Fiore & Once Upon A Starry Night Review [#5]

Hi everyone! Sorry I have not posted in so long. It's been crazy busy at work this past month. I am actually going on Vermont tomorrow with my lovely boyfriend so I had a lot of projects to finish. I decided to post a review before I leave and go on an amazing adventure. I will be posting about my vacation when I get back.

Because I have so many nail polishes to review, I've been trying to combine different brands and figure out what goes well together. I decided to pair Fiore by Julep and Once Upon A Starry Night by I Love Nail Polish.

Here is the description given about these two:

Fiore  - "Espresso brown crème from the It Girl style."

Once Upon A Starry Night - "This dreamy nail polish was made using a variety of blue, silver, white, prism, and star glitters. Once Upon a Starry Night contains tiny silver stars to accent the lovely snow dusted evening effect the polish delivers. This nail polish looks absolutely stunning up close. You’ll love it!"

Here is two coats of Fiore.  It's a nice dark, rich color. It certain lighting it can be very brown or a blue-dark gray. It's a great color for Fall. It goes on smooth and glossy.

Here is a two coats of Once Upon A Starry Night. I didn't have to dab to get a good coat. There is a good amount of glitter in this polish.  It has fine glitter, circles and stars in white, silver and blue.  Also I love the rubberized handle on the brush. Makes it very easy hold the brush steady and paint evenly. 

I decided to use Seche Vite to top of my manicure. I think it really coats over glitter well and keeps them from sticking out too much. As you can see below, with the flash, it gives Fiore a blue-gray tint.  

My manicure lasted about two weeks. Taking it off wasn't terrible but you do have to scrub a little bit to get the glitter off. I think the combination was pretty and Fiore brought out the glitter. What do you think of this manicure? What do you think would go well with Fiore or Once Upon A Starry Night? 

Well that is it for my review. My next review will be an End of Summer combination. I hope you enjoyed readying and I will see you all when I get back. Happy Polishing!

Julep August Box 2013

I'm just writing a short post about my latest Julep subscription box, August It Girl. I have yet to really try the products so I just wanted to showcase what I received. 

Here is the outside of the box.

Maven is turning two!

Look how cute everything is packaged!

Here is what I received.

So I stuck with the It Girl style because I really liked the colors compared to the other ones and did not need the beauty product.

Julep Nail Polish - 

Nellie - Pink fuschia creme. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven

Marjorie - Citrus orange frost. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven

Fiore - Espresso brown creme. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven

Also they send a pack of Forget-Me-Not flower seeds as a "Thank You" to all their mavens for helping them grow. I can't wait to plant them!

Anyone else receive the August Julep box? What style do you have? 

Julep Intro Box: It Girl

So I had posted that I signed up to become a Julep Maven and my intro box was FREE.  I took the survey and I was first placed in the Boho Glam style but I really liked the It Girl box so I changed it. I also purchased some add-ons to my box.  

If you are interested in become a Julep Maven, I'd appreciate it if you signed up through my refer a friend link. Here is what I got in my intro box plus the add-on purchases:

Here is the welcome letter inside the box.

Here is the It Girl Box. Everything was wrapped up carefully with pink and black paper.

Here is everything that came in my box.

1. Julep Nail Polish - 
I have yet to try most of these colors but I'm excited to have them. They are just unique and pretty.  Here's what I got:
Eden - Blue violet creme. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven
Bunny- Crisp white linene with fine gold shimmer. $14.00 Regular / $9.99 Sale
Stefani - Gold flecked grey metallic. $14.00 Regular / $7.99 Sale

2. Julep Rock Star Hand Creme - Sample
"Anti-aging, emollient blend of shea butter, glycerin, coconut oil, and vitamin E keeps hands hydrated, even after washing. This non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula will leave you cheering for an encore. Rock on." Currently, a full 3 oz. bottle of this hand creme is out of stock online, but it's priced at $20.00 Regular / $16.00 Maven.  It has a light floral scent. It doesn't feel greasy on my hands and leaves a slight sheen on my hands after it was absorbed into my skin, giving them the look and feel of soft hands. I would definitely buy this hand creme the next time it is in stock.

