This is just a super quick post because I've been crazy busy lately, but I figured I should update my blog :) I did some nails in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. For those of you who don't know/haven't figured it out, I am a student at MSU. If you happen to go there too, want to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and want a manicure, I'll be auctioning off a manicure at the MSU aKDPHI "Pretty in Pink" Date Auction. It starts at 7 at Erickson Kiva, and all proceeds will go to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade!
The cast of characters:
(From left: Essie Mod Square, Pure Ice Superstar, OPI Princesses Rule, L'Oreal Penthouse Pink, and Art Deco Intense Pink)
The technique: On my thumb, middle, and pinky finger, I used Essie Mod Square, and then I used L'Oreal Penthouse Pink on my pointer and ring finger. Because Art Deco Intense Pink is nearly the same color as Mod Square, I needed it to pop, so I used my white Art Deco brush (not pictured) to draw the ribbon, and then I colored over it with Intense Pink so that it would show up. For my pointer finger, I went simple and used two pink heart rhinestones. On my middle finger, I went simple again and just used a coat of OPI Princesses Rule. On my ring finger, using the Art Deco white and Art Deco Intense Pink, I drew two perpendicular lines of each color. And finally, on my pinky finger, using Art Deco white, I wrote "HOPE."
It's a little messy because I had to do it quickly, but I do love it :)
Stay tuned! I have a ton of catching up to do (now that I'm caught up in school...). Lots of sponsored posts, and I'll probably do a picture dump of Sarahita's nails and Halloween makeup!
Today, I have a review of a cream from Zensation, their Super Nourishing Cream SPF 50.
The press release says that it is "an intensely moisturizing day cream that doubles as a powerful skin guard. Zensation luxury skincare fuses the best in modern biotechnology with the purity of the Swiss Alps. The multifunctional Super Nourishing Cream SPF 50 combines precious natural coastal plant extracts with high-tech SPF 50 UVA/UVB coverage to give you supple skin that's protected from the damaging, aging effects of the sun."
This cream feels very luxurious and high-end, definitely not something that you could pick up from Wal-Mart or the drugstore. The smell is very light, almost vanilla-y, although it doesn't list vanilla as an ingredient, but I notice it after a few minutes, even though I'm usually really sensitive to fragrances.
The top of the box. Even though the box was paper, the embossed logo made it feel so fancy. I'm such a sucker for packaging, and you'll see why I loved this cream in a few pictures.
The front of the packaging. I love the touch of the flowers. Wispy flower designs like the one on the Zensation box are my favorite, and it just adds such a pretty, feminine touch to the boring packaging.
Side of the packaging, with ingredients. If you want to look them up, feel free to click the image to enlarge.
The other side, with directions and a little bit more information.
The text from the last side, with information about Zensation and the product. This Super Nourishing Cream is cruelty-free!
Okay, now that the packaging is done and over with, we'll get to the real prize. The Super Nourishing Cream.
A picture of the jar. You can't really see it, but the sides of the jar have the same flowery design that the box had. This jar is gorgeous. It's very thick, frosted glass and it is just gorgeous. Plus, it looks so pretty on my nightstand. On top of the jar is the plastic spatula that came with the cream.
The cream! It kind of looks like yogurt in this picture... The texture is a little bit thicker than yogurt, but it applies really well and it doesn't take a lot. There's a better picture of the spatula in the picture. I was super excited to get the spatula, because I hate sticking my fingers in jars to reach product, especially since my nails are long and it gets under them and it's just very unsanitary.
Overall, this product is amazing. I'm new to Zensation, but I'll definitely buy from them. This Super Nourishing Cream applies beautifully, doesn't have a particularly strong smell, has sunscreen in it (I don't spend a lot of time in the sun, so I only use sunscreen every once in awhile, but I'll definitely have to change it with this), and is packaged beautifully.
5 stars out of 5!
(This product was sent to me for review, however, all product thoughts and opinions are my own.)
Today, I have a review of a new collection that's being released in Walmart stores nationwide, from a brand that I love!
