Mani-Monday: Tropical Flowers

 

The weather has been getting warmer and warmer and I wanted to create some fun and tropical nails. These nails just make me think of Hawaii and the beach. Oh how much I wish I could be lying on the beach on some island right now. Well I unfortunately cannot be there but my nails will bring that tropical feel for me. I used a lot of different colored nail polishes but you can use only two different colors or use as many or as little as you desire. To get this look:

 

You will need:

Base coat

White nail polish

Green nail polish

Yellow nail polish

Purple nail polish

Pink nail polish

Blue nail polish

Orange nail polish

Black acrylic

Striping brush or toothpick

Top coat

 

Step 1: First, apply your base coat. Then apply 1-2 coats of your white polish. I used ‘White Hot’ by Sephora by OPI.

 

Step 2: Next, using your green nail polish, I used ‘Twiggie’ by Color Club, yellow nail polish, I used ‘Yellow Umbrella’ by Sephora, purple polish, I used ‘Jo’mina’ by Illamasqua, pink nail polish, I used ‘Venom’ by Duri, blue nail polish, I used ‘Calypso Blue’ by Sally Hansen, and orange nail polish, I used ‘Orange Fix’ by Maybelline, paint on the flowers on each of your nails like in the picture above. Wait a few minutes for your nails to dry a bit before you start applying the black lines. 

 

Step 3: Then, using your striping brush or toothpick, dip it in the black acrylic and draw on the lines starting from the center of the flower. Then draw on the three dots near the tops of the lines. Wait about 15 minutes for your nails to dry.

 

Step 4: Lastly, using a generous amount, apply a top coat and you’re done! Have fun with those tropical nails and go show them off.

Drugstore Haul/Review

A few days ago I went to my local drugstore and bought a few goodies. A couple of the products I have used before and loved and the rest were new products I could not wait to try. I am very happy with all the items I got this time. The products I got are:

1. Seche Vite Top coat ($6.99)

I have been in need of a new top coat and wanted to try something new. I have heard so many good things about the Seche Vite Top Coat, so I decided to finally try it out. It dries quickly, which is GREAT, and it leaves a shiny finish. I am so happy I got this.

2. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation ($9.29)

I have been using Revlon Colorstay foundation for a while now and have been so happy with it. However, I thought it would be nice for a change and to try something else. I got this Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation that is supposed to have: primer, concealer, and foundation in one. The color I got is 810 Classic Ivory. I used a buffing brush to apply the foundation and as I was applying it, it seemed to be streaky and not blended well. Then, I let the foundation set for a few minutes as I did my eye makeup. And I am really happy with the finish. I still had to add concealer to some blemishes, but the end result was really nice.

3. Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm ($2.99)

I am definitely very late at buying this lip balm. There has been so many reviews and hype about this lip balm. So I finally had to try it. I got 05 quenched. It has a clear finish and feels really nice on the lips. After using it for a week, my lips feel soft and not chapped.

4. NYX Shine Killer ($12.99)

I have oily skin and needed to get a primer that would stop the shine. This NYX shine killer is quiet pricey, but I love the silicone feel to the primer. You can use this just alone or under your foundation. I used it under my foundation and it did seem to keep my face less oily but not completely matte. But I don’t really know if there is a product out there that will keep my face completely matte.

5. NYX Concealer Wand ($4.99)

I have used this concealer before and was so happy with it. After it finished, I tried a few different ones, but had to come back to this one. I like the creamy texture and covers up any imperfections.

6. Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser ($6.69)

I got this Aveeno cleanser a while ago and loved it. I have oily skin and am prone to breakouts (I know, it sucks!) and this cleanser along with the Aveeno Clear Complexion daily Moisturizer, started to clear up my skin and make my face less oily. After the cleanser finished, I tried a few different types of cleansers and nothing seemed to work as well as the Aveeno cleanser. So I had to go back and am so happy I got this again.

Don’t be afraid to try new products. You never know what you might find and end up loving.

Mani-Monday: Pastel Spring

I love the look of each nail having a different design on it. This style has become quite popular. I put together some Spring colors and created this nail look. It took some time to create but the end result was all worth it.

 

You will need:

Base coat

White nail polish

Mint green nail polish

Light pink/coral nail polish

Light purple nail polish

Silver striping tape

Top coat

 

Step 1: First, apply your base coat. Then apply 1-2 coats of your white polish. I used ‘White Hot’ by Sephora by OPI.

 

Step 2: Next, using your mint green nail polish, I used ‘Mint Mist’ by Maybelline, light pink/coral nail polish, I used ‘Van D’Go’ by Essie, and light purple polish, I used ‘Lilacism’ by Essie, paint on a section of each color on each of your nails. Let your nails dry completely.

