Turquoise + Glitter Manicure

I've chosen a favorite glitter nail polish: hors d'oeuvres by Essie. It combines tiny specks of gold and silver glitter with larger silver glitter. I love it! For this manicure I decided to use it with turquoise and caicos (also by Essie) to create a half-moon manicure. 

I started off with 3 coats of turquoise and caicos polish and let it dry completely (I actually allowed it to dry overnight). Then I used reinforcement labels (as shown above) to create the half-moon shape and painted on the glitter polish. I allowed it to dry before carefully peeling off the labels. I started by lifting up the part of the label on my skin and then slowly pulling it up piece by piece, otherwise you risk ripping off the nail polish with the label. After that I touched up the glitter polish a bit and added some where it was needed to complete the half-moon shape.

Self-Tanner Mishaps

With Spring in full swing, it's officially shorts and sandals weather! I always protect my skin by breaking out the SPF and using self-tanner instead of getting a "real" tan. Often people critique self-tanners because they can be too orangey or apply unevenly. While this does happen sometimes, I've found that if you make a mistake it's fairly easy to correct with something you probably already have in your refrigerator...

lime (or lemon) juice!

Before: Streak by the ankle (I did an AWFUL job applying the self-tanner this time. Not ideal.)

All you have to do is put some lime juice on a paper towel or an old washcloth (that you don't care about) and the self-tanner will rub right off. You have to press down fairly hard and rub in a circular motion. 

You'll see the results on the paper towel.

 And after: no more streaks!

Matte Black + Gold Tips Manicure

I love matte black polish for a winter manicure and the addition of gold glitter tips adds a different texture and a nice sparkle. To create this look, I started with a base coat and followed with a coat of Licorice by Essie. Once that dried, I added a coat of Matte About You by Essie and then painted the french tips with As Gold as it Gets, also by Essie. The great thing about glitter polish is that you don't have to be as exact when painting french tips as you do with regular polish because it hides flaws quite nicely. More photos after the jump...

Green and Beige Nails

I really like the idea of pairing a bright nail polish with a neutral one. For this look, I used Wild Cactus by Color Club and Sand Tropez by Essie. It's very simple, but you have to make sure you let your first color dry completely before painting on the second color. Start with a coat of clear base polish, followed by two coats of your lighter color. Let it dry completely (I let mine dry overnight). Then use clear Scotch tape, placing pieces of it diagonally across your nails (making sure to press down firmly so no polish leaks underneath of the tape.) Next, paint on the second color, as shown below...

Peel off the tape (carefully) and you're done! Finish with a clear top coat. 

4 Winter Beauty Essentials

Here are 4 of my favorite products for combating winter dryness...

  

1. Yes to Carrots Scalp Relief Shampoo ($7.99)- Made with natural ingredients and great for moisturizing a dry scalp!

2. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($9.99)- I LOVE how this moisturizer makes my skin extra soft and doesn't feel heavy or oily at all. 

3. Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream ($12.50) is one of my favorite skin care products. I like it much better than their regular body lotions. It really prevents my skin from getting dried out all day. I like the Japanese Cherry Blossom and Sea Island Cotton scents. 

4. Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter ($3.30) is the best! I'm really picky about my lip balms but this one is excellent for chapped lips. It's also made with 100% natural ingredients.