Lifestyle Archives - Life With Emily

May 2, 2017

Current Beauty Favorites

It’s been a while since my last beauty post, so today I thought I would share some of my current favorite beauty products with you all! I’m a total beauty junkie so Ulta & Sephora are some of my favorite stores to pop into! I always love testing out new products, so I’m excited to share the ones I have really been loving lately! If you have any products that you really love, I would love to hear them so I can try them out next time!

Some of these products I have been using for a long time & others I have fallen in love with over the last few weeks and have added them to my daily routine! The products in todays post are a mixture between makeup, skincare & preventative care type of products! Anyways, hope you enjoy! Let’s get started shall we…IT COSMETICS BYE BYE UNDER EYE EYE CREAM (above) | I had been searching for a good under eye cream and decided to give this one a try a few weeks back. I’ve been using it ever since I bought it and I really, really like it. Sometimes I get puffy eyes (especially around allergy season) and dark circles and this eye cream has done a great job of de-puffing my eyes and reducing my dark circles! It’s very light and I love how it feels under my eyes. I love using it at night so that it can really soak in.

TOO FACED BORN THIS WAY FOUNDATION | I had been using a NARS foundation for a while and wasn’t super happy with it, so when it started to get low I popped into Sephora and decided to try this foundation. I got the lightest shade (#paleproblem haha) and it offers really good coverage. A few things to note: this foundations colors tend to be a bit darker than other brands I have tried. I won’t be able to use this in the winter because it will be too dark. And almost all of the shades work best on yellow toned skin. Anyways, I have really liked this foundation so far and it stays on well!
L’OCCITANE CREME DIVINE | I received this at the rewardStyle conference and was anxious to try it out. I’ve been using it for almost two weeks and my face feels more hydrated and more firm. I use this every night and every morning when I’m not putting on makeup so I can let it soak into my skin. It claims to have natural anti-aging ingredients that will reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make your skin feel firmer!SUPERGOOP SETTING MIST | I have been a huge fan of Supergoop products for over a year now and I swear every single product I try, I love! Their setting spray is no different! I talked about this product on instagram stories last week. I spray this 3-4 times after I apply my makeup to help set my makeup and to have a little extra SPF on my face. I carry this travel size in my bag and use it throughout the day.
ST. TROPEZ BRONZING MOUSSE | I have extremely fair skin, so I sometimes look to sunless tanners to give me a darker complexion! I have tried numerous different brands and types of sunless tanners, but so far this one has been my favorite! I apply using a mitt to ensure it doesn’t streak or leave my hands a dark, unnatural color!
INVISIBOBBLE HAIR TIES | I’ll admit I was skeptical of these at first because they look like an old school telephone cord haha! But once I tried them I bought a few more packs because they are life changing. Ok, that’s a little dramatic but they hold my hair so well (during workouts, running errands, etc.) and don’t leave a bump in my hair afterwards. Since using these I’ve noticed less breakage of my hair. They come in a few colors to match your hair, a few fun colors, and even clear!T3 MICRO CURLING WAND & HAIR DRYER | I’ll admit I have tried two or three different curling wands and never really loved the results. I would constantly burn my hand or the curls wouldn’t stay! This curling wand is a game changer- my curls can last two or three days and I only have to freshen up a few strands! I’ve bene using the one-inch barrel and love the results. I have the trio that comes with three barrels and I’m obsessed. Speaking of obsessed, I had used the same cheap hair dryer for years and it’s been on it’s way out for a WHILE. I was so happy when T3 sent me the hair dryer because it’s made the getting ready process so.much.easier! TARTELETTE IN BLOOM PALETTE | I know I have raved about this palette a lot recently, but for good reason! This palette is SO good. It has a lot of “neutral” shades that fit every skin color. My favorites are ‘funny girl,’ ‘rocker,’ and ‘firecracker.’
NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST GEL CREAM | I got this a few months ago because I was really interested in trying a “gel cream” vs. lotion and I really, really like it. I use it morning and night most days and it leaves my skin feeling super hydrated. I particularly like using this before putting makeup on my face because it doesn’t feel thick or greasy.FIRST AID BEAUTY FACE CLEANSER + CLARISONIC MIA FIT | I have been a huge First Aid lover for quite a few years now. Their products are very gentle on my sensitive skin. In particular I love their face cleanser because it does a great job of getting alllll the makeup off! I never feel like there’s any makeu left over. I pair this with my Clarisonic Mia Fit one to two times a week depending on how my skin is looking/feeling.MURAD RAPID AGE SPOT & PIGMENT LIGHTENING SERUM | I’m pretty insecure about a few spots on my chest that are a result of sun damage & hereditary freckles, so after doing some research I purchased this serum. You’re supposed to use it two-months on and two-months off for the best results. In order to feel confident and look my best on our wedding day I have been using this to lighten my problem spots! P.S. You have to be extremely careful when using this and being in the sun. Always cover the area AND use sunscreen because this serum makes you more susceptible to the sun!L’OCCITANE SHOWER OIL | This is a product that I also received during the rewardStyle conference that I have grown to love! This oil lathers so well in the shower and I also love shaving with it. Overtime I use this my skin feels so incredibly soft! Bonus: it smells amazing!BRAZILLIAN BUM BUM CREAM | Alright, I have my friend Shelby to thank for this purchase! We were on a trip together back in November and she had this cream and I instantly fell in love with the smell! It’s technically designed for tightening areas (and getting rid of cellulite) but I use it on my legs and arms all the time haha! The smell is seriously so good! One of my best friends Kate even raved about it after using it on a recent trip!SMASHBOX LIQUID LIPSTICK | Smashbox sent over a press package recently with their new line of pigmented liquid lipsticks for me to try out. I’m not a huge lipstick person, but this box was filled with a ton of neutral colors. I brought a few with me to the rewardStyle conference to try and both Kate & I fell in love with them! They are super pigmented but they’re not overly bright! The colors also last for a long time!

SHOP IT ALL BELOW:

April 14, 2017

Travel With Me To Atlanta Apparel Mart

Last week I flew to Atlanta for a quick trip to the Atlanta Apparel Mart. If you’re not familiar, the Atlanta Apparel Mart is a wholesale trade center in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia that spans over 4 buildings and over seven million sq. feet. Each building has it’s own specialty including Apparel, Home & Gift, and Rugs. I had been to the apparel mart before while in Atlanta to visit a few showrooms, but had never been able to spend an extended amount of time there. So naturally I was excited to partner with Atlanta Apparel Mart for their April market.

One of my favorite parts of the Atlanta Apparel Mart was being able to get a preview of the trends that we can expect to see for fall 2017. I’m happy to report that the retro trend will be sticking around at least through the fall months! Embroidered pieces are also still going to be around in a big way, as well as detailed lace pieces! As a lover of lace and embroidery, I was l-o-v-i-n-g seeing that included for fall!

Even though we haven’t even approached summer, I’m already looking forward to fall…simply for the clothes & accessories haha! On Thursday night there was a fashion show that shared a roundup of looks from showrooms throughout the mart. You can see some of the looks below!

P.S. a few things to note about AmericasMart (the name for all four buildings!)

If you’re a blogger: You can register as press and attend the mart shows! It’s a great way to find new brands, see the next seasons trends, and make connections with smaller and well-known brands! As a blogger I loved being able to see the fall trends before they’re out in stores and connect with some of my favorite brands and form a lasting relationship!
If you’re part of the general public (and don’t own a business etc.): There are two floors within each building that are considered “cash & carry” where you can shop and immediately take the items with you! You’ll get great deals on items that you see in stores! Floor 6 is fine jewelry (diamonds, etc) and Floor 7 are open daily to shop.
Lindsey of Life Lutzurious | Me | Jordan of Haute House Flower | Amy of Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins
The weather was so odd while I was in Atlanta, not to mention the eight hours I spent in the airport due to delays!!! There was hail, tornado warnings, crazy wind, and sunshine…. all in less than 72 hours! So I had no clue what to wear, so I went with a chic pair of black shorts, a simple white top & my trusty denim jacket!
DENIM JACKET | WHITE TOP (40% OFF) | BLACK BOW TIE SHORTS | TAN SLIDES | GREY GIGI NEW YORK COURTNEY BAG | SILK SCARF (40% OFF)| BLUE STATEMENT EARRINGS

This post is sponsored by Atlanta Apparel Mart via For Card. All thoughts, writing & styling are my own.

