Pastel-apolooza.

Spring has sprung! 

This is probably not news to you. I am late with this news. I don't even think it qualifies as news anymore. I sometimes feel that Miami has no clearly defined Spring (We have two main seasons: Summer and Not Summer), but this year I'm determined to celebrate the tail end of Spring (as I type we're at 83% humidity) by turning to something I would not usually be excited about: Pastels!

I wanted to share a few of the nail products I have acquired recently...

L-R: Covergirl Peaches & Cream, L'oreal Cream Puffs, L'oreal Pistachio Dreams, Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil

Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Peaches & Cream

I got this lovely nail polish** from the Easter Bunny (read: Mami)! This is not a shade I would usually gravitate toward, but there is something so darling about peach(es). This nail polish is a high shine, opaque peach with no glitter or shimmer. It's saturated and not as milky as some other peach polishes I have seen recently. I am excited about this color because it is not only a nice Spring shade, but I think this polish will carry me well into Summer. Also, Mila Kunis is wearing a similar shade of nail polish in her March Allure photo shoot and it looks slam-bang on her!

L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Nail Colour in Cream Puffs, Versailles Romance Collection
The full Versailles Romance Collection has some gorgeous shades so I was surprised that the two more non-traditional shades (this one and Pistachio Dreams) appealed to me the most! Never did I ever think I would purchase pastel yellow nail polish. It's just never been my go-to since I am fair-skinned and feel it would wash me out. I remember when I was a little girl, my beautiful cousin Nora painted her nails a pale yellow shade called "Chick Pea" and all I felt was envy. The color looked so dainty and feminine against her glowing, tan skin. I feel like I'm finally brave enough for this shade! Creme Puffs is different from your typical pastel yellow, because it's actually an opalescent polish, which adds to the complexity of the shade.

L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Nail Colour in Pistachio Dreams, Versailles Romance Collection
I have been loving the Spring trend of mint tips! My sweet friend Ayesha, convinced me to get swept up in the movement and now I own this! I personally see more blue tones than green tones in this shade when I swatched it on my nails versus the color I see in the bottle (am I totally wrong on this?) but I still think it looks really nice. Like Cream Puffs, Pistachio Dreams is an opalescent polish so it catches a beautiful sheen when you see it in the light. I think blues and greens are the colors I wear the least on my nails, so I'm excited to manicure out of the box.

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil
I tend to have dry skin and even drier cuticles and my past moisturizing routines have not been helping my nails. I have also noticed that my nails are getting brittle and cracking at the tips when I grow them out, so I am hoping that a more targeted focus on my cuticles will stop this from happening. This cuticle oil is a pale orange oil that smells fruity but subtle enough so it's not overwhelming. What I love most about this oil is that it is not too runny so you have enough time to brush all your cuticles without having a drippy oil situation. It is also pretty fast absorbing, so you don't have to sit around with oily hands. These are the things I worry about, people!


Okay, so it's manicure time and I need your help choosing which polish to try first. Please comment and let me know which one you think it should be! Merci!

Hugs! V.

**When I listen to our UK friends discuss nail polish they refer to it as "nail varnish" which actually makes it sound way more posh and glamorous, wouldn't you agree?

Get to Know Me! The Beauty Blogger Tag

Welcome to The Violet Hour! 

Yo!

Am I brooding? Hungry? You decide.

I am notoriously bad at keeping journals, so this project is an attempt to rekindle my old love of writing. To start, let's go with something that has been quite a consuming focus for me in recent months: the world of make up. I found this tag on Emily's Blog and thought it was a good way to introduce my thoughts on beauty and make up. I also checked the tag out on Lacey's Beauty Reviews as recommended, which absolutely made me smile. It's encouraging to see so many beauty bloggers make keen observations on the beauty industry! Now onto the questions!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
Curly! And fine. And I have a lot of it! I had pin straight hair up until I was 13 years old and then my hair started to kink up. At the time, I was heartbroken because I had no idea how to manage my new curls and it definitely took me a few years to grow into them (no pun intended.......okay, pun intended), but I can definitely say that I now LOVE LOVE LOVE voluminous, glossy curls!

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
Right now, my hair is my natural color. The last time I dyed my hair was during my senior year of high school. I was going through a very intense My Chemical Romance phase (yep), so I colored my hair the darkest shade of black I could find (think raven x onyx). Also, after I dyed my hair I realized that "semi-permanent" actually just means "permanent." I loved my black hair, but it unfortunately required too much maintenance to continue long after that so I grew my hair out (for 3 years) and I am back to brown!

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?
I like to switch it up. I'm definitely in an up-do phase and love the look of a nice, full bun for both casual and fancy events. I also think pony tails are very under-rated (!) so I am trying to incorporate more ponies into my week!

