ABC Nail Challenge: L is for Leopard

This week we're on the letter L for the ABC Nail Challenge hosted by Kimber over at
Kimber's Lacquer Korner. If you like nail polish and nail art you should really check her out then, she has a lot of amazing looks!

Anyway, this week was a lot easier on me than last week's Hello Kitty disaster! There were more choices this week. I had a few polishes that began with L but none that I was crazy about using, so I chose a leopard print mani. Leopard print is always fun and besides it's been a while since I did one.

Instead of the traditional golden leopard colors I picked a brighter combo, blue and silver. I used Celeb City by Sally Hansens Xtreme Wear and Savage by Sinful Colors. They look a bit sloppy up close but they're not supposed to be perfect so it's okay. I always used a dotting tool for the nail art in the past but I found that using a thin nail art brush helped to speed the process along.

You should also check out the other participants looks this week, they always come up with really cool ideas!


 Click the links below :)

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Monday March 25 2013 BLOG HOP!

Monday Beauties Blog Hop March 25

 2013

Hello Beauty Lovers and Bloggers! :) Welcome back to Monday Beauties blog hop! Where I hope to create a place where bloggers can come together and share their links in a friendly and supportive manner! If you are saying "What the hell is a blog hop?" just click here and it will explain EVERYTHING:)


Now let's get to business: Here are the very simple rules:


1. Subscribe to my blog via GFC and leave a comment below to let me know you are following (with your link) so I can follow back :)
Click here to follow :)


2. Add your blog URL to the Linky Below! (make sure to include http://www.)


3. Check out as many blogs as you want and if you decide to follow leave a comment letting them know that you have subscribed and found them on Monday Beauties Blog hop! :)


4. Check out the featured blogs! :)


OPTIONAL If you want to be really nice to me! :)


♥ Grab the blog hop button and place it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post. (remember you will need to re-enter your blog every week, so you can make this a weekly post). You can grab the blog button from the sidebar of my blog.


♥ Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page :)

**I will choose 2 blogs each week via Random.org(random number generator) and mention them in the next weekly hop as "Featured blogs"

Thanks so much for participating! :) Let's Begin

Featured Blogs:

Visit Beautiful Solutions!!

Visit Beauty Rambles!!

Tip Of The Week: Protecting Your Brush Handles

This is going to be a short post since it's a quick but good tip. I read this in a magazine or website a while ago and I wish I could remember which one.  While I was cleaning my brushes yesterday, I thought this would be fun to share.

As you can see in the picture above, the writing on my MAC 190 brush isn't as bold as the writing on my elf brush. This happens after months or years of usage, and sometimes the writing on your brushes will completely fade away over time. If you rely on the names or numbers of your brushes you can prevent that from happening. All you need is clear nail polish and of course your brushes. Just apply a good coat of clear polish over the names or numbers that are written on the brush and let them dry. This will keep them from eventually wearing off and make them easier to identify. If you're wondering if this will ruin the handles in anyway, it doesn't as long as you're using clear nail polish. This can be done when you first buy them, the next time you wash them or whenever you want. Simple but effective, my favorite kind of tips!

Do you have older brushes with the names faded off, or does it even matter to you?

Click the links below :)

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ABC Nail Challenge: K is for Hello Kitty

This week we're on the letter K for the ABC Nail Challenge and I had a hard time with this one. I didn't have a nail polish or brand that began with K. So then I thought of nail art and couldn't think of anything except stamping. I do have stamping plates but there not by Konad so that wasn't going to work. My last resort was Hello Kitty nail art and I'm not even sure if this is allowed since it technically doesn't begin with a K. If I'm breaking the rules I'm sorry :)

I am not really good at detailed nail art so I wasn't expecting this to come out great and as you can see it didn't. It might have not looked so bad if I didn't end up  putting my top coat on too soon and smearing the eyes and nose! I attempted to fix it but I think I just made it worse.

This is obviously my worst week so far which is why I only posted two pictures, but it happens. I'm looking forward to redeeming myself next week :) Like always, I'm excited to see what all the other participants came up with this week!!

Click the links below :)

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Influenster Sugar N' Spice VoxBox 2013

Inside my Influenster Sugar N' Spice VOXBOX 2013

I came home last night to find an Influenster VoxBox sitting on my table. This is my fourth voxbox and I'm usually impatiently waiting for them to come in the mail. But this time I don't remember getting the email confirmation that I was receiving one, so I was pleasantly surprised. I love the Influenster program and every box I receive. They all have different themes and come with a mixture of full sized products and samples. They send you these products so you can try them and then share your thoughts on your social media sites. It's easy to become an Influenster, just go to their site here and make a profile. 

I haven't tried any of the products yet, so for now I just wanted to show you what I got and then I will come back and give you my reviews on them. I included the description of each product that came on the Influenster product card.

Colgate Optic White Regimen:

"Your VoxBox contains not one, but THREE Colgate Optic White products in a new high impact formula. Use Optic White toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwash together for whiter teeth in five days (vs. brushing with an ordinary toothpaste alone)."

Toothpaste: $2.99 for 4oz tube

Mouthwash: $2.99 for 8oz bottle

Toothbrush: $2.99 per brush

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes:

"Introducing Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes-The soothing blend of Witch Hazel and aloe on these facial wipes rejuvenates your skin by gently lifting dirt, oil and impurities from your pores while nourishing even the most sensitive skin. The result is a clean, refreshed and blemish-free complexion even when you're out and about."

$5.99 for a 20-count box

NECTRESSE Sweetener:

"NECTRESSE sweetener tastes like sugar but has zero calories per serving! 100% all natural, NECTRESSE is made primarily from monk fruit combined with other natural sweeteners."

$6.99 for 5.9 oz container, or $3.99 

for box of 40 packets

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture

"New Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Total Moisture is a continuous spray lotion that moisturizes and absorbs in seconds, and leaves skin feeling instantly soft-not sticky or greasy. Now you won't have to wait for your lotion to absorb before pulling on those skinny jeans!"

$7.99 for 6.5 oz. can

belVita Breakfast Biscuit's: 

"belVita Breakfast Biscuits are made with delicious ingredients and carefully baked to release steady energy that lasts all morning. They are a good source of Fiber and B-vitamins, contain no high fructose corn syrup, have 18-20 grams of whole grain per 50 gram serving and taste great-perfect for on the go!"

$3.69 for a box of 5 packets of 4 biscuits

I'm excited to try out all of these products! Mostly the Colgate products and Witch Hazel towelettes. Have you tried any of these products?

Click the links below :)

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Monday March 18 2013 BLOG HOP!

Monday Beauties Blog Hop March 18

 2013

Hello Beauty Lovers and Bloggers! :) Welcome back to Monday Beauties blog hop! Where I hope to create a place where bloggers can come together and share their links in a friendly and supportive manner! If you are saying "What the hell is a blog hop?" just click here and it will explain EVERYTHING:)


Now let's get to business: Here are the very simple rules:


1. Subscribe to my blog via GFC and leave a comment below to let me know you are following (with your link) so I can follow back :)
Click here to follow :)


2. Add your blog URL to the Linky Below! (make sure to include http://www.)


3. Check out as many blogs as you want and if you decide to follow leave a comment letting them know that you have subscribed and found them on Monday Beauties Blog hop! :)


4. Check out the featured blogs! :)


OPTIONAL If you want to be really nice to me! :)


♥ Grab the blog hop button and place it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post. (remember you will need to re-enter your blog every week, so you can make this a weekly post). You can grab the blog button from the sidebar of my blog.


♥ Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page :)

Please share with your subscribers! If you share on twitter use the hashtag #mondaybeauties so we can retweet :)

**I will choose 2 blogs each week via Random.org(random number generator) and mention them in the next weekly hop as "Featured blogs"

Thanks so much for participating! :) Let's Begin

Featured Blogs:

Go Visit A Crewchiefs Girlfriend!!

Go Visit Floral Republic!!

St.Patricks Day Water Marble Nails!

I always say holidays are a great excuse to do nail art, even if it's not your favorite holiday. I should have posted this earlier but the truth is I didn't do them until yesterday. I'm not sure what made me decide on a water marble design considering I've only been successful at it a few times. I was hoping I could get a four leaf clover design but I was just happy that they came out good.

I used Permission to Proceed by Wet n Wild's Spoiled line for my base. Weird name, right?  It's a sheer medium green and the formula is pretty bad, it goes on very streaky. For the water marble I used Going Green and Mint Sorbet by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, a regular green and a pastel green. Do you do anything special on St. Patricks Day?

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

Click the links below :)

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Beauty Tip of the Week: Fitness Myths!

Happy Friday!! I hope everyone had a great week. When I was thinking about my beauty tip of the week post I realized I haven't done many health & fitness posts.  So I'm using this week to clear up any myths that I heard when I started exercising  last year. At first, I read tons of  information on the web and it was so overwhelming and confusing. I didn't know what was right or what was wrong.  After months of doing some serious research, I found that there were so many myths out there that weren't true at all.

FYI: I am not a fitness or health expert in anyway at all. Just a girl sharing my experiences. 

Myth #1: Woman that weight train will build big muscles: 

I used to think this was true. Years ago, my friend and I would go to the gym and the only machines we used were cardio machines. We would never go near a set of weights. We thought that was for people that wanted to bulk up and gain muscle. We were so wrong!! Lifting weights aka strength training is just as important, if not more than cardio. Why? First off, when men lift weights its very different because men have much higher testosterone levels than woman do. So when woman lift weights it doesn't make you big, it just tones your muscles. Plus the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism is which makes you lose weight faster. 

Myth #2: If you don't work out five or six days a week you won't see results:

Another myth I used to think was true. If you work out 3 or 4 days a week at high intensity you will experience the same results. Plus, your body needs time to heal, or you can injure yourself and not be able to work out and really not see results.

Myth #3: You can workout a certain problem area (i.g thighs) and just lose the weight there. 

Spot reducing is not possible. Even though it would be great, you can't lose weight in just one part of your body. If you're eating right and exercising you will lose weight in all areas of your body. Another thing, the first place you gain any fat, is the last place you lose it. 

Myth #4: Eating less and using diet pills:

This is the one myth that I can personally relate to the most. In high school I had an eating disorder and I thought starving myself and taking diet pills was the answer. Yes, of course it worked at first and I lost weight but after a while it stopped working and I just ended up gaining more weight back. The diet pills I took were damaging my health and I didn't even know it (or care at the time). Now I realize the best way to keep weight off is by eating healthy food and enough of it. Starving yourself will eventually cause your metabolism to slow down and make it harder for you to lose weight. 

Myth #5: Doing countless crunches will eliminate belly fat:

You can do a thousand crunches and the fat will still be there if you don't incorporate cardio. You need to get rid of the fat around the muscle for you to see a six, four or even two pack. I finally learned that after doing tons of crunches (which I hate by the way). As long as your doing cardio, strength training and an ab exercises you will start to see a difference everywhere, including your stomach. 

I used to believe all of these myths and found out the hard way. So I hope this helps anyone who is starting a workout plan, wants to or just wants to be healthy! 

If you know of any other diet or fitness myths please share them!!:)

Click the links below :)

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The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG!!

I have seen this tag on a few blogs and thought it was such a great idea. I really wanted to do it so I ended up tracking down Lauren from The Beau Bow. (She's the one who made up this tag) and asked her if I could do it. Thank you Lauren for letting me join in and creating this fun tag!!

Rules:
1. You must copy and paste these 'rules' into your post when you write it, it doesn't take long!.
2. You must state that this tag was created by Laura from The Beau Bow
3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post (link their blog as well) -follow them if you're feeling nice!, and then at the end of your post state who you tag, and then comment on their blog on their latest post to let them know you tagged them, and link your post so they can see what to do.
4. Title this post 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG' so everyone knows what it is about.
5. Have fun! :)

1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do?

The first thing that comes to mind is applying eye cream. I know it's important and I own eye cream too. I just always forget about it. 

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly? 

I wish I could say yes but I haven't been. I used to be really good about it, I would deep clean them at least once a month and give them a quick cleaning once a week. Then I don't know what happened, but this question just gave me the motivation to go clean them now!

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

I wouldn't be able to last long at all, if I was able to I would either fix it or do it over right away. Thankfully my nails never chip (knock on wood) because of my favorite top coats. I use either Sally Hansen's INSTA-DRI or Seche Vite Dry Fast and there both amazing!

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it? (i.e purchasing a new topcoat, or a new foundation etc.)

It depends on what it is, if I ran out of my favorite top coat I would have to replace it or I wouldn't be able to do my nails. I've gotten better at not blowing money I don't have on beauty products, so if it's something that I don't absolutely need right now I will wait. 

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

 I lay out in the sun in the summer sometimes, but not excessively like I used to because I know I'm damaging my skin. Plus, I will use SPF now instead of tanning oil or nothing at all. 

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?

Things that have to do with my car, cleaning it or bringing it to get washed, getting my oil changed or if there's something that needs to be fixed that's not extremely important, I will put it off. I really dont know why either. 

