You GLOW gurl

Summer is almost over, but your glow doesn't have to ever end. Highlighting is huge right now (as it should be), but I find the problem to be that so many of us think that a glow starts and ends with it. When you take you make your skincare routine a priority, a lit from within look will come effortlessly. Moisturizing is key, and serums should be your best friend. Below are my favorite products that achieve that 'yes, I slept for a full 12 hours, didn't skip yoga and drank a fat green juice this morning' look.

Glossier Super Glow - This is a serum I use religiously. It honestly feels like a splash of water but after you pat it into your skin you feel the moisture immediately absorb. It's packed with Vitamin C and Magnesium which plumps and brightens skin. I always use this in the morning and at night before I moisturize.

MasqueBar Foaming O2 Bubble Cleanser - Whenever I use this I see an immediate difference in my skin. This cleanser brightens and exfoliates. It goes onto your skin as a serum and within 30 seconds oxygenates, which makes it a genuinely fun product to use. It has Lemon + Orange Extracts which are natural brighteners!

Wander Beauty On-The-Glow Bronzer - This puppy is another staple I can't live without. It's a dual ended bronzer and illuminator which is perfect for contouring for a night out or highlighting for a day friendly look. The illuminator side is great for cheek bones, cupid bow and brow bone. Tip: Use a clear balm and pat the illuminator on top for a completely non-sticky glossy look.

Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow: Tinted Moisturizer - No foundation necessary! Just blend this glow lotion into your face and you're ready to go.

Glossier Birthday Balm Dot Com - This has the most subtle hint of shimmer and the yummiest scent - birthday cake! I pat this into my pout but also use it on my eye lids or cheekbones. My favorite part about Balm Dot Com that a lot of people forget is that it's a skin salve not just a lip balm, making it designed for use all over!

Avatara Light Up Sheet Mask - I try to do this one at least once a week. It brightens and evens skin tone and will leave your skin feeling oh so full.

Cover FX Enhancer Drops - If you're looking for that intense glisten, this one is for you. This is a highlight I would mix into my foundation to give an even glow but you can definitely spot use it.

Lastly, water water WATERRRR 

photo cc: IntoTheGloss

VERB Hair Product Review

I can try 50 hair products and still be interested in the sea salt spray I see while out looking for a new top. It's kind of ridiculous but keeps me constantly finding new brands to obsess over.

My latest experimentation has been with Verb Products. My favorites have hands down been the Ghost Oil  which is an integrated moringa oil blend that leaves my heat treated hair feeling healthy and moisturized. When I look for a shampoo, the main thing I look for is the scent and the consistency. I like for the product to feel nourishing as well as leave my hair smelling like it just came out of the salon. Verb's Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner did exactly that! The last thing I tried was the Ghost Dry Oil which I use everyday and it works to extend a blowout or just add a little shine to waves.

Verb is also available here at Urban Outfitters!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

In the middle of finals, it's always that day that sneaks up on us. 

Cool bracelet

My mom is a jewelry hoarder so any kind of bling will make her happy plus she'll think of you whenever she wears it!

FAVS: Nakamol Chicago , Kate Spade , Nadri , David Yurman

Nespresso Espresso Machine

Love her a latte? ;) Snag it at Target.

Planting flowers

Ditch the bouquets this year, and get something that will last all summer. If you're in Chicago, stop by Steuber. If you're not sure of a good place, Home Depot is a good go to. 

Fitness class

Go with her if you can! Y7 Studio has hiphop yoga, modelFIT has dance cardio or hit up SoulCycle for a classic ride. 

Fragrance

Give her a new classic.

FAVS: Diptyque , HERMÈS

Baking class

Another fun thing to do together! Magnolia offers these all the time in NYC, LA and Chicago, and you'll get to bring home the treats you make! 

Mixology Set

Nothing I love more than kitchen accessories. If I had to pick a store to live in, it would be Williams-Sonoma. 

FAVS: Crate&Barrel , W-S , West Elm

Tablet

Every momma needs an iPad. If you're feeling extra, add on her favorite books or music! 

Mask Off: 7 Best Face Masks

If you guys follow me on Snapchat (jlofromdabloc) then you know dang well that I've been trying new face masks like craaaazy. There are so many companies rising up in this market that it can feel a little overwhelming when trying to pick one out. I know you don't wanna waste 30 minutes of your life putting on a mask that won't leave you feeling refreshed so I wanted to report back to you which I liked and why. Check out my list below of my top 7!

__________________________________________________________

1) Masque Bar $8-$10 (3pack)

Available at Target

FAVORITE: Brightening Sheet Mask and Oxygen Bubble Sheet Mask

The oxygen sheet mask starts to bubble so you know when it is time to take it off. Also, they have a sister company called LookBeauty (also sold at Target) that sells animal sheet masks so when you put them on you look like a panda, tiger or seal. I think it's a super cute idea if you're a mom and want to be silly for your kids or if you're just someone that thinks those things are cute! 

2)  Nugg $3.99 single use or 8 masks per month subscription for $25

Available on site or at Target 

FAVORITE: Charcoal Skin Detox Face Mask

I kept this one on a little longer than usual which ended up ultra moisturizing my skin. What I like the most about this one is that it's charcoal but not a peel off so there is absolutely no pain in the process, but it still does its detoxifying job!

3) Avatara $3 single

Available on site and at Target

FAVORITE: Drink Up and Light Up

These are both sheet masks so there's no mess. Great for on the go. Even though they can sometimes look a little freaky, at least there's no clean up! Both of these smell amazing and give my skin the feeling of dousing it in moisturizer. Their site has a skin quiz you can take to find out what best fits your needs!

4) Que Bella $2-$3 single (or 6 pack for $10)

Available at Target

FAVORITE: Rose & Green Tea Mud Mask and Illuminating Citrus Surge Sheet Masque
YOU GUYS. The Citrus Surge was the very last mask I tried before publishing this. Last night I got 3 hours of sleep, and this REJUVINATED me. For real, it feels like it put electric circuits in my face in the best way possible. This will be coined as my official hangover mask.

5) Glossier $22 each jar or $40 for set

Available on site or in showroom if you live in NYC 

FAVORITE: I CAN'T PICK!

 Really, do yourself a favor and just get the set. The Mega Greens Galaxy is meant to go on first to detoxify your skin. It has little beads in it so as you spread it around your face, you can feel like exfoliation. Next, take that Moisturizing Moon Mask to make your skin feel like an actual baby. It gives a subtle glow too!

6) Peter Thomas Roth $52 jar

Available at Sephora 

FAVORITE: Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme Detoxifying Hydrator

This I have used on and off for the past 2 years, and it has never disappointed when I was in need of a quick moisture boost. Although it's a little pricey, it lasts for months. It's great for all skin types and gives off a cooling sensation which is great for the upcoming summer months when I'm sure we'll all have sunburnt faces in need of a little cool down!

7) Kiehl's $30 jar

Available on site

FAVORITE: Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask

Great deep cleanser that makes your skin feel fully free of toxins. It is made with a white clay along with oatmeal and aloe to ensure it isn't harsh. The jar is a decent size (5 oz), and the product is thick enough to only need a little each time. Kiehl's is one of those brands I'll always feel comfortable trusting!

Glossier Review

As I'm sure is the same with all of you, I have had an influx of Glossier on my Instagram feed lately. The pretty pink boxes, the stickers and the products all infiltrated my socials. For my first order, I kept it pretty small to see if I liked it. Here's what I picked and what I think: 



Milky Jelly Cleanser: $18
Great for taking eye makeup off. This cleanser is very lightly scented and has almost a bouncy consistency so it feels extra hydrating. 




Balm Dotcom: $12
I picked this one in Mint. I love all of my lip products to be minty because a) it feels fresher and b) mint naturally causes a tingling and acts as a lip plumper. This product was a little thicker than I thought it would be so don't expect a gloss at all, but it is very moisturizing. There is also an unscented, rose, coconut and cherry flavor. 



Rosewater Spray: $18
I wasn't totally blown away with this one. From what everyone was posting about it, they were raving about its ability to reduce redness which I didn't experience. However! It is a refreshing morning spray and I also use to to spray my brushes before putting on eyeshadow and it's been helpful in making them stay on longer. 



Next on my wish list: Now that I know the quality and consistency of the products, I have a couple more that I wanna check out asap! 





Boy Brow: $16 
Currently I use a clear MaryKay brow gel, but I think for a fuller brow look I would go with this in a brown shade.



