August Ipsy Bag Review and Moe's Birthday!

The blog post is sort of a two-fer, so I'll try to make both sections brief. 

First, and most importantly, yesterday was my kitty Moe's birthday! We adopted him just five months ago and yesterday he turned three years old. As a crazy cat lady, I took this occasion very seriously. 

"It's my party, I can claw your skin off if I want to."

He got lots of awesome presents that he tried out right away:

Investigating the kitty carrier (for trips to visit his betrothed, the beautiful Tilda Swinton the cat). 

The best part for me were the treats I ordered off an Etsy shop called Lainey's Pawtique & Bakery. The shop owner Judy made me these custom kitty cookies for Moe's big day, and even threw in lots of adorable personal touches and extras, like this birthday card! I highly recommend her to anybody with four-legged family members looking to do something special for their pets. 

He reads. 

Check out her shop: www.laineyspawtique.etsy.com !

One of the extras was a little "donut" topped with cat nip, which Moe devoured in 2 minutes flat. 

Overall, he had an awesome birthday with his family and friends. Mike and I are so thankful to have Moe in our lives that we wanted to make his first birthday in his forever home really special for him. 

The second part of this week's post is about my August Ipsy bag. Hurray! 

The theme this month was "Beauty Schooled" and all the products came in this cute little pencil case style makeup bag. Super clever. 

First up, I got Glam Glow's Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment

Hollywood celebrities swear by this mask, which is marketed as a 10-minute professional facial in a jar. 

Eep!

The mask itself has little pieces of ivy in it, and is grainy in texture. While I wore it I could feel my skin tightening, but there was also a slight burning sensation. After 10 minutes I rinsed it off, rubbing in circular motions to reap the exfoliation benefits. My skin was definitely brighter and tighter after a single use, and while my young skin isn't really dull, it really woke my whole face up. A really nice product! A 1.7 oz jar retails for $69.00. The size of the sample they gave me was worth $20.29. 

Next up I have this Bee All Natural Organic Lip Balm in Grapefruit. The balm smells really delicious and it makes my lips smooth. Nothing overly remarkable about it. I probably wouldn't buy it again, but I will definitely use this tube. This product retails for $3.49. 

The Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion was one product I've had a bit of a roller coaster ride with. I was excited to see a highlighter in my bag, however, I've never used a liquid highlight before. I read that with this product, you can either apply it as you would a normal highlight over foundation (accenting cheek bones, Cupid's bow, etc), or you can mix it in with your foundation for an all-over glow. 

I found this a bit difficult to use on top of foundation, as blending it wasn't as easy as you'd expect, and I could see the edges of where the highlight stopped. However, when I mixed a few drops in with my liquid foundation, I loved the amazing lit-from-within look it gave my skin. Again, this isn't a product I'll likely buy again, but I will definitely make use of the rest of my sample. This product retails at $29 for 1 oz, but my sample was worth $7.83. 

My Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Quad sample was also a happy surprise. I have heard great things about Coastal Scents; their eyeshadows are supposed to be great quality and quite economical. Ipsters received different colors of this eyeshadow quad. 

Top to Bottom: Icelandic, Silver Pink, Baby Pink, Persian Pink

I was a little disappointed with all the pink hues (especially after seeing all the different color quads they had available). However, I am very pleased with the purple shade "Icelandic", and "Silver Pink" took my breath away; I think that one would actually make a beautiful highlight powder! 

The formula on these eyeshadows was so incredibly smooth and buttery. I haven't used them on my eyes yet, but I don't anticipate there being any trouble with blending or color payoff. 

Coastal Scents shadow pots retail for $1.95 per .05 oz color. My sample was worth about $2.73. 

Finally, I was most excited for my Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil! They sent me the shade "Plushie", this incredible purple color, which is perfect because I adore using purple on my eyes. 

I've heard great things about UD's Eyeliners for a long time, but couldn't justify paying the $20 per pencil they retail for. After receiving this sample, I now understand why people can justify paying for them; the formula is just incredible. 

First off, it applies so smoothly, just like warm butter. It feels like a gel liner, just in stick form. And they were NOT joking when they called it "24/7". After applying the swatch to my hand, I took a finger and lightly rubbed it. Nothing moved. I rubbed harder. It stayed put. I wet my finger and scrubbed my hand and it *just* started to come off. This stuff has serious, serious staying power, and is the kind of product eye makeup remover wipes were made for. 

 

Unfortunately, it's greatest strength is also somewhat of a downfall. Since it doesn't budge once you put it on, it's a bit difficult to blend it or smoke it out. I found the easiest way to achieve that effect is to take an eyeshadow in a similar color and apply it on top of the liner and then smoke the shadow out. That's what I ended up doing and it turned out great. 

I would definitely buy more of these liners, in every color. They are really awesome and I fully understand the hype now. The sample I got was not full size, but it was close; worth about $15 instead of the full-size price of $20. 

Overall, I found this bag to be a little more underwhelming than previous bags. The eyeliner was a big hit, but everything else had me feeling a bit lukewarm in comparison. However, I am still loving getting the opportunity to try out new beauty products, and since this month's bag was worth a grand total of $49.34, you still can't beat the value!

Interested in your own personalized beauty bag subscription yet? Sign up using my link and start reaping the benefits of your own Glam Bag now! 

http://www.ipsy.com/r/c16l?sid=ipsypoints&cid=email

Monday Morning Dotticure

It is the end of August, which means I am once again gearing up to go spend a week out at sea counting the fishes. When I'm on ocean trawl, I don't get to look very pretty. I don't wear makeup, I'm in t-shirts and cut up jeans, covered in fish scales and slime, trying to quell my nausea with Dramomine.

Because of this, I usually spend my days prior to trawl putting extra effort into my nails and makeup, because I know I'll miss it so much (judge if you will, but right around day 3 I start to feel a little like a Neanderthal). 

I did a dotticure (that's a manicure featuring dots) for my mom last week and it inspired me to break out my dotting tools and do one on myself this week. I love how it turned out! Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by nail art techniques, I forget about the original pioneers. Dotticures are easy, versatile, and make a big impact. They are also not as time consuming as watermarbling. 

Left to Right: Zoya in "Purity", "Rooney", "Sooki", "Rocha", and "Darcy"

While my week out at sea will prevent me from doing a new manicure for next week, I'm going to try my best to test out all of my new Ipsy products before I leave so that I can write up a review for you next Monday. 

Color of the Month: Peridot

Quick blog post today! The birthstone for August babies is peridot, which is said to "host magical powers and healing properties to protect against nightmares and to bring the wearer power, influence, and a wonderful year", according to American Gem Society. 

I also found it interesting that most of the world's supply of peridot is found right here in our own country, specifically in Arizona. Cool!

To capture that perfect peridot green, I used Zoya in "Tilda" as my base color. Then I created the lightning bolts using Nail Vinyls and Zoya's "Stassi". 

Happy birthday to all you August babies this month!

Water Marbling: A Tutorial + New Nail Shape

Today I am going to be giving a tutorial on something that has taken me two years to figure out. The technique is called "water marbling", and it's a giant pain in the ass. It involves swirling together polishes in a cup of water before dipping your finger into the pattern to transfer the design onto your nail. 

Why put so much effort into something that will last maybe a week? Because the effect is truly beautiful, if executed successfully. 

I have read lots of water marble tutorials. I have also attempted this type of nail art several times. Just this past month, I have had 3 very successful water marbling sessions. This has lead me to believe I am now qualified to give my tips and tricks to others in need, from those of you who have never quite been able to get water marbling down, to those of you who are looking to shake up your nail designs. 

In the spirit of switching things up, I decided to try out a new nail shape. I've seen the almond shape on a lot of ladies lately, and it is something I have been thinking about trying. What was holding me back was the fact my nails aren't ever really very long, and I figured going almond would make them look stubby and stupid. However, I love the short almond look, and it turns out it has been very beneficial so far in terms of nail growth! Usually when my square shaped nails broke, it was one of the corners I lost. Without corners, I don't have this problem anymore. 

Without further ado, here is the water marbling tutorial! The finished product will look like this: 

You will need:

1 plastic cup 

Water (filtered, room temperature; more on this later)

At least 2, but no more than 4, colors of nail polish

White nail polish 

Several toothpicks or orange sticks

Nail polish remover

Tape (optional)

Step 1: Prepare Your Water

I cannot stress this enough: the condition of your water is the key to water marbling success. If your water is unfiltered/un-distilled, it won't work. If your water is too hot or too cold, it won't work. 

For best results, take a plastic cup and fill it with filtered or bottled water (I learned from first hand experience, never use a styrofoam cup. The nail polish will eat through it). 

If neither of these are available, use tap water and let it sit out for a day. Either way, you will need to let your water sit until it reaches room temperature (I told you, this is a high maintenance manicure). If you are the impatient type, it's a good idea to set up your water a day or two before you actually plan on painting your nails. 

I took this photo the day before my actual water marble. This water didn't work out. But you get the idea. 

Step 2: Paint Your Base Coat

Get your nails all prepped like you would any manicure. Then paint a white base coat on all the nails you'll be water marbling. Water marbling causes polish to spread out thin and lose opacity, so the white base will help make those colors pop. 

