I.  DIE.  Over this dress.

Sorry to bombard you guys with maxis, but can you really complain when they’re this fun? 

And just in case you were starting to think that Houston was nothing but abandoned parking lots, construction sites, and railroad tracks, let me tell you: there are some really beautiful neighborhoods.  Want to know where I am in these photos?  On somebody’s street.  Yes, seriously — a random residential street has a roundabout with a hundred individual rosebushes, and probably its own gardener.  Oh Texas. 

How many of you guys saw this same skirt on Gilt yesterday?  Total coincidence, but I was actually invited to a really fun lunch (in Houston!) with Gilt last week — I kind of have a love-hate relationship with them, because 1) I love them, and 2) they take all my money.  But it was such a fun time (and so great to get to know some of the other fashion writers in Houston) that I’ll give them a pass.  (Check out a few of my pics here, here and here!)

Alice and Olivia maxi dress (sold out on Gilt, but you can still get on the waitlist), gifted Rachel Roy Ghana clutch, gifted Chanel sunglasses.

A few weeks ago, I came home to an amazing package — a selection of gorgeous spring dresses from Haute Hippie!  I had to wear this one first, because how often do you find the absolute perfect maxi dress?  I love how the cut lets you wear a maxi and still show a little leg, and how the colorblocking makes this so unique!  In Houston, this will go straight through summer and into next fall.

These shoes (closeup below) were part of Timo Weiland’s Spring 2012 collection, in collaboration with TSUBO — I love getting to see how styles move from the runways to stores.  These are almost exactly the same pair that went down the runway (see a pic here), and they’re such a cool mix of urban, contemporary, and still feminine enough to pair with a beautiful dress like this. 

And my Mark. earrings!  I almost never change my earrings — once I find a pair that I love, I basically wear them until something forces me to change them, and I adore these.  I didn’t get a great close-up in this post, but you’ll definitely be seeing more of them!  And if you want a sneak peek, they’re online here — only $16!

Gifted Haute Hippie dress (not online yet, but similar here!), gifted Timo Weiland for TSUBO “Tarrata” heels, Kate Spade necklace via T.J. Maxx, gifted David Yurman sunglasses, gifted Mark. earrings. 

In honor of taking care of your skin, Simple Skincare asked me to put together a quick list of ways that you can be kind to your skin on a day-to-day basis!  All sorts of little things can harm your skin, so it’s so important to remember the small ways you can minimize the damage!

First, if I were to pick any skincare tip, it would be SUNSCREEN!  I know I make a big deal of this every year as summer rolls around, but I wish someone had been there to tell me when I was seventeen how awful tanning is for your skin!  Tanning beds awful for your health (I put them on par with smoking) and for your skin!  Obviously, no one wants skin cancer, but you want to try to avoid wrinkles too!  So stay FAR away from tanning beds, and out of the sun (or at least, protect with SPF 30+ on the beach and Simple Skincare’s Vital Vitamin Day Cream with SPF 15 for all day skin protection and moisturization — even for days you’ll be indoors)!

Second, keep your hands (and everything else) away from your face!  Scrubbing down too often can irritate sensitive skin, so less can be more when you’re being kind to skin!  I try my best to keep my hands, cell phone, sunglasses (basically anything that can pick up grime) away from my face as much as possible, so that I only have to cleanse twice a day!  You want to keep your face free from irritants like sweat or dirt, but not strip away all of your natural oils, so be sure to use a great sensitive skin cleanser like Simple Skincare’s Refreshing Facial Wash Gel –- it leaves your skin cleansed and revived. 

Last, all the things that you do to stay healthy in your day-to-day life help your skin too!  Things like eating unprocessed food and healthy fats, keeping stress under control, and getting eight hours of sleep per night are crucial to your beauty routine *and* your overall well-being!  So be kind to your skin by being kind to your whole body!

What are your go-to tips for being kind to your skin?