Fun Summer Nails

   Good afternoon ladies. I'm hoping you all had a lovely weekend, as I did. For today's blog I want to talk about summer nails, and about colours and designs we can do. Let's leave all the dark boring colors for the winter, and focus on the fun and bright colors for the summer. Let's take a look at some of these summer looks
 
Think Bright: Okay, I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely love bright colors. They look very pretty, especially if the outfit you wear is not too colorful. The nice thing about these colors is that you can play around with them. For example, you can paint your marriage finders and your thumbs really bright, and the rest slightly less bright. It's all about playing around with colors. Another thing you can do is, paint half your nail with a bright color, and the other half with a color that is less bright, and then you can rotate them as you go.
 
Water Marble: Hey, now this is something trendy, and fairly new to the nail trend. It does get quite messy, so make sure that you have a significant amount of tape around your fingers. This is what you will need, a cup of water, nail polishes, and tape. All you need to do is deep the nail brushes in the cup of water. You may use as many colors as you like. Once you've added a fair amount of color to the water, you will notice that a design has formed in the water. Next wrap your fingers with tape and deep them in the water. Fix the nails slightly if you need to, let them dry, and finally, remove the tape. You will be left with very unique designs on each nail.
 
Ombre Nails: These types of nails can be rocked anytime. However, the colors you select can vary by the seasons. Truthfully there are two ways you may decide to do ombré. You may decide to do ombré on each nail or you may decide to buy the kit that has all five different shades of a color, and do ombré on each had. Personally I like the kit because it's much easier, and it looks very pretty. However, if you want to try doing ombré on each nail, go for it. All you need is three or four different shades of a color, a makeup sponge, and a little bit of water. You always want to keep the sponge slightly wet. Then you add a line of each color to the sponge. Once you're done that, test it on paper and then press it on your nail. This look can be messy, especially if it's your first time trying it, so you can wrap tape around your fingers to make less of a mess.
 
      Okay, there you have it ladies. I hope you try these looks out. I hope you all have a good week ahead, ciao.  

Photo Citation:Joynt Sarah. Beauty DIY: Water Marble Nails.thefashionspot. 20 April 2011. 29 July 2013

Summer Refreshments

      Happy Friday ladies, I hope this week was good to you all. But many the weekend be even better! Lately the weather has been nice from where I'm from, however it has been really hot and lately I've been finding myself dehydrated. So, for today's blog I want to share with you some summer refreshments you can make. Let’s take a look.
 
Ice Tea: No, I'm not talking about the ones from concentrate. I'm talking about real tea! All you need to do is prepare it as you normally would, dissolve some honey in a pot with water, and add it to the tea, to make it sweet. Once you have done that, place it in the fridge to cool. And once you're ready to serve it, just add ice in a cup and voila.
 
Smoothies: Smoothies are always refreshing on hot days. And they are actually quite simple to make. Just add some juice (from concentrate is fine), add some ice, and some frozen fruit. Pulse it and blend it together and you will have yourself a refreshing drink. If you want to get real fancy, you may choose to add some sorbet or frozen yogurt. They will be delicious!
 
Lemonade/ Strawberry Lemonade: If there is one thing I've noticed is that, juices really cool you off on really hot days! And what’s a better drink than lemonade? All you need to do is squeeze some lemons, (I would say about a cup of lemon juice, for 8-10 servings); add some water, and some sugar to make it a little sweet, or some honey, for that matter. Again, make sure to cook the honey with a little bit of water so it dissolves. If you want to make strawberry lemonade, you of course still need the lemons; however, this time you will also need frozen strawberries! All you need to do is blend or pulse the strawberries and the lemon juice in the blender (I like to pulse, so I can still eat the strawberries.) After that you just add about 6-8 cups of water and add some sugar or honey. Again, if you want to use honey, you need to dissolve it in a pot with some water. Once all of this is done, let it sit in the fridge for a while. Once it’s nice and cool, you will have yourself a very tasty drink.
 
      Okay ladies, there you have it. I hope you try out these refreshments and that they help you cool off during the hot summer days. I hope you all have a lovely weekend, until next time. 

Photo Citation: Jamie. Home Made Strawberry Lemonade.mybakingaddiction.7 July 2011. 26 July 2013

Breakdown Of Hair Curling Iron Sizes and Hair

With so many hair curling irons out on the market, it can seem damn impossible to figure out what each one of them does for your hair. Now, for several years, I actually never realized that there was a different look that was provided by individual curling irons, thus I always opted to use whichever ones whenever I pleased and even combined them, and well, my hair always looked like a disaster. I always believed that it was hair curler problems. Nope. It was my problem. So if you can relate, this post is dedicated to you. Inform yourself about the different kinds of curling irons so you can actually enjoy the beauty that is provided from using them.

The 2 Inch Barrel Curling Iron
Although it's called a curling iron, the 2 inch barrel isn't actually intended to curl your hair, but rather, to add a wave into it or a nice rounded bend to the end of it. This kind of curling iron works best for longer hair, and for looks where you want to recreate a "blowout" inspired hair style, without having to use a rounded brush and blow dryer which can be difficult.

