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Gift Guide: The Guy In Your Life

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Gift Guide

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This is my first gift guide of the season! I’m starting off with the hardest person to stop for: the guy in your life! This can include your boyfriend, dad, grandpa, father-in-law, brother, etc. I always find it easy to shop for my mom and sister, but always have the hardest time shopping for my dad (he literally has everything!)

Right now Macy’s is having a HUGE friends and family sale, so all of these items are from their website! If you use code FRIEND when checking out, you can take an extra 30% off! Some departments are excluded, and will only give you 10 or 15% off. This code is good until December 11th, so it’s the perfect time to get your Christmas shopping done!

One of my favorite items I found on Macy’s website, has to be this wallet! It holds your phone, cards, money, and also has a phone charger built in to charge your phone with! I think I’m going to get this one for my dad this year!

My boyfriend loves button down shirts. I got a few of these for him last year, and he loves them! They are comfy, but can also be dressed up a bit. He also loves anything Nike, so these shoes and hoodie are on his list this year.

This Polo cologne is my boyfriend’s dad’s favorite. He gets it for Christmas every year. I feel like cologne for a guy is always the best present. You can’t have too much cologne, and it can last him all year.

For the guy that has everything, I love the idea of getting him a travel bag (if he travels a lot), a drone (if he’s into tech stuff) or this flask and business card holder set (for the business guy that likes to have a drink every now and then 😉 ).

Click here to view my full Gift Guide for the guy in your life on Maven’s website!

Next week I will have my Christmas post up with a bunch of my favorite items that would be perfect as Christmas gifts, so keep an eye out for that! My plan was to have that up at the beginning of this week, but my dad got really sick and was in the hospital for most of the week. He’s feeling much better, but still having a few issues, so please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

Valerie

This post was sponsored by Macy’s and Maven. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

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My Updated Skincare Routine

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About a year ago, I posted about my skincare routine. Since then I have added and gotten rid of products I use, so I decided to do an updated one for you all! Just so you can get an idea of how my skin is (in case this is the first time you are reading my blog), I have very oily, acne prone skin. So most of these products are for those with the same type of skin as me.

Morning Routine: When I first wake up in the morning, I clean my face off with Micellar Cleansing Water using a round cotton pad. I never go too crazy in the mornings with washing my face, because I usually do a deep cleaning right before I go to bed. My face seems to get more oily when I wash my face a lot. If I’m having a bad break out, then I use the Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser and my Clarisonic Mia 1. This cleanser is mild and helps clean my face without being too strong and drying. I then finish by using alcohol free witch hazel on a round cotton pad and wiping it all over my face and neck. It seems to help keep my face from getting oily throughout the day.

Night Routine: I take my showers at night, so when I get in the shower the first thing I do is wash my face. I still use the Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne face wash (mentioned in my skincare post). I have used this for a few years now, and it seems like the only face wash that can clear up my breakouts. I use my Clarisonic Mia 1 with my Neutrogena face wash to help clean my pores out (I will go into more detail below). After I’m done washing, I leave the face wash on my face like a mask while washing my hair and body. This is one thing I swear by! It lets the active ingredients really get to work on those pesky pimples. Once I’m out of the shower, I apply the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Toner. This helps prevent breakouts and keeps your face from getting oily.

Face Mask: Every other night I use a face mask. If it’s a face mask night, then I will apply it to my face right after I get out of the shower. Once it has sat on my face for about 20 minutes, I will remove it and continue with the rest of my routine. Right now I’m loving the L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks. The green one I’m using helps with oily skin. I just recently purchased it and love it. I switch up my masks every couple weeks because I’m always finding new ones I love!

Cleansing Brush: I absolutely love my Clarisonic Mia 1! I have been using Clarisonic products for a few years now, and I think my skin clearing up has a lot to do with this! I used to break out really bad, now it’s just when my time of the month comes (I don’t think anything can really stop that, haha!).

But how does it work? The bristles of a Clarisonic cleansing brush head move back and forth, or “oscillate”, gently flexing the skin and flushing water and cleanser into pores. This sonic cleansing process removes the dirt, oil and debris that ages your skin and causes breakouts. Because Clarisonic facial cleansing devices don’t exfoliate – a common myth! – Clarisonic is gentle enough for twice-daily use, even on the most sensitive skin.

The brush head I prefer most, and really works with my skin, is the Deep Pore brush head. It really gets all the dirt and makeup out of my pores! I know the Clarisonic cleansing brushes can seem a bit out of your budget, but Right now Clarisonic is offering Styled Muse readers 15% off! Just head to this website and use code HERCAMPUS. They now also offer payment plans (with credit approval)! If you would like how read how to use one, just head to my previous skin care post HERE!

