NOTD: Essie Beach Party!

Two (2) Coats of Essie Beach Party & One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

I swear, it's a total coincidence that my last three NOTD's have been Essie polishes - not to mention pink polishes. I guess I've been on a pink "kick" lately. I received this polish in a swap last week and it's my first day testing it out!

I couldn't find much info on this polish, but NO WONDER! It's from Essie's 2004 "A New Summertime" Collection. So yes, this particular shade is 7 years old. Whatever. It still applies good and it's pretty! 

Essie Beach Party is a light, neutral, cotton candy pink. It's a bit of a nude pink, as it has a hint of beige. There are some complaints that the formula applies streaky, but I didn't have a big problem. It applied streaky with the first coat, and then evened out nicely with the second coat. I didn't apply a third, but depending on your preference, there is room for one more coat. 

I love this polish, I think the color is very flattering on my hands. 

What's on your nails?

Tag: What's in my shower?

 Hey Everyone! 

I was asking for ideas of what to post about, and someone suggested doing a "What's in my Shower" post. I thought it would be a fun, quick and easy post, so here it is! Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, let me know in the comments!

CHI Ionic Color Protect Shampoo - I purchased this for a very discounted price at Marshalls. I always like trying out new Shampoos to find my "perfect one", but I still haven't seemed to come across one that I can't live without. I thought this shampoo was very average - nothing I'd probably re-purchase.

One n' Only Argan Oil Restorative Mask - I've used this mask for the past month, maybe more. I use it after I Shampoo my hair, typically 3 times a week, and I honestly don't really see any difference in my hair. It has so many raves, but it just didn't do anything for me. Another product I won't be re-purchasing. 

Beyond the Zone Protein Cocktail - I usually spray this in my hair after I get out of the shower as an added leave-in. I've had it for a few months now, and I think it's a decent product. I really like the scent, and it doesn't weigh my hair down or leave it looking greasy. I do think with continued use, it made my hair feel a little stronger. When I run out, I'll probably try a different product though, and maybe only re-purchase if I find a great deal on it.

Kiss my Face Moisture Shave - This is my favorite shaving cream to reduce razor burn. It does really work! (See my review here)

St Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash - I really love this body wash - it leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized. I have pretty dry legs, so this helps keeps them hydrated better than any other shower gel/soap I've used.

Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Refreshing Foot Scrub - I purchased mine at Marshalls, but they sell the whole line at Ulta. It's a really great gritty exfoliating scrub. It's for the feet, but I actually use it on my body prior to using self tanner, or to get rid of hard to remove self tanner. It's my favorite exfoliate! Even though it's harsh, it doesn't dry out my skin.

Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Body Spray - I don't really keep this in my shower, but I keep it on an outside shelf. Once I get out of the shower and dry myself, I spritz it all over my body. Yum!

Olay Pro X Cleansing System - I usually use this in the shower once I've cooked up a little steam. I'll use it with whatever cleanser I have on hand, or African Black Soap. (See my review here)

Mr Pumice Pumice Bar - The one pictured is a brand new one I have on hand because I didn't wanna show you guys the actual gross one I have in my shower. Once my feet are a little softened from the hot water. I'll scrub the heck out of my heels with this to rid my feet of any dead skin. Everyone should own a Mr. Pumice!

African Black Soap - I usually take a shower at night while all of my makeup is on, so I'll lather a little soap in my hands and wash my face with it - or use it with my Olay Pro X. (See my review here)

Massage Mitt - For extra exfoliation of my body. I like using these or exfoliation gloves as opposed to wash cloths or loofahs. It helps a lot with rough skin and in-grown hairs.

Venus Breeze Razor - I've always liked men's razors better than women's razors because they give a closer shave - but I ended up purchasing this Venus razor with an awesome P&G coupon I had, and I haven't looked back since!

Are there any products in your shower you think I should try??! I'd love some suggestions of your favorite Shampoos and Leave in Conditioner!

I now tag the following bloggers to do this post! 
(Of course you don't have to.. it's just for fun!)

Cheryl

Laiqah

Kelly

JC

Kim

Tiffany

New shoes: Forever 21/Pink Duchess Leatherette Wedge Sandals!

Pink Duchess Erin-2/Forever 21 Leatherette Wedge Sandals

I usually don't like to purchase synthetic shoes because they are bound to give my feet blisters, but I typically have pretty good luck with shoes at Forever 21. I was looking for sandals that were trendy, not completely flat and could be worn every day.

