On My Nails for the Holidays!

Fishnet Stockings

Just in time for the Christmas festivities, I have discovered the perfect red nail color! The brand is Essie and the name of the polish is Fishnet Stockings. Fun, right?!

This picture does not do the color justice!

It's not a fire engine red, but it's not a burgundy either. I think it's a great blending of the two, which equals oxblood red! This color is right on trend and so hot right now, despite the not so pretty name. 

You can pick up a bottle at Target, Ulta, and some other places. Runs about $7.



What color are you going to rock on your nails this Christmas season?!

 
SHINE ON!

Ruffin

Swoon Worthy

swoon  (swn)

intr.v. swooned, swoon·ing, swoons

1. To faint.

2. To be overwhelmed by ecstatic joy.

n.

1. A fainting spell; syncope. See Synonyms at blackout.

2. A state of ecstasy or rapture.

When my friend showed me this fabulous jewelry line, I did just that...SWOON! Kendra Scott jewelry combines gorgeous colored stones with great design. The prices aren't too bad either. Granted, it's not cheap cheap, but it's still affordable. She works with bold rocks and colors to create something that's striking. Take a look at some of my favorites. They truly SHINE and make great Christmas gifts...hint hint. 

Skylar Earrings in Chalcedony

$65.00

Tela Cocktail Ring in Salmon

On Sale for $24.97

June Long Earrings in Black

$65.00

Dryden Stud Earrings

On Sale for 39.97

You can order online or click here to see store locations. 

Shine On!

Ruffin

Something in the Hair..er...Air

Happy Monday to you all! Since I moved to Memphis, I've gone to Pavo Salon Spa (I HIGHLY recommend), and they use Aveda products. Since I've started using them daily on my hair, I've noticed a dramatic difference. It's a little more pricey than your average hair care products, but I think it's definitely worth it.

Aveda products are naturally-derived and smell DIVINE! Two of my favorites are Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair and AirControl Hair Spray. Here are the details:

 Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair

 Our daily leave-in treatment instantly repairs damaged hair by 26%*, helps protect from heat styling and detangles to help prevent further damage.

• Certified organically-derived quinoa protein penetrates hair to instantly repair damage and strengthen from the inside out.
• Wheat protein helps protect from heat styling—such as blow-drying and ironing.
• Soy-derived oil detangles to help prevent further damage and breakage.
• Certified organic essential oils including bergamot, mandarin and ylang ylang provide an uplifting aroma.

Put a dollop of this in your damp hair before you blow dry it.

 

$26.00

 AirControl Hair Spray

Take hold of innovation: with a flexible, lasting hold hair spray—for all hair types—that has a net-zero impact* on the Earth's climate.

•	Breakthrough pine resin technology for hold
•	Dry delivery

*Through Aveda's funding of renewable energy to offset the CO2 associated with the manufacturing, transportation and use of Aveda aerosol hairsprays.

$24.00

 

 

 To find out the nearest Aveda retailer to you, click here. Trust me, you'll fall in love with these at first smell!

Shine On!

Ruffin

Another Way to SHINE

I thought I'd take a minute to spread the blogger love and highlight a blog that I follow. Now I might be a little partial to it because of its name :-), but the girl who started it seems super cool, and what she's doing is even cooler!

It's called The Shine Project and its founder, Ashley, believes :

"that all of us possess talents, skills, and abilities that can be used to literally change the world.  I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone to do hard things is what gives meaning and happiness to life.

This is what The Shine Project is all about:
Going out of your comfort zone
to bring light to those who need hope.
The Shine Project emulates love, sacrifice, and
CHANGE.

 The Shine Project's purpose is to inspire you to live the highest quality of life obtainable, and to motivate you to join our efforts in making this world a better place. We have many events set up around the country, and would love for you to get involved!"

 

 This site has really cool shirts, jewelry for a great cause and fashion/beauty tips. I've asked for a few items for Christmas! So take a minute and browse The Shine Project here. What blogs do you think I should check out?!

Shine On!

Ruffin

Fit to be Tied

Scarves...I literally have about 30 of them (pretty embarrassed to admit that). I have scarves for the summer, winter and anytime in between. I love them. They are functional and can also change the look of an outfit in an instant. I'm always seeing on Pinterest multiple different ways to tie them. I found this Pin the other day on 40+ ways to tie a scarf. Click HERE to visit the site to learn how.

While you do that, I thought I'd take a second to show you some of the scarves that I'm rocking or wanting to rock. A few good places to look for scarves are H&M, Target and TJ Maxx. I also found this great Etsy shop, RunSystem63, that has fabulous and cool scarves.

Just got this infinity scarf from H&M for $9.95!

I want this Run System63 scarf for Christmas! $60

What should you be looking for??? I recommend a good leopard print one, maybe a fun red one, and a black pashmina that can also be used as a wrap. With cold weather here, now is the perfect time to rock a scarf, and don't be afraid to put a different "twist" on it. Have a great weekend and...

SHINE ON!

Ruffin

(Please forgive the lay-out of this post. I am having computer issues!)

My Go-To Nails

I know I just posted about nail polish a few days ago, but when I painted my nails last night, I remembered how much I LOVE this color. It's a GREAT nail color for the cooler months, and it's also made by one of my favorite brands, Sally Hansen.

