Immortelle Divine Collection - My Skincare Regimen with L'Occitane

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

PRODUCTS C/O L'OCCITANE 

Let's talk AMAZING skincare!  You all know that I only talk about beauty and skincare products that I truly love and believe in and today I will be talking about my new found love for L'Occitane.  I've always heard amazing things about L'Occitane but it wasn't until this past April that I started trying their products.

I was lucky enough to meet the L'Occitane team at the rewardStyle conference back in April and they were so delightful and I left my meeting feeling so excited to learn even more about their products.  They were very generous and kind...they gifted me some of their most popular products and I couldn't wait to get home to try them.  Let's just say, I immediately fell head over heels for this brand and their incredible products!  The rich history of L'Occitane as well as their values is truly admirable too.

When asked to try their new Immortelle Divine collection, I immediately said YES, YES, YES!!!  There was no doubt in my mind that this collection would be nothing short of amazing and I was right.

Most of you know that I am in my 30's and I get a lot of questions about my skin and skincare routines.  We could chat forever about why I started truly taking care of my skin in my early 20's and the importance of doing so but what I will say today is...if you haven't already started using an anti-aging regimen, NOW IS THE TIME!  And L'Occitane's Immortelle Divine regimen would be a great place to start!

Let's dive into the collection and the specific products that I have been using!

Immortelle Divine Cleansing Balm - this balm removes makeup so easily and it even breaks down waterproof makeup!  It is delicate on your skin and leaves your skin feeling clean and radiant!  I love that it is enriched with immortelle essential oil as well as Vitamin E!  If you are looking for the perfect first step to an anti-aging ritual, this is it!

Immortelle Divine Foam Cleansing Cream - this cleansing cream is simply divine...no pun intended!  Use this after you have removed your makeup with the cleansing balm.  No makeup to remove, no problem as this can be your first step! It left my skin feeling ultra clean yet hydrated.  My skin felt so soft and appeared more radiant after using this cream for the first time.  A little goes a long way with this cream.  This cleansing cream is definitely a MUST!

Immortelle Divine Cream - the creme de la creme of creams!  Award winning, this cream helps fight visible signs of aging.  Being that I am in my 30's, it is so important for me to use an anti aging cream each and every night.  I couldn't be more impressed with the powerful natural ingredients of this cream.  If you are looking for an effective anti aging cream, I highly recommend this one!

Immortelle Divine Eyes - this eye gel helps reduce the appearance of fine lines as well as dark circles and puffiness.  Again...a must in my beauty regimen!  As a busy working Mom of two, I often times don't get enough sleep so I lean on an eye gel that helps conceal my tired eyes and Divine Eyes does an amazing job.  The skin around my eyes feels hydrated and smooth!

Immortelle Divine Youth Oil - this may be my absolute favorite out of the regimen that I have been using.  Although it would be tough to pick because they all play such an important role in caring for my skin.  But the Divine Youth Oil truly makes my skin feel renewed.  I use a couple of drops on my skin before bed and when I wake, my skin looks youthful and has a beautiful glow.  I also use this through the day to waken up my skin if it needs to be refreshed a bit.  I will take just a tiny bit of the oil in my fingers and pat it on my face.  I cannot get enough of this oil!  A little also goes a long way so you can get a lot of use out of one bottle.  I will be using this oil for years to come!

It's easy to see why I love L'Occitane's Immortelle Divine regimen...I've been so happy with each product and my skin has responded so well to this regimen.  I'm truly pleased with my initial results and cannot wait to see the evolution of my skin with L'Occitane!

Have you tried L'Occitane before?!  What are some of your favorite products?

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Mustard Yellow Velvet Dress - NYFW Look With Dillard's

Today's post is sponsored by Dillard's...all opinions are 100% my own.

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

DRESS C/O || JACKET || BOOTIES C/O || SUNGLASSES || RING C/O 

Two major trends this Fall season are mustard yellow and velvet!  YES velvet was big in Fall 2016 and it is here to stay, which I love.  To say I have a major crush on everything velvet right now is an understatement...I just can't get enough of it.

When searching for the perfect NYFW looks, I knew that I had to pay a visit to Dillard's because I can ALWAYS find what I am looking for.  You guessed right, this stunning mustard yellow velvet pleated dress is from Dillard's, one of my favorite retailers! 

When shopping for fashion week, I was on the hunt for a few different looks that would showcase some of the major Fall trends and when I saw this dress (practically from across the store) I immediately knew that I would be taking it with me to New York Fashion Week (#NYFW).

Beyond absolutely loving the color and material of this dress, I also love the sheer creme top that you wear underneath of this dress.  The top comes with the dress and it adds so much visual interest to an already beautiful dress!

This dress can be worn for so many different occasions and I honestly see it being the perfect dress to wear throughout the holidays too!  I toughed it up a bit with this gorgeous floral embroidered moto jacket and my new favorite black shooties of this season!

What are some of your favorite trends this Fall season?

As always, thanks so much for stopping by...have a great day!

Stepping into Fall with Zappos & Born Footwear

Today's post is sponsored by Zappos.com.

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

HER BOOTS || HIS BOOTS

It is now officially Fall (YAY!) and I don't know about you all but I'm so excited to start wearing boots!  Fall is hands down my favorite season.  From Fall clothes and boots, to the cooler weather (hoping it will FINALLy cool down bit here in Nashville), to the Fall foliage, to all of the holidays, to pumpkin spiced everything, and to lots of outdoor time with my family.  There is just so much to love about this time of year!

As much as I've been looking forward to the start of Fall, I've also really been looking forward to sharing today's post as it is my first EVER post with just Peter!  He was such a trooper and I must say, he was a pro behind the camera!  It's fun for me to say "we've" teamed up with Zappos.com & Born Footwear to share some of our favorite Fall boots!

Born boots have always been some of my personal favorites so when shopping for a pair for myself and for Peter, I knew Zappos.com would have the best selection.  Peter wasn't as familiar with Born but since being introduced to them, he is now just as much of a fan as I am!

There is a funny little story behind our boot selections!  I gave Peter a handful of boots to pick from and he ended up picking the Keefe Boot.  This boot is such a sharp looking boot and is perfect for what he was looking for...a tan colored ankle-high boot.  However, what we didn't realize is that the Keefe Boot is actually a woman's boot...ooopppsss!  We ordered a size 12 for him and it was just a tad snug...that's when we looked again and realized that it was actually not a a man's boot.  Even though the Keefe is not a man's boot, it can totally be worn by a man or a woman.  The good news is, Zappos.com has such excellent customer service & a 365 return policy so we will be able to easily swap out his boots for a better fitting male Born boot.  Peter has already found several other pair that he loves too!  Zappos.com is so great to work with and their fast & free shipping will have another pair of boots on our doorstep in no time!

My boots are the Easton boot in dark brown and I love the wrap around straps and buckle detail.  The fit is perfect and so is the color!  I had been searching for the perfect pair of flat brown booties that I can wear with both dresses and jeans and these are exactly what I have been looking for!

Because Born boots are so comfortable, we will be able to wear these on the weekends while out and about with our kiddos and they are going to be perfect for all of the upcoming Fall festivals that we will go to!  Not to mention we will both be wearing our Born boots for date night too!  They are so versatile and perfect for so many occasions.

Zappos.com has such a great selection of Fall boots and Born will have me and Peter stepping into Fall in style!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great start to your week!

Retro Spots in Bold Hues - NYFW Look

Photography by The Retro Penguin

DRESS || JACKET || HANDBAG || BOOTS || SUNGLASSES || RING || BRACELETS || EARRINGS

I've never met a polka dot dress that I didn't like and this one stole my heart with the geometric dot print in bold rainbow colors!  When I first saw this dress, I knew that it would be perfect for New York Fashion Week as I had planned to wear lots of bold colors and fun prints!  Something a little different and outside of the box.

If you love color and you love something unique, this dress is for you!  I received so many compliments on this dress...by far one of my favorite looks of Fashion Week.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

70's Inspired Fashion Week Look

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

DRESS || BAG || BOOTS || SUNGLASSES

This 70's inspired look was my favorite look from New York Fashion Week.  All things 70's is trending for this Fall season so I channeled my inner go-go dancer in this dress and boot combo!

I just adore the 70's floral print, the shape of this dress, the tie neck bow detail, and the ruffles on the sleeves.  And how FAB are the red patent faux leather boots?!  Even if I only wear these this Fall season, I'm going to have a lot of fun doing so!  Even better, they are under $40!  Red everything, especially boots, is a HOT trend this Fall so jump on board my friends and have some fun!

For a size reference, I'm wearing a size UK8 in this dress, which is equivalent to a US4 and these boots run true to size.

This look was perfect for the Cindy Monteiro runway show and the WWD x Samsung fashion week party!  We also enjoyed dinner after the party at The Standard hotel...I had the best brussel sprouts!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you have a wonderful day!  As always, thanks so much for stopping by! 

BEHIND THE CAMERA + THE BOLD PRINTS OF FASHION WEEK

Photography by Banavenue Photography

BLAZER || COORDINATING PANTS || CAMISOLE || BAG || BRACELETS || RING || WATCH

When planning what I would wear while attending New York Fashion Week, I knew that I wanted to step outside of the box a bit and wear more bold prints.  Because both red and wallpaper floral prints are trending for Fall 2017, I felt that this red floral pant suit was not only on trend but also a a total stand out.  Pant Suits are also trending so this particular look covered a variety of trends.

Being able to wear pieces that I may not have as much of an opportunity to wear at home (let's face it, during the week I live in workout clothes) is part of what I love most about fashion week.  If you think this is bold and funky (well...it is), you should see some of the street style looks at fashion week.  I'm always inspired by the variety of looks that I see at fashion week and I love seeing what others put together!

This was my first fashion week look and I wore this for a very busy day of brand meetings and presentations.  I wanted to wear something that was comfortable and easy to travel around in and this pant suit ended up being perfect for a full day in the city.

I also wanted to open up and share a bit of what I call "behind the camera" details of fashion week.  You see the glitz and glamour and although fashion week is a lot of glitz and glamour, it is so much more than that.  

Let's frist talk about those things that I love about fashion week...

Fashion week is an opportunity for Influencers to connect with the brands that they currently work with, brand that they hope to work with, PR firms, media outlets, and other Influencers.  There are so many amazing networking opportunities during fashion week and it is a prime time to take advantage of those opportunities. 

The shows and presentations are also one of my favorite parts of fashion week...I love seeing next seasons trends.  Stay tuned because I will be writing a post on what's trending for Spring/Summer 2018.

I also LOVE the energy of the city.  It is an exciting time to be there.  The restaurants are fabulous and you cannot beat $1 street corner pizza.  Two Bros Pizza is some of the best!

Now onto those things that I don't like about fashion week...

It is EXPENSIVE...between the hotel, flight, Uber's all over the city, the food, photography, and the expense of planning all of my looks (and alterations), it is not a cheap week.  I will say that the opportunities that arise from networking ultimately help offset the cost of fashion week but it is still a BIG business expense each year.

Waiting on Uber's and trying to help them find you in a sea of people is not fun either.  Plus the way they zip around the city often times leaves me feeling car sick.  One of my biggest expenses during fashion week is Uber rides.  I'd rather walk but everything is so spread out and let's be honest, after all of these years, I still haven't figured out how to maneuver NY on foot.

One of the things that I like least about fashion week is the self doubt that comes along with it.  I am a confident person, however I always find that I compare myself to others wondering if my outfit is good enough, why didn't I get an invite to that event and she did, am I being noticed by brands, etc.  This year I came home feeling a bit discouraged and feeling as if I missed out on so much because my time there was limited.  With that being said...my Husband reminded me that I should not compare myself or my brand to anyone.  In fact he said the "only comparison you should make is to your business this time last year...compare yourself to YOU and strive to get better."  He always has a much more level head than I do and I am thankful for that.

Overall, I am so thankful that I'm able to attend fashion week and do the things that I do.  The opportunities have been amazing and I am proud of myself for growing my brand to where it is today.  I've been at this for less than 3 years and I have a lot to be proud of.

I'm excited for what the future holds and I am already looking forward to fashion week 2018!  If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Prepping for Fashion Week + My Travel Look

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

BLAZER || TOP || DENIM || BOOTIES || HANDBAG || SUNGLASSES || WATCH

I'm back from New York Fashion Week and settled back in at home.  As much as I love attending fashion week, I love coming home to my sweet little family and our slower pace of life.  Even when I think running around all of the time with our kiddos is a lot of work, nothing compares to the amount of "running" that I do while at fashion week.  It is so fun yet so exhausting.

I'm going to be recapping several of my looks from fashion week and sharing more about my experiences while there.  This was my second year attending and my experiences were very different this year than last.  I'll also be sharing some of the trends you can expect to see for Spring/Summer 2018.

Today, I'm going to be sharing a bit more about my travel look and what inspired me to wear this boyfriend blazer as well as how I personally prepped for fashion week.

Many don't quite understand how much work goes into prepping for a few days in New York during one of the most important weeks in the fashion industry.  This year I flew in on a Thursday evening and flew home early Sunday morning so I was literally in New York for a little over 48 hours.  Prepping for 48 hours proved to be quite the job simply because I had soooo much to fit in within such a short period of time.

Preparing for fashion week usually starts a couple of months prior to fashion week, however this year, I started prepping just a few weeks before.  Initially I wasn't going to attend this year and then a few things lined up that made it clear that I needed to be there, even if it were just for a couple of days.

So here is how I prepped...

HOW I PREPARE for NEW YORK FASHION WEEK:

1)  Before doing anything else, I decide on the dates that I will be attending and then I work on hotel and flight accommodations.  This year, I stayed with Jessica Fay of Lipstick Heels and a Baby and Jami Ray of 30A Street Style at the DoubleTree by Hilton.  I then booked my flight and I tend to always fly Southwest as they typically have the best rate...my ticket was only $325 this year, which was great considering I booked my flight about 3 weeks before the start of fashion week.  I recommend booking a hotel and flight well in advance to avoid price increases.  I was a bit behind this year but still lucked out with my rates!

