Winter Beauty with Adore Me

Today I'm bringing it back 3 years and doing an updated winter beauty look! Winter makeup looks are always so fun because there's always numerous parties and different looks to try. From metallic eyeshadow to a cranberry red lip, everyone can find a look they love! Last time, I worked with Adore Me to create a look inspired by their bra & panty sets; so this year I'm doing the same.

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beauty

4 Holiday Party Outfits

Happy holidays! It's the weekend before Christmas which means holiday parties galore and even though I won't be stepping out this weekend (thank you wisdom teeth), I've planned and already worn some great outfits for every occasion!

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style

Beauty Advent Calendars

Today I'm doing something different. Instead of flaunting my holiday party outfits or sharing my newest skincare (both of which I'll probably do later this month), I want to create a conversation and discussion with you! To kick off the 12 days until Christmas, we're talking about advent calendars!

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business

High-End Beauty Edit

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and every year I have so many things to be thankful for. But, this year on the blog I'm fast forwarding through Thanksgiving and moving on to Black Friday! Better late than never, but I wanted to make sure this post went up so you all could take advantage of this weekend’s sales!

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beauty

Post-Workout Skincare Routine

I love the feeling of working out and pushing my body to its limits, but I hate the way my skin looks and feels when I hit stop of the treadmill or get off the spin bike. Over the summer, I was hitting the gym regularly in the mornings and I figured out a modified version of my daily skincare routine that takes my face from a flushed, sweaty mess to an I woke up like this glow.

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beauty

Simple, No-Heat Hairstyles

A big part of having healthy hair, no matter which way you choose to wear it, is avoiding heat. I straighten my hair at least once a week, so on the six days in between, I try to avoid the flat iron at all costs. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but I've collected a couple simple styles that I can use no-heat necessary.

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beauty

My Purse, It Has Everything

This bag is my end all be all. Seriously, I may never buy another purse again.

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style

Los Cabos, Mexico: ATVs and Lounging on the Beach

Visiting Cabo was the best way to end the summer. Our 4-day trip was the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure - what more could I ask for?

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travel

Why Habits Make the World Go 'Round

Habits are the driving force in my life. That sounds kind of extreme but in the transition to college and being substantially more independent, establishing and maintaining habits made everything simple. Last week, I finished Gretchen Rubin's Better Than Before and learned everything I wanted to know about forming and keeping habits. Since I'm a woman of the people, I'm going to save you the trouble of reading the book and share the most important, life-changing deets.

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lifestyle

Summer Beauty Essentials

So...here I am...one month later and back on the blog. When I wrote my farewell post, I had an inkling that I might be back in 2019 or late fall at the earliest. But, during my month-long hiatus, I realized that "misslaurenalston" is such an integral part of my identity. There are numerous other factors that brought me back here, but instead of listing them all out I'd rather get into my summer beauty essentials.

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beauty

The Best Travel Outfit Ever

The day before my Hong  Kong flight I was in Urban Outfitters (when am I not there) picking up another pair of my favorite skinny jeans (and they're super on sale!!). As I was wandering around the store, I realized that as much as I love those jeans (and I really do) I was not looking forward to wearing them for over 24 hours on the plane and in the airport. That's when I saw the dress. 

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style

5 Tips for Fighting Jet Lag

Let’s talk jet lag, it's the worst. It sucks to travel halfway around the world only to be too tired and sick to enjoy your new surroundings. There are so many tips and tricks out there for combatting jet lag and I’ve tried a lot of them. So here’s what works. My methods are tried and true, I did each and every one of these things during or after my flight to Hong Kong (which was a 36 hour travel day, 20+ hours were spent in the air) and I felt fresh as ever when I woke up this morning.

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travel

Books of the Month: May 2018

A few days ago I realized that I've read so many books this month. I don't feel strongly enough about any of them to do a full book talk, so instead, I'm doing a quick roundup/recap!

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Travel Beauty Essentials

Hi everyone! Today, I'm sharing the beauty & skincare products that I have to have on the plane. In my last life update, I mentioned doing a summer study abroad in Hong Kong. I leave in a few days so I'm taking a break from packing and writing this post.

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beauty, travel

Book Talk: Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

I'm excited about today's post because it's a book talk for 21 books! Kidding! It is for Roxane Gay's Difficult Women which a collection of short stories, but I'm not going to go deep into every single story. Today, we're discussing three of my favorite and in my opinion, the most thought-provoking stories.

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La Romana, Dominican Republic: Spring Break

I've been back on campus for a week and somehow it feels like 2 months. The past week has been so full that I feel like I've barely had a moment to breathe! I'm excited to finally be publishing this post, though I will admit I love last year's Spring Break in Miami post 100x more. Between Miami and Seattle I fell in love with travel posts, but since this year's spring break was a relaxing resort instead of a bustling city I had to change up the style of the post.

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travel

Dealing with Disappointment

Every time I think I have this whole blogging thing down, life gets to me and I go MIA for a few of weeks. Seriously, I can't believe it's been nearly 3 weeks since I've written a blog post. I have so many post ideas that I cannot wait to pick up right where I left off!

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lifestyle

Essentialism - What Does it Mean?

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Today's post is a bit of a mashup between lifestyle and reading, and I genuinely want to hear what you think about it. Whether you've read or are interested in reading Greg McKeown's Essentialism or not, read through this post and leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions!

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How to Get Out of A Creative Rut

As much as I love blogging, every couple of months I fall into a rut and feel completely uninspired to write blog posts, post on social media, or be creative in general. I usually end up wallowing in it for a few days (or weeks) and then something sparks and I jump back into the swing of things full force! It works, but it's undeniably not the most efficient way to live my life. After a few cycles of this, I realized what always pulls me back: changing my look.

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lifestyle

Jaco Juice & Taco Bar | Georgetown, D.C.

Last weekend, a friend and I were trying to pick a spot for a quick lunch before a movie. He loves Mexican food but my being vegan can make tacos and burritos a bit more difficult. After a bit of sleuthing, I discovered Jaco Juice & Taco Bar. Jaco has quickly become the perfect go-to spot for a couple of reasons: it offers a variety of fresh food from acai bowls to burritos and it's less than a mile from campus!

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travel

How to Study for Exams

Midterm season at Georgetown signals the beginning of the end... finals (it doesn't make any sense, I know). This week, I was unlucky enough to have three finals in 24 hours. Fortunately, I learned a lot from midterm season last semester that made those 24 hours bearable, so today I'm sharing 5 tips to acing your exams!

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college

Book Talk: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

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I wish I'd never read Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies...so I'd have another chance to experience it for the first time. To be honest, I picked it out at the library because the cover looked interesting, so I had pretty low expectations. Little did I know, I would continue to think about the story months after I finished reading it.

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February Mood Board

Happy Groundhog Day! I'm writing this post a couple days early, but my guess is that Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this morning and we have six more weeks of winter ahead. Last year, February was a great month for me; nothing spectacular happened, but despite some setbacks — losing my wallet and ruining my laptop — I was able to roll with the punches and not let it get me down.

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lifestyle

Book Talk: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

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At this point, Liane Moriarty is a household name as HBO's Big Little Lies brought her to the attention of entertainment lovers everywhere. A couple of years ago I wrote a book talk on Liane's novel The Husband's Secret and since she has become one of my favorite contemporary fiction authors. I recently read Truly Madly Guilty and it was just as great as I expected!

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Book Talk: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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This past Christmas, my mom surprised me with Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give. Surprisingly, I hadn't heard much about this book before reading it even though it was one of the most talked about books of 2017!

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Starting a New Semester the Right Way

I've been back in school for about a week now and putting my best foot forward to start the new semester. The first couple of weeks usually set the tone for the rest of the semester and there are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success.

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college