Good afternoon, dear readers, and Happy New Year! It's been so quiet on the blog front the past couple of weeks as I have taken some much needed time off to spend lots of quality time with my family. I'm eager to get back into the swing of things now that the new year has begun, and I wanted to start this this year out with a post that reflects on the past year as well as look towards the future. Let's start with one of the events that was a major catalyst for my blog in 2014!
Cosmoprof North America 2014
2014 started out slowly for me on the blog front as I moved to another state and had to get settled in at my new home. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to attend Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas in July, and it propelled my blog forward this past year. I had the pleasure of meeting up with several amazing people, and it was wonderful to put faces and voices to brands I was only briefly acquainted with prior to the trip. This post is a compilation of the brands I encountered that showcased at CPNA.
Out of the Darkness Fundraiser
I like to give back by supporting charities and fundraisers, and this past year, I decided to use my blog to help spread the word for an important cause. I partnered up with some of the most kind-hearted indie brands, and they donated one of a kind polishes that I could raffle off to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Called the Lacquer for Life campaign, we were able to raise $1740 for my local walk. I was blown away by the generosity of the indies that participated and those that donated to the raffle, and this campaign is what I am most proud of from 2014. I don't think I can thank you all enough for making this a possibility.
The walk itself was an intense experience for me, and I was honored to represent the nail polish community for this noble cause.
Favorite Products from 2014
I had the pleasure of trying out new products that were released in 2014, and these are the ones that I am still using often!
I use a lot of cuticle oil, and I cannot get enough of them from DIFFERENT dimension! Missi releases seasonal scents that are delicious. White Truffle Raspberry is my current favorite!
Winter is so hard for my skin, and this scrub has definitely helped to keep my hands soft. I also use it on occasion on my elbows and knees when they need a little extra attention. I am currently obsessed with the Apple Cider Donuts scent!
Ok, ok, technically NailVinyls opened up late 2013, but I was introduced to them in 2014, and they have taken the nail art community by storm. They certainly make nail art easy. Several brands have popped up over the year- either as a new addition to a product lineup or a new brand entirely, but I have always had the most success when using the original nail vinyls from NailVinyls.com.
Indie subscription boxes became very popular in 2014, and there were so many to choose from! The Sweet Addictions box sold by Cupcake Polish was my favorite from last year. Every box contained a gorgeous Cupcake Polish that was exclusive to the box plus two other indie brands. It gave you the opportunity to try out other brands if you haven't done so before, and the $30 price point made it more affordable than others on the market.
Nail Art from 2014
I was determined to do more nail art this past year, and while I definitely have a lot of room to grow, I've had a lot of trying! These are some of the looks I created this year.
Hello 2015!
It's a brand new year, and I am looking forward to seeing where I go from here! I'm currently in the process of buying my first house with my husband (YIKES!), so the start to 2015 may be a little slow as we hopefully finish signing all our paperwork and move later this month. Thankfully this move will be local so it hopefully won't be slow too long on my end!
I look forward to working with some of my favorite brands in the new year in addition to trying out new-to-me brands! I definitely plan to continue working on my nail art skills and look forward to sharing with you the looks I create in addition to many swatches. Keep your eyes peeled for some fabulous new products as well this year! I have helped test out a few things in 2014, and they should be hitting the market and available for purchase soon!
Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day, and I wish you all a wonderful start to a new year! XO!
Lacquer for Life was such an amazing thing and you should rightly be proud of it. Here's to a great 2015!
ReplyDeleteWow love every single of them! that was a great year!
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