Bzees #lightfeelsright

Outfit details--- Sunnies: Quay "High Key" | Bralette: Express | Top: Express One Eleven Plush Jersey London Tee | Bag: Just Porter "Hazen" Professional computer backpack (c/o) (see full review and what's in my bag here) | Leggings: Gap GapFit Blackout Technology gFast high rise leggings (see full leggings review here) | Shoes: Bzees "Balance" (c/o) (also available here and here)

Do you guys remember me mentioning the Bzees line I learned about at one of the Naturalizer events a couple of years ago? I had been wanting to try them since allegedly the shoes are like Lululemon for your feet! How does that not sound appealing? You can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I opened an email asking if I wanted to try a pair! Why yes, thank you for reading my mind!

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Just Porter: professional computer backpack

Just Porter "Hazen" Professional Computer Backpack

As you guys know, I just started my new journey to become Pilates certified. It is no joke like going back to college! Curriculum, lectures, internship logs, and of course text books. I made a joke on Snapchat when my books arrived that I wondered if I should go out and buy myself a new Jansport. (I used to ROCK my red one back in the day!) Well, the very next morning, I got an email from Just Porter asking if they could send me a backpack in exchange for an honest review. Is this Big Brother watching me, or is this just a happy coincidence? I will go with the latter! I had never heard of the brand before, so the first thing I did was check out their products, read their reviews, and then google videos.

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Fringe and studs

Outfit details--- Sunnies: Ray Ban (option, budget option) | Scarf: BP | Vest: Gap (similar here) | Bag: Botkier "Trigger" saddle bag | Tunic: Express (shop other colors here) | Bracelet: Kendra Scott "Mia" | Leggings: Zella (similar) | Boots: Marmi Vaneli "Kaila" (c/o) (option) ---

Fall is such a happy season for me in terms of outfits! The temperature has been absolutely perfect lately to start introducing lighter layers into my looks. I have to use all my strength not to wear olive every. Single. Day. As I was putting together this outfit though, I loved the idea of a blue and grey palette! I stumbled upon this scarf last week and fell in love with the fringe and fall colors. It was the perfect finishing touch!

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The softest t-shirt tunic

Outfit details--- Sunnies: Tom Ford "Iris" | Necklace: Kendra Scott (over half off!) (c/o) | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Tunic: The Mint Julep Boutique (c/o) | Bracelet: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Moto Leggings: BP (similar here) | Booties: Vince Camuto "Katleen" (limited sizes) (other option here) ---

Funny how September 1st gets here and all of a sudden Mother Nature decides to bring us the most perfect weather ever. My idea of perfect is warmish in the day time, temps in the 70s, minimal humidity, sunny, and beautiful. Then once the sun starts to set, there is a hint of coolness in the air that is not quite sweatshirt worthy, but a lightweight long sleeved top will leave you perfectly comfy. That's how summers in Michigan used to be. Summers in St. Louis have been that way as well, but there are usually a few days of crazy hot, humid heat mixed in there, too. This summer has been unbearable and the hot humid days were more of the rule instead of the exception. So, while I am not 100% mentally ready for fall, I welcomed to beautiful weather this weekend!

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May Fabletics

So far I have had a 100% success rate with everything that I've tried at Fabletics. I still look forward to the first of every month so I can start shopping for my new outfit. May was no exception. I basically wore this outfit the second I got it in the mail. The best part of this outfit though is the back view.

Fabletics Asmara outfit: Femina tank, Salar capri, Lyra bra
(I'm wearing a small in all three pieces)

The top did end up feeling a little too baggy for my taste, but it was nothing my little knot trick could not fix. And I am such a fan of their sports bras. They always fit so well and are extremely comfortable. I've been loving them so much! I was really wanting a non-black pair of leggings because their prints are just too much fun, but I couldn't get the color and size combination to work out, so I ended up having to get plain black. It's not necessarily a bad thing though because you really can't ever have too many pairs of black leggings. These fit great. They lock and load your body without the muffin top. I really love the support they provide.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that anytime I wear any of my Fabletics pieces, I always get compliments. And then they are usually followed with gasps of surprise because they are shocked that they're Fabletics. Perhaps it's a good thing I've only recently discovered my love for them because I would have a lot less money by now!

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Hello Monday: the cold shoulder

Guess who is back at the playground? This elementary school is on the way to one of the restaurants we regularly go to for breakfast, and since it has been awhile since the last time we took photos here, we thought we'd do it all again! Except I didn't actually play around this time, just blog business. I gotta say, I am ridiculously obsessed with this outfit. OBSESSED. Clearly I am embracing this cold shoulder trend. When the girls at The Mint Julep Boutique reached out to me for a second collaboration, I had a handful of things I was eyeing (like this romper and this crochet number), but then I came across this top and I was sold. Stripes *and* a cold shoulder? It had my name written all over it.

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Shopping at Here Today

Here Today (photo credit)

If you remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned that Here Today reached out to me for a potential collaboration. They provide me with a $50 gift card to shop in exchange for my post about the shopping experience! I was pretty excited for the opportunity considering all of the goodies I discovered during my first visit! I should note that while I was provided with a gift card to shop and post about my experience, all views expressed are my own!

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Pinrose fragrance collab with Sephora

Pinrose Gilded Fox and Wild Child: Available only at Sephora

Parum a-go-go: Available in stores starting April 15th

I am very much a scent oriented person. The husband jokes that I have a sniffer like a dog - I'm super sensitive to smell, which can be both a good and a bad thing depending on the scent! Perfume is one area in my beauty routine in which I lack, and the main reason why is because many perfumes trigger migraines with me, so I typically stick to mild lotions and body splashes. It makes me sad because I would love to expand my perfume collection. So, when Pinrose reached out to me to try their new fragrance collaboration with Sephora, I was really excited for the opportunity!

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Workout OOTD: March Fabletics

Fabletics: "Malva" 3-piece outfit

Now that I'm on the Fabletics train, I want to make it a point to share my finds every month! Plus, it's a good way to keep me motivated from the workout standpoint when I know I'm accountable to share with you guys. If you missed my original review about Fabletics, you can catch yourself up here.

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Fabletics Review

A couple of weekends ago, the husband and I went to lunch straight from the gym. We ended up in the same shopping center as an Old Navy, so I asked him if we could do some window shopping since I hadn't been inside an Old Navy for awhile. I ended up wandering around the athletic clothing section and had 2-3 things picked out. Everything was full price though, and I was having second thoughts about spending the money. The husband said, "You should try Fabletics." And I thought, "Hmm. I think I will!"

When you first go to their website, they will ask you to take a short little survey so they can get to know your workout habits a bit better. Basically trying to figure out if you're a runner, if you workout at the gym, or spend your time in a yoga studio. They also ask questions around your color and print preferences.

Once you complete the survey, you're then prompted to pick out your first outfit for $25. They select outfits based on your survey results, however, if you don't like any of their picks, you can simply select "view all outfits" to see what else they have to offer. I ended up going with the "Neroli" outfit. What's nice is that even though the outfit is modeled in all black, if it comes in other colors or prints, you have the option of selecting one of those instead. I could have also purchased more items above and beyond this outfit if I wanted to, but the $25 deal only applied to this one outfit as pictured.

I ended up ordering both the top and bottoms in a size small and was really happy with the fit. The bottoms are called "joggers" and while they're not as super skin tight as my other workout leggings, they clearly aren't as loose as joggers typically are to me. It makes me wonder if they called them joggers because of the thick bottom hem, which can slip over your heel as I have them. LOVE that detail.

I am really happy with both the quality and the fit. Based on some video reviews I watched, I was afraid that the bottoms would be too small for me, but they worked out just fine. No muffin top action! I will continue to order smalls in the future. My current workout clothes are from Target, Old Navy, Express, and Gap. I do have a few pairs of Zella leggings as well. The quality is just as good, if not better than all of the above.

So, how does this all work? Well, new styles are released on the 1st of every month. I simply log into my account on the 1st and see which outfits they've selected for me. Similar to how I picked out this first outfit, if I do not like any they've chosen, I can view "all outfits" and pick out something on my own. The difference is that each subsequent outfit is $49.95 instead of the initial $25 I paid for this first outfit. If I see nothing that I like, I can choose to "skip" that month and pay nothing. I have to take action (either buy something or choose to skip the month) by the 5th of the month. If I do nothing, then they will charge me $49.95, which ends up getting banked as store credit for future purchases. There's no contract and I can cancel at any time.

I'm really excited about this subscription! Now that I'm working out 5-7 times a week, I definitely spend a lot of time in workout clothes. Having something cute to wear is motivation to get my butt to the gym or Pilates studio. Seriously. I'm really happy that February was such a short month, which means March 1st comes even faster and I can get more clothes!

