Glitz and Glam: Fabulous Holiday Nails

Hi Ladies! Do you have a holiday party to attend and want to kick it up a notch? Try this glamorous party look that I came up with. I used Gold Coin by Revlon as my base color. It is a beautiful, soft white-gold metallic shade. Gold Coin is fairly opaque so I only used one coat. This polish was easy to work with and dried pretty fast.

After waiting a couple minutes, I topped it with Sephora by OPI's Only Gold For Me. This polish is absolutely gorgeous. It is a clear polish with chunky and micro golden glitter flecks.

Only Gold For Me is also super pretty on its own for a more understated look. I absolutely love this combination for any holiday event. It is super glitzy and gives a jeweled effect to your nails.

So slip on a cocktail dress, rock some bold red lips, and have a fabulous night! What are your favorite holiday nail polishes? -xoxo, Stacy

Face and Outfit of the Day

Hi Ladies! I wanted to do a face and outfit of the day for you since I have not done one of these in forever! I wanted to keep the look neutral enough for daytime, since I wore this look to an afternoon event, but you can easily transition it into an evening look by adding some dark brown/black eyeshadow in the outer v part of the eye.

Products Used:

Eyes:

• Mac Painterly Paint Pot
• Mac All That Glitters
• Mac Sable
• Mac Shroom
• Urban Decay 24-7 Pencil in Zero
• Loreal Telescopic Mascara
• Ardell Lashes 125
  

Face:

• Palladio Herbal Primer Potion
• Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
• Mac Studio Finish Concealer
• Mac MSF Natural
• Mac By Candlelight MSF
• Nars Orgasm the Multiple
• Mac Blush in Hipness
  
• Clinique Almost Bronzer

Lips:

• Gosh Darling Lipstick
• Mac Forever Hip Lipstick

Nails:
OPI Rumple's Wiggin'

First I applied primer. foundation, concealer, and powder to my face. Then I primed my eyes with painterly paint pot. Next I applied all that glitters on my lid, sable in the crease, and shroom as my brow bone highlight. After that I lined my eyes with Urban Decay liner in Zero, applied my false lashes, and finished off with a little mascara.

I took a little of orgasm the multiple and applied it to my cheeks as a base. After that I applied by candlelight as my cheek highlight, hipness blush to my cheeks, and contoured with my almost bronzer. Since my lips have a lot of color, I used gosh darling lipstick to nude out my lips. To add a little color, I applied ever hip lipstick over top which created a nice coral lip.


Outfit:
Karma Necklace by Dogeared
Olivia Moon Sheer Top
Kut Trouser Jeans
Michael Kors Watch
Express Bracelets


Thanks for stopping by! xoxo-Stacy

What I am loving: Jewelry

Hi Ladies! This is not makeup related, but I wanted to share a piece of jewelry with you girls. I have been on an Etsy kick lately, and I found a seller that makes gorgeous jewelry. For those of you who do not know what Etsy is, it is an online website where people sell handmade items, such as jewelry and art.

I came across the seller Classic Designs (http://www.etsy.com/shop/classicdesigns) who sells modern, celebrity inspired jewelry pieces that are beautiful and affordable. I ended up placing an order for the gold filled sideways cross necklace. I absolutely love this piece and it looks so pretty on. It complements almost any outfit and I love layering it with other longer necklaces . There are definitely some other pieces that I will be ordering from this seller in the future. If you like this necklace, you should definitely check out her store on Etsy.

This necklace was purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with the seller, I just love her pieces :)

Katy Perry Nails!

Hi Ladies!
I went to a Katy Perry concert last week and it was amazing! In honor of the fabulous KP, my friend Ashley and I decided to do "Teenage Dream" themed nails (while listening to her CD on repeat of course). The nail look was super easy to do, and we got lots of complements!

The pink base I used is by Sally Hansen and its called bubble gum. Over that I layered OPI's Teenage Dream glitter polish and finished it off with my Seche Vite top coat. It was hard to catch the glitter in a picture, but this look was super sparkly and fun.

Below are a couple pics from the concert:

Teenage Dream

California Gurls

Thanks for stopping by :)

Essie Topless & Barefoot

Topless & Barefoot was released back in the spring with Essie's A French Affair Collection. I almost purchased it back then, but I was trying to cut back on cosmetic purchases so I passed on it. My nail polish collection has grown exponentially this past year!

