Based on Style.com’s Twitter post, MAC cosmetics have collaborated with Ruffian to release a collection of press on nails to be released this June.
They look pretty sweet!
Monday Morning: L’Oreal Colour Riche Nail Polish
Happy Monday!
Now that spring has descended upon us, my bright nail polish colors have been in full effect (currently Essie’s “Turquoise & Caicos”). I’ve tucked away the deeper reds, the dark grays, and the sultry purples and replaced them with happy, cheerful colors.
I stumbled across the Colour Riche collection from L’Oreal over the weekend and fell madly in love with the color selection. They have every color I’ve ever wanted. As always however, I’m dubious of the quality of anything other than Essie and OPI but I’m willing to give this a shot because it’s $3 cheaper and the colors are beautiful. Oh, the colors!
On top of the $3 savings, Ultra is currently having a sale on L’Oreal products: buy one, get one 50% off + the $3.50 Ulta coupon. At that price, I’m DEFINITELY giving it a try. The real question is: will I walk out of there with ALL of these colors?
Clockwise left to right: “Now You Sea Me”, “Penthouse Pink”, “Check Me Out”, “L’Orange”, “Club Prive”, “Tweet Me”, “Sweet Nothings”, “Walk On The Beach”
Sephora x PANTONE Universe™
Sephora teamed up with Pantone to release a limited edition collection that glamorizes the color of the year, Tangerine Tango, which was released a couple of days ago.
The designer in me is jumping with glee!
The color is beautiful, rich, and screams “summer”! Looking at the palette makes me wish I was sitting on a beach sipping on a mojito.
I think my favorite would be the nail polish set and the gorgeous tangerine brushes. The lipstick on my complexion probably wouldn’t work out, nor the eyeshadow palette.
The products range in price between $16 and $68. Check it out: Sephora x PANTONE Universe™
Obama Campaign Nail Polish
April Fools’!
Not.
It looks like the Obama campaign has teamed up with Richard Blanch of Le Métier De Beauté to create these patriotic red, white, and blue mini polish sets. It’s obvious that by releasing these, the campaign is trying to lull the fashionista voters.
This is a part of their Runway to Win product line and will run $40 for the trio.
I, personally, would rather just go buy red, white, and blue by Essie for $8 a pop if I really wanted those colors (which I won’t).
Monday Morning: Metallic Nails
I’m starting to really dig the metallic nails. I’m not talking the glittery gold and silver nail polishes, but the intensely smooth surface of Minx metallic wraps. They truly are lovely and is a departure from polishes that I’m used to wearing.
I know the trend is a little old by now—ancient, even—and that I’m late to the game, but I’ve been noticing it a lot more recently and because of that, it’s grown on me.
Time to go find a nail salon!
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm
I’m just going to put it out there. My addiction to chapstick and lipstick comes in second after my addiction to nail polish.
I love sheer and minimal and I love Burt’s Bees. Bam! A twofer. You know, two-for-one. It contains a bunch of beneficial ingredients: sunflower oil, coconut oil, beeswax and vitamin E to name a few. Plus, you can find it at just about any drugstore.
Don’t get me wrong, I still like EOS. This one is just a bit better. Imagine if there was a line of EOS chopsticks chapsticks that were tinted? Someone get on that, stat!
A New Year’s Resolution: Skin Care
I really suck at maintaining a strict regimen, especially before I go to sleep. I take the cheap way out by keeping makeup wipes by my nightstand but I have a feeling that it isn’t good for me or my skin when I wake up in the morning. I’m just too scared to Google “the effects of using makeup removers before you go to bed”. I seriously don’t want to know.
This leads me to my next resolution for this year.
Resolution #3: Take care of my skin.
I never had any strict products that I used, unlike most friends I know. I like to experiment and curiosity always bit me in the butt at Sephora. This year, I have started out by ordering a few new products that I’ve done extensive research on and will be mixing it with a couple of things, the only things, that I have committed to.
Morning
1. Clean: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser with the Clarisonic Mia To help wash all of that icky dirt and unclog pores.
2. Retexturize: cane+austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads Clinically proven to correct dark spots and discoloration, while reversing sun damage. This will replace toner, which I never really used anyway.
3. Bright Eyes: StriVection-SD Eye Cream To help reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eye.
4. Moisturize: Origins A Perfect World SPF25 with White Tea To help moisturize and as a top layer, locks in everything layered underneath.
Night
1. Clean: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser with the Clarisonic Mia To help wash all of that icky dirt and junk to help unclog pores.
2. Retexturize: cane+austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads Clinically proven to correct dark spots and discoloration, while reversing sun damage. This will replace toner, which I never really used anyway.
3. Bright Eyes: StriVection-SD Eye Cream To help reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the eye.
4. Moisturize: Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiageing & Antiwrinkle Night Cream To help regenerate skin while I’m zzZzing away without having to lift a finger.
Now, I have a confession to make.
It wasn’t until this past year that I figured out in what order to apply the plethora of skincare products I’ve bought to try and keep my skin from dying on me. I feel like I have tried every single product available to consumers (but I know that I haven’t even made a dent).
For those who like guessing like I did, here’s a chart I made to help you out. Start from the bottom up. The layers all make sense. I used to just grab what I saw first and went from there.
You’re welcome.
On a side note, what is your regimen? Are there any products you’d recommend? I’d love any tips or recommendations!
Au Naturel: Scotch Nail Polish
I came across a water based, non-toxic, safe, fragrance free and eco-friendly nail polish yesterday called Scotch Naturals. The colors are bold, amazingly saturated and vibrant. It’ll set you back about $14.99 but that’s only a few extra dollars on top of Essie and OPI prices, and you get to go au naturel.
Plus, we can all get trashed on Scotch and not have to feel guilty about it the next day.
Monday Morning: Makeup for Fall
With cooler weather comes darker makeup.
I love fall and I can’t say it enough. My closet that was once dashed with corals, teals and pinks will now be traded out for blacks, tans and reds. Mostly black.
Smokey eyes and red lips is my look of choice and if I were skilled in applying eye shadow on myself, I would always opt for it. I practice on my down time but that doesn’t even seem like it’s enough to master the craft. Either way, I’m going to attempt it anyway and hope for the best.
Some people say that a dark eye and red lips might be a bit too much, and they might be right, but something about it to me feels very glamorous and definitely feminine.
How To: Glitter Nail
As mentioned in my post below, I’ve been obsessed with nail art. If it hadn’t looked so awkward, I would have sported 10 different styles on 10 different fingers. And yes, I actually tried.
One style that has stood out to me is the glitter, whether it be on one nail or all of them. So, while painting my own I decided to take pictures and whip up a quick how to, although it seems pretty easy anyway.
I’ve come to find that I like applying loose glitter rather than glitter that’s sold as a polish because you get a different effect. It’s much more dimensional, it reflects in the sun like glitter should and you are able to see the texture.
What you’ll need: A base color (I used OPI “You Don’t Know Jacques”, perfect for fall), a top coat (my favorite is Seche Vite), fine or extra fine glitter (I love all of the Martha Stewart glitters for the blended colors), a nail polish correction pen (such as the one from Sephora) and a small, slender brush
Before you start: Paint your nails as you usually do (base coat, nail polish, top coat) and let it dry before starting to add glitter. If you don’t already know, Seche Vite is not only the glossiest top coat I’ve ever used, but it also speeds up drying time by a considerable amount so you don’t have to wait too long.
Dip your brush into the top coat…just enough to cover the tip. Don’t dunk it!
Then, dip your brush into the glitter and tap on the brush to shake off all of the loose glitter.
Apply the glitter to your nail by dabbing it. Make sure you don’t brush it on as if you’re painting. To evenly distribute the glitter, just keep dabbing. This creates a nice, unique texture.
You’ll have to do step 2 through 4 a few more times to fully cover the nail.
It’ll probably get a bit messy around your nail. Queue the corrector pen! Use the corrector pen to go around your nail to touch it up and remove any glitter that has gone awol onto your skin!
And ta-dah! There you have it.
Nail Art is the New Lipstick
(appropriately named after an article that was sent to me by my b.f.f, Mary)
Nail art has slowly become a brand new form of self-expression and it’s catching on like a wildfire. I’ve been observing the quick progression from boring and safe to crazy, out-of-this-world, “did she really just do that?” and I am LOVIN’ it.