 

Step 3: Then, using your striping tape in silver, apply it on the areas where each color meets.

 

Step 4: Lastly, apply a top coat and VOILA, a fun springy nail look.

Mani-Monday: Red Leopard

This week I tried to create a different take on leopard. I started off with just a plain nude base and then created a line down the center of my nail and filled it with leopard prints. I’m really happy with how my nails turned out. It’s something different and obviously I’m all about different on my nails (I cannot wear just plain nail polish anymore…that’s a no go). This nail look also took pretty quick to do.

 

You will need:

Base coat

Nude nail polish

Red nail polish

Black acrylic or nail polish

Top coat

 

Step 1: First, apply your base coat. Then apply two coats of your nude polish. I used ‘Sandstorm’ by Maybelline.

 

Step 2: Next, using your red nail polish, I used ‘Lollipop’ by Essie, paint a line down the center on your nail. You can apply tape on the sides of your lines to create a straighter line, but I just painted the line slowly down the middle. Let it dry for a few minutes.

 

Step 3: Then, using your nude nail polish again, dot a few random dots on the red line on each nail. You can use the tip of the nail polish brush or a dotting tool.

 

Step 4: Then, using a toothpick, dip it in the black acrylic or nail polish and outline the nude dots to create a leopard look. Lastly, apply a top coat and you’re done! You can change it up and create this nail look with different colors.

Mani-Monday: Mint Sparkle

I have wanted a mint green nail polish for a while now! And finally ‘Mint Mist’ by Maybelline joined the other nail polishes. I am so satisfied with these Maybelline nail polishes that I want to get every one of them. ‘Mint Mist’ is supposed to be a mint green color however it turned out more bluish than green. But I still LOVE this polish. I wanted to create something simple yet different with this color because I just love the nail polish color so much that I wanted it to be the main focus. So I came up with this:

 

You will need:

Base coat

Mint green nail polish

Silver nail polish

Top coat

Step 1: First, apply your base coat. Then apply two coats of your mint green polish. I used ‘Mint Mist’ by Maybelline. You don’t really have to but I let it dry for about 2 minutes.

Step 2: Next, using your silver nail polish, I used ‘Electric Avenue’ by Nails Inc., start lightly applying the polish in upward strokes at the cuticle and stopping about half way. Try to create a fading effect. Apply the silver polish over again but this time just at the base of the cuticle.

Step 3: Lastly, apply a top coat and you’re done! It is classy and lets the mint green be the focus of the nail. It was quick and simple to create.

Kitchen Beautician: Moisturized Skin

 

Do you have dry skin? Well, I have a homemade face mask that will help you. It’s spring time with summer soon approaching (FINALLY!) and you want your skin to be glowy and smooth…not dry. So with just a few ingredients that you have at home we can fix this problem and get the gorgeous skin right in time. The only downside to this facemask is that it may be somewhat time consuming, but it is definitely worth a try. And who doesn’t love pampering themselves. 

 

You will need:

1 tsp. honey

One egg yolk

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon juice 

 

Instructions:

 

In a bowl combine the honey, egg yolk, olive oil, and lemon juice. Thoroughly mix together all of the ingredients. You are going to apply this mask in three steps, so do not apply the entire mask at once. First, apply the mask (you can use your fingers or a cotton ball) onto your face and let it dry. Do NOT wash the mask off! Then, apply the mask on a second time over what you already have on your face. Let it dry. When it is dry (once again do NOT wash it off), finally apply the mask on for a third time and wait with it on for about 20-25 minutes. Give yourself an at home manicure or read a magazine. After the time is up, rinse the mask off with warm water. Do this mask once a week for best results.

 

NOTE: this mask is suitable for dry and combination skin.

Mani-Monday : Wild Leopard

I have seen nude and neon nails around lately and I am loving them! I love the simplicity of the nude polish and then the pop of color of the neon polish. So I decided to create some fun and wild leopard nails using a nude polish as a base and a neon pink as the leopard print.

What you will need:

Base coat

Nude polish

Neon polish (any color)

Black acrylic paint

Dotting tool or toothpick

Top coat

Step 1: First, apply your base coat. Then apply two coats of your nude polish. I used ‘Sandstorm’ by Maybelline. Let it dry for about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Next, using your neon nail polish, I used ‘Venom’ by Duri, dot a few randomly on each nail. You can use the tip of the nail polish brush or a dotting tool.

Step 3: Then, using a toothpick, dip it in the black acrylic and outline the neon dots to create a leopard look. Lastly, apply a top coat and that’s it! It is subtle yet has a pop of color. Now show off those fun and wild leopard nails.