Essie Maki Me Happy Fall Nail Polish Swatch & Photos

I couldn't let Mani Monday end without posting well...today's mani! Recently, I've been wearing Essie Maki Me Happy ($9) - a crimson with berry hues nail polish from their Fall 2016 collection.

I saw this color at the Rebecca Minkoff S/S 2017 NYFW show and have been hooked ever since. As usual, I applied the grow faster base coat just to protect my nails from being stained and it gives an extra added layer of strength. Then I applied two coats of Maki Me Happy and topped it off with a shiny top coat. Once everything dried, I moisturized my hands, nails and cuticles with Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream.

What color have you been wearing?

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Misha Collection SS17 Runway Show NYFW Recap

There's a sense of delight when you give into opulence and the Misha Collection SS17 Runway Show was a testament to that. The luxury Australian fashion label, led by Creative Director and designer Michelle Aznavorian, made its New York Fashion Week debut with its opening and closing walk done by the superstar Jourdan Dunn.

The Misha Collection SS17 oozes opulence, extravagant glamour, luxury and mystery. The collection was inspired by fashion icons of Studio 54 gone by evoking feelings of elegance and supplication. With references to classic vintage shapes from the seventies and eighties, the seductive mood is enhanced by breathtaking new textures, custom lace, ostrich feather, silk Devoré and pony leather are intertwined with a monochromatic colour palette splashed with leopard print and daring red. 

Click on the photos to see a bigger slideshow.

I loved how the designer was able to incorporate hints of elegance and sophistication into the spirit of Studio 54. Now for the makeup - one of our favorite beauty brands - Stila Cosmetics was responsible for creating the luxe and lust beauty look for the runway. Check out these photos of Sarah Lucero of Stila working her magic on Jourdan Dunn.

You can see all the looks from their NYFW debut on their new Runway page here and you can watch SS17 runway show from start to finish below.

[wpvideo yiQSjtPo]

Saw anything that you liked? Well I did because I immediately ran home with my gift bag and i had to figure out which meals I was cutting out so I that could afford that red wool coat. :-) Luckily, there was a surprise in the gift bag.

 

So our gift bag included a cute keychain and notebook from the Misha Collection, a Stay All Day Matte'ificent lipstick in the shade Jolie from Makeup Partner Stila Cosmetics, a volumizing conditioning spray from Hair Partner René Furterer and a $100 gift card to the Misha Collection! And as usual, I have an extra bag for one of you!

I want to be sure to bring as much of New York Fashion Week to you as I can so here is your chance to enter to win everything pictured in the gift bag photos.

Blog giveaway (One winner) To enter this giveaway, simply follow/subscribe to this blog and leave a comment on this post telling me which piece from this collection is your favorite. Scroll down to find my subscription box or look to the to right of your screen to follow/subscribe. *Please note – Don’t worry if you don’t see your comment right away. I have to approve most of them :-)*

Contest ends Sunday, September 18^th, 2016 at 11:59pm EST (my birthday woot woot). I will choose one subscriber at random from those who commented on this post within 48 hours of the contest end date.

No giveaway/spam accounts. Open internationally; 18+ to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Good luck to all!

How to Make Your Shiny Nail Polish Matte with OPI Nail Lacquer and Matte Top Coat

A Monday is never complete without a look a #ManiMonday feature. Today, I wanted to show you how you can refresh a manicure using OPI's Matte Top Coat ($10).

Press the play button below to watch a quick clip of me using the matte top coat to transform my nails that were done with OPI Miami Beat Nail Lacquer.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/8yRrR5Flrv/[/embed]

And for a look at the final results.

The matte topcoat is the perfect addition to your fall wardrobe. I've had this one bottle for about a year and it has held up nicely. The rings shown are from Charlotte Russe.  

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How To Celebrate The Fourth Of July in Style (A Quick Nail Tutorial & OOTD Inspiration)

Happy 4th of July! Isn't it amazing how much inspiration you can pull from the world around you for your next outfit of the day? I created this outfit for the 4th of July and what started as a simple pair of jeans and white t-shirt spiraled into a montage to the holiday!

But the star of my look was my nails today! Here is a super quick video tutorial on how to achieve this look all by yourself.

[embed]https://youtu.be/61hYFQwZro0[/embed]

Products in this look: Nail Polish: Starry Starry Night, Blanc, Life of the Party JustFab - Stretch denim jeans Shoes - Shoedazzle Brandee Foot Petals Blossom Cushions

I hope you all have a safe and fantastic 4th of July!

Pretty in Pink (Graffiti): Preparing for a Date Night with Escada Fragrances

The notion that fashion is just putting on a pair of pants, a matching T-shirt and some stylish shoes is simply untrue. When I get ready for my day, there's so much more to it than just going into my closet and picking out a pair of jeans, t-shirt and pumps to match. Seriously, there are so many factors to consider when picking out the perfect outfit - whether you're going for a casual look or something that you're preparing for a night out on the town. The biggest thing that people tend to forget until the last minute is their fragrance.

Take Pink Graffiti by Escada for example. This Eau De Toilette is a bright floral fragrance filled with fruity notes like: pink grapefruit, red peony, wild strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, violet and hints of vanilla, musk and cashmere wood. Sounds great right?

Well this type of fragrance is one that you want to make sure you pair with the right kind of outfit for the right kind of event. Since it's so fruity and floral, you want to make sure that you wear it out for a light and fun event - maybe to a carnival or trip out with some of your closest friends. Since it's an Eau De Toilette - meaning that it has a lower concentration of perfume - expect it to last for up to 2 to 3 hours without having to worry about the scent fading or having to reapply it.

Valentine’s Day Nail Art | Red and Black Hearts Nail Tutorial With Rhinestones

Valentine's Day nails already? I know, I know I'm either super early (or really late in my book) but I filmed this tutorial when I received a lipstick from the I Adore collection and I was inspired by the packaging and by Nails by Jema.

It's a quick and easy, no-tools-needed, nail art design that will wear great for Valentine's Day, date night or even a cute look at the office. So let your inner artist shine and click play to see how to recreate this look.

[embed]https://youtu.be/1otrLj7TSTA[/embed]

Products used: Knees Up Nail Lacquer by Butter London Union Jack Black by Butter London Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat Nail Crystals

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Pop of Color by Kristen Taekman Nail Polish Review and Swatches

Happy #ManiMonday! Today, I have a few summer colors of the Pop of Color by Kristen Taekman Nail Polish line to share with you. "The New York City skyline at night may be just a silhouette, but add those lights and suddenly it tells a story. Pop of Color is that little hint of something that adds everything to your look. Whether you choose to compliment your outfit with something vibrant, or with something subdued, you tell your fashion story entirely with that Pop of Color."

Thrust - A creamy dirty plum/eggplant. Photo below shows two coats.

Scandal - A creamy bright orange red. Photo below shows two coats.

Second to None - a creamy periwinkle blue. Photo below shows two coats photographed outside to show its true color.

City by Night - A creamy bronze with specs of glitter. Photo below shows two coats.

Delusional - A bright & creamy neon pink. Photo below shows two coats.

Hands off - A creamy teal with shifts of glitter in it. I'm posting two photos so you can see the shifts in the color. The photos below shows two coats.

Here is a live video of me swatching all of the polishes. I wanted to do this video so you could see how pigmented and creamy the polishes applied (with one and two coats) as opposed to only showing you the still images.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puCZqXhbptk

I'm always a sucker for a good creamy polish and these are insanely pigmented so they are literally a no-brainer for Spring/Summer.

You can order these online at Ricky's NYC for $8 a pop!

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Essence January Beauty Box Review: Soulful. Colorful. Beautiful.

So it's a brand New Year which means we all have these fabulous resolutions that we need to try to stick to. I don't know about you, but every year I try to tell myself to relax, and just continue doing what I'm doing - working as hard as I can everyday. Realistically, it's just another day that ends with a new number right? Since I'm always working, I hardly have time to go out and pamper myself, so I was excited to hear that the January Essence Beauty Box was a Pamper Party Box.

If you guys remember from my other posts, the Essence Beauty Box is a beauty subscription box that was designed for women of color by the experts from Essence magazine. Each box will contain 5 deluxe samples and you can sign up for $15 a month, however, they have been running sales for $10 a month.

As for the January box, it contains 5 deluxe samples that was curated together to create the ultimate pamper party box. First, there is a deluxe sample of SheaTerra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap Facial Wash. This is designed to gently exfoliate your skin and remove dead layers without any harsh ingredients - which is great if you have sensitive skin.

Next, there is a fat lip pencil by Laqa & Co. There are three different shades that are floating around online that people have received in their box and I received this orange shade that has subtle hints of red in it. It's a cute color and I love the thickness of the pencil itself, however, I did not like this shade for my skin tone. Personally, I do not favor lipsticks that have an orange shade or undertone to it. I mostly go for lipsticks with more of a blue based undertone just because I find that it suits my complexion better. I would love to be able to include these personal preferences to the subscription box.

The next sample is from tgin - Thank God It's Natural Green Tea super moist leave in conditioner. Now this is my favorite product in this month's box because I love trying new leave in conditioners to moisturize my curls and this is one of the quickest and most affordable ways that I've been able to test out new products that may or may not work for my hair.

A pamper party box wouldn't be complete without a nail polish for a manicure. This box included the Julep Jess nail polish. It's kind of like a brown color with hints of red in it. I've tried a lot of the Julep nail polishes before so I know that they have a great formula, however, I wasn't a big fan of this color. Lately, I've been more into the bright and holographic colors so I'm not going to get much use out of this product in the box. It is a great color though if you're looking for something a bit more subtle.

Lastly, the box included a Baby Soft Foot Mask by Leaders Insolution. This is a rejuvenating foot mask that has aloe vera extract and bees wax in it and I'll be honest, in the winter time, I tend to neglect my feet -  I know I'm not the only one! This is going to rejuvenate the skin and leave your feet feeling as smooth as butter!

Did you guys get the January box? What did you think about it? Don't forget that if you sign up, please use my referral code 992-4D8B-00F2.

New Years Eve Nail Tutorial Featuring Butter London Polish and Shoedazzle Pumps

Hi guys! For New Years, I wanted to create a look for my nails that was inspired by my new Raziel glitter pumps from Shoedazzle and Desire by Dolce & Gabbana - one of my favorite fragrances. Hopefully, you'll be able to find a little bit of inspiration for your next look from some of your daily style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzFb6kaA5hw

Products Used: Butter London Union Jack Black Nail Lacquer Butter London West End Wonderland Nail Lacquer Butter London The Black Knight Nail Lacquer Raziel Pumps from Shoedazzle.com Desire by Dolce & Gabbana Fragrance

Enchanted Polish Neptune

This year, I recently fell in love with an Independent Nail Polish brand - Enchanted Polish. You guys have seen me posting massive pictures of my manicures on Instagram so I figured it was time to start showing them off in their full glory on the blog. Last month, Enchanted Polish and iparallaxe collaborated on a beautiful new blue/green duochrome holographic nail polish. There is no easy way to describe it so check out the video:

[embed]https://youtu.be/096_gaL866c[/embed]

Look at how the it literally changes colors every time the sun hits it. I think out of all of the colors that I received this year, this one definitely tops them all.