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!

Take An Oud to The Beach - Bond No. 9 Shelter Island Fragrance Review

There aren't many times when I would recommend wearing an Oud fragrance to the beach but Bond No. 9 put an astonishing marine twist on Shelter Island that I couldn't help but test it out this weekend. For starters, Oud is a dark and fragrant resin (also called agarwood) that comes from the wood of the tropical Agar (Aquilaria) tree. It is produced when the wood of the Agar tree gets infected with a very specific mold. The oud - when properly distilled or extracted - is a highly valuable ingredient to perfumers because of its distinctly complex woody, sweet and aromatic scent. I tend to be drawn more to oud scents during the colder months because they are normally heavier but Bond No. 9's Shelter Island took a fascinating turn with this fragrance that contrasted it into a light marine oud. 

It is a tart and lemony fragrance with notes of Citrus zest, black pepper, white lilies, algae extract, sandalwood, amber, myrhh, musk and oud. As I mentioned above, to me, oud tends to make a fragrance heavier but I love how the oud here contrasts with the natural aquatic aromas and candy sweetness to make this scent ideal for the summer and the beach. Plus the bottle was a perfect pairing for this holiday season.

It is available in a 1.7 oz and 3.3 oz from Saks.com and Nordstrom.com.

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