How To: Nail Care

Hey There Dolls,

If you're like me and you browse through what feels like hundreds of blog posts a day, you've probably run across more than one beauty blog raving about the new $24 nail polish from Dior, or $18 polish from Marc Jacobs.  If you're even more like me you cringe, visibly, when you read the price of those polishes, and think about how often you actually wear all of the colors in your collection.  Chances are you only ever remember that brief love affair you had with a polish when you first purchased it, then it got lost in the pile with the rest of your polishes, only to be brought out six months later for a final hurrah before being lost again.  Sound familiar?  If it does, then it means you're even more like me than I thought, and you probably also love drugstore polishes, but hate how they're labeled "cheap", making you feel bullied into hitting up a department store to empty your pockets to the polish gods.  Never fear! There is a way to make those "cheap" polishes look like they cost much more than you paid for them.

*I am NOT a professional. All of these tips are things I do/have done to my nails. Always make sure you check the ingredients of any products you may be using, and test them on a small part of your skin before you fully commit to anything.  Similarly, sterilize any tools you may be using, and please be careful.  No bloody fingers!*

First you have to start with the state of your hands.  If they're dry, moisturize them.  If they're not dry, moisturize them.  Even better, use a moisturizer with SPF in it so your pretty hands don't get destroyed by the sun.

Next lets look at your cuticles.  Are they dry, cracked, brittle, overgrown and crazy looking, or just plain in the way?  Use a cuticle remover, followed by pushing back the cuticle with an orange stick or remover stick, and if they still aren't up to your standards, you can take cuticle nippers and cut those stubborn ones off.  This will give you a clean, salon finished effect, that improves the look of polish tremendously.

The you have to look at the state of your nails.  If you, like me, have gotten bitten by the acrylic nail bug lately, you know how harmful they are to your natural nails.  You can try and file down the craziness, or you can use a ridge filler/smoother, but it is always best to let your nails just grow out and use a strengthening treatment on them until the damage grows out.  If you have been a good person and have not used acrylics, you will probably be in pretty good shape.  If you have any other nail problems (discoloration, ridges, fungus, etc.) you can pop on over to Sally Beauty's website and click around until you find the product that will work the best for you.

After all this prep work with your hands, it's time to start prepping your nails.

Start by wiping your nails down with some polish remover to get any excess oils off of your nails before you apply your polish.  This is also the time that you can use lotion/Vaseline around the sides of your nail if you're a bit messy when you apply your polish.  This makes it easier to wipe off the excess polish after you're done with application, but not necessary.

After picking out the polish (which is right on par in terms of importance as the prep work and application itself), you have to make sure the polish is mixed.  Don't shake it all around just because you like to hear the little metal bb rattle (guilty!).  Instead you should be rolling the bottle of polish between your hands to mix it, as it creates less bubbles in the polish.

Then apply your polish.  Go for long strokes from the nail bed to the tip.  You can either start in the middle with one broad stroke, then do two more on either side, or you can start on one side and go to the other.  Whatever you feel comfortable with, that gets you even results, is fine by me.  I'm the start in the middle kind of girl myself, but that's solely because I have an awful time getting an even coat on my nails, and this makes it easier for me to fake one if I have to.

Between coats you should wait about a minute, or less if you put a hairdryer to your nails (on cool).  This makes it so your polish doesn't bunch up. slide off, or get too thick.  Don't think that having to paint more than one coat means you'll end up with terribly painted nails, some polishes just need more than one coat.

When your coats are on, and your polish looks uniform and is dry, now it's time for cleanup.  You can use the "scrub until something bleeds" method, or you can use those cute little pointed Q-Tips (regular ones will work too) dipped in polish remover to get off the excess.

Finish off with some cuticle oil, or some hand lotion, and you're good to go!

Things I'm Loving : Autumn Edition

Autumn (or Fall) is my absolute favorite time of the year.  I always look forward to the weather getting cooler, the smells of leaves and woodstoves, and the ability to wear a sweater without sweating up a storm.  

Being a huge fan of lists, I decided to make a list of the top 10 things I'm loving this Autumn.

