Navy Starry Night Wedding Nails

Hey y'all!  Back in October, of last year, my sister got married. Of course, I haven't been to a wedding in a while, and none of my dresses looked right.  Thankfully I found one, but as us polish addicts know trying to do the nails is usually another difficult choice. The dress, super easy.

My dress was navy with orange/red flowers and tan/green foliage.  The first mani I came up with was a total fail.

So, for my 2nd attempt I went the super easy route.

I started out with a base color of Rimmel Midnight Blue. It's so dark that it's almost black.

Over top of that I used China Glaze Fairy Dust to add some sparkle.

And for the accent nail, I went with OPI DS Glamour. It's the polish that re-started my addiction back around the time I started blogging.

Super easy, and they lasted for at least a week. :D

The Search For A Dupe

Hey y'all! Today, while I clean and do my mani for the weekend, I have a bit of a lippie swatch post for you.  If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that lately I've been on a search.  My favorite nude, for me, lipstick is beyond the age of needing to be thrown out.  However I just can't do it until I find the perfect dupe for it.  I haven't worn it on my lips, because well....it's old....but I have swatched it on my arm several times trying to find the perfect dupe for it. 

That color would be EMBE Messina Matte.  The company is no longer around, unfortunately, so my only option is to replace it with something else. I've looked around for a while but finally decided to hunker down and find it.  The first, recent purchase, came from Impulse Cosmetics. 

I went with Cliff Hanger.  I knew from swatches that this probably wasn't going to be a dupe...but would be like a deeper nude for me.  As you can see in the swatches below it's definitely not going to replace it, BUT I do quite like it.  It's like a fall nude.

Then, a few months ago, I started making note of lippies from YouTube videos that I thought might be close.  Shortly after I ran into a CVS to pick up one of the new Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain glosses to try out & grabbed a lipstick from one of those videos.

This is the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in London Posh.  This is a bit lighter in person than it's showing up in these pictures.  It's like a peachy nude.  It does apply a little splotchy, so I've not worn it alone and cannot attest to the "stain" claims.  However I can say that it does have a little shimmer to it and looks great over all of the others in this post.  Scroll down for a swatch.

This is the Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in #14.  It's pretty close....but I think I might get #12 and try layering the two.  This feels amazing on the lips and does look great on me, IMO.  I've seen a LOT of YouTubers say this is their perfect nude and now I can see why.

As you can see in the swatches above...the Rimmel is pretty close, but it's still kinda lacking a little brownness.  Come to think of it, I might have to try layering it over CliffHanger. 

There are a few possiblities from MAC and Dose of Colors that may end my search, but I'm not stopping until I find it.

What's your favorite nude lip? Do you like more pink or more brown nudes?

#SpringVoxBox from Influenster

*Products from Influenster*

Hey y'all!  Today I have a quick post about my Spring Fling Vox Box.  I was going to do an unboxing video and a few other things, but I received it at a bad time a few weeks ago & have been distracted from really doing much in relation to the blog.

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara - $5.99 -  I received this in Extreme Black, there are 3 shades available, and in the non-waterproof formula.  I haven't tried this yet because I have like 4-5 open mascara's in rotation right now in my mascara jar and I really don't want to open any more until I at least get rid of a few of those.  I will definitely put this in my backup pile for when I'm ready for it.

Kiss Everlasting French Nails - $6.49 - The pack I got is the standard french tip, but in a "real short" length.  Unfortunately, too short for me....so they're going in my giveaway pile.  I do like how they do have some in this line available for flat and regular nail arches as well as a few with designs over the french tip.

Peach Pie Car Freshener from the Labor Day Movie - I've been wanting to see the movie since I saw the previews, but I want to actually read the book first.  It's currently available though, so I need to get on that.  I keep forgetting to go put this in the truck....I LOVE peach anything.

Playtex Sport Fresh Balance - $3.99-$4.99 - I don't really have heavy flow issues, so I don't use tampons much....though I will keep them around for emergencies. :D

Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Lotion - $2.49 for 2.5oz or $10.99 for 13.5oz. - This is supposed to improve skin firmness in as little as 2 weeks.  I haven't been using it since I got it, but I did just massage some into my hands.  It is light and absorbs rather quickly without leaving a greasy feeling behind.  My hands feel soft, moisturized, and smell great.  It's got a light yet clean smell to it.  I don't know that I could see myself spending the money on it, but if I like it after continued use I'll keep an eye out for sales on it.

