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11.27.15
#coffeetalk & best black friday deals & exciting news!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! We’re back today with #coffeetalk & our favorite Black Friday deals (at the end…some of these are SO good)! 

Do you girls have a blush brush that you love? What are your favorite blush colors?  
Brooke: I’ve actually had the same makeup brushes since I was in high school…OMG I can’t even believe it, but it’s true…and I still love them! Sadly, I have no idea what brand they are! My best advice when it comes to brushes is invest in nicer ones, and read the reviews before purchasing! “Buy once, cry once” – I’ve had mine for 10 years, and they’re still going strong! I recently picked up “Gingerly,” and love it…but “Breath of Plum,” is one of my all-time favorites as well.
Meggan: I use this blush brush and I also really like these from Target. I’m a Nars junkie when it comes to blush. My favorite colors are amour, angelika, orgasm, deep throat, torrid, and lovejoy. They are a little on the pricey side but the quality is great and they last a long time. I also just bought plum foolery (by MAC) which is great for everyday!

Do you have any workout routines that you like for toning legs?
Meggan: I love Tone It Up videos – this and this are my favorite for legs and booty! If I’m at the gym I do the stair stepper which I really see results from and good ol’ lunges!
Brooke: Squats & lunges! My legs are definitely my “problem area,” and squats and lunges along with running are the exercises that work the best for me. When I use heavy weights (while squatting and lunging) I see the best results – I know a lot of girls are afraid to use heavy weights, but it really helps to lean out and burn fat! Every body is different, but it’s what works best for me, and if you feel like your legs are difficult to tone, I’d highly recommend “lifting heavy!”

Do you have any inexpensive gift ideas? My birthday is next week, and I feel like everything I “want” is expensive!
Brooke: I like receiving beauty products as gifts because I love them, but don’t want to spend $$ on them often. Yes, I buy way too many nude lipsticks (it’s a problem), but birthdays are a good time to ask for hair products, makeup, etc that you’ve been eyeing lately, but may not necessarily want to buy for yourself. Other inexpensive items I’ve recently picked up that would make great gifts include: these earrings, this candle, and this sweater. This is also a great list for gifts under $50!
Meggan: I like receiving gift cards to the spa, nail salon, and hair salon. Those are all little luxuries that I love but don’t always want to spend money on. These are cute options all under $100: booties, fringe poncho, phone case, mug, necklace.

Your blog has inspired me to start my own, but I find the photography aspect intimidating. What do/did you do to feel more comfortable photographing your looks?  

Both of us can sympathize with you – doing “photoshoots” on the street can be very intimidating! However, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will feel. It’s kind of embarrassing taking photos in public – especially when people start to stop and stare, but in all honesty, they are probably just curious. Our best advice is take photos in spots that aren’t extremely busy with people/tourists. Think of places that won’t be busy on the weekends (if that’s when you shoot your looks) like the post office, court house, etc. Eventually, you will just stop caring whether or not people are walking by – be confident, and just have fun with it!

Do you have any tips for keeping your nails strong?
Brooke: Gel/shellac manicures are what works best for my nails! I know this isn’t true for everyone (my mom says they ruin her nails), but it works for me. I’ve also used this OPI nail strengthener in the past, and it works really well.
Meggan: I know most people say that gel manicures ruin your nails but I’ve been getting them for about 2 years now, every 2-3 weeks and mine are fine. This nail strengthener has great reviews.

…and our favorite Black Friday deals you don’t want to miss!

– AMAZON has a lot of great deals for everyone in the family! 
– 50% off EVERYTHING at GAP (use code: BLKFRIDAY)
– H&M has deals starting at $4.99 (we are obsessed with their kids clothes as well!)
– As always, MACY’S is having amazing sales, I just added THIS SOFA to my cart for our TV room!
– Get an additional 25% off sale items at NORDSTROM through Monday! 
– Tons of $10 beauty deals at SEPHORA – great gifts for your girlfriends or stocking stuffers! 

– If you spend $75 today at TARGET, you’ll get a 20% off coupon for an entire Target run – this is amaaaazzeee considering how much every single Target run adds up to 😉 

– The more you spend, the more you save at SHOPBOP
– Up to 80% off new markdowns at REVOLVE (yes please!)

…and last, but certainly not least, we’re SO excited to share with you a holiday jewelry collection we designed with Irina Victoria Jewelry, be sure to check it out here and let us know what you think! xx

M&B