7 Beauty Products I Actually Ran Out Of

While there is nothing worse than running out of a beauty product you fell in love with, there is something to be said about the products that we repurchase. I have always been intrigued by other peoples/ bloggers makeup bags so I wanted to share with you guys what I've been repurchasing as of late. Shoot me a message with any beauty products I need to try, I am what you would call -addicted- to trying all of the beauty things! x

1. Creme de La Mer: It's no secret how big of a fan I am of Creme de La Mer. I am a sucker for the miracle broth (more details about that here) and for the ultra-rich consistency of this cream. I have dry skin with occasional breakouts and you would think wearing a heavy cream throughout the year would be a no no - but this jar of magic balances my skin. I always have a pot of it handy, regardless of what products I am trying for the blog and The Crystal Press! Side note: I also love the way it mixes with my go-to Tarte foundation.

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Foundation: I love the way this Tarte foundation lays on my skin. It looks better the longer you leave it on your face, riddle me that? The Amazonian clay that is in this foundation is said to be "skin-smart" and has the ability to adjust to your skin type regardless of whether yours is dry, oily, or a combination of the two.  I recommend this foundation religiously and I have yet to get a bad review in response to this recommendation!

3. Dessange Paris California Brass Color Correcting Cream: I cannot stand any bit of yellow in my hair so I am addicted to this Dessange color correcting cream. It is a super concentrated treatment with lots of blue & purple tones to cover up that icky brassiness that happens to blondes in between hair appointments. The best part? It doesn't smell like shimmering lights or whatever that purple shampoo is. lol

4. Becca Shimmering Pressed Highlighter: This creamy powder is from the heavens. I use it whenever I put makeup on and CAN NOT finish my face without it. I love the way it applies and creates the perfect shimmer on your face. I highly recommend this highlighter!

5. OPI "Alpine Snow" Nail Polish + Seche Vite fast drying top coat: I am sure you guys are surprised by this one but hey, I am just being honest. I paint my nails white like it is going out of style and it has been a consistent staple in my look for over a year now. I love the way it pops in photos and the contrast it provides to my usual black outfits!

6. NYX color corrector in yellow: Color correcting concealers are all of the hype right now and while color correctors come in every shape, size, and price point - this NYX one has been a staple in my makeup bag for 5+ years. I use it as a concealer under my eyes to cancel out purple tones in my dark circles. I love this NYX formula because it is emollient and a light texture, which I prefer for the delicate skin under eyes. I always have a pot in my purse for touchups between meetings and events and whatever else is on my schedule!

PS: You guys are lucky because they sell this elusive color corrector at Target now. I used to have to go to ULTA exclusively for this pot of gold!

7. Exfolikate by Kate Somerville: I have dry skin like I mentioned in my love for La Mer earlier in this blogpost and that being said, one of my saving graces is this exfoliator by Kate Somerville. Exfoliators are usually something you can't use too close to an event due to harshness but this exfoliator gives you that glow in a record amount of time. I carry a small size of exfolikate with me whenever I travel and I make a point to use it before events. Products sink in better and my skin loves me so much more when I am using this Kate Somerville product regularly. They don't call it the "Hollywood 2-Minute Facial" for nothin' kids.

Transitioning Your Wardrobe from Winter to Spring with Cathclaire

These sixty degree weather days are popping up more and more as Spring tries to make its way into our life and it's AMAZING. When I was flying back from Santa Fe, NM last week, I checked what the weather would be when I landed in Richmond and happened to notice that it was warmer than Los Angeles, California (where my alter ego lives.) Rebecca and I seem to endlessly chatter about the weather on The Crystal Press but TBH, watching the drastic changes has made it kind of hard NOT to talk about the weather - am I right?

On the same weather note, as these warm days keep popping up on our calendar - why not think about dressing for these warm days as well? This blogpost is an outfit I wear on a random warm day, without going TOO Spring oriented. A white long sleeve and backless Farrow shirt from Need Supply, wide leg culottes, and a straw bag from Need Supply Co with my (now) attached-to-my-head black French Connection hat from ASOS. Want to jazz your "Sprinter" (Spring in the middle of Winter) outfit up even more? Add some dangly earrings with a pop of color. I grabbed a blue pair and think that Anthropologie has a great selection of statement earrings.

Hint, Hint: I am LOVING  these, these, and these earrings right now.


