March 2014 Julep Maven Box

This month I decided to change up my Maven box style from "It Girl" to "Boho Glam". I really wanted to try out one of Julep's lip glosses and I liked the nail colors better in this box. :) I also got a candy stick that was cotton candy flavored. lol Thanks for appealing to my sweet tooth this month, Julep!

Being a Maven also gets you free shipping and 20% off all your orders! You can also earn points called "Jules" and once you get enough, you can use them for other products. :) Julep doesn't just do nail polish, they also have makeup, skin care products and more. The monthly subscription is $20 for a box with $40 worth of product in it. If you'd like to sign up, please use this link! By referring friends, you can earn Jules for a free Maven box! Without further ado, here is what I got in my box!

 In the Boho Glam box for this month, it was two polishes and a lip gloss.

The lip gloss I chose was Enchanted and the two polishes are called Elisa and Harriet.

 Here are the swatches for the nail colors! They are very pretty colors for spring... which I hope arrives soon!

Elisa is described as a soft wisteria shimmer.

Harriet is described as a guava coral creme.

 This is the Julep lip gloss in the color Enchanted.

"Featuring subtle color, unstoppable shine, luscious hydration, and our age-defying Power Cell Complex."

Enchanted is described as a sheer watermelon colored gloss.

It could be a great every day, go-to kind of gloss. It smells so good... like a yummy cake or some other similar sweet treat. lol It goes on light and smooth and is hydrating. I really like it!

Here is a comparison of bare lips and with a little gloss.

Julep Maven Welcome Box!

I signed up on Julep for a free welcome box to start my Maven box subscription ! The subscription is $20 for a box with $40 worth of product in it. I picked the "It Girl" style profile and I received three nail polish colors. :) I also put 2 add on polishes in my box, since they were at a great discounted price.

Being a Maven also gets you free shipping and 20% off all your orders! You can also earn points called "Jules" and once you get enough, you can use them for other products. :)

Julep doesn't just do nail polish, they also have makeup, skin care products and more. You can create a wishlist on the site and send it via email too. I've already started a small one. lol 

If you'd like to sign up, please use this link! By referring friends, you can earn Jules for a free Maven box! Without further ado, here is what I got in my box!

I received the colors Elle, Bunny and Libby as my welcome box.

I added the color Tracy and the Freedom polymer topcoat as my discounted extras. :)

They also added in two cute little orange cube emery boards. Perfect purse size! lol

The cap covers come off so that you can swatch the polish on the sticker that is on top of the cap!

Elle is described as a plum frost with a sheer/pearl/frost finish.

Bunny is described as a crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer with a creme finish.

Libby is described as a rich teal creme with a creme finish.

Tracy is described as a sparkly ocean blue sea salt (add top coat for a high-shine finish) with a special effect finish.

"In clinical studies, 100% of women who used Freedom Polymer Top Coat passed the ‘smudge test’ after 5 minutes, compared to 0% who used the leading regular top coat."

I am the queen of smudging! So I hope that is true! lol

Happy Valentine's Day + Nail Art!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

It has been a lovely day! I spent it with my best friend, Sarah. We went to see Winter's Tale at our local cinema. I wasn't sure what to expect and I didn't read the book. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. It was quite an interesting take on angels and demons, love and miracles. I cried a few times too! I am a hopeless romantic and not much of a movie critic. I don't go to movies to pick on them. I also mentioned that I didn't read the book, so I can't compare! lol

I have Valentine's Day nails! My nails are usually quite long, but I broke a few and trimmed them all down recently. I used light pink, lavender and white polish for the base colors. I used a pink striper to make the hearts on my ring finger. I went for a very simple design because I don't have the steady hands to do anything intricate! lol I can barely make straight lines with the thin detail brushes... So to make it more interesting, I went with the shiny glitter! I was too lazy to clean up that white nail... sorry! I usually let the little messes fade off after some hand washing and such on their own. lol

November 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag & Look

If you have never heard of Ipsy, check out their website to learn more!

This is my first ever Glam Bag and I quite like it. I wish I could continue with my subscription, but money is tight. I just wanted to try it once, at least! lol Take a look at everything I got in my bag this month, with swatches and more info. I also created a look with all the products from the bag. :)

The Products

The bag this month is metallic gold snakeskin with a pink zipper and little wrist strap!

1. PIXI BEAUTY- Bronzer - Subtly Suntouched

2. EM MICHELLE PHAN - Lash Gallery Mascara - Dramatic Volume

3. BH COSMETICS - Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Sample - Neptune

4. NAILTINI - Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer - Champagne

5. BE A BOMBSHELL - Lip Crayon - Shameless

6. STARLOOKS - Gem Eye Pencil - Topaz

Color Swatches & Information

1. PIXI BEAUTY- Bronzer - Subtly Suntouched

"This bronzing powder gives your complexion the warmth and luminosity of naturally sunkissed skin. Hydrating, silky-smooth & long-wearing, it also protects against free radicals. Contains Vitamin E to protect the skin and mica, which provides dense natural pigment."

I didn't get a picture of this since it matched my skin and you could barely see it. It has some very subtle shimmer and I think it is best used on the days where you are going for the look of minimal makeup. lol It could be used as a highlighter on someone with skin darker than my own though. Unless you have porcelain white skin, I don't think it would be much of a "bronzer". I suppose it could even be used as an eyeshadow too.

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2. EM MICHELLE PHAN - Lash Gallery Mascara - Dramatic Volume

 "Inspired by the girl who wants to rock out with her lashes. Amp it up and create instant lash drama with a single coat. Uniquely-designed spoon brush 'cup' and quickly builds lashes with rich color and volume."

The formula is very wet, as I assume all or most volumizing mascaras are. It smells like flowers... not like a lotion or perfume flower smell, but like walking through a flower garden. lol I have pretty average looking lashes to begin with... nothing fancy about them. So in my opinion, this was a decent mascara. I think my lashes definitely look more voluminous and dramatic. It's hard to get used to such a wet mascara! I haven't used many like this, so I can't compare it to others, sadly. 

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 3. BH COSMETICS - Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Sample - Neptune

"This Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Sample will take you from Plain Jane to an infinite trendsetter. Inspired by the moons and planets of the universe, eyeshadow shades range from hot sun-orange to cool earth-blue and colors of the Milky Way. Be as chic as a sparkling star!"

Neptune is a bright shimmery blue color. This is a baked eyeshadow. Some people get put off by colors like this, but if you use it right, you can make beautiful eye looks. The shadow is very pigmented, blendable and buildable. The actual Galaxy Chic palette has some very neat colors in it, if you want to check it out. I was hoping to get the color Asteroid, but this is a nice color too.

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 4. NAILTINI - Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer - Champagne

"Just one of Nailtini's top-shelf, 3-free nail lacquer, available in dozens of shades, textures and finishes. Wear them alone or layered to create custom looks and effects, each one a cocktail unto itself. Cheers to beauty, and as always, apply responsibly!"

This is such an interesting shade. I really like it too. When looking at the bottle a few things come to mind... copper, pink, gold. They seem to be all swirled into one. It does resemble champagne as well, in my opinion. lol I just recently painted my nails, so I put it on top of the very dark plum color that was already a few days old. It covered it very nicely. I only used two coats. Didn't have to try hard at all. :)

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 5. BE A BOMBSHELL - Lip Crayon - Shameless

"A glossy lip crayon with a smooth texture that is perfect for travel and touch-ups on the go. Apply to top and bottom lips for full coverage. For sheer coverage, apply to lower lip only and blot lips together. For more color, apply several coats until you receive desired results."

The swatch is on the same hand as the eyeliner, so it will be down a little further! Anyway, I really like this color! It's a pretty berry color... I'm going to go with "raspberry". I like this a lot and I think it's a great color to wear for fall too. It goes on really smooth and pigmented. It's also shimmery, which I love in a lip product. lol The description on the site says, 'a burgundy with shimmer' as the color description.

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6. STARLOOKS - Gem Eye Pencil - Topaz

"The Starlooks Gem Eye Pencils provide a magnificent metallic finish and are so versatile, soft, and creamy that they can be used as a liner or eyeshadow base! Each highly-pigmented, unique pencil has a gorgeous, micro-glitter finish."

This metallic silver eyeliner is so pretty.I think it's great to line the lower lash line. It will definitely make your eyes pop and shine through. lol I never thought I would go for such a metallic and shiny liner, but it really is pretty to look at! I'll have to find more ways to use it. :) After reading the description, I do have to wonder about using it as an eyeshadow base too now. I'll be testing this more, for sure. It glided pretty well on my hand and then on my eyes. I'd say it is pretty soft and creamy like they state. The only part I hate is that I'll have to sharpen it! lol

The image below shows the eyeliner as well as the lip crayon.

The November 2013 Glam Bag Look

 I used all the products that came in my bag, plus my LA Colors palette in Cafe Au Lait and my Revlon Luxurious Color Smoky Crayon eyeliner. :) Thanks for sticking around! Check out Ipsy and all the brands from this month's bag!

Kiss Nail Dress: Apply & Review

I received this package of Kiss Nail Dress nail stickers in my Varsity Vox Box from Influenster! I thought I would do a quick review on them since I tried them out today. :) You get 28 stickers in each package. It also says that there are 14 different sizes so they fit all nails. You also get a small nail file and booklet telling more about the designs and how to use the stickers. The design I got includes pink with black dots and then black with pink dots. They have shiny little round "stones" on the bottoms too. These can be used on finger nails and toe nails. Price wise, I think they range from $6.99 to $10.99 depending on where you re buying them from.

These nails aren't really like the Sally Hansen ones that I have tried before. These nails are thicker and not really foil like as are the Sally Hansen ones, which are real nail polish. I'm not sure what these ones are made of. They aren't hard to peel off the plastic sheets at all. After finding one that fit my nail, I had to try to place it properly and smooth it out as flat as possible. Some nails were harder than others to smooth out and align properly. This kind of thing takes patience. lol Once you have the sticker laid down as neatly as possible, it's time to file the excess off. Bend the sticker over the end of your nail like I am showing in this photo.

I used the rougher side (blue) of the file in quick little motions straight across the tip of my nail. I think that if I would have moved in the up to down motion, I would have ended up peeling some of the sticker off. This method worked for me and the tips of my nails stayed neat and covered by the sticker still. Then I used the less rough side (pink) to smooth out the tip of my nail again and get other little pieces of sticker left overs off. This part was quicker and easier than actually applying the sticker for me! lol

I still had some places on the edges of some nails that weren't covered by the sticker. I'm sure to avoid this I could have gone a size up and cut them to fit, but I was too lazy! lol Feel free to try it though! :) There were also a few nails with little ripples on the tips. Some came out after I gently used a nail on the other hand to pull upwards and get the little air bubbles out. Others were little creases that I couldn't remove. These little nicks only bug me at a very close inspection though. The nails overall look really cute and neat.

 As for the little booklet inside, it goes over the directions once more and also shows more of the available sticker designs. On the back, it shows that you can cut the stickers and make your own custom designs. What a great idea! I might have to try this with the left over stickers from this package.

