Fun with Nails

For years, I reserved nail polish for my toes. I was used to messing up my nails, painting way out of the lines, getting lazy and let the polish chip to oblivion. I figured it wasn’t worth it. My toes were easy to ignore for a while. It was hard to tell if I had messed up and they lasted forever. So I stuck with that. Until I tried Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish strips. And then I fell in love with nail polish and nail art.

It started off with the strips, but then I got into actual nail polish. Wanted to try it out. And if you read this blog regularly, you know I really enjoy my OPI and I like to share the different things I try on Nails and Ales posts. Unfortunately, this summer has been filled with the same cheap beer, so I don’t have any new ales to show you. But I do want to share some of my recent nail art endeavors.
They aren’t perfect by any means, but it’s been fun to experiment.

(Again, I apologize, some of these are a bit messy)

I finally got some nail art polishes. L.A. Colors Art Deco polishes in black, white, and pink.
My first trial was this semi-tribal look. This was easy enough. I just used OPI’s No Room for the Blues and A Roll in the Hague and alternated nails. I used the regular brush to put the horizontal stripe in. And then I used the striper polish. It was SO easy and effortless. You must try L.A. Colors Art Deco. It’s amazing. The formula is smooth and opaque enough to cover any polish.

This was my second time using the striper and the first time doing a tape manicure. OPI’s Pamplona Purple served as the base. I used a bunch of tape to do the triangles, my favorite being the upside down triangle on both of my ring fingers. For that part, I used one of the new Essie metallic polishes, Good as Gold. And then I used the striper polish to trace the outline and separate the two. I really liked this.

Braided nails were a lot of fun to do. I want to try this again with different colors. This came from one of CutePolish’s amazing tutorials. 
I used OPI’s Pink Friday, Did It On ‘Em, and Fly (all from the Nicki Minaj collection, and covered it with Essie’s Shine of the Times flaky top coat to add a little extra oomph. I liked these colors together, so fun, and this braided style is super easy.
No extra tools needed, just the regular brushes that come with the polish!

Theses are the nails I am currently rocking (I took this picture right after painting them, thus the tiny messes here and there). These watermelon nails were super duper easy and they are so yummy and happy! There are so many ways to do these depending on the colors you want, if you want to do the whole nail (or just a slice, like CutePolish), and how much detail you want to put into it. I was based mine off a  photo on HelloGiggles. I used OPI’s Sparrow Me the Drama for the fruit and Jade is the New Black for the green rind. I finished it off with a swipe of white striper beneath the green line, and made my seeds using the black striper. Again, super easy and so fun!

 

So that’s my nail art right now. I’m so glad I’ve gotten into it all. I’m not the craftiest or artsy-iest person in the world, but nail art has been one of my favorite (and, as of late, few) creative releases. Hands are a part of everything we do, so it’s fun to look down at them and see something bright or cheerful. And they are a great conversation starter! I love talking to people about my nails or their nails.
That’s how I found out where to pick up my L.A. Colors!

Can’t wait to share more in the future. And hopefully we will get back to the Nails and Ales soon.

Bridal Shower

Brad’s cousin is marrying the cutest, sweetest little lady I ever did meet. I’ve only known Rebecca a little while, but it’s hard not to fall right in love with her. I am so excited to watch her and Shawn, Brad’s cousin, get married in October. They are truly best friends and it is so great to see a couple that lovely and happy come together for the long haul. Until then, it was fun celebrating her upcoming nuptials at this extremely beautiful bridal shower. Rebecca works on party/wedding planning, so it was no surprise that every detail was handled impeccably.
And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a fun gal who knows how to throw a good party.

Delicious food, peach sangria, a raffle (I actually won a “Beer Basket,” an Igloo cooler filled with some Leinenkugel brews, a pack of cards, some dice, and Koozies for both cans and bottles…all good things!) and the sweetest Pre-Newlywed game. Thumbs up all around!

From the top:
Me with the bride-to-be and Brad’s mom.
A table decorated with bamboo plants and candles floating in water filled with pebbles.
The delicious drink special, a peach sangria.
The fun menu (the food was amazing!!!).
Our favors: A mini bamboo plant and a jar of s’mores goodies.
Bubble lights and bridal tapestries.
Rebecca with some of her bridal party, giving a beautiful speech.
A HUGE sweets table with different goodies from friends and family.
During their Pre-Newlywed game, when asked who is smarter, they both said the other! Such a sweet moment.
The cute centerpiece at the bridal party table.

I can’t help but take notes for my future wedding. I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon, but weddings are a beautiful thing and it’s nice to daydream about. And of course, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the subject.
One day…

Sight-Seeing

So, in Boston, I’ll admit I didn’t even cover half of the bases most people probably would on their first visit. There are many historical stops I didn’t see, areas I didn’t get to venture into. But what can you do? I will say this…what I did see was absolutely beautiful. Brick roads, trees and tunnels decorated with beautiful lights, a cotton candy sunset over the dock, and one truly breathtaking skyline.

I was maybe moved to tears on Saturday night, after seeing all the sights.
I’m such a crybaby.

Esther Williams

A few months ago, on a whim, I decided to splurge and get this bathing suit from Mod Cloth. I am really into retro-style swimsuits that offer a modest yet sexy look. The high-waisted bottom is what cinched the deal, offering tummy coverage (and, therefore, no worries about chubby days) and an adorable shape. I didn’t realize until I received the thing in the mail that it was designed by Esther Williams. I also didn’t know who the heck she is. Cut to last week, skimming through TV channels at Brad’s house, when I stumble upon a little show about the career of Esther Williams…a beautiful swimming champion turned MGM actress in the 1940’s. She embodies that classic, retro swim gal look - the pin-up hair, the gorgeous bathing suits, and perfect makeup that wouldn’t run even as she swam and danced under the water.

I am desperately in love with the bathing suit three photos down. She should consider making a replica…

Sally Hansen Salon Effects - Nail Polish Strips

Okay, y’all, I sure hope you’re ready for me to geek out! I’m a pretty avid fashion magazine subscriber/buyer/reader.
And nowadays, it’s hard to go through a magazine without stopping on ads this.

At first, I ignored it like all the other advertisements. But then I started to see Sally Hansen Salon Effects pop up in articles, beauty Q&As, and blogs. I never paint my fingernails. I think the last time I had them painted was in 2005. The main reason I never paint them? I suck at it! I can’t paint in the lines, they smudge, and I just gave up. I also felt like my hands looked strange, and couldn’t stop stressing about the little imperfections. I decided I would stick with toenails…I can’t see them so close to analyze them and it’s a quick process. The more I started to hear about the supposedly easy and fun nail polish strips, the more curious I became. Not only could I get easy, nice looking nails, but I could do fun designs! So I finally picked up a little box, Misbehaved.

Girrrrrrrllllll, I’m in LOVE! I couldn’t stop staring at my nails. The whole process took about 20 minutes (the length of an episode of 30 Rock, which I listened to as I concentrated) but it was easy! Once you smooth the correct size strip on the nail, you file the remains off and you’re left with nails that look professionally done! They cost about 10 bucks, which is cheaper than most manicures. I still can’t believe I’m the one that put them on because they look great! I am dying to try other designs! First, I want to see how long these last. It’s been two full days and they are still goin’ strong. According to the box, they should last up to 10 days. But seriously…if I can do it, anyone can!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE TO ANYONE INTERESTED!

Just a couple extra random pics from my iPhone showcasing the nails…

New places

I had been wanting to stage a bit of a shoot in the strippin’s (old coal mine crap) for a while now. So I wanted to scope out the scene. I thought I would just check out the area across from my neighborhood, but Ed decided to show me the long way. And ya know what? I am so glad he did. Sure, it’s just a bunch of mounds of old coal crap being dug up and separated and whatnot. But it was peaceful and beautiful in the strangest way.

I kept thinking of the movie Garden State, when they encounter the “abyss.”

I need to get a pair of hiking shoes. And I need to find more hidden places to look at in awe. I like seeing beauty in the little things we overlook or forget about. And I like having my eyes opened to new things.

