Favorite Red Lippies

Lately, I have really been into beauty products, mainly lipstick.  I think it has to do with my recent recognition from Sephora that I have been upgraded from a Beauty Insider to a VIB {get it?? kind of like VIP}. What does this mean?  It means I spent $350 at Sephora in a calendar year. Yikes! That is not good news. Part of the reason? I have been on an obsession to find the perfect red lipstick. And I've tried bought a lot of them. 

My first red was {1} MAC Dubonnet which is more of a vampy red, but I was actually looking for a more Kardashian red, thankyouverymuchladyattheMACcounter. Next, I ventured to the Benefit Makeup counter and tried {2} Flirt Alert. I really like this one! Very creamy and more of a cherry red which is what I was going for. Then... I put my search on hold for a while and didn't really pay much attention to the lipstick scene. I read in a recent Lucky magazine about {3} NARS  dragon girl velvet lip pencil.  I cut the page out of the magazine and it sat somewhere for a while. Then, while shopping in Sephora, I spotted the elusive dragon girl lip pencil! Well, not the actual pencil, but I saw the name label on the shelf and it reminded me that I needed it! So, on my next Sephora order, I added it to my basket. It came in a few days later and it is exactly how I envisioned. And it's my favorite red lipstick ever. You must try it! I think it works on every skin tone. It makes my teeth look whiter and its more of a blue based tone. I highly highly recommend it! And now.... the photos! Sorry, the lighting isn't great in any of these photos. I need a DSLR! 

From L to R {1} MAC Dubonnet, {2} Benefit Flirt Alert, {3} NARS Dragongirl velvet lip pencil and {4} Covergirl Flame 

From L to R {1} MAC Dubonnet, {2} Benefit Flirt Alert, {3} NARS Dragongirl velvet lip pencil and {4} Covergirl Flame

My new trick is wearing a red lip when I travel so I feel not-too-drab and icky from the dry airplane air. 

Finally, one more lipstick story. Did you watch Project Accessory back in 2011? It was a spin off from Project Runway and only lasted one season. One of the contestants {Christina Caruso} had the most amazing lip color and she wore it every single episode. It was a pinky red, watermelon color.  I googled {unsuccessfully} to try and figure out the brand and color name of what she wore. The other day I found her instagram and decided to give it a shot - I commented on one of her photos asking about what color she wore on the show and she commented me back! The very next day... how cool is that?!?!?! The color she wore is a {4} cover girl lipstick called Flame. So what did I do? Drive myself to Target that very day and pick some up! Holler! 

Now, photos of each color on:

In Italy, wearing {1} MAC Dubonnet

In Seattle wearing {2} Benefit Flirt Alert

In Charlotte wearing {3} NARS Dragongirl

{4} Covergirl in Flame

Do you have any favorite lipsticks? Red or otherwise? Please share in the comments below!

xoxo,

Kim 

2014 Non-Resolutions

Jake always says that new years resolutions are the worst. If you want to start doing something, you can start it anytime - why does it have to be the start of a new year??? and I kind of agree, that if you want to start exercising more, eating healthier, blogging more, etc you can really do it whenever. It doesn't HAVE to be in January.  But - I think it's human nature to view a fresh start as a perfect time to make positive changes in your life. So, while we don't usually make specific resolutions, I decided to take this as a time to reflect and make some because what the heck - everyone else is and I think it's kind of fun. 

{ via }

Of course I have been trying to lose weight for a long time, but Jake and I recently committed to making a lot of little changes like doing 50/50 every day which is 50 pushups and 50 sit-ups each day and we have also been planking for 30 seconds which was soooo hard for me the first time we did it. Jake and I have been working out together at our apartment gym which isn't anything too fancy but has some treadmills and free weights. I have been trying to also use the gym at the office during my lunch break. So things are off to a really good start. The trick is sticking with it, so we'll see how that goes. 

Last weekend I bought 3 books on my kindle at the same time and I'm almost done with the first one. I highly recommend Brain on Fire - its based on a true story. I've heard a lot about Where'd you go Bernadette so that one is up in the queue next and finally Beautiful Ruins rounds out my 3 new purchases. Some of the books were only $3.99! I thought kindle books were like $15+ so I was pleasantly surprised to see these bestsellers for less than $5.00! Good looking out, Amazon! In case you didn't connect the dots, one of my resolutions is to read more! 

