Pretty Things to Play With - Drugstore Makeup

Two nights ago, I went to the drugstore and splurged on a shopping basket full of makeup and other cosmetics to try out. And while many of you probably already saw this on my Instagram account (@magnoliasandsunlight), I wanted to share my thoughts about some of the products. From Maybelline to Revlon to L'Oreal, I went through everything in the makeup section and this is what I took home! 

Australian Gold || Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser || Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm (in Unapologetic and Audacious) || Maybelline Pumped Up! Volum'Expressed (Didn't talk about this above, but Hello, beautiful lashes!) || L'Oreal Color Riche Eyeshadow Quad || EOS Honeysuckle and Honeydew Lip Balm || Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20 (in Summer Berry) || Maybelline Master Prime (in Blur+Smooth) || Crest Pro-Health HD Toothpaste

**Update: I just used the Neutrogena lip balm. It didn't keep my lips moisturized for a long time, but the color was really close to what I expected. It also didn't dry out my lips more like Burt's Bees tends to do so that was a positive. If I only want a little color on my lips and don't feel like wearing full-on lipstick, I think this will be the way to go.

Now that you're all done up, go out and spread some sunlight! 

Love you so so much, 

Venetian Nuptials

Dress: Betsey Johnson (sold out and wrong color, get the real one on Ebay), Shoes: Calvin Klein, Clutch: Marley Lilly, Bracelets: old from Francesca's and J. Crew (similar versions here, here, here and here) Earrings: Old, but I love these, these and these.

This weekend I was in Vegas attending my uncle's wedding at the Venetian. It was a weekend full of outfits, people watching and hanging out with my family. It was a lot of fun and I had a blast putting together outfits for the weekend, we needed three for the different wedding activities. I found this dress at Nordstrom Rack, my favorite place to shop, and knew that it would be perfect for a late April wedding. Mint is my favorite color, really anything bordering Tiffany blue and the navy dress gave me the perfect excuse to carry my new Marley Lilly clutch for a pop of color. I love this clutch mostly because of the monogram, but also because the site offers so many options for this one style. I am definitely looking at getting one in a neutral, too.

Basically, to sum it all up, I loved this outfit and I'm planning on re-wearing it as soon as another occasion presents itself!

I had such an amazing time with my family! The wedding was beautiful and I wish the best for the happy couple!

Go out and spread some sunlight!

Love love love,

Vegas Lookbook - Outfits from the Strip

Shorts: Not available online (I love these and these), Tank: Soma (BEST basic tanks ever! Plus they are on sale today!!), Jacket: Gap, Earrings: Kendra Scott, Watch: Michael Kors, Bag: Sorial

Friday Night was our first night in Vegas and we had a pre-wedding party to attend and a show to go see. I have been loving cute shorts recently and think they are a great alternative to a skirt. These scalloped black shorts are made of suiting material so they are super easy to dress up for a night out. After the party we went to see the Jersey Boys, which was much better than I expected. Then we all wanted a late night snack. Serendipity, here we come! I had a hot chocolate (I had already reached my caffeine limits for the day...) and it was so good. Then a long night of walking the strip and people watching ensued. 

Shirt: Nordstrom, Shorts: J. Crew (30%-40% off with Code SALETHERAPY), Scarf: Lilly for Target (sold out, but these are cute too!), Clutch: Marley Lilly, Earrings: Target, Pineapple Sandals: Lilly for Target

Saturday morning was all about getting brunch. We walked and walked trying to find a place without a line a mile long, but when that didn't happen. We ended up at Bouchon Bakery, which I love! I live really close to the Yountville, CA location and was excited to take my family from Texas there. Seriously, the macaroons are to die for (actually everything is). I went casual that morning with a chambray shirt, because you can't go wrong with chambray and a few things (the only things) I picked up at the Lilly Pulitzer for Target sale (that was a nightmare!). 

Check back tomorrow for details about this outfit! 

Time to go spread some sunlight! 

Love you all, 

I Fell in Love in Vegas...

I fell in love in Vegas with some very fashionable items that I simply can't afford, but I lusted from afar and compiled them here for you to lust after, too. If you have a couple hundred just hanging out or a new credit card waiting to be swiped maybe you can indulge. I certainly will once this month's bills are paid!

1. David Yurman 2. Dita 3. Dita 4. Kate Spade 5. Chloe 6. Louis Vuitton

Since I don't gamble the only thing to do in Vegas during the day is shop. I was attending a wedding and wasn't able to indulge in the long, drawn out shopping excursions I planned on, but I did some serious window shopping in the casino malls rushing from wedding event to wedding event.

The David Yurman ring is something I have wanted for a while. I was sold on getting the Petite Wheaton Ring, but after trying this Albion ring on I have completely changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly own and wear both, but the Albion stole my heart and tried to steal what's left in my wallet. I thought it would be too big because I have very small hands, but it's so well balanced that it looked great!

