Friday Five
1. It is no surprise that I have a serious love for candles and it is even less of a surprise that PF Candle Co happens to be one of my favorite candle companies. They were kind enough to send me their latest scent Piñon last month to test out prior to their launch on August 15th. It really amazes me how they top their previous scents every time. You think, there's no way they can make another scent as good as their current collection but yes, yes they could... & they did. Personally, I love warm, some-what masculine scents that are still fresh and not over-bearing and that is exactly what this candle smells like. It has the perfect hint of both warmth and freshness, I cannot stop burning it. I've only had it for a couple of weeks and am already almost half way. Really recommend this brand if you're looking for candles and definitely be on the lookout for their launch on Tuesday the 15th.
2. This week I received a lovely package from Saturday Skin. They were kind enough to send me their balancing act skin smoothing lotion, which I use during the day, their feather weight daily moisturizer, which I use at night and their hydrating masks, which are probably the best hydrating sheet masks I've every tried. I've only tried them for a couple of days but so far my dry skin is LOVING everything.
3. If you guys follow me on IG you have probably already seen this little beauty from Hieleven. So in love, I really appreciate bags that remain small and compact but still have some kind of compartmentalization. It helps me keep everything organized. I also can't get over the design, I've been really into circular designs lately and I love how simple the ring on this is, yet it still makes a statement. It reminds me of Chloe bags, which I love, but can't justify purchasing at the moment.
4. Say hello to my new favorite powder! I've only had this powder for a couple of days but it doesn't take very long for me to determine if a powder works for me or not. I use this all over my face and underneath my eyes and it works perfectly, despite the fact that I have dry skin. It does not crease or look cakey. It just melts into the skin and helps your makeup last all day. Stay tuned for an upcoming video of this little guy in action.Get 20% off your first glossier order by shopping with me here. 5. Not sure if you guys noticed but I changed my blog this week. Not only did I change the theme but I actually moved on over to the wonderful world of Wordpress. I started my blogspot many, many moons ago and it worked well for all of these years but I needed more control & customization and I feel as though Wordpress delivers that. Pretty excited to expand my horizons.See you all next week! xx
Friday Five
1. If it's one thing I love in jewelry, (or anything, really) aside from simplicity in design, it's innovation. Coordinates Collection makes custom jewelry with whatever coordinates you want on them. The idea is quite simple but I absolutely love how they got something as simple as dainty jewelry and turned it into something more meaningful.
From the coordinates of the place you fell in love or got engaged, to your favorite place in the world, the options are endless. I absolutely love this idea and I think it's the perfect gift for anyone.. or even yourself.
On mine I have the coordinates of Venice, Italy. So far my favorite city I've ever visited. Every time I wear this bracelet I think back to the best wine and coffee I've ever tasted and those maze-like walks in search of gelato.
Very happy to be collaborating with this company, they were kind enough to offer you guys 15% off their website with the code GEMARY15
2. Tried this tofu stir-fry recipe out this week and my boyfriend & I absolutely love it. Seriously takes me less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook and it tastes soooo good. Definitely recommend for those of you that are looking for good sources of protein with no cholesterol and a low amount of carbs in plant-based diets or in any diet really .
Aside from protein, it's a great source of iron, calcium, a bit of magnesium & small amounts of a ton of other vitamins & minerals that keep many problems such as aging & hair loss at bay. Studies show that soy, which is the main ingredient in tofu, reduces the risk of several diseases such as diabetes, breast & prostate cancer. The benefit list just goes on.
3. I think most of us don't realize how big of an influence aesthetic has on our lives. The way something looks can persuade you, it can make you feel something or do something. When you buy a cute gym outfit you're more inclined to go to the gym because you want to wear your new gear. When you buy a pretty journal you want to write in it, even if you have nothing to write you just want to. Same goes for when you have a cool looking water bottle lol... what? you didn't see that one coming?
I don't know about you but despite me preaching about how important it is to drink water all of the time I sometimes have a difficult time drinking enough of it throughout the day myself. I've found that, for one, I need to have a water bottle filled with water at all times so that it's easily accessible to me and secondly, it needs to look good. This sounds stupid, I know, but it really does work for me.