2)  I then review the schedule of events/shows and then made note of the shows I want to attend while there.  After pulling my list of contacts from last year, I began sending out requests for show invitations about 3 weeks prior to the start of fashion week.  As invitations came in, I loaded the information into a spreadsheet to help me track my schedule and plan accordingly.  I also marked my calendar to send follow up emails to those that I requested invitations from.  PR firms receive many requests so you have to make it a point to follow up to ensure that your request was not lost in the shuffle.  

Not only do I send requests for shows/events but I also reach out to brands that I have an established relationship with and/or brands that I am looking to establish a relationship with and ask for a 1:1 brand meeting.  This can be a meeting at their showroom, a coffee or lunch date, or even a meeting at their store.  I place a lot of emphasis on brand meetings as I always enjoy meeting people face to face and getting to know the person be behind the email exchanges!

3) I review trends from the February shows to get another feel for what will be trending for the season...this season being Fall.  This helps me decide what I want to wear and how best to plan my looks.  Specifically trending for Fall 2017...boyfriend blazers, structured pant suits, wallpaper florals, velvet, satin dresses, tops & pants, red everything (especially red boots), metallics, military, wide leg pants, kimonos, 70's inspired pieces, and mustard yellow.  I planned many of my looks on these specific trends.  

Once I've done my research, I start shopping.  This year, I was a bit delayed with my shopping so I ended up buying most of my looks online.  I shopped at Nasty Gal, Asos, Nordstrom, Dillards, Target, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, & H&M.  Luckily I was able to find most of what I was looking for at some of my favorite retailers!

As I share my fashion week looks with you, you will see that I stayed on trend with those specific trends that I mentioned above.  I also try and taylor my looks to the shows/events that I am going to.  This isn't always possible but if I'm going to an event with Banana Republic, I typically where a piece or two from Banana Republic.

4) One week prior, I finalize my schedule, confirm flight/hotel, send final follow up emails, have my clothes altered if necessary and of course get a spray tan, manicure/pedicure, etc.  I also do any last minute shopping should I need any finishing touches for my looks.

There is a lot of preparation and planning that goes into attending fashion week but it is necessary to have a successful and enjoyable time while there.  The more preparing you do, the more smoothly things will go!

For my travel look...I wanted to wear something comfortable yet on trend.  So I chose this chic boyfriend blazer and paired it with one of my favorite pair of black distressed denim.  I'll be wearing this boyfriend blazer all Fall season long...I love the menswear inspired look with the comfort of something not too structured.

Stay tuned for more fashion week posts and if there is anything specific you want to know about, please leave a comment below.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by...have a great day!

Falling for Feminine Florals with Donna Morgan

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

DRESS || SHOES || HANDBAG || SUNGLASSES || WATCH || BRACELETS

Florals are one of my favorite prints to wear, they are so feminine and beautiful, so I love that many of Donna Morgan's Fall '17 collection showcases such gorgeous floral prints!

The rich backdrop of this dress and subtle all over floral print makes this shift dress a stand out.  The pleated ruffle detail along the neckline and sleeves is such a fun flirty touch.  

I styled this dress with open toe booties for a bit more of a casual look but you can absolutely dress this up too!  Think closed toe pumps for work, strappy heels for an evening out, or even knee high boots with a chunky open cardigan over top for a weekend look!

This dress is so versatile and the fit is spot on!  It is sure to be a dress that I find myself grabbing time and time again.  Donna Morgan's dresses are classic pieces that you will have for years and from season to season.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Fall is Blooming

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

FLORAL SWEATER || CARGO PANTS || SHOES || BRACELET || RINGS || WATCH || HANDBAG || SUNGLASSES || EARRINGS

Labor Day sales are still going strong, have you stocked up on some new Fall pieces!  And did you check out yesterday's sale post?  If not, HERE it is!

Now is not only the time to shop end of season pieces but it is also a great time to stock up on early Fall pieces!  Part of why I love summer so much is because of the fun, cheerful, and bright colors and the fun floral prints.  Luckily I don't have to give either up because I'll be wearing this gorgeous fun floral sweater all Fall season long!

I was immediately drawn to the colors in this sweater and the bubblegum pink backdrop and you all know how much I LOVE anything floral print.  It is light enough to wear now and of course perfect layered with a jacket later this Fall.

My sweater is currently 40% off and my pants are under $20!  Hard to beat such great versatile pieces at these Labor Day sale prices!

Below, I've also included some of my other favorite sale pieces, many of which I just bought during this weekends sale!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day!

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