All About Gel Nails! (Review)

I am personally one of those people who is slightly obsessed with keeping my nails perfect. I do not have pretty natural nails and I am prone to messing with them if they are not polished. Also my nails peel and become thin, so without the reinforcement of polish, my nails are brittle and sensitive. 

In order for me to keep my nails looking perfect, I have to polish them twice a week. After doing this for months, I got really tired of it and decided to try something new: gel nails.

Gel nails are not to be mistaken with gel polish! Gel polish is just a special nail polish cured by a UV light in between coats. Gel nails are actual enhancements onto your natural nails.
Application Process
1. The nails are prepped (usually filed, cuticle care, sometimes a nail primer, etc.)
2. If you asked for tips or nail enhancements (you want your nails to be longer) clear tips will be glued to the end of the nails. These tips will be super long at first but don't freak out! The nail tech will cut them to your desired length and shape them to your desired shape:)
One thing to remember when deciding on the length is how fast your nails grow. If your nails grow super fast like mine, then you may want to start out with them a little shorter than your desired length. This is because you will have these nails on for at least two weeks, so by the time that second week rolls around, your nails will be longer than when you first got them done.
3. A gel base coat will be applied and cured by a UV light. 
4. The nail tech will begin applying the gel. This gel comes in a pot and looks just like what it is: gel. It is applied to the nails with what looks like a paint brush. If they use a liquid and powder on your nails you are NOT getting gels but acrylics. This is a common scam and you can read about it here :)
If you are getting french tips (pink and white) the nail tech will apply a white gel to the tips, cure it, and then add a clear (usually actually slightly pink toned, very natural color) over it and cure that as well.
If you are getting the gel with just a solid color over it, the nail tech will most likely just put the clear gel over your nails.
5. Each coat of gel will be cured under a UV light.
6. The nail tech will most likely buff or file over the gel to make it less thick.
6. If you are getting a solid color, polish will be painted over the gel. I got a solid color for the first time recently and my nail tech used a gel polish. Gel polish is cured under a UV light between coats.
7. A top coat is applied and cured under the UV light, and you're done! 

CND Hot Lava gel polish over my gel nails. Sorry about being able to see the camera's reflection in the nail- they are that shiny!!

 The "Fill" Process
If you are familiar with fake nails, you are probably familiar with the term "fill". This is basically what you get done every 2-3 weeks after having your nails done. This process fills in the growth between your fake nails and natural nails. You can also get your nails shortened and a different color.
1. The nail tech files down the gel nails. They will especially file down the edges to make them blend with your natural nail. At this time they also will shorten and reshape your nails (at your request).
2. Any repairs will be made and then a new layer of gel and polish will be applied just like the first time. 
Keep in mind if you want to keep getting a french manicure you will have to get them re-balanced.
I got my fill after 3 weeks of having my gel nails on. This was WAY too long for me! My nails grow extremely fast, so by the time three weeks rolled around, my nails were way too grown out. Next time I will get mine filled after about two-two and a half weeks. 
When trying to decide how often to get fills keep in mind how fast your nails grow!

Prices
At my salon, the first application is $30. After this, fills are $20 and $25 if you get gel polish applied. Prices may vary greatly, so check around salons in your area and get as much info as you can on pricing. 


Pros
1. Because gel nails are an enhancement onto your natural nails, they make your nails much thicker. This makes them more durable so you don't have to worry if you have naturally brittle nails.
2. You don't have to worry about your nails for at least 2 weeks! Your nails will look perfect and you don't have to mess with polishing them and waiting for them to dry. This saves me so much time because when I polish my nails I have to do them twice a week.
3. If you have always wanted long nails, you can finally get the length you want! But if you like your nails shorter, you can also get gel nails without any lengthening enhancements.
4. No harsh smells like you get with acrylics!
5. Gel nails are more flexible and bend with your nails better than acrylics.
6. Gels look and feel more natural than acrylics.


Cons
1. Cost--gel nails can get pricey, especially because prices vary so much. Getting fills twice a month can add up.
2. Some think they can be time consuming, they take about an hour for application as well as for fills. 
3. Some damage may be done to the natural nails. 
4. Gel polish applied over the gel nails is not indestructible. It is often marketed as super strong, but it's not. It can get scratched.


Personally, I love my gel nails. They have held up great and require virtually no upkeep until your next "fill". They have saved me so much time and stress! The only downside is the gel polish painted over them this time was slightly scratched when I hit my nails on a brick wall. Nothing a normal human would notice, but of course I did. Other than that, I love them and would highly suggest you at least give them a try!

That's about it for my overview/review of gel nails. I hope this was helpful! Thanks so much for reading!!

Common Gel Nail SCAM!

About 6 months ago, I got what I thought to be "gel nails" at a nail salon for a special event. However, I completely got scammed! Gel nails are fairly new to the beauty world and are becoming popular because of their more natural look, feel, and wear.

Many "discount" salons have been taking advantage of the fact that they're new and something many people don't know the specifics (such as the application process) of. Basically what happened to me, and many others, is this:

I went into a discount salon and asked for gel nails. After applying the tips, the nail tech brought out a liquid and a powder and started applying it to the nail by dipping a brush in the liquid first, and then the powder to create a thick consistency. When I mentioned that it looked a lot like the same process being used on my friend's acrylics, the nail tech said it was a "special gel powder". After the nails were done, the nail tech applied a UV topcoat that was cured under a UV light.

What happened is the nail tech applied acrylics to my nails but finished off with a UV topcoat (that made no difference) and called them gels. They also charged me $20 more than what is charged for acrylics at that salon.

Another thing they did is use a drill on my nails. They didn't drill mine as much as usual because I asked them not to, but drilling your nails in order to apply any fake nails is actually completely unnecessary. The drill commonly used is a Dremel and is actually often used with woodworking. It is widely used in "discount salons" because it is cheap and fast. These drills are actually illegal to use on nails in many states. All that is needed (and some say this isn't even needed) when it comes to "drilling down" nails is to lightly run a file over the nails to give them a little texture.

So how do you not get scammed?

-First, get informed. Gel nails are applied just like they sound--with an actual gel. A gel tip may be sculpted or regular plastic tips can be applied. The nail tech will use a gel from a pot on your nails-- if the nail tech starts using a liquid and powder, it is NOT gel. There is no such thing as gel powder.

-Try to avoid "discount salons". If there is a huge language barrier, you may want to be careful. Many times, not all the people working in these salons are licensed. These are often the salons that scam you.

It is said that any damage done to your nails after having fake nails is caused by the nail tech, not the fake nails themselves.

Finding a reputable salon can be hard but is so useful! Even if you do your own nails or generally don't get your nails done, its nice to have a reputable salon in case you have a special event to go to or you just want a change.

I really hope this was helpful and informative!

Thanks for reading!

Jordana Made to Last 12 Hr Eyeshadow Pencil in Eternal White Review+Swatch

I don't know about you, but I feel like Jordana has taken the beauty world by storm lately! All of a sudden I'm hearing about their Best Lash Extreme Mascara, balm stains, Fabuliner, and definitely these Made to Last 12 Hr Eyeshadow Pencils!

 

 

Jumbo eyeshadow pencils are very popular right now, and the drugstore has definitely stepped up their game. With Wet n Wild, Rimmel, NYX, Milani, LA Colors, and now Jordana all having these jumbo pencils, there is a lot to choose from. 

 

 

Eternal White is a great, pigmented white. I love to use this in the inner third of my eyes every day so that no matter what eyeshadow I use over it, the inner part will stay bright. This is also an awesome color for intensifying any eyeshadow you put over it!

The formula of these is amazing! They are super creamy, pigmented, and easy to blend. They also stay on ALL DAY and have never creased on me! This is the best staying power I have found with any jumbo shadow pencil I've used. 

I actually own some of the Urban Decay 24 Hour Eyeshadow Pencils and I think the Jordana shadow pencils are better! The Jordana pencils are creamier, much easier to blend, and last longer. Even if Jordana doesn't have the color you want, I would definitely stick to the drugstore when it comes to these eyeshadow pencils.

These can be used as bases underneath eyeshadow or on their own, but I definitely always prefer eyeshadow pencils as bases. It is amazing how much more intense a shadow can look over the right base! 

The only downside to these is that they are not retractable, which means they have to be sharpened. Although this isn't a huge deal, it would still be more convenient if they were retractable. So if you buy these, you're going to need a jumbo pencil sharpener (which is kind of a hassle to have to get a sharpener just for one product). I have a Nars sharpener that has both a regular size sharpener and a jumbo, and I know Urban Decay and Elf also make dual sharpeners. I would definitely suggest getting a dual sharpener because they're so convienent. 

A little surprise dupe-- Jordana has a Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in Continuous Almond that would be an awesome dupe for a Mac Paint Pot! It is a great skin tone color that could be used as a base to even out your lids!

Although I don't like that you need a sharpener for these, I still highly suggest them! They are amazing quality and you can't beat the price at $3.99!

My shadow pencil in Eternal White has become a staple in my daily makeup routine.

I hope this was helpful! Thanks for reading!

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquers Review +Swatch of Comet

When it comes to lip products, I tend to be pretty picky. I hate the feeling of a heavy lipstick on my lips. I also hate having to fuss with the lip color smearing and having to reapply constantly. With that being said, I usually don't buy expensive lip products (or any at all) because I hardly wear anything on my lips.

Lucky for me (and all of you, too!) I found a GREAT drugstore lip product that is affordable! And even I approve of it! 

This is the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Comet! Rimmel markets these lacquers as not a lipstick and not a lip gloss-- something bigger and better than both of those. I would describe these as a liquid lipstick.

 

These lacquers have a doe foot applicator that is different from anything I've ever seen! The applicator has a groove in it that holds more product so that you can cover your lips completely without reapplying. Although it holds enough product for your lips, it doesn't apply too much, so you don't end up with a mess! This doe foot applicator also makes it easy to be very precise.

These lacquers have a great formula! The formula is like that of a liquid lipstick, except it doesn't "harden" and dry. The formula does set, but does not make your lips feel tight and dry. The finish has a slight gloss to it when first applied, but eventually wears to a semi matte finish.

These lacquers wear for a very long time! Mine lasted at least 3-4 hours with me drinking, eating, etc. One of my favorite things about these lacquers is that it doesn't "chip off" or collect on your lips as it wears. It wears off very evenly without looking gross and feeling uncomfortable. Also, it leaves a slight stain on the lips without looking messy.

 The only issue I have with the formula is that it can make your lips feel kind of dry after a few hours of wear. Nothing obnoxious and flakey, but your lips definitely lose the moisturized feel with time. This can be fixed with a sweep of gloss or chapstick though.

These lacquers are also INSANELY pigmented. The picture below is one swipe. Although they're very pigmented, they don't feel heavy or cakey. They are also buildable, so if you want more color, it can be achieved easily!

I chose the color "Comet" because I repeatedly saw it described as a "my lips but better" shade. This is the issue I have with this color. Although this color is definitely a neutral shade, it isn't just slightly darker than my natural lips like most "MLBB" shades. This color is more like "my lips but 15 times darker"!

This color is a neutral pinky-brown. It is a great neutral shade for every day for those who are comfortable wearing darker color on their lips. It is darker but not so dark that it's "shocking" or "distracting". Because I'm not as used to it, I tend to only wear it on occasions when I want to look nicer, but it never disappoints.

When I want to tone the color down a bit, I can easily do that by blotting my lips. I do this by putting a tissue in between my lips and simply pressing my lips together. This gives a more wearable color:

These lacquers have a rosy scent to them, but it's not too noticeable and
I can't smell it at all once it is applied. 

The best part? These retail for around $6-8! 

I definitely suggest these Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquers and I love the color Comet! I think Comet will transition even better into fall and winter. 

Thanks for reading :)

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies Nail Polish Swatch and Review--The Perfect Purple for Fall!

Purple is my favorite color and I especially love it on my nails for Fall! I bought Tomorrow Never Dies by OPI last year as an impulse buy and never expected that it would become one of my favorite nail polishes!

This color is a gorgeous royal purple color with a slight royal blue duo-chrome to it. The picture picks up more of a blue-toned purple because of the duo-chrome but the color looks like more of a true, almost grape popsicle color purple in person. It is also slightly deeper than it looks in the picture.

This color has an amazing formula that applies extremely easily and is opaque with two coats! I love that the color is no-nonsense and applies without a fuss.

This color has become one of my go-to fall colors and I can't wait to wear it throughout the season!

This color is from the James Bond Skyfall collection that released last Winter, but you can usually find colors from collections fairly easily. 

 OPI Polishes retail for about $9.

Thanks for reading!

Mac Love Joy Mineralize Blush Review and Swatch

So we have finally reached September, and I don't know about you, but when it gets to around this time of the year I am pretty much done with summer. Although the afternoons here are still hot, the mornings are starting to dip into the 60s and it's slowly but surely (very very slowly) making a transition into fall. I am completely ready for boots, sweaters, and leaves falling off of the trees!

 In honor of my favorite time of the year, I got a new blush that I thought would be gorgeous for fall and also something different to add to my collection: Mac Mineralize Blush in Love Joy!

This is my first Mineralize blush from Mac! Just a sidenote--there is another Mineralize blush from Mac called Love Thing, so be sure to not get them mixed up!

Love Joy is a very unique color that is nearly impossible to describe! It is a slightly rosey, midtone brown color with gold shimmer. Although you wouldn't expect it to, it has a slightly apricot looking undertone on the cheeks (possibly from the gold shimmer?). When first swatched you may think it is too glittery, but once applied, all that is left is a subtle, glowy shimmer.

Love Joy is a great color for fall because it is a bit deeper, but I think it would transition well into summer as well because of its bronzey look. 

I am completely impressed with the formula of these mineralize blushes!! They not only have a great color payoff, but are easy to apply, blend well, and have a great staying power! I highly suggest checking out Mac Mineralize blushes even if this one isn't for you because in my opinion, they are better than the regular formula of blushes. If you do decide to try a mineralize blush, I highly suggest swatching them in store before buying one because they tend to be a little deceiving in the pan! 

*Quick tip: when swatching products, especially blushes, make sure you blend them onto your hand, wrist, etc. not just on your finger because some products look different when they are actually on your skin.

Just a disclaimer-- this blush is EXTREMELY pigmented. I am someone who loves blush and tends to wear a lot of it so I am usually not intimidated by people saying that a blush is pigmented. Especially because I never swirl my brush into blushes and most blushes don't show up well on my skin tone, but this blush shocked me! 

The first time I used it, I barely tapped my brush in twice and I ended up with a huge stripe across my face! My suggestion is to lightly tap your brush in once, tap off any extra, and then lightly blend onto the cheeks. If you want more color, simply repeat the process. It is better to layer the color than to begin with too much on! 

Overall, I am completely in love with this blush and have been wearing it daily. I highly suggest you check it out next time you're near a Mac counter because the pictures don't do it justice.  

These blushes retail for $25 wherever Mac products are sold. 

I hope this was helpful! Thank you for reading :)

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie Review and Swatches!

The craze of the Revlon Lip Butters has proven to not just be a trend-- its popularity has lasted quite a while now!

And I can definitely see why! These lip butters are moisturizing, easy to apply, and wear beautifully on the lips! When on the lips, they have a beautiful light sheen that makes your lips look nice and moisturized. They can be applied lightly for a slight tint or built up for a more noticeable color. They also feel very light on the lips, you can't really even feel that you have them on. AND there is a HUGE color selection! I can almost guarantee that there is a color for everyone and every occasion! 

This color is one that I haven't heard talked about quite as much as the others: Berry Smoothie!

This is a gorgeous light berry shade that easily adds color to the lips. The color is very versatile and could go with many different looks. One thing I love about this shade is that it can be a light tint or a full on nearly opaque color. 

The first picture is Berry Smoothie applied lightly:

The next picture is Berry Smoothie applied more heavily with more coats:

As you can see, you can get a light tint or a darker, brighter color (and everything in between) all from one product! It's almost like having two or three different lip colors in one!

This would be great for a day to night look-- you could apply lightly for daytime and then build it up for a darker look for night.

I would say the color wears for a few hours depending on how much you eat, drink, apply chapstick, talk, etc. But although it's not long lasting, it's not a big deal because it is so easy to apply. This color also leaves a slight berry tint to your lips once it is worn off which is very flattering!

Quick tip: If you want the color to wear longer or be more opaque, apply a lip liner under it!

Anyways, this is a great color and I highly suggest it (and any of the lip butters really)! I got mine at Walgreens in a buy one get one half off sale, so look out for those! These generally retail for $6-7.

I definitely suggest this color, check it out! Thanks for reading!
By the way-- the color on my nails in the pictures is this :)

Sally Hansen Pacific Blue Nail Polish Review+Swatch

When it comes to the in-between seasons part of the year, it can be kind of awkward to figure out which colors to wear. As of now, the weather is slowly transitioning from summer to fall and although it's still warm, it's cooling off and looking and feeling a little bit more like fall. My solution to this awkward half-summer half-fall time is to cut out the super light pastels and wear darker colors that are still bright! A perfect one is actually from the drugstore!

You may have heard of Sally Hansen Pacific Blue before because it has been raved about for a while! This polish is a GORGEOUS and unique medium blue shade. What makes it different is it's bright almost neon quality. This polish is nearly guaranteed to be noticed and complimented by those who see it!

This polish has an awesome formula and a wide brush that makes application faster and easier. It applies completely opaque with two coats.

One more awesome thing about this polish? I picked it up at my local Walgreens for only $2.97! I was a little nervous that the quality wouldn't be there but I am completely impressed and am hoping to try more of these soon!

One more side note, if you were looking for a unique, bright, medium blue color, definitely try this one rather than Essie Butler Please. That one is terrible quality AND more expensive. Just a side note!

Anyways, I hope this post was helpful! Definitely check this color out. 

Thanks for reading:)

Revlon ColorStay Concealer Review

So this weekend I ran out of my beloved Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer.. And because I don't live anywhere near a place that I can purchase Nars, I knew I had to pick up a concealer to get me by until I could get a new one. I couldn't use any of the concealers I already had because NONE of them were in my shade. So what does any makeup junkie do when they are in need of a quick fix? I started researching drugstore concealers!

I read quite a few reviews on the Revlon ColorStay concealer, good and bad. I wasn't too surprised about the mixed feelings on it because nearly every concealer I looked up had the same variety of reviews. I was choosing between this one and the Revlon PhotoReady concealer, and this one won because I was more comfortable with the liquid consistency rather than the stick formula of the PhotoReady. 

 I picked up this concealer in the shade light, which was too light for me

 

I expected to like this concealer because it had a lot of things that I liked in it. First off, it was in the ColorStay line, and Revlon ColorStay is my favorite foundation. Also, it was a liquid concealer that came in a tube with a doe foot applicator, which is my favorite kind of concealer. So I thought, 'how bad can it be, right?'

 WRONG! This concealer is TERRIBLE. At first, it seems like it is going to be awesome. When you start dotting it on, the concealer looks nice and opaque with a little bit of a thicker consistency. But once you start blending is when the real magic happens. As you blend, the concealer literally covers nothing. All it does is leave an odd layer over the skin that barely conceals anything. But while it has hardly any coverage, it still manages to look cakey and heavy. How that's possible? I HAVE NO IDEA!

I really tried to give this mascara a chance. I tried blending it in with my fingers and a brush and both gave the same effect (blending with my fingers actually made it look worse).

This product ended up being nearly $10 when I purchased it at WalMart. So it's fairly pricey for a drugstore product and it's terrible quality. I will definitely be trying to return this one tomorrow.

As you can see, I do not suggest this product. I honestly can't imagine it working for anyone. Unfortunately, this one is a miss :( 

Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful!

Maybeline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara Review

So after using the same mascara for months and months (Loreal 24 H Power Volume Collagen Mascara.. See a review here), I started itching to try a new one. Does anyone else get that way?

Anyway, my friend told me about Maybelline the Rocket and I had heard a lot about it, so I started looking at reviews to see what I could find. After finding reviews, and then finding it for only $5.94 at WalMart (YES, A MASCARA FOR $6!!!!) I had to try it!

I included two pictures of the wand without any mascara on it just so you could really see it. First things first, this wand is amazing! I have to be honest, I didn't think I would like it.. at all. I am usually not a fan of rubber wands, especially because the ever-so-famous Covergirl Lashblast Volume has a rubber wand and literally does NOTHING to my lashes. So from the beginning, I wasn't really expecting much.

But I was most definitely wrong! This wand is filled with fairly long rubber bristles. Because there are so many bristles, the wand catches each and every lash. The long bristles help to not only apply the product but to evenly sweep and comb it through the lashes. This wand is the best I have ever used, by far!

 In this picture with the wand with mascara on it, you can see that there are no clumped spots on the wand. 

The formula of this mascara is more on the wet side, but don't let that scare you away! It is not thick and messy, but more of a thin wet consistency. It is very easy to work with.

This mascara gives excellent volume from the first coat! It volumizes, separates, and adds a little length. It is very buildable, so with each new coat you get added volume and more drama! This mascara builds better than any I have ever tried. 

And one of the best features? NO CLUMPS. EVER! I am not someone who is repulsed by a little bit of a clumpy look, but this one has blown my mind. The wand truly separates and makes clumping nearly impossible. Even with three coats, my lashes still looked defined. I always thought volumizing mascara with separation and definition was just impossible, but here it is!

Also, I have had no problem with this mascara smudging or flaking on me. For me, it wears all day just fine. The only complaint I have is that whenever I accidentally get it on my eyelid while applying it, it is very hard to get off. Most of the time, I can use the q-tip trick, but this one does not come off. So you may need to be a little careful.. but to me it is still worth it!

Lately, to get more length, I have been applying my mascara in a different technique. Before combing through my lashes with the wand, I apply the mascara first to the tips of my lashes. After I have applied some to the tips, I go ahead and comb through all of my lashes. I do this with the second and third coat as well (if I do a third coat). It still volumizes my lashes just as well, but with some added length. I got this idea from this video:

 

So that's it! I am so surprised that I fell in love with this mascara but it is definitely my new favorite. Give it a shot!

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope this was helpful! 

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer Review

Does anyone else have that one concealer or foundation that they always wear in the summertime? Well for me, it's the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer!

This concealer is probably one of my all time favorites and I'm so excited that I'm finally tan so that I can wear it again (more on that later on in the post)!

So for the basics, this concealer has great packaging.

 

The packaging is nice and compact and it comes with a pump (mine was very messy, but I still love liquid products with pumps)! The only problem with this pump is that it tends to dispense way too much product..

 

This picture is the least amount of product I could dispense (and it covered everything I needed covered). If you do a full pump, you will end up with so much product that a ton will end up wasted, so BE CAREFUL! This pump isn't one that is easy to control how much product comes out, but I suggest you very carefully try to pump as little product as possible. Also, for those wondering, it comes in a glass bottle.

Now on to the actual product.. This concealer is obviously a liquid consistency. I find that it's the perfect consistency for a liquid concealer-- not too liquidy, but liquidy enough.

It applies super easily and blends in to the skin and looks natural. I love the finish that this concealer has, it sets to a beautiful natural matte finish.

The coverage is medium to full and very buildable. One layer of this product will give you medium coverage but you can layer on more to give you a great full coverage.

One of my favorite things about this concealer is that it is VERY long wearing-- the name doesn't lie! It stays looking good for a very long time, and even when it starts to show wear, it wears beautifully. It stays matte for longer than any other concealers I have owned. When I was travelling about a week ago, I applied this at 5 A.M. and it stayed on until I took it off at about 11:30 P.M. The only sign of wear that it showed was that my skin was starting to get a little shiny. Pretty impressive!

Now I must admit, there is another downside to this product (at least for me). The reason that I can only wear this product in the summer is because of the color range. I am strictly in the NC shades in Mac. My summer shade is NC30 and the next shade down from that in the NC shades (for this concealer) is NC20. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, it basically goes from my dark summer shade to a very light shade that is even too light for me during the winter time. There is no in between. I would love to use this concealer year round and have different shades but they virtually don't have my color! I do realize I could mix NC20 and NC30 but that is a bit of a hassle and I would waste a lot of product. Most of you may not encounter this problem, I just wanted to mention it just in case anyone else is around these shades.

Overall, I think this is a great concealer and I highly suggest checking it out, especially if you have a long day and need your makeup to last. It retails for $18 which I think is an amazing price especially considering how long one bottle will last you!

This concealer is available wherever Mac products are sold-- Mac stores, Mac counters in department stores, maccosmetics.com.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope this was helpful :)

 

 



SUPER EASY Fourth of July Nail Tutorial

One of my favorite holidays is July 4th! Not only do I love the cookouts, fireworks, and time with family and friends, but I love doing patriotic nails!

This year I decided to keep it pretty simple with a super easy, patriotic manicure.

 

The first step is to apply a base coat. You can apply whichever one works for you, I used the Nail Tek Intensive Therapy 2 (need to post a review on this)! Don't skip this step though because it is very important! It makes your nail polish apply better, last longer, it protects your nails, keeps your nails from staining, and even makes your polish easier to remove when its time to take it off.

I let this dry for about 5 minutes before applying the next polish.

 

Next, I applied a classic, deep red polish to all of my nails except my ring fingers. I used an opaque red so that I could get a pretty good looking even color in one coat. You can use whatever red polish you like, I used Personal Shopper from Sephora by OPI and it was kind of a hassle because after the first nail I realized that the polish I had was old. Still a beautiful color though!

I let this dry for 10 minutes before applying the next polish.

 

 

On my ring fingers, I applied a blue color, and again, you can use whichever blue you like. This one takes two coats but is one of my all time favorites. I used Blue My Mind by OPI.

This polish dried for 10 minutes between each coat and before the next polish was applied.

 

This next step is where you can really get creative. You can draw stripes on your nails, stars, use nail stickers, etc.

I applied a chunky silver glitter polish. I love this because it adds some sparkle to the look and the big silver glitter represents stars on our flag! I used the Essie luxeffects nail polish in Set in Stones.

This dried for 10 minutes before applying the top coat.

 

As always, I finished up with a top coat. I used the OPI RapiDry Top Coat.

I let my nails dry for about 20 minutes before doing other things. Nail polish can take a few hours to COMPLETELY harden.

 

And there you have it-- super easy, cute July 4th nails!

Thanks so much for reading! :)

Have a fun and safe Independence Day!

 

 

 

 

 



Southern Shirt Company Salt Wash Tank & Company Review

I'm definitely glad to be adding a little more lifestyle and fashion to the blog today!

I don't know about where you live, but where I live it gets HOT in the summer. Because of this, I usually choose loose fitting, comfy clothes to stay cool and comfortable. Lucky for me (and you too) I have found a super cute and comfortable tank top! It's the Salt Wash Tank in Lavender from the Southern Shirt Company!

Sorry about the lack of a better picture.. I'm on vacation and hoping to get a better one soon!

The front pocket area and the back of the shirt both have the same emblem that says "The Southern Shirt Company" and has their cotton logo!

If you can't tell already, I am obsessed with this tank! It is SUPER soft and comfortable while still feeling durable and well-made.

This shirt is a gorgeous light lavender. The color is so unique, I have nothing else like it! It is very flattering and looks even better with a summer tan :)

The fit is definitely big and loose. Just in case you're wondering what size you need, I would definitely either choose your usual size or a size smaller (if you don't want it to be quite so big). I have a small and it fits pretty big on me, but that is one thing I love about it! It makes it very airy and comfy :)

This tank top retails for $24.

One thing I had to point out about this company is their exceptional customer service and attention to detail. If I order something and the order goes through smoothly, I will definitely be happy with the company, but the attention to detail is what will really draw me to order from a company again. First of all, the order was shipped very smoothly and they kept me completely updated on the status of my order with emails. This made it easy for me to know how my order was going and shows the attentiveness that the company has for its customers.

But what really got me was when my package came! They sent me two ADORABLE stickers for free! And not only that, but two stickers the same color as the shirt I ordered, which I thought was a really cute touch.



