Cute Makeup Tips

I am not a fan of glittery makeup.  Super sparkly eyeshadow is, in my opinion, distracting.  Body glitter seems a bit desperate.  But then, I am a 30-something grown-up and don't have to try to attract anyone in a dark, crowded bar.  No.  Glittery makeup is so not my thing.  Glittery nail polish?  Well, I'll let that one slide.

While glitter on the face or body doesn't ring my chimes, I can understand the appeal of having shiny, sparkly fingernails.  There are so many different shades and degrees of glittery nail polish out there that it's hard to pass up the fun, zazzy trend.

The only downside to glittery nails? Removing it!  Glitter polishes are rough, and even if you add a top coat to protect it, glitter polish seems to chip faster and create a lumpy surface.  This makes polish removal a pain.  The cotton ball scrapes across the nail's surface, and, since the nail surface is far from smooth, the cotton snags and leaves bits of itself behind.  It's messy, tedious business, removing glittery nail polish.

I recently saw a tip for removing glitter polish that I had to try.  You soak cotton balls in nail polish remover, put the soaked cotton ball on your glitter nail, wrap aluminum foil around your finger, wait a few minutes, remove the foil and cotton ball, and viola!  The glitter is gone.

Creepy, foil covered nails!

Armed with pre-cut sheets of foil, I headed to my bathroom to give it a go.  I have "jumbo" cotton balls, so I cut them in half before soaking them in nail polish remover.  I had to do one hand at at time, but I (not so carefully) wrapped each fingertip with a cotton ball in foil and waited for a few minutes.  I peeled it all off and was pleasantly surprised to see that the technique worked! I did have to go over my nails once more to get glitter out of the sides/corners of my nail, but a good 95% of the polish was gone with relative ease.

Almost completely glitter-free

Have you ever tried this technique?  It takes a few minutes to prep and to let the remover-soaked cotton balls do their job, but I was impressed with the results.  I'll be doing this again...unless I hear that nail polish remover and foil create a deadly toxin when used together!

Wow.  I still can't believe that 2011 is almost over and that the holidays are here. If you're still working on your wish list, here are five things to consider:

Clinique's Black Honey Glow ($28.50): I  have had a pretty long-term love affair with Clinique's Black Honey.  I use it on my lips at least a few times each week, so it's no surprise that I love this kit.  You get mascara, blush, lipgloss, and an eyeshadow duo....everything you need for the perfect face.  And the shades are going to rock and be very flattering...it IS Black Honey, after all!

mark On the Dot Natural Eye Color Compact ($15): finding the perfect eyeshadow shades is an on-going quest for me.  I like a wide range of neutrals to play with (to dress up or dress down, as my mood or the occasion dictates). This compact includes 9 of mark's best sellers, so getting the right look will be a snap!

Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland 18-Piece Mini Nail Colour Set ($48): this is the perfect gift set if you're like me and you paint your nails every week. For the cost of a few mani's you can get 18 different colors to play with.  The shades included range from fun and flirty to classic.  I bet you'd be happy to get this under your tree!  

Rembrandt Deeply White 2 Hour Kit (about $22): white teeth are always in, and this is the perfect addition to your beauty routine this season. The Deeply White 2 Hour Whitening Kit is a fast, enamel-safe way to whiten your smile in just two hours.  I've spent a ton of money (and time) on dental work in 2011, so making my teeth look great is high on my list as of late. Head over to the Rembrandt website for deets...and for a coupon!
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BirchBox (amounts vary; you can get a year for $110): this is the gift that keeps on giving!  Every month, you'll get a lovely little box filled with high end beauty samples.  I gave myself this and look forward to what's inside every month.  You can also buy products from their website and get discounts on featured products.  You never know what you'll find with this!

If you're wasting time on facebook, you should check this out, from Sephora:

Since it's Monday, my nails are nicely painted.  I have no chips (yet), and my fingers are looking shiny and lovely.

This week's nail color is Royal Rajah Ruby from OPI...a delightfully dark, rich red that makes me think of the holidays.  But I'm not just wearing red polish for the good looks.  I work for a teachers' union, and today we're all wearing Red for Ed, as in public education.  Wearing red is a way to stand united as we tell our lawmakers in WA state that continued budget cuts to public education hurts kids and takes away their opportunities.

Makeup, work, and a political message all rolled up into a few coats of nail polish.  Who knew?

What color are you wearing on your fingers this week?

Fall is finally here. This week started off rainy and blustery, just like any proper autumn Monday should.

Since it’s cooler and wetter out, it’s officially time to make the switch to darker, more edgy nail colors. Since I don’t believe in getting manis at spas, I’m back to my routine of doing my nails at home on Sunday nights while watching TV (in bed…because lazy is what’s called for on Sunday nights).

Sorry for the blurry, not-so-awesome iPhone photo.  And the weird claw pose.  Getting a decent shot is tough.

This week’s nail color is Jitterbug from China Glaze. It’s a nice silvery gray with enough shine and metallic in it to make my nails not look overly Gothy. Not that there’s anything wrong with Gothy. Hell, Goth was my look in High School!

What nail color are you rocking right now? And, do you prefer dark nails, colorful nails, or lighter, more neutral nails? My choice? The darker colors of fall/winter.