Sorry for the lack of posts. Have been on vacation (still am) and spending time with family and away from technology which has been, lovely.
I thought I would do a little best of post to highlight some of my favorite finds from the past year. It being the first year of my blog and all ;)
1. Maybelline Color Tattoos. These have basically negated the need for me to ever purchase another paint pot. So great all around!
2. MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural. Not new this year but new to me. Have found super close dupes but nothing identical to this magic powder.
3. Seche Vite topcoat. Again, not new but I just discovered this stuff his year and can not live without it. Reduces drying time and leaves a salon like finish. Massively changed my manicure life.
4. Not Your Mother's hair care line. Probably the best drugstore hair products I have ever used. From shampoo and conditioner to styling products, super high quality at crazy affordable prices.
5. L'Oreal True Match foundations (Lumi and original). Hands down my favorite foundations of the year. Just amazing coverage, finish and a large range of shades. These have been my favorite discovery this year.
How about you? What were your favorite products from 2012? Happy New Year and thanks for reading my blog this year and joining me in this crazy little journey!
Showing posts with label Seche Vite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seche Vite. Show all posts
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Nail Of The Day-Patriotic Mani
I can't believe it is July already. CRAZINESS. This year is just zooming by and this month is shaping up to be busy as usual.
We are leaving for the beach tomorrow to celebrate the 4th with family so I did my 4th of July Mani on Saturday. Fingers crossed it lasts.
At first, I had the blue/red ombre with white tips on all of my nails, but it was too much for my tastes. So I took it off of all but my ring fingers and then did red, white and blue tips on the other fingers with Northern Lights glitter top coat over all of the nails. Kind of like fireworks ;)
I did go over it all with Seche Vite because the Northern Lights does chip fairly easy on me and I want this to last at least until Wednesday.
.JPG)
We are leaving for the beach tomorrow to celebrate the 4th with family so I did my 4th of July Mani on Saturday. Fingers crossed it lasts.
At first, I had the blue/red ombre with white tips on all of my nails, but it was too much for my tastes. So I took it off of all but my ring fingers and then did red, white and blue tips on the other fingers with Northern Lights glitter top coat over all of the nails. Kind of like fireworks ;)
I did go over it all with Seche Vite because the Northern Lights does chip fairly easy on me and I want this to last at least until Wednesday.
UPDATE: It didn't last. I baked cookies last night to take to the beach and all that handwashing did a doozy on my nails. I took what was left off last night and did this really quickly. I think I like this one better. But then I'm a sucker for stars. Same polishes (Loreal Target Red, Wet N Wild White, NYC Blue, Northern Lights and Seche Vite) different design.
.JPG)
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Nail Of The Day
NEON CITRINE.
This nail polish is a pain in my a$$!! It's hard to get it evenly applied and it's even harder to photograph to show the color correctly. But let me tell you, it is so worth it.
I talked about this before in my post on Neon Nail Polishes. It's China Glaze Celtic Sun. I used it with white underneath on my toes, but this time I just used a clear basecoat. This took 5 thin coats of CS to get it even and neon. I used a citrine/green glitter on my ring fingers from Sinful and topped it with Seche Vite top coat.
It's so bright but suprisingly flattering. I find it makes my hands look tan without the dreaded red lobster hands that a lot of yellows can make.
What do you think? Would you wear a neon this bright?
.JPG)
This nail polish is a pain in my a$$!! It's hard to get it evenly applied and it's even harder to photograph to show the color correctly. But let me tell you, it is so worth it.
I talked about this before in my post on Neon Nail Polishes. It's China Glaze Celtic Sun. I used it with white underneath on my toes, but this time I just used a clear basecoat. This took 5 thin coats of CS to get it even and neon. I used a citrine/green glitter on my ring fingers from Sinful and topped it with Seche Vite top coat.
It's so bright but suprisingly flattering. I find it makes my hands look tan without the dreaded red lobster hands that a lot of yellows can make.
What do you think? Would you wear a neon this bright?
