Living in New England, we have the luxury of experiencing four completely different seasons. While I’m definitely not one to smile at the thought of snow, I must admit – in some weird way, I do look forward to it every year. Each season means something different to me, and last year I began a few traditions to fully embrace each one. However, my main rule is no jumping the gun! Meaning, it may finally be September, but if I’m still wearing sundresses & sandals – it’s too early for a pumpkin spice coffee & apple picking!
With that said, it is inevitable that Summer is slowly coming to an end, and I’ve begun cleaning out my closet, bedroom, and my makeup drawers to prepare for all of the amazingness that is Fall! In doing so, I’ve come across quite a few empty products that served me so well this season, and I wanted to share! So without further ado, here are some of my…
Airbrush Legs Makeup. I discovered these products over a year ago & still swear by them! They can be found in any drugstore, Walmart, Target, etc. and they range in price from about $10-$15. They give the best instant tan! Just make sure that you are applying in the bathroom to avoid any messes.Arbonne Made in the Shade Self-Tanner. My Aunt had purchased this and wasn’t much of a fan, so she gave it to me. I totally lucked out, because not only did I find this stuff to be amazing, this bottle usually retails for about $30! It’s not instant, but I would shower & exfoliate before bed and then apply, never failing to wake up in the morning with the best sun-kissed glow! I rarely spend so much on a product, but I nearly used this entire bottle and will SURELY be purchasing another one very soon!Clean & Clear Deep Clean Action Exfoliating Scrub ($5-$6 in most drugstores). I fell in love with this face wash in college & have swapped it in and out of my beauty routines throughout the year. This Summer, it was my go-to! I definitely prefer face washes with some kind of scrub or exfoliant in them, I feel like it helps to clean out my pores of all makeup residue. This wash in particular leaves your face feeling cool & totally refreshed.Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil (About $6 at any drugstore) By now you SHOULD know that I am a cuticle oil junkie. I stash bottles, pens, and balms at my desk, in my purse, by my bed and everywhere in-between. I love to keep this oil at work because it’s easiest applied when sitting. I’ll coat my nails every hour or so, and it helps to keep nails/cuticles super hydrated & strong. I went through 2 bottles this Summer!Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Daily Moisturizer. (About $8-$10 at any drugstore). While I am not a huge Jergens fan, mainly because of that lingering odor, this firming lotion smells & works amazing! It has almost a birthday cake/vanilla icing scent to it. If I really wanted some deep color, I would apply it at night mixed with the Arbonne spray above.Sally Hansen Nails & Cuticles Hand Creme ($5-$6 at any drugstore). I always have hand lotion on me – and this one is great to keep in toe. Anything that moisturizes & is beneficial for your nails is A-OK in my book.Maybelline Falsies Flared Volum’ Express Mascara ($6-$7 at any drugstore) AMAZING mascara! I have naturally long lashes & am usually not phased by any mascara, but this stuff is incredible! I’ve already picked up two more tubes. CVS Brand Oil-Free Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($8-$9) SPF in your lotion is key for the Summer. This lotion is a dupe of a Neutrogena product & works just as well. I have combo skin, and this balances it just perfectly. I recently picked up another bottle for Fall 🙂NYC Appleicious Glossy Lip Balm ($2-$4 at drugstore) these are my new favorite lip balms! Super moisturizing & add just enough color & shimmer. I just finished my second one. I tried the Chocolate Apple & Big Apple Red flavors.Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer – Aloe fresh ($6-$9 at drugstore) Saved the best for last! This is a quick, convenient, continuous-spray lotion that moisturizes deeply and absorbs instantly. Leaves your skin soft & not the least bit greasy. I could not swear by this product any more – so amazing for Summer when moisturizing is at an all time high. I literally took it with me everywhere!
Phew. That seemed like quite the list, but I was really impressed with each and every one of these products!
Have you tried any of my Summer Faves? What products were you loving this year? Let me know! 🙂
There’s no better way to beat the New England cold than to escape somewhere warm. I’m heading to the Cayman Islands for a nice little vacation, and I couldn’t be anymore excited! While writing a packing list, I realized there are some things that I couldn’t imagine being on the beach without:
1) Fun, printed bikinis. Bright colors, of course!
2) IPad -it’s perfect when you’re unable to use your cell, and much easier than toting your laptop around!
3) Big sunglasses – need I explain more?
4) A good beach read. I’m currently in the middle of Safe Haven, I want to finish it before I see the movie.
5) Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Lotion. I love the gold shimmer in this one.
6) Floppy hat – love these when I’m laying out.
7) Gold flip flops – they’re perfect for the beach & going out at night.
8) A fun manicure! I’ll probably go with a Gelish polish so that it’ll last my whole vacation, but I’m not sure which color just yet – something bright!
9) A beach cover up. These are essential – perfect for when you want to get up and grab lunch, take a walk, or need to cover your skin.
I cannot wait to get away, I am really looking forward to soaking up some sun! These are just a few of my must-haves, is there anything else that I should throw in my beach bag?
