Saving the World One Nail at a Time

Hair Craft Studio by Ray

2015-03-05T13:37:00.002-05:00

A while ago I got to meet the talented master hair stylist, Ray Guh. When he asked me to swing by his new studio to sit for him as a model how could I say no?

First, some background. I don't get my hair done very often. I probably hadn't gotten it touched in over a year. I've never had it professionally dyed and I was ready for a change! I have always been obsessed with a long A-line cut after I saw the terrible movie Doomsday featuring Rhona Mitra. In the movie she sports a very high in back, long in front, wavy A-line.

I gave Ray a little idea of what I was looking for and he went to work!

First went the length. I haven't had medium length hair since I was a kid!

Bye bye luscious locks.

After a quick cut, Ray went to work hand painting individual sections of my hair for a soft balayage to add some dimension to my hair. I also know I'm not into getting my hair done all that frequently so a coloring that was natural on top and becomes lighter on the bottom is a great option for me as it grows out.

Ray's private studio has everything! It's set up intimately to take one customer at a time and has absolutely everything that a larger salon would have. Ray told me he wanted 100% off his attention to be on each customer when they're with him, as opposed to the hustle and bustle of a busy salon working on getting out out of the chair as quickly as possible.

The studio is lovingly decorated. There is a funky metallic deer skull hanging from one wall and some zebra striped lounge chairs if you bring a posse.

What's a cut and dye without a style! I first met Ray when he was styling hair for an event and he does gorgeous work! I'm planning to wear this A-line cut with loose waves.

First look and I'm obviously pleased. :)

The final look is exactly what I wanted! I've got a soft fade to lighter ends, but nothing noticeably fake or artificial. The cut is long in the front and a bit shorter in back. The waves look so good! This length gives my hair a lot more volume.

Are you in NYC? Stop by Hair Craft Studio by Ray at 167 W 21st St. He's even running a pretty amazing voucher of $150 to his studio when you pay $100.

What do you think of my new do?

Zoya for Rolando Santana at New York Fashion Week

2015-02-22T21:26:00.002-05:00

Being at New York Fashion Week for the Winter/Fall 2015 season went by in a flash! Zoya was kind enough to have me backstage at a few shows to catch the nails for the runway. The Rolando Santana show was unique in their shades. Zoya custom mixed three satin shades just for the show!

Unfortunately, these shades aren't available for sale, so this is a special peek! If you absolutely love these shades and have to have them, let Zoya know. Your demand could bring them to a store near you. :)

Satins were all the rage at Fashion Week this season. Essie, Zoya, Julep, and many other polish brands are debuting these mixed finish shades that give a soft focus effect somewhere between matte and glossy.

Zoya - Constance

Constance is a forestry, moss green. I love that the satin finish adds to the earthy feel of this polish.

Zoya - Dagmara

Dagmara is a soft, puce shade. This is very complementary to my skin tone! This may be my favorite from the trio.

Zoya - Antoinette

Antoinette is a stunning, muted navy. I love the shade, but the formula was a bit thick. All of these satin shades had fantastic coverage and could have been one coaters, but I used two just for good measure.

Since you are going to be seeing a lot of satins hitting the shelves for spring, you may be wondering how different they actually are compared to glossy and matte finishes. Here we have Constance with a glossy to coat on the pointer, a matte topper on the middle, and satin finish on the ring finger.

Which finish is your favorite? Are you excited to try satins on your nails?

Jeremy Scott NYFW Nails

2015-02-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Fashion Week has been an insane whirlwind this season! The looks for Winter/Fall 2015 are strutting the runway.

Many of the repeating trends have been high necklines, embellishments and gems on garments, naturally worn hair, fur combined with leather, and dress pockets.

That's no fun when it comes to nails though so I searched out some of the most colorful, brightest looks on the runway. Of course, Jeremy Scott came to mind.

Jeremy Scott's W/F season is full of color, prints, and exciting patterns. I used inspiration from four of his runway looks to create some corresponding nail art using all China Glaze shades and some acrylic hand painted accents.

I used Sunshine Pop as the base for the first nail and hand painted all the other splatters of color. For the middle finger I used a base of Fuchsia Fanatic with messy polka dots of For Audrey. The ring finger has a base of Man Hunt with a hand painted three eyed bear. Finally the pinky finger is a saran wrap nail using Sunshine Pop, For Audrey, Life Saver, and Something Sweet.

Happy Fashion Week, loves!

January Julep Maven 2015

2015-01-28T14:32:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged about my Julep Maven boxes! I've still been getting them monthly, I just haven't had much time to sit down and write about them. This year I want to keep up with my subscription boxes. Any bets on how long I'll last? If you comment and are correct I may send you a prize box!

This month features The Chrysalis Collection. This box came with a free metamorphosis top coat, playing into the collection namesake. I switched over from my regular Bombshell box to Classic with a Twist.

With the extra free gift, my box is packed full this month!

My products this month included a Julep Oxygen Nail Treatment in Ivory, a Luxe Lip in Sheer Pink, Julep Maryam, Julep Tyra, and some Junior Mints!

