Latest Polish Haul

I keep telling myself I can't do this anymore. I don't need any more polish, right? It's so easy to say and so hard to follow through with when these lovely polishes are looking at me, especially when I'm at CVS or Target waiting for a prescription and I can't just leave the store. Oh well. That's me. It's what I do. I might as well embrace it, and then... blog about it.

Removing Glitter Polish

I will admit, even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE glitter polish, I have had such a hell of a time removing it that I have honestly considered giving it up. It is just such a pain in the ass. In fact I have passed up a few glittery polishes I knew I would like just thinking about when the time would come to take them off.

I was at Ulta to buy some new polish remover and I found this Elegant Touch nail polish and artificial nail remover. It's acetone but it seems to work better on glitters than other acetone removers I have used before.

The directions say to soak nails in a bowl, but I don't do that. I still use this on a cotton square. But even with this I was still having the problem with the cotton squares shredding up  from the glitter. Then I was at CVS and found these:

They are just like the regular cosmetic squares but they have little dots on them that are for exfoliating. They work so much better than the regular cotton squares. I still wouldn't call it fun to remove glitter polish but the combination of these two items makes it a  LOT easier. How do you remove your glitter polish?

NewBeauty Test Tube

My awesome mom was watching QVC and saw the NewBeauty test tube and ordered it for me!! This is the first one I have received and I am very happy with it. It comes in a pretty pink box. When I opened it I found a test tube, QVC booklet and an issue of NewBeauty magazine.

Now time to see what's in that test tube!

Awesome! Very fun. First up there is a Mally eyeshadow stick, in Twilight. This is full size.

Definitely will use that. Up next, is a full size Tarte LipSurgence natural lip lustre in Fever. I rarely wear red on my lips but this might be sheer enough that I can play it off. I have some of these that I purchased on my own and I do like them.

Next up there is a Peter Thomas Roth Laser-free Regenerator. Size is .5 oz. I have never used any PTR products so I look forward to trying this one.

The next thing I pulled out of the tube was a Philosophy 3-in-1 in Amazing Grace. Size is 2 oz. I do like the smell of AG so this will be a good one. It's a travel size so I might throw it in the gym bag.

After this I found a Wen cleansing conditioner in Lavander. This is the one I am most excited about. Size is 4 oz. Looks like it's big enough to really try this stuff out. I probably wouldn't have chosen this scent, but I am still looking forward to using it. I have been wanting to try this stuff for a long time!

From most excited to least excited, the next item I pulled out was a St. Tropez Everyday Body Moisturizer, gradual tanner, in Medium-Dark. 2.5 oz. This might be too dark for me, since I am starting from very pale. I might just use this on my legs to keep some color on them. It does smell really good though! I wish it was just a regular body moisturizer.

StriVectin-SD, .5 oz. I haven't used this before but I had a co-worker who swore by it. I am interested to see if it makes any difference with the fine lines on my face.

And last but not least, there is a Bliss fabulous foaming face wash, 2 oz. I haven't used any Bliss products before but I always find myself looking at them at Sephora, so this is another one I am excited to try.

I am so happy with this beauty test tube!! How fun is this? I think my mom has me signed up to get like 7 more and I think they come every 3 months. I can't wait for the next one!

NOTD - Nicole by O.P.I - "Nothing Kim-pares to Blue"

Ugh. I hate that I like so many of these Kardashian colors!! I don't want to support these people in any way. Why is Nicole always doing this to me. First it was Justin Bieber, now the Kardashians. I don't even want to know who is next.

Nothing Kim-pares to Blue is my favorite light blue shimmery polish I have. I have others by Milani, essence, Revlon, and Sinful, just to name a few, but this one is the prettiest, in my opinion. This is 3 coats.

LORAC - Little Black Palette

LORAC is becoming one of my favorite makeup brands. I have tried a lot more of thier products lately. The little black palette is 4 eyeshadows and a mini eye primer.

The shadows are nice and smooth and blend well. Here are a couple swatches.

Final update on Shellac manicure

I don't have any pictures for this yet, but I just wanted to update and say that I ended up keeping the Shellac mani on for 5 weeks!! It never chipped anymore than the initial small chip, the problem was grow-out. The stuff was hard as hell to remove though! I did the wrapping my nails in foil after putting on a cotton ball with pure acetone and 10 minutes did nothing to it. I did another 10 minutes and then scraped and scraped and scraped. To be honest, I still couldn't get all of the base stuff off so it kind of messed up my nails a little bit. I can't wear a cream polish right now, even after using Essie Fill the Gap. All in all, the manicure was a success but I don't really like to keep polish on that long, so I probably won't get getting another one. I do have some gel polish systems and a UV light so I will be doing some experiments on my own, of course I will post them when I do!

Valentine Kisses March Madness Giveaway

Valentine Kisses is an awesome beauty blog, and she is giving away a HUGE prize package for March. Click on the link below to enter this major gievaway!
http://xoxovalentinekissesxoxo.blogspot.com/2012/03/giveaway-my-march-madness-beauty.html

NOTW - Sephora by OPI Naughty is the New Nice & To the Glitter End

Here's my nail of the weekend. I was sick and in the hospital for a while, hence the lack of posts. I've finally just been up to doing my nails and makeup again.

You can see reflections here from my black shirt and red camera.

This is a better representation of the color. I love this combination.

