tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10556792881114604272024-02-06T20:52:36.734-06:00All That Sparkles and ShimmersNail polish, makeup, jewelry, shoes, clothes, beauty products...it's all here for your reading enjoyment! Please contact us with ideas; we would love to hear from you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-45706110002658917272014-07-04T15:20:00.003-05:002014-07-04T15:20:51.951-05:00Independence Day Nail Art<div>
<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Fourth of July to all of our readers!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRxZKaCmw5tJTojC2cTq1N4JYh5s17ioA_8mpo2GMCWqrki3dI3PJr0EU3UtXOP-xVXqEx588GUft5cRyQsxLGpf_EBnYxMclbdJGo_CXuHwLT7dGG-dEjsJjAwbf4WC9NCR7vc04BN8p/s1600/American+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRxZKaCmw5tJTojC2cTq1N4JYh5s17ioA_8mpo2GMCWqrki3dI3PJr0EU3UtXOP-xVXqEx588GUft5cRyQsxLGpf_EBnYxMclbdJGo_CXuHwLT7dGG-dEjsJjAwbf4WC9NCR7vc04BN8p/s1600/American+Flag.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://funcheap.com/">funcheap.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I decided to celebrate the holiday last night by painting American flags on my nails after finding </span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/367817494539878629/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">this pin</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> on </span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">. It was surprisingly much harder than I thought, but I got compliments today on it, and I like it, so I'm pleased.</span></div>
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/DSC00990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/DSC00990.jpg" height="129" width="200" /></a><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What you will need:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Polishes in red, white and blue</span></li>
<li><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Silver glitter, preferably one with round glitter in it</span></li>
<li><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Nail art striping brush</span></li>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I wanted to try to replicate the picture as best as I could but with a more royal blue, so I chose </span><a href="http://www.julep.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Julep</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Kenya for the red, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Blue-My-Mind/dp/B001383J56" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">OPI Blue Your Mind</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> for the blue, </span><a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sinful-Colors-Professional-Nail-Polish-Snow-Me-White-0.5-fl-oz/24520324?adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=41833582510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Sinful Colors Snow Me White</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> for the white and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Ballet-Collection-Pirouette-Whistle/dp/B007PUHXBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404504765&sr=8-1&keywords=Pirouette+My+Whistle" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">OPI Pirouette My Whistle</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> for the glitter. I used a </span><a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Gift-Sets/Colour-Hardware-Nail-Art-Tool-Kit.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">striping brush by butter London. </a></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Process:</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1) Prepare all of the supplies you will need, including your polish, brushes, a clean-up brush, acetone, base and top coats, and a piece of foil to dribble the red and white on for the flag portion. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2) Apply your base coat and allow to dry.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3) Apply two coats of your blue, leaving a diagonal line at the top of your nail and space for the striping. Allow to dry.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">4) Apply two coats of your red on the tips, slightly overlapping the blue but keeping the line where the two colors meet as straight as possible. It doesn't have to be perfect as this line will be covered by white. Allow to dry.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5) Apply a good-sized blob of white to the foil. Take your striping brush and start with the line where the blue and red meet. Brush a thin line over this area and then repeat with two stripes above in the red area. Clean your striping brush in acetone. Because of the dark colors of the red and blue, I had to go over the white lines twice to ensure that the white was completely opaque.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6) Apply a good-sized blob of red to the foil. Take your striping brush and straighten out the lines if needed with the red. I found that by the time I got to the striping, my hands were shaking from the concentration and my white lines weren't completely straight. Applying red lines between the white cleaned that up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7) Apply your glitter to the blue area of each nail. My glitter that I chose was a microglitter with round glitter in the suspension so I made sure that there was 1-2 pieces on the brush before applying it so I had a combination of microglitter and round glitter on each nail.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">8) Apply top coat. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9) Use your clean-up brush dipped in acetone to clean up any errors. Because of the different shapes of the art, I found that my edges needed to be cleaned up a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10) Finally, apply one last coat of top coat. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pair your mani with a red or blue ring and your best patriotic duds (I wore a blue eternity band, red t-shirt and glitter star earrings that I got on sale at </span><a href="http://www.walmart.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Walmart</a><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">) and you are all set to be patriotic in style!</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope everyone is safe today and has a great time, whatever you are doing!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-16179201650171418412014-06-29T12:05:00.003-05:002014-06-29T12:06:30.902-05:00Polish Review ~ Jamberry Nails Mahogany<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's amazing to reconnect with old friends and find out what they are doing twenty years later. I was invited to an online shopping party several weeks ago on Facebook hosted by two of my old friends. After a little chatting and instant messaging, I reconnected with an old friend from high school and college, Amanda, who I discovered is a <a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/" target="_blank">Jamberry Nails</a> consultant as her second job. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First of all, with over 400 bottles of nail polish, I have accepted that my nail destiny (if such a thing exists) is lacquer on natural nails. I've tried fake nails and acrylics, and hated them both. So normally I wasn't that intrigued at first by the nail wraps. However, from what I have heard about these wraps, people really seem to love them, and they are a convenient and durable alternative to complicated nail art and a cost-effective alternative to having your nails done up all fancy at the salon. Jamberry Nails was founded by three sisters who decided to start this company as an alternative to spending lots of time and money at the salons on manicures. The product has been featured in a number of magazines, and is available in so many designs and colors, I didn't even attempt to count. Each design is $15 per sheet, which includes a variety of sizes and shapes to be able to fit your toes and fingers. Application appears to be very simple and there are detailed instructions on the website. The only equipment needed is a cuticle pusher, alcohol wipes, a hair dryer and a pair of scissors for trimming the wrap. It is a very cool and fun alternative to painting your nails! With Amanda's permission, I am quoting a testimonial from one of her customers who is a nurse after she tried a sample: "It still looks great after one week of working in my flower beds, and washing my hands 100 times a day as a nurse. I am impressed." </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90hHXSg6wALTaENptDzox6d0p520DktqfUnr_By-FTMa8FdCEvM8RppwW29meLMWShjBa6nNqnYDRNasXwcO0hPkTH6pEmHCN0NJr2enEWQtc6QUSsDKIMhLb1Gnaw0prhyphenhyphenVU3FpTDlcI/s1600/Lisbeth+Alexander+Fillard+Wraps-Day+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90hHXSg6wALTaENptDzox6d0p520DktqfUnr_By-FTMa8FdCEvM8RppwW29meLMWShjBa6nNqnYDRNasXwcO0hPkTH6pEmHCN0NJr2enEWQtc6QUSsDKIMhLb1Gnaw0prhyphenhyphenVU3FpTDlcI/s1600/Lisbeth+Alexander+Fillard+Wraps-Day+5.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To share, I have a picture of toes from my old friend Lisbeth, who hosted the party and is also very happy with the product. This picture was taken five days after application.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0Ss17ng3HCDEjwhMcDvjNclyhlDev_pG-X8oDY_-jbC8ZdUEgiFRIFl9V9C3S3h8kEk5TZG-iH2suNzo1smnSzk1xAyenRdTvwBjZMRQsRQMnLuiJKfWun2HsWYFqgpEkpmbCjt3kgAB/s1600/Mahogany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0Ss17ng3HCDEjwhMcDvjNclyhlDev_pG-X8oDY_-jbC8ZdUEgiFRIFl9V9C3S3h8kEk5TZG-iH2suNzo1smnSzk1xAyenRdTvwBjZMRQsRQMnLuiJKfWun2HsWYFqgpEkpmbCjt3kgAB/s1600/Mahogany.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photograph courtesy of <a href="http://jamberrynails.net/">jamberrynails.net</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">After Amanda posted that Jamberry Nails sells a line of lacquer, my ears perked RIGHT up. After examining the line of polishes, I settled on </span><a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/product/mahogany--jamberry-professional-nail-lacquer#.U7BBk_ldWwY" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Mahogany</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">. I really love brown polishes. They are so unique, they range in spectrum from glittery bronze to melted chocolate to espresso shades, and they look great with just about everyone's skin tone. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">My review today is going to be primarily on the lacquer as I have not tried the wraps; I also purchased the </span><a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/product/jamberry-matte-finish-top-coat" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Matte Finish Top Coat</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> which will be reviewed as part of an article that I am working on to compare the top lacquer manufacturer matte toppers, so watch for that article if you are a matte finish fan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Professional Nail Lacquer sold by Jamberry Nails is 5-free (meaning that it is free of the top five chemicals used in nail polishes that can be harmful to your health). Nail lacquer is a paint. Long-term exposure to the fumes if it is loaded with chemicals isn't going to be good for you. If you gave me a smell test with my older polishes against my newer 3-free and 5-free polishes, I would win every time, because the older polishes smell very, very strong, whereas the newer 3-free and 5-free polishes, like <a href="http://www.zoya.com/" target="_blank">Zoya</a>, have a very slight smell and aren't as strong. 5-free means that it is free of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, toluene, formaldehyde resin and camphor. Now, why is this important? That honestly depends on you. If you are pregnant, using your nail polish on your children, have respiratory issues or allergies, this is something that very much could be important to you. I recommend that if this is something that is a concern for you, you research it on your own or discuss with your doctor. For me, I honestly prefer the 3-free and 5-free formulas because they just don't smell as bad. The health issues with inhaling these chemicals, I would think, are more of an issue for factory workers that are working with this formula all the time, and not so much for the end user that is spending probably ten minutes or so inhaling the chemical. I probably harm myself more by inhaling my pure acetone nail polish remover. As for formaldehyde, I make sure that I have my fan on when I am polishing and I'm not allergic, so it's not an issue for me personally, but if you are allergic to formaldehyde, a 5-free formula is a good thing for you. <a href="http://lacquerism.tumblr.com/post/51038810999/healthy-hands-lacquerisms-guide-to-3-4-and-5-free" target="_blank">I invite you to read this article if you are interested in more information on the chemicals used in nail polish and how it can affect you. </a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another benefit to Jamberry Nails is that it is cruelty-free or CF for short. I just recently learned what this means in terms of nail polish, and honestly, I would rather not get into the details on my blog. It's extremely horrifying when you learn what nail polish manufacturers do to test their products on animals, and it is your personal choice on whether or not you choose to continue supporting those manufacturers. I have chosen not to. If you are interested in reading more about cruelty-free lacquers and cosmetics,<a href="http://www.peta.org/living/beauty/cruelty-free-nails-ftw/" target="_blank"> I invite you to check out this article on the PETA website where you will find out more than you ever wanted to know about cruelty-free beauty products.</a> All That Sparkles and Shimmers will have an article discussing cruelty-free cosmetics and nail polishes in the future, so if that is something that interests you, stay tuned.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, for the purposes of this article, Jamberry Nails are 5-free AND cruelty-free, so it's a win-win in both categories!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photograph courtesy of <a href="http://overclock.net/">overclock.net</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Appearance</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mahogany makes me think of melted chocolate with a shimmer. The first thing I pictured when painting my nails was the chocolate river in <u>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</u>. It is a beautiful rich brown with a continuous shimmer running through it that picks up the sunlight and sparkles delightfully. </span></div>
