Jelly Sandwich Manicure

Have you guys heard of this? When I was over at Miranda's blog, I seen her do one and I immediately needed to know what a jelly sandwich was!

It is a manicure that is layered like so: sheer polish/glitter/sheer polish.

 

Not knowing what a jelly mani was a couple weeks ago, I was visiting all of my NOTW only blogs & seen a manicure that was in jelly sammi formation but with a matte polish on top of that. I never even knew I liked matte polishes until I seen this manicure. I wish I could link it but I can't remember where I seen it ): Anyway, it looked incredible!

I used Sally Hansen Hard Core Party & China Glaze Prism

ok quick question? why is that milky light bridal pink called "Hard Core Party"? yah no? Thats a really misplaced name if you ask me. Moving on.



When I first tried it I almost felt like I was breaking a covenant (dramatic) putting a cream finish polish over my glitter. Once I did so, I was pleasantly surprised! As you can tell, the sheer cream finish makes the glitter muted down in a really flattering way! The colors of the glitters in China Glaze's Prism are colors of the rainbow however, because of the purple base you could barely tell when worn by itself.  Here's a really good picture of the glitters up close:

 If there ever was a pastel glitter nail polish, I could fit this manicure into that category


I reminds me of Revlon's Whimsical or Deborah Lippmann's Glitter in the Air. If you follow these links you can see the polishes in action and you will see that they have a different finish.
 


here's some swatches from another blog of those 2 for comparison



or Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop. Pastel Glitter at its best if you ask me. Yum. I want that.

swatch of candy shop from another blog

Yay for Beauty Blog Link Love!

Ok guys, I am clearly getting way of topic (no surprise there!) so just let me know if you guys have tried the jelly mani or if you want to and what glitters/polishes you would use!

 Sending you Glitter's & Kisses!

Love You All!
Erica

What's in my Birchbox + Review

I really loved this months box. The trend seems to be every other month you get a great box & the other months they are crap. So I received my box around 2 weeks ago & I would say that is enough time to try some of the stuff out to give my full opinion on it.

Melvita Rose Floral Water: I am not a fan of the smell of roses & no that is not a metaphor! (yep, really stupid joke!) But this smells like roses & vanilla. That is it. It is a really light, nice, sweet scent. I was surprised to find myself spraying it on my face all day because it smells so good! It says you can use it as both a mild toner & a skin refresher. I have been doing both & while I do not see a huge difference in my skin, it is always nice to use.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner: This stuff is great. The applicator is actually a marker & it makes for a really precise line. Anyone who is just starting out with liquid liner, I recommend Eyeko's or any type of marker. I glides on really smooth as well. When I realized it was green I really disappointed. I only wear black liquid liner!! I am going to experiement out of my comfort zone because it is such a good product but when it starts to fade, it turns from a deep green (which is doable) into a true medium toned green. Dammit.

The Balm Stainiac: The best thing in this box! Can you believe I have never used a stain? Now that I have tried it, I don't wanna go back to powder or cream! On the cheeks, it looks so very natural, like the color is coming from the skin as opposed to on top of it. It reminds me of the part on Meet Me in St. Louis where Judy Garland pinched her cheeks before going down to join the party. If anyone knows that movie, holla! It's my favorite throwback (: Anyway, the consistency is jelly like as you can see & it outlasts any powder on the cheeky's. <3

swatches:

 Stainiac blended out....

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream: I initially thought this was for the face. When I opened the package I was pleased to find a flier congratulating me. Very thoughtful! This has the consistency of Vaseline. it is for very dry skin, cracked heels, whatever. I dont really have much of an opinion about it, honestly. I say go buy some Vaseline. Sorry there's no picture, but I bet you can guess what it looks like from above! Nothing special to me!

Cynthia Rowley Designer Band Aids: Did I say Stainiac was my favorite thing? Maybe its these! The best "extra" I have ever gotten! These band aids are freaking cute! I can't wait to get a cut! The price is a little outragous, 20 for $15, so I am really happy to have them as a freebie because I dont think I could ever justify spending that much on band aids.

I love the sequins one! I put it on my finger for no other reason then to show it off! OMG I am a freak (:

So theres my Birchbox for June! I liked it this month. 

What did you guys get in yours? 

Anything different?

xoxo

Erica 

 

(Long Time Coming) Pittsburgh Trip!

Hey! So me & my bf went to Pittsburgh months ago & I was meaning to post something about it but never got around to it. However, I really wanna put these pictures up just so I can have a little section for memories + I think you guys might like this because I took a lot of pictures! It's funny because when ever I go somewhere or do something, I take more pictures of things rather than us people, lol.

Our trip in a nut shell was settling in to our hotel which was nothing special. We did get 2 free drinks upon arrival so that was awesome! I got to drink Philly's second drink because he had to drive & they didn't water anything down, let's put it that way! Then, we went downtown to shop. Unbennounced to us all of the shops close at 6pm on friday! wtf?! 

Then we had tickets to go to the Improv: something we each have never done before. It was a blast! I would compare it to a concert as the music is always better at concerts, the jokes are always funnier at the comedy club. I cant wait to go back. We seen Jon Heffron along with a couple locals btw. I have never heard of Jon but he was really funny! Phil even bought his DVD. We haven't watched it yet but, yah no.

 

 

After that we were pretty drunk & thats why I didn't take any pictures but we went to a bunch of different clubs & bars which are back to back in like a 6 mile span. Pretty awesome

Next day, we went shopping I went shopping while Phil followed. (lol!) Went to eat & that was that! fun little 1 night trip!

That night we went out, the taxi was going like 90 mph & I was drunk! My point being that I was trying to take a picture of city! It was so pretty! I am not used to a city w/ sky scrappers. I live in Youngstown Ohio which has a few smaller high rises. I've lived in Las Vegas which has no high rises (still a gorgeous scene for anyone that been away from the strip, you know how gorgeous the whole city is) I have been to both LA & NYC once. If you want a true city experience, NYC is the place to be but my point is I am just not around a bigger city every day & it was a nice escape for the couple days.

as good as its going to get:

 

 

on our way home we seen the most peculiar thing....so we snapped some scary pictures! I guess I am glad it was such a dreary day. There's a scary crow. This was so bizarre.

That was our trip! Hope you guys liked it!

 

side note: I think I am going to take a quick break from the challenge because I have been wanting to put a couple different non related challenge post's up. 

Till Next Time,

xoxo

Erica

18: Neon Pink!

ok so I am not going in order for the challenge! I will finish the rest in a different order. Day 20 is Pink but I am calling it Day 18.

This nail polish is the most neon polish I have ever seen. I am not joking. Every time I looked down it looked like I had installed pink light bulbs on my nails. Esp. outside. If you do not like really bright colors, this is not for you. I really love it because it is so different & it is unlike any other neon I own. Why, you ask?

Color Club Jackie Oh!

-Dries to a glossy finish

-Only needed 2 coats at most.

-Does not apply streaky at all

-The brightest neon I have ever seen

-Dries rather quickly

other points:

-This chips, just like any other nail polish within 2 days for me. I guess it really depends what top coat you put on it. I guess I need to find a new one!

-It is "see through". Not in a "my mani looks unfinished" way but in a gel manicure way. You can barely tell by the picture because it is the slightest detail. It's not sheer, it's just see through. I thought that was actually pretty cool because it reminds me of a gel manicure.

I think because it dries to a glossy finish it really amplifies the color making it as bright as the sun. I am comparing this neon with Nina's Ultra Pro Nail Polishes that are all mostly neons. You can find those at Sally's if your wanting something not as bright but I honestly think it is wasted money now that I have tried Color Club's Jackie Oh! With Nina's Ultra Pro Nail Polishe in Punki Pink (neon pink), I applied (no freaking joke) 10-12 coats on my piggy's & it was still extremely sheer. Not the good kind, the bad kind! (see above!). That also dried to a matte finish which is fine: I could work with it. It was just way too sheer.

