Glitterize your New Year's Eve!

Welcome to my new and improved blog site! Thanks to my lovely big sister, we spruced things up a little bit to give the site a new look for the new year!

Speaking of the new year, December went by in the blink of an eye. New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays because it's a good time to reflect on the year that passed and look forward to new beginnings.

This is also one of my favorite holidays because it's one of the only and most appropriate times I get to wear GLITTER! I know this blog is a little last minute but I hope to provide some last minute inspiration for you ladies!

NAILS

I'm really loving this new line of nail polishes at Sephora called Formula X.  I bought a set of them a while back and just love them. While individual bottles are $12.50, these glittered polishes are good for special occasions and a one time splurge.

Light My Fire is the perfect way to bling out those fingers for your holiday party!

Light My Fire- Formula X $12.50

If you're looking for a cheaper nail polish that's just as glittery and fun, try Hors d'oeuvres by Essie. This bottle is $8.50 and you can get it at Ulta or online on the Essie website. This is currently what's on my nails for the holidays and the mix of silver and gold is too cute.

Hors d'oeuvres- Essie $8.50

EYES

Pinterest has some of the prettiest makeup ideas for the holidays and here are two of my favorite looks for New Years. 

 This look includes a set of fake lashes, black liquid liner, a pinky eyeshadow to contour the crease of the lid and lots of gold glitter. 

There are a few options to set loose glitter on your eyelids:

• Using eyeshadow primer all over lid- Wait 15 seconds-Take an eyeshadow brush and pat loose glitter all over lid.
• Use a cream based eyeshadow of your choice and pat it on. While it's still wet, take your loose glitter with your eyeshadow brush and pat over lid. 
• Use eyelash glue and pat over lid before it gets tacky. Wait a few seconds and pat brush with loose glitter on lid. Just an FYI your bursh may get some glue on it so wash your brush under warm water with soap before it dries. 

To recreate this look you'll need a steady hand, liquid liner, and glitter liner. First create a cat eye effect with your liner. Once that's dry, use your glitter liner to trace above the outer corner of the black liquid liner and then use the glitter liner right under your lower lashes from the tear drop to the corner of your eye.

PRODUCTS

Since I love glitter so much, I've collected products over the use that I use for fun holidays like New Year's Eve, St. Patty's Day or Halloween. Here are a couple products I recommend.

Heavy Metal Glitter Liner by Urban Decay ($19) I have this in Spandex. I like this color cause I can put it on top of black liner without it being too loud and it's just a subtle look of glitter. This stuff stays on all day and is really pretty. The brush is tiny and makes it easy to apply. You can add as little or as much glitter as you like and it's just awesome. It comes in pink, turquoise gold purple and iridescent.This product is the perfect product to achieve the look above.

Glitter liner in "SPANDEX"

Glitter by M.A.C. ($21)

I love, love, loose glitter! It's great because you can create your own nail polish with it and use it to re-create some of the eyeshadow looks above. You can pick-up loose glitter at pretty much any drug store or beauty store around. The reason I mention M.A.C.'s is because I've literally had my loose Gold glitter from this line for above 5 years without as much of a dent in it. It'll probably last me the rest of my life because the glitter is so fine that a little goes a long way.

Glitter in "GOLD"

I hope I was able to spark your make-up creativity for not only New Year's Eve/Day but for the new year to come. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and safe 2014!!!

Keep Calm and Treat Yourself to Makeup

At the end of every year for anyone usually it's a stressful time with holidays, family visits, parties to attend and money to spend on gifts. It's rough.

For me, work is at it's busiest from September through February every single year I've been with my company. This year we have the biggest billing disaster I've experienced with my company and it's been enough stress to have me take a month off. In lieu of these stressful times in and out of work, I've been trying to work on things to help keep me sane.

I read an article a few years back that when the economy went to crap back in 2008/2009 that sales of makeup went up. In particular, makeup sales went up.

 

While finding a way to stay sane during these difficult times and year end madness, I've come to find that besides yoga and running, makeup has been some sort of relaxing release for me.

For about 2 months now, I've been waking up just a touch earlier every morning to fix my hair and makeup every day before work. They say you should "Dress for Success" and I'm a firm believer in that. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

I really enjoy putting makeup on every day cause it's a great form of artistic expression. When I catch myself in the mirror even when work is hard, if I see my makeup looks nice I somehow automatically feel better. It may sound silly but I'll even take a second to touch up my makeup throughout the day just to have some personal time to be artistic. Having my degree in Studio Art makes it hard to be inspired by day to day responsibilities and in finding a minute or two a day to do something I love, whether that's make-up, painting, or painting my nails seems to always be what makes me happy. 

My Grandma just recently passed away at 89 years old and she was still getting her hair done, drawing her eyebrows in and getting her acrylic nails done the entire time. These are the things that made her happy, the things that made her feel pretty. 

At the end of the day it's about finding what makes you smile, what keeps you calm and what keeps you happy. As long as you never give up on the little things that do that for you, you're golden. 

Life is too short not to do what makes you happy. 

Dedicated to my Grandma Antoinette Marie Scarpaci.