Granted, I haven't raided all of the shoe departments at my local shopping centers, but I have done a bit of browsing online with no real luck. So, I was a little excited when I came across these sandals on the Forever 21 website last week. They have a short wedge, so they aren't completely flat, the style is trendy and they are casual, so I can wear them with any outfit - every day. Also, the price was really good at $19.80. It's really annoying when I find cute shoes I like at Forever 21 and they are close to $40 - Sorry, not paying that much for cheap quality shoes when I purchase high end brands at Marshalls for the same price. So with all of that said, I placed an order!

I was hoping they'd still be available on the website, but they must have just sold out of them in the last 48 hours. Several times, Forever 21 will re-stock items that sold out quickly, so if you're interested in them, keep your eyes out on the website! I did go to the mall Monday, and they had several pairs in stock, so you may be able to find them in-store.

My shoe size is an 8.5 - very true to size. An 8 is usually too small, and a 9 is usually too large. I do have wide feet (thanks Dad), so certain "M" styles don't fit correctly. Since Forever 21 doesn't stock half sizes, I purchased a size 8. They do (thankfully) fit my feet perfectly and comfortably. I wore them all day yesterday, and I did lots of walking and my feet didn't hurt in the least. They are pretty good quality for the low price.

DETAILS

These particular shoes aren't actually manufactured by Forever 21, but by the brand Pink Duchess, a wholesale shoe brand. The Forever 21 item number for these are: 78967669017 and are called the Leatherette Wedge Sandals. The cost of them is $19.80. The actual style name on the Pink Duchess shoe box is Erin-2, but I couldn't find any information on them from the brand directly.

Where do you usually have the best luck finding shoes that are affordable and trendy?

Haul: Forever 21 Accessories!

Double Sided Heart Mirror - $4.80

Medium Face Brush - $2.80

Blue Nail Polish - $2.80

Pale Iris Nail Polish - $2.80

Uneven Ring - $2.80

Vintage Spikey Bracelet - $7.80 (larger spikes)

Spike Bead Bracelet - $9.80 (small spikes)

Sunglasses - $5.80

Be Mine Stud Earrings - $1.50

Sparkling Bow Earrings - $1.50

Items that are still available on the website are click-able, and will re-direct you to the product page.

I'm pretty happy with everything. I lose stud earrings like there's no tomorrow, so I always purchase cheap ones that I can always re-purchase and won't feel guilty about losing. I'm excited to try out the face brush I purchased - it's a domed/pointed foundation brush. I've always wanted a dome foundation brush and would eyeball the Sonia Kashuk one at Target when I walk though the cosmetic aisles. The bristles are super soft and I think it would be a good brush to blend my foundation in small areas (near my ears, nose, under my eyes, etc.) 

I thought these bracelets were pretty cool. Typically, I would of never picked these up (if I saw them at Hot Topic per say..) but because I can't afford my much wanted Eddie Borgo bracelet, I had to have these. Isn't it funny how fashion trends make you like something you would of never liked before?

Gunmetal Pave Cone Bracelet $1,150

Beauty Bloggers, Would you like a chance to try out a FREE Subscription to Fotolia?

Fotolia is the first worldwide social marketplace for royalty free stock images, allowing individuals and professionals to legally buy and share stock images and illustrations.

Fotolia offers the largest image bank of free and affordable royalty free photos and illustrations perfect for any medium, web or print.

Photographers and designers constantly update Fotolia with thousands of new photos and illustrations each day, while photographers and designers receive commission from each photo sold and revenue from advertising on the free section.

Fotolia provides a compromise between photographers and buyers, by protecting a photographer's intellectual property rights and offering high commissions, while legally lowering the price barrier so that everyone may enjoy/afford these beautiful images.

Fotolia challenges the traditional closed agency model by offering the opportunity to monetize their talents to everyone, hobbyist or professional, whatever their fame, status, or size of portfolio may be.

Thanks to Fotolia's collaborative online model, Fotolia is able to offer individuals and professionals (advertising agencies, press, small business, graphic artists, designers) the greatest image collection in the world for free or as little as $0.75.

EASE OF USE

It's fairly simple to navigate around Fotolia. All you do is type in the search box what type of images you are looking for. You can narrow your search down by the category or galleries as well as popularity, image size, etc.