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

Yes! Probably 80% of the time and then I wonder why Im always stressed or rushing around right before I leave the house.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

I think I could if I really had to but I know it would be very difficult. It's hard for me to go to CVS for just one thing and not leave with at least two extra beauty products.

9. How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?

Very organized, my nail polishes are always organized. My makeup is too, but I need to get more room since my makeup collection seems to keep growing.

10. What is the longest amount of time you have gone without writing a blog post?

It was about 3 or 4 months, It wasn't because I didn't want to or didn't care. My computer crashed and I had to bring it to get fixed and it took so long. It was so upsetting! Then when I got my computer back it was hard for me to get back into the flow of posting as much as I was. I felt totally out of the loop with the whole blogging community but I finally feel like like I'm back to normal now. 

I TAG...

Love For Beauty

Julz' Obsessions

KAKA BEAUTY BLOG

Jenny @IBDFM

Wonderland Beauty

Little girl, big thoughts

Hairspray and High Heels

My Blog Spot

Gloss & Glitz

islayy.com

ABC Nail Challenge: J is for Jelly Sandwich

This week we're on the letter J in the ABC Nail Challenge hosted by Kimber at Kimber's Lacquer Korner. She is amazing at nail art so if you want to see some real inspiration check her out!  I decided to do a Jelly Sandwich manicure, I haven't done one in a while and I'm in a glittery kind of mood today.

For the base and top color I used Splash by Pure Ice and for the glitter I used Nail Junkie by Sinful Colors. Splash is a frosty pale blue shimmer that needs 3 coats for full opacity. Nail Junkie is a sheer teal jelly filled with flecks of silver, blue and green glitter. It's a little thick and gloppy but not too hard to apply, especially if you're just layering it, but still one of my favs from Sinful Colors.

I almost didn't want to apply the third layer (of Splash) because I loved the way Nail Junkie looked over Splash alone, but this is a Jelly Sandwich so I added it and liked it. I'm sure I'm not going to like removing this but thank god for the foil method!!

I wish my camera was able to capture better pictures of my nails, especially when I'm wearing glitter because you can't see the exact color/effect of what I see. 

I don't know what made me think of this but instead of using my regular top coat I used my Matte-ly In Love by Hard Candy. I guess I was also in a Matte mood too :) I love glossy nails but I also really like the look of matte finished glitters. It totally changes the look of your manicure. You can't really tell in the pictures but it makes the glitters individually pop.  

I'm going to check out what all the other ladies have done this week, make sure to check them out too :)

Click the links below :)

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Monday March 11 2013 BLOG HOP!

Monday Beauties Blog Hop March 11 2013

Hello Beauty Lovers and Bloggers! :) Welcome back to Monday Beauties blog hop! Where I hope to create a place where bloggers can come together and share their links in a friendly and supportive manner! If you are saying "What the hell is a blog hop?" just click here and it will explain EVERYTHING:)


Now let's get to business: Here are the very simple rules:


1. Subscribe to my blog via GFC and leave a comment below to let me know you are following (with your link) so I can follow back :)
Click here to follow :)


2. Add your blog URL to the Linky Below! (make sure to include http://www.)


3. Check out as many blogs as you want and if you decide to follow leave a comment letting them know that you have subscribed and found them on Monday Beauties Blog hop! :)


4. Check out the featured blogs! :)


OPTIONAL If you want to be really nice to me! :)



♥ Grab the blog hop button and place it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post. (remember you will need to re-enter your blog every week, so you can make this a weekly post). You can grab the blog button from the sidebar of my blog.


♥ Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page :)

Please share with your subscribers! If you share on twitter use the hashtag #mondaybeauties so we can retweet :)

**I will choose 2 blogs each week via Random.org(random number generator) and mention them in the next weekly hop as "Featured blogs"

Thanks so much for partcipating! :) Lets Begin

Featured Blogs:

Visit Skin Stuff by Katy!!

Visit Belle-amie, Beauty,Fashion, Life!!

Just Fab Giveaway by Glamorous Mama!

Janelle at Glamorous Mama is hosting a 1500 Follower Giveaway!! Click here to enter!!

The winner will be able to choose any handbag or heels that are available on the Just Fab website!!!

Acid Wash Nails! Tutorial

Hey Everyone! I wanted to try Acid Washed nails for the first time. I've seen this look before and liked it but totally forgot about it until now. I like how it came out and its super easy!  As I was doing them I decided to do a step by step tutorial with picutres, and then I decided to record the last step since it's easier to show you then put into words. Here's how my nails came out, for the colors I used: Midnight Blue by Sinful Colors and French White by Wet n Wild.

