Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Also...... This

Because it's magical.



My Newest Obsession

Occasionally, I like to write about things that aren't makeup. I've done posts on nature's beauty and inner beauty. This is more about finding your inner beauty and being comfortable in your own skin. It's something I know many girls and women (even men) struggle with. I've long looked at myself and been unhappy with my body, or my uneven skin, who hasn't? I've found something that has made me look at myself in a new light. I'm healthier than I've ever been, I'm losing weight, and it's a great stress release. I'm talking about running.

I started running in January as part of a New Year's Resolution, you know, one of those things we say we want to do, stick with it for a week or two, then give up because we've set an unrealistic goal for ourselves. My goal was to run a half marathon before the end of the year. Being as we're almost half way through the year, I've realize that I'm not ready for that distance yet (13.1 miles) That doesn't mean that I gave up on running. Except for the 2 months I was too sick to run (if I can't breathe sitting still, running is out of the question. lol) I've ran at least every other day since the first of the year.

I went from being unable to run a quarter of a mile to running almost five miles in an hour (with walk breaks and stops to stretch) Overall, I'm super proud of my progress and while I may not be running a half marathon this year (I'm still undecided) I WILL be running one next year and I'm seriously considering the Chicago Marathon next year. I've already run my first 5k and while I didn't do as well as I had hoped and thought that races may not be for me, I've recently become obsessed with signing up for any race I can scrape up the money for.

For me, running is a great stress release and way to unwind. What do you do to relax?

Scroll down for some before and after pictures. :)


Left- January '13 195lbs. Right- April '13 170lbs

Monday, May 13, 2013

Nail Wheel Swatch-fest!

I've lately become a little obsessed with nail polish. I want it all: creams, glitter, matte, texture, holo, frost, you name it. So, I went a little bonkers and filled a nail wheel with some of my current favorites and a few comparisons.
                          
Geek Chic Cosmetics Malefic
Layla Holographic Mermaid Spell

China Glaze Sci-Fly By

                         
 I really like the two holo nail shots. You can really see the difference between the two of them. The China Glaze has a much more subtle holo than the Layla, though both are nice and I'm glad to have them both in my collection, must own all the holo.


Sally Hansen Showtime

The Sally Hansen was a gem I found in my stash before I found/was able to buy any other holos. It's less linear and more of a scattered holo, but it does have a bit of linear holo to it. I love it, either way.

OPI Witch is Which

Another holo, this one not linear or scattered really. I love the little holo particles, larger hexes, and holo bar glitter.

Close up of the China Glaze Textures

My textured polishes. Two OPI, three China Glaze, and one Zoya

Another thing I'm digging is the textured polish craze. I did a blog post about it a few weeks ago, but decided to swatch all my textures. The blue and purple on the left are OPI shades from the Miriah Carey collection. The pink, green, and orange are from the new China Glaze Texture line, and the black on the right is a Zoya Pixie Dust, Dahlia to be exact.

A good side by side of some holos

Lastly, I have a side by side of my holos. As you can see, the China Glazes on the right are much less noticeable. These shots were taken in full sun with no top coat.

I hope you've enjoyed some of my current favorites. Any you wish you had? Any I need to keep my eye out for?






Monday, May 6, 2013

Star Sprinkles!



I wanted to do a little write up about a magical polish I bought about a month and a half ago. I love to buy indie whenever possible and this little gem comes from Geek Chic Cosmetics and it's called Star Sprinkles. Inspired by Rainbow Brite (one of my favorite cartoons from my childhood). Star Sprinkles is full of multi colored glitter, blue stars, and silver shimmer. Since it's a top coat and not one to be worn alone, I used Essie's First Timer as undies with an accent nail of Essie In the Cab-ana with a light coat of Layla's Mermaid Spell on top. Top coat is Seche Vite and base coat is Orly Ridgefiller.


Star Sprinkles bottle front


Star Sprinkles back of the bottle.

Essie First Timer
Essie At the Cab-ana
Layla Holographic Mermaid Spell

First Timer, In the Cab-ana, Star Sprinkles, and Mermaid Spell.

What do you all think of the new way I did the pictures? I think I like it and will be doing more like this. I got some plexiglass from work, so that helps. :)

All products featured were bought by me. All opinions are my own.