Maryam is a merlot shimmer while Julep Tyra is a very sheer, purple pearlescent topper.

Julep's Luxe Lip is enriched with natural ingredients to soothe, hydrate, and plump. Sheer Pink has a shimmery tint that still lets my lips look natural. I love the cool metal tip of the applicator! It gives me a nice smooth application and is really refreshing.

Julep's Oxygen Nail Treatment is a favorite of mine. I'm always wearing it when I'm giving my nails a day off to allow them to breath and strengthen. I loved that they released this in a new ivory shade and I had to have it. I'm happy to add it to my collection!

Tyra is shown here alone on my pointer and over various colors. The Metamorphic Top Coat collection can be used over different colors to change their finish. The color really shows up best over dark shades like black or navy. I can see using this over Zoya Casey (an almost black, vampy purple) to give the shade more dimension and pop!

Maryam is a very pretty merlot full of golden shimmer. If there is one thing Julep does well, it's shimmer polishes! This shade perfectly captures gold at the right angles when your nails hit the light.

Want to try Julep out yourself? This month they're running a special! Sign up by clicking here and using the code BEMINE. You'll get a free 4-piece intro box worth $58 including a holographic heart glitter top coat, plus three more beauty treats. You can keep the freebie box and cancel your subscription at any time.

Christmas Nails with BornPrettyStore

2014-12-22T22:58:00.003-05:00

Christmas surprises are just the best!

I came home to a surprise package from BornPrettyStore. It was full of Christmas cheer with stamping plates and nail water decals.

Fun Fact: This is my first time using water decals! They're so easy and they give you a great design without the hassle.

I painted two coats of Motives Nail Lacquer - Red Stiletto and let them dry completely. When using water decals you simply cut them out, let them float on a water surface for one minute and slide the decal off the paper. You have about one minute to place it, orient it, and work out any air bubbles before it dries. Finish it off with a top coat and you're all done!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

LiveLovePolish Review

2014-12-17T18:04:00.000-05:00

LiveLovePolish is an online store that carries some of your favorite brands such as China Glaze, Models Own, Floss Gloss, NCLA, and Seche.

Seche Vite may be one of your favorite polish top coats, but did you know they have a whole line of beautiful colors?

I received Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat and Seche Coral, a hot pink creme, from LiveLovePolish.

As a nail artist who specializes in hand painting, cremes are my favorite! They make beautiful bases for art. I am sick of the freezing weather we've been having so I decided to brighten up my day a bit.

These hand painted daisies complement Coral beautifully!

Seche's formula is wonderfully smooth and incredibly easy to apply. I did notice that Coral dried a bit darker than the vibrant shade seen in the bottle. Not a huge problem when the formula is so lovely!

Check out LiveLovePolish! Which brand do they carry that is on your favorites list?

31 Day Nail Challenge: Day 1

2014-11-16T11:21:00.004-05:00

Welcome to my second round of the 31 Day Nail Challenge! I will be completing this challenge over the next couple of months.

Day 1: Red Nails

For these nails I had to break out my Louboutin Rouge! I was inspired by the bottle to create a red to black fade. On each nail I used a freehand brush to create negative space.

Each nail has it's own unique shape for a mix and match.

Which nail is your favorite?

myNCLA Nail Wraps

2014-09-16T21:24:00.003-04:00

NCLA has just launched a new app called myNCLA. On the app you can upload pictures from your library or take a picture in app. Anything you can take a photo of, myNCLA will print as nail wraps!

I wanted to go for a bit of an artsy route so I used an image I took at The Color Run.

This was taken right after we completed The Color Run. If you haven't ran The Color Run I highly suggest it!

After the nail wraps are printed they'll be shipped to you in this folder along with a file to trim off the excess nail wrap.

NCLA suggests using a glossy top coat as a base before applying your wraps but, for extra strength I added a base coat. The wraps have a sticky side and are actually paper based. After applying the wraps with the size that fits best, seal everything in with a top coat and you're good to go.

Each custom nail wrap sheet is printed with your name in the center!

The wraps on my nails look fantastic. It's a look that can't be replicated if I was doing these freehand. Yes, there are splatter nails but when you get up close you can actually see where each spot fades a bit into the shirt.

Have you downloaded the myNCLA app? What would you put on a set of custom nail wraps if you could choose?

Aladdin Nail Art as a Tribute to Robin Williams

2014-08-13T15:30:00.003-04:00

My uncle Bruce was a producer in Hollywood. One of his first big movies was Mrs. Doubtfire where he and Robin Williams grew to become friends.

When my Uncle passed away in 2012 the Williams family was kind enough to send a gorgeous flower arrangement and their condolences to the ceremony.

I hope that they are surrounded by the same support and comfort during this difficult time as they offered us.

Last night I created these Disney Aladdin nails as a tribute to the late, great, Robbin Williams.

Shark Week Nail Art!

2014-08-10T21:13:00.003-04:00

Happy Shark Week!

I've whipped up a little something just for the occasion.

I used a blue gradient with Essie Aruba Blue, Essie Butler Please, and OPI Can't Find My Czechbook and then hand painted the Shark Week logo and the shark itself. Everything is topped off with a Matte Top Coat from Julep.

