Trust Fund Beauty

Posted in Fashion, Nail Art by EmilyBracey

“Admittedly, I am pretty polished obsessed. I’m changing polishes two or three times a week at least. But hey, no matter what my weight, hair or skin is doing, my nails are always awesome. It’s my constant.”

–Samara Granosky (Owner of Trust Fund Beauty)

Recently, I have been lucky enough to discover www.trustfundbeauty.com and all of their fabulous products! No matter how much biotin and other vitamins I take, I would still notice that some dark nail polish left my nails in super bad shape, so I began researching for a solution. Trust Fund Beauty’s products are not only vegan and cruelty-free, but they also minimize the amount of chemicals in their polishes as well. I was beyond excited when I knew my polishes were on their way in the mail!

What makes these polishes so great? Let’s start with the color names. Resting Bitchface, I Woke Up Like This, Champagne Socialite, Boy Tears, and Black Heart just to name a few.

“Put them in a bottle, you deserve it”

Well after a few business days my new nail polish had arrived and I was like a child on Christmas morning! I didn’t know which to try first as I opened up the cute little boxes they all came in! THE GLITTER ONE! Boy Tears caught my eyes and a hold of my heart. So. Much. Glitter. I laid on a coat, and then another and my nails were shining like the top of the Chrysler Building! Do you ever go to put on a glitter polish and it’s basically clear coat with a few specks? Well not with Boy Tears. The sparkle and coverage was beyond expectations and I got compliments all week!

Truth be told, I typically don’t wear a clear top coat over my nail polish because I like to change it so much, so when it came to remove the Boy Tears from my finger nails,

“They wouldn’t understand. It’s hard to have money. You have too many choices! It’s a lot of pressure. Drink up!”

it was simple with regular nail polish remover and a few cotton balls! Champagne Socialite was the next on my list! It’s gold without being too gold, but has a nice metallic to it! A problem I have encountered with light golds in the past is that it takes about 3-4 coats to get a good even gold. Fortunately, this only took two coats with minimal dry time in between each coat! Seriously! Like less than a minute! In fact, my roommate loved the color so much, she applied it to her nails when our ride to the bars was 5 minutes away! Her nails looked awesome! Literally looked like we had metal on our nails!

A few days later, I became bored of my nails (me being me) and wanted something a little on the darker side. The perfect solution; Resting Bitchface! I I seriously can not express how beautiful and amazing this color is! I can

“Nothing is wrong, I’m not mad. That’s just my face”

describe it by simply saying, “It’s out of this world!” Seriously, like very extraterrestrial! 100% my favorite so far! Just like the others, dry time was minimal and I only needed two coats! I can officially say that I am completely obsessed and highly recommend nail polish from Trust Fund Beauty! Can not wait to try on the others I ordered and tell you all about them! ❤

Click HERE to shop, shop, shop!!!

11Nov2015

Impressed with Impress

Posted in Fashion, makeup, Nail Art by EmilyBracey

“Your nails are a reflection of yourself”

Fact. That is exactly why I always try to have my manicure looking top notch. Let’s get real tho, it can be super time consuming to constantly be painting your nails or really expensive to keep up with your fills at the salon. SO, if you’re like me and really enjoy having professional and trendy looking nails on a budget, keep on reading!

imPress-Press-On-Manicure-by-Broadway-Nails-original-1024x782

The original packaging, which is still in some stores, were made to look like cute little bottles of nail polish.

Senior year of college in NYC, my roommate and I were walking thru Times Square and saw a sign that said “FREE MANICURES”. The world free always catches a college students attention. We made our way to the commotion and a group of women, from the Impress Manicure Company, were giving away free packs of their new products. These products just so happened to be press on nails. Retail for around $10. I took a few packages never thinking I would actually use them. Like come on, I haven’t used press on nails since I was like seven. Well, fast forward a few weeks and I gave them a shot. Followed the instructions word for word and BAM! For the next two weeks I was getting complimented on my manicure! People were assuming they were actually gel nails because they had such a great shine to them! I was hooked! Oh and yes, you did read that right.. TWO WEEKS!

