Monday, August 20, 2012

DIY Lace Shorts

A while back I was feeling crafty and decided I wanted to alter some old clothes. Having no money and being tired of your wardrobe is good motivation to get these little projects done.

I had a pair of jeans which I had purchased on a super sale at JcPenny's for $4, they did not quite fit comfortably because the denim is cotton and not stretch, so the legs of the jeans were really stiff. I put on the jeans and made small marks to indicate where I wanted to cut them. Then I cut the front of the legs slightly shorter than the back (to make room for my butt) and tried them on to make sure I was satisfied. If you try this project you may have to trim more fabric, try them on again, and so on and so forth to make sure they are the shape and style that you want.

I also had a strip of elastic lace that was slightly torn, so not really usable for much. Since the jeans I used were also the "worn" style, with tears and paint splatters, I thought they made a good match.
I measured and cut the lace to the lengths that I wanted to sew on the pockets of the jeans. I hand stitched the lace on the back pockets and on the inner area of the front pockets, then I stitched red threat along the bottom of the jeans. And Voila! New shorts without spending a cent.

Hope this inspires you!

Laces and faces,
Barbi

Saturday, June 30, 2012

June Favorites 2012



Here is the list of items from my June Favorites Video^:
1. Australian Gold Spray Gel spf 15
2. AJ Morgan Sunglasses
3. Laura Geller eyeshadow and highlighter quad
4. Revlon colorstay Foundation for combination/oily skin
5. L'Oreal TruMatch Concealer W1-2-3
6. Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color I-Need-a-refresh-mint
7. Wet n Wild Megashield Lip color "Within these adobe walls"
8. e.l.f. Eyebrow wand
9. Essence White eyeliner pencil
10. Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

Let me know if you like these things too!

Favorites and fantasies,
Barbi

Friday, June 29, 2012

Today's Nails: Sally Hanson HD and Milani Neon



I wanted to try out my newest polish, the Sally Hansen HD (hi-definition) nail color in LCD. Its a very sheer color so I had to put something underneath it, and I thought of my Milani neon Nail lacquer in "pink hottie." The Milani polish is pretty matte, but with the shimmery polish on top of it you can't tell at all. I used one coat of Milani Neon and two coats of LCD. The large picture is with flash, the smaller ones are natural light.

I really like how you can see the blue micro shimmer. Obviously its much more apparent in person, and it gives a cool, multi-dimensional effect to the nails. And as you can see, it matches my dress perfectly!


What polishes do you like to layer? Let me know in the comments so that I can try them out!

sunshine and shimmer,
Barbi

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

BOWS BOWS BOWS!!!!

So, I have this little obsession with bow hair clips. I also have several head bands with bows on them. My hair has been dyed black for the past year and a half and it is a great background for brightly colored hair accessories. So I discovered that Forever21 sells very affordable hair accessories and I tend to take advantage of that. Most of the hair pretties that I have are from Forever21, including all of my bow clips. I decided to put on all of my bow clips just to demonstrate how much variety I have. I am sure there are people out there with much more impressive hair bow collections, but I am pretty content with mine. I feel a little bit ridiculous wearing all of these bows at the same time but it makes for some pretty great photo ops!











Of course, black hair is not a requirement in order to wear these pretties. I know that when my hair grows out to it's natural auburn blonde color, I will absolutely continue to wear the heck out of some awesome hair clips!

What do you think of hair bows? Would you wear them? What are you favorite hair accessories?

Hair bows and Halos,
Barbi

P.S. These Forever21 hair clips were featured in my most recent video, "Favorite Products under $5"<-Click the link to find out what else made the cut!



Monday, June 11, 2012

Wet N Wild Megalast Nail Color: Club Havana

I picked up this nail polish at the drugstore the other day because it caught my eye as the perfect summer orange shade. AND IT IS! The color is called "Club Havana" and it is gorgeous! It is a bright, creamy orange color. Not too yellow! In this picture I am wearing two coats, but no top coat yet (I wait at least an hour before applying my top coat). You could probably get away with one coat of these nail polishes because they are SO pigmented. I have this nail polish in several other colors, which have been featured in past blogs as well. I am really impressed with this product. For only $1.99 at regular retail price (usually available for less with sales and deals), this is a great buy!

