HAIR: Four Ways To Tie Off A Braid

So last week I should you three different ways you could do your hair using only the three strand braid. This week I decided to do another simple post about braids, but this time I am going to give you four different ways to keep your braid in place. These will work on any type of braid, not just the three strand, and  are fairly simple to pull off.

The first option is probably the hardest to do at first, but is really simple once you know what you are doing. It's organic, which means that all you need is your hair. This also means that it is the perfect hairstyle for if you are in class and you want to put your hair up but can't get your hands on an elastic. The first step is kind of tricky to explain. You have to braid just a bit different than what you are used to to achieve the effect. When you are braiding your hair, instead of separating the bottom of the braid (you know how the ends get stuck together), leave it and braid as far as you can go. Once you can't go any further, your fingers will end up making a hole where the next braid should have been. You have to take the ends of the braid and flip it through the hole to create a little knot that will keep the braid in place all day. The braid might be a little shorter than what you are used to, but still looks super cute!

This is probably my favourite way to tie off a braid. It is so simple and looks really unique, especially with small accent braids. All you have to do to recreate this undone look is tease the ends of the braid and spray it with hairspray. It is super duper easy and can be done really quickly.

This one is a cute look but requires a little more time than the others. All you need is a few bobby pins. I suggest you get them in your hair color, I just used black to show what they looked like. You will need to take a piece of your hair, and wrap it around the end of the braid. You could also use an elastic and wrap the hair around that to ensure that the braid stays put. Then just in the hair in the back. You may need to use several pins if your hair won't stay flat. You can conceal the bobby pins better than I did by pinning up instead of down like I did.

Last but not least, I decided to throw in the classic, easy braid-ending technique that everyone knows. It is extremely basic, but effective and pretty much everyone ties off their braid using the ponytail.

So those are my four, well more like three and a picture, ways to keep your braid in place. What is your favourite way to keep your braid in place? Do you have any others?

XOXO,

Taylor

Boho Chic

The free-spirit, earthy type girl who dresses like her personality is the one that is boho chic. The carefree, all natural style of clothing is one of my favourites. Boho style draws its inspiration from the peace-loving hippies from the 60's and because of this it has a quirky, flower-child vibe. Boho is care-free, natural-looking, and comfortable.

While picking boho essentials, I realized that a lot of these essentials are every person essentials, but with a bohemian twist.

1. This Flowy Skirt...there's just something about it that seems so natural and boho. Is it the chiffon. Is it the paisley? I don't think we will ever know.
2. The Military Jacket is a nice, earthy alternative to an edgy leather jacket or a regular old coat.
3. The Maxi Dress is a hippie-like staple that everyone pretty much associates with boho-style already.
4. A Loose Blouse can be worn with anything, but I think it works best when paired with boho outfits.
5. Flared Jeans- have you never seen someone wear jeans from the 70's? A light wash goes well with bohemian patterns.
6. Denim Jacket is another basic that goes well with things like dresses, and can instantly pull the look together.
7. Boots are a boho girl's shoe BFF! Ones in brown give a more natural feel.

A skirt is usually seen as a fancy article of clothing, but this one is pretty casual. To tone down the casual, you could add a nice blouse, tuck it in to the skirt and add a belt. I find that a cream blouse works better than a white blouse with this skirt, but it depends on what skirt you have. To keep the casual vibe, a simple tank top and some fun accessories will do the trick.

A military jacket is a jacket, so it goes with a lot of things that vary from dressed up to dressed down. A fancy outfit you could pair with your jacket would be a simple white dress and flats. You can pump up the wow factor by adding a statement necklace. All bohemian outfits should be at least a little comfortable, but leggings and a big shirt are a lot comfortable. Paired with boots and some clunky accessories make the outfit boho.

There have been maxi dresses in style since the '30s, but to find a dress that has a '60s or '70s vibe, get a vintage pattern, like paisley or floral, but in a modern shape so you don't look costume-y. Some statement accessories and a wow shoe will dress the dress up and a denim jacket, some jewellry and a simple sandal will make it a little more casual.

A white blouse is very basic, and so is the more earthy loose version, but both can be paired with other pieces to create the perfect dressed up or dressed down boho outfits. It can be paired with a maxi skirt and accessories that match the skirt for a fancier feel. Wear it with high-waisted denim shorts and sandals for a more beachy feel- you could even add a floppy hat to the outfit.

