My First Rocksbox

There are so many different types of subscription boxes that it’s crazy.

Good crazy.

I tried quite a few, with the exception of clothes and jewelry. Part of my hesitation was that these services are typically rentals. Not horrible, but I know I want to keep it all. Even when offered to try Rocksbox for free, I was worried I wouldn’t like it because I’d have to return it all.

Rocksbox

Don’t worry, I promise this story ends on a good note!

When I opened my Rocksbox, for the first time ever, I didn’t find a single thing that I didn’t instantly swoon over.

Rocksbox Jewelry

So, here’s how this works, you pay $19 per month of service, but you get to wear the jewelry until you send it back. If you want to buy a certain piece keep it and send back everything else. Then Rocksbox will send you your next box of goodies.

Wanderlust + Co Ring

In my Rocksbox:

    • Jules Smith Open Geometric Necklace
    • Jenny Bird Flagstaff Earrings in Gold/Lapis
    • Wanderlust + Co V-Bar Crystal Gold Ring

Jenny Bird Earrings & Jules Smith Necklace

There’s also ways of earning points to spend towards pieces you can’t stand to part with. The ring was favorite, and I came SO close to keeping it!

If this sounds like something you’d like, use the code tspxoxo to try your first month of Rocksbox for totally FREE!

xx

 

Polyvore is My Newest Guilty Pleasure

About a year ago I joined Polyvore. I had learned about it at Alt Summit, but I really only used it to do a couple of wish list style blog posts.

This year at Alt, one of the sessions talked about Polyvore in a community sense. I must be a sucker for community, because I have been on it creating sets and entering contests like a madwoman!

I seriously can’t get enough.

You know how you go on Pinterest to “pin a few things” and the next thing you know it’s been two hours? Same concept. Except in stead of pinning outfits that you wish were in your closet to your style board, you’re creating those outfits.

Here’s a little outfit inspo I created using Polyvore:

2 Ways to Wear Overalls

I know I would SO wear both of these outfit options…if I had all those things, that is.
Who wants to go shopping?!

xx

Oh, and feel free to pin…

Hashtag Fence on Fleek

There is pretty much a hashtag for everything.

A while back, I found the perfect fence for my #ootd photos on Instagram (I don’t share them everyday, but when I do it makes me happy). One of the first times I posted one, it was captioned Fence on fleek.

I thought I was just SO clever…

Fence on fleek. #poshstyle #charlottelook

A photo posted by Bethany Everett (@twentysomethingplus) on

Then @embellish_your_lifestyle and @oliviaomega suggested that it should be a hashtag. Um…BRILLIANT.

If you have access to a fence (go backdrop scouting!) and wear clothes, use the #fenceonfleek hashtag, I want to see your outfits! I’ll even be regramming some of the looks that I love, like this one from @unbelievablyhuman.

Hashtag Regram

So, the next time you’re having your manfriend (or whoever) take your outfit photo for Instagram, remember #fenceonfleek.

Need inspiration? You can always check out the hashtag, but also, @hemojemo is a #fenceonfleek BOSS.

New fave denim! #hemojemostyle A photo posted by hemojemo (@hemojemo) on

Are there any hashtags that you follow? I know that #stateyourstyle is one that I really like and #uhmoodring is a fun one that encourages you to dress how you feel.

Today was a good day…to wear booties. #CoastToCoastChallenge A photo posted by Bethany Everett (@twentysomethingplus) on

#fenceonfleek

It’s a thing.

xx

Spring Fashion Preview Event

A friend told me that the Clinton Crossings Premium Outlets were looking to host their first ever CT Blogger Spring Fashion event. I emailed and was able to score an invite.

There was food served at Saks off Fifth, and bloggers were given a gift bag that included a gift card they could use at any outlet store.

Simon Outlet Malls Goodies

I didn’t even make it out of the second store before spending said gift card, which was not my goal when I set out.

What store?

DKNY.

Can you blame me?

DKNY Fitting Room DKNY Look 1 DKNY Look 2 DKNY Look 3 DKNY Look 4

First let me tell you what I didn’t get. I didn’t get the “cozy” sweater that I still want super bad. Or any of the three dresses I tried on. Or either of the two jumpsuits. Or the really cute white tank top that I spotted right as I left the fitting room…

After talking to the super friendly and helpful DKNY staff (loved them) about the current sales and promotions, I was able to get the leather jacket that I first tried on.

What I really liked was that it felt like I was shopping with friends.

