Let’s talk about the new Givenchy Noir Interdit mascara, shall we?
Outfit Details: tank is by Forever 21, skirt is Target, and the belt is vintage.
I’m just going to go ahead and put it out there by saying: I am super picky when it comes to mascara, ya’ll.
A good mascara can completely change the way you feel, even when your makeup is already on point. Killer contour, the perfect lip, eyebrows filled in . . . these magical ways to enhance our gorg features all incomplete without some sultry black lashes to look out from under.
I can find drugstore dupes for pretty much any product, and my go-to drugstore mascara is L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black. Mario Dedivanovic, Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist and longtime friend, uses this product on her, and he swears by it. Personally, I love the smooth application and the ultra-thin applicator, which is more separated, small, and firm than your typical thick, oval-shaped applicator.
If I can have an excuse to go to Target and spend $5 and get my hands on something Kim Kardashian has trusted for years, I’m happy, ya’ll.
Just Google “Kim Kardashian loreal mascara” and you’re going to get about 856,000 results. It’s a thing, and I 100% recommend giving this baby a try.
I’ve got a major life update for ya’ll – and a little bit of ‘splainin’ to do – so let’s dive in, shall we?
Ok . . . Confession: Not to be Captain Obvious, but I haven’t been blogging regularly lately . . . something you may have noticed in the past few weeks.
To be perfectly honest with you all, 2017 has challenged me and my husband – physically, mentally, and emotionally – much more than we ever thought possible. We rang in Thomas’s law school graduation – and the New Year – to the completely unexpected news of our law school utterly failing us in every way possible. Thomas had to handle bar study on his own instead of fully utilizing the $3,000.00 course and “bar coach” we had paid for, all while worrying about his resume, job prospects, and reputation.
I guess dealing with that catastrophe wasn’t quite enough on his plate, because by late fall/early winter, I had started experiencing sharp lower back pain. By January 2017 I was in and out of every general practitioner, specialist, and surgeon’s office possible, weighing all of my options. By early February 2017, I had lost the ability to walk, couldn’t feel the right side of my body, and was set to undergo outpatient spine surgery to remove the 1/3 of my disc that had . . . oh, ya know, just slipped right the heck out of my spinal column and disrupted my right nerve. Good times.
Let’s talk about meeting at one of my all-time favorite places, shall we?
The Barre!
I recently had the opportunity to support cancer research by donating $20 to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (“LLS”) to attend an April barre class at a local studio here in Charlotte. My colleague, Lexi, has been working hard raising money this summer to support the LLS through her “Woman of the Year Campaign” efforts, which you can read more about by clicking HERE.
When Lexi spoke about her fundraising efforts during a morning legal department meeting, I was immediately interested in participating in her first fundraising event, primarily for 2 reasons:
1. I lost my daddy to pancreatic cancer a few years back and that experience will forever take up a huge part of my heart.
2. I danced ballet from age 3 until my college graduation, and ballet will forever have a huge part of my heart, too.
Just a few of the workout tools you may need for an Xtend Barre class!
We used the pink weights, the black strap, and the ball for the April class I attended for charity. It was SUCH a good workout!
I was of course intimidated to sign-up for what would be my FIRST workout class – wait, back up . . . my FIRST WORKOUT, PERIOD – since having spine surgery in February 2017. My incision was still healing, but my surgeon had just released me to a “slow resumption of all regular activity” at the beginning of April.
Beyond that, at each of our follow-up appointments, my surgeon had also repeatedly emphasized the importance of me getting involved in a strength-building workout upon my release, and Pilates was at the top of his approved activities list.
The #1 focus of any Xtend Barre class is safety, which is why every class always starts out with stretching.
Thank you to these strong, badass members of Xtend Barre Charlotte for letting me photograph them during their workout! You were all so beautiful and inspiring to watch!
Given my history with ballet, I knew I would be able to modify the movements if they were too much for me post-op, so I took the plunge and signed up for my first Xtend Barre class. After all, it was for charity . . .
Let’s talk about the best day of the week, shall we?
We made it to the weekend, ya’ll! It’s Finally Friday and the smile on my face couldn’t be any bigger! I live for the weekends because it means time with my little family – my hubby, Thomas, and our three big puppers – but I am especially excited for this weekend, because I’m sharing with you my FIVE FAVES to achieve the perfect wedding day glam!
Keep reading to find out the makeup products used to achieve this look!
Can you believe the lipstick and foundations used for this look are from the DRUGSTORE?
Two weeks ago today (has it already been that long?!) my best friend, Randi-Carole, married her soulmate, Josh Williams. I lost count of all the happy tears that fell on May 6th, but I will never forgot the feeling of love and happiness that surrounded them on that gorgeous May day.
RC + Josh tied the knot in Clarksville, Tennessee, where I met them in college! Thomas and I were so excited to be visiting our college town and we of course planned to wanderlust on over to nearby Nashville to be the foodies we are. My heart is still soaring over the fact that I got to road trip with my hubby, and I can’t wait to do it again next weekend as we head to Alex + Richard’s Memorial Day Weekend Wedding in Kentucky!