OPTIONAL: use scotch tape on the skin around your nail. This isn't necessary, and it's a bit time consuming, but it does make clean up a bit easier, as the excess polish will cling to the tape and not to your skin. I didn't do this in this pictorial. 

Step 3: Start Dropping the <s>Bass</s> Polish

Open up all your polishes so that they are ready to go. Pick your first color, and let a drop of polish fall on the surface of the water. If your water is in good condition, it should spread out, like so:

Continue by dropping the next color in the center of the first, and so on and so fourth until you have this bullseye effect going:

The above photo is a primo water marble set up. If your polish looks like this, you're in good shape. 

Step 4: Make Your Design

There are lots of water marble designs you can make, but I like to do a traditional zig-zag, which also happens to be the easiest. To do this, take your toothpick or orange stick and make a line from the center of your bullseye to the third or fourth ring from the outside. You don't want to drag the line to the outermost ring; this ring of polish is likely already dry, forming a sort of skin on the top of the water. Disturbing it may cause your entire design to collapse. More on this later. 

Draw another line from the center downward, like so: 

 

Finally, draw individual horizontal lines, alternating going from left to right, then right to left, so that the surface of your polish looks like this:

Trippy

Step 4 is the second trickiest part. There's a lot that can go wrong in the polish dropping phase. If everything was smooth sailing for you though, proceed. 

Step 5: When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Now it is time to dunk your nail. Experts can dunk 2 or more nails at the same time into a single design, but if you are a beginner I recommend doing this one at a time. 

Take your finger and place it at about a 45 degree angle to the water, nail side down (obvi) over the part of the design you like best. The angle will prevent bubbles from forming and give you a clean angle of entry into the water. 

Dip your finger in, keeping it at an angle, and hold it underneath the water. At this time, using your other hand, take another orange stick or toothpick and dip it in the water. Gently swirl the orange stick in little circles through the polish being careful not to hit the nail you have submerged. What *should* happen, is that the excess polish on the surface of the water should cling to the orange stick, allowing you to "clean" the surface of the water before you pull your nail out of it. 

Unfortunately, it's really hard to take pictures and clean the surface of your water with only one hand, so I was not able to capture this part on camera. 

Step 6: Pulling Out

Once the surface of your water is free of polish, remove your finger from the water, keeping it at an angle to avoid bubbles. If all went well, your nail should look something like this:

Step 7: Clean Up Time

With your favorite polish remover, clean up your hippy skin. I find it easiest to use a cotton ball or q-tips around the knuckles first, and then use a cuticle/angled brush to clean up real nice and close to your cuticles. 

Step 8: If Ya Liked It, You Shoulda Put a Top Coat On It

Finish it with a coat of quick-drying top coat and let it dry, and you're set!

Featuring Cirque's "Electric Circus" on accent nails. 

You can see a bit of the white polish by my cuticles. This was from some of the water marble design "folding" over a bit either when I dunked or removed my finger from the water. It happens, and will hopefully happen less often with time. 

Did your water marble not turn out as good? Are you cursing me and getting ready to chuck your phone in frustration? Wait! Hold that toss. Here's some tips that may help you next time...

TROUBLESHOOTING:

1. My polish didn't spread: Is your water in perfect condition? I'm serious, this is the most important step to water marbling success! If you're sure your water has been filtered/distilled and is room temperature, try using polishes all from the same brand. Different ingredients in different brands may cause them to not play nice together in water marbling. Once you get it down, you can experiment with mixing brands. 

Also, creme polishes are easiest to use. I don't recommend water marbling with metallic or glitter polishes off the bat. The consecutive polishes then have to push through not only the surface of the water, but the particles of glitter, which may halt spreading. 

2. My polish was picked up by my orange stick when I tried to make a design: Your water was likely too cold, or you worked too slow. You also may have dragged your orange stick too far to the edge of the bullseye. 

3. When I pulled out, my "water marble" looked like a warped mushy mess: It happens. I don't know why, but I think it has to do with removing your finger from the water. Clean your nail up and try again, practice makes perfect. 

4. My water marble has bubbles in it: Keep that nail at a 45 degree angle upon entry and pull-out! This prevents bubbles from forming. But a good top coat will also help smooth some of that out. 

5. My water marble smeared: You top coated it too soon. Wait about 5 minutes before top coating. 

Water marbling is an awesome technique to play with once you finally master it. Hopefully these tips will help you on your way to better water marbles! Sometimes, you need to read a bunch of tutorials before something "clicks" for you, but the best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice, and try not to get discouraged. 

Any more questions? Comment below!