I got this nail polish in my Birchbox actually! I have been loving Birchbox lately, esp. this month! I think that means another installment of "Best of Birchbox" is coming up soon!

Thank you for reading,

xoxo

Erica

17: Trendy Tangerine Lips!

Today was "a style/item that screams you" for the challenge & what I am really all about is trends. A lot of people I know don't like trends & others don't think it is something you should even be proud of! What?! I love them! I love following them, I love making them my own, I love being the first one to know about them & apply them! I know all of you girls can agree with me. That's why I love you all :) My favorite trend has been nothing more than the color of the year, Tangerine Tango, on my lips!

this is the true color! yum!

I have 2 orange lip colors. Avon's Tangerine (fitting) & Revlon's Siren.

You can see Avon's Tangerine in action when I channeled Kourtney Kardashian a while back. Lately I have been really loving Avon's lipsticks. They have really nice packaging & their lipsticks are both pigmented & moisturizing. I will speak on Avon's lipsticks as a whole later, but for know, let's bask in all of the tangerine glory. Dorky, I know. Anyway, this line is called "Color Rich Moisture Seduction". Sooo much better than Revlon Lip Butters!

Revlon's Siren is even better, being a true orange. This is what I have been wearing on a daily basis. Like every day. It surprisingly reminds me of a matte lipstick. It is not marketed as a matte lipstick, however. When you apply it, it doesn't feel like it is drying or moisturizing. Somewhere in the middle. As the day goes on, I notice that my lips get slightly dry. A chap-stick will fix this problem really easy. It's truly not a problem as long as my lips stay orange all day. & they always do! I have put it to the test a number of times & it lasts for anywhere up to 3-4 hours I would say. This has been my current obsession. God, I love this lipstick. I wanna bathe in it. I dunno how that would be possible but yah no.

(left) is Revlon's Siren. You can see that is truly a bright orange! (right) is Avon's Tangerine. If you play it safe more often than not, this one is more wearable as it is a true tangerine, but with a pink undertone. Which ever one you go for this season, you can't lose! They are both amazing!

I esp. love this color because 1. It is summer. Bright colors are a requirement. 2. If I am wearing these I do not feel apt to wear much makeup. Concealer, Blush/Bronzer hybrid, eye liner, mascara, & maybe a matte crease color but other than that it is an easy way to make yourself look done up with out putting in the time. & honestly in the summer, who has the time to do anything but hang out outside? & blog of course. :)

Are you rocking the orange lips these days?

whats is your current obsession?

xoxo

Erica

 

15: Breezy Bronzey Face & Makeup

So Day 15 (or in my case post 15) is a FOTD. I have had this idea in my back pocket for a while now & it came together really nicely! I hope you guys like it!

Looking at this picture, I think if I was going to dinner I would probably line my lash line. It looks too casual for me for me to wear out to eat or to a club or something. But for every day, it is perfect.

But I have been wearing this look everyday as you see in the picture! (minus the heavy, Revlon Colorstay foundation! too hot!) I usually go for some sort of base color (usually it's Nyx's Jumbo Pencil in Milk) but I just have been lazy! plus, I do not feel like layering things in this hot weather & I must say this is a really awesome subtle look! Go me!

I swear sometimes pictures just don't do it justice!

Face

Revlon Color Stay Foundation

Revlon Photo Ready Concealer

mark. blush in Urban Glow a peachy coral

Laura Gellar Baked Blush N Brighten in Honey Dipped contour

Nyx Tango with Bronze Powder in Confessions of a Tanaholic all over face

Nuxe Dry Oil in Golden Shimmer highlights of face

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Wet N Wild In Getting Sunburned (Shocker!)

