Empties #12

While I haven't been so great about not buying things (I really need to put myself on a a strict "no buy") I HAVE been excellent about finishing what I have. Let's dig in...

• Essie Smoothies hand & body lotion in Pomegranate & Mango (would repurchase) - This was a nice light lotion that I used as a hand lotion. It didn't leave my hands feeling greasy, but it also wasn't mega-hydrating. This is definitely a good choice for the warmer months when my skin doesn't tend to be so dry.

• C.O. Bigelow Lotio Mentholus (would repurchase) - I loved this hand lotion. It's also very light, and has a soft menthol scent. I love the bottle, too!

• Suave Smoothing lotion with cocoa butter & shea (would repurchase) - Another great lotion option! It is lightly scented so it won't interfere with any perfume you're wearing. It moisturizes without being greasy. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

• Alba Botanical Hawaiian Sunscreen in revitalizing green tea (would repurchase) - This sunscreen is very thick and greasy. It's a bit tough to smooth around on the skin. I wouldn't use this as a daily SPF, but it's good if your plan is to bum around on the beach all day. Plus, it's free of nasty chemicals.

• Soap & Glory Hand Food in Fruitigo (would repurchase) - I loooooved this hand lotion! The scent is addicting but not overwhelming. It moisturizes my hands so well. I could easily abandon all other lotions and use this every day from here on out!

• Lush Snow Fairy shower gel (would not repurchase) - I think I'm one of the only people who does not enjoy the cult Snow Fairy scent. It's not the kind of sweet that I enjoy, it a sickening smell. I bought it online without ever smelling it, and I won't be doing that again!

• The Body Shop Almond body butter (would repurchase) - Holy cow, I used a lot of lotion these last couple months. Anyway, I love love loved this body butter. It smells sweet and hydrates intensely. It reminded me of my beloved Creme Anglaise (right next to it), and I'll definitely buy this again.

• Lush Creme Anglaise hand and body lotion (would repurchase) - This is hands down my favorite lotion of all time. And unfortunately, Lush discontinued this last year. It is a tragedy. I hope it makes a comeback for a limited release, because I will stock up even though this costs an arm and a leg.

• Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub (would repurchase) - This was a very gentle exfoliator, not harsh at all. If you have sensitive skin, this would be a good option for you. Jake also enjoyed using this. It is fragranced, but not overly so. 
• amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash (would not repurchase) - This was an odd face wash. It felt more like I was slathering lotion all over my face than soap. It just didn't do anything for me. 

• Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover (would repurchase) - This gets my eye makeup off well. There's not much more to say about it. 

• L'Oreal Voluminous Extra-Volume Collagen waterproof mascara (would not repurchase) - I took a chance on this, and I didn't like it at all. It was clumpy and gritty and was hard to work with. 

• Aquafina Hydrating Lip Oil (would repurchase) - Full review here. 

• fresh Soy Face Cleanser (would repurchase) - I really enjoyed using this face cleanser, and this deluxe sample lasted me ages. I loved how gentle this was. It never broke me out and did a great job of cleansing my skin. 

• Calvin Klein Ck One Color Mascara (Would repurchase) - This was last year's birthday gift from Ulta, and it was awesome. It didn't make my lashes clumpy, but it provided volume and length. If it wasn't a bit spendy, I'd totally buy it again. 

• Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation (would not repurchase) - Full review here. 

• Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Absolute Serum (would repurchase) - This serum was heavenly! It smelled softly of roses which is already a huge win in my book. It's meant to soothe and nourish sensitive skin, and I did find it calming.

• B&BW Antibac in Apple Wreath (would repurchase) - I use these before applying my makeup so I don't spread germs on my skin. I like the B&BW ones because they have so many different scents.

• Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (would not repurchase) - This moisturizer felt like it just sat on top of my skin. It didn't do a good job of hydrating dry patches. It's a pricey moisturizer and it's definitely not worth it to me.

• DrJ Organics Pure Organic Eye-Lifting Creme (would repurchase) - Full review here.

• Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser (would not repurchase) - I didn't care for the scent of this cleanser and I don't feel like it did much for me. 

• Herbal Essences Body Wash in Body Burst (would repurchase) - This smelled really good, just like all Herbal Essences products do. I liked it!

