My Mani Secrets

Nail polish is kinda my thing, I love it and can't have enough! Every Target run I check out all the polishes to see if there's a color I just have to have. It's an easy to change and a quick way to try different trends (yes, I'm a broken record with that). Since I've been giving myself a mani at home almost weekly for years, I've picked up a few tips and tricks.

I always get a question or two about how I get a good mani at home. Here are the products I swear by!

Johnson's Baby Oil // Aquaphor // Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover

Metal Cuticle Pusher // Cuticle Scissors // Seche Vite

Aquaphor is perfect for dry, cracked skin and softening cuticles. I put some on and use the cuticle pusher to make them pretty. If I need some extra help I'll use the cuticle remover and scissors, but I do try to use the scissors sparingly. After lots of painful nicks I've learned to not force it and just to clip the dry skin that's easy to get.

For the final touch, I swear by Seche Vite top coat for a quick dry and brilliant shine. Plus, I love the texture it gives my nails, almost like a gel! I use it for every mani/pedi, no matter how many coats you have to use, it only takes 10 minutes to dry. If after a few days my nails need some extra shine and my cuticles are looking ho hum I"ll dip a cotton ball into some baby oil to shine them right up.

What are your favorite mani tips?

My Hospital Bag- What I Actually Used

A few weeks ago I posted what I thought I needed to pack for our hospital stay and had tons of feedback about what to bring and what to skip. It was so helpful and I reviewed your comments several times as I packed. Needless to say, I completely over packed, just as I had expected, but there wasn't anything from home we needed to have (although we only live 2 blocks away and it wouldn't have been a big deal to run back and grab something).

After my c-section, I stayed at the hospital only 3 days. I checked in at Wednesday and left early afternoon Friday. There were a lot of things I packed and didn't use, but that may have been different had I not had a c/s. We had such an awesome experience at our hospital, all of the staff was so friendly and sweet and our room was pretty big and had most of everything we needed. You can see our birth story in pictures in this post.

Here's the list I posted and how it worked out for us:

THE BASICS:
Photo ID and insurance cards: This is given, I just gave my cards to my husband to hold so I could leave my wallet/purse at home.

Large envelope for paperwork: I had already pre-registered so that was taken care of, and at the maternity tour they gave us the paperwork for the social security card/birth certificate that I had finished and put in a folder they provided us. I also brought along my FMLA information to activate my maternity leave claim with work and started my EDD paperwork when I was at the hospital. It was nice to have everything in one place and ready to go.

Pen and paper: I just included this in the folder I used for the above items.

Contact list for baby updates: Didn't bother to do this and didn't need to.

Light reading materials: I didn't bring anything for myself and never found the time to read. All my free time I had I used staring at my little girl and touching her sweet cheeks.

Phone/camera/IPad + Chargers: Absolutely! This was great, also, one reader suggested bringing a power strip which we did, but didn't need. I would still suggest bringing one because it would have been super helpful had our room been set up differently.

Pillow and blanket from home: My husband used the pillows, I was fine with the hospital ones and we never unpacked the blanket from the car.

Snacks and treats: Surprisingly, I didn't eat a thing from our snacks, but my husband had a few things. Mostly the Gatorades. We definitely had too much snacks (I brought Fiber One bars, dried fruit, cheese/crackers, Wheat Thins, pretzels, and candy), but at least it was there should we or our guests need/want anything.

Thank you cards: Didn't bring them and didn't need them. I wrote all my cards once we were home.

Journal: I brought it, but I didn't use it. It's actually staring at me as I type this.

Cash/Change: Our hospital's snack machine actually takes card so we didn't pack change, we already had cash, and with the snacks we brought the change was not needed.

FOR MOMMY:
Going home outfit: I wore some cropped yoga pants and a tank top home, but I also packed a maxi dress as well in case that would have been more comfortable with the incision and such.

Comfortable PJs (is a bathrobe necessary?): I brought yoga shorts, a button down night shirt, and a robe and didn't wear any of it. I was really comfortable in the hospital gown. Maybe if I hadn't had a c/s I would have changed, but who knows.

Nursing gown, bras, tanks, and pads: I packed all of this, but only wore one nursing bra while I was there. The rest could have stayed at home. My milk didn't come in for several days so the nursing pads were completely unneccessary for me.

Cotton granny panties: These were packed too, but the mesh ones the hospital provided were so dang comfortable. I even asked to take a pair home for the recovery!

Flip flops and non-skid cozy socks (I don't think I'll need slippers, I never ever wear them): I brought cozy socks, but the hospital put some on me when I was in pre-op so I never used my own. I only wore the socks that first day and took them off once I was in my room because I was too warm with them. I did wear flip flops to walk to  floor the next few days and for my ride home.

Glasses and extra contacts: Brought these, but didn't use them. I always sleep in my contacts, but had these with me in case they were more comfortable or if I lost a contact I'd have a back up pair.

Lip balm, hair ties, lotion: Every list I read had lip balm listed saying how their lips dried up so much, but I didn't use my lip balm once the entire stay and my lips never dried up. I did use my hair tie to sleep with my hair up at night. Each morning I put lotion on my face and my family rubbed my swollen feet with body lotion I had packed as well.

Toiletries (including dry shampoo) and make-up: I used a little bit of make-up the 2nd day, but put some on to go home. My hair never got greasy enough to use the dry shampoo. The makeup remover wipes felt nice as did putting on deodorant each day.

Blow dryer and curling iron (yes, I realize I may never use it): I didn't pack the blow dryer, but did pack the curling iron. Lucky for me my curls lasted my whole stay, but if they hadn't I would have definitely used it at least on the front pieces.

Nursing pillow: We brought our boppy and it was great! I didn't use it personally, how the bed moved and the extra pillows I had made it unnecessary for b/f, but all our guests and my husband used it to hold her. It was really nice having it there for people to use, it made us and them feel more comfortable holding such a little one.

FOR BABY:
Infant car seat: Yes, we obviously used this and you cannot leave without having one installed in your car.

Newborn and 0-3 Months outfit: I ended up bringing NB sizes only and they were the perfect fit for her for her going home outfit. We had two 0-3 month onesies for her to wear, but they were huge on her.

PJs: We had our own pjs for her to wear each night and it was nice having her in them.

Swaddlers: We used the ones the hospital provided every day, but the last day we used one that we brought from home to take some pictures.

Blanket: I thought we'd use a blanket for her as a prop for pictures, but never ended up using it.

Socks and mittens: We had socks and mittens on her 24/7 while we were there. The hospital didn't have them and told us to bring our own on the maternity tour. I'm so glad I listened, because her nails were really long and she had scratched her face before we even made it to our room.

Grooming Kit (mostly for the nail clippers): After so many comments about this, we didn't pack it and didn't need it. We could have filed her nails down while we were there, but the mittens did their job. It would have just been another thing that we packed and didn't use.

THINGS THAT WEREN'T ON MY LIST:
Earbuds: There were a few times my husband watched tv on his IPad and used his earbuds to keep the room quiet.

Power Strip: We didn't use this, but thought it was genius to pack! Our room set up was very convenient, but I would advised everyone to bring one just in case. That way, all your electronic chargers and such are in one place and easy to pack up without forgetting one.

Guest Book: I brought an Alice in Wonderland book and had each guest (and our nurse) write a little note to Ellie in it. It's a sweet keepsake to always have and remember who came to visit us and meet our little bunny.

Ziploc Bags: I packed all of Eleanor's items in Ziploc bags, that way nothing would get lost and it was easy to keep them organized.

There it is! You seriously need hardly anything, the hospital takes really good care of you and your baby. With our next child, I'll listen to everyone and pack the minimum. You just never know until you've done it I guess and even still, I'm a firm believer that it's better to overpack than under. Hope this list helps any mommies-to-be. Feel free to ask me any questions below!

New Beauty Advice

I did a Beauty Tips post waaaaay back when on some of my beauty tips, but I wanted to do an updated post with new things I've learned.Nothing special, and you may even already know some of these, but what's the point of having a blog if you don't share the good stuff? Isn't that what sisters and friends do?

1. Dry Shampoo: apply it at night before bed to let it really soak up the oils and you'll have great texture and be ready bright and early in the morning

2. Baby Oil: great for moisturizing and shining up your cuticles and polish, especially inbetween mani/pedis.

3. Blush: apply just above your cheeks bones through to your temple for a more flushed look

4. Extensions: fake hair will look fake if you treat it that way. Be sure to love your locks faux and real with conditioning treatments and brush starts at the ends and move up.

5. Soft Lips: Use a toothbrush dipped in warm water to scrub off dead skin on your lips for a softer, smoother pucker.

6. Self-Tanner: You can mix 50/50 self-tanner and lotion together for an easier application without decreasing the effectiveness of the tanner.

There you have it ladies! Nothing crazy or life changing, but some new tricks I've picked up recently or just haven't shared yet on the blog.

What are some beauty tips you'd like to share? I'd love to update this post with them!

Also, would you guys be interested in a vlog about what's in my make-up bag? The quick run through about the products I carry everyday and which items are my Holy Grail?

Vlog: How- To Loose Curls

Loose waves are everywhere and so easy to create and wear. One of the best features of this look is that it only gets better as your day goes on because, loose and messy is in and only adds to the glamour. I was inspired by the VS Fashion Show, and wanted to show you my best attempt at re-creating the look.

It's really simple, I curl it the same way as I did in this curling video, but focus on the middle section of my strands, leaving out differing ends from the curling iron. Also, the smaller curling iron you use, the larger section of hair you'll want to curl, and vice versa for a bigger curling iron (use a smaller section of hair).

What did you think? Are you going to try it out? 

New Vlog! How I Curl My Hair

I think the top two things I get asked the most is how I curl my hair and how I do my smoky eyes (see that vlog here). I did a step-by-step before with pictures here, but seeing it live is so much better. It's so easy and I can seriously do it blind because I curl my hair every.single.day. and have used the same technique since junior high. Veronika just posted a video as well on how to curl her hair, and she has really long pretty hair so be sure to check it out as well!

Goodness, can't the pause the video at a better angle for me???? Hell.Wow, didn't realize it was 20 minutes long! I swear it doesn't take me that long, I think it's just because I'm talking at the same time.

Things to note, I said these in the video, but in case you miss them:

-I switch off on different sized curling irons depending on how I feel. I either use a smaller 1 inch or a 1 1/4 inch size. Long hair looks great with a mix of both sizes.

-Your hair "sets" by how it cools and not just how it heats up, so if your hair doesn't hold a curl well, consider pinning each curl to set. You can also do that for a big night out when you want to look extra special.

-When I wear extensions, I find it easiest to curl the extensions before clipping them in (I clip them in as I go) and then combing out both the extensions and my own hair together with my fingers. That helps the extensions to blend in better and all the curls to have a similar look.

-Always curl away from your face! It's the most flattering for all face shapes. You can also do a mix of forward and backward curls throughout the rest of your hair (this is best for thicker hair), but your front curls should always be curled back!

-For looser beachy waves, leave the last 1-2 inches out and start curling a little bit away from your roots focusing more on the middle section of your strands.

Here's pictures of my hair with different sizes irons and lengths:

This is with all of my own hair, using a 1 1/4 in iron, curling all the way to the ends.

Here I am with my extensions, using a 1 inch iron, curling all the way to the ends.

Here with my extensions, using a 1 1/4 iron, curling to the ends.

Here with all my own hair, using a 1 1/4 iron, leaving the ends out.

Here with my extensions, usinging a 1 1/4 iron, leaving the ends out.

Wow. Looking back on some of these pictures, I really miss my longer hair :( Just a few weeks months and it will be back.

Oh, and I've been emailed a lot about my extensions, so here's the deal: I used to buy the hair, cut and sew them myself, but now I just buy them with the clips in place. It's a little bit more expensive, but worth the cost and the no work! I buy my hair only if it's human hair and from a store called Bobo's Beauty Supply (similar to a Sally's). I don't buy any particular brand, just as long as it matches my natural color I snatch it right up!

When you're trying on the hair, I find it best to bring someone with a critical eye (I bring my mom) and to see if you can compare the extensions to your real hair in the sunlight. It really makes a difference, I've wasted $$ before on a mismatch and wasn't able to exchange or return it.

I hope this video helps you ladies and if you have any questions, feel free to email or comment me and I'll be sure to answer!

Hair How To: Lea Michele

Remember my Dove post about their new deep conditioners (see post here), well Dove sent me the 411 on how to achieve Lea's look! I'm so excited too because she was my pick for best dressed at the Teen Choice Awards (see here). I thought her loose waves were gorgeous and I can't wait to try these tips for myself! I'll give them a whirl soon and post the pictures for sure for you guys.


Stylist Mark Townsend offered his secret on how to get Lea Michele’s look here:

 

• Shampoo and condition with Dove Damage Therapy Volume Boost Shampoo and Conditioner the night before to leave hair looking healthy and full of body

• Distribute Dove Body & Lift Volumizing Mousse throughout and blow dry hair with round brush to add lift

• Divide hair into 5 sections: 1 top, 2 sides, 2 back

• Apply Dove Heat Defense Therapy Mist to individual sections immediately before applying curling iron to protect hair against heat styling damage

• Starting with the back section, use a double barrel curling iron on 3 inch sections of hair, letting the curled pieces fall and hair cool without pinning

• Continue to curl the entire head using the double barreled iron to create figure-eight style waves

• Warm a pea-sized amount of Dove Frizz Control Therapy Taming Cream between the palms of hands. Rake fingers through hair to distribute product evenly for shiny, beachy texture.
• Flip head upside down to slightly loosen up the look and spray Dove Unscented Extra Hold Hairspray with Natural Movement throughout


Also, Mark offered a few additional tips about styling Lea’s hair that night and ways to keep it looking great for the red carpet!

• “I use Dove Heat Defense Therapy Mist on dry hair immediately before I use a curling iron or straighter. The product is great for damp hair, pre-blow dry, but also gives an added bit of protection when using heated tools like an iron.”

• “Right before she left her house, I gave Lea a mini Dove Hairspray to carry in her purse. For award shows we often change her look from red carpet to performance or if she is presenting, but since Lea was wearing the same style throughout the evening we needed it to last. I told Lea to spray the sides of her hair just before she got out of the car, for an added bit of staying power. She also had it on hand in case the look needed a boost post-show.”
• “Lea and I often pull inspiration for her looks from a variety of fashion, beauty and Hollywood imagery. But for the Teen Choice Awards, Lea was the inspiration. She’s young, modern, smart and sexy and her look really reflected that sensibility. It was a bold choice – we’ve never done this kind of super volume before, but it looked gorgeous.”


Sounds pretty easy to me! This whole look is one that isn't meant to be perfect so even if your curls aren't symmetrical - go with it!

Hair How-To

One of the top questions/comments/emails I get most is for my hair when I wear it curled. Thank you everyone for all of your compliments and inquiries, I appreciate each one of them, they really make my day!
I'm pretty lucky in the hair department (God gave me good hair I guess instead of a naturally flat stomach- I'll take what I can get!) in that my hair is easy to manage and holds a curl really well. I have "normal" thick hair, but it's very fine so I can get great volume on my hair because it's not weighed down, but sometimes I have a difficulty with getting a thicker braid or more fullness so I sometimes wear 2-3 tracks of extensions to help me out. I also wash and blow-dry my hair every 3-4 days depending on how it looks. My hair isn't oily so on the days I have to go an extra day I use Tresemme Freshstart Dry Shampoo (see a review here). I also use a deep conditioner every other week.

