Summer Boho Topknot

Who doesn't love an easy hair-do that is super easy to do and also super cute?! To be completely honest, most days I totally disregard my hair and it looks like a hot mess. I am truly trying to be better with styling my hair!

I am constantly seeing pictures of the half-up half-down topknot. So I gave it a shot. I took photos as I was styling my hair to help with the visual.

I think it's a really cute and summery hairstyle. And it was totally easy to do before I had to go to work. BTW I literally just rolled out of bed and did my hair so I apologize in advance for my crayyyy face haha!

So first I brushed my hair with a wide tooth comb and sprayed my roots with my favorite dry shampoo by Dove. I wanted to add extensions to my hair to add some length and thickness. My extensions are by Bellami and they are in the color Off Brown. They were 22" but I had them custom cut to blend with my hair.

Next, I decided to use my straightener to give my hair a quick wave to it. Each time I section my hair and add a track of extensions, I go in and curl my natural hair with the extensions. My technique is to clamp the straightener on a section and up near my roots. Then you twist the straightener horizontally away from your head (this will curl your hair outward) and then you slide the straightener down on an angle until you reach your ends. So to curl your hair outwards on the opposite side you basically do the same thing and mirror the twisting and sliding motion. ** Remember twisting your straightener away from your head will create curls that curl outward, think Farrah Fawcett **

While I'm curling that hair, I have already sectioned hair on top of my head that will be in the topknot. Once all of your hair is curled we can now focus on the topknot. I have fine hair so I have to give my hair a little more volume. I pulled the top section into a ponytail and created volume by pulling tightly on the sides of the ponytail. I also took small sections near the crown and lightly pulled at them to give a tiny bit more volume. Once you are satisfied with the front volume, take the same wide tooth comb and lightly tease the ponytail. Next, twist your hair into a topknot like you regularly would and use booby pins to keep it in place. I like to play around and pull at some hair in the topknot to make it a little bigger and symmetrical.

I hope you try it out and send me pictures on Instagram of your cute summery topknots!! Enjoy and stay beautiful :)

Ciao!!

Cheap Nail Polish As Good As A Gel Manicure!!

This has been a little beauty secret of mine for years. Plus it's a product that I cannot stop purchasing because it's that amazing! Let's just take a minute to really contemplate how much money we spend on our nails. Some girls might put their money into get acrylic or gel tips which can really add up over time. Or how about those gel manicures that last you awhile but can still be rather costly. Either way the goal is to have a gorgeous set of nails that can last through any bumps and bruises.

There is nothing worse than getting your nails done and then hours later they are either chipping or still wet from when you got them done. In our fast paced world, we are running around and creating tightly organized schedules. So we need our nails to uphold themselves and stay polished to perfection.

I came across these nail polishes when I was browsing my local CVS Pharmacy. I passed the NYC makeup display and the nail polish colors caught my attention. What continued to hold my gaze was the prices. They were $1.99 a bottle! I mean come on, even if I spent that small amount of money and they stunk then okay I wouldn't really feel too bad about that. So I purchased a couple colors and also the clear coat. After I painted my nails and added the top coat, I was so surprised by a couple different things. First off the color was beautiful and the consistency was nice and thick. No streaking or bumpiness. Then what shocked me the most was how fast my nails dried after I put on the top coat. I was ready to go about my day in under 5 minutes.

To this day the NYC clear topcoat is the only cheap and affordable topcoat that is just as good (or maybe even better) than the popular Seche Vite. I've used this topcoat over many different brands and it never fails me. It's always made my nail polish dry super fast and given my nails that gel manicure look. I'm telling you, people always ask me if it's a gel manicure every single time haha.

So I hope you enjoy this fun beauty secret of mine. Next time you are in CVS stop by the NYC makeup display and grab yourself some of their amazing nail polishes :)

On my nails I'm wearing the color Fashion Safari and the Clear Topcoat!

Ciao my beauties!!

Helloooo Beautiful Skin :)

So this post is going to be a short intro to another post that I'm currently working on. I started using the Dermaroller also known as micro needling. This is similar to the vampire facial that Kim Kardashian got but the difference is that you aren't injecting your skin with your own blood. You are taking a roller that has needles sticking out. I won't go into too much detail because I need to save that for my post on the Dermaroller.

Basically the Dermaroller has needles that prick your skin and basically cause trauma to the skin. This helps the skin regenerate and heal itself very quickly. After you use the Dermaroller, this is a perfect time to use any serums for the skin because your skin will be able to absorb it better. So this post will be about the serums I recently purchased to be used in combination with the Dermaroller and also on their own.

I wanted to find serums that would really help lighten my dark acne scars, even my skin tone, and give my skin a more smooth and glowing surface. I did my research and came across two great serums. I bought the Bio-Oil and Philosophy "When Hope Is Not Enough" serum. These two serums have been given great reviews to help assist in the specific problem areas that I spoke about before. The great thing about using these products with the Dermaroller is that they will help speed up the process of recovery for my skin.

They are both very soothing on my face and they absorb extremely quickly. I put the Bio-Oil on my face in the AM and PM. It works great under my makeup because it keeps my skin hydrated and creates a glowing base. It has still only been a few days of using the serums so it is too soon to say if it works. Realistically you need to give yourself about one to two months to see a difference in your skin. This gives your skin the chance to heal and renew itself. So just be patient and don't get discouraged when you feel like something isn't working. Patience is key in skincare products.

Also, I will probably be posting my Dermaroller blog post after about two months of use. I've already taken before photos and really kept track of the areas that were most problematic. So stay tuned for that!!

Ciao and have a great day!!

Emerald Green Eye Shadow Look to Make Brown Eyes POP!!

So this new tutorial is great for my brown eyed girls but I totally welcome all eye colors to try it out because it's such a flattering eye shadow color. I think it's great to even tone down for daily wear. So feel free to try out with all different shades of green!

Products Used:
- Urban Decay eye primer
- Naked Palette (Naked,Buck, Darkhorse)
- Loreal Infallible eyeshadow (Golden Emerald)
- Anastasia eyeshadow (Moss and Black Diamond)
- Loreal Telescopic Mascara
- Red Cherry lashes #605
- Milani Blush in Luminoso
- Jordana lip liner in Tawny
- Milani lipstick in Nude Creme
- Wet N Wild lipstick on Think Pink
- NYX butter gloss in Eclair


Enjoy and tag me on instagram when you recreate this look!!!! @modern_minimalist

Ciao!!

Fade Acne Scars :)

So today I decided to write a really quick blog post on my favorite skincare tip to lighten dark acne scars. I've been doing this for awhile and the best part is that you probably have this item somewhere in your house. The magical item is.......Baking Soda!!

After I wash my makeup off, I like to keep my face wet. Then I take a teaspoon of baking soda and start rubbing it onto my skin in circular motions. As it mixes with the water on your face, it turns into a natural exfoliant. I like to keep rubbing it all over my face for about 2 minutes. Then make sure to thoroughly rinse your face and I tend to use a tiny bit of face wash so there is no residue left behind.

Next step, I would recommend using a lightening serum to help speed up the fading of the acne scars. My favorite is by Philosophy, When Hope Is Not Enough.





Hope this helps and I hope all you beautiful souls are having a great day!



Ciao!!!!

OOTD For Gloomy Days

What do you do when you roll out of bed to see a dark grey sky causing you to just crawl back into bed? Take a deep breathe and follow my directions:

- Make yourself a warm cup of coffee or tea (whichever you like)

- Sit down and take the time to enjoy and relax before starting your day 

- Now go wash that face and brush those teeth

- My favorite hairstyle on a gloomy day: a nice polished topknot

- Keep your makeup nice and simple

- Dress in clothes that will keep you comfortable, but still stylish

Outfit Details:

- Chiffon Trench (Forever21)

- Black v-neck (Forever21)

- Leggings (Forever21)

- Booties (Public Desire)

When it comes to outfit options on rainy days, I always tend to lean towards black clothes. Let's say it's raining so hard that you get splashed with water, most likely you won't be able to tell your clothes are a little wet if you are wearing black. If you want to look stylish with your shoes but don't want to get your feet wet, bring a change of shoes for when you go outside. Try adding a warm sweater or blazer to the outfit to make it look sleek but also keep you cozy at the same time. 

Above all remember that you can still be comfortable and look fashionable. It's about how you own your outfit instead of letting the outfit own you!

Ciao!!!!

Bright & Flirty Eyes in Under 10 Minutes!!

I'm so happy that you watched another one of my videos on YouTube and made your way over to my blog :)! This one is great for those nights that you don't really have too much time to get ready, but you want to make sure you'll stop people in their tracks from how gorgeous you look. So when I post the products they will be in the exact order that I used them in the video. I hope you beauties enjoy!!

Products:
- Urban Decay Eye Primer
- BH Cosmetics Forever Nude Palette
- MAC Prolongwear Eyeshadow Pro Palette - Uninterrupted
- Makeup Geek pigment - Afterglow
- Loreal Infallible Gel eyeliner - Black
- MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash Mascara
- Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara
- House of Lashes - Noir Fairy
- Rimmel London ScandalEyes Kohl eyeliner - Nude
- Jordana lipliner - Tawny 
- Chanel Lipgloss - Insolence (discontinued)



Enjoy it and stay beautiful!!!!