June Favorites

I had a nice introduction and everything, then I accidentally deleted this whole post ::headdesk:: Here are my June favorites, some of which I've already mentioned, a couple of which I have not. Enjoy! (I know I am.)

Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia Room Spray I absolutely adore this room sized version of their cologne of the same name.  Lushly floral without being heavy, this scent also manages to be fruity without being cloying.  A couple of sprays and my room smells like and English garden in spring bloom.  Available online for $55.

Bumble and bumble. the Surf Set I know I just wrote about this last week, but this is definitely going to be my summer regime.  It makes my hair commit to full on curly glory, and the cult Surf Spray in this travel size is perfect for freshening up the look on the go. Available at Bluemercury, Sephora, and online for $28.

Voluspa Goji Tarocco Orange Mini Candle This is a persistent favorite, but I've gotten back into this petite perfection again while I'm working at my desk. This little trooper fills a good five foot diameter, perfect for when you want a little something without committing it to your whole living space. It smells sweet and tropical, but not fake, like a margarita from an airport bar, as many inexpensive candles do. Available at Anthropologie and online for $10.

Scratch Nail Wraps Though I must admit that Sea Ya Later was my favorite pattern, I'm still digging these nail wraps for a quick bit of nail art. The set in this picture are already on my fingers, ushering me toward my New Jersey adventure. Available online at goscratchit.com for $12.

NARS Mini Lip Gloss Angelika From the Lose Yourself Gift Set I got during the NARS sale, this is the item I was least excited for, but it's turned out to be favorite of the bunch. It packs a nice little punch without looking overdone, and it goes perfectly with my burgeoning tan. Available from NARS in full size for $25.

Milani Baked Blush No. 5 Luminoso I finally gave in after watching six million Youtube videos from across the pond in which the vloggers go on and on about this US drugstore brand blush.  Since what was an ordeal for them is a five minute walk to CVS for me, I grabbed it with some ExtraCare Bucks.  Even after all the raves, I'm stunned at how awesome this product is. The perfect pinky peach to add a touch of color to summer skin, it applies so smoothly that it's hard to believe this is a drugstore powder. The packaging is unnecessarily bulky and it comes with a shitty little brush, but who cares when a blush this good and this inexpensive shows up? Not this girl. Available at CVS for $9.29

I hope you all have an excellent weekend and you'll be hearing from the East Coast on Monday!

Summer White

As I was writing yesterday's post, I suddenly realized that it isn't really late spring anymore.  Having grown up at the beach, I tend not to think it's summer until I'm regularly sunning myself out on the sand.  With the realities of my life post-school, however, I think I'll have to define it differently here in Chicago so the whole darn season doesn't pass me by!

I don't usually wear white on my nails (at least, not since I gave my high school French manicure addiction), but I thought it would be a really clean look with Scratch Nail Wraps in Top O' the Mountain as an accent nail.  The white is Essie Blanc, which turned out better than usual with only two coats.

I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday!

Scratch Nail Wraps

A little while back, through a blog I read (The Dainty Squid), I found myself funding a Kickstarter campaign for Scratch, an LA-based company that produces nail wraps.  The Squid herself had designed three of them as a featured artist, and for some reason, I truly believed that these would be different and, more importantly, superior to the other similar products I've tried.

I received my chosen reward, all three Dainty Squid designs, and I was immediately impressed with the look of them in person.  Because I'm me, I simply couldn't wait to put them on.  It took a little effort to figure it out, but I persevered, and I am totally impressed with the texture.  This is the first product I've used that does a great job of imitating the texture of actual nail polish.  Even better, you can use a topcoat to seal these bad boys without damaging the wrap at all.  I decided to apply the design Sea Ya Later first, a cool geometric combination of blues.

I absolutely love the look! It totally emulates the look of a real mani, and the assortment of sizes of the wraps gave me a good fit for every nail. I feel it behooves me to mention that these are not intended to be like a gel manicure, but a real one, so if you nick your nail with a chef's knife while you're cooking, the result will be less than pleasing.

Of course, it was totally like me to wail in horror when I did so, leading my friend to believe I had severed a significant part of my finger.  What can I say?  I have a flair for the dramatic.  And lucky for me that nail needed a trim anyway, so it looks just as good as it should.

I'll update y'all on lasting power in a few days.  These designs are available at goscratchit.com for a limited time, along with a few other cool looks, for $12 apiece.