“Matte” About My Mani

Hola,

How goes it my lovelies? I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed, fun and safe Thanksgiving holiday. I, of course, spent it with family and it was an awesome time had by all. It’s a wonderful thing when you’re surrounded by those you love.

So when you’re Hispanic, you take the holidays seriously. At least my familia does. We go all out with the food, the music and we get all dressed up. I’m talkin’ about guys wear shirt and tie and us girls, well we get all decked out in dresses and heels. In fact, my familia gets all decked out for just about any get-together because that’s just how we roll. 😉

Now that I’ve set up the scenario, I wanted to share my fabulous manicure. I’ve fallen in love with the “matte” look that’s so “in” this season, and below is the look I created on Wednesday night for Thursday’s big get-together. Surprisingly, the colors matched my ensemble (something I rarely do because I usually just choose a nail color that I’m in the mood for and never worry about matching to it to my outfit). Take a look at my nails in the photo below and the steps on how I did it:

 

 

*Image on the right is just a brighter view.

How To Create This Look:

1. “Grow Stronger” base coat by Essie.
2. For the black color I used two coats of “Licorice” by Essie.
3. For the blue color I used two coats of “Pret-A-Surfer” by Essie.

I allowed the polish to dry for about a minute or two then proceeded with the following:

1. I added the glitter to my middle finger using “Be Awesome” by OPI and allowed that to dry.
2. I tried a new trick this week as I noticed when I first started using the matte top coat three weeks earlier, that the color would start cracking after a day or two so for this look I decided to try a new method – I applied Essie’s most wonderful top coat “Good To Go” to all my nails and let it dry completely. I’m hoping that by applying this clear coat before the matte coat that the color will not crack and last longer. Will let you know on that.
3. I followed this with “Matte To Go” only on the black color to give my nails that awesome matte effect and ta daaa…  All done! 🙂

*Side note: The “Matte To Go” even gave the glitter a very pretty muted effect while not completely dulling the glitter’s shine.

One confession: my nails were ruined while washing the dishes after Thanksgiving dinner so unfortunately, they didn’t last and I had to redo them last night. I will give you an update on the whole “cracking” deal in a few days.

Other than that, dassit… (how “that’s it” sounds in Spanish when my mom says it, and a word I use all the time on Facebook for effect so get used to it) :). This entire process took me about 20 minutes not including the prepping I do to my nails (i.e.: filing, pushing back cuticles, soaking nails, etc.).

*Side note II: I’ve discovered that soaking my nails by adding apple cider vinegar to warm water works wonders. After applying cuticle remover and pushing them back, soak your nails in this solution for about two to three minutes. The apple cider vinegar loosens off any excess skin making it easier to remove, leaving your nails super clean and ready for your manicure. It also helps with healing any cuts on your fingers should you have any.

 

 

And there you have it my darlings. I am so in love with this look that I think I’m going to stick with it for a while. Plus the colors are perfect for this season. You can also alternate the blue with any other color and just keep the matte effect on the black which is what I will probably do. What do you think of this look? Will you try it or nah? You know you can always ask your manicurist to try this look on you if you prefer to get your nails done at the salon.

So you all know the drill… comment and let me know what you think of my mani. I tend to lean towards Essie products although I do love OPI and Sally Hansen as well. If you go on Essie’s website, you can find ALL their colors plus their special collections, instructions on how to create pretty nail art and even products for nail care. Check it out here: Essie Products.

I look forward to your feedback and comments below. As always, please feel free to share photos of your fun creative nails. I love trying new ideas and would love to share yours and give you a shout out so go ahead and post your photos. Let’s share, discuss and make each other feel fabulous. Let’s chat. Go! #engage

Until next time…

Gracias,

AnnaCris ❤

 

 

 

 

My Experience With Coconut Oil and Argan Oil

Hola,

It’s been quite a while since we’ve met here… Five months and three days to be exact. I know, I know it’s totally my bad. I’ve been lazy and I also allowed myself to fall into a downward spiral of depression and anger because of certain situations and just wouldn’t get out of it. The good thing is that I went on a wonderful vacation in Orlando with family and that lifted all my spirits and brought me back to the good place. To being ME! Sometimes that is all you need to get back on track. So I’m back and hopefully for good because I really have to get this whole building my “empire” thing going and this blog is an important part of it. 🙂

Now that I’ve explained my absence, let’s get down to the fun stuff. You would think that I would start off with a fashion post but nope, as usual after I disappear for a while, I seem to lean towards a beauty or life post instead to make a comeback so let’s continue with that tradition… 😉

If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll remember (or go back to that previous post and check) that back in March in my “Look At These Cool Beauty Products” post I mentioned that I had just started using both coconut oil and argan oil and that I’d get back to you with long-term results. Well my loves, I’m back with those results and they are positive. Let’s do this:

COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil has been the rave lately and it has not lost its “oomph.” There are countless articles that list many benefits of this oil and I wanted to try it. You all know that I have no problem being my own “guinea pig” before advising about any beauty products as I refuse to write about and recommend anything that I have not tested personally.

As I said in that previous post, I already knew the benefits of coconut oil for hair. If your hair is falling out, feels weak and thin or has lost its luster, this oil does wonders for it. You can apply it weekly for 20-60 minutes before washing your hair and the results will be glorious. I also mentioned that coconut oil is wonderful as a skin moisturizer and for dry, chapped lips. I still stand by this. I alternate between coconut oil, argan oil, vitamin E oil and my Olay Regenerist line of moisturizers for my skin and all are excellent.

So on to “oil pulling” … THIS is the reason I wanted to try coconut oil. I heard that it also helped with sinus problems. If you’ve come to know me via my blog or if you know me personally, you’ll know my eternal battle with nasal polyps. In fact, I had my third surgery in May to remove them and so far so good. After the surgery, I made it a point to do the oil pulling at least three times per week just to see if it indeed helped the sinuses. The word on the streets was that it pulled down and helped thin out any mucus and made it easier to expel (I know it sounds “grossies” but alas). Speaking for myself, I have to say that oil pulling has been an added help in my mission to control these nasal polyps. In conjunction with my visits to my ENT Specialist (who, by the way, is completely awesome) to check/clean out the polyps if any, as well as with the Neil Med Sinus Rinse prescribed by him, I’ve noticed a positive difference. It also helps if you suffer from post nasal drip because it does thin the mucus out a bit. If you have sinus issues as bad as I do, you should at least give oil pulling a try. It’s weird at first because it’s hard to just swish the oil in your mouth and 15-20 minutes seems like a lifetime, but if you do it while in the shower, it’s not bad.

Now let’s discuss teeth whitening… It’s been said that oil pulling helps whiten teeth and gets rid of cavities. I whitened my teeth about eight years ago and have pretty much maintained them. However, they have lost their total whiteness lately and I have to say that the oil pulling has helped quite a lot. I’ve noticed a huge difference and it is consistent. So if you oil pull for 3-5 days straight, you will see a noticeable difference and needless to say, that if you keep going (if your teeth are really yellow) you will see that your teeth are a shade whiter than when you started. Give it a try and let me know if this is the case for you. Everything works different for each individual. It was easier for me to notice the difference because I had already whitened my teeth professionally and maintained them but as I said earlier, my teeth weren’t as white as they were and trying this, I’ve noticed that they’re back to how I want them.

Last, as far as the cavities go, I have yet to visit my dentist for a clean-up but I have to say that sometimes my teeth do feel a bit sensitive since I have been eating more candy than usual (darn those snickers and butterfingers bars), and when I oil pull, the sensitivity does go away. I’m going to schedule a visit with my dentist in the next week or two so I will follow up with you on the cavity issue and hope that my seven year, no cavities record stands. 😉 🙂

ARGAN OIL

Argan oil has also been the rave lately. If you haven’t read my “Look At These Cool Beauty Products” post, here’s a little information about this oil:

Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernel of the argan tree that is endemic to Morocco. World-wide, it is gaining a reputation both as an ingredient in high-end, personal-care products and as a heart-healthy gourmet product. It is rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins A and E. * Wikipedia

This oil is wonderful and I love it because it’s light and not greasy so the skin absorbs it quite quickly. Some of the benefits I listed before were the following:

As a moisturizer – It absorbs quickly, it’s not oily, it’s safe to use around the eyes. I use it every night as my night time moisturizer and I see the difference.

As an exfoliator – Use with sugar or brown sugar to exfoliate your face and it’ll leave you with a radiant glow.

It’s great for acne, this oil can lighten dark spots (tried and tested), and it’s a wonderful lip and hair conditioner as well as great for your nails/cuticles. Rub oil into your nail/cuticles before going to bed to moisturize and soften them.

Eleven months since the time I first purchased this oil, I have to say that I adore it. It does wonders for my skin at night. I prefer to use it at night because it’s light and does not rub off on my pillows. My skin is smoother, softer and has a natural glow about it. *side note: You can also use this oil all over your body. I just use it on my face and neck though.

I usually do not get acne except for one or two during those certain times of the month and this oil gets to work on those lil suckers quickly. By the next day, the zits are gone.

I’ve also used argan oil on my hair a bunch of times throughout the summer when I wear my hair curly and it gave my hair wonderful shine and strength. As an exfoliator, it’s great for sensitive skin. Gently rub a mix of oil and sugar/brown sugar on your face, wash with warm water and your skin will have a radiant glow. You can then moisturize with the oil as well.

Last, my cuticles have been awful (peeling and dry) so often that it’s driving me mad. I have no idea why but lately I’ve started rubbing this oil on them at night and it’s relieved this problem some.

*Please keep in mind that if you are allergic to peanuts, argan oil may cause an allergic reaction so I would not advise that you use it.

…The End…

Alrighty then… As you’ve read, I have nothing but wonderful reviews about coconut and argan oil. I love using anything natural as opposed to products that contain weird chemicals and you should go this route as well. In a world where what we put on our skin, what we eat and drink can contain so many harmful chemicals more so than “good stuff,” we need to be mindful of using more natural products. Be aware of the best way to remain healthy and beauty products should also be considered in this way. The skin absorbs everything so what we apply, goes right into our bodies.

Remember also that the object of using any product is consistency. You have to make it a point to incorporate these in your daily routine or at least 3-4 times per week to see the results. If you only use them once a month, obviously they will not work properly and you won’t see any difference. So if you’re down to try something new, remember consistency.

If you’re interested in using either of these products, I purchased both at Mountain Rose Herbs. This website offers high-quality organic products that have been certified. I’ve used several of their herbs, teas, oils, bath and body items and I love them. Click the link and check them out.

Well there you have it my darlings. I hope you’re satisfied with my reviews of both and that you will try them. My next “guinea pig” adventure is “warm lemon water” in the mornings and “Nature’s Bounty beautiful hair, skin & nails” 30-day challenge. I’m using the latter mostly to see if my weak, brittle nails will improve. I chose the tablet form but also available are the soft gels and gummies. I take one tablet with food twice per day. Check out the link here if you’re interested Nature’s Bounty. Stay tuned in about a month or two for my results on both.

If you’ve forgotten the drill because let’s face, it HAS been a long time, please feel free to comment below or ask any questions that I haven’t answered. If you’ve already tried these products, comment below and let us know your results and whether you like or disliked. Also, please share any other beauty secrets pertaining to coconut and argan oil that I haven’t mentioned. We all want to look and feel beautiful and healthy and there’s nothing wrong with helping each other out. I look forward to reading your comments. Let’s chat. Go! #engage

Until next time…

Gracias,

AnnaCris ❤