Polish ♥ Makeup

Two Fandango Movie Tickets for only $9!!!

2011-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Today's Living Social deal is 2 Fandango Movie Tickets for Only $9! How awesome is that? Click HERE to get this deal (ends in one day, so HURRY!).

-Jenn

MakeupTalk - LuminessAir Giveaway Alert!

2011-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hey guys/girls!

Here's another post about www.MakeupTalk.com, because they are awesome and have another super giveaway. You can win one of two LuminessAir Airbrush Systems, valued at $230 each!

I have never used an airbrush makeup system before, so I'm pretty stoked about this. Seeing all the MUA's with perfect, flawless airbrushed skin invokes envy and awe, so this is a great opportunity to try one.

Make sure to check out the contest page for more info on what you can win, and how to win it! Contest closes 2/19/11.

In my previous post, I talked about the role the MakeupTalk forum has played in my own makeup adventure. Check it out for a little more history, I guess? :)

<3 Jenn

Makeup Talk and BFTE Giveaway Alert

2011-02-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hey!

Sorry, I've been kind of idle on blogger (as often is the case), but just wanted to do a mini blogpost about the site MakeupTalk (MUT) as part of a contest entry.

They're doing a giveaway for MUT members where the prize is a BFTE Ultimate Eyes kit (the contest ends 2/12...so in two days but there is still time! Go quickly! If you follow BFTE on Facebook then you've probably already heard about this. If you don't know what "BFTE" means...then you probably don't really care about this anyway :P)

Anyway, one possible entry was to talk about how the MakeupTalk forum has helped with my beauty routine. While I can't really say that MUT has had much of an impact on my daily routine, I do have to say that MUT was pretty monumental in getting me into the "online makeup world". I'm a little fuzzy on the details now, but some time in the past 1-3 years I discovered the world of beauty blogs and gurus and makeup forums and all that. Shortly after, I started my own blog which you are reading here.

As far as makeup itself goes, I've always loved doing makeup and painting my nails and everything (and have been pretty good at it for the most part), but I've never really paid much attention to technique, application, products, etc. One day, I stumbled upon the DTB "Dare to Be" Makeup Challenges where every couple weeks a theme is posted and everyone submits photos of their own makeup look based on the theme. I thought this was great fun, and it was the first time I ever actually tried to do a real makeup "look".

Anyway, that's kind of where it all started for me...so I guess that's a pretty monumental role that MUT plays in my online makeup history :P

Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) Cosmetics - Haul!

2011-01-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

Quick post:

I received my BFTE order today, and it arrived SUPER QUICK! I got an email saying my order shipped out on 1/18, and I received it today 1/20. I'm always amazed and unexpectedly delighted by how fast it takes for the packages to get here.

Anyway, here are the colors I got:

Panurple, Sweet Nibblets, Seafoam, Charm, Walking on Water, Twisted, Lucky Me, 1939, Buttered Up (I renamed this color from the previous "Yellow Snow"! ^_^), Meow, Sunkissed, Aruba, Kiss and Tell, Canyon, Sweet n Spicy, Chaos, Red River

Oh, and I also picked up the color of the week, Gable. (COTW, special color each week that sells for $2 full size, normally priced at $6.50) which I forgot to take a picture of.

Ouch!

2010-10-10T13:56:00.001-07:00

Well...this happened today:

On top of that, my pinkie nail finally broke off on my other hand. Both index fingers broke in the past and are shorter, so now I have 3 nails on each hand and I'm looking pretty ridiculous. Time to cut em short, no point in holding on anymore :(

It's all for the best I suppose, since I need to start practicing piano now. Too bad, was hoping to be able to keep my talons until Halloween!

Speaking of Halloween (SOOOO EXCITED!!!), what is everyone thinking of being? Any good costume ideas?

Giveaway Alert - BFTE Wizard of Oz-some Collection from Phyrra!

2010-10-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Phyrra is giving away on her blog an entire BFTE Cosmetics collection - the Wizard of Oz-Some collection - which has 12 full sized mineral shadows. These colors are only available in this collection and not sold separately.

Check out her blog post for more details. The contest ends next Tuesday, 10/12.

Good luck!

Update!

2010-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers (new and old)!

Yesterday I tried to visit my blog and, to my surprise and horror, I got one of those "this page may not be safe" warnings. It said that I had information on my page from a different website that was hosting malware. Turns out this site was another beauty blog which I had listed in my blog roll. I'm not going to post the name of the site here in case it flags a warning again, but if you want to know what it is feel free to contact/email me.

After unfollowing this suspicious beauty blog and removing it from my blogroll I'm not getting this warning anymore.

So my page is safe again! I hope that didn't deter or scare anyone.

Thanks :)

First Impressions: Wet n' Wild Color Icon Palettes

2010-09-02T11:43:00.001-07:00

I picked up these palettes (and a couple lipsticks) from Rite Aid today because they were BOGO, and after hearing a lot of positive things from bloggers I have to say that I was only halfway impressed. The matte shades (left column in each palette) were awesome, but the shimmery shades were mediocre. Actually, without a primer the shimmers were absolutely useless. I loaded up my brush with the shimmers and could barely get any color to show up when swatched. The mattes, on the other hand, were richly pigmented and smooth to apply.

Sorry I don't have time to do a full on post with swatches of each color (need to study! 0_o), but just want to let you all know what I thought. When swatched over a base, the shimmers were fine (not outstanding), so I guess overall it's pretty good for the price (regularly $4.99 a palette). However, I think I'll end up returning these palettes and pick up some of their single, matte eyeshadows while they're on sale still. As I mentioned, I also picked up two lippies, but one of them (the color I actually liked) split right after I put it on!

In conclusion, I will probably be returning the palettes to get the single pan matte shadows, and either returning or exchanging the lipsticks as well :(

(sorry for the crappy photos, blogging from my phone again :P Anyway, back to studying!)

Sample Makeup Jars and Contact Lens Cases!

2010-08-14T11:07:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post from my phone!

So I've been getting some sample baggies of mineral eyeshadows recently, and I really didn't like working out of the bags. However, I don't have any special jars or containers or anything for storing these in and was looking around for stuff to keep them in.

Enter my contact lens cases! I have a bunch of these lying around, and have really found a new appreciation for these little guys! A couple of years ago I found that using them to bring along small amounts of lotion/hair gels/cleanser/etc in my carry on luggage was really handy for short term traveling. Now, I've sacrificed all of my contact lens cases for the purpose of storing makeup! I had to wash them all out and sanitize them, since some had questionable looking lotion products crusted inside :/

Anyways, here's a pic of my contact lens cases as sample makeup jars (the clear ones on the left are actual sample jars from BFTE Cosmetics - I'd love to buy some of these empty jars!)

EDIT: Sorry for those that have already seen this post before, but the picture turned out HUUUGE. Resized and fixed now :)

Does anyone else have any good DIY ideas for storing makeup?

Also, I will probably be on hiatus for at least a month. I'm taking my MCATs in September and really need to crack the whip on studying because I've been slacking for the past year or so....:(

This also means that I may blog more in order to avoid studying..but my goal is to stay focused and disciplined and maintain self control!

Thanks for reading!

Sneak Peak: More BFTE Swatches!

2010-07-31T14:09:00.001-07:00

A while back I won a contest and got some more mineral eyeshadows from Beauty From the Earth. (yay!) Here's a quick sneak peak of the colors I chose:

Swatched dry over primer
Also, I have a serious weakness for yellow/orange/green eyeshadows!

(blogging from my phone so apologies for the brevity and crappy watermark :P)

Giveaway Alert - Flojo Flip-Flops at Lipgloss Break!

2010-07-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA for so long. I have soooo many things to post but no time to post them :(

Here's a quick post about a giveaway over at Lipgloss Break. She's giving away a pair (one each, I believe) of Carrie wedges and Miranda flats:

The giveaway is open to US residents only, and will run until August 20th when she will randomly select a winner. For details and more information on how to win, click here.

I'm obsessed with flip flops so I've got my eye on these shoes :)

Tropical Bird inspired look using BFTE Cosmetics

2010-05-17T00:41:00.000-07:00

This is a look I came up with using BFTE (Beauty from the Earth) Cosmetics. I really wanted to use the Blue, Orange, and Yellow combination...and thought of doing a look like this that was inspired by tropical/paradise birds. I've never used tape in the corner or done a "cut the crease" look before either, so this was fun and exciting to do.

Products used:

♥BFTE Multi-Use Minerals:

-Lemon

-Hangover (matte)

-Tangerine

-Blueberry

-Black

-Lace

-Very Vanilla (matte)

♥The white inner corner was from Sephora...I think it's called Alpine Snow or something.

♥ L'Oreal HIP Cream Liner (Black)

Here goes, my first ever "picture tutorial", expect a lot of photos!

Foundation applied, nothing else.

I will be applying this as an eyeshadow base (I love this stuff!). But first...

Apply tape from the outer corner of the eye to the end of your eyebrow (or where you would want for your eyebrows to end :) Sorry for the blurry picture!). After putting on the tape, I then applied the eyeshadow base so that the base itself has a sharp edge as well.

Apply Lemon to the inner third.

Apply Hangover to the middle of the lid. I intended for this to be the "main" lid color.

Apply Tangerine over Hangover, blending into Lemon.

Apply Blueberry to the outer V, almost up to the edge of the tape.

Blend Blueberry, bringing it over the crease and drawing it inwards toward the inner eye corner, but not all the way. Don't overblend the lines between the blue and the orange, as it will turn an ugly color!

Here's the tricky part. I used an angled eyeliner brush to apply L'Oreal HIP cream liner (black) from the outer corner of the eye, draw up against the tape line, and then in towards the inner corner over the blue. Try to keep the bottom edge clean, but don't worry about the top of the line.

Now, I apply BFTE's Black shadow and blend it over the black line I just drew. Draw the shadow upwards, close to the line, but don't blend down into the other colors. I also blended some Black into the outer corner into the Blueberry.

Now, notice that I had an empty spot at the inner corner next to the yellow under the black line. Here, I applied the white shadow from Sephora (forget the name :P), and bring it back around the corner to the bottom lashline on the inner corner. Here, I also reapplied some Blueberry to clean up the line and intensify the color. I went back with the same brush and blended the black up more, which is why it has a bluish tint.

Now I apply the highlight. Since I wanted to keep this to using as much BFTE products as possible, I worked with what I had. Since the LA Splash base is like glue, I didn't want to immediately apply Lace because it would be too shimmery. So, first I applied Very Vanilla (a matte color), blending it over the black and into the brow. Then, I applied Lace over Very Vanilla right under the brow bone. Blend blend blend!

Apply gel liner (the same that I used for the black cut crease line) along the entire upper lash line, winging out into the hard edge line of the black shadow. I also applied Lemon, Tangerine, and Blueberry along the bottom lashline to mirror the top lid.

Ok, do the brows, waterline/tightline (I used NYC waterproof eyeliner in black), and mascara (I layered L'Oreal Voluminous, Maybelline Lash Stiletto, and L'Oreal Voluminous again).

More Pics!

That's it! This was kind of rushed, sorry. I've never done a makeup tutorial before, and this type of look is new to me. But I wanted to get this done ASAP!

As for the products, I LOVE BFTE's multi-use mineral eyeshadows. They are sooo easy to work with and the colors are pigmented and beautiful. My only quibble is with Black...which has been problematic for me in application (if you see my review in the last post you'll understand what I mean).

As always, thank you for reading! I welcome any of your feedback, criticism, or suggestions (especially since this was a new type of look and post for me).

Thanks!

♥

Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) Cosmetics - Swatches, Photos, and Full Review!

2010-04-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

EDIT #2: OH MY GOD MY BLOGGER IS BROKEN!!!!! WHERE ARE ALL MY PICTURES??? Even my header picture is gone!!!!! *cries* I don't even know what to do anymore, I'm going to bed. I will leave this post up..and fix the pictures later hopefully :(Nevermind, fixed!!! ^_^

♥EDIT: Apparently through all of my back and forth editing/formatting, I've broken many of the links to my pictures. You won't be able to click to enlarge all of them, but if you right click and copy the image url and open it in another window you should still be able to see the enlarged photo. Sorry! :( I'll try to fix this later if I have time..but going in and editing the HTML right now is going to make me pull my hair out!

Ok, as a follow up to the sneak peak from last week, FINALLY here is the full - IN DEPTH (I'm serious) -review for my Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) Cosmetics products! This was kind of a big project for me (I think I spent way too much time on) because I wanted to try and do a proper review. Even though I've had this blog for about a year now, I'm still relatively new to doing "makeup" posts and not nail polish posts, so I wanted to get it right from the beginning. If you guys have any feedback or criticism I would welcome it. I already know a really bad habit of mine is to ramble on..and on...and on....so this will probably be a long one! It will be everything that I want to know about a product when researching them online :)

To recap, I will be reviewing the following products from BFTE:
♥ Mineral Foundation - Warm Honey
♥ Mineral Veil - Tawny
♥ Mineral Blush - Georgia Peach
♥ Multi-Use Minerals - Addicted, Hangover, Tangerine, Lemon, Envy, Grassy, Blueberry, Grape, Big Ego, Lace, Whisper, Very Vanilla, and Black.

The foundation, mineral veil, and blush (bottom row) were all full sized. The top 12 jars are all multi-use minerals and are in small, sample jars. I will post a few packaging photos at the end, for kicks.

First, some group pictures taken outside on a beautiful, sunny day:
(Unless otherwise noted, all swatches were dry and over an eyeshadow base. I used LA Splash - Splash Proof Sealer. To see what the pigments look like swatched dry and directly on skin, check out my previous post here. BTW I ♥LOVE♥ the LA Splash eyeshadow sealer/base, it works wonders and is SOOOO cheap at only $6.99!!! When I have time I plan to do a review on it because it is awesome! ).

Top Row: Lace, Whisper, Very Vanilla
Second Row: Blueberry, Grape, Big Ego

Third Row: Lemon, Envy, Grassy
Fourth Row: Addicted, Tangerine, Hangover

Left: Black, Right: Whisper (over dark base)

Top: Georgia Peach

Bottom: Warm Honey, Tawny

Now for the color by color review and lots of pictures! Italicized descriptions are quoted from BFTE's website. My comments were made independently of their description so I may be repeating or conflicting with BFTE's descriptions :)

♥ Addicted ♥

"Warm red base with cool red shimmer, making this the perfectly balanced ruby red. Looks metallic applied wet, and this is fabulous for the lips" - BFTE

Addicted is a metallic, darker red with an almost bronze/brick cast to it. It is fairly well pigmented, but I would use this wet or over a base. I've heard of people using this on lips (mix it with a gloss, etc.). Definitely not as bright as the picture on their website, though.

(Also, unrelated but I thought it was interesting how in the jar the pigment just sticks to itself and not to the plastic.)

♥ Tangerine ♥

"Brilliant juicy medium orange with golden shimmer" - BFTE

Tangerine is a shimmery orange with very fine sparkles. In the swatch it looks a bit bronzy, but it's just orange (more on the yellow side). It's not a super bright orange. I wouldn't say that it is sheer, because it's well pigmented, but just not very brightly if that makes sense. Almost has a frosty/metallic quality to it, but not quite.

♥ Hangover♥

"Smooth Matte Orange yellow" - BFTE

Hangover is a matte, bright orange. I expected this color to look terrible on me but after applying some on my eyes it looked surprisingly pretty! On my computer it's showing up a bit more brown and muted than in person, which is much brighter and with a yellower/oranger tone. Super pigmented, applies very smoothly. I seriously ♥ this color!

♥ Lemon ♥

"Bright Clean Shimmery Yellow; Not too cool, not too warm Perfectly balanced yellow. Almost metallic applied wet" - BFTE

Lemon is a shimmery, true yellow. Has a metallic quality similar to Addicted and maybe Tangerine. I think this color can be quite versatile, and with the shimmer you can probably also use it as a gold. I really liked this color, but I wish that BFTE also had a true yellow color similar to this that was less shimmery or even matte. All of their matte yellows are more in the "mustard" or "pale yellow" family.

♥ Envy ♥

"Yellow green with gold reflects." - BFTE

Envy is a light yellow-green. It is very shimmery with a noticeable sparkle. This was the "chunkiest" looking shadow I had in the sense that it had that flecky/sparkly look (but the texture is still smooth, not gritty).

This color was not as bright as I was anticipating. I think I was expecting something more like Lavish, but it is still very pretty. However, while doing the Rainbow Eye look it was hard to get the green tone to show up and I had to pack it on a bit because it wasn't very bright.

♥ Grassy ♥

(No BFTE description)

Grassy is a beautiful matte, medium mossy green. It can be fairly bright depending on how you use it. Like Hangover, this applies smoothly and is very nicely pigmented even when used dry.

♥ Blueberry ♥

"A very vibrant blue with medium sheen." - BFTE

Bright, shimmery blue. I wouldn't call it an "electric blue", it's not that bright, but it is still a very bright, medium toned blue. Well pigmented.

♥ Grape ♥

"Shimmering medium purple with pink undertones." - BFTE

Grape is a bright, straightforward purple shimmer with a violet undertone. Applied dry, this was a little bit sheer and needed to be packed on a bit, but when applied over a base of any kind the color was true and vibrant.

♥ Big Ego ♥

(No BFTE description)

Big Ego is the sultry, darker sister of Grape. These pictures show the difference between the two purples pretty well, but under certain lightings the pigments sometimes looked very similar when in the jars. Once applied, however, the difference is pretty drastic especially if applied dry. I would say that Big Ego has a much darker, almost redder undertone. When applied wet or over a base, it actually becomes harder to tell the difference between the two because they both have a rich purple tone. Also, Big Ego leaves a dark "stain" after wiping away (not really a stain, but you can tell there were dark base pigments in it) while Grape wipes away pretty cleanly.

Here are some more pictures comparing Big Ego and Grape:

L: No Flash, R: Flash (swatched completely dry on skin)

♥ Whisper ♥

"Sheer creamy beige with a violet duo chrome Apply dry for a more subtle color or wet for a bolder look." - BFTE

Whisper...everyone talks about this color! There is so much hype surrounding Whisper that I had very high expectations and was actually less impressed as a result. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful color, but once applied it has a very strong blue/violet duochrome sheen that I find difficult to incorporate into a neutral, everyday look.

In the jar it looks like a harmless, shimmery beige. You can barely tell that there are violet particles in it, but when you put it on - man! the violet shimmer just pops out! (When applied strictly dry, the violet shimmer is much less noticeable.) I think this color changing ability is what gets everyone so excited.

Here is Whisper applied over a dark, charcoal cream-stick base to emphasize the duochrome effect:

♥ Lace ♥

"Golden ivory" - BFTE

The swatch shown here really does not do Lace justice at all. It is a pale, ivory color with a beautiful golden shimmer in it, but you can't really see the gold particles in this picture. Just trust me, it's very pretty. Can be used as a highlight, inner corner color, or accent color on the lids.

♥ Very Vanilla ♥

(No description)

Very Vanilla is a matte, vanilla/cream color as the name suggests. I know people use this as a highlight. It can also be used as a lid color if you're going for that awake, bright-eyed look. It's a bit too light for me personally to use strictly as a neutral eyeshadow. I don't have a whole lot to say about this color, but it's a good, neutral shadow that can be used in a lot of different ways. Well pigmented.

♥ Black ♥

"Matte Black, Soft in both texture and color. Applied wet it is a true deep black. Great for adding to other colors to make a colorful smoky eye."

Upon first glance, this looks just to be your standard matte, black pigment. If you look very closely, however, you will see that there is actually a very subtle shimmer. Black actually gave me a bit of trouble when applying. If you see my "sneak peak" post from last week where I did dry swatches directly on the skin, you will notice that when applied dry Black is actually very sheer and not well pigmented. Even when I tried to pack it on it was still very sheer...:/ I felt like it was not "grabbing" onto my skin (unlike Hangover and Grassy which grabbed on quite well). This is not what I would expect from a "black" pigment. Applied wet or over a base, however, it shows up pretty nicely. I wouldn't say this is the darkest black you can get, but it's black enough.

(This was a free sample baggie I received. It's my understanding that when BFTE packs your orders, they usually throw in a free sample baggie because they are such lovely people. Thanks, BFTE ladies! ♥♥♥ )

♥ Warm Honey ♥ (foundation)

"Warm Honey is great for medium complexions with very yellow undertones. It works very well on Latin, Indian, Southeast Asian, and similar skin tones."

Choosing foundation online is always problematic for me. I am Asian and have medium toned skin; there weren't too many color choices in this range so I picked Warm Honey. Based on the description, I actually expected it to be too dark for me, but when swatched on my arm it showed up a bit too light and yellow-toned for me. Applied on my face, it is still too yellow but also, strangely enough, a bit dark. After blending it in and applying the mineral veil, it looked ok. In terms of coverage, this foundation was pretty good but not *full* heavy coverage. Just your standard mineral foundation I guess.

I realize that people all have different skin tones and types, so the foundation review is a bit more subjective.

♥ Tawny ♥ (mineral veil)

"Tawny Mineral Veil is used as a finishing powder over your foundation to add a slight touch of warmth to your complexion.For those who like a very sheer coverage it can also be worn instead of foundation.Our mineral veil aids in oil absorption and provide you with that smooth, matte, finished look."

(Sinced I swatched everything over an eyeshadow base, the foundation, mineral veil and blush all look a bit weird since you wouldn't normally use an eyeshadow base for face makeup. That's why this swatch looks so funny.)

This is a warm, beige color that blends in very well with my skin. It's quite sheer, but can be used alone for light coverage. You might not be able to tell, but there is a faint shimmery sheen in the powder, but it doesn't really show up once you apply it on your face. Since it is so sheer, I'm sure this will accommodate most skin tones in the lighter medium to darker medium range.

♥ Georgia Peach ♥ (blush)

"Peach Coral shimmer"

Normally, I've always been opposed to wearing blush thinking it made my face look too red, but man oh man Georgia Peach has sure changed my mind!! I've basically been wearing this blush every day since I got it, and I love the way it looks! It gives my face a very natural flush.

It's a pretty peachy-coral pink that I believe would flatter most skin tones. There is a faint golden(?) shimmer in it that isn't sparkly at all on the face. It is not super pigmented, but not sheer either. (In the swatch it looks a bit pinker than it actually is.)

♥ In Summary:

Overall, I was very impressed with the multi-use minerals by BFTE. (My previous experience with powder type eyeshadows are the Jesse's Girl eyedusts, and I used to be impressed by them but they have terrible staying power when used alone and it is absolutely necessary to use a base.) As a whole, the BFTE minerals are all well pigmented and do not necessarily need a base. There were only a couple of exceptions, namely Black. The other pigment that was a bit more sheer was Grape, but even that was sufficiently well pigmented.

This picture shows the range in coverage of the BFTE minerals when applied dry, directly on the skin (no base):

Grape, Big Ego, Black, Hangover, Grassy

As you can see and as I mentioned earlier, Black is very sheer when used alone. Big Ego is much better pigmented, and I thought Hangover and Grassy were simply amazing. I don't personally own many matte eyeshadows and was eager to try these, and they are now very precious to me!

Another thing that really impressed with was the HUUUUUGGGE range of colors that BFTE offers in their multi-use minerals. The website boasts over 250 shades, and they are constantly adding more! This makes it very difficult for me when I am trying to choose just 1 or 2 colors!

You will also notice that I say quite often that a color is "not bright enough". Please understand that my expectations in my mind are basically neon colors ;)

As for the facial makeup, other than the color issues with Warm Honey I don't really have anything bad to say. The foundation had sufficient coverage, the mineral veil was very nice (blends in perfectly), and I love love LOVE Georgia Peach blush. It's converted me from a non-blush user to a blush-wearer :)

♥ Packaging:
(I used a U.S. quarter in some of the pictures to give you an idea of how big the jars are).

Full sized Foundation and Mineral Veil jars both come in the same package - 30 gram sifter jars with 10 grams of product. (Product shown is Warm Honey if you are curious)

Full sized blushes come in a 10 gram sifter jar with 2 grams of product. (Product shown is Georgia Peach)

Multi-use Mineral samples come in a 3 gram jar and contain 0.5 grams of sample. (Product shown is Big Ego).

Interestingly, most of the pigment samples came in small, clear plastic jars, but Lace and Hangover came in a different jar with black lids:

(Products shown are Hangover and Addicted)

For more information, I strongly suggest visiting BFTE's website. Also, I've won many products from BFTE through their Twitter giveaways, so you should definitely follow them on Twitter or Facebook to stay updated if you want to win some products to try out!

I've only known about BFTE for a few months, but during that time period I've definitely grown to really like this company. The owner, Crystal, is also a very sweet lady and is pretty active on Twitter. As I've said in previous posts, they have great customer service and my orders have always arrived very quickly (usually around 3 days).

I'll try to use BFTE products to do another look sometime as well. I'm just so busy with school, work, and preparing for my MCAT's right now that finding time to do all of this is really difficult. This post was seriously strenuous to work on and drained a lot of my time that I should have definitely spent studying! It has turned into a monster of a post and I'm not sure that most readers will even look through the whole thing. :(

It was probably not necessarily for me to make this so terribly long, but I wanted to make this as helpful as possible for people that want to buy BFTE products! Plus, once you get me started it's hard for me to stop. Like I said...I like to ramble a lot...

OK OMG I'M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS POST!!! I seriously need to go on a blogging-hiatus now, but knowing me I'll probably be unable to control myself and come back to post more :/ Blogger is a time vampire!

Until next time :) Thank you for reading!

China Glaze - "Sun Worshipper" swatches and review - Poolside Collection Summer 2010

2010-04-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you guys and girls have probably already heard about China Glaze's new Summer 2010 neon "Poolside" collection. I absolutely ADORE neons so this collection is just calling my name!

I'd love to try Flip Flop Fantasy and Yellow Polka Dot, once I find a store that carries them. I have a major weakness for orange, yellow and coral polishes!

I haven't been able to find this collection at my local Sally's Beauty yet, but a few weeks ago the girls over at Salon Perfect Lashes were nice enough to send me a couple bottles for my birthday! (thanks! ^_^ ♥) I received two colors - "Towel Boy Toy" and "Sun Worshipper" and finally got a chance to swatch them a few days ago.

The first one I'm showing you (welcome to all my lovely new readers, by the way!) is "Sun Worshipper". Now, I know I just said that I adored neon colors, but what I love even more is orange! This is basically the best of both worlds. Sun Worshipper is a neon yellow-orange. It's super bright, and like other neons once applied it dries matte. It's actually not a completely flat matte, but has more of a satiny finish.

The formula is a bit thick, but it strangely enough it still applies pretty sheer. I had to do 2-3 thick coats in order to get full coverage. As you can see the application is slightly chunky, but it's a beautiful color, isn't it! (Still doesn't replace Zoya-"Paz" though, Paz is my all time favorite neon orange polish).

Pictures: These were all taken outside on a gorgeous sunny day...the name "Sun Worshipper" was quite appropriate ;) I used a clear coat for a base.

Close-up:

And with a clear top coat:

You can't really tell from these pictures, but I almost feel like adding the clear top coat made the polish look brighter and a bit lighter in color...like it emphasized the yellow tone more. Maybe it was just the extra shine?

That's all, thanks for reading! I will get the pictures up for "Towel Boy Toy" ASAP once I'm done cropping/etc.

♥

Quick Looks - Blue + Gold

2010-04-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm working on a huuuuge post for my promised BFTE review...but it's taking me for-EVER because I have so many pictures and Blogger is frustrating the hell out of me. It's taking ages for me to get the formatting down...and after all the work I still don't even like it! That's what I get for using a free website and not knowing how to use it. Eh.

Anyways, in the meantime I've got a bunch of Jesse's Girl Cosmetics eyedusts (loose eyeshadows) and I've been playing around with them. I did a couple of quick looks while bored (I usually just snap a few shots on my phone and post them on Twitter immediately, so follow me there too for instant updates!! For me to get a Blogger post together takes waayyy to long and is kind of strenuous for my brain :P)

Here's the first look: I used Blue Moon + Sparkle Gold:

So this wasn't really a "finished look or anything", I don't even think I was wearing foundation or anything on my bottom lash line. It was purely just testing :)

Preview: Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) Cosmetics Review

2010-04-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

So I just finished typing up a huge, long post with too many words and not enough pictures. It was intended to be a quick post (like this one) but I clearly failed, so instead I'm just going to give you a sneak peak! I'll be working on a longer, more in depth review of BFTE with lots of pictures, and these are the products that I'll be looking at.

Here are swatches of most of the BFTE Cosmetics products that I have:

(Warm Honey is a foundation, Tawny is a mineral veil, Georgia Peach is a blush, and the rest are all multi-use minerals-basically mineral eyeshadows. All were swatched dry, directly on the skin unless otherwise noted.)

I did a look using BFTE earlier (see my Rainbow Eyes post), and the colors I used are shown above as well.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more! :)

In the meantime, follow me on Twitter!

Note: I've won many products from Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) via their Twitter giveaways. If you are interested in trying their products, I highly recommend following them on Twitter, Facebook, or Blogger to stay updated! I'm relatively new to this company, but from what I've seen so far I like 'em. They have great customer service, a fantastic selection of colors, and my shipments always arrive very quickly (usually 2-3 days within placing an order). Crystal, the owner, is also very sweet and likes to tweet a lot :)

Oh no....!

2010-04-11T10:17:00.001-07:00

I stepped on my crystal file today :(

Good thing it was my "backup". For some reason, a few weeks after buying the file, the abrasive parts had mostly rubbed off and the surface became smooth and "glassier". I went back to the store to get a replacement and they let me keep both, but I had originally expectes to be able to keep my crystal file for a lifetime (or at least a year!)

The replacement has been fine so far but I haven't used it too much. Maybe it will have the same problem...:/

I don't know what brand these files were otherwise I'd advise all you ladies to stay away from it. If I remember correctly I paid a few dollars (6?) for this, but it could've been on sale.

Enter SpaRitual "Believe" Sweepstakes!

2010-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

In celebration of their new "Believe" Nail Collection for Spring 2010, SpaRitual is hosting a video sweepstakes of the same theme.

Fans are encouraged to use their imaginative sides in creating a video or video response to the question "What Do You Believe?".

The sweepstakes ends April 21st, and until then there are many great prizes to be won!

How to Win:
-Every week a winner is selected. The prize is the SpaRitual Believe Collection and Multi-Tasker Base & Topcoat in One.
-A final grand prize winner is selected April 21st. This lucky guy or gal will get $500(!) worth of SpaRitual Products including the new Believe Collection.

How to Enter:
-Visit the SpaRitual Believe Video Sweepstakes YouTube page at www.youtube.com/SpaRitualBelieve to upload a video or record a video response.
-Send an email to TheSpaRitual@gmail.com including: real name, age and birthday, mailing address, and name of YouTube account holder.

So start thinking about what you believe and get those video entries in!

Official contest rules and regulations here.
Press release and more info here.

This is it....squoval to oval!

2010-04-04T20:43:00.001-07:00

As you may (or may not) have noticed from my last post on Zoya Dare...the corner of my index nail broke off a while back. Today, my middle fingernail's corner broke off as well. Damn.

Well, might as well make lemonaid out of lemons right? I've always had either short or long-squovalish nails. Never, ever have I shaped my nails as round/oval, so here begins my experimentation in round nails. Woohoo! If I succeed I'll post an update.

(it just occurred to me that this is actually quite a boring topic to post about...eh, oh well. I'm bored and blogging from my phone :P)

Rainbow Eyes using BFTE Cosmetics

2010-04-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

After all this time, I am finally doing my first ever makeup related blog post!

A while back I won a Twitter giveaway (by the way, follow me on Twitter here: @polishmakeup!) sponsored by Beauty From the Earth (BFTE) Cosmetics. I received several sample jars of their Multi-use Minerals.

The colors I chose were:
* Addicted (red)
* Tangerine (orange)
* Lemon (yellow)
* Envy (yellow-green)
* Blueberry (blue)
* Grape (purple)
* Very Vanilla (matte vanilla-beige)
* Whisper (beige with a unique violet shimmer)
(When I get a chance I will try and do a product review...or at least get up some pictures and swatches...of these colors. To sum it up briefly, they have a HUUUUGGGEE selection of colors, and are always adding more. From what I've tried, the multi-use minerals are pretty well pigmented. I picked out these colors knowing that I wanted to do a rainbow look..and even then I had trouble deciding which blues, greens, etc to choose!)

Since I adore rainbows and rainbow makeup looks, I decided to try out one of my own. Here are some pics! (I apologize for the crappy lighting and quality, I did this when I got bored one night and all I had to light my face was my desk lamp. Also, pictures were taken with my iPhone :P ).

On the top lid I used (from inner to outer corner) Envy, Lemon, Tangerine, Addicted, Grape, and Blueberry.

On the bottom I used Grape and Blueberry, with Grape on the lower lash line as well.

I used Whisper as a hilight on the top lid and browbone, as well as outlining the blue and purple on the bottom lid and inner corner.

Black gel liner (L'Oreal HIP) on top and plenty of mascara! I did use an eyeshadow base but don't remember exactly which one at the moment (sorry!).

Thanks for reading!

If you are interested in learning more about BFTE Cosmetics, check out their website and follow their Twitter where they do a lot of great giveaways!

Giveaway Alert - Too Faced + more!

2010-04-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

Tkomulatta is having her first giveaway at her blog!

Prizes Include:
-Too Faced Natural Eye Shadow Collection
-China Glaze Lemon Fizz
-Salon Perfect Lashes #301
-Charlotte Russe Earrings

Click here for more details on how to enter. Giveaway ends April 29th.

Twitter!

2010-03-24T21:26:00.001-07:00

By the way - if you are on Twitter, you can follow me here: http://twitter.com/polishmakeup.

Thanks ^_^

Zoya - "DARE" Fall 2009 Collection

2010-03-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Ok guys, after all the giveaway alerts here's a "real" post to keep you interested!

As promised, I swatched out the Dare collection (sooner than I was anticipating, I'm rather proud of myself. Actually, since this is study-procrastination kicking in I really shouldn't be proud of myself at all... :P)

All of these were 2 coats, without a top coat or base coat. Excuse any bumpy-ness I have some rough patches on my nails that I'm working on... Also you'll notice that the corner of my index finger has broken off since my last post :(

Zoya - "Vanessa"
This is a berry red creme. It's a red that has more violet in it. I found this to be thicker than the rest of the collection, but it still applied smoothly. (Sorry I did not get a picture of "Vanessa" with flash.)

Zoya - "Ciara"
This is also a berry-toned creme, but this one is not as red and much more....purple? It is a slightly more muted tone. For me, "Ciara" applied a bit easier than "Vanessa" since it wasn't as thick.

Zoya - "Demi"
In these photos, "Demi" looks much bluer than in real life. It is a purple toned color, but much more red than blue. Probably somewhere between "Demi" and "Ciara" is the actual color. Application wise was similar to "Ciara".

Zoya - "Pinta"
In these photos "Pinta" looks much, much bluer than in real life. It is definitely a blue-toned, indigo/purple, but it is not quite as blue as these photos would suggest. I had a bit of difficulty applying this polish, it dried out on me more quickly and did not smooth out as well as the others.

Zoya - "Envy"
Now this is a gorgeous, dark foresty deep mossy green (that's a long string of adjectives, I know). Apologies for the unfocused non-flash picture. I'm still getting the hang of taking swatch photos...with a dying camera that's about 8 years old. (Also, I honestly start to get impatient and my nails start to get all cruddy about halfway through swatching. I'm trying to go fast in order to catch the last few minutes of bright daylight as well.) Anyways, I love this color but I don't really see a lot of opportunities for me to wear this on my fingers at work.

NOTE: If you look veeerrry closely, you will notice a hint of shimmer. It is barely there, however, and "envy" basically passes as a creme.

Zoya - "Ibiza"
Ibiza is beautiful! Similar to how "Anaka" had the unique finish out of all the polishes in the Truth collection, "Ibiza" is the only polish in the Dare collection that has a noticeable shimmer (other than "Envy", but the shimmer is very subtle). A dark blue with a hint of shimmer that gives it that little bit of glow.

So that's the Dare collection! Out of all six, obviously the 3 red toned are the safest and most wearable, but I found "Envy" to be very unique and I also loved "Pinta" even though I had some issues with application. "Ibiza" is very nice, but it reminds me of an old Wet n' Wild nail polish that was also a dark, shimmery blue. The Wet n' Wild was one of the first nail polishes I ever bought (back in grade school!).

Also, since I did not swatch "Salma" in the Truth collection last time here it is:

(I will also update the last post so that it will be complete with the entire collection).

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more swatches! I've already got the pictures but just need to mark them and post :)

HUGE Giveaway Alert at Sawan!!!

2010-03-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Laura at Sawan is having a HUUUGE giveaway in celebration of 200+ followers!

Here are some of the things you can win:

Click here for rules on how to enter an a full list of all the goodies!

Contest ends April 30th at 5pm.

Giveaway Alert - Hey Dude skincare

2010-03-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss Break is having a giveaway on her blog. The prize is some Hey Dude skincare for men.

Click here for more info.

Giveaway Alert - Win Zoya Reverie!!!

2010-03-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Never Enough Nails is giving away a set of Zoya's Spring 2010 collection "Reverie"!

Click here for more info on how to win. Contest ends Monday, March 29.

Zoya - "TRUTH" Fall 2009 Collection

2010-03-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: "Salma" has been added!

Here are swatches of Zoya's Truth collection. For some reason, I did not swatch "Salma" but did the other 5 polishes in this collection (Penny, Kalmia, Drew, Anaka, Isla).

Again, I realize that I'm a season or two late since this was the Fall 2009 collection, but I didn't really feel up for a ton of swatching and photo-taking until today. I was on a roll today and did a bunch of swatches (to be completely honest I'm trying to study for the MCAT's right now, but have had a difficult time focusing and this was a good way to pass some time :P. I'm happy now...but won't be in May when I have my exam :(...)

I also did a couple of China Glazes and the two other holos I mentioned in my last post (Milani and Color Club). I'll get to those later. For now:

Zoya - "Penny" This is a nice coppery-orange, I think the name suits it fairly well.

Zoya - "Kalmia" A darker, redder version of penny. It has a nice golden shimmer to it as you can probably see.

Zoya - "Salma" Should go here, as it is the next step up from Kalmia. It is a darker version of Kalmia, more of a red and less of an orange/copper. At the time I was taking pictures, I felt that Kalmia and Salma were so similar that I didn't feel like swatching Salma :(. It may have just been the lighting in my room, but I was lazy. Sorry! I will try to remember to swatch it another day and update this post.

UPDATE:
Zoya - "Salma" This was a very pretty, red with a hint of copper/orange/brick. While swatching I looked at it and wanted to keep it on. I feel stupid now for not including it the first time.

Zoya - "Drew" This is a nice, mauve polish. It's fairly neutral, and has a muted quality to it. Kind of a "dusty rose" perhaps?

Zoya - "Anaka" This is a very pretty fuschia/magenta polish. Unlike the other polishes in this collection, Anaka has unique glass-flecky shimmer particles in it that really give it some depth. I'm not really a fuschia person but I like the glass-flecks.

Zoya - "Isla" This is a beautiful dark red polish. It has that dark, blackened shimmer to it that really gives this polish a lot of depth.

And that's it for now! I think that Penny is a unique color, but Isla is probably my favorite of the bunch.

Apologies for not including "Salma".

I also have the Dare collection, and will swatch that as soon as possible!

Thanks for reading ^_^

Quickie: Color Club - Worth the Risque

2010-03-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

What I have on right now (on my nails that is :P) is Worth the Risque by Color Club. I know, I know this is old news but most of my nail polish I buy after seeing it on other beauty blogs. So...I'm usually a few seasons too late but that's ok. There will always be people like me who are still curious about different brands and polishes.

Here's a quick pic I snapped with my iPhone:

This was one of the very first "holos" or "prismatic" polishes that I bought. The VERRRRY first one was a Sally Hansen red/coral color. Worth the Risque I bought along with Revvvolution (also from the same Color Club collection) at a little Asian nail supply store last summer. The most recent holographic nail polish I bought was one of the 3D Holographics from Milani. Comparatively, I much prefer the Milani polish.

Personally I feel like the holo particles in Worth the Risque are just too fine. It takes a careful eye and very specific lighting to get the full holo effect, and the silver color looks kind of gray on me and not especially flattering with my skin tone. I do think this would be a great color for doing nail art or stamping (which I myself don't have the time or equipment for).

Application wise, this polish was smooth and applied evenly in 2 coats. I did 3 coats for the photo.

(look at me rambling on in what was originally just supposed to be a quick post with a quick picture I took...now I have a long text post with one crappy cell phone picture..oops. I didn't even bother doing a water mark or anything.)

HUGE GIVEAWAY at Nail Junkie!!!!

2010-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Nail Junkie is having a HUGE (and I mean HUUUGE) giveaway over at her blog. It's amazing, I can't believe how awesome this prize is, especially for a FIRST giveaway!

Here is everything you could win:

Be sure to check out the rules on how to enter here before the contest closes today at 8PM Central European Time.

Konad 8 Plates Giveaway Alert!

2010-03-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Another fantastic giveaway over at Painted Lady Fingers. This time, it's 8 Konad plates! I do not personally own any Konad plates, but have ALWAYS wanted to try them after seeing the awesome manis people do with them. I think the problem is I'm too cheap.

Anyways, check out the rules on how to enter by clicking here.

For the Love of Manglaze Giveaway Alert!!

2010-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Painted Lady Fingers is having a giveaway over at her blog. The prize is 3 bottles of Manglaze polish and some swag:
Hot Mess: Silver glitter top coat
Matte is Murder: Matte black polish
Matte-astrophe: Mattifying top coat
Swag: A Manglaze sticker and business card!

Check out more details on how to enter by clicking here!

Suzie Homemaker and BFTE Giveaway Alert!!

2010-03-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

There's a huge giveaway over at Suzie Homemaker's blog, with lots of great prizes including 36 sample jars of BFTE (Beauty From the Earth) cosmetics!!!

Three winners will be chosen by March 20 so hurry up and check it out. There are lots of ways to win, more details by clicking here.

March Manicures

2010-03-03T21:12:00.001-08:00

In honor of March - the month of St. Patty's Day AND also my birthday - I am hoping to do a mini series of green manicures. I rummaged through my polish collection and came up with 8 green polishes:

Top row: Zoya ~ Envy followed by three random bottles of Asian nail polish.
Bottom row: Zoya ~ Irene, Sally Hansen HD ~ Hi-Def, China Glaze ~ Entourage, Milani 3D Holographic ~ Hi-Tech.

I'm currently sporting Milani's Hi-Tech on my nails and loving it! I've worn it to work this week with minimal drama. I've read reviews that is is "extremely" bright, but it is actually surprisingly un-flashy (in my opinion) for being a lime green holo. When I find time and better lighting..as well as batteries for my real camera (these recent posts are being made from my phone), I will get some pics and a proper review up.

Quick comments about some of the other polishes:

Zoya ~ Envy: I've yet to wear this but I've swatches it and it is a dark, foresty green cream that can easily be mistaken for black by the common eye. EDIT: This is NOT a cream, but has a VERY subtle - BARELY discernible - shimmer to it.

Zoya ~ Irene: I believe I did a review on this a long time ago. Search for Zoya or Green in my tags.

Sally Hansen ~ Hi-Def: This was a bit runny and not as pigmented as I was expecting for an "HD" polish.

China Glaze ~ Entourage: from the Kicks collection. Very pigmented! I love this color, but make sure to wear a base coat. I have Custom Kicks (teal blue) and Entourage from this collection, and I forget which left a nasty yellow stain but I suggest using a base coat for both.

Bare Minerals Matte Surprise!

2010-03-03T20:25:00.001-08:00

Just came home and found this little baby sitting on my doorstep. I believe it was from a giveaway I entered, but I had forgotten about it and what a lovely surprise!

EDIT: As I thought, this is a prize I won from Lipgloss Break. Thank you so much!!! I haven't been been keeping up with my blogs recently and didn't even know I'd got it!

Giveaway Alert - bareMinerals SPF Foundation

2010-02-14T01:27:00.001-08:00

Lipgloss Break is giving away bareMinerals SPF Foundation!!!

Click here for details.

Boo

2009-10-08T22:24:00.001-07:00

Apparently I can only post one picture at a time. Poop

After observing my nails all day (which I posted this morning), I've decided to try out a rainbow stripe mani. It's been in my thoughts for a while but never really had enough space on my nails to comfortably try it out. This package definitely had rebooted my inspiration. Maybe I'll be able to use some of these beautiful SH HD's!! Hopefully they are pigmented enough.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yippee for surprise goodies!!!

2009-10-08T22:21:00.001-07:00

I got these in the mail today!!! So excited. A huge THANK YOU to Christine over at Temptalia!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test post

2009-10-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

Testing something

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Super crappy NOTD

2009-10-08T08:40:00.001-07:00

Hello blog, it's been a while hasn't it? So this is the most extensive nail art I've tried in a while, might as well post it...

This stared out as one mani a few days ago I did to match my shirt..it's been chipping and I've been gradually adding onto it in boredom bit by bit. Today I went a little overboard..:/ and the result is kind of tacky but I still like it:) I would like it a lot better if it wasn't so chunky but oh well. That's what happens when you add on to a mani 3 different times right?

Ok here goes:

Products used:
China Glaze: entourage and custom kicks
Savina: you're my sunshine
Color Club: worth the risqué (the little dots)
Wet n Wild: black creme for the dots

(this started out with ONLY custom kicks on the tips and some little black dots along the nail line. I had a teal shirt with big black buttons down the front and it was all matchy and cute :D)

Also I wanted to post this while I still have nails (minus the index finger) on my left hand. I'm going to be starting teaching piano again and will sadly have to cut them off. My right hand is a mess, by now every single nail has broken.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Giveaway Alert - Zeno Mini on Hot Deals by Bec

2009-09-06T05:13:00.001-07:00

Becky from Hot Deals by Bec is giving away a Zeno Mini zit zapper on her blog! Click here for more info and details on how to enter!

from the contest page: "This giveaway ends September 19th, 2009 at 11.59pm EST. The winner will be chosen via random.org and notified by email. The winner has 3 days to reply or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to the US 18+only."

Giveaway Alert - Eden Fantasys Red Satin and Lace Gown

2009-08-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Alisha at Confessions of a Moody Mommy and Annete at Fairy Blog Mother are teaming up to give ONE lucky reader this sexy dress:

Head over here or here to get more info on how to enter!

Giveaway is open to US & Canada, ages 18+
Ends 12PM (NOON) CST - August 27, 2009

Giveaway Alert - The Cure 24/7 at Lipgloss Break!

2009-07-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss Break is giving away White Sands The Cure 24/7 to 5 FIVE! different winners!

Click here for more info and to enter!

Contest closes on August 21st, open to US Residents.

Giveaway Alert - LashFood at Lipgloss Break

2009-07-14T05:54:00.000-07:00

Another great giveaway going on at Ligloss Break. Click here for details on how to win a tube of LashFood!!

Open to US Residents only, contest closes August 11th.

Naturistics Super Shine - "Sea Ya!"

2009-07-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some more polish swatches. This one is Naturistics Super Shine in "Sea Ya!". The color is classified as a pearl finish, which I agree with :)

It's fairly well pigmented, at least compared to the other Naturistics polish I bought. That one was a bright, royal purple that looked beautiful in the bottle, but turned out to be a sheer, watery mess. I still used 2 coats here just to smooth things out. (Both of these, by the way, were part of the 10 bottles for $4.99 of assorted polishes at my local Grocery Outlet that I talked about earlier.)

The color is pretty, and part of my quest to find the perfect dark, teal color. (I am lamenting the fact that I do NOT own MAC Whirlwind..which looks pretty perfect..) The other teal I have is Zoya's Akyra, which I remember being a bit lighter and greener than this one. I have swatches of Akyra on my computer but they are pretty crappy quality, will re-do later when my nails don't look so terrible.

Giveaway Alert - CyberSwim Bathing Suit at the Last Blog on Earth!

2009-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

There is a giveaway going on at The Last Blog on Earth that I forgot to mention before. Winner will get their choice of bathing suit from CyberSwim (all are worth over $100!). The contest ends tomorrow, but there is still time!

Click here for details on how to win.

(posting this from very shaky WiFi at the house I'm working on. Almost done painting! Only broke 1 nail so far but there is lots of paint under my nails...)

Giveaway Alert - Day 2 of the Great Makeup Bag Giveaway

2009-07-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

In my last post I talked about the huge giveaway Moody Mommy Reviews is doing. The item for DAY 2 of the giveaway is CoverGirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner.

Click HERE for more info and details on how to win! Remember there is a mandatory entry that you have to do EVERY DAY in order to be qualified to win the whole package at the end of the week!

OHH and I haven't forgotten my promise to post some swatches...but right now I am in the middle of tenant turnover at the rental property and I have to go work on the house today and for the next few days! Cleaning...painting...:( My nails will be in terrible shape by the end of it all.

Lack of posts...AND Huge Giveaway Alert!

2009-06-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

So I just noticed that I have 2 new followers that popped up! Exciting! Sorry to disappoint with the serious lack of "real posts" in the past few weeks. The presence of new followers (to a grand total of 4! :P ) is definitely a kick in the butt for me to get some more posts on here, though. I've got a TON of nail polish swatches on my computer, just waiting for me to go through and post. I've also gotten some new products lately that need reviewing....

My excuses: just graduated + looking for a job, had some lady health problems, got sick + terrible allergies on top of that, relatives visiting from out of town, more guests visiting from out of town that needed some local "experts" (haha me = expert? what a joke)...and a general laziness on my part.

Anyways, I've been the OPPOSITE of "on top of things" with all aspects of my life recently, but I started this blog and need to keep it up! :)

OH and ALSO I need to add that Moody Mommy Reviews is having a huge giveaway this ENTIRE week. It is the Great Makeup Bag Giveaway and you can see her button to the right of my blog.

The schedule of reviews/products to be given away are as follows:
Monday: CoverGirl
Tuesday: CoverGirl
Wednesday: CoverGirl
Thursday: Sally Hansen
Friday: Sally Hansen
Saturday: Sally Hansen
Sunday: Sally Hansen

Details of color and specific product will be posted each day. The first one up so far is CoverGirl's Simply Ageless Foundation.

ONE winner will be picked at the end of the week that will win all of the products! Part of the giveaway involves posting a link at this page.

Giveaway Alert - Natural Joy Cosmetics at the Last Blog on Earth

2009-06-28T14:23:00.001-07:00

Another giveaway, ending June 30th. Winners will get a lip tint of their choice. Click HERE for more info and details and a review.

Giveaway Alert - Ferro Cosmetics at the Last Blog on Earth

2009-06-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sasha222 is giving away some Ferro Cosmetics on her blog: The Last Blog on Earth. The contest ends today! (sorry for the late notice) Be sure to head over there and check it out. Click here for instructions on how to win (as well as a great review of Ferro Cosmetics)!

This is what you can win:
Full-sizes “Vegas Tan” eye candy (shadow) with an application brush
Full sized “Crystal Amber” Veil and application brush
Gift certificate for $24.95 to purchase an ultimate foundation in whichever shade you want!

Giveaway Alert! - Makeup Stockpile at Hot Deals

2009-06-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

Bec at Hot Deals is sharing part of her makeup stockpile as a giveaway. The prize includes the following:

(1) Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Moonlit Jewels 06 #720
(1) CoverGirl wetslicks Amazemint lip gloss in freedom of peach #640
(1) Almay one coat nourishing mascara in black #402
(1) Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Almon Crunch #28

Click here for more details on how to win!

Open to US residents until June 13, 2009.

Giveaway Alert! - Borghese B Gloss Lip Gloss

2009-06-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss Break is having another giveaway, this time a Borghese B Gloss Lip Gloss in Fuschia. Click here for more details and to enter.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents. This contest will end on Tuesday, June 29th.

Giveaway alert: NARS Summer Giveaway at Whimsical Rose!

2009-06-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Chrystina at Whimsical Rose is having a FABULOUS giveaway of NARS Summer Cosmetics!

The prize package is awesome:

-Summer Collection 2009 Bronzer : Irresistiblement ( desert Glow)

-Monoi Body Glow: deeply hydrating oil with a drop of vanilla essence and a chocolate shimmer, imparting a glistening, golden glow year-round, and intensifying a natural tan as it soothes and moisturizes skin.

-Monoi Body Glow II: multi-purpose, transparent beauty oil that is ideal for use as a daily moisturizer or massage oil, and absorbs quickly for a radiant glow.

-A secret little special surprise will be sent to winner along with this giveaway!!!

Click here for details on how to win. Giveaway ends 11:59pm on June 9th, and winner will be announced on June 10th!

Giveaway Alert - Win Revlon Lashes & Nails at Makeup Babble!

2009-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Makeup Mama at Makeup Babble is having a giveaway! Followers will have the chance to win one of THREE sets of Revlon Lashes and Nails. For her review of the products and details on how to WIN, click here.

Contest closes at Midnight PST on June 13th.

Giveaway Alert - KISS Everlasting French Nail Kits from Lipgloss Break

2009-06-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

Another giveaway by Lipgloss Break! Click here to win one of FIVE sets of KISS Everlasting French Nail Kits for both hands AND toes.

Open to US and Canadian residents until Friday, June 19.

Giveaway Alert - David Babaii WildAid Shampoo & Conditioner on Lipgloss Break

2009-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss break is having another great giveaway on her blog. Click here for more details and a chance to win one of TEN (10!) sets of David Babaii WildAid Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents. This contest will end on Tuesday, June 16th.

Giveaway Alert - Almond Pie Rich Souffle AND Bruno Jamais Gift Certificate at Lipgloss Break

2009-05-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Another giveaway from Lipgloss Break, click here for more details and to enter.

Open to US residents until June 8.

Giveaway Alert: Wrinkle Arrest Skincare & HealthDropz on Lipgloss Break

2009-05-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss Break is having another giveaway!!

Click HERE for more details and to enter for a chance to win a jar of Wrinkle Arrest Skincare by AminoGenesis AND HealthDropz!!!

Contest open to U.S. residents until May 31st.

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms - "Amber Coral"

2009-05-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

This was one of the other nail polishes I got for UBER CHEAP ($4.99 for a bag with 10 nail polishes!!). I don't own any other holo's or prismatics or whatever, so this one fascinates me. Haha, I remember seeing these at Rite Aid a couple years ago but never got them.

I'm not super fond of the color itself, but the prism effect is still new to me and I like it. I am confused as to why this is called "Amber Coral" because it is neither amber nor coral...oh well! I would classify it as a pinkish red.

Anyways, this is 2 coats (1 does not cover too well). It actually lasts reasonably well, I've had it on again for about 5 days with minimal tip wear. Then again, maybe it has something to do with the 3 coats of Essie "Glamour Do" under it =P

O.P.I. - "Osaka-to-Me Orange"

2009-05-16T20:12:00.001-07:00

Today was another beautiful sunny day so I'm honoring that with a nice, sunny (kind of) color. I looove orange (even though this is my only true orange polish ;P) so this works.

This is kind of a pain to apply properly and get the right color. At 2+ coats it becomes kind of a Halloween-y pumpkin orange, at 1 coat it's a nice, kind of sheer, orange that's not too bright. But VERY hard to control that 1 layer and get it smooth and the same color across all nails.

For swatching purposes this is just 2 thick coats, to make things easy.

(BTW, these pics were taken a few weeks ago, my nails are currently super short and stumpy due to the ultimate frisbee incident. They are growing back, slowly but surely...probably surely to be broken again anyways. Eh oh well, I must set a good example for my piano students =P)

Giveaway Alert- Kinesys SPF 30 Girl Sunscreen Spray from Ligloss Break

2009-05-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Lipgloss Break is having another great giveaway, just in time for summer. Click here for a chance to win one of THREE bottles of Kinesys' SPF 30 Girl Sunscreen Microspray.

Contest is open until May 28 to US residents only.

Giveaway Alert - UMI Hair Styling Products on Ligloss Break

2009-05-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

Click here and enter for a chance to win UMI Sliquid and D Fuse on Ligloss Break

Contest is open until May 25 to US and Canadian residents only.

Zoya - Harley

2009-05-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

Here is Zoya Harley I got from the polish exchange. As with the others, this was taken outside with no direct sunlight. I was really excited about this before getting it, but was kinda bummed because I don't think it goes with my skin tone too well. I'll have to try it again later I guess and see.

Two coats? Maybe 3. It is pretty opaque in one coat already so I'm pretty sure this was just 2 coats. I'm not used to swatching a lot so excuse any bumps or smudges :)

Giveaway Alert: Rhassoul Core 5-Piece All Natural Skin Care System at Ligloss Break

2009-05-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

Click here to enter to win Rhassoul Core 5-Piece All-Natural Skin Care System by Daybreak Lavender Farms.

The giveaway is by Lipgloss Break, and is open to US and Canadian residents until Monday, May 18.

Zoya - Elodie

2009-05-07T02:05:00.000-07:00

So we're currently having a wind/rain storm here...I dunno why I'm still up but I just don't feel like sleepin :)

Here are more of the Zoya pics I took a while ago. Again, I got this with their exchange program.

2 coats. Elodie is super pigmented, and the 2nd coat was more just to make sure things are even. This reeeaallly changes color depending on how/where you're looking at it. In these pics it looks super pink. Sometimes it looks almost like a red, other times more coral-y.

Giveaway Alert: Belli Skincare's Motherhood Line on Lipgloss Break!

2009-04-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Click here to enter (US/Canadian residents only) for a chance to win Belli's Motherhood Essentials Kit.

You can enter up to once a day until May 10th.

Post-Ultimate Frisbee...

2009-04-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

Played some frisbee today....probably not a good idea. The previous post was the before shot, here is the after shot :(

Originally I was planning to do some swatching in a few days after they grew out more, and it's been so sunny. We'll see...

I guess it's time to trim them shoooorrt...it's been a long time since I've had them really short. My right hand is a mess too. The pinkie nail broke off completely at the nail line!! Some recuperation is probably a good idea now.

Sally Hansen - Sugar Bare

2009-04-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

This was an impromptu nails shot, hence the chippage, taken in the car during a 4-hour drive over the weekend. I got bored...

Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails - Xtreme Wear in "Sugar Bare". It's actually almost frosty looking in the bottle, and fairly well pigmented. Opaque in 2-3 coats. No one probably cares about SH nail polish, but I might as well talk about it.

Actually, this nail polish only cost me $0.50!!

I went to my local outlet store and saw a bunch of little plastic makeup bags with bottles of nail polish in them. 10 bottles per bag, for $4.99!!! I was amazed, I don't really care what kind of nail polish comes in it..it's the best deal I've ever seen. Will post more later..at some point.

Noah's Naturals giveaway at Lipgloss Break!

2009-04-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Click here to enter!

(U.S. Addresses only)

Sunny Day! Pure Ice - Party Time

2009-04-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was actually some swatching I did yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day so I thought a nice sunny yellow would be appropriate. Pure Ice, I found this in a dollar store for $0.99. I spied some beautiful, pale yellow bottles on top of a shelf and got super excited, because I'm constantly looking for the perfect yellow color that still suits my skin tone.

Can't say I was satisfied, though, because this polish was EXTREMELY sheer. The polish itself was thin and kinda watery. The directions say "shake gently. apply 2 coats." If I did that my nails would basically look like they were stained yellow or something.

Anyways, these pics may not be accurately representing what this would look like if you actually wanted to wear it, it may or may not dry.

This was 2 thin coats + 2-3 *thick* coats. I didnt really want to wait for it to dry, but this color is pretty close to what the bottle looked like. If you just do 2-3 normal coats it would just be kind of a sheer, yellow frosty effect.

Last pic was taken outside but NOT in direct sunlight.

Earth Day - Part II (Zoya Irene)

2009-04-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

So I ended up doing a blue + green mani of Zoya Irene layered over Zoya Akyra for Earth Day, but it was rainy and shady poopy weather all day so I didn't really get a chance to take a pic.

Instead, in honor of this wonderful green holiday, I will post my pics I took of Zoya Irene a while back, which I got from their exchange deal. There was also no sun at this time, but they were taken outdoors. Three coats, pretty good application imo, on the sheer side though.

On a different note, I know that I have zero readers, maybe the random passerby every once in a while. I feel a little bit strange and silly writing stuff...i tend to ramble a lot and be wordy. Right now, however, I am basically talking to myself. hmm..

Happy Earth Day!!

2009-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Still trying to decide what to do for an Earth Day mani. I buffed and filed my nails last night, thinking that it might be more appropriate to go all natural, but I'll probably end up doing something just to get people's attention more. In that case I will post later. Last night I also tried to do a green/blue swirly pattern but failed miserably. Actually, it didn't look bad but I had huge globs of nail polish on my nails.

I also just tried to log in to Butter London's website for their Turn in Your Toxins thing...but now their website is broken.

Asian Polish - Yellow & Zoya - Erika

2009-04-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

This first one is a random yellow creme I got in China. (I get a lot of polishes from China, usually pretty crappy quality and probably full of toxic goodness..but cheap and comes in lots of colors). This is one coat, and I think there are two coats on the pointer and pinky. The polish really becomes a nightmare to apply after 1 or 2 coats. I did the yellow with the intention of layering Zoya Erika over it, however, so excuse the sheerness. If I feel up to it I might post a separate swatch showing the true potential of this "Chinese Yellow".

Like I said, the second pic is one coat of Zoya Erika layered over the yellow. I discovered this combo by accident and really liked the effect...which may or may not be apparent in these photos. It started out with me wanting some cute yellow nails..but after 2,3 coats they got all streaky and not smooth at all. That's when I decided to experiment with the pink over it to try to smooth it out, and the result was this nice peachy color that seemed to glow (probably from the yellow peeking out of the edges). It was still kinda chunky so I wanted to recapture the effect in the 2nd pic, but maybe I was being too careful because the glowi-ness isn't really showing up. Instead, I just look like I have nasty yellow cuticles. Still, I really like the color

Oh, and these were taken outside...in the "brightest" of shady days. No sun at the time. There is sun now, but I cut my nails again recently after these pics were taken. That made me sad and I don't really want to take new pics. Plus I have two exams tomorrow which I should be studying for right now...

Asian Polish - Nude Pink

2009-04-19T23:12:00.001-07:00

This is a random mini polish I got in China. It's a nice, neutral beige-pink-nude kind of color. Will post pics of bottle if I get a chance. These were one of the first ever pics I took of my nails with the intention of showcasing nail polish. The color is pretty good, the quality is poop though. Consider this a test post.

It's also been a while since I've been able to grow out my nails at all. I teach piano, so technically I'm REALLY not supposed to have long nails...bad influence for the kids ^-^ oops. (I couldn't resist though, I've ALWAYS loved long nails since I was a kid, but my mom was always making me cut them. )

A while ago I was able to grow 'em for about 3-4 weeks after these pics were taken due to no lessons. I tried to squeeze in as many swatches as I could in that period. Ok that was a tangent. I'm done now.

This was indoors, taken under my desk-lamp (...) , I think it was 2 or 3 coats..not important.

Any tips on picture taking? I don't know how all those girls get such beautiful pics of their nails. I guess my camera skills are pretty shitty.

New "Beauty Blog"

2009-04-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

Since my other blog is mostly a personal one, I figured I would make a separate public blog to satisfy my beauty/makeup/polish urges. If I can keep it up, this will be dedicated to my new obsession with nail polish, and an ongoing makeup fetish. An occasional random posting here or there on other subjects may emerge as well.

Mostly, I just want a chance to post swatches and other stuff. I'm kind of a newb to the nail polish blogging scene as well and found the Community Nail Polish Gallery, but couldn't figure out how to put pics up there or register. Until I figure out how to do so (or are they closed to registration? what's the deal..I have no idea) I'll just do them here instead.

There is one thing that I should say upfront, and that is that most of my beauty products come from my local Rite Aid. I operate on a tight budget so higher end products are probably not going to be seen here.

I have a bunch of photos saved up that I will get to later. These include mostly nail polish swatches, a few Zoyas from the exchange, drug store brands, and some random hauls.