How are you celebrating Shark Week?

ModCloth Nail Klub Dresses Challenge

2014-07-27T18:00:00.001-04:00

I have been a ModCloth lover since my very first order back in 2010. Currently half of my wardrobe is from them. Their whimsical, quirky, romantic style is me to a T. If I could wear dresses every day of my life I would! When I saw some posts by ModCloth's Nail Klub being created based of some of their fabulous frocks I knew I had to jump in.

I went through a lot of summer dresses to find one that I thought would be perfect to pull a nail design from. When I saw the Graceful Greenery Dress in Dog Park it was calling to me!

The print of this dress, by Bernie Dexter, is a beautiful crimson with vintage cartoon doggies everywhere. Upon further digging of this unique print I found out that it is by Tammis Keefe who worked in the Disney studios and was one of the first women back in the 40's and 50's to become well known and attributed to her commercial artwork. You can see her signature on parts of the dress. She produced around 400 designs for handkerchiefs and dishtowels all featuring her unique style during some of my favorite eras.

I went right to emulating the design on the dress by recreating some of the pooches featured.

For the base I used Essie Snap Happy which, by the way is one of my absolute favorite formulas ever. For the detail I hand painted white outlines of the dogs from poodles, to dachshunds to chihuahuas and then added accents of brown, grey and black for the details. Finishing the design off with a matte top coat from Butter London helped give these nails a cloth like appearance.

One little pup wasn't included on the print of the dress. It's Winston the spokes-pug, ModCloths mascot! Can you spot him peeking up on my middle nail?

New to ModCloth? It's an amazing online store that carries vintage, vintage inspired and indie clothing and accessories. Get $15 off your first order of $50 or more when you sign up for a new account here.

Christian Louboutin Beaute - Rouge Nail Polish

2014-07-24T12:19:00.001-04:00

I don't own my own pair of Louboutins but, just like every other girl in the world I'd kill for a pair. That's probably why Christian Louboutin decided to launch his very own beauty collection starting with nail polish that can also double as a weapon.

News dropped about Christian Louboutin's Beaute nail polish collection on 7/23. You can preorder through Saks Fifth Avenue for the release of Rouge on 8/6 but, if you were lucky enough to be near the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in NYC you could go there and pick up a bottle of Rouge early. You can also pick Rouge up at any of the Louboutin boutiques.

I ran on my lunch break and snagged a bottle.

Each bottle is housed in a hand-made, patent leather like, red and black box. One side has a raised Louboutin signature.

These bottles are huge with an 8" handle. It takes 22 weeks to make each polish as the 16-faceted glass bottle is finished with a hand-held flame and the box is hand crafted.

The glass bottle itself has a black to clear ombre allowing you to peek through to see the polish color on top.

For $50 a bottle, the bottle just can't be pretty, the formula should rock as well. Louboutin states that this long-wearing, chip resistant formula is highly pigmented with luxe, glossy color and UV protection to keep the color true. Two coats should give the effect of 20 layers of traditional lacquer, with a brilliant shine. Rouge is the same pigment of red used on the soles of Louboutin shoes.

Indoor Lighting

Beauty brands say lots of things about their products but this is the first time I feel like something has lived up to the hype.

Rouge is violently beautiful. One coat is full coverage. Yes, it's a one coater! I used two coats because why not. The super long brush handle is heavy making it easy to control. Polish only went where I wanted it. The glossiness of this varnish is highly reflective without a topcoat (I didn't use one).

Natural Lighting

As August approaches I can't wait to find out more information about the other 30 shades coming out. It looks like Rouge is the star of the collection with the other polish shades having slightly smaller, different colored handles and clear bottles instead of black ombre.

I can justify spending $50 on a bottle of polish since I'm a nail artist but would you take the plunge?

Happy Fourth of July!

2014-07-03T22:47:00.001-04:00

Dermelect was kind enough to send me some red, white and blue polish in preparation for the 4th of July!

Dermelect is a skincare line that has released the first anti-aging peptide infused nail laquer! I received Red-iculous, Opulence and Phenom.

Dermelect is running a giveaway when you upload your patriotic nails with the hashtag #nailMe. You could win the entire 'ME' lacquer collection!

I created my look by layering Opulence on the bottom, splitting the nail in half with straight stripes from Nail Vinyls and painting half the nail blue with Phenom and the other half with red Red-iculous stripes. Finally, I topped them off with silver nail vinyl stars using Julep Empire.

What are you wearing on your nails for America's birthday?

Color Club Poptastic Collection 2014

2014-06-24T13:34:00.001-04:00

It's officially summer! You know what that means in polishland, neons! Color Clubs got some great new additions to their Poptastic collection.

This year there are six shade of neons, all in the shimmer family. Three of the shades have a warm golden shimmer while the other three have a cooler purple. Keep in mind that neons are notoriously difficult to photograph. I tried to get the swatches as close to accurate as possible but, they may be a bit off. Each bottle retails for $8.

Kapow!

Kapow! is a neon pink with a purple shimmer that cools the shade down a bit. Formula on this is great! It's a two coater.

