Cozy Christmas Gift Guide | Blogmas Day 10

Hello loves,

I know I missed Day 9 (YIKES) but I'm trying! 

Wild Fig & Cassis Candle...Jo Malone

Snow Angel Bath Melt...Lush

Butterbear Bath Bomb...Lush

Knee Socks...Bethany Mota for Aeropostale

Coffee Mug...Starbucks

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to have a warm and cozy night in. Pamper your friends and family with this warm wild fig and cassis candle from Jo Malone, Snow Angel Bath Melt and Butterbear Bath Bomb from Lush, warm holiday knee socks by Bethany Mota, or this super cute coffee mug from Starbucks! These gifts are sure to warm the heart of even the hard-to-please friend this winter.

What are your go to cozy gifts? Let me know in the comments!

With love,

Traci J

*post contains affiliate links

A Busy Day + My Favorite Vlogmas| Blogmas Day 7

Hello loves,

Today was a busy day, and the post I had planned didn't work out. Today was one of those days where I just didn't feel very festive because of everything I truly need to get done. Do you ever have those days during the Christmas season? Coming at you with more content tomorrow - but for now here is a link to my favorite Vlogmas vlogger, Zoella.

Who are your favorite Youtubers that are participating in Vlogmas?

XOXO,

Traci J

Nerdy Christmas Gift Guide | Blogmas Day 6

Hello loves,

Happy day 6 of Blogmas (and St. Nick's day if that's something you celebrate)! 

Today I'm giving you all another gift guide - but this time for the slightly more nerdy person in your life (this is all me - for sure).  

Doctor Who Pint Glass...Hot Topic

Hanson Ornament...hanson.net

Portable Sega Genesis...Urban Outfitters

Star Wars Beanie...Hot Topic

Ho Ho Ho Sweater...Bethany Mota for Aeropostale

Hope you found something for the special nerd in your life - or maybe for yourself.

XOXO,

Traci J

Edgy Christmas Gift Guide | Blogmas Day 5

Hello loves and happy Saturday!

If there's one thing you know about it me - it's probably that I like to pretend to be edgy... but I'm really about as edgy as a circle... Merp. Geometry jokes... that's how edgy I am.

However - I wanted to make a gift guide for that edgy (or not so edgy) person in your life.

"Oops... Did I buy wine again instead of milk?" Wine Glass...Francesca's

Bah Humbug Jumper...BooHoo

Festive AF Jumper...BooHoo

Studded Travel Mug...Starbucks

Statement Necklace...Forever21

Will you be purchasing any of these for someone this Christmas (or maybe yourself)? Let me know!

XOXO,

Traci J

What's in my Advent Calendar? #1 | Blogmas Day 4

Hello loves,

Every Friday during Blogmas - I am going to show you what I got that week in my QVC 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar.

Day 1...Lash Domination Mascara by Bare Minerals

Day 2...Black Velvet Eyeliner Pencil by Mally

Day 3...Undereye Concealer by IT Cosmetics

Day 4...Hello Lashes Mascara by IT Cosmetics

Stay tuned tomorrow and I will update this post with links and my thoughts - for now I just needed to make sure it went up!

XOXO,

Traci J

Top Ten Christmas Songs of 2015 | Blogmas Day 3

Hello loves,

I am so excited to share with you my top ten Christmas songs for 2015!  Music is a super big part of my life and I love getting to share that with you. Can you believe this is my third year doing my top ten Christmas songs?! Wow - I'll link to those at the end.

Here are this year's top picks - some may be repeated from previous years - there's some Christmas songs that I can't get enough of.

1. Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy...Pentatonix & Tori Kelly

2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...Sam Smith 

3. Oh Santa!...Mariah Carey

4. Thankful...Josh Groban

5. This Christmas...Christina Aguilera 

6. The Nutcracker Suite (Baz Kuts Breaks Remix)...Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

7. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town...The Jackson 5

8.Auld Lang Syne - The New Year's Anthem...Mariah Carey

9. Hark! The Harold Angels Sing...Carrie Underwood

10. Everybody Knows the Claus...Hanson

Follow this playlist and more on Spotify!

2014 Top Christmas Songs | 2013 Top Christmas Songs

What are your favorite Christmas songs? Let me know in the comments.

XOXO,

Traci J 

Christmassy Outfit | Blogmas Day 2

Hello loves,

For the second day of Blogmas - I'm bringing you a cute Christmassy outfit!

I visited home (Wisconsin) for Thanksgiving and was greeted with snow. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures in this cozy outfit. I've been loving this gray cardigan from Target - it's perfect for snuggling in on a cold day.

Cardigan...Target (similar)

Top...TJMAXX

Leggings...Boohoo

Boots...Target

Socks... Bethany Mota for Aeropostale

What are your winter wardrobe essentials - let me know in the comments - and check out yesterday's post here!

With love,

Traci J 

Black Friday Haul 2K15 + Announcement | Blogmas Day 1

Hello loves,

Long time no blog! Goodness. I swore I would never take a break from blogging again after last time - but alas, grad school, a new job, and moving across the country have gotten the best of me.

Ugh. But here I am - back in action - and ready to go through my favorite time of year with you - the holidays!

I went Black Friday shopping with my mom - like I do every year - and figured it would be a great way to kick off the holiday season with a Black Friday Haul!

**Note** my red lipstick smeared half way through the video - I didn't notice. And the camera isn't in focus - can you tell I haven't made a video in a while... Yikes!

Now on to the announcement. To celebrate my return back to the blogging world - I will be participating in Blogmas - blogging everyday in December until Christmas! Woohoo.

Leave comments below with what you'd like to see for the next 25 days.

Glad to be back - thanks for sticking with me.

With love,

Traci J 

Maybe Christmas, Perhaps, Means a Little Bit More | What I Got for Christmas 2014

Hello loves - and merry Christmas!

I hope you had a lovely holiday - spent relaxing by the fire, drinking plenty of hot cocoa, and spending time with loved ones.  It's in the evening on Christmas day as I type this, and I am using this time to wind down and reflect on the lovely few days I've had.  On Christmas Eve, my mother and I spent time decorating a gingerbread house (poorly - I might add - but it's the effort that counts), making cookies, and then watching It's a Wonderful Life with my Dad.  Truly, it was a beautiful evening.  During the day today - we opened presents - exchanged laughs - and had a wonderful supper with my grandmother and aunt.  

I cannot express how much I love this time of year. Everyone is in a generous mood, and everyone is just more cheerful.  For a long while now I have agreed with the Grinch - that Christmas might not come from a store "maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Receiving gifts is a great thing - but giving gifts - and just spending time with those that are special to you are really what this season is all about.  I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to do so. 

That aside - I still would like to share with you what I received this Christmas!  I snapped some pictures this afternoon to share with all of you. :)

 Lorac "The Royal" 3 Palette Set

Daisy by Marc Jacobs

Giftcard to Ulta

Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion

Philosophy Gift Set - Gingerbread Cookie Shower Gel and Frosting Lotion

Viniq Shimmering Liqueur- This stuff GLITTERS

See for yourself here!!!

Brown Handbag by Ivanka Trump

Racoon Reusable Handwarmers

Black Vans (I've been longing for these!!!)

Sparkling Moscato

Cosmetic Bag by Zoella

Zoella Soak Opera Bath Soak

Blue Flannel from Kohl's

Cosmetic Bags from Forever 21

Bath Fizzers from The Pampery

Cozy Socks

What were your favorite gifts from this Christmas? What was the best gift you gave ? Let me know in the comments.

XOXO - Happy Holidays

Traci J

I Spy | What I Found While Antiquing

Hello loves,

This week was my Mom's birthday - and despite the fact that I was feverish - I mustered up the strength to peruse the aisles of her favorite antique malls.  I'll admit that this is not my most favorite thing to do, but at Christmastime there's all sorts of cute, vintage, and sparkly odds and ends that were just begging to be Instagrammed. 

Nancy Drew is one of my most favorite book series. 

Always was, always will be.

To be honest - Christmas decorations used to be weird.

And creepy.

This is not Christmasy. But I love it.

And Pizza.

Happy holidays,

Traci J 

Winter 2014 | The World Through My Headphones

Hello loves,

Welcome to the second installment of The World Through My Headphones here at Bows for Justine! 

<< Check out last season's playlist here >>

I am excited to bring you my favorite songs of the holiday season!  There is something about bubble gum pop Christmas music that I cannot resist. I am neither ashamed nor secretive about my love for it.  NOT ASHAMED.  

Click here to listen to my winter playlist!

