summer wedding: what i wore

This past weekend I attended a wedding in Ben's home town of Monroe, Louisiana. I don't know what it is, but I just love weddings. I had a blast. I've had lots of questions about where my dress is from that I wore. So I figured I'd dedicate a post to this dress, because quite honestly, I loved it! 

I'm no fashionista by any means. I swoon over other bloggers who can effortlessly put together chic outfits seven days a week. For me, that magic happens once in a super blue moon. So I thought I'd share my outfit details today, and hair and makeup over the next two days. 

Dress: It's from Target! And, it is still in stores. I saw it yesterday when I was grocery shopping. Online it says it's currently unavailable, but I would hope they re-stock it soon. {mint + lace + mesh = love}

Quilted mint clutch: It's from a local boutique, Blink. Similar style here. I've also seen similar styles at Forever 21. 

White chandelier earrings: These are also from a local boutique, Apricot Lane. Again, you can find similar styles pretty much anywhere. Check places like Forever 21 or Francesca's. 

My heels {not shown}: I wore nude Jessica Simpson (open toe) pumps I bought at Shoe Station years ago. Best investment ever. You're bound to find some great nude pumps from places like Dillard's and Steve Madden. 

Bangles {also not shown}: I stacked some gold bangles on my left wrist that were from Francesca's. 

I'll share how I curl my hair tomorrow; and makeup details {mainly what I depend on to make sure my makeup lasts all night long} on Thursday! xo

happy friday, y'all

One. Abita-Rita + an LSU win in baseball is my kind of Sunday Funday. 

Two. I sometimes think I have a gift of finding the last pair of shoes in my size at Target. 

Three. A pedi + a good mag. All I needed was a massage and it would have been the perfect afternoon. 

Four. Participating in my first Color Run tomorrow. If the run is anything like the race packet pick-up, I'm sure it will be a good time! 

Five. Whew, what a week to be an American. This weeks events in Boston and Texas are heavy on my heart. My prayers and love are with everyone who have been affected by these tragedies. 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

Mallory

happy friday, y'all!

Happy Friday, Y'all! It's been a pretty good week, but still glad it's Friday! Here's a few highlights of my week. 

1. LSU Baseball opening weekend could not have had more perfect weather. Had a wonderful Sunday Funday at The Box and Walkon's. Great way to start the week! 

2. Lavender nails and leopard scarf = love. 

3. I did it. I finally freaking did it. I purchased the new Macbook Pro! I'm LOVING it! 

4. Okay I could not pass up the notebook cuteness at Target. These remind me of Kate Spade, but luckily this 3-pack was only $4. 

5. What's a Friday post without my Carter bear making an appearance? I will finally get to see this munchkin today and I'm just plain excited!

How was your week?? 

Find more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

xo, Mal

Empties (part 2)

In my ongoing efforts to use up the products I own instead of shelving them half-used, today I'm sharing the second part of my empty products from last month...

Up & Up Makeup Remover Towelettes (Target Brand)
These are my preferred makeup wipes. I use these every night before I wash my face to get that first layer of makeup off, so my cleanser doesn't have to do everything. I go through them very quickly which is why they are always on my Target shopping list. 

Seche Vite top coat
Love this top coat. It leaves your nails super glossy and it dries fairly quickly. I didn't re-purchase, but only because I wanted to try the Revlon ColorStay top coat, which I also really like, it's just not as glossy as Seche Vite. 

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
My holy grail mascara. I have no clue how many tubes I've gone through of this, but I always have to have it in my makeup bag.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation
This is my favorite foundation from the drugstore. It's seriously amazing how easy this applies, blends, and stays matte throughout the day. More on this foundation here.

Zoya Nail Polish Remover
My go-to nail polish remover. What I love is the packaging. You stick your cotton ball on the top and the product pumps out in a perfect amount. You can find this at Ulta for around $10.

Maybelline Babylips in Quenched 
It's no secret how much I love this lip balm. More on that here. 

L'oreal Elnett Hairspray
I much prefer a flexible hold hairspray, and I feel that L'oreal Elnett does just that. No stickiness but does give a good hold (for my hair, at least). To be honest, I don't go through hairspray that fast since I don't use it often, but I love how great this one works on my hair when I do need it. 

So that's what I've used up lately. See part one here.
What are your most re-purchased products?

xo, Mal

new maybelline lip products

If you visit CVS or Target as often as I do, you may have noticed all kinds of new displays. 

I am loving pretty much all of what Maybelline has been coming out with. Today I'm talking about the new Color Sensational Vivid Lipsticks and Color Whispers. 