• Leanni Eco 3-in-1 Revolution Light (would repurchase) - I really liked this toner, moisturizer and serum in one! It hydrated and balanced my skin. Once I work my way through my other moisturizers I have in stock, I'd definitely buy this. 

• Coach Poppy Perfume (would not repurchase) - This smelled nice, but it's nothing unique. I don't need it in my stash.

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat (would repurchase) - I have used this top coat for ages. It dries fast and will leave your nails shiny, but it has a tendency to bubble and it chips quickly. I've gone back to using Seche Vite for now.

• Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss (would repurchase) - This smelled heavenly. I smeared this on my lips at night before bed, and it did a pretty good job of hydrating. It doesn't penetrate very deeply, but it's not bad for a cheap lip butter. 

• Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Cream Eyeliner (would repurchase) - I really liked this product, and it made my top 14 of 2014, but it dried up on me. I will get it again because it's so cheap and it's mega-black. 

• Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment (would repurchase) - I liked this little sample for zapping spots. It was a good morning treatment for use underneath makeup. It wasn't a miracle product, but I do think it helped speed the healing process along. 

• C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine in Ultra (would repurchase) - I absolutely love this lip product. It's tingly and cooling on the lips and I can feel it moisturizing and healing when I use it. It has a minty smell and it supposed to help freshen breath, too. I'll definitely get this again. 

• B&BW Wallflowers in Winter (would not repurchase) - As much as I hate using these because they're chock full of bad chemicals, I always seem to have one going in my house because they smell so dang good. Winter isn't my favorite scent and it's not very strong, it's kind of a fruity winter scent, so I won't buy it again. 

• Jason Powersmile toothpaste in Vanilla Peppermint (would repurchase) - I love Jason toothpastes because they're more natural and SLS and flouride-free. I really loved the vanilla peppermint flavor.

• Aveeno Nourish & Strengthen Shampoo & Conditioner (would repurchase) - I got one use out of these. It was nice, nothing overly special, but I'd try out the full size in the future. 

• Liquid Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner (would repurchase) - I liked these more than I expected to. My hair felt so soft and silky after using these. I have no clue where to purchase them, but if I saw them around, I'd pick them up.

• Elite Therapeutics Elite Shampoo & Conditioner (would repurchase) - Another good shampoo & conditioner. My hair felt soft and conditioned after using these. I wouldn't go out of my way to find them, but if they're reasonably priced, I'd buy them.

• Yves Rocher Quelques Notes d'Amour perfume (would repurchase) - This little sample smelled SO good. This is the one and only Yves Rocher perfume I've tried, and if they're all this good, I need to smell more! This is musky and slightly rosy - the best of both worlds!

• Lush Honey I Washed the Kids Soap (would repurchase) - I really enjoyed this soap. It has a soft honey scent and is moisturizing. I love that it had a honeycomb imprint on it. I'd definitely buy this again. 

• Lush Butterball Bath Bomb (would repurchase) - The Butterball bath bomb is one of my favorites from lush. It smells like vanilla and makes the bath extra moisturizing. I have another of these in my closet, but it won't be my last. I'll always repurchase this. 

• Yankee Candle Winterland candle (would repurchase) - Aside from the fact this candle burned like crap (see all those ridges?!), it smelled nice like sweet peppermint and I enjoyed it.

• Target Toasted Almond soy candle (would repurchase) - This smelled really good, just like you'd imagine toasted almonds to smell. I loved the chic maroon glass packaging. All around good candle.

• B&BW Cranberry Pear Bellini candle (would not repurchase) - I don't really care for this scent. It's not bad, but just not anything I need.

• Old Factory Candle in Roasted Chestnut (would repurchase) - I loved the smell of this. A full review can be found here. 

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

Ever wondered what's in a swag bag from the Grammys??

Possibly unbeknownst to us normal folk, those of us who don't get to attend award shows and fancy celebrity events, all those people who go to the Grammys also go home with KILLER swag bags. And I got one....

