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.

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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. 
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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!

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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.

  
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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!

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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.

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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!"
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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.


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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.

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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.
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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.


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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

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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?
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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!

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