Zoya Demi

I didn't realize how much purple nail polish I wore until I started this blog. Here's another one.

This is Zoya Demi. It's a red toned purple. I have to start by saying I put this on when I was sick so I didn't do the best job (hello dent in my middle finger) but had I done it neatly, it would have only taken two coats...I used three since I wasn't being careful and ended up with bald spots. I've worn this before and I like the color but I'm not sure if I like it on me.

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 9

Day 9: Favorite pair of shoes
Vince Camuto Jasper Pumps

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 8

Day 8: A photo that makes you laugh
Save Us!

My roommate and I spelled out "Save Us" in tea candles after we lost power from a hurricane. Makes me laugh every time.

xoxo,
Beth

Never Glum Plum

 Another Nina Ulta Pro polish!

  
This color is Never Glum Plum. I bought it at Sally Beauty about a year and a half ago.It's a greyed out purple with no glitter or shimmer. I've seen newer bottles of it at Sally's and they look much more purple than my bottle. Either way, the purple does show up in certain lights and in this picture. I've also read that this is a dupe for Chanel's Paradoxal but without the shimmer. I can't speak to that though because I don't own Paradoxal. This is three coats and top coat. For a polish that only costs $4.99, it lasts a long time!

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 7

Day 7: Favorite Animal
Cat

My 9-month old kitten Camden :)

One week down!!!

xoxo,
Beth

Nail Polish Haul

I need more nail polish like I need a hole in my head...but I bought more! I didn't buy these all at once. It's been coming along for about a month and I wanted to wait until I had more than two or three to post a haul. So here it is.

 

 Nina Ultra Pro Purple Xing and Punki Purple 

I bought these when they were on sale for $2.99 each at Sally Beauty. As far as I know that's the only place they're available. 

Icing Birthday Beotch and MagnetiX (no name) 

I hate the name Birthday Beotch but I'm excited to see if this is a dupe of OPI's Rainbow Connection and Deborah Lippman's Happy Birthday. I already used the MagnetiX because I couldn't wait to try it. Here's a link to that post:  http://styliciousss.blogspot.com/2012/01/icing-magnetix.html

Sally Hansen Disco Ball

Revlon Chic

I already used this color also. And loved it. Here's a link to see the swatch. http://styliciousss.blogspot.com/2012/01/chic.html

 Forever 21 Love & Beauty Mint
I don't know if you can tell in this picture but this color has gold shimmer in it which is what drew me to it. 

And last but not least, and this is the one I am most excited to try. 

Essie Shine of the Times

I'm excited to try these and show you all what they look like!

xoxo,

Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 6

Day 6: Anything Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty Toaster

(image from gadgetmadness.com) 

 I don't own this...but I love that it toasts Hello Kitty into the bread!

xoxo,
Beth

Color To Diner For

Who doesn't love a nice red nail polish?

OPI's Color to Diner For is from the Touring America collection, but I think its still available. I really like this color but I did have some trouble with the formula. It took me three coats for it to look evened out. I don't know if that was just me or if other people have had the same experience. Two coats makes it look a little too patchy for my liking.

I took a bunch of pictures of this manicure and this is the picture that seemed to show what it looked like in real life the best. What you can't see very well in this picture is the gold shimmer that's in the polish that only shows up in certain lights. If you can put up with a three coat polish, try this red!

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 5

Day 5: Favorite thing to do
As it relates to this blog...shopping!

Nothing better than a little retail therapy.

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 4

Day 4: Favorite Foundation
 Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup

(photo from neutrogena.com) 
 
Hard choice but this is my favorite out of the foundations I've used recently. It reminds me of the Clinique foundation I love but I haven't bought, I've only used samples.

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 3

Day 3: Favorite Brush
EcoTools Flat Eyeshadow Brush

xoxo,
Beth

Icing MagnetiX

This appears to be the new trend in nails!

Magnetic nail polish! Sephora carries the Nails, Inc. version of this but I couldn't justify spending $16 so when I saw a version at Icing for only $9, I had to try it. This isn't the best picture and I don't think I did it exactly right but in person, it looks really good. And it's a lot easier than it looks. All it takes is one thin coat and then a thicker coat. While that thick coat is still wet, you hold the magnet over your nail and when you pull it away, it gives you a design! This comes in blue, green and grey as well. They don't have names though, which is kind of annoying. But I do I want to try the other colors!

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: Favorite Bag You Own
Kate Spade Flicker

 

I love this bag!!!

xoxo,
Beth

30 Day Challenge: Day 1

Day 1: Favorite Eyeliner
MAC Eye Pencil in Ebony

xoxo,
Beth

Chic!

This polish caught my eye in the drugstore but I didn't buy it. I had to go back to that same store a few days later and it was still available and since it was still there I decided to pick it up.

This Revlon Chic. It's a dusty blue/green. This color doesn't look like any of the other polishes that I own and even thougt I usually don't like the way lighter blues look on me, I had to have this one. It applied very easily. This is two coats plus a top coat.

This was in a display with some of the new Revlon polishes so if you see this, definitely grab it up. I got mine at Rite Aid.

xoxo,
Beth

Chocolate Kisses

...but not the edible kind.

This is Essie's Chocolate Kisses. It's a reddish toned brown. I haven't used this one in a long time and when I put it on, I remembered why. It took three coats to get it evened out and chipped very quickly. I believe Essie changed their formula so I would love to try a newer version of this and see if I like it better.

On a side note, I'm trying to figure out a way to get better, more accurate pictures of my manicures, so any advice is appreciated. I'm also trying to get all my pictures to look the same...bear with me!

xoxo,
Beth

How I Do My Nails

 

 Hey guys,

I've been posting pictures of all of my manicures, which I'll keep doing, but since I've been posting those I also wanted to share with you the process of how I do my nails. Everybody has diferent routines and things they do when they do their nails. This is what I've found works best for me.

I start by using nail polish remover, whether or not I've had nail polish on. If you don't have nail polish on, this removes the oils from your nails that will prevent the nail polish from sticking.
The polish remover I use is Up and Up which is the Target brand. You can get a large bottle of it for a good price and it works really well for me. And it doesn't ruin your clothes if you spill it on yourself...trust me I know.

After that, I'll wash my hands with a good moisturizing soap because the remover can be kind of drying. I know some people put on cuticle cream but I prefer to do that at night before bed because the one I use is kind of greasy.

Once my polish is off and my hands are washed, I'll trim my nails if they need it and then file them into the shape I like. Then I'll use a buffer block and smooth my nails. Using a buffer is something you should only do about once a week because it can weaken your nails.

When all that is done, I pick a new color and paint away. I don't use a base coat because I find that it makes my polish peel.

Happy polishing!

xoxo,
Beth

Russian Navy

This polish needs no introduction.

Russian Navy by OPI is one of my all time favorite polishes. I wear it all throughout the year no matter what season. The color, which is a deep navy blue with some purple shimmer which doesn't really show in my photograph (I'm still not mastering taking the best pictures of my manicures). I always hate to take this one off and change polishes. It has a special place in my nail polish collection and if you don't have it, then you need to get it.

xoxo,
Beth

Beauty and Fashion Survey

Instead of posting my current manicure (which I will post tomorrow before I change it) I decided to do a tag survey. I've seen this survey in a few places, including one of my friend's blogs and thought it would be fun to do myself! 

Makeup:
Blush Or Bronzer: Blush
Lipgloss or Lipstick: Lipgloss
Eyeliner or Mascara: Eyeliner
Foundation or Concealer: Foundation
Neutral or Color Eyeshadow: Neutral
Pressed or Loose Eyeshadow: Pressed
Brushes or Sponges: Both

Nails:
OPI or China Glaze: Both!!!
Long or Short: Short
Acrylic or Natural: Natural
Brights or Darks: Both
Flower or No Flower: No flower

Body:
Perfume or Body Splash: Perfume
Lotion or Body Butter: Lotion
Body Wash or Soap: Body wash
Lush or Other Bath Company: Lush

Fashion:
Jeans or Sweat Pants: Jeans
Stripes or Plaid: Both
Flip Flops or Sandals: Both
Scarves or Hat: Scarves
Studs Or Dangly Earrings: Studs
Necklaces or Bracelets: Both
Heels or Flats: Both
Cowboy Boots or Riding Boots: Riding boots
Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe: Forever 21
Abercrombie or Hollister: Abercrombie
Saks 5th or Nordstroms: Nordstrom

Hair:
Curly or Straight: Both
Bun or Ponytail: Ponytail
Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips: Bobby Pins
Hair Spray or Gel: Hair spray
Long or Short: Long
Light or Dark: Dark
Side Sweep Bangs or Full Bangs: Full
Up or Down: Down

Random:
Rain or Shine: Shine
Summer or Winter: Winter
Fall or Spring: Fall
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

xoxo,
Beth

Zoya Dana

Here is my current manicure!

As you could probably guess by the title of this post, the color I am wearing is Zoya's Dana. I got kind of tired of all of the dark colors that I've been wearing so I decided to spice things up with a hot pink! I don't think the color comes off as well in pictures as it looks in real life. It's a very bright pink and it looks to me like it has some purple tones to it. I definitely recommend this polish for summer and even right now if you're in a dark color rut.

xoxo,
Beth

Ulta Haul

One of the worst things about where my apartment is, is that the closest Ulta is 25 minutes away.  I know that's not that far but there is one 5 minutes from my parent's house so the one near me seems so far away! And because Ulta is like the holy grail of stores for people like me who are addicted to make up, every time I'm home, I always have to make at least one trip to Ulta. Here are the things I picked up today!

