My Fragrance/Perfume Journey

I don't wear fragrance very often unless it's a special occasion. I also don't buy it often, but it is something that I like to have around. A little bit about my taste in fragrances, I don't like sweet fragrances like anything with vanilla, or sweet pea from Bath and Body Works. Sometimes I will make an exception if it is a fragrance that has violet in it. I'm also not as picky about the fragrance being all natural as I am with my skin care. Enough talk about my likes and dislikes as you will already see them throughout this post. 

I'll admit, I started at Victoria's Secret. Yes, I did start with Love Spell. I read in Seventeen Magazine that Love Spell was a "guy's pick" in their beauty awards, and that is how I got interested in it. Back then, Victoria's Secret was something that was very taboo at school. As you can imagine, I was very young, and my friends would have their moms go in and buy the fragrances for them. This was so long ago that when I first picked up my own bottle, it still had this packaging.

I was so excited about having my first perfume that I basically drowned myself in it. I was so obsessed with Love Spell that I would wear it every day. Looking back, I think that if I had walked by myself, I would have had a coughing fit. I did also have Pure Seduction and My Desire. I wore those until I reached high school. 

When I entered high school, I turned away from Victoria's Secret and became really interested in Ralph Lauren fragrances. I picked up a bottle of Ralph Lauren Romance, and yes, it was because it was a "guy's pick" in Seventeen Magazine. 

This fragrance brings back lots of memories. I wore this to my first dance, when I first fell in love, and many other coming of age moments. I still have the bottle sitting on my dresser just to remind me of my younger days. It had a very unique smell. It was floral, sweet, and sultry at the same time. I can guarantee you that this was a head turner in high school. 

While Ralph Lauren Romance was more of a special occasion fragrance, I decided that I needed something that was more for everyday. So, I picked up Ralph Lauren Cool.

This was one of my favorite fragrances because it was fresh and it was a great everyday fragrance. I know that they don't produce it anymore, but I also keep this on my dresser to remind me of my younger days. It has a nice aquatic smell that is good for any season. That's probably why I chose it. 

Sophomore year, I remembered seeing an ad for Juicy Couture's Viva la Juicy. I remember the girls wearing lace dresses and big bows on top of their heads. Juicy Couture velour track suits were also becoming popular at this time. I picked up a bottle, and I could really see why people liked it. 

This was definitely not a day time scent. I wore it to musicals at night and when I went on dates. It had a very unique smell of vanilla and jasmine. I know that I said that I didn't like vanilla, but it complimented the jasmine nicely. I knew girls who would buy the body lotion as well as the body wash, but I never went that far.

I didn't wear much fragrance for the remainder of high school. In fact, I didn't buy a new bottle until I entered the beauty industry. My nose definitely has changed since high school. I started to really appreciate more mature fragrances. I also did buy into the hype of Dolce and Gabbana's Light Blue. 

I remember smelling this on one of my girlfriends and really liking it. I also remember smelling it within the pages of magazines. I liked the fresh aquatic smell of it and how versatile the fragrance was. I wore it during the summer time to outings like bonfires or barbecues. Every time I smell it, it brings me back to that summer.

In December of 2013, I smelled my most favorite fragrance of all time. I knew it the moment that I smelled it. It was L'Occitane's Fleur D'or and Acacia. 

Not only did it have the most beautify packaging, but it also wore well on me. It was the perfect blend of floral and sweetness. I could see myself wearing this for all occasions. I received so many compliments when I wore it and over all, it reminded me of happiness. I even bought the dry oil that came with it. Every time I have a bad day or when I need an extra boost of luck, I put it on and I wake up feeling much better. 

As much as Fleur D'or and Acacia was an all occasions fragrance, I also fell in love with L'Occitane's Jasmine and Bergamont. 

When I smell this fragrance, I think of a very sexy, powerful woman. It was a little heavy for the day time, but it was perfect for the night time. I love using this fragrance for dates or balls, and it ties a night out's outfit together.

I'm not a crazy fragrance fanatic, but when I find something that I love, I get hooked on it. Fragrance is very personal and you should never settle on a scent just because it's popular at the moment. When you smell your favorite fragrance, it brings back all the memories that came with it. Some people find the right one the first time around, and some have a little bit of digging to do. If you don't have favorite yet, I suggest either going to a fragrance specialty store to pick out notes that you may enjoy, or even buying a Sephora fragrance sampler. 

Let me know what your favorite fragrance is and how you discovered it.

Bikini Time!

It's that time of year for Spring Break!! I'll have to say that the thing that I'm most excited about this year would be  bikinis. Although I live in the Pacific Northwest, 90% of my closet is made of clothing that is catered to the warmer weather. How do I live in the winter time? I just wear lots of layers and the same jacket that I've had for years. I've had my eye on a jacket at Nordstrom, which I'll probably pick up soon... 
Anyways, I've never been a bikini kind of girl because I've always worn competition Speedos for swim team. I also never really get the chance to be around the lake or the pool, but it's nice to have a bikini just in case your girlfriends randomly decide to go to the beach. 

I caved and splurged on a Triangl Bikini. I like how simple the design is and how it hugs your body. It seems pricey, but you will love the way that it feels. I picked the Santa Rose Splash color because it looks really nice against my skin. I tan very easily, and this color shows it off perfectly. I've seen bikinis at Target that have similar prints for a much cheaper price.  

You could never go wrong with a black bikini top or a floral bikini bottom. The black top goes with almost any color bottom you pick, and it's also a very flattering color. A floral bottom has many colors on it, so it will match with any color top that you pick. I got my floral bikini bottom from Guess a couple of years ago, and it is my favorite bikini bottom. Most of the time I pair it with a black halter bikini top, but it is also great with a pink top, or even the Triangl top. 

I'm also a spaghetti strap bikini kind of girl. I'll admit, I don't have too much in the chest area, so bikini are easier to find for me. I also like getting a little bit of push with push up bikinis. Halter tops work the best for me, and they also hold up better than other kinds that I have tried. I'm not exactly a big fan of bikini bottoms that tie at the hips because I'm always paranoid that it'll slip off! Just one solid piece for me is just fine.

When it gets a little chilly, bikini cover ups are the way to go. I love using my Juice Couture dress as a cover up. It doesn't five me a funny sun tan print like other bikini cover ups, and it works perfect as a dress. I usually will wear it with a baby pink bikini top so it matches, but it works with any other color bikini top since the color is so subtle. I also have the same cover up in red, that is made with a terry cloth material. It works great for when I just got out of the pool.

How could I forget shoes? I'm a leather flip flop girl, but those might not be the most ideal material for the water. A good pair of flip flops ties the whole outfit together. As long as you don't walk for a prolong amount of time in them, they're cute enough for the rest of the summer. I usually will wear rubber flip flops for the beach or pool, and leather ones for when I go out during other times of the day. I've gotten my leather flip flops soaked before, that they took FOREVER to dry.

Let me know what your plans are for Spring Break and what your favorite style of bikini is.

When You Fall in Love with a Purse

As if you couldn't already tell from the title of the post, I got a new bag! I thought that I would just let you guys know that I have two obsessions, purses and dresses. I have upward towards 70 dresses, but I don't have that many purses! Unlike dresses, purses come with a heavier price tag. 
I'll admit, I do change within the season and the event, of course. I guess I have a lot of clutches, but not actual purses. I used to love the shoulder style, but when I bought my first cross body bag, I never ever want to look back. The cross body bag is just too convenient! Also in boarding school, I love toting around my messenger bag that matched with my uniform.

Right now, I alternate between my Michael Kors Selma, which I got for my 21st birthday a little while back. 

When I first laid eyes on this bag, I fell right into love. It was perfect. It was structured, professional, and it didn't get dirty! Well, at least it wouldn't be obvious. I carry this bag almost every day. I love it, it's one of my favorites. 

The other bag that I go to is my Sam Edelman Odette.

