Sequins and Sea Breezes: September 2016

Friday Five

9/30/2016

Happy Friday and last day of September lovelies! Thank you all for being so understanding while I was in South Beach the past few days! I'm officially home again (although I am definitely wishing I wasn't) so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. It's been a hot minute since I did a Friday Five link up, mainly because Friday's are usually harder for me to reply back due to my work schedule, but since I was in Miami earlier this week my schedule is all kinds of off so I figured why not link up with Amanda for a quick Friday Five?

1 // I naturally have very fine, thin eyebrows. I've thought about microblading multiple times but in all honesty, I just can't justify spending that much money on something that I still have to get touched up on semi-regular basis. Right before I left for Miami I discovered the Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel and I've been incredibly happy with the results! It's super quick and easy to apply, made my eyebrows instantly fuller and didn't run or come off in the rain and sweat in Miami!

2 // Another lifesaver in Miami was this Mermaid Dry Shampoo. I've used almost every dry shampoo out there and I still haven't found "the one" but this one might be it. Being a brunette, dry shampoo has a tendency to make my hair look gray or not as shiny but this one doesn't show up or mattify my hair and I actually like that it isn't a spray so I can work it into my roots easier! And we all know my obsession with mermaids...

3 // Still loving all things lapis lazuili so when I saw this gorgeous modern, adjustable ring and that it came in lapis, it immediately jumped on my "must-have" list. I'm actually loving it in all the colors!

4 // Gigi's fall collection is killing me. This saddle bag, which is a collab with Jennifer from Haute off the Rack is so perfect and I am obsessed with the stone color!

5 // I've had a couple of people ask me which Karen Walker sunglasses I've been wearing lately and these are the ones! At first I wasn't so sure about the size (my dad even jokingly asked me if I couldn't find a pair any larger) but they've definitely grown on me. I love the mirrored edge and that not a ton of people have them!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I'll be heading out for one final weekend at Disney for Food & Wine before my passes expire so follow along on Snapchat {pamelanicole84} and see all the deliciousness I plan to devour!

fall fashion

Off The Shoulder LBD

9/28/2016

link up

Weekending...Kinda

9/26/2016

fall fashion

Fall Must Haves

9/22/2016

Happy first day of fall friends! Fall is by far my favorite season and the number one thing I miss about not living up north any more. Down here in Florida we have "snow birds" which are people who live up north the entire year except for winter when they move down here to Florida to escape the snow. Well, I want to be a "fall bird" and move up north just for September through November. I love everything about fall, the crisp, cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, all things apple but I especially love the fall fashion.

It's still well in the upper 80's to low 90's here which means it's going to be awhile before I get to break out the scarves, boots and layers but that doesn't mean I can't start gathering a few of my fall "must haves"! Below are a few of my favorite items for fall and stay tuned to see me style them... probably around November or December when it finally cools off here ;)

A blanket scarf is an absolute must have for fall and winter. Not only does it liven up an outfit, it's perfect for keeping your warm on chilly days! // I'm a huge fan of cowl neck sweater dresses for fall. They're perfect for a day at work then straight to happy hour or dinner! // A wool hat is perfect for fall (and bad hair days). // It's still a bit too warm out to wear boots but I've already been breaking out my booties with dresses (and even shorts). // I had been counting down the days until it was appropriate to break out my plum lipstick again. Rebel is definitely one of my favorite go-to colors for fall! // I've wanted the downtown field jacket for awhile now and I finally gave in this year and got it and I am in love! It's the perfect layering jacket for fall and great for damp days. And it's currently on sale! // I have such an obsession with oversized plaid shirts. I love layering them and Abercrombie has some of the softest (and most reasonably priced) flannel plaid shirts I've worn! // I love fall nail colors. Wicked is by far one of my favorites but this Spiked With Style is definitely on repeat right now! // Perfectly distressed skinny jeans are definitely a staple in my closet during fall. As odd as it sounds I used to hate distressed skinny jeans but I've definitely come around.

And there you have it, some of my fall must-have items! What is on your fall must-have list?

cyclebar

Spin It Out: Previewing CycleBar®

9/21/2016

Not to toot my own horn or to sound weird but I always seem to get comments about how great my legs look. The first time I ever heard it, I was completely baffled because even though I love working out, I definitely neglect my legs. In fact, the only thing I loathe more than squats and lunges is cardio. That is until I discovered spinning.

My addiction to spinning started about 5 years ago and I'm not even kidding when I say that after my first class I never wanted to go back again. My entire body was so incredibly sore, I could barely walk the next day and my instructor had a body I would kill for, which at the time didn't help my motivation. But for some reason, which I can't seem to recall now, I went back again and again and again and here we are, 5 years later and I'm still going. And when people ask me what I do to get my legs to look "like that" my only answer is cycle!
So when Kerri called me up and told me about this new cycle studio called CycleBar® opening up by her work I was intrigued but still not 100% sold. You see, my gym offers spinning classes and I've been taking the same spinning class with the same spinning instructor (hi Jessica!) for 5 years now so why ruin a good thing? Then CycleBar® offered a free preview to stop by and check the place out to me and some other blogger babes and I maybe I'd stop by but apparently the fitness gods really wanted me to give CycleBar® a chance because the day before the preview (when I was still on the fence) my instructor announced that she would be leaving the gym to go work at CycleBar® and that sealed it. The next day I headed straight over to CycleBar® after work for the free preview and I'm already checking out their schedule!

CycleBar is the only indoor cycling franchise in America and the first of its kind in Central Florida and the workout experience is unlike any other. This isn't your normal stuffy, boring room with bikes and someone barking "motivational" things at you while you peddle away. This is something you want to come back to. It's a high-energy, fun experience that has much more of a "club" vibe than a "gym" vibe.

The first thing you notice when you walk through the doors is how chic the studio is. It's completely decked out in red, white and black and feels more like a place you'd want to hang out with your friends than a place you'd work out. One side has a little shop where you can check out their gear and grab your shoes for class and the other side has lockers, water and other necessities. CycleBar® takes care of everything for you so all you have to do is show up and ride! They provide shoes, a water bottle, a towel. They even have hair ties for people like me that always manage to lose mine! Another thing I love about CycleBar® is there is no membership required and they track your stats for you so you can actually see your progress and feel good about your ride.

If that didn't have you sold, CycleBar® is having their grand opening in Winter Park on September 29th and is offering 60 free classes for the public for the first 10 days they're open! Yup, that's right. Up to 2700 individual rides will be available! Advance registration is required at http://winterpark.cyclebar.com/. You can begin scheduling rides on September 22; free classes will be held from September 29 through October 9. Paid classes begin on October 10. So what are you waiting for – check it out!

birthday celebrations

Weekending

9/19/2016

beauty

Mascara Layering with Pixi

9/15/2016

The products in Mascara Layering With Pixi By Petra Mascara were sent to me for editorial consideration. Affiliate links which benefit this site may be included. All opinions are 100% my own.

For the longest time I had gorgeous, long lashes that never needed a coat of mascara to touch the inside of my glasses lens (yes, I used to wear glasses). Then as I got older I noticed they weren't quite as long as they used to be so I tried everything to get them to go back to being as long and luxurious as they once were. While eyelash extensions are all the rage right now, they definitely are not for me. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't love the look of eyelash extensions, but I am not one who is able to sit in a chair for 3 hours while having them applied and when it comes to maintenance I am just about as low maintenance as they come. Comb them every day, be gentle when removing eye makeup, don't get them wet for 24 hours? Yeah, not happening.

It's as if Pixi Beauty could read my mind because when I opened my Pixi Beauty Box I was delighted to see their Mascara Layering collection for me to try out! Included in the super cute box was:

The Black Lacquer Lash Primer ($15): This primer is supposed to plump, protect and prime lashes. Most primers I've used are white but this one is actually black so I've used it without mascara on days when I'm just out running errands and wanted a little extra boost to my lashes without anything too noticeable.
The Lash Booster ($15): This is supposed to be a a do-it-all mascara that curls, defines, lengthens and thickens lashes with a glossy waterproof finish. Personally I didn't find that it added too much length but it definitely added a lot of volume to my lashes and it is definitely waterproof! My eyes tend to water throughout the day and I didn't have a bit of flaking or smearing with this.
The Lengthy Fiber Mascara ($16): This enhances & elongates lashes with fibers for a feathered, lush lash effect. To be honest, this was the product I was most hesitant about when I opened the box. I'm usually not a huge fiber mascara fan but I figured I'd give it a try. Initially I hated it, it was a bit dry for my taste but I wanted to be fair so I gave it another shot and this time I layered over another mascara and I was much more pleased with the results.
The Lower Lash Mascara ($11): This has a specialized slim brush with short bristles effortlessly coats lower & hard-to-reach small lashes. I had never put mascara on my lower lashes before so this was new to me. I loved how small the brush and wand was, it made it super easy to use and the design of the brush really separated my lower lashes. It was great when I didn't want to wear eyeliner and lasted all day without smudging. Definitely something I will be using on a more regular basis!

For me, using all of these on a daily basis would be completely overkill. I'm all about those long, luxurious lashes but I'm also all about simplicity and low maintenance. The primer wasn't enough to make me want to stop buying my regular primer and while I did like the look of the Lengthy Fiber Mascara layered over another mascara I can't say I'd definitely run out any buy it however the other two products are something I would definitely purchase again! The Lower Lash Mascara is definitely a game changer for me. Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think?

*

casual

Floral Off the Shoulder

9/14/2016

football

Weekending

9/12/2016

Who else wishes they were still in bed right now? Please don't tell me I'm the only one! Even though this weekend was far more relaxed than last weekend I am struggling without having that extra day off. It probably doesn't help that I went to the gym this weekend for the first time in like 2 weeks so I'm super sore this morning. Ok, enough whining! Let's jump into my weekend recap (the one with all the food) with Biana and get this week started.

Ok, technically I'm starting out this post with a picture from last Tuesday at my conference but I had to share my picture with Captain Morgan. The guy was hilarious and fun and I think I should totally be a pirate. Maybe in a future life?

Ok moving on. Friday was my first work from home day. My "new work schedule" allows me to work from home two days a month to get caught up on everything completely uninterrupted and it allows me to not have to drive the hour in and home. I got SO Much done on Friday. It was amazing. I even manage to meet up with some former coworkers for lunch and pick their brain about a few people they used to work with that applied to my new coordinator position.

Friday night we tried out a new pizza place with NY style pizza and it was SO good. I will definitely be ordering from them again soon.

Saturday I was up bright and early, headed to the gym and then ran a few errands before the UCF game at noon. I made brunch and had mimosas for the game. Unfortunately Michigan crushed us but I'm glad we managed to at least score and we got paid a ton to go there so that definitely softened the blow of losing.

The rest of the day Saturday was spent eating and watching more football.

Sunday I got all my errands out of the way early so I could have the rest of the day to relax and watch yup, you guessed it. More football! We headed down to a local bar for the first round of games to watch my Bengals barely beat the Jets and unfortunately watch the Jags lose to Green Bay.