SELECTION & QUALITY

Fotolia offers a great selection of photos in the categories I searched for. I pretty much found all of the photos I was looking for to use on my blog. I usually only post photos that are my own, but it's a nice change to add additional photos that are relevant with the topics I'm posting about. The quality of the images are great. None of the photos I downloaded we at all grainy or poor quality.

PRICING

Click here to view the pricing guide for purchasing credits. The lowest price bundle is $30 for 25 credits. Each photo is available in a variety of sizes. The larger the size of the photo, the more credits it will be. There are photos that are available with one credit, so that would be a little over a dollar per photo. This may be ideal for you if you don't need very many photos. Very large photos will be a bit expensive, so it would be in the best interest to purchase a Subscription for a month, or however long you will need it. Click here to view the pricing for a Subscription.

The pricing may sound expensive, but it's actually comparable to other Competitors like ShutterStock.

 OVERALL THOUGHTS

I really think Fotolia is a great site and ideal for those who want to really establish their online business. I remember when I was creating a website for one of my friends architectural business, I was having a difficult time finding images through Google images and I didn't like how it looked that I constantly had to source every photo. Someone recommended to me to try a Stock photo website, and although it would have been perfect, the funds just weren't there at the time. I really believe it's an important tool when you're running a website - especially if you don't have many photos of your own. I am really happy I was able to try a free trial of Fotolia and although I won't be re-newing my subscription, I will recommend it and keep it in mind for the future when I have a larger budget for my site.

Now, here comes the fun part!

Fotolia was awesomely generous and is giving away FIVE (5) free trials of Fotolia to my select readers. Your Free Subscription will last for 14 days, and you will be able to download three (3) images per day (largest size).

I think it's a fantastic opportunity to try out a Stock photo site if you're an active blogger or webmaster. You'll be able to not only find images for posts, but for every aspect of your website - such as your background, layout, logo, etc.

If this sounds like something you'd like to take advantage of, post "ME" in the comments below. Also, please include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you have won.

Entries will be accepted up until Friday, July 1st at 11:59 PM CST. I will randomly pick FIVE (5) winners using Random.org and contact the winners within 48 hours.

Disclaimer: I was given a free 30 day trial to Fotolia. I was not paid or compensated in any way for this post, other than the free 30 day trial. This post reflects my honest opinion, as always!

NOTD: Essie Van D'go!

Three (3) coats of Essie Van D'go, One (1) coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

Three (3) coats of Essie Van D'go, One (1) coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

Essie Van D' Go is a bright, milky pink-peach. In the bottle, the color looks like a pastel pink, but it translates slightly different on the nails. It's a bit brighter and more peach toned (or pink with a yellow tint) once it hits the nails. It may be a disappointment to some if you wanted the exact shade the bottle shows, but it's exactly what I wanted. The color of Van D'Go, is actually my favorite color. It's comes really close to Orly Cotton Candy, but Van D'Go is slightly lighter. (See Orly Cotton Candy here) 

As far as the formula goes, it applied a little streaky like many pastel polishes tend to do. Two coats was fine, but I had slight streaks on a couple of my nails, so I applied a third coat to all of my nails. With three coats, I had no streaks and the color was completely opaque.

It's a very pretty shade for the summer and I'm loving it!

Do you own Essie Van D'Go? How do you like it?

ULTA Haul: Essence & Essie!

Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish - #57 Can't Cheat on Me

Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish - #50 Irreplaceable

Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish - #42 Dress for a Moment

Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish - #51 Mellow Yellow

Essie Nail Polish - #710 Van D'Go

Essence XXXL Nudes Lipgloss - #01 Pure Beauty

Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss - #01 Me & My Ice Cream

READ MORE TO VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & SWATCHES!

Upcoming Posts!

