The weekend is upon us and I can’t wait to share my Friday favorites with all of you! This week I am featuring some fabulous finds, including new beauty products and a stylish steal from the Nordstrom anniversary sale. Have a great weekend and thank you for visiting!
- Leopard clutch
- Benefit “They’re Real!” push-up gel eyeliner
- Bath & Body Works Cool Coconut Surf collection
- Blue Mani
- Sunset View
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is one I look forward to each summer. From the end of July until the beginning of August, Nordstrom offers a wide assortment of new fall items at reduced prices, ranging from beauty products to home decor. As soon as I spotted (pun intended) this leopard clutch in the preview ad, I knew I’d have to get it. My philosophy is that you can never own too much animal print. I love the mix of materials and the gold zipper details. The oversize style is much roomier than the standard clutch, plus there’s an optional detachable shoulder strap. Unfortunately, this style sold out pretty quickly, but the solid leather clutches are still available here. The Nordstrom anniversary sale ends on August 4th, so make sure to check it out now if you haven’t already!
There was a lot of hoopla surrounding the debut of this push-up gel eyeliner from Benefit, so I was curious to see how well it would work. The product claims to never “smudge, budge, or dry out.” I definitely found the staying power to be strong–so much, in fact, that removing it can be kind of a pain. Benefit also offers a remover specifically for this liner, but I’ve been using my regular eye makeup remover. Using theirs would probably make the process a lot easier but I haven’t brung myself to buy it yet. So far, I have only used this as a regular liner on my upper lashline. I found it to be a little heavy when I applied it on the bottom. I’ve never attempted the winged eyeliner look, but I feel a lot more confident now about giving it a whirl. I plan on wearing this with Bare Minerals mascara and a bold red lipstick for a little glamour.
While shopping at Bath & Body Works, I happened to notice this new coconut fragrance which is part of the summer collection. I’m a sucker for coconut scents, so I had to test it out. I’m pleased to say Bath & Body has created a coconut winner! It still doesn’t beat my favorite of theirs, Exotic Coconut, but it’s definitely one I will reach for in warm weather. Cool Coconut Surf is a crisp, refreshing scent with lightly sweet undertones. It reminds me of Cotton Blossom, with a hint of Cucumber Melon. There’s definitely a little pineapple, but it isn’t overpowering. It’s hard to describe, but it’s just one of those scents that’s really airy and fresh. I only wish the coconut was a little stronger. I was recommended by the salesgirl to stick the cooling gel lotion in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes and apply after being in the heat. Genius!
I’ve been loving my turquoise blue mani all week. This OPI shade, “Can’t Find My Czechbook,” is from the 2013 OPI Euro Collection. It’s super bright and so fitting for summer. The staying power is incredible, too–I’ve been wearing it for 5 days and haven’t had a single chip! That’s usually not the case for creme nail colors. I don’t know what makes this formula different, but I wish all of my polishes held up so well.
Sometimes I experience Friday Five “blog block” and have a tough time thinking of what to feature. On my drive home yesterday evening, I happened to look up and see two hot air balloons floating overhead. There is a hot air balloon ride service in the area where I live, so this is a pretty frequent sight. But no matter how many times I spy the balloons, it never gets old. When I got home, I ran inside to grab the camera and took this shot from the deck as one of the balloons passed by our neighborhood. The sunset backdrop was just gorgeous and reminded me that the simple things in life are most meaningful.