Peace, Love & Polish

Where Kapow! is cooled down somewhat because of it's purple shimmer Peace, Love & Polish warms up with a bright golden shimmer. Another stellar formula and two coater!

Foxy Mama

Foxy Mama is a hot orange full of golden shimmer. I will be wearing this ALL summer!

Not-So-Mellow-Yellow

Not-So-Yellow-Mellow is such a difficult shade to catch. This is a classic highlighter yellow. There are some green shades here but that doesn't translate in real life at all. It's all yellow all the time! The yellow shimmer is a bit harder to pick up than it is in Foxy Mama but it's there. This shade was a bit thinner than the other formulas and took three coats for full coverage.

Bell Bottom Babe

Bell Bottom Babe applied very thinly with one coat and grew to opacity with three. The purple shimmer in this is heavy handed! Even though this one took three coats I really love this shade of blue!

Right On

Right On is a neon purple with a deeper violet shimmer. This pretty purple was a two coater and I highly recommend!

I wanted to show how amazingly these shades went together so I created a blended six shade gradient! My fingers are radioactively bright! I used a white base to make the neons pop but honestly, most of the shades didn't even need it.

Which is your favorite neon from Color Clubs new Poptastic additions?

June Beauty Box 5 2014

2014-06-18T22:27:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't need a fifth beauty box subscription each month? This month I"m giving Beauty Box 5 a try! This box is what I've come to expect from subscription services and offers five items a month ranging between foil samples to full size products. Beauty Box 5 is $12 a month or $8.25 a month with a yearly subscription.

I received Nicka K New York Nail Polish, Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner, Vitabath Shower Gel, GlamNatural Mascara and Eslor's Introductory Collection.

Vitabath Cupcake Couture Body Was in Dreamy Pink Frosting

This little travel sized body wash smells like I just walked into a bakery. Who doesn't want to smell like a bakery? I'll tell you who, no one.

GlamNatural Mascara in Black

GlamNatural is not a brand I'm familiar with but, I can always use more mascara. Did you know that mascara expires after only three months? As the name may have clued you in, GlamNatural is a green cosmetic company that uses all natural ingredients.

Coconut Water Weightless Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner

I really dislike getting little throw away packets in subscription boxes which is probably why Ipsy continues to be my favorite. Beauty Box 5 seems to include at least a couple in each box. I want something I can use more than once. I don't really feel I can get a good idea of a product and what it's all about with only a few uses.

Eslor Introductory Collection

This little packet contains four separate foils. There is a Soothing Refiner & Cleanser, Soothing Cream, Replenishing Cream and Comforting Mask. Again, I'm a little disappointed in the tiny little samples but, I'll give them a try and see what I think.

Nicka K New York Nail Polish in Lavender

Nicka K New York has some really great polish. I recently received quite a few from them to review from the brand and I've been really impressed! Lavender is a perfect shade for spring.

Overall, I think this will be my only try with Beauty Box 5. Typically I like to give each subscription service a three month try but, after seeing this box I have a feeling it's just not really for me. I don't feel that I received a great value from this box with the included foil samples. Many of the products were bath items which I'm not interested in. I much prefer makeup products or tools. BeautyBox5 does offers a personalization quiz but, based off of other's boxes I've only seen different shades or scents of the same product and no variation in the products themselves.

What do you think? Would you be interested in trying Beauty Box 5?

June Wantable Beauty Box 2014

2014-06-17T22:45:00.001-04:00

Wantable is a high end subscription box with three options to choose from monthly: intimates, beauty or accessories. Wantable was kind enough to provide me a beauty box to review here!

Wantables beauty box is $36 a month with a subscription or $40 for a one time order. Wantable has a pretty varied quiz to provide you with the items that they know you'll want. You can even exclude options that you know you won't use.

This month I received a Liberty Republic Spellbound Nail Lacquer, Gleam by Melanie Mills Body Highlighter, Mirabella Eye Definer, a 'Tini Beauty Lipstick and an Ofra Brow Pencil.

Gleam by Melanie Mills Body Highlighter: $30

As much as I don't want it to be, it's practically summer. Autumn is my kind of season so I suppose I'm looking forward to summer so it can be over already. Gleam Body Radiance Highlighter has potent anti-aging ingredients, hydrating ingredients and skin perfecting ingredients. This little lotion will give your skin the appearance of a healthy glow. It is a pigmented makeup that helps diminish the appearance of small stretchmarks and varicose veins leaving you looking like smooth velvet perfection. Maybe summer won't be so bad this season. ;)

'Tini Beauty Straight Up Color Lipstick in Pink Champagne: $18

I've tried 'Tini Beauty's nail lacquers but, this is the first experience I've had with their other products. Pink Champagne is a peachy pink brimming with gold shimmer. Application was fine but, I feel Pink Champagne is a little juvenile for me. The shade is intensely glittery. Before heading to work I decided it was just a little too much and wiped it away...and wiped it away....and wiped it away. I don't know what they use in this stuff to bond it together but, I"m starting to think that it's superglue. This glitter will not come off! It actually ended up spreading all around my mouth and now I look like I've been dining on unicorn meat. I think I'll be skipping this one.