.JPG)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Neon Nail Polishes
Neons are everywhere right now. I have a lot of neon pinks, corals, tangerine shades but have been on the hunt for a neon citrine nail polish for a while. When I was at Sally's the other night for my mermaid hair dye I saw the China Glaze shade Celtic Sun. HOLY MOLY. It's like highlighter yellow. So cool. I got it mainly for my toes. I put a coat of white nail polish down first, then did 3 coats of Celtic Sun and topped it with Seche Vite. IT'S SO BRIGHT. I didn't take a picture because, who wants to see someone else's toes, right? But trust me, it's awesome. This one is a little streakier than I normally like and I don't think it would be as bright without the white basecoat. But for a funky pedicure, it's definitely worth it.
I also grabbed this teeny bottle of Sally Girl Type A. It looks deeper online than it is in real life, it's a neon fuchsia/purple shade. Nothing deep or dark about it. They had these up by the register and it was such a pretty color I just had to grab it. I used this on my toes after my Celtic Sun pedi. These little nail polishes are suprisingly nice. It only took 2 coats, went on easily and stayed for a decent amount of time with Seche Vite as a topcoat. The only thing I don't like is the handle on the brush is so little it can be a little messy on the application, but a quick cleanup with a brush and some remover cleaned it up nicely.
I also picked up another bottle of my all time favorite neon shade, China Glaze Shocking Pink. Again, looks darker online than it is in real life. This is electric highlighter pink on. Dries matte/satin so I always use Seche Vite on top. The downside to this polish is that it isn't long lasting on my fingers, it will basically come off my nail all in one peice after a few days, but it lasts much longer on my toes and makes feet look super tan.
 |
| photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com |
I also grabbed this teeny bottle of Sally Girl Type A. It looks deeper online than it is in real life, it's a neon fuchsia/purple shade. Nothing deep or dark about it. They had these up by the register and it was such a pretty color I just had to grab it. I used this on my toes after my Celtic Sun pedi. These little nail polishes are suprisingly nice. It only took 2 coats, went on easily and stayed for a decent amount of time with Seche Vite as a topcoat. The only thing I don't like is the handle on the brush is so little it can be a little messy on the application, but a quick cleanup with a brush and some remover cleaned it up nicely.
 |
| photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com |
 |
| photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com |
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Mermaid Hues
Not sure if it's the warmer weather, but I am obsessed with turquoise lately. The two main areas are my nails...and shockingly my hair. I have been wanting a fun, peekaboo streak in my hair for a long time and was wavering between pink and turquoise. I feel like pink is done, it's a little too girlie for me so turquoise was just a good choice with my blonde hair and my personality. It's SO PRETTY. I can't stop staring at it. I used Beyond the Zone's Color Jamz in Tripped up Turquoise.
First, I decided where I wanted it and how large of a section. As far as placement, I chose to do it behind the top of my ear. That way you can't see the roots when the bleach grows out and it appears more like a "peekaboo" strand than just a giant chunk of smurf hair. Then I bleached the hair using 40 vol. It took about 30 minutes to get the white blonde I wanted. I rinsed and blow dried it and then used gloves (IT STAINS EVERYTHING) and applied a thick coat to the entire strand. I placed it in a ziplock baggie, zipped it up and used a clip to secure the baggie to my head, ensuring it wouldn't bleed onto my blonde hair or on my face. I left it on for about an hour, applying heat from the blow dryer every 10 minutes or so to keep the strand warm and set the color. Rinsed in COLD water (no shampoo)and viola...Mermaid Streak! I didn't wash my hair the next day, I allowed 24 hours for the color to set before shampooing. Also, this stuff smells SO GOOD. There is no chemical stink with it at all, it's DEEP teal in the bottle and shimmery. It's pretty even in the bottle. I love it. It's semi permanent so it will totally fade, but this one bottle has enough product for weekly touchups, enough to get me and my Mermaid Streak through the summer.
