Tag Archives: pampering

Dec6

Face Mask Haul

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Face Mask Haul

Hello! One of my favorite ways to relax in my free time is by trying out new face masks. Whether they’re good or bad, it doesn’t matter all that much to me because I’m spending some me time pampering myself. It has been a while since I had a big face mask haul so when I was at Target, I just had to pick up a variety to enjoy on those snowy nights in. Check it out:

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I don’t venture to my favorite stores very often anymore, which is so sad to me. In fact, the last time I went actual shopping at TJMaxx was months ago! So, I was surprised by the huge variety of face masks that Target had to offer. Originally, I thought that I would just purchase one or two but I ended up with six and if I didn’t contain myself, it probably would have been more like ten lol!

Since it’s winter, I picked out a couple of masks specifically to hydrate and combat dry skin, which will be most useful. And, of course, I never say no to a brightening or charcoal mask, either! While all of these masks will be fun to use, especially the glitter gel mask, I am most excited to try out the lip mask. My lips have been SO dry as of late and nothing that I do seems to help. Fingers crossed that the BioRepublic lip mask will perfect my pout so I’m not feeling like Napoleon Dynamite all winter long. 😀

Be on the lookout for lots of new Face Mask Festivities posts these next few weeks, starting off with the much anticipated lip mask!

Which products do you like for dry lips? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

New Berries & Cream Nails

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New Berries & Cream Nails

Hello! My most recent fill at Elysian Nails was a fabulous one because my go to girl is finally back! My nail tech and friend, Gabby, is literally the best nail tech I have ever been to and she is the best company too. It was so nice to catch up and have girl talk and my nails look gorgeous. This is not to say that everyone at Elysian isn’t incredibly talented but once you find a nail tech or hair stylist that you like, it’s hard to have just anyone do your pampering! Check out these Berries & Cream beauties:

I have never been one for themed nails like red or green during the Christmas season or oranges and browns for Thanksgiving. However, I wanted colors that said fall without being obvious. Prior to hitting the salon, I knew that I definitely wanted a wheat color incorporated and thought that a deep berry would go beautifully with that. I hate to toot my own horn but *toot, toot, toot* because I was so right and I am in love with this color combination. I think that it is so sophisticated while still being a little edgy and it feels fall without being over the top.

After a long day at work, there is seriously nothing better than sitting in the salon chair and relaxing. Although my last few fills at Elysian were good when Gabby was out, they pale in comparison to this one. The shape of my acrylics is absolutely perfect and laughing and gabbing the entire time made the experience even better. Nothing makes me happier than an appointment at Elysian but time spent with my favorite nail tech trumps that completely and that’s really saying something! ❤

What color of nail polish do you have on? What are your favorite fall colors? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

New Orange & Red Violet Nails

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New Orange & Red Violet Nails

Howdy! It is spooky season alright, which means that Halloween nails were in order when I got my fill at Elysian Nails. All day long, I was debating which color combination to go with because I didn’t want to do something as obvious as red and black. Then, I began going through a mental list of Halloween movies to draw inspiration from and settled on Hocus Pocus for a unique orange and red violet combo. Check it out:

While I love my nails and the fact that the tech I went to did a speedy job, I miss my old go to girl very much. Which is why I can’t wait for my next fill because she’ll be back! Although it’s always nice to sit back and be pampered without much chit chat, the girl talk is part of the reason why going to the hair or nail salon is one of my favorite hobbies. So, the silent fill I had this time around without any dishing about work, significant others, etc. felt incomplete.

Despite a somewhat lackluster experience, my nails did turn out great and I am obsessed with the colors that I chose. Aside from my wedding, I have never gotten fun designs on my nails simply because I don’t feel like paying for it. This is why I wanted a nontraditional color combo that still said Halloween.

Like many who think of Hocus Pocus, the first thing that came to mind was Winifred’s hair! The orange was a must but what would go with it? I went through my mental archives some more and settled on Sarah’s purple accents on her dress. Originally, the colors I selected at Elysian were much darker but it felt kind of blah. I scoured through the polish wall several more times and went with brighter hues in each shade and ended up with exactly what I pictured in my head! 😀

It’s all just Hocus Pocus but it sure is fun. Happy Halloween to all!

What is your favorite Halloween movie? What colors make you think of spooky season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep24

New Hair, Don’t Care

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New Hair, Don’t Care

Hi! I haven’t had my hair done or a day off, for that matter, since the day before my wedding. So, needless to say, your girl was in desperate need of both! This past week, I took a day off to have my dear friend and stylist, Anna, work her magic at the Shear Shop. This time around, we incorporated Pulp Riot’s Lilac into the red and pink for something totally different and totally fun. I am totally obsessed! Take a look and be sure to tune in tomorrow for more OOTD pics:

To achieve my multi-colored hair, Anna used Pulp Riot’s Fireball, Blush, and Lilac after bleaching the roots. The Lilac dye was applied to all of my insanely grown out roots for a new twist on the convertible hair that I have been rocking. I love the full effect when my hair is down but it is also so cute when it is pulled up and you can see the lilac roots underneath the top layer.

My new hair legit makes me feel like a fairy princess and I have basically been living in front of the mirror since I got it done because I can’t stop looking at myself! The three different colors are just so pretty together and it is exciting to have such a big change from what I was doing before. While some might find it nerve wracking to have something so major done to their hair, I am never worried because I know that I am in the best hands with Anna and she delivers every time.

Nothing makes me feel more confident than freshly dyed and cut hair as well as my time spent with my stylist. I wouldn’t want to spend a day off anywhere else than in her salon chair and I am already itching to go back. As mentioned before, be sure to check in tomorrow so you can see my hair in all of its glory from every angle! ❤

How do you like to pamper yourself? What is your favorite Pulp Riot color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep18

New Wine & Lilac Nails

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New Wine & Lilac Nails

Hello!! This past Monday, I had a pretty difficult day at work and was so happy to have been able to spend some time at Elysian Nails getting pampered afterwards. To me, there is nothing better than sitting back and relaxing at the hair or nail salon and my fill couldn’t have come at a better time. As always, I left Elysian feeling like a million bucks with these pretty in purple nails:

When it comes to clothing and colors in general, I am not a huge fan of purple. Not that I don’t appreciate its beauty – it just doesn’t look good on me lol! However, I was feeling inspired by the oxblood nail polish that my friend, Danielle, gave me and was in the mood to try something different. The first polish that caught my eye was the deep wine color and I said “why not?”. For the accent color, choosing the lilac hue was an easy decision because I knew that it would look good and didn’t feel like thinking any more than I had to!

My favorite nail tech no longer works at Elysian, which makes me so sad but, luckily, I think I found a new go to gal with this past fill. My new tech completed my fill in roughly forty minutes and no sooner than I sat down, it felt like I was already done… It was great! 😀

Even though this was a super fast fill, my nails looked absolutely perfect and I loved the color combination that I selected. In fact, I already plan on going a similar route at my next appointment with a dark and light shade of the same color. I’m thinking a dark and light grey next. ❤

What color of nail polish are you rocking? How do you relax after a difficult day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug15

New Cobalt Blue & Hot Pink Nails

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New Cobalt Blue & Hot Pink Nails

Hello! I was wayyy overdue for a fill at Elysian Nails because of my uber busy work schedule and was so happy to have some pampering time this past week. While I was excited to go, I can’t say I was thrilled because my absolute favorite nail tech I’ve ever had no longer works there. I miss her and our fabulous convos immensely, however, I am very happy with the end results from a tech I have never worked with before. Check it out:

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Prior to getting my nails done, I always try and think of the color combination that I would like so that I’m not standing at the nail polish wall for ten minutes straight! For some reason, all I could think about was the commercials for the Malibu Barbie play sets with her hot pink car driving past the ocean. So, despite having turquoise nails last time around, hot pink and cobalt blue it was.

These nails just scream fun in the sun to me and I could sure use it as it has been super stormy in my neck of the woods. When I look at my nails, I am taken back to lounging in the pool and soaking up some rays even when it is thunder storming like crazy!

I sure wish that my go to gal was the one doing this fill because one of my favorite things about going to the salon is the girl talk. All of the nail techs at Elysian are crazy talented, though, so I always know that I am in good hands no matter what. ❤

What color of nail polish do you have on? Which colors remind you of summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

Chilling Out

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Chilling Out

Hello! These past few weekends for Johnny and I have been nice and relaxing which is a welcome change of pace after several super busy weekends in a row. I definitely know that I was feeling the effects of being on the move nonstop because I felt so exhausted throughout my work week. My job is quite mentally demanding so this on top of tired made me feel drained.

While I love going out and about with Johnny, a lot of my favorite things can be done just Chilling Out in our apartment. Like the following:

Pampering Party:

Pampering myself after a long day at work always makes me feel better. This means bubble baths, face masks, getting my nails done, and painting my toe nails. Johnny also loves to have his nails painted so I’ll usually do his fingers and toes too while the nail polish is out. Nothing pleases me more than an evening at the nail salon or testing out a new skin care product and it is a great midweek refresher until the weekend rolls around. A Pampering Party is my favorite form of self care and it gives me something to look forward to for once I get home.

Fun & Games:

Super intense video games are not relaxing to me in the slightest even though I love them. However, Pokemon Snap and Animal Crossing never fail to put me in the chill zone. Both games for the Nintendo Switch are insanely cute, laid back, and fairly mindless. They are also games that Johnny and I enjoy a lot so we play them often when we need some time to unwind. Our new hobby has been listening to The Last Podcast On The Left together and we will normally play Pokemon Snap or Animal Crossing while we have an episode on.