Anyways, I kept thinking about it so I finally broke down and ordered it last week. Topless & Barefoot is a light nude creme polish that is more pink than beige. It is a very modern and sophisticated color for the nail. It is the opposite of flashy and makes for a very poised and polished look.

The application of topless & barefoot is a little bit streaky but after three coats my nails looked pretty good. It lasted a couple days before it chipped so it has average wear. This color would be perfect for anyone who wants an understated, polished look. Colors like this one are great for a professional environment where bright colors may not be appropriate.

Has anyone tried Essie's Topless & Barefoot? If not what is your favorite nude/natural nail polish color?

My Bronzer Collection

Hi Lovelies! I don't know about you, but summer is my favorite season. I love spending time at the beach and pool soaking in the sun. Although I enjoy tanning, I try to keep my face from getting too much exposure (we don't want premature aging!) That is why I love bronzing powders; they give a natural glow to your face without harmful side effects.

I have four bronzing powders in my collection:

-Physicians Formula Bronze Booster
-Mac Golden Bronzing Powder
-Clinique Almost Bronzer
-Nars Laguna Bronzer

All of these bronzers provide a nice all-over glow. I have had the Clinique Almost Bronzer the longest and it gives a very subtle bronzing effect. I purchased Mac's Golden Bronzing Powder last year from a collection and it's nice, but I don't reach for it all that often. Nars Laguna works well for an all-over bronzer or for contouring. You need to be careful when applying it or it can end up looking dirty, which is not attractive. Lastly, Physician's Formula is a pretty decent bronzer, especially for a drugstore product. It provides a really pretty subtle glow that looks very natural.



Above are swatches of the bronzing powders. I did heavy swatches so that the colors would show up well against my skin-tone. Although I enjoy and use all of these bronzing powders, I am always on the lookout for something better. What are your favorite bronzers for summer? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!

IMATS (International Make-up Artist Trade Show) in LA

Hi Ladies! I was able to attend IMATS this past weekend in Pasadena, CA and it was amazing! I went with my friend Tracy and we had so much fun! There were so many different makeup brands there that we did not know where to start! I saw several youtube "beauty gurus" there including JulieG, Pursebuzz, Xsparkage, Enkore, and Kandee Johnson. Tracy and I were able to attend Kandee's Seminar and had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with her which was super exciting. She is so beautiful and talented! Below are some pictures from the event.

Tracy and I at IMATS

Pursebuzz
http://www.pursebuzz.com/

Waiting for Kandee's Seminar

Ms. Kandee Johnson herself!
http://www.kandeej.com/

If you are able to attend an IMATS event, you should go. It was so fun to check out new makeup brands and meet people who share your enthusiasm about makeup! Everyone was so sweet and I am definitely going back next year.

Essie Knockout Pout

Hi Ladies! Summer is here and bright nail polish colors are all the rage. There is nothing more perfect than bright, sassy nails to accessorize your bikini. Right now I am loving Essie's Knockout Pout which is a bright pink cream shade. The color is super fun and the name of this polish is too cute!

It is almost looks neon, but not quite. Knockout Pout is pretty opaque since I only had to do two coats. The finish is pretty matte so I would definitely recommend a clear top coat to finish off the look. In honor of the polish name, I had to do a "knockout pout" expression in the picture below ;) Tell me your favorite bright summer polish in the comments below. -Stacy

What I am Wearing: Essie Van D Go

Photo Credit: Kaboodle.com

Hi Ladies! I have been on a major Essie kick lately. Don't get me wrong, I still like OPI, China Glaze, and drugstore polishes, but there is just something about Essie lately that has really got my attention. Essie has a wide selection of soft pastel colors which are my absolute favorites! After hearing rave reviews on Youtube and Blogs for Essie Van D Go, I had to have this shade.