And it goes with my orangey summer themed beauty products for today, featured in today's tutorial! 


What do you think?
Thanks for reading!

Sunsets and popsicles,
Barbi


Skin Care Secret: Avocados!

I love Avocados! I always try to keep some avocados in my kitchen, its easier to do in the spring and summer when they are in season, but during the winter they become more expensive. Avocados are so healthy in so many ways, they have heart-healthy fats, which keep your hair and skin moisturized and your heart pumping. Avocados also contain vitamin K, C and B6, just like other fruits but without all of the sugar.

Whether you eat your avocados by themselves(I do!) or in a sandwich, these buddies do all kinds of good things for your body.

They are also good for the outside of your body! You can make a moisturizing mask using Avocado to heal and protect your sensitive skin areas. I like to mix a tablespoon of avocado, a tablespoon of raw honey, and a tablespoon of sugar together to make a facial scrub/mask. After scrubbing for one minute, I let the mask set on my face for 5 more minutes and then rinse it off. It leaves your skin feeling clean, smooth, and moisturized!

Take advantage of summertime by stocking up on this beauty fruit!

Hearts and Happy Faces,

Barbi

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

May's Favorite Products

Hello all of you dearies who take the time to read my little blog, I have a fun list of products for you today! I uploaded a May Favorites video on my youtube channel and promised to provide a list so that it would be easier for viewers to look into these products, so here you go! This is my first time ever doing a favorites list/video so it would be great to get some feedback on what you would like me to include/omit or anything like that. Enjoy!

11. Paris Hilton perfume by Paris Hilton
2. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater
3. Revlon Photoready Bronzer: Bronzed and Chic
4. Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick: Pink in the Afternoon
5. Revlon Superlustrous lipgloss: Coral Reef
6. Revlon colorstay eyeshadow quad in Moonlit

Well, that is all for now, I hope you are loving the wonderful summer weather! Don't forget your sunscreen!

Favorites and Fun,
Barbi
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Polyvorous Dreams

Recently I have been exploring creations on Polyvore.com, mostly to try to increase traffic on my online Jewelry boutique (barbiwaters.chloeandisabel.com). It has actually been helping, and it has been fun! I love getting to create little outfits and accessorize them the way that I want. It is also helpful to find high end fashion items and put them together in an outfit, because it helps you realize that you may already have something similar that can make the same look, or you will notice similar items in cheaper stores! I recommend checking out polyvore, its a great place to find new items and inspiration for using your wardrobe. Here are the few sets I have created so far:


Country Touch of Turquoise

Coral Accents

A Stardust Evening



Black mesh dress, $39
Pumps, $42
Earrings
Earrings
Earrings
smoke-frame


Fun huh?! I love these looks! Let me know what you think of them!

Polyvore and Pleasantries,

Barbi

P.S. My May favorites video will be coming soon! I'll also post a blog listing all of the items mentioned-first time ever doing a favorites video!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

!!!Update!!! NYX soft matte lip cream

Well I have officially tested the NYX soft matte lip cream in the color Istanbul and I have much to say about it!
I am wearing it in this photo from yesterday, with a warm summer-y neutral look. The lip cream is indeed matte and very soft-it feels like silk on the lips! Unfortunately it didn't have very great lasting power, it behaved basically like a lipstick, but was not as drying as lipsticks can be. I think the lip cream stays pretty moist on the lips to allow flexibility, in contrast to matte lipsticks that can dry up and crack and settle into the lines in your lips.

The color is also very similar to one of my favorite lipsticks, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink In The Afternoon. The Revlon lipstick is more pink though, whereas Istanbul is more rosey so it allows for more comfortable wear (and it is slightly cheaper). I think both products are appropriate for everyday wear-anytime anyplace-but that is just my opinion! What do you think? Would you try it?

It's Istanbul not Constantinople,

Barbi

Sunday, May 13, 2012

NYX Lip Creams


The other day I went out to run some errands with my roommate, and one of our stops was Ulta. Now keep in mind, I'm trying to find a job right now so I'm on a tight budget. In light of that I have not been buying any new cosmetics so that I'm not spending money I don't have on things I don't really need. However, I have been wanting to try out these lip creams since they came out forever ago, and I have been hearing such great things about them.