REVIEWS
NuMe Couture Tourmaline Flat Iron - I've been using this iron daily for a little under three weeks, so I feel I'm now able to give my full opinion about it.
Reviva Labs Products - I was given the opportunity to try out several products from Reviva Labs, and I can't wait to share my thoughts about each one with you! I will have individual reviews up for Reviva Labs Makeup Primer, Light Skin Peel Exfoliant, Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Alpha Lipodic Acid Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream, Collagen Fibre Eye Pads w/ Myoxinol and Collagen Fibre Skin Brightener Pads. So far, I've tested everything but the Collagen Pads.
Sigma Make Me Up 12 Brush Kit - I've had these now for a few months and I will give my thoughts about each brush individually as well as the set as a whole.
Sigma Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki F80 (for liquid foundation)
Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - I picked up a sample today - a very small sample though. Hopefully it will be enough product to adequately review, or at least share my initial thoughts.
Chanel Glossimer in "Mica" - I picked this up today, and will be posting swatches and a review soon.
Fotolia.com - I was given a complimentary trial to Fotolia.com (stock photo website) and I'll be sharing my thoughts about the site as well as giving a few promotional codes to those interested in trying it risk free for themselves.

HAULS

Ulta - Essence Products with reviews & NOTD's to follow (nail polish and lip gloss).
Forever 21 - Mostly Accessories

MISC.
Current Face Routine (Moisturizer, Primer, Concealer, Foundation & Powder)
Top 5 Summer Nail Polishes
How to: Contouring
Overview: Foundation Brushes
Makeup Collection - I'm not sure when this will be up because I'm currently trying to revamp my makeup storage, but it's a highly requested post.

If you have any requests, post in the comments below!

Sigma Launches New Eyeshadow Palettes!

Dare Eyeshadow Palette

The Sigma Beauty DARE palette includes the perfect mix of vibrant and neutral shades represented by warm and cool tones. This palette contains beautiful yet unexpected hues from neutral corals to deep reds and includes surprisingly wearable yellow and gold tones. DARE allows you to create colorful looks that can be easily accentuated with bright or deep colors. Go from day to night in seconds! Includes Sigma Beauty’s best-selling E20 and E45 in an exclusive dual-ended brush. Contains matte and satin formulations

Bare Eyeshadow Palette

The Sigma Beauty BARE palette is a must for everyday use. Ideal to create classic neutral looks, BARE is perfect for accentuating your best features without too much color distraction. Highlight inner corners, emphasize your crease, brighten your brow bone and enhance your lash line. With BARE’s color selection, you can easily create day and night looks seamlessly and as subtle or as bold as you wish. BARE is perfect for a natural yet improved you! Includes Sigma Beauty’s best-selling E30 and E25 in a unique dual-ended brush. Contains matte and satin formulations.

Flare Eyeshadow Palette

The Sigma Beauty FLARE palette contains a beautiful combination of greens and purples, combined with browns and beiges that are perfect to create fun and colorful looks! This palette includes beautiful iridescent undertones, which offer a must have selection of bright, yet sophisticated hues. FLARE is perfect for those days when you want to highlight your eyes with fun and flirty colors! Includes Sigma Beauty’s best-selling E55 and E40 in a practical dual-ended brush. Contains matte and satin formulations.

Each palette retails for $35 and are all available now on the Sigma website. So, it's a little over $3 for each shadow and brush. What do you think about them? If I had to choose one, I'd choose the Bare Palette, as it's the most suitable for neutral, every-day makeup looks. I wonder what the quality is like?

VIEW SWATCHES HERE!

How to Start a Beauty Blog: Some Pointers!

So, you're a beauty practitioner who has picked up some awesome tips and information along the way. You want to share your knowledge with all of the other beauty fanatics out there and you just don't know where to begin.

Throughout the past couple of years, I've been asked often how I got so many followers and what are some tips I can give to create a successful blog. So, I thought it was about time for a post! Keep reading for some tips and pointers to aid you in your beauty blogging endeavors!

1. YOUR NAME. More importantly, the name you'd like to be known as. Keep it simple. You want it to be something that is fairly easy to remember. If your username is "XoBeautyGirl674Xo", it's not going to be something that someone will remember and it's not going to be something easy to find on Google. Don't lose sleep over choosing a name, but make sure it's something you think you'd still like, even a few years down the line.

2. YOUR LAYOUT & BACKGROUND. Again, try keeping your layout fairly simple. Try not to pick designs that are too distracting or difficult to read. At one point, my blog had a black background with white and pink text, and it was a little difficult for some to read the letters. It's always fun to reflect your personality through layout decor, but let your personality shine through your writing more than anything.

Two of my favorite sites for blog backgrounds are http://shabbyblogs.com/ and http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. (not affiliated)

3. MUSIC IS A NO-NO. Katy Perry E.T. may be your favorite song, and you listen to it at every chance you get, so you decide to add it to your blog. Well, it's not everyone's favorite song and probably 8 out of 10 times, a person will prefer no music. Several times, your readers may check your blog at work or in a setting where music can't, or shouldn't be played. If you insist on adding soundtracks to your page, don't set it to Auto-play - Leave it up to the viewer.

4. PHOTOS. We all love to see photos! If you are going to post photos, please do the following-

• Take your photos in a well lit area. The most accurate lighting is natural sunlight, but not everyone is able to take photos during the day. If you are taking photos at night and you will be using a flash, try out this awesome tip from Chloe of The Hollywood Heels. Place a tissue over the flash, to avoid over exposing your subject. (Click here to view the detailed post)
• Use the flower (Macro) setting for taking photos of products. This will keep your subject from photographing blurry.
• Crop and/or Re-size your photos (if necessary). If you don't have a program on your computer to do this, there are several free online photo editing sites you can use. A popular one is http://www.picnik.com/. You can find others by searching "Free Photo Editor". 

 FOR MORE TIPS, CLICK READ MORE!

NOTD: Sprinkled Donut/Confetti Nails w/ Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters Nail Polish!

Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters is an awesome clear based nail polish with 5 different colored glitters. There are small red and green glitters, medium green, light blue and purple glitters and large silver glitters. Although I didn't try this polish on it's own, the possibilities are endless with what you can layer with it.

I didn't really have an initial idea, I sort of came up with it as I was painting my nails. I first started out with painting my nails with one coat of Essie Mod Squad, then painting 1/3 the way down my nail (unevenly to look like frosting) with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Bubblegum Pink, then 2 coats, about 1/2 way down my nail with Wet n Wild Party of Five Glitters. Lastly, I finished off with one coat of Seche Vite Top Coat. 

I think it's a really fun look for a the summer, a birthday or holiday!

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS + OTHER LOOKS.. 

GIVEAWAY: Wet n Wild Goodies! (Open internationally)

Hey Everyone!

Hope you're all enjoying the weather, I can't really say I'm enjoying the weather much in Chicago. If it's not cold out, the weather is hot, humid, and muggy with mosquitoes waiting for me to run out to my car so I can blast my A/C. I'm longing for that beautiful, crisp summer heat with clear skies and zero humidity. *Ahem* Vegas, I miss you very, very much. I don't know about you, but living in the mid-west, I get a little jipped of any tropical scenery, so when I'm on vacation and spot a palm tree, I start getting butterflies.

Landing in Vegas, Summer 2010.

Anyhow, when I noticed a lot of my readers weren't from the US and couldn't get their hands on Wet n Wild products, I thought it was a good opportunity to do a giveaway!

THE PRIZE:

• Four (4) Color Icon Palettes; Walking On Eggshells, Don't Steal My Thunder, I'm Getting Sunburned and Silent Treatment.
• Two Color Icon Eye Shadows; Nutty and Brule.
• One Mega Matte Lipstick; Think Pink.
• One Lipstick; Nouveau Pink.
• One Glassy Gloss; This Too Shall Glass
• One Color Icon Lipliner; Willow.
• Fast Dry Nail Polish; Teal of Fortune.

RULES TO ENTER:

• You must be a follower of my blog. In case some of you don't have Blogger or a Google account, you can also enter by following me on Twitter here or by liking my new Facebook page here.
• Leave a comment about anything you wish! Do you have any plans for this summer? What's your favorite thing to order at Starbucks? What's your latest beauty purchase? If your mind isn't running to well today, you can just write "enter me".

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: 

• You can have a maximum of two (2) entries. So, by leaving a comment and following me on Twitter or Facebook, would count as two entries. If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook AND leave a comment, it will still count as two entries, not three. 
• This giveaway is open internationally, therefore anyone can enter. 
• Entrants must be at the legal age according to their local laws. If you are under the legal age, you must have permission from a parent or guardian to enter (18 years old in the USA w/ the exception of Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21)
• The deadline will be in one week from today; Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. 
• There will be one winner, announced within 48 hours of the deadline.

Good Luck! ☺

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios Review!

