Nail Challenge Week 20: Bow Mani

Hi Lovelies! I promise I actually did this mani  last week when it was time; I just haven't gotten around to posting it 'til now!

So this (well last, lol) week's challenge was for a bow mani. Bows! That could be almost anything! Hairbows, bowtie, rainbows... etc. I knew I'd be able to draw bows on my left hand nails with my right hand, but I was really doubting my left hand skills to do my right hand nails lol. Soooo I went to my ever faithful stamp book to see if I had any bow stamps!

I was in luck! Yay! So after a base coat and two coats of Sinful Colors Pink Cream, I did a quick stamping on each finger with my Shany Plate and Konad polish. For a little extra spin on it, I finished with Hard Candy's Matte top coat!

Now, the matte gave it a fun and unique feel (I'm really starting to like more polishes matte now! It's unexpected:) but I noticed it really faded/made the stamping polish run/disappear a bit. It was kinda weird... But anyway, here is the finished product!

And there it is! After I did the first hand stamp across the tips, I decided to do it more angled on my other hand. If I used this stamp again, I think I'd do it diagonal. It's just a fun look--almost lacy-like!

So have you done a bow mani? What kind of bows would you have done?

Don't try this at home...

Hi Lovelies! So I made a rather shocking (and disturbing!) discovery the other night. I want to start this with a disclaimer that I cannot scientifically explain or prove for sure what happened, but I want you to know what happened in case it could happen to someone else.

I've been using Hard Candy's Take It Off makeup remover wipes for about two weeks now. It's a pack of 25, and I was planning to use the whole pack before writing my review. (so far, I've really liked them; though find they are not as soft and moisturizing as the ones from Neutrogena).

Last weekend, I picked up some of Jergen's Natural Glow lotion and grabbed the facial moisturizer as well (so my face wouldn't be more pale than the rest of my body! lol). I'd been using it in the morning prior to putting on my makeup (it has SPF too! yay!;)

So, on Wednesday night, when I used the products together, I had no inkling that anything bad might happen...

I'd had a fabulous time out with my friend from college, Tabitha (so great to catch up!). We'd had a lovely dinner of sushi and a few drinks followed by a slice of cheesecake. When I got home, I used my Take it Off wipes and decided to put my Jergen's moisturizer on instead of my One Love waterless balm (which, p.s. I am STILL ABSOLUTELY LOVING!!). No big deal until several minutes passed... my face felt like it was on FIRE!!!!

I'm not talking Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, I'm talking like O M G my face is about to burn itself off like with a sun burn times a million!!!!

I posted on Twitter that my face was burning off (have I mentioned I have some drama queen tendencies??) and some of the sweetest girls came to my assistance with questions, advice, and support (April, Jennifer, Amy Lynn, Silvana, Daanielle,THANK YOU SO MUCH!) They thought it could be food allergies, rosacea, something. It could have been.

I washed my face with my regular cleanser and put on some aloe... ohhh that made it feel so much better!

The next night, I decided to try it again. I couldn't very well claim the products were to blame if I didn't try it again. So, I did.

This time, after removing my makeup, I only put some moisturizer on my right cheek.... no pain.. so I put some on my left cheek... no pain... I was starting to think maybe it was a freak accident and I had imagined it all, so I coated my whole face in the moisturizer...

and....it.....happened.....again!!!

My face started burning just like it had the night before! Now, it's been a lonnnng time since I was in chemistry class, so I can't say for sure it was a chemical reaction on my face (but that's what I imagine it was!!!). And maybe it was an allergic reaction, but used independently, the products don't irritate me at all!

Now, I could repeat this again and again to see if it always happens, and I'm all for "researching" stuff for you, my loyal readers; but the truth is, if this is for real some kind of dangerous thing, I'm not going to put my face through that.

Hard Candy Take It Off Ingredients: water, propylene glycol, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, fragrance, benzethonium chloride
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Facial Moisturizer:
Active Ingredient(s): OCTINOXATE 6.0%, OXYBENZONE 2.0%.
Other Ingredients:
WATER, DIHYDROXY ACETONE, GLYCERIN, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, GLYCERYL STEARATE, POLYACRYLAMIDE, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, DIMETHICONE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, PEG-100 STEARATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, STEARETH-2, CETYL ALCOHOL, XANTHAN GUM, LAURETH-7, CITRIC ACID, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, DMDM HYDANTOIN, FRAGRANCE, CARAMEL, ERYTHRULOSE.

I just wanted to warn you all!! Please be careful mixing products together!!

Have you ever had a problem like this? Any bizarre reactions mixing products?

Nail Challenge Week 13: Ruffian Nails

Hi Lovelies! Yes, I am still a week behind, but tomorrow you will see that I am caught up;) For now, I want to show you my Ruffian Nails!

Now, I had *no* idea what "Ruffian Nails" were. "Ruffian" to me sounded like some kind of street urchin in Oliver Twist or something lol. So, I Googled. And I found out: "This manicure is created by Creative Nail Design (CND) especially for the NYFW Ruffian Fashion show. Since then everybody has been calling this manicure the Ruffian, or Ruffian inspired, manicure." To me, it just looks like an upside-down French manicure (if done correctly.)

Mine, however, is not nearly as nice as what it could be. But alas, the whole point of the Nail Challenge is just to try new things! Doesn't mean you'll master it the first time you try!

Here are the polishes I used:

After essie all in one base coat, I applied one coat of Color Club Jackie Oh! (from my March Birchbox!:) This polish goes on so smoothly and perfectly that one coat is all you need! And it is simply stunning!!

After that, one coat of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Black out:

And Hard Candy's Matte Top Coat, so the finished product looks like this!

I love how the matte makes it look! I think these colors together really compliment each other! Clearly I'm not a Ruffian expert (yet), but I really do like the effect; so I may try it again and do some other polishes and techniques as well!

Have you tried this mani? What do you think of it? Do you do it free hand or do you use french tips stickers?

Review: L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know that I'm a huge proponent of base coat on your nails! It's super important to put it first to prepare your nails for the polish and keep them protected. Your face is not that different, it's also important to put a "base coat" of sorts on your face--primer!

Via

Not gonna lie, until the past year I did not use a primer. I'm not even sure I really knew they existed... lol. However, living in Florida, the summers get REALLY hot, and I realized that being outside for any amount of time (i.e. walking from the office to my car), my makeup would just MELT OFF! That's when A Mommy in the Making (the wonderful friend that she is:) suggested I use a primer. So I picked up Hard Candy's Sheer Envy Illuminating Primer and used it 'til I couldn't squeeze anything out of the bottle any more!

Last month, in my Ulta haul, I picked up L'Oreal's Magic Lumi Primer. Now, I know I've said this is a review, but I am kinda gonna do a little comparing to the Hard Candy one, too. But first, one pump of this primer and I'm good to go. It comes out almost like Elmer's glue (which I think is interesting, because it makes me think I'm using glue so that all the makeup sticks to my face;) It kinda smells like glue, too. Not a lot, but there's enough of a scent that it makes me think, hmm.. As you can see in the pic, it is a little shimmery for the illumination.

It goes on very smoothly and doesn't leave any stickiness or greasiness behind on my face (which is good, because from feeling it on my fingers, I was afraid there would be a sticky residue). All the rest of my makeup goes on as usual!

And my makeup stays on!! From sun and heat, to sweating from working out, to rainy days, my makeup ALWAYS stays on. This stuff is actually pretty powerful! And I'm really enjoying using it (it's been about a month now)

So, at $12.99 (.68 fl oz) from Ulta, how does it compare to the $8 (1.3 oz) one from Hard Candy? The Hard Candy comes out a little more waxy than liquidy and is squeezed from a bottle vice pumped out. I think the Hard Candy one actually feels lighter too (not sticky). I think both worked pretty comparably, so in the future, I'd probably go back to Hard Candy just 'cause it's more product for the money:)

What do you think? What's your favorite primer? Have you tried either of these?

NOTD: Hard Candy Matte Top Coat

We all know I'm obsessed with glossy, shiny, sparkly things (thus the name of my blog lol:) I've never been a huge fan of matte things... it just seems flat to me... But it had been a while since I'd bought any Hard Candy products, and I saw they had a Matte Top Coat that I thought would be fun to try. Actually, I thought it would nearly double my nail polish collection since all the colors I have that were shiny and lovely could now also be worn matte!

I started with OPI Base Coat then used two Coats of L'Oreal Mauve Star.

Funny story about this polish, A LOT of my polishes are just different shade of pink--baby pink, hot pink, glittery pink, etc. When I got promoted a couple years ago, I thought I needed my nails to be more "professional" for wok, so I got this because it seemed like a "grown up color." However, I just didn't like how it looked on my fingers. (p.s. clearly I'm over having "professional" nails at work. lol)

After using the Mauve Star, I put on the Matte Top Coat. You can see the differences here:

 

Ta-da! It's like a completely new polish! Both pictures are taken with the flash so you can fully compare them:)

I think this top coat worked really well and definitely provided the intended results. I need to be more careful using it because there were a few spots not covered as much as others so I still have a little shine coming through; but for my first time using it, I'm very happy with it:)

How do you feel about Matte Polishes? Have you used any? Do you prefer them to the shiny/glossy nails? :)

Everyday Makeup Q&A

Happy Wednesday! The week is halfway over! Hope you're having a great one and looking forward to some fun stuff over the weekend:)

Today's Q&A is actually one I got on last week's post. It comes from Beautiful Stranger from A Thing of Beauty and she asked:

Q. "Do you prefer natural or eye-popping makeup? It always fascinates me to what other makeup junkies consider to be an 'everyday' look :D"

A. This is a great question! And it's a good point. All these bloggers out there that review great products and show all this stuff, it's very easy to wonder what they use and how they look every day.

Hate to disappoint you, but on most days I have very basic, minimal makeup routine, especially during the week. (partly 'cause I don't want to overdo it at work... but mostly 'cause I'm lazy and I choose a few extra minutes of sleep vice a few extra beauty minutes lol)

my everyday makeup bag

So it's usually moisturizer (Pond's), primer (Hard Candy), eyelid primer (e.l.f.), powder (MAC Studio Fix), eyeshadow (usually pinks, purples, or browns) (Wet 'n Wild, Hard Candy), liner (which I am positive is the secret to making my eyes noticeable at all lol) (e.l.f or Maybelline), mascara (e.l.f. right now, often Maybelline), lipgloss (too many brands to list!). DONE! I call it 5-minute makeup!

For night's out and weekends, I'll usually add darker eye makeup and some contouring powders. More on this another time:)

What are some of your go to products? How do you wear your makeup every day?

Hard Candy Lash Ink: 4-day Stain

As I mentioned last week, my "eyes or lips" day has been very "lips" focused so today I'm taking some time to discuss an eye product!

This is Hard Candy's Lash Ink 4-day Lip Stain. Let me start by saying I really do heart Hard Candy. I think overall they make a fabulous product at an even more fabulous price! I love how everything is a solid dollar amount. Something is $4 or $5 or $7, etc. It's just like a really simple concept. But they have such fun colors and overall really quality makeup. They also don't test on animals which is a perk in some people's minds:) [Which does make me kinda wonder, who or what to they test on to make sure the product is safe? Hmm...]

Not gonna lie, part of the reason I picked up this mascara was because of the packaging--it comes in this tube of sorts (I really don't know why, but it definitely piqued my interest enough to spend the $7 on it;)

The mascara claims:
"

Mascara that won't quit until you do. Flatter your flutter for four days straight! Lash Link 4-Day Lash Stain defies the elements--paint on lashes and don't reapply mascara for up to four days. Your lashes will stay flawless no matter the circumstances!

