Winterize Your Nails With Julep

Winter time can reek havoc to ones nails and cuticles. Between the cold dry weather and washing your hands extra to keep away the flu my poor nails could use a little TLC. 

Julep recently released an exclusive tutorial featuring tips on How to Winterize Your Nails. Below is the tutorial, all tips I truly believe in and sometimes neglect. 

My take on Winterizing Your Nails:

Invest in a crystal nail file. I hate the feeling of an emery board. A crystal nail file lasts longer, is smoother to use, and I will never turn back again after purchasing mine. 

Out of cuticle oil & cream? Rub a little olive oil or coconut oil on your nails and cuticles, works like a dream. 

In a real pinch? Use your chapstick or lip balm after washing your hands to hydrate your cuticles. 

Keep your nails shorter in the winter time, it keeps dirt and bacteria at bay and is easier to maintain. 

Take your vitamins! This will keep you healthy against cold & flu AND give you strong healthy nails and hair. 

Some of winter's hottest shades from Julep. My favorites are Ilsa and Sawyer. Of course when in doubt go for a classic red or deep blue. 

What are your winter tips for healthy nails? Favorite shade of polish?

XOXO
Serein

Louboutin Blue

If you've been reading or watching my blog or youtube channel for a bit, you'd know the whole story about my wedding shoes which happen to be blue Christian Louboutin's. When they came out with the Louboutin Rouge polish this summer I immediately purchased the pricey polish. Read post here.

When shopping awhile back, my Hubs and I found the perfect shade of blue that represented my wedding shoes from the collection. I wanted, but held off.

For Christmas this year, Hubs really wanted to get this for me, sadly it was sold out so he did the next best thing, got me a Sephora gift card and I was able to go pick it up myself the day after Christmas plus a few other goodies. See What I Got For Christmas here. 

Watch the vlog where I purchase this beauty and get a peek of the beautiful display of all the polishes.

Christian Louboutin Polish in Wherever 

XOXO
Serein

Louboutin Red

20 Years after Christian Louboutin painted his first stiletto sole with red varnish as a finishing touch, women around the world now recognize the infamous red soles everywhere. Even if you don't know it, you've seen them and they look nice.

To me Louboutins are a symbol of luxury, art, and sex. Each pair is beautifully crafted and every detail is thought of. Wearing a pair of Louboutins makes you sway your hips a little and walk a little sultrier. The best part is how the toe cleavage make foot fetishes go wild.

Going back to almost 2 years ago (wow time flies), I was newly engaged and before I had a location, dress, or even idea of what I wanted my wedding to be like, I knew what I'd be wearing on my feet. A pair of Christian Louboutins.

My wedding shoes

Many girls dream of their dress, first dance, their ring, mine were the shoes I'd be walking down the aisle in.

Flash forward to last week during an impromptu date night, which consisted of my husband being the best and most patient husband in the world by taking me to my favorite Sephora in L.A., there it was. The most beautiful nail polish on display with NO tester.

I had heard that Christian Louboutin was releasing a nail polish and I had decided that I did not need this beautiful nail polish in the most artistically constructed packaging I'd ever seen, but I had to share the visual with my husband. When I walked up to it and showed him, He said "Wow that's nice." I asked "would you totally kill me for spending $50 on nail polish?" Without hesitation he said "no, it's a collection item and you love Louboutin." I know that I have married the right man for me since our first date, but that moment reminded me how wonderful he really is and how much he just gets me.

My very first pair of Louboutins from my mom 

We walked away to have a wonderful dinner so I could think about it. After some advice from my Instagram crew,  I made the decision to go back and spend $50 on this baby.

It took me 2 days to even open the box and expose the beautiful bottle. Then another day to paint my nails with the most beautiful nail polish handle.

peer pressure from the beauty snoop 

I have to say Mr. Louboutin did not disappoint one bit. The formulation is rich, pigmented, beautifully fluid, and so far no chips (we're going on day 31/2 with some major house work). Every time I look down at my toes or my hands, I have a little smile. It reminds me of the shade of the sexy red soles when you walk away wearing a pair of Louboutins.

