Finger Paints - Blue Raspberry Taffy

Thursday, MAY 2ND we got 15.5" of snow in southern Minnesota. Hard, heavy, bringing-trees-down, knocking-power-out, cold, spring snow. One for the record books. So today, you can imagine I was in the mood for a spring nail color - something to make me forget that there is snow outside on May 4th. (Thankfully, the forecast shows mid-high 60s for the next week - buh-bye snow!)

This is two coats of Blue Raspberry Taffy by Finger Paints from the Spring 2012 Gumdrops & Lollipops collection (I got this on clearance recently, hence being a year late!). This is a lovely, creamy sky blue that is perfect for spring! There is not a whole lot that makes it unique (there are many colors just like this out there, in fact I'm sure I have a couple already in my own polish collection), but it is a pretty color, nonetheless. 

To jazz it up a little, I used an oldie but goodie, Last Friday Night by OPI from the Katy Perry collection (which I loved) on my middle and ring fingers. This is a super pretty blue glitter polish, filled with circular blue and silver round glitters, and a mix of micro glitter. I'm a big Katy Perry fan, so naturally I loved this collection, which I still pull out and incorporate in to my manicures now and then - which is saying something as I don't use many polishes over and over (total polish snob over here...). 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend as much as I am! Til next time! :) 

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Allure Beauty Box!

I am SO excited about what I'm going to show you today! I was lucky enough to snag an Allure Beauty Box when they went on sale a week ago. Within 10 minutes these babies were gone, and for good reason, too! For just $40, you get a bunch of full sized products valued at over $250! You read that right.... JUST $40!!!! And even cooler, a portion of the proceeds are donated to the Skin Cancer Foundation. If you didn't score a Beauty Box for yourself, don't worry - I'll give you all the details!

It came looking more organized than this, but I'd rifled through it a few times by this point.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Bon Chic 

According to the description, "Bon Chic celebrates style and joie de vivre." (whatever that means) This is a nice scent, but it's nothing unique and doesn't really stand out to me. I'm sure I'll use up the bottle, but I'm pretty sure it won't make it in to my favorites. 

Burt's Bees Lip Gloss in Spring Splendor

I've got a weakness for lip products, so I'm super excited to try this out. This is one of the new Burt's Bees lip glosses, made with natural oils and nutrients. 

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Bit Faker

Despite being a polish junkie, I have never tried any Butter London polishes as the high price is a bit of a deterrent. It appears to be full of bronze sparkles, and I can't wait to try it.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser

Cetaphil is a gentle daily cleanser that removes makeup, and oils without overdrying or irritating sensitive skin. I've tried this cleanser before and it's not bad, but with combination acne-prone skin, I often need something a bit stronger to keep things under control. 

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Damage & Color Repair Shampoo & Conditioner

This is a relatively new product line, and I haven't given it a try so I'm excited to give it a go. I've heard good things, and I can certainly use some damage repair on my hair! 

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes

This is a product I'm excited to try! I already use Dickinson's witch hazel toner and have enjoyed it (aside from the smell, which is awful) so I expect these will be nice as well. Witch Hazel is great for the skin, especially for calming redness and blemishes. I'll probably throw these in my gym bag for a quick clean before or after my workouts!

GKHair Leave-In Spray

This leave in spray by GKHair protects hair while moisturizing and repairing split ends. I'm all about leave-in sprays, so I'm sure I'll use this down to the last drop.

Neutrogena MicroMist Sunless Tanning Spray

Due to the fact I'm basically blinding people with my pasty white skin, I am overjoyed to receive this in my beauty box! This MicroMist airbrush sunless tan is supposed to apply streak and missed-spot free. This fair-skinned redhead can definitely use a product like this!

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15

Buying moisturizer is one thing I hate doing. I absolutely need it, but hate shelling out $10-15 for it. Luckily, this moisturizer came included in my beauty box, sparing me a moisturizer shopping trip any time soon! This moisturizer is 100% alcohol, fragrance, dye and oil-free. 

Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20

This is a product I will always skip over in the cosmetics aisle because the packaging is so boring. It's true to Neutrogena's brand, but there are a million other lip balms that will catch my eye before this one (even if this product rocks!) As you can see I already opened it up and tried it, and I have to say I like it! It has a sheer tint and goes on nicely - I just wish it wasn't shaped in an oval; it's kind of uncomfortable to put on because of the shape.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser

The thing that catches my eye about this product, is it claims to clean sensitive skin and remove 99% of dirt without stripping skin of it's natural moisture and softness. I will definitely be giving this a try soon!

Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir

You might recall I got a sample of this product in my April birchbox, and to be honest, I haven't even tried it yet! I've heard nothing but good things about this product so far, so tomorrow I'm going to try this out and see just how great it is. 

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Hair Cream

This product claims to give hair a sexy tousled wavy look with a matte finish. I can see this being a great summer product to help control frizz and give the hair some volume.