Bridesmaid glam for Randi-Carole’s wedding day! Take me back to this moment, PLEASE!
Beloved Besties of Mine: Please never stop getting married! It’s like a constant love fest + college reunion over here for me and Thomas, and we’re not trying to ever let that kind of party end.
In honor of the best day of the week and all of the amazingness that comes along with it . . .
Allow me to introduce a BRAND NEW Weddings & WanderlustBlog series:
“Five Faves on Friday!”
These Five Faves on Friday posts are all about me sharing my absolute favorites of the moment with you! I’m always obsessing over something new, whether it’s beauty products, recipes, clothing trends, books, hot spots, workouts, or anything else under the sun.
My goal for this new series will ALWAYS be making sure you’re 100% in-the-know about what’s new, trendy, and a total MUST-HAVE for any 20-something beauty like you!
It’s Friday, I’m excited, I feel relaxed, and I’m ready . . . ready to PARTAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
And also ready to dive right on in to my FIRST FIVE FAVES ON FRIDAY!
Let’s all just take a moment for the fact that Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY, MAY 14th! *Nervous butterflies and warm, tingly panic.*
Springtime is flying quickly by and now Mother’s Day is upon us. AKA it’s now crunch time to plan the perfect gift for your mama, your wife, your bestie, your coworker, and all the other incredible mommies or mommies-to-be in your life!
Don’t stress for a single second, though, because I’ve got you. In fact, I’ve got you covered on literallyeverything you’ll need – from the personalized card, to the epic gift packaging, to the perfectly curated gifts inside, to the just-in-time delivery. That’s right – no need to factor in a last-minute shopping trip on top of work + everything else you’ve got going on this week!
Daughters, Sons, Husbands, Sisters, Brothers, Best Friends, Coworkers, and anyone else out there #blessed by an incredible mother in your life:
I am so excited and honored to partner with IncrediBundles for Mother’s Day!
Fun little fact about me: I am the ultimate shopper for pretty much any occasion and any person – engagements, weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, graduations, new jobs, you name it – except when it comes to baby gifts. Each mama or mama-to-be is different – no parenting style or nursey decor is quite the same.
I can’t tell you how many baby stores I’ve been in – with the baby registry in hand, mind you – and have just felt utterly lost. I can find the wine section in any grocery store, and I know the different areas/layout of Target like the back of my hand, but there’s nothing like the expansive, tall aisles of a baby store to make me feel like I have no idea where to begin, besides asking an employee for assistance (read: hand-holding).
Mother’s Day is another tough occasion to pick out a gift for, because let’s face it: no gift will ever be good enough for the mom in your life. My mom, for one, hung the moon, so you’re all welcome for that. (And I’m sure you feel the exact same way about yours!) My pregnant friends, well they’re absolutely glowing like the gorgeous goddess each of them is. My pregnant coworkers, well I just look at them and see Wonder Woman. Mommy bloggers and my mommy friends, well they’ve cracked the code to adulting and organization on a whole other level, and the honor has truly been mine to watch them flourish so wonderfully into biggest life calling.
No matter what role the mom(s) in your life play, we can all agree on one thing: they deserve the world, because they are the ones who keep ours spinning.
Enter IncrediBundles baby gifts, the perfect, adorably chic gift for moms and mommies-to-be this Mother’s Day! If you’re looking for something more than just the traditional baby gift basket – can we just all agree that wicker needed a drastic revision? – then keep on reading for more information about this incredible company, including the charitable donations made with each purchase and the very special GIVEAWAY going down right now on my Instagram!
Gorgeous silk ribbon, personalized card, description of the bundle you select, a chic reusable keepsake box, AND the goodies you choose inside. Oh, AND free shipping on orders more than $49. Talk about a gift that thinks of everything.
I recently had the (most fun day ever and the) privilege of shooting my good friend Sieana’s head shots. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like a sunny “Friyay” off from work spent sipping Ocean Waters and lounging in velvet chairs. Sieana is a total babe, but it also doesn’t hurt that she has some serious hair and makeup skills. I started coming to Sieana’s adorable in-home salon for my hair coloring needs about three years ago, and I love my sessions with her.
For starters, Sieana’s in-home salon has the most unique, Palm Springs back in the 60’s vibe that I totally love. Trust me, just walking into her home will give you all the heart eyes and a major sensory overload of the best kind. Her living room and salon are like being inside the most perfect Instagram feed.
Another perk of having a girl boss (AKA a small business owner) color + cut you hair instead of a major salon is the experience: talking about whatever you want while listening or watching whatever you want on TV (without competing with the all the blow dryers blasting in the salon); sipping on some wine (sometimes I even have my husband drop me off and pick me up so Sieana and I can really have some fun), and of course; avoiding super-high salon prices while getting individualized and complete attention.
I’ll never go back to where there’s random people’s hair all over the floor. You can’t make me.
I asked Sieana to give us all some major girl boss advice for the blog, and boy do her words inspire.
Meet your new morning BFFs: Yum, Yummier, and Yummiest!
As you’ve probably seen on my Instagram – @elle_graham – I’ve partnered with nutpods to bring you a giveaway + everything you need to know about why nutpods should be your new go-to coffee creamer.
