We got hit with a ton of snow these last couple of days in Chi town!! They have actually nicknamed it Chi-beria! It hasn't been this cold here in nearly 20 years. Something about a north pole vortex breaking free and expanding across the country. There is a ton of snow and some sun so of course what did this do for me....well it inspired some nail designs of course!!
What I began painting my nail base color is a color from the Sephora Formula X brand in the color 'Infatuated'. It's this beautiful blue color that just made me think of the winter time. For an accent nail I used the glitter color 'Turbulent" also from the Formula X line! They are great quality nail polished is you haven't tried them out yet!
The top one is Infatuated and the bottom pic is Turbulent~~
Now for the nail art part it's really very simple. I took a dotting tool, you could just use a q tip if you remove the cotton part or break it in half or a toothpick, and dip it into a white nail polish. The next step is totally up to your artistic self, decide if you want the base of the snow at your cuticle or at the top of your nail. Which ever you choose you want to put dots very closely together to make it look as though the snow is accumulating. Then as you work your way away from wherever you choose the base to be you want to make your dots more sparing. This will give the effect that it's snowing on your nails! I love this nail art. It's super easy and fun and great for a very chilly and snowy day!
Enjoy!!
I have been using this kit for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it. I have a 1 year old at home and two fur babies so my hands are constantly being washed. I could not get a manicure to last me more than a day. I went to my local Sally Beauty Supply store and stumbled upon this gem! This is the gellish at home manicure kit. You do have to purchase the cure light separately. I don't remember the exact price of this whole system but I believe it's some where is the $100 price range. I felt this is justifiable because if I were to go to the salon and have this done every week the cost of that would add up quickly!!
What comes in this kit. It is a mini kit, which I was more than happy with especially when I am trying something new out. I have been using this non stop for the past 6 months so I am most positive I will be buying full sizes.
Anyway!! Here is what comes with your kit
Mini pH bond
Mini foundation
Mini top coat
Mini Nourish (cuticle oil)
Mini artificial nail remover
Mini surface cleanser
The Sheer gel color is something I chose separate and does not come with the kit. I chose the sheer vs a color because I like to change my nail polish very often so I can't commit to a color for longer than a week. The curing lamp is separate but I really like it because when you press the button it turns off in the appropriate time needed to cure. The kit comes fully with instructions and walks you through what you need to do. It was very easy to do at home and I get better with it each time I use it. I would say that I can get this done in about 30 minutes and I usually can go about a week and a half without having to redo the whole manicure.
Some tips to keep in mind. Make sure you cover the entire nail and then the tip before you cure. This is a very important step. If you do not do this then you will notice that dirt, particles and water will get underneath and ruin the manicure. Your manicure will peel off your nails and cause damage to them. Make sure to work with good lighting so that you can see your entire nail and are applying enough and covering the surface.
This kit is a ten out of ten for me because my nails are super strong and I can change my nail polish color as often as I like. Make sure you use a non acetone nail polish remover if you are choosing to do this. If you try to use a nail polish remover with acetone you will unfortunately ruin the gel manicure and it will start to come off your nails.
For a demo of how I do this on my nails be sure to check out my YouTube video below!
Ok ok, so I can't believe we are on book 14 and we still don't know who A is!!
I am going to start by saying that I love the books and I love the show. The show is currently on a winter break and is coming back January 7, 2014. I can't wait!! So, to get my Pretty Little Liar's fix I had to read this book! The book overall sheds a lot of light on things that happened in the past. We open the book with Allie so we get a little more insight about her. We find out some secrets about the mysterious guys (Phineas, the guy who helps Emily when she is pregnant) in all of the girls lives. It's a pretty great reveal and I don't want to give that away with out you reading it for yourself. I did have some moments where I was like ' I can't believe I didn't see that'. It's honestly what keeps me going with this series. She is a little wild and pulling for things where I think 'oh that's just ridiculous' For example I think it was in two books back where Aria sees Noel Kahn's dad and he dresses up like a woman and you think it's this huge reveal but really the mom knows about it!! Ridiculous!! So anyway Aria has issues with Noel in this book because he lied to her and he was with Allie and you find out that they were closer then we thought so Aria is not speaking to him. Hannah is dealing with the death of Graham and all the weird stuff that went down in the burn clinic. A manages to really screw up their lives and the girls think that they might end up in a prison in Jamaica for Tabitha's death. There is a lot of energy that you feel very on edge like maybe they are going to end up there. Iris has gone missing and this isn't as big of a deal as I think it should have been. Come on a crazy person has escaped and no one really thinks anything of it!! A is really really hard on them in this book and really wrecks their lives. So if you like to read about the girls squirming, then this book if something you will enjoy a lot!! We like Melissa in this book, she seems to be helpful along with Wilden. So lots and lots of topics are touched!!