These lip creams retail for 5.99 at ULTA usually, but they were on sale this week, so I got them for an extra 1.50 off, plus my rewards card discounted them a bit more so ultimately I got them for 3.62 each! On top of that I used my rewards points to get another 3.00 off of my transaction-WHAT DEALS!

So I am thoroughly pleased with the deal I got on these two lip creams. I got one from each type of finish, the Xtreme Lip cream has a more satin or glossy finish, and the color I got from that is Nude peach fuzz (bottom photo). This color applies very opaque so you have to be careful not to swipe it all over your face. Other than that it applies like a lip gloss, but it lasts all day! It didn't even transfer very much when I was drinking some ice tea from a glass.

I haven't tried it yet, but I also got one of the Soft Matte Lip Creams in Istanbul (top photo). I have been in love with this shade forever and I'm so ecstatic to have it! It is a rosie pink color, when swatched it seems to apply just as opaque but much more pink than the other color, so don't be misled by their similar appearances in the photos. I will do application comparisons and update this review when I've thoroughly tested out Istanbul. Yay!

Well it seems I'm a bit wordy in regards to these products, but thank you for taking the time to read all of that! Don't hesitate to ask questions or make requests in the comments!

Peach fuzz pouts,
Barbi

Friday, May 11, 2012

Jergen's Natural? Glow Daily Moisturizer

This is a much talked about product for the spring and summer, a self tan lotion with spf that creates a gradually darkening of the skin. I'm sure many people do what I did for years, always walking past it in the stores, even when it was on sale, because I have had such bad experiences with self tanners and I was just too skeptical to give it a risk.

Well I finally broke down and decided to try it out a little over a year ago. It took me the whole summer to use up the bottle, but that is probably because after a while I just didn't need to use it anymore. This lotion is perfectly moisturizing, I prefer it to my regular vaseline with cocoa butter lotion, and it helps to get my summer tan started.

You do have to use it at least once a day consistently in order to see any difference, and some days I use it twice to really get that color boost going. It does what it claims: it gradually deepens the color of your skin while moisturizing and firming at the same time. On top of all of that, it has an SPF of 20, which makes it perfect for staring out that summer tan! I use this consistently for a few weeks to get my pre-tan built up, but then after spending plenty of time under the summer sun (with sun screen on, of course) then I build up a natural tan and don't really need to use it anymore.

 I save it until the end of the summer, and as the Fall creeps in and my natural tan starts to fade,  I start using it again to make my tan last as long as possible.

I really love the way my skins receives this lotion, and it has never given me the problems that other self tanners have given me (unbearable sour odor, orange stains on my hands, on my clothes, on my towels...etc..etc...) No stinky orange with this one!

So I hope this helps anyone who has been wondering about the famous Jergen's natural glow, I do recommend it for getting a bit of color going on your skin. Especially for those with extra sensitive skin who really should not be tanning under the sun, I would recommend you stick to this for the whole season!

Tans and Twinkles,

Barbi

Monday, April 16, 2012

How to train your jewelry

This is how to display your jewelry in a creative and innovative way when you have little room and no budget.
LOOK CLOSELY! You may find my gorgeous handmade-from-vintage-buttons ring from Made by Bee on etsy!
I love the way the jewels sparkle when the light is on!

I have had this lamp since wayyy back in high school, its just a simple lamp from IKEA. I poked a couple of holes in the lampshade to test it out and the holes are hardly visible without the earrings in them. So I went for it and put a few of my most worn pairs of earrings on the lamp shade.

As for the Jewel tree, that was from Target, it was originally $19.99 but I got it on sale (look for the sales and coupons, it will save you a bundle my friends). I mostly put only Chloe+Isabel Jewelry on the tree as it goes with the birdy theme and it helps me keep the items separate for when I do 25 days of Jewels.

For my long, non Chloe+Isabel necklaces, I just used clear push pins to hang them along the wall in coordination with my picture frames (not photoed due to flash glare).

Altogether, I think it looks very nice, and it makes my jewels much more easily accessible; which is great because I am always hurriedly throwing on something as I run out the door to classes!

I hope you like the idea, and are inspired by my little creation!

