Welcome Back!!

Well, well, well....

Look who is making a come back to the blog world! Sorry everyone for my little hiatus that I was quickly forced to take! First off, I am now a PROUD PENN STATE ALUMNI with a Bachelors of Science in the Engineering!

It has been a long, long time coming but it was so worth it in the end! So now that I have finally settled down from the end of college push and all the craziness of afterwords becoming a grown up. I am ready to dive back into the blog world.

I am still on my journey to become a healthier version of myself so I will still be talking about my personal gains and struggles within the world of lifting weights and eating healthy! I will also still be sharing, but less often, about polish. I still have my collection but I have been on a MAJOR no buy for some time since I was commuting just under a hour to school every day, the money needed to be saved, so it was.

This past Christmas I received a Silhouette Cameo from my parents, and accessories from my boy friend. SO I have been doing a ton, and I mean it, A TON of crafting!! My Mom and I are sharing the spare bed room and have officially turned it into our Craft/Quilting Room. The progress is slow, but it is amazing to say the least! This also means that I have a really nice spot for me to sit and blog now too, so WIN WIN situation over here!

Some other exciting news, I'm going to be an AUNTIE for the very first time. So don't be surprised if you see some baby things pop up every now and again either :)

As always, much love,
Randi B.

GoVoxBox from Influenster

Hello Lovelies! 

I am VERY excited to be sharing my first fitness post with you all under my new name! I was so excited to talk about this GoVoxBox! Everything arrived just in time and at the perfect moment for me to get started with my transformation! 

I first want to talk about that Aqua Spa. I am BEYOND in love with this lotion! I am so very picky about lotions because I usually get very disgusted when things are between my fingers and then it feels greesey and I just don't like it, but this lotion is so unlike anything I've tried! It's not greesey or leaves a sticky feeling between my fingers! The smell is amazing too! It's a mixture of Lavendar and Camomeille, so it's really a relaxing smell! Another good thing about this lotion is that it's perfect for sunburns/peeling skin!  My boyfriend recently had an AWFUL sunburn because he wouldn't listen to me and out sun screen on... SOO of course I had to play doctor until he got better! :) I put this lotion on him once a day and it's cut the amount of peeling he had a tremendous amount! He barely had any peeling and it was amazing! :) 

Next I would like to talk about the PROFOOT Inc. Orthopedic Inserts! I'm not sure what I did to get those but boy-oh-boy did I need them! I have very flat feet so I am constantly in pain and my feet on sore almost every second of every day! I suffer from Plantar Fasciitius which is a condition of inflammation of the thick tissue that connects the heel of the ball of the foot! If you think it sounds painful, it is! Custom Orthodics are very expensive and I quite frankly don't have the money for them so I'm constantly buying insole for my shoes. So this was truly a blessing to receive them in my GoVoxBox! 

With the summer months fast approaching that means one thing- FLIP FLOP SEASON <3 I am constantly wearing flip flops but after long winter months, like most people, my heels get really cracked! Cue PROFOOT Inc. Pedi-Rock. It is gently enough that it doesn't completely rip my feet apart, but also rough enough that it really makes a difference after my usual foot soak! It has my heels feeling nice and smooth after a few weeks of using it! 

Next in line is the Next Step Blender and Protein samples! The blender is perfect because it can keep one at home and keep this one at work, along with the protein samples! The protein samples came in 3 different flavors: Swiss Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Fresh Berry

My surprisingly favorite little snack from Blue Diamond! Blueberry covered Almonds- WHAT! I absolutely LOVED these things and I totally plan on buying more of these to keep at my desk as a healthy snack when I get a little hungry before lunch time at work! They sounded like such a crazy combination I almost didn't even try them! Lol They taste almost like a blueberry sundae with an after taste of almond! Spectacular! 

And who doesn't love getting free tampons! I won't go into great detail on those but they're awesome! :) 

As always, much love, 

Randi    

As times change so do we....

Hello Lovelies! 