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in No. 6 True Teal

I absolutely love Pixi products, so naturally, I'm thrilled to receive one of their long-wearing and waterproof eyeliners! This teal color will be bold and bright for summer.

Pureology Colour Stylist Supreme Control Maximum Hold Zero Dulling Hairspray

I don't go through hairspray quickly, but I'm looking forward to trying this product out - even if it's for color-treated hair (which I don't have). It claims to provide maximum hold with extra shine. 

Redken Control Addict 28 High-Control Hairpsray

I think I now have enough hairspray to last me a lifetime. This Redken hairspray claims to hold hairstyles for 24 hours! If this is true, I will certainly be impressed. It also says it won't flake, will dry fast, and is brushable without being stiff. 

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-In Treatment

According to the description, this is Redken's #1 selling treatment which reduces breakage and minimizes split-ends, AND serves as a heat protectant! This is a product I'd normally skip past for a cheaper alternative, so I'm looking forward to trying this out!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in #400 Get Juiced

We all know I love a good nail polish! I've tried out one or two from this line of Sally Hansen polishes, and didn't love or hate them, so this will be a good addition to my collection. I love a good coral color!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Dry & Go Drops

I have to admit, I'm pretty curious about this product. A good topcoat should pretty much eliminate the need for something like this, but perhaps they work well in tandem? Needless to say, I will definitely be giving this a shot.

Sally Hansen Zero Bumps Bikini Spray

This product helps keep skin soft and smooth between shaving and waxing by reducing bumps, irritation and in-grown hairs. Interesting that it's scented...

Sation Nail Lacquer in Love at First Byte

I have never tried the Sation brand of nail polish, although I believe I do have one sitting in my "untrieds" pile, and I know I've seen them at Wal*Mart. I wish this was a different color, as it's pretty darn close to the Sally Hansen polish, but I'll give it a shot!

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Makeup Remover Pads

I love the Simple brand. I've tried a few of their products, and I'm currently using their cleansing pads (even on my eyes - oops!) so I can only assume that this will be another great product!

Suave Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil

Suave has stepped it up recently, eh? This product conditions without weighing hair down and smooths the cuticle for a long lasting shine. The conditioners in this product line weighed my hair down like no other (but smelled amazing!) but I'm willing to give this product a chance.

Tan Towel The Original Self-Tanning Towelette for Face & Body

I have to admit, I am REALLY skeptical of the product. How can a towelette have enough product on it to make your whole body evenly tan? I've also heard bad things about this (it's streaky, uneven, etc.) I would maybe attempt this on my legs while using another self tanner, but it will take some courage!

Tresemme Platinum Strength Strengthening Heat Protect Spray

I've used the Tresemme Heat Protect spray for years, only to change it up in the last couple months because I wasn't sure it was doing anything. However, I haven't tried this Platinum Strength version. I've been intrigued by this line of products, and even bought the shampoo and conditioner (which I have yet to try) - but I've heard good things and I can definitely get some use out of this product.

Well, that's all folks! Quite the steal, eh? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments below! 

Zoya - Aurora

Say hello to my new favorite nail polish! Long have I been lusting over Zoya's Aurora, and a couple months back I snagged it and (true to form) I let it sit in my "untrieds" pile for way too long! This color is absolutely amazing, which you might have guessed I would say, as it's jam-packed with holographic glitter - MY FAVORITE!

Aurora is a gorgeous plum color that is really out of this world. It looks like there are neverending layers of glitter on my nails. Beware, once your nails hit the sunlight - you will not be able to look away! Aurora definitely lives up to the hype, and I'm so glad I snagged a couple polishes from this line (Zoya's Ornate collection). I can't wait to try this on my toes for summer! 

Have a great Monday!!

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April Birchbox

Today I've got a different sort of post for you. Typically, I write only about various nail polishes that I use; however, while I love nail polish, and reviewing it for you, my love of the beauty industry spans more than the nail polish sector. I try out so many products and have an opinion on most of the items in the cosmetics aisles, and I want to share that with you as well. So, from today on out, I've decided to expand the scope of my blog to include more than just nail polish. Yay!

I figured, what better way to kick this off than to show you my April Birchbox. Let's back up for a second - for those of you who are unfamiliar with Birchbox, it's a monthly subscription service for beauty products. Each month, you get a box filled with 5 or 6 sample products to try out. Full sizes of the products are available on Birchbox.com if you like what you've tried! It's an awesome way to "test-drive" often expensive products before you shell the money out on them. For only $10 a month, you can't beat it! I've been a subscriber since October of 2010, and I've been really happy with it so far.

