How is it almost September? It still feels like August 1st! It’s been a while since I dedicated the time to my Tuesday Template series, but it’s also only been recently that we’ve begun getting out of the apartment again. July was a crazy-busy month for us, and I’m so glad it’s over. A lot of our free time in August has been used to recuperate and just get in the relaxation we didn’t get last month. With that being said, I’ve been sure to take my camera with me now that we’ve been venturing out a little bit more!

We’ve been heading into Birmingham these past two weekends, and even though it’s close to home, it’s still a sweet treat for us. I hadn’t been to any thrift stores in the area at all, so I’ve been exploring those and I’ve found some pretty great stuff I’m excited to share with you guys in a future post. Besides thrifting, we’ve been getting back into Andrew’s brewery roots and have been frequenting our favorite spots.

When we’re not out of town, I’ve been reading my way through the stack of books I picked up in Albuquerque. I’ve been pretty homesick lately, so reading anything that even remotely reminds me of home makes the heartache a little more bearable. Last week’s read was Frida Kahlo: An Open Life by Raquel Tibol. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and took it with me everywhere we went. It was a pretty dense read— very reminiscent of scholarly papers. This week I picked up Beverly Donofrio’s Looking for Mary: Or, the Blessed Mother and Me. I’m not Catholic, nor did I grow up Catholic (or religious, for that matter), but this book reads in such a way that that detail is moot. This book is making me feel so many things, and bringing up so many unrealized feelings and emotions. I don’t think it was an accident that I chose to pick up this book— or better— that this book came into my life when it did. 

And finally, something that I’m particularly proud of: last week marked the second week that we’ve been working out consistently. We’ve been going to the gym 4-5 times per week and also taking a day or two out of the gym to do some outdoor running. We’d been out of the gym for over a month and coming back was hard, but feels great. And now that we have two solid weeks under our belt (going on our third), it’s exciting to actually see and feel yourself making progress. Not only am I feeling great physically, but working out consistently has also silenced my harsh inner critic. I can’t be too hard on myself when I’m making consistent steps towards my goals.

I start my new job on Monday after the longest pre-employment period I’ve ever been through, and I’m so excited for it! What have you guys been up to recently? Is there anything you’re looking forward to? Let me know!

While I do update my wardrobe often, decor is one of my favorite things to shop for. So much of my apartment is made up of thrifted, kitschy, perfect little items that make our space feel like home, and I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you guys. Maybe you'll get some ideas for yourselves!

The largest piece of secondhand furniture I’ve purchased to date is my desk chair. When I came across this chair back in March, I was dead-set on a very particular style that I wanted our apartment to have. I knew immediately that this chair wouldn’t fit my vision, but I also knew the chair had to be mine. In that moment I accepted that our apartment wasn’t going to be Pinterest perfect, but instead an eclectic mix that only we could call home. At a whopping $4.99, I still consider this one of my biggest wins.

Seeing wicker and woven accessories styled in some of my favorite bloggers’ homes really inspired me to stop overlooking the massive section just about every thrift store has dedicated to it. I’ve found everything from a makeshift magazine rack, to a place to hold all my polishes, to a compartmentalized organizer for our coffee table, and the list goes on. And because they’re all fairly similar, our apartment looks a little more pulled together!

I made this picnic basket my makeshift magazine rack while I find the perfect one!

I’m still pretty picky about what goes on our walls. I love a good minimalist wall, with only touches of color. I’m still on the lookout for things to fill the open spots with, but I have found a couple of keepers. If you guys know me irl, you’ll know I love all animals and critters— especially raccoons. The frame that was already fitted on this was also a perfect fit for the apartment. This little guy makes me smile every time I’m at my desk.

Finally, probably the easiest things to find at thrift stores: coffee mugs, kitschy figurines, and all of those misc. items that are sitting on the shelf, waiting for their new home. Small dishes are so easy to come by, and come in a variety of unique designs.

Probably the most cliched item on this list: metal trays for perfume and makeup. These keep my everyday makeup in check and my perfumes all in one place. It’s funny to think that this small boundary of a tray keeps me from making a mess, but it works.

Hi guys! It’s been a while since I’ve done a monthly favorites post, so I thought June would be the perfect time to update it! 

Starting off with eye products, the Alamar Reina del Caribe Vol. 1 eyeshadow palette has been my go-to recently. I received it in this month’s Boxycharm and have been using it ever since. I love the warm neutrals, which as you guys know, are right up my alley. But it’s the other colors in this palette that forced me to get out of my own comfort zone. I’ve been able to play around more confidently with more daring colors that I would have never even considered. On days where I’m wearing minimal makeup — hello southeastern summer — i’ll wear Coco Taxi by itself in my crease and blend it out. More daring days or occasions will have me dipping into Varadero and Celia. 

The other eyeshadow palette that’s been giving me life lately is the Morphe 3502 Second Nature palette. Don’t ask me about my favorite shades, because I wouldn’t be able to tell you. This is the only eyeshadow palette I took with me when we went on our DC trip. It’s pretty large, and definitely not travel sized, but it was perfect for a longer trip. I had every conceivable shade I could need, what more could I have asked for? (A mirror, probably, haha).

I almost always have a mascara to talk about in makeup posts, and this month is no different. I got this sample sized Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara and am so in love with it. It has an hourglass shaped wand, much like Loreal’s Lash Paradise and Too Faced’s Better than Sex. I love everything about it— the formula, the application, its performance. Even though this is a sample size, it’s really gone a long way and still has more to give.

I’m always so drawn to lip and eye products, that I sometimes completely neglect complexion products. In the time since I’ve last posted about makeup, I’ve been introduced to a few different products that I’m loving. While I do try and prime my face, the primers I’ve had in the past haven’t done too well on me. For one reason or another, I ultimately stopped using them altogether. Then, I found the Cover FX Blurring Primer. It’s the exact consistency I was looking for and wears really well under my makeup. I don’t have to worry about it changing the color or finish of my foundation.

I've really been loving NYX lately and in keeping with that trend, I purchased their matte finish setting spray after hearing enough people rave about it on YouTube. It’s not a new product, but the setting spray I’d been using is “illuminating” and was overpowering on my face. I was starting to look like the tin man every time I used it. The spray is really gentle coming out of the bottle and covers a wide area in one spritz. I’d wear this while working doubles on some of the busiest days at work, and it held up perfectly.

I’ve never been much of a concealer person, but I thought I’d give the Wet n’ Wild Photofocus Concealer a shot. I got it in the shade light ivory to brighten up my under-eye area. I love love love this stuff. I don’t use it every day, especially right now that it’s officially summertime in the south. But when I do, I can count on it to not crease and stay in place all day. Plus, it’s really, really inexpensive. 

Can you tell I really like the NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana? I’ve gotten a few powder contour & highlight palettes in the past and the banana shade is always the first to hit pan. I have light olive skin and the first two shades are perfect for setting my foundation. I finally went out and just purchased a standalone powder and I haven’t looked back.

I’ve used (and have fallen in love with) The BrowGal products before and have loved them. So when I received The Insta-tint (in brown hair 02), I was really excited. This quickly made its way to the top of my list. It instantly replaced my Glossier Boy-Brow. While I love the Boy Brow, the formula could get a little too thick, too quickly (at least for me). The insta-tint has a great formula that can be built up in the places that need it, while still looking natural. Its wand applicator is out of this world. It’s fairly thin and longer than I’ve typically seen on brow products, and it has just a little bit of give, so it’s not completely stiff. This makes application effortless and quick. Even on my no-makeup days, I’m probably wearing this on my brows.

Now I’ll mention a few products that never really stand out to me or that even come to mind when gathering my monthly favorites: beauty tools. If I can sometimes neglect completion products, then I completely ignore brushes. I know, I know. But when I find one I like, I never really look for anything else. Then I got these two brushes over the course of a couple of months in Boxycharm subscriptions. The Aesthetica p12 brush is perfect for bronzer, while I use the Luxie 522 tapered highlighter for… highlight. The Aesthetica brush initially threw me off. I didn’t know what to use it for because of its shape and density. (You guys have to keep in mind that I don’t know much about brushes.) Then I saw an unboxing video where they used it as for bronzer and it clicked. I’ve used so many brushes in the past to apply bronzer/contour and have had to adopt certain techniques to get them to work. This one just works. The way it’s supposed to, and without any sort of compromise.The same can be said about the Luxie. 