And lastly, I want to continue to make self care a priority. I've spent a lot of my life worrying and stressing and trying to take care of everyone but me, so now I am focusing on myself.  You can call it selfish but I think the happier I am as a person, the better wife, friend and co-worker I will be. 

So there you have it, folks! My non-resolution resolutions! 

Christmas Favorites

Merry Christmas… A few days late! Jake and I got back from Seattle on New Years Eye {Tuesday} and we are slowly getting into our Charlotte groove after a wonderful trip visiting family and friends on the West Coast. I'm glad we didn't get stuck in any crazy winter weather. All in all, everything was pretty mild in Seattle. A little chillier that we remembered and a couple gray, cloudy days. The usual. And we got to have some really good friends and family time. I think a week is a perfect length for a trip.. towards the end of it, I actually missed my office at work! Can you believe it? 

I have been trying to watch {read: monitor} my materialistic ways lately but wanted to share a few of my very favorite Christmas gifts that I received. 

Granted, I did write out a very specific list for Jake like I do every year - but it's mostly to get him going in the right direction. Although, I wouldn't be disappointed if he got all my gifts off the list. This year, he did follow the list mostly - I got leopard loafers, rayban sunglasses and this gorgeous jcrew necklace.   I have pictures of everything on Instagram if you're curious. 

Jcrew "Crystal Triangles Necklace" on Banksy book, "You are an acceptable level of threat"

But he did "think outside of the box" and got me a scarf he picked out himself {which I have been wearing for about 7 days straight} and a book about Banksy.  

Do you know Banksy? He is a secret street artist that spray paints his work without anyone knowing.  Justin Timberlake once claimed to be Banksy but I think he was making it up. Bansky = The Coolest Thing Ever. Jake even saw a Banksy original while he was in San Fran in 2011. He snapped this photo below.  Pretty cool, huh??? 

If at first you don't succeed - call an airstrike. - Banksy

One of my other favorite gifts was the smorgasbord of items I received from my sister in law.  Technically her husband picked my name for Christmas but I know she did the hard work to pick out my perfected curated selection of items.  A few of my favorites from her:

Ring holder from Anthro, bracelet and tray from etsy

Of course, Christmas isn't about getting gifts -- but it sure makes it a little more fun. Did you get anything fun/cool/exciting???? Please share!

My Skincare Beauty Routine

I have been thinking about all the work that us girls do to keep ourselves looking good. For example, painting your face with products every morning before work, getting manicures and pedicures, hair masks, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love pampering myself but sometimes I feel rushed taking 15-20 minutes to do my makeup every single morning.

Jake always says how "hard" it would be to be a woman. Hair. Nails. Makeup. Boots. Skirts. Blouses. Tees. Statement Necklaces. Delicate gold necklaces. Bracelets. Hair Color. Ombre. You get the drill. It's kind of exhausting to think about all of that stuff. But I kind of love it. I think it's fun to change up your hair, try a new makeup product or spend hours perusing the jcrew sale section {guilty.} Although sometimes I have to draw the line {and reign myself in}. No, you can't buy that $3,600 Celine Bag you have been coveting. Or you don't have to go shopping every single weekend of the month. You get the idea. But - I do love a good trip to Sephora, even if it is just to browse.

Today, I wanted to share my current skincare/beauty routine for anyone that's curious.

Step 1 - Wash face with my Clarisonic Mia brush and facial cleanser. I've written about this before and I will continue to rave about it. It is probably the best thing that's ever happened to my skin. I've been using my Clarisonic about 4-5 times a week since 2011. I am currently using the Philosophy Pure Made Simple facial cleanser. It makes my skin so soft. I do have to change it up occasionally and when I do I usually use Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. It smells heavenly and you cannot go wrong with Fresh. I love that brand!

Step 2 - Since I only wash my face once a day and it's usually at night, I slather on Boots Botanics - Hydrating Night Cream in ALL BRIGHT after I use my Clarisonic.

Step 3 - Place Librow on my eyebrows in the spots where I want the hair to grow. I swear this works.

Step 4 - Pat on a bit of eye cream {I like glotherapeutics vital eye cream} very delicately using my ring finger right under my eyes where the dark circles are. I actually have dry skin and have found that this helps tremendously. Plus, it's never too early to start thinking about wrinkle prevention.

There you have it. Oh - and the last step is to get a good night's rest which means 7-8 hours for me. No exceptions. Do you have a beauty routine? If so, please share in the comments section below. Don't be shy!