Ofra Universal Eyebrow Eyeliner: $10

I've been very into taking care of my brows lately. It really changes your whole face for a more intense focal point on your face. I've been testing different products to see what kind of mediums and brands I like. So far I've been using Whitening Lightnings Brow Bar in light which includes two powder shades and a tinted wax. Ofra's Eyebrow Eyeliner is a waxy brunette shade that is perfect for me. If you only need a pencil to fill in this is a great option. However, I need some kind of finishing wax or gel to hold my brows in place as well.

Mirabella Eye Definer above, Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil Below

Mirabella Eye Definer in Bronze: $19

This little eye definer can be used on your lid as a shadow or as a metallic liner (metallic's are in this summer). The metallic sheen is gentle enough on this that I'd feel comfortable wearing it to work. Added bonus, this shade is absolutely amazing to make blue eyes like mine pop!

Liberty Republic Spellbound Nail in Talisman: $14

I haven't had the privileged of trying Spellbound Nail Lacquer before but, I am so glad I did! This metallic gold formula was perfection! I want more!

Overall, I got an amazing value of just over $90 and I loved almost everything in my box! You can check out a Wantable box for yourself here. What was your favorite item from the June Wantable Beauty Box?

Summer Down the Shore Collection by Philly Loves Lacquer

2014-06-01T20:41:00.000-04:00

Philly Loves Lacquer's new collection is a gorgeous, summery blend inspired by growing up on the East Coast! Each polish is named after summer hot spots found on the Jersey Shore. This collection consists of eight polishes including Love Those Wildwood Days, Absecon, On the Way to Cape May, Watch the Tram Car Please, Under the Boardwalk, Wildwoods by the Sea, Island Beach and Meet Me at Morey's. I have six of the eight here to show you today!

Meet Me at Morey's

Meet me at Morey's is a clear glitter topper filled with over 100 different glitters! You can pull the brush right out of the bottle for a collection of smaller glitters or you can fish around for some of the big chunky surprises inside. I found some larger stars, circles and rings!

Watch the Tram Car Please

Watch the Tram Car Please is a crelly, highlighter yellow base full of matte blue glitters. This shade screams summer to me!

On the Way to Cape May

This strawberry red jelly has blue and silver shimmer inside that will give your nails that extra added pop when they catch the sun. Summer must have!

Under the Boardwalk

This grey creme is similar to On the Way to Cape May. The violet purple shimmer is very pronounced!

Wildwoods by the Sea

Wildwoods by the Sea is a creamy seafoam holo! This is such a beautiful shade, add the holo to it and you've got yourself a perfect polish! I received a mini bottle to review but, I may need a full size!

Island Beach

Another lovely holo! Island Beach is a sandy nude with a gorgeous holo effect. Having a rainbow on your nails is the best!

You can check out the other two shades from this collection, Love Those Wildwood Days and Absecon, by heading over to the Philly Loves Lacquer site. Which is your favorite from the Summer Down the Shore collection?

Stitch Fix May 2014

2014-05-10T12:19:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed some fashion posts on my blog more and more. Well, I'm officially labeling myself a nail art, fashion and beauty blogger now. :)

This month marks my first fashion subscription! Through a discount on Klout I signed up for my first month on Stitch Fix to see what I thought.

Stitch Fix works by sending you a monthly box specially picked for you by Stitch Fix stylists. The stylists are actual people! Not a computer system or algorithm, an actual person. You can tell your friends that you have your own personal stylist now.

Each box contains five items. Unlike other subscription services you do not need to keep everything. You can try everything on then pick and choose what you would like to keep or what you would like to send back. Included in your order is a return baggie already pre-addressed with a return label. When you sign up you will pay a $20 styling fee which goes towards your purchase that month. You can choose to get one box as a one time thing or sign up for a subscription service where you will receive a Stitch Fix every four weeks. Since May is a long month there will actually be two Fixes this month.

Going to a special event this Summer? Let Stitch Fix know and they will put your box together focused on special occasions! Looking for work wear? They'll focus on sending you office savvy outfits. As you take on more and more boxes your stylist will get a better feeling for what kind of fashion is a do and don't for you. Your boxes will only get better!

I found that the styling quiz was insanely detailed but, once I got my box I found that it really paid off! I really liked the majority of my items. Let see what I got:

Pixley Necklace:

This necklace is a gold toned (I requested gold!), collar necklace that has a scale print on the tri-panels. Typically I hate anything animal print, including scales. However, when I put this one I really loved it! This necklace seemed to be made out of a coated resin or possibly plastic and was definitely not real metal. If this was anywhere under $20 I would have kept it but for $48 I had to pass due to the quality.

Status: Returned

41Hawthorn Sugar Dot PrintFit & Flare Dress:

I am a dress fiend. Even in this past cold, snowy winter I was whipping out the dresses and skirts left and right. If I had the money and choice I would wear dresses every day. This dress is a smooth, silky navy material with small white polka dots on a fit and flare skirt. The top has two pleats at the neckline. They actually reach all the way down the top but because I'm quite busty I stretched them out a bit. The back has a small zipper that ends at a cut out. The top fastens with a cute little polka dot button. This is exactly my dream style. Classic and glamorous, I feel like Audrey Hepburn's bigger chested cousin. It's long enough to wear out on a date or to work hitting me right at the top of the knee.

