Black Cropped Trench

In honor of this incredibly dreary weather, I thought it would be oh-so-appropo to share one of my favorite “new-to-me” items in my closet…this Club Monaco cropped trench. 

I didn’t really know I needed a cropped trench until I spotted this one during an event hosted by my friend Natalie at one of my favorite local consignment shops, Current Boutique. Everyone was scouring through the racks, truing to find “it girl” items at “still gotta pay the bills” prices. Nicole found a velvet blazer, another friend found the cutest embroidered sweater…and I spotted this jacket, I knew I was stick-a-fork-in-me done. 

Here was a $300+ jacket that I somehow walked away with for only $60. The way it lays, the cut, everything is perfection to me. I love pairing it with my high-waisted jeans (seen here) on the weekend and with my high-waisted midi skirts/culottes to work.

Buying consigned clothing is a great way to start building your dream closet. For example, did you know I got this Sandro blouse, this Clare V. clutch and these Matt Bernson sneakers on consignment? I’m just over here trying to LIVE MY BEST LIFE and sometimes, it seems like budgets can ruin all the fun. But not if you don’t let them. ;)

Wearing Club Monaco cropped trench (similar here), 7 for All Mankind jeans (on sale!), Fossil Tailor Q Smartwatch c/o, Mejuri rings c/o, Chloe sunnies, Urban Outfitters belt

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Cozy Winter Scarf by DeNada

Winter has descended upon us and with it, bitterly cold temps and blustery winds to boot. While this is usually my least favorite season, there’s something I truly love about this time of year – the coziness factor. Let me explain – in the summer, we may feel carefree without all those layers, but it quickly becomes a hassle trying to find ways to keep cool. You can only remove SO many layers, after all. But in winter, you can add as many layers as you’d like! Each year, I like to find a few cozy staples that last me through the season. And my first stop is always DeNada...read more on the DeNada blog!

Wearing: 
DeNada scarf c/o, Uniqlo turtleneck (on sale!), 7FAM Denim (on sale!), UO belt, M.Gemi boots, Cuyana coat, Fossil watch c/o

Beauty Essentials with Maybelline

Growing up, my younger sister was always ahead of me when it came to beauty products. She was the first to point out, upon my first attempt at makeup in the 4th grade, “blue eye shadow and brown lipstick? REALLY?” Really. She mastered the winged eye-liner at a young age, and taught me how to contour. I never really understood what made it so easy for her, until I was looking at her makeup collection one day. It suddenly became clear to me - she had ALL the right tools.

Thus began my journey to collect ‘the right tools’ too. Truly, it’s been in the past five years that I’ve really honed in on finding the best products for my face, which were worth spending a little extra on, and which ones I could pick up at my grocery store. And since I typically travel with my makeup to work (trying to do my makeup at 5 AM would be a disaster for sure) I try to make the process as seamless as possible.

When Maybelline offered to send me a few of their latest and greatest, I was thrilled to see how they’d fit into my morning routine. 

First up - the Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara. This is probably my favorite of the three products they sent. I had recently run out of mascara, so I was eager to try something new! I love voluminous, wispy eyelashes, and this mascara is all about the WISP. It applies smoothly, and I only really need one coat to get the romantic look I want. At $8.50, it’s a no brainer.

The second product I tried was Maybelline's new “The 24karat Blushed Nudes” eyeshadow palette. I love experimenting with new eyeshadows, and this has just the right amount. I really love the shimmer in the tones. Plus - it’s small enough to fit in my makeup bag, and super travel-friendly. I also like how tight the eyeshadow is packed in - often times, my eyeshadow is so loose that it ends in more places than just my eyes. Thankfully, that’s not the case with this palette.

Lastly, I tried out their Master Precise Liquid Liner. I was using another more expensive brand before, but this works just as well. It’s SO easy to use (my favorite feature, of course) and lasted all day. Not to mention it's 1/3 of the price that I usually pay - hello, new $7.99 obsession.

Have you tried out any of Maybelline's most recent line of products? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This post was sponsored by Maybelline. All options are my own.

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How to Fit Working Out Into Your Busy Schedule

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The year has begun and with it, ALL the resolutions. This year, I’m being a bit more REAL with myself and setting expectations at a more reasonable level…but by no means does that translate to LET MYSELF GO. Because being healthy feels too good to kick to the curb.

