Confessions of a Nail Junkie Part 2

My heart is sad and weeping. I never thought it would come to this. When I brought each one home, I promised to love and cherish them equally. But as the days, months, years passed, I knew I had lied. I quickly picked favorites and pushed all the others aside. Finally seeing how much I had hurt the ones I neglected, I gave away 20 of my babies....this is what I am left with.

Just me  and 80(ish) of my closest babies :(

Hahaha, ya'll I had, had enough. My "nail" drawer was over flowing and quite frankly it was time to downsize. I threw some away, gave some to my sis, and yup this is what I have. Apparently I like purple :)

Still not liking the idea of  digging through a drawer to find the perfect shade, I bought me a bunch of practice nail wheels off ebay for like a $1 for a pack of 5 and now I can just check the nail wheel for what color my heart fancies for the day and bada-bing bada-boom, cuts down on clutter time since I don't have to dump the drawer out no more.

I am a work in progress, and  I swear no more nail polish till I wear each color at least once. Happy painting everyone :)

SIDE NOTE: I lied.....after writing this post, I went to Target for a loaf of bread and toothpaste  and came back with 2 new polishes...whoops :)

June 2012 Birchbox

The theme for this month was "Jet Set" So join me on my journey won't u....

Lol, you know u all saw the Band-Aid pack first! Oh my bad, the "fancy" Band-Aid by Cynthia Rowley

To go along with my fancy wound covers, we have some wipes

And if my wounds leave a scar or stretch marks, this sucker can help 

But if my injuries are too serious, I can slather on some of this

Make myself look pretty by dabbing this on my lips and cheeks

And plop down on my couch as I get high off of yet  another perfume sample

All the whilst staring at my fancy art of far away place because I too broke to go anywhere for reals

Hope u enjoyed my journey :)

Side Note:

TheBalm Staniac: Love the concept of a gel like stain, that blends very well, but does not last on oily skin but where I swatched it on my dry arm, it stayed all day

Makeup Tips & Tricks That REALLY Work!

He ya'll so last week I read a blog  about this 30 day makeup challenge where you have a different task to do daily.

At first I was all psyched, like "Yeah, cool got me some new ideas! Totally gonna do this! " (said in radical white surfer dude voice), but here I am four days later and well, lets just  say it....FAIL! :)

So what I decided to do instead was pick and choose the tasks that I liked best and share my idea with you all. The first one that stood out to me the one about sharing tips and tricks that I may know....so here I go:

1. Concealer brushes were made for a reason! While I do believe you can use any brush for any task you want, concealer brushes are that perfect size to cover your problem areas. So ladies put down the spatulas, and brushes the size of your head and just use the tiny brush (or ur finger) to only cover the problem area. You save product and you avoid the cake face. So conceal, dab dab dab to blend edges...done

2. Clear Mascara isn't just for your lashes! It is also a great brow setter and a quick way to make your wispy fly-away hairs stay in place.

3. Lipstick is a multi-tasker! Lips, cheek stain, eye primer...it does it all.

4. Gloss=gorgeous lips! Just dab some gloss in the center of your bottom lip and BAM! sexy lips...OH add a small highlight to your cupids bow for extra plumpness

5. Bronzer is your friend! I was never a bronzer girl cause I always feared looking like Snooki or overdone. However, with the right color I found it can do wonders. Applied in a "3" motion on my round face and then WATCH OUT sexy face! (Plus I can now hide my double chin without dieting :)  OOOOO and if you dont want a powder bronzer, just buy a foundation colors a few shades darker and tada you got your self a liquid bronzer

6. Look wide-eyed with white: I think everyone already knows that if you put white liner on your lower inner lid that it will make your eyes look wider and alert. For me I find the white to be too harsh, so I  use a nude pencil which works the same way 

7. Baby Powder/Baking Soda to the rescue: If you are a grease ball or just lazy and don't like washing  your hair, use baby powder or baking soda to suck up all the oils in  your head. Get a small amount, work it into roots, comb out, done! (more suitable for lighter hair)

8. STOP smiling when applying blush! This is as an old school trick that we have all used but need to stop. When you smile your cheeks are higher, when you stop smiling they go back down. So while you might have thought you just applied some sexy blush to your gorgeous cheeks...think again because now its down to your jowls :)

9. Use mascara to cover your pesky greys! Enough said.

10. Make your own tinted moisturizer! Foundation+ Moisturizer=$ saved

11. Make your OWN exfoliator: Recipes everywhere online but basically sugar+oil/lotion= cheap natural alternative

12. No SPF for photos! I know this is controversial, but in order to avoid the ghost face in pictures, avoid makeup with titanium dioxide or SPF. Usually the setting powder is the culprit.

13. Brush your lips! For smooth kissable lips, gently exfoliate your lips with your toothbrush to buff off all the icky dead skin and apply a balm to finish off.

14. Layer you Mascara! Love the idea of water proof mascara but hate taking it off? Well first apply a regular mascara and then top it with a waterproof one. This way the water  proof formula locks onto the regular mascara and not your lashes making it easier to remove :)

15.Instant facelift! Go look at yourself in the mirror and smile. anywhere you see a shadow (upper and lower lip, corner of eyes) apply a small amount ofshimmer or off white color to give you a quick pick me up effect :)

16. Base coat and buff your nails! If you have ever worn nail polish only to find it stained your nails once you removed it, don't worry. Simply use a buffer to remove the stain and apply a base coat next time.

17. Burn you pencil Liner! When your pencil  liner dries out or breaks and you can't sharpen it, use a lighter to gently warm up the tip and within seconds, you got a functioning pencil.

18. Starighten Up! For extra volume when straightening hair, pull hair up and away from scalp instead of straight down for instant volume

19. Suck a finger! NOW DONT YOU ALL GET ANY WRONG IDEAS! LOL! when you wear a darker lipstick they have a tendency to get on your teeth. To avoid that after you have applied the lipstick, put you finger in your mouth like a lollipop, close mouth and pull finger out.  All the excess color will have come off on your finger :)

So ladies, these are just a few tips for you all to try if you  didn't already know them, I have TONS more to share  with you all, but I would love to read about your tips and tricks so please do share in the comments or make a post of your own :)

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 :)

HUGE E.L.F HAUL!!!

I'm covered in swatches and I'm loving it!!! I love getting goodies in the mail, especially if they are free or I got a great deal. In this haul I got both!!! YAY!

For about $30 USD I got all the following and yup you better believe my face is going to be or is already decorated with all these goodies :)

These are all the goodies

• 1 Blushed and Bronzed Kit
• 5 Nail Polish
• 1 Natural Lash Kit
• 2 Shimmer Lip Gloss
• 1 Hypershine Lipgloss
• 2 Lipstick
• 1 Mineral Infused Face Primer
• 1 Eyeshdow Lid Primer
• 1 Angled Eyeliner Brush
• 10 Mineral Eyeshadows

MINI REVIEWS/ SWATCHES

Packaging and product is a wanna be dupe for NARS Laguna/Orgasm. Don't know if it really is, but on my light/medium skin this looks great :)

Just the right shade of bronzer and really nice blush

Top to Bottom:  Hypershine Gloss in Joy, Shimmer Lipglos in Inspire and Fantasize

Really like the colors, the top one is a really nice transluscent type of effect but hate the brush on applicator. It's supposed to look  and work like the Stila lip thingy majigers, but it doesn't. The middle one is a really nice baby pink that I actually really liked and the bottom one has a nice sheen affect, but the once again the doe foot applicators were so flimsy, they seemed like they would snap.

Left to Right: Light Pink, Mint Cream, Coral Dream, Dark Navy, Party Peach

The light pink is invisible, the coral dream is a gorgeous creamy orange, the mint cream is a long distant relative of For Audrey by O.P.I, the party peach is a neon red-orange (more orange) and the dark navy is....dark navy :)

Top lipstick is Classy bottom is Charming. Classy is a wanna be impersonator of the MAC Viva Glam Nicky/Gaga Family and charming is a great neutral coral color for me because it is just a few shades brighter than my natural lip color

(Epic swatching and photo taking skills at their finest ladies and gentlemen:)

All the shadows are very glittery/frosty and require a good base. Expect a lot of loose fall out because they are loose pigments, but the color pay off is wonderful and they are very blendable/wearable. Would look AWESOME on darker skin :) (Sidenote: these were all "free" with ELF's 10 mineral shadows for free promotion)

Left to Right:

Sweet- A soft baby pink

Elegant- Cream colored, great for highlight

Bronzed-Reddish/Brown bronze

Trendy-Gorgeous Mauve

Wild- Earthy brown tone

Glamorous- Deep pinky plum color

Wild-combo of mauve and purple

Earthy- gorgeous earthy green....LOVE

Royal-Blue

Dreamy-teal

Ya'll I am having so much fun playing dress up right now, I can't even explain :)  More detailed reviews will be coming up shortly as soon as I am done playing :)

$3 Gel Liner SMACKDOWN!

Contestants:

                       

Essence Gel Liner in 01 Midnight in Paris

 Wet N Wild Gel Liner in 886

E.L.F Cream Liner in Black

SWATCH

Essence          Wet N Wild            E.L.F

All three are very intense black. However Essence is the most creamy while Wet N' Wild has a drier formula.

WATER SMUDGE TEST

Took some water, rubbed it across all three, and excuse my horrible swatching skills but no one  budged.

MAKEUP REMOVER TEST

Took a contain swab dipped in makeup remover, ran it once over all three. Essence faded, Wet N wild barely moved and  with one more swipe E.L.F  would have disappeared.

CONCLUSIONS:

If you are looking for an awesome liner all around, then get the Essence Liner. It is creamy so it goes on SOOOO smooth. It doesn't smudge and lasts all day. Plus they have a very nice color selection for those divas wanting to experiment with colored gel liners :)

If you are looking for a liner that won't move for days, go ahead get the Wet N Wild Liner.  That little sucker stays on even after you remove it. Although a little drier in texture, it is very easy to apply.

Side Note: Thank u all for the congratulation's, it really meant a lot, and as far as putting up pictures, im so sorry but I can't. Mi familia decided that they needed to be in every picture so when I asked if I could share them online, they all shied away :) But no worries, someday I will put up pics:)

MY FIRST JULEP MAVEN BOX!

I'm a sucker for nail products especially nail polish. So after reading about all the lovely ladies subscribed to the Julep Maven box, I  just had to get in on it.....Oh did I forget to mention it only cost me 1 penny!!!! what!!! Yup!!!!

Meet my Julep Maven Box....shes so sleek :)

Do not tell me there are goodies inside a box and  then expect me to patiently open it. NOPE I tore the box open and look what came out :)

This is the Julep glycolic hand scrub. Think St. Ives Apricot Scrub but more citrusy smell. it left my hands feeling very soft and slightly hydrated

Now to the nail polish!! On the online test, I tested as BOHO GLAM. While the words sound exactly like me, I wasn't too in love with the nail colors, but I am so glad I stuck to the BOHO colors because I really really  love one of the colors.

The grey is called "Meryl" and  it is a very nice creamy grey. While I like the muted color, I already have a grey that is an exact match for this.

The yellow one is called "Blake" and I love Blake :) Normally  I love crazy vibrant colors on my nails, but this the PERFECT buttery yellow to make me turn towards pastels

OVERALL: For a penny I love what I got! I mean how can you complain when you literally paid nothing. However would I become a monthly subcriber.......for $2o/month probably not. Ouch, I know. I love nail varnish but I mean come on I can go to the drugstore and pick up polish for like a buck, so sorry Julep Maven, although your introductory offer is AWESOME, I just can not see myself paying that much each moth for nail polish and hand products.

TO GET IN ON THE DEAL TYPE IN COLOR2012 when you check out!!!!

E.L.F Eyelid Primer

I put some eyeshadow on, eyeshadow comes off. So, I put more eyeshadow on, even more comes off. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!....My darn oily eyelids is what is going on :)

I just recently got into makeup, and one of the first products I bought was cheap eyeshadow, because I thought that would make the biggest difference in my attempted dramatic change. But instead of these epically awesome eyeshodow colors sparkling on my eyes, hence captivating all the boys attention, I managed to create clumpy, chalky  messes all over my eyelids.

What  I figured out eventually was my  greaseball butt needed to use some eyelid primer to help my eyeshadows stick and last all day. Therefore, I began my journey on finding the perfect  eyelid primer.

What I discovered however, was that primers work almost the same, and while I do own higher end primers, I can't afford to use them eveyday, so I found this E.L.F eyelid  primer, which in my opinion is a great substitute :)

Packaging: The primer comes in a typical tube type of style. with a doe foot applicator. The color comes off very beige-ish and the consistency is comparable to that of a liquid foundation.

Product: After applying the primer, I usually wait about 20 seconds to let it dry just a bit, and then I apply my shadow however I wish. For a typical 8 hour work/school day, this primer fairs pretty well. I have some creasing and color lose by the end of the day, but you  have to remember I have greasy eyelids. On the other hand, my sister also uses this product and has normal/dry eyelids and this primer helps her eyeshadow stay on all day perfectly fine.

Overall: If you are looking for a cheap eyelid primer, that has no gimic and does the job, then this is the product to try. It stays on for a long time and even with the eventual creasing at the end of day, its well-worth the $1-$3 USD!

:) :) :) 1/2

ELF Studio Line Blushes with Swatches

Okie dokie, so the last couple of nights, I have been up till almost 1am reading beauty blogs. Why? I don't know, I'm just weird like that, but because of my sudden fascination with reading blogs, I have gotten a good feel about what products people are blogging about. One surprisingly controversial product I have  read about are the E.L.F Studio Line Blushes. While some girls swear by them, others loathe them. So here's my review, hope it helps y'all out :) (Yup, a Cali girl just said y'all)

Okay so I own three of the Studio Line blushes:

Tickled Pink: A gorgeous baby pink, that can be built up to a true cotton candy color (this is my current favorite)

Candid Coral: A beautiful coral/peachy color. It is VERY similar to NARS Orgasm. It has small shimmer particles making it a really nice highlight on darker toned women. I usually layer this over other colors for a nice glow.

Blushing Rose: This is really nice berry colored blush. I use mostly around the holidays, but it's still a great buildable color. This one has small gold flecks which look really nice when they catch the light, yes even on oily skin :) Don't worry they are so small, you won't look like a disco ball.

Packaging: The blushes come in a rectangular black case. In my opinion the packaging is a knock off of the NARS, packaging, but then again, most of E.L.F's packaging is a knock off of a higher brand. Becareful when handling these blushes they break very easily. As you can see from my pictures, I've done some damage :)

Product: Here's where the trouble begins. While some girls complain that the blushes are to rough and chalky, others rave that they are so pigmented and soft. In my opinion, it depends on the color. While some colors are chalky and others are soft, I feel they are all very wearable and workable. For example, on of favorite blushes is Tickled Pink. It's a light baby pink, gorgeous color, but it is very chalky. I have to swipe with my brush a few times to get some color, but the color that I do get is really really nice.

Price: $3 USD

Overall: It's a luck of the draw. I personally love theses blushes because they are so cheap, blendable and versatile. Yes, some of the blushes are chalky and maybe a little difficult to work with, overall, E.L.F offers a beautiful range of colors, that you really can't hate on. So, in my opinion, I would say give these blushes a try, all you gotta loose is $3, and when you compare it to some of the $25 USD that the blushes are dupes are for, these are a real steal. Plus, they are surprising very long lasting. For a girl, whose face looks greasy within and hour, these blushes last me all day without fail :)

:) :) :) :)

PS: Sorry for the low quality pictures, bad lighting + cheap camera = bad pictures

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipcolor

Rich, Creamy, Smooth......sorry girls, I'm not talking about peanut butter or even chocolate :). These words describe  the Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipcolors perfectly!

A few months ago I saw this fancy display at my local drugstore, but chose to bypass it because the lipsticks were $9 USD, and sorry but that was just $5 too much. So for months I kept passing the display, hoping the prices would go down and when they didn't I finally said,  "Gosh darn it!!! I NEED this lipstick!"  (I rationalized since I love Drew Barrymore, it was duty as a super fan to try the products she promotes ) :)

Packaging: Very sleek. Its simple yet fun and I really appreciate that the color is visible on the bottom on the tube. I keep all my lip products in a drawer and I hate having to open multiple tubes to find the color that I want. However,with  the peek of color, its soo much easier, I just open  the drawer and BAM there are my colors.

Product: It is pure velvet on the lips! So smooth and silky and in a weird way, the lines on my lips seem more filled in and smooth as well. The lasting power is also great and as the day wore on, for  me the color left a really pleasant lip stain effect that I really liked. the only down side is that because the product is so creamy, it has a tendency to slip, so I highly recommend using a lip pencil or maybe even using a light hand when applying.

(Ladies ignore the EPIC stache shadow!!! Trust when I say there is no hair there but apparently my camera wants me to believe I'm rocking a 5 o'clock shadow! haha!)

Price: $5-$10 USD depending on location and availability

Overall: I am really glad I tried this line of lipsticks! The color selection is CRAZY! There are so many fun and vibrant colors that really appeal to the teenage spirit. Usually hesitate to recommend lipsticks for girls in highschool, but these colors are just to fun to skip :)

:) ;) :) :)