I’ve always been one to obsess over instructions on beauty products, so let me give you a run thru on the instructions and highlight the most important steps. By the way, it usually only takes 15 minutes or less once you get the hang of it.

These are the packages I have seen more and more lately! They constantly come out with new designs and trendy colors!

Each package contains 24 nails. Obviously you only need 10, but there are 12 different sizes to ensure you get them to fit your nails correctly. The first thing I always do is, besides taking my nail polish off, is trimming my nails down because you don’t want your nails to be longer and poke thru underneath. Next, I pour out all the nails, find one for each finger and lay them out left on one side and right had on the other, so I don’t mix any up. Never start with your thumbs! It will make the process a lot harder than it needs to be, trust me. With that said, start with your pointer finger, find the nail that fits, slowly remove the plastic strip from the bottom and gently press it on your nail. Press it on in almost a rolling motion and do that for about a minute. In the past I have just plopped it on and pressed it once, and well those came off in a few days. Anyway, just do your thumbs last and enjoy your new beautiful manicure!

They even have ones for your toes that are just as easy!!! I am addicted to using them in the summer!

Removal is just as easy! Gently peel them off! I usually wear them until it’s obvious my nails are growing under them and I go pop on a new pair! The only con I can really think of is, if you’re like me, I constantly run my fingers thru my hair and sometimes my hair gets caught under the fake nail. Besides that, they are nearly perfect!!

My current Impress Mani. I’ve had these babies on for about 13 days now. There is some nail growth, but I will probably wait a few more days before I change them out!

9Nov2015

Spoiler Alert: I’m Actually A Princess

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

Last night was a monumental night when it comes to sisterhood and my two best friends from town; we are all officially single! You would think at 23/24 years old we would be a little nauseous over the fact that we’re not about to be heading down an aisle, but that’s not the case. As my friend’s relationship ended last night, the other one joyfully said, “Welcome back to the fun zone!” Ain’t it the truth! So like the mature adults we are, we ordered pizza, popped some bottles, and turned on a 1959 classic; Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Less than 20 minutes into the movie we all realized how much we related to this tiny waisted, luscious locked, sings to animals, princess. Aurora was prancing around with her animal friends talking about the man of her dreams, “…he takes me in his arms, and then I wake up.” An instant, “same girl” came out of all our mouths. I began thinking, so in what other ways am I basically a Disney Princess?

So here are the ten reasons that every single 20-something year old is basically a Disney Princess.

#1) Enough said…

#2) It’s normal to dramatically throw yourself on the floor or nearest bed whenever you’re upset. The more dramatic, the better, the more princess like.

#3) When you need to get something from a dude, compliment him and look super pretty while doing it.

#4) It’s okay to see a guy one time and tell everyone you love him… even if he never saw you.

#5) Going to your pets for emotional support is completely okay.

#6) Getting a lot of unwanted advice from family members and friends because they don’t understand…

#7) …that you’re actually okay with being single.

#8) When you think you’ve met a guy who is “normal”… So your friends have to set you straight.

#9) Losing personal belongings when you’re leaving a party is actually pretty glamorous.

#10) But no matter what, you’re strong, don’t put up with crap and know that you are the most important person in your life.

28Oct2015

Rejection.

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

“You have rejection and you have to learn how to deal with that and how to get up the next day and go on with it.”

Rejection beautifully explained by my girl Taylor Swift. If someone as successful as T-Swift can grasp the concept of rejection, why can’t you and I?

For starters, it’s an ugly word. Reject; one definition literally means ‘to cast out, or eject; vomit’. Even worse, ‘to discard as useless or unsatisfactory.” Is that how we’re supposed to feel when we don’t get something we really work for and want? Like useless bile? No wonder a girl will lay in bed for days when her crush doesn’t ask her out, a guy break down when he doesn’t make the sports team, and High School students stop caring when his or her dream school says, “sorry, we don’t want you”. But what about that twenty-three year old who thought she found her dream job, successfully completed two interviews and then woke up to the “We would like to inform you, we found someone else” e-mail? I felt like my ex was breaking up with me all over again. “Be a man! Call me or say it to my face!” “I’m too good for this anyway!” “Is this really happening?” “Now what?” “I need a drink!” Truth be told, needing a drink applies to almost any situation in my life. Anyway, I asked myself, “Is it the rejection that’s upsetting me or the fear of the unknown?” I guess you really can’t have rejection without some sort of fear. After my five-minute freak out, yes it literally lasted five minutes, I was back on the job hunt.

Maybe it’s my super positive and super annoying attitude about life, or maybe it was all the rejection I have dealt with growing up. Never-the-less, I was fine. What would being upset and bitter do about the situation? Maybe it was the vino, but I started thinking, “well if I didn’t get this great job, I can’t wait and see what better opportunity God has for me”, “I’m only 23!” and in the words of a close friend, “You’re still pretty”. Take it from the queen of rejection, you’ll be fine. Life truly is full of ups and downs, but only you can decide what counts as an up and a down.

Honestly, life isn’t short. It’s the longest thing you’ll ever do. So, the next time you’re faced with rejection, pour yourself a glass, take a deep breath, look in the mirror, smile and say, “I’m super pretty”.

1Oct2015

Invisible Illness Awareness Week

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about, so always be kind.

10 years ago I was a healthy kid in middle school.

9 years ago I didn’t understand why I got tired so much faster than other kids my age.

8 years ago I had to wear a heart monitor because my heart rate was over 200 beats per minute. I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia. I was bullied for having to wear it.

7 years ago I was dropping unconscious multiple times a week. I broke my nose 2 times, popped my collar bone out of place, and suffered many bumps and bruises. It got harder and harder everyday to wake up. I was bullied for passing out in school.

6 years ago I was put on a medication that left me temporarily paralyzed and my blood pressure was 65 over 40. I was admitted into the hospital. I was put on steroids that made me puffy. I was bullied for being “fat”.

5 years ago I realized I couldn’t speak correctly, it all came out as slurs. I had no balance. I lost over 30 lbs in 2 months. I weighed 50 pounds less than I currently do. I was bullied for being “too skinny”. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism.

4 years ago I finally found help at the Cleveland Clinic and was able to go away to college.

3 years ago I started having the energy to go out on the weekends with my friends.

2 years ago I was living in NYC attending the Fashion School of my dreams.

1 year ago I started working out again and running like I did 10 years ago.

Currently, I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been in my life. I still struggle with these chronic illnesses, but they will never win because I am a fighter.

September 28-Oct 4, 2015 is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. I fight daily, silently, and without any signs along with thousands of other people. With nearly 1 in 2 people living with a chronic condition, about 96% of those people are suffering silently with invisible illnesses. Point blank, it sucks. You can help make a difference by doing one simple thing; never mock a pain you have never endured. I look back on that girl in high school and wish I could tell her that her daily tears and wishes of it all to just come to an end aren’t worth it because life is beautiful and will get better. If you are fighting, just remember to smile because life is a fairy tale and it will end happily ever after, so if you’re not happy, just wait because it’s not the end.

22Sep2015

Just A Little Update

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

Hey all! Just thought it was about time to update my “about me” 🙂

9-22-15 UPDATE

Emily Bracey, lover of everything in her life and so excited for what the future has in store. The past year has been a roller coaster. I went through some super low moments, but the one’s that were high were sky high. I have learned from all of those moments. It has taken 23 years, but I am finally completely satisfied, happy, and in love with the person I am and have become. Just a few days ago I was talking to my best friends about how blessed I am to call my group of friends ‘my best friends’. Yes, I have my super close, sister-like best friends. What I mean is, I have rid my life of all the fake, superficial, and anything and anyone who was bringing me down and or bringing negative energy into my life. One of my new favorite quotes, and possibly a future tattoo (sorry, mom):

“She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.”

Isn’t that beautiful? When I said it to a friend her initial instinct was, “oh is that about your ex?” and then I thought to myself, wow I never realized how that also applies to certain people in my life. To me, it’s about things always being okay because nothing is completely set in stone. If you are unhappy, make a change. But, unfortunately, sometimes you don’t realize how unhappy you are until you make that change. One big aspect of my life is my health. There are days where I can run miles and miles, but then for a few weeks I wont be able to get out of bed. Those days where I’m running outside, I feel so blessed to have that weight off my shoulder for the time being. I know I have blogged about this in the past, but I will always remember when my best friend told me to be selfish for once in my life. For my whole life, I always put others first. So yes, I have become a little selfish this past year because I have been focusing on me. That freedom is the best freedom. Something as simple as stating my opinion on, “where do you want to go for dinner?” is sometimes all it takes. School, oh school. I have been in this ‘real world’ now since May of 2014 and wow, that has done wonders. I have learned that not everything has to be perfect and it’s okay to mess up because that is how you learn in life. I truly feel sorry for those who also feel that way, I wish I would have figured that out sooner in life.

Yesterday I told my mom, “I would rather be struggling and happy than an emotional anxious wreck doing something I really don’t want to do anymore”. At this current moment, I’m not seeing living in NYC in my future, but that’s 110% fine with me. My dreams have changed since I graduated and I couldn’t be happier. Of course, me being me, I still want to do something in the fashion industry. I have decided to have my own brand and store. I’m going to start online and have it up and running hopefully by Thanksgiving 2015 and then when I’m older and decide where I want to settle down, I’ll open up a physical store. I want to be my own boss. I want to be able to travel and see my family.

Maybe in the next few years that will change again, but for the mean time I am the happiest I have ever been. I am me.

Please check out http://www.embraceablecreations.com

22Sep2015

Craving Fall

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

It’s late September and Western NY is still having Summer weather. Now, I know I shouldn’t be complaining because in April I’m going to be begging for the snow to melt and it wont for another month. I just want to whip out all my boots, flannels, and sweaters. Is that so much to ask? I don’t think so. In the mean time, I have my fall sketches to look at and vicariously live through them.

20Sep2015

“So Sharp You Could Cut A Man”

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

I have always been and forever will be a make-up addict! I don’t wear a ton or do anything crazy with my look, I just really appreciate beautiful, high quality make-up pallets. As the owner of 90% of all the pallets from Urban Decay, I tend to stay with the same brands, but I also like to try new things. I understand that a girl doesn’t wear make-up to hide her flaws, but simply because she wants to. I notice when other girls spend time on their cat eyes and contouring, which always leads me to asking, “what are you wearing?” Eyeliner is a big one for me, I’m constantly asking other girls what brand of eyeliner they use and the pros and cons of it. My search is now over thanks to a co-worker.

I was at work complaining that I couldn’t do anything fun with the eyeliner I was using at the time because my eyes would water a lot from normal summer allergies. She instantly went to her purse and whipped out an eyeliner marker and said “You need this! It’s the best eyeliner I have ever owned. You can make wings so sharp you could cut a man”. That instantly grabbed my attention and to my surprise it was from Urban Decay. Should I really have been surprised? Nope, because Urban Decay has awesome products. Anyway, that weekend I traveled to the nearest Sephora, which is an hour away, went and purchased my very own “Ink For Eyes Waterproof Precision Eye Pen”. To be completely honest, paying $20 for eyeliner made me a little sick to my stomach, but my friend assured me it would last me over 4 months.

6 weeks later, I still have the same eye pen and still absolutely love it! I usually don’t like marker or pen tip eyeliners, but it is still as firm as the first day I bought it and the point is still just as defined. It will literally last for as long as you want it to! I swear! Currently, it’s about 1pm on a Sunday and I gave myself some beautiful cateyes last night around 6pm, went out with my girls, had some drinks, danced around, and it looks like I just did my make-up. I know what you’re thinking, “you’re disgusting”, my answer: I’m 23 and it’s a Sunday, get over it. Anyway, if that doesn’t sell you on it, I don’t know what more you need. Removing it is relatively easy for a waterproof pen. I use the cheapest make-up remover wipes at Walmart and I don’t have to scrub my eyes to get it off. I HIGHLY recommend this eyeliner! I am already sold for life!

Click HERE to buy yours today!

