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10/30/2012

Holo Storm

First off... I hope everyone is safe from Superstorm Sandy. Here in WA, we have some flooding but it's nothing compared to that. I just hope it doesn't get windy here and cause trees to topple over or a mudslide. 

I was so excited today when I checked the mail. I was just about to paint my nails and found the Art of Beauty box at the door. I have a hard time resisting holo polishes so I had to buy this one when I saw it.

10/29/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Influenced By A Scary Movie

This is my late entry for a mani influenced by a movie. I totally forgot this was meant for Saturday. My Bad! I thought I would use the movie Saw as my movie of choice. I have been trying to watch scary Halloween movies all month but I haven't watched any of the Saw movies yet. I own all of them but I'm pretty sure I won't watch all of them. 

10/28/2012

Fall Into Autumn Challenge! 9 - Autumn ombre/gradient

This week's challenge was to do an autumn ombre/gradient mani. I decided to do a pretty gradient. Now I tried to use different fall colors. I think that some colors get skipped over because many of us think of reds and oranges. I was stuck between plums and olive greens. I went with the greens because green is my favorite color and I had the perfect green glitter. 

10/27/2012

Sparkling Saturday - Save the tatas!

Here is my breast cancer awareness mani. I hadn't posted one yet and the month is almost over. I gotta say it's nice to do something not Halloween related. The theme for today is halloween but I can also post my favorite mani of the week so I made this one just for that purpose. I am bummed that my ring finger was painted up nice and then it really tore all the way down to the skin. It is not happy right now. Hopefully it will be good enough to still use for my mani pics.

10/25/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Blood-Gore-Splatter

Today's mani is all about blood, gore, and splatter. Now I already did a blood splatter earlier in the challenge so I decided to do something a bit gory. When it comes to horror movies, I find myself watching the sick and twisted ones... ie Hostel 1 & 2. Hostel 3 was a bit disappointing. Anyways, back to the mani at hand...

10/24/2012

October Beauty Army box

For some reason I absolutely love these sample subscriptions. Beauty Army is a pretty good one as far as I can tell. It costs $12 a month. Once you take your profile quiz, you get to choose 6 products out of the selection given. If you don't like the selection, retake the test. Too easy! 

I added the link below for those interested. 

The Halloween Challenge: Pumpkins

So I actually did the mani on time but got busy and forgot to post it. This was supposed to be posted yesterday. The theme for yesterday was pumpkins. Luckily,  I was feeling good enough to do my original pumpkin look (I did a pumpkin mani a few weeks ago when I was battling a kidney stone). I think it turned out great.

10/22/2012

The Twist n Flip bun by TBD

Here is another cute hairstyle from The Beauty Department. I am excited to have the option of doing these since my hair is getting longer. I like sporting messy buns and this looks easy and cute enough to throw in the mix. Anyways, here are the directions for this cute hairstyle... 

photo/post/graphic design: Kristin Ess

One of my all time favorite hairstyles for a wedding or for red carpet is the most super simple chic chignon (say that 3 times fast!). In this tutorial we show future brides and bridesmaids alike how to keep their hair out of the way while maintaining a timeless, classic look for any event. This is one of those updos that really allows you to focus on the dress, accessories and overall beauty instead of being a major focal point. Let’s get started!


  1. Start with all of your hair in a ponytail. I like to place the pony at the occipital bone (that bone you can feel in the back of your head).
  2. Next, slide the ponytail holder down about an inch or 2 and split it down the center as you see in photo #2.
  3. Flip the ponytail up and feed it through the split, grabbing it with your fingers from underneath and pulling it through.
  4. Now give the ponytail a gentle tug so it tightens back up.
  5. Your ponytail should look like this. There should be a slight separation where you’ll be tucking hair later in step 7.
  6. Use a comb to tease the ponytail. You can tease as little or as much as you want. The more you tease, the bigger your bun will be. The less you tease, the tighter the bun will be. Once your done teasing the hair, smooth the outside of it gently by using a smoothing brush.
  7. Wrap the ponytail around one hand and tuck the tail of the ponytail into the hole you created when you twisted the hair.
  8. Once you’ve tucked the excess, start pinning the bun in place. Gently pull it apart to make it fuller. The teased hair acts like stuffing, so you can spread it out carefully for a little more volume! If you hairspray as you go, you won’t have to worry about it falling out so much. Use the larger bobbypins to start securing the bun and then use the smaller ones around the edges. For updos like this it’s crucial to have a strong holding hairspray, but one that doesn’t get sticky or look wet. My all time favorite hairspray for doing updos is THIS ONE ! It’s called SuperHold and it’s like liquid bobby pins! It’s got amazing hold and it stays dry. Once you have it all in place, give it a good spray all over and lay down any unwanted fly-aways.

A fuller bun + a tighter bun can both look great for different reasons. For example– I would do a bigger bun for a wedding and maybe a tighter bun if I’m going to a work meeting. Also consider head size– for a smaller head, don’t overwhelm the silhouette by making a huge bun because it could make your head look even smaller. Use a hand mirror to check on your proportions from different angles as you go.


http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/09/the-twist-flip-bun/


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10/21/2012

Fall Into Autumn Challenge! 8 - Halloween

Here is my halloween mai fir the FIA challenge. I couldn't decide between monsters or basic "Happy Halloween" nails. Obviously I went for monsters. Cute ones!

Zoya LE 18K Gold set

I received my Zoya 18K gold polish set a couple days ago. I am excited to use it. I had attempted to make a polish like this one but failed. The polish base pulled color from the flakes and made it a blue base. I was bummed at the time but now I have this set, I'm happy.

The set came with Zoya Purity which is a white polish, Zoya Raven which is black, and Zoya Glitz (the 18K gold flake polish). It also came with a small bottle of polish remover.

Here is my first mani using it. I really like it. 

Remember EVERYONE WINS with "Share the Love!" When you click on the picture below and set up a new online account, a coupon for a FREE Bottle of Zoya Nail Polish will automatically be placed in your account and can be used immediately on your current order. If you use this coupon and add 2 more polishes to your order, you get free shipping too! The coupon will appear in the "My Coupons/ Promos" section of your "My Account" Page.



You get 100 Share the "Love Points" added to your account when the following three things happen:

  • A person who clicks on you link creates an online account
  • That account places any online order 
  • That order ships and is successfully invoiced and charged


I use my points towards shipping because you spend 75 points on free shipping and 200 points for a free polish with a $10 purchase. Shipping costs about $6.75 and a bottle of Zoya polish is $8.00. Think about it!



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Sparkling Saturday - Gradient

I am a little late in posting this but I had to repair one of my nails before it ripped too far. My nails have been getting weak because I cut down my calcium intake by a lot. Almost 2 weeks ago I got my first passing kidney stone which is kinda big (5mm). I don't know if it is gone because I looked for it for a week and a half. I seem ok now but since I don't know what the stone is made of, I assumed it would be calcium. Anyways, I don't wanna bore you with this stuff while staring at pretty nails :)

10/20/2012

Look Flawless in 5 Minutes by Makeup Geek's Marlena

Here is a good video on how to do a quick makeup in about 5 minutes. The video is a bit longer since she is explaining the steps. I have adapted some of her steps and I too can do a quick look in about 5 - 10 minutes. I added the extra time because I use more eyeshadow colors n' stuff. I wish I could do my hair in 5 minutes! Anyways, check Marlena's video out and see if it works for you.




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The Double Line by TBD

I am just getting caught up on the Beauty Department blog and thought this was blog worthy. I like to repost stuff but make sure no one thinks I am taking credit. I have been thinking I should start doing a few make-up looks like I used to but better. That was my original intention.

Anyways, I have always loved the double winged eye liner. I don't do it often anymore because I don't give myself much time to go the extra mile. BUT, now I think these instructions make it seem easy and I might have to work it in my different eye looks. Well, here it goes... hope you enjoy


post + photos by amy nadine, graphic design by eunice chun
This lovely look is an homage to Raquel Welch from the 1960′s and is actually easier than it seems if you just break it down. Your friends will be so impressed! Here’s all you need to do:
TOOLS:
You’ll need a flesh-toned shadow, a brown or grey kohl pencil for the crease, a Q-tip, a black kohl pencil for the lash line, an angled liner brush, a black liquid liner, a black eyeshadow, a white longwear pencilconcealerconcealer brush, pressed face powder, mascara, Winks faux lashes and eco-friendly lash glue. Yes that’s a lot! But hopefully most of them you already have!
STEPS:
1. Apply a flesh-toned shadow or your pressed face powder all over the lid (not shown).
2. Line your crease with the brown or dark grey kohl (I used brown above believe it or not) by drawing a half-moon along the socket. Revisit my Crease Line Tutorial here for a quick refresher if needed!
3. Smudge the Q-tip back and forth over the line to soften and blend it out.
4. Line your upper lash line with the black kohl pencil by sweeping it from the inner corner to the outer corner, stopping at the outer corner. Lift your lid slightly with your other hand to really get it in between the lashes the way a liquid liner can’t. Revisit our Fill In The Blanks Tutorial for more specific techniques on this.
5. Use the angled liner brush to create the wing by going back over the outside corner of the lash line to pick up a little of the black liner and sweep it out and slightly upwards at the angle that would intersect the end of your brow. Using kohl liner for this step instead of liquid liner lets you perfect it with a pointed q-tip or even wiping it off and starting over more easily.
6. Now that you have the exact liner shape that you want, trace back over it with liquid liner.
7. Dip a thin liner brush into a black eyeshadow and trace it along the bottom lash line. I lightly wet the brush with water first for more intensity, but you can make that call. Then wing it out back the lash line parallel to the upper wing.
8. Rim the inner waterline with a white waterproof pencil. You could use a nude pencil as well for less impact.
9. Load up a concealer brush with cream concealer and sneak it in between the two wings to really make them pop.
10. Dip a clean angled liner brush into pressed face powder and sweep it over the concealer to set it.
11. Add a coat of mascara (or two).
12. You can end it there for a very chic look. Or… for a little more drama, add a faux lash strip! Revisit our Faux Lash Tutorial for my secret foolproof application tips if you need a little help.
Then pair it with a nude lip for a Sixties feel!

http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/10/split-decision/


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10/18/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Things That Go Bump In The Night

I decided to do a bit of research to find the definition of "Things that go bump in the night" I learned a new saying that was actually added to a prayer back in the day. Here is the saying...
            From goulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties
          And things that go bump in the night
          Good Lord, deliver us!
This was recorded in The Cornish and West Country Litany in 1926. With that in mind, I decided to do ghosts.

10/16/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Freestyle Halloween

Chucky's Back! Today's challenge we were able to create whatever we want... Halloween related of course. I decided to do a movie theme because I love movies. I especially love scary movies though they aren't really scary to me. I haven't seen a Child's Play movie in such a long time. I might have to find it and watch it.

10/15/2012

Lava gradient dots

I thought I would try something a bit different... Ombre dots! I really wanted to use my new Sally Hansen polish. I also thought it was the week to do an ombre nail look. Guess I need to pay more attention.

My October Birchbox

Yup, disappointed :( This month Birchbox collaborated with Goop.com. I decided to opt-in which I should have known to not do. The items in the box seem to stray away from what I am used to. Oh well, learning experience.


Here's what I got in my box...

10/14/2012

October Ipsy Bag

I have to say I love this month's bag! I am certain this is going to be better than my Birchbox for this month. I took a peek at what I'm getting and not too happy. Oh well. This one makes up for it 10 times over!


10/13/2012

Sparkling Saturday - Glitter!

So we have a choice of posting our favorite mani of the week or do the weekly challenge. I figure I would do the challenge. This week is glitter! I absolutely love all things glitter... at least until I have to remove it.

The Halloween Challenge: Witches

I'm a bit late posting this one. I thought it would be cool to have the moon expand over a few nails and have the witch flying in front of it. I decided to add a haunted looking house and some crazy looking trees.

10/12/2012

Fall Into Autumn Challenge! 7 - Pumpkins

This week is pumpkins! I had a very cute idea for this week but had to go to the ER a few days ago. I am trying to get better but it's not too much under my control. Anyways, whenever I think of pumpkins, I usually think of pie but that's because I don't carve pumpkins anymore... at least not until today :)

10/11/2012

Depression Awareness Month mani :)

October is also Depression Awareness Month. Green is the color, and as a sufferer, I wanted to do something to raise awareness. I have been slowly creating polishes to sell locally and this one I created for the winter season. I love the green! I have to say that creating polishes help me relax and clear my mind of the negative things around me.  


10/09/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Zombies

Zombies!!! I think zombies are great. Have you heard I kind of about the zombie bees? Google it! They actually exist here in WA. I should have had the blood drip the opposite but still looks pretty good to me.

10/07/2012

Tahitian Mahogany

I thought I would do a quick post today... although none of my posts are very long. I have my pointer finger bandaged up and didn't want to take it off for pics. Hopefully when I see my cute Dr. on Wed., I can find out what I did to injure it. All I know is that every time I don't wrap my finger up, I manage to hurt it. Luckily, I can manage having it off in spurts.
I applied 2 coats of China Glaze Mohogany Magic and 1 coat of Kleancolor Tahiti Sunset. The combo really has a feeling of Autumn with a brown base, gold shimmer, red hex glitter, and silver holo hex and bar glitter.

Here is a closer look. I have worn this for 2 days now and there is a bit of wear. Even still, it is really pretty.


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10/04/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Black cats

This is my black cat mani. I was going to go at it differently... it was not going to be cute! 


Def NOT Plain Jane

Since my nails are short, I thought I would do a nice, soft looking mani. I decided to pull out an un-tried polish and try it out. This is China Glaze No Plain Jane... hence the blog post name. I also thought I would bedazzle them a bit with spectraflair top coat and violet holo squares.

10/03/2012

Fall Into Autumn Challenge! 6 - Autumn Leaves

So here are my Autumn Leaves for week 6. I love watching the leaves fall off the trees. We have a lot of pine trees so it's always green. Today has been pretty windy so the leaves are flying around everywhere. It's so pretty except when they cover my yard. Anyways, back on subject...

10/02/2012

French mani spider web nails tutorial by Coewless Polish

I found this today and it is a great tutorial by Eva at Coewless Polish. Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I would share this with all of you. I will be trying this at some point this month.




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10/01/2012

The Halloween Challenge: Trick or Treats

I have started another challenge! This one is the Halloween Challenge October 2012. It is presented by Crumpet's Nail Tarts which is a FB group. So today's challenge is "Trick or Treats".