‘Tis the season for some holiday manicures! While there are fabulous polish colors all around, I have narrowed it down and selected my top 8:
1: Nicole by OPI – Marooned in Paradise
2: Orly – Wandering Vine
3: Color Club – Platinum Record
4: Essie – Good As Gold
5: Essie – Too Too Hot
6: Sephora – Only Gold For Me
7: Zoya – Raven
8: China Glaze – White On White
Now before you get to painting, I have a few tips on how to make your holiday manicures not only look great, but last all season long!
1) Keep your nails short: Between all of the shopping, wrapping, baking & decorating, your nails are likely to take a hit. By by keeping them short & filed with a rounded or squoval shape, you’re less likely to suffer any splitting, cracks or breakage.
2) Moisturize: As you know, I am a HUGE fan of cuticle oil – especially in the winter!
The cold weather tends to make our nails more brittle, and our cuticles more dry. Use an oil or balm on your nails & beds regularly as well as a hand lotion. Take advantage of the yummy holiday scents!
3) Consider Gel: I usually always have a Gelish gel manicure, but if you don’t typically get them, consider splurging during the holidays! It will hold strong for all of your Christmas festivities and right through New Years!
What is your all time favorite polish color to wear during the holiday season?
As you know, I enlisted all of you to help me choose a polish color for my Memorial Day weekend manicure. I picked up all the of the polishes in the Gelish Candyland Collection this week, and asked you to decide which one was your favorite; it was a pretty even tie between Orange Cream Dream, and Sugar Daddy.
Unfortunately, right before I left work yesterday evening…I broke my thumbnail! I was SO bummed because I knew this would happen (it always does) …your nails are all perfect, and the same length…and then right before you bless them with a fresh manicure…one of them breaks! So frustrating. Luckily for me, this break was fixable. I decided to silk wrap it when I got home. I figured it make great blog content, so here is a step by step tutorial on how to save a broken nail with a silk wrap.
(At the end you’ll see which polish color I went with for the weekend!)
Alright, here’s what we were dealing with 🙁 Sigh.
1) First you need to carefully remove the polish as best you can without damaging the nail any further.
2) Next, cut a piece of a silk sticker to cover the area you’re looking to salvage. (A pack of these these silk wrap stickers can be bought at Sally’s for only $5, and will last you FOREVER!) If you need a quick fix, I’ve seen people use a piece of a tea bag…I tried it before and definitely prefer the silk, but it may be worth try in a pinch.
3) Peel the back off of the sticker and apply to the broken part of the nail with nail glue.
4) Once the glue completely dries, the nail will be hard as a rock! Use a buffing cube to smooth it out, and then begin your manicure. If you are working with regular polish (not gel) start with a nice base coat to even out any ridges.
This little nail mishap actually made it easier for me to select a color, I decided I wanted to do something a little darker to be sure you wouldn’t see the wrap. So I chose to go with…..
Sugar Daddy! And yes, my broken nail is holding up perfectly fine…
I really do love this color, but am still looking forward to trying out the other new polishes that I picked up! What are you wearing on your nails this Memorial Day weekend?
Over the past month I’ve picked up a bunch of new products; more so than normal. I though it’d be appropriate to do an April favorites post and share five of my newest faves with you. Enjoy!
1) Neutrogena Body Oil
My Mom swears by this product and picked up a bottle for me to try. It is applied to your entire body immediately after you get out of the shower. The oil is light, but effective. It combines with the water on your body and soaks into the skin to help keep it hydrated all day long. It is not greasy, and the scent is actually pleasant. My favorite part is that it makes moisturizing much quicker, and easier!
New fan! 🙂
2) Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Cuticle Pen
You may know about my obsession with cuticle oil, balm, and moisturizer products if you read one of my older posts– but I have found another one to add to the list! My Sephora cuticle pen ran out a while ago and I had yet to make a trip to the mall to replace it. The other day while at CVS I noticed this product and decided to give it a try. I am so excited about it because it works just as well- if not better than the Sephora brand (and it’s $5 cheaper)! 😉 This pen actually expels oil, as opposed to the oily/cream from the other pen. I really love it, and have been using it so many times per day that I may have to get another one soon!
I received a sample size of this product in my most recent issue of Cosmopolitan. I rarely if ever actually try these products, but I was curious about this one. I’m so glad I got the opportunity, because this cream is incredible! The product itself looks like a heavy foundation, but wears like a tinted moisturizer…only it’s hand’s down one of, if not the best tinted moisturizer I’ve yet to use! The coverage is phenomenal, and lasts all day long. I have my go-to foundation favorites, but I will definitely be using this product for the time being. 🙂
(I cannot wait to do a review on this product so you can see!)
I recently posted a review of 4 pink lip products, and have been using this particular one religiously. It has the perfect amount of color for everyday use, it has a decent lifespan on the lips, and it smells so, SO yummy which never hurts! 😉 It was really affordable and is definitely a new favorite!
5) Jergens Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer
I have to give credit to my roommate who actually found this first! We’re always looking for new at home tanning products and this one happens to have been a keeper. Before bed, wash and exfoliate your face, apply this lotion evenly, go to sleep, and wake up tan. It’s as simple as that- it seriously works wonders.
Just make sure you wash your hands after applying**
Have you picked up any great new products this month? Share them with me in the comments below! 🙂
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