BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Holiday Gift Guide for the Hostess

November 18, 2015 by jessica 7 Comments

Try Ditto’s Endless Eyewear For Free

November 17, 2015 by jessica 4 Comments

With the advent of the holiday season, many of us — myself included — are strapped for cash. Going on a strict sartorial diet isn’t fun at the most joyful time of the year, however, which is why I’m fond of DITTO’s Endless Eyewear subscription service. For $24 a month, you can swap out your sunnies as often as you’d like with free shipping each way. It’s a great way to try out designer sunglasses that you may curious about, like Karen Walker’s signature shades, this bejeweled Miu Miu pair I’ve been borrowing (and could never afford), or a beautiful bordeaux pair for holiday shoots in the snow.

HOW IT WORKS

After you sign up, pick out your favorite pair and the DITTO team will let you know if they’re ready to ship. In some cases, popular styles maybe temporarily unavailable and DITTO will notify you when they’re back in stock. You’ll receive your sunglasses in a few days. Wear them as often as you’d like before swapping them for another pair. Simply pick out the next pair online and ship the old pair back within five days of receiving the new style. All sunglasses are sterilized and arrive in like-new condition. If you fall in love with your pair and can’t bear to part with them, you can opt to purchase them at a 15% discount off the retail price.

RECEIVE A FREE MONTH

You can try your first month free with code BEDKNOBS. I’m normally on the fence about subscription boxes (we all know how I felt about Try the World), but I think this one is worth trying out for at least the first month. (You can always cancel if you don’t think the service is for you.) Wearing a new pair of sunglasses for a couple of weeks will give you a better idea of whether or not they’re a good investment for you. It’s also just a fun way to freshen up your holiday outfit photos!

Gridlock

November 16, 2015 by jessica 21 Comments

It was 60 degrees in Madison yesterday, which is unheard of for the middle of November. It was likely the last time I could go sans tights this year and I fully embraced it with a windowpane-print mini. (I wasn’t kidding when I admitted to being obsessed with windowpane this year. You can find another outfit with the print here and here.)

We’re heading to Chicago later this week for the opening weekend of the Christkindlmarket. It’s becoming our annual tradition to overspend on Christmas ornaments and mulled wine in the Windy City before the holiday season is fully underway. Honestly, I take trips to Chicago for granted. It only takes about three hours to get there from Madison, so I don’t always consider it a special getaway. That’s changing this time with a full itinerary, which includes the Lincoln Park Zoo to see the baby red pandas (squee!), the Willis Tower Skydeck (I haven’t been to the building since it was named the Sears Tower and there weren’t glass-bottom observation decks), the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, and plenty of beer-related stops at bars and breweries. Dave also came across a jewelry exhibit at The Driehaus Museum that I’m obviously very excited to visit. I’ll be Snapchatting my way through the city at bedknobsbaubles.

In other news, there’s only one week left to enter to win a sterling silver necklace from the Maps by A.Jaffe collection. A meaningful location personalizes the piece and a tiny diamond marks the sentimental spot.

Perfect Present: Kate Spade Bow Ornament

November 15, 2015 by jessica 1 Comment

Today, you can snag Kate Spade’s “Tacky Bow” ornament in silver or gold on sale for $18.75. Even if your recipient isn’t as ornament-crazed as I am, she’ll appreciate adorning her tree with this whimsical take on a classic gift topper. I couldn’t resist ordering the gold version for myself this morning! It’s also a great item to stash away for the unexpected gift exchange that always seems to pop up at this time of the year.

On a marginally related note, have you seen Sugar Paper’s holiday collection with Target? I purchased three rolls of the cheerful gift wrap yesterday: mint and gold polka dot, gold stars, and knit hats.

Beauty Reviews

November 13, 2015 by jessica 4 Comments

If you’re a Sephora VIB member, it’s the day you’ve been waiting for: 20% the entire site with code VIB20! I’m using this as an excuse to stock up on the lip color, face wash, and skincare essentials I’ll eventually use next year. Unfortunately, though, I had placed a sizable order at the beauty retailer before knowing of the sale. So, I thought I’d share a few reviews:

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Tulip: I’m now on my third tube of this pink-tinted lip balm. It adds a subtle hint of color while moisturizing your lips and giving you sun protection with SPF 15. Basically, it’s better than ChapStick. I use this on days my lips are chapped from my drying, long-wear lipstick options.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Bella: If you’re looking for a long-wear lipstick that will withstand the food and drink of this winter’s holiday soirees, you can’t go wrong with Stila’s liquid lipstick. It lives up to its claims and really does stay on all day. I wore the “Fiore” shade almost exclusively last year, but opted for “Bella” this time around. The pink shade is just a tad brighter. One word of warning: it’s very drying. I always slather on Vaseline at night to counteract it and wear the aforementioned Fresh lip balm the following day if it’s really bad. Normally, though, I can wear this each day to work without experiencing much chapping.

Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Betsey: This has the same vibrant, long-lasting color as the all-day liquid lipstick without the severe dryness. There’s even a mirror on the top of the tube to make easy to reapply on the go. The “Bestsey” version is a delightful Barbie-esque pink.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony: To say I was excited about this deluxe sample would be a bit of an understatement. I’ve been itching to try the Melted product for a long time, but never pulled the trigger because I love my Stila products so much and didn’t want to waste money on another lip color I barely used. The name also makes it sound sticky. (I’m not the only one with memories of long hair getting stuck to sticky gloss, right?) Well, it’s not sticky. The formula is actually quite smooth and long-lasting. The peony color doesn’t work well on me. I’m too fair-skinned, but I bet it’s gorgeous on someone with a darker complexion. The only drawback is that the fragrance is a little strong. I’d prefer if my lips didn’t smell like candy.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance: Skip it. This is the first beauty product in a long time that I regret purchasing. I bought it on a whim, hoping to find a cheaper alternative to the Smashbox primer I usually buy. It goes on a little stickier than the Smashbox version and doesn’t offer as smooth of a foundation base. While it sort of delivers on the promise of a radiant glow, the Benefit Watt’s Up highlighter is so much better. Unfortunately, I bought the large 1.7 ounce size and I have a lot of product left to get through.

Origins Starting Over Age-Erasing Moisturizer with Mimosa: I’ve only been using this for a couple of weeks, so I’m not sure if it’s actually doing anything. Like all Origins products I’ve tried, it doesn’t aggravate my sensitive skin. It also smells fresh and citrusy. Let’s put a pin in this review for another time.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask: I love, love, love this overnight mask. In addition to having sensitive skin, my face becomes awfully dry in the fall and winter. I’ve used this twice a week to keep my skin soft and supple. It goes on a bit thick, but absorbs into your skin overnight and doesn’t cause breakouts. I’ll definitely be repurchasing this.