1. Beauty sleep is key. The more sleep you get the better you’ll look & feel. I just wish I looked this cute doing it!

2. There will always be those days when you can’t get a good shot, especially of yourself. Sometimes you’re just going to look like a drunk demon. Take a break & try again!

3. Lean on a friend, in my case my husband. Sometimes I just need to vent or have help rationalizing. Having someone listen to my specific type of crazy is very helpful.

4. Find your best poses from multiple shots. Try lots of angles & holding the camera different ways. I have uneven features which can really look odd so I try to show them so they look their best.

5. Use lighting to your advantage. At first you may feel silly but it really helps!

6. Be relaxed & comfortable, tension really comes across in photos. Find an angle that suits you then take a deep breath & use a real smile.

7. Be confident. Even if other people think your box makes you look silly give it a shot! Trying new things is what makes photos interesting! Obviously you can go too far but you won’t know until you try!

Love glam things? From now until July 28^th 2013, Hpnotiq wants you to show them how you GLAM LOUDER to win fab prizes! During the remaining 2-week challenges you can submit photos in different categories to win – including the glammest makeup and overall look. Entries can be pictures you snap yourself or images you find online. I thought I’d show you one of my favorite makeup looks as an example! See & read more after the jump!
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Let’s talk about getting healthy. I’ve been making tweaks & planning like a crazy person to create a healthier lifestyle for myself. Sure, hubby is naturally benefiting because I make dinner (therefore I have the power, muahaha!), but the base line is for me. I could definitely go on & tell you about how diabetes runs in my family or how slow I run a mile but you’ve heard all of that before, right? And I could say “Health starts from the inside out like beauty” which is totally true but you’ve heard that before too, correct? Well how about, “I want to look smoking next summer when the Air Force hopefully has enough money to open a pool!”

Sound kind of lame? Okay well hold up & let me explain, sheesh! The base we’re currently stationed at said they aren’t even opening the pool this summer.  True story. I’m going a summer without swimming in a pool, which is unheard of. Normally, I’d be dreading picking out a new swimsuit right about now but why bother? We might go fishing but who needs to look cute to do that? Fish just don’t care about how I feel about myself in a bathing suit. Instead I’m channeling all of this non-pool energy into looking hot for next summer. Clearly this includes eating right, exercising, & getting my foxy on. I find I feel better about myself when I’ve done my hair & makeup for the day. Now don’t fret, I didn’t say I HAVE to do it & I can totally go without but it makes me feel better. Why else would I spend hours in front of a mirror coloring myself in with various art supplies?

Let’s talk food! I’ve been using Slim-Fast for years as a supplemental meal or snack. Oh man, did I forget to eat breakfast again? Boom, it is in my hand ready to go. Starving for chocolate & could devour a whole cake? Yeah a Slim-Fast bar is probably a better option. Oddly enough, most convenience foods (think vending machines) just aren’t as good for you! What is good for me is the fact that one of their bars (Peanut Butter Crunch Snack Bar) tastes exactly like Bart Simpson’s favorite candy bar. Huzzah!

For summer 2013 Essie has cranked out the Naughty Nautical collection. This contains 5 shades, 4 with shimmer & one true cream. I picked up the namesake (Naughty Nautical) which contains shimmer & the lone cream ranger of this set. Keep reading to see my swatches & thoughts!

Essie Naughty Nautical- A lovely blue leaning teal cream packed with small silver fleck shimmer. This doesn’t look silver on the nail really, just more light catching & bright. 2 coats.

Essie The More the Merrier- Slightly murky chartreuse green cream. . 2 coats.

What do you think of the Essie Naughty Nautical collection? Any shades that wow you?

When it comes to new products, travel sizes intrigue me. Products I can throw in my purse that have multiple uses, are super compact, or convenient as heck must be mine. When Flower Beauty (a line by Drew Barrymore available exclusively at Walmart that I talk about a whole lot more in the review for the bronzer/blush duo that I adore!) first launched these little Pocket Triplets weren’t available. I was SO bummed because I was definitely looking forward to them. When they finally hit my Walmart I picked up the 2 that intrigued me most, the concealer trio & a pink lippie trio.

The concept of these is really great for travel. Remember those pencils/crayons that stacked back in the day to give you a new point? Same concept. Unfortunately they didn’t quite pan out that way…but let’s talk about the good points first. These are compact. Check out the photo above of the Flower Triplet next to a Milani lipstick. Great size right?

