Nail of the Day: Jelly Glitz

As an avid user of Facebook who constantly checks up on beauty updates, there was one status that caught my attention and I'm glad it did.  Birchbox (@birchbox) posted a "how to" article about a new nail design called "jelly sandwich".  They enlisted a new contributor, Anna Norman of Glitter, She Wrote, and she explained what jelly sandwich nails are.  It's a very odd name to use as a nail technique, but it made sense after reading through her description.

Basically, this is a new way of wearing glitter.  I remember I would rock the glitter nail polish from grade school into middle school.  I mean, who didn't?  Every girl loves glitter- heck, there was a movie named "Glitter" (but let's not go there).  This technique is great for any person who loves to experiment with fun nail designs, even if it means having to calm down your shaky hand.

All you need are 2 polishes.  The jelly polish serves as the bread while the glitter is in between like jelly.  Your base color is translucent to give that sheer, glossy effect.  My base color of choice is OPI Melon of Troy, a beautiful melon/orange/coral mixture with a sheen, pearly shine.  My jelly color is actually what was used on this nail technique.  If you saw the Birchbox FB status and/or link, the color on the ring finger is Milani Gems.  The chunky, yet colorful glitter nail polish is easy to maneuver if you want the glitter to have a gradient effect.

Now, to the technique: after applying a base coat, apply 2 coats of your jelly polish.  Once it dries, do 1 coat of glitter.  Once that dries, do an additional coat of jelly polish over the glitter in order to trap the glitter, give your nail depth and tone down the glitter.  If you want to skip this step, simply apply a top coat then you're done!

This technique is quite simple and is a great way to experiment with different colors.  Happy painting!

Little Black Bag

I want to share this new website called Little Black Bag (or #LBBag) that is loosely based on a Japanese tradition known as "Lucky Bag Sale".  You fill out a small questionnaire of your likes and dislikes of certain styles, designers, etc.  Based off of your answers, the stylists compile a list of products from accessories including jewelry to beauty products that will sit in your bag.  You choose one item that you like and the stylists will surprise you with 2, 3 or even 4 other items that you don't know of until checkout.  The price of these items are shown, but what's nice with this website (in addition to others similar to this such as Birchbox, myglam, justfab) is you pay a membership fee which you opt to be either monthly or one time only.  Once paid, you find out what your surprise items are and get to exchange any items for a total of 7 days.  Once the 7 days have past, your items in your bag are locked in and shipped to you within 3-8 business days.

The concept is pretty simple, but was kind of intimidating to me at first.  I signed up for Little Black Bag last month and never had the courage to continue through with it because I didn't have a full understanding of the concept.  So I searched on YouTube to see other people's reviews on the website and what products they received in the mail.  I ended up caving in and told myself to just do it.  Once I paid my fee (which I opted for the one time only), I was amazed with how addicting exchanging items can be.  My husband was impressed with the amount of time I've spent on my Macbook (or "Andre") in just the past 48 hours.  I currently have 4 items in my bag.  I have 5.5 days left until I can't exchange anymore.  But, I know once my time is up, I can't wait to receive these items in my cute Little Black Bag package.

If you are really interested in joining this website, I highly suggest going to YouTube and read up on what people are saying about it.  Some beauty gurus that I follow are among their pool of stylists.  I will link below their reviews on the Little Black Bag concept and items they received in the mail.

If you plan on joining, don't forget to search for me!

sccastaneda "New Obsession!!!"

ThatsHeart "My Little Black Bag + Rose Gold Watch Giveaway"

AprilAthena7 "Little Black Bag & Giveaway!"

RAEview "UPDATE 2.0 + GIVEAWAY: The Little Black Bag Haul + Handbag [$328 Value] Giveaway"