22 Dec 2017

11 Must-Have Warm Weather Getaway Essentials
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Today's view does not suck. ⚓️☀️⛱ P.s. Where's the blue and white striped umbrella emoji when ya need it!? #miami #jetsetlo #beach #vacay #southbeach

Good morning!! I’m back home in Cleveland for the next few days and couldn’t be more excited for Christmas on Monday! I know it’s been a little quiet around here so hoping to pick things back up after the New Year. Any who! My boyfriend and I are headed to Miami for a wedding in the beginning of January. There are a few warm weather getaway essentials I still need. First on the list, swimsuits. I need a total overhaul this year! I’ve been wearing some of the same swim suits for 3 years and just need to get a totally new variety. I also need new sunnies & beach cover ups! Take a peek at my top 10 must-have warm weather getaway essentials below! Xo. Lauren

  1. Jean Shorts: When we went to France this past August, I picked up two new pairs of jean shorts. I wore them so much during out 12-day trip that I think it might be time to officially invest in more options.
  2. White Tennis Shoes: If you like to hike or do a ton of touring around on vacation, white tennis shoes are a must! I picked up a pair for France and wore them everyday. I already need a new pair!
  3. Clutch: One can never have too many festive resort clutches – this means braided-jute, tassels, pom moms, etc. This one from Tuckernuck is only $68 dollars! I also love this one.
  4. Tassel Earrings: Hart is a jeweler based in Charleston. She makes some of the best tassel earrings around – I have two different pairs! I need to pick up two more for next year – they are great for vacation & everyday wear! They are so light, they don’t hurt
  5. Swimsuit: I’m on a mission next year to buy new swim suits – if you’re like me, you buy in bulk and then just home they last at least 1-2 years. This year I need to totally revamp my swimsuit collection. I was pleasantly surprised with Tory Burch’s swim collection at Nordstrom. I picked up this black one shoulder two piece. I love that the bottoms are high waisted! I also picked up
  6. Beach Cover Up: Whenever I go on vacation, I always try to pick up at least one new beach cover up. I LOVE this lace up tunic from shop bop + it’s under $100 dollars.
  7. Sunglasses: Karen Walker has some of the biggest and best sun glasses for vacation. I have yet to purchase a pair but I’m making it happen for my next vacation!!! I love these tortoise sunglasses.
  8. Sunscreen: I’ve been using this sunscreen since I was 24. I saw that the Kardashian’s also use this version so it has to be good, right? But seriously, I won’t go on vacation without it.
  9. Sun hat: I’m to the point in my life where I can’t go to the beach without some sort of hat. I love J.Crew’s panama hat and this one from Tuckernuck.
  10. Tinted Lip Treatment with SPF: If you haven’t tried Fresh Sugar’s tinted lip treatment, please add it to your shopping cart right now! It’s only $24 dollars and is a life saver on the beach.
  11. Sandals: From beach to lunch, I bring out 3-4 pairs of sandals on vacay with me!

 

17 Dec 2017

My Winter Skincare Routine
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10-Winter-Skincare-Essentials

It finally feels like winter here in New York and boy do I feel it in my skin. My one main skin challenge throughout the year is dry skin so when the cold winter temperatures finally hit, my skin feels even more dry! I try extra hard during these winter months to keep my skin hydrated. Today I’ve rounded up a few of my key winter skincare favorites I’ve been using on repeat these past few weeks.

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  1. Cuadalie Serum: This is one product I’ve been using for years. I’m a huge fan of the entire Caudalie product line but their serums in particular during the winter months enhance the brightness of my skin and also  reduce blemishes caused by the wind.
  2. Chuda Sheer Hydrating Lotion & Chuda Healing Hydrating Cream: Chuda is a new-to-me skincare brand that was introduced to me earlier this year. I can’t recommend both of these products enough. I wear the Sheer Hydrating Lotion with SPF 30 during the day and the Hydrating Cream at night. It’s amazing how moisturizing the hydrating cream is – I noticed a difference even after the first wear.
  3. La Mer Moisturizing Cream: I’m sure you’ve heard by now but this moisturizing cream is a game changer. If you battle dry skin during the winter, La Mer’s moisturizing cream is a must-add to your winter skincare routine.
  4. Ta Ta Harper Regenerating Cleanser & Volumizing Lip/Cheek Tint: My friend Amy introduced me to the Ta Ta Harper regenerating cleanser and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s gentle on my skin, reduces the look of pores and leaves my skin glowing – perfect for these cold winter months! The lip/cheek tint is also a winter skincare must – I’ve been opting for a more natural look during maw work week so I love this product to give my lips and cheeks a little color.
  5. RMS Magic Beauty Luminizer: Everyone is talking about RMS beauty right now. It’s a natural, organic beauty line with a cult-like following. If there’s one product you must buy from this line is the magic luminizer. I personally love it to give my cheeks a healthy glow – again, great for achieving a natural look!
  6. The NuFace Mini: I recently got a facial at Great Jones Spa where the aesthetician introduced me to the NuFace Mini, an at-home micro current device that helps with the collagen reproduction. I’ve been recommending this product to everyone who’s interested in hearing about it. They recently introduced a body product that’s great to help reduce the look of cellulite! Microcurrent mimics this natural current and goes beyond skin deep to tone facial muscles while improving contour and skin tone, and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
  7. Charlotte Tilsberry Sheet Mask: I use a sheet mask every single week during the winter – it’s one of the easiest ways to keep your skin hydrated during the winter. I use everything from Charlotte Tilsberry to Sephora’s face mask collection.