Cuddles and Creativity,
Barbi

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

25 Days of Jewels Day 4



Today is a rainy and cold day, so of course I am wearing my oversized scarf! These jewels go perfectly with it. Adding an artistic scarf quickly turns these jewels from glammy chic to a bohemian dream! 
I'm wearing the Lotus Pearl Cluster Drop Earrings, and one of my absolute favorites, the Modern Deco Stretch Bracelet! Check out its new colorful twin! http://barbiwaters.chloeandisabel.com/products/B012G/modern-deco-stretch-bracelet-1

Can't wait to get my hands on that beauty!

Enjoying spring showers,
Barbi

Saturday, March 31, 2012

NEW! Wet 'n' Wild Megashield lip color SPF 15

Hellooo there! It has been so long since I posted! School has kept me very busy. I have many photos to edit and "jewels of the day" posts to write, so it will take me a while to get caught up, but I'll get there. For now I would like give a review of some new Wet 'n' Wild products that came out a few weeks ago. They are called "megashield lip color" and have an spf of 15, so they will protect your lips if you are out in the sun. Usually when I am in the sun I have to just wear a lip balm with SPF, and I usually don't wear lipstick over it because when I used to do that my lips would still get irritated regardless of the spf in the lip balm (maybe the lipstick formula dilutes the spf in the lip balm? must investigate further).

SO I am pretty excited about this product! I love that I get to have opaque color and sun protection-cute and safe! The color range is pretty decent for this type of product, there are 14 colors total ranging from nude to deep red (not your normal tinted lip-balm that only comes in 4 colors). This product is described as a lipstick, and applies as one-smooth and opaque-giving nice creamy color. So far I only have 2 colors: Bare-ly Legal and It's a Girl.
 Bare-ly Legal is this great, deep nude shade. It is a little too dark to wear as a nude for my skin color, but would fit perfectly for those who have medium-dark skin tones.

It's a Girl is an adorable, baby-pink color (hence the name), very girly and bright! I love the way this color looks on my lips and I can't wait to wear it throughout this spring.

Both colors are very creamy, and have a shine but no shimmer. The shine is probably because of whatever they use for SPF in the formula, and in real life it is not as reflective as the photos (camera flash was needed). Because these are lipsticks, they last as long as lipsticks. I actually find that it does not transfer as much as regular lipsticks when I eat or drink something while wearing it.

I am loving these lipsticks and can't wait to go pick up a few more colors, it will be easily affordable because they are only $2.99 at the drugstore!

Thanks for hanging in there while I am preoccupied with school, I'm sure the summer will allow for much more blog posting and videos!

Protection and Prettiness,
Barbi

Thursday, March 8, 2012

25 Days of Jewels-Day 3

Today I just used a couple of pieces of jewelry to make an outfit out of a colorful blouse.

This is also what I wore while sitting in the audience of the Ellen Degeneres show! Check out the show tomorrow if you want to try and spot me in the crowd!

I'm wearing the Lotus Pearl Cluster Drop Earrings and the Modern Deco Stretch Bracelet.
I'm really fond of these pieces and I'm glad I decided to wear them today because they made my outfit fabulous!

Thanks for reading!

Spirit and Sparkles,
Barbi

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

25 Days of Jewels-Day 2

Today's style was modernized retro, with pin-up makeup and my hair wrapped in a scarf (what you can't see is James Dean's face on my shirt!)

I chose pieces that would accent the white and grey print on my shirt, as well as add just a bit of retro fashionista feel. I'm wearing Rocker Chic Spike Shower Earrings, Pave Ball Sliding Pendant necklace, and Oversized Smooth Metal Ring.

I am really enjoying the combination of these three pieces together! What do you think? Would you wear it?

Shop Chloe+Isabel here: http://barbiwaters.chloeandisabel.com/shop-our-jewelry

Blue skies and Cat-eyes,
Barbi

Monday, March 5, 2012

25 days of Jewels-Day 1

For most of March I am going to demonstrate 25 different ways to wear Chloe+Isabel jewelry. There will be a variety of combinations to give you styling ideas. Here is DAY 1:


I am wearing a plain black V-neck t-shirt with a black blazer. To dress up this look, wear a pencil skirt or dress slacks. To sport this casually like I am, wear jeans. The names of the earrings are "retro glam oversize button earrings" and the necklace is "Pave bar pendant necklace"

Leave a comment on what you think of this idea, "25 days of Jewels," and thank you for reading my blog!

