Pinspiration: Summer Heat

For the past week or so, it has been hotter than all get out here in sunny South Carolina.  And I mean hot to the point where you start sweating before your brain even processes that you are indeed outside.  Days often consist of lots of whining and wishing to be just about naked in order to stand the heat.  So I decided to put together a few of my favorite pins showing outfits that are still fashionable, but will feel like wearing almost nothing! ;) [As always, none of these photos are my own and they have been linked to their pinned origin.]

Summer Bucket List

So I've seen a few other bloggers have been sharing their summer to do lists or summer bucket lists and I thought I'd write one out for myself!  I always plan a lot of things in the summer time, but often either forget I wanted to do it or just never get around to it.  I feel like writing out a list and making the ideas tangible almost holds you accountable.  And it's oh so satisfying to check things off your list!  I know I've checked a few things off my lifetime bucket list in the past couple months and I feel so accomplished!!

Explore the area and take pictures of cool places and things

Visit the local record shop

Continue my surfing lessons

Read at least 3 books

Blog at least twice a week

Get outside as often as possible

Set up a studio area for painting 

Have a Shark Week party

Go to a concert

Go to the local Farmer's market

Spend more than one day in Charleston

Set up my bedroom exactly the way I want it

Learn a new craft

Do more Yoga

I'm sure this list will get longer as I think of things, but I think this is a pretty reachable list of things to check off for this summer!  I'll be adding a link to the top of the blog's home page and tagging all of my completed adventures! But I also want to take a moment to acknowledge all of the things I've already done! I know it's not technically summer yet, but here at the beach, as soon as the weather gets consistently perfect, it's summer time.  So quick shout out to this new, adventurous person I've become!

 

XO, Briana

Endless Summer

It's just the beginning of December and we are swiftly approaching several months of unbearable cold. We've already seen our first snowfall here in the Northeast!  These are trying times for people like me who are naturally creatures of the sun and warmth.  And also for those of us who suffer from that weird seasonal depression syndrome thing.  Basically, I hate the winter.  So I do what I can to create an endless summer for myself!  It's the only way to truly survive until next summer!  So I'm going to share with you my top five tips to keep it summer in your brain when it's definitely not summer outside.

1. Create a Summery Atmosphere

A lot of us have sensory triggers that make us think of summer: the sounds of the ocean, the smell of tropical fruits, the unparalleled warmth of the sun on our skin.  So in order to make it feel like summer, take a few easy steps to create that scene in your bedroom.  

First, get some summer scented candles!  I personally have a large collection of candles, most of which are scents like "Endless Ocean" and "Pina Colada."  However, my new favorite set is the Old Factory Vacation Set!  Three small all soy, hand-poured candles are packaged in an adorable box, and each candle smells better than the next!! The ones in this set are called "Sea Breeze," "Hawaiian Lei," and "Awapuhi." The smell great when burnt separate and amazing together! Light these babies up and you've got that summer scent in an instant!  (Also, if you need candles for other occasions, Old Factory has several great sets with witty names like "50 Shades" and "Coffee Shop") You can get the vacation set and/or any of there other sets HERE! Much thanks to Old Factory and Brand Backer for letting me try these awesome candles!!

Crank up the heat!  Turn the heat up in your house, or get a space heater and sit next to it with all of your lights on.  This might run up your electric bill, but it will also make you feel like you're getting your tan on in Hawaii or somewhere warm of your choosing.

If you're going for the long haul, paint your room in bright summer colors!  That way, it'll feel like summer all year long, in your room at least!! My childhood bedroom has been painted in this pallet along with hibiscus flower stencils and homemade surfboards hanging on my wall.  It definitely made getting through high school a much better experience for me, haha.  But if you don't want to commit to something so, well, loud, then you could always get a tapestry or a beachy quilt to spruce up the place.

       

2.  Wear Bright Colors

In the Winter, we instinctively turn to darker colors like black, gray, black, burgundy, and black. Also we wear a LOT of black.  However, this doesn't have to be the case!  Just because the winter darkens our souls (I guess?) doesn't mean we have to dress like that!  Keeping within the realms of Winter clothing, you can throw in a hot pink bag, a bright blue dress, or killer orange shoes with your boring Winter colors to give your outfit a pop!  Also, throw in some summer textiles/patterns if you like! One of my favorite tricks is to pick one of my favorite summer tanks and pair it with jeans and a sweater!  Check out my Island Style pinboard for inspiration!

Follow Briana Rivas's board Fashionista {Island Style} on Pinterest.

3.  Pump Up the Jams!

Create a Summer playlist and play it nice and loud!  Pick songs that remind you of Summer or of memories you have from Summers past.  It will make you happier, I promise!  If you don't want to make your own, or just need a little inspiration, check out my Summer Vibe playlist on Spotify!

4. Use Summer Beauty Products

Pretty much all of the skin and hair care products I buy are purchased for their scent.  And most of those have a summery scent!  So grab your beach wave spray and your coconut body wash and get your Summer on! Or, get a nice summer glow going with some sunless tanning lotion! Also, using a tropical or citrus scented perfume will leave not only your hair but your whole body smelling like you spent the day on the beach! Here are some of my favorites!!

[ Malibu Tan Hemp Golden Glow Skin Firming Bronzing Moisturizer | OGX Kukui Oil Frizz Defying Curl Cream | OGX Moroccan Sea Salt Spray | Victoria's Secret PINK Sun Kissed Perfume ]

5. Get in a Summer State of Mind

Think about all of the things that make you love summer so much.  How does it make you feel? What things do you do?  What foods do you eat?  What places do you visit?  Try implementing some of these things (within reason of course) into your daily life to invoke the sense of the season.  For example, if you eat a lot of tropical fruits in the summer (or drink a lot of them if you know what I mean), then do that same thing every once in a while to bring your mind back to when you ate/drank that in the summer.  Keep your vibes happy and positive, while doing all of the above and you're bound to have a much happier winter!!  Aloha!

XO, Briana

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Clinging To Summer: Wish List

Even though fall is technically my favorite season, I freaking love summer.  I can live without the scorching temps, but it's the vibe of summer.  That's what I'm all about.  Beach days, tropical drinks, bright colors, flowing dresses, and a wide variety of accessories.  Love it all.

I've always been the "surfer girl" type, even though I still haven't learned to actually surf.  I'm working on it, ok?! But for real, I've always wanted to learn.  When I was 14 and I finally got to redecorate my room from my baby wallpaper, it was all Maui, all day.  The walls are lime green with Caribbean blue, coral, and orange accents.  The border is painted over with stenciled Hibiscus flowers, and my mom and I even DIY'd some awesome fake surfboards for the wall.  Additionally, I had a grass bed skirt, a quilt with flip flops and flowers, and a cool umbrella over my bed.  Remember, these were the times of Trading Spaces so it was pretty "themey," but I loved it.  And I still do.

I bought books on how to surf, searched it on the internet all the time, and yearned for the days when I'd be at the beach.  I rocked the bohemian look along with a plethora of O'neil, Roxy, and Billabong tees with trucker hats, tie dye, and tons of hemp arm candy.  (see throwback pics below.)

This was teenage me for most of high school and college, with a little bit of prep thrown in (since American Eagle was the go to store at that time.)  As I am now, I was still a little all over the place.  But I've always liked that aesthetic and I still do.  I feel like it matches my personality: colorful, laid back, and fun!

With that all being said, I've recently come across some awesome things I'm dying to have before summer bids us farewell.  (Aka, until I can wear shorts without freezing my butt off.) I have a habit of keeping new things I find open in separate safari sessions on my phone.  So here are the things that currently reside there.

Wonderland Honolulu- Aloha Yoga Legging 

Aloha Xchng- Tropical Gangster Muscle Tee

Lil Coconut Hawaii- Island Girl Status Clutch

Ocean Ave. (via Society6)- You Had Me At Aloha Tee

Hana Maui Creations (via Etsy)- Gold Wave Ring

"No Makeup" Makeup Look

Hey everyone! And helloooo August! As we make our way into the hottest month of the year, our hair is expanding and our makeup is melting as soon as we step out of our air conditioned homes.  Great.  But there are a few things we can do to find the happy medium between "I don't care, it's too hot," and "I care way too much even though it's hot."  Enter the "no makeup"/natural makeup trend.  Girls, this is to our advantage!  I'm talking minimal, lightweight makeup that's barely there but still enhances that natural beauty of yours!

A light amount of makeup is great for a very hot August day, a day by the pool or beach, or anywhere you're planning on sweating! I know a lot of people have something to say about wearing makeup to the beach, but personally I'm not comfortable leaving my house without something on my face.  I have a blotchy complexion and dark under eye circles that I feel are better covered than out to see the world.  So I just put on very minimal makeup to even out my skin and give me enough coverage to feel comfortable.  Without further ado, here is my "no makeup" mini makeup tutorial!!

*Expressionless for makeup viewing purposes only.

Step 1: Tinted Moisturizer 

This little guy is your best friend for summer.  It's like a moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation all in one!  It's lighter than BB cream, but still gets the job done.  I like to use the Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer with SPF.  This is great for the sun because it's lightweight so you won't feel clogged up, the tint gives you the right amount of coverage without looking like a foundation, and the SPF protects your skin from harmful UV rays!

I just start off using about a dime-nickle size amount and just rub it all on my face and neck.  Make sure you blend because it is tinted and you'll be able to see any lines or clumps.  On occasion, I'll just use this by itself, since it does such a great job.  Every step past here is optional, but today I'm going to show you a little bit extra.

Step 2: Concealer

I'm addicted to concealer.  It really is a wonderful thing.  For me, someone who has redness and the occasional blemish flare up, I just go to town with my concealer.  But for this look, the key word is minimum.  So I just put a little bit on my blemishes (if any) and under my eyes to cover those dark circles.  In my opinion, this is good for your tan anyway.  You don't want under your eyes, your blemishes/scars, or your super red areas to burn or get darker anyway.  To me, concealer gives that extra layer of protection.  Like a hat for your skin! I use Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer.  Mine is the double ended wand with the Pure Color Lip Gloss on the other end, but you can buy just the concealer alone.

Like I said, I just pat a little bit under my eyes using my middle finger and on any blemishes or extreme redness I may have that day.  Make sure you blend well so it gives you coverage, but still looks natural.

Step 3: Translucent Powder

This step is optional depending on how you're feeling.  Sometimes I'm feeling a little extra shiny, so I'll just tap on a little bit of translucent powder, even if just to set what I've done.  Here I've used the Mary Kay Translucent Loose Powder.  

Just take a stipple brush and grab some powder.  Either tap on, or swirl the brush in circles to apply.  This will just mattefy what you've already put on and keep it from running or smudging.

Step 4:  Eyebrows

Eyebrows are so so important, even when you're wearing minimal makeup.  Making sure that your eyebrows look crisp and groomed will open up your eyes and your face!  There are several ways to do this, depending on your eyebrows.  Mine are temperamental and like to go all over the place.  They're also scarce in places, so I like to use the Benefit Gimme Brow.  It's a miracle working tinted brow gel that is one of my favorite products! In one foul swoop, my eyebrows are perfectly pigmented and set in place!  No fuss, no muss!  And it looks natural, but clean. It's super easy to use as well: all you do is take the little spoolie and brush it on starting at the front of your brow and work your way to the tips!

If you don't have this brow product, you can use a clear brow gel or mascara like this one, or a wax pencil like this one.  There are so many things made just for your eyebrows nowadays so if you have trouble finding something, then you haven't looked hard enough!!  Don't be afraid to try out different things and find one you like the best!

Step 5: Liner

No, we are not using thick black eyeliner, or anything crazy.  Just a little trick I picked up in my many years of using makeup!  To open up our eyes even more, we're going to tightline our water line with a pearly white liner!  I used to use stark white, but then I read somewhere that using a slightly off white, looks more natural and is closer to the whites of your eyes!  So I picked up this Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner in Pearl Beige.  

Simply use this liner along your waterline and in the corners of your eyes! It not only give you a nice glow, but will also make your eyes look bigger!

Step 6:  Lashes

Again, this is optional.  But for me, I like to use just a little bit of mascara to open up my eyes!  It's the finishing touch to my "no makeup" look!  The key here is waterproof.  Believe me, if you know you're going to sweat, you don't want to wear regular mascara!  Unless you're going for the raccoon look, then by all means go for it.  But seeing as that's not what we're going for, I used the Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in the blackest black I could find.  I have super dark hair, so I use black and only black mascara.  Anyway, this mascara is great for a natural, full lash with that added waterproof protection.  Again, it looks like you're just having a really good lash day (if that's even possible). Just lift and wiggle on your top lashes and also your outer bottom lashes to really open up your pretty eyes!

Step 7: Lips

Don't forget to protect those luscious lips! I will reiterate what I said in my Beach Essentials Post: people often forget about their lips!  They are just as sensitive to the sun as the rest of your face, so make sure you wear a lip balm with SPF!  This time, I used Sun Bum SPF 30 Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm.  I just got this and I absoluteness love it.  It smells and tastes good (if you accidentally lick it. I don't recommend purposely licking it) and it's greasy in a good way (if you can imagine that).  It gives your lips a nice shine and you can tell easily when it wears off and when it's time to reapply!  They also come in several different flavors!

And viola!  The "no makeup" makeup look! The point here is to say, I look great even without makeup!  Even though you are technically wearing some, it sure doesn't look like you are.  Away with the haters who bash on girls who wear makeup to the beach, pool, or even the gym!  I will not apologize for feeling more comfortable with makeup on and neither should you!  Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with girls who don't wear makeup.  Kudos to you! But for me personally, my skin gets yucky when I don't wear anything and then I'm self conscious about it all day.  So I rock this look!  Also, you can use this look for those days where you just want to do the minimum and still look put together and awake.  Hell, use it whenever you want!

Regardless of when and where you try this look, I hope you like it and test it out for yourself!  Remember, every step past that tinted moisturizer is additional so feel free to mix it up!  If you do try it out, let me know! I want to know what you used, your variations, and how you liked it!  Leave your posts and replies in the comments section! Thus, I leave you with the full product list below!! :)

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer

Mary Kay Translucent Loose Powder

Benefit Gimme Brow

Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner in Pearl Beige

Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara

Sun Bum SPF 30 Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm

XO, Briana

Memorial Day Weekend

So this weekend I was extremely excited to finally go on a mini vacation! Thank.  God.  I've been so worn down lately from working all the time, I really needed to zen out and get a damn tan.  And that I did.  But my long awaited getaway wasn't just for me to have some R&R, but it was also Memorial Day, as you know, and more importantly my lovely mother's big 50th Birthday!! So it was quite the eventful time.

We started it all off with the tedious, yet worth it, 10 hour drive from Philly to Myrtle Beach, SC.  We stayed over at a hotel half way through, had our shitty continental breakfast, and continued on.  When we finally arrived, we ran a few errands, which included a visit to the new supermarket down the street.  I kid you not, this place was like Disney World.  Definitely the most entertaining supermarket I've ever been to.  Also with the most variety; I mean any cheese you could ever possibly want, they have it.  I even found some pretty pineapples to Instagram for s's and g's.  So after that adventure, we hung out for a bit, unpacked our stuff, and then our cousins joined in time for dinner.  

Later that evening, I got to catch up with some of my good friends from my old job.  We had a couple beers and lots of laughs at our local little hot spot, that I miss almost as much as I miss them.  Ok I miss them wayyy more, Haha.  It's nice to know there are people who will make time for you, even if it's last minutes. Those kind of friends are definite keepers.

The next day my family and I headed over to more of our family's house to celebrate my Mom's birthday and an early Memorial Day.  We had lots of great food, went swimming in the pool, took a walk to the beach, and took lots of great photos!  My mom really enjoyed it and told us it was a birthday she'd never forget.  I won't soon forget it either. 

In honor of the patriotic weekend, I wore my Memorial Day outfit early.  I like to make sure everyone gets to see the outfits I strategically plan out, especially when I order a piece two days before wearing it just for that outfit.  You know I'm dedicated.

