I typically base my beauty look on what I’m wearing that day or where I’m planning on going. Obviously a more natural look is appropriate for work, or I can spice it up if I’m going out. This week, I was so inspired by what I was wearing that I created my manicure from it! I recently bought a skirt from G by Giuliana Rancic that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with. It’s a cobalt blue ikat print chiffon maxi skirt – and I’d wear it every day if I could. That skirt is the sole inspiration behind this week’s Manicure Monday: Bold Ikat.
Manicure Monday: Bold Ikat
A Beauty Review: mark. Please Hold Eye Primer
mark. Please Hold Eye Primer ($9)
Thankfully, I don’t often have problems with my eyeshadow creasing, so trying eye primers was never the first thing on my list. As a lover of all things beauty, however, I need to know how different products work, so I decided to give primers a try. Boy, am I glad I did! Read on to see what I thought of mark.’s Please Hold Eye Primer.
Brand Spotlight: Klockargårdens, Sweden
Somehow I have made it a personal tradition to check out handmade locally made soaps on my world travels. I started scoping out new beauty finds on my trips just out of interest, but my family quickly found that having a unique, sweet-smelling soap in the bathroom is a daily reminder of a wonderful trip. Since the best things come when you aren’t looking for them, imagine my delight when I stumbled across the Klockargårdens brand. While their soap products are made and primarily sold in the same facility and Norberg, Sweden, I found a selection stocked at a witty boutique in Stockholm called Amanda’s. After smelling every single bar of soap (three times), I finally decided to go with a fun scent that would surely remind me of the city every time I used it. Continue Reading »
Manicure Monday: Alumni Pride
June is a big month for seniors, both in college and high school. For the high school seniors, you’re graduating and starting a new chapter in your life – college! It’s an entirely new experience from high school – your college is your home. Speaking from experience, your college comes to mean much more than you ever thought. If you’re a senior in college, June means you’re an adult now! You’ve graduated, you’re in the real world – and you know exactly what I mean about how much your college means to you. There’s no better way to show that school spirit than by sporting your school colors. Of course, the best way I know how is on my nails, thanks to University Nail Pax.
And, of course, I have to note that while I am rocking Seton Hall nail wraps, I didn’t actually attend Seton Hall (but both of my parents did!). I went to Villanova – let’s go Wildcats!
Listen: Screaming Maldini, “The Albatross”
“The Albatross,” Screaming Maldini
Genre: indie pop
Screaming Maldini sounds like: Part The Flaming Lips, part Sufjan Stevens, and part orchestral sound from The Polyphonic Spree
Worth checking out: “Summer, Somewhere,” “Minor Alterations,” “Life in Glorious Stereo,” “The Extraordinary”
The ideal setting to play “The Albatross”: While you’re outside, taking a casual walk by yourself. When the song picks up at certain moments, walking will feel like one of the most grandiose things you’ve ever done.
What do you get when you attach a HD camera to a a giant helium balloon? Screaming Maldini’s newest music video for their third single “The Albatross,” duh. Led by vocalists Nick Cox and Gina Walters, Screaming Maldini is a British indie pop band that made some waves last year with the song “Summer, Somewhere.” Their self-titled album was released in February and is among one of the most enjoyable and passionate releases I’ve heard this year. Harmonies, pop-infused melodies, thoughtful production, unusual time signatures – all of it is just awesome.
Wagamama: The UK’s Take on Japanese Ramen
When I was researching my winter trip to Ireland, the number one restaurant I was advised to check out was Wagamama. This Japanese noodle house was actually started in London’s Bloomsbury, inspired by casual ramen bars. I caught a midnight noodle craving in Ireland, hoping to pick up some soba noodles past dark. But my New York City attitudes were not at home in a city with a bedtime: I missed my chance to sample the full dishes, and instead picked up some plain rice noodles as the kitchen was closing. I had not gotten the full experience, so when I came across the inviting noodle shop in Sweden, you bet I had to try it out for real. Continue Reading »
Monki: Scandinavian Street Style Made Easy
Copenhagen. Stockholm. Götenborg. Ask any effortlessly chic young woman on the streets of these Northern cities where she got her duds, and she’s likely to exclaim, Monki! (Or, if the store’s in the midst of a huge sale like they are right now, the graphic shopping bags will give them away, as they are on the wrists of every street style fashionista.) The very best ideas of Scandinavian architecture, art and design meet Japanese cartoon style with these artsy, budget-friendly designs, and you’ll see new stores popping up all over the globe. See why you need to be watching out for your own local boutique! Continue Reading »
Brand Spotlight: FACE Stockholm
I’m currently traveling all throughout Scandinavia! Already I have been keeping track of the best of style, art, food, and beauty — all for you, of course! I am also finding that some of my favorite European brands from back home are more readily available here. As I settled in at my hotel in Aarhus, Denmark, I found that instead of crummy shampoo sample sizes and wasteful packaging, they stocked the bathroom with full size luxurious FACE Stockholm bath and body products! This is a beauty guru’s dream come true! Even though this brand was started in Sweden, it is quickly becoming the international brand to watch. I was introduced to this worldly beauty brand about a year ago, and their wonderful products seem to be following me wherever I go. Here’s what you need to be checking out. Continue Reading »
Manicure Monday: Matte Tribal
If you’re looking for a fun, impressive manicure, look no further. Tribal print manicures can be pretty impressive, but also pretty hard to accomplish. The amount of detail involved can prove tricky for even the most accomplished manicurist. Have no fear – I’ve found a solution. All you need for this manicure? Your favorite polish and a Sharpie. A complete tribal manicure with as little effort as a simple sketch. Read on to learn how to get this manicure yourself!
Trust the Bum: Sun Bum Suncare
It’s easy to skip the sunscreen when just the thought of it sends you back to summers at the shore past, where thick, overly fragrant, pore-clogging products ruled the beaches. Gone are the days of clunky suncare, thanks to epic lifestyle brands like Sun Bum. This surf-ready skincare brand is as cool as sun protection has ever been. With a wide array of protective products — they have everything from yummy fruit flavored tinted lip balms to sporty spray sunscreens — you’ll have no excuse not to take your sun skincare seriously. Check out all the products I’m currently obsessed with! Continue Reading »
The Collabor-eight 