best of #march

Can you believe tomorrow is April 1st? Where is this year going?! I swear each year flies by sooner than the last. Starting at the end of each month I've decided to do a round up of a few of my favorite indulgences. This is definitely geared more towards the ladies, sorry boys! I'm hoping to incorporate a mix of things to stay true to covering all things lifestyle related, so expect to see my most satisfying shopping buys, skincare reviews, as well as cute things I just had to share. Let's get started!

1. YSL Radiant Touch Highlighting Pen: I got this as a gift from my cousin when I was visiting Paris earlier this month. Cannot explain how much I love it. It's the perfect highlighter to apply midday when you're feeling like your makeup is wearing off and you need the extra pick-me-up.
2. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil: I'm becoming more and more of a fan of the matte look on lips, especially for darker colors like red. Pairs as a lipstick and liner.

3. Mario Badescu Skincare: This entire line is to die for. I sampled their lotion this past weekend in an Urban Outfitters in LA and was so surprised at how soft it kept my hands all afternoon long. Being the lotion aficionado I am, I'm always on the hunt for a good bottle. I carry lotion around with me everywhere I go since I have extremely dry skin so finding one that keeps them moisturized for longer than an hour is key. This one did the trick. My cousin told me she had been using his skincare line for 20 years now so as soon as I got home I went all in and purchased a few of his things. I am OBSESSED with the silver powder. It's seriously a magic powder that works wonders for blackheads and oily skin. Plus side, each product is very cheap considering the quality and quantity that comes in each bottle. Cannot wait to try more of his skincare line.

4. Madewell's Brisbane Crossbody Bag: Perfect bag for the summer and I'm loving the size since I was getting sick of carrying my bigger Madewell bag. Bonus - get 30% off right now, see link for details!

5. Le Sportsac X Rifle Paper Makeup Bag: I think I am what one might call brand-obsessed when it comes to Rifle Paper. I even call the brand my spirit animal, LOL. So when I found out they came out with their own line of cosmetic bags, I had to get one. I had been looking for a new makeup bag for a while too and I'm super happy with the quality of this one (plus the pockets inside for my makeup brushes). It's big enough to take on a trip if you want to stuff it with toiletries too.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

wedding adventures

My holiday weekend was a whirlwind of events. Starting off where I left off in my last post, I was in the airport on Thanksgiving night about to board a flight for Michigan, to join my extended family for my cousin's wedding. I'm back home now and finally adjusted from the jet lag and ready to tell-all!

This past weekend was seriously one of the best times of my life. It's so funny how the little things end up mattering the most. Of course a wedding is nothing little -- but simply the notion of being amidst your entire extended family for three full days was something else. I tend to forget how priceless moments like that are. It was so fun because the entire wedding party, the aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents; ALL of them, were in the same hotel. So the night before the wedding we had a huge suite where we had a little soiree for all the guests. It was perfect because so many family members from the bride and groom's side were meeting for the first time so it was a good mini ice breaker for everyone.

The funnest part for me was being able to take the elevator up and down at any hour and visit my uncle, visit my cousins, and just simply have all of us able to hang out all together for 3 full days. It's almost like when you go on a huge trip with a bunch of your family or close friends; you're together in a tight space for the full duration of the trip that once you get home you're stuck feeling a little lonely from missing them.

The wedding itself was breath taking to say the least. My cousin and aunt are masterminds at DIY and party planning and they executed one of the most creative and beautiful wedding ceremonies I have ever seen. It took place at the Detroit Institute of the Arts which is a museum, and so the wedding itself was amidst one of the exhibit halls.. It was almost like a rustic dungeon type of feel; very enchanting. I loved it.

This also marked the first time that I was a bridesmaid maid of honor! It was so fun and such a legit honor to be a part of my cousin's wedding. She and her husband only had 4 people in their bridal party; their brothers and their 2 cousins (me!) So it was truly an honor to be included above all their close friends and colleagues... I saw how much family means to them. Some of the highlights included helping my cousin as she was getting ready in the morning, taking photographs of her (which turned out amazing if I do say so myself), and catching the bouquet! It was such a touching moment for both me and for the bride. She said she felt like I was going to get it and inside of course I wanted it too! It seriously came right to me. It was so sweet seeing how happy our grandparents and moms were too. Such a memorable moment for me <3

Other than that, my biggest take away is just sitting back and reflecting on how important and irreplaceable family is. No matter what. It's funny because my older cousin (the bride), and I have never been "the best of friends." She's 4 years older than me and her brother & I are the same age so it's always been us two who usually hang out more. But over this past weekend I saw how untouchable the bond is between cousins. Especially for us because I only have 4 first cousins, and the other two live in Iran. So these two are literally like my siblings. Being able to take part in her wedding and on her side for the entire thing was such an honor to me.

Included are some of my photographs for your viewing pleasure. Truly an amazing weekend spent with my family. I will never forget it!!