What's In My Beauty Bag? (Summer Favorites)

Last Winter I posted my favorite beauty finds for the season.  I wanted to share with you some of my must-have items for Summer.

My beauty essentials for Summer are:

+ ROBERT LE HERO Cosmetic Bag c/o Roztayger | Since last season, one thing has remained the same.  I am still using my cosmetic bag by Robert Le Hero.  I honestly use and abuse this little bag and it's held up beautifully to the test of time.  I fill it with all my favorite goodies, toss it in my purse and I never leave home without it.  It's so effortless and beautiful.

+ CLEAN Outdoor Shower Fresh Eau de Parfum | I love all scents by CLEAN, but this is one of my favorites.  It's light and airy and perfect for Summer.

+ ST. TROPEZ Skin Illuminator 'Gold' | I mix a touch of this with lotion and put it on my arms and legs to give a sunkissed look.

+ EVIAN Facial Water Spray | This is without a doubt my very favorite product of all!  It sprays a light mist of cool water.  I carry this in my purse at all times and use it to cool off my body and face on a hot day.  My kids love it too!

+ NARS Nail Polish 'Koliary' | This polish is the perfect shade of turquoise.  It's the perfect accessory to any Summer outfit.

+ MIRACLE SKIN Transformer SPF20 | In the Summer I don't like to pile on a thick foundation or a heavy moisturizer, so this product is perfect!  It is a lightly tinted skin enhancer that is moisturizing and has an SPF.  I never leave home without SPF protection on my skin.

+ BENEFIT BadGal Lash Mascara | This is my favorite mascara at the moment.  It lengthens my lashes without being clumpy and doesn't smear when I'm hot.

+ PHILOSOPHY Hands of Hope Hand Cream | My skin tends to get dry during the Summer months and this product keeps my hands and cuticles moisturized without being greesy or too thick.

+ FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment 'Coral' | Fresh is one of my absolute favorite beauty brands and I love all of their products, and the Sugar Lip Treatment is one of my favorites.  They just released the Coral color for Summer, and it's wonderful.  It's lightly tinted, has a subtle taste of the tropics and it has SPF15.

Thank you for taking a peek inside my beauty bag.  I'd love to hear your favorites as well.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xo, Shannon

(Don't forget to enter to win a Starfish Necklace by Lucid here) 

{Look Book} Colors of Summer

Blouse: c/o Karen Kane | Split Placket Shirt

Dress: Rebecca Taylor | Waterfall Cami Dress (old)

Handbag: GiGi New York | Pearl Envelope Clutch (get 30% off with code Gigi3)

Ring: c/o Manu Jewelry

Shoes: Frye | Madison Huarache Sandals

Yesterday I posted the little bits & pieces that went into this look.  All the colors struck me as so beautiful and vibrant, yet not at all matchy-matchy.  What else can I say, but pretty colors make me smile.

This Summer has been a blast!  My favorite thing so far has been making popsicles with my kids.  I've always wanted a Zoku Quick Popsicle Maker and I finally took the plunge, and now I'm obsessed.  If you follow me on instagram, you've probably seen some of my creations.  The amazing thing about the Zoku is that you can make a popsicle in 7 minutes!!  It's not like the old-fashioned popsicle makers like I had when I was little and you had to put the juice in a mold and freeze it for 10 hours.  Almost instantly you have a beautiful popsicle.  We've experimented with every flavor and combination that we could think of.  We even went so far as to cut out heart shaped apples and insert them into our popsicles, and we've tried doing vanilla pudding filled orange popsicles (they tasted just like an Orange Julius).  But, my all time favorite so far was the chocolate dipped coffee popsicle I made.  It was HEAVEN, my friends!  So yummy.

What has been your favorite thing about Summer so far?

(p.s. If you haven't entered the Lucid NY Starfish Necklace giveaway yet, you can enter here)

{Snapshots} Little Details

Manu Jewelry (ring), Essie 'Strawberry Sorbet' (nail polish), Karen Kane, Frye (sandals), GiGi NY (handbag) 

The details are so important when it comes to clothes and accessories.  The contrast stitching on a fabric, the woven leather on a sandal, the etched stone on a ring, or the fact that an item in made in the USA.  All these details come together and make an outfit beautiful and something you are proud to wear.  I was putting my outfit together for my next Look Book post and was taken back by all the little details, colors and textures, and I couldn't resist sharing.

xo, Shannon

{Giveaway} Lucid New York Starfish Necklace! **CLOSED**

Hello lovely friends!  I have another amazing giveaway for you today!  Anna from Lucid New York is kindly offering one lucky winner a Starfish Necklace!

First, let me give you a little background on Lucid New York.  Anna Sabino started Lucid New York jewelry collection as a transition from her glass blowing passion.  She started working with metals and creating beautiful, versatile, handmade jewelry, for women like herself, who are busy social butterflies and need to change fast from a work look to the night out look.  Lucid New York pieces are versatile and can be worn with daytime casual looks or they can spice up an evening dress.  They also look beautiful on their own or layered with other pieces.  When designing, Anna always has her customers in mind - she knows they love jewelry that is trendy but still classic, and they value comfort and style.  Take a look at her beautiful collection of jewelry, I know you will fall in love as I have.

