It's been a long time, but. here is some FUN NAIL POLISH IDEAS!

WOW, it's been almost 3 months since I last did a post! I've been doing a lot this summer and sort of put my beauty routine on the sideline. My first priority this summer has been my husband and children. Spending the summer enjoying the time we have together has been amazing. My second priority has been trying to lose the 30lbs, yes I said 30lbs, I gained since my December 2010 wedding which has been a huge struggle and I have just now only begun to lose some of the weight (I will do some updates on that subject later). Thirdly, I have been helping out my family accomplish some projects that need to be finished around our house. Re-siding the house, keeping up the lawn, keeping up the inside, etc. all adds up to a lot of time, but most of my time is spent watching my kids. I still teach two days a week at my parents' music studio so that has been a priority. And a big priority that I have had this summer is trying to become a happier, healthier person mentally, not just physically. I have been in a rut when it comes being depressed. With my weight issues, self-esteem issues, and the pressure of motherhood and providing for my family as much as I can on my back, it has all started to weigh me down till I have trouble getting up. But I am slowly getting better with the help of my husband and family. My husband is entering his last year as a History major at IUPUI and hopes to begin pursuing a career in Washington DC starting this winter so that gives me something to look forward to. But now on to beauty stuff.

One of the best things about summer is all the bright colors that come out to play. Bright pinks, oranges, yellows, purples, and blues are fabulous colors to use during the summer time. I am a black and white person, I try to stick with black and white clothing, but one way I add that splash of summer fun is through NAIL POLISH! I am in love with nail polish! Everything from neon pink to neon green, two-toned nails to mix-matched fingernails and toenails. Here are some of my favorite colors and styles that have been out this summer:

From Index to Pinky: China Glaze in Peachy Keen, Color Club in Coral Cascade, OPI in Back to the Beach Peach, Lippmann in Daytripper

Good Choice would be "Lindsey" by Zoya

Pink by Sinful Colors (available at Meijer)

Turquoise and Caicos by Essie

First apply a bright pink nail polish with no sparkle in it to your entire nail, let completely dry, take a heavy glitter polish in gold ( ) and wipe off excess, start at the nail bed and swipe the nail lightly all the way to the tip making it lighter at the tip

Apply a pink nail polish to the entire nail, let completely dry, use a piece of tape or french manicure strips to make line and fill tip in with white, take a tiny brush (as tiny as possible, get it at art store) and make white dots on the pink area and pink dots on the white area

Looks difficult but it's not! Get a set of French Tip Fake Nails. DON'T APPLY YET! Pick one of the nails to be decorated. Take a tiny paint brush and using black nail polish make the eyes and whiskers, then a yellow polish for the nose, then make a bow with a light pink polish. After it's completely dry, apply fake nails to nails. (If you are lucky to have long enough nails to not need fake ones, try doing it on just one finger on one hand)

Apply a bright yellow polish to the entire nail, let completely dry, using tape or french manicure strips make a line and fill in tip with a bright pink polish









A great idea is to not match your toenails to your fingernails but use, for instance, bright yellow on your toes and an equally as bright pink on your fingers. So there you have it! My favorite nail colors and ideas. I may be a stay-at-home mom who happens to be a hermit, but I do love making my nails pretty even if I am the only one who gets to see them! Colorful fingernails and toenails are always a great pick me up.

Get the "Summer Glow" without the Skin Damage and Wrinkles

I am a big advocate for saving your skin from the damage of UVA/UVB rays. In high school, I would fake-bake all the time, and yeah the tan looked great but I was giving myself pre-mature wrinkles, dark freckles, and sun spots, and putting myself at risk for skin cancer. Nowadays, I never go to a tanning booth, and I always were moisturizer with SPF15 on my face. So how do I get that sun-kissed glow without the damage, Self-tanner!!! Self-tanner has improved greatly over the past few years. In the past, the active ingredient in self-tanners, DHA (dihydroxyacetone), reacts adversely with the skin causing your skin to appear orange. This was due to using poor quality DHA. Today, most self-tanners use higher quality DHA, and have different varieties of shades for different skin types. Some of the best self-tanners can also be expensive, but here are a list of great expensive and inexpensive self-tanners:

