Nail Polish: Butter - Artful Dodger

I never considered myself a blue nail polish person -- they were all overshadowed by a bad stint with some shimmery cobalt in high school. Apparently, my BFF knew better than I did when she gifted me this hue for Christmas - I adore it! It's a muted shade with a yellow undertone and smooth creamy finish. It has garnered many compliments from strangers and has managed to remain at the top of my polish basket.

Butter - Artful Dodger

Nail Polishes: The Length of my Obsession

If I was down to ten dollars with a week yet til pay day and no food in the house, I would likely spend $8 on a new nail polish and the remaining $2 on ramen...aaaaand be perfectly content with that decision. I'm not quite sure what it is, but with all the polish I have I still feel a burning need to acquire more; this shade but with a touch more red or this shade with a little more grey - less purple - no sparkles - more muted....and on and on and so fourth. The worst part is, these options are out there! The colors that you seek and more keep coming every season. There are new colors and trends, but then you also use up all your classics and favorites and need to replenish.  It is truly an endless cycle. I decided to put my love to the test and measure out my nail polish basket. This basket is where I store all of my nail care items and polishes. Whenever it is too full, I force myself to purge and share or toss to make room for the new additions. If I did not have this measuring tool, my habit would easily double and triple and I would likely die of a heart attack from the over does of sodium on a ramen diet!

Here she is...for reference this table is 8' long:

Be Bold AND Beautiful

So you have all seen them, especially if you happen upon a JCrew catalog, but I am willing to bet many of you don't utilize their beauty power! Your Mom knew their power, your Grandma probably even more so, what you ask is this super beauty powerhouse??? BOLD lips! Nothing can spruce up your face or your outfit like a bright beautiful lip. Whether you go for classic red or current hotties, hot pink and red-orange you will instantly appear to be a chic stylish lady with minimal effort. A little trip to Sephora or your favorite make-up test zone with your BFF is a great way to find the best color for you. There are also a lot of make-up specific bloggers out there that will recommend a number of super fancy ( NARS-$$$) lipsticks, which I am sure are incredible, but if you don't have tons of money to spend on a test drive your local Target store has more than enough offerings to get you going. However, it is very important that with you purchase of lipstick you also purchase a lip liner, this is essential to a long lasting non-feathering successful bold lip. You can go one of two routes, either purchase a lip liner that closely matches your lipstick color, or purchase a clear lip liner that will keep your edges clean with multiple shades.

   Hot Pink                          Classic Red                        Orange-y Red

Steps to get long lasting bold lip color:

1. Carefully line lips on the very edge with a nice clean smooth outline.
2. Fill lips with liner - if using a same color liner
3. Apply a coat of lipstick
4. Blot lips
5. Dust a layer of your face powder over your lips
6. Apply a second coat of lipstick
7. Blot

Voila! Be prepared for a few head turns...

Holiday parties are a great time to bust these out for a great WOW factor, but don't hesitate to mix it into your everyday make-up and give those smokey eyes a break or give your  glasses a geek chic upgrade!

Colors! - Noir Edition

With winter coming most of us are likely pulling out our warm, cozy, and reliable black layers. Why not spruce up your moody-broody winter black with some pops of color! Here are a few suggestions to get you started, but don't forget about the impact some bold make-up can have, a little bit of color can go a long way to making you stand out in the crowd.