What products to you use in your skincare routine? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Valerie

This post was in collaboration with Clarisonic and Her Campus Media. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible!

Affordable Workwear

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Top: Similar & Similar (My Fav) // Pants: Nordstrom // Bag: Similar // Shoes // Ring: Charlotte Russe

Happy Wednesday! I think today is the first day it finally feels like fall in St. Louis. Unfortunately, it won’t last long. It’s going to be 88 degrees again on Saturday, gross! This weekend we are heading up to the campground where my parents have their camper. They are throwing a huge Halloween festival with pumpkin carving contests, chili cook off, trick or treating and a haunted hayride! I’m excited to put my costume together and share with you all! Make sure to follow along on my Insta stories this weekend to see the full look! What do you plan on dressing up as for Halloween? Let me know in the comments!

I realized that I have never done a post about workwear, and decided that it was time! I luckily have a very casual job where we can wear yoga and sweatpants to work. That is one of the huge perks of my job! If I’m feeling extremely tired and don’t feel like dressing up, I can throw on a pair of workout pants and a sweatshirt and run out the door (after grabbing my coffee of course 😉 ). But I know a lot of you don’t have that option and are required to wear something a bit more business casual, so this post is for you!

I absolutely love this top for work! This exact one is sold out, but I tagged two similar ones! This one is my absolute favorite, and I have it in black! It’s on sale right now for $32! Of course if you want to hide your arms a bit more, you can throw a blazer over it.

I still love wearing white pants all year round (you can read my post about wearing white after Labor Day HERE). But of course you can always add black or gray ones to feel a bit more business casual!

This is the perfect bag for work! It holds so much, while looking the business part! This exact one is sold out, but I tagged a similar Kate Spade one! It even comes in black!

These shoes are perfect for warmer days, but once it starts getting cold you may want to wear a pair that covers your toes. I love these pumps!

What is your dress attire at work? Let me know in the comments! Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

Valerie

Body Care That Gives Back

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Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week. Tonight I am attending a Fashion Show in St. Louis called Romancing the Runway! I’m SO excited to be attending. If you live in the area, you can still buy tickets HERE!

With all the bad things happening in the world right now, I seem to find myself wanting to help out in some way. Whether it be donating money or old clothes. When SoapBox contacted me and wanted to collaborate, I knew I had to jump on board!

SoapBox is a one-for-one personal care company that sells shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bar soap and liquid hand soap. Their soaps are vegan, cruelty free, and made with thoughtfully selected ingredients. For every product sold, they donate a bar of soap to someone in need either here in the US or abroad! Their motto: Soap = Hope. BUT if you use code SBXSTYLEDMUSE317 they will give you 10% off AND donate 2 bars of soap for every product sold instead of 1! They are trying to get to their 3 millionth donation, so let’s help them exceed that! Here are a few of my favorite products they have:

Bamboo Strength and Body Shampoo and Conditioner: I LOVE the conditioner. After using it, my hair had so much body, even more than my Pantene conditioner! Also, they both smell so amazing! I can’t wait to see how strong is makes my hair after using it for about a month (it’s pretty brittle at the moment)!

Sea Minerals & Blue Iris Body Wash: My hands and elbows always get dried out once the weather starts to get a bit cooler. This body wash helped fight that! It’s a gentle moisturizer, so it’s great for sensitive skin, smells amazing, and lathers really well!

Vanilla and Lily Blossom Liquid Hand Soap: The same goes for the hand soap. It moisturizes my hands, and also smells so good! I’m the type of person that washes my hands more often than I should, so a gentle hand soap is a must.

Bar soap: I’m not really a bar soap type of person (I love my liquid body wash and loofah!), but this one smells so amazing just like the rest of the products. If I did use bar soap, this would be my go to!

If you would like to try all the products, you can buy a bundle that has 1 of everything!

My favorite thing about these products? They are all so affordable! This month, try switching out one or more of your body products, and help give back to those in need. Let’s get to 3 million donations! Just use code SBXSTYLEDMUSE317 to get 10% AND donate 2 bars to soap to those in need!

Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

This post is in collaboration with SoapBox. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

5 Foundations For Oily Skin

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If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know that I always complain how oily/acne prone my skin is. In today’s post, I’m sharing with you 5 foundations that are perfect for those of you with oily and/or acne prone skin. I have tried SO many different foundations, and so far these are the clear winners! These are for all price points, from drugstore to Sephora, so you won’t have a hard time finding one that fits your budget! Coming up next month I will be having a blog post sharing all of my favorite skincare products for oily skin as well, so stay tuned for that! Now, onto the foundations.

  1. YSL All Hours Foundation: This is the foundation I’m currently using. Influenster sent me this to try out, and I actually fell in love. I don’t always love the products they send me, which is why you don’t see a lot of them on the blog. I only share products I actually love and think you would love as well. This is a long lasting full coverage foundation. I put this foundation on in the morning (5:00 am, to be exact) and it lasts me all day. it never creases or gets cakey. By 2:30 pm my T-zone is a little oily, but it’s nothing that blotter sheets can’t take care of. This foundation is perfect for fall/winter makeup looks, but if you are looking for a light summer one, I wouldn’t pick this (see #3 for a light summer foundation). 😉
  2. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: This is also a full coverage foundation, but a tad bit lighter. It’s a great dup to the YSL foundation if it’s out of your price range. This one really is long lasting, and I usually need makeup remover to take it off! Just soap and water doesn’t cut it, haha!
  3. Covergirl Clean Matte BB Cream: This BB cream is light coverage, and perfect for summer. When it’s extremely hot and humid outside, the last thing you want to put on your acne prone skin is a heavy foundation (hello, breakouts!). This has enough coverage to hide acne and scars, but light enough for your skin to breath. This also is a matte BB cream, so it keeps your face from looking oily throughout the day.
  4. Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation: This is a full coverage foundation that I always wear during the winter. It hides all my scars and large pores. It doesn’t crease or get cakey throughout the day. I have also never had an issue with this foundation breaking me out, which a heavy foundation usually does for me. You also can’t beat the $7.99 price tag!
  5. ELF Cosmetics Acne Fighting Foundation: This one is more of a foundation for my acne prone ladies. It provides a great coverage while also fighting acne when you wear it. It helps a tiny bit with oily skin, but I would recommend getting the other ones if that’s your main issue. It’s also only $6!

What’s your favorite foundation? Let me know in the comments. As always, thanks for reading!

Valerie

YSL All Hours Foundation received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

Wearing White After Labor Day

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Top: Similar // Jeans: Nordstrom // Earrings: SUGARFIX // Shoes: JustFab // Clutch: Similar

Happy Wednesday! Even though this is a short week, it still feels like it has been super long! I can’t wait to have a relaxing weekend (the past few have been pretty busy for me). Last weekend I went camping with my family and friends for Labor Day (my parents have a really nice camper on a lake out in the country, so I guess it was more like glamping? Haha!), and we had so much fun! The weather was perfect. I can’t wait to go back once the leaves start changing!

One fashion “rule” I seriously despise is no wearing white after Labor Day. I never really understood that. But rules were made to be broken, right? 😉 I love wearing white jeans with a fall sweater and booties (my go-to during the fall season). I know the above look is a bit more summery, but summer isn’t over, right? I just had to get one more outfit out of my system before I start wearing darker colors, haha!

I bought this off the shoulder top from Shein, but it’s currently sold out so I tagged a similar one that looks almost identical. I ordered quite a few items from Shein, and I’m going to give you a review on what I thought about the website, the sizing, and if you should order from them. The post will be up next week, so stay tuned!

I bought the white jeans from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last year, and wear them so much! The earrings are Sugarfix at Target, and they have so many colors! I bought the clutch from Saved By The Dress, but it’s sold out so I tagged a similar one.

One of my obsessions lately has been JustFab! The shoes I’m wearing in the photos are actually from there. I have been using it for a few months now to see how I like it and to give you a review of JustFab. It’s $39.95 a month for the VIP, but if you decide to skip that month, you don’t have to pay anything! The $39.95 goes towards your order. Right now they are having a sale where you can get your first pair for only $10! You can’t beat getting a pair of high quality shoes for under $40. Over the weekend they had a 50% off sale, so almost every pair was $20! I skipped this month because If I buy another pair of shoes, I think my boyfriend might flip, haha! But they not only have shoes, they carry handbags and clothing as well! Make sure you go HERE to check it out for yourself!

Do you wear white after Labor Day? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Valerie

Fall Staple Pieces You Need In Your Closet

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Happy Wednesday! With the end of August near, that only means one thing: fall is almost here! My favorite thing to do lately is scour the web for fall items to add to my closet. But with buying a new car, it’s really hard to stay under budget. Until I found Zulily! They offer the best brands at the best prices! Y’all, I found a YSL bag for over 50% off! My favorite thing about them, is they have items that will fit everyone’s budget. I decided to do a roundup of my favorite fall staple items that I found at Zulily below!

