Swatch: Wet n Wild fastdry in Saved by the Blue

Today is a bright blue mani! Ironic since today is a very cloudy overcast day here in sunny California! This is three coats, I could have done two, but really wanted to make sure it was opaque.  This polish dies a bit slower than the other fastdry polishes I have tried, this one almost dried like a regular polish. 

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Swatch: Wet n Wild Metallica

Today is Wet n Wild Metallica, and yup! This is the polish I used to do the silver accent on this weeks Manicure Monday.  This is the first time I have done silver nails since high school.  After this...I remember why.  BRUSHSTROKES!! I don't hold the polish at fault, most of us know that metallics can be a pain to do without brushstrokes showing.  Overall I was very impressed with this polish.  Smooth formula, quick dry time, and only a two coater! OH and its only 99 cents!!! It makes my inner cheap Asian smile. 

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Manicure Monday

Today's mani has a bit of a nautical feel to it.  I did a base of Sinful Colors Rain Storm then taped off the tips and added an accent of Wet n Wild Metallica.  I'm in love with both of these colors, expect to see swatches of each soon! 

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Swatch: Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter over Black and White

Now lets look at Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter over black and white.  I love layering with glitter because you can change a basic creme polish into something really fun.  As with most glitters, this one really pops over black.  I did two coats of base creme and just one coat of Pinky Glitter.  Look at the sparkle! I'm very impressed with how dense the glitter is in this polish.  Its also really quick drying which is a plus.  The pink tint of the polish doesn't show up on the black and only gives a slight pink tint over the white. 

To share a tip I have used over the years, if you are in a rush and have a few dents or smudges in your base color, having a dense quick drying glitter can be a life saver.  A dense glitter will be a bit bumpy and combined with  the sparkle, it will hide the imperfections and you don't have to start all over. This would be a great polish to have on hand for that. 

Now for the swatches! 

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Great find!

I love finding things on sale! Was at my local target the other day and noticed these two for one packs of Physicians Formula mascara. THEN I noticed the buy one get one free sticker. All said and done, I got 4 for the price of one!!! Very excited to try this mascara out and will review after I use it for a few weeks. Fun!!

Swatch: Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter

Glitter time!! Today is Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter.  This is a dense glitter in a sheer pink jelly base.  This is with three coats.  I really could have just done one layer....but I wanted super sparkles! The base is almost clear with a slight pink tint.  In the pictures with flash, my nails appear yellow, this is my nails being stained, not from the polish.  It is a bit bumpy in finish, but nothing too shocking for a dense glitter.  This is one I will for sure be layering over black and white soon to see how fun this will be to layer! 

First without topcoat

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And with two layers of top coat

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Manicure Monday

This week I went a bit dot happy with my dotting tool.  I like the idea, but not the end result.  I did a base of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On, and dots in: wet n wild fast dry in Gray's Anatomy, wet n wild Wild Shine in Metallica, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gunmetal, and Sinful Colors in Black on Black.  

All was going well until top coat time.  I used Orly Glosser and it did not work with me! It pulled up the white base, even though it had dried more than an hour.  It also picked up some of the darker dots and made it streaky.  

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Review: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo and Conditioner

Today is a perfect example why I love samples.  I got this sample and was SO excited.  I do try to be earth friendly and usually like natural products.  This sounded like it would be a great shampoo as it didn't seem to have a lot of extra harsh stuff in it. 

Overall Thoughts: This shampoo did clean my hair fairly well.  It did not make my hair extra oily (a big deal for my oily super fine hair) The conditioner wasn't very think and did not make the ends of my hair feel very moisturized.  What disappointed me the most was how it made my hair a bit dull.  It seemed to take away any natural shine my hair may have had.  It also dried out my scalp and made it itchy.  I am glad I got this sample before I went out and bought the full size product. 

Swatch: Sinful Colors Dream On

Here is Sinful Colors Dream On.  In the bottle this polish had a brightness to it that didn't translate to the nail.  I think I will have to try this again over white to see if the brightness will pop more.  This polish also dried to a satin finish.  Not my favorite, so I had to put a glossy top coat on.  I just love shiny nails!

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Review: John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Today is another shampoo and conditioner review (yay samples!!!) This time it is John Frieda Full Repair shampoo and conditioner.  I had high hopes for this one as I have always loved John Frieda shampoos and this one did not disappoint. 

