Monthly Archives: December 2019

Holiday Gift Guide: Combo Gift Ideas

christmas gift ideas for teachers, coworkers and friends | combo gift ideas | gift packages | Houston Blogger Lady in Violet

| GIFT IDEAS |
COFFEE LOVER: travel mug | bag of coffee | gift card to coffee shop
SPA DAY: bath bombs | face mask | body butter lotion
TRAVELER: passport cover | sleep mask | cocktail carry on kit
WARM & COZY:  beanie | gloves | scarf

Well, we are hitting that mid December mark.  How is your holiday shopping going?  Shipping deadlines for Christmas arrivals are slowly creeping closer, and today is the deadline for many ground shipping rates.
A few shipping deadlines per the UPS website for a 12/24 delivery:
Dec 13 – Last day to ship most ground deliveries
Dec 19 – Last day to ship via UPS 3 Day Select
Dec 20 – Last day to ship via UPS 2nd Day Air
Dec 23 – Last day to ship via UPS Next Day Air

When ordering from retailers, I would add a day or two to those deadlines to allow time for the retailer to prep your shipment.

I’m wrapping up my gift guide series with a few combo gift ideas.  Many of these items you can find at local stores like Target or Walmart, or hello Amazon Prime 2Day shipping!  I love combo gifts for friends, teachers, and coworkers.  You can also take these ideas and make them work for your gifting needs.  You can change the coffee lover to wine lover or tea lover or beer drinking lover by changing out the glass and beverage purchased.

The spa day is great for group gifting.  The bath bombs come in pack of 6, so you can turn that into 6 gifts with a face mask and lotion.  I think this one would be great if you are gifting multiple teachers or coworkers and want to give everyone the same thing.

For friends, family, or gift exchanges, the warm and cozy idea would be great! Plus, these are items you can find at many stores should you need a last minute gift idea.  The traveler gift pack would also be great for a gift exchange or any friends or family that you know travel quite a bit or have a big trip planned for 2020.

You can add or remove from these gift packages to make them work for your gift budget too!

Need More Gift Ideas, check out this season’s gift guides!
GIFT IDEAS UNDER $50
GIFT IDEAS UNDER $25
GIFT IDEAS FOR MEN
WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT IDEAS

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Beauty Trials: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

hourglass veil mineral primer review | what is makeup primer | Houston Beauty Blogger Lady in Violet

(gifted by Hourglass, the decision to review and opinions shared are my own)

So many of my friends have raved about the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, and it’s always making the lists of top primers.  I was super excited to finally get my hands on it to try it out.  Before I jump into my review, let’s talk a little about what primer is used for in a makeup routine.

WHAT IS PRIMER?

Face primer is applied prior to applying your foundation.  It helps smooth and even out your skin allowing foundation to apply smoother and last longer.  It can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and large pores, and prevents makeup from settling in these areas.

HOW DO I USE THE VEIL MINERAL PRIMER?

I apply my skincare moisturizer and let soak in for about 5 or more minutes.  Then, I use 1 pump of the primer and apply over my entire face.  I pump into my hand and then dot the primer over my face with a focus on areas like forehead, around eyes, and cheeks, pretty much any areas with fine lines and redness.  A little of this product goes a long way, so pump just a small amount out.  I then let the product settle and work its magic for a couple minutes before starting my makeup routine.  I then start applying my foundation and continue through my normal makeup routine.

HOURGLASS VEIL MINERAL PRIMER REVIEW

This product definitely lives up to the hype.  It smooths out the skin and fills in areas of fine lines.  I noticed needing less foundation while using this primer.   My foundation went on much smoother and quicker.  Throughout the day, I noticed my makeup was not settling as much in lines on the forehead and around the eyes.  I also felt my makeup still looked fresh at the end of the day.

A few other things I liked about this product –

The primer is soft and feels smooth as it glides on to your skin.  It’s super lightweight, and it didn’t feel heavy at all.

It contains SPF 15.  I try to use one SPF product in my morning routine, so I always love finding products with it.

Overall, I plan to keep this product as part of my makeup routine.  It helped my makeup look fresh all day including from work day to date night.  I used less foundation which will help that product last longer between buys.

Have you tried the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer?  What were your thoughts on it?

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How To Wear a Winter White Outfit

winter outfit | ivory draped cardigan | white skinny jeans | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

casual outfit | beige drapey cardigan | green stone necklace | Everyday Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

how to wear winter white outfit | tan suede heels | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

casual winter outfit | off white draped cardigan | brown tote bag | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

Winter outfits tend to lean more to the darker side of the color spectrum, but occasionally I love to put on a winter white outfit.  If you want to give it a try this season, below are a few of my tips on how to wear winter white.

1) Add in a jewel tone piece of jewelry to add a fall/winter color to the look.

2) Layer with another lighter colored piece.  I like to use colors like beige, blush pink, and light gray.

3) Add shades of brown in your shoes and bag.  I think the brown adds an earth tone appeal to the overall look.  You could also opt to go with light taupe colors too.

You can try just one of these with your winter white or all 3 like I did in this outfit.  If your winter white includes a sweater, you may opt for just colorful jewelry.  You may opt for simple gold jewelry and brown or taupe shoes.  You can play around with these 3 ideas to mix and match with your outfit.

Christmas party season officially kicks off for me this week with my first party of the season.  It’s a fun after work event with my sorority alum group.  My alum group has lots of activities throughout the year, and I have not been able to make it out to as many lately. I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone!

Photography By: Banavenue

casual outfit idea | long cardigan | white skinny jeans | Texas Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

winter outfit | draped long cardigan | layered necklaces | Popular Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

winter outfit | white skinny jeans | brown suede heels | Budget Friendly Fashion Blog

winter outfit | beige long cardigan | white skinny jeans | Texas Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

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Jewel Tones for the Holidays

fall outfit | dark pink blouse | black suede boots | Affordable Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

jewel tones for the holiday outfit | dark pink silk blouse | Petite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

fall outfit | black slouchy boots | black leather crossbody bag | Everyday Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

holiday outfit | dark pink blouse | black skinny jeans | Houston Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet

Happy Friday!!  I’ve been enjoying a nice long weekend since yesterday.  I like taking a few days off in early December to knock out some holiday shopping before the crowds start.  It was already starting to get crowded, so I’m happy to have tackled most of my gift list.  With that and my sale shopping, I’m almost done!

When I saw this top, I was immediately drawn to the jewel tone dark pink color.  It’s such a luxe looking color, and I knew it would be perfect for the holiday season.  Sometimes you just want something other than the normal reds, greens, and sequins. The material has this rumpled satiny look that also adds a little fancy to it.  For a dressy casual holiday look, I paired it with my black jeans and suede boots.

You can easily make this top work with a pencil skirt, heels, or leather leggings to change up the look to match your holiday party.  You could also pair with a gold sequin skirt for a super festive look.  I love the way jewel tones look with gold sequins!  This top comes in a few other colors too.

The boyfriend and I have fun little date night planned downtown this weekend.  We figured we would get a fancy night in for just the two of us before the holiday parties start to kick in to full gear.  I’m following that up with a super relaxing Sunday to finish off my long 4day weekend!  I hope you all have a fabulous weekend too!

Photography By: Banavenue

fall outfit | jewel tone silk top | black denim | Popular Fashion Blogs Lady in Violet

fall fashion | magenta top | marble statement earrings | Texas Fashion Blogger Lady in Violet

winter outfit | black skinny jeans | slouchy suede boots | Stylish Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

fall outfit | dark pink top | black jeans | Favorite Fashion Blog Lady in Violet

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