1. St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse:
"This super-lightweight, easy-to-apply, velvety mousse delivers the ultra-even all-over tan you’ve always wanted. Infused with conditioning aloe vera and long-lasting color, you’ll have a perfectly natural looking, streak-free tan that dries in an instant. Our innovative Aromaguard™ fragrance technology eliminates the tell-tale self tan aroma by a minimum of 70% and instead gives a beautiful subtle, yet refreshing fragrance."

http://www.sttropeztan.com/self-tan-bronzing-mousse

This stuff works miracles! If applied correctly it gives you an amazing bronze color, without the orange hue. It's a little costly though, $30 for 4 fl oz. and $40 for 8fl oz., But It is well worth the money! Make sure you exfoliate with an exfoliating wash and a washcloth, loofahs tend to exfoliate unevenly, and put a light coat of water-based moisturizer on your ankles, knees, elbows, hands, and feet to keep them from absorbing too much color.


2. L'Oreal Sunless Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer, Medium Skin Tones

This is an inexpensive self-tanner and is a great choice if you apply sunless tanner only to your legs. If you are very fair-skinned, one application a week may be all the color you need.It contains mica, a natural mineral that provides a slight shimmer. The shine looks great on legs, not so great on the face. Available at drugstore and drugstore.com for $10.99; up to $13.00 retail.

3. Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel
This lightweight and non-oily gel creates a natural, golden tan for both your face and body. It absorbs instantly so you don't have to wait 10 minutes before you can put your clothes on, but the gels texture allows you to feel exactly where you placed it so you know if you missed a spot. Available at Sephora and www.sephora.com, 4.4oz for $33.                  





4. Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Tanner

The ultra-lightweight formula glides on evenly, dries quickly, and gives a radiant glow. With the hint of grapefruit and nectarine, it gives you a fresh sensation. Available at Walmart and drugstores, 4 fl.oz. for $9.99








5. Geurlain Terracotta Sunless Tinted Self-Tanning Gel

This gel provides a warm glow to your skin without streaking. It dries instantly leaving a hint of color. The formula is enriched with 100% Moroccan Argan Oil which helps hydrate, protect, and regenerate the skin for a smooth, flawless finish. Available at Sephora. 5.4 fl.oz. for $52.







6. Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion

This product provides moisturizer, a tan with no streaks, and the ability to control how much color you want. It has a dial on the top so you can regulate the amount of tanner comes out with the lotion. Available at Walmart and drugstores for $11.99.







7. St. Tropez Everyday Gradual Self-Tanning Mousse

This formula allows you to build your tan overtime. Apply it daily for the effect natural tanning. St.Tropez's formulas are infused wi+
th an innovated AromaguardTM technology that reduces the self-tanning aroma by 70%. Available at Sephora. 4 fl.oz for $30.







8. Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer

Much like the more expensive St.Tropez formula, this daily moisturizer allows to build a tan gradually. It comes in three shades for fair skin, medium, and medium/tan. Available at drugstores. 7.5 fl.oz. for $7.89.





9. Clarins Liquid Bronze Self-Tanner for the Face

This product is great for people with oily skin. It leaves the face with a bronzed glow without the greasiness. Available at Sephora. 4.2 fl.oz. for $33.








10. Victoria Secret Beach Sexy Tan Enhancing Shimmer Lotion with Tint

This isn't a self-tanner, but a lotion that boosts your tan and adds a little tint. Provides the benefit of a lotion along with skin perfecting shimmer, the bronze tint helps hide any imperfections caused by your self-tanner. Available at Victoria Secret, 7.6 oz for $12.







Remember that a self-tanner does NOT provide skin protection. Moisturize everyday and apply sunscreen often in order to prevent sun damage!

Having trouble lighting my makeup station for pictures and videos!

So I am trying to start making Makeup Tutorials for youtube and I am having a real difficult time with lighting. I try to take pictures of my eyes after I have done a new look and my eyelids come off all wrinkly and the colors are not popping out like they seem to do in the mirror. It is becoming very frustrating. Greg bought me this amazing HDCamcorder a month ago and we have a new Canon Powershot camera that we just got a few months ago, but I just can't get the lighting right! So aggravating. Anyone out there with some advice?

The Best Spring and Summer Perfumes

Ok, I'm up this early in the morning because I broke my toe last night and it's really painful so I thought what a better time to do a new post on the best perfumes for this spring and summer!!!!

I was at Sephora the other day and I love perfumes & the gorgeous bottles they come. I was sampling all of them on the little paper sticks they have. So here is my picks for the best perfumes for spring and summer.

