What's On My Nails- Independence Day Inspired

Happy 4th!

So I was feeling weirdly patriotic and all of the sudden decided I wanted to paint my nails red, white, and blue. It is Independence Day after all.

So this is what I came up with...

It looked better in my head than what actually happened.

 

 

The polishes I used were Julep's Jackie(a very bright red), Essie's Mesmerize (a true blue), Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Hard to Get (a pure white), and OPI's Happy Anniversary! (a very pretty, sparkly silver white).

I do have to say that Jackie was such a dream to paint with. It went on so super smooth and easy and was pretty much opaque with one coat. Put an extra coat on just for the very true red color and it came out amazing and shiny, could even go without a topcoat!

 Yep, so I went red, white, and blue for obvious reasons and wanted to try my hand at a tie-dye design. Very American and looks like a firework. Perfect choice for the occasion... I thought anyways.

So, I tried it on my pinky and it was kind of a fail. Definitely wasn't as neat as I wanted them to be. Don't have any fancy tools so I just striped my nails in the three colors then dragged a toothpick through them. Looks messy and not very tie-dye like but, oh well. When they're on, they're on. I was too lazy to take it off and try again.

Also, I did polka dots on the thumb and then added Happy Anniversary! to the middle of the polka dots but maybe that was a bad idea as well (Or maybe I was just impatient?) because when it was time to top coat, it kinda of smeared into the white and make the dots look uneven. =/

 

Oh, whatever!

It was a fun look I was trying to go for and definitely something way different for me.

Hope y'all enjoyed 'em and have a great holiday!

And Happy Birthday 'Merica!

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Impressions (Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox)

Hey!

Today I'm excited to share my first ever Influenster Box with y'all!

My Spring Fever VoxBox came last week and I was so anxious to see what I got!

First, for those of you that don't know, Influenster is a website where everyone can come and share their opinions on different products and write reviews on them. Members can earn points for their activity on the site which also include completing some simple surveys and engaging in social media. Some real perks about this site is that, if you qualify, they will invite you into some of their programs and will send you things to test out and then voice your opinion on it... Free of charge! 

Fun, right? 

You should check it out.

 http://influenster.com/

On to the goodies!

I was so excited when I found out I was qualified for this VoxBox.

So this is what the box looked like with all of its contents and I'll give you some first impressions on each item I received...


Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/ Deodorant




"...leaves fewer marks on clothes than the next leading invisible solid! And, with 48 hour odor and wetness protection at such a low price, why pay more?"
($4.59)

First off, I never wear gel deodorant because I simply don't like the feel and the concept just never made sense to me. I mean, you're putting something wet and sticky on to lessen the wet and stickiness?! Huh?!?
So, at first, I wasn't really thrilled seeing this in there but decided to give it a try.
Smells clean and like deodorant, go figure. Nothing new but not bad either.
Goes on wet but dries prettttty quickly. I say pretty with a lot of "t's" because after I put it on I just stood there with my arms all open and waving because, again, I hate that wet feeling. So I'm thinking that's why it dried as quickly as it did, which was around a minute. It did keep me dry the rest of the day though. But the claim of 48 hour protection... yeah, right! At least that wasn't the case for me...
Overall, I guess I'll just keep trying it out and see if it changes my mind about gel deodorants.


NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm

"...delivers color, shine, and moisture in one single swipe! The unique apple shaped core is filled with Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, and Avocado Oil to give lips a healthy, irresistible look."
($2.99)

I was so excited to see this in there! Especially after reading its description and all the great stuff in it, I couldn't wait to try it!
So, the first thing I noticed after opening it was the smell. Mmmmm.... So good! Like apple candy, which is the best kind!
Comes off pretty red actually! Still sheer but more color than I expected. I actually didn't really care for the color on me but it did fade after a bit and, in my case, I was glad. If your looking for something with long lasting color, this definitely isn't it. But then again, it is super duper easy to reapply and you can just throw this little guy in your purse.
Definitely felt the moisturizing! It was nice and comfortable on the lips and my lips still felt moisturized hours later!
Yay! Liked it. =) 
I am definitely going to keep this around, if not just for the smell alone! 


Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure

"... features advanced nail technology, so you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds - simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week!"
($5.99 - $7.99)
 
Aren't these cute?!
The ones I got were in a super fun and bright tie-dye pattern.
Never tried press on nails before so I was super interested to see how these went...
Well, it was kind of a fail.
I didn't even end up putting these on because first of all, they were way too short for me. When I put these on top of my nails for sizing my real nails were hanging out underneath. Which, I guess wouldn't be a huge deal because I could just cut my nails really down and try again. But they also didn't really fit my nail shape either. They kind of "popped" up and didn't really lay flat on the nail when I was trying them. Maybe I just have to really stick them to make make lay properly...
I think I might just hand these over to one of my sisters to see how they go for her. But if I do end up using these, I'll definitely let you know more.



Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS Geltastic

"... is an ultra strong flex gel that provides all day definition and control and dries with a firm finish."
($18.00) 

I don't really use hair gel very often... Reminds me too much of having to slick my hair back in super tight buns during my dance days. And while I loved those days, the tight bun part is not very missed. Plus I'm trying to go through a minimal heat styling phase to give my hair a tiny bit more of a chance to grow stronger. So not often is there gel in my hair.
Anyways, I did take a little and ran it through my hair just to see how the feel was and pleasantly surprised! I can't say much about the hold because my hair wasn't really styled or anything but it didn't flake in my hair, didn't make it "crunchy" (Grr, hate when products do that), and gave it a good amount of texture! 
Plus it smells good. Like fruity maybe? I don't know exactly but I like it.
This will be replacing my old hair gel for sure!
Maybe I will actually try to style with it sometime... haha.
Plus, they added a nice $5 off coupon in there for any of the Schwarzkopf products from Ulta.
Score!



TastyKake Kandy Bar Kake

"... are light and fluffy chocolate enrobed cakes with a delicious creme filling in a unique kandy bar shape. Available in S'mores, Peppermint, and Peanut Butter."
($4.49 per box)

I received the S'mores flavored Tasty Kake which I'm glad because I really don't like peanut butter. But I'm not a big sweets/chocolate person either. And so I left this out for a little bit planning on trying it later when my sister was around because I knew this was something she would just looove. Unfortunately, next time I saw it, it was already being eaten so I couldn't really get a great picture. (phone pics!) But I did get a little taste!
To me it kind of tasted like a very fluffy Twinkie covered in chocolate and and filled with a light marshmallow creme. So if that's you're thing and you like very sweet treats, you'd probably really enjoy this. Personally, not my cup of tea.  



Overall, this box was a mix of hits and misses for me. 
But I just love the concept and the company and I really hope to try it out more in the future!  
And the total retail price of this box was around $36- $38. 
Sweet!
 (Although I don't know what it meant when it said it was $4.49 for a box of Tasty Kakes.... I definitely didn't get a box?)
Again, you really should look into this and sign up. If you need an invite, let me know and I'll hook you up. =)

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

What's On My Nails (French Chevron Tip)

Hi Guys!

I'm not dead and you get to hear from me again!

Yahoo!

Ok, well, you probably didn't even notice but I took a long absence. A little thing called life got in the way... 

Well, actually no. I'm lying. 
I'm just a lazy bum who doesn't fix her camera. Little roadblock.

Anyways, I wanted to send out a quick post and show you guys what's been on my nails. Or actually, by the time anyone reads this, what WAS on my nails because I already messed them all up and I'll be off to do my nails again after this. And I only got a quick pic on my phone before I had dinked them all up. 

Sadness.

 I've been wanting to try chevron tip for a while and so I did a bit of a natural "french" take on them.

