Wednesday, December 18, 2013

5 Super Easy Christmas Nails

Hello!

With it being the holiday season, it's only right to do festive nails, right? So with Christmas around the corner (7 days left, oh my) I wanted to share with you 5 super easy and fun nail designs. These would be the perfect accessory to any holiday outfit. A list of products, a walk through step by step tutorial and final picture are below. I hope you like and if you recreate any of these, I'd love to see it. Send me pictures to my Twitter account @GlamourbyLexi





Step by Step Tutorial (starting Thumb to Pinky above):

Thumb Nail Festive Christmas Dots: Start with any white nail polish. I recommend doing 2 coats. Then take any red and green nail polish to create the dots with a dotting tool. Don't have a dotting tool? No worries, a toothpick will do the trick!

Index Nail Snowflake: Start with 2 coats of a deep Navy blue. Start by applying a dot on the center of the nail using a dotting tool and a silver metallic nail polish. Then with the same silver polish draw four lines using a nail brush around the silver dot (one line vertical above, one vertical below, one horizontally to the left and one horizontally to the right). Taking the same dotting tool used earlier, create tiny dots on the lines to create your snowflake.

Middle Nail Christmas Tree: Starting with a 2 coats of white polish. Take a green striper polish and create a triangle shape with the pointed tip just below the cuticle. Fill in that triangle with the same green polish. Once that dries take your favorite polish to create dots that simulate ornaments. I used a metallic gold but any color would work. I then took a gold glitter to create a dot at the tip for my star.

Ring Nail Snowman: Start with 2 coats of a pearly white polish. Using a small dotting tool or toothpick dipped into black polish create 2 dots for eyes and a couple closer to the end of the nail for his smile. Wipe that tool and using an orange polish create a small triangle pointing to the left for his nose.

Pinky Nail Snowfall: Start with a light baby blue nail polish. Take the small dotting tool and draw a blanket of snow with white polish towards the edge of the nail, in the same area you'd do a french tip. Then use the same white polish and apply a few dots for the falling snow.

Once your design dries, apply a shiny topcoat to seal the designs and add shine. Viola! Your nails are ready to make a statement at your Christmas party!

Products Used/Needed:

*White Nail Polish- I used Sephora Formula X in White Matter
*Red Nail Polish- I used Sephora Formula X in Pyrotechnic
*Green Striper polish- I used one from Sinful Colors purchased from Walgreens
*Navy Blue nail polish- I used Julep
*Metallic Silver- I used Sally Hansen insta dry in Silver Sweep
*Metallic Gold- I used one from the old Sephora brand
*Orange nail polish- I used one from OPI that is a few years old
*Light Blue polish- I used Sephora Formula X in Infatuated

*Tools~Dotting tool or toothpicks

As you can see in the picture, the designs are super easy. I am not an expert nor am I good at drawing and I can make this look decent. So I know that you can recreate these designs too.

A video tutorial will be posted towards the end of this week on my YouTube channel showing this nail art. If you haven't checked out my channel, click here. Please subscribe while you're there, it's free :) :)

Thanks for stopping by & Merry Christmas !!
xoxoxo
~Lexi

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Hello everybody!


Today on my channel I posted my ultimate holiday gift guide. I hope you had the chance to watch...if not click here to watch. I share all of my gift ideas for everyone on your list this holiday season. I took a more personalized approach to gift giving this year with all my makeup and nail inspired gifts.

I also include gifts for him....and let's be honest, guys can be hard to shop for. Also, in that video you will find ideas for that person on your list that has everything but you can't seem to find the perfect gift. I've got you covered :) Below are some tips and links to some stores that offer great Christmas gifts..I hope you like!

Here is a picture of some of the gifts mentioned in the video......


 



Holiday Shopping Tips:

* Every store website for the most part has a Christmas gift tab. Click on it to see what they offer so that you don't go driving around town like crazy searching for gifts.

* Search online by your price point, (i.e. gifts under $20, etc) at your favorite store's websites under their holiday gifts section.

*Add a personalized touch to your gifts this year. It'll mean more to the recipient. 

* Plan your shopping trips in advance, Do not wait for the last minute....all the good stuff will be gone. 

* Shopping online may be scary, but trust me I've found some amazing deals with free shipping. (Besides, you can do the bill to and ship to, so it saves you money on gift wrap and at the local post office.)

* Sticking to a budget is wise. This will keep you from over spending by the end of your shopping trip. 

* Make a list of all your recipients and take it with you to the store :) 
(Also, write notes on that list of what you feel they may enjoy)

* Don't feel like you have spend more money than the year before...that's not the point of Christmas! 

*P.S and by the way...Have Fun shopping!!!!


I hope these tips and my video gift guide helps you find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Tis' the season for gift giving :) :) Below are links to some of my favorite stores with awesome deals.


Stores to consider:







Merry Christmas!!


May this holiday season be amazing for you. I send you all my love from my house to yours and your loved ones. Thank you for all your support! Don't forget to subscribe :)

Follow me on Twitter for daily updates :)

xoxoxo
~Lexi







Sunday, December 8, 2013

Lorac Rockin' Red Hot Pro Set

Hey everybody!!


I'm doing a special post today on something that I believe to be a great Christmas gift! I'm reviewing and swatching the infamous Lorac Pro palette that everyone seems to love on YouTube. I will give you my honest opinion and I hope this post will make your gift giving easier. Tis the season for holiday shopping!!

This Lorac Pro palette is a perfect addition to anyone's makeup collection. Whether you're a beginner or a makeup enthusiast like me, this palette is sure to please. The looks that can be created are really endless with this palette. So here we go......

This is an Ulta exclusive $39
(be sure to check your local Ulta or website linked below)
Off the bat, this set is a few dollars cheaper ($3 to be exact) than just purchasing the same Pro palette without the extras. This set includes the Pro palette, a full size Front of the Line Pro liquid liner (in black) and a deluxe size of Behind the Scenes eyeshadow primer.

The Pro palette: A great range of mattes and shimmers! First off, it's hard to find that perfect palette with a balance of mattes with shimmers and metallics. I feel this one nailed it quite nicely. The top row is all mattes...from white to black. The bottom row is all shimmers....from nudes to gray and everything in between. The top row has everything you need to do a complete matte finish look or to create the perfect blended back drop to any eyeshadow applied to the lid. The second row is a collection of colors that add that perfect pop to any look you want to create. Enjoy the pics below :)

A look inside the palette.
Great size mirror that's handy when traveling
during this holiday season.

A closer look at the eyeshadows.

Here are swatches and color descriptions!


Top Row
L to R listed above

Second Row
L to R listed above

As you can probably tell from the swatches, these colors are very pigmented. There is not one dud in the palette. They all are extremely velvety soft and creamy when applied. Definitely, two thumbs up!


All the pieces inside the set.
*The Front of the Line Pro liquid liner is really awesome too. It's a richly pigmented black that glides smoothly across the upper lash line. It has a short tapered brush tip applicator that's very easy to use. It's been a long time favorite of mine for many years. I always have one in rotation along with my other everyday eyeliners. 

*The Behind the Scenes eyeshadow primer is also great. I've used their primer for a long time as well. It apply evenly across the eyelid and it dries clear. This is definitely a must have for prolonging the wear of eyeshadows. Also, it works great with oily lids. 


Overall, I am very pleased with this set. It's a perfect gift...just add a bow and go! It takes all the guess work out of gift giving to a makeup enthusiast. As I stated above, this is an Ulta exclusive. Click here for the Lorac cosmetics online at Ulta. Or you can visit your local Ulta store to purchase. 

Click here  to visit my beauty channel and please subscribe :) Lots of tutorials coming up using this set. Also, follow me for daily updates on makeup, my channel, my blog and personal stuff via Twitter. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this post. Thank you for your continued support. May this holiday season bring you and your loved ones much happiness!! 



Happy Holidays!!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

xoxoxo
~Lexi















Thursday, December 5, 2013

Speckled Nail Effect

Hello everyone!

Last week I posted a nail art video showing you how to do a speckled or paint splattered effect on your nails using Sephora Formula X The Twenty-Two set. Click here for reviews and swatches of the polishes. Also, click here to watch this nail art tutorial! These nail polishes are so amazing. Two thumbs up!!!! I hope you enjoy :)


Formula X for Sephora

Colors used: 

"White Matter"- for thumb and pinky nails. I used two coats for an opaque white finish.
"Dark Matter"- for my middle nail. Literally, you only need one coat for a true pigmented black.
"Thrilling"- for pointer and ring nails. It's a great neutral taupe.
"Meteoric"- Glitter topcoat over pointer and ring nails. It's a special effects topcoat with black and white glitter chunks.

Click here to shop Sephora for Formula X products. 

Please subscribe to my channel after watching the tutorial. Follow me on Twitter for daily updates @GlamourbyLexi

Thanks for all the support. 

Happy Holidays!!!


xoxoxo
~Lexi