Hope you all are having a happy holiday! For the week of Christmas I decided to go all out and do a personal favorite festive nail. I did this a few years ago because I saw Lauren Conrad post a Christmas light nail tutorial and I thought that looks fab!! However her tutorial involves thread, which I wasn't interested in using because it would be a disaster. I decided to just use Sharpie to draw the line and then because I was missing a good green polish for the green lights, I decided on using more sharpies to complete the look! Thus the easy Cristina method was created!
Sorry for the post being so late! I got called into work early and was then asked to be kept on call - not complaining though because #cashmonies and I glove my job!
Okay, nail time!
So today's post is written by me, Cristina, instead of Sabrina because I just got the Ciatè Candy Cane House from my work Secret Santa. Obviously I HAD to paint my nails with one of the four beautiful and SCENTED glitter polishes right away!
I was checking out swatches on Google and not many people have tried these puppies out, so I just Googled some Christmas glitter polish ideas and a similar look came up (that look also had specks of red glitter). Shortly after I looked down at my PJ pants and I saw that they had a similar color scheme! Thus the idea was a-go!
Today's post is another subtle approach to festive nails that would work during any time of year. Metallic finishes are quite a popular nail polish trend at the moment, so I've selected a gold shade and given it some interest with white polka dots.
Having been buried by schoolwork and as a result, a bad blogger, December will see two posts a week! The first will be every Monday and will serve as some easy nail inspo for the holidays. The second post will come every Friday and will be more of the usual posts found on the blog (get excited for an autumn/winter lip product party the first Friday of the month). *WARNING: Cheesy photos ahead*
I am a firm believer in rewarding yourself for good grades during midterms and finals. Each semester, I tell myself I can remove items from the Sephora wishlist I've been accumulating if I'm doing well and earning A's. This semester has been the most difficult and stressful so far, so I felt I was allowed to indulge an extra bit and rewarded myself with the Stila Eyes are the Window Shadow Palette in Spirit.
Hello, October! There are only 65 days until Christmas, can you believe it?? I get excited with each new bag because I'm just waiting to see what cute things Ipsy do for the holidays. That aside, this month's bag is so cool! I love the texture and the pattern is very chic and simple. I'm also obsessed with the color. It will def. be easy to locate inside my handbag! Let's get straigt to the products now, shall we?
I'm just going to go out and say that my skin has been having a rough time lately. A lot of factors have contributed to this: seasonal change, hormones and primarily the fact that I'm working 30 hours a week during the most stressful semester of my academic life thusfar. My skin is doing this weird thing where I keep getting spots in the same places and rather than apply something to my entire face and risk ruining the nice skin I do have, I thought using an acne spot treatment over the affected areas would be a good idea and my skin is thanking me for it.
First of all, I have combination sensitive skin, so most things either worsen a situation or don't work at all. Like I mentioned, I have had several spots lately, mostly concentrated on my left cheek with a few on my forehead. Now, it has to be noted that this is a tiny bottle. That being said, you can certainly stretch its contents to last you three or four months with pretty bad breakouts. I bought this bottle at the end of August and am left with just over 1/4 of the bottle, so I should be good until December. I use this five or six days a week (morning and night when things are really bad) and apply directly to my spots.
After the initial application, everything comes to the surface (soz I know it's gross) and within a day or two, I'm left with a dry patch, easily scrubed off with a gentle facial scrub, and then there's nothing. I usually apply again for precaution and that area remains clear. My skin, with the exception of three lurkers, has never looked better! This is my fist experience with Origins and I am so pleased. I've used acne spot treatments from drugstore and highend brands that burn my face every time I use them (there is only slight tingling at first with Origins and again only if on sore spots) or they leave my face totally dry and disgusting. Origins has only left me a few dry patches on the bigger spots and like I mentioned, they are easily scrubbed away. I've never been so pleased with an acne product and I'm definitely interested in trying the rest of the range as it hasn't harmed my skin and works quickly with great results.
Have you used this or other Origins products? Let me know so I can expand my collection. I'm really interested in an acne scar removal and a hydrating cream.
It's Ipsy time! When I saw this month's preview online, I was so excited to finally receive a brush a deep red nail polish! I have to say this time Ipsy really gave me what I've been waiting for I mean, the bag alone is so cool and such a good size.
If you own makeup brushes, you know the struggle of forcing yourself to clean them once a week (ish). I had makeup brushes for three years before I ever thought about cleaning them (don't judge me) because I didn't know how to go about doing so. Last year, my collection grew, as did my beauty blogger research. Like with many things in the beauty world, there were so many different ways to clean brushes and it was all a bit overwheming and expensive. I wanted to find a simpler method that was budget-friendly. I had been using regular antibacterial hand soap until I found something better when I thought about using dish soap.
Beauty blogging is a special thing because within the community, one person's rave of a product makes its way around the blogosphere and before you know it, a hyped-up product has been born and everyone wants to get their hands on it. I don't believe there's such a thing as "copying" within the beauty blogger world, despite that so many of my fave beauty gals use the same products. The repitition serves as a sign that the product is phenom and I HAVE to have it (usually). As I see so many of the same products put to use and raved about, I always feel confident about my purchases and rarely ever buy something without researching blogs and watching YouTube videos to form an opinion of the product. My go-to-gal for all things beauty is the one and only Estée (or EssieButton). Estée and I have a similar taste, and most of the time I love everything she's raved about and I've tried. Below is a round up of my #essiebuttonmademedoit purchases, each with a mini review. It took everything in my power to not adopt a greyhound and include him in the post, but I can't make any promises for the future. Also, this is a long one but you get so many products reviewed!
August is one of my favorite months because a lot of fun things tend to happen (One Direction concerts two Augusts in a row!), I'm usually reunited with my cousins and with friends who are visiting from college, and it means we're thisclose to autumn and more importantly, the pumpkin spice latte is upon us! Unfortunately, August also means returning to school and while I used to love the anticipation that comes along with it, 1000 pages of reading in the first week basically kills any desire I've ever had to continue my education (and is to blame for my sparse blog posts, soz). Ramble aside, let's get on to my first monthly faves blog post, shall we?
Last Sunday my family celebrated my mother's 50th birthday by having brunch at the Double Eagle in Mesilla, NM. The Double Eagle is a hotel converted into a restaurant, rumoured to be haunted. As one who is easily terrified, I would normally stay away from this restaurant, however the food is sooOoo good and it's a really fun place to visit with family or friends.
If you've done your rounds within the beauty blogosphere (oh, technical terms), you will know the popularity of the NUXE Rêve de Miel lip balm. After doing research and hearing EssieButton (shock horror) sing its praises for well over a year now, I decided to splurge and give it a go. I bought my Rêve de Miel from Birchbox about two months ago when I redeemed my points for the Balm's How 'Bout Them Apples Lip and Cheek Creme. Obviously I had high expectations and even higher hopes as my lips have been suffering from severe dehydration. Initially, saying I was disappointed is an understatement as I wore the lip balm week after week every night before bed, expecting to wake up with the perfect pout when I just woke up with what appeared to be the same lip situation as before. Not one to let a $20 lip balm go to waste, I continued to use it with the intention of finishing the tub of product.
From L to R: Fresh Paint in Lollipop Hammer, Essie in Bikini So Teeny, Sally Hansen Sheer Ecstasy, Fresh Pain in Guava, Sephora Caffeine Fix and OPI Follow Me on Glitter.
My personal love is nail polish! If I could own all of the nail polishes in the world my life would be complete but sadly I can't own them all...yet. With summer in full swing, I finally decided which colors were my favorite for this season. Some colors were hands down perfect for summer and others I really had to think whether or not they were good enough. After rambling on, here are my top 5 summer nail polish picks!
After the disappointments from my May beauty subscriptions, it's a wonder I didn't opt out for June. My March and April beauty subscritptions were two pretty good introductions into the world of monthly samples, but last month wasn't anything to be excited about. I mostly received sunscreen with a few bits for hair and some bb creams/tinted moisturisers. As sunscreen's #1 fan, I was actually excited for that, but the hair products and bb creams just weren't anything I wanted, so I wound up giving most of them away to my mother or cousins. I was really unimpressed with Ipsy and Birchbox.
Anyway, this month Ipsy stepped up their game and I remembered why I loved them so much. Birchbox unfortunately failed to impress once again and I actually wound up cancelling my subscription. Below are the items I received with a few reviews on what I've been using so far.
