January Beauty Favorites

January is my favorite month to experiment with beauty products and different makeup looks. Maybe it’s because I feel inspired and excited for the new year, but I think it’s more the fact that I had a bunch of new products to play with this month. Luckily, a few gift cards I received for Christmas gave me a reason to splurge on some new makeup I’d been wanting for awhile. A little trip to Sephora was exactly what I needed to kick off the new year. 

My first step into Sephora was met with a stand, which was neatly organized with a few different Tarte palettes. The only other item I own from Tarte is The Brow Architect, which I absolutely adore although it’s no longer sold in stores. I love that Tarte specializes in eco-friendly and cruelty-free products because their good-for-you glamour is definitely an added bonus! The Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette literally made me starry-eyed. I’m a sucker for great packaging and the floral design of this palette is just sigh. It features twelve different shadows, which include nine matte and three luster shades. The Amazonian clay formula has great pigmentation and the blendability of the shades are perfect for creating smoky-eye looks (my personal fav). I also love that this palette works well for day or night time use.

Next up is the foundation that just about everyone in the beauty blogging and youtube world is obsessed with. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation definitely does live up to the hype. I’m not a fan of heavy foundation and really don’t wear a lot of it. In the words of Lisa Eldridge, makeup should enhance your natural features, not cover them up. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is such an incredible lightweight formula, which gives you amazing buildable coverage. All I need is a a light, even layer and I have glowing, radiant skin. 

After my foundation is completely blended in, I pop on MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural to set it. I adore this luxurious, slow-baked face powder with low-level pigments that give a dimensional, natural-satin finish. Although I love a bold lip, I’ve been really into the nudes this month. Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Lip Colour in Spiced Rose is a gorgeous pink/beige color that I find looks really good with my skin tone. The formula is indeed very creamy and lightweight on the lips. 

On the weekends, I’ve been having fun with some falsies. I’m finally starting to get the hang of how to apply them. Trust me, it took awhile. One of my favorites to wear at the moment are the Ardell Demi Wispies because they’re very natural looking, yet the feathered hair strands give your eyelashes that extra oomph. Before you spend money on a high end mascara, please consider the best drugstore mascara I’ve ever used. Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara gives every other high end mascara a run for their money. It doesn’t clump and isn’t hard to get off at the end of the day. It gives my lashes great length, volume, and is cheap! What more could you want?

xx JG

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The Birthday Post

When I was a little girl, I told my parents that twenty-four was going to be the best year of my life. Some may think it strange that while I was changing the rubber shirt on my Polly Pocket, I’d simultaneously think about what my early 20’s would be like. What kind of child was I? Yes, a weird one.

I’ve always had an obsession with the number twenty-four mainly because I was born on January 24th and my mother on September 24th. One day when I was in elementary school, I went to the fair in town with all of my closest friends and we played the roulette wheel. Somehow, it landed on the number twenty-four several times and I won stuffed animals for myself and all of my friends. I felt like the luckiest girl alive that night. 

I still feel like a very lucky girl, but for so many other reasons. I feel lucky because my family have good health, my close friends are genuine, wonderful people and my relationship is more special than I ever imagined it could be at my age. My golden birthday has finally arrived and all of my little friends at the fair are grown up. Now we bond over the good times we had like strolling down the main avenue in town on the weekends, eating egg rolls out of brown paper bags after school, and buying new tank tops before middle school dances where we’d grind to songs like Monster Mash. Yes, that did in fact happen. 

Life just isn’t a box of chocolates anymore and the things we would worry and stress over seem incredibly silly now. I wish my twenty-four year old self could tell my teenage self to just enjoy the years because they will truly be missed when life becomes all too real. Do you ever really wish you could go back to those awkward years without having to actually look like the most awkward human ever? 

Now my birthday has become a time where I not only celebrate, but also reflect on where I am in my life. What do I hope to achieve in the next five years and where do I see myself living and doing? I wish I could say I think about birthday cake, presents, and girly sleepovers with pepperoni pizza before bed.

I’ve been enjoying my life as it is now and appreciating everything I have in this moment. Things may never be as simple as they once were, but that shouldn’t make you any less appreciative for what you do have. And who knows, maybe this will be the best year of my life? A girl can certainly dream.

xx JG

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Healthy, Easy Breakfast Idea

I don’t know about you, but breakfast is definitely my favorite meal of the day. I love to cook breakfast for myself on the weekends or even go out to a great brunch spot with my friends or family. I think the best part about breakfast is the fact that you can cook a delicious, satisfying meal without putting in a ton of effort. Yes, I'm a huge fan of eggs cooked every and any way. The best part is how easy they are to make.

Although I absolutely love mornings, I’m not much of a morning person. I like the idea of having the whole day ahead, but can’t seem to get out of bed early on the weekends. No matter what time I decide to roll out of bed, I do always take some time to treat myself to a good breakfast even if it's almost noon. Don't judge...

I always start my mornings off at home with a cup of English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea. And a cup of tea pairs perfectly with this breakfast bowl of goodness. I’ve included the specific brands I use below, but you can of course use whatever you like! 

• Trader Joe’s Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats

• Trader Joe’s Vanilla Greek Yogurt 

• Trader Joe's Creamy Almond Butter

• Bananas

• Strawberries

• McCormick Cinnamon Sugar 

Start off by bringing 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of steel cut oats to your boiling water. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Cut up one banana and a couple of strawberries. You can use whatever fruit you like, but I personally love the strawberry and banana combo. Add the fruit, cooked oats, and about 3-4 tbsp. of vanilla greek yogurt into a bowl. Another option is to use plain greek yogurt and throw in some honey for added sweetness. Lastly, add around 2 tbsp. of almond butter to your bowl and finish off by sprinkling some cinnamon sugar. Mhmm....

xx JG

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My Current Skincare Routine

Practicing a good skincare routine is a habit I know I’m going to thank myself for when I’m older and start to notice changes in my overall appearance. My mother has somehow found the fountain of youth and I can only hope to be so lucky. Lately, I’ve started to implement a daily routine that has kept my skin in a condition that I’m currently very happy with. 

My skincare routine consisted of Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for a good couple of years throughout high school and college. I still keep it around because I find that I do reach for it during the summer. It's a light moisturizer with SPF 15 and the coverage is perfect for warmer weather. I’d recommend it to anyone starting out with skincare products. 

After having a skin test done at Kiehl's, I was told I had combination skin. My skin tends to get a bit oily around my nose and forehead, but the rest of my face is dehydrated. The Kiehl’s Sales Associate recommended a few products for my skin type and gave me some samples, which I tested out in the following weeks. I went back shortly after to snag some full size products. Surprise, surprise... 

Other than Kiehl's, another skincare brand I’m willing to splurge on is Origins, which I started using about a year ago. Below are some of my current favorites. I hope you find something you might want to try for yourself!

Kiehl's Ultra Face Cream: This facial cream is definitely the perfect everyday moisturizer. I find it has exactly the right amount of hydration without being too overly greasy. It doesn’t have much of a scent, however. If you’re really into moisturizers or creams that smell nice, you might be disappointed by this one.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado: If you follow any of the hype around the best skincare products, I’m sure you’ve heard a ton of praise about this eye cream. The area around my eyes gets quite dry and irritated, especially during winter months. I’m also the kind of girl who does eye makeup often and this treatment helps to keep the area around my eyes super soft and moisturized.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream: I use this eye cream in the morning as it's meant to brighten and de-puff the under eye area. It definitely does help to wake me up as I feel instantly refreshed when I pop it on after a shower or after a good face wash. It has a unique blend of caffeine, ginseng, and magnolia extract along with other brighteners that help to give you an overall rested appearance.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair: My mom has been using this holy grail serum for as long as I can remember. I only started using it about a few months ago. I tend to use it about once or twice a week because I find it’s more of a pick-me-up product given my current skin situation. It is first and foremost an anti-aging serum, but it also happens to do other amazing things for my skin. I came across its unusual power after using it on a day I was having a terrible breakout. My spots were barely noticeable the next day. It's truly a magic potion in a bottle. 

xx JG

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