Start feeling the Love...

     Valentines day is coming up and I personally love everything thing about this time of year. I especially love going into stores and seeing hearts everywhere with all the pink and red colors to candy filled shelves. From all things urber cute to very sexy, I can't get enough of Valentines Day.

     Whatever your relationship status is (single or not) Valentines day is a time of year to feel loved, and that really starts with loving yourself. Try to do something extra special for yourself, even if it's just a mid day nap. Give into the love and love yourself a little more this time of year.  I'll be posting tips and ideas to promote self love.

     Here are a few things I thought would be nice to indulge in and enjoy.

The French have it right when it comes to love, and who doesn't love yummy macaroons?

Treat yourself to pretty Jewelry. This piece is from Betsy Johnson

Trends aside, frozen yogurt is a guiltless indulgence. 

Valentines Day Style

This is a Valentines day inspired outfit. I love the ruffles and the combination of a bold red dress with gold accessories. This is something I would easily wear anytime, but very cute for Valentines day.

Rainbow hue?

     Once reserved for misfits, punks, and rebels, bright rainbow colored hair is now hitting the main stream with a major punch. With stars like Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga (just to name a few) people are no longer perplexed when seeing a pop star on stage sporting blue hair.

     If you personally love this trend but not too sure about wearing purple hair around the office (or whatever your day job may be) here is an easy solution to help you try it out. I suggest using clip in hair extensions, they're low maintenance with no commitment and so easy to use. All you need to do is clip them in wherever you want to see a pop of your favorite color. There are many different sources to purchase this type of hair extension, but if you don't know where to get them from I would suggest ordering them online through a website called: Hairextensions.com (I attached a link below). This online company uses human hair which means you can curl, flat iron and style them the same way you would your own hair. These extensions come in a variety of colors ranging from Bubble Gum Pink to Plum-Pudding.

     I would just say a major caution to those of you with platinum blonde hair. Make sure your hair and the extension hair is completely dry before wearing.  The last thing you want is to wear the Blueberry extension piece and having that color bleed into your pretty platinum locks. 
     With these rainbow colored extensions you can really show off your colorful side. Who knows, maybe after a few weeks of trying out some of these vibrant shades you'll be visiting your local salon asking to add a brightly colored pigment to your lovely locks.

 http://www.hairextensions.com/product.php?productid=60&cat=10

Review on LUSH's ULTRA BLAND

First I want to say that I absolutely love almost all LUSH products. They are made with organic fresh fruits and veggies and use high quality essential oils. I appreciate this company for taking an ethical stand on issues such as No Animal Testing and for making their products vegetarian.

ULTRA BLAND is my go to eye make up remover. It is made with beeswax and almond oil giving it a very rich and thick texture. My skin is pretty sensitive, but because this product has rose water (which is very calming and great for sensitive skin) I can apply this directly over my eyelid with no irritation. It's amazing to see it in action, ULTRA BLAND successfully removes all my many layers of eye make up and it will conquer water proof mascara. This product is considered a facial cleanser but I highly recommend using it only as an eye make up remover (or use on very stubborn make up that is resistant to coming off like a lip or cheek stain). I say this because of the thick texture and the use of almond oil may make you feel like you have an oily residue on your face. Also a little goes a long way. I buy the 1.5oz which is $15.95 and it seriously has lasted me a year. Give ULTRA BLAND a try if you're looking for a reliable eye make up remover.

Messy and Understated Take Center Stage in 2012

We've all heard how 2012 is the year of great change and the end of a cycle. Well, we are definitely seeing that to be true in the world of makeup. According to this New York Times article called "You Can Fall Out of Bed and Look Good" by Stephanie Rosenbloom the new makeup style for 2012 is a messy just out of bed look. The polished and perfect smokey eyes with lined lips is out this year. This article suggest minimal makeup while keeping things natural, letting one feature shine such as a bold lip. Also, allow your flawless skin to be the center piece of your look. The messy smudged eye is also in, along with a new take on the classic smokey eye done with metallic colors to give it a softer look.

