I wanted to share just a few of my recently purchased beauty favorites. I love buying one or two new lip colors at the beginning of every season. For Spring I was definitely thinking pink.

1.) Korres Lip Butter: I am in love with this lip butter! In the pot the color looks scary bright pink but once you apply it is a beautiful sheer shade of pink. The moisture it provides your lips is unbelievable and I really like the fact that it is natural. No parabens etc.

2.) Tarte Divine Shine Lip Gloss: This is a really pretty shade of pink. What caught my eye of course was the adorable floral print packaging. Has better staying power than most natural products.

3.) Twirl by Kate Spade: A nice fresh fragrance that just makes me happy. The perfume bottle is covered in gold polka dots…need I say more?

1.) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire and Ice has been around since the 1950′s. The iconic shade is the perfect blue red, and works well on every complexion. This was the first red lipstick I ever bought. I love it for it’s creamy texture and lasting color. In Revlon’s 1952 ad for the Fire & Ice Collection, Dorian Leigh was photographed by Richard Avedon wearing a sparkling silver gown and a red cape (a copy of a Balenciaga cape). The advertisement became a Madison Avenue legend because of the full-page quiz next to the sensual ad. The ad asked, “Are You Made For ‘Fire and Ice?’”

2.) MAC Lady Danger Lipstick is a gorgeous bright fiery orange-red similar to NARS Heat Wave. This shade was on my wishlist for awhile. I received it last Christmas from the mister. It is by far my favorite red! The color goes on opaque and is matte. It lasts forever but can be a bit drying as the day goes on. Add a little lip balm between touch ups and you’ll be in good shape.

3.) CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipcolor in Flame is the newest addition to my collection. It is a vibrant pinky-red with a soft creamy finish and opaque color. Very moisturizing and reasonably priced.

image source: one. two. three.

I’ve been wanting to try this side chignon since I saw it in the Summer issue of Martha Stewart Weddings alongside some other DIY wedding hairstyles. Also, if I could have any hair color this beautiful shade of red would be it! Below is a step-by-step guide to creating a side chignon.

1. Using a round brush, blow-dry hair smooth and straight, focusing on the top sections

2. Once dry, use a large-barrel curling iron to create waves from the ears down

3. Build height and volume at the crown by teasing hair gently with a fine-tooth comb

4. Gather hair into a low ponytail; twist it along the nape of your neck, pinning as you go

5. Once you reach your ear, shape the remaining hair into curls, and pin them back over the twist

6. Spritz strands in place

Last night I wanted to try something different than my usual paint job. I searched around awhile and found a tutorial for a gradient manicure. I used OPI Big Apple Red (the perfect red in my opinion) as my base color and OPI Wine Me & Dine Me for the darker color.

You’ll want to start out with a clear base coat followed by the base color. Make sure to let each coat dry before moving on to the next step. Grab a craft sponge and paint some of the darker shade onto it (you could also dip your sponge into the polish). Now is the fun part! Dab the sponge onto your nail working your way to the tip of the nail. The color should gradually get darker. You can do this from dark to light as well. This video tutorial is really helpful.

These are my nails using the new polish I bought on Sunday. It’s OPI Jade is the New Black from the Summer collection. This is a great shade though I was hoping to get Cuckoo For This Color from the new Swiss collection but the salon I went to was sold out.