REVIEW: Urban Decay Naked Palette

Time to get naked people! And of course by that I mean Urban Decay's naked palette ;) I managed to get my hands on one of these after much searching and stalking Sephora's website...and I have to say it was totally worth it! This palette not only comes in a gorgeous slim, velvet case, but it includes 12 full size neutral eyeshadows, a dual side 24/7 eyeliner in their two most popular shades (Zero & Whiskey) and a mini UD Primer Potion...everything you need to get naked is included in this sexy little palette :)

I think this is a must-have staple in your makeup collection (or if not this exact palette but something close with gradient neutral shades including a black and silver), you can create hundreds of looks that range from office appropriate to smokin' and club worthy. These eyeshadows are highly pigmented and have a buttery smooth texture for easy blending.

Aside from the shadows themselves, I really love the look of this palette, I find myself reaching for this almost every single day, and even the days that I don't, it still adorns my vanity as a sleek, sophisticated accessory.

Overall, the value of this palette is unmistakable! The presentation, packaging and general use is well worth the $50 (make that about $60 for us Canadians!) and I don't think you can find anyone out there that wouldn't want this in their beauty arsenal!

Happy shopping!

REVIEW: White Sands Hairspray & Liquid Texture

Got the bad hair blues? Is your hair flat and dull? Look no further than to White Sands innovations to save the day! I finally broke and decided to do a small haul at Flat Iron Experts to test out the highly recommended White Sands Stuck Up Mega Hold Hairspray & Liquid Texture in Firm Hold. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with both of these products as they definitely live up to their claims.

I have to say I was pretty skeptical when it said that you can brush out your hair without leaving any white residue behind...especially after seeing some of the crazy hairstyles that can be created with the Liquid Texture, but let me tell you this was all true!

I purchased the hairspray for $20 USD on the Flat Iron Experts website, and the Liquid Texture was about $15 USD. Now I'm about halfway in between being a drugstore junkie and a department store addict (meaning I buy drugstore brands about as often as I buy higher-end brands), but with my hairspray addiction...$20 a bottle runs a bit high for me, and considering I go through about a can a month...that definitely adds up! So I did a bit more hairspray hunting after I did this review and found a suitable replacement at a fraction of the cost....wait for it...TREsemme's TRES Two Extra Hhold Hair Spray .

Tres Two runs about $4 a can and has all the great properties that the White Sands hair spray has...

- Firm, yet flexible hold

- It's an Aerosol (I know it's bad for my carbon footprint...but it's an addiction people)

- Brushes out without leaving a white residue

Now when I use hairspray...I OVER use it, so when this Tres Two spray doesn't leave a white residue when you brush it through...trust me when I say it's been tried and tested! Anyways, check out the video for some proof :)

Happy styling!

TUTORIAL: Flower Nails

Another spring/summer nail tutorial that's sure to please and (fairly) easy to do! Another simple variation to make this look more "flower-y" is to make the petals flowers circles instead of straight lines.

What you'll need:

- Black nail polish

- White nail polish (nail pen works best)

- Pink nail polish (nail pen works best)

- Yellow nail polish

** As always, I feel the need to mention that it's not necessary to use all the same colors that I do, my tutorials are just for a basic reference to help stir your imagination! You can also use acrylic paints as an alternative to nail polish because there are a HUGE range of colors and each bottle is under $2! BUT, in my personal opinion I feel that nail polish lasts longer and doesn't chip or peel as easy as acrylic paint. **

Happy painting!

Easy & Cute Updo in 5 Minutes *Bonus of easy big hair*

This is my go-to style whenever I have curly hair and I'm either too lazy to re-style for the day...or I didn't have time to wash my hair the night before! Funny thing is that I receive more compliments on this style than any other...little do they know my secret ;)

Happy styling!

Cute & Cheap Korean Clothes - www.jpstyle4u.com

Cute & cheap...what better two words to pair together in the human language than these two!? AND if you tag on FREE shipping...well that's just a word sandwich of awesomeness...yeah...I know that makes no sense :p

As you know, I'm quite lazy, and that makes it very difficult to go shopping for clothing, so I started by purchasing a few things on eBay and it just so happens that one of those sellers referred me to this website (www.jpstyle4u.com). Not only does this website sell cute clothes are cheap...er...reasonably priced, shipping anywhere in the world is FREE. F. R. E. E.! Can't beat that value can you? And to top it all off...there's no minimum order so order as few or as many pieces of clothing as you'd like ladies :)

This website sells clothing, shoes, boots and on occasion...hats & accessories. And just for sizing reference, I'm 5'2 & 100 lbs and the small sizes run a wee bit big on me.

Happy shopping!

REVIEW: J-Clips - The Better Way to Bigger Hair!

As you folks know by now, it has been my lifelong quest to find different methods to getting BIG hair (the bigger the better!). I can't remember how but I stumbled upon these snazzy little devices by accident and decided to give them a try. They are a great alternative to back-combing the heck out of your hair because this method is definitely less damaging to your hair...in fact...it's not damaging at all!

What? Big hair without damaging your actual hair? It's a crazy thought I know but it's true! These clips basically put a "crimp" into your hair to boost the texture of your hair and...should you still choose to back comb it...provide a good grip to make that rat's nest! (or is bird's nest?). These clips are best used on wet hair because it helps the crimp stay in your hair better from "wet to set" for a longer-lasting style. These clips are very easy to use, but just a little bit time consuming for the whole process. Once your hair is wet, I would recommend using a spray gel to help set the crimp in your hair.

- With wet hair, insert these clips one-by-one, starting at the crown of your hair. From the top down, insert 3 clips, the 4th clip will be inserted underneath to help secure these all in place.

- Insert each clip one by one on the sides and working your way down until you run out of clips.

- Either wait for your hair to air dry (which takes approximately 4 hours + depending on the thickness of your hair), or speed up the process by using a hair dryer.

- Make sure hair is 100% dry (or you'll risk your crimps flattening out), and remove clips one-by-one, for the most part, each clips should slide right out of your hair unless you've managed to tangle them in with your hair.

- Straighten a small section of your hair over top of all the crimped layers, gently tease the crimped section and finish hair with a finishing spray.

You'll have some awesome volume that lasts until you wash it out...which should be approximately 3 days max unless you're dirty and don't wash your hair very often ;) From here you can do the "bounce" test where you pull all your newly formed volume flat down on your head, release, and watch it bounce back up!

I bought my clips from www.j-clips.com or you could probably find these on eBay. These clips claim to work on all hair types, but I think for fine hair, you might need a little more help with some product. Check out the website for some helpful instructional videos as well :)

I was silly and didn't take before and after pictures, so you're left with a side-by-side video screen shot comparison below, happy big hair hunting!

Happy styling!

TUTORIAL: Ladybug Nails

Oh summer! The loveliness it brings...along with warm breezes, bright days and...BUGS! Here's an ode to my favorite summer bug (ok ok, possibly the ONLY bug I actually don't mind) and what better way to express it than through artistic expression on my nails! This is a fairly simple design once you get the hang of it...why express yourself with a french manicure when you can paint cute & colorful bugs all over your nails!

What you'll need:

- Base coat (I use OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener)

- White nail polish

- Different colors for the ladybugs (blue, red, green, pink, purple, orange, etc.)

- Black nail polish (preferably a nail pen as it's easier to outline)

- Top coat

** As always, I feel the need to mention that it's not necessary to use all the same colors that I do, my tutorials are just for a basic reference to help stir your imagination! You can also use acrylic paints as an alternative to nail polish because there are a HUGE range of colors and each bottle is under $2! BUT, in my personal opinion I feel that nail polish lasts longer and doesn't chip or peel as easy as acrylic paint. **

Happy painting!