Here are some products I use everytime I wash my hair; Tresemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer, Tresemme 24 Hour Body Root Boosting Spray, Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Split End Protector, and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.

First I blow-dry my hair completely and sometimes use 2-4 velcro rollers at my crown:


Then I part my hair in layers going from the bottom up- I roughly separate it at my ears and below, then the end of my eyebrows, temple, then the remaining hair- and use a totally 80s scrunchie to separate because I've found that the scrunchie leaves less of a "dent" on my hair then a claw clip, but whatever works for you. I then use a 1 1/4 inch curling iron and curl from the TOP DOWN (vs bottom up), this is very important because it gives you body at the root and middle part of your hair instead of just the ends. It also curls your hair completely instead of just the tips. Curling your hair this way makes a significant difference in how long your curls will last. A few people I've done their hair for have started curling their hair this way instead of the bottom up and have told me what a difference it's made for them.


Ok, so start at the top 1 1/2 to 2 inches with the curling iron and curl up leaving the ends loose and out of the curling iron's clasp. Hold for a few seconds (I do 10 second when I have the time and I'm going out).  I like to curl my hair so it curls away from my face on each side, I think it helps minimize the chubiness of my cheeks, and I like that 70's type vibe a lot. Depending on what works best for your hair you can use hairspray before or after each curl. I hold my curling iron barrel vertically, but holding horizontally gives a slightly different look for the curl that also looks really cute.

Then release the clasp and slide down to the middle section of your hair and curl all the way up leaving just the ends loose. Hold a few seconds.



Finally, slide the barrell all the way down to the ends and curl up to the root. Hold a few seconds.


After I have my entire head curled, I spray it with hairspray and wait a few minutes to let the curls "set". Your hair sets not just with heat, but how it cools.

Sidenote: If you hair doesn't hold a curl well or you need the curls to last longer than usual, try curling your hair and the pinning it at the roots. At this point, you will look like curly sue!

Once your hair is ready, rake your fingers through your hair to break up the curls. Then style as desired, I tease my crown (using Velcro rollers helps to get even more height) and the front sides. Hairspray again and you're ready to go!


Here's how it looks with all my own hair:

Here's how it looks with 2-3 tracks of extensions. I use the same method of curling for the extensions, but curl them before putting them in because I find it's easier:

How was this little tutorial? Was I clear on how to do it? Did you find it helpful?

How do you curl your hair? Do you wear your hair curled often?

Easy as Pie Updo

This look was super easy to do and perfect for next day hair. I had worn my hair curled the previous two days, but after being outside all day my curls had gone flat. I remembered this look and thought I'd give it a try. I put in two tracks of extensions for length, teased the crown of my hair and then pinned back the sides to keep the volume on top, then put my hair into a ponytail. Then I did a quick mini-braid (about 4 turns) and put on a clear plastic elastic and wa-la! Super easy and I got a lot of compliments on it. The whole thing took about 10 minutes total. It felt very glam to wear it too, especially since I don't usually wear my hair up.

Have you tried this look yet? It's just as simpler as a side braid, but easier! What do you think, should I rock it again?

Eye Looks

Jessica, one of my fave bloggers (and now Facebook friends!) from A Few of My Favorite Things asked that I show some eye looks that are good for daytime, but before going out at night. What a great idea, thanks again love!