 "Couture Couture by Juicy Couture": I fell in love with this! First you get the smell of a mixture of succulent pink grape with a mixture of orange flower and mandarin. Then blushed plum, honeysuckle, and bold star jasmine come into play. Finally, it's base consists of creamy sandalwood with moist amber and rick vanilla. The combination of all these smells just scream spring fun and party time. It isn't too heavy but when you put it on all you want to do is go out for a night on the town! $67 for 1.7oz

"Hello Kitty Hello Kitty Fragrance": This is a very sweet perfume that combines Cassis Sorbet, Italian Mandarin, Apple, Magnolia Blossom, Freesia, Orange Flower, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, and Musk. It is a very makes any girl feel sweet and pretty. $55 for 1.7oz

"Very Hollywood Sparkling Eau de Toilette by Michael Kors": This is definitely a perfume for a girl who loves the sense of Hollywood Drama. If you want to be the "it girl" this is a perfume for you. You get the combination of black currant, neroli, and mandarin. It is a very bold fragrance definitely for a night out clubbing with the girls! $40 for 1oz

 

 

 

"Armani Code Pour Femme by Giorgio Armani": I fell in love with the perfume when I smelled a sample in Glamour magazine. First of all it caught my eye because the incredibly gorgeous Megan Fox is modeling the perfume, and second of all it made me feel sexy like something I would wear to seduce my man. It is rich in Blood Orange, Ginger, Pear Sorbet, Sambac Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Seringa Flower, Lavender Honey, Precious Woods Complex, and Vanilla. The smell is so fresh and feminine. I can't wait to purchase this one!!!! $65 for 1.7oz

 

 

" Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style Baby": For a lighter perfume that is more day time appropriate I love this one. Inspired by the Harajuku shoping district in Tokyo this scent is features white peach, pink plumeria, and glowing amber. Baby is part of the limited-edition Wicked Style fragrance collection that features deliciously fun scents in bottles that take cues from the obsessive Japanese fashion that Gwen Stefani introduced to America. It is a perfume that makes you feel cute with it's vanilla and floral scent. $45 for 1oz

These are definitely my top picks for perfumes right now. Some of them have been out on the market for a while, but I love them and better yet, my husband loves them. 

After I went to Sephora I went over to TJ Maxx and they have a whole aisle dedicated to perfumes. I found Juicy Couture perfumes, Vera Wang perfumes, Calvin Klein perfumes, and many others for prices as low as $15!!! I'm going back for the Juicy Couture one later today! Hopefully it's still there cause there was only 2 bottles when I left. 

Much love and sweet smells! ~Dani

Review of the Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System

So I have been dying to get this little dohickey called the Derm New Facial Rejuvenation System forever! But it's $80, and I could never seem to part with that kind of money for it. This is what the website says...

Description

Polishes and refines with perfectly sized naturally mined Corundum Crystals and added antioxidants.

• Gentle, thorough skin resurfacer for sensitive to normal skin types
• Polishes and refines
• Diminishes wrinkles, fine lines and pores size
• Decreases visible signs of aging and sun damage
• Reveals healthy new skin with a radiant glow

Recommended Use

• Attach the Teardorp Foam Applicator to the Dual Action Resurfacing Tool. Apply Sensitive Formula Microdermabrasion Creme onto the Foam Applicator.
• Dot onto clean, dry skin. Using upward circular motions and gentle pressure, massage the creme into the skin for approximately 1-2 minutes (2-3 times per week)
• Rinse off the remaining Crystal residue with warm water. 

 

I have been putting off getting it for over 5 months now! But as I was just about to give in due to a mad case of breakouts lately, Olay came out with the new Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System.  It is professionally and clinically designed to cleanse 6x better than using a face wash. It has proven to be just as effective as the $200 cleansing systems. And guess what! 

IT'S ONLY $30!!!!!! (I happened to get mine at Target while they were doing a promotion of buy the system + one other Olay ProX product, which I got replacement scrubbers for $9.99, and get a $10 Target Gift Card. So basically I got replacement scrubbers for free!) It comes with a small tube of the face wash you use with it, which isn't very big but you need only about a dime size of the stuff.