Winter 2014 |TWTMH

Wrapped in Red...Kelly Clarkson

Love is Everything...Ariana Grande

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays... N*Sync

My Only Wish (This Year)...Britney Spears

Christmas Wrapping...The Waitresses

Winter Song... Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson

What Christmas Means To Me... Hanson

Happy Universal Holidays... Adam Hicks

Jingle Bells...Brian Setzer

What are you listening to this winter?  What song is your holiday guilty pleasure?

If you're looking for more - see my top hits of the holiday season from 2013 here.

With love,

Traci J

Gift Guide for Her - Target Edition

Hello loves!

Whenever I need to purchase a gift last minute - or I'm buying a gift for someone and I just do not know what to get them - I immediately find myself at Target.  I swear, they have something for everyone (including me, which is why I generally end up with a gift for myself too).  I decided to peruse the Target website and come up with my top 5 picks for holiday gifts for her this season.

1...Knit Beanie
2... Three Piece Gold Accessory Set
3... Reindeer Leggings
4...Metallic Reindeer
5...Cardinal Mug

What are you buying for your friends this Christmas?  Have you picked up anything great from Target lately - did I miss something?  Let me know in the comments.

Happy Holidays,

XOXO Traci J

A Christmasy Day + Make Up Look + Cookies | Part 2!!!

Why hello again Christmas Lovers!

After I did my make up today, I spent the whole day baking Christmas cookies with my mom!  We had a super fun time and I got even more into the Christmas spirit than I was already (if that is even possible).

One of my favorite Christmas cookies to make are palmiers.  Anne Burrell from the Food Network has a fantastic recipe that uses orange zest and they make the whole house smell like Christmas.

Here is how we made these AMAZING little cookies:

First we gathered all of our supplies: 2 sheets of puff pastry, 2 oranges, sugar, ground cinnamon, a small bowl, a grater or zester for the oranges, a cutting board or surface to roll the dough on, a rolling pin, 2 cookie sheets, a fork, and plastic wrap.

Set the sheets of puff pastry side by side and let thaw for about 30 minutes, unless you make your own - and in that case, good for you!

While the pastry is thawing, I measure out 2 cups of sugar, 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, and zest 2 small or medium oranges.  I then combined these in a small bowl with a fork.  The smell is HEAVENLY.

When the pastry is thawed, I spread out a quarter of the sugar mixture on my surface.  Then I unfold one sheet of the pastry and spread another quarter of the mixture on top.  

Using a rolling pin, I rolled the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Make sure to press down really hard to get the sugar to stick onto the dough.

Then, rolling from the shorter sides (if there are any... I'm not a very good roller so by this time it has lost its original shape) roll until they meet in the middle.  This may take some practice, but it doesn't need to look SUPER pretty - it spreads out while cooking anyway.

Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Here you can see that I did both sheets of pastry and placed them side by side to rest in the refrigerator.  Waiting for this to set is the hardest part, after your hands already smell all Christmasy and you are anticipating the deliciousness that will be coming out of the oven!!!!

Speaking of ovens... I preheated mine to 400 degrees.

After they chilled, I cut them into 1/4 inch slices and laid them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Like I said, appearance doesn't really matter - they will cook and caramelize and no one will care what they look like.

I then place the palmiers into a 400 degree oven.  I recommend only doing one pan at a time.  Last year, when I tried to place both baking sheets in the oven - the bottom one was really burned.  

This really is the best part of the whole process (besides eating them).  The entire house is filled with the smell of cinnamon and oranges.  Does anyone know if they make a palmier candle? I need it.

Let them cook for 11-12 minutes, remove from oven and turn them all over.  Then I cook them for 6 more minutes.  Look how brown and delicious they are already!

Yum!! This is what they look like when they first come out of the oven.  Don't they look all delicious and amazing?

I snapped a few pictures of the other cookies we made: rolo pretzels (which are not really cookies) and some delicious red velvet and white chocolate cookies!

What are your favorite cookies to make???

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of my Christmasy day (don't forget to check out Part 1), and I look forward to sharing more of my festive adventures with you.

With Love,

Traci J

A Christmasy Day + Make Up Look + Cookie Recipe

Hello Christmas Lovers!

Today was a fun day.  I got up and played around with my make up - and then spent the whole day making Christmas cookies with my mom (aside from a short break to go shovel the driveway - eew).  So, since I had such a wonderfully Christmas-filled and relaxing day (again, aside from the snow shoveling) you all get a 2 in 1 post today.  The first part is the make up look I wore today - with muted browns and a beautiful plum shade on the cheeks, and the second part is this yummy palmier cookie recipe.  Enjoy!