Fabletics "Neroli" outfit | Fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge HR

I've never gotten sweaty for blog photos before - well, at least not from working out, the summer heat is another story.... And of course, I had to do the plank 8378237686 times because the husband couldn't get the lighting quite right. I personally think he was just trying to torture me! Oh, and by the way, this post is not at all sponsored by Fabletics, I tried this all on my own, though if Kate Hudson wants to be my BFF and send me free stuff, who am I to argue?

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The pullover sweater obsession

Sunnies: TOMS | Scarf: Charming Charlie | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Sweater: Gap | Tunic: Express (Grace and Lace option here) | Fleece lined leggings: The Fashion Lane | Boots: DV Dolce Vita (option)

Last week in between the holidays, the husband and I finally downloaded both Netflix and Hulu. We spent the bulk of New Year's Eve watching The Mindy Project. I bought one of her books, Why Not Me, to read on the long, direct flight to Orange County. I'm a handful of pages from finishing it, which is huge because I haven't read a book in its entirety since I started blogging three years ago. So sad, right? I've developed a bit of a girl crush on her, so I definitely wanted to start watching her show also. I'm only halfway through the first season but I'm hooked! Anyway, I tell you this because now the husband has me into this documentary on Netflix called "Making a Murderer" and I'm just not used to getting into anything on TV other than baseball. 2016 has changed me, y'all!

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Paperdolls Boutique: Holiday Launch Party

Disclosure: Paperdolls Boutique gave me free merchandise in exchange for my attendance at this event along with this post. However, all views expressed are my own.

Left: Jacqueline (Stylin' in St. Louis) | Middle: Jenna (Sincerely Jenna Marie)

Last Thursday I was invited to a Holiday Launch Party for Paperdolls' new website! The night consisted of cocktails, light bites, shopping, grab bags, and a short fashion presentation of some of their holiday-ready ensembles. Jenna and Jacqueline were there as well, and while you already know my love for Jenna is real, I was very psyched to get some face time with Jacqueline!

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Hello Monday: Charming Charlie

Sunnies: Ray Ban | Necklace: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bag: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Top: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Rings: Charming Charlie (c/o) | Bottoms: Express (option) | Heels: Louise et Cie (other colors here)

Disclosure: Charming Charlie gifted me these pieces in promotion of their local store opening. There was no obligation to post, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Charming Charlie recently reached out to me asking if they could send me some pieces to try. I was instantly excited at the opportunity to collaborate with them! The husband works in commercial real estate and knows of Charming Charlie, so it makes it even more rewarding when HE gets excited since it's a brand with which he's also familiar!  I've been to a couple of their stores in the past and knew that they carried on trend but affordable products. In my head I equated them to Forever 21, but with an even heavier focus on jewelry and other accessories. I will be honest and say that outside of mentioning my size, I picked nothing out - they simply packed a mystery box full of goodness, and I couldn't have been more pleased or impressed!

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Dry Shampoo reviews: 3 Bloggers

Pssst! (3-pack) | TRESemme | Batiste (floral and flirty) | Batiste (dark & deep brown) | Not Your Mother's "Clean Freak"

Basically dry shampoo has changed my life, and it's one of those things that I wished I would have known about when I was younger. I always heard other people tell me they'd go 3-4 days without washing their hair, and I just assumed I could never be one of those girls because a) my head would physically hurt by days 2 and 3 because of all the oil and b) I get bed head like crazy, and nothing fixed it like a morning wash does. Well, that was before I tried dry shampoo. Now I've realized the error in my ways, and I can't believe how much time I have spent washing and drying my hair day after day all. of. my. life. 

Before I go any further into my reviews, there are a couple of key things I want to point out. First, dry shampoo means nothing if I sleep on my hair. I tried the whole sleep bun thing, but it just didn't work for me. I've been more successful simply sleeping with my hair up on the pillow like:

Photo sources here and here

Yes, I also lie pensively staring at the ceiling like the second photo. Ha, not really, but you get the point with these photos. I usually end up falling asleep on my back, so my hair is just flipped up on my pillow. As I roll over in the middle of the night, I'm pretty conscious of still making sure I'm not lying on my hair. Don't ask me how. Somehow sleeping Caryl just knows to adjust her hair as she moves in the middle of the night. It's that serious.

Secondly, this video here is really thorough and gives you examples of how to apply dry shampoo. If you've never used dry shampoo before, or don't know if you're using it correctly, I found the video to be really helpful.

