New Years Nails

New Years Nails!

 

Since I now have a new laptop (yay!), I thought I would hop on here and make a post about a great polish that will be perfect for New Years Eve!

 

One of my favorite drug store polish brands is Sinful Colors.  For only $1.99 a bottle, you get a great polish in hundreds of colors not to mention special edition colors throughout the year.

 

This holiday season Sinful Colors released the 2012 Holiday Glitters collection.  I wanted to share my favorite from this collection which is called Ice Dream.  Ice Dream is a great glitter polish that sparkles and shines beautifully.  It has silver and blue glitter and dries smoothly.  I think this polish is perfect for New Years and for any winter party since the colors are not just limited to Christmas.

 

 

As you can see above, Ice Dream shines without looking gaudy or over the top.  Even though Ice Dream is limited edition, you can still find bottles at Rite Aid and Walgreens.  Each bottle is $1.99.

 

 



Goodies from Essie, Tarte and NYC

I have some new goodies to share!

I don't know what it is about the color red lately but I've been rocking some red lips and nails like nobody's business!

I wanted to share 3 red lipstick shades from the drugstore brand, NYC. First let me say each lipstick costs just .99! That's right, just 99 cents! I picked up three shades and I must say that I really have enjoyed them. The first shade was "Sheer Red" which is the least pigmented of the three. It has more brown undertones. Next I got "Ruby" which has more pink undertones. The last shade is called "Retro Red". It is a classic Marilyn Monroe bright red lipstick shade. It has fabulous blue undertones which make anyones teeth whiter. I feel these lipsticks are a great way to experiment with bold colors, like red, without paying a lot. The application for each shade was smooth and creamy. Each shade was bold and pigmented. The only drawback was that they don't last as long on my lips as I would like. How can I complain though...they are only .99 each and they work!

In addition to these lipsticks, I picked up a bottle of Essie's "Leading Lady" nail polish (part of the Winter 2012 collection). A lot of people have been comparing this shade to Essie's Ruby Slippers. I don't own Ruby Slippers so I can't compare but I can say this is a lovely color that applied smoothly and is perfect for the holidays. It's a deep red, almost a cranberry shade with fine red glitter. Below you will see "Leading Lady" pictured in the sunlight and in indoor light. You can get "Leading Lady" at Ulta or at many drugstores for $8.00.

The last goodie I picked up was Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara. I picked up my tube at Ulta for $19.00. I have REALLY enjoyed this mascara. It definitely lengthens my lashes, curls and separates them without clumps. The best part is that it doesn't smudge under my eyes! This mascara is paraben, sulfate and synthetic dye free too. After only one week of use, I'm already feeling attached to this mascara...I think it's definitely a keeper! Oh and did I mention the packaging? So cute!

Cheap Halloween Nails!

I wanted to share some great polish choices that are perfect for Halloween and are super-cheap!

Each year Wet n Wild comes out with a Halloween make-up line under the name of Fantasy Makers. They usually offer glitter eye shadow, bright colors, glow in the dark items and nail polish. This year I picked up three bottles of their tombstone polishes (each bottle cap is in the shape of a tombstone). Pictured below you will find three colors. I picked up all three at Ulta but these are also available at drug stores as well.

Once Upon a Time- black base with fine and chunky red glitter flakes.

Nail in the Coffin- black base with fine, light pink glitter.

Rest in Pieces- black base with fine, purple glitter.

My favorite of the three is Rest in Pieces. Nail in the Coffin needs more glitter since it's too subtle. Overall, cute packaging and fun colors.

In addition to these three creepy shades, I thought I would share some orange polish choices that I love!

Below you will see my nails painted using the best orange creme on the market. Citrine by Sinful Colors is affordable and is an excellent polish. It's that perfect shade of orange...not too bright nor too pale.

Pictured below in the two larger pictures is Citrine by Sinful Colors (limited edition but still can be found in drug stores). My nails are also sporting Citrine.