Status: Kept!

41Hawthorn Sleeveless Blouse:

Most of my items in this box were grey or black. This is perfect for me since I tend not to dress too colorfully. It's the New Yorker in me :P. I did request blues, reds and teals as my favorite shades. This teal sleeveless blouse has a deep plunge in the front with two pockets on each breast. The buttons are rimmed in gold! I requested work garments and I got it! This blouse will be great to wear loose over a pair of jean shorts with flats or It's great to wear tucked into a high waisted work skirt.

Status: Kept!

41Hawthorne Filbert 3/4 Sleeve Popover Blouse:

I am actually wearing this blouse right now. This blouse is a sheer black material with a half button down front and a functional pocket on each breast. The shoulders have epaulets and a slight puffed sleeve. I love this style.

Status: Kept!

Asymmetrical Sweatshirt:

My last item was this asymmetrical sweatshirt. I loved the soft material but that was where this sweatshirt ended with me. I am a sucker for a good sweatshirt but the fit was strange with the cowl neck making me look like an old wrinkly turtle. The base of the sweatshirt is meant to be asymmetrical but it ends up just looking poorly made. The fit just looked strange on my body as well. I'm hoping for some more sweatshirts in the future from Stitch Fix that I'll keep...but, I won't be keeping this one.

Status: returned

I had three really good finds this month! I kept both the sleeveless teal blouse and the black blouse as well as the polka dot dress. My returns were the cheaply made necklace and the asymmetrical sweatshirt. Since I only paid for what I kept and I returned two items this box ran me $170. Should you love everything in the box Stitch Fix will give you a 25% discount and charge you a reduced price for all 5 items.

I really love having my own stylist and I can't wait to see what my next box brings. I really hate shopping. It's such a long arduous process. Why shop when you can have someone shop for you?

Want to sign up for your own Stitch Fix? Simply click here and take the Stitch Fix styling quiz. You'll get your very own box of five items to keep or return.

Essie Hide and Go Chic Collection

2014-04-20T22:15:00.002-04:00

Essie's new spring collection is a stunner! This season's collection name is Hide and Go Chic. It's full of beautifully unique shades for spring. Essie sent this collection to me for review.

Style Hunter

Style Hunter is a beautiful, bright crimson with a slight sheerness to it. The formula was absolutely amazing! It applied like silk and had a colorful pigment throughout. One coat was sheer and three built up to the swatch above.

Romper Room

Romper Room is a pale, tea rose pink. This shade is very gentle. The formula was a bit thinner than Style Hunter and took a few coats until I got a nice full coverage.

Spin the Bottle

Spin the Bottle is a semi sheer nude. This formula was also a little bit thin and took a few coats for a nice robust color. I love this nude with my skin tone! Nude is always the perfect color for a finished look that elongates the fingers.

Fashion Playground

Fashion Playground is a minty, pistachio green with a very delicate silver shimmer. If you are a fan of Essie's cult favorite Mint Candy Apple you'll love Fashion Playground. The color is similar but adds the fine silvery mist that makes a polish a bit more dimensional. The formula was amazing on this one!

Truth or Flare

Truth or Flare was not a shade I was initially all that excited for this spring. The color is a little grayer than I like. After applying Truth or Flare my mind is totally changed! The formula on this denim blue is pure perfection. The polish is jelly like and slightly transparent. When built up to three coats it gives a super glossy color that has a real depth to it.

Hide and Go Chic

Hide and Go Chic is the namesake polish from this collection. I found this polish to be a beautiful shade and a great creme formula. Azure blue is always a staple in my wardrobe. It's great to have a creamy shade to match.

To see how all of these polishes looked together I decided to do some color blocking! I started with a base of Spin the Bottle. After some well placed striping tape I used Hide and Go Chic, Truth or Flare, Fashion Playground, Romper Room and Style Playground to fill in the blocks. This polish surprised me incredibly in that it lasted over a week before it chipped or really showed any sign of wear.

Overall, this collection is very well done. I found Spin the Bottle and Romper Room to be a little thin but, every other color was perfect. My favorite are Truth or Flare, Fashion Playground and Style Hunter.

Have you been able to get your hands on any of Essie's Hide and Go Chic polishes yet? What's your favorite color?

March Ipsy Glam Bag 2014

2014-03-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ipsy time! March's bag is Destination Beauty themed. This month's bag design is by artist Klari Reis who designed it as the layout of San Francisco.

I received a Be a Bombshell eyeshadow quad, Nicole by OPI polish, Pixi foundation and bareMinerals lipstick.

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer: $9 (12ml) travel size

Pixi has been a product I've received on numerous occasions from Ipsy.

Flawless is a shimmery primer designed to give you a luminous glow underneath foundation or just to give you a dewy look on it's own. The formula is anti-aging and fortifies.