Softlips Cube - $3.49 - This is available in Fresh Mint, Vanilla Bean, and Pomegranate Blueberry(which is what I received).  The one I have smells great and not like fake berries at all.  If you've been around here for a while you know I'm obsessed with lip balms.  The first one I've actually finished completely, without losing it or trashing it, is the regular Softlips in the tube in the Jack Frosting scent that I stocked up on a few winters ago.  I keep the tubes all over the house and use them any time I feel like my lips are dry.  This feels much lighter than the tube formula & glides on just as easily.  The only difference I notice is that this has SPF15 while the tube has SPF20.  I'm definitely going to have to go snag a few of these in Vanilla Bean because I'm afraid my kiddo might steal this one from me.

Blue & White Ombre/Gradient

Hey y'all!  I've always called this a gradient, but most call it an ombre.  Even the shirt/dress that inspired this was listed as "blue ombre".  So, call it what you will.  I really liked it and it was SUPER easy.

I started off with a base of Sinful Colors Snow Me White.  Then took a sponge & put down some China Glaze Frostbite on about 1/3 of the tips of my nails.  While the sponge was still wet, I brushed some Rimmel Midnight Blue & dabbed it on to cover about half of Frostbite.  Finishing off with Seche Vite.

See, super easy.  Clean-up was even easier since I took a chapstick, that I keep around for nail stuff, and rubbed it around the sides of my nails so the blues didn't stain my fingers. 

Your Most Beautiful You with IT Cosmetics - QVC TSV 7/13

*IT Cosmetics products in this post provided for review*

Just the other day I posted THIS press release about the upcoming Today's Special Value on QVC by IT Cosmetics for this Saturday, 7/13.  Luckily, I was able to also try this kit out and tell y'all how amazing it is.

I'm not going to include a TON of info about the products on this post, as a good bit is included with that press release.  What I will state is some of the packaging info and how I honestly and truly feel about these.

First off, when UPS dropped off my package, it was kinda crushed.  Thankfully everything inside was packaged well enough that just the product box containing the kit took a little damage.  I love that the box has this quote by the creator, Jamie Kern Lima, on it:  "You are love, you are light, you are beautiful, you are one of a kind, you are worthy, you are a miracle, you are what you believe, you are IT!"  Also, the company is totally cruelty free!

L to R: Heavenly Luxe™ Pointed Precision Complexion Brush, Heavenly Luxe™ Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer Brush, YBBB™ Your Brows But Better™ Brow Power Skinny Pencil, Hello Light™ Anti-Aging Creme Luminizer, Vitality Lip Blush™ Hydrating Gloss Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi, and Bye Bye Under Eye in Neutral Medium.

Swatched on my hand: luminizer(you can barely see it, gloss stain, brow pencil(heavy and light handed), and the concealer underneath.

Bye Bye Under Eye - This is a 1oz. tube & is a full coverage waterproof concealer that can also be used as an allover foundation.  Using this and the Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer Brush I buffed this all over.  I made sure to conceal first then cover the rest.  I picked the shade Neutral Medium and while it doesn't look like it matches on my hand...it totally matches my face.  I'm around a NC25 and this was perfect for me.  It covered my scars, red spots, and almost fully covered my scars.  It's full coverage without feeling heavy and thick.  It almost feels like a BB Cream.  The brush was also amazing for application.  The small end perfect for concealing and getting in tiny spots(eyes/nose) & the larger end for all over the face.  It's synthetic and amazingly soft.

Your Brows But Better Pencil - A retractable pencil & spooley brush in one.  The brush end is amazing and better than anything I've ever used to brush through my brows.  The pencil color is kinda the same color as freckles & I was afraid it wouldn't work for me since I have red hair....but it totally did.  You can see below how natural it made my brows look without making them look all made up.  I have scars in both eyebrows and it concealed those perfectly.

Hello Light Luminizer - The packaging on this is amazing.  The back of the box shows you exactly where to apply this.  The compact is mirrored silver with a mirror on the inside.  The creme looks golden in the compact, but is almost undetectable when swatched.  In fact it's almost like a clear champagne color.  When you use the Pointed Precision Complexion Brush to apply it, it gives a beautiful glow without looking vampire sparkly.

Vitality Lip Blush Gloss Stain (Je Ne Sais Quoi) - The color in the tube looks like a milky baby pink, but changes to a slightly darker(almost a light Barbie) pink gloss once applied.  It's like your lips but better....well if you have pink toned lips that is.  I can't quite pinpoint the scent, but it's not distracting or annoying or lingering.  It feels great on the lips and keeps them feeling smooth even after eating.  The packaging is super adorbs too.  It has tons of good for you ingredients to take care of your lips.  It's more like a balm than a gloss.

Just the IT Cosmetics products.

Just the IT Cosmetics products.

It's just so natural looking and evens out my skin.  I had to add some color to my face & took more pics.

