Cute Nails: NYC Matte Nail Top Coat Review

Recently I was rushing through Target and paused in the beauty department to just take a look at what the makeup section had. I saw this NYC Matte Top Coat in the NYC section and I immediately had to grab it. It was really cheap, and I couldn't resist. Anyways, as it was my birthday weekend, I wanted to try it for the party. I decided to use it on top of my black nail polish. Let me tell you; it made it extremely matte! I was really impressed, especially because of how cheap it was.
One of my favorite things about this is that I will be able to use any nail polish that I already have, and I can make it matte rather than having to buy all new nail polishes for a trend that may not last too long.
The only downside to this nail polish is that after a few days, it started doing something a little odd where it started looking kind of strange (I can't find the words to describe it). But other than that, I love it! 8/10

- E.

Happy Hair Days: Essential Rich Premier Hair Mask

Essential Rich Premier Hair Mask

When I was in Japan last summer, I watched a lot of beauty guru videos, hoping that they would lead me to some of the extremely exciting brands of Japanese makeup that is pretty much only accessible in Japan.

I stumbled upon a video that Bubzbeauty had put out about how she had gotten her hair so long. I had cut my hair in March of 2013 because the ends were extremely damaged, but I was really missing my long hair. In the video (she currently lives in China), she mentioned this Japanese hair mask called Essential Rich Premier. During a trip to the local convenient store I saw that they carried the Essential Rich Premier Hair Mask! Not only this, but they were on sale! I bought the orange one and the pink one (not exactly sure what the difference was, I think my Mom told me at the time, but I can't remember).

I started with the pink one, and I could immediately feel the difference in my hair. I shampoo'd and conditioned my hair as normal and let this sit in my hair while I shaved my legs. My hair usually tangles pretty easily, and I could actually run my fingers through my hair after I rinsed it out! I didn't really like the way the pink one smelled, but once I opened the orange bottle, it was heavenly.

It's a little hard to open in the shower with the twist off top, but the bottle usually lasts me like two months. I know that it seems impossible to get this mask, but I actually found it online at yesstyle.com! They have it for $12.90 which is a little expensive (especially compared to the price in Japan, I actually have my aunt send me some every time my Grandma sends us a box of goodies from Japan), but I think it is well worth it. I have yet to find a hair mask that actually works this well!

- E.

Here is the link to yesstyle.com: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/kao-essential-damage-care-rich-premier-hair-mask-200g/info.html/pid.1030237617

A New Start: The Healthy Life!

I won't go into detail, but recently I have been going through some health problems. I had begun to make a change in my diet previously, but this had solidified the idea that it was time to make a lifestyle change. Now, I am struggling to live away from my parents and to maintain this "healthy" lifestyle, while also balancing school and a social life.

Now, I am someone who can never stick to anything! I will start a project and never finish it, or I will begin to have a healthy diet and right away start to eat snacks whenever I can sneak them in. However, I have finally found one of the easiest ways to maintain this new exercise regimen! I found this girl called Blogilates a while ago on YouTube through another YouTube user. She was bright, fun and super energetic! When I started her first video, I was astounded. I could actually keep up and she was amazing! She kept track of every video that you needed to do for the day (all place in one easy peas-y convenient location). I completed my fifth day of this "beginners poppilates" and so far I can happily say that I am constantly sore and it feels great!


Her website is www.blogilates.com and from there you can find the beginners workout on there! - E.

A Few Changes

For those of you who have frequented Rustic Beau before, you may have noticed a few changes that have taken place on our blog.  To start off the New Year, Erika and I decided to give Rustic Beau a little updating. We renamed our blog A Penny for Your Thoughts and widened our range of blogging topics to include more personal topics of interest, such as our experiences during our last year as undergrads, our quest to become physically and emotionally healthier, and our thoughts and feelings about beginning post-college life in just a few short months.  By expanding the subject matter of our blog, we hope that we will feel more free to share the happenings of our daily lives (in addition to posting beauty reviews, decor/organization ideas, and DIY projects) and therefore post more frequently.  It'll be interesting to see how things actually pan out considering how well our blogging quest went at the end of last summer...  However, what better time to set new goals and challenges for ourselves than the beginning of a new year!  (:

Well, that's all for now folks!  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay tuned!

- M.

Happy 2014!

