Five Favorites: Twice edition

A couple months ago, Twice contacted me and asked if I would share some outfits and an interview for their Top Twicer feature (you can read it here). I discovered Twice (link for $10 referral credit) a few years ago and since then have found some really great pieces from my favorite brands. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Twice sells gently used clothing from brands including J. Crew (!), Anthropologie, Gap, Banana Republic, and Nordstrom.

Here are five of my favorite Twice finds (and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for a chance to win a Twice gift card courtesy of Twice!). 

1. I found this Anthropologie dress in one of the new arrivals emails that Twice sent me (they send emails with picks customized by your size and favorite brands). It's different than anything I had in my closet, and a great mustard color. I also love that it has the ease of a dress while giving the illusion of a skirt with a fun printed blouse.

2. I was pretty stoked to find this J. Crew white denim jacket in brand new condition. I found these green skinny cargos at Twice too, also J. Crew. Sidenote that Twice was a great place to find a couple pairs of pants and tops for transitioning back to my regular wardrobe in the postpartum period.

3. This Splendid cardi is so me, and the Anthropologie top underneath was another fun find at a great price.

4. Another great Splendid cardi in one of my favorite colors.

5. I found this Gap blazer brand new with tags from Twice! I had literally seen it only weeks before in the store so I was thrilled. Thrown over a basic dress, it makes a great work outfit.

Linking up with Jenna and The Pleated Poppy.

Want to try Twice for yourself? Already a loyal Twice shopper and want some store credit? Twice is generously offering a $25 gift card to a reader and you can enter below. And even if you don't win, you can get $10 off by using my referral link here (thanks in advance!)

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5 Favorites: Beauty edition

I've been planning this post for awhile because I love, love reading blog beauty reviews and have found some of my best products this way. I used to be sort of a product junkie, always trying new things but never totally satisfied. Now though, I feel like I've found what products work for me. Part of this is trial and error, part is reading great reviews, and part is being willing to pay more for more expensive products that are better for my skin and just seem to work better in general. So without further ado, here are my favorites!

1. Face

• Foundation: After years of using either Neutrogena or Clinique foundations (the two that never made my face break out), I recently started using Tarte Amazonian clay foundation. I wanted something with a little more coverage and a smoother finish and this fit the bill. I've been using it for a few months now and haven't noticed any increase in breakouts. I've received several compliments about how good my skin looks (even Stephen noticed a difference). I could go on, but overall I just love this stuff. I use the Light Sand shade although the Light Neutral is also a good match for me.
• For special occasions: Dior Airflash Foundation is what I used on my wedding day. It truly creates a flawless finish and I think the price is worth it for a super special occasion. I still have a little left and am saving it :) A word of caution that this will probably not work for the super fair, I have light but not super fair skin and the lightest shade was almost too dark for me.
• Runners up: Clinique perfectly real foundation (used this for years) and Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation (although I admit that I hate the glass bottle - so messy).

• Concealer: After applying foundation, I add a little concealer to red spots, blemishes, and dark circles (I read once in a beauty magazine to apply concealer after foundation and have done this ever since). I've found that stick concealers cover better than liquid or compact ones, and my favorite was the Clinique city stick until they discontinued it. I found Benefit Playsticks two years ago and they are really the best (Sephora stopped selling them last year and I immediately bought three because I was worried they would discontinue them permanently). I use Spin the Bottle, which is the lightest shade, although I have also used Tea Party and these blend so well that both shades worked for me. If I could only have one make-up product for the rest of my life it would be the Playsticks.

2. Cheeks: I always, always brush a little bronzing powder on my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin after I apply foundation and concealer because otherwise I look way too pale. I used the Neutrogena bronzer compact for years and was happy with it, but I received Clinique loose bronzing powder as a gift last year and admit that I like it a little better than the Neutrogena stuff. And then after reading tons of positive reviews, I recently purchased the Nars mini compact with the Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush (not a fan of the name) and am convinced it's the best bronzer ever (but it's also a splurge)

3. Eyes: I love Grace's mascara posts and am always tempted to try something new, but I'm so attached to my Urban Decay Supercurl mascara that I am on my fourth tube (and they last a while). My mascara requirements are that the wand has a curling shape (I've never been one to use an eyelash curler), it washes off easily with soap and water (eye makeup remover is just too high maintenance for me), and no clumping.

• Runner up: Loreal Curved Brush Voluminous Mascara is a cheaper alternative to the Urban Decay one and I also sometimes add a coat of this to the Urban Decay stuff to create more volume.

