DIY | Ombre Nail Tutorial

February 11, 2016February 28, 20166 Comments

Happy Thursday Lovlies! I’m so excited to bring you this DIY ombré nail tutorial designed by my cousin, just in time for Valentine’s day. 💕 My cousin describes this look as a Lana del Rey inspired edgy romantic style. Cue “Young and Beautiful“, this beautiful ombré effect is so simple to do! The look is meant to be a little messy which makes the application that much easier. The gradient pink of this DIY helps to draw attention towards the tip of the nails, without being overly dramatic. Oh, and did you notice the little gold heart detail? A little detail that others can’t notice from afar, but you’ll know, since it’s a heart just for you. 😘

Pair this nail style with something comfy but cute. Our #OOTD is a pale pink romantic sweater paired with jeggings and combat boots, to add a edgy vibe. A simple white clutch completes this look with a pair of rings.

DIY | Ombre Nail Design

What you’ll need

White nail polish
Two shades of pink nail polish (One brighter than the other)
Gold nail polish
Eye-shadow sponge
Small piece of aluminum foil
Nail art dotting tool
Nail polish remover
Q-tips

How to

Start with the white nail polish to set the base for your design. Apply two thin coats and allow to completely dry before moving to Step 2.
Apply a drop of the lighter pink polish on a piece of aluminum foil.
Dab your sponge in the polish from Step 2 and sponge on (lightly stippling) to cover 3/4 of your nail, starting from the tip; let completely dry before moving on to Step 4.
Using the same technique from Steps 2 & 3 apply the brightest shade of pink polish to 1/4 of the nail, starting from the tip, adding color until you build the desired intensity. Allow to completely dry. You can either stop here and skip to Step 6 or add the heart design.
Heart Design: Using the dotting tool, add two dots of the gold nail polish side by side leaving a small space in between. Drag the two dots downward at an angle, connecting each end to form a heart.
Use a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover to remove excess polish.
Seal the design with a clear top coat.
Repeat on the rest of your nails.

Tips

Start with clean nails.
Do one hand at a time.
In order to avoid muddy colors, allow the polish to completely dry before moving to the next step.
Dampen the sponge with water to avoid over saturation. This also helps for smoother application.
In order to avoid making a mess, dot the nail polish on aluminum foil or a wax plate instead of paper. Nail polish will soak through paper and could potentially leave a mess.
Don’t have a dotting tool? Make your own by sticking a pin in the eraser end of a pencil.
For the heart design, work quickly to make your connecting lines before the dots dry.

XOXO

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DIY | Art Deco Nail Design

January 21, 2016February 7, 20164 Comments

Hi lovelies! Happy Thursday! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am. 🙂

Here is a Great Gatsby inspired DIY nail design for you to try. My cousin channeled her inner Daisy Buchanan when coming up with this nail art idea and drew inspiration from the black and gold color styling of that era. The Art Deco feel is achieved by using geometric lines in the design. This nail art is very simple and low-maintenance but achieves a sophisticated look. My cousin loves this style because since the polish doesn’t extend all the way to the tips, the manicure never chips!

It’s the perfect look for a glamorous night out and would pair well with that little black dress.

DIY | Art Deco Nail Design

What you’ll need

Tape
Gold Nail Polish
Black Nail Polish
Nail Striper or Thin Brush
Nail polish remover
Q-tips

How to

Form a triangle on your nail with two pieces of tape.
Apply two thin coats of gold polish inside the space between the tape.
Immediately remove the tape after the second coat and allow the polish to completely dry before moving on to the next step.
Using the thin brush, outline the triangle with black polish.
Draw a line from the bottom right corner of the triangle to 3/4 of the top.
Use a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover to remove excess polish.
Seal the design with a clear top coat.
Repeat on the rest of your nails.

Tips

Start with clean nails.
Do one hand at a time.
Remove the tape before the polish is completely dry.
For Step 4, lay the thin brush lengthwise along the triangle and pull your finger away swiftly for an effortless line.
For thin lines, use light pressure.

Hope this DIY inspires you for your glam night out.

XOXO

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Taming the hair beast: How to care for your Brazilian Blowout

July 29, 2015July 31, 2015Leave a comment

In my previous Brazilian blowout post, I explained my obsession and gave a few tips on how to maintain and expand the life of your blowout. Now I’d like to dive a bit deeper into Brazilian blowout maintenance and give you a glimpse as to just how easy it is. My routine is a simple four step process: 1) shampoo, 2) condition, 3) deep condition, and 4) moisturize. The most important thing you can do to expand the life of your Brazilian blowout is to use products that are sulfate-free. I have experimented with a variety of expensive and less costly products and found that the price does not necessarily make a big difference. The key is to keep it simple and invest in a few key pieces that will elevate your hair game to the next level!

Air dried hair with moisturizers noted in Step 4. This is month 3 of the Brazilian blowout.

