BraidBand and Reverse French

I got this idea from another blog (isn't her hair color gorgeous?!), and it looked like I'd never be able to get it to look right. It's so easy though, and it took me all of five minutes to do since I changed it up a little bit and did a braid instead of a twist. It's a perfect idea for the days between washing. I used three bobby pins, and that's it! Start by braiding a chunk of hair right behind your ear. You could probably use a hair tie if you wanted, but I don't think it's necessary. I flipped the braid over my head (like a headband) and pinned it on the other side. After pinning it, I pulled a little bit of hair over the bobby pin to cover and conceal it. I used two bobbies on that side just to make sure it wasn't going anywhere, and I used one on the other side. I pulled some of my "bangs" back and pinned them there to cover the beginning of the braid so it didn't show. I think it turned out pretty cute! What do you think?

Another style you could try is a reverse French braid. If you can French braid then this is pretty easy, too. Just flipped your head over, and start a French braid at the nape of your neck working your way to the crown. Once you've braided about halfway up your head, twist it into a super high bun and stick a bow in it - the bigger the better. I went for a messy bun on this one. Done! Adorable :) 

 Also, I haven't made these yet, but I definitely plan to because they're so simple and pretty. They'd take almost any hair style from plain to fancy with just a few stuck in here and there. If anyone makes them be sure to show me a picture! 

Be back soon! xoxo

How To Get Perfectly Straight French Tips ♥

I love a nice, neat French manicure. I think everyone probably does, but it chips so quickly and always costs extra when you get them done. It's a total waste to get them done at the nail place (if you're getting your natural nails done) so I've been working on the best way to do them at home. I started with the Sally Hansen French Manicure pen. That works pretty well as long as you take your time, and don't look too close up because it'll NEVER be perfectly straight. It's definitely quicker than any other method, and pretty much gets the job done.

In this French I used the most typical colors - nude/pinkish with white tips, but this works for any combination colors, of course. I did a mint and glittery emerald combo for St. Patrick's Day and my sister likes her neon pink tips - so to each her own!

My base coat was Essie It's in the Bag, the tips were Sinful Colors Snow Me White, and I used a Revlon top coat. I painted my nails the Essie color two days ago, and when I was ready to change it up I realized it would make the perfect base color for a French, so my nails had a long time to dry. I'm not sure how long it would take if you wanted to do this all in the same day - probably hours, so maybe consider doing this as a nail change up as opposed to all at once.

I put regular old Scotch tape across each nail leaving just the perfect amount of nail exposed at the end for my tips. The amount of space left untaped is totally up to you; if you like it smaller then do it smaller, if you like it bigger and chunkier then go for it! Just make sure you don't leave any tape bubbles! If you have little gaps between the tape and your nails, the white polish will seep under and ruin the whole thing.

Then I painted two coats of the white on the ends of my nails and let it dry for about 20-25 minutes. It was not fun having tape on my hands for that long, but I took one piece of tape off after 12 minutes to check, and the white was still too tacky. The longer you wait, the better. Then just top it off with a clear, shiny top coat, and you're good to go! Hope yours comes out as nicely as mine did, and I hope this helps! BBS! xoxo


P.S. - Another little tip I find helpful is to spray some regular, unflavored Pam (or probably any cooking spray) on your nails after you're done to dry them quickly. It'll be a little oily feeling, but you can rinse it right off, and it'll make your cuticles softer ;)

Nails

NAILS! Man, me and nails. It just kills my boyfriend. I paint my nails every two days or so. I used to get them done every week, but ever since I started school I haven't had the money. I think that's probably why I'm so obsessed with keeping up with them. Also, I have ugly fingers so anything I can do to dress them up a little helps! I even polish my little doggies' toes when I get really bored! Ruby loves her red nails :)

I'm not very artistically inclined, but the heart was a little something I did for Valentine's Day. I used a tooth pick and made three little, pink dots in the shape of a triangle on top of the white polish. Then I pulled the dots into each other in the shape of a heart. I'd like to try the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens to see if they'd make a design any sharper. Unfortunately, right now I've promised my boyfriend I would abstain from buying any more nail polish for at least a month. My most recent purchase (and current favorite) is a peachy Essie color. Essie polishes seem to be a hit or miss brand for me when it comes to the consistency, but this one was perfect - smooth and shiny. It's subtle but summery, and perfect for toes, too. 

Speaking of toes... 

I bought the Crackle/Shatter as soon as it came out; one by China Glaze and one by OPI. I thought it was really fun when I first started using it but found that I got sick of it a lot faster than other polishes. Recently I got a really shimmery gold color by Sonia Kashuk from Target called Golden Ticket. I had the gold color on my toes for a couple of days, and as I was deciding what color to do next, it dawned on me! How cool would the black shatter look over the gold?! So I tried it out, and it looks very chic, if I do say so myself. It's very designer-esque, which I made up, but it sounds about right. Check it out! Thanks for reading! Be back soon!! xoxo

French Twist How-to

French Twist

       Okay, so this is my first blog. Actually, it's my first ever post online besides Facebook or Myspace. I'm a 24 year old student and obsessed with makeup, hair, and nails. It's a little extreme for someone that doesn't plan on doing anything in the cosmetology field, but I can't stop myself! I've spent hours upon hours on Pinterest, Birchbox, The Beauty Department and so many other beauty blogs that I thought I should give it a whirl myself. 

Messy other side, and no make up!

       Today is Sunday, and it's July in South Carolina so, needless to say, I'm lounging around in my air conditioned house all day. If there's nothing else to do I usually end up having a few beers and playing around with my make up, hair, and occasionally my clothes. Yes, I play dress up. After two Fat Tires I was getting pretty hot and knew I had to get my wild lion's mane hair off of my neck. I went for a French Twist, as I like to call it :) 

       I just started a French braid off to the left of my head, grabbing about a three square inch chunk of hair from the front. I braided it across my head like a headband. When I got to around my right ear with the braid I started pulling hair from around my crown when adding to the left part of my braid. By the time I got to the nape of my neck I'd incorporated all of my hair and finished the braid straight down my back. Then, with or without using a ponytail holder (I didn't), I twisted the length of the braid around and up on top of my head. I pinned it right behind where I started the French braid on the left side. Full circle! The pictures kind of show what I did. 
       I didn't spray it with any hairspray or shine spray, but if you were looking for a more polished or classy look you could definitely spray it down! I went with a more fly-away undone look since right after this I just went back to laying on the couch. Another good idea would be to add a little bow or flower bobby pin, like these little guys (or this!) right on the side of where the braid ends. Or leave it messy and unkempt like mine if you just need a cute way to put your hair up in this summer heat! Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions -- be back soon! 
xoxo