LOOKS FOR LESS WITH JESS: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Hello there! Christmas is quickly approaching — and if you’re like me, you still have lots of gifts to buy. I’m just trying to look out for the people, so I’m sharing a couple gift guides in hopes that you can find inspiration for all the people left on your list!

Obviously most bloggers/influencers share their gift guides with affiliate links so that they can earn money. But as we know I’m not fully there yet (maybe one day?!), so I’m really just doing this for fun and to exercise my graphic design skills have a fun little project. However, I am a member of the Amazon affiliate program, so all Amazon links are affiliate links (which if you don’t know — means that if you click the link and buy the product, that earns me a small commission!). Let me know on Insta if you buy any of these items or what you think of the guide and if you’d like to see any more guides this week!

GIFTS FOR THE GALS

We’re starting with gifts for the women in your life, because … well girls are the best and their gifts are the most fun to buy. I decided the best way to do this one would be to share some of the items on my personal Christmas wish list this year. Hopefully it can serve as a helpful gift guide for all the ladies in your life.

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PRODUCT LINKS:

  1. Colourpop Dream St. Eyeshadow Palette

  2. Silicone Airpods Keychain Case

  3. SLIP Small Slipsilk Scrunchies

  4. LOFT Leopard Print Slippers (May or may not have already bought these for myself)

  5. Glossier Cloud Paint in Beam

  6. Fawn Design Mini Tote in Bone

  7. Chenille Tech Gloves

  8. Amazon Kindle

  9. Manduka Prolite Yoga Mat in Storm

  10. Vans Old Skool Suede Low Top Sneaker

  11. Kylie Cosmetics High Gloss Set

  12. Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Robe

  13. Patagonia Retro Pile Fleece Hoodie

  14. QUAY Noosa Sunglasses

  15. Dr. Martens Oates Luxor Heeled Chelsea Boots (May or may not have also splurged on these for myself on Cyber Monday. Thank you Afterpay!)

  16. YETI Rambler 30oz Tumbler in Sand


GIFTS FOR THE GUYS

Items that your boyfriend, husband, brother, and dad will love. Don’t worry — I consulted the BF for this one, so it’s boy-approved! And as a bonus, everything on this one is under $75!

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PRODUCT LINKS:

  1. Wireless Charging Station for iPhone, Airpods, & Apple Watch

  2. Dagne Dover Toiletry Bag

  3. Silicone Airpods Keychain Case (I just really love this as a gift idea!)

  4. Bar Mixology Set with eBook

  5. Eddie Bauer CirrusLite Down Vest

  6. Faux Leather Apple Watch Band

  7. Blue Light Blocking Glasses

  8. Leatherology Passport Cover + Luggage Tag Set

  9. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

  10. Stadium Blue Print by Ball Park Blue Prints

  11. Moccasin Slippers (UGG dupe!)

  12. BrüMate HOPSULATOR TRíO 3-in-1 Can Cooler

  13. Faux Leather Duffel Bag

  14. Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser

    Or grab the same one with a starter set of essential oils!

  15. Life Comfort Sherpa Throw


GIFTS UNDER $30 (from amazon)

Budget-friendly gifts that are perfect for stocking stuffers, grab bags, secret Santas, and white elephant gift exchanges. Because you don’t want to stress and you might need these gifts last-minute, you can get everything included here on Amazon!

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10 Super-Affordable Target Beauty Products I Would Recommend to Anyone

If you’re like me, or pretty much anyone in the world for that matter, you physically can not leave Target without browsing the beauty aisles (and every other aisle). For YEARS now I’ve been trying to perfect my beauty routine, but I still love trying new things. Also if you’re like me, you mostly want beauty products on a budget — because, oftentimes the “drugstore” version of a high-end product is just as good, or maybe even better. And sometimes you really don’t have the funds to drop $100 on three products from Sephora.

I’m the kind of person who loves to take recommendations from friends and Youtube beauty gurus alike, especially when they come at an affordable price. Many of my friends know that I watch all the videos and read all the Instagram captions, so they sometimes come to me for recommendations in looking for new products.