Initially, I had fallen in love with the smaller version of this bag at Nordstrom. I thought long and hard about getting it, but by the time that I actually got the chance to go and get it, it was gone. But I went searching for it on Ebay, and came across this one. I bought it in January and decided that it was going to be my summer bag. It had the rose gold accents and it goes with every spring outfit. If this purse gets dirty, it does show. I'm more cautious about getting this one dirty.

But back to the main point. I've been looking for a new bag and I wanted to treat myself because of a recently very exciting life change. I looked for a long time, and I finally came across the Tory Burch Amanda bag. 

I had recently painted my Rebecca Minkoff grey because I bought it in a cream color, and as you can imagine, it got dirty, fast. It's now a lovely light grey, and I use it as a school bag. But this Tory Burch was the perfect addition to my collection of grey purses. 

It has the cross body strap as well as the handles so I could wear it business style, or casual style. I haven't received it yet, but I definitely will do an update when I get it in the mail. I've never really been a huge fan of Tory Burch, until I saw the Robinson. The Robinson didn't look like it catered to what I was looking for. When I saw the Amanda, it was definitely love at first sight. I knew that I had to have it! 

One thing that I did like about the Robinson was that it had a smaller emblem. I'm not quite sure how large this one will be exactly, but I'll just have to deal with that. The thing that bugs me the most are bags with their logos all over their bags. With the exception of Louis Vuitton because that will always be a signature print. You know what I mean, those Coach bags with the logos vomited across. Maybe it's just me, but I like things to be simple and clean. That's just my two cents. 

I'm really excited to carry this bag around for the summer time. It's a little dark for the summer, but it'll still match with all of the outfits. I'm already planning on what my next couple of bags will be, but they won't be here any time soon. 

What's your favorite purse? Why do you love it?

Newest Drink Obsession

I am hooked on coffee. I can't live without it. I have had different favorites throughout my life. I started drinking coffee when I was 16, and I stopped for a couple of years, then I started again. When I was a senior in high school, I would drink chai lattes, but that would never give me the caffeine that I needed. So I added a shot of espresso. Then, I started to do Americanos, and then I drank double lattes, that turned into triples, and now I'm drinking straight coffee with some kind of flavor. For the longest time, I drank iced coffee with white mocha. It had the perfect level of sugar and cream. I drank it everyday. I become so dependent on coffee that I would get decaf coffee on my days off, so I would avoid getting a headache. I've had french presses, coffeemakers, instant coffee, etc.
I now shy away from the fancy coffee and just drink some drip with a little bit of creamer. But this morning, I made my regular cup in the morning, and decided to put it over ice. It was as if I had found something new again. I came to the point where I would hate drinking hot coffee, but I knew that I needed it. I'm so glad that I did that today, because a light bulb went off in my head. What about cold brew? It was perfect! I could premake my coffee, it won't go bad, and it saves me time in the morning! 

I had to go out and buy a french press as well as a cute pitcher to put all of the coffee in. 
I ended up getting this cute little guy 

and I never thought that pitchers could be as cute as this one!

I had vanilla creamer already. It sucks that Costco only has one flavor of creamer! It's the most cost efficient, but I would love to try cinnamon or hazelnut during the summer time. 

I actually ended up brewing the coffee overnight, last night. I made myself some this morning, and it was nothing short of amazing. My usual coffee won't keep me awake, but this one sure did! It's concentrated with caffeine, but doesn't have the bitter taste. I might just skip the creamer and go to World Market to pick up a bottle of syrup and call it good! 

Another thing that I have recently come across at little coffee bars at home! Here is a gorgeous inspirational picture!

Are you freaking kidding me?? That is the cutest thing that I've ever seen! Here's another one!

Who doesn't want one of these!!! So cute! When we get our own place, I'm considering getting on of these. I've always imagined hosting more gatherings at my home, but we haven't really gotten around to doing that at our current place. If I do find myself hosting quite a bit, I will end up getting a cart like this. 

Let me know if you guys have tried the cold brew method or not. Tell me what you think.