Ruffian Manicure Tutorial

What is a Ruffian manicure you ask?? Well if you know what a half moon mani is then you pretty much know and in fact this mani has been around for awhile just known by a different name.  It is the idea of two different colors of nail polish on one nail where one of the colors only covers the "half moon" part of your nail.  It is a very clean, edgy look that can be done with so many colors.  Most that know me know that I am always on the hunt for a new DIY nail manicure idea so I was excited to do this one.  Now I have many many tools to aid me in my artistic ventures on my mini canvases, but for this manicure I did order the Ruffian sticker stencils from Birchbox.  And I am really glad I did, they helped me achieve the perfect look and I really didn't want to use duct tape, since that is all I had lying around.  If you have any type of round sticker, you can surely use that.  But I did get a lot of stencils in the pack so can do many many more manicures!

I used my Ciate Skinny Dip for the main color and Wet and Wild's On A Trip for my moon color.  Oh, also, I was enjoying my tea with a side of glitter and that is what inspired me to do some sparkle on my nails :)

Simply take the stickers out based on the nail you are using so it creates the perfectly shaped half moon and place on your finger.

Press down firmly as you want to make sure you don't get any polish underneath the sticker or that will be a shame.

Paint the nail :)

Wait at least 5 minutes before removing the sticker to make sure the magic already happened and the polish is dry.  When removing the stickers, go from side to side like taking off a band aid slowly, not being a badass and ripping the bandaid off.  We didn't just break up with our boyfriend here, eh? ;)

They came off perfectly.  They did not stick or leave residue or mess up the polish.  A+ Birchbox!

Now since you have the perfect outline, go ahead and fill in with your main color.

TA DA!!

I think they came out great!  Plus, super simple and easy since I find myself always doing my nails right before bed.  ALWAYS! Thank goodness for quick dry top coats :) I already have an idea in mind for my next Ruffian mani and can't wait to share it :)

Have you done a Ruffian mani before?  How did yours turn out?

Let me know in the comments below!

Also, stay tuned to the Facebook page tomorrow because it's Friday and you know what that means!!

Have a great day, ya'll!!

Sample Society Unboxing August 2014

This is my second box from Sample Society.  I fell under their spell with July's box and was very happy to get another wonderful box!  Read about July's unboxing HERE.  My mama also signed up and was just as pleased!! The thing I like most about this monthly beauty subscription is that the products are usually all brands that I have heard of.  Sure, I like learning about new brands but sometimes there is something great about already knowing how good a brand is and then getting an awesome product from them.  Know what I mean?

Here is my first look at the box.

They always include a mini Allure mag that describes each product, it's uses and what they thought after testing it.

First up, one of my favorite polish brands.

Ciate mini pot in Cha Cha Cha. This color is the perfect summer shade, a bright, neon orange which I was so glad to get since Fall is right around the corner and I am still in denial about that.  It did take me 4 coats to achieve the look that I wanted but the bold color made up for it.  It is much brighter on my nails than it is in the bottle. Speaking of fall, I am holding out on using my velvet manicure kits in grey, navy and purple.  They are gorgeous!

Next we have Kate Somerville's Dio Oil Restorative Treatment.

News to me, but Dio Oil is a rare oil from Fiji that promotes healthier looking skin and firms and evens skin tone, among other things.  Now, I am a Caudalie girl so I am interested in trying this to see how it compares.It has a hefty price tag but claims to be one of the best of the oils out there.  It can be used at night or under your makeup (after moisturizer) during the day.  I think I will do half on my face with my regular oil to really see how they compare.

Next up is Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara in Black Ice.

 I have mixed feelings about this so far.  When I pulled it out, it didn't look like there was any color on the wand.  And the wand looks like a caterpillar.  It seemed to lengthen my lashes but not really make them bold and dark.  Lemme show you.......

Here is just with this mascara.

And here is with my mascara added on top of it.

So I think adding my own mascara on top made a dramatic difference in my lashes but not by itself.

Next up is Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse.  This size alone is $21.50.

Smells great and the key to adding massive texture to your hair is using it dry.  I am still figuring out the right amount to use. I accidentally used two large sized poufs and it says to use ping pong sized haha But once I scrunched my hair it did give it some nice texture and made my pony tail really full so I'm excited to use it again.

Lastly, Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony.

It's much brighter than the tube indicates.  Make sure you exfoliate good before putting it on, too.  It goes on like paint with a spongey tip.  Also, it is matte.  I am a glossy girl so I would have to put something on over it when I wear it but the description says that will ruin the chalky effect, so we will see.  It is a long lasting stain though, it stayed on for hours.  I really really want the color violet, it's so pretty!! Wait until you see my Birchbox unboxing and you'll see why!!

So like I said, I was super happy with this box subscription yet again and 200% happier than I was with Beauty Box 5.  Since Sample Society is through BeautyBar.com(online beauty boutique similar to ULTA), if you use my referral code, you can get 20% off of your first order.  Just click on the banner to the left of the screen or use the code MIAN969688 and click HERE.

What did you think of this month's box?  Have you used Oribe's products before? Have any tips?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!