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Valentine's Day Precious Pink Makeup Looks

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind." 

-- Shakespeare 

Valentine's Day. 

A day dedicated to celebrating love and relationships. Everyone seems to feel differently about this holiday but regardless, you cannot deny that love is everywhere. Wait, or is that hearts & candy? ;)

When I think about my most memorable Valentine's Days they are not when I've been in a relationship. Sorry fellas! Maybe someday that will change, but I'm not disappointed by that! I've had good Valentine's Days in past relationships, but nothing that sticks out as truly special. My truly memorable moments are filled with celebrations of love...just different forms than romantic. I always celebrate with friends or family. One of my best friends, Jessica, and I have been each others Valentine's for years. We always buy each other a gift and a card and when we can see each other on Valentine's Day we do something fun! I think the problem a lot of people have with Valentine's Day is they get caught up in loneliness and dwell on the couples around them.
We should all look at Valentine's Day differently. Appreciate where you are in your life, right now. Are you single? Great! That means the person for you is still getting perfected for you. Timing is everything, you meet someone at the right time in both of your lives. So enjoy your time being single, get to know yourself, appreciate all you have to offer the world. Be happy standing alone because it will allow you to stand strong beside another person in the future.
Above all, celebrate LOVE! Celebrate the love you have for your friends, have a friend date ( Like me!), celebrate the love you have for your family, and my favorite...celebrate the love you have for your pets! We are surrounded in love and it's something we should celebrate every day, but what is wrong about having a special day to recognize (even more) just how wonderful LOVE is?? Nothing. 

I asked my sister to model these  "Precious Pink" day & evening makeup looks in honor of this romantic day! I think Valentine's Day is a perfect time to have fun with color and make a fun and feminine pink statement!

Precious Pink - Day Look

A quick way of turning any day look into an evening look is taking a darker eyeshadow and applying it in your crease for definition and drama, For Precious Pink I took this soft pink to a brighter pink and darker purple evening look. The most vibrant and easy change you can make is your lip color!! In this case, I took her dusty rose day lips to a bold bright hot pink. It changes the look completely.

Precious Pink - Evening

Bringing some bold, beautiful, colorful  lipstick brilliance to your Valentine's Day is super easy!
Here are  a few colorful options for you that are some of my go-to pink shades. ;)


Kat Von D: Backstage Bambi / Lime Crime Velvetines: Pink Velvet 
I am a sucker for long-lasting, matte, liquid lipsticks. 

Lancome Rouge in Love: Sequence in Love / Midnight Rose
Vivid long wear lipstick. 

NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipstick: Tea Rose/Perfect Red/Pure Red
 Long-wearing, highly pigmented, matte lipstick. Most of NYX Cosmetics are Gluten Free also!

Lime Crime Lipstick: Centrifuschia/Poisonberry/Countessa Flourescent/Airbourne Unicorn
Highly pigmented opaque lipstick in brilliant shades.  

 Whether you are taken or single may your Valentine's Day be truly magical and colorful. Paint your holiday with love and laughter. Fill your day with joy! Celebrate the love around you all while you confidently rock that bold lipstick!  

PS: When in doubt, cats are always the best unwilling Valentine's. Haha.

Makeup Links:

Lime Crime 

Kat Von D 

Lancome 

NYX Cosmetics

Thank you to Kimmi Kat for being my model, and posing for these photos! 

 Bisous,

Nina Grace

Golden Globes 2015: Best Dressed!

I've been in love with everything having to do with film my entire life. I've always been captivated by Hollywood and the art it has created since the start of film to present day. It was one of my first inspirations and it's been a lifelong love affair. I love the elegance,glamour and Old Hollywood traditions it has kept to this day. I always look forward to award season! Seeing amazing film and TV being recognized and incredible performances appreciated. But lets be real, everyone loves to see the FASHION!! I always look forward to seeing what some of my favorite actors will chose each year. Will they be traditional or daring? What designer will they pick? How will they do their makeup and hair? I love it all! There are some people on the red carpet who seem to always get it right and others who are wild cards, we never know what they will bring to the carpet. But what I do know is, I always enjoy the fashion; the good, the bad, and the...interesting?

