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A Collection Styled by me! Ahhh!

 I’m still screaming over this! I am so so excited to finally share with you a collection that I curated, all of the styles I love and wear. From picking out the outfits myself, to styling them, naming them, and hand writing out their packaging post cards, I’m beyond over joyed to give to you my #Glamistree collection. 



 If you’ve ever liked anything about my style, you can now shop the entire look featured, or individually pick out your favorite pieces. I had such a blast with my team going downtown L.A. and finding the perfect spots to photograph each look. 

 Ever since I started my channel back in  2009 I’ve always wanted to do something that was very close to me, something I could launch that I really stood behind….a makeup line, a skincare line, a clothing line…something. And this is it! 

 How did it all start?? Well by the power of the internet, Glamistree reached out to me about doing a collaboration, but we were both wondering how we could merge the two brands so that they stayed true to each original concept. Then I was like hey I love fashion (never said I was great at it, but I know what I love) and they’re like hey we DO fashion! I loved so much that they wanted this to be a very personal experience for me and for my audience. They made sure everything was true to my brand from the packaging and postcards, down to the details of each look. 

 So then I got to shop their entire warehouse, from existing styles to not yet featured ones, and let me tell ya, I was in fashion Heaven!!! To be able to touch each dress, and get a feel for the fabric and the quality, and to put my own personality and brand behind them makes me so unbelievably proud. 

 After I chose out my favorite 15 looks of my first collection, I then styled each of them as I would wear them personally. I hand picked all of the accessories from head bands to bangles, I named them quirky names like the “Purrrfectly Blanc Bombshell”, and then wrote out each description for each look. The last step in putting this all together was taking the outfits downtown and photographing them in all the beautiful places there. Viktorija Pashuta was our photographer and I’m absolutely obsessed with her, she made me feel so comfortable and I love the photos so much! 

 My most favorite part about teaming up with Glamistree is our “Try before you buy” policy! You get to try up to 2 looks for up to 5 days, in the comfort of your home, at no charge. I love this because you get to try on the entire look and make up your mind without the pressure of purchasing something you’re not in LOVE with! And you’ll love them all, I promise, I know I do! You can then pick and choose piece by piece your favorite items, or buy the entire look! 

 Another amazing thing is that Glamistree is not a subscription service so unlike a lot of other fashion sites out there, you’re not paying to check out any of my collections. I really love that. I don’t think anyone should have to pay for something they don’t love because I know I wouldn’t. 

 And lastly, but the most important part of all of this to me, is that I get to give back. Not heavily advertised (because at what point do I share with the world what I want to do with my brand, like really do with it), is that a percentage of my proceeds will be donated to supporting shelters that help women and children escape abusive homes. I don’t think anyone knows this about me unless they know my past, something I don’t talk about a lot but would like to start doing. I know what it’s like to be in an abusive home. I know why people, both men and women, stay in them. I know what it’s like to be depressed and have no one to talk to or turn to. And I know what it’s like to feel trapped like you have no where to go. 

 So it makes me so happy to share with you a collection I’m so close to, and a cause that I’m so passionate about. Thank you for always supporting what I do, watching my videos, reading my words, and now dressing yourself in styles picked out by me, and thank you for supporting causes I hold dear to my heart. 

 You can check out my entire collection by clicking here, so head on over to the site, and please tag me (@jess_lizama and @glamistree) with the hashtag #Jess&Glamistree so I can see how beautiful you look in the looks and how you chose to style them yourself! 


 This is my Glamistree Glam squad! My daughter Corrine (who also shot all the BTS), my new all time favorite people Monique, and Ash, and this is us doing a ‘that’s a wrap’ jump! I love them all so much and I’m so honored to be a part of it all, thank you Ash and Monique for this opportunity! 


 A sneak peak at some of the looks I put together up on the site now. Check out the names I gave them 😉 You’ll love the descriptions even more! 


 Because I can never be serious. 




 All the love,


 Jess



















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Weekend sunforgettable moments

See what I did there? 😉 I know, I’m pretty smooth right. So this weekend we joined my FLAMA fam bam at Uforia fest in LA where we saw performances by Becky G., Kid Cudi, and others and it was a blast! I love festival season, I love festival crowds, the food, the dancing, and the fashion! Lets hold hands and frolic on the grass.

So if you didn’t know, I have a YouTube channel, click here to check it out, and well I have 3 of them actually. And I love that I’m able to work with the amazing companies like Univision where I get to create original content for them on FLAMA, all the while working with some of my uber talented friends, some of which you see here <3

This is my Joe, Steve Greene, Nikki Limo (she’s my most favorite) and Eric Jimenez. 

So before I jump into all of our Uforia fest.  shenanigans, and how we really did frolic around, let me tell you the goods first. What I had with me, on me, annnnd in my fanny pack. Ha I love that thing! So first thing’s first, I am a tan girl who loves being tan but hates the sun on my face. I’ll be the ONLY one on the beach under an umbrella and covered up like it’s winter…in the middle of summer. 

1. So of course I bring a big ol’ floppy hat with me like this here. I love that it shades my face, keeps the sun out of my eyes, and also goes great with my get up! Winning! 

2. The perfect plum rose colored round Lauren Conrad sunnies here. My friend and celebrity stylist Lindsay Albanese gave these to me, I love adding the celebrity stylist to her name because I’m so stinkin proud to call her a friend. andshestylesmeyayyy! They’re stylish, give ultraviolet protection, and shade my eyes so I’m not squinting all day.

3. I won’t leave home without sunscreen. And my wallet. I love this Colorescience SPF 50 powder sunscreen here, because it’s perfect sized, you just toss it in your bag or tote and you’re always protected. Literally. I love that it’s a powder so I can dust it over my makeup and it takes away the shine and gives me sun protection. I even get Joe to put it on because he hates lotions. Trickin’ him to wear sunscreen one day at a time 😉  

4. Also a festival favorite of mine are these Bath & Body Works spearmint lip shine here, and their mini hand sanitizer here. Because one, a lip gloss is a girl’s go to, and two, well the bathroom sitch at these kinds of events can leave you feeling mooky and like you need to take a bath in some sanitzer. 

5. Fun festive bangles like these here, also a gift from Lindsay, they were pearl colored and I loved how they were the perfect accent to the color in my kimono! Accessories accessories. 

6. Breezy, colorful, patterned kimono because well it’s not a festival without a kimono in my opinion. I love the flow of them, how they pair well with everything, and they can take a super casual outfit and dress it up just a bit. Fun flare! I got this one at a crafts fair but any colorful kimono will do the job! 

7. And last but definitely not least, this light up headband is everything. Also a gift from Lindsay…yes she’s an angel actually. I felt like such a fire fly floating around the grounds with my glow in the dark floral head piece. I was a fairy guys. A real fairy! I’m not sure where she got this one, but if you pop ‘light up floral headband’ into google, you’ll find a ton! They’re the most fun to have at any night time outdoor event. 

Okay, now back to the shenangians! Oh, PS I kept almost all of this in a fanny pack. It was a definite must have! 

Okay okay, so this is me and Jocelyn, she won the Flama contest and we got to spend the day with her filming all kinds of fun stuff including a sriracha taco eating contest, and spoiler alert…I WON! hahaha Video will be live on their channel soon! Check out other comedy sketches I created from them here. 


Some things we did besides laugh our butts off and film a ton of fun sketches, we dancing around to music, Nikki and I frolicked on the grass like hummingbirds, yes an oxymoron I know, we were having so much fun! Eating all the food from the food trucks, partaking in beverage drinking, singing, dancing, and merriment. I love festivals. 

And this is me walking to the car before the festival, please note my fanny pack just casually on my hip and my headband ready to go! So much fun! If we met at the Uforia festival and you got a picture with me, please tag me (@jess_lizama) on Twitter or Instagram, I’d love to make a collage with them!


