Latest Beauty Buys

It feels like summer is only moments away and there is no better time for us ladies, to up our beauty game before the hot temps leave us looking like pools of melted makeup and frizzy hair. Oh wait, is that just me? I have been loving the results of my latest beauty buys and would recommend them to you as well. 

A summer tan is complimented perfectly by opi's funny bunny nail lacquer. The color is a milky white that is not too harsh or shimmery. I am pretty obsessed with this color and rock it on both my fingers and toes.

Aveda's sun care hair + body cleanser is in weekly rotation in my shower. This color-safe formula removes chlorine, salt and product buildup while also maintaining your hair's moisture. It doesn't hurt that it smells like citrus either. I love that I can use this product once a week to get all the product off my scalp or to clean my hair after a dip in the pool.

My pregnancy belly is growing by the day but I have yet to see a single stretch mark. It could be genetics or that I slather myself in plamers cocoa butter every morning and evening. Knock on wood that whatever is working in my favor, keeps up for the next 3 months.

I fill in my brows on the daily but was noticing that their shape would not stay all day. Not any more, anastasia brow gel is a clear gel that sets, defines and hold brows in place all day. There is chamomile in the formula that also conditions my browns while leaving me with a natural look. 

There are dozens of self tanners on the market but l'oreal's sublime bronze towelettes are my personal fav. The easy-to-use towels have vitamin e and alpha hydroxy acid to smooth and soften skin and they swipe right on, nearly error-proof. After a few hours, you will have a natural glow, streak free.

I have been using seche vite dry fast top coat for a couple of years but had to include because it is that good. This top coat is the best thing ever. My nails look like I had a shellac mani but without the cost due to the lacquer's ability to penetrate to the nail bed, creating a bond that will keep away chips and peeling for days.

to see my other beauty buy lists, click here.

Latest Beauty Buys

I am excited to share today's post as I have become obsessed with some new beauty products that I think you might like too. Back in august I shared my last beauty post but today's features products that have seriously changed my routine for the better.

(beauty blender  /  cleanser  /  toner  /  eyebrow pencil)

First up... the beauty blender. This makeup sponge is unlike anything I have ever used to apply foundation, tinted moisturizer, concealer, blush or bronzer. You get flawless coverage that looks like a professional applied it. I have seen beauty blenders on the market for a couple of years but after watching kandee johnson's youtube tutorial, I decided to buy one. I have not looked back since.

Image skin care is a leading professional skin-care line. Their balancing facial cleanser is a 3-in-1... exfoliate, makeup remover and gel cleanser that balances the pH in my skin while removing impurities. It smells intoxicating and leaves my skin hydrated and clean.

I found thayers toner through emily at cupcakes and cashmere and have been loving the results. This toner removes everything from makeup to dirt while leaving my skin moisturized and soft. The best part, there is no burning sensation when applying because thayers is alcohol-free.

Finally my eyebrows thank me for looking filled in after I apply my anastasia eyebrow pencil. The pencil comes in a variety of shades and can be sharpened to created ultra-thin definition without looking drawn-on. I also love that this brow pencil comes with a built-in blending brush.

I would love to hear about the beauty products you swear by. Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

Latest Beauty Buys

I am pretty regimented in my beauty routine. Rarely do I veer from the products I love and that have a proven track-record in my book. Outside of swapping out my nail lacquers every season, I am a creature of habit. However, a few new-to-me products have made their way into my makeup bag and bathroom shelves; proving that change is a good thing. 

(clockwise from top left:  tinted lip balm  /  eye cream  /  shampoo  /  eye shadow palette  /  brushes  /  lotion)

I would highly recommend you picking any and all of these products, I am thinking they will be sticking around in my world.

One Kings Lane // Reflect Your Style

One kings lane recently reached out to me about their 'reflect your style campaign' and I jumped on the opportunity to partner up. If you have not heard of one kings lane... you need to visit their site and sign up; you will then have access to their online curated collections of home decor that will help you find unique and beautiful pieces for your home. I am a huge fan of the site which makes this series even more fun to be a part of.

