Manicure Monday

Another tape mani! This week I wanted something BRIGHT! I started with two coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Crushed then cut a square of tape to mask off a triangle at the tip then topped with a later of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Hot Magenta.  It is for sure bright! I kinda love it! 

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Review: TRESemme Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner

Yay me and my samples! Sometimes three days with a shampoo isn't long enough to get a good idea, or in this case, it was three days too long! Me and this shampoo did not get along at all! 

Overall thoughts: This shampoo was a total dud for me.  I had to use more product than I'm used to just to make my hair feel clean.  By the end of the day my thin oily hair was so oily I had to pull it back.  I also noticed less shine in my hair.  The conditioner seemed pretty basic, left the ends of my hair moisturized.  Overall, this was just not a good match for my thin oily hair.  I'm glad I got this sample because this shampoo was on my list to try, very glad I didn't buy the full size product.  

Review: TRESemme Breakage Defense Shampoo and Conditioner

I LOVE samples! I get teased by the boyfriend, but they do come in handy! They are a great way to try out things, especially if you have hair like me: thin, oily, with a sensitive scalp. I have tried many the dud shampoo so it is really fun trying out new ones to try to find a gem.  And if I can do it for free even better! 

Today I am going to share my thoughts on TRESemme Breakage Defense shampoo and conditioner.  These are 0.33 ounce samples, so I am able to get 3 good uses out of them.  

Overall thoughts: This one has potential! My hair was soft and not oily by the end of the day.  I can't really tell if it helped with breakage as I only used it for three days.  I didn't notice anything amazing, but it met my two biggest criteria: it didn't leave my hair oily and it didn't dry out my hair and make it seem more damaged.  

I know three days isn't very long to get an idea for a product, but I figure as I am having fun going through all the samples I have stocked up, might as well share the journey with you! 

Swatch: Sinful Colors You Just Wait over Black and White

Following up on yesterday's swatch.  Here is Sinful Colors You Just Wait, this time over white and black creme polish. This polish is so different over black!! It really brings out the duochrome glimmers. Over white, not so much.  White isn't much better than over bare nails. It is also really streaky over white.  This polish will be so much fun to layer over dark color cremes. These pictures are with one layer of You Just Wait over two layers of black or white creme

Without flash: 

With flash: 

In natural light: This one you can kinda see the pink shimmer of the duochrome

In the office: 

Swatch: Sinful Colors You Just Wait

With Sinful Colors on sale for 99 cents at Walgreen's this week, of course I had to pick up some! And with my weakness for duochromes, You Just Wait was one that caught my eye. As with most polishes, I always like to try it alone first, without a black or white base, just to see how how it performs on its own. 

This one is very sheer.  These photos are with three coats. And as with most duochromes, it is nearly impossible to photograph.  This one is a pale pink base with green shimmer.  Will be trying this over white and black for my next few swatch posts.  May seem a tad redundant, but I love seeing how a opaque base can completely change a polish and bring out hidden elements of it. (please forgive staining from the black polish from my last mani) 

Without flash: You really can't tell much of the color at all in this one

With flash: Here you can see a bit of the green shimmer

At the office: You can see a little of the shimmer in this one too. 

Overall, because this is such a sheer polish, I am going to wait until I layer over white and black before I decide I love or hate it.  More of this polish to come! 

Manicure Monday

Today is another crackle. This mani starts with a story.  For the longest time I have wanted a bronze nail polish.  Don't know why, just wanted it lol.  Finally found NYC's In a New York Color Minute in Backstage Brown and snatched it up.  I put it on...and it just did not work with my skin tone...at all. It isn't as bad in the pictures, but in real life it makes my skin look oddly washed out. 

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Not wanting to start over, I decided to try a layer of LaRosa Crackle in black.  Now I am in love this this mani! The crackle really saves this polish.  Photos below are with topcoat.

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Review: TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner

One plus side to being between dye jobs is that I can try out all my shampoo samples! (and the fact that this whole ombre hair color thing is in means my laziness makes me look *gasp* trendy!) 

Now lets start with my split ends. My split ends have split ends.  My hair is barely past my shoulders, and it is hard for me to get my fingers through my hair without getting tangled.  So when I see a product that claims it can reduce 80% of my split ends in just 3 uses, I was excited to get this sample! 

First Impression: Nice basic shampoo, good lather and rinses clean.  The conditioner isn't too thin and makes my hair feel very soft. 

After Day Three: I. Am. Shocked.  It actually works!!! My hair is much smoother and doesn't have a "poof" at the ends where the damage is.  I can run my fingers through my hair with no problems.  I still have split ends, but not nearly as many.  

Overall:  I had two 1oz samples and was able to last a little over two weeks.  I am beyond impressed by this shampoo.  My split ends are much less noticeable and my hair is silky smooth.  The fact this is an easily found drugstore brand that is frequently on sale sweetens this deal.  

Swatch: Sephora by OPI Slushied

Today I have for you my first (and so far only) Sephora by OPI polish.  It is from last years Glee collection and is called Slushied.  The formula seems a bit thin, but still able to get full coverage in two coats.  This is your basic bright blue creme, perfect for summer. 

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Swatch: Sally Hansen Insta Dri Royal Plum

Today I bring you a Sally Hansen Insta Dri.  These are not my favorite polishes, but think it may be user error! I am...well..slow! lol I think I don't move fast enough and fast dry polishes tend to get a bit hard to work with by time I get to my last few nails.  

Onto the best part of this polish....ONE COAT!!! Thats right! Thats all I needed for full coverage.  One. Coat. 

Without flash: 

With flash: 

Manicure Monday

Today is another tape manicure! Wanted to play with metallics and this brought out two of my favorite polishes.  These were some of the first polishes I bought last year when I started doing my nails again, and a still adore them! 

Did my base in Sally Hansen Xtremewear in Time to Shine. This was two coats. 

Without flash:

With flash: 

I then cut little squares of scotch tape and used them to make a chevron shape at the tips of my nails.  I then used Sally Hansen XtremeWear in Midnight Sky to to my tips.

Without flash:

With flash: 

Overall I like this one! I love these two polishes together.  Now I just need to work on getting the tape centered =P  

Review: Vichy Laboratories NormaDerm Deep Cleansing Gel

Today we are looking at Vichy Laboratories NormaDerm Deep Cleansing Gel.  Before I received this sample, I had seen Vichy products in the stores, but was not attracted due to the price point.  The Vichy website lists the full size 6.7 oz size of this cleaner at $17.50, which is about $12.50 more than I ever want to spend on a face wash.  When I got this 1oz sample I expected to maybe get a week of use out of it. Two months later...boy was I wrong!! I still have a little left! 

First Thoughts: It has an interesting smell.  I cannot describe it! It is kinda herby and mediciney...but not in a bad way.  Personally I like the scent as it is a very unique "clean" scent to me.  It is very very subtle and only smell it the first few seconds of cleansing.  First time I used this, I used my typical amount of cleanser and found it to be WAY too much.  Second time I used an amount the size of a small pea and it was enough to cleanse AND take off light makeup! It leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean, but not overly tight.  

After a month: SHOCKED that I had only gone though a little less than half of the bottle.  I use this cleanser twice a day and I can barely tell I am using any of bottle.  I haven't had any acne outbreaks which is great.  I do still have a few pimples during that time of month (gee thanks hormones!!!) but honestly, NOTHING stops those *sigh* My skin feels smooth and not overly tight or stripped of oils which I really like. It does a good job at removing light makeup with a pea size amount.  If I am wearing heavy makeup I need a little bit more, but still impressed by how little product I need to use.  If I am wearing waterproof makeup, I need to use a separate makeup remover. 

Overall: I am very impressed with this product.  $17.50 for the full size may seem like a lot, but considering 1oz lasted me over 2 months, the full size product will last me at least a year. My skin seems very happy and smooth and no additional breakouts which is always a plus.    

Swatch: Revlon Royal Cloak

Today I bring you Revlon Royal Cloak.  To be honest this is not my favorite polish. Something about the color on the nail just doesn't grab me the way it did in the bottle.  Don't you hate it when that happens? What grabbed my eye about this polish was the subtle silver flecks, which sadly don't show very well on the nail. This one took three coats to be opaque. 

Without flash: 

With flash: Oh my this is one of those colors that changes COMPLETELY with flash!! This looks nothing like it does in real life. 

Manicure Monday

Today is another attempt at a scotch tape manicure! Once again its a fun french color.  I think I'm getting the hang of it! Kinda...lol.  Still some color leaking under the tape, but getting there!

Started with two coats of Sinful Colors Black on Black

Without flash:

With flash: 

Then I did my tips in Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Blue Me Away! Can see a few places where color leaked under the tape, but better than last time! 

With flash: 

Without flash: 

Hope you liked!!

Review: CVS deep action cream cleanser

Today I'm going to share my experience with CVS brand deep action cream cleanser.  

The consistency is what you would expect, creamy and a little thick. 

First thoughts: It tingles! And a good tingle too.  Its a "yay my face feels clean" tingle not a "ACK!! something is eating away at my face" tingle.  The tingle lasts for a few minutes after cleansing and I really like that.  Makes me feel clean. 

After using for a few months: My favorite part of this cleanser is the tingle.  I am not a fan of how it makes my face feel, almost like it has a film on it.  This is the same feeling I get with every cream cleanser I have tried, and haven't liked any of them.  This is probably just my preference, as with most skin care products, everyone is individual.  It was good at removing makeup and didn't make me break out or be overly dry. 

Overall: I would not buy again, but mainly because I do not seem to get along with cream cleansers.  If you like cream cleansers I would give this one a try.  The tingle and cleaning is great and it is a very good price. 

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gunmetal with LaROSA Crackle in Hot Purpl

Today is a manicure I did for a friends wedding this week.  My dress was grey with purple peacock feather print soooo of course I had to do a mani to match! The crackle was a happy accident, I have been falling out of love with crackle lately, but chose it because the color matched the dress perfect.  After this, I am back in love with crackle! 

Did my base coat in Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gunmetal then did a coat of crackle on top.  As with most crackles I have tried, without a top coat it is rather dull.  

With flash: 

Without flash:

Add a topcoat and the shimmer in the crackle really comes out. I am in LOVE with this combo.  Be warned, much more crackle to come after this! 

With flash:

Without flash:

Manicure Monday

So today I tried out marbling, something I haven't done since Jr. High!! Totally forgot about this method so decided to try it out in red, white, and blue in honor of the 4th of July coming up in a few days. 

I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On as a base and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Cherry Red and Wet n Wild fast dry in Saved by the Blue for swirling. (like my table? It's fairly epic.  Table I have used for crafts since I was a kid!)

So I start with a thick layer of the base then drop on one of each color.  I then used a toothpick to swirl the colors around

Tada! Kinda marbled! 

With flash: 

Without flash:

Not bad for a first try in years (many...many...years...) Might try this again this week for a wedding I'm going to.  We will see!