Honestly, I’ve never felt more like “me” than during this shoot. For so long, I put myself in a box of what I thought people wanted to see from me, but now I’m allowing myself to be creative & take risks & create content that I truly love. What can you expect to see from me moving forward…bold makeup, creative florals, fun accessories…& as always fearless, feminine fashion. I’m still going to be showcasing affordable fashion, just with a more creative flair. I hope you guys enjoy the new content as much as I do! <3
A great way to wear your spring & summer dresses while it’s still a bit chilly out is by layering fun, feminine blouses underneath. This maxi dress features the purple color I can’t get enough of this season. It’s everywhere & honestly all I want to wear ATM. I has so much fun putting this look together with the mixing prints, textures, & bright colors. Little details I love include the watercolor blush (inspired by this video), & my gold hoops.
I’ve been a Glossier Rep for about 2 years now & it’s been about a year since I updated my Best & Worst Of Glossier post. Today I want to be brutally honest & share with you the products that have stood the test of time. These products are either ones I’ve loved for the entire 2 years, ones that are newer launches that I’m loving, or items that I’ve changed my mind about & fallen in love with in a whole new way. For whatever reason they are featured in this post, know that I truly, truly adore each & every one of these product & use them every week, if not every day!
Make sure you read my Best & Worst Of Glossier Post to hear about which products you should really pass on. I reviewed each product I’ve tried & give you my honest feeling on which products are worth your money & which ones you definitely don’t need in your life.
These 6 items are products my skin truly loves. They are hydrating & plumping & are full of key ingredients for healthy skin. I love that while these products are so hydrating, they have never made my skin break out. Even though my skin leans on the oily side, these products keep my skin healthy & moisturized without looking or feeling greasy.
Milky Oil
The Milky Oil is perfect for taking off my makeup at the end of the day. I used to use it with the Glossier cotton rounds, but I have recently started using these really nice & affordable reusable cotton rounds in an effort to create less waste. This formula always feels so good on my skin & melts away my makeup with ease.
Milky Jelly Cleanser
This cleanser is my favorite to use when I travel. It feels like such a treat to use! The Milky Jelly Cleanser perfectly cleans my skin without stripping away any necessary moisture.
Solution
Glossier’s Solution is a holy grail product in my collection. Again, I use this on my reusable cotton rounds about once or twice a week. If there is ever a time when my skin is breaking out, I will use it more frequently. It has a way of perfectly transforming my skin. I love to use a luxurious moisturizer after applying this & my go-to is the Pacifica Wake Up Beautiful sleep mask.
Priming Moisture Rich + Super Bounce
About 3 times a week I combine Super Bounce with the Priming Moisture Rich as a part of my evening skincare routine. My skin absolutely adores this combination. It feels so luxurious & rich on the skin. These products last quite long & are definitely worth repurchasing.
Bubble Wrap
This is the newest skincare product by Glossier that I have fallen in love with. I’m so obsessed with the way it makes my skin feel the next day after applying it on the skin under & around my eyes the night before. This eye cream really does plump, nourish, & revitalize the skin in a major way! If you haven’t tried this yet, you need to!
Body Hero Daily Perfecting Cream
This summer, I was totally smitten with this product. My favorite way to apply it to my legs & arms is in combination with the Nuxe Dry Oil. They are literally a match made in heaven & make your skin glow like no other. The scent, though not my favorite, is one that I have grown to love & crave over time. This is truly a body hero & my skin drinks it in.
Balm Dot Com
This lip balm is a MUST HAVE product for my day to day life. I always have to apply a nice layer to my lips & cuticle before I go to bed. It’s a ritual I have grown to love. I have so many flavors, but my favorites are the mint & the rose. The berry flavor, which is their newest launch, is one I’m dying to try out, however.
Time For Some Amazing Makeup Products!
Face
Ok, ok, ok…so in my Best & Worst Of Glossier post, I mentioned that I never got on with Cloud Paint. Well, this summer, everything changed. My “no makeup, makeup” routine now includes me mixing my Haloscope in Quartz with my Cloud Paint in the shade Dusk. I’ve been totally into this look recently & now I’m dying to try more shades! Maybe Puff? Which Cloud Paint shades are your favorites?
Another great face product I’ve been really into lately is the Niteshine in shade Pale Pearl. It blends easily & perfectly glows on the skin.
Eyes
Before we technically get into the eyes, I have to mention my one & only true love…the Boy Brow. I literally use this product daily & cannot leave the house without applying it. Next on my list…the Brow Flick! If you’ve tried it…tell me EVERYTHING!
