I'm here with a review on my new GEO Angel Violet Circle Lenses! Wheeee!
Actually, I have a ton of reviews and stuff lined up. (Mostly, I'm just waiting to take pictures... then to do the dreaded watermarking, aka the bane of my existence). I have a review of some products from a brand called cellnique, Burt's Bees,and I have more circle lenses to post! But no... don't worry, this won't be becoming a circle lens blog. For one, I don't have enough money for that! And two, I don't really want to have to wear all the circle lenses after I open them! (That sounds weird... what I mean is that I want to save some to open in a few months, instead of hurrying to get all the use out of them as I can before the year is up, when I'd have to buy more.)
Anyways!
I ordered my GEO Angel Violet Circle Lenses from Kiwiberry. I can't find the lenses on their site anymore, but I'm sure you could order them from another site. However, I bought my lenses from Kiwiberry during their Cyber Monday sale, when all lenses were 50% off! Add to that their buy 5, get the 6th pair free deal and I ended up getting six pairs of lenses for $57 shipped. Not bad at all! Especially since 5/6 had prescription in them.
They sent my items in three batches, and actually, I only have received my GEO Angel Violet lenses and a pair of grey lenses so far. I sent them an e-mail and they were super nice about it, so their customer support team is excellent! I'll do a review on my other lenses when I get them. (They're re-sending my lenses. However, because my prescription is so high (-6.5,-6.5), I had to select new lenses in place of some that were out of stock.)
A picture of the bottles. I should mention that it's been a year since I opened circle lens cases (hehe... the pictures from THAT experience are still on my camera, actually...). I COULD NOT GET THIS OPEN. It was horrible. Mostly because I didn't want to damage a nail, but still! What a pain. I did get it open though.
The lenses in the bottle! The color is so vibrant and beautiful, I was super excited to put them on.
This is my natural eye without circle lenses, in fluorescent light. As you can see, my eyes are super dark, really almost black. Such a pain. That's why I love wearing circle lenses! (Also... the black mark under my eye is just my eyeliner smudged by the end of the day. Don't worry.)
Wearing the lens, in fluorescent lighting again. Sadly, the color didn't show up quite as vibrantly on my eyes. That beautiful color from the bottle? Only slightly noticeable.
The lenses in daylight. (It's kind of creepy how you can see the reflection from my lenses...)
Enlargement: 4/10. These lenses are 14.2. I have really small eyes, so I like it when my circle lenses have a little bit bigger of an effect. However, these look very natural, so people could really only tell that I was wearing them when I tilted my head and the light hit my eyes just right.
Color: 6/10. Not too bad, I guess. They blend in pretty well with my eyes, but when the light hits them right you can tell that I'm wearing them.
Comfort: 10/10. Despite the enlargement (or lack, thereof), these lenses were so comfortable! The first day that I wore them, my eyes felt really fuzzy and like I wasn't seeing clearly. Not sure why. But today (the second day?), I had to wear them for 10 hours (8AM class, and then I didn't have a chance to take them out until 6 or 7.) No pain! They only started to get uncomfortable when I was staring at the computer screen for too long, so I decided to take them out. I didn't use eyedrops today, either! Fabulous. (Although I obviously don't recommend that. You're only supposed to wear them for like 8-10 hours max, I think.)
I will keep wearing these. Since I'm in class all day, I think natural is better in this case than having really big, unnatural looking eyes. Plus, I get so self-conscious when people ask if I'm wearing lenses. (It makes me laugh and then my eyes go (n.n) and you can't tell I'm wearing lenses). Lately, people have been asking me "Why would you do that to your eyes?!" or "Aren't you afraid of going blind?!" Err, I wear the circle lenses to correct my (horrible) vision. The color and enlargement is just an added bonus. And also, I'm already going blind. Might as well have nicely colored eyes while I do it!
Anyways! I think I'll soak my EOS 3-Tone grey lenses and wear them in a few days to review. It makes me so excited to get circle lenses!
I'm here with a review of a product called Joey New York Polynesian Coconut Water Beauty Pads.
This product is described as a "serum, Light Peel, Glow Nighttime Treatment" that is made with "young green coconut water from the wet tropics." I couldn't find a lot of information about these on the internet (read: almost none when I checked a week ago), but I have used them.
This is the packaging. A simple orange and white paper box with instructions in English, French, and Spanish. Here is what the box says about the brightening pads (in case you can't read it).
Instantly regain younger looking skin overnight with these gentle soft peeling and brightening pads. This exotic blend of coconut water from the Polynesian tropics combined with carefully extracted natural fruit acids will instantly minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles, large pores, and dull, uneven skin tone as essential vitamins and minerals will activate cell regeneration while you sleep. This treatment is best absorbed and delivered to the lower layers of the skin when the body is at rest. Wake up every morning with a radiant tropical glow and beautiful healthy skin.
I found it for around $30 on Amazon, and $32 on Sears. The container comes with 60 pads which would be about a two month supply. The pads are thin cotton circles soaked in the formula. Very thin and easy to take out (no problems sticking together). It has a very light smell, almost unnoticeable, which is great because I don't like having a lot of different scents on, especially on my face.
(blurry photo, ack! sorry)
Overall, this is very hassle-free! By the time I get to my nightly routine, I'm dragging my feet after classes and/or work and other random stuff, so the last thing that I want to do is sit and pat a million different moisturizers and toners onto my face, but I still want to be able to take care of my skin. Here's what I have been doing for the past week (I wanted to give the product a week to notice any differences):
So, only four steps and I'm done for the night! Nice and easy.
Onto the beauty pads: So far, so good! I don't have wrinkles or lines so I can't say anything about the effect on that. But it does seem to have evened out my skin tone a little bit since I started using it! (Without using any masks or treatments). My pores don't seem that much different, unfortunately, but I might just not notice because they're on me. Also, after you wipe down your face with the beauty pad it dries quickly so your face isn't left feeling wet or greasy, which is a nice plus.
Overall, I like this product! I'll keep using it in my nightly routine and maybe give an update about it at the end of the month.
Next up: A review on a bunch of Burt's Bees products that showed up in my mailbox today!
(This product was sent to me for review. All links in this post are NOT affiliate links, just links (mostly from Amazon) that I pulled off of Google in case you guys wanted to see what I was using.)
I bet that you're doublechecking the URL now to make sure that you got the right nail blog. But have no fear! You have. With Sarahita doing nail designs so often, it gives me time to update the blog and get some reviews in order. (PS, I ordered a camera charger off of eBay because my camera battery died and I lost mine. Then I found mine. I just can't win, apparently.)
I actually have two nail designs from Sarahita to post! (Lucky us! They're really pretty and well-done.)
The pink base is China Glaze Temptation Carnation, a pretty shimmery pink while the glitter is China Glaze Polarized from the Prismatic Chroma collection. So pretty! I really do like the picture, too. No flash, but the glitter is really shiny and I think the light's reflecting off of it.
I mentioned this in my last post, but just look at the rows of China Glaze in the background! It seriously makes me drool just looking at it, since my idea of fun is looking at the nail polish racks at salons and stores. Sarahita's mom owns Patrone's Day Spa in Brooklyn, which means that Sarahita has access to tons of nail polish and can do manicures for the blog with lots of different colors! (I bet that it also means that if you guys are burning to see a swatch of a color, she could do that, too!) If you guys happen to be in Brooklyn or Jackson for some reason, definitely stop by!
The second design is a gradient! Done using China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise, Blue Sparrow (neon), and Up All Night. Applied with a makeup wedge.
A quick swatch of China Glaze Four Leaf Clover, which is a matte green. A bit blurry, but I love this color!
It looks so good! I've said it before, but I absolutely adore Sarahita's hands and nails. I really notice people's hands and I love hers. They're so small and cute
Anyway! That's what we have for you guys today! Enjoy!
I hope you guys love Sarahita as much as I do. Since she has so many nail pictures, I get out of doing a design (muahaha!), and you all get a post much sooner. Plus, it gives me time to get pictures of nail polish swatches and company reviews done. Win-win!
These are nails that Sarahita did for a friend. I have to say that I absolutely love the color and the picture. Insane. Anyways! The base is China Glaze Unpredictable, from their Bohemian Luster Chrome collection (I just have to say that since the summer, I haven't had time to follow nail polish blogs and never really saw the swatches for this collection. But my goodness. DUOCHROME. I have to go get the collection now). She added top coat and some green glitter on the thumbnails (you can never have too much glitter... thankfully Sarahita and I are of one mind about glitter), then another coat of top coat to seal it in. Gorgeous!
These are Sarahita's nails (aren't they so cute?), done for fall. Done using a light gold base, China Glaze Midnight Kiss. To make them glittery, she mixed two different shades of orange glitter, and applied it the same way as on the green nails: top coat, spread glitter on, and then sealed it in with another top coat.
This is what she used to brush on the glitter (instead of just sprinkling it on like crazy): A broken manicure brush. Obviously, you can use the brush from a nail polish bottle, but this way you don't have to clean out the glitter from your top coat. Also, just look at all that Shellac in the background. Sarahita's mom owns Patrone's Day Spa in Brooklyn, Michigan (aka, where the Michigan International Speedway is), which is why Sarahita has access to all these fabulous nail polishes. Patrone's Day Spa is in (what I think is) downtown Brooklyn, and it's such a pretty place! Plus, the styles are really updated and they offer a lot of services, so if you happen to be in Michigan, I would definitely check them out!
Pretty nails! It almost makes me want to pull my collection out from under my bed where it's been collecting dust all semester. Almost...
Stay tuned! When I get back to my dorm (where I left most of my supplies), I'll do a comparison post on Sensationail vs. Sally Hansen gel polish, as well as a review of a few different companies that have been waiting for me. And hopefully, in the meantime, Sarahita will have a few designs to send, too!
Today, I actually have some nail art to post for you guys! Granted, it's not mine. But still!
My lovely friend Sarahita is going to send me pictures of her manicures and graciously allowing me to post them on musingsofthenail. Whee! This is nice for two reasons: 1) I haven't had the time to do nail designs (plus the smell just fills up my entire dorm room and it's too cold to open the window) and 2) Sarah has a very nice nail polish collection. Love! She is the one who gave me one of my favorite OPI glitter polishes ever, OPI Shimmer & Simmer from the Burlesque collection.
I might even let her do a guest post! (Although I haven't told her that yet). Anyways, you'll probably be seeing Sarahita's nails a lot from now on (side note: I love her nails. They're so cute and well shaped.) Maybe I can even get her to swatch some OPI or China Glaze polishes if you guys are interested!
The polishes used are: China Glaze Recycle as the base, and China Glaze Liquid Crystal for the glitter! I love this design. Even if it's not true to color (Recycle is hard to capture, but the design is what's important!), very neatly done! Plus it looks glittery and fun.
Merry Christmas, guys! And thanks to Sarahita! <3 p="p">
My first post back and I am posting a review of a fabulous website. B-glowing describes itself as being a "leading online specialty beauty retailer featuring an extraordinary collection of hard-to-find niche beauty products alongside some of the worlds most coveted beauty brands." They feature a "multifaceted search - you can search by formulation, skin type/concern, fragrance notes and more, improved browsing and navigation, a new men’s category (great for gifting), seasonal fragrance flights with a clean elegant look and feel. Look for other great improvements throughout the holiday season including 200% larger product images and 3 Beauty Archetypes – b-natural, b-classic or b-creative."
Let me just say that I had such a fabulous experience with this company! They told me to pick a few items off of the site to review and so I browsed around the site and picked out a few things that looked nice and would look great as gifts (in fact... I might give some away as gifts. If I don't keep them all for myself...).
