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| indoors, lighting + flash |
Have a lovely day! ♥
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Colors by Llarowe Beachy Summertime Dotticure
Hello hello! I have a darling mani to share with you today that is super-perfect for the summertime weather that has finally arrived here, hurray! I started out with Colors by Llarowe Read My Lips, More New Colors, a tangy bright neon orange crelly, then dabbed on Frenzy, a hot neon pink crelly, in layers. My method for this is a bit different than usual gradient methods - I crinkle up some Saran wrap, paint directly onto the Saran wrap, and then just dab it on in layers. Then, I dotted with Zoya Purity, a white creme. Finally, I topped it all off with China Glaze Fairy Dust for a bit of sparkle!
So pretty! I got a ton of compliments out of this one :) This was my first nail art in a long time (over a month when I did it) and it reminded me how much I love playing nails... will definitely have to build more time to do so into my schedule, no matter how busy I get!
Have a lovely day! ♥
Have a lovely day! ♥
Influenster Go VoxBox Review
Hey friends! Today I have the Influenster Go VoxBox to share with you! As you probably know by now , Influenster is an awesome program where they send you boxes of free stuff to try and out and review. Each box is curated around a specific theme, and this one was designed with exercise on the mind! This is particularly great for me, because I have lately been a bit of an exercise fiend (never would have pictured myself the type that, like, needs to run every day, but such is life, always a mystery) so I was excited to play with this box :)
Warm-up:
First up I have several items to share with you that are more used for preparation for exercise -- or really, just to go with an overall healthy lifestyle in general. My favorite was The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step shaker. I thought the design was clever -- it's not shown, but it has a shaker inside to help make mixing the Next Step Fit n Full Protein Shakes easier, which I thought was nice. I'm not big on protein shakes, but I do like the idea in theory - super low-cal (140 for the packet which makes an 8-oz drink) and 14 grams of protein! I have said this before, but high protein is my #1 diet rule because it is the only way I can keep from being super hangry all the time. I did have a hard time mixing though... I used the Mixed Berry mix (pictured in shaker) but no matter how hard I shook, it still had a ton of unappetizing powder clumps, which made a taste test a little difficult. It smelled divine though! Perhaps I was doing something wrong, but it was a bit of a bummer because I would love a new way to cut calories without starving to death.
I was also sent Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored Almonds, which were much less disappointing. I really like almonds, they are a great healthy snack, and the blueberry flavoring was a nice way to shake it up a little. I don't remember the exact nutrition for this packaging, but I looked online and it seems like 1oz/28g (aka about 24 almonds) is 160 calories and 5g of protein. Again, with the protein.. :) but since that is super important to me, I like that it is there. Not the highest protein bang for your buck, but much better than lots of other crunchy snacks, many of which have 0g.
Treadmill time:
Next up is my favorite and likely to be most used item of the box - the Profoot Triad Orthotic. This is an insert for your running shoes so that your foot is more cushioned to help avoid pain when walking running. It came with a tiny little adhesive to stick to the inside of your shoe, which was nice (although it was extremely sticky - I flubbed it at first and upon reposition attempt, it actually ripped out a little bit of the insert!). It is also 3/4 the length of your shoe, to prevent your foot from feeling crowded. I thought this insert worked very well. Like I said, I am currently in the routine of running on the treadmill every night, so it is important for me to make sure I prevent any pain/injuries that I can, and I thought this insert did the job nicely.
Also included was Playtex Sport Fresh Balance, which I have reviewed already here.
Cool down:
Lastly, we have what I like to think as the "spa" portion of the post -- how to get back to feeling human after working out makes you all sweaty and stinky and gross. The Profoot Pedi Rock is kind of like a stress ball -- shaped so that it is easy to grip -- and you just rub it on your heel to reduce calluses and roughness, etc. I was surprised that after scrubbing for only a few seconds my heels did feel noticeably smoother! Also included were the Aqua Spa Bath Salts, in a lovely lavender scent. Bath salts are something that I always love to use when I find myself in possession of them, but never think to buy them for myself - so I was thrilled with these! I really love the scent especially, very relaxing.
And that is that! I really enjoyed this box -- it reminded me how much I love to belong to the exercise club, lol. And it was great that the products included encompassed not just actively-exercising time, but preparation and for afterward as well! I definitely see myself using some of these (hello, Aqua Spa bath salts) in the future.
Have a fantastic day!
~These products were provided for an honest review by me from Influenster.
Warm-up:
First up I have several items to share with you that are more used for preparation for exercise -- or really, just to go with an overall healthy lifestyle in general. My favorite was The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step shaker. I thought the design was clever -- it's not shown, but it has a shaker inside to help make mixing the Next Step Fit n Full Protein Shakes easier, which I thought was nice. I'm not big on protein shakes, but I do like the idea in theory - super low-cal (140 for the packet which makes an 8-oz drink) and 14 grams of protein! I have said this before, but high protein is my #1 diet rule because it is the only way I can keep from being super hangry all the time. I did have a hard time mixing though... I used the Mixed Berry mix (pictured in shaker) but no matter how hard I shook, it still had a ton of unappetizing powder clumps, which made a taste test a little difficult. It smelled divine though! Perhaps I was doing something wrong, but it was a bit of a bummer because I would love a new way to cut calories without starving to death.
I was also sent Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored Almonds, which were much less disappointing. I really like almonds, they are a great healthy snack, and the blueberry flavoring was a nice way to shake it up a little. I don't remember the exact nutrition for this packaging, but I looked online and it seems like 1oz/28g (aka about 24 almonds) is 160 calories and 5g of protein. Again, with the protein.. :) but since that is super important to me, I like that it is there. Not the highest protein bang for your buck, but much better than lots of other crunchy snacks, many of which have 0g.
Treadmill time:
Next up is my favorite and likely to be most used item of the box - the Profoot Triad Orthotic. This is an insert for your running shoes so that your foot is more cushioned to help avoid pain when walking running. It came with a tiny little adhesive to stick to the inside of your shoe, which was nice (although it was extremely sticky - I flubbed it at first and upon reposition attempt, it actually ripped out a little bit of the insert!). It is also 3/4 the length of your shoe, to prevent your foot from feeling crowded. I thought this insert worked very well. Like I said, I am currently in the routine of running on the treadmill every night, so it is important for me to make sure I prevent any pain/injuries that I can, and I thought this insert did the job nicely.
Also included was Playtex Sport Fresh Balance, which I have reviewed already here.
Cool down:
Lastly, we have what I like to think as the "spa" portion of the post -- how to get back to feeling human after working out makes you all sweaty and stinky and gross. The Profoot Pedi Rock is kind of like a stress ball -- shaped so that it is easy to grip -- and you just rub it on your heel to reduce calluses and roughness, etc. I was surprised that after scrubbing for only a few seconds my heels did feel noticeably smoother! Also included were the Aqua Spa Bath Salts, in a lovely lavender scent. Bath salts are something that I always love to use when I find myself in possession of them, but never think to buy them for myself - so I was thrilled with these! I really love the scent especially, very relaxing.
And that is that! I really enjoyed this box -- it reminded me how much I love to belong to the exercise club, lol. And it was great that the products included encompassed not just actively-exercising time, but preparation and for afterward as well! I definitely see myself using some of these (hello, Aqua Spa bath salts) in the future.
 |
| relevant to post, I think |
Have a fantastic day!
~These products were provided for an honest review by me from Influenster.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Dollish Polish Hylian Princess - Then & Now
Hello friends! It has yet again been an absurd amount of time since my last post Same old story, aka life happens: first it was finals, then I was on vacation, then BAM, my summer class and internship started. The internship has been wonderful so far and I already feel like I've learned a ton (as for my finance class, I may have learned something but it is far from wonderful, alas) but the moral of the story is that I have barely had time to breathe lately, much less play nails (booo).
However, recently I was hit heavy with the desire to start blogging again (probably was the meeting on social media I attended this week -- I miss sharing with you guys!) so I decided to look through my drafts and see if I had anything close to ready to go. And look at that, I do! This is actually a really cool post (fitting for my return after so long) -- it is a recreation of the very first mani I ever posted on PTR!
In this version, I used three coats of Colors by Llarowe The Sweetest Thing, a magically shimmery sparkly purple, followed by Dollish Polish Hylian Princess, a mix of purple, gold and white glitters inspired by Princess Zelda (this is a very popular polish among me and my fellow Zelda-obsessed friends). So pretty and sparkly! Take a look~
So purdy! I was so enamored with this mani the first time I wore it that I was inspired to finally bite the bullet and start up this blog - and after wearing again, I would have to say it really is a fantastic combo! (of course, the purple base I used back then was different, but it's the same idea).
To see how far I've come, let's take a look at that first picture (be prepared...shield your eyes)
Yikes! But on the flipside, hurray from improvement! Here's to hoping that if I just keep on keeping on and don't abandon my poor little blog completely, I will continue to improve even more :)
Have a lovely day! ♥
However, recently I was hit heavy with the desire to start blogging again (probably was the meeting on social media I attended this week -- I miss sharing with you guys!) so I decided to look through my drafts and see if I had anything close to ready to go. And look at that, I do! This is actually a really cool post (fitting for my return after so long) -- it is a recreation of the very first mani I ever posted on PTR!
In this version, I used three coats of Colors by Llarowe The Sweetest Thing, a magically shimmery sparkly purple, followed by Dollish Polish Hylian Princess, a mix of purple, gold and white glitters inspired by Princess Zelda (this is a very popular polish among me and my fellow Zelda-obsessed friends). So pretty and sparkly! Take a look~
 |
| outdoors, sun |
 |
| outdoors, shade |
To see how far I've come, let's take a look at that first picture (be prepared...shield your eyes)
 |
| oh, what beautiful hand positioning... |
Yikes! But on the flipside, hurray from improvement! Here's to hoping that if I just keep on keeping on and don't abandon my poor little blog completely, I will continue to improve even more :)
Have a lovely day! ♥
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