Paint on lashes and don't reapply for up to four days!

Bristle brush allows you to reach every lash from root to tip

" (via Walmart's website, since I couldn't find it listed on Hard Candy's site anymore)

Those are definitely some pretty hefty claims! It lasts for [up to {keywords here!}] four days! Wow! And they'll stay flawless!? Fabulous!

swatch

Here's what I like about this mascara: the color is great. It's a shiny black that really does make my eyelashes look pretty amazing. It has a very skinny applicator wand, and I felt like I was painting my eyelashes on. It's somewhat thin and watery, so I applied more than I probably needed. Since it dries so fast, when I (accidentally) used (a little) too much, my lashes did clump together some. A simple eyelash comb can fix this problem.

Did it last all four days? Eh. It's really just a very powerful waterproof mascara. It lasted through a shower and washing my face morning and evening. Day two it was still pretty good. It didn't flake off nearly as much as regular mascara, but it still did as the days went on.

What I didn't like about it? It really is a "stain." And it does stain. I'm sometimes in a rush when I'm doing my makeup in the morning, and if it dripped anywhere near my eyes, on my cheek, wherever it would leave a little black streak (not a huge deal, it can be washed off. But if you're one of those girls that does her makeup in the car or something and you might not have q-tips and a sink on hand? You might have to rub a bit to make it go away). Also, sometimes if I would pull the wand out too fast it would splatter. (I understand both these issues are really kinda my own fault, so you may not experience the same negatives.)

Would I buy it again? Probably not. But not because it's a bad product, just because when I wash my makeup off, I really do want all my makeup to come off. I was kinda afraid it was going to make my eyelashes come out 'cause it felt glued to them. It still is totally something I'll use especially in the summer or for a day at the beach because it definitely stays in place.

Review: Hard Candy Plumping Serum

I may have mentioned a time or two before about how much I heart Hard Candy makeup products. I don't think I've tried something of theirs that I don't like! Since I love, love, love their Glossaholic lip gloss, when I saw they had out a "volumizing" lip gloss, I just had to have it.

If I were to compare my lips to a famous person's, I'd say they're kind of like Kirsten Dunst's. Very thin; especially when I smile. I have been drawn to anything that promises to "plump" my lips. (This is one time.. probably the ONLY time when the word "plump" has good connotations. hahaha)

So I picked this up at Walmart for about $6 in shade 419 amp. It's a soft pink color with small glitter/shimmer sparkle to it. As you know by the name of my blog, I love glitter glosses;) Hahaha.

I was expecting it to nearly burn as many of the ones I've used in the past have (I don't know all the science behind it, but apparently the burning makes lips bigger hahah) Anyway, this one surprisingly did not burn; it was more of a cool tingle, which I actually enjoy.

The applicator is the average size (not like the Glossaholic where you can get both lips done in one swipe). It does need reapplication every several hours, but that's more for the glossy/tingly feel. I've found that the color actually lasts pretty well... and while I notice little lip prints on my coffee cup, it doesn't all come off, most of it stays on my lips.

Are my lips volumized by this pluming serum? Eh, I don't have Angelina Jolie lips yet, but it's still an awesome product, and I'll definitely be picking it up in more colors soon:)

TGIF!

Wow, this has been one of the longest weeks in a while! Even though it's Friday, all day it felt like Thursday--kind of like the week that would never end! Work has been busy and has taken a lot out of me. I laid down for a little nap after work and ended up sleeping for almost three hours! 


