Warby Parker Concentric Collection

Hello lovelies,
Have I ever mentioned that I'm supposed to wear glasses? I used to never wear them because my eyes weren't too bad (I'm near-sighted), but for the past year I've been having problems and I've started wearing them more and more every week.

I've been searching for an new pair of glasses because the pair I currently have really bug me, for a while I'd stopped looking and gave up hope that I would ever find any glasses that I like, but I think that might have just changed. When I first saw Warby Parkers new Concentric Collection , it made me want to start my search again! 

In this new collection there's a pair for everyone, personally I'm not a fan of  Tortoise frames, but if you like it, they have the Benchley frames , which I actually do like. They also have my personal favorite from the collection the Everly frames in Whistler Grey .

The new Warby Parker Concentric Collection is available online in stores today; starting at $145!

Here's a quick peek at some of my favorites from the collection!

Benchley in Oak Barrel $145

Everly in Whistler Grey $145.00

Murphy in Crystal $145.00

What makes these glasses even better is that with every pair sold, Warby Parker donates a pair to someone in need through their non-profits. That's what makes it perfect for this time of year, you're giving a gift to yourself and a gift to someone in need! And isn't that what this time of year is about anyway, giving to those in need?

Have you checked out the new Warby Parker frames?

XoXo,

Lori

Blogmas Day 9: Top 10 New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2014

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .

This week's theme: Top 10 New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2014.

Nicole Helm - Too Friendly Too Date
As I mentioned in my review of this book back in October, I'm a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope, so this book had me hooked from the beginning and I really did enjoy it! In case you haven't seen my review you can view it here.

Carla Cassidy - Her Colton Lawman
I REALLY, really loved this book, it's the second book in a three book series all written by different authors, I thought I was going to hate it, but I actually loved it! I loved it so much that while I was at Walmart yesterday I actually bought the third and final book in the series, it's THAT good! You can read my review here, I highly recommend this series!

Tawny Weber - A SEAL's Fantasy
I read and reviewed this book back in October, it wasn't my favorite book, but I'm still considering reading the rest of the series to see if it gets better. You can read my review here!

Lindsey Brookes - Loving Ellie
I read and reviewed this book back in August, I really enjoyed it. It's a very clean romance novel and I think it was a beautifully written book. You can find my review here.

Delores Fossen - Maverick Sheriff
If I remember correctly I do believe this was the first romance-suspense novel I read this year and it's what got me started on my current love-fest with romance-suspense novels! Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down till I was finish, you can read my full review here!

Lynette Eason - The Lawmans Return
I really loved the pacing of this book, it wasn't too fast or too slow, it was just right. I also really love that the author was able to keep my guessing until the very end. My full review can be seen here!

Rachel Lee - Snowstorm Confessions
I read and reviewed this book last month, you can read my review here. I really enjoyed this book and once I finally get my Netgalley shelf narrowed down and have time to read other books I plan on buying some of Rachel Lee's other books!

Rachel Harris - Accidentally Married On Purpose
I would describe this as being a light, easy, clean romance novel. Was it the best book I've read this year? No, but at the time I really enjoyed it, and I would still recommend it. Full review here.

Julie Miller - Crossfire Christmas
I reviewed this book last Tuesday, I really enjoyed it, and I'm really interested in reading more from Julie Miller! Review here!

Lenora Worth - Deadly Holiday Reunion

I actually just finished this book a few days ago and I haven't even finished my review on it yet. Before I write my reviews I like to wait a few days to think over everything I've read so that I can give my best opinion the book and author. My review for this will probably go up wither later this week or sometime next week, but I can definitely tell you that this book is worthy of 5 Stars!

So there's my Top 10 New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2014, what are yours? Tell me below or leave me a link to your blog!

XoXo,

Lori

December Playlist

Hello lovelies,
I hope you had a great weekend, I spent mine reading and trying to sleep away a cold! This week I have lots of fun stuff coming up for you and I'm really excited.
Today I will be giving you my December Playlist, I hope you enjoy it!

Selena Gomez - The Heart Wants What It Wants

Katie Armiger - One Night Between Friends

Sara Evans - Put My Heart Down

Rascal Flatts - Unstoppable

Carrie Underwood - Something in the Water

Taylor Swift - Silent Night

Jennifer Lawrence - The Hanging Tree

Daughtry - I'll Fight

That's it for today,sorry I don't have much time to talk to y'all I have a college admissions phone interview today that I'm really nervous about!

