Galentine's Day Gifts to Give

Oh Valentine's Day. As someone that is currently happily married but that has also gone through more than one January breakup, I understand the love-hate relationship people have with you. Romance is great, but when you're recently heartbroken or hanging out with your substitute boyfriends Ben & Jerry for the umpteenth time, its probably the last thing you want to have on your mind. And this is why I'm all for celebrating Galentine's Day - because there is so much more love to celebrate in life than just the romantic kind. Of course I believe Valentine's Day can also be a representation of that. But why not take the opportunity, regardless of whether or not we're in a relationship, to celebrate our best gal pals?

If you're in need of some inspiration on how to spoil the special ladies in your life, look no further. I've curated a list of some of my favorite extra-girly gift ideas for showing appreciation to all kinds of wonderful women - from your kid's teacher, to your mom, to your hairdresser, your bestie, or your coworker. (There is also no shame in passing this post on to a S.O. should he or she need some pointers and/or not-so-subtle hints of things you might appreciate yourself. Just sayin'.)

The Ultimate Girly Gift Guide: Pink & Pretty Things for Your Holiday Wishlist

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Friends, there is absolutely no denying that I am the walking definition of a girly girl. I pretty much always prefer to wear dresses, I have more makeup than I can use in a lifetime, and anything that's pink, polka dotted, or covered in flowers will basically steal my heart. It may be crazy to think that there was once a time in my life that I felt ashamed to be ultra feminine, but some people (some guys, especially) like to associate being a girly girl with being weak, overly dramatic, or vain.

The truth is, I am anything but weak, nor does my liking to wear makeup make me self centered or insecure. I'm proud of my femininity, of my love of all things pretty, and I will never let anyone make me feel ashamed or lesser than because of it. And with that being said, I am incredibly excited to share with you my Ultimate Girly Gift Guide for the holiday season. I've compiled a list of some of my most favorite accessories, beauty products, and home decor to inspire your holiday gifting, or even to add to your own wish list!

Spring 2017 Sephora VIB Sale Shopping Guide

Spring is here, and you know what that means. Flowers? Sunshine? Easter candy?...well, yes. All of those things. But ALSO the annual Sephora VIB sale! For those of you who are slightly less addicted to beauty and/or not a frequenter of Sephora, they've got a pretty sweet rewards program. Anyone can join for free and become a "Beauty Insider", which allows you to cash in on perks like a free birthday gift. But once you've spent $350 in store or online within a calendar year, you get upgraded to VIB status. VIBs get access to additional benefits, like special gift with purchase options, early access to product launches, and special discounts like this one! If you're all the way obsessed with beauty and spend $1000 at Sephora in a year you get upgraded again to VIB Rouge, which will score you free Flash shipping among other things (potentially including a small amount of shock and/or shame over how much money you spent on beauty products).

The other thing to know about Sephora (and about most luxury beauty shopping in general) is that they don't typically run sales. Yes, there is a "sale" section of the website with discounted product, but usually these are discontinued or seasonal items that they're looking to sell as quickly as possible. Normally if you want the latest Hourglass foundation or YSL lipstick, you best prepare to pay full price. And that's why us beauty enthusiasts go a bit bananas every year when this event rolls around. Whether we're looking to restock on essentials or experiment with some new launches, we'll wait patiently for our coveted postcard to arrive in the mail to let us know when we can save a few bucks on our favorite luxury brands.

Holiday 2016: Cyber Monday Beauty Deals

Does anyone else remember when Cyber Monday was just about tech deals? Like, unless you needed a laptop or the newest gaming console, Black Friday was really where the sales were at. And if you wanted to shop Black Friday, you had best be prepared to stand in line for hours in the middle of the night, whilst freezing your butt off in the cold. Fast forward to 2016, where internet shopping reigns supreme, and Cyber Monday deals put Black Friday to shame. Granted, now people sit perched in front of their computers, impatiently refreshing websites so they can click "checkout" the moment a sale goes live.

But they can at least avoid the cold.