I got this water bottle on amazon after searching for a vacuum, sweat-proof bottle for a ridiculous amount of time... (I have issues) & so far I'm in love with it. It keeps my water cold through the night, it's freaking huge and doesn't condensate on my tables, win/win/win... it also comes with a sports cap for easier drinking. Now as far as "aesthetic" that is totally relative lol. It kind of looks like a torpedo on my vanity now that I look at it but I think it looks pretty cool & I'm drinking much more water soooo it gets the job done 😂
BTW none of this is sponsored lmao
4. Got this palette earlier this week and so far I'm really loving it. At first glance the color of the blush looks a bit scary (in person) and definitely not something I gravitate towards but on the cheeks it is absolutely beautiful and shows up very well. The bronzer is also gorgeous! I am pretty picky when it comes to bronzer shades because most of them show up pretty orange on my skin but this one is the perfect color. The highlight is also so beautiful! Everything is very pigmented and translates gorgeously on the skin. Obsessed.
5.
Don't confuse those who live a little simpler to lack ambition. Sometimes those who live simpler lives live happier lives than people who have so much more than them materialistically. The difference between these two types of people is not their ambition or determination, the difference lies in how high up materialistic things sit in their list of priorities.
I remember being younger and wanting all of the wrong things, it wasn't till I became an adult and realized that the people who I aspired to be like were actually miserable because they had this false notion that having more was everything. This isn't to say that having a lot will make you unhappy, there is just a difference between having a lot because you worked for it and NEEDING or OBSESSING over having a lot and making materialistic things or money your number one priority.
Once you learn how to separate these two and shift your priorities a bit, you will surely see the world a little differently.
See you all next week. xx
Friday Five
1. Finally, got a new office chair. I knew from the beginning that I didn't want a chair that was too mid-century since the desk is already very mid-century. I like adding a vintage touch because I feel as though it makes everything cozier and a bit more interesting. I went with a Cesca chair and I'm very glad I did. I absolutely love the way it looks and it reminds me of some chairs my grandparents use to own back in the day.
2. I was in need of a new scale. I prefer smart scales because I like to keep track of my body fat. Previously, I owned the vanity planet body analyzer and I loved it but for some reason it just stopped working so I was in the market for something similar but I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on it because at the end of the day it's just a damn scale. I found this one on amazon and I'm really loving it so far. It comes with an app, which pairs to the scale using bluetooth and it records all of your body data. This is awesome for keeping track of progress or maintenance and what not. Really recommend! & I think the price is amazing for what you're getting.
3. Saw the "What The Health" documentary on Netflix recently, along with the rest of America it seems, and I really enjoyed it. I've seen a lot of food documentaries in the passed but none of them have resonated enough to make me want to make an extreme change in my diet like this one did. I hope this isn't a phase and people actually stick to it, I'm interested in seeing the changes we can make to our bodies by switching things over to plant-based foods. In my case, I'm attempting to cut off meat little by little and see how that goes. However, I salute those of you that are able to follow a completely vegan diet, I'll see if I can work my way there.
4. If you're in the market for cute inexpensive home decor and haven't checked out h&m home I really don't know what you're waiting for. I've always loved their home decor and I recently placed an order with them and one of the things I got was this vase. Obsessed!
5. Quote of the week of a lifetime. I couldn't have written this better myself.
Happy Friday! See you all next week. xx
Friday Five
1. Remember my plant that desperately needed a stand? Well I found this super inexpensive stand on amazon, still looking for the perfect pot that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg but terra-cotta will have to do for now.
2. Chances are you guys already know how much I love Mejuri. Aside from their beautiful designs I love everything that they stand for. This month they have teamed up with Urgent Action Fund to donate from sales of their Evil Eye Collection to empower women and trans rights activists at critical moments and I am very happy to be a part of this collaboration. I've always been a fan of their evil eye collection but knowing that it will be helping this cause makes it even better.
3. Lord knows I need dry shampoo in my life, I do not wash my hair every single day so this is my secret to keeping fresh looking hair even when it really isn't. I came across this dry shampoo guide and found it very interesting. I have tried the batiste and Amika dry shampoos and absolutely love them so I really want to test out the others that they mentioned.
4. Did a little interview this week on select blinds' blog "The Blind Spot". I purchased my kitchen woven shades from there and I really can't say enough good things about them. I plan to purchase the same shades for the rest of my house.
5. Been loving this dress lately. It's been so hot in Miami that in order to prevent a heat stroke I can't really wear anything other than cami dresses. One of my favorite ways to make a fitted dress a bit more casual is to pair it with sneakers. Here I paired it with my beloved Keds.
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See you next week! xx