Freshly Ordered: Jewelry Haul

I have been hitting the Pinterest fashion boards hard the last few days, and one conclusion I have come to is this: I need more jewelry. Particularly statement jewelry! All of my necklaces are either small pendant charms on a chain, or long pendant charms on a chain. I still love those styles and don't plan to stop wearing them, but I wanted something else for variety and to make some of those awesome outfits I've seen on Pinterest happen for me in real life!

I got real lucky tonight too - I scored some absolutely amazing deals and I just can't wait til this stuff arrives!

First I placed an order with HauteLook. If you don't know what HauteLook is, you should!! Basically they host limited time sales for all kinds of brands, at prices that are SO LOW it's insane. I got a $300 curling iron for about $50. And wait til you see the prices for the jewelry I bought!

If you wanna join HauteLook (and simultaneously gift me with a $10 credit upon your first order ;) then CLICK HERE to join!

Now let's see the goods!

This is the Harriet Disc Necklace by Chloe and Theodora. Original price $96.00. I paid $22.00!

And then the t + j designs Pretty in Pink Crystal Necklace. Original price $98.00. I paid $14.00!

Crazy deals right? And the shipping (to Canada, which can be notoriously expensive!) was only $10.95. A steal!

I went to check out the website of t + j designs, and their sale section on their own site. I noticed if you signed up for their newsletter you could get a $10 credit for your first order, so I did that...

I ordered their Lemon Teardrop Necklace. Original price was $30.00. Sale price was $18.00! With the credit, I paid only $8.00!!! Shipping was also a very reasonable $5!

So that was three beautiful statement necklaces, worth over $200, that I paid around $60 for!

I consider this a good day.

Disclaimer: No companies are asking me to pimp their stuff! These were orders made with my money for my own self! Clicking the link to join HauteLook and give me a $10 credit upon your first order is an offer available to any member of HauteLook, not something offered just to me. Join up, share the love, and start sending out invitations to other people to get yourself some credits too! ;)

Top 12 Manicures of 2012

I did this last year for 2011 and meant to get it done sooner for 2012, but better late than never! It's always fun to look back and remember manis you were really excited about!

These are all my personal favourites out of the manicures I did in the past year. :) It was so hard to narrow it down to 12, I looked back and really loved a lot of the manis I did this year! It was also harder than 2011 because I only started doing nail art in June of 2011, but this time I had a full year of designs to pick from! According to my count, I did 81 manicures in 2012!

These aren't in any particular order except going from earliest in the year to most recent!

Pop Art Hearts

 

 Pink Roses on Yellow

 Candy Pastel Gradient

 Diamond Jubilee

Cotton Candy Splatter

 Disneyland Nails

 Colourblock Meets Drippy

 Salt n' Peppa over Gradient

 Intricate Floral on Periwinkle

Pumpkin Tips

Peppermint Swirl 

 Blue Snowflakes and Dots

Current Basics & BeautySets!

Hey guys! This post was my first creation using an awesome new site I heard about called BeautySets! It's kind of like Polyvore for beauty products, and it has tons of premade templates that let you put in your own words and pictures in a magazine style layout! I really love how it looks and I think I will definitely be using it again!

This is a breakdown of all the basic products I'm currently using! Hope you enjoy! :)

NOTD Sep 26/12 - owls

Sort of a fall inspired design, some cute little owls! I created these using those paper sticker hole reinforcements and I have to say, not a technique I'm eager to try again. Everyone raves about those but they just do not work well for me... I think my nail bed is a little too curved or something, because they stick fine to the middle of my nail but lift away from the sides and then the polish just bleeds under. I tried so many ways and it's literally impossible to make them lay flat on my nail bed. I had to go back and correct most of them with a brush! Too bad too, in theory I like the idea but on my nails it just doesn't wanna happen!

The brown shade is Revlon Stormy, the pale dove grey is Revlon Cloud, and the beaks and feet are OPI The "It" Color. And of course there's black and white which don't really need mentions.

 Regardless of issues with the hole reinforcements, I love how these little cuties turned out! I was inspired by some cute owl artwork I'd seen in a craft pin in Pinterest. Which, by the way, is my new obsession. I know I'm a little late on that train but whatever, I let all the good stuff build up on there before I got into it! I've been pinning tons of recipes, a few of which I've made. And also lots of decorating and DIY stuff... I started decorating my place for Halloween much earlier than usual and so far I'm loving it!