Lady Crayons

Over the weekend, I finally purchased the Sephora Colorbox I had been eyeing on the website for a while (Thus the title above, which I know is goofy, but think about it! A makeup kit like this is basically a woman’s box of crayons. And our faces are the coloring books?). I don’t even remember the last time I wore eyeshadow, and I’ll be honest…I’m kinda nervous to start again (I also got Too Faced Shadow Insurance…I’m hoping this helps. A large part in why I stopped wearing eyeshadow was the fact that it would always wear off or crease.)

Anyway, this is the way to go for me. One stop shopping. Pretty much every color I’d wear in eyeshadow, blush, and lip color (if I even try it) and all just shy of $25! I don’t think I’m going to start wearing makeup everyday again, but this is a start for those days when I feel extra sparkly.

I hope to report back with wonderful reviews!

EDIT: It’s Wednesday and today, I used the Shadow Insurance and, though I only wore a light eyeshadow, my eyeliner hasn’t budged. By noon, it probably would’ve started smearing towards my brows. I cannot believe I am actually saying this, but this product really works! It got great reviews on the site, but I didn’t believe that it would work for me, with the oiliest skin ever. If you are curious about this product at all, I am already in love and would recommend it. I need to try some darker, heavier stuff to really give it a good run, but the fact that my smudgy black liner is still hanging out in the same spot from 7:30 this morning…I’d say it’s promising.

My Heroine

Since junior high, I have been a follower of Natalie Portman. I saw her do an interview on Oprah with Susan Sarandon for the film Anywhere But Here and I thought she was so pretty and cool. My adoration has had it’s peaks and has since dropped a little (I can’t lie, most of her movies aren’t that great, though I do love Closer and Garden State), but I still think she is insanely gorgeous.

Want my hair to get this long!!!

 

Can you believe she even seriously went bald for her role in V for Vendetta? And she looked amazing. Crappy movies or not, she is truly a style icon for me.

{All images from here}

Average Girl Beauty Recommendations

I am far from a glamour girl and I’m nowhere near perfect. My tastes in make up and products have changed a lot over the years. But there are some things I’ve stood by for a long time, that maybe even changed my life in a way. So why not take the time to discuss?

My skin isn’t flawless and perfect. Man, I wish. I’ve been through lots with it and luckily, it’s been doing pretty well. Over time, I can probably credit Cetaphil face wash for that. I was introduced by a dermatologist, which was interesting because many before her had prescribed me all kinds of medicated, smelly washes. This is a simple, non-irritating formula that I swear by and have been using religiously since high school. I feel like a lot of us get pissed off with our unruly breakouts and try and attack. But sometimes, all you need is a simple wash that keeps everything in order without stripping all the necessities.

I know there is a competitor but C.O. Bigelow’s Rose Salve is easier for my to obtain and I don’t use anything else. I’m not one for lip gloss and I think lipstick looks weird on me, so I’ve always been a lip balm girl. Unfortunately, the sticks tend to dry my lips out more than moisturize them. This tin lasts for a long time…I’m pretty sure I’ve been using the same one since before I graduated college. It actually makes my lips feel soft and smooth and it just makes them look and feel healthier. It may seem strange to put something scented like flowers on your lips but there is no taste and the smell is so light it disappears pretty quickly. I am a big advocate of this product. 

When it comes to makeup, less is more for me lately. When I have a lot of make up on, I don’t feel like myself. I like when my skin can shine through. I’m not perfect and sometimes heavy makeup just accentuates that. So I stick with concealers and blush. The one place I can have fun and experiment is mascara. But I almost always run to the Rimmel aisle. The mascaras are priced well and there are all kinds of formulas you can try. I go through them pretty quickly because I love loading it on. I’d recommend any one of their mascaras, but I am currently using the one above, which is the latest product.

Moisturizing  is super tough for me because I have combination skin. If I don’t moisturize enough, I get dry spots. If I use something too greasy, I am an oil slick. So finding something good was hard for me. I’ve been using this Aveeno moisturizer on and off for years now (sometimes I use something a bit creamier for colder weather) and whenever I stray, I always come crawling back. The formula is perfect for my oily streak, because it almost mattes it down. And yet, I’m still soft and smooth.

So there ya have it. I know it’s not much, but I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to beauty products.