Polka Dot Mani {Fashion}

polka dots (especially itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polka dots) are cute, fun and perfect for the sun. now that spring is here and the sun has finally started shining again, i thought it was time for a sunny mani.

i have been obsessed with polka dotting lately because the technique is so simple! just place a small dot of polish on some paper, dip your toothpick in, and get polka-dotting. finishing with a top coat makes polish and polka dots smooth, so make sure you don't forget that step.

happy polka dotting!
xo,
kristie

www.blushingbasics.com

Spring Fashion

spring is here and so is color! now is the time to ditch the grays and blacks of winter and introduce the pinks, greens, and blues of spring.
i put together a couple ensembles that you will probably see me prancing around in for the upcoming months. note that several items are from my personal favorite, Target. Target is the store for seasonal "trend" items that you are not interested in investing a lot of money on. every summer i stock up on their five dollar tees and grab a few cardigans for versatility. this year they have AMAZING colored denim, (colors identical to the ones at Nordstrom) for a great price. save your money and spend it on items that you will wear over & over, like a nice pair of sandals or a gorgeous set of earrings.

here are my picks for spring. if anything, i hope it will inspire you to add a few pops of color in your spring wardrobe.

Spring Wardrobe by krispieleigh featuring rhinestone jewelry

Mango top, £35
Skinny jeans, $23
Tory Burch platform wedge sandals, $250
Juicy Couture rhinestone jewelry, $78

spring by krispieleigh featuring a white shirt

James Perse white shirt, $230
H M short skirt, £13
Pewter sandals, $15
Stella dot jewelry, $34
China Glaze nail polish, $2.75
Moss Sup Co Blue Stripe LS Card, $50

xo,
kristie

Neon and Nude Makeup Trends Studio 5 appearance {fashion}

Kristie is one busy girl and showing up all over the western U.S.  She and her family were in California not too long ago, and yesterday she was in Utah hanging out with the Studio 5 crew again.  She was amazing, yet again..check out her segment on Neon and Nude Makeup.

So what do you think? What color would you be brave enough to wear..and how would you wear it?

Follow-up Covergirl Review {Makeup}

a few weeks back i received these products and reviewed the mascara and the lipstick for you. both products were great and i would recommend them. i put off my review of the foundations until i could give them some proper time to decide if i could really recommend them based on their performance.

COVERGIRL and Olay have teamed up to create a makeup with anti-aging properties. the idea is that you are treating your skin and applying your makeup, all in one step. as with any woman, my time is precious when it comes to getting ready in the mornings. if there is a time saving step, i am ALL OVER it. i gave myself a good month with this product to see if i could notice any difference in the health of my skin. i am here to report that while my skin seemed well moisturized, i didn't notice any other effects.

as a foundation, i would recommend it. i am completely and utterly in love with my Make Up For Ever HD foundation, but at $40 a bottle (yikes!) it can get a little spendy.

one of my favorite makeup tricks is to invest in a lower cost foundation that works well, and to use that on a daily basis for my casual, errand filled days. i want to look good, but i don't need the mega coverage of the MUFE foundation, as well as the cost.  COVERGIRL is a good solution to that problem. it is a foundation that works fairly well, stays put, and allows me to stretch my liquid gold foundation for special occasions, date nights, working with clients, etc.

so if you are in the market for a reasonably priced foundation ($12 a bottle) this would be a good one to try.

xo,
kristie

glitter up your fingertips! {tutorial}

want to know one of the things i love best about the holidays? everything glitters, including my nails. the holidays offer a great excuse to glitter up those fingertips and have some festive fun. here is a nail tutorial using China Glaze's 3D "Eye Candy" polish.
using your blurple (or any dark color), apply polish to the top third of your nail
 

next, using a gradient of color apply a purple blue sparkle polish to the next third of your nail. i am using China Glaze "Marry a Millionaire"

finish your gradient of color by applying a silver blue sparkle polish to the tip of your nails. i am using China Glaze "Lorelei's Tiara" (don't you love these names?)

as a top coat i used my Sally Hansen "Twinkle Twinkle" applied to the entire nail. this sparkle color is much more sparse than the China Glaze and helps to blend all three colors together.

enjoy your Sparkle Dipped Nails!

xo,
kristie

www.blushingbasics.com