Drybar Products

Recently I went into Sephora and spent entirely too much, but what's new about that? I've never tried Drybar products before, but I read fabulous reviews and decided to try some out. I started with the VIP Pack which includes the Detox dry shampoo, Southern Belle volumizing mousse, and Money Maker flexible hold hairspray. The VIP Pack is $25 and it comes with these three products in the travel sizes (which are also good if you are not sure how you feel about the products yet). Another note about the pack, individually the three products range from $20 to $25 each so if you don't end up liking it you just wasted money you could have spent on another beauty product you've been eyeing.

Anyways let's get down to it, what did I think of these three products?

Drybar Detox dry shampoo: Honestly, the first time I used it I got so excited. It added volume and texture to my hair while absorbing all of the oil in my hair. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did it keep my hair from looking greasy all day, but my hair smelled great after using it! I have not tried using the dry shampoo as overnight product yet so I will try that soon. I recommend this dry shampoo if you are looking to keep your second day hairstyle and too keep your look fresh if you have super oily hair (like myself).

Drybar Southern Belle volumizing mousse: I have never used a mousse in my life. I haven't found the need to try out mousse. My first experience was pleasant. Although I do not really have anything to compare it to, I did find it brought volume to my hair which never has a downside. I recommend this volumizing mousse if you would like to achieve more volume or are looking to try out a new mousse. I am sorry I do not have more to say about this product, but I will keep working with it and get back to y'all.

Drybar Money Maker flexible hold hairspray: First off, holy cow! I love, love, love this hairspray. Unless I decide to tease my hair, I don't use a flexible hold hairspray (I use the CHI Helmet Head hairspray for when I tease my hair). With the Drybar hairspray I started using it after I styled my hair for the day to complete the look.  My hair remained styled all day without the hard or crusty feeling associated with stronger hold hairsprays. I HIGHLY recommend this hairspray if you are looking for a new more flexible hold hairspray!

Overall, I was genuinely happy with my first Drybar product experience and I will most likely return to Sephora to pick up the full bottle sizes of the Detox dry shampoo and Money Maker hairspray.

Another Drybar product I am eager to try is the Hot Toddy Heat Protector Frizz Fighter. I have heard great things about the product and hope to find a sample size of the product somewhere! Let me know if you have tried the Hot Toddy before and what you thought in the comments below.

Thank you for reading and I hope this was helpful if you are looking at beginning to use Drybar products. It is worth the money!

XOXO, Kelsey

Coffee Break

Today I went downtown and had a fabulous time at this small coffee shop that I love so much!

I ordered an iced hazelnut mocha. It was delicious. 

Here are a couple shots:

Shirt- Lilly Pulitzer

Shorts- Vineyard Vines

Shoes- Jack Rogers

Bag- Sorial

Ring- Pandora

Watch- Citizen

Photography by J. Punch and K. Fields. Thank you so much!!

Have a favorite coffee? Leave it in the comments below.

XOXO, Kelsey

Summer in Review

This summer has gone by much too fast for my liking. I just said goodbye to one of my best friends as she leaves for her college that is about five hours away (I already miss her). To say the least, my summer leading up to college has been one of transitions. Many of these transitions are bittersweet, but some are exciting!

As I get ready to move into school next week here are a few things I have absolutely adored this summer.

http://www.jackrogersusa.com/shoes/sandals/monogram-flat

As I am sure you have seen on my Instagram, this summer I invested in a pair of orange and white monogram Jack Rogers. I am 100% obsessed with these shoes. This is my fifth and probably, sadly, my last pair of Jack Rogers I will buy because the amount I have is getting excessive (Haha).

http://www.yankeecandle.com/detail/early-sunrise/1173567

This Early Sunrise candle has been burning in my room for a long time (I'm trying to make it last as long as possible). It is such a refreshing smell and takes over the entire room. Yankee Candle may or may not sell Early Sunrise in stores anymore, but you can order it offline!

http://www.sephora.com/smudge-pots-P62612?skuId=756593

Initially I bought the Stila Smudge Pot in the color Kitten in April. I used it here and there, but never really tried anything crazy with it. This summer I have been using it a ton! It is a great way to create a long lasting eye look if you apply a little of the gel like shadow before powder shadow. I chose kitten because it is a nude/ champagne color which looks good with my skin tone. I recommend this as a starter color too if you've never used a smudge pot before!

