Beauty Products

August Favorites ~ 2023

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Good Morning Friends,

Empty-nester week 2! It has been going well so far. Lauren will be coming home this weekend because there are no classes on Monday so we will be so happy to see her. We do have some running around. She has a hair appointment and I have my first waxing appointment! Oh my goodness you guys wish me luck! I have never done waxing before, but I need to try it. Shaving is causing me all sorts of issues! And I mean issues! If you would like for me to share my experience, please let me know below. 

Okay, let’s get into my favorites for the month of August!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

First on my list is this beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas from my very kind neighbor. I was opening the windows to my home office and saw his huge hydrangea tree and thought, “oh I would love a few of those for my crystal vase”. I sent my husband over to ask and he cut me a few! How grand is that?

 

 

Second on my list is the new Aerin Lauder Rose de Grasse perfume called Rouge. I had to go and smell it and it smells just like red roses. It’s quite lovely. If you want to try a sample here is the link to order that. Enjoy! 

 

 

Third on my list is my new monogram tote from Abbot and Lyon! I have always wanted to try a monogram tote and I actually got to see this tote in person while I was in South Carolina in May. A woman walked by me, and I stopped her and asked about it. The quality is quite exceptional, and the price is incredible! I have no regrets ordering it. It is quite large and has lots of organizational compartments on the inside. 

 

 

Fourth was my delicious meal that I got at Ford’s Garage. It was a new restaurant that my family and I decided to try and it was really good. The lime vinaigrette was outstanding! Oh so good! 

 

 

The fifth is my new Kate Spade Leopard tote. I saw a beautiful influencer with this bag and went on the hunt for it. It is sold out everywhere. I managed to find it on Poshmark. Yay Poshmark! This is going to be perfect for the fall. 

 

 

Sixth on my list are these travel contact lense containers. I found these on Amazon and they come two in one pack! Great for traveling or keeping in your handbag for easy access! 

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Seventh is this incredibly chic white umbrella that I also found on Amazon. I love the gold handle and gold hardware. It is so elegant and comes in different colors. I ordered it and took it to my office immediately. It’s quite lovely.

 

 

The eighth item is this lovely goat milk soap from Beekman 1802. Now I have been watching this company on QVC for years and was always curious about their products. I saw a recent show of their bar soap and after seeing how it lathered on t.v. I had to give it a try, so I ordered it from Amazon. I have been using it for a month and I LOVE IT! Oh my goodness, it is so creamy, and the lavender smell is very light. I love using it. 

 

 

And the last item is my new lip balm from Elizabeth Arden. I found this on Amazon and wanted to give it a try and I must say it moisturizes my lips very nicely. I use it daily and carry it in my handbag. You should give it a try. I will be ordering the 8-hour hydrating facial spray, and hand cream as well. Those items will go nicely in my handbag especially with winter on the horizon. 

I hope you all love my favorites for the month of August. My monthly newsletter will be hitting your mailboxes soon! Please make sure that you check your spam folder if you are not getting it! Have a great day and…

 

 

 

 

*Blog post not sponsored- affiliate links attached 

A Beauty Secret ~ Skin Tag Removal

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Good Morning!

I was recently antiquing, and I heard some of the owners of the store talking about estate sales. I went over and asked them how they found out about estate sales nearby. They then told me how they signed up for notifications on Facebook Marketplace. So I signed up a few weeks ago and got my first notification! There is an estate sale tomorrow morning, and I am thinking about swinging by. Wish me luck! 

Yes you read the title of this post correctly! I am talking about skin tag removal today! I know it’s a nasty subject, but I had a few that just drove me nuts and I tried so many things to get rid of them. The problem was my tags were too small for a lot of the solutions but they “stuck out” enough from my skin that they were irritating and were causing me pain.

I researched tons of products, creams, lotions, rubber band devices that I thought would work, but the reviews were just not good. It must have been a “God” moment because this ended up in my Google search and the reviews I could not ignore.

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I ordered the Forces of Nature Organic Skin Tag Remover. I wanted something organic or as natural as I could get! This has numerous raving reviews and for the price I thought, why not try it! I am so glad that I did. It WORKED!

Now the bottle is very small but your tags don’t need much liquid on them. This came with a rollerball applicator, so it was easy to apply. I just rolled it on my tags at night and then went to sleep. The smell is okay but trust me you can deal with it. I noticed as the days went by the tags got harder and harder. Then the one under my pit fell off! Then the second one on my neck fell off! Both tags took about 3 weeks, but I didn’t care about the time. It worked. 

I had one on my inner thigh that was huge! I kept applying the liquid to it and it took closer to 2 months but one morning I noticed that it wasn’t irritating me as much and it began to dry up. Then the next day I noticed that it was gone! I was so happy to see that little guy gone! I had been dealing with that thing for almost 10 years. Enough was enough! So, if you have a skin tag that is driving you nuts, I would seriously consider ordering this. I don’t think you will regret it. I am not being paid to say this. I paid my own money and went through the process myself. Order it!

