Item Spotlight: Agate Ring

This item spotlight will focus on this beautiful Agate stone ring created by the lovely and talented Johanna Kozak. Johanna has created a jewelry brand titled Joveda that can be purchased through Etsy (click here!) Her creations are one of a kind and she uses recycled materials such as wire to hand create them! Jo describes her pieces as "sophisticated and unique with an eclectic and edgy aesthetic." I can completely attest to this as the ring she created for me fits that description exactly! The great thing is that if you like a certain piece, you can contact Jo and she will customize the item to your liking (size ect.). The gold wire band on my Agate ring is not only eyecatching, but it makes it extremely comfortable to wear. The stone itself has a rugged and natural edge that makes it wearable for both casual and fancy occasions. It is a total statement piece that can be worn alone or coupled with chunky bracelets for a bohemian look. Overall, I absolutely love my ring and this will certainly not be my last purchase from Joveda! I encourage everyone to go check out her site on Etsy because I guarantee you will find something amazing! If you are in love with the Agate ring, like me :-), hurry and contact Jo because she has limited quantities of Agate stones left!! Thanks guys!

 A few of Joveda's other peices:

Hey Sailor!-Nautical Inspired Summer Makeup!

Products Used:
-Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation: True Beige
-Bobbi Brown Corrector: Light Beige
-Maybelline Color Tattoo: Too Cool
-Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Bootycall & Tease
-Sephora Harmonie Trio Bronzer: Rose Pink
-Babor Maxi Definition Eyeliner: Black
-Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara: Very Black
-Covergirl Lash Curler
-Makeup Forever Lip Line Perfecter
-MAC Hey Sailor! Lipstick: Sail La Vie
-Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

Drugstore Gems: Revlon Whipped Creme Foundation

See it in action HERE!

I have never used a cream foundation before so when I came across this at Target I thought it would be fun to try! I also realized I needed a foundation to match my skin for summer... all my others are too light when I have a tan. I have been pleasantly surprised with this foundation thus far. It is super creamy and goes on smoothly and flawlessly. It dries to a matte finish and claims to stay on for 24 hrs so it is a perfect option for summer! I took a guess on the color and I got lucky because it completely matches my face! I apply this foundation with my fingers and then use a Real Techniques buffing brush to work it into the skin and make sure everything is smooth and even. This product looks very natural on the skin and does not look orangey even though it is quite a bit darker than what my natural color would be. Since you use such a small amount each time, I think this jar will last forever and at $11.99 its not a bad deal! As an added bonus I absolutely love the packaging. It comes in a glass jar and it just feels very high quality! However for sanitary purposes don't forget to always wash your hands before putting them in the makeup to avoid spreading bacteria and causing breakouts. I use this product in my next makeup tutorial that should be up this week so if you'd like to see it in action check that out (I will link it onto this blog post when it is up :-). Bottom line, I highly recommend this foundation and if you have not tried a cream foundation I would try this one before you go for a more high end one!

Color: True Beige

NOTD: Muted Ombre

This nail design turned out to be kind of interesting. I did a sheer opalescent color over the whole nail then did an ombre effect with a non-shimmery polish. I had a really hard time capturing what this looked like to the naked eye with my camera, but hopefully you get the idea. Not sure if it is my favorite combination of colors but I did like how it turned out :-)!

Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure: Hidden Treasure
Zoya: Megan

Boho Chic Side Ponytail with Twist: Video tutorial!

Video Here! 

*Tutorial for the makeup in this video coming soon :-)

NOTD: Beach Inspired

OPI Barefoot in Barcelona

Essie Bikini So Teeny

White nail tape

No Heat Hair: Sock Bun

Directions:
Cut off the toe of a long sock and roll it into a donut shape
On mostly dry hair, put your hair into a very high pony tail
Put the sock donut through the ponytail and leave it at the tip of the ponytail
Roll the sock donut down to your hair while picking up hair evenly so you end up with a bun
*This part is a little tricky and it probably won't look super neat when your done

Pros:
-Comfortable to sleep on
-Gives hair a lot of body
-Results in a subtle, wearable wave

Cons:
-Head can feel a little sore the next day from wearing such a tight pony tail all night
-This doesn't seem to provide a lot of actual curl if that's what you are aiming for
-I feel like the best way to style this hair was half up half down, so not a lot of versatility with styling the next day

OOTD: Beach Neons

Outfit Of The Day

Neon 3/4 shirt: Target

Back Cami: American Eagle

Skirt: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: American Eagle

NOTD: Pinterest Inspired

Essie Bikini So Teeny with silver nail tape on one nail

 Essie Tart Deco with silver nail tape on one nail

Makeup for Blue Eyes!

Products Used:

-Jane Iredale Liquid Minerals foundation in Natural

-Revlon Colorstay concealer in Light

-Bobbi Brown Cream Concealer Kit powder in Pale Yellow

-Shop MAC collection palette in Call Me Bubbles

-L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Iced Latte

-L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition mascara in Black

-Maybelline Bouncy Blush in Coral

-Physicians Formula highlighter

-MAC lipstick in Salute!

-BUXOM lipgloss in Samantha

Brushes Used:
-Real Techniques Buffing Brush
-Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush
-Real Techniques Shading Brush
-Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush
-MAC 130 brush

NOTD: Rose Gold

Sephora by OPI Chestnuts About You + Essie A Cut Above :-)

Shine Control

In the warmer weather, our skin is bound to get shiny, but there are ways to control it! A little shine is healthy looking, but looking like you just got out of a pool is not cute! I have found that using a moisturizer by Neutrogena for combination skin is a great first step in controlling oil throughout he day. This moisturizer is engineered to moisturize dry areas and control oil in your T-zone, which is perfect. I have used it a few times and it seems to be working well. The downside of this moisturizer is that it doesn't have SPF protection. So, if I know I am going to be in the sun a lot that day I will opt for a moisturizer with SPF (Cetaphil SPF 15) or use a foundation or BB cream that contains SPF. The other product I have found that is a MUST for controlling shine throughout the day is the Urban Decay De-Slick makeup setting spray. Simply mist the spray over your face after your finished with all your makeup, and it sets your makeup and keeps oiliness to a minimum all day! I have also heard that spraying this BEFORE and after makeup application works wonders, I haven't tried this yet but I can understand why it would be a smart idea. This product is pricey at $29, but its a large bottle and it will last forever. Plus, it is super effective! There are great tips for sweat proof eye makeup as well that I will make into another post and hopefully a video tutorial :-). Hope this helps guys!