Actually, that was pretty much that case for most of the stores that I stopped in.

As a part of the event, I got a free iced coffee and chocolate sample of my choice from Lindt.

Lindt Chocolate Lindt Iced Coffee

I snagged something from the major sale at J.Crew…

J. Crew Accessories J. Crew Clothing

And a couple of things from Designer Fragrances & Cosmetic Co. (along with a few goodies they gave out, including a Lancôme lipstick). This place was seriously a dream for anyone obsessed with beauty or skincare products. Full size Essie polish for $4 a bottle, half price for full size Urban Decay lip gloss. I am still in shock that I managed to only buy two things. I kid you not, I wanted everything in the store. All of it. Plus, the three ladies working there were the absolute sweetest!

DF&C Co.

Then Aéropostale made my night with another gift card and a cute tumbler, perfect for summer. I used the gift card for a pair of jeans and I’ve already worn them more than I care to share, because it’s probably borderline gross.

Clinton Crossing

Such a great experience! I mean outlet shopping is usually enjoyable, but this was remarkable and I’m already planning my next trip. Who’s in?

xx

Hyaluronic Acid Serum Comparison

Currently my skincare routine consists of a cleanser (or an exfoliator, depending on the day), hyaluronic acid serum and a moisturizer.

Considering I’m still fairly new to the skincare game, I try to keep it as simple as possible without sparing the necessities.

The hyaluronic acid serum I’d been using, smelled like dandelions and I noticed contained a few extra ingredients that I wasn’t sure if made a difference or not. So, naturally, I wanted to find out.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum

I reached out to Oz Naturals, about trying their hyaluronic acid serum, because it’s a large percent natural and organic, but didn’t contain dandelions (or Vitamin E).

Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum

How that go?

It worked just as well as the other serum!

They both helped my skin retain moisture and stay hydrated throughout the day. The main difference is that OZ Naturals didn’t leave my skin smelling like flowers (weeds, whatever). If I was concerned about skin sensitivity I would probably go with OZ Natural.

Better safe than with hives…

It also didn’t leave my skin feeling as sticking (the lack of Vitamin E, maybe) afterwards, not a huge deal against the other hyaluronic acid serum, because it went away after applying moisturizer, but still worth mentioning. Oh, and I liked the pump better than the dropper. Again nothing major, but thought I should share.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Although on Amazon they cost about the same, the list price of the OZ Natural hyaluronic serum is significantly more affordable, by about $30! Plus, it’s an Amazon #1 Best Seller.

xx

 

This post was graciously sponsored by OZ Natural.

My May Birchbox

I mentioned that I was super excited about my May Birchbox. And I am!

If you know anything about blogging, then you know who Emily Schuman is. And if you think you don’t, then you’ve at least heard of her blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere.

So, when Birchbox announces that this month’s box would involve curated products selected by Emily herself, you don’t even care what the other box options are.

May Birchbox Samples

When I got Hello by Harvey Prince I was pumped, and Yogini resulted in basically the same feels. Other Birchbloggers shared that it smelled a bit mature, and goes on strong and then fades. While this isn’t untrue, I don’t hate it. I mean I hadn’t gotten a new scent to try in a while, so I was happy to get this.

Yogini

But that being said, I won’t be buying it.

I love, love, love getting makeup samples. Lollibalm is great! It adds just a hint of color and is a cute (mini?) balm to keep in your purse.

Lollibalm

I don’t have very many negative experiences with samples I get in my Birchbox boxes. Sometimes I don’t like them, but it happens. TokyoMilk was a product I wanted to love. But instead, it broke me out. The scent was a little overwhelming anyways, but still…

Sad panda.

TokyoMilk

I’ve gotten a similar Cotz product (not exactly the same) before, and this was way better, smoother. I like that it blocks harmful UV rays while also not clogging your pores.

CoTZ

I really like Macadamia Professional products a lot. So whenever there’s the option to select one, I almost always go with it. I’m glad I did!

Macadamia Professional

I can’t decide what I want for my sample choice in next month’s box, so I guess I’ll just have to be surprised!

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? If you do, what did you pick for your sample choice? If you don’t get Birchbox and want to, sign up here!

May Loves

Shopping has always been something I’ve indulged in more than I should.

However, lately, that has not been the case. So, when I do buy something, I get really excited to tell you about it. Especially when I love it!

Here are some of my May loves…
may loves

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

OK, so the plan was to keep this post brief, but there’s a couple of things I feel like I need to explain.

The & Apparel cactus necklace is from their recent Dear Lizzy collection and it’s rose gold, and quirky, so I of course I totally love it. Their Cat’s Meow Sunglasses I got, because, well, look at them! While I love & Apparel and had been eyeing those items for a while, if I hadn’t won a $50 gift card from one of their Instagram account giveaways, I probably wouldn’t have been able to buy them just yet. So, YAY to contests! These weren’t the only two things I got with the gift card and I did go over the $50 just a little bit…

You know when you’re in Target, and you can’t make it out of there without a cart full of things you probably already have or stuff you don’t really need. Well after grabbing Starbucks, and combing through the dollar section, I get what I went there for, then get in line and each time I manage to pick of the Neutrogena makeup remover wipes, they’re travel size, and I use them so it’s not a bad thing to grab. Although, I should probably start getting more than the little pack.

As for the Vaseline lotion, I kept seeing it on Instagram and wanted to see if it was worth the hype. It is seriously the best smelling lotion I’ve ever tried! The manfriend even asked if I was wearing a new perfume. This is without a doubt my favorite lotion, EVER.

And before you go judging me on the Flonase, know that allergy season is rough for me. I have pretty bad allergies in general (dust, pet dander…), but I legitimately thought I was sick before realizing that it was just my allergies kicking my butt. After a few sprays it was like, allergies, what allergies? It’s been wondrous!

So much for brief…

xx

Alt Summit Summer: I’m Going Again!

Around this time last year, I won a ticket to a conference that would legitimately change my life. Especially the blogging part of it.

I got to hear Joy Cho and Martha Stewart speak. Huge.

I networked and made friends.

I learned SO much about blogging.

And I got to party my little butt off.

It was everything.

I don’t think that it’s humanly possible for me to be any more thrilled to be attending Alt Summit Summer for the second time.

And even more so, because this time I’ll be speaking.

I'm Speaking at Alt!

Yep, that’s right, I’M SPEAKING AT ALT!

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED.

I’ll try my best not to go Alt crazy on you, but my mind is already going into overtime thinking about things I want to share, like what I’m bringing with me, and what I plan to wear, and what I want to accomplish while I’m there…

No promises.

If you’ll also be at Alt, I can’t wait to see you there! How are you prepping?

Fun fact: I’m a tiny bit shy, but love conferences. If you’re anything like me or even just feeling a little nervous, this will help!

xx

P.S. In case you haven’t yet had your fill of my IG ramblings, make sure to be on the lookout for an Instagram related post that may possibly be coming soon(ish) to Gilit Cooper’s blog, Shoes Off Please.

And, yes, the Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie. Love her!

My Number One Instagram Tip

If you’re not on Instagram, you are seriously missing out.

And if you do have an Instagram account and aren’t following me, we’re fighting.

Hardcore.

When I first started out on Instagram my page was private, I didn’t follow anyone, was obsessed with using filters and pretty much just used it to tweak my photos before sharing them on Facebook.

I may not be all that well known in the blogosphere (yet), but 9 out of 10 times, when someone has heard of Twenty Something Plus, it’s because of my Instagram account.

My Number One Instagram Tip

The most common question I get asked about Instagram is what do I use for my white background. I recommend a basic white foam board that you can find in any office or craft store. But you can pretty much use anything white. Paper, fabric…I also use white (or off-white) walls, the top of a short white bookshelf that I have, and I now have a white tray I found at Target (similar here), which I like because I can also carry stuff on it and don’t have to worry too much about getting it dirty.

There are tons of articles and blog posts out there about Instagram tips, tricks, and apps. My number one Instagram tip is to use natural light.

Why?

Without Natural Light

With Natural Light

I mean, seriously, just look at the difference!

Both photos were taken with my iPhone 5s, are haven’t been edited, aside from being cropped to be square. The ONLY difference is that the second one was taken in front of a window and the other wasn’t. Natural light provides a much better starting point for editing. No?

When natural light isn’t an option, I use daylight light bulbs. They’re still not quite as good as using natural light, but believe me, they make a world of a difference. (So much so that my mom switched most of the lights in the house to daylight ones.)

Oh! And those things that roll around when you’re trying to do a flatlay like a boss? Painter’s tape. It’s cheap, and in my opinion, works the best, without tearing your board.

Painter's Tape for Instagram Flatlays

Want more tips?

Here’s some Instagram related blog posts that really helped me:
Cupcakes and Cashmere
Bloguettes
Zelma Rose
Who What Wear

xx