Friday, June 10, 2011

Fly Fancy Nails!!

Hey Guys!
I just wanted to share something fun with you that I discovered today!
Yesterday, one of the YouTube Gurus that I follow posted a video on these cute appliques for your nails. Now usually I wouldn't pay any attention to anything having to do with nails because I hate getting my nails done. I won't do them myself because I do not have a steady hand and I very rarely get manicures because I am way too impatient to sit and wait for the paint to dry. However, something about the nail post caught my eye-the nails just looked so darned cute! They were a hounds tooth print and seemed easy enough to apply.
Fast forward to today-I was checking out a new beauty supply store they opened in my town and low and behold! What was staring me in the face when I walked in the door you ask? None other than those cutie pie nail designs! I figured it was fate and decided to give it a try. I choose a black and white zebra design with bling-they were only $3.99, if I messed it up it would be much cheaper than messing up a manicure. I also thought my little nieces that I am going to see tomorrow would get a kick out of them!
Well let me tell you how ridiculously easy it is to apply these things! 18 different sized pieces/strips come in a package.

How the strips appear in the package!




My thumb!

First, I filed and buffed my nails. 

Then you apply clear top coat and let dry.




Next you take one of the nail strips and size it to you nail.
**TIP** These strips are somewhat long. I have little hands and short nails so I was cutting a strip in half and then using one on one hand and the other half on the same finger of the opposite hand. Now I will have double the usage! Also, I cut 2 little angle's on the bottom of the strips so they would fit on the nail bed better and not look so square.

Peel off applique and apply to your nail. Press firmly down for good adhesion.

Then you gently fold the applique over your nail tip and lightly file in a downward motion to get rid of any over hang.

Lastly, apply a layer of clear top coat to the nail and let dry!

I cannot stress how simple this is to do! Believe me when I tell you, I am very uncoordinated and downright sloppy when it comes to home manicures but I will definitely be buying these in every design! If you are like me and cannot wait for nail polish to dry, then this is just the thing for you-there is absolutely no dry time! I used an Insta-Dry top coat that dried instantly!
So give it a try and let me know how simple and fun it was!

My little fingers!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Weddings and Proms!



 Hi Guys!

June is here and besides sunshine and mosquito's, you know what else June brings?

Weddings and Proms!


Me, the night of my prom
with my 1987 hair!

My prom was at the plaza hotel in NYC-fancy, I know!
Two other ladies had on the same dress as me!
Oh well-we all looked spectacular!

Weddings and proms are usually an all day affair with lots of dancing and photography, so I wanted to give you a few tips to help make your special day beautiful!

1. Today is not the day to try a new look! If  you don't usually wear a lot of makeup, today is probably not the day to try out that heavy smokey eye you have been thinking about! You want to look like a very polished, pretty version of yourself. You don't want to look back at photos years from now and think "Ugh-what was I thinking?"

Photo taken from the internet
2. If you are using a professional makeup artist, schedule a consultation to make sure you are both on the same page. You want to make sure he/she understands exactly how you want to look on your big day and will be capable of executing your vision!


3. If you are doing your own makeup, practice, practice, practice! You will probably need to use a heavier hand than you usually would-flash photography takes away about 50% of your makeup in photos. Also, make sure to choose colors that compliment the color of your dress, not clash with or is too matchy matchy.

4. Keep in mind that products such as foundation, that have mineral sun protection in it can cause a whitish, mask like effect on the skin when a flash hits it. Remember, that is how mineral sun protection works, it deflects the sun--it will deflect a flash. You know when you see a photograph of someone and the skin on their face and the skin on their chest look totally different? That is because the makeup on the face is deflecting the flash and the "real" skin on the chest is absorbing the flash-you could avoid this look by lightly blending your foundation all the way down to your chest or lightly dusting powder on the chest.



Photo taken from the internet


5. Keep shimmers in check-photography will exaggerate shimmer. You don't want to look like a shiny disco ball on your wedding day-

6. You may want to try using a long wearing foundation formula for the day but be sure to try it about a month in advance to see how your skin reacts to it. You don't want to have a break out or any irritation from a new product. Also remember that "like likes like" meaning if you have an oil based moisturizer on and a water based foundation, they won't "like" each other. Oil and water don't mix and your makeup will slide right off! Your best bet is to apply a thin layer of a water based moisturizer and then apply a water based foundation on top. This is a good tip for everyday if you feel your makeup doesn't last.
**Airbrushed makeup is perfect for a day like today as it is long lasting, however I would not recommend airbrushing your makeup yourself unless you've had plenty of practice.  Also, something I have learned the hard way-contact wearing ladies, if you airbrush your foundation on and it gets on your contacts, it will adhere! You will have to remove your contacts and seriously rub and clean them thoroughly to get the makeup off!**

7. Lastly, don't schedule any pre-big day skin care treatments such as facials or peels for at least a month as you can have a reaction. I would also avoid waxing for the week before. You don't need a red, peeling, blotchy face on your big day! Remember that episode of SATC when Samantha showed up to Carries book signing with a badly burned face from a chemical peel! Don't be a Samantha!

So I hope this helps make your day even more special!
These tips are good for anyone who has an important day coming up or just wants to look their very best everyday!
If anyone has any tips I may have forgotten, please feel free to post them in the comments section below!