STEP 1: SHAMPOO

Shampoo your hair once every 2-3 days (or wait longer if possible). Choose a shampoo that is sulfate-free and contains keratin. Shampoo strips your hair strands of their protein, so you want to pick a product that will be as gentle as possible. The purpose of choosing a shampoo with keratin is to add back the protein that the shampoo may be stripping in an effort to extend the life of your blowout. My favorite shampoo is “Keratin Color Care Shampoo” by Keratin Complex. It is both sulfate and sodium chloride free which is perfect for colored hair maintenance. STEP 2: CONDITION

Condition your hair after every shampoo. Choose a conditioner that contains keratin and leave the product in your hair for at least 3 minutes before rinsing. Try to divide your hair in half when applying to penetrate as much hair as possible. My favorite conditioner is “Keratin Color Care Conditioner” by Keratin Complex. STEP 3: DEEP CONDITION

At least once a week, deep condition your hair in place of Step 2 after you shampoo. Choose a deep conditioner that contains keratin and leave the product in your hair for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Focus the deep conditioner on your ends, as this is where the hair is the most dry. I like to rub regular conditioner on the upper part of my strands after putting deep conditioner on my ends. I then wrap my hair in a bun and let that sit on the top of my head. My favorite deep conditioner is “Vanilla Bean Deep Conditioner” by Keratin Complex. This conditioner leaves my hair feeling silky soft and smells like vanilla bean frosting. You can even see the vanilla specks in the product.

STEP 4: MOISTURIZE

Step four is broken up into a two-part step; a) moisturize the hair when wet, and b) moisturize the hair when semi-dry. For those of you that have very dry hair, this two-part step is very important in extending the life of your blowout. Use a styling serum when wet to tame frizz as your hair air dries. A serum is a very concentrated product which you want to use sparingly. After washing and conditioning, towel dry your hair and add between one to two pumps of product (depending on your length and thickness), massaging the product into your hair and focusing on the tips. You can either blow dry your hair on a low setting or let it air dry after applying the serum. Because I like to keep a low maintenance routine, I will usually let my hair air dry unless I am in a rush. Once your hair is semi-dry, add a moisturizing heat protection product prior to utilizing a flat-iron or high heat. I find that moisturizing in this two-part step leaves my hair very soft and manageable. My favorite products are “K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil” by Joico and “Keratin Dry Oil Mist” by Ion.

K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil

To say that I have thick hair would be an understatement. As you can see from my photos, my hair is extremely thick, dry, and curly. It basically does whatever it wants when given the opportunity. That’s why feel it’s so important to maintain a regular maintenance routine in order to tame the hair beast!

After following my regular maintenance routine and using a 2-inch ceramic flat-iron to straighten. This photo was taken the day after the photo of my hair above.

What are your tips and tricks to keep your hair under control? 😉

My Brazilian Blowout Obsession

April 12, 2015February 7, 20162 Comments

The way I understand it, hair follicles are largely composed of a type of keratin protein. When you are a child, your hair contains a large amount of that protein giving you that smooth, soft, and practically frizz-free texture. Depending on your genetic makeup, as you grow and go through hormonal changes you can lose some of that protein leading to dry and frizzy hair. Everyone’s hair texture is different. My hair, believe it or not, is very curly and frizzy! I started getting Brazilian Blowouts around 5 years ago before all of the big hype. I am lucky that one of my family members is a stylist and gives me family pricing because that’s the reason why I’ve been able to support this obsession for so long. The Brazilian Blowout has literally changed my life. It’s honestly reduced the number of bad hair days, which has boosted my confidence. It‘s cut down the time it takes for me to get ready in the morning, which has allowed for longer snooze session. It’s given me the freedom to tackle on humidity without the fear that my hairstyle will be ruined within seconds. It’s one less worry when it comes to working out or breaking a sweat because I know my hair won’t take up hours of my day to wash and dry. The process itself takes a couple of hours, but I am more than happy to spend 2 hours at the salon for 3 months of hair freedom.

My hair after receiving a Brazilian blowout treatment.

Getting a Brazilian Blowout is not for everyone. If you are considering it, I definitely recommend doing your research beforehand as there is some controversy behind this treatment. Make sure to find a reputable hair stylist with good reviews and call to confirm that they use a formaldehyde free formula. WebMD offers some good facts on the process. Here are a couple of questions I came up with when doing my research and the answers I found:

What is a Brazilian Blowout? A Brazilian Blowout is the process by which keratin protein is added to your hair.

How is a Brazilian Blowout different from a Japanese Straightening treatment? Japanese straightening treatments chemically change the texture of your hair. The process can take up to 8 hours and the results last indefinitely. If your hair is naturally curly your hair will not revert back to its original state. Only the part that grows out will be in its natural state and you’ll have to endure a stage of awkward regrowth between pin-straight and frizzy hair. The process leaves your hair weak and can make your hair feel dry and brittle. The Brazilian Blowout on the other hand does the opposite. It adds keratin back into your hair (which is a natural complex) and leaves your hair feeling soft and healthy like when you were a child. The process does not permanently change the texture of your hair, so if your hair was curly before, you can still style it curly after. The treatment takes anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on length and texture and lasts around 3 months before completely washing out.

How do you maintain your Brazilian Blowout? In order to make your Brazilian blowout last you should use sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfate is a salt that strips your hair of oils. If your scalp is not used to sulfate-free shampoos you may go through stages of dandruff. You don’t have to feel obligated to purchase the most expensive shampoo. Just be aware and try out different ones until you find the right one for you. I also use heat protection sprays for blow drying and straightening my hair, and keratin oils when styling. For any products that I use in my hair (which are minimal), I check the labels to make sure they are sulfate-free. When using oils, I stick to keratin based oils and only use a minimal amount to tame fly always. Keeping this routine has helped to extend the life of my blowouts and keep my hair maintenance to a minimum.

Some people may call my obsession with Brazilian blowouts crazy, but I call it love.

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