Sinful Colors "Dream On" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

Another NOTD! Although you wouldn't be able to tell from the snow flakes that were falling this morning, spring IS on its way. Or at least that is what the calendar has promised me. For the past month or two I have become quite bored with really dark, deep nail polish. Don't get me wrong. Normally I love these [insert color]-almost black nail polish in the early months of fall and winter but the weather around me is so gloomy and cold right now that I need a pick-me-up. Enter bright neon purple nail polish. And trust me, the picture does not do the polish justice. This color is more purple than pink. But it is certainly VERY bright.

I picked this color up on a whim at Target because the price was very reasonable [not more than two dollars] and I didn't have a color quite like this in my collection. The lasting power is reasonable. Not longer than a week. But the one thing I found odd about this polish is that it dries into a matte finish. If that isn't for you be sure to add a top coat and it won't be a problem. Just a weird little peculiarity that I found about this polish. This was my first Sinful Colors and I was pleasantly surprised. I will probably pick up more colors in the future if another color catches my eye.

What do you think of this color? Have you tried Sinful Colors nail polish before? Leave a comment below!

LUSH Porridge Soap Review

This is my new favorite soap! Porridge Soap from LUSH. It smells to good. According to the LUSH website, this soap is for "When you're in a rush on those early mornings you may consider eating breakfast in the shower...We put real oats and fresh organic orange juice in this deliciously nutritious soap, making it a cleansing and exfoliating multi-tasker. Oats soften and slough away dead skin while orange juice and sweet orange oil gently cleanse the skin."

To me this soap smelled a bit like chocolate. But I now know why I must love this soap. I'm a sucker for citrus smells. It smells so good! I normally wash with a louffa but with this soap, I get to skip a step. The oats are gentle but very exfoliating. But can be quite messy after the fifth or sixth use. Beware. I've heard people complain that Lush soaps aren't sudsy but that's never been my experience. This one isn't as sudsy as Ring of Roses but this soap is much more milky and moisturizing. The soap practically melts in your hands. I love this. And I'm going to be repurchasing as soon as I run out.

 One of the great things about LUSH soap is you can decide how much soap you want when you go into the store. Downside? They're quite expensive. I paid about five dollars for this chunk. Beware the oats can get a bit messy as the soap is used up.

Academy Awards 2012 Red Carpet Flop

The 2012 Academy Award's red carpet was a complete disappointment. Sure, there were a few gowns that were stunning, but the  majority looked lack-luster and inappropriate. I get that starlets want to be daring with their wardrobes, but some of these ladies have more than one offense. Keep reading to find out my opinions. 

Maria Menounos, Guiliana Rancic, Octavia Spencer

Unfortunately, these were the only ladies who received my seal of approval. I loved the flowiness and color of Maria's gown, and the cut-out sides to have a sexy and revealing back were the perfect touches to make the dress unique. Guiliana always looks stunning, and tonight was no different. The dress fit her like a glove, there was just enough sparkle, and the detailing was exquisite. Finally, Octavia (winner of best supporting actress) looked classy and chic in her silver sequin embellished gown. 

Shailene Woodley, Emma Stone, Gwyenth Paltrow

Unnecessary Additions. These ladies could have made themselves and their dresses look a lot better if they just didn't make the extra additions. Shailene is too young to be wearing sleeves like that. The gown makes her look too mature, and even a little dowdy. Emma can definitely loose that large bow, and it wouldn't hurt to take that cape/sleeve combo away from Gwyenth's dress. 

Missi Pyle, Sherri Shepherd, Virginia Madsen

Bright hues and blues. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pop of color, but the combination of these colors and the shapes of dresses were a dreadful duo. Missi one shoulder accent looked awkward, as did the bottom half of her dress. Sherri looked bad all around. The shape of that dress did nothing for her body structure and there was too much going on at the top with the cleavage combined with the details. Finally, Virgina's gown looked stiff and the color was a bit bright for her.

