Category — Nail Art

Dear pretty nail crystals, be mine.  These seem like a definite must for Alt Summit next week.  (Because any time I feel intimidated in a room full of brilliant people, I find that more sparkle calms me down.)

Dear American Idol, thank goodness you’re back.  Try as I might to watch the other network singing competitions, short of Adam Levine’s general hotness, nothing compares … to you.  (And yes, I was totally channeling Sinéad O’Connor there.  American Idol, sign me up.)

Dear small business owners and big dreamers alike, Emily’s budgeting tips and free download are crazy helpful and should give my poor husband a sigh of relief after months of trying to make excel spreadsheets for my budget that I may actually use (rather than the seven working Microsoft documents, desktop post-it notes, and phone reminders that I have simultaneously open at all times in place of his crazy anal spreadsheets … stupid spreadsheets).

Dear resolutions, I’ll be using these 101 Ways to Make Things Happen to stay right on track.

Dear slouchy skinny boyfriend jeans, I had my doubts about you – half baggy, half skinny (a denim identity crisis?) – but I do declare I love you.  Rag & Bone is nothing short of brilliant.

Dear sewers, anyone have any idea how to craft this gorgeous tutu? It was handmade and sadly, I’m not finding anything quite as perfect on Etsy.  I have a sewing machine (and I can sew straight lines … sort of) and I need that tutu!

Dear Style Me Pretty At Home, tempt me with a vacation in Greece why don’t you?

Nail Image via Le Fashion // Sephora by O.P.I. Nail Embellishment Stickers // Nails In.c Bling It On Kit

I practically jumped for joy (okay, there was definite jumping involved) when I heard that Sally Hansen was rolling out their own line of at-home gel manicure products. Ever since the advent of gel manicures, I’ve saved my pennies to get as many gel manicures in the salon as justifiably possible.  But they can get pricey, and I’ve always been an in-between manicure at-home mani kind of girl.  And now my gel manicure obsession can be fully realized, because I’ve scored myself a brand new at-home gel manicure starter kit.

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Admittedly, I’m a fan of Fall because I have an excuse to wear tights and cardigans once again.  (That’s not to say that I don’t wear them most of the Summer, but once Fall has arrived, I get fewer bizarre looks as I chill on the beach in tweed.)

And though Summer is still hanging on, every fashion publication (Hello, September issue!) is launching a major push for Fall threads, colors, and my ever-favorite: booties.  But one easy Fall trend you can get on without having to re-stock your wardrobe?  Nail polish.  I LOVE nail polish.  And though I’m not kind to my polish – I store it in a giant bin under my bathroom sink (so chic!) – I love to buy more and more.  This Fall’s color trend is looking rather royal, and I dig it.  So I’m off to the store to stock up on burgundies, navies, emerald greens, and more.

Are you a fan of the new fall hues?  Have a favorite?

Navy: 1 // 2 // 3
Burgundy: 1 // 2 // 3
Green: 1 // 2 // 3
Taupe: 1 // 2 // 3
Glitter: 1 // 2 // 3
Purple: 1 // 2 // 3

For the next few months I’m going to talk about my budget-friendly “beauty cheats,” as I like to call them.  I love beauty.  I’m a product junkie.  I have creams cluttering my bedside table like they’re going out of style.  I buy nail polish with every grocery shop.  I LIVE for Chanel rouge.  But all of these splurges are just that – splurges.  Splurges I so cannot afford.  But there’s a bare confidence that comes from getting gussied up, from pampering away, and feeling beautiful.

So in keeping with a budget-friendly beauty spirit in the coming months, and without further ado, The Ultimate DIY At-Home Manicure + Pedicure (because I change my nail polish almost every other day and I’m not sure I’ll ever afford that many manicures):

1. I like to set up everything I need first:  polish remover, nail file, nail clippers, cuticle stick, polish corrector, clear base + top coat, and color of choice (today’s pick: the perfect shade of nude.)
2. I remove any previous polish, then cut and file all of my nails, fingers and toes, so that they look relatively even.  I also tend to keep my finger nails fairly short because I am forever typing/baking/chewing-on-my nails.
3. After filing and buffing (optional) my nails, I like to run a scrub over my hands and feet to exfoliate and remove any excess nail/skin.
4. Next up, I wash and dry my hands and feet really well, creating that clean surface to work on.
5. Paint base coat, two coats of color polish, and top coat, then let dry completely (I stress this because I totally empathize with the need to do 42 other things, including text, laundry, a quick trip to the store, etc., etc.  Just chill.  You deserve it.  And your pretty polish job deserves it too.)

What are some of your at-home beauty routines?

And for a chance at winning a $1,500 shopping spree, designer clothes, and the best in beauty, enter the Style Your Spring Sweepstakes at www.beauty.philips.com!

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**Compensation was provided by Philips via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Philips.