I'd like to take a moment and reflect where this blog was and where it's heading! Over the past month I have really changed my lifestyle around. I started working out 5 times a week, cut out fast food and almost all soda. I say almost because I NEED my Ginger Ale when I'm sick! It's my only vice! :) 

Anyways, this blog has been strictly nails and polish swatches BUT that is all going to change. I'm still going to continue to do nail post but I'm also going to incorporate things like my workouts, my favorite recipes and things I've accomplished! :)

 So my blog name will be changing! Drum roll please......... My new blog name will be..... Fit&Polished! I think this really encompasses where my life is heading and I am super excited about it! I'm really looking forward to this change and I hope you all will continue to support me! 

As always, much love,

Randi

Toes goes!

Soo I don't really have a lot of pictures for this post (but I'll add more later)! I was kind of bored, had an awful day so I wasn't about to leave my house! I received some bad news that two people I went to high school passed away in two unrelated and unfortunate accidents! Today also makes 4 years that I have been out of high school and 4 years since another person I graduated with father pasted away. SO none-the-less, I'm kind of starting to HATE you June 8th! 

Back to the pedi! I wanted something fun, cheerful and summer-y. I'm not totally in love with crazy tribal print but the non-obnoxious ones are really cute so I slapped some on my toes! Honestly figuring out my color combination took the longest... cue boyfriend... I had it narrowed down and he chose the final colors! 

This design was super easy! And the best part, I could be messy and it would still look okay! It was literally sooo simple! All you need to complete this is 3 colors and a striping brush! I'd also suggest having some nail polish remover and some paper towel! 

Step 1: Apply some base coat. I used Zoya Anchor.

Step 2: Appy base color. For this I used 2 coas of Zoya Snow White with appropriate dry time between layers!

Step 3: Apply middle color with a random (or planed) lines to cover the nail from side wall to side wall! I used Color Club Warhol!

Step 4: Apply top color repeating the same lines technique as used in Step 3! I choose to use Color Club Mrs. Robinson! 

Step 5: Apply Top Coat! I used Glisten&Glow HK Girl quick drying top coat! 

I hope you enjoy and if you have any questions feel free to ask! :) 

As always, much love,

Gingerella 

It's been far too long!

Im so sorry I kind of fell off the deep end! I was finishing up my first semester of my Senior year in college and just got a bit overwhelmed! I had to part with my polish and leave it at home because I'll admit I was getting a BIT distracted! Lol 

I just started my internship as a drafter last Monday and I'm very excited about it because it is something I want to do! My whole life all I wanted to do was design and I'm finally getting my chance! :) 

So here's the plan. I have a lot of posting to do this weekend over a 3 day break AND all my aunts and cousins want their nails done! :) But to hold us all off for a bit, here is a simple manicure I did last night because I just could not stand have naked nails for too long! 

I used Gelous base coat that I bought from Sally's, Zoya Snow White and an Orly pink glitter that I currently forget the name to because I just got it from a swap! 

Take care!

As always, Much love,

Gingerella

Cult Cosmetics February Black Box

Hello Lovelies,

I've been getting Cult Cosmetics' monthly subscription nail box for a few months now! I'm not sure why it just dawned on me to actually put each box in a post to review and to provide swatches! DUH! Cult Cosmetics subscription Black Box is what started this "addiction" that only seems to be growing... (Thanks guys! lol) I originally signed up because a friend (and fellow blogger) said I would get a variety of polishes that included China Glaze, OPI and others. I, however, signed up the month they made the transition to their brand of polish. I won't lie, initially I was a little disappointed. To my surprise, the polish was wonderful! The Debut Box colors were incredible! The colors were super pretty, the formula was great, the bottle size were unique (for my collection), and they were surprisingly comfortable to polish my nails with!

So to get on with what we all originally came for: February Black Box accurately named Festival Lights.