As far as eyeshadow, I like to apply a lighter shade on the lid, extending up towards the brow and in the inner corner of the eye, and then a darker shade just on the lid. Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette is amazing, with lots of options for both the lighter and darker shades (I like a cream color or pale pink for the first shade and a darker brown or taupe for the second). The palette also has some great options to create a smokey eye for special occasions.

I typically only wear eyeliner for special occasions, and my favorite is Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof eyeliner in Penny (a coppery brown). It goes on super smoothly and lasts. It's pricey, but since I rarely use eyeliner it has lasted awhile (and I've seen a big difference how cheap eyeliner applies and stays versus the more expensive stuff).

4. Lips: I used to always be a gloss girl, but wearing everyday lipstick is a recent addition to my make-up routine and started actually when I was doing my residency interviews. Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Naked, a nude-pink shade, is my favorite. I also recently discovered Nars lip pencils which are great for long-lasting coverage and come in lots of fun colors (Isola Bella and Descanso are my favorites, and Rikeugen is a nice all-purpose shade). I always add a coat of Burt's Bees on top of my lipstick or lip pencil.

5. Nails: Painting my nails always, always frustrated me because I have a hard time applying the color evenly and it tends to chip almost immediately after I apply. However, I recently discovered the CND Vinylux weekly polish (thanks to the Small Things Blog) which comes in a lot of neutral colors (I'm a fan of pale pinks, greys, and taupes). It doesn't last quite a week, but last week I went chip-free for 4 days and it still looked respectable on day 6. Using the Vinylux topcoat is a must for shine and long wear. I'm not kidding, after applying the stuff it looks like a gel manicure from Ulta but lasts longer and is way cheaper. You can find it on Amazon.com or Beauty Brands.

So there you have it, the favorite products in my makeup bag. I'm not opposed to finding more affordable lipstick and eyeshadow alternatives but for now this is what works for me. What are your favs?

Linking up with Hallie.

On the best tights and yoga pants ever, smoothies, shoes, and a giveaway

Ending the week with 5 favs (linking up with Hallie) lumped in with Friday Quick Takes (linking up with Jen...is that cheating?)

Five favorites this week:

1. Preggers tights: If there's one thing that I could change about this pregnancy, it would be to start wearing Preggers compression tights earlier. I purchased a pair of grey ones early on in my pregnancy which I wore constantly with dresses but never under my scrubs or dress pants, despite how comfortable and durable they are. I'm kind of in disbelief that I spent so many weeks on my feet at 6-7 months pregnant on my surgery rotation and didn't wear any compression stockings (contrary to my mom's warnings about my genetic predisposition to varicose veins). Well, it came back to bite me because the last month or two, I've had awful, crampy leg pain along with a couple faint-but-still-there veins showing up on my calves. Needless to say, I've been wearing the Preggers every.day. and was thrilled when they wanted to collaborate and sent me another pair of my beloved grey tights (I love, love all the fun colors they have but grey is just so practical and arguably more fun than black) along with a pair of their amazing pantyhose. I have to honestly say that I like the Preggers compression tights 10x more than my prescription maternity hose which have a saggy, uncomfortable top, versus the supportive but uber comfortable Preggers waistband. They are offering a $50 (!) gift card to a reader and you can enter at the end of the post.

A bunch of maternity outfits with my Preggers tights

2. I have to give this Isabella Oliver dress a shout-out because it has been my go-to dress for graduation (see #7), Easter, maternity pictures, work, church, etc. It was worth every penny because of how much I've worn it and the fact that I still feel good in it even this pregnant. Bonus that it's really, really comfortable (it's made of this stretchy but forgiving jersey fabric) and the blue/green color is just beautiful.

3. I've been obsessed with smoothies lately. I like this Strawberry Oatmeal one for something a little more substantial as well as this Strawberry Orange Oatmeal one (kind of like a healthy orange dream smoothie), but my go-to lately has been this smoothie that I modified from an old concoction that I pinned from Grace. I add a banana (half a banana is fine too), a cup of frozen berries (I love the antioxidant blend of cherries, pomegranate, raspberries, wild blueberries, and strawberries that I picked up on sale at Target), a cup of vanilla soy milk, a large dollop of plain greek yogurt (I like Fave or Chobani), a generous spoonful of honey, and a big handful of fresh spinach. The spinach may seem a little weird, but I can't really taste it and it's a great way to get in a little extra veggies (Stephen hasn't braved the spinach yet but I'm determined to get him to try it this weekend).