Anna Faris, Jane Seymour, Melissa Leo

Sparkling Messes. Sequins are a huge trend right now, but these ladies proved that sequins can go very, very wrong. Anna is usually such a fun girl, but this dress totally tore her down. The all-over sequins looked tacky and the sleeves didn't make it any better. Jane's red sequin gown didn't seem appropriate for an awards show red carpet, and Melissa's two-toned dress looked horrific, but the worst part had to be the top.

Last, and apparently not least, was Angelina Jolie showing off a little leg in Versace. I've never been the biggest fan of Angelina, but everyone seems to just adore her. Her dress wasn't so bad, but the way she kept on posing with her ghostly pale leg sticking out like that made me cringe. Every pose - literally, every pose - looked like this. Definitely not a fan.

Do you disagree? Or were you disappointed with the red carpet gowns too?

See what I thought about last year's red carpet.

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Snow Days + Starbucks

Cami--Aeropostale, Scarf--Target, Sweater--Thrifted from Goodwill, Jeggings--American Eagle, Boots--Unkown, Nails--OPI Pamplona Purple

Snow! Back in January, those of us from Seattle experienced a bout of snow. School cancelled. Scarves worn. It was a big deal. We had a seven day weekend. Best. Thing. Ever. On Friday--right in the middle of that wonderful seven day weekend--I went to Starbucks with my friend Melissa and had a wonderful cup of hot chocolate.

My outfit was simple and warm. I love the city in snow. In Washington we don't get a lot of snow and it always makes me happy. Almost as much as Starbucks. Do you get a lot when it snows where you live? How do you stay warm in winter? Tell me in the comments! More snow day pictures to come.

Sponsor Me!

Hello all! I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to start taking sponsors. If you would like me to advertise your blog/website/company on my website through sidebar advertisements, I am very interested! 

My rates are relatively cheap, and I get tons of traffic to my blog. If you are interested or would like more information about my statistics and prices, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at hsquaredfashion@gmail.com

And don't forget to follow and like my pages by clicking the links below. Hope to hear from you soon!

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Favorites from NYFW

New York Fashion Week is finally over, but I'm still reminiscing on all my my absolute favorites that strutted down the runways. I wish I could have seen them in person, but I had no choice but to watch via youtube.com/liverunway. One day, I will be there though, preferably at a Betsey or Alice + Olivia show.

Were you at NYFW? Who were your favorites or least favorites from the week?

Alice + Olivia

One of my all time favorite designers, how could I not fall in love with the new collection. With a few sequin-adorned gowns and plenty of girly yet sophisticated pieces, it's a collection that I fell in love with.

Betsey Johnson

Betsey never fails to put a fun show down the runway. Known for her flirty looks and infamous cartwheel ending, this year's show was no exception. I love all the little sparkly details, but hated to metallic shoes they were paired with. Sort of reminded me of Austin Powers in a bad way haha.

Anna Sui & Reem Acra

Loved that lacy black dress and the fun, bright, pink and red flowy dress from Anna Sui. And how could you not love the fitted, sexy dress from Reem Acra. As you can tell, I'm kind of in love with a little sparkle on each look :)

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Grammy's 2012 Red Carpet Quick Review

Just three of my favorites and of course, least favorites. What do you think?

Rihanna 

Carrie Underwood

Katy Perry

The Worst

Robyn, Nadeea, Anne V


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Hair Inspiration

Lately, everyone is creating new and innovative ways to style their hair, and I'm loving it! Hair bows, rainbow highlights, ombre hair and unique braids are among the hair trends that are becoming extremely popular.

Unfortunately, since my hair is so thick and long, it's nearly impossible for me to pull of the hair bow-bun type of style, but I've listed the link to the video that I watched to learn how to do it, and it's a lot easier than it might seem! As for the rainbow tips on the left (that picture is of Lauren Conrad), I would love to try that just for a week before I cut my hair next time. It's such a fun look, but I don't think I could have it on a daily basis.

Would/Have you tried any of these hairstyles? What's your favorite hair inspiration?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MWqyGtzclQ

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