1. Tea.  I like green tea, black tea, warm tea, iced tea, fruity tea, bold flavored tea.  I just like tea.  I used to drink tea when I was younger, but then I switched to coffee because that's what the cool kids drank.  Recently I have rediscovered my love for this hot drink, and I have strayed away from the gobs of sugar I used to add into it as a child and I drink it plain.  It makes my tummy all warm and fuzzy, and is perfect for a cozy night in watching movies.

2. Coffee.  I have recently bought myself a Keurig and I LOVE IT.  It's simple, easy, and I like how it looks (I'm superficial when it comes to appliances).  To get my caffeine kick I used to chug Red Bulls like it was my job, but after it started affecting my health I decided to go for a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning.  It is the first thing I think about doing when I drag myself out of bed in the morning, and has been a great addition to my morning routine.  Not to mention a lot cheaper than Red Bulls are.

3. Water.  I know this is the third liquid/drink I have mentioned here, but I just can't get enough of it. I never used to drink water unless I was ill or it was over 85 degrees outside. I feel much better on days where I drink 3-4 glasses of water or more, and I have seen an improvement in the amount of migraines I get. Instead of drinking a glass of wine at night I go for a glass of water and a glass of hot tea and I'm good to go. 

4.Cardigans.  I currently have three in my rotation, all oversized, and all over worn.  I love how easy they are to wear on a casual day, and how nice they are to snuggle up in at night.  For me I can never see cardigans going out of style.  I am hoping that Christmas brings me a few more cardigans to love and wear way too often.  if not I will definitely be buying them for myself.

5. Navy/gray/cream.  Those are my go to colors this fall.  Sure I'll mix in some rust here, and some olive there, but navy gray and cream have taken over.  From my jewelry, to my nails, to the clothes I wear and the things I buy.  These colors have taken over my life, and I'm okay with it.

6. Artificial Rain App.  I have been having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night.  The sound of rain storms, and rain in general puts me in a sound sleep, so I downloaded about six rain and ambient noise apps on my phone and put them to the test.  The one that has worked the best for me and the boyfriend has been the Mood Rain app from JMD Mobile DEV Studios.  It has rain and thunder sounds on a continual loop, and it fades in and out every few minutes.  It puts my racing thoughts quickly to bed and gives me a deep sleep that I have come to enjoy immensely.

7. Chapstick Hydration Lock (I know I said I didnt care for it, but apparently I made a liar out of myself).  I received this in my October Birchbox and I didn't care for it when I first tried it.  I was looking for a thick beeswax type balm to soothe my lips, and this is nothing like that.  However, it gives my lips a silky smooth feeling, and has done wonders for my lips.  I'm glad that I gave this another shot and I will definitely be on the hunt for this balm before I run out.

8. The Originals.  The Originals is a TV show on the CW network that is a spinoff of the Vampire Diaries character Klaus Mikaelson.  I never got into the Vampire Diaries, but this was on before one of my all time favorite shows Supernatural, and I just fell in love.  It's about the battle between witches and vampires in the downtown New Orleans.  I love the storyline, the characters, and how the story progresses with each episode without those filler episodes in between.  I highly suggest you give it a look see.

9. Haven.  Haven is another one of my all time favorite shows.  It is on the SyFy network (hello guilty pleasure channel), and I got into it after I ran out of old episodes of Supernatural on Netflix.  It's all about a small town where people have supernatural abilities and one lady who is immune to the effects of the abilities called "troubles".  There is never a dull moment or repeat type episode and I look forward to watching this every week.

10.British YouTubers.  There has been a British invasion of YouTubers, and I am obsessed.  From the girls and their beauty blogs, to the boys and their jokes, I am hooked.  They all make me want to start a YouTube channel myself.  Not only are they all amazing, but they're all friends in some way!  It's like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon game.  Insane.

NYC In A New York Color Minute

My favorite colors as of late have been navy, gray, and cream.  In my mind they go amazingly well together, but then again I'm the person who doesn't like green and pink, or green and blue, or brown and black, which are all perfectly acceptable things in the beauty industry.  Anywhoo, to go with my latest obsession with those three colors, I went into Target in search of a navy blue polish, and because I can never seem to find the polish shade I'm looking for when I'm looking for it, I ended up with this pretty gray polish instead.

Let me just say, this $1.99 polish is cheap, but as I have found with this line previously, it really impressed me.