Glitz & Humor

“George Clooney married Amal Almuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case; was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria; and was selected for a three-person UN commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight … her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”

-Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, Golden Globes 2015

The 2015 Golden Globes brought us some hilarious jokes from Tina and Amy (they are my favorite hosts), some heartfelt acceptance speeches, and a lot of fantastic fashion! These are some of my favorites!

 Jessica Chastain in Atelier Versace.
Jessica is absolutely flawless to me in general, she is one of my favorite people. All she has to do is breathe haha. But, she is one of my absolute favorites on the red carpet because she NAILS IT every single time!  She always makes really wonderful fashion choices that compliment her body, skin tone, and hair while still taking chances. I thought she looked exquisite, every detail was magnificent. She was the epitome of Old Hollywood Glamour. She definitely Hands down had the best hair and makeup. I was disappointed in a lot of the makeup this year, but hers was spectacular. She was just flawless. I cannot get enough of her. Can we just stre at her a little while longer? Can I be her for a day please? FAN-TAB-U-LOUS.

Julianne Moore in Givenchy.

Metallic and feathers. I feel like this will be a dress people will either love or hate.
But I think it's stunning! Julianne was radiant! When I saw her move in it on the red carpet, it just looked like liquid. It was also made for her, and you could tell how much she loved it. That makes all the difference. I love the ombre. You wouldn't think ombre feathers and metallic would go together but it just works for me, it's such  a statement piece! Perfect for the WINNER of the Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama award!

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
Oh Jennifer, what planet are you from What water are you drinking? because teh rest of the world would like some. Jennifer Lopez looks better than she did 20 years ago. How is this possible? Jennifer knows how to work  red carpet. Jennifer knows exactly what clothes look best on her and how to show a gown off perfectly. She always makes a fashion statement. This is no exception. This dress is sensational. Jennifer wears dresses in such a way that you love the dress but you cannot imagine the dress being half as good on anyone else, they always seem fully and completely made for her. She works her hair and her makeup perfectly as well. This dress brings so much drama, I loved watching it move and flow behind her like a queen. It truly is a stunning dress. A lot of people would be lost in this dress because there is so much of it, but Jennifer Lopez is owning it, as usual.

 Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace.

So, Kate Hudson is flawless. I think she is unbelievably beautiful and it's just ridiculous how magnificent she is.  The girl does not need much help when it comes to "glam squad" situations. In fact I think when people do too much they take away from her. When i saw her walk up in this dress i was floored, I was done. Game over... I mean HELLO, look at the dress, and her body IN that dress. It's ridiculous. I DO think different hair would have gone better with this dress, or maybe with her. But maybe my only problem is the makeup and that is making her hair look severe when it reality it's just the makeup that is severe...and it is. Her makeup is all wrong. Her eyebrows look too dark. But this is just nit picking because Kate Hudson is a goddess and I love her.

Dakota Johnson in Chanel.

I have no words. Pardon me a moment whilst I pick my mouth up from my keyboard. All I  think about when I look at this dress is Ariel at the end of The Little Mermaid when she is turned into a human and she is running out of the water towards Prince Eric. Yes. This dress is like the sunlight reflecting off the ocean, it sparkles and glitters looking like millions of diamonds. This dress is extraordinary. Oh Chanel, my heart beats for you.

 Lupita Nyong’o in Giambattista Valli,

I feel like Lupita is taking a fashion risk here, the top of her dress is flower petals! this could be another love it or hate it. I also think most people couldn't pull this dress off like she does. She makes it into a work of art, elegant, beautiful. where it could easily go into  a silly, cutesy, bizarre fashion area if the wrong person wore it. But Lupita is one of the most magnificent women in the world, and she knows how to wear clothing! The lilac looks stunning against her skin tone and she looks so soft and feminine.

 Emma Stone in Lanvin.