The first nail polish that I remember buying (way back when, in 2007) was a pink, glittery Pure Ice. I ran the bottle down to nothing because I used it so much (well, that and I didn't have the skill that I have now and painted my cuticles a lovely shade of pink most of the time). Before I was working, my first collection (if you consider ten polishes a collection) was completely made up of Pure Ice polishes. Since I live in a small town with only a Walmart, and Pure Ice is only available at Walmart, it worked out fabulously. Also, all of the Pure Ice nail polishes are super cheap, around $2-3, and they worked really well and had a lot of colors.
So, Pure Ice has always had a special place in my nail polish fiend heart. So I was super excited to get this collection for review! Today I have some swatches of the five polishes for you, and then next week I'll have some July 4th-themed nail art to share! This collection has two creme polishes, and three gorgeous glitter polishes.
First up is Superstar!, which is your average creme white. Pictured, it is two coats. As you can see, Superstar! is just a normal creme white, which means it streaks and applies weirdly in the first coat. If you use two coats and a top coat, though, it evens out just fine.
Siren. A bright creme red. This was actually completely opaque in one coat, but I used two coats just to make sure. This is a very bright, gorgeous red color. I don't have a lot of reds in my collection because it's too bright, but I like this one a lot. Plus, it applied really nice and easy, and cleaned up very easily, unlike some other reds that stain your fingers. (Maybe I'm just removing my nail polish wrong?)
Wide Awake. Bright blue fine and micro glitter in a clear base. This is two coats, but if you applied it a little more evenly (it looked more well-applied in person), you could get it opaque. Or a third coat would make it perfect. Can I just say how much I loved this nail polish? The blue is a perfect color, and the glitter is beautiful. It applied very smoothly and, like most glitters, dried ultra-quick (which is another reason that the application is a little wonky). I highly recommend buying this one. I own a lot of glitters, but Wide Awake is unique to me.
Dazzle Me. Silver glitter and silver hexes in a clear base. This applies the best out of the glitters, and thankfully all of the mirror hexes didn't bunch up at the tip of the nail. This isn't too special or unique, but it is very glittery and reflective in sunlight. It reminds me of fireworks, too, which I would imagine is the goal. I definitely love using glitters in my designs for July 4th, so I'll for sure use this in my nail art!
Freedom. Red micro glitter, red and blue hexes and silver stars in a clear base. I really, really love this polish, so I saved the swatch for last! It is absolutely gorgeous. Pictured is two coats. As you can see, the red and blue hexes kind of bunch up at the tip when you don't let it dry enough between coats. And I would definitely wear one coat of Freedom over a different base, that way the glitter doesn't pile up over the hexes. I think this nail polish is super unique and absolutely gorgeous, and pretty much a nail art in and of itself. I did have to pick out the stars, and I had to do it on the second coat so that I wouldn't cover it with glitter. Still, it's beautiful! I highly recommend buying this one.
I tested out putting two coats of each of the glitters over two coats of Superstar!. From left: Dazzle Me over Superstar!, Wide Awake over Superstar!, Freedom over Superstar!, and two coats of Superstar! alone.
Dazzle Me and Freedom look wonderful over the white base, but Wide Awake, because the glitter is so dense, barely lets the base show through. I really think that Freedom over Superstar! or any white base could be a festive July 4th nail art on its own. I thought that I would have to pick out the stars from Freedom with a toothpick, since the heavier glitters and shapes usually fall to the bottom, but I happened to pick up two stars on my brush. Plus, the glitter, hexes and stars just look really nice over the white base.
Stay tuned! I'll post a couple of July 4th nail art ideas next week, using this collection!
(I received these products for review, however, all thoughts, pictures, and opinions are my own.)
I can't believe that I forgot to put this one up. It is by far, one of my favorite designs so far. I did this during exam week, when I had some free time in between studying. This design is super pretty, easy, and eye-catching, and I got a ton of compliments on it.
Two coats of China Glaze Grape Juice in the natural sunlight.
I used two coats of China Glaze Grape Juice for the base. I bought this color a year ago and never used it, but I brought it to college with me and figured it would work for this design. It definitely did! This color was gorgeous. A little bit darker than the bottle color, and the color had a very nice shimmer.
Cast of characters. From left: My 2-way nail art pen/brush, Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat, and China Glaze Grape Juice.
After I painted the base, I used my two-way black nail art pen to draw the design. I previously used the pen in my flower nail design, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how well it works!
I hope you enjoy! I have a ton of posts that I've been writing, some product reviews. And next for nail art, because my nails have been weak and I've had to constantly stick my hands in bleach water, I'll be doing some gel nails. Also, a list of polishes that I brought with me to college!
This review has been a long time in the making, so I'm glad that I can finally put it up. Today I'll be reviewing some products from the B.liv line from Cellnique.
First up, some of the Dullness Cessation, Bright is Right Pearl Brightening Masks from their website. They asked me for a few of my "problem areas" that I would want products for, so I could test their usefulness. At the time, I had been having some trouble with dull, lifeless skin and had been noticing my pores, so they sent me these masks to try.
From the website, the benefits of the mask are: Benefits: • Restores skin’s radiance and lightens skin • Nourishes the skin and makes it softer, finer, brighter and smoother • Accelerates the skin’s natural process of shedding dead skin cells and replaces them with new ones revealing a pure, fresh and healthy-looking skin. • Provides instant hydration and helps skin preserve its optimum moisture balance.
I used this mask at night as soon as I got it, because I really wanted to try it and see if it worked. This mask has a great scent, it's not too strong so I didn't mind wearing it for 20-30 minutes at all. The mask was very heavy because it had so much liquid, so it was nice to lay back for thirty minutes and wait for it to work its magic. And it did! After thirty minutes when I took it off, my skin was brighter and softer. Since then, I try to use it every week or every two weeks, and it works every single time, making my skin feel softer, more relaxed, and even lighter. The price on the website is $30 for 14 pouches, and that is actually a really good price for such a fabulous product. I did a quick google search and found that the My Beauty Diary black pearl masks are about $20 or so for 10 masks, and the Bright Is Right masks work way better for me than the My Beauty Diary masks.
Because I'm in college and have been super busy this semester with tests, homework, and my organizations, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep, and my eyes are betraying me. My undereye circles have been really bad this semester, and my eyes have been puffy and showing my lack of sleep. After I got the eye mask, I tried it out one morning when I woke up and noticed how puffy my eyes were.
Whatever formula B.liv has been using, they need to keep doing it. It has a very light, almost unnoticeable scent and there is a lot of serum in the masks. As you can (kind of) see from the picture, the eye masks are literally eye masks, so I kind of felt like Batman wearing it. :) And it really worked! I've tried a lot of things for my eye circles and bags, like freezing a spoon, ice cubes, cucumber masks, and all of them have been very short-term solutions, lasting for only an hour or less. But with these masks, the circles were gone for almost a week, so it doesn't have to be used daily. I use it weekly, and it really has helped, and you could probably stretch it to two weeks at a time.
The price on the website is 7 masks for $29. Honestly, this price is kind of high just because I'm really cheap and as a college student, $29 is a lot. But for the usefulness, I definitely think that I will splurge on it, but probably only use it twice a month or something so that I can stretch the use.
Price: 3/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
Would I repurchase? Yes, begrudgingly, and I would try to make it last.
The B.Liv Spots got shot anti-blemish serum. I was having trouble with scars on my face because my skin was not used to the water that they use in my dorms (it's well water or something like that), so they sent me this to fix it.
This isn't a magical, overnight spot remover. I had to use it consistently for a week to see results. After two weeks, the marks are very faded and barely there, so I definitely think it works! The smell is a little bit strange, but it wears away after a couple of minutes. As you can see, it has an applicator at the tip, so I don't have to reach into a jar or use a squeeze tube, and it helps conserve the product. Plus, a little bit goes a long way! The site lists it as $25 for 15 mL, and I think this is super reasonable. The product works, there's a lot of product with a nice applicator, it doesn't have a funky smell. If I ever run out, I'll definitely repurchase this.
Price: 5/5
Effectiveness: 5/5
I hope you enjoyed the review! I actually got these products awhile ago, so I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to post a review. But these products are amazing. The site offers free shipping and free samples with every order, and I always love a site with free shipping. Definitely go check them out!
`Rakuzen
(This product was sent to me for review, however, all photos and opinions on this post are mine, unbiased).
I got my Birchbox yesterday! I'm going to try and start reviewing it monthly if I keep up the subscription.
This is what you see when you first open the box. The card that lists the items in the box.
And when you lift the tissue paper, you see all the items neatly packaged!
First on the list is the COOLA Classic Face SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer for Face (the blue tube on the right). It is described as "This mineral sublock is infused with organic antiaging ingredients like evening primrose extract and broage seed oil." It smells amazing, a very light scent, and isn't greasy at all. I've been using a little bit in the morning after I wash my face, and it is perfect. I will probably repurchase this once I run out.
On the left is the Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste. It is described as "a stylish Italian import with an invigorating peppermint flavor." The packaging is cute and it does look nicer than the Colgate or Sensodyne toothpaste tubes littering my sink, but I'm not sure if the packaging and the tingling effect from the mint is worth the extra expense (especially since Colgate has a similar one). I probably won't repurchase this.
Sorry for the lighting on this picture, I've been taking pictures for the blog with my cellphone because the camera is actually really nice and it focuses a lot better than my actual camera (go figure), and I haven't been able to figure out how to avoid casting the shadow. I'm sure there's a simple solution, but I didn't have time. Anyways! This is the Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. It is described as being "beloved by celebs, this award-winning formula adds tons of texture and helps revive second-day styles." This smells fabulous! And also I am always on the lookout for a dry shampoo that isn't difficult to use and blend in (since most of the time the powder is white and my hair is very black). For this one, so far, so good, although I've only used it once. I'll have to try it more before I decide if I'll repurchase.
On the right is the Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner. Sadly, mine came in black instead of some super cool color, but I guess black is the easiest color to use and match for everybody's eye, so I'll take it. It's described as "inspired by traditional Indian formulas, this velvety liner glides on easily and lasts for hours." Yes, it glides on easily, but it hasn't been lasting for me, only for about two or three hours. I probably won't repurchase this, especially since it retails at $21 for 4 mini pencils, and I can get a full-size NYX pencil for $1, which I know lasts on me.
On the left is the fancy Acroball pen. Nothing special, although the card tries to boast about the design.
Overall, I think I might cancel my Birchbox subscription. I haven't been happy with my last few boxes, and I'm not sure it's worth the money. I think I'll wait another month before I bite the bullet and cancel, though.
I have another nail art design post in the works and some reviews, so keep an eye out!
Some more nails that I did while preparing for exams. I did fine on them, just in case you were wondering. So doing my nails during the study break may have actually helped? Also it was nice because I haven't had a lot of time to do them throughout the school year.
They look a little messy, but whatever. I had inspiration from a nail art picture that I had in my files, but I don't really know where the source is. Also, I feel like they were a little messy, but they looked fine up close!
For the french mani tips, I used my ArtDeco white striper. I never do french tips, but I figured that since I would do a design on them, it wouldn't matter. (And as you might be able to notice if you look closely, it is kind of sloppy.)
Then I used my black nail art pen/brush to draw the branches. I got it for like, a $1 at Rite-Aid during the after-Halloween sale and used for the first time when I did these nails. I love it!
I used Revlon Impulsive for the purple flowers and Essie Mod square for the pink. First time that I used either polish! Then my Seche Vite as top coat.
Hope you like it and that it inspires you to do nail art! I just got a book about Nail Art in the mail that was sent to me for review, so I'll try a few of the designs and post about the book soon. Stay tuned!
