Upside-Down French Braid & Top Knot!

Hello there! One of the hottest hair trends I've seen on Pinterest would have to be the upside-down french braid bun. The first time I tried it, it looked horrendous! But I have finally tried it enough that I have the feel for it, and can make it look decent! All you do is french braid at the nape of your neck, and work your way up! Then put it in a top knot, I prefer a sock bun. I've already done a post on the ever-popular sock bun right here.

I did this in one try so it's a bit messy, but I was just so happy that I had finally done it! lol

Sorry this post is so short, just wanted to show you this! =)

Hair Trend: Sock Buns (with a twist!)

Hello there! I'm really bad when it comes to doing my hair. However, there is something that I can do: the sock bun. These are used often by women in the military, as well as by dancers. Of course, anybody can rock the sock bun. I'm terrible at explaining things. I did it two different ways, but here is a video tutorial on the first style of sock bun I did by wendyslookbook on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIBMx3N-BJc

She shows you how to make the sock bun, then how to style it! But I will show you my two sock buns, and try to explain how I did them! :)

Left: this is just 1 sock rolled up. I used this one for the 1st sock bun pictured.

Right: this is 2 socks rolled up. This was used for the 2nd sock bun.

To create the sock bun #1:

-Put hair in a ponytail, high, low, to the side, where ever you'd like! I did a high bum for fun!

-Take your sock bun, and put the ponytail through the hole.

-With the sock bun at the tip of your pony tail, roll the ends of your hair under the sock. 

-Being to literally roll the sock down your hair. This part was tricky for me. When I saw pictures of how to make the bun, I was very confused. But you have to literally roll the sock down your hair, just like how you rolled the sock into a sock bun! If you watch the video I linked above, you will see how this is done.

-Bobby pin the bun to your head to secure it in place & use some hair spray.

-YOUR DONE!!!!

Sock bun # 1

To create sock bun #2:

-Put your hair in a pony tail.

-Put the sock bun all the way at the base of your pony tail, right against your head.

-Tilt your head down, and spread your hair all around the sock bun. Use a comb to smooth out the hair.

-Use a hair elastic to carefully secure your spread out hair. This part is tricky, as you could make the hair bumpy or unevenly spread. It's helpful if someone else holds there hand down on the spread out hair, while you spread the elastic around the bun.

-Now you'll be left with a bun and a bunch of hair hanging down. This is the fun (sarcasm....or maybe you'll like it) part: take the remaining hair in small sections and twist or braid them. Wrap them around the bun & bobby pin each section your wrap to secure it in place. For extra security, spray after each twist/braid you wrap. In this pictures below, I chose to take 2 pieces of hair and twist them like a rope braid. I did about 5 sections.

-Finish up with hairspray, and you're DONE!

Sock bun #2. 

Tips for creating the sock bun:

-Use socks, hair elastics, and bobby pins that are similar to your hair color.

-I used FX Surf Head texture paste to slick back my hair and make it easier to style. You can use gel if you'd like, or no product at all.

-When doing the bun with the twists, it is easier to style if the strands you are working with are damp. Use a spray bottle or just use the sink. You could also use hairspray for extra hold.

-Use a comb to smooth out the hair.

-Don't worry if it looks messy...these buns are meant to be fun and messy!

I hope these instructions made some bit of sense to you! As I stated before, I'm terrible at explaining things! Hope you enjoyed this post & let me know if you want to rock or have rocked the sock bun! =)

NOTD: Summer Neon Tips Manicure!

Hello there!

I have another quick nail of the day featuring China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy. I did a post on this polish right here. This polish is an extremely bright neon pink. It is so gorgeous & perfect for a tan in the summer. The thing to note about this polish is that it dries matte, as it is a neon. If you like the matte appearance, skip the top coat. I must have a shiny finish, so I apply a top coat when I use this polish.

For my NOTD, I just used strips of tape to create my tips (I'd recommend purchasing the notebook paper reinforces, the circle stickers, to do a french tip. I just discovered this idea on Pinterest! lol). Here is how it all turned out! It is kind of messy, and definitely not perfect. I did each hand in under 10 minutes.

For this, I did a base coat on the tips, 2 coats of Flip Flop Fantasy, and a top coat all over the nail. Hope you enjoyed this manicure! :)

Sinful Colors Hazard & Pinky Glitter

Hello there! I posted about Sinful Colors Hazard earlier, and I decided to try something different with it. I used Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter as an accent nail, then I decided to just do all of my nails with pinky glitter layered on top. Here are the two pictures:

Pinky Glitter as an accent nail

Pinky Glitter layered on all nails

Hope you enjoyed this quick post! Sorry about the second picture. The glitter is very washed out. But I promise it looks great!!! :)

NOTD: Sinful Colors- Hazard

Hello there!

Here is a quick nail of the day featuring my current favorite summer nail polish: Sinful Colors' Hazard. I'm terrible at describing colors...so here is a list of words that make me think of Hazard:
-Mango
-Papaya
-Pinky Orange
-BRIGHT

The pictures don't really do this polish justice. I present to you, Hazard.

Bright, isn't it??

Here is Hazard paired with my new Nine West Tunnel Crossbody Mini in Papaya. I did a post on this handbag here

The application is pretty smooth and creamy. This was three coats. I could have gotten away with two coats, but I didn't three for safety!

This polish is so pretty, and truly perfect for summer! It is only $1.99 at Walgreens and other drugstores. Occasionally, Walgreens will have a 99 cents sale, so be on the look out for that. I hope you enjoyed this post! =)

Mermaid Freeze: An Eye Tutorial

Hello there! I have a quick eye look I created purely out of boredom. I recently bought a L'Oreal Hip eye shadow duo in "Showy". It is SO pretty. It has a greenish-blue turquoise shade, and a deep navy blue. This duo was on clearance at Target for about $2.00. Here's the look...please excuse the pictures. They weren't in the best lighting, and they are quite blurry. Also, you can' see the true colors of the shadow here. But you get the idea!

