Friday, June 15, 2012

Three PERFECT Classic Summer Up-Dos

Ok folks, so if you've been following on twitter or facbook you have noticed that I've been busy packing and planning next week.  Next week I have to travel 4 hours away from home and spend an entire week on campus for grad school.  It will be quite the busy week, but no worries, I have scheduled posts to keep you entertained:)

I will be on campus to participate in the clinical experience required for my area of study.  Every day professional dress is required.  Also, as of right now there is no telling whether there will be air conditioning on-site (there is in all campus buildings but it's not definite for our other off campus locations).  My wardrobe is full of professional dress for fall through spring, but it is seriously lacking in the summer department;)  To try to cure my lack of professional summer attire I've been pinteresting it up trying to gather ideas for outfits, hair, make up, manicures (of course) you name it!

I came across three gorgeous hair tutorials from Reagan,a hair blogger at Hairdresser On Fire and hairstylist at Whittemore House in NYC.  She posted these on Latest-Hairstyles and they are perfect for those days when it is humid, muggy, and my hair is misbehaving. Check it out:

3 Updos Every Woman Should Know How To Do. The Braided Chignon

I have thick curly/wavy hair and I'm always looking for ways to use my hair's natural texture to create beautiful updos.  This would be perfect for day old hair (aka. hair the day after you wash it).  I love the asymmetry of this!

3 Updos Every Woman Should Know How To Do. The Party Bun

Although this is called the "party bun" it is also  my saving grace when I have bad hair days.  I love the texture that this has.  This is essential for those muggy days that will be abundant next week!

3 Updos Every Woman Should Know How To Do. The Romantic French Twist

I love that this is professional & pretty without being too old looking.  I think that French twists can often get a bad connotation because of the aged & serious population that traditionally wears them.  It would also be fun to include a subtle braid either into the twist or as a headband.  Also French twists can always be done at a diagonal for a more asymmetrical look:)

What are some of your go-to hair styles for those humid days of summer?

Thursday, June 14, 2012

essie Fear or Desire

It is no secret that oranges have made a HUGE comeback this year.  Also it is becoming quite evident that essie is becoming more adventurous.  While I do enjoy traditional nail polish shades, which essie has definitely flourished in, the increased variety in their colors is definitely appreciated.

Today I am going to share a lovely little bottle of essie nail polish from their latest summer 2012 collection, Bikini So Teeny.  I received this polish from a perk on klout and was randomly sent a polish.  I tore open the box on Tuesday and found this orange shade tucked inside.  

While it is a beautiful orange, I'm not sure I ever in a million years would have bought it for myself.  It's not that I don't like oranges, I'm just afraid of yellow leaning ones (vs. red leaning oranges).  In fact, I think that may be how I can relate to the name, you either fear this color or desire it:)  

Here is Fear or Desire:
This creamy yellow leaning orange is still not too yellow.  It's a bright sunny shade without approaching neon.

The Verdict:
I actually really like this color.  Surprisingly it compliments my skin tone nicely.  Ready for a shock?  The above picture is of ONE COAT of this lovely.  I could have done 2, but it was opaque in 1 medium coat.  The bumps you see on my nails are not from this polish, they were just some stubborn flakies that were stuck to my nails.  I didn't know I missed them until I painted my nails:-\  Hence the one coat (I removed it, then repainted).  Overall, I do enjoy this orange.  I'm surprised I like it as much as I do actually:)

essie nail polishes retail for about $8 per bottle and can be found at many pharmacies, drug stores, and beauty suppliers.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Words of Wisdom Wednesday



Source: flickr.com via Kate on Pinterest

Move on.
Take chances.
Be adventurous.
Be yourself every day.
Don't be defined by your past.
Be optimistic, leave negative worries behind.
Do not let someone or something hold you back.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Barielle Buddha-ful

Barielle describes this polish as "beige with soft baby pink, blue, and light grey foil."  However, after holding it, using it, and swatching it, I would say that is is a sheer baby pink base packed with gold/lime/cyan shifting foil.  See what I mean?



The Verdict:
I should have used 3 coats instead of 2.  While I love this on it's own, I think it will be stunning as a topcoat over other polishes.  I cannot wait to see what this does over different polishes!  This was actually the most beautiful on overcast days, as the foil was more visible without blinding you:)  My only problem with this polish was the removal.  The foil was packed in there so tightly that my remover had trouble dissolving it!  It was a real pain, but it's still a gorgeous polish!

Barielle nail polishes retail for $8 and can be purchased from their website.

Also, do not forget to enter my giveaway of 3 Barielle Shades AND 3 other nail treatment items from Barielle.

AND be sure to enter Barielle's BFF Sweepstakes!

Disclosure: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration.  For more information please visit the tabs below the header.

Monday, June 11, 2012

NOPI Turquoise Shatter Redo

Many of you remember this post where I shared my frustrations with the crackle/shatter/texture coat trend that took over last summer.  Well after the recent release of the OPI spotted top coat, I decided to give NOPI Turquoise Shatter another shot.
THIS looks so much better than my other previous attempts at this manicure.  I used Barielle Green Opal as the backdrop for NOPI Turquoise Shatter.  The color combination is mush better than my other attempts and it actually cracked pretty nicely.  I liked that it was matte, however this made it chip off much more easily and it did not look that great with a gloss topcoat.  While the glossy topcoat brought out the shimmer in the texture coat and it evened it out, it lost some of the contrast & looked a bit muddy.
I'm glad I gave this another shot, however I think I may be finding a new home for this with someone who loves & actually uses crackle/shatter/texture polishes:)

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Barielle Giveaway

Recently Barielle contacted me asking me if they could send me the products in their BFF Sweepstakes.  They said I could keep them or share them with you.  I chose to share.  Those of you whom follow me on facebook & twitter helped me pick out the colors to include for you.  The colors that were heard most often were chosen & were graciously sent to me for YOU!
I wanted to share these products with you because I LOVE them.  I enjoy them so much that they have become part of my manicure and pedicure routine.  If you'd like to see what I think about them check it out here.

Here's the deal, you have a couple ways to try to get your hands on some Barielle.  First you can enter this giveaway.  Second, you can go to Barielle's facebook page and enter the sweepstakes there.  If you win the sweepstakes you'll get to choose your favorite 3 Shades to be included in your prize.  Barielle has also said that they will have multiple winners for their BFF Sweepstakes.

Here are some close-ups of the goodies in this giveaway package sponsored by Barielle:
Nail Rebuilding Protein (base coat), Nail Strengthening Cream, and Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender (top coat) 
End of the Rainbow
Falling Star
Shannon's Attitude
Please read the rules within the rafflecopter widget and enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

This made me laugh.  I hope Miss Piggy can brighten your day too;)


Source: google.com via Kate on Pinterest

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Mixing It Up, Again!

Hello, friends:)

Have you ever thought of the most beautiful color and then gone crazy trying to find it?  I feel like I have done exactly that.  I've been on the hunt for the palest teal leaning blue.  I've searched everywhere for this pretty shade, but everything is either too bright, grey, dark, teal, or blue.  So I thought I'd try my hand at mixing up my fantastical color.

Unfortunately I have not been able to create it.  My mixing led to a color that was perfect in the bottle but looked a lot like Zoya Kristen but a tad greener in the end.  The polish was still beautiful, just not what I had imagined.  Here is my nail polish concoction:
After much more searching, I have decided that Cult Nails Manipulative *might* be what I'm looking for, although in my head my mystery color is a paler version of Manipulative.  I guess I'll have to keep dreaming;)

What mysterious colors have you imagined but been unable to find?

Monday, June 4, 2012

Playing with Polish--Citrus Print Manicure

This season, beautiful citrus shades are everywhere.  I love citrus and have a soft spot for anything citrus.  It should be no surprise to you then that Stella McCartney's iconic citrus print from Spring/Summer 2011 caught my attention the first moment I saw it.
Source: blogcdn.com via Ceanna on Pinterest

I decided to create a less detailed spinoff of the print for my nails.  First I painted my nails with 2 coats of Zoya Purity to create the white background.  Then I pulled ALL of the citrus shades I owned and decided which shades to use.  In the end, I used all Zoya polishes.  I chose Zoya Elise, Paz, Coraline, Kate, and Belle and painted round shapes piled at the tips of my nails.  I finished it off with a few leaves of Zoya Edyta.  Check out the final result:
I apologize for the shadows & poor lighting:-\
I think it turned out pretty well, especially since I was in a bit of a rush--oops;)  If I try this again, I will hopefully have more time and I can add more details and incorporate more deep pinks (grapefruit) and yellows (lemon).  Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result.

What do you think of this fashion inspired manicure?