I decided to compile a list of all the best, affordable products I’ve tried throughout the years that you can find in the aisles of the motherland.*

*Target

All of these products are under $10, aside from the one bonus product (which is $13). Here it is, in no particular order:

Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes, $4.79

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I know a lot of people are die-hard fans of the Neutrogena makeup wipes, but I’m telling you guys, these are better. If you’re a fan of micellar water like I am, you will be obsessed with these. I think they are so much more gentle and honestly work better at getting all of your makeup off. They are so refreshing and leave your skin feeling clean and hydrated instead of feeling like you’re ADDING product. I also personally don’t love the smell of the Neutrogena ones (I think they’re too perfume-y), and these are much more fresh and subtle smelling. Bonus: they’re also a little bit more natural (no added fragrance and dye-free) and they’re great for sensitive skin — and they’re actually 20 cents cheaper!

e.l.f. Small Tapered Brush, $3 + Pointed Powder Brush, $6

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I little while ago I needed some new brushes without breaking the bank. I feel like brushes can be soooo expensive, so I decided to try out some super-affordable e.l.f. ones… and I loved them! These two are my favorite. I don’t like to wear foundation every day, so I love using the small tapered brush to set my concealer with a powder — it’s the perfect size for under the eyes. And I love the pointed powder brush for bronzer. It gives a little more definition without being a full on angled brush so you can achieve the perfect all over everyday glow rather than sharp contour.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, $4.79

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THIS. POWDER. I’ve seriously been using it since high school, and have definitely turned a few friends on to it. To be clear, it’s a pressed powder with pigment, not a translucent traditional setting powder. I used to use it in place of foundation, but you can definitely use it after foundation to set everything in place. It’s perfect for getting rid of any shine and adding just a touch of color if you’re like me and hate wearing foundation. It’s also perfect to throw in your bag to touch up your makeup throughout the day or on the go.

Wet Brush Detangler Hair Brush, $7.69

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Okay, if you’re brushing your hair with anything BUT a Wet Brush, you need to go to Target and get yourself one right now. Years ago, my hair stylist told me that I shouldn’t be brushing my hair at all because it causes breakage and overall damage, so I should be using a wide-tooth comb instead. After that, I only used a comb for a long time. When the Wet Brush came about and claimed to detangle your hair without damaging it, I decided to give it a try and it was amazing! My hair can get so tangly and it really does get all the knots out. And last time I went to my hair stylist, what did she use to detangle my hair? A Wet Brush!

L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara, $6.99

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I don’t think I have to tell anyone about this mascara because everyone knows — it’s an amazing dupe for Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara. It’s been all the buzz in the online beauty community for a while now, and for a reason: it really does rock. Not much more to say on that.

e.l.f. Instant Lift Eyebrow Pencil, $2

Like most people who have eyebrows, my sister and I both have been big fans of Anastasia Beverly Hills and Benefit eyebrow products for a couple years now. However, I can’t always afford to drop over 20 dollars on an eyebrow pencil. This TWO DOLLAR e.l.f. pencil is the only one either of us have found that lives up to the high-end products.

Thayers Witch Hazel Alcohol Free Toner, $9.29

I have been meaning to try this product for so long now, and I finally picked it up a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is: why did I wait so long?! I got the cucumber scent, but I’ve heard all of them are equally great. It is seriously so refreshing and makes your skin look and feel amazing. I have combination skin, but sometimes I get really dry patches and toners often make it worse. This one actually HYDRATES while toning and truly does not dry out your skin at all.

Maybelline Face Studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter, $7.99

Okay, I have to be honest here, I haven’t actually tried this product yet. However, I had to include it because I have heard nothing but amazing things about it from people I know as well as beauty influencers. From what I understand, it is a dupe for Becca highlighters (which are amazing) and people are obsessed. BRB… gotta go to Target and get myself one.

