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Esther Houston in La Petite Mag

Esther Houston, model and wife of Hillsong United (favorite Christian band) singer, Joel Houston, was honestly the most beautiful pregnant person I have ever seen. Their cute little baby boy, Zion, is now 7 months old – did I mention he’s cute? Check out his Instagram.

Esther recently posted pictures from a maternity shoot she did with La Petite Mag when she was forty weeks pregnant (I hope I look half that good!) on her blog Miss Whoo. I absolutely love her maternity style. The striped blue maxi dress is gorgeous – I’d really like to own all of these dresses!

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New Beauty Finds

Beauty_FindsI have never been one to buy or wear a ton of makeup. I typically pick a product that I like, and I’ll wear it every single day for years. When I was in NYC with my friend Jessica, I picked her brain on what she thinks are the best beauty products on the market, as she is a model (if you couldn’t tell…) and is constantly working with makeup artists. She gave me a laundry list of products, and I literally bought them all. I also picked up a few fun items when I was at Sephora and Nordstrom and thought I’d share my thoughts on the best buys.

1) Neulash – I used to get eyelash extensions, which Sasha hated. As part of a compromise, I quit getting them and bought Latisse. I really, really liked it. My eyelashes got so long, I literally trimmed them. But it’s expensive, and when my prescription ran out in July after a year, I didn’t get a refill. I went au natural for a few months, then decided that I missed my thicker, longer lashes and bought Neulash at Nordstrom. I haven’t been using it for too long, but I really like it. You apply it on your lashes every night with the wand that looks like a paint brush – it’s easier than Latisse and you don’t need to visit a doctor first. Give it a try!

2) Josie Maran Love Your Skin Argan Oil Set – I love Argan oil. I have really dry skin, and so I lather this stuff on my face in the morning. I think it is amazing. It absorbs into your pores very quickly, and I’ll apply my makeup shortly after. I think it makes you glow!

3) eos Lip Balm and 4) Shaving Cream – eos is so trendy that I didn’t want to buy it at first (I mean, it’s all over Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop’ video). However, I finally caved and bought the cute little egg-shaped lip balm, and I don’t regret it at all. I love how it makes my lips feel – not goopy, but very well moisturized. The shape is perfect for a pout too. As for eos’ shaving cream, it gives the best lather and a very close shave that leaves your legs feeling smooth. I highly recommend both!

5) NARS Blush and Bronzer Duo – Who would ever have guessed that my favorite blush of all time would be called Orgasm? Cheeky, right? I absolutely love the blush pink tone and the slight gold speckles that make you shine. I put the blush on my non-existent cheek bones and cover my T zone with the bronzer. I am very, very pale and I think it helps to brighten my face.

6) NARS Tomorrow’s Red Nail Polish – My cousin-in-law got me this polish as a sweet baby gift, and I am in love with the color. I immediately took it to the nail salon and asked them to cover my toe nails in it. It is the most perfect red color ever – to match my favorite red lippy (below).

7) NARS Heat Wave Lipstick – True story: I will wear this red lipstick on days I don’t feel pretty. It makes me feel like a lady. I have truly worn this lip color to the park when I run with no other makeup on. I bet I look like  a fool, but I honestly don’t care. Everyone should own Heat Wave (as verified by Julia Engel of Gal Meets Glam here and Liz Schneider of Sequins and Stripes here).

8) Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – I have tried every single moisturizer and foundation in the game, and this is hands down the best one out there. Jessica told me to buy it, and I trust her beauty opinion, so I did. It’s very light, so you don’t feel like your face has a mask on it. The moisturizer has a good SPF as well, so you are protected from UV rays during the day. My only issue is that I need to apply a little more if I go out to dinner at the end of the day, but when you do your makeup at 6am, that’s not really a legitimate gripe.

9) Bumble & Bumble Quenching Complex – This is a new find for me, so the verdict is still out, but I’m really excited, as my hair is “terribly thirsty” (per the product label). I love B&B products so much, so I have full faith in this one. I want my hair to grow longer, but it get’s so brittle with daily washes which are unpreventable as I workout every day. C’est la vie. My fingers are crossed that it works!

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Me in my NARS Heat Wave Lipstick on Padang Padang Beach, where Eat, Pray, Love was filmed

Featured image via Gal Meets Glam

Whirlwind Trip to NYC

I love, love, love New York City. It has so much energy. I adore walking around all day long, eating far too much (delicious) food, acting like a total tourist with my big Nikon DSLR, getting excited about things I’ve now seen numerous times, like Central Park and the Empire State Building. I spent a very brief 36-ish hours in NYC this weekend with a good friend of mine – play-by-play itinerary below. What are your favorite things to do in the city? We’re thinking about making this an annual trip, so I welcome suggestions!

Friday

  • Landed around 2:30 and took an Uber cab to the Ace Hotel
  • Walked to Eataly and roamed around, then went to nearby Mangia for a quick salad
  • Walked to the observatory level of the Empire State Building (totally worth doing once)
  • Returned to the hotel and drank at their very hipster bar
  • Walked to Almond for an early pre-show dinner (I highly recommend this Flatiron spot)
  • Cabbed to the Al Hirschfield Theater for Kinky Boots (a must see)
  • Walked through Times Square and then back to the hotel
  • Step count: 7.5 miles
Saturday
  • Breakfast at Pastis (we ran into one of my best friends and her boyfriend while walking, so they joined us!)
  • Sat awkwardly at Pastis while they filmed a movie right beside our table for 30 minutes
  • Popped into Kate Spade Saturday’s Pop Up Shop
  • Got a drink at Revel Garden Bar (gorgeous, gorgeous spot)
  • Strolled through Chelsea Market enjoying the aromas and sample sales!
  • Walked along the High Line
  • Left the Meat Packing district and walked to the Gramery Park Hotel bar
  • Walked to Barbounia for lunch – amazing hummus and falafel and the busiest restaurant I’ve ever been to
  • Returned to the hotel to freshen up and drop shopping bags, then cabbed it to Barneys (sigh)
  • Stolled through Central Park as the sun was setting
  • Went to Kate Spade Madison AvenueI want it all
  • Walked to Bloomingdales and spent ages lusting at Equipment blouses
  • Took a taxi to Market Table, which is a perfect West Village restaurant (try the Brussels sprouts!)
  • Crossed the street for some froyo at 16 Handles
  • Walked back to the hotel for an early-ish bed (due to a 5am wakeup)
  • Step count: 12.5 miles

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Kate Spade Madison Avenue changing rooms… I need this wallpaper!

Collection of Coats

While it’s not quite pea coat weather in Texas, I’m heading to NYC this weekend with a girlfriend of mine, and I wanted to get a new jacket for the trip. I looked high and low to thoroughly assess my options, and ended up getting this J. Crew coat. I adore J. Crew so much – and their winter line is incredible. All of the bejeweled sweaters get me so excited. 

I thought I’d share my other considerations. I liked the bright cobalt color of the other J. Crew jacket, and the professionalism of the 3.1 Philip Lim coat. Burberry jackets have always been my favorite, and this pea coat is no exception.

What are your thoughts? Have you been coat shopping this year?

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j. crew // burberry // j. crew // rag and bone // joie // 3.1 philip lim