 

 

I purchased the shade Sidewalkers, and it is the color of concrete(like a sidewalk, get it?), or a gray crayola.  It was opaque in two coats, and dried in about five minutes.  It didn't streak for me, like lighter polishes tend to do, and with my nails being so short it has yet to chip after three days.  I really like how it makes my nails look more grown up than a glitter polish would, and even with my ridiculously short nails (thank you acrylics) it still looks nice.  

*Tangent- I'm not sure if anyone else shares the same views as I do about short nails, but sometimes a glittery polish, or even a lighter "regular" polish, can make your nails feel childish.  Typically when I am forced to cut my nails into little stubs I like the look of a darker polish to look more sophisticated.  With my hands already being small and stubby the last thing I want is to be told I have little kids hands because I decided to wear baby blue polish (thanks Dad).*End Tangent

 Being a lover of cheap (price wise) nail products I highly recommend everyone run out to their local Target, or drugstore, and give this brand a try. 

With that, I say happy polish hunting, and have a wonderful day!

Ipsy Glam Bag November 2013

Hey There Dolls,

As you know I am a huge fan of beauty subscriptions, and one of those subscriptions is to the Ipsy Glam Bag.  This month was a huge hit for me, and one of my all time favorites from the contents down to the bag itself.

 

The Be A Bombshell lip crayon is in the shade shameless.  It is a pinky red color, that at first glance looks to be a dark red, but when applied is a sparkly medium red color.  It is perfect for the person who doesn't want a bold lip, but would still like some color.  It applies smoothly and can be built up if desired.

I was really excited for the em lash gallery mascara.  I love a good chunky eyelash, and the more mascaras I can try out the better.  The brush is slightly curved, and has what looks like a cross between fiber and plastic bristles.  It looks to be a black mascara, and is not waterproof, but since it is a volumizing mascara it will go under a waterproofer or a waterproof mascara.

I'm not usually a fan of sparkly eyeliners, but this sparkly purple liner will look great on the lower lashline in winter.  It's by the brand Star Looks, which I have never heard of before, and it is a Gem pencil in the color Amethyst.  It glides on really smooth, and is not a chunky glitter, but a fine glitter.  As long as it doesn't pepper my cheeks with glitter I think this pencil and I will get along just fine.

I received another bh cosmetics product in an Ipsy bag a few months back and I didn't like it at all.  The shade Sun in the Galaxy Chic collection has changed my mind about the brand.  It looks mottled in the package, but comes out this gorgeous peach color that will be perfect for a lazy day.  It's a shimmer shade, that goes on very smooth, and will probably be a new favorite in my makeup rotation.

I have tried a few Pixi brand products I've received in boxes and I loved them.  Their mascara is perfect for layering, and their eyeliners are buttery smooth and highly pigmented, so when I saw this bronzer I was more than excited to try it out. I received the shade Subtly Suntouched and it is a very light colored bronzer.  It is very soft, with a fine shimmer, and will give my face that little bit of glow in the cold dark winter months.

The last product is the Nailtini nail polish in the shade Champagne.  I have a love for rose gold, and this shade is absolutely wonderful.  I expect to get a lot of use out of this product, and any other metallic polishes I have in my collection this winter.  To me this product screams fancy dinner party, cocktail dress, and tiny foods on silver trays.  Oh, and of course champagne.

From Top: Pixi Bronzer in  Subtly Suntouched, Be A Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless, Star Looks Gem Pencil in Amethyst, bh cosmetics baked eyeshadow in Sun.

  I highly recommend the Ipsy Glam Bag if you don't already have a subscription.  At only $10 a month for 4-5 full/sample sized beauty products it is well worth the investment.

Birchbox November 2013

Hey There Dolls,

Beauty boxes are my guilty pleasure.  I wait every month for these little boxes to come in the mail, and every time it's like a mini Christmas full of mini beauty surprises. 

 

The first picture is the Holiday Gift Guide that was included in every box.

The Bee Kind Lotion smells like lemons, and the scent is really overpowering.  I can see myself using this at night before I go to bed, but not for daily wear.  That being said I'm always looking for good moisturizers, especially since it's getting cold out and my skin is craving moisture something fierce, and moisturizing overnight is supposed to be great.

