National Sun Safety Week: Protect Your Skin!

For those of you who are unaware, this first week of June is Sun Safety Week. While we should always take care and protect our skin, this week is a great time to bring awareness to the dangers of too much sun and also the lasting and damaging effect it can procure to your skin. We rarely think of it, but our skin is the largest organ of our body and it certainly takes a substantial amount of abuse from the outside elements.

I was inspired to write about Sun Safety week by Oscar -  a health insurance company in New York and New Jersey that is focused on making health care a better fit for your life.  I am extremely glad to talk about Sun Safety. I think of each of my readers as a friend and I want each friend to be as healthy as they can be! So while this isn't exactly what you would call a "beauty post" I prefer to call this a "care post."

Growing up, I wouldn't say my family was sunscreen crazy, but they always made sure to practically bathe me in the stuff when I would go out to a pool party or the beach. So I always equated the coconut scented lotion with hot, summer days.

As I got older, I took it in my own hands to protect my skin from unnecessary sun damage. This especially happened when I got more into cosmetics. I noticed a ton of my face products had some sort of sunscreen in it and generally thought this would be enough. However, upon further reading, I realized that the sunscreen found in your foundation isn't always adequate enough to provide full protection, especially if you are going to be out in the sun all day.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the sun. I'm not the type of girl who will wear a hat and long sleeves in 100 degree weather to protect myself from the sun's rays. But when I do go out, I always make sure wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher that has both UVA and UVB protection.

While I love the glow that the sun gives me, I don't love it more than my life. Instead of spending hours in the sun to get my daily dose of Vitamin D, I take a daily D3 supplement. It's a safer way to get your daily dose of vitamin D without risking your life or your skin. For those of you who are unaware, taking a D3 supplement will help you maintain healthy bones, lower blood pressure, promote a healthy immune system, and potentially reduce your chances for a heart attack.

So what do you do if you don't want to damage your skin but love that bronzed goddess look? Use a self tanner! There are so many good ones out these days. You can get a luxurious version or even a budget friendly drugstore alternative to get your skin tan and bronzed.

Here are some of my favorite products.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 1.69 fl oz
Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 60, 3 Ounce

Nature Made, Vitamin D3 2,000 I.U. Liquid Softgels, 250-Count

Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse, Light, 6 Fluid Ounce

If you have questions, concerns, or what to read more about Oscar Health Insurance you can check them out here.

Lashes and Lingerie: A Steamy Post with Adore Me

Recently, I had received an email from the New York based lingerie company, Adore Me, asking me if I wanted to partake in their Lashes and Lingerie campaign. Now call me a girly girl, but I feel lingerie is one of the most feminine and glamorous things you can wear to feel confident, glam, and sexy. So of course I excitedly agreed to join their challenge.

The rules of the challenge were pretty direct. All I had to do was pick some of my favorite pieces from their collections and post what I would pair with the pieces to complete the look. I admit, there were a ton of really beautiful pieces ranging from ultra sexy to demure, but I managed to pick three of my favorite pieces. With them, I created a board that would go with each unique style.

Look One: The Effortless Goddess

I find it very sexy to wear a lacy bralette under a tank. Not only does it ramp up the sex appeal, it makes a fabulous fashion statement. I felt the Harlow bralette would be perfect under a racerback tank paired with either shorts or jeans, and a killer pair of nude wedges to elongate the legs. As for the makeup look, fun but glam flirty lashes with a defined brow will prevent you from looking overdone but still enhance your eyes. Top off the entire look with a "my lips but better" gloss and highlight the high points of your face for a "glow from within look." You don't need to be a goddess to look like one!

Blue Bralette Harlow Set
NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Sorbet
Steven Madden Wedges: Gunther
Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light
Ardell Lashes in Glamour 138
Victoria's Secret Racerback tank

Look Two: The GlamVixen

We are now going to ramp-up the sexy factor with the Fauna set. While still girly with the accents of the pink bows, this black lace set will get all the attention of all the boys (and girls). Now you can't just wear this set and not have the makeup to match! Adding lashes that flair at the end will not only open the eyes, but it will give you that half asleep, come hither look. Also for the eyes, make sure to accompany those lashes with a sharp cat eye to enhance your eye shape. Don't leave the face one dimensional, contour and highlight with your favorite contour palette. Lastly, pick a matte red lipstick to top the whole look off. Add your favorite thigh his and black pumps to fully complete glam vixen look.

Fauna Set
Kat Von D Tattoo Ink Liner in Trooper
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
CoulorPop Lippie Stix in Bichette
MAC Lashes in 44
Aldo Pumps (similar style)
Icing Thigh Hi Clueless

Look Three: The Natural Beauty

If black lace isn't your thing, perhaps this ultra feminine babydoll set will do the trick. The Anisse set while still sexy, definitely appeals more to those of us who prefer a classic, softer look. For this look, less is more. Wispy, natural looking lashes paired with a voluminizing mascara will enhance your eyes without bringing too much of the drama. A matte, pinky nude lipstick will add another feminine touch without taking away from the set. Lastly, a pair of strappy heels is classy and will of course elongate those gams. Be comfortable in your own skin and work with the beautiful things you already have!

Anisse Set
Velour Lashes in Another Shot of Wispie
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lovecraft
Stuart Weitzman Nudist (more budget friendly alternative here)

Thank you to Adore Me for asking me to join the Lashes and Lingerie challenge. This was a great way for me express my creativity! Now tell me gals (and guys) what type of lingerie do you find sexy or the most attractive?

Bridal Beauty Inspiration (a Collaboration with Loverly)

Hello All!

Today's post will be a little different than my usual reviews. Instead, it will be about our second favorite things, weddings and wedding dresses! Many of you know that I am a on-site wedding coordinator (a part-time gig which I absolutely love!) so I've seen my fair share of bridal dresses and makeup. It's always wonderful to see what types of beautiful looks artists come up with to make the bride feel extra special on her wedding day and I always get inspired by each bride I interact with.

There are so many types of wedding dresses on the market that it can be overwhelming to decide which is best for you. Then, when you choose the right dress, you now have to create a look that will compliment you and the dress wholly. This inspired me to want share some of my favorite dresses and looks with you and with the help of Loverly, my inspiration became this post. Have you never heard of Loverly? No? Well you should! It's an excellent site that has all your wedding planning and inspiration at your fingertips. It's great for anyone who is in the process of planning their wedding.