Hi everyone (...anyone?!).  We know it's been a while...  Despite the fact that we haven't posted in a few...err...quite a few months, Erika and I thought that a good way to start off the new year would be to write a post sharing some of our New Year's resolutions!

E.
- become healthier (cardio 3x a week)
- begin yoga
- be less selfish
- eat less candy

M.
- walk Penny at least 3x a week
- read more
- floss my teeth everyday
- drink more water
The last two are past (and sadly, unkept) resolutions.  Hopefully I'll do better at keeping them this year!

E. and M.
- post two times a month! (haha... but really...)

We hope you all had a wonderful and safe New Year's eve and wish you nothing but the best for 2014!  Here's to a great new year!

- M. & E.

P.S.  Stay tuned!  Erika and I have some updates in mind for what is currently "Rustic Beau!"

I Love Apples. This Is My Apple Song.

After a longgg summer of summer school and work, a day trip with one of my besties was just what I needed.  Once summer school finallyyy came to a close, my friend and I decided to venture up to Apple Hill.  To say that it was an awesomely fun day is an understatement.  Below are just a few of the photos from our apple adventure.

Apple Hill in Apple iPhone photos.

 

 

There's nothing that a day filled with car singing, donut eating, hay riding, llama feeding, and apple picking can't cure.  Absolutely nothing.  Thanks for the amazing day Apple Hill!  Until next time...  Pumpkin patch-ing anyone?  (:

- M.

Unbelievably Easy French Nails!

I used to always pay to have my nails done at my local salon. I would love the classic french tip nails, which would end up costing more than the regular basic polish. When I first saw the way that the nail technician did it, I was astounded! I could easily do these nail! I didn't need any tape or stickers. This is how I did them:

1. For this nail tutorial I used OPI white nail polish (no idea what it's called, but the nail polish is white), a brush (E.L.F., $1 eye lining brush), a tissue, nail polish remover and Essie 3-way glaze. All of these products are relatively cheap, but for nail polishes, any white nail polish will work. Don't be afraid to try different things with your nail colors! I once did the galaxy nail, but decided to do just the tips of the nails as galaxies.
   
2. I started out with clean nails. This is super important. To help the nail polish stick on better, buffing the nail will help it stay on longer
3. So what now? Paint the tips of your nails white. It doesn't have to be neat, just paint the ends of them.
   
4. Pour a small amount of nail polish remover into the cap of the bottle and then take the E.L.F. eye liner brush and dip it into the nail polish remover. 
5. At this time, you will need to be extremely careful. Shape the nails into how you'd like them to look. You can either make them rounded or straight (as I did). Hold your hand however you need to make this process easier. I find that holding them like I did in the first photograph and holding the brush from behind my hand helps me have better control over the brush.
   
6. Once you have finished shaping all the white parts on your nail, put a layer of top coat over the whole nail to create the shiny look.
   
7. Ta-da! Easy, cheap french tip nails :)

- E.

Going Packing Crazy!

As the school year approaches, my life has once again turned into a frenzy of packing. I am constantly thinking about what I have to pack, so that I won't forget anything, and I even dream about packing and moving. Last year was my first year to move for the first time in my life. I had no idea what I needed and the school only tells you the basic things that you need. As the week goes on, I will try and give some tips on packing. My first problem that I found last year was that I had waaay overpacked. I had way too many clothes and things with me. Luckily, my room turned out to be a lot larger than the other rooms, so I was lucky to have enough space for all my things. This year, however, I will be in a smaller space so packing lightly is essential.

In order to pack my clothes, I am going to make sure that I only take a few jackets and clothing that I can make into an outfit. In order to do this, I will be taking pictures of outfits that I have put together, and taking only those items.

I will try and post pictures of my outfits soon. With crunch time coming up, and with all the volunteering and last minute hang outs, it may take me a while.

I did, however, recently take a vacation with some family members. I photographed the place. Here are some of the photographs of the place:

Taking a vacation like this really helped me clear my mind and rethink my life. I think that being able to get away at all is very important!

- E.

Glass-tastic!

Starbucks caramel frappuccinos are my guilty pleasure.  A while back I bought a pack of the bottled frappuccinos to see what they were like.   Although I prefer the blended frappuccinos over the bottled ones, I decided to save some of the glass frappuccino bottles thinking that they might one day come in handy.  And sure enough, they did.  Looking for an easy, inexpensive craft to do one Saturday afternoon, my friend and I came across the frappuccino bottles.  Thinking back to an old project that I did in elementary school, I had an idea on how we could put these bottles to use...

