January '13 Favorites

It's that time again! January has come and gone - even though it has felt a bit like Spring here in Chicago. My favorites this month revolve around warm, soft, and comforting. A theme generally in line with Winter weather, so I'm hoping we see some snow soon!

Aura Cacia Aromatherapy Mist in Lavender Harvest 

I was looking for a Lavender room spray and found this one while I was home for Christmas. Whole Foods totally hooked me up and this smells AMAZING. Lavender is a relaxing and airy scent that is great for calming nerves and helping you wind down. I spritz this a few times over my bedding before I go to sleep and off to dreamland I go. 

Seche Vite Top Coat 

I raved about my Sally Hansen InstaDry Top Coat for ages, but I think Seche Vite is even better. This one is a bit more expensive, but totally worth it. It's super shiny, dries instantly, and goes on semi-thick helping to really protect your nails for the day-to-day wear & tear. I used this on my nails last week and I didn't have to touch up once. It was pretty impressive.

Bow Ring

This ring was a late Christmas present from my mom. We found it at Charming Charlie  a few days after Christmas. I've been looking for one for quite a while and this one is perfect. It's delicate, sparkles, and goes with everything. On a separate note - if you haven't been to Charming Charlie yet - GO NOW. It's pretty freaking awesome.

Pale Pink Nail Polish 

Even though Winter usually lends itself to dark polishes, I have been loving pale pinks this month. I had on either Essie's Mademoiselle (left) or Fiji (right) for the whole month. Mademoiselle is a sheer pink with high shine while Fiji is a creamy & opaque pink that is a bit more matte.

Feathered Headband 

Another present from the December holidays - this headband is also from Charming Charlie. Really - you can't go wrong with this store. It's great for days when I don't want to put a hat over my pony tail (or wear one of those weird hats with the pony tail hole) or for the days when I just feel like jazzing up my outerwear. 

The Body Shop Duo Body Butter 

I've never tried anything from The Body Shop before, but these body butters were on sale for $5 from their original $18, so, I had to try one. The scent I have is macadamia which is warm and sweet. The container is divided into two sections - the original body butter (top) for normal skin areas and thicker butter (bottom) for dry skin areas. They're both smooth and creamy and leave your skin feeling silky soft. 

Ecotools Flat Top Face Brush

For blending in foundation or tinted moisturizer, this is my favorite. the flat top helps to blend & buff leaving an almost flawless finish. I much prefer using this over a standard foundation brush and it also stays pretty clean since it's super dense and doesn't let the foundation sink in to the bristles. 

Goodbye January and hello February! 

French Manicure - Nailene Pen Review

I have never had the patience or the steady hand to take on a French manicure myself, but after spotting the Nailene Skinny French Tip Pen, I decided to give it a shot. There have been many interpretations of a French manicure popping up all over Pinterest lately, but I opted for the classic sheer pink - Essie Mademoiselle. I also used my new favorite top coat - Seche Vite. I highly recommend it!

This is Essie Mademoiselle on its own. 

The Nailene Pen is intended to help you draw on the white tips as opposed to painting them on with a brush as that can be quite finicky. The tip looks just like a felt tipped pen.

I have used a black design pen on my nails before with a very similar tip, so I thought this would be as easy to use as that one. (I'll have a post using the design pen soon!) To begin, just shake the pen (with the cap on) and then take a tissue or cotton pad and press down until the product saturates the pen tip. From there, paint on the white tips following the natural white of your nails.

This seems easy, right? Well, it's not as easy as it looks. The nail paint comes out quite fast and runs a bit if you use even light pressure when applying. Additionally, when you apply the color it is totally white and bright, but once dry, it fades to a dull looking off white, so you'll want to apply a second coat.  

After a bit of touching up and messing around with the pen, I ended up with a French manicure that looks pretty good from a distance, but not so much close up. I think that with practice, the pen can actually work quite well, but it's definitely not as easy as it seems initially.