Be a Bombshell - Bora Bora Eyeshadow Quad: $16 full size

Be a Bombshell is a brand who's eyeshadow I haven't tried before. Initially I was going to throw it into my swap box but then I swatched it.

The shadows are shimmery and pigmented. I loved the sheen of them and really enjoyed the color palette. I always love golds and blues! The texture is very buttery and blendable. My mind has been changed!

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready: $5 (1.5 g) sample size

I typically think of myself as a gloss girl not a lipstick one.

Get Ready is gorgeous! This lipstick is incredibly moisturizing. The color was not as intimidating as I thought at first but very pigmented. bareMinerals has given me another pleasant surprise in this glam bag! Maybe I am a lipstick girl after all.

Nicole by OPI Roughles in On What Grounds?: $10 (.5 fl oz) full size

I have never been into the textured polish trend. On What Grounds? is a teal sandy textured polish from Nicole by OPIs new Roughles collection. The polish was full coverage in two coats. If you like textured polish I suggest it but, I still don't like the trend and will be putting it up for swap on my Edivv swap account. If you'd like to swap for this make me an offer.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this Ipsy bag. My favorites are the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready, Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer and Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Bora Bora. The Nicole by OPI in On What Grounds? was a great polish I just don't like textures. My total value was $40 in this one little bag!

Ipsy is only $10 a month. It's easy to sign up, just take Ipsy's style quiz here and Ipsy will handpick items that are chosen for you each month and send them to your door.

What did you think of Ipsy's March Glam Bag?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2014-03-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

Everyone's a little bit Irish on St. Paddy's Day!

For today's nails I used Pure Ice The Secret is Out! as my green base and used a dotting tool to make individual white shamrocks. One the ring finger I layered Ruby Wing's Ride 'Em Cowgirl which changes from gold indoors to copper outside.

Can you find the hidden four leaf clover?

March Julep Maven 2014

2014-03-08T16:01:00.001-05:00

It's Julep time! I was excited to see some bright spring colors this season.

This months theme is Riviera. I stuck with this months Bombshell theme for the gorgeous blue shade Monaco and the nude shimmery gloss as this months beauty product in Awestruck.

For my Bombshell box I received the blue shade in Monoco, the pastel yellow in Lilou, an added extra lipgloss in Graceful, the included lip gloss in Awestruck, another added extra lipgloss in Fearless and a Gilliam Stick Candy in Cotton Candy flavor.

Monaco is a pure winner valued at $14. The polish was a little bit viscous when wet but dried to an insanely glossy finish. The color was deep and gave full coverage in two coats. The shade is a deep blue that you can get lost in! Five stars for Monaco!

Lilou was a $14 dud for me. I dislike the color yellow so I wasn't planning on keeping this polish anyway. The coverage in the first two coats was streaky and sheer. It took four coats for me to get the coverage shown in my swatch above. If you're interested in Lilou you can find it in my swap shop on Edivv here. If you're not familiar with Edivv it is a beauty swap site! It's totally free to sign up and put your beauty products up that you're not interested in. Other members can offer you items for your products. I've swapped many items I haven't been using for products I've really been interested in.

I am not a lipstick girl. It just doesn't look that great on me. Lipgloss however, is my jam. I have been wanting to try Julep glosses since they released and I was finally able to get my hands on Awestruck since it was included in my box! Since I wanted more glosses I upgraded and added Graceful and Fearless as well. The more gloss the better! These glosses are full size at .25 fl oz.

Awestruck was included in my box and is described as a sheer nude blush with golden shimmer. All of these glosses are valued at $20 each. Awestruck is one of Julep's lip glosses enriched with their power cell complex. This includes rosehip seed oil to reduce aging and helps bond moisture to lips, malvaceae lipid extract that provides long lasting hydration and helps rebuild the skin and green coffee bean oil which is a natural anti-inflammatory. This glosses color is gorgeous and very natural looking. The shimmer is actually a bit big and I could feel it when applying but I didn't mind too much. This is much more of a slippery gloss than a sticky one. It lasted a few hours which is great for a gloss!

Fearless is a sheer silvery pink shimmer. This gloss also includes Julep's power cell complex. The color is a bit more rosy and gives your lips a healthy flush. The silver flakes give you a more icy look than Awestruck. Like Awestruck the gloss is slippery and lasted quite a few hours.

Graceful is a sheer pale pink with power cell complex. This is the only one of the trio that wasn't full of shimmer and is just a base color. I was worried I wouldn't be able to pull this one off since it was much lighter and brighter than the other two but, it applied sheer enough to where I felt comfortable in it. I loved all three of these glosses and hope that Julep let's us do some more lipgloss add ons in the future. I'd definitely invest in more of these glosses.

Overall I loved everything included in my box besides the yellow shade Lilou. My value this month was $48 for everything included in the box, $88 if you include my extra two lipgloss add ons. For $19.99 a month it's a great value! If you're interested in trying out Julep for yourself you can get a free Julep Maven box by going here and filling out Julep's style quiz. They will match you with a style you'll love. If you don't, you can always switch to another style. Use the code FREEBOX at checkout to get two free polishes and a beauty product! After you free box is done you can cancel at no penalty or continue to get boxes after that for $19.99 each month.

