Month: October 2013

Trick Or Treat


Sometimes I absolutely love Halloween and other times, I’m simply annoyed with the thought of dressing up. Luckily, 2013 was one of the years I wanted to utilize my creative juices! The theme of this years “spooktacular” was 1950. Now you see why the excitement hovered over me!! The 50’s are a great time period to emulate because there were so many different and styles…from extravagant to pin up or greaser to a Marine. I already had an idea in mind and couldn’t wait to see it come to life!

 

 

50's

 

 

 

black and white

 

black and white by curvesandcoffee featuring Merona

result

 

 

 

 

I kind of went a little crazy with the Halloween extras they added to Pixlr….it was fun!

 

Spooky DIY Halloween Nail Art

Hey there stylish sweets!

First, let me apologize for this post being a day late. I realized I hit “save” instead of publish as I was getting my flu shot Monday. If you’ve ever had one, you also know that once it kicks in, you’re pretty much useless later in the day. I’m here and it’s here now so let’s do it!

Welcome to the end of October, yes the END OF OCTOBER!
I know it’s been a week since you’ve seen me, just had a teeny tiny bit of stress. The previous two weeks were extremely busy on the “life” side of things and all I wanted to do was sleep, eat, and watch tv! Well, that’s what I did! Now I’m back full of energy, rested, and ready to get this show on the road.
First up for this week… MANI MONDAY…uh Tuesday! There’s no better holiday than Halloween to do a crazy over-the-top manicure…the creative possibilities are truly endless! Last year, I did a little bloody nailart that got rave reviews. This year, I wanted to do something way more elaborate…take a look!
Everything was done free-hand and I was a nervous wreck! Seriously, if there was an oops, I’d have to start all over again and you guys know that wasn’t happening LOL!
On the left hand:
Thumb ~ scary jack-o-lantern
Index ~ spider web
Middle ~ scared ghost
Ring ~ bloody mess
Pinky ~ EEK!
On the right hand:
Thumb ~ scary jack-o-lantern
Index ~ spider web
Middle ~ scared ghost
Ring ~ bloody mess
Pinky ~ BOO!
All nails have some sort of “glow in the dark” pattern which is sooo cute! Since I couldn’t figure out how to get the “glow” element to show up last week…..I did a little research. The answer is black light. Who has a random black light laying around? Lol not me. So I’m gonna go out and get one some time this week and hopefully it works! Til then…
Halloween Nail Art 2013 is in the books!

Face Forward: Julep’s Mask Noir Facial Review

Julep Maven’s October box came with tons of goodies! And no, this sugar loving chick isn’t talking about the candy corn. I’m talking about the facial mask that was tucked in with the polish! Julep’s MASK NOIR with Power Cell Complex to be exact.

  • A peel-off mask of gentle kaolin clay and black volcanic ash.
  • Features and Benefits of Mask Noir:
  • Black volcanic ash boasts anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial peptides.
  • Kaolin Clay is as gentle as it is deep-cleaning.
  • Incredibly clean, visibly brightened skin upon removal
  • Enriched with Julep’s proprietary Power Cell Complex™, a trio of skin-boosting superstars:
  • Rosehip seed oil – a nourishing oil (and natural source of vitamins A and C) that helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and post-acne marks. Contains natural fatty acids that bond moisture to skin
  • Malvaceae Lipid Extract™ – a lipid complex that provides immediate and long-lasting hydration and works to rebuild skin structure from the inside out
  • Green coffee bean oil – a natural anti-inflammatory that promotes cell turnover

Now, I’m pretty decent when it comes to French…blanc is white and noir is black. Seriously, I know that — but for some odd reason, “noir” didn’t quite register in my brain as quickly as it should’ve. First squeeze of the tube and thick “black goo” comes out (insert minor freak out) then I keep squeezing…MORE BLACK GOO! Then, it dawned on me…duh, Rena, it’s supposed to be black. NOIR. We’re just gonna say breakfast was skipped that day…hence the lack of brain cells smh.

Anywho…let’s see how using the mask turned out:

I’ve only used it twice so far which isn’t enough time to see a real difference in my skin. If following the instructions correctly, the mask should be applied twice per week so I’ll try my best to add this to my beauty routine. After the first use, my skin was definitely soft after peeling the mask off. I didn’t put on any moisturizer…only because I wasn’t going out anywhere but it definitely didn’t feel dry or dehydrated.

The cons of this MASK NOIR…it is messy! My nails were black, my sink was black, my cotton face cloth was black….everything was BLACK! Once the mask dries and you peel it off, there WILL be excess “residue” on your face that should be rinsed off. I soaked my face cloth in warm water and rinsed…well scrubbed with a little arm power (tad exaggerated). Nothing too serious but the little specks of “black goo” were everywhere.

Final thoughts…

I like it! After two tries my skin did feel softer and that’s a claim to its’ fame so that’s a plus! As far as the other things its supposed to do…just gotta wait and see.

PINKTOBER: Pink for Pink Lovers and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Nail Art

It’s no secret that I love the color pink.
So displaying the color in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October…I jumped on it!
This weeks mani and nail art is all in the name of Pinktober!
Essie ~ No Chips Ahead (clear)
Essie ~ Mademoiselle (light light pink)
Julep ~ Natalie (bright pink)
To get the solid color pink, I mixed the two pinks plus white polish until I had the desired shade. Any white will do, I used a cheap Wet-n-Wild .99 white polish. The glitter mix was purchased from eBay awhile back and fairly cheap. Definitely less messy than mixing up a batch yourself. It’s more convenient for me to buy pre-made mixes since I don’t use them that often.
So that’s it!
Happy Pinktober!

