'From head to toe' - California Edition

Malibu, California

September 2014

 

Jumpsuit: 

A gift from the magnificent Nellie B, made my June & Hudson on super sale here. 

Similar version from ASTR here- $74.

Makeup:

Foundation: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Sand- Nordstrom, $48

Concealer: Benefit 'Boing' in 01- Sephora, $20

Blush: Bobbi Brown Pretty Coral- Nordstrom, $27

Bronzer: Benefit Hoola Bronzer- Sephora, $28 (Looking for extra warmth? Add bronzer to cheeks, nose, forehead, and collar bone/chest area)

Eyes: Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Glamor Palette- similar here, $48, with a bit of Hoola Bronzer in the crease for a warm glow

Lips: Maybelline Color Whisper in Coral Ambition- any drugstore for $5ish, layered with MAC lipliner in Cranberry- (discontinued but duped here with MAC 'In Synch' - $16

Shoes:

Mom's shoes: DV by Dolce Vita 'Daffodil' Sandal- on sale for $35

My shoes: The trusty DV 'Nolita' wedges, no longer available

Lastly, meet the adorable Rowdy! He needs no makeup or outfit to look cute, lucky little man.

With love and California dreaming,

Sarah Belle

Running for the wise- Sundays with Sarah

Installment #1 

I get inspiration at the strangest places and times; in the shower, while folding laundry, when I am on the brink of sleep, and on trains and long drives....

Today, I felt inspired while on a run. (walk/jog) 

Letting my feet carry me for miles, skipping over cracks and bumps in the sidewalk, and seeing Eugene from a new perspective. Running is calming, centering, and exhausting in all the right ways. 

Music makes a big difference in my mindset... the key is finding your perfect mix of energy and serenity. I could run for hours with the right music to motivate me.

Today's playlist:

Let it go- James Bay

Warm foothills - Alt J

Georgia- Vance Joy

Want you Back- Jackson 5

Coming over (Filous remix)- James Hershey

I stopped mid stride to capture some of these shots- and not one looks as pretty as it did in person. I am lucky to be surrounded with such beauty. I'm lucky in general. Feeling grateful- now that's an epiphany I need to have more often. 

I am fortunate to be given so much, to have free time to explore my town, and to be stressed by high expectations and school work. I complain, but in reality I am living a life of tremendous privilege. 

Down the road, I need to make self reflection and humility more of a priority. I started this whole blog business with that in mind, and even though I doubt my abilities... I will always strive to create quality content with pride. The future is a bright place, and I hope to capture it well!

With love and footsteps,

Sarah Belle

Paleo Peach & Blueberry Crumble- Sarah's Eats

This recipe is easy as pie! (Get it? So punny) As well as being super simple and easy to make, this sweet treat is paleo approved and as desserts go- healthy! The mind behind this creation is Diane Sanfilippo, and I love her 'Practical Paleo' cookbook. She does an amazing job breaking down how individual foods directly affect our health and body functioning. It is safe to say that you really are what you eat. For those of you don't know what 'paleo' means, it more or less refers to 'whole foods' that are unprocessed and found in nature. Eating paleo leaves me with the 'clean full' feeling, even after large meals. There are no fake sugar rushes, breakouts from dairy or too much sodium, and keep me energized for longer periods of time. By no means do I claim to be a perfect example of health, but being aware and educated about healthy lifestyle choices can never do any harm. Enjoy the pictures and recipe- try it and home and let me know if you did any better than I did! 

Feel free to supplement with any fruit of your choice! 

Macadamia nuts added a sweet and nutritious crunch to the crumble topping!

My crumble topping ended up a bit dry for my taste- at this step I would recommend some almond milk, or more maple syrup!

Looking back, I would have taken out the crumble early and added more moisture to the top. Maybe a squeeze of lemon juice, or melted coconut oil mixed with maple syrup? Feel free to make this your own. 

Imperfections aside, the crumble was pretty delicious. I took off some of my topping and added some almond milk ice cream, and it became the perfect summer night sweet-tooth solution. I could see this dessert being great for early Fall, a warm treat for cool nights, but not too heavy. Switch out for more seasonal berries (even apples) and make this your new personal specialty. I know if I will be trying this again to get it just right!

The original recipe for the curious and hungry: http://balancedbites.com/2013/06/easy-recipe-fresh-blueberry-crumble.html

With love and sugar,

Sarah Belle

'From head to toe' - Bohemian Belle

Layers of old and new

This outfit has many pieces and parts, and they all come from different ages and stages of my life. The sweater, tank, skirt and boots are all either vintage, a hand-me-down, borrowed (or stolen) from someone else's closet. These items have all been loved and worn by others before, yet wearing them now I still can make them completely my own. 
Being yourself never goes out of style. 

Hat: Olive & Pique ($30)

Sweater: My Mom's closet

Tank: Michael Stars Supima Modal Racerback

Bandeau: Free People ($38)

Skirt: Vintage Free People 

Boots: Steve Madden ($99- Similar here)

Makeup Look:

Primer: Oil Free Primer ($33) by Laura Mercier 

Foundation: Stay Matte Mouse in Light Ivory ($4.99) by Rimmel

Concealer: Invisible Concealer in Light ($5.99) by Cover Girl

Blush: Pretty Coral ($27) by Bobbi Brown

Bronzer: Hoola ($28) by Benefit Cosmetics

Brows: Gimme Brow Gel ($22) & High Brow pencil ($20) by Benefit Cosmetics

Eyeshadow: Base: MAC Grain, MAC Vanilla

Crease: All that Glitters MAC

Blend & color: Trick & Buzz from the Naked 3 Palette by Urban Decay

Mascara: They're Real ($23) by Benefit Cosmetics

Eyeliner: Jet Black 'Stay All Day' Eyeliner ($20) by Stila

Lips: Rose Petal Creamy Lip Color ($26) by Bobbi Brown, Nymphette ($15) by MAC

 With love and layers,
Sarah Belle

'From head to toe' - Sarah Belle's birthday

Celebrating 7,302 days of life.

 20 is a funny age. No longer a teenager, a survivor of two decades,  and a legal adult- yet still not legally old enough to drink or be regarded as a 'grown up'. I guess I have a long way to go! 

To celebrate my family and I went to Yoshi's at Jack London Square in Oakland and had a wonderful dinner. Besides the delicious sushi, another benefit is that Yoshi's is located right on the water. How could I not do a cheeky little photoshoot for the blog? Many thanks to my beautiful Mother for not only being my photographer but also my wisest friend. Your love and support means so much to me, I cant believe I deserve it after putting you through 'the most painful day of your life' 20 years ago. Its a good thing I was a cute baby. XO

Makeup look:

Base: Laura Mercier Oil Free foundation primer (Nordstrom- $33)

Foundation: Makeup Forever HD foundation in Ivory (Sephora -$42)

Concealer: Covergirl (Target- $5.99)

Bronzer: Hoola by Benefit Cosmetics- (Ulta- $28.00)

Blush: Pretty Coral by Bobbi Brown (Nordstrom- $27)

Brows: Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil (Target- $7.99)

Eyeshadow: MAC- Grain and MAC- Girlie all over my lid. Lazy me actually used my 'Pretty coral' blush in my crease as a pop of summer color. I added some darker definition with the Bobbi Brown 'Fog' eyeshadow on my top and bottom lash line, and a splash of gold in my crease with the Bobbi Brown Candlelight Gold (both limited edition) 

Liner: Stay All Day Waterproof liner in Intense Black by Stila (Sephora- $20) 

Mascara: They're Real Mascara by Benefit Cosmetics (Ulta- $23)

Lips: MAC Cranberry lipliner (no longer sold) & MAC Nymphette Lipgloss (Nordstrom - $15)

 Rings: 2 silver are from a street faire, the gold one is from Urban Outfitters (not sold online but was $14)

Jeans: Stevie Cuff by AG (Anthropologie $99 on sale!)

Blazer: Nordstrom (old but similar here)

Top: Free People (old but similar here)

Shoes: Dolce Vita 'Nolita' Wedges (Nordstrom- $40 on sale!)

