The Beauty of Spring Tag!

Well, it feels a little strange to write this post when there's snow on the ground, but technically it is Spring, whether Mother Nature chooses to acknowledge it or not! Yesterday, Kaitlyn of Keeping Up with Kaitlyn tagged me in her blog post and I love the motivation to focus on Spring, despite the weather.

1) Do you change your makeup when Spring comes around? If so, how?

Confession: I don't really wear much makeup at all. I actually wore eyeshadow the last couple of weekends out and that was a big step for me, haha! I do change what little makeup I wear in the Spring in the sense that I make sure to always wear tinted moisturizer or BB Cream and sometimes will wash my face halfway through the day just to reapply it. A bad face burn several years back has made me a huge fan of makeup with SPF! I also will sometimes wear a shine control base lotion more often this time of year. Oh, and sometimes I throw on some mascara, too!

2) What's your favorite Spring fragrance?

I don't change my fragrance for the Spring, but maybe I should. I do put away my Chanel No. 5 for the season because it's too heavy, but I love Coco Mademoiselle and it's my other go-to scent.

3) What's going to be your favorite accessory this Spring?

This is really hard...can I just say everything? In all seriousness, I am attached to my sunglasses, a trait I inherited from my Momma, so I would have to say those are probably the most important accessory! Oh and of course, Jack Rogers too...

4) What's going to be your most worn item of clothing this Summer?

Sundresses, really any sundress! I have some Lilly cotton shifts that will make pretty frequent rounds and can be layered under a blazer for a business casual summer look. The number one item is always my platinum Jack Rogers though, I really need to replace them soon because they're falling apart since I wear them so often!

5) What are your top 3 favorite Spring polishes?

I love Essie Geranium as my go-to red polish this time of year. OPI Dutch Tulips is also a great color and was one of my Grandmama's favorites so I love wearing that too. Essie Watermelon is probably my favorite pink, but Essie Sugar Daddy is my staple polish year round and is a nice break from bright colors every once in a while.

6) Do you prefer pumps or sandals in the Spring?

Since I am at college, I am definitely partial to sandals! I love my Jack Rogers and summer wedges and can't wait to finally pull them out when this winter weather passes! That being said, I need a pedicure...

7) What's your favorite Spring jacket?

I am not big on jackets in the spring, usually just opting for a cardigan instead. However, I do bring my little Marley Lilly raincoat/windbreaker with me much of the time because it can fit in any bag and guarantees that I am ready for any April snow showers!

8) What's your favorite flower?

I absolutely love peonies, but as mentioned before, I really just love any flower that's fresh! My other favorite flower is probably Hydrangea, but it is so hard to choose! In the spirit of this being Spring though, one of my favorite stands at the Farmer's Market sells Dahlias and they are absolutely stunning, I love the variety of them!

xoxo,

SSP

Digital Magazines

There is nothing better than having a good start to your day. A good breakfast or a lazy morning in bed is just what the doctor orders on a Sunday to unwind before the crazy week ahead. Recently, I decided to subscribe to a couple of magazines via Amazon because I was tired of spending $4.00 an issue at the grocery store when I wanted to read it. When I purchased Vogue and Glamour, I also got the iPad digital version of the magazine. I was hesitant to do this because there is just something that I really love about reading print editions of magazines and books, even though I do have some on my iPad. However, I am so glad that I elected to download the digital version of this magazine, too!

{via Instagram}

Digital magazines are becoming really popular, in fact Carly Heitlinger of The College Prepster helped to start Sweet Lemon Magazine a couple years ago, an exclusively digital magazine, and Net-A-Porter recently launched a digital magazine as well. Though I thought this was a cool concept, I didn't realize how many benefits there would be for magazines that I already read in print. The digital version of these magazine has offered more interaction and insight to the issue than ever before. There are great iPad exclusives including behind-the-scenes videos and more photos than are in the print edition, the magazine really comes to life on my iPad. Plus, you can instantly read what you want by just tapping on the various links on different pages.