Flared jeans were all the rage in the decades that the bohos steal inspiration from, and they are still super cute now. I think I have said this before, but it really depends on how fancy the top is when being paired with jeans. A peasant top is a little more dressed up, and can be paired with some fun and fancy jewelry like a huge vintage ring. A tank top in a floral print keeps it casual, and some bracelets and a clunky necklace amp up the style.

The denim jacket goes with everything, but I love the way it looks with bohemian style outfits and dresses. The dressed up outfit is both: a dress in natural colors and a boho pattern, and boho boots. Layering necklaces is also a bohemian look that is easy to try. For a casual outfit, leggings or dark jeans paired with a boho-patterned top work perfectly. You can pair them with some ankle booties- the fringe is extra boho.

Boho accessories...don't even get me started. Accessories basically make this style from boots to sandals, fringe to buttons, clunky bracelets, necklaces, and rings. There is so much you can do with boho that I didn't have enough room to putt everything I wanted in the picture. I did manage to put in some tan boots (other shoe options could be gladiator sandals or wedges), a bag (fringe is a super cute bohemian detail, a bracelet (bangles, charm, homemade-they all work), a necklace (the more the merrier), and a headband (or a headcrown both are super stylish and boho). Vintage rings, you know those ones with the humongous stone on it, are really cute and can be really cheap.

The Flower-Childs Of Hollywood:

Nicole knows how to go casual or red carpet, all while sticking with her own personal style. Flowy tank tops, paisley dresses, denim jackets, and loose blouses..she's got the boho style down pat and is a really good inspiration. Even her hair is boho!

Another girl who is known for her hippie-like style is Vanessa Hudgens. She made the transformation from girly High School Musical Vanessa to Boho Vanessa, and I absolutely love it. Like Nicole she is all over the style. I mean, check out the three pictures above, and I see at least five different pieces of clothing that I already mentioned above. Vanessa rocks boho hair too!

If this isn't enough style-spiration, check out the style from the '60s and '70s (that's where boho style comes from after all) and the Olsen twins.

Stores:

A big place where you can find bohemian style clothes is your local thrift shop. You can also DIY a lot of things to make them more boho, but if you want to shop at actual stores, you can check out Free People, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie

Hair:

Braids are just so boho. You could do a regular braid, a fishtail, a sailor`s know, a rope braid, a crown braid.....the list goes on and on. Another boho hairstyle are beachy waves that everyone wants. To make them I use a curling wand, but there are many no-heat ways. You could also combine both of these hair ideas- accent braids and waves are super cute. If you are looking for a haircut, long layers and bangs are always boho.

Makeup:

Boho makeup is pretty natural, like girly makeup, but browns and beiges look really nice on the eyes. A nice glow can be achieved with bronzer, and a little bit of lip balm never hurt anybody!

So that`s it for What`s You Style: Boho. Boho is personally my favourite style and I was going to save it for last but I got kind of excited and couldn`t wait that long, so I did it third. That means that we are halfway done and there are three more to come: Glam, Classic, and Indie. If there is a specific one you want me to do next, so you can have it for back-to-school, just let me know! I will be doing a back-to-school series soon, so keep an eye out for that!

I love boho accessories, what are your favourite style of accessories?

XOXO,

Taylor

DIY: Lip Scrub

If I wrote out a complete list of all of the things I love it would take forever, but two things that would be on the list are saving money and soft lips so when I came across this DIY Lip Scrub with only two ingredients I got really excited and had to try it. It was super easy, and worked well so I decided to share it with you!

What You Need:

Olive Oil
Brown or White Sugar
A Spoon
A Bowl
A Container (for if you made too much)

What You Need To Do:
First get all of the things you need together.
Then, take your spoon and put some brown sugar in a bowl. The amount of brown sugar should be the size of the amount of lip scrub you want to make.
After the brown sugar is in the bowl, take an equal amount of olive oil and mix it in with the brown sugar.
Once it is completely mixed, apply it to your lips using your fingers.
Rub it in for about a minute and then wash the scrub off.

