October Favorites '12

I realize that I very recently wrote about some of my fall favorite in my "I <3 Fall" post, however, I have been watching "Monthly Favorite" videos on Youtube for quite a while now (2+ years) and decided to translate mine into blog form. 

"Monthly Favorite" posts are a random list of items you tried for the first time during the month and really enjoyed. They are usually centered around a specific topic like 'beauty products', but I am just going to hit on things I genuinely liked in the month of October as I am not an expert on beauty related things. That said - a few beauty products may pop up :) 

Without further adieu: 

Maybelline New York Eye Studio Gel Liner in Charcoal 

I re-organized my make up a few weeks ago and re-discovered this little gem. It works great when applied with an eye liner brush. I place it as close to my upper lash line as I can get and then use my finger to smudge it slightly to give a very light smokey eye effect. 

Pumpkin EVERYTHING 

Pumpkin is a theme throughout fall, but more specifically October. Carving, eating, roasting the seeds - I've lightly participated in each of these activities this month and it was awesome. Here is a photo of some of my friends carving pumpkins at a Halloween party last weekend. 

Pink Pearl Stud Earrings 

I think I have worn these earrings every single day this month. I am generally a huge fan of white pearl studs, but these give the look a little twist. Since they are light pink they basically match just about everything I own and add just a bit of flare while still looking classic. 

Taylor Swift: Red 

Why yes, I do have the musical taste of a 16 year old girl. Only half the time, I promise. Really loving this album this month even though it only came out about a week and a half ago. Specifically two songs: 'I Knew You Were Trouble' and 'I Almost Do'. Check it out. 

Leopard Print Scarf 

I got this at Target when I was home visiting my family in September, but the weather really didn't get cool enough in the city until October. I've been wearing this quite a lot as it's neutral and can be paired with a lot of different outfits. In my mind, this is really the only way we are meant to pull off animal print. 

Brown Boots from Akira Shoes 

I also purchased these back in September, but I didn't start wearing them until about 3 weeks ago. They took a bit to break in, but now they are super comfortable and the leather is really soft. Also really loving the zipper.  

'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)' by Mindy Kaling 

Just started reading this book a few days ago for a break from some of the heartier books I've been reading recently. I'm about half-way through and it's hilarious. Not in a Chelsea Handler way - in a much more appropriate and relatable way. I deem this a wonderful bus book or for a break between more serious reads. Thumbs up. 

Happy October & Happy Halloween - Bring it on, November! 

80 Bottles of Polish on the Wall...

...or in a very large container in my dresser. Yes, my friends, I have 80 individual colors in my nail polish collection. This does not include duplicates (colors I obviously loved so much I bought twice), base coats, top coats, or clear nail polish.

Some may say this is a problem (I go back and forth), but my roommate, Aravinda, put it nicely - if you have an obsession, blog about it. It makes it legit.

To better keep track of my colors and to really get a feel for what each of them looks like on the nail, I made colors wheels for each color family. It just might be the best idea I've had for my collection so far. Next - organization. I'm thinking spice racks? But, more on that later...

Brace yourselves and let's jump into the wonderful world of color!

Color Wheel #1: Neutral/Dark

This wheel ranges from nudes (very top) to deep, dark colors that look almost black, but in reality are deep purples, greens, and blues (right) to grays and browns (left). This palate is my most reached for this season. In the past, I didn't really enjoy fall colors and just kept the summer colors on my nails through the dreary fall and winter days. However, this season I've gone a bit "neutral crazy" and most of these colors are recent additions to my collection. 

Must Have: Essie "No More Film"

Color Wheel #2: Red & Purple

This wheel needs a little lovin'. Just like neutrals, I shied away from reds in the past because, frankly, I think they make my hands look old. I know, it's ridiculous. Nevertheless - I am just finding some red colors I really enjoy. So far, so good! As for purples, I initially love most of the purple colors I find, but when I test them out, many of them look the same. Every nail polish line has a "pastel purple" that looks identical to the next one and none of the brands are trying anything different with their purples. I'd love to see a purple with a hint of pink that doesn't make the polish look like a pre-teen girl should be wearing it. Come on, Essie! 

