Alexa's Beauty How To

Lisa Eldridge posted this video tutorial of how to get Alexa Chung makeup, and to make it even better Alexa Chung was there to demonstrate how she does that awesome winged eyeliner.

She's been my inspiration for my go-to makeup routine this summer and I was so excited to be able to watch exactly how she does her makeup. Plus it was secretly great to hear her talk about the giant "spot" she gets on her chin every once and while...Amen! me too!

Here's a bit more of my favorite Alexa Chung beauty looks. Always so simple and pretty, perfect for a girl on the go...

1, 2, 3, 4

Braid

I've been braiding my hair a lot lately. It's been my go-to style of choice, which is a nice change from my high bun or pony-tail styles that I usually fall back to. Thanks to all the tutorials out there I've learned a few new tricks to keep my latest braid obsession from becoming boring. These are a few of my favorites:

Fishtail braid tutorial by LC herself

Crown braid tutorial at A Cup of Jo

Maegan's waterfall braid

This fun little slide-up braid that's been a fun little twist on braiding my bangs back

And this lovely pearl of wisdom from LC's braid master herself, who writes that her trick for LC's perfect side braid is to braid one of the strands first and then braid it with the rest of your hair. This was groundbreaking for me because my braid was always falling out. Now that I know this trick, my braid stays put for hours. Love!

Images from Pinterest, Cup of Jo, and The Beauty Department

Beauty Review: Lashes & Lips

Last weekend I popped into my local Sephora to stock up on two of my makeup bag necessities: mascara and Rosebud Salve. It took me three years to finish that little tin of salve, but I absolutely love it and had to get another one right away. While I was there I figured I'd get a new mascara since my current one was hitting the three month mark.

When it comes to mascara, I'm a huge fan of DiorShow mascara, however my only issue was that since my eye lashes are so thin, the huge brush made it difficult to catch every lash. So, I decided to give it's cousin a try, DiorShow Unlimited.

I'm loving this mascara. The formula has the same lash intensfying, lengthening, and volumizing magic of the original DiorShow, but the brush is smaller and slightly curved, allowing me to get every lash. If you have sparse lashes like I do, give this one a try and as an extra bonus, the tube is thinner, making it more makeup bag friendly.I've been wanting to try this lipgloss since it first came out. I was so intrigued by the whole "changes color according to your lip tone" idea. The lip-gloss gods must have known that I was going to be there that day because Sephora currently has it on promotion for $10 (normally $22). I brought a tube home with me and since then haven't been able to stop wearing it. It's a perfect addition to my daily routine because it adds just a hint of color and keeps my lips moisturized...love! Now I'm tempted to try the blush and noir versions.

*Opinions are my own

Heather Grey Nails

My husband still looks at me funny when I giggle with delight while I show him my new nail color, then I explain to him that nail polish is one of the many perks of being a girl ;-)

Last season I was head over heels in love with the dark grey awesomeness that is OPI's "You Don't Know Jacques". So, I was beyond excited to see that the newest trend in nail color is its lighter heather grey counterpart...Isn't it pretty? It's perfectly neutral, yet it's unexpected...Love. This past weekend while perusing the drugstore aisles I stumbled upon this lovely shade by Sally Hansen called "Wet Cement"...It looks a little darker in the photo than it does in real life thanks to my awesome camera-phone skills, but in any case, I absolutely love it! Best part...it was only $3.

So what your latest favorite nail color?

1st Image via WhoWhatWear & 2nd Image by Mangonett

Happy Weekend!

Later on today I am getting a much needed haircut and I can't wait! Haircuts are a lot of fun for me. This haircut will be an interesting one as I am going to try out the local Aveda Insitute. The other day I received a gift card for the institute and figured, "Why not? After all, how hard can a trim be?". So, I went ahead and made an appointment with one of their master students and threw in a glossing treatment for fun. What can I say? I live on the edge....

On a even more exciting note, my rain boots will be in today! They were supposed to be on back order until February, but they are coming in early, yey! Rainy season is starting to kick in so I will finally no longer have cold, wet feet! Thank goodness.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! See you on Monday!

Love,
Mangonett

Image via Dress, Design, & Decor

Seeing Red

I've never colored my hair. To be honest, it's just never really crossed my mind. Then the other day, my husband asked me the question... "If I could change my hair to any color I wanted, what color would I choose?"

The first color that popped into my head was Red! In my opinion, it's one of the hardest colors to pull off, yet, it can be the most striking when done right.

So many things need to fall into place. Everything from your skin tone, to your makeup, to the colors you wear, and even the shade you choose. Yet, it has to be one of my favorites.

If you could pick any hair color, which one would you choose?

images via Jak&Jil, Models, ImageShack, and DeSmitten

Belle's Brows

Lady Belle currently has me obsessed with eyebrows, bold and perfectly shaped eyebrows to be exact... As is, my eyebrows are naturally thin, sparse, and lack the je ne sais quoi that is Camilla Belle's eyebrows... For my wedding I had my makeup artist pencil in my eyebrows for a more dramatic feel and I loved the look. Since then, I've been too timid to try it myself... I think it's time for me to head over to the makeup counter and take a lesson...

Who knows? Perhaps it's not as difficult as I think it might be. Is there a beauty trick you've been dying to master?

images via Plush Palate