If you are not familiar with the series but you watch the show, don't be discouraged that you can't read the books. The books are nothing like the show. The show has a different story line. The characters are the same personality wise but physically different. An example is Spencer is a brunette in the show and a blonde in the books. Also Emily has a sister in the books and I don't think I have seen a sister in the show. If your interested in reading the books because you are a fan of the show definitely do so because the show will not ruin anything for you.
I have heard that Sara Shepherd has a contract to go up to book 16, so we know we still won't know who A is until then. One thing I will say is that there are some major things revealed in this book but sorry we still don't know who A is. We assume it is Allie and pretty much know it's her but how does she do it? I think thats what we all are really waiting for. Is it a team who is in on it and how is it that she is always there without anyone seeing her. I'm hoping everything will be revealed because it's driving me crazy.
I overall was satisfied with the read but I am hoping that the next two books will tie everything together. I think we are all waiting for the answers and need them sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if she wrote another book this year but who knows!
Happy reading and please let me know what you thought of this book!!
I had to share some super classy and easy nails to try out this New Year!! It's classy with the nude nail but also adding a little sparkle with the copper penny!
In order you to achieve this look you will need a pretty nude color. I really like Essies' topless & barefoot. It's such a gorgeous color and it's very opaque. I then decided to use Revlon's 'copper penny' and it is way prettier then the a copper penny.
It's really easy ! Just freehand with one swipe across the nail on the left and then on the right and you automatically get a very glam look!
Hope you have a very Happy New Year!! Happy 2014! Looking forward to a new year!
Look at this gorgeous Blowout in a Box!!! I was immediately drawn to this item when I saw it on Sephora's website. I really was looking for a new blowdryer. I did feel like it was time to retire my blowdryer from college. It has been with me a long time and it does have a little retractable button so the cord is never in the way but it is time to retire it! I never thought that having an expensive blowdryer would make a difference but after having one I can say that yes it does. The old dryer was drying out my hair and it was taking forever to dry!! This hair dryer doesn't blow as hot of air but it seems to dry my hair so much faster. It's honestly some pretty awesome technology.
So let me break down what's inside of the box.
I am going to let you admire the super pretty yellow color. I love it!! It's not an obnoxious yellow at all. I think it stands out beautiful and it puts a smile on my face every time I use it. The matching yellow brush is absolutely adorable as well!
The body of the blow dryer is very light weight. It's almost surprising how light it is in your hand. The settings are very simple to use. There is a cool button that you can press for a burst of cool air. You can also just blow dry with cool air. You can blow dry in medium setting that is just slightly warmer or you can choose to dry at high heat. I use the medium setting tip my hair is about 90% dry and then I do the high heat and place velcro rollers to the top of my head for extra volume. The cord is very very long but doesn't tangle. I see this as a plus! The lint trap comes with a replaceable one and is also very easy to clean.
The round brush is called the medium pint. It's a great size. I do like a slightly larger round brush but this works just fine. I have no frizz and no flyways when using this brush. My hair does not tangle easily and when using this brush I feel like I get a very professional blow out look. The bristles are soft but stiff to touch.
Now lets get into the products mentioned:
The Happy Hour Shampoo and Conditioner. I will not be purchasing the full size of any of these products. After using the shampoo I did not get a lather and did not feel as though it cleaned my hair very thoroughly. I felt as though it was difficult to remove the product from my hair as well. I basically wanted to shampoo my hair again! The conditioner I did not feel it made too much of a difference. It's very thin and I prefer conditioner that are more creamy in consistency.