3. Add-ons - 
I decided to add on a few more nail polishes since the intro box was free. I have yet to try these as well. I have a lot of nail polish to try and swatch but here's what I got:

a. 2013 Color of the Year Duo - $28.00 Regular / $18.00 Sale
Angelina - Emerald green with a silver shimmer frost. 
Esmeralda - Jeweled emerald multi-dimensional glitter.

b. Portia - Sheer tropical blue with opalescent glitter. $14.00 Regular / $7.99 Sale

c. Julia - Purple orchid with golden micro-glitter metallic. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven

d. Drew + A FREE gift - 

I. Drew - Fabulous fuchsia creme. $14.00 Regular / $11.20 Maven
II. Julep Instant Warming Foot Scrub - $22.00 Regular / $12.99 Sale
"This cucumber mint scented scrub warms up on contact like magic. With natural pumice to exfoliate, chili pepper oil to stimulate circulation, and vitamin E to nourish, it's an all-in-one rejuvenating treat for your feet." It's says that you can use this 2-3 times a week. I have used this once so far. Even after the first use, I can feel a difference in my skin. They feel softter, clean, and have a very light mint scent. The scrub has just the right amount of grit; It doesn't feel like you are scratching your skin raw, but it scrubs off the dirt and excess dead skin off.  When you first apply the scrub, you feel this warm sensation instantly from the chili pepper oil, but it doesn't last long while scrubbing. When you dry your skin, you feel a slight tingly sensation from it.  I'll have to see how soft my feet get after using it a few more times.  

Point is...
I'm loving my Julep subscription.  So far I love the It Girl style but I love that I do have the option to switch styles around if I see something I rather have in a different box. The beauty products are very nice and the nail polish colors are gorgeous.  Though I'm on a no buy nail polish for the next three months, I'm super happy that this subscription box has a skip a month option or give to a friend.  We'll have to see what next month's box holds and how well I resist the urge to purchase. Wish me luck!

What do you think of the intro It Girl box? Have you tried or own any of these beauty products? Any colors you are dying to have? Let me know down below!

Last Cheap Nail Polish Review [#4]

So I finally got a chance to review the last of my cheap nail polishes from Target. Here is Revlon's Scandalous.  I can't remember how much it was but it was under $5. I decided to pair it with Essie's Play Date.

Scandalous is a black nail polish with medium and small specks of red violet/purple glitter.  The ratio of glitter to polish is perfect; Just enough to really showcase the polish. And Play Date is such a nice light purple. Great for the summer.

I did two coats of Play Date first and then I decided to have a little fun with Scandalous. 

I coated my pinky twice with Scandalous. Then I decided to do some fun nail art with it. 

I topped it with Seche Vite, which made it rock solid. Though it was fun and pretty, I decided to take it off after a day.  I didn't think it was completely appropriate for work. My job is fun and they wouldn't have minded but I try to keep my manicure's simple at work.  Also with the work I do, they tend to chip quickly anyway.

Point is...

I really like Scandalous. It's a great combination of colors and the glitter is very pretty. Plus it was an inexpensive nail polish.  I can't wait to use it on it's own.

What do you think of the combo? Would you buy Scandalous? Happy Polishing!

Julep August Golden Mystery Box

Hello my readers and fellow bloggers.  I've been busy at work and haven't had too much time to sit and write lately. But today I was "blessed" with an upset digestive system. So as I sip on some iced Sakura Allure green tea from Teavana to help nurse it, I figured I'd write some reviews.  There was a recent Julep Secret Store sale and I decided to splurge and purchase the Golden Mystery Box.

I got Version 3!

It's all wrapped and packed nicely.

Everything is pretty!