So what are you listening to this month? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Via

XoXo,

Lori

Blogmas Day 6: Christmas Bucket List

Hello lovelies, today I'm sharing with you my Christmas Bucket List! Most of the things on my list I've already done, but I plan on doing them again and gain, so I thought I'd share it with you!

Drink Hot Chocolate

Eat A Candy Cane

Bake Cookies

Stay in bed all day.

Buy a pair of fuzzy slippers.

Christmas Lights Tour

Watch The Grinch

Spend time with family

Try a new recipe

Decorate A Tree

Set goals for the New Year

Live in the moment.

What do you plan to do in these last few weeks leading up to Christmas? Comment below all the things you want to do this Christmas season!

XoXo,

Lori

5 Words: Week 97

Hello lovelies, I know I already posted this morning but this series is ending in a few weeks and I already has my words and definitions for today's post so I decided to go ahead and post it.

I'm so happy it's Friday, I have big plans for tomorrow and I can't wait! Also, I'm really excited for tonight because my favorite Christmas movie Dr. Seuss's how the Grinch Stole Christmas comes on ABC Family and it'll be my first time watching it this year!!!

Anyway, before I start rambling on about how excited I am, here's this week's 5 Words!

Quotha - Indeed!

Pilar - Of, or pertaining to, or covered with hair.

Galoot - An awkward, eccentric, or foolish person.

Tantivy - At full gallop.

Hebdomadol - Taking place, coming together, or published once every seven days.

That's it for today, don't forget to check back tomorrow for my Christmas Bucket List!

XoXo,

Lori

Blogmas Day 5: Under $50 Holiday Gift Guide

Hello lovelies, today I'm bringing you my Under $50 Holiday Gift Guide, next week I'll give you my Under $100 Holiday Gift Guide and my Over $100 Holiday Gift Guide!

bareMinerals 'Two for the Show' Eyecolor Collection $39.00

I've always wanted to try bareMinerals makeup but for some reason I've just never made the purchase. I have sensitive eyes, so I'm really interested in these eyeshadows, if any of you have ever tried them please let me know below what you think!

Rizzy Home Cable Knit Throw $49

I love buying blankets and throws, my addiction to buying blankets is almost as bad as my candle addiction, the only thing keeping me from buying this one is the price.

Fresh Sugar Ruby Romance $18.00

I've never tried the Fresh Sugar lip products but I really want to, my lips are really flaky and dry so I want to see if the Fresh Sugar would work!

Taylor by Taylor Swift $50.00
When this perfume was first released I didn't think I would like it, but after I tested it I did. It's not my favorite Taylor Swift perfume, but I would still buy it!

Limited Edition It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Celebration Matte Holiday Palette $42.00

Ashley Brooke Designs Everyday I'm Hustlin' Mug $23.00
This mug is so cute, there's no explanation needed!

It Cosmetics Your Face Eye Essentials Mini 5Pc Travel Brush Set $30.00
I've been on an It Cosemtics kick here lately, I've heard so many amazing things, and all of their products look amazing and I don't know what to try first. I know I want their limited edition holiday eyeshadow palette, I'm also interested in their foundation and their brushes!

Bath & Body Works Foxy Lady Super Soft Slippers $16.50
Who doesn't need a soft pair of slippers for wearing around the house?

BAN.DO 'Blah Blah Blah' Thermal Travel Mug $14.00
So adorable!

Steve Madden 'Delerius' Pump $50.00
My closet is in serious need of these shoes! Fun Fact: The only pair of heels I own are one pair of wedges and one pair of boots with a wedge heel, so I don't have any real heels, so I really do need these!

Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit $45.00
Lately I've been wanting to start contouring, but I don't own any products to contour with, I found this Smashbox set and I really like the colors, I think it would be great on my skin tone and I really like the brush that comes with the kit.

J. Crew Glass Tumbler Set $40.00
Aren't these glasses just perfect?!

Dream ID Bracelet $33.00
I'm in love with this bracelet, there's some more like it, but this is my favorite one! It's been a while since I've bought any jewelry and even longer since I've splurged on bracelets, so I definitely see myself buying this in the next few weeks!

Kate Spade New York 'Confetti' iPhone Case $40.00
I love Kate Spade iPhone cases, they always look so classy!

So that's it for today's gift guide, don't forget to check back tomorrow for my Christmas Bucket List! 

XoXo,
Lori

Blogmas Day 4: Under $25 Holiday Gift Guide

Hello lovelies, I hope you're all having a great December so far, today I have for you my Under $25 Holiday Gift Guide!