As we are all well aware of summer is in full swing and now is the time to go on vacation. To follow the norm of summer vacationing I went on vacation with my family to Cancun, Mexico to explore it for the first time! After I finished packing everything in my closest, because I can never decided what I want to take, I moved on to a harder task: what to take in my makeup bag? After the basics I needed something extra for days when we had dinner reservations at the resort restaurants and had to look presentable. Of course I went over board with what I packed in my makeup bag and packed two bags filled to the brim!Thus the point of this blog is to give you some suggestions for your makeup travel bag!
When it comes to makeup, blush and bronzer fall behind on my list of products I lust over because applying colour to that large an area of skin is terrifying. I typically stay away from bronzers and have been using the same blush for six years. I use the Covergirl Cheekers blush and it might be in the shade Pretty Peach? It's peach something. Anyway, I received my first Birchbox subscription a couple months ago and one of the items was a mini sample of The Balm's How 'Bout Them Apples? Lip and Cheek Stain in Apple Pie. Weary of cream blushes after I tried the Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Coral Reef last year and looked like an actual clown, I approached this sample with extreme caution. I was also afraid I would break out with a cream blush, but my cheek area has remained blemish-free. I dabbed my fingers into the product and onto my cheeks and lightly patted it in, working from a light coverage to a really flattering glowy look. At that moment, I knew I no longer had to fear cream blushes and became obsessed, wearing it nearly every day the past three months.
Left to right: Topshop Infrared, Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in 109, Revlon ColorBurst Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart Valentine, Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Rosé and Tanya Burr Cosmetics in Aurora and Vampire Kiss
Summer is in full swing and for me, the most exciting bit of this hot weather is altering my makeup routine. I'm not one to limit certain shades and finishes to specific seasons, but I do tend to reach for the brighter shades and a lot more pastels in the spring and summer. That being said, I've been reaching for the following lippies quite a bit so I think it only right to share my top five lippies for summer! *Fair warning - I attempted to be a little more creative at the end and not just post the standard pictures here and I'm not quite sure I love how they turned out, as in they're quite weird. A little weird. Maybe just different.*
Shakespeare once said, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Now, I'm 1,000% sure he was musing about lipstick and not just any lipstick the lipstick - MAC's Plumful. Okay, he was probs actually just proclaiming his love to a person, but why can't that love be transferred to the most perfect lipstick of all time? After hearing Estée from EssieButton talk about it for so long on her YouTube channel and mention it in her blog, I decided to treat myself and finally bought it on my 22nd birthday a month ago. Like the beauty product addict I am, I applied it the second I got in my car and was so shocked by how different and darker it appeared away from the MAC lighting! Boy was it stunning!
As you can tell by looking at the lipstick and from its name, Plumful is a plum-based color that is more mauve and natural, not so dark and vampy. It has that pink undertone to it that really sets it apart from most plums, but it's so subtle that it doesn't belong in the pink family. If you read our previous top 5 lippies for spring post, you will know I don't wear true nudes as they don't look good on me. Instead, I prefer the "my lips but better" look so that my lips still appear natural, but have that little oomph. I love Plumful because it is a definitely my kind of natural, but it still gives me the color I crave.
After watching a couple videos on the L'Oreal range of at-home ombré kits, Cristina decided to take the plunge and dye her hair! She didn't want to damage her roots and dye all of her hair because she wanted to retain as much of her natural color as possible, so she opted for an ombré look. To the left is a photo of Cristina right before she was going to dye her hair. Her natural hair color is a very dark brown.
Using the L'Oreal Paris Preference Ombré Touch in light blonde to light brown, C prepped all of the products and began to apply the dye by covering the small brush that came in the box with the dye and combed it through her hair in small sections. The brush fits on your pointer finger, so it can only handle small sections. Cristina said it wasn't the best method of application because the brush was so small and because it took a long time to apply. By the end of it, her hair didn't have a lot of dye in it, so her hair was only slightly colored. C's hair had subtle highlights along the bottom rather than the ombré affect she was going for.
I ombréd my hair three summers ago with box of blonde hair dye and by using my fingers to attempt to gradually lighten my hair. It didn't work and I basically had a straight line of orange-y yellow running along the bottom 3/4 of my hair. After keeping that look for two months, I dyed my hair dark brown and chopped off the majority of the ombréd section, leaving the ends light, which I really loved. As my hair grew out, the dark brown color faded and turned into a redder brown and created a natural ombré effect with red and blonde at the ends. three years later, I hadn't touched my hair since, but the ends still had blonde in them from the leftover dark brown color that had faded. I wanted to bring back some lightness to the ends.
Here is a photo of my hair right before I dyed it. My hair isn't this light in real life, I think the lighting just altered it a bit. However, in this photo you can see bits of lighter, blonder hair just at the tips.
Sorry for the wait of Part 2 my Final Cut disappeared from my purchases and I don't know how to get it back. So I had to get use to IMovie which is different and takes FOREVER to put videos in your library. Anyways here is our video (up above) and what we think of the products now down below!
The time has come to end our Little Mix 'Move' music video makeup tutorial with the naturally beautiful Leigh-Anne Pinnock!
This look is very natural and really works to subtly define the eyes and bring a pop of color to the lips - so versatile! I think this is the perfect look for somebody who is either new to makeup or who likes the more natural look. Also, this is a great way to introduce yourself to bold lips (you can of course opt for a less potent shade if this one is too bright). Read on for product details and scroll to the bottom for the video link!
Three words every beauty product addict loves: beauty box subscriptions. Yes, I finally signed up for the Netflix of the beauty world with Birchbox and the Ipsy Glam Bag and the experience has been equal parts interesting, frustrating and fun.
Week three of #lippymonth is here and it's all about the lippy I've been sporting A LOT so far this spring. For some reason, I've been really into glosses and lip products that give that juicy look, which is strange for me as I am a total matte lipstick lover. Maybe it's the weather or maybe it's the fact that some totally amazing products have been coming out lately, I don't know! Anyway, here are my top 5 lip products for spring:
Hi friends, so I know you want an amazing blog post like Sabrina did for the Perrie tutorial, but I do not have the time because college is getting crazy (27 more days though!!!). So i'm just going to list the products I used to create this look and direct you to the YouTube video we made on Neversmores below :)
Week two of Lippy Month is running a bit late, but at least I'm caught up on my school work!
From L to R: Breathtaking Apricot, Blush Essence, Rose Redefined, Mauve Mystique and Vision in Violet
It's no secret that I am a lipstick girl, but I don't think of it as cheating when I say I'm totes obsessed with Maybelline's Color Elixirs. Yes, they're technically lip glosses and yes, I really can't stand the look and feel of lip gloss (think sticky, shiny, ick), but these are different. Maybelline says they provide the color of a lipstick with the hydration of a lip balm and the appearance of a lip gloss. That being said, you really can't blame me for loving these glosses because they're practically lipsticks. Sort of.
From left to right: 24 Carrot Gold, Cherry Bomb, Don't Blink Pink, Purty Persimmon and Ravin' Raisin
Hello lovelies! We have dubbed April lippy month! Check back every week for a new post on lip products, all geared toward spring! Here is our first post from C:
So it was my mom's birthday the other day and we went out to eat at a nice restaurant so I attempted to dress as nicely as possible with what I had in my closet. I also as you can see put an effort in doing my makeup to seem more sophisticated!
As a total mascara addict, it's no surprise I hoard the occasional three, four or five mascaras at a time. At the moment, I have been testing one formula from MAC called False Lashes and another from Maybelline called Volum' Express the Falsies.
Hello! It's that wonderful time of the year again - Oscar night! Hollywood glamour comes out in full force one night each year to celebrate films. That being said, it's no surprise the fashion is always fierce. For the past few years, I have taken to dressing up a bit, curling my hair and popping on some bold lippy to bring some of that red carpet style to my living room. This year, I thought I would take an extra step and bring some style to my nails. After studying the trends of this season's previous awards shows (Golden Globes, Grammys, etc.) and drooling over Rachel Zoe's fitting room Instagram pics, metallics and sparkle are obviously key players for tonight's award show. Keeping that in mind, I selected two polishes to translate the look onto my nails.
