Flag Nail Tutorial

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Colors Used: Sephora by O.P.I. Meet Me at The Disco, random L.A. colors mini blue, RCM White Hot, RCM Red Carpet Reddy

First, paint your thumb nail blue.  You can pick any shade of blue you'd like- I went for a brighter almost tealish blue.

Next, add a glitter top coat to just that nail.  I used Sephora by O.P.I., but Fairy Dust by China Glaze would work well too, or any other sparkly polish!

Next, paint all your other nails white!  I used Red Carpet Manicure White Hot.  I went through the whole gel process- Prep, Base, Color, Top Coat!

Next take a dotting tool and make red stripes on your white nails.  Make sure your nails are completely dry before you start though!  Then add a top coat and you're finished!

Have a lovely holiday!

-Cassi

Summer Giveaway

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Since today is officially the first day of Summer, we'd like to kick it off with a giveaway!  We're not going to tell you what the prizes are- it's a mystery!  But, we promise they're pretty cool!  Enter below using the rafflecopter widget.  There's only 1 mandatory option- the rest are optional.  You must be 18+ or have adult permission to enter and being willing to give us your address so we can ship you your prize.  Living inside the US is mandatory because we won't ship internationally for this giveaway- sorry, maybe next time!  Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Cassi & Katie

Enjoy this post?  Go here to see our 20 Summer Finds Under $20 and here to check out our "Hair Month" giveaway!! 

Les Chateau des Fleurs Giveaway

As one of my makeup favs this summer it is time to give away Sephora Buxom The Headliners Collection. You can admit it, you love it and want it like me. Here it is:

This set contains:
- 0.22 oz Amplified Lash Mascara in Loud Black
- 0.03 oz Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Sydney
- 0.01 oz Insider Eyeliner in Onyx
- 0.15 oz Buxom Big & Healthy™ Lip Polish in Dani
- 0.12 oz Stay-There™ Eyeshadow in Pug

This fantastic giveaway Hosted by Le Chateau Des Fleurs and is sponsored by these amazing apps:

Fun Clock - Fun Clock is an interactive educational game that will teach you kid to tell time.
Get Fun Clock on iTunes: http://goo.gl/rNrBB
Get Fun Clock on Google Play: http://goo.gl/F8msr
Get Fun Clock on Amazon: http://goo.gl/0sjN9
Get Fun Clock on Windows: http://goo.gl/rD2Ed

Kids Animal Piano - Kids Animal Piano includes many popular children songs and funny animal sounds like cat, dog, rubber ducky and many more!
Get Kids Animal Piano on iTunes: http://goo.gl/eFdPL

Learn to Talk More Words - Preschool, Kindergarten Flash Cards - Learn to Talk More Words is an innovative audio flash card application that facilitates early language development in 1 to 3 year-old children.
Get Learn to Talk More Words on iTunes: http://goo.gl/1Lzx2

Hidden Objects Quest 3:  Touch of Zen - Hidden Objects Quest 3 features gorgeous zen gardens and ancient monasteries of meditation providing hours of entertainment for the entire family - young and old.
Get Hidden Objects Quest 3: Touch of Zen here: http://goo.gl/Fp5XK

20 Summer Finds Under $20

New here?

1. Mini Checkered Hi-Rise Short ($10)

2. Black Poppy Athena T Strap Sandals ($19.50)

3. Tie Front Bandeau ($19.50)

4. AE Metallic Geometric Tank ($11.99)

5. a.n.a® Knot-Shoulder Smocked Dress ($15)

6. L.E.I. Junior's American Flag Shorts ($14.88)

7. China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle ($2.09)

8. Women's Poplin-Crepe Dress ($16.50)

9. C9 by Champion® Women's Double Strap Cami ($16.99)

10. Merona® Women's Relaxed Bermuda Short w/Belt (9.5") - Prints ($17)

11. Neon Palm Bikini [Bandeau] [Bottoms] ($16.52)

12. Dutch Wax Sunglasses ($5.80)

13. Open Crochet Ballet Flat ($12.99)

14. Bow-Back Ponte Skater Dress ($19.99)

15. Ivory Floral Print Ruffle Skirt ($14.92)

16. Black and White Shadow Stripe Cozy ($17.17)

17. Pop Thread Shortie Short ($5.50)

18. Trillium Tribal Print Racerback Cami Tank Top ($6.99)

19. Aerie Slim Gym Yoga Lace Shortie ($14.97)

20. Aerie Icon Sunglasses ($15.95)

-Cassi & Katie

Goody® QuikStyle™ Paddle Brush Review

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Happy Thursday!

I first heard about this brush on Influenster.  I considered buying it for a while.  It seemed like a pain to have to leave my brush out on the counter to dry, where it would be in the way.  About a month ago we moved out to our boat for the year.  We have 2 full bathrooms here, opposed to just one at the house, but they are much smaller.  I finally gave in and bought it when I decided it would make things much easier. 

Hair Loss Science

New here?

Hair loss is common in women too!  It is commonly thought that men are the ones who have hair loss problems, but 40% of people who suffer from long or short term hair loss are women!  Unlike men, women rarely develop a receding hair line.  More commonly, the hair starts to thin all over, the center part starts to widen, or a distinct baldness starts at the crown of the head. 

Before we go any further with that, let’s talk about how hair grows.  On average a person has 100,000 hair follicles on their scalp.  Each follicle produces only one hair that generally grows at a rate of 6 inches per year (or a half inch every month).  A single hair will grow for 2-6 years, and then rest a while before falling out and being replaced.  Around 85% of a person’s hair will be growing at a time, while the rest is resting.  Because resting hairs fall out regularly, losing 50-100 strands per day is normal. 

Sometimes there can be no specific cause for hair loss, but there are around 30 different medical conditions that can trigger it, as well as many lifestyle factors. 

-Cassi

Source- http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/ss/slideshow-womens-hair-loss

If you enjoyed this post you will be sure to like these similar ones!

Fekkai Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Statement Shades!

OPI Announces Limited Edition Neon Revolution For Bold Summer Looks

                OPI launches the Neon Revolution mini pack, featuring four limited edition neon nail lacquers, a neon white base coat, and OPI Top Coat. These bright and bold shades include vivid hues of yellow, orange, pink and blue. To use, apply color-intensifying white base, followed by two coats of neon lacquer. Finish with the included Top Coat for a high-gloss finish.

Le Chateau Des Fleurs Giveaway

This summer Giveaway is Hosted by Le Chateau Des Fleurs blog

Too Faced Summer Eyes / CK one lipgloss 

You can win:

Too Faced summer eyes:

This newly updated resort-inspired eye shadow collection captures the fun, vibrant colors of summer with shimmery easy-to-wear neutrals. Be ready for the beach or brunch in this colorfully chic eye collection.

CK one lipgloss:

Lightweight high-shine lipgloss by ck one Color with vivid multi-dimensional color. Ergonomically designed applicator for easy + even application

This giveaway is sponsored by some of my favorite new Free apps and books. Check them out here:

Alien Lab - Alien Lab Free allows kids to easily create cute aliens. Kids can mix and match body parts, save and share their creations. Get Alien Lab for on iTunes here: http://goo.gl/Ou89R

Brush your teeth with funny animals for kids and toddlers (by Happy Touch Apps) Free - With the help of this really cute app, you can encourage your little ones to brush their teeth! Get the Brush your teeth with funny animals app on iTunes here: http://goo.gl/YT2is

'Dice Match 2' is relaxing and addictive. Simply match the colored dice and level-up. Challenge other

players and compete for high scores. Get Dice Match 2 here on iTunes: http://goo.gl/96p5a

Find Them All is a complete educational game about animals for children: find 144 animals from 6 continents in 5 languages, take them in photos and listen audio commentaries, create puzzles, answer quiz and watch videos! Get Find Them All here for on iTunes: http://goo.gl/9X2dn

Dork 2 - Kids ( and Adults ) loved Dork, the World’s only Interactive Joke Telling App, so now they’ve made Dork 2, and its free! Get Dork 2 for on iTunes: http://goo.gl/4JAdC

Good Long Term Care, How to Find it, Get it and Pay for it - A book for you about medicaid, nursing home, elder law, medicaid, veterans benefits, medicare, elder care, assisted living and home care. Get this book on Amazon here: http://goo.gl/7bA4v

Lulu and Sweet Pea Giveaway ($200 worth of prizes!)

Melissa from Lulu and Sweet Pea is giving away $100 to Target, $50 to Amazon, and $50 to Sephora!  You can enter below using the Rafflecopter widget or go to her blog post HERE.

Good luck!

-Cassi

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Review and Giveaway

New here?

So for day 2 of hair month I'm going to be reviewing the shampoo and conditioner set that I got a while ago, but haven't really been interested in trying- it didn't seem like anything special to me.

Fekkai Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner Review

New here?

To kick off out hair month, I will be reviewing the Fekkai Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner!  I received a sample of this in the Target beauty bag and have been itching to try it out for a while.

The 2013 Color Run

New here?

One of us (Cassi) ran the 5k Color Run today and we both went to the post- race part and had a blast!  The Color Run is a 5k and at every kilometer they throw different colored powder at you.  Everyone starts wearing most if not all white and you wind up rainbow at the end!

You should see if there are still openings for one in your area this year!

