For us, one of the best things about being away at the beach, or being on vacation. anywhere. period, is the time that we get to spend alone with our hubz. We're gonna do our best not to get all sap-tastic on y'all today, but we're both incredibly lucky girls who have found our happily ever afters and sometimes there's no stronger craving than the one we have to spend some quality time with our guys. Vacations where we can get away, for an entire week, a day or even just an evening, are prime opportunities to sit back, enjoy each other's company and withdraw from the daily rat race that pulls us in a million different directions. So for today's Friday's Fancies, we styled an outfit for a nice night out on the town with the hubz while at the beach, mountains, city or wherever you land. The most important thing, is just being together.
And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!
Today we're super excited to share an amazing giveaway with you guys, generously offered to us from the fine ladies over at Shabby Apple! Enter below for your chance to win a $75 gift card!! We remember back when Shabby Apple first hit the scene...we instantly fell in love with their adorable dresses and unique pieces of jewelry. Here are just a few things topping our Shabby Apple wish lists these days...
To see our May Empties video, please click here. Drop us a comment to let us know what products you've finished up recently and whether or not you'd buy 'em again!
Our most recent Girl's Night Out Event with Sephora at Regency Square was held this past Sunday, June 24th...which was almost a year since our very first GNO event (recap of first event here and recap of December event here). And we have to say that these events just keep getting better and better! They say that the third times a charm and we can agree with that!! We had an amazing night!
We were thrilled that so many of our fellow RVA bloggers joined us for the event. If you don't know these fabulous women, then we urge you to go and check them out immediately!
We also wanted to say a special thank you to our new friend Anita who so generously brought us each a bottle of the St Tropez Gradual Tan that she and her sister were not able to use. Thank you so much!! That was so sweet and we promise that we will be putting them to good use!
Of course, no Sephora event would be complete without us doing our fair share to make the night a success, so a MAJOR HAUL video is to come!! :-) We can't wait for you guys to see what we walked away with at the end of the night...many of our wish list items were fulfilled! Our schedules are hectic for the next week or so, but we promise that we'll get it filmed and posted as soon as possible.
Thank you to each and every person who came out to attend the event, including our wonderful family, friends and co-workers. You all have a special place in our hearts! The Sephora associates that staffed the event, including our wonderful liaison Meagan, were phenomenal as always and make the event such a pleasurable experience. We also want to thank Josh from Hourglass, Jennifer from Bumble and bumble and Meredith from Urban Decay. They were dishing brand knowledge on everyone and even performed on the spot makeovers and tutorials. We appreciate you guys taking time out of your busy schedules to come into town for our GNO event.
And lastly, to those of you who weren't able to attend due to the many, many miles between you and Richmond, we can't express in words how much your continued support of HLNC means to us...you're all the BEST!!
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads MAC Zoom Lash Mascara
MAC Lipglass in Blessedly Rich
Jayme's Rediscovered Products
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20 in 50 Soft Beige MAC Fix+ MAC False Lashes Mascara
Makeup Forever Lab Shine Lipgloss in S2
What have you guys "rediscovered" lately? It's oddly fun to "shop" our own makeup collection. :-) If you missed our first rediscovered video, then please click here.
Thanks for watching!!
And PS ~ We had a wonderful time at our Sephora event last night! We'll have a full recap up tomorrow with lots of photos.
Stop us any day of the week and ask us what one of our favorite trends is and you'll be guaranteed that one of us is going to say color blocking. And we got so lucky, because for today's Friday's Fancies {av} invited us to a block party...a COLOR BLOCKING party that is! We got so inspired that we needed to show you three different boards all about color blocking. There's sure to be something for everyone, whether it be a dress, top or even a bag! Hope you enjoy!
And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!
We are thrilled to announce the winner of our most recent DG Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pads for Body. Congratulations to Darlene Bourgeois! We will be sending out your package soon. Can't wait to hear what you think!
As most of you probably know, we started our Polish Of The Month posts back in August as seen here and we love showcasing a special polish or polishes (because sometimes two is better than one) every single month. There are so many awesome polishes out there that they really do deserve their own post! So without further adieu, we bring you...
June Polish Of The Month
Mendi's Pick - Joe Fresh Nail Polish in Lilac
Jayme's Pick - Joe Fresh Nail Polish in Mint
We received our Joe Fresh Polishes from Melissa at Sigh...Gush...Gasp for the Secret Blogger Swap last month (you can see that post here). These are our first Joe Fresh polishes and we've been really happy with the quality so far.
Now it's your turn! Drop us a comment to let us know what polish(es) have been residing on your digits and piggies this month!
