Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year's Eve!

Happy New Year's Eve! I can't believe it's going to be 2013!

0

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you are having a great month. I am in Florida for Christmas, and it has been so nice to see friends & family. Here's the nail art I did for the holidays!


Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
0

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Birchbox | December 2012

 I received my Birchbox super early this month. It was a nice, unexpected surprise after a long day of classes! This month is holiday themed, of course, and I am obsessed with the packaging! The actual Birchbox features a designed lid. I need to think of some way to reuse this one! To find out what's inside, click to read more!

0

Saturday, December 1, 2012

DIY | Cat Scratching Post


This cat scratcher is one of my favourite DIY's to make. It is customizable, simple, basically free, and your cat will love it! It also makes a great gift to give to your cat or to an animal-loving friend.

2

Monday, November 26, 2012

Review | tarte fantastic foursome

Today, I wanted to share a little review on the tarte fantastic foursome Amazonian clay Blush set. This is a limited edition holiday gift set that comes with four new half-size blush shades. The set retails for $35 and can be purchased at tarte or Sephora (though it appears to no longer be available online.)

0

Birchbox | November 2012

Finally, I am getting around to posting my Birchbox for this month (& just posting in general.) I have had the most chaotic month! Midterms, conferences, papers, & weekends away from home have all prevented me from blogging & well just about doing anything. On the plus side, because I am posting this so late, I was able to test out just about every product. The theme of this month's box was "give."
0

Monday, October 29, 2012

Halloween | Candy Corn Ombré & How-To


With the hurricane cancelling my classes, I was able to divert my study time to nail painting. So here's another Halloween nail-art look. It's candy corn inspired ombré. I just love gradients, and I think this great for this holiday. I also took pictures along the way so if you want to see a tutorial, keep reading!

0

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Halloween | 2 Nail Art Looks

 Here is a quick post to get you in the Halloween spirit! Because Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, many parties are happening this weekend & in case you are going to any tonight or want to still be a little festive this Wednesday, keep reading!

0

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Birchbox | October 2012


I received my October Birchbox a couple of days ago & thought I would share what I got & my thoughts on the products and this month's collaboration with goop, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle blog. 
0

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Steel Blue Gradient


I did this glitter gradient about a week ago (before my brittle nail disaster.) You have probably noticed I love doing gradients. I just think they are so beautiful & so easy! I had been doing bright ones all summer and wanted a change of pace by using some of my new fall polishes I ordered from Zoya. To create this look I used Zoya Natty & Zoya Fei Fei. 
1

Friday, October 5, 2012

Zoya Fall Nail Polish Haul




I took advantage of the Zoya Back to School BOGO promotion & scored some great colours for fall! I picked four from their newest Designer, Diva, & Gloss collections and two from previous summer collections (though I will be wearing these for fall too!)

0

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Birchbox | September 2012


Today, I finally received my September Birchbox! Some things I'm excited for, some things just okay, but overall, I am still a huge Birchbox fan! The theme of this box is the September Issue, so I was excited to receive some great items to get me through the season.

Box Breakdown
  • Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel | 50 mL
  • Jouer Matte Moisture Tint | Linen  2.3 mL
  • Color Club | Tweet Me 7 mL
  • Twirl by Kate Spade
  • Twistband | Purple Lace
  • Mighty Leaf Tea | Green Tea Tropical, Vanilla Bean, & Chamomile Citrus

0

Monday, September 17, 2012

Urban Decay & the High Line


New York Fashion Week is a crazy time in NYC! There are so many events going on. Unfortunately, many are not open to everyone and those that are fill up fast! So when I saw that Urban Decay was giving out coffee & samples in Chelsea I headed straight there!