My idea was for this to be a 2 in 1 post - first my make up look for the day, and then rolling into my cookie baking extravaganza.  However, I realized that this post would end up being too ridiulously long if I added all my cookie bits to it.  So click here for PART 2 of this " 2 in 1" blog post!

Start with a clean face - then apply a generous amount of moisturizer.  I have been double moisturizing lately since the winter air is super drying and just really not nice to my skin. :(

For foundation I have just started using Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 by Covergirl.  I use the shade Classic Ivory - since I am quite pale.  Primer is optional with this foundation since it is a 3 in 1 - and I definitely feel comfortable going without!  However, in the summer when my skin is super oily and sweaty, I would probably opt for a primer underneath.  This foundation gives good coverage and is build-able for my troubled areas (aka the acne on my forehead at the moment).  My go to foundation applicator is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques - you can see me using it while staring at the camera like a weirdo in the picture on the right...

After blending my foundation, I use the Above & Beyond FULL Coverage Concelear by NYX.  I wear the shade Porcelain.  I have to be honest, this is not my favorite concealer.  I find it to be a little bit cakey on my face - and it doesn't do a great job at covering up my redness.  I am just trying to use it up before I purchase a new one.  Luckily, my foundation does such a good job - I don't need much. I also blend this out with the Real Techniques brush.

To set my foundation and concealer, I use the Shine Free Pressed Powder by Maybelline, in the shade Ivory. This powder is NOT cakey and doesn't settle into the dry skin on my face, which makes me super happy and in love with this powder.  I put it all over my face with the Total Face Brush by E.l.f.  

Once my powder is on - this is how my face looks ^^. Pretty nice, I think.

 

Next, I apply Color Tattoo by Maybelline in the shade Tough as Taupe (I just use my finger).  This is a nice matte shade that I find blends seamlessly onto my skin, it leans on the more grey side of taupe.  The Maybelline Color Tattoos are another one of those products that don't need a primer, but would benefit from one on a humid day or for a long wear application.

When I wear Tough as Taupe, I always cover it with the taupe shade from my Caviar & Bubble palette by NYX (this palette seems to be discontinued - I cannot find a link to it ANYWHERE - sad... I love this palette).  If you can't tell, it is the second shade on the top.  It almost exactly matches Tough as Taupe, and just makes blending in other colors a lot easier.  I also apply this allover my lid with my finger.

I then apply the dark brown shade from the same palette with this Defining Eye Brush by E.l.f.  I just put it in my crease and blend it a little with the same brush.  I then take a brush that is a little bit fluffier and better for blending, the Full Eye Shadow Brush by Ecotools.  I blend the eye shadow up and out until it makes a more natural look.

To highlight the inner corner of my eye and brow bone, I sweep on a little bit of the Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter by theBalm.  This stuff is my all time favorite highlighter.  It is a gorgeous light champagne color and makes my eyes look awake and shimmery. This is another product that I apply using my fingers.

So far, my eyes look something like this.

For eyeliner, I line my upper inner rim with the Color Stay Pencil by Revlon in black, and I use the Color Stay Liquid Eyeliner in blackest black to lightly line my lash line.  My favorite drugstore mascara is The Rocket by Maybelline.  I think that it does a great job at making my eyelashes look full but not clumpy.  I use the waterproof version in very black.  I applied mascara on both my upper and lower lashes.

And here are my eyes. Yay!

For bronzer I opted for a shimmery powder by E.l.f.  This is the Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder, I have absolutely no idea what shade this is... the label has worn off.  For my cheeks I used a brand new blush that I picked up from Ulta yesterday! I love new blushes!!! The blush is Cheekers by Covergirl in the shade Deep Plum.  This is a pretty plum shade that I think is perfect for winter, and I  apply this with a generic blush brush.

For lips I chose a pretty pinkish/brown shade.  I also picked up this product yesterday, and it is every bit as good as everyone is saying it is! This lip gloss is the Butter Gloss by NYX, and the color is Tiramisu.  Really, it feels just like buttery goodness on your lips.  Plus, I think it smells like cake - so that's a plus.

Here are a few photos of the finished make up look.  Sorry that this didn't end up as a 2 in 1 post - but be sure to check out what I did AFTER I did my make up here!

I hope you enjoyed this make up tutorial - please let me know what you thought in the comments.  Also, throw out any concealer recommendations that you have!

With Love, 

Traci J