sally hansen salon effects nail stickers

I recently tried the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail stickers. I received them as a gift about a year and a half ago, and finally decided to try them for Halloweekend! The majority of the sparkles were green and silver, which were perfect with my mermaid costume.

Pros: Easy to apply, no nail polish smell, no mess, no need for a top coat (but base coat is recommended)

Cons: price - they're $7-9ish, the price for one set is the same as a whole bottle of nail polish, and not all of the stickers stuck.

I'm guessing that not all of the stickers stuck because they're so old? This was my first time trying this, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Since I had three "unpolished" fingers, I just applied a beige color to let the sparkly nails take the spotlight. Overall, I've been pretty happy with the nails and have received plenty of compliments on them. Even though they're a little pricey for just one application, I'd consider buying another box.

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On another note, I am proud to say that I was able to capture my depth of field (blurriness of the background) perfectly in the photo above! I shot that photo on the manual setting on my SLR camera. I was so happy! Oftentimes, I test the shot and throw my hand in front of the lens to see if my settings are correct (how I got the photo above).

So I tried it to test indoor lighting, and it worked, for the most part....

The subject (hand) is in focus, and the background is blurred! Hurrah!

...and then when I tried having myself as the subject, it didn't. Fail! 

Ugh. The lighting ended up being overexposed in this photo instead of casting the glow it did on the hand test shot. I want to figure this out. I think it would make my photos look much cooler. Sigh. I will continue to try.

Any tips for camera settings to get a shallow depth of field???? If anyone can help a girl out...I would love you forever. :D

xo-ally

bareMinerals lip colors

I don't wear lip color very often. I have Burts Bees lip balm that I wear daily, but my glosses don't get much use. (Well, I had light pink lipglass from M.A.C. that I loved but I lost it. Sad.) I feel like I buy the wrong color sometimes - it just doesn't fully go. That's why I like getting makeup from department stores! Unlike a drug store, you get to try on the makeup and see how it looks before you make a decision.

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I got the bareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lip Color in "Ambition." It is a bright, hot pink! I was originally deciding between this color or a red so I could wear when I perform with dance team at basketball games. When I tried it on, however, it was suggested that I wear it regularly! Here is the color on me, taken with my phone:

I also got the bareMinerals Moxie Lip Gloss in "Show Off." It is a pinky-nude that will bring out the rosy undertones of my skin but will be much more subtle than the hot pink above. I'm excited to try this over a nude lipstick I bought a while back - the lipstick itself seems too matte, so a gloss will help liven it up a bit.

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What brand/type of makeup do you use for your lips?

xo-ally

waterproof mascara

I wear two coats of mascara: one regular, and one waterproof. I've been doing this daily since last summer because....

1. It makes my eyelashes look extra long! Sometimes I get asked if my eyelashes are real or fake. [They're totally real ;)]

2. If I shower in the middle of the day, I don't have to worry about redoing my makeup. This is great if I go work out in the morning. In the summer, this is also great because my mascara stays on when I swim!

The two types of mascara I wear daily:

Maybelline Great Lash BIG in Blackest Black

I love Diorshow by Dior, but since that's a little pricey, I like to use this mascara from Maybelline. I used to use the regular Great Lash mascara until I tried this one with the "BIG" brush! The brush is much larger than the other one and I think it makes my lashes look like they have more volume.

Find it here for $5.19 at Ulta

Cover Girl Exact Eyelights Waterproof Mascara

A perk about this waterproof mascara is that its color subtly "matches" your eye color. My eyes are Hazel so I use hazel or Green, depending on what's available at the store.

You can find it here for $8.49 in Blue at drugstore.com

What is your favorite mascara? Have you used the ones I use, and how do you like them? Will you be layering a waterproof mascara over a regular one this summer?

xo

cheap nail polish finds

I was at the drugstore today and found a few awesome bottles of nail polish! Even though the trip was only meant for face wash, the shopper in me took a look at the makeup section. I love good nail polish finds, especially if they're cheap! Sometimes I don't buy cheap nail polish because of the quality of the paint and brushes, but some brands are actually pretty nice for the price!

Left: "Mezmerised" by Essie, $8

Middle: "Blue-Ming" by Color Club, $5

Right: "Energetic Red" by Sinful Colors, $2

I bought the Essie color thinking it would be similar to the shade of medium-wash jeans, but it's actually a little darker. It's more of a cobalt, saturated blue. It's still very pretty, though!

The "Tiffany Blue" polish in the middle is great! I'm rocking this shade right now. It's a beautiful robin's egg blue hue that is pretty good quality for only five bucks.

The red polish on the right is a gorgeous shade of red. It's not too alarming and not too subtle - a good in-between shade of red that's perfect for summer.

I'm thinking of doing a "French manicure" on my nails with the blue color in the middle and the red. The blue would be the base and the red would be on the tips. Do you think this would look good, or totally crazy?! If I like it I'll post some pics on here ;) and if not... well, you can assume it probably didn't turn out so well. Haha.

xo