February Favorites 2017 (Fashion & Beauty)

*Click the images to shop my February Favorites*

Here are some of the fashion and beauty products that I've been diggin' lately for the month of February. Find out what my favorite tote and sneakers are when I'm on-the-go and running errands. As well as my favorite skincare product that has helped my skin look its best. Press play to watch the video!

Fashion Favorites

Leith Stripe Shirt / New Balance '574' Sneakers (Big Kids)

• Leith Stripe Shirt - This shirt is one of my staple items in my wardrobe. I've always liked the simple and clean lines of a windowpane print, but I haven't seen one that I liked until I found this shirt. I like the light, crepe material of this fabric that makes it breathable for warmer days. It's also a great layering piece for the cooler months. I've layered this underneath a dress, a crop top, and by itself. It's a very versatile top that can transition throughout the season depending on how you style and layer it. You can wear it to work or when you want to look cute while you're running errands.

Click to read more of my February Favorites...

I did go a size up when I picked this up last year. It was the last one in store, and I really wanted it. I also didn't mind sizing up because I wanted the loose fit. Although after washing and throwing it in the dryer, the shirt has shrunk a little bit. It's still a loose fit, but the length of the sleeves and shirt is slightly shorter. So you might take that into consideration if you're thinking of purchasing this one.

• New Balance sneakers - Maybe it comes with age, but the older I got, I tend to gravitate to more comfortable and practical shoes. At least it's been like that lately. Although, I don't think I'll ever wear Crocs (but never say never). Anyway, these New Balance shoes has been dubbed as man-repeller sneakers by some already. But, I actually happen to like how they look AND feel. They're one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Sneakers should be comfortable to begin with, but trust me, I've worn some uncomfortable ones.

I love how these sneakers are very light on your feet. I can find myself walking in these for the whole day especially if I ever find myself going to a theme park one day. I've also had 'grey New Balance sneakers' on my wishlist for awhile now, and I'm glad I found these in the Big Kids section at Nordstrom. For reference, I'm take a size 6 in Women's shoes (Women's version). I got these in a size 5 for Big Kids. Yes, I get that they have that very "dad shoes" look to them, but they look so great with skinny jeans (like this one from Topshop that I love).  I can't wait to wear them this spring with some distressed shorts and the same top pictured. They're just a classic pair of sneakers to me which can go with any casual outfit. These also brings back feelings of nostalgia when they were popular back in the 90s.

Sole Society 'Ravin' Tote Bag

Because I couldn't justify buying the Saint Laurent tote (yet), I'm glad to have come across the Sole Society tote bag. It has a similar silhouette, without the insane price tag. I mainly wanted a tote bag to carry my essentials when traveling and when I'm on-the-go with my laptop. I have this prehistoric 15" MacBook Pro that has the CD/DVD player built-in which is heavy. This bag is sturdy and roomy enough to fit my laptop, my laptop charger (not pictured below), another bag, my bullet journal, and snacks. So far this bag is holding up pretty well. I've also used this on my recent trips to San Francisco and Vegas as my other carry-on bag. I love how it can carry a ton of stuff, and that it can hold my huge laptop.

What's Inside: 15" MacBook Pro (early 2011...  it's basically in pre-school), Leuchtturm1917 dot-grid notebook, external charger, Balanciaga bag (in case I might want a "smaller" bag to carry around at some point of the day), snacks, Vita Coco

Beauty Favorites

Garnier Smooth Air Dry Anti-Frizz Cream* / Garnier Clearly Brighter Argan Nut Exfoliating Cleanser*

It seems like I'm having a moment with Garnier products since I mentioned their Micellar water in my January Favorites. I received some of their 2017 product releases late last year as a PR sample, and I've been trying out a lot of them. I've always been a fan of Garnier's products and have used up a some of their products (see my Empties video), so I'm glad to find new favorites for this year!

• Garnier Smooth Air Dry Anti-Frizz Cream - Lately, on the days that I do wash my hair, I like to apply this anti-frizz cream after I've towel-dried my hair. I like to apply a dollop on the palm of my hands and evenly apply on my hair using a wide tooth comb. When I'm not in a hurry or I'm just going to be home, I prefer to air dry my hair to minimize any heat damage to my hair as much as possible. This helps dry my hair nicely and smoothly with out the frizz leaving it feeling soft and fluffy.

• Garnier Clearly Brighter Argan Nut Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser - I love this cleanser! This cleanser does a great job of cleaning my pores. The exfoliating particles in this cleanser is gentle enough that it's great for daily use. Not to mention, they use the shells from the Argan nut as the exfoliator which is better for the environment and no part of the nut is unused. I've noticed that my face has gotten brighter after a week of using this cleanser. It has also helped lighten the stubborn acne discolorations that I've had and improve the overall quality of my skin. I like the light citrusy scent of this cleanser and how it lathers nicely which makes my skincare routine much more enjoyable.

Benefit Cosmetics Ka-brow!* (Sorry for the dirty looking angled brush...)

If you've seen my brow routine, you know that I've only been using Benefit Cosmetics brow products for my eyebrows. While I still love the Goof Proof Brow Pencil and the Precisely, My Brow Pencil, I decided to give the Ka-Brow! Cream-Gel a shot too. And what do you know... I also ended up loving it. First of all, how cute is this packaging? I like how they thought about including the angled brush with the eyebrow gel tub. You pop out the wand on top, flip it back, attach it to the jar lid, and you have a travel size brush that you can actually use! It makes it easier and more convenient to travel with this eyebrow gel. You also don't have to worry about storing the eyebrow brush in your makeup bag because it's has it's own cover. And the angled brush is not that type of brush you can't even use, it's actually a really good angled brush. It's a great size to shape your eyebrows with and to draw hair-like strokes for a more natural look. I haven't had any issues with the brow gel drying up on me, and I love how the cream-gel easily applies on to my brows and sets my brow hair in place. The only thing bad I can say about this product is that it didn't come with a spoolie. But then again, there's really no spot for a spoolie in the jar. So I'll have to make sure I pack one or use the spoolie in Precisely, My Brow pencil instead.

 

essie Gel Couture Ballet Inspired Nudes in "Hold the Position*" and "Lace Me Up*" 

These are my top two favorite colors from the essie Gel Couture Ballet Inspired Nudes collection. I mean if I can pick all the colors, then yes, all of them are my favorite. But, these two shades has stolen my heart. I have been into nudes everything, so this is no surprise. I like how dainty and feminine these nail polishes are. "Hold the Position" is this pretty coral peach pink and "Lace Me Up" is a very pale rose pink. Both colors look great on your toes or fingernails. I much prefer the Hold the Position as a pedicure color because it really brightens up my toes. These will be my go-to spring colors this year! I do want to point out that since Lace Me up is much lighter shade, I found this nail polish to be a little bit more streaky when it comes to the application. I would need at least three coats to get a nice, opaque shade. But I think it's still a little better than the other nail polish that I've tried that is similar to Lace Me up. Also, I just love this color so much, that I don't mind applying the extra coat.

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That's another list of favorites for the books. If you haven't checked out my previous favorites video, you can click here for my YouTube Favorites playlist and here for my previous blog posts. I'm going to try to have a companion blog post whenever I post a favorites video on my channel if I have more to say on the product.

Let me know if there are any products you're currently loving as well on the comments below!

Shop My February Favorites

FTC: This post contains items that have either been gifted or provided as a press sample by the brand/PR company for consideration and has been marked with an asterix(*). Not a sponsored post, and all opinions are my own. Please refer to my Disclaimer page for more information.