 I 100% believe that it's the thought that matters when it comes to gift giving, sometimes when you're on a budget it can be hard to find a gift, below is 14 Holiday Gifts Under $25. 

1989 by Taylor Swift $12.00

I think this album is amazing, I'm going to be honest the first time I listened to it I hated it, but once I listened to it a second time I started to like more of the songs. Honestly I still prefer Red over 1989, but I think this album would be a great choice for any music lover on your gift list!

LORAC 'Pocket PRO' Palette $15.00

I've never tried anything by LORAC, but I've heard nothing but good things about their eye shadow palettes, I think this mini palette would be perfect for someone who travels a lot, or someone who doesn't like to buy big palettes! 

Kate Spade New York Dot Insulated Tumbler $18.00

I love how simple and cute this tumbler is, 

Jesus Calling $7.99

I decided to add this because it's a gift you can give to someone of all ages. My mom has this book, and she loves it, she reads it first thing every morning, and she says that it helps her get through a tough day!

Waterproof Wreless Bluetooth Shower Speaker & Hands-Free Speakerphone $24.99
I NEED this shower speaker, I love listening to music! I'm too much of a chicken to risk taking my phone into the bathroom to listen to music while I'm showering, so this is kind of perfect for me!

Essie Nail Polish $8.00

I've actually never tried Essie nail polishes, I've heard great things about them, but they aren't sold anywhere in the town I live in. I've never been one to buy nail polishes online, but I really like the these two colors, the pink is Forget Me Nots, and the glitter is Carnival.

Govino Flexible Shaterproof Recyclable Wine Glasses Set of 4. $14
I really like the look of these wine glasses, they're the perfect unisex gift, and they don't have to be used as wine glasses. You could use them as regular glasses and if you did use them as wine glasses you wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up glass if you dropped one.

Kate Spade New York Notebooks $12.00
Aren't these just the cutest?

Julep Beauty Glitter Nail Color $14.00
I usually hate glitter, but during the winter I love it! I don't like removing it, but it's worth it when I look down and see my pretty nails. This color is Yumi, I also like the color Estelle.

LORAC 'The Royal Eye' Mascara and Eyeliner Duo (Limited Edition) $22.00
This eyeliner mascara duo is gorgeous, I love the color combo, and the price is amazing!

NYX 'Natural Eye' Eyeshadow Palette $7.00
When I wear makeup most of the time I prefer to stick with a natural look, this NYX palette is at the top of my wishlist this Christmas, the colors are amazing, and the price is just right!

BAN.DO 'But First, Coffee' Thermal Travel Mug $14.00
I first saw this a few weeks ago on instagram and I fell in love, then when I went looking for it online I found another by the same brand, that's pink & black with 'blah, blah, blah' written all over it. I will definitely be buying one of these, I just don't know which I want more!

Alex and Ani Initial Wire Bracelet , 7.25" $24.86
I really love this bracelet, it's so simple and classy, and it's made out of recycled materials!

XoXo,

Lori

Holiday Beauty Wishlist

Hey y'all, with the holidays just around the corner, it's time to start making our wishlists and deciding what we want. Usually every year when someone asks me what I want I always say, "I don't know". The truth is it doesn't take much to make me happy, you could buy me a jar of pickles and I would love you forever, or even a pair of fuzzy socks!

Instead of saying "I  don't know what I want" this year, I decided to make a wishlist that way when people start asking I actually have an answer!

It Cosmetics Limited Edition Holiday Naturally Pretty Celebration Matte Palette $42.00
This eyeshadow palette is #1 on my Christmas wishlist, I LOVE it! I'm not a fan of shimmer or glitter nail polished, so I really love that this palette has all matte colors!

Clinique Wear Everywhere Neutrals All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette $36.00
I'm kind of conflicted on this one, I love the colors in this Clinique Greys Palette, but two of the colors are a soft shimmer and two are a super shimmer, I love the matte colors, I'm just not sure if I really want it or not.

Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection $36.00
If I had to choose between the Clnique palette and this Too Faced palette I would probably choose the Too Faced. It still has shimmery colors, but the colors are in a color palette I could wear everyday, so I think I would get more use out of it.

Mario Badescu Special Mask for Oily Skin $18.00
Recently my skin has been going crazy, I don't know what's going on, but it's out of control. I have super sensitive oily skin so it's hard to find products that I'm not allergic to. Because my skin is so sensitive I don't even own any facial masks. I've been wanting to try one and I found this one by Mario Badescu for oily skin, it's supposed to prevent pimples and blackheads, and control build-up and surface oils.
 I think I'm going to buy this. If you've tried it please let me know below if I should buy it, I would really appreciate your feedback!

