Monday, July 15, 2013

Summer Nail Trends



Summer nail trends have all been about Color! Color! and more Color! Now is the time to break out all of those wild shades you have been dreaming about wearing all year. OPI has some fantastic purples, jades/teals and orange shades that would make any girl swoon. Whether you are applying it yourself or visiting your favorite nail technician now is the time to go for it. Because fall is just around the corner and you will be shifting to darker shades. FYI, the IT color for fall is oxblood.

Some of my summer faves...

OPI Strawberry Margarita     

OPI My Paprika Is Hotter Than Yours!      


OPI Jade Is The New Black

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

How the T3 Singlepass Styling Wand Changed My Life

Ok, I admit it the title is a tad dramatic but seriously, I am in LOVE with this styling wand. It creates the hard to create naturally beachy waves that I crave in the spring/summer season. Pair this with a spritz of Bumble & Bumble sea spray and you are ready set, gorgeous! The wand is a bit pricey but I swear to you it will be worth every penny. My one word of caution is USE the glove they give you. Because second degree burns hurt like hell and they sure aren't sexy. Where to find this magical wand? Look no further than your local Ulta store. You will be a happy beachy camper!


Monday, February 11, 2013

Fringe Benefits


Bangs seem to be all the rage for the new year. Whether they are styled blunt or side swept they can change your whole look and enhance certain features, such as a well arched brow or prominent cheekbones. Don't forget to groom your brow if you are leaning towards a side bang, it can make or break the look. My favorite brow tools are from Anastasia. She is the queen of brows. I love her double ended brow wiz pencil. One side is a super useful spoolie perfect for grooming and the other side a a fine tip pencil which is perfect for filling in sparse patches and defining your arch.
Side bangs with a nice arch

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Yikes....Where have I been???

My apologies that I have been out of touch lately. This lil gal has been keeping me super busy but I love being her new mommy.  I am working on my X mas favorites...coming soon!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Amazing purse find at Disneyland!



So I have just returned from the happiest place on earth and I have to share with you my recent find. I have been a fan of the Harvey's seat belt bag for a while but when I saw the custom Disney line I was hooked! Made of seat belts and handcrafted in Santa Ana, California, this company has it all! Cool, durable bags that are sure to please everyone. I found one that pays tribute to Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas.It's the Lola bag. 



Monday, October 1, 2012

Beauty Books To Hone The Craft

As I mentioned in a previous post, I celebrated my birthday in September. A few of the gifts I received were beauty/makeup books. They are chock full of tips tricks and suggested tools to get your glam on. One of my faves is from celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown. Her Makeup Manual is geared for anyone who desires to learn more tips and tricks ranging from the everyday makeup user to the pro artist. She has basic tutorials with wonderful photos and she even gets into details regarding Pro Makeup Artist kits and creating a business as an artist.  

One of my other favorite artists is the late Kevyn Aucoin.  He was a brilliant master of make up and the beauty industry lost a genius way too soon. His captivating transformation of celebrities and everyday ladies makes us gape in awe of how he can transform a face and bring out the beauty of a woman.  In his book, Making Faces he delves into some of his secret tricks for using makeup like an artist with paint to a canvas. I highly recommend this book for beauty fanatics like myself. 

Both of these books can be found online or at larger bookstores. I have spent many hours pouring over these two books and others as well. For those of you who love the TV show, What Not To Wear, Carmindy also has a great book that showcases her talents and tricks. Also, make up artist Jemma Kidd whose makeup line can be purchased at your local Target store has a book that is similar to Bobbi Brown's in that it can be used as a tutorial guide for even the novice makeup user. Whomever your muse may be there a so many endless possibilities with makeup. I find myself mixing and matching colors and textures all the time. Trial and error is one of the best ways to learn. Please feel free to share your favorite artists and tips.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Birthday Beauty Haul

This past week I celebrated my 30 something party with a girls shopping spree. I had so much fun browsing the cosmetic counters in San Francisco. I made a bee line for Inglot and purchased a ton of products for only $200.00. MAC lovers out there please please please check out Inglot because you can purchase twice the amount of goodies at the same high quality for half the cost. They have every shade of shadow and lipstick you could ever want and can actually take home because it won't break the bank. :) Below are some pics of my goodies. I made two Freedom palettes and picked eye shadows and lip glosses. The Freedom systems come in many configurations and can be built any way you like them. Love purples... then load up these shadow cases with your favorite shades of eggplant to royal purple. Or want to create a natural eye kit? Then just select the shadows you want and the Freedom system shadows pop right into the metalic case. It's super easy and they have matte shadows and frosted and evertything in between. 

I added greys and coppers to my eye shadow kit



I kept my lip kit neutral ranging from peachy pink to mauve


Chanel Rouge Allure 105 Inimitable and Lip Definer Rouge Profond 57

While I was shopping I purchased a hot red lipstick from Chanel and their Premier Regard new shadow quad. A subtle yet very elegant look for a special night out. I have yet to fins a red that looks good on me but this one had a slight orange undertone that surprisingly looked really nice on my fair skintone.

Other goodies I found while out and about... Laura Mercier's Merlot lipstick. The perfect fall shade that looks great on a variety of skin tones.
Inglot's AMC 541 iridescent gloss and sparkle shimmer in silver and silver purple.
And finally...... An illuminator that can be used mixed or over your foundation for an ethereal glow. This was my most prized find as I have yet to find one that really works. Highlighters are just too strong but this gives the glow without the heavy reflection. All in all the trip was a success and I had an amazing time.  Great birthday memories.