Empty’s – December 2024

A couple years ago, I started a series called “Empty’s” where I revisit an item after it’s been used long term, and decide whether I want to repurchase it.

You can find my previous posts here:

Here are the items in my Empty’s bin today:

Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask (here’s the link)

The Olaplex No. 8 moisture mask is an intensive conditioner that you leave on for 10 minutes. I’ve had this bottle for a really long time, since I typically would use it a week or so before I dye my hair at home, thinking it might give it a little extra moisture and strength. With that being said, I actually have no idea if this worked or not. It felt like a lightweight conditioner when I’d put it on and after I washed it out… my hair would feel exactly the same as if I just conditioned it regularly. I’m not planning to re-buy this one at this time, but if I notice any changes in my hair over the next few dye cycles, I may revisit this.

COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence (here’s the link)

I tried the COSRX snail mucin on a whim almost a year ago and it is honestly one of my hero products that I will forever purchase. I’m OBSESSED with it. It is said to ‘repair and rejuvenate the skin from dryness and aging, as well as reduce dullness and sooth dehydrated skin’ and it absolutely does. I use this day and night and it helps my dry skin feel normal and super soft throughout the day. As for order: first wash face and pat dry, then snail mucin, then any serums (like vitamin C), then moisturizer, then SPF (during the day). LOVE IT. If I did stocking stuffers for everyone in the world, this would be included. This is a forever re-buy for me!

Canvas candle from Target (here’s the link)

This is one of my favorite year-round scents and it is available at Target. Each season, they change up the container a bit so I pick one that I like, since I tend to reuse them around the house after the candle has finished its job. This particular jar is not my favorite, as the inside film scratched off easily, however the ceramic jars from previous versions are beautiful. This is a re-buy for me… just with a closer look at the containers!

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Styling Ember Tieks

I’ve coveted Tieks for more than a decade, so when I finally pulled the trigger to place my order, I combed through the Tieks website. There are so many beautiful colors and patterns to choose from, so it was a super hard decision to make. I wanted something relatively neutral, so that it would go with many of my different outfits. However, I didn’t want something too simple or boring. I just wanted them to feel special and have a little bit of WOW factor.

I finally decided on the Ember Tieks. I liked the coppery-brown tone and the dragon scales-like pattern. It looked like the color would go well with my skin tone, fit in with my wardrobe and also feel super special to me. And just a few days later, they arrived!

You guys. Tieks really knows what they are doing with their packaging. It felt like a super special gift that I was opening (and honestly, it WAS a super special gift!). On the outside of the box was a pretty flower that matches the colors and theme of the shoes. Inside the box, you have the shoes, as well as a collapsible shoulder bag (to hold the uncomfortable shoes you take off) and a little stretchy bag (to hold the Tieks in your purse so that they are ready to go). On top of it all, there was a personalized note. WOW.

Let’s talk sizing. I typically wear anywhere from an 8.5 to a 9 in shoes. Tieks flats come in whole sizes and they recommend you size up if you are in between sizes, so I picked a size 9 for myself and they fit great. After wearing them the first day, they were comfortable everywhere except for my right foot’s big toe. It needed to work-in/stretch out a bit, but I’m impatient. So, I grabbed a plastic Easter egg from Jack’s toy stash and worked it into the toe area where I needed a little stretch:

I left it for a couple days and then wore them again, and they were PERFECT!

As for the color of Ember, I’m so pleased with my choice. The leather is super soft and supple and the color and pattern is absolutely gorgeous. I also really like the distinctive teal accent on the back and the soles, as well as the fact that the soles are perfectly grippy so I’m not slipping and sliding around.

The Ember Tieks go with SO MUCH. Here are just a few items I pulled from my closet to check the color combos:

And now, let’s check out some styling fun! Here a few outfits I put together with my Ember Tieks:

I tried everything from a velvet wrap dress, to a linen skirt outfit, to my mended jeans and they look pretty adorable.

Thank you to Tieks for reaching out to me a few weeks ago and gifting me these absolutely gorgeous shoes. I am so grateful to add them to my closet and can’t wait to style them time and time again!

Disclosure: Tieks gifted me these shoes in exchange for an honest blog post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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My Style: November 2024

November is a short and sweet style month, since I was spending a lot of time teleworking and must not have bothered to take non-work outfit photos this month.

Let’s take a look:

Apparently I was all about the florals this month! To be honest, I’ve been pretty swamped at my new job so I chose ‘old faithful’ looks that I could just throw on and be comfortable wearing as I filled and overfilled my brain. The two bottom looks have gorgeous embroidered Johnny Was blouses — both purchased at different times from the same consignment shop!

And here we have the same look, two ways. I picked up this J.Crew skirt at a consignment store at the end of October and I loved it paired with a simple Boden top and my new Tieks (full blog post on Tieks coming soon!). It was a little chilly, so I topped the look with a denim jacket for the first part of the day.

New vs. Secondhand Tally

This month, I count 2 items that I purchased retail, 1 item I was gifted, and 14 items I purchased secondhand!

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