My 2nd pair. Black suede. 

My Wedding shoes. 

Will you be purchasing your very own polish? Have you ever splurge on a major designer item? I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories.

XOXO
Serein

July Favorites

Every month the beauty community rally up their beauty favorites to share with the world. As I gather my own collection of favorites to film and upload on youtube, I can't get this overwhelming sensation of how fast time is just passing me by.

All of July's Makeup Favorites, which I use in a very wearable makeup tutorial in My July Favorites and Tutorial Video on Youtube

Summer is almost over and everyone is already on the back to school craze, I AM NOT READY. This brings me back the the anxiety of auditioning for Christmas commercials in summer. If you don't know, because of production turnaround, most commercials, films, and television shows are filmed months in advance. So odds are summer beach bikini commercials are filmed in the dead of winter on a freezing beach and fun festive winter holiday commercials are filmed in the hottest months in summer with fake snow and LOTS of winter gear in the hottest months. It's crazy and uncomfortable.

It seriously freaks me out to keep thinking a season ahead. I want to savor today and live in the moment. of course I will think of future plans, wants, needs, and goals, but somehow these monthly favorites bring me a bit of anxiety.

So without further a due... here are my monthly favorites in video form and in pretty pictures. The "pretty" may be lacking on the pictures, since my uncle just left me a camera that I'm trying to figure out. So while I have finally figured out how to use my Canon Rebel T5i for filming my youtube videos, I'm now trying to learn an outdated Sony DSLR for my blog photos. Bare with me.

For details on the products and how I use them please watch my video. 

Murad Pore Reform Skin Smoothing Polish: 

Murad Blackhead and Pore Clearing Duo

Caudalie Beauty Elixir:

CND Solar Oil: 

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

CND Weekly Polish Cerulean Sea:

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

CND Weekly Top Coat:

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

Mehron Velvet Finish Primer:

http://www.mehron.com/Velvet_Finish_Primer_p/194.htm

Laura Geller Beauty Cool Lids Cream Eye Shadow

2nd Love Baked marble Blush in Sunshine:

The White Queen by Phylippa Gregory

Paper Towns by John Green

*Get a FREE audio book here:

http://www.audibletrial.com/dressyourselfhappy

Amrezy Palette

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Medium

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse:

Jose Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Rio De Rose

Cle De peau Beaute Concealer in Beige

Alexa Chung Lash Enhancing Eye Do Eyeliner Eyeko

Chanel Liner in 911

Tarte lights, camera, splashes mascara

Clinque Bottom Lash Mascara:

2nd Love Baked Bronzer in Sun kissed:

It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer

YSL Glossy Stain in #7

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Rollerball

What were your monthly favorites this last month?

xoxo-
Serein

*some above links are affiliate links. Please read disclaimer page if you have any concerns.

Mint Green Obsessed

So I'm a little obsess with mint. With Spring in full swing and summer just around the corner I have been going on a mint buy obsession.

Here are some pictures to prove my new obsession. 

It's not just mint, I'm into pastels of all colors right now. From left to right: Romper Room, Spin the Bottle, Absolutely Shore, Fashion Playground

I wore Fashion Playground from Essie for most of March.

 Here I am meeting a fellow youtuber for the first time wearing surprise a mint tank top. 

I've been loving mint and teal eyeliner for a pop of color on the lids. You can watch the makeup tutorials on my youtube channel. 

This triangl bathing suit is to die for. The fabric is unlike any other suit and forms perfectly to the body in the most flattering way possible. 

I even picked up a mint Ted Baker London makeup bag and pencil case. Sunglasses are from Forever 21, perfect for a Spring day don't you think?

What are you obsessing over this spring season? Have you watched my makeup tutorial feating the Stila Smudge Stick in Turquoise yet? I have a new one coming out in a few days for a Beachy Tropical Look using Teal eyeshadow. 

Ready For Spring Nail Polish

necklace is from Stella Dot, candle is from nest.

