Top: Vince || Leggings: Zella || Lipstick: Cate McNabb ‘Vamp’ || Kiss Wall Art || Champagne: Bon Affair

One of the number one questions I get asked via the bloggy is my stance on makeup. Do I use all-natural, paraben-free, cruelty-free, easy on the skin makeup? If so… HOW do I find the right shades that still come in beautiful hues & are long lasting? Also– do I even WEAR makeup, you ask, (?!?) since in most photos it appears that I don’t.

If you know me, you know that I don’t wear a whole lot of makeup in my everyday life. I go all out for TV appearances, photo shoots and extra special events, but on the daily the most makeup I will possibly wear is a bit of natural foundation, some lipstick/lipgloss and MAAAYBBBEE some mascara. And I say maybe because mascara gets freakishly stuck on my lashes and ends up under my eyes more often than not. (Which is why the right all-natural makeup remover is so important to me– my favorite of which is featured in the video!)

The main takeaway here is… B A L A N C E ! I love to get dolled up on special occasions & I definitely have my brands that I stick to. In the video I mention my favorite lip wear, foundation, mascara (that smells like BLACK TEA! Yummm), makeup remover, deodorant (the best ever. You will fall in love) & sunscreen.

Without further ado, here we are. And if you haven’t yet subscribed to my YouTube channel, I would be eternally grateful if you hit the little ‘Subscribe’ button under the banner on the homepage. I have lots & lots of fun videos to come– including a super personal “Mess Up Your Life” video that we filmed on the beach this weekend.

Video is produced by Enjet Media, a.k.a some of my absolute favorite people out there. Here we are having a blast this last weekend during filming at Tastemade:

Thoughts on the video?! What are your feelings about all-natural cosmetics? Do you wear a lot of makeup, or a lil bit (or none)? Love hearing this kind of stuff. Xox 

And to make up for it, today I am coming at you with a triple whammy… a weekend recap, a thrilling announcement AND a Sunology giveaway! I suppose I should go in that order to keep things from getting confusing like they kinda can when I come at you with a major jumble of excitement.

This weekend was great, and I would say it had the utmost balance because I got in some yoga and exercise, unwound with my friends (look at me drinking on the weekends…), relaxed at the beach, had some delicious meals, hit up the farmer’s market, checked out the Arts District in Downtown LA (I’m absolutely in love with it), got some writing done, and spent time with my family in the valley. Oh, and I had Pinkberry for the first time in about three years and it was glorious.

All in all, I’d have to say the number one highlight of the weekend was reuniting with my two favorite people on earth a.k.a my nieces Isabella and Olivia for the first time in WAY too many months. They are 11 and 6, and they are the brightest, funniest, most loving and adorable creatures I have ever known. One of the main reasons I moved back to California was because I missed them so much it made my heart hurt. Reuniting was amazing to say the least.

Oh, and Olivia started a YouTube. You have to check it out. She’s going to be a famous producer someday because she has the mind of a creative genius… so you might want to hop on it so you can say you knew about her first.

Exciting news… WE ARE RELEASING OUR NEW TBV APPAREL DESIGNS TOMORROW! That’s right. Three new designs PLUS our current phrases in new styles. I. Am. So. Excited. And cannot wait to share with you all! AND this weekend was TBV Apparel designer & photographer Tynan’s birthday, so send him some bday vibes because he is the best. ( Sneak peek… ▼ ▽ ▾ ▿ )

And, to celebrate the new designs & say thank you to everyone who has shown me support since the launch of the line, I am hosting a giveaway between now & tomorrow– repost your favorite TBV Apparel photo on Instagram or Facebook, tag @tbvapparel & hashtag #tbvapparel, and you will be entered to win a free tee and/or tote!

Also, since I’m officially back in California to stay, I’ve had to think about certain things that I haven’t had to think about for the last year. Like, I don’t know, wearing clothes that aren’t covered by a floor-length puffy jacket and wearing sunscreen when I go outside.

I have been going to the beach a LOT lately (my happiest of all happy places), and being the fair-skinned chica that I am… I’ve been getting burned. Too much. I am normally really good about sunscreen but my pale NYC skin has been extra sensitive to the sun after being out of it for so long! (And after spending most of the summer indoors writing my guts out.) 

Also, I’m really weird about sunscreen. I like using products that don’t contain chemical active ingredients or anything that will make my super sensitive skin inflame and turn into the color of a ripe tomato even without a sunburn.

If you want to learn more about why all NATURAL sunscreen is the way to go, check this out. It will open your eyes a little bittle.

Sunology is my sunscreen go-to. Plus, the founder has battled skin cancer and developed this all-natural sunscreen as a brand he could use and TRUST, so that is a huge win in my book. Their products provide SPF 50 and are made of zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide from all natural sources.

For all my fellow fair-skinned lovers, I am doing a GIVEAWAY of Sunology products so you can check them out & see what the hype is all about. Just follow @Sunology on Instagram, comment on this blog post and say why you’d like to win. Pretty simple.

Oh, and lastly… I met with my awesome app developer Cyrus yesterday, and we pretty much decided on a tentative launch date for the app. It should be out around October 10^th (just in time for my birthday)… WAY too exciting. Details to come.

How was everyone else’s weekend?! Do you need some new sunscreen? Excited about the NEW TEES?!!

PS: You can check out Sunology on their website, or their social media channels. Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram for a chance to win the giveaway!