Christmas Gift Shopping Tips


For this post I want to focus on a topic that I always seem to struggle with during the cooler months. Setting up a Christmas shopping budget without going in debt. We all want to purchase gifts for family members (and of course our best friends), but the hardest part is making sure you have money to pay your monthly bills. Here are some of my tips I’m using this year for Christmas shopping and avoiding going into debt.

1. Start Shopping Early, Like today.
Shopping early for Christmas isn’t a bad thing. In fact it’s a smart and good thing. In fact, I try to start doing small gift shopping as early as July for family that I know will want and keep the gift I purchase. 



2. When you see something on sale, get it.
This is something I enjoy doing on items for my girlfriends. For example, when Bath and Body Works does a special promo on travel size hand sanitizers I will do the promo and grab up some for my girls stocking stuffers. Another Example: When I see some nice prints in American Eagle Boxers and their 50% off promo is going on I’ll grab up a pair for my husband.

3. Write a List and keep it in your wallet.
A list is perfect for making sure you know what to get for who and having it in your wallet for easy access. In my cars dashboard I have a pen so when I do purchase something off the list I strike it out.

4. Set a FIRM budget per person and stick to it.
I cant stress this enough. A budget is a must for buying gifts and sticking to it. With my family we all talk about how much we plan to spend on each person. My girlfriends its a bit all over the place so I try to stick with a odd number like “3 small items ranging from $25-30” that I can wrap or place in a gift box. 



5. All else fails, gift cards.
I like to do gift cards as a last resort. I enjoy wrapping items and I enjoy getting the ‘perfect item’ for someone. But at times if you have a hard person to shop for getting a gift card to a specific store must do

6. Under $10 homemade gifts for those you’re not aquatinted to
I also enjoy the homemade gifts for family friends I’m not too familiar with. I spark ideas from Pinterest and try to stick with a super low budget. A fun homemade gift is the hot cocoa mug set (you can buy most of the items from the dollar store). 

******* What about Regifting?***** 
I’m NOT a big fan of regifting. I’ve seen moms regift their kids toys to others (for Christmas and Baby Showers) and it’s OBVIOUSLY clear it was an item they didn’t want. I personally think its rude and lacks the thoughtfulness and individuality of the receiver. If you’re regifting; make sure its an item the person will want and appreciate (Example: someone says they want a wine glass set. AND you received an extra set as a wedding gift, win win). But regifting is a touchy subject and during the holidays I feel you should think more about the person you’re giving the gift to instead of trying to hand off something you don’t want. 

Beauty Review Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Cream

Another review for a Christmas Stocking Stuffer! And this one is a great read. 
Today’s beauty review is a skincare product I used for a solid 3 months. And this product in particular I also used during my wedding.


Details: This cream moisturizes skin while targeting dullness and the look of fine, dry lines. Using the special ReNeura Technology, which helps boost skin's sensors so your skin can detect damage. Ashitaba, a plant that naturally grows on coastal lands in Hachijo-jima, Japan, is known to support mitochondria to maintain their energy production. Unshiu peel extract is in this moisturizer and supports skin's inner moisture-generating power.
Sephora Star Rating: 16 reviews. 9 = 5 Star. 0 = 1 Star. 88% recommended. 
Price: $48.00 1.7oz 




My Review: In all honesty, this is the FIRST skin moisturizer that I used the ENTIRE product. In fact when the container was empty, I wanted to cry. This moisturizer is going to have a forever home in my beauty bag. I noticed my skin looked healthier, felt silky smooth each morning (I always applied at night), and this product helped create a smooth base for makeup application.
The smell wasn’t too overpowering. I remember the first 3-5 uses I had to get used to the scent but that’s natural with any new product. A little bit went a LONG way too. I always used a pea size amount. 


Pros: A little goes a long way, results were noticeable almost immediately, cost isn’t bad.
Cons: I honestly can’t think of any.
Pomp and Palms Star Rating: I have to give this product the highest Star rating! I loved the packaging, the product, the results, EVERYTHING. I highly recommend getting a small sample of this product during your next shopping trip because I promise you’ll be amazed as much as I was. 