Products Used:

Mac Painterly Paint Pot & Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool

Maybelline eye shadow duo in Shocking Seas

L'Oreal Hip eye shadow duo in Showy

Maybelline Linestilleto liquid eyeliner

Wet n Wild Color Icon pencil in Turquoise (as a base & on bottom lash line)

Wet n Wild Color Icon pencil in White (waterline)

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

L'oreal Hip Showy, Maybelline Shocking Seas

L'oreal Showy

Maybelline Shocking Seas

This isn't the most wearable look. I was just really bored and wanted to try something fun and colorful! You will probably see a lot more random, colorful eye looks in the near future! =)

China Glaze For Audrey & Sinful Colors Nail Junkie Nail Art

Hello there! I have a few pictures of some nail art I did using China Glaze's For Audrey and Sinful Colors' Nail Junkie. It isn't anything special. I just used For Audrey as a base color, and used Nail Junkie to create glitter tips.

I just free-handed the tips, and you can probably tell from the pictures. I thought the two colors looked gorgeous together! Next I want to try a glitter gradient. Those are very pretty & seem rather simple to do! Hope you enjoyed this post!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Coral Reef

Hello there! Its that time of year again....the time for bright coral lips! I am a big fan of rocking a bright lip with a neutral eye. It isn't just a ton of pretty fun, it also makes you appear much younger and brighter. I am also a fan of Revlon cosmetics. Of all the drugstore makeup brands, Revlon is definitely one of the best quality. I really like they're Super Lustrous lip glosses. They are pigmented, creamy, and the packaging is great.

I love the packaging of the Revlon Super Lustrous lip glosses!

Coral Reef: a creamy coral orangey pink

It was really hard to capture the true color of this gloss on my lips. None of these are the right color. In real life, it is much more of a peachy coral shade, much more orange. But it is SO pretty, and great for the spring and summer months. It will definitely brighten up your make up look, and it is very fun to wear! It lasts for about an hour or two before it completely fades, but I expect that with gloss. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, and give this gloss a try. Let me know if you know any other great bright lip colors I should try! =)

Nine West Tunnel Mini Crossbody Handbag Review!

Hello there! I went into my local Ross recently with no intentions of buying anything. I walked out with a new handbag... I spotted it right away and fell in love with it! I'm the kind of girl that loves to carry a medium sized handbag that can hold a decent amount of things. However, when I spotted this small hand bag, it made me realize I don't really have any small bags. I end up carrying a large bag with just a few things in it, so I needed a tiny bag. Plus, that color is so fun!

I got the Nine West Tunnel Mini Crossbody bag (what a mouth-full!) in the color Papaya. I would describe it as a corally-mango orange. In the photos below, they will appear a bit red. But it is definitely a coral/mango/orange shade! It is very bright & makes a nice statement. It only cost me $16.99 at Ross with its original price tag at about $45.

**WARNING: this is a very picture-heavy post! :)

The handbag

The label on the front flap

What it looks like when you lift the flap:

-a zipper pocket under the flap

-a zipper pocket that is attached to the bag

-button clasps where you can remove to strap to make a wristlet

Inside the bag there is a zipper pouch

The bag without the strap

Wearing the bag on one shoulder

Wearing the bag across my shoulders

Wearing the bag as a wristlet/clutch

As you can see, this is a very tiny bag! It will be able to hold a phone, keys, cards, money, chapstick, lipgloss, and gum. Anything more than that, and it will be hard to close shut!

PROS: 

-The color is very pretty! (prettier in person, the flash made the bag look a bit red)

-The quality is very nice! I like the leather, the chain straps, and the zippers.

-Great size if you just need to carry tiny essentials

-The price was quite a steal!

CONS:

-It is so small that it is hard to carry alot of things.

-There are a few loose threads here and there, but I can just snip those off

-Its hard to close it without really trying. When I want to close the button clasp, I have trouble closing it the first time

Overall, I really do love this bag! It is the first mini crossbody handbag I have ever owned, and I really am enjoying it right now! Hope you enjoyed my little review on this! Let me know what kind of handbags you prefer to use, or if you have any suggestions on a new bag! =)

My Target Spring Beauty Bag Has Arrived!

If it weren't for G of Nouveau Cheap, I would never know that a Target Beauty bag exists. So thank you so much!!! 


This is the second time that I have received a free sample bag from Target. Here's how it works: every few months Target has a Beauty Bag full of samples that they give away. The first however many people to sign up, receive this free bag. I'm never too crazy about the samples, but I love the bags. Who doesn't love free stuff? All you have to do is fill out a registration form, providing basic information. 

I was so excited, I just kind of ripped the box open...

Here is the cosmetic bag full of samples

Here is a picture of the beauty bag for this spring next to the bag from last spring:

Here are the contents of my lovely beauty bag. I just received it today, so I haven't had a chance to test the samples yet.

Simple Cleansing Wipes. I'm very exciting to try these face wipes out. I've been intrigued by the new Simple brand, and am wanting to try their moisturizers and cleansers.

Coupon booklet full of beauty and skincare coupons

L'Oreal Primer. Interesting. I've never used  face primer before, so we'll see how I like this.

Neutrogena foaming cleanser, I'm probably just going to save this for travel

Pantene Conditioner, again, this will be saved for travel

Nivea Lotion. I actually used this on my legs earlier, and it was very moisturizing. Slightly, greasy, but it dried very smooth

I hope you enjoyed this post, and give the Target Beauty Bag a try! But you have to be quick to snag these, they go fast! I'll try to let you know when they come out again! =)