In the left column (top to bottom) is Clementine by Sinful Colors (a lighter orange creme), Pumpkin Spice which is part of the Bewitched Halloween limited edition by Sinful Colors (small gold & red glitter) and Chunky Holo Poppy by Kleancolor (orange duo chrome glitter-changes from yellow to orange). The good news is that every Sinful Colors and Kleancolor bottle is only $1.99!

This Halloween don't just use a costume...dress up your nails too!

An eye make-up remover that WORKS!

I still don't have a computer that works, so I'm back via my iphone. I thought I would share a "new to me" find.

Every night I wash my face and cleanse with make-up remover wipes. I then finish with a toner and moisturizer. What I can't stand however is removing my eye makeup. Most mascara and eye primers can be stubborn. I find a lot of oil based eye make-up removers leave your eyes foggy or even worse, irritated. I've tried many brands of eye make-up removers (Maybelline, Sonia Kashuk, Ahava, L'oreal, Neutrogena, etc) and all have left an irritating residue behind that leaves my eyes foggy.

Right when I wanted to give up searching, I finally tried Almay's Oil Free eye make-up remover pads and I'm hooked! I purchased a jar from CVS for $5.99. My jar contains 80 pre-moistened pads. Almay also offers a moisturizing version which is not oil free. I only recommend using the moisturizing version if you have waterproof mascara to remove otherwise the oil free pads are a better bet. There is a reason Almay makes the #1 eye make-up remover...I just wish I tried it sooner!

I've missed blogging!

It's been a while! Since I am still dealing with massive computer failure, I have now resorted to blogging with my iphone. I hope my computer situation is fixed and a new one is here within a few months (fingers crossed). In the meantime I will be posting on the go!

I wanted to quickly share something a few of you may already be familiar with. A few months ago Suave released a new scent called Everlasting Sunshine. It's described as a warm vanilla with floral tones. Overall the scent is available as a shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion. Yesterday I picked up the body lotion (10 fl. oz) for $1.25 at my local Dollar General. Not only is the scent lovely but it lasts ALL DAY! I highly recommend this lotion. I think the price combined with the scent is a great alternative to expensive brands. I'm going to keep my bottle in my desk at work.

I'm glad to be back blogging and hopefully I'll be able to post more in the near future. I have tons to share not including the 20+ bottles of polish I've picked up recently!

Tons of Stuff...Including MAC, Lancome & the Target Beauty Bag!

It's been a while and I have a lot to share!  I've picked up some new goodies lately and I wanted to share them with you before sales/promotions have ended.  I also wanted to share the new Target Beauty Bag contents if you don't already know about that awesome freebie!

Lets get started!

Here are some great drugstore products I've picked up-

Below is Maybelline's Colossal Volume Express mascara.  I've heard some people like this mascara and since I'm always willing to try a new one, I gave it a shot.  It's not bad but it did transfer somewhat under my eyes.  I do like the brush however and I do feel that it added nice volume to my itty bitty lashes.  You can pick up a tube at your nearby CVS/Walgreens for around $5.

The next goodie is a concealer.  I still battle under-eye circles and I've read decent reviews about Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser. 

It's basically a concealer that you twist to make the product come through a soft applicator tip.  Does it work?  It works enough for me to want to finish the bottle but not well enough for me to purchase again.  I find the formula lasts and doesn't crease but is a little thin and doesn't cover my circles well enough.  It's available for around $9. 

Right now CVS is having their 50%-75% off beauty sale.  A few times each year CVS puts certain products on sale with deep discounts.  If you go to your local CVS you should see a wide variety of items for 50% and 75% off.  I picked up a few recently that I wanted to share.

For 75% off, I picked up this nice Revlon Custom Eyes palette in Metallic Chic that was originally priced at $9.97.

L-R- a soft gray, a medium bronze, a warm gold, a deep green and a cool gray. 

For 75% off I also picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen's HD nail color in DVD!  I also picked up a bottle of Sinful Colors polish in 24/7 at my local Rite Aid which is pictured below as well.  DVD is showing up blue in the picture below but it is really a deep, glittery purple.  24/7 is a hot pink that is super bright.  Sally Hansen's HD polish is usually priced near $6 a bottle and Sinful Colors is always $1.99/bottle.

