Five Fall Favorites

Hi everyone! Today's post is all about the wonderful alliteration of five fall favorites. This is, in my opinion, the best time of the year, so it was hard to just pick five things, but I did it.  I am all about the cozy vibes and dainty details.

My first favorite are these Backcountry leggings. I got them a little while ago, so my exact pair isn't on the site anymore, but these ones are pretty similar (albeit much more expensive, but they always have sales and codes). They are thin but the fleece lining gives an extra layer of protection against the cold. They're water-resistant, which is huge in snow/rain, and they have pockets-- actual good pockets that I can stick my whole phone in and not just a chapstick. If you plan to do any sort of hiking this fall/winter or are just looking for a cozy base layer, these are your pants. I wore these all through our Sleepy Hollow trip, including on the rainy cemetery tour (you can check them out here).

In the same realm of cozy goodness, I'm also very into beanies, and the COAL beanies are some of the better ones I have had. They come in a wide array of colors, and they are so warm. I'm very particular about anything being too tight on my head or too itchy, and these beanies are neither of those, plus they look cute with everything and add the perfect amount of grunge. I also got a pretty mauve pom-pom beanie from ASOS recently for around $7. I don't wash my hair every day, so for second- or third- day hair, it's nice to pop on a beanie over curls on their last leg or a braid.

This third one is neither cozy nor dainty, but an essential. Over the summer, Shelley and I began trying to veer away from deodorants that use aluminum and other harmful components, but I absolutely need something with an anti-perspirant in it. I've tried a couple so far that have not worked for me even a little bit, and clinical strength whatever-brand is usually my go-to. Shelley uses the Tom's, so I gave it a try and can report it is effective, even under layers of sweaters and jackets. If you've been on the fence because you aren't sure where to start, this is my recommendation!

On to the dainty details. One of my favorite parts about cooler weather is how you can put forth pretty much zero effort and still look cute and put together: sweater, jeans, boots, done. It's basically the dressed up version of sweats. Sometimes, though, the sweaters' necklines make me feel like there's something missing that could add that final pizazz, so I have been cycling through a couple different necklaces: the Tiffany heart necklace Shelley got me a few years ago for our anniversary, a little gold necklace with stars and moons on it, and the Giving Keys necklace my mum got me for my birthday this past year. Each of them have a delicate chain and a sweet charm, which adds a little bit of sparkle to the more grey aspects of this season, and the company provides jobs to people transitioning out of homelessness.

Shelley and I have been long-time lovers of Sara Bareilles, and when we saw she was touring for her new album, Amidst the Chaos, we bought tickets the day they went on sale. We waited months for the show, and this past weekend we finally got to go. I love the fact that she writes her own music, that she plays piano, and that her voice is clear, authentic, and ethereal. She doesn't need choreographed dance moves, contoured features, or auto-tuned vocals to sound good-- she just is who she is, unapologetically. Seeing her in concert made us love her more, which is why she made this list instead of the pair of boots I was initially going to share on here. Not only is she insanely talented, but she is also witty, gorgeous, and swears like a sailor, which makes her much more relatable. Somehow, she sounds better live, with added runs and riffs, changed notes that cover the whole damn scale, and a power and clarity that only come from sheer raw talent. If you haven't listened to her album, or anything by her, I highly recommend searching the Amidst the Chaos tour on YouTube so you can hear for yourself. I've been listening on repeat.

What are you loving this fall? Let me know in the comments or send me an email!

Little J Headbands

Fun colors!

If you've followed me for any amount of time here or on Instagram, you know I love a good hair accessory to add some pizzazz to a braid. I'm also a fan of small businesses and donating to a great cause.

Little J Headbands meets all of the criteria. I got one of their headbands a couple of years ago and recently added to my collection. There are a ton of color options and each headband allows you to customize the buttons by choosing from gold, brass, silver, or pewter, so no two are alike! If headbands aren't really your thing, they also have some cute scarf options as well.

Cute packaging (and yes, a pumpkin candle)

The creator, Julie, made Little J Headbands with the idea that even a little change can make a big difference. I am a huge fan of that, and it's something I try to convey all of the time. No one person is capable of enormous change individually, but the ripple effect of multiple people spreading kindness and consciousness makes a huge difference. A portion of each headband purchased goes towards ALS research. About 15 people a day are diagnosed with ALS in the U.S. alone!

Glacier blue with a woven fishtail

In addition to giving back, these headbands are versatile. My favorite way to wear them is woven into my hair/a braid, but I'll be trying some other ways out as well. The sage, burnt spice, and wine will be perfect for the fall (hurry up already), and I am looking forward to pairing them with sweaters once the weather gets cooler. The glacier color is a perfect match to the summer sky but is my favorite shade of blue so I'll weave it into my braids through winter too.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @mydaintybeautifullife (if you don't already!) to see the ways I style these fun headbands, and let me know if you check them out!

Hair Care Routine

One of the questions I get asked the most frequently is what I do to my hair to get it long and keep it healthy. It's been a lifelong process of trying to figure out what works, and after two shoulder-length haircuts that were colossal mistakes (I just do not look good with short hair), I found some tips and tricks that helped me grow my hair out and keep it from looking like witch hair (this is a legitimate concern).

Hair care starts in the shower. First, I only wash my hair probably 3-4 out of seven days. Not only is it a huge hassle to do all of this nightly, but it also dries everything out, which is not great.

I've tried vinegar rinses, masks, and a million shampoos. I don't think it really matters what shampoo you use as long as it isn't a dollar bottle or one of those weird 6-in-1 deals that dudes use. I opt for either Pantene Pro-V or the Garnier Grow Strong shampoo and conditioner. Again, I don't see the point in paying $20 for a bottle of shampoo, but you do you. So I start with washing it and rinsing, and then I put on the conditioner and leave it set while I do everything else. Then rinse with cold water only. It seals your cuticles and makes it shiny.

Once I'm done with that process, I'll either scrunch my hair (more on that another time) or just typically opt to style it. First, do not come your hair wet. DO NOT. I just spritz on this USmooth heat protectant spray which is $20 but also lasts for like six months or more, and my hair's long. It smells amazing and essentially works as a leave-in conditioner as well as a thermal spray.

I leave my hair air dry (unless I'm going somewhere and only have an hour from the time I step in the shower until the time I walk out the door (I try REALLY hard not to ever have this happen because it sucks)). I don't wrap it in a towel. There was a period of time I noticed a lot of little breakaway fuzzies around my hairline if I wore it up, and that look is cute on babies but not on me, so no more of that. I might blast it with a dryer a bit the next morning if it's still a little damp, and then after that I just use my flat iron to smooth and flip the ends.

Ta-da!