.jpg)
The next thing I'm turquoise obsessed with is a nail polish from China Glaze called Turned Up Turquoise. It's literally a NEON turquoise, so saturated, has a nice shimmer to it and is opaque in only 2 coats. As with all neons, it dries matte/satin so I used Seche Vite to pop the gloss. The picture doesn't do it justice, I couldn't capture just how vivid this color is. It's not just bright, it's multifaceted and just so pretty and unique.
.JPG)
 |
| photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com |
.jpg)
.JPG)
 |
| photo courtesy of SallyBeauty.com |
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Breezy Summer Beauty Tips
Warmer weather calls for LESS maintenance as far as I'm concerned. Summer is when I feel my best, a little bit of a tan, brighter clothes, blonder hair and low maintenace is just the best way to take advantage of all the perks of summer weather. Here are a few of my favorite summer tricks to beat the heat but play up natural, beachy beauty.
1. Ditch the foundation! Like...stat. There's no need for it, it's too heavy and won't make it through a hot sweaty day anyway. Rather than melt it off and clog your pores go with something lighter. A good tinted moisturizer will have a strong SPF but also offer some nice coverage. I adore the Aveeno tinted moisturizer and Origins VitaZing. Summer is also the time of year when glowier skin is not only acceptable, it's gorgeous. Don't bust out that powder at the first sign of glow. Use blotting papers instead if you really can't stand it, but summer skin is glowy. Go with it. In addition to ditching the foundation, I rarely wear eyeliner in the summer. A quick swipe of a Paint Pot from MAC or Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow with 2 good coats of a black mascara (CoverGirl Lashblast 24 hour mascara is GREAT for hotter weather) is really all you need in the summer. I even ditch powder blushes and go for something easier like a cream blush or just bronzer on my cheeks.
2. Go with the flow! Let your hair be. If I flatiron my hair, step outside and instantly the hair around my face is wavy. What's the point?! There is nothing worse than standing in a hot bathroom under a blow dryer and flat iron in 90 degree weather. GROSS. Let your hair do it's thing. Wash, condition, comb it out and apply a product like Moroccan Oil to keep the flyaways down and let it dry naturally. Be creative, try different braids, fishtails, topknots, twists, ponytails, anything that takes advantage of your hairs natural texture. Your hair will love you and you'll love the sexy results.
3. Moisturize! What's sexier than healthy, glowy arms and legs in the summertime. Expose the best of your body, use a nice daily lotion with a good SPF (don't forget your decolletage!) and then a heavier cream at bedtime, paying special attention to feet, knees and elbows! There is no better way to fight aging while keeping your skin looking young than taking good care of it. Vaseline has a gel body oil that I love in the summertime. I also always keep Banana Boat After Sun lotion on hand at all times. It's got aloe and prolongs your tan while nourishing your skin.
4. Brighten up! If there is ever a time to take a risk and try some brighter hues, summer is it. Neons are in right now and my favorite way to use them is with neutrals. It's a much more grown up way to use these bright colors. For example, I'm loving the Sweet Tart lip butter from Revlon. It's a lot brighter than something I'd normally wear so when I use it, I use bronzer as a blush to naturally accentuate my cheeks and use a nice bronzey eyeshadow or go bare. Minimal everywhere else allows the bright lipstick to play up your best features and makes it a lot more wearable. Also try using brighter hues on your fingers and toes. Orly Passionfruit is one of my favorite summer shades for toes. It's a neon pink tangerine shade that compliments tan feet so well. Use a good top coat in the summer and you can get 2 weeks or more out of your at home pedicure. I use Seche Vite.
5. Bronze baby! See my list of my favorite sunless tanners. There are so many GREAT sunless tanners on the market, the possiblities are endless and the results are fast. Take advantage and get that golden goddess glow without damaging your beautiful skin. Always exfoliate first to ensure even application and enjoy that tan!