Soak Up The Sun:

I have been making great use of the pool at my apartment community this summer and it feels nice to be in the water and catch some rays in the evening. It is also the best time to go since it is not as crowded which makes it even more relaxing! Our apartment gets incredibly hot in the summer so I love having a pool two minutes away to cool off in. It’s hard to get in a chill set of mind when you’re sweating profusely lol!

Book Club:

Despite pretty much only reading horror and thriller novels, reading always helps me to relax and I try to finish a book at least every three weeks. Right now, I have been working on Candide by Voltaire which I have really been enjoying. Next on deck is a suspense novel by Megan Miranda called Such A Quiet Place. Nothing is better than settling in with a good book and I get transported to the chill zone as soon as I read one page.

It’s important to know what helps you to relax when you are feeling tired or stressed and the above are all surefire ways to unwind for me. Talk about an instant chill pill!

How do you like to relax? What makes you feel stressed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

Orange Sherbet & Turquoise Nails

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Orange Sherbet & Turquoise Nails

Hi! I had not gotten my nails done since before my wedding and I was in desperate need of a fill. While it was a little sad to bid farewell to my amazing studded red stiletto nails, I am loving the summery color combo that I selected. For my fill, I went with an orange sherbet and turquoise polish. I drew inspiration from the embroidery on my new Luna Moon peasant blouse and the polish colors just scream “fun in the sun” to me. Check it out:

As always, my favorite nail tech, Gabby, completely knocked it out of the park with my fill. All of the people who work at Elysian Nails are incredibly skilled but there is nothing better than being pampered and having lots of girl talk too. I had been looking forward to filling Gabby in on my wedding and it was so nice to sit down and chat after a long, stressful day at work.

Despite having such summery nails, I am not a huge fan of the season at all. I hate being overly hot and, although I had quite a few recent clothing hauls, summer fashion is my least favorite. Lil Red loves to layer! It’s hard not to smile whenever I look at my new nails, though. The orange sherbet and turquoise combo takes me right to the beach on a perfect seventy-five degree day. 😀

This past month has, truly, been a whirlwind for me between getting married, change ups at work, and mine and Johnny’s double birthdays. Being at Elysian Nails for barely over an hour with the sole purpose of relaxing and hanging out with my nail tech was so needed and I felt much more at peace after my appointment. The power of pampering!

What color are your nails? What is your favorite season to dress for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun15

Wedding Makeup

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Wedding Makeup

Hi!! I have never gotten my makeup done professionally before so that was a huge treat for my wedding. I went to Carol Martin Salon and my makeup artist knocked it out of the park for both my test run and wedding MOTD. Take a look at some never before seen pics from my test run, wedding makeup, and after party celebrations and let’s discuss further:

While I enjoy wearing makeup, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily “good” at applying it and pretty much wear the same look every day. My sister loves to razz on me for it but if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it lol! Because I’m not very familiar with makeup, I left a lot of my wedding MOTD up to my makeup artist with a few vague instructions of “champagne eyes” and “Bratz doll lips”. The end result was exactly what I had pictured in my head but didn’t quite know how to vocalize and I left Carol Martin Salon on my test run and wedding day feeling like a billion bucks.

I am very excited to return to the salon for our October reception and I even feel inspired to purchase new makeup for myself so I can experiment more. I don’t think I ever realized just how fun makeup can be until having an expert beat my face and I definitely feel a trip to Sephora happening in my future!

Do you have a must have makeup? What is your preferred way of learning new makeup techniques? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun9

Happy Wedding To Us!

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Happy Wedding To Us!

Hello!!! My wedding weekend was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful to my family and friends for making it so special. Something that I really enjoyed were my trips to the Shear Shop the day before and of my wedding to get my hair looking right by my wonderful stylist, Anna. It was SO nice to spend an entire afternoon hanging out with her while she redid my color and to have her work her magic for my wedding day.

Anna has been doing my hair for nineteen years and is such a dear friend to me. In fact, as soon as I leave the salon I am already itching to go back! She is truly a master of her craft and I wouldn’t want anyone but her doing my hair for my big day. Being in Anna’s company was the most beautiful gift of all but I am completely in love with her wedding gift to me and Johnny. Check it out:

^^^ How cool is that?!

Johnny and I are your basic mid twenties and thirty something emo couple and Anna’s gift speaks to us on a spiritual level. We live for all black everything, the dark, and slightly macabre so our skeleton trinket box was perfect for us. She really does know me so well! I plan on putting the hair charms that she used for my wedding do in it first and foremost. ❤

Tune in tomorrow for more on my wedding!!

Do you have a trinket box? What do you keep in it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah