nail-ventures

its no secret that i love nail polish.  i have a small collection in comparison to a lot of nail bloggers i follow...my hubs would disagree.

i have recently discovered nail stamping....i know i know i guess I've been living under a rock.

what is nail stamping you ask?  well....

2011 Bundle Monster Plates - available here

Cheeky Nail Plate #C - available here

...these are "nail plates" (minus the blue protective film).  They are metal plates with etchings on them in various designs that you put a swipe of nail polish on and scrape the extra off...pushing paint into the image in the process...then pick up the image with a soft rubber stamp.  You then quickly line up the stamp with your fingernail and stamp.

used Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Pronto Purple and Silver Sweep

isn't that fun?!! it takes some getting use to and practice but its worth it. 

its a super easy way to turning a regular manicure into awesome manicure....and you can tell people "ya i did it myself...how awesome am i?"

if you want to see this done in real time i highly recommend you check out "Plasmaspeedo" on YouTube.  She has many videos that explain how to do stamping and shows differences between the different brands and images they have to offer.

you can also just search "nail plates" in amazon and look at everything...so much fun.

i definitely will be posting more "Nail-ventures" posts here.

Beauty Tips - The Oil Cleansing Method

you want me to use oil on my face to clear it up?  what are you crazy?

NOPE...ITS SCIENCE

sorry that was a bit cheesy....but whatevs

yesterday i was catching up on some reading on notmartha.org and nestled in one of her beauty tips link posts i spotted a blurb about this natural method to get acne-free and healthy looking skin.....ok i'll bite.  The link took me to "The Oil Cleansing Method" webpage.

Go and read it....i know its long but its got lots of good info in it.  But until you have time to read all of it I will give you a brief summary. 

This method says that all the face cleansers, toners, and dirt blasting products we use are actually causing more harm than good.  I know most of us know this...but what else are we supposed to do...right?  This method states mesaging a combination of Castor Oil and Sunflower Oil (can be subbed for EVOO) and then steaming your face with a hot washcloth will help your skin expel all the nasty stuff and allow your natural oil factories to unplug and work properly.  Once your face is doing what its supposed to do your acne will clear up and you will be left with happy skin (yes please)!

So last night after reading this article i marched my self down to the Whole Foods and bought Castor Oil and Sunflower Oil.  Total for the smaller bottle of Castor (you only use a little of this-see article for ratios) and the only size i could find of Sunflower Oil (in the Olive Oil section) was right at $10 give or take a few cents.  These two bottles will last a long time because you only use a nickle size amount or your mix for each application.  So i followed the instructions - mixed my oils per my skin type ratio and oiled up.  Kinda weird at first, but I gotta say....

I LOVE THIS!! 

Once you wipe your face off it's soft and supple....not greasy or oily.  I was able to clean out pores that I normally cant.... and when i woke up this morning my skin looked brighter and was still soft....but not greasy.  Please keep in mind I have only tried this once, but I will work this into my normal routine.

I wanted to pass it on just in case someone else out there can benefit from it.  Please go read the article all the way through....there are alot of details that i left out that you should read.

Let me know how it works out for you!

Moroccan Oil vs. Sally's Faux Moroccan Oil

this past weekend i stoped by Sally's to pick up some dry shampoo and i noticed that they carry an Off-brand Moroccan Oil.  Since I was just about to run out of my REAL Moroccan Oil i decieded to by their little sample bottle and give it a try (the one on the right - $2).  the first time i used it i only used a small amount - just in case....and everything seem fine....not much different from the real thing.  I was kind of excited....wow i can buy this off-brand for a half the price of the real-deal and its just as good!

WRONG

i used it for the second time this morning and used the same amount i would have used of the REAL Moroccan Oil.  Lets just say i my hair looked better before i washed it than it did after i washed and put this crap in it.  it was so greasy and oilly that i couldnt tell if my hair was wet or dry unless i touched it.  GROSSS!!  i had to empty half a bottle of dry shampoo in it just so i would look presentable enough to go to work.....so mad. so dont use this...spend the extra money for the real Moroccan Oil - your hair will thank you.

Now....that being said...there is another Argan Oil product put out by this "Proclaim" Brand that i will recommend....but not for your hair

its a spray oil for your body and hair. I think i paid $7 for it and its a pretty good sized bottle.  just some background info for ya - my body does not like lotion.  what do i mean by that? my body rejects lotion - for exaple, 10 min after i put lotion on... my legs/arms push it back out.  i know....i know...that sounds really weird and unlikely...but its true. i can put lotion on, rub it in, and in around 10 min or so i have lotion once again sitting on top of my skin getting all over my clothes and whatever is around me.  so neadless to say...i never use lotion.  i have in the past used sesame oil instead of lotion but i dont like the smell and its toooo oilly. 

so i bought this "Natural 7 Oil".  i dont recommend it for your hair...but i do for your skin.  i use it right after the shower...a little goes a long way so dont go crazy with it.....even if you do it will eventually soak in.  it makes my legs and arms really soft - no more sandpaper elbows!!  and big plus it doesnt leave a weird oilly/greasy/sticky residue....once its soaked in it just leaves your skin soft.  HORRAY!!!

thats all for now about beauty products ranting.  im going to try to put together a post about my favorite summer make-up and beauty products - on the cheap! stay tuned

free people hair trick

I saw this on the Free People Blog and thought it I would pass it on.  

the relaxed wavy look

first, slightly dampen hair with a styling spray – she uses bumble and bumble (but im sure any flex hold hairspray, spray gel, sea salt spray will do the trick).

next, separate the hair into two pieces down the center. then separate those two into two. start with 2 strands, either the left side or the right of head, and twist the hair away from the face. then take the 2 twisted strands and twist them together. secure on top of head with a hair clip.

once the product has had time to dry, remove the clips and shake your hair out girl.

i have naturally wavy/curly hair that does this whether i want it to or not....but for those who dont i hope this helps you.

xoxo

-erin-