Seche Vite Anyone???

If you read my post "Confessions of a Nail Polish Junkie" then you know I have a serious nail polish addiction :) And  while I know this addiction is harmful both to my wallet and my poor roommate who has to smell the stench of polish almost daily, I just can't help it.

So while rummaging through my rainbow of colors  trying  to find the color of the day, I came upon Seche Vite, the over-hyped, over priced, fast  drying top coat that some manicurists swear by. So is it worth it???? Read on :)

Packaging: Clear nail polish top coat looking bottle with a normal sized brush.

Price: $7-$20 USD depending on where you buy it. OUCH!

Product/Application:

PROS:

• After applying nail polish and all the bejeweling details you want, apply one coat of this sucker and VOILA! Dry in less than twenty seconds. No joke!
• Bottle lasts a while depending on how much of a nail polish junkie you are :)
• DRIES SUPER FAST
• DRIES SUPER FAST
• DRIES SUPER FAST

CONS

• Price is crazy
• Smell is HORENDOUS!!! It takes a while to get used to the  lacquer smell
• Doesn't really help MY nail  polish last longer, and instead of chipping it does more of a peeling affect which is fun to remove like a sticker :)

Overall:

I REAALLLLYYY like this product. I think it does exactly what it says and who doesn't want dry nails within seconds :) However because it is pricey I hesitate to recommend it to my budget conscious beauties who read this  blog and are just looking for cheap, readily accessible beauty products. BUT if you want dry nails ASAP, got some extra bucks for a great top coat, then go for it.

As for me, I think after I finish my bottle I might hold off on  buying another because I change my nail polish SOOOO much, that putting on such an expensive top coat just is not worth it to me.

Quick Pick Me Up Face Mask

What are they:

$1-$2 Mud/Gel masks available  at most drugstores. They come in multiple colors, smells and functions. While some are face brighteners, others are hydraters, pore cleansers, and even "anti-aging"

What do they do: Rehydarte the skin and help bring it back to life and are just fun to use.

Do they work: HECK YEAH! (Some better then others depending on your skin and needs)

Why do I love them: Because they are so darn cheap! Pop one of those packets and BAM within 20 minutes your face will thank you :)

Final Word  of Advise: If you are a product snob, then I'm sorry this might not be for you because lets face it, a home facial just isn't the same as a professional one. HOWEVER, if you're like me and don't mind trying out new things, go pick up one of these delicious  smelling face packs and give them a try :)

Friday the 13th CURSEEEEE!!!

It wasn't me....I swear! I clicked reply and BOOOM all my comments are gone :( Must have been the evil blog ghost preying on amateur bloggers who have no idea what they are doing, darn!

I am new to the blogging world so still trying to get the hang of it, but just quickly wanted to say thank u and welcome to all my new beauty divas, I hope you find some fun and helpful insights on my blog :)

And for the ladies who commented on my blogs, I am so sorry if you did not receive my responses, I did write them, but then like a turd face I deleted them all by accident, so please feel free to leave the comments again and I will respond :) 

Have a great weekend!!!

MY FIRST GLAM BAG!!! with mini review

So I am sure if you are a beauty fanatic then you have scoured the beauty videos on YouTube and probably have watched the videos called "YouTube Made Me Do It."  Well this is my "Blogging Made Me Do IT." :)

Before blogging I had no interest in the monthly beauty box thingys. Although I like reading about them, I had no  interest in purchasing them. But then I thought, you know what, why the heck not. :)

So I chose to purchase  from myglam.com, because I found them to be the cheapest. I mean $10 thats it!

So here's what I got!

All the stuff came in this shiny bubble envelope

When I open it, out came a postcard with all the YouTube gals who are the face of the company

All the products came in a cute little metalic pink makeup bag

Here's the 5 (technically 4 since the brushes are a set) that were in the bag

DermStore Lip Quench-Moisture Infused Lip Treatment: claims to be a treatment to help nourish, soften and smooth lips.

My initial reaction: LOVE! I put it on my lips already feel awesome! Although the tube is a b**** to squeeze and get the product out, it works wonders (so far). It's the consistency of Vaseline, but it stays on a lot better and to me it smells like strawberries with a hint of mint.

All-Belle Lashes- claim to accentuate you eyes.

My initial reaction: I'm not really a lash kinda gal since thankfully my natural ones are just fine for me and VERY RARELY do I wear fake lashes, but these will be fun to play around with.

All over eyeshadow brush and angled brush: claim to be "hand picked by Michelle."

My initial reaction: I tried these out and they are duds. Nothing special. I tried the angled brush to apply gel  liner but because it was so flimsy it kept folding, so I'm gonna have to find another use for it, maybe for my eyebrows.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Junkie: Creamy Green/Teal (depending on the lighting) eyeliner with gold specks. 

