What’s Up Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! It’s time for everybody to join up today with Shay and me and let us know WHAT’S UP with you this fine Wednesday!

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WHAT WE ARE EATING 

Y’all. There is nothing new going on over here. Last night we took advantage of Taco Tuesday at Nom Nom’s (basically a local mom and pop Chipotle type restaurant) and had some delicious tacos. That’s all I’ve got for this week. Seriously. I have absolutely no idea what we will even be eating tonight.

 

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WHAT I’M LOVING

Do y’all remember the lululemon sweatshirt dupes I introduced to you last year? Now that we’re starting to creep into fall it’s time to highlight them again BECAUSE THEY ARE AWESOME. If you’re a lululemon fan, you are going to love these.

They really are incredible dupes for the lulu sweatshirts that are all the rage right now. You can find all the lulu sweatshirts HERE for comparison. And goodness, they do look VERY similar, but the ones I’m highlighting today are a mere FRACTION of the price. The lulu sweatshirts are $118, and these are under $45! Some of them are even on sale right now, which makes them under $40.

Here are the 3 options they have on Amazon, and I’m showing two of them today styled in outfits.

full zip with hood / half zip no hood / half zip with hood

The reviews on all 3 sweatshirts are excellent.

This one is the full zip with the hood, its fleece lined, it’s got thumbholes, and it has a really cool collar (seen better on the site). I showed you the olive in a large last week, but this is the black in a medium. The medium still has plenty of room for me, but it’s more cropped like it’s supposed to be. The sweatshirt is quite warm, and it’s so dang cute! I style it several times for you in today’s post.

Here I am wearing it with my new soft fleece joggers.

zip up sweatshirt / tee / pave huggie earrings / soft fleece joggers / New Balance sneakers

Here’s the same outfit, I just switched out the black sweatshirt for the olive sweatshirt. This is the large sweatshirt.

zip up sweatshirt / tee / pave huggie earrings / soft fleece joggers / New Balance sneakers

And now the light grey…

pullover 1/2 zip sweatshirt / tee / pave huggie earrings / soft fleece joggers / New Balance sneakers

Back to the black sweatshirt, but now I’ve paired it with a fantastic pair of leggings. These are the 7/8 leggings that everybody swears are a perfect dupe for the lululemon Align leggings. Now, I wouldn’t know because I’ve never even tried the Aligns, but I do know that I think these are incredible. THEY FEEL LIKE BUTTER. I’m wearing the black, but they come in many colors. For size reference, I’m wearing a small.

zip up sweatshirt / tee / pave huggie earrings / black 7/8 leggings / New Balance sneakers

And now the grey sweatshirt with the black leggings.

pullover 1/2 zip sweatshirt / tee / pave huggie earrings / black 7/8 leggings / New Balance sneakers

And here’s another fall and winter staple of mine that you might want to grab now.

Do y’all remember this tunic sweatshirt? It’s quite similar to the Social Threads tunic sweatshirt that I talked about it all last year, but there are some differences that I want to outline. This Amazon one is lined with a light fleece, so it’s actually a bit cozier than the Social Threads version. HOWEVER, I do think the Social Threads one is a bit more flattering.

Also, the Amazon version’s pockets are smaller and not really very functional because it’s hard to actually get your hands in them easily.

Still, even with the pitfalls of the Amazon one, I still really like it. And I really love this color. It’s a bit more affordable, so that’s another check in the PRO column too. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. I wear a small in the Social Threads one.

tunic sweatshirt (pink)/ black 7/8 leggings / New Balance sneakers 

 

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WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO

I don’t really have anything new to report here. Over the last several Friday Favorites I’ve shared pictures from life, and there’s not really any additional moments to share today. The main highlight from our last month has been watching Carter’s freshmen football team play together. They are a great team, and they are so much fun to watch!

 

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WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT

I shared a handful of Amazon beauty favorites on last Friday’s post. It prompted some questions from y’all, so I thought now was a good time to do a little reminiscing about all of my TOP BEAUTY FAVORITES from Amazon. Every single one of these products on the collage is still a top favorite, and I continue to highly recommend every single one of them.

