Just Another 'Manic Mani'

Ready for some fun spring & summer colors? Well I am, so I decided to give the 'manic mani' a go. The idea behind this look is to use 3-4 different polishes in same ball park hue & then paint them in a random order. Similar to the ombre but instead of having a nice gradation of color from nail to nail, this look allows for a little bit more room for interpretation. 

What you need:

 Orly VA VA VOOM w Orly Hot Shot w Funky Fingers Mighty Brights (pink) w Funky Fingers Kingston w Essie Good to Go

This look is great if you have some similar shades & you can't decide which color to choose between or if you're having a quick lapse of multiple personality disorder! ;0)

Happy painting!

On Pinterest? Repin Here! or Here!

VAVA VOOM

So this past weekend I attended Bassnectar's VAVA VOOM tour in Rochester, NY. As usual it was an excellent evening of friendships, tunes & dancing, if I don't say so myself. 

When I had bought my ticket a few months back I knew I wanted to do something crazy with my nails. So when I found a glow in the dark polish from OPI online, it was pretty much a done deal. 

What you need:

Essie Power Clutch w Essie Good to Go w OPI Zom-body to Love w Sally Hansen White On

small detailing paintbrush w ziplock bag w paper/pencil 

I knew I wanted my nails to say "BASS HEAD" & have the Bassnectar logo, but, because I don't trust myself to write directly on my nails, I decided to go the DIY nail sticker route. (If you would like to see more on how this is done, Click Here to a previous post where I show you how!) I decided to draw out the logo and letters on a piece of paper first then basically trace them with the paint brush and zip lock bag in between. 

For the logo I put down a layer of top coat first, then I painted the design. This way it would be easier to peel away from the ziplock bag.

For the glow in the dark polish to really glow you want to put down a base coat of white polish. This will help prevent the glow polish from looking streaky as well as keep the total layers of polish to a minimum. When I first got the polish I tried it on my natural nails without a base & it took me 4 layers of polish to get the same effect. 

So I started with one coat of Sally Hansen White On. 

Once that dried I put on 2 coats of OPI Zom-body to Love.

It comes out almost like slime & has a gritty texture when It dries, so be sure to even out the amount of polish you load on your brush.

Let your nails dry in the sunlight & test them in the dark. If you want more vibrant nails add more layers. I was satisfied with 2 coats. 

(For the record this is as far as I got before the concert the final product is what I'm rocking today. So make sure you give yourself enough time ;0) 

Next thing you're going to want to do is carefully peel the stickers away from the ziplock & place them on your nails & seal with top coat. (If you find that the stickers are reluctant to stay in place just lick your nail first, then lay the sticker down & you should be fine)

& there you have it, my nail tribute to Lorin. :)

For more on Bassnectar visit http://www.bassnectar.net/ :)

On Pinterest? Repin Here!

Dirty Shirley

It's Cocktail Hour! For this post we are going to put a spin on a classic 'mocktail', The Shirley Temple. 

Originally created for the one & only Miss Temple, who needed a non-alcoholic cocktail for when she was out & about schmoozing with Hollywood bigwigs. 

The 'mocktail' is typically made up of ginger-ale or lemon lime soda, splashed with grenadine & garnished with a maraschino cherry. 

Simple, sweet & adorable just like Miss Temple.

(I do not own this photo, no copyright infringement intended)

Now the Dirty Shirley is still sweet & adorable, 

but has the perfect pinch of sass. 

(I do not own this photo, no copyright infringement intended)

What you need:

Cherry Flavored Vodka, Ginger-ale, a Jar of Maraschino Cherries, a Highball Glass filled with Ice, a Spoon & a Shot Glass

Fill your glass 3/4 of the way full with ginger-ale & add out about 2 ounces of cherry vodka.

& if your feeling extra sassy, make it a double ;)

Spoon out a cherry or two from the jar & I like to add a spoonful of cherry juice in lieu of a simple syrup or grenadine for sweetness.

Then it's time to employ the 3 S's

Stir, Sip & Smile! :0)

False Lash Fabulousness

Oh false lashes, they will forever have a special place in my heart. As one who is, what I like to refer to as 'lash impaired' I can truly value a good pair of falsies. I practically praise the mascara gods when I put on my make-up in the morning for creating such a magnificent product. 