I hope you get to go out to at least one festival this summer, let me know in the comments if you are or if you have! I love hearing stories!


Hugs from me to you, 


Jess

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How to get sexy summer time legs!

What a title huh?! Not just summer time legs, but SEXY summer time legs ladies! So something I’ve been seeing floating around is this coffee grounds craze….coffee making your skin glow, coffee making your clothes cleaner, coffee disintegrating your cellulite….wait what?! Yes, scrubbing away cellulite with coffee grounds, sounds crazy but let me tell ya..

Ok so I made up the part about coffee making your clothes cleaner 😉 But the part about it scrubbing your cellulite away….well that part was true. I think. I’d like to believe any way. So this is the scoop, I made these coffee bars (pictured above is my happy face as I run off to take a shower and scrub my butt down ha literally), as I read in a boat load of places that coffee grounds will help with cellulite. 

No matter how much I work out or eat right, it’s just not in my gene pool to have tight toned skin behind my legs, just not happenin’. So I’ve done a few things to make me feel sexier when I don bikinis and here’s how. The coffee scrubs, I’ve been using them for the past few months and I swear by them now, the reason I feel they work is because you’re scrubbing and exfoliating your legs, therefore improving over all circulation, making your skin soft and smooth, and coffee is a diuretic so when you apply it to the skin topically, it releases the water from your cells, less water, less bumpage…less bumpage, lessens the appearance of cellulite. 


No I’m not obsessed with perfect legs…ok maybe just a lil bit. I work out so I like to feel and see the difference, but my legs biologically were created for climbing coconut trees okay, so technically it isn’t even my fault that they suck. Haha I’m just saying I use all the help I can give myself to feel good about myself and a lil scrub a dub bin in the shower with the bars helps. Then afterwards I use a body oil, been obsessing over Salma Hayek’s Nuance jojoba dual phase body oil. It has coconut oil and passionfruit oil in it, like whoa. Feels amazing on my skin, absorbs quickly, and then I rub a body BB cream all over my legs. 


Yup you heard read correctly, BB cream for your body. Thanks Jergens, pretty brilliant. A light weight fast absorbing, light reflecting, slightly sparkly lotion that hydrates and illuminates. 




About 3 times a week I’ll use the Tarte maracuja oil brazilliance self tanning lotion, it’s amazing, gives you a natual looking very subtle tan, and get this, it DOESN’T smell! Ugh I hate self tanning smells, smells like burning plastic. This stuff actually smells awesome sauce. And lastly, on those days that I’m running out in a bikini having had pizza for dinner and not working out for a few weeks (this is more often than not), I will hit my legs with a few quick sprays of a self tanning perfecting spray like the Sally Hansen airbrush legs. Literally makes your legs look airbrushed, just be sure to moisturize other wise you just look tan and ashy. 

So for the coffe bars you’ll need: 
6 TBLspoons of coffee
5 TBLspoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons of corn starch
2 teaspoons of baking soda
3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2 TBL of melted coconut oil

Mix all of the ingredients together in a big ol’ bowl and take a spray bottle with water in it and dampen the mixture (about 10 spritzes) but DO NOT dissolve the ingredients, you’re just trying to have them stick together well not melt. 

Then use a mold of some sort (I use cupcake trays and this mold lasts me about 3-5 showers worth) and then press firmly into the mold and leave em in the fridge over night and walaaaa! 

I like to use the bars in the shower before I shave my legs, just rub gently in circular motions, kind of massaging the area. Tis awesome! 

Is this a bit much to do just because you have a bit of cheese on your legs or your booty…yes, but do I love it and feel it’s necessary…yes…do I regret scrubbing my butt…no 😉

TMI I know, but I’m real with you here so those are some tricks for those sexy summer time flawless legs. See ya next week for secrets on summer time beach hair! A whole month of summer time hacks! 


Hapa hugs, 

Jess


festivalfashion

Festival Fashion!

It’s festival season! With our Burning Man and Coachella, and the umpteen other festivals happening this summer I thought I’d share with you my all time staple festival fashions, and carry along must haves! Since I’m headed to Uforia Fest next month with my FLAMA fam bam (which I hope to see you at), here are some things that I will make sure to pack with me. Grab your satchel and let’s do it!


First up is a hat!

– A big ol’ summer friendly, sun blocking floppy hat! I have a few I wear each summer and I always end up buying a new one, but floppy hats are fashionable and necessary if you want to see the stage and save your face 😉 -Some sunnies, preferably the mirrored kind, because let’s be real, mostly sunglasses are for looking at butts and partially for protecting our eye holes. 


     Now if you know my personal style than you know I’ve included a kimono of some sort and next month I’ll be wearing my most recent favorite!

– A black mesh kimono I got from Wasteland, it goes with everything, it’s light and airy, and it really does scream ‘We’re at a festival wooo’! 

     For the outfit part of it I’m going with something that allows for a breeze but something still cute yet comfortable. 
     So I’m going with a high waisted skirt, a mesh cool white crop top, and a black bandeau for underneath. Combat boots are a must for both walking around in a bunch and to protect my feet from being trampled on by the people around me. 
     So now for the goodies I pack with me. I always bring two bags, a satchel and a fanny pack. Yes you read that right, a fanny pack haha. I’m bringing those back, I don’t’ know why they ever went out of style. 


Some staples to have on hand!

– Water! Hydrate hydrate hydrate. All that cheering, singing along, and walking, will make you very parched. I always carry along some Emergen C packets with me to pop in my water and now I’m hydrated and healthy! 
-A hair tie, a couple of them actually, for when I’m sick of my hair and I want it up and out of my face. 
-Foot spray! Sounds cooky but you’ll thank me when all around you smell B.O. and your feet smell like peppermint and feel super refreshed. 
-Sunscreen: Even though you’ll have your big ol’ floppy hat and your sunnies for eye and skin protection, you still have to wear some sun screen. I love love Arcona’s sunscreen, it smells like cucumbers and is amazing for your skin (fruit derived)
– A makeup setting spray. Yes! You’ll be in the heat and sun for extended periods of time, dancing around, hugging people, give your makeup a spritz before you head out to make sure your makeup stays all day long! I love Urban Decay’s setting spray as it keeps your skin cool and your makeup put!
– Deodorant: Back to that B.O. we were talking about, you don’t want to be that person! I always carry a travel sized deodorant with me..just in case 😉
– Dry shampoo. Now this may seem a lil odd but hear me out. Some festivals require that you camp out where the festivities are happening, that means usually no daily showers. So to avoid itchy heads and smelly scalps (ewww), I carry Detox’s dry shampoo with me. They have a travel sized one, perfect for toting around, it smells so fresh and so clean, and it gives your hair some OOMMPPHH! 
-Lip oil.  Or limp balm, which ever tickles your fancy, this is Hourglass’s lip oil, it has 19 essential oils in it, like whoa! It has a copper tip that adds a cooling effect and I like that I don’t have to stick my hands near it at all…germs. I’m a germaphobe so the fact that it just pumps out and I can swipe it on…win!
-Rose water! I live by this stuff. Rose water is a great skin refresher for throughout the day, especially on hot days and it smells fresh and Whole Foods carries a smaller bottle so you can pop it in your fanny pack and roll out 😉

     And I think you’re set! These are some of the things I carry with me when I go to music festivals or art walks. Some staple items to keep me calm and cool. I always carry some almonds or a food bar with me also to fight off any hulking out ‘hangry’ moments. The satchel is great for all the carry sized things and the fanny pack is wonderful to keep your personal items personal. 