Bullet lipsticks took a backseat for a while when the liquid lipstick craze began. I admit that I fell into the trend, but my lips were suffering. I missed the ease of application and the forgiveness bullet lipsticks provide. I am happy to announce that my love of matte lips and non-drying formulas has made it onto my vanity. Here are some of the ones I’m most excited about. 

And finally, I thought I’d throw in some of my favorite non-makeup related products. The first is the Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen with SPF 55. I’m always really scared to try out sunscreens because I’ve had a few of them break me out and/or never set— rendering makeup application impossible. This one sets to a soft primer-like finish, and wears incredibly under makeup. And actually, if I do wear makeup over this, I don’t even bother with my primer. I know this isn’t cruelty free, but I was in a pinch and couldn’t find any CF sunscreens I was happy with.

And now for my favorite hair discovery of the year. This is the Trader Joe’s She Butter & Coconut Oil hair mask. This mask works extremely well with my hair, and the results are evident. But what really makes this stand out is that the application time is only 3-5 minutes. I’ve had masks that require 10, 15, or 25 minutes in your hair. That leaves me looking for ways kill time. But 3-5 minutes it totally doable. And the results are something I haven’t seen since using the Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment, which sits pretty at $43. This Trader Joe’s hair mask? Around $5, available in stores.

I hope you guys enjoyed this month’s favorites. I know that most of these products were nothing new, but they’re what I’ve been loving at the moment. What products have you guys been into lately? Also, if you know of any good cruelty-free sunscreens, let me know!

I've been focusing on simplicity and practicality lately. After adjusting ourselves back into our day-to-day lives, I really didn’t have any energy leftover for much else. I’ve been going sans makeup since we got back, so I’ve been putting extra emphasis on my skincare. Late last year I went out and purchased several things from The Ordinary after giving in to the hype. I loved them, but left them untouched when I began testing other products. After sitting on my beauty shelf for some time, I’ve finally picked them up again and am more in love than ever. I’m actually about to place an order for their 100% plant-derived squalane and their caffeine solution 5% + EGCG. Other things I’ve been dipping my toes into lately are new nail polish colors. I love a good red, but I’m trying to branch out a little more. OPI’s Tiramisu for Two and I Am what I Amethyst quickly caught my eye, as did Essie’s Gel Couture in Style Stunner. I know Style Stunner is basically a bright red (it's technically classified as a coral), but I can't resist!

I’ve been gone from my last job for over a week now and it’s been quite an adjustment. The first couple of days didn’t feel like anything special, it felt like I had a couple of days off, like I do every week. But as the week went on, it slowly started sinking in. For a while, it felt like I was gonna get in trouble for not showing up for several days straight. In all seriousness, I can tell a definite improvement in my overall mood. I'm loving the fact that we can see family and friends like we weren't able to before because while everyone else was enjoying their weekend, we were working all day.

Because I've had so much time off, I've been organizing and cleaning the apartment to make it look like we've actually settled in. I've recommitted myself to the gym, and it's been going pretty great these last two weeks. I've had a rollercoaster relationship with my gym attendance. I'll go really consistently and begin seeing results, and then something will happen that will get me to stop. I have a good feeling about this time, though! Andrew's Nana was kind enough to grab me some vanilla Premier Protein on one of their Costco trips and I'm mixing it with matcha powder for perfect green tea latte goodness. It's a nice change from the chocolate flavors I typically use.

Currently reading:

It's pretty odd being at home most of the time, and I'm still trying to get over the guilt I feel about so many things. But I'm slowly letting myself relax and take a deep breath that I haven't been able to take in a long, long time. Next up: finally finishing school. And I finally have the time to figure out how exactly I'll make that happen. 

I know I haven't been consistent about this series that I really wanna make work, but it's been a bumpy couple of weeks since my first template went up while on vacation. I promise I'm gonna try really hard to make this a weekly, or at least bi-weekly thing!

Thank you guys so much for reading, and be sure to check back for more soon!