gml approved | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

shop: GML’s 2014 holiday gift guide.

27 November, 2014 by Gracie 1 Comment

Hi loves, hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Since it’s Black Friday, I thought now would be a good time to share my favorite gift ideas for this holiday season.

Last year I put together a few gift guides (for your BFF, your guy, and your parents), but this year I’m keeping the focus on the ladies. So in case you’re still looking for inspiration for what to get for the lovely women in your life, here are my top picks.

under $50

customized journal – my best friend Jessi once got me one of these customized journals from Minted.com, and it was so special! You can personalize it with photos, words, etc.

Speakable necklace – hey, how could I not include my own necklaces? Right now there’s actually a Black Friday (through Cyber Monday) sale happening – use promo code XMAS14 for 20% off all items. (FYI – did you know there’s a custom option now too?)

L’Occitane Voyage En Provence Set – L’Occitane is one of my favorite beauty brands, and this set is full of great travel-sized products. I love this idea because it’s something that someone wouldn’t necessarily buy for themself, but would come in so much handy. Great for the frequent traveler in your life.

HommeGirl beanie – just because it’s cool.

X-mini portable speaker – this is something that’s on my own Christmas list. It’s small enough to carry around with you and plugs right into your phone!

$50 – $100

Red Carpet Manicure Pro Kit – another one I may be a bit biased toward, ha (I do their social media). Red Carpet Manicure allows you to get a GEL mani that can last 2 weeks, and you can do it from the comfort of your own couch. This is a great gift that keeps on giving.

Tocca Fragrance Collection – I love all of the Tocca fragrances – they’re refreshing and feminine and just amazing. This set comes with rollerballs of all of the scents, so they’re perfect for on-the-go.

Polaroid Instant Print Camera – another one that’s on my own Christmas list. The look/tangibility of Polaroid photos is just so fun – a great gift for that sentimental friend of yours.

K. Banasik Wool Cashmere Wraps – my good friend Kristine is a clothing designer, and she recently started making these fun and cozy wraps – a perfect way to stay warm this winter while still looking stylish. These are selling for $350 in stores, but she has a special holiday sale going on right now for $80! More photos and details here.

$100 – $200

Ben Amun Liquid Gold Thin Snake Bracelet – every girl loves some arm candy. I love how chic this bracelet is, and it’s classic enough to go with just about anything.

SK II Pitera Essence Set – okay, so I haven’t used these products myself (yet), but my friend Martina told me about SK II and I read other great reviews about it. This set is a really great deal – perfect for your beauty/skin-care obsessed friend.

Young Living Everyday Essential Oil Collection – I’m a huge fan of essential oils lately. They smell amazing and can be used for a handful of different beauty and wellness purposes. Another gift that’s great for the friend that’s into wellness/health. Click here to sign up through my friend Emily

$200 +

Nespresso VertuoLine – okay, this is a pricier one. BUT if you’re looking for a gift to wow an important person in your life, this will do the trick. I recently got a VertuoLine and it has changed my life (no, really). It makes espresso and coffee, and it’s seriously some of the best brew I’ve ever had.

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Have you started any holiday gift shopping yet? What are some of your gift ideas this year?

what I’m loving right now {+ a giveaway!}.

18 November, 2014 by Gracie

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan
It’s no secret that I love me some sunless tanning products (I made a video about it here). So I was totally down to check out Cocoa Brown 1 Hour sunless tanner when they offered to send me some to give a try.

The verdict – I love it! It applies really smooth and easily and dries almost instantly, then the tan develops in about one hour. It also has a great natural shade – bronze and not orangey.

I also loved Tough Stuff, which is a great body exfoliator to use in the shower. It left my skin feeling super soft and really helps the sunless tanner “stick” to your skin better.

Progessence Plus
I mentioned in my Whole30 recap that I had been on the birth control pill for hormonal issues and recently went off of it, so I’ve been trying a more holistic approach. My good friend Emily knows a ton about essential oils and highly recommended I try Progessence Plus. I’ve read great things about using it for hormonal imbalances and other benefits. I just started using it so can’t speak for any big results (yet), but I have already noticed feeling more relaxed after using it, as well as sleeping better.

(If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils I’d love to put you in touch with Emily - you can email me at gracie@girlmeetslife.com)

Jergens BB Body Skin Cream
I’m a huge fan of Jergens products (their Natural Glow is one of my favorites) so I was excited to try their new BODY BB cream. This is the first BB cream for your body that I’ve come across. It’s supposed to instantly hydrate and illuminate, and within 5 days even, firm, and correct your skin. I’ve definitely noticed the immediate effects, and in general my skin does seem to have a more even complexion.

Elizabeth Arden UNTOLD ABSOLU
I was recently sent this new fragrance from Elizabeth Arden to try out, and I love it! The scent is very glamorous, luxurious and warm – it has an amber base with hints of floral and fruity tones – perfect as we enter into the holidays and cooler weather. You can find it at Macy’s or on ElizabethArden.com!

And guess what? I’m giving away a bottle of UNTOLD ABSOLU to one lucky reader!

You can enter by leaving a comment saying *how you change up your beauty routine in the winter.*

~~The winner will be chosen on Friday November 28th, so get your entries in! Open to U.S. residents only, must be 18 years or older.~~

Update: winner has been chosen and contacted!

Good luck

glamming up for the holidays with mary kay.

17 November, 2014 by Gracie 115 Comments

As someone who is a self-proclaimed girly girl I must say that makeup can be a little intimidating to me sometimes. It’s the beauty routine that I tend to be most wary experimenting with because I never want to overdo it. In fact, up until about a year ago, my makeup routine was virtually the same since I was about 13!

Recently, though, I’ve learned how the right products can make all the difference in the world when it comes to applying makeup, as well as finding the right shades that compliment my complexion. That’s why I was so excited to try out some of Mary Kay’s new makeup products.

I was always familiar with Mary Kay and used a moisturizer of theirs once, but I never knew that they had such a great collection of makeup products as well. So when I received the assortment of shades of eye shadows, lip sticks, and brushes, I was very pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the products. The packaging alone was a great first impression.

The Mary Kay® makeup products came at the perfect time too, now that we’re in the middle of fall and entering into the holiday season. There’s really no better time to have fun with new makeup looks. I love embracing all of the celebrations as a chance to add some glitz and glam to my normal makeup routine.

Mary Kay also provided some fun holiday looks by putting together some of their products and shades that really compliment each other. You can check out the looks here. I really loved the shades that went with the Playful Party Girl look, so that’s what I tried. I loved this look – it’s so perfect for holiday parties!

For more makeup inspiration and videos visit MaryKay.com.

What kind of look would you go for this upcoming holiday season? Leave your answer in the comments section for the chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card for each blogger to give away, plus A collection of Mary Kay® products and beauty essentials!

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/17/2014 – 12/21/2014.

Be sure to visit the Mary Kay brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

style: my new shopping obsession boohoo.com.

3 November, 2014 by Gracie 4 Comments

You might have seen on Instagram that last week I attended the pop up store opening event for Boohoo.com in New York City.

I wasn’t previously familiar with Boohoo.com, but I’ve got to say that it is now my latest shopping obsession.

From their website:

Our philosophy is pretty simple: we don’t take fashion or life too seriously. Whether you like to keep one step ahead of the trends, or if subtle style is more your thing, we’re sure we’ve got something you’ll love. Combining cutting-edge design with an affordable price tag, we’ve been pushing boundaries for the past eight years to bring you all the latest looks for less.

They took the words out of my mouth! That’s basically my philosophy behind #TrendyNotSpendy, so I couldn’t have found Boohoo.com at a better time.

In short, Boohoo.com has similar prices to stores like H&M, Forever21 & Zara, but the look and quality of the clothes are on another level. I’m so glad I got to see (and try on) them for myself at the event last week.

Oh, and did I mention how fun the event was? They had amazing performances by Femme and Tanlines, a candy bar, great food and drinks, and other fun activations.

Please note I haven’t been compensated for this post - I just love Boohoo.com!

FYI - they also have 20% off everything happening now if you use code SAVE20.

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Have you heard of Boohoo.com? What are your favorite online shopping resources?

style remix with no nonsense.

8 October, 2014 by Gracie 80 Comments

It seems like just yesterday it was all about the cut-offs and tank tops, but now the cool weather of fall is definitely upon us. I must say that fall is my favorite season as far as my wardrobe goes because I love layering and just experimenting with different styles.

Living in New York City, I’m always looking for stylish ways to switch up my look while also remaining comfortable - especially on those days I know I’m going to be walking (or dancing ;)) a lot. That’s why tights have always been a go-to of mine in the fall and winter seasons.

So when No nonsense reached out to let me try their line of tights and legwear, I was definitely excited to check it out!

No nonsense offers a full line of legwear including tights, leggings and shapewear – all with the same high quality the brand has been known for over the past 40 years. No nonsense is all about ‘Style made easy’ – making it easier for women to look and feel stylish with on-trend legwear that is available both online and at most mass stores. This fall, No nonsense has designed a curated collection featuring new fabrications and patterns, including Denim and Ponte Knit Leggings, Sweater Tights and Fashion Tights in bold prints.

Since the new No nonsense collection is so versatile, I thought it would be fun to show a little bit of a ‘Style Remix’ – how I took the same pair of tights to create two different looks for fall. First up - I actually took one of my favorite jumpers from summer and added my No nonsense Great Shapes Blackout Shaping Tights underneath.

Before:

Remixed: I’m really excited about this look because it allows me to utilize my summer wardrobe straight into the colder seasons. It also dresses up the look more, so I can take this outfit from day right into nighttime.

I did the same thing with another favorite jumper of mine. This time I paired it with fun No nonsense Dot Tights and a leather bomber jacket.

Before:

Remixed:

Lastly I remixed my go-to summer outfit of jean shorts and a t-shirt.

Before:

Remixed: Instead of shorts, I swapped in my new red No nonsense Denim Leggings – but still tied in some blue denim with a jean jacket.

I love these leggings because they look stylish (like red denim) but have the comfort and versatility of leggings. Learn more about No nonsense by visiting their website and follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Want to try No nonsense for yourself? Enter below to win a $100 No nonsense gift card!

Leave a reply in the comments section saying how you’d style your No nonsense legwear this fall. You can also enter by visiting No nonsense on Pinterest, checking out more Style Remixes and re-pinning a look you love, see below for full sweepstakes rules.

Sweepstakes Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the Promotion prompt on this post.*

Tweet (public message) about this Promotion, including a disclosure that your tweet is a sweepstakes entry (e.g., using a hashtag such as #SweepstakesEntry or #SweepsEntry); and leave the URL to that Tweet in a comment on this post.*
Re-pin (publicly) a pin from the client’s Pinterest page here: URL including exactly the following unique term in your pin’s description: “#nononsensestyleremix” and a disclosure that your pin is a sweepstakes entry (e.g., “I am entering the #nononsensestyleremix sweepstakes” or using a hashtag such as #SweepstakesEntry or #SweepsEntry); and leave the URL to that Re-pin in a comment on this post.
Purchase a pair of No nonsense Leggings at www.nononsense.com and create your own Style Remix. Share a link to the public image in the comment section on this post.
Blog about this Promotion (including a disclosure that you have received a sweepstakes entry in exchange for blogging about this Promotion), and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.*

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 10/8/14 – 10/27/14. Be sure to visit the No nonsense brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

beauty: some new and old makeup favorites.

3 October, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

E.L.F. Cosmetics Baked California Eyeshadow Palette
This is an old favorite that I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you.My old roommate (hi Cambria!) used to work for e.l.f. and always gave me fun makeup goodies. I became obsessed with this eyeshadow palette – I typically only ever where brown shades to go with my blue eyes, and this palette has the perfect neutrals/browns.

Becca Nougat lip liner
This is a new favorite that my roommate Rachel recently told me about. It has two sides - one with a darker shade for the outside of your lips, and the other side is lighter for the inside of your lips. This liner seriously makes your lips look like, 1/4 fuller. Move over, Kylie Jenner.

Manna Movie Star Sheer Glo
Another old favorite – put just a dab on your cheekbones and it gives your face a nice, subtle glow.

Maybelline Peach Kiss Baby Lips
This one goes wayyyy back. I’ve loved Baby Lips for years, and I still wear it just about every day! This Peach Kiss shade is natural but adds a nice tint to your lips, and I’ve found that it goes perfectly over my new Becca lip liner.

Too Faced Peach Leopard bronzer
Rachel recently started a new job in makeup and has been bringing home products for me to try (I luck out with the roommates, don’t I? haha). I just have a sample version of this bronzer (for now) but I really love it. It’s lighter and a bit more natural than my other favorite (Hoola by Benefit), which is nice for the fall. I’ve been using a little bit of both lately.

Bare Minerals Lash Domination
It’s true – I’ve been cheating on my #1 favorite mascara (Lash Accelerator by Rimmel). BUT – this Lash Domination is definitely up there as a new favorite. While Lash Accelerator adds an incredible length to your lashes, Lash Domination is all about the volume.

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What are some of your favorite makeup products right now?

This post was originally written by Gracie Gordon who blogs at Girl Meets Life. She can also be found on Twitter and Instagram at @alagracie.

SBC: on repeat {GML’s fall playlist}.

23 September, 2014 by Gracie 8 Comments

In addition to still listening to my summer playlist, here are some new tunes I’ve been into lately. Enjoy!

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What songs have you been loving lately?

GML’s favorite hair trends for fall.

16 September, 2014 by Gracie 10 Comments

We’ve gone over some of my favorite fashion trends for fall – and now onto DA HAIR.

I have a love/hate relationship with hair styles/trends. I WANT to rock them myself, but the extent to which I switch up my hair is whether I part it in the middle or on the side.

SO in an attempt to experiment more this fall, here are some of my favorite hair trends right now.

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knotted. Such a simple way to take a regular up-do to the next level.

messy low bun/ponytail. Perfect hair kind of bothers me (especially up-dos) so I love this look.

braids. Braids are alllll over the place right now. I’m dying to learn how to do the fishtail!

tossled. This will probably always be my favorite hair style. It looks good on everyone, IMO.

fringey bangs. Bangs and I…we don’t go well together. If we did, though, this is the exact cut I’d go for.

pin straight. So classic yet dramatic at the same time.

messy French twist. Are you noticing a trend with my love for messy up-dos? This is just lovely.

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What hair trends are you loving right now?

NYC staycation with Marriott Rewards and FlashPerks.

9 September, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

If you’ve been following GML you may remember that I had a fun staycation with Marriott Hotels a few months ago. It was an incredible experience, so I was so excited when they reached out for me to participate in another campaign!

What I’ve really grown to love about Marriott Hotels is how in tune they are with the millennial generation and how they’ve taken steps to make traveling easier, more convenient, and more FUN. And that’s where Marriott Rewards and FlashPerks come into play.

Last Wednesday I packed a bag and headed uptown to the Renaissance Times Square. It was a beautiful hotel! It felt like an oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Times Square.

view from my room:

I love having a big cozy hotel room all to myself!

complimentary cupcakes – yes please.

hotel lounge:

After getting settled in I headed to the hotel restaurant to meet with some of the Marriott representatives and a few other bloggers over appetizers and cocktails. I was really excited to learn more about Marriott Rewards and FlashPerks.

With Marriott Rewards, it’s all about modern loyalty. When using the rewards you can get immediate access to relevant, hand-picked deals, and it’s easy to earn and redeem points. For example, simply using the #MRPoints hash tag on social media will earn you points. How cool is that?!

And then there’s FlashPerks, which gives members the option to redeem points or use cash for limited-time, exclusive deals and experiences. I love the concept of FlashPerks because it makes experiencing a new city easier than ever – it’s a new way for travelers to enjoy instant gratification with time-sensitive offers. I was thrilled to be able to experience the New York City FlashPerks deal of a helicopter tour of the city, a visit to the MoMa, and a special discount for shopping at Bloomingdales (more on that in a bit).

Marriott was kind enough to give us AMEX gift cards to enjoy a night in the city, so after dinner I headed downtown to meet up with some friends. But – let’s be honest - first was a quick pit stop at the (biggest and best ever) Forever 21 in Times Square to grab a few new things

…and take a (failed) Times Square selfie, of course. Gotta play tourist every once in a while!

The next day I woke up bright and early to catch up on some work before heading down for a quick breakfast.

And then – we were off to enjoy our FlashPerks! The first stop was a helicopter tour of the city, which I was REALLY excited (and mildly terrified) about.

But I’ve got to say – it was SO. MUCH. FUN. And not scary at all! It was absolutely breathtaking to see New York City from above.

Statue Of Liberty:

One World Trade Center:

Central Park:

Uptown Manhattan:

Me with the other bloggers – Justin of Scout Sixteen, Bonnie of Flashes of Style, and Dallas Shaw:

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to the MoMa/Bloomingdale’s leg of the day, but I’m able to redeem those perks within the next 30 days (which I definitely will be doing).

Overall it was an amazing little NYC staycation. Thanks so much to Marriott for the opportunity – I can’t wait to stay in a Marriott hotel again soon!

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What’s the most important thing you look for in a hotel when traveling? Does something like Marriott Rewards/FlashPerks matter to you?

scenes from the weekend {+ SoulCycle review}.

7 September, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

Want to know the truth behind this photo?

It was taken 5 minutes after I thought I left my phone in the gym locker room, ran back to find it wasn’t there, bawled my eyes out like a lunatic on the street, then found that I had left it on the counter at Liquiteria.

Ugh. Moving on.

On Friday I went to our Liberty Sisterhood event with Sarah Dubbeldam, and it was SO GOOD. We sold out the entire theater!

But probably the most exciting part was the announcement of SHE IS FREE – a celebration of freedom happening in April, hosted by Andi Andrew. I HIGHLY suggest checking out the website (especially the promo video!) and considering making the trip to NYC for this. It’s going to be unreal…

Afterward a bunch of us headed to The Standard East Village for my friend Tia’s going away party.

On Saturday I did something I’ve been wanting to for a long time now – I took my first SOULCYCLE class. I was a bit nervous, to say the least.

My roommate Rachel is basically a SoulCycle enthusiast so I finally made it to a class with her. We took Jaws’ class at the SoulCycle Soho Studio. The class definitely kicked my ass…in the best possible way. I was really intimidated at first because SoulCyclists are quite the intense bunch (it’s definitely one of those cult-like fitness trends). The fact that I couldn’t even snap my shoes in the bike at first didn’t help either, ha.

BUT – as soon as the class started I totally understood the draw of SoulCycle. First of all – it is FUN. The studio is really dark, which I loved, and the music was 100% on point (super important to me). And then of course, it was a killer workout. I think there’s a misconception that spinning is just cardio, but SoulCycle has all sorts of strength moves throughout the entire class – pushups, squats, crunches, hand weights, etc.

So bottom line – I loved it! I probably won’t be able to make it to SoulCycle a ton just because it’s expensive and I already have a gym membership, but I’m going to try to treat myself to it once a week or so if I can!

After SoulCycle we headed home and got ready before heading back out to brunch with a group of friends. I embraced the disgustingly hot weather to rock cutoffs and a crop top one last time…

(top – American Apparel, shorts – Necessary Clothing)

As for brunch – our go-to De Santos never fails!

Then we spent the rest of the day hopping around some of our favorite bars in the West Village.

I’m all about the tablescape shots, can you tell?

On Sunday (today) I spent a few hours catching up on work/blog stuff then hit the gym. I powered through with my new Nespresso VertuoLine machine, which I was gifted at that Nespresso event a few weeks ago.

I. am. OBSESSED. with this machine…! Seriously – it makes better coffee than some of my favorite cafes in the city.