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<i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Application</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first thought that I had when I was painting my nails with this wonderful formula was how comparable it was to the <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/" target="_blank">butter London</a> lacquer formula, which is the priciest lacquer that I own. I often laugh that the butter in butter London is because the polish applies like butter...and it was the same with Jamberry. It is very silky, rich and thick, but not so thick that it is hard to work with and needs thinner. If you are a person that likes one-coat polishes, this is a good polish for you as it was truly opaque in one coat. I chose to apply two because...well, that's my routine! I also like to have two coats of lacquer on my nails to prevent breakage. But I really could have easily stopped at one coat. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The thing that impressed me the most regarding application was how this formula worked with corrections. I accidentally bumped my ring nail after the first coat and moved the lacquer before it had set. It was a pretty big smudge and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to correct it, but I was able to move the smudge back in place with the tip of my tongue (gross, I know, but it works for corrections) and a wet fingertip. After applying the second coat, the lacquer absorbed the first coat's imperfection and the result was a silky coat that you could not even tell had been disturbed. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Several days later, I tripped and hit my right hand on my footboard to catch myself, the uncoordinated chickie that I am. Not only did this polish keep my fingernail from breaking (which is what I anticipated), but the chip was very, very small indeed. I needed to correct it before I left for the day since I'm a nail biter and tend to pick at my polish if it's in my eye line, and a white spot on a brown nail is very noticeable. I corrected the chip by placing a dot of Mahogany on the chip, letting it set for a few seconds, and then applying a coat on the entire nail. It was as if it was never there. </span></div>
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<i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Durability</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would have loved to have left this polish on and see how long it went without any polishes, but I like to change out my color every few days. However, I kept a close eye on this one and with the except of the afore-mentioned klutzy moment, this polish did not chip or wrinkle or blemish with ordinary everyday wear and tear in the four days that I wore it. I applied it over <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quimica-Alemana-Nail-Hardener/dp/B0010AYN6Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404060288&sr=8-4&keywords=quimica+alemana" target="_blank">Quimica Alemana</a> and topped it with two coats of Jamberry Nails Matte Finish Top Coat. Amanda mentioned to me in our conversations that she has worn <a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/product/cardinal--jamberry-professional-nail-lacquer" target="_blank">Cardinal </a>by Jamberry Nails and it went a whopping six days without any chips or blemishes without a base or top coat...which is impressive as she is a realtor and on the go a lot! I would venture to guess that if I had left mine on, it would have gone for at least a week or two with no tip wear or chips. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Removal</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I removed it with regular cotton balls and <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Acetone-Manicurist-Solvent/BTYSEC12,default,pd.html#q=acetone&start=5" target="_blank">acetone remover</a>, and it wiped right off with no staining or resistance. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Where to Buy</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can not get Jamberry Nails anywhere but online. I hadn't heard of it until I was invited to the online party, and it's only been around for a few years, so I doubt you'll be seeing booths at craft fairs or malls like you do <a href="http://scentsy.com/" target="_blank">Scentsy </a>anytime soon. However, if you are interested in giving it a try, it is available through my friend Amanda's website at <a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/">JamminAmanda.JamberryNails.net</a>. There are eighteen lacquer colors, several packages of colors that you can order cheaper than ordering the colors individually, two base coats, one top coat and three special-effect top coats including the afore-mentioned Matte, a <a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/product/stardust-glitter-top-coat#.U7BDFvldWwY" target="_blank">Stardust </a>and a <a href="http://jamminamanda.jamberrynails.net/product/jamberry-glitter-effect-top-coat" target="_blank">Glitter</a>. It is on the expensive side of nail lacquer at $15.00 a bottle, and the only polish in that top shelf category I have to compare it to is butter London. My opinion? It is every bit as good of a formula as butter London, if not better due to the correctability that I mentioned and the durability, and if you are looking for some good quality lacquers to add to your collection that are going to last, that look great and that are safe to use, Jamberry Professional Nail Lacquer might just be the lacquer for you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you for reading and happy polishing!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-91833459792263911252014-06-15T14:17:00.001-05:002014-06-15T14:17:31.347-05:00Nail Tool Review ~ Julep Cleanup Tool and Julep Cuticle Pusher<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are so many ways to clean up your fingers after a less-than-perfect paint job. I've been painting my own nails for over twenty-five years and while I get it right more often than not...when I don't, it's irritating.
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There is of course, the free way, which is to use your fingernails to scrape away the excess. If you have had a manicure in a salon, you'll see that the nail techs will use this method frequently. However, that's not so convenient if you are on coat #3 of a hard-to-dry polish because you can easily smudge the polish on the nail that you are using as a tool. Another way is to use a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover. Not a bad method, but there isn't really a pointed tip to the Q-tip and if you don't put enough nail polish remover on it to get it good and wet, the cotton fibers can stick to your still tacky polish.
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If you are super-patient, you can wait until the next morning and just wash your hands in warm water and scrape off the polish. Nail polish is not meant to stick to skin and after it thoroughly dries and cures, it will peel right off your fingers.
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The method that I have used for a long time which has worked for a while is to pour a little acetone into my small glass dish and use a long-handled brush to carefully dab around my fingernails for clean-up. If you wait until your top coat has set, it will usually protect your nails from any acetone runs. The brush that I use is just an <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=fs690769" target="_blank">old eyeshadow brush by Japonesque</a> that I picked up at <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA </a>a few years ago that just never really did it for me on my eyes. Recently I have acquired clean-up brushes from <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/" target="_blank">butter London</a> that work even better, and you can get those as part of their <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Gift-Sets/Colour-Hardware-Nail-Art-Tool-Kit.html" target="_blank">Colour Hardware Nail Art Tool Kit</a>. </span><div>
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However, sometimes you will find tools in the least unexpected places that will surprise you. I recently picked up two tools from Julep as add-ons to my Maven box that are proving to be invaluable tools to me when I manicure my nails. One is the Cleanup Tool and the other is the Cuticle Pusher. Unfortunately, you can only get these tools as part of their <a href="http://www.julep.com/well-manicured-kit.html" target="_blank">Well-Manicured Kit</a>, but if you are in the market for a new nipper, emery board and clipper at the same time, these are great tools to have as well.
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I ordered the Cleanup Tool hoping that the fine edge and the narrow corners would really do a great job with cleaning up the blobs, similar to how your nail works when you are scraping the polish off. I had tried using my metal cuticle pusher from <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Sally Beauty Supply</a> and the beveled edge just wasn't quite narrow enough to get into the spaces between my nail and my skin. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Cleanup Tool. I paired it with rubbing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vaseline-100-Petroleum-Jelly-13Ounce/dp/B001ECQ4L2" target="_blank">Vaseline </a>around the edges of my nails so that the polish wouldn't dry on my skin, and after I painted each nail, I used the tool to scrape off the error seamlessly and easily. It's even narrow enough to pick up the curve at the bottom of your nail around your cuticle without cutting your cuticle or pulling the skin away from the paint. I was very impressed. As seen here, I just painted my nails over a paper towel and every time I scraped an error, I wiped the tool on the paper towel and when I was done, I rinsed it in acetone and then water. It also works exceptionally well without the Vaseline if you scrape it quickly.</span></div>
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The cuticle pusher took me a little longer to adjust to. It's not your average metal cuticle pusher. I'm used to my <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Chrome-Cuticle-Pusher/SBS-265660,default,pd.html#q=cuticle+pusher&start=2" target="_blank">chrome one from Sally Beauty Supply</a> that has a beveled edge. With ANY metal cuticle pusher or nipper, you have to be very, very careful and not move too fast when using it. If you are not careful, you can drive the tool down into your finger and cut yourself or become infected. So please, pay attention when using these and go slow...it's not a race. The Julep Cuticle Pusher has two ends that are the same. Each end is rounded on the top and flat on the bottom, but the shape of the end is like a hook so you can really hook down into the bottom of your nail to remove your cuticle, but with that comes a warning. It's a hook. As in synonymous with ouchie? So move slowly, carefully and deliberately or else you could really have a serious injury with a lot of blood.
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The first time I tried the pusher, I did it without any cuticle remover. I just warmed up my hands and started pushing the cuticle skin back. Not a good idea and quite honestly I stopped after two nails because something about the angle, the feel of the flat edge on my nail and the look just felt wrong to me.