Now, we all know Mondays are enough of a struggle without trying to make sure you don't miss out an epic deal. So I've got your back! I'm compiling a list of the best beauty and fashion Cyber Monday deals I can find so they'll all be accessible in one easy place. I'm going to try and update this list as much as possible over the next 24 hours as I'm able to discover new offerings, so make sure you bookmark this page and check back later for new info!

Holiday 2016: Black Friday Beauty Deals at Ulta & Sephora

Friends, prepare your wallets. Black Friday is almost upon us.

As someone who can never pass up a good bargain, its hard to not go a little crazy with the beauty shopping at this time of year. There are just so many amazing little sets and great deals to be had, and it's tempting to buy...just about everything.

For the sake of my bank account, I'm trying to be extra choosy about what I put in my shopping cart this year. Black Friday is one of the worst times for impulse purchases, what with the pressure of the time crunch and fear of things selling out, so I'm making an effort to try and plan as much of my shopping ahead of time as possible. Fortunately I've got my hands on some sneak peeks of beauty deals that are going live this Thursday at Sephora and Ulta, which gives me a few days of deliberation before I have to hit that checkout button. Curious to see what this year's offerings look like? I'm more than happy to share!

Holiday 2016: Wish-List Worthy Eyeshadow Palettes

Now that Halloween has officially past, I think it's safe to admit that the holiday shopping season is in full swing! If the rest of the year is any indication, the weeks between now and Christmas are going to absolutely fly by, which means you have way less time to get everything on your shopping list checked off than you think. If you're feeling a little lost and uninspired, don't you worry. I'm going to be posting tons of awesome beauty-related (and maybe some non-beauty related) gift ideas over the coming weeks to help get you started.

In true Lauren fashion, I'm kicking things off with perhaps my greatest weakness among makeup products - the eyeshadow palette. There have been SO many incredible launches this year it was hard to narrow down my list of recommendations. But after having spent a slightly embarrassing amount of time researching what's new, what's hyped, and what might be a hidden gem I think I've got a pretty solid list for you to check out!

Trending Now: Glittering, Metallic Eyes

Trying to mentally prepare myself for fall is never an easy task. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about everything pumpkin spice, plaid shirts, and being able to dig my beloved boots out of hiding. But the change of seasons is always bittersweet. Winters here in New England are brutal, and fall sometimes feels like a pretty little distraction from the impending dark and cold. But, before I get myself too depressed thinking about Connecticut mid-February, let's put the focus back on what we've got to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Fall makeup might just be my all-time favorite of the entire year. Vampy reds, lush berries, rich chocolate tones...it's basically the season for extra sultry glam. While blindingly bright highlighters were all the rage this summer, the sparkle factor appears to have transferred to the eyes for fall. Whether you're just adding a bit of shimmer to the lid, or incorporating serious metallic shine into a full-on smokey eye, there are tons of options popping up at every price point to unleash your inner MUA.

As someone who's always had a soft spot for glitter, I'm welcoming this trend with open arms. The combination of a warm, inviting fall color palette with intense sparkling shine is especially gorgeous, and has me totally inspired to create some killer eye looks. If you're as into this trend as I am, here are some product recommendations to get you started!

Birthday Freebies

One of the things I look forward to every July is the slew of e-mails that show up in my inbox, filled with awesome coupons and promises of freebies. Why July? Because it's my birthday! As much as celebrating with a big party and cake can make me feel loved and appreciated, I honestly look equally forward to my yearly ritual of parading around the mall, collecting my free little treats. Maybe I'm just an introvert, but the gift of me-time is perhaps my favorite thing to give myself (you know, along with some chocolate and a bath bomb). To keep you guys in-the-know, I thought I'd round up a list of my favorite birthday freebies, both beauty and non-beauty, so you too can get in on all the goodness.

Sephora Gift Sets Under $50

Hello friends! Today I thought it'd be fun to do a little bit of online window shopping with you all. Sephora has launched a TON of new favorites kits, which inspired me to peruse all of their available value sets and come up with a list of 10 badass options all under $50. As a beauty blogger the hours I spend browsing through Sephora's website could easily be considered justifiable research. But in reality I'd probably waste just as much time looking at pretty bottles and compacts even if I didn't have an audience to share my musings with (#iamaddictedtobeautyproducts).

