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Archives for April 2012

Chevron Nails Are Trending Up For Summer, and They’re Easier Than They Look

April 26th, 2012 by Karen 22 Comments

SammyAbout the Author
This guest post was written by Sammy of The Naulasaurus. You can also find Sammy on Twitter, Facebook and Etsy.

Chevron nails

Chevron nails, sometimes called the reverse French mani, are trending up for summer. They’re funky and unusual, and way easier to do yourself than they look. Believe it or not, all a girl needs for these is a little know-how, some nail polish and a bit of scotch tape.

Supplies

You’ll need…

  1. Scotch tape, and if you don’t have any on hand, you can use masking tape or sellotape instead.
  2. Two Summery colours of your choice. Today I’ve chosen NYC Lexington Yellow and Rimmel Urban Princess.
  3. A clear top coat.

Chevron nails: step 1

Step 1:

Paint on your base colour, and wait for it to dry completely. You could even use a fast drying top coat like Seche Vite to speed up the process. Make sure this is the lighter colour of the two because we’ll be painting the other colour over the top.

Chevron nails: step 2

Step 2:

Use your scotch tape to mark off a triangle at the base of your nail. Be warned! If your base coat isn’t 100 percent dry, the tape will definitely ruin the whole mani.

I learned this the hard way when I first started using tape in my manicures. My impatience led to a lot of frustration when I kept pulling off my polish with the tape before it was dry.

You can stick the tape to the back of your hand before you use it on your nails to remove some of the stickiness if you think it will mess with your base colour.

Chevron nails: step 3

Step 3:

One nail at a time, paint the second colour over the nail and tape, and immediately go to step 4…

Chevron nails: step 4
[Continue reading…]

There are 22 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Guest Post, Nails Keywords: guest post

And We’re Off!

April 26th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

Wake up, buttercup! It’s bright and early here on the West Coast.

Well, it’s actually still dark here…so I hope you’re asleep. 🙂

Yours truly sure could use a hot cup of tea, or two. I need to caffeinate before heading to the airport. I had to get up with the chickens this morning to catch my 7:20 flight to Kauai, but I wanted to say a quick hi and wish you good morning.

Good morning!

I plan to eat plenty of pie and do lots of sightseeing while I’m on the island, but you know me. I can’t stay away from MBB for long. I haven’t been away from it for more than a few days since 2007, and that’s no joke!

I’m sure I’ll be checking in often.

Before I go, here are a few fun facts about the Garden Isle (could come in handy on Final Jeopardy)…

Fun Facts About Kauai

  • Kauai is the fourth largest, and northernmost, island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
  • Kauai is also the oldest of the Hawaiian islands (the Big Island to the south is the youngest), at more than six million years old!
  • The wettest spot on earth is located in the middle of the island of Kauai atop Mount Wai’ale’ale (“rippling waters”). The spot receives an average of 432 inches of rainfall per year. To put that in perspective, Seattle, Washington, only gets 36.49!
  • The state’s only navigable rivers are on Kauai (ya know, on account of all that rain).
  • Kauai has a miniature Grand Canyon! Waimea Canyon is about one mile wide, 3,600 feet deep and 10 miles long.
  • Over 60 movies have been filmed on Kauai, including Jurassic Park, Outbreak, 6 Days 7 Nights and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Okay, I really gotta go now! Tabs is insisting on one more deep-tissue massage before I leave… Per usual, his pet sitter will be around to cater to his every whim (DIVA!), but he says that I have “the magic touch.” If I don’t do as I’m told, he’ll be hella grumpy when I get home. You know cats. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict (with lots of love),

Karen

P.S. Aloha!

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun, Kauai, Travel Keywords: kauai

LORAC Wild For Tantalizer Collection Bronzer

April 26th, 2012 by Karen 3 Comments

LORAC Wild For Tantalizer Collection Bronzer from the new Wild For Tantalizer Collection, $39. Available now at Sephora and online.