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11 Dec 2017

Holiday Decorating & Entertaining
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Holiday-Bar-Cart-Lauren-Nelson

There’s nothing I love more than decorating and prepping for the upcoming holiday season. Each year around October, I start to brainstorm my holiday decor.  From ribbon and ornaments to champagne flutes and festive dinner plates, there’s so much that can go into prepping for the holidays, but I love it so much! Not only do I want to make sure I have all the right entertaining essentials, I also like to nail down my theme in October, too! This year I went with a classic holiday look — silver with touches of red. Today I’m so excited to share 4 easy tips that can easily enhance our holiday style!

1. Order Custom Chloe Wine Labels For Your Holiday Party

 Whenever I host friends over for dinner or a holiday party, I always make sure to add a personal touch. Whether this be through ordering custom wine tags, creating a custom cocktail for the evening or having sweets for guests to take home, adding a personal touch will be what your guests remember! Most recently I ordered Chloe Wine Collection’s custom wine labels for a cocktail party I hosted at my apartment that people LOVED! Did you know when you purchase any Chloe Wine, you can order custom labels — for free?! Not only were the labels a hit at the party when I was pouring glasses of prosecco, I created labels for each one of my guests and sent my friends home with their own personal bottle of Chloe Prosecco – so cute, right? Requesting a custom wine label is super simple! All you have to do is head on over to the Chloe website to make a label for your preferred varietal and allow for 7-10 business days to arrive! Make sure to order by December 14th to get in time before Christmas!

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2. Create a Holiday Flower Arrangement

My next tip on how to easily enhance your holiday style is by creating a holiday flower arrangement! This year I bought two bunches of white roses and created a pomegranate centerpiece. The pomagranates instantly enhanced my flower arrangement and looked beautiful next to my prosecco display – where I also included a few pomegranates in the prosecco! Pro Tip – fill your vase up with the pomegranates first before adding water! It will be much easier to arrange the roses within the vase vs. filling it up with water first.

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3. Accessorize With Pomegranates 

I stole this next tip from Pinterest! Did you know you can accessorize your holiday table scape and bar cart with whole pomegranates? I included them in my bar cart styling and placed them on a little cake stand I picked up from Horchow. I loved the way the pomegranates brought a touch of holiday red to my bar cart. You can also buy these in bulk and place them in large bowls to use a centerpiece on your dinner or end tables!

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4. Pick Up A Fresh Wreath At Your Local Market or Grocery Store

Living in New York during the holiday season is the best. So many neighborhood corners are home to tree stands where city residents can pick up trees and holiday wreaths for their apartment. Not only can you pick out the size of the tree, the majority of the tree stands can deliver straight to your door, too! This year I picked up two fresh wreaths at my local stand that I hung with a plaid ribbon. I love the simplicity of the natural greenery paired with a plaid holiday bow that instantly elevates my holiday decor. Picking up a fresh wreath at your local market or grocery store is an affordable way to decorate this holiday season!

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What are some of your favorite tips to enhancing your holiday decor? Xo. Lauren

*In partnership with Chloe Wine Collection. Thank you for supporting brands that support Lauren-Nelson.com!

30 Nov 2017

A Great Gift To Give This Holiday Season | The illy X1 Anniversary Machine
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If you or anyone in your family is a huge coffee or espresso drinker, the iconic illy X1 Anniversaymachine would make the perfect holiday gift to give (or get!) this holiday season! You guys, I swear you will be obsessed..

A few weeks ago I had the chance to meet with illy caffe’s master baristas, Giorgio, who gave me a full tutorial on how to use the X1 Anniversary machine. Not only does the X1 Anniversary machine allows you to make single cups of coffee and espresso, I can happily report that I can now make cappuccinos and lattes! Steaming milk with this machine is way easier than you might think.  This is a big deal for me because prior to partnering with illy, I had a basic coffee pot — for years!!!

The X1 machine has officially changed my morning routine. I love waking up and based on my mood or how tired I am, I’ll make a cup of coffee, espresso or almond milk latte. Yes, an almond milk latte – either hot or iced! My favorite aspect about the machine is that it comes with a  steam/hot water wand to froth milk for creamy cappuccinos and lattes, as well as steam hot water for tea. No more $4 dollar Starbucks coffee for me before work!

I also learned that the X1 Anniversary machine was created more than 20 years ago which blazed the path for in-home espresso makers. We all know how popular single cup coffee and espresso machines are. What makes this one the best that I’ve used to-date is that it holds 5 patents developed for home espresso brewing at the illycaffè Research & Innovation labs in Trieste, Italy. You can tell the quality and the aroma of the espresso is better than any other machine.

To get more information and to shop the X1 Anniversary Edition for the Iperespresso system, check out www.illy.com and at illy caffè coffee bars and shops. It’s also available in three finishes: Stainless Steel ($695), Matte Black ($595), and Red ($595). I have the black! You will not be disappointed. I hope everyone has a great week! Xo. Lauren Illy-Coffee-Espresso-Maker

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