Dressed for Time | Spring and Summer Style Tips from a Chicago blogger

My Top Natural Skincare Picks

February 1, 2016

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started being more aware of using skincare and beauty products that are natural or organic. I realized that putting less chemicals on the outside of your body is just as important as not consuming them in the food you eat. Over time, I’ve come to have a small collection of favorites that I use on a daily basis, and I wanted to share my top natural skincare picks! Hope you enjoy 🙂

Clockwise from top left:
Mr. Bean Coffee Bean Scrub in Mandarin – an effective exfoliator with a simple ingredient list and yummy scent.
Nugg Revitalizing Face Mask – Leaves skin tingly and feeling moisturized.
Josie Maran Argan Oil Light – I’ve never tried the regular version of this face moisturizer, but this light one my skin drinks right up!
Nourish Organics Eye Cream – One of two eye creams that I chose for this post, this one is a bit lighter in formula.
Jason Naturals Cooling Mineral Gel – Any time I have a sore spot from working out, I’ll rub this on to cool it down and relieve some of the pain.
One Love Gardenia Antioxidant Tea Body Serum – Leaves skin with a gorgeous sheen and feeling so soft, this also smells incredible, like fresh flowers.
100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream – The thicker of the two eye creams that I use, this one is for those mornings when I didn’t get quite enough sleep or am just feeling a bit run down.
O.R.G. Skincare Mineral Face Peel – Great for detoxing the skin and leaving it feeling smooth and clear.

What are your favorite natural and/or organic beauty products? I’d love to hear about any ones I may be missing out on 😀

3 Ways to Wear a Maxi Dress in Winter

January 29, 2016

Most of us have maxi dresses in our wardrobe that when the cooler weather starts rolling around, they get pushed to the back of the closet or folded in to a box or bag and subjected to a lonely life in the garage until spring comes. I’ve come up with 3 ways to wear a maxi dress in winter so you can keep your favorites in rotation all year long!

This look is perfect for brunch with the girls or a day date.
Maxi / StitchFix // Denim jacket / Gap // Scarf / Layered by Cake // Boots / Nectar Clothing // Necklace / Gorjana // Sunnies / Amazon

I love this look for a date night when you want to look cute but still feel bundled up. Adding a satin ribbon over the cardigan allows for my waist to not be lost under the fabric.
Maxi / StitchFix // Sweater / LeTote // Necklace / J.Crew // Flats / Sole Society // Clutch / Scarlet Threads Consignment

I love this casual look for shopping, running errands, or just hanging out! You can take any button-down, tie it up and tuck it under to add another layer and still highlight your waist.
Maxi / StitchFix // Button-down / Old Navy // Clutch (actually a shoulder bag with the straps removed) / Cambridge Satchel Company // Sneaks / Target

I hope this post gave you some great ideas on how to style your favorite maxi dress, even when it’s not 90 degrees out 😉

Flatlay Outfit Ideas

January 23, 2016

I love a good flatlay! I think they’re awesome for getting (and giving) outfit inspiration because you can see every single item with one glance. Holli (my amazing photographer & friend) and I had some free time recently and decided to put together some fun flatlay outfit ideas to share with you all! I hope you enjoy 😀

Denim button-down / StitchFix // Knit skirt / StitchFix // Oxfords / Madewell // Bracelet / Elizabeth Stone Jewelry // Necklace / vintage

Blouse / LeTote // Black jeans / StitchFix (Just Black Denim) // Heels / Ivanka Trump // Wallet / Kate Spade // Bracelet / Forever 21 // Necklace / Ettika

Blouse / Mossimo // Skirt / StitchFix // Bag / Forever 21 // Heels / Guess // Bracelets / Forever 21

Jacket / BB Dakota // Beaded top / StitchFix // Black pants / LeTote // Bag / Loeffler Randall // Booties & Ring / Forever 21

Top / StitchFix // Jeans / StitchFix (MaviUSA) // Clutch / JcPenney // Heels / Ivanka Trump // Cuff / Forever 21

Knit top / StitchFix // Pencil Skirt / StitchFix // Bag / Loeffler Randall // Heels / Nine West // Necklace / Ettika // Pyramid bracelet / Banana Republic // Screw bracelet / Forever 21 // Ring LA find

Jeans / StitchFix (Just Black Denim) // Coat / Le Tote (purchased! from Fate) // Rhinestone top / Le Tote // Clutch / Whiting & Davis // Booties & Ring / Forever 21

Do you all like flatlay outfit idea posts? Or do you prefer to see clothes on people, so you can see how they wear/layer/etc.?
😀

All photography by Holli Zenko.

Birchbox Finds

January 21, 2016

Hello loves!
I’ve been going a little nuts over all of the gorgeous little sets that Birchbox has been putting out recently… Not only are they cute, fantastically curated collections of items, but I’m finding most of them to be very useful in my house and they’re at crazy good prices! I’ve previously posted the Lovely Day Set (where I fell in love with Greenleaf candles), and the Gym Bag Heroes set, which I adore (especially the socks and water bottle), and have since purchased the Entertaining Essentials Set and the Charmed Life Set.
First up, Entertaining Essentials!

Pretty much everything is something I would purchase outside of a set. Love the little silicone pinch bowls, bamboo salad servers, and the unbreakable wine decanter. I will definitely make good use of the syrups in cocktails when we have guests over, and the place cards if we have a more formal gathering at the house. The only thing I’m a touch iffy on is the coasters, as the cheapie cardboard isn’t really appealing, but at least I won’t be sad to throw them away at the end of the night if they get messed up! This set is $42, but I took another $10 off using some Birchbox points I had saved up.

The most recent set I’ve been going gaga over is the Charmed Life Set. Sadly, this one isn’t available anymore, but I still wanted to share all of the goodies that were included. I truly can’t believe this set was only $40 as an add on to my regular sample box, as I would have paid $40 for just two of these items! The Illume candle smells amazing, and I’ve been wanting to try this multi-purpose oil from Nuxe for a while. Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with all things gold, so the fact that the picture frame, bud vase and ring holder are all covered in gold makes my heart happy.

There are a couple of sets right now that I’ve got my eye on, the Strong Start, and the Everyday Glamour. Strong Start is similar to the Gym Heroes, but it has a bkr bottle (LOVE!) and some different beauty products. Everyday Glamour features some great luxury makeup and skincare items, along with a gorgeous metallic pouch. These Birchbox finds would also make for lovely Valentine’s Day gifts, for a friend getting back on the fitness-minded track, or for anyone who loves to feel all girly and pretty.
😀

Product photography by Holli Zenko.