-Pink on lid

-Gold balls of eyes & in tear duct

-Stila Coco in crease (matte brown)

-Stila Smudge Stick Liner in Moray (a deep olive green) in water line

-Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips liner in Brown in water line too

-Revlon Color Stay Liner in Black (tight line)

Lips

Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Twinkle Pink

Smashbox Lip Gloss in Illume

I am in love with this lip combo! A blog to come on it soon enough (:

& BTW, I am doing another challenge on my personal blog! I dont know what is with me & these challenges but if you wanna join in or check it out, it is Meet Miss Jackson!

If you wanna join this challenge, Day 1 has all of the info for each day! If you decide to do it let me know please! thank you guys!

xoxo

Erica

14: Something Glamorous: Turning Eye Dust into a Mani

 This hit me like a ton of bricks today. Why have a I never thought of it before? I have a couple of Jesse's Girl Eye Dust's & only break them out on special occasions. I have been eying that caviar manicure for weeks now & while looking through blogs online, I seen a post about Jesse's Girl Eye Dust's & then it hit me! I could put that on my freaking nails!

It's quite simple really. Paint your nails whatever color you desire. In this case I used L'Oreal's Club Prive. I I am also using Jesse's Girl Eye Dust in Pixie Dust

• This polish color is pretty sheer and while I painted around 5 coats on every nail, I only did 2 coats on the nail I was going to put the eye dust on, aka my bling finger. 
• Once that dries, paint your top coat on. Your only going to want to wait around 15 seconds for the top coat to dry because you don't want it to dry fully. Just enough so it is slightly dry but also tacky enough to hold the eye dust in place. 
• Then, grab a brush you never use & dip it in your eye dust (or any loose pigment) 
• Now, carefully put it in your nail(s) in a dabbing motion. Don't use a painting motion. It will mess up your nails!
• Add another top coat once that dries fully. 
• Show off your nails! Tell everyone you thought of it all by yourself! I wont tell : )

The Paint job you see is one that was done a day before. The Pixie Dust I done an hour before the pictures. As you can see L'Oreal's polish as already chipped. Not too bad but I mean c'mon!

It's Alex's birthday tonight so we are having a bon fire here. Alex's birthday always marks to the start of summer to us. Mine always marks the end, Oct. 8th. I guess it works out perfectly! What are you guys doing tonight? Anything fun? As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Have you ever thought of anything wildly creative such as this?!

What's on your Nails?

sending lots of creative Pixie Dust your way,

xoxo

Erica

13: Inspired by a Celeb: Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen's -The Row- Won the CFDA award for Women's Wear of the Year 2012!

As soon as I seen the above headline scrolling at the bottom of the t.v. on E! I was ecstatic! The Olsen twins have 3 different lines (that I know of, anyway!) 1. Olsenboye: a boho type of line targeted for teens & women in their 20's seemingly, which is sold at JC Penney. 2. Elizabeth & James & 3, The Row. Not to mention they have their hands in Stylemint. These chicks know high fashion!

The Row is sold at Barney's & Shop Style. Here are some of my favorite piece's:

 Lizard Metal Frame Clutch $5,800

 Orton Sweater $725

 Leather-Wrapped Oversized Sunglasses $445

  Chadbury Blouse $750 

Arindale Cardigan $1490

Benet Dress on sale from $1475 to $889

 Clearly I could never afford any of these pieces! A girl can dream, right?

What line do you like best from the Olsen's? 

What was your favorite piece from this list?

 I am still trucking through The Challenge! It has been so much fun! However, I do have a favorites post (along with a video!!) coming up soon so be on the look out!

xoxo
Erica

12: What's In My Bag

The items that make up everything in my bag aren't things I reach for on a daily. When it was time to take everything out & photograph it, I started wondering why I ever even carry a purse. The only things I use on a daily basis are 1 lip gloss, 1 lip stick, 1 body spray, a pen (sometimes) & my wallet. The deodorant? I have never used it! I do suppose it is better safe than sorry when it comes to my "essentials". Either way, there is a method to my madness...kind of.

