Friday, July 31, 2015

Glitter Chevron

Hey everyone! Did you all have a good week? I've been doing so much clean out and trying to get organized for the big move. I feel like I still have so much left to do!

For today's mani I wanted to try a design that I've had in my head for weeks and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I used Essie Urban Jungle as my base. Pretty sure this is my third or fourth time using it in the past couple months, so it's definitely a favorite. The glitter on my middle finger is Julep Jane and the chevron alternates between Julep Jane and Julep Diamond Theory. I love they way the rose gold and the gold glitter look together.

Oh, and the chevron pattern was super easy to achieve thanks to the mini chevron vinyls from Vinyl It Up. The nice thing about using glitter polish for designs is that the top coat won't smudge it!





The BF and I are going to see Trainwreck this weekend and maybe go to Central Park. Anyone else planning something fun? It's going to be HOT. Hope you all stay cool and have a great weekend!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, July 27, 2015

Color Club Jackie Oh! & Scallop Accent

Happy Mani Monday! How was your weekend? We had a great time celebrating the BF's birthday. He especially enjoyed his steak dinner at Ruth's Chris. Yum.

I went back to an old favorite today, Color Club Jackie Oh! This is a hot hot HOT neon pink. I forgot how amazing this color is. For my accent nail I used a white base and then some scallop vinyls from Vinyl It Up. As usual I dragged the design because I was impatient and didn't wait quite long enough to apply the top coat. When will I learn?






I seriously can't stop looking at my nails, they're so freakin' bright! Obsessed. Hope you all have a great start to your week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, July 24, 2015

MidWest Lacquer Flakies on Fleek

Hey everyone! So as you saw the other day I got my Northeast Meets MidWest box and I knew that Flakies on Fleek needed to be my next mani. I would describe this color as a purpley pink with some gorgeous multicolor flakies and shimmer. It's beautiful in the sun! I got super distracted in the car today by its glittery awesomeness.





Ooooh ahhhh. Had to snap this photo in the car (when the car was parked of course!)

Btw, I used the base and top coat from MidWest Lacquer and they were fantastic! The formula was easy to work with and the top coat was nice and glossy. I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be in the city helping the BF celebrate the big 25.

xoxo,
   Brooke

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Northeast Meets Midwest Unboxing

Hey everyone! I feel like I haven't posted in forever. I missed Monday because I was in Montauk with the BF and his family. We had an awesome time and the weather was absolutely perfect. Btw, that Nails Inc. Bamboo White held up perfectly for 5 days, no chips!

I have a really exciting unboxing to share with you today. On July 17th I was able to snag one of the limited edition Northeast Meets MidWest boxes from the MidWest Lacquer shop. This box was an awesome collaboration between Northeast Nutmeg, a soy candle creator, and Vinyl It Up/MidWest Lacquer, who sells nail vinyls, decals, and nail polish.

The box retailed for $25 shipped and all proceeds from the sale were donated to Resolve.org, an organization helping to improve the lives of those living with infertility. Now for the goodies that came in the box!


Northeast Nutmeg Fleekin' Weekend Soy Candle

Oh my gosh, you guys. Can we just stop for a second to appreciate the name of this candle? And EMOJIS on the label?! So great. The candle is white with a mix of purple glitters. I've been smelling it over and over trying to figure out the scent and then I realized it was bubblegum! It totally took me back to my childhood. I can't wait to get this candle burning.


Vinyl It Up Nail Vinyls

Each box contains a variety of four types of nail vinyls. Full sheets! I have a bunch of vinyls that I have bought from Vinyl It Up in the past and they are super fun to use. I'm most excited to try the scale stencil because mermaid nails, duh.


MidWest Lacquers Sticky Fingers 5-Free Base Coat

This base coat is basically like double stick tape for your nails. It adheres to your nails and creates a nice sticky base for your nail polish. I'll be trying it out with my next mani.


MidWest Lacquers Top it Off 5-Free Top Coat

This top coat, like the base coat, is 5-free and it is also non-yellowing and glossy. I'll pair it with the sticky base for my next mani and see how the wear time is!


MidWest Lacquers Flakies on Fleek

Once again, the name. So so good! I would describe this color as a purpley pink with some gorgeous multicolor flakies. I'll be using this one for my next mani along with the base and top coat so be on the look out for that post by the end of the week!

Overall I'm very happy with my purchase, plus all the proceeds are going to a great cause. Win win!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, July 17, 2015

Nails Inc. Bamboo White

Hey everyone! How was your week? I can't believe it's Friday. The whole week kind of felt like a weekend to me, but I guess that's teacher life for ya.

I heard a lot of good things about Nails Inc. Bamboo White by Victoria Beckham, but didn't really want to spend $25 on one bottle of polish. Last week I happened to stumble upon it half off on Macy's website so I decided to go for it. At $12.50 how could I not? First we need to talk about the insane packaging for this ONE bottle of polish. It's nice and all but a bit excessive. Oh and the bottle itself is made with Venetian glass. Are we fancy or what? I honestly don't even know what to do with the box though. Should I keep it?


Here's Bamboo White after two coats, no top coat yet. I would describe this color as a creamy ivory with just a hint of pink. The brush was definitely wider than anything I've used, but it didn't give me any trouble. It took a little getting used to but I liked it.




This weekend I'm gong to Montauk with the BF's fam so I thought it would be fun to do a little beach themed nail art. I pulled out these adorable crab decals from Vinyl It Up and dabbed on a little blue glittery polish to look like the ocean. Super simple but cute!



Hope you all have a great weekend! I won't be posting on Monday because I probably won't be home from the beach until Tuesday. I'll definitely let you know how Bamboo White holds up!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Monday, July 13, 2015

Red & Gold Leopard Print

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? The fam and I went to see Idina Menzel in concert on Sunday night and she was absolutely fabulous! If you're a fan I definitely recommend seeing her live. 

For my nails I decided to leave on Formula X Remarkable as a base for leopard print. I really don't do leopard print often enough, it's so fun! I used Julep Zelda, a champagne/rose gold metallic, and Clinique Black Honey, a very deep red. This combination is so lovely.





Hope you all have a great start to the week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, July 10, 2015

Lazy Day Mani

Hey everyone! Did you all have a good week? I tried to find some furniture and other home decor things but didn't have any luck. I was shocked that there was absolutely nothing at Home Goods! Hopefully next week I'll have some good finds.

I originally planned on doing something fun for today's mani and then I just was not feeling it. Do you ever have those days where you want to paint your nails, but you're super lazy? Maybe it's a summer thing. Anyway, I immediately thought of Formula X Remarkable, a sheer blush shade, from the Translucents collection. I absolutely adore this polish, especially when paired with a glitter gradient if I feel like doing something extra.

Don't mind my stubby middle finger nail, I've been fighting a bad break on that one for weeks! So frustrating. Anyone have tips for a permanent fix?


I promise next week I'll have something more fun :) Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

ILNP Summer Crush

Hey everyone! Mani Monday kind of passed me by because I've been crazy busy apartment hunting with the BF. We signed the lease yesterday for our first apartment! I'm so excited and of course I'm already looking forward to decorating.

So for today's mani I used ILNP Summer Crush, an amazing neon pink with holo micro flakes. This color absolutely screams summer! Do be aware that it dries matte, so if you're not into that matte life definitely use a top coat. This is one of the most awesome pinks I've ever used for sure. Pictured here is three thin coats.





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I hope you all have a great start to your week! I'll be busy getting my home decor on. Any suggestions on the best places to shop for inexpensive pieces? I definitely want to check out IKEA, but other than that I'm clueless!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Friday, July 3, 2015

Easy Fourth of July Nails

Happy Fourth of July Weekend! What are you all doing to celebrate? I'm definitely planning on seeing fireworks at some point.

I realized that I didn't do a Fourth of July mani last summer because I had a wedding that weekend, so I was excited to break out the red, white, and blue polish. For red I used the gorgeous Rouge Louboutin (fancy I know). I used Zoya Purity for the white and Essie Butler Please for the blue. The glitter I used is Julep America, a red, silver, and royal blue glitter with silver stars. I decided not to use any of the stars because the edges always lift off my nail and drive me crazy. I love how simple but festive these look!




I also just had to share this gem I found from maybe about three years ago. It's amazing how much better I've gotten at painting my nails! Plus I've let them grow and now I take care of my cuticles (when I'm not lazy, that is). A little love really makes a difference.


Hope you all have a safe and fun weekend no matter what you're doing!

xoxo,
   Brooke