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/got-2b-guardian-angel-gloss-finish-flat-iron-balm/ID=prod6016159-product

Unfortunately I did not find the Got 2b Guardian Angel Gloss Finish flat iron balm until close to the end of the summer. However, I generally don't apply heat to my hair unless I am getting ready to go somewhere or dressing up in the summer. Previously I had been using the Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray and bought this product when I ran out. I can already tell the difference! This heat protector seems lighter once sprayed (personally I spray it on my hand then apply to my roots and ends off hair). Also I prefer the smell of the Got 2b over Tresemmé. The Got2b Guardian Angel can be found at Walgreens and I don't think I will be using anything other heat protectors for a while!

Do you have any items you've been using over this summer that you adore? Leave them in the comments below!

XOXO, Kelsey

White on White

Now I know it is old fashioned and these rules generally do not apply anymore, but from Labor Day to Easter you won't see wearing a lot of white (pants, shoes, etc). The white on white trend currently makes me feel as if I am getting as much use out of my white clothes before Labor Day as possible. (Haha, am I the only one who feels this way?)

Anyways I enjoy the trend and here are a few ways I style white on white for a crisp and clean look.

Shirt- Loft

Jeans- J. Crew

Earrings- Bluetique

Shoes- Jack Rogers

Photography courtesy of J. Punch and K. Fields. Thanks y'all for following me around all day with a camera. Love you both!

Let me know how you have pulled off the white on white trend this summer in the comments below!

Thanks for reading.

XOXO, Kelsey

Dreaming of Home Decor

Dorm shopping has made me keep an eye out for home decor. Every time I go into Pottery Barn it is almost painful to leave without purchasing anything. I have to think rationally though. Knowing my dorm room will most likely not have a ton of room for accent touches and arrangements has kept me from attempting to cram a Pottery Barn magazine inspired look into my new smaller space. However, who says I can't dream right?

Here are a few of my favorite pieces in Pottery Barn I can't seem to tear my eyes off of at the moment.

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/home-sentiment-lumbar-pillow-cover/?pkey=e%7Chome%2Bpillow%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Pillows

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/pom-pom-hand-crochet-throw/?pkey=cthrows-blankets&cm_src=throws-blankets||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/pb-classic-glass-apothecary-jar/?pkey=call-home-accents&cm_src=all-home-accents||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/beachcomber-extra-large-round-basket/?pkey=call-home-accessories&cm_src=all-home-accessories||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/jolie-mother-pearl-accent-lamp-base/?pkey=ctable-floor-lamps&cm_src=table-floor-lamps||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

Like I said before it's fun to dream! Perhaps I can revisit Pottery Barn when I am starting to decorate my future apartment, but for now it doesn't hurt to browse.

Comment below any home decor you have been looking at lately or anything you have picked up for your dorm room!

XOXO, Kelsey

Let's Talk About Lips

This summer has been full of the trend of the brighter the lip color the better. Unfortunately, I have not joined this train of crazy bright colors, but I will be reviewing my favorite looks and how this trend has been done correctly. It takes a keen eye to pick the perfect color for a specific skin shade and overall tone allowing the person to have a put together look. I will be posting some links to pictures to show you what I am talking about.
(All of the images are from Google, none of them are mine.)

To start out strong, Alexis Bledel looks absolutely stunning with this hot pink lipstick. The color suits her skin tone and makes her blue eyes pop. She makes her lip color the focal point of her face by sticking to a simple face makeup look. This is a job well done from my perspective.

Next is the always stunning, Lauren Conrad. Lauren also wears the hot pink lip with simple face makeup, but she went for a bronzed look which helps to make the lip color seem appear to be her summer go to. Another thumbs up from me.

This model wears a bright coral lipstick. As I said before it depends completely on the skin tone as to which shade will look best. She pulls this color off flawlessly. Her eye makeup looks clean and shows off her distinct facial features. I don't think I would be able to pull off this coral lip personally, but I think this model is a great example of doing a bright lipstick color correctly.

Although I will probably stick to my usual lip products which are lighter pinks and neutrals I have enjoyed this summer's trend of bright, bold colored lips!

