Tag: nails

#PamperMeSunday with Products

Published on by BriAlys

20130606-170822I ❤️ watching lifestyle bloggers on YouTube. They talk about everything from fashion to beauty, health, book recommendations, how they structure their days and so much more! I’d say I spend at least an hour each day watching videos (or reading blog posts online). I’m learning different ways to take better care of myself (mentally, physically, spiritually) and it keeps me from sitting in front of the idiot box all day even though nothing is really ever on. Establishing a regular self-care/pamper routine has been one of my learnings and I do it on Sundays since that’s the day I always have time to do a little extra. It also helps you relax before the work week starts!

allow

This post is about having a routine to pamper yourself. To be honest, I’ve never really done this before, nor have I had a staple set of staple products to assist in such an effort. Thanks to YouTube, that has changed!!! 👍🏽💃🏽

When it comes to the routine below, modify the products/steps to fit your budget and/or tastes. i.e. If you don’t do your own nails, skip that step. And before you waiver on the need to do all this / for the complexity… don’t you deserve pampering?? If not every week, then every other week or maybe once a month? I think yes! (Note: The times are just estimates – start whenever you want – and I DO multi-task where it makes sense to speed things up a bit. I also included pictures of my absolute favorite items! and a few emojis because… why not?

_658859507:55 PM Set the tone! Turn off the tv, light a Diptyque (Nordstrom) or Nest candle (Nordstrom) and turn on some relaxing music 🎤 (Spotify). The kind that will help you turn ⬇️ not turn ⬆️! This is a great time to listen to a new album or audiobook. PS: recycle the jar!

07:59 PM Pull your hair back with a headband (Target).

08:00 PM Prep face. Remove  EYE MAKEUP with Lancome’s Bi-Facial Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover (Nordstrom) and Shiseido Facial Cotton (Nordstrom). For remaining makeup, apply Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water (Target) to a fresh Shiseido cotton pad and wipe your face squeaky clean! This will remove ALL excess grime and grit. It’s important to get EVERYTHING OFF before we proceed so this step is extremely important!

08:05 PM Apply SK-II facial treatment mask (Nordstrom) and let it sit for 15 minutes.

08:07 PM Prep nails: Remove nail polish from hands and feet with Pure Body Polish Remover (Amazon), trim then buff (Target). Step-by-step guide here.

08:19 PM Rinse mask off face with lukewarm mater and pat dry with a fresh white hand towel or face cloth – not the one you used yesterday! 😱 (Nordstrom).

08:20 PM Shower (or take a bubble bath if you prefer)

loccitane

  • Wash hair with Art Naturals Organic Shampoo (Amazon). Divide into 4 sections, comb out and apply It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-in Conditioner to each section (Target).
  • Buff feet with Amopé Pedi Perfect Electronic Foot File (Amazon)
  • Push cuticles back (hands and feet).
  • Splash a little water on your face (it should not be scorching hot) 🚫🔥.
  • Gently massage one pump of Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash onto your face & neck (Nordstrom) then use a Clairsonic for a deeper clean (Nordstrom) and pat your face dry.
  • Clean your body with Fresh ‘Hesperides Grapefruit’ Bath & Shower Gel
    (Nordstrom) and shower gloves (Target). LOVE LOVE LOVE this combination!!! (the gloves provide a gentle exfoliation)
  • Apply *L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil to your body (HEAVENLY!) with an organic sea sponge (Nordstrom, Target) 😍😍
  • Exit the shower

screen-shot-2016-12-21-at-7-04-21-pmFace care starts immediately after exiting the shower while your hands are still CLEAN!

08:40 PM Tone your face and neck with Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal-Extract Alcohol-Free Toner (Nordstrom)

08:41 Treat face and neck with SK-II facial treatment essence (Nordstrom)…. let this miracle water soak in for a couple of minutes.

08:43 PM Gently press (DO NOT RUB) La Mer Creme de La Mer Moisturizing Cream onto your face. You only need a dime size and 1 oz should last you 6-8 months (Nordstrom). 😍💯

08:45 PM Treat your upper and lower eyes with Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (Nordstrom).

08:46 PM Protect your underarms with Kiehl’s Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Cream (Nordstrom).

08:47 PM Moisturize your skin with L’Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate. The smell is absolutely AMAZING and your hubby/significant other will LOVE you for it!😍😍 (Nordstrom)

08:52 PM Put on your most luxurious pajamas (Nordstrom).

09:00 PM Apply Soap & Glory Heel Genius to your feet (Amazon) and put on some fancy socks (Nordstrom).

09:05 pm Select and lay out your clothes for the next day! Including jewelry, other accessories, lipstick color, handbag and shoes!

09:15 PM Steep you favorite tea in a fabulous mug (Teavana, Target).

bobbi-brown-wine-chocolate-2016-collection-1

09:20 pm Polish nails with Nails Inc base & top coat (Sephora) followed by Bobbi Brown Nail Polish (Belk) in this manner to allow maximum drying/setting time: foot 1, foot 2, hand 1, hand 2, then repeat TIP: Coordinate your nail polish with the outfit you picked out so you’ll feel extra special on Monday!

_12656525

09:45 PM Curl up with your favorite blanket (Nordstrom), tea and read a book! 📚 (Amazon).

10:45 PM Brush your teeth wit an Oral-B electronic toothbrush (Amazon) and Tom’s Toothpaste (Amazon).

10:50 PM Protect your lips with La Mer Lip Balm (Nordstrom) and hands with L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (Nordstrom) or La Mer Hand Treatment (Nordstrom). I like them both!

11:00 PM Put on a fancy sleep mask and get some zzz’s! (Nordstrom) 😴💤 tip: get the matching pillowcase, too (Nordstrom)

lamerFinal thought: DO NOT rush the process!!! If you find yourself rushing through steps or wondering if you’re doing it right you are missing the point! It’s called #PamperMeSunday for a reason!! Enjoy feeling fabulous! 😘

*This product is not cheap! Use no more than a quarter-size for your upper body and another quarter-size for your lower half. Squeeze your sea sponge frequently to maximize the product.

Fall Nails

Published on by BriAlys

I read an article in Real Simple this morning about the best nail colors to try now. It missed the mark completely and actually left me thinking, “Huh?” If you don’t believe me, check it out here. I’m almost certain you will be left feeling underwhelmed (ok, they did get one right). Anyhoo, that means there’s only one thing left for me to do – and that’s to share my own list! So here are The Top 5 Nail Polishes you will need for the Fall:

essie-taking-center-stage-collection-14
Essie Leggy Legend

Leggy Legend by Essie is absolutely everything! It is an amazing color and is sold out almost everywhere online. People are raving about this color all over social media. Don’t believe me? #hashtag it! The “color” is also featured in Essence Magazine’s September issue – all the stars are wearing it! I managed to snag mine at Macy’s and am just waiting for the perfect occasion to pull it out! Essie’s entire Fall lineup is actually really great and you can’t go wrong with either one. (2nd fav in this lineup is In The Lobby ). $8.50 USD

img-thing
Nars Night Flight

Gucci’s Absolute Purple is next up and I’ve already told you before how much I love this color. $29 USD. You also need a vibrant bordeaux (as in wine) – I prefer Essie’s Bordaux ($8.50 USD). It’s a classic that sales out fast every year, good luck finding it. You also need a great navy. Honestly the jury is still out on this one but the next one I’m going to try is Nars Night Flight $20 USD. Finally, you need a great neutral / flesh tone / natural looking color. It could be in the nude, brown or gray family, whatever suits your taste. The one that fits my fancy is Dior’s Palais Royal $27 USD. Everybody’s skin tone is different so you must find the one that best fits you (just like with all other makeup). If you need some help, #hashtagit, look for pics of people who have similar skin tones similar to yours and try it out!

So there you have it! Spend $100 or so on a few staples for the Fall and rotate. You’ll be all set for the next 6-8 months (depending on where you live!).

PSA: images not my own

Fanicure

Published on by BriAlys

Today is the day! The National Football League kicks-off its 95th season as the Green Bay Packer face the Seattle Seahawks. Who’s excited??? (raises hand) Did you know CoverGirl is the official beauty sponsor of the NFL? I didn’t until I  watched the video (below) on Instagram. According to HelloBeautiful, the duo is offering 32 “fanicure” sets which will include two to five nail polishes and step-by-step tutorials curated by their beauty experts. AMAZE-BALLS! You can purchase these sets online starting tomorrow. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Try It On

Published on by BriAlys

UnknownSelecting nail polish can be tricky. A color may look great on the shelf but may not look good on your skin tone. Nails, Inc. has a pretty neat feature call Try It On that allows you to select your skin tone from 4 options. You can then cycle through 50+ nail colors to see how it actually look on your hand – it’s a great way to get inspiration for new (to you) options. If found it particularly helpful picking out neutral tones – those are always hard to gauge. You can also add special effects using different top coats. The only thing missing from Try It On is zoom capabilities so you can get a close-up view of the intricacies of each of the options. The nail polish is moderately priced at $9.50 each. Check out a few of my favorites  below.

Nail Heaven

Published on by BriAlys

photo 1I never intended to do product reviews on this blog. That’s until I tried a new nail system from L’Oreal called Extraordinaire Gel-Lacque 1-2-3. And there’s just one takeaway: no more bi-weekly trips to the nail salon for me! No is lamp required and my nails were completely dry in less than 5 minutes! Just as you’d expect from gel nails, they are very shiny!

The process is very simple:

STEP 1: Apply 1 coat of  GEL PRIMER
STEP 2: Apply 2 coats of GEL COLOR
STEP 3: Apply 1 coat of GEL GLAZE

photo 5If you’ve considered yourself a poor nail polisher like I always have, this system will help you out. That’s because the gel color goes on very smooth and almost soaks into your nail as you polish. For about $20 at Wal-Mart I purchased the Gel-Lacque Kit (Steps 1 & 3) and 2 gel colors: 707 (Diamond in the Buff) and 712 Lacque-Red (pictured). (You can probably get an even better deal at places like CVS that often run Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off specials on beauty products.)

I can hardly wait to purchase more colors! You can view the entire collection of 20+ colors on L’Oreal’s website.