IT IS AMAZING!!!!! I had several areas on my face that had some breakouts, and just after one use they looked a million times better! All you do is apply a dime size amount of the face wash all over your damp face (avoiding the eyes), turn on the wand which has 2 speeds, and for about 60-90 seconds move the wand all over your face! And oh my can we say relaxing! It felt amazing, not harsh. I had already washed the makeup off my face with makeup remover before I did it, but the amount of gunk it pulled out of my skin after I had already cleaned it was disgusting. I thought the remover had gotten everything, but the ProX brush was still showing signs of makeup. Now, after a week of using everyday before bed, my face looks AWESOME! It's so much smoother, and I have this awful dark splotch on my chin near the left side of my lip and it's already lightening up! My makeup glides on so smoothly now with how clean my face it (I hate using foundation primers to get smooth skin before makeup application cause I always seem to breakout from them clogging up my pores so the ProX helped eliminate that reason for using a makeup primer). It is also supposed to help fight aging which really hope it lives up to that because I am deathly scared of aging! The thought of my face sagging and full of wrinkles makes me shutter. The only downside I can see is if you use a self-tanner on your face. The scrubbing action will scrub the tanner right off. So use a self-tanner (love St. Tropez) on your body and then apply a daily bronzer on your face along with your makeup. 

So there is my review of the Olay ProX Advanced Cleansing System! I give it an A+, 5 STARS!!!!!!!

It is definitely a MUST in my book!!!!!

~Love~ Dani

April Musts!

I love Spring! Things are starting to get more colorful outside, a little warmer too, but unfortunately I live in Indiana where it likes to rain and be random with the temperature, so my kids and I sit inside and watch "SpongeBob Squarepants" all day and playing with cars and dollies. But when I do get a free moment to myself I have been getting some things that have been bringing some "life" back into this rainy April weather.


First off I got this amazing ring! I normally don't wear giant rings but I saw this one and I loved it and it was the last one so I snatched it up!

I also get these gorgeous earrings! Which look small but are actually huge on my ears.

Then I am in love with nail polish right now so I have been scooping it up left and right. My collection is outgrowing my little bin I have it all in so I am going to have to get a wall rack to organize it all. Anyway I got these plus several others but these are my favorites. I love these Insta-Dry by Sally Hanson. They dry so quickly and last forever. They are great with my 2 yr-old daughter because she loves nail polish but won't wait for it to dry. She loves the bubble gum pink one called "Fuchsia Flare". I love this silver color called "Silver Sweep", and the baby pink color is called "Beige Blast". It is really pigmented and it lasted for more than 5 days when I used a basecoat under it.

This gold color by Nicole by OPI is the perfect shade of Antique Gold. I got it at Walmart and it's called "The Next CEO".Then I was at ULTA and they had this buy two get two free deal. So I went crazy. I bought a whole bunch of colors, but what I really love are the X-Dry, Clear/Topcoat, and Basecoat. They really help the polish last a long time and doesn't cost a fortune.

Next I got this Nail Enamel Dryer by DeMert which they carry at ULTA but I got it at Meijers for around $2.50. A lot of nail salons have it at their dry stations for people who need a quick dry session. Just let your polish sit for a 1-2 minutes, spray on your nails and your good to go. It works even better with the Insta-Dry Polish!

Now I haven't tried this yet, but because I am a larger girl I use more product than most so I can't afford the more expensive self-tanners like St. Tropez all the time. So when I was at ULTA I asked if they had any recommendations and they said they had a lot of girls buying this product. Now of course they are going to promote their own brand but I trusted the girl because it was only $10 versus $40. So we shall see.

This has been out for quite a while with MAC but I just got it and it is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. It is GORGEOUS! It leaves this beautiful glow to your skin. It's definitely my favorite product by far from MAC so far.

Next I got this pigment by MAC called Violet cause I love working with purples. So I thought I would give the pigments a try and start with colors I am most familiar with working with.

 I also got these eyeshadows while at MAC. Top Row is Retrospeck, Goldmine, All That Glitters, and bottom row is Twinks, Mulch, and Silver Ring. Silver Ring looks amazing along with Knight Divine.

I have been working on making my own makeup brush cleaning solution because for 2 fl. oz. bottle it costs almost $10 and if you clean them off everyday like you should that will last you maybe 2 weeks. So I made my own which I will do another post on later how to do it for really cheap, it produces a lot of solution, and works extremely well.