What else I used.....Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Palette(virgin, sin, sidecar, half baked, toasted, & hustle as my liner), Maybelline Define A Lash(because my other mascara was so dry it wouldn't go on), Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer in Milk Chocolate, Coastal Scents blush palette(used 2 of the orange-y brown tones, and Rimmel Stay Matte powder in translucent.


I used NO primer with this and the Bye Bye Under Eye did NOT settle into my pores nor did it separate as my face started getting oily.  I love these and can only imagine now much I would LOVE the Bye Bye Pores products...since mine are huge.

Don't forget to check out IT Cosmetics on QVC this Saturday starting at 12am(midnight) EST.  I don't have a price for this kit, but I'm told it's an amazing surprise.

Your IT Cosmetics Most Beautiful You 6-pc Collection is a Today’s Special Value (TSV) on QVC: it’s available ONE DAY ONLY exclusively on QVC and QVC.com on July 13th, 2013!


Have you tried IT Cosmetics?

Note: Products were sent for review for a 100% honest opinion.

Glitter & Flowers!

Tomorrow I'm going to a wedding & of course had to do something with my nails.  I can't just do a color and leave it alone, I had to do something sparkly.  Unfortunately, my original idea of one stroke flowers wasn't able to be done since I don't have the acrylic paint for it. 

This is the pattern on my dress.

So, what's a nail junkie to do?  Go to PINTEREST!!!  I found THIS and THIS & decided to attempt both in one mani.  I also had the bright idea to do this at 2am while watching episodes of Honey Boo Boo.  I'll just say that show is horrible & that is NOT how all people in the south act. 

I'll stop blabbering & show y'all pics.  I'll tell you what I did after.

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flash

outside cell pic & random hair on my pinky

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gradient

I forgot to write this all down, so hopefully I can remember everything.  I used OPI Nail Envy as my base coat & 2 coats of Rimmel Midnight Blue which is an almost black shimmery blue.

Thumb, index, & pinky: I brushed a thin layer of China Glaze Atlantis on 2/3 of the nail then 2 thin coats of Barry M Aqua Glitter(which I recently got from a giveaway on Glowstars.net)

Middle & ring: I dabbed a bit of Barry M Aqua Glitter on bottom corners of my nail.  Then I took a short nail art brush and used a white Art Deco polish to freehand some flower petals(I know they're 2 diff shapes, that's what happens at 3am).  I took a small bit of OPI Fly and brushed over the white just a little for some multi-colored petals.  I grabbed a dotting tool that had just a point at one end and grabbed the large hex pieces of glitter out of OPI Servin' Up Sparkle & randomly placed them above the flowers. 

I finished with a coat of Gelous & Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

What do y'all think?  I'm tempted to remove the flowers & stuff and just do a glitter gradient. 

*Football Friday* Game Face

I know, I usually post these early, but I just finished editing the pics.  Usually I do my Friday posts in advance so that I don't have to worry, but I've been kinda busy and distracted lately.

I didn't know what I was going to name this post until I started editing the pictures.  I've done UGA inspired looks in the past, but wanted to do something different.  And, this is remotely tame. 

For inspiration, I went to YouTube and looked through xSparkage's video's.  Ironically enough the one I did find was her Horoscope inspired tutorial for Scorpio!  Not only was it red & black, but it was my sign too!  Y'all should really check her out if you haven't already.  Thankfully my friend Melissa pointed me toward watching her and I'm hooked :D

I also wanted to try my new Wet N Wild DreamWeavers Trio Enter A New Realm that Kristin at The Manicured Monkey picked up for me recently.  I already have the Night Elf palette and did use one color out of it.  So....onto the pics and what all I used will be listed below.

Here's what I used:

EYES 
ELF Mineral Primer
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
WnW Enter A New Realm (only used the red & black as the silver was kinda meh)
Bare Escentuals Black Ruby Liner Shadow (as I didn't have the dark red shadow she has)
WnW Night Elf (only used the white in the upper left corner)
Josie Maran Argan Infused Eyeliner in Raven
Maybelline Falsies mascara

FACE
NYC Matte Powder Foundation in Urban Light
ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder (used both)
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent

LIPS
ELF Minty Lip Gloss in Boston

Also, if you haven't already, go enter my $25 Apothica Gift Card Giveaway which ends tonight at 11:59PM EST.

TOODLES Y'ALL!!!

Blueeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sorry, the song just popped in my head as I was editing pictures for this post. 

I was originally going to layer Nubar 2010 over this, but wasn't sure how long I'd wear it so decided against it.  I've actually had it on for a few days & will probably be removing soon for a swatch fest. 

This is Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Midnight Blue with China Glaze Dorothy Who? on the accent ring finger. 