 

The way I did it was first, I drew the chevron tip with a Sally Hansen French Manicure Pen in Pure White. These little pens are super handy and make french manicures so much easier. I always have at least one at all times. (I find the fine tip much easier to use than the traditional tip!)

Then I painted a coat of this OPI polish but I honestly cant remember the name of the one I used. It is a mini from their NYC ballet collection but I didn't keep the box or the sticker and they were a couple that looked pretty similar. I think it could possibly be Care to Danse?? but not sure. It came up really sheer with a super slight pinkish tint to it. So, if anyone know for sure what this color is (even though you can't really see it well in this picture) let me know!

After that dried, I drew on the gold accent line and, on the pinky, a dotted line with a Sally Hansen nail art pen in Gold. These are really nifty little things too. The only trouble I seem to have with this one is that it doesn't last very long and tends to smear around after a while.

Topped off with a top coat and was quite pleased with how it came out!

This is a great look for a special occasion, like a wedding or prom. A bit of a fun different twist on the classic french manicure.

Wish it could've stayed like this longer.

You're The One I Need.

Hey guys,

I need a little help.

So I've been going through my days as usual. Just doddling around being busy yet getting absolutely nothing done. hehe.

And then I go sit on my computer and read those daily blogs I just love to read.

And then, in the midst, I remember.

"Hey, I have one of these blog thingies too! I should write in it!"

And then I sit on my computer, in front of a blank page.

*cue cricket chirps here*

Got nothing.

I am not a writer or (apparently) a big thinker.

I need a little push!

This is where you come in.

I am asking YOU what YOU want to read.

I came up with a couple really small (baby steps people, baby steps) weekly/bi-weekly segment ideas but I can't decide which I want to do. So I need to know which YOU like best.

(I just had to make them weekly to keep me on some sort of schedule or else, knowing me, I would only do it when I remember and then that would be like, twice a year or something. And that won't really help, now would it?)

The selection-

1. A weekly wishlist. Where I tell you what I've buying in my make-believe shopping adventures.

2. Favorite beauty bloggers/you-tubers of the week. Cause you know I have a lot. And they're awesome.

3. A little quote or song lyric that I'm loving that week. We all need a little pick-me-up to keep us going sometimes.

So I set up a little polling widget (look left!) so you can vote for your favorite idea there!

Or if you have any other weekly piece ideas, please tell me!

Thanks guys.

Go vote! 

 

And The Winner Was Me?... yay.

Being sick sucks.

And that's what's my now.

Ugh. 

On happier notes, I'm going to show you another giveaway I won a little while back! 

I hope this little winning streak I'm currently in means something. A sign perhaps? Like maybe this coming year won't be so horrible? Lol.

Anyway, this cute collection of cosmetics came from Louise at Dream Dust. She had a little Valentine's Day celebration!

So, hey, maybe something good can come from Valentine's Day after all. ;)

Pretty sweet, right?

 

Going clockwise, we have a Face of Australia Blush in O Peachy!, which is super pretty, I might add. Pinky, peachy, and sparkly.

A little Maybelline eye palette. It's got your pinks, your brown, your gold and champagne. So lovely.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect eyeshadow palette in Totally Busted, which also has really pretty shimmers in there like pink, peach, purple... Plus a little mirror inside which is so perfect.

Australis Lash TLC Conditioning Mascara. And for real, I'm a bit of a mascara junkie. So for me to try a new one that I would never get here excites me!

And a Face of Australia Gel Eyeliner, which I'm also pretty excited about because, somehow, I've actually never used gel eyeliner before...?

 And here we have three Australis Lipsticks in the shades flamenco, jive, and cha cha. 

I actually rarely wear anything on my lips but after receiving all these new lipsticks right now, I think I'm a convert! I have been missing out, seriously. 

Oh yeah, that's right world, you better watch out because here I come, me and my hot pink lips.

Bam.

 And last, but not least, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in I Love Lacey and Lust-rous.

I'm was pretty excited to see this too because I've never tried nail strips either. Actually the whole concept is a little foreign to me. Can't wait to see how they go!

So, was this not an awesome Valentine's Day giveaway or what?!

I mean you pretty much have your perfect pretty, pink, girly complete look right here. If I ever actually celebrated it and/or went out, my face would probably look something like this.

And also, not to mention, the extreme coolness of having Australian makeup? I mean, like, pretty much no one has this stuff here. So to be able to test all these out is totally awesome! The only thing is that I am kind of scared to really fall in love with any of these cosmetics because then I couldn't be able to get them again. 

Do you think that would be a legit reason to move to Australia?!?

Or maybe just live there half the year during my winter, their summer.

Oh, now that would be dreamy... summer all year around. *sigh*

Coming back to earth now... 

Again, I'm super thankful to these awesome bloggers to be generous enough to give a little something to such random people like me. 

I hope that I can put a little more wear on these cosmetics in the future and maybe show you guys some things I put together. It's just that right now, I pretty much feel/look pretttty bad and just might scare you sooo... yeah. Maybe sometime in the future... and when I don't have such a bum camera and horrible lighting. (That good ole sunshine went away again and the clouds came back. Waaahh.)

Off to take a nap. 

What's On My Nails ("Marbled" Mint)

Spring is almost here!

Yay! Celebrate!

Although there is still a foot of snow on the ground, I am so happy it's already March! 

And today, I saw the sun.

For real.

Perked me up a bit. =)

Anyway, since I was feeling a little springy today, I decided to go for mint on my nails. But then I saw that OPI silver color and I just knew I had to use it again. So I went for a "faux marbled" look. Although, it looks more like feathered or something to me.

What I did was use a base color of OPI Gargantuan Green Grape. I had to use 3 good coats because it came on pretty thin and streaky. But once it became a good solid color, loved it! Perfect springtime color.

After I let that dry for a bit, I put on a coat of OPI Birthday Babe right on top of that. Then, with a crumpled piece of plastic wrap, I kinda sponged and swirled the silver around while it was still wet, giving it the "marbled" effect. Added some top coat and wallah! 

That's it. Easy! 

Kind of an alternative to the messy water marbling or expensive textured polishes.

What do you think?

Hydrate That Head! (With Coconut)

Ok, I know what it looks like.
Ew.

But yes, I have definitely showered in the past month.

And no, a pot of grease did not fall on my head.
So just excuse the grossly glossy head of mine and the no makeup face.

I just love natural remedies and diy hair care.

And what I'm currently loving right now is coconut oil!

I use it for lots of things but here I am going to tell you how I use it to hydrate my poor little strands of hair.

So yes, that is a coconut oil in my hair. Just to get that straight.

Coconut oil is soo good for you and your hair in many ways. It strengthens, protects, hydrates, plus it just smells good. I like to make this coconut oil mixture every week or two and use it as a deep conditioning treatment.

Usually what I do is add around a tablespoon of coconut oil to about a teaspoon of olive oil. Olive oil really adds to the shine! Then, I add a couple drops of lavender oil because I love the smell plus its a relaxer. You can really add any other oils you like in here. Jojoba, almond, castor, rosemary, etc... They each have their own awesome benefits.
Sometimes I'll even add a touch of lemon juice. But if you have colored hair, you may want to leave that out because the lemon may lighten your hair a bit.

These measurements are not exact and I do have a small head and not a ton of hair so you may need to use a bit more.

Mix it all together and then massage it into your hair. 

Give yourself a good 5 minute massage. This will not only make sure the oils penetrate into your scalp but also stimulate your blood flow. Thus helping your hair to grow faster!

Keep this in for at least a couple hours or overnight. 
(If your keeping it in overnight, make sure to cover your pillow with a towel. Or else your probably gonna wake up in a puddle of oil and soil your sheets!)
 What I like to do sometimes is, on a day when I'm not going out, put it in in the morning, keep my hair up out of my face, and then wash it out in the evening.