Here is one hand finished! I like how they came out and I am interested in trying these again. The package says they last up to 10 days and you just have to peel them off when you want to remove them. After washing some dishes and a shower within 24 hours, they were still stuck on really good. After 4 days, the tips really started to wear down and I began to peel some off. They come off rather easily, but some left a little sticky residue. Nothing some polish remover can't fix. I was using my hands pretty often... always typing, feeding my many rabbits and cleaning my mess of a room. lol So with lighter use, I am sure they would last a little longer. I would still recommend these for others to try. They are pretty fun! I also recommend trying out the Sally Hansen ones. They look great and last a long time. :)

Haul: First Impressions

First, I will start by saying that all my hauls are usually pretty small! lol At the most there would probably be about 5 items. :) This haul is from my trip to Walmart last night. It all started because I painted my nails and forgot I didn't have any more top coat... after choosing my top coat, I thought it would be a great idea to look around some more... why do I do this to myself??? Anyway, here are my first impressions! I will probably be back again within a few weeks to review them all fully. :) I apologize for the blah quality photos. My Canon is dead and I used my mom's camera... which is not very good. lol

1. Sally Hansen Dries Instantly Top Coat - $3.97

I used another Sally Hansen base coat/top coat before and after a while it got very goopy and I couldn't use it anymore. It started to also ruin my nail designs by smudging them which ticked me off! I want to say it was the Hard as Nails one. I've liked other Sally Hansen products before though, so I thought I would give this top coat a try. Right at the get go, saying "instantly" makes me think... impossible. lol At that point I was thinking, even if it just dries rather quickly I would be totally satisfied! This bottle is 0.45 fl oz.

I applied it to my nails that were painted the day before, but I did touch up the edges of my nails with fresh polish. I always let it set for about 30 seconds before putting on a top coat. It is quite a thin top coat (which I like) and it didn't pick up any of the polish I used to touch up my nails. So I hope it never does when I try it on an entirely fresh paint job! We shall see! I'd say this dried pretty quickly. Probably in about 1 minute. It does leave a nice shine on my nails too. This top coat claims to do a lot of things... quick drying, anti chipping and smudging, strong glass like finish, UV absorbers protect against yellowing and fading... I will test this baby out a few more times and I'll get back to you!

2. Rimmel London BB Cream Beauty Balm - $6.99

I don't usually use liquid foundation on my face because I found that it was just too hard to choose one that works on my skin. I didn't want to keep spending money and not liking the product or color. I've tried a few tinted moisturizers with better luck though. I always do a light layer of a powder foundation and color correctors just to try and cover up my redness and such. I thought it would be a good idea to try a BB cream after hearing so much about them. To me it sounded like a "one stop shop" kind of deal. I could put this on quickly and get out of the house with a great looking face! After looking around on YouTube for reviews, I decided that this cream by Rimmel London would be a great place to start. This product is 1 fl oz. I got it on sale for $5.47. :) I got it in the color Light.

Rimmel claims that it's a 9-in-1 skin perfecting super makeup. Yes, please! It also has SPF 25 which is lovely because I have fair skin. The label on the back says it primes, moisturizes, minimizes pores, conceals, covers, smooths, mattifies, brightens, helps protect and lasts all day! I NEED ALL OF THAT. I have acne prone skin that is always pretty red, I have large pores and could use some mattifying and concealing. lol I tested it on my arm real quick to get a feel for it. It is nice a creamy and not globby at all. I rubbed it into my skin and saw results already. It has a nice finish on it. Made the skin look soft and glowy. It also covered up my red rimmed bunny scratches very well. So I am hoping that it can achieve the same thing on my face! lol I am really excited to give this a go. :)

3. Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer - $3.93

Winter will be here soon... and my decent tan from the summer will disappear... I couldn't pass up the good deal on this. lol The packaging caught my eye right away. It's huge and has a pretty sun imprinted in the power. I'm sold. I got this in the color Ticket to Brazil (739) and it is .46 oz.

The color is quite pretty. It seems to have a satin type finish on it. It's not crazy shimmery or totally matte. After I blended it out, I thought it looked rather nice on my skin. Gave it a bronze glowing look that I am sure to appreciate when I become horribly pale again. It has SPF 15 too. Yay for more sun protection! I think this will do the job I need it too.

Well, I think I picked out some decent items! I am excited to really put them to use. Like I said before, I will be back to do full reviews of them once I have gotten to know them better. I will also try to get some batteries for my Canon... ;-P