I know there are several different ways to make your 0wn lip scrub, but I thought this one looked the easiest. You could also add honey to the mix if you have some, but unfortunately I didn't. 

Let me know how this works for you and is there any other lip scrub recipes you like?
XOXO,
Taylor

HAIR: 3 Braided Styles That Use Only The 3 Strand Braid

With all of the complicated hairstyles that are going around (like this one and this one), I was thinking where are all the simple three-strand braids? So I came up with three different hairstyles that only use the three-strand technique, perfect for anyone that doesn't really know how to do other types of braids. These hairstyles can be used on any type of hair, and I am pretty sure the first two can be used on shorter hair, with a little bit of modification.

This first hairstyle is just a headband made out of your own hair!

1. Start with hair. You can find it on your head. Any type of hair will work.
2. Separate a section of hair between 1 and 2 inches from the rest. I like to take it from behind my ear, because it will sit at the perfect place on my hair. I also like to tie the rest of my hair away, so it doesn't get mixed up in the braid. 
3. Start braiding the section. A helpful tip: Start braiding upwards, to wear you want the braid to be when you make it a headband. This will prevent large bumps from appearing.
4. Continue to braid your hair. You do not need to braid it upwards the whole time because this will make your arms hurt.
5. Tie off the braid.
6. Place the braid where you want it to be in the headband. Then, so nobody sees the bobby pin you are going to secure it with, lift up a section of hair from where the bobby pin will sit. 
7. Pin the braid down with a bobby pin, then put the hair you held up back down. Smooth everything out so it looks AH-MAZING!

And then you're done!

If you thought the first hairstyle was easy, this will be even easier. 

1. Again, start with hair. 
2. Take a section of hair about an inch or two wide, and begin braiding. You do not need to braid it up or do anything fancy, just braid it.
3. Then tie it off.
4. Finally, and this step is optional, you can thicken up the braid, by pulling on the outsides of the braid. This will make it look more full, but you can leave it un-pulled if you want to.

Then you are done, honey-bun.

This hairstyle is kind of like braid-ception.

1. Again, you need hair to do this hairstyle.
2. Separate the hair into three sections. Be sure to use all of your hair.
3. Tie off two of the three sections. I decided to keep the middle section, but it doesn't really matter. If you have layers, it might be harder to use the back piece, since it is a side braid.
4. You are now going to separate the section into smaller, inch-size sections (or whatever size you want) and braid them (like the peekaboo braid).
5. Then tie the braid off and pull on it to make it thicker.
6. Complete steps 4. and 5. until you do not have any hair from the section left.
7. Let down the rest of your hair.
8. Braid all of your hair together, using the braids as one section. Then tie it off.

And that's it!

So those are the simple hairstyles that you can do if you only know how to do a three-strand braid. These are also perfect for days that you need to do a quick easy hairstyle because they all have less than ten steps. 

Three-strand braids are the easiest, but what are the hardest braid for you?

XOXO,

Taylor

On The Edge-y

When I think edgy, I think of a punky, rocker,grungy, carefree vibe that I love but just cannot seem to pull off. Being edgy is pushing limits, riding the line between what is considered acceptable and what is considered controversial. It is being ahead of the trends and doing what you want with your look. Edgy is being the leader of the pack- even if it is a one man wolf pack.

REVIEW: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Eww, gross zits. I am kind of embarrassed posting a picture of my blemishes on the internet, but I wanted to review a concealer and I needed something to conceal. So there, if it disgusts you just click away but if you have acne like me- and almost everyone does at some point or another- this may be helpful.

Maybelline has a new foundation out called Fit Me, and I really really wanted to try it. Unfortunately I already have a really good foundation that isn't even half-way used up and I didn't want to waste money on something I didn't need, so I decided to get the concealer from the same line instead.

I was pretty impressed with the concealer. The pictures above show just the concealer, with no foundation underneath to blend with, but I think it went on pretty well and blended with my skin tone (I used 10 Light). At first I was kind of upset with the amount of coverage, but as the day went on my blemishes just kept getting covered more and more and it didn`t wear away, so don`t be disappointed if it does not work wonders the second you put it on your skin. I also decided to try to put it under my eyes, even though I have seen some YouTube reviews on how you shouldn`t. I should have listened to those review, because that baby BURNED. I highly suggest not putting it underneath your eyes in less you like pain.