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Since then, I have used the tool twice and I have changed my opinion. However, I do think that to successfully use this, you need to use a cuticle remover cream or serum. I used <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/cuticle-remover/SBS-246116,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Blue Cross Cuticle Remover</a> to soften my cuticles first, and then, placing the flat side of the cuticle pusher on my nail, started scraping the sides of my nail and then hooking down gently into my cuticle area to pull out the removed skin. It was very effective, and I would recommend it if you are very diligent about cuticle maintenance. I clean up my cuticles three or four times a week, but if I were the nail enthusiast that maintained my cuticle area only a few times a month, I would probably opt for either a flat beveled edge pusher like my other one or the more traditional <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orange-Stick-Cuticle-Pusher-Manicure/dp/B000FKXSU4" target="_blank">orange stick</a> to push back the cuticle and then a pair of nippers to trim them. This one is just a little too dangerous to use unless you really know what you are doing and are comfortable using a metal cuticle pusher first. You could end up with the hook halfway down into your finger and a serious hand injury.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enjoy, thanks for stopping by to read, and if you haven't heard of <a href="http://www.julep.com/" target="_blank">Julep </a>yet, please do spend some time there checking it out. I have been a <a href="http://www.julep.com/maven.html" target="_blank">Maven with Julep</a> for a few months and the benefits are fantastic. For the price that you spend per month, you really get a great box every month, the option to add on little goodies (like I did with these two tools), discounts, coupons, access to the Secret Store, and free shipping all the time. If you decide to become a Maven after reading my blog post, I'd love it if you would let me refer you so I can get a gift, so please leave me a message if that is the case. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Father's Day to all!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-63061020772736599232014-06-09T02:08:00.005-05:002014-06-09T02:11:07.271-05:00Cosmetic Review ~ Bare Minerals Well-Rested Eye Brightener<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been a <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/" target="_blank">Bare Minerals</a> user for about seven years. Up until then, my makeup routine basically consisted of pressed powder (maybe), a thin layer of either pink or peach shadow on my lid, mascara on my lashes, and clear lip gloss.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A trip to <a href="http://www.sephora.com/" target="_blank">Sephora </a>with my sister to get <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Bare-Escentuals-Mineral-Veil-Finishing-Powder/USmastermineralveil,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Mineral Veil</a> changed all that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had never even heard of Bare Minerals before I walked into Sephora that day. A makeover later, and I was walking out with the foundation starter kit and the eye starter kit. Things were much different back then, but basically I got everything I needed to start practicing my Bare Minerals look. Two colors of the original <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-SPF-15-Foundation/USMasterSPF15Found,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">foundation </a>in light and extra light, <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Warmth-All-Over-Face-Color/US50466,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Warmth</a>, Mineral Veil, a liner, three shadows and a variety of brushes. I was set! If you have been reading along with my blog, you have obviously come to the conclusion that I am a huge fan of the Bare Escentuals cosmetic line. In all fairness, I haven't tried any other mineral makeup except for the baked <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/154/781/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Mineralize-Eye-Shadow/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Mineralize Eye Shadows</a> that <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/" target="_blank">MAC </a>manufactures, so I am rather biased towards Bare Escentuals, but truthfully, I just really like mineral makeup. It works so well with my skin. I don't feel like I'm wearing a mask, it doesn't rub off on my clothes or my hands, and it doesn't bother my eyes. The eye shadows blend and work together so well that you can pretty much pick any combination, pair it with a liner, and they are going to work together and blend together to look fantastic. One of the things that I don't like about it is that it can be quite messy since they are loose powders, but over the years, Bare Escentuals has worked to create a line of pressed foundations, cream foundations, pressed eye palettes, eye pencils, and all kinds of different things to make putting it on easier and cleaner without losing that mineral appeal. I have invested in the <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Brown-Eyecolor---Wearable-Brown-Dark/USmasterBrowneyecolor,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">eye shadow loose powders</a>, so that is what I use at home, but I have a variety of the pressed items (such as the <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/READY-Eyeshadow-2.0/US70240,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Duos</a>) for traveling which are divine. You will be seeing a review of the new <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareSkin-Pure-Brightening-Serum-Foundation-Broad-Spectrum-SPF-20/USmasterbareskin,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">serum foundation</a> coming from me in the future as I have two samples that I plan to try and review. My mother just switched from the original loose foundation to the serum, and she is very pleased with it, so I think that when the weather cools down in Texas in the fall, I may just be buying my first bottle of liquid foundation since my preteen years. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But today, I am reviewing a product that actually was released a number of years ago called <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Well-Rested-for-Eyes/US61338,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Well-Rested Eye Brightener</a>. I can't tell you how many times I have been shopping for a concealer and picked this one up at the boutique, <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA </a>or Sephora, and then put it back down again. For some reason, the yellow color always made me shy away and buy one of the beige concealers instead. I have inherited some poor eyes from my mother's side of the family, and with that comes very pronounced circles under my eyes that are a very delicate pale shade of lavender. Throw in some stress, a few nights of less than perfect sleep or a good cry, and it's a disaster. Up until now, I have been using the regular concealor in <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Multi-Tasking-Bisque/USMasterBisque,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Bisque </a>for the winter months and <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BareEscentuals-Site/en_US/Search-Show?q=Summer%20Bisque" target="_blank">Summer Bisque</a> for the summer months. However, with my crazy sleep schedule after my foot surgery, my circles are so purple and the bags so pronounced I could make a set of <a href="http://www.louisvuitton.com/front/#/dispatch" target="_blank">Louis Vuitton</a> suitcases.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, after many years of working with the regular concealer (which by the way is also a fantastic product), I finally walked into a boutique a few weeks ago with my coupon for my birthday eye shadow in hand, picked up Well-Rested, and BOUGHT IT at long last. What will really throw you if you put it side by side with one of the concealers is that Well-Rested is definitely a yellow tinted powder, whereas the concealers are beige and well, look more like concealers. But there is a reason for this...the yellow is there to counteract the purple color and brighten your circles so that when you use it, you clearly have a look on your face that suggests youth and happiness, and best of all, gives the appearance that you slept a full eight to ten hours the night before...even if you have not. And it has sunscreen in it which is always a plus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was taught how to use it by the lady at the boutique the day I bought it. It obviously works very well in conjunction with their signature foundation products in loose powder form. I will report back when I try it with the serum, but since it is a concealer that is recommended to be put on over your foundation instead of under, I can't imagine that it wouldn't work well. To put on my face with Well-Rested, I used the <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Maximum-Coverage-Concealer-Brush/US30884,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush</a> with the Well-Rested, the <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Soft-Focus-Face-Brush/US38004,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Soft Focus Face Brush</a>, Mineral Veil and and the Original Foundation in Light. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are a mineral makeup user or have seen a Bare Minerals demonstration on <a href="http://www.qvc.com/" target="_blank">QVC </a>or a makeover at the store, you are most likely familiar with the basic process. If you are not and are curious, I can't recommend enough heading to your nearest store that carries Bare Minerals and asking for a demonstration. It is also a great way to get a color match for your foundation. You pick up product on your brush and drop it into the lid of your foundation. You swirl the brush around in the product to get it in the brush. You tap the brush on the side of the lid and then start applying the foundation in a circular movement starting at your temples and moving down your cheeks and nose and ending at your chin. I always start at the top of my face because this is a loose product and it will sprinkle downwards onto your face. Once you have the desired effect, take your concealer brush, pick up some of the Well-Rested and apply it in dabs under your eyes. I apply mine right to the line between the apple of my cheek and where the circle begins and use my brush to blend it into my foundation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #e69138;">I have used Well-Rested several times since I bought it and there have been a few times where the product doesn't blend in perfectly into my foundation. I can almost see a white spot. It always brings up thoughts to me of all the pictures in the media of celebrities who have been photographed with their white powder reflecting the glare of the flashbulbs. Obviously, I'm not walking the red carpet anytime soon, but whenever I notice this being a problem, I use my ring finger (the weakest finger so it doesn't pull on my skin) to just lightly blend it out. If needed, I will swirl, tap and blend another small amount of foundation under my cheeks, but then one coat of Mineral Veil and I'm done. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">My right eye is the one with Well-Rested. My left eye just has foundation applied.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #e69138;">So that's it! You don't need a lot to get rid of the circles, so the size of the container will last you quite a while. I don't anticipate having to replace mine for several years. The beauty for me with Bare Escentuals makeup is that since it is mineral, it is not going to go bad like other products do, so I never worry about bacterial growth or mold. Just keep your brushes clean, keep your lids tight and you're good to go. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Well-Rested-for-Eyes/US61338,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Well-Rested retails for $18 online</a>, at the boutiques, and you can also purchase it at Sephora, ULTA and just about anywhere that carries Bare Escentuals. Keep in mind that ULTA does consider Bare Escentuals a Prestige cosmetic so unless you have a B.E. specific coupon, those fun coupons on the bottom of the flyers aren't going to work. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enjoy, happy tapping and thanks for reading!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-59331298326173132312014-06-07T00:25:00.004-05:002014-06-07T00:58:39.316-05:00Cosmetic Review ~ Sonia Kashuk Extreme Wear Eye Primer + Sweepstakes Link<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In my blog readings late at night, I came across an interesting blog, <a href="http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/" target="_blank">The Small Things Blog</a>, written by a lady in North Carolina named Kate, which is where I am from as well. So far I have really enjoyed reading her blog, and of course, the references to all things North Carolinian (except for the post about Duke...sorry, Kate, I'm a Tar Heel and bleed Carolina blue).
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her blog brought to my attention a sweepstakes that <a href="http://soniakashuk.com/" target="_blank">Sonia Kashuk</a> is sponsoring for a $100 giftcard to <a href="http://www.target.com/" target="_blank">Target</a>. I had not tried this makeup yet since I'm a die-hard <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/" target="_blank">Bare Minerals</a> user, but as I've stated before, I love free things (I bet you do too) and I am always willing to try new things. Plus, $100 buys a LOT of things at Target...food, clothes, shoes, makeup, and....nail polish, my favorite! Target carries <a href="http://www.opi.com/" target="_blank">OPI</a>, <a href="http://www.essie.com/" target="_blank">Essie</a>, <a href="http://www.nicolebyopi.com/" target="_blank">Nicole by OPI</a>, <a href="http://www.sallyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Sally Hansen</a> and a number of other nail polish and cosmetic brands.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2014/05/sonia-kashuk-spring-beauty-giveaway/" target="_blank">To enter this sweepstakes, please visit Kate's blog entry regarding Sonia Kashuk's products here.</a> You can also learn more at <a href="http://soniakashuk.com/">soniakashuk.com</a> and visit the Sonia Kashuk page at <a href="http://target.com/">target.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Please note that a comment left on THIS blog will not generate an entry into the sweepstakes. <a href="http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2014/05/sonia-kashuk-spring-beauty-giveaway/" target="_blank">YOU MUST GO TO THE SMALL THINGS IN ORDER TO ENTER.</a></b> I am simply sharing this contest with all of you, and by blogging about it, I also get an extra entry into the sweepstakes and I get the chance to share my new blog on a more well-known blog. The internet is a big place and there is plenty of room for everyone. The sweepstakes started on May 5 and runs through June 30, so if you are reading this article late (I'm obviously posting it late), not to worry! You have plenty of time! Just click on the link above, leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes/giveaway along with the Sonia Kashuk product that you are most interested in trying this spring (I'm interested in the </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><a href="http://www.target.com/p/sonia-kashuk-ultra-luxe-lip-gloss/-/A-14469310#prodSlot=medium_1_57&term=sonia+kashuk" target="_blank">ultra luxe lip gloss in polished plum</a></u></span></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">), and you're good to go! You can also get an extra entry by tweeting about the sweepstakes if you are on </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Twitter </a><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">or blogging about the sweepstakes if you have a blog of your own. I am on Twitter at @ATSaShimmers and would love for you to follow me there. If you do read my blog and have a blog of your own, please leave the link to your blog in the comments so I can read your blog as well. The official sweepstakes rules are listed here on The Small Things, and include different ways that you can enter the contest.</span></div>
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However, I can't in good conscience promote a cosmetic line that I haven't tried myself, so I went to Target to check it out and the thing that jumped out at me the most was...well, everything!!! I was amazed that I have never come across this line before in all the times that I have gone to Target. Mind you, it wasn't obvious. I went up and down the aisles a few times and then, bam!
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm not big enough yet that I'm getting products to review for free, so I bought what I thought I needed and would be a good addition to my collection. That's why, at least for now, you are not going to see the latest things reviewed here, because right now we are reviewing what we like and what works for us. So once my eyes stopped bugging out and I settled down and got serious, I ended up buying the <a href="http://www.target.com/p/sonia-kashuk-extreme-wear-eye-primer/-/A-14173110#prodSlot=medium_1_22" target="_blank">Extreme Wear Eye Primer for $9.99</a>. It was a very close call though...the red lip gloss almost won, but I kept reminding myself how I have lots of red lip glosses but not too many eyelid primers. And for some strange reason, I don't use them that often...really only on special occasions. I have <a href="http://www.sephora.com/shadow-insurance-P202625?skuId=1050616" target="_blank">Too Faced Shadow Insurance</a> that I got as a birthday gift from <a href="http://www.sephora.com/" target="_blank">Sephora </a>and two tubes of <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Prime-Time-Eyelid-Primer/US52878,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Prime Time Eyelid Primer</a> from Bare Escentuals. What I remember the most from using the ones that I have is that they smooth out my eyelid prior to applying eye shadow and hold the shadow firmly in place until the end of the night when the eye makeup remover is swiped on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The reviews on this were about 50/50. One person said that the texture wasn't very smooth; another didn't like the shape of the container that required the use of a tool to get it out. I agree that it is a little odd to have primer in a small jar when most eyelid primers are in tubes that you squeeze onto your ring finger and then smooth onto your eyelid, but this is a unsolicited candid review. Initially I thought about using a mix of products to sample this, but in the end, I decided to just stick with what I will be using this most with which is my favorite, Bare Minerals. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First, I started with a clean eye and a clean brush. After examining the size of the container and the consistency of the primer, I decided to use a <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Tapered-Shadow-Brush/US33077,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">tapered shadow brush</a> to pull out some primer and apply it to my lid, sweeping gently over the entire lid and up into the brow area where my highlight shadow is applied. It is a tad pasty and requires a little bit of patience to work with it.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next, I applied my lid color, <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Plum-Eyecolor---Water-Lily/US34748,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Water Lily</a>, with an <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Eye-Defining-Brush/US26379,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">eye defining brush</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next, I applied my crease color, <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Plum-Eyecolor---Bloom/US30681,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Bloom</a>, with a <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Crease-Defining-Brush/US30987,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">crease defining brush</a>.</span></span></div>
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Last, I applied liner (wet) and mascara. I used <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-liner-shadow---Coffee-Bean/USMasterLinerShadow,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Sugar Plum</a> with a <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Eyeliner-Brush/US26392,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">liner brush</a>, topped the liner with <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/urban-decay/eye-makeup/heavy-metal-glitter-eyeliner/390.html" target="_blank">Urban Decay glitter eyeliner</a> in <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Urban-Decay-Heavy-Metal-Glitter-Liquid-Eyeliner-in-Metal-Head-Purple-NIB-/141291454360?pt=US_Makeup_Eyes&hash=item20e5a07f98" target="_blank">Metal Head</a> for extra pizazz, and curled and applied <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Lash-Domination-10-in-1-Volumizing-Mascara/US64420,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Lash Domination</a> mascara to my upper and lower lashes.
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I then repeated the same on the other eye but without the primer. In the picture that you are looking at, the eye with the X above it is the one that has the primer used with it.
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My thoughts? It's a very mixed bag. I honestly don't know if the mixed result I got was because of the product, because of my age, because I didn't use it with Sonia Kashuk shadows, or because I applied too much. If it was because I didn't use it with the same line of shadows, that's disappointing since you should be able to mix products and have each product stand on its own. I'm very loyal to Bare Escentuals, but I have eyeshadows by <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA</a>, <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC</a>, and <a href="http://www.julep.com/" target="_blank">Julep </a>in my collection. I don't know any woman that is exclusive to one line of cosmetics. The colors were so vibrant and bright, which was awesome. I loved that part. The colors blended well together but the lines of the different colors were a little </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">distinct so it wasn't a smooth transition from the lid color to the crease. This could be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. It almost sort of looks like a theatrical eye. I did apply my shadows with a heavier hand than usual to get a true comparison, and there's no question that the colors are very bright and colorful. It did last a very, very long time compared to my eye without the primer, including the <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/" target="_blank">Urban Decay</a>. Typically when I use the <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/urban-decay/eye-makeup/heavy-metal-glitter-eyeliner/390.html" target="_blank">Urban Decay glitter liners</a>, they end up flaking off throughout the evening and decorating my cheeks and occasionally getting into my eye. That did not happen with the primer application on my right eye.
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Below is a picture of my eye right before removing the makeup, almost six hours after application.</span></div>
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For me, the worst part about this primer was that I felt like it accentuated all of my wrinkles, and that's not a good thing for me at thirty-nine years old. On the eye with the primer, my lid area right above the crease almost looked...scaly like a dragon's tail. Not smooth and polished which is what I am used to expecting with my other primers. Who knows? Maybe I just need a good eye cream! My tried and trusty Prime Time Eyelid Primer by Bare Escentuals is almost double the price of this one and Too Faced Shadow Insurance is absolutely double the price, so if you are looking for a really inexpensive alternative and have issues with your eye makeup staying on, this might be a good option for you.
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Will I use this again? Yes, but I will use less and will only cover the lid in the future to see if it makes a different. And as a matter of fact, as I was in the process of finishing this article, I decided to give this primer a second run, but applied a little less and stuck to the lids only. This time, I used green matte colors to see if that made a difference as opposed to the shimmery purples from above...specifically <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/301199132036?lpid=82" target="_blank">Velvet Emerald</a>, <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/bareMinerals-Velvet-Eyecolor-in-Velvet-Pistachio-/131202112692?pt=US_Makeup_Eyes&hash=item1e8c415cb4" target="_blank">Velvet Pistachio</a> and <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BareEscentuals-Site/en_US/Search-Show?q=For%20Real" target="_blank">For Real</a>, with <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/urban-decay/eye-makeup/heavy-metal-glitter-eyeliner/390.html" target="_blank">Urban Decay glitter eye liner</a> in <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/URBAN-DECAY-HEAVY-METAL-GLITTER-EYELINER-MULLET-/261496768445?pt=US_Makeup_Eyes&hash=item3ce26c07bd" target="_blank">Mullet </a>on top of the eyeliner.
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The result? Much better with the smoothness and the colors did pop, same as the purple.
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So ultimately...not a five-star product, but considering the price I got this for, it wasn't bad. I think I'll be adding eye cream to my regimen at night though.</span></span></div>
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Good luck in the sweepstakes and thank you for reading!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-50569053617721268112014-06-04T16:54:00.000-05:002014-06-04T16:54:32.563-05:00Hair Product Review ~ Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My hair is straight. Stick-straight. And thin. I'm talking no life, no body, nothing. If there was negative curl, my hair would be it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What is worse? What is worse is having hair that refuses to do what you want it to do. Over the years, I have tried mousse, gels, hair sprays, and finally, sometime in college, just gave up. Nothing is worse than feeling like your hair is sticky or dirty all the time, and I am one of those people that always has her hands in her hair. I try not to but it's a hard habit to break, like nail biting. And if you mess with your hair, you stimulate oils. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My solution to the problem was simple. I just let it grow and pulled it back. No fuss, no muss, no styling, no products. The end result was that I looked like I was stuck in the 1970s forever. And I was born in the 1970s. On a trip with my sister, she suggested that I do something different and cut it. I did cut it into a wedge. I cut off fourteen inches and donated the hair to <a href="http://www.locksoflove.org/" target="_blank">Locks Of Love</a>. (By the way, please keep this wonderful cause in mind if you ever decide to cut off your long hair.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over the next two years, I slowly cut my hair shorter and shorter and shorter. Every time I went to the stylist, I told her, "Just a little bit more, it's just hair." I kept waiting for that magical I-don't-have-to-do-anything hair style to appear. I tried some products. I tried a flat iron. I tried a large round brush. Nothing worked, my hair never could be replicated to even a smidgen of what the girls in the salon could make it look like. Granted, I know that I'm not supposed to be able to do that...if I could, they wouldn't have jobs!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then, the hair product that I can't live without to this day entered my life when my stylist said, "I'm going to try some styling oil on your hair." Tiff, if you're reading this, I'm talking about you! My first reaction was, OMG NO! OIL!? ON MY HAIR!? I even think the look of horror was evident on my face. If I had one word to describe my hair, it is oily all the time. The only time it is NOT oily is right after I shower and dry it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Obviously, if I am saying that I can't live without it, you have figured out that it was a winner, winner, winner! I don't travel without it now. I put it into a big Ziploc bag and off it goes with me when I travel, but every time before I blow out my hair, it is rubbed very lightly through my wedge locks. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are so many good things I can say about this product. Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil is the stuff of dreams where my hair is concerned. Where to start?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For starters, you don't need a lot. And I mean it. This is not conditioner, ladies, where the directions say use a dime-size and we all put on a silver dollar size. We all do it. Why else do we all run out of conditioner faster than shampoo? A dime-sized amount in the palm of my hand is the perfect size for my chin-length tresses, so I'd say start small depending on the length of your hair and increase accordingly. Too much and you could have a serious hair disaster I rub it on my hands and lightly run my hands through my hair, avoiding rubbing it into my scalp. A small bottle of this great stuff lasts me three to four months, and the bottle in the picture above I anticipate will last at least a year. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Second, the smell is rather pleasant...if you like the smell of ginger. Now, it's a pleasant scent...you don't conjure up images of <a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">PF Chang's</a> or gingersnaps when you put it through your hair. I'd describe it more as a pleasant earthy smell, like what you would smell in a spa, with ginger undertones. It's not a bad thing and it's not strong. I only mention it because if you have an aversion to ginger, it may bother you, but I find it pleasant. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Third, the effect that it has on my hair is wonderful. It smooths my hair, it tames, and it gives my hair just that little bit to be able to hold the shape that I give it when I am blowing it out. For my haircut, I blow my hair completely dry on high, and then turn the blast down to low but still on high heat to round brush the ends so they curl under. And best of all, my hair doesn't feel like there is a product in it, which is really hard to achieve with as thin as my hair is. It just feels silky but not oily. </span></div>
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/HairDryerUpload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/HairDryerUpload.jpg" height="200" width="187" /></span></a><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/BrushUpload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/BrushUpload.jpg" height="320" width="110" /></span></a><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The other two items that complete my hair team are my hair dryer, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andis-Professional-Ceramic-Ionic-Dryer/dp/B00092M2VO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401917984&sr=8-1&keywords=Andis+Professional+1875+Ionic+Ceramic+hair+dryer" target="_blank">Andis Professional 1875 Ionic Ceramic hair dryer</a>, and my round brush, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spornette-Prego-Medium-Ceramic-265/dp/B0041TLR6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401918010&sr=8-1&keywords=Spornette+Prego+Medium+Ceramic+Round+Brush+%23265" target="_blank">Spornette Prego Medium Ceramic Round Brush #265</a>. My hair dryer has the perfect amount of heat and perfect amount of air, and I love my round brush so much, I bought a second one when I found it on sale for traveling. I have tried other round brushes, but there is something about the amount of bristles that this particular brush has that is perfect for holding my hair. Plus, it has a ceramic barrel and it heats up when my hair dryer blows on it which helps with the slight curling under that I work for on my hair. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are looking for a different hair product to try, give this one a shot. It's not terribly expensive and don't let the word "oil" dissuade you. My only complaint about it is that it is hard to find locally. I can get it at my hair salon, <a href="http://visiblechanges.com/" target="_blank">Visible Changes</a>, very readily, but when I run out and don't want to make the trek across town, it's nowhere to be found in other salons that carry <a href="http://www.paulmitchell.com/en-us/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank">Paul Mitchell</a>. Fortunately, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Mitchell-Awapuhi-Styling-Treatment/dp/B0042L0CUQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1401512022&sr=1-1&keywords=paul+mitchell+awapuhi+styling+oil" target="_blank">you can order it online with no problem from Amazon</a>, or <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/awapuhi-wild-ginger-by-paul-mitchell-styling-treatment-oil/ID=prod6151313-product" target="_blank">check your local Walgreen's</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As always, all products discussed in this article are featured on our <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/stptabby/all-that-sparkles-and-shimmers/" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>board if you would like to follow us there. Thanks for reading!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-12963161695444378072014-06-01T23:23:00.001-05:002014-06-02T03:18:20.138-05:00Polish Review ~ butter London All Hail The Queen and Julep Gianna<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">P&S. Have you ever heard this expression? I have never heard this expression until I met a very special group of nail divas on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> (both new and old friends) who introduced me to the term. It means "Professional and Sh**". This can describe any polish in your collection that you would feel comfortable lending to your mother or grandmother without any eye rolling, and more specifically, a polish that you would feel very comfortable and polished wearing to a job interview, a first day on the job or a meeting with corporate higher-ups where your hands are going to be on the table in plain sight of the people around you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I work in insurance as a property insurance adjuster. It's a boring industry (at least from the outside looking in), but there it is. I also used to be a manager. I have both interviewed and been interviewed many, many times. Even though the line of work that I am in requires that I get dirty on a regular basis and sweat like a pig during the summer, it is still expected that I show up dressed to the nines for a job interview. You dress for the job you want, right? And when you are sitting across the table from the person who could be making the final decision between you and one other person, you don't want to even wonder later if it was because your hands looked like they had been run through a meat grinder. I always joke with my male counterparts that if they ever meet a female property adjuster who is getting acrylic or silk wrap manicures in a salon on a regular basis, you can guarantee that she is not checking her own roofs for hail damage. However, even though that is the case, I still make sure that my hands look nice whenever I am out with clients, in interviews, in meetings or on the first day of a new job. I didn't even relax on the first day of my new job until I saw that the receptionist was wearing teal nails with white accent nails. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the other hand, you don't want your nails (or makeup or jewelry for that matter) to scream, "Look at me! Look at me!" Elegant, understated and professional is the way to go. As I wrote about foot appearance when wearing flip flops, hand appearance is equally important when you are at the table with someone whose impression of you is going to be looking at your face, your clothes and your hands. I admit it...when I was interviewing someone for a job and they started to ramble, my gaze would drift down to their hands to see if they were a nail-biter, if they tore at their cuticles, if their polish looks like it was put on last year, whatever. Personal grooming says a lot about people. On the opposite, so does your choice in nail polish, makeup and jewelry. Until you have the job and you have taken the temperature of the people you are working with, you want to keep things a little toned down. Bright brassy colors are fun but can also send the message of "not serious". Glitters and prisms are eye-catching, but can be distracting to the person talking to you and...please note that I strongly disagree...can come across as immature to the older crowd even though they are so very in-style right now. I am very much a glitter, bling-bling and shiny stuff girl...so much so that the night before a day where I need a "Professional and Sh**" look, I have to pick out everything I'm going to wear right down to my lip gloss and make sure that it's not too much. Light shell pinks are always nice. They are feminine, pretty, understated and not too flashy. Sheer colors like white and lilac are very delicate and won't garner too much attention. Nudes, in my opinion, are the best choice of all because they are sure not to catch any eyes but will look very understated and proper when someone takes a look at your hands (and I promise you, they will).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hence, the segue into my reviews on butter London's All Hail The Queen and Julep Gianna. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: small;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/">www.butterlondon.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I have a small rack of nudes specifically for job interviews and days when I need to be all P&S, and if you are looking for a high-end polish with a little sparkle, this will definitely fit the bill. I bought this polish on sale during ULTA's Twofer annual butter London sale a few months ago at the recommendation of a fellow butter London afficionado that said that this polish is perfect for everyone. Ummm....yes and no. The description that butter London gives All Hail The Queen:</span> "Rock it like royalty in this opaque, holographic beige nail lacquer. If you love our best selling lacquer Yummy Mummy, then this winter version will delight!" The butter London dictionary even goes one step further and defines All Hail to be "used as an acclamation or welcome, as in 'All Hail this gorgeous lacquer'". I'm not really sure I would use the words "rock it" to describe this polish, but could I see Princess Kate or Queen Elizabeth wearing it? Most definitely, yes. I think that this is a polish that can look different on a lot of different people given their skin tone and color. On me, it wasn't a winner. In fact, it made my nails look...dead. To quote a friend who looked at it after I put the top coat on, a tad corpse-ish. She even went further to say, when asked if it looked professional, than why, yes, it did look professional...for a morgue. I'd have to agree. Just not my color. But would I feel comfortable wearing it for a job interview? Absolutely.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As always with butter London, the application was perfect. It went on smooth, dried to a glass finish and two coats was plenty for opacity. The durability was fantastic. I left it on for three days and did not have one chip. On the third night I had very, very hard to see tip wear and new growth appearing at the bottom near my cuticle, but I would venture to guess that I could have left my manicure on for several more days with some minor touching up. It does have a holographic appearance to it, but it is scattered and not linear, so it would be very nice for the proper occasion.</span><br>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, the appearance for me was the kicker. By itself, my nails looked very, very dull, albeit professional. But after adding one layer of Julep Gianna, the color almost changed to a milk chocolate. Julep Gianna is a flake glitter described on the Julep site as a "jagged gold glitter top coat". It is truly unique from the other gold glitters in my collection. What made me select it was that I honestly wanted a glitter with some size to it to mix up the lacquer, and this did that. It is like little pieces of gold foil in a clear suspension so there is no alteration of the below color. It spread very evenly and without having to dig in the bottle like is necessary for other flake glitters or hex glitters. It dried very smooth, although be wary if you get a flake that sticks out over the edge of your nail or doesn't lie down flat. After I applied my top coat and it dried down, I noticed that there were a few flakes that stuck up through the top coat or hung over the edge of my nail, and once they hardened they were borderline sharp. I was able to take care of them with a emery board applied very lightly so as to not blemish the finish, but the next time I use Gianna, I think I will take a closer look before applying my top coat. I also think that Gianna would make an excellent accent nail, but would require 3-4 coats for full coverage, so I would recommend a gold base first.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can order <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Lacquers/All-Hail-The-Queen-Nail-Lacquer.html" target="_blank">All Hail The Queen at butter London's site for $15</a> and <a href="http://www.julep.com/gianna.html" target="_blank">Gianna on Julep's site for $14</a>. My polish price point is $9, so obviously I got these both on sale. I would recommend that if you are interested in these polishes but not willing to pay the steep tags, put them on your wish lists and wait for the sales.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-64106613476148824822014-05-30T23:20:00.002-05:002014-05-30T23:20:58.953-05:00Product Review ~ NutraSonic ultrasonic facial cleanser and premature aging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">All of us have something that our moms told us when we were younger that we really wished we had listened to. For me, that thing is wearing sunscreen. I grew up in Arizona where having an in-ground pool is a survival mechanism, and as I got older, I continued my summers outside in North Carolina by coaching a swim team, lifeguarding and teaching kids how to swim. In other words, I was outside. A LOT. And when I got to college, I spent a lot of my free time outside by the pool or on the sand when I could get to the beach. And for some reason, I actually believed that every summer, I just needed that first burn and then I'd be set for the summer.</span></span><br />
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My skin, however, has had other ideas, and while I'm very, very lucky not to have a lot of premature aging, there is enough that now taking care of my skin is one of my top priorities when it comes to my beauty regimen. I buy <a href="http://www.neutrogena.com/category/sun/helioplex-+technology.do?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Sun+-+Branded+-+General&utm_term=neutrogena%20helioplex%20sunscreen&utm_content=Technology+-+Helioplex|mkwid|sYpnFZOpY_dc|pcrid|19701588882" target="_blank">Neutrogena Helioplex sunscreen</a> by the truckloads. I wear light-colored clothing to reflect the sun's rays. I still vacation every summer at the beach, but I do it under the safety of 100 SPF sunscreen, a hat and an umbrella. I have tinted windows in my car. I sit in the shade whenever possible. And if I have a choice? The moisturizers and makeup that have sunscreen built in win every time.
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However, let's get real. The majority of the damage to my skin has already been done thanks to all those summers when I was a teenager when I went to work outside without sunscreen. I was working on my tan, right? Now, I have to do everything I can to try to halt that damage in its path. First and foremost, I watch every freckle and mole on my body to make sure it's not changing. I have already been to my dermatologist twice in my life to make sure melanoma isn't starting. I take the necessary precautions as we all should. I even have a spray for my hair that has sunscreen in it.
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Two summers ago, I was at my favorite vacation spot in Destin, Florida, and indulging in a massage and facial at <a href="http://www.massageenvy.com/" target="_blank">Massage Envy</a>. Not many of the Envys have both, but the one in Destin does. I have been warned several times about the condition of my skin by aestheticians, warnings that I take very seriously, but this was the first time that one actually told me point-blank that my number one problem with my skin is sun damage. Now, was she being honest or just trying to sell me something? I don't know and frankly don't care, but when I was shown the sun damage in a magnifying mirror up close and personal, that was enough for me to pull out my credit card and buy what she was selling...which was a NutraSonic facial cleaner. It is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nutra-Sonic-1020-Professional-Cleansing/dp/B002RZKFAQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_bt_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GH6R37JQBPJ4Z03PB5F" target="_blank">NutraSonic 1020 Professional 4-Speed Face and Body Cleaning System</a> and I purchased it for $125 which included the cleaner, three brushes, a dock and charger and a carrying case.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been very hit or miss with using mine since I got it because that week when I bought mine in Destin, I got a pretty good sunburn on my face (go figure) and the last thing I wanted to do was put this thing with moving brushes anywhere near my red skin. Then I got home, plugged it in to charge, and well...you know how it goes. However, when I began this blog, I immediately decided that this would be one of the first things I evaluated and wrote about because skin care is so important to all of us and these ultrasonic facial brushes are everywhere. And, they ain't cheap.</span></span></div>
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My suggestion is that if after reading this article, you decide you want to look into this further, do your research on the internet about which brand is right for you. If you have a dermatologist, you may even want to discuss use of this with him or her, although most aestheticians that I have discussed this with think that ultrasonic cleaners are very good. How can they not be? If used properly, they clean dirt and pollutants from your skin, they exfoliate, and from what I can see, they do a great job at eliminating lines and wrinkles. I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure don't want to be having plastic surgery when I'm older to reverse the signs of aging. I plan on doing what I can, using products that work for me, and drinking water to keep my skin hydrated, and hoping for the best.
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The first time I charged it, I let it charge for a full 24 hours. After that, I only charged it once a week. It magnetically charges, so there are no batteries to pull out or doors to close. You just set it in place in the dock, make sure the red light is on, and walk away.
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The rest of the time, it stays in my shower because...and this is the best part...it is fully waterproof. It is encased in plastic and you can hold the entire cleaner under your shower spray without any worry that the cleaner is going to stop working. I prefer to wash my face in the shower because of several reasons, but the main reason is very simple; it's just easier that way. You don't have to worry about dripping water everywhere because you are already in a wet area. Your hair is wet so you don't have to worry about putting it back. Best of all, when it comes to rinsing off your cleanser, what better place to do it but in a place where you can take advantage of all the clean water rushing at you? I have a rain shower head, so when it's time to rinse, I simply tip my face up into the spray with my eyes close and let the water do the work.
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Using the NutraSonic is very easy. To my knowledge, I believe you can use it with just about any cleanser, although I wouldn't recommend using it with a scrub or anything that has beads in it. I believe that might be too harsh on your skin. I keep my facial cleanser, <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod5021591" target="_blank">Purpose</a>, in the shower. After I apply conditioner to my hair, I pump a small amount of face cleanser in my hand, spread it all over my face with both palms, and then...it's time for the magic. You have to experiment a little to see what speed works best for you, but I just use the lowest speed. I start with my forehead and just move left to right, working my way down my face, and making sure to scrub a little extra in my trouble spots where acne pops up. For me, those areas are my forehead, my chin and my jaw lines. After I'm finished, I rinse the NutraSonic under the water to rinse out the dirt and skin that it has removed and then leave it on for a few seconds after I have taken it out from under the shower spray so that any remaining water droplets fly off...similar to letting the beater run above the cake batter in the bowl so all the batter still on the beaters flies off. My routine is to rinse my conditioner and my facial cleaner off at the same time, so once I'm done, I'm out of the shower and ready for the next steps, which is toning and moisturizing. I use <a href="http://www.olay.com/skin-care-products/facial-cleansers/oil-minimizing-toner?pid=075609041624&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Olay_Search_Brand+Awareness.Exact&utm_term=oil%20of%20olay%20toner&utm_content=sArSO3bPm|dc_oil%20of%20olay%20toner_e_27611827934" target="_blank">Oil of Olay toner</a> and <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod5021405&skuId=5021405&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&cagpspn=pla&CAWELAID=202389835&catargetid=330000200000064436&cadevice=c" target="_blank">Purpose moisturizer</a> during the day and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Murad-Essential-C-Night-Moisture---1-7OZ/dp/B000W3WKCG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509600&sr=8-3&keywords=Murad+Essential-C+Night+Moisture" target="_blank">Murad Essential-C Night Moisture</a> at night. This works for me since I have combination skin with oily spots on my forehead, nose and chin, but every different type of skin responds to products differently.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, to the pictures! When I decided to start using this again, it had been roughly a year since I used it, so my face was in sore need of TLC. This picture was taken after my first shower using it on May 11. After my husband took the below picture, he made the comment that my face looked "fresh-scrubbed and clean".</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On May 12, I noticed that my foundation, <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Large-Matte-Spf-15-Foundation---Medium-Beige/USmastermatte,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Bare Escentuals Matte Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Light</a>, glided on and applied flawlessly. I didn't even need to finish it off with <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Bare-Escentuals-Mineral-Veil-Finishing-Powder/USmastermineralveil,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Mineral Veil</a>, the finishing powder.</span></span></div>
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On May 15, I took a shower at night and used the Oil of Olay toner and Murad nighttime moisturizer. When my daughter and husband kissed me good night, both commented that my skin felt very silky and smooth.
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On May 16, I was putting on my makeup and noticed, with great delight, that my under-eye circles were much less pronounced. They were still there with a purplish tint as I expected, but were not as pronounced. After further examination, I discovered that the apples of my cheeks had evened out and were less red, creating less of a contrast between my cheeks and the skin under my eyes.
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Ten days later on May 26, I was putting on my spare foundation that I keep in my car, <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-SPF-15-Foundation/USMasterSPF15Found,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">Bare Escentuals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Light</a>, and it glided on like my Matte Foundation does. I originally stopped using the Original formula because I found that the Matte applied better, but the Original went on so well, it almost looked like the Matte!
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And lastly, on May 27, when I decided to conclude my time journal for use of the NutraSonic, I observed that my skin felt extremely silky smooth, both in and out of the shower and under my fingers as I smoothed on my Murad. The ever-present acne on my forehead is gone. The rosacea that I always had to use concealer on my chin and cheeks with has lessened. My crow's feet at the edges of my eyes are almost impossible to see. I have noticed every day when I apply my makeup that I use less and less, but yet the same polished look is still there. In short, I feel like a little bit of my fresh-faced twenty-something me is looking back at me in the mirror.</span></div>
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And if that's after sixteen days...well, I can't wait to see what my skin looks like in a few months! This little device is definitely going to be part of my daily routine from now on...who knows, maybe I can reverse some of the sun damage.
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I realize that this is not a cheap investment at all, but to me, it was a worthwhile one, especially given the damage that I have done to my skin by working outside and not wearing sunscreen. The one I found like mine was available on Amazon for about the same price that I bought it, but I Googled <a href="http://www.clarisonic.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Clarisonic-US-Site/default/Default-Start?cm_mmc=LabeliumSearch-_-GoogleBrand-_-Brand-_-clarisonic&gclid=CjgKEAjw2KCcBRCQ_6mztcunhEgSJABPxOF1JWR5XrzVvdNVh8n43HBX1nEcFrVnOxkDd2And8PFnfD_BwE" target="_blank">Clarisonic </a>just to see what came up and there were tons of hits...<a href="http://www.nordstroms.com/" target="_blank">Nordstrom's</a>, <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA</a>, <a href="http://www.sephora.com/" target="_blank">Sephora</a>, <a href="http://www.macys.com/" target="_blank">Macy's</a>, <a href="http://www.qvc.com/" target="_blank">QVC</a>, and of course, hundreds and hundreds of reviews from people talking about how much they love their ultrasonic facial cleaner. The Clarisonic is more expensive than what I have to the tune of $225, and in reading reviews I saw that Oil of Olay makes a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olay-Microdermabrasion-Advanced-Cleansing-System/dp/B00CYA5E1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509831&sr=8-1&keywords=Pro-X+Microdermabrasion" target="_blank">Pro-X Microdermabrasion</a> system that is about $35. I also saw a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sirius-Sonic-Skin-Care-System/dp/B006U1WT66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509854&sr=8-1&keywords=Sirius+Sonic+Skin+Care+System" target="_blank">Sirius Sonic Skin Care System</a>, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spa-Sonic-Skin-Care-System/dp/B004JK28GG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509854&sr=8-2&keywords=Sirius+Sonic+Skin+Care+System" target="_blank">Spa Sonic Skin Care System</a>, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Microdermabrasion-System/dp/B004ZD2M6I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509911&sr=8-1&keywords=Neutrogena+Microdermabrasion+System" target="_blank">Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System</a>, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Introductory-SonicDerm-Professional-Cleansing-SD-102/dp/B00GV25KVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401509940&sr=8-1&keywords=SonicDerm+Professional+SPA+Cleansing+System" target="_blank">SonicDerm Professional SPA Cleansing System</a>...all ranging in prices. So as with everything that's the "in" thing, there are lots of choices for your skin type and your budget. Apparently the guys like it too from what I read because it makes their skin soft before shaving, so you never know...it might be an interesting White Elephant gift at Christmas. I probably would start with a Honda first before investing in the Cadillac if I were just starting out with this since it is expensive, but that's just my opinion.
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If you decide that this is the way to go for you, best of luck in your searches and please make sure to come back to let us know what you got...OR if you already have one, leave us a comment about what you have and how you like it! Everything mentioned in this article is featured on our Pinterest page. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Don't forget your sunscreen this summer!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-40579335582599436582014-05-27T23:46:00.001-05:002014-05-28T00:41:06.208-05:00Disney Princess Jasmine Nail Art<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Over the last two weeks, I have slowly been collecting supplies and things that I need to start doing my own free-hand nail art, and this past weekend I gave it a try with the first design that really caught my attention...Jasmine from the Disney animated classic <u>Aladdin</u>! If you haven't figured it out yet, we at All That Sparkles and Shimmers love Pinterest. Not only is it a great way to share pictures and put all your ideas and thoughts in one place, but it is a wonderful source of information. When I came across <a href="http://www.hairsprayandhighheels.net/2013/02/disney-princess-inspired-nails-2/" target="_blank">this blog article at Hairspray and High Heels on Disney Princess inspired nail art</a>, I knew I was in love.</span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This one was a little more complex than the paw print art, so before I started, I got everything ready and set up before starting. Since this was my first time..it took approximately two hours from the start of removing my polish to clean up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">1. The first thing I did was select my polishes. For this art, you need four colors (five if you elect not to use rhinestones). I chose Zoya Zuza for Jasmine's jumper, Julep Margot for her necklace, ULTA Sun of a Gun for Raja's fur, and Sinful Colors Black On Black for Raja's stripes. I have rhinestones, so I counted out eight blue stones. A substitute if you don't want to use rhinestones is to select a metallic or glittery royal blue and use a larger dotting tool for the jewels.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. As always, start with clean nails. I removed my polish, treated my cuticles, washed my hands, moisturized and applied a base coat to get ready. While I was waiting for my base coat to set, I set out my tools: the tool I recently purchased to place rhinestones, a small brush for the necklace and stripes, my rhinestone glue, a small pot of acetone, and my top coat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">3. First, I applied my colors...Sun of a Gun on my ring fingers and Zuza on the remaining fingers. I used two coats for proper coverage and let hands set for five minutes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/Upload5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/Upload5.jpg" height="188" width="200" /></span></a><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/Upload4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/Upload4.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></span></a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. I then began with the jewel placement. I took the rhinestone glue and swept a tiny amount across the area where I planned to place the jewel, approximately right above the center of my nail. If your nails are excessively long, you may want to place the jewel higher. I did not blob the glue, but just instead gave the area a sticky spot for the jewel to adhere to. I immediately placed the jewel in place and repeated this with the other seven Zuza nails. After all jewels were in place, I swept another thin coat of the rhinestone glue on top to hold it firm.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. The next step is the necklace. I chose to place the jewels first to give a little more room for error. Using the thin brush, I picked up a small amount of Margot and painted thin diagonal lines starting at the side of each jewel and sweeping up to the top sides of each nail. I gave it a second coat if a light shined on the necklace didn't show the gold gleam.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. The last part (and most challenging) was Raja's stripes. If you have a stamper and an animal template, this could be done that way, but mine hadn't arrived yet, so I free-handed it after studying the Pinterest picture that inspired me. I picked up a small amount of Black On Black, started at the bottom at the edge of the nail, and dragged my brush towards the middle of my nail, lightening the pressure as I went. As I attached the end of the stripe, I lifted up the brush so that all of the brush that was in contact with my nail was the very tip which I used to make a skinny stripe end. I repeated this process, alternating the sides that I started on, so it looked randomly placed like on a tiger's back. At the end, I touched up any stripes that were showing orange with a little extra black polish. I repeated this process with the other nail.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">8. I am very new to nail art and a lot of things I am picking up from reading blogs from more experienced nail divas. However, what I discovered during this adventure is that you can actually pick up paint from the stem of your polish brush instead of pouring it out onto foil. When I was working with Margot, I just shook up the bottle well, pulled the brush out, and put paint on my detail brush from there, closing Margot in between uses. My house is very dry, and I think that if I chose to pour some out on foil, the polish would dry before I could use it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">9. Cleaning my nail art brush was harder than I expected. I wiped a lot of it off with a cotton ball, swirled it in my acetone pot, and in the end, just let it sit in my acetone pot to loosen up the bristles. I don't know if this was because the last color I used was black, but it also is darker than the other brushes now. I'm not going to worry about it, but before my next nail art, I'm going to try cleaning it with soap-free cleanser and see if that helps.