{Haul} My first Julep Maven Box!!!

Hey there! I've been hauling a lot of stuff lately and thought I'd share. Instead of doing a really really long collective haul that would take me forever to type up, I thought I'd share a few small hauls that don't take me as long to bang out lol.

Now, I've never been one for the monthly beauty subscription boxes, mainly because I don't think they are worth it to me. I'd rather save my money and splurge for a few high end items rather than get a lot of small samples. I'm very surprised when I hear other bloggers reviewing two, three, or even four boxes every month. That's a lot of money to be spending on these boxes every month and honestly, it's not how I see myself spending my money. That being said, when I saw an ad about getting the Julep Maven box for a penny (with free shipping too!), I couldn't resist. I don't have any Julep stuff, but I've heard their products are very good. I'm not sure if I'd ever dish out the $20 a month for this stuff, but for a penny this is a bargain!

**If you want to get your first maven box for a penny, just checkout with the code PENNY. I think this offer is ongoing because I heard about it last year and only just now figured I'd give it a try. And I think it only works for the first month, but Julep is very good with thheir subscription service. You can see what you're getting ahead of time, have your pick of several different boxes, skip any month you want, send it to someone else, etc. **

L-->R: Julep The Best Pdi Creme Ever!, Nail Verenis in Courtney (the green), Hayden (the peach), and two freebie toe thingies.

Everything is full size. I got the box for a penny. The retail value of the box: $50. The hand cream is $22 (for 2 oz) and the polishes are $14 (for 0.27 oz).

Each month they offer a different beauty product. This month, instead of the hand cream you get a nail polish remover. There's also an option every month to get three polishes instead of two and a beauty product.

I've very happy with the shades I got. I looked through all the boxes they had up for the month (and they post swatches on their blog--real swatches, not shitty Sephora like ones haha) and these were the shades that appealed most to me.

Hayden is a pastel peach. It's described on the Julep site as a "neon peach cream" but just by looking at it in the tube, it doesn't really look neon to me. I love peach shades on my hands and feet tho in the summer. It just looks really clean and pretty, but not too over the top for work.

Courteney is a light green shade, described as a "key lime green" on the Julep site. That description is spot on. I don't have a lot of greens and they tend to be minty greens. This one is more warm toned and matte, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I know a lot of people are over the matte pastels after spring, but I think these will look pretty during the summer as well, especially Hayden. I'm really happy with my choices!




















The last item in the box is The Best Pedi Creme Ever!, a foot cream. I'm looking forward to trying this out on my feet, but I don't think I will purchase this one for full price because for a little less I can get some from The Body Shop that are absolutely phenomenal to use overnight. I will test this one out and fully review it though.

There you have it! My first Julep Maven box! Anyone else try this out? Are you happy with what you got? Let me know in comments!

{Favorites} May 2012!

Hey there! It's been a while since I've done one of these favorites posts, so this is really a what-I've-been-using-for-the-past-three-months post and not just a May favorites post lol!

I've got a good variety of things too! I've really just been sticking to mostly basics lately because I've been on the go and working out a lot in the evenings, so I haven't been wanting to pile on a lot of makeup during the day only to have it melt off my face at the gym.

L --> R: Being True Energy Work Active Body Peel, Rimmel Fix &
Perfect Pro Primer, and RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream.

First up is skin care! I've really been trying to use as little as possible on my face. My skin has calmed down, post uni stress, and I haven't been breaking out. I have been using a sunless tanner so exfoliation is a must. The Being True Active Body Peel has been my favorite way of exfoliating for a long long time now (original review here). I reviewed it fairly extensively last summer, feel free to check out that review! I love it so much that this is actually my second tub of it! It's on the pricy side, $43 plus shipping, but worth every penny to me. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and my sunless tanning gel applies very smoothly, with rarely any streaks or patches. I highly recommend!

The Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer has been another go to in this warm weather. I haven't been wearing a lot of foundation lately, but I like this as a hybrid moisturizer/mattifier. It's not necessarily the best of either that I've used, but at the price, around $6, it works well to make my skin soft and matte. It is a silicone based primer, so if you don't like the feel of those on your skin, this one will not be right for you. And it doesn't work as well as the Smashbox primers, but for the price, it does a good job.

Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream

The ROC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream my mom actually picked up for me because I mentioned to her I ran out of my Biore Cooling Eye Gel, which I was in love with at uni because I was pulling a lot of all nighters and it would make my eyes de-puff like nothing else I've every used. My mom has an obsession with eye creams and has tried to get me to use something with retinol for a while now instead of, according to her, wasting money on eye creams with no active ingredients. The RoC cream is a bit more expensive than other eye creams at the drugstore level, but then again this is supposed to be anti-aging, so around $22 really isn't too bad. Does it work to get rid of wrinkles? Well, I really can't tell because I don't have wrinkles, but my mom is also using it so I'll see how it works for her. I like it because it moisturizes, but absorbs very quickly. A lot of eye creams tend to be too heavy and just sit there. It also de-puffs! I was surprised because it's not really all that cooling or anything like that.

My only complaint with this product is the packaging. It's in like a metal/foil package, so I have to be careful to use it from the end in because otherwise too much product is squeezed out. Also, because there is constant pressure on the cream inside the metal packaging, the tip tends to seep a little into the cap, which can be messy sometimes. Other than that so far so good with this eye cream, but I guess time will tell! I'll be doing a full review in the future!

L -->R: Being True Energy Work Active Body Peel, Rimmel Fix &
Perfect Pro Primer, and RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream.

Stila 8 Pan Eyeshadow Palette

I've been meaning to get a palette for my Stila eyeshadows for a while now and when Stila was on Haute Look a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to purchase the 8 pan palette and I love it! So glad to not have to store my shadows in the little plastic containers they used to come in. I actually prefer organizing them in a palette as opposed to the compacts they are currently being sold in. For me it's a lot easier to store and travel with them this way. The case is sturdy and has a full size mirror. And the brush the palette comes with is pretty good too!

L -->R: Starlight, Cloud, Grace, Barefoot Contessa,
Jade & Lemon (empty was from Chinois--matte bone shade).

These aren't all of my Stila Shadows, just the ones that aren't packed away. I've mostly been using the top row, especially Starlight, Grace, and Barefoot Contessa. I really want Viola, which is similar to Grace, but warmer and deeper. Cloud is a nice shade, but more of a going out shade because it applies very silver. Jade and Lemon are nice, but I haven't been using them all that much lately. Lemon applies a bit too yellow/gold on my skin. The top row is my go to quad for any occasion.

L --> R: Starlight, Cloud, Grace, Barefoot Contessa, Jade &  Lemon.
(applied wet)

If you want to get similar colors for less, the CoverGirl trio in Shimmering Sands is a pretty good dupe for Starlight, Grace and Barefoot Contessa. Not the same shades, the Stila ones are a bit darker, but pretty close for under $5.

L --> R: Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss in Anabelle, CoverGirl Lash Exact
Mascara in Black & Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished.

Other than shadows the rest of my looks have been pretty simple. Most days I only do mascara and gloss. Click here to read my review of the Charlotte Ronson gloss. I'm in love with it! Such an easy look, a little taupe shadow, touch of mascara, and juicy sheer red lip. Or, same shadow/mascara combo, but a shimmery sheer plummy lip instead. Effortless, and looks very simple and chic for summer.

L --> R: Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished, Charlotte Ronson
Lip Gloss in Anabelle & CoverGirl Lash Exact Mascara in Black .

And I've been loving the CoverGirl Lash Exact mascara for several reasons. If you've been reading my blog for a while you've probably noticed that I'm not a a bit fan of those plastic bendy mascara applicators. They tend to clump and leave my lashes looking long and spidery and clumpy, not a look I like. I'm more into thick and curled. This mascara, the waterproof version of it, for some odd reason, works. I was shocked. My sister had a tube and I borrowed it, fell in love, and bought one for myself. It gives me thick, lashes that stay curled day, and most importantly do not smudge at all at the gym, no matter how much I sweat! Not a big fan of the clean up at night, it takes forever to remove it, even with an oil based makeup remover, but totally worth it for me.

Top --> bottom: Sally Hansen Liptonic Gem Gloss in Embellished
& Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss in Anabelle.

This picture really doesn't do the Sally Hansen gloss justice. It's so much prettier in person and  it's appeared several times on this blog. It was a staple in my makeup bag (see here) and it's even a dupe for MAC's Dazzleglass in Datenight (see comparison here!). All in all, it's replaced my Chanel Glossimer in Imaginaire, which is crazy given I got this gloss for a buck at the Dollar Tree and paid over $26 for the Glossimer.

OPI Nail Polish in A Good Man-Darin is Hard to Find

My last fave for this month is a nail polish. I don't post many nail polish pics because I can never get the swatches or even pics of the bottles to show up accurately in pics. I'm gonna try to show more from now on, maybe swatch some on tape or something.