I saw the movie and thought it was incredible so I'm starting the book "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. And my kids were being naughty and going through my sister's room and brought me one of her candles (Sorry Courtney!). I smelled it and it was heaven! I didn't use it so don't worry Court, but I am definitely going to go get me one from Bath and Body Works and it's called "Sparkling Mojito".

My lovely husband bought me this awesome HD Camcorder so we can start recording memories of our kids and I can start making youtube videos. I'm still working on figuring out how to use it but I hope to start getting videos up next month.

Finally, I have started a workout regimen. So on those rainy days the best thing is my treadmill and my Brooks running shoes.








So there you have it. My April Musts! I can't wait to see what May brings. My husband gets out of school and starts summer semester. We will have a little more time as a family, YAY! But until then we just keep on going.
~LOVE~ Dani

You Don't Need a Ton of Makeup to be a Makeup Guru!

So I started this post at 4am Monday morning and because I couldn't sleep so what better time to write a post. I have been watching a lot of youtube makeup "Gurus" lately to get some ideas on what I should start making tutorials on and the one thing I have noticed is each one eventually does a "makeup collection/organization" video. You wouldn't believe the amount of makeup some of these girls have. Yes, some of them are makeup artists for a living, but they still have an awful lot of "personal" makeup. I'm going to tell you girls I don't have a ton of makeup. As of right now I have this container that I keep the makeup that I use most often from Target, its 14" L x 10" W x 6" H and that is it. I'm slowly growing my collection, but makeup has a lifespan. Some of these girls have so much makeup there is no way they could possibly use it all by it's expiration (the expiration date starts after you open it, so if it is still sealed, if should be fine).

Makeup Lifespan:
Mascara: 3 months
Foundation: 1 year
Concealer: 12-18 months
Powder: 18 months
Blush/Bronzer: 18 months
Cream Blush: 12-18 months
Eyeshadow: 18 months
Eyeliner: 18 months
Liquid Eyeliner: 6 months
Lip stick/lip gloss: 12-18 months
Lip liner: 1 year
Nail Polish: 1 year
Makeup Sponges: Wash after every use/discard after 1 month
Makeup Brushes: Wash after every use/discard when frayed

If you don't follow this time-line you run the risk of developing eye infections, and face blemishes. Here are some links to some girls' makeup collections that are out of this world but impossible to keep up with.. this is Ramnari7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6NXrN4aSAc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxa1lbYQsqA&playnext=1&list=PL52CCF3E3287A3E8F
This girl has WAY TOO MUCH MAKEUP even for someone who is trying to become a makeup artist. The key to being a good makeup artist is being able to take what you have to work with and turning it into something beautiful, you don't need an entire room full of makeup to do so.

AllThatGlitters21:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crJD-NYTPGA&feature=related
Even though I am not a fan of her attitude, this girl has a little more manageable collection.

JuicyStar07:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MrZ8OtSis4&feature=fvwrel
Again this is a smaller more manageable collection, great for doing youtube tutorials, but a lot of money invested.

But this girl is one of my favorite. She is very classy. Has good ideas, and variety of makeup but isn't ridiculous! It's MakeupByTiffanyD and here is two of her makeup collection/storage videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exl4oEM_lMs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/user/MakeupByTiffanyD#p/u/47/D2Sw7x0x2FA

So here is what I have to offer...not much, but I can do A LOT with what I got!!!!

Crown Brush Set (made right here, in Crown Point, Indiana!), a Bare Essentials Bare Minerals Face Brush, and a Sonia Kashuk Stippling Brush

My Blue/Green MAC Palette

Top Row:Freshwater, Aquadisiac, Bitter

Middle Row: Atlantic Blue, Deep Truth, Tilt, Swimming

Bottom Row: Contrast, and Humid

My Neutral/Purple MAC Palette

Top Row: Quarry, Blanc Type, Naked Lunch, Hush (I LOVE THIS ONE!), Beautiful Iris

Middle Row: Scene, Goldmine, Parfait Amour

Bottom Row: Carbon, Knight Divine, Shadowy Lady, Nocturnelle

My Blush MAC Palette

Blunt (great non-shimmer bronzer), Fleur Power, Dollymix

So there you have it. I have some other "junk" in a box upstairs in my room. I keep this downstairs in my kids playroom so they can play while I do my makeup at the desk. I'm trying to build my collection, but good quality makeup is expensive so it will happen as it happens
~LOVE~ Dani