Favorites: April & May 2017

Hello friends, long time no post! How was your long weekend?

I'm back in the States and was at Butler, PA (an hour north of Pittsburgh) for work last week. I took the time off to get over the jet lag and East Coast time difference, but I'm back! I'm still organizing my pictures from China, which are coming soon. I also took advantage of the Memorial Day sales and I'll show you what I got next week!

Today, I'm sharing with you my favorites for the last two months.


1. VB for Target Women's Dark Floral Scallop Trim Top (Sold out, $26):
This top is perfect for the weather this month, when it's still a little cold in the morning and gets hot as the day goes on. I've been wearing it with jeans and a cardigan. You can see me wearing this top and other pieces I've picked up from the VB for Target collection here.

Wearing Favorites #1, #2 and #5

2. Tone It Up Rose Gold Sunglasses:

I got these from this year's Bikini Series Bundle ($199 -- It says sold out, but "add to cart" still works). I'm so in love with them and have been wearing them almost every day! They are the perfect aviator for my face. The size of the lenses are just right and they stay put on my nose bridge. The quality of the case and the sunglasses feels great and I also appreciate the cleaning cloth. I would totally get a backup pair if they ever become available on their own.

Photo Credit: Tone It Up (left) and Pinterest (right)

3. Adam Tucker by Me Too Sand Flat ($39.99):
These are certainly not the most exciting or prettiest purchase, but I'm a sucker for slip-on shoes. I got them from TJ Maxx ($29.99) around the same time as my Nordstrom Rack shoe purchases and have been wearing them almost every day. I find the sand color goes with everything.

You might have seen these from my Sephora VIB Sale Haul and What's in my travel makeup bag, because I've just been loving them so much!

4. BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed- Prismatic Amethyst ($38):

This is the only highlighter I've brought for my trip to China and it's simply gorgeous! You can see swatches of this in What's in my travel makeup bag,

5. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk ($34):
This lipstick lives up to all my expectations and was totally worth the wait! These two months, I'm either wearing this or Dior Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss ($33) over the lip liner. If you can only get one Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, let it be this one (and the matching lip liner of course!). You can see swatches of this lipstick and her Instant Look in a Palette here.

6. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm ($18): 
This saves my lips during long flights and is also perfect for everyday wear. I would definitely repurchase.

7. Trader Joe's Facial Cleansing Oil ($6.99): 

This is new at my local Trader Joe's and I'm already 60% through this 4 fl oz bottle. I've been using it every day and even took it with me traveling (twist and lock!). The pump distributes just the right amount of product. It easily removes my makeup without irritating my eyes, which is important for a contacts wearer. It's such a great price for the ingredients, I'm a big fan!

8. The Way She Wears It: The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Revealing Your Personal Style ($16.42):
I picked up this book from Anthropologie before my trip to China. It's such a beautiful book and every page is Instagram or Pinterest-worthy. I've finished Spring and Summer (it's organized by season) and getting so many ideas to spice up my outfit with pieces I've already had in my closet. I will certainly revisit this book when fall comes!

9. My Breakfast Smoothie: 
As the weather's getting warmer, I love to make this smoothie for breakfast (coffee included!) and bring it to work. This is the recipe I came up with, but feel free to customize it to your own taste!

• 1 cup of berries (I'm using the Organic Antioxidant Blend from Costco)
• 1/2 frozen banana
• A handful of greens (I'm using kale and organic power greens from Trader Joe's)
• 1 tablespoon of almond butter
• 2 tablespoons of cacao powder
• Optional: 1/2 scoop of protein powder (I just started using this Tone It Up vanilla one and it's so good!)
• 1/2 cup of coffee concentrate 
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Then blend blend blend!

Add berries, greens and almond butter to your blender the night before and keep it in the fridge. Just add frozen banana, powder and liquids in the morning!

10. This no-filter view of Pittsburgh, PA taken at Mount Washington View Point from the Monongahela incline.

I spent an afternoon at Pittsburgh, visited Mount Washington and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The museum offers 50% off admission on weekdays after 3PM (closes at 5PM). I really enjoyed the dinosaurs and gemstones exhibits.

Dinosaur Exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

So these are all my favorites for the last two months! Thank you for stopping by and have a nice day!