Bag A: I received this little bag from the Target free beauty sample program they run every now & again. In here, I keep makeup. I sometimes throw in a face powder but not normally. I am not someone that touches up my whole face throughout the day. I do touch up my lips every time I get in & out of the car, along with spraying some body spray.
1. Nyx Jumbo Lip Pencil in Brown
2. Stila Lip Glaze in Mango
3. Nyx Lip Gloss in Beige
4. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Color in Tokyo
5. Nyx Round Lipstick in Strawberry Milk
6. Revlon Lipstick in Prim Rose?
7. Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle
8. Essence Lip Gloss in Me & My Ice Cream
9. L.A. Colors Lip Liner

Bag B: Clinique was doing a promo where if you spent more than $50, you got a bunch of free stuff! Me & mom both got a bag, 2 shadows, 1 blush, 1 lip gloss, 1 lip stick, & 1 moisturizer. I love those promo's. In this bag I keep tampons & the following:
10. Garnier Fructis Anti Aging Roller Ball. Something that I think does absolutely nothing for me or my eyes. Don't buy this, lol.
11. Bath & Body Works Pocket Back Hand Sanitizer in Chocolate Chip Cookie
12. Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Mini Lotion
13. Degree Body Spray in Classic Romance (I love pairing it with the Classic Romance deodorant!)
14. A Comb: If I tease my hair for the day, I like to touch it up throughout the day. It also comes in handy for a day at the lake or even if I have the windows down & my hair gets knots in it.
20. Lady Speed Stick Invisible Dry Deodorant: Sorry for the random number for this one, but I do store it in the Clinique Bag

15. Then I have my wallet. I got it at Rue 21 about a year ago. It is faux snake skin. It is still in great shape and I only paid around $6 for it. I love it.

I keep the rest of this stuff in a little side pocket in my purse. 
16. Orbitz Gum
17. A Heart Emery Board I got in my Birchbox.
18. A Leopard Mirror I got for Christmas from my Mom (:
19. That is a lipstick holder that I store perfume samples & bobbi pins. All of the Perfume Samples I get from Birchbox stay in there. If you have a lipstick holder you do nothing with, try this! I like storing my perfume's in it so I don't have to lug my bigger glass bottles with perfume around if I am feeling something more than a body spray.
20. Lady Speed Stick Deodorant Mentioned Above
21. Bath & Body Works Be Enchanted Body Spray (yum!)
22. Pens.

So know for the obvious question.....

What's in your Bag?

xoxo

Erica

Day 10: Favorite Nail Polish

I would have loved to say my favorite nail polish is Julep Maven's Alicia (a pastel coral) but I think Alicia gets a TON of love on MBB. Hell, I am even tired of setting up a photo shot w/her..... As I was browsing my collection, I realized polishes are just like clothes: you have a ton but you never have enough! I was trying to find a summery color to call my favorite and I had about 5 polishes picked out. One which will be in my favorites coming soon & I don't wanna over load my blog, talking about the same thing every post. But I kept on eying Grey Area by Sally Hansen.

Even though it is a little bit dark for the season, it has been a staple since I bought it last fall. Reason being that it is so unique. When I seen it in the store I fell in love. It has a cream finish, like a million other polishes. It is a neutral color which isn't that unique either. However, it has this gorgeous redish undertone, while still being neutral, which I don't see every day. I like nude polishes a lot but since I am have fairer skin, I don't love wearing a true, beige undertone, nude. This looks really gorgeous on my fingers. It's gotta be that red undertone.

My favorite nail polish changes on a weekly basis: depends on the season, the weather, my mood, etc, etc. Gray Area is something that I will probably be buying again & again. If I am feeling a darker color, I gravitate toward it.

Whats your favorite nail polish?