1) Laneige lip balm / 2) pmd Smart Facial Cleaning Device / 3) eltaMD tinted sunscreen / 4) chin masks / 5) Lumify eye drops / 6) spinning beauty organizer / 7) Biolage shampoo / 8) Stridex pads / 9) toiletry travel bag / 10) Revlon drying brush / 11) Biolage conditioning balm / 12) Tula Rose Glow Cooling and Brightening Eye Balm / 13) CHI hairspray / 14) Kenra blow dry spray / 15) hot rollers / 16) STUFF bag / 17) face roller / 18) ilia lip gloss / 19) facial hair remover / 20) Mario Badescu Drying Lotion / 21) St. Tropez self tanner

 

1) Laneige lip balm / This Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is a product that I absolutely swear by. I keep it on my nightstand and use it every single night. Like, I can’t go to sleep if I don’t have it on, and I travel with it too.

I don’t suffer from dry and flaky lips, which is what this product really targets, but I do love going to bed at night with super moisturized lips and my goodness does this product deliver. For me, it just gives me extra silky and smooth lips. If you suffer from dry lips, this is going to be a game changer for you. If you apply a thick layer at night, when you wake up the next morning, the flakes are going to be sitting on top of the skin. They then recommend taking a damp wash cloth to wipe the flakes away.

It has well over 15,000 5-star reviews, and I have several friends that swear by it as well.

 

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2) pmd Smart Facial Cleaning Device / I don’t remember talking about this very often, so I must have mentioned this device when it was on sale one time or another since it made the Top 20. It’s a is a smart facial cleansing device that uses over 7,000 vibrations per minute. The Sonic Glow technology deeply removes the skin’s impurities by breaking down dirt and oil from within the pores. It has excellent reviews and people say their faces are so soft and so clean after using it.

 

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3) eltaMD tinted sunscreen / When I shared this EltaMD sunscreen, I could hardly believe the incredible feedback I received from y’all.  It seems that tons of y’all were already devoted users of this product and y’all needed to be telling ME to.  #yalldroppedtheball

Well, instead of being mad at you (haha!), I’m just going to be happy that I am now using it myself. The hype is real.

Click HERE if you want to get to the Facebook post to see what everybody else had to say about it. It seems that not just my dermatologist recommends it, but everybody’s dermatologist does.

Here are just some of the comments:

The best sunscreen by far! I’ve had multiple dermatologist tell me that’s what I have to use. I use the tinted one on my face everyday. Zinc oxide is very important to have in a sunscreen especially on the face. – Summer V.

I use it everyday and have for about 3 years now! Love it! Will never use anything else. Makeup goes on great over it! – Liz B.

I just starting using the Elta Glow and really like it too. Mix just a tiny bit of the Drunk Elephant drops you told me about and it works great! – Jill M.

Yes! I’ve used it for probably 10 years, my husband uses it too. I love the tinted and sport versions also! – Brooklyn D.

Best facial sunscreen, hands down! I’ve been using it for years and I absolutely love it. I actually use the tinted version, which is magic on my skin – almost has like a blurring effect and leaves me with a lovely dewy look. Amazing. – Laura L.

 

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4) chin masks / Several beauty influencers I follow swear by these masks, so I finally ordered them to try for myself. They really do make a noticeable difference as they help to restore shape and definition to your jawline. The masks strap under your chin, cover your entire chin and the top portion of your neck, and hook over your ears. They are very cooling, and they seriously do tighten up your chin and neck skin. #goodbyedoublechin

 

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5) Lumify eye drops / I bought these eye drops for the first time over the summer in 2022, and now I cannot imagine not using them. They make my eyeballs SO WHITE, which makes such a difference in overall appearance. After using the drops, the whites of my eyes really pop! The reviews are absolutely outstanding. You should one thousand percent give them a try. They work better than any other eye drop I’ve ever used.

 

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6) spinning beauty organizer / I think this is the 3rd year in a row I’ve talked about this organizer, and to be honest, I don’t know how I ever functioned without it. You can adjust the shelf height for your personal needs, it spins all the way around, the products are super accessible, and it holds ALL THE THINGS! I highly recommend this baby.

 

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7) Biolage shampoo / This is the shampoo I use every single time I wash my hair. Y’all know I don’t love the CR shampoo, but I do love this Biolage product. It’s a great value for the size.

 

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8) Stridex pads / During football season, it looked for a hot minute like Carter was going to start developing acne on his chin. I immediately bought these Stridex pads, and he never had a breakout! He still uses them every single day and I think they are a big reason we’ve been able to keep the breakouts at bay.

 

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9) toiletry travel bag / My toiletry bag is one of my very favorite items of all times. I have the LARGE, it holds SO MUCH STUFF, and I love how you can hang it up and everything is so easily accessible. It has over 48,000 reviews and the great majority are 5 STARS. For most of you, it could be at your house by this afternoon.

