Camping tips & beauty tricks.

In honor of memorial day weekend, this post is going to be dedicated to Beauty and the Beehives favorite camping tips & beauty tricks! 

My in-laws go camping every memorial weekend! It's become a tradition over the last few years, and as much as I am a city girl and need my Starbucks & wifi.... I enjoy a secluded weekend away here & there. 

It's nice to be disconnected from today's society and just enjoy family time. But of coarse I still want to look cute doing it! 

No matter who you are going camping with there is almost always someone to impress these days! Rather it's your significant other, or maybe you are meeting their family or distant family for the first time! 

 When camping you don't want to over do it and be all glamed up so here are some great tips in order to look stunning with natural beauty!  

First things first- ditch your makeup for the weekend! There are normally not bathrooms, let alone mirrors when camping! So replace your foundation with a tinted moistureizer so that you get sun kissed shear coverage with SPF. 

Next thing to consider is false lashes! I know I know sounds crazy for camping! But if applied correctly to a bare makeup-less face they can stay for days! 

What better what to skip the eyeliner and mascara needs for the week and still look  fresh and awake with some suble false lashes! 

It's a bug eat bug world out there! So don't punish yourself by wearing perfume or body sprays! 

No need to attract the little pests. Substitute your smell goods for spray D.O.  It's a newfound love of mine and this secret brand is my favorite. It feels nice and cool when applied and you can get it unscented. This way you can stay fresh all week long!

Leave your nails naked! This is probably the only time you will ever catch me saying that! I am huge on having your nails polished to complete every look! 

But I think it's a great idea to just bring that big bag of nail polish you have laying around your house (I know you have one!!) with you! Sitting around the campfire all day leaves you with nothing but time! Why not use this opportunity to bond with the other ladies on your trip. 

Rather it be friends you haven't seen in a while, family members, or your significant others mother, sister or cousins. Give each other a mani & enjoy some girl time! Refer to my previous blog post on the easy DIY manicure by clicking here.  

When it comes to doing your hair everyday just slightly switch up the style as the weekend goes by! 

For example:

Day 1: wear hair down (straight or curled)

Day 2: pin bangs back 

Day 3: pull hair half up 

Day 4: messy up do or sock bun!

Another great option and less work when it comes to your "do" is a hat! 

Rather it's a cute girly trucker hat 

Or a trendy fedora you will not only be keeping all your hair up & out of the way, you will also be able to keep the sun out of your eyes. 

Camping attire should look like you just through the outfits together but with style. I suggest mixing your cute clothes with your quiters (as my husband and I call our lazy clothes) 

Below are some outfit combination ideas! 

 Pair lace shorts with an over sized tee or zip up! I always like to wear my husbands button downs, or hoodies! Mens clothes are just better! 

As night falls just layer more ! Through on a pair of sweater boots to keep warm. 

You can also wear a pair of denim shorts with a razor back tank or an over sized tee.  

Another great way to layer is by wearing leggings with button down shirts and even pairing it with a vest! 

Here are a couple photos I found on Pinterest as inspiration! I love how they paired and layered everything together. 

As far as shoes go it obviously depends on the time of year but I usually always have a fair of tennis shoes packed in case we go for a walk or hiking. I bring  flip flops for showering and walks on the beach! & I never leave home without my rain boots, which are my favorite! 

They are so durable and are perfect for late night fishing, or after a rain fall that leaves the camp site muddy. 

I hope this helps! 

Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone! & please feel free to post and share your photos! I love hearing when you use BATB for your everyday beauty routine. 

Xoxo, 

Molly. 

How To Create A Swoop Bang

The famous swoop bang isn't always easy for us gals to achieve if we don't have massively thick hair! 

So for all you thin-to-medium hair girls; like myself here is a super quick & easy way to create a faux swoop bang in just minutes. 

This is good for all lengths of hair. You can even create a bang without having any!

All you will need to create this look is hairspray of your choice & a rat tail comb!

The main issue is when your hair just falls back away from your forehead and not lay on it swooping across, framing your eyes! 

Step 1:  using the end of your rat tail comb section your hair by starting your part over a little further than you normally do, giving you more hair to work with! 

A typical side part should be at least to the middle of your eyebrow on whatever side you choose to part on, if not further. 

Step 2: take the hair you just parted and over directed it to the opposite side 

Step 3: tease your heart out! Make sure you are only teasing at the base so that all the hair towards the back will be able to cover your rats nest! 

Step 4: smooth the hair back to the correct side, and then spray it to stay!  Don't be scared to really spray it down! No one needs to run their fingers through your bangs! 

Ta-da! 

The before & after ! 

So simple, and such a difference! 

Swoop on ladies, swoop on!

Xoxo,

Molly. 

Less is more: updo tutorial

In most cases less is more!

In today's blog I am going to show you and easy updo that's ideal for any length of hair! You can customize it to fit your needs & the best part is you only need 5 bobby pins!!!!!

The less hair you pin up, the more hair it looks like you have!

Step 1: 

You want to prep your hair by curling it! I used the Beauty & the Beehive's beachy wave technique that you can refer to here if you need to! 

Leave your bang or front portion out and uncurled. It will make this section easier to work with in the following steps!

The less is more doesn't apply here! The more curls the better! You want to establish a good base for your updo! If you look in the mirror and resemble medusa, then mission accomplished! 

Step 2: creating volume is key! 

You want to lift your hair up with your hands at the root and hold it there to complete the next step 

Step 3: 

With your hands still in your hair, use the other hand to spray it! Keep your hand there a few seconds to give the hairspray time to dry and hold the hair in place! 

Don't be scared to create big hair! Really spend time on step 2 & 3 as you lift, spray & repeat a couple times. The more time you spend at this step the easier the rest of the updo will be! 

You are basically molding the hair and shaping it to the look you are going for! 

As I mentioned before, you should only need 5 bobby pins to complete this look! Getting a lot of volume and making sure the hair is secure with spray is how! 

Step 4: customize your bangs!

This is where you want to incorporate your bangs into the style. For me I love braids! Which are very on trend right now thanks to the hunger games & frozen! 

If you are not a braider, not worries! My best friend who is also a hairstylist can't braid to save her life! So she always just twists her bangs and creates a faux looking braid!

Maybe you are a Texas girl at heart & bigger is better for you! This would be the perfect time to create the "poof" you are so fond of! 

Here is a close up of the loose fench braid I did! I like mine to look messy and a little lived in! 

Here is how it looks pinned back! I used the FIRST bobby to secure my braid while also creating some volume in the back! 

Step 5:  gather the back & pin! 

Gather your hair from the back of your ears from each side and connect them in the middle with your SECOND bobby pin! 

When you insert the bobby pin push it up to create more volume. 

It is okay if some curls are hanging out! This style is not meant to look perfect! 

Step 6: repeat step 5!

You are going to repeat the last step by gathering the rest of the hair that is left and pin it in the middle as well directly below the last section using your THIRD bobby pin!  

From the front you should resemble this, with your front sides currently left out looking a little like dog ears ! 

Step 7:  you are now going to loosely pin your sides back over your ears using your FOURTH & FIFTH bobby pins to complete this updo! 

Now you are ready for 

any occasion in no time! 

Front view 

Side view 

Now go get your updo on!!! 

Xoxo,

Molly. 

15 minute mani

In need of a mani makeover? 

I know I always am! 

As a hairstylist my hands are always in water & getting covered in color. Therefor they usually are a little shabby looking. 

Below are a few steps that I have condensed from the "state board manicure" steps that cosmetologist have to perform in order to pass & receive state board licensing. 

As a previous cosmetologist instructor there is nothing this girl knows better than the "correct" way to do things. 

So enjoy this 15 min mani DIY!

Here is a list of things you will need in order to perform this manicure. 

1. Nail file 

2. Nail clippers 

3. Cuticle pusher 

4. Tweezers 

5. Cuticle nippers 

6. A soaking bowl 

7. Nail buffer (optional) 

Investing in a mani kit is a must! You do not want to be borrowing or sharing implements with friends or family unless they have been sanitized correctly.  

Files & non metal implements are made for single person use only, and most times are only good for one use! 

Aside from the colors your choose you will need some sort of base & top coat! These three muskateers are my go to's! 

I can not say enough good things about the Nail Tek brand! The one I use is called "intensive therapy" and is made for soft, thin, brittle nails in need of strengthening. Like I mentioned earlier my nails get beaten up daily! And when I do polish them I usually have a stylist at my salon do a form of extended wear so that I am able to make my mani last. 

So when my nails are bare, they are in need of some tlc. 

After using my base coat I use the Essie brand's "fill the gap" to fill in the uneven  ridges on your nail beds to give your polish colors an even surface, which looks best! 

