Valentine's Day Outfit Ideas!

There are only two weeks left until Valentine's Day.  For those of my readers who aren't in the US or maybe don't celebrate when we do here, it is on the 14th of February.  Valentine's day has a whole lot of different meanings to different people. For some, like myself, it means spending some extra quality time with your significant other and doing something special for him or her.  I, for one, have cooked my boyfriend a special dinner every Valentine's Day that we have been together.  For others, it can be hanging with loved ones (friends, family etc) and just having a good time celebrating love itself.  Either way, this day can be really fun...if you are open to branching out and thinking outside the box :)

Some cool things to do for V-day that are inexpensive and fun are:

1. Stay in and make a homemade dinner (this is my fav!)
2. Have a picnic in the park with all kinds of special treats (wish I lived in warmer weather!)
3. Re-create the night of your first date...how friggin cute. 
4. Grab a romantic movie, light a candle and enjoy!
5. Have some girlfriends over for drinks. 

Those are just some of the things I could think of off of the top of my head...there are SO many different ways to partake in the Valentine's Day celebrations though---it doesn't have to be something grand, just something memorable :)

Here are some outfits that I threw together that I thought would assist any of my readers that were struggling with ideas as to what to wear on this day to be festive but remain put together looking. Here is what I came up with:

I always like to wear something either red or pink on this day--even if it is just a red lip or a red heart clutch----I died when I saw this! How awesome! hahaha

Anything you decide to wear I am sure you will look fabulous. Remember looking your best starts with how you feel on the inside--THAT is what exudes confidence ;)

I LOVE you all,

xox

Yes to GRAPEFRUIT Product Review

I have posted a few times before about the Yes To Carrots Skincare line and my position on their company still remains the same: They are fabulous! I cannot tell you how excited I was to learn that they introduced a new line the "Yes to Grapefruit" to their products. Already in love with my Yes to Blueberries facial cleansing towelettes and my Yes to Carrots lip balm, I knew this would tickle me pink...no pun intended ;)

This line includes everything from moisturizer and face wash to exfoliating face towelettes and dark spot correctors.  It is such a well rounded addition to the company.

Before I show you some photos and give you my reviews on the three products that I have been testing out, let me give you a brief look into the Yes To company as a whole first and what not only makes them unique but all out awesome!

• This company consists of all products that are at least 95% all natural.  They use all recycled packaging and even give back via something called the "Yes To Seed Fund".  Check out more about that by clicking here. 
• Their products are affordable for all of the quality that you are getting in every package. 
• Their products are easily accessible and can be found at Target, Ulta and many other nationwide markets. 
• Their website www.yestocarrots.com is very easy to navigate and very shopper friendly. 
• They carry products specifically meant to cater to age-damaged skin (blueberries), acne prone skin (tomatoes), sensitive skin (cucumbers), dryer skin (carrots) and the all new grapefruit line to brighten your skin.  

Ok, now that we are all done exploring the Yes To company as a whole, lets move onto the good stuff!

Here are my brief thoughts on their new baby:

Facial Scrub

 

As you can probably tell from the photo above, this sits right in my shower for daily use :) 

1. This facial scrub is a very gentle exfoliating cleanser.  Not too harsh but just enough to get the job done. 
2. It isn't a thick cream form cleanser, but rather is a lighter more "runny" formula. 
3. The smell is very grapefruit for sure---I don't mind this at all ;)
4. I find that this leaves my skin feeling very clean and without any leftover residue feeling that other face cleansers can leave sometimes. 
5. I sometimes use this with my Olay Pro-X cleansing brush--it's the perfect formula to use in conjunction with it!

Moisturizer

1. The first thing that caught my eye with this "correct and repair" even skin tone moisturizer was the pump---I LOVE anything with a pump because it makes it so much easier to control the amount of product you use! Good job with the packaging Yes To company :)
2. This is, just as the facial scrub, a lighter more "runny" formula--but moisturizes in a very rich way.  For someone for suffers from relatively dry skin, this worked perfectly for me. 
3. The smell is something that took getting used to because as I am seeing with this whole line, everything smells very true to their name.  This grapefruit smell will linger for a while, but it's certainly nothing unbearable--I happen to like it :)
4. I like that you get 1.4 fl oz. decent size for a good moisturizer. 
5. NO PARABENS, PETROLEUM or SLS!!!! WOOOHOO!!!

 Exfoliating Cleansing Towelettes

 

I wanted to show you a comparison of the packaging size between the Grapefruit and Blueberry towelettes.  This however is deceiving because the actual towelettes are the same size--and they are a good size to begin with so this didn't bother me at all :) Pictured above as well is the Blueberry and Grapefruit towelettes side by side---can you see the exfoliating pattern on the Grapefruit ones? This feels so nice on your face!

1. I love the fresh scent that these have
2. I love the gentle exfoliating pattern built into each facial wipe to give you that extra clean feeling.
3. As with all of the other face wipes, I love the packaging that includes a "click to close" flap. This is almost a fool proof way to assure that your little wipes don't get dried out from exposure to air! Genius!

Final Thoughts: 

I have to say, as with all of my other Yes To purchases, I was not disappointed at all.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that they came out with so many awesome products, kept the prices reasonable and were able to target another skin issue that some suffer from.  I like that there is something for everyone within this company. I would definitely recommend going out and trying a few things from the Yes to Grapefruit line, I am almost sure that you will find something that you will love and that will make your skincare routine that much better! 

Bright Beautiful Skin,

xox

2013 Spring Fashion Trends

As Spring season approaches I think of two things: fashion and flowers! Gosh I can't wait for the Spring.  On the east coast of the US where I live, it is frigid and it even snowed two days ago! I cannot wait for the weather to be in the upper 60's and 70's so that I can stop bundling up and start layering in a cuter way :)

I don't recall if I did this post last Spring but I did for 2011 and it still, to this day, is my most read post ever! I guess you guys like fashion ;)

Here are the predicted fashion trends for Spring 2013. I put together some sets that showed how to wear some of these trends in a more wearable way. Enjoy!

I am really loving the lace trend--I think it is just so whimsical and feminine.  I like lace all year round! As far as the Bermuda shorts trend, I actually prefer between this length of shorts and maybe an inch higher anyway.  Call me conservative but I think it looks more polished and put together than a "short short".

Some of the other trends I came across on the runway reports that I read were:

1. Eastern world inspired Asian patterns
2. White and lots of it
3. 60's silhouettes (my FAVORITE trend duh ;)
4. Patchwork and animal print
5. Short suits

What are some of your favorite trends for the Spring 2013?

Fashionably yours,

xox

Birthday Brunch OOTD: Express, Zara, Macy's, Nine West

This Sunday I attended a friends birthday brunch.  I decided to go casual chic and opted for something that would be both comfy (jeans) and sophisticated. Here are the details on my outfit:

Jeans: Zara
Blazer: My very adored, wear all the time, goes with everything, blazer from Express
Tank: Target (these tanks are amazing--I own 4 of just the white ones!)
Scarf: Cejon (Macy*s)
Pumps: Nine West Melitta (from last year)
Jewelry: Michael Kors rose gold watch, sideways cross name necklace from etsy, diamond studs

I really love these burgundy jeans, they are a subtle way to add some color to your wardrobe. This color is very "warm" and perfect for winter.  I know I am going to get tons of use out of these babies because there are so many options when it comes to pairing colored denim!

Fashionably Yours,

xox

The 2013 Color of the Year is........EMERALD! Now, how to wear it!

Every year Pantone releases their official "color of the year". This year it's emerald.  I must say, when I first learned of this I was thinking "emerald?!"--I don't typically wear lots of green other than on my eyes (because it makes brown eyes look fabulous!) but maybe this year is the year to start experimenting.  Look forward to seeing lots of green everywhere in clothing, nail colors,  makeup, accessories etc.  You may even be tempted to dabble into the emerald trend so I decided to throw together some fashion sets to show you how I would personally wear this 2013 trend.  I put together 4 full outfit sets and one accessory set. Let me know how you would wear green this year throughout the seasons! Enjoy!

Wearing green may not be something you feel comfortable with doing on a large part of your ensemble.  Accessorizing with emerald is a fantastic way to still incorporate a little bit of the trend safely and without overdoing it.  Sometimes remaining subtle with pops of color is the key to tying everything together.  Emerald is a jewel tone so it can really be paired with many colors.  The ones I like best are purple and blue--I feel like they really work well with emerald in an outfit.

If you need more help pairing green in your wardrobe, refer back to my color wheel post where I explain the guidelines you can follow when getting beautified :) You can find that post here: http://www.alyseap.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-2011-fashion-trends-fashion.html

To read more about the Pantone color of the year, click here

If any of you have made "color of the year" sets, link them below, I would love to check them out!

Fashionably Yours,

xox

My Daily Smoothie!

I've been drinking these smoothies for a while now. They've helped me gain energy and really boost my normally terrible immune system. There isn't anything crazy in them, just some good greens and a few berries and a banana. I'll explain the benefits of all of those below. Sometimes I add more or less of one of these things because I don't measure for precision but the ingredients are always the same for the most part.

Alysea's Green Smoothie:

Kale- the benefits of green veggies are endless but being specific to kale, its benefits are : protects our cells from free radicals via antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, provides glucosinolates which have been shown to prevent colon, breast and many other cancers, high in fiber for the regulation of your digestion system, lowers cholesterol, high in Vitamin K to strengthen our bones, boosts immunity and lower blood pressure.

Spinach- aids in digestion, maintains low blood sugar, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lowers blood pressure, protects the eyes from cataracts, strengthens bones, healthy skin, healthy nervous system and brain function.

Banana- keeps digestion regular, low blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, retention of calcium, breaks down bacteria in the stomach that causes ulcers, lessens your chance at getting kidney cancer, ensures the production of enough white blood cells to fight off infection in the body.

Berries- packed with antioxidants, lower blood pressure, decrease bladder infections, high in fiber, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, great source of Vitamin C, and reduce dental plaque.

I also add two tablespoons of ground flax seed to my smoothies when I have it on hand because flax is a miracle worker for the body all on its own! I even eat it in my oatmeal :)

For someone who finds herself not always able to sit down and have a bowl of fruit or a side of vegetables, this is the quick and easy and DELICIOUS way might I add, to get the vitamins my body needs. It's the perfect pick me up to start the day.

You can even as celery, even broccoli or cucumber and lemon or an apple etc. the concoctions are endless, this is just one of my favorite blends :)

Fear not, adding a very ripe banana (with brown spots is the best!) is an excellent way to naturally cut the bite of the vegetable flavor. Kale and spinach, however, are much milder in flavor than say celery.

Here are some photos:

Drinking to a healthier you,

xox

Looking Back on my 2012 via Photos

As 2012 comes to a close within these next few hours, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the good that came out of this taboo year. Taboo I say because here in the United States, where I live, the world was supposed to end twice according to various theories! If you are reading this, I think it's safe to say it indeed did not end, in fact it did quite the opposite for me.  2012 was filled with so many great memories, baby showers, births, weddings, engagements, friends, family, even some not so good things like friends breakups, family health issues, natural disasters, violent tragedies and so on. It is safe to say that 2012 had so much in store--things that would make us cry, love, laugh and most importantly remember who we are and why we are exactly where we are in our lives at this moment.

Here are some of the things that I remember in 2012 that were positive in my life:

1. Boyfriends sister had a wonderful baby shower and gave birth to an amazing little boy, RJ.
2. Went to see Jersey Boys on Broadway for Valentines Day--I LOVE oldies so this was perfect gift ;)
3. My Boyfriend graduated his work training! Boy that was a rough 6 months :(
4. Went to Puerto Rico with two of my very best friends and my honey.
5. Met Kandee Johnson at IMATS
6. Cut down Christmas Tree with my boyfriend to keep our tradition alive :)
7. Hiked through the Bushkill Falls with my best friend as we took a mental voyage with nature lol
8. Kayaked 6 miles and had my arms feel like they were on fire because of it hahaha
9. Reunited with my Portuguese grandparents after almost 10 years of not seeing them!
10. Finished my first semester back at school with a 3.9 GPA! yay!
11. Made my first fondant cake ever for my friends birthday!
12. Went to the Philadelphia Zoo with the mister and although I've been going here my whole life, this time was extra special for some reason :)
13. Went to over 5 NHL Hockey Playoff games--This was my first time ever getting into hockey!
14. Threw my boyfriend a surprise 25th birthday party successfully :)
15. Saw my sister and my cousin off to two different proms--they're getting so old--wahhh!

There were many other firsts and celebrations and new things that came to me this year, but if I were to take the time to share every single one, I would be here forever haha

Here are some photos of the above mentioned things:

I hope that next year I can look back on this post and see how much has changed from 2012 in just a year. I suggest that maybe some of you start to do this, it's a wonderful way to keep some of the positive from each year we are blessed to have.

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013. 

Until next year,

xox