Van D Go is a gorgeous pastel peachy-pink color that has a cream finish. The formula is pretty good and the color is opaque in two to three coats. Used with my Seche Vite top coat, this polish stayed nice for about 5 days. By the way, if you do not use Seche Vite as a top coat, you must try it. Seriously, it's life-changing...and dries super fast. Anyways, I found Van D Go at my local Ulta, but I have not seen it available at CVS. Let me know what nail polishes you are currently loving! -xoxo, Stacy

My Special Packaging Lip Products

Hi Lovelies! I have a soft spot for Mac limited edition, special packaging makeup. I love seeing other people's collections so I thought that I would show you my lip product collection! I will list the collection and product color below:

From the picture above (left to right):

-To the Beach- Lazy Day Lipstick
-Venomous Villains- Innocence Beware Lipstick
-Heatherette- Lollipop Loving Lipstick
-Hello Kitty- Fashion Mews Lipstick
-Liberty of London- Ever Hip Lipstick
-Neo Sci Fi- Pleasure Seeker Lipstick
-Venomous Villains- Sinister Lipstick
-Style Warriors- Liberated Lip Gloss
-To the Beach- Easy Lounger Lip Gl0ss
-Baroque Boudoir- The Lap of Luxury Lip Gloss
-Hello Kitty- Pink Fish Tinted Lip Conditioner

Outside Sunlight

Outside Shade

Indoors

What was your favorite Mac limited edition collection? Thanks for stopping by! :)

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

I have been lusting after the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment for quite sometime, but I never picked it up because I already own way too many lip balms. No really, I have a problem ;) Every time I am in a Sephora, I always pass by this product and have the urge to buy it. It smells amazing, but $22.50 for a lip balm is kind of excessive. I finally broke down and bought it during the Sephora beauty insider 20% off event along with the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (review to come). Here is the low down on this much hyped product:

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is an ultra luxe emollient lip balm. It is very moisturizing and but not too thick. It feels very smooth on the lips, but unfortunately it doesn't have much staying power. I find myself reapplying it every couple hours. I also do not see very much difference in my lips between using the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment vs my other lip balms such as EOS lip lip balm.

I am in love with the packaging! The sleek bronzed metal tube with the screw-on cap is so unique and stylish. It feels sturdy and luxe in comparison to the typical plastic packaging that most lip balms use. In my opinion, the best thing about this lip balm is the smell. It is a sweet lemony scent that reminds me of lemon meringue pie. Seriously guys, it smells amazing! If you love fresh, citrus scents, this lip balm is for you.

Overall, I really do enjoy this product. I love the luxe packaging, the lemony scent, and the moisturizing formula. It is a nice product to splurge on when you want to treat yourself. Having said that, I think less-expensive products, such as EOS lip balm, work just as well to keep lips moisturized. If you tried Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment or have a favorite lip balm, tell me in the comments.

A Quick Update

Hi Ladies! I apologize for my extended absence as I have been super busy. I just got back from a much needed vacation with the girls! We went to Las Vegas and it was so much fun! The weather was warm and perfect for lounging at the pool and the nightlife was fabulous! We stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which was right in the middle of the strip.

The view from our Hotel Suite

Las Vegas City Center (amazing shopping)

Lounging at the Cosmopolitan Pool

My friends and I at XS Nightclub

I hope you ladies enjoyed my pictures and regular posts should be up shortly! xoxo -Stacy

Maybelline One By One Volum' Express Mascara

Hi Ladies! I needed a new mascara last week so I found myself in the makeup section at the drugstore. I tend to choose a different mascara every time I purchase because I like to see what is out there. If you have a beauty addiction like me, I am sure you know what I am talking about ;) I decided to go for the Maybelline One by One Volum' Express Mascara since it had been popular on the youtube beauty community and because I was curious if it would live up to the hype.

Here is what Maybelline promises: Bold lashes without the bulk and clump free volume. The exclusive lash by lash brush coats and cleans every single lash for the most refined volume from root to tip.

Overall, I think this mascara is pretty good. The rubber wands seems to separate and lengthen lashes better than the traditional pipe-cleaner style wands. I have used Loreal Telescopic mascara in the past which has a rubber wand it works the same way. The formula is on the "wet" side but it's nothing special. I would say that the brush is what makes this mascara different.

Maybelline One by One is very good at separating lashes and avoiding clumping. It seems to hold my curl all day when I use my lash curler. The one thing that annoys me about this mascara is that it seems to take more swipes to make my lashes perfect. I feel that I spend at least a minute on each eye, which is ridiculous. I am usually in a hurry when I do my makeup in the morning and I want fast results. Another thing I noticed is that it sometimes flakes a tiny bit a the end of the day.

Aside from my complaints, the finished result is nice and it is definitely one of the better drugstore mascaras that I have tried. I would give it an 8 out of 10. Have you ladies tried the Maybelline One by One Mascara? Or do you have a favorite mascara that you recommend I try? Let me know!