POW! Straight To The Moon: Over The Moon Manicure

 I know I'm all late, but I think I will give this a try now.  I think I can get really creative with this one. What do you think about the "over the moon" manicure?

love this one!

she rocked it!

I want the purse too!

DIY Manicure: Take your French Manicure From Drab To Fab

Mani-Madness

This isn't my best DIY manicure, however, when I actually take my time to do it right, which I didn't, it comes out pretty nice!  This is an easy way to give your regular french manicure more oomph!

First:

Prep your nails with by applying a base coat and allowing it to dry.  Then, use french manicuring tape or scotch tape (I used scotch tape) to isolate the tips of your nails.

Next:

Paint the exposed part of your nails and allow them to dry for 5 minutes or so.  Your nails should be mostly dry but this will depend on the nail polish you are using. I used 2 coats of Icing[Chase Me]. It's a matte turquoise color.

Last: 

Remove the tape and apply a thin line of black nail polish above the turquoise color.  Then, apply a thin line of silver nail polish above the black and let your nails dry for another 5 minutes or so before applying a clear topcoat. That's it, you are done!  For the black and silver colors,  I used Kiss nail art polish.  It has a very think brush used for nail art.  You can find these at any beauty supply store and some drugstores.

Hope you liked this and that you give it a try.  Use your favorite colors and come up with you own color combination!

Glittery DIY Manicure Just In Time For The New Year!

This glittery duo made me think of New Years.  If you're going to be out partying for NYE this is a fun look to try!

What I used:

 Milani - High Fashion

Icing - Golden Touch

So this one was easy.  Just two coats of the black and one coat of the clear gold glitter and finish with a nice clear top coat.  I love the outcome of this one.

Hairstyles: How To Curl Your Twists Or Braids

CURLS CURLS CURLS

One of my favorite protective styles is twists.  Sometimes I get kind of bored with them being straight so I change it up a bit by adding some curls!  Read below to see how easy it is!

What you'll need:  

-10 to 20 flexi-rod style rollers (I used a small rolller, the larger ones will give bigger curls)

-tea pot or saucepan

-tall thermal cup with handle

-2 towels(one for the floor and one for towel dry hair)

How To:                                                                                                                                                      
Using flexi-rod styled rollers, take 4 to 5 twists or braids and roll them spirally.  I find it easier to start rolling from the ends.  Next, boil some water.  Once the water reaches boiling point, put it into your thermal cup.  Next, dip 2 or 3 sections of your rolled hair into the cup for 5 to 10 seconds. Now, using a towel, take your hair out of the hot water and  press any excess water with a towel.  Keep another towel on the floor underneath you in case water drips on the floor. 

The water has to be really hot in order for this to work, so after dipping  a few rollers, you'll want to reboil the water and repeat this process until you are done.  Keep the rollers in until they are completely cool or dry even.  Once you take them out, you will have a head full of fun curls!  If you get tired of your curls just dip your twists/braids into boiling water without rollers and your hair will revert to straight!  MAGIC!!!!  Enjoy!

Note:  This will only work with synthetic twists/braids.

all those curls

messy side bun

Makeup Tips: Getting The Most Out Of Your Makeup

 Don't throw it out!  When you get to the bottom of your favorite lipstick tube, don't you dare throw it out!  There is still a ton of lipstick in that thing!

I don't know about you, but if I spend $20 on a tube of lipstick, I want to use the ENTIRE tube of lipstick!  What you do is buy a small spatula and some stackable makeup jars.  I can't remember where I purchased my spatula from, but you can definitely Google "makeup spatula", however, I did get some very inexpensive makeup jars from MAC.

When you get to the end of the the tube, just use the spatula to scoop out the remaining product, pop it into one of the makeup jars and there you go!  You can apply the lipstick with a brush, your fingers, or even use it as a blush and pop a little on the cheeks if the color is appropriate.  This process works well for broken lipstick too!

The Perfect Red Lipstick: The Search Continues

Lady In Red
I am always in search of the perfect red and just when I think I've found it, I find another one!  I'm always searching for the perfect balance of red and orange.  If you're a fan of a bright red lipstick, you really wanna give this one a try.  It's part of MAC's Kissable Lipcolour collection. This color is called "Strut Your Stuff".  I wouldn't wear it everyday, but I will definitely rock it for a night time look!

Holiday Makeup: Nightime Makeup For The Holidays

 

If your going out for dinner or dancing and want to look festive, why not add a little bit of glitter with those red lips and give your holiday look some pop!

What I used:

Eyes :  Flesh toned eyeshadow(no name), LASplash glitter eyeliner (gold), Maybeline creme eyeliner(black)

Cheeks: MAC - Dolly mix(pink)

Lips: MAC - Ruby Woo (matte red), L'oreal Shine Struck Liquid  - Turbulent(red) 

I applied the eyeshadow with my fingers just a bit above my crease and blended it out.  I then applied black creme liner to my upper and lover lashlines. I put some of the glitter liner over the black creme liner and added black mascara.  I added my cheek color and lips and bam! Easy Peasy!

*Tip:  Although I didn't do it here, to get your red lipstick to last a big longer and to prevent it from migrating above or below your lipline, line your lips with a pencil prior to applying your lipstick.  With red lipstick I like to also use the blotting technique.  This is wear you apply the lipstick and then blot your lips with a paper towel so that a stain from the lipstick is left behind and then reapply.

DIY Manicure: Give This Frosty Tip French Mani A Try

Keeping the holidays in mind, I did this french manicure that reminded me of snow.  the 2 nail polish colors that I used for this were both under $2.00.  I first applied 2 coats of the sparkle blue and allowed it to dry. I then painted over it with the silver glitter.  The silver glitter isn't so much of a glitter as it is plastic like pieces...and I didn't so much as paint the silver pieces on as I placed them.  It may not sound like it but it was super easy.  If you are doing a holiday themed look, I think this would look good with green, red, gold, or silver as a base as well.

What I used:

Sinful Colors - Hottie - $1.99

Klean Colors - Chunky Silver - $1.00

DIY Manicure: Stripes Lines And Dots Oh My!

My camera for some reason or other decided to make this color appear orange when in fact it's more of a coral color.  Anyhow, this was a very easy and CHEAP manicure.  You can use any color combination and/or choose different nails to put the design on.

What I used:

Base color: Icing - Sweet Thang

Black nail art - Kiss

Silver nail art - Claire's Cosmetics

I did this design free hand and didn't use any nail design tools. I prepped my nails with a clear top coat and then two coats on my base color.  I then painted to diagonal lines on my thumb and ring fingers.  I painted a silver line above the bottom black line and then placed silver dots above the top black line.  Easy peasy!

If you have a favorite DIY manicure that you love to do, I'd love to see it and possibly use your photo as one of my "viewer posts"  You can email me at adimeonadime@gmail.com.

DIY: French Manicure With A Twist

When these colors are together they are appealing to my eyes.  I like this color combination in clothing and I use it for makeup looks.  As you can see, this was really easy to do and I used inexpensive nail polish to achieve the look.

What I Used:
Silver - Sally Hansen Hard As Nails - Gunmetal (purchased at Walgreens)
Blue - Ruby Kisses - Caribbean (purchased at a beauty supply store)
Black - Kiss -Brush On Nail Art (purchased at a beauty supply store)

$5 Five Dollar DIY French Manicure Twist

 The french manicure is one of my favorites and I'm always trying to find and think of ways to update it.  This is a yellow on yellow french manicure.  Okay, so yellow may not be your color, but I love yellow!  You can do this with any color that you like.  It looks really cool with just about any color and it's so easy.

I first applied a base coat and then 2 coats of "Lets Meet" and I painted the tips free hand with "Morning Breath". I think I really like the outcome.  what do you think?

What I used:

Sinful Colors(Let's Meet);Sinful Colors(Morning Breath)

purchased at Walgreen's Drugstore

Makeup Look: Holiday Makeup Look-Glitz, Glam and Glitter

 Holiday Glitter                                                                                  

                 

When it gets close to the holidays, I love sparkling things up with glitter!  Although I kept the lips neutral, you can add a brighter color if you want to take the look from vroom to va va voom!

What I used:
88 color palette - slate gray, Lanimei - silver glitter, Maybeline creme liner - black, MAC blush - Ambering Rose, MAC lipstick - Ravishing

I applied the slate gray over my lower lid up to my crease.  I then applied silver glitter directly in my crease.     Using a small smudging brush, I lined my lower lash line with the slate gray.  I lined my upper lash line and water line with black creme liner.  Add blush and lipstick and you are done!  Instant holiday cheer!

*Tip:  If you're new to makeup and some of these terms are unfamiliar to you, here's a diagram that may help a bit.

Pink = inner corner
Blue = upper lash line
Orange = crease
Green = water line
Red = lower lashline
White = outer V
Lavender = Brow Highlight

Things You Should Know Before Dying Your Hair

I have been thinking of dying my hair lately just to change up my look a little.  I've had some really bad hair dye experiences in the past and also some very good ones.  Here are a few things your may want to consider if you are thinking about dying your tresses.

Is your hair healthy?

Before considering any type of chemical processing to your hair, make sure that you hair is in decent enough condition to receive chemical treatment. If you are unable to assess the health of your own hair, check with your own stylist or the salons in your area, because some will do a hair evaluation for free or for minimal cost.

Is dying my own hair advisable?

Depending on what you're trying to achieve, there are dying processes that are relatively safe to try at home. There are different types of hair coloring processes, which I will explain below.  The general rule is, if you are only going for a lift (lightening) no more than 2 shades, you should be okay. Additionally, if you are depositing (darkening) color to your hair, this process isn't as harsh as lifting and can be done at home too.  If you choose to try dying your hair at home, follow the instructions on the box. You may want to conduct a patch test to make sure that you have no allergies to the dye.

If you are lifting more than 2 shades, I suggest that you have it done professionally.  This doesn't guarantee that you will get the results that you want, but at least you have a better chance with a pro colorist. 

How do I choose the right shade for me?

I suggest that you try on a few wigs. If you don't have a wig shop in your area, some beauty supply stores carry them and will allow you try them on.  Don't just try on the color that you're thinking of dying your hair, but try on a few other colors.  You might be surprised by which color you end up selecting!

Types of hair coloring processes

• Color rinse - most gentle, for depositing color only, contains no ammonia or peroxide, adds shine and deepens colors, washes out within a few weeks. (generally DIY safe)
• Temporary  - no ammonia or peroxide, for depositing color only, washes out after with one shampoo (generally DIY safe)
• Semi-Permanent - last a bit longer than a rinse, deposits color, doesn't lighten dark colored hair well (generally DIY safe)
• Permanent - color is permanent (has to grow out or dyed another color), uses ammonia and peroxide to lift color (consult with a professional)

• Bleaching - achieves high lifts from very dark to very light, I suggest avoiding this process all together because it is extremely damaging to the hair, but if you must (consult with a professional)

As you can see, there are some processes that you can try at home, however, keep in mind that you if you have dark hair and want to go a lot lighter, many of the more gentle processes will not give you the lift that you are looking for because they are not designed to this.  Hair color can be a fun way to change up your look, but it's important that you do your research and do what's best for your hair type. If you are preggers,  check with your doctor to get information about some of the risks associating with dying your hair while pregnant. 

Happy hair dying ladies!

DIY: Easy DIY Manicure Using My New Favorite Color By Zoya

This is my first purchase from Zoya and I am so in love with the quality and the colors of this brand.  The colors are so true to what I saw on the site.  I only bought 2 colors and this is one of them.  I'm so in love with this deep blue.  It is everything I hoped it be!  I only designed one nail, but if you want, you can put this easy design on all of your nails.  You can even add stones or decals for more flare.

What I Used:
Zoya - Ibiza; Claires nail art brush - Silver

  

I used a base coat and applied 2 coats of Ibiza

Using the nail brush I applied a diagonal line

I filled in the the diagonal area using the same nail brush

Last, I added another diagonal line and added a clear topcoat.

DIY Chic Manicure: Yet Another DIY French Manicure Twist

 

What I used:

Icing - Bad Romance     Kiss - Black

I love simple nail designs.  They are easy to do and can look very chic.  My favorite style to play on is the french manicure.  This is an updated and chic version of the classic french manicure.  I used a darker base color and opted for a black tip rather than a white one.  You can try different colors and see what you come up with. I thought these two colors would work well with almost any type of fabric or design I choose to wear. 

Beauty Tip: How To Get Perfect Brow-licious Eyebrows Every Time

Browlicious

I get lots of questions about my eyebrows and how I maintain them, so I am finally revealing the secret to my brows! 


Now, if you don't have a steady hand, I do NOT suggest this, but if you do have a steady hand, you might want give this a try. It works for me!  I shape my eyebrows with mini hair clippers.  First, I use a little eyebrow wax and an eyebrow brush to brush my eyebrows upwards.  I then carefully use the clippers to shape my brows.  After I shape them, I get rid of any hairs below and above my shaped brow with tweezers.  The size of the clippers are perfect because they are the same length of the angles of my brows. After I'm done, I wipe my brows with an alcohol soaked cotton ball and voila!!  I'm not saying that this is the best way, but it works for me!  It's fast and it saves me from paying $20 every other week to get my brows waxed! 


I use Wahl hair clippers.  You can find them at your local beauty supply store or online on Amazon.com here for less than $20.