Pants: Old Navy | Tank Top: Old Navy | Denim Shirt: Gap | Shoes: Sperry | Necklace: Amazon | Earrings: American Eagle | Bracelets: Forever 21

Check out all of the items I wore (or similar) all put together on my WGWT profile!

On Sunday, we spent the entire day on the beach.  This is my ideal place.  You literally have to drag me out screaming to get me to leave.  Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea.  It was a beautiful day, warm with a nice breeze; just how I like it.  We spent the time talking and reading and making fun of my cousin trying to do handstands in the ocean. (lol)  After washing up, we went out to dinner and embarrassed my cousin (yep same one) for his birthday by getting the employees to sing to him.

After a wonderful day with the family, I headed out for some more fun time with my friends.  We headed out to the beach for a couple of beers and a good time, and that is exactly what we had.  I won't write much about it, since it was one of those indescribable moments that are better left cherished in memory.  It remaindered me that I am still young and in the prime years of my life, and I need to take advantage of that now before it's too late!  It was a night I will never forget.  

I went with the more than appropriate Bohemian vibe for Sunday's outfit.  Seeing as I am already in my "summer mermaid" mood, I haven't washed my hair with anything more than salt water in days and there are still some braids left unattended to.  And it still looked damn good.  Rock on, beach waves.  Side note: I switched the shoes before I went to the beach and grabbed a hoodie!  I'm fashionable, but I'm not crazy! (ignore my cheesin' lol)

Shorts: American Rag- Macy's | Shirt: Lucky Brand | Vest: American Eagle | Shoes: Ralph Lauren: Denim & Supply- Macy's | Necklace/Earrings: Lucky Brand | Arm Party: Lucky Brand, Rachel Roy, Alex & Ani, Express

Check out all of the items I wore (or similar) all put together on my WGWT profile! 

After a memorable end to a wonderful long weekend, we packed our things and headed back to Philadelphia. It was definitely hard to leave.  Going there this weekend was quite cleansing for me and I had time to just sit back and "contemplate life," for lack of a better phrase.  I really feel more at home when I'm by the beach.  When we got there I literally felt a weight fall off of me and I became totally relaxed and zen. I just want to feel that way all of the time!  But for now, I'll have to wait and see where life takes me in the next few months.  

Want to see more of my outfits or fashion questions I've answered?  Check out my WGWT Profile here!  Or you can go to http://whatgoeswiththis.com to ask me or my fellow bloggers a question! 

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XO, Briana

Summer Glam with Mary Kay!!

Hey everyone!! Who is seriously ready for summer?! Now that spring has finally arrived, I am still unsatisfied and now am craving summer.  Go figure.  I actually am not a huge fan of spring because of allergy season. Yuck.  However, I'm happy that it's reasonably warm and I don't need my boots and coat anymore!

But, in light of the coming season, I've decided to show you a Summer Glam makeup look featuring the wonderful products I received compliments of Mary Kay and Influenster!  Earlier this week I came home to a very happy mail day!  One of my packages was my MKGlam VoxBox!  Included was:

Mary Kay® Bronzing Powder

Mary Kay® Translucent Loose Powder

Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color

Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist 

Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush

Mary Kay® Lash Love® Mascara

Mary Kay® Gel Eyeliner with Expandable Brush Applicator in Jet Black

Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus® Lip Gloss in Mango Tango 

Happy Mail! Top Photo is MK!

Everything in the box was so pretty, fresh, and summery! I was inspired to create my own look using everything! So I'm going to call this my Mary Kay Summer Glam Makeup Mini Tutorial! 

So first up, I primed my face to make it a blank canvas for my makeup. I used my Yes to Blueberries Brightening Eye Roller to de-puff my eyes. This is really great for early mornings! Then I sprayed with my Lush Cosmetics Tea Tree Water Toner. Last I decided to use my Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. Now a lot of times I would use full fledged foundation, especially if I was planning on being photographed. But for this look, I felt that a tinted moisturizer was a better summer option. It's lightweight and gives you that sunkissed, dewy glow! Lastly, I put on a bit of concealer to cover any blemishes, redness, and the dark circles under my eyes that never seem to go away.  I used Benefit's Boing concealer (not shown) which is a lifesaver.