9Sep2015

Go Out Broke, Come Back Drunk

Posted in Life Rantings by EmilyBracey

I would like to think that I am a girl of many talents, one of those talents are being single. It truly is a gift and I’m super good at it. I could get all gushy and tell you about how I have learned to love myself, blah blah blah, but I have more important information… How to get guys to buy you drinks without using brute force! I have three methods that work every time.

Method #1- This is all about timing and stalking your prey, as in the dude. Never go up to a guy who has a full drink, if you do, you’ll have to talk to him a lot more than necessary and who wants that? I use to ‘2’ rule. If there is less than two inches left in the glass, he still has time to get away and that would be a waste of your efforts. 2, that should be how many drinks he’s on, typically. If he’s on his 11th this trick doesn’t work so well because your man is about to be in a coma. Anyway, when he has two inches of his drink left in his glass or bottle is the perfect time to approach him. This works best with guys you don’t know very well, so you can do the basic introductions, “hi, how are you” ect. Let time do the rest and wait for him to finish his drink. Once he does, like the compulsive guy he is, he wont be able to stand with an empty drink for more than 3 minutes. He’ll say something like, “I need to get another drink” and 9/10 times that is followed by “do you want me to get you one?” or if you’re from an area like me the guy will awkwardly nod his head, look at your glass and say, “ya good?”

Method #2- If you like shots (and who doesn’t?) this one is for you! It’s pretty simple, like a guy’s brain. After midnight there is always that one guy who is too drunk and insists on buying all his friends shots. FIND HIM! Don’t come on too strong, he might think your eye contact is the start of a new relationship. When he’s at the bar ordering his shots, gently go up net to him making it look like you’re ordering another drink. Let’s get real, you’re not because you spent your drink money on the jukebox to play “Shake It Off” for the 5th time. Next, tap is arm or nudge him and say, “so which one is for me?” More than likely he’ll get nervous and actually think he offered to buy you a shot earlier because he’s so drunk. There ya go!

Method #3- Finally, I call this the Lindsey Method because I learned this from my best friend, Lindsey. She is a genius! It has a 100% success rate! (This works best at a busy bar) It’s almost like a combination of the two previous methods. Find a guy who is buying a drink by himself, for himself. If he is buying this for his girlfriend, I’m not responsible for her ripping your hair extensions out. Anyway, do not get his attention. Wait for that moment the bartender sets his drink down… and ya take it!

Cheers!

7Sep2015

Why Daddy Issues Should Let My Brother Take Her Out

Posted in Uncategorized by EmilyBracey

26 year old Violet Benson is the founder and owner of the popular comical Instagram account @daddyissues. Until last week she kept her identity a secret, but with the help of social media I was able to learn more about her before the big reveal. She lives in LA, loves to drink, appreciates a great taco and a good laugh! Almost weekly she would post about how she longed to meet the right man for her; specifically a man in LA who was over six feet with a beard. Of course my 28 year old brother, Dan Bracey of LA, would pop into my mind. Especially when she revealed who she was! Oh my god, she is beautiful and blonde! They’re perfect for each other! So, this post is dedicated to Violet Benson in hopes that she will let my very single and very tall brother take her out! For more info on Violet, Click HERE!

Reason #1

He’s 6’3″ with a beard and sometimes he works out, unless he wants Taco Bell… Then he goes to Taco Bell!

Dan Has a great sense of humor! He’s worked in the Television/Film Arts Industry for the past almost 6 years in LA and a lot of those gigs have been for Comedies!

#3 Dan’s favorite food is pizza!!! OMG!!!

#4 He has a metabolism of no other and is always down for a good trip to a buffet!

#5 I always tell Dan he doesn’t have friends, but I guess he does! Anyway… they seem like a super fun gang! (That’s Dan in the blue shirt, below)

Besides Facebook, he’s not really into social media! He’s like an open book!

He would never get between you and your true loves, alcohol and bad decisions, he would actually want to join you!

#9 From the view point of his little sister, he’s actually a super good guy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him get mad at anyone. I don’t want to get too sappy because I’m his little sister and I’m supposed to make his life difficult, but he’s a super cool dude.

#10 DAT BEARD!