Sassy Southern Blonde

Favorite Makeup Products

September 27, 2016

Finding beauty products that actually work can be SO challenging sometimes. You read reviews that you think are ~~reliable~~, but then ending up disappointing you. I have finally gotten my daily makeup routine exactly how I want it to look, and the products I use solely contribute to that! I am so excited to share a review on the makeup I cannot live without!

Foundation: Estee Lauder ‘Double Wear’ Stay-in-Place Liquid Makeup

I used Clinique foundation for YEARS, but really wanted to try something new! This foundation is amazing and lasts all day with or without setting spray. It is definitely thicker, which is why it works! I use my beauty blender (obsessed) to smooth it out for a picture perfect finish!

Beauty Blender: Swissco Precision Blending Sponge

So. If there is one “brush” I think you *MUST* have, it is a beauty blender. I don’t know how anyone successfully puts makeup on without this. Whoever invented the beauty blender, THANK YOU! I use it mainly with my foundation, concealer, and blend my contour, but you can find a million uses for it! (Well maybe not quite that many, but you get my point)

Primer: Smashbox ‘Photo Finish’ Foundation Primer

I never used primer before trying Smashbox, but it makes a world of difference! It reduces my fine lines and pores to help my foundation not crease and to last even longer. Plus it makes my skin super soft!

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay ‘Naked2’ Palette

Amazing. Perfect. What else can I say? I have tried many brands of eyeshadows, but always go back to the Naked2 palette! You can create so many eye shadow combinations depending on where you’re going, what you’re wearing, etc. My favorite colors in this palette are ‘Bootycall’, ‘Pistol’ (great blending color), and ‘Blackout’.

PS: I use ‘Snakebite’ to fill in my eyebrows.. SO quick and easy!

Powder: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

Laura Mercier makeup never fails. Simple as that! I love how this powder is very light so it never looks cake-y and I can bake my under eye concealer just right. I also like lightly dusting it over my foundation once I’m finished with it!

Under Eye Concealer: Clinique All About Eyes Concealer

What works for some, does not always work for everyone, BUT this under eye concealer has consistently done the trick for me! It’s the perfect amount of thickness without overdoing it. Pair it with the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to bake and your under eyes are guaranteed to look on point!

Makeup Setting Spray: Urban Decay ‘All Nighter’ Long-Lasting Spray

One of my favorite makeup tips is quirting setting spray on your beauty blender after you have applied your foundation. Then, gently dab the beauty blender around your face to create a lighter, more dewey look that will last through the summer heat! LOVE!

Bronzer: Clinique ‘True Bronze’ Pressed Powder Bronzer

I actually don’t use a contour kit, I use this great bronzer to lightly contour my cheekbones and around my forehead! It always looks natural, and it’s super quick to do, which is great because I am constantly on-the-go!

Highlighter: Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter

This highlighter has a pink tone, but it looks sooo pretty when the light hits it! I dab a little (or a lot) on the top of my cheekbones and in the middle of my forehead. I wanted to try a more golden tone illuminator, so I just purchased this and I will definitely be reviewing it soon!

Mascara Primer: L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Primer

Sometimes, the best makeup can really be found at your local drugstore! This lash primer thickens my lashes and lengthens them to absorb the mascara better! I usually let it sit a few minutes before I apply my mascara to make sure I am making my lashes as long and thick as possible!

Mascara: CoverGirl The Super Sizer Fibers Mascara

And further proof anyone can find great products for cheaper prices! So I heard the great reviews on Too Faced’s ‘Better Than Sex’ mascara and I was NOT impressed. Maybe it’s the way my eyelashes are made, but they clumped up my lashes and it was not pretty! I decided to try CoverGirl’s new mascara, and I fell in love. The bristles on the brush are very small, so they lengthen really well! Plus the brush on this mascara makes tackling the bottom lashes easy! And we all know the brush makes or breaks the mascara regardless of the price!

Eyeliner: Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eyeliner

I am SO SO picky about my eyeliner.. If anything has to be perfect, it is my eyeliner! This brand has made it easy to apply smooth lines and not cause smudges throughout the day!

Lipstick/Lipliner/Lipgloss (YAY): Yves Saint Laurent ‘Rouge Pur Couture’ Lipstick / MAC ‘Pro Longwear’ Lip Pencil / Estee Lauder ‘Pure Color Envy’ Gloss

YALL. This color combination is EVERYTHING. I have started wearing more of a neutral lip just because I like the natural look it has, so this set has been my go-to for months! Yes, the lipstick is definitely a splurge, but it is 100% worth it!

I am obsessed with these beauty products, and highly recommend trying them out! All the makeup is linked above. Have a great rest of the week!

XOXO

Kels

How to Work Summer Colors into Fall

September 20, 2016

Happy Wednesday Y’all!

Of course, my favorite transitional trend that I have been wearing nonstop is still lightweight sweaters and cutoff shorts. (See my similar post here from a few weeks ago!) I love incorporating summer styles like shorts and fall favorites like sweaters to create a perfect outfit to handle Mississippi’s “fall weather” or lack thereof. I also think buying sweaters that are unusual colors for the cool weather end up standing out the most! To me, pastel shades like lavender, pale pink, and powder blue are always the prettiest sweaters and give such a sweet, feminine vibe. They are unexpected pieces and are sure to set you apart from all the neutral colors that start blending together after a while. Not that I don’t love a great taupe sweater, but it can be boring without cute accessories! I am all about bright colors (if y’all haven’t noticed haha) so styling this lavender Urban Outfitters sweater with turquoise accessories just felt right. The turquoise pops against the subtle lavender, so I am certain y’all will be seeing this color combination again very soon! My Free People cutoffs (best. shorts. ever.) and Steve Madden heels (I scored these on sale) complete the look! I linked my outfit and some other pastel sweaters I love in the carousel below. Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Kels

[su_carousel source=”media: 498,500,508,502,504,507,501,506,505,503″ link=”custom” target=”blank” width=”760″ height=”320″ title=”no”]

Breaking the Rules: White After Labor Day

September 13, 2016

I never understood why fashion experts said you couldn’t wear white after Labor Day. Sure, white is definitely more of a summer color, but the fall style combinations for white clothing are pretty endless. I think there are limitations to breaking the rule, though! You probably do not want to be walking around wearing white shorts with white shoes in December, but white skinnies are do-able with a fall colored sweater, like burgundy or black, and cute booties. Or that white top you just bought in an end-of-summer sale? Throw a grey cardigan over it with classic denim skinnies unless you want to be trendy and pair with olive moto jeggings instead! White sweaters also look amazing with any color/style jean.. I am currently picturing the 70s wide leg jeans with a cream cowl neck sweater and a sleek pony tail! Unfortunately, it’s still too hot for any type of sweater, but a girl can dream right?!

With Mississippi State football in full force, wearing white outfits on designated game days have been the perfect opportunity to add some burgundy (or maroon) details to make any look fall ready! I found this romper (the skort style is adorable) on one of my favorite online boutiques, but it was out of stock. After lots of searching, I finally figured out the brand (Moon River) and luckily, they sell retail merchandise from their website too! The abstract burgundy detailing makes the romper a solid transitional piece for fall even though it is white. I added burgundy accessories like my hat and Kendra Scott earrings to make sure the outfit lost any summer vibe. My favorite Vince Camuto booties (from last year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale) also helped accomplish that.

With the right pieces, wearing white can totally be acceptable to rock after Labor Day! If you are still not convinced, Emily Post actually approves of this reinvented fashion rule. And she’s the queen of proper etiquette! Shop my look plus a few of my favorite white pieces below.

XOXO

Kels

*Special thanks to Alise for the post idea and Karly for the photography*

[su_carousel source=”media: 465,466,464,463,462,460,461″ link=”custom” target=”blank” width=”760″ height=”320″ title=”no”]

Curtsy App + Hot Pink Maxi

September 6, 2016

I hope everyone had an amazing Labor Day! Some tough losses happened this weekend over here in the SEC, but I am hoping this doesn’t set the tone for the rest of our season. The good news is that it is already Tuesday, so at least we are one day closer to another football weekend. Hail State!

So I wanted to share a little more about Curtsy (I know y’all have seen it all over my Facebook) and how amazing the app is. I have been the Campus Director for Mississippi State since April, and I have loved every minute of it! Curtsy is an app that allows college girls to post their dresses for other fashionistas to rent at their school. It is the PERFECT app to make some quick and easy cash from your own closet. I know I have several dresses (and rompers too) that haven’t been touched since the date party or game day I wore them to! The best part is the unbelievable designer dresses already on the app like MLV and Parker, so you are sure to find a beautiful, high quality piece for a very small price. Basically, Curtsy was designed by some awesome #GirlBosses who happened to be college girls themselves when they created the app and know exactly what y’all want! (BTW: They have an “Oh Sh*t” policy if anything were to happen to your fave dress, so no worries here!)

Y’all better download Curtsy ASAP because having the first pick is always the best! You can also borrow this pretty pink maxi I am wearing for a casual vacay look or a dressy date night. Just check out my profile on the app!

XOXO

Kels

Pretty Long Sleeves + Cute Cut Offs

August 27, 2016

Happy Saturday Ya’ll!

September is right around the corner, and stores are constantly releasing their beautiful fall merchandise daily. From grey skinny jeans to off-the-shoulder sweaters, limiting my online shopping to only the fall necessities lately has been ridiculously hard. (I cannot wait to show y’all the great fall pieces I have bought though!) The Mississippi heat is the main reason I have been restricting myself to buying only transitional pieces that can be worn now and layered later. Right now, my absolute favorite combination is long sleeve tops and cut off shorts! I love adding my chunky Marc Fisher wedges to dress the outfit up, or throwing on my Vince Camuto booties (one of my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchases) for a more casual look. I found this embroidery cold shoulder top at Revolve. (best online shopping no doubt) The top has such fun summer colors, but the sleeves make it a wonderful transition piece for the fall paired with dark denim later on! Don’t get me wrong, I love the rich autumn colors like burgundy and grey, but my obsession with bright colors only gets worse during the winter months, so I have to take advantage of them while I can! Everything is linked above, along with similar tops and shorts in the carousel below.

XOXO

Kels

[su_carousel source=”media: 340,343,346,344,341,347,345,342″ link=”custom” target=”blank” height=”220″ title=”no”]