0

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Guild Wars 2 Nail Art

Last week, a new online computer game was released, Guild Wars 2. I have been hearing all about it because of my incredibly nerdy boyfriend. The launch date was August 25 for people that pre-purchased the game, and the open release was August 28. Guild Wars 2 is an MMO, so you play online with a bunch of other people, leveling your character, completing events, and exploring the world. It is along the likes of World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars The Old Republic, among others. After knowing Preston for so long my nerdiness was amped up to the extreme as well, and I played a lotttt of WOW. So, I was really excited to play Guild Wars 2 because it had the things I loved about WOW and also some different aspects that seemed to fit my wants in a video game even better. Unfortunately, they don't have a Mac client, so I have been playing on Preston's account. I am a Norn Ranger, and she is prettyyy cool. ;]

0

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Rainbow Water Marble



I am so excited for fall! I can't wait to drink Pumpkin Spiced Lattes while wearing a chunky sweater & boots. But after finishing my first week of classes, I had the feeling, "Maybe I'm not so ready for fall..." So to enjoy the last of warm weather and bright colours, I did a water marble using some of my new Color Club polishes.
0

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Most Worn Tag | Summer 2012


The last week for summer for me consists of thoughts of the upcoming fall. My mind is so set on what the next season will bring that I tend to forget to live in the present and enjoy the summer while it lasts. So today's post is a reflection on my most worn beauty & fashion products of the summer. This is based off the popular YouTube beauty tag "Most Worn-Summer Edition." Though, it's meant to be a video, I thought it was a great idea for a blog post. There are 12 questions on your most worn beauty & fashion items of the summer and at the end you are supposed to tag some fellow beauty vloggers (or bloggers) to answer the questions too. So whatever form of media you use, consider yourself tagged!
1

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Leopard Family Nail Art


 
I tried my first leopard print mani a couple of weeks ago. I have an especially small nail polish collection for being such an enthusiast. So in searching my polishes, I realized I had no browns for a natural leopard print. So, I opted for a monochrome black & white print. I call it the Snow Leopard! I followed instructions from Chalkboard Nails, one of my favourite nail blogs. Her designs are always so neat!

I am not a big fan of animal prints, but I knew my little cousins would love it. I was visiting my father's side of the family at a cabin on lake Tulaby, in Minnesota. It was so great being there, but by the end my nails were broken, my legs bruised, and my skin sunburned! Definitely worth it though!
0

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Coral & Gold

So before I left for my family trip to Minnesota, I painted my nails in the perfect summer colour: coral. I then added some elegance with a gold glitter gradient. I loved how this combination looked. It was just so pretty! I couldn't stop staring at my nails...and I had plenty of time to do so while on the plane from New York City to Minneapolis!

0

Monday, August 13, 2012

Birchbox | August 2012

It's that time again! I just got my August 2012 Birchbox in the mail today! The theme is Beauty School and 15% of proceeds from Birchbox Shop purchases will be donated to Pencils of Promise, with the goal to build a school in Central America. Anyway, I love when companies give back, and I love the school theme. School supply shopping is my favourite time of year!


0

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Birchbox Cynthia Rowley by Band-Aid

Remember the Birchbox Cynthia Rowley by Band-Aid giveaway, I entered over a month ago? Well, I won & I am so excited! I don't think I have ever won anything in my life & for it to be something that I love & worked on really feels great!

The contest was on Birchbox's Pinterest site. You needed to post a picture of your nails while wearing a Band-Aid. I had just received my first Birchbox ever & I actually received the Cynthia Rowley Band-Aids in my box, so I was so excited to check them out for inspiration for a mani.

0

Friday, July 27, 2012

Ikat Nails

So I just returned from a trip to Florida a few days ago. I had such an amazing time seeing my family, Preston's family, and a few friends! Before I left, I painted my nails using an Ikat design inspired by this video by Miss Jen Fabulous. I have been watching so many of her videos lately. She shows great designs and demonstrates them in such a simple, easy way.

I have been loving the Ikat design for clothing, home goods, and accessories and was so excited to see how to translate this into nail art.

0

Monday, July 16, 2012

Two Ways | Color Club Blue-Ming

In my July Birchbox, I received a mini bottle of Color Club nail polish in Blue-Ming. The colour is a bright mint. It is gorgeous! So perfect for summer! I did have some issues with the formula of the polish but think it might be because it's a mini bottle. I found the polish to be very thick & the brush was difficult to work with (very stiff and the ends kinda of frayed out.) Unfortunately,  I ended up with some bubbles in my application. However, it's a beautiful colour, very opaque, & has a nice shiny finish.