I'm very excited about the weekend though! (aside from catching up on some much needed sleep). I'm going to tea with some of my best girl friends tomorrow! Not just regular tea, but actual formal sit down tea with little sandwiches and sweets, etc. SUPER excited!! I hope it's not a letdown:)


In beauty news, there are a few things on my "to buy" list. I've seen several reviews on YouTube now regarding Wet 'n Wild's holiday baked eye palettes! I *love* baked eye shadow--wear them wet or dry! The ones I have in my current rotation are from Hard Candy (surprise, surprise)--their Kal-eye-descope Baked Eye Shadow Duos

Apparently the Wet 'n Wild ones are only at Walgreens and only certain Walgreens. A lot of girls have had to try several stores to find them, and even then some of the stores that were selling it were sold out already. So I'm gonna look around this weekend and see if I can find them:) I think they've got some special holiday nail polishes out as well that I'd like to try.

The other product I'm going to pick up is thanks to Karen at Beauty and Makeup Blog! e.l.f.  has nail polish remover pads for $1!! (sidenote, how wonderful is, like, almost EVERYTHING from e.l.f.) She says they work great on non-glitter polishes. So I'm going to pick some up and see how I like them. Then I'll let you know!

Hard Candy Glossaholic!!

Just got home a little while ago from a fabulous sushi date with a grand friend of mine! What a great time! There are few things in life better than yummy sushi and great conversation with people you like:) The funniest thing was she painted her nails before coming out with me because she was nervous about having ugly nails since I always do mine "so pretty" :) lol

Anyway, nothing super huge to report, but I wanted to share with you one of my all time favorite beauty products--Hard Candy's Glossaholic lip gloss! ($5 at Wal-mart) This stuff is amazing!!! I got my first one sometime around April, 2011. I started with the color "Gorgeous" and fell in love with everything about it! The applicator is HUGE it coats my entire lip in one swipe! The color is so soft but brilliant with all the different sparkles in it! There was a light, sweet, slightly vanilla taste. I NEEDED to have more of these!

So I got "Tipsy"... then "Fairy".... then the ones "infused with mood altering elixirs"...

And suddenly I had more than half the collection. 

These glosses are like crack (okay, I've never done any drugs in my whole life; but it's how I imagine an addictive illegal substance would be;) I couldn't get enough of them! I loved them! I wanted them all!!

By far my MOST FAVORITE gloss of all time! They are comprised of every one of the favorite things listed in my blog title: there's GLITTER in them; they are GLOSSes, and they GLAZE my lips. 

If you buy nothing else I recommend ever, please get this lip gloss. :)

If you don't wash off your makeup...

...it'll add seven years to your face. Is that really true? I surely hope not. There have been soooo many days I go to bed with makeup on. I've probably aged my face 10,000+ years (maybe not; math was never my strong point lol). I blame it mostly on laziness. Not that it even takes that long. But sometimes, I'm already in my PJs, curled up in bed with a good book or TV show, and I just don't *feel* like getting back up to wash my face. Sure, there are ways around that! Get those makeup remover wipes and keep them next to the bed! Been there; done that; never got around to buying the refill packs. Ah, I'm horrible. 


What I do do instead, however, is I'll go for a few days without wearing makeup at all. (usually when I'm not at work; 'cause God forbid those people see how I *really* look;) Anyway, I'm fortunate enough to have pretty good skin. I'll have the occasional break out certain times of the month or when I'm really stressed; but overall, I'm a pretty lucky girl. Soft, creamy, ivory complexion. Light pink undertones. Dark eyelashes. Thick (sometimes out of control if I don't keep up with the waxing) eyebrows. Very Snow White-ish. My college roommate once told me, "When you don't wear makeup, you just look tired." Which was actually kind of a compliment. I don't *have* to wear makeup. I just do. Because I love it. And, well, let's be honest, we all have our own insecurities, and I still feel more comfortable keeping myself covered up.


But for all of you other girls out there, follow this advice and do what I should be doing (all the time) and wash your faces before bed!!! Beauty sleep is better with a fresh face:)


For anyone who is wondering though, here is my latest morning skin care regiment (I know I need to improve it. I'm a few years out from 30, but I know the wrinkles and aging is forming. I've gotta step it up:)

                                                                                +

                                                                                +