My Skin Care Routine for Sensitive and Dry Skin

I don't know why it bugs me when people say "OMG THIS VIDEO WAS SO REQUESTED", so I'm about to seriously annoy myself as I say it, but-  farreal, this video was so requested. My routine doesn't have any crazy fun products, or leave your skin smelling like sunshine pony princess- but it keeps my skin healthy, balanced and moisturized. Watch above if you're interested to see what I use on a daily basis.

Products Mentioned:

1. Sensitive Skin Cleansing Gel- DDF

2. Amplifying Elixir- DDF

3. Moisturizing Dew SPF 15- DDF

4. Wrinkle Resist Pore Plus Minimizer- DDF

5. Makeup Remover- Lancome Bi-Facil/Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover

6. Face Brush- DDF

If you're interested in any of these products, you can find the skin care line on DDF's website, or at/on Sephora. You can find the Lancome remover at any Lancome counter, and I found my Neutrogena remover at Target :)

April Haul

Items Shown
1. Raj Bracelet: Jewelmint
2. Phalange rings: Claire's
3. Necklaces: Nordstrom [Trend Department]
4. Forehead bands: ShopBop [totally mixed it up and said topshop]
5. Maybeline Color Show Polishes: Coral Crush, Green with Envy
6. L'Oreal Polish: Club Prive
7. Essie Nail Polishes: Armed and Ready, Lights, Beach Bum Blu, Pink Diamond
8. Sally Hansen Diamond Effect Polishes: Gold Veil, Antique Bronze, White Veil
9. Maybelline Express Finish Polish: Primrose Pink
10. Lancome Teint Miracle: Bisque
11. Lancome Dual Finish: Matte Neutralle II
12. Lancome Shadow Palette: Kissed By Gold 102

Been waiting to do this haul video! If you're new to my blog, I like to hold my hauls off until I have had time to use the products/provide some form of review. I've already written about most of the polishes shown, but you can expect new posts very soon detailing the other ones!

I'm off downtown for the rest of the day! Hope yours is great :)

Nail of the Moment: Sally Hansen Smooth Perfect Polish Review

I chose this next color when I was indulging in my usual Sunday night routine of 'take out your anxiety with John Mayer and a bottle of nail polish remover'. View this next polish picture accordingly by imagining the opening beats to 'Heartbreak Warfare' accompanied by a strong smell of acetone:

Sally Hansen Smooth Perfect ColorCare Nail Polish in 'Sorbet'

While the picture is pretty, the general review is not. Five coats later, this polish induced more stress than it saved. Currently layered on my nails to achieve this opacity? A base coat, a white coat, then THREE coats of this formula. My nails were still tacky over an hour later && I have a fingerprint or six to prove it [so, basically, the complete opposite of 'smooth' and 'perfect'].  I feel as if you'd need an upwards of six coats just to achieve the light orange color that the bottle appears to house. The upsides? The polish dries with a shine that mirrors a top coat, and the classic Sally Hansen flat brush is one of my favorite applicators. Also, I listened to Battle Studies in its entirety while waiting for this to dry [not a polish upside, but I'm grasping here].  Overall, I don't think this polish was worth the purchase. You can find a similar shade that doesn't take 4+ coats and forty minutes to dry. 

While I don't enjoy writing negative reviews, I enjoy wasting my Sunday night stress ritual significantly less [should have skipped the soul searching, gone straight to the sushi] Here's hoping this saves you from a similar experience!

Nail of the Moment: Maybelline Color Show Coral Crush

I was about to preface this post with some form of 'Hey! You! I've changed my nails again!', but I feel it would be demeaning to insinuate that you don't already know and expect this. So, while this post might not be a surprise, maybe at least my color choice will be..

Maybelline Color Show 'Coral Crush' Nail Polish

Today's shade is 'Coral Crush' from Maybelline's Color Show polish line. I bought a variety of Maybelline polishes on my last polish buying binge, two being from this collection. Thankfully, this formula is true to the bottle- it took two coats [sans nail foundation] to produce this color. The color is a true coral- definitely an orange toned pink instead of a ligher, salmon hue. I'm not obsessed with this. I'm actually pretty underwhelmed, but that's not a fault with the brand- I just liked my last switch more! But, as far as the line is concerned- no complaints with the formula. I like it MUCH better than the last one I purchased from their 'express finish' line [took 3+ coats to even resemble the bottle, but that could just be the color I picked]. Overall, I'd say if you want it- get it! 

I have yet to try the other shade I purchased from this line, but you can expect photos and a review when I do [so, yeah, I'd give it three days] 

Sigh. I have a million things to do right now. So, naturally, what do I do? Completely shirk all responsibilities, take pictures of my nails && write a blog post! Totally detrimental to my to-do list, totally beneficial for my mental stability.  Thanks for keeping me sane :) 

My Style Diary: Casual Glam Outfit Of the Day

Hanh came over yesterday && helped me film this quick, casual outfit of the day. The weather out here has gone from fabulous to freezing in a matter of days [thanks alot, Chicago]. This is typical of what I wear during that awkward in-between-seasons period

Items Shown:

1. Sheer Tuxedo Shirt: Free People

2. Leggings: Hautelook

3. Flat Boots: Steve Madden

4. Gem Tote: Valentino

5. White Sunglasses: Prada Baroque

6. Teal Polish: L'Oreal "Club Prive"

7. White bracelets: Dailylook

8. White necklace: Nordstroms 'trend' accessory department

I love wearing white in the spring. It's clean, light and flattering on most everyone. I've been obsessed with this free people shirt for months- it's opaque in all the right places && barely sheer when combined with high waisted leggings. Little details like that are so cute when it's still too cold to actually have exposed skin. I'm also LOVING white accessories! The sunglasses and chunky necklace are new additions [cough, favorites] in my closet. You already know that I've been obsessing over my black flat boots for months- I think my friends are finally growing concerned that I don't own any other shoes. 

Do you have any favorite pieces or colors you love to wear for spring? Make sure to leave me a comment on the video, and watch the tutorial linked at the end of this one if you want to learn how to create loose waves perfect for spring! 

Nail of the Moment: L'Oreal Club Prive

I don't know what's my deal, but recently I've found myself gravitating to mostly blue polishes [blue, blue-green, greenish blue, blah blah, you say potato, I say vodka]. Some may say I've finally taken this whole home decorating thing too far, but the thought of matching my nails to my jewelry boxes has never been more appealing. 

L'Oreal Club Prive Nail Polish 

Shown above is L'Oreal's polish in the shade 'Club Prive'. This polish is a true Tiffany-blue shade perfect for emulating your favorite gift [or perfect for dropping insanely obscure clues that you want some new jewelry]. Despite being the perfect shade of Robin's Egg Sexy, it's not a perfect polish- this took around 3 coats to be completely opaque. The color was more streaky than sheer, but the results are still gorgeous [that is, if you're willing to work for them].Want a cheaper, equally gorgeous jewelry-box-blue? Essence nail polish in 'You Belong to Me' [found for $1 at Ulta!] 

Blue is the color that I blog about

Blue are the pictures I tweet all the time

Blue are the boxes on my cake stand too

I love this polish, cuz it is so blue!

Okay, maybe I'm obsessed. Maybe I'm subconsciously depressed. Either way, I'll hopefully be back in a few days with another slightly off-blue shade [da ba dee, da ba dieeee..]

How to Do Messy Buns!

I've gotten hundreds of requests to create a messy bun tutorial after uploading the picture of mine to instagram. Messy buns are one of my favorite ways to wear my hair- they're cute, easy and take less than five minutes from start to finish. While 'messy', this style is perfect to pair with even the most styled outfits- the loose bun keeps your look relaxed! This video will show you four different styles, all perfect for lazy mornings or just days when you want your hair out of your face.

My Messy Bun Tips:

1. Dry Shampoo- always, always, always use dry shampoo! Even if your hair is freshly washed, this adds texture and volume to your roots.

2. Leave Your Ends Out- grab your hair upwards like you're creating a high ponytail, wrap your hand around the base while leaving all the lower hair out. This gives your bun that piece-y look

3. Twist && Separate- twist the entire bun around, pulling hair outwards from the center. This not only makes your bun larger, but also allows you to twist your ends around in all directions.

4. Accessorize- these buns look even cuter when paired with accessories. A forehead band or flower pins take the look from casual to bohemian romantic in seconds

I hope this tutorial helps you out! If you recreate this style, be sure to send your screen name &&  pictures to me via twitter or facebook! Your look might be featured in an upcoming video :)

Nail of The Moment: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Crowd Surfer

Today's polish of the moment comes from an accidental find of mine. Buying nail polish is one of my favorite things to do when I'm stressed or in a less than stellar mood [and what the polish doesn't fix, a martini usually will]. As I was shade stalking, I came upon a new row of Sally Hansen Salon Effects designs I hadn't seen prior to this trip. I picked up a blue and silver gradient I thought would make a fun accent nail, but the actual strips turned out to be WAY prettier than I expected.  See below to view one of my new favorite looks, as well as some of my favorite nail photos I've taken to date

Sally Hansen Salon Effects "Crowd Surfer"

These photos are clearly edited, but the sparkle and shine of the polish in person is just as stunning. If you've never used the Salon Effects strips before, I highly recommend them as far as ease and wear. They take minimal effort, deliver great results and wear for about 7 days [in my experience]. If you're buying the strips to use as an accent nail, be warned that breaking the seal will dry out the remaining strips- whether you use them or not. I wouldn't recommend purchasing these in the solid color options, based on the price and one time use, but the opposite goes for an effect like this. This sparkle is paramount to a glitter polish, yet 100 times less difficult to remove! 

This look is possible to recreate using polishes you already own. Apply a metallic silver base coat, then sponge on a blue polish to the top half of your nail [heavier near the tip]. Finish by applying a thick silver glitter top coat!  [I would recommend this product over a glitter top coat any day, just because I seriously despise dealing with the after effects. As I like to say- 'It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I have more fun removing glitter nail polish than hanging out with you'] 

Have you ever used these strips before? If so, what designs did you like? Let me know below, or be sure to tweet me your favorites!

The Perfect Rose Gold Nail Polish

My obsession with nail polish continues to grow, topping out at 3 polish changes in the last week alone. My current favorite? Orly 'Rage' layered with Essie's 'A Cut Above'. Rage is a staple warm weather metallic, while A Cut Above is a sheer polish with thick, rose glitter. While each are separately pretty shades, they combine to create a multi-dimensional rose gold that is perfect for the upcoming seasons. 

The first picture depicts the polish inside, the picture above is under natural light. The metallic finish is captured much more accurately in the lower photo, but the combination's reflective sheen still doesn't photograph true to life. The glitter creates an almost scaly effect on the nail that resembles snakeskin. This combination mirrors all of my favorite rose gold accessories, making it my perfect spring polish! 

Let me know if you try this set out! 

Spring Hair Transformation

I've been promising you an update vlog talking about my change in hair colors- it's finally here! My obsession with blonde hair led me to finally give in last fall and take my hair to completely platinum. My winter style fit perfectly with the new shade- desaturated. contrasted. black. white. silver. I absolutely loved the look, but knew that I'd want a more natural appearance come spring time. Watch the video above if you're interested in hearing about the process and experience of transitioning platinum hair back to a natural shade of blonde!

Interested in something similar? Here's what to ask your stylist for:

1. A demi permanent ash blonde dye applied to the crown, blended down 

2. Blonde Balayage- individual highlights applied over the darker color to help blend 

3. Golden Glaze- applied to all of the hair to give an even tone and finish

A HUGE thank you to Ouidad in NYC for working with me to create my perfect spring style. I absolutely love the results and couldn't be happier! 

Do you change your look at all depending on the season? Or do you stick to the same style year round? I'd love to hear if you do anything to get yourself ready for the warmer months!