'stars and stripes' 4th of July manicure from JINsoon

if you're looking for some fun manicure ideas for the july 4th holiday, you are in luck. the fabulous Jin Soon Choi, founder of the nail brand JINsoon, has two brilliant looks she created that you can easily do yourself! so, go ahead and show off your chic, patriotic spirit with these stunning dashes of red, white and blue...

look #1

~ *Stars and Stripes* ~

how-to:

apply a base coat {like JINsoon Power Coat}

apply Michael Kors Gossip on the entire nail bed, leaving the ring finger bare

apply JINsoon Cool Blue to the entire nail bed of the ring finger

using JINsoon Coquette, apply horizontal stripes with a thin brush over the middle finger and the thumb

using JINsoon Coquette again, apply vertical stripes with a thin brush over the index finger and the pinky

apply JINsoon Polka White over the JINsoon Cool Blue on the ring finger to create the stars

apply a top coat like JINsoon Top Gloss over the nails for a lasting glossy finish

look # 2

~ *Patriotic Stripes* ~

how-to:

apply a base coat {like JINsoon Power Coat}

apply JINsoon Cool Blue on the entire nail bed

apply Michael Kors Gossip to the middle of each fingernail, leaving two stripes of blue visible on each side of the nail

apply a stripe of JINsoon Coquette in the middle of each nail

apply a top coat {like JINsoon Top Gloss} over the nails for a lasting glossy finish

i love these manis, don't you? 

many thanks to Jin Soon for sharing her fab ideas!

 for more info and fun nail tutorials, visit jinsoon.com.

info and images courtesy of Jin Soon Choi

currently loving...

how is your post-holiday week going? it's been pretty low-key here. my kids are out for winter break {for another 2 weeks!}, so lots of time is being spent reading, playing games, watching movies and just trying to take advantage of the time together and take most of the day at a slower pace.

along with these simple, everyday pleasures, i'm loving...


being able to wear sparkle for an reason, layering for the cool, brisk days, and creating cheerful ensembles by pairing bright, bold hues...


the newest addition to my accessory collection: this fab Michael Kors watch my husband gifted me for christmas...


finally got a french press ~ a new way to brew my coffee...


yes, i know, it's only three days post-christmas, but seeing the fun valentine's day dishes in Target made me smile...pretty sure it's all the pink...and those mugs are just too adorable... ;)


by the way, the top pic is of my precious pup, Piper, on her second christmas morning with us since we adopted her back in 2010...isn't she the cutest?!

source; source;

Shiseido Backstage at NY Fashion Week Fall 2010

Shiseido creative director Dick Page created numerous looks for the runways of fashion week, including looks for Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez, Zero + Maria Cornejo and United Bamboo fall 2010 collections; each look was distinct to it's respected collection, but equally beautiful.




the beauty look at Narciso Rodriguez put emphasis on clean, fresh skin and bold eyebrows which were the "most important detail of the look". to create the bold look, Page mixed Accentuating Cream Eyeliner in Black with a prototype of a white cream color from the Shiseido labs to create a dark-grey shade. he sketched the dark-grey cream into the eyebrows with a sharp edged makeup brush and used a mascara wand to groom the brows.





taking inspiration from the collection itself, the Michael Kors beauty look was made to be very classic and all american. skin was kept "warm with a flush of bright color" with eyes that were luxurious looking, "but not too heavy" according to Page.





at United Bamboo, the look was fresh, clean and transparent, with glamorous eyes and "structured" lips. "the lip and cheek color from this palette (to be released in november 2010) was inspired by the geiko in japan. their traditional lip color was made from ground safflower and water; this color is similar, but we added more specks of gold."






the look was "transparent and easy" for the Zero + Maria Cornejo runway show. skin was fresh with rosy cheeks and defined eyes. each model's face was lightly spritzed with water for a "glowy" finish.



xo

Michael Kors Introduces Very Hollywood

Very Hollywood, Michael Kors' newest fragrance, was created to be the ultimate in hollywood glamour. captivating, luxurious and stunning, the scent makes a stunning entrance in jewels of shimmering mandarin and glistening bergamot. with captivating performances by jasmine, ylang ylang, raspberry and star-quality gardenia, this scent also features appearances from a supporting cast of italian orris, creamy amber, soft white moss and vetiver for the perfect hollywood ending.



Very Hollywood is available at Macy's and Nordstrom, and online at VeryHollywood.com

xo

fragrance review: Island Michael Kors Bermuda

Island Michael Kors Bermuda is a scent that i didn't think i would like. it was mainly the island thing. not that i don't like scents associated with all things beachy and island-like, but i personally don't prefer to smell like them.

i have found Bermuda to be the complete opposite of my idea of a tropical scent; it's a breezy and light scent that reminds me of a luxurious beach vacay. the fragrance doesn't contain the typical island notes that i would expect, like coconut, but rather is a fabulous combination of florals that are cheerful and exotic.

with a blend of hibiscus, tropical passion flower, and smooth cedar wood, Bermuda is a fabulous fragrance you may want to wear to keep you in a sunny, relaxed state of mind, even if the weather where you're at is anything but.

find Michael Kors Bermuda at major departments stores, and online at sephora.com

xo

Michael Kors Pre-Fall 2009

designers do pre-fall collections as a way to "drop hints", so to speak, before they show their actual fall collections at Fashion Week (it is still of course a real collection), and don't usually do extravagant runway shows to present them. some hints are subtle, and others not so much, but really you have to wait and see to find out.

Michael Kors seems to be using a lot of animal and geometric prints along with basic shift silhouettes, slim-fitting (not skinny) pants and earth tones.







i'm loving the fact that there are many styles represented in this collection. Michael is all about dressing real women, so he makes clothes for every one of them. no, you may not look good in every piece, but you'll surely find something he designs to makes you look fabulous!

to see the entire Michael Kors Pre-Fall 2009 collection click here

xo