flower beauty

WHAT I WORE

Today, I got out and had lunch with a dear friend and did a little prep shopping before we leave this week to fly out to see my husbaaaaaaaand!!!! I am a little excited as it has been two weeks! Miss that guy.

jeans / t-shirt / jacket (sold out, but similar here ) / necklace (sold out, but loving this and this) / booties
Spring seems to be nudging its way in around here, which I gladly welcome. However, I am going to miss wearing my (faux) leather jacket a little bit. It is just a winter piece for me (mind games), but I may need to find a pretty tan or pale pink one to sport in the springtime. I paired it with a simple T and my new Joe’s jeans that I am absolutely in. love. with. They feel like leggings….truly. I haven’t splurged on a pair of jeans since being preggers with Amara. I guess I just kept waiting for my body to get “back to normal”…HA! It is as back to normal as its going to get, so my hubby let me indulge a little. I needed a pair that give this flat butt a little oomph (Lord help it), stay up when I am on the go, and don’t cut into my gut hips. 
This is a great day OR night look. I threw on one of my favorite tassel necklaces for a little sparkle along with my absolute favorite pair of ankle boots ( from Target ya’ll!!!). I feel like I could walk all day in them. Super comfy look, but still put together. 

lip color: I am wearing Flower Beauty’s coral floret
Photo cred: Mardi Wallace 
Hope you all are enjoying your Tuesday! 
xoxo
-Jenni

BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

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Hey friends!! I have been wanting to do a “beauty bag” post for a couple of weeks now. Something that some of you may not know about me is that I am a licensed esthetician in addition to my full-time mommy and part-time blogger duties. I don’t work in a spa or anything, but I love to take freelance jobs  doing make-up, waxing and talking to women about their skincare concerns. 
My little heartfelt testimony starts here….
I have struggled with my skin as long as I can remember. I have never been able to look in the mirror and see clear skin…..EVER! I am not being sarcastic or dramatic. This is all just real talk. I have just learned to deal with the fact that I don’t have a “poreless” face that tans and can go without make-up….even to the grocery store. It is THE. REASON I went into esthetics. Not only to help others, but to educate myself. { I am actually getting a little teary-eyed….what? } I have always said that working in the food/service industry makes you a better person on the other side. I feel the same way about acne as a teenager (or an adult). There was just nothing worse for me. 
 I have still not conquered my skin issues, but they are better than they used to be. I can’t drink a soda or use a dirty make-up brush without my skin letting you know that I did so. I can put on make-up and take a picture with the best of them. You would never know that I have acne scars, leftover pregnancy spots, or cyst like acne hiding underneath my makeup. My daughter is very good at picking out all of the “owies” on my face. It is always a highlight of my day 😉 This is not meant to be a downer post, however, with all of this information, you will understand how picky I am about my makeup products and exactly how important it is for me to achieve a NATURAL look without the clumpy mascara or cakey foundation. With that being said…. my make-up bag is full of products I believe it 100%. I would NEVER tell someone to use something that I would not use myself.
Lastly, most of my beauty buys are from the drugstore/Target. There are certain things that are worth the splurge, and then there are the inexpensive products that I believe are BETTER than the splurge. Quality is far more important than the cute label that you take pics of and post on your IG account. Yeah…..you know what I am talking about. 😉 Ok, I am done! Thanks for reading if you made it this far without skipping. 
Why I love these products so much:
1.  I love the anti-aging benefits of this concealer. It gives AMAZING coverage (reminiscent of the Laura Mercier concealer pot), but with a smooth, soft texture. It looks so incredibly natural I think.
2. LOVE. THIS. STUFF. BB creams have been extremely hard for me, because they either don’t cover enough, look too orangey, or wipe off on my husband’s shirt when I hug him. This so SO lightweight, but still evens out my skin tone. It smells lovely too. The BEST thing about this product is the fact that it DOES NOT sit in your wrinkles! YAY!!!!
3. Loving these colors for Spring! Turkish delight and Schiap. If you don’t wear bold lipstick, just try it. I PROMISE, it is not as bold to others as it looks to you. And for the love of Pete….don’t ask your husband. They just don’t seem to get the bright lip trend. Or maybe that is just mine!
4. Beauty balm is the way to go when removing eye make-up. This leaves your skin feeling sooooo soft without the oily feel. LOVE!!!
5. I just love this blush. I used it, left it, went back to it. It is just a beautiful color, and so natural looking. They have labels on the top to help you identify what shade works best for you. Cool or warm skin tone? LO’REAL has kind of taken over my make up bag. I use their face concealer as well.
6. Ok, I think this is my favorite product right now. I am obsessed with the twisting wand. I use one position for my top lashes, then click to another position for my bottom lashes. It. is. awesome!
7. This is my go-to powder. I am not a foundation kind of gal, but if it comes in powder form, yes please! There is also a new touch up veil broad spectrum pot that would be great for the summer if you don’t want as heavy of coverage.
-Jenni