Product Review: Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow Primer

With Christmas coming soon and I want to start tackling stocking stuffer ideas and products worthy (or not worthy) of being on your Christmas Wishlist. 

When I think about ‘Charlotte Tilbury Makeup + Skincare', the factors I think is: 
- Costly. 
- Makeup Celebrities wear. 
- Jeffree Star youtube videos.
- Charlotte who?  

All is true. Her beauty line is recommended high-end. Shes known to do countless Celebrity Red Carpet looks and should thank A-list stars for making her so exclusive (her entire makeup collection is themed Old Hollywood Red Carpet). Jeffree Star reviews her beauty products on his YouTube channel often. And well, she’s a bit unknown to most cause she’s not sold everywhere. 
Honestly, there’s few stores that sell her products which gives that ‘exclusive’ vibe. When I talk about Charlotte Tilbury either I get the “OH to DIE for” or the “Wait? Where is that sold at?” question. 
I’m becoming a big fan of the brand and felt the Wonder Glow was intriguing enough to make it into my shopping cart on night; below is my review.




Details: 
Wonderglow is a skin primer with anti-aging properties and once applied gives off a soft focus glow. You can wear this under foundation, alone, or a quick pick me up highlight. Like many of Charlottes products the Wonderglow has the collagen supported properties and anti-wrinkle ingredients to help reverse skin damage and bring life to dull, tired and stressed skin. This primer is told to give a dewy look while making skin look flawless and poreless. 
Sephora Star Ratings: 22 reviews. 5 stars = 12. 1 star = 2. The low reviews complain about the shimmer properties in the primer.
Price: $44.00



My Review: I’ll admit, at first I didn’t like it and was a bit nervous about it. The product itself is a tan like color and had some shimmer-like look to it which really bothered me. Once I fully applied this onto my skin I noticed it blends REALLY well and the shimmer isn’t overpowering; its very subtle and gives that ‘glow blur’ look. You can use this many ways. As a primer before foundation, as a quick touch up highlight, or alone all over. I purchased this to try around my wedding time and loved it. And I’m still using because I love it so much! A little goes a LONG way. For about a month now I’ve been using this almost daily and the bottle still looks full. 



Pros: Does exactly what the product is supposed to do. Good texture, smooth application, little goes a long way.
Cons:  Retails for $44.00 and bit costly for a primer. Hard to find in-store and have to online order. 

Pomp and Palm star rating: 5 Stars! I really do love this product. I think its a great tool for your beauty bag and its so versatile you can wear it so many different ways. 

How to Un-Shrink Clothing

Today is a major lifestyle hack I’ve been doing since my college days. The easy way to Un-Shrink clothes. This only takes 35 minutes!
The backstory as to why this post is on the blog is the other night my husband added some of my whites to his laundry. When I was placing all the clean whites into the closet I noticed one of my tops went from a 'boyfriend style' tank to a short tank. Below you’ll see steps and photos! Enjoy.

Here’s the tank and the tank next to another so you can see how much shorter the top is:
I love this tank. It’s from American Eagle and perfect tucked into High waist shorts or jeans. Sadly, didn’t know how easy it shrinks in the wash.
Here’s a comparison to a similar tank top. As you can see the top shrunk A LOT at the bottom but also the sides and arm area tighten up. 


Step One: Collect the items you’ll need. The garment, a conditioner of your choice, a tablespoon used for measuring, a bowl or bucket, and lukewarm water. 

Step Two: Measure out 1 tablespoon of conditioner and put it into the lukewarm water. Mix the contents with your hands and/or the spoon till the water has a thick milky like texture from the conditioner. *You can use any brand of conditioner* *You can use a bowl, bucket, or sink!*

 I selected my conditioner from the shower and grabbed my spoons to measure.

Measure out 1 whole tablespoon. I filled it to the top and then pressed it down to make sure it was exactly 1 TBS.
With lukewarm water in a bowl I pour the conditioner in and start to stir with the spoon and my hand to break down some of the lumps of conditioner.
Once you mix for few seconds -1 minute and you can tell the conditioner is broken down (less clumpy) and the water looks thick you’re set for step 3!

Step 3: With your hands press the garment into the lukewarm conditioner water. Make sure the garment is FULLY submerged into the water. Then set an alarm for 30 minutes! *If you accidentally go over 30 minutes its okay! I’ve went 2 hours before.*
My fully submerged top in the lukewarm water. I mash it once or twice to make sure the entire garment is wet.

Setting the alarm for 30 minutes on my phone. While the top is soaking this is a good time to start prepping an area for your top to dry at and a clean sink or tub to wash the garment. 

Step Four: Times up! Take the garment to the area you plan to stretch and wash. Once you remove the garment from the lukewarm water start stretching to your desired goals. If you only want to focus on one area just stretch that spot. For me, I stretched all around. Simply pull on the garment (your arms might get tired after a bit
*there’s no time limit on how long or how much to stretch, its up to you. I spent about 5 minutes working my top to make sure its back to the relaxed boyfriend fit*

Step Five: Once stretched wash out all the conditioner by hand (no need to use soap). Then hang the garment wherever is best for you so it can HANG DRY. 
I decided to stretch and hand wash my top in the special wash tub our washing machine has. 
After stretched and washed I decided to hang the top over my sink so the extra water can drip out naturally. As you can see the top already looks longer than the first photo!

FINAL RESULTS! 
As you can see my top is not nearly as short fitting as the first photo at the top! 

Here’s a comparison to the tank top in the beginning. The white tank is back to the longer “boyfriend” style fit it was when I purchased! 
Hope this helps anyone who had a garment shrink in the wash!
- Pomp and Palms

Glam Glow Waterburst Review



Today is another round of a product review. Since the Holidays are quickly approaching I’m going to start cracking down on some great stocking stuffer items to review! I was super excited to try out a new moisturizer. I'm a gal of habit so stepping out and trying a new goodie was a blast! I'm a huge (huge) fan of the Glam Glow mask Collections so I expected the same love for this product as well. Below you'll hear the details of what this moisturizer is and my opinion on the product.

Details of Glam Glow Waterburst
This 1.7oz moisturizer has 72 hour hydration and is perfect for anyone who wants a weightless water moisturizer. It's safe for normal, combination, or dry skin and the perfect solution for anyone who suffers with dryness. A unique feature with this moisturizer is the Hyaluronic Complex molecules that can absorb 1000x times their weight in water. You can purchase this product where most high end skincare is sold.
Sephora Star Ratings:  221 reviews in total (144 5-star, 31 4-star, and 7 1-star; overall 83% recommendation).
Price:  $49.00


My Review:
I used the Glam Glow Waterburst for about 2 weeks and overall I noticed my skin was quite hydrated. There definitely was a decent amount of moisture in my skin from this product. The one thing that stuck out was the smell. I highly suggest if you're not a fan of perfume moisturizers to avoid this product because the scent is VERY strong. It's a Starburst-like candy scent. Sadly I'm not a fan of candy smells especially for a moisturizer I use at night time. I was curious to see why people gave it a 1 star and it was the fragrance/perfume smell that was turn off. Also some people complained that when they tried to take the moisturizer off they couldn't! (I assume the why they couldn't remove it was the Hyaluronic Complex... It absorbs water so washing it off isn't going to remove it).



Pros: Hydration, great moisture, a well known brand.
Cons: cost is bit much, smell/perfume (candy scent).
Pomp and Palms Star Rating: I give this product a 3 star. It's good for the skin but terrible scent for a moisturizer.

What to Expect on the Pomp and Palms Blog now


Now that the “Wedding Series” is coming to a close I have to start planning out a new direction for the blog. For my new followers and current followers I always post 2 (sometimes 3 times) a week. My posts generally are going to rotate around from fashion, beauty + skincare, and lifestyle. Below I will bullet list some of what you’ll see. 
Also once I gain a large enough number on my Instagram I plan to do contest giveaways; these will be either a gift card or products. Please spread the word for friends and family to follow the Instagram page! That is where Ill do the giveaways and special treats! 

My list on what you’ll see on the Pomp and Palms blog:

Fashion:
  • Current trends
  • Stores fashion pieces
  • Best Sales/Pop up Sales
  • Creating multiple looks with one item

Beauty + Skincare:
  • Best beauty/skincare
  • Product Reviews
  • Sales/Pop up sales
  • Drug Store VS Designer
  • Beauty/Skincare flops

Lifestyle:
  • Life as a mom
  • Lifestyle Hacks
  • Healthy balance for home
  • Fitness
  • Cooking
  • Home Decor/Holiday Decor
  • Gifting


Special Requests: 

  • you want to see a certain product, trend, or have a question about anything at all please contact me via: email, Private facebook or Instagram message, comment below on this post, etc. 

As many may know, I’m a housewife who’s also raising a little one but from working in the fashion industry for over a decade (with a monster size resume), I have a savvy skill for trends, fashion, and a personal love for beauty+skincare and lifestyle moments. Please don’t be shy if you have any questions or requests! I can’t wait to see what all happens within the coming months! 

Love, Brittney “Pomp and Palms"

Makeup Products I Wore On My Wedding Day

Today’s post is a fun one. I talk about how Blair (Bryce’s sister who's a Hair + Makeup Artist) achieved my beautiful Wedding look. Surprisingly, the entire makeup routine only took about 25-30 minutes. While my hair on the other hand, took a few hours. 


I’ll start with Hair:
We washed my hair with a shampoo that had some texturizing product ingredients to help give some hold to my hair for all the curling and braids we plan to do. We used a hair sponge in color blonde to achieve the bun, about 30 bobby pins, and 3 small rubber band hair ties. We curled the hair all around as well and used Joico JoiShape Shaping and Finishing Spray to lock in the look. This look was a free style that Blair came up with and will gladly allow anyone to copy if they wish! 



For Makeup:

Like always, start with a good base. We used my Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. For foundation we used a combination of my MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Foundation (Color Y315) and some of Blair’s personal collection. We highlighted my cheek bones with Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow primer and used a setting spray from MAKE UP FOR EVER . 
For brows we did the classic Anastasia Brow Powder Duo (in soft brown). Eye shadows was a combination of nudes and lilac color shadows from the Naked2 Palette (Tease and Verve) and Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Vol 2 (Seashell and Wave). Eyeliner was Too Faced Marker Liquid Eyeliner and mascara was Smashbox Super Fan Mascara. For lips we used Smashbox O-Gloss.



We only had to touch up once during the entire event which was around 6:30 pm when we wanted to do sunset pictures. We just blotted some face powder to remove some of the shine. 

The Wedding Series is officially coming to a close! Ill make a post about the new direction my blog will take and plan to make a “Married Life post in a few months. If you have anymore wedding questions please ask in the comments below, via email, facebook, or my instagram! 

Skin + Hair Routine Used For My Wedding

Today I’m talking about the skin + hair routine I did to prepare for my wedding. These products I selected in the hopes to achieve flawless skin, strong hair, white teeth and overall a healthy appearance. Most of the items I used 2 weeks - 3 month before my wedding. I’ll go into details of each and how far in advance I used the product before my wedding!




First things first, teeth whiting. 
I know photographers can photoshop whiter smiles but I wanted to already have pearly whites! I used the Crest Vivid White Strips. I started these about 1 month prior to my wedding and spaced them out (to prevent sensitivity; which I highly recommend if you have sensitive teeth). You can scoop these up at many stores but I personally purchased these from Amazon! 

Hands, Nails, and Toes. 
I did a lot on this subject. I used packets of skincare masks + conditioners to help make my skin silky soft and a good conditioned base for my nails about 1-2 weeks before my wedding. These can be purchased anywhere from Ulta to even the World Market! The price range bounced from only $2-$10. 
 I used Pedi Perfect a lot to help with the dry skin on my feet and to create a good base for when I get a pedicure. I purchased my Pedi Perfect at TjMaxx for under $10. I enjoyed using this product and plan to continue use.
The day before my wedding I went to get a Manicure + Pedicure. Both were Gel Polish and must say, I love the gel on my toe nails. Sadly, I removed my finger nails the day after my wedding because the nail technician did a terrible job. My BIGGEST tip for anyone is to go to a place you trust and even request the best technician. I regret dropping $55 on gel nails that I had to remove the following morning cause my cuticles were bleeding. 




Skincare.
I did A LOT on skincare. Every night for about 2.5-3 months before my wedding I used a good quality face wash and I rotated around on different skin moisturizers (I did this because my skin changes depending on stress and I noticed at times I need a richer moisturizer)
I will note the best moisturizer I used was Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Cream and the week of my wedding I solely used Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream + Charlotte’s Magic Night Cream

Haircare.
On my hair I was very careful with what shampoo and conditioner I used and how much. I followed the EXACT instructions on the bottle. About 2 weeks before the wedding Blair (Bryce's sister who’s a hair + makeup artist) did 4 hours worth of hair color. And 2 days before my wedding she also did a root touch up and toner. I decided to invest in some higher quality hair products and noticed a drastic difference in the texture and strength of my hair. I bounced around from using R+Co Gemstone shampoo  and Condtioner, Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner, and Kristin Ess Extra Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner


My next post will be about what makeup products I used to achieve my wedding day look! Plus some detailed photos of my makeup look and hair style! 

Day of Wedding Tips - For Brides to Be

Hello everyone!
Now that my wedding is over and I can finally sit back and breathe. I wasn't given any advice on how the actual wedding day should go. When I was invited to weddings I was just a casual guest and at my sisters wedding I was a bridesmaid to a pregenat bride. Not that my sisters advice wasn't helpful, its just she was in a state of mind of pregnancy so I'm not sure if she would've felt the same way as me who isn't pregnant and on a destination beach.

Now that my wedding is truly complete I thought I would give 6 tips for Brides and lessons I’ve learned from my outdoor beach wedding. 

Tip One: If your wedding is in the late afternoon don't rush to get ready.
My wedding was at 4pm so I had tons of time to get dressed, makeup, hair, etc. OF COURSE, I was constantly wanting to get ready early but I had to slow my roll. A good thing to do is to have a schedule planned out and how long each task should take (example my hair took over an hour but makeup only took 25 minutes). During your hair and makeup consultations time how long it takes to do the finished product so you can map out a good bridal blueprint for you big day.

Tip Two: Don't Starve Yourself.
This is a big one. Luckily, I love food and I was very SET on having my meals. But, back when I was working as an ANF manager I would skip meals during big floor sets or major visits. For your wedding the worst thing to do is pass out from starving yourself. If you're not comfortable eating a full meal eat small snacks throughout the day.

Tip Three: To pre-game or not to pre-game?
Bryce's family loves to celebrate. So before the wedding there was bottles already being popped! Having a few sips or a glass isn't bad but I don't think having 3/4 a bottle of wine is a smart idea (gotta say those vows gal!). I have seen some of my gal friends who party hardcore before the vows and some who all drink their La Croix beforehand.

Tip Four: Don't Stress Over Spilt Milk.
No matter how many instagram or Pinterest photos you look at, perfection DOESN'T exist. It took me years to learn this wisdom. So when things went wrong or wasn't done correctly, I didn't flip. It's life. So what if the center pieces didn't have enough shells + driftwood? Grab a glass of wine and roll with the fun!

Tip Five: Wedding Photos + Water.
So at my wedding of course there was water - ocean water. The biggest choice Bryce and I had to make was do we want photos of us in the water (as in my dress getting soaked and his suit getting wet) When deciding on this choice for my beach wedding brides... Have a back up outfit! (unless you're down to wear a wet dress!).

Tip Six: If there's alcohol remember some people's moods change.
I like weddings with alcohol. I'm the gal who loves to have something to sip on and have fun. Of course, not everyone acts the same way as I. So if you're having a bar at your event remember some people might act differently and consider if you’ll have to be babysitting or will they be able to handle their brews. 

I Sold My Car - Now What?!

Yes, you read the title correctly… I sold my Jeep Patriot. I loved that car so much and wow it was my first big purchase on my own. I drove ...