ANYWAY...these little sampler sets are by far one of my favorite ways to shop beauty. Much akin to my fondness for tapas, I'd rather have a little bit of a lot of different things than one big dish...err bottle...tube?...you get the picture. I love variety and the surprises that come with it. Sometimes you fall in love with a product you would have otherwise never thought to try. Other times a product that seemed amazing turns out to kind of suck, leaving you totally relieved that you didn't buy the full size.

Sampler sets are also a great way to stave off beauty boredom. We've all been there. You've been using the same shampoo for the last 6 months, and while it started off amazing, you've gotten to that point where washing your hair is like listening to a ridiculously overplayed song on the radio. You feel too guilty to abandon a half used bottle of perfectly good product, but you're just so over it that the entire process makes you rage. How is there still so much left? Will it ever end? YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. On the flip side, opting for a mini size gives you a much greater likelihood of actually using the entire thing up before it hits My Heart Will Go On status.

So whether you're looking for travel-sized versions of products you love, or are feeling a bit adventurous and just looking to experiment, these value sets will likely be money well spent. They're also adorable. Just sayin'.

New In: Drugstore Lip Loves & Loathes

In true Lauren fashion, I've added way more lip products to my collection recently than is probably necessary for anyone ever. In my defense, the drugstore basically exploded with new products in the past three months, and as your resident beauty expert I feel compelled to stay on the up-and-up for you guys. Fortunately I'm all about that coupon life and was able to snag all of these products at a crazy discount as a result. Seriously. If there is one thing I want you to take away from reading my blog, it's that you don't need to spend a small fortune on beauty products. Part of the reason I love writing reviews is because it affords me the opportunity to take some of the guess work out of the shopping process for others. I want you all to shop smart. To have your cake and eat it too (or in this case, have your lipstick, plus another lipstick, and still have money for your morning coffee run).

So let's chat a little bit about what's new and good in the world of drugstore lip products. L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Burt's Bees all had some promising launches that I've put to the test for you. Spoiler alert, some are pretty great, some are all right, and at least one is kind of awful. Have some guesses as to what's what? Let's see if you've got some beauty mind reading powers.

New in: Drugstore Beauty for Winter & Spring 2016

Guys, the temptation to haul drugstore beauty right now is real. Have you seen how many amazing new launches hit the shelves for the new year? From on-trend makeup to rival hyped high-end brands, to all-natural skincare goodies to make any green beauty lover swoon, there's something for pretty much everyone to get excited about. I'm not gonna lie, I've already picked up a few things that I just couldn't resist trying out for myself, but there so much more out there I'm dying to get my hands on. Here's just a few of the latest products to appear in the drugstore this season that I think are worth checking out!

Sephora Sale on Sale

The hustle and bustle of Christmas may be over, but the season of sales has only just begun. If you were lucky enough to score a Sephora gift card, or maybe just want to treat yourself to a little beauty goodie regardless, now is the time to consider cashing in. For a limited time you can get an additional 20% off everything on the Sephora sale page using the code EXTRA20. There are tons of great things to be found, from palettes, to holiday kits, to little essentials. Some of these goodies are sure to get snagged up quickly, so I would jump on purchasing whatever calls to you. To get your started, here are some of my top picks!

Black Friday 2015 Beauty Deals!

Holy deals, Batman! It's time to bust out that credit card and get to shopping. Whether you're on the mission to find the perfect holiday gifts, or you're indulging in a bit of personal retail therapy, now is the time to snag some serious deals on your favorite beauty and fashion goodies. I'll be on the lookout for great new deals as I find them, and will make sure to update this page as often as I can! Some of these deals are only good through tomorrow, while others last until Monday, so I tried to include the valid dates for you as well. Either way, these deals won't be here for long, so you'll want to jump on your favorite ones ASAP! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and have a great weekend ahead. Happy shopping!