However, I wasn't always like this, believe it or not I used to fear the stuff.  Being a little dancing nugget myself, every June meant a recital which equalled stage make-up. I could handle the red lipstick, blush, eye shadow & the glitter(of course); but having my mother come at me at age 4 with a smelly wand of black goop and waving it in front of my eyes was all but traumatic. (not to mention the eyelash curler which can only be described as a steel death trap)  I think I was like 7 when I finally insisted on learning to do it myself for that years recital. Well sure enough once I got going, I fell in love.

 Then just a year later I was placed on a competition dance team where they upped the stage make-up anti with fake eyelashes. These suckers blew my mind. It was like the eyelashes I was born to have were suddenly glued on my face! (If only the glue could last forever...) Now while this was acceptable make-up for dance time, I wasn't quite sure how I could pull off such a dramatic change to my everyday make-up (which at the time consisted of roll-on scented body glitter, lip smackers, & clear mascara). 

So fast forward a few years & now I actually have somewhat of an idea of how to wear make-up outside of a dance performance, but I still yearn for those long luscious lashes. I will admit to wearing a full set out on the weekends with a dark smoky eye, but the weekend just won't cut it, I want more! So when I came across this trick on 'what not to wear' I practically did a fan kick for joy. This will allow you to wear your false lashes out in daylight without giving the impression that you work on street corners. 

Ok so here is what my actual lashes look like after being curled with one coat of mascara.  Not horrible, but pretty pathetic if you ask me. 

Ok so first things first, look at your eye lashes, notice their natural thickness 

& length. This trick requires a natural blend between false & real lashes; we're not going for Vegas showgirl, just the (smokin' hot) girl next door. 

When you get to the drug store, try to find a pair that suits your needs, I picked ANDREA's mod lash in Black 21, because it has just enough thickness & length comparable to mine. I've found that Black 53 also suits me well. If you're not sure pick up 2 pairs & experiment. 

You're also going to want to pick up some sharp scissors & waterproof Lash Grip Adhesive. (I prefer the kind that is a white glue that dries clear vs the dark drying glue because I'm partial to plum eye liner.)

Next thing is to cut the lashes. You can either go from the half way mark or I prefer three fourths of the way down. You want to use the inner section with the smallest part to the widest. You can save the little end piece that you cut off & place back on the holder. 

(At this point you should also apply your eye make-up especially your mascara & eye liner.)

Then add a thin layer of glue, & I like to blow on the glue so it gets a little bit tacky. You do not want a gluey mess dripping onto the corner of your eyes. Trust.

 Then starting from about the center of your eye going outward, gently place the false eye lashes along your natural lash line. 

Now whether your going for a outward &/or upward look you can gently press on the lashes while the glue dries to get the shape you want. (Yes the glue with dry clear, I PROMISE!) 

Then I like to go in with my mascara & add a second coat to those inner lashes. Pulling my mascara wand in an up motion will concentrate the mascara to help add length and definition. 

& that's it! A nice soft full lash perfect for your next lunch date ;) 

Here's a few more shots with the flash on, so you can really see the subtle definition the false lashes can add. 

Again, a pre-lash shot. 

With the cut lashes on.

And for comparisons sake, here is the full set, before I cut them.

Hope you enjoyed my little lash trick!

On Pinterest? Repin here!

Two-Tone Diagonals

Here is a color blocking inspired nail look using two different tones of blue along a edgy diagonal. 

What you need:

Essie go overboard  w   Essie turquoise & caicos  w  Essie good to go  w  Scotch Tape

On my left hand I painted my thumb with 2 coats of turquoise & caicos and the rest with go overboard.

Then on my right hand I painted my thumb with go overboard and the rest 2 coats of turquoise & caicos.

Once the nails are dry it is time to add the scotch tape. Take the tape and place it on the back of your hand first to take off some stickiness. Then smooth it along the nail at a diagonal. 

Then taking the opposite color add a coat of polish.

Peel the tape immediately & you should see a nice diagonal line. 

If you feel like it needs a second coat; wait a few minutes for it to dry & repeat the taping process.  

Then add a good helping of top coat & voilà you have a fun and edgy two-toned look.

On Pinterest? Repin here!