A couple of weeks back at H&M I found a cute geometric clutch that was close to perfect – all for $24.95. The one problem was the color (a shimmery, mermaid-blue). I felt like it had so much potential though, so I scooped it up and brought it home. Since all of the clutches I own are simple and plain, I decided to change up the look to make it a bit glitzier. I simply painted it a few coats of white paint and secured some strategically placed acrylic rhinestones with craft glue. I love the clean new look and think it’ll make for a great complement to an understated nighttime look.
As shown time, and timeagain, I love nail art and would be happy if the trend never went away. It’s all about making little changes throughout the year – the loud neon colors and sparkles I wear in the summer lack the sophistication that goes along with fall fashion. With that in mind, working with Estée Lauder and Marie Nails, we came up with the Gilded Fade Manicure, a slightly subtler (and office appropriate) look for the coming months. Here are the simple steps to follow so that you can recreate it at home.
On the third anniversary of Cupcakes and Cashmere, I announced that I was writing my first book (here). It was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done, but now that it’s complete, I’ve never felt more accomplished. In exactly one month I’ll be getting married and I can only hope that this year will be the best one yet. Thank you all so much for your continued enthusiasm and support. x
Ever since I got engaged last year, I’ve been wearing glittery polish on my ring finger (you can see variations here, here, here, and here). It’s a fun way to add a bit of sparkle, without looking like a disco ball, and I love that there are endless color combinations to try. A few weeks back, I posted pictures of my black and gold Calgel manicure (here) and received countless questions about how it was done. Though that was a professional manicure, I’ve been experimenting with some similar designs and thought I’d share some of my tips on how to do it yourself.
{Tools}
{Paint two coats of polish, with the exception of your ring finger}
{Apply clear polish to ring finger and sprinkle with loose glitter}
{Shake off excess by tapping the tip of your finger on a hard surface}
{Try out different designs with the pen, like two colored halves}
{…or a pink-colored moon}
{…or little stripes on your pinky}
{Final result}
P.S. Since your non-dominant hand can be tricky to maneuver (practice does certainly help!), stick to easier designs, like polka dots, simple lines, and zig-zags until you become a bit more ambidextrous.
