Weekly Roundup : Friday Faves #10

I went back and forth as to whether my Friday Favorites really needed numbering and in the end decided to stick with it. I figured if I ever needed to go back and reference a particular one, this would make it a million times easier! This week, my Friday favorites are mostly beauty related (surprise, surprise!) with a treat thrown in for good measure, so let's get to it.

If I had to tell you just one thing to purchase from the Balm, it would most definitely be this blush in Hot Mama! And that is really saying something because I LOVE the Balm's makeup! I think it's pretty obvious by now what types of blushes I like to wear this time of year (peachy, pinky with a gold shimmer) and this one, dare I say it, is my favorite of the bunch. It is shimmery without being glittery, the perfect color for EVERY skin tone and looks so super natural you'll look like you've just been for a run (in a good way!) You can get it for $20 on The Balm's website but I've seen it for way less on Ebay and Amazon. I've linked it here and here.

This e.l.f. baked highlight in Moonlight Pearls was one of my very first e.l.f. purchases and as we all know, I haven't looked back since. This is my favorite highlight! No matter how often I stray and try out new ones I always come back to this. It's a gorgeous champagne color and it gives the most beautiful glow to the skin. Of course, it's super affordable since its e.l.f. and it is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made from them. You can find it here. It does go out of stock quite often so keep your eyes peeled!

This liquid eyeliner from NYC is most definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but it's one of my favorites. It is a brush applicator which can be quite hard to work with if you're new to eyeliner or pretty klutzy (I am, but it doesn't stop me, just use a little makeup remover to clean up if you need to!) It is the best, blackest, most dramatic eyeliner I've ever used and when I'm feeling like a bold wing I always reach for this. I just get this from Walmart and it's super affordable. I've linked it here.

I've talked about this brand and both the scrubs and body butters time and again but this one in Tropical Mango is most definitely my favorite of the scrubs. I don't know what it is that makes this scent's formula different from all the other scented scrubs, but it's a lot coarser, which I personally prefer, especially this time of year as I'm wearing tons of sandals and heels so my feet need a little extra love. This runs about $5 and lasts a good while. I generally get mine at Walmart but in a pickle I've gotten it off Amazon, which I've linked here.

Last but most definitely not least has been my favorite coffee drink lately. I generally just like black coffee, but in the warmer months I can never resist a good frozen drink. This one has Irish Cream, white chocolate, and whip cream so it's absolutely delicious! Let me know if you guys would like some frozen coffee recipes in a future post or if you're in my area, stop into my coffee shop and I'll make you one personally!

I hope you guys had a great week and remember to let me know what you've been loving lately!

Summer Bucket List Tag

I was tagged by the absolutely gorgeous Ella from In Ella's Element to do the Summer Bucket List Tag. I adore Ella's blog, it's one I have to read every time she puts a new post up so I would highly recommend going and checking her out!

The rules of the Tag:
-Thank the person who tagged you
-Nominate 5 bloggers - big or small - to do the tag
-Write a list of things you want to do/achieve this Summer
-Your Summer bucket list can be as long or short as you want
-Try and complete your bucket list

My nominees are:
Rainbow from Rainbow-Rose Blossom - I'd love to see what she has planned for the rest of the Summer!
Marianne from Don't Burst My Bubble - she is such a positive and inspirational person, I want to hear about what she gets up to!
Liz from Lipstick & Confetti - Liz is so adorable and she always has fun posts on her blog so I would love to see her do this tag!
Natalie from Intrepid Bliss - Natalie has such a creative blog, I'm interested to see what she has planned for the rest of her Summer!
Chelsea from Olive & Ivy - I have been crushing on her blog lately and I totally want to see what she's got mapped out for the rest of her Summer!

I know so many of my gorgeous blogger friends have already done Summer bucket lists (at the beginning of the Summer, imagine that!) so I really tried to pick people who haven't done a post on this!

My Summer Bucket List includes:

• Sticking in as many outdoor dinners watching the sunset as I can
• Reading at least 2 more books before the Summer ends (the problem is picking which ones!)
• Going to the lake at least one more time before it gets too cold
• Going on as many sunset bike rides as my legs can handle
• Going on at least 1 hike since I promise myself every year I will

I would love to see anyone else's list that did this post/tag, just leave me the link below! What do you guys have planned for the rest of your Summer?

Wednesday Wears : All In the Details

There is nothing I love more in a piece of clothing than those tiny details that give it a little something special. Often times those unexpected "somethings" are what draw me to a piece, be it pockets in a dress or the blouse I have on below. This blouse is one of my absolute favorites in that it features the cutest pointed peter pan collar (down both the front and the back), tiny, sparkly bow buttons and a cute bow and heart print. It sounds like a lot, but all the details are so delicate and feminine it just adds up to something sweet and playful!