How? You might ask... Well, I have the coolest boss on the planet and she had an awesome opportunity to go to the Grammy's this year, as well as the MusiCares event honoring Bob Dylan that same weekend. She knows of my love of all things beauty-related and she actually gifted me the swag bag she received (fear not - her husband also got one, so she still has all these goodies, too!) Seriously.. the most generous gift ever! I thought you might like to see! Here's what comes in the Grammy swag bags..

• 2015 Grammy Nominees CD - I've always loved these compilations of the year's best tunes. 
• Starskin Coconut Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Facial Mask - I don't know anything about these masks... the brand is totally new to me. 
• Essie Nailpolishes - These two colors are Summit of Style and Rock at the Top, from the Luxeffects line. Gorgeous bronze and gold chunky glitters.

The bag came with OPI nail polishes galore! The top three in the Rollin' in Cashmere pack are all from the Gwen Stefani line which I absolutely love and adore. The Get the Gold Treatment pack includes a matte top coat and one of the Sheer Tint polishes, as well as some nail decals. The pink box includes four mini polishes that go with a fun set that I'll mention a bit later...

• Redken All Soft Shampoo - I've never used a Redken shampoo, but this smells amazing and I can always use extra softeness in my tresses.
• Garnier Deconstructed Texture Tease - This stuff has that typical Garnier smell. It works really well to "dirty" up your hair and give it some oomph! I love it!
• Nick Chavez Starlet Shine Spray - I don't often use shine sprays, but I'll certainly give it a whirl. This is a new brand to me.
• Hairart Matte Perfect Volumizing & Texturizing Spray - I'm loving texturizers more and more, as my hair is prone to being limp and lifeless. This will be fun to try. Again, another new brand to me.
• Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 spray - This smells like cinnamon rolls!! And I love the classy packaging. This can be used as a texturizer after blowout and a dry shampoo for second day hair.

A whole slew of NYX goodies are in here, too. The NYX Suede Collection palette, which has a ton of awesome autumnal shades. There's also a mega-glittery Glam Aqua Luxe lipstick in the shade Divine - not really my thing, but I'm sure it'll find a good home. There's also The Curve liquid liner, something I've always wanted to try and quickly found out does not match how I like to hold my eyeliner wand. I love the thin tip of the pen though, so I'll make it work! There's also a full-sized Boscia BB Cream in bronze. It's entirely took dark for my face, but will work good when I get spray tans and I can mix it with my foundation to make it a tad darker. I love Boscia BB creams!

There's also some doggy items which Winnie will love by I Heart Pet Head. The first is the Dirty Talk Spearmint Lemongrass Deodorizing Shampoo which smells amazing. The second is the DeShed Me Fresh Watermelon Miracle Deshedding Rinse, which goodness knows we need. Winnie sheds like a beast!!

And also, my boss grabbed me this which I think is so hilariously awesome! It's meant for little girls, but hey.. I'm a kid at heart. Who can say no to a mini nail salon? Once I get a bookshelf for my beauty room, this is proudly being set out on display!

I don't know about you, but I'd go to the Grammy's solely for the sweet swag bag! But luckily, I got to watch from the comfort of my own couch and still get one! Let me know if you've tried any of these products! I love to hear from you all!

Dollar Tree Haul!

While running important errands this weekend (TJ Maxx, Big Lots... etc.) I decided to stop in to my local Dollar Tree and see if any fun beauty products had come in. Lucky for me (and you!) they had some really fun nail stuff that I couldn't pass up for such a cheap price!

These Essie UV-cured nail strips retail for $9.99 at target! What an awesome Dollar Tree find! While they had a few other designs, I got only three: glam it on, over the moon, and embrace the lace.

Nail strips are pretty hit or miss for me. Sometimes they work great, other times I can't get them to evenly fit on my nail. If you have any tips for me, please let me know in the comments!

LA Colors nail polishes are a hidden gem in the beauty world, in my humble opinion. I never see anyone write about them, but they perform pretty well and they have an extensive selection of colors. These super fun shades could not be left behind so I snatched up (L to R): Confetti, Craze, Candy Sprinkles and Purple Passion.

Fun items like these come and go quickly at Dollar Tree. Head over to your local store to see if you can find anything fun - and let me know if you do!

