Right now I am so obsessed, and inspired by all things nude and natural. Everything from neutral clothing and accessories, to natural hair and makeup! Sometimes less is more 🙂
(How freaking beautiful is Minka Kelly?!)
What are you currently loving?
Quick Eyebrow Trick!
Is there a quick beauty trick that you MUST do before you leave the house? An extra spritz of hairspray, some smoothing serum, a quick floss of your teeth? I have one that is a complete necessity …brushing and shaping my eyebrows!
It is so quick and easy, requires the purchase of nothing and will completely polish your look.
1) Grab a clean mascara brush- you can find these on display at nearly every beauty store. There are usually bunches of them available for customers to use for testing mascaras. Whenever I pop into Sephora I always grab a couple to bring home (I hope that doesn’t count as stealing..it’s like a sample!)
2) Place the tip of the brush close to the nozzle of your hairspray and spritz a small amount onto the tip.
3) Brush your eyebrows from the center of your face out. Be sure the path of the brush is drawn to enhance your natural arch.
(Be sure to run the brush under hot water when you’re done, otherwise the hairspray will build up and harden)
And voila! I am so nutty about doing my brows in the morning that I carry an extra brush and pocket sized hairspray in my purse just in case I forget!
Do you have a daily beauty-must? Share it in the comments below 🙂
My take on gel manicures (Hint: I’m in favor!)
I have a legitimate obsession with fingernails, nail polish, nail products and creating the perfect manicure. It’s slightly sick. I never get my nails done at a salon because I know I can do them better.
When the Shellac craze hit, I didn’t think much of it. I was still a student, I had plenty of time to keep up with my regular manicures. Once I started working full time I found I was unable to paint my nails the usual 2-3X a week, so I booked a shellac appointment to see what the hype was about. Of course I researched the proper application technique before I went- no oil on your nails, the polish should never touch your cuticles, make sure they cap the edges, etc. So I went in all amped that I would be leaving with super shiny nails that would last for 2 weeks!
Fast forward through my appointment…it was horrible. The woman who did my nails didn’t follow any of the rules, and I honestly wanted to grab the polish out of her hand to do it myself. It was torture forking over $35 dollars for something I hated (including the color!) but I’m not one to complain. So I bit my tongue and vowed that’d be my LAST trip to the salon.
Fast forward to today- I purchased an entire gel system over the summer, UV light included…
…and now do my own gel manicures at home (my Mom, sister and roommate benefit as well ;)). I don’t know how else to explain it, but gels are so amazing! I will never go back to regular polish. If you learn nothing else from me…remember this GEL MANICURES WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! (That’s kind of dramatic, but I promise it’s true!)
I will do a post on “How-To Do Your Own At Home Gel Mani ” in the near future, but today I just wanted to convince you with pictures. I basically photograph my nails daily, just to document the longevity of each manicure. Below are a few gel manicures I’ve done- see for yourself 🙂
I use a combination of OPI Axxium and Gelish products. You can see each manicure generally lasts two weeks- once in a while there is minor peeling in the second week, but the polish never chips, it withstands long showers, dish washing, and normal activity that a regular manicure would never sustain. The polish always remains shiny, and it makes my nails super strong- allowing them to continue growing (normally my nails are really weak). As you can see my cuticles grow out, and that’s when I’m usually ready to remove the polish and pick a new color.
I would highly suggest that if you haven’t tried a gel manicure yet, that you do so. Be sure to find a good salon and book an appointment- you will not be disappointed.
A few things I love about winter…
It is officially too cold to leave the house without a coat (snow or no snow)…in my book that means winter has arrived. I must admit while I dread the cold weather…it’s a nice change of pace in the wardrobe department. There are certain clothes, bags, colors, and shoes that are more acceptable in the winter time. Here are my seasonal favorites:
1) Scarves: I wear a variety of scarves year round, however this time of year the heavier knits serve as more of a necessity than an accessory.
2) A winter hand bag. I recently got a Louis Vuitton and I am so in love with it! It is perfect for the season and I am trying to get as much use out of it as possible before the bright colors of Spring come back around.
3) Moisturizers. I moisturize year round, but it is especially important during the winter. My skin get’s really dry, so I prefer to use a body butter. I have an apricot mango butter for every day, a lavender butter for nighttime and a regular floral-y scent when I’m in a hurry or need a quick pump.
It is important to keep your face moisturized and hydrated as well. My regular Olay lotion doesn’t cut it as my skin gets super dry in the winter, luckily Ponds Dry Skin Cream works wonder.
Don’t forget a yummy smelling hand lotion to keep hands from drying or cracking.
4) Faux Fur. Capitalize on the cold- you can’t wear fur in the summer! I got this amazing faux chinchilla vest which serves as a perfect substitute for a coat!
5) Dark Nailpolish Colors. I have tried nearly every polish color, but I must admit that the darker shades are my favorite. If you’re not accustomed to using crazy colors but want to try something new, choose a forrest green or deep blue; they are still very clean and professional looking but will definitely mix things up.
6) A cozy sweater! Take advantage of the opportunity to bundle up and wear something cozy. This sweater could easily substitute as a robe.
7) Knee High Boots. I love wearing boots, they go with skinny jeans, leggings, skirts, and certain dresses. I have a simple pair of 3-4″ black suede knee highs that I wear at least twice a week-they are so versatile!
I look forward to pulling these clothes, products and accessories out every year. What kinds of things do you like to wear/use/do during the winter months?
On-the-Go Make Up Must Haves
We all doll up in the morning in hopes that our freshly made faces will last the work day. Unfortunately, we all know that at some point our eye makeup is going to run, our t-zone is going to shine and that freshly-applied look is going to fade. So I present to you my small collection of makeup that saves me at 2:00pm everyday!
Here are the products I carry everyday for a mid afternoon pick me up:
The blot sheets are a lifesaver, I use these first to remove any excess oil from my forehead, cheeks and chin. This particular brand has a light powder finish on each sheet so in addition to blotting away oil, it re-applies a fine film of powder to help you make it through the remainder of the day shine free. A simple, shiny lipgloss and Chapstick are always a must 🙂
I broke the top to my Benefit Boi-ing concealer, but I swear by this stuff, so a make-shift plastic bag to transport works just fine. Q-tips I keep to remove any eye makeup smudges.
I like this compact because it is super small and coordinates well with the bronze-y colors I usually apply in the morning. The small brush is included so it’s perfect for a mid day touch up.
I bought this Sally Hansen Natural Beauty pump foundation on a whim, but it has turned out to be one of my favorites! It has amazing converge and I love the pump top- no sponge or brush required for application. I am addicted to my Hoola, and use it in the morning but the NYC bronzer works fine mid-day to add a hint of color.
I like that this brush is capped because it keeps the interior of my makeup bag and the other products clean. As I mentioned in my mascara review post, I’ve recently fallen in love this BareMinerals product so I can’t help but take it with me. The Mary Kay eye liner is a simple black, twist crayon- it was an extra I was able to spare for my mobile makeup bag. Kind of random, but I love lip pencils! I have such tiny lips so any opportunity to make them look bigger, I’ll take advantage of. I like to use a slightly darker color 🙂
These products are all fairly inexpensive, which is why I don’t mind toting them all over the place for touch ups. I save my more expensive, fragile makeup for at -home applications only.
What make up must-haves do you carry daily?