Bow Blouse from Ross; similar cut and print options here and here

Satchel purse from Ebay; similar style here

Shoes from Charlotte Russe; similar here

Collar clips received as gift; gorgeous options here and here

What do you guys look for when it comes to your favorite pieces?

Ride With a View

When I am completely focused on something, I often forget my surroundings completely. This drives my hubby crazy as I am often running into things (or people) because my mind is elsewhere. It's difficult for me while training for a ride to focus on much else besides mileage, speed, distance, and incline. Lately, however, I've been trying to really and truly enjoy my rides and surroundings. I am extremely fortunate and grateful that I live in an area that affords such gorgeous backgrounds in which to train. I hope whatever you guys did this weekend it was a great one!

I hope everyone's week is off to an excellent start!

Betty Crocker Banana Bread

I'm just going to start this post out with a disclaimer: I am an incredibly messy baker, as will be seen in the pictures below. Sure, I could have cleaned up before each photo, but this is, technically, real life. I love to bake, it's one of my absolute favorite things to do. This banana bread recipe, which I got out of my Betty Crocker Cookie Book, is a must if you are a banana fan. It's also super easy which is a must for me!

You'll need:
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (since my hubs isn't a fan of nuts, I went ahead and substituted this for chocolate chips)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your pan (suggested use is a 13x9x2 pan)

First, mash up your 2 ripe bananas

Add in 1 cup of sugar

 1/3 cup of oil

And 2 eggs

Mix until smooth

 Slowly stir in one cup of flour

Add in 1 tsp of baking powder (note the flour EVERYWHERE!)

Add in the 1/2 tsp of baking soda

Add in 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt

 You should end up with a batter like consistency

Lastly, add in your chocolate chips (or nuts)

Spread batter evenly into your greased pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

 While I might not be the best slicer and my edges turned out slightly burnt, this bread is delicious and easy to make! The recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting as well, though I omitted it since I added in chocolate chips. Feel free to add that on top if you wish!

What did you guys spend your weekend doing? I hope it was a good one!

Date Night Outfit - Comfy Casual

I am admittedly a person who has a very neutral color palette when it comes to my clothes. While I love a pop of color or pattern, I tend to generally wear jeans, a tee and a pair of booties. My hubby took me out to see the movie Trainwreck (hilarious, by the way!) and since our theaters tend to be on the cooler side, I opted for comfort over fashion.

I did my makeup before I actually thought about what I was going to wear on this day, and since I went for red lips I thought touches of red to an otherwise basic outfit would be nice. I wore a white boyfriend tee (similar here), with dark skinnies (similar here), some cut out red booties and a checkered red and black scarf. If you weren't aware, boots are another obsession for me, specifically ankle boots. With the cut-out detail, these are perfect in the Summer, and totally acceptable in 95 degree weather right? You can find similar boots here!

I hope you guys are having a great weekend so far!

Friday Favorites: The Basics

I thought this Friday I'd showcase my tried and true products that I use day in and day out, no matter what season or situation. These are the basics that get skipped over time and again on a favorites list because they might not be fun, but they always do their job.

This e.l.f. foundation serum is literally the only foundation I will ever wear in the warmer months. It's new this year and it is the best light weight coverage foundation I have every used. It also has an SPF 25 that isn't at all greasy. I don't have a personal photo of it because I used it all up and had to order more (I ordered 3!) The only downside is it doesn't provide a ton of coverage. For me personally, especially when it's 100 degrees out, I prefer that, but if you want a full coverage, you probably wouldn't like this.

 This e.l.f. HD undereye setting powder is a cult favorite and it's for a reason. This sets your concealer so perfectly while brightening your undereye area. I use it religiously and yep, I have about 20 backups.

This L'Oreal Bare Naturale pencil in Slate is perfect for the waterline. I love to line my lower lash line but black can be way too harsh. This charcoal color is the perfect compromise.

This Doll 10 cream highlighter in Champagne is the perfect brow bone highlight. Since it's cream, it's really easy to get precision around your eyebrow. I just use a little bit on a small flat brush and my eyebrows look perfectly set.

This Lancome long wear eyeshadow base in Noisette is the perfect transition color for my eyeshadow. I use it everyday; it makes a great eyeshadow primer and it also gives that perfect color to build upon. Sometimes on lazy days I just use this and it gives a nice depth to the eyes without a lot of effort.

Tell me what your tried and true products are!