This one is called Slick Slate, and it's from the Insta-Dri line. I love this color, because it's a blend of gray, beige and little bit of purple. Also, they're not kidding when they say this polish dries in a minute. It also has the brush that I love, which contours to your nails and makes painting them so much easier. You literally could paint them and walk out of the house in 5 minutes!

You can pick this up at the usual places, and it retails for about $4.There are also about 35 other shades to choose from as well!

Shine On!

Ruffin

Bat An Eye

Several of you all have asked me lately to recommend a good mascara, so I thought I'd share. I feel like I have tried A LOT of mascaras over the years, and I'm really liking what is on my lashes at the moment.

I put two coats of this on my top lashes.

One of my make-up artist friends swears by Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies, so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't disappointed. The brush is curved and flexible, making it easy to get all the lashes. It's got great coverage, doesn't flake(I use the waterproof kind), and makes my lashes a lot fuller and longer. It's also cheap, being around $7 for a tube.

I put one coat of this on my bottom lashes.

Now that was for my top lashes. For my bottom lashes, I do use another mascara, and this one is a little bit pricier but so worth it. It's Bobbi Brown's Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara. With its skinny brush and staying power, it's perfect for bottom lashes. Nothing I hate more than raccoon eyes, and this mascara STAYS PUT! It's $24 and can be found in most major department stores and online.

Have a great weekend and SHINE ON!

Ruffin

FALLing for Dark Nails

I love nail polish. Plain and Simple. It's like me and shoes...you can never have too many!

I like to go a little darker/neutral for the Fall and Winter, and last night, I pulled out one of my go-to's for the Fall. The color is "Pat On the Black" by my favorite brand, Sally Hansen, and from one of their best lines, Complete Salon Manicure. I honestly think it's better than OPI and Essie *gasp!

The color is pretty dark, but it's not straight-up black. It's more a dark purple, which I like a lot better than just black. I did apply three layers for a really rich look, and I followed it with THE best top coat, Sally Hansen's InstaDri Anti-Chip Topcoat (blogged about it here previously).

Here's why I like the Complete Salon Manicure line:

- It's got a way cool brush that contours to your fingernails.
- There are 5 Steps in 1 Bottle: Base Coat, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Color and Top Coat.

- Contains Vita-Care Technology for advanced wear (it really does stay  on a long time) and more shine.

- There are 42 shades to choose from.

It's about $6 a bottle, and can be found at drugstores, Walmart, and Target. Try it out and let me know what color you chose!



Shine On!

Ruffin

Turning Over a New Leaf

Ok, so it's been a while, and I feel horrible about it. I've missed you, and I promise I will do better. :-) There are SO many fabulous products and things that I can't wait to share with you all! I am also gonna switch things up a bit, and talk/share about things that might not pertain to beauty.

Since I'm turning over a new leaf, let's talk about Fall (See what I did there...Leaf...Fall) It's the perfect time to try something new, and also to reevaluate your skincare needs since the cold weather is coming! One of my new favorite lines for skin is Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. I was introduced to it while I was working in the wonderful world of cosmetics, and at first I was skeptical. I'm pretty picky about what goes on my face, because it's a lot more sensitive than I ever realized. I tried some samples, and I was hooked! Another great part...it's affordable!

One of my FAVORITE products is their Vitamin D Serum Oil. Now don't freak out when you read the "oil" word. It's not what you think. I've got combination skin, with my cheeks being really dry and other places being pretty oily. These serum works like a charm to balance everything out without breaking it out. Here are the details:

What Is It? This serum-oil is a concentrated skincare treatment. Packed with Vitamin D and other reparative antioxidants and botanicals, it helps improve the appearance of skin elasticity, hydration and minimizes the appearance of pores—all immediately visible upon application.

Why Is It Different? While traditional Vitamin D oils need sun exposure to be made active, this formula, containing the ingredient Ergocalciferol, is already active and does not require sunlight. This unique serum-oil emulsion is infused with the multiple anti-aging ingredients & benefits of a serum within the hydrating delivery system of an oil.

I put it on after I wash my face and before I put on lotion.  It's a perfect thing to introduce into your skincare routine, especially with winter coming. It's $65 for a bottle, and a little goes a long way. Some  places you can pick it up are Sephora, Joseph in Memphis, and online, of course.

Shine on!

Shimmer and Shine!



Nectar Shimmer Brick: $39

I'm back!! And at the perfect time too! Spring and summer are fabulous times to play around with some great products. As the heat rises, tans start to appear(I know, I know. Sunscreen!). One of my favorite products to enhance that radiant glow is the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. They're so great that one is sold somewhere in the world every 60 seconds!


Two of my favorite shades(there are around 5 to choose from) are Nectar, which blends to a lovely coral, and Bronze, the original and perfect for almost every skin shade. You can even use them as eyeshadow too!




Bronze Shimmer Brick: $39

To use: Sweep a blush/fluffy brush through all five shades of Shimmer Brick Compact and dust lightly on cheekbones after blush. Focus on applying shimmer on the top of cheekbones - where light naturally hits the face - for the most flattering look.