XOXO, Kelsey

Back to School

As I prepare for back to school and going into college it seems as if I have been making a good deal of purchases lately. Although the spectrum of spending has been broad, I am ecstatic with all of my purchases. Therefore, I must tell you about them! Here are few products I have gotten recently that I recommend to you if you are looking for anything like these things.

I got a new laptop for college and immediately ordered a plastic clip on case off of Amazon to put on it. However, I was a little bit on the picky side about a case that would have more padding and zip up for extra protection. After all, I would be using this laptop for at least the next four years! So I searched and searched Etsy, the Apple Store, and many other stores including Vera Bradley. Now when I went into the Vera Bradley store I did not see any laptop cases that I particularly liked, but when I got online everything changed. I found the Laptop Sleeve in Priscilla Pink and instantly had to have the case. It is pink and green and the ideal thickness. Also I was unaware until after I purchased there is a little square compartment which fits a laptop charge superbly! I have the MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display so the square shaped charger fit so well in the pocket. I am very pleased with this purchase and I already feel safer putting my laptop into my backpack. The last thing I will say about this is that if you are looking for a laptop sleeve I would definitely look into the Vera Bradley cases right now because they are having a sale. I snagged my case for under $25!

http://www.verabradley.com/product/laptop-sleeve/cocoa-moss/1001153_181553.uts?fromSearch=1

The next item I have to talk about is the J. Crew 5" chino shorts. I have owned many pairs of J. Crew chinos, but it was not until recently I started buying the 5". Being 5'10" means being extremely long-legged which makes the 5" shorts a more than comfortable fit. Not only is adding to my chino collection exciting, but I have found ordering the shorts from J. Crew instead of from the J. Crew Factory has proved to be better quality. Not that I don't love the discounts of the J. Crew Factory chinos (I have a couple pairs), but they tend to be thinner than the originals. Anyways, sorry I got off track, I ordered one pair during the 40% of shorts sale making the shorts a great find. I have already worn them two or three times because I am obsessed with the color! I purchased the color Alpine Blue. These will be great for if I want to look dress up a little bit for class. I typically style my chinos with a chambray shirt or a cute tank. There will probably be plenty of pictures for you to see on instagram (Haha).

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/shorts/solid/PRDOVR~68925/68925.jsp

Another J. Crew item deemed as a fall essential is the excursion vest. I am sad to say I did not have one until this week because I always wore my Patagonia vest and a vest my mom gave me that was quilted from Gap. I made the executive decision to invest in the puffer vest 1.) because it was on sale on the Factory website and 2.) it will be too darn cute to wear during football season with a sweater underneath for those colder games. The infamous herringbone excursion vest was on the website too, but I opted out of getting it, even though I've had my eye on it for quiet a while. Instead, I chose the dark navy because I adore navy and it will look fabulous with pieces in my wardrobe I already own. The reasoning behind this purchase was a no brainer and if you are able to get your hands on one, go for it. The reviews are sparkling for the J. Crew Excursion vest. I cannot wait to start styling it! I got this puffer vest for around $70 which if I remember correctly (please correct me if I'm wrong) when they first came out they were about $100. I feel as if I got a great deal on my excursion vest.

http://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/blazers_outerwear/outerwear/PRDOVR~92465/92465.jsp?color_name=dark-navy

The last thing I have picked up for school is a widely renown favorite! The Lilly Pulitzer large agenda. This is my fourth year having a Lilly agenda and I have been pleased with my past experiences. I have always had enough room and then some to get down everything going on in my life. I unfortunately do not know how great it will work out for college yet. I will definitely let ya'll know by the end of my freshman year my thoughts! I got the pattern Peelin' Out. It is a fun citrus, floral pattern with pink hidden monkeys scattered throughout the cover. I intend on buying the Lilly Pulitzer Greek sticker sheet for my planner this year too, but I think I will wait until after I go through rush, just to be sure! The planner was $28 and let me tell you it is well worth the money!

http://www.lillypulitzer.com/product/Agendas/Large-Agenda/entity/pc/429/c/430/7398.uts?swatchName=Lillys+Pink

Here is my collection over the years:

Comment below anything you've picked up for school lately or anything you find to be essential for back to school! Thanks for reading.

XOXO, Kelsey