I’m coming off an awesome weekend in Charlotte visiting my sister Hannah! She moved there over the summer and I jumped on tickets for a super-cheap flight a few weeks ago so I could finally check out her new home. I met her friends, saw her beautiful apartment, shopped, got a couple of workouts in, and of course ate and drank all the things.
Turkey burger on rye from Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, complete with rosemary ham, pesto, cheese, and an egg!
I’m so glad that Kaitlin moved to Boston in time for us to celebrate her birthday together! We spent late afternoon/evening of her special day at Chestnut Hill Square in the nearby suburb of Chestnut Hill.
The outing started with a trip to Francesca’s to pick out a necklace and pair of earrings. As Kaitlin said in her recap post, having a girlfriend there for feedback made the daunting task of selecting from many options a bit easier.
I’ve been looking for a new makeup pouch for travel purposes, and when I saw this one, I couldn’t resist scooping it up!
Nowadays it seems there’s an app for every service out there. Make reservations on OpenTable or Reserve. Find a ride with Uber of Lyft. And now, book beauty and health appointments with Whittl – “where to-dos get done”.
Armed with a $50 credit, I decided to book an appointment for partial highlights. I was in dire need! It was very easy to create an account, apply my credit, and then search for salons in my area. I decided to focus on Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood since it’s easily accessible from my apartment by T. I liked that each listing came with reviews and a 1-5 star rating. Everything I read about Will Charles Salon on Newbury Street sounded great, and the highlights were in my price range, so I booked there with Julia.
Last weekend I ventured back to the 203 area code of Connecticut for two important events – a visit to Kaitlin in Fairfield on Saturday, and the New Haven wedding of one of my friends from college, on Sunday!
I arrived in Fairfield at about 3PM on Saturday, and we immediately hit the road. Some friends of Kaitlin and her husband were having a BBQ, so I tagged along with them for a fun afternoon of beverages, burgers, and hot dogs.
I contributed a bottle of Earthshaker Wines Rose de Pinot Noir. Kaitlin and I had no trouble crushing it and I wished I’d brought another!
Disclosure: I have received promotional consideration and a free salon service from Hair Cuttery.
I love living in Boston, but something I’ve noticed about living here compared to Connecticut? Beauty services are more expensive! Even my nail polish changes are a couple bucks more expensive…and don’t even get me started on hair! I still see my go-to CT hairdresser for highlights, but not often enough to keep split ends from running my hair ragged. So when Hair Cuttery reached out to me about trying out their services, I was all over visiting for a trim – and a special style surprise at the end!
A visit to the salon locator revealed to me a Hair Cuttery just around the corner from me. I’d walked right by it many a time and never noticed it!
I received discounted blow drys for myself and my friends for review purposes. All opinions are my own and this is not a compensated post.
Real quick – the winners of my Lightlife veggie products giveaway are Katie, Amy, and Amanda! I will be emailing you about claiming your prize!
A couple of weeks ago I decided to attend Thirst Boston‘s opening night gala, The Thing, on Friday 11/7. My friends Jeannie and Allie agreed to join, and we knew we wanted to make it a big night out. That included getting dolled up in black dresses and looking our best. Thankfully, drybar in Chestnut Hill Square was willing to help us out with that part.
“The Mind Project” was playing – so appropriate.
I just love drybar’s decor and overall branding! Even the products used during each blow dry have adorable names.
Everyone has their “thing” that they spend extra money on. For some it’s running shoes. For others it’s makeup. For me…it’s NOT hair products. I stick with the affordable brands I can find at CVS. So I jumped at the chance to try out the new Pure Care Dry Oil collection from a brand that actually falls within my preferred price point – Dove Hair.
I received the shampoo, conditioner, and African macadamia oil.
I received a complimentary jar of body butter for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.
I’m back again this week with another preservative-free beauty product review and giveaway! But this one is all the more special to me because though the product is not made locally, it is made by a local. Huh? The company – Ellovi – was co-founded by former Glastonbury resident and fellow GHS graduate Kelly Winterhalter!
Yours truly topping the pyramid, and Kelly on the left with her tongue sticking out, at her high school grad party!
Nowadays, looking tres glam! Source
I received complimentary Bristol Bliss products for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.
When I visited Brilliant Options Wellness for my first massage, I noticed some cute and great-smelling soy candles in the studio. BOW owner Kellie informed me that they were a local product (hooray!) by Bristol Bliss. I contacted owner Mary Brown to find out more about her natural/organic candles and other beauty products. She was kind enough to offer me some samples for a review and giveaway blog post!
I received bath salts, a candle, lip balm, and body scrub.
Unfortunately I never take baths so I never got a chance to use the All-Natural Detoxifying Ginger Bath Salts. The ingredients list is short and sweet: epsom salt, sea salt, ground ginger, baking soda, essential oil. I am not a big user of natural beauty products (or beauty products in general…I just have a few basics) so these pronounceable ingredients are new to me – that’s a good thing!
When it comes to a beauty routine, I am seriously lazy and impatient. Just ask Kaitlin – I’m often telling her tales of attempting to have the patience to stand in one spot for what seems like forever and blow dry my hair, only to give up after about five minutes. I’ve got places to go, people to see. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Obligatory.
I look at much of what my younger sister and friends do with their makeup, hair, face care, what have you, and I can’t imagine spending that much time on any of it. I grew up looking for anything I could cut out of my morning routine to give me a few extra precious minutes of sleep, and this has made me a beauty routine minimalist.
I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!