Personally, I still like to flip through the whole thing because I love looking at ads for designer items that I can only afford in my dreams. Nothing can ever trump flipping through a magazine and hanging up the pictures on my wall. Did anyone else do this when they were younger? Like I had both sides of my closet doors covered in different fashion shots and ads from magazines that I would carefully tear out whenever I was done reading it.

And you know what, I can still do that because I get the print edition too. Although, now that I am older and there is really nowhere in my room that I want to hang up a bunch of magazine pages, I am thinking of making an inspiration folder to put these pages in.

What are your favorite magazines? Does anyone else get magazines delivered to their iPad, too?

xoxo,

SSP

Daily Hair Care

Y'all, my next big project is in the mail on its way here and I can barely keep it a secret! Actually, I have sort of already revealed it on here in a previous post, but whatever...I am still so freaking excited. 

So I have now had short hair for a week and a half, and I am still not totally used to it, but I am learning. It's all about the baby steps, like learning that the previous amount of shampoo my hair required could last me a few days with these short locks. Another thing that I have learned is that there is really not a lot of variety when it comes to styling. Seriously, it's like do you want a center or side part? Flipped out, straight, or curled under? Ringlets...yeah right. It's not the worst thing, but it is definitely different.
One thing that I find myself wanting is something that I have not owned or used in a pretty long time...a hair straightener. I have naturally stick straight hair and I just never found myself needing one. Actually, there was that period of time in high school that everyone straightened their hair, regardless of how straight it was, and I participated wholeheartedly in that trend. However, come college it just wasn't really necessary unless I slept with wet hair in a messy bun. Now, I am in the market for a straightener and goodness am I overwhelmed...there are soooo many of them! Luckily, I was able to ask around a bit and find one that I think will work for my super limited requirements, but that got me started on restocking a bunch of products that I had run out of or been running low on.

hair care 101 by sugarsnappearls (product details through set link!)

Daily routines seem to not be that important, but honestly, just harming your hair a bit every day adds up. I love, love, love how healthy my hair is right now and I want to maintain that as it continues to grow out. There are so many products out there and so many different hair textures and styles that I could never pretend to list what each person needs on a daily basis, but there are some core essentials that most people could use. Yes, there are a lot of volumizing products in this set because I believe in big hair, despite gravity and the perpetual state of flat-ness that my hair seems to enjoy.  (Oh and no, 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner did not make the list...thank god! and snaps to anyone who just caught that Legally Blonde: The Musical reference)
Do y'all have any hair care necessities? Anything that I should add to my routine?

xoxo,

SSP

Locks in Limbo: Changing Your Hairstyle

So I got a big haircut.

Nobody knew I was going to do it, including me. I had been thinking about this since about June, but I was too scared to actually go for it. Actually, I was thinking about getting a haircut to be about the length of Hannah from Pretty Little Liars since then, this medium bob (mob?) was 100% unexpected, but not in a bad way.

not that my hair would ever hold that awesome curl... {via}

I have been kind of stressed and just not feeling like myself for the last couple of months, cumulating in me just really feeling off this past week. I decided that I was going to actively try to get my life back on the track I'd envisioned starting now, and sometimes a big physical change can help get the ball rolling. Of course, now I look like the kid version of myself, but I love it, so I don't really care too much.

Seeing as I have only had this haircut for about 24 hours, I am not exactly an expert on short hair yet, but as I learn more about styling it, etc. I will share with y'all. In the meantime here are some tips for deciding to change up your hairstyle, drastic or not.

1) Think On It: Especially if it is a big change like mine. My hairstylist said she usually tells clients that if they've been thinking about it for 3 months, they should do it. Some changes, like mine, are drastic and are going to take a while to return to their previous state, so make sure you want it!

{via}

2) Look up styles for your face shape: I am surprised I like my hair in this bob, but it is a medium bob that will grow out shortly. I have a round face and generally bobs are not the greatest style, but there are plenty of others, like the shoulder length hairstyle I'd originally envisioned. A quick google search comes up with a bunch of results for this, as well as "face shape with bangs," "face shape with layers," etc.

{via}

3) Find a Photo: There are so many celebrity styles out there that a google image search can result in. Picking out an ideal cut with one of those helps give the stylist a vision for what you want. (I had kind of done this, but I was feeling pretty flexible as well).

{via}

4) Talk to your stylist: Why is this the one that is so often skipped? Y'all, they want to know what you want and they are not mind-readers, plus they can offer really helpful insight. Tell them if you have a specific vision that has to be adhered to. Or, like in my case, tell them what you're going for and then that they have some wiggle room within that.

5) Ask for it longer or less severe than you want: There will be many times that your hair will end up being cut shorter or dyed a slight shade different than what you anticipated. Be prepared for this. I explicitly told my stylist "shoulder length, but err on the side of being too short" so she knew that I didn't want it to be longer than that. In a sense, I asked for my mob (this is a new thing) without anticipating it.

{via}

6) Work It: Hair is one of those things that we alone control. We can cut it, grow it out, dye it, curl it, straighten...you name it, we can do it! So any cut or styling that you have is not permanent. Therefore, love your hair, even if you don't. It's kind of like faking a smile, eventually, it will improve your vision of your hair and you'll love it, and of course you can change it again soon! (pic is unrelated, but Bey is always workin' it).

Have y'all done anything drastic with your hair before? Any styling tips for my short hair?

xoxo,

SSP

Winter Beauty Essentials

Well, in typical Virginia fashion, the weather has changed again. I mean really, a high of 60 degrees today and then 34 degrees on Sunday? The changing weather means a constantly rotating wardrobe and checking the forecast every day. It also means dry skin, watery eyes, and chap lips for me. I know I am not alone in this because I have friends who are in the same boat as I am. Here are a few of my favorite beauty products to get you through the upcoming winter months:

winter beauty essentials by sugarsnappearls

Don't forget gloves can be super helpful as well and making sure that your moisturizer has SPF is crucial because, as we all know, just because it's cold, doesn't mean the UV rays can't affect you. The rule of thumb is to just keep your skin covered and moisturized and you'll be good to go! So take a personal spa day to moisturize and decompress before finals because you deserve it and your skin will thank you!

xoxo,

SSP

Nailed It: Cold Weather Nail Polish

Thank the lord Momma is coming down with my winter gear tomorrow because this weather has definitely taken a turn for the colder. This is the perfect weather for cozy socks, hot chocolate, a fire, blanket and Netflix. While I can't actually have a fire in my apartment, I can curl up with everything else with the ambiance of a fire-inspired wax melt. Cold weather also means changing out the nail polish! Personally, I am loving Cashmere Bathrobe from Essie's Fall Collection and my go-to cold weather color is always a deep red, like Essie Bordeaux.

details of these colors on the polyvore set: nailed it by sugarsnappearls

I am a firm believer in seasonal nail polish. Unless it is for a particular event (i.e. purple for Relay for Life), I have turned my collection over to the rich, deep colors for winter. I am a huge fan of Essie nail polish and while there are other brands, in recent years, this is the one I have become more familiar with and therefore I feel most qualified to recommend to you. I also recommend Amazon, you just can't beat a $5 bottle of quality nail polish.

Now before you go and paint the town your nails red, keep a couple of things in mind about these colors:

1) darker polish=longer drying time: it's not exponentially longer, but be careful to use thin coats so that it dries in a reasonable period of time (my biggest struggle!)

2) base coat is your best friend: these colors will stain your nails if you aren't careful. Really, all colors will stain, but these especially. I often cycle a dark color out with a round of Essie Sugar Daddy to minimize this because sometimes it even gets through the base coat!

What are your favorite nail colors this time of year?

xoxo,

SSP