So if you’ve been following along with me on Instagram (@laurnashley), then you probably saw that I celebrated my birthday a couple weeks ago.
I headed to New York City and the Hamptons to spend time with my friends and enjoy some sun, sand, and LOTS of frozé! Because I wasn’t at home for my actual birthday, Jason and I celebrated early while I was still in Atlanta. Initially I really wanted a new bag, because….who doesn’t want a new fancy bag for the season? But, in recent years my taste in purses has gone on the pricy side and I splurged a little too much last year. In 2016 I got my Chloe, my Saint Laurent, and the big mama of all purses…my Chanel.
With all those big buys, I had to realize that I’m not Oprah and need to cool it on the expensive purse front! So while there are many bags that I have my eye on – I had resolved to hold off until Christmas or even next year. Being the amazing hubby he is, Jason decided to pick me up a birthday treat that he had seen on one of my recent Lust Lists: the Dior Twilly!
While I had originally planned on wearing it to work under a collared shirt, I remembered loving how I saw it wrapped around the handle of a handbag. Upon opening my gift, I immediately marched down to Dior and had them tie it around the handle of my Saint Laurent. I asked the associate if it was a faux-pas to have it wrapped around a different designer’s bag and she said not at all – people do it all the time! I have to say, I’m absolutely in love with the way it looks. I think it adds even more style and sophistication to an already classic and ladylike bag. The moral of the story is that I feel like with this small addition, my bag has been totally transformed! I feel like it’s a BRAND NEW bag and I’m even more excited to wear it with new outfits. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity or a different perspective to make something old feel new again. Love the look of a scarf tied around a bag? Check out this post featuring my fav scarves at a variety of prices!
My hair has a mind of it’s own. It’s long, it’s thick, and it’s often unruly. It’s funny because growing up I would’ve given anything to have thin, straight hair. I hated that mine took so much time and effort, and never ended up looking the way I wished it would. I guess it’s one of those grass is greener situations. Now, my hair is one of my favorite things about myself. I love that it’s thick and voluminous, even though sometimes it still doesn’t do what I want it to. Funny how growing up can mean learning to love yourself, perceived flaws and all.
That being said – my hair still does require quite a bit of effort and taming. Because it’s so long it can get tangled from time to time, and sometimes I just need to get it out of my face. So when color brush brand milk + sass contacted me about trying some of their fun hair products, I jumped at the chance. First of all – let me say that not only are these products super functional, they’re cute as all get out!
First up is their “macaron” color brush. These candy-colored brushes are shaped like my favorite dessert and are the BEST detanglers. I love that I can pop one in my bag for when I’m on the go – out for the day, traveling, and I’ve even got one stashed in my desk at work. My favorite part about the bite-sized brush is that there’s a mirror on the top of the lid! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve popped open my macaron to check my makeup and then tamed some flyaways while I’m at it. The price is great so I don’t feel bad about nabbing a couple of the pretty pastel colors to suit my fancy/match my mood!
Now – on to my new obsession the sugar twists! Also candy-colored, these hair ties hold tight, but literally DON’T PULL. They also don’t leave a huge bend in your hair when you take them out. You know other hair ties say they won’t pull your hair, but it’s a total lie – these things have saved my life and my hair by preventing breakage. Fun fact – I was bragging about these to my friend Alexa and she said that she and her mom are already obsessed! Then she proceeded to flaunt the clear band wrapped around her wrist, saved for later. I guess the word is out! While I’m packing for the 4th of July weekend, I’ve already made sure to include my milk + sass goodies on my packing list. I’ll be hitting the beach in colorful AND detangled style. For more info on milk + sass and to get some candy-colored goodness of your own – make sure to check out their website.
I’m traveling home for the 4th – but I’ll be back next week with some fun new outfit posts. Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend! Xo, LA
Thank you to milk+sass for sponsoring this post!
Hey Dolls! I hope everyone had a nice long weekend and enjoyed the Memorial Day holiday. I can’t believe that Summer is officially here! With shooting in LA, the move, and getting settled at my new job – 2017 is just flying by! But… I’m totally ready for some family time, pool fun, and new Summer outfits. Without a doubt, white is one of my favorite colors to wear in the Summer. I feel like it looks like a breath of fresh air, and not to mention I think it looks great on my tanned skin.
While I always tend to pick up some new crisp, white sundresses for the season, I always like to give myself another pop of white…on my teeth that is! They say you’re never fully dressed without a smile – and I think it’s true! Your smile can be the best accessory to any look. While I try to use a whitening toothpaste, I also give myself a special teeth whitening treatment at least once a year. I think it helps removes stains that can be a bit deeper, and just gives you a fresh start. So when I was approached by Smile Brilliant to try their at-home teeth whitening system, I jumped at the opportunity.
Smile Brilliant is an amazing system that gives you a straight-from-the-dentist professional whitening – but in the comfort of your own home. First of all, they send you a kit to take impressions so that their lab can make custom trays for your teeth. This is often a service that dentists provide, which can be time consuming and not to mention very expensive. So you take your impressions and return them to SB in a pre-packaged envelope, and then they’ll send you back your custom trays which fir your mouth PERFECTLY, whitening and de-sensitizing gel, and very clear instructions. At first I was skeptical that the trays wouldn’t fit, the instructions would be confusing, or the results would be sub-par. I can honestly say I was shocked at the quality and fit of my trays, the step-by-step instruction, and most importantly…the results! Within ten minutes, I could feel the gel working and have been really impressed with the results. I whitened for a couple days, took some time off to avoid any over-sensitivity, and then finished up the process the following week. The best part is that I have my trays and can order refills of whitening gel for anytime I need a touch-up. For the level of results, it’s a fraction of the cost of whitening at the dentist, and I felt it was more effective than an over-the-counter whitening system.
I’m super happy I gave it a try and I’m even more excited to offer a giveaway and a discount to you lovely dolls (use brownpaperdoll at checkout and receive 10% off your order)! One of my lucky readers can even win your own Smile Brilliant custom kit! To enter, please click on this link: Smile Brilliant with Brown Paper Doll
Thank you to Smile Brilliant for sponsoring this post! For more information on at home whitening and the Smile Brilliant system, please check out the links below:
