the versatile blue ribbon

Today's post is short and sweet. In my previous post, I used a piece of ribbon as a belt for my navy dress.

And it can also be used as a headband, like this. I didn't realize how versatile a simple ribbon could be!

I hope you have a great day! xoxo

the new french manicure

French nails are a timeless accessory, and they have yet to go out of style. Lately, I've been seeing a new type of french manicure, where different shades are substituted for the classic clear and white nail polish. Here's one look that I tried with a sparkly beige and gold nail polish.

And here's another look. This time, I used white, dark purple, and gold nail polish. The dark purple makes this a little edgier than the first look. What do you think of this new trend? Do you think you'll try it out?

home-made stationery

A few weeks ago, I wanted to make a card for Father's Day, but I didn't have any colored pencils or crayons with me. I only had markers and pens, but I needed something for coloring. Then I wondered, would make-up do the trick? It actually did! I used lipgloss, blush, nail polish, and eyeshadow, and I discovered that they have the capability to create gorgeous textures on paper.

I used a paper cutter to form this lovely flower pattern. I then used nail polish to add metallic glitter to the bottom edge of the card.

I used various shades of lipgloss to color in the hearts, and I used my fingers to smudge the lipgloss. I used lipgloss and blush to create the circles.

I used blush, eyeshadow, and nail polish to shade in the four corners of the heart.

broken pieces

I accidentally dropped one of my sister's favorite plates from Japan, and we were out of super glue! Luckily, we thought of something that might have the same effect -- clear nail polish. We were doubtful that nail polish would be able to hold all the broken pieces together, but sure enough, it worked!

Lather a generous amount of nail polish on each edge of the broken piece. Then, fit the pieces together individually and hold them together for a few seconds.

Finito!

the art of the top knot

Summer's in the air and so is the heat. Sweeping your hair up in a top knot (a la Elizabeth Olsen or Ashley Greene) is a simple, but elegant way to keep your hair off your shoulders.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to create this look (without a rubber band!)

{materials: a handful of bobby pins, a brush (optional), and a headband}

Step 1: Gather your hair in a high ponytail (you can use a brush to do this)

Step 2: Twist your hair counterclockwise until you reach the tips of your hair

Step 3: Secure the edges of your bun with bobby pins

When you're finished pinning your hair, it should look something like this!

Step 4: Finish the look off with a chic headband