Manicure Disasters - How to Avoid and Fix Them!

I paint my nail about once a week and so I have encountered ever manicure disaster that you can think of. I have found pretty simple solutions for the most common nail fails so hopefully my quick tips and tricks can help your next at-home mani go smooth!

Problem #1 : "I smudged my nail polish before it dried!!"

This is not as big of a problem as it appears. I've read in magazines to use your tongue to kind of push the smudge back to its original position, but I just lick my finger and use that finger to again kind of push the smudge back into place. Try to be as gentle as you can during this so you don't make the smudge worse. If it is still really noticeable after you fix it, another thin layer of polish might help you, but depending on how dry your nails already were, sometimes an extra thin layer can make the smudge more noticeable. At that point, if you're just making it worse, you're probably better off removing that nail and re-painting it, but the finger lick usually works perfectly for me!!


Problem #2 : "My nail polish chipped!"

Okay so this problem is a little more major than problem #1, but it also can be fixed a few different ways! To prevent this from happening, make sure you are using a good top coat after your nail polish application. I use this one, but also love this one from the drugstore. To continue the preventative measures, you can apply a thin layer of the top coat every few days over your existing polish. The key word is thin, because you don't want to build up too much polish on the nail because then one small chip can lead to the whole layer of polish on the nail just peeling off.

If you have done all of that and still got a chip in your nail polish, you can either choose to just apply your color of nail polish to "fake it until you make it" for the rest of your manicure life. If you have a color on from the salon that you don't own at home, just cover that nail with an accent color! Put a layer of glitter polish over the chipped nail, and match that on the opposing hand. Accent nails are really popular and it doesn't matter what finger it is on!


Problem #3 : "I get polish ALL over my fingers while painting!" 

Two solutions here, one is a little more complicated, but gives perfect results. The second option is more realistic and I find myself doing option #2 on the regular.

Option #1. Pour some nail polish remover into the cap of the nail polish, or into a small container (make sure that acetone won't ruin whatever container you use). Use a small paint brush, or makeup brush (you can find them SUPER cheap at Walmart or Joanns. I use the smallest paint brush I can find and if I make any mistakes I dip the brush into the nail polish and literally just paint over the polish on my skin with that and it removes it pretty easy!

Option #2. Paint your fingers first, and save your thumbs for last. I paint my right hand (except for the thumb) and then my left hand (except for the thumb). This allows for my thumb nails to be free to kind of clean up the nail if I got any excess nail polish on my cuticle.

I would recommend option #1 if you are new at painting your nails or if you get a lot of product on the skin, if you only make a little bit of a mess on every few nails, then go with option #2 and paint your thumbs last!

Problem #4: "I can't get my glitter nail polish off!"

Easy. Copy the salon and use the tin foil method! Coat a cotton ball (I rip in half) or cotton pad in nail polish remover, set on the nail and wrap little pieces of tin foil around that to really push the cotton ball into the nail. Let that sit for 5 minutes and then you should be able to remove it right away with a swipe! If it doesn't swipe right off, you can use a cuticle pusher to help push the polish off, or just try soaking for a little longer! (this also works pretty good for gel polish!)

Problem #5 "My favorite nail polish bottle won't open!" 

We've all been there before when you feel like the weakest girl on the block because you can't get your nail polish bottle open, but it is usually happens to nail polish bottles that are getting a little on the old side. This usually happens from polish being all over the top of the bottle, which soon dries to a tacky finish leaving the cap hard to remove. You can take nail polish remover on a cotton pad and try to remove any excess polish that might be hanging around the outside. If that doesn't do the trick, soak the nail polish bottle upside in hot water. Make sure it is closed good though and it shouldn't take long! : )


I hope these tricks helped you, I have learned them all over the years from various sources and I use them all of the time!

As always, thanks for reading!
Jaimie

5 things you SHOULD be doing at night time!

They don't call it "beauty sleep" for no reason, turns out you can do really beneficial things for your skin and hair while you are snoozing throughout the night. There are so many overnight treatments you can do for all sorts of reasons but today I'm narrowing it down to five things that I do myself, and you should also be working at incorporating these five things into your night time routine! 

1. Remove your makeup! 

I cringe inside when I see someone on TV sleeping with their makeup on, or when someone tells me that they often fall asleep with their makeup on. Makeup can clog your pores and sleeping with it on is just going to continue to clog your pores, which in turn is going to lead to unhealthy skin and blemishes. At the very least, it is necessary to use a makeup removing wipe every. single. night. My favorite brand is from Ponds, but you can even just use baby wipes. I keep my makeup wipes right on my night stand so even if I'm beyond tired and don't want to get out of bed to wash my face, I can at least take my makeup off. 

