bowtie nails!

I was reading Glamour the other day on the three hour train ride home from Chicago (with an Amish man reading over my shoulder the whole time.. kind of awkward) and I stumbled upon this article on Zooey Deschanel's nails. I thought it looked easy enough so I did a tutorial on it for you guys (with a little twist).
here's her nails:

             1. take off your old nail polish. I know, sometimes I just paint over the old too.. but for this you need to because the base color isn't that dark and the old polish will show through. I like this kind from cvs, it's cheap, it doesn't make your hands super dry, and it doesn't use a whole box of tissues or spill everywhere.

2. Paint your nails. I used this OPI color called pink-ing of  you. I thought it was a little more interesting and girlier than just the plain white that zooey has! (although obviously that looked better with her dress). But for lighter colors you will want two coats AT LEAST of polish, otherwise it looks all weird and sheer. 

3. Next you will want to wait for the nails to completely dry and then take an old liquid eyeliner that you have lying around, and pull the brush out, you should rinse it and then dip it in to a black nailpolish for the next part. Here's the eyeliner I used if you want an example. 

4. Then you want to take the eyeliner brush and dip in in your black nail polish. You should make three little dots up each nail. At the top you should make a bow. It took me a little bit to figure this out, at least an easy way to make sure it looked symmetrical, and the easiest is to make a sideways x first, then draw a line at each end, and then fill it in! Heres how mine turned out:

byeeee
xo grace.

Soft Summer Feet

So you've just finished up your finals and are ready to work on your summer tan (24/7 studying has left you with a vampire-like complexion). You go to put on your bikini and flip flops when you see (cue stereotypical horror movie sound bite) YOUR FEET LOOK LIKE DIRTY SHRIVELED CRISPS!! Have no fear, I have the perfect solution to dry feet and just in time for sandal season! 

This is actually the easiest beauty tip ever. 

1. Choose a fairly heavy moisturizing lotion/creme.

2. Apply all over feet.

3. Put on socks.

4. Wear while you're getting ready in the morning.

Tada! Beautiful and soft summer feet.

If your feet are REALLY dry I suggest doing this before bed, using vaseline instead of lotion, and wearing socks while you sleep.

**Grace thinks I'm really weird for doing this because apparently her feet are perfect and naturally soft at all times.

Left to right.
1. Aveda Foot Relief, $20 for 4.2 fl oz - I like this one because it really works and smells like how you'd expect things from Aveda to smell, super natural and calming.
2. The Body Shop Intensive Foot Resolve (Peppermint), $18 for 3.4 fl oz - This one is great to wear to bed because the peppermint and menthol are really calming. It makes your feet feel like you just got a pedicure!
3. The Body Shop Body Butter (Satsuma), $18 for 6.9 oz - My favorite! I've been buying this product since middle school (2006ish?) and I've always bought the same kind: Satsuma. It smells citrus-y and fresh, and I mostly use it as a hand creme but it works well anywhere. The Body Butter line comes in so many more scents (Pink Grapefruit, Vanilla, Coconut, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Shea, etc.) so I suggest trying a small one out (1.7 oz for $6) next time you go shopping.
4. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, ~$13 for 16 fl oz - Cetaphil is a great skincare brand, and their moisturizing cream is great for sensitive skin. It is unscented and absorbs into skin quickly. 

-allia

Beauty Haul #1

1. L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Rosy Outlook: $10.95
This blush has made me a true believer in L'Oreal's True Match line. I love it so much! It goes on smooth and blends so easily. It is highly pigmented so you really don't need a lot to add color to your cheeks. I'd even compare this blush to NARS blush in Orgasm (NARS addicts don't kill me!). I'll definitely be buying more True Match products in the future.

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral: $7.99
I've been searching for an affordable yet quality coral lipstick for a while now, and Revlon seems to be the only drugstore brand that offers the exact orangey-red color I want! Red lips have always been a classic beauty staple, but this spring season bright oranges have made their mark on the runway. The color is sassy, fun, and so perfect for spring. It makes a great daytime statement but also works as a fun lip color for going out. The Revlon Super Lustrous dries out my lips pretty fast, so I have to make sure to exfoliate before applying the lipstick. I'm guessing I'll have to splurge in order to get this color in a long-lasting and moisturizing lipstick.

M.A.C. Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fuchsia Fix: $15
There's not much to say about this product except that it works. I like this a lot better than chapstick because it goes on smoother, tastes kind of sweet, and adds a nice tint to my lips at the same time. Also, it has SPF 15 so I can wear it outside and not worry about sun damage! My favorite color is the Fuchsia Fix because it adds an awesome pop of pink, but the Lip Conditioner also comes in Petting Pink (a more natural pink) and Soothing Beige (darker nude color). M.A.C. also offers a non-tinted lip conditioner that does the same thing but without the color. Definitely worth the splurge.

Crimping Iron

Grace bought this really cheap crimping iron (probably because it was pink) and we tested it out to see if it met our beauty tool standards. Surprisingly, it worked really well and caused us to think that the 90s grunge look should be reborn in a more tailored and sophisticated fashion. We also thought Grace looked pretty badass when we dressed her up in ripped tights, jean shorts, a black vest, black leather army boots, and plenty of chain necklaces. What do you think? Should 90s grunge make a comeback or should it stay hidden away in the basement with our Barbies and Bop-Its?

-allia

I LOOK SO HAWT. jk i just like that my hair isn't so flat.
-gracefacee