Did you get Julep's March box? What did you think of your products?

Oscars Inspired Nail Art Tutorials

2014-03-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

The Oscars are fantastically elegant, regal and exciting! Watching the red carpet this year I saw lots of sleek and chic looks. Of course I had to turn it into some nail art!

I was inspired by Julia Robert's dress, Maria Menounos' nail art on the red carpet and Angelina Jolie's dress.

Julia Robert's Oscars Dress Tutorial

To get this look:

1.) Paint your nails nude and let dry.

2.) Using striping tape create a V.

3.) Use black polish to paint outside of the V.
4.) Remove the striping tape for a clean outline.
5.) Using a striping brush or a toothpick add a lace design using black polish. Top with a glossy top coat to lock the design in and you're good to go!

Maria Menounos' Red Carpet Nail Art Tutorial

To get this look:

1.) Paint your nail solid silver or grey and let dry.

2.) Using striping tape create a large X on your nails. Fill in the lower section of the X with black polish.

3.) Remove the striping tape to show a sharp triangle shape. Let this dry completely.

4.) Place striping tape in a triangle formation just inside the previous black triangle.

5.) Fill this new triangle in with a silver glitter. Remove the striping tape. Top with a glossy top coat!

Angelina Jolie's Oscars Dress Tutorial

To get this look:

1.) Paint your nail nude and let dry.

2.) using a striping brush or a toothpick paint frilly lines up and down the nail with copper leaving a nude M shape visible. Let dry.

3.) Using a striping brush or toothpick paint frilly gold lines on the very edge of the top and bottom of the nail. Top with a top coat to lock the design in!

What did you think of the Oscars? Were there any styles you absolutely loved that you'd like a tutorial for?

Ruby Wing Sweet Fantasy Collection

2014-02-22T22:56:00.000-05:00

Spring is here bringing all the pretty polish with it! Ruby Wing has released their newest color changing collection for spring with the Sweet Fantasy collection. This collection has an equal split between some big chunky glitters, cremes and shimmer polishes.

In Your Dreams is a baby blue creme indoors. The application was great and gave full coverage in two coats. In direct sunlight the baby blue darkens to bluish-greige. This shade is great for business or work since it has nice neutral shades and a gorgeous pastel shade indoors perfect for the coming season.

Here is where I started having some issues. Centerfold is a pink jelly base with large silver hex glitters, small silver glitters and huge black hex glitters. I don't think I've ever seen such large hexs before. The jelly base was nice and intensified in color as you layer. The problem I had with this polish was the glitters. There was some pretty bad curling with the silver glitters. You can actually see the it in the light reflecting off of the silver glitters in both the outdoor and indoor shot. Another problem I had was the glitters clinging to one another. When you are trying to spread thin layers of polish it is difficult when you have a stack of three glitters clinging together that won't separate! Outdoors Centerfold changes to a deep purple. While I love the color change, I just can't get past the curling difficult glitters and because of that, wouldn't recommend this shade.

Silk Sheets is a peachy shimmer full of gold! This shade is one of the gentlest color shifts of the season. In sunlight the peach turns to a yellow-orange. The coverage was great and the golden shimmer is really beautiful in the sunlight!

Dolled Up is a sheer nude base with all the primary colors in glitter. There are medium blue, yellow and red hexs with small red glitters throughout. In the sun the base turns a muted red. and hides the red glitters so the blue and yellow ones really pop out. Unfortunately, like Centerfold, these glitters curl like crazy! You can easily see the curled bowl shape of the glitters in both images. The corner of the glitter caught on things and refused to lay flat. Happily, this completes the glitter shades in this collection.

Kitten Heels is a fuchsia creme with great coverage at two coats. This shade is super bright and hot! In sunlight it becomes a coral red/pink.

My all time favorite from this collection has to be Deepest Desire! This metallic mossy green is a tiny bit streaky but that is where the complaints end! The gold metallic in this shade is bright and reflective. I'm not much of a green girl but that's okay because in sunlight this shade has a drastic change to a golden chocolate. I want to wear this around Easter. For some reason it reminds me of Easter Baskets.

These Ruby Wings are available for $10 a bottle. My favorites are Deepest Desire, Kitten Heels, Silk Sheets and In Your Dreams. I'd skip the glitters shades, Dolled Up and Centerfold because of the curling glitter. If Ruby Wing reformulates the glitter shades I'd love to try them again. What do you think of Ruby Wings Sweet Fantasy Collection?

Cooooooookies!

2014-02-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

So I was having a sugar craving. They come on suddenly, I can't help it.
I decided to get creative and healthy by painting some cookies instead of eating them!

For this look I used Color Club Look, Don't Tusk from the new Safari Garden spring collection. The cookies are hand painted and they're topped off with Butter London's Matte Finish Top Coat.

Of course, my cookie nails just made me more hungry and I ended up baking a whole batch from scratch with dark chocolate chips so I could "do a photo shoot with my nails".....and eat a bunch. Oops!