Ok, so now to the good stuff! I thought it would be helpful to poll a couple of my fellow dry shampoo lovers so you can get their perspectives as well. Jenna and Annie agreed to share their favorites, so hopefully you can relate to at least one of our hair types and beauty routines!

My Day 3 Hair

My routine: 

Day 1: Shampoo and Condition hair using Pantene products. Blow dry and flat iron.

Day 2: Dry shampoo and either leave it straight or use a curling iron.

Day 3: Curl it if not already curled from day 2. If it's already curled, I will either do it half up/half down, or do a top knot, depending on how gritty I think my hair feels.

Day 4: Top knot if I didn't already have it up from day 3. If it was in a top knot the day before, I'll go ahead and wash it.

There's been one time that I was able to salvage my hair the day after it had been in a top knot, but that's more of an exception than a rule. My top knot usually signifies me giving in to washing it the next day.

My products: (I'm going to list them in order of potency.)

Not Your Mother's "Clean Freak" - This is the first one I ever tried. I would definitely say this is the most mild, and when I say "mild," I mean that it takes A LOT for it to leave any kind of residue.  The smell is pleasant, consistent with all of the other Not Your Mother's products. I would use this on freshly washed hair as an oil protectant, or simply to freshen up my sideswept bangs as needed. This would also be good to freshen up your curls like she was showing us in the video above, since it really doesn't leave any residue.

Pssst! - I found this at Walgreens, and decided to try it because I'm always down for new things. This does leave a little bit of a white residue, but I actually like seeing the powdery residue because it makes me feel like it's working and it's not just blowing air at me. Again, the smell is just fine - not too overpowering or annoying. It's perfect for 2nd day hair, especially if I decide to leave it straight.

Batiste (floral and flirty) - I got this in my Ipsy a couple of months ago and I was so excited to try it. I kept hearing it was one of the best, but I also kept hearing that it left the worst residue also. Once I realized that I actually *like* rubbing in the residue, I realized this may actually be a good one for me. I love it for general everyday use - second or third day hair. I do also like the smell of it a lot. I need to purchase a full sized bottle of this.

Batiste (dark & deep brown) - So, this is basically the same thing as the traditional, but for darker hair. There is still residue that comes out of this, but it simply comes out dark brown instead of white. It's a noticeably different color than my hair, so I still have to rub it in like usual. BUT. It leaves noticeable residue on your fingers. I was so confused the first time I used it. I was getting ready to walk out of my bathroom after getting ready and realized it was all brown under my light-colored-polished fingernails. It ended up coming off just fine when I washed my hands, so it's not big deal, but I'm sure it's also leaving specks around my bathroom as well. I'll go ahead keep this bottle as a backup, but it's my least favorite because of the color it leaves behind.

TRESemme - I think this is my favorite, both for the price and for the performance. It definitely does give my hair some volume, so even if I decide to leave my hair straight for day 2, it ends up looking even better than day 1! I would not recommend putting this in freshly washed hair because it does leave it noticeably tacky and gritty feeling - not necessarily in a bad way, but more noticeable than the others. It's great for curls and for up dos, but I save this for 2nd or 3rd day hair and use the Not Your Mother's or the Psssst for day 1. I do also love the smell of this one, I think it's my favorite smell out of all five, with the Batiste floral and flirty coming in a close second.

Annie: (Blog | Instagram): Day 2 Hair

Dry shampoo has literally changed my life. I am not even exaggerating. I love having long hair, but obviously it takes foreverrrr to dry and style and I simply do not have the time or wherewithal to do that after every shower. Enter: Dry shampoo. Now I only have to wash my hair once or twice a week! Which is such a timesaver. And my hair is soooo much healthier. As far as which products I use, I love the Batiste original formula (the colored ones worked ok for me, but I feel like they really dulled my hair shine). Even though the original formula (green can) goes on white, I just spray it on the underside of my hair and comb it out a bit and then it isn't nearly as noticeable. If I really put way too much on, I just spray a little hairspray on the palms of my hands and rub them gently over the excess and the white disappears. I also really love the Tresemme dry shampoo. I feel like this one doesn't leave nearly as much white residue, but I find that the Tresemme one works best for the first 2-3 days and the Batiste one (which is more heavy duty) is better for the rest of the week. Bonus? They both come in travel sizes. The included  photo of me is after two days of not washing my hair and only using dry shampoo. This stuff works miracles, folks.