Essie - Exposure | Swatches & Review

You'll have to excuse my wonky nubbin' nails - they're STILL recovering after having acrylics back in the beginning of June. My poor nails just haven't been the same. And even when my nails look like poo, I can't resist painting them fun, bright colors. So despite my funky fingernails, I had to show you this  polish. (It's not new to the polish world, but I picked it up only recently -- I'm always so late on the polish game!)

Say hello to Essie's "Exposure", a hot pink cream polish. There's no shimmer or glitter to this beaut, it's just plain ol' hot pink and I absolutely love it. I also used Exposure on my toes too, and it is the perfect summer pedicure color.

For this manicure, I used two coats for full opacity and topped it off with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat. I have experienced some chipping along the tip of my nail within just 1-2 days, however I do think that's because of the top coat and not a testament to the staying power of this Essie polish.

While I'm not sure this color can be found in stores anymore, I do know you can find it on Amazon and eBay so if you love it - go get it! 

What are you wearing on your nails? Let me know!

Essie - On a Silver Platter | Review + Swatches

 natural lighting

Today I am wearing one of THE coolest nail polishes I own - Essie's "On a Silver Platter". I saw this in Walgreens not too long ago and absolutely could not walk away from it. I'm not one to spend full price on a nail polish often (as you probably already know) but I caved and spent the full price on this beauty!

On a Silver Platter is from Essie's Encrusted Treasures Holiday 2013 collection, so if you make your way to the drugstore soon, you'll still see this collection sitting on shelves. 

artificial lighting

I think what captivated me so much about this color is that I don't think I've seen anything quite like it -- EVER. It is so unique, and it the holographic goodness is practically blinding! 

On a Silver Platter is described as "pearlescent gold with holographic violet glitter." The underlying base has gold shimmer that catches the like light you've never seen, and the various sizes of holographic violet glitter pop in the more neutral sparkling base color. 

I'm wearing two coats, topped off with one coat of my go-to... Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

Really - have you ever seen anything like it? I think this is the most unique polish on the shelves for this holiday season, and really... the most unique polish in my collection! I highly recommend it - I don't want to take it off any time soon!!

Essie - Power Clutch

Say hello to an awesome autumn color, Essie's Power Clutch! This color is new to me, but old in the polish world; Power Clutch is actually from the Essie 2011 fall collection. I'm fairly certain I snagged this on sale at TJ Maxx, so go figure it's ages old. 

Power Clutch is a really great murky grey-green. More often than not this color appears more grey, but in different lights you can certainly see the blueish green undertones. This is a great cream finish polish that looks professional for work, and trendy for an evening out. A win-win in my book. 

Application was nice and smooth, typical to most Essie polishes I've used. I'm wearing two coats, topped off with one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat. 

If you like this color, you can find it all over the internet or at WalMart. 

Have you tried Power Clutch?

Nail Polish Haul - on a budget!

As I do basically any time I'm out running errands for various things, I swing by the cosmetics aisle. However, because my hobby is to play around with and collect cosmetics, I especially look within the clearance aisles of my favorite spots to see what I can snag for a deal. Very rarely do I pay full price for makeup or nail polish. 

This weekend was no different, and I ended up scoring BIG on some great nail products! I thought you might like to see what I picked up.

I am the most excited about this find! Maybelline Color Show Fashion Prints - FOR ONE DOLLAR EACH. These colors are probably from an outdated collection that's being clearanced out to make room for the fall collection, but that's fine by me. Other patterns in this brand still retail for $7.99 each! I found mine at Big Lots, and I got the patterns (from L to R): Midnight Lace, Wild Reptile, Fierce in Fuchsia, and Divine Crocodile.

I am over the moon about these Sally Hansen polishes I picked up at Target, on clearance for $1.74 each (down from the typical $2.99 price point). These three are from the summer line of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes, which was an exceptional collection if I do say so myself. I had grabbed these a handful of times, only to put them back to save a little extra $$, but when I saw them on clearance I finally bit the bullet! From left to right the colors are: Pink-Grape Fruit, Berry Juicy and Kiwi Bikini.