Nailpolish: Lucky Lucky Lavender by OPI

Thank you to everyone who made me feel so special and celebrated!! 

With love and two decades of life,

Sarah Belle

August Favorites- Beauty, body, and blemishes!

Ah, August. 

Your passing is bittersweet. For while you mark summer coming to an end, you leaving also means school begins and my birthday arrives! This month gave me a lot to think about, and many items to review for your reading pleasure. 

Rave- Pretty Coral Blush ($27- Bobbi Brown)
I held out on buying this because I thought 'who needs more than your basic pink blush?'... I clearly was suffering from an illness because I was SO wrong. First off, if you wear makeup you need to have at least two blushes in your arsenal. One with shimmer and one matte. I usually wear Nars Deep Throat, but now that I own Pretty Coral I have worn it every day since. It is perfect for summer, and will transition well into fall. It can even be blended with other colors to match the season, it is all around such a flattering color for my pale pinky toned complexion. 
If you want to see the blush in action, it is featured in my 'summer nights' outfit/makeup look here!



Read- The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion- $8.99 on the Kindle
I ate this book up, it is the perfect summer read. Simsion puts an entertaining spin on romance as you read about the life and love of the "oddly charming, socially challenged genetics professor, Don"

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. 

This book is valid to everyone seeking 'true love'. Hence, valid to everyone. This book was not only funny but thought provoking and well written. Looking into the mind of someone so painfully logical (and probably diagnosable) was really interesting and entertaining, I loved it more with every page. 


Random- Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo- $22.54 for paperback on Amazon
Eating clean and healthy can be hard, but also so rewarding and fun. I LOVE this cookbook/ paleo lifestyle guide. She explains every ingredient, the benefits of being paleo, and how each food can affect your body. I really understand what I'm making and how each change can be more clean and healthy for my body. I'm definitely not a paleo diet model... but it can be fun to try something new. 

Lettuce wraps with quinoa and chicken

Cobbler with blueberries and peaches

Repurchase- Neutrogena rainbath shower gel- $10 on Amazon
This is an oldie but a goodie. It is refreshing, clean, not to girly or sugary and lathers amazingly well. My grandma of all people always has this, and it reminds me of her. It is a perfect body wash to switch out to when you want something different or new! I even use it for my face as a cleanser/makeup remover, its that great. 

Reject- Dolce Vita 'Fray' Sandals - purchased for $130. These sandals are now on sale for $64, and I can tell why. They look cute at first glance, but after I wore them a few times I started noticing problems. They stretched in odd places, the color faded, and after only having them for a few months, a strap frayed and a button broke- causing the gladiator straps to totally unravel. They were able to be returned in full to Anthropologie, but it wasn't even worth getting them replaced. Boo. 

Instead I got the this Topshop sandal! Oooo so trendy.

Recent- The Power Peel- Ole Henrickson - $16 for two treatments
This ish is bananas. I love it. Sephora describes this treatment as a 'microdermabrasion and acid peel system' that is supposed to do all kinds of lovely things to your skin from reducing fine lines, minimize pores, and lessen discoloration. That is what I am after. I have fairly sensitive and pale skin, and any cut, zit, or bruise leaves a pretty dramatic mark on my skin and almost always scars. I have only done two treatments (one week apart) but I am already hooked. My skin not only felt amazing right after, but also was brightener and softer for a few days after. It is a bit pricey, but I feel more confident that this will get the job done, and that is what counts. 

Step 1: Scrub a dub 

Almond scrub smells amazing and has just the right amount of grit and cleanser to get all your pores open and clean. 

Step 2: Burn baby burn

Now that your face is clean and ready, this lemon acid peel does burn (avoid your lips and eye area!!) but it is nothing you can't handle for 2 minutes. The pain means it's working?

Step 3: Sweet relief

The last step with chamomile and primrose oil goes right over the lemon peel, and calms and soothes the skin. It will set and harden for about 15 minutes, and then you wash off like any other traditional face mask. I'm hooked!

Saying goodbye to August, and hello to September! 

With love and the letter 'R',

Sarah Belle