And not only this, but I was also impressed by what they wrote on my order receipt (or whatever you call it):

Small details? Yes, but to me these are the little things that show that a company truly appreciates their customers.

I am completely impressed with The Southern Shirt Company and their products, and I will definitely be purchasing from them again! Who doesn't love great quality products with exceptional customer service?

I highly suggest you order from this company! Check them out at www.southernshirtcompany.com. I am absolutely DYING for one of their jersey pullovers!!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this post! Thanks so much for reading! :)



 

 



How to Remove Gel Nail Polish-- Super Easy!

As I talked about in my last post, gel manicures are insanely popular right now! I got a gel manicure about a week ago and because of chipping, I took it off today (not going to talk about my feelings on gel polish too much in this post, if you want to read about my gel polish experience go here :)

Just so you know what I had to remove, this is what my gel manicure looked like after one week of wear:

 

Anyways, I don't know about the salons you go to, but at the salons in my town, they charge you when you get them to remove your gel polish, fake nails, etc. ($10!). After removing my own gel polish the first time I got a gel manicure and making some mistakes, and watching a nail tech remove someone else's gel manicure when I got my nails done this past time, I have figured out how to remove gel polish at home. It is easy, uses products you most likely already have (if not, they are easy to find), and removes the polish efficiently without killing your nails.

Here's what you'll need:

-Aluminum Foil

-Cotton Balls

-100% Pure Acetone

And yes I know that Acetone is not good for your nails, but it's the only way to get the stuff off and it's not like you will use it every day.

 

The first step is to cut your aluminum foil into five strips (I do one hand at a time). There is really no rhyme or reason to the shape of these strips as you will see in the picture, you basically just need them to be long and wide enough to cover your nails and wrap around your finger.

 

Next, soak your cotton ball in the acetone. It doesn't have to be dripping wet or anything, it just needs to have a little more than what you would normally use to remove polish. If you get too much its no big deal, getting too little on the cotton ball would be a problem.

After the cotton ball is properly soaked, place it on the nail. Grab one of your strips of aluminum foil and wrap it around the nail and then the excess around the finger. There really isn't a certain way to do this, you basically just want it to secure the cotton ball onto your nail and have the foil around your finger so that the cotton ball won't slip around.

This is helpful in two ways: for one, the foil creates heat around the nail which will help the polish come off easier. It also secures the cotton ball to the nail so that you can move around, walk around, mess with your computer, etc., and not have to worry about the cotton ball sliding off.

Do this to all five nails and you will end up looking like this:

 

Let this sit for about 15-20 minutes :) Some people claim that they don't need it to sit this long, but I have found that letting it sit this long makes it much easier to physically take off and prevents scraping that damages the nail (I learned that the first time I did this).

 

When taking off the foil, make sure you slowly drag the cotton ball across the nail while taking it off. When the cotton ball and foil are removed, your nail will either be completely free of polish or there will still be some left on the nail. If you have left the cotton on long enough and used pure acetone, you should be able to remove the leftover polish by either going over it with the cotton ball a time or two more (like how you usually remove nail polish) or by simply scraping at the leftover polish with your thumb nail. I hate to say "scrape" when talking about removing the excess polish because if this process is done right, the polish should come off by just lightly scraping at it with your thumb nail.

 

As weird of a picture as this is, this is what the cotton ball should look like after you remove your gel polish. You can see that the polish basically peeled away into the cotton ball.

 

This is what my nails looked like right after the polish was removed. They obviously need a little TLC, but they're not too bad!

After this there was some of what seems to be the base polish they used left on a couple of my nails that I couldn't seem to get off.

After this, I cut, filed, and buffed my nails and also nipped my cuticles (I hadn't buffed my nails or trimmed back my cuticles in a while so my nails needed it, but these steps aren't necessary. I would suggest at least lightly buffing your nails though). I also went ahead and did my usual at-home manicure routine, using my favorite strengthening base coat (NailTek 2 Intensive Therapy-- a review on this should be coming soon).

I hope this helps you out! I know that it may seem difficult after reading all this (I try to be very detailed) but it's really easy and fairly quick! If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thanks so much for reading :)