Kryolan: Letting Creativity Out

This month marks my one-year anniversary working for my preschool. It's been such a crazy journey; I have both amazing and some sad memories (kids leaving the school, being switched to a different location), but the biggest change I've seen this year has been my confidence.

I've never been the most confident person. I've been through a lot in life that has actually caused me to doubt and limit myself. Maybe someday I'll write about what I've been through, but today I just want to talk about the positives.

A kind note from one of the parents, she wrote in Spanish! (I blurred out the names)

Working in the baby room, I've been encouraged to let my creativity loose. Every month, the lead teacher asks me to paint something on the class window. It's the first classroom all the children and parents pass by. I've never been put on the spot to let my creativity flow like this. While I paint, the children pass by and are so excited to see the process from start to end.

I spliced two pictures together for a good shot of this one!

I've been so inspired lately and I began to wonder if I could do something more with this. This may seem like a strange leap to make, but I've started to face paint. 

My face, my husband's face.

And, although I still have so much to learn, I'm having a BLAST! 

A few weeks ago, I went out to Kryolan in downtown Chicago and got some face paints + brushes. This is slowly turning into my newest obsession. If you follow my Instagram, you will clearly see how crazy I've gotten with this. I'd like to point out that these are not my original designs, but designs I've based on some I've seen online. I'm still learning how to face paint!!

I'm heading into finals week, so you may not hear much from me for the next week or so. Check out my Instagram and Twitter if you'd like to keep up with me.

Until then, 

-Claudia

Review: Mirrored Plum Lip Gloss

Purple lips have been all the rage lately. There have been quite a few purple lippies that have come out, from bold plum to more muted lavender. If you're like me, you're a purple lip newbie whose a bit shy about wearing such a bright lip out.

I picked up this Maybelline lip gloss in "Mirrored Plum" a few weeks ago. I don't usually wear lip gloss, but I thought it'd be a fun way to try out a purple lip without committing to a full on purple lipstick.

In the tube, "Mirrored Plum" looks a lot more purple than it is on the lips. The gloss is more of a magenta than purple. This is both a good and bad thing. Good, because it makes it a heck of a lot wearable. Bad, because this is supposed to be a purple gloss! I wish this gloss could be built up to the purple tone of the tube, but after a few swipes it still looks the same tone. 

This is way more magenta than purple, but still very nice and wearable!!

Would you rock a purple lip or opt for a lip gloss instead?

-Claudia

Sephora VIB Chic Week 2013!

Last Thursday, Sephora held a VIB-only event in stores for Chic Week 2013. Makeovers, a free bag full of samples, and a 15% off coupon for the VIB + one friend.

I wasn't able to have the makeover, but did stop in quickly for the gift bag and what may have been my greatest Sephora haul ever.

Click below to see what I hauled!

ipsy - April 2013

Subscription purchased by me, affiliate links within post

April's ipsy bag is all about pretty in pink. Getting this bag full of its pinky cuteness really cheered me up after having been sick for an entire week! Read on ahead for my review of this month's bag.

Click below to see this month's ipsy bag!

FOTD - Lavender Love

When I think of Spring, I think of soft, ethereal, pastel colors, and lavender. Now that Spring is over, I seem to be obsessed with Lavender looks. Go figure! Here's a look I came up with a few weeks ago using one of the new LE Maybelline color tattoos, "Lavish Lavender."

Face

Maybelline Dream Fresh beauty balm in Medium/Deep

MAC Sunbasque

Eyes

Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Lavish Lavender" (LE)

MAC "Parfait Amour," "Seedy Pearl," "Soft Brown" + "Swiss Chocolate," "Ricepaper"

Urban Decay eyeliner in "Zero"

Avon Glimmerstick in "Sugar Plum"

Lips

Nothing

Have you tried a lavender look for Summer? Are some Seasonal rules so sacred they should never be broken?!

-Claudia

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Limited Edition Summer 2013

I felt like Indiana Jones in his search for the Arc of the Covenant hunting these guys down. My husband, Sam, might tell you how when we finally came across a fully stocked stand, I rolled on the ground cackling. Though I suppose that's much less Indiana Jones and more crazy makeup obsessed cat lady. 

Why are people going nutty for these eyeshadows? Well, Maybelline Color Tattoos are consistently amazing quality. That plus the wide variety of colors they are putting out, wouldn't you rush out to get any shades you could get your hands on? I picked up five of the six shades. I wasn't too interested in their yellow one. 

