it's july now???

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tank (no clue, I'm sorry!). bralette. shorts. sneakers. sunglasses (similar). perfume. 

Happy Sunday, my faves! The heat has me sweating ridiculous amounts. I’ve always been super self-conscious because I sweat a lot, and I’ve always thought that it’s gross! I have to remind myself that sweat is just your body’s way of cooling you off, which is pretty cool. Like, thanks body! Your body is so cool. It’s always looking out for you. I’m getting off track, but my point is that I have to remind myself that sweat isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s a natural part of being a functional human being! How great is that?!

Here’s another one of my faves, my uncle’s tank top! He wore this one a lot, so I knew I had to hold onto it after he passed away. I wore it with my bralette and tried tucking it into my shorts, but it’s too long and got all bunchy and uncomfortable. I just left it out the Long Island way! Everyone knows you’re wearing pants, but it doesn’t really look like you’re wearing pants. But it’s chill, you’re comfortable and it’s lit. I finished off the look with my black Converse.

I love the summer, and I love summer style because I usually love wearing tight stuff, as you all know. But over the past year I’ve loved wearing more big, bulky stuff that tends to be heavier and not great in the heat! I need to go on another shopping spree.

Does anyone live in a place that’s hot year-round? Is it worth it?! Let me know in the comments!

pura vida vibes

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shirt (no longer being sold by Pura Vida). bralette. shorts. sneakers. sunglasses. perfume.

Hello cuties! I’m so excited to share this look because it features one of my favorite brands, Pura Vida! If you’re new here, I’ve been a Pura Vida rep for about two years now. It’s an amazing brand that provides great, consistent working conditions to artisans in Costa Rica who make beautiful rings, bracelets, and accessories that promote the ~pura vida~ way of life. You can get 20% off your purchase using my discount code, KristenBruck20!

This is the only shirt I have from Pura Vida, and I don't think they sell shirts anymore, so I'm really happy I have it. It's super comfy and cute. Look at me, venturing away from all black clothes by wearing a shade lighter than black :’) I love the pocket, the wash, the cut, the fabric, everything about it. It was a little too heavy for the heat of the day, but I still loved it!

These are some jeans I haven’t showed off yet! I got them at American Eagle the same day I got my new black shorts from last week’s look. These are also “midi” shorts, but these are a bit more stretchy than the black ones, which is awesome. They’re so comfortable!

I finished the look off with my white Converse (what a surprise!), and wore my bralette with my shirt. I’ve been going makeupless for basically the entire summer because it’s just so hot! I hate when my makeup feels like it’s melting off, even if I am doused in Urban Decay setting spray. It just makes my face so hot and things get annoying. I haven’t been doing much with my hair either, except for leaving it down or putting it in French braids.

If you know of any other brands like Pura Vida that you think I’d like, let me know in the comments! 

wondrous oral care's clean tongue wand!

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Guys, I’m seriously so excited to share this product with you all. One thing you may not know about me is that I love taking care of my teeth. People always think I’m weird when I say that, but I really do love going to the dentist and brushing my teeth multiple times a day. I smile a lot, so I don’t want my teeth looking yucky. There’s nothing like perfect pearly white teeth and bright red lipstick!

Usually, when I brush my teeth, I brush my tongue and the roof of my mouth with my toothbrush. My mom uses a tongue brush, but I didn’t think I needed to do anything extra for my tongue. But since I’ve tried Wondrous Oral Care’s Clean Tongue Wand, I honestly don’t know how I’ve been living without it.

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Wondrous Oral Care asked me to honestly review this product, and I seriously can’t give it enough praise. Before I even used it, I knew it was awesome just because of what it was made of. I’m completely comfortable putting this in my mouth! Their Clean Tongue Brushes are made in an FDA-approved facility that also makes baby bottles. It’s free of harmful dyes, non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free!

What also sets this tool apart from typical tongue cleaners is that it’s tiny, so it easily fits in small mouths like mine (I didn’t even gag!) and makes things super quick. The beauty of this tongue wand is that it has tons of microgrooves. I tried taking a picture of them, but it doesn’t really do them justice! Essentially, you use this device to rake your tongue downwards. The microgrooves manage to get all the yucky stuff off of your tongue. You just rinse with water in between, then dry the tongue cleaner and pop it back into its cute plastic holder (which is currently holding both my toothbrush and my tongue cleaner. It’s lit.). You can find their tutorial here. 

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To be honest, I never knew just how dirty my tongue was until now! When I used my toothbrush to brush my tongue, I never really examined it. But since I started using this tongue wand, I find myself making sure I’m definitely getting all the yucky stuff out of my mouth. I’ve seen such a difference in my tongue cleanliness since I started using this tongue wand. In fact, I forgot it when I went home last weekend, and noticed the difference pretty quickly. My mouth just feels fresher and cleaner when I use this wand. Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush just isn’t enough!  I really can’t recommend this product highly enough.

Would you guys be interested in more cruelty-free oral care reviews, like toothbrushes and toothpastes? Let me know! 

If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!

ride with the wind

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flannel. bodysuit. shorts. sneakers. perfume. sunglasses (similar).

Hi hi! Today’s look features a new item of clothing! My mom and I went to American Eagle while I was home for a bit, and I found a bunch of stuff I loved. I feel like whenever you go shopping wanting to find something, you don’t like anything, but when you dip into a store for fun, you fall in love with everything.

Anyway, I got this pair of black shorts there! I do have another pair of black shorts, but they’re a little too small, and kinda uncomfortable. These are “midi” length, in other words, they cover my whole butt, because apparently that’s something you have to do in the real world. I went all black with my bodysuit and sneakers, and wore my red and black Harley Davidson flannel. It’s so soft and comfy!

I braided my hair since it was tangly and puffy, went without makeup because it was hot, and wore Katy Perry’s Killer Queen because it’s perfect!

I can’t wait to show you guys the other stuff I got from American Eagle! Stay tuned! xoxo  

elephant in the room

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shirt (from Mystique Boutique NYC). bralette. shorts. sneakers. perfume.

Hello hello! You know how I always post about really cute pieces, and I complain that I never wear them? I decided that this summer, in addition to adding more color to my wardrobe, I’ll also be breaking these pieces out more! Here’s one of them.

When I saw this top in Mystique Boutique NYC a couple years back, I instantly fell in love because I’m obsessed with elephants! They’re so perfect and adorable, and they also happen to be my sorority’s animal! (I wonder who had a hand in making that happen…) This top is super comfy, and I always love sparkles. 

I wore this top with my denim shorts, which happened to be the exact color of the blue detail on the top! Before I left, I threw on my navy blue flannel, and it actually looked really cute. I’m upset I didn’t get a picture with it on. I wanted to switch things up a bit, since I feel like I’m always showing love to my more neutral flannels. Like I said, I definitely need to rotate my wardrobe a bit!

At first when I put it on, I didn’t know how I felt. I thought it was a little too matchy-matchy. Sometimes I’ll try out different color combinations and not know how I feel just because I’m not used to them. But something inside me was telling me it worked, so I decided to go with my gut! As the day went on, I fell more in love with it.

I also wore my white Converse and Katy Perry’s Mad Love, which I don’t think I’ve ever posted about! It's super floral, sweet, and yummy! Getting the bottle to stay up like this was an adventure. If you zoom in super close, you can see that a weirdly bent paperclip did the trick. Flatlays are lit!

Moral of the story, wear what you love! I always say that when you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing and it’s something you love, your happiness will shine through and you’ll look beautiful no matter what you’re in. It’s kind of like something Roald Doahl said:

“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”