     Festival fashion is always so fun to switch up. Sometimes I’m rocking the kimono and high waisted skirts, and other times I’m dancing around in my cut off shorts and crop tops 😀 It really is all about what makes you feel comfortable and confident, and the things that make you happy…..like foot spray! lol

     So I hope to see some of you next month at Uforia Fest! Let me know what some staple festival or to go items are and I’ll see you right back here soon! 


hugs and high fives, 

Jess



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The Beauty Of Confidence

As a woman, heck as a human, I have my fair share of insecurities. It’s something we learn living in a society built on image and status, but it’s also something we unwillingly accept from judgements passed on to us from others. Something I always try to teach my daughter is that the the one thing you can wear everyday, the one thing only you can give yourself, the most beautiful accessory, is confidence. “Confidence and being comfortable are things you can see on the outside when you feel them on the inside.” – Carrie Underwood 


I heard this quote from the ever beautiful (on the inside and on the outside) Carrie Underwood. If you know me than you know I love country music. I like LOOOOOOVE it. I bought Carrie’s first album after she won American Idol back in 2005…whew time flies! And I love her, I love what she stands for, I love her voice, and most importantly, I love what uses her voice for. She conveys love, confidence, and empowerment to her listeners, to women, and I respect that she hasn’t let the industry change her. 
 
This campaign is sponsored by Almay who recently named Carrie as their latest ambassador, and I think that says a lot about the brand. Usually when a celebrity personality and a brand team up, you hear the celebrity say things that are out of character for them.  So I was pleasantly surprised to read and hear Carrie’s words in her own….words, on what she thinks makes a woman truly beautiful and why she chose Almay. 
 
I’ll share with you the video of her that I’m talking about, just click here. I’ve always loved her, I really enjoy her music, and I find it really lovely that she remains true to her own brand, still inspiring, still giving words of encouragement, and still doing what she loves. This video made me think about my own definition of beauty so here goes. 
 
Beauty is something that everyone possesses. Most people think of beauty and what comes to mind for them initially, is the esthetically pleasing kind. Yes, outer beauty is indeed beautiful. But ‘looks’ fade with age, everyone is beautiful when they are young, what makes you beautiful as you go through life and age in years and in experience, is just that. Experiences. Your thoughts, your dreams, your words, your feelings, all make you beautiful because they make you an individual. 
 
No one can take away what makes you beautiful, you can only add to it. I, like most women love makeup and clothes, and perfumes, and all things girls, and though they enhance my personality and my features, they don’t make me beautiful. My ability to love unconditionally, the way I’ve raised my daughter, my loyalty to my friends, my honesty with myself, and my big ol’ cheesy heart make me me. I like that. 
 
This video provoked me to feel these things so I’m sharing them with you. It’s been a hectic few weeks but I wanted to say hello and that you are not forgotten, and that you too are beautiful!
 
So tell me what you think makes someone beautiful, how is beauty defined to you, thank you for reading and I’ll be back here soon. And thank you to Almay for having me a part of this campaign, I truly am inspired by this beauty:

 

 
BE-YOU-TIFUL
 
xoxoxo
 
Jess
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Style Watch with Pop Basic

Basics are all you need to dress up or dress down for any event and today’s style watch features Pop Basic and how I styled myself in this business chic outfit for an occasion. 

This week I did a guest spot on Inside The Noise, a radio station hosted by two hilarious and witty actors, Chrissy and Barry right here in L.A.  I thought, oh I don’t need to dress up or anything it’s just my voice. But then I thought, wait, they’re going to do photos and behind the scenes video, so I decided that I should probably put myself together. 

I went with a business chic lil number, and if you know me than you know I love being comfortable but there are times when I have to be trendy and professional, and this is my happy medium. I’ve been talking about Pop Basic for the past few weeks because it’s something I recently discovered, so if we’re friends and you’ve already heard this spiel it’s ok, love me still 😉 

So unlike a normal subscription you hear about where they pester you each month, Pop Basic is something you check in at your leisure for their latest and greatest collections, and it’s an awesome way to stay trendy but in the comfort of your own style preferences. I like being trendy but I struggle with it because being comfortable is just too strong of an emotion for me. So this month when I saw the basics they are featuring, I just really enjoyed the colors and how I knew I could style them so many different ways.  

They feature micro collections each month and this month is the Paloma collection, with it’s grey leather clutch, and featuring a rose gold zipper. I accessorized this outfit with the Paloma clutch, and I don’t usually wear clutches because they’re too small to carry most of my things, but this clutch is pretty spacey. 

For the outfit itself, I took the Pop Basic white tee, tied it up on the side since my skirt is pretty scrunchy on one side, and paired it with my black asymmetrical skirt. Over top I threw on my Forever 21 black blazer, wore my Steve Madden strapped DeJaVu pumps, and popped on this beautiful necklace my friend Lindsay Albanese gave me. I finished off this business-y chic-y (is that a word?) look with my Urban Outfitters sunnies and off I went! 

Not featured in this photo is the 3rd basic that came in this month’s Pop Basic delivery, a grey striped infinity scarf. It’s a bit warm here in L.A. so I opted out of the scarf, but when I do style it with an outfit, I’ll be sure to show you what I do with it! Each month they also send you a lil make up goodie as a treat and this month I got a strawberry lip gloss that doubles as an awesome lip balm!

Probably the only fashion thing I’m fairly good at is dressing up and dressing down my basics, they’re versatile and no matter how you outfit them, they’re comfortable and that’s important to me. What’s your favorite style of clothing to wear, your go to look?

I’ll link everything I’m wearing just click on the item in my description and it’ll let you shop the look. Pop Basic also has a referral program so here is mine to you 😀 $15 your collection here! And they offer free shipping world wide so if you get the Paloma collection, tag me on Twitter or Instagram so I can see how you styled your basics!

So that’s my style watch for today, see you next week when I’ll talk about crop tops and how obsessed I am with them. Any styles you obsessed with as of lately? Let me know, I love hearing from you all! Oh and if you want to see me talking about this in my video blog, it’s live on my YouTube channel here. 

Have a beautiful day!


Jess


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My nighttime skin care routine

So a few posts ago, I talked about my morning skin care routine, if you missed that click here, and today I share with you my night time skin care routine. When we sleep, our skin really gets to work healing and renewing so here are some products I use to make the most out of that process! Seems like a gazillion things to do but you’ll thank me when people ask how your skin looks so glowy! 


1. Spin for Perfect Skin – exfoliating brush here: I make the most out of my cleanser and ramp up my exfoliation with this guy. Skin looks dull if you don’t slough off the dead cells so exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate! Vanity Planet was awesome enough to share a coupon code for $30 off plus free shipping in the US just use SPIN4JESS at check out woot!

2. Ole Henriksen exfoliating mask here: I exfoliate at least 3 times a week, at least once a week I’ll use my exfoliating brush and every other day I’ll use my exfoliating cleanser below. Once a week (usually after a few days of hosting and being on set with 394747 layers of makeup) I will use a peel off mask and this is a great mask because it exfoliates and then you rinse off or allow to dry and wipe clean with a warm wash cloth. Your skin will feel soooo smoothe!

3. Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment here: And this is the exfoliating cleanser I use in between the masks and exfoliating brush. It’s gentle enough to use about twice a week, it smells like kelp and leaves my skin feeling super refreshed and soft. 


4. Dickinson’s witch hazel toner here: I use a toner both day and night after I’ve cleansed my skin. It’s soothing, it removes any residual dirt and oils, and preps my skin for serums and lotions wahooo!

5. Mario Badescu skin care peptide renewal serum here: If you have dry skin, aging skin, or very sun damages skin, I suggest this amazing serum. It’s a peptide serum, super rich yet easily absorbed, it’s soooo hydrating and my skin literally looks plumper and dewy when I wake up in the morning! Just two drops at night and they won’t believe how old you are.

6. DHC Olive virgin oil here: I’ve talked about this product a lot but I can’t help it, it’s incredible. I put just a drop on a clean mascara wand and then give my lashes a good swipe of it and boom, conditioning and nourishing your lashes so they get longer. And thicker! NATURALLY! omg I know! 

7. Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Intensive Eye Cream here: They holy grail of all eye creams, it’s rich and moisturizing, has anti aging ingredients in it (can I get an Amen!), and if you’re over the age of 20 I think you should be using an eye cream of some kind. The skin around our eyes is the thinnest of all of our face so we age there the quickest! I personally love this eye cream because frankly I’m no spring chicken and this does the trick!

8. Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic invigorating night gel and sheer transformation cream here: Lastly, on days where I just use a gentle cleanser with my exfoliating brush, I’ll use this killer combo after. PTR is magical in of itself, but these two work in combination to hydrate, replenish, and rebuild your skin from the inside out. No literally, from like 5 layers deep! haha

Ok so I know that’s a lot. But I do just a few different steps each night, alternating between the exfoliating brush, the peel off mask, and a gentle daily exfoliant. It’s all about the serums and moisturizers and ALL about the eye cream. 

I spend 3 to 4 minutes doing this nightly routine but I promise it’s worth it and I’m raising a 16 year old. I’m sharing my secrets with the world 😉

Let me know if you try any of these things out, I always love hearing about what other people use and trying them out myself. Thank goodness for now……Asian don’t raisin 😉 And if you’d like to see me talk about all of this on my YouTube channel, here it is 😀 Disclaimer: I talk. A lot. 


Stay young at heart my friends, 


Jess


LovelyLetters

Lovely Letters – A Snail Mail Exchange

Perhaps it’s that I needed to remind myself to slow down, or that I love receiving actual letters in the mail that I can touch and read, or perhaps it’s that I love surprises and meeting new people. Well in fact, it’s all of that. I love meeting new people, especially when they are in another country, I love corresponding via snail mail, I love purchasing stamps, and I love the idea of these lovely letters. 

I joined the Lovely Letters snail mail exchange after suggestion by my amazing friend Esther, who one- is an amazing photographer and foodie, and two- inspired my daughter and I to start our mother/daughter blog. But more importantly, she and I have been exchanging snail mail since she moved from LA to Vegas a few months ago. It’s such a refreshing gesture  that shows you’re being thought of when friends reach out and say howdy, even when they have a gazillion other things happening in their own lives. 

Esther definitely does that, she’s great at making you feel special and remembered. I thought I’d pay it forward and chime in on this pen pal thing and I’m loving it so far! I’ve only has the chance to correspond via email with my pal, who lives in the UK and her name is Adrienne. However, it’s so awesome to get to know someone new, someone with a completely different life, in a completely different environment, in a completely different country! 

She’s a few years older than my daughter, in college, and I think it’s funny that we all live in this great big world with our very own lives to worry about, but that we’re all under the same blue sky. Think about it. Crazy right! So interesting to me that I now get to know someone I would under any other circumstances, not have gotten the chance to know. 

So if you love meeting new people, reading new blogs, writing, and snail mail, join us in the Lovely Letters snail mail exchange and get your pen pal! It’s like a ‘Paris Hilton’s new bff’, except less drama, more bff’s, and no air time ;)….well except for the snail mail part. 

Lovely Letters Snail Mail Exchange


You can read more about Lovely Letters here from Esther and Lauren here, and sign up for May’s exchange here. So grateful for friends like Esther and for new friends like Lauren and Adrienne!

Happy reading and writing to you all, hope to read about all of your exchanges and pen pal lovin’ next time!

Hugs, 

Jess









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My Beach Bag Essentials

Summer is upon us here in Los Angeles, thought it’s usually warm and sunny, it’s been especially warm lately and we’ve been finding ourselves at the beach or prowling for a pool to dip into a lot these days. Thought I’d share with you the things I pack with me each time, my beach bag essentials! You can pack this bag for the beach, to go pool side, or even for any time you hike or spend an extended period of time outside. These are just some of my must have items for my skin and lips to keep my protected, hydrated, and refreshed.