For eyes, I’m really into the Colorslide liners. I have the shades Magic Carpet & Candyland, which is my favorite. these glide on the lid with ease & last all day! They are amazing & can someone please buy me one of each of the 14 incredible shades?
At my work, we like to have Sparkle Fridays & the Glitter Gelée is so much fun to wear on the lid. I have the shade Phantasm which has the coolest effect. It’s opalescent & catches the light in a really special way. Again, I’m dying to try the other 3 shades soon.
Lastly, for mascara, I’ve been wearing the Glossier Lash Slick on a daily basis. No joke, this is the ONLY mascara that doesn’t transfer or flake off during my entire work day. I am a professional ballet dancer, so I sweat, touch, & partner with other dancers for 8 hours a day, & I never have to worry about this mascara giving me any issues. A total lifesaver.
Lips
Generation G lipstick are just so so good. I love how you are able to build up the color as much as you want. The end result looks like a perfectly blotted lipstick that is long wearing & comfortable on the lips. I have the shades Cake & Crush & I wear them all the time. Totally worth the money.
The Glossier Lip Gloss is one of the juiciest & shiniest lip glosses I’ve ever tried. Now they have 3 shades that are all calling my name! Even Michelle Obama wears it!
Lately, I’ve been craving some beautiful & inspiring scenery. Traveling can be so life-giving, & since I’m staying in Richmond this summer, I’ve been determined to find that same feeling right here at home. There are so many beautiful things that surround us daily & I feel so lucky to live in such a cool city. But regardless of where we live, I’ll bet that if we make it our mission to open our eyes to seek the beauty around us, we just might find it. First stop, visiting a butterfly garden!
When it comes to exploring new places, my favorite travel companion is of course, Ben. Luckily, he had a day off when it wasn’t too terribly hot & it wasn’t raining, so we took a day date to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Our first priority on this trip was to see their “Butterflies LIVE” exhibit, but we also spent hours roaming through the colorful & incredible gardens.
The butterfly garden was totally magical! I saw some of the biggest & brightly colored butterflies I have ever seen. Occasionally, they would land on us which was just one of the coolest things ever! We just stood there, watching, in complete awe of these whimsical creatures flying about, eating, & exploring the garden around them. I was giddy! Since around April I had been wanting to come & experience this place, & it exceeded my expectations for sure.
Dressed For The Occasion
Chicwish very kindly gifted me this dress (which I picked out) & even before receiving it, I knew this was the dress I wanted to wear upon visiting the butterfly garden. It was even better in person & I fell in love (see my initial try on here). The whimsical botanical print is to die for along with the sweet buttons & feminine ruffles, this dress is too cute for words. These earrings matched this dress PERFECTLY!
I decided to go all out with the prints to carry on with my whimsical theme. This cute polka dot scarf tied in a bow on a floral bag…because sometimes more is more!
Halfway through our day trip, Ben & I sat on a bench & we realized that our looks were totally coordinated & were on theme with our surroundings! No doubt, he’s the man of my dreams!
Let’s be honest, we’ve all made bad decisions while shopping. Whether it’s spending too much on something, or buying something we don’t need or really even like, we’ve all been there. In an effort to stop making bad shopping decisions, I’ve put some new rules into practice to help make me a smart(er) shopper. Smart shopping means having more money in your bank account & a clear & curated wardrobe making putting outfits together a breeze.
First things first, before you go shopping, you first have to know what you actually have. I recommend going through your closet & taking a bit of inventory on the things you currently own. Having a good idea of what you already have will help you tremendously when trying to be a smarter shopper. This will help choose pieces that will fit seamlessly into your wardrobe.
Next is the fun part. It’s time to get inspired! I like to get my outfit inspiration from a few places: fashion blogs, Instagram, Pinterest, & my newest favorite, the LikeToKnow.it app, but you choose what inspires you the most. When you find an image or item that you like, save it, pin it, or screenshot it immediately to come back to when you’re about to shop.
Creating Wishlists
Finding images other places can be fun & inspiring, indeed, but let me tell you why using the LikeToKnow.it app might be the smartest decision when it comes to shopping. On this free app, you can follow fashion bloggers & influencers & see the exact items you’re inspired by right then & there. Not only can you see how much things cost, but you can also save items you love to wishlists within the app to come back to later! I’ve spent many hours doing this recently, because so many bloggers have been sharing amazing affordable options. You can also find all of my looks & exclusive content by following me (felixandflora) in the app.
You’re almost ready to go shopping! All you need to do now is make a list of items your wardrobe needs. Maybe that’s a classic trench coat, a LND, a pair of denim culottes, espadrilles, or some new accessories. Create your list of items & be specific. Think about the colors you want to look for that will go well with other items in your wardrobe. Knowing these specific details will make you a much smarter shopper. Now let’s go!
We’re Finally Shopping! Now What?
When you’re out shopping or even shopping online, & you find a piece you’re considering buying, it’s time for the interrogation process. Here are some questions to ask yourself: Is this the right color for my wardrobe? Will it flatter my body? & most importantly: Does this go with at least 2-3 other pieces in my wardrobe? If you can only think of one way to wear it with your current wardrobe, ditch it. You need versatile pieces that will ensure you’re making a smart decision by choosing to invest your money in them. If the pieces pass the interrogation, yippee! You’ve just added another lovely item into your wardrobe!
Immediately upon arriving home or receiving your items in the mail, TRY THEM ON! Not just alone, try them on with different pieces in your wardrobe & accessories. If you can’t make at least 2-3 different looks with them, send them back! Never be afraid to return items. In fact, the smartest shoppers return things frequently, because they only want to keep items in their wardrobes that bring them joy, inspiration, & versatility.
We are throwing it back to our honeymoon in Italy with these photos. We spent 2 full days on the beach eating pizza, swimming, & most of all, people watching. While lounging in total bliss, there are a few items in my beach bag that I found particularly useful. These things were easy to pack & made transitions before & after the beach a breeze.
For sunscreen, I like to use at least SPF 50 on my body, but on my face, I use my Coola Makeup Setting Spray with SPF 30. I’ve used this for years! It’s perfect to use & reapply whether you have makeup on or not. Also, on long days out in the sun, it’s so important to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, so have a large bottle on hand.
This bikini bag was given to me as a wedding gift, & man was it so useful! It was the perfect size to store our wet bathing suits without getting the rest of our things wet.
I knew I needed to take the next step in my blogging & content creating, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what that looked like. My husband must have been reading my mind when he suggested that I take over our office in order to create more possibilities for my business. He is the biggest supporter of my dreams. I am one lucky lady! After that conversation, I spent the next few weeks dreaming up what is now my beauty room! This space has already been so great for my blog & my creativity. I can’t wait to see all the possibilities that arise because of this dreamy space.
My Secret Garden
Seeing as though my brand’s name is Felix & Flora, I wanted this room to feel like a garden. My own secret garden. I do have some real plants, like the ones hanging in these gorgeous pots we got from our wedding registry, but I also added some faux garlands for more texture. The wisteria that frames the window reminds me of my trip to Charleston which gave me so much inspiration for this room. Another huge source of inspiration for me was my trip to Italy. I loved seeing how flowers, vines, & greenery dressed every nook & cranny. Therefore, I mixed a greenery garland with a white dogwood bloom garland to dress my wardrobe. I love how dreamy these garlands make the entire room feel. It’s amazing how being surrounded by flowers brings me so much joy.
Statement Pieces
The two biggest purchases necessary to complete my beauty room were my large mirror & my wooden wardrobe. I researched these pieces for quite some time searching for the best deals. My mirror was a must-have item so that I could share more try-ons & ootd pics more regularly. I found some really great offers on Wayfair & ended up purchasing mine during their semi-annual sale which saved me quite a bit of money. This wardrobe was perfect for my beauty room not only because of it’s amazing price, but for how sturdy it is. I love that it’s made of wood rather than metal giving it a more cozy vibe. The shelves on the side are great for extra storage as well as displaying some of my favorite accessories.
Other great pieces I’ve added to this room are my sheer curtains. They still let a lot of natural light in which I love & tie up in a bow for a romantic & feminine touch. My white floating shelf is now home to some of my daily beauty products, but it’s also great for shooting shelfies. I added some new art to the room like this whimsical blue & white piece that is currently on sale! Finding creative ways to hang & display things added my own personal touch on this room. It’s so me & I love love love it!
Room To Grow
This room is “finished” for now, but I already have ideas for the future! I want to paint the long wooden cubes white & cover the top with a really lovely botanical print like this one. Also, I want to add more plants to the room. There can never be enough! I’m really picky about rugs, but when I find the right one, I think a nice rug with navy accents in it & an emerald green pouf chair would go perfectly in my secret garden in the future.