If you really want to be working for your skin and not against it, it is necessary to cleanse your skin every night. If you really work on it for a few weeks you will notice a difference and hopefully create a habit in your nightly routine. I can totally tell a difference when I skip a night of actual cleansing, so this has been something that I can't skip. My favorite cleanser is Purity by Philosophy, and I use my Clarisonic Mia2 to cleanse with. There are great face washes from the drug store if you want to start experimenting, but it is good to start simple so you don't irritate your skin. (skin care routine will be coming soon to the blog). 

2. Sleep with your hair up! 

Sleeping with your hair down not only can damage the ends and cause un-wanted friction on the strands, but your natural oils from your hair can lay along your face and cause, yet again, blemishes. It is good to sleep with your hair out of your face, but not in a super tight bun because that can also damage the hair. I like to sleep with a elastic hair tie so it creates minimal damage. You can find some elastic hair ties at my Etsy shop here, but you can also pick some up at your nearest drug store!! 

3. Use an eye cream!

Dermatologists have always said that females as early as their 20s should be applying an eye cream every night. This is a preventative measure, so it isn't something that you are going to see a drastic change overnight. I have honestly only ever used one eye cream, because it takes such a small amount to cover the under eye and brow bone. The one I use is from Tarte, I really love this one but am open to trying a new one when this one runs out, any suggestions? 

4. Apply a hand cream!

Every night I apply a hand cream, and also use it as a cuticle cream. I have noticed a huge difference in the softness of my hands and the condition of my cuticles since making this a mandatory thing in my night time routine. Again, I keep my hand cream right on my night stand so there is really no excuse for skipping this step. I get a lot of hand creams in my subscription boxes, so I have a lot of trial size hand creams that I use, but one that I have purchased a few times is this one from Burts Bees, it has a natural smell, but really moisturizes my hands and cuticles! The body butters from The Body Shop are also amazing for overnight! 

5. Treat your lips! 

Another mandatory part of my night routine is to apply a heavier lip balm right before I hit the sheets. My favorite right now is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, you can read my review about it here, and you can purchase it here. It is a thicker lip balm that keeps my lips moisturized overnight. If you don't have a lip treatment, at least applying a chapstick before you fall asleep will help keep your lips smooth and healthy! Some other lip treatments I could recommend would be the Nivea Olive Oil and Lemon chapstick (green tube), Philosophy "Kiss me Tonight", and The Body shop Lip Butters. Can you tell I'm obsessed with lip balm and especially the "treatment" kind? Give one a try and you'll notice a difference in the condition of your lips! 

Do you have any specific things you do overnight that help your skin, nails, or hair? I'd love to hear them!! 

Thanks for reading,

Jaimie

My Top 5 Must Have Mascaras!

I am thinking that once every few weeks I will share my top 5 products in a certain category (mascaras, bronzers, lip glosses, face wash). Like I've stated before I try a lot of products out so narrowing it down to 5 that I will continue to repurchase really shows the products that I know and love! Today I will be sharing my top 5 must have mascaras! Yes, these will be in order!

1. Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara

If I could only choose one mascara that I could repurchase over and over, number 1 and number 2 would be my choices. This one would win the battle because it is a drugstore option and is affordable! It is by the brand Physicians Formula and it is an organic wear mascara. This is the ONLY mascara that I can literally apply coat after coat after coat and it doesn't get clumpy, it doesn't merge all of my lashes into three giant lashes, and it doesn't weigh them down. This is my hands down favorite mascara. This is also a great finishing mascara, if you try out a mascara that doesn't quite look the way you want it to, adding a layer of this over it can help seperate the lashes and add more volume. 

The bristles of this brush are a "rubber" bristled brush, which I don't have a huge preference on the type of bristle, more of a preference of the actual formula. I know that some people strictly only use plastic bristled brushes or strictly only use natural bristle brushes, so I thought I'd let you know! 

2. Too Faced "Better than Sex" Mascara

This is another holy grail product for me, it is really comparable to the mascara listed above, but the brush shape is completely different. This brush has "natural" bristles. This brush shape is larger on the ends, and smaller in the middle. This mascara allows for me to achieve a "clump-free" look without having to use multiple products to get my lashes looking perfect. This mascara separates the lashes, gives an even application, dark black color, and lasts all day :) What more could you ask for right? 

3. Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

I love this little guy so much! I have really long bottom lashes, and I can't stand the look of bottom lashes that are clumped together, or only curled on the outside of the bottom lash line. This brush is SO tiny that it allows me to get each and every eyelash from the outer corner to the inner corner which really displays an even application and makes my eyes pop! Ever since I have purchased this years ago, I have continued to repurchase it over and over. I will never go back to using a normal mascara on the bottom lash line! 

4. Loreal Telescopic Mascara

Another drugstore option here! This mascara is great for lengthening your lashes, if you lose length in your lashes throughout the day, I would recommend trying something like this first, and then following up with a second application of a volumizing mascara such as #1 or #2 in this post. I have to be pretty careful with this mascara though because if I spend too long mesmerized on how long my lashes are getting, it can get clumpy before I know it. Some people like that look, and they like the "spider-lashes" look, but not for me! I really do love this mascara for lengthening, another great one that is pretty much identical to this is Maybelline Line Stiletto, I've been purchasing that since high school!

This has a "rubber" bristle brush. 

5. Benefit "They're Real" Mascara

If I would have written this post a year ago, this mascara would be number one easily! I used this mascara to the death of it, multiple times and since then I have just continued to try out new ones, which just pushes this to the back of my mascara drawer. I really do love it, and it is a great option if you're looking to try a high-end mascara for the first time. The formula is great, and doesn't clump on me. If you can tell in the picture above, at the end of the rubber bristle brush, there is a "ball" that is such a cool feature to this mascara. The recommended application is to do one coat with this normally, go in with the "ball" part of the mascara to push the lashes up along the lash line, and then follow with another coat. I really do love this mascara, it is a staple for me! 

Well there you have it, my top 5 must have mascaras. If I could only narrow down my stash to 5 these would be it! I have tried and loved these ones and I know they work great for me and the look I like to achieve with my lashes! 

What is your favorite mascara? I love trying new ones!! 

Thanks for reading! 

Jaimie

Nail Of The Day : Essie "for the twill of it"

Guess what? I'm also addicted to nail polish, surprise surprise. Essie is one of my favorite brands, they have the greatest formulas, release new colors every season, and they last the longest on me! Usually when a new season's collection comes out, I usually will buy the color that stands out the most, and when the Fall 2013 collection came out last year, my eyes immediately drew to this color. It is still to this day one of my top 5 favorite polishes just because it is so unique, yet not obnoxious or too flashy. 

Not much to this blog post, just wanted to share some photos of this polish since it can appear to be so many different colors depending on how the light hits it!! It's so gorgeous! 

In these pictures, I used 2 coats of the Essie Polish and 1 coat of Butter London Quick Dry Topcoat (leaves my nails so shiny I can see my reflection!!)

Hope you enjoyed this quick nail of the day post :) 

Let me know if you would like to see these a few times a month, and/or more of my nail polish favorites!

What color is on your nails today? 

Thanks for reading!

Jaimie

Hot or Not?! NEW Loreal Hair Care Products!

So a few weeks ago I picked up some things from L'Oreal's new hair care line, I have always liked their hair products and they were on a great sale so I picked up four products. I have used all of them for a couple weeks to find out my honest opinion and today I will round up my conclusion on whether these products are hot or not! 

#1 : BOOST IT High Lift Creation Spray

This product claims to be able to give you targeted root application with a fan spray for instant lift and fullness. It claims to have a strong hold that adds body to any style for a voluptuous, textured look that lasts. I have used this product in a few different ways, and some work better than others. I first tried this product as simply as I could, I lifted up the hair around my crown section and sprayed a few sprays, and it really did give me instant body. I released the hair and I had definite body going on, but it didn't last long. It fell pretty short after but was great while it lasted. The next time I tried the product I did a little backcombing, and then set it with this product. That method is the best way that I have used this product, I use it as a specialized hair spray for just backcombing my hair. It reduces the amount that I have to tease my hair, which is great! 

Hot or Not? I'll definitely say this is Hot! 

#2 LOCK IT Weather Control Hairspray

This hairspray claims to deliver a lightweight mist that locks out humidity while locking in a smooth style, for up to 48 hours. Also claims to instantly help tame unruly fly-aways and frizz, have a water-free and humidity resistant formula so you're hair style will stay all day. I only had to use this product one time to determine my opinion, and I don't like it at all. I never thought of myself as a picky person when it came to hair spray, they all pretty much do the same thing, wrong... This hairspray smells disgusting, which is such a turn off when it is the last thing you're spraying on before you leave the house. It smells like dill pickles to me, which is a weird reference, but totally what it smells like. I don't feel like it worked any better than any hair spray I have on hand so I wouldn't be recommending this to you! My favorite hairspray is the Garnier Anti-Humidity Sleek & Shine Hairspray! : )

Hot or Not? ... NOT! 

#3 SLEEK IT Iron Straight Heatspray

First things first, you should be using a heat protectant if you use any type of hot tool on your hair! If you aren't, pick one up next time you're at the drugstore! Okay, so this heatspray claims to offer 450 degree heat protection and is formulated to work with any heat styling tool, protects from heat damage, calms frizz, seals in shine, blocks humidity and helps style last. A heat protectant is a hard product to have a first impression on, because it is working beneath the surface, so really the only thing you can judge it on is the smell, the texture, and the packaging. The smell is similar to the hair spray, not as bad, it isn't pleasant though. The texture of it on my hair is similar to other heat protectants, doesn't make my hair wet but disperses enough product to coat my hair after brushing it through. The packaging is okay, I'm not a fan of those spray nozzles as sometimes it can shoot out too much product in one solid area of the hair.

Hot or Not?! I'm going to say NOT on this one. It isn't anything special, and the smell puts me off a little. I would try the Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray by Tresemme if you're looking for a simple, affordable one. It has a similar nozzle but its fool proof and I've used it for years. My absolute favorite though is the Paul Mitchel Hot Off the Press heat spray, it acts as a hair spray which is amazing, and it comes in a normal hair spray can which is much easier to spray!

#4 SLEEK IT Strand-Smoother Serum Spray

This spray claims to provide a hi-shine ultra-sleek look, while perfectly smoothing hair, taming frizz, and fighting fly-aways. I really like this, it also contains that horrible smell that I talked about earlier, which is so off-putting to me!! Besides the fact that it smells, it works pretty great. I have used it as my last step while my hair was straightened, as well as curled. It worked great for both styles, smoothed down frizz and just made my hair a lot smoother.

Hot or Not?! Hot for this one!! If it had a better smell I would make this a holy grail product but I'm still on the hunt for a good smoothing spray with a yummy smell! 

Thanks so much for reading today! What new products have you picked up lately?!

Jaimie

Makeup Sponge Showdown! Beauty Blender vs. Real Techniques

I've been applying my foundation with the Beauty Blender for almost 2 years now, and I am definitely bias to their brand and didn't ever see the need to try out any of the "knock-off" beauty blenders that are out on the market (there are a ton!) 

Until I kept seeing reviews of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

Bloggers were saying that it was a true contender to the beauty blender, and it does a very comparable job if you're looking to save some money. So while I was at Ulta a few weeks ago I picked up the Real Techniques sponge and tested it out for you guys! 

1. Cost

Beauty Blender 

runs you $20, or you can get a pack of 2 for $30. I always buy the 2 pack, and they really last a long time if you're sure to wash them after every use. When you think about it, $20 is a lot of money just for a sponge, but once you try it it quickly becomes worth the price. 

Real Techniques

sponge is $6. Super affordable and available in some drugstores. 

Winner? 

Obviously the Real Techniques sponge wins in this category, and if you're looking to try a sponge for your makeup application, maybe trying the Real Techniques $6 sponge is where you should start, and then splurge on the Beauty Blender if you want! 

2. Shape 

Beauty Blender

The beauty blender has a tear drop shape to the sponge. I tend to use the bigger end for all over my face, and the pointy end for smaller areas such as around my nose and eyes. I have never felt that it needed a different shape or other feature to achieve a better application, but the next sponge offers a little more with shape.

Real Techniques

The real techniques sponge has 3 different parts to it. It has the pointy end, just like the beauty blender does. It also has a rounded side, but it is on the side of the sponge and not the opposite end. The part that is different on this sponge is the flat edge that it entails. While first trying this out, I didn't really think I had a use for the flat edge, it just didn't feel necessary. I started reading more blogs to see how they all utilized the flat edge and many people said they used it for the sides of their nose and their forehead. I guess it works great for the side of the nose, but I don't feel like it is absolutely necessary.

Winner

This category is a little hard for me to choose. I've been using the Beauty Blender for so long that the shape feels perfect to me, but the real techniques sponge offers another dimension to it. I would have to say that the Real Techniques sponge wins in the shape category just because it has everything the beauty blender has, and extra! 

3. Application

Beauty Blender

To use the beauty blender, you are supposed to run it under water for a few seconds and it will then double in size. After it is damp, you can put your foundation straight on the sponge, or distribute it onto your face first. After that, you are to use bouncing, patting motions to blend your makeup into your skin. It truly is amazing it gives a really natural look because the sponge is damp and I will never go back to using a brush again. It blends out perfectly while giving great coverage!

Real Techniques

To use the real techniques sponge, you are also able to run it under water and watch it expand. The creator of this sponge actually recommends leaving it dry, but I got mine wet so that it was an equal comparison. I have since used it dry and it just feels weird to me, I like the feeling of a wet sponge while applying my makeup, so I won't be using it dry.  It doesn't quite double in size when it gets damp, but it does get larger. It acts similar to the beauty blender while actually applying the makeup, but I don't feel that it blends out as perfectly and it takes a little longer to achieve the perfect coverage and appearance. 

Winner?

Beauty Blender has to win here. It applies much nicer on the skin and gives a much nicer end result. It is easier to blend, faster to achieve what you're looking for, and just functions way better. 

4. Overall Impression

Overall, this is tough!! Like I said at the beginning of my post, I have been using the Beauty Blender for a long time and I have grown to accept the price, so trying something new in this category is hard for me. 

If you are looking to try using a sponge, I would recommend the Real Techniques sponge because it is more affordable and you have less to lose if you don't like the function of a sponge. If you have been using the beauty blender and are wanting to save some money, the real techniques sponge does a comparable job to the beauty blender. 

Overall, I think the Real Techniques sponge is a very comparable option to the Beauty Blender, I'll leave the actual decision up to you :) 

Thanks for reading!

Jaimie 

How To Determine Your Skin's Undertone: Warm or Cool

This might sound a bit dramatic, but if you want to ensure that you are wearing the makeup that is right for you, the most important factor to that is determining your skin's undertone. Once you know your undertone, finding colors that work for YOU is much easier! 

So first it is important to know a little about what exactly is an "undertone" and how it is important to you. Your undertone is the color that is underneath everything. Whether it is the middle of the winter and you're white as a ghost, or whether you just got back from Mexico and you're a bronze goddess, your undertone NEVER changes. 

There are two main undertones, warm or cool. A person can also be a Neutral skin tone, which means the following "tests" you can do, they can fit into both categories (lucky)! When you're in the makeup aisle and the foundation is marked with a W or a C, it is referencing the undertone in the foundation. For example, Loreal Tru Match is one of my favorite foundations, with a huge color selection. There are colors ranging from C1-, to N6, to W7. Those letters in front of the numbers are referencing your undertone, and the number after is referencing the range from light to dark within that undertone. 

This picture shows an example of a color range of the Loreal Tru Match Foundation, although all of those lighter shades might look similar to you, they all hold a different undertone. Once you buy that bottle of foundation and take it home you might feel like it matches your skin perfectly but if you didn't chose the correct undertone it can work in all the wrong ways. 

So by now you're probably wondering how to determine your undertone right?! Well I'm going to tell you a few tricks, and how I found my undertone!

Test #1: Look At Your Veins!

Yep, you read that right! The best way to determine your undertone (in my experience) is to look at your veins! Flip over your wrist and look at the veins below your hand.

If they appear more BLUE: displaying a COOL undertone

If they appear more GREEN: displaying a WARM undertone

If you are seeing BOTH blue and green: displaying NEUTRAL undertone

Test #2: Check Your Jewelry!

The next tests are kind of tricky, because for a majority of people, it can sway both ways. The vein test is the best controlled way to check your undertone, but if that didn't give you a solid answer, then maybe these next tests will! This is a personal preference test to which jewelry you look best in, but try to focus on the way these colors make your skin look, if they wash you out or compliment your skin color. 

If you look best in SILVER jewelry: displaying a COOL undertone

If you look best in GOLD jewelry: displaying a WARM undertone

If you can pull off BOTH gold and silver jewelry: displaying a NEUTRAL undertone

Test #3: Do you Burn or Tan?

This test can be wrong sometimes but it is another good rule of thumb to just double check your undertone from the vein test. 

If you BURN after a day in the sun: displaying a COOL undertone

If you TAN after a day in the sun: displaying a WARM undertone

Still Unsure?

If you're still unsure of what your skin tone is, you can go to a beauty counter and ask the consultant to help you find your undertone. That is how I originally found my undertone at an Estee Lauder counter. The consultant asked me what my undertone was so she could match me to a foundation and I said that I thought I was cool, so she did the vein test, and I was right, I have a cool undertone! 

What is your undertone!?

Thanks for reading, 

Jaimie