Easy Updates for Any Home

Today's shop has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! 
#LoveAmericanHome #CollectiveBias

I'm a fan of changing my space to change my energy. It's something my mom & tias (aunts for my non-Spanish speakers) have been doing since I was a wee kid. Seeing their love for color transform an apartment into a home was impressive mainly because they worked with small budgets with their favorite store. Yet, each time they "flipped" a room it would come alive with personality, love, and leave memories behind.

Well, now that I'm out of the nest and not loving my lackluster room it was time to call in the heavy artillery - my mom & tia (the budget professionals).

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Their first call of action was decluttering my room. The ladies went in and sorted through worn out clothing, ratty blankets, and damaged necklaces to clear out valuable floor space (and sanity).

Next, they came up with a color palette that the bae and I both agreed on: black, gray and white. Trust me when I say that the ladies wanted something a little more colorful to spice up the room, but compromise is key in a relationship. This also meant that all bedding that fell outside this color palette were donated to the local animal shelters.

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Once the color palette was decided they rearranged furniture with those that were in other parts of the home so the bedroom had one singular aesthetic instead of being a mish-mash of bookcases.

After those first three things we made a list of want was needed from our local Walmart and shopped strategically: my tia grabbed me all new black bedding and a few accent pillows, my mom made way for a new rug and a few containers to help keep my jewelry organized, and I bee-lined for the American Home™ by Yankee Candle®.I'm sort of a candle freak and love how a scent can bring you back to a certain memory, help you unwind, and all around add a great atmosphere to your home.
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I may have gone a little overboard but I ended up getting American Home™ by Yankee Candle® in Warm & Happy Home ($14.93), Pumpkin Apple Harvest ($10.93), and Delicious Cranberry ($14.93) which you can find online here or in the Home & Candle section of your local Walmart. They have a huge selection and the price is amazing for the bigger sized candles. And remember to only burn them when in sight.

I've been loving the last fragrances for the holiday season as well. As a bonus, whenever I smell the Pumpkin Apple Harvest I'll always remember how my tia made fun of my inability to cook.

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It's crazy how a new home fragrance, color coordinated sheets and [massive] decluttering can go a long way. They've turned my least favorite room into the most delicious spot to hang out. Not to mention being able to have a few laughs with my favorite people.

Last but not least, my tia & mom got me a little surprise to go with my mini room makeover. A collection of calaveras to add a little flavor to my room and the best home cooked meal I had in while. Well, they tried teaching me how to cook arroz blanco but they didn't want to risk burning the rice again (whoops).

How do you update your home? Is it a family affair like mine?

The Power of Face Mists

The one component of my overall skincare regimen that I absolutely love to use are face mists. You can even call it my favorite topic to gush about and with five years of face misting under my belt I’ve become a bit of a pro.

If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you should! Misting is so amazing for your skin and leaves you looking fresh and glowy. They also serve a multitude of purposes, such as:

· Extra Hydration: In the AM mist your face before applying moisturizer/essence
· To Soothe: After a workout (/Classpass) session, mist to soothe your flushed skin
· Seasonal Prevention: Mist throughout the day, when your skin starts to feel a little too dry (i.e. winters) or too hot (i.e. summers)
· Makeup Extender: Mist after applying makeup to set or extend

Don’t confuse face mists with toners, the latter is meant to be used right after cleansing. If you were to use a toner after applying makeup, all of your hard work would be whisked away in one swipe (tear).

Besides stocking my shelves with face mists, I tend to carry them on my person too. If you’re ready to take the plunge (come on in the water’s great!!) here’s a list of my top favorites:

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1. Avene Thermal Spring Water
After years of paying high shipping costs to get this into my hands, we can finally purchase this stateside and for really cheap too! It’s so hydrating and reduces visible redness. It’s incredibly gentle and soothing as well. I’d call this my A1 mister. Personally, I love using this in the AM before applying essence/moisturizer and after an intense workout.

2. Derma e Purifying Toner Mist
I’m a huge fan of the brand’s all-natural approach to skin care and am always testing out new things from them. Recently I tried their Purifying Toner Mist and absolutely loved the mineral and antioxidant-rich toner. Also, this is awesome for those of us living in big cities since it helps rebalance and fortify skin against pollutants. Because of the packaging, this is a must for your purse.

3. Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz
Love the scent of this and the price point is amazing. This is another great AM & PM mister. Since this does come in a bigger bottle, I’d recommend using after cleansing. Once you mist use a cotton pad to sweep away any remaining traces of makeup. But, however, you do use it, your skin will be left feeling fresh and dewy.

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4. Glossier Soothing Face Mist
Saved the best for last! Glossier has been killing it in the skincare game and their Soothing Face Mist is so bomb. It’s made with rosewater, aloe, and glycerin, which leaves your skin extra, hydrated and feels so great (read: refreshing). I use this all day long or whenever I need a makeup refresher. (P.s. all of Glossier’s goods are uh-mazing, click this link for 20% off your purchase).

The Essentials: November 2015

Well, this is a first - completely forgot to include clothing, shoes, or activewear/fitness faves. At the same time this month is all about giving thanks and eating, lots of it too. Sooo... let's focus our efforts elsewhere shall we?

Some of these products are repeat offenders but can't help but mention them again. Lots of big-name brands and a few indy brands new to the beauty game. Also, if you're on Periscope, add me! I do lots of reviews on-the-fly there. My username is @thestyleboro.

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Lots of hair and skin faves this month - partially due to experimenting with new hairstyles + skin solutions.

Hair: Now that my hair is a bit shorter I've been able to experiment with braids (which I love!). I've been using Redken's Braid Aid 03 to help make my hair more pliable/manageable. Another standout fave is Eva NYC's Forget Me Knot Dry Conditioner. This is basically the best "dry shampoo" for curly-haired girls. It doesn't leave a white residue, makes it easy to detangle those danced-all-night knots, and easily refreshes my curls for another night out. Absolutely love!

Skin:  I discovered Simple at a pop-up inside Flywheel. They encouraged me to wipe off the day's grime before class with one of their makeup wipes - which I did - and I loved how easily it took everything off. It uses micellar water which is amazing and super gentle on your skin. Two other faves are AMG's Hydrating Mist and Toner & NYX Be Gone! Lip Color Remover. AMG's Mist is on the pricey end of the spectrum but I love how it's made with all natural botanical ingredients, chemical free, and vegan. If you need something similar tryout Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz or dermae Hydrating Mist with Hyaluronic Acid. As for the NYX lip color remover - it gets the toughest color off while moisturizing your lips. Affordable and works!

Body: Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex Body Lotion is my absolute favorite right now. It's a great thick cream that helps repair hydrated skin. It also smells amazing. Another fave is the Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF. Before heading out on my outdoor runs I make sure to apply this to my neck and shoulders. It gets the job done regardless of how sweaty I get.

Shop my essentials below:
one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine // ten
eleven // twelve // thirteen // fourteen // fifteen // sixteen

What are you loving this month? Tell me about it!