The Perfect Tunic

August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ 1 Comment

Happy Monday, fashionistas! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. Even though I’m not fully ready to say goodbye to summer, I spent this weekend doing a little fall shopping. I found the BEST deals on jeans (Target had them 40% off!). I will do a blog post on some of my favorite fall jeans later on.

Lately, I have been on the hunt for tops that would transition perfectly from summer to fall. I found this tunic during the Nordstrom anniversary sale, and thought it would be a perfect transition piece. It comes in 7 colors. Yes, SEVEN. The color I am wearing here is Ivory. I eventually would love to have the Olive color in my closet!

For summer, you can pair it with jeans (for chilly nights) like I did here, or a pair of black high waisted shorts (for the warmer days). For the fall you can wear a black blazer over it with a pair of booties (I will feature that outfit next week).

I tagged the exact tunic, jeans and heels. The clutch and bib necklace are currently sold out, so I tagged similar items:

Tunic // Jeans // Heels // Clutch // Bib Necklace

Have a great week, everyone! I will be reviewing the Naked Smoky Palette on Wednesday!

XoXo Valerie

Ultra Matte Lip

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Thursday, loves! Can you believe it’s almost the weekend? I have had the worst cold for the past 5 days, and am finally starting to feel better. I literally did nothing all weekend because I felt like my head was going to explode, which means I wasn’t able to shoot any outfit photos. So this week I am going to review a few of my favorite products, and show you guys some of my makeup staples! Including products that I use on a daily basis and you need to have in your makeup bag.

I have been searching for a lipstick that is “kiss proof” for a LONG time. I was beginning to lose hope, then I discovered ColourPop Cosmetics, and their new Ultra Matte Lip. This stuff is seriously amazing. I put it on yesterday at 11:00am, and after eating and drinking all day long, it was still on, vibrant as can be at 8:00pm!

The Ultra Matte Lip comes in 33 different colors. The colors I bought are Lychee (top, violet color) and Sundae (bottom, pink color). The colors I would love to have eventually are Donut, Succulent, Buds, and Koala.

Application tips:
-Exfoliate your lips before you apply the product (it will look smoother)
-Apply with a lip brush (the applicator it comes with works great, but its hard to line the outside of your lips with it)
-Have makeup wipes handy to remove (like I said, this stuff stays on, which means it won’t come off with just water)

This is a lip color I am going to start using a daily basis. Have you tried the new Ultra Matte Lip? Let me know in the comments below!

XoXo Valerie

Workout Time!

August 4, 2015August 3, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Tuesday, loves! I hope everyone had a great weekend. My bestie moved about two hours away from me, so I spent the weekend at her new place and visited some of her favorite wineries (this town is FULL of wineries). I had a blast, but I’m so sad she is so far away now. At least it’s an excuse for me to get out of town for a weekend!

I made a goal for myself to start being more active, and to walk/run more this fall (since it’s way too hot to do it now). To get myself motivated, I decided to do a little “fall” workout gear shopping! I’m really bad about motivating myself to workout, so I thought shopping would give me a little boost (and seeing this new gear sitting in my bedroom would haunt me).

To me, the perfect fall workout outfit consists of yoga pants (it’s hard to tell in the photo, but these pants have a light zebra print!), a light weight “dry fit” tee and jacket, and a pair of comfortable running shoes. I bought all of these a little while back, and are no longer in stock, so I tagged similar items!

Top // Jacket // Pants // Shoes

Have a great week!

XoXo Valerie

YSL VoxBox

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Hump Day!

I am so happy that I was chosen by Influenster to review the YSL VoxBox! Included in the box is the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer and the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector (products received complimentary for testing purposes).

These products can be worm alone as an all over complexion perfector, or to set makeup. I wore the primer under my foundation, and used the Blur Perfector to set my makeup. Throughout the day I also reapplied the Blur Perfector to get rid of shine.

A little bit about the Touche Eclat Blur Primer: has four nourishing oils to leave your skin soft, without having a greasy finish. Immediately pores will look diminished, skin feels smoother and skin tone is more even and luminous. After testing this product, I have to say that it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. My pores did look a lot smaller, and my skin was SUPER soft after applying it to my face. It also made applying my foundation easier. The only downfall was that I didn’t like the glitter that was in the primer. Luckily my foundation covered it up after I applied it, so it was hard to see.

About the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector: The first blur on the go. Instantly transforms from a balm to a powder to sweep away shine and imperfections. I used this product to set my foundation, then reapplied it throughout the day to hide the shine on my face. I absolutely love this stuff! It easily hides the shine, and it’s small enough to throw in a small purse or clutch for a night out. It also comes with a little black bag to hold the Blur Perfector and the applicator!

Have you tried any of the Touche Eclat products? Let me know in the comments below!

XoXo Valerie

July Ipsy Bag

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Friday! I’m so excited that it’s the weekend. I’m literally going to spend all weekend in the pool, hoping to get a little bit of a tan!

I received my July Ipsy bag last week, and I’m really loving some of the products I got! If you don’t know what Ipsy is, it’s a monthly subscription service where you get samples of makeup and beauty products delivered to your door for only $10 a month! All of your samples come in a cute collectible makeup bag. This months theme was summer! Click HERE to try it out!