The 1 and a Half Inch Barrel Curling Iron
This is a great curling iron that will create big, voluptuous curls.

The 1 inch Barrel Curling Iron
If you don't have long hair, this is probably going to be the best curling iron for you as it works much better for short and medium length hair than any other curling iron does. The curls will be much tighter and smaller with this curling iron, but you can also create elegant waves.

The 3/4 Inch Barrel Curling Iron
This curling iron works best for all lengths of hair as well, and even more so if you want to achieve a vintage inspired hairstyle, or an updo.

The 5/8 Inch Barrel Curling Iron
This small curling iron works phenomenally for naturally curly hair because your curls can go out of whack from time to time, and to put your strands back in place, this is the curling iron you need to have. You can fix simple strands without people knowing that it's not natural. On that note, you can also provide the Beyonce type of curls with this curling wand as well.

The 3/8 Inch Barrel Curling Iron
If you have tight curls, you need this curling iron. It works best for the texture of your hair and can recreate fabulous looks while fixing up areas of your natural curls that aren't behaving.


Aside from the different sized curling irons, there are also different kinds that aren't included in this list. These are the most commonly used and total must haves within your hair product cabinet.

Photo Credit: http://thebeautythesis.com/2012/11/19/perfect-curls-pin-now-read-later-6/

Protect Your Skin with Sun Smarts!

Photo compliments of freedigitalphotos.net

Among many other body essentials, your skin needs to be taken care of and protected. Common sense right? BUT, here's the kicker: not many people take care of their skin correctly. Some opt to not cleanse the skin after a day with makeup, others cleanse the skin far too much; some bathe in the sunlight, while others hide away from it.

In my last post, I touched on a few tips about correctly cleansing and moisturizing your skin. Today, I want to focus on protecting your skin. Protecting your skin is as important as correctly cleansing your skin. Why make all that effort to clean your skin if you are not going to protect it appropriately?

Why should you use sun block?

• The sun causes 90% of aging.
• 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to radiation from the sun.

What you need to know about your sunscreen:

• Only companies that offer 15+ SPF can actually protect against skin cancer. However the higher the number doesn't equal to better protection. SPF 30 only offers 4% more protection than SPF 40. Use a minimum of SPF 30+ and a maximum of SPF 50 (the benefits are very minute after 50), and reapply appropriately.

• Make sure that your sunscreen is UVA and UVB protected.

• For outdoor activity, make sure that your sunscreen is water resistant broad spectrum.

How to apply your sunscreen:

• Do not slather on or put too little. An almond sized amount of sunscreen is the appropriate amount of sunscreen for your face.

• Test different brands of sunscreen to find the consistency you like. If a sunscreen feels too heavy, you probably will not apply the appropriate amount. So test, test, test. If your face is especially sensitive, be sure to try a face specific, non comedogenic sunscreen that dries to a matte finish without leaving any residue. 

• Don't depend solely on makeup sunscreen. Your makeup sunscreen is not as effective as a sunscreen alone. And while the sunscreen within your makeup will definitely help, be sure to first apply a sunscreen moisturizer onto your skin before applying your foundation and any other makeup. 

• Make sure to reapply. You want to make sure that you reapply sunscreen appropriately throughout the day. One time application in the morning will not cut it if you will be exposed to the sun all day. Use SPF mineral powder with sunscreen every few hours to protect all day. 

While taking care of your skin is important, obsession about your physical appearance is unhealthy. Take care of it. And if you break out once in awhile or get some sun kissed freckles, don't break a sweat. Your skin cycles and regenerates. Just be sure to maintain a healthy and consistent skin regiment and you'll be glowing and beautiful.

Fun Tops

     Happy Monday pretty ladies, I hope you are all well rested from this past weekend. I also hope that your weekend was a fun one. For today's blog I want to talk about fun tops; you’ll see what I mean by fun tops in just a little bit. Because let’s face it, there is so many top designs out there, that sometime we buy them, but we don't know what to wear them with. So today, I want to share some ideas with you guys in how to play around with certain shirts.
 
Back Showing Tops: Okay, these tops can be tricky. If the shirt is semi-formal, you don't want to wear a bandeau with it, because it may look a little weird. Instead, try buying a silicone bra. These bras are great for these kinds of tops, and unlike other strapless bras, they don't irritate your skin. However, if you're planning on dancing or doing some type of physical activity that will make you sweat; I definitely don't recommend silicon bras.... take it from me.
 
Big Sleeve Beaters: Okay, these types of beaters are really in at the moment. They look awesome with a pretty bandeau underneath or even your bathing suit if you're going to the beach, you can also wear your sports bra underneath them. The nice thing about these shirts is that, they are summer breezy in the summer, and very comfortable. You can rock these shirts with denim shorts, black shorts (they always work), or color pants. I suppose you can wear them with leggings, depending on how long the shirt is, however, I suggest you enjoy the nice weather and take out those nice pants and shorts. Leave the leggings for fall and winter.
 