4. Yoga pants: I've been living in them ever since I finished my last med school rotation. I didn't find maternity yogas to be necessary (my pre-pregnancy ones work just fine, tucked under my now large-and-in-charge bump). My absolute favorite pair of comfy pants are the J. Crew dream cotton pants (on the right of the picture below)- I've had my black pair for a couple years and wore them over and over again throughout this pregnancy. They are starting to get a little threadbare, so I picked up a pair of navy ones during the J. Crew 30% off sale (still going on). They fit just loose enough through the legs and butt to be flattering. I also picked up a pair of J. Crew yoga pants (on the left of the picture below)- I'll be honest that although they're so very soft and comfy, I don't think they're the most flattering pair of pants on me right now (really though, what pants do feel flattering at 38 weeks pregnant?) but I kept them because the fabric is a-mazing and I think they'll be perfect for after baby.

5. Old Navy has been killing it in the shoe department lately. First up, these heeled clogs that look so similar to Swedish Hasbeens (I ordered the tan pair):

 Old Navy ($32.94 + 25% off)

Swedish Hasbeens ($218.95)

And next, these wedges (I'm 100% a wedge-over-heel girl) that are a dead-ringer for the J. Crew Lillian wedges:

Old Navy ($29.94 + 25% off)

J. Crew ($129.99 on sale)

Annnndd adding two quick takes at the end/linking up with Jen:

6. For those of you who have been following along with my mundane pregnancy details (and don't mind reading about cervical exams), we had our 38 week check-up yesterday. My doctor was shocked that the baby's head had 'dropped' (not a medical term ha) dramatically and apparently his head is now engaged in my pelvis (yay!). My cervix is thinning but not dilated yet. I was up for a few hours last night with nausea and cramping, so I'm not sure if that means anything or not...honestly though if he could wait until Friday that would be great (I'm scheduled for a spa pedicure on Thursday with the gift certificate Stephen gave me...I know, I sound so selfish, sigh).

7. I made the bittersweet decision this week to not go to our medical school graduation ceremony on May 10 based on the fact that I will either be almost 40 weeks pregnant with a good chance of delivering on the way down or back (it's a 7 hour drive each way) or my water breaking as I walk across the podium to get my diploma OR we will have a brand new babe. We did have our rural medicine program graduation last week (there are 10 of us in the track) which was lovely:

And make sure to enter the Preggers giveaway if you are expecting/soon to be expecting/etc. etc.:

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36 weeks, 5 days

Jacket: Old Navy (old, similar)

Scarf: J. Crew Factory (old, similar)

Shoes: Madewell (old, similar)

Dress: Gap

And counting. Just kidding (sort of). I figured that I better get another maternity post in before this babe decides to make his appearance (although he seems pretty comfy in there right now). My maternity tops and dresses are starting to not really fit right (I keep thinking that I shrunk things in the wash and then realize that it's just my continuously expanding belly). I have the threatening start of a stretch mark on my right hip, but I guess I can't complain too much because my stomach is still unscathed. Since I'm sure you're all fascinated by my mundane pregnancy symptoms, I also am having lots of trouble sleeping like every single other pregnant person at the end of her third trimester. I'm not sure though if every other pregnant 36-weeker has the crazy hormones that have manifested themselves this week. One minute I'm crying, the next super mad, the next not wanting to talk to anyone - it's like high school PMS x 100. In my defense, the worse day was yesterday after I spent hours awake in bed after 3:30 a.m. (no sleep + pregnancy hormones = craziness apparently). Poor Stephen does not know what to do with himself.

Otherwise things are going well. I don't feel nearly as bad as I envisioned almost full-term would feel. I've been exercising every day (my mom is doing my pregnancy DVDs with me which is awesome). I'm alternating days with this DVD and this one along with walking most days. In case you are judging my over-motivation, I'm really just scared of drug-free labor (which is my plan thus far). We had our 37 week prenatal today and things looked good - baby is still measuring on or just under target and my doctor assures me that I am not carrying an enormous baby.

And Friday is our rural medicine convocation (graduation with our whole class is in May, right around my due date so we shall see if I venture there or not). That M.D. is so close I can touch it...but at the moment I'm just happy that tomorrow is my last day in the cardiac cath lab.

Five Favorites this week:

1. This perfect swimsuit which is 50% off today (I reaaaallly want to order it because it looks like a perfect postpartum suit but have no idea what size to get).

2. Anna's tips on remixing/packing lightly (I own super similar pieces to most of these so I definitely bookmarked this for the future).

3. This totally inappropriate/irreverent (consider yourself forewarned) birth story that had me in stitches: (part one, part two, part three). 

4. Grace's new arrival...Since she was due two weeks ahead of me reality is striking that I will actually be birthing a human person in the very near future.

5. J. Crew's May Style Guide - love, love almost all of these looks (especially those aqua pants, all the linen tops, and that black and white dress).

Linking up with Hallie and the Pleated Poppy

Wearing lately + 5 favs

What I'm wearing these week: maternity jeans (finally found two pairs that I love, just wish that I would have found them before I purchased the three other pairs I haven't really worn), booties, scarves, and a couple maternity tops mixed in with my non-maternity cardis and blazers.

Cardi: Splendid via 6pm.com

Striped top: Gap maternity

Jeans: H&M

Boots: Sam Edelman (thrifted)

According to Ivanka Trump's advice on maternity wear, “the blazer is key—a great blazer in white or black does a great job in terms of creating a better silhouette than a ‘boxy dress’ designed for pregnant women.” Agree.

 Blazer: J. Crew

Scarf: J. Crew Factory

Top: Motherhood Maternity

Jeans: J. Brand

Booties: Old Navy

Some favorites this week:

1. H&M Mama maternity jeans: I'm wearing these in the first outfit, and they.are.awesome. Nice and dark and skinny, and the price is right too. I started wearing these at the end of the second trimester, which is when I started liking full panels (hated them before). I would suggest ordering one size up from normal, H&M maternity jeans run pretty small.

2. J Brand Mama J jeans: Wearing these in outfit numero dos (thanks for helping me find them, Britt!). I've already posted about these before, so I'll spare you a long review. I love the wash on these and the comfortable/flattering fit. They sit below the belly and amazingly worked well through all of the second trimester and continue to fit like a charm. I have a feeling I may wear them post-partum for a bit as well (hopefully not for too long).

3. What's really in your bag: this might as well have been my purse since I have everything except the cat ID tag floating around in mine.

4. The best maternity shopping for spring: love these suggestions, although I am done maternity shopping and starting to look forward to my normal clothes (obviously premature). Anyways, totally agree about the J. Crew pants and Isabella Oliver dress.

5. All the comments on my post from Monday. I haven't been able to respond yet (I'm the worst blogger ever when it comes to responding to comments...sorry :/), but I loved hearing the perspective of others about changing their last name, and also loved the affirmation on keeping my maiden name as a middle name. So, thanks!

Linking up with Hallie and the Pleated Poppy.

Five Favs

Joining Hallie for Five Favorites and Pleated Poppy for WIWS.

1. This outfit was definitely something that I would wear pre-pregnancy and is really comfy now...win/win.

Top: H&M/Scarf: H&M (old)/Skirt: Noppies via Amazon/Booties: Old Navy
Can't believe that we're in the third trimester already!!

2. This jersey top, which I'm wearing in black above (and also wore here in white), is a total pregnancy wardrobe saver...definitely the most flattering and comfortable option that I have in my closet currently ($12.95 each; I own it in four colors ha).

3. Tan booties are everywhere right now (and go with everything)...I'm so, so happy with these ones.

via

4. I got this body wash on super sale when I was ordering something else from beautybrands.com and I love it...I'm not sure that the sea salt really 'draws out impurities' but it smells amazing (minty and beachy all at the same time).

5. I wish with all my heart that I had read Hallie's post on what's truly important on your wedding day before my wedding (and you can see my chock-full wedding Pinterest board here).

via

5 Favorites

5 favorites this week (linking up with Hallie):

1. This hoodie: I wish I would never have bought a pair of running pants from Lululemon last summer, because before that I would never imagined spending so much on yoga/running clothes. Two shirts and one more pair of pants later, I'm hooked. Both of my shirts from there are baggy in just the right places to make a great maternity top (at least at this point of my pregnancy). This hoodie is sold out now online, which is a good thing because it's so wonderful that I want every color that they every made.

And this little guy is not so little anymore (comparatively that is). I went to a prenatal yoga class yesterday which was ridiculous ("cross your leg over your chest and grab on, now practice rocking your baby") and all kinds of relaxing all at the same time. Anyways, it was my first time and after telling the yoga instructor that I was almost 26 weeks, she asserted that "Well, you're not very big" to which I responded seriously?

2. These booties: I've been looking for a pair of camel booties for a while, and happened to see these on Kendi while I was wasting precious time on Pinterest. They looked way too expensive to be from Old Navy, so I was shocked when I clicked on them (here). $32 later (they were 25% off) I think I found the perfect pair of camel booties...side note that the leather is surprisingly not pleather-ish.

