Tag Archives: pampering

Jun8

New Mermaid Blue & Glitter Burnt Orange Nails

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New Mermaid Blue & Glitter Burnt Orange Nails

Howdy!! This past Tuesday, I enjoyed a lovely pre-birthday fill at Elysian Nails and oh my goodness did it hit the spot. Unfortunately, my go to girl was booked for the day but my former tech was able to squeeze me in and she still remembers just how I like my talons – nice and sharp! In fact, I am typing this shortly after getting them done and I feel like such a lil baddie clacking away with these pretty little things. Check it out:

^^^ Don’t mind the beaucoup glue on the thumb!

Whenever I get my nails done, I tend to just let the nail polish wall speak to me and choose colors on a whim. This time, though, I actually had a plan in mind. After receiving lots of tropical Bath & Body Works scents for my birthday, I had the beach on the brain hard. I was thinking of going with sand and surf vibes with a pretty blue and gold. The only problem was, I had been there done that and wanted to go with a similar idea with a twist. I fell in love with the most gorgeous mermaid blue hue I have ever seen (I am seriously obsessed!) and considered a few different options before landing on a glittery burnt orange. I am so glad I decided to shake things up because this is, easily, one of my favorite combinations in recent memory.

Once my colors were selected, my girl got to WERK and gave me the most fabulous fill. As always, I am on a time crunch when I get my nails done because I need to be back to work immediately after. Of course, my former tech remembered this too and gave me beautifully shaped and dangerously sharp claws in an astoundingly short period of time. Have you ever had a fill that was so good that you ended up feeling like you got a brand spanking new full set? That’s what this fill felt like and it was a glorious sensation. I returned to work exactly on time and feeling like a billion bucks!

I am entering my 31st year with the absolute best nails and if that is any inkling of how this year is going to treat me, I think it’s going to be a banner one!

How do you like to treat yourself? Which color of nail polish should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun6

Bath & Body Works Birthday Haul

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Bath & Body Works Birthday Haul

Hello!! This past Monday, Johnny and I enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse with his parents. It might seem like an odd choice for a vegetarian, but apps and salads always reign supreme for me! After a whole weekend of celebrating our birthaversary, this was the perfect cherry on top. Any time with my in laws is such a gift that anything else is completely unnecessary. However, it was so nice to be spoiled with some goodies to pamper with from Bath & Body Works. I never don’t want bath and body care since I use it daily and I can’t wait to use one of my old favorites and new to me scents. Check it out:

Champagne Toast: Lol, let me start off by saying that Champagne Toast is a staple in my household and one time Johnny thought the packaging read “Champagne and Toast”. I can never picture it as its normal name again! ANYWHO, Champagne Toast is a classic B&BW scent featuring notes of “bubbly champagne, sparkling berries, and juicy tangerine”. Some scents based on alcohol smell so much like the real thing which can be really off putting. Champagne Toast does smell bubbly, yes, but thanks to the berry and tangerine, it’s a lot like a sparkling juice. It is light, fizzy, and fruity and would definitely be a safe bet to gift with. If you aren’t a fan of giving alcohol as a gift, a bundle of Champagne Toast products is the next best thing!

Waikiki Beach Coconut: My husband is all about tropical scents. Me? Not really, but I only wear lotion to bed so whatever it smells like doesn’t matter all that much to me. The only tropical scent I do like a lot, however, is coconut! I always loved the coconut line from The Body Shop and while nothing will beat that, the Waikiki Beach Coconut is very nice. This scent offers notes of “tropical white coconut, saltwater breezes, and sun-bleached woods”. While I can’t speak for the sun-bleached woods, lol, this scent smells exactly like sun, sand, and surf. It has a bit more musk to it than a traditional coconut scent but, all in all, this is a day at the beach fragrance for sure.

Starfruit Sangria: Speaking of alcohol based scents that don’t smell like alcohol at all, we have Starfruit Sangria which features notes of “golden starfruit, kiwi nectar, and chilled sangria”. This scent is incredibly light and it’s hard to pick up on the fruit notes as starfruit and kiwi aren’t exactly known for a strong aroma. It’s a very soft and fresh scent, which is perfectly fine by me because I don’t care for anything too overpowering. Like Champagne Toast, Starfruit Sangria would be a great gifting option if you are not sure what fragrances your giftee likes. Perfect for a summer birthday!

I haven’t had a good Bath & Body Works haul since their winter semi annual sale and my stockpile has been in need of a re-up. These sweet gifts will certainly tide me over until the next big sale!

What is your favorite thing to receive as a gift? What do you like to gift for other people? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May15

ValJean Labs Radiant Glow Face Scrub Review

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ValJean Labs Radiant Glow Face Scrub Review

Howdy!! I love shopping skin care at TJMaxx because it is such a fun and inexpensive way to try new brands and revisit old favorites. While I do have a few tried and true products that I get whenever they’re available, I will just wing it for the rest and go for whatever sounds good and is cruelty free. A new brand I discovered was ValJean Labs and I have been obsessed with their foaming cleanser. It’s easily one of the best face washes I have used in recent memory! I was so excited to have found a Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Scrub of the same brand at TJs and have been using it daily for the past several weeks. Like the cleanser, this scrub is one of the best I have used in a while:

I don’t use scrubs very often but when I do, I need something that’s extremely gentle. While I enjoy a gritty scrub, my skin type is very normal and the harsher exfoliants can be too much. This ValJean Labs scrub is exactly what I need! It is so rich and creamy in texture and the grit factor is minimal but it still feels like I am getting a deep clean. It is gentle enough to use every day and I follow up by washing my face with the foaming cleanser afterwards. It’s the perfect combination and my skin feels smooth and looks soft and fresh.

Not only is this scrub gentle and effective to the T, but it smells great too! It has the lightest citrus scent which is one of my favorites and always perks me up during my morning shower. A little of this scrub also goes a long way, making it an awesome value because a nickle sized dollop will do just fine. I will say that this scrub is a bit of a pain in the butt to wash off fully. I wouldn’t call it “sticky” but it does cling to the skin and takes longer than you would expect for it to gone completely. I learned this after the first few uses when my micellar water cloth was coming back with the remnants! This is no harm no foul, though, just something to be aware of if you try it too. 🙂

The ValJean Labs Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Scrub is a must if you are on the hunt for a new one. It is an excellent year round product and I will definitely be buying it again if it graces TJMaxx’s skin care department!

Do you use facial scrubs? Which one is your favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

New Cherry & Orange Nails

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New Cherry & Orange Nails

Hello!! I have had an incredible couple of days of pampering compliments of Elysian Nails. This past Friday, I enjoyed a pedicure appointment with Johnny’s mom and aunt and it was heavenly! I haven’t gotten a pedicure since last year and just like the last time, I left the salon wondering why the heck I don’t do that more often. Then, I remembered my talons which always take priority over toes! After getting my tootsies right, I was back at the salon a few days later for a fill featuring the sweetest Cherry and Orange combo. Check it out:

During my last fill, I was feeling an orange and pink combo. However, my tech showed me some brand new colors and I fell in love with the prettiest light pink and purple glitter polishes. I vowed to do the original colors I had in mind at my next appointment and it definitely made the daunting task of selecting nail polish a breeze! Granted, I couldn’t even remember the colors I was going to use but, hey, I knew it was orange and pink so anything in that realm would be close enough. I ended up with a shade called Cherry and another simply called Orange and we were in business! This is the perfect fruity and bright pairing to welcome warm weather with. Or, at least dream about because the weather has been crap lousy here. -_-

Once my colors were selected, it was time for my tech to work her magic and you know I hit her with the old “long time no see” considering it had only been four days! Hilarious, I know. 😀 As always, work her magic my nail tech did and, as always, she fixed them up just right. I never really notice any lifting or problem areas until the polish is off, like at this appointment for instance, and my tech repaired any uh-ohs with ease and speed. After two repairs, shaping, filing, and painting I was still in time for my next shift at work. I genuinely have no idea how she does it!

