NYC In a New York Minute Fast Dry Nail Color

I decided on this color for the upcoming weeks after that horrible gold experience! Its called Park Avenue and it is definitely a fall taupish hue. Call it wishiful thinking but I am so ready for fall! :) And to transition into the season I figured this color is a good start.
I absolutely love this polish (and several others from the same collection).
First, the price. I think I paid around $2 for this at Target.
Another thing I love is all the names for the colors. I am one of those girls that enjoys those little details and all the polishes from the New York Minute collection have cute names like Central Park, Downtown, Manhattan,  and I just think its really cute.

Mostly all the colors from this collection are fall hues: maroons, tuapes, rich plums, and several shades of navy. However, I'm pretty sure they have recently launched new shades like oranges, reds, pinks, and some blues.
This polish really does dry "in a New York minute". It applies smooth and rich in only two coats. If you're looking to stock up on new shades for this season, this collection is a perfect. You can have a dozen shades under two bucks a piece!

Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color

I have fallen in love lately with changing up my polish at least every 2 weeks!
For the last few weeks I wore this Wet n Wild polish in The Gold and The Beautiful.
When I was looking through all the polishes at my drugstore, this one really caught my eye and it was only $2 I believe so I grabbed it.
However, this polish only looks great in the bottle, and it takes a lot of work for it to look decent on the nails.
It has finely milled glitter particles that do not show up that great on the nails.
Even with three coats on its own, it looked like clear with very little glitter in it and I wanted it to look just like the bottle! I don't have any gold polish, so I had to use another color as a base.
I used a white polish underneath, and topped it with four, yes that many, coats of this glitter.
It took FOREVER for each coat to dry. I'm not exagerating when I say I spent about an hour and a half working on this! And in the end, it still really didn't look that good.

My opinion? For two bucks, buy some gold polish to use as a base, that way you won't have to use as many coats. If that doesn't sound like something you would be willing to do, skip this polish. When it came time to take it off, I found this actually removed pretty easily considering it is a glitter polish.

I don't recommend this to everyone! But best of luck to those who try it out :)

FREE is always good!

Doesn't everyone like getting things for free? Treat yourself today with free gifts from my favorite beauty sites! Check out the steals and deals tab for info on a free wine and cheese cooler and an eleven piece studio brush set!

Senior Portraits! And news on a Youtube beauty channel!

Hello everyone! My little sister, Jessica, is a senior in highschool this year and she took her senior portraits yesterday! So over the last weekend, I practiced different makeup looks on her and I wanted to share with everyone what she decided she liked best!

This is just a practice picture we took in our bathroom, I had her sit on the toilet! Lol

Here is a close up of her face makeup, amazing what a difference lighting can make!

And a closeup of her eye makeup. I wanted a neutral look but not muted colors. I added vibrancy to a natural eye.

I am working on a Youtube beauty channel at the moment; I'm hoping to launch it sometime this month, and one of my first videos will be a tutorial and tips for senior portraits (or any other type of portraits too!). I will go over this exact look, go over tips for poses that work for your face and body type, and some tips on what to wear for your shape!

If you are curious to see the final product and look from Jessica's shoot, I will post some of the pictures in the next week or so!
Stay beautiful!

AMAZING new steals and deals!

Check out the Steals and Deals tab for things like a FREE DKNY tote, Bobbi Brown Eye Cream, Stila Lipglaze Trio set, SmashBox Primer, YSL MAscara, Prada Rollerball fragrance and leather carrying case, and tons more! Happy Shopping! :)

Laura Geller's Air Whipped LipWear Duo

This is the last product of my LG haul and it is an extremely creamy and rich lip product. This is applies like a gloss and looks like a lipstick! It has a soft velvety suede feel on the lips. It is silky and satiny, rich in color and smells so yummy!
These beauties retail for $26.00 Exclusively at QVC and QVC.com; this means that, unlike the eyeliner and shadow in my other reviews, these lip duos can only be purchased on QVC.
The packaging reminds me of bullets for some reason. It has a tipical wand applicator, but that is about the only tipical qualitiy of this product.
 The shades I have swatched are Mocha Mousse (left) and Pink mousse (right). They also come in Magenta Mousse (lively pink) and Innocent Mousse ( a subtle pink nuance). The Mocha Mousse is a rich nude pink, and the Pink Mousse is a bright pop of pink. These names are spot on when describing these lip glosses, they are creamy and have a mousse like texture; Laura explains it as dollop of whipped cream. They are alot like hybrids and are the best of both a lip gloss and lipstick. 
These are great for blurring fine lines and wrinkles on the lips because they don't feather at all. It isn't sticky like other glosses and one application lasts for at least a whole hour before it needs any kind of touch ups!
These are so rich that you are garunteed to only need one swipe.
The lip duos are made with Shea butter so it won't dry out your pucker. It is also formulated with Marine-derived Collagen filling spheres and a peptide complex to boost circulation in the lips and boost collagen, so it is slightly plumping. Another thing I love about these is that you can wear one color alone, or mix the two for a whole new color. They wear so nicely, and even after wearing off, they still look like a lipstain. These are sure to last, and deliver a full  and sexy bright pout!
Stay beautiful!

Laura Geller's Eye Rimz Baked Wet/Dry Eye Accents

The next item in my Laura Geller haul is one of her beautiful baked eyeshadows! This one is the shade Cobalt Blue; it comes in other shades such as Bewitching Bronze and Hocus Pocus (Rich emerald green).
The packaging for this shadow is just a bit bigger than a MAC shadow, it is 1.2 grams of product. I love that the lid comes with a mini half sized mirror!
These are available for $26.50 on sites like QVC, Laura Geller, and at Ulta Beauty.
This shadow is baked in Italy and has beautiful swirls of dark royal blue, shimmery pearl and silver, and irredescent smokey black. This shadow can be used in so many ways to create a wide variety of looks.
These can be used wet or dry, mixed, or seperate, and all over the lid or as an accent.

Wet: Mist your cleam palm with a little water or makeup setting spray. Now tap your brush into it. Dab the moist brush into the shadow to pickup the pigment. Pack the shadow onto your lid. The end result is pure metallic color.
Dry: Apply an eyeshadow base all over the lid. Tap your brush into the shadow anto pick up the pigment. Pack the shadow on your lid. the end result is rich and dramatically smokey color.
Applying this product wet or dry creates different looks, but the colors you use in this shadow can also have new effects on the look. Swirling the brush in all the colors creates a deep smokey eye. You can also tap your brush in one color at a time to build a full lid, crease, and browbone eye look.
I mentioned before that this can be used as an accent. Although I didn't take a picture of it, this shadow also comes with a small crease-like brush. It is perfecrtly sized to pick up the shadow and small enough to pinpoint where you want the shadow; like around the rim of your eye as a dry eyeliner accent.
This shadow is great for day to night looks. Apply it lightly using all the colors in the shadow for a blue and pearl eye with black accents for the day. Easily transfer into a night look by reapplying the shadow with a mix of all the colors!
Versatile and packed with rich pigment payoff, this is a great product!

**If you would like to see this on me, I am wearing it as an allover smokey lid color in the swatch found on this nail review:  http://vixenslovee.blogspot.com/2011/09/pure-ice-nail-polishes.html

Laura Geller's The Perfect Pairing Waterproof Liquid and Powder Eyeliner

Ok, to start these fun reviews I have here my absolute favorite of the products sent to me! It is a double ended waterproof eyeliner!
There are two reasons I fell in love with this product: It is like nothing I have ever used before and it is absolutely long wearing.
The shade I got was Brown, although it also comes is Black, Eggplant, and Navy; although, I believe, the Brown and Navy colors are only available on QVC. These are priced at $26.50 each.
Here is how it works:
First apply the liquid liner to the base of the lash line in smooth and quick strokes. This liquid liner dries fast and is smudgeproof. The color comes off  rich and shiny. Next apply the powder liner just above the liquid liner to set the product and brighten the color. The end result looks like an expertly smudged yet clean and crisp soft smokey line that instantly sophisticates any eye look.