If you don't have that kind of time, you can always use the heat from your hair dryer for a few minutes to get it to penetrate faster. Just make sure its not too too hot.

It may need a couple of washes to get it out, but afterwards... Your hair feels amazing! And you don't really need to use conditioner!

Soft, Shiny, Smooth. 

Yes, please. 

The Tides Have Turned

Let me first just say, I'm not usually a winner. Well, actually never.

No awards, no trophies, no winning raffle or lottery tickets (Don't I wish).
Just overall not very talented.

But lately, it has been a little different. 

After discovering quite a few new awesome blogs to follow and read this month... The tides have turned and I won a few giveaways! Yay me! Seriously ecstatic.

The first one I want to share with you comes from Tram and her wonderful blog Beauty with the Beautifool. She was celebrating her 3 year blog anniversary!

Here's what I received...

A whole bunch of stuff... Including a ton of Australian products!

Australis and Rimmel Lip Stick

Some Australis Eye Makeup and Creme Blush

I definitely am super thankful to get these gifts in the mail. Right now, I can't really buy a lot of cosmetics so this gives me the opportunity to change it up a wee bit and try out some new products that I would have never tried before. =)
I have a couple more coming and will share as the come in!

I am just loving this feeling of being a winner...
hehe.
Although, you still really don't need talent to win a giveaway. =/

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

One thing I do just love to try are different mascaras. I usually don't buy the same mascara back to back for I am always on the lookout for something better than the last. Haha. ;)

So, the mascara that's going through the testing period right now is Maybelline's Lash Stiletto and since I am just about finishing it, I thought I'd tell you a bit of what I thought...

The Good

• Gave me quite a bit of length, which I love because I have pretty short stubby lashes.
• It was very black. I have really dark hair so I liked that I could actually see a difference in color with a coat of this stuff on.
• Minimal clumps. I could put a few coats of this mascara on and it didn't look like the dreaded spider lashes.
• Not too hard to wash off. Just used some water and a bit of oil and it came off pretty okay.

The Not So Good

• Dried out pretty quickly. After a couple weeks or so, I noticed it being significantly drier and seemed to be running out already. I was really surprised because my mascaras usually last me a couple months at the least!
• Didn't hold a curl well. I always curl my lashes and being able to hold that curl is pretty important to me. With this mascara on, at the end of the day my lashes would sometimes look a bit wonky with some lashes looking very straight and some still in that curl.
•  Not a lot of volume. It may have given me a lot of length, but if you're looking for volume, this is not for you.
• Bristle brush. This is just my personal preference but I really do prefer a plastic or rubber brush over bristle. I just feel the plastic ones do a much better job of hugging the lashes with the formula and definition and lift.
• Had a weird smell. When I first opened it and started using it, I definitely noticed a very different smell from it. It wasn't bad... just strange. I don't know if it has worn out or if I just have gotten used to it but I don't really notice it anymore. 

 

Overall, the Lash Stiletto Mascara is in the in-betweenies for me. It wasn't horrible but I don't think I will be buying this again. But if your just looking for something cheaper that will give you length, I say go ahead and try it out. You may also want to try this under another mascara if you're looking for a bit of volume also. I picked it up at Ulta for around $8. But I'm sure you can find this mascara at most drugstores as well.

So, that's it! My first review. What do you think? Any suggestions or changes you think I should make?

Who Am I?

"Tell me a little bit about yourself..."

A phrase I hate hearing.

When I get asked that, I just start at them blankly, utter a numerous amount of uhmms, and think of nothing.

What to say?

So, today, since my computer/camera issues have yet to be fixed (UGH!) and I really would like to continue challenging myself in writing in this blog, I am going to take on that question and let you know a little more about me.

So first, I should probably show you a picture of me...

Yikes!

You should know that I've grown up constantly being reminded of "stranger danger" and internet creeps that I never ever usually put pictures of myself on the WWW.

For everyone to see.

Kinda scares me a bit still even though now, I'm not sure why.

So, big deal happening right now.

Also, it doesn't help that I rarely like any pictures of myself.

Anyways, 1... 2... 3...

Wallah!

 

 So, yeah. That's me.

Not super recent for the same lack of camera/computer connection reason going on right now but I can't say that I've changed a whole lot in the past few months. Maybe just have gotten a few shades lighter since I refuse to be out in the cold for long periods of time.

And now on to the "about me" part.

I've decided to share 5 basic facts.

Hmmm....

#1. Well, I'm a girl. But I'm guessing ya'll already figured that one out. Haha. 

Let me start again.

#1(again). I'm at that weird place between 18 and 21. So, I'm thinking guessing my age won't be very hard.

#2. I live in the Midwest but I want to go somewhere else one day. I WILL move somewhere else one day. Somewhere warm. Mmmm... and sunny!

#3. I'm pretty mixed. I come from South Asian and Spanish descent. Maybe even some European influences in there... Who knows?

#4. I'm really small/short/petite. Whatever way you want to say it, I'm that. And when I say really, I mean REALLY.

#5. I still don't really know what I want to do with my life or where I see myself in the next few years. Scary, nerve-wrecking, confusing stuff. Just picture me looking all crazy-like praying to God saying, "What should I be doing?! Where should I be going!?!" If you want, you can pray for me too because you know I need it.

Now you know a teeny bit about little ol' me. 
And can put a face to these words.
But now its midnight, and I'm sleepy.
And if I don't get my proper amount of sleep, I'm not a pretty person in the morning. =/
So, yeah.

What's On My Nails

Hi there!

Sooo.... I have been having a bit of camera issues. Actually more like computer issues. My pictures haven't been uploading to my computer so all of those makeup looks and product reviews that I had planned have been put on the back burner for now until I get this fixed. First post and already an apology... What a way to start a blog, eh? =(

Anyways, what I can do is use my mom's computer for a bit and show you what's on my nails right now. I have always loved nail polish ever since I was a very young but recently I have been trying to get a tiny bit more creative with it. So I threw in a bit of fishtail detail in there. It is a bit darker than I would normally wear.... I guess I'm just feeling the winter blues.

I have quite a diverse collection of nail polish from dollar store polish to a little more high end. I honestly just use whatever looks pretty to me and goes on well. Haha. =)

The polishes I used for this look are Sinful Colors Professional in Ardoise (a dark navy blue), Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Hard to Get (a pretty pure white),  and OPI in Birthday Babe (silver but more of an antique silver?).

It was actually the first time I have used these colors and I approved of them all! Staying power is so far so good. =)

Hopefully soon I can get my computer fixed and get some more pictures and posts up.

But just writing this simple post made me realize that I'm gonna have to get used to this. I'm a pretty private person and not a writer by any means, so starting up this blog is really stretching my comfort zone a bit.

Please be patient with me! =)

-Rena

Taking the Plunge

Hello there people.
After years of being an avid blog reader, I decided to take the plunge.

So, I spend an awful amount of time on the internet.
Spending a huge fraction of that time browsing through beauty products, drooling over fashion, and watching (or rather intensely studying) DIYs and tutorials. 
As a result of that, I consider myself a total expert in beauty things and whatnot! In my mind.
In reality, I am at the complete and total newbie status with little experience. Just beginning and still discovering.
So, if you're interested, you can join me in my beauty adventures and discoveries. Here I plan to post reviews, tutorials, other awesome blog finds, some ramblings of a boring life, and once in a while I guarantee I'll sneak a vent or two in there, or maybe just some shoes I'm dreaming of. ;)
 Forewarning- They might not be frequent, they might not be good. I'm just starting out. And I can't wait to see what's ahead.

I would extremely appreciate any tips/advice on blogging.
And if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! 
I have a low budget, but a lot of time for research. =)

<3