I just got my very first haul in the mail from Blush.com! I quickly snapped a picture and thought I could do an picture haul here on ElleandBlair.com. 

Here's what I picked:
 

1. Essie Nail Polish in Marshmallow. A gorgeous white that is perfect for touching up the tips of your french manicures. I tend to wear French manis and pedis a lot, so I love having a crisp white on hand for touch ups to make it last as long as possible.
    
2. Essie Nail Polish in Angel Food. A soft, pillow pink. Beautiful and natural, and can be worn both alone and in combination with the Marshmallow color for a beautiful French manicure at home. 
    
3. Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon. A gorgeous cream color for cheeks and lips. I plan to take this with me to Cabo next week; it's that perfect poolside color that makes you look naturally beautiful. 
    
4. Stila Smudge Crayon in Kitten. This product has been on my wish list forever!! I am in love with the Stila eyeshadow in Kitten, which also happens to be one of my 4 picks for this month, but I had never tried it in the Smudge Crayon. I am so in love. It is gorgeous, shimmery, and creamy. Think Kitten eyeshadow without the fallout! Another Cabo "must-have". 
    
5. Stila Set and Correct Baked Powder Trio. This product is really interesting. It's basically a setting powder with three color correctors built in. You twist the lid and it shaves off bits of powder to then pick up with your loose powder brush. It's a bit ingenious actually... I am really enjoying the packaging of this one. The only downside is that the packaging is a bit bulky... but the product itself makes up for that. The green minimizes redness (acne, rosacea, etc), the lavender perks up sallow undertones, and the peach brightens and illuminates. 
    
6. Glo-minerals Corrective Camouflage Kit. I have used color correcting concealers before, but I love how this one has all 4 colors in a tiny little compact. This is super easy to throw in a makeup bag, as it doesn't take up much space, and it has all the color correctors you would need. Inside the package there is a little pamphlet describing what each color does, which is a great learning tool if you are new to color correctors. 
   -The Yellow conceals mild redness, under-eye circles with a purple undertone, dark spots, and bruises. 
   -The Mint conceals blemish redness, scars, rosacea, and red blotches.-The Lavender conceals yellow, gray, and green bruises, sallow complexions, and really bad under-eye circles. 
   -The Neutral is used over the color correctors but under your foundation to help blend out the colors and make you skin look really natural. 
    
7. Tocca Love Yourself Set. I had been wanting to try this collection for EVER, so I was so excited to order one. Comes with 7 samples of their top fragrances, so you can try a new one every day of the week. 
    
8. Tocca Candele Da Viaggio Set. Comes with 4 travel size candles with gorgeous scents! This set also comes with an adorable Tocca matchbook... perfect for matchbook collectors! I must say... the packaging on these are stunning.

Do you guys like blog post picture hauls? I haven't really done these before, but they are faster and more "in the moment'" than doing video hauls so I thought you guys might like it every now and then! Let me know in the comments which you prefer!

P.S. Blush has a coupon code for the next 6 days! Use the code "SKYLARK" for $20 off $100 or more plus FREE 1-3 day shipping! (Shipping for US only). YAY! Happy shopping!

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Hi lovelies! How fabulous is this ensemble?! I am beyond obsessed with the pink coat. It’s so chic…the color, the tailoring, everything; it’s just absolutely gorgeous. I really like the idea wearing a coat like this if there’s still a little coolness in the air where you live. The color makes it seasonally appropriate, even if the weight and style of it aren’t something that you’d typically pair with the springtime.

I have no idea where the pieces in the photo are from, but I went on the hunt for similar items so that you and I can try to recreate this look on our own! Here’s what I found:

To create a similar look, you need a great pink coat, a ladylike dress and some rose gold pumps. Polish things off with a pretty red pout and you’re set to go! Here’s where you can find the items in the collage:

Mango Slim-fit retro style double-breasted coat in blossom, $98.99
H&M Dress, $24
Enzo Angiolini Rose Gold Leather Pumps, $69.99

What do you think of this look? Would you wear a bright pink coat like this? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

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Photo is from here.
 

Hey guys! You know the drill… follow the links below to check out a few of my favorite things that I spotted on the web this week. Let me know in the comments which one is your fav!

1. Still have a sweet tooth craving after the Oreo Butt Cakes? I am obsessed with these adorable pink “Sno Balls” – chocolate cakes covered in marshmallow and coconut. Click here for the recipe and let me know if you give them a try.
   

   

2. This is pretty interesting – this page of “International Number Ones” shows you what every country is the best at. Click here to check it out. Which is the most surprising to you?
    
3. Every house needs to have one of these NOW – check out this “Sleeping Porch” and tell me you wouldn’t love a nice nap in there:
    
4. OMG I love this list of “Perfect Animal Moments”. Which photo is your favorite?
    
5. And finally, here’s some fun for all my pizza lovers. Did you know that 36% of people consider pizza the perfect breakfast? Do you agree or disagree?? Check out BuzzFeed’s 6 Surprising Pizza Pie Charts here.
    

Tell me your favorite one in the comments!

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Hi everyone! So as you guys may or may not know, I’ve training and running a 5K about 3 times a week for the past 5 or 6 weeks. I’ve been really committed and have been consistently improving on my times with each run, however, I noticed a dramatic difference in both my running experience and my time as soon as I switched to a new pair of shoes. 

I got the new Nike Free Run 5.0 shoes, and they’re the kind that make you feel like you’re almost running barefoot. I wasn’t a fan of these before because I didn’t feel like they game my feet enough support, but after hearing so many people suggest that I get them, I decided to give them a try. The day that I tried them out for the first time, my time went down a minute. That might not seem like a lot, but when you feel like you’re already going as fast as you ever could and then you shave that much off your time, it is a big difference!

I got them in black but I’m a little mad at myself for not getting one of the more colorful options. Even if they didn’t go with as many outfits as the black, I still sort of wish I had one of the bright colors. But either way, I’m very happy with my new shoes, and it’s made me appreciate how important it is to make sure that you have the right pair of workout shoes for whatever exercise that you’re doing!

What are your go-to workout shoes these days? Do you have a favorite pair?

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Mother's Day is 2 days away! Eek! For those of you looking for a last minute gift, I created a video with a few ideas. I have suggestions for both those of you with a little money to spare, and those of you with a little time to spare.


After filming this video I went ahead and completed the I Love You Coupon book that I described in the video. At this point you know what my moms favorite gifts were from me, so let's make this a year your mom will remember too. Unfortunately, not all years will be perfect (remember the year I made you a clay carrot, Mom?) but hopefully I can help you make this one special.

Here is how I made it:

1. Cut sheets of construction paper or card stock into quarters. This is the perfect size for this kind of book!
2. Hole punch your papers.
3. Attempt to not get the little holes that punch out all over your carpet, but probably fail.
4. Tie the papers together with ribbon. I used leftover Christmas present ribbon! I added extra pieces to make them extra flouncy.

After that all you have to do is personalize it! Inside I have a bunch of reasons why I love my mom and fun coupons for her to redeem. They are a bit different than from when I was a kid though... coupons like "Redeem for a free dishwashing" were replaced with "I'll come visit you whenever you want!" and "I'll treat you to a pedicure".

You can use this same book idea for other things as well! You could fill it with yummy recipes for her, or you could make it a photo book with pictures of you and her! Just get creative and make her whatever you think she would like!

If one of these ideas isn't your "perfect" gift, here are a few more!

A spa gift certificate for a facial or massage.

You can get her a baby plant with new gardening gloves if she likes to garden. My Mom always has fresh flowers going around our house, so this idea came to mind.

You could make her a tiny dainty ring like the ones I show in my Dainty Rings video. 

When in doubt girls, give her flowers. Every woman likes fresh flowers 

What are you going to get your Mom?

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Hi guys! Today I wanted to tell you about my absolutely favorite whitening toothpaste –Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste.

This is a toothpaste that I started using totally randomly a while ago… I bought it on a whim because I was out of toothpaste, and I saw it and thought I’d give it a try. I’ve never had a certain toothpaste that I loved, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to test out a new one.

A couple weeks after I got it I noticed that it was working SO well and that my teeth were already way whiter than before. I tweeted that I had been using this toothpaste for a couple weeks now that I felt like it was already making my teeth whiter, and asked my followers if they thought it was the placebo effect…. And SO many people tweeted me back right away and were telling me how this toothpaste has worked for them, so I think it really does work!

The best part about this toothpaste is that if you have really sensitive teeth like me, it won’t sting or bother you.  I can’t even use Crest Whitestrips because my teeth are sooo sensitive, so I was kinda scared to try this toothpaste. But I promise, I can’t even feel it! have really sensitive teeth, I can’t even use Crest Whitestrips because my teeth are so sensitive. So I was kinda scared that my teeth would be sensitive, but I can’t even feel it, it doesn’t sting or anything.

And all you have to do is brush your teeth, which you were going to do anyways!

What’s your favorite toothpaste? Do you have a whitening paste that you love? Leave it in the comments below 

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Hi beauties! Are you into nail trends these days as much as we are? We are looving all of the pretty polishes this spring, but as much as we love blogging about them, we are dying to see what YOU guys are are loving, too. So show us what you’ve got!

We want to see what fabulous spring manicures you guys can come up with, and to celebrate your creativity, FIVE lucky readers will win a set of OPI nail polishes in two of our favorite colors! Submit your photos for a chance to win both Elle’s favorite spring staple (OPI’s Pink Friday) and Blair’s favorite spring staple polish (OPI’s Do You Lilac It?). 

To enter the giveaway, here’s what to do:
 

1. Snap a photo of your favorite spring manicure that you’ve done yourself
2. Upload it to your ElleandBlair.com user profile. (For more detailed directions on how to do that, just click here.)
3. Leave a comment below telling us about your manicure and include a link to the photo.
4. Check back in a week on May 16th when we’ll announce the five winners!

What’s your favorite spring manicure?

We can’t wait to see! Good luck!

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Blair and I have exciting news! We have partnered with a new makeup shopping site to lead their beauty curator panel! I made a video all about it, but click here to check out the new site!


Plus, I have 5 Lauren Merkin clutches to giveaway! Check out my Facebook page for all the details. 

What are you favorite products from the site?

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You know those mood boards that people sometimes have to inspire them? I am a bit more of a hands on person, so I actually created a real life "mood board". I have been wanting a garment rack for ages, and I finally found this adorable one on Amazon for only $17. Totally a steal! It matches my room decor and looks totally fashion forward... I am so in love with it! Right now it is full of my favorite spring pieces, so lots of color, both neon and blush tones. I find myself getting dressed in front of this every day instead of venturing into my closet! 

When the season changes I will spice it up with new pieces, but for now here is a tour of what's currently on my fashion rack.


Do you have a garment rack? What do you have on it? 

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Imagine a world where the government told you who to marry and love. Who to have a family with, who to spend the rest of your life with. That is Cassia's world. Check out my review on this amazing book!

 
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While I love me a pretty Chanel bag (who doesn’t?!), I’ve never considered myself a big Chanel makeup fan. But this all changed when Mom gave me a Chanel pressed powder compact for my birthday. It’s the Poudre Universelle Compacte (also know as the natural finish pressed powder) and it’s a bit more expensive than your average powder compact, but I’m telling you—it’s so worth the spurge. I don’t typically spend a lot of money like this on makeup, but I can understand why my mom really wanted me to try it. It’s too amazing!

In the middle of the day when my face starts to get shiny because I have super oily skin, I just swipe it on really quick and my skin looks instantly flawless with a natural finish. I apply it down my nose, my chin and across my forehead. It takes away the shine instantly without creating a cakey look or feel (which is something I often find with pressed powder). 

I have a lot of face products but this is one that I don’t think I could live without. It makes such a difference and I haven’t even broken out from it, which is a good sign too. I truly believe that there are some products that aren’t worth the splurge, but this is one really is worth it. To be honest, I cannot imagine not ever buying it again. LOL. It’s become such an essential in my makeup bag so as soon as I run out you best believe I’ll be purchasing it again

Have you ever tried this powder before? What’s your favorite pressed powder?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Photo is from here.