 This makes it so easy to achieve a great lined eye look. Sometimes it is difficult finding a liner that isn't runny or if it has the right consistency, it doesn't always appear to be true to color. But this is the perfect formualtion. The liner is made with film-formers to help it dry and last all day. The powder liner is formulated with ultra fine milled natural minerals to make the eyes pop with color.
The liquid liner is small and precise, while the shadow liner has a unique wand that holds the powder and packs it over the lid. My only advice is to tap off any excess of the powder or it will end up under the eye in tons of beautiful glittery fallout! Oh no!
 This is just a wonderful pair and I highly recommend it. This is ophthalmologist tested and safe for those who wear contacts. I understand this may seem a little too pricey for just an eyeliner, no matter how wonderful it is, but it can always be requested as a special birthday or anniversary gift!

Laura Geller Haul!

I was lucky enough to be in contact with Morgan Henry of Laura Geller Cosmetics, and she was able to send me a few of their products for review!
I had previously posted this review back in early April or May but for some reason it kept getting flagged or removed? I hadn't even noticed until a reader asked for the review, "Will you still be reviewing the Laura Geller products you promised?".
I apoligize if it seemed that I was ignoring any requests or that I do not keep my word! That wasn't my attention everyone :)
So I will have to repost these reviews tomorrow or in the next few days. I think the problem was me trying to post from my cell phone app, I guess all my reviews from that app were not being posted?
But not to worry, they will be up soon and I will not be posting from the app anymore!

Anyway, Laura Geller used to be sold at Sephora for a while, but it can now be found at Ulta, on her own website, and even QVC!
Her line of beauty products include her famous Spackle, Baked Shadows, Blushes, and Bronzers, and some of the longest wearing lip and eye products I have yet to try!
Keep an eye out for these wonderful products!
Thank you once again to Morgan Henry, and all the team at Laura Geller Cosmetics!

E.L.F Studio HD Powder & SPF 45 Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection

To finish off my E.L.F Cosmetics haul, I've got the Studio Loose Powders. The picture on the left is the High Definition Powder, and the picture on the right, with the amazingly long name, is a SPF loose powder. These powders have 3.5 ounces of product and are available for $6 each; they are worth the price.

The SPF powder only comes in one color, although it does have a light brown tint to it. This mineralized powder is infused with aloe, grapeseed extract, and vitamins A, C and E. The color applies transclucent but it does come off a little too pink on some darker skin tones. I wore this powder on my recent vacation and it worked so well while on the beach and at the campsite! This provides light coverage and blocks sun damage.

The High Definition powder is translucent and creates what is called a "soft focus" that covers all imperfections. This is designed for those who work with cameras. A TV interview, broadcast, or a photoshoot can sometimes highlight blemishes, but with this powder that is all blurred and softened away. I loved this powder so much, it really makes your complexion glow and look flawless! The first time I tried it I took a picture just to test it out, and this really does wonders in front of cameras. I recommend using this powder very lightly or you will get a ghostly complexion. Another great thing about this product? It is an EXACT dupe for Smashbox Cosmetics' Photo Set HD finishing powder, which retails for about $28! Save some money, get the same results.

Both of these powders control shine very well, but these are not packaged for travel. These are so bulky, I actually had trouble storing them at first and I had to move some of my other things around to fit them. They are just plain big. They have a really nice sifter, though, and a large powder puff. I use the puff to pat the product on, and then I buff it out with a face kabuki.  

Pure Ice Nail Polishes!

I love finding cheap nail polishes! And this company is available at your local Walmart and Target for just under $1!! These polishes dry really quickly and only require 2-3 coats. Using a top coat has given me a whole week of wear with out any chipping at all; and that's including a few days of cleaning with bleach, which usually strips my polishes. The shade I'm wearing above is called Kiss Me Here; I wasn't trying to send any kisses out! I just thought it was appropriate and fun for the shade's name. It is a opaque gray with a slight blue undertone. I really like this color!

Another shade I enjoyed, and I'm actually wearing at the moment, is pictured below and is called Purple Reign. Excuse my chipped thumb and pointer nail; I've had this polish on for almost a week and a half! This is very bright, almost neon, glossy purple with gold reflects in it. The polish is not to be confused with a glitter polish; there is no glitter peices in it, only gold reflects. I really love it because the gold is subtle but still catches the light with just the smallest glimmer.

If you have not tried this brand before or are afraid to "waste" money on cheap brands that won't have much payoff; I really recommend these polishes! They are only $1, so what you would usually pay for an Essie polish, you can get 8 of these! And they are not tiny bottles like the Essie ones! They only take a few coats, like any other polish, and last a good week without chipping if you wear a topcoat over it! These are definitely "steals"!

You can never have enough polish ;)

E.L.F Studio Mineral Infused Mascara

Hey everyone, here I have for you the only mascara I dared to try from E.L.F cosmetics. I was a bit hesitant to try these because they are discount and I have had bad experiences with discount mascaras. Buying cheap could cause damage to your eyes and lashes!

But for $3 this actually turned out to be a really nice mascara!

It is "supposedly" miniral infused but the ingredients are mostly everyday mascara ingredients.

 I love the wand on this; it's silicone and bends to hug every lash; even the hard to reach inner lashes. The brush has many alternating rows of tiny bristles. The bristles seperate lashes really well and add great definition without the clumps.

This applies evenly and gives lashes that long and awake look. Do not confuse this with a volumizing mascara, though. This does nothing for thickness.

I recommend this for that natural makeup look because it brings out your lashes but doesn't make them look overdone or like you're wearing a lot of product.

The formula is very leightweight, which I like because the wetter formulas always make my lashes clump up and lose their curl.

I even use this mascara as a base when I don't want to pile on a thickening mascara. Simply apply this to lashes for definition and lenght and then apply a second coat of a thicker formula. This saves you from using up to three or four applications of that more expensive brand!

This is definitely one to try out!

E.L.F. Studio Blushes and Blush&Bronzer Duo Compact

Im still working on my E.L.F haul! I bought two blush compacts and a blush and bronzer duo. I was satisfied with all three so lets get right into it and I'll tell you know why.

This blush here is in Giddy Gold. I bought this for a glowy and bright look on my cheeks, perfect for the summer time. This blush was very bright in color; I was expecting it to be a little more wearable for the face ,but it was just too much. I didn't throw this out right away and I use it instead as a highlight. Just a small and light swipe above my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose gives me the dewey look without using an expensive highlighter.  If used sparingly, this could also be used as a highlight for the decollete area when wearing some more revealing tops; if done right, it could look sexy, not skanky!

This next product is the Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in Blushed and Bronzed (how original). E.L.F is definitely trying to dupe Nars' blush and bronzer compact! The encasing is almost the same, only this packaging has a non sticky coating, unlike the Nars compacts. The E.L.F one also has a sturdier and larger mirror. However, as far as the quality of the product goes this is not a dupe at all. Don't let it mistake you, though, these are still really great blushes for a wonderful price. The blush is a corally light pink with hardly any gold shimmer in it. The bronzer is a matte dark brown and it is perfect for contouring. I advise using this bronzer especially lightly and sparingly as it is a little difficult to blend.

This last blush I purchased is in the shade Candid Coral. If you compare it to the photo above, you can see that this blush looks exactly like the blush in the duo compact! I think they might be the same shades so this was a bad buy; only becuase now I have two of the same shades! The only difference is, this one has more gold reflects in it and it definitely not as matte as the other one above.

The blushes are $3 each and the duo compact is also $3. These blushes are very soft and it does not take a lot of product to get a good color payoff. I recommend tapping your brush into the pan and lightly tapping off any excess to avoid fallout. Rubbing or circling your brush will result in way too much product and crazy amounts of fallout. These come in 11 colors and I recommend trying them all!