This is a random group of polishes that I bought at Walgreens. They were all discounted down to $2 and $3, and they also had a buy 1 get 1 half off sale, so I ended up spending $6.44 total - less than any of these typically costs individually! From left to right I got: Revlon Star Attraction in Star Crush (I hadn't realized this was a magnetic polish when I got it or I would have skipped it - oh well), Revlon Colorstay in Nude Beige, and Essie Power Clutch.

If I would have bought everything at full price, I would have spent around $63. Thanks to awesome sales, I got all of these nail products for just $15.66! I love a good sale. It's absolutely possible with the right coupons, clearance items, and a good eye that you can build a collection of beauty products on a budget!

Have you tried any of these polishes? Let me know in the comments below! I love to hear from you!

Quick Look: Essie - Jamaica Me Crazy

Here is a polish I've been lusting over for quite some time. It's nothing new or unseen, but it's just something I've had my eyes on. This is two coats of Essie's Jamaica Me Crazy. Don't you just love that name? This color is a beautiful, bright magenta filled with shimmer. I feel like the pictures I've seen make the shimmer look so much more pronounced than it actually looks on my own nails. It has a shimmery quality to it, but it doesn't take away from the color or catch the light intensely. I want to see how great this would look on my toes next.

Overall this is a great formula. It applied easily and smoothly, and didn't chip for 3 or 4 days. I couldn't ask for much more. 

What do you think?

Essie - Trophy Wife

Happy 2013 everyone! Hope you had a very happy NYE celebration, and 2013 has been treating you well so far. Today I'm wearing a polish I received as a gift at my bachelorette party earlier this summer, and funny enough the friend who got this for me didn't even read the name when she bought it! Hilarious, considering the name!

This is two coats of Essie's Trophy Wife, a shimmery turquoise that is stunning! I'm not one to go crazy for blues and turquoise colors, but this one is so full of shimmer and vibrancy that I'm sure I'll wear it again! I'd like to see how good this looks for a pedicure in the summer.

At first I thought this was going to be streaky, as it appeared that way when I was painting my nails, but it dried really nicely and you can hardly see any streaks. I'm not quite sure what made someone associate such a shimmery blue with a trophy wife (a bright pink or red comes to my mind), but I feel extra fabulous while wearing this, so maybe that's why. ;)

Essie - Splash of Grenadine

I am in love with this color. I don't even know what exactly you call this sort of almost neon pinkish purple, but Essie calls it Splash of Grenadine. This is a gorgeous summery pink/purple that is not something you see everday. 

I'm wearing two coats of Splash of Grenadine. Application was fabulous, and I easily could have used only one coat for an opaque coverage. I kept it nice and simple because I had a work event this weekend and didn't want to be too flashy. Even with no extra detail it's still a great stand alone mani. 

I think this would also look really pretty for a pedicure, especially with some fun designs or stamping.  What do you think? Are you in love with this color as much as I am?

Essie - Too Too Hot

I realized as I looked through the color listing on the left side of my blog that I have only worn one red polish, and that was way back in March (my very first post, actually)! That's unusual for me - I normally love wearing reds! I'm going to blame it on the fact that I don't like sporting red with nub nails, so now that my nails are at an agreeable length - I went red! This is two coats of Essie's Too Too Hot (which I found on sale for $3.99!!!!!!), from 2011's Braziliant collection. My ring finger is sporting Claire's Glitter top coat (one of my absolute favorite top coats - holo glitter, FTW!)

I still haven't played around too much with Essie polishes, but I think so far I really like them. The application was flawless, and I probably could have used only one coat, but I did two just for good measure. I have a TON more Essie polishes in my unused pile, so stay tuned.

Since I haven't used very many... I'm curious - what's your favorite Essie color?

Essie - A Cut Above

I am in LOVE with this manicure! I had the urge to wear a nude polish, so I picked up this unnamed The Color Workshop polish that I got in a set for my birthday. It's a very light, creamy pink color that I can't get enough of! 

I wanted to spice up this very professional pink, and that's where Essie's A Cut Above comes in. This is from Essie's luxeffects collection. I actually received this in my March Birchbox - a full polish bottle - score!!! I really love this color because it catches the light so well with all the shiny hex and micro glitter. 

I think this is a  fun way to jazz up a neutral polish, while still keeping it work-friendly. How do you spice up your nails for work?