after-Christmas sales

I hope that you enjoyed a fun-filled, magical Christmas, whether you celebrate the holiday or not. We traveled quite a bit, all in-state but we still logged quite a few hours in the car. I love being with my family during the holidays, as crazy as it can be sometimes.

Now, let me preface this post by saying that no, I do not think Christmas is all about presents. That said, inevitably, there will be something you really wanted that you didn't find under the tree. Take advantage of all of the sales out there this week! (Just avoid the malls - they are going to be insane.)

Sephora is giving an extra 20% off sale items with the code EXTRA20

Pottery Barn has up to 50% off holiday items. Pick up some cute glitter initial ornaments for next year or add this guy to your home for winter decor.

Macy's has dropped their free shipping hurdle to $75 with code JOY (normally you have to spend $99), plus get an extra discount on certain items. These Kate Spade dishes are an extra 15% off!

Nordstrom's half-yearly men's sale is on - or if you're like me, you're hoarding discounted (but still gorgeous) ribbon for next year's gift wrapping.

Find 30% off full-price items or an additional 40% off sale items at J.Crew with code GIFTNOW (get this gorgeous bracelet at 30% off!)

Merry Christmas from my home to yours!

beauty favorites under $50

Shop my favorites:

Whether you need stocking stuffers for the girls or a recommendation on a lipstick that won't break your budget, here are some of my favorite beauty items, each under $50.

Do you have a favorite that isn't on my list? 

freckle confessions

Imagine that you spent three months working on something on a small scale just to see a national magazine come out with an article that wipes away all of your work.

Okay, so that's how it felt, anyway.

One summer in college I interned for a small publishing company that wrote a series of books for tween girls. My job was to write content for the site for each of the five characters, all different in her own way but all sending a positive message to readers (who, between the ages of 9 and 13 were extremely impressionable). One character in particular, a redhead with freckles, resonated with me. I remember slaving over one piece about why freckles are cool (because they are).

July's Cosmopolitan has a heavy message around skin care and sunscreen, which is great - except for the article titled "Confessions of a Freckle Face". In this piece the author describes having freckles:  how they aren't sexy, how much time she spent using different spot-fading creams and cover up to fix her "flaws", how embarrassing it was that her friends would tan and she would just have "spots". And it culminates in a line saying that the author would go through a lot of pain again "in a heartbeat" just to get rid of her freckles. (The author underwent laser treatment to reverse sun damage on her skin which costs upwards of $2,500 and results in weeks of a face full of scabs.)

I am all for skin care and sun safety, but I am fair skinned, have never been bronzed, and have had freckles my entire life. And this article is one of those that sends the wrong message to young, impressionable girls. I understand that the author's point is that she was able to erase years of sun damage with a quick treatment; however, rather than discussing how flawed it is for a girl to have freckles, can we talk about how flawed it is for a girl to bask in the sun without SPF?

Here's my PSA of the day, ladies:  Wear your sunscreen. And respect your freckles.

friday linkup

Some of my favorite links from the week:

A list of really happy facts. My favorite? "11. Penguins only have one mate their entire life and “propose” by giving their mate a pebble." (penguins image via National Geographic)

This easy day to night outfit that is perfect for office to bar

A really simple DIY for the built-ins I've been dreaming of

A reader-favorite post about how to clean your flat iron

weekend must-do: how to clean a flat iron

I often use hair spray and a flat iron together, which is probably not recommended by your favorite hair stylist. And it leaves a nasty residue on the plates, which then makes the bathroom smell like... well, burning hairspray (not on Yankee Candle's list of potential fragrances, I'm sure).

After trying some methods that didn't work so well, I finally found one that cleans off all of the hairspray gunk! Make sure your flat iron is fully cooled prior to doing this- and, of course, unplug it.

1. Mix about 1/4 cup of baking soda with hydrogen peroxide until you have a paste to work with. 

2. Use some elbow grease to rub it into the plates, making sure that you aren't getting it into the straightener itself. 

3. Wipe down with a wet cloth. 

4. Repeat as necessary.

weekend must-do: how to clean makeup brushes

I'm guilty. I don't clean my makeup brushes as much as I should! But I've started putting it on my weekend "do" list, right under everything else cleaning-related.

You can use gentle shampoo (baby shampoo works well), but Sephora's anti-bacterial brush cleaner is my favorite way to clean my brushes.

Simple steps:
1. Rinse each brush individually under warm water to remove top-layer makeup residue.
2. One pump per brush should do the trick (about half the size of a dime). Massage into your brush like you would shampoo your scalp.
3. Rinse under warm water.
4. Gently reshape each brush (see image above for reshaped brushes) and lay flat to dry. I lay mine flat on a towel.

To clean your brush handles, which I clearly did not do this week, use a mixture of baking soda and water. It will take the makeup residue right off!

everyday beauty favorites roundup

Rosebud Salve via Sephora // CoverGirl Perfect Blend Pencil (for me, nothing beats this pencil) // Maybelline Falsies Mascara (my "save" version of Benefit's "they're real!" mascara, which is 3x the price of this Maybelline product) // Sephora Nano Pencil (at $5 each, perfect to keep in your purse for touch-ups on the go or long work days that go into nights out) // Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment // Neutrogena Naturals Moisturizer (with SPF!) // Essie Mademoiselle (a pretty, soft pink color that is perfect for between-manicure work days)

These are my everyday beauty favorites, tried and true! While I have found some great products from high-end makeup stores, I often find myself spending extra for those brands and then going back to some old favorites, like the CoverGirl eyeliner and Maybelline mascara above. Being so fair-skinned, I have to have SPF in my moisturizer, and it's a plus that fresh puts it in their lip products as well.

Do you have any favorites that you keep in your beauty bag? I'd love to hear about them!