Dita is my new obsession for sunglasses. The whole case was full of cute options, but the Bluebird Two and the Heartbreaker styles fit my face the best. I was actually going to get one of them and then was so torn by which one I liked better that I left empty handed. I am mulling it over for a few days and maybe then I will have a new way to protect my baby blues.

Kate Spade. Mint. Big enough to fit my laptop and my camera! Enough said.

Chloe's spring line is on point. The bags and the shoes are so amazing that it was hard to pick one to post about. Check out the scalloped flats, too. They are bringing colored suede into summer and I am more than on board.

The Eva Clutch is another piece that I have been scoping out for a few months. I like the crossbody option and I love that it's so compact. It's cute, fashionable and has the added bonus of being small enough to force me only to carry the bare minimum.

Enjoy the luxury, while I go start a savings plan for each of these!

Don't forget to spread some sunlight!

BIKINI ABS - Mondays with Matt!

Everyone wants a flat, sleek tummy for summer! So do this ab circuit the wonderful physical trainer, Matt Kathol, put together for the Magnolia and Sunlight family! The day after filming, my abs were so sore! It works!

What should we target next? Bikini booty? Sexy arms? Let me know!

Fitness questions will always be answered! Ask away my friends and GOOD LUCK!

Make your own sunlight!

Grace's Guide By Grace Helbig

*Psst* Click the picture to find a copy

This was an Amazon impulse buy and thank the book gods for guiding me to proceed with checkout. I heard about this book from a few people on YouTube and decided that I should check it out. I think this book is perfect for recent grads (people are graduating soon and you need to buy them presents) and twenty-somethings in general because Grace basically lays out the craziness that we millennials are dealing with. And if that’s not enough for you, she makes a lot of poop jokes.

Her advice is clever and often pretty on point. The anecdotes she chose are really relatable, like that time you didn’t want to go to a party because there would be people there. Or that time you ended up going to the party and then had to do the walk of shame home (there’s a whole chapter dedicated to this one, you little minx).  Or that time you realized you had no idea how to cook and you don’t have campus dining to sustain your growling belly. OK, so to be honest I think the only part of the book I didn’t enjoy was the recipe section, because while entertaining it gave me a stomach ache just thinking about Hot Dog Salad. But if you’re an adventurous foodie, go for it!

Whoever designed this book deserves a gold star because it’s fun and happy, and with full page photos of Grace doing funny things, it seems more like a magazine than a book. Lots of listicles and bullet points are in your future, if you choose to take my advice and get a copy for yourself.

Also, I love most of the outfits that Grace wears in the photographs throughout the different chapters. Can someone with a lot of free time buy the book, look at her outfits and compile a list of where they came from and THEN how I can get them in my closet? Just a thought. I mean StealherStyle does it to Taylor Swift all the time, now it’s your turn. I believe in you! 

Buy this book, laugh out loud sitting alone in a room and then use it as a coffee table book to share your newfound knowledge of the twenty-something lifestyle with your friends.

Four out of five owls for Grace!

Love you lots,

1. Kate Spade Cedar Street Satchel 2. Kate Spade Saturday Sunnies 3. Sperry Topsider Carlin Sandal 4. J. Crew Chino Shorts 5. Essie Romantic Brights Set

Spring is my favorite time to shop. By the end of fall and winter I am so ready to shed the layers and pack up every sweater in my closet. With all the extra room (why do sweaters have to take up SO MUCH space?), I run to the store to buy fresh colors, tanks, shorts and of course sandals, espadrilles and everything strappy. Basically, my credit card gets a serious workout and my bank account cries, but it's so worth it to welcome the warm weather with a new spring ensemble. With festivals and beach trips on my calendar in the coming months I've picked out some favorites and basic pieces that I can't wait to add to my spring collection. 

J. Crew chino shorts are the best! I try to buy a few new colors every year, but the fit is always perfect and the length isn't too short. I'm loving gold sandals this season, and while Jack Rogers are crazy popular, there a lot of other really great options like the Sperry ones I found. And of course, a Kate Spade Cedar Street bag and a round pair of sunglasses. The bag is a splurge, but so classic and in a pastel or cream color will work with so many things in your closet. (And if not, now you have an excuse to buy an outfit to match the bag!) The round glasses are super trendy, but they look weird on my face, so I'm crushed. Find a cute pair and rock them for me! 

And don't forget to treat yourself to a pedicure. Keep your winter feet to yourself and refresh with a fun color that you can show off in all those open-toe shoes waiting on your "Shoespiration" Pinterest board.  

Go enjoy the sunlight!

Playoff Abs!!

So if you're anything like me watching sports means sitting on the couch and eating, which is so enjoyable, but maybe not the healthiest option. I mean my guys are running their asses off for my enjoyment and I'm just vegging out, so here is a very ambitious alternative: The NBA Playoff Challenge: Basketball Abs!

In case you want to do the challenge with me tonight my picks are: San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan! Go Spurs Go!