However, it’s still HARD. Hard to get out of bed early to work out…hard to make a healthy dinner at the end of a long day…and hard to run outside in the freezing cold. I FEEL YOU. I’ve been there. Heck, I’m there now! But don’t let this weather get you down. There are still ways to make your 2017 fitness goals work for you. Here are a few ideas:

Work out during your lunch break
At first I thought, this will be gross. And embarrassing! What if someone I knows sees me *GASP* doing sit ups in the gym? But then I thought, SO WHAT?! Would I rather be a little embarrassed running into a coworker or would I rather get myself back in shape? 

Find a great playlist
I’m easy to please when it comes to music I like. Just crank up the early 2000s gangster rap and I’m good to go. But it certainly helps to switch things up a bit from time to time. I don’t use spotify, but I know there are a ton of people with killer playlists that you can listen to as well.

Multi-task in a GOOD way
Want to become a better reader but also want to get beach-bod ready? Can’t miss a single episode of Sherlock Homes but also want to hit the gym? You CAN have both, my friends. On cardio days, I often will watch my favorite show on the elliptical or read a book while on the stationary bike. 

Try a class once a week
Even on weeks when things get out of control crazy, I know I can look forward to my Wednesday night yoga class. It’s the perfect release of stress and I always feel like a better, strong person afterwards. 

Workout with a friend
Have a friend who has similar goals to you? Workout together or take a fitness challenge together. When I started the Fit Girls Guide, I started with my coworker. We compared which recipes were the best and which workouts were the worst, which made it a really enjoyable experience. Having someone there to understand THE STRUGGLE really helps when you’re riding the struggle bus.

And last, but definitely not least...finding cute workout clothes never hurts.
This outfit is exactly what I've been working out in lately. These high-waisted yoga pants are by far my favorite pair I've ever owned - and they are SO slimming! I can't believe these photos even turned out after the amount of cookies I ate over the holidays. Both these pants and lightweight workout hoodie are from Wear It To Heart - which has quickly become one of my favorite activewear companies. The older I get, the more I want to be conscious of where my clothing comes from...WITH activewear is ethically manufactured in a highly-acclaimed, sustainable and sweatshop-free factory in El Salvador, which makes me love them even more. 

I'd love to hear what motivates you to workout in the winter! Share your tips and tricks below! Xx!

Wearing: Wear It To Heart hoodie and high-waisted leggings c/o, Brooks running shoes, Sudio bluetooth headphones c/o

Dry Skin Solutions: Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Review

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You’re walking to your office. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows straight through you. Welcome to winter in DC. As you continue walking, you’re immediately grateful for the fleece-lined leggings you found deep within your drawer and even more so for the hand knit scarf of alpaca wool (God bless that alpaca) wrapped around your neck. What you’re not grateful for? The burning sensation on your face that comes with winter’s worst winds. 

This is basically a daily chronicle of my everyday commute into DC. An hour-long bus ride followed by a brutal, 10-minute walk uphill. While I’ve learned how to find the best trips and tricks for layering in the cold, there’s one part of my body that always seems to be the hardest to keep comfortable - my face.

I don’t know about you, but winter is treacherous on my skin. Between the sudden temperature changes (again, welcome to DC), outdoor pollutants and the stresses of everyday life, our skin gets SO dehydrated. I was shocked to learn that our bodies go through 17 thermal shocks EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s no wonder we have such a hard time keeping our skin is moisturized. No matter how much moisturizer I use, it never seems to last through the morning commute. But after trying our Clarins’ new Hydra-Essentiel line, I may have found a solution for quenching my skin’s thirst.

This new line is a dry-skin-girl’s dream. With organic leaf of life extract (a highly-resilient succulent plant that boosts skin’s ability to retain precious moisture for all-day hydration) along with tons of other pure plant extracts, it moisturizes in a way that other products haven’t. And something I’ve been missing this time? Adding a serum to the mix (a mistake I surely won’t make again.) This combo together is like the Batman and Robin of skincare. Alone, they're still great. But together, they're best.

After my shower in the morning, I throw on an organic skin oil. Next comes the Hydra-Essentiel Bi-phase serum. This sets a great base for the Hydra-Essentiel moisturizer, making its effects longer lasting and more effective. If you’re still not sold on the product, I encourage you to try it for yourselves. You can order a free sample from the Clarins website or try it out at your local Nordstrom, Bluemercury, Sephora or Marcy’s. And if that doesn’t convince you, Clarins was created by a French family. And we all know the French take the best care of their skin. ;)

This post was done in partnership with Clarins. All opinions are my own.

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