Black Friday Preview

Black Friday is almost upon us, and while some may love the total insanity of shopping in stores, others of us may prefer to score a deal without ever having to leave our beds. As the week goes on more and more stores are releasing previews of the sales they're hosting, but for now I wanted to share a couple of exciting ones that have already begun!

Holiday Preview: Palette Envy

When it comes to the holiday wish list of a makeup junkie, there's a good chance at least one palette will make the cut. This year there are some seriously enviable options to choose from, so much so that it may be hard to pick just one! To get you started, I've rounded up 9 of the most hyped face and eye palettes on the beauty scene as well as a few dark horses that I think could very well steal the show.

Skincare Week: A Full Face Routine for Under $100

As sad as it is to say, it's finally time to wrap up skincare week. I've chatted about a lot of products, as well as some thoughts on my own skincare journey, and I thought I would leave you all with this: taking great care of your skin doesn't have to cost a fortune. While there are a lot of amazing luxury skincare products on the market, creating an entire routine out of them can easily set you back hundreds of dollars. And let's be real, how many of us can justify that kind of spending? Yes, above all else I think your skin is worth investing in, and if you want to spend $60 on an anti-aging serum I'll be the last one to judge. But if you're living on a budget, those kinds of splurges may just not be feasible.

Fortunately, with a little bit of shopping savvy, you can still put together a kick ass skincare regimen without breaking the bank. I've honestly been blown away by some of the products I've seen in the aisles of Target and CVS and truly believe that cost is not always indicative of quality. And that's why I wanted to create today's post. For less than the cost of a single bottle of Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, you can buy these 8 products, covering every single important skincare base from cleansing and moisturizing, to sun protection and dealing with the occasional pimple. And if that alone doesn't entice you, I also made it my mission to pick products that utilized high quality, natural ingredients and would be suitable for just about any skin type. Sounds too good to be true? Just you wait and see.

Holiday 2015 Preview: Gift Sets Galore

Is it just me, or do stores release their holiday goodies earlier and earlier every year? Maybe it seems a little crazy, what with it not even being Halloween yet, but at the same time, we all know that the 3 month stretch leading up to the Holiday season basically flies by. So what does it hurt to start making that wish list early? Or to get a head start on your gift shopping? We're all friends here. You know I won't judge! From skincare, to makeup, to beautiful brushes, the beauty world has really amped things up for the 2015 holiday season, and there are a TON of amazing gift sets to give or to get. To help you narrow down the sea of choices, here are a few of my top picks!

Lilly Pulitzer for Target

Who loves a good collab? This girl. On April 19th Target is going to be launching an exclusive collection in partnership with Lilly Pulitzer that is absolutely perfect for spring. Cheery floral patterns, bright whites and gold accents strike the perfect balance between sophistication and fun. The collection contains beautiful products for the home, as well as some extra stylish fashion and beauty picks. As you can see, I've already started my wish list, and you can do the same here! I'm sure this limited edition collection will sell out quickly, so if there's something you absolutely adore, I'd make plans to pick it up as soon as the line launches.

Will you be shopping the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection? What product are you most excited about?

Holiday Gifting 2014 - Bathtime Bliss from LUSH

If there's one thing LUSH does right, it's bath products. It's probably been a good ten years since I first heard about their miraculous bath bombs, which totally redefined my standards for what I consider good enough to throw in my tub. They also have amazing seasonal collections, of which Christmas time is certainly no exception. Here's a closer look at all of the wonderous, limited edition holiday bath products LUSH has created for is this year. It's hard to not want them all!

Holiday Gifting 2014 - Stocking Stuffers

When it comes to Christmas morning, I think I honestly get more excited about opening my stocking than anything else. Little trinkets, candy and other goodies all wrapped up inside, each waiting to be carefully opened and treasured. Some practical, some frivolous, but almost always fun. Now that I'm older, the big ticket items under the tree are much less of a surprise, which I think makes me appreciate the small, and often totally random things my mom puts into my stocking even more. In honor of my favorite Christmas tradition, here are my personal picks for stocking stuffers, all under $15!