6. Drink up! Easiest beauty tip in the warmer weather is drink your water. It's just the best way to get beautiful skin, stay hydrated and take good care of yourself. I know water can get boring, add something to it! Lemons, limes, orange slices. I even like the MIO water enhancers and keep one in my desk at work for when that 8th glass of water is getting to be a little BLAND.
7. Exfoliate! When the weather heats up, our skin tends to lose moisture and can dry up. Nothing is more gross than alligator skin. Exfoliating is the best way to clear your pores, keeping breakouts at bay and ensuring you that gorgeous summer skin. I use Neutrogena All-In-One daily scrub in the summer to exfoliate my face daily. For my body I like the Coconut body scrub from Bath and Body Works. It's gentle but effective. This also applies to less obvious areas like your feet! I use a PediEgg a few times a week, especially in the summer on areas like the heels of my feet and the results are immediate. I follow this up with a nice thick moisturizer like C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Pomegranate Body Cream from Bath and Body Works. This keeps my feet sandal ready all summer long!
8. Smooth Move. The warmer weather calls for less clothing. This means paying special attention to shaving to ensure smooth skin. I've found the coolest shaving cream and I swear by it all summer long. EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream. This stuff can be used wet OR DRY (for those last minute shaving emergencies when you don't have time to shower). It's super moisturizing, smells great and gets a super close shave on your legs. Because it's so moisturizing it also reduces razor burn and leaves your legs super smooth.
There you have it, my top tips for easier summer beauty!
1. Ditch the foundation! Like...stat. There's no need for it, it's too heavy and won't make it through a hot sweaty day anyway. Rather than melt it off and clog your pores go with something lighter. A good tinted moisturizer will have a strong SPF but also offer some nice coverage. I adore the Aveeno tinted moisturizer and Origins VitaZing. Summer is also the time of year when glowier skin is not only acceptable, it's gorgeous. Don't bust out that powder at the first sign of glow. Use blotting papers instead if you really can't stand it, but summer skin is glowy. Go with it. In addition to ditching the foundation, I rarely wear eyeliner in the summer. A quick swipe of a Paint Pot from MAC or Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow with 2 good coats of a black mascara (CoverGirl Lashblast 24 hour mascara is GREAT for hotter weather) is really all you need in the summer. I even ditch powder blushes and go for something easier like a cream blush or just bronzer on my cheeks.
2. Go with the flow! Let your hair be. If I flatiron my hair, step outside and instantly the hair around my face is wavy. What's the point?! There is nothing worse than standing in a hot bathroom under a blow dryer and flat iron in 90 degree weather. GROSS. Let your hair do it's thing. Wash, condition, comb it out and apply a product like Moroccan Oil to keep the flyaways down and let it dry naturally. Be creative, try different braids, fishtails, topknots, twists, ponytails, anything that takes advantage of your hairs natural texture. Your hair will love you and you'll love the sexy results.
3. Moisturize! What's sexier than healthy, glowy arms and legs in the summertime. Expose the best of your body, use a nice daily lotion with a good SPF (don't forget your decolletage!) and then a heavier cream at bedtime, paying special attention to feet, knees and elbows! There is no better way to fight aging while keeping your skin looking young than taking good care of it. Vaseline has a gel body oil that I love in the summertime. I also always keep Banana Boat After Sun lotion on hand at all times. It's got aloe and prolongs your tan while nourishing your skin.
4. Brighten up! If there is ever a time to take a risk and try some brighter hues, summer is it. Neons are in right now and my favorite way to use them is with neutrals. It's a much more grown up way to use these bright colors. For example, I'm loving the Sweet Tart lip butter from Revlon. It's a lot brighter than something I'd normally wear so when I use it, I use bronzer as a blush to naturally accentuate my cheeks and use a nice bronzey eyeshadow or go bare. Minimal everywhere else allows the bright lipstick to play up your best features and makes it a lot more wearable. Also try using brighter hues on your fingers and toes. Orly Passionfruit is one of my favorite summer shades for toes. It's a neon pink tangerine shade that compliments tan feet so well. Use a good top coat in the summer and you can get 2 weeks or more out of your at home pedicure. I use Seche Vite.