As we've mentioned in past Beauty Battles, the purpose of these videos is for each of us to try out the same product, then keep our opinions to ourselves until we can share our thoughts with each other while the camera is rolling. Today we bring you a battle on the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips and this one is a little different because we decided to try it out at the same time (in Mendi's bathroom) but we didn't talk about the strips during the application or the 10-15 minute waiting period. Then, as you will see, we hopped back in front of the camera and gave our opinions. Enjoy!
We purchased ours at CVS and with all of the coupons we had we paid next to nothing to try these. Approx $7.99 USD.
We'd LOVE to know if you have tried these recently or if they are in your weekly skincare routine. Please drop us a comment and let us know. Thanks for watching!
P.S. If you didn't see our last Beauty Battle featuring Impress Press-On Manicures then click here!
Exciting news first...head on over to Two Smuppies today to see where our pups (all five of them) are making their guest posting debut!! It would mean the world to us if you'd show them a little love. ;-) They think they're quite the celebrities now. It'll take three months to get their heads out of the clouds. #puppybloggerswithbigegos
We also have photos of our June Birchbox(es) to share with you guys. We received our boxes the end of last week, so we're knee deep in trying everything out. Notes to follow after pics...
Mendi's Birchbox:
By Terry Creme de Rose Nutri-Lift Comfort Cream: I'm not head over heels for the scent. Roses are gorgeous to look at, but their smell can give me a headache. Putting a rose scented cream on my face is a little too close to my sniffer.
By Terry Light Expert #2 Perfecting Foundation: Am I the only one that thought there was going to be some sort of brush thingie-ma-bob inside of the package?? Yes? Oh well. The foundation itself is OK. I received the shade Light Apricot & it's definitely a "peachy" shade. It blends in nicely though. I'll definitely use these samples up, but $62 for a full-size foundation?!? I think not.
Eyeko Fat Eye Stick: I received the shade Petrol Blue, which is a nice cobalt-ish shade. I wore it to work last Friday & it wore really well throughout the day. I simply used the stick along my upper lash line, then blended it out with a blender brush. I've added this to my arsenal of eye liners / shadow pencils.
Joya Ames Souers Parfum: I really, really like this scent! As soon as I removed the cap, the first thing that popped into my head is "this smells like Lush!" And you guys know that we're some Lush lovers. I'm keeping this in my bag for a little hint of fragrance on the go. Definitely one of my favorite perfume samples so far from Birchbox!
theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen: My first theBalm product!! I've used this over the past couple of days as a cheek and a lip stain and I like it. As a cheek stain, it blends nicely with my blush and it isn't an overwhelming amount of color. (The bright red intensity of the color in the tube skeered me a little at first.) And as a lip stain, I've used it in the mornings just before I leave home. I have noticed that the color fades within a couple of hours and after eating and drinking, but all in all, I'll keep using it.
Jayme's Birchbox:
beauty blender-beauty cleanser: Now I don't use or even own a beauty blender but that's OK because this cleanser also works on brushes. This is the perfect size bottle for traveling so I'm going to take this with me on my upcoming vacation so I can keep my brushes clean while I'm away.
Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive: I can't wait to try out these tanning towelettes but am going to wait until the weekend just in case the color is too "intense". I usually like to try out self-tanners on a weekend. That way if I have a tanning mishap then I won't scare anyone but my hubby!
Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect: This is already in m my pile of stuff to be packed for vacation. It's the perfect size and it says that it protects from UV rays and helps with frizzies. I'm going to need all the help I can get!
theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen: See Mendi's description above. I do want to try more products from theBalm too!
Birchbox Man - John Varvatos Star USA: Now this smells pretty good but why oh why do perfume/cologne companies still send samples in those little vials that don't have a spray? This means that my hubby won't use it and I don't normally use perfume samples unless they have a spray cap. Maybe I'm spoiled...
After all of that Birchbox talk, don't forget...head over to Two Smuppies to see our "Her Late Night Puppies" guest post!! While Jes is away vacationing in Asia, our dog pound is holding it down.
Avobath Bath Bomb Dragon's Egg Ballistic Bath Bomb Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon Creamy Candy Bubble Bar Phoenix Rising Bath Bomb Green Bubbleroon Godiva Solid Shampoo Space Girl Bath Bomb (sorry I called it Galaxy Girl) Sunny Side Bubble Bar (it's all over my chest in this video!) Sandstone Soap Trichomania
The Comforter Bubble Bar
Lovely Jubblies Breast Cream
Clothing & Accessories Purchased
Juicy Couture Sunglasses Charmy Necklace - on sale now for $25.00
Madewell Braided Friendship Bracelet
Madewell Arrowhead Earrings
Zara Neo-Navajo Embroidered Shirt
Zara Leopard Print Shirt
For more information about each of these products, visit the LUSH website here. If you have a favorite thing from LUSH, drop us a comment to let us know. And if you are in the DC area stop into the Georgetown LUSH and tell Eric that we sent you!