One lucky winner is going to win a gorgeous Starfish Necklace, just like mine!  I choose the Starfish because I think it's a beautiful symbol of Summer and I love jewelry inspired by nature.  The value of this piece is $49.00!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will close at July 3rd at 12:00am EST.  The winner will announced on this post.  This giveaway is open to residents worldwide!  YAY!  Best of luck to you all!

As an added bonus, Anna is offering 20% off the entire Lucid New York website!  Enter code LN20D at checkout.

This giveaway is sponsored by:

***Wondering if you won the Kevia Necklace giveaway?  The winner is announced here.

{Look Book} Jade + Orange

Top: c/o Karen Kane | Cascade Ruffle Top
Jeans: J Brand | Gigi Cropped Jeans
Shoes: Boutique 9 | Piraya Sandals (on sale!)
Clutch: c/o GiGi New York | Envelope Clutch (get 30% off with code Gigi3)
Necklace: c/o Lucid New York | Starfish Necklace (get 20% off wide code LN20D)

Hello!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I had a nice weekend with my sweet little family.  I spent time by the pool and started reading The Help.  So far, I am really enjoying it.  I have a long list of books that are on my must-read list, so I need to get busy reading.  Are you reading anything good at the moment?

xo, Shannon

(Don't forget to enter the Kevia giveaway here.  The winner will be announced Tuesday and I have another amazing giveaway coming up I'm so excited to share with you.  Stay tuned.)

{Look Book} Lights in the Sky

Dress: ANTHROPOLOGIE Aija Maxi Dress (on sale!)

Jacket: ANTHROPOLOGIE Openwork Army Jacket

Belt: ANTHROPOLOGIE (old)
Shoes: c/o EARTHIES Salerno Wedge
Necklace: c/o KEVIA Blush Necklace

The sky was so beautiful last night when we took these pictures.  I love how it sparkles through the trees. We've had such beautiful sunsets this week, I've made a point to enjoy each and every one.

Do you all have wonderful plans for the weekend?  This weekend we are going to keep it pretty mellow.  It's been a busy week.  We went to Disneyland yesterday and fought the crowds, but it was well worth it!  A great way to kick off the Summer.

Hope you have a fun weekend and enjoy some beautiful sunsets.

p.s.  If you love my necklace in these pictures, there's still time to win your very own!  Enter the Kevia giveaway HERE.   

{Recipe} Spinach & Gruyere Bakes by 'Beauty & the Feast'

I am so excited today to introduce you to one of my favorite bloggers, Allie from beauty & the feast.  Allie's blog is filled with delicious recipes, restaurant reviews and beautiful pictures.  Along with being a fabulous chef, she is also a traveler.  Her last trip was to India, where she spent 5 months working in an orphanage as part of a soul-seeking adventure.  She is such a beautiful person in every way, and I know you are going to love her as much as I do!  Today she is taking over Shannon Heart's to share a scrumptious recipe with you all. Enjoy!  

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Hi everyone! I’m Allie from beauty & the feast; come on over and say hello… I love new friends! I mostly blog about food, but often I write about things and people who inspire me. Shannon was so kind to have me on her fantastic blog today and I’d love to share a recipe I tried out this weekend… it was a huge hit! Inspired by one of my favorite Food Network stars, Giada De Laurentiis, I created these Gruyere and Spinach Bakes but as per usual, I put my own twist on it. They’re absolutely perfect for Sunday brunch or even an easy dinner after a long day at work. You can find the original recipe here.

Gruyere and Spinach Bakes
Serving Size: 2

You’ll need:

3 eggs, beaten

2 shallots, chopped

2-3 pieces of bread (sourdough works nicely)

1 ½ cups grated gruyere

¼ cup milk

1-2 cups chopped spinach

Salt and pepper

Cooking spray

Olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees F and spray ramekins or other oven-safe bowls with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs and set aside. Chop pieces of sourdough into big crouton-like chunks and set aside as well.

In a medium skillet, add olive oil and cook chopped shallots until lightly brown. Add spinach and cook until it’s slightly wilted and add a bit of salt and pepper to season. Remove from heat and let it cool. 

Once cooled, add spinach and onion mixture to the egg, as well as the chopped bread. Add 3/4 of the gruyere cheese and the milk and stir until the contents are all moist.

Transfer mixture into individual oven-safe bowls, add remaining gruyere cheese to the top and cook on 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool, serve & FEAST!

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Oh yum!  Doesn't that look delicious?  I'm going to try this for sure!  I want to thank Allie so much for sharing today on my blog.  Please pop over and visit her lovely blog and be sure to follow her.  If you are a foodie (like me) or just love seeing beautiful food and learning about wonderful places to visit, you are sure to enjoy her blog.

You can find Allie at these spots:  

BLOG | TWITTER | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN'

Have a great day!  xo, Shannon

{Look Book} Summer Charm

Dress: ELLA MOSS Georgia Ruffle Dress
Boots: FRYE Carson Short Boots
Necklace: c/o LUCID NEW YORK

I have a love for sweet, dainty charm necklaces and I'm particularly enamored with those from Lucid New York.  I could spend hours browsing through their collection of beautiful handmade jewelry.  I adore my Starfish Necklace and feel it's the perfect Summertime accessory.  There are so many more pieces from Lucid that I totally love.  I have my eye on the Elephant Necklace next (and lucky me, my birthday is coming up!)  :)

Have a beautiful day!  xo, Shannon