Today I tried out Zoya's Blu for the first time, and surprisingly I love it! I was worried it would be too light of a shade for my fair skin, but the robin's egg blue adds just enough color to pull it off effortlessly.
Don't be mistaken - this is NOT a dupe for Essie's Mint Candy Apple or any other mint polish. This is not mint-colored! It's a beeee-youtiful sky blue (or robin's egg blue, whatever you prefer to call it).
It's a shade whiter in person than in the picture, but I wanted to snap a pic the second I put it on! :) Definitely a must-have polish for any beauty bee.
...
Did I just say beauty bee?
Okay, clearly I need to stop staring at my tiny phone screen and catch a breath of fresh air.
I love shoes. Yes, some are plain Jane, but others are works of art - it's like wearing a Picasso on your feet.
Minna Parikka is a modern-day shoe Picasso. I first heard about her when her Edith ballerina flats went viral in the A-list community, and I instantly fell in love with her designs.
Don't these remind you of the Greek messenger, Hermes? As if I didn't love her already, the fact that she paid homage to mythology was the cherry on top.
When I tweeted about a beautiful vintage Chanel necklace that I had found, I expected it to go relatively unnoticed. However, thanks to my hash-tagging "#vintage" I gained one very special follower: Rewind Vintage.
My nail inspiration - nailspo for short - is Chelsea King from ChelseasGetNailed.
She recently posted a tutorial for a Sally Hansen nail contest involved "textured" nails, nails that you can touch and feel a texture on. The tutorial is so simple: Make an X-shape with two pieces of Scotch tape, and use that as a template to make shapes on your nails (Stay tuned for a tutorial!)
Here's Chelsea's nails..
And here are my nails. I wanted a bolder look, so I used a bright yellow as the base color and accented it with lavender, glittery gold and neon pink.
[Please excuse my colorful cuticles; I took this picture before I cleaned the edges up!]
It looks so chic, and only took me an hour to do! It would take even less time if I didn't have to wait for each layer of color to dry.
It's time for the FIRST-EVER RAISEYOURGLOSS GIVEAWAY!!
The grand prize?
Only the most raved-about mascara of the year..
Maybelline's The Rocket Volum'Express Mascara!
How to Enter:
Everyone has something on their summer bucket list. Whether it be "try a new food," "go skydiving," or simply "talk to the guy I like," we all have something in the back of our minds that we dream of getting done by the end of Summer 2013. I want you to share a piece of your summer bucket list with me! (Note: Make sure you only post something that you are comfortable sharing; the winners post will be published on RaiseYourGloss!)
1. Use Twitter and/or Instagram
2. Tell me what's on your summer bucket list!
3. Include these hashtags:
#RaiseYourGloss #summerresolution
You can enter as many times as you want. The winner will be randomly chosen.
I apologize for going MIA.. I went through one of those mini moments where I doubted myself and if I could ever succeed greatly with RaiseYourGloss.
Don't worry, however. I'm back, and more motivated than EVER!
To ease y'all back into my craziness, here's a look at my latest CVS/Target haul.
CVS
These cream shadows have been raved about since the day they premiered. The appeal? They are said to last all day without fading or creasing.
Here's what I've discovered:
1. They last about 12 hours without crease or fade, depending on the wear environment.
2. They can also act as excellent shadow bases!
The first color I chose was Bold Gold. In the jar, it looks similar to Urban Decay's Chase, but a shade lighter.
You can tell by my swatch that, in fact, Bold Gold is not that bold. It's a very sheer gold shimmer - lighter than it appears in the photo. Personally, I was slightly bummed - I was hoping that this would be a good dupe for Chase - but it does work well as an eyeshadow base. I don't plan on buying this again, but I don't think it's a waste of money.
Painted Purple caught my eye from the minute I saw it on the rack. I first heard about it from MacBarbie07, who used it in her Drugstore Waterproof Makeup video.
I am in love with Painted Purple. It looks gorgeous on the eye, and the pigment is absolutely divine. If you want to add a pop of color to your look without going overboard, this is the perfect choice for you. Try lining your bottom lash line with it, like Bethany did in her video!
I'm a sucker for any hair product that claims to erase damage, so it's no surprise that I pounced when I saw the commercial for L'Oreal's Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm. The claim? "Repairs up to 1 year of damage in 1 use"
I've used it twice now (once a week), and my hair definitely looks and feels healthier. I can't determine how much damage it repaired, but it was worth the money!
MissGlamorazzi mentioned this in one of her videos - I can't find which one, I'm sorry! I've been on the hunt for a good drugstore bronzer to use as a dupe for NARS' Laguna bronzer.
This bronzer gets an 8/10. The color is a true terra-cotta, and a little goes a long way on your face (one swipe of my brush is enough for me). However, it looks slightly orange on my skin tone and doesn't last all day like I'd hoped. Laguna is still a staple for me.
I've been obsessed with this color for months. It's a gorgeous, shimmery Barbie pink - an obvious must-have for a ex-Barbie fiend like myself.
I knew it was meant to be when CVS put it on sale.. for 50% OFF!
I wear it all the time. It is the perfect summer color, shimmering when I lay out in the sun. This is truly a one-of-a-kind polish; Major props to Orly!
I knew they made BB cream for your face, but for your hair?
I had my doubts. Clearly, someone needed to test this out, and I decided to assign myself to that job.
I'm in the process of reviewing this product, but so far, it has my approval. I mainly use it on wet hair - that's when it works its full magic on your locks - but I've also applied it in dime-sized amounts to style my dry hair.
I will have a complete review in two weeks.
Target
Okay, so I got two basic objects that don't even need a description paragraph.. Kleenex (the designs did me in) and a Thanks stamp from the dollar section.
I snagged these beautiful Target earrings the minute I saw them. They are a gorgeous pink with gold framing/wiring.
I wear these as often as possible. They are totally trendy because of the geometric gem shape, and they add a nice pop of color to any outfit.
I needed some cute, colorful summer wedges, and these red Merona wedges fit the bill.
They are decently comfortable and were a steal at $25!
I'm so excited to have found these, because they are perfect for the Fourth of July.
Another Target-brand jewelry item has made its way into my closet..
I'm starting to think that this is going to become a habit of mine.
I love the sunset colors of this chunky beaded necklace. It gives a slight ombre effect - a hot trend - and the small rhinestones add a pop of glamour.
Finally, I got this blue and white ikat scarf.
Don't judge me, but I catch myself petting this scarf on a frequent basis when I wear it. It's justso incredibly soft!
I've never been a scarf person, but this one caused a fashion transformation for me. I usually pair it with a fitted white tee, as pictured.
So, that's it for my CVS/Target haul.
If you've tried any of these beauty products or have comments/opinions, don't hesitate to leave a comment in the down bar!
Hope everyone's summer is going great, RaiseYourGloss
Here's the look I put together for the TSwift concert about two weeks ago! It took forever to download them from my camera, for some odd reason.
First of all, my outfit. I wanted to draw focus to my ah-mazing top from Hope's 319, an online store that I am completely in love with! It miraculously came in the mail two days beforehand. Isn't the bow precious?
Next, the hair. Oh, the hair. I am not the best at braiding and styling my crazy mane - I usually just let it air dry. My sweet mother assisted me with this elegant waterfall braid, inspired by the braid trend this summer. I swept my hair over my right shoulder so that it wouldn't be covering my bow up.
Shorts: American Eagle
Cowboy Boots: Cavender's
Accessory-wise, I'm wearing my signature ring combo and a gorgeous silver bangle set from James Avery. Both of my earrings were gifts, and I'm not quite sure where they came from. If I were to guess, I'd say that the silver hoops are from Claire's.
I had so much fun creating this purple smokey eye. Stay tuned for a tutorial!
It only made sense to paint my nails red for the RED tour. Using my skinny nail art brush, I drew a white 13 on each of my thumbnails (just in case you didn't already know, Taylor's favorite number is 13).
Hi, I'm Paige. I go by the username RaiseYourGloss. My goal is to inspire others to feel beautiful both inside and out. Cosmetics are fun to play with, and I definitely take advantage of that on a daily basis, but I also want my followers to realize that these products were made to enhance your already-existing beauty. You were born unique and outstanding. Being your best self doesn't mean fitting the status quo; Being your best self means being the best YOU that YOU can be.
