Affordable Sweaters for Fall

Sweater weather is officially here, the news is even calling for a snowy mix on Thursday! However, I already got a taste of cold weather (27 degrees to be exact) from my trip to Chicago & South Bend, Indiana this weekend while I was visiting my bf at Notre Dame. And since i'm always cold i'm already living in knits and cozy sweaters back in NJ. So today I wanted to share my favorite, most affordable sweaters with you. I rounded up a bunch below, all under $50 and great quality. Enjoy! 

Big shout out to @cswangerphotography for always supporting me and snapping the best photos ever! Go give her a follow!

Booties for Fall Under $100

I think it's officially time to start transitioning your wardrobe from summer to fall and the one thing you'll need the most are ankle boots. Whether you're wearing a dress, jeans, or skirt these boots seem to pair well with almost anything. At first I was iffy about the way ankle boots looked on me, but now I own at least 5 pairs that I practically live in. My favorite booties of the season are the cheetah print boots you've been seeing everywhere as well as white boots. I'm ready for the temperature to drop (slightly) so I can finally wear them!

Below, i've rounded up the cutest boots I could find at the lowest prices. Let me know which ones you'll be wearing this season!

Fall Outfit Ideas

Is anyone ready for fall yet? I don't think I ever want to say goodbye to warm weather but I am looking forward to throwing on oversized sweaters everyday! 

 I wanted to share a few items I've picked out so when it starts to get cold you'll have the best options in your closet! A few trends I have been looking to buy are; white booties, maybe cheetah booties? and lots of yellow pieces. Fall outfit posts to come!

Casual Leather Skirt Outfit For Now and Later

As fall starts to approach us, I wanted to share an outfit that you can wear now in the sumer heat and then later once the breezy fall weather settles in. Before I start, let me introduce you to Lulu's. When anyone ask me where my clothes are from majority of the time I purchased my outfit from this online retailer and I've been shopping with them for years! They are my go-to site when I need a bridesmaids dress, wedding guest dress, new outfit to go out in or just casual clothes for the weekend. The clothes are made from great quality material and won't fall apart on you at all. The best part is they are very affordable and always have great styles & sales.

Back to the outfit: This leather skirt from Lulu's fits comfortably and is true to size. I was expecting the skirt to be uncomfortable and restricting and it could not be further from that. I paired the skirt with one of my favorite t-shirts and sandals to dress the look down and make it a bit more casual since the leather tends to dress it up.

To transition into fall, I'd pair this skirt with a black, white or striped long sleeve tee and black over the knee boots. If you want to dress it up for a night out, pair it with a bodysuit and booties or strappy heels. 

Shop this outfit for now or later below! I hope this post helps and gives you a new outfit idea to try! 

Sephora Sale Recommendations

The Sephora sale for VIB members (15% off) is happening now! So for my first post on this beauty page I asked my friend Kate to share a few products she loves and why (FYI: She is in Sephora at least once a week trying new things!). I get most, if not all of my recommendations from her so I am so excited to share her favorite products with you!

Below we both list our top 3 products and what they can do for you, if you have any questions feel free to message me on Instagram!

Tip: If you don't want to buy the full size of a product from Sephora, ask for a sample! They are more than happy to give you a small sample to take home and test out. If you still don't want to buy the full size, almost every product has a "travel size" for under $25!

Tori’s Picks:

• Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum: My entire life I have always had extremely sensitive skin, so when it came to trying new products I immediately broke out and could never try anything new for improvement. This gel-like serum by Dr. Jart has changed skincare for me. This product took away the redness and irritation I have always experienced by using it once a day before bed and I can now use facial peels which brings me to my next product.
• Doctor Dennis Gross Peel Pads: When using with the above serum, my face can now handle the extra strength at home peels (not as strong as you think). I try to do this two step peel at least once a week or when I’m starting to break out. It leaves my skin glowing, smooth and break out free!
• First Aid Beauty Moisturizer: This whipped like moisturizer instantly absorbs into the skin and doesn't leave you feeling greasy afterwards! This is perfect for sensitive skin and instant hydrates. After using for about a month i've realized the redness in my skin has calmed down and my face is slowly becoming less oily due to how hydrated it is!
• Fenty: Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation: I never would have given this a try but when a Sephora worker applied it to my face while getting my makeup done I will never use another foundation. It's made for girls with oily skin, leaving a matte finished look. I pair this with Laura Mercier's setting powered and the foundation stays put and matte ALL DAY. Go to Sephora and asked for a sample, you'll be running back to buy the full bottle in no time! For reference I'm using shade 270 for the summer. 

Kate’s Picks:

• Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel: This product gets rid of any dead skin on your face, the best part is how gentle and low maintenance it is.
• Drunk Elephant Rise and Glow Duo: I’ve been using both products together everyday for about 2 months. I’ve noticed my skin has a glow and looks radiant. Both products are packed with vitamins to help brighten and hydrate your complexion.
• Sephora Collection Beauty Amplifier Mattifying H20 Gel Primer: I received a sample of this primer  and i’m never turning back. This product has an interesting gel texture which I only apply to my t-zone or where ever I have the most oil. This primer will blur out pores and reduce any shine you might have.
• Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil: Hands down my favorite brow pencil! It delivers natural hair like strokes, to help those of us who weren’t born with amazing brows, achieve a natural “I woke up like this” brow.

spin4 crohn's and colitis cures

Today I'm taking a little break from my usual posts and writing about something that has had a huge impact on me; the spin4 crohn's & colitis cures movement.

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends (Morgan) reached out to me asking if I could partner with the spin4 crohn's and colitis cures movement for a mini campaign to celebrate "International Friendship Day", I immediately said yes. Although I have a small platform on social media, I felt it was so important for me to share what this movement is currently doing for my friend and the other 1.6 million people currently affected by crohn's and ulcerative colitis.

Let's start with the questions most of you are probably asking:

What is crohn's & ulcerative colitis?

Crohn's is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative colitis is also a chronic inflammatory condition but limited to the colon (large intestine). If you'd like to read a little more about this disease, you can head here.

Why am I so supportive of spin4 crohn's & colitis cures?

spin4 crohn's & colitis cures' goal is to find a cure and better the lives of patients living with crohn's & colitis, I would want nothing more than for both of those things to happen for Morgan. She was first diagnosed back in high school right before we were heading off to college. She spent our entire freshman year of college fighting for comfort & trying different treatments all while trying to achieve a normal 19 year old social life. 

Being Morgan's roommate freshman year truly gave me insight in to what an IBD patient's life is like, and let me tell you, it's not easy. To give you an idea, Morgan would get intense pain in her stomach randomly which has almost caused her to faint a handful of times. You can see how this could alter your social and everyday life. I watched Morgan struggle with symptoms daily until the doctor could find a treatment that worked for her and although she is doing much better now, she shouldn't have had to go through the pain and side effects that she suffered through. That's why I am informing you about spin4 crohn's & colitis cures today so you can work towards a cure with us and maybe even save someone from having to go through what Morgan experienced.

How you can help = spin4 crohn's & colitis:

spin4 crohn's & colitis cures is an indoor cycling relay to find cures for the 1.6 million people living with this disease. This is unlike any other fundraiser i've ever been to. As soon as you walk into the room you are immediately celebrating the strides you are making as a team to raise money for such an amazing cause. It's a fun, high energy experience that truly makes you feel as though you are working towards making a difference. 

What you get: 

1. An event t-shirt you won't want to take off (not kidding, I wear mine weekly to work out) 

2. A soft towel you can use over and over again (or maybe even for your next spin4 event!)

3. Ability to earn more swag once you reach "VIP" status

4. A party on a bike with your friends (it's seriously so much fun!) 

Are you ready to find an event near you? 

Find my bike!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

The last thing I want to do is think about fall since we finally have nice summer weather. BUT the Nordstrom Anniversary sale early access (for card holders) starts July 12th and you won't want to miss it! If you don't have a Nordstrom credit card you can access the sale July 20th and snag a few of the items that are left.

Why am I writing about this sale? Because last year I purchased the majority of my fall wardrobe for a fraction of it's original price and the pieces lasted me all fall/winter. This is by far my favorite sale and allows me to purchase signature pieces I wouldn't normal buy without this sale.

Below i'm highlighting my favorite pieces as well as a few trends you will see everywhere come fall. I hope this helps you navigate the sale, let me know what you purchase!

Clothing 

Shoes