This is my mantle... mini and peewee pumpkins painted with black and white acrylic paint, some pinecones, candles (cinnamon scented!) and little cutout ghosts and "Boo!" signs! And of course and awesome DIY bat garland. Love it! I want to do a bit more with this but it's a good start!

Bat, owl and skull cutouts over the couch! I also want to add something else here, maybe some ghosts in between.

A nail polish survey!

 So I'm the kind of losery-loser who actually Googles "nail polish survey" to find something to do. No, I didn't stumble across this on a blog - I actually sought it out! LOL But here we are, I had fun filling this out!! Hope you enjoy reading!

How many polishes do you have in your stash?
Last time I counted it was at juuust under 99 (including 2-way nail art polishes) so I can safely say by now I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 115-125.

Which brand do you own the most of?
I would guess probably Sally Hansen, especially since they have so many different lines of polishes!

What colors do you own the most of?
Pinks and blues.

Do you have a color/texture you do not own?
Holographic! I don't own a single one even though they're so trendy!

What's the one polish you always pick up to lift your spirits?
Something sparkly, I really like to top almost anything with LA Girl Glitter Addict in Explosion - big silver hex glitter with small speck silver glitter.

What polish do you keep looking at and wondering why you haven't gotten rid of it yet?
There's a couple, mostly ones that were all thick and gummy and almost empty, to the point where even if I fixed them with thinner I can barely get the brush to touch the polish, and then I buy a new bottle of the same shade but still don't throw out the old bottle. Sad to say this is the case for a few shades! Finally ditched one the other day but it was only a start...

Franken any? or I'm nervous to try it?
Not yet... I guess it sounds intriquing but I'm not yet bored enough with the polishes I have to try to create new ones!

Do you franken for new/original polish ideas or franken for polish you won't be able to own?
If I did franken I would probably try to create new shades - I might try to recreate a HTF if some really obvious mix popped out at me though.

Go-to Base Coat?
Sally Hansen one... Insta-something LOL I don't look at it that closely! It's in a clear bottle with a red cap.

Go-to Top Coat?
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Topcoat. I've never used Seche but from what I've read about it, it sounds exactly like this stuff but the SH is cheaper.

What's your sexiest polish?
Hmmm I don't know really!! I think my personal definition of sexy is a little different... I don't know if I would pick any of my polishes off the top of my head but when I think of "sexy" polish I think of a bright (but not neon) pinkish-coral shade contrasting tanned skin, I love the look of that. So, yeah! :p

Nail Design:

Stamping vs Free Hand?
Free hand! At one time I badly wanted to get a Konad kit but as time has worn on I'm kind of glad I didn't, I prefer the freedom of creativity you have with freehand art and the satisfaction you get from executing a design well and seeing your skills improve over time!

Bling me, baby? or No bling for me, please!
Bling is fun!! I've got some rhinestones and plenty of glitter polishes! Next to creme, glitter is my favourite polish finish!

I consider my nails basically nekkid if they don' t have some kind of design?
Most of the time! LOL Yesterday was the first day I'd worn a solid nail colour in probably about 9 months! I think I want to get into the habit more often though... I'd like to rotate nail art and plain polish, since I do have so many lovely shades that should get to shine on their own!

My favorite plate/tool/technique?
My favourite technique would have to be glitter gradients, leopard (FYI - I based my most recent incarnations of freehand leopard print on what the Konad leopard print looks like! It's so easy, try it!!) and sponge gradients. I'm not interested in water marbling personally!

What I haven't tried and want to within the month?
Oooh good one!! I make no promises about how soon I will actually try these but I have aspirations for tape nail art - I did actually try it once, disaaaster! I learned to let a day pass between polishes just to be on the safe side!

Purchase/Lemmings:

The one elusive polish you want and can't seem to get?
GOSH Holographic - I guess I figure if I'm gonna try the trend I want to start with the original! But goood luck! LOL

What was the last nail related thing you bought?
I bought a new bottle of top coat today.

How many nail related hauls have you bought in the last 7 days (on-line/in-person)?
Just that one actually!

