Happy Spring

Spring is here at last. I say this from the comfort of my Southern California climate and give you permission to hate me a little. Just because I don't get snow days, doesn't mean I don't jump at the chance to welcome spring colors in to my wardrobe.
Here's what I'm currently lusting over for Spring:

Spring Wishlist by lauraacc featuring pointy toe shoes

1. Pointed tow spectator pumps. Black & white is one of my favorite combinations (I know, super original). I  rarely wear high heels, so the 2.5" height is just perfect for me. 

2. Emerald green is not just the Pantone "it" color of the season, it is also one of my favorite colors. Joie is my go to for comfy everyday tops that can be dressed up or down.

3. I have at least one bridal shower a month for as far as the eye can see. This dress could not be more perfect bridal shower attire. Love the black lace with the soft floral pattern and the high neck.

4. J Crew simple sheath. Great color. I wear these dresses to death. 

5. Bow flat sandals in black & white? These are screaming my name. 

6. Cat eye shades are in a big way and I want to hop on the bandwagon. I hate sunglasses that don't cover my eyebrows and I think these will be perfect.

What are you currently lusting after for spring? 

The Holy Grail of Denim

Happy National Margarita Day, friends! Or for those who don't celebrate the latest made-up internet holiday, happy Friday! Both are valid.
And while I always thought Cinco de Mayo was national margarita day, apparently I was wrong.
This weekend is going to be rather low key since I have yet to unpack from last week's ski trip and we are taking off for the east coast on Thursday morning. Meaning I will be drinking a margarita while doing laundry. Also on the "re-gain control of my life" agenda? Cleaning out my closet. Maybe I'll get brave enough to take before and after shots. I certainly have the scary before scene mastered.
I know people who clean out their closets once a season or at least twice a year. I envy those people. I have  terrible luck with getting rid of clothes. I tend to keep all of the barely warn jeans that only fit for a brief 6 week period senior year of college and toss the slightly too large, nice to have after the holidays wear. Sadly the Field of Dreams, "if you build it,  they will come" mentality does not work with weight loss. At least not for me.
In my 6 months post wedding concession I decided to buy myself a new pair of jeans. Wow, does it feel good to breathe again!
These are the jeans I purchased. They are without a doubt the most comfortable jeans I have ever owned and I cannot recommend them highly enough. The dark wash makes them versatile. The fabric is softer than normal denim and they are stretchy yet thick. They are skinny enough to tuck easily in to boots while also looking cute with ballet flats or heals. I didn't even need them hemmed (and I'm 5'6 with extremely average length legs)!
In other words, the holy grail of denim. Now to order them in every color.

AG Prima by lauraacc featuring a stripe sweater

Makeup Review: "Bonne Mine"

Laura Mercier 

After work last Thursday I had a little time to kill before a girls dinner, so I wandered in to my happy place, Sephora. Having a Sephora store just two blocks away from my office is both a blessing and a curse. Read about the latest great lip color on a blog, it can be mine within a few hours. Have a nasty day at work, a little retail therapy is close at hand. It's less stressful than having to try on clothes (am I the only one that finds trying on clothes stressful?) and the items are small so it feels non-committal. Sephora also has a killer return policy, so if I buy something under duress and end up unsatisfied, it can easily be undone.

I get this feeling from time to time that I am missing out on the latest and greatest products, the key to early morning makeup perfection. I am always on the hunt for a holy grail bronzer (along with the perfect under eye concealer). In the interest of decompressing from the day, when a particularly friendly Sephora employee asked if there was anything I was looking for I started to say "just browsing" and then asked if he had a favorite bronzer. His excitement was palpable as he asked what I was currently using. I said "well, I rotate between Bobbi Brown, Nars, Benefit, Guerlain, Tarte, and maybe some others I am forgetting?" He laughed and said "you need to try a cream bronzer. Bonne Mine!" Say what?! A product I haven't tried?

Photo credit

He sat me down, gathered his supplies and started doing my makeup. As he was working away, other sale associates would come up and nod and say “are you using Bonne Mine??” or simply nod and slowly say “bonne meeeee.” It seemed like a pretty big deal, so of course I had to add it to my bronzer repertoire.  

The Laura Mercier Bonne Mine is a face palette containing five cream colors: “1 bronzer veil, 2 cheek veils & 2 glow veils.” I purchased the Sephora Collection Pro “Flawless Airbrush” #56 brush to apply. The colors are all very creamy and blendable and you sort of tap the brush in to the colors and then tap/ dot  the brush on to your face to apply, and then use the brush to blend. The Sephora man said you apply it like “stippling.” I’ve heard that stippling is a way of applying foundation, but I’ve never actually done it. Anyway, I have point. So far, I am very happy with the results. In the winter months when my skin is lighter (super pale), I have a harder time blending bronzer and it can look too harsh (or orange). This is a much more natural approach. One you master the correct tapping (or even while you’re just playing around, learning the technique) it’s easy to create a soft contour. The colors seem to last well throughout the day and are extremely lightweight on the skin (I don’t feel it at all). I have yet to master the trifecta of bronzer, blush & glow as well as the makeup artist, but I’m on my way. So far this week I have been using the bronzer to lightly draw reverse 3 along the sides of my face with a bit on my forehead and nose, then I put of the cheek veil (the peachy one) just on the apples of my cheeks, and the lighter glow veil to highlight my cheekbones. It even comes with a little instruction booklet.

If you are rushed for time in the morning (who isn’t?) and like the convenience of having your bronzer/ blush contained in one palette, I would highly recommend this product. I like that it’s light and natural for everyday, but I can also step it up, build more color and do a dramatic face contour for nights out. I like that it’s a unique product. It’s different than anything else I own, and I feel like it’s added something to my makeup collection. 

The best part is 100% of the profits from the sale of this product are donated to the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer Fund. Their “mission is to raise awareness and fund research and educational efforts that will help diagnose, treat and support women with ovarian cancer.” I loved Laura Mercier products before I knew of her efforts to raise funds for ovarian cancer, and you better believe I love her a whole lot more now. You can watch to learn more about her efforts here. 

It is a limited edition product, and of course after typing all of this out, I can’t find it listed on the Sephora website. It is available in stores (Sephora, Bloomingdales) and on Laura Mercier.com for $48.

What are your "holy grail" make up products? Do you have a recommendation for the perfect under eye concealer or bronzer?