Carolyn Braden's Pinterest Pin: Camo

I walked past a man's camo shirt at Target the other day and thought it would look cute on me. I was right on the style mark.

Carolyn Braden's TOIE: How to Make a No Sew Tutu

Carolyn Braden: Pinterest...Remember This? Fashion Plates

These were my inspiration for my future love for fashion. Only in the 80's.

Carolyn Braden's DIY No Sew (or Sew) Tutu

Here's my latest creation....the DIY tutu. I've loved tutu's since I can remember and they just so happen to be very in style right now. This one is for my niece, the little ballerina. You can do this either by knotting elastic or by sewing elastic (no sew or sew). I chose to do a little tacking to make it look as close to perfect as I could. I will be making a how to video soon. It was very simple fashionable craft.

Carolyn Braden: Baiden Mitten...How to Remove Self Tanner

When self tanner starts to wear off it can look pretty funky. After doing research on how to get rid of old self tanner, I discovered the Baiden Mitten. I've been using it since July and I love it. It not only gets rid of self tanner but it also exfoliates your skin. I even use it to exfoliate my face. It is made of 100% Viscose. It visibly erases dead skin. Seriously.....you see it roll off your body. When I am ready for a new self tan, I use this and my skin is evenly prepped.
www.baidenmitten.com

Carolyn Braden's "Over the Moon" #Holiday Gel Polish Mani

My first attempt at a moon mani. I used Shellac and RCM gel polishes. It was easier to do than I thought and I love how it turned out.

Carolyn Braden's Blue Sparkle Nails

Here's my latest attempt at being creative with my gel polishes. I used RCM Love Those Baby Blues and Glitteratzzi on all my nails except my ring fingers. On those nails I used Shellac Cream Puff as a base and "sponged" on the RCM blue with Shellac Hot Pop Pink. I then topped those nails with the RCM sparkles.

Carolyn Braden: Ways To Wear a Scarf

Here are some ideas on how to wear a scarf. It's from ipsy.com.

Carolyn Braden: Tried Sally Hansen Gel Polish Strips

I wish I could say this product is amazing but I can't. I love Sally Hansen's products. The gel strips unfortunately don't measure up. I followed the directions to the T and they chipped within a day. One gel strip actually started peeling off my thumbnail within an hour. I superglued it down hoping maybe I made a mistake since it was the first nail I did. I didn't make a mistake; it's just not a great product. The strips lasted on most of my nails but the tips chipped fast. The regular polish strips last much longer so I'll be sticking to those and my Shellac and my RCM. Maybe others will have success with the gel polish strips but I did not.
FYI:
My mom bought Gelish gel polishes and let me use them. They lasted just as long as Shellac and RCM. I may be buying that brand next time along with my regulars.

Carolyn Braden says "Remember This?"

The silver puffy heart necklace. I recently found mine in an old jewelry box. I think I got it in grade school. I shined it up and wore it tonight. It still looks great!

Carolyn Braden's November Glam Bag From Ipsy

Here are the cool new makeup toys I get to play with this month. I particularly like the Bare Minerals Moxie lip gloss.

Carolyn Braden's Snowfall Gel Mani

I saw this "Snowfall" manicure in my December 2012 issue of InStyle. I used my gel polishes to recreate it my own way. I think it turned out pretty good!

Carolyn Braden's RCM Gel Polish, 9 Inch Heels

This is Shades of Gray and 9 Inch Heels in an alternative French mani. I had to have steady hands for this one and I think it worked out okay.

Carolyn Braden Likes Ipsy (Formerly My Glam)

I received my first Glam Bag today from Ipsy.com. Ipsy is a company that is all about beauty. For ten dollars a month, they will send you a cosmetics bag filled with samples and full size products. You can cancel your subscription at any time. This month was inspired by the "bombshell" look. I received deluxe samples of Pequi Oil hair treatment, theBalm What's Your Type mascara and Coastal Scents eyeshadow. I received full size Mirenesse Lip Bomb and Be A Bombshell eyeliner. The chevron striped bag is adorable. I am already excited for next month's bag! I love how they send you a tracking number so you know when you'll receive your bag. So far Ipsy has impressed me and my beauty habits are inspired.

Carolyn Braden: Good Beauty With Sephora, Bad Fashion With Shoes.com

I had to report on a good beauty company and a not so good fashion company.
Good news first: Sephora brightened up my week by drawing my name during their ladies night event. I won $650.00 worth of beauty products. I looked up the price of each item and was seriously wowed! I was just there to use my 10% off coupon in order to restock on Urban Decay's De-Slick spray and I purchased the perfume sampler (sample perfumes then return the certificate for a full size bottle, great deal!) I never knew I would be greatly surprised with leaving the store with so much more! See the photo of what I won. I will report on which products are "Worth it!"

Bad news: I'm sad to report this about a fashion company: I will never ever purchase anything from www.shoes.com again and I highly recommend people follow suit. I purchased Franco Sarto's Poet boot on October 3rd. A week went by and my credit card was charged but no boots arrived. After being on hold for over 20 minutes, a customer service rep told me their warehouse was not shipping orders until 10 days after purchases are made. The website stated they would be shipped within 3 business days. I told her to refund my money knowing I could make the purchase through Zappos.com or Amazon.com and have my boots within a couple of days. The only reason I purchased through Shoes.com was to try out the company that offered a discount of 15% and free shipping. Trying to save money did not pay off. It is now October 13th and my money has not been refunded. The rep said I would receive an e-mail confirmation of the cancelled transaction and I have not. An e-mail to customer service on Wednesday the 10th was never replied to. I tried calling yesterday and the phone wait time said it would be 20 minutes. Today I tried calling and the wait time said 46 minutes. What the.....? So, I will try calling and e-mailing again. My husband will be helping me out as well. I may end up having to file a dispute on never receiving my product through my credit card company.

So in a nutshell, Sephora is great, Shoes.com is horrid.

By the way, I've ordered the Poet boot through Amazon.com and I've got the tracking number and will receive my package on Monday. Yay Amazon!!!!!

Carolyn Braden: RCM My Shimmering Gown

A perfect mermaid shimmering turquoise! Red Carpet Manicure's My Shimmering Gown is the perfect addition to your gel polish collection. I layered three coats of MSG over one coat of Love Those Baby Blues.

Carolyn Braden: MyGlam Hair

Check out these cute hairstyles from www.myglam.com

Carolyn Braden: Intriguing Dot

I'm very interested in the new fragrance, Dot, by Marc Jacobs. I loved the rosy scent of Lola and loved the bottle. If the scent is as intriguing as the packaging, I may need this for my new fragrance.

Carolyn Braden's Love For TOPSHOP: Pinterest Pin

I love the cute dresses at TOPSHOP. I fell in love with this floral peplum cutie today. The next visit to Chicago, I'm there!

Carolyn Braden Loves Braids and Bows

This style was posted on www.myglam.com. The ballerina bun is something I've done and so is the french braid. But together......genius! The bow just ups the cute factor!

Carolyn Braden's Final Review of LCN Polish Seal

And the survey says.......
Not worth it to me.

I had so much hope for this product but it cannot replace my gel polish. After one day my nails chipped. Being an art teacher, I must have a nail product that can withstand lots of water, clay, paint, etc. and gel polish is what works, not Polish Seal.

Pros of LCN:
Polish dries solid in three minutes.
Best for: Toenails. I will keep the product to seal my toenail polish. I like how fast it dries, enabling me to be on the go in a pair of heels in very little time.

Cons: Chips happen in just a days time.

I tried to make it last different ways (applied one coat, tried two coats, and tried one coat, then polish, then another coat, of course drying the polish in between coats) and didn't do any cleaning (it wasn't exposed to chemicals or water). It just isn't my gel polish.

Some people may have great luck with it. Regular polish never stayed on my nails but I know it may for some people. Instead of paying the 20+ dollars for it, you may want to wait for Sally Hansen to come up with their version. They always seem to be on top of their game when it comes to new revelations in polish.

Carolyn Braden's Question: Natural Skincare?

I have been on a "pure and natural" kick for a few weeks now. I have paid attention to what I consume for years. However, I didn't give much thought to my make-up and skin care. When you think about it, your skin is like a sponge. What you put on it gets absorbed into your skin and can stay there for a while. This summer I began purging my products. After reading labels, I began removing products that had a ton of ingredients. I realized my routine to wash my face was taking forever. It was the process of all the products I applied. I remember my grandmother loving a lye soap I made at school in the 5th grade. I replaced my Bioelements face wash with Grandma's Lye Soap which only has three ingredients. I removed my Bioelements Oxygenation. I added Grapeseed oil. I was surprised to discover it did not make me breakout. Next I will try removing the Bioelements Oil Control Sleepwear. Not that Bioelements were bad products, I just wondered why I needed so many different products to clean my skin and keep it clear.
I removed my liquid foundation and started using Bare Minerals.

Now I am awaiting the results. So far, I've noticed an improvement in my skin tone and my breakouts aren't as often. With any product change I expect the worst but hope for the best. I figure that mother nature has created many beautiful things so why should she stop at making skin beautiful too.


http://www.grandmaspureandnatural.com

What's In Style: Parenting With a Sense of Humor

From www.funnyordie.com

Wonder Woman! A Pinterest Look

I wanted to be Wonder Woman when I was a little girl. I "flew" around the house in my Wonder Woman Underoos and pretended to save the world from harm.

A cute hair style for a bad hair day: Pinterest Pin!

LCN Polish Seal Arrived....So Excited!

I ordered my LCN Polish Seal on Saturday and it arrived today, Wednesday. I tried it right away. I followed the directions that came with the polish. I painted my nails with China Glaze Ruby Pumps, a glitter red. I Seche Clear for a base cost and Seche Vite for a top coat. I had a UV light that I used with my gel polishes, so I just used it to cure the LCN. You can use a 60 watt bulb so maybe next time I'll try that to see if there is a curing difference. So I'm on day one and will post how long my manicure lasts. I also used LCN Polish Seal on my toenails. One thing I already know is it made my nails perfectly dry immediately. No stickiness or dents!


******Update!!!!! Results of Polish Seal
http://carolynsbloomingcreations.blogspot.com/2012/08/carolyn-braden-final-review-of-lcn.html

Carolyn Braden's Easy Hobby Lobby Earrings

Here's a two step project: Easy Earrings!
I purchased the pre-made "beads" at Hobby Lobby and turned them into fabulous peacock feather-esque earrings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0_d22vhE7k

Carolyn Braden "A Lowe's Bracelet" An idea from Pinterest

I saw this bracelet on Pinterest and knew I had to make it. It comes from the website www.honestlywtf.com. She has the steps to make it on her site and my video gives you tips to make the creation a little easier. My tips come from my experience of being an art teacher. I figure if I have difficulty making something, I know my students will too. I am always trying to figure out easier solutions to making creative art projects.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms7ZIq2It0A

LCN Polish Seal.....I've ordered it!

I ordered my LCN Polish Seal yesterday. It is not on back order any more and will ship out to me in 1-2 weeks. I will be using it as soon as I receive it and will update my post with the results. I am very interested in this product. Will I be able to use all my old polishes again and set aside my Shellac polishes? We shall see!

Hippie Chick

Hippie Chick by carolynjbraden featuring long dresses

Haute Hippie silk dress
saksfifthavenue.com

Haute Hippie long dress
$630 - farfetch.com

Silk dress
fashion.1stdibs.com

Leather shoulder bag
modaoperandi.com

Zoe B. Ltd teardrop earrings
maxandchloe.com

AllSaints antique jewelry
allsaints.com

Pendant necklace
etsy.com

Elegantly Waisted wide belt
cusp.com

How to Make Pearl Drop Earrings!

Here's my how-to video on making pearl drop earrings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUWBKck-Uhk

Pop Tab Bracelet

Here is my first pop tab bracelet. I was inspired to make this craft thanks to some creative art teachers at a recent professional development. I am going to make a how-to video on this craft and post it to YouTube. Try this craft with your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, etc. They'll love it!

The Limited Dress...Summer Re-Style

I purchased this dress on sale at The Limited recently. Though strapless, it stayed up for a whole day. There was no embarrassing tugging; something that almost always happens when you go strapless). I wore it to a day of races at Churchill Downs. I removed the sash it came with and replaced it with two metallic braided belts. I wore gold braided wedges and stayed cool and stylish all day long.

Carol Burnett....My Idol Got Gelled

I love Carol Burnett. Her comedy is timeless and now her polish will be too. I loved this ad for OPI gel polish. Carol got gelled! :)

LCN Polish Seal: Gel-Like Finish for Regular Polish

A new gel-like top coat that will possibly be the replacement for gel-polishes? The Today Show Women's Day Magazine, Dr. Oz and more have featured this product and it's flying into the hands of women across the world. I checked out a few bloggers opinions of the product and they say it's great. All my beautiful polishes will be used again. I will be ordering this soon. It's on backorder so if you're interested, order now so you can get it as soon as they get it in stock.
lcnusa.com