How To: Water Marble Manicure!

This is been my latest obsession and I decided I would do a blog on how I do it. Of course this has been around for a long long time, but this is my version, and what works best for me :)

Tools you will need:
1. Water (room temp)
2. Tooth Pick or Cuticle Pusher
3. Nail Polish (I have found that glitter polishes do not work)
4. Scotch Tape
5. QTip
6. Nail Polish Remover


Step 1:
You need to put your room temp water in a container where you can have multiple fingers fit in. You definitely want to have plenty of room, but not too much. I used a sour cream container that was empty and clean... [obviously] lol.


Step 2:
Tape your fingers. I put one piece on each side of my nail, one below my nail, and one at the tip of my nail














Step 3:
Take the polishes that you have chosen and start to drop them into the water. You do one drip at a time, and you can do whatever pattern you like as far as what colors go. This is where your creativity kicks in!

Step 4:
Once you have put your drops in the water (at this point you have to move rather quickly, or else your nail polish will dry on top of the water) you will then take your tooth pick or cuticle pusher and swirl around the colors to form a design.

Step 5:
Now you will put whatever finger(s) you want in this design. Now, as you will notice every single finger is going to be different because the pattern is not the same in any spot. The most I've done is 3 fingers at a time.

Step 6:
Once you have placed your fingers in the water (i go down to the first knuckle so that I can ensure the entire nail is covered completely) you will then take your toothpick or cuticle pusher and swirl it around in the remaining polish that is not on your nails. Once you do this the excess polish will easily stick to your stick.

Step 7:
When you pull your fingers out of the water, it will look very messy. It will look better once you pull the tape off, but don't pull the tape off for at least 3 or 4 minutes so that you can make sure it's dry to your nails.

 

Step 8:
Peel off the tape carefully from around your nail (should come off easily since it was put in water). You will have to clean up around the nail a bit because some of the polish will seep through the tape.

Step 9:
I take Q tips and some polish remover and clean up around the edges. Once I am done doing that, I then put a top coat on, and VOILA! You have a gorgeous manicure!

I really really love this manicure. When you put the polish in the water it changes up for the forumla a bit and it seems to last longer on my nails without any chipping. I've also heard of people putting on a base color before they dip their fingers in the water, but I've never done that. I have also done an accent nail of just the marbeling and that looks cool as well.

What do you think of this type of manicure? Will you be trying it?

NOTD: Color Club "Magic Attraction"

Ahhhh, who doesn't love hologrpahic glitter polish in the sunlight... cause I sure do! This polish is so pretty! I can't get over it! Oh and I purposely took some of the pictures blurry so you could really capture how many beautiful colors show up with this polish!

Not only is this polish STUNNING, but you can find it most places for around $2! Heck yes to not spending lots of money on one single polish! 

So, here are the pictures... I hope you enjoy!

What is your favorite polish?!

Project: White Teeth

Aaahhh... the many ways you can empty your wallet just from trying to get your teeth to be pearly white. Well, I am going to try to not empty my wallet and STILL come out with bright white teeth! *gasssp!!!* 

When I first found Kandee Johnson I noticed how freakishly nice and white her teeth were. I then assumed that 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 people asked her the same question, so I just looked for a video regarding the topic... and guess what? Lo and behold she didn't spend $80 or $50 or $30 or $20 (sound oddly like an infomercial?)... but LESS than $10 on her whitening system! I knowwww! *gasssp!!!* - hehehe.

She mentioned in her video that she uses the "Plus White 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel", and I immediately RAN to K-Mart to purchase this!

So, I then only used it a couple times, and I was having issues with my teeth, so I stopped using it. My teeth issues were not related to this product.

So - here I am with this new goal, and a fixed tooth. When I am done, I will then show before and after pictures!!!

Let the teeth whitening extravaganza commence! 

Haul: Sally Beauty & Big Lots!

I originally went in to Sally's to get wax for my eyebrows, but I completely walked right past it and didn't look back... Here is what I did get tho :)

From Sally Beauty Supply 

Tweezerman Tweezers: $13.49
Cuticle Pusher: $.69

Nail Wheel: $5.99


I lost my tweezer's sometime so I need to go in and get a new one. While I was walking to the tweezers, the nail polish wheel was screaming my name and so I also got that. I then remembered I needed a cuticle pusher, so that's how that ended up in my small little goody bag.

So once I walked out of Sally's, I decided I should make a quick stop into Big Lots. I don't often get things there but sometimes they have things that are long discontinued or HTF LE items. So, while I was browsing the beauty isle I came across the L'Oreal color in "In The Buff". Now, I remember hearing the rave about this but it was around $9-$10 and I didn't want to spend the money on a color I was just "eh" about. However, at Big Lots, it was $2! So I decided at that moment that the color was more of a "eh" (bad right? i know!) and I grabbed two of them, just in case ;) I don't have a picture of it swatched but it isn't as dark as I thought it was. It's very pretty. I will do a post on it later!

So there she be. My teeny, tiny, little haul. Have you picked up anything recently?

NOTD: Rimmel "Violet Metal"

I had such a hard time trying to photograph this to get it's true beauty. I did take a few pictures and found a photo online to help show it's true beauty. I honestly have had this polish for like 2 years and have worn it maybe 2 times. The reason being is that it is GORGEOUS in the bottle (see below) with that awesome blue sheen, but that just doesn't show up on your nails unless your in the sun. I do have to say tho, I LOVE the formulation of the lasting finish pro polishes by Rimmel.

Anyway, here are the pics! Enjoy!!!

This is the one I found online^^

 Indoors

  Indoors

 Indoors

Outdoors

What do you think? Do you like Rimmel polishes?

Review: Batiste Dry Shampoo - Blush Scent

Dry shampoo is one of my absolute favorite products of all time. Not only is it a great product to use for 2nd and 3rd day hair, but it is under (this one anyway) $10! Now that's what I call stretching your buck!
I have tried a few dry shampoos, such as Tresame, Pssssst, and a few others, and Batiste is so awesome. If you are a Sally Beauty card member you get a discount too! (you can read about that here) I've only seen the two scents of this, which is original and blush, and I adore the blush scent. I'm not a huge fan of the original, and honestly I can't even tell you what it smells like anymore just because I haven't used it for SO long! The blush isn't the most amazing scent in the world but I don't mind it at all. I do feel like the scent disappears through the day, so it isn't a showstopper for me if I can't get my hands on the blush scent, because I love batiste formulation that much. I have heard that Suave came out with a comparable dry shampoo, so maybe i'll test those waters out when I run out of my current can of batiste.

This dry shampoo is really really great at soaking up oils that are created from 2nd day or 3rd day hair. I don't like to wash my hair everyday because I have dry hair and I don't want to strip the natural oils from it. My hair doesn't get oily though until about the 3rd day. When I spray it on my hair, I spray it about 8 inches or so away (i'm so precise, i know lol) and that seems to be a good distance. I don't want to spray it too close to the scalp because it will only go in one specific spot (literally).

As for weather if it leaves a white mist in your hair, I cannot answer that as I am a blonde. I know that when I am a darker blonde it doesn't, but that doesn't mean it won't show up on black hair. So I am sorry that I cannot speak to that point.

So to sum it up:

• Retail is $7.79
• Original and Blush Scent
• Great at soaking up oil from hair
• Adds some volume
• Great for refreshing hair
• Sprays nicely

Overall, I really really love this product. I have bought probably 3 or 4 cans so far, and it is just so wonderful to have at anytime! 

Have you tried this? What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite dry shampoo?

in the mood for something sweet?

Let me preface this by saying that if you do not like sweet, candy like perfumes... you will not like this and you might as well just stop reading :)

Aquolina Pink Sugar 

When I first got this perfume I was a little weary, and wasn't sure what to think. So, I sprayed it at the store, and as the day went on I loved it more and more (this happens to me a lot! i think my bodies chemicals mix well with lots of perfumes!) .. so I decided I needed in my life! Today I am feeling a bit chippery and thought this would be a great scent.

Here are the "official" notes of this perfume: 

Bergamot, Sicilian Orange, Raspberry, Fig Leaves, Lily of the Valley, Licorice, Strawberry, Red Fruit, Cotton Candy, Vanilla, Caramel, Musk, Wood, & Powder.

Can someone please tell me what "powder" smells like? *insert puzzled face*

So I definitely love this perfume. I would say that you MUST be in a mood like you are craving chocolate or something.. you just need that sweet scent! 

Have you tried this? What are your thoughts? What are your favorite perfumes?

xx Shannon

Hot Pink Nails? Yes please!

Hey loves! Thanks to Michele, it has been absolutely necessary I find this limited edition polish. What is it you ask? Essie's Pink Parka.. and it is SO beautiful. It is such a gorgeous neon pink but not like a "glowly" neon pink that makes you want to squint your eyes. It makes you look like you have a nice tan, but yet very chic looking. I soooooo adore this polish! Thanks so much Michele for the recommendation! Below you will see a few pictures, and the first one is my hand. In the camera it looks a bit "dull" because it's not in natural lighting, but let me tell you it is AMAZING!

Do you have a must have polish?

xx Shannon