The Secrets of Blogging Tag

I was tagged by the always fabulous Kate Spitz to do the Secrets of Blogging tag. This tag is really fun because it gives you a bit of an inside look at my blog. While I may not have many great secrets for you (I'm still figuring things out as I go!), I've enjoyed reading others' tags and hope you'll choose to do this tag, too!

1. When did you start blogging and why?

I started Glazed Over in March of 2012, but actually started blogging in 2011 (maybe earlier - I can't quite remember) using Tumblr. I initially started blogging because of my love of nail polish, but then began incorporating beauty in to the mix in the spring of 2013. Makeup and beauty products are a creative outlet for me and I love sharing my hobby with others.

2. How many people in "real life" know about your blog?

While it certainly doesn't come up in conversation when I first meet people, my friends and family know about it. I have felt self-conscious or hesitant to really talk about it with many people for fear of how it may be perceived, but I've challenged myself to be more open about it as I AM proud of my blog and don't think it should be anything to be kept a secret. 

3. What are your favourite posts to read?

I love reading empties posts. It sounds crazy - I love posts showing others trash! But I think they give the most accurate reviews, since one has used an entire product up. I also enjoy posts with swatches and anything relating to skincare because I'm a junkie.

4. List a blog you have discovered recently.

I recently started following La Belle Sirene. She has a great mix of beauty and fashion posts with beautiful photography!

5. Which posts are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my blogs from January of this year and on. My husband gifted me a Canon Rebel for Christmas and since then I think my blog has looked so much better than before. (Thanks, love!)

6. What advice would you give to future bloggers?

I'm not really sure if I'm quite qualified to be giving advice, but I'd say write about your passions and if it becomes a chore, then quit. If you love what you write about, it comes easily and people will enjoy reading. 

I tag:

Courtney - La Belle Sirene

Arielle - Beauty by Arielle

Amy -  A Little Boat Sailing

Meaghan - xoxo Meaghan

I'd encourage anyone else to do this tag as well, and send me the link to your post so I can read it!

This Week #12

Got my spray-tan on//A woodchuck hanging out on my deck// Happy family// Garden on the side of my house

Happy Sunday, ya'll! We made it through the week! 

This week was spent in good company. It started off having burgers and delicious Vietnamese appetizers with my bestie on Monday evening. After dinner we all sat around and watched American Ninja Warrior - have you guys watched this show?! There is something so mesmerizing about it... so enthralling to watch as someone who suffers from weak pansy arms.

Tuesday brought more quality time spent with a friend, this time catching up with someone I hadn't seen in far too long. She's heading back on her travels to start grad school for creative writing states away from me, so I'm glad we got to spend time together before she's off on her next adventure.

At the end of the week I spent a lot of time getting ready for a joint garage sale another friend and I hosted on Saturday. It took us til nearly 10 PM to get everything set up on Friday, and we were back and at it with people arriving as early as 7 AM on Saturday. We got rid of a LOT of things and had a successful go at our first garage sale! 

The rest of Saturday was a bit hectic. After the garage sale, Jake and I were headed out of town to celebrate my sister-in-law's 30th birthday and on our way we ended up getting rear-ended REALLY hard. Luckily, Jake, Winnie and I were all OK but it took over 2 hours to get all sorted out. Our car has to get towed the 80 miles back home, and fortunately my parents were in town visiting family and were able to give us a ride back home. So thankful for them. Sadly, we weren't able to make it to my SIL's party and her gift got smashed and broken in our trunk. Not the best end to Saturday, but I am just thankful we are all OK and no one got hurt. 

This Sunday is for resting, running some errands and refreshing before the week begins. Hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous! See you back here on Monday!

Empties #7

Lots of empties for you this month! Let's get started!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Wild - This is my absolute favorite scent of Batiste dry shampoo that I have ever tried. It has a sexy scent that I loved smelling in my hair. I think I've found a new holy grail. Would I repurchase?  Absolutely. 

gud Natural Nourishing Shampoo & Softening Conditioner in Vanilla Flame - These surprised me... I bought them on a whim because I saw them on clearance and I absolutely loved both of them. They smelled great and made my hair super soft and manageable. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Dove body wash in Pistachio Cream with Magnolia - This smelled heavenly. I really loved this body wash as it was really creamy and hydrated my skin. Would I repurchase? Already have.

Boots extracts body wash in Bergamot - You've seen some of the other Boots body washes in my previous empties posts, and all have been really nice to use. I didn't like this scent as much as the others, but it was a good body wash. Would I repurchase? Probably.

The Body Shop body scrub in Chocomania - This was a really nice body scrub, especially for use before sunless tanning. It had a nice thick sugary grit and it didn't leave any oil residue behind. And can we just talk about the smell? Oh... that smell. I wanted to eat this scrub it smelled so delicious! Would I repurchase? Yes. 

Yes to Cucumbers Hypoallergenic facial towelettes - These are a tried and true favorite of mine. I've come to love them a little less lately, but they still do the trick and I've got some more packs to use up. Would I repurchase? Yes, already have.

Almay Soothing & De-Puffing eye makeup remover pads - I definitely didn't notice any de-puffing going on thanks to these wipes, but they removed my eye makeup just fine. Would I repurchase? Probably.

Michael Todd Skin Loving aloe & cucumber natural makeup removal towelettes - I received these as a bonus with a Michael Todd order, but I have to say I'm glad I didn't pay for these. They were not wet enough for my taste and the towelettes were smaller than your average makeup wipe. Would I repurchase? No.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation - I've rambled a million times about this. Full review here. Would I repurchase? Already have.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara - I really enjoyed using this. It made my June favorites, where you can read more about this product. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Pixi Large Lash Mascara - This name is not descriptive of the product inside. This was WAY too natural for my taste. It didn't volumize, didn't lengthen, and certainly didn't make my lashes large. I didn't enjoy using this. Would I repurchase? No.

Maybelline Great Lash in clear - I use this to set my eyebrows and it does the job. Not much more to say. Would I repurchase? Yes, already have.

Wet n Wild Mega Liner in black - This is a holy grail eyeliner for me, and you've seen it in previous empties. I don't go without this. Would I repurchase? Yes, already have.

Lypsyl beeswax lip balm - This balm was in some sort of limited edition scent (I want to say pomegranate plum but I'm not 100%) and I picked it up on a whim at Walgreens. It completely exceeded all expectations, and I LOVED it. It was really hydrating and comfortable on the lips. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm - I love Carmex.. I've always got some in my stash. I loved this cute packaging. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment - I love this stuff for when I have sore lips or a canker sore that's irritating my lips. It's tingly and numbing and has crazy healing powers. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Crest Glamorous White toothpaste - Meh, just toothpaste. It was fine, but probably not worth the extra money for its "whitening powers". Would I repurchase? Yes.

B&BW antibac in Pink Vanilla Macaron - This smelled so good! I loved the Sweet Shop collection from this spring and wish all those scents weren't limited edition! Would I repurchase? Yes.

Montagne Jeunesse Super Fruit & Creamy Coconut face masks - Full reviews of these can be found here. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Malin+Goetz gentle neroli shampoo - I got this sample in a Birchbox and it was good for one wash. It smelled kind of like bergamot to me and it did a good job cleaning my hair. Would I repurchase? Maybe.

Coach Poppy Flower parfum - This smelled really nice. It had notes of water lily and jasmine and was very fresh smelling. It's not really something I need in my collection however. Would I repurchase? No.

Biore Deep Pore Charcoal cleanser - This smelled really good and felt sort of minty and tingly on my face. I would really like to get the full size of this. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Yankee Candle in Pink Lady Slipper - This smelled really nice and well, floral. It had kind of a powdery scent somewhere in there, too. Would I repurchase? Probably not.

B&BW candle in Pink Lemonade Pound Cake - Another item from The Sweet Shop spring collection, AKA the best collection B&BW has put out (in my humble opinion). This smelled so sickeningly sweet in the best way... I loved every second of this candle. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Yankee Candle in Summer Wish - Summer Wish is a favorite Yankee scent of mine. It has a nice fresh, floral scent and makes any room smell great. Would I repurchase? Yes.

There ya have it. Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

One Direction Makeup Line

Have I got your attention, ladies?! Your eyes aren't deceiving you... One Direction is coming out with their own branded makeup line and I've got ALL the details! Keep reading to find out all you ever wanted to know about the band's first ever makeup line created by Marwins International.

Dubbed the "Looks Collection", the boy band has three different sets coming to stores near you soon: "Up All Night", "Midnight Memories" and "Take Me Home". The set I've got to show you today is the "Up All Night" collection which features a lipstick, lip gloss, eyeshadow palette, nail polish, mascara, eyeliner, and stencil set.  

A real highlight of the set is the "Stand Up" eye and body crayon, a dark denim blue. The crayon is creamy and extremely pigmented. It also has great staying power - it hardly came off my arm with a makeup wipe.

The lipstick in the collection is appropriately named "I Should Have Kissed You" and is a neon bubblegum pink. It's extremely bright and pigmented, but is quite hard and tough to smooth over the lips. The consistency of this lipstick was such a disappointment.

I attempted to salvage the dry lipstick by using the "Taken" Liquilights Glow Gloss over top, a glitter filled neon pink lip gloss that supposedly turns orange under UV lighting. Because of the chunky glitter in this lipgloss, it was super itchy and uncomfortable on the lips. Overall, both of the lip products in this set were disappointing.

From left to right the palette includes: "More Than This" a soft blush pink, "Save You Tonight" a shimmery turquoise blue, "Gotta Be You" a shimmery taupe, "Another World" a glittery royal blue, and "Up All Night" a glittering blue creme eye shadow. 

