!

Recently Alex and I decided to try out Miller Union, a great restaurant in West Midtown Atlanta that specializes in classic southern recipes with a modern twist. Their dishes are very produce-driven, using a lot of locally grown and sustainable ingredients. I heard about them from a CNN article rating the top restaurants in the US, so Alex and I knew we had to try it out!

Garnier Dark Spot Treatment Mask, Pacifica Mineral Mascara, Lush Ultrabland, & Lily Pulitzer Wink Perfume!!

Hey guys! Today I have a few goodies to review for you. I know it's been a few since I put a blog post up on here, but I am officially done for the summer so expect to start seeing a lot more of me! I hope your summer is going well so far, mine is going good. I am working as a law clerk at a new law firm which is exciting, and its in intellectual property which is what I am hoping to do, so that's great. Can't believe I'm officially a 3L and graduating next year; so crazy! If you are debating law school or graduate school or anything like that I would say just go for it, the time goes by so fast! Especially if you are unhappy with your job, definitely just go back to school, time is going to pass anyways but would you rather be stuck in a job you hate or working towards something better for your future? Alright, that's enough of my career advice lol time to get into some beauty product reviews!

Freeman Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Clay Mask and Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask Review!

Hey guys! Today I wanted to do a quick review of two face masks that I purchased recently and am in LOVE with. Face masks are great for your skin because depending on which type you use they can moisturize your skin, deep-clean your pores, increase circulation to your face, provide a boost of nutrients, the list goes on and on. They are a great way to give yourself a mini-facial and really treat your skin after a long week.  

Augustana Concert at Center Stage!

Hey guys! I know I've been doing a lot of makeup/beauty product reviews on my blog lately, but originally I did intend for it to be a "lifestyle" blog (whatever that means lol) so I decided I should probably vary my content a little... Which is perfect because I just went to an Augustana concert last night, and OMG. Amazing!!

My pictures only got better as the night went on bc we inched closer and closer lol

April Favorites! Time Balm Primer, MUFE HD Blush, & Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

Hey guys! Today I wanted to do a quick little post about three beauty products that I am currently LOVING. I know it's a little early in April to call these my favorites, but I love these so much I just couldn't wait until the end of the month. They are the Time Balm primer by the Balm, HD blush by Make Up Forever in Coral, and the Rimmel Stay Matte liquid mousse foundation. 

Creating and Maintaining Your Blowout!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be talking about HAIR, and more specifically, blowouts!! Who doesn't love a good blowout? Lately I've been interviewing like crazy for summer jobs, and I of course want to look my best. For me that means taking some extra time to do my hair. Normally I usually just let it air-dry, I admit, although I usually blow-dry it on the weekends for going out and I fully intend on transitioning to doing it everyday (prob not) once I am in grownup world. Speaking of grownup world, a lot of my friends go to those dry bar salons where you can get your blowout done professionally. I unfortunately do not have the means to do that yet, so I've really perfected getting a pretty good blowout on my own at home. (if I do say so myself!) Keep reading if you want to learn my tips and tricks...

Obsession of the Moment: Facial Oils

Hey guys! Words cannot express how obsessed I am with facial oils right now.  I used to be apprehensive of the facial oil trend, believing it was best left to those with super-dry skin. That all changed when I got a few facial oil samples in my Birchbox last summer, namely the Caudalie Divine Oil and Marula Pure Marula Oil. The Caudalie Divine Oil is so luxurious, it consists of grapeseed oil mixed with argan oil and smells amazing. Unlike what I had previously anticipated, it did not leave my face a greasy mess but fully absorbed in about five minutes, leaving me with really soft and refreshed skin in the morning. The Pure Marula Oil was just as nice. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation Review

Hey guys! I'm sure you know by now what a fan I am of drugstore foundations (read my breakdown here), but I also have been trying out a few higher-end foundations lately. The first is the Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation. Tarte is one of my favorite makeup brands because they only use natural ingredients but all their products are extremely high quality, which is rare for natural makeup lines. 

Essential Skincare Ingredient: SPF

Hey guys! Today I decided to do another essential skin care ingredient post. You may have read my posts on antioxidants and peptides, and while those are very important ingredients, today's ingredient is definitely the MOST important of all. Yep, that's right, it's SPF. I really hope you're using some sort of SPF in your everyday skincare regime, it is beyond necessary to prevent premature aging and wrinkles. 

Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil & Blackhead Eliminating Scrub

Hey guys! I've been trying some new skincare products lately and I thought I'd write a little blog post and let you know how I've been liking them! Specifically, Garnier came out with a new Clean Plus line of skincare products. I don't normally go crazy for any particular line (I'm more of a pick and choose type of girl) but I was immediately drawn to this line because I saw they had a cleansing oil and I'm literally obsessed with oils right now.

EM Cosmetics by Michelle Phan - Foundation Review!

Hey guys! As I've told you before, I love watching beauty videos on YouTube. One of my absolute favorites is Michelle Phan, I have watched her videos since the beginning and its so amazing to see how far she's come. Although some of her videos can be a little too saccharine for me (i.e. all the ones with her boyfriend) I still enjoy watching her makeup tutorials because of how much detail and effort she puts into them. She even has her own makeup line now! 

What's In My Bag???

Hey guys! I just wanted to share this video my friend Casey and I made for my Youtube Channel!!!! Yes I have a Youtube channel, I've actually had one since high school because I used to put up my concert videos on it. I've been thinking about making it a beauty Youtube channel for ages and last night my friend Casey and I decided to just film a video! Specifically, a What's In My Bag video because I'm obsessed with those on YouTube. This was after dinner and a beer or two so we were definitely a little too giggly, but I think overall it's a fun video! Sorry if the video quality is bad or the lighting, I will mess around with that before my next one! Also I am probably going to get a nicer camera for my birthday to use for videos as well as just pictures on this blog. 





Please let me know in the comments section what you think, I'm very new to YouTube so I am ready for any constructive criticism or advice you may have. Thanks! 

xoxo Patricia

Essential Skin Care Ingredient: Peptides

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be doing another essential skincare ingredient post like I promised. If you haven't read my previous post on antioxidants, read it here. Besides antioxidants, another ingredient that you absolutely should be incorporating into your daily skincare routine are peptides. These little guys stimulate collagen production, which is SO important for maintaining youthful skin. 

Peptides are basically amino acids that are produced naturally in our bodies. They are the building blocks of collagen, which is the main structural protein of our skin. Elastin is another protein in our skin which allows our skin to resume its shape after stretching or contracting. When we are younger, our bodies produce an abundance of both collagen and elastin. Unfortunately, production peaks in early adulthood and starts to slowly decline after. 

Battle of the Drugstore Foundations

Hey guys, I'm back!! Sorry it's been a few, the end of last semester got crazy with finals and moot court obligations. However, don't worry, because the whole time I was gone I never forgot about my blog and have been trying out multiple drugstore foundations in preparation for this post!