BACK-TO-SCHOOL SURVIVAL WITH SOFFIO!!!

It’s here! The Fall semester has started and whether you’ve started a new year or a new semester, this is for YOU!

Since my Corrine starts college in January and we’ve been preparing for her new schedule, I’ve compiled my go-to, must-have survival items! This will help you from having any mid-day breakdowns!

  1. Phone case – because running. You’re given 3 minutes to run from class to class, across campus, backpack flinging, phone flying . . you’ll thank me!
  2. A hanging locker mirror – because teeth and face check!
  3. A bold backpack – because you are bold and you are you! Details on how to win this Soffio flight bag, just keep swimming reading!
  4. Some headphones– because teachers, and when you’re done taking your test or you’re running through the halls, just zen out to some Enya . . or whatever the cool kids are listening to these days!
  5. Pencils– because don’t be THAT kid asking for pencils AND a sharpener all the time.
  6. Folders– because organization. And you’ll thank me when you take this madness into your adult life.
  7. A Planner – because organization. Without a plan you have all of this stuff, but what are you going to do with it?! Exactly. Planner.
  8. Sunglasses – because teachers. They can totally see when your eyes are closed, so may I suggest that you get a full nights rest. At night. At home.
  9. Highlighters– because note taking. And highlighting things like, “what is pi?!”. You’ll get it when you’re sitting at a diner ordering pie.
  10. A fun Pencil Case– because stains on your pocket protector are a no no. Also it doubles as a makeup case for things like gum and deodorant. Because mid-day BO is also a no no.
  11. Paper– because don’t be THAT kid, asking for paper and pencils all the time.
  12. Flash cards– because tests. Your school years are all about note taking and test taking. Trust me and just know that you have to memorize things before they fly away from your mindspace.
  13. Stapler– because binding. Putting all of those notes and papers together will require staples. So don’t forget those either. Mkayyy!

Tadaaa! Now you won’t have any meltdowns at school because you’re fully prepared!

In honor of the new school year and my baby going off to college, I am gifting 4 of you with an awesome back-to-school package! ONE of you will win a Soffio flight bag like the one featured here! THREE of you will win a bag FULL of school supplies to take you through the year!

I really wanted everyone to be able to enter in, so no matter where you are in the world you can enter … as many times as you’d like! And I really wanted there to be a few different winners. I am obsessed with this flight bag, I really really love what Soffio stands for. They create these beautiful pieces with leather that would traditionally be discarded. They know that each of their one-of-a-kind creations holds a story of the animal’s life, and that they are not flaws on the material, but a part of what makes it so unique.


I was so happy to join them in gifting you with one of these hand crafted flight bags, and from me to you- I’m gifting the school supplies. Because love.

The way that you enter is you go to my Instagram photo here and 1) Like the photo 2) Be following myself and Soffio on IG and 3) repost the image for your chance to win! Again, you can enter as many times as you’d like and from wherever in the world you are!

I will announce the winners on Monday Sept. 14th at 5pm PST! So good luck butter cup! Congratulations on a new school year/ semester, and hugs for a beautiful week! *click below to check out my back-to-school survival video on my channel!*

Jess Lizama

 

 

schmidt's lavender and sage

Top 5 Natural Beauty Faves For Summer with Corrine

With summer upon us, the heat and humidity challenge us to find new ways to look and feel our best. Luckily, I’ve recently discovered some life saving products that keep me feeling, looking and smelling my best this season. Besides smelling great, they each come with an added plus: they are 100% natural and eco friendly. Each product listed below has been crafted from earth derived ingredients, which means no trace of harmful chemicals here! Not only are they perfectly suitable for all seasons of the year, they help you feel good and smell even better, all while sustaining the planet!

schmidt's lavender and sage

Schmidt’s Lavender + Sage Deodorant

I can faithfully declare that this is one of the few natural deodorants that actually work to successfully keep body odor at bay — and trust me, that’s saying a lot. I have conducted extensive research on effective natural deodorants, so I am pretty much a wiz at this stuff. Also a plus: It smells like fresh fields of lavender and is a perfect blend of both sage and lavender. The result? Magic. This is like wearing magic instead of deodorant. However, it is not an antiperspirant by any means which is the only downside. Fortunately it makes up for what it’s lacking in, in more ways than one. Schmidt’s is vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free and cruelty free! Totally worth it if you ask me.

acure lotion

Acure Calming Lavender Body Lotion

It is important to note that keeping the skin hydrated in the summer is just as important as it is in winter! Seriously! Maintaining soft, healthy and moisturized skin is an extremely important thing for me considering I’ve been haunted by eczema since birth. Naturally, I was sent on an extensive search for an eco-friendly body lotion that smells good, calms my skin and keeps it real with natural ingredients. The formula is smooth and creamy, offering deep hydration all while rejuvenating dry skin and keeping the skin effortlessly aglow.

Weleda Skin Food

Weleda Skin Food

I love the way this smells and leaves my skin deeply moisturized and protected. My hands have a mind of their own and tend to get dry and rough whenever they feel like it. Use this on any dry area for deep moisture and antiseptic properties that calm irritation.

acure argan wipes

Acure Argan Cleansing Makeup Wipes

If you’re like me and at the end of the day think taking off makeup is too much of a hassle, then we’ve found our match. These wipes are gems because they are 100% biodegradable, vegan, sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free, cruelty free, and guaranteed not to clog your pores. I know, it’s a lot to absorb. They’re unscented so if you’re one of those that are sensitive to scents, look no further. Use them on your face and/or body to gently remove makeup, dirt, oil, glitter — whatever you need, they got your back. The argan oil infused in them are great for moisturizing skin and even hair. Nature’s products are all purpose!

 

meyers

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Handsoap
Lastly, we have a hand soap that is absolute perfection, I don’t even know how they do it. Technically this isn’t a beauty product, but I think it deserves some love. When I discovered this basil scented soap a few years back, it’s all I stocked my house with. It’s fresh, crisp and all around lovely. Eventually, I discovered that Meyer’s also creates candles, all purpose cleaners, laundry detergent, dish detergent and so forth out of a variety of their signature fragrances. The soap itself is paraben free and made with ingredients that are atleast 98% naturally derived, which is something I can get behind. From face to hands, it’s important to notice what you’re putting on your body!

I hope this tiny guide was insightful! Enjoy this summer season and don’t forget to take care of your skin — and the earth!

x, Corrine

Corriney

<3

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Pastels? For Spring?…Groundbreaking. No, but really. In this post you’ll see that I mixed neutral pastels that brings light to the oh-so typical Spring palette. The colors I worked with were mostly neutrals: tan, faded blue, white, and canary yellow. It was really fun to put together because I clashed the pastels with a bright pink, vintage coat that you would at first not think about pairing the colors with. Altogether it ended up working out and the outcome was a unique pairing that felt exciting to wear! Spot the socks + sandals duo! Try it out yourself and you will be surprised with your surprisingly sophisticated result.

 

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Hope you enjoyed it!

xo, Corrine

 

edited by Jess-

Jess Lizama

DSW

HEADED TO COACHELLA WITH DSW!

FTC Disclosure: Compensation was provided by DSW® via Mode Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of DSW®.

Corrine and I are so excited to be joining DSW® at Coachella this year and sharing with you our  Instagram takeover of our most favorite festival fashions! It’s here, festival season is upon us and we’re  heading to Coachella this weekend to check out the festivities for the very first time ever! As Coachella newbies, you know we’ll be jotting down all of our Coachella 101 tips for you as we navigate our way through the fields, the fashion, and the performances!

Besides Coachella being known for it’s amazing line ups, surprise guest performances, and the infamous ferris wheel that makes its way into every Instagram photo from the venue….Coachella is a time for fashion! The most flowy, bohemian themed, tasselled trinkets come out of Coachella each year, inspiring the next year’s fashion themes. From bell bottoms to layered skirts, festival season has everyone’s favorite fashion items in mind and Corrine and I can’t wait to dance around in color and fabric this year! It’s a pretty awesome and pretty special thing to get to attend such a fun event with your daughter. I mean, how cool am I?!

It’s especially special for she and I to attend Coachella this year together, because Corrine is 17 now and her style is so different from mine. We look like loving yet rivaling sisters, she with a 70’s soul and a vintage heart, Corrine loves patterns and pastels. She’s obsessed with bright prints and flat sandals and loves to dress up. I on the other hand love muted colors and bohemian details, I’m more casual and I’m obsessed with wedges and contrast pairings.

I love taking a casual outfit and making something about it chic. An accessory, an iconic flair that’s most likely inspired by Corrine’s fashion sense. She loves taking something vintage and pairing it with an accessory opposite its era…. a 1930’s peacoat over a 70’s style dress. See where I’m going with this? Can you imagine how fun we look together when we’re out shopping, she makes me so proud to be her mom! So we’re really excited to share with you our outfit picks for this year’s event!

In preparation for our road trip up to the venue this year we’ve paired up our favorite festival style DSW® shoes with our most favorite fashion forward picks! 80% of festival fun is the walking around part, checking out the different stages, exploring the grounds, so to wear a comfortable (yet fashionable) pair of shoes goes without saying. Here are our picks for this year’s festivities!

 

I spy with my lil eye Corrine's toes making a cameo
I spy with my lil eye Corrine’s toes making a cameo

Later this week we’ll share with you how we styled these fun shoes and what theme we will accessorize each with. Shoes are meant to polish off your look, represent your personality, and add a lil sparkle even when you feel like a lil flare! Stay tuned for all the fun starting this Friday on through Sunday where we’ll catch you up on what we’re doing, what we’re wearing, and who we’re listening to live! Also please follow DSW’s Instagram  as we’ll be hosting an Instagram takeover with our adventures featuring our looks from the event! You can follow along in our journey by using the hashtags #DSW #SaySomethingGreat!

DSW

We’d love it if you said hello if you’re on the grounds this weekend and be on the lookout for our posts from Coachella 2015! And here’s one more fancy footwork photo for the road!

DSW
Have a great week and we’ll see you this Friday!

xo- Jess and Corrine

DSW

At DSW®, we believe in the power of shoes, and in the power of shoe lovers.  With thousands of fresh styles for men, women, and children, we’ve got something for everyone, no matter who they are or how they dress.  Shoes say a lot about you. Say something great.

Strawberry Almond Salad

STRAWBERRY ALMOND TRUFFLE SALAD

  • Summer is fast approaching and between the warmer weather and the ToneItUp bikini series that we started, this salad has been a staple in our meals this past week. It’s easy to make, super refreshing, and SUPER delicious!I took a homemade truffle dressing recipe from my friend Linz, altered it by an ingredient so that my vegan child could enjoy  it also, tossed in some almonds for crunch, and fresh strawberry slices for an extra kick! For some more protein I also added in some shredded chicken in my bowl!

    delicious healthy salad
    Ingredients: 

  • baby kale
  • arugula
  • Blue Diamond sliced almonds
  • fresh strawberries
    Truffle Dressing- 
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp white truffle oil
  • 1 1/2 chopped fresh chives
  • 1 1/2 tsp Annie’s organic dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    Optional:
  • blueberries
  • shredded parmesan cheese
  • shredded chickenMethod: 
  • Put the salad into a large bowl
  • Combine the ingredients for the truffle dressing in a different bowl and then combine the two and toss
  • Add in the optional ingredients if you choose
  • ENJOY!!!!!fresh salad yaasss!

And tadaaa! There you have it! Try this out and let me know how you like it and leave it in the comments any alterations you make to the recipe so I can try them too!

Hugs!!!

 

xoxo – Jess

 

Abbott Kinney

TRAVEL: A DAY ON ABBOTT KINNEY

 

We recently spent a day at Abbot Kinney street in Venice, California, and strolled about and explored. This is what we found:

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When we had worked up an appetite, we stopped at a place called 3 Square Cafe. Here, we ordered a quinoa burger with shoestring fries and a strawberry lemonade. It was absolutely delicious! When we finished, we were delighted by a little box of complimentary lemon meringue pie, it was divine.

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If you’ve ever been to Abbot, then you know there is an endless variety of specialty stores, florists, cute little nooks and small, adorable shops to stop into. On our little journey we found this absolutely incredible, to-die-for pomegranate currant candle.

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As always, more retail therapy was sought, and the day ended with a happy tummy and not so happy wallet, but happy nonetheless!

Happy explorations to you!

– C

beauty faves

Beauty: Favorite Cruelty Free Drugstore Lipsticks by Corrine

beauty faves

I am the type of person who, when enters a drugstore heads straight for the makeup section. I start with the blushes, scanning the aisles stocked with their new, sparkly shiny array of soft pinks, burnt reds and peachy colors that will give just the right amount of health to any bare cheek. Then I move onto the mascara’s, eyeliners, deep blacks, browns and various brights that make eyes pop and come alive. And if you’re like me…your eyes light up at the sight of any lipstick section, searching for your favorite shade, that shade that you look for everytime, and happen to own about a dozen different lipsticks in. For me, this shade is a deep, rich, beautifully evil blood red. I always seek and destroy, I always know how to find it because it’s the darkest of them all, it’s at the end of the spectrum, waiting for me.  That, is my reason for being at any drugstore, of course. At my recent trip to my local drugstore, I stumbled upon this sought out shade when I discovered a cosmetic brand called Milani. When I saw it my hand immediately reached for it, and naturally, it was love. The name? Black Cherry.

 

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Black Cherry led me to gazing at the other shades Milani had to offer, and I came across a unique sort of pinky-purple, a perfect blend between the two that I had to have. It was called Matte Glam, and I knew it was great too, because I had never tried out a matte lipstick and was excited to try. So my endeavor began. As soon as I got home, I looked up Milani Cosmetics. If you weren’t aware already, I am always extremely concerned in knowing which brands are cruelty free, do not test on animals and have good morals. Whenever I buy a product I use on my face or body, I want to know if any animals were harmed in the process and if the brand uses humane techniques to form their products. So of course I was amazed and impressed to discover Milani is completely cruelty free, and some of their products are even vegan. In fact, Matte Glam is vegan. Yay!! This was a successful trip in my book.

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Aren’t they glorious? The third lipstick you see probably comes off as a little mysterious, as I didn’t address it at first. It’s by a brand called Nuance, which was created by Salma Hayek. I read up on her testimonials, and absolutely fell in love with her beliefs on health + beauty and consciousness of the environment. Nuance is cruelty free. The shade of lipstick that I found myself drawn to is called My Favorite Color, and there’s even a matching nail color to go with it (uh…of course I own it). The best way to describe this color is like a sheer, rose with orangey undertones, and grants a healthy glow that only the sun could give. It’s feminine, youthful yet mature, versatile.

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“65 Matte Glam” by Milani

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“24 Black Cherry” by Milani

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Lastly, Nuance Salma Hayek Color Vibrance Lipstick Terra Cotta (link is not the color shown above but will lead you to the brand and series of lipstick)

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Swatches of all three. (From left to right): My Favorite Color by Nuance, Black Cherry by Milani, Matte Glam by Milani

JessLizama App wahoo!

TECH: UPDATES ON MY MOBILE APP!

They say that nothing is life is free…..but my mobile app is!!! If you didn’t catch my last post on it, I’ve launched a mobile application where you interact with me and other members of our community. Available on the iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and tablet, you’re able to create your own account and start uploading photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and start hashtag stories!!!

Jess Lizama App
My app is one of the first places you’ll see my updates for everything and anything going on in my life, from new video releases, to life happenings, and I’m so excited to start podcasting and including all of your ideas and questions from the app into my series. I’ll also be reaching out to you on the app for ideas for my site as you’ll all be helping me curate content! Wahoo!

making friends

What I’ve loved most is seeing everyone add one another as friends, respond to each other’s posts and polls, and the sense of community you get when you upload a status update and get feedback from other people on the app. That most of all makes me most happy because interaction, not just with me, but with one another is community, and that’s what my goal for the app is. Inspire Encourage Empower. It all comes back to that.