Batiste Hint of Color Beautiful Brunette Dry Shampoo, $5.99

Let’s be real. Sometimes you just really don’t want to wash your hair. I usually wash my hair every other day, but sometimes if it’s longer or even in the day between I just need some dry shampoo. It truly is a woman’s best friend. I’ve always loved Batiste dry shampoos, but when I saw these Hint of Color ones I was… shook. For gals with dark hair like me, the worst part of dry shampoo is the white residue and trying to blend it out, and this really solves that problem! I love when my life is made easier.

Milani Amore Mattes Lip Crème, $6.39

I had to include this because I really think Milani has some of the best, if not THE best, drugstore lip products out there. I own one of these, and when I was really into matte liquid lipsticks, I often found myself reaching for this over my Kylie Cosmetics ones. I’m in more of a glossy phase right now, but I would still recommend these to anyone and really want to try some of their other lip products!

Bonus: Acure Brightening Super Greens Serum, $12.99

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I am including this bonus item because I wanted to put the Acure Seriously Glowing Facial Serum on this list, but when I went to find the link I found that it seems they’ve discontinued it and replaced it with this. It has a couple of five star reviews and I loved the Seriously Glowing serum so I am definitely going to try this out. Especially because serums can be so expensive, and this one is only $13!

And that’s all the super-affordable beauty products that I would recommend to anyone who asked me! I hope that this helps you find your new fave!

favorite summer travel photos

This summer I was fortunate enough to participate in an Internship Abroad program in Barcelona, Spain. I was there for about 10 weeks, and I not only got to explore culture-rich Spanish cities, but also a few other European favorites. I traveled to Paris, the Amalfi Coast, and Amsterdam and in Spain I got to see the beautiful Costa Brava, the beach towns of Badalona and Sitges, and the medieval city of Girona.  

I wanted to share a few of my favorite travel photos from the summer, as I haven't really put very many in other places. So here are some photos taken by me or taken of me in my summer of adventures:

P A R I S,   F R A N C E

A M A L F I   C O A S T,   I T A L Y

Positano, Sorrento & Capri

A M S T E R D A M,   T H E   N E T H E R L A N D S

B A R C E L O N A,   S P A I N

G I R O N A,   S I T G E S,  &   C O S T A   B R A V A

arizona, my love

Last February, almost my whole family traveled to Phoenix, AZ to attend a wedding. We stayed on the outskirts of Phoenix, in a little town called Peoria. We rented a house with 5 bedrooms (just enough for my entire family!), a beautiful backyard and pool, and mountain views on every side. I had been to Arizona once before when I was pretty young, and we did the typical Grand Canyon tour and other touristy things, but I don't really remember it very well. Let's just say, I completely forgot how utterly beautiful Arizona is!

As soon as we began the drive in our rental car (more like BUS — love & miss you, Bertha), we could all already tell that Arizona is such an underrated state. I mean, there are mountains everywhere you look, the weather is amazing pretty much all year round, and there's just something about little rocks instead of grass that makes the desert vibes pull you in. Don't even get me started on the sunsets. Plus, they have In-N-Out, so points for that (it was our first stop).

While we were there we pretty much stayed at the house during the day to enjoy the pool and soak up some sun before heading back to sub-20 degree weather. However we did go on a few outings:

  1. Chicago Blackhawks vs. Arizona Coyotes hockey game at Gila River Arena

    • This was super fun! It was an exciting game-- the Hawks won 5-4 in the last few minutes. The arena is set up in the coolest location, called the Westgate Entertainment District. It's right across from a bunch of restaurants and stores, and the street is closed off so people just walk around between the two sides. There are palm trees with lights strung up in them and really cute fountains everywhere. A+ for good vibes.

  2. The Wedding at Warehouse 215 @ Bentley Projects

    • The wedding was very small and charming, and the venue was so awesome! It's an old warehouse converted to an event venue, so it has a rustic-chic vibe. The food was good, the people were lovely, and the dancing was fun.

  3. Shopping at Tanger Outlet Mall

    • Being us, it's impossible to go on a family vacation and not pencil in some time to shop. We had heard that the outlet shopping in Phoenix was pretty great, so on our last day we went back to Glendale to explore Tanger outlets. They had some good stores and everyone ended up getting something they loved! My mom got my sister and I super cute Coach wristlets. Thanks, mom!

After shopping we got some Mexican food for lunch and then it was time to head to the airport to go home :(. Overall the trip was amazing-- I adore Arizona, and would go back in a heartbeat. I'm a sucker for the warm weather. I also just love trips with my whole family, and I can't wait for the next.

What we wore:

Mine & Anna's Sunglasses: Raybans // Green Jacket: Forever 21 // Black Baseball Cap: Target // Black Cutout Triangle Bikini: VS PINK // Cover-up: Mexico // Off-The-Shoulder B&W top: Forever 21 // Boyfriend Jeans: American Eagle // Black Sandals: Target // Anna's Off-The-Shoulder Floral Top: Forever 21 // Anna's Jeans: H&M // Flowy Black Bikini Top: Volcom // High-Waisted Jean Shorts: Levi's // Floral Dress (wedding): Forever 21 // Blue heels (wedding): Charlotte Russe // Anna's Wedding Outfit: Forever 21 // Black Wide-Brim Hat: Forever 21

lincoln park tapas

I've got something to tell you guys-- breakfast tapas are a creation sent from the heavens. You can order as many as you want, getting little samples of amazing food, and not feel THAT bad about it! A little while ago, my cousins and I went for brunch at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Lincoln Park (which, p.s., is my favorite Chicago neighborhood). They have different menus for different times of day, including one specifically for brunch!

Needless to say, we ordered quite the plethora of food. Among my favorites were the citrus french toast with goat cheese and honey, baked egg bruschetta, and THE SPICY POTATOES WITH TOMATO ALIOLI!!! Those potatoes were life-changing, and everyone at the table agreed. The Cafe Latte was also very delicious.

After brunch we enjoyed a stroll around Lincoln Park, window-shopping 'til our hearts content.

vacation in your own city

Okay, I know it's hard to get out there and travel the world. While many of us dream of jet-setting coast to coast and hemisphere to hemisphere, a harsh reality holds us back: we're broke. I'm talking, I'm a college kid who makes $8.50 an hour and can't even afford an iced caramel macchiato broke. So, instead of waiting while saving pennies for years to go to that dream destination (which we should all still do!!), why not take a vacation in your very own city?

Granted, my very own city happens to be one of the best in the world, Chi-city, but every city has it's own quirks and fun activities to do! Over winter break, my mom, sister and I were feeling a little bit of cabin fever. So instead of sitting around watching yet another episode of Criminal Minds, we decided to go downtown for a day and night!

Our stops along the way:

  1. Shopping on Michigan Ave.
    • Some of my fave stores: Topshop, Forever 21, H&M, Macy's, Urban, etc. Just the aura of shopping on the Mag Mile always keeps me coming back. And of course, there's nothing wrong with window shopping the designer stores! Also, I bought a new pair of Ray-Bans on this shopping trip, and I'm in love.
  2. Michael Jordan's Steakhouse
    • You guys!! I'm a vegetarian! But, this was one of the greatest meals. Their sides menu is unreal-- gourmet mashed potato trio and fried mac & cheese, to name a few.
  3. Beautiful - The Carole King Musical at the Oriental Theatre
    • I cannot even begin to tell you how obsessed my sister and I are with this musical. Had I even heard of Carole King before? Nope. Does my sister even like musicals? Not at all. Yet, we were both captivated by catchy songs, a heartwrenching story, and killer performances. We even downloaded her album Tapestry and have been listening to it ever since.
  4. The Allerton Hotel Chicago
    • After a crazy day of shopping, steaks, and songs, we needed somewhere to sleep! The Allerton is a beautiful boutique hotel with a to-die-for location.
  5. The Grand Lux Cafe
    • Before we headed back to suburbia, we made a stop for brunch at the Grand Lux, a staple of Michigan Ave. dining. I have to say, amazing iced tea.

What we wore:

Bird Tights: ALDO // Fuzzy Sweater: H&M // Suede Skirt: ZARA // Anna's Jumpsuit: Forever 21 // Anna's Statement Necklace: Forever 21 // Gold Rings: H&M, F21