Jamberry - World's Easiest Nail Art

As I told you Monday, I'm hosting a Jamberry Black Friday event, online. Noel, Independent Jamberry Nail Consultant, was kind enough to send me some goodies. I love the pattern she sent, ICED. It's such a pretty blue green base with icicle like sparkles. Perfect for the chilly weather we have coming to the DC area today. Join me on Friday for some Black Friday fun. Grab some Thanksgiving leftovers and your fuzzy slippers, turn on your computer, and shop.

Love ICED!

Jamberry Nail Shields

Jamberry nail shields are so easy to apply. Check out information here in this how to video.

One of the special Black Friday Deals!

Special Patterns Available Friday!

I hope you'll check out Jamberry during your Black Friday shopping. They'd be great stocking stuffer for the fashionistas and beauty addicts in your life. They even have sizes for little girls too!

Sweet Noel is donating 100% of her proceeds from the month of November to charity!  I've chosen to donate the proceeds from our Black Friday event to Chesapeake Theraputic Riding. My dear friend Blair has benefited from their wonderful work. They do great things and I urge you to support them as well.

Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Real Girl Runway.

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Upcoming Black Friday FUN! (with Jamberry Nails)

This is the start of beauty week here on RGR. To be honest, it happened accidentally. I have some great products and beauty tips to share with you, just in time for the Holidays! Usually I'm more of a Cyber Monday than a Black Friday girl. But when my friend and Jamberry Consultant, Noel Giger offered to let me host a fun and exciting party on Black Friday, I couldn't say no. I fell in love with Jamberry when Noel first introduced me to them. I did a review and I was hooked.

Noel promised me amazing things for this great online event. If you haven't tried Jamberry, now is your chance. One application lasts more than a week. They are easy to apply and look fantastic. If you're busy like me, love nail art but don't have the time or the money or are just looking for a low maintenance nail option, then Jamberry is for you. Click this link and RSVP for the party.

My Metallic Chrome Silver Jamberry nails!

I will be posting a little preview later this week, stay tuned!

DIY - Upcoming Plans

Now that I'm not immersed in wedding planning, I have time again for DIY projects. I'm so glad. I've missed them. The projects are my time to destress.  Plus, when I'm finished, I have a great item to wear, use or in this case, eat.

 

1)  Blinged Out Headphones - My company just remodeled our offices and we now have an open floor plan.  I purchased these plain, white, headphones to lessen the noise and I'm planning to decorate them with flat back rhinestones.

2) Homemade Thin Mints - I found this recipe for homemade Thin Mints on Pinterest. They are {msL's} favorites and you only need two ingredients!

3) Nail Art - I snagged this kit that contains dotting tools and striping tape for less than $5.  I can't wait to try out some new nail designs. Like this one.

4) Glitter Nails - I want to try out this manicure with nude polish and essie luxeffects in Stroke of Brilliance. I think the nude and blue combination will be fantastic.

5) iPhone Case - Even though this case is fancy, it lends itself to so many things. I'm planning to cut pieces of paper or wallpaper to place behind the filigree cover.  It will jazz up the amazing cover even more.

Do you have any plans for upcoming DIY projects?

Racing Stripe Manicure - Using a Sharpie

A few months ago I discovered a fun new way to add art to my nails...metallic Sharpies! I've done a few different manicures using my metallic Sharpies. I just pick a solid base, I prefer creamy colors, instead of frosted colors but I am going to try lots of options.

I chose L'Oreal Paris, Not a Cloud In the Sky as my base. The pretty aqua color is perfect for spring. Then I grabbed my silver Sharpie. I also have a gold and a bronze version.  The gold would have been great too. I snagged my Sharpies at Target in a 3 pack, one with each color.

The reason I love using a Sharpie instead of polish to create art, is the F#@! factor.  If you screw up and say F#@!, all you need to do is wipe your nail with alcohol and start over. You don't have to repaint your base color!

I decided to only do one nail this time.  I wanted racing stripes and I had a few extra cups of coffee, so my hands weren't as steady as they should be.  Two tiny stripes on my ring finger completed the look. I added top coat and I was finished.