This is another outfit that I feel like  people will either love or hate. But i personally love it on Emma. i think she pulls it off wonderfully. I think the giant bow is not needed and distracts from the truly beautiful jumpsuit, but the jumpsuit it just so stunning that it still makes a positive impact. Not everyone could make this work, but Emma nails it. It's fun and sophisticated. Glamorous and casual. i adore the top, so much sparkle! The slacks fit so beautifully and the heels are perfect with the jumpsuit. I love emma's hair and makeup. I love when people take chances and have fun with fashion!

 Amy Adams in Versace.

 This is a perfect example of a dress that looks very different in pictures than it does on video. it looks beautiful in this picture, but it absolutely does not look like it does on video when you see Amy moving in it. Amy looked absolutely breathtaking in this dress, on video it made  her eyes pop so much! Is this a risky dress? No. Is it a really safe dress? Yes. But that doesn't take away from the elegance of it and how Old Hollywood sophisticated Amy is with her hair, dress, and makeup. She just looks stunning. The dress fits perfectly. I also adore that she won Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy for Big Eyes. in interviews she was completely certain she was NOT going to win, and was rooting for one of her fellow nominees because she was SO certain she was not going to win, so her acceptance speech was  precious because she was in such shock that she did, in fact, WIN. 

 Amal Clooney in Dior.

This was her red carpet debut and she definitely brought sophistication and class. What i loved about her look was how effortless it felt while still feeling glamorous. She grabbed a pair of her own gloves and put them on, and i really feel it turns a lovely dress, into a stunning complete look. Amal is a gorgeous woman, she oozes elegance all on her own but seeing her in such an old hollywood, romantic glamorous gown was exactly what i wanted. George and Amal looked lovely together.

  Diane Kruger in Emilia Wickstead

I wish pictures captured how lovely this was on Diane. Basically, Diane seemed like she was pulled right out of Old Hollywood. Diane was living it in the Old Hollywood sophistication completely. This dress was a fantastic material that sparkled and caught the light in a really lovely way. The fit on her body is wonderful, Her hair, makeup, jewels, even her clutch... I couldn't get enough of the vintage flare. She always knocks it out of the park. So much elegance, class, and style. Diane never fails. Ever.

 Emily Blunt in custom made Michael Kors.

On video Emily looks flawless. The jewels are the stand out pieces here, I cannot get over them, they are truly outstanding. Emily glows in this gorgeous flowing white gown. It's feminine and sexy and she is magnificent!

 Naomi Watts in Gucci.

Here is an example of simplicity making a big statement. obviously the color is a huge part of that, but the dress itself is very simple, and clean. I love the little belt detail, and the color looks fantastic on Naomi and it's a color hardly anyone can pull off. She is a breath of fresh air when the red carpet was filled with a lot of dark colors, metallics, etc. She walked in like a summer breeze. To give her look a little edge and to pump up the volume on her entire look she chose some perfect jewelry. her snake necklace is fabulous! I love Naomi's casual glamour!

 Allison Williams in Armani Privé.

When I saw this dress from afar, my first reaction was "she looks like Christmas decorations" but then I saw the dress closer, I saw the details and I liked it a lot more. It's definitely unique, and glamorous. It's very feminine. I love the sparkle. i love that this dress brings something different to teh red carpet since so many wore red gowns, this stood out in the sea of red! I do think with such a feminine and sparkly princess like dress Allison should have had different makeup, maybe not so dark on the eyes.

Reese Witherspoon in Calvin Klein.

Sometimes understated can make a big impact, and I feel Reese proves that with an effortless glamour. reese always looks fantastic on the red carpet. I love how simple this gown is, but yet the material is such that it gives the right mount of sparkle. It's clean, simple, elegant, and Reese looks wonderful head to toe.

Heidi Klum in  Atelier Versace.
Heidi is another example of taking the very popular red dress and taking it up a notch. She brought the glam, the hollywood, and the va-va-voom. Heidi looked stunning as always! Heidi knows what looks good on her and she knows how to WOW. This color looks fantastic with her skin tone and hair. She looks like a Hollywood Starlet. Just beautiful!   

Benedict Cumberbatch (Designer unknown at time of posting)

Benedict Cumberbatch knows how to wear a suit well. he always looks dapper, clean, elegant, and sophisticated. These English gentlemen sure know how to wow on the red carpet! Benedict is always a favorite on the red carpet, he is always sure to look fantastic in a well tailored impeccable suit. Never disappoints. Doesn't hurt that i just adore him in general as well. ;)

 Eddie Redmayne in Gucci.

Hands down, Eddie was the best dressed man of the evening. His suit was impeccable! Fitted perfectly, which is huge but you hardly ever see that on men. But mainly, look at the suit! So much style, class, & sophistication.  I'm madly love with this suit. Absolutely stupendous.

One Last Time...

Can we please take another moment to just appreciate, drool, gaze upon the magnificence of Jessica Chastain's beauty and her unbelievable hair and makeup? I feel there were a lot of amazing dresses with hair or makeup that didn't match with them sometimes, so many looks did not feel completely perfect. Jessica Chastain though, even if her dress wasn't the most "flashy" her entire look was stunning from head to toe. It all worked, it all flowed together seamlessly. Her hair and makeup are just sensational, and she worked her dress! What a goddess, red carpet class act I tell you!

I cannot wait for the fashion at the SAG Awards and my favorite, The Oscars! Can Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host everything?

Ciao,

Nina

Clairol Nice 'N Easy Announce Christina Hendricks as Brand Ambassador!

 

 Nice 'n Easy Shift a Shade Campaign.

Clairol announces Christina Hendricks as Brand Ambassador!

Christina Hendricks is the face of  Nice 'n Easy's new Shift a Shade Campaign, inspiring women to shift their hair shade and they may just find their true hair color!

You will find Christina Hendricks on every "Hottest Redheads" list there is. She is widely known as one of the most beautiful gingers in the world. Can you even imagine her character on Mad Men without red hair? Christina Hendricks was meant to be a ginger! As Nice 'n Easy would say...red is her TRUE shade. But yet, she wasn't born with it! Christina Hendricks is naturally a blonde! Christina, just like myself, was completely enthralled with Anne of Green Gables. She coveted Anne's ginger hair! Thus started her love affair with those red locks!

It Was Destiny.

Christina Hendricks joining Nice 'n Easy's campaign is not surprising. if anything it's expected, destined even! The first time Christina Hendricks dyed her hair red she used Nice 'n Easy! She has remained devoted to the brand and color ever since!
She says “I’m so excited about being the new nice’n easy ambassador; it’s a product I’ve been using ever since I went red. I love that the results from nice’n easy are so natural looking; I know it’s going to turn out natural and beautiful and I don’t have to worry about it.”
Christina Hendricks is the perfect example of someone finding the hair color that was meant for them through hair dye. I'm a true believer in Nice 'n Easy's idea. I know a lot of people who have hair color that they SHOULD have been born with! Just because someone isn't naturally born with a hair color doesn't mean it is any less WHO WE ARE! Can you imagine Christina Hendricks not being the fiery, stunning, magnificent red head that she is? It makes her stand out, enhances her features, and looks perfect with her skin tone.

Maybe She's Born With It?

Nice 'n Easy Permanent Color Crème is available in 56 shades. Each one blends three salon tones that work with the shade variations inherently present in hair, for a beautiful color with natural-looking tones and highlights.
Clairol Brand Director, Jacky Ouyang, says  “Christina Hendricks truly embodies Nice ’n Easy and especially the Shift a Shade campaign which is about finding hair color that is true to you; color so natural-looking that no-one would know it wasn’t the color you were born with – it’s the perfect pairing.” 
Now, I obviously do not have natural hair color, I have turquoise hair! Plus, for many years I was platinum blonde so my idea of "normal hair color" is platinum blonde. I love the idea of women finding their true selves no matter what the color and feeling the best they can about themselves. If a pump up in hair color makes you smile and gives you confidence... GO FOR IT!!  Pretty much everyone in the public eye has enhanced their hair color to make it the color they feel the best in, and a lot of them have us fooled in believing they were born with it!  That is what is great about hair, you can experiment with color. It can always be changed.

Embrace The TRUE You!

Looking forward to seeing these Christina Hendricks campaigns! They start this month. Best of luck to everyone on their hair journey, and remember to always embrace your TRUE self, and your true hair shade. You want to be a gorgeous ginger? A brunette vixen? A blonde bombshell? DO IT!! The world is yours! Rock that hair, darling!

Ciao,
Nina

Pacifica Beauty: Inspirational Brand and Products!

100% VEGAN & CRUELTY-FREE

"The Pacifica Manifesto.  Love what you do and do what you love.  Great waves make for great days.  Don't follow trends, follow your heart.  Invent a new world and keep ties to the old one. Romance, travel and adventure are all in a day's work."

I really cannot imagine a better company to kick off my blog with. To say I LOVE PACIFICA doesn't really properly express my fondness for this incredible brand. 

Pacifica embodies everything I stand for and believe in, really. Their Manifesto represents their attitude and their brand. I'm a beach girl born and raised so their sunshine, easy going, natural beauty, year round summer,  and surfer soul mentality  always catches my eye and really speaks to my soul. But it's deeper than that, the founders of Pacifica truly believe in what they bring to the beauty industry and all the things they DO NOT want to bring to the industry. They believe in their products and have a clear vision. The company & it's founders are extremely inspiring. 

I'm a huge animal lover & nature lover. I eat organic, clean, vegetarian, and now gluten-free(that one because I HAVE to) so I really care about what is IN my food AND my beauty products! I also really care about HOW things are made and tested and brought to my makeup artist and consumer fingertips. 

THIS is where my passion for Pacifica really comes in. 

They actively work to reduce their impact on the environment

Plus, they're all natural & free of all the chemicals your skin shouldn't have on it.
Here are some of what I like to call "Pacifica's Fabulous Facts" :

• Their goal is to have zero product-manufacturing waste in their factory. 
• Pacifica recycles and uses post-consumer materials. Their boxes are all 100% recyclable. 
• They are 100% Vegan, Cruelty-free, Gluten-free
• They work with suppliers who share their same vision. 
• Pacifica manufactures in the U.S.A.
• Pacifica supports local economy. 
• Pacifica uses local box manufacturers and suppliers.
• Pacifica supports local charities and donates products to women's shelters.
• Pacifica's fragrances are made from the highest quality natural and essential oils.
• All Pacifica Skin and Color products are made without: FD&C color, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol, benzene, mineral oil, petroleum, peanut oil, triclosan, and other ingredients you do not want.

Pacifica is a company you can get excited about but also feel good about. When you use their products you know the care and consideration that went into each product and how you are supporting a company that is doing what ALL cosmetic companies should be doing. Let's pamper OUR skin with the luxury of Pacifica's quality. Here is just a little taste of some my favorite Pacifica products!

 

Pacifica Perfume Roll-on Tahitian Gardenia

 "This heady, vintage-inspired blend showcases the sacred Gardenia bloom, a symbol of love, unity, grace and strength. It's sweet, smooth and slightly citrusy aroma is reminiscent of Jasmine, Sweet Orange and Tea Leaves"

I love all the Pacifica Perfumes and Perfume roll-ons but Tahitian Gardenia is my favorite scent! It smells so divine. There is also nothing more convenient than a perfume roll-on. I adore them. I never leave home without it! I get compliments ALL the time when I wear this scent. No scent I've worn has gotten as many compliments as this one. People have gone out of their way to find out exactly what I'm wearing. It quickly became my signature scent! I do not think i could live without this incredible Tahitian Gardenia roll-on perfume! It's with me at all times!

Pacifica Super Hydrating Hand Cream Tahitian Gardenia

 

 "Our Natural Hand Cream helps fight signs of aging while adding deep moisture and protection. Made with nature's best moisturizers - shea butter, almond oil and safflower oil - Pacifica's paraben-free Hand Cream is a skin must-have."

I love the Body Butters, but I really love the Hand creams! I keep them in my purse at all times next to my roll-on perfumes. It's such a perfect layering of scent. The Hand Cream is extraordinary, it moisturizes so well, feels fantastic, and it smells amazing!

I'm going to be honest, once I find something I love, I'm fiercely loyal. I'm that girl who tries a meal at a restaurant and loves it, so I never try anything else again. I'm the "one meal girl." Haha. This loyalty goes to all sorts of things, if I love you, I am loyal to you; person, food, lipstick, and of course...scent. When I found Pacifica, I loved every scent I was smelling, they were all pure and beautiful! But then I met the love of my scent life, Mr. Tahitian Gardenia, and I never looked back. When you know, you know. Right ladies? So there I was, in love with a beauty company, wanting to get my hands on anything I could that they made, but I was also madly in love with Mr.Tahitian Gardenia, no scent compared to him! So while I loved the others, I stuck to my soaps, bath wash, lotions, face cloths, etc all in ONE scent. You can guess which scent that was. ;)

But, one day I was buying my Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia regulars when I saw a scent that my store hadn't displayed before. I was intrigued, so I gave it a sniff. Well, I left that day with a collection that was NOT my Mr. Tahitian Gardenia (who is still my main man, FYI) but I had fallen in love with someone else! Mr. Malibu Lemon Blossom! Two very different loves, but I'm passionate about both. Tahitian Gardenia is a more romantic, calming, soft scent. Malibu Lemon Blossom is more energizing like you are taking a sip of ice cold lemonade on a hot beach day. He wakes you up and gets you excited about the day.

Malibu Lemon Blossom

"This fresh scent captures the free spirit of the Pacific Ocean with Lemon Blossom, Litsea Cubeba, flowering Angel's Trumpet, fresh herbs and salty sea breezes."

I love Malibu Lemon Blossom so much! It's so refreshing! Because of this, I use it in the morning because it wakes me up and gets me started for the day. I love the little energy boost in the shower, your senses wake up in such a natural, beautiful, and sweet smelling way when you make Malibu Lemon Blossom a part of your morning! I put the body butter on in the morning, and take the hand cream with me on the road and every time I move my hand near my face I get a little energy boost of deliciousness!

ENLIGHTEN Eye Brightening Shadow Palette

 

"An incredibly innovative formula that pushes natural makeup and mineral color to new bounds.  Rich, lasting, creaseless eye shadows are infused with coconut water for a velvety, cream-like finish.  These four highly pigmented mineral satin makeup and iridescent shades are specially curated, designed to brighten the eyes and make you look gorgeous and awake. "

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Urchin- An iridescent jeweled purple with gold tones.  
Use dry as a shadow, wet as a liner.  Perfect for smudging and a great substitute for black.
​Golden- A perfect gold with just the right amount of shimmer.  
Use on the lids or line the eyes.
Coral Sand- A satin lid base or highlighter.
Skinny Dip- Matte nude base, a universal brightener.  
Perfect for using on the inner eye to add brightness.

Pacifica is really taking natural and mineral makeup to another level. I love the velvet texture and incredible softness of these shadows. I love the versatility, dry or wet they can create soft or more dramatic looks. These shadows have long wear as well, which is a must for me, I do not mess around with any shadow that fades after a couple hours. FYI to anyone, no matter what the brand, I ALWAYS use an eyeshadow primer. It makes any and all eye shadows not only last longer but stay true to the color you see when it's sitting in it's packaging.

These are just a few of my favorite Pacifica products. They have amazing shadows, lip balms, lipsticks, body care, etc. I encourage everyone to check them out and explore their magical beauty land.
Pacificabeauty.com

Time to light my Tahitian Gardenia candle and make a cup of hot tea before bed! Goodnight loves!

Bisous,
Nina Grace