March 1, 2017

Wedding Wednesday: Best Wedding Planning Resources

Today is March 1st, can you believe it?! It’s also #NationalWeddingPlanningDay… yep that’s a thing! From November to February, nearly 4 in 10 couples get engaged! Engagement season is seriously SO fun but after the celebrations end, wedding planning begins full speed. For today’s Wedding Wednesday post I thought I would share the best wedding planning resources that I’ve found as I’ve been planning my own wedding.

When I started this series I had no idea how many readers were also engaged & in the midst of planning their wedding! It’s been so fun to swap tips, advice & just chat all things wedding with you all! Feel free to share your favorite wedding planning resources in the comments!

THEKNOT.COM

One of the first things I did when Nick and I got engaged (besides post the obligatory #engaged pic!) was create an account on The Knot! I highly suggest creating an account if you’re engaged (or think you’ll be getting engaged soon) because their site has a LOT of resources!

After we got engaged we immediately started researching venues, since that’s the first piece of the wedding planning puzzle! We were able to see venues near us and even discover venues we didn’t know existed! Right on the site we could send the venues a message to set up an appointment, ask questions, etc. It was really convenient to be able to contact them, see reviews, and add as a “favorite” right on the site. As you’ll soon find out, wedding planning can be overwhelming, so to have everything in one place is a relief.
Once we had our venue and date booked we searched and looked at reviews of other vendors, such as photographers, videographers, florists, etc. Like I said above, it was so nice to be able to see everything in one spot!

I’ll go more into this in a few weeks, but we also created our wedding website on The Knot. It’s free to create (once you create an account) and it’s a great resource for your guests. They have a lot of really great website themes and some are designed by Minted that coordinate with save the dates & invitations!
Ideas & Advice As you’re planning you’ll realize you don’t know everything (yep, that’s a hard pill to swallow haha!) and need advice or tips for what to do or how to handle a certain situation! They have so many categories that will quickly give you advice from wedding experts. What I also love is that they also have plenty of real wedding inspiration. Not sure what kind of dress you want or what you want your bridesmaids to wear? There’s a category for that!
P.S. If you create an account today (hello, all you engaged ladies) you get…
- 25% off The Knot Shop (perfect for bridesmaids, groomsmen, or your parents!)
- 15% off your order on Minted (think: save the dates & invites)
- free 8×10 book from Shutterfly

A WEDDING BINDER/PLANNER

I received two different wedding planners as gifts when we first got engaged and I love them both for different reasons! I have used both of them interchangeably because they both have really useful information. Both are binders so you can add paper with your notes, venue/vendor details, etc. to them!

The Knot Wedding Planner is filled with questionnaires, worksheets, FAQs and etiquette information. This was a really great guide (especially when we embarked on planning) as what percentage is supposed to be spent on what, who pays for what, etc. I have used this to keep track of vendors info, etc. Note: I have been using Evernote as well to keep track of everything since it can easily be shared with your fiancé and parents!

The Southern Weddings Planner is another great resource for documenting and keeping track of your wedding! This one has similar features and also has southern etiquette and traditions! It also has an entire section dedicated to date night ideas during the wedding planning process. It has ideas, questions and topics to talk about with each other. I really loved this because it’s easy to let wedding planing be the topic of every conversation! We’ve already experienced this with our family and finally had to tell them we wanted to talk about something other than the wedding!

WEDDING MAGAZINES

When I picked up my first wedding magazines I just assumed there would be pretty pictures, but not a whole lot of information. Boy, was I wrong! The magazines I’ve purchased have had so much useful information. Anytime I look through wedding magazines I use post-it notes to save an important page and write why I bookmarked it on the post it note! I’ve gone back to a few of them and found vendors or useful tips when meeting with vendors.

THE KNOT APP

This has been one of the most important resources because it allows me to have access to everything at my fingertips. Within the app there’s a checklist that gives you a look at things you need to take care of that month. The checklist has come in handy because some things I had totally not thought about yet and so it puts them on my radar! You’re also given a concierge within the app to help with any questions you may have! You can also keep track of vendor’s contact info within the app as well, so it’s easy to access. I use it daily!

It also sends you a weekly reminder with a countdown to your wedding (I LOVE receiving these emails!) with a checklist of what you need to accomplish that week. I live by to-do lists so this has been tremendously helpful to me!