My initial reaction: For me this pencil alone was worth the $10. These liners normally sell for double the price where I live and this travel size one is perfect for me. Of course I tried it on when I opened the package and so far...I love! The liner is so creamy, the color is so fun and gorgeous and I actually like the gold specks :) But the downside, I need a really good primer because unfortunatley for me, my oily lids will not allow this product to stay put, it actually smudged onto my upper lids:(

OVERALL: It was okay. I don't know why, but I was expecting so much more. Not  necessarily more products but....I don't know. I think I had built up my purchase so much in my head that I really set myself up for disappointment. So will I be re-purchasing from MyGlam.....maybe. I think I will give it one more month and if I don't like that package, I will sadly have to switch.

Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit......DUPES!!!

" O_o, that looks pretty... yum that smells nice.... ahhh shinny glitter, drool, MUST have!"

Every time I walk into a store/drugstore that sells makeup, I feel like a kid in a candy store :) I love beauty products!!!! Lotions, masks, makeup, perfumes ... anything remotely beauty related, I've GOT to have it!

Same situation when I walked into ULTA and bought the Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit. I saw it, I wanted it, I bought. Mission accomplished :)

What's included: 

• PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER (travel size)

This is one of my favorite face primers, so the fact that it was included in the kit was a selling point enough for me.

• BEAUTY EXPOSED EYE SHADOW PALETTE WITH SOFT LIGHTS

Such gorgeous colors! They look okay in the palette, but when you wear them they give such a nice frosty pearlescent effect.

• LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in STARFRUIT (travel size)

Nothing really special but a nice color anyways

• BLUSH RUSH in PEONY

Once again a nice coral/pink color. A little chalky but a nice color anyways.

• EYE PENCIL in STONE

Dark brown liner pencil. I liked that it was very easy to apply and I think its best suited for a smudged smokey look.

(bottom is Smashbox in stone, top is Wet N' Wild in Dark Brown. Both are very similar, although the picture is showing the top one to be more reddish.)

Overall: if you have the $39 USD  to spend, do it. It's a nice kit, nice products, nothing too flashy, but great quality.

HOWEVER!!!! All the products are dupeable!!!!!

The eyeshadows are very similar to Covergirl's Shimmering Sands

the lip gloss is  similar to Wet N' Wild Mega Slick in Panning for Gold/Candy Apple

The eyeliner is very  similar to Wet N' Wild's dark Brown eyeliner and the blush is comparable to ELF's Twinkle Pink

So it's up to you, pay $39 or for about 1/4 of the price get basically the same thing :)

Massive E.L.F Lip Product Review!!!!

When I first started experimenting with makeup, E.L.F is the first place I went, and ladies let me tell you, this company was NOOOOO WAAAY  and as nice as  it is today. They had like 10 products, all just low quality and gross.

I tried to be the shiz nits and wear their pressed powder to school one day, and instead of the "oooooooo's" and "aaahhhhh" that I wanted, I got "ewwwwwwwww's" and " "Are you ok, you look really sick." (Later realized the powder had formed ghostly patches and made me look like I was peeling)

However, in the past few years, they have really listened to their customers and have created some really nice products :) Here is my mass review of lip products that I have tried.

Lip Primer/Plumper

For some this is their go-to product, for others this is trash. For me personally, I  noticed  nothing too different. Yes, it helped prime lips, but it came off in a waxy consistency, and I saw no plumping.

Lip stain:

These are part of the E.L.F  '12 spring line. Typical lip stain design, you color you  lips and you are done. I felt these stains had a nice color pay off but they were very drying . Not a lot of color selection.

Hypershine Gloss:

To me these are very similar to the  Stilla Lipglazes. For $1 USD these are great. They come in a variety of  colors, supper glossy and the color payoff is just enough. Yes, they don't last as long as you would like, but come on, what gloss stays on for that long anyways? Most definitely give these a try.

Plumping Lipglaze:

Don't fall for the name, there is nothing plumping about these lipglazes. They are dual sided, one for the color, one for the glaze. I found the colors to be cute  but gloopy and the glaze nothing more then a shiny gloss.  There is a pepperminty taste to the product and the methanol does help give the illusion of slightly plumper lips for like 10 minutes.

Mineral Gloss:

Part of ELF's mineral line, these  glosses are great. They come in a nice range of colors, and they go very smoothly. The lasting power is like that of any gloss, but I think they are well worth the price. My only complaint is that some have shimmer in them so when you apply them you can sometimes feel the particles on your lips. These are a staple in my purse.

Lip Shines:

Once again, some girls love them, others hate them. I'm divided between the two. I think the color selection is great, very moisturizing and easy to travel with. However, I find them to be thick and a bit messy. I recommend these more for girls in high school or college who need something cheap that gives quick color. Nothing special.

Essential Lipstick:

Love these! For just $1 USD each, these lipsticks are awesome. A little difficult to work with when first applying, these lipsticks not only have great color payoff, by lasting power as well. For me at the end of the day, they leave a really nice stain like effect. Plus with the huge color selection, there is something for everyone :)

Mineral Lipstick:

My favorite E.L.F lip product :). These lipsticks are smooth, moisturizing and long lasting-ish. Rosy Raisin is my go to lipstick and I absolutely love it!. The color payoff is great and once again with the huge color selection, there is something for everyone.