what i’m loving right now | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

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

what i’m loving right now.

20 March, 2014 by Gracie 9 Comments

ombré lips.

For my birthday Erica got me this great dual lipstick from Bite, which is perfect for doing easy ombré lips.

It was so simple - I just did the dark (red) shade on the outside of my lips, and the lighter (fuschia) shade on the inside. It’s not as fancy as the ombré lips/tutorials I’ve seen on makeup blogs, but it does the trick. Voila!

ribbon hair ties.

ALSO a gift from Erica…thanks E 😉

Um, why didn’t anyone tell me about these things sooner?! They’re so much better than regular hair ties as they don’t break or leave creases in your hair. Not to mention they just look cuter in your hair and/or on your wrist.

vaseline spray & go moisturizer.

Ok – this stuff is a game changer. I’m slightly OCD about using body lotion every day, and Vaseline Spray & Go makes it SO much easier. I still love regular body lotion and body butters, but when I’m in a rush this is great for quick application *and* quick drying.

I’ve only tried the Cocoa Radiant one, which I love – it smells like cocoa butter!

roasted veggies.

Nothin’ fancy or new here, just good old big bowls of roasted vegetables. I’ve mentioned before how roasting vegetables (with lots of spices) is the best way to make them taste good, and lately I’ve been making big batches ahead of time.

Smothered with some Annie’s Goddess dressing = perfection.

(I have a great guide to roasting vegetables on this post)

**********

What are you loving right now? Any of these things?

what i’m loving right now.

10 March, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

Ellovi body butter & lip butter.

Hi my name is Gracie, and I have an extreme obsession love for all skin moisturizers. I’ve never met a body lotion I didn’t like, but I was especially excited to accept a sample of Ellovi body butter when I learned that it’s all-natural, handmade, and includes just six ingredients. Made from macadamia nut, coconut, marula nut, hemp seed, and shea, there are no synthetic ingredients, preservatives, parabens, or other secret ingredients in Ellovi.

Their lip butter also has just six ingredients - Hawaiian coconut, sunflower, hemp, macadamia, Ghanaian marula, and shea.

Both butters smell amazing, and they feel incredible on my skin and lips.

Madecasse toasted coconut dark chocolate.

Not much explanation necessary here. If you see this in stores, get it. Trust me. If not, you can order it on the Madecasse website.

UV Sriracha vodka.

That’s right, sriracha really can add flavor to anything and everything. Rachel and I used UV sriracha vodka to make “Srirachaberry Margaritas” (with raspberries instead of strawberries) before going out, and it was the perfect way to kick off the night!

this meal combo…

This isn’t anything new or revolutionary, just a meal that I’ve been loving and eating just about every day for either breakfast or lunch.

It’s pretty simple – just a combination of soft boiled eggs, sweet potato, and avocado. It’s so filling and delicious!

Liquiteria.

In case you didn’t notice, cold-pressed juice is like, really in right now. Especially in NYC, at least. I’ve tried a handful of juice brands, and Liquiteria is definitely one of my new favorites. I had a discount code so grabbed their Level One Cleanse the other day, and I loved it. I drank the juice in additional to my normal (slightly smaller) meals, and it left me feeling really energized throughout the day. I didn’t even need my afternoon coffee fix!

(Oh, and I also like how Liquiteria’s juice 6-pack is the most inexpensive I’ve found yet.)

Arrojo PrIMP working spray.

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with hairspray. Since I add waves to my hair often, hairspray is a necessity. But even with my (then) favorite brand – one spray too many left my hair feeling and looking crunchy. So when I got the suggestion to try Arrojo’s PrIMP working spray, I figured it was worth a try.

The verdict: it’s the hairspray I’ve been looking for all my life! It’s super light but still holds my hairstyle in place. Best of all is that it still allows you to switch up your hairstyle if you want to do different shapes and styles (it was actually created for that purpose for photo shoots). It also smells amazing and works well with heat tools.

**********

What are you loving right now?

what i’m loving right now.

29 December, 2013 by Gracie 3 Comments

clarins double serum.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m kinda sorta a skincare freak. So when I saw this Clarins serum all over a ton of “best skin products” lists, it went straight to the top of my Christmas list.

So far, I love it! I haven’t been using it long enough to notice any results, but it goes on so smoothly and leaves my face feeling healthy and refreshed.

pom pom beanies.
I’ve mentioned before how much I love pom pom beanies, but I had so much trouble finding the perfect one! I looked everywhere, but it was lying right under my nose at good old H&M.

back-draping necklaces.
I fell in love with these necklaces since Jennifer Lawrence dawned one at the Oscars. Since then they’ve been all over Pinterest, and have come out in more casual forms – like this one from Urban Outfitters (also something I got for Christmas, yay!).

**********

What are you loving right now? Get any of them for Christmas this year?

what i’m loving right now.

8 November, 2013 by Gracie 3 Comments

Beauty Box 5.

Beauty products delivered right to your door…what more could a girl ask for? Thanks for the samples, Beauty Box 5!

neon beanies.

Paired with all black = one of my favorite looks for fall/winter.

I got this one at American Apparel.

NuNaturals.

Stevia is my sweetener of choice, especially when it comes to my morning (and afternoon…and evening) coffee. NuNaturals has been my favorite brand of stevia for years, so I was thrilled when they sent me a ton of great new flavors to try (like cherry, orange, vanilla, etc.). They also sent me some new baking mixes, which I’m excited to try.

THE WEEEEEKENDDD.

Okay fine, I always love the weekend, along with everyone else on the planet. But this one is going to be particularly good. Not only is NYC beyond magical in the fall…

…but there are just a bunch of fun things happening like friends’ birthdays, brunch, and a FreelyBe party to celebrate our November campaign.

(if you’re in New York, join us tonight at Bounce!)

**********

All reviews are based on my own opinion, and I was not compensated for this post.

**********

What are you loving right now?
Any fun plans for the weekend?

what i’m loving right now.

11 September, 2013 by Gracie 10 Comments

the return of BEANIES. Let’s just reflect on that for a moment.

Bestowed. Something I always love is getting things delivered right to my doorstep (er, doorman). That’s why I was so excited to recently be sent a free Bestowed Box. This one had some amazing products like a 3-day Reboot Wellness Booster, Mighty Leaf iced tea, and other great snacks and coupons.

If you’d like to try Bestowed for yourself, you can receive $5 off your first box! Use discount code 5OFFBESTOWED03.

Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Swirl Bread. Another day, another new pumpkin treat. This bread is really good – it has a perfect subtle pumpkin flavor without being too sweet.

Shiba Inu dogs. If you follow me on Tumblr you might notice I’m slightly obsessed with foxes. So you can imagine how much I love seeing these fox-like dogs all over NYC lately. Seriously…they’re everywhere!

Layered necklaces. This is what I’m going for to accessorize my dress at Jessi’s wedding (I got some great long gold ones), but I love it in general as a look for this fall.

What are you loving right now?
Any good new food finds? Fall styles?

**Sending my love and prayers to everyone affected by the tragedy that happened in my city 12 years ago today. It’s an honor to be part of a city and nation that has come together and is stronger than ever before. We will never forget!**