Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide

Here is a round up of things you can gift directly online, get delivered in the next couple of days, or pick up at your local Target. I tried to compile a list that'd have some options for all of your loved ones (and in various price ranges), so if you're really in a bind, I hope you find some help here!

The Complete Harry Potter Series with Newly Illustrated Covers ($55 on Walmart's website (with delivery before Christmas) or $70 in store at Target): I don't feel like I even need to write an explanation for this purchase, but I will say that the newly illustrated covers are so cool and the set would look gorgeous on any bibliophile's bookshelf.

Guitar wall mounts ($10): Turn any guitar into an instant work of art. These would make great stocking stuffers, especially for someone who's just moved and is trying to decorate a new space.

Paper Source Personalized Notepad Kit ($40): This set allows the gift-receiver to get online and design a custom set of notepads in minutes.

Corksicle Copper Canteen ($33): The largest size of this canteen can fit an entire bottle of wine. Sooooooo I can really just stop typing there, right? It also keeps hot beverages hot for 12 hours, and cold ones cold for 24 hours. I was recently gifted the S'well version of this canteen, and it's incredible. But this one can be delivered with free two-day Amazon Prime shipping. (There are many more colors available if your gift-ee is a guy and/or doesn't want a sparkly metallic water bottle to lug around.)

NARS Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette ($69): This has everything a girl needs: a bronzer, under eye brightener, contour powder and four beautiful blushes. And it's a $165 value(!).

Cards Against Humanity ($25, with $10 expansion packs): If you want to know who the most f*cked up person in your friend group or family is, buy this game. My favorite card is "A Sad Fat Dragon with No Friends." I belly laugh every.time.

iPhone Keychain Charger ($20): I talked about a tassel version here, but this one has a larger hook that you could clip directly onto a handbag or suitcase handle, which I love. This version comes in a few different colors, so it could be gifted without leaning either too feminine or masculine.

Star Wars: The Digital Movie Collection ($90): With everything moving away from physical copies and into the cloud, gifting the Star Wars nerd in your life the entire digital collection would be a pretty awesome and thoughtful gift. Plus, there's no need to worry about shipping or delivery, since you can buy this straight from the comfort of your couch (pants optional).

Black & White Truffle Oils ($35): I love drizzling white truffle oil over fried eggs or tossing piping hot french fries with a little. It never hurts to top with some freshly grated parmesan, too.

Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac (about $200, but some colors are heavily discounted right now): I have a couple of Rebecca Minkoff bags, the Mini Mac being one of them, and they are just so incredibly beautiful, well made and durable. This black one with rose gold detailing is killing me.

Face of the Day: Twenty-Eighth Birthday Brunch

For my birthday brunch, I wanted radiant, flawless skin with a dramatic winged liner and bold lips. I planned on doing a deep, dark blackberry lip, but I saw NARS' Lana sitting on my desk and went orange, instead. For those of you that know me, you know just how me a winged liner and bold lip is, so I thought it would be perfect for a birthday celebration!

Face

L'Oreal Magic Lumi primer

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N2 + Cover FX Custom Cover Drops in N20

Urban Decay Naked Weightless Concealer in Light Neutral (under eyes)

NYX Conceal Correct Contour Palette in Light (on blemishes/imperfections)

NYX Contour Kit

Hourglass Ambient Palette

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Warm Nude

Eyes

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara in Brunette

Makeup Geek eyeshadows in Peach Smoothie, Creme Brûlée, Cocoa Bear, & Bitten (crease & outer corner)

Wet N Wild single eyeshadow in Brûlée (lid and brow bone)

Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck (inner corner)

Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper

KISS false eyelash trios in Extra Short & Short

Lips

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana

Top

Target ($23)

28 Things I've Learned in 28 Years

There was  a time in my life (particularly from the ages of eighteen to twenty-one) where I used to think it was impossible that any of my stupid life choices had taught me anything. But as I compiled this list, I became fully cognizant of the fact that just because you made some not-so-wise choices in your past (even one day in your past), it doesn't mean you didn't learn anything.

Here are twenty-eight things I've learned in my twenty-eight years on earth, many of which I very much wish I could've told the high school version of myself and my best friends, too. Maybe you'll read something that resonates or you'll think of something I could still really stand to learn. Either way, I hope this will be a fun, enlightening, empowering way to celebrate my birthday this year.

