Melificent

Lovable Friday!


Its been awhile, Internet.
I’m not going to lie, it’s been difficult to arrange my thoughts (& my life) since arriving back from our Euro trip, but I am trying my best (tea helps). I have so much to share, but seemingly not enough time to do it. I figured coming back with Lovable Friday would be the perfect opportunity to showcase everything that has been putting a smile on my face lately!

1. I am so lazy with my watches. You may think I don’t have any because I never have one on my wrist, but I have a pretty nice collection. They are just all out of battery. I know, I know. Easy fix. But, like I said, I can be so lazy sometimes. Thankfully, I was graced with this fun and easy Timex (the Weekender, in case you were wondering). It’s so casual and versatile (& has the option of interchangeable bands – yay!). I also love its big white face – it really adds a pop! But what I love the most is the price point – you can pick up one of these babies for $50 (additional 25% off code: SAVE25). Perfect for the upcoming gift-giving season!

2. Have I caught you guys up? I’m totally in love with Doctor Who. It was bound to happen with all my Sherlock love (same writer/creator), although it did take a little 10 in my life for it to be solidified as fangirl status. So naturally, the hubs and I HAVE to have this TARDIS Christmas ornament. What better says holiday cheer than intergalactic time travel?

3. It finally happened. The heavens opened up and gifted Miami with a Trader Joe’s. I never thought this day would come, but I was finally able to experience the joyous event that is shopping at Trader Joe’s (without being on vacation). It was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be, and I managed to ring in at well under $100. Look at me and my self control. Favorite purchases? Pumpkin butter and a bag of Inner Peas.

4. At this point, I’m pretty sure you all know that I love me some J.J. Abrams. I think he is a master at storytelling and I personally cannot wait to see what he will do with Star Wars. I nearly peed myself, however, when I saw this trailer for an upcoming project entitled, Stranger. No one knew what it was and immediately the Internet started buzzing. It was finally revealed that the trailer was for a book that J.J. devised (and Doug Dorst wrote) called, S. Thanks to the hubby, I am now the proud owner of said book and cannot wait to dive into it. So far, it is classic Abrams, with all sorts of physical elements (literally, crap falls out of the book) and plenty of mystery.

5. Guys, it’s time to face the music. The holidays are here. I know for some of you, this is a happy statement, but for others (like me), it can be stressful. One female first world struggle is picking the right holiday lip color. So many shades of red, not enough time. Well, I’m here to make it easy for you. BA Star offers great and long-lasting makeup products (they are the #1 best seller for cheerleaders, dancers and competitors so you know this stuff is good) and I have fallen in love with their aptly named, Holiday Red lip pencil. It goes on so smooth, has full coverage and manages to stay in tact despite my animalistic eating rituals (seriously, its not pretty). Enjoy a 50% off promo code on me while you are at it: BBLIPS.

It is to be noted that some of the content on this post was sponsored.

Nails of the Month

1. Party nails; So I am just not impressed with Essie’s new formulas lately! This is the second time I try a new summer shade (in this case, DJ Play That Song) where I have to apply a ton of coats for it to only be semi-opaque. What’s going on! So not impressed. I decided to add a party nail (because, well, why not) using O.P.I.’s The Living Daylights. They just blow Essie out of the water with their glitters, don’t they?

2. Leopard mani; I was SO excited to try this fabulous manicure from the lovely Jen Fabulous. It was so much fun to recreate, especially now that I have dotting tools! I first did an ombre over the nails and then used the tools to make the leopard spots randomly throughout the nails. I got so many compliments from strangers with this one – I can’t wait to do it again!

3. The Big Blue; Hated it! Yet another Essie flop this month. When I saw Bouncer It’s Me sitting on the shelves, I HAD to have it. It looked so vibrant and perfect for the summer. When it went on though, it was a different story. So blah and flat. I was not impressed. I actually liked it a lot better on my toes than on my nails. The more I try these neons, the more I think that they need to be layered over a white base to really have the impact they are meant to have.

4. Little Mermaid nails; This was yet another fun Jen Fabulous nail tutorial. Of course, Jen’s looked glorious, while mine looked…questionable at best. I was headed to Disney for Labor Day weekend, so I definitely wanted a Disney-inspired manicure. After several failed Mickey silhouettes, I decided to try my hand at this Little Mermaid one. Things were looking great until Ariel’s seashell bikini top. Oops.

Lovable Friday!

1. Ombre sneaks; It’s no secret. I love all things ombre, especially when they come along with a DIY challenge! The uber talented Gissi, of The Architect of Style, broke down the steps of how to achieve perfectly rose petal dipped canvas shoes, and I have to say, this looks like something I can give a whirl. Maybe I should wait until after I finish my year long studded sneaker DIY, huh? Ha.

2. Donut piñata; Homer Simpson would be so proud. Although I’m pretty sure I’d never be able to DIY my own piñata, this one is just so cute it hurts. Definitely for those with a sweet tooth, it would be a perfect detail to any fiesta. If anyone tries it, definitely let me know!

3. Gold dot shower curtain; While shopping for a new shower curtain (life is super exciting these days), I stumbled on this amazing one. Unfortunately, it is no longer available (& had an outrageous price tag anyways), but it would have added such a touch of kitschy class to our master bathroom. Everything happens for a reason though: I was able to find an even better (& affordable) one that fits in perfectly with our mermaid/sea theme. Details soon!

4. Gold leaf barrette; Speaking of gold, this beautiful hair clip is the perfect accessory to jazz up any outfit. I honestly think it would even make a gorgeous bridal hairpiece for a boho chic wedding!

5. Lime Crime’s Babette; I’ve been on a Lime Crime high lately (hello unicorn packaging!), and have been obsessively stalking their new products. Babette had been in the works for some time, and now that it has been released, I need me one. Too bad I waited too long and it is now sold out. Drats.

 

Nails of the Month

I know I’ve been MIA, but I was busy celebrating my birthday! It was a great week (yes, I milk it for as long as I can), but I’m ready to jump back into the blog full force. I can’t think of a better way to come back than with Nails of the Month!

1. My Little Pony; when choosing these fun, pastel colors, I couldn’t help but think of MLP. Growing up, it was my favorite cartoon and I must admit, I am still enamored by all the pretty ponies. This is the same ombre as last month, just with a third color added for more depth. I used Essie’s Bottle Service and Play Date, along with Savina’s Light Mist.

2. Pinkie; sometimes I can do simple. Super embarrassing to admit, but I forgot I had this Essie shade. I discovered it while cleaning out my overflowing polish rack (first world problems). Bottle Service is a super bright and punchy pink: perfect for the summer. If you want to go full on neon, add a white base coat underneath.

3. Half moon; another great tutorial by the wonderful MissJenFabulous. What I loved about this one is how deceivingly EASY it is. This is one of those manicures that got attention everywhere I went from friends down to straight up strangers. I’ve tried half moon manicures before, but they have required taping the portion of your nail you’d like mooned, which always ended up really messy and at least for me, the tape would rip off my nail polish 80% of the time. With this tutorial, Jen suggested painting the nail in full in whatever color you wanted to be the accent moon (in this case, Essie’s No Place Like Chrome) and then painting over it in the top shade, just ending short to create the half moon effect (I used Lime Crime’s Peaches & Cream). How easy is that????

Mercedes-Benz Swim Week: Escape Lounge

One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing these two beauties, Rosa (fabgirlmag.com) & Netty (thefashionableesq.blogspot.com)

Although I did not have time to attend all of this past week’s fashion events that make up the Mercedes-Benz Swim Week here in Miami, I was able to swing by to some on Saturday. I have a small confession to make: these events can make me all of a sudden feel very introverted. I usually feel a little uncomfortable since I can be pretty shy in novel situations, but the Escape Lounge held in the Sagamore Hotel made me feel so welcome! Hosted by the lovely Annie Vazquez (better known as The Fashion Poet), it included a photobooth, nail bar, makeup station and complimentary braids from the amazing Blo Bar.

Seriously, how great is this???? For the final look, check out my Instagram.

I loved how inviting the lounge felt, and combined with the gorgeous interior design of the hotel, I couldn’t help but feel refreshed and relaxed. Later, we attended the ASOS Penthouse party at the Soho Beach House, where we were gifted with the most gorgeous rooftop terrace view of Miami Beach and of course, beautiful models showing off their swimwear. I think we were so entranced, we must have forgotten to take pictures (ooops!). Thankfully, this adorable Miami blogger did not.

Overall, I felt very flattered and honored that I was graced with admission into these great parties, and I can’t wait to be experience more. And for those fashionistas, check out the blog tomorrow for an outfit post!