A Few of my Favorite Things - July 2014

I can't believe it's already August! How insane is that? As an undergraduate, I went to a university that got out for Summer in early May and started up again mid August, but where I'm at for grad school we don't get out til mid June and start up again late September. So, I keep thinking that summer is coming to an end when I actually have about 2 months left - What a relief!

So, favorites! In July, I have been loving...

1. Home decor

I've been spending a lot of time this month making my apartment feel more like home. I got this secondhand desk to use as a vanity and I had a lot of fun thrift shopping to make it pretty.

2. Yankee Candle - Pink Sands

I don't usually splurge on candles unless they're Fall or Winter candles from B&BW, but I bought this one because it smells so amazing. I haven't seen it anywhere since, & now I'm kicking myself for not buying a backup!

3. Portland, Oregon

#181229873 / gettyimages.com

Portland has always been a mystery to me. As a matter of fact, it still is to some extent! But I've faced a few of my fears this summer about driving and navigating a big city because I'm interning there for 10 weeks this summer. Turns out, Portland is gorgeous. It's lush and green and adorable and then there's the mountain as a backdrop. I totally underestimated the power of Portland before I moved to western Oregon, and now I'm obsessed. I can't wait to do more exploring and fall a little more in love.

4. Stumptown Coffee

[NOT MY PHOTO]

Stumptown Coffee is another western Oregon find, and another reason that I love Portland and can't wait to do more exploring! When I bought my first coffee grinder a few months ago, I asked a friend to recommend her favorite whole bean coffee & she rec'd Stumptown Hair Bender blend. UH-MAZ-ING. Seriously. It's expensive [$20/lb] so I try to only buy it as a treat every couple months, but I also think it's worth every penny.

5. Steve Madden Bags

I never really knew I had a thing for Steve Madden bags until I realized that all the bags I had purchased in the past year were exclusively from this designer. These are the bags I'm currently using, the one on the left for work/school and the one on the right for everyday, but I have several more because I fall in love every time I see them & can't resist!

6. Infinity scarves

So it's 90 degrees here pretty much everyday, but you wouldn't know it from my wardrobe. I wear scarves year round, and I especially love light infinity scarves for summer. I've been obsessed with this particular floral scarf because it fits the season & makes it less ridiculous [I hope] that I'm wearing a scarf in the middle of summer. I have no idea what the brand is because there is no tag, oops!

7. Last but not least - FALL!

I went to the mall today and ended up at Hobby Lobby, where I discovered that all of their Fall decor was 40% off. AH! Of course I had to do a little preparation for the upcoming season, so I got some garland, a few small decorative pumpkins, and some large floral picks. Then I had to stop into Bath & Body Works to check out their Fall preview and took advantage of the 2 for $22 sale on 3-wick candles. I purchased the pumpkin welcome sign a week or two ago at Michaels with a 40% off coupon, and I'm DYING to hang it on my front door. This apartment is the first I've really had with a door that leads to the actual outdoors, so I've been excited about the prospect of wreaths and other door hangings. I also want to carve a pumpkin this year for the first time in forever, since I have a door I can put it outside and I'm hopeful that I might actually have a few trick-or-treaters. Fingers crossed!

So there are a few [or maybe more than a few] of my favorite things for the month of July! Until next month...

Ipsy Unbagging | July 2014 - Sensationally Sunkissed

Another Ipsy bag! Since I got my June bag so late, this unbagging seems like it's coming especially quick. 

This month's theme was "Sensationally Sunkissed", and I thought the products fit the theme well. 

Once again, I'll be starting with my least favorite items. First up was this Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil. This product is just something I would never use. Not only am I rarely out in the sun for extended periods of time, I also burn easily and would always choose normal sunscreen over this. And, if I were to use a tanner, I would choose a cream version over an oil. Probably a good product, just not for me. :[ A full size of this product is $11.99 on the Hang Ten website.  

Another item I wasn't especially thrilled about was a Befine Daily Moisturizer. Moisturizer is the kind of thing that I tend to have the mindset of 'stick to what you know'. I do, though, like having these around as an emergency backup, and for travel - so it won't go to waste! This was one of the pricier products in this months bag, at $24.99 for a 1.7oz bottle, which is only .2oz more than this one. 

The final three items in this months bag are probably tied for my favorite, the first of which being this Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink. The color is showing brighter in the picture than it actually is - it's more of a soft, clear pink. I love chubby pencil lip products, and the size of this one is perfect for a purse. This is the only product in this mont's bag that I've actually tried, & "brilliance balm" is a great name. It's very shiny (without glitter) and feels good on the lips. A full size of this product is priced at $14. 

The next product was this BareMinerals 5 in 1 cream eyeshadow in Divine Wine. I was a little bit disappointed that I got the cream eyeshadow and not the duo, but I can't complain about getting BareMinerals in my Ipsy bag! The color is much too dark for me to use this on it's own as an everyday shadow, but it may be useful as a base for smokier looks. A full size retails for $18 on the Bare Escentuals website.

Last but not least, I received a wHet nail polish in Facetious. I am never disappointed when I get nail polish in my Ipsy bags - I lovelovelove trying new brands and colors. Blue polish is my absolute favorite, so I really love the cobalt blue shade of this & I can't wait to try it on! These retail for $15 on the wHet website. 

Not the best bag I've ever received, but 3 out of 5 isn't bad - and something I forgot to mention in my last unbagging was the incredible value of these bags. The nail polish & moisturizer alone add up to $40 - and you only pay $10/month! So awesome!