Indoors/lamp/no flash

Sunlight/no flash

This is with 2 coats of each.  I probably could've gotten away with 1 coat of the Midnight Blue, but wasn't paying attention while watching tv & had to do 2.  The brush and application was AMAZING!  Though in person it looks almost black, with 1 coat it was more blue.  You can see the shimmer in the 2nd pic.  I also could've just used one coat of DW, but just had to have more sparkle! 

TOODLES Y'ALL!!!

CVS, Walgreens, and Bed Bath & Beyond haul

After getting out of the house, I decided to take advantage of some of the sales I told y'all about last weekend.  It was a LONG day of shopping, but IMO I got some good deals.  

We'll start off with what I got at CVS.....

The other half saw the hot cocoa set for 75% off (I think) and it rang up for $1.25....the mugs are too cute!!!

These are Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner's in Endless (purple) & Eternal (green).  They were Buy on1, get one half off.......so one was $6.49 & the other was $3.24.  These say that they're 24 hour long wear, waterproof, color intense, and smudge & smear proof.  If you didn't already know, I'm newly addicted to purple eyeliners.  So, I figured I'd give these a go.  And that green will be perfect for St. Patricks Day!!!

Next up, we have items that were not on sale, but I needed a new eyebrow pencil ($7.99) and this Wet N Wild Trio in Cool As A Cucumber is just awesome.  I'd not seen it before anywhere....Walgreens didn't have it.  I can't wait to try that trio.  I wore green & purples from my Holiday palettes. so this is all in one.

 These were sale items that I can't wait to try.  I got 2 of the Rimmel Stay matte foundations in Ivory for 75% off and rang up at $1.75ea.  I just hope the shade is close to my skin.  If not, it wasn't that much.  I've heard they're pretty good.  Also, a Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Light at 50% off for $3.75, which I've heard good things about as well.  Below that is a maybelline lipstick in Rum Raisin(G300) which was 50% off, $3.25.  The Maybelline XXL Pro mascara in Very Black clearly has a 50% off sticker on it, but rang up at $9.99.  I had to have that corrected b/c of the sticker & paid $5.00.  It's supposed to last up to 12 hours.  We'll see.  On the far right we have a Rimmel eyeshadow quad in smokey Brun for 75% off, $1.82.  Yet, another neutral quad for me, but it was cheap.  


Lastly we have the Rimmel Eyeful Eye glistener pencils in Stand Out (500)-a pretty green that has glitter on the outside of the pencil and in Talk To Me (400) which looks kinda like it's a duochrome.....purple, green, or silver depending on the light.  I have a better pic below.  These were also 75% off for a cost of $1.87ea.  Looking at the receipt, I think she rang up the Talk To Me twice instead of ringing up the WNW trio.  I can't wait to use these either!!

Here's my receipt & The bottom shows I saved $55.87....just WOW!  

 

Next up...........Walgreens....

 

I had a $2 coupon for Clean & Clear, so I thought I'd try this new acne cleanser to kinda mix it up.  

The Wet N Wild stuff was ALL 50% off at Walgreens......INCLUDING the new nail polish & eyeshadow trio.  From left to right we have....Lipliner in Berry Red ($0.49), Dual Pencil Sharpener($0.49), 2 Creme Shadow Pencils in Pixie ($0.99ea.), Fast Dry Nailcolor in Gray's Anatomy ($0.99), and Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in I'm Getting Sunburned ($1.49).  

The eyeshadow and nail polish are BOTH from the newly released 2011 collection.  I'm kinda upset that I didn't see the other polishes or trio's I wanted, but didn't feel like running all over town to different Walgreens stores to search for them.  I'll see how I like these & maybe get them later.  Below is a copy of my receipt which I saved $7.50.  $5.50 was from the WnW alone.

 

Lastly......we have a nail polish collection I picked up on sale at Bed, Bath, And Beyond.

This picture sucks, I think I had the overhead light on and flash on my cam.

Still in the packaging, light off, flash on.

Out of the package, with flash.

These pictures just don't do this justice.  You can't really tell what the colors are and they don't have any names.  So, I'll go from left to right.  

#1- silver glitter
#2- minty/neon green, not quite one way or the other
#3- a light neon pink
#4- a pretty greenish teal
#5- orange.......this will prolly only be used for Halloween stuffs.
#6- a light brownish purple
#7- a pinky red.

These were on clearance for only $4.99.  I wasn't going to get them, but the other half paid for them anyway.  The name on the packaging is Simple Pleasures Nail Polish Assortment, but I can't find anything on it.  The pic below is from the back of the box & it cracked me up.....I don't want to meet the person who would eat nail polish!

 

 TOODLES Y'ALL!!