February's Black Box was very much anticipated for me for one reason: the holographic topper! This box included 3 full size (0.5 FL OZ/15mL bottles) of their new color line and 3 Nail Art Brushes; fan and two angled * disclaimer, I don't know the actual names of the brushes*. The pictures CC (Cult Cosmetics) posted for spoilers I don't think were anything like the actual colors in person-which is a good thing! The pictures they had made Laguna (right) seem more orange-ish/corally and I wasn't really digging it. Also in respect to Breakwater (left) it looked more pastel and I was a sad because I just picked up one that I thought was going to be similar. BUT to my surprise Laguna and Breakwater looked nothing like the pictures they posted and they are some of the most beautiful polishes I have ever looked at! :)

Since the holo topper was thee highly anticipated polish for me--why not start with it first?! 

Here is COACHELLA! Cult Cosmetics first holographic nail color and boy did they do a great job! It is absolutely stunning just as itself, doesn't need a base color or anything!

Here, on the left, is Coachella just under the 60Watt twister lights, that the name seems to escape me. To get this coverage, on the right, this is 3 coats of pure Coachella in artificial lighting (my Ott Lamp). It's SOOO pretty! I can't even stop starring at these pictures! :p 

This is probably the worst picture ever of Coachella, but here I am outside standing in about 2 feet of snow. It was cold, and STILL snowing so this is as good as you all are going to get! :p

This is Breakwater! Breakwater is a beautiful purple! It isn't as pastel as I thought it was, which let me say this again, I was SOOO HAPPY ABOUT! I love this shade of purple. It's unlike anything I have in my collection so score!

 Breakwater on the left is underling artificial light, my Ott Light, and on the right is outside in natural light surrounded by what seems to be tons and tons and TONS of snow!

Considering Coachella is actually a holo topper--I thought I'd feature it as one as well. Here is Breakwater underneath Coachella! Which again, it's stunning!

Finally, we have Laguna! Thankfully, it isn't as coral/orange as their original pictures show! I'm not even sure what this color is actually? All I know it is super bright! I want to say it's a hot pink, but it definitely has enough orange in it to make me confused BUT it there isn't too much orange either to make it so that is the typical coral color just about every brand of polish has.

I'm sorry I forgot to get a picture of Laguna under artificial lighting from my Ott Light! I didn't realize I didn't have one until I already took it off. I did my mani's statically so I could be happy with the last polishing and leave it. But I think Laguna in natural lighting speaks enough for it. It is a powerful color; bright, cheery, and I'm totally in love.

Here again, featuring Coachella as the holographic topper it is supposed to be! The left in under my Ott Light and the right is outside in natural snow glistening light!

Last, but not least the nail art tools for this month! The fan brush itself is set at an angle like this ... \_ ... where the \ portion has the bristles! There is also an angled brush (on the left) and a not so angled brush (on the right). I think it is supposed to be a flat brush, but my obsessive self noticed it was angled a bit! lol

I really hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you liked it, what I can do differently, what you liked! I'm open to suggestions considering I'm still trying to get in the swing of things!

Much Love,

Gingerella

Zoya Haul Part VI

Hello Lovelies!

This is the piece of resistance!! *insert fancy accent here* Last but not lease my favorite color that I picked up through their promotion! Again, I hope it doesn't surprise you all that it is purple! Here is Aurora!

Yes I realize this picture isn't focused or anything but I really was trying to capture the full holographic effect of this polish and all that it had to offer! When I wear this polish I often have to stop myself from just completely starring at them the whole time!

I really love that most about this polish is that its a unique shade of purple to begin with. In different light it completely changes its color, tones and the holo picks up different colors. But hands down, this color is MIND BLOWING! It's purple, holographic, and completely stunning.

Here is just a few more photos of Aurora! If you don't think this is the most beautiful polish you've ever seen then- well then I'm not sure, I just think you need to rethink that! These pictures honestly catch the most beautiful effect of this polish at any angle!

 Please enjoy and I hope you all loved this series!

Much Love,
Gingerella