Today's nails are a throwback to Essie's awesome Resort Collection from 2010... the stars of which were these two polishes, #IFYEWASKME.
Turquoise & Caicos is a pastel turquoise and Lapiz of Luxury is a periwinkle blue. Both are them are perfectly beachy, aquatic and delightful.
These polishes are both on the sheer-ish side, with Lapiz of Luxury needing 3 coats before becoming opaque. I only did 2 coats of Turquoise & Caicos, but that probably could have used 3 coats as well.
It's been a little while since the last time I did polka dots, so there was definitely a practice round on a piece of scrap paper before the dots went onto my nails.
On my left hand, I used Turquoise as the accent nail, but it's switched up on the right hand - with Lapiz as the accent:
Which do you prefer?
Do you own either of these polishes?
What are you rocking on your nails today? Link up at The Nail Files!
I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Britt over at One & Twenty! Thanks Britt :)
This is just a fun way to give a "Get it, girl!" to other bloggers, and learn more about each other in the process.
Here are the rules:
Share 11 random facts about myself
Answer the 11 questions that Britt posed for her nominees
Nominate 11 other bloggers
Write 11 new questions for those bloggers
So basically, the Ponzi scheme of good vibes. I'M IN.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with random facts about myself, having already completed a 50 Random Facts About Me blog, a 13 Questions blog, and an additional 30 Random Things About Me blog. But certainly I am interesting enough to have 11 more things to say about myself, so I'M NOT SCURRED. Here we go!
11 random facts about me:
1. I'll be turning 30 in November of this year. EEK.
2. I used to love listening to my parents' CDs when I was younger. Whattup Prince, Pure Disco, Gloria Estefan, Rod Stewart and Garth Brooks?!
3. My BABY SISTER just graduated from college last weekend. Yeah, the baby sister who I still remember being brought home from the hospital as a newborn in 1992. Oy vey. (Congrats Markie!)
4. I was such a fan of funneling beer in college that a friend of mine actually made me a homemade beer funnel for my birthday one year. As a bonus, it was also filled with Hershey Kisses at the time of the gifting. (Thanks Matt!) Fun side fact: I only funneled beers because I HATED (and continue to hate) the taste of beer.
5. I absolutely love love love old Disney movies. I will almost always be down to watch one with you, if you're interested.
6. My CD collection is alphabetized. And yes, I still have a CD collection.
7. Vancouver is the best place I have ever lived, and if it wasn't so far away from my family and friends, I might want to live here forever.
8. I like to sing and rap along to whatever is playing in my headphones while I'm walking along the streets. Sorry I'm not sorry. It's for me, not for you.
9. There was a brief month or two while I was in college that I was SERIOUSLY considering getting one of my nipples pierced. My mother nervously (and wisely) told me that I should think about it for 30 more days and then if I still really wanted to get it done, then I should. Luckily for me, the phase passed. Turns out I was just depressed! Hahahasobsobsob.
10. At one point or another, I've shared a bedroom with each of my 3 siblings.
11. This is my 305th blog post on aka Bailey. What do I win?
1. Skinny jeans or Palazzo pants?
Well I don't know what palazzo pants are, so I'm going to have to go with skinny jeans!
2. One color that completely sums up your personality and why?
I would say blue, because as vibrant and cheery as it can be, it can also be melancholy at times.
3. Yoga/Pilates or Zumba?
Hmmm this one is tough because I don't actually do any of these types of exercises. There's something strong and sexy about yoga and Pilates, but dancing is so freaking fun. Surely there's a Zumbalates class out there just for me, somewhere? What I REALLY need/want to get into is a Hip Hop Dance exercise class. That would be right up my alley... unless they weren't playing good hip hop. Then I'd need to take over the DJ booth and focus more on fixing their music situation than on dancing and sweating. I've digressed.
4. Favorite author/book?
I don't have a favorite author, but I absolutely have a favorite book. It's called It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness by Sylvia Boorstein, and it was passed along to me by the mother of one of my ex-boyfriend's over 10 years ago. I've mentioned this book on my blog a couple times before, and it's always the first book I recommend when someone asks me for a book recommendation. If you're in need of a new perspective on life, or are stuck in a rut of any sort, this VERY easy-to-read book may be a game-changer. It helped me to change the way I think about things, which is a very difficult thing to change about a person. This book is also not as cheesy as books like The Secret (which I also own, not judging).
5. Early riser or night owl?
Definitely early riser. I work from home 7:00AM-3:00PM each day, so I've GOT to be alert at that hour. On the weekend mornings, I often spend 2 or 3 hours putzing around the dark and quiet apartment by myself before David (or seemingly the rest of my apartment building) gets up. I like it; it's quiet time. You can also catch me yawning by 10pm every night, and I'd always rather be snuggling on the couch than yelling over people at a bar on a weekend evening.
6. Favorite homemade meal?
Nothing stood out to me as the "right" answer to this question. Eggs and bacon maybe?
7. Control freak or controlled chaos?
Oh god, out of these two choices I'd definitely say control freak. I have a tendency to become very anxious when things are chaotic, making me more likely to spend the time being very alert to - and trying to avoid - potential disasters, big and small. I try to think a few steps ahead of everything that's going on, and try to anticipate issues before they arise. Super fun, right? Hang out with me.
8. Favorite bin on your board?
Ooh, I like this question! Excuse me while I go find out the answer......
.... Ok, HERE is the winner, which for some reason I can't figure out how to embed here in my blog. What happened to that easy "embed" function in Pinterest?? Help me.
9. Best piece of advice you've ever received?
There are way more people in the world who like me than who don't like me, so I should focus on all the good ones and not give a shit about the others. This was a helpful thing to hear at age 17, when there was definitely WAY too much "giving a shit what people think about me" going on.
10. Favorite drink at the bar?
To avoid hangovers caused by sugary, calorie-heavy alcoholic beverages, I stick to plain vodka with soda water and a lime/lemon wedge. Also... Shirley Temples. Yes, virgin Shirley Temples. #NoShame.
11. Tupperware or mason jars?
I use both for food storage, but I suppose Tupperware is the most common go-to.
Here are the 11 bloggers I'm nominating for the Sunshine Award:
1. Ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato?
2. What's your favorite Disney movie, animated or otherwise?
3. Do you cheer for a sports team, and if so how did you pick that team?
4. What's your favorite album?
5. Are you good or bad at keeping plants alive?
6. If you had one, when did you get rid of your Christmas tree this past holiday season?
7. What are you most looking forward to doing this summer?
8. Who's your daddy?
9. What is the most-played song in your iTunes account right now?
10. What was your favorite Halloween costume that you've ever worn?
11. Where is your ideal vacation, whether you've been there before or not?
Thanks again to Britt for nominating me for this fun Sunshine Blogger Award!
Do we have anything in common, from the 11 facts I shared above?
This weekend is flying by, for no good reason. Thank god I have tomorrow off of work and can relax an extra day. Speaking of relaxing, here's how I've been doing the opposite of that at the gym this week:
5/18 (upper body)
5 mins elliptical
1 min jumping jacks
15 chest press on exercise ball, 12.5 lbs each hand
After my workout yesterday afternoon, I headed back out again with David for a 5-mile walk along the Seawall. This past week has been a rainy one but the sun was shining through a bit yesterday so we wanted to take advantage of it. By the end of the walk, my feet were so sore that all I wanted to do was sit for the rest of the night.
I've also been starting to think about my packing list for the 2-week trip to Massachusetts I have planned in June. My friend Kimbo is getting married to her long-time boo, and there's also a bachelorette party for my good friend Abigail (whose wedding I get to be in later this summer - also in Massachusetts). (Yes, I get to go home twice this summer!) With the variety of activities planned for the 2+ weeks that I'll be in that corner of the country, coupled with the insane and oft-changing weather in New England, figuring out how to pack in an intelligent and efficient manner is going to be tough.
On a related note, narrowing down an outfit for the wedding is always a fun challenge, right?! I have 4 different options right now - all of which were already in my closet (hoozah!) - but I am thisclose to choosing one for sho. I posted two of the options on Instagram and people seemed to like the blue/white one on the left...
... but, as my comments on the photo imply, that one is a bit on the short side. Wearing it to a wedding might be a recipe for needing to tug down my skirt all damn night. #NahtFun.
Regardless of the dress that's decided upon, I'll be wearing it with some brand new white wedges that I just picked up in downtown Vancouver last weekend from a store called Call It Spring. One of my Vancouver blogging buddies, Sheila, suggested that white wedges will go with everything in the summer, so I took her advice and tracked down a pair that is surprisingly comfortable:
Cuuuuuuuute right? I've worn them a couple times around the house to try to break them in, but they don't seem to need it. They really are comfy.
I thiiiiink David and I are going to go hiking today, just to get some exercise. It's not shaping up to be a very nice day, but it's been a month or so since I've been up a mountain, so why not?
I hope you're all enjoying your Memorial Day weekend! Is anyone picnicking today?
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I received my first-ever Influenster VoxBox this month! HEYO.
What's Influenster? Well I just barely have it figured out myself, but from what I can surmise it's a community of online "influencers" who are granted access to special products and previews based on our interests and online social networks, in exchange for sharing our opinions on those products. These products are sent to select "trendsetters" (their words, not mine) each month via Influenster's VoxBox service. More on VoxBoxes, from the Influenster site:
"VoxBoxes are boxes filled with complimentary products from your favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) brands. Not all Voxboxes are created equal: some programs feature an assortment of products while others will spotlight one awesome brand. But make no mistake: All VoxBoxes are created awesome."
This month I was sent the imPRESS Manicure VoxBox, which included two sets of Broadway Nails' imPRESS Manicure press-on nails. In case it's still not clear enough: I was sent this product for free in exchange for testing and a review. That's "a" review, not "a good" review, per my editorial policy (YEAH I HAVE ONE OF THOSE).
So back to the nails. Now, these are not your mother's press-on nails of yore. They're really, really not. I'll admit it freely: This is a product that I'd never gravitate towards in a store for a couple of reasons:
1. My hands, nails, and nail beds are TINY. Definitely smaller than most other adult women. I couldn't reasonably expect any set of adult press-on nails to fit onto my nails.
2. I enjoy painting my nails.
But nonetheless, these were sent to me to review, and dammit that's what I was going to do with them. Spoiler alert: These are actually pretty cool guys.
The two sets I received were Joyride (fuchsia nails with a holographic sheen) and Working Girl (black and glittery silver "cracked" nails). Here's what's up:
- Each set comes with 24 nail covers in 12 sizes.
- Each set also includes a little alcohol pad to clean your nail surface before application.
- Rather than applying any glue, you just peel off a sticky backing and press the pre-glued nail firmly onto your natural nail.
- The package says it lasts up to a week, but there's a sizable asterisk next to that statement. More on that later.
I decided to try Working Girl first, so after making my way through all the packaging (a clear plastic box encases the clear plastic "nail polish bottle" which ultimately contains one more plastic piece and all 24 nail covers), I spread the nails out in front of me on my desk:
The amount of available nail covers that were actually small enough for my nails surprised me immediately. I played around with them till I found the 10 that made the cut:
I cleaned my nails with the provided alcohol prep pad and, starting with the pinky nail on my left hand, peeled-n-applied each press-on, finishing with my thumb (as suggested on the box, for maximum pressing capability).
First reaction... I was literally laughing out loud at how ridiculous my hands looked. My tiny little hands were sporting what now looked like ENORMOUS nails. They looked a LOT smaller when they were just spread out in front of me on my desk. Once on my nails though, my goodness did I look like the man-hand woman from that one episode of Seinfeld.
Thankfully, though, the imPRESS nails were incredibly easy to trim down using a regular pair of nail clippers. Like, even easier to trim than my natural nails.
After that, I started to rather like the way these press-ons looked!
They felt quite sturdy, too - not at all like they'd fall off easily. They almost felt like my natural nails - just a bit thicker. One of the ways they differ from traditional press-on nails is that they bend really easily to fit the curve of your nail. I didn't expect them to, but they did.