I also picked up Loreal's HIP pencil in Gold Charge.  I've been looking for a replacement for my Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Baked and this is not a bad trade.  This pencil was originally priced right under $10 and I got it for 75% off.

Swatch of Gold Charge

I love when things are on sale but I also love getting things for free.  If you are not familiar with the Target Beauty Bag then let me fill you in.  A few times each year Target gives out a beauty bag which is basically a makeup bag filled with samples and coupons.  Usually you can request one via their website but their last beauty bag was available to only those who subscribe to their Target Style Facebook page.  I was lucky enough to request one before they were all gone and mine came in about a week ago.  Hopefully Target will release another one soon since they seem to do that every few months.  They are always free!

Pictured above is the Target beauty bag with samples of the following-

1 Contents makeup bag

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunblock

Tresemme Split Remedy Conditioner

Tresemme Split Remedy Shampoo

Sample of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Aveeno's Daily Detoxifying Scrub

Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo/Conditioner samples

Target Coupon Booklet

Another freebie I want to share is currently available at Macy's and www.macys.com  If you are in the need for a new foundation or skin care product from Estee' Lauder, now is the time to pick one up.  For each foundation/skin care purchase you make that is $35 or more, you can get the free gift pictured below.  Do note that my free gift differs from the one that is currently being offered online (the gift online is a tote bag instead of the makeup bag and has a comb included instead of the lipstick tray).  In order to get this free gift I purchased a bottle of Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation in Ecru which retails for, you guessed it-$35.

Free gift includes makeup bag, Pure Color lipstick in Crystal Pink, Sumptuous mascara in Black, Resilience Lift face and neck creme, Resilience Lift eye creme, Perfectionist [CP+R] serum and a lipstick storage tray.

If free Estee Lauder and Target samples were not enough, my mother in law added the icing to the cake this week with some more freebies she bestowed upon me.  She had recently ordered some Mally makeup (www.QVC.com) and she didn't like the colors so she gave me the whole kit instead!  Of course I took the makeup with a smile since I've been wanting to try Mally makeup for such a long time.  I received 3 mascara's, 3 eyeshadow sticks, 3 lip gloss tubes and 2 eyeliners.

First let me share the gloss.  Each color is very lovely and let me say I've enjoyed wearing this gloss lately.  It's pigmented and stays on without drying out my lips or without being sticky.  My favorite color is Mally's Baby.  It's coral/pink shade with shimmer.  You can purchase High Shine liquid lipstick at www.QVC.com for $20 each. 

L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid & Mally's Baby

I also have enjoyed both of the Evercolor Waterproof eyeliners.  I've been wearing Tiger's Eye (deep brown) all week and it's held up nicely.  Fierce Forest is a deep green that is unlike anything else I own.  It doesn't smear and the staying power has been impressive.  You can purchase a duo of these eyeliners for $22 at qvc.com

Top-Bottom- Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest

Here are some swatches of the gloss & liner shades:

L-R- Fuzzy Navel, Orchid, Mally's Baby, Tiger's Eye & Fierce Forest

Today I found out how awesome the eyeshadow sticks are.  The temperature here was over 95 degrees and these stayed on ALL DAY.  Once you apply and they dry, they are not going anywhere.  The eyeshadow sticks are my favorite Mally product that I've tried so far and I highly recommend them!  They are available for $25 or for a set of two for $35.

Each eyeshadow shade comes in a retractable tube.

L-R (with flash)- Firework (shimmery champagne), Purple Rain (deep purple) & Twilight (taupe brown).

Same colors as above with no flash.

Last but not least I tried a tube of Mally's volumizing mascara in Black.  This was my least favorite Mally product.  It applies well and does volumize nicely but it does transfer.  This mascara is available at www.qvc.com for $20.00

You would think with all the freebies listed above that my makeup-loving self would be satisfied.  I was until I made the mistake of hitting up the MAC and Lancome counters.  I've had my eye on a few items for a while now and I decided to pick them up.

MAC Hug Me & Blankety Act lipsticks, MAC blush in Dollymix and Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara in Black.

Hug Me and Blankety Act have been on my makeup wishlist for some time now.  Both are simple lipsticks that are perfect for everyday wear.  Hug Me (Lustre) is slightly brown and has a nice sheen whereas Blankety Act (Amplified) is more of a pinky nude.  Both are available at www.maccosmetics.com for $14.50/ea.

Dollymix is a hot pink blush with slight shimmer.  The key to using Dollymix is to not be scared of the bright color.  MAC blush is my favorite product that they carry and Dollymix doesn't disappoint.  You can wear this color sheer or build it for more Oooomph!  You can get Dollymix for $20.

Lancome's Hypnose Drama is my go-to mascara when I'm needing super-long, dark lashes.  I don't care for this mascara for everyday wear since it does tend to transfer but it's great for occasional wear, especially if I am doing a smoky eye look.  Each tube costs $26.

Top-Bottom-Hug Me, Blankety Act and Dollymix swatches

Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara wand

Close-up of MAC's Dollymix blush

Since my birthday was a few weeks ago, a good friend gifted me an awesome palette by Elf.  If you read my blog often enough, you know I adore Elf makeup.  Elf gives a lot of bang for your buck and their eyeshadow palettes are a great way to experiment with color without spending a lot of money.  Pictured below is Elf's 100 piece eyeshadow palette (which differs from their pro palette).  It's available at Target for $10-well worth every penny!  A lot of these shades are perfect for the summer and some are dual colors that can be blended together to form another shade.

I wanted to share some other things I've been loving lately-

My new summer scarf :)

AND

I got to meet Rowlf the Dog-childhood fantasy come true!

Summer polish picks, Bath & Body Works, Ralph Lauren & more!

Not sure if it's just me but May has already flown by!  Soon it will be June.  Kids are getting ready to get out of school and the weather is turning not just warm, but HOT! 

What goes better with hot weather than hot hued nails?  It's time to bring out the flip flops ladies and bust out with some awesome color!  If you hate bright nail polish, then stop reading because I can't get enough of the new neon shades that are EVERYWHERE.  Neon colors and glitter is hotter this season than ever.  Get ready to be blinded by some new polish choices that won't break the bank.

L-R- Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter, Sinful Colors Frenzy, China Glaze Prism & Sinful Colors I Miss You

Glitter polish is so fun to wear.  I'm 30 years old and I'm not scared of it and you shouldn't be either.  The key to wearing glitter polish is to avoid watery, chunky formulas and stick with shades that can be easily paired with other colors you already have.  For instance, Frenzy by Sinful Colors above looks great over Essie's Jamaica Me Crazy (a shimmery purple).  Each Sinful Colors polish can be found at Walgreens or Rite Aid for only $1.99 each!  If you want to try a new color but you don't want to shell out over $8 for OPI, pick up Sinful Colors.  So far I've enjoyed this brand and found it to be worth a lot more than it's cheap price tag. 

China Glaze's Prism shade is part of their new Prismatics collection.  It combines super-fine glitter "dust" along with larger glitter flecks.  It has a nice, purple-bluish tint when dry and shines like crazy!

Close up of Prism

Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter is a pink jelly shade with blue, green, yellow and purple glitter.  It takes about 3 coats to get full coverage but it's a nice glitter polish that holds up well. 

Close up of Pinky Glitter

Frenzy by Sinful Colors is one of my favorites so far from this line.  It is full of small purple and blue glitter.  I'm currently wearing this polish over a purple shade right now and it looks outstanding!

Close up of Frenzy

The last glitter polish is I Miss You by Sinful Colors.  It is another glitter polish with small pink, silver, purple, red and blue flakes.  It's really pretty and would look great over black.