 If you're interested in signing up, click this link to join: www.birchbox.com?raf=owwcv

This month Birchbox teamed up with Women's Health to create a box designed by their wellness experts, filled with a collection of their favorite products. It came like this: 

Inside my Birchbox are the following items:

Caudalie Divine Oil | Full-size: $9-49

This is a 0.1 oz sample of Caudalie's Divine Oil. This can be used in a number of ways: on the skin, hair, or nails, adding a glow where you need it. It has a floral scent that, in my opinion, is a bit overwhelming. I will most likely use this just as a cuticle oil. The packaging notes that the Divine Oil is ideal for the face, but there is no way I'm putting this oil on my acne-prone skin!

Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir | Full-size: $20.99

I was really excited to see this sample, as I love Nexxus products and I'm pretty sure this is a new one! This is an anti-aging elixir that boots shine and cures dry ends, while reducing the odds of age-related breakage. It smells wonderful, and is a nice 0.14 oz sample. 

StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles | Full-size: $65

This is the product I am most excited about from this month's Birchbox. This is an anti-aging cream designed to diminish fine lines and reverse puffy circles. This is also a pretty decent sample size at 0.25 oz. It doesn't have any detectable smell, which is nice. I'm all about preventative anti-aging skin care, so I will certainly be using this sample until it's gone.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Anti-Shine Mattifier | Full-size: $36

This is an interesting sample. This mattifier zaps shine when you apply it to your T-zone (prior to applying foundation). This little pot is a 0.05 oz sample, and really I'm not a fan of this packaging. I'm not sure if I'll get much use out of this (I'm a little skeptical), but I'll certainly give it a shot. It feels sort of oily on the skin, which is odd for a "mattifying" product.

Weleda Body Lotion | Full-size: $16.50

I always enjoy lotion samples; it's kind of fun to try out something different than the lotions sitting on my vanity every day. These are 0.13 oz samples by Weleda in three distinct fragrances: Wild Rose, Pomegranate, and Sea Buckthorn. I have yet to try these out, but a friend of mine who is also a Birchbox subscriber mentioned that one of these smells like pickle juice - yuck!  I'm certainly not going to spend $16.50 on a pickle-juice scented lotion!

Women's Health One-Year Subscription

A cool little perk in this month's box is a free one-year subscription to Women's Health magazine. Being that I'm a big magazine junkie, I'll gladly take a free subscription! I almost looked past this little goodie, until I watched Eleventh Gorgeous' video for their Birchbox and Ipsy unboxing where they mentioned it - so I have to say a big thanks to them for cluing me in! 

Stay tuned! I'll be doing these Birchbox unboxings monthly and I've got lots of new, fun things up my sleeve! 

** This post contains my referral link. If you click on the link and sign up, I will earn credit towards Birchbox products.

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Orly - Peaceful Opposition

Wow, wow, WOW! This is such a fun, unique polish that I'm so glad I picked up. Today I'm rockin' two coats of Orly's Peaceful Opposition, which is part of Orly's 2013 Spring Hope and Freedom collection. This polish is a sheer milky white packed with silver and white square and hex glitters. This is such a cool polish; the glitter gets sandwiched between layers and makes a really nice effect on the nails. 

The application was a little tricky, as it got kind of chunky from the glitter, but I think if I would have been more patient and waited longer between coats, it would have been a total non-issue. I hope Orly comes out with more polishes like this, because this is just so pretty!

I got this polish at Sally Beauty, so go snatch up a bottle for yourself while you can!

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Nicole by OPI - Di-Vine is Divine

Today I've got an oldie but a goodie, a polish that has been sitting on my untried shelf for far too long. For some reason it just never caught my eye as I looked for something new to wear, but not any longer! Today I'm sporting Di-Vine is Divine from Nicole by OPI. 

This is two coats topped off with one coat of Seche Vite. The color is very pretty, a deep berry purple with a bit of shimmer. True to OPI fashion, application was very easy and smooth.

Funny enough, a couple years ago I wouldn't even wear dark purple polish like this. I just didn't like the deep, blue-ish hue. Nowadays, I've come around and actually enjoy purple nails every now and then. While this color is very pretty, there isn't anything too special about it. I'm not in love with it, although I don't dislike it. I probably won't reach for it again, unless it fits with a theme or certain outfit. There's just not much else to say! 

Color Club - Blue Heaven

Today I have a polish I've been very excited to wear since receiving it for Christmas; it's a polish from Color Club called Blue Heaven. This polish is from the Halo Hues collection (a collection entirely of holographic colors), and if you've spent any time reading my blog you know my ultimate favorite polishes are holographics!

This is two coats of Blue Heaven, topped off with OPI's Start to Finish top coat (which I am NOT a fan of, but I left my Seche Vite at home). Because of the junk top coat I used, my nails chipped rather quickly, but I can't bring myself to remove it quite yet. It's just too pretty!

The application was pretty good, although I'm curious to know if it would chip as fast even with Seche Vite as a top coat. I got two others from the collection, and I can't wait to show you if they're as pretty as this polish!

What is your favorite style of polish?

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