Hello! While I was in London, I couldn't resist picking up a few products I had been hearing about for some time, but had been unable to get my hands on since most of them were only available in the UK. Cristina asked me to make a few cheeky purchases for her literally four days before I left, so I made some recommendations and she placed her order! Here is the first part of our London Haul.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
Shade: Soft Beige
After all the beauty blogger love surrounding this foundation, I was most looking forward to purchasing and using this product. My first impression was that the illuminating factors were very prominent. The foundation went on smoothly and it was quite light-medium coverage. I loved it for all of five days before I noticed it started to break me out. I continued to use it until I realized the illuminating factor highlighted every flaw and blemish. It’s great for skin that is clear and perhaps on the drier side, but for oily or problematic skin, I would suggest steering clear. It does well at brightening dull skin, so it’s a great option if used every once in a while and for occasions when you are trying to achieve that bright, glowy look.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
Shade: Beige clair
After the disappointment from Rimmel’s Wake Me Up Foundation, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best from Bourjois and I was not disappointed! The foundation was good for my skin as it was more medium-full coverage, which I needed after the Rimmel break outs, and it was so smooth. Healthy Mix also boasts a brightening factor and while it is less subtle than Wake Me Up, it is definitely noticeable. The packaging is so nice for a drugstore product and I especially love the pump. The only problem I had with this product was purchasing it in a dark shade that fit my skin tone at the time, but the more time I spent in London, the lighter my skin became, so I either had to blend it really well or mix it with a lighter foundation.
Soap and Glory Lid Stuff
Off the Wall Flowers: Sugar Violet, Minky, Wild Blue, Dandy Plum
I purchased this palette because I needed some purple eye shadows to compliment my brown eyes and this was on special. The palette has three shimmery shades – Minky, Wild Blue and Dandy Plum – and one matte shade – Sugar Violet. I typically wear the Sugar Violet all over my lid with Minky in the inner corners and Dandy Plum in the crease. I do not anticipate using Wild Blue, but it is a pretty color. This palette is so nice because it’s a step out of my usual pinks, nudes and browns. Minky is my favorite because it’s such a good balance of gold and champagne, and coupled with the purple shadows, the three work really nicely together.
Mac False Lashes Mascara
False Black
I have never had much interest in a MAC mascara as I have always found really great cheaper alternatives but when I received this mascara in my gift bag at the British Fashion Awards, I was excited to see what MAC had to offer. Sadly, I have yet to feel any excitement since my first application. I'm not sure why, but this mascara burns my eyes, causing them to water and ruin all of my makeup as tears fall down my face. Aside from that, my lashes look great for all of two minutes before they start to fall straight and decide to clump together. There is absolutely no hint of volume or length with this mascara, so I am really disappointed. All I can say is I'm glad it was free and I didn't drop £20+ on it.
Maybelline Color Tattoo Pomegranate Punk
I can't express how much I love this eye shadow! This is literally such an easy product to apply and it does so much at the drugstore price! Why doesn't this come in more shades? Probs because I would be broke and a color tattoo hoarder. Honestly though, this is a great product in that it yields amazing results that look like you really took your time to get the contoured and blended effect when all you actually did is swipe it on your eye and swirl it around. It's so easy to clean up and soften and the intensity of the color blends the more you apply it. I had been stalking the Boots on High Street Kensington for two two months before I finally found it in stock and unopened and it was totally worth the wait. Not only is the product swoon-worthy but the color! Omg best purple/pink I could ever hope to find.
Maybelline Color Tattoo
Inked in Pink
When Sabrina came back to London she told me about the Color Tattoo that she got over there so we went to Target and I got Inked in Pink since Pomegranate Punk was not in stock. When we got back from Target, I tried it on and immediately fell in love with the color, which is a nice soft pink with a hint of silver. When I applied to my whole lid I noticed that it looked like I had spent hours contouring my eye shadow but obviously I didn't apply anything else but the single product. I recommend this product to anyone who wants their eye shadow to look extravagant but without taking a long time to do so. All you have to do is apply and you are done.
Maybelline Mega Plush
Very Black
Sabrina had first got this product while in London and when she came back she recommended it to me. I got the product and was a little skeptical because of the flexible wand, I thought it would not give me the large amount of mascara I like. When I first applied it was a lot different than applying my normal mascara that had a stable wand, so I got a lot of mascara on my eyelids. Looking past the mess on my eyelids I was very impressed with the mascara. It gave me longer and volumized lashes and after much practice, I finally got used to applying the product with the flexible brush. I would recommend this product because of its great powers on making your lashes look amazing, but with warning if you are used to a stable brush.
Collection 2000 Super Size
Black 1
This product I received for free because I spent a certain amount of pounds in Collection 2000 products. My thoughts on the mascara are that it does a good job for an everyday eyelash look where you can make it look natural or build it up but not over do it. I think it has the same quality as my favorite everyday mascara Maybelline Great Lash Big, therefore I'll be using it after my Maybelline one runs out. Overall if you are just starting and want a basic mascara Collection 2000 Super Size is for you.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
Shade: 230 Very Fair/Light
While in London one of Sabrina's first drug store makeup purchases was this concealer because all of the British YouTubers raved about how it was a good concealer and it really "woke up the skin." So Sabrina tried out this product first and said she had liked it for under her eyes, but not for her blemishes because the light shimmer in the product brought attention to them. With this in mind, I decided to try it out also but only for beneath my eyes. When I first applied it and blended it in my first thoughts of the product were that it was very moisturizing and very blendable. Once everything was blended in, I immediately noticed a difference in my under eyes and I looked more awake. Therefore, if you need a good under eye concealer, Rimmel Wake Me Up should be your next purchase!
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
Shade: Medium 3
One of the products that I knew I needed to purchase online from Boots was this concealer. I can't think of one British YouTuber that does not love this product so I bought two of them to hopefully last until I find someone else to get me more of the product. Once Sabrina came back from London I immediately got the product and opened it up to see what I had been missing out on. As I put on the concealer I thought it was a bit drier than my foundation I use to conceal my blemishes, thus meaning you have to really work the product into your skin. After I blended it in, I looked into the mirror to see the beautiful work of the concealer, The product made my blemishes and dark spots disappear. Now I don't use my foundation as a concealer and I apply a moisturizer onto my face then I apply the concealer where it needs to be applied, making the application a lot easier. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who can get their hand on it as it is my number one concealer.
Thanks!
- C + S
Be Sure to Watch Part 1 of the London Haul right here! <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11762603/?claim=hj9wggvfatc">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Before I get into the review I would like to state that I've never owned or used a real bronzer before. My makeshift bronzer was a darker face powder I had and this worked okay but it would give my face an orange tint which was not cute. Now to present time, literally days before Sabrina came back home from London, I asked her if I could order a few things online from Boots. She gave me the okay and I was off looking for all the beauty products the British YouTubers rave about. Two products that I was interested in but not fully committed to were the Bourjois bronzers. After much consideration, I decided to buy them since I didn't own any bronzers and why not start my collection with ones that apparently smell delicious.
From left to right: NYC Color in the Park Ave, Essie in Skirting the Issue, Sally Hansen in Sheer Ecstasy, OPI in Vant to Bite My Neck and Urban Outfitters in Blue Velvet
During the winter, actually every season, I enjoy wearing darker colors on my nails with the occasional appearance by a lighter shade. When I paint my nails I don't think of the outfits I will wear with the polish, I just think, "I really like this color so I'll wear it this week". With that in mind, every polish I apply becomes a neutral shade to me.
From left to right: Butter London in Wallis, Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish by Kate Moss in Reggae Splash, Nicole by OPI in Kourt is Red-y for a Pedi, OPI in You're Such a Budapest, and American Apparel in Hunter
When it comes to seasonal nail polish trends, I typically don't adhere to the norms. While most would flock towards the darker shades in the winter, I embrace the brighter colours, opting for something that will catch attention rather than blend in. Although I love a deep plum and a good bottle of oxblood, I tend to gravitate towards these five polishes instead.
When you spend the winter holidays in a Texan desert, the craving for snow can get pretty strong. This past winter break, my cousins and I were itching to get out of the city for the day to do something new and fun. Usually, we spend the holidays lounging around at somebody's house, playing every board game in sight and eating way too much. We initially wanted to make the journey to Ruidoso, NM and stay at a cabin for a couple of days, but our limited time together and late start to planning meant finding a free cabin during the dates that worked for us was not possible. So, we decided it would be cheaper and quicker to drive to Cloudcroft, less than an hour outside of Ruidoso.
Gold glitter, and lots of it, the phrase that defines New Year's Eve in my book is one that translates easily to my wardrobe and accessories. For the end of 2013, nothing felt more appropriate than a mani doused in gold glitter. For the base, I chose OPI for Sephora's What's a Tire, Jack, but any glossy black polish will do. I painted three coats to get the perfect coverage and texture I wanted. After it fully dried, I added the gold, a polish I bought for 20p at Claire's in London (have not seen it in the States, but any fine glitter polish will yield similar results).
.jpg)