As for the Hot Toddy heat protector and frizz fighter. I did not see too great of a difference in my hair. I like using the Macadamia products and that to me works better than this product. It has a very thin consistency to it and only a small amount is needed but it's not enough for me to give up the products that I am currently using and purchasing a full size.
Now this product I definitely will be purchasing the full size of. I think this was a major game changer. I put this in when my hair is about 90% dry and then use the round brush and do the blow out. WOW!! My hair looked like it was professionally blown out. Definitely made my hair look like it belonged in a Pantene commercial. It made my hair look shiny and strong and the blow out lasted almost 4 days. This for me is definitely worth buying!
Hope you enjoyed my review on the Buttercup and the accessories it came with. This is a product that I am overall very very happy with. I am so glad that I made the decision to purchase it. I love the color and also the way it has changed the amount of time I spend drying my hair. The lightweight helps with my hand not hurting while holding my arm up. I highly recommend this purchase!!
Please check out my video if you would like to see more on this product!
So recently went to a party where this girl had 4 venders including myself for at home parties. I call them home parties not sure if that is what they are actually called but they are the ones where the lady comes to your house and she either tries to sell you some stuff or shows you how amazing something you don't need is!! Well this girl had a 31 something representative which was great and they have alot of utility totes etc. Then there was a scentsy vendor. I had never heard of it prior to being at this party. Let's just say that I found a new obsession. She had a bunch of warmers available.....
Side note about what they have available. They are basically scented wax that you put in a warmer and your home smells divine. I have had the Walmart kind before and it was alright but not something I became obsessed over. Well my girlfriend convinced me that these were way better. She was right! I ended up getting two warmers and 5 scents!
I'm only showing the plugin that I purchased and one of the scent packs. It's really adorable and it has a light so it really helps in the bathroom at night time. The light is bright enough that I don't have to turn on the light at night and I'm not stumbling all over the place. This actually will be replacing most of my Bath and Body Works plug ins (pictured below). The reason being is that these scents stay the same and don't start off really strong and then fade. I have read so many horror stories about the plugins catching fire. With the Scentsy plug in there is an on and off switch so you can turn it off. The aroma of the scent is just beautiful and I will continue to use my scentsy warmers and discontinue the use of the plugins from Bath & Body works.
Although the plug ins at B &BWs are really cute they do have a life of 6 months so you have to repurchase them often. I did confirm this with a sales rep and she did state that they do have a life span of 6 months. Kind of a bummer if you really really like one and would like to keep it around for a while. I will insert a really cute snowman that scentsy has, it's not a wall plug in but a super adorable warmer regardless.
That little guy is just too stinking cute!!
Let me go over the pricing and how I justify the purchasing of these! Most of the plug ins are $20 but if B &BWs are about 4 for $20 and that's when a sale is going on they are about $5 a piece. You will need to repurchase every 6 months and if you want more than one in your home you will be spending way more then the one time of $20 for a warmer that will last you probably forever. The only thing you need to replace are the light bulbs. Secondly the fragrance packs are $5 and there are about 9 cubes that fit in the pack. I use 1 cube every 2-3 weeks. If someone is hosting a party they can offer you a better deal. For example at this party that I was at she had 3 for $12!!
You be the judge and check out scentsy it might change the way your home smells!!
I am obsessed with hair bows. Hair bows on little girls that is!! When I found out that I was having a baby girl I think one of the first things that I ever did was look at hair bows on etsy. I ordered a whole bunch of them! Now my little person is almost a year old and I wanted more bows! I like to match her outfits with the bows. I found that I was getting frustrated because I couldn't match them perfectly.
Now Halloween is here. My all time, most favoritist, bestest time of the year! And I only had one hair bow for my daughter!! I searched high and low and I just could not find the right bow. They were either too gaudy, too big or just not cute enough! So here are some that I came up with!1
I went a little crazy!! I had so much fun making them I just couldn't stop! I even made a Thanksgiving/Fall one! My husband saw that I was making them and said what are you going to do with all those. I couldn't even believe that he had to ask but it did give me the idea that I should sell some on etsy!!
So here is my link to my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/167027276/adorable-halloween-little-girl-hair-bow?ref=listing-shop-header-4
Now I am truly hooked and I plan on getting some Christmas ones up there!!