 

As you can see the ridge in my nail, creates a bit of a wave but I still like the effect.  I've also done bronze hearts on a nude nail and gold dots on navy nails. The possibilities are endless. 

I'm Obsessed Thank You Very Much - Mirror Metallics

My love of silver and other metallics is no secret. I even painted a table silver. A pair of bedside tables are next. I'm especially in love with mirror metallics.  I love how they stand out, make a statement but still go with everything.  Metallics are neutral.  You would never think of whether or not you can wear a silver or gold necklace with a specific color top or dress.  It's the same with a metallic shoe or bag.  I wear my mirror silver oxfords constantly and I'm dying for a pair of flats or a cute low heel.

Click above for buying information.

You can even wear silver mirror nails. I love the version by Jamberry. I did a review of them in September. I love that they last a long time and don't dry out. You can get several manicures from one set of Jamberry nails.

More mirror metallic items are on my want list.  I'm loving the ankle strap low heels and the mirror clutch.

I'm Obsessed Thank You Very Much - Navy Nails

Even though spring is trying to come around (not working so well in DC, it's 25 degrees tonight). I can't help but keep thinking about navy nail polish. I'm not sure why I'm stuck on it except that it's a prettier cousin to a standard black mani. Besides, navy goes with almost everything.  I stripped off my sad, chipping polish and my nails are bare right now.  Hopefully I'll have time for a manicure, in the next day or two. Navy is on the bill. I'm sure I won't be satisfied with just plain navy polish.



Click photos for sources.

Navy polish isn't very forgiving, so precision is key.  The blogger ladies and the photos on Pinterest make it look easy. There are tricks of the trade.  My all time favorite nail polish/manicure guru, Jennifer of Fab Fatale posted this great tutorial last year.  Be sure to check it out and while you're at it, check out her blog.





Check out my other "I'm Obsessed" posts here, including the very first post and the explanation of the title.

Glitter is My Favorite Color

I might have mentioned my ridiculous collection of nail polish.  I'm trying hard to limit buying new polish and use new combos of polish I already own.  I pinned this nail polish combo from The Nailasaurus on my Pinterest board titled "Nail It!".  Be sure to check out Sammy's amazing polish combos.

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Party of 5 Glitters - The Nailasaurus

I have several gray polishes in my collection and decided to go with Maybelline Color Show Audacious Asphalt. It's not as dark as the polish that Sammy used but it's just a pretty.  Instead of just doing glitter tips, I did an all over glitter using Wet n Wild Spoiled in Trust Fund Baby.

Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer, Audacious Asphalt - CVS pharmacy / Spoiled Nail Color Trust Fund Baby - CVS pharmacy

I love the way the mani turned out.  But I realized two things as I was posting this photo.  My cuticles need serious attention and I am in desperate need of a new eye glasses prescription immediately.  It's hard to pay attention to your cuticles if you can't see them. The gray and glitter combo works and I'm sure I'll be trying it again with other colors.  It was fun to wear to a holiday party on Saturday.

Are you doing extra fun polish combos for the Holidays?

Needing Some Sparkle

With a few exceptions (down trees, limbs, debris, power outages and a little flooding), most of us in the DC area weathered Sandy pretty well.  My thoughts are with my friends and family in the New York and New Jersey areas hardest hit by the storm.  I know this is a difficult time for all of you. Our pre-storm prep of tying down our deck furniture and bringing things into the garage gave me some peace of mind. Due to my job, I didn't even get a day off to do fun crafts or projects. On Monday night I took some Me time and did a mani and read a fashion magazine. Sparkle was in order due to the dreary weather.

I decided on a sparkly french mani.  I used one coat of essie ballet slippers as my base and then added essie luxeffects in a cut above for the tips and accent nail. I finished with two coats of top coat.  I used Revlon Colorstay base coat and top coat.

I love the sheer pink, almost bare nails with the sparkly pink tips.  The accent nail is just an added bonus. This mani definitely brightened my day and it was so easy to do.  No taping required. The jagged edge of the glitter gives it a pretty randomness.

If you were affected by Sandy, what did you do to make yourself smile?

Jamberry Nail Shields Giveaway - And the Winner is...

CONGRATULATIONS to Sarai M!!  Sarai is the winner of the Jamberry Nail Shield sheet of her choice.

Thanks to everyone who entered and thank you for reading.  There is another giveaway coming soon. RGR has hit a few milestones.  We now have over 100 likes on facebook and over 500 followers on Twitter!  Those two milestones demand a celebration and a fantastic new giveaway is coming soon!

I also thought I'd give an update on my own Jamberry experience.  As you know I was a bit hesitant at first but I have to say, Jamberry has surpassed my expectations.  I get compliments on my nails everywhere I go and today is day 10.  They still look good.  There is a tiny (very tiny) bit of wear on the tips.  {msL} says that it's not noticeable at all and that they still look great.  One of the shields (ring finger on my right hand) has detached from the nail.  I noticed that after a few days and applied heat to reattach.  Now that I'm on day ten it has gotten worse. I think that is due to my error in application since none of the other shields have had this problem.  As the instructions stated, I had a few corners of the shields begin to peel up slightly.  I trimmed them with nail clippers instead of using glue as was suggested.  They still look great.

You can also see the nail growth.  I think that is the most noticeable issue. Your results will vary depending on how fast your nails grow. Despite the time it took to complete my original manicure, I'm a new Jamberry fan.  There are many more Jamberry manicures and pedicures in my future. 10 days and no chips! I'm on board! If you'd like your own set of Jamberry Nail Shields, be sure to visit Noel's website.  You can see all of the Jamberry styles and get tips on application.  She is running a special right now, buy 3 get 1 free.  Based on my own experience, you'll get at least 16 manicures or pedicures for $45 (only $2.81 each), from the deal!  That's a bargain for a manicure that will last you for more than one week. 

Jamberry Nails - My Review (and Giveaway!)

Last year I started seeing nails adorned with nail strips everywhere.  I fell in love with a set of mirrored silver nails that I later found out could only be done in a salon.  The cost was more than I wanted to spend and I started looking for a less expensive alternative.  I couldn't find anything close, until now.  I was contacted by Noel Giger, a Jamberry Independent Star Consultant.  Noel offered to send me a set of Jamberry Nail Shields.  I was thrilled to find out that Jamberry had the coveted silver mirrored nails I had been dying for!  This is a photo and video heavy post. Click below to check out the full post and enter the giveaway!

Nail Stamping - My Try

For a long time I've been looking at photos and blogs that feature nail stamping. I've wanted to try the technique but what if it's not for me?  The thought of spending a ton on tools that I didn't use wasn't appealing.  Amazon sells bundles of plates and kits from a company called Konad.  They are the premier nails stamping company.  The least expensive kits sell for around $13.  Then I saw a Salon Express kit at CVS and it was only $9.99.  

My First Attempt

The kit came with 5 plates, a plate holder, a double ended stamper and a scraper. The directions in the kit weren't great. Enter my fellow bloggers.  I did a search for nail stamping tutorials.  I found lots of great tips on blogs like Nouveau Cheap, Nailcicles, and Swatch and Learn.  Because of their tutorials and tips, I didn't have as many errors as I thought I might. I followed their suggestions for tools and set up and lots of other tips.

My impatience got the best of me. I was so excited to open the kit that I didn't think to get a photo before I opened it and pulled everything out.  This is the package and as I mentioned, I got it at CVS.  The list price was $9.99. The beauty of CVS is that I could use Extra Care Bucks for this purchase and I only paid $1.99 for it!

To stamp I also needed polish remover, a nail file, cotton pads, paper towels, a old gift card and something to use as a table cover (newspaper).  I also should have used some plain white paper to test stamp.  I didn't do that but I will in the future.

I didn't love the whole nail plates that came in the kit.  Also, I think that I need more practice and better color combinations to make them look great.  The fan design I tried first looked okay but I didn't love it enough to do every nail.  The designs I like best a small and allow lots of the base color to show through. I've heard that the kits sold at Sally Beauty and Rite Aid come with different plates.  I might get one of those.

The nail polish you use is a key factor.  It doesn't have to be expensive or a specific type but it needs to be thicker that most polishes. Trying them out is important.  That's where the paper comes in handy. 

Base color - Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Heart - Essie in Foot Loose

I decided to just do one accent nail instead of my whole hand. I like the single heart. It's pretty.

Best Tips from Bloggers

• Set up your area and supplies before you start stamping. 
• Paint your base color and then a clear top coat.  If you make a mistake you can clean off your nail with a quick swipe and you won't mess up your base color. 
• Buff your stamper with a fine grained nail file before you stamp. Just a few strokes.  It will help the polish adhere better.
• Use nail polish that is thick.  You can use special stamping polish, older polish or polish with a thicker consistency.
• Use a plastic scraper or an old credit or gift card.  It will keep you from scratching your image plate and give you a cleaner swipe.Which leads to a cleaner stamp on your nail. Test out the pressure you use. This will take practice.
• When pulling the design from the plate, stamp straight down onto the plate and use firm pressure.
• When stamping onto your nail, use a rolling motion to transfer the design.
• Let your design(s) dry for a while before painting a top coat.
• Only do one stroke of top coat over each design area.  This will create a shield but will help keep the design from smearing.
• After the first layer of top coat dries, you can add another. 

The results were good and I'd like to try other designs.  I will definitely be doing more stamping in the future.  I'll be trying other color combos and getting some other plates.

Have you tried nail stamping before?  If you haven't, will you?

Fall Beauty Trends 2012 - Budget Options

The runway shows don't just start fashion trends, they also start beauty trends.  Designers use hair, makeup and nails to compliment their designs and create a complete look.  There are lots of trends to try this fall.  I selected a few of my favorites from the runway.

You don't have to spend a fortune to try a new beauty look.  There are products and tools available at your local drugstore or discount store. 

Texture and Volume
Many of the same tools and products that work for texture also work for volume and vice versa.  A root volumizer, dry shampoo, and a teasing brush topped with hair spray can create a style with texture or with retro volume. The techniques are also similar. With volume, you'll just need to smooth the outer surface layer.

Flushed Cheeks
Cheeks that are flushed have the look that you've been in the sun or out in the cold.  The color looks like it's coming from within.  Using a cream or gel blush or a stain will give you this look better than a powder.  These products will also last longer.

Deep Red Lips
Rich plums, burgundies and maroons are the colors of fall lips.  Prep is key when wearing dark lipstick.  Exfoliate your lips using a lip scrub or just your wash cloth.  Then add a light coat of lip balm.  These steps will help your lipstick to wear longer and will reduce feathering.  If you are wearing lip stain, exfoliate but skip the lip balm.

Winged Eyes
The beauty of a winged eye is that you can go subtle or bold.  You can get the same effect with liquid or gel eyeliner, depending on your personal preference.  This tutorial from The Beauty Department will help you with the basics. The drama is up to you.

Hair Accessories
Statement hair accessories are an easy way to dress up a simple hair style.  There are lots inexpensive options at discount and accessory stores.  Select something that fits your personal style. Sparkly or geometric, clips or headbands, the possibilities are endless.

Sophisticated Nail Art
This fall nail art is all about metallics, classic colors, reverse french manicures and half moons.  Nudes, navys, and chrome dominated the options on the runway.  The designs were sleek and simple. They'll fit in at the office as well as a night out. If you've shied away from nail art because it was too young and cutesy, these fall options may be right up your alley.

They key to any trend is to make it work for you.  It's also a fun chance to try something completely new.  Pick up some inexpensive products from your local drugstore and try a trend on for size.  I recommend CVS (if there is one in your area) because of their extremely liberal return policy. You can return any nonprescription item within 30 days, with your receipt (open or unopened).  I just tried out a new deep red lip stain.  After trying it out, I knew the color wasn't right for me. I returned it to CVS and got a full refund.  That's no risk shopping!

I'll be trying out lots of these trends over the next few months.  Will you be trying anything new?

Inspiration - This Week's Pinspiration

You all know my love of Pinterest. It's been a great tool for wedding planning and I collect everything from style ideas to recipes on the site. For years I've torn pages out of magazines and shoved them in a folder. The favorites link on my Internet browser could use its own Dewey Decimal system. I save ideas, sites, thoughts and everything that inspires me. Pinterest is a dream come true. I thought I'd share with you, some of my latest inspiration.

Five fashion editors wore the same rock t-shirt, five different ways. I love the way it shows individual style but you all know I love mixing rock t-shirts all sorts of ways.

Great tip on accenting your eyes.  I love the step by step that you could use with any eye color and liner.

Cherry lime popsicles made fresh from real fruit.  These scream summer to me. I definitely need to make them pronto!

Four easy braided hairstyles.  With this crazy hot weather and my struggle to keep from cutting my hair off, I've been loving braids lately.

What's not to love about an ombre glitter manicure?  It's already on my list of, must try, manis this summer. The color options are endless.

This outfit is simple, fun and a great way to try neon without looking like an 80's flashback. Did I mention that I used to own a neon ski jacket?  Mixing neon with neutrals is a perfect way to try the trend.

This saying spoke to me as soon as I saw it.  I've been in relationships and had supposed friends who dulled my sparkle but not anymore.  Growing as a person has taught me to never let anyone dull my sparkle.

Do you have a Pinterest account?  If you don't, be sure to request an account. It's fun and a great way to collect your ideas.  Once you have an account don't forget to show me some love and follow me.  I'm in the process of  following all of you lovely folks who are following me.

Nail Art for the Time Crunched and Polish Challenged

There are lots of ladies out there who don't have time or the inclination to do nail art (including me, many days).  I have to admit that crystal and flower laden nails aren't for me. When I refer to nail art, I mean an interesting pattern or a little glitter.  There are products out there that can give you a nail art look easily.

Nail Polish Strips
Lots of companies are making nail polish strips but my personal favorite are by Sally Hansen.  They are easily found at your local drugstore, they come in tons of colors and patterns and they're affordable.  I've occasionally found coupons for them as well.  The bonus is that they last for about 7 days or more.

Incoco, Sephora, and Kiss also make strips. I've tried Incoco and Sephora.  In fact Incoco were the first strips I tried.  The Sephora strips are more like stickers. There were think and I didn't like them as much as the Incoco and Sally Hansen versions.

Magnetic Polish
One of the latest nail polish trends is magnetic polish.  The polish has metal particles in it. While the polish is wet, you hold the magnet cap over the polish and it creates a design.  The magnets with each brand have a different pattern (star, wave, stripes).  This post by Scrangie has details and shows the designs you can get with the China Glaze magnet.  The Sally Hansen version has a wave design.  The difference is the way you paint your nails.  You'll put a light base coat on you nails.  Then you'll need to paint a single nail and hold the magnet over the wet nail (without touching it). Then move onto the next nail.  The Sally Hansen version dried quickly.

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color in Silver Elements

Glitter Polish
With a single swipe of glitter polish, you can turn a basic nail color into a fun, artsy manicure.  Almost every brand has glitter polish. I always go for the budget brands like Wet 'n Wild. They have lots of options and the polish costs 99 cents to $1.99 per bottle.

Spoiled by Wet n' Wild - Jewelry Heist over Show Me Some Skin

These are my quick ways to get a better than basic manicure without spending tons of time.  Do you have any quick manicure tricks?

Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend Rewind via Instagram - Fun All Around

Taking pictures is so much fun but I always forget to bring my camera or I'm lazy about downloading photos. Having a phone that takes great pictures saves me on a regular basis.  I love all of the photo apps on the iPhone.  Instagram is my favorite but I love the composite apps too, like PicFrame. I took some of my Instagram photos from our weekend fun and compiled them in PicFrame.

From the top left...

• Me and Laila hamming it up for the camera.
• Adam and his Gamma on the swings.
• Laila and Adam fishing at the pool.
• A possible wedding venue option - We might have cocktails and cigars out here.

Over the weekend my Honey and I had two special house guests.  Her grandkids stayed with us for the weekend so their parents could have some time alone. She was a young mom so she's a young grandma and we have great fun with them. Our neighborhood pool has a "Fish Out" every year before they open the pool.  They stock the pool with fish and you can come catch them. You pay an entry fee and get poles and bait. We went with our neighbors and had a great time. Then we took the kids to the park and to Dairy Queen for ice cream. I'm still hunting for a great wedding location that won't blow our entire budget.  I'm trying to narrow it down but it's not easy.

From the top left...

•  One of my fun Goodwill finds.
•  My new $14 shades, from Walgreens!
• A fun watermelon lip color for spring and coral nails.
• Layered tops and necklaces.

I always smile when I wear my star bracelet.  I snagged it for just a few dollars and I love it. My new shades were an impulse buy. I spied them while I was at Walgreens dropping off a prescription. They are made by Foster Grant. I love the colored mirrored lenses. I've been on the hunt for a watermelon colored lip stick.  I found this one, Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart.  It's smooth like a balm with buildable color. The polish is Spoiled by Wet n' Wild in Lox-y Lady.  It's only available at CVS and this week you can buy two bottes and get one free. At $1.99 each you can stock up! Last week I wore one of my favorite jackets and layered it with a spring colored shirt, worn open and a tank. Then I layered a ton of necklaces.  I really like the look. It was business with a twist.

If you don't have an iPhone and can't follow my Instagram pics on your phone, you can check them out on Instagrid. All of my photos are instantly posted there.

Dripping Dots Mani

I've gotten so many great manicure ideas from Pinterest that I don't know if  I'll ever be able to try them all.  Recently I pinned a great tip from The Beauty Department. To make polka dots on your mani just push a flat head pin into a pencil eraser and dip it into the polish you want to dot. It makes a perfect dot tool.

My love of Revlon ColorStay Longwear nail enamel continues. For this mani I used Sequin as the base and Stiletto for the dripping dots. I painted two base coats of Sequin. I dripped a small amount of Stiletto onto a disposable plate. Then I dipped the pin head in and created a dotted line across the tip of each nail and added random dots dripping down each nail. I found that bending the pin gave me more control of the dotting tool.

They turned out better than I'd hoped. The sparkly sequin base is a perfect backdrop for the black dots. Using the pin dotting tool was surprisingly easy. The best tip I have is to dip lightly. You only need a small amount of polish on the pin head to create a dot. Too much makes a glob. It also helps to clean off the pin head occasionally with some polish remover. You can use any color combo to make fun polka dot nails. If you try it with different colors, I'd love to see your mani.  Please post it to the Real Girl Runway facebook page.

This Mani is Just Peachy!

The other day I went to CVS to get a few things. The first thing I do when I walk into CVS is to scan my Care Card at the kiosk. I do this because many times I get a discount I can use on my purchase that day. Sometimes I get ECBs and other times I get a discount coupon on certain products.  When I scanned my card that day, I got a coupon for a free bottle of Essie nail polish! With my coupon I purchased a bottle from their spring collection, a pastel peach called, A Crewed Interest. It's such a pretty color and since I usually go for dark colors, metallics. or brights, I thought I'd grab something different.

Martha Stewart glitter in Coral, essie polish in A Crewed Intereset and my arsenal of fashion magazines to read while my mani is drying

I've been dying to use some of my Martha Stewart glitter in a mani. The color choices are amazing. I chose the coral shade as a darker compliment to the peach polish. 

Lips and Nails - Fun Spring Colors

Bright lip and nail colors can get me through the dark days of winter.  Since we haven't had much winter to speak of here in DC and this week it's in the 80's, I am inspired to share my lip and nail picks for the spring.  With a mix of brights and pastels, there is something for everyone.

Lips

 A bold lip color can really change up your look.  It can make a basic outfit seem special.  The perfect color can even brighten your face. A pretty pink looks great on every skin tone.  Tinted lip balm, like the one below from Mary Kay, can be worn sheer or built up for a more opaque look. 

Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss - Rock 'n Red

Mary Kay Tinted Lip Balm (spf 15) - Poppy

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color - Coral Crush

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color - Fuchsia Fever

Nails

I love these colors for nails or toes.  They are fun and a great way to infuse a bit of color into your look. For spring I'm loving bright pinks, blues, and corals as well as a range of pastel colors.

Revlon ColorStay - Rich Raspberry

OPI - Fly

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Mint Sorbet (you might recognize this shade from my sunnies DIY)

essie - A Crewed Interest

Wet 'n Wild Spoiled - Lox-y Lady (sold exclusively at CVS)