So now that we're prepped and ready, next up is powders!  I started off with the Mary Kay Translucent Powder to set the "foundation" and take away unwanted shine.  So here is what I looked like at this point!

Next I put on the MK Bronzer and the MK Blush! Both had great color and pigmentation. I didn't need to use a whole lot for it to show up. For the bronzer, I used the MK Powder Brush to dust it on the places the sun would normally color your skin. Which is pretty much everywhere except your eyes! I also used it to contour just a smidge under my cheek bones and jaw line. As for blush, I tend to be picky about colors. I usually lean toward a more coral tinted color, and this one is right in between pink and coral. But I absolutely love it. It gave me a nice natural glow that doesn't look like I'm wearing too much. And it's even got a bit of glitter!

Now onto my favorite part, the eyes!  I always love to play up my eyes with makeup! Although most of the time I go for a natural eyeshadow and a classic winged eyeliner.  Which is pretty much what I did here. After touching up my eyebrows, priming my eyelids and white lining my waterline, I moved onto the shadow!

Now I'm not really used to cream eyeshadows.  I've used them before on other people, but I actually think this is now the only one I own!  I have to say though, I really love it.  Its a beautiful color: neutral with a bit of shine, and its not slimy or greasy.  The color is very light, but it could definitely stand alone.  But for me, I like to add a little more depth.  So I used my favorite shadow pallet, Stila's In the Light pallet.

Can you tell which are my favorites? Lol.

I put the MK on my lids, then used the Stila "Kitten" shadow to highlight my brows, then dusted a little of the "Gilded" in my crease.  Also to give my eyes a little more brightness, I put some of the "Bubbly" in the inner corners of my eyes.

There are really a lot of different ways to use this cream shadow.  Another great thing about it is that its very buildable.  I used about two or three light coats to get it to the intensity I liked.  But you could definitely make it stand out even more if you want.

Awkward finger swatch

Next for the eyes was eyeliner!  I am basically the eyeliner queen.  I've been obsessed since about 8th grade and ever since I literally won't leave the house without it!  Well, not until recently when I started working 9 to 5. Now mascara is enough to hold me off, since I already look like I haven't slept in weeks.  Not much I can do to cover that anyway, haha.  But I digress.

This eyeliner is fabulous.  It is the MK Gel Eyeliner, and it came with the little baby brush which is adorable and equally as wonderful. It's also expandable. The liner glides on super smooth and is a really cool texture. It's not really a solid like most gel liners I've tried, but actually "gel" like in texture.  To give you an idea, if I had stuck my finger in it it would have sunk to the bottom!  So really, in this particular case, go light with that brush and less is definitely more. I found myself wiping the brush on the side of the pot even after taking the tiniest bit.  So seriously, don't just dive on in there.  You'll regret it.

Last for my eyes was the mascara. I am a mascara addict. Which is actually funny because I never even used it until my second or third year of college. I always hated the clumpy feeling it gave me. But when I got older, I tried out some different ones and eventually latched on to the Maybelline mascara collection. Seriously I bought like every new one that came out until I found my favorite. But for this look, I used the MK Mascara. I actually really like it. It's not clumpy and it doesn't feel like you're really wearing anything. But it gave my lashes a nice natural boost. I put two coats on my top and one on the outer lashes on the bottom.

I used that little brush for my concealer!

To complete the look, I finished off with the MK lipgloss. I think this is the product I was most excited about when I opened everything up. It's such a fun, bright color and instantly made me think of summer. It's just an overall great gloss!

I had a really great time doing this look! I 100% LOVE all of the Mary Kay products and would recommend them all to everyone! I'll definitely be using them this summer!! Make sure you head over to the Mary Kay website to check out the products I used and the tons of other great things they have to offer! I've been a fan of theirs for many years, as my mom used to be a representative!! So believe me when I say the company is timeless and great quality!

The final look!

I hope you enjoyed reading my first mini makeup tutorial as much as I did writing it! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or anything else! I always love to hear from my readers!

#DWEEB

XO, Briana