I really love this article, there are some great tips and ideas in it.  I'm also all about budget friendly makeup advice and wearing a natural look.  I am inspired to try the softer take on the smokey eye using  metallic colors.  I also look forward to trying the reverse smokey eye, which is applying eyeshadow and eyeliner on the bottom lash line instead of on the eye lid. This looks reminds me of being in the 7th grade, not knowing how to do makeup and wearing what my mom would call the "goth look".  Hahaha, those were fun times. I also want to try wearing the "Popsicle Mouth" which is applying a lip stain on your lips giving your mouth a look like you just sucked on a Popsicle.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, read the article I posted below and give these different looks a try in 2012. Although, if this really isn't you and you're more comfortable wearing the polished, full face of makeup, then stick with your classic look. Don't let fashion trends dictate how you should look, but don't be afraid to show off natural beauty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/fashion/imperfect-makeup-is-a-trend-for-2012.html

Shit New Age Girls Say...

 

Best line... OMG! I love quantum physics!

Loving some T.U.K shoes

I really love wearing shoes that are cute, fun and different, especially when it comes to heels. I try to buy ones that are functional, comfortable and easy to wear. The shoe company T.U.K makes this totally possible, not to mention they're prices are unbeatable. I love how different, innovative and creative their designs are. These are a few on my wish list. Let me know what you think.

New hair inspiration

I recently just dyed my hair red, which is a pretty dramatic change from platinum blonde. My current color is very similar to Florance Welch's fiery hue. Not only is she an amazing singer (I'm a huge fan of her music) she also has a strong sexy presence about her. She pulls off a bold, stand out hair color with grace and attitude, a difficult balance to achieve.  Thank you Florance for being so cool and inspiring me to change my locks to a beautiful bold red.

Nail polish color for this week

This week I'm wearing and loving this mauveish-gray colored nail polish. I really enjoy seeing darker hues on my nails like deep plums, sangria red, and black. I especially enjoy wearing these colors during the winter/fall season.  Although, it's hardly winter here in Florida I can pretend with my pretty nail polish color.

Pin-Up Hair Do - Rosie the Riveter Bandana

Inspirations!

This week I found inspiration from pinup hair styles. Right now I'm especially loving the victory roll and replicating Rosie the Riveter look. Pinup hair is fairly easy to do once you know what you're doing. Watching a few step by step tutorials on youtube are so helpful and make creating a polished finished look simplified. When I was trying a few different pinup hair styles I also experimented with different makeup looks. I wanted to perfect a simple look that would compliment my hairstyle.  I found a defined brow (the same shade or one shade darker than my natural brow), a classic cat eye, lined lips with a matte finish (red) lipstick really tie the whole look together. I personally prefer a bit more makeup and some facial contouring, but right now I'm just trying to keep it simple. I added a video of the beautiful Kandee Johnson doing her take on Rosie the Riveter.

Mind and body healing

Meditaion

I just attended a guided crystal bowl mediation this past Sunday, which was such a wonderful experience! I recommend it to any and everyone. It doesn't matter what walk of life you come from or what your religious and spiritual background may be, meditation is for healing the mind, the body and the soul. Whatever stress or fears you may have in your life melt away during the meditation session. There is something very powerful yet relaxing about the vibrating sounds of the crystals.

I experienced a stronger sense of self awareness along with an overall feeling of lightness throughout my body. It is difficult to fully explain how you feel during a mediation session and everyone has a different experience.  If anyone has ever had an experience with this type of mediation, please share your thoughts and give me some feed back.

Facial Cleanser Review.

As a licensed esthetician I've tried many different facial cleansers, and there are a lot of really great one's out there. I always love switching cleansers ready to try something new whenever I'm out.

Being on a budget, I discovered a gem in the land of skin care while at CVS. I stumbled upon a cleanser called Black Rice by Pure Skin Care. It's really rich and creamy but not too thick and heavy. In fact it's pretty light and smooth and has been one of the best facial cleanser/makeup removers I've used in a long time. It's gentle enough to rub right over my eyelid and unlike most makeup removers it cleanses the whole face.

Love it! For a "budget" cleanser at CVS I totally recommend it. The biggest downfall is that it's sort of hard to find and some CVS locations don't carry it. If you find one buy it, you'll thank me later. <3