The highlights of this palette are "Save You Tonight" and "Gotta Be You" - the turquoise and taupe colors. They're both soft, albeit a tad powdery, but gorgeous once applied. The blush pink is extremely powdery and has less than stellar pigmentation, and both of the glittery deep blue shades are uneven and tough to work with.

Also included in this set is the One Direction nail varnish in "Na Na Na". This is an aqua colored polish. I have yet to test this out, but it looks beautiful in the bottle.

According to the packaging, these stencils are to personalize the tin box these goodies come in. Personally, if I was a tween girl - I'd be grabbing up that teal crayon above and giving myself some tattoos.

The One Direction makeup line becomes available in the US beginning August 11th. Take a look below to find where you can purchase these sets:

US RELEASE DATES:
Macy's - August 11th
Stage Stores – August 25th
Dillards – August 25th
Beauty Brands – August 25th
Lord and Taylor - August 25th

*International release dates TBD

If you're a fan of One Direction, these are fun keepsake limited edition collections to snatch up. The quality is what you'd expect for a teen makeup kit - some things are surprisingly good (like some of the eye shadows) and most of it is less than stellar (like the dry sticky lip stick). This kit is fun and has a nice range of items that any gal can appreciate. If you love One Direction, I'd say go out and get them! But if you want to purchase these because you're a lover of quality makeup, I'd tell you to pass.

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!

Montagne Jeunesse: Super Fruit Mud Mask & Creamy Coconut Mask

I am a total sucker for face masks. My favorite way to really pamper myself is to pull out one of my favorite face masks, and I'm always on the hunt for something new. So when I got an opportunity to try some Montagne Jeunesse face masks, I couldn't say no. I've seen these in stores for ages, and many of you have probably tried them (or at least thought about trying them) before yourself. They're cheap and fun to use! Here are my thoughts on a couple different masks.

The first mask I tried was the Super Fruit Mud mask, a mask made with goji berries. According to the Montagne Jeunesse website, "Goji Berries are one of the most powerful super fruits around so this mud packs a punch when it comes to protecting against the drying effects of environmental stresses. We've added nutrient rich Pomegranates too – POW!"

The Super Fruit Mud mask smells lightly fruity and floral, and stung when I applied it to my face. Nothing horrible, but enough to be uncomfortable for a bit. This reminded me of the classic Queen Helene Mint Julep mask in terms of consistency and texture. As it dried, it felt nice and cool and it left my face stiff. I left it on for 15 minutes, and washed it off with warm water. 

Overall, I really didn't notice anything different with my skin after using this mask. It didn't break me out, and it didn't do anything special. 

The second mask I tried is the Creamy Coconut mask. The Montagne Jeunesse website says, "We've harnessed the hydrating goodness of fresh Coconut Water and added lots of lovely ingredients to moisturise and hydrate, including super smoothing Shea Butter."

The Creamy Coconut mask smells like fake coconuts - the typical "coconut" lotion or tanning lotion smell. This mask had a much thinner consistency compared to the Super Fruit Mud mask, and applied more like a lotion. This mask didn't sting at all, and felt cool and refreshing as it dried on my skin. 

The next morning my face felt hydrated without being oily and my skin looked even and balanced. Between the two masks, this was definitely my favorite.

I really enjoy using Montagne Jeunesse face masks. They're super cheap (usually $2 and under) and I am able to get 2-3 uses from each packet. If you're like me and get bored easily with one product, these masks are the perfect way to try something new without breaking the bank each time you do. I'd recommend trying these if you're a face mask lover!

This Week #11

Top to Bottom, L to R: A homecooked meal//a good eyeliner day//6-month-old Winnie//'20s after-party!

Happy Sunday, ya'll! How was your week?

My week was equal parts chaotic and wonderful. A busy work week made things go by in a flash, but I still found time for some things I wanted to get around to post-work. On Tuesday, Jake and I started using the Couch to 5k app just to switch up our workouts a bit. We go for long, brisk walks in our neighborhood as often as we can, but we wanted a new challenge. So far we're really liking throwing some jogging in the mix. Winnie has been enjoying it, too. 

On Wednesday, the company I work for threw an after-party for an event in town and it was '20s themed (see above). It was lots of fun to get glammed up. And on Thursday we had our company picnic, which I also helped staff - a great night of good food and even better company. I'm lucky to work with some really great people.

Friday evening was spent grilling with my parents at my house. They brought Jake and I some fun goodies from New Orleans, their summer vacation spot. Watch out - I've got a voodoo doll now, folks! 

While the weather wasn't as ideal as the Weather Channel promised on Saturday, Jake and a friend of ours decided to go tubing nonetheless. It was SO much fun, but we were completely shot and ended up going to bed at 8:30 last night. I haven't been that tired in ages! 

Today brings even more fun - a birthday party for Jake's cousin and the Demolition Derby at the fair (the 1% of hick in me loves it!) 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, loves! See ya Monday!