And this is what it looks like all folded up and zipped up. Again, mine is the large.

toiletry bag

I have this weekender bag and flipping LOVE it. AND IT’S 43% OFF RIGHT NOW! It holds sooooooo much. I’ve had it for a couple of years now and it’s awesome. It’s totally spacious and holds way more than I thought it would. And I love the zippered compartment on the bottom for all my shoes.

toiletry bag / weekender bag

I shared this before, but my friend Keely bought the toiletry bags for Christmas presents for some of the girls in her family and had them monogrammed!  I think they look awesome.

travel toiletry bag

 

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10) Revlon drying brush / After I wash my hair, I use the Revlon One Step Dryer and Volumizer to dry my hair. I typically wash my every other night, and then in the morning I pop these rollers into my hair. Yep, I use rollers. We’ll talk about them more in a minute.

Yes, I have the super expensive Dyson dryer, and I do still love it. But this one is over $300 less, and I love it too. Here’s what I love the most about it: it’s sooo hard to get the bumpy ridges out of the back of my hair…AND DARE I SAY, THIS UNDER $50 TOOL MAKES IT EASY. Did you hear that? I SAID EASY. I know it’s pretty unbelievable, but it’s true. I try to let my hair air dry as much as possible before using it. The only complaint I have is that it gets realllllllllllly hot, so I most often use it on low.

 

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11) Biolage conditioning balm / I absolutely swear by the Colleen Rothschild Quench and Shine Restorative Mask, but it was sold out for a while, so I had to find another option. I stumbled upon this Biolage HydraSource conditioning balm. Y’ALL. It’s AMAZING.  My hair is so soft, so shiny, and so manageable!!! I love this product. Go ahead and get the big size in the tub. You won’t regret it.

 

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12) Tula Rose Glow Cooling and Brightening Eye Balm / I’ve actually been using this product for several years now and really enjoy it. I don’t really deal with dark circles (which many say it helps tremendously), but I use it every morning and I do feel like it brightens my eyes and wakes up my face. It gives a really nice sheen and just a healthy little glow. I sweep it on under my eyes, on my brow bone, and even sometimes on my cheekbones.

HOW TO:  After you moisturize, apply around the entire eye and on the orbital bone for a brighter appearance. You can even use it as a highlighter on your cheekbones, cupid’s bow, nose or anywhere else you want a glow effect. Due to the unique balm texture of this product, you can reapply throughout the day to energize and brighten the eye area.

 

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13) CHI hairspray / I’m super picky about my hair spray. I of course want it to hold my hair, but I also want to still be able to run my fingers thru my hair. I like buying it in these small bottles and usually buy 3 at a time.

 

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14) Kenra blow dry spray / This Kenra blow dry spray has been a favorite product of mine for at least 3-4 years now. In fact, it’s a MUST HAVE for me. I spray it on my wet hair before blow drying. First of all, it smells fantastic. I’d seriously buy it for the smell alone, but it’s also a heat protectant. It reduces dry time and it manages fly-aways. You’ll love it.

 

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15) hot rollers / I have lots of hair tools that I use and love (my Dyson hairdryer, Revlon dryer brush, curling iron, and rollers are all awesome). But if I had to choose only 1 of them to keep, I would definitely choose my Conair rollers. I get questions about my hair pretty frequently, and these rollers are definitely what give my hair the “bounce” that lots of y’all often ask me about.

I put 1 on the crown of my head, 1 on each side, and 2 in the back. PRO TIP: I don’t use the roller clips that come with it because they crease my hair. Instead, I use these.

This brush is also one of my favorite Amazon purchases EVER. It wasn’t in the Top 20 because it’s usually sold out, but it’s available now! Yes, it’s a brush that is $35 (which of course seems pricey for a bush), but it’s worth EVERY DANG PENNY. I’m telling you, this brush is incredible.

I use it on my dry hair of course, but I also use it on my wet hair before I even get out of the shower. It gets tangles out gently, and there’s something about the handle that makes it ergonomic. I know it sounds silly, but it just fits perfectly into my hand.

Revlon drying brush / brush / hot rollers

Here’s a shot of my hair after using the hot rollers.

ultra-soft pullover / colorful earrings / Risen jeans / chunky heel booties (1-light brown)

 

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16) STUFF bag / I first talked about this at the beginning of December and highlighted it as a Santa Alert, knowing it would make an excellent Christmas gift. Y’all agreed and bought it up. It’s super cute, has great ratings, and of course is an awesome and less expensive option to Stoney Clover bags.

 

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17) face roller / Place the roller in the fridge to get it super cold. In the mornings, roll your face and to wake it up and decrease puffiness. This little tools has thousands of 5 star ratings. To be honest, I don’t love putting something so cold on my face…but it’s all the rage and so many people swear by it.

 

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18) ilia lip gloss / I absolutely love the “linger/berry mauve” color. It’s a pretty berry color, soft on my lips, and not sticky at all. It’s so smooth.

 

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19) facial hair remover / The little dermaplane devices have been so popular, but I think this tool is much better and way more effective. Get all the peach fuzz of your face and create a smooth surface for all of your creams and serums. Makeup will also go on much smoother too.

 

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20) Mario Badescu Drying Lotion / This Maria Badescu drying lotion has a cult following. It’s pink on the bottom and clear on top. Resist the urge to shake the bottle up, and put a q-tip in to grab some of the pink product from the bottom. Put the pink stuff on your blemish at night and get ready to be amazed in the morning. Your blemish will look soooooooo much better, and in many instances, it will basically be gone. The results are truly incredible. I’ve used it on Carter too when he has had a zit pop up here or there, and we are all always amazed at how well it works.

 

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21) St. Tropez self tanner / Okay, I’ve used lots of tanning products in my day. I’ve had and used this one from Amazon for years and still really like it, and I think these tanning drops are great for those that like adding a product to their everyday lotion routine, but my current favorite sunless tanner is the bronzing mousse. I love the texture of the mousse, and I really love that it goes on brown so I can see exactly where I’m applying it. Applying it with a mitt is essential, and you can grab the mitt HERE. The color is a lovely bronzy brown, and it isn’t orange at all. Also, I love that if I miss a spot, I can tell almost immediately and can correct it!

 

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WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT

My new lounge set came in (I was #influenced y’all), and it’s every bit as wonderful as everybody is saying it is. I’m wearing the khaki here, and I’ve already ordered it in blue as well.

It’s obviously incredibly comfortable, but it’s also incredibly chic! It’s like a lightweight sweater that’s super soft and has a bit of stretch in it. The sleeves, the hem of the top, and the bottom of the pants all have little splits that are a wonderful little detail. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. The fit was generous, so I think a small would have been fine. Still, I ordered the second one in a medium as well because I happen to like this set super roomy.

lounge set

 

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WHAT I’M WORKING ON

I’m in the planning phases for several upcoming posts that I’m really excited about. The planning phase is often the most time-consuming part of the process because it typically involves going through hundreds of pages of inventory on different sites. I order WAY TOO MUCH so I can have plenty of pieces to choose from. When the orders come in, I unbox them all, organize pieces by retailer, and try all of the pieces on. The items that are an immediate no (and there are usually quite a few immediate NOs) get placed into the return pile asap. After trying everything on, I decide which pieces I want to highlight, and then I start working on styling outfits.

I’m in the planning phase for 3 different posts right now, so I’m basically drowning in boxes and clothes. The return pile is already huge.

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WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Here’s where I’m going to rely on y’all! I recently finished listening to the podcast Scamanda (OHEMMMMMMMMGEEEEEE at the total insanity), and I’m ready for another recommendation. Sound off in the comments with your must listen to podcasts.

 

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WHAT I’M WATCHING

I’m soooooooooo excited that The Voice started back up this week! I’m going to miss Blake so much, but I think Reba will be a fun addition. I loved the first episode, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season. The talent is CRAZY good.

And y’all. I’ve been sucked back into the Real Housewives franchise. I’m watching both New York and Orange County. Such a guilty pleasure, but gosh I’m a fan.

 

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WHAT ARE MY RECENT AMAZON PURCHASES

I read about this Claudalie Instant Clay Detox Mask on a beauty site, and I couldn’t throw it in my cart fast enough. Large pores are one of my biggest problem areas, and this mask is supposed to really improve pore size. Apparantly the Kardashians swear by the product.

 

I’m hoping that this candle warmer is the answer to all of my anxiety issues with candles. I rarely burn candles because I’m always so afraid I’m going to leave the house and start aggressively questioning myself and wondering if I remembered to blow out the candle. I actually love this white one too.

 

Chris’s back always really bothers him after Carter’s football games, so at the recommendation of Erika, we grabbed this stadium seat for him. We have a BYE week this week, but he’s looking forward to trying it out next week!

 

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Now don’t forget to link up and let us know what y’all are up to this fine Wednesday!

Filed Under: Fashion 7 Comments