Left to Right: Silent Treatment #335, I'm Getting Sunburned #334, Walking on Eggshells #380B.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios

Wet n Wild is a drugstore cosmetic brand that I've always been really familiar with. The first makeup items I ever owned, at the age of 12, were Wet n Wild. Throughout my adolescence, Wet n Wild was a brand I'd always go because it was convenient (sold at most drugstores) and the prices were always very inexpensive.

Throughout high school, I started to explore other brands and started to neglecting my Wet n Wild makeup. Many of the lipsticks were too frosty and the eye shadows were too sheer. In the past couple of years, Wet n Wild has really improved their quality and selection of products.

Aside from Wet n Wild's awesome Mega Last Matte Lipsticks, their palettes have been causing quite a "stir" in the online makeup communities. Call me a "Makeup Snob", but I was never really interested in purchasing any of the palettes myself, despite the rave after rave reviews I read. I think a big part of it is the flimsy packaging. I am a bit of a sucker for nicely packaged items, but the main reason Wet n Wild is able to keep their prices so low is because of their basic, mediocre packaging. I always assume that if I purchase a bronzer or eyeshadow, it will end up shattering in my purse and getting all over everything. Well, I put all of that to the side when I saw a 40% sale at my local drugstore and decided to splurge (yes, splurge a whole $5 bill) on a few palettes.

There are 12 different Color Icon Trios to choose from, and I ended up choosing the palettes that I figured are suitable for every day and go well together.

Left to Right: Silent Treatment #335, I'm Getting Sunburned #334, Walking on Eggshells #380B.

Silent Treatment #335 contains a light peach, a dark, neutral brown with golden shimmer and a mauve taupe. The most pigmented shade in this trio is the crease, and the least pigmented shade is the brow bone. All shades go extremely well together and I think it's an overall great palette to put together a quick look.

I'm Getting Sunburned #334 contains a frosted, cool pink, a deep-dark warm brown with copper shimmer (a good dupe for NARS Mekong) and a frosted gold. All three shades are very richly pigmented and is probably the most pigmented of all three palettes. The brown in particular applied very dark - almost black, so you only need the lightest touch of your brush.

Walking on Eggshells #380B contains a frosty off white, warm caramel brown and a champagne pink. Again, all three shades are richly pigmented. This palette is a great palette for subtle every day looks, especially for the daytime and a work environment.

As far as the shadows themselves, they are very soft and smooth. They applied and blended together very easily. When using a sponge applicator or brush, quite a bit of dust was created from the shadows, so the compacts can possibly get a bit messy after continued use. Also, because they are so soft, I'd be scared to death of ever dropping any of the palettes on hard flooring. (Although I read that the Silent Treatment trio passed Temptalia's drop test. Results will vary, I'm sure.)

I'm overall really satisfied with all three palettes and can't wait to share some looks with them! Definitely give one a try if you've been undecided.

NOTD: Essie Jamaica Me Crazy!

Jamaica Me Crazy is a magenta with lots of very fine purple shimmer. The shimmer gives the polish an almost foil-like effect, which looks really pretty in the sunlight.

The application of this polish was very good, it didn't apply streaky and it dried extremely quick. I was barely done coating some of my nails and the polish seemed to already be dry from the first brush stroke. The color is opaque, and only needs two coats for full opacity. 

One downside with this polish in particular is, once it's dry, the color becomes very dull. Therefore, a top coat is extremely necessary. I also ended up with small bubbles on all of my nails - which is something that hasn't happened to me in years. I'm not sure if it was the formula, or the humidity.

This polish is a part of Essie's permanent line, and can be found at most drugstores!

What's on your nails?

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Liquid Powder Review, Photos, Swatches and FOTD!

MAC Honey Rose Magically Cool Liquid Powder

Product Description: A silky, feather-light powder, formulated with 70% water, dusts on to the skin as a cooling mist to set and enhance the look of any foundation. Beyond sheer: light-reflecting and translucent. A virtually invisible way to add luminosity and a soft radiant glow to the skin.

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powders are available in three (3) shades: Truth & Light (Sheer shimmer that reflects silver and pink), Honey Rose (Sheer rosy beige with multi-dimensional shimmer) and Cajun (Sheer bronze shimmer that reflects gold).