1. Julep Everyday SPF Hand Creme (SPF 30)  - $28.00 Regular / $12.99 SaleThe most complete solution for beautiful hands. vitamin E hydrates skin and strengthens nails, while built-in SPF protects your hands from UVA and UVB sun damage and the related signs of aging such as fine lines and sun spots.
   
   I'm looking forward to using this hand cream.  I tend to have dry skin and this will be great to use during all season, especially winter. The packaging is very simple and modern with the black and white colors.  It's unscented and goes on smooth. You have to rub it in really well to get the suncreen feel off your hands or it will seem greasy. After you rub it in, your hands feel soft and smooth with a nice healthy sheen on your skin.
   
2. Oxygen Nail Treatment - $18.00 Regular / $14.40 Maven                           Complete nail care and make-up all in one bottle. Made with a patented Hexanal formulation, nails are restructured to a stronger, thicker, and smoother condition in just one stroke. Advanced plant stem cell complex provides anti-aging benefits, while ground-breaking oxygen technology forms a nonocclusive film on the nail, proving resistant to water penetration and improving the permeability to oxygen. Results are nails that are structurally stronger, and less prone to breakage and splitting.
   
   I'm really happy this came in the box. The nails on my toes tend to be brittle and chip easily. This creamy, translucent pink goes on very smooth. It dries quick and makes my nails look shiny and healthy. I hope they get stronger. :cross your fingers:
   
   
3. Julep Nail Polish: $10 - $25 (Some only come in sets, hence the higher price)
   I love the colors I got. They all would be ones I'd pick for myself. I already have Bunny and Drew from other purchases but they will go nice as a gift.
   
• Bunny - Crisp white linen with fine gold shimmer
• Layne - Sheer french pink
• Sheryl - Sheer butterscotch shimmer with a hint of golden bronze
• Drew - Fabulous fuchsia crème.
  
  
4. Dolle's Salt Water Taffy - < $1. World Famous from Ocean City, Maryland.
   I love salt water taffy! I got Lime, Chocolate and Strawberry. I will have to try them when my body is feeling better.
   
   
5. Belina Hair Ties - 3 ties (Unsure of price. They are not available on their website)
   I got black, tan, and bronze shimmery ties. Kind of sad because my hair is currently short so I can't tie my hair up, unless I do pigtails. I'll have to try them when my hair grows out more.

Point is...

I love this month's Golden Mystery Box! With the amount of stuff that came in it for the price of $30, I think it was well worth it.  I have so much nail polish to catch up on. I hope to use these colors soon. And I'll keep you posted on how the nail treatment is going!

What do you think of the products from this box? Have you tried any of them? Is Dolle's salt water taffy that good? 

Nail Polish Collection

I have finally finished! I know you've all been waiting to see my nail polish collection. It isn't as massive as some of the ones I've seen, :cough: Kat from Thoughts At 1AM :cough:. I've been working on documenting my collection with pictures and a list of my stash. 

Here are pictures of my ever growing collection.

I've been storing my nail polish in these bins but because my collection is expanding, I will need to find another way to store my polish. Everyone sees to be using a Helmer from Ikea. This might something I will have to invest in as well. And it will go this vanity idea online.

Here is my I Love Nail Polish collection:

Here is my Rainbow Honey collection:

What do you think? I went a little crazy with Rainbow Honey. I have a lot to try out!

Here is a link to my whole entire list - Nail Polish Collection

Happy Polishing!

Neon - Nail Polish Review [#4]

Happy August! 

Just got through a big event at work and though we have more upcoming events that we have to plan and prepare for, I'm just super excited for the end of this month. I will be leaving for Vermont on August 24. I can't wait! :3

Anyway, I recently went to Target and I couldn't help but check out their Essie nail polish.  They had a few of the collections display and this one nail polish caught my eye. Bouncer, It's Me from their 2013 Neon Collection.

It's recommended to use a white base coat under their neon colors. I have Essie's Poppy-Razzi Neon Collection from last year. I have used a base of Essie's Blanc with them and without. I preferred it without the white base because it was time consuming and heavy feeling to paint a white base and then the neon plus a top coat. Also, it still looked neon without the white.

I figured I'd try and review Bouncer, It's Me with and without a white base coat to see what it looks like. The nail polish is very translucent. I put two coats of Blanc and two coats of Bouncer, It's Me on my left hand. I did a base coat and three coats of Bouncer, It's Me on my right hand. 

Do you see the difference?

Please don't mind the messy fingers. Didn't get a chance to them up.

It dries quickly and in a matte coat. My right hand is more of a deep, dark blue. My left hand had some streakiness. I could have done three coats but I was lazy and didn't bother. I like both version of them.  I put on a top coat of Essie's Good To Go. My left hand really pops in natural lighting but with the flash, both hands look the same.

With the flash on. They look very similar with only a subtle difference in hue.

At my office. You can see how the white base makes my left hand nails this bright blue.

After about a week, they've all chipped and cracked under the top coat. And I'm ready for the next manicure.

Point is...
If you use any of Essie's Neon Collection and have more patience than me, the white base coat really does bring out the bright color in the nail polish. Lighter neon colors can work well without a white base, but I'd stick to the white base with the darker neon colors. 

Happy Polishing!

Summer Fun - Nail Polish Review [#3]

I'm super behind in my posts. I've been super busy between plans, work, and cleaning out my closet. But here is my latest nail polish review.  I recently posted a picture of my nails recent on instagram. 



I used Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Glosstinis' Bahama Mama. I picked up this polish at Target for $2.99. Also, I used Rainbow Honey's Soul Gem. I got Soul Gem as a FREE limited edition for buying the latest collection, The Summer of 199X. You can check out the collection here. 



Bahama Mama is a very pretty coral color with a gold shimmer. It's a great Summer color and I think it'd look great on anyone.  It's very balanced in the amount of coral and pink in it.  Depending on the lighting, it looks more pink or more coral. 

It actually reminds me of Rainbow Honey's Fire Spring from the new collection. 

What do you think?

I decided to try something different and accent my pinky nail. You'll notice that I didn't have anything on my pinky in the picture above. I thought I could get away with just using Soul Gem without any base under it. I was wrong. The glitter is fine and it would have taken several coats just to cover my whole nail with it. I used one coat of Bahama Mama on my pinky and then about two to three coats of Soul Gem to get overall coverage.  

I used Seche Vite as my top coat. Though it has Toulene in it, it works great and dries quickly  I did notice that when I used it, I could smell that sickly, sweet smell that Toulene has. I notice that many of the nail polishes I use don't have a strong smell, which I think is mainly because they are 3-free. I'll just have to use Seche Vite sparingly. 

Point is...

Another awesome color at an affordable price. If you are looking for a summer color, Bahama Mama is one of them. It has a great shimmer and is really pretty and feminine. I have one more polish to review from this haul and then I'll show you all my latest additions to my collection. And possibly a list of all my nail polishes will be posted. 

What's your favorite for this summer? Happy Polishing!

Target Beauty Box

I'm sure many of you have already read reviews and have seen what comes in the Target Beauty Box, but I wanted to post about it anyway. 

The Beauty Box was released back in May. I jumped at the chance to get one. As you all know by now, I love Target and I was excited that they decided to put together this box full of health and beauty products. And for only $5, I had to get one. 

This box was just a test for the company. They had no idea that so many people would order this box. They sold out very quickly and many people are hoping that this will turn into a monthly subscription box. 

Here is how the box looks like. It's a paper cover with a white box inside.

They wrapped the items with red tissue paper.

Here is what I got in my box.

List of products:

• La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo.  This is a small sample of their duo acne treatment. It was in Allure magazine in 2012 and is now available at Target. I'll probably put this to good use. I'm still prone to breakouts here and there. And I do try to change up my acne treatments/cleansers so my skin doesn't get too use to one. Currently, Target sells their 1.35oz tube for $36.99. The sample is .17oz.
• Fekkai Glossing Cream. It is to add shine to your hair and keep the frizz away. I don't usually have frizzy hair and my hair tends to become greasy, especially my bangs, so I might not use this at all. I'm afraid it will weigh down my hair and make it even more greasy. If anyone would like to try it, let me know. I'd be willing it to give it to someone who would put it to good use. They currently sell the shampoo and conditioner at Target. The 2 oz. glossing cream sells for about $10 at other stores and online.
• Gillette Venus and Olay Razor Pack. It has one blade, the handle, and a holder. I actually use Venus and I've been wanting to try the ones with Olay in it so I was pretty excited to see this in the box.  This one also has 5 blades and is a new scent, Sugarberry. These packs are currently valued at $8.99.
• L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream is a sample size, .025oz., in Light. I'm not sure how this will look on my skin since I'm a medium. I did get tan this weekend too so it might be too light for my skin. I'll have to try this and post an update about it. BB cream is just so easy to put on and saves me a lot of time when I put on makeup. A 1oz. tube is $7.99 at Target.
• Last but not least, Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I got Lust-rous, which is a black gloss with flecks of gold and silver in medium hexagons and fine glitter. It's definitely my style of nail polish. I've used these strips before. I think they are a little thick, but maybe they improved them (We shall see). Also, I have very tiny nails and I have to cut these strips down a lot to use. But the benefit is it can be time consuming to make some of the designs these strips come in, by hand. I tend to have left overs so I can usually cover a nail or two again as an accent nail. These sell between $7.59 - $11.99 depending on the style.

This box also came with a $3 off a $15 purchase, online or in-store. Also I heard from some other bloggers that Target extended the coupon because it should have expired the 22nd of June but many people received the box late. I hope they go forward with these boxes and hopefully expand on the products or maybe different category boxes.

Subscription boxes/bags have become a big hit. There are a lot of different types with all kinds of products at varying price points. I just recently signed up to become a Maven on Julep. Julep is a beauty company that mostly sells nail polish. They do have other products, such as for hair and skin. With this subscription box, you can get beauty products or nail polish in different colors. They also have a survey to place you in one of their style categories but you can choose one as well. I like that with Julep, I can skip a month or so if I don't like that month's products or just have to conserve my finances. Also being a Maven, you can purchase their products at a discounted price.  If you are interested in becoming a Maven, I'd appreciate it if you'd go through my refer-a-friend link - click here.

Also I just signed up for My Cotton Bunny, a subscription box for when you are "waving the Japanese flag" (I just like that saying. Tee hee) I think it's such a cute idea. I know as a woman, you just need to treat yourself around that time. I'm going to give it a try and see how I like it. 

Point is...

It's a growing trend. There are so many choices, it's hard to decide which ones are the best. There are plenty of blogs that review all kinds of subscription boxes so you have a chance to see what it's like before you commit.  I think it's a great idea and really helps you try different products without spending a lot of money on them first. 

What do you think?

What subscription boxes do you currently subscribe too? What are some you have subscribed to and cancelled? What do you like/don't like about them.

I'm Feeling Wicked...Nail Polish Review [#2]

Hello viewers and fellow bloggers! It's been a crazy weekend, so sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I'm currently relaxing, eating white cheddar popcorn, and watching my boyfriend play Borderlands 2. I hope to get more post out this week. I have a few topics/reviews I've been wanting to write about and a post about this awesome weekend. Without further ado, here is my latest nail polish review. 

As you know, I've been writing reviews about these inexpensive nail polishes. I'm currently wearing Covergirl Outlast Glosstinis Appletini and Maybelline Color Show Twilight Rays. Also I got a chance to use my Mt. Moon by Rainbow Honey. Mt. Moon cost $10.00, which is on the high-end side, but Appletini and Twilight Rays only cost $2.99 each. Though Appletini is a smaller bottle (3.5 ml), it's still a great price.

