Hair & Makeup

January Glam Bag

Wanna see what's in this month's glam bag?? If so, step inside...

Happy New Year!

NYE  Look 2012

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you enjoyed ringing in the new year last night. I know I did ;-). NYE gives us ladies an opportunity to get extra glam, so I went all out last night! If you'd like to see my entire look from head to toe, step inside...

Nails

Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Co-Bolt Blue by Sally Hansen 

 

  I've got the birthday blues...

Nails

Gel Nails

I figured it's about time that I update you guys on my nails. So, back in August, I broke down and got gel nails. Gel nails are said to be less harsh than acrylic, but the process is virtually the same. My weekly manicures fell to the wayside, so I decided to allow the pros to take over.

Nails

Mint Condition

As you can see, it's not just a music group ;-).

Nails

Red, White and Blue

I was feeling very patriotic this past fourth of July weekend, so I decided to paint my nails white with red and blue "splats." I used Snow Me White by Sinful Colors, Red Speckle by Santee and Blue Streak by Ulta.

I got the idea for this look from iCraiz, one of my fav makeup gurus. Peep the tutorial here:



Although I used different colors, I do plan on trying the black base next time. This was a fun look to do, and the best part is that it didn't have to be "perfect," which made it the perfect nail design for a klutz like me ;-).

Nails

Sun-Sational by Ulta

I didn't waste any time using the nail polish I recently purchased and shared with you in my Random Beauty Haul. This bright yellow color is so vibrant that I think it actually helped boost my mood. It definitely put me in a summer state of mind, for sure!

You like?

And here is just a sneak peak at my next OOTW post. Stay tuned so you can see how I rocked this fabulous color...

Makeup

Random Beauty Haul

So I guess you can tell by the title that I went shopping. Let's not beat around the bush. Here's what I got:

First, I picked up this fabulous retractable makeup brush on a recent visit to Forever 21. I lost the cap to the one I previously owned, so when I saw this silver, faux diamond studded one, I knew I had to have it! This little thingy is great for powdering my nose on the go with MAC's Blot powder.

No shiny face for me ;-). Price: ~$2.00.

So after Forever 21 I headed down to Target and picked up:

Carbon Black Voluminous mascara by L'Oreal and liquid eyeliner by ELF. I'm in love with Maybelline's Line Stiletto liquid liner, but a sistah's on a budget, so we'll just have to see how this cheapie liner performs...

Okay, so I also got Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. I just ran out of the Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15, and since summer is here and the sun is beating down harder than ever, I figure it's about time I up the protection.

I know this is random, but I also got this super cute stationery @ Target. They were selling these fabulous fashion note cards in their $1.00 section:

The one on the left is hip and chic and the one on the right is Parisian.

Tu parles Francais?

Check out the assortment:

I already used one to write a quick congratulatory note to the winner of my second giveaway. Hope you like your products girl :-)!

The last stop on my shopping excursion was...you guessed it, Ulta! My fav one-stop beauty shop!

Ulta was having a great deal on nail polish, so I had to snatch some up. I really need to step my nail game up. I've decided to forgo the acrylic and just tend to my natural nails. I've actually been giving myself manicures every Thursday for the past few weeks, and that seems to be working out pretty well. One thing I can say is that I've been a little scared to step outside the box when it comes to color, for I've always played it safe and just stuck with the pinks, reds and sometimes berry colors. For some reason I tend to think that I'm too dark to rock some of the bright colors I've seen on celebs and other bloggers. I don't know why I feel this way considering all the bold eye shadow looks I've worn! So, your girl has decided to take a walk on the wild side with these fun, lively colors:

Ulta Salon Formula Polish (From l-r): Princess, Mint Condition, Sun-Sational, and Blue Streak

Speaking of nails, I also picked up this cute little pouch that contains a mini emery board and nail clippers by Ms. Manicure. This will really come in handy because I can't tell you how many times I've broken a nail and wish I had a nail clipper or emery board on hand!

I also picked up the cute hair clips you see on the right in the pic above. I found the hair clips and mini manicure kit in Ulta's beauty bargain bins, and they both cost under $2.00.

Last but not least, I had to buy this bad boy:

I am so in love with Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye shadow primer! I used to have a thing for Urban Decay's Primer Potion, and although I still think the product is the bomb dot com, the packaging isn't. Do you recall how I had to saw through the container just to get the remainder of the product out in my Urban Decay Primer Potion post? Well, one of my lovely subbies suggested I try the eye shadow primer by Too Faced, and I've been in love ever since! Not only does it perform just as well as Urban Decay, but it is so much easier to get out thanks to the flexible tube it comes in. Believe me, a little goes a long way, because I initially purchased a sample size for half the price (A full size, .35 oz tube retails for $18.00), and that little sucker lasted forever...okay well, maybe not that long, otherwise I wouldn't be buying a new one, right, but you get the point.

Anywho divas, that's it for my beauty haul. Look out for those nail polish colors in upcoming nail posts.

Nails

March Mani/Pedi

Since I had the baby, I've barely had time to devote to simple luxuries, like getting my nails done. Yesterday my girlfriends and I met up after church for manis and pedis, and when I tell you my feet feel like butta...


I mean, my feet feel like butta! Mommas everywhere need to take time out for themselves. Why not? We deserve it!

Nails

Wet n Wild Shine Nail Color in Sparked

I love pinks, especially on my nails, and Wet n Wild Shine has a glittery pink shade called Sparkled that was the perfect finishing touch to my NYE 2010 look. The funny thing is, I've owned this color for quite some time, and it just happened to be an exact match for my new glittery Candies stilettos! Check out the look on my nails below:

Just look at that beautiful shine! Not bad for a nail job that was done in the car while riding to the party. Sticking my hands out the window helped them dry real fast :-P.

Nails

Red Speckle by Santee

I'm constantly telling myself that I need to apply a clear coat of nail strengthener to my nails in order to preserve length. Even with the newfound strength and length I've acquired thanks to my pregnancy hormones and the prenatal vitamins I've continued to take daily since delivery, my nails still need to be cared for, as they undergo a pretty decent amount of wear and tear. Just washing dishes can significantly weaken nails, but silly me always procrastinates when it comes to giving myself a good manicure, so I end up breaking a nail or two, and end up having jacked up hands like this:


Since I had to cut down the nails on my ring and index fingers, I decided to apply fake nails to regain a consistent look. This is the kit I used:


After gluing on the nails (and believe me, this glue ain't no joke! It lasts a good week just as it claims), I filed them down to achieve a length comparable to my natural nails, then painted them with this beautiful, sparkly red color called Red Speckle by Santee:

Hand with fake nails applied, pre-file

Nails filed and painted

This was the perfect finish to my holiday look!

Nails

Purple Diamond

I got a professional manicure and pedicure last weekend, but I brought along my own nail polish. I purchased this really pretty purple color called Purple Diamond, and it's full of sparkles. I got so many compliments from the nail techs and customers. I think the nail techs were a little mad that the color beat out the options they had to offer :-). Yet, I usually bring my own polish with me in case I have to do touch ups later.

These photos don't even capture the true sparkly essence of this color, but you get the point.

Nails

Pink, White & Silver

When the recession hit, I had to let go of some luxuries in order to pull in the reigns on my expenses. I have always done my own hair, so the salons aren't missing my business. However, I did love getting professional manicures and pedicures, so those were the first things to go. Although I do a pretty good job of keeping my hands and feet in check, there's nothing like letting someone else rub your feet every once in a while.

On Friday, I finally decided to live a little and get a professional pedicure. It was the first one I've had in a long time, like eight months to a year to be exact. It felt so good to soak my feet and let someone massage them. A friend of mine took me to a cool spot that only charged $15.00 for the pedicure. The design was an additional $5.00. I opted to get a French pedicure using pink and white, and the nail tech suggested that I get a touch of silver to add some pizzazz to the look. Thus, this is what my feet looked like for the white party:

I stated in my silver and black makeup tutorial that the silver and pink on my toes inspired me to include a touch of pink on my lower lids. I'm so glad the nail tech talked me into spending the extra $5.00 for the design, because I was very pleased with the look!

Nails

Night Wine by Nabi & Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens

Last week I painted my nails this deep wine color called Night Wine by Nabi:

I added my favorite flower design to my big toes, and attempted to use the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen I recently purchased at Ulta (Go to New Nail Art Pens to see my original post). I bought the white nail pen hoping it would help me create a French manicure with ease…

As you can see, my first attempt came out a little sloppy. These pens aren't as easy to draw with as I thought. For one, the polish comes out very thin, so I had to apply two coats just to get the white tips to not look faint. Even when I attempted to draw a design (I don't have a picture of it because I was just testing out the pen to see if it worked), it came out very light, so I would have had to retrace the image if I were really trying to make it work.

I was further disappointed when I applied a top coat of clear polish to my nails. I thought my nails had dried, but apparently the red wasn't completely dry, as the white tips got washed out and ended up looking pink when all was said and done:

The jury's still out on this one. I don't know if I like these pens or not. In addition to purchasing the nail art pen, I also purchased the Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen by Sally Hansen in black. It's basically a pen with a brush at the end. I guess it's supposed to make painting your nails easier because you don't have to keep dipping the brush inside a tube. Instead, you just click on the back of the pen like you would any other pen. I'll be doing a full review on that later.

Until next time…

Nails

Fuchsia Purple by Sinful Colors

Last week I painted my nails this pretty, bright purple color. I know that purple and green are complementary colors, so I decided to sport this on my hands and feet to go along with the green dress I wore for a night out. Although this is a much brighter hue than the one I paired with green for my green and purple eye shadow tutorial, I still think it was a nice accent for my entire look. Check it out:

I added my fave flower cluster stickers with rhinestones to my big toes and ring fingers. I can't wait to pick up some of the cool decals by Urban Vibe. I definitely gotta test out some looks with those in the future.

Nails

Shirley & Buddy

Last weekend I decided to paint my toes a flirty, pink color. This is Shirley & Buddy by Sinful Colors:



I applied three coats of this very sheer pink polish, then added two starbursts to my big toes.

Nails

New Nail Art Pens!

Sally Hansen has just unveiled their new Nail Art Pens. These pens come in a variety of colors so that you can create all kinds of interesting designs with ease. I was going to try my hand at creating designs using the Art Deco Nail polish by L.A. Colors, but seeing that it took me forever to learn how to apply my liquid liner in a straight line, I think these pens will fair much better with my lack of dexterity. The photo above depicts some of the cool designs you can create with these pens. These are definitely on my must-have list for the next time I go shopping for beauty items.

For more information on the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens, visit Sally Hansen.

Nails

Designed For A Diva

Below are two videos that feature some hot, hot, hot nail looks. These designs are pretty bold, so they're definitely not for the timid diva :-). Enjoy!

#1. Hot Pink & Black


#2. Leopard Print Nails

Nails

Forget Now by Sinful Colors Revisited

I introduced Forget Now to you guys in a previous post ( Forget Now by Sinful Colors), and decided to wear it again for date night. Yet this time, I added some nail decals to jazz up the look. Here is a pic of the silver flowers I put on my ring fingers:



And here's a pic of the white flower with rhinestones I placed on my big toes:



The color went with my dress perfectly and has become one of my favorite summer colors next to Snow Me White by Sinful Colors (See Snow Me White & Nabi).

Nails

Forget Now by Sinful Colors

I recently purchased this gorgeous sparkly pink color by Sinful Colors called Forget Now. I gave myself a mani and pedi with it on Friday, and this is how it turned out.

I wore sandals this weekend and absolutely loved the way my toes shimmered in the sunlight. The only complaint I have about this polish is that it went on thin. I therefore had to apply not one, not two, but three coats of polish to get the look I desired.