So, I chopped them off--my nails I mean, for a tutorial of course.
Since going short again I remember now the good old days...
being able to type on any keyboard comfortably
not having to look like a major priss when using my touch screen phone or setting the microwave timer
not worrying about scratching someone accidentally (My SO will greatly appreciate this)
While right now I miss the look of my "stems" (I know that is for legs but since my legs aren't amazing I will use it affectionately for my nails) I hope that this will encourage me to try out a few new nail designs for us short nailed gals. Say hello to my stubs:
I must say that I was not all too enthusiastic about doing this design but now tha it is all said and done, I am quite happy with the results. Animal prints have never been my style. Generally speaking (because I do own a few) I find that they look tacky and silly but I am loving my nails--weird I know.
I actually had to go out and purchase nail polish for this one (woa is me, right?!?!) so I took advatage of the buy 2 get 1 free at Sally Beauty (even though they raised the price of China Glaze). I ended up with ChG White on White, Liquid Leather, and Golden Enchantment which is the gold counter-part to Fairy Dust. For this look I used the White on White and it was a streaky mess. By far not my favorite white but I really didn't want to go buy the OPI version in Alpine Snow (which is amazing). I also picked up 6 Stripe Rites in blue, black, white, purple, black glitter, and white glitter--so far I love them all.
I started with my regular hardener and base coat followed by two coats of the White on White. Then using the black stripe rite and a picture that I found of a zebra pattern I went to town. Generally I like to do something different with my ring fingers but since the pattern was already so busy I left them plain--Let me know what you think!
Water Marbling with multiple colors can be a big pain to do but, at the same time the results can be fun and unique. Recreating an exact pattern takes a lot of skill but many patterns can be accomplished with practice.
Likewise, the saturation or opacity of the color can vary depending on the brand and finish of the polish. I've also found that shimmers retain their finish but provide very little coverage. As I've mentioned before creme finishes are my favorite, and 4/5 colors used were cremes.
Have you ever tried water marbling? Let me know in the comment section!
Today I used Gentle Brown all over my lid and up to the crease. Then I put Dark Chocolate in the crease and on the outer portion of the lash line, also under my lower lashes. Finally, I used Sparkle Beige on the inner tear duct and as a highlight---Finished it off with Maybelline Lash Stiletto.
Thanks to Annette (TheLoveForMakeup on YouTube) I had the opportunity to try a few mineral shadows from her new cosmetics line-- Raving Beauty Cosmeticshttp://www.ravingbeautycosmetics.ecrater.com/
She offers a wide range of mineral shadows, as well as an eyeshadow primer, lip glosses and lipsticks at affordable prices. Her cosmetics are a wonderful addition to any collection and at this price who wouldn't want to give them a try?! All mineral shadows come in a sealed, full, 5 gram jar with sifter packaged separately (a feature that I really like) and cost $5 individually.
The three colors I received were:
Sparkle Beige: described as " The barest hint of beige/rose color coupled with high sheen. Excellent for highlighting."
Gentle Brown: "A pretty soft brown."
Dark Chocolate: "Deeper Brown Copper."
Here are some swatches and comparisons:
These shadows performed very well over both UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) and MAC paint pots. They stayed all day, had excellent pigmentation and were beautiful to boot. I will be updating tomorrow with an eye makeup look (Eye of the Day-- EOTD) using these three shades. My favorite color was the Dark Chocolate. It bared a striking resemblance to MAC Chocolate Brown just slightly darker in tone. This color had just the right amount of shimmer and such rich color that it was bound to be my fav right from the beginning.
The sparkle beige is an excellent highlighter and offers a very shimmery finish which is great for the summer and spring--very fun.
Gentle brown was the most surprising color by far. In the jar it seemed a bit bland but once applied there was almost a duo chrome effect which turned this color from boring to wow in no time flat. I found that layering this color more gave the fore mentioned effect.
Overall, I'd highly recommend Raving Beauty Cosmetics. Not only are the products great quality, and the owner a wonderful person but they are also a great deal. In these times of recession spend your money in a smart way and support a fellow beauty buff!
I should preface by saying that I try not to hold expectations for any mascara that I try. Generally speaking the claims that are made on the packaging, in commercials and on websites are created by genius marketers to make you buy the product. That being said this mascara is amazing! Things that I expected from this mascara:
length--oodles of length
defining
separation
nourishment
dark black color
soft, not crusty lashes
Things that I noticed when using this product:
length--wonderful long, slightly curled length
defining--the brush really works to get to each and every lash
separation--okay not amazing. My problem here was the the ends of my lashes had a tendency to get stuck together.
nourishment--my lashes don't feel brittle and I haven't had a problem with breakage (which I have had with other drugstore mascaras)
Very Black is a good definition of the color that I chose.
Soft, glossy, touchable lashes
The only thing that this mascara doesn't do is volumize but nor does it claim to so I guess we are even there.
The only thing that I strongly dislike about this product:
THE SMELL
I'd recommend giving this one try. I'll give it a 4.7/5 stars for me.
Since this is my first entry I feel like I need to make a few points as to what this blog will be about (although, over time it could evolve). This blog will include posts about: -makeup (highend and drugstore) -reviews of beauty products including skincare, bath, mani/pedi, highend and drugstore alike (I do not discriminate--if a products is good than it's good) -tutorials/how to's (I love watching and making these) - and any other suggestions that you all might have.
Basically, I just wanted to say hello! Feel free to introduce yourself to me through the comments!