-Cassi & Katie

Win Washi Bandaids

Want to win washi tape bandaids?  Then go to the Washi Blog and enter their Win Washi Wednesday giveaway!  http://thewashiblog.com/pretty-strips-washi-bandages/

Spring Fever

New here?

About a week ago I found out I was approved for the Spring Fever VoxBox!  This will be my 3rd VoxBox and I am super excited!  My first VoxBox was the Collegeiate back in November '12.  You can check that out here!  Then, I got one more recently in February, the Sweet Heart VoxBox!  That one can be seen here!

For those of you who aren't as familiar with VoxBoxes, they are perks from Influenster.  What you do is after you get an invitation to Influenster (which you can request on their site if you don't have any friends already on Influenster) you start reviewing stuff on their site and earning badges!  If you have a badge from the program they are doing, they will ask you to take a survey to see if you qualify.  If you qualify you get a VoxBox full of free full size goodies!  You then reviews those on their site and on all your social media platforms you can.  Later on they have a Twitter party for all the people who got a VoxBox so they can chat with the brands!  There are also brand challenges you can complete to get more freebies!  

-Cassi

Want to win an Essie polish?  Go enter Kerralina's giveaway here!


Did you enjoy this post?  Here are some more you might like!

Not Your Mother's She's a Tease Volumizing Hair Spray Review

Olay Fresh Effects {Va-Va-Vivid} Powered Contour Cleansing System & {Shine, Shine Go Away} Shine Minimizing Cleanser Review

Broadway Nails Impress-On Manicure Review

Slice the Pie

Check out Slice the Pie here!  On Slice the Pie you can get paid for reviewing music!  The better and more detailed your review, the more you get paid!
Want to know more programs to earn money from?  Check out my page "Programs to Earn Money"!
-Cassi

Hair Month!

New here?


Hey guys!  I seriously can't believe we are already a third of the way through May!  Like what??  Anyways, my Nail Art Challenge is starting next month and I'd love to see you join!  More info here.

Next month we will also be starting our "Hair Month"!  Throughout the month we will be reviewing all sorts of different hair products and maybe giving some away (hint hint).

To help us pick the hair products to best help you, please take this short survey! Click here to take survey

Nicole by OPI Scandalous NEONS Press Release

New here?

Notoriously Neon!

Nicole by OPI Announces Two New Limited Edition Neon Mini Kits, the Brand’s First Neon Lacquer

Nicole by OPI launches its first neon nail lacquer with two limited edition mini kits. Scandalous! Neons includes vivid shades of blue, purple and pink while the Notorious! Neons includes vibrant shades of green, fuchsia and orange.

Each Neons kit includes a special white base coat, to be applied before adding color, allowing true neon pigments to pop. “These kits offer the hottest hues in a mini size to complement summer styles,” explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director.  “Think of your nails as a blank canvas.  With these color combinations, there are endless options for creating works of art.”

Summer Nail Art Challenge!

New here?

I've decided to have a nail art challenge!  I love participating in challenges, but I hate having to do something new everyday.  So, for my challenge it will be 1 prompt a week for 13 weeks.  It will run from June 5th to August 28th.  If you participate in every prompt, there will be a prize!  I'm not saying what it is yet though!  If you wish to participate, please e-mail me here.  Below is a list of the prompts.  If you want to tweet or post to FB about this I would love it!

I do not have the ilinkz set up yet, but once I do I will e-mail them to the participants so they can link up their nail art!

-C

OPI Designer Series Amethyst

New here?


Sorry for the lack of posts recently!  We've been working on a lot of other stuff!  (Mostly a dance tutorial series for our YouTube account which will be out very soon!)

I got this polish back when it first came out.  It is actually the only holo that I own.  But, after revisiting it recently I think I am going to have to pick up some more holos!

Overall, I love this polish! I'm in love with the holo concept and now I have to get more! :)

Review: Theatricals Tights

Most of my tights had rips in them so I decided I needed a few new pairs!  I decided to go with Theatricals Adult Convertible Dance Tights in Ballet Pink.

These fit very well and do have a lot of sizing options!  I love how well they breath, some tights make you so hot!  Plus, at All About Dance they are only $6.50, which is about half of what you pay at a store!

The only con I have found so far is that the hole at the bottom for converting the tights is a little small.  You have to stretch it out a little bit before wear.

Overall for $6.50, these tights are amazing!  Be sure to watch for sales on All About Dance too- you could get them for even cheaper!

-Cassandra

New Name!

Hey guys,
I just wanted to let you all know that we changed the name of our blog because it was very similar to someone else's and we hadn't realized that previously!  The url will stay the same for the time being.
Sorry for any confusion!
-Cassi & Katie

Sinful Color Snow Me White

Today I have an amazing white polish to show you guys!  It is actually my favorite white, and my go-to base shade!  Sinful Colors polishes usually go for $1.99 and that is super cheap for polish!

I've been playing around with new fonts and the one I used here is called Skinny Latte.  I actually really like it because I used to write like this! haha

Do you have a go to base shade polish?

-Cassi

Kindle Fire Giveaway

There is no doubt that Isabelle Thornton of Le Chateau des Fleurs is talented.  This French-girl-gone-Utah has a wildly popular blog full of interesting DIY posts, photography, giveaways, and great reviews.  Aside from being an awesome blogger, she also creates fun apps for phones.  Previously her "Make Me Skinny" or Bon Bon app has kept many entertained as they edited and adjusted photos on their iPhones, and now I'm excited to announce she's released an entirely new app!  This one is different, and for Android!

Let's face it, sometimes you spend more time with your smart phone than you do with your spouse, friends, coworkers, and family... You sleep with it, eat with it, and admit it-you take it to the bathroom with you!  With Smartphone DNA you are creating a new kind of experience with your Smartphone.

What is Smartphone DNA?  

Smartphone DNA is an app dedicated to Twitter users, and it allows you to collect your Twitter DNA via your Android phone, and then compare it against other twitter users to see how much you match!  This is a great way to locate new Twitter friends that have things in common with you! 

How it works:

1. Smartphone DNA shows you a list of apps you currently have installed.
2. You select the apps you want to share as part of your DNA
3. Smartphone DNA shows you how closely you match the DNA of other users.

Smartphone DNA is 100% secure and controlled by you.

Win a Kindle Fire HD

To celebrate the release of Smartphone DNA, Isabelle is offering one lucky newsletter subscriber  a brand new Kindle Fire HD!  Can you say wow?  This is the reader of all readers-with a 7" full color HD display, exclusive Dolby audio, and ultra-fast WiFi it's top of the line.  Don't miss out on this opportunity to have one for yourself!  Follow the break to enter the giveaway:

Bangle Giveaway

Go check out this awesome giveaway!  http://www.getgumball.com/i/DPb4QlY7NZ7mbHzTHG2wUw
They are giving away a really cute bangle!

-Cassi

DIY Thursday: Easy Lip Scrub

So today we are starting something new- DIY Thursday.  It will hopefully be something we do weekly with new DIY project ideas!  Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

Dead/dry skin can ruin the look of lip stick.  Take care of that with a lip scrub. Some lip scrubs can be expensive and some don't work.  Here's an inexpensive one you can make with stuff that's probably already in you kitchen!

What you need:

-tsp. olive oil

-tsp. sugar

You can use less of these, using a tsp of each gets you about 3 uses.

Optional:

-Tooth brush or old mascara brush (clean)

Combine the sugar and olive oil.  

Rub on your lips.  You can use a tooth brush or mascara brush, but if your lips are chapped it will hurt.  You can also use you finger or a tissue.

Don't do this more than once a week because that could damage your lips more.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Kindle Fire Giveaway

Coming soon!

Isabelle from Le Chateau des Fleurs recently released a new Android app called Smartphone DNA, and to promote it she is giving away a Kindle Fire HD-which she is sponsoring entirely.  The giveaway will be hosted by My So-Called Chaos, and will be posted on a ton of blogs!  There will be TONS of ways to enter so get ready for this great chance to win an awesome product! Make sure to come back on April 10th to enter!

Not Your Mother's {She's a Tease Volumizing Hairspray}

This is the last product I will be reviewing from my Influenster VoxBox on this blog!  To see my original VoxBox post go here!

This was the first product from the brand Not Your Mother's I have used.  I usually go for simple, drugstore brands when buying products like hair gel and hairspray because all I really use them for is when I have dance.  These last few weekends I put the hairspray to the test.  I had 2 performances as well as a dress and tech rehearsal.  My hair didn't move!  Now, I know a bun isn't really a hairstyle that needs volume, so I can't really tell you about that part.  I do know, that it definitely worked for me and everyone else I let borrow it.  Also, we use hairspray on our ribbons (for pointe shoes), to keep them from coming untucked, and it held those as well!  There is only one minor thing I dislike- the smell!  This, however, vanishes quickly so it isn't a big deal for me

Overall I love this hairspray!  I will absolutely be buying this again (as I am already almost out!!)

-C

Red Carpet Gel Manicure Starter Set Review

**PR sample provided by company representative**

I recently got the Red Carpet Manicure set with the RCM Portable Light.  I am very pleased with it so far.  I haven't seen how long it lasts, but if it last as long as it says it does then going through so many steps will definitely be worth it.

Olay Fresh Effects {Va-Va-Vivid} Powered Contour Cleansing System & {Shine, Shine Go Away} Shine Minimizing Cleanser Review