First up, the lipsticks. What drew me to these were the intense colors. There are no nude shades in this line; It's all about the pinks, plums, reds and corals. I much prefer pink lipstick, so I picked up Pink Pop and Hot Plum. Pink Pop is more of my go-to color, and Hot Plum is a fun/risky choice for me. I'm really loving both colors. 

The swatches above are with just one or two swipes. That's some serious pigmentation!

These don't claim to be a long-wearing lip color, but they wear just fine throughout the day. You'll have to re-apply every couple hours to keep the color intensity, but that's pretty standard. These glide on so smoothly, and that's probably because they contain honey nectar. I'm really impressed! 

There's 10 shades in this line, so if you see some colors you like, I highly recommend picking some up! 

And now the Color Whispers. 

These claim to be "truly translucent gel color, with no heavy waxes or oils, for just a kiss of shine." 

There are 20 shades in this line, so it was hard to choose just a couple. 

Here are swatches of the two shades I picked up. I don't recommend any of the nude shades (unless you just want it for the hydration) because these are very sheer, but then again that's the point. I of course purchased a pink shade, and the coral looks like a nice color for the summer time. These are very hydrating, add just a wash of color, and they lasted longer on my lips than I expected. 

Since these are quite sheer, these will show up differently on everyone, it just depends on your natural lip color. I'm really liking these too-- might have to go back and pick up more colors!

Which colors are you loving? 

xo, Mal

happy friday, y'all!

It's.finally.Friday. I'm looking forward to quality time with my friends and family over the next couple of weeks. It's much... much... much... needed. 

1. This week marked two years since I became an LSU grad. And today is the day that my Kateepal comes home for the Holidays from London. If I could type my excitement, it would looks something like this: aslmfiwje;po!!!!;lasjfpwioej!!!palpqpajwfvl;qweior!!ahhhhhh!!!!!!!! Okay I'll stop.

2. There's something about getting a fresh mocha from a cup and saucer that just makes it feel so legit and necessary when it's cold outside. Thank you mother nature for finally realizing it's December. 

3. 'Tis the season to eat gingerbread cookies for breakfast for a week straight, right? Oh... it's not...?

4. As if Target wasn't the amazingness that it is already, all of the Neiman Marcus collection is 50% OFF! In stores and online. I took advantage of this and got the Tory Burch "printed container/thermos/what the hell is this" for $12.00. This sale is for a limited time only, so if you had your eye on something and couldn't justify the price, now is the time to check it out! 

5. How did this little guy get in here? In all seriousness, after the Newtown tragedy last Friday, I am loving on this boy more than I thought possible. I can't wait to spend Christmas with him and the rest of my family. 

I hope you're all having a wonderful Holiday season! We have a lot to be thankful for. 

What kind of plans do you have for the holidays?!

See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog!

xo, Mal

holiday decor!

 

 I just wanted to share the holiday goodness around my apartment. This is my second Christmas here and the most exciting change since last year is my fireplace mantel. I have my amazing father to thank for that fine piece of craftsmanship. There's something about a decorated fireplace mantel for the holidays that just puts me in the spirit. 

Here's a list of where most of it is from, in case you're interested. 

Wreath: Target
Mirrored Mosaic Trees: Target

Reindeer Stocking Holders: Hobby Lobby

Jennifer and Fritz Stockings: Etsy

M & B Stockings: Bed, Bath & Beyond

Martini Glasses: Target

Mirrored Tray: Target

White Feather Tree: Target

Ho Ho Ho print: Target (it's a Christmas card)

Noel Towels: Target

xo, Mal

happy friday, y'all!

Luckily for me, this was a 4 day work week. And I'm looking forward to another one next week thanks to Veteran's Day holiday. Here's a few things from this past week...

One

I won my first blog giveaway! Anna from Fash Boulevard picked me as the winner of her SleepNaked giveaway. SleepNaked was a promotion by Swisspers to encourage women to always take their makeup off before bed-- something I'm a huge advocate for! It's very important for healthy skin! And I'm SO excited that I won! Anna's fashion blog is FABULOUS so be sure to check her out! 

Two

My Target Fall Beauty Bag came in this week. It's full of great samples I can't wait to try from Fekkai, Clear, Pixi, and more. I just hate that this is the last beauty bag Target will ever release! 

Three

My YHL book is in! Is anyone else a Young House Love reader here? If you aren't, you should be. Especially if you are a homeowner. This down-to-earth couple writes a great blog filled with budget-friendly DIYs and easy home improvement tips & stories with some pretty funny commentary. And they've turned their blog into a book [with all new content]. It's awesome!

Four

My day off this week sparked a little trip to Hobby Lobby to get my holiday decor shopping on. Since I'm a little Mantel-excited now that I have a brand new fireplace mantel, I've been on the hunt for the perfect stocking holders. Too soon? I mean, how could I pass up these mosaic mirrored reindeer? [oh wow. i just typed "reindeers" and was confused as to why it was misspelled. go back to third grade, mallory.] 

Five

My dear friend Brittney's dog, Riley, was recently diagnosed with Lymphona. She's stopping at nothing to get Riley the care she needs. So, Brit is raising money to help cover the cost of the chemo Riley will receive. Here's the link if you're interested in donating for Riley!

How did your week go? Any fun things planned for the weekend?

Be sure to also find me on: 

[twitter] [instagram] [pinterest] [bloglovin]

my favorite teeth whitener

If I had a dollar for every "best teeth whitener" phrase I have entered into Google... I might have about $20. [Let's not be over-dramatic here]. There's something about white teeth that makes me feel better about my smile. How about you? I've tried every many different brands. The best luck I've had so far is with the good 'ole Crest Whitening Strips back when I was in high school. 

But it's a love-hate relationship with strips. I love the end result, but I cry like a baby hate when I have tooth sensitivity. That was the biggest problem for me with the Crest Strips. Terrible, terrible sensitivity. And that was the major reason why I had a hard time finishing other boxes of strips. I have quite the collection of half-used whitening strip boxes.

So I went on a [Google] search for a whitener that produces real results without the sensitivity... if that was even such a thing. And I came across this little gem: Luster Premium White. What drew me in was the fact that there are no strips. It's just a gel and an LED light. And Luster guarantees zero tooth sensitivity. 

Luster Whitening Claims: 

"In just one hour you can experience significantly whiter teeth with no tooth sensitivity. The secret is in the light activation technology. The high-energy Activating Whitening Light activates the proprietary Super Whitener Gel to significantly whiten your teeth in only 60 minutes. Zero tooth sensitivity. Zero rebound effect. Dentist designed. Clinically proven whitening results. Satisfaction guaranteed." 

What do you get? And how does it work?

In the box, you get a large bottle of whitening rinse, a small tube of gel [with a brush applicator], and the handheld activating light [with batteries!]. 

Step 1: Rinse with 10ml of the mouth wash for 10 seconds. 
Step 2: Brush the gel on to each tooth. Wait about 15 seconds for it to dry.
Step 3: Place the light against your teeth, press the button, wait 2 minutes. The light beeps and goes off automatically when 2 minutes is up. Then just rinse it all out! 

Side note: the girl on the box looks like a professional at this. 
I didn't feel so pretty while holding the light to my teeth. 

The box says if you want instant whitening, then you should repeat these steps 10-20 times in one hour. Or you can just spread the treatments out over however many days you wish. 
I opted for the five day treatment, which meant I repeated these steps 4 times [at night] for 5 nights straight. Five days is pretty quick if you ask me!

Here's a shot of the ingredients and warnings for those curious! 

My results: 

I forgot to take a before shot, but I would say my teeth weren't too terrible before. But they were definitely yellow from my coffee and diet coke addiction. The yellowest part of my teeth were the sides. Maybe I don't brush correctly, but those were noticeably more yellow than my front teeth. On the shade range sheet provided in the box, I measured myself at an 8. Now I would say I'm a 1 or 2. 

This is in natural lighting... and no Photoshopping! 

I love the results. And the best part, I have ZERO tooth sensitivity! Not even an inkling. So if you want good whitening results with zero sensitivity-- this is your jam! I have some left over and will continue to use whenever I want to touch up right before a weekend or something special! 

Where can you find Luster? 
I found mine at Target and it happened to be on sale for $35.00. I think it's regularly around $40. Which is about the same price you will pay for strips. It's also on Amazon. 

Disclaimer: I was in no way paid for this review. I bought this product with my own money. 
Luster has no clue who I am! I just like to share a good product that has worked for me!

Have you ever used Luster Teeth Whitening? 
What kind of whitening products have you had good luck with? 

happy friday, y'all!

1. Okay how cute is this tray from Target? It's one of the many new additions to my condo. 

2. This is what I don't need to see on my desk on a Monday morning. But the sweet notes from co-workers sure made my day. 

3. My last name is Sharp. See what they did there? ;) 

4. I love Essie polish. I love it even more when I get it for $4 at tj maxx. This is Power Clutch. Lurve. 

5. Learning how to edit videos this week. Adobe. Premiere.Is.Hard. But I really like it! 

See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

Have a good weekend everyone!

color combo crush: mint + pink

I've really been into the color-blocking trend this season.Whether its soft pastels or bright neons, I feel like you can look put togetherin an effortless way by just pairing the right two (or three) colors together in an outfit. What colors are you loving lately? 

top: shopstyle{similar}

shorts: h&m

sandals:target 

necklace:forever 21

bangles:forever 21

ring:forever 21
nail polish: butter london in "teddy girl"