Nail Me

For many reasons, Fall has always been my favorite season of the year. One of the many things I love most about this time of year is the color palette for fashion and yes, nail polish! Here are some of the shades I'm enjoying the most right now!

Top Row:

Deborah Lippmann Laughin' To the Bank: This is a gorgeous, deep, emerald from DL's Jewel Heist Collection (fantastic!). Green is actually my choice color for the season. My top selection is a true kelly green in Revlon's Posh (not pictured) but all shades from hunter to olive to army to jade are beautiful. Greens look especially lovely against a black ensemble or accessories.

OPI Peace & Love & OPI: This was the only bottle I picked up from the recent San Francisco collection. Not only does it have an adorable name but it's a unique duochrome that shifts from gunmetal to teal to purple. 

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Tweedy: This is the polish that I'm actually wearing right now. Its name perfectly captures the look and feel of the texture. It's like wearing a fuzzy coat or sweater on your nails. I paired mine over a glossy black (Essie Licorice) but I'll pull this one out again over orange near Halloween and perhaps over a grey or nude to give another type of look. 

OPI Ski Teal We Drop: Here we have an oldie but a goody. This is one of my go-to polishes for Fall and Winter. I love the way the teal looks against my fair skin. It pairs well with a lot of the things I wear during this time of year. If you can't find this particular polish, I recommend Zoya Cynthia.

Deborah Lippmann Glitter and be Gay: I mentioned my excitement at acquiring this glitter polish on my last Nail Me post. It's another beauty from the Jewel Heist collection and I look forward to wearing it again soon.

Bottom Row:

Chanel Alchimie: I was really happy to get this from the new fall collection. The color is perfect for this time of year and complements my hair and eye color nicely. It's unique enough to justify the price (as is my rule when purchasing anything from my favorite luxury brand). I'm excited to wear this one soon!

Essie Power Clutch: I received this in one of my beauty boxes and I've been very happy with my score. It's a deep grey that works tremendously against the fall backdrop in Pittsburgh. 

Revlon Elusive: I stumbled upon this limited edition fall polish when I was at Target last month shopping for the Phillip Lim collection. I haven't had the chance to wear it yet but from what I've read, it definitely requires a good top coat. I thought it was a magical little beauty. 

Essie Luxedo: Any of the vampy, berry, wine colors are the quintessential fall polish. This particular shade from Essie adds something a bit extra to the standard oxblood/merlot look. I don't own this one but I'd certainly jump at the chance to add it to my collection. It reminds me a bit of OPI Lincoln Park After Dark.

China Glaze Bat My Eyes: This little gem is from the new Monster's Ball collection for Halloween.  I plan to pick this one up along with Bump In the Night. 

Other Seasonal Selections:

China Glaze Harvest Moon

OPI Zom-body to Love
OPI Warm & Fozzie
OPI My Private Jet
OPI What Wizardry Is This?
OPI Number One Nemesis
Sephora by OPI Come to Papa-Razzi!
Wet 'n Wild Fergie Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night
Chanel Peridot
L'oreal Gorgeous Gold
L'oreal The Muse's Inspiration
Barielle Elle's Spell
Hard Candy Sweet P











Now Playing: "Royals" by Lorde
*I just heard this song for the first time on Jimmy Fallon. This is what happens when you don't regularly listen to Top 40 radio. It's nice to hear a good song getting some buzz.

Big Lots Beauty Haul

Since I posted my first (albeit average) YouTube video, I decided to do an accompanying blog post. Here are the beauty product thats I hauled from Big Lots!

elf Hypershine Gloss in Fairy $1


Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in 619 Rose & Shine $2


Diamond Cosmetics Eyeshadow Brush $1


elf Nail Polish in Desert Haze $1


Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in 410 Bit of Blossom $2


elf Lip Gloss & Conditioner in Perfect Pink $2.50


Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Navy Baby $1.50


Black Hand Mirror $2.50



Now Playing: Same Boy You've Always Known by The White Stripes

My First Beauty Video!

I've been watching YouTube beauty videos since spring 2006. I finally posted my own! I imagined that my first video would be something spectacular but I decided on a whim to just quickly do a recording. This was shot on my webcam at night talking about a small, Big Lots haul of all things. My hair wasn't fixed, my makeup was going on its 10th hour and my enthusiasm isn't quite there. But I had the courage and I ran with it! Whether my videos get 10 views or ten thousand, I'm happy to finally be participating in something that I was just a spectator in for so long :)

March Favorites!

Another month has passed and it's time again for favorites! I don't have a ton this month but here are some of the things I have been loving...


My first favorite is MAC's Power Point Eye Pencil in Buried Treasure. This is perfect for hazel or green eyes like mine. It would also complement brown eyes, making them appear more golden. Buried Treasure is a dark, olive green. It's a nice alternative to black as it is nearly the same shade but with a bit of gold sparkle. The slight pop of green provides the perfect amount of color. As with most MAC eye pencils, the formula is rich and very easy to work with. Love!

Next up, is the Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette. For about $16, you get 10 blushes. I don't have a big blush collection, so this was nice to pick up. The colors are very versatile and I love the sleekness of the palette. It's definitely a steal.

Marc Jacobs' Daisy is a perfume that I love to have on my tray. Not only is it pretty to look at but it smells amazing. It's perfect for spring. It's one of the perfumes I get the most compliments on. It must work well with my natural pheromones., haha. Men and women alike say nothing but wonderful things when I have it on.

OPI's Rumple's Wiggin' was one of my favorite nail polishes this month. It is so beautiful- a creme, lavender. I usually get sick of a color after a few days but I don't want to take this one off! It is definitely one of my favorite OPI polishes out of the 30 or so that I have in my growing collection.

CND's Tutu was one of my other favorite nail polishes of the month. It is the perfect, cool, opaque pink- which I have been searching forever to find. I wore it when I was in my friend's wedding. It's perfect for daily wear or formal occasions. The price is a bit higher than I'd like and it's hard to come by (I ordered mine from Amazon.com) but I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Revlon's Superlustrous Lipglosses are some of my favorites. I have about 10 of them- most, I scored at Big Lots for a buck or two. They are better than my MAC and CHANEL glosses. Lilac Pastelle is a beautiful light purple/lilac. I have been really drawn to the lavender family this year. It works well on its own, paired with a neutral pink lipstick or with a purple lipstick like Revlon ColorBurst in Lilac 001. Gorgeous!

My favorite piece of jewelry this month were these Swarovski earrings that my friend Maggie gave to me as a thank you for being in her wedding. They are beautiful and can be worn dressed up or down!

I love Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme. This is the perfect body moisturizer during the winter months- or any time for that matter. If you apply it after showering at night, by the morning, your skin will feel like a baby's. The best part is that it's very easy to find and extremely affordable. Every woman should have this in her medicine cabinet.

My favorite drink this month was an oldie but a goodie- Amaretto Sour. Sure, you need quite a few to feel anything but they are so delicious! I used to drink them all the time during my first couple years in college.

My fav. movie this month was The Fighter. I really loved Melissa Leo's performance in this film. The whole thing was very well acted. Afterall, you have to support anything with a ginger as one of the female leads! And who can resist Marky Mark and Christian Bale? Not this girl.

My favorite song this month was a late arrival in Katy Perry's "E.T.". No, this is not an April fool's joke. I hate to admit it because she drives me crazy. Her song Firework exemplifies everything that's wrong with the music industry today. But I do like her new video and this song. It's mostly because of the beat and the fact that she's singing about aliens- I have a soft spot for the ETs in our Universe. Krista phone home!

Nail Polish of the Moment: Perplex by Revlon

Side by side comparison between Revlon's Perplex and Chanel's Paradoxal

I scored Revlon's Perplex (a beautiful purple, grey hue with a slight amethyst microshimmer) at Big Lots for a dollar! It retails for around $4.99 at drugstores. It was created to mimic Chanel's much more expensive Paradoxal- $25 at department stores. While I don't love Revlon's brush and the formula can be a little bit tricky to work with, I think this was a fabulous find! I am going to try and snatch a few back-ups because Perplex is in high demand. How it ended up at Big Lots for a dollar is beyond me.

Photo curtesy Google Images via another blog. Astounding!

Because it's still February, I thought the timing for me finding this polish was perfect. It's still winter and this shade is similiar to my birthstone (Amethyst for February). I wore it to my friend's bridal shower and I couldn't stop admiring my manicure. I highly recommend this one!

Two coats of Revlon's Perplex with OPI Top Coat


Now Playing: "Penny for your Thoughts" by Bruce Clark & the Q's (One of my Mom's favorite songs of all time)

Nail Polish of the Moment: Chocolate Truffle by Revlon

Chocolate Truffle by Revlon

I couldn't wait to remove my pink polish and try a new one! Since it's the month of love and Valentine's Day is synonymous with chocolates, I thought I'd utilize my new, brown nail polish. I scored this polish for a dollar from Big Lots. Its formula is much richer than the pink I had on last week. I really do like Revlon nail polishes but some of them are better than others. I just wish the brushes were thicker. Chocolate Truffle is very nice. It's somewhat difficult to find a true, brown nail polish. Many are copper, have gold flecks or show up black. But this is the true shade of milk chocolate. I really love it and will definitely be wearing it again in the Fall.

Chocolate Truffle by Revlon (3 coats)


Now Playing: "When I'm Small" by Phantogram

Nail Polish of the Moment: Twinkled Pink by Revlon

Twinkled Pink by Revlon

I found this polish while shopping at Big Lots. Revlon's nail polishes usually run around $5-6 dollars a piece at the drug store but they are often on sale. I picked this one up for a dollar! And I'm glad I didn't pay more than that. I painted my nails pink this week because I wanted a cheerful color after the Super Bowl loss and because February is the month of love (I'll be painting my nails red for Valentine's Day). Well, this polish needed four coats and it dented despite fully drying. The color doesn't really suit my fair skin and the formula looks cheap. For a dollar, I'd say grab it if you're tan but it's definitely not a must have! I can't wait to switch polishes in a day or two!

Four coats of Twinkled Pink by Revlon


Now Playing: Savage Night at the Opera by Destroyer

Nail Polish of the Moment: Hazy by Revlon

Hazy (810) by Revlon
This evening, I'm going to pick up my bridesmaid dress for my friend Maggie's wedding. Unfortunately, my Quarter of a Cent-Cherry polish by OPI already started to chip. So, I decided to paint my nails the color of the dress- this shade (Hazy by Revlon) is a close dupe for the gown. The polish has a quick dry formula & it's a "Top Speed".

Two coats of Hazy by Revlon. It's showing up almost lavender or blue but it's definitely a grey!
As you can see, the bridesmaid dress is a dove grey hue (the designer calls it slate). I may paint my toes this color for the day of the wedding but I'll likely get a manicure & do a pale pink for the hands. Some of the other bridesmaids have had a difficult time with the sizing of their dresses. Here's hoping mine fits! I know I'll need alterations no matter what since my bust is about 3 sizes larger than my waist but I have been really bad on my diet over the past few days with my birthday. I know I will continue to slack with more festivities planned for the weekend (including the Super Bowl- GO STEELERS)! But I'll get back on track ASAP!

Bridesmaid Dress by Bari Jay

Love,
Krista


Now Playing: "Hazy" by Rosi Golan ft. William Fitzsimmons

25th Birthday Haul!

My yummy cake! I blew all the candles out in one puff (well, with the exception of the 1 for good luck). You know you're getting old when you need 2 boxes of candles!
Yesterday, I had a very nice 25th Birthday! Since it fell on a rainy, Tuesday, I spent the day opening presents and hanging out with my family. At night, my sister and I went to the Cheesecake Factory and to see Black Swan at the movies. Today, my parents are taking me to dinner and this weekend, I'm going out with my friends to celebrate at the bars. Sunday is the Super Bowl, so hopefully my birthday week will cap off with a victory! I was really surprised at how many people wished me a happy birthday! It was so nice to hear from everyone :)

I got a few really nice gifts from my parents and my sister! But since I haven't officially launched my YouTube channel, I thought I'd do a haul blog instead.

My Dad got me the Canon Vixia HF M31 video camera! It's so lightweight and compact! I haven't had a chance to play around with it yet but it has great reviews and I think I'm going to love it! I'm going to use this camera to film my YouTube videos- so, no more excuses! As soon as I get down to my normal weight, I'll start filming! My Dad also got me a laptop case- much needed!


One of the things my Mom got me is something I really wanted. Since I turned 25, I wanted a keepsake that would remind me of this time in my life. My birthstone is amethyst but I didn't want a traditional purple stone. I saw green amethyst online and fell in love. It's also called praseolite. It's a very light green stone. My mom got me a gorgeous pair of earrings from one of the jewelers in downtown Pittsburgh! They are so sophisticated yet simple. I can wear them with just about anything! I LOVE them and will hopefully have them forever!


My sister knows how much I love make-up, so she got me some products and brushes from MAC! I'm really excited to finally have Satin Taupe (eyeshadow). It's the perfect neutral shade! She also got me some of the new, Revlon Colorburst lipsticks and lipglosses! They are one of my favorite products right now! Such a great value! I also got the Urban Decay Naked palette! I thought for sure it would be sold-out (as usual) but my Mom said she scored the last one at Ulta. It's the older set that includes the duo eyeliner not the brush! This made me so happy since I know they changed the packaging!



I also ordered a pair of KORS Michael Kors rain boots that arrived on my birthday! I got them from ShopBop.com on sale! I thought they were super cute and since it was raining on my birthday, I wore them out to dinner. They kind of remind me of Daria Morgendorffer's combat boots but they are still adorable. I think they will be perfect for all of the mud at Bonnaroo in June!

Stow Lace-up Rubber Boots

I'm so grateful for all my gifts and I'm excited to see what this year has in store for me! :)

Love,
Krista


Now Playing: "Fancy" by Drake