Shopping For A Cure

 

Is there a better way to spend your hard cash than shopping for a cure?

 

I think not!

 

We all love to shop (even if you’re on a tight budget) so October is the perfect month to spend, shop, and support. Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers many deals and items for the pink lover in us all. Forget about that guilty feeling you get in the bottom of your tummy when buyers remorse kicks in. This time around, you’re shopping for a cure for Breast Cancer!

 

Here are just a few brands, shops, and stores offering pink items that will turn your cash into a donation for a cure.

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

$15

Pink with a Purpose

Limited Edition Almost Lipstick

Comes with a pink-ribbon carrying case with Clinique charm.

Your purchase includes a $3.00 donation.

 
 
 
 
 

NFL

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Sparkling PINK Collection

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

$95

foundation WRAP BRACELET

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

$14

SEPHORA COLLECTION

Purposely Pink Lip Duo

 
 
 
 

Get to shopping and feel good about those purchases! Keep fighting for a cure and help end breast cancer. I fight for a cure and in honor of my late grandmother….why do you fight?

 

Remember to visit www.curvesandcoffee.com throughout the month of October for more Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Shopping For A Cure – Pink Ribbon deals.

October Julep Maven Box

Ahhh, polish 🙂
It’s been awhile since I’ve actually accepted my Julep Maven monthly subscription. The colors in the boxes haven’t been very appealing to me. Then October happened. Not only did I accept my Maven box, I upgraded my subscription and included an add-on! Imagine that! This month features more darker and full coverage colors (I was mostly in need of darker fall tones) and came with a facial mask plus a dual eyeliner.
The theme for this month…
So, if you’re thinking about purchasing some nail polish goodies…here are the swatches for October. These aren’t the “cleanest” swatches since I’ll be taking the polish right off, don’t judge me 😉
Add-on is “Casper” a glow in the dark polish that can be worn alone or as a top coat over other colors.
You can’t really tell if there’s polish on the nail or not but trust me, it’s there. It also REALLY glows in the dark!! I tried to get a pic of it glowing but nothing came out on film. Total bummer but it glows bright green after some light of course.
The dual eyeliner is very soft and creamy…
Went on extremely smooth as I tested it on my wrist.
The brown has a slight shimmer but there’s no real way to tell on darker tone skin.
Bonus sharpener that catches the shavings = less mess!
Below are the stock photos and descriptions given by Julep.
Kendra: Army green frost   Ciara: Vampy magenta with teal microglitter  Missy: Titanium metallic
Valerie: Teal with iridescent microglitter   Cleopatra: Black latex crème
Winona: Buff greige creme   Anisa: Deep burgundy creme
Dahlia: Goldenrod microglitter     Stevie:  Concrete gray frost
Personally, I love this box. As a lover of bright and bold colors, my polish collection is kind of one sided at the moment. The “Rebel Set”  is just what I needed

Herbal Essences Wants To #BanBoringBodyWash

That’s right! Just say NO to boring body wash!
That’s the new thing and it’s what’s new at Herbal Essences! It’s definitely not a boring body wash that’s for sure! The fine people over at Herbal Essences have a new body wash and it smells sooooo good!
Usually known for their fun and fruity hair products like “None of Your Frizzness” which is infused with mandarin crème and pearl. It fights frizzy hair and flyaways (clearly one of my faves.) Their body wash won’t disappoint either!
Starting with three absolutely intoxicating scents: Body Burst, Happy Go Lather, and Hello Hydration 
They want us all to get hooked and so far, I’m almost there!
I had the pleasure of getting a “perk” from Klout (because I clearly tweet way too much lol) and Herbal Essences provided me with TWO travel sized versions of the new body wash in Body Burst and Hello Hydration. There was also a bonus Walmart gift card in the box, helloooo mini shopping spree!
I was definitely skeptical because my skin is more sensitive than a newborns bottom so I’ve gotta be extra careful when trying new products on my bod. Figuring that I’ve used their shampoos and conditioners sans any problems, I went for it! After using the Hello Hydration and Body Burst body wash wash about two to three times a week for a full month, definitely no breakouts or post-shower regret. The fragrance left my skin surprisingly sweet smelling throughout the mornings. It wasn’t a strong smell but a soft subtle scent…I found myself sniffing my wrists and arms at random moments. Maybe it should come with a disclaimer: “Warning, may cause random body part sniffing!”
Overall, I say go for it beauty buddies!
Disclosure:  I was given a free product or sample because I’m a Klout influencer. I am under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

PFW: Jitrois


Paris Fashion Week

Ready To Wear

Spring/Summer 2014

 

 

 

 

Remember the Jitrois show for the Autumn/Winter 2013 Collection, if not, let me refresh your memory…click click. There was something about that show that took my love for fine leather to another level! Well, he did it again!

 

 

 

Meet the 2014 Jitrois Girl

 

 

 


 

 

She’s cute, sweet, and looks innocent but she knows she’s a boss and isn’t afraid to let everyone know. The line looks fresh and easy to wear for spring…taking the phrase “pret-a-porter” literally.

 

 

 

 

 

(photos via vogue.uk)

 

 

I can see this collection going from the office, to dinner with the girls, and even date night with the hubby.

 It works.

Love it.