This limited edition Fighting Pretty Glossybox is $40 ($250 value)
This month GLOSSYBOX is collaborating with Fighting Pretty to create a limited edition box! Both brands mission is to help women feel good about themselves so I’m so glad GLOSSYBOX is using their beauty for good and donating all the net-proceeds to Fighting Pretty. As some of you know Fighting Pretty helps women battling cancer feel strong, beautiful, and supported from the inside out, while going through treatment.
Each box features 6 non-toxic beauty products and includes: EMK Supra Night Cream, Biossance The Revitalizer, Borghese Eclissare ColorStruck Lipstick, fango ESSENZIALI PURIFY Mud Mask for Face + Body, Doucce Brow Filler Pencil, Miami Deco Nail Polish, and mini pink boxing gloves. Charlie decided to show his support and rock the mini pink boxing gloves above!
We may be in a heatwave but the days of summer are winding down and there’s so much fun happening this weekend that if you’re looking to get out, there’s two happenings to have on your radar.
1. Sunday, August 14th from 12pm – 9pm, the First Annual The UnicornCarnival hosted at Greenwood Beach at Coney Art Walls
Presented by beauty brand Winky Lux,if you like live brands, beach breezes, roller disco and endless amounts of glitter, the UnicornCarnival could make your perfect Sunday. It will feature a Glitter Bar where guests will be able to get a rainbow brow or other fun look with Winky Lux products. A portion of the proceeds from the Carnival will benefit AWARE, a grass-roots organization dedicated to promoting awareness and generating funds to make meaningful improvements in the lives of women and girls in NYC. Check out tickets are FREE for general admission and $15 for the Glitter VIP or Tipsy Unicorn ticket holders. Learn more and get your tickets at unicorncarnival.splashthat.com
2. August 12 – 13th New York City Women’s Surf Film Festival presented by Luna Bar and Lava Girl Surf presented at Rockaway Beach Surf Club.
Charlie and I hanging out with Will Skudin
Meet filmmakers, surfers, and artists. The event features photo exhibitions, films, morning surf sessions complete with raffles and giveaways. Admission is free! James, Charlie went up with Luna Bars yesterday! And I took a surf class at SkudinSurf and hung out with the founder, Will Skudin who is ranked top 5 surfers in the world! It was a blast and I made several of the waves. Learn more at nycwomenssurffilm.com
Family surf day with James and Charlie
James, Charlie and I are now headed on a massive East Coast/New England road tip. Follow along and hit me up on social if you have any suggestions! xoLara @prettyconnected.
I have a new product obsession! As many of you may have seen on @prettyconnected’s snapchat or Instagram stories, I’ve been testing out The Sleep Styler this past week and I am obsessed!!!!!!! Now that I’ve introduced bleach into my strands I’ve been trying to minimize heating tools as to not add to the damage. The Sleep Styler is a re-invented old-school hair roller, that comes in a set of 8 plush cylinders, which require no heat and dry your hair to curl perfection overnight. They just launched kickstarter at thesleepstyler.com/kickstarter and the response has been so amazing! They had a goal of $10k and are already at $40k!!! It’s well deserved and the process could not be easier!
Step 1: Shower and wait for hair to be damp (as in about 80% dry)
Step 2: Section hair into 8 parts (or you can order 2 packs if you want more sections) and wrap damp hair around the cushioned rod and fasten with the velcro strap. I found this video helpful to roll correctly.
Step 3: Sleep (your curlers should be intact in the AM). Tip: I sleep on this memory foam silk pillow. The curlers are comfortable to sleep on as is but with a memory foam it was cloud like. And everyone should sleep on a silk pillowcase regardless everyday since it’s better for your hair since cotton can be abrasive — especially if you toss and turn a lot.
Step 4: Remove the curlers to release big, perfect, lush curls!
From there you can break up the curls, add hair spray or leave them as is. Day 1 hair is super glam, day 2 might have been even better. I used no product and had so much volume and a beautiful tousled wave.
I highly recommend joining in on the kickstarter. They are offering discounts of $33 for one set, and $48 for two. Shipments are going out this month to anywhere in the world! I’ve never encountered anything completely heatless that can create this kind of curl. And for anyone with a crazy lifestyle waking up to glam and go hair is a dream!
I have a super exciting announcement to make today! I’m partnering with American Express and their #BlueCashEveryday credit card!!!!! I have been an Amex member since 2008. It was the first business credit card I opened when I became a full-time blogger and I’m so honored and excited for all of the adventures we’ll be doing together this summer.
The Blue Cash Everyday card has no annual fee and helps make everyday epic from road trips, shopping, entertaining, DIY projects and planning for the holidays. From cash back on everyday purchases and exclusive access to events and experiences, this is the card that packs all perks and again, with NO ANNUAL FEE! They also offer a $100 cash back after you spend $1,000 on your new Card in your first 3 months so if you have any big purchases coming up – ahem did anyone else make it to Super Saturday? I had my card locked and loaded to shop until I dropped. (It’s for charity so guilt free designer shopping all the way!). Plus I travel a lot and AMEX goes above and beyond when it comes to security and protection. They are so on it from making sure charges are really my own to adding extra insurance when I rent cars and book flights. Additional perks of the card is they offer 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% at gas stations and 1% on other purchases (you can read all the termsHERE).
