Beauty Unbiased

Let's be honest, while you may still have bouts of yelling "USA! USA!" while you're alone in your living room, we all need a little side project to get us through our least favorite Olympic events or those constant commercial breaks. Of course you'll want this project to show off your allegiance to the US Men's Swim Team (umm, just for example). Since my complete incompetence at do-it-yourself projects has been well documented , I'm so thankful for friends like Joyette who agreed to share her DIY Olympic inspired Team USA nail art. Joyette is quickly becoming Beauty Unbiased's resident nail expert as she always seems to oh so casually Instagram pictures of her latest at home nail art projects that leave me yelling (typing loudly?) "OMG, how did you do that?!" After teaching us how to do the perfect spring manicure , here is her affordable and completely adorable summer creation, Team USA Gold Medal Nails.   Materials (clockwise from

Have you taken the time to stop and smell the roses yet? Jurlique Rose Moisture Collection, that is. It's up for grabs! Enter to win the collection by July 27th.  Jurlique Rose Moisture Collection- cleanser, moisturizer & rose mist

Falling into a hair rut may be the easiest black hole to sink deep down into and the hardest claw your way out of. But there is something about 100 degree weather, sweat matting your hair to the back of your neck, and the possibility of a scalp sunburn that motivates a shake up in the hair department. Thought I'd share a few of my favorite summer hair moments that have kept me in my happy hair place. Beachy waves courtesy of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. Vintage filter due to the super serious face .   I made this floral wreath at the Swedish Midsommer Festival and didn't throw it away until all of the flowers had died. Well, a few days later; they died the next day.   Goody Double Wear Hair Ties for all those times you grabbed at your wrist thinking you had a hair tie there only to realize it was your bracelet. My first ever attempt at a fishtail braid- a little more braidy than fishy, but it got my hair off my back (literally) and gave me pretty waves when I

Free of aluminum and parabens, Weleda's Wild Rose Deodorant is one of many alternative or 'natural' deodorant options on the market. As a child of the natural deodorant movement, I've had the unpleasant experience of being a victim of less than effective deodorants, thus turning me off from even experimenting with them for many years. Analyzing your armpit sweat is not as easy a task as it seems.  I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a sweaty freak writing this, but thank you for waiting patiently for my review. So, what makes Weleda's Rose unique and is it actually worth your money?  Image from USA.Weleda.com  Housed in a thick glass bottle and released as a spray, this was not my mother's old school natural deodorant packaging, for which I was appreciative. I really love the light, rose fragrance which was not the least bit overwhelming but left a subtle, pleasant scent. While I'm not a huge fan of any spray deodorant, the mist was quickly ab

Swallowing a bug was the highlight of my cross country running career. I was finishing up one of my first meets in second to last place and wondering why no one ever talked about insects getting stuck in your throat as a vital aspect of the sport. With that knowledge, you may be surprised to know that I kind of hate running. Part of me envies the regular marathon runners who seem to be able to run six miles on a whim and another part of me can still taste that bug in my throat. But when I saw that one of my favorite social enterprises, FEED Projects , is hosting a 10K Run this fall in NYC (and 10 other cities) I immediately signed up at Run10Feed10.com. Just $40, all funds raised go to providing food for those in need in America and every runner gets a limited edition FEED tote bag. Plus it's an excuse to dust off the old running shoes and remind everyone (myself specifically) why I was second to last and not last place.

Three months into my search for the perfect spring scent, the inevitable shift from rainy days to sweltering humidity here in New York City snapped me out of my indecisiveness. Would I forever continue on from perfume sample to perfume sample, never wholly satisfied but also never unhappy with a large sum of money going toward a perfume I may fall out of love with? With renewed resolve, I marched to Sephora. A kind man offered me samples of any perfume I'd like to take home, so I could really see how I felt about the scents. I narrowed it down to two ( Issey Miyake Florale was the runner up), and although I purchased the Prada Infusion d'Iris  a week or two ago, it was not until last night that I knew, for certain, that I had made the right choice. While in the Modern Museum of Art Sculpture Garden listening to the Julliard School perform for  Summergarden  (because where else would you be on a summer Sunday night in NYC?) a warm summer breeze wafted through the air. It

I've been asked to guest blog this week over on Birchbox's blog , folks! I'm very excited for such an amazing opportunity to contribute my summer beauty finds to the always fun, informative, and on trend posts on the Birchbox blog. If you haven't yet liked me on Facebook  or followed me on Twitter , now would be the time to do it so you can stay up to date on the links to the guest posts as soon as they're available. Below are photo previews (and links as the posts are up!) of what you'll be seeing on Birchbox . Three Unexpected Colored Eyeliners How to Avoid A Wedding Makeup Meltdown Five Emerging Beauty Brands To Try Now DIY: Easy, Breezy Top Knot How to Make Friends and Steal Beauty Ideas

From a biodynamic farm in South Australia to your home, the beauty splurge you won't regret - skincare by Jurlique , has partnered with me to give away their new Rose Moisture Plus collection, featuring rose essential oils for hydration and antioxidants to protect your skin against environmental factors. What You Win: -The Rose Moisture Plus with Antioxidant Complex Moisturizing Cleanser  -Rose Moisture Plus with Antioxidant Complex Moisturizing Cream  -Rosewater Balancing Mist  Enter below! Contest ends on July 27th.

In honor of Spain's football team winning the Euro Cup, it seems like the perfect time to share my Lola Barcelona nails in 'Party'. Lola Barcelona made their US debut at the HBA Global Expo Splash Pavilion (which you will be hearing a lot more about soon) only a few weeks ago. Lola's lip glosses and nail polishes provide limited edition and unique colors that are inspired by fashion trends. Soon you will be able to purchase your own Lola Barcelona products at Lola-Barcelona.com. Viva Espana!