I'm going to share a little secret with you. I didn't watch The Great Gatsby up until recently and it wasn't a re-run at the theater or even on a nice flat screen tv. It was a freebie on an airplane. Shameful, I know. But better late than never!

Being a huge fan of Baz Luhrman, it's a wonder it took me so long to soak in the glitz and glamour of the roaring 20's but boy was this movie stunning or what?! I mean, seriously. There's just so much visual inspiration to pull from here and my heart has been stuck with the idea since.





Readers, do you have a particular style in mind for the holidays? What do you think of 20's style? I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!

Hey guys! I'm taking a break from my diligent and incessant search of kitchen faucets* to bring you a fun hair tutorial if you're wanting to play around with a new look. *Seriously, there are so many metal finishes I never considered and the kitchen reno JUST BEGAN and has already taken over my life and eardrums.

New life change? CHOP IT OFF! That may be your gut reaction, but there's no need to weep whilst grasping disembodied strands on the salon floor. Just test out the look to see if you love it first. ;)

Video tutorial and 360° pics below! 

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share a bit of a life update. Drumroll please... We have just moved into a new (to us) house! It's the first time my husband and I have purchased a place for ourselves so we are ecstatic and very, very overwhelmed with everything that comes with owning a home for the first time in our lives. Seriously there are So. Many. New. Things. that you have to learn in the entire process but I am so glad to finally be out of our old apartment and into new beginnings.

That being said, we are also swimming in mountains of boxes as well as installing washer dryers (Our own! Yay!), repairing hot water heaters (Cold showers! Oh no!), painting walls, and hiring contractors on top of simply unpacking and getting settled.


I'll still be releasing a brand new video on Saturday but in the meantime posts may be a little more irregular than usual. My poor, ripped up nails just couldn't make it for Manicure Monday, nevermind the fact that all my polish is packed up. Where is my beloved glass nail file again?

I'm seriously excited to jump into some remodeling and decorating as we flesh out each room, so I hope you beloved blog readers are ready for some interior design eye candy in the future. Is this what it means to be an adult? Spending your free time dreaming of HGTV shows and the perfect oversized, reclaimed wood dining table? It's so dreamy though.

Today's Manicure Monday is a lovely pastel green from the celebrity brow artist Damone Roberts. I actually got the opportunity to meet him earlier this year and you could tell how warm and effervescent his personality was! Also, brows were totally on point. Damone Roberts 1968 was equally full of personality and actually is a unique pastel green. Let's check it out below!

Anyone who struts around on the regular wearing kitty ears is a winner in my book! You guys all know Ariana Grande is a hyper-talented diva with the voice of an angel but she also has a signature look that I absolutely adore. Thick winged liner? Check. High ponytail? Check. Cute bustier, hot pants, and over-the-knee boots? Check.

Here's my Halloween look for the adorable Ariana!

I love Halloween season and I try to make it a point to create at least one crazy tutorial each year. Thank goodness that Guardians of the Galaxy had such a BA inspirational female lead! Not only is Gamora green and sexy (Kermit the Frog would have weak knees) but she's also strong and intelligent as well, just ignore the face that she's a skilled assasin. You guys. There are not enough Gamora characters out there for women to look up to.

Because she's just an all-around fantastic character inside and out, I chose to create this all-out green Gamora makeup and costume tutorial for you. Check it out below!

 

It's Ben here with another Mantastic™ Mensday. So by now you may have noticed a trend in our Mensday Wednesday gatherings. Basically, each piece is a coming-of-age story about a man discovering a fondness for grooming products and wondering how he ever lived without them. This week we find our hero declaring his true love for Benefit’s Total Moisture Facial Cream.

Everyone loves a little bling-bling, and what's more classic than solid gold? I feel like gold is one of those colors that I sometimes get intimidated to wear. Maybe it's the bold statement or the fear of it clashing with the yellow undertones in my skin but this week I was totally feeling the warm look of Deborah Lippmann's Autumn In New York.

When I opened up my mail and saw this year's Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette (which I didn't even know was going to be made....eee!) my heart gave a little flutter and I actually squealed out loud. Check out this beaut'! The reflective cover, ocean-sunset streaks, and chartreuse crystallized lettering looked very promising. Would this palette live up to the exceptional Vice's past? Let's take a gander below!

I don't know what it is, but lately I have just been all about the vamp. Fall has officially started so I needed a nail color to reflect just that. As the darkest shade in the Covergirl XL nail gel collection, Bodacious Berry just stood out to me as being just the gorgeous purple I was looking for.

When it comes to tv, there are a couple of things that completely draw me in. First is a great fierce competition and second is a topic that I adore. That very combination is what makes pretty dang excited about Oxygen's new show called Nail'd It which is a reality competition for nail art. Nail art. You know how obsessed with nail polish and nail art I am, so you know I'm gonna be all over that when it premiers next Tuesday, October 7th!

I'm going to be sharing a few outfit/nail art pairings before the show for a #HailTheNail Twitter event, plus live tweeting throughout the show. I'm also going to be doing a HUGE giveaway for one lucky person who joins me during the chat so be sure to follow me @frmheadtotoe so I can see you guys there at 5pm PST (8/7c)!

Giveaway Prize

1 - Adrienne Bailon 5 Borough Package
1 - CND Creative Nail Lotion, Almond Hydrating, 8 fl oz.
1 - CND Citrus Nail Soothing Crème 2.6 oz.
1 – JulieG Nail Polish Set (whooo #teaminternet!)
1 – October Issue of Nail It Magazine
1 – Oxygen and Nail’d It Branded Nail Mat
2 – Oxygen Branded Mirrored Nail Files
2 – Oxygen Branded Ink Pens
1 – Oxygen Branded notebook

Thank you so much again for all your support since that's what makes opportunities like this possible. I love you guys and I can't wait to share my fall nail art picks on Tuesday. :)

This post was made possible through my partnership with Oxygen. The giveaway prize was provided by Oxygen, but Oxygen is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Oxygen.

It is finally OFFICIALLY Fall! Bring on the beanies, scarves, faux fur and over-the-knee boots please. One of the things that I miss the most about living in the midwest is a nice crisp, cool autumn morning when you can admire the beautiful leaves changing colors while sipping on a hot cocoa. Honestly, it's still been blazing hot in LA but I tried my darndest to infuse some of that Kansas season into my fall lookbook this year. ;)

I'm a 90's kid. Let me date myself by saying I have the fondest of memories when it comes to watching the original My Little Ponies, Care Bears, Saved By The Bell, Boy Meets World, and yeah, I may have had a little crush on Joey Lawrence in Blossom. Woah!

There's just something about the ripped jeans, crop tops, and flannel galore that gives me the warm fuzzies. I've been noticing a ton of these items reappearing on my fall fashion radar so I thought it was worth creating a 90's inspired lookbook.

Here's my video on 3 ways to wear modernized 90's Grunge as well as a few items that totally scream "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to me.

Hey guys, Ben FromHeadToToe here. When Jen first asked if I wanted to tackle a blog post, I knew I had to go in guns blazing. Guns – that’s one thing that men like, right? Maybe? Okay, well, men like shaving. It’s a way of saying “I am so manly that some of my man is growing out of my face and I need to contain it.”

To shave, one typically uses some cream or gel. Enter our two contestants: Jack Black Beard Lube and Every Man Jack Shave Cream. Let’s see how these two shaving creams stack up against each other in the battle to be my favorite.

 

Full, fluttery, voluminous, sexy eyelashes are something that I have never had and probably will never naturally have without the help of some medicinal glaucoma eye potions and other similar witchcraftery. Maybe it's because of the monolids, maybe it's sub-par lash genetics, but I've faced the fact that no amount of curling and plumping will make them the fluttery beauties I wish they were.

Enter eyelash extensions. While applying eyeshadow on my friend Amy, I noticed how poppin' her lashes were! No mascara, no eyeliner, no glues or strips or mascara to speak of. At that moment I decided I must  test it out for myself.

Eyelash extensions are something that I've been curious about for a really long time, so I wanted to make sure I shared my experience as well as the tips I've gathered to get the most bang for your butterfly kisses.

Happy Saturday everyone! It's been quite a while since I've talked about the From Head To Toe Youtube channel so I thought I'd do a little Weekend Roundup of what's been going on over there lately.


I'm super honored to announce that youtube.com/frmheadtotoe just hit 900,000 subscribers which is a number that's so huge I can't even wrap my head around what a crowd of that many people looks like. Mind officially boggled. Needless to say, I am stunned and totally humbled that anyone would stop to watch my videos much less subscribe. (Ohmygoojness, the emotions!)

When I started I never, ever thought my channel would get to this point and I'm still so, so grateful everyday for the awesomeness that is you. So first of all, THANK YOU!!!

If you guys want to subscribe you can click here or head on over to my channel page to see my latest videos. I post some of them here but many are channel exclusives so it's good to pop over there once in a while so you don't miss any updates!

Recent Videos

As for what I've been doing lately, I've gone full swing into Back-To-School season. Since I myself am out of school, to me that means the kickoff of fall fashion and a return to basics for makeup. Sometimes it's good to refresh routines in preparation for the changing weather ahead.

Like its predecessor Naked Basics, this comes in the exact same format. A small iPhone-sized compact holding 6 neutral eyeshadows (in cooler tones this time) with a full-sized mirrored lid and slightly rubbery case.

To mark the end of Summer I wanted to share a gorgeous summery yellow nail color that I've been in love with lately. It's another polish from the XL Nail Gel line (which I previously talked about here) and I was hoping it would be a great, happy color while being as long-lasting as my previous experience with the line. Let's check it out below!

You know that feeling you get when you're at a store and something sparkly and gorgeous catches your eye? Ooooh, shiny... Maybe it's just me and my magpie obsession with collecting the preciouses but I've always admired the beautiful way jewelry is displayed when you go shopping. Everything is open where you can see it in the nicest light and you can choose what best suits your taste.

I'm all about bringing that concept into the home. Jewelry is fun because it's already beautiful so why hide it in a drawer? Here's a peek at some of my collection and how I display my sparkly things in an easy-access, aesthetically pleasing way.

To kick off another week I have another nail polish to share with you! As I was preparing to paint my nails, I asked you guys on Twitter (@frmheadtotoe) which polish I should use and the most frequently voted choice was OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around. Since I wanted a mini break from the summer brights I've been sporting lately, I decided to go for this work-appropriate, classy look.

Hey everyone! There's a buzz in the air and that buzz is people talking about the Nordstrom (or as I like to call it "Nordies") Anniversary Sale which is happening right now until August 4th. What I love about this sale versus others is that it's a preview sale which means the items will be going back up to full price afterwards. No last-season leftovers here!

I did a massive haul of makeup, clothes, and of course shoes so I wanted to share with you what I picked up as well as a few of my top recommendations.

Hey guys! Today I'm super excited to share with you a nail color that has been a big obsession of mine over the last week. There's something about lavender polish that I find really pops on the nails (like in my latest Lookbook) but melts into my skintone, and it's just a touch more saturated than spring pastels which is totally perfect for the current summer season. Presenting Covergirl XL Nail Gel in Plumped-Up Plum.

Was the wear as nice as the look? Let's check it out below!

Hey guys! Summer is fully in swing and I am so feeling the fashion right now. Compared to years past, it seems like what's popular this season is actually really flattering on the body with crop tops and high-waisted things that emphasize a curve without looking too revealing.

For my Summer Lookbook, I ventured out to the lovely and iconic Santa Monica Pier to do a bit of beachgazing, people watching, and yes, even some cotton candy eating. Hehehe...

You know how when you're craving a certain food, when you finally eat it it's so satisfying? I feel that way about NARS Night Out. It's been a good long while since I've worn a true blue on my nails and I was itching for the perfect bright cream blue that wasn't too navy or green. I've gotta say when this one came in the mail I was immediately smitten. Summertime sadness nails? Ohhh yes please!

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a recent interview I did with Soompi.com. A few of you old school FHTT fans might remember that I started out posting little makeup tutorials in the Soompi forums years ago (2007!) which actually led to the creation of my blog, so I feel like I have a lot that I owe to the Soompi community for helping my site grow into what it is now. I'm truly honored and humbled for things to have come around full circle like that.


If you are interested in reading the article, click on the image above or check it out here.

Thank you so much to Soompi, as well as all you Soompiers out there who followed along on my journey experimenting with everything from circle lenses to eyelid tape to sharing monolid tutorials and my acne story. It has been, and still is, an incredible experience being open and sharing my life and experiences with you guys. As long as my blogs and videos can encourage women to be self-confident, knowledgeable, and beautiful (inside and out), I feel endlessly blessed to be working for something greater than myself.

I love you guys so much! :)

Happy Manicure Monday and I hope you had an amazing 4th of July weekend! Today I have a new product from Ciaté to share with you guys: the SHELL manicure.

I don't know about you but I'm a big fan of anything iridescent like seashells so having crushed shells on my nails sounded mighty intriguing. Would it be sparkling? Would it be rough? Would it fall off in a day?

Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share a review of the brand new Dual Intensity Eyeshadows from NARS. This is a fresh formula which is particularly special because you can use it dry for a traditional eyeshadow experience or add a drop of water to up the ante and make it even more opaque and dramatic.


NARS says these shadows have a sheer, luminous finish when applied dry but I was really interested to see if the performance was smooth and usable even if I didn't want to use it wet. The dry-to-wet formulas I've tested in the past have been less than impressive so I really wanted to see if this would change my perception. Lets check out Himalia and Cassiopeia below!