Fashion – Page 2

Nails of the Week – New Year Nails

It has been a minute since I posted a nail update. I did not do much with my nails after my last nail update. For my birthday, I was able to get them done. I got the dip-powder and liked the look. I did not get a photo of them. I kept those nails on until it was time for my cousin’s event, and then I got dip-powder again. I am new to the nail lingo, and I did not get what I wanted. I learned that I was not a fan of the dip-powder process. I should have gotten an overlay instead of dip-powder for my cousin’s event (photo below).

Money spent and lessons learned. For the new year, I was determined to get it right. I still wanted nice-looking nails, but I did not want to spend as much money. During the waiting period of getting my nails done, my nails had the opportunity to grow. This time I got an overlay over my nails and had them painted with regular polish (photo below). I also got my toes painted too. I did not get the name of the color, but the brand was OPI. I am proud of the results.

My ultimate goal is to get back to painting my own. These experiences are giving me the confidence to go in that direction.

Categories: Fashion, Hair, Makeup, Nails, Outfits

METGRADY Celebration!

My husband and I had an opportunity to attend my cousin’s 35th birthday celebration in December. It was indeed a beautiful celebration. This celebration allowed me to step outside my comfort zone. It allowed me to further lean into my journey of self-transformation, and it opened my eyes to some things.

For one, this event was not your typical birthday party. It was going to be the event of year. I had to find a dress, shoes, makeup artist, hairstylist, and nail salon. I had to do this within two weeks because I waited until the last minute. Honestly, I procrastinated because the thought of getting all of it together was overwhelming to me. I knew I wanted to look dang good, but I did not know where to start. I have this habit of minimizing myself, and this mindset tends to take over. This event was not the time for that.

Fast forward, I was able to get everything done, and I was so proud of the result. This event opened my eyes to several things.

I have to stop minimizing myself. If I keep doing that, I will continue to set myself up for failure.
I need to stay true to my authentic self, bring confidence from within, and truly learn to enjoy the moments.
I looked dang good in that Fashion Nova dress. I could see how sticking to my workouts had paid off, and seeing those results made me want to continue my fitness journey.
I can walk and dance in block heels.
I want to learn how to do my own makeup for events.
I need to work on taking quality photos. I took some at the event but taking quality photos is something I want to work on especially for this blog.

Check out the beautiful photos below.

Dress: Fashion Nova – Luxe Occasions Sequin Maxi Dress – Black (Size:L)

Shoes: Black block heels (Old)

Jewelry: Belk – Silver Tone Metal Jet Black Crystal Linear Drop Earrings and Silver Tone Jet Crystal Teardrop Stretch Bracelet

Makeup: Her Pretty Face, LLC

Hair: Courtesy of my beautiful baby sister

Categories: Fashion, Hair, Makeup, Nails, Outfits

Happy 35th Birthday to Me!

This past November, I turned 35. For many, that is a milestone. It was for me as well. I went into this birthday wanting to do something different and feel different. So, I did just that. I took some birthday photos. To know me is to know taking birthday photos and doing something for myself is something out of my norm. It took a lot of mental encouragement and encouragement from family and friends to get the photos done. I got my hair, nails, and makeup done. I even went all out and ordered myself a dress outside of my comfort zone. I truly wanted to represent the vision I saw for myself in my head. I wanted my photos to show confidence and growth.

Initially, I was not proud of my photos. I immediately found all of the things I did not like about them. All I saw were physical things that needed improvement in my eyes. I later came to grips with my negative mindset. My mindset has since shifted. I am thankful to God for who I am, his grace, my body, and another year of life.

I’ll be honest and say that I still have some things I want to work on (physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and emotionally). I’ve learned to give myself grace in the process of becoming the best version of myself. These photos were step one in that direction.

Cheers to 35! Thirty-five years of life, lessons, and love!

Photos by: Andrea Foster @ Princess Andrea Photographics

Makeup by: Cendy Leway Makeup

Categories: Nails

Nails of the Week

This mama did a thing! She took the time to paint her nails. Cheers!

Basecoat: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

Color: Sally Hansen InstaDri #223 Sugar Poppy

Top coat: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

The Sally Hansen Hard as Nails and the Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat are my staple products when painting my nails. I’ve used the Sally Hansen InstaDri before. I liked the color and the fact it dried fast, but the polish did not go on as smoothly as I would have liked.

Categories: Fashion, Nails

Nails

Let’s talk nails. Nails can serve as a fashion statement. There are so many nail polish brands to choose from, so you can basically pick a nail color to match any outfit. There are also other nail paints that can be applied to nails, such as gels, acrylic, dip, etc. During my teenage years, I loved to get acrylic nails. I learned my lesson with those because they left ridges on my nails. During my early adult years, I was in nursing school, so my nails took a backseat. After being a nurse for 13 years, my nails need some tender love and care. Having to constantly clean my hands with soap and water or sanitizer over the years has left me with some pretty bad cuticles and dryness around my nail beds. The pictures above show the ongoing cycle I have with my cuticles. As a nurse, I know it is imperative to take good care of my cuticles as broken skin can provide an introduction to germs. The feature image for this post, taken May 2021, was my attempt at some self-care by getting gel nails at a professional salon. Let’s just say they didn’t last like they were supposed to, so now I can cross acrylic and gel nails off of my list. I want to go back to caring for my nails at home. I’m searching for a routine that can help me heal my cuticle beds and some beautiful polish that lasts. I’ve tried several brands already: OPI, Essie, Sally Hansen, and China Glaze. I have a new one that I’m eyeing because I’ve seen and read great things about it: Olive and June. I have this lovely image in my mind of me painting my nails with a glass of wine by my side and it just being an awesome experience. I also think I want to post weekly updates to show my different nail looks. We’ll see how this journey goes.

Categories: Fashion, Outfits

Sunglasses

Can you believe that something as simple as picking and wearing a pair of sunglasses used to cause me a sense of fear? I finally narrowed down what caused the fear. I have a wide face per my definition, and the temples (new word alert!) of narrow shades used to bulge out when I put them on. After a while, I was over it and decided shades were not for me. My glasses would have to do. Well I guess someone else had the same issue and created a solution for that problem. A variety of shades in different styles to fit my wide face. Now, I can’t get enough of shades and the different styles available. The cute shades pictured in my feature image and post came from Wal-Mart at a very affordable price. I actually had to stop myself because there were too many to choose from. Now, this mama is styling in her new shades and looking to add more to her collection. At a reasonable price of course!

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