I’ll talk about the packaging more below but I’ll tell you some of the things I hate currently. This has absolutely no information on the stupid tube after removing the plastic wrap. Bull, I hate this so much. No shade name, not even what the product is. On top of that, it is one of those tubes you have to close the right way. The flat front has to meet up or else it isn’t going to close. Even then…it doesn’t stay closed well. The pretty rose gold paint on it is also scratching away & I’ve barely used it. Bummer.

The shades are creamy & actually super pretty. The concealer trio I got is in the lightest shades…can you see how dark they are? The lightest one is workable but the rest…no way no how. The lip shades all come in sets of the same color which seem silly. Who wants 3 options of pink when you could have a red, nude, & a pink? Or some sort of mixture? But…they’re gorgeous. really pretty & super creamy. They have me wanting to try the lipsticks now because if they are similar…I’d really love that darkest shade. The lipstick shades actually leave behind a stain because they’re nicely pigmented so heads up on that.

Third, check out the picture above. That’s how much product of each shade you get. No really, & I have very small nails.

Last, these retail for around $7 each…no. Just no. I know it is cute, compact, & honestly the shades are beautiful but just don’t waste your money. You won’t be able to use it. I’m planning to depot my shades because I honestly really like them but for $14 ah heck no. Not worth it guys, it just isn’t. I wish things were different because I like the concept in theory but it just didn’t come together.

Sally Hansen has knocked it out of the park with a nice collection of originals ( & dupes!) of the Nails Inc. Feathers collection. If you remember back to my birthday haul (with LOADS of polishes!) then you’ll know that I bought one! These are cheaper & for me…exactly the same! These don’t say texture to me but they are bar glitters in a clear base! I imagine they are supposed to look like feathers but I think they look more like knit sweaters 🙂 I personally love them & I hope you will too! Keep reading to see the 5 I chose!

Formula was consistent on all of these except for Peach Fuzz which seemed slightly thinner…maybe it was just my bottle? I did different coats which I’ll note below so you could see some more opaque looks here & there. I didn’t use a top coat but I would if I was going to wear them as a manicure, they have a bit of texture to them. I think you can get these more opaque on their own if you really wanted to but I think you’d want to thin it out a bit.

Sally Hansen Tweedy- Black & white bar glitter in a clear base. Seen here over Orly Hot Shot which is a neon so it didn’t photograph right. I love black, white, & neons! 2 coats on my pointer & ring then one coat on my middle & pinky.

Sally Hansen  Fuzz-Sea- Brightened blue & yellow bar glitter in a clear base. Seen here over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Grape Race for a really springy look! 4 coats on my pointer & middle then one coat on my ring & pinky.

Sally Hansen  Peach Fuzz- Peach & & pale yellow bar glitter in a clear base. Seen here over Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in In Record Lime. One coat on all my nails.

Sally Hansen Wool Knot- Brightened blue & white bar glitter in a clear base. Seen here over Covergirl My Papaya. 4 coats on my middle finger & one coat on the rest.

I passed on a light pink shade but the rest of the line wasn’t at my target where I picked these up. I plan to pick up some of them when they are though because I’m loving this look! I think they were $5 & some change which wasn’t bad for a glitter that I have found myself reaching for. What do you think?

So for those of you who didn’t know, my birthday was in April! I did a birthday haul here which was pretty grand if I do say so myself! One of the best things about signing up for the Sephora Beauty Insiders program is the freebie you get every year! This year Sephora teamed up with Benefit & I’m loving this duo!

You get a mini size of the Benefit They’re Real! Mascara & an adorable little Benefit Watt’s Up! Highlighter. I have been piling up samples of Benefit They’re Real & really do need to finally try it! I’ve pretty much only heard great things so I don’t know what I’m waiting for? The Benefit Watt’s Up! highlighter is such a cute mini! It comes in a little twist up size, perfect for my purse! If you’re a highlighter junkie like me then you’ll be thrilled!

Thrilled. If you haven’t gotten your birthday gift yet I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! love a great freebie!

With my many posts about nails art, eyeshadow tutorials, & hair care… I might not imply enough how much I love jewelry. Because, wow, I love it so much. I’m going to be trying to share of it more on the blog so let’s start with this beautiful bracelet from WiReD Boutique featuring some unique elements! I’ve been wearing it tons since it arrived & have found it to be very versatile.
All of the materials I use are high-quality and the workmanship is extremely detailed. We will return glamour to altered jewelry! Most of the materials are recycled or reclaimed. Your family and friends will be tremendously surprised that your beautiful work-of-art jewelry began as a domino or scrabble tile!

I’m a big time admirer of people who can take something simple (like the scrabble tiles on my bracelet!) & turn it into something way fashion forward.

These beads are beautiful & have a nice weight to them. They have the cool cracked glass appearance which makes them look even more original.

Indeed I contacted Pam who created this beauty & this is what she said:
I’ve had tiles spell out “TRUTH,” “LOVE,” and “HOPE” for example. I’ve also designed bracelets with the person’s name or initials on them. And they do not cost extra but it does take about one week for production. It takes about one day for the jewelry glue to set and about three days for the resin or acrylic coating to dry and set.

How cool is that? She also works with dominoes which is really different! I love that she takes things & completely transforms them too. I mean, look how beautiful the slate look on my tiles is! She also has different shades, glitters, etc. so all of her designs are different. I really love this personalized photo charm bracelet where she uses  actual photos of loved ones & of course this USA themed domino necklace would be perfect for some of the military events I attend! 

You can purchase this bracelet (if you don’t see it on the site it is just sold out so send her a request!), necklaces, & other items from Pam’s WiReD Boutique Etsy shop & her new website www.wiredboutique.indiemade.com  Along with these two sites, she has Facebook and Pinterest.

I love changing up my beauty with the seasons. The greiges of fall, metallics & earthy tones for winter, pastels in spring, bright shades in summer…it is jut too fun! Changing up my routine & colors is a natural progression of seasons for me but I think spring/summer are definitely my favorites! I love transitioning into the more cheery color palette because I grew up in California…winter/fall just wasn’t all that extreme. Now that I’m in Nebraska….well lets just say we appreciate good whether a ton more now!
Click here to read more…..>>>

PR Sample.

My new camera strap is glorious, seriously. This beauty is from Magpie Accessories, an online specialty boutique carrying beautifully detailed goods. You’ll find purses, technology accessories, guitar straps, & various other items in beautiful shades & unique prints. I never thought I would stumble upon a camera strap so fitting for me personally! For those that don’t know I have a grouping of orchids tattooed on my shoulder. Plus…my plain ol’ Nikon camera strap just clashed with my bright & cheery work!
Handcrafted in our Yorkshire studio out of the finest locally sourced leathers, we specialize in commissions and work with you to create exquisite bespoke pieces to meet your requirements.  Our classic  range is growing all the time with new designs, and comprise of large weekender totes and messenger bags to small clutch purses and washbags.  Our range for men features laptop bags, guitar and camera straps, smartphone and cuffs.   Travel accessories feature Passport Cases, Kindle, Ipad and Laptop sleeves.  Personalization is key, with embossing available on many items making them the perfect gift.  All orders are beautifully gift-wrapped in eco-papers with luxury ribbons in a colour of your choosing, and a personalised message can be added to your gift.
We will be adding a vegan range to our collection, coming soon.

The camera strap I selected comes in many different patterns but naturally the Lime & Pink Orchid Buckled Camera Strap was the choice for me…although if the Gerald the Giraffe Buckled Camera Strap had been available when I was perusing I likely would have had an awful difficulty choosing! Giraffes are my favorite animal & it is positively adorable! If you don’t prefer the buckled options I also wanted to point out they have some with split rings & studs as well.

From Magpie Accessories:
A fabulous gift idea for the hard-to-buy-for photographer.
A lovely soft yet thick and sturdy leather has been useed to make this simple yet classic camera strap. It is pretty much waterproof, as it has a slight coating to the leather. You can also polish it with beeswax to make it extra waterproof.
* It is simply designed yet functional and comfortable.
* There is a antiqued brass buckle on each end of the strap which makes it even more secure to use.
* It works on old and new cameras just the same, digital or 35mm, and its strong and comfortable.
* Other colours available, please ask for more swatches to be sent to you.

My camera strap arrived feeling luxe & soft. Magpie treats their leather with organic beeswax & organic conditioning sprays which also makes it splash proof which is great if you work outdoors & have it around your neck in the humid heat like I do. This slight sealant is supposed to last about 6 months & then they recommend you treating it again yourself.

There is a different design on each side of the strap so I included all 4…& they’re all lovely of course.

You can purchase Magpie Accessories products from their site directly or for us US Etsy loving folks through their Etsy Shop. They also have quite a bit more goods on Etsy so be sure to check there first! & I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for the future vegan line, love that!