Let me know how your challenge went! And check back for more NBA Playoff Challenges!

The Heiresses By Sara Shepard

*Psst* Click the picture to find a copy

I read the first eight Pretty Little Liars books and I never miss an episode of PLL (mostly because I stream them once they are on abcfamily.com, but hey, no one is perfect). When I discovered The Heiresses on the shelf at Barnes and Noble, I was so excited that Sara Shepard had started a new series. This one's about adult women who are cousins, heiresses to a jewelry fortune and are slowly turning up murdered one by one. It’s PLL for grownups, or people like me who pretend to be a grownup. (I drank my coffee black while reading this book and paid my water bill, so I think I pass the grownup test … for today.)

Unfortunately, I had a few other books on my shelf that I needed to read and didn’t buy it that first day. Then when I went back to buy it, I tried over and over and over at multiple locations but they were sold out for all eternity. So I got crafty, pulled out my phone, ordered a copy with my Amazon app and had it two days later. It was a used library copy from a place called Glencoe. (Google says that’s in Illinois.) I obviously didn’t pay attention to the listing when I hit that helpful little “Buy with one click” button.

But the book was all that I wanted it to be. To be honest, the writing wasn’t as great as I remember it being for the PLL series, but I also read those almost six years ago, so maybe I wasn’t paying that much attention. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and because it’s a book about a giant, insanely wealthy family and you are trying to catch a murderer, the names and relations are kind of important. Which is why there’s a family tree in the front! Surprise! Sara Shepard threw us a bone and made our lives that much easier! I referenced it a few times.

I thought I knew the ending and the killer's identity a few times, but it really took until right before the big reveal before I was sure "whodunit." The book ends with a cliffhanger, so I am assuming a sequel is on its way. I will be buying the second book and I am sure it will be just as fun as the first.

Bonus: Take this book on a trip, like to the beach. It’s a perfect airplane/beach book. I read the whole thing in one weekend, traveling to my parents' house for a three-day vacation. 

And The Heiresses receives three out of five owls!

Garden Party

Hat: TopShop, Pants: Primark (similar ones here and here), Tank: Primark (similar here and here), Shoes: Dolce Vita, Bangles: Brighton and David Yurman, Watch: Michael Kors, Clutch: Primark (love this and this)

The weather has been wonderful – our garden is blooming and it's gorgeous, so of course I was inspired to break out my pink skinnies! I also just got back from London (haul video here) and ventured into Primark for the first time and stocked up on some super cute spring items. If you don't know what Primark is, think H&M mixed with Forever21, but cheaper. Unfortunately, they don't have online shopping, so I've done my best to find similar pastel pink pants, a black scalloped top and clutch at a similar price (a.k.a. CHEAP) to share with you.

I love this outfit so much, because it's really cute, but also super functional. I took a light black sweater with me for the chilly evening and I was good to go. Happy spring everyone!

Go out and spread some sunlight. 

Love, 

Happy Earth Day!

Yes Please By Amy Poehler

*Psst* Click the picture to find a copy

I loved Tina Fey’s Bossypants and Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, so obviously the next step to complete the funny lady trilogy on my bookshelf was Amy’s new book. I didn’t buy it immediately because I wasn’t convinced I needed the hardback copy, but I found a Barnes and Noble gift card and you can guess what happened next.  

So the first thing I noticed when I scooped it off of the front display was how heavy it is for its size and I was quick to find out why. The print quality! Holy beautiful paper! It was fun to read just because the book was so pretty. It’s like reading one of those $20/issue luxury magazines. So GLOSSY! And the covers and dust jacket are really clever and worth the read. You haven’t finished the book until you’ve read the back!

Amy talks a lot about how hard it is to write a book, I get it. She can write movies and TV shows, but books are different and she had a publishing house waving a check under her nose – that’s a lot of pressure. Regardless, there seems to be a lot of self-loathing and moaning about having to write the book. And while Amy is really funny, I didn’t find myself laughing out loud like I did with Mindy or Tina’s book. I think I related more with Mindy’s first book because we are closer in age and lifestyle, and Tina’s book just flowed so well. Amy’s book talks a lot about kids, marriage and divorce – three things I have not experienced. (Thank God)

I did have a special bonding moment during the chapter that talks about sleep. No spoiler alerts, but Amy Poehler and I both suck at sleeping. She found out in a sleep clinic, while my FitBit shamed me so badly that I stopped wearing it to bed. Regardless, we are kindred spirits when it comes to (not) sleeping.

I recommend this book, and I also recommend you read it instead of listening to it. I tried to listen to the audiobook after I read it, but the inflections in her voices and the timing of her jokes were different from where I had placed them. It was weird and uncomfortable, like that time they cast a redhead for the part of your favorite character who you always imagined looking like Emma Watson, not Emma Stone. (Don't get me wrong, I love them both.)

Read it, laugh, take her advice (it seems to be pretty sound) and then go watch BabyMama. 

Overall, three out of five owls: