The Retail Therapy Diaries: October 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sweet Treat Manicure

Getting into the Halloween spirit, I decided to give my nails a spooky makeover! Combining white, orange, and yellow nail polish, I was inspired by one of my favorite Halloween candies, candy corn! Create a cute design that only looks tricky. All you need is some tape and nail polish and you are ready to go! Look below for a step-by-step tutorial to create your very own candy corn manicure!

Start off with yellow, orange, and white nail polish! Since yellow and orange can be a little difficult to wear throughout the year, just get a cheaper brand to save some money.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Mellow Yellow $2.59 (Ulta)

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Sun Kissed $2.59 (Ulta)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Whirlwind White $2.49 (Ulta)

Starting with the base color, paint on the orange nail polish and let it dry completely. It's a good idea to wait a few hours before layering on the other colors. The last thing you want is the tape to peel off the color!

Cut strips of tape measuring about a third of your nail and make sure to smooth out any bumps and bubbles. If the tape isn't securely sealed to your nail, the polish can seep under the tape and smudge the other colors. I happened to have some painters tape with me so I used that, but scotch tape works just as well!

To finish off your Halloween inspired manicure, paint your nails yellow above the tape, and white below the tape. Once all the polish is dry, you should be left with candy corn nails after peeling off the tape!

Happy Halloween!

Inspired? Look for these items here:

www.ulta.com

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Spooktacular Giveaway

It's that time of year again when pumpkins line doorways with wicked grins, and monsters and fairies walk from door to door for yummy treats! Halloween is probably my second favorite holiday, just behind Christmas! Though I haven't dressed up for a few years now, I have so much fun seeing the trick-o-treaters with all their neat costumes. Above all though, my absolute favorite part of Halloween has got to be carving pumpkins! I have so much fun scooping out the goop and using the little saw to cut out each piece. Last year I carved a Captain Crunch pumpkin, as well as a Keebler elf pumpkin. I'm still deciding on a design for this year, but I figure I still have a few weeks to prepare. In the spirit of this spooktacular holiday, I decided to put together a fun little Halloween inspired giveaway! Want a chance of winning some cute things? Simply go to The Retail Therapy Diaries Facebook page and write down your all time favorite halloween costume on the wall! Let me know how old you were when you wore it, and any sort of fun story that may be behind it! Your entry can be as long or as short as you want! In order for the giveaway prizes to be delivered in time for Halloween, the giveaway will end in two weeks on October 24th! As always, I am in need of helpers to put my blog out there! So if you can, let a friend or two know about my blog! It would mean so much to me! I look forward to reading your comments! Good luck!

Don't have a Facebook? Simply email your entry to my email at:
theretailtherapydiaries@gmail.com

Last Year's Pumpkins!

The Prizes:

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Spun for You

There were a few different designs, but I thought this was the prettiest! Layered on top of a metallic silver base are lots and lots of cobwebs! The perfect finishing touch to your costume!

Sparkly Purple Spider Ring

Add a touch of sparkle to your Halloween outfit with a purple crystal spider ring!

Sparkly Spider Headband

Not a big fan of dressing up for Halloween but still want to get into the spirit of the holiday? Add a shiny Halloween inspired headband to your hairdo! It'll add just the right amount of spook to your look!

Remember you have two weeks to enter! Who knows? The winner may get a few extra tricks or treats sent to them in addition to these prizes. You'll never know what they might be if you don't enter!

Click here to be directed to TRTD's Facebook page!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Lace for Less

There are so many things that I love about fall! From the crunch of colorful leaves blanketing the sidewalks to the slight chill in the passing breeze. But what I love even more are all the fashionable fall pieces lining the shelves and racks in all my favorite stores! With the temperatures slowly starting to drop, I love throwing on a warm fuzzy sweater or switching my favorite sandals for some pretty flats! One trend that has continued to be hot this season is lace! Wanting to incorporate this pretty fabric into my cool weather wardrobe, I've created three fall lace inspired looks that won't break your budget! What's your favorite part of fall? Is it the pumpkin spice lattes, dressing up for Halloween, or something entirely different? Let me know!

Fall Lace Inspired Looks