Sock bun adventures

Not sure if you can tell, but I'm wearing one of my dad's socks in my hair. Never thought that would happen! I learnt how to do this hairstyle here. Simple, glamorous hair. I'm in love.

Much love, Vivi

Polka dot nails: DIY

One of my favourite designs of all time are polka dots. Simple, yet classic and so much fun. In the past I've just used the nail polish brush to create the dots, but I recently discovered a much a easier and effective way to create wonderfully circular dots. All you have to do is stick a pin into the eraser of a pencil! That's all there is to it. Possibly the easiest DIY I have ever done!

Supplies needed: two different polishes {I chose red and white, but the possibilities are    endless!}

                                 : your DIY dotting tool

Step 1: Paint your nails in alternating colours. For one hand paint three white and two red, and on the other do the opposite!

Step 2: Take your dotting tool and begin to dot the opposite colour on each nail. To create smaller dots, use the side of the pin. For larger dots use the very front of the pin. I like to use all different sizes!

Once finished, seal your nails with a clear topcoat and marvel at the masterpiece in front of you. Happy dotting! :)

Much love, Vivi

Hair: The four strand braid



Today I'm going to show you how to create this beautiful twist on the braid, using four strands instead of three!

1~ Gather your hair into two sections.
2~ Split each section in half to create four individual pieces.
3~ Take the outermost strand and put it under the next.
4~ Continue the strand over top of the next piece of hair, and then underneath the last.

Continue the pattern of under, over, under. After about two rows, your braid will begin to look like this!

Here we have the finished product! This four strand braid gives you a new and easy twist to a simple braid. I'm going to try it next with a curl dangling loose, and possibly two of them on either side of my face! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Much love, Vivi

Beauty-full January

Here are the products that I picked up during the month. I'm a devoted bargain hunter, so five dollar lipsticks made me a very happy shopper! Which hopefully explains why I have.. uh.. five. :)

 The collection of lip products that caught my eye. I was super excited to have finally picked up a Revlon lip butter! They glide on like a gem and leave on an almost shimmering colour. 

From left to right...
1. Rimmel's lasting finish lipstick in Paradise
2. Rimmel's Lip butter in Berry Smoothie
3. Revlon's Super Lustrous lipstick in Porcelain Pink
4. Rimmel's lasting finish lipstick in Just So

I first tried Jergens natural glow last summer and I loved it! It has a soft scent with notes of lemon. When everyone else is going to Hawaii to get their tan, I get mine at home with snow on the ground. Wahoo. This is my first time trying a St. Ives facial cleanser, and it has certainly made a good impression on me! It smells fresh and is a great cleanser to use first thing in the morning.

  I have always been a big fan of Physicians formula because it doesn't clog my pores or give me any irritation at all! So, when I saw this powder on for half price, it made its way into my shopping basket very quickly. :) I've only used this mascara once so far, and I'm liking it! I love it when my mascara glides on easily and coats my lashes evenly, and this one does the job!

Can you believe that all of this came to just over fifty dollars?!

Wearing my favourite of the month, the Revlon Lip Butter!

What deals caught your eye this month?

Much love, Vivi

Hair: braided and twisted

Here my friend Kendra is sporting the dutch braid. To create this look, part your hair to one side and gather three separate pieces of hair, as if you were about to french braid. Now, instead of moving the hair over as you braid, put it under! It's just like french braiding except the hair goes underneath as you braid instead of over! It gives you a fun alternative to a regular bun that's easy to create.

I like to call this hairstyle the twisted bun. It's one of the most simple hairstyles I know how to create! Part your hair to one side and grab a nicely sized piece. Start twisting the hair away from your face, and keep the hair very close to your head as you twist. I like to keep twisting my hair along the back as well, and then finish it all of with a side bun!

Pretty amazing friend right here! :)

Much love, Vivi

Nail Tutorial~ silver and purple

Today I have an easy yet striking nail tutorial to share! All you need to create this look is two nail colours of your choice and some tape! This is the nail look that I had over Christmas and I loved it. Ready? Here we go...

1. First, apply a solid colour to all of your nails. I chose a soft lilac from Rimmel, but feel free to experiment with any shade. This polish is absolutely amazing. It's reasonably priced, and the brush glides on like a dream!

2. After waiting for the lilac polish to dry completely, place two seperate pieces of tape across your nails. This will create a V-shape.

3. Once all of your nails are ready to go with the tape, paint over the uncovered part of your nails with a silver polish. ( Or any colour of your choice) Don't worry about keeping the polish perfectly between the lines, go ahead and be messy!

4. Peel off the tape and be impressed with yourself. Waa-laah! Your nail look is complete, and all the messy tape goes staright into the bin!

This is the silver nail polish I used to create the triangle tips. Try and experiment with the colour combonations. I once used a black crackle polish on the tips and it created a very dramatic look.

Much love, Vivi

Blue Polka Dot Nail Tutorial!

I really really love polka dots. I suppose you could call me a polka dot enthusiast, and since blue happens to be one of my favourite colours, this nail design couldn't be more fun! It is incredibly easy to create, and the end result is instantly classy while still remaining youthful. If blue isn't your favourite, this nail design is possible with all combinations of colours. I'm quite tempted to try a deep purple and lilac with gold dots. Experimenting with nail art is a great way to get creative without embarking on a huge project, which will never get finished... Yes, I'm talking to you last year's scarf!

Supplies needed: Navy, powder blue, and sliver polish, tape, crafty scissors, and a bobby pin.

Step 1~ Paint nails with a strengthening base coat, and then paint on your first colour. I chose this lovely soft blue.

Step 2~ Cut a piece of tape in half with a pair of funky scissors. You can buy these at any craft store, and a few dollar stores as well.

      Step 3~ Place the pieces of tape at an angle along your nails and make sure they are firmly pressed down. Then, take your darker colour, and paint the remaining area! It may look messy now but have faith!

Wa-laaa! Your gorgeous nails are almost complete! Gently peel the tape off to reveal a really fun design.

Step 4 ~   Now for the polka dots. In my first polka dot nail tutorial, I talked about using bobby pins to get perfect circles. I'm going to use that same method again to create lovely little dots on the dark halves of my nails.

And here we have the finished product!

I hope this tutorial has been helpful! Now, go paint them nails girl! And don't be afraid to play with your colour combos, experimenting is almost always rewarding. Happy painting!

Much love, Vivi

Polka Dot Nails

I don't know about you, but I LOVE painting my nails. I love to try new colours and designs, and bring new shades into my wardrobe in small doses, which a nail colour does perfectly. This nail look is surprisingly simple and fast to create. All I did was us a base colour of shimmery brown, then added burgundy and white polka dots by using the round end of a bobby pin! Easy peasy! These colours also go really nicely with the rich colours of fall. Try it for yourself!

// The Details:
Brown polish: OPI's Charmed By a Snake
Burgundy polish: OPI's it's a Duzi Says Suzi
White Polish: OPI, name has rubbed off!

Much love, Vivi