5. Bronze baby! See my list of my favorite sunless tanners. There are so many GREAT sunless tanners on the market, the possiblities are endless and the results are fast. Take advantage and get that golden goddess glow without damaging your beautiful skin. Always exfoliate first to ensure even application and enjoy that tan!
6. Drink up! Easiest beauty tip in the warmer weather is drink your water. It's just the best way to get beautiful skin, stay hydrated and take good care of yourself. I know water can get boring, add something to it! Lemons, limes, orange slices. I even like the MIO water enhancers and keep one in my desk at work for when that 8th glass of water is getting to be a little BLAND.
7. Exfoliate! When the weather heats up, our skin tends to lose moisture and can dry up. Nothing is more gross than alligator skin. Exfoliating is the best way to clear your pores, keeping breakouts at bay and ensuring you that gorgeous summer skin. I use Neutrogena All-In-One daily scrub in the summer to exfoliate my face daily. For my body I like the Coconut body scrub from Bath and Body Works. It's gentle but effective. This also applies to less obvious areas like your feet! I use a PediEgg a few times a week, especially in the summer on areas like the heels of my feet and the results are immediate. I follow this up with a nice thick moisturizer like C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Pomegranate Body Cream from Bath and Body Works. This keeps my feet sandal ready all summer long!
8. Smooth Move. The warmer weather calls for less clothing. This means paying special attention to shaving to ensure smooth skin. I've found the coolest shaving cream and I swear by it all summer long. EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream. This stuff can be used wet OR DRY (for those last minute shaving emergencies when you don't have time to shower). It's super moisturizing, smells great and gets a super close shave on your legs. Because it's so moisturizing it also reduces razor burn and leaves your legs super smooth.
There you have it, my top tips for easier summer beauty!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Nail of The Day
Had a set of gel polish on for about 2 weeks but Easter and dying eggs did them in. Freshened my nails up last night with a little at home manicure. Used NYC color in Times Square Tangerine, Essie Shine of the Times top coat with Seche Vite top coat. Fun, bright, spring mani!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Favorite Spring/Summer Nail Polishes
I admit it...I am a nail polish freak. I change my polish about every 3 days, chipping or not. I refile, buff, shape and paint them pretty consistently. In the spring and summer I gravitate towards bright, cheery colors that compliment a tan or give the illusion of sun kissed skin. Here are 5 of my favorite Spring/Summer Nail Polishes.
Always finished with Seche Vite Top coat, shown left.
China Glaze-"For Audrey". The perfect tiffany shade of blue, a flattering creamy robins egg blue. Opaque in 2 coats, long lasting and a fun and unexpected color.
China Glaze-"Spontaneous". This is a creamy purple, there is nothing pastel about this color. It's straight up purple. Lovely shade, different than other purples I've seen. Has the China Glaze quality I love and is long lasting.
Essie-"Mod Square". I'd describe this as a barbie pink. Cream formula, this one does take a good 3 coats to be completely opaque. It doesn't last quite as long as the China Glaze ones, but this color is one of my absolute favorites..
NARS-"Orgasm". Come on now, you know I love this one. Pinky, a ripe peach with golden shimmer. This lasts forever on my nails, is so flattering and bright without being obnoxious. Great polish.
Orly-"Passionfruit". This is riiiiiight on the verge of being neon. It's a bright orangey raspberry color, nice brush, dries quickly and is SO pretty with a tan. A go-to summer color for sure.
What are some of your favorite shades for summer?
Song of the Day: Alone With You-Jake Owen
China Glaze-"For Audrey". The perfect tiffany shade of blue, a flattering creamy robins egg blue. Opaque in 2 coats, long lasting and a fun and unexpected color.
China Glaze-"Spontaneous". This is a creamy purple, there is nothing pastel about this color. It's straight up purple. Lovely shade, different than other purples I've seen. Has the China Glaze quality I love and is long lasting.