No longer do we have to worry about our style shining through when wearing drab sweatpants on a Sunday afternoon, our nails are now bold enough to represent it for us. Glam glitters, roaring tiger stripes, galatic nebulas, geometric abstractions, gradient waterfalls, sexy vixens, and well, practically whatever you want.
On top of that, normal manicures last 1-2 weeks (or more if you’re really lucky) so you’re able to enjoy the best of it, erase it and move on to something new. No hard feelings involved. It’ll conform to how you’re feeling that week and plus, the possibilities are endless. How amazing is that?
If you’re a little too shy to put the solar system on tip of your fingers, start small. Dab a little glitter on just one nail and maybe you’ll start warming up to the idea. If you’re looking for a how-to, Emily over at Cupcakes & Cashmere has a super simple tutorial here.
Have fun, go crazy! If you don’t like it, remove it with a cotton ball.
Dior Multi-Wear Adhesive Eyeliner
The first-ever adhesive eyeliner. I’m going to go ahead and assume that this will be harder than actually drawing them on yourself. Imagine how tough it will be to get straight!
However, I wouldn’t mind trying out the ones with anthracite crystals attached to them.
Release date: September 8, 2011
A Guide to Nails for Fall
We can all resort to the typical colors for fall, myself in particular, like OPI’s “You Don’t know Jacques” and Essie’s “Mink Muffs”. Or, you can take an adventurous route and try new colors that bring you a little out of your element. Besides, we all know the best thing to experiment with is your nails.
Trust me, these aren’t bizarre, but perhaps they’re colors you’ve never considered.
Blue Jean Baby
Chanel ‘Les Jeans de Chanel’ Collection (Available September 8)
A range of beautiful blues, perfect for fall and a stray from the earth tones we’re use to seeing for fall.
A Range of Greens and Teals
OPI ‘Don’t Mess with OPI’, OPI ‘Cuckoo for this Color’, OPI ‘Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow’, OPI for Sephora ‘Teal We Meet Again’
I can already tell you I’ll be obsessed with greens and dark teals this fall. They’re different but not enough to be jarring or to overpower an outfit.
Rubies and Vampires
Essie ‘Carry On’, Deborah Lippman ‘Lady is a Tramp’, MAC ‘Vintage Vamp’, illamasqua ‘Untold’
I always love red for fall, it’s sexy, seductive and appropriate.
Scents of Heaven
There’s nothing more heavenly than stumbling across a new smell that knocks you right off your feet (in an amazing way, of course). It’s always unexpected but delightful when it does happen.
A scent speaks volumes and is an expression of who we are. It reflects a part of ourselves that can’t be conveyed any other way.
For me, I love simplicity. This carries over to my perfume, which attracts me to “clean” scents that are light and crisp in it’s composition. I stay far, far away from heavy, spicy, musty smells. I’m looking at you, tuberose.
Choosing a scent doesn’t happen over night. It takes time and effort to find something that speaks your language. Dousing yourself in a smell you don’t feel confident in is probably worse than not putting anything on at all.
Here are a couple that I have stumbled upon that tickled my “smell good” fancy, and they definitely won’t be the last. I have yet to scratch the surface.
Bond No. 9 “The Scent of Peace”
This smell is amazing. Ah-may-zing. My friend had a small vile of this in her purse, which she whipped out after we emerged after dinner smelling like fajitas and smoke. Luckily she did because it was love at first whiff.
Niven Morgan Jean Baptiste 1717
My latest discovery, which I came upon after washing my hands at a bar, compelled me to write a blog. Yes, a bar–Contigo in Austin, to be exact.
To my disappointment that day, there were no labels on their soap dispenser and no refill bottles beneath the sink. I felt a tinge of sadness, but basked in the amazing smell that remained on my hands the rest of the night.
My second visit, still no label. Bummer. I came and went, always leaving not knowing what kind of soap it was nor wanting to be silly by asking our waitress. Then, it happened. Someone left a refill bottle beneath the sink and on that bottle, plain as day, read “Jean Baptiste 1717”. I dived straight to my phone and Googled it. Excitement ensued.