The 'reflect your style campaign' asked bloggers across the country to create gorgeous, personalized vanities featuring a statement mirror from one kings lane's latest collection. I love classic furniture with architectural details and I am a sucker for gold accents so, I wanted my mirror, the pièce de résistance of any vanity, to add a bit of earthiness and bring balance to the over all look. 

(sconces  /  desk  /  bench  /  tray)

No vanity is complete without a collection of beauty products but if you are like me, they can get a bit disorganized. I love using old flower vases to collect my eye-shadow pods + nail lacquers; they seem to look so much more organized and appealing than when they are tossed in a drawer. I also love corralling my perfumes and accessories in pretty trays, like this etched brass tray, currently available on one kings lane. Finally, to inject a bit of personal style (fitting for a vanity), I added a couple prints to hang as a gallery wall adjacent to the vanity.  

(only print  /  looking good print  /  love print  /  kisses print)

One kings lane will be choosing a handful of bloggers to feature in their 'reflect your style campaign' on their site in the coming weeks. I will do a link up once the post goes live for all you lovely readers to check out but in the mean time, jump on over and start shopping for your home at one kings lane!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by one kings lane, however, all opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to continue creating new content for South on Broadway!

Raw Beauty

I just read monika’s post about raw beauty on her blog, the doctor’s closet, and it got me thinking about the image I put out in the world every day. On my blog, I rarely if ever post a photo of myself without makeup (unless you count instagram photos that have so many filters applied you cannot tell). And for the fashion posts I occasionally do, lets-be-honest, I have countless photos taken to get a shot that I would deem-worthy to post on the internet. In my real life, I will occasionally run errands sans-makeup but typically throw on at least some bronzer + mascara before walking out the door.

Furthermore, I cannot lie that I dye my hair, apply fake tanner and paint my nails to slightly change/enhance what I look like in a ‘raw state’. I am not sure if this beauty regiment stems from magazines, pop culture or my peers but I have developed a mindset over time that the best version of myself is not what I look like in the morning, but instead, after I have primped myself in the bathroom.

I have so many girlfriends who wear minimal makeup (if any) and are always glowing. I honestly wish I felt confident enough to do the same more often. While I cannot say definitively it is from wearing makeup since middle school but the confidence I have in my ‘raw state’ is seriously lacking compared to the latter.

I do need to take a moment and say, my confidence in a ‘raw state’ has significantly improved over the years solely because of my husband. He gives me more compliments and adorations when I am fresh out of bed, wrapped up in a towel straight from the shower or lounging around on the weekend in my pjs. While confidence should not be based 100% by the feedback you get from another person, I am human and I am constantly a work in progress so  #donthate. I am truly grateful he sees a beauty in me that I often times over look.

Today I am taking a big step (in my book) by following in monika’s steps and posting some photos of my raw self. I am going to use this post as a reminder that raw is beautiful and to not be afraid to share this side of me more often.

Beauty // My Makeup Roundup

I am a huge makeup lover (hello! birchbox) even though I would like to think that I am a fairly low-maintenance kind of girl.  I can proudly say I can get fully ready including shower, blow dry + style hair and make up) in just about 30 minutes which I feel is not too bad.  

(tinted moisturizer  /  m.a.c shadow  /  blush  /  gloss  /  bronzer  /  cover up  /  eyeliner  /  mascara)

Well, while getting ready this morning I realized that some of my go-to products are getting pretty low and close to running out.  These are the products that I use everyday to make me look/feel like I can go out in the world every day and not look like a crazy person.  

As far as brands go, I am a bit all over the board from high-end to every day bargains I can pick up at the grocery store.  I fell in love with m.a.c. back when I was a senior in high school and have been a loyal buyer of the eye shadows and blush for years now.  I have also been smitten with maybelline mascara since I would sneak into my mom's makeup bag as a kid while playing dress up.  

I am now anxiously waiting until Friday (aka payday) to go replace a couple of the items above.