review: jouer lip enhancer

years ago i received a sample of this product in a birchbox and i loved it. and on my quest for the perfect lip balm, i had totally forgotten about it! i reviewed dior's creme de rose, which is very similar to this product, but half the price.

at $14, essential lip enhancer still isn't a "run to the drugstore" lipbalm. but it's worth the extra effort! it's got a light rose scent - which is why i compare it to creme de rose - but features actual practical packaging, a tube, instead of a pot that can be easily contaminated and get icky after a while.

this product is thick on your lips, but i feel it actually makes a difference after some time compared to creme de rose. it doesn't fade away quickly like many lip balms or force you to feel the need to apply more after 30 minutes. this is going to be my go-to winter product, as it gets a little cooler in birmingham and i'm sure i'll need it!

i dunno about you... but i'm not 22

i turned 23 on sunday, october 13th. i was fortunate enough to celebrate the day with my closest and most incredible friends at the lovely chez fonfon in birmingham, a little french joint that's been on my "to eat" list for months. birthdays are starting to mean less and less and they're all blurring together... i've finally reached the age where nothing truly monumental comes with birthdays any longer. if anything, i'm just reminded that i am nearing my mid-twenties rather quickly. am i where i wanted to be at this age? yeah, i guess so.

at 22, i graduated college. i lost 30 pounds. i landed my first "real" job. i moved to a new city all by myself. i found out that the upkeep on a house is considerably more so than an apartment. i let go of negativity in my life and stripped away everything that was making me unhappy and holding me back. i began applying hand lotion religously. i formed an intensely personal relationship with my keurig. you get the idea.

i'm looking forward to making more mistakes, being ridiculous and still thinking i'm doing it right a year from now. here's to 23.

caramel apple cupcakes

hello blogging world. i took last week off, as you can see. and i kind of needed to. i was swamped at work, not feeling so hot and my birthday was on sunday, october 13th. but i'm glad to be back!

mmm, these are good. and they're so fun to decorate if you're into caramel. the original recipe called for some chopped apples, but i left those out (feel free to throw them in if you're into chunky fruit!).

for the cupcakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• a couple dashes of vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2/3 cup apple butter

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk. beat your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add both eggs and vanilla extract. beat in yogurt. next, incorporate flour mixture and apple butter, beating in separate additions, starting and ending with flour.

spoon mixture into cupcake pans and bake for 25-28 minutes.

for the frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablepoons heavy whipping cream

beat together butter, vanilla and whipping cream. add powdered sugar in separate additions until incorporated. frost as desired, or use a decorating bag and tip. top with a soft caramel candy and caramel syrup.

looking for other fall desserts? check out my posts on pumpkin butterscotch cookies, pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese icing, + red velvet cupcakes!

recipe adapted from paula deen.

current obsessions {volume 2}

01. my new tory burch reva flats! i have lusted after these shoes for a while now, and got them as an early birthday present. they go with everything and are perfect for the office.

 02. my new monogrammed notebook from letterlovedesign. i love looking at it on my desk!

03. this sweater from loft. its my absolute favorite at the moment and i can't wait to wear it when it gets a little chillier! the jeweled peter pan collar + the fit truly make it. its very flattering.

what are your obsessions this month?

photo diary: late september

happy october! woo! my birthday is on the 13th, halloween is my favorite holiday, and if we're lucky enough, alabama gets a little chilly. and i know everyone says october is their favorite, but i feel like i've got some bonafide reasons there.

i spent the 23rd-27th of september in nashville for work & stopped by tory burch at green hills to get myself an early birthday present. if you follow me on instagram, you know what it is! when i got back in town on friday, my parents came up from fairhope to join my brother and i at the alabama vs. ole miss game in tuscaloosa. i love games, but... i think i'm good on alabama football for a little while (try going there for 4 years, ok, it gets exhausting!). on sunday, we ventured to whole foods and railroad park for the second annual trucks by the tracks, which was an awesome food truck event. after a mimosa, my weekend was kind of drawing to a close - i started feeling sick, like baaaad cold sick.

so now i'm battling sickness, grinding away at work and planning some neat things for the next few weeks.

sidenote: are you a woman blogger in alabama? why haven't you joined alabama women bloggers yet?! it's a great way to get involved, and we're hoping to set up an alabama women bloggers conference soon!