Swimsuit Coverup

July 6, 2016July 5, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 8 Comments

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Coverup: Sweetest Stitch (use code STYLECOLLECTIVE to get 10% off your order!) // Beach Bag: Target // Sandals: save; splurge // Sunglasses: Free People

I spent months trying to find the perfect swimsuit coverup. I searched on Amazon (can’t pass up free 2 day shipping!), but the reviews were always so bad. They were either way off on sizing or made really cheap. I also never had any luck looking at department stores for ones I liked. It’s always the same for swimsuits as well. I guess I’m just way too picky when it comes to items like this.

But then I came across Sweetest Stitch. I fell in love with all of their sundresses and rompers. They also have a lot of great prices! Make sure you use code STYLECOLLECTIVE to save an additional 10% off your purchase. I originally ordered this black dress to wear to a BBQ (I love the stitching details on the front!), but it ended up being a tad too short for my liking, so I decided to wear it as a swimsuit coverup instead, and it worked out perfectly! It made me realize that you can literally turn any clothing item into a swimsuit coverup, whether it be a dress or an oversized t-shirt. Just because it doesn’t say “swimsuit coverup” on the tag, doesn’t mean you can’t make it one! Also, what I love about this coverup is that I can throw on a pair of white pants or jean shorts to go to dinner right after a day at the beach, and still look put together!

Everything in linked above. I purchased the Tory Burch dups last year from Payless (one of the best sandal purchases, ever!), but they are currently sold out so I tagged similar ones.

On a different note, did anyone know that they weren’t going to show The Bachelorette on Monday night!? I went to watch it Tuesday, and realized it was a repeat! I was a little upset, why didn’t they say something last week? Oh well, I guess I have to wait another week now. Do you have a favorite yet? Let me know in the comments below! I’m still torn between a few guys.

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

Valerie

What To Wear For 4th Of July

July 2, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

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Top: Nordstrom Rack; Similar // Shorts: ModCloth (similar) // Bag: Similar // Wedges: ModCloth (on sale for under $15!) // Lipstick: ColourPop (color is Creeper)

Happy 4th of July weekend! Do you have fun plans this weekend? Sadly, it is going to be raining in STL today, tomorrow, AND Monday. They are calling for 3-4 inches of rain. UM, WHAT? My plans for BBQing and swimming went out the window. Hopefully the fireworks won’t be canceled!

But if you don’t live in the STL area, and plan on going to a BBQ celebrating the 4th, I have you covered on what to wear, while also feeling festive! My favorite thing to wear to a BBQ over the summer is shorts and a tank. Since it is 4th of July weekend, I went with the red white and blue theme. Most of the items I’m wearing are sold out, so I tagged similar ones above. The wedges are currently on sale for under $15!

Another one of my favorite things to wear to a BBQ is a dress. This chambray one is perfect for 4th of July! I love how it is off the shoulder (a huge trend this summer). Just add a red or blue crossbody and wedges, and you are good to go!

Have a fun and safe weekend, everyone! Let me know what your plans are in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading!

Valerie

How To Make Your Perfume Last Longer

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

I’m really picky when it comes to my perfume. My favorites tend to be “fresh” smelling ones. Floral scents were never at the top of my list. They also need to be long lasting. By the time I’m finished with work, I should still have the scent on me. Especially if you are paying close to $100 for a bottle, am I right?

Influenster sent me this Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf perfume, and after reading that it was a floral scent, I was a little worried. But let me tell you, this smells SO good!

In my Flowerbomb box, I was sent the Precious Oil and the Eau De Parfum. In order to get the most out of your perfume (and make it last until the end of the day), you need to follow these steps:

Create a foundation with shower gel, soap, or foaming bath. If I don’t have the exact scent, I use a neutral scent (vanilla, for example).
Moisturize with a neutral or unscented body lotion or body cream.
Apply Flowerbomb Precious Oil to your pulse points. I like to apply it to my wrists, neck, and behind my ears.
Finish with your Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum.

After following these steps, I noticed that my perfume actually lasted longer! Do you have any tips for making your perfume last longer? Let me know in the comments!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Valerie

Products received complimentary thanks to Influenster. All opinions are my own.