1. Love yourself.

2. Empower the other women in your life. I am sick of women putting other women down. We can all be fun, smart, beautiful and successful. There is room enough for all of us at the top, and acting any differently only adds unnecessary negativity into our lives. It is more than okay to be a girls' girl.

3. Eat the f*cking donut. I guess this is connected to Numbers 1 and 18, but seriously, just f*cking eat it.

4. Call your mother (or step-mother or any other applicable mother figure). Just do it. She wants to talk to you, and trust me, you NEED to talk to her.

5. Let it go. Move. On. Take a deep breath and take a step forward and away from whatever it is that's holding you back.

6. Exercise. Not necessarily to lose weight or tone up, but because it'll help you deal with any negativity and stress in your life.

7. And in the same vein, rid yourself of negative people. My brain (and heart, for that matter) only has the capacity to hold the lyrics to every single Backstreet Boys and N*Sync song, which means there is absolutely no room to waste my thoughts on negative people.

8. Drink water.

9. Stop doing things simply because other people want you to. Unless, of course, it's your boss, then please, for the love of God, do what she asked you to do.

10. It's not fun or funny to pretend to be stupid. You worked your ass off to get where you are, so act like it. Being a ditz was only cool circa 1995: the "Clueless" era.

11. Be kind...

12. But do NOT, under any circumstances, be a pushover. 

13. Never compare your relationship to others' and never compare others' relationship to your own.

14. It's okay to cry.

15. And it's also okay to have an off day. I feel like I was never told this as a child, and I still have days, where when I'm not running down the road, hugging and kissing strangers and babies alike, that I feel like some sort of asshole. That's not the case at all though. You don't have to be sunshine and rainbows every day to be a normal, functioning part of society. If you need to sneak out of work at 4:30 and get in pajamas and take a nap, maybe that's just what you need. And that's okay.

16. Try something, anything, new, be it food or adventure or anything else. I didn't eat a Brussels sprout until nine months ago. Like, WHAT? That's ridiculous.

17. Wear red lipstick (or a smokey eye or an agressive amount of blush or bold brow fillers) because it's YOUR face. And if people don't like it, please point them in the direction of Numbers 2, 5, 7 & 9 above (and tell them I sent you).

18. Stop shaming your body. How can you be kind to others when you can't even be kind to yourself? This is something I struggle with every minute of every day, but I'm trying. 

19. Accept help.

20. Always allow yourself the opportunity to be a better version of yourself.

21. Appreciate the friends you have but be open to making new, amazing friends, too. I made a friend over the past few months that's been such an incredible, loving, positive and empowering force in my life that I almost can't imagine a time when we weren't friends. Just because you're not a student anymore, and friends aren't a dime a dozen, it doesn't mean that good friends aren't destined to come in your life and stay there forever.

23. Have patience...

24. But not too much patience.

25. Don't go to bed mad at your significant other. A friend of mine's father always says, "do you want to be right or do you want to be in love?" Apologize (yes, even if you don't mean it), kiss goodnight and wake up in the morning with a fresh perspective. Sometimes my "fresh perspective" tells me that I was right, and so I wake up and keep arguing with P when we're drinking coffee, but oh well...

26. Stop saying "sorry" (and "no problem," for that matter).

27. Learn something, anything, from a past relationship, be it romantic or platonic. People come and go from our lives for a reason, and there's always something you can learn from the idiot you dated when you were seventeen. Always.

28. Drink champagne. On any day and for any reason or for absolutely no reason at all. 

A Lazy Girl's Guide to Makeup Removal

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best at taking off my makeup. I try (or pretend to try) during the week, but when I go out on the weekends and come home late (and maybe under the influence of alcohol) the last thing I want to do is pull out a 384-step makeup removal system and go to town. Instead, I rely on one-step makeup removers to do the job most nights. Here are three of my favorite easy options, and the best part is that they're all extremely affordable and readily available.

1. Trader Joe's Micellar Cleansing Wipes ($4/20 at Trader Joe's): These are my go-to pre-moistened face wipes. They take all your makeup off with a single wipe, don't irritate your face or eyes, and don't leave a sticky residue. I have extremely sensitive eyes, so if they don't bother me, 'm sure you'll be fine. These are a good option to leave in your nightstand drawer and use when you're already laying in bed and dozing off.

