Tag Archives: pampering

New Sage Green & Light Pink Nails

Standard
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

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Standard
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

New Valentine’s Day Nails

Standard
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

Hair Day!

Standard
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

New Lavender & Plum Nails

Standard
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

Bestie Christmas Haul

Standard
Bestie Christmas Haul

Hello!! It has honestly been an exhausting month and I am so completely drained. Can holiday break get here now or?! Despite not feeling holly or jolly in the slightest, I am feeling the slightest bit better thanks to Santa Mail from my A1 best girl, Kate of Live In The Nautical. I was surprised with a heated blanket that is simply the best over the weekend and was greeted to another package when I got to chez mom and dad on Tuesday. Kate spoiled me totally rotten this year and I cannot wait to spoil myself with these goodies from Rusted Acre Soap Co.:

IMG_2032IMG_2033IMG_2034IMG_2036

Kate got me hip to Rusted Acre Soap Co. last Christmas when she gifted me with these amazing horror themed bath bombs. I have to admit, I am a Lush bath bomb snob so I was curious to see how the set would compare with my tried and true favorite. I have used many bath bombs in my day that didn’t hold a candle to my beloved Lush so I was incredibly surprised that the ones by Rusted Acre were comparable, if not better. 1) There’s nothing better than being gifted with something that supports a small business. And 2) Has Lush ever made a Jason Voorhees bath bomb that actually looks like the mask in the water when it dissolves? I think not and I rest my case!

I am completely enamored with my Rusted Acre holiday gift set and I legit felt more relaxed just thinking about taking a bath with these goodies! The love potion is definitely my favorite one… Actually, maybe the skull haha but also how cute is that gingerbread man with a bite taken out of it?! This is just the treat I needed and I know for a fact Kate felt like I needed it too. Which is why she is the best friend/gift giver ever! My favorite thing about Lush bath bombs is how entertaining they are to watch dissolve. There is something about the ones from Rusted Acre that hit different, though, and I can’t wait to see how they perform. They also hit different because they’re from my ride or die. ❤

Being besties with Kate is seriously like Christmas every day because she is an absolute gift. Thank you to my doll for making my day merrier and brighter with this fabulous self care surprise! ❤

What is your favorite small business? Where do you like to holiday shop at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Burnt Orange & Tiffany Blue Nails

Standard
New Burnt Orange & Tiffany Blue Nails

Howdy!! This past Tuesday I enjoyed my monthly break time fill appointment at Elysian Nails. While I absolutely loved my pink and purple nails for my Candy Queen Halloween costume, I was definitely ready to add some fall colors to the mix – especially after getting my hair darkened up for the season. I had a few ideas in my head of what I might like to have for a fall palette. Oddly enough, it was a combination that I live for in the summer… but with a twist, of course! Check it out:

IMG_0852IMG_0850

As soon as the warm weather hits, I instantly want bright blue and orange nails. There is just something about that combo that hits different and it screams fun in the sun. As I contemplated fall nails, I thought about how I wanted something that strayed from the traditional autumnal hues of gold, burgundy, and deep purple. So, I took my go to summer palette and turned it fall. My original plan was to use burnt orange and a deep teal or turquoise. However, none of the shades of blue at the nail polish wall along those parameters spoke to me. In fact, none of the orange ones were either.

When I didn’t have immediate luck, I almost pivoted to an orange and purple motif but that felt too much like Halloween. So, I kept on digging for what I really wanted and ended up finding the perfect shade of burnt orange. The blue hue I was looking for continued to evade me so I threw my hands up, selected a Tiffany blue, and made my way to my tech’s station. My nails were back to their former glory after being expertly repaired, shaped, and sharpened. I still wasn’t sure how the colors were going to turn out, but at least my stilettos were on point!

Happily, these summer inspired fall nails came out even better than I could have hoped. I was slightly worried when the burnt orange applied way darker than what was seen in the bottle. This ended up working out though because the blue was much lighter than what I planned for and added some brightness to the burnt. Now, if only I could find a sweater in that burnt orange shade because I am obsessed!

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

New Hair, Who Dis?

Standard
New Hair, Who Dis?

Hello! At the end of October, I was finally able to get my hair done for fall and I couldn’t wait. I was SO ready to kick my summer colors to the curb and welcome fall with some jewel toned locks. My stylist, Anna, and I were beyond excited to play with the color palette we established beforehand because Pulp Riot came out with some glorious new hues for their fall collection. While I was eager to see our vision come to life, I was most looking forward to getting my beloved navy blue back because I missed it terribly! Check it out:

IMG_0188IMG_0705IMG_0699IMG_0562IMG_0717

^^^ Lol at the blooper shot last picture but you can see all the colors really well! 😀

Pulp Riot Colors Used:

Red: This was a mixture of a new color called Vintage Vegas and Pyro

Melon: Another new color called Eloped

Navy Blue: Nightfall

It can take upwards of five or so hours to get my hair done depending on what colors we are using. In this case, it was a very speedy trip to the Shear Shop indeed. This new do only took about three and a half hours… So speedy-ish lol. The major drop in time had to do with the minimal amount of bleaching that needed to happen to eliminate the remnants of yellow, pink, and red from my summer hair. After the bleach sat for around twenty minutes and was washed, all Anna needed to do was paint the color on. And, despite the relative shortness of my appointment, Anna’s attention to detail never faltered. (As always, she’s the best!)