1. A beach umbrella: Any time I know i’m going to be in the sun for an extended period of time, I bring my umbrella. It’s cute, it shades me, and it keeps me cool. I love the Asian pattern on this one, and I feel so kimono when I have it. haha

2. Harmless Harvest Coconut Water: If you know me than you know I love love love coconut water. Most coconut waters taste like butt though, not gonna lie, but this coconut water is LITERALLY like putting a straw in a coconut. If I don’t like something you’ll know, and this I LOVE. If you don’t usually like coconut water, give this a try, I promise it’ll change your mind about coconut water tasting like butt 😉

3. Caudalie Beauty Elixir: The beach air, the sun, the water, it can all be uber drying to your skin and this spray is amazing. It’s refreshing with it’s citrus derivatives, it’s calming and moisturizing, and smells AMAZE! A definite must try even if you don’t have dry skin and just want to try something refreshing for a mid day pick me up.

4. The Body Shop Body Butter in Coconut: This body butter is perfect for summer time parched skin. It smells divine (yes coconut everything), it’s travel size so it’s great for your to go bag, your tote, and your beach bag. It’s nice and thick but absorbs quickly, a little goes a long way, and it’s rich without being oily.

5. Shiseido Urban Environment: This is my all time favorite SPF for your face. It’s thin and light, quickly absorbed with no greasy feeling after you’ve applied it, great under makeup, and the SPF is high enough that it makes my heart happy 🙂

6. Rosebud Lip Balm Minted Rose: My most favorite lip balm, smells great, super hydrating, glossy, with no need to pack a lip liner or lipstick….WIN!

7. Harajuku Lovers G perfume: I’ve talked about this perfume a bunch of times, but this is my go to perfume, I keep a travel size in my clutch at all times. It’s a light tropical coconut sweet but not too sweet of a scent. Weird description I know. But I love smelling good, and this one definitely does it for me. Sexy and lady like.

8. Canon Vixia Mini: This is my vlogging camera, compact, wide lens, easy to tote, and the perfect hand held camera. I love this vlog camera and literally don’t leave home without it. All of my daily vlogs are shot on it.

9. Sunnies: The classic black sunnies, good for any and ALL occasions and protects your eyes. No squinting, no wrinkles 😉

10. Barbara’s Snackimals: I love these lil suckers! Like a healthy animal cracker. I use the word healthy loosely btw. I like to incorporate the word into my vocabulary as much as possible, makes me feel like I’m ACTUALLY being healthier.

11. Scooby Doo Mystery Machine Lunch Pale: I initially purchased this for my daughter a year ago and she didn’t use it so I’m making the most of it! I pack all of our picnic stuff, beach snacks, and pool side yummies in this sack and it’s awesome. Nostalgic AND keeps my things nice and cool, love this!

You can check each of these out simply by clicking the name of the product 😀 

So what do you pack when you go to the beach or pool side? I think my next post will be on our hiking essentials since we’ve done a few big hikes these past few months. But with this warm weather I wanted to give you what I have with me right now. Literally….I’m posting this pool side in Palm Springs. My skin is burning off in this 110 degree weather but I can’t complain. We needed a mini vacay from LA, and I pool time is always a good time!

The dress above is my new favorite cover up, it’s flowy and feminine, it’s from The Muheeka Collection. It’s very Princess like and I can wear it over my bikini or wear a body suit beneath it and feel like a Queen on a night out. 

My favorite accessory, and the only one I’ll wear to the beach or pool side is this beachy star fish beaded necklace from Kai Blue Designs. It’s dainty and I love how it adds just a splash of color, very beach themed, and delicate enough to wear with any outfit, especially on my beach days. Not to mention the designer of this collection is one of my best friends and she’s incredibly talented. Check out the rest of her designs if you love beach themed jewelry and hues of blue! 

And a very happy and safe Memorial day to all of you, I’m remembering our fallen soldiers today and grateful for our men and women in the armed forces currently. Proud Army brat! 


xoxo

Jess