While I was at MAC, I swatched all three shades, but the most appealing shade to me was Honey Rose. Truth & Light appeared very sheer - almost invisible, with a slight white cast and slight shimmer. Cajun appeared to be a very pretty golden brown - somewhat similar to my Chanel Bronze Universel, but I wasn't sure of how well it would blend as an all over bronzer. Once it hits the skin, it dries almost instantly. I'm not sure if it was the bright fluorescent lighting, but Honey Rose looked gorgeous. It's a champagne pink with a frosty - almost golden sheen. It reminds me a little bit of Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow. I thought it would a perfect highlight for my skin tone. 

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose

MAC In Synch Lip Liner Review, Photos and Swatches!

MAC In Synch Lip Liner

MAC In Synch Lip Liner is described on the MAC website as a bright, yellow pink. In Synch was first launched in MAC's 'Too Fabulous Collection' and then re-launched in the recent 'Quite Cute Collection'. 

The color is indeed a yellow toned, bright peach-pink. When swatching the lip liner in the store, I automatically thought it would be a fabulous liner to pair with many of my favorite coral-pink and peach-pink lipsticks. MAC Shygirl, perhaps? 

Upon bringing my nifty new purchase home, I realized the color is much lighter than I thought it was. Darn that tricky department store lighting! I thought it would be something like Illamasqua Obey in Lip Liner, but there are absolutely no coral tones present in In Synch. In fact, the color is actually lighter than my lips.

Tag: What's in my Bag???

My last "What's in my Bag?" post was almost two years ago, so I thought it was about time for an update! (View my 2009 post HERE)

The bag I'm wearing right now is a "Coach Penelope Signature Large Shopper". I received it as a birthday gift from my brother, maybe two years ago. I don't wear it very often because it can get so easily dirty, but I do wear it short term during the Spring/Summer. I'm really not a Coach bag lover. My Coach obsession was pretty much gone by the age of 19, after purchasing numerous pairs of Coach shoes and bags. Don't get me wrong, I like Coach style bags. Just the ones that don't scream Coach with the signature C's. I prefer their leather bags.

Anyway, onto what's inside..

 Right now my bag is fairly organized (sort of) because I recently cleaned it out. I typically try to clean out my bag once a week, throwing out receipts, emptying loose change, taking out unnecessary items that I tossed in while in a hurry, etc.

-Cosmetic Bag
-Chanel Double Perfection Compact - I mainly use this for touch-ups. It's a fairly large compact, so it doesn't usually fit in my cosmetic bag.
-Gotta B' Urban Brush Roll - I only have three brushes inside, which are my most necessary brushes; my Coastal Scents Flat Top Foundation Brush, ELF Studio Angled Eyeliner Brush and Sigma Angled Contour Brush. I purchased the brush roll at Marshall's a couple of years back. It's small and perfect for travel.
-Marc Jacobs Zip Around Wallet - I've had this wallet for around 3 years, and it has been my favorite wallet since. Every time I purchase a new wallet, I always go back to this one because it fits everything the best.
-T-Mobile My Touch Cell Phone
-Keys

 COSMETIC BAG

 

Here's a closer look of what I'm carrying in my cosmetic bag right now. I do alternate often, so what I carry in my cosmetic bag differs week to week. 

-Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara in Black
-Revlon Eyelash Glue
-ELF Compact containing MAC Carbon, MAC Typographic, MAC Espresso and MAC Ricepaper. I use Espresso for both my brows and eyes.
-Bourjois Two Tone Eyeliner in Noir & Blanc - A double sided black and white eyeliner pencil.
-Hard Candy Glamouflage in Light
-Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 220 - I typically apply this over my HC Glamouflage to match my skin tone better. (it's a little mangled because my pup got a hold of it)
-Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation - In a small screw top jar for travel, to take up less space in my bag.
-Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent Powder in #001
-Chanel Double Perfection Compact in #115 Suede
-Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base (travel size)
-Guerlain Terracotta Light Bronzing Powder in Brunettes 02
-Nars Madly Blush
-Metal Eyelash Comb
-Revlon Colorstay Nude Lip Liner
-A mixture of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars in Hush, Trick, Divine and Cha Cha. It makes the perfect color!
-Coastal Scents Lip Brush
-MAC Smile Dazzleglass 

MISC ITEMS

-Anti-bacterial Wipes
-Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer
-St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Lotion
-Glass Nail File
-Hair Brush (half broken - a mirror was connected to it at some point)
-Pen

 MORE MISC ITEMS..