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">10. Finally, my parting tip to any fellow nail art novices is to allow yourself plenty of time before your first nail art mani. I was very lucky that I didn't have to wipe stuff off and start over (alright I was ready with Q-tips), but I went very slow, took my time, and made sure to have everything ready before I began. Preparation is definitely key.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">This was a great design for me to start with because it incorporated rhinestones, multiple colors, and made me see how neat accent nails can be, something I've never tried before. I also got to use my rhinestone tool I just bought this week (so much better than tweezers; you need one if you work with rhinestones a lot!) and to play with my new brushes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">The rhinestone tool I used to place Jasmine's jewels is the So Easy Rhinestone Pickerr Uperr, and it was purchased at Sally Beauty Supply. I had only used my rhinestones twice before tonight, and both times I used a pair of tweezers or my fingernails. I wouldn't recommend either option because tweezers barely hold on to the edges of the stone and with your fingernails, you risk dropping the stone where you don't want it to go or accidentally nicking your tacky polish with your fingernail edge. This small tool is a plastic wand. I'm not quite sure how it works, but on either side, it has a plastic gummy circle of different sizes. What I did was count out the number of stones I needed into a small pinch pot, made sure they were all jewel-side-up, and then when I needed then, grabbed one with the tool and gently pushed it into place where I wanted it to go. It was perfect application and the handle allowed me to push the jewel firmly into the rhinestone glue.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">The moral of tonight's story...it's a whole new world out there for me with nail art! I can't wait to try it again!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sinfulcolors.com/" target="_blank">Sinful Colors</a> is available at <a href="http://www.target.com/" target="_blank">Target</a>, <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart </a>and <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/" target="_blank">Walgreens</a>.<a href="http://www.zoya.com/" target="_blank"> Zoya can be purchased online</a> and also at <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA</a>. <a href="http://www.julep.com/margot.html" target="_blank">Margot is only available as far as I know online at Julep</a> and <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3570051&skuId=2247375&_requestid=732019" target="_blank">ULTA Sun Of A Gun is only available at ULTA</a>. The <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Pickerr-Uperr/SBS-698810,default,pd.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=SOEASY&brandLandingPage=true&start=9" target="_blank">So Easy Rhinestone Pickerr Uperr</a> and the <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/top-and-basecoat/SBS-698855,default,pd.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=SOEASY&brandLandingPage=true&start=4" target="_blank">So Easy For Rhinestones Only Top and Base Coat are available at Sally Beauty Supply</a>. Everything featured in this article is on the Pinterest page for All That Sparkles and Shimmers.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-41377893746955582642014-05-25T23:53:00.001-05:002014-05-26T00:26:19.172-05:00Polish Review ~ OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress and OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OPI's most popular shade of red and best-selling nail lacquer of all time is "I'm Not Really A Waitress". According to the research I did, it was named after a server at a wedding spilled champane on OPI Executive Vice-President Suzi Weiss-Ficshmann and apologized by commenting, "I'm not really a waitress." I really love it when polishes have a story behind them like this one. This particular shade of red is timeless; it is seen over and over again in old movies, commercials, television shows, and photographs because it just appeals to everyone, male and female alike. Women will feel glamorous wearing it and men will find it sexy in a Marilyn Monroe way. It was released in 1999 as part of the OPI Fall Hollywood collection. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before I finally broke down and bought this, I had to see it on several people's nails several times and see it come up again and again in blogs and nail polish searches as I was shopping the web. Every store OPI display I peruse has it as well. I finally just had to get it in spite of my wonders if I really need another red since I have quite a few already. My husband's favorite nail polish color on me is red, so I figured one more wouldn't hurt. When I applied it, I topped it with OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It for an extra sparkle.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.instyle.com/instyle/best-beauty-buys/product/0,,20360913_20356662,00.html" target="_blank">In Style</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Courtesy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Gettin' Miss Piggy With It is also an interesting OPI specimen as it is part of the Muppets collection of glitters that was released in 2011.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Appearance</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This red is incredible and if you are a red polish fan, it's really a must-have for your collection. I would describe it as a cross between a shimmer and a metallic as it has a very subtle gleam that is picked up clearly under artificial light and in the daylight. It has a very pretty cherry tone to it which to me puts it in the cool family...it would work great for holidays, Valentine's Day, and would work well with any black, blue, purple or pink outfits.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The glitter top I used, Gettin' Miss Piggy With It, is a perfect topper for this polish. It is a b<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">right red microglitter with hex silver and red glitter. The suspension is clear, so it does not take away from the perfection of INRAW (the short name for OPI's most popular lacquer).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The application is very, very smooth and goes on nicely although it dries really fast on the first coat. For the optimum coverage, you really need two coats to get that nice thick color and exceptional gleam. The glitter topper spread perfectly without having to dig for glitter and one coat was sufficient.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I applied two coats of lacquer over Quimica Alemana, one coat of OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It and one coat of HK Girl, and my manicure lasted three days until I saw a small chip.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had no problem getting this manicure off with cotton balls and regular acetone polish remover and there was no staining. If you are looking for a good classic red that will go with anything you wear and any skin tone, OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress is a great choice!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Polish-Not-Really-Waitress/dp/B000MC417O/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1401081376&sr=1-3&keywords=opi+i%27m+not+really+a+waitress" target="_blank">OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Lacquer-Muppets-Collection-Gettin/dp/B0060A2QXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1401081436&sr=1-1&keywords=opi+getting+miss+piggy+with+it" target="_blank">OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy With It</a> on Amazon. <a href="http://www.sylvarocks.net/Stone-Type/Lab-Ruby-9881/4033422-SR058-Created-Ruby-925/ProductInfo.aspx" target="_blank">The lab ruby and sterling silver ring in the picture can be purchased at Sylva Rocks.</a> All items mentioned in this review are featured on our blog's Pinterest page.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-24926315570826163642014-05-24T02:33:00.001-05:002018-11-14T16:30:53.713-06:00Sally Beauty Supply: THE source for FingerPaints and other nail stuff<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Originally, I had started this article as a review of FingerPaints Copy Cat polish which is what I used to apply over Essie Bikini So Teeny. I decided about halfway through to turn it into a review of the source to go to in order to GET <a href="http://www.fingerpaintsnailpolish.com/" target="_blank">FingerPaints</a> since, to my knowledge, you can't get FingerPaints anywhere else but at <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Sally Beauty Supply</a>. I have no idea why it took me so long to start shopping there for nail stuff. There are two locations within ten minutes of my house and everything that they have that I have purchased there so far has proven to be very superior salon-quality items. Several of them have turned into staples in my manicure routine, such as the <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/cuticle-remover/SBS-246116,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Blue Cross Cuticle Remover</a>. About two weeks ago, I started realizing that everywhere on the internet I went whether it was <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook </a>forums discussing nail equipment or blogs reviewing nail polish, the answer every time was, "go to Sally Beauty Supply". </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My first experience with Sally Beauty Supply was probably about a year ago when I worked all day in the field using my ladder and realized on the way home that I had broken one of my nails below the quick. As anyone that has done that knows, you can't just whip out your <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-SA-Site/default/Search-Show?q=nail%20clippers" target="_blank">nail clippers </a>and chop it off unless you want to be in a fair amount of pain. I didn't really know what to do. A year ago, I was a lot less knowledgeable about fingernail care and hygiene than I am now, and really had no clue what to do or where to go. For a moment, I thought about stopping at <a href="http://www.cvs.com/" target="_blank">CVS </a>to pick up <a href="http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/Elmers-Glue-All-Multi-Purpose-Glue?skuId=122192" target="_blank">Elmer's Glue</a> and fixing the nail that way until it grew out enough to trim it and file it down. I stopped at <a href="http://www.ulta.com/" target="_blank">ULTA </a>first and asked them if they had any suggestions. The response was, "You can't repair a broken nail, but maybe Sally Beauty Supply will have some ideas?" Believe it or not, my closest Sally Beauty Supply and my closest ULTA are separated by about 100 feet of space, so I walked right down and walked in. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Call it sexist, but it always surprises me when I see a guy working at a store that is clearly geared towards females. I bought some <a href="http://search2.victoriassecret.com/?q=nail+polish&theme=vs" target="_blank">Victoria's Secret nail polish</a> last week and was rung up by a male employee. As luck would have it, there was a guy there who asked me if he could help. Not only was he pleasant and nice, he actually steered me to a product that he used when he broke a toenail once and needed something for the same purpose. He echoed what ULTA said about not being able to permanently fix it, but he was right on target with the product; it held my nail together for about a week, just long enough for it to grow out and be trimmed and filed. That product was <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/nail-strengthener/SBS-153300,default,pd.html#q=Nail+Magic&start=1" target="_blank">Nail Magic Nail Hardener</a>, which I have used on several occasions since when my nails look dry and brittle and in need of a little extra TLC. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You would think that I would keep going back after that but for some reason, the allure of the ULTA catalogs kept grabbing my attention and I kept going back there. But every time I would share what I bought with my friends, the response was always, "You could have gotten it cheaper at Sally."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My second visit, I had stopped into a Sally Beauty Supply one night to get nail dryer spray, and they were having a 2 polishes for the price of one sale. When I saw the FingerPaints display, my eye was immediately caught by the glitter. I am so attracted to all things sparkly and shiny; it's like a moth to a flame. I ended up being sucked in by <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762172/" target="_blank">Go Baroque!</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762175/" target="_blank">Berry Good Bid</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762181/" target="_blank">Peacock Portrait</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762188/" target="_blank">Artist's Inspiration</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762192/" target="_blank">Surreal Sunset</a> and the beauty that I am going to review shortly here, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762196/" target="_blank">Copy Cat</a>. All links provided here are to Pinterest, but every one of this colors is available for purchase at <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Sally Beauty Supply</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Photograph courtesy of <a href="http://sallybeauty.com/">sallybeauty.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This glitter topper is absolutely as gorgeous on the nail as in the bottle. With the density of the glitter in the suspension, I think it would very possible to wear this one alone with a three-coat application. It is a combination glitter with tiny round pieces of glitter, micro glitter and larger pieces of hex glitter. The color mix is silver-hued gold...almost a platinum and white gold color. I applied two coats of it over <a href="http://www.essie.com/Colors.aspx" target="_blank">Essie Bikini So Teeny</a>, which I reviewed previously <a href="http://www.allthatsparklesandshimmers.blogspot.com/2014/05/polish-review-bikini-so-teeny.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and the effect is almost celestial, like gold angel wings in the most beautiful summer sky. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Perfect and smooth. It spreads very evenly across the nail without having to repeatedly dip the brush in the bottle to pick up more glitter. The suspension is easy to work with and the glitter spreads across the nail evenly and smoothly with no clumps or streaks.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wore this mani for three days and had no chips, peels or tip wear. Very impressive, especially given the price.<a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/fingerpaints/FPAINT1,default,pd.