A few of the amazing certifications of nutpods products:
Non-GMO
Gluten-free
Dairy-free
Vegan
Kosher
Paleo friendly
Weight Watchers friendly
Whole30 approved
You read that right. A Whole30 approved coffee creamer.
Total. Game-changer!
Hello, healthy + stress-free mornings!
Ya’ll know I love Whole30 and 100% believe in the way it changes lifestyles for the better, but ya’ll also know it takes work. Lots of meal prepping, grocery shopping, recipe planning, and compliant emergency snack researching goes down when our household is living that Whole30 life.
Ya’ll also know that I (like every other 20-something female) love coffee. Coffee is life, AmIRight? During my senior year of college and the year I took off between college and law school, I worked as a Starbucks Coffee Master, which is sort of a step up from a Barista. Starbucks Coffee Mastery requires lots of coffee tasting, studying and taking tests on the way the coffee cherries are grown and roasted, being conversational about the uniqueness of each coffee region . . . you get the idea. I was paid to love coffee, and it was only a matter of time before I truly and deeply did love – and heavily rely on – coffee.
The way you look at Bae when you know you’ll never have to de-clumpify cinnamon or strain DIY coconut milk EVER AGAIN.
Fast forward through law school, bar study, wedding planning, and being an attorney, and . . . well . . . let’s just say there were a lot of days I had to put my hair up in a messy bun, drink some coffee, and handle it, Olivia Pope-style. After all, a day without coffee is like . . . just kidding, I actually have no idea.
So, Whole30 or not, life without coffee is just not an option for me. Luckily, my first Whole30 helped me cut out a lot of the sugar and dairy I was adding to my coffee orders. I went from ordering a sugary, chocolate-y mocha or an iced caramel macchiato to a plain old black coffee or an iced black coffee, unsweetened, and now I no longer crave the sugary drinks. But, I’m also a freaking human woman that likes to treat herself from time to time, so what if it was possible for me to live that Whole30 lifestyle without compromising flavor and creamer in my coffee?
I’m not saying we all need 7 pumps of chocolate syrup that came out of a plastic jug . . . just a little something-something that still keeps us on track for our health goals!
How about the perfect marriage of almonds + coconuts?
How about something that’s unsweetened, yet flavorful, rich, and creamy?
How about a creamer that’s portable and easy to travel with?
How about a product that’s perfect not only for coffee lovers, but for tea lovers, too?
Say “Hello” (and “FINALLY!”) to nutpods, the dairy-free alternative to half & half we’ve all been waiting for . . . . .
Let’s talk casual (and COMFY!) and affordable spring style, shall we?
Pollen over everything, AmIRight?! No, but really . . . you guys . . . there is pollen . . . all over . . . everything . . . SOS . . .
Spring weather has been in full swing lately here in the Queen City, and I don’t know about you, but that means my allergies have been in full swing, too. Pollen is covering everything with a dust-like lime green coating, so I’m going to need a whole lot more of the April showers we were blessed with last night. Until then, Mama goes nowhere without her Zyrtec and Vitamin E nose lotion. (Attractive, I know.)
With Spring weather comes all the fun spring activities (allergies or not), and I’m very much about keeping it comfy and casual for spring weekend outings. Whether you’re grilling out, catching a baseball game, strolling through the park, or living that lake life, it doesn’t hurt to feel comfy + cute while you’re at it. Keep on reading for my two favorite outfit ensembles lately . . . they just might get you so excited for Spring you wet your plants! (You. Are. Welcome!)
I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter weekend filled with love and family. The weather in North Carolina couldn’t have been better. Hubby and I took our pups to the dog park Saturday, then had a little dinner date together at a quiet, casual yet sophisticated place here in Charlotte you may know as O’Charley’s.
On Sunday we loaded up our pups, the camera and camera hiking pack Thomas gave me for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and some snackies, and off we went to Crowder’s Mountain State Park, my favorite hiking spot around here.
It was my first time hiking in about 9 months – due to a combination of planning my fall wedding while studying for the bar last summer and then encountering major back problems this past winter – and Lord did it feel amazing!
Every aching muscle in every step taken just reminded me that I’m out walking in God’ beauty instead of being bedridden, and I fully embraced “the burn” that came with it. The trail we took is a serious little b, a constant incline that zigzags around the mountain to the very top . . . and the view was beyond worth it.
Good Friday, however, was its own special little gem of a day, too. I got to spend time shooting head shots for my #1 girl boss friend, Sieana Robinson. I met Sieana a few years ago when I finally got up the courage to ask the prettiest girl in class who colored her hair (hi, Maryellen!).
Let’s treat our face to the most natural, earth-friendly products, shall we?
You’re never too old for a Friday night spent with your girls at the mall!
Okay, well that might not be entirely true, but it’s definitely true THIS Friday night from 5PM – 8PM in sunny (for now) Charlotte, NC! That’s right, you’re going to want to grab your besties and head to the SouthPark Mall tonight for some major pampering and relaxation, courtesy of the Origins “My Perfect World” VIP event.
