Juicy Couture-

From Birchbox-  Life is too short to wear boring fragrance. This youthful blend of fruity and floral notes is designed to make you feel fabulous, even if the most exciting thing on your calendar is laundry. Accordingly, the glamorous glass bottle comes bedecked with playful charms. One spritz and you’re ready for anything.

My take: I’m not a fan of this scent, but it did seem to last longer than most.

ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss-

From Birchbox- Sydney-based ModelCo prides itself in creating products that are fuss-free but high impact—ideal for off-duty beauties (models and non-models, alike). This non-sticky gloss goes on smoothly and gives lips a soft punch of sheer, slightly shimmery color. This slim tube has a built-in mirror so you can reapply on the go.

My take: I love this gloss! There’s a mirror on the bottle for easy application, and it smells like strawberries. It makes me feel like I’m using bonnie bell chapsticks again, but a little more grown up! It’s not sticky, and has the perfect shine with just a tint of color so I can wear it over lipstick or without it and either way it looks good. Quite the keeper!

Benefit it’s potent! eye cream-

From Birchbox- Thanks to this powerful cream, even stressed-out workaholics can feign eight hours of sleep. It fades dark under eye circles with day-to-day application. The thick caramel-colored refreshment works to preserve the elasticity of the delicate under eye area while protecting skin from free radicals.

My take- It was a fairly small sample, but I did see some results from using this for a couple of weeks. It wasn’t as greasy as other samples that I’ve tried, and was nice and light under my eyes. It’s definitely better than other eye creams I’ve tried.

Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique – Protect

From Birchbox-  From heat styling to chemical processing, there isn’t much we haven’t subjected our hair to in the pursuit of beauty. And my, how our poor follicles have suffered. Fortunately, this ambrosia-like hair treatment revitalizes even the most parched strands and frayed split ends. In addition, it provides protection against heat styling and even improves the performance of your tools.

My take- This was a pretty nice conditioner. It didn’t weigh my hair down, but it was still nice and soft. The smell is great!

1 – in white or blue! | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 – only $35! | 7

After Christmas, I try my hardest to keep on budget and recover a bit from the splurges of the Christmas season. Add to that 4 immediate family birthdays in January, and you have a recipe that includes keeping my credit card in my wallet! Despite that, these picks have had quite a stay in my online carts. Add a blazer to either of those dresses and they’re perfect for work, and the detailing on the clutch is just so perfect.

What’s tempting you this month?

{dress: vintage, but similar} {clutch: Michael Kors} {heels: old but similar} {bracelet: J. Michaels – similar}

We snapped these quickly on our way to dinner during our Vegas mini-vacation on NYE. What NYE wouldn’t be complete without a few sequins? I kept my favorite Michael Kors iPhone clutch/holder combo with me all night so all my essentials would be nearby with nothing extra to worry about. I have to say I loved having the Palazzo’s gorgeous Christmas decorations as a background! They were absolutely gorgeous! It was the perfect way to ring in 2013.

Clockwise from the left:  {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6}

I’m back! I had every intention of continuing with regular posts during the holidays, but I had so much fun with my family and travels from DC to North Carolina to Vegas that I got a little behind. But now I’m back, better rested, and should be back on schedule!

I don’t know about y’all, but during January I’m more focused on sales than normal. All of these pieces are under $30!

The purse is even $12, which I think is a steal, and those 2 sweaters just seem so cozy and perfect to brighten up January days.

For this week’s installation of style quotes, I thought this was particularly appropriate! Red is probably my favorite color to wear,

whether it’s my favorite red lipstick, or a red dress.  Happy Friday! Posting will likely be a little light next week as we travel home for the holidays!

{top: vintage!} {skirt: similar } {heels: old, similar} {iPhone case: Michael Kors}

When I was planning out wardrobe options for our Christmas party season, one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted there to be some sequins involved. This jacket certainly delivered! I buttoned it up to wear it as a shirt instead of a jacket for my husband’s work Christmas party and added one of my favorite skirts. It makes quite the statement! I loved snapping a few pictures here in the library- it’s so gorgeous! Sign me up for a library card here any day.

Here’s a sneak peek into our December!

{1: ’tis the season for sequins!}

{2: Kafe Leopold’s Earl Grey chocolate cake- so delicious}

{3: Downton Abbey, Season 3 from a sweet mother-in-law. One whole Sunday – gone.}

{4: Winter Wonderland tree}

{5: fried jalapeño and avocado are the best burgers toppings}

{6: Pretty Woman while decorating}

{7: Christmas holly candle for the Christmas spirit}

{8: Merry Christmas, y’all!}

You can follow me on instagram @kristamstafford

TRUFFLE SERUM

From Glossybox: Developed in Italy, this light-weight serum works to prevent the signs of ageing by bringing together pure extracts of Tuber Melanosporum and Hyaluronic Acid. It works great as a boost to the cellular regenerative process thanks to the potent Panthenol B5. This cellular regenerative formula is rich in Peptides and ideal for any age and skin type. You’ll notice the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles reduced and a more deeply hydrated revitalized looking you.

While I’d have to use the serum for more than a few days to be able to review the claims about prevent the signs of ageing, it does feel refreshing and made my skin seem a tad bit brighter just in the short time I used it. It is nongreasy, which is a must. I’m definitely glad to have gotten this in my December Glossybox!

ARGANICS BY NUME ARGAN OIL

From Glossybox: Achieve stunning and healthy hair with NuMe’s specialized non-greasy Argan oil that penetrates damaged hair cuticles leaving hair healthy from the inside out. This rich yet light-weight hydrating Argan oil reduces drying time in damp hair and prevents fading on color-treated hair. NuMe’s Argan oil is also ideal for dry and tired skin as a reparative moisturizer, soothing rough and ravaged spots from head to toe.

I really liked the argan oil. I used about a dime sized amount, and it made my hair look substantially shinier and healthier. I only applied it about half way down so it wouldn’t affect my volume, but it still worked wonders! It also made my hair super soft- a win-win-win in my book.

INCOCO NAIL POLISH APPLIQUÉS

From Glossybox: The world’s first 100% real nail polish appliqués – not stickers! Incoco Nail Polish appliqués contain base, color, and top coats for a brilliant, salon-quality manicure in just a few minutes with no drying time, smudges, or streaks. The strips are flexible and can contour to fit any nail size and shape. The Incoco collection includes a wide array of over 100 shades, designs, and finishes.

I’ve used these before when I got them in a Birchbox box a few months ago. I am torn on these. I like them in theory, and I do loathe waiting for my nails to dry, but I didn’t find they last as long as I thought the price tag should warrant.

ILLAMASQUA  LIP & EYE MEDIUM PENCIL

From Glossybox: This highly pigmented creamy pencil allows for easy blending with a long-wearing hold to create sultry eyes and sensuous lips. It’s medium size tip allows for versatile use and strong application. 

I am very impressed by this pencil! Because of the color, I haven’t used it on my eyes, but it’s creamy and heavily pigmented on my lips. While I typically have a problem with the creamy/longevity spectrum, this is one of the few pencils I have found that is both creamy and lasts for hours! You can smudge it a little while it’s fresh but after it dries it’s pretty solid. All in all, I am a fan! My only complaint is that I can’t really imagine using the same color on my eyes and lips, since I try to avoid any pinks or reds on my eyes since it looks like I have pink eye when I attempt it!

There was also a Glossybox exclusive powder blush in a sort of dusty rose color. It was alright, but I prefer a cream blush personally.

~All of these are my own opinions and I paid for Glossybox with my own money, no gifts here. If you’d like to give or gift Glossybox, you can do so here. It’s a great present!