Must Have: Essie "Skirting The Issue"

Color Wheel #3: Blue & Green

I can honestly say that I didn't realize just how many green nail polishes I had until I decided to do the color wheels. Holy cow! I think I may have found my weakness. Shades of green can differ from minty  to Kermit to teal like the ocean and I love it all. You can wear green all year round and it definitely brings out a playfulness on your nails. On the other hand (no pun intended), blues are much harder to wear. Unless you've got a wonderful skin tone or are a bit sun-kissed, blues tend to make your hands look a little sickly. 

Must Have: Essie "Mojito Madness"

Color Wheel #4: Pink

The epitome of nail polish colors for me is pink. There are endless shades, anyone can wear them, and they are ever-so-feminine. Mine range from the palest of pinks - perfect for a simple french manicure - to hot pink like Barbie's dream car. No complaints in the pink department, there is not a pink I've found that I didn't love. 

Must Have: Essie "Fiji" 

Nail Wheel #5: Odd Balls 

This wheel is all of the random colors that didn't fit into another color family. Yellow, coral, silver, bronze, and glitter polishes. This is the "fun" wheel. Yellow is difficult because outside of Butter London's "Cheeky Chops", there really isn't a good creamy yellow color. I should also mention that Butter London polish goes for about $12 a bottle - insane, even for me. On the flip side, there are about a million and one wonderful glitter polishes ranging in color, glitter size & shape, and consistency. The glitter can float in a base color or in clear polish, but no matter the form, it's a bitch to take off. 

Must Have: Essie "Cute As A Button"

If you couldn't tell before - I have a love affair with Essie polish. Really, try it. Smoothest formula, never clumps, dries evenly, and the brush is the perfect width to paint on color in two easy strokes. I promise, this is not sponsored! 

Phew! We made it. Moral of the story - something special will happen when I eventually hit 100 (and I definitely will because I have discovered I'm missing entire color families). I'm not sure what, but probably a cake because there should always be cake. 

I Heart Fall

Hello lovely people. We are officially in the fall season and I'm enjoying every second of it. In the past, I wasn't crazy about fall, but this year it has taken me by storm and I can't get enough. My Pinterest boards are littered with sweaters and hearty breads and I can't seem to come up with an outfit that doesn't include a scarf and boots. 

Here are my top 6 fall favorites. 

1. Homemade pumpkin bread from Skinny Taste. Super dense, super pumpkin-y, super delicious.  

2. "Leaves" candle from Bath & Body Works. The perfect autumnal smell. 

 3. Free (yes, I said free) Minnetonka moccasins. 

 4. Tree line slowly turning from green to the yellows, reds, and oranges that epitomize this season.

5. The most perfect tree on my block. First to turn this year! 

6. Boots, scarf, trench coat, beats, leaves. 

Oh, and Thanksgiving. I can't freaking wait for Thanksgiving. 

Happy fall, y'all! 

A Pop of Leopard

Continuing on with trying new nail products - I recently gave the Sally Hanson Salon Effects nail strips a shot.  

They come with everything you need and package the strips so that you don't have to use them all on the first try. 

 Since I chose such a bold design, I decided to go for a more trendy look and only use the strips on one nail on each hand. I just needed to find the perfect complimenting color for the other eight fingers...

 I ended up choosing the bottom color - Sinful Colors 'Nirvana'. It's the chocolate-y-est (yes, that is a word now) and blended well with the leopard print. I applied two even coats leaving my left ring finger and right pointer finger polish free including base coat. 

After my polish was completely dry, I opened up the strips. They can be a little tricky to work with, but they are real nail polish strips and look very natural on the nail. They feel exactly like painted polish once applied. 

Before you apply them they instruct you select the size strip you need for each nail - they recommend that slightly smaller is better than slightly larger, but I'd have to disagree. I used slightly larger ones and was able to clean up the sides to cover the entire nail as opposed to having bare nail on either side. I finished off with my go-to top coat and they were dry instantly. 

This is the finished look: 

I would absolutely recommend these nail strips for anyone who wants to play around with designs, doesn't have time to wait for their polish to dry, or for my fellow nail polish lovers who want to try something a little different.