Over the course of the next few months I’ll be sharing my Amex Blue Cash Everyday adventures. From trips to the Hamptons, dinner parties, Vespa rides and ahem they are sponsoring the US OPEN!!! I’ll be there and can’t wait to share my adventures!
Learn more about the American Blue Cash Everyday Card and how you can apply at AmericanExpress.com
Disclaimer: I teamed up with Amex as a blogger ambassador program for Blue Cash Everyday.
Yesterday, my friend Lorna from thefabulousreport.com and I drove to the Hamptons to celebrate Super Saturday in benefity of OCRFA. I’m usually out of town for it so this year I marked my calendar weeks in advance. OCRFA is the largest global charity advancing and advocation for ovarian cancer research. Their Super Saturday event is a daylong shopping event that brings top luxury brand names in fashion, accessories, beauty, children’s, and home at major discounts with all the sales from the day going to the cause.
Hosted by Donna Karen, Gabby Karen de Felice and Kelly Ripa, it was a beautiful day, filled with food, drinks, carnival rides and of course stellar shopping. So needless to say, I felt completely guilt free over all my splurges. Especially considering the day raised about $3.5 million dollars for the cause! I went double time at the Henri Bendel, LeSportsac, Jill Stuart, Nicole Miller and surprisingly Talbots booth. I snagged so much fun stuff! And Charlie made the Henri Bendel instagram page!
I have to admit though I didn’t make it to every booth. I was a little distracted with all the rides and whenever I bring Charlie anywhere I spend half my day meeting people and being asked a million questions. Plus having only one arm to shop is a good way to control my spending habits. Other activities included making your own flower crown with B Floral. I went with a white assortment to match my outfit but they had so many beautiful flowers for guests to choose from.
It was a beautiful day to be apart of and I’m already excited for next year. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. xoLara
Yesterday, Jamie King and NEUTROGENA hosted the Long Live Skin event, helping to raise awareness around the importance of skin health among occasional SPF users and encourage daily sunscreen use. You all know how seriously I take this subject. At all times I have a SPF in my makeup case, a full stock in my bathroom and by the door for when I take Charlie out in the mornings (he even has his own special dog SPF). Regardless of the season, weather, or where you are in the world, any part of your skin that is exposed to the sun should have a minimum on an SPF 25 on it. Applying sunscreen is the number one way to prevent wrinkles, dark spots and oh yeah, skin cancer! There’s a reason it’s every beauty experts #1 anti-aging tip, because nothing will age your skin faster than exposing it to harmful rays. Scroll to the bottom for the Q&A with Jaime King, but first I need to drill in a few points and recent findings!
Owning an SPF and wearing an SPF are not the same thing. Nor does it count if you only wear it when you’re at the beach. Yes, you get brownie points for that but you’re missing the point on how much this needs to be a part of your daily routine. Unless of course you’re in your house all day, not sitting by the window or in a car where the UV rays can reflect through the window. In which case you can take a day off. In all seriousness though when I talk to most people about sun protection the two biggest reasons why they don’t commit is they don’t like how it feels (somehow they’ve missed the memo that not all sunscreens are greasy) or they just forget, which is why I recommend putting them all over the house, like I do. As for the texture, one of my absolute favorite things about NEUTROGENA is the variety of products and finishes they offer to help you find your perfect SPF. Long live NEUTROGENA Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, which soaks up oil and is waterproof — this is what you recommend for the person who fears a greasy sunscreen. Then there is a whole line of Stick sunscreens, which are the only products I can get my boyfriend to use. And Sprays which I use when I’m running out the door for a quick walk with Charlie and am too lazy to put on a cream. I’m also pretty obsessed with the whole COOLDRY Sport collection (which includes a stick and spray in the line!) since I’m always out running around with Charlie and an outdoor runner. It’s lightweight and sweatproof.
I’m all about the Neutrogena CoolDry Sport Sunscreen Spray
They also have loads of other options as well as products for babies and kids, to keep the whole family covered. Minus puts which I would be elated if they developed a line for!
Some staggering statistics our friends at NEUTROGENA informed me:
On average, more than 350 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every hour - even though skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), consumers often do not get the UV protection stated on the sunscreen label because they grossly under-apply, using less than half the recommended amount
Just 1-2 severe sunburns can increase the risk of melanoma by 40%
Only 40% of US households purchase sunscreen (only 37% women and 16% men use sunscreen regularly)
Someone who’s an authority on skin health is Jaimie King. I remember my ultimate fan girl moment in seeing her in the music video, ‘Take a Picture‘ by Filter where she just glows the whole time. Major skin envy, and two decades later, she’s had a thriving career, kids and somehow hasn’t aged at all! During the Long Live Skin event, Jaime was on hand to talk sun protection and take pictures with guests. Here’s her SPF 411:
Why is sun safety important to you?
Sun safety was always engrained in me. My mother was ahead of the game in sun protection and making us wear sunscreen at a time when there really wasn’t the awareness there is today. If we were in the sun, we were always protected. Skin cancer runs in my family, my father has it, so for me it’s something that is very important to me especially since it’s the most preventable form of cancer. Also, sunscreen also prevents fine lines, wrinkles and brown spots and keeps your skin looking great.
How do you fit sunscreen into your beauty routine?
People always ask me what my top beauty tips are and I always say sunscreen and water, so it’s easy to fit sunscreen into my beauty routine. Also, all of my makeup has sunscreen in it, but I always do double duty! You need to apply a sunscreen first and then apply your makeup with SPF.
Do you wear sunscreen every day?
I apply sunscreen every day. People think if it’s cloudy out you don’t have to apply sunscreen, but that is just not true and when the biggest mistakes happen. I also apply it to my kids every day. The minute they get up before they put their clothes on, we put on sunscreen. It’s a routine, just like brushing their teeth. I also think it’s important to lead by example. Not only do they see me applying it on them, but they see me applying it to myself.
Which NEUTROGENA®products would you recommend for a mom
NEUTROGENA® Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 100+ is perfect! When you’re a mom, you are running around with your head cut off half the time. The product is so easy and weightless, so you won’t look crazy with white streaks running down your face and you’ll stay protected. It’s one less thing to worry about.
Charlie and I had a blast this morning at the Refinery29 x Sunglass Hut “Sunnies & Selfies” Shades of You Pop-up event in Washington Square Park in NYC. Highly selfie-able sets and all the latest and greatest shades from Sunglass Hut are on display for guests to try on and pose with.
Charlie made friends with our host, Georgia May Jagger who was sweet enough to put his story up on her Instagram page. And now he’s getting adoption inquiries in her comments — too bad he’s taken!
My little rescue has come a long way in 2 months from a kill shelter to this bombshell’s arms. He had such a hard time getting adopted because of his age but hopefully this inspires more people to adopt.
Dogs are a big commitment though, unlike sunglasses! Which if you’re in town today, the pop-up is open to the public from 3-7pm by the fountain in Washington Square Park!
Stop by and take selfies like this guy!
Sunglass Hut and Refinery29 are also hosting another Sunnies & Selfies event on June 24th in Herald Square Park from 10am – 4pm.
I had an awesome time in Providence over the weekend. The city celebrated it’s second annual PVDfest which is a four day, multi-arts festival that takes place over the public spaces, parts and outdoor spaces of Providence. Live music, dance, parades take over the streets — here’s just a taste of the parade!
It was such a cool experience and a great way to get a taste of all the creativity that’s oozing out of the city. The local restaurants were out serving drinks, and the vendors we’re out. We stopped in The Rosendale for drinks and lunch. Their Maestro Picante infused with jalapeno drink and banana infused shots are not to be missed (it tastes like desert!). Their menu is pretty spectacular as well – traditional bar food with a twist.
This morning, I got my butt out of bed at 6:30am — my fellow non-morning people can appreciate this to kick off Global Running day with a 5k run with Brooks Running and break in my new Adrenaline GTS. I have a pretty decent collection of Brooks styles but my marathon running bestie swears by this style and I have back to back runs this week and next in DC so I’ll take any recommendations. I was hoping to get out this past weekend but it was too hot to run and too beautiful out to go to the gym (the catch-22 that is the story of my life). For all of us that need an extra push and in the spirit of Global Running Day, Brooks released their annual Global Run Happy Report which revealed just how fierce the power of running is.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by SK-II through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about SK-II, all opinions are my own.
Everyone in the beauty world knows that the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is like the Holy Grail or rather ‘holy water’ of the skin care industry. It’s their bestseller and most awarded product and with good reason — it’s amazing!
With the growing trend of Asian beauty products, we’ve seen a lot of talk about essences and their growth in popularity, SK-II being a fan favorite and one of the first ever created — paving the way for the category. With the consistency of a toner and many benefits of a serum, essences are their own category of skin care.
Focused around skin renewal, the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence contains over 90% Pitera, an ingredient developed over 30 years ago when a scientist noticed the hands of the workers at a Japanese sake brewery were looking youthful. Convinced the secret lay in the fermentation process, this sparked 5 years of research and a team of scientists that screened over 350 types of yeast to develop what we now know as Pitera. It’s a focal ingredient throughout the SK-II line with the essence featuring the highest concentration of it. Pitera promotes skin’s natural surface rejuvenation process and balances the skin’s moisture barrier for overall hydration and elasticity.
I have a new product obsession! As many of you may have seen on @prettyconnected’s snapchat or Instagram stories, I’ve been testing out 
Plus I travel a lot and AMEX goes above and beyond when it comes to security and protection. They are so on it from making sure charges are really my own to adding extra insurance when I rent cars and book flights. Additional perks of the card is they offer 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% at gas stations and 1% on other purchases (you can read all the terms 
This morning, I got my butt out of bed at 6:30am — my fellow non-morning people can appreciate this to kick off Global Running day with a 5k run with 
