Swatch: wet n wild fastdry 9.0.2.1.Orange

So while I was sick with the plague I needed fun happy nails.  I'm sure there is scientific research somewhere that proves that happy sparkly nails make a cold go away faster.  I went to one of my all time faves, wet n wild fastdry in 9.0.2.1.Orange.  I love this color, I love the sparkle, I love how it dries fast AND is easy to remove! It was also the best looking part of me last week lol 

This one is a orange jelly base with very fine orange glitter.  These are with three coats.  Love Love Love

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Back soon!

Don't think I will be able to post much this week. My bubble of denial has finally been popped and my "allergies" are a full on cold. aka I haz the plague. I will hopefully post at least some swatches this week...when I'm not happy on cold medicine.  Clean manis and cold meds don't really mix =P

And now for a fluffy visual representation of how I feel (and what I look like in my mind as I try to breathe without my nose)

Swatch: NYX Disco Inferno Over Black and White Creme

This polish was part of my NYX haul.  I'm in love with this polish! As with most glitters, this one makes a beautiful topcoat to add a bit of sparkle to a cream polish.  This one makes me feel like I have little disco balls on my fingers. These swatches are with three coats.  I could have done less but kinda got addicted to the sparkle. After I did these swatches I added topcoat, two layers made for a totally smooth surface and made the glitter pop even more. 

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Review: e.l.f Tinted Moisturizer

Today I bring you one of my favorite products: e.l.f Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20. I tried to take pictures on my face, but they just didn't come out, so instead I used my hand. 

First, the package. It is just under an once, and for $3 its not a bad price at all.  I was able to use this every day for 6 months so was very impressed by how long it lasted.  Please note that this picture was taken just before I ran out, so please don't worry about how little product you see, the tube is full when brand new. 

Right out of the tube it has the consistency of a basic foundation, you can really see the pigmentation and it doesn't run. 

It blends in really easily, this is after a few rubs with my fingers

Here it is worked in, it evens out color well and covers blemishes pretty well.  Notice the mark on my hand (I'm REALLY accident prone.  That was from when the bathroom mirror bit me) I did not fully cover that part of my hand, and it covers pretty well. 

Initial Thoughts: Very little is needed to cover the entire face, feel like I get a lot of use out of a small amount of product.  It is very light feeling, but still evens out skin tone and hides small blemishes.  It doesn't fully cover large blemishes, but this is to be expected with a tinted moisturizer. It does not make my skin break out or add any oil to my already super oily skin. 

Overall Thoughts: I would buy this again in a heartbeat.  I was SO excited when I found this at my local Target.  I was able to use this tube for a little more than 6 months with daily use.  For $3 this product goes a long way.  I see it more as a light foundation than a tinted moisturizer, which I was very happy with.  Topped with a bit of powder this makes a perfect every day foundation. This is a product I always have on hand now. I love it!

Manicure Monday

Today I will share with you my first attempt at a plastic wrap marbling. I found this idea via Pinterest (which is like crack for me!) and it linked to this blog. Her's looks much better, but I kinda got the general idea! I did two layers of Sinful Colors Leap Flog (I'm still sooo in love with this color!) After they dried I did a layer of wet n wild Metallica then right away took a crumpled piece of plastic wrap and dabbed my nails.  It gave me this cool effect, but was impossible to capture in pictures! What I love is that this makes for the perfect late night mani.  If you get a scuff or a smudge, it just blends right in! And for someone who has a really bad tenancy to do her nails late at night and fall asleep before they are dry....this was a great concept!

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With flash: (Isn't it amazing how much the color changes with flash?)

Without flash under office lights: (this was by far the best at capturing the effect) 

Swatch: NYX Moonwalk

So I got this polish in my NYX haul this week.  Out of that entire box, this was the one item I was the most excited for. And yay! It totally lived up to my expectations! This is an awesome smokey grey jelly base with fine and hex halo glitter throughout.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I really don't mind the visible nail line with this polish.  I love how it makes my nails look like sparkly smoked glass.  I did three layers for these swatches and love the color.  This would be good for layering, but I think I will keep using it alone since I am in love with the smoky jelly. 

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Swatch: Fantasy Makers Once Upon A Time

Today I am going to show a polish that is now one of my faves!! It is The Fantasy Makers by wet n wild in Once Upon A Time.  I will admit, I usually do not get excited for Halloween, but once seeing this post by Nouveau Cheap (this blog is a MUST read for anyone who loves drug store makeup!!) I instantly fell in love with this polish.  So of course when I found it this week at my local CVS it was an instant buy.

This is a black jelly base with fine and hex red glitter.  What I love about this color combo is that not only is it perfect for Halloween, but it can really get a lot of wear.  The only downside to this polish is also why I love it: the glitter.  As we all know, glitter polishes can be a total pain to remove, and this one is no exception.  But it is totally worth it! Especially considering the $1.99 price point

These swatches are with four coats.  I could have done three, but I just wanted more glitter! This would also look great with one or two coats over a black creme.  

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But this polish really rocks with a few layers of top coat.  It really brings out the glitter.

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NYX Haul

Earlier this month I was beyond lucky and won a $50 gift card to NYX from Lucky Magazine.  I made my order and look what was on my doorstep when I got home!!! 

And the goodies came in this adorable lace bag! 

My haul! 