The first order of business was to paint my roots and its regrowth with the mixture of Vintage Vegas and Pyro. This is not only flattering but highly practical. My natural hair color is medium brown and my regrown roots never look as bad when it is paired next to the deeper red. The next thing Anna did was apply Eloped directly beneath the red on my shorter layers. Eloped is, perhaps, one of our new favorite Pulp Riot colors. We were so enamored by the melon hue and our only regret is that it wasn’t available during the summertime. Finally, Anna finished up the hair dye process by painting the rest of my hair with Nightfall and we let the color sit for fifty minutes.

The cool thing about Pulp Riot colors is that what you see when the dye is on is very true to what you are going to get once it’s washed off. Of course, there is some give or take variance but you’re never going to be completely shocked by the outcome. Anna and I had a very positive inkling as to the results thanks to this preview but there is nothing better than seeing the final product once it is washed, cut, and styled. The deep navy and red were so rich and a fresh spin was put on a fall palette with the pop of melon from Eloped. Before leaving, Anna told me her grand plans for my next appointment and I wish I was back in her chair already to try out some more new colors!

I am unbelievably happy with how my hair turned out and I intend on keeping it dark for the foreseeable future. The regrowth from my summer hair was no joke and so not cute!

What is your favorite fall color? Which brand of hair dye do you use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Hair Sneak Peek

Standard
New Hair Sneak Peek

Hello!! My preferred form of self care definitely falls under the “pampering” category. I love getting my hair and nails done, getting dressed up, and shopping for pretty little somethings to spoil myself with. Whenever I am done with any of these treats, I feel like a billion bucks and nobody can tell me NOTHING – especially after getting my hair done. This Friday, I have an appointment at the Shear Shop with my beloved stylist, Anna, to transform my hair. A few weeks before it’s time for me to come in, Anna will message me and we’ll discuss what I would like and she sends me different color options which she orders just for me. I don’t want to speak prematurely, but I think this is going to be one of my favorite hair makeovers yet! Check it out:

Screenshot

^^^ The “10” shades will be more true to what my hair will look like as it is the colors after bleaching!

Anna has been my stylist for over two decades and she knows me and my personal style like the back of her hand. For example, she predicted without me even hinting at it that I wanted to go back to dark hair after my summer colors of red, pink, and yellow. She was so right. I have been itching to get back to darker hues because the regrowth of my natural dark brown hair looks hit with lighter colors. After that matter was settled, she sent me pictures of some gorgeous new Pulp Riot shades. We have been loyal to Pulp Riot ever since the first time Anna used it on my hair. The colors are vibrant, the dye smells like Sweet Tarts, and it creates hair magic without fail every time.

The one color I was particularly entranced with was Eloped, but I wasn’t sure how that would mesh with the shade I had in mind. One of my favorite Pulp Riot colors ever is Nightfall (navy) and I want it back desperately. And, of course, I need some red mixed in there too! I told Anna as such and she fired back with the most stunning color story combining Eloped, Nightfall, and a new red hue called Vintage Vegas. I literally clutched my pearls because it was absolutely perfect. With that, Anna placed the order for my dye and all I have to do is count down the minutes until I can be in her chair to make it happen!

It’s natural to be nervous when you make a drastic change to your hair, but I never am. Anna is a true master of her craft and I know I am in the best, most capable hands. I am on pins and needles to see the outcome with these divine new Pulp Riot colors!

Do you have a close relationship with your hair stylist? How long have you been going to them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Light Pink & Purple Shimmer Nails

Standard
New Light Pink & Purple Shimmer Nails

Hi! I live for my monthly break time fills at Elysian Nails and had an appointment this past Tuesday. I am also getting my hair done later this month so LOOK OUT because your girl is about to be feeling her goddamn self. During Treat Day with my niece, I asked her what colors I should get my nails and she suggested pink and purple. She read my mind because that’s exactly what I planned on doing! Check it out:

IMG_9532IMG_9527

I’m not sure if I mentioned what mine and Johnny’s Halloween costumes are so if I did, sorry for repeating myself lol. He is going to be Lord Licorice and I will be a Candy Queen inspired by Candyland. It is going to be cute as can be and I am SO excited to order my costume! As you might have guessed, what I picked out primarily features pink and purple so I needed nails to match the vibe. When I approached the nail polish wall, I found two perfect shades of shimmery pink and purple sitting side by side. It was like they were waiting just for me! 😀

As per ushe, my tech did a bang up job and exceeded her former personal best on my nails. She was done in one hour flat and that provided me with the time to actually sit and wait for my nails to dry, run an errand, and still get to work on time. It was absolutely amazing! Boy, did the hour fly by too. We spent the entire sesh gabbing about the Monsters series on Netflix as we both had recently binged the two seasons. Like everything about this appointment, it was exactly what I needed because I really wanted to talk about the show with someone. That ish was CRAZY. 😮

My nails are fully prepped for Halloween and my hair is next. I can’t wait for all of you (and myself) to see the end result!

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