WARBY PARKER SPRING '17

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THIS, but I've got terrible eyesight-- since the 7th grade. Not only am I pretty badly nearsighted, but my left eye is much weaker than my right and I've got an astigmatism, so if you were to try on my glasses, your head might explode. I used to wear glasses very rarely but with all the great options from Warby Parker, I'm wearing frames a lot more now. 

Their new spring collection is full of classic frames in dreamy palettes and prints. Here are a few of my favorites, and I'll be heading out to a store to try some on so you'll see more soon!

HACKWITH DESIGN SWIM '17

LIVING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS ITS PERKS like year-round beach/resort weather, so even in January we're lucky enough spend the winter in the water. My talented friends from Hackwith Design House were sweet enough to let me style a few pieces from their new swim collection that launches today, and I loved every single piece, especially in the new hues. 

J, Harrison and I took a quick trip to San Diego this past weekend, and we stayed in North Park and Little Italy mostly. If you ever find yourself there, the Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club, and Bungalows is a sweet little hotel surrounded by the best places to go, and it's not far from the beach either. (We were able to eat at some great spots (Ironside had the best lobster roll!), check out the new Children's Museum, and wander around the Point Loma tide pools before heading back home after a too-short trip.) These photos were taken in our hotel room and by the pool at the Lafayette.

Drawstring one-piece in forest
V one-piece in white
Bend top and high-waist bottom in ruby

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CLE COSMETICS GIVEAWAY

FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! It's been a long year, and I'm excited to start fresh with a new year; for some reason, this past year seemed to drag on sometimes, although there were some really great things, too. Sharing things like Halloween and Christmas and all his other firsts was wonderful, but I can't wait for what 2017 has in store. Positive vibes!

So, here's a great way to start the new year: a new giveaway with Los Angeles based K-beauty line, Cle Cosmetics. As you may know, I don't have much of a beauty routine to begin with-- like most other aspects of my life, I try to keep things minimal/natural, and makeup is no exception. Cle Cosmetics falls perfectly into my skincare and beauty regimen, right down to the branding and clean packaging. I was excited to try everything out, and the ladies behind the brand were gracious enough to let me host a giveaway of a few of their amazing facial cleansers.

My favorite product is definitely the melting lip powder. It comes in some great staple colors-- my favorites are milk choco and hot choco, two neutral shades that can even be used as blush! They were a bit tricky on the application at first since I'd never used a powder lip color before, but the results are a perfect, matte finish that lasts pretty long and doesn't rub off on things easily. I want to try the other colors soon! 

The cleansers were my next favorites because I like having something that's easy and mild since my facial regimen consists of just washing my face. The oxygen foaming cleanser is an all-in-one face wash that I use daily and the melting cleanser is great for removing makeup! Super easy no-brainers.

I love both the essence air cushion and the ccc cream, but I think the ccc cream is a bit trickier to use since it comes out white and you blend the micro capsules so the color comes through. BUT, I like that the ccc cream is an all-in-one since it works as foundation, primer, and SPF 45 protection. The air cushion goes on more evenly to me, has SPF 50, and feels like you have nothing on while providing coverage with a glow. I got both in Medium, and I feel like the air cushion matched my complexion in that color the most.

All in all, I'd say you should definitely check out Cle Cosmetics for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed, AND you can start your Cle collection by entering my giveaway. To enter, go to my Instagram feed @melissasonico, follow both me and @clecosmetics, and comment on the post tagging friends as many times as you want. Good luck! If you don't win, you can sign up for Cle Cosmetics emails on their site and get 20% off your first purchase!

The winners are @sarahashley98, @samiyla, and @jnnfrgrmm. Congratulations! Email me at melissasonico@gmail.com to claim your prize.

COVET & LOU HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

ONE OF MY FAVORITE ONLINE SHOPS COVET & LOU APPROACHED ME about curating a gift guide from their holiday look book, and I-- of course-- jumped at the chance.

The shop owner Tina was kind enough to let me style a few amazing pieces from No. 6, Caron Callahan, and Lauren Manoogian. Check out my holiday wishlist on their site now and get some last-minute gift inspiration for women, baby, and home!

REINVENT GIVING WITH HP

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER and I'm just getting done with shopping for those last people on my list. Every holiday season, one of my favorite things to do is search for the perfect gift for each person. I love finding thoughtful, useful gifts-- and for my sister, Maya, that isn't always easy even though we're very similar. She's one of my very favorite people, and I always try to make sure she has what she needs.

But this year,I partnered up with HP to #ReinventGiving, and I knew just what to gift her: the HP Spectre x360. Maya recently moved out to LA to work in the Arts District doing digital marketing and social media for one of my favorite shops, Poketo. This means, like me, she's online for the bulk of her job and she needs something super portable and multi-functional. The Spectre x360 is perfect because it's a laptop and touchscreen tablet all in one, along with being super thin and light. It's great for taking to work or to a client meeting at a coffee shop at a moment's notice. I was excited to gift the Spectre x360 to her because I knew how much easier it would make her job. It's also a lot of fun to use for watching movies and videos or editing photos. 

Now you have the chance to win a Spectre x360 to share with someone on your own holiday lists! All you have to do to enter is comment with the hashtag #ReinventGivingSweepstakes on my Instagram post. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. (D.C.) 18+.  Ends 12/14/16.  For Official Rules, including odds and prizes, visit http://bit.ly/2gBz4HD. Void where prohibited.