The weather might not be the best but my nails are fresh and gives me a dose of sunshine every time I look at them. I’ll take it until this rain, rain goes away!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? What colors should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr15

New Light Pink & Purple Glitter Nails

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New Light Pink & Purple Glitter Nails

Howdy!! I had a delightful break time fill at Elysian Nails this past Tuesday and it was just what the doctor ordered. My nails were insanely grown out and were in desperate need of some TLC! As always, my nail tech worked wonders and they are back to their former glory and, I daresay, better than ever. This appointment also came with a surprise – brand new colors to pick from! Take a look:

Prior to my appointment, I selected my nail polish colors and waited for my tech at her station. As soon as she saw me, she called me over to the other polish options which I don’t entertain. They are usually all gel and dip and I just go for regular old nail polish. I jokingly asked her if this was her trying to convert me to gel polish and we had a right laugh! Rather, she showed me brand new nail polishes and my original choices went straight out the window. I instantly fell in love with the pale pink and purple glitter shades! They look like fairy tale colors and are so delicate and pretty. My only qualm is that the two colors are more similar than I had anticipated from the sample, making it hard to differentiate them. However, I never say no to trying something brand new and they actually remind me of the Disney princess nail polish that my eldest niece adores. I think she is going to go crazy for this combo!

Of course, I couldn’t wait to get my nails right but I also was chomping at the bit to gossip with my tech. I had SO much scoop to tell her since my last appointment and it’s always fun to update each other on our never ending sagas. After spilling all the tea, we go through our monthly recommendations. From books we read to TV shows we’re binging, we cover it all and I love hearing her reviews. We have very different tastes when it comes to our preferred genres and it’s nice to have new options when I’m in the mood to break free from the norm. By the time my appointment was done, my nails were exquisite, the tea runneth over, and I was ready to return to work feeling like a billion bucks.

These new nail polish shades are perfect for spring and for letting your inner fairy princess go wild. Mine is certainly having a partay!

What kind of polish do you get when you get your nails done? What is your favorite acrylic shape? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar7

New Sage Green & Light Pink Nails

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New Sage Green & Light Pink Nails

Hello!! This past Tuesday I got to enjoy a break time fill at Elysian Nails and I couldn’t wait. I was absolutely obsessed with my Valentine’s Day Nails and shockingly the obsession didn’t stem from the red hue I used but the prettiest, pale pink. I am normally not one for super light colors but it just hit different and I wanted to revisit a similar shade this time around too. But what to pair it with? Spring is officially in the air in Ohio (kind of sort of) so I embraced the season that can hurry up and get here with this cute combo:

As I approached the nail polish wall at Elysian Nails, I was saddened that I had totally forgot which light pink I even used last time so I spent a few minutes on the prowl. Is the color I ended up with the exact same? I am genuinely unsure but, hey, close enough is good enough! After finding a pink that pleased me, I was keeping my fingers crossed to find a light green to pair it with. I had a backup option in mind because green nail polish can be so hit or miss. Deep greens are lovely but light green can look pukey lol. Then, the bottle of sage green polish caught my eye and I went for it. I actually think it might be new because I would have definitely used it before! I wish it was a bit more translucent but beggars can’t be choosers and I still love how they turned out. ❤

This break time appointment felt like a double break and it was the bomb. I was expecting to have a bit of a wait because the salon owner let me know my tech had a client that ran late and that was perfectly fine. I’m always down for a good scrolling on my phone session lol. Rather than a wait, I was able to head to the chair immediately and my tech literally achieved this fill, reshape, sharpening, two minor repairs, and polish in FORTY MINUTES. It was a mind blowing effort and I was so impressed. Since I didn’t have to rush back to work, I was able to let my polish fully dry AND get to my next shift with time to spare. I ended up having a scroll sesh after all and felt ready to take on the rest of the day with my brand new talons!

