Mini Haul

Okay, this photo isn't great... but I picked up a few goodies over the weekend!

Ulta was having buy 2 get 1 free on Maybelline-- My all time fav foundation is Maybelline SuperStay and I was running low so I grabbed one of those.  I'm also running low on my Fit Me pressed powder so I nabbed one of those too.  I took a leap of faith on the Dream Matte Mousse and I have to say-- my first impression is not great...

I was in the market for some white polish so I found Ulta's Angel Baby for $1.99!

I picked up a Sally Hansen strengthening base coat-- hoping to improve my weak nails.  I grabbed the cuticle cream too-- I had this years ago and I still love it today.  It's the perfect last step to a perfect manicure.

So many people pass up Big Lots, but seriously guys, they have some incredible cosmetic deals.  I picked up some Wet n Wild eyeshadow as I mentioned a few posts ago and the Almay intense i-color shadow.  Looking forward to using both!

NEW Essie!

Braziliant, 2011

Absolutely Shore, Meet Me at Sunset, Smooth Sailing, Super Bossa Nova, Too Too Hot, Braziliant

Fair Game Resort Collection, 2011

Fair Game, Your Hut or Mine, Lion Around, Da Bush.

Speaking of Zoya...

On my nails right now?

Zoya's Gemma-- perfect mossy green with flecks of purple shimmer

How have I lived without this for so long?

Finally!! Got this as a little gift from the bf this weekend-- seriously, how have I been surviving all this time?
This bottle comes with a flip-top cap and then you just press your cotton ball onto the pump, and it magically fills with remover! Genius!

Even more genius...no need to buy one of these suckers every time you're running low...just buy a bottle of cheap polish remover and refill!


What is Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover

Zoya Remove Plus is an award wining, gentle, yet highly effective 3-in-1 nail polish remover, nail prep and nail conditioner. Longer nail polish wear starts with Remove Plus.

What Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover Does

Polish remover is just the beginning of what this wonder 3-in-1 formula achieves. Clean and prep nails while moisturizing, nourishing and fortifying the nail plate for guaranteed extended polish wear. Nails are left without a trace of nail lacquer, without streaking or staining, hydrated and ready for a base coat.

How to Use Zoya Remove Plus Nail Polish Remover

Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball or pad with Zoya Remove , firmly press pad to nail for a few seconds and wipe until existing polish is completely removed and nail bed is clean. Remove surface oils from clean nails and prepare nails for new color by wiping each nail with Zoya Remove.

New Obsession!

Hi There!

Okay so after Christmas I decided to put a ban on purchasing eyeshadow since I had received SO MANY Smashbox shadows for the holidays.  I literally must have almost 60 Smashbox eye shadows... a little much?

The point is: I knew I could never get close to using up all of those shadows so I wanted to be economical and hold back (hard as it may be) from buying eye shadow.

My love for shadow is relatively new-- Only in the last year did I really discover all the different looks that can be achieved with these cool little colors.

Anyway, I love a bargain, and I started to see all of these new Wet n Wild products popping up everywhere...  I've steered clear of Wet n Wild since 6th grade (chunky glitter lip gloss was the thang, girl!) and haven't looked back... Until now...

         

BEHOLD:

The Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio!

This trio packs three (obvious.) shadows into one perfect palette.  They come in so many beautiful shades and are only $2.99!!!!!! I was fortunate to find them this weekend at my local Big Lots for $2.80 (19 cents worth saving!)

I am obsessed with these for 3 reasons:

1. They're so gosh darn cheap! You get three shadows for less than three dollars!

2.  Each color in the trio has in imprint telling you exactly where to place the shadow (please god remember to blend...) Although you could certainly play with these to create all kinds of effects

3.  These shadows are SO pigmented... I love my Smashbox shadows, but seriously, if you want to skip the insane price tag and get a product with the same incredible color, wear-ability, blend-ability, and staying power-- go with this-- seriously, this stuff is amazing!

I currently have 3 palettes:

This one is called Silent Treatment-- I love love love the shade on the bottom here: it's like a silvery lavender.

This one is called Walking on Eggshells-- this is the perfect neutral palette!

This one is called Knock on Wood-- I LOVE this as an alternative to a smoky eye for nighttime...





If anyone wants a tutorial on how to use these just let me know, I would be happy to do one.


Cheers to Wet n Wild for creating such a great product at an even better price!

Birchbox #2!

Hey Ya'll!  (Moving to Kentucky soon, I might as well start talkin' like it)

SO happy to have finally received my May Birchbox! This thing shipped almost 9 days ago and I didn't get it until yesterday... Unfortunately, I already knew what I was getting thanks to an email sent by Birchbox titled "In your box this month!" ... Thanks guys...

Oh well, the point is that it came in the mail and I'm pretty happy with what I received!  It definitely wasn't as great as last month, but what can you do? I'm always thrilled to receive new high-end goodies for just $10! This month, all products included items celebrating Mother's Day--

Moving on to said goodies:

Each Birchbox always includes a note card describing each product

Truly, this entire Birchbox was worth it JUST for the Stila eyeshadow.  I received the color Coco- a medium toned brown shade.  They sent the full size eyeshadow retailing for $18!! I paid $10 for the entire box... Love you Birchbox!

Along with the eyeshadow, I received the Ahava mineral hand cream, Archipelago pomegranate hand soap, Bulgari's newest fragrance, Mon Jasmin Noir (love this) and Birchbox always throws in a little something extra-- a Tiny Prints card: Tiny Prints lets you customize greeting cards.  Cute!

I haven't had a chance to review all the products yet, but I'm looking forward to it.  I still LOVE Birchbox even though it shipped a little late and it wasn't quite as exciting as last month, but for $10, this is so so worth it...

Looking forward to next month!

NewBeauty Test Tube

Hi All!

Popularity is rising among beauty subscription services ie: Birchbox-- I recently came across NewBeauty's Test Tube: 

The NewBeauty TestTube is a collection of some of the hottest and most in-demand products in beauty. In this tube, you'll receive the current issue of NewBeauty magazine, along with a mix of full-sized, travel-sized, and deluxe-sized samples from Bliss, Mally, Nick Chavez, Elemis, Dr. Denese, Kiehl's, Laura Geller, philosophy, and GO SMiLE. Who is it for: Anyone looking to sample a wide variety of fabulous beauty products at an unbelievable value. Why is it different: The NewBeauty TestTube combines luxurious beauty products with extensive product and how-to information. NewBeauty magazine, included in the test tube, provides insider information on trends and hot topics within the beauty world via respected experts from the beauty industry. How do I use it: This TestTube includes a booklet with instructions on how to use each product.

This beauty subscription was created by QVC and they have quite a few professional relationships with beauty companies so you can bet that the products you'd receive would be top notch--

I am hesitant to subscribe, however. TestTube is delivered to your door 4 times a year at $29.95 (plus shipping) per box.  30 bucks plus shipping, and only 4 times a year!?  P.S...Shipping is almost $9...

I know what you're thinking... "Alex, you pay 10 dollars a month for Birchbox, you're spending a comparable amount..."  I know, I know... and I almost hate to say this, but its just feels better to spend smaller increments of money and to get something every month-- that's what I love about Birchbox.

Test Tube has a good thing going for them, and I think it's a really great deal-- but I love getting my products every month, not every 3 months! 

I truly don't have the capital to be able to test (ha) this tube out, but if you're interested and have a spare $40, I say go for it. The products are bound to be fantastic and it really is fun every time you get a little surprise in the mail-- Poor (literally) little grad school-bound me will have to put this off for a while...I suppose I do have a birthday coming up...

If you decide to subscribe let me know!

Something old, something new, something BORROWED, something BLUE!

 

I'm so happy!!!

I have been searching high and low in stores for Essie's 2011 Wedding Collection in Borrowed and Blue... trust me, it's nowhere to be found...

Luckily, ebay came through for me!  This polish is THE most beautiful milky, powdery blue and I cannot wait to wear this for spring and summer.  It is a creme shade without any shimmer or duo-chrome, which is how I would prefer this anyway.

How beautiful would this be on toes for a bride? 

Sally Hansen Salon Effects- Real Nail Polish Strips

In love!

I apologize that this product isn't breaking news, but it's definitely worth a post...

I've been eyeing Sally Hansen's Polish Strips for months now but I haven't taken the plunge to actually purchase these because 1. They're 10 dollars and I can get a bottle of polish for less and 2. I actually like the process of painting my nails the good ol' fashion way.

After my good friend Kristyn sent me a photo of her wearing these strips, I knew I had to experiment.  I found these at Target for about $8.50 which is $1.50 less than at other drugstores.  From what Kristyn told me, Walmart has these for $8.50 as well.  I decided on "Misbehaved" which looks to me like a pair of fishnet stockings, ooh la la!

While I don't love the $8.50 price tag (again, I can get a bottle of OPI or Essie for that price) these are phenomenal.  I'm serious.  I don't care for gimmicky beauty products but these things are the real deal.  They are so so so easy to use, and quite frankly, I have no idea how the manicure industry isn't dead.  I don't think I will ever pay for a manicure ever again, truly.  They are designed to last up to 10 days so I'll have to report back on how that goes.  After I applied these (which took me about 20 minutes) I put a top coat on just to seal any edges and to hopefully ensure a long lasting manicure.

I am seriously urging those of you who have not tried these to drive your butts to Target NOW and give these a shot! It's so fun and so easy.  There is no drying time and you take these off with polish remover.  I don't see myself wearing these all the time because I do like changing my polish every couple of days but I definitely see myself using these for special occasions or anytime I want a mess-free manicure.  For $8.50 you get a manicure that takes just minutes to apply, no mess, no polish on your skin, long wear-ability and in designs you can't achieve with polish.

Each box comes with a set of instructions so I won't dive into those, but all I can say is that these are a must have.  Truly, you're foolish if you're still paying 25 bucks for a manicure with all of these amazing products on the market now.  I want to try Flower Girl next:

 Fun tip: I have kept the remaining nail strips (16 come in each box to ensure a proper fit to each nail) and I am going to put one of these one both of my ring fingers with my other nails painted in a neutral- cute!


I am absolutely in love with these and I hope you fall in love too! 

Best Mascaras... Ever.

Hi All!

I had to laugh today thinking about my blog and my daily "beauty regimen" and if some of my co-workers new about this blog, they would think I was a complete phony...

While not true, I've been seriously slacking on my "look" for work.  Since grade school I would wake up early, shower, blow dry my hair, do my makeup, put on the outfit I would have picked out the night before...

This all stopped about 6 months ago when I realized that I really had no energy left, no real need or want to keep up this routine, and a general disenchantment with the whole process (on weekdays at 4:45am, mind you!)

I need to clarify that on weekends I always step it up, and I actually have the time to put the effort in to play with all of my fun products!  However, I had a chuckle this morning thinking about how many colleagues of mine would laugh if they new this page even existed... I come to work with no makeup, wet hair, a scarf wrapped around my neck and an outfit I pick out in the dark.

That said, let's move on, shall we?

Honoring the request of my good friend Laura, (Hi Zelly!) I am posting some information on what I consider to be 3 of the best budget-friendly mascaras on the market (I'm throwing a splurge in here, too...)

Mascara, like foundation, is highly variable in formula, design, features, color, etc... Most women have favorites that they rave over, while others might simple meh at the same product.  It's very much a personal choice and there are SO many out there to choose from... Let's start from the top!

3. L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, $9

I love this Mascara, I really do.  L'Oreal's Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara is uniquely formulated to resist clumping, soften lashes and build lashes to 4X their natural thickness. Dramatic volume with all day!  Unique maximizing formula quickly thickens and builds lashes in a single application for a full and dramatic lash look. Patented volume maximizing brush thickens lashes evenly and smoothly, leaving them soft with virtually no flakes, smudges or clumps.

2. Cover Girl Lash Blast, $8

Get a blast of lush, volumized lashes! LashBlast's patented volume-boosting formula and patent-pending brush are designed to max out each and every lash, leaving you with the ultimate big-lash look.  I love this one too!  The applicator is pretty enormous but you get great separation, great pigmentation, zero clumping, and you can really build it up to get thick, dark lashes.  The formula is a little more "wet" than I prefer, but I can deal...so can you!


1. Ulta Amped Lashes, $10

Volumizing mascara creates longer, thicker lashes instantly. Amped Lashes Mascara by ULTA features a unique applicator brush that controls clumping while increasing lash definition.  Next to the mascara you're about to read about, this is my favorite.  It reminds me a bit of Lash Blast in that the bristles are similar, but for me, this isn't as bulky and the wand is just much easier to handle.  It's not nearly as wet as Lash Blast and this stuff just works, trust me!




Holy Grail Mascara: *drum roll*




SMASHBOX HYPERLASH! $21 (Yes, I know this is excessive, but you can find it on ebay for a few bucks cheaper and TRUST me, it's SO worth it!)


OMGOMGOMG... LOVE! 

I have been using this mascara since December (Thanks, Christmas!) and I am in love.  Yes, I use other mascaras, but I truly tend to reach for this one every single time.  Rev up your lashes with this high intensity all-in-one mascara that lifts, lengthens, volumizes and defines. The unique dual applicator has a brush on one side and a comb on the other for beautifully full, amazingly long, clump-free lashes in seconds. Naturally derived peptides and antioxidants help protect and repair, while rich pigments bind to lashes for an ultra-dramatic look.  TRUST ME ON THIS ONE, PEOPLE!

Well there you have it, folks-- I hope this was worth your time and I can (almost) guarantee that you will LOVE these mascaras.  Of course, every woman is different, but I know these tend to be universal favorites and you just can't lose if you try these out-- so affordable (save the last one) and so fun!

Ombre Nails- Ooh la la

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to post about a new trend in nails that I think is pretty unique without being too daring-- It's a fresh take on the standard manicure and I think this could be really gorgeous for spring and summer. 

Ombre:

A French term meaning “shaded,” it refers to fabric (frequently ribbon) with color that graduates from light to dark.

Ombre nails employ several techniques, and I've posted a few photos to display the different ways in which to wear this look-- If I have a chance, I'll update this post with my own ombre rendition!



All you need to achieve this look: 5 polishes within the same color family.  Paint your nails with color gradation in mind and voila: Ombre nails!





Truthfully, I'm not sure how I would pull this one off, but the photo up top is definitely more achievable!





Tres chic!

Review: Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer

Hi Everyone,

I've been on a MAJOR nail polish kick and I feel like I've been ignoring every single other product I've picked up over the past few weeks... Hence, this post!

I was lucky enough to find Aveeno's tinted moisturizer in my Easter basket-- I've been using a lot of tinted moisturizer lately, particularly at work to try and save time in the mornings and so I feel like I'm slightly credible in this department.  I have been carrying Elf's tinted moisturizer and Cover Girl's Aqua Smoothers as well and I really really really wanted to get my hands on Aveeno (I may have dropped a hint or two)...

"The only tinted moisturizer with clinically proven Total Soy Complex to brighten and even skin tone while providing SPF 30 sun protection. Natural, light-reflecting minerals and lightweight coverage blend away skin imperfections and immediately bring out skin's natural radiance. Choose from two luminous shades to blend seamlessly with your skin: Fair to Light and Medium. These elegant formulas provide extraordinary natural radiance and coverage at a much smarter price than the leading department store brand. This moisturizer is also oil-free, hypoallergenic, and noncomedogenic."   

I really love the packaging with Aveeno particularly because the bottle comes with a pump that you can lock, making it really easy to toss in my makeup bag.  You get 2.5 fluid oz and it runs around $12-15 which is not terrible.  I requested the color "fair/light" since I'm fairly pale right now and it looks extremely light when you first pump it out, almost too light.  Once you start to rub it into the skin it blends perfectly.

There are two things that allow this tinted moisturizer to stand out above all others that I've tried:

1. Since this is part of the Positively Radiant line, the moisturizer has a very slight sheen to it, making the skin look dewy, not greasy--  it allows your skin to show through while providing good coverage with the most beautiful dewy gleam--  I believe that it really does help to even out my skin tone and I love that about this product.

2. This product remained flawless the entire day.  It's hard to say that about any product in general, but I was shocked at the staying power of Aveeno.  I do apply a dusting of powder over the product just to lock it in a bit, but otherwise I feel like I look in the afternoon the way I look in the morning which is pretty fantastic.

Click here to watch Emilynoel83's review on YouTube

Two thumbs up for this product-- for those of you who have fairly clear skin and are looking for something to even out your skin tone, this is perfection and I am certain I am going to be wearing this every single day in the hot summer weather!

UPDATE! Today, (5/2/11) I was complimented on my "beautiful complexion" in an elevator wearing my Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer! How's that for proof??

Wanted: Strong Nails

I had a few CVS Extra Bucks saved up so I ran to pick up a bottle of Sally Hansen's VitaSurge Strength Gel.  You're supposed to apply this over your dry nails or polished nails once a day to see noticeable stronger nails in 5 days, which I desperately need-- my nails tend to crack easily (runs in the genes, unfortunately).  I'll do an update in about a week to see if I notice a difference!

Adding to my Zoya Intimate Collection...

While at the spa yesterday, I noticed Zoya's Intimate Collection for Spring 2011 was on sale!!
Each polish was only $4!  I spent nearly $50 tipping for my spa treatments, so I only allowed myself to choose 2...but I love them!

I received Jules in my April Birchbox so I decided on Caitlin and Gemma.  Caitlin is a blu-ish grey without any sheen and Gemma is a duo-chrome with green and purple metallic.  It's very mossy, but I absolutely love the multi-dimensional tone. 

Click here to view the color inspiration for this collection