3. J. Crew baby: Did you even know there was such a thing?! And let's be honest, it's a little silly (cashmere jumpers for your newborn, anyone?) but these onesies are just adorable.

 

4. Mi bebe: He's now an official mover and groover, since I saw my stomach moving (!) last week. Despite loving everything OB I did not know that it was possible to see a little 24 week old moving inside of you, but I now know that it is. Stephen has yet to see it for himself since I've been trying to take a video for him but the little guy has yet to cooperate (he always stops moving, at least visibly, after I start recording). At my conference yesterday I kept getting distracted by my belly moving around.

5. These lip pencils: I've never been much of a lipstick wearer - until I got this one with a J. Crew credit (they sell a couple of colors at J. Crew). Don't get one yourself because then you'll be addicted too.

5 Favorites: Golden Globes edition

Like many, I watch the Golden Globes for the dresses. I don't really care about the awards, since it's guaranteed that I haven't seen most of the TV shows or movies that are being awarded. Also, I'm clueless enough that Stephen and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: What are the Golden Globes for anyways?

Stephen (watching football): Not sure.

Me: What's the difference between them and the Grammys?

Stephen: The Grammy's are for music.

Me: No wait, I meant what's the difference between that and the Emmys?

Stephen: I think you mean the Oscars.

Me: Yeah that one.

Stephen: Not sure. Wiki it?

The only part that I really care about is the E News fashion commentary, and the football playoffs won over that this year (what can I say, I'm a good wife...and that's what the DVR is for). 

On to the dresses though! There were some really beautiful ones this year, and was it just me, or did they seem overall classier than usual? My favorites gravitated towards classic lines, shimmery neutrals, or pops of color:

1. Guiliana's was my absolute favorite: a beautiful shade of burgundy, A-line skirt, and classy sheer top instead of strapless. Loved it.

 2. I thought Zooey Deschanel looked fun and chic but still formal enough (and the shoes!):

3. I'm generally not a fan of strapless, but Taylor Swift pulled off her dress perfectly. It was just simple enough and the skirt is so, so pretty.

4. I had to google who this girl (Tatiana Maslany) was (apparently she played Mary in The Nativity and guest-starred on Parks and Recreation). Anyways, her dress was minimalistic and classy and I love the way it draped.

5. While I'm not a fan at all of the plunging neckline, the silhouette, cap sleeves, and perfectly placed gold pattern make Julianna Marguiles dress a favorite.

Two more that I personally liked but got mixed reviews: Julia Roberts and Clare Bowen. It was risky but I think that Julia Roberts pulled off the shirt/dress combo; I like that she modified a strapless dress and I also like the black/white combo and sparkly belt. Clare Bowen's dress was really unique with a fun color combo and flattering fit.

               

And since preggo looks are relevant to me right now, here you go. Kerry Washington looked beautiful but I thought her dress was too matronly (kind of looks like a mother-of-the-bride dress with the sleeves cut off?) Olivia Wilde is the clear winner of the three in her flattering, form-fitting dark green dress (also we are due around the same time). Drew Barrymore's dress was such a gorgeous pattern/fabric/color combo but the shape ruined it for me; I think that something to define her waist above her bump would have transformed it completely.

Linking up with Hallie. What were your favorites?

All images via huffingtonpost.com and latimes.com

An outfit + Five Favorites

Jacket: J. Crew

Scarf: Etsy (old)

Shirt: H&M (gift)

Leggings: J. Crew

5 Favorites this week:

1. These shoes. Could they be any more gorgeous? They are also impractical for me for a multitude of reasons, the two most important being that they are  too expensive and happen to have an almost 4 inch heel. But they are oh so pretty to look at. 

 






2. Not Your Mother's hair products. I first saw the Beach Babe sea salt spray on Grace's blog and now I can't live without it. I've since tried four other products from this line (Target now carries most of them and Ulta has them all) and my favorites are:

3. The Clean Freak dry shampoo, which happens to be $4.25 at Target and works just about as well as the $20 stuff I've used in the past (it also doesn't leave that awful white film in your hair that some dry shampoos do)...

4. And the Beat the Heat thermal shield spray, which smells so wonderful and doesn't make my hair crunchy.

Has anyone tried the Girl Power hair powder? I'm wondering if it works as well as this one.

5. Some links that I'm loving around the web this week:

This post on travel essentials (old, but I found it on Pinterest this week)...I own something similar to most of the essentials and am keeping this list for my many travels over the next two months.

This article on marriage which is so very true.

This adorable announcement (I might be a little over-excited about our May babies-on-the-way).

Linking up with Hallie and the Pleated Poppy.