The Retail Therapy Diaries

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

Tights: Flower Lace Tights $17.46 (Asos)

Top: Bowtie Top $19.50 (Old Navy)

Blazer: 3/4 Sleeve Crop Blazer $24.80 (Forever 21)

Skirt: Bandage Skirt $19.80 (Forever 21)

Tunic: River Island Cut About Lace Tunic $44.00 (Asos)

Leggings: Full Tilt Basic Ankle Leggings $11.99 (Tilly's)

Shoes: Fauxsuede Pointy Flats $22.00 (Old Navy)

Dress: Lola Lace Dress $48.00 (Nasty Gal)

Shoes: Qupid Nesha Boots $44.99 (Tilly's)

Necklace: Charm Necklace $16.95 (Steampunk Emporium)

From TRTD's Closet

Dress: Dilemma Lace Dress (Aritzia)

Inspired? Look for these items here:

www.steampunkemporium.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Magnetic Pull

Before I start this post, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts recently. School has been keeping me super busy and my stress level has been on the high end lately. I've only been back for a week and a half and this week already felt like finals week, full of late nights and hardcore studying! Needless to say I've been a little preoccupied! I will try my best to not wait for weeks to go by between posts and keep the fun trends and looks coming! Now on to today's post! I was first introduced to this cool product from a photo on a friends Tumblr page featuring a magnetic nail polish that creates a swirled effect when the magnet on top of the bottle is placed above the nail. It seemed like such a fun idea but wasn't sure how to get my hands on a bottle. Luckily I stopped into my neighborhood Rite Aid and found it displayed with the new items. I had to have it! The Magneffect nail polish by Layla Cosmetics was the only magnet activated polish I had ever seen. I actually had to go back and buy it because I wasn't convinced that the polish was worth as much as it was priced the first time around. However after giving it a day of thought, I decided to give it a shot and purchased the Velvet Groove shade that combines a pretty purple with magenta when activated by the magnet! I tried the polish this afternoon and loved it! It was so cool watching the colors mix together! Another plus to this polish would be the fast dry time so you aren't waiting forever. Though the price may be steep, I thought it was worth it. It provided a one of a kind look that I had never seen before. I'll be sticking with this polish for a while. Hopefully other brands will pick up on this cool new trend with more affordable prices!

Magneffect by Layla Cosmetics

Violet Groove Shade

Here's what the magnet looks like on top! The line down the middle directs the way that the swirl on the nail will go! So if you hold it horizontally, there will be horizontal lines! Want them slightly off to the side? Simply turn the cap till the line matches up to where you want it.

What it looks like on!

Inspired? Look for this item here:

www.amazon.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Back-to-School-Blues

I just finished up my second day of class and can't help but wish that it were still summer! I've got a case of the back-to-school-blues and in need of a remedy. Luckily for me and others who have caught the bug, there's a temporary cure that can turn that frown upside down! Though it may not rid you of those pages of readings or hours of studying, shopping for a great outfit always puts me in a better mood! It's retail therapy to the rescue! Inspired by my blue mood, I created three different outfits inspired by the color that would be great outfits for school. These will hopefully help you to look polished and stylish walking around campus. But as I mentioned, retail therapy is just a temporary remedy for the back-to-school-blues and I have to tackle some reading before class tomorrow!

Blue Inspired Outfits

Dress: Neve Dress $35.34 (Abercrombie)

Jacket: Roll Sleeve Crop Jacket $21.50 (Wet Seal)

Shoes: Patent Leatherette Flat $9.99 (Wet Seal)

Tank: Ruffle Tank $14.90 (Alloy)

Cardigan: Lightweight Boyfriend Cardigan $29.50 (American Eagle)

Leggings: Just One French Terry Leggings $12.99 (Tilly's)

Shoes: Black Poppy Knee High Back Buckle Boots $49.50 (Pacsun)

Jeans: Candie's Color Skinny Jeans $31.20 (Kohl's)

Blazer: Classic Career Jacket $27.80 (Forever 21)

Tank: Cable and Gauge Bowneck Tank Top $39.99 (Lord and Taylor)

Shoes: Decree Mesa Boot $39.99 (JcPenney)

Inspired? Look for these items here:

www.lordandtaylor.com

www.jcpenney.com

Sunday, September 18, 2011

DIY Project

Feeling creative? Looking for something fun and eye catching to add to your room? Showcase your artistic side by creating your very own fashion inspiration board! Not only is this project fun and simple, it's also a cheap and affordable alternative to some of the more pricier home decor options. Rather than just hanging up a pretty picture, an inspiration board is a great way to illustrate what things you are loving at the moment and is also a great conversation starter! What's especially great about this project is that there is no right or wrong way of going about it. If you're a fan of fashion designing, you can clip magazine photos that may inspire a new project. Are you a fan of trends? Clip photos of the hottest pieces of the moment and stick them on the board! You can reference back to the clippings before your next retail therapy session! If fashion isn't your thing, make a board that suits your other interests! Ready to get crafty? Roll up those sleeves, find some old magazines, and let that creativity flow!

Supplies:

cork board
magazine clippings/photos
sticky tack/thumb tacks
cut out letters (optional)
super glue (optional)

Personally I wanted to add a glitzy touch to my board, so I super glued glittery cut out letters in the top corner to add some visual interest! I decided to use sticky tack rather than thumb tacks so I wouldn't have to damage the photos, but if you want to quickly post clippings, thumb tacks are a great option!

TRTD's Inspiration Board

Inspired? Look for this item here:

www.target.com

Friday, September 16, 2011

Varsity Blues

Now that classes are back in session, why not keep warm with a varsity style jacket or cardigan for a preppy yet urban feel? With nautical inspirations, stripes are back in for the fall season! Personally I'm not a huge fan of thicker coats, but I think that the varsity style cardigans would be great for layering and allows you to slowly step into the trend without having to commit to it 100%. Never had the opportunity to wear that varsity jacket in high school? Well now is your chance!

Varsity Jacket Options: