Category: Beauty

Beauty/

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023

It’s officially time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! This is my top favorite sale to shop every year – and the preview is such a big help! I love the fact that you can preview the sale, add items you’d like to purchase to your “wish list” and then move them all to your cart when you’re able to access the sale. It saves so much time and makes the whole process less stressful!

What is the NSale?

It’s Nordstrom’s biggest sale/fashion event of the year where you can save on brand new items and home and fashion essentials! The sale runs July 11 (if you’re a Nordstrom card holder. Apply here.)- August 6, but public access to the sale starts July 17.

As usual, access to the sale is broken into tiers:

Since I’m a Nordstrom Card holder, I’m able to shop the sale on July 13 as an “Influencer” (everyone who has the Nordstrom Card starts out at the “Influencer” level.

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of the items full-time influencers share, will sell out QUICK! For example, the Barefoot dreams blankets are always part of the sale, and I’ve never been able to grab one during it. It’s also very frustrating because I see a lot of these full-time influencers buy multiples of one item for giveaways!

This is why my guide will have a mix of a few popular items that are always part of the sale (like Spanx faux leather leggings), and other items that I don’t think will sell out as quickly.

Feeling overwhelmed with all the sale collages being thrown at you?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when all you see are sale collages on social media. Here’s my technique – go into the sale with a focus. For example, one year I focused on loungewear (must have been 2020/2021 during the COVID-19 Pandemic). Another year, I focused on jewelry/accessories. Also, give yourself a budget – there is no need to go into debt over this sale! Because I’m planning to buy one big item this year, I may not buy anything else, or I might buy one or two items for a total of three items. We shall see!

My NSale Guide

I think the NSale is a great time to stock up on Nordstrom brand jewlery – the quality is great (they don’t turn my skin green!) and it’s very affordable! It’s also a great time to stock up on basic pieces like tanks and trench coats that carry you from fall to winter. Below are my guides that I hope help you find your focus for this year’s sale.

-Shop Nordstrom Beauty-

-Shop Nordstrom Fashion-

-Shop Nordstrom Home-

-Shop Nordstrom Accessories-

-Shop Nordstrom Men’s-

*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beauty/

Best Sellers April 24 – May 1

Hi all! I’m a day late with the best sellers, but it’s okay! This month I have trips every weekend, with the first one being a trip back to my second-favorite state: Colorado! Stay tuned for some fun travel posts throughout the month!

There are two hair tools on the list this week, both of which are on Amazon! The Chi Spin N Curl and this Conair 1-inch curling iron.

Another hair product also makes the list – the Bumble and Bumble volumizing powder dry shampoo. This truly keeps my roots dry and volumized, far better than any other dry shampoo I have tried.

This Free People Movement jacket is so cute and folds into a small bag, making it nice to pack up for small spaces. I got it in a size small, but definitely could have gotten an XS.

Lastly, this Urban Outfitters vest is a nice addition to any vest collection. It definitely has an oversized feel to it.

Hope you all have a great week!

-Shop the Post-

*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beauty/

Best Sellers | April 4 – April 10

I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend! Last week’s best sellers includes a mix of fashion and beauty!

I’m so happy to share that my favorite lounge pants have officially made the list! I’m pretty sure they’re pajama pants, but I absolutely love lounging in them! I get a size small.

Those pants also pair well with this crop top from Amazon – I just ordered it in two more colors! I wear a size small in this as well.

The next item is also from Amazon and is a lint roller ball. I specifically got this for my car because there have been several days where I leave the house without lint-rolling my outfit, and I’m covered in corgi hair. The roller ball actually works really well and doesn’t take up too much space in my center console. I have a blog post on all my car essentials here.

This tennis bracelet from Amazon has held up well so far (about two weeks later), and I’m really happy with it! It’s a cute layering piece that adds just enough sparkle.

Finally, the NARS Climax mascara is my new favorite! It does a really good job of fanning out all of my lashes and making them look long and full! I’m not giving full credit to the mascara though, as I know the Revitalash lash serum has made a huge difference in my lashes as well.

Hope you have a good rest of your week!

-Shop the Post-

*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beauty/

Best Sellers | March 26 – April 4

Last week’s best sellers are officially in!

First up, is my top seller among all my top sellers, this Amazon purse strap that matches perfectly with my Louis Vuitton Speedy.

My work tote from Tory Burch makes the list once again – it’s perfect for all your everyday work needs! I like using this purse organizer in it too. I have it in the large size.

This Floof dry shampoo from Billie does a great job of soaking up the oils at your roots. I like using it before I go to bed, so that I wake up with extra volume.

The hanging egg swing chair is still my best pandemic purchase – I love that this comes with the stand and cushions. It’s perfect for warm summer days.. I’m basically counting down to summer here in Montana. I feel like it’s been nothing but cold and windy for a year!

Finally, the Coravin is a must-have for all wine lovers. It lets you drink from different bottles of wine without actually needing to uncork the bottle, so you never have to let wine go to waste! I like to keep a variety of different wine on-hand, so this is perfect for me!

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*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beauty/

Best Sellers | March 1 – March 25

Well, my weekly best sellers fell off the wagon when the holidays rolled in, but I’m getting back to them! So, this week, I’m sharing the top five best sellers from March to this past Saturday.

First, we have the Il Makiage foundation – it’s full coverage and blends really well with a tinted moisturizer if you’re looking for something lighter. Their color-matching quiz on their website also works really well!

Of course, the Stanley tumbler continues to be the rage with just about everyone. I have two myself now (I promise I’m not collecting them!) in the light pink and light blue colors.

This Amazon Kindle cover is so smooth and is really all you need for your Kindle – mine is in purple!

My actual trunk organizer is now sold out, but I did find a really similar one that comes in other color options, so I will link that here. I love my trunk organizer and will even place my groceries in there to keep them from moving around while I drive (not that I’m a crazy driver!).

Lastly, the Jolly Egg from Amazon is one toy Biggie Smalls loves. We have it in red and it’s so funny to see him try to pick up the egg and chase after it.

-Shop the Post-

*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beauty/

Amazon Gel-X Nail Kit + Supplies | A Review

Painted nails are some of my favorite accessories to wear (nails can count as accessories, right?!). They can add a simple yet elegant touch to any look and of course, they can compliment any arm candy, from jewelry, rings, and watches!

I used to paint my nails ALL the time as a kid, and I continued to do so as a teenager and adult. Of course, I started with regular nail polish, tried acrylics once, moved to gel, and then really committed to dip powder – my favorite!

After years of getting dip powder on my nails (I was waiting on a proposal from my now-husband!), my nails have definitely taken a hit – they’re soft, brittle, and really don’t do well naked. Plus, the constant nail salon visit were also taking a hit on my wallet!

I started hearing about gel-x nails on Instagram and TikTok, and started doing some research on why it’s all the range and if it’s actually better on your nails.

After reading up on the trend, I decided to get my own nail kit and start doing my nails at home. I’m not a nail expert, and I’m not even good at it – I would say I’m average at doing my nails! But I’m hoping this blog post can help someone out. I see a ton of videos of gel-x tutorials on TikTok, and they all look PERFECT. So, my tips are a mix of everything I’ve seen and read up on from TikTok, with some of my own techniques I picked up along the way. I also feel like my YouTube video explaining my kit and my process can be confusing, which is why I’m writing up a set of simple step-by-step instructions. Everything I purchased for my kit came from Amazon – I will link everything down below. I used an old acrylic drawer I originally stored my makeup in, but I linked a few similar options as well.

Gel-x nail steps

1. Clear and clean nails from all polish.

2. Apply the daily nail keratin treatment – soak it in for a few min and massage it in.

3. Find the best-fitting gel extension for each nail and set aside. Buff each extension if not pre-buffed.

4. Apply the nail dehydrator on each nail (I like to fully prep one hand at a time before painting).

5. Apply a thin layer of nail glue over each and cure with full nail lamp.

6. Apply nail glue on gel extension, place on your nail (not flat down, but at an angle starting at the cuticle), and flash cure. Fully cure with larger nail lamp once all gel extensions are on.

7. Trim your nails with the gel-extension trimmer to the length you want and file edges down. Buff all nails after. This will help the gel polish adhere to the gel extensions.

8. Begin painting nails with gel polish and cure with larger nail lamp. I typically do two coats.

9. Apply gel top coat, cure, and you’re done! Unless you want to add the chrome effect – use the sponge that comes with the chrome powder kit, and apply another top coat, and cure.

Clean nails with keratin treatment
gel extensions on
gel extensions trimmed and buffed
second gel-x attempt attempt
gel-x supplies
third gel-x manicure attempt

As you can see from the photos above, the process does get easier with each application. I’m slowly getting a little more precise each time. Practice makes perfect!

I mention some important tips to follow while applying the gel extensions and painting them – hear all about them in my video below!

The nail kit and supplies

Everything I used to build my nail kit can be found on my Amazon Storefront.

Watch my full video:

*Disclaimer: Some affiliate links may be used, which I may earn a small commission from (at no cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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