-Dog Leash and Harness
-Dog Comb (to comb out his eye crust.. LOL)
-Hair Scrunchies
-Victoria's Secret Mints
-Artificial Sweetener - I always have some in my bag in case I order a coffee and it's not sweet enough. haha
-Band-aids
-Midol
-Random Coupons
-"Love Is.." Comic

Looking at everything I have in my bag, I have quite a bit. It of course depends on what bag I'm carrying.. because the larger the bag, the more items I tend to carry with me and the smaller the bag, obviously I can't carry as much. Everything I have in my bag is necessary for me though. I always carry my makeup with me because I very often do my makeup on the go (often times in the car). I could probably cut back on the "Misc" items, but I like to always be prepared. :)

How about you? Do you carry less/more? Also, if you have a "What's in my Bag" post, I'd love to see it! Share the link in my comments!

Forever 21's Love & Beauty Face Illuminator! (Plus a few other goodies)

Pictured above: Forever 21 Glitter & Hearts Cosmetic Bag (sold out on website), Forever 21 Cameo Stud Earrings (here), Forever 21 Rhinestone Pyramid Ring (here) and Forever 21 Face Illuminator (here).

Whenever I go to Forever 21, I don't think I ever leave empty handed. If I don't find clothes, I always find at least one accessory I can't put down or a really reasonable priced beauty item.

While I was at the mall yesterday, I ended up purchasing a few goodies. One in particular I'm really excited about, is the Love & Beauty Face Illuminator.

The Face Illuminator is a creamy, opalescent liquid that can be used all over the body as well as the face. It comes in two shades; Gold and Bronze. I ended up picking Gold, which I thought was an absolute must-have. Bronze was pretty as well, but it seemed like a very basic golden shade with gold reflects. Gold on the other hand, is a sheer milky peach with a bright pink pearl. It reminds me a bit of Benefit Moon Beam, a product I've always wanted to try, but I don't own it, so unfortunately I can't compare them. It also reminds me a bit of MAC Pink Bronze Pigment or MAC Light Flush MSF because the pink reflects are the same, but this face illuminator is much more sublte.

The consistency is pretty thin, similar to the consistency as Benefit High Beam, but slightly thinner. It's very easy to blend out with your fingers, and can be built for a heavier glow. The effect can be subtle, to however you want it to look. I'm in love with the color and I think it's a product I'll be using often to pat on my cheeks as a highlight. It can also be mixed in your favorite lotion to add a glowy sheen to your skin. Although, I bet the shade Bronze would work better for that since it's golden, whereas Gold has pink reflects, that would work best on the face. Lastly, I love the packaging of the product. It comes in a sturdy, thick plastic tube with a pump (a pump is always a plus). And, you get a whopping 1.67 oz of product for $5.80. I'm just crossing my fingers that the pump won't clog up and stop working - an often mishap with lower end items.

Here it is applied heavily to my hand and then blended out. As you can see, once blended the sheen becomes much more subtle.

Here's a closer look at the ring I purchased. I thought it was way too cute to pass up!

Any awesome beauty finds you'd like to share?? Let me know in the comments below!

Wet n Wild Willow Lip Liner Pencil Review + a Few Comparisons!

Wet n Wild Willow Lip Liner

Wet n Wild Color Icon Lip Liner comes in a small variety of everyday, wearable shades. There are six (6) shades in total, and my favorite of the six is #712 Willow.

Willow is a caramel nude shade that is suitable for a wide range of lip colors. It's a bit warmer than my natural lip color and works exceptionally well paired with warm nudes, peaches and pinks.

When it comes to lip liner, I prefer a dry formula opposed to a creamy formula, because the drier consistency pencils tend to hold up better through meals, beverages and average wear throughout the day. This particular pencil has a great formula. In comparison to MAC Lip Pencils, it's quite similar in texture, but a little less creamy. It doesn't glide as well as MAC, but it's not so dry where it tugs my lips and crumbles up. Overall, a fantastic deal for the price (99 cents).

Swatches:

Wet n Wild Willow Lip Pencil, MAC Hover Lip Pencil, MAC Subculture Lip Pencil and Sephora Nano #2 Lip Pencil.

Willow is actually very similar to all of the shades swatched, but it has the warmest tone of the four.

Wet n Wild Willow Lip Pencil, MAC Peachstock Lipstick and MAC Clear Lip glass.