Click below for my review and swatches of the five!

NOTD - Bearly There

Rain, umbrellas, flowers. These are all things that remind me of Spring. But you know what has been long left out? Bears. Specifically, teddy bears!! Winter is over and those fuzzy darlings are coming out of hibernation. I saw the cutest teddy bear nail design on Instagram yesterday and decided to recreate it.

What I used:

Essie Base Coat

Essie Top Coat

ORLY "Sheer White Tips"

Essie "Petal Pink"

OPI "I Don't Give a Rotterdam" or NYC 220B "Canal Street"

Color Club "Get a Clue" or theBalm "Don't Pink About It"

Wet n Wild "Ebony Hates Chris"

I couldn't decide on which bear color, so I decided on two: Brown and gray!

I think my right hand came out pretty nicely!

And of course here is the inspiration behind the bear nails:

What kind of nail designs remind you of Spring?

-Claudia

FOTD - Jurassic Park Date

Hey guys! Last week I went out with Sam to watch Jurassic Park in 3D!! We're both pretty big Jurassic Park fans--we've seen the movies more than a few times. I've even written a college essay on the kids of Jurassic Park.

I wanted to try out a wild look, something "Jurassic-y." What's a Jurassic look, you ask? Well, I'm guessing it's something like what I did below.

Face

Sonia Kashuk Radiant tinted moisturizer in Tan

MAC Desert Rose

MAC Sunbasque

Eyes

Urban Decay primer potion in Original

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Sephora palette (light yellow)

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette (Deep End)
Inglot 338 (dark turquoise) + 340 (deep hunter green)

MAC eyeshadows in Swiss Chocolate + Red Brick, Ricepaper

MICA Beauty Cosmetics gel liner in Black

Lips

Revlon lip butter in Fig

The wind was whipping wildly through the trees of this...gas station. But it was a WILD gas station!

I wish I'd been able to take better pictures of this look! These pictures just do not do this look justice. This is definitely one I see myself recreating down the line. 

Did you get to watch Jurassic Park in 3-D?

-Claudia

Update!!

Hey there! Sorry for the lag in posts. I've been incredibly sick this past week with a virus. One or two sick days? Alright bring on the Netflix and soup. But a whole week?!

Just like Sophie, begging to be let outside!!

It's been rough! I've been going stir crazy from all this laying around waiting to feel better. I'm so glad to be going back to school and work next week!

But enough about that! Let's move on to the good stuff!

I do have quite a few posts in the works (including a review for the new and coveted Maybelline Summer 2013 Color Tattoos). So look out for those coming out within the next few days.

Thanks for reading and being patient with me!

-Claudia

NOTD - Sparkling Cat Fancy

Hey guys! I wanted to share yet another nail of the day. This time, I'll be showing you one of my other obsessions:

CATS!!

Cats and glitter.

What I used:

Essie Base Coat

Essie Top Coat

Essie St. Lucia Lilac

theBalm "Don't Pink and Drive"

Zoya Shelby

Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"

Sinful Colors "Ebony Hates Chris"

Wet n Wild 435G "Sparked"

Some of the glitter had already come off since I took these pictures at work. 

Would you ever rock crazy cat lady nails? Did you notice the tiny bows? Let me know in the comments!!

-Claudia

NOTD - Spring Flowers

Hello guys and gals!

I wanted to share this NOTD I recently did. I wanted to paint something Spring-y, even though it's been on and off arctic temperatures here in Chicago since Spring began.

Anywho, here's the design:

What I used:

Essie Base Coat

Essie Top Coat

Sinful Colors "Innocent"

Sinful Colors "Snow Me White"

Circus by Andrea's Choice "Somersault"

Essie "As Gold as it Gets"

Confetti "Ice Ice Baby"

Here is the nail design that inspired me: 

I wish I could get those tiny petals as perfectly as Mademoiselle Emma did! WOW!

I would've liked to have picked a softer shade of green, but this is all I have. The nails are a bit rough, because I'm still learning. I decided to keep the butterfly out because 1. I'm terrified of bugs 2. Mostly, I really liked how the flowers were turning out. 

Have you guys made the spring into spring? Show me your spring nails in the comments!

-Claudia