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
I do my own nails about 98% of the time. Not only do I totally save a ton by doing my own nails, but I think it's also very relaxing to do a my mani/pedi.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?
Probably every week to week and a half. I do like to wear bare nails every now and then to focus on moisturizing my cuticles and giving my nails a breather.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
Winter in Miami feels...somewhat similar to summer in Miami, which means sandals all year long, which also means painted toes all year long!

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?
I have been trying to work on my make up time management! If I'm getting ready for a special occasion or a night out, it would probably take me around 45 minutes from start to finish for a full face. In the mornings, though, I have considerably less time so I allot no more than 15 minutes for make up.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?
Face. I like working on a clean, smooth canvas. Fall out be darned!!

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I! Collect! How many times has my mom asked, "But....do you really need another foundation?" I understand from a utilitarian perspective that owning several of the same kind of beauty item can be wasteful or frivolous, however, there is so much unchartered make up territory, that I can't help but get excited about gaining exposure to new products and color combinations for a variety of looks. Viva variety!

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
I think, to date, I have worn false eyelashes on three occasions, two of which were for Halloween. My mom bought me a pair about a year ago that I love but that I have still not used. I think the whole application process is a bit daunting, but I think if I get over the irrational fear of gluing my eyes shut, I would go crazy with false lashes!

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?
I do not. Daily staples are definitely concealer, tinted moisturizer (with SPF!), and lip balm, though.

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?
Probably not if I am just hanging out at home doing work, but you will find me in a full face of make up and pajama bottoms if I want to practice a new look!

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?
Of course.

14. How many high-end products do you have?
I don't think I've ever counted. I think for make up enthusiasts a make up collection will have a good mix of both drug store and high-end make up since high-end doesn't necessarily mean that the product is high quality or that it work well with a person's skin type, etc. High end make up is not necessarily realistic for everyone, so I wouldn't judge anyone's make up savvy based on the amount of high end products they have.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?
I lose an incredible amount of time picking out an outfit right before I leave home for the day, so I try to plan ahead and choose my outfit before I fall asleep. Operative word: try. Is it dorky that I wish my job required me to wear a uniform?

16. How often do you change your handbag?
Not very often! I have a few main bags that I keep in rotation, but handbags are not the accessories that get me most excited.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?
I have been a night owl since I was a little girl so adjusting to a rigid sleep schedule is tricky, but I try to be asleep before 11 pm and up and running by 7 am.

18. How often or when do you workout?
Right now it's a sad state of affairs on the workout front. I am trying to get back into the swing of an exercise routine, as the sight of my abandoned roller blades is too much for me to handle. Also, I'm tempted to do Couch-to-5K again.

19. Left handed or right handed?
Right handed.

20. How tall are you?
5'2"

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?
Spanish is not very foreign in Miami, but I do speak it!

22. How many pets do you have?
This question made me explode with joy! I will be welcoming a furry, new member of the family soon, so more on that in the coming weeks!

23. How often are you on Blogger?
As I mentioned earlier, I go through blogging phases so the amount of time I am on Blogger is variable. But. This is a revival. And I am here to stay.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?
Yes. I love reading comment feeds and seeing the collective beauty knowledge of the WWW in one place!

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
Absolutely. I try to keep a physical list so I don't miss anything, but usually browsing through the aisles and counters helps to jog my memory!

26. How did you come up with your blog name?
After racking my brain for quite some time, I got a little help from my coworker, Norma, who suggested "The Violet Hour" due to the association with unwinding in the evenings (can you tell what we're into?). Also, T.S. Eliot. The Wasteland (That sad/pretentious/revolutionary poem that everyone reads in high school). "...At the violet hour, the evening hour that strives/Homeward, and brings the sailor home from sea." I am no Harold Bloom, but I do think these verses are lovely. Who doesn't love nautical metaphors? 

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?
My iPhone or my Canon Power Shot.

28. How often do you clean your house?
I like to be clean! But I can't answer this question with a straight face...

29. What's your favorite color?
Purple! I love all shades, but I think aubergine is the most gorgeous.

30. Do you swear?
More than I'd like to admit.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Laundry, organizing, blogging, and relaxing with my family. I also rented Looper (!) so I am looking forward to that. Have any of you seen this movie?!

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. If you do this tag in your blog, comment below and link me to it! Cheers!

Bonus Bits

• Currently listening to: "Switch it all off" by The Suburban Dream. I am loving this Chill Out room in Soundrop!
• Did I mention how excited I am to see Looper?!
• Stunning Liverpool win today! And by win I mean 2-2 draw against Chelsea, but it sure felt like a win with that 2nd goal coming in the last minute of stoppage time!
• So many positive thoughts and prayers to Boston and anyone affected by violence. My heart still hurts over this. I shared this quote last week, but I would like to place it here as well.