There are 3 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty Keywords: lorac

Dior Bleu De Paris 5 Couleurs New Look Eyeshadow Palette

April 25th, 2012 by Karen 2 Comments










Dior Bleu De Paris 5 Couleurs New Look Eyeshadow Palette, $59. Available now at Dior counters and online.

There are 2 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo Keywords: dior

Get Spirited Away This Summer With Tarte’s Latest LipSurgence

April 25th, 2012 by Karen 15 Comments

tarte spirited lipsurgence

Red’s not one of the first colors I picture when I think, “summer lip shades.”

Well, it didn’t used to be — but that was before I saw Tarte’s new LipSurgence in Spirited ($24), a shiny, bright poppy red that’s like a beach party in a tube, haaay!

tarte body bronzer spirited lipsurgence
From the left: LipSurgence Lip Tint in Spirited, Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-HR Smoothing Primer and Amazon Bronze Amazonian Clay and Annatto Body Bronze
[Continue reading…]

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, Makeup, Product Reviews, Tarte Keywords: tarte

If You Ask Givenchy, Summer Is Sheer! Say Hello to the Shimmery New Ete A Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012

April 25th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

Givenchy Ete A Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012

Ah… Do you feel that light breeze caressing your cheeks? Isn’t it nice? It’s like the wind is giving us a kiss. 🙂

Givenchy went that same easy, breezy route this summer with their new six-piece A Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012 collection. It’s all about barely-there color, dainty shimmer and soft, natural shades.

“Brunch makeup!” — that’s what I thought about these pieces the first time I saw them, and I tested them out on an actual brunch with El Hub last Saturday, when I slipped on four of the six products before doing some damage on a short stack of banana pancakes.

Ombre A Fleur de Peau Luminescent Cream Eyeshadows, $34 each

Wow! Look at all that glitter… Oh, hai! These potted cream shadows deposit loads of shimmer and sheer color. Unfortunately, Pearly Nude (a nude peach with silver glitter) and Pearly Rose (a nude pink with silver glitter) start creasing on me in less than an hour. The glitter stays put, though (weird!) and lasts all day long. Despite the colors creasing, I do like how these light up my eyes.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Magic Kajal Eye Pencil Intense in Delicate Nude #2, $22.50

I like how creamy this matte beige eyeliner feels, and I think it does a stellar job of brightening up my eyes when I wear it along my lower water line, but it gives up the ghost after two hours and straight-up disappears, POOF!
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B-

Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick in Delicate Rose, $30

My favorite love thing from this launch! Pigmented, lightweight and smooth? Yes, please! This soft rose has a near-blinding mirror shine, but the wear time is only okay (about three hours). I do adore the packaging — so elegant! — and the faint rose flavor and scent.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Givenchy A Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012

Givenchy Ete A Fleur de Peau Collection for Summer 2012
[Continue reading…]

There are 11 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Collections, Givenchy, Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: givenchy

Mother’s Day Gorgeous Gift Ideas: The Hourglass Vol. 6 Neo-Classic Eye Palette

April 25th, 2012 by Karen 23 Comments

hourglass neo classic palette

I think I’ve only seen my mom wear eyeshadow once, maybe twice in my entire life. She’ll rock her MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass hard, but eye makeup just isn’t her thing.

Oh, but if it was? I’d give her the Hourglass Vol. 6 Neo-Classic Palette ($58) for Mother’s Day…and then promptly find a way to “borrow” it from her and forget to give it back, haha!

hourglass neo classic palette swatches

I’d be so tempted to keep it for myself!
[Continue reading…]

There are 23 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Eyes, Hourglass, Makeup Keywords: hourglass

Deborah Lippmann Ray of Light

April 25th, 2012 by Karen 7 Comments


Deboran Lippmann Ray of Light, $18. It’s also the name of one of my favorite Madge songs!

Quicker than a ray of light…

There are 7 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty Keywords: lippmann

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