First, let me write about the packaging. Since this isn't quite so important, I just collaged it so that it would take up less space. As you can see, it was shipped in a box via FedEx two-day shipping. The website says that standard shipping (5-7 days) is $5.95, 2 Day shipping is $16.95, and overnight is $25.95. But free standard shipping on orders over $75, and free 2 day shipping on orders over $100. (Also, I am horrible at this editing thing, so I don't edit my images. For one thing, watermarking is enough of a pain that I am too traumatized to do anything else. So! Please don't mind if my pictures are slanted/a little dark/weird.)
I just have to note: the order didn't get lost in the mail! Now that I'm living in a dorm, I have to write my address a certain way or it might get sent back (which has happened with my elf order and coterie order). This got here fine, thankfully! Anyways.
When I first opened the box, there was this pretty tissue paper. Seriously. You could ship this straight to a friend's house (I'm not sure about the receipt though... You would want to check that) and save yourself having to bring it in person or mail it second hand. It's already packaged so nicely! The tissue paper is such a nice touch and even had a little sticker with their logo on it. It's little details like that. With the holidays coming up so soon and all the chaos going into preparing it, I think b-glowing would be great to send quick gifts to friends! You might not even have to wrap it! *swoon*
One cute little thing that they sent that I didn't expect was a pack of samples! This kind of bag is my very favorite in the world because I love putting random trinkets in it. It came with a small sample of Baume De Rose multi-protector balm that "repair[s], hydrate[s] and guarantees a maximum volume effect. Lips are soft, smooth, pulpy and nail contours perfectly defined." The sample is .007 oz, and it sells for $59 for .34 oz on the website. Also, a By Terry Touch Expert Advanced Multi-Corrective Concealer Brush. (I can't find it on the website, but the picture shows a concealer pen. Inside the sample is just the concealer liquid, though.) Last, a .3 fl oz packet of Neil George Indian gooseberry treatment oil. A container of 3.7 oz sells on b-glowing for $42. I actually already used this sample because I've had to dry my hair a lot lately which equals split ends (the bane of my existence). I loved it! The site says that it is meant to "calm frizz and ease styling, leaving hair beautifully smooth and wonderfully healthy." It did! My hair was so shiny and silky and styled really easily. I might buy a full-size of this.
I asked for the beautyblender holiday candy cane trio of sponges. The water here at college has been really hard on my skin and I've had to start learning how to use foundation and cover-up, which I've never used before. So I don't really have the right tools (although I did a huge order of eyeslipsface), and these looked so pretty. Also, I've been debating with buying the Soho beauty sponge (the bright pink one... I can't find it on their website), not based on anything but how pretty it was! Anyways.
So, the website says that it comes with two original beautyblender sponges and one beautyblender pure sponge. This is true. And let me just mention how pretty the packaging for this product is. You can easily wrap it or throw it in a gift bag and give it away as a gift. It even comes with a cute little gift tag!
Now, the sponges aren't quite true to color. The pink is a little more vibrant than my pictures and the stock pictures. It's way closer to the Soho beauty sponge, which is why I'm glad that I got it. They're pretty small, too, but perfect size for using. And they're soft! I really like it. I also like how they packaged it (into three separate containers), because I can totally see myself giving one or two away and keeping one for myself. I haven't used it yet (I got this right before finals week) but it has rave reviews on sephora.com. I think the price is fabulous, since you get three of the sponges for $50, when sephora sells one for $20.
I also asked for the Sara Happ luxe lip scrub & slip gift set. The one they sent me is a little bit different than the Red Velvet that I linked to, and instead it is the Black Velvet lip scrub but with the same lip slip balm. This is packaged so beautifully! In a sturdy cardboard box, that looks very neat and classy.
It comes with 1 oz of the Black Velvet Cherry scrub (on the left) and .5 oz of the lip slip, the hydrating balm (on right).
Now that it's winter and getting colder (and I always forget my chapstick), my lips are starting to get chapped so I tried this out. It works fabulously! Rub the scrub gently in a circular motion, then wipe off with a tissue. And then apply the balm right after. It made my lips so smooth (no before or after picture... I don't want you guys to see a) the poor state of my lips and also b) my mustache). Also there's a ton of product in both jars, so it will definitely last all winter.
The next thing that they sent me that I honestly did not expect was Butter London nail polishes. They sent me La Moss, which is this beautiful, vampy red nail polish that is better suited for fall than winter (not that I ever follow nail polish trends...). I haven't gotten around to testing it (Finals ;-;), but you can expect a swatch coming soon!
They also sent me Butter London British Racing Green, a super pretty dark, cool toned green with an emerald sparkle. I reallyyy can't wait to try these out!
Finally, they sent me the Paul & Joe Eye Color and Lip Balm set. I can't find it on the site right now, but I will update when I find it.
As with all of their products, the packaging is pretty and really holiday-y (maybe it's limited edition...) and ready-to-give. It contains a 0.56 oz tin of lip balm (with a cute deer on the top!), a .21 oz tin of a smoky eye color, and a .17 oz tin of glistening eye color. Perfect for a holiday party. The lip balm is a gorgeous pink-red (I know, descriptive) color. It doesn't really have any odor, nor is it waxy. It gives your lips a nice tint and, best of all, doesn't really wear off (I tested by drinking coffee not five minutes after putting it on). The smoky eye color is a very, very dark brown that is long lasting and applies smoothly. I'll try to post a shot of my eye makeup using that. The glistening eye color is two sided: a light bronze on one side, and a pearly pink on the other, both with glitter in it. It is stunningly pretty, I kid you not. (I will edit with a picture soon. My camera battery managed to die just before I had unscrewed all the tins, and I can't find my charger. I might have to just take a picture with my poor quality iPod until then).
A note about the containers and the packaging: all three were set into this plastic container... thing then inserted into the box. The plastic container was perfect because it had grooves between the containers, so you didn't have to shake the container to try and get the tins out and then pray that nothing got damaged. So points for packaging!
My thoughts:
Service: 10/10. I asked them to treat me as a regular customer and they promised to. (Other than the 2-day shipping, which I needed since I wanted to post this as soon as I could before holiday shopping).
Shipping: 10/10. I asked her how long it would take to reach me (so I could plan out my posts. I actually have a lot more posts due up), and she told me that they would be sending it two-day. It was sent really nicely packed, no damage to anything and (like I've said multiple times through the post) you could easily give the box as a gift.
Products: 10/10. They really, really spoiled me. I gave them a few options and thought they would just pick the cheapest one or two of the batch and send it to me, but they sent me everything I liked (that's actually a lie. I was short on time so I just picked a few things that I like and now as I go through their website again, I'm cursing myself for not getting certain other things). They clearly only stock high quality products. And I love that they re-opened in time for holiday shopping! I know my friends are going to love, love, love me when/if I choose to give them something from b-glowing.
There really were no cons. The website is easy to use; you can choose from "skincare," "makeup," "bath+body" "hair" "fragrance" "men's" and "sale," as well as inputting by brand or keyword.
I really recommend them! I'm keeping them bookmarked because I have a ton of birthdays coming up (poor me... so many right after the holidays!), and I will definitely be ordering from them.
(These items were sent to me by review from b-glowing.com, but they are all my own opinion.)
I have a whole long post to publish, with a ton of pictures of what I've been up to, nail-wise, since my last update. However, since tomorrow is July 4th, I wanted to post my manicure for the week!!
The red is Zoya Stella, the white is an Art Deco striper in white, and the blue is Revlon ColorStay Indigo Night, and I finally used my fimo canes (post on that coming soon)! As you might be able to see (hopefully not though), it's not cut very straight or even. Any tips on how to cut the canes easily?
As I said, just a quick post. Sorry for the blurry image--I took the picture on my iPod. Bad idea. Even though it takes like, two seconds longer, I'll have to start using my camera instead.
