style + beauty blog in the dc metro area
It’s Friday which means it’s time to share some Friday favorites from the past two weeks! Today I’m sharing favorite reads, my favorite weekend sales {not just the NSale!}, and what you may have missed this week on WNW.
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2016 was without a doubt the year that I “fell back in love with myself.” It sounds odd {and a little corny} I know, but after taking control of my mental health, it was the first time in a LONG time that I felt like myself again. For the first time, I wasn’t saying no to everything! Admittedly, it was pretty empowering, but scary at times too. I found myself doing things I’d been scared of the past handful of years and so it’s not hard for me to say that 2016 was the year I said yes. Yes to new experiences, yes to stepping outside of my comfort zone and yes to pushing myself – mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Brunch Talk: Why to Make This the Year of Saying No Click To TweetSo you can see how it sounds like a bit of a regression to come out and say that 2017 is my year of saying no. I promise it’s not and I’m excited to share why. While learning to say yes was important, this year I’m seeing that it’s just as important to recognize and respect my own personal limits by saying no.
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Can we be real? Like really real? I shut off my personal life for a few years. Struggling with my self image made it difficult for me to maintain friendships {huge shoutout to my friends that have stuck by and dealt with me in every various stage I’ve gone through} and the idea of dating was completely laughable.
As most of you know, I hosted an event at the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass this past weekend with my good friend Tif of Bright on a Budget. We had a blast talking about the hottest trends for spring & our Bluegrass Unbridled finds. Today I’m sharing an event recap as well as what I wore; stay tuned for another post on Thursday about how to outlet shop like a blogger!
Just in time for Derby, the Outlet Shoppes installed five horses sculptures in four different locations of the outdoor mall. The event was kicked off by the unveiling of the Center Court horse which was painted with vibrant colors. Tif and I both made a point to coordinate with this horse and after our presentation got to go around and check out all of the sculptures. {Huge thanks to Tif and her husband, Chauncey, for all these photos; be sure to swing by her blog tomorrow morning for her event recap!} My favorite sculpture is the cute calf down below!
In the spirit of spring break, today I’m sharing some spring beauty favorites and how to pack them up with Vera Bradley. I’ve been using Vera’s cosmetic bags for years now; my typical go to is the Medium Cosmetic! I got a change to try out a newer style, the Travel Cosmetic Set, which now comes in seven colors.
With as many lipsticks as I have, keeping them organized is really important. This acrylic makeup organizer has pull out drawers and you can purchase more of the drawers as your makeup stash grows. I have a couple drawers for lipsticks and use the rest for palettes and blushes. One drawer also acts as a home to my samples and travel size goodies.
This part of the cosmetic set features a magnetic snap closure and eight different sized elastic bands to hold brushes. As you can see, I use mine for brushes as well as tubes of liquid lipstick and eyeliner. The lining can be wiped down with a rag or wipe so you don’t have to worry about makeup getting all over.
When it comes to liquid lipsticks, I tend to switch between ColourPop and Kylie’s lip kits. I like Kylie’s mattes better because I think they last the longest, but ColourPop has a much wider variety of colors and I love their satin formula. I recently decided to try some of LimeCrime’s mattes; the Velvetine lipsticks are incredibly pigmented but wear quickly and don’t have much lasting power. The darker shades I ordered were patchy when applied and started wearing pretty quickly which was a huge bummer. While the lipstick’s sell for $20, shipping is not free for domestic purchases under $50 and I feel like I could get a better product for comparable pricing if not cheaper. Can’t say I’ll be buying anymore LimeCrime lipsticks.
It’s 3:17 in the morning and I’ve been thinking about writing this post all night. If I’m being completely honest — this topic is one I’ve wanted to write about for the two years I’ve been writing What Nicole Wore but always shrank away from. What does mental health have to do with fashion? Not a whole lot friends, not a whole lot.
Lately though opening up about my personal struggle with anxiety and depression has weighed heavier on my heart than usual. I hope that someone reading this will be able to relate and take solace in knowing they’re not alone; I also feel like I’ve reached a point where I can’t continue to ignore the elephant in the room. So let’s start at the beginning shall we?
I’ve always hated change. I’ve always cared far too much about what other people think. I’ve always gotten too worked up about things. Up until four years ago, I didn’t think much of it. It was just part of my personality and who I was. When I was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I felt crushed. To me it felt like a big red label slapped across my forehead that said, ‘this girl is psycho.’ I remember my mom holding my hand in the car after we left the therapist’s office and listening to me sob before she said, “Nicole this is just the first step. This means things can be better.”