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

My Spring & Summer Scents for 2023

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Hello!
I have a three-day weekend ahead of me and I am a little excited about it. We have Monday off because it is now a federal holiday. We have a women’s professional group in my office, and we had an event this past week where we had a professor speak and teach about Juneteenth. It was quite interesting and informative. I really enjoyed it! 

Lauren has been working at the antique mall for about a week now and I think she likes it so far. I plan on going antiquing this weekend but not at her job. I don’t want to embarrass her yet. I thought about going to Trader Joes and Whole Foods. It’s been a long time since I have visited those. Lots of ideas but we will see. 

Today I wanted to share my favorite spring and summer scents so far. I really want to keep it to just these scents. I always feel overwhelmed when I have too many scents for the season. It can be a bit much. I did find a new scent and cannot get enough of it!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

Of course, I cannot get enough of my scents from Aerin. I love almost every scent from her collection. Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of Estee Lauder, is a brilliant creator in this industry. She certainly has “nose” for scents. For the spring and summer I am wearing her Lilac Path (which I first purchased in 2015), Rose De Grasse, and Mediterranean Honeysuckle Clementina. All three scents are full of florals and citrus. You can layer these scents together. I have people stop me all the time asking me what I am wearing. 

 

My second set of favorites are my Philosophy scents. My favorites from this collection are Amazing Grace Jasmine and Amazing Grace Lavender.  I love the scent of jasmine and bergamot. You can also smell the lavender, grapefruit, and bergamot in the second scent. 

 

 

My last scent is my newest find. I found this in Sephora about a week ago. I walked in to buy another item and decided to spray this on my wrist and let it sit. I finished purchasing my item, walked out to my car, smelled my wrist, got out of my car and went back inside to buy it! It was that enchanting! I could not leave it there. I have been wearing it all week and every time I spray this on it captures me. Wisteria Blue is amazing especially if you love florals! It has notes of wisteria, Bulgarian rose and jasmine. You must go and try it yourself!

I know that all of these scents are so expensive so I would recommend getting a sampler. Here is an Aerin Lauder Discovery set for under $30. Here is a Discovery set for Nest Fragrances and here is a bonus set for Jo Malone. I hope some of you will try these new scents and let me know your thoughts. 

In boutique news I do have a new plus size arrival. The Rose Blush Midi is a great addition to the boutique. I just love the rose details and the flutter sleeves. It comes in 1x, 2x, and 3x. I maybe keeping one for myself! 

 

 

 

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Beauty Lessons from Living in Paris ~ Thoughts on Elegance Series

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Good Morning,

I am so ready for the weekend! Tomorrow is my last Showhouse shift. I am looking forward to it. It has a really bittersweet kind of feeling. On one hand I am so excited to be there and on the other hand I am so tired! My weekends have been so full because of the schedule. Sunday is Mother’s Day and I really don’t even want to leave my house! But I will. There are some things that I need to get from Lowes. I really need to get my porch cleaned up and I really want some new furniture for my porch. I will be sure to update you all if I purchase anything! 

 

In my quest to find information for my “Thoughts on Elegance series”, I recently stumbled on to this article about what living in Paris has done to this antiques owner from America. I have been following the author of this article since 2020 and I am in love with her antiques account Madame de la Maison. 

 

Aki with her signature red lips.

photo credit: Ajiri Aki

Ajiri wrote a wonderful article about how living in France has changed her views on beauty. I especially loved how honest she was in the beginning of the article. She said, “In 2011, I moved to Paris with a $700 weave and green contact lenses camouflaging my dark brown eyes. I was chasing the superstar-meets-supermodel look I aspired to throughout my twenties when I lived in New York City. I lusted after luscious flowing locks like Beyoncé’s and a long, lean body like Naomi’s. (I tried each and every fad diet to attain that body—most of which required severely unhealthy calorie restrictions and pungent elixirs that left me in a rotten mood for days). What’s more: I hated my wide nose and gap teeth and spent hours researching possibilities to change them”. 

Wow…. I read that paragraph over and over. I think we all have been there. Trying to be something that we are not. You have to finish reading the article. It is truly eye opening and inspiring. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

I ordered Ajiri’s new book called Joie A Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life. I have been reading it for a week. You guys it is so good! She is really honest about her life in France.

She gives tips and locations on how to enjoy Paris as well. I hope you read the article in Vogue and let me know your thoughts! Have a wonderful weekend! 

 

 

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas ~ Small & Elegant

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Good Morning,

My busy month of May is about to begin. I am serious. I barely have any free time in the month of May. I will be sure to share what is going on but let’s get into some gift ideas for Mother’s Day which is May 14th!

 

photo credits: Mrs. Shockley

 

First on my list is this beautiful lettuce ware candle from Tory Burch. I purchased mine last year and have been slowing using it. I don’t want the scent to go away! I love it so much. The scent notes are jasmine, gardenia, and pink pepper. It is such a lovely gift for the floral lover and grandmillennial at heart. The Oiseau candle would be perfect as well. 

 

 

My second suggestion is the Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask. I have been using this for a month straight and I have seen great results! So I wash my face with my normal facial cleanser then put this cream over my face and go to sleep. In the morning I follow my normal skin care regimen. Everyone has been coming up to me asking me what foundation I am using or makeup! I just look at them and say ” I am not wearing anything”! It has really changed the tone and texture of my skin. It’s a wonderful gift to help mom moisture at night! 

 

 

Another beauty suggestion. I love Sally Hansen nail products and I use this product on my nails at night. This is the Color Therapy Nail and Cuticle oil. It has a light scent and I just rub it on my nails and cuticles at night. Such a small but glorious luxury. 

 

 

Fourth is a new tote organizing luxury. I have been eyeing this pencil case from Notiq for quite some time now. I am so glad that I ordered it. I can now find my pens pretty easily and it stops my bags from having pen mark everywhere! Mom might move this! I think the Notiq water bottle is a wonderful gift as well. I love using mine!

 

 

Last on my list is a wonderful pair of mules. This is one of my weekend outfits and I paired it with my Ann Taylor patent mules. These are so elegant as well as super comfy! I have the plaid print coming soon. It’s a perfect, elegant, low heeled shoe for mom or you for that matter! 

There is also the glorious Amazon wrap! I love this and will be ordering it in black and gray this week. This quilted tote from Amazon is still a favorite and mom might like the size as well. There is also my Vintage Vanity Collection! It has launched on the boutique website! Please go and check it out! One of those vintage items might be great for mom as well! 

I hope you enjoyed my Mother’s Day gift guide. Please let me know if you have purchased one of these items for your mom. I would love to know. 

 

 

Please note: some links are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through this link, I will receive a small commission for referring you to the product. Thank you so much in advance if you decide to make a purchase through my link.

New Beauty Product- Dove Lavendar Bar

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Good Morning Everyone,

These last few days have been really rough for my family and I. We had to put down our second dog on Monday. He was diagnosed with cancer in October and just became very sick and did not eat hardly any this past weekend. It has been really hard but the good thing was he was older so we were a tad bit more ready for him. We are not getting any more dogs for a while. It is just too hard to say goodbye.

So I plan on doing some things that make me happy this weekend. I plan on visiting a consignment store called Simply Chic. We have three locations and I need to decide which one I will visit. We have Monday off for President’s Day and I have house duty that day for the Guild but after that I want to go and visit Surroundings again. I just love that store!

In today’s post I wanted to share a new beauty product find for me. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

I was in Walgreens looking for other products and spotted this. I use a Dove pink bar every day and have for years. I have seen different scents but I don’t think that I have ever seen a lavender bar scent. I had to buy it to give it a try. 

 

 

Now I will start off with the color. Isn’t it just so pleasing to the eye? It looks wonderful in my bath bar dish. The scent is wonderful, and I have using it all week and I will say it smells “very clean”. It’s not a strong heavy perfume scent. It is very light and smells really clean. 

If you love bath bars I would say give Dove a try. This is not sponsored but I genuinely love their products and have for years! I am really curious about the pomegranate and hibiscus tea scent as well. 

Speaking of scents my husband got me a very fragrant and beautiful rose bouquet this year for Valentine’s Day. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day. Have a great weekend!

 

Beauty Firsts ~ My First Facial

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Good Morning,

I hope you all had a great weekend! I got a lot of housework done and took a look at my home binder. There are so many things that I want to update in my home! It’s going to take a lot of time and money! We did receive some good news! Lauren got accepted into the college that she wanted! We are so excited for her! All weekend I just kept thinking about how fast 20 years went by. Rick and I met in 2003 and now it’s 2023. It’s incredible! Really it is. 

I am still unsure about 2023 but I know one thing getting my first facial this year has been a highlight that is for sure! It was one of the best beauty experiences that I have ever had. I went to Woodhouse Spa of course to get my first facial. 

 

 

The girl that did my facial her name was Allison, and it was phenomenal! We tied up my hair and she had me lie down on the bed that eventually got very warm. Once I did that, she turned on the steam and began to cleanse my face. I removed my eyelashes so that I was free to enjoy the experience.

She exfoliated my skin, got rid of some blackheads and massaged my face, neck, and shoulders! It was a dream for sure! It lasted for about an hour, and I tell you I could barely get up out of that bed to go get my pedicure! I was so relaxed and sleepy! 

I can’t wait to get another one this year. I may wait until the summer or maybe the fall. I am not sure yet but I will be planning another facial for sure. I am also interested in their waxing services. Please let me know in the comments section below if you have ever had a facial or waxing services. I would love to know your thoughts!

Don’t forget to shop the boutique! Most of the dresses are on sale and shop my favorites page as well!