Lacey Sunday Nail Art

This weekend was surprisingly eventful and relaxing. Saturday I attended an 80s themed birthday party where I rocked the white socks and black loafers Jackson style. Sunday was a nice relaxing day by the pool and of course, nail art! This lace pattern is one of my favorite designs to use. It may sound silly but beautifully designed nails gives my Mondays a little bit of excitement that gets me through the day.

Colorful Tip Nail Art

The past few Sundays have been unintentionally dedicated to trying different nail art. Last Sunday I tried the above design and it seemed to be a crowd favorite. I was so excited to find out Fashionista.com posted my photo to their nail art section, so check it out! I just love the pastel tips against the neutral nail, very feminine and Spring appropriate! One of my favorite designs right now are polka dot nails. Tomorrow, I’m excited to try something different. I’m always up for suggestions 🙂 Have a great weekend and stay tuned tomorrow for some more adorable nail art.

 

Nail Art

Here’s a little dose of fancy to start off the week. After eight long days of work, I finally had some time to pamper myself. Nail art is one of my favorite things to do when I want to wind down. I’ve seen dozens of tutorials and always thought it was too complicated to create neat designs. However, after one trip to the cosmetic store, I found out that with the right tools, anything is possible. In fact, I think that goes for all things in life =)

Have a wonderful week!

{ Revlon Peachy }

Beauty Lesson From a Chihuahua

I’m so excited to share with you the newest joy that has been brought into my life. Two days ago, my family and I adopted a six month old chihuahua from Friends Forever. It’s actually a funny story. My sister was doing her volunteer hours at a pet store though her school’s vet program.  My mom had to drop by to sign some paperwork for my sister. That’s when she saw the chihuahua and it was love at first sight. I think it’s safe to say that was the case for all of us. Funny, no one woke up that morning expecting to take a dog home.

Her name was Ella and she was found inside a hoarder’s house with 23 other dogs in dirty, unlivable conditions. She was completely bald, probably due to mange, and was sadly malnourished. I’m so glad we decided to adopt Ella and give her the love and care she deserves. { Her new name is undecided }

If you really look at her I doubt she’s what you would call a beautiful dog, but I think she’s so ugly, it’s adorable. Even though she’s semi-bald, that’s what makes her lovable. The whole situation got me thinking about beauty and perfection. I think she’s so freakin cute because she isn’t perfect. But it seems like we are always expected to strive for physical perfection, especially women (we’re not all like Adriana Lima, sheesh!). But I’ve come to realize there is nothing wrong with imperfection,  it’s way more interesting! So adopting poor little Ella has taught me a valuable lesson I was too stubborn to accept before. We shouldn’t work towards being perfect. Instead be the best version of you that you can be. That’s what will make you stand out, not pretending to be something you’re not. Be comfortable in your own skin, even if it is hairless, like Ella’s.

{ On another note, I need some help with names. My family is split 50/50 two names. The boys want Twiggy and the girls want Lily. What do you think? Or do you have any other suggestions that may break the tie?? }

Hairstyle Guide

I always have a hard time thinking of new ways to style my hair so I’ve created a ‘Go To’ guide for hair styles that are easy and simple to wear. Whenever you’re looking for something new and different, feel free to sift through these styles and find one that fits your mood.

{Make sure to check back, the list will keep growing}

At home hair mask

I don’t know about you but my hair gets fried during the summer. I have curly hair so in the summer it is extremely difficult to tame. Too often I pull it back in a ponytail while outside or sometimes worse, straighten it. A combination of these methods leaves it really dry and brittle come September when I want to wear it down. With good hair weather coming up I’ve been looking for a home made remedy (the cheaper alternative) to rehydrate my hair. I came across this simple Homemade Hair Mask.

 

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup of Honey

* 1 egg yolk

*1 Tbs of Olive Oil

* Something to wrap your hair while the mask sits.

Mix the 3 ingredients together really well. Next, dampen your hair and work the honey mixture into your hair. A shower cap would come in handy to prevent a mess. Let the mixture sit in your hair for 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water. Style as usual and you’re done!

Easy enough right? And It’s cheap!

Foods for Clear Skin

For the past 10 years, I’ve struggled with bad skin. I’ve experimented with different foods and behaviors to see how it affects my skin. I discovered that sweets and starches cause breakouts, and green foods and as well as fruits keep my skin clear. However, once a month I am more prone to breakouts so I try to make changes to my routine and diet to ensure my skin stays clear. This Cosmopolitan article  gives great tips on what adjustments you can make in your diet for better skin.  I’ve heard a lot of these over and over again, but thing is, it actually works. The most important thing is to find what works for you.

 1. Avoid white foods, as hard as it is. Simple carbs, like potatoes and breads are friends of the stomach, enemies of the skin. As terrible as it is, I LOVE Five Guys Burgers & Fries but it takes a toll on my skin. When you’re more prone to breakouts, limit the intake of these foods or substitute for whole grain whenever possible.

2. Plenty of fish in the sea, so don’t be afraid to try new ones. Salmon in particular has a lot of the essential fatty acids and reduce inflammation which “triggers the cell to clog the pore, causing acne” according to the dermotalogist in the article. I found this recipe for salmon to be really simple.

3. Ooze on the olive oil. Believe it or not, consuming fat is good for you (in moderate amounts of course). If you have less than the suggested amount of fat a day (about 2 tablespoons of oil) your skin might not absorb vitamin A, which helps prevent premature aging. I use a little olive oil when I grill chicken breasts and its delish.

4. Tea for the t-zone. Not mentioned in the article but works magic on the skin is white tea. You may have read one of my previous posts on tea here, where I broke down the different types. White tea is as pure as they come, and it’s a great source of antioxidants. Teavana has a great selection of teas, from which I suggest the youthberry white tea.

Muslim Model Makes History

I wrote a post a while back about the beautiful Elite model Kenza Fourati {here}. I just read an article about Kenza causing stir because she was the first Arab Muslim model to pose for Sports Illustrated. That’s a big accomplishment, you go girl!

Fashion Funk in Venice

I LOVE this video of Coco Rocha in Venice. It’s fun and playful. The city of Venice is so dreamy and romantic. I’ve been there twice and it’s probably one of my favorite places in the whole world (and no it doesn’t smell bad).

These are some photos I took while I was in Venice.

Linda Evangelista, Mama diva?

Former Supermodel, Linda Evangelista is reportedly asking billionaire Francois Henri-Pinault , aka baby daddy, for $46,000 a MONTH in child support, claiming “that $46,000 is the minimum required to provide for young Augustin in the manner to which he has grown accustomed”. Well he better become unaccustomed real quick. I think that’s absolutely ridiculous. A 4-year-old is happy playing inside a cardboard box.

I was curious as to where all this money would go and the Wall Street Journal asked president of Aston-Pearl, the New York-based lifestyle-management firm for wealthy families, to break it down. Read the article for yourself {WSJ}. It really upsets me that all this money is being spent on a lavish lifestyle that a toddler doesn’t even understand. Must the child wear Chanel to play with his three nannies?? Let’s come back down to earth Linda.