I have a confession! I have NEVER had a gel manicure. I'm cheap and manicures mean making small talk! I would rather stay home in my pajamas and drink "coffee"! Today I am going to give myself my very first gel manicure! 
​
FYI: you can click on the photos to enlarge...

I love painting my nails but they always look like poo. They bubble and peel and get wrinkles. I have been looking at UV/LED lamps and gel nail polish and thought well maybe I can just do it myself. You see, going to get a manicure takes energy and time that I just don't have. I...am...a...homebody! I consulted my favorite resource for days (Amazon)  before purchasing my very own lamp and polish! To be honest I went for the most inexpensive because if it didn't work out I wouldn't be out a ton of money! I chose the Ceenwes lamp because it was only $23 and it came with a cute little nail kit gift (and the W looks like a little butt!). I chose this Maphie nail polish set because it was $15, I loved the colors, and it came with a top and base coat. 

Supplies:

• Nail file
• Cuticle pusher
• Silver nail scraper things
• Cuticle trimmer
• Rubbing alcohol
• Nail polish, base and top coat
• UV/LED lamp
• Diet Coke
• 1 barbie shoe

You guys look at these nails! I will be impressed if I can turn these snaggletooths into swans! Alright! First you have to prepare your nails. Push your cuticles back and scrape the skin from the nailbed with a scraper thing. 

Trim your cuticles if they are hanging out everywhere. That is my son's book he is writing in the background. It's called "Shark Bite" and it's all about sharks killing and eating people... he's 6. 

Once your nails are shaped, gently buff the surface to remove the shine, this helps the gel stick... so I hear! Once your nails are ready, remove the oils and dirt with a few wipes of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. 

Once your nails are ready, carefully apply a thin layer of the base coat. Try really hard not to get in on your skin or let it puddle around your cuticles. (I read if the gel is on your skin the light will burn you! I got it all over my skin and it did not burn but please don't take any chances. I personally like living dangerously).

Thin is the way to go you guys. Once you apply your thin layer, cure your nails under the light for 120 seconds. (I don't really know if 120 seconds is true but it's what I did and it turned out fine!) I applied 2 base coats on my left hand and one on my right. I will see if one lasts longer than the other. 

Once your nails are cured, apply a very thin layer of color, cure the color for 60 seconds then apply another thin layer and cure for 60 seconds. ​

Once you have your color as dark as you want, apply a thin layer of the top coat and cure for 60 secs. My hand looks like a giant pancake hand.

***WARNING... HANDS MELT UNDER LIGHT!

Once the top coat is cured, take rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wipe the tops of your nails to remove the sticky layer... Finish your nails with a cuticle oil and then admire that shine! Perfect!

How are you supposed to even pose your hands? Is there a class I need to take? I don't know what to do with my hands! Please enjoy my hands in their natural habitat... you freaky freaks!

I am super excited about my new purchase! I'm going to save myself so much money by doing my own manicure... wait, I won't save any money because I don't even get manicures... whatever! Overall I am very happy, I made a few mistakes and some nails aren't perfect but that's fine with me! I am stupid dumb when it comes to doing anything with my left hand and I have to say I did okay even with my left hand! 

So the verdict is... best purchase ever! I will be doing many manicures and will update you with how long this one lasts!

I'm a mani newbie so leave me some tips in the comments...

As always, thanks for reading!

***UPDATE: It's only been a few hours since my home manicure and I am already seeing a difference! My kids are using their manners, my clothes fit better, and my husband keeps trying to take my clothes off! I should have done this years ago! 

Please like, share, tweet, and pin! 

I really wish I could tell you that I love my natural hair color. I believe (I've been dying it for a while!) that it is a strawberry blonde and I used to get compliments on it all the time. The past five years I have been dying it just about every color I can think of, black, dark brown, red, bright red, and even brighter red. I wanted a light blonde for summer. Not platinum blonde but a pretty blonde with a smidgen of a golden color. Now my hair pulls yellow tones like CrAzY! So I knew if I went blonde I would need to follow up with a toner to cut that yellow shit out! I'm going to try out Wella's Color Charm T18 Toner, Lightest Ash Blonde... Let's see what happens!

Well first things first... I did the unthinkable! I used a blonde box dye from WalMart! *gasps* Shhh don't tell my super awesome cosmetologist sis in-law! She would chew my ass! I live far away from her now and I'm really impulsive... I want blonde hair and I WANT IT NOW! So as it is 2am I took my yoga pants wearing ass to walmart and got 3 boxes of dye! I have a lot of hair!

This is me and my squishy baby... this was pretty close to my natural hair-color (plus some grays!)

I decided to try Garnier Nutrisse LB2, mainly because I thought the woman was pretty and I wanted her hair color. I know you never get what is on the cover! Also, Garnier from what I have been told has natural proteins to help strengthen your hair.

This is what I got! I left the dye on for 45 minutes and didn't want to go longer. I knew I would be left with some yellow but didn't want to tone it for a week or two to give my hair a break. (I love coffee!)

I had a few days off from work and decided to put the toner on... if I turned my hair purple I would have a few days before work to fix it! Now the toner gets a deeper purple the longer it sits. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE TONER or you could end up with PURPLE hair!!! Now I like to live on the edge so I went longer than the recommended 30 minutes!

I loved the end result. The roots are still a tad more yellow than the ends but it's not bad. I still have a golden tone which is what I want! I will definitely use this toner again! You can buy the toner at Sally's.

I'm not saying your hair will go from...

But it will be a lot softer and look healthier. Treat yourself to a treatment weekly! You can use any conditioner you have but for extra softness use a deep penetrating conditioner!

Glorious  Green Face Mask

1/2 cup of oatmeal
1 smashed avocado
1/3 cup of honey

 In a bowl, mix smashed avocado with the honey, then continuously add oatmeal. When all
ingredients are mixed well, apply to face and relax  for 15-20 minutes. Remove
with a splash of cool water.

*Oatmeal is an exfoliate and moisturizer. Oatmeal contains 18 essential amino acids, your face can absorb these amino acids, making it an ideal ingredient to help heal blemishes and repair damaged skin.

Avocados are packed with Vitamins A and C that gives skin a more youthful appearance and helps fights signs of aging. Regular pureed avocado fruit facials on acne prone skin may help kill acne bacteria to prevent or treat breakouts. Avocados are rich in fatty acids which makes them an ideal moisturizer. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing avocados are... and I'm NOT going to tell you because you need to hear it from Sandra!!! Sandra Dean with Always Healthy Living has an amazing article on how beneficial avocados are for our skin and goes into amazing detail on these benefits... Girl knows her stuff! Read her full article here. https://alwayshealthyliving.com/homemade-avocado-face-masks-acne-glowing-skin/
Go on! What are you waiting for!?

Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.

Farmer's Wife Secret Mask

2 chilled egg whites 
1/8 tsp cornstarch

Whip the egg whites until they form peaks; then slowly add
the   cornstarch.  Apply the mixture immediately to your face, leaving it on  
for 20 minutes. Rinse face with cool water.

*Egg whites are great for tightening skin, removing oil, and reducing whiteheads. The protein from the eggs help heal and nourish the skin.

Cornstarch acts as a skin firmer.


Bumblebee  Facial Mask

1 tbsp dried milk
1 egg yolk
1 tsp honey

Mix honey with the egg yolk and then stir in the dried milk
powder.  Mix  into a paste and apply. Remove after 20 minutes with cool
water.

*Milk is an excellent moisturizer, skin tightener, and cleanser. It also gives your skin a glowing complexion.

Egg yolks acts as a skin moisturizer, acne fighter, and delays skin aging. The retinoids in yolks help the skin have a youthful glow.  These retinoids are usually the main ingredient in many anti-aging products and one can have them the natural way by applying egg yolks on the face.

Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.

Honey, Cinnamon, and Sugar Face Scrub

3 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

Mix ingredients together. Apply mixture to face and gently massage for 1-2 minutes, leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

*Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.

Cinnamon brings blood and nutrients to the surface of skin and helps plump skin which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. It is also drying to skin, which would be a good choice for people with oily skin.
Cinnamon can help rid your face or back of acne by both drying out the skin and, again, bringing blood and oxygen to the skin surface. By drying out the skin and bringing both blood and oxygen to the skin's surface, cinnamon makes a good acne fighter.

Sugar is makes an excellent exfoliate, cleanser, and moisturizer. It removes dead skin cells revealing healthy skin underneath.

No  Monkey Business Mask

1/2 banana
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sour cream
 
Smash the banana and add the honey and sour cream. Apply to face and  leave on
15-20 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp cotton wash cloth.

*Bananas are packed with antioxidants and potassium. They are a natural skin moisturizer and acne fighter.

Sour cream is great for dry skin, it also exfoliates and lightens the skin.
The active ingredient in sour cream--that is, lactic acid--is a type of alpha-hydroxy acid, which naturally removes dead skin to promote new skin cell generation, even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of fine lines, says the Pharmacy Mix skincare website. However, as with all alpha-hydroxy agents, it can increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, so be sure to use sunscreen when using sour cream in your beauty routine.

Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.



Orange Facial Mask

Orange juice
Mandarin Juice
Yogurt, organic

Stir the equally-added mask ingredients, apply for 20 minutes, then wash it with a cool water.
For an extremely oily skin - add some lemon juice to the mixture. For the extremely dry one - add 1 spoon of sunflower oil.

*Oranges are loaded with Vitamin C. It acts as a skin exfoliate, acne fighter, and increases the production of collagen and keeps the skin firm and moist. Oranges also shrink pores.

Yogurt refreshes the skin, fights blemishes, and tightens pores as well as moisturizes.
Some people are allergic to yogurt. Burning or itching after applying a yogurt face mask indicates an allergic reaction to yogurt. Rinse the mask off immediately and don't use again. Seek medical attention if the itching continues.

Mango and Papaya Mask

1-2 tbsp of Mango, grated
1-2 tbsp of Papaya , grated
1-2 tbsp of a cool and clear water

Stir the ingredients, then apply the mask for 15 minutes. Wash it with a room-temperature water.


* Mango, which is rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), contains powerful anti-oxidants which helps in giving skin a younger-look. It is helps in regeneration of skin cells and the restoring of the elasticity of skin. Mangoes help to shield the skin from clogged pores and sun damages.

Papayas are a natural exfoliate and moisturizer. It has many anti-aging properties due to the anti-oxidants and vitamin A contained in the fruit.

Lemon, Honey, Milk and Cucumber Mask

1 tsp Honey
2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice
3 tsp milk
Half a cucumber sliced

Mix all ingredients except cucumbers together. Gently massage mixture into face. Spread cucumbers evenly over face and eye lids Lie down for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off mask.

*Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.

Lemon is a great exfoliate, blackhead remover, and skin brightener. It also relieves sunburns.

Milk is an excellent moisturizer, skin tightener, and cleanser. It also gives your skin a glowing complexion.

Cucumber is excellent for skin tightening and removing swelling from the skin.


Pumpkin Pie Face Mask

2 tsp cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp milk

Optional Ingredients
For Dry Skin
 1/4 tsp heavy whipping cream
-or-
1/2 tsp brown sugar

For Oily Skin
1/4 tsp apple cider
-or-
1/4 tsp cranberry juice

Combine the ingredients for your face mask. Mix gently and apply to your face avoiding the eye area. Rest and relax for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse with warm water.


*Milk is an excellent moisturizer, skin tightener, and cleanser. It also gives your skin a glowing complexion.

Honey, especially raw honey has many anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also packed with antioxidants.

Pumpkin is a moisturizer and acne fighter.

Sources:
​https://alwayshealthyliving.com/homemade-avocado-face-masks-acne-glowing-skin/
http://www.naturalnews.com/035493_raw_honey_health_benefits_antibacterial.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/91597-benefits-ground-cinnamon-skin/
http://elqalatawy.hubpages.com/hub/Sugar-for-Face-is-all-what-your-Face-Skin-Needs
http://www.livestrong.com/article/89036-benefits-egg-white-face/
http://newhope360.com/personal-care/benefits-behind-facial-masks-revealed
http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-egg-yolk-on-face/
http://www.beautyandgroomingtips.com/2006/04/milk-for-health-and-beauty.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/171089-what-are-the-benefits-of-a-oatmeal-face-mask/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/102320-benefits-avocado-facial-mask/
http://www.healthcareveda.com/post/Health-Benefits-of-Banana-For-Skin.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/252955-the-benefits-of-a-sour-cream-facial/
http://expertscolumn.com/content/11-beauty-benefits-orange-how-use-orange-juice-your-beauty-applications-beauty-uses-oranges
http://www.livestrong.com/article/99937-benefits-yogurt-face-masks/
http://makeupandbeauty.com/mango-skin-summer-beauty-benefits/
http://perfectskincareforyou.blogspot.com/2010/03/benefits-of-papaya-for-skin.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/260345-what-are-the-benefits-of-lemon-juice-for-the-face/
http://health-and-beauty-information.blogspot.com/2012/07/hidden-benefits-of-cucumber.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/193307-benefits-of-pumpkin-skin-care-products/

This is such a gorgeous feminine way to wear a braid... if you can french-braid then you can get this look! This is just a simple over-handed french braid with one small difference...

Start at the side of your head. Take a small section of hair and divide it into 3 strands. Start a normal cross over french braid. Do one round. Grab a small section of hair add it to your top strand. (Always grab from the top.) Continue your braid until you get to the bottom strand. Let go of this strand and pick up a new strand of hair. Continue your french braid, taking from the top, braid until the top strand is at the bottom, let fall, pick up new strand, repeat. Do this around your entire head. I did the diagonal braid, you can do it straight across the back of your head by staying closer to the crown of your head. When you get to the other side of your head you can attach a barrette or continue braiding down. This is so easy to do, but rather difficult to explain... I found a really good tutorial on YouTube and listed it at the end of this post...