What we needed were as follows...

• Empty glass bottle (preferably clear so that the design on the bottle doesn't show through the tissue paper)
• Tissue paper(s) (any kind that you find visually appealing, but preferably one that isn't textured - it might be more difficult to glue down to the bottle); you can use more than one type/pattern/color of tissue paper and create your own quilt-like design on the bottle or you can stick to one
• Scissors
• White Elmer's glue
• Small paint brush

Directions

• Wash any dust or residue off of the bottle  (make sure the bottle is completely dry before applying the tissue paper)

• Cut the tissue paper(s) you selected into squares or rectangles
• Pour some Elmer's glue into a small cup or container

• Place the tissue paper on the bottle (one piece at a time)
• Dip the paint brush in the glue
• Gently paint directly over the tissue paper that is placed on the bottle in one fluid motion
• Notes:
• In order to avoid getting wrinkles in the tissue paper, begin brushing from the center of the tissue paper out towards the edges
• Also, be sure to keep your brush strokes all going in one direction (either side to side or up and down)
• Don't worry, the glue dries clear (:

• Repeat this process until the entire bottle is covered in tissue paper
• Allow the bottle to dry (it only took a few hours for bottle to dry)
• Enjoy your new, personalized vase!

^ If you so desire, you can add a bow or ribbon to the neck or body of the vase (I used twine to give it a more rustic feel)

You can use this same technique to decorate a plain candle.  Click here to see how!

- M.

Easy Nails

These cute nails are super easy! I don't have pictures of the steps, but I think that the steps are easy enough to follow without photos.

1. Paint the nails three colors of your choice. I chose blue, yellow and red for these. I painted them vertically on the nail.
2. Next, cut strips of tape. Make sure that they are very thin.
3. Lay these pieces of tape out into a pattern on your previously painted nails. Make sure to leave sufficient space between them in order to allow the black nail polish to stay on the nail.
4. IMPORTANT! Make sure that you push the tape down very securely on the nail, all the way to the tip or it won't look good when you take the tape off!
5. Once the tape is secured on the nails, paint over it with black nail polish.
6. After the black nail polish has almost completely dried, GENTLY take the tape off of the nail. It is important to remember which order you put the tape down in. Make sure to take the one that is on top off first.
7. Then enjoy your cute nails! :)

- E.

Latest Project: The Mindy Project

Mindy Kaling is the most recent addition to the list of the things that I love.  It all started with The Office.  Well, okay so I wasn't the biggest fan of Mindy's character Kelly Kapoor.  I actually tended to overlook Mindy/Kelly and follow the lives of/learn about (in a totally normal, non-creepy way of course...) the actors of the characters that I adored - like John/Jim and Jenna/Pam.  It wasn't until I began listening to the commentaries of various Office episodes, that I began to get a sense of who Mindy Kaling really is as a person.  Although I have never personally met Mindy, from these commentaries I gathered that she is a genuinely funny, super down-to-earth individual.  As a result, I didn't hesitate to buy and read her witty, hilarious, you-will-literally-laugh-out-loud-unless-you-are-a-cyborg, book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).  After finishing the book, my love for Mindy Kaling became official and she formally made it onto the list of the things that I love.  I was thus super excited when my friend (ahem, MJ) told me about Mindy's TV show, The Mindy Project.  This past weekend, I picked up the first season at Target where it was on sale (Saved $3!  Wooot!).  A few days ago, I began watching the series.  Three words:  

Watch.  It.  Now.

That is all.

- M.

Photo Madness

I love taking pictures of people. The reaction I get from them is always rewarding and making people feel good about themselves is a huge goal of mine. I recently took some photos of my friend, Xochitl, and I am going to share a few of them! She's an amazing singer, and a stunning, super easy to work with, model. I couldn't have been more pleased with the way the photos turned out and I think she was happy too! If you're taking pictures of someone, make sure that they are comfortable in front of the camera. Practice with them. Get to know them. All of the extra time spent doing that will help in the long run with allowing the person to love their photos in the end.

- E.

A Few of Erika's Favorite Things: August

Hello September! Wow, I can't believe that school is going to be starting so soon! I have so much to do; packing, cleaning and catching up with friends. I absolutely love the fall season. The chunky sweaters, leggings and Starbucks drinks are just around the corner and I can't wait. Now that August is finally over, I have decided to do a few of my favorite things from the month of August. This includes food, beauty, fashion etc. Hopefully this won't be too long a post, I'll try to narrow my loves down to just a few of each category.

