1. structured straw bags
How adorable is this black top-handle structured straw mini bag?! Snagged from Zara last week, it’s under $50 and comes with a long strap, shop it here. Sharing a few other favorites below as well. I think this will be the perfect dinner date/going out bag for this spring/summer. It’s definitely not the most practical but damn is it cute. The top handle detail is my favorite part, I just love toting around a structured mini bag!
I’ve talked a little about this product on my insta stories (follow me @thefreckledlife) but needed to officially share it on the blog because I love it so much, and I recently discovered it comes in tons of other colors (I really want to try Rouge Rebelle and Orange Magnetique). The color I have (called Noir Revelateur) looks black in the tube, but it’s very sheer and just comes out looking like a just-bitten sort of berry hue. I would most compare its consistency to a balm, but when it dries, it stains your lips jusssst the right amount to still have that bitten look – gorgeous! And since it’s so sheer, application is super easy – no mirror needed. Formula is silky smooth too, feels great on your lips. As far as moisturizing qualities, it doesn’t seem to do any really… however it definitely doesn’t dry out your lips, so just moisturize at night and you should be good. Shop it HERE, you won’t regret it! (P.S. you’ll love pulling it out of your purse/desk/pocket because the packaging will make you look hella fancy)
*disclaimer: this was gifted to me by Givenchy
3. dip powder / SNS manicures
Shoutout to my coworker Maddy for introducing me to these. I got my first one of these type of manicures while in San Diego last month, and am never looking back! I’m not too sure of any technical details about it, but basically a dip powder (also called SNS) manicure is like an acrylic had a baby with a gel manicure. It’s really just a healthier (and I think thinner) option, similar to acrylic in that it doesn’t chip but similar to gel in that it’s not super thick and looks really natural. It essentially lasts until your nails grow out and it looks bad with the gap (so 3-4 weeks depending on your nail growth speed and how bothered you get by the gap). I just got mine off from San Diego (but I was pushing it for sure) and so that lasted me about 3.5 weeks, and they still looked pretty good. There was just a tiny bit of chipping, but nothing super noticeable and it was mostly because I’m pretty rough on my nails.
How the manicure works is by dipping your nail in (colored) powder a few times until it’s a nice thickness – but again, it’s not super thick like how acrylics usually turn out. Basically it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve seen it cost around $35-$40 in Brooklyn, but my coworker gets it for $30 in Harlem. I’ve honestly never really thought manicures were worth it, even gel, because I’m so hard on mine that it just chips so quickly – so I’ve always done my own nails (but I actually do a decent job since I buff and shape, bottom coat, top coat, etc; people sometimes mistake my personal manicures for a salon gel manicure soooooo). But this is well worth the cost in my opinion. It’s gorgeous nails for an entire month! Let me know if you have any other questions. Removal is a little more complicated than a standard mani, but I watched them do it and it’s actually really simple to do at home if you wanted. Give it a try next time – you won’t be disappointed!