Super Glow Vitamin C Serum: $28
I love any kind glow product (hellllo 500 highlighters in my makeup bag) so I'm interested to see if this would really make a difference in my skin's complexion. 



Cloud Paint: $18
This is Glossier's newest product, and it looks amazing. There's nothing worse that piling 5 different powder products on your face so this cream blush would give you that flushed look while moisturizing the skin rather than just sitting on top. 

Top Songs Of 2017 So Far

OKAY so we have been getting a lot of new music lately, and I couldn't be happier. I wanna share my faves. Ps... no genre discrimination here, but I do wanna hear what you listen to! You know that Jay Z meme of him bobbing his head while looking around? (c/o giphy.com) That's kinda me right now putting this together... Anyways, enjoy!

Ed Sheeran// How Would You Feel .. Melted my heart the first time and the second time and third..

Little Big Town// When Someone Stops Loving You .. 1 Country song is okay guys, stop freaking out and just listen to it.

MisterWives// Machine .. Empower yo'self

Sampha// (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano

Khalid// Saved .. Good vibes

Cold War Kids// Love Is Mystical 

Henry Jamison// If You Could Read My Mind .. Amazing Gordon Lightfoot cover with an electro up-play

Kehlani// Personal (no artist link but on Spotify and AppleMusic) and CRZY

Lana Del Rey "Love"

Uhhh, okay! Hey, Lana! She just dropped a single for the first time in TWO years so it was clear I had to do an emergency post. This is giving me typical vibes completely fitting her sad girl style, but this time it has a light at the end. I would compare it as a mix between Young And Beautiful & Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams. A song that makes you feel a little less guilty about getting all dressed up for a night of nothing but hanging out. On repeat all day- or week..

Listen now here! 

A Year In Review

I wanted to just share a couple of my favorite memories from this past year- some things I shared with you before and some that you may have not seen!

First- let's give credit where MUCH credit is due. Muthana, thank you for being the photographer behind many of these fashion posts. You're always down for what I'm thinking, and I'm forever thankful! 

February flew by- then March gifted me with my bff visiting NYC (a weekend JAM packed with LAVO brunch, Tao trips, Broadway and a SoHo photoshoot of course)

Summer lovin'- I got to spend those warm months with everyone I love back in Chicago. Fitting in an Indiana Dunes beach day with Mickey

Lumineers and Young The Giant with Sarah and Chlo- one of my favorite concerts so far

Riverwalk with my Girl Gang

4th of July//Michigan (aka my cell phone service's worst nightmare) (I don't know if Morgan knows this photo of her exists, but they looked like lil angels)




Lake Placid//Montreal Round 1- when you have a chance to go to a new city, go!

Andre's birthday- the night of the creation of my favorite group chat (going through these photos made me realize how much a part of my life they were this year so extra love for them)



Doing a Drake/Future concert and Lollapalooza for J Cole back to back (shoutout to Monny for always being down for my spur of the moment decisions) - it's worth acknowledging that this was Monyett's first time hearing Views all the way through lol and we saw Kanye at SoHo House after!

Brown hair/Nose piercing in within a week of each other (I was craving change, ok?!)

Brooklyn's Smorgasburg- The adventure to get a ramen burger..

Back to Chicago for Chance The Rapper's Magnificent Coloring Day with John Legend, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne) 

Summer Friends coming to visit me- a very unpredictable weekend but I still laugh when walking past that Bank of America or Wendy's (Chris wanted to look like "an island" in this picture, we weren't excluding him)

Spending Thanksgiving in NYC with my brother (we took my Christmas card picture this day. If you have it, you're a lucky one!)

Montreal Round 2 (I love this place)

Freshman year roomie coming to visit (The Tim Allen to my Jamie Lee)



Christmas Tea with my Stephie (we walked out to the first snow of the season!!)


Chicago for winter break- Christkindle Market!


Christmas with fam <3












Christmas lights with Summer Friends

NYE at Miami University

Testing out being a Cheetah girl/ trying Stan's Donuts for the first time.
(They have a Dreamsicle donut!!!)



21!!!!! (Hampton Social/LondonHouse/Studio Paris)






Spending my whole Sunday writing this year in review..




THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF MY LIFE AND MAKING EVERYTHING I DO AND EVERYWHERE I GO FILLED WITH SO MUCH LOVE AND SO MANY GIGGLES.

more than ready for year 2!