-10 Color Eye Shadow Palette in Super Model

-Studio Liquid Liner in Extreme Black

-Boudoir Mascara Collection in La Amoureux

-Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation in Natural

-Round Lipstick in Twist

-Round Lipstick in Peach

-Round Lipstick in Ceto

-Nail Polish in Moonwalk

-Nail Polish in Hieroglyphics

-Nail Polish in Disco Inferno

I was amazed that I got ALL of that for $52!!! Can't wait to try them all and of course they will be reviewed soon! *happy dance* 

Swatch: Julep Hayden

Today we look at a polish I wanted to love, and have tried over and over...and its still a fail.  I have only bought one Julep box, I got the introductory box earlier this year for one cent.  This was a great way to try the brand, just wish I loved the polishes more! Hayden is this awesome pale peach that also has a nice brightness to it.  I have to admit I love the color, but the polish *sigh* four coats and it leaves these awful streaks.  You can see them near the base of my nail in the photo with flash.  They are worse in real life.  The worst part is by the end of day one, the entire nail had cracks throughout the polish.  I have tried this polish with short nails, long nails, inbetween and each time I get the same cracks.  I think after three tries, I am going to give up on this one. =(

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Manicure Monday

Today I tried a new technique for nail art.  I first saw this at Spektor's Nails, not sure if this is the first place this technique was seen, but it is what inspired this weeks Manicure Monday.  I used small stir stick straws, mainly because the only other straws I had at home were large ones for milk shakes.  They were almost the size of my nail! Think I will have to find an in between size before I try this one again.

The lineup from left to right: 

Orly-Champagne Cocktail

wet n Wild-Metallica

Sally Hansen-Antique Frost

Sally Hansen-Gilty Pleasure 

I started with three layers of Champagne Cocktail as my base.  I then alternated between the three metallic colors by touching the end of the straw onto the polish brush to pick up the color.  The concept is there, and I do like the colors together, but I really need a bigger straw to get the effect I was after.  

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Review: Philosophy Happy Birthday Beautiful! Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath

This was the Sephora birthday gift from 2011, yes I am a tad...late.  But had to work my way through a lot of shower gels this year! 

Initial Thoughts: I was wary of the scent of this one, at first sniff it is very vanilla.  And I do not like fake vanilla smell.  But since I have heard such good things about Philosophy products, I gave in and gave it a try.  I am so glad I did! Once lathered, this smells just like a vanilla cake.  The vanilla note becomes very subtle and is balanced nicely by a sweet sugar note.  They really did nail the scent on this one.  The gel is very thick, which I like because it doesn't drip off my hand in the hot shower before I can get a good lather going.  The lather is nice and thick and works well as a shave gel too. 

Overall Thoughts: I can totally understand the hype over these Philosophy shower gels. I haven't tried it as a bubble bath or shampoo, but as a shower gel this is awesome.  I love how thick it is, and how a little goes a long way.  The thick lather makes a great shave gel too, making this a great multi tasker. And the scent, YUM. This makes me want to try other scents. 

Swatch: Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps in Antique Frost

Today I bring you an oldie but goodie, Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps in Antique Frost.  This line seems to be discontinued, and this polish itself is...old.  I know I wore it for my friends wedding...four and a half years ago, so it is at least that old.  I for one am not scared of older polishes and was happy to see after a bit of shaking it seemed good as new. 

For some reason while in my polish box, I thought this polish was more pink. When I got it on my nails I was very happy to see it is more of a coppery color. This made me VERY happy. Why? I have been tempted to buy Essie's Penny Talk since I saw it come out and this polish is along the same lines. Is it a dupe? Since I don't own Penny Talk or know anyone who does, I cannot tell for sure.  But what I do know is that, for me, this is close enough that my craving for a copper polish is now satisfied. Lesson here ladies, always look through your polish box/drawer/bag/stash before buying a higher price polish, you never know what you may have forgotten you had! 

Now after that very long intro, swatch time! This is three coats without topcoat. I was very happy that for a frost, the brush strokes were not very visible.  Now I just need to ask myself why I didn't wear this polish more! 

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Manicure Monday

Today is my attempt at a glitter gradient of sorts.  I did a base of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Grey area, then did the tips in Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Pink-y Ring.  This one just will not show up well in pictures.  In real life, the glitter stands out more.  I am overall happy with this for a first attempt.  And I still can't get over how much I love Grey Area! Though, I now think I need a few true greys in my stash =P

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Review: Neutrogena Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser

Today we will take a look at Neutrogena Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser.  I was excited to try this one as I have had good experiences with Neutrogena over the years. I can't remember where I got this cute little sample from, but it was enough to last me about two weeks with washing my face twice a day. 

The back. Note "avoiding contact with the delicate eye area" more on that later. 

How it looks: 

First Impression: I was surprised that this cleanser has a pearl sheen to it when it comes out of the tube.  And the smell is WONDERFUL! Slightly citrusy and sweet, I adored it! It removed my make up, even my stubborn eye liner and mascara.  My skin felt smooth and not tight.  

Overall Thoughts: About a week into using this cleanser I noticed the outside corners of my eyes were getting really dry and the skin was red and irritated.  It actually hurt a bit.  That is when I looked at the cleanser and noticed the warning to avoid the eye area.  This worried me, I didn't think this was a harsh cleanser, so never would have thought to find this disclaimer.  I like to use my face wash to clean my entire face, eye area included.  The rest of my skin was clean and soft, did not notice if it was brighter, but there was no irritation other than the eye area. I have to say, I will not be going out and purchasing this as a full size product due to the irritation in my eye area. Yes, the cleanser did come with a warning, but it worries me enough not to want to purchase.  This makes me sad as other than that, this was a great cleanser and the scent was divine.