If you've ever been on a no-buy, how long did it last? Is that what you planned?
LOLwut? (read: nope!)

(and one question to grow on) Hobby? Addiction? Compulsion? Passing Fancy? Love?
Hobby for sure, addiction aaalmost (I can sometimes restrain myself quite well). Love, yes!! It's lovely to have something that's a creative outlet for me that I can carry with me everywhere and share with everyone I meet!

I have Helmers!

Yaaaay!!! I have been wanting Helmer drawers (from IKEA) for storing my nail polish for a long time, as I'd heard many times how perfect they were for it! I finally got my set of drawers yesterday and I am soo happy!! I wasn't sure if I wanted white or silver (red was there too but I wasn't drawn to that colour) but I'm glad I picked white, I think it looks so clean and nice and less filing cabinet-ish than the silver would have.

Of course, the only real drawback to having this baby is that now, I want MOAR nail polish to fill it! I counted all my polishes (including 2-way nail art liners) and I only have 97 - an appauling amount according to my boyfriend and any friends who aren't into nail art, but very modest compared to most nail art fanatics and bloggers. I have about 8 more bottles on their way from an awesome Barielle sale on HauteLook last week, but this collection needs expansion!

One of my favourite things about this is how it's on wheels - I can roll it over to the couch, where I usually sit while I'm doing nail art, and place a paper towel on the top to use it as a work surface for my nail art. Then when I'm done, tuck away all the polishes in their drawers, and wheel the Helmer back into some unobtrusive corner so my boyfriend and roomie don't get upset at me for leaving my nail polish all over the place!

I didn't take pictures, but the top drawer is glitters, second drawer reds, pinks, oranges and nudes, third is blues, greens and yellows (well, yellow - I only have ONE! What?!?!), fourth is purples, blacks, whites and greys, the fifth is supplies like base and top coat, files, remover, thinner and remover pads, and the bottom drawer houses all my nail wheels and 2-way striper pens!

On a side note, is it weird that I actually like putting together IKEA furniture?

Earring storage!

Fairly unrelated to most of what I post here, but I had to show off my new earring storage method!

I'm the worst kind of procrastinator there is... case in point, for the last 3-4 years my method of storage for my earrings has been... in a ziploc bag. I kept meaning to buy something pretty to hang them on but never got around to it or never just happened to stumble across the right thing. Luckily though, I saw this beauty a few months ago at Claire's, where it just so happens my cousin works.... a quick text later and this was my future Christmas present! It was too perfect - a "K" like my name (Kayleigh) and wall hanging, because counter space is at a premium in my bathroom.

Love it so much! <3 Beside this, I have three simple nails hung on an angle that hold my necklaces, like so:

One day (maybe in another 3-4 years? LOL!) I should get some pretty hooks, but for now this is totally functional!

How do you store your jewelry?

Top 10 Manis of 2011

I keep seeing this type of post popping up and I really love the idea - I enjoy looking back at old manis and even if I notice my skills have markedly improved in some areas since I did them, I'm still very proud of all my efforts! Creativity is an evolution after all!

These are in no particular order!

Sponged Pastel Leopard

Hibiscus Flowers

Kiwis

Starfish and Coral

Pink and Yellow Mini-Floral

White & Gold Chains

Shabby Chic Roses

Fair Isle Sweaters

Tuxedo Mixed Mani

Red and Green Snowflakes

Gift Ideas for All the Ladies!

This time of year, there's really no shortage of amazing beauty related gifts for anyone on your list, but not all beauty lovers were created equal! Different strokes for different folks, if you will! I've trolled through many of the offerings available and found things that would work well for all the people on your list. Check them out!

For "The Natural Beauty":

Sephora Favourites Collection Beauty and the Bride - A makeup collection targeted towards brides works perfectly for lovers of the natural makeup look. Bridal makeup is all about being soft and natural, so why shouldn't anyone cop that look too? This is an incredibly well-rounded set that comes with everything from mascara, lipstick and eyeshadow to nail polish, primer, blotting sheets and perfume! It even includes a voucher for a complimentary special occasion makeover at Sephora! At only $50 it's a hell of a bargain too!

For "The Makeup Newbie Teen":

Hello Kitty Noir Eyeshadow and Lip Gloss Palette - Maybe she's your sister, niece, cousin or a family friend - but she's young and she's just getting into makeup! Something fun and cute combined with a range of colours for her to experiment is perfect for a girl this age! This adorable palette comes packaged inside Hello Kitty herself and has 25 shadows and 10 glosses for her to try out, along with a double ended brush! $34 makes it an excellent value too!

For "Mama Dearest":

Tarte Radiant & Rested: Volume II Universal Complexion & Color Collection - The more skin ages, the more TLC it needs, so mom will appreciate a beauty bundle that gives her glow some real oomph! This package from Tarte maximizes skin radiance and will make her look glowy and fresh. It comes with all sorts of highlighting and glow-enhancing products like blush, eye brightener pencil and a skin brightening, illuminating serum. $42 is all you'll pay for this beauty!

For "The Drama Queen"

Too Faced Smokey Eye Shadow Collection - The drama queen loves smokey eyes and daring looks, and this palette makes that happen in several combinations! Three different easy looks are put together for day, night or something extra fashionable and fun! Or try mixing and matching between shades! How-to lesson cards are included in this cute little package, selling for only $36.

For "The Nail Polish-aholic"

Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland Eighteen Piece Mini Nail Colour Set - 18 different polishes in adorable mini bottles, with a range of colours from pastels to brights to darks, and finishes from cremes to shimmers to metallics! A little bit of everything for the polish lover who loves everything! $48 for the set!

New hair!

I have this compulsion where every few months, I need to fiddle with my bangs. Usually it's just a very minor trim, maybe a bit of a part change... nothing crazy. But this time, I knew I wanted something more! I went a little crazy with my scissors and although there were some points where I thought, "Uh oh.... I've really gone and done it this time..." I kept fussing with it and moving it around until it looked right, and here I am!

'

One thing I reeaaally love about them is how they look when my hair is up! I love wearing my hair up but before it just never looked right... I couldn't put my finger on it but I always felt like my hair looked a little off. Now the bangs give it enough visual interest that even a super quick messy bun looks soo much better!

Nail Wheel the Fourth

Yeehaw!! Four nail wheels done!! This one has lots of nails inspired by items I found on the Forever 21 website! And my first galaxy nails I've been happy with - I've tried them several times but never liked how they turned out, but I think I finally found the right colour combo and technique!! Hope you like. :) Click to enlarge!

Nail Wheel the Third

Number three is complete!!! About half of these were done after I got the two-way nail art polish so I got to play around with some new ideas and techniques! So fun!!

Top Taupes!

I figured it's high time I posted some swatches of my favourite taupe eyeshadows, seeing as how the colour is my blog's namesake!! Although nail art has been (and probably will continue to be) more of a focus on this blog lately, makeup is still a big part of my life and is still a part of this blog!

So without further ado, here are my favourite taupes, the ones I use again and again (and again)!

From L-R:

• Urban Decay Sidecar - lovely shimmery taupe with slight red undertones and some gold glitter flecks.
• CoverGirl Tapestry Taupe - awesome drugstore taupe, a little less pigmented but over a base it shows up nicely and has a gorgeous subtle sheen.
• NYX Iced Mocha - a loose pearl pigment, extremely shimmery and dramatic! Blends out like a dream though.
• Sephora 5-in-1 Color Play Palette, shades 2, 12 and 27 - 2 is a great dark smoky taupe, awesome in the crease or for one of my favourite evening looks, the taupe smoky eye! 12 is a slightly lighter but still mid-toned taupe, I use this one a lot in the crease for day looks to add depth. 27 is a slightly warmer taupe that has almost rose-gold tones in it, very pretty!

All of these beauties get heavy rotation in my makeup routine - how about you guys? Do you have any of these colours? Love or hate? Any other great taupes you can recommend? One can never have enough!!

nail polish dreams...

I just had to post about my bizarre dream last night!

I was with a big group of friends and we were on our way to a nightclub or bar or something like that, and we were all on a bus. We stopped at this big grocery/drugstore and all went in, and I got separated from the group checking out the cosmetics section (this sounds like real life right now, not a dream...) and then I found this AWESOME display of nail polish pens. I got so sidetracked looking at them that all of a sudden everyone was ready to go because the bus was leaving. I ran with the pens I wanted to buy (black, yellow, red) to the till but by the time I paid, I'd missed the bus. But I wasn't really bummed... I had the polish pens.


LOL This must have been because I bought a big set of polish pens from the Born Pretty store yesterday! This is how you know your hobby is taking over your life!

Nail Wheel the First

I've been having a blast painting this the last few days!! My first complete nail wheel!! Click to see it larger. :)

Heavy Rotation

These are the items that have been getting some heavy play in my makeup routine lately! For the last few weeks I was getting up very early, so I needed products that made 5:00 a.m. makeup foolproof and fast! These were the winners!

Clockwise from the top:

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette - As you can probably tell from how worn the lettering is, this palette has been well loved. The colours are so versatile, all of them go well together, and because of how pigmented and blendable they are there's no fussing around trying to get the shadows on your lids. This is really the be-all-end-all of foolproof eyeshadow palettes!

2. Wet n' Wild Color Icon Blusher in Pearlescent Pink - This beautiful bright coral pink with shimmer is perfectly buildable and such a flattering shade whether I'm my usual paler than pale self or more tanned!

3. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha - For the mornings when I'm seriously pressed for time, a swipe of this as a base shadow and then a couple of similar taupe powder eye shadows on the lids gives me 30 second eye makeup. Lifesaver!!

4. Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray - Every day my makeup would wear away around my nose and chin, until I found this stuff! This bottle here is just the little travel size, but I would totally buy full size - a few spritzes of this keeps my makeup looking fresh all day.

5. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hr Foundation - If you're thinking this looks like a drugstore sample tube, you would be correct. The last time I went to buy a replacement bottle of this, the store was out of my shade, and I sweet talked the sales associate into letting me keep the tester tube. That's how much I love this foundation!

6. Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner in Black - I use this liner pretty well every day, both for tightlining and along the lash line, using a bent eyeliner brush. It goes on so smoothly and does not dry out at all in the bottle, unlike the similar MUFE product that retails for about double the price!

Have you tried any of these products? Love them? Hate them? What have you been using a lot recently? Let me know in the comments! :)

A shout-out to my parents!!

I know this is totally unrelated to beauty, which is what this blog is obviously about, but I have to give a shout-out to my parents and their newest ventures!! Both of them are artists of GREAT talent, and have very recently opened Etsy shops!! My mom's shop is called SalonRichelle and she does acrylic paintings on canvas and heavy weight paper of a range of things like figures both mythical and realistic, landscapes and even some abstract. My dad's shop is called Thulsa and he does very detailed calligraphy and illustration set around passages from books or song lyrics he likes.

If you're into well-done, original artwork, definitely take a peek! Even if it isn't something you are as into for yourself, if you remember about them and tell it to someone who is, it would be appreciated! They work hard on this stuff and I really want to help them get the word out! :) Thanks for reading!

Why swatching is important!

One of the reasons I love having a couple Sephora's accessible to me (one in the mall I work at, and one a few minutes from where I live) is I do less impulse internet buying. I'm able to go in the store, look at the product, swatch the product and see if it's worth it!

In some cases, doing this makes me realize that buying something from my wishlist would have been a big mistake! Such as in the case of the Sephora Collection Moonshadow Baked Palette in "In the Nude", which appeared on my most recent What's On the Wishlist? post.

I dropped into Sephora after work today specifically to swatch this, and I was capital-Disappointed. There was hardly any pigmentation!! If you're looking for some really sheer glitter bombs, this is the palette for you. Now I know some people may like sheer, glittery shadows and that's fine!! But according to Sephora's website:

• "Each formula features high payoff pigments and textures that blend easily. Its micro glitter adheres to the skin better than regular sized glitter. Used wet, the dark shades can be used as an eyeliner with an intensified, bolder effect. "

 So I was expecting pigmented, glittery shadows. Not sheer ones... I made sure to swatch a range of colours, from the light ones and the dark ones, and both were just as bad. I didn't even bother taking a picture...

So know that pigmented is not what you will get here, and you may not want to bother. It's possible these might foil well, but honestly I want the shadow to show up well without having to take any extra steps!