If you aren’t familiar with a capsule wardrobe, let me introduce you to something that might literally change your life. The idea of a capsule wardrobe is to buy a few items that you can style a ton of different ways. Some people buy one capsule wardrobe for their entire year while I like to think of capsule wardrobes seasonally. Typically in capsule wardrobes you see less trendy items and more basic, timeless pieces that can be worn year after year and over and over again. This is why people are willing to invest a little more money into a capsule wardrobe because you should get the absolute most wear out of these outfits possible!
With the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale going on, we thought it would be fun to select a Summer capsule wardrobe made up of items from the sale in case you wanted to score new, name brands for less but I will also link similar items from other retailers in case you want a more affordable option or in the event that Nordstrom pieces sell out. See below for alternatives as well as outfit styling inspiration made up from items in the capsule wardrobe!
Y’all know how much I love Abercrombie and their new arrival section right now is SO good! I love that Abercrombie is really starting to incorporate a larger selection than they ever have. Meaning that they have options for all occasions and all ages. Whether you are heading on travels, date night, lounging around the house or working out, they really do have something for everyone. Their current campaign is “96 hours in Abercrombie” and when I thought about what 96 Hours in Houston (my city!) would look like, it recently has been a lot of date nights believe it or not! With it coincidentally being 96 degrees in Houston, date nights usually consist of little dresses because it’s just too darn hot for anything else so I’m sharing a few of my favorites.
The dress above is one of those little dresses that could take you from day to night and would certainly be perfect for beach vacation pictures. It’s a linen blend, stretchy on top, has pockets and runs true to size!
Would you have guessed that my top is actually a bathing suit? One of my favorite Summer tricks is to use a one piece bathing suit as a bodysuit! So after a day at the pool or beach, I just throw on a skirt like this one and head to dinner! If you wanted to pair the skirt with a real bodysuit, Abercrombie has some really good ones right now! Find them here.
This little mini dress is so cute I bought it twice! It comes in 5 colors and is the perfect fun and flirty dress. Dress it up for date night with a leather jacket and a pair of block heels. It does run on the smaller/shorter side so I suggest sizing up and getting the tall length if you are taller than 5″5′.
Did I mention this dress has pockets? I mean if you weren’t already sold…
MORE DATE NIGHT FAVORITES…
*Thank you Abercrombie for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
A couple weeks ago I asked you ladies for your favorite skincare and make up products that contained SPF and boy did y’all deliver! There were hundreds of answers so I tried out some of the top recommendations and I’m sharing my review of all of them below.
I can honestly say it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I started realizing the importance of taking care of my skin and investing in products that will do just that. A large part of that was due to the fact that my mom had a melanoma and a large part was also the age spots and skin damage that I was starting to notice on my own skin. It’s never too early to start protecting your skin so that will look better and younger longer!
I first raved about this product in this extensive beauty routine post. I am now scraping out the very last bits of this product and will 100% be repurchasing. It has replaced all of my other primers and doubles as a moisturizer too. It helps fill in pores, even out your skin tone and make you foundation go on much easier and smoother. I actually end up using less foundation because the primer really makes the foundation go a lot further than it normally would.
On days that I just want a tinted moisturizer for a no-make up, make up kind of look, I reach for this product. I will say this product probably will only work for my fair skined ladies as it only comes in one shade which is not super dark. It also has a pink undertone to it. With that being said, it does blend very nicely and provides a very light coverage. I usually just apply bronzer over this and call it a day!
I have used this moisturizer for years. You can find it buried in the same beauty routine blog post that I mentioned before. It is my favorite moisturizer especially if you have normal to oily skin. It doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy or oily one bit so I love using it in the mornings and at night. It smells like ginger and has a pretty liquidy consistency which makes it great for mixing in tanning drops. I am currently using the Isle of Paradise tanning drops in shade dark.
I somehow always forget to put sun protection on my lips so during the Summer months I switch out my normal chapstick for one with SPF. I’ve tried several but this Kiehl’s one is by far my favorite. It is SO moisturizing and true to it’s name, like butter! It comes in a few different tints but I personally just use the untinted.
I’ve used this product for over 5 years now and cannot say enough good things about it. The CC Cream comes in a few different formulas: matte, normal and illumination. My personal favorite for the Summer or if you have oily skin is the matte formula which has SPF 40. I usually use the normal formula (SPF 50) for the rest of the year. If you do not have oily skin I would suggest getting the normal formula. This is a full coverage foundation without being too heavy or cakey. I use shade medium in the Summer months. If you haven’t tried this yet, you are missing out.
While the CC Cream is my #1 bae, this Tarte foundation is a close second for the Summer. It’s a little bit lighter and more whip like in consistency. I would say it is a full coverage foundation again without feeling heavy or looking cakey. I use shade medium beige.
While I don’t love the applicator on this product, I do like the product itself. The metal applicator is fine for applying to product but to actually work the product into your skin, I suggest using a beauty blender or a small brush. As far as coverage I would say it is a light to medium coverage. I use shade fair.
If you are looking for a liquid bronzer (aka don’t want that powder look), this is a great option that has SPF built in! On days that I am out in the sun, I usually skip the powder products and opt for the liquid ones so that they aren’t as cakey and provide more of a natural, dewy finish.
There are very few setting sprays that also have SPF in them. While I definitely would choose my Urban Decay All Nighter spray over this one majority of the year, I always reach for my coola setting spray on days that I know I will be in the sun. Setting spray is meant to be the last step after applying your make up. It locks everything is place, making your make up stay all day. And if you are going to use a setting spray anyway, why not make sure it has some protection in it? I will not that it does have a sunscreen smell to it.
If you have a full face of make up on, the last thing you want to do is slather sunscreen on and mess it all up. The Tarteguard powder is a translucent powder that has SPF already in it. The applicator is genius and really does work so well. Depending on your make up routine and how many of your make up products actually have SPF, this would be a great product to work into your routine in place of a liquid sunscreen.
If you are shopping for any skincare or make up products not necessarily just with SPF, I urge you to check out QVC’s selection. I am officially converted and always check their website before I make the trip to Sephora. Why? Because QVC almost always have some sort of deal on a skincare or make up product that I am wanting to buy. Usually it’s either a significant discount or a “free” product with purchase (for example: a make up brush or travel sized mini). Plus, if you haven’t shopped on QVC’s site before you can use code TAKE5 for $5 off your first purchase!
Photos by: BanAvenue
*This post is in partnership with QVC. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
As soon as the temperatures warm up, I’m a shorts, tank top and sandals kind of girl myself. I love a dress and sneakers but these two outfits above are what you can find me in 9 out of ten times. It seems like the new arrivals at Walmart just keep getting better and better so I’ve rounded up some pieces I currently own and some others that I have my eye on.
Not only does Walmart carry my favorite Time and Tru basic tees and tanks, I just found out that they also carry Levi’s which are my favorite denim brand of all time! Not only do they just carry Levi’s, they are much cheaper than other retailers. This pair of denim shorts has quickly become my favorite because they have the quality of Levi’s but have a ton of stretch! The best of both worlds. They run true to size but if in between sizes, size up since they are stretchy. I wear a size 25.
Another thing that I tend to pick up during the warmer months are straw hats, bags and trendy sandals. These are always something I like to change up every year so spending a ton of money just doing make sense. Walmart has so many cute accessories this year that can make just about any outfit cute! See below for a full round up of some of my favorite Summer items.
TOPS
DRESSES
PANTS
ACCESORIES
SHOES
*Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Y’all know my love runs deep for Abercrombie lately and their new Spring arrivals are probably my favorite to date. So many cute styles and even cuter prints! Bring on all of the dresses, mini skirts and shorts now that the warmer weather is *hopefully* here to stay.
With Easter around the corner, Abercrombie has so many colorful style options that would be perfect for the occasion. If you are new (or coming full circle) to shopping at Abercrombie, their selection mixes trendy pieces with classic styles that are appropriate for all ages and sizes. Sizing wise, I have found Abercrombie to run very true to size and they also offer petite and tall length options. I typically wear an XS in tops and dresses and a 25 in their denim which is the best affordable denim that I own I might add.
If you have anything sitting in your online cart, Abercrombie is having 25% off select items plus free shipping over $75 today! Check out some of my favorite items from their new Spring and Summer arrivals below as well as some of my all time favorite pieces.