Overall I give it four stars. It was a good price (under $10 I think, and there is a lot of product), there was good packaging (although I do suggest not using the little brush sponge thing that comes with it so bacteria does not spread), it concealed well and lasted for the whole day. I wish that it would have covered right away, but it does work better with foundation. I also wish that it did not burn my under eyes.

Is there a product that you want me to review? Or anything else that you want to see a post about other than reviews? Let me know!
XOXO,
Taylor

HAIR: How To Use A Sock Bun When You Don't Really Know How To Use A Sock Bun

If you have seen a YouTube video on how to use a sock bun, you've seen how effortless and easy it looks. If you have tried to use a sock bun you know that it is difficult. I have tried using a sock, I have tried using the donut, but I just can't seem to master the sock bun look. I'd like to blame the layers in my hair, but deep down I know that I just can't do it. So I have come up with a way to use the donut, perfect for the person who:
 a) just can't do it the normal person way
 b) has layers
or c) is just sick of doing the regular sock bun

All you need for this look is a hair donut, some elastics, and some bobby pins. I got my hair donut here, but they are sold at a variety of places, and you can also make one yourself out of a sock. I used two elastics and six bobby pins, but the number of pins you use will vary on your hair type (mine is on the thicker side).

1. The first thing you need to do is put your hair into a ponytail. Wherever you put the ponytail is where your bun is going to be. I like mine at the top of my head, but you could also do this look for a side bun or a low bun.

2. After you have your ponytail you need to slide the hair donut/ sock/whatever you are using over top of the ponytail. It will kind of look like a giant scruchie-type thing. All it needs to do is sit there at the base of your ponytail.

3. and 4. The next step is to spread your hair out evenly all around the donut. I find it easiest if I tilt my head then spread the hair around with my hands. It is important to hide the donut, especially if it is a different color than your hair.

5. After the donut is completely hidden, you need to keep it that way using another elastic.

6. You can leave your hair like that if you really want to, but I don't so I need to put the ends of my hair up around the bun, which also helps hide the elastic. You can do this in a variety of ways, (twisting, braiding, fishtailing, etc.) but I decided to simply take a piece of hair, wrap it around the base of the bun, and pin it with a bobby pin.

7. Just continue the technique you used to pin the hair up until all the hair is either in the bun or around it, and you are done!

This is my easiest method to create a full looking bun and would definitely suggest trying it out if your donut is just sitting somewhere collecting dust because you don't know how to use it.

How do you use your donut/sock/whatever? Can you do it the right way (and would you like to explain to me all of the secrets to doing so?)
XOXO,
Taylor

TAG: Would You Rather?

I bet you didn't think there was going to be a post today did you? But guess what? I haven't fallen off of the blogging band wagon, I have just had a super busy week where I was barely at home and barely had time to do anything except sleep. You can expect more blog posts later on this week as per usual, but today- because I am still no where near finishing it- instead of the What's Your Style post on edgy dressing, I decided to do a quick but fun beauty tag. I was not tagged by anyone, but whatever, I am doing the Would You Rather Beauty Edition anyways....

That's My Girly Girl

Being a girly girl is all about all around femininity, but even if you aren't graceful and swan-like or a master at being polite about your burping habits, you can still dress like you are sugar and spice and everything nice, if that is what you want to do. Girly style clothes are sweet and flirty, and pretty without being prim and proper. Girly is looking cute and fabulous at the same time...

NAILS: On The Dot

                           
                         
Polka Dots seem to always been in style. The 20's. 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, on bathing suits, dresses, or blouses, the dot trend just never goes away- not that I want it to. They are back in for Summer 2013, and in one of my favourite ways- nail art! Creating the perfect dot can be hard, but a tool called the nail dotter can help make it a little easier. Here are the steps to getting polka dotted nails with a nail dotter.

What You Need:
A Nail Dotter (or bobby pin/straight pin if you don't have one)
A Clear Coat (I used this, in Grand Central Station)
Two Colors Of Your Choice ( I used white and blue*)
*The blue was called Blue Escape but is no longer avalible.

1.Start with clean nails that have no polish on them.

2. Put on a base coat to prevent your nails from turning yellow. I just used my clear coat.

3. Paint all of your nails your main color, except your ring finger (the one beside the pinky.). This will be an accent nail, and if you don't like the way it looks, you can just paint it like the rest of the fingers. My main color was blue.

4. Paint your accent nail your second color. If you do not want an accent nail, skip this step and just paint your ring finger the main color. My accent color was white.

5. Let your nails dry. If your colors are not dark enough, add a second coat.

6. Once your nails are dry, pour a little bit of your accent color onto a piece of paper or a napkin.

7. Take your nail dotter and dip it into the nail polish. Then dab the dotter onto your nails to make a dot. Continue to make dots onto your nail at random, then do the same for every nail except the accent nail.

8. After all the dots (except for the ones on the accent nail) are done, pour a little of your main color onto the same paper or napkin that you used for the first set of dots. Make sure the color from the previous dots is off of the dotter, then take it and start making dots on the accent nail using your main color.

9. Once the nails are all dry, put a clear coat over top of the nails to help keep the polish on for longer.

My two favorite patterns are polka dots and chevron. What patterns or designs are yours?
XOXO,
Taylor

P.S. I wrote a post for another blog about BB Creams which you can check out here.

HAIR: Waving The Magic Wand

This post is all about curling your hair with a curling wand instead of a curling iron. Some people are scared of using the wand because they do not want to be burnt- but with a little practice you can master the curling wand and never get a burn...unless you are prone to doing clumsy things. Like grabbing the wrong end of the wand. True story. I personally prefer the wand over the regular curling iron with a clamp-even after I have burnt myself- because I find it easier to use and doesn't not leave indents on my hair. Anyways, here are the steps to curling your hair with a wand.

What You Need:
Heat Protector (I used this one.)
Hairspray (This one.)
Curling Wand (I used this one with the 32mm straight barrel but I also recommend this one.)

1. Protect your hair from damage caused by the heat by spraying in a heat protector before blow drying or curling your hair. The instructions on the back of the bottle will tell you when the best time to spray it is. The Aussie Heat Protecting Shine Spray suggests to spray it in your hair while damp.

2. Dry your hair before curling. If you curled your hair while wet it would damage it and also wouldn't hold the curl. You can either blow dry it or if you have time let it air dry.

3. Section your hair in half, one section on each side of your head, then section it again so you have a top and bottom piece on each side. Pin the top piece out of your way for now. If you have thicker hair, you might want to make more than two sections on each side.

4. Separate about an inch of hair from the section. This is the first piece of hair you will be curling. Make sure that the curling iron is on, and at a temperature you feel comfortable using. A higher temperature is better for thicker hair and a low temperature is best for thin hair.

5. Curl the piece by wrapping it around the barrel. I find that the best curls are made when you wrap the hair away from your face and when the wand is pointed downward. The size of the curl will depend on the size of the barrel. For example, this barrel is big so it will make waves or loose curls instead of tight ringlets. I keep my hair wrapped around the wand for a little under 15 seconds, but that amount of time will not work for everyone. You need to be careful about not keeping it on too long,  or this could happen.

6. Continue separating pieces and curling them (steps 4 and 5) until you are finished the section.

7. Spray your hair with your favourite hairspray to help the curls hold after you are done the section. Take down the top section and repeat the process of separating, curling, and spraying.

8. Finish by repeating steps 4-7 on the opposite, uncurled side. Spray your hair one last time with hairspray is a good idea to keep the curls for longer, and flipping your head upside down while spraying will increase the volume of your curls.


Which do you prefer the wand or the iron?
XOXO,
Taylor

What's Your Style?

Surprise it's a Monday post! I know I said that I would only be posting every Wednesday and Friday, but I got really excited and just kept writing and writing and could not wait to share it with you. I will try to write every Monday, but if I do get a little busy I will have to sacrifice it. Anyways...

Before I begin, I want to start off by saying that you shouldn't let 'styles' define who you are- they aren't that important. You don't have to wear something because it is in style or because someone else thinks you should. You don't have wear a certain type of clothing because someone says that "It's you." Just wear what makes you happy. But because I am a total hypocrite, I am also going to say that styles can be helpful and important in discovering who you are.

The styles I am talking about are more like categories of clothing, instead of fads that go in and out of style. These styles are timeless and can adapt to whatever are the trends right now. They are used to describe clothing, makeup, hair, etc. They are, in my eyes, the main six out of the dozens and dozens of very particular styles. These styles are girly, glam, classic, boho, indie, and edgy.

Like I said before, these are only six styles but I feel like the rest of the styles (e.g. preppy, goth, scene) are all more defined versions of each main style (e.g. preppy is like classic, goth is like edgy).

Anyways, the whole reason why I am doing this kind of description of what styles are is because I am going to be starting a series about them. I plan to do a post about a more in depth description of what the styles are, some clothing examples, some celebrities you can look to for inspiration, some stores you can shop at, and some other things you can look forward too.

I hope to have the first of those posts up soon. I don't know which one I am going to start with so if you have a request leave it down below!

Before we go into a deeper look at this styles, which one do you think you are and why?
XOXO,
Taylor

REVIEW: Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes

To me, no makeup look is complete without a coat (or several coats) of mascara, but it is extremely difficult to find that one formula that lengthens, thickens,curls, and doesn't clump. There are so many options at the drugstore alone that at first I used to just pick the one with the prettiest design and hoped for the best. After I few tries, I finally realized that maybe I should  read the back of the packaging to make sure it was really what I wanted. 

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes Bottle

What I wanted- and still want today- was a mascara that made my eyes look bigger, and the fairly new Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes delivers. I am a big fan Maybelline mascaras, and while I have only tried a few of their twenty-some options, they are my favourite mascara brand. I stumbled across Big Eyes by chance when I was looking up reviews for another product, and rushed out to the store to get myself a bottle as soon as I read what the product promised.

 I bought the waterproof kind at Walmart for a Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyeslittle under $10, which is a little more expensive than some of the other products but it was still a good price considering that it was fairly new and is like a 2-in-1 mascara. I fell in love with the product the first time I put the brush to my lashes. 

Each Application

Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes made them instantly longer, and darker, and there were hardly any clumps after the first coat. The second coat was a different story, while they were still long and dark, I found that the upper lashes had a few clumps. In an attempt to get rid of them, I put on a third coat which seemed to help and I was very pleased by the final product.

The Awkwardly Shaped Wands.

Except for two things. The bottle was kind of awkward to use and the mascara was not as water proof as I had hoped. I personally think that the wands should have been where the product was  or that the part that connects to wand to the bristles should have been longer because I found it that the rest of the bottle behind

the wand was too big to not make a mess. This could only be because of the way that I hold the brush but it was difficult for me to get to my bottom lashes on my left eye and my right hand was not comfortable at all. As for the waterproof-ness, after a little bit of swimming I noticed that it was a little dark underneath my eyes. It did not make me look like a full-bore raccoon, but I was still a little disappointing.

Overall I think that Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes is a great product and would recommend it to anyone- even the people without the ability of hand eye co-ordination and the constant habit of somehow smudging mascara even when it is waterproof.

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes is my current favourite mascara, what's yours?

XOXO,

Taylor

First Crack At It

I'm not good with hellos. I find them kind of awkward-especially with people you don't know- so,I'm going to keep it simple.

Hello.

My name is Taylor and I am a total beauty addict. That makes it sound like a need a 12-Step program... Anyways, I love hair, makeup, nails, and everything girly. I spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos and reading beauty blogs, but I could never find that one guru or blogger that seemed to make videos or posts that were made for me. That's when I decided that I could write a blog, that had posts that interested people like me. That's also when I decided that I was interested in a lot of things.

Because of that, you will see hair tutorials, nail tutorials, review, posts about trends, random posts that have nothing to do with anything- the list could go on and on. I have a bunch of ideas already in mind for posts that I want to do, but if there is anything you would like to see don't be afraid to comment and I will do the best I can because I know how frustrating it is to not be able to find what you are looking for.

Well, I said my hello was going to be simple, so I am going to stop here before it gets to the point where I am telling you every single thing about myself. I hope you liked my first crack at a post enough to want to come back and read more, and even give suggestions!

Like I said before, if you have anything you want to see, just ask so-
What do you want to see?
XOXO,
Taylor

P.S. As of right now I think I am going to be uploading every Wednesday and Friday!