I already have a polish like the Color Club polish in the color On The Rocks.  Heavily glittered polishes are a pain to get off, but silver is one of my favorite winter shades, so I can definitely power through it.  If this coverage is anything like the other color club polish I have then one swipe should do the trick.

The Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Black is my favorite thing out of the box.  I love liquid eyeliners and this is a rich black shade that will fit perfectly in my purse.  If you've ever worn black liner, in any form, when it rubs off you look disheveled and that's just not pretty.

I have used exfoliators before, but never the type used in the Visanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator.  I'm wary of anything harsh on my skin, but if it can help with the dry patches on my cheeks and the rough texture my face has acquired lately I'm all for it.  The worst thing for me about my skin isn't blemishes, it's having rough, awful feeling skin.

The Mighty Leaf Tea was an addition to this months box, and I haven't tried them yet.  I've been a fan of tea for a while, and usually drink it at night, so getting tea was exciting for me.   The vanilla is harmless, but I'm allergic to mangoes so the fruity flavors make me wary.  I may give them to my sister in law.

I'm still impressed with Birchbox, and look forward to it every month.  If you haven't already subscribed I suggest you take a look at what they offer.  The subscription is only $10 a month for 4-5 full and sample sized beauty products.  Definitely worth it in my opinion.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Motivational Wednesday: The Late Edit

Hey There Dolls,

I decided to post a Motivational Wednesday post to help get you guys through the rest of the week.

 

I, like many people in this day and age, rush about doing exactly what my parents and bosses tell me to do just trying to get ahead, and not rock the boat while doing it. That mentality folks is just wrong.

You never know what tomorrow will bring.  We are all raised to save for the future, but that doesn't mean we should sacrifice our todays to do that.   We were all told to be proper little humans and act a certain way, but why hide who you are and how you feel to fit that mold?

Your future doesn't start tomorrow, it starts today.  So who do you want to be?

Sample Society Beauty Box November 2013

Hello Lovelies,

This is the November edition of the Sample Society Beauty Box.  The box is $15.90 for a monthly subscription, and this months box has one of my favorite items I've ever gotten in a beauty box.

 

The Annick Goutal Eau D'Hadrien Eau De Toilette is one of the few perfume samples I've received in a beauty subscription box.  I'm terrible at describing smells, but this smells very pretty, and very strong, and more grown up than my usual perfumes. It doesn't come with a spray top, so I worry that when I try to apply it it will go everywhere.  I think that this will be a good change for me when it comes to perfumes, and I'm looking forward to getting more perfumes in future boxes.  Hopefully with spray tops.

The Murad Pore & Liner Minimizing Hydrator is supposed to make those little lines less visible, while making your skin moisturized and reducing spots.  It's a very tall order for one moisturizer.  Usually I just look for a moisturizer to moisturize my face and make it plump and happy, so I'm not sold on the pore minimizer line filler aspect, but it's always worth a try.

The Jane Iredale Lip Drink Lip Balm is super tiny and smells like lemons.  When I first opened the tube it was stuck on the cap, which is one of my huge pet peeves about lip balms.  I don't like to have to push down the product because it won't screw back down.  Otherwise though I think this is a great product to put into a handbag, or pop on before you put on lipstick.  The lemony smell is also a nice change from the beeswax and vanilla balms I've been using lately.

The Borghese Spelndore Brightening Makeup is like a cross between a liquid highlighter and a primer.  It can either be used to accentuate your features as a highlighter, or as a wash underneath your concealer/foundation to perk up the skin.  It has a shimmer to it, and a very faint pink hue.  I'm not completely sold on the product, and I am definitely not sold on the packaging, but with winter fast approaching I know my face will need a little pick me up, so my opinions may change.

Last but not least, my favorite item I have ever received in a beauty subscription box is the Illume Balsam and Cedar Metallic Tin Candle.  It smells like a pine tree and winter and I love it so much.  I don't even want to burn it, I just want to keep it in my purse and smell it like a crazy person.  

I wasn't super impressed with all of the products in the box, but I am happy I am still subscribed.  I keep getting products I would never think to buy for myself, but end up loving.

What beauty boxes are you subscribed to?