2. Simple Micellar Cleansing Water ($6 at Target) + Koh Gen Do Cotton Pads ($12/60 at Sephora): This cleansing water is so gentle that you could probably squirt it directly into your eyes, and it wouldn't hurt (I mean, please don't do that, but you know). I love to use this to get off stubborn eyeliner and mascara, specifically. It does such an incredible job at removal, your makeup actually just disappears right off your face; I can't sing its praises enough. I prefer to use it with the Koh Gen Do cotton pads because they're extremely soft and well made, and you don't get lint all over the place with them, either.

3. Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($6 at Target): How this works: you put a few drops in your hands, and start rubbing it on your dry, makeup-covered face. The makeup literally begins to melt off, and when you add water to rinse the oil off, it turns into a milky cleanser. This is the ultimate one-stop cleansing method, because not only does it remove your makeup, but it cleanses and moisturizes too.

What are your favorite lazy girl ways to remove your makeup? I'd love to get some new products to add to my skincare regimen. 

November Favorites

November went by very fast and very slowly simultaneously. I threw a party, celebrated friends' birthdays and popped over to L.A. for the Thanksgiving holiday. But I also spent days napping on the couch with the kittens or lazily reading books and listening to James Taylor on vinyl. Through all the craziness of this past month (and through the days where I didn't even get out of my leggings the whole entire day), these are the few products that really stand out.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips (in Warm Nude) ($14): The shades in the top left corner make the perfect face highlight when blended together (I always pop some on the tip of my nose) and the palette as a whole is great for a one-stop eye look.

Jessica Jones: In an age where it's imperative to capture your audience right out of the gate, Jessica Jones succeeds so, so well. It's a Marvel show on Netflix following Jessica Jones, a sort of anti-hero hero, as she battles her demons, both in real life and internally. The acting is incredible, which isn't always the case with Netflix Originals, and the dialogue is equal parts terrifying and hilarious. Even if you're not a fan of the super hero craze, I highly recommend giving this show a go.

Cuyana Tote ($150): I have this tote in both blush and stone, and it's just the all around perfect bag. If you're traveling, you can load it to the brim without worrying the straps will snap, or you can throw in just the bare necessities for on-the-go. The leather is extremely soft and luxurious, and it's the only bag I consistently get complimented on in public. (One time a lady asked me under the bathroom stall at the movies where I got my purse. I had to spell the "Cuyana" name out to her. It was awkward, but I hope she bought one!)

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara ($32): The spindly brush on this mascara makes it incredibly easy to get length and volume, and the formula lasts all day with no flaking or smudging. 

The Happy Planner ($25): One-size-fits-all doesn't work in practically any form or fashion, and planners are no exception to that rule. The Happy Planner has removable pages and kits you can add in. I've customized mine by changing the cover, inserting to-do lists and meal planners, and removing the months that have already passed. It's sold at Hobby Lobby & Michaels, and there are a ton of customizable options available on Etsy, too.

NYX Contour Kit ($25): This is only $25 and has everything you need to correct, highlight, bronze and contour. The powders blend seamlessly and last all day, and the shades are guaranteed to work for a pretty large variety of skin tones.

Belkin Tassel Charger Keyring ($25): This is a chic key ring that has an iPhone 5 charger tucked inside of it. I can't think of anything better for traveling, ever. 

Through the Lens: Eating my Way through L.A.

Bottega Louie, you're my favorite. (P.S. I swear my face and arms are the same color in real life.)

This Thanksgiving, I was able to ditch the Texas heat (yes, it was still hot as hell here last week) and head out to Los Angeles to visit my littlest brother. We had brunches upon brunches, binge watched Netflix (Jessica Jones, whoa) and spent time catching up. I hope y'all had a great holiday and that returning to work hasn't been too impossible to swallow!

Bottomless mimosas for our Thanksgiving feast at Artisan House.

Breakfast macaroni & cheese at Blu Jam Cafe.

Beers & truffle burgers at Umami Downtown. 

I sincerely hope you have the pleasure of eating truffle ketchup one day, because, man, it'll change you.

Beignets with raspberry sauce at Bottega Louie.

And, as a bonus, here's a non-food related photo of the gorgeous tree at The Grove. Because, swoon.

(Now that I wrote that it's "non-food related," I realize there's a huge Jamba Juice cup smack dab in the middle of this.)