Thank you so much for reading,

xoxo

Erica

#9: Shoes I Love But Don't Wear Often

That would be these open toe leopard print heels. I will admit I have gotten full use out of them since I bought them almost 2 years ago... as you can tell by the dirty heel on one of them..oops! They are the oldest pair I have. Then again, I did some major closet cleaning -reduced everything by almost %50! & I still don't wear everything in the closet! These heels are no exception. They are so adorable though! I love the gold buckle & the print but there are a couple of reasons I don't wear them often. The first reason being that they are not that comfortable. Almost every other heel I own is more comfy than these. They aren't the worst but I usually reach for something more...relaxing! The second reason being that I can only wear them half of the year because I live in the cold during the winter months. Yuck! ):

I purchased these at Burlington if your wondering for probably like $30 I would guess. Their shoes are always cheap & always well made. Actually, I think any heel I own is most likely from Burlington. There more than great coats!

Anybody Joining Me Yet For the Challenge?!  C'Mon!

 I am behind a few days so don't feel like you must keep up with it every single day! Just do it, girls! (or dudes!)! If you decide on taking part in it, don't forget to link me!

signing off with a computer hug,

Erica

#8: Daily Must Have Item

I have been thinking about this question since Day 1. I couldn't think of anything. That was until Alex came to pick me up today & I realized I didn't have my sunglasses! Luckily we were still in the drive-way so I ran in to get them. I can not be outside w/out my sunglasses! These glasses aren't any special brand but they are special because I have had them for 3 years now & they haven't broke yet! I usually have to replace sunglasses every year. They are super power sunglasses. I cant even tell you where I got them either. sorry. but they have some cute ones at Macy's & Penney's right now if your in the market! Alex got some cute ones w/jewels around the edges of the frame! pretty

30 Day Challenge: Clothing or Product that Evokes Good Memory

Hi! I am a few days behind the Challenge! Boo! On monday we celebrated by grilling out, going swimming & hanging out with friends & family! Then, I was sick! For anyone that doesn't know, I have asthma, so I have attacks from time to time. I have gained a few more followers since then so welcome everyone! I am so happy to have yah! I will talk more about memorial day part & not the boring sick part below . Let's just get caught up with the challenge, shall we?

#7. Clothing or Product that Evokes Good Memory: I relate scent's & smells to times of my life. There are some scent's that will take me back 10-15 years ago & things I haven't thought of since come rushing back to me. I can pick any one of my scent's & tell you a story about it, so, I am just going to pick something random:

Usher For Women: Surprisingly my uncle who has almost nothing in common with me gave it to me for Christmas! He has amazing taste because it is on of my favorite fragrances. The main notes in Usher for Woman are peach, freesia, osmanthus, jasmine, honeysuckle, peony, woodsy notes, musk and praline. When I smell it, I smell more of the floral notes & the bottom notes- I don't really smell the peach in it. I also smell the office I used to work in at the beginning of 2011. It reminds me of all the people I knew there & things or feelings I maybe have forgotten about. It is so strange to explain but you guys get what I mean by a fragrance taking you back to a certain time of your life.I also love the oil spill effect on the bottle.

I have also decided to do each day 1 at a time. I will most likely post the next "day" later on since I am so behind so I hope you guys don't mind! I am a rule breaker!

On a side note: How was everyone's Memorial Day?! We had such a good day! My whole house (mom, b/f, me, & my mom's b/f was visiting) all went my aunt & uncles house for a pool party! It was supposed to storm but it didn't all day *thank God*! Anywho, I made my Tone It Up Cupcakes & they were a hit! When I told people that they were eating protein powder, they almost died! haha! Afterwards, my bff Alex & her b/f Wes, came over and the 4 of us ended the day with an awesome bonfire. We had all 3 three puppies out with us: her 2, Chloe & Toby & my one Stella which are all from the same litter but Stella ran into a freaking incense! She's fine, she just burned off some of her hair but I feel like a really bad dog mom! :{ No worries, her red spot is gone-- Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't even have kids...They will probably run right into a fire. Please don't judge me (:

Till Later Today,

Erica