Stay Comfy With Chrissy’s Socks

June 17, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 1 Comment

pink cheetah

pink tube socks

Red tube socks

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Pink Cheetah Socks // Pink Tube Socks // Red Tube Socks // Patriotic Tube Socks

Happy Friday! Do you have any plans for the weekend? Some of my favorite things to do over the weekend include hanging out with friends, going to Cardinals baseball games, and relaxing. Chrissy’s Knee High Socks helps me out with all of those. They have socks for literally EVERY occasion and are super soft and comfy. They are perfect for lounging around the house drinking coffee while catching up on magazines and shows (who is excited for Orange is the New Black!?).

One of my favorite ways to wear them would be for cheering on your favorite sports team (like I did in the photo above). Just pair them with matching shorts, team hat and jersey. You can even show your love for your favorite holiday. 4th of July is coming up! Aren’t these patriotic socks adorable?

Some other ones that are on my wish list include these donut ones, watermelon ones, and don’t forget about the ice cream pair! My favorite thing about them? They are all under $10!

Which pair is on your wish list? Let me know in the comments below! Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for reading!

Valerie

Thanks to Chrissy’s Knee High Socks for collaborating on this post!

Bloom VoxBox

June 5, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 1 Comment

Happy Sunday! Is everyone having a great weekend? I spent my Saturday in St. Louis at the Cardinal’s game! It is seriously my favorite place to be. Today I am grocery shopping and getting everything organized for the work week.

I received the Bloom VoxBox complimentary from Influenster with all these amazing products! I’m going to review each one and let you all know which ones I liked and didn’t like. Keep in mind that I let you know my honest opinion about each product. If I don’t like it, you WILL know. Haha! Now on to the reviews:

Cutex Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover Pads: These are amazing, especially for traveling. The package says you can use it for 10 fingers or toes. Well this pad is SOAKED with nail polish remover, to the point where you could do all of your fingers and toes and also your friend’s fingers and toes haha! Totally worth purchasing.

Secret Outlast Xtend Invisible Solid: I always tend to have problems with Secret deodorant. Every time I use it for long periods of time, my armpits start to itch and burn. Since this was different from the normal Secret deodorant, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I still had the same problem. I gave it to a friend, and she didn’t have any issues. I guess it just depends on the person. I will stick with my Dove deodorant.

SinfulColors Nail Polish: Influenster sent me the blue glitter polish seen in the first photo of this post. But since I’m not super into glitter polishes, I used my Kylie Jenner collection nail polish by SinfulColors. I absolutely love this color! It’s perfect for this season. I painted my nails on Memorial Day weekend with this polish, and it still looks amazing! It is long lasting, especially when you put a top coat over it. I suggest using Essie Gel Setter top coat.

Sunbelt Bakery Granola Bars, Oats & Honey: When I get home from my full time job, I usually work on my blog before I start cooking dinner. During this time, I’m usually in need of a snack to hold me over until dinner, which tends to be fruit or cookies, haha! I know, so healthy. After trying this granola bar, I think this will be my go to snack. It tastes so good, and is a lot better for me than cookies!

Not Your Mother’s Plump For Joy: If you are looking to add volume to your hair, I highly suggest this. When I went camping last weekend, I took a shower and decided to put this product in my hair instead of straightening it (It’s okay, I was in a camper, not a tent, haha!). Once my hair was dry, it had SO much volume. But it was kind of uncontrollable volume, so I suggest styling it like you normally do instead of just putting the product in your hair and leaving it be.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil: I absolutely love this stuff! If you have fly away hairs, just put a small amount into your hand and smooth them away. If you have dry skin, apply a small amount and massage into the dry area. I love how you can use it for literally everything. The downside? It’s $29 a bottle. Like, whoa. I’m sure there are similar products out there that do the same thing (coconut oil maybe?). If I come across anything, I will let y’all know.

Which of these products are you eager to try? Let me know in the comments below! As always, thanks for stopping by!

Valerie

All products received complimentary, thanks to Influenster. All opinions are my own.

Crochet Wrapped Cardigan From Stacked

June 1, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

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California Moonrise Cardigan: Stacked (Save 10% with code WELCOME10)// Shorts: Shoptiques // Tee: Target // Clutch: Stella & Dot // Necklace: Similar// Heels: Similar

Happy Hump Day! I’m so happy this is a short week, for some reason I have been dragging alllllll week long. I’m already on my second Red Bull. I literally thought I was going to fall asleep while working today.

Last week I showed you an easy way to save money on designer items while also making money. Well today I’m going to tell you about Stacked, another great website where you can save money on designer pieces! Stacked’s goal is to help you upgrade your wardrobe with hand-chosen pieces by top influencers quickly, conveniently and at a great price. Each influencer for the month will choose items to create an outfit, and you have the opportunity to buy the pieces individually at a discount, or buy the entire outfit at an even bigger discount. Stacked is giving all Styled Muse readers 10% off their purchase with code WELCOME10.

I chose this California Moonrise Crochet Wrapped Top from last month’s collection.I fell in love with the crochet on the back. You can wear it as a long cardigan or tied up, and pair it with a plain white (like I did) or graphic tee, or a tank during the summer months. This cardigan is perfect for wearing to work, especially when you work in a cold office like me. Haha!

If you purchase anything from Stacked, don’t forget to use discount code: WELCOME10 and tag me in your photos so I can see what you purchased.

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your week!

Valerie

Designer Clothes For Less With ThredUP

May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Top: ThredUP // Pants: JCPenney // Bag: Similar // Earrings: Baublebar // Heels: Charlotte Russe

Happy Fri-yay eve! Do you all have any plans this weekend for Memorial Day? My family and friends and I are all going camping this weekend. Sadly, I think it’s supposed to rain all weekend long! Hopefully it will hold off until we get back :).

Have you ever wanted designer items, but the prices were way out of your budget? Well, let me introduce you to ThredUP! ThredUP allows you to shop for items (used and new) and also sell items! I was able to get this Loft top for $20 with the tags still on it.I love this top because it’s light enough to wear during warm days (just roll up the sleeves) but also warm enough to wear while sitting around the fire on a chilly summer night.

If you sign up using this link ThredUP will give you $10 to spend on your next purchase! There are a few handbags I have my eyes on :). If you order anything from ThredUP, make sure you tag me in your photos so I can see what you purchased!

Since my boyfriend and I will be moving into a new place soon, I decided it was time to downsize my closet (don’t worry, just stuff I no longer wear!). ThredUP will for sure be a big help with this.

Have a great rest of your week, and thank you for stopping by!

Valerie

My Weekend At Go Blog Social

May 18, 2016May 18, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Hump Day! It feels so good to be back. I know I have been MIA for awhile, but my boyfriend and I were going through a death in his family, and it was a really hard time for him, and I needed to be there. Things finally are starting to go back to normal, and I’m trying to play catch up with my blog! This week I will post a few of my most recent purchases on Instagram (so make sure you are following), and in this blog post I will tell you all about the weekend I had at Go Blog Social!

As soon as I found out that Go Blog Social was coming to St. Louis, I knew I HAD to get tickets. Being an introvert, I was really nervous about attending by myself, so my sister tagged along. This was good for her, because she is in the process of creating her own blog.

The conference was three days long, with days 1 and 3 being before parties, brunches, etc. Saturday was the actual conference. Sadly, I was only able to make it to the actual conference on Saturday. The conference started off with everyone registering, getting our swag bags/schedule and getting breakfast. The breakfast consisted of fruit, yogurt parfaits, and a breakfast burrito bar! The potatoes were my favorite… weird, I know. All meals were catered by 23 City Blocks Catering. The conference was at Lumen Private Event Space in downtown St. Louis. This space is seriously beautiful (you can see the photos below). I am going to keep this place in mind for when I eventually get married :).

Since my sister and I got there a little early (we wanted a good parking spot, haha!) we had plenty of time to check out the brands that were there. This was my favorite thing about the conference. Brands from every niche had a booth set up where you can talk to them about their products (even gave free stuff and coupons away!), give them your business cards and possibly discuss collabs. There was even a booth set up to create flower crowns!

There were a lot of speakers at the conference! My favorite one had to be Bianca Jade. She spoke about video, and how it attracts readers to your blog. She really inspired me to add video to my own blog! So you may see videos soon ;). You can see the rest of the speakers below on the schedule and what was discussed. Towards the end, we even had workshops where we could learn different things, like video tips!

23 City Block Catering provided a delicious lunch! Everything from quinoa salad, buffalo cauliflower, and chicken and avocado sandwiches. Soooo good! I was starving by this time, so I wasn’t able to snap a photo of my lunch, whoops! Here are some other photos from the weekend, including what I wore, and what was in the swag bag!

I learned so much from the conference and I’m really inspired to try new things with my blog. Pretty soon I’m going to be switching my site to a self hosted site, and adding a new theme!

I know I said I had big news to share, well here it is! The first one, I have some AWESOME collabs that will be happening in June, so keep an eye out! The second one, my boyfriend and I will be moving from our small apartment, to a house!!! I’m really excited. It will be a fixer upper, which makes it even more exciting! I have binge watched the show Fixer Upper on HGTV so many times, and now I get to have my own fixer upper! My boyfriend is also letting me take one of the smaller bedrooms and turning it into a closet/blog office! Pinterest will be my best friend over the next few months :).

Have you ever attended Go Blog Social? Let me know in the comments. Also, any tips for fixer uppers would be great, haha!

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

April 29, 2016April 28, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 12 Comments

Little Things

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

Happy Fri-yay, beauties! Hope everyone had a great week. Mother’s Day is a little over a week away, have you gotten anything for her yet? If not, I’m here to help you figure out what exactly to get your mom for Mother’s Day!

A notebook: My mom loves to write down notes for everything from doctor appointments to sermons at church. This one would be perfect for all of that while looking stylish at the same time.

Makeup: If your mom is anything like mine, she needs a makeup update! Right now I’m really loving Milani’s lipstick and blush! They finally started selling it at my Wal-Mart, and I got way to excited.

Jewelry: These Kendra Scott studs are perfect for her to wear to church and out for dinner. You can get her this jewelry tray to store all her rings, earrings, and bracelets when she’s not wearing them!

Picture frame: I feel like the perfect gift you can give your mom is a nice picture frame with a photo of you and her, or your whole family.

Perfume: This Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume smells heavenly! It’s perfect for every mom that loves a flowery scent.

Candle and bubble bath: My mom is constantly on the run. Getting her a nice bubble bath and candle can help her relax after a long day at work.

House shoes: These are probably the most adorable house shoes! The print is perfect for her to wear around during the summer. They also come in purple.

What are you getting your Mom for Mother’s Day? Let me know in the comments!

Valerie

Kylie Lip Kit Review

April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 4 Comments

Happy Friyay! I decided to start your weekend off with a review of the popular Kylie Lip Kit. I managed to get my hands on this one in Koko K. Keep in mind, these sell out within 15 minutes every time they are added to the website. In order to snag one, you have to literally sit on your computer at the exact time they are posted, and hit refresh until it pops up, and quickly add it to your cart. I learned the hard way after failing the first couple times. But is it worth the hype?

The kit comes with a lip liner and matte liquid lipstick. Both are exactly the same color, so when you apply the liner, you cannot see a difference. I have worn it with and without the liner and it looks the same both times.

I really love the formula for the liquid matte lipstick! Once applied, it dries within one minute. I put this lipstick to the test by applying it in the morning to see how long it lasted after eating, drinking etc. I was actually really surprised how long it lasted! After taking a drink from a water bottle, I didn’t even have any residue left on the bottle!

The price of the Kylie Lip Kit is $29, plus you have to add $8 for shipping. To me, that price is really high. I know you are getting a lip liner and lipstick, but like I mentioned before, the lip liner is pretty pointless. If this price is not in your budget, then I suggest getting one of the Ultra Matte liquid lipsticks from Colourpop! You cannot beat a long lasting matte lip for only $6! Plus they have over 40 colors.

Overall, to me the Kylie Lip Kit is not worth the hype. Yes it lasts awhile, but you can get exactly the same thing cheaper and not have to worry about stressing to make sure you are on the website at the right time.

What did you think about the Kylie Lip Kit? Let me know in the comments! Also, let me know what you would like to see reviewed next!

Valerie