Stars, Stripes, + a GIVEAWAY!

tank  ||  skirt  ||  sunglasses (from the $1 - $3 section at Target, similar here)  ||  coozie  ||  sneakers

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Happy Saturday! Can you believe it's already the end of June?! I feel like the month has just began. Our weather in Seattle has been amazing. Like, mid to high 80s almost every day - the fourth of July is supposed to be 96! I don't know how I'm supposed to stay cool. But I can't complain, I love hot weather, barbecues, laying by the pool, and waking up to sunshine coming through my windows! 

My brother and I went shopping at the outlets recently, and I found these cute crop tops (here and here) for my sister and I to wear for the fourth. If you have a PacSun outlet near you, definitely check them out for these tops - mine were buy one get one half off! I also bought three other solid tanks that were buy one get two free! I normally don't shop there, but I'm glad I popped in. 

There's nothing more American than a fourth of July party with Coca-Cola, big burgers (veggie patties for me), and wearing red, white, and blue. When I discovered Cruisey, I knew I needed to get myself one of those wearable coozies! They are perfect for enjoying whatever you're doing and not worrying about spilling or losing your drink. Not only do they offer this too-good American flag one, they have plenty with fun quotes (like this Get Nauti one), and an option to personalize one! It's easy to keep your drinks cold and still look stylish. Plus, they're all under $10, which is awesome for stocking up! 

Cruisey and I have teamed up to give one lucky reader a Cruisey coozie of their choice! Entering is easy: just use the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stripes + Skinnies

tee  ||  jeans (Abercrombie & Fitch, sold out, similar here and here)  ||  sandals  ||  bag  ||  sunglasses

I'm finally back with an outfit post. It's been forever since I last posted one, but I bought myself a new lens last month and have finally been (kind of) teaching my sister how to focus it and take quality photos of me. I bought a 50mm lens and it has changed my life. I'm obsessed with it. I used to carry my camera around with me a lot and was constantly snapping photos, but because I broke my old 18-55mm lens (oops), I stopped grabbing my camera for a long time. But now, I never hesitate to bring it along and am always happy with what I get.

Anyway, let's talk about these skinny jeans: I'm obsessed. I bought them last week and I've already worn them 4 times! They're honestly the best fitting jeans I have ever owned. Buying jeans isn't always the biggest struggle for me, but I can never find a pair that make me feel really great in them, and at an affordable price. I've also never owned gray jeans before, so I'm really happy I picked these up. The best part? They were only $16.99! I paid close to nothing for them. 

Also, I'm obsessed with these sandals, too. My old ones broke but I took them back to Nordstrom and they happily replaced them for me, and since then, I've worn them almost every day (oops). They're the perfect sandal! You can dress them up or down, are neutral, and have a pop of gold that I love. What more in a sandal could I ask for?

Cheers!

Spring and Summer Beauty Favorites

I love, love, love wearing makeup. Once I find some products that I really love, it's so fun to apply it and look at myself! (hehehe ;)) I'll start by saying that I do wear a full face of foundation every day. I don't have very sensitive skin and because I'm on a birth control pill, my hormones are pretty balanced and I don't have to deal too often with acne. Every once in awhile I'll wake up with some acne, but because it's not a serious problem with me, I can easily wear drugstore makeup without worry. I have normal skin - it's not too oily and it's not too dry. I make sure to always moisturize before applying makeup and anytime after I wash my face, which sets me up for a glowing, healthy look.

These two foundations are the two that I rotate through and are currently loving. The top is Almay's smart shade mousse foundation in 200. It took me awhile to get used to - the mousse texture was foreign to me but I ended up loving it! I originally bought this because it was on sale and I thought I would give it a try, but because I had never heard of it, I looked up YouTube reviews. Though most people didn't love it, I really do. I apply a thin with my fingers and then blend it all together with a brush. It creates a soft, dewy look but feels light on my skin - I forget I'm even wearing it!

The bottom is the same foundation everyone and their mother wears - Covergirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation. It has a primer, concealer, and foundation all in one and includes SPF as well, which is important, especially in the sunnier months. It's a much higher coverage foundation than Almay's, which is good for days that I feel I really need more coverage. You can tell from my bottle that it frequently gets used and travels with me in my makeup bag!

I am a sucker for e.l.f. products. I know, they're cheap, but I do believe they have some quality products. I picked up this concealer randomly at Wal-Mart and love it! I use it only on my under eye circles and it really works. Plus, it's only $3, so I figured I had little to lose if I ended up not liking it.

These two powders I inherited from my little sister. I'm a huge Maybelline fan and this matte powder (most similar Maybelline powder available here) is the perfect setting powder. It's light and doesn't look cakey on top of foundation!

This NYC bronzer is both so affordable ($3) and quality. It's matte, which is nice - I don't like sparkly bronzers. It's great for contouring and creating a warmer look, and lasts forever! I use my e.l.f. small stipple brush to apply it for contouring (I'm still learning) and they work perfectly together. 

I'm very surprised at how much I liked these two products. This e.l.f. jumbo lip gloss stick is nice for a natural look, and this Forever21 love & beauty lipstick in berry is bright enough for the day, but still romantic enough for the evening. The Forever21 lipstick is really thick, without being drying or cakey. It has a really nice feel to it and it's one I find myself reaching for often!

My favorite part: my eyes. I love wearing liner - I wear winged liner almost every day. Ever since I've been able to wear eyeliner to work now, I never hesitate on whether or not to wear it! I love how eyeliner can make eyes pop. Maybelline's Line Stiletto has been my favorite liquid liner for over a year now. I know I'll always be repurchasing it. The felt tip liner and shorter length gives you a ton of control, allowing easy application. 

I'm also a sucker for lashes. I love long, dark, curled lashes. I'm always trying out new drugstore mascaras (my mom loves to buy me new ones!) and really enjoy this one from L'Oreal. It doesn't clump, but still gives me long, defined lashes. It's the perfect finishing touch for a really pretty look. 

Those are my beauty favorites right now! 

What products are you loving, and which do you suggest?!

Cheers!

Viva 2015

Dress  ||  Shoes (Steve Madden, old, similar)  ||  Necklace  ||  Earrings (J.Crew Factory, old)

If you've been following Prep Northwest for awhile now, you'll know that I love fraternity formals. The only thing that can make a formal better, is that formal being in Canada. Chris' spring formal was this past weekend in Vancouver, BC! This was our second year going and had an even better time. The actual formal takes place on a boat and we cruise through Vancouver Harbor. Especially during this time of year, it's absolutely beautiful. And we're still cruising during gold hour, so photos are wonderful.

What's also fun is the drinking age: if you're 19, you can legally go out and drink in Canada! I'm not big on partying, but it's fun to be able to go out and order a martini or go dancing in a club. Chris is 21 and I'm still only 20, so it was nice to go to a pub with him and our other friends.

Vancouver is a great city to visit. It's very similar to Seattle, which is why I think I like it so much. If you're planning a visit, definitely stay downtown near Gransville. The nightlife is popping and there are tons of restaurants all around! Everything is at least a 10 minute walk or 10 minute can ride away. Since Vancouver is less than two hours from where I live, I plan on making a lot more trips up there this summer. Even though Canada and the US are neighbors and share a lot of their cultures, there's a definite Canadian culture that I love.

The dress I wore is from Lulu's. It was my first purchase from there and I couldn't be happier with it. I was worried about the deep v looking bad because of my chest size (#smallboobs) but I ended up loving it and feeling really great in it. Plus, it arrived a day early and is only $37! How crazy is that? My heels are Steve Madden, but I bought them last summer from TJ Maxx for less than $30, so I can't find them anywhere. I linked a similar pair above!

Tell me, have you gone on any Greek formals? What locations are your favorite?
Cheers!

P.S. Sorry for out of focus photos - I just bought a manual lens and had to ask people who don't know how to use DSLRs to take some photos!