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg $25.00
I actually don't own any red lipstick, I usually just wear lipbalm so I don't have many lip products. A few months ago Taylor Swift mentioned that this is the lipstick she uses, I love this color and I love the way it looks, I'm really interested in buying it, Taylor also mentioned Dragon Girl, it's a little brighter so I'm not too sure about it, but I really do love the Luxembourg.

Essie Nail Polish in Power Clutch $8.50
I really love the color of this nail polish, it's in the color Power Clutch and it's a cream formula

Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 $36.00
I'm also looking for a new Foundation/BB Cream, I'm taking my Senior pictures soon and I want something to cover the redness on my cheeks. I like that this one has a higher SPF, but that could also be a problem if my photographer uses a flash!

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 $36.00
I first heard about this product from my favorite YouTube Beauty guru, MakupByTiffanyD, I've watched her videos for years and she's never steered me wrong, so after I saw her Review and Demo of this foundation I knew I wanted to try it, she also tried their powder foundation, but I don't think I want to try the powder.
I still haven't decided if I'm buying the foundation or the BB Cream, but I would love to have your opinion on it!

Renee Roulea Bio Calm Repair Masque $52.00
Renee Roulea first came to my attention when I was about 13, I sometimes get cystic acne and Renee has an Anti-Cysts Treatment product that is apparently the best damn thing in the world. At the time I was 13 and couldn't justify spending $41.50 for 15ml, now that I'm 17 I probably would, but I don't really get cysts that often anymore, so thankfully I no longer need it.

Renee is also well known for her celebrity clients, including Demi Lovato!

However, as I mentioned above my skin has been going crazy lately and I'm in the market for a new face mask, I saw this Bio Calm Repair Masque on Renee's website and now I'm struggling not to pull out my bank card and buy it. On top of being a face mask, it can also be used to heal burns and post-workout redness, pluss they don't test on animals, this product sounds amazing and I really want to get my hands on it. IF Santa brought it to me I'd never complain ever again!

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask $3.99
Again, like I've said above twice already my skin is going crazy and I need some new products. I think I'm going to start with this mask and see how it goes from there. This mask has a lot of amazing reviews and it's less than $5.00!

If you have any recommendations based on the above items that you think I would like please let me know, I love finding new beauty items. See anything you like? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Julie Miller - Crossfire Christmas

Today I will be reviewing 'Crossfire Christmas' by Julie Miller, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'Crossfire Christmas' is a romantic suspense novel, it is 224 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is #23 in the 'The Precinct' all written by Julie Miller, 'Crossfire Christmas' is the 250th book that Julie has published in her writing career. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $3.79, and at Barnes and Noble (NOOK Book) for $3.99 .

Book Stats

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: November 1, 2014

Book Synopsis:

With his life bleeding out from bullet wounds and a car crash, Charles Nash's best option is to kidnap the innocent nurse who stops to help him. At gunpoint, the jaded DEA undercover agent offers Teresa Rodriguez a desperate deal: if she keeps him alive long enough to find out who's blown  his cover and set him up to die, she'll be home for Christmas.

As the two go on the run from an unknown killer, the Good Samaritan gives Nash a bad case of  unprofessional desire. He's drawn to the sexy little spitfire for her bravery, boldness and attitude. But how can he count on kissing her under the mistletoe when so many enemies are working to ensure they don't make it to the holiday's?

What Did I Think? 4 Stars

Like: Short sex scenes.

Dislike: Nothing.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I would recommend 'Crossfire Christmas', it was full of suspense, action, and romance, a.k.a. all my favorite things! It does have a couple of love scenes and mild language, so if that's not your thing you might wanna skip over it.

 I've never read any of Julie's books, but I would be interested in reading more from her and 'The Precinct'!

Throughout the story I wasn't sure who the 'mole' was, there were a few names mentioned, but I never suspected the person it turned out to be. Here recently I haven;t really been interested in reading books with lots of sex scenes, I don't mind them, but here lately I prefer more suspense, action and romance, without having to go into gory details! This books sex scenes were easy to skin over, it was one page and it was over, so I was happy with that.

Favorite quote from the book: "Seriously Nash? You need to stop getting shot. You should just ask me out on a date."

Overall, I loved the book and would definitely read more from The Precinct series!

Thank you Harlequin via Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori