life lately

// National Dog Day
It is impossible to get pictures of Deedee, but this doofus doesn't mind the camera at all.  If you think you've seen a picture of him like this before, you'd be correct. I catch him "relaxing" like this multiple times a day.

// Snapchat
I'm finally getting the hang of Snapchat...but only thanks to my best friend who so kindly explained all of it to me when I couldn't figure it out myself ;) I didn't think I would like it, but the filters are really fun and I love the little photo/video compliations that people can make and share every day. (Follow me: emiliestorey)

// Summery Drinks
Even though we are nearing the end of summer (thank God - bring on the fall temperatures!)...I'm still enjoying whipping up some summery cocktails. This rose spritzer is delicious, and I added a few fresh strawberries, just for fun!
 

// Pinrose Scents
I found out about this brand thanks to Rhian from Wife Life. It is a cruelty free and vegan company with tons of interesting perfumes! I recently used Rhian's offer code (WIFELIFE) for 20% off of this Parfume A-Go-Go Kit. It has two perfume wipes for ten of their , which I thought would be a great way to try them out before buying the full size of any. The cute zipper pouch is also a bonus :) 

If you visit their website, they have also created a really fun scent personality quiz. It takes your preferences in certain images and visuals to help you select the right perfume fit!

// Organized
I scooped up a new wallet and planner recently. I downsized my purse (will share in its own post coming up soon!) and wanted a much smaller wallet - so this Free People Vegan Keyring was perfect. While at Target the other day, this Sugar Paper LA planner caught my eye - obviously, look at the color of it! It's perfect because it covers the second half of this year, and into the first 6 months of 2017.

cruelty free // skin care routine

Good morning! Hope you are all having a nice week - mine has been crazy busy...one of the reasons why this post is going up on Wednesday morning instead of Monday, like I had originally planned ;)

I wanted to share my current skin care routine (all cruelty free). It isn't perfect yet - there are some products I won't be repurchasing...and a few I still want to pick up, but I thought I would still share for the time being!

Cleanser // Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream 
This is a really nice product. It is thick, so you don't need a lot of product for each use, and the smell is very mild. My favorite part about it is that if you let it sit on your face for a couple minutes, it gives you the fresh, cool, tingly sensation - which just makes my skin feel like it is really getting cleaned ;)

Despite how much I like the product, I am going to be trying something different once this runs out. While Burt's Bees is cruelty free, they are a subsidiary of Clorox - who definitely are NOT...so I'm going to try out a cleanser from Acure next time that claims to do the same "tingly" things this one does! 

Tonic // Pixi Glow Tonic
I really like this product...not sure what difference it is making, but if anything, it cleans any remaining lingering makeup off my face (especially nose area) and makes everything feel fresh and "clean slate". I will definitely be repurchasing this one. 

Eye Oil // Hana Organic Skin Care
This came with one of my Petit Vour monthly subscription boxes. I like it, but I'm looking for something a bit more powerful, so I think I'm going to be trying Acure's Eye Cream next.

Serum // Juice Beauty STEM CELLULAR Booster Serum
So amazing. This was a sample size from another Petit Vour box, and I can't get enough of it. I want to try more of Juice Beauty's skin care line, and I think I'll be purchasing their Anti-Wrinkle Solutions Kit next because it comes with a good sized version of the serum in addition to a couple other products! 

Moisturizer // Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Face Cream
This is wonderful - light, mild smelling, and very moisturizing. I love it for day time before makeup application. I would like something a bit more heavy-duty for the evening, though, so I'm still searching. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Vitamin E Oil // Jason
For the extra dry bits - sometimes around the nose, sometimes on the lips. This stuff is a must have for all skin care collections!

Ointment // Burt's Bees Baby Multipurpose Ointment
This is a replacement for Vaseline - it is 100% petroleum free. I stopped using the Sonia Kashuk eye makeup remover because it was giving my eyelids an ugly allergic reaction - which is something I've dealt with from liquid makeup removers for years (I just need to give it up, none of them are going to work for me)...so this is helpful in removing the last little stubborn bit of mascara or brow pencil from my face. 

Like I mentioned before though, I'm trying to get away from Burt's Bees, so I will be trying the Alba  "All Better Balm" instead. 

What are your skin care routine favorites??

philadelphia

I'm back :)

After graduation, I just wanted to take a little time to decompress...plus we had a couple really busy weekends planned...so I took a little hiatus from blog-land. But I'm back at it to share some pictures from our mini trip to Philadelphia at the beginning of August. It's gonna be a long one folks...

Packed and ready to go with my new CalPak carry on!

Aaron was already in Philadelphia for work, and I flew out Friday morning to meet him.  After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, the first thing we did was grab lunch. We ate at a little hole-in-the-wall brewpub that he loves called Monk's Cafe. I had the Seitan Cheese Steak, which was basically a vegetarian version of a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. It was made with tons of mushrooms, onions, and nectarine cheese - delicious!

After lunch, we walked down to the historic part of Philly to do a little tourist-y stuff. There were so many pretty buildings and interesting statues. We thought about going in Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed), but the line was huge and you needed tickets...which were sold out. So we head over to see the Liberty Bell. It was fun doing some sight-seeing, but it was blistering hot, so we head back to the hotel for a bit.

Independence Hall

Liberty Bell

 We also found time to grab some ice cream, of course. There is an interesting little place called Sweet Charlie's over by the historic area. They have a unique way of making and packaging your order...it is all made to order and then combined on a super cold surface, then rolled into little spirals. Aaron loved his, I wasn't to keen on mine, but it might just have been the flavors I picked.

After a quick rest and outfit change, we head out for dinner - this time to a different part of the city. Aaron had heard good things about a brew cafe called Tired Hands in Ardmore, PA...and I am so glad we went. The food was amazing - my favorite meal of the trip! I had the grilled cheese with smoked cheddar on house-made bread, and vegan potato salad (to die for). Aaron also had the grilled cheese, but got spicy kimchi with his meal.

{PS. as you can probably tell, all diet related ongoing went out the window during this long weekend ha!}

   

Grilled cheese with dijon

House Fermented Kimchi and Vegan Potato Salad

Saturday morning started out with sleeping in... in a major way ;) We are usually woken up by the dogs bright and early - even on weekends - at home...so even though I really missed them, it was nice to just sleep to my heart's content. 

We head back downtown for some lunch around midday - this time to a little Mexican place called Lolita. Again, amazing food. If there is one thing I can say about Philadelphia, the food is awesome! I had fish tacos, a watermelon margarita, and Aaron and I split chips and salsa.

We head back to the hotel after lunch because it was SO DAMN HOT. I wanted to shower and have time to cool off before the Coldplay concert later that night. We took a nap (or at least I did lol - the heat makes me so tired!) and then got ready. I put a lot of effort into it...which was honestly all a waste of time haha. The heat and humidity were so nasty that all hairdos and makeup were sweated off in no time. 

Once we arrived at Lincoln Financial Field, none of it mattered though! The sun set, it cooled off (slightly) and Aaron and I - along with like 60,000 other people - got to see the most amazing band in the most amazing concert. The place was totally packed, I've never seen anything like it.

I cannot describe how incredible it was. I'm sure you all know, or can imagine, how it feels to see the one band/singer/songwriter you love the most perform live. Let's just put it this way, two of the songs for our wedding are Coldplay songs. I held it together and only cried once during "Fix You", which is our wedding processional song (happy overwhelmed tears haha!). 

Basically, they were amazing, their music is beyond - just the best, and every single person was happy, dancing, and singing along. The energy was indescribable. Such as perfect way to end the trip and my weekend in Philly! <3

Sweaty AF (Snapchat filters help ;)

things that made me happy this week

image via

Posting a bit early this week because Friday morning I will be on an airplane headed for Philadelphia for a weekend away with Aaron because...

1// I AM DONE WITH GRAD SCHOOL!! I cannot express how happy this makes me - those of you who have been following me the past couple years know it has been a long & challenging journey. Working full time, going to school in the evenings, all while simultaneously planning a wedding and taking care of my family. Thank you to everyone that supported and encouraged me though it all! As of Tuesday this week, I am officially Emily Storey, MBA. 

2// Packing for my long weekend in Philly with Aaron to celebrate! I'm skipping graduation in order to go see Coldplay instead ;) Not even a question in my book...send me that diploma in the mail haha!

3// Salmon. We've created so many great meals over the past week with some delicious salmon from a local Columbus market. I honestly used to hate this fish when I was young, but now it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. 

4// Rhian HY from Wife Life. I can't get enough! Love her YouTube channel, which is full of cruelty free beauty and vegan meal idea videos.

5// Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - picked up a copy of this for when I'm on the airplane over the weekend. Literally can't wait to start reading it!

6// This photo had me cracking up, but is also possibly something I would do too ;)   

7// I picked my wedding dress up over the weekend! It is so gorgeous and I love it just as much as the day I picked it out. Now time to find a place for alterations!

8// My new (vegan) Matt + Nat purse - which will get its own post soon because it's ah-may-zing. 

9// This eye palette - hope to get my hands on it soon...the shades looks gorgeous and I've heard great things about Makeup Geek products (and they are cruelty free).

10// Did I mention Coldplay?! I can't contain the excitement - only 55 hours until I'm watching my most favorite of all time in all their A Head Full of Dreams Tour glory <3  

     

new beauty loves // cruelty free

Happy Tuesday ladies!

I wanted to pop on here and share some current makeup favorites of mine that I've picked up recently. All items are cruelty free and come from companies that do not test on animals. 

The first is one is a mascara that I have heard other bloggers and beauty gurus rave about for years, and I don't know why it took me so long to purchase it - Too Faced "Better Than Sex" Mascara. Maybe because the $23 price tag scared me off, but honestly...it's totally worth it. 

This is ~hands down~ one of the best mascaras I have ever used. It gives full and lengthened lashes that look about as close to falsies as my natural lashes ever will, without actually applies falsies. It applies smoothly and can be built upon without clumping - I typically find myself putting about 2 layers on. It lasts throughout the day and doesn't flake or dry out. The only time I've noticed any issues is when I've been working out in the heat recently...there was a little mascara that smudged under my eyes. BUT...I won't hold that against it, because I was sweating my a** off and any mascara would have done that ;) 

Definitely get your hands on this one if you can!! 



The next items I got my hands on are the Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector in "Champagne Pop" and Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in "Chocolate". 

Let me just rave about these two products - they are amazing. I have so much love for drugstore cosmetics, but sometimes, the higher prices are just worth it for the quality that higher end brands produce. 

I swatched each of them and took a picture in the daylight (see below) and you can see the color payoff. The Becca highlighter is gorgeous and gives your skin such a pretty sun-kissed glow. I will definitely need to check out the other Skin Perfector shades for the fall and winter when my skin is a bit lighter toned. The brozner is beautiful too - it is very blendable and can be used for a contour, or to bronze up your whole face. I also plan to pick up their lighter shade (Milk Chocolate) for the cooler months.

I'm so happy with my Becca and Too Faced purchases, and I love that they are both cruelty free companies! It just shows you, you can buy beautiful, high quality makeup without contributing to animal testing <3 

I'd love to try more products from both of these brands, so please share your favorites with me! xx