Here is a look at each item:

Read My Lips lipstick by Teeez Cosmetics: I really love the color of this lipstick. I’m excited to wear it longer to see how long it lasts!

Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser: I’m kind of iffy on this product, not sure how it’s going to work since it’s soapless, but we will see!

City Color Cosmetics HD Powder: I haven’t had a chance to try this out yet, but I will give it a try this weekend!

Crown Brush Professional Tweezers: I love these tweezers! It makes tweezing my eyebrows easier, and will be using these from now on!

Jor’el Parker Classico Perfume: I’m super picky about my perfume, and I have to say this isn’t my favorite. The smell kind of reminds me of sunscreen, but it goes with the monthly theme I guess?

What did you receive in your Ipsy bag? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XoXo Valerie

2016 Agendas

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Wednesday! Is it the weekend yet? I know most of you are thinking “why is she talking about agendas in the middle of the year?” Well it seems like most agendas are now starting at the end of July/beginning of August (mostly because school starts back up in August). I just bought a 2016 Agenda from Ban.do (linked HERE), and the first day to use it starts July 27th (can it just get here already!), so I thought what better time to have a blog post all about agendas!

Even though I’m no longer in college, I still use an agenda to organize my life and my blog. It helps me keep track of bills due, appointments, my favorite shows, and my blog posts! It’s an easy way to stay organized and make sure those bills are paid on time.

I have linked a few of my favorite agendas below (all under $40):

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

The Ban.do agendas (1, 3, 4) come in two different sizes, large and medium. The medium one is book bound and perfect to carry around in your purse. The back of the agenda has a little pocket to store stuff. It even includes stickers!

The Kate Spade agendas (5, 6) also come in two different sizes and have cute quotes and sayings in them!

The Lily Pulitzer and Rifle Paper Co agendas (2, 7) have cute prints on the front cover!

Which one is your favorite? Do you use an agenda to keep your life organized? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great rest of your week!

XoXo Valerie

Embellished Tee

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Monday! Did everyone have a good weekend? I was dealing with a sick cat all weekend, and spent most of my Sunday at the vet. Luckily she is starting to feel better!

I found this adorable shirt at the Banana Republic friends and family sale for half off last year! They no longer have it in stock, so I will link a few similar ones (one more expensive, and a few cheaper ones). I love the detail on the collar. It pairs perfectly with black shorts or a pair of jeans and booties. Of course, I had to include my fedora, which I have been wearing all summer long!

The lipstick is ELF moisturizing lipstick in Orange Cream.

Shirt (similar, similar) // Shorts // Booties // Fedora

XoXo Valerie

Weekly Round Up!

July 18, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy weekend! I hope everyone had a great week. I didn’t think mine was going to end, especially with this hot weather! It’s going to be even worse this weekend. But luckily I get to spend today swimming! What are your weekend plans?

In today’s post, I’m rounding up all of my Instagram photos and showing you where you can buy all of the items that are featured in them! If an item is sold out or no longer available, I will try to link a similar item!

Necklace // Sandals

Heels // Bag // Shirt // Necklace // Jeans // Fur Keychain

I originally got the tassel necklace from Metal Marvels during a flash sale, and it looks like it is no longer on her website, so I linked a similar one I found online. But still make sure you go check out Metal Marvels to see all of her beautiful jewelry!

Bag // Keychain

Eiffel Tower Dish

The landmark ring dish is from Anthropologie. It looks like it is no longer available, and I can’t seem to find a similar one online. If I find one later on, I will update everyone!

All of the jewelry in the photo is from my most recent set from Rocksbox. I know everyone is probably tired about seeing my posts about Rocksbox, but I have to say I absolutely love them! For only $19 a month I can get designer jewelry delivered to my door to wear as many times as I want! If I decide I like the pieces I can purchase them and use the $10 shine spend that Rocksbox gives me every month! If you decide you want to try it, but don’t feel like spending the $19 right away, then use code VALERIEBFF89 to get your first month free! Just give it a shot, and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XoXo Valerie

Summer Beach Bags

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy hump day, loves! It’s near 100 degrees in St. Louis all this week. Is it this hot everywhere in the US? I’m so ready for fall.

Luckily, this weekend I am finally going swimming for the first time this summer (crazy, right?). Since I’m so excited to finally jump in the pool, I decided to create a post about my favorite beach bags! All of these are under $50! Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Have a great rest of your week!

XoXo Valerie

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Summer Cardigan

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Monday! Last week was such a crazy week for me. On the Fourth of July I had about 25 total people come by my place for a BBQ (it was the first time we had this many people in our little apartment). I was SO worn out and for some reason I thought it was a good idea to work overtime everyday…Let’s just say I’m excited for this week to go back to normal (even though it’s going to be almost 100 degrees this week in St. Louis).

The weather here in St. Louis is always so up and down. One week it will be 70 degrees, and the next 100 degrees. For those weeks that are 70 degrees, I love pairing my favorite shorts with some sort of light weight cardigan (especially for the cold office at work). This pineapple cardigan from Target has been on major repeat this summer. In this look, I paired it with white shorts, a basic black tee, black booties, and a tassel necklace. I found this cardigan in store, and have yet to find it online since I posted it last, so I’m linking another option.

Shorts // Tee // Cardigan // Booties // Necklace // Lipstick

Have a great week everyone, and stay cool during this scorcher!

XoXo Valerie