To the Glitter End is one of those super huge glitter that you can't really brush on. I just kind of pat it on so the glitters are where I want them, and then go over it after it's dried a little to get the extra liquid stuff off, because there seems to be a ton of it in there. Definitely have to cover this up with Seche Vite, otherwise I find the Sephora by OPI polishes in general chip pretty easily on their own.

Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Highlight Duo - Iris Plume and Moon Opal

This is my first experience with Tarina Tarantino cosmetics. I am pretty impressed. These shadows remind me of a Lorac compact I used to have with some really nice shadows in it. They are a nice, fine silky powder that go on very well. They have just a bit of shimmer when in direct light.
Description from Sephora.com
What it is:
A collection of superb shadow duos that highlight the eye area for fantastical glowing effects.
What it does:
 These shadows deliver a gorgeous pearlized metallic finish to the eye. The reflective properties of diamond dust and micro-fine platinum powder diffuse light, creating a luminous soft focus effect.Plus, each shadow's smooth texture blends easily and feels silky soft on the skin.
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
What else you need to know:
 "No eye look is complete without a highlighted inner corner and browbone. Formulated with diamond and platinum dust, Eye Dream Highlight Duos brilliantly open and brighten eyes, and compliment other shadows perfectly." XOXO, Tarina Tarantino, jewelry designer and makeup artist

Swatches after the jump!

Shellac manicure - 7 days later

Despite the chip on my thumb that happened the first day I have to say that I am pretty impressed with the Shellac manicure. No other chipping or wear at all. Only problem is, much like with the Revlon Colorstay polish, I am getting bored having the same polish on for so long. I miss painting my nails!! They are starting to grow out a bit.

Here are the pictures. I got one more tiny tiny chip on my right index finger but it's barely noticeable. I actually bought myself some gel polishes and borrowed a UV light from a friend so when I remove this I will be trying a do-it-yourself. I will definitely post the results. I am having cuticle issues right now, it is so dry in my house, even with daily treatment my hands look terrible. Don't even ask about my lips.

Left hand

Left thumb

Right hand

Right thumb

 Now we'll see how long I can stand it. Part of me wants to keep it on just to see how long it really would last. Part of me wants to take it off right now and start a new mani! Whatever I decide I will document the removal process. The possible difficulty of that is adding to my restraint right now.

Free Shipping at e.l.f. today only!

eyeslipsface.com is offering free shipping today only with any order of $14 or more.

Some products I recommend:
Studio cream eyeshadow
Studio cream eyeliner
Studio brushes
Studio Matte Lipcolor
Studio Blush
Mineral Eye Shadow Primer
Mineral Eye Shadow
Mineral Lipstick
Essentials Shimmering Facial Whip
Essentials All Over Color Stick
Essentials Luscious Liquid Lipstick

Those all run from $1-$5 each and in my opinion are great makeup values!
Hope everyone has a good valentines day whether you have a honey or not.

Happy Valentines Day! - Stila Love at First Blush Palette

I was lucky enough to snag the last one at Ulta after trying the tester they had out. I loved the feeling, the look and the shimmer of this blush. It's awesome. It does have some bigger glitter pieces in it so I know it's not for everyone, but if you like sparkles or you have a special night this is great!

Stilacosmetics.com describes it as:

Embossed with endearing hearts in three ultra-wearable shades of pink, this micro-fine powder has a velvety, luxurious finish with subtle pearl shimmer for a natural looking blush. 

Comes in the Stila cardboard paper box.

And the back of the box.

Open it up and we see supercute gradient pink hearts!! I love it. They are shimmery and lovely.

And it's time for the swatch. I hope I was able to capture the sparkle well enough. You can click to enlarge.

This palette is a really good deal at $14! You might still be able to find it at Ulta, or you can get it from Stila's website here.

I'll be back later to post about the contents of my Julep Maven Valentine Box of Mystery. ooOOoo

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Eyeshadow Steel & Taupe

I picked up a few of these MUFE Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color for eyes and cheeks at Sephora. I love the silky texture of these and the staying power is amazing. These are shades 2 and 15, Steel and Taupe.

The description from Sephora.com:

Aqua Cream
What it is:
An ultra-pigmented, long lasting waterproof cream. 

What it does:
Aqua Cream combines the highest-quality pigments with mother of pearl particles to give immediate rich color payoff with a luminous finish in just one application. It's long-lasting formulation will not crease or smudge under the most extreme conditions and its creamy and elastic texture allows for easy blending.

 

 

Comes in a pot with a twist off lid.

MUFE Aqua Cream #2 Steel

MUFE Aqua Cream #15 Taupe

 This doesn't really seem like taupe to me, it's more coppery. The name isn't listed on the box so I was actually surprised to see it's called Taupe.

They start out a silky cream in the pot. They feel really thin but they have a lot of color punch. Dries to a nice velvety finish.

Aqua Creams are available at Sephora stores and Sephora.com and are $22 a piece.

32 Spoiled by Wet n Wild - Finale!

Alright, here are the rest of my Spoiled polishes!.
You can see part one here, and part two here.

L-R: Violet Femmes, Magic Carpet Ride, Battle of the Sexes

2 Weeks Sober, Paying With Platinum, I'm Ba-roque

and the last two!

Jewelry Heist and Black Mamba

 

 And that's it! I hope this is helpful. Sometimes the brushes are a little weird in these bottles, but they are definitely a good polish with lots of possiblities for just $1.99 each. Only at CVS stores and CVS.com!