Overall Thoughts: I had two samples of this one so I was able to use it for 6 days.  As usual John Frieda gets along great with my super fine oily hair and dry scalp (great combo I have going for me!) It did not weigh my hair down or make it feel greasy.  It also did not irritate my scalp.  6 days wasn't long enough to see if any damage was repaired, but this was a great shampoo that made my hair feel soft, made it shiny, and didn't weigh my hair down.  One thing I love about this is that it is safe for color treated hair, which is something I look out for as I will color my hair a few times during the year.  I have also found that shampoos that are safe for color treated hair tend to be more gentle. 

Manicure Monday

This week I did a bright tip over a clear nail body.  This is the much talked about Sinful Colors Citrine. I'm in love with this color! I will have to do a full nail swatch soon.  It is orange and bright, but doesn't make me feel like I'm wearing pumpkins on my nails. 

I started with a base of Orly Bare Rose, which is a very lightly pink tinted clear polish.  It somehow just makes my nails look healthier.  I then did thick tips in Citrine.  I started with a thinner line at the tips and it just looked odd so I went back and added more to make a thicker line.  Of course, I used tape, I sure can't freehand a straight line! 

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Swatch: Sinful Colors Bali Mist Over Black and White

Here are the promised swatches of Sinful Colors Bali Mist over black and white creme.  As usual, the colors really pop more over the creme base versus over a bare nail.  It is a bit streaky over the white, but really pops over the black.  This is showing two coats over the creme base. The main color is a light pink/lavender shimmer.  At some times I can see a faint green shimmer in natural light, but can never catch it in photos. 

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Swatch: Sinful Colors Bali Mist

Swatch time! Today is another Sinful Colors durochrome.  As with the last one I swatched, this one is super sheer.  In the bottle this is a lavender base with a very slight silver/green durochrome.  On the nail all I can see is a pale pink shimmer.  These swatches are with three coats.  Swatches over black and white coming soon. 

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Manicure Monday

Ok, so I will be the first to admit this isn't one of my favorite attempts ever. For this I started with two coats of Sinful Colors What's Your Name which is a black creme with subtle blue glitter.  I then did a coat of e.l.f. Matte Finisher to give the whole nail a matter finish.  I then did the tips in Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat to contrast with the matte body of the nail. I tried to use tape, but it pulled up the matte topcoat (you can see on my pinky) so I freehanded the tips. 

I am just not a fan of matte nails, don't know why, but they just don't do anything on me.  I have seen others with matte nails and they look great, maybe its the polish they use? I'm just glad I was able to get a very affordable matte top coat to play around with.  (I got it before e.l.f. raised the price of their polish to a whole two dollars lol I got it for a buck!) 

Lets see how long I can stand looking at this mani before I move on lol

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Review: head & shoulders itchy scalp care shampoo and conditioner

Today we are looking at a shampoo I was so excited for, but was bummed by the result.  Today is head&shoulder itchy scalp care shampoo and conditioner.  I have a very dry and itchy scalp so when I got this sample I was so excited! Sadly...it did not get along with me at all

Overall Thoughts: This shampoo had a nice lather to it, but when washing my hair my hair felt like straw.  This was the first time I have used a shampoo and was actually scared while using it.  The conditioner is nice and thick and I really think it helped save the ends of my hair.  With how dry my hair felt while washing, I was afraid what would happen when it dried.  Luckily, and I think this is due to the conditioner, my hair didn't resemble or feel like straw. After one use my scalp wasn't itchy or flaky which was nice.  But that was the only plus to this combo.  After how dry this made my hair feel while washing, I don't think I will ever try this one again.  It may work better for thicker hair, but it really didn't do anything good for my super fine hair. 

Swatch: Sinful Colors Leap Flog

Last week Sinful Colors were on sale for 99 cents at Walgreen's.  SO of course I had to pick some up! One I had my heart one was Leap Flog.  After seeing swatches of this polish I just had to have it.  Something about the dusty blue green just called to me! And best part? It did not disappoint! This one was a two coater and the color is amazing! This will be great for fall and winter...or you know...middle of the summer like I'm doing! 

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With flash: This really shows the blue aspect of the polish.  Without flash is the true color of this polish. 

Review: Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

More samples! Today is Dove Daily Moisture shampoo and conditioner.  This was my first time trying Dove hair products, and I am a fan! 

Overall Thoughts: First off, it smells yummy! A nice fresh scent which I love! This is a great basic shampoo and conditioner.  The shampoo had a good lather to it and the conditioner was nice and thick.  Even though I have thin hair, my ends are totally fried, so I adore a thick conditioner for the ends of my hair.  I have a very dry scalp and this shampoo did not bother it at all, and it even seemed to moisturize my scalp a bit too.  Even after only three days, this is now one of the shampoos and conditioners I would consider to purchase full size.