Essie-"Mod Square". I'd describe this as a barbie pink. Cream formula, this one does take a good 3 coats to be completely opaque. It doesn't last quite as long as the China Glaze ones, but this color is one of my absolute favorites..
NARS-"Orgasm". Come on now, you know I love this one. Pinky, a ripe peach with golden shimmer. This lasts forever on my nails, is so flattering and bright without being obnoxious. Great polish.
Orly-"Passionfruit". This is riiiiiight on the verge of being neon. It's a bright orangey raspberry color, nice brush, dries quickly and is SO pretty with a tan. A go-to summer color for sure.
What are some of your favorite shades for summer?
Song of the Day: Alone With You-Jake Owen
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Nail Of The Day
Fun spring mani. China Glaze "Spontaneous" with Essie "Shine of the Times" on my ring fingers. Seche Vite top coat. I really like the China Glaze nail polishes, they are good quality and this color was opaque in 2 coats. I love that! I really like how Shine of the Times looks over it, this flakie top coat can appear reddish or green depending on the light, but on top of the purple it looks like a sunset, it's beautiful!
Song of the Day: Time To Pretend-MGMT
Friday, March 23, 2012
Nail Of The Day
Needed something bright and cheery after the weather we've had this week. SNOW...in March. And a ton of it. GROSS.
For this look I chose NARS Orgasm with CoverGirl Boundless Top Coat in Pink Twinkle on my ring fingers. Seche Vite top coat. This combination is a very long lasting one. I love the NARS nail polishes, they last really well on my nails. This one is just such a pretty, glowy peach shade with golden shimmer. Opaque in 2 coats. I find that the Seche Vite doesn't shrink NARS as much as it does some other polishes on me, so that's a great added bonus to a gorgeous color! In fact, I love this color so much and it made me so happy this morning that I busted out the NARS Orgasm lip gloss and wore that today too!!
.jpg)
For this look I chose NARS Orgasm with CoverGirl Boundless Top Coat in Pink Twinkle on my ring fingers. Seche Vite top coat. This combination is a very long lasting one. I love the NARS nail polishes, they last really well on my nails. This one is just such a pretty, glowy peach shade with golden shimmer. Opaque in 2 coats. I find that the Seche Vite doesn't shrink NARS as much as it does some other polishes on me, so that's a great added bonus to a gorgeous color! In fact, I love this color so much and it made me so happy this morning that I busted out the NARS Orgasm lip gloss and wore that today too!!
.jpg)
Song of the Day: Cape Town-Young Veins
Monday, March 19, 2012
Review: Nail Of The Day
Happy Monday! We had a nice family weekend this past weekend. Sunday involved lots of loafing, tv and removing my St. Patty's day manicure.
I decided on China Glaze "Pink Voltage" and then Nicole by OPI "Follow Me On Glitter". I really love the idea of the Nicole one, it's a dark charcoal grey with sparse multi colored flecks. But...once painted on the nail, the colors become practically invisible leaving just a grey nail with silver sparkles. Which makes it not worth the $8/bottle in my opinion.
Pink Voltage is awesome. Seriously, HOT PINK. But it does take 3 coats to become opaque. This color tends to dry a little matte, almost like a satin finish so I top it off with Seche Vite top coat.
Excuse the photo quality...I was lazy and used my Iphone.
Song of the Day: Awake My Soul-Mumford and Sons
I decided on China Glaze "Pink Voltage" and then Nicole by OPI "Follow Me On Glitter". I really love the idea of the Nicole one, it's a dark charcoal grey with sparse multi colored flecks. But...once painted on the nail, the colors become practically invisible leaving just a grey nail with silver sparkles. Which makes it not worth the $8/bottle in my opinion.
Pink Voltage is awesome. Seriously, HOT PINK. But it does take 3 coats to become opaque. This color tends to dry a little matte, almost like a satin finish so I top it off with Seche Vite top coat.
Excuse the photo quality...I was lazy and used my Iphone.
Song of the Day: Awake My Soul-Mumford and Sons
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)