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Cold Shoulder Tops: If you are looking for a top that will transition perfectly from summer to fall, then look no further than this one from Zulily! The long sleeves will keep you warm, while the open shoulders will help you stay cool on warmer days. The ruffle adds a cute detail, and is perfect to wear casually or to work. You also can’t beat the $11.99 price tag!

A Cozy Cardigan: For chilly fall mornings, a cozy oversized cardigan is perfect to have to throw over any outfit. I love this Lemoniade one I found on Zulily!

Dark Jeans: Jeans are so versatile that you can wear them all year round, but there’s just something about a dark wash that makes them perfect for fall. I love these by Silver Jeans Co!

Crossbody Bag: I love adding a crossbody bag to any fall outfit. This one from Isaac Mizrahi can be worn all year round!

Booties: You can’t complete a fall outfit without a pair of booties. I love the braid detail on these Frye Black Suede Booties I found on Zulily!

Fall Beauty Items:

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Zulily not only has clothing items, but they have beauty items as well! All of these items are under $20! You can’t beat finding Nars lipstick for $12.99. I rounded up some of my favorite beauty items that would complete your fall makeup look. Which one is your favorite? I love the color of that eyeshadow!

View my full fall roundup list on Maven! These items will only be on sale for a couple days on Zulily, so make sure you grab them before they sell out! If they do, don’t be discouraged though! Everyday Zulily adds more items for sale, so there will always be cute designer items you can find within your budget.

Head over to Zulily’s website, and let me know what you find in the comments!

Valerie

This post was sponsored by Maven and Zulily. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

 

How To Throw A 4th Of July BBQ

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Happy Monday! Do you have to work today, or are you on vacation? Luckily I am on vacation until Thursday! Much needed time off. What are your plans for 4th of July? Still undecided? That’s where I’m at right now. 4th of July is tomorrow, and we still don’t have plans set in stone. I have a few family members that are having BBQ’s, but my boyfriend and I are unsure if we just want to spend the day at home (we went camping all weekend long and celebrated 4th of July with my parents), or head to a family member’s house. Or do I just throw a little BBQ with a few close friends? Since I have one day to get this all together, I’m going to show you what I did to host a last minute BBQ!

I love hosting parties outside. We have such a small place, but I have the prettiest backyard (which is where I shot these photos!). I have to say, I felt like The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, setting up for tea. I had rabbits running all around me! We have so much wildlife in our backyard, it’s crazy! We even have chickens running around (yes, I said chickens!). My landlord lives a few houses down from us and she lets them roam around when she’s outside (our backyards are all connected). They love to be pet just like dogs!

Anyways, onto the BBQ! All of the items in the photos above are from Dollar Tree, except the mason jar cups (they were a Christmas gift) and fresh flowers. Heading to your local Dollar Tree to get items for 4th of July will really help you save a lot of money! I went there and bought all of these items, a makeup organizer, fireworks (just sparklers and pop its), and a bunch of candy for my boyfriend (haha!). My total was $24!

One thing I hate about hosting, is that I’m always cooking and don’t get a chance to spend time with my guests. It’s always a good idea to have your grill set up near your guests, and buy simple sides that don’t take long to make. You can even buy pre-made items from the deli like potato or pasta salad. One of my favorite appetizers are fruit kabobs! You can make them in the design of the American flag to stay festive.

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It’s super easy to make. All I used was blueberries, mini marshmallows, and cut up strawberries. To make the items slide on easily (especially the marshmallows) I just dipped my thumb and 1st finger in olive oil, and rubbed it on the kabob stick. Worked perfectly!

One of my favorite BBQ alcoholic drinks has to be cola and whisky. I was invited to an event in STL to celebrate the launch of Alive Magazine’s 3rd issue, and to try the new Jim Beam Vanilla. The event was focused around art and entrepreneurs. I left the event so inspired after listening to all of the artists and entrepreneurs talk about how they got started. Make sure you pick up the new issue and read all of their interviews! As soon as I walked in, I was invited to try the new Jim Beam Vanilla. You guys, it was SO GOOD. It was smooth and had a great vanilla aftertaste.

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Jim Beam Vanilla and Cola (from Jim Beam’s website)

1 part Jim Beam Vanilla
2 parts Cola (any brand)
Cherry Garnish

Fill mason jar with ice. Pour Jim Beam Vanilla into ice filled mason jar, then top with cola. Garnish with cherry (optional).

The new Jim Beam Vanilla is so smooth, and when mixed with cola, it tastes like you are drinking vanilla cola. So yummy! To make it a little patriotic, I added a 4th of July paper straw.

Head to the Jim Beam website HERE (you have to be 21!) to see where you can find the new Jim Beam Vanilla near you, and to see all the cocktails you can make with it! Make sure you let me know how you like it in the comments!

Thanks for reading, and have a Happy 4th of July!

Valerie

This post was sponsored by Jim Beam Vanilla and HEX. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Styled Muse possible! 

Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale

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Happy Friday! I decided to kick off this Memorial 3 day weekend with my favorite picks from the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale. This is one of the biggest sales they have of the year (the other one being the Anniversary Sale, which I will also share my picks in July). What I love about this sale is that designer items are included. I saw a YSL bag for over $500 off, like whoa! But of course it sold out right after I saw it. Items go super fast, so if you see anything you like, make sure you jump on it.

Anyways, most of the shirts above I currently have in my shopping cart, and I’m having a hard time trying to figure out which ones to get! Help me out by commenting below with which one I should purchase and style for you guys! I have really been wanting a robe, so this one is a must for me! After going through my closet last weekend, I realized I didn’t have enough short sleeved shirts for summer! I’m in love with this sheer one! I also have this one in the color “Neon Pink” in my cart, even though it’s not on sale, I just couldn’t pass it up! The color is perfect for summer with a pair of white skinny jeans.

They also have a lot of home decor on sale. I love these white shag pillows! I currently have them on my living room couch as you can see in the below photo :).  The pink flamingo pillow I found at Michael’s Craft Store, and the banana leaf pillows are from Shein, but you can find similar ones from Target!

Couch Pillows

I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend. I plan on going camping (well, I guess glamping because my parents have a camper with AC and showers, haha) at the lake about an hour from our house. The weather is supposed to be pretty bad this weekend, so hopefully I will have a little dry time to hit up the beach for a little while because I really need a tan! Haha. What are your Memorial Day Weekend plans? Let me know in the comments!

Valerie

How To Get Rid Of Dark Undereye Circles

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Happy Wednesday! We are SO close to the weekend. I know I have mentioned this before, but, I have been working a lot of overtime at my job lately. I am in the process of searching for a new car, so I need all the extra money I can get for a down payment. But all of this overtime has been making me extremely tired! You can really tell under my eyes. I have never really had an issue with under eye bags/dark circles until now (I guess that’s what happens when you get older?).

I decided to take action to find a product to prevent this. I’m going to share 3 things I started doing to help get rid of dark circles, bags, and fine lines:

Drink Water: I know this sounds super simple, but it’s the truth. I have noticed that when I drink the proper amount of water I need, I always feel and look a whole lot better (I can really tell a difference with my skin!).

Cooling Pack: I found an eye therapy gel bead face mask at dollar tree one day, and decided to give it a try. I let it set in my fridge for a few hours, then put it on my face while watching Netflix. The cooling sensation helps my strained eyes to relax, since I stare at a computer screen all day.

Try an eye mask: When VII Code contacted me about their Oxygen Eye Masks, I knew I had to give them a try! They sent me a box of 6 pairs of eye masks. But these aren’t your ordinary eye masks. These you can leave on for up to 8 hours! Which means you can put it on before bed, and go to sleep and take them off in the morning. This was the first thing that made me fall in love with them. When I get home from working overtime, I cook dinner, take a shower then head to bed. I don’t really have time to put on a mask and sit around for it to complete the process. The VII Code Oxygen Eye Mask saves me a lot of time!

The material of the mask is gel-like, and has a lot of essential vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, botanicals peptides and essential fatty acids that work together to provide your undereye everything it needs to be healthy and prevent tired eyes, dark circles and fine lines. The eye masks conform to the shape around your eye. You can can apply the eye mask 2-3 times a week, with 3 boxes (18 eye masks) needed for a full course of treatment. On the days you don’t use the eye mask, you can apply the cool therapy gel bead mask.

After applying the mask for the first time, my under eyes felt very moisturized and more awake. I could also tell the darkness under my eyes start to disappear (and that was only with the first treatment!). You can purchase the VII Code Oxygen Eye Mask from Amazon.

What are your remedies for getting rid of dark undereye circle? Let me know in the comments!

Valerie

This post was sponsored by VII Code. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Style Muse possible!