Two coats of Blue-Ming without topcoat

1

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Birchbox | July 2012


I just received my July Birchbox in the mail today! It is always so exciting to get this little pink box in the mail. I was a little nervous that I might not like this box because after seeing the Sneak Peek; I just wasn't too thrilled with the products they showed. So after I received the notification that my box shipped, I immediately started scouring youtube for unboxing videos. My fears intensified as I saw more and more boxes that were just so-so. I kept my hopes up that my box would be different since the main feature of their boxes was the Eyeko Skinny Liner, and I had just got that last month so, though I absolutely love it, I was hoping not to get a repeat.

 Anyway, here is my box!
0

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Summer Gradient Nails





My manicure for this week is a gradient using Zoya Zuza (Aqua Blue) and Zoya Kimber (Strawberry Pink.) I love the Zoya Surf collection. The colours are so beautiful & sparkly! These colours were part of my mini Pinterest trio (which I used in my first water marble.) & I have Zoya Myrta as my pedicure, so it wouldn't feel left out! Again, I couldn't just pick one colour to paint my nails!

1

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy Fourth of July


Here is a quick post of my nails to celebrate Independence Day! I wanted to do something inspired by the flag but not too literal. So, I decided to try a water marble again, thinking the colours would appear to be fabric blowing in the wind. I tried two different concepts. For the first one, I used red, white, & blue polishes for the marble and covered that with a blue glitter top coat. For the second one, I used red & white on all nails except my accent nail which I used blue & white. The polishes I used weren't the best for marbling, but I like how it turned out!

I hope you have an amazing Fourth of July! I am going to miss my Jax Beach firework tradition with my mom but am happy to spend my first fourth in New York!
0

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Gold & Mint Tape Mani


So I have another nail art post today.  I did a tape mani using a mint polish as my base, painted over it with a mattifying polish, then finished it off with a gold glitter accent.

1

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Nautical Nails



I am a huge fan of anything nautical-related. I have nautical-inspired jewelry, purses, shirts, stationary, even a tattoo! This nail art was a vision I had for awhile now, just wasn't too sure if I had the tools or ability to execute it. I decided to finally go for it & I am loving my nails! If you find yourself inspired too, keep reading for a how-to. 
0

Friday, June 22, 2012

Julep Maven | Intro Box

I know I have been mentioning it in a few posts now, but I recently signed up for Julep Maven. It's a subscription site for the Seattle-based brand Julep, which specializes in nail polish. I found out about it through my interest in signing up for Birchbox. I had no idea how many different subscription sites are out there! Anyway, I love make-up, nail polish, & other beauty products, and I also love getting packages in the mail. So, I have been pretty pleased with my decision so far to join a couple of sites. Julep Maven also has a special where you can get an introduction box for 1 cent, so there really wasn't anything to lose by trying it out!

Last week, I got my intro box. My style was "Bombshell." I like that you can see the boxes & switch up your "style" beforehand. Though it takes out some of the mystery, I feel that it's important with a service so specific to just one brand and one main product (you don't want to end up with a bunch of colours you already have or don't like.)  I was really excited about getting my box & thought it was definitely worth the penny & time to sign up!

1

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Many Golds of Sephora

Last Thursday, I was in between my appointments at the lab, so I wandered around Lincoln Center & Columbus Circle. I stopped by Zara (which had the most amazing studded sheer blouses & coloured denim) & Sephora. While at Sephora, I really wanted to test the 18K real gold top coat. I also wanted to test out the Julep colours since I had just joined Julep Maven.

  
1

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Water Marble


So today, I did my first water marble! It is the most difficult nail art technique I have ever done! I am hoping practice makes perfect because when done right the results are awesome. Although I was incredibly intimidated, I had to try this technique after I received my Zoya Pinterest Mini Trios in the mail. Zoya had a Pinterest event for followers to pin their favourite Beach & Surf collection shades and the top three that were repinned would be made into a mini set. A code to receive the trio for free was given, and the first  2,000 people to check out with the code were sent the set. Though only one of my picks won (Zuza), I love all of the colours from the collection. I also really wanted to try Zoya nail polish after seeing so many great swatches!

0

Maxi Skirts


The maxi-skirt has been my go-to piece the summer. It's so easy to wear and can be dressed up or down for any summer activity. Such an effortless way to look put-together while staying comfortable!

This Saturday, Preston & I decided to head to Prospect Park and stop by the Farmers' Market at Grand Army Plaza. I thought a maxi skirt would be perfect for the occasion.

1

Thursday, June 14, 2012

DIY | Cut-Out Skull Shirt


I was feeling super crafty over the weekend, so after I painted my nails, I made this t-shirt. I had seen this cut-out tee many places & every time I would think, "I could totally make that!"
1

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Birchbox | June 2012

I got my first Birchbox today! The theme was Jet Set. I received a few products I love and am excited to try out. I also got a couple things that were nothing too special. Overall, I am happy with it so far & am willing to keep subscribing.


1

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Black & White Gradient





Gradients are one of my favorite nail art techniques. It let's you combine so many of your favorite nail polishes into one manicure without it looking all over the place! Today, I tried another combination: Black & White. I really love how this one turned out. It has a much different feel from my previous bright colour looks, even though it's the same technique.

0

Saturday, June 9, 2012

DIY Bookends from Design*Sponge

After my boyfriend and I moved to Brooklyn, unpacked our moving truck, and built all our IKEA furniture.... I realized we were missing more of the little things. Odds & Ends, Knicks & Knacks. We had to leave a lot of our stuff behind in Florida as well as make room to combine both of our things in order to fit in our tiny 350 square foot apartment! One thing that I really wanted for our bookshelves were bookends. I had been pinning ideas, but everything seemed to girly for him & too expensive for me. So when I came across this post on a DIY project for Alchemy Bookends, I knew I had to make it. Design*Sponge is one of my favorite websites for home decorating, entertaining, and DIY projects. 
My apartment has horrible lighting; everything is yellow-tinted.
0

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Newspaper Nails

So today I tried the nail trend, "Newspaper Nails." It looks so cool & is the most effortless nail art I have ever encountered! I was so eager to try it out that I didn't even check to see if I had all supplies. Even so, I managed to have everything on hand in my apartment, and it took 5 minutes to complete.


0

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Birchbox




As a kid, I loved buying the "Surprise Bag" at the Dollar Store where you would get a bunch of random (albeit reject) toys & candy. Extending that idea to adulthood, I was so excited to check my e-mail this morning & see that I was able to join Birchbox. For $10 a month, you get 4-5 make-up/beauty/lifestyle samples sent to your door (I also love getting packages in the mail!). But like those "Surprise Bags",  I was skeptical at first wondering if I would even like the products they send or how much sample sized products are really worth. So I spent some time googling what others thought about the service. Everyone seemed completely thrilled by their box each month & I saw some awesome products & the sizes were not so tiny (deluxe sample sizes can last me awhile). Hopefully, I will get some good stuff in my box each month!  I'll have to post some pics of what I get. :]

Here's a link to sign-up for Birchbox

1

Pink & Green Glitter



So after the invention of Shatter nail polish, I became slightly obsessed with nail art. Though I am significantly lacking on number of polishes, differing tools, & patience,  I still try to have fun with my nails. This week, I did a super simple manicure with two creme colours, green & pink and covered it with a top coat of a green glitter jelly. I'm so happy I did the pink accent nail because I like the glitter over that even better than the green. The glitter jelly polish looked liked the base wasn't entirely clear, so I was initially worried I would get a green-tinted pink mess; however, it was completely clear & they complement each other nicely. I decided to keep it simple this time since for the past few weeks I went gradient crazy. Though I feel weird back-tracking posts, I will have to upload some of those pics! What's your opinion on the whole nail art trend?
0

Monday, June 4, 2012

Summer

 Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

I have been meaning to start a blog for awhile now & with the start of the new season I decided to finally go for it. Hopefully with it being summer I will have more free time to keep up & more events to write about! Along with some productive goals, I have some other fun things I would love to do over this summer. Below are five fun things I hope to do before fall 2013 comes around...
  1. Host a Backyard Dinner Party
  2. Go on a Camping Trip
  3. Spend the Day at an Amusement Park 
  4. Attend an Outdoor Concert
  5. Spend the day on a Boat
I think I just might be able to accomplish every item on my list whether I am in New York City all summer or if I make it out to my hometown in Florida. So here's to blogging!

1