My nails are spring so fingers crossed the weather will start matching the vibe. I am SO ready to start hiking again! 😀

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Will you be getting Saint Patrick’s Day themed nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy! I get a plethora of TJMaxx gift cards for Christmas every year and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. TJs is where I find true and perfect peace and after a lot of holiday shopping for my big family, it is so nice to have a good haul for myself – free of charge. It is my tradition to do a skin care restock with my gift cards because those products are something I will absolutely need and use. A few weeks ago, my mom and I enjoyed a shopping trip together so I could do just that as well as pick up a few fun odds and ends. And, surprisingly, I didn’t go over budget and STILL have gift cards left. That never happens! Check it out:

When I am shopping skin care, I have my method down to the T with standards that I have perfected over time. 1) First and foremost, each item I select must be cruelty free or it will not be coming home with me. 2) I will happily buy old favorites but am always looking for new products to review and enjoy. And 3) I like to get at least a three month supply of product to sustain me for a while. As much as I would love to go to TJs every time I need a restock, it would be very damaging to my wallet lol.

For this skin care haul, I needed everything but the kitchen sink. We’re talking cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye cream, and micellar water. I was ecstatic to have found a couple of my go to Evoluderm micellar waters in a huge pump bottle, which I have never seen before. I bought the lot and a few small bottles for good measure. I was also able to restock my eye cream with a tried and true favorite of Vital Beauty’s Cooling Eye Gel AND find a brightening eye cream of the same brand too – something else that I haven’t seen before. The final familiar brand I revisited was with a face scrub by ValJean Labs. This is a new to me product but I am currently using a cleanser from this brand and am loving it. I am definitely in for a treat if this scrub is half as good as the cleanser!

As far as moisturizers and serums go, the selection was pretty bare in terms of what I could buy according to my standards. A majority of the offerings were not cruelty free, which was a bummer. What remained was brands that I have never used before so I am very interested in trying them out and seeing what’s the what. I’m particularly looking forward to the bottles of Precision Beauty serum for no reason other than that the packaging is really pretty lol. It was a cold AF day during this shopping trip and the colors reminded me of sunshine which is probably why I gravitated towards them. And, in case you were wondering, NO. I am NOT okay over the fact that “wrinkle reducing” is now a key component in the moisturizers I choose. But, hey, here’s to *hopefully* slowing down that process. 😀

I have a stockpile full of goodies waiting for me so keep it locked for brand new product reviews coming soon!

Have you used any of the above products before? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb11

New Valentine’s Day Nails

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New Valentine’s Day Nails

Hello! I spent a wonderful morning at Elysian Nails this past Friday getting a brand new full set for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t realize how badly I needed it until my tech was literally popping my acrylics off like it was nothing! With a pretty new OOTD and a night at the theater to celebrate with Johnny, I did something that I normally never do… I actually got holiday appropriate nails. Shocking, I know, but I just couldn’t help myself. There is no better way to complete my V-Day look than with red and pink nails and these might be one of my favorite combinations yet. Check it out:

When I am going to the salon, I usually just let the nail polish wall speak to me and those are the colors I will go with. In this case, I knew I wanted a Valentine’s Day palette and almost immediately was able to select the winners. I started with a gorgeous and bright raspberry red and it was spot on. In fact, my tech said “this is the red people think of when they think of Valentine’s Day” and I couldn’t agree more. I toyed around with a couple different shades of pink and ended up with a seashells in the sunlight hue. When this polish was first being applied, I feared that it was going to be too light. Then, after another coat, I was obsessed. These colors look like candy heart magic and I am SO there for it!

Whenever I get my nails filled, I schedule an appointment during my break at work. While it’s nice, it isn’t exactly conducive to relaxing because I’m just thinking about everything I need to do when I clock back in lol. This time around, I had my full morning blocked off to get a new set and it was great! My tech had ample time to get my nails right, we had plenty of time to chat, and I even had enough time to let my nails dry completely before I drove to work. It was exactly what I needed after a busy week and I am in love with the results – just how it should be for Valentine’s Day nails. ❤

Johnny and I will be celebrating V-Day after the fact and I am mentally willing our date night to get here faster. I have BEEN ready with my outfit and nails!

Did you get your nails done for Valentine’s Day? How often do you get your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

Hair Day!

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Hair Day!

Howdy!! This past weekend, I enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Shear Shop to get my hair right. It was a most exciting visit because my beloved stylist, Anna, became the new owner of the salon! I was ecstatic when I saw the breaking news on Facebook and was so eager to be able to congratulate her in real life. Anna has been doing my hair for over two decades now and we are incredibly close. I am so proud of her for this next step in her journey and all of the hard work she has put in for the greater good of the salon and staff. She is simply the best. ❤

This time around, we were going to do a slight variation to the color palette we established at my last appointment. We were originally using a combination of Pulp Riot’s Nightfall, Eloped, Vintage Vegas, and Pyro. While the soft peachy shade of Eloped was pretty, it didn’t do anything for me as it started to fade. So, our plan was to brighten things up. We kept with Nightfall and Pyro, but used a mixture of neon orange Lava and Eloped for a more pronounced pop:

With our game plan prepped, it was time to bleach! Using darker colors has been great for the health of my hair because the bleach only needs to sit for twenty minutes. When I go light for the summer, it’s a totally different story lol. After the bleach has been washed out, Anna and I always find ourselves not hating the results. In fact, we were obsessed this time and it gave us mermaid vibes that we will be using as inspiration for sweet summertime. Check it out:

Despite loving what the bleach did, winter is here to stay and Anna began to paint my hair with my cold weather hues. We have had a lot of trial and error when it comes to color placement and Anna has truly perfected her method. Sometimes, the colors can get muddy when we are trying to do several different placements with multiple colors. During my last appointment, she wanted to try a more simple approach: Paint my roots, do one color for the top layer, and one color for the bottom layer. It worked like a charm and she employed the same method as it yielded excellent results. And made me look like a bird of paradise:

After my Pulp Riot concoction sat for fifty minutes, it was time for a wash, a cut, and the grand reveal. Thanks to Anna’s ingenious technique, we were able to fully see each color for what it was. A bold, deep red at the roots, vibrant orange, and a midnight sky navy blue. Whenever I go to the Shear Shop, I always leave feeling like a billion bucks. This time, though, I felt like a billion AND then some!

I cannot wait for all of you to see my new do so stay tuned for a brand new OOTD to show it off coming soon!

Where do you go to get your hair done? How long has your stylist been doing your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

New Lavender & Plum Nails

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New Lavender & Plum Nails

Hello!! My beloved salon, Elysian Nails, takes a well deserved week long break during the first week of the New Year. I am so happy that they do that because all of the techs work incredibly hard and are incredibly skilled. I could not imagine how exhausted they all are after the big holiday rush! I have to admit, I was very excited for the salon to reopen because mama needed a fill and I was able to get a spot with my go to girl on Tuesday. This made for five weeks in between my last fill and I was surprised at how good my nails were looking until my tech took a better look lol. After some repairs for almost popped off nails, shaping, and sharpening, my talons are back to their former glory. Check it out:

IMG_2374IMG_2376

I’m not sure why, but I was in a very purple mood for my nail polish selection. It probably has to do with the fact that I was with my niece this weekend and she always let’s it be known that purple is her favorite color lol. I was in a rush to get to my appointment so with no time to consider other options, purple it was! I went for a pretty, deep plum that is oh so chic for winter and rather than fiddle around with a compatible combo color, I went with more purple! I thought it would look nice to do a dark and light variation with the plum and lavender. And, I hate to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT because I love it!

Once my old polish was off, my tech was properly able to assess the damage of five weeks sans fill. I couldn’t believe how loose three of the acrylics were because they still felt so sturdy to me. A true testament to how amazing she is! As quickly as the worn nails were off, three new ones were placed in what felt like no time at all. Even with this extra step on top of all of the detail work my tech does to keep my stilettos on point, I STILL made it to work on time. My appointments are kind of a mad dash and my tech knows I am in between shifts. No problem with my nails is ever too big to not be handled and I have yet to be back to work late. Once again, I am in the best, most skilled, capable, and speedy hands to boot. ❤

A full set is next on my agenda at Elysian Nails and I am so looking forward to a lengthier, evening appointment so that I can sit back, relax, and enjoy. This fill was an excellent way to treat myself now that it’s back to the grind after the holidays, though!

What are your favorite colors for the winter? How often do you get your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah