Fashion: 10 Affordable Spring Jackets You'll Love

Spring is finally in the air --well April fools on us in Chicago - it's only 30 degrees today -- but it was nicer out over the weekend and I was finally able to bust out two spring jackets! I have been waiting what feels like forever to wear spring jackets again and I was on cloud nine this weekend. Sadly, my winter jacket is back on today -- hopefully it warms up again soon! 

I've been keeping my eyes out for some new  jackets to add to my collection this season and fell in love with the ones below. The best news? All of them are from Forever 21 so you can get these for a steal! I have had some hit or miss luck when it comes to clothing from Forever 21, but jackets seem to always hold up very well for me. What do you think of the jackets below?

1. Forever 21 Essential Double-Breasted Jacket - $27.80

2. Forever 21 Spiked Trim Faux Leather Jacket - $39.80

3. Forever 21 Faux Leather Peplum Jacket - $37.80

4. Forever 21 Faux Leather Trim Tweed Jacket - $29.80

5. Forever 21 Denim Jacket - $29.80

6. Forever 21 Distressed Racer Jacket - $29.80

7. Forever 21 Wavy Paneled Quilted Jacket - $39.80

8. Forever 21 Scuba Peplum Jacket - $32.80

9. Forever 21 Essential Drawstring Jacket - $37.80

10. Forever 21 Lace Moto Jacket - $24.80

So what do you think of the jackets above? Any must haves? I'm LOVING numbers 3, 6 and 7! 

Have you found any cute affordable spring jackets this season? Share the links in the comments!

Makeup Look of the Day

Here's another makeup look for you guys--in honor of Chicago finally having its first tolerable spring day (54 degrees yesterday)! I love busting out the green eyeshadows this time of year.

 

Here's what I used to create this look:

Face: Laura Geller Spackle Under Makeup Primer, Make Up For Ever Foundation in 120; Benefit Erase Paste; Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in #3

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, CoverGirl Eyshadows in Kelly Green and Pink Chiffon, Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Pure White, Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner in Black 0L, Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Brows: Cargo Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Neutral, CoverGirl clear mascara

Cheeks: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Orchid Hush

Lips: Body Shop Jolly Orange Lip Balm

Have a lovely weekend!

Beauty: My Current Favorite Makeup Products

It's no secret, I love to try out new makeup products. Once I find some that I love, I keep them in my daily makeup rotation. These are products that I currently use everyday during the week. You'll see that it's a mix of drugstore finds and more expensive brands. Not every makeup product has to be expensive to work great! I like to play up my eyes a little more on the weekend but I typically stick to these products below. 

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Rose Petal 

I figured I'd try this out since it was on sale and I'm SO happy I did. I love the pop of color it gives my cheeks and the texture is smooth and creamy. I love how it blends in my skin and it lasts all day. One of my favorite drug store finds! 

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35

I love BB creams ever since Adrianne introduced me to how amazing they are. Super light, moisturizing and I don't feel like I have anything on my face. I love it. Perfect for the spring, summer, fall and whenever you don't need as much coverage. 

Smashbox High Definition Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 

I love this foundation when I need more coverage. In the winter I tend to wear more foundation and this is still light but has the perfect amount of coverage. It matches my skin tone perfectly too! 

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real

Adrianne got me this mascara for Christmas and I completely understand the hype now. I never have clumpy lashes anymore and they transform my straight sad lashes into curled beautiful ones. I love this stuff!

Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer

I got this with a Tarte blush in a travel pack and fell in love. It's not orange at all and gives me a perfect sun kissed glow. I'm running low and am not happy about that! Time for a Sephora or Ulta run! 

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Black Coffee 

My mom bought me this after we saw a woman who worked at the Lancome counter wearing it. Her makeup looked phenomenal and she raved about the product. It's pricey, but lasts FOREVER. I haven't had to sharpen it yet! 

Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Palette w/ Brush

My future mother in law got me this for Christmas and I've been obsessed with it. It's so fun to play around with all of the different colors and I love how neutral they all are. You can use this for day and night. Worth every penny! 

e.l.f. Studio Duo Concealer/Highlighter

I've recently blogged about my obsession for this cheap drugstore find. It's an amazing product that I can't rave enough about.

Have you used any of my favorite beauty products I listed above? What are some of your favorites?

What’s in my purse?

As you’ve probably gauged by now, I’m a huge beauty junkie. I thought it’d be fun to share some of the products that I am currently carrying in my purse.

1. Makeup carry-all: to keep all the stuff in the picture in one place!
2. Eye drops: for my dry eyes and contact lenses
3. Clinique concealer: for the unexpected breakout or touch-ups
4. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer: great for quick on-the-go application and touch-ups
5. Nail file
6. A few different lip moisturizers: Jouer Lip Perfector, LipFusion Lip Balm, Carmex and Burt’s Bees Lip Balm 
7. Yes to Cucumbers Makeup Wipes
8. A few different lip colors: SkinnyGirl Lip Gloss, Stila Lip Glaze in Action, MAC Lip Glass, Clinique Lip Gloss in Air Kiss, NYX Liquid Lipstick, L’Oreal Lip Gloss in Tangerine, OCC Lip Tar in Femme
9. Q-Tips: Perfect for cleaning up makeup mistakes or applying lip products
10. Gum: a must!
11. Hand sanitizer
12. Tissues
13. Mirror
14. Jergens hand lotion
15. Comb
16. Travel-sized mouthwash, floss and toothpaste: I’m a nut about keeping my teeth clean!
17. My adorable cat Jolie who kept her paws off these products just long enough for me to take this picture (I don't actually keep her in my purse.)

Now it’s your turn! What beauty products do you carry in your purse? Share in the comments or link us to your blog!

Fitness: Why Rest and Recovery Days are so Important

Even if you're not training for a race it's easy to get obsessed with working out. When you start to see results you want to keep going and it's easy to overdo it. Working out too much does more harm than good for your body. It sounds crazy since exercise is so good for you, but if you workout too much you don't give your body a chance to adjust and repair. Every time we workout our body breaks down our muscles so they get stronger the next time. If you don't incorporate rest days your body can't repair these muscles and instead they become fatigued and overworked, eventually leading to burnout. 

You want to start an exercise program you can maintain for the long term. The moment you stop or lower your activity level, the pounds will start to creep on. Working out 5-7 days a week? That might not be realistic over the long term. Everyone is different but most people do best with 3-5 days a week of activity with active recovery and rest days in between. 

I've found that 4-5 days a week of moderate to intense workouts work best for me and my schedule. I try to do 3-4 days with some form of cardio and 2-3 days of weight training. This combination might not work best for you so play around with numbers and see how your body responds. I need at least two rest days a week to get the most out of my workouts and can't do too much cardio or I'm always hungry and my energy is drained. 

On my rest days I make sure to still move and stretch since I sit at a desk all day for my day job. I'll walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill during lunch or make sure to do some yoga poses when I get home after work. I really try to listen to my body. Somedays I really need to just do nothing and be lazy and that's okay too. You have to treat your body right or overtime you'll completely burn out and have to start from scratch. 

So, as much as you might want to keep going, make sure to take some time off and let your body rest. You'll be doing yourself a ton of good and it will keep you strong in the long term.

How many rest and active recovery days do you schedule each week? What types of workouts do you schedule in your routine? 

Seven Pieces: Lots of Possibilities

I recently went shopping and picked up some clothes from Old Navy and Target. I’ll be traveling to Florida next month and I wanted some new spring/summer items for my wardrobe. Here’s what I got:

From Target:

• Chartreuse Pencil Skirt, $22.99
• Cobalt Blue Hi Low Foldover Maxi Skirt, $17.99 (got for $15.99)
• Mossimo White Denim Jacket, $29.99
• Coral Eyelet ¾ Sleeve Shirt, $13 (clearance)

From Old Navy:

• Green Eyelet Tube Dress, $34.94 (got for 30% off)
• White Cropped Rib-Knit Cardi, $15 (got for $10)
• Rockstar Zip-Pocket Skinny Pants, $34.94

(There were a few other things I got, like a t-shirt, socks and nylons, but I’ll leave those out for the purpose of this post!)

One thing I am guilty of, as I’m sure we all are, is getting bored with the clothes I have. I’ll fall in love with a piece, buy it, then a few months later feel like I’ve got nothing to wear. So, with the new things I bought I challenged myself to combine everything in creative ways to see how many outfits I could come up with. See below for the results. The ONLY thing I added is a black tank top that I already own. 

As you can see, there are TONS of combinations. And think of how many more combinations I could come up with just by using the other things already in my closet. I could multiply the possibilities just by adding things that everyone owns, like jeans or a white tank top. I didn’t even add shoes or accessories! Each of these looks can be dressed up or down by wearing flats or heels or dressy or casual jewelry. This little exercise has really inspired me to be more creative with my wardrobe and try to use the pieces I already have in new and fun ways.

How do you stretch your wardrobe?

Vitamins: What You Need and Why

 

I start my day off the same way each morning. I slowly get out of bed (hello snooze!) and after getting ready (unless it's the weekend and I'm not going anywhere) I make my way down to the kitchen to make my breakfast and take my vitamins. I take a lot of them, but it is what works for me. You may not need nearly as much as I do, but since I don't eat meat I need to supplement a little more. I also take some extras like fish oil and vitamin E for my skin, hair and nails so those could be considered extras too.

 

Let's take a look and what I take every morning:

 

 

 

1. Vitamin B: Good for overall health. This one vitamin does a ton of amazing things.

 

2. Vitamin B12: Since I don't eat meat I'm vitamin B12 deficient. This helps ensure I get all the nutrients I need.

 

3. Vitamin C: Need an extra punch for your immune system? Take vitamin C. It will help you stay healthy during cold and flu season and will ensure your immune system is working at its best.

 

4. Vitamin D: If I lived somewhere sunny I wouldn't need to take this supplement as the best way to get it is via natural sunlight. However, living in grey Chicago (especially in the winter) calls for an extra dose of this stuff. Feeling a little blue? Take a vitamin D and see how much better you feel. It's crazy but it works!

 

5. Vitamin E: Want healthy hair, skin and nails? I urge you to give vitamin E a try. It works wonders!

 

6. Calcium Magnesium: As I'm getting older calcium is extremely important to keep my bones strong. It's never too early to start taking this!

 

7. Fish Oil: helps lower fat that's stored in your body, can help battle depression, keep your joints healthy and lower your blood pressure. This stuff is awesome.

 

8. Probiotics: These babies help keep good bacteria in your gut and clean out the bad stuff. They keep you regular (TMI ... sorry). I can tell a HUGE difference when I don't take them. They are magic and I'm so glad I started taking these on a regular basis.

 

Seems like a lot, doesn't it? Like I said, depending on your diet and nutritional needs you may not need all of these. These are just what work for me. Make sure to check with a doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.

 

 

Do you take any of the above? Are there other vitamins you take on a regular basis?