Here is a little step by step tutorial with a short video to help you with the 3rd step. 

What you will need:
- Blue nail polish
- White nail polish
- Nail Polish Remover (preferably acetone)
- A bunch of Q-Tips
- Top Coat

  
Apply 2 coats of a blue polish then a top coat. Let them fully dry.

Once the blue polish is dry, apply a coat of white polish directly over the blue and again let fully dry!

**Watch the quick video I made below to see exactly how I do this**

Saturate a Q-tip in nail polish remover and start to rub the nail in a downwards motion using light pressure. Then add some top coat and your done!

  

Quick Video on How to get the Acid Wash Affect!

TIPS & TRICKS:

• You will probably need 2 Q-Tips a nail since your picking up a lot of white polish
• Make sure the Q-Tip is saturated in the nail polish remover. This will help it go by faster.  
• Don't rub too much in one spot because you don't want to pick up too much of the blue polish.
• Use light pressure when using the Q-Tip, or you can end up with a bumpy nail like I did.
• Be patient with this manicure, let the blue polish and white polish dry completely.
• Be careful that your Q-Tip doesn't get bits of cotton on your nails, that's why it's best to use a few Q-Tips each nail. 
• If your nails still feel tacky because of the 3 coats of nail polish, dip them in ice cold water before you go in with the Q-Tip. That should take any stickiness away.
• You don't have to use the standard blue and white colors, you can be creative and use any colors you want!

I hope you liked this tutorial! I had fun making it!  Let me know what you think :)

Click the links below :)

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Beauty Tip of the Week: DIY Tomato Masks

I've decided to bring back the Beauty Tip of The Week feature!!  I'm excited because I did this for the first year and a half of my blog and I've missed it. The reason I stopped was because I felt like I was running out of tips and didn't want to just give you useless or repeated tips for the sake of a post. So, now that it's been a while I feel like I have some new tips to share with you and I will be posting them every Friday from now on.

I'm all about DIY beauty recipes and use them a lot. These tomato masks are easy and effective, especially for oily and acne prone skin. The reason why tomatoes are so effective is because they contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals such as A, C, E, iron and potassium which help nourish the skin. They also have an astringent effect on the skin to help remove excess oil and minimize the pores.

Here are two effective Tomato Masks I've used that you can easily make at home. The first one has a few more ingredients than the other one.

DIY Tomato Mask: Recipe #1:

• Chop one tomato and combine in a food processor or blender with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of oatmeal. Blend to a smooth paste.
• Cleanse face first and then apply the mask to your skin leaving it on for about 10 minutes. 
• Gently remove with a damp washcloth and rinse skin to remove all the residue.

DIY Tomato Mask: Recipe #2:

• Cut a tomato in half or quarters (depending on the size of the tomato).
• Using one half or one piece at a time, gently rub the pulp side onto clean skin. (Don't use around the eyes).
• Keep massaging the tomato pieces in a circular motion until the skin is covered with juice. 
• Allow the juice to dry (about 10 min) then rinse with cool water. 

Have you ever tried a DIY Tomato Mask before? Let me know if you try these, I would love to know what you thought :)

Click the links below :)

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ABC Nail Challenge: I is for In A Flurry!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! This week is letter I for the ABC Nail Challenge and its not an easy one for nail art. I couldn't think of any nail art or designs that began with I. But that's okay because this week I have In a Flurry  by Sally Hansen Insta-Dri to show you.

In a Flurry is a blackened-teal base color packed with shimmer. The colors I saw the most were green, purple and gold. These are one of those colors that looks different in the bottle. When I look at the bottle it seems like there is some duchcrome but you cant really see it on your nails. When the light hits your nails in a certain way you can see some yellow, gold, green, silver and purple flashes. So it's really an amazing color. I'm only showing 3 pictures since the color changes so easily and is hard to capture.

This was the best picture I got in terms of it's true color.

The formula is really nice, I was expecting it to be more thick, maybe because all of the other SH Insta-Dri polishes I have are but this one was thin. The first coat is really sheer so I used 3 coats for full opacity.

I'm not 100% positive but I thought I read or heard somewhere that this color is part of a limited edition collection. The only time I've seen this sold anywhere was CVS a few months ago when I bought it. I could be wrong though. Don't forget to check out all the other ladies participating in this challenge :)

Click the links below :)

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