 Jenna (Blog | Instagram): Day 3 Hair

I am a HUGE fan of dry shampoo.  I don't straighten my hair on the regular, but when I do it takes about an hour​,​ so I make.it.last. I have pretty coarse hair, so I don't ​start using dry shampoo until the evening of day 2 before I go to bed.  My absolute favorite is KMS​, but Paul Mitchell and Sebastian are definite runners-up. ​I reviewed all my favs, and least favs today, including the best bargain option that's just $3… (Check out Jenna's post HERE!)

And, while you're reading Jenna's post, be sure to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! She has fabulous hair, fabulous style, can take a shoefie like nobody's business, and she's the first real life, local girlfriend (that isn't family) that I've had in years! The husband has told me how happy I've seemed lately just having someone I can be a girl with! And, she's a big part of why I've branched out to try so many types of dry shampoos, so I basically owe her big time for saving so much time in my life! Happiest of birthdays, Jenna!!

______________

Lots of information in this post, and I can't wait to read Jenna's post now, too! I feel like dry shampoo is similar to hairspray in that I can never have too much! It's definitely such a huge time saver in the morning, and just overall makes my hair look better and easier to style! I would love to hear what your favorites are!

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Product Review: Keysocks

Keysocks (Image source)

Hey guys - sorry for the lack of outfit posts this week! You can always see what I'm wearing if you go to my Tumblr account, even if they're just phone selfies in our office gym! We got hit with some snow again last night, which made taking pictures this morning non-existent, and it's too dark to do it after work. Is it time to spring forward yet?!

I figured I'd use this downtime from my outfit posts to do a product review for you. I'm not getting compensated for this review - I bought these socks with my own money because I was intrigued! I had never heard of them before; someone on the shopping forum was asking if anyone had any experience with them and the more I looked into them, the more I decided to try them. So, that being said - here you go!

Flats hurt my feet more than heels do - true story. They rub me raw and kill my feet as a result. I've tried different rub strips and friction balms, which work, but in all honesty, socks are the best. The problem is - I've tried so many different variations of "no show" socks, but they ALL slip off my heel. It's quite annoying. This was the biggest thing that turned me on about these - they won't fall off my heel! I thought it would be helpful to take photos from every angle. I picked two pairs of flat shoes - one with a lower profile than the other. These flats with the gathered/elastic heel are a great candidate for these socks because this type of flat kills my feet the most.

Snakeskin flats: Franco Sarto (option, option) | Boat shoes: Sperry Angelfish (other color on sale here) | Jeans: Express Stella (similar)

As you can see, they're almost completely concealed by the Sperrys. You can kind of see them in the Sperry side view, but come on, who is going to be THISCLOSE to your feet and this low to the ground? To me, that's negligible. You can certainly see them in the side view of the flats, but I'm also exaggerating this by wearing the black pair. If I were wearing the nude color, although they'd still be visible, it wouldn't be as blatantly obvious. If I were wearing a bootcut leg pant vs. a skinny jean, this would conceal them even more.

This truly makes me excited to wear them with booties! I really prefer not to go sockless while wearing booties, but sometimes it ends up being necessary when ankle socks are super noticeable. And again, it drives me insane when the no-show socks continuously slip off my heel. Alas, my bootie-wearing life has changed as we know it.

Booties: Report (option, option) | Jeans: Express Stella (similar)

The one thing I did worry about was that you'd be able to see the top elastic part of the socks through my jeans or leggings (think VPLs but with the sock lines below my knee.) I didn't get a good picture of this, but it's completely seamless. I was sure to wear my skinniest of skinnies, but since the socks are not super tight, there's no sausage effect on my legs. And what's great is they do also offer a wide calf version. 

So, if you couldn't tell, I love them. I think it's such a smart idea; genius even! The only con I found was the fact that they're visible from the side of the lower profile flats above. However, the pros completely outweigh the cons for me, and I still give this product two thumbs up. You're probably wondering now - where can I get them, and how much? Order them through keysocks.com. They're $11.95 a pair, but right now they're running a sale of their 4-packs for $35.85. I was lucky to catch them during an after Christmas sale, because my 4-pack was only $28.68 with free shipping. Pricey for socks, but worth it in my opinion since I never have to awkwardly keep pulling up my socks in public ever again!

Linking up with Vicki, Christina, Lauren, Sherry, Allison

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