My Funny Valentine

I know I know, Valentine's Day can get a bit overrated, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm a fan of any holiday that gives everyone a reason to wear a little extra pink! 

Kyle and I are celebrating our 4th year as Valentines, and I am so looking forward to our date tonight! I am so thankful that God gave me Kyle to spend my days with. He's kind, thoughtful, and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt. He makes me laugh when he tries to rap to Stereo Hearts, and he makes me coffee in the morning. The little things are what matter.

Just a reminder not to get overwhelmed today by all of the "love" posts you see out there. Find little ways that other people show you love, and hold on to those people. Little acts of love that don't need to be shared publicly are so much sweeter! Thanks, Kyle, for teaching me that!

XOXO,

Emily 

Special Occasion Makeup Routine with Neutrogena

I have loved makeup for as long as I can remember. From being a hardcore Lipsmackers fan as a little girl to a Sephora regular now, I've always enjoyed the excitement of a new beauty product. When I was younger, I always wanted to wear foundation. I thought it was so cool, but my mom strongly encouraged me not to. She didn't want my little 12-year-old self slathering foundation all over my face and clogging up my pores (thanks, mom!) Now that I'm a twenty something "grown-up," I still am not a daily foundation wearer. However, I do enjoy going a little more glam with my makeup routine for special occasions, and foundation steps up my look to make it a bit more flawless.

With our anniversary just around the corner,  I know we will be going on a nice date night out, and I want to create a makeup look that is a little "extra" for the special occasion. While I intend to create a more full-face look,  I typically try to avoid layering a lot of cheap makeup as I just don't feel it's the healthiest for my skin, but I recently received several products from Neutrogena labeled "Healthy Skin." My desire for a foundation that's not bad for my skin has been achieved!

I wanted to create a more glam look for my upcoming special occasions! If you're a busy mom, wife, or college student, I know it can be hard to find the time to spend 30 minutes doing your makeup for a few hours on a date, so I really wanted to keep this tutorial as simple and quick as possible! You can recreate this look by picking up these Neutrogena products at the drugstore or online here and setting aside just 5 minutes!

I started by priming my face with the Healthy Skin Primer with SPF 15. I love the way this evens out my skin while adding sun protection.

I then applied the Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 20 to create a flawless base for my look. I love that this product has quality ingredients at such a great price. The SPF will also be so great for summer!

I also added a bit of the Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 25 concealer under my eyes and the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Concealer  around my nose and chin. I topped everything off with a bit of powder to set everything.

Next i took the lightest shade in this shadow pallet and applied it all over my lid. I took the taupe color into the crease, and popped the darkest shade to the outer corner.

I then applied some of the Nourishing Eye Liner on my waterline and lash line and used the sponge end to smudge it out.

anyone else pull their eyelid back to get the perfect line? haha I already know it's not good for aging well! :) 

My favorite product from Neutrogena was the Healthy Skin Blush! It's so pigmented and creates such a natural flush.

I applied some of the Healthy Volume Mascara to bring out my lashes, and popped this beautiful berry shade of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Lip Shine on my lips.

Let me know if you try out any of these products, and which ones make your look pop the most!

Winter Must-Have Vest

It's no secret that I love vests. We live in South Carolina, but it does get cold. We do have a good amount of winter days that begin in the 30s and 40s but get up into the 60s and 70s by the afternoon, so layers are an absolute essential for me. I've never been a huge fan of coats, because I don't enjoy feeling restricted, and sometimes I just find it silly to wear them for the 1 minute it takes me to walk from my car to my indoor destination. Over the years, I have found the solution to my restricting

I wear vests *almost* every day. Really, I do. I have about 5 or so on rotation, and I layer them over my simple, basic wardrobe. Last month, my in-laws gave me a Patagonia vest for my birthday, and it has quickly become a staple in my wardrobe. I have the Patagonia Los Gatos vest in the color El Cap Khaki (I do suggest sizing up).  It looks great with jeans, skirts, and dresses making it so versatile. The fur neck keeps me SO warm, and I love how comfortable and cozy it is. We have a trip to Alaska planned in May, and I can already tell I will be living in this while we are there!

Anyways, I just wanted to pop in and share this piece that I have been loving! If you don't have a Patagonia vest, I highly recommend adding one to your wardrobe! What is your winter must-have? Are you a vest wearer?

A Unique Watch | The Perfect Date Night Accessory

See that face? That's how excited I am to share my casual date night look and giveaway!  Ya girl loves a good engraved accessory, so if you're on the search for a unique gift idea, I got you! With Valentine's Day on the horizon, I thought today would be a perfect time to share a casual date night look and a timeless (pun intended) gift idea! Whether you're buying for your man or you want to #treatyoself, an engraved wooden watch is the way to go. The lovelies over at JORD have partnered with me for this post and are giving away a $100 credit towards a watch on their site! Be sure to read to the end for details on how to enter.

P.S. If you're not sure what to do for date night, I shared some unique and easy date night ideas in this post!

Have you ever watched a chick flick where the romantic interests decide to go out for dinner and the guy says, "Great, I'll pick you up at 8?" Kyle and I always laugh when that line comes up, because let's be real... who wants to head to a restaurant at 8pm for dinner? I would be so hangry at that point that no one would want to be with me! While fancy 8pm date nights might be nice, for our casual lifestyle, they are unrealistic, and frankly, we much prefer to go downtown for a burger and ice cream for date night than eat from a menu that I can't even read... anyone else with us?

But first, a little love story...

I'd say one of my favorite ways that Kyle shows me his love is through his gift giving. In the entire time that we've been together, he's only ever given me 2 roses. From the start of our relationship, he's invested in gifts that are so meaningful, and I love when he gifts me jewelry that I can wear every day. One of the very first holiday gifts he ever got for me was a beautiful timepiece for Christmas. I remember wearing that watch every day.

What I love about JORD... 

Investing a bit more money in classic, statement pieces that you know you will wear frequently is something I'm passionate about. I've said it before, but I am always trying to narrow down my wardrobe to pieces I can get the most wear out of while maintaining my style, even if it costs a bit more upfront.

For my look, I selected the Frankie-Dark Sandalwood & Smoke wood watch. I love the dark wood in combination with the neutral and rose-gold face. While it's definitely a casual watch, I love that I can either dress it up or down with my outfit and accessories. The rose gold details give it the perfect amount of feminine appeal as well.  JORD also has an awesome selection of men's watches, and I love that you have the option of engraving them with something special for your love. Also, if you're a smartwatch fan, they even make wood bands compatible with the Apple watch! How cool is that? If you've got a special lady in your life, check out the selection of women's watches as well. Why wouldn't she want a timepiece with a love note permanently engraved to remind her of your love every time she puts it on?

I paired my watch with a ruffle sleeve shirt from Loft, my favorite Wit and Wisdom jeans, my Alex and Ani bracelets that Kyle got me for Christmas, and I was good to go! I really don't get too fussy over casual date nights, and I want to encourage you to find a Valentine's date night look straight from your very own closet. Try a combination of pants + and a top that you've never tried before! Be creative, and don't waste your money on a fancy dress you'll never wear again!

Now for the good part... 

JORD is giving away $100 to one of my readers towards any watch on their website! Click here to enter the giveaway! The contest ends on February 25, 2018. Be sure to let me know in the comments what you plan to do for your Valentine's Day date night, and I hope this outfit and gift inspo help!

Luxury Wooden Watch