Sunday Cupcake

MAC Cosmetics and Rodarte

OMG OMG OMG OMG....MAC will be teaming up with Rodarte on a new collection!! My favorite cosmetics company and one of my favorite designers whom I can't afford are coming together. I just hope there is nailpolish involved in the collection.

image & info via tfs

Fashion Icons

You've heard of the Three Blind Mice, and here is the new generation - Three Fashion Icon Mice.

Anna Wintourmouse

Karl Lagermouse


Coco Chanel-O-Mouse


Each one can be yours for a "mere" $39.99. Available for purchase HERE.

LMAO...enjoy!

Etsy Thursday

My job blocks all the blogs, so when I have some downtime and I am not farming on FarmVille [addictive like crack!] I browse Etsy. While it is an amazing resource, a lot of the stuff sold there is pretty *ahem* craptastic. Sometimes it literally takes me hours to find something even remotely interesting, but there are definitely many gems to be found there. Since I wish there was someone who was willing to weed through thousands of listing for me, I figure since I am already weeding myself I can help someone else. So every Thursday I will post my picks from Etsy for your enjoyment.

Today I was looking for some decorative ceramic plates. While I did not find what I was looking for, I did find some pretties I want to share.

These make me think of Spring...*le sigh*

buy here

How awesome is this??? A bit tacky, but so useful for backyard picnics

buy here

I have a slight obsession with picture frames...don't judge!

buy here

So simple and delicate...it is begging for a piece of angel food cake to be put in the middle

buy here

Too cute!

buy here

I love how simple this is.

buy here

Such a delightful set! Bright and happy, but very simple. I hate tacky and gaudy china.

buy here

I also have a candle obsession =)

buy here

This makes me think of the Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland.

buy here

Be Gelous

Whenever I hear raves about a new product I MUST try it. I honestly think about so much that I drive myself insane until I get my grubby hands on it. More often than not, it does not live up to my expectations *cough* Barielle Camouflage basecoat *cough* But sometimes the praise is truly deserved.

The product I am talking about is Gelous basecoat which is found at Sally's beauty supply for about $6. It's description says that it is an "advanced nail gel coat" and that's exactly what it is. When I tried it I first put on my beloved Barielle Hydrating Ridgefiller and let it dry a little. Then I applied a coat of Gelous over it, then polish, then topcoat. Gelous is very thick and reminds me of the acrylic gel that is used on fake nails. It dries relatively thick so use a light hand when applying it. Once my mani dried I was ecstatic! My nails felt so strong as if I really did have acrylics on. I felt safe, like my nails were truly protected.

The best part is that my mani lasted for 5 days without a SINGLE chip! That is just unheard of for me. I type a lot for work, and that weekend I went to a Russian Bathhouse where I spent a lot of time in the steam room. Usually my manis peel in sheets after steamrooms, but this time it did not budge. The only reason I removed the polish was because I got bored, but I almost wanted to see how long it would hold up. One day I'll do that.

I tested it with four other colors, two of which were glitters. Often my glitters peel in sheets 1-2 days later. This time they stayed put. Once again I got so bored that I removed them 2 days later, but I can confidently say the wear is much better than with just a regular basecoat.

Rating: 5/5 blueberries!




Verdict: Will buy again; will recommend to a friend

Awesome Polaroid Art

I recently stumbled upon these composites made by Patrick Winfield and I am in love. All of these collages are comprised of many individual polaroids...how cool is that?!? Here are some of my favorites:
















All pictures are property of Patrick Winfield.

For more of Patrick's work visit his website.

Sunday Cupcake

I don't blog on Sundays...but I think you all should still have a treat! And what is better than a cupcake?

How sweet it is to be loved by You!

Happy 5th Anniversary Sweetie! I truly love you more and more each day...you are my best friend, my partner, my everything...and I can't wait to spend 555 more years with you!

Minty Splat

I am so proud of my mani today, I HAD to post it. The minty base is Claire's Dreamcatcher, which is a very close dupe to the much coveted Chanel Jade polish. Since I do not care much for Chanel or it's polish, I am very happy with my dupe.

The splats are made by using the Konad system and using black and white Konad special polishes.

Please excuse my horrific photo-taking skills. I am just not able to master the macro setting =( One day I will master. I am not too upset though since I am not a nail blogger really, so as long as you can see the design I am OK. =)

My 12 Step Program...

...for perfect at-home mani and pedi. I do my own manis and pedis at home. I do not have the time nor the money to go the salon lately. Also, I do a much better job than the salons anyway. Last time I got a pedi [March 2008?] I had to spend 30 minutes at home doing extra clean-up and refiling my toes into a perfect shape. Waste of time! [and money]. With a little practice and the right products you can do your own salon quality work.

Here is my routine step-by-step with product illustrations.

1. I take off old polish.

[Steps 2-4 are for pedis only, the rest applies to both pedis and manis.]

2. I soak my feet in a bucket with warm water and some monoi oil. I like the one by Yves Rocher.


3. I exfoliate with Yves Rocher foot exfoliator.


4. I dry my feet and use Ped Egg [$9.99 almost everywhere. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond]


5. I push back the cuticles gently with an orange stick. Twice a month I use Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. There are many varieties, but the one in the blue bottle is the best by far! Please use as directed. Leaving it on for too long can cause a slight burning sensation, but a little bit of warmth is normal.



6. I swab each nail with a tiny bit of acetone to remove oils.

7. I file my nails into shape with a GLASS file. Please do not use regular files because they damage the nail and make it peel and split. My fave is the one from Sephora.



8. I put on base-coat. I'll be honest, I still have not found my Holy Grail basecoat, but I am certainly trying! Currently I am test-driving Barielle's Hydrating Ridgefiller, and so far I like it. However, since my nails are still recovering from that horror also known as Sally Hansen's Nail Quencher, I can't tell you how well the Barielle is working just yet. Once I figure it out I will do a full review. Barielle products are generally VERY pricey, but often can be found at Marshall's or TJ Maxx for $3-4.



9. Then I apply 2 coats of any nailpolish. No drying time between coats. Some of my fave brands are OPI, China Glaze, Essie, Zoya and Color Club. The cheapest to order then is online at 8ty8beauty.com, head2toebeauty.com, transdesign.com, and victoriasnailsupply.com. Zoya is only available at Zoya.com, but follow them on Twitter, they have great offers very often. These sites are tried and true and sell polish and most of the products I list here at a huge discount.

10. Next I use Revlon Colorstay top coat [on the right in pic.] They are sold in 2-packs with a color and the topcoat. I hate the colors and usually throw them out. I also buy only at Dollar Tree stores for $1. The old version is much better than the new one sold at drugstores. So if you see the old one I suggest you stock up. The purpose of this step is to prevent the polishing from shrinking at the tip when we apply the last product.



11. Then with no wait time I apply Seche Vite quick drying top coat. I know it seems like many layers of products, but Seche dries everything in under 10 minutes. I am not exaggerating, it is that fast! And it is very shiny and professional looking. The key here is to apply it to wet polish. It is VITAL! Seche was designed to be used specifically on wet polish. One time when I used it on dry polish it peeled off the next day. So please follow the instructions.



12. Lastly, after the polish is dry I put lotion on my feet/hands and cuticle oil on my fresh fingers or tootsies. My fave oil is Haken oil from Sally's, but I am sure any oil can be used.



TA-DA!! You're done =) Once the polish is dry you can clean up any mess with some remover and a cotton wrapped around an orange stick. Or you can wait till the next morning and scrub it off in the shower and it will easily come off.

During the week I also use Creative Cuticle Eraser twice a day on my cuticles. It is amazing at keeping your cuticles looking neat. The AHA in eraser gently exfoliates the cuticle and removes the dry raggedy pieces. Even if you get professional manis I suggest you invest in this product.



Once again, remember that the key is practice, and also finding products that work for you. The ones above are my favorites, but you may find that something else works better for you. Good Luck and always feel free to ask me if you have any questions.