Since I have giganto eyes, I put the most of my make up efforts into them. So here are a few easy daytime looks:


Look 1: All Over
This has to be the easiest look to do, anyone can master it! Use one color on your entire lid going up into your crease, but not onto your browbone. I would suggest using a natural color such as tan, gold, bronze (depending on your skin tone) with a hint of shimmer. The shimmer adds just an extra touch of fancy and shows that you're actually wearing something on your lids and catches the light. Here I'm wearing MAC Retro Speck.



Look 2: 3 Shadows
This is another great look that's easy for day use. The technique is pretty basic and you can usually find the directions for this on the back of eyeshadow pallettes from Covergirl or Maybelline. Use a light/medium color on your lid from your lashline to the crease, a highlighter color on your inner eye corners and browbone, then a medium/dark color in your crease. You can use this technique for any color and for a quick day to night look, smudge a darker color (even black) on the far outer corner. Even just a smudge with your finger in your car works! Here I'm wearing MAC Honesty on my lid, Phloof as my highlighter, and Woodwinked in the crease.



Look 3: Smoky Day
For a darker eye look during the day I love the look of one medium/dark color on the entire lid with a heavier eyeliner. It looks good with a highlighter as well, or an even darker color blended into the lash line. You can also use a highlighter on the browbone and inner eye corner.
Here I am wearing MAC Romp over my entire lid with black liner on top and bottom lids as well as my waterline.


What do you think of these looks? Did you think they're appropriate for daytime? How do you wear eyeshadow during the day? Do you wear it in daytime or save it for after hours only?

My Eyeshadow How-To

The two top questions I get is about my hair and my eyeshadow. I'll definitely do a hair how-to soon, but I thought I'd start with my eyeshadow first.


First, I'd like to point out a few things.
1. My eyelids are considered "hooded" so this technique might not work for you, but you may be able to change some things to get a look you like.
2. This is my basic formula for all my eyeshadow looks. I use this for colored shadows, everyday wear, and for one of my smoky eyes. I'll tell you what colors I use, but you can create the same look with any palette.


Step one:
After putting on concealer (dust powder afterwards) or primer (to help my shadow last all day) I put my highlighter on my brow bone and inner corner of my eye. For a palette, you would use the lightest color here. Here, I used MAC Phloof.



Step two:
I then use a light tan/bronze color over my entire lid. In a palette, this would be the next lightest shade. Here I used the upper left color in my Sephora Collection Palette To Go, but often use MAC Honesty, All That Glitters, Honey Lust or Shroom. It just depends on my mood or what I'm wearing that day...if I know what that is by then.



Step Three:
Then I use a medium tan/gold color in the crease and upper part of my lid, making sure the lighter color is still visible at my lash line. Here I used the third shadow from the bottom left (going L-R) from my Sephora Palette. This would be the third darkest color in a palette. I also use MAC Woodwinked or Romp, or the third shade in my Maybelline Bronze Eye Studio Pallette here as well. Romp and Woodwinked are two of my favorite shadows from MAC, they're perfect for the crease or over the whole lid for a bronze smoky eye.



Step four:
Then in the outer corner blending into the crease I use a dark brown. This would be the darkest color in a palette. Here I used a mix of the bottom two (L-R) shades in my Sephora Palette. I often use MAC Embark, Romp, or the darkest color in the Maybelline Bronze Eye Studio palette.



Step five:
Depending on what I'm wearing, how I feel, or where I'm going, I then smudge a little black into the bottom outer corner blending into my outer lash line. I use either MAC Print or Typographic. Use more black (or gray) for a darker look.



Step six:
I add my liquid liner, pencil on my bottom lid, then curl and add mascara and I'm ready to go!




So, there you have it. My basic eyeshadow formula. I'll do a dark smoky eye as well...as soon as I go somewhere special. Ha!


For brushes, I used a basic shadow brush like this one (these are not the actual brand I have, but same type of brush):
 

and a tapered blending brush for the outer corner and crease like this one:



Did you find this useful? What other looks would you like to see?

Don't forget about my giveaway! Enter here.