I've put these nails through a few tests so far, nearly all of which they have survived:
- typing - successful
- blowing my nose - successful
- cardio sweat-session at the gym - successful
- washing hands at the gym - ONE CASUALTY (see below)
- showering/shampooing hair - successful
So after 20 minutes of cardio at the gym yesterday, I'm washing my hands in the locker room... and #PopGoesTheWeasel! The left pinky nail popped right off. And once it's off, it's off - there was no re-attaching. So... that was unfortunate, because they really do feel quite sturdy otherwise! The rest of them haven't budged at all - even through a thorough hair shampooing.
So much for lasting a week I guess. By the way, I only noticed much later that the asterisk on the package (the one beside the "lasts up to a week" claim) says "*when applied properly." Passive aggressive much, Broadway Nails?!? I APPLIED THEM JUST FINE!
Anycrap. Despite the fact the one of them popped off, there are enough leftover nails in the package that I could just apply a new one to my pinky and carry on... except that now there are no other nail covers left that are small enough for my pinky. That means I either have to use a new nail that's slightly large or remove all of the other 9 nails so as to not look like a freak.
I suppose that having "spares" is the reason they give you so many nails in the package in the first place. I HOPE that's the reason anyway - otherwise you're left with a LOT of leftover plastic nails... I would seriously hate to think that most people are just chucking all that extra plastic into the garbage. That would really grind my gears actually. It's truly something that keeps nagging at me about this product - all of the garbage it creates...
Goodness, this is a lengthy blog about press-on nails. I only just realized that. Sorry. Let's try to develop a summary of my feelings:
- these nails are sturdy and mostly do stay adhered to your nails well, though I sincerely doubt they'll last a week
- they bend/mold really well to your nail shape and come with enough small nail covers to satisfy a small-nailed girl
- they are easily trimmable with normal nail clippers
- chance of pop-off, but with the potential to replace any pop-offs with a spare nail cover
- wasteful packaging creates WAY too much garbage, and that leaves a bad impression on me, personally
Broadway Nails: Impress me with your solution to the extra nail covers issue. I recommend launching a send-back program that includes a tiny pre-addressed envelope inside each package of nails, if you're taking ideas. At least make your packaging recyclable, I beg you!!
Have you tried out these imPRESS Manicure nails or any other type of modern press-on nails?
Anyone else a member of Influenster? What box did you get this month?
Y'all know me - accumulating a nice stock of new beauty products every couple of months and just DYING to share the fun here on my blog. The rest of this post is going to be hella long, so I'ma keep the intro short and dive right in. Sidebar, you guys have no idea how long it's taken me to write this blog. I swear I started it in March.
LONDON DRUGS Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara (on sale - $5.99)
The end of my current tube of The Rocket is nigh, so I needed to re-up on this trusty mascara. It's one of my very favorite mascaras - particularly for any night-time looks. It was even a part of my 2013 Favoritesround up, if you want to read more about it there.
Maybelline's Great Lash Lots of Lashes (on sale - $4.99)
Even though Maybelline's Great Lash mascara is probably the most ubiquitous mascaras of all time, and a seemingly timeless staple of drugstore makeup departments, I've never tried it before. This new "Lots of Lashes" version of the product piqued my interest just enough for me to scoop it up. I've used it a few times now and am forming my opinion. So far, I'm really impressed with how the uniquely shaped brush head hugs my lashes during application, especially the bottom lashes. The first swipe of the first coat leaves my lashes a little wet, but the second swipe separates and combs through quite well. The actual mascara packaging/wand feels really cheap - almost like it's toy makeup. There also seems to be an Achilles heel in the wand, just beneath the brush head. If you aren't careful with it, you could accidentally bend the wand quite a bit at that point when you're replacing the wand into the tube. But despite those last two things, this mascara is doing its job so far. (Which is to make my face look less corpse-like.)
Update on 5/27/14: My opinion on this mascara is now growing increasingly dismal by the day. You know how some mascaras give you a false negative impression in their first few uses, as they kind of settle into their formula? Well this Maybelline mascara did the opposite of that - it gave me a false positive impression in its first several uses, and then settled into its true formula... CLUMPY. Seriously, this stuff is making it nearly impossible to achieve separated lashes. Spend your money on a better mascara than this.
Revlon Parfumerie Polish in Moonlit Woods (on clearance - $3.99)
There were a few varieties of the Parfumerie polishes on sale that day in the London Drugs clearance bin, so I tested them all out and selected Moonlit Woods. I adore the scent of it. It's quite similar in color to the Nicole by OPI Gumdrops polish that I also picked up recently - Blue-Berry Sweet On You - but without the texture.
SHOPPERS DRUG MART Aveeno Fresh Essentials Hydrating Night Cream ($4.49 because of pricing sticker discrepancy!)
So I was looking through the face creams at Shoppers when I noticed that there was a row of these Aveeno products on sale for $4.49, marked down from $20.99!! Whaaat!? But upon closer inspection, I realized that the $4.49 sale sticker had been placed on the wrong product. I brought it to the attention of a nearby store clerk and asked if he'd honor the $4.49 price for me, since I'd so nicely spotted the problem and quietly pointed it out to him. He did!! Ladies, that's how you spend $4.49 for a $20.99 night cream! I've been using the cream (almost) every night for the last couple of weeks, and I'm obsessed with the way it smells. It also makes my face feel soft and moisturized in the morning, which I appreciate.
Revlon Fuchsia Fever nail polish ($7.99)
You guys have seen this on my blog already - I bought it specifically for my Emma Stone Met Gala nails. I can't say enough about this polish - but I already raved about it here!
SEPHORA.com Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in Lovechild - 0.13 oz ($20.40)
This is the product that I was actually shopping for on Sephora.com that day. All the rest were just bonus add-ons. After receiving a sample size of this lip gloss as a 100-point gift from Sephora earlier this year, I fell in love with it and decided to get the full size.
Marc Jacobs Honey perfume - 0.04 oz (free sample with purchase)
I was so happy to have gotten a sample of this perfume because I'd been wanting to check it out for a couple of years. With the overflowing box of sample perfumes that are already in my stash (a confession I made in this blog), there was a chance that this Honey sample would just get lost in the abyss of them all. But I'm happy to report that I've used up almost all of this sample already because it smells SEW DAMN GEWD. If you love sweet scents, you will no doubt love Honey.
GlamGlow BrightMud Eye Treatment (free sample with purchase)
Ok THIS is a weird product that I do not understand. I still don't, even after using it. It's an undereye treatment that comes in little individual pods, one for each eye. It's supposed to somehow brighten the undereye area, but after smearing on the gel-like, slimy, seemingly seaweed-infused substance, leaving it on for 5 minutes, and then wiping it off... I noticed absolutely no difference.
Kat Von D Unlock It Makeup Remover Wipes (free sample with purchase)
There are two wipes in here and I haven't used them yet because I'm so infrequently wearing enough face makeup that would require a remover wipe like this. Normally I'm only wearing mascara for makeup, which I'd remove with my Almay gentle eye makeup remover, rather than a face wipe. But one of these days, when I have something fancy to look nice for, I'll use my special Aveeno + DD Cream combo on my face, plus some bronzer (see Essence purchases below), plus some blush, plus some eye makeup... and ON THAT DAY, I will try out these Kat Von D makeup remover wipes to see how they do.
Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Sophia - 0.07 ozsample (100 VIB points)
Oh heeeey, tingle city! This is a lip-plumping gloss that leans more "cool, tingly" than "burning," if that's your thing. The color, Sophia, is a rosy pink with golden microshimmer. It's a skosh on the sticky side, I'm not gonna lie. But it's not the very stickiest in the world, and the cool plumping sensation lasts for quite awhile. It also tastes/smells like... mocha? Sort of coffee-ish? All in all, I'm very pleased to have spent 100 points on this one.
ACACIA HAIR BOUTIQUE
Kevin Murphy Young Again treatment oil - ($40)
When I (finally) got my hair cut back in March, the treatment oil that the stylist used on me that day made my hair feel SO amazing that I actually purchased a bottle of it right then and have been using it almost daily ever since. Guys... get some. Two pumps of this Young Again oil applied throughout damp, towel-dried hair will make everyday a good hair day. After my hair dries, it feels nourished, healthy, soft, moisturized, AND it's shiny. As a little bonus, rubbing any leftover product into your hands will even leave your hands feeling amazingly soft! And as a further bonus, the oil smells like yummy vanilla perfume.
CANVAS HAIR SALON
Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Shampoo ($26)
Again, going back to the hair appointment I had in March, my stylist also recommended that I switch to using the shampoo brand/line that complemented the conditioner that I was already using - a Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Conditioner. Shampoo and conditioners apparently really do work best when the same kind is used in tandem, rather than using one brand for shampoo and another brand for conditioner. So to give my "anti-breakage" regimen a boost I went into a neighborhood hair salon, Canvas, and picked up the Davines Melu Shampoo. I have to be honest... I do NOT like using this shampoo, but hear me out.
The #1 reason that I'm frustrated with this shampoo is because it does not lather. And yes, I know, I KNOW, that's actually a good thing. Shampoos that lather up nice and frothy with big bubbles actually contain ingredients that aren't great for your hair. This is a well-known fact among people who pay attention to hair stuff, so when this Davines shampoo didn't lather up during use, I knew that it wasn't a mistake or a product defect. I knew it was a sign of the quality ingredients in the shampoo... but that doesn't make it any easier to spread the product throughout my long hair! Bubbly shampoos are easy to disseminate throughout a full head of hair, because you can just work the frothy bubbles all the way down the length of your strands, and all the way down to the nape of your neck to scrub them in and get everything clean. But when there is no lather to disperse, what the hell do you do??? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?? It's so hard to feel like the shampoo is reaching every part of my hair and head when there are no bubbles.
Anyway... despite that frustration, I don't think my hair is feeling any negative effects of the non-lather yet. It certainly still feels clean and smooth when I'm done using this shampoo. So basically I've got lots of conflicting feelings about this product, so I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I FEEL. #HidesInACorner.
IN MY EASTER BASKET (AKA... gifts to myself)
I like to make Easter baskets for David and myself every year (when I remember), because why the heck not? It's fun to go shopping for tons of small items and candies to put together for a Sunday morning surprise. This year I made our "baskets" by trimming down a couple of paper bags, folding over their tops, and stuffing them with shredded magazine pages for "grass." Atop the bed of mag-grass went all of the other goodies. Some of you may remember the picture I shared of it on Instagram:
Among all the other candy treats, these were the beauty products that the Easter bunny left in my basket this year: Essence Sun Club All-in-One Bronzing Highlighter (in shade for blondes/lighter skin) ($3.49?)
YouTuber Tati recently reviewed a whole line of summery Essence products, one of which was this Sun Club bronzing highlighter, which looked really pretty to me. Knowing how insanely affordable Essence products are, this product went onto my list of things to try. I love this stuff! It's my very first bronzer, EVER, if you can believe it. I know it's not a full-on bronzer, but still - more bronze than anything else I own. I got the shimmery "blonde" shade, but this also comes in a darker, brunette version. Of note: this product smells like summer - a piña colada, specifically.
By the way, if you're interested, Tati is one of my new favorite YouTubers to watch. She's gorgeous and has tons of knowledge about makeup and beauty and life, but one of my favorite things about her is her voice! It's so soothing to listen to, and I literally don't even care how creepy that sounds. Check out her channel here.
Essence Lipstick in #53 All About Cupcake ($1.99)
It was the cute packaging that made me buy this raspberry-coral lipstick. I didn't notice until writing this blog that it's got an adorable name too (All About Cupcake). This is totally not a lipstick you need to buy, because it's nothing extra special. It's a relatively sheer lipstick that takes a lot of work to build up, but it does apply really smoothly and smells like candy necklaces... so. You decide if you want to spend your hard-earned $2 on this 'stick.
Eos Lip Balm in Passion Fruit ($3.99)
Just another eos to add to my stash! This is the passion fruit flavor - lovely.
Lush Fluffy Egg bath bomb (I can't remember how much this cost!)
I've not used this yet, so there's not much I can tell you besides the fact that it smells super sugary sweet and it will allegedly fizz up when it hits the water.
Oh my god, are you still reading? If you are - thank you for sticking it out. We've reached the end of this beauty round up!
Now tell me - have you tried any of these products? If so, let me know your thoughts! Shop them below using the Shop The Post widget ~