Looking for the perfect white shirt to transition your wardrobe from Winter to Spring real quick? I have rounded up a bunch of things in this outfit blogpost for you guys, as well as pieces like everything I am wearing in these photos from The Crystal Coast here:

White Shirt: Farrow from Need Supply Co. (similar here) / Wide Leg Denim Culottes: Zara (similar here) / Woven Circle Bag: Abaca from Need Supply Co. / Sling Back Black Heels: Topshop from Nordstroms (similar here) / Hat: French Connection (similar here)

My Morning Routine with Bulletproof Coffee

I have implemented a lot of new habits in 2018 (yes, I know we are only 15 days in..) and I am so excited to share them with you guys.

First up: my new morning routine with bulletproof coffee. 

I have become addicted to this bulletproof coffee recipe...so much so that yesterday morning I woke up to make it (I look forward to it every morning) and realized my husband had used the last of the butter for it. Solution? Head to Saadia's Juicebox in Jackson Ward to grab some! She has it on the menu, along with all kinds of delicious concoctions. (I also ordered a wellness shot and it was the perfect addition to my Sunday morning!)

I have always been a person who considers their mornings sacred (working out, meditation, and journaling with coffee are a must) but adding bulletproof coffee to the dock has been a game changer that I am very excited to tell you guys about in hopes that it can be just as much of a game changer for you as well. 

If you're like me, you have probably heard the words bulletproof coffee tossed around over the past couple of years..but let me tell you - throwing MCT Oil, grass-fed unsalted butter, and your favorite coffee into a blender to start your morning is nothing short of magical. The crash that coffee usually comes with? Forget it. Starting your day off with pesky cravings that distract you from what you need to get done? Forget that ish as well. 

As if it can't get any better, bulletproof coffee is just as frothy as your favorite latte and it doesn't have the dairy that goes along with it! This frothy, energy igniting concoction is a must-try and something that I have really enjoyed adding to my daily routine.

How do you do it? Here are some directions I got from the BYRDIE website:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. filtered water

• 2 1/2 heaping tbsp. freshly ground Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee beans (or, if you don’t want to buy the Bulletproof brand of low-mold beans, just make an 8 oz. cup of regular coffee, ideally using fresh-roasted beans)

• 1 tsp. MCT Oil (coconut oil can work as a substitute)

• 1 tbsp. grass-fed, unsalted butter (or ghee)*

*Asprey recommends graduating to two tbsp. once you acquire the taste for it.  

Directions:

Combine the brewed hot coffee, teaspoon of MCT oil, and tablespoon of grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee in a blender to get a frothy, creamy mixture like that of a latte. If you just stir the butter and oil into the hot coffee, the oil won’t blend and will sit on the surface of the drink. Then drink up! Just remember, due to the calories and fat content, bulletproof coffee is intended to be your breakfast, not to be consumed in addition to your usual breakfast.

P.S Can we talk about how hard it is to look fierce when it's freezing out? I am so excited about this Lovers + Friends coat from Revolve because it does the trick WHILE keeping you oh-so-warm. Also, silver goes with anything, like literally anything. I see myself wearing this coat constantly, especially with the way the forecast is looking. What do you guys think? xo

Zippered High-Waist Jeans: Forever 21 / Silver Ankle Boots: Saint Laurent (sold out, similar here) / Tommy Jeans Collegiate T-shirt: Tommy Hilfiger  / Calla Lily Belted Matte Silver Puffer: Lovers + Friends via Revolve / Cafe Racer Mirrored Sunglasses in White: Quay  / Belt: Gucci (backordered, similar here )

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The Best in Faux Fur Coats

What better time to share the best in faux fur (prints) fashion on cathclaire than in the winter season? If you are into the luxe, over-the-top style like me - I can guarantee you already have at least one faux fur in your closet. While adding more than one faux fur coat to your closet may seem like overkill to most, you and I know that faux fur can make an outfit in one punch and this is reason enough to have more than one. And by in one punch, I mean - in one statement piece.

As if faux fur could get anymore statement-y, today I am sharing my favorite faux furs with prints or multiple colors on cathclaire today. We are talking about a champion faux fur roundup friends.

I love this star green faux fur and I wear it all the time, not just to the laundromat in Richmond. This coat might as well be a neutral color with as much as I wear it. Everytime I wear my star coat it tends to start a conversation and who doesn't love chatting about clothes?

Hence my constant rambling about fashion on my fashion blog Cathclaire LOL

Indulge and pick yourself up a statement print faux fur for the next chilly (or not so chilly) day in your busy life!

My Favorite Christmas Movies on Netflix for 2017

I am addicted to cheesy Christmas movies on Netflix this year, guys. I do not know what came over me this year like I mentioned in my 98 Degrees Christmas tour post, but I am feeling so cheesy and so festive and so INTO Christmas in EVERY way this year. TBH, I've never felt better.

I haven't posted anything on my blog in 6 days because guess what I have been doing? I have been watching every Christmas Netflix movie........what feels like nonstop. How am I supposed to do research for this blog post (aka watching Christmas rom-coms) AND work on my blog?

If you are like me and feel like cheesy and happy Christmas movies on Netflix are like a massage for your brain (kinda like a meditation...?) then this blog post today on Cathclaire is for you. Here are my top Christmas Movies on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. Get yourself a cup of hot cocoa (spike it for even more fun) and cuddle up on the couch with the remote and your favorite holiday candle to check em out!

Meditation for Beginners from a Meditation Junkie

I have been addicted to meditating for a couple of years now.  I find myself talking about my meditation practice when I meet you guys in person and recently I have started to take notice that this subject is always accompanied by the "what, really? Please teach me!" reaction. I am really vocal about my meditation experiences within my circle of friends and I want to begin to share this on cathclaire in hopes you guys will gain something from it!

Meditation has benefited me in ways that I could have never imagined. It is something I look forward to almost everyday and when the day rolls around that puts the "almost" in almost everyday,  I am ALWAYS happy I pushed through and forced myself to meditate anyway. As a result of this consistent practice: my energy levels are higher, my focus is stronger than it's ever been, and the voice in my head has become one of my most supportive friends versus a thing to be dealt with.

Are you intrigued yet? 

98 Degrees at Christmas Tour Review with Cathclaire

If you all the sudden feel like you are the most obsessed-with-Christmas person in the room like me this season  (and by all the sudden I mean I didn't always used to be like this) - you have GOT to go see 98 Degrees on their Christmas tour.

Even if you aren't obsessed with holiday cheer and think you MIGHT enjoy this beautiful performance or are the least bit curious about how Nick Lachey's face looks lately IRL, don't think twice. Don't think twice and go get yourself a ticket if they are touring anywhere near you.  You will thank me later because the whole time you will feel like dancing (and you will dance) AND you will feel like you are drinking a cup of the best hot coco you have ever had (in reality, it's a Bud Light.) See the video proof below:

A little recap:

Last night I went to this concert with a bunch of my girlfriends and sister for the ideal night on the town during the holiday season: drinks + best friends + live Christmas pop music. We all met at Juleps on Grace Street in Richmond to catch some happy hour cocktails (yes, this lovely restaurant has happy hour from 5-7!) within walking distance of the Carpenter Center, where the 98 degrees concert was. I ordered the Champagne Julep that wasn't on happy hour because I couldn't resist it and I was very thrilled with my drink of choice. It was a concoction of mint, bubbles, and fresh berries. Highly recommend.

SALE: Workout and Beauty Picks for Cyber Monday with Cathclaire

Cyber Monday is here and I am sharing with you the two categories I am shopping this time around: workout clothes + beauty/treat yo-self products. While I thoroughly enjoy eating my weight in Turkey and whatever else I can get my hands while socializing with family and friend for a week straight, Cyber Monday is the perfect reminder to purchase some prods that will help get ourselves back on track before we do round two around Christmas! 

Whether you drank too much Brunello (like me) or neglected your workout regimen in honor of hanging with your favorite peeps (like me), here are some sale items to get you motivated to get in shape and treat yourself (or a loved one) this Cyber Monday. I especially LOVE the fact that Neiman Marcus is including BEAUTY PRODUCTS in their Cyber Monday gift card promotion..yes, even perfume. 

Yes, even Tom Ford "F***ing Fabulous" perfume. What better time to try new beauty products or to stock up on all of your beauty staples than when Neiman's is offering you a reward like a gift card? I have my eye on La Mer, Oui hairspray, and the RMS highlighter kit! RMS is all natural and one of my favorite highlighters for the dewy look that is popular now.

SO, don't wait too long because your size or favorite beauty product will sell out! Check out my workout picks from ASOS and my beauty picks from Neimans below!

ASOS Workout Gear: 30% off for Cyber Monday

Neiman Marcus Giftcard Promotion Cyber Monday Beauty Picks:

PS - Here is my hat from ASOS that you guys have been asking about from my Thanksgiving Insta-stories!

 

My Favorite High Waisted Jeans from ASOS

Whether you were blessed with Victoria Secret Angel long legs or blessed with shorter ones like myself (notice I called them both a blessing, it is Thanksgiving week after all..), the majority of people love a silhouette that elongates their legs. When it comes to dressing, I have found myself grabbing for my high-waisted jeans more than any other style lately! I can't get enough of how easy high waisted jeans are to lounge in and of course, I love how much length they give to my little legs.