Essie Topless and Barefoot
This polish is originally from the Spring 2011 collection (I'm not exactly sure of the name.) The Essie website describes this color as "a barely there soft beige pink." I've been looking for the perfect nude polish and can't wait to see how this comes out. I'll post pictures when I use it!
(photo from Amazon.com)

OPI Steady As She Rose
Steady as she Rose is from OPI's Pirates of the Caribbean collection. It was on sale for only $4.99 so I couldn't resist. This color is described as "a murky, pale, rose pink color." I'm starting to buy lighter colors for spring so this one looked like a good deal. Pictures to come when I use it!
(photo from Amazon.com)

Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara
I'm always tempted by the small trial size items that are close to the register and when I saw the name of this mascara I decided to try it. It's Urban Decay Supercurl Curling mascara. I have really long eyelashes but they never seemed to stay curled for very long so I'm hoping this helps with that.
(photo from Ulta.com)

bareMinerals Naturally Luminous Daily Duo
The last item is the item I'm the most excited for. This is a thirty day supply of the purifying facial cleanser and purely nourishing moisturizer. I've been searching for a new face wash and moisturizer and I loved the idea of having this thirty day supply to try these out and see how they work for me. I'll definitely do a review of it!
(photo from Ulta.com)


   The last thing I got was a new nail file and buffer that I was desperately in need of!

Let me know if you've tried any of these items and how they worked for you.


xoxo,
Beth

Celebration!

This weekend was a huge achievement in my life...I graduated from college! And being that it was such a an important occasion, I thought I needed an equally special manicure. When I saw the bottle of China Glaze "Blonde Bombshell" I thought it was the perfect color for me to wear for graduation, especially since my school's colors are black and gold.

This color came from China Glaze's Eye Candy collection. I have to admit, the lasting power of this polish was not that great, but I find that most glitter polishes don't really ever last that long so it wasn't a surprised. I just touched it up when I needed to and went on my way. It was definitely the perfect color for graduation and I got lots of compliments!

Congratulations to all of my fellow graduates!!!

xoxo,

Beth

Honk If You Love OPI

Second manicure of 2012!

I love dark colors this time of a year so this is one of my favorites. Honk If You Love OPI is a dark purple. This picture makes it seems darker than it really is, almost black, but in the right light, it is definitely purple.

xoxo,

Beth

Lip Care 101

Everybody probably knows that the winter weather makes your skin dry and that includes your lips. But year round, it's important to keep your lips smooth and hydrated. My lips are the worst in the winter but I do get chapped lips year around. Chapped lips are not only unattractive but they're painful! I've found some great products that have helped them heal and kept them from getting overly chapped again.

1. Philosophy "Kiss Me" - $15

Kiss Me is a lip exfoliator that gets rid of all of the dead skin on your lips. Now, I have to admit, I bought this product thinking it was going to make my lips perfect right away and that wasn't the case for me. It may have been because my lips were in such bad shape at the time. Despite that, I love this product. I keep mine in the shower so that I remember to use it. Using it in the shower with the heat and the steam also helps it work even better.

2. MAC Lip Conditioner - $15

This lip conditioner comes as a stick, in a tube and in a pot. They are all the same price but I prefer the pot. I use this after the lip exfoliator or when my lips just feel like they need moisture. I also like to use it before bed.

3. Blistex Revive & Restore - price varies at drugstores

Revive and Restore is 2 products in one. It comes with a "Restore" formula and a "Revive" formula in separate pots that interlock together which is what attracted me to it at first. The restore formula is supposed to be the stronger formula of the too and revive just seems to me to be chap stick in a pot. I've been using them every night and haven't had to deal with chapped lips.

4. Blistex Medicated Lip Balm

Another Blistex product. This is just normal tube chap stick but its medicated so its supposed to be stronger than just plain chap stick. I carry this in my purse and use it throughout the day, especially underneath lip glosses and lip sticks to keep my lips smooth and moisturized.

If you have any other suggestions of great products for your lips, let me know!

xoxo,

Beth

Manicure Madness!

Back to blogging! It's been months and months and things got in the way, but along with one of my friends, I've decided to try to update this regularly. (Check out her blog too! http://lialauren87.blogspot.com/)

I usually don't make New Year's resolutions because I don't end up keeping them and then I feel bad but I've decided that this year, I am going to to document every manicure that I do! Even if I repeat colors multiple times...and I'm sure that will happen because there are so many colors I have that I absolutely love, I am going to photograph and try to post every manicure.

So here is the first one!

 The color is "Sailor" by Nina Ultra Pro. I bought it at Sally Beauty Supply last year and I haven't worn it for a long time but I forgot how much I loved it! Definitely a color to check out and very affordable. That line runs for about 5 dollars a bottle at Sally's.

Until the next manicure!

xoxo,

Beth