If you missed Part I then click here to see Mendi's LUSH haul.
And if you don't know Kassie then please go and check out her YouTube channel: ShadesOfKassie. She is fabulous and we just love watching her videos!
The first fifteen days of the month are behind us, which means that I have a major photo dump to share with y'all today! We're loving the monthly photo challenges put on by Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim and that they encourage us to document a little bit of each and every one of our days. Summer is in full swing, which means that we're spending as much time outdoors as possible, eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and hitting the gym hard. Vacations are upon us, people. How about you??
Anyhoo, here's a little insight into my first half of June...
day 1 -- morning
My morning routine is incomplete without my makeup. These are my products that I reach for daily.
day 2 -- empty
An empty cup that held my favorite chocolate milk. I am literally over the moon for this Over the Moon fat-free chocolate goodness. It's my daily treat. If you can find this in your local grocery store, try it, it's delish!!!
day 3 -- on your plate
Lunch at Serendipity 3 in Georgetown (pre-BloggerBlitz). Jayme & I split a club sandwich and a few fries.
day 4 -- close-up
We had breakfast in Georgetown on an adorable patio tucked away in an alley at Kafe Leopold's off of M Street. The breakfast was wonderful and these gorgeous flowers were everywhere.
day 5 -- sign
Photo FAIL. Whomp whomp.
day 6 -- hat
Target's collaboration with The Webster has been teasing me in the worst way possible. If I were beach bound this summer, this floppy hat would be mine.
day 7 -- drink
Unsweet tea. 50 bonus points to anyone who knows where this cup is from. ;)
day 8 -- six o'clock
Boring, I know, but where I can be found at 6pm Monday through Friday. Venturing home on my 45 minute commute.
day 9 -- your view today
This is what weekends are made of.
day 10 -- best bit of your weekend
Watching this goofball doing what she loves most. Love that girl!
day 11 -- door
Inside of my front door at home. That's one of the book page wreaths that I've made.
day 12 -- from a low angle
A bug's eye view of our mailbox, surrounded by marigolds and a climbing mandevilla.
day 13 -- art
FAIL again. What?!? I blame it on Hump Day.
Ever since reading the sweet Jess of Lovely Little Things' post about the benefits of drinking lemon water, I've started to incorporate a glass of warm lemon water into my daily water intake. To check out her post, just click here (and tell her that Mendi sent ya). ;)
That's a wrap! Sorry I dropped the ball on days 5 & 13...I'll do better next month...I promise! Let us know if you're getting down with Fat Mum Slim's June Photo-a-Day challenge. Jayme will share her photos from Days 16-30 at the end of the month. I hope that all of you are having a wonderful weekend!!
Friday is our favorite part of the week and not just because it's the kickoff to the weekend, but because it's Friday's Fancies time!! And this week the lovely {av} tasked us with recreating a certain outfit that we have been crushing on...meaning that we could add a little dash of HLNC-style and really make our "crush" our own. We found this recent photo of Jessica Alba at the airport looking fabulous and knew that this would be our outfit inspiration. Now let us just say that we don't walk the airport runways looking like Ms Alba, but this outfit serves as perfect motivation for us to step up our game while traveling (normally we are in yoga pants and cute sneakers). A few ways in which we remixed her outfit: a bolder printed scarf (we have a scarf addiction and would love to add this one to our collection), a large handbag that has a cross-body strap (a must-have), a smaller style fedora (we think ours is cuter) and really comfortable yet stylish wedges (no way in the world are we wearing heels on a plane). Just a few simple ways to amp up our airport ensembles. Hope you enjoy!
And PS ~ We are guest posting today for our friend Meg over at Henning Love. She let us put together a Friday's Fancies for her while she is on vacay. Stop by and say hi! And if you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!
Alpha Beta® Glow Pad for Body is the only exfoliating & anti-aging self-tanner with Active Vitamin D that firms, smoothes bumpy skin, and helps reduce hair growth. This unique formula is delivered through a textured towel to enhance body exfoliation & increase cell turnover while Active Vitamin D provides a natural glow. Capislow™ helps reduce shaving frequency by minimizing hair texture, length, & growth. AHAs tackle bumpy skin (Keratosis Pilaris) for a smooth, even application while naturally-derived BHAs address body acne & breakouts. Microencapsulated DHA and Soy Proteins deliver color deep into skin to prevent fading. Discover all the benefits of a bonified body treatment, while achieving a natural-looking, streak-free tan.
BENEFITS:
• Exfoliates with AHAs to help smooth bumpy skin
• Provides natural glow with Active Vitamin D
• Firms with potent Antioxidants & Caffeine
• Helps minimize shaving frequency with Capislow™
KEY INGREDIENTS:
• Glycolic Acid Reduces visible signs of aging
• Lactic Acid A naturally-occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acid that helps speed up cell renewal
• Willow Bark Extract Clears pores & also exfoliates; natural alternative to Salicylic Acid
• Soy Protein Kick-starts collagen production and ensures a more natural hue for rich, long-lasting color
• Vitamins A, C, E Potent antioxidants that prevent collagen breakdown
• Vitamin B Helps reduce pore size and provides wound healing
• Vitamin D Helps relieve dry skin, itching & flaking; makes other vitamins work better
• Phospholipids Natural substance that draws moisture from the air & seals it into the skin
USAGE DIRECTIONS:
Open towel & apply to body in circular motions, blending evenly until dry. Wash hands immediately after use. For best results, follow with moisturizer. Color begins to develop within 1 hour of application. Apply 2-3 times weekly to maintain color & maximize results.
It should come as no surprise to you guys that we have major "cravings" that come and go. Sometimes we indulge ourselves and give in to our cravings, while other times the craving just comes and goes. We thought it might be fun to occasionally share our current cravings, so that you all know what things are on our mind and what's pulling at our heartstrings.
We're so excited to announce the winner of our "1000 YouTube Subscriber GIVEAWAY". Congratulations to Jackie Alsum!! She has been a wonderful subscriber/blog follower/Twitter friend since the beginning of HLNC and we were so pleased when her name popped up as the winner of our Summer Essentials prize pack. Jackie, we hope you enjoy your goodies and thanks again for all of your support!!
Now for all of you that live in the US, there will be another giveaway posting later this week. Wait...what? Yep, you read that right, so stay tuned as we are a little giveaway crazy right now!! Guess the summer heat is getting to us!
Now on to more exciting news...
Details about our Sephora & HLNC Girls Night "Around the World" Event
We just wanted to update all of our friends that are joining us the evening of the 24th at the Regency Square Sephora. There will be some fabulous raffle prizes, including one-on-one makeover sessions complete with a $50 gift card. (And who doesn't love to be pampered a little and then shop for beauty products?) :-)
You guys have probably noticed that this event has an "Around The World" theme. Our Sephora store has incredibly talented makeup artists ready to create some looks from across the globe. There will be a Hawaiian/Tahitian/Tropical look, an Asian-inspired look with precise eyeliner and nice contouring and also a Middle-Eastern look complete with beautiful jewel tones. The store is planning to have some color takeaway cards of these looks so that you guys can recreate these looks at home. And on top of the fabulous Sephora team, there will also be a few brand representatives there to help you with your needs and to tell you about their newest and best products. Our friend Josh Collier from Hourglass (who attended last time) will be there, as well as a representative from Urban Decay and Bumble & Bumble.
It's going to be a great event and we are looking forward to seeing all of our friends there!! And, there's still time to RSVP. Just email us and let us know you would like to come and we will add you to the list!
For more information about each of these products, visit the LUSH website here. If you have a favorite thing from LUSH, drop us a comment to let us know.
It has been way too long since we posted a "Love it or Leave it", but we've found a new product at Sephora that has totally piqued our interests. For those of you with oilier skin that have to blot during the spring and summer months, there is now a blotting paper that also delivers a little color. Each set of three sheets contains one that is considered a bronzer, one that is a blush and one that is an illuminizer.
What it is: A shimmer sheet trio to create a myriad of different looks.
What it does: Get a hint of rosy color, add subtle highlights, and blot away excess oil in a flash with this convenient set. The blush sheets come with a pretty, peachy-pink shade and the highlighting sheets can be applied with or without foundation for flattering results. The mattifying sheets remove oil for on-the-go control. The travel-friendly pack means you can easily stash these innovative and effective sheets in your purse for touch-ups anytime and anywhere.
Retails USD: $16.00 (3x30 Sheets)
What do you guys think? Do you think this will work? We both have more normal to dry skin, but find these interesting. We're so curious at what color these little sheets actually do provide. It might be something great to toss in your purse or gym bag. We hope you'll drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts! It's always so much fun reading what you guys think!
This past week, we were asked about our favorite summer staple wardrobe piece. Our first inclination was to go with a cute pair of wedges or a bright sundress, but it got us thinking...what is one singular piece of clothing that is in constant rotation in our summer ensembles?? And the answer was obvious. A simple white tank. There are endless ways to style it and with the right accessories it can go from casual to blinged out. Today's Friday's Fancies theme of "Short & Sweet" prompted us to think up four unique ways that you can take a plain white tank and pair it with your favorite shorts for any of your summertime outings. Hope you guys enjoy!
And PS ~ If you'd like to join in on future Friday's Fancies, hop on over to Long Distance Loving and sign up to receive {av}'s weekly e-mails for themes in advance, so that you can make your own Polyvore inspiration board. It's so much fun and a great way to meet new bloggers!
To see our April Empties video, please click here. Drop us a comment and let us know the last products that you have finished. And whether or not you'd re-purchase them. Thanks for watching!
Oh, and don't forget to enter our 1000 YouTube Subscribers GIVEAWAY to win a Philosophy Beach Girl set, along with a great beach towel and tote!
After a wonderful twenty four hours spent in Georgetown for Blogger Blitz DC, we left with a newfound love for our nation's capital and many of the city's most fabulous bloggers. Of course, the main event while we were in town was the social meet-up conducted by {av} from Long Distance Loving, but we managed to squeeze in loads of extras including tons of fabulous shopping, delicious food and some amateur photos with our iPhones (we love you, Instagram).
This weekend made us feel ashamed to admit that we've neglected the Washington, DC area for far too long. The notoriously clogged up crossroads of I-95, I-395 and I-495, known in the area as "the mixing bowl", can make an hour and a half drive north from Richmond turn into a three hour drive on most days. In our minds, heading towards DC, much less into the heart of it, seemed like a daunting task, but one that we knew we'd be well rewarded from once we met the wonderful bevy of our fellow bloggers gathering at Marvin on 14th Street.
Our drive up on Sunday was perfect. Traffic? Nope. None in fact. Our in-car navigation? She was spot on with directions (we named her Mrs Doubtfire). The weather? Beautiful. We ended up arriving to our hotel early enough that we were able to check-in and then head out to the streets of Georgetown to explore. We hit up LUSH Cosmetics within the first ten minutes (and we hit it HARD...haul videos to come), then we had lunch at Serendipity 3. We had time for a bit more sights before we headed back to the hotel to get ready for Blogger Blitz.
At Blogger Blitz, {av} provided us with an amazing directory that was chock-full of details, like each blogger's Twitter handle, blog name and e-mail address, along with a photo to make everyone even more recognizable.
The fabulous hostess, {av}. Love her!! If you aren't familiar with Long Distance Loving yet, go now.
The highlight was definitely finally meeting "IRL" so many of the bloggers that we've been following and communicating with for months, if not longer. But there were also several new faces to us and we're so happy to have met all of them.
Our friend and Hourglass Makeup Artist, Josh Collier, joined us for Blogger Blitz and we're so excited that we'll be seeing him again later this month for our event with Sephora.
We finally met fellow YouTuber, Holly from Holly Says Hey...
photo courtesy of Holly
Everyone mixed and mingled and the evening went by entirely too fast. To be in the presence of so many inspiring and exquisitely dressed bloggers was mind blowing. We soaked up every second and are already looking forward to the next time.
After Blogger Blitz, we cabbed it back to Georgetown to take in more sights...
Right on M Street lies The Old Stone House, one of the oldest known structures remaining in the nation's capital. Out back they have the most beautiful garden.
Monday morning, we had breakfast on the most perfect little patio at Kafe Leopold, located on Cady's Alley off of M Street. The food made us die. In an amazing way. We shared a croissant that was literally our favorite thing that we ate the entire time we were gone. If you ever find yourself in Georgetown, take the time to eat here. You won't be disappointed. We wanted to stay forever.
We spent the rest of the day on Monday hitting up a bunch of the stores in the area and left with purchases from J.Crew, H&M, Madewell, Zara, Juicy Couture and Anthropologie.
And no trip to Georgetown would be complete without cupcakes. Sprinkles Cupcakes was located directly across from our hotel, so we each grabbed a box of four cupcakes before we headed home. Proof that we were indeed thinking of our hubz while we were away. ;) We heard rave reviews about Georgetown Cupcake, home of DC Cupcakes on TLC, so they're at the top of our To Do list the next time we're there.
Hope you enjoyed our weekend recap! We had an amazing time and can't wait to go back...and maybe next time we'll even bring our hubz along. ;)
Have you guys ever been to DC? If so, we'd love to know your favorite spot. Drop us a comment and let us know!