Close up of I Miss You

Of course like I mentioned earlier, what would the summer be without brightly colored toes?  Over the past few years I've enjoyed Flip Flop Fantasy by China Glaze (my all time favorite summer color) but here are some other neons to check out-

L-R- China Glaze's Turned Up Turquoise, China Glaze's Purple Panic, Piggy Polish's Buzz & Color Club's Age of Aquarius

Turned Up Turquoise is showing up more robin egg blue in the picture above than it actually is.  The color is a medium teal and looks awesome against tan skin.  Of course it's not the brightest shade but it definitely stands out.

Purple Panic is more pink than purple.  It is a pink with purple undertones.  It is bright without being too loud.  It would look nice even on fingers. 

Buzz is one of the brightest shades I own.  This color is a super-neon green.  It's darker than a highlighter would be but still bright and definitely neon.  I must say I didn't like the formula of this polish though.  This bottle was my first Piggy Polish and it was hard to work with.  It was goopy and thick.  I may get some thinner and see if that helps. 

The last shade is Color Club's Age of Aquarius.  This is currently on my toes.  It dries darker than it appears above.  It's a really nice green teal that reminds me of the Caribbean.  It applied smoothly and was only $4.99.

Close up of Age of Aquarius by Color Club.

L-R- Big Daddy by Sinful Colors, Zesty Citrus by LA Girl, Hazard & Energetic Red by Sinful Colors

Currently at Rite Aid they are having a promotion-if you spend $30 or more on nail polish between now and 6/1/12, you get $10 back in UP Rewards.  Because of this promotion, I picked up some more Sinful Color shades and a new yellow that looked appealing.

Last week I wore Hazard (pictured above) which is a creme coral shade.  It looked wonderful and was an exact dupe to my beloved MAC shade, Malibu Peach.  I have not worn Big Daddy, Zesty Citrus or Energetic Red yet but I can't wait.  Big Daddy is an orange coral.  Zesty Citrus is a yellow jelly polish with fine shimmer.  I don't own ANY yellow polish, so this bottle will be my first.  Energetic Red is a creme coral red that would look great on toes or fingers.  Sinful Colors are priced at $1.99 each and the bottle of LA Girl was priced at $2.99. 

L-R- Bath & Body Works' Bali Mango & Malibu Heat lotions

I wanted to share a few more things that I picked up recently that I've been enjoying.  I LOVE Bath & Body Works.  I enjoy their lotion and this month I've been wearing Bali Mango & Malibu Heat (their newest scent).  Bali Mango is a sweet scent described by B&BW as " an exotic getaway of juicy mango, sugar cane, pink passionflower and luscious nectarine".  Malibu Heat is described as "a fresh blend of juicy pineapple, California orange and creamy coconut milk".  Both scents scream hot weather!

Ralph Lauren Big Pony 3-For Her 

For mother's day I received a bottle of perfume from the new Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection-in the scent #3.  The third scent (out of four) is described as a fresh floral with mimosa and pear.  It's been described to be similar to Versace's Yellow Diamond pefume.  I find 3# to be a younger version of the Versace and I really think this fragrance is clean and easy to wear.  It's definitely my favorite out of the four in the collection.

The last item I want to share is a new bottle of shampoo I received from my hairdresser.  It's Healing Color Care shampoo by L'Anza.  I don't know anything about this shampoo or brand other than my stylist stated it worked well with color treated hair.  It retails at my salon for $22 for 10.1 fl.oz but I received this bottle for free.  If you know anything about the brand, let me know.  I can't wait to try it.

UPDATE

A few posts ago I shared with you Ossion's Mild Touch Detox Bubble Mask-read about it here.  I was excited to try this mask and I now have pictures to share. 

You begin by taking the serum and rubbing it over a clean face.  I used the mask after my shower.  After the mask is applied, it begins to bubble on the skin and foam.  It tickles as the bubbles thicken and the purpose of the mask is to hydrate and infuse oxygen back into the pores.  I didn't see any immediate results (I only had two samples-I'm still planning to use the other soon) but I did think the mask left my skin soft.  It was gentle and I didn't break out after using it. 

The mask begins as a serum.

After applying, the mask begins to foam.

The foam continues to thicken...

until your face is covered in bubbles!