Sorry for the blurry picture.

The color of Appletini really pops and only took 2 coats.  It's a very yellow-green color and slightly neon. Not many people like this color or don't think they can pull it off but it's a great base for any themed manicures or nail art.  The color actually grew on me as I wore it for the past week. Plus, it matched my phone case which I did by accident.

I use Twilight Rays for my ring finger. It's a nice black color with a fine gold glitter. It reminds me of New Year's Eve. It covers in about one coat, but I wanted the richness of the black, so I used two coats.  The glitter is very fine so you can only see it in certain lighting. When you look really close, you see the speckles sparkle. 

My manicure really reminded me of Wicked, the broadway musical about the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good from the Wizard of Oz.  It's one of my favorite musicals. So far, I've seen it twice and I'd go again if I could afford it.

I felt like I was Elphaba with my manicure, but I wanted a bit more sparkle. I decided to coat Appletini with Mt. Moon. I think it looks awesome with it. You see all these blues, purples, and pinks and chunks of silver glitter. It's very out of this world. (tee hee) This reminded me of how much Glinda touched Elphaba's heart and how their friendship and love for each other grew. (If you haven't seen Wicked, I highly recommend it.)

I topped it off with my Essie Good to Go.  I did not do a matte coat. I really wanted to keep the pop of color and sparkle of the glitter. My manicure has defied gravity (sorry for my bad puns) and has held up for the past week. Minor chips on the tips of my nails, but still very solid. 

Point is...

I'm very happy with the quality of this nail polish and I recommend it for it's price and color if you are looking for a fun summer color or a great party/holiday color. I hope you enjoyed my review and more to come! 

I forgot to ask! What do you think of the color and have you tried any of these nail polishes? Anyone else feeling the Wicked-ness? And any other colors you think are great?

Nail Polish Review [#1]

A few of my friends and a few of the blogs I follow do reviews on nail polish and I wanted to give my opinion. I'm going to try and focus on mostly nail polish that are inexpensive but hopefully has great qualities and great colors in some different but fun combinations. 

I'm going to be reviewing these nail polishes in the next few posts. So check back often!

I had mentioned in my thrift store adventure with my boyfriend, I Only Got $20 In My Pocket, that I bought two Essie nail polishes for $5.50 each. I'll be reviewing Smooth Sailing from that post and Revlon's Celestial FX. I got it for $4.99. These aren't the cheapest nail polish but for someone on a budget, this is not as much as some other well known brands.

Smooth Sailing is from Essie's 2011 Summer Collection, Braziliant. This polish has a rich indigo color with tiny bits of silver sparkle throughout. It only took two coats for me. I really like the sheen and the color is really pretty.

Depending on the lighting, there are these purple hues in it. It's a very fun color. I figured since it had this silver sparkle to it, I'd top it with Celestial FX.

It has large holographic diamond, star, and moon shapes along with tiny glitter pieces. It also is fast drying, so you have to work fast or keep the bottle capped.  

It was really difficult getting the larger pieces of glitter to stick to my nails and stay. If you want to coat your nails in fine glitter, you could do it in one coat with this but It took a lot of dabbing and placing to get a star or a moon. 

It was nice that it dried fast, but I started noticing that the bigger pieces of glitter would stick out a bit or you'd feel the pointy parts of them not sticking all the way down. 

I figured I'd put a coat of matte on it and that would seal those bits in.

Sadly, it did not. I could still feel them poking me and sticking up. I'm the type of person to pick at things like that when I'm thinking or bored.  And it just is a pet peeve of mine, so I removed the nail polish after a day.

Sorry I can't say how long it could have lasted or how well it held up to daily use and any chipping. 

Point is...

I'm going to give Celestial FX another try. I think it'd look great on a darker color. I'll keep you posted. Happy Polish Hunting!


UPDATE

Tried Celestial FX again. I'm much happier with the results. Just a lot more patience and took my time getting it right.