sponsored by Juice Beauty & ShopStyle

You can’t change your habits without first changing your way of thinking. So, when it comes to the topic of ‘clean beauty’ and switching over to the greener and safer side of the market, you first have to be informed on the WHY. 

A few of my best friends are really passionate about clean & sustainable beauty, which is why I originally started looking into it. It’s a huge lifestyle change and consumes all areas of your daily life, but I believe taking small steps and educating yourself is a big step in the right direction.

Most brands define clean beauty as products that do not contain certain controversial ingredients like phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and oxybenzone. Juice Beauty™ embraces the farm to beauty movement and is the original green and clean beauty brand. They are radically transforming the chemistry of beauty by providing clinically validated, authentically organic formulas and a proprietary base of nutrient-rich organic botanical juices. The brand’s high-performance skincare and vibrant makeup are made up of healthful ingredients through organic farming. 

Switching over to the greener side of the market can be intimidating and confusing…especially because of the struggle to find effective products. But, if you’re new to the movement like I was, Juice Beauty™ is a GREAT place to start – making the steps towards converting to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly beauty/skincare routine so much easier.

Today I’ll start you off with two simple products I’ve adopted into my beauty routine that are both safe on your skin and do not harm the environment: 

1. STEM CELLULAR Vinifera Replenishing Oil

This product is so easy to incorporate into your daily routine. It’s an ultra-light formula that gives you skin that dewy-finish. It can be used alone or as a primer before applying your makeup. This blend of fruit stem cells and Vitamin C improves the appearance of your skin tone and luminosity. 

2. Phyto-Pigments Luminous Lip Crayon (wearing: Healdsburg Shade, fuchsia)

I’m a big fan of lip crayons – they give your lips just the right amount of natural looking pigment. The Phyto Pigments ™ Luminous Lip Crayons contain a blend of plant-derived Phyto-Pigments with replenishing emollients to keep your lips soft with a smooth, creamy texture and a lightweight feel. These contain the brand’s exclusive moisture plant blend (glycerin, betaine and phospholipids) to increase skin hydration and the Juice Beauty™ Phyto-Pigments exclusive blend of rose, eggplant, moringa and eclipta daisy.

I’m including links to the other Juice Beauty™ products I’ve been testing out below so you can try them out for yourself too! What are your thoughts on this topic? Are you embracing the shift to natural beauty? If you haven’t ever thought about it, do some research tonight to figure out where you stand 🙂

Outfit: Neon Shorts // Neon Crop Top

I spent Labor Day Weekend in Chicago with Conner, my family, and some of our best friends and we’re back in NYC right now still reminiscing on how awesome the trip was. We flew in early Friday morning and started LDW off with boating on Lake Michigan on a beautiful 42’ sailboat. I know I’ve said it before, but renting a boat in Chicago and parking out in the Lake Michigan Play Pen is one of my all-time favorite Chicago experience. In the past I’ve always rented boats (with a captain) through Boatsetter. It’s available in most big cities and you can use my code OLIVIA10 for 10% off your next trip 🙂

The Langham Hotel

I’ve stayed a good amount of the luxury hotels in downtown Chicago, but have to say, nothing quite beats The Langham Hotel. My stay over the last few days completely made the weekend – and also made leaving yesterday so hard! Everything from the prime downtown location, exceptional service, timeless glamour, culinary experience, and signature pink touches made the weekend unforgettable. Here are some pictures from inside the suite…

Pink Silk Tank (xxs) | Satin Pants (xxs, short)

Possibly my favorite part about the entire experience of staying at The Langham was the club level on the 12th floor. Every morning on the 12th floor there is a fabulous breakfast buffet with a coffee bar, study area, fireplace, and floor to ceiling window views of the Chicago River. That and the waterfall shower…hard to top!!

The hotel’s restaurant, Travelle, just launched picnic baskets for guests to enjoy outside the restaurant throughout the summer. So whether you’re dining al fresco along the Chicago River, catching a movie at Millennium Park, or exploring elsewhere in the city, these picnic baskets include everything needed for enjoying the warm weather. With three different options to choose from, each basket provides the perfect combination (such a cute date idea!). The picnic baskets couldn’t have been more perfect for our day out on the sailboat. Travelle had the baskets all packed up for us with gourmet sandwiches, salads, spreads, breads, fruit – and even caviar! They also include alcoholic pairings. For more information about the picnic baskets, go here. The Langham is also home to Chicago’s first and only Forbes Travel Guide Rated Five-Star Spa & Health Club. They are currently offering 2 unique tiers of memberships: the Luxury Horizon Membership + Signature Membership. For more information about their spa memberships, go here.

On Saturday my parents drove into town from South Bend to join us in celebrating my older brother Austin’s 30th birthday. We had bottomless brunch at The Bandit, a delicious dinner at one of my favorite Mexican spots, Barrio, and finally got to see Hamilton!  All I have to say is if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to find an open weekend and get tickets..it definitely lived up to all the hype.

Leopard Print Dress (wearing xxs petite)

Sunday we attended the wedding of our good friends Madison and Seth at The Drake Hotel. If you saw snaps from the night on my story, you saw how beautiful it was! Everything from the thousands of bright red roses to Madison in her sparkling ball gown was like a fairytale. Such a beautiful night with so many of our best friends!

Bronze One Shoulder Gown (xxs) | Shoes | Bag | Earrings

Later this week I’ll be posting an updated version of my Chicago City Guide with some of my new favorite places  I’ve discovered since I left the city. Thankful for another great weekend in the Windy City…until next time Chicago 🙂

Thank you to Finish Line and Shopstyle for sponsoring this post.

My Shoes | My Top | My Shorts | Conner’s Shoes | His Hoodie + (matching joggers) | His Shorts

I’ll admit that last year I didn’t do the best job of taking care of my body. The (uh-mazing) New York City restaurant scene got the best of me and never in my life have I gone to so many week-day cocktail meetings. I got lazy with working out and wasn’t sticking to a healthy sleep routine because of my unpredictable work schedule…

You know how what they say – you need to be with someone who makes you better. Someone who is strong in areas you are weak. Which is why I just have to brag about this guy for a minute. 

Conner has been an athlete his whole life and is one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever met. He does such a great job of taking care of his body and I’ve always admired his dedication to a healthy lifestyle.  Con had an intervention with me (😂) at the start of this year about my not-so-great food decisions (chips, cereal, and candy addict) and started cooking me meals every night full of nutrients and protein. He also helped get me into a more regular workout routine. All because he “wants to live a long and healthy life together”…I mean come on, how do you say no to that?

So, since March, we’ve been really consistent with sticking to a morning workout routine and cooking our meals at home every night of the week. In the last few months I’ve noticed a huge difference both mentally and physically, plus it’s been a really good bonding experience for us to do together. 

In the mornings we’ve been using the @onepeloton app that combines cardio work on the treadmill with weight training and stretching. I’ll be the first to admit I am NOT a runner, but the way they coach you through it and break up the intensity of your pace on this app has really helped me. And speaking of running… I have to give a shout-out to our adidas UltraBOOST running shoes. Not only do we both love the way they look (esp. the all white!), but they’re also so comfortable and offer excellent support. Conner loves his adidas athleisure from Finish Line, and how cute is this little workout set? I have it in lime green too! I’m really picky about workout clothes being too tight, but this set is comfortable and doesn’t bother my skin at all. Linking both of our outfits and shoes below for you to shop 🙂

My Shoes | My Top | My Shorts 

Conner’s Shoes | His Hoodie + (matching joggers) | His Shorts