As far as lasting power goes, I am more than unimpressed. I applied this on a Friday evening and by Saturday evening it needed a touch up. More than one of my white tips was chipped and a few were just looking worn off as if I'd had them done 4-5 days prior.

Overall - a great concept, but I wouldn't rush out to buy this. On the plus side - do rush out to buy Mademoiselle as it makes your nails look super healthy, glowing, and natural. Again, +1 to Essie!

My Top 5 Beauty Products

December and the holidays have come and gone and with it brought an absence of blog posts. I took a much needed break, went home for a while, and planned a very exciting upcoming trip! After all of that, I made a few New Years Resolutions - one of those being Lace & Dinosaurs. This year, I want to throw myself into this blog and hopefully churn out some great posts and try some new things.  

To jump back into blogging, I decided to determine my Top 5 Beauty Products that I could not live without. Now, obviously this whole "live without" thing qualifies that I have everything that I need, but only got the chance to pick 5 beauty products I can use. Also, I bent the rules a little... 

1. Celestial Facial Moisturizer from Lush 

I've learned that investing in a nice facial moisturizer is worth the money. I wouldn't say that about all products, but totally worth it for your face. I found Celestial when I was looking for a lightly scented, semi-thick lotion that wouldn't break me out. It's great for sensitive skin. I have tried other moisturizers and they work well, but this is still my all time favorite. It smells like almonds when you first put it on (which I love), but the scent fades quickly (which I also love) leaving your skin silky smooth and ready for bed or to start the day. My ONLY complaint with this is a common complaint I have with many Lush products. They come in these cute little black pots, but damn they get messy. 

2. Full 'N Soft Mascara & The Falsies Volume Express Mascara - both by Mabybelline 

Yep, bending the rules for these products. I honestly could not pick between either of these and since they are the same brand, I figured it's like one thing :) As opposed to moisturizer, I think that drug store mascara is totally awesome and there is no need to spend money on high end brands. These two are my ultimate favorites for two different purposes. I use Full 'N Soft on a day-to-day basis to get long, natural lashes. Then, when I want a little extra oomph, I use The Falsies Volume Express. It really thickens your lashes and gives you that wide-eyed look for a night out. 

3. One 'n Only Argan Oil 

The ends of my hair get very dry and I get split ends easily as I use quite a bit of heat on my locks. I was recommended to try either Argan oil or Moroccan oil about two years ago to help this problem and discovered this spray treatment that is a blend of both! It smells AMAZING and leaves your hair super soft...like baby soft. They also make this product in an oil you can pour into your hands and apply to your hair, but since mine is very, very fine, I prefer the spray. I spritz a little bit into my wet hair right after I wash it and bam - soft. 

4. Benefit Erase Paste Concealer & Maybelline Dream Lumi Touche Concealer/Highlighter 

I know, two products again and this time they aren't even the same brand. Oops. But, I use them in combination with each other, so, rules schmools. I am paranoid about my under eyes and rightly so. By having a great concealer & highlighter you can almost forgo all other make up and look wide awake and ready for the day. I use Erase Paste under my eyes only (as it is slightly peachy tinted to help contrast dark circles) and then do the rest of my make up. After I've finished, I top off with the Dream Lumi Touche (I promise, the 'e' is really there, but didn't show up in the photos for some reason) under my eyes and along my cheek bones right above my blush. I think it's that extra little brightness that really finishes it all off. 

5. Vaseline 

This is my cure-all product and by far the item I use most, especially in the winter. You literally can use vaseline anywhere you want and for so many different purposes. I put it on my lips, on my dry elbows, and sometimes all over my face before bed if I'm feeling the need for a little bit more moisture. Aside from it being a great all-over moisturizer and first aide supply, you can put a little bit on your eye lashes before bed each night and it helps them grow thicker and longer! I promise, you won't end up clogging your tear ducts or anything. It's great. 

What would you pick if you could only pick 5? It is SO much harder to decide than it seems!