           OPI Nail Polish in A Good Man-Darin is Hard to Find

This shade is perfect for summer. I have been favoring neons a lot too, but this shade has been a go to for my feet. It's a bright orange, almost tomato-ish, but not too red. It looks very bright in some lights and almost red in others. A really pretty color for toes, especially with it being flip flop season. It's completely matte and you could get away with one coat in a hurry because it's very opaque. I've had it on my feet for the last three or four weeks straight and I always get asked what color I'm wearing!

So there's pretty much what I've been wearing these past three months. I've been keeping it simple, half out of laziness half out of determination to finish some of these products too haha!

Tried any of these products? Loved them? Hated them? Let me know in comments!

{Summer Must Haves} Bright Polish!

(L to R) Essie Funky Limelight and Sinful Colors Pink.

Sorry for the long absence. I've spent the last almost three weeks in NYC!!! I had so much fun, but now I'm back and I'll be blogging regularly again, starting with another Summer Must Haves post!

Obnoxiously bright polish is a must have for the summer, especially for feet. I've got nearly all the fluorescent shades available, from green to blue to purple and etc, but my favorites are the two above. On the left is Essie's Funky Limelight which came out in the summer of '09. On the right is Sinful Colors Pink. Sinful Colors' neon's are available now in a ton of shades if you want them. I've really been loving these on my toes, especially Pink. It is so eye catching I always get compliments with it on1 The only downside to these polishes is that they tend to be a bit sheer, so you will need around three to four coats for full opacity. I know, that sounds daunting, but their formula dries within a minute, I'm not kidding, so three to four coats won't take an hour. Another thing is that they dry to almost a matte finish, so you will need a top coat. Other than that, these are great and I highly recommend!

{Review} Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Black Pearl

Hi everyone! This is going to be a review for the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in Black Pearl. Although I do have other Chanel nail polishes, this is going to be my first review of one on the blog. I just had to do a review on such a pretty and unusual color!

The shade I got is Black Pearl, from the Chanel Spring 2011 collection. I think you might be able to still find it in a few stores, but I would hurry. The color is a blackened, metallic teal/green, with blue and green glitters in it as well.

One thing I really love about Chanel nail polishes is that the big square cap comes off. I really like Lancome nail polishes too, but they can sometimes be very difficult to use because the cap is so large and as far as I've tried, isn't removable.

And finally, swatches:

It's a blackened metallic muted teal/green with blue and green sparkles in it.

On the nail it is very very metallic, but honestly my nails look atrocious right now lol! I don't have anything like this in my collection. I have things that have a similar finish, but not even close on the shade so I fell in love! As far as dark colors go, this one actually isn't too bad on the nail which I like. It is very very metallic so it reflects light. You will need two coats to reach full opacity and they dry fairly quickly. If you don't like any streaks in even metallic polishes then I would stay away from this polish. Although it looks stunning, it takes a bit of work to apply it evenly. I don't mind the effort as I quite like metallic polishes. That's the only negative (well, other than price) that I can think of. I love Chanel's unique colors and this one is no exception.

Info:

Price: $25

Ingredients: (to be posted)

Summer Nails Part 2 (NYC, Sally Hansen, & Milani!)

Here's another summer nail post! This time, with cheaper nail polish, too.
Left to right, NYC Molten Metal (from an earlier collection, but you can probably find it on ebay/a dupe), Sally Hansen Bronze Ambition, and Milani Electric Pink.

Oh, and FYI, THE PICTURES ARE NOW CLICK-ABLE, SO CLICK IF YOU'D LIKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ANY OF THEM!!!

Ok, first up, NYC Molten Metal:

This is two coats. It's a sheer color, so I would recommend layering it over another color. It looks great over Wet n' Wild's Black Creme. I'll post a pic of the combo later. It is uber glittery! I've noticed that metalic shades always make a big com back in the spring and summer, and this ones a good choice, if a bit annoying to apply due to it's lack of opacity.

Next up is Sally Hansen's Bronzed Ambition:

Now, I'm not a big fan of the Sally Hansen Salon line. I feel that SH puts the word "salon" on just about any crappy nail polish to trick hopeful consumers into snapping them up. Unfortunately, it is true with the formula of this line. The brush is a bit smaller than I'd like, so application is a uncomfortable and streaky. However, every now and then a shade comes along that I just have to get. This polish got my attention immediately. It's a super glitzy, glittery, warm shade of bronze. If you have a tan, this shade will look killer on you! Also, the shimmery shades in the Salon line do apply better than the creme/matte shades, which is a plus. I'd just be careful applying more than two coats. If you absolutely need to, go with super thin coats otherwise you will have a mess on you hands, no pun intended, as these polishes take eons to dry. And I think that SH is phasing this line out (to be replaced with the new Complete Salon Manicure line), so snap this shade up while you still can. I've still seen these in a couple of Walgreen's, so hurry! There's also a silver version of this color if you're interested!

Last but not least, Milani Electric Pink:

This one was actually given to me by a friend, and is A LOT brighter than the picture shows. Think neon. I love this shade for my feet. On my hands it feels a bit too much, but I love how much attention my feet get whenever I wear this color. I always get compliments when I do. The formula is good, too! It dries in a reasonable amount of time and is super shiny. It's usually a lot shinier than the pic above shows. I've had to thin this polish out with nail polish remover cause I've used it so much that it was getting glumpy (is that a word?). Using nail polish remover (as opposed to clear nail polish) detracts from the lacquer shine you'd normally see with the Milani polishes. I highly recommend this polish. I've been wearing it for weeks on my feet!

Oh, and the little red mark is just a small cut :( It hurt like heck when I was cleaning my nails off with polish remover :/ Hope you enjoyed and more to come!

Summer Nails Part 1 (OPI)

Left to right: Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey, Bronzed to Perfection, Vodka and Caviar

I'm starting a new series of nail polishes by season and this will be the first installment (well, duh, haha). Here are three great nail polishes perfect for summer, all by OPI. I'll try to have an installment a week.

Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey (Russian collection)

Get it? As in a cosmonaut? Haha, took me a while. Anyway, I usually go with one coat. Gives lots of shimmery goodness! It's one of my favorite shimmery beige's.

Bronzed To Perfection (South Beach collection)

I know it looks kinda ugly on my finger nail, but it looks amazing on the feet. It's unlike any other color I own. It's a red based, very warm, rich brown with golden glitter. This was the only polish I got from the South Beach collection as the other ones were variations on what I already have. I guarantee you that you do not have anything like this in your collection.

And finally, Vodka and Caviar (Russian collection)

This one is the perfect cherry red. It does have a bit of a jelly texture so it does apply slightly on the sheer side, but it is the perfect blue based red. If you have a tan this polish will made your skin look even tanner.

More to come!

Mini Haul!

I went over to the Dollar Tree yesterday and was shocked at what I stumbled upon! I found Sally Hansen Salon polishes at two for a dollar!!! And imagine my shock at finding limited edition shades from the Tracy Reese collections!

And sorry in advance for the crappy pics. They were taken with my cell :(

The two shades I got were Arabian Nights (left) and Pink Twice (right). I actually wanted to get Arabian Nights when the collection first came out but I couldn't find it anywhere. I probably went to three CVS's and still couldn't get it, so to find it at the Dollar Tree, and only for $1 was great!


Again I got Arabian Nights, which is a purple with pretty golden shimmer in it, and Pink Twice, a shimmery pink.

Here's a swatch I found of Arabian Nights from All Lacquered Up:

(image)

Isn't it so pretty!?

Review: Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Cherry Red

The shade is a true cherry red, like a maraschino cherry. The formula is a bit of a creme/jelly mix. It is totally matte and applies easily. In the above pic, I used two coats, so it is a bit shearer. But you can easily do three for full coverage.

The brush:


Side of the brush:

One of the reasons I love this line of polishes is the brush. Unlike many of Sally Hansen's polishes, the brush on this one is flat. A flat brush is much easier to apply polish with than a round one. You'll get a more even application in less strokes. I only wish the brush was just a teeny bit shorter so that it'd be a little bit easier to control. Other than that, it's great.

Xtreme Wear really does describe the wear of this polish. It easily lasts a full week with very few chips, just a little line at the very edge of the nail. If I put it on my feet, I can wear it for almost two weeks without having to redo my toes, which is great. And the formula of these is one of the best, in my opinion, of all Sally Hansen Polishes. It hardens very quickly, so you're not left with a gooey mess on your hands (literally), and lasts and lasts. It's also supposed to be a nail strengthener, but you'll have to judge that for yourself. I didn't really see much of a change in my nails. And finally, at $2.99 it's a lot cheaper than many drugstore polishes, which is great!

I don't know how well you can tell from the first picture, but the bottle is nearly empty. I've been using it on my feet for the past few months nearly non-stop.


Info:

Price: $2.99

Ingredients: Clear Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, SD Alcohol 40-B, Nitrocellulose, Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin, n-Butyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl Tosylamide, Camphor, Benzophenone-1, Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate, Mica, Guanine, Violet 2. Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear - Color Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate,Nitrocellulose, Propyl Acetate, Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl Tosylamide, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Camphor, Diacetone Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Benzophenone-1, Citric Acid, Dimethicone. MAY ALSO CONTAIN: Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate. MAY CONTAIN: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Red 6 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Red 34 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Guanine, Violet 2, Aluminum Powder.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Review: Revlon Lipgloss and Nailpolish Duo: Sunrise Nude and Sheer Peach

So I was at Ocean State Job Lot a while ago and spotted this Revlon lip and nail duo for $1.99 and just had to get it. I really only got it for the lip gloss cause I've been craving a nude sparkly shade with not too much pigmentation, but to be honest, the polish isn't half bad.


The nail polish shade is Sheer Peach. I'd say it's more white in color than peach.


The shade of the gloss is Sunrise Nude. I've got to say that this is one of the prettiest glosses I've tried from Revlon. It's not very pigmented, but if you could see the sparkle in this baby, you'd swoon!!!


Yeah, this is as best a picture as I could get with my crappy camera. In reality, the sparkles are multicolored-some are blue-ish/purple-ish, some orange, some white. The overall effect is gorgeous but not too glitzy.

Swatch on my hand:

I would definitely say that it's got more shimmer in real life.

On my lips:

It's super super glossy, which I love about the Revlon Super Lustrous line. All of these glosses have a very lacquered finish.

And a swatch of Sheer Peach:

It's a nice nude. I'm thinking of adding a bit of white to it to make it more opaque. Other than that, it looks great on the toes.

First off, the gloss is very very glossy. It has a fairly thick lacquer feel, but it's not too sticky. I don't find this gloss (or any of the Super Lustrous glosses) drying, but I wouldn't say that they are moisturizing either. Personally, I like to layer glosses over lip balm so that my lips don't look gross by the end of the day and I don't have to deal with tackiness. This gloss also has a bit of a smell. It's fairly strong, but I don't necessarily think it's too bad. The only complaint I have about this shade is that I wish it was a bit more pigmented. You can see a slight darkening in my lips when I wear it, but not enough to really be noticeable. I really dislike clear glosses, and this one is just a few steps above that. Other than that, I highly recommend this shade and others in the Super Lustrous line. They're affordable, last, and come in a huge variety of shades.

As for the nail polish, I like the shade. It's a sheer white (a bit too sheer, in my opinion) with peach and silver shimmer in it. I really like how this shade isn't streaky. Most nudes you get at the drugstore (or even more high end actually) can be a pain to apply, but this one's great. The only warning I have to put out is that Revlon polishes tend to go on quite thick (in terms of formula). I wouldn't recommend doing more than two coats at one time because you mey end up with really gooey nails (you know, the ones that take three years to harden and then are all dented) or bubbles. But stick to two coats and you'll be fine.

Oh, and quick note-this shade (gloss) is discontinued and is the old formula. Apparently Revlon has redone these glosses and is adding SPF 15 and making them more moisturizing. I think there may be a change in packaging as well, but I'm not positive. I hope they don't change them too much cause I like the packaging. Unlike many drugstore brands, Revlon's packaging looks somewhat sophisticated but not old.

Info:

Price: $1.99 (Ocean State Job Lot-You can also find these types of duo's a Big Lots-just make sure they're not expired.)

Ingredients: Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyethylene, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Serica (Silk Powder Poudre de Soie), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Methylparaben, Benzoic Acid, Propylparaben, BHT, May Contain (+/-):, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica, Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), FIL

Disclosure: The products featured in this post were bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.

Nail Polish Comparison: Maybelline Unforgettable Red and NYC Burgundy

On the left is Maybelline Salon Expert in Unforgettable Red and on the right, NYC Long Wearing (yeah, right!) Nail Enamel in Broadway Burgundy. Broadway Burgundy was my favorite shade before I got into matte shades. I went through three or four bottles. It's still one of the few shades I've had to repurchase

Swatches in artificial light:

Left: Maybelline Unforgettable Red, Right: NYC Broadway Burgundy

Swatches in natural light:

Left: Maybelline Unforgettable Red, Right: NYC Broadway Burgundy

As you can see from the pics above, Unforgettable Red is warmer than Broadway Burgundy. It's also shearer. Above, two coats were applied without any top coats. Broadway Burgundy is fairly opaque while Unforgettable Red still needs another coat. Of these two I have to favor Broadway Burgundy because of the deeper and cooler color, the pigmentation, and the shine. Unforgettable Red is a bit dull, while Broadway Burgundy definitely has a more lacquer finish. As for formula, Unforgettable Red is thinner than Broadway Burgundy and dries really really quickly, which is a plus. I just wish it was a bit more opaque. Broadway Burgundy is a steal at 97 cents!!! And honestly, NYC nail polishes aren't even that bad. I've tried Sally Hansen polishes with way worse formulas.

That's it for now! Next post will be an eye look!!!