Ipsy Bag - Formerly MyGlam - June 2014!

ETA: I wanted to leave my referral link here for any prospective ipsy interest! They call you ipsters.. but we don't have to talk about that, haha.  If you join using my link I earn points to use to get other stuff which I can review here. My Ipsy Link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/e7ou

I missed doing these for the blog so much! I'm happy to have one today to share, though.  This bag's theme was "Pretty in Paradise" and I think the bag itself actually reflects that well.

I love pineapples, so pineapples on a makeup bag is just adorable.  Inside the bag though we have lots of pretties...

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Let's start with the item the jumps out the most to me - the blinding reflection of the Jesse's Girl eyeliner!

I haven't actually put this on yet, but I was playing around it with a bit and it is very black and dries suuuuper fast.  I intentionally left some on the back of my hand and it stayed on all day despite regular hand washing.  I don't know how it'll hold up on the eye but it seems promising.

Above I just did four quick swipes to show thickness variations and below is the brush.

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Next up is the be a... Bombshell mascara in Lash Out.  I have a concern about this product. It has a really strong smell to it - it's a chemical smell - a mix between a sharpie and KleanColor nail polish.  I've never opened a brand new mascara before and been punched by its smell, ever.  I don't know why it smells like this and I don't know if it's supposed to, but I won't be using it.  I found a blogpost of someone else better describing the issue as well as a screencap of the company's reply: http://havebearwilltravel.com/2014/06/13/profits-before-people-ipsy-gone-wrong-be-a-bombshell-should-be-ashamed/

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Next is NYX butter gloss in eclair. So pretty! Love this addition to my stash!

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Next was OleHenrikson truth to go wipes - which are gentle, moisturizing, age-defying cleansing wipes.  I use moisturizers otherwise and a facial wipe only interests me if it's removing makeup.  These had a light, pleasant scent to them, though.

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Finally we have Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray which I won't be using for practical reasons.  My hair is super thick, super straight and nothing can be done to it with professional intervention.  I had it curled for a wedding once: two hours. It's a shame though, because beach waves are my favorite and I wish I could practically make them happen. 

So there it is! I plan on looking into the mascara debacle a bit more since that seems interesting. Overall, I was pretty pleased with everything except the mascara.  The wipes are nice, I'm sure and it would be fun to get beach waves but I'll have wonderfully lined eyes and the perfect pouty lips in the meantime!  Thanks for reading!

Oopsie Daisies 4th of July Polish - 1776 - Remix Now Available!

I've revamped the popular Oopsie Daisies 1776 4th of July polish from last year.  This polish is LIMITED EDITION. Celebrate the 4th of July with this festive polish - 1776 Remix is a clear based polish with various sizes of hexagonal red, white and blue glitter in both metallic and matte finishes with matte white stars. The glitter proportions have increased as well as the addition of various hex sizes and white stars.

Shown below is one coat over Revlon Coastal Surf, Essie Queen of Hearts and Ulta Moody Blues.

Shown below is one coat over Revlon Coastal Surf.

Dior Shadow Swatch + Review

So, I've had these pictures sitting in my arsenal for ages and noticed them when I was browsing through my folders.  Since it's been a while, I don't remember the exact number of coats used but I do believe it was an easy two coats.  I recall the formula being WONDERFUL.  I used Essie Grow Stronger as a base coat and sealed with Out the Door.  I was so absolutely smitten with this polish!

I'm a pretty simple girl, polish wise. I love a bright creme above all, so this polish is a bit outside of my norm.  It also appears a lot darker on the nail than in the bottle (see below), but oh my is it stunning! Shadow is a deep plum, almost jelly base - super pigmented by the way - with some flecks of.. gold? Rose gold? It's a bit of a metallic shimmer fleck-fest. Love!

Revlon Colorstay Costal Surf Swatch + Review

FIRSTLY, I must address my absence.  I completed my full time student teaching internship last month, graduated college (finally, holy cow), and just got back from a wonderful vacation from Wisconsin!  I miss blogging, so so much. I hope to be able to make more time for it, truthfully my nails get BEAT UP when I'm working and I get too lazy to take care of them. I miss this, I miss y'all and intend on incorporating it back into my routine.  I've seen some adorable Funky Fingers at Five Below.. perhaps I'll have a homecoming giveaway soon ;)

Anyways! On to the polish!  My dear bestie Brittany and I went to an Ulta out her way and I found this beauty on sale for $1.50! WHAT. Not only was it super cheap, it's super amazing. Excellent formula. This is two coats, but I think one thick coat might even be possible.  The color is so summery and perfect.  Also, I'll be without thumb swatches for a while as I broke the joint in my thumb and can't quite bend it yet although I have gained a bunch of mobility back so far.

I tried a new blur technique on photoshop, which I think only will work for cremes since it doesn't affect the color at all.  Shown is two coats of Coastal Surf over Nailtek II Foundation and sealed with OTD. I'm assuming that since this polish was on super clearance that it might be discontinued. I'm not sure, but if you see it..grab it. It's a new fave!