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=FPAINT&brandLandingPage=true&start=3" target="_blank"> FingerPaints retails for regular price at Sally Beauty Supply for $5.29, and is frequently on sale.</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Due to the amount of glitter and the total number of coats (7), I anticipated a difficult time, especially since my <a href="http://www.target.com/p/up-up-trade-maximum-strength-acetone-nail-polish-remover-dip-it-9-oz/-/A-13317437#prodSlot=medium_1_8&term=nail+polish+remover" target="_blank">Dip-It</a> needed replacement at the time. I used <a href="http://www.target.com/p/up-up-trade-acetone-nail-polish-remover-6-oz/-/A-13317483#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=acetone+nail+polish+remover" target="_blank">regular acetone remover</a> from <a href="http://www.target.com/" target="_blank">Target </a>and <a href="http://www.target.com/p/jumbo-cotton-balls-100-pk/-/A-11031080#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=cotton+balls" target="_blank">cotton balls</a>, and had everything off in less than ten minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I honestly had the same experience with Berry Good Bid, which is the only one of my other FingerPaints that I have tried. It went on smooth, wore like iron, and with the exception of a little staining which I expected with a rich dark color like this, came off fairly easily.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Now, back to FingerPaints and Sally Beauty Supply...being the interested nail polish diva that I am, I did a little research on the origin of FingerPaints because I have never seen this polish sold anywhere but. And it's a mystery! I can't find anything on the history of FingerPaints or anything on where it is sold other than Sally Beauty Supply. The reviews are mixed; you have some people saying that it is fantastic and wears like iron and then others that say that they are not impressed, that it is goopy in the bottle and that the colors don't match the bottle. Besides Copy Cat, I have only tried Berry Good Bid and the same experience with it that I did with Copy Cat, so my suggestion would be to get a bottle, try it and see for yourself. The names are a lot of fun as they all incorporate the art medium into their names, such as </span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251762253/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Expressionist Red</a><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> and </span><a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/fingerpaints/FPAINT1,default,pd.html#prefn1=brand&prefv1=FPAINT&brandLandingPage=true&start=3" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Where Art Renoir?</a><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My third visit to Sally Beauty Supply, I closed the deal and bought a <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/beauty-club/BCC_WELCOME,default,pg.html" target="_blank">Beauty Club Member</a> card, which gives you discounts on every product you buy and coupons galore. In fact, when you buy the card for $5, they immediately give you a $5 coupon to use on any purchase making your membership essentially free. Prior to going to the store, I had made a list of things that I needed with the exact names of the items...things like files that had been recommended to me, the Blue Cross cuticle remover, etcetera. The website will tell you if the item that you want is available in-store or not. When I went to shop, the lady that assisted me knew exactly where everything was, and when I got to the check-out, I applied for my card which I was able to use on that purchase, and I got my coupons on my receipts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tonight I went back to use my $5 coupon and to check out their nail art selection which was also very impressive. I picked up a <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Cina-Five-Piece-Dotting-Marbleizing-Tool-Kit/SBS-133873,default,pd.html#q=dotting&start=5" target="_blank">dotting tool set</a> and a <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Pickerr-Uperr/SBS-698810,default,pd.html#q=rhinestone&sz=45&start=45" target="_blank">rhinestone picker upper tool</a>. As always, the employees were very courteous and polite. I don't know if they do this or not on purpose, but every time I talk to one of the employees they either make a comment about how much they enjoy the hobby of nail polishing/nail art or compliment me on my manicure. For a small store, it is nice and it makes you want to go back when the employees are polite. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And finally, the last and final icing on the cake IF you happen to live in a place that doesn't have a Sally Beauty Supply close by? Free shipping up to $50. All the time! No coupon code. No minimum purchase. No date restrictions! How about that? So if you just need a nail file? Free shipping. Need four OPI polishes that you can't find anywhere else? Free shipping. They even have some reduced rates on shipping to Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii. I am an avid internet shopper and I can tell you from personal experience that it is a very rare merchant indeed that offers free shipping all the time. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My one and only complaint about Sally Beauty Supply (well, I have two) is that you can't use your coupons on OPI, and the only major brands of polish that they carry besides the above-mentioned FingerPaints are <a href="http://www.orlybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Orly</a>, OPI, <a href="http://www.chinaglaze.com/" target="_blank">China Glaze</a> and <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/nail-polish/ULTPRO1,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Nina Ultra Pro</a>. No <a href="http://www.zoya.com/" target="_blank">Zoya</a>, no <a href="http://www.nicolebyopi.com/" target="_blank">Nicole by OPI</a>, no <a href="http://www.essie.com/" target="_blank">Essie</a>. And, for those of you that think that Sally Beauty Supply and <a href="http://www.sallyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Sally Hansen Nail Polish</a> are one and the same, that is not true....there are no Sally Hansen products on their website and none that I saw in the store. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So there you have it! I have no affiliation with Sally Beauty Supply other than being a satisfied customer and a recent card-carrying Beauty Card Member. Women like me that do their own natural nails at home have a lot of choices when it comes to outfitting their nail stash with the proper equipment to be able to do a salon-quality manicure, such as Target, <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart</a>, <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/" target="_blank">Walgreen's</a>, CVS, ULTA and <a href="http://www.sephora.com/" target="_blank">Sephora</a>, not to mention many, many more retailers. But if you are looking for good solid equipment that isn't going to break your wallet and that actually works, give this little store (or the website) a try. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think, like me, you will find that you are very, very surprised. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-78453849361868786752014-05-22T23:50:00.003-05:002014-05-23T01:06:47.503-05:00Hair Product Review ~ Garnier Nutrisse<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let me begin by saying I am not even thirty years old...a few weeks shy to be exact. The one thing we as women fight daily is aging. It's inevitable and we can't hide from it no matter how hard we try. Aging is my nightmare work in progress.</span><br />
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A few months back, I found my first gray hair. I have dark brown hair, so it stuck out like a sore thumb. I thought it was a one-time occurrence...a fluke if you will. As it turns out recently within the last week,<b> </b>that gray hair was indeed no fluke. I have new roots growing in gray. They are everywhere and there is no hiding them until I can grab another box of color. Apparently I suffer from premature graying of my hair.</span><br />
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I ran to the nearest Walmart and got my usual box of hair color, <a href="http://www.target.com/p/garnier-nutrisse-hair-color/-/A-12443864#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=Garnier+Nutrisse+truffle" target="_blank">Garnier Nutrisse Truffle Brown</a>. I came home, let it do its magic, and viola! No more gray hair. I usually color my hair twice a year to avoid excess damage. I got lucky in finding a color off the shelf that matches my color perfectly. Lucky for my husband, it's his hair color too, so we used it to touch up his hair as well. Two heads out of one bottle is a score all on its own.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What I grew to love about my Truffle Brown hair color is the shine it brings back into my usually dull brown hair. The smell is simply amazing. It doesn't have those harsh smells that other brands do. The actual process to make the color is a three-step mixing process. A tube of color squeezes into the bottle of developer, and a green tube of avocado oil is what makes the mixture amazing. Since I use box color at home, I was happy to find out that my husband had no issues when it came to putting on the gloves and putting the color on my hair. I might add that he does a really good job of not dying my neck, shoulders, or ears. If it does get on my skin, it does not dye or stain my skin and there is no irritation. If washed off my skin with warm water right away, it comes right off. I learned the hard way on a white shirt that it does stain clothing. When it came to rinsing out the hair color, I jumped in the shower and used warmer water than usual to make sure I got it all out of my hair or until it "rinses clear". As per manufacturer </span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">recommendations, I did not use shampoo as the color is a wash-in. I only </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">used the given conditioner inside the box of color. On a daily basis when I do wash my hair, I use <a href="http://www.target.com/p/herbal-essen-23-7floz-color-me-happy-shampoo/-/A-13975180#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=Herbal+Essence+color+me+pink" target="_blank">Herbal Essence Color Me Happy (Pink)</a> for color-treated hair to help keep the integrity of the color as long as possible. I have found this hair color leaves very minimal damage to my hair and the best part is the amazing smell I have for a few days after using the color and provided conditioner due to the avocado oil.</span></span><br />
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My problem with this whole aging issue is when I watched my step mom go from dark brown to snow white in a year's time when she was in her forties. She decided to go blonde to give her hair some color. I can't accept this phase of aging with grace and ease like she did. It's taking everything in me not to find and tweeze every gray hair I find. The only thing stopping me is the pure fear of that saying "pull one and two grow back" being true. I do not quite know where this anxiety came from when I realized I'm at that stage in my life and I can't stop the aging process. </span><br />
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One thing is for sure: hair color, new styles, and my hair dresser's magic are going to be in my monthly hair maintenance routine from here on out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Both <a href="http://www.target.com/p/garnier-nutrisse-hair-color/-/A-12443864#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=Garnier+Nutrisse+truffle" target="_blank">Garnier Nutrisse hair color in Truffle Brown</a> and <a href="http://www.target.com/p/herbal-essen-23-7floz-color-me-happy-shampoo/-/A-13975180#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=herbal+essence+color+me+pink" target="_blank">Herbal Essence Color Me Happy</a> in pink can be purchased at Target. All product mentioned on this page are featured on the Pinterest board for All That Sparkles and Shimmers.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11279144613595671470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-83477115569286782052014-05-21T23:44:00.001-05:002014-05-21T23:44:22.987-05:00Flip Flops: Bad for your feet, but you're going to wear them anyway, aren't you?<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Flip flops used to be something that we only saw come out in the summer, but depending on where you live, they can be a year-round wardrobe essential. Where I live in Dallas, I wear flip flops year-round. I buy flip flops every summer like people buy a new winter coat in the fall. And they never, ever are put up for the cold weather. I have gone to many Christmas Eve celebrations wearing some sort of open footwear. I think there's even a picture of me floating around somewhere from Thanksgiving wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of old <a href="https://www.birkenstockusa.com/" target="_blank">Birkenstocks</a> from high school. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Flip flops actually originated as far back as 4000 B.C. according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_flops" target="_blank">Wikipedia </a>when the ancient Egyptians made them with papyrus and palm leaves. Other cultures have had their versions as well, and our modern-day flip flop is loosely based on the Japanese zori which was brought back by soldiers returning from World War II in Japan. They were made very popular in the 1960s in California, and while many older generations still look down on them as a sign of ultra-casual or laziness, the trend now seems to be that there are flip flops that can fit every occasion. I have seen people wearing flip flops at summer weddings and formal events, and if you happen to work in an office that embraces a casual dress code, you may find professional executives walking around in them, especially in the summer months. Here in Dallas, dining out is such a part of living here, it is very common to go to a five-star restaurant and see women walking around in fancy beaded and jeweled sandals that were probably purchased at Nordstrom's for $100 and cost less than $15 to manufacture.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I myself have a number of pairs of flip flops. I have no problem tossing them out when they wear out or if one of one of my dogs decides to make a chew toy of one, but my flip flops range in style from the traditional V-strap in leather over a leather sole to my old beloved Birkenstocks that I can't part with to foam wedge soles with a beaded cloth strap. I have them in black, brown, silver, gold, pink, multi-colored plastic gems, glitter, sequined, cloth, you name it. I even have a pair of leather string-style heeled flip flops for dressing up. And I love them all. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, let's be honest. They are