See Through Tops: Again, with any type of see through top, you may choose to wear a bandeau or a bathing suit top underneath.  However, the nice thing about these tops is that you can wear a normal tank top or tube top underneath them during the winter, and style them with a cardigan.
  
    Okay ladies, there you have it, I hope you got some ideas on how you can wear certain tops. I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you, filled with nothing but the very best. Have a lovely afternoon. 


Photo Citation: Aliexpress..aliexpress.22 July 2013

Deter, Maintain and Fix the Frizz

Listen. No girl likes to cut her hair when it's not their choice. What I mean by that is how awful it is to feel like the only option left for your dry, brittle and frizzy ends is to chop off your locks. We've all been there, and it's an awful feeling. However, there's no need to dwell on it because this isn't the only option. There are some things that you can do to maintain your dry, brittle and frizzy ends. Now, don't get me wrong. Trimming your ends is certainly the best solution to your frizzy hair problems, and if you can even go further and chop off all the damaged ends of your locks, even better. It's probably unlikely that you're feeling that way, right? Well for those of you who cringe and cry at the thought of chopping, this post is for you. Let's maintain those frizzy beasts.

Stop The Heat
Even if it is for the majority of the days of the week, get rid of the heat products. They are doing absolutely nothing for your hair but making it worse. Okay, so they may straighten or curl your hair, but health wise, your heat products are doing absolutely nothing beneficial for you. If you want to be able to manage your frizzy hair without getting it chopped off, adopt some new updates into your hair vocabulary and give your fried strands a well-need break.

Tame The Beast
This tip won't help you deter the frizz and dry brittle ends, as does the prior, but it will certainly provide you with assistance in taming your frizzy strands. Find some frizz-control hair serums and creams that will help take the "Oomph" out of your frizziness. Now, because you don't want to do any further damage to your already-damaged hair, be sure to review the ingredients of the product prior to soaking it into your locks. If you can go with natural oils, all the better. A good thing to remember is to use in moderation because too much serums can make your hair look greasy, and that's not any better than the frizz.

Add In The Moisture
So you have your hair frizzing deterrent, and a taming method, but now you need a way to help repair your frizzy ends. The most efficient way to do so is by adding in a super boost of moisture. No, don't spray the whole entire conditioner bottle in your hair during your next shower. Instead, try some deep moisturizing hair therapy creams and practices to thoroughly penetrate your hair with the moisture that it needs. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your hair once you have completed this task to ensure that all the product has been removed from your locks. As an extra bonus, put in some leave in conditioner into your hair afterwards, and after each shower, to help provide a little extra assistance to the moisturizing department of your hair.

Your hair certainly won't look like those girl's on the hair commercials with these tips, but at least it'll look better than it did before.

Photo Credit: http://goobadbeauty.blogspot.ca/2012/01/dont-flake-out-your-hair.html

Diet and Alternatives

 

 

 
        Hello again ladies, I hope you all got through all the weekly challenges, and may you all have a fantastic weekend. I'm certainly looking forward to this weekend. Anyways, for today's blog I want to focus on dieting and alternatives. I honestly can't say I diet, I love food, and I enjoy it to the fullest. And that ladies is how it should be, we should all be able to enjoy our food. It's just about making the right choices and keeping our portions in check. Let’s take a look at some things one can do to stay in line.
 
Work Out: Go to the gym, or go out for a run. Do some type of physical activity during the week. Not every work out has to be at the gym, especially on hot summer days. Go enjoy the trails and go swimming. Swimming is one of the best exercises you can do, it works on the entire body, and as a bonus you can even do some water work outs.
 
Juicing/ Milkshakes: Always make sure you have something in your stomach ladies, and try substituting a meal for some juice. Now I'm not talking about just any juice, I'm talking about natural homemade veggie and fruit juice; they are the bomb! If you’re hungry before bed, it's never good to go to sleep on empty stomach, so, make yourself a healthy milkshake. In doing this, you know your stomach will be happy throughout the night. Just give it a shot and let me know how it works.
 
Meals: Meals are an important part of the everyday life, and they form a huge part of your diet. In other words, they either make you or break you. So ladies, try eating things that are good for your body and things that you will benefit from. Avoid a lot of salt consumption; eating salt makes us retain a lot of water, which therefore makes us look a little more blown up and a little heavier. Besides avoiding salt consumption, what else can you do? Well ladies think about portions, eat a little bit of everything in a moderate amount. Avoid having huge meals, it’s best if you have little meals every couple of hours, and have some healthy snacks in between.
 
      Okay friends, there you have it, I hope you liked these suggestions. Remember the saying, "You are what you eat."  It has a lot of truth to it, so eat right and be active. You don't have to work out super hard to have big muscles and a ripped body; you just have to work out enough so you can maintain yourself in good shape and feel comfortable with your body. Having a cheat day, in where you can whatever you want is always a good idea. I’ll leave you with that final thought, have a lovely weekend. 

 Photo Citation: Fresh Healthy Vending.Try Healthy for a Diet Makeover.freshhealthyvending. 17 October 2010. 19 July 2013