Once I have applied all my fun colors I finish with this weekly CND vinylux top coat, that is the take home version of extended wear without the UV light! It will help your mani last 7 days without chipping!

Now let's talk colors & what's trending! 

First things first, I am going to be brutlely honest- RED polish may be timeless & classy... But it is SO overdone!

 Let's think outside of the box ladies! 

Colors that are popular right now for nails are WHITE, MINT, CORAL, GOLD, NUDE and a things GLITTER! 

Another trend you will see a lot of if you

haven't already is making different nails different colors! Mix & match colors and designs with glitter! 

The most popular nail trend that is also becoming overdone is doing all nails the same color with your ring finger being a different color or covered in glitter. This is often called a "party" or "bling" nail!  

Why only have one party nail when you have 10 nails to bedazzle???? 

I am not good at drawing designs whatsoever ! As much as my heart desires chevron on every nail, I couldn't do it if I tried! So a good alternative for me when doing mani's at home is Sally Hansons "salon effects" line that gives me options of patterns, colors, bling or even word art on my nails! Although I am not demonstraining it in this blog post, it's easy to apply & can't really be done wrong! So check them out if you haven't already! You can find them at any drug or grocery store! 

What a gross before! 

So ready for this mani!

Step 1: shaping your nail! This is so important & is a very personal decision. There are many different nail shapes! Most popular ones are square , squoval & oval! However on the rise is more of a pointed shape!

You want to trim your nails down with the nail clippers first to make sure they are at your desired length, then use the file shapping your nail by moving the file in one direction, picking it up and filing in the opposite direction. 

DO NOT apply the file to your nail and just move it back & forth. This will actually break down your nail bed and cause it to split and become brittle! (I know I know I used to do this all the time, such a bad habit)

Step 2: soak! I like to soak my nails in warm water and my favorite dish soap (I am sure there are better options but most dish soaps are actually made to soften your hands and cuticle skin around your nail beds now days)

I suggest soaking for at least 3 mins! The longer you soak, the easier it will be to accomplish the next step! 

Step 3: push back cuticle! I prefer these little wooden cuticle pushers over the big metal ones. It's really just a personal opinion. Either will do! 

Make sure you dig under each cuticle and lift it up away from the nail bed ! 

Step 4: cut cuticle! You now want to cut all the excess cuticle off that you just pushed back! This should be done every couple of weeks to keep your nails looking fresh & well kept! This step will also prevent hang nails! Which are the most painful littlest things ever!

This next step is optional. 

As you can see from the photo above I love to buff my nails. I need to replace these & this is rather embarrassing! I feel it just evens them out and adds a little shine! 

This step is a MUST if you are not going to polish. This would be the final step in that case & would make your nails look very polished & clean! 

Normally you would only do 1 layer of base coat, but since I am using the Nail Tek first, and then using the ridge filler I will have 2 layers of base coat! 

This is what my nail looks once I have completed all those steps & applied both the Nail Tek & Ridge Filler! 

Now you want to apply 2 layers of your color to each nail! This would be the time you want to pick which color to do on what nails! You can't see it in the photo but my thumb is also the coral color !

Here are the name & 

brands of each color!

Coral = Revlon's "apricot nector"

Blue= Spoiled by 

wet n wild "mar-zi-panna" 

White= Opi's "alpine snow" 

The blue is a mix of Tiffany blue & mint green in person! 

My color placement for each nail is always random and changes occasionaly. 

I recommend picking your "party" nails by  picking your favorite nails... We all have one! 

I then used the 2 glitter polishes on the left on each ring finger to make myself a "bling" nail to bring some sparkle to my nail party! 

The gold one is by wet & wild! 

The pink one is by Morgan Taylor. 

Lastly you want to apply 1 layer of your top coat! Like I mentioned this one is my favorite as it last longer & helps keeps my nails free of chips & getting stains from hair color!

Here is the finished product with the glitter added! I will now use the tweezers from my kit and just dip the tips of them in some nail polish remover to lightly go around the edges to clean up any excess polish I may have gotten on my skin or cuticles. It is easier to do this than use other nails to wipe away the extra polish & risk ruining a nail! 

You can always use the cuticle pusher and dip it in remover then roll it around the corner of a cotton ball to create the perfect large q-tip to get the job done!

Have fun & mani on! 

Xoxo

Molly.