First up is beauty! I'm looooving gel eyeliners! I have that type of eyelid that touches my crease so I always have this line of eyeliner there after the day is over. This is especially bad in the heat of summer. After recently discovering my love for gel eyeliners, I found this Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in my massive amounts of makeup and tried it for the first time today. I used no eye primer and no eye shadow in order to test out the durability of it. I did have some creasing on my right eye, so I would probably wear this makeup only with some kind of eye shadow under it.

My favorite fashion item this week has to be chunky sweaters! I know that it was summer, but for some reason, the weather has really cooled down at night, so throwing on one of these sweaters is perfect! You can pair a chunky sweater with leggings (if it's cold enough) or just over some cute shorts. It's perfect for those nights that aren't as warm as those scorching days. These sweaters are also making me very excited for fall! 

My favorite food item has to be cotton candy grapes. I was at a supermarket called Sprouts when one of the employees recommended that I just reach in and try one of these grapes. I was a little skeptical at first, but when I put the deliciousness in my mouth, I was blown away. Although they were really pricey ($2.99 a lb), they were definitely worth it for the treat. Because I couldn't eat them fast enough, I stuck them in a tupperware and put them into the freezer. This makes the perfect, yummy, healthy snack for when I need a little something sweet. 

I have so many favorites of the month, but for my first favorites post I think I'll keep it short and sweet. Hopefully this month of September brings many favorites for me, and I can't wait to start school, to proceed to some of the final chapters of my years in school.

- E.

Happy September

Just wanted to wish each and every one of you a happy September!  I still can't believe August is already over; this summer flew by so quickly!  I hope you all get a chance to slow down and take the time to enjoy your Labor Day weekend.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful here in Sacramento, so go outside, surround yourself with great people, eat good food, be happy, and savor this wonderful three day weekend!

- M.

DIY: No-Sew Hair Bow

 

Materials

• Any type of fabric (My friend and I used an old pair of pajama bottoms that were wayyy too short for her; not only did we not have to go out and buy fabric, but they also had cats on them!  Win-win!)
• Iron
• Scissors (ones that can cut through fabric would be ideal)
• Measuring tape/ruler
• Twist ties or pipe cleaner
• Hot glue gun
• Bobby pin or hair clip

Steps

1.  Cut a piece of fabric so it's 12 inches long.  How wide you decide to cut the fabric is up to you (it just depends on how wide you want the bow to be; we cut ours 6 inches wide)

2.  Cut another piece of fabric so it's 6 inches long.  Again, how wide you decide to cut the fabric is up to you (it depends on how wide you want the center piece of the bow to be; we cut ours 1 inch wide)

3.  Fold over the edges of each piece of fabric (about 1/4 or 1/2 of an inch) and iron the folds down

4.  Fold the bigger piece of fabric into thirds and iron the folds down

5.  Fan-fold the larger piece of fabric that you just ironed into thirds and pinch it in the center

6.  Twist the twist tie or pipe cleaner at the center of the fan-folded piece of fabric to hold the center together

7.  Glue the smaller piece of fabric that you cut/ironed earlier around the twist tie/pipe cleaner so that the twist tie/pipe cleaner is hidden

8.  Glue a bobby pin or hair clip to the back of the bow

9.  Rock it out!

- M.

Outfit(s) of the Day: Back to School

Makenna and I did two quick looks for just some of our back to school outfit ideas. The first outfit has a blue button up shirt with lace detailing at the top and an ombre look from blue to white. I got this in Japan over the summer for just under $20. I love this shirt so much! It's very comfortable and very easy to wear, plus it's just so cute! The shorts are from Forever 21 and I got them on sale for, get this, $2! Bargain finds! I love being able to find deals that are close to thrift store prices, but new!

The second outfit, Makenna put together. She has a green maxi skirt that she got when we went to the mall together and it was less than $15. For the top, she is wearing a white tank with a Forever 21 jean vest that she got for around $25 (I can't remember the exact price).

Both of these outfits are super casual, easy and comfortable! I know that sitting through a lecture for 2 to 3 hours can be really hard, and dressing comfortably is something that will help make the time pass by faster! Plus you can look cute, just in case there's that cute boy in your class!

Stay tuned for more back to school ideas and posts coming up soon! 

- E.