Lately I've felt spring approaching slowly, the days are starting to get longer and the temperature here in L.A. is a balmy 75 degrees on average. My husband and I have even been able to get to our favorite hiking trail before dark. 

In anticipation, I like to lighten up my look with some pastels. The first pick and February favorite that will be live next week on youtube, make sure your subscribed to my channel (shameless plug) is the Zoya polish in Odette. I received the beautiful polish from ipsy. Even my husband loved the color. I found this muted light violet color to be the perfect transition color from winter to spring. The finish is nice and the pigmentation is better than most polishes out there. It's such a lovely classic color that works for both conservative and bold tastes. 

My next go to and even more of a sign that spring is approaching is Essie's Turquoise & Caicos. This is such a pretty turquoise color that reminds me of pools, beaches, and lemonade for whatever reason. I do find that I need 3 coat of this polish to get the pigmentation I want. 

I'm currently wearing this polish as I type out my post. For those that wonder how on earth I can type right after applying polish? Well I have to thank O.P.I.'s Rapid Dry combination pictured above. This stuff really works. Not my favorite top coat, but I use it a lot since i'm impatient and need my nails to be dried as fast as possible.

What is your favorite Spring nail polish? Any colors I should try from the new collections that have come out? Tweet me @sereinwu or leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @sereinwu.

What Pretty Little Liars Has Taught Me

As I sit here in anticipation for the midnight screening of The Hunger Games, I can’t help thinking about how movies and TV have influenced fashion.  For me, I have always gone to the extreme in inspiration. When I was obsessed with the movie, The Three Amigos, my brother drove down to Tijuana and got me an authentic Three Amigos outfit complete with a matching sombrero. You can bet I wore that thing out and about. When the movie Clueless came out, I went shopping with my sister and she decked me out in mini skirts, knee high socks, and matching tops, of course this was totally inappropriate for elementary school. 

Even today, I notice how I’ve been inspired by the movies and shows I’m watching. My latest inspiration…ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. I know this sounds like a silly teen girl soap, but it’s actually really good. You’d have to start from the beginning to know what’s going on, but there’s a reason this show is such a hit. There was even a blog about it on the Huffington Post about how Pretty Little Liars is a great feminist show that empowers young women. So in honor of my latest obsession, I’m wearing pure lacquer nail apps (instant nail polish with designs printed on them). I even started wearing more Aria type dresses. For those of you who don’t watch the show, Aria is the creative, artsy, funky type, who will mix prints, colors, and styles on any given day depending on her mood. In my fiancé’s words he describes her style as fun, youthful, and sometimes jailbait gothic.

If you follow the show you’d see that each girl has a very distinct style and personality. While I’m probably more of a “Hanna” girl, who obsesses about fashion and can tell you what designer everyone is wearing or where they got their clothes, I wish I were a little more artsy, creative, and bold like Aria. I also find it interesting that like Hanna, I always tried to fit in. I wore designers and clothes that were fashionable and popular, to be popular. While Aria, who marches to the beat of her own drum and isn’t afraid to take risks, always knows who she is and isn’t afraid to show it. I know that I have both girls in me. I started being an Aria, as a kid, with my costumes and dressing how I felt. In my teens, I became a Hanna, somewhere along the way, I turned into a little bit of the over-achieving, preppy Spencer, and now I’m trying to find my way back to Aria.

So, instead of the conservative burgundy or light pink nails I normally get, I opted for lace printed black nails. While I normally admire others with bold choices, I rarely make any myself. Usually I tend to stick to things I know that works on me. So even though I only changed my nails, which are completely temporary, it made me feel a little bolder, a little fearless. It’s funny how such a small thing can change your whole attitude about yourself and how you feel. This small gesture for myself even allowed me to explore my wardrobe a bit more. I had this red knitted tank dress that I never wore because it was completely see through. Well I found a black slip in the back of my closet and wore it under, then I found a cream woven belt and some matching thigh-high socks to go with my knee high biker boots. I made it work and it was completely appropriate and actually really fun to wear.

photo from ABC Family

So if a manicure can do this for me, what can it do for you this week?