Whether I am grabbing brunch with my husband for our 6 month anniversary around Richmond (yes it was yesterday, I can't believe it. Wedding photos here) or trying to hide how much food I will be eating this Thanksgiving week with family and friends, high-waisted jeans are your friend for all of the occasions!

Whether you need to add to your collection or get your first pair, I've got you covered with all kinds of price points from ASOS below in this blog post.

Fashionable Holiday Outfits with Forever 21

What do you have planned for the holidays? Any exciting events that you want some festive Forever 21 skirts and outfit ideas? I know you guys are super busy so I've teamed up with Forever 21 to give you some holiday options to shop that are quick and easy and covered in holiday-appropriate embelishments.

....AND you don't have to scroll through millions of pages on their site to find! 

As you guys have probably noticed, I love shopping at Forever 21. As a matter of fact, I can still remember the exact moment in middle school when I first was told that there was a Forever 21 within driving distance from my house. Some (my mom perhaps) would consider it a trek, but for me, it was an enjoyable driving distance. Most locations, in the name of shopping, are driving distance as long as it doesn't go over a "couple" of hours............and I'm sure my fellow shopaholics would agree with me, amiright?

Summer Cooking with Cathclaire + Notable Wine

Is there anything better than warm weather, a glass of Chardonnay, and fresh treats? I am really excited to share one of my go-to, quick and easy appetizers that I love to enjoy in the summer months, whether I am at home with my hubby or taking a dish to a get together with friends. Not only is this treat super easy, but choosing which Chardonnay to suit you has never been easier with this new wine I am about to share with you that launched this year!

I don't know about you guys, but I find myself pulling out my phone way too often when I am in the wine aisle at the grocery store. There are so many wines out there and I can't possibly know what kind of flavors to expect from each one beyond the basic knowledge I have of each varietal. I have gotten home after a grocery trip disappointed more times than I can count because I guessed wrong about the flavors of a wine!

That being said,  I am so excited to share with you Notable wines. Not only do they have wines that vary in different styles, regions, and taste - but they also put the taste notes of the wine right on the front of the label! Notable is the first wine to highlight flavor profiles like this and I don't know about you, but this makes maneuvering through the wine aisle much less confusing.

While Notable makes your trip through the wine section that much more refined & easier, they also have two expressive Chardonnays that I want to share with you guys today. One has notes that are on the oaky and buttery side and one has flavors that are more crisp & fruity. Both of these Chardonnays pair perfectly with my goat cheese crostinis that I love to enjoy in the summer. Who can turn down anything with goat cheese?

Summer Goat Cheese Crostinis Tutorial

What You'll Need:

1 loaf of french bread or if you're lazy like me, pre-cut crostinis

1 package of strawberries

4 oz of plain goat cheese

1 Jar of balasmic glaze

Chambray Revival

While I wanted to continue to break out my spring dresses and cut-offs over the past week, mother nature decided that she had a whole-lotta-dreary weather on the agenda instead. When the April showers so rudely carry into May, Catherine's fashion blogging plans must improvise - like a pop star who forgets their next dance move on stage and the show must go on. Do you think Selena Gomez or Beyonce would get discouraged because of a little choreography confusion or better yet, a little rain?

Side note: This is the sort of rhetorical question that I say out loud to Rebecca on a daily basis and she humors me without making me feel like a crazy person. As I type the question here, I can't say I don't feel like a crazy person...

Anyways, I digress, back to what Selena would do ......Selena would call T Swift for some inspiration + keep pushing through whatever discouragement comes her way. I shall do the same except sub T-Swift for Reb and discouragement for outfit affecting weather conditions. While I may not be risking a forgotten dance move amidst a Revival concert tour that involves being in front of thousands of people nightly, I am risking outfits that are unfit for weather conditions (just like every other non-Selena Gomez, normal person lol).  I will be the first to say that this fringe chambray button down is the something good purchase that came from me pushing through a little thing I like to call "fashionista's block." A little cold-supposed-to-be-spring weather aint got nothin' on a good fringe button down. After all, Selena Gomez is rocking a C2H4 fringe jean jacket on her #Revival tour which means we are outfit soul sisters and we were definitely, positively in the same squad in another life.

Posted while listening to "Revival" by Selena Gomez.

Chambray Shirt: HM (similar here) Jeans: Topshop; Shoes: Similar here; Bucket Bag: Baggu; Black Choker: Urban Outfitters; Sunnies: Forever 21