Jess Lizama App

Under the “Discover” tab you’ll find people on the app, tags that are trending, you’ll be able to find new friends! Community tab holds all of the community update statuses, and and the Channel tab is where you’ll find all of my personal updates and contents that I post to the app.

If you haven’t downloaded the app yet please do, the link is HERE, all y0u have to do is set up a profile and start chatting with all of us! Make me a GIF, start a poll, upload a video, comment to other community members, or follow your favorite hashtag story! My next story will be under #VEGASBABY so look for that on the 16th when I hold my TWITTER PARTY!

Yup I’m having another Twitter Party, how it works is next Monday March 16th, at 6pm PST I’ll log onto TWITTER and chat with you guys for about 20-30 minutes, we’ll chat all things life, updates, happenings, the app, the new features, and giveaways! Just use the hashtag #JessMode each time you tweet me during the Twitter Party so I can see your responses and questions, and follow the hashtag to see the conversations!

I’ll be giving away (2) $50 Visa Gift cards so you can splurge on your favorite things and (2) surprise tech gifts! All you have to do to participate is use the hashtag (#JESSMODE) and join me next Monday – March 16th at 6pm PST for all the fun!
I love you and thank you for being a part of my app and our community!

 

Hugs!

– Jess xoxo

Jlo at the Oscars

GET THE LOOK: JLO AT THE OSCAR’S!

Award show season and New York Fashion Week are the two biggest fashion and beauty inspirations for me and I have to say, at the Oscar’s this year I had SOOO many favorites! Beyonce and JLo topped my list per the usual, so I thought I’d give you a step by step on my take on JLo’s look! So below is my tutorial and listed beneath the photo set is the method and the products I used. It’s fun to play in makeup and I hope you put your own spin on this look and TAG me! <3

makeupOne
1. Prep your skin and then blend out your favorite foundation, shown here is my favorite Chanel Vitalumiere. Then using L.A. Girl’s Concealer draw fun tribal-esque lines under your eyes, between your brows, down the bridge of your nose, and under your chin (to conceal & highlight)
2. After blending that out, fill in any sparse areas in your brows, I’m using Anastacia’s blonde duo kit in dark brown with a firm slanted brush
3. Using Anastacia’s contour kit in light/medium, take a slanted contour brush and contour your face (think a backwards ‘3’ from your temple to your chin, and contour your nose too)
4. Load up a medium flat brush with the color Sonic from the Urban Decay Vice 3  palette and press the color in from lash line to crease creating a wash of this burgundy-pinky color
makeupTwo

5. Take a fluffly crease brush, load it up with the color Alchemy from the same UD palette and brush that color into your crease, sweeping it out slightly for a baby cat eye effect
6. Line your upper lash line with your favorite black pencil and smudge it out a bit with a smudge pencil brush to again enhance that baby winged look
7. Take a slanted brush, dip it into that same Alchemy color and trace just along your lower lash line (since JLo didn’t use any liner on her water line, this enhanced her eyes without making them smaller, woot!)
8. Load up a fluffy blush brush with this beautiful and bright Stila blush and sweep them across the apples of your cheeks

makeupThree

9. Go back into that Anastasia Contour Kit and use the Fawn color to highlight your temples and bridge of nose and then use the Banana color to set the concealer under your eyes – it’s the perfect setting powder
10. Line your lips with this awesome buildable lip liner from Clinique which best matched my Patone Universe Marsala layering in Dusty Cedar
11. Take a pinky-nude gloss like the one I’m using here from Tom Ford in Tawny Pink and layer it over your liner and walaaa!

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You are a glowy pinky-rose bombshell!!! I loved this look so much! I tied my hair back in a sleek ponytail and topped off the look with a pair of signature JLo hoop earrings and ta-daaaa! I’m totally channeling her in my final pose haha. I had a lot of fun interpretting this look and I’ll be doing it again later this week with a look from Beyonce that I’m obsessed with!
the queen!Jlo at the Oscars

Video coming soon on this look over on my beauty channel and leave it in the comments below what your favorite looks from the Oscar’s were!

x’s and o’s- Jess