Shop Chloe+Isabel jewelry:  http://barbiwaters.chloeandisabel.com/shop-our-jewelry

Jewels and Joy,
Barbi

E.L.F. Nail Polish in Teal Blue and Plum

I just wanted to show how these nail polishes perform, since I know there is some skepticism since they are $2 polishes.

e.l.f. has a lot of surprises for us in the quality of their products and their nail polishes are a testimony to this, I have never been disappointed by their polishes. They are easy to apply, only need 2 coats for absolute opacity, and are as long lasting as the Revlon color-stay nail polishes.

I like the combination of these two colors together, I think it looks nice for the coming spring.

Pretties and polishes,
Barbi

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Love&Beauty Gold

I received this little bottle o' gold as a free gift a while back when I made a decent sized purchase at Forever21. I am really picky about my perfumes so I was glad it was a small bottle, I planned to try it out a couple times, not like it, and store it as a backup. Boy was I surprised when I instantly loved the scent of this perfume! Here is the description from the Forever21 website:


"Capture the essence of opulent gold with this perfume that features a wonderful mix of gardenia, star jasmine, caramel and other intoxicating scents."

Well, I don't know what any of that means. What I do know is that the smell of this stuff, as well as being feminine, is very sophisticated. It makes me feel like a luxurious business woman when I wear it. It also lasts a very long time, so I don't have to reapply throughout the day-2 sprays in the morning (one on my wrists and one in my hair) and I'm all set! This is probably now my second favorite perfume, and it is super cheap! Yay for surprises!
Thank you Forever21, you never fail me!




Purchase this item here: Love&Beauty Gold Perfume




Love&Beauty,
Barbi

Monday, February 27, 2012

Beige, Purple, and Mint Plaid nails?


Kind of. I used e.l.f. nail polish in "nude" and Wet 'n' Wild megalast salon nail polishes in "on a trip"(periwinkle purple) and "I need a refresh-mint"(light turquoise)





To get the thin lines I used a synthetic painting brush (winsor and newton 000). I won't even try to claim that I have a steady hand, I never have and I never will-so my lines are never perfect. But I don't let that keep me from having cute designs on my nails (and it certainly doesn't keep me from my other forms of artistic expression!)


I thought this would look cool for this time of the year, since it is kind of a transition period between winter and spring and this look is a combination of color and neutral! What do you think? Would you try it?

Polish and Ponies,
Barbi

Sunday, February 19, 2012

A colorful look for blue eyes

Today I am going to show you step by step how to get this look: 

This is a great look for all of my blue-eyed friends! the blue and pink eyeshadow will enhance the color of your eye, while the grey outer corner will enhance the shape of your eye.

Step 1: Prime your eye! I used Urban Decay eyeshadow Primer Potion:
Step 2: Apply a light blue (or turquoise if you would like) eyeshadow to the main part of your eyelid, staying below your eye crease, I'm using an eyeshadow applicator sponge:

Step 3: Apply a light pink eyeshadow to the inner corner area of the eye, and drag it through the crease about halfway across the eyelid:

Step 4: Apply a medium grey eyeshadow on the outer corner of the eye, following a sideways 'V' shape, pointing away from the eye. Apply the grey into the crease of the eye, and drag it down to the lash line to get that 'v' shape. When you apply the grey eyeshadow into the crease, blend it slightly with the pink when the two colors meet.
Step 5: Use a light brown eye shadow, matte would work best, and lightly blend it on the brow brown to create a smooth transition between the crease color and your skin color, for this I used a blending brush:
Step 6: Apply a light cream eyeshadow below the eyebrow to create a highlight:
Step 7: Eyeliner! Use whatever liner you prefer, I used my ELF liquid liner in black, apply a thin line that is smallest near the tear duct and grows larger towards the outside of the eye:

Step 8: Mascara! I used L'oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black, but you can use whatever you like:
Step 9 and 10: I used Elf Candid Coral blush for a subtle glow to the cheeks, and a nude lipstick. I curled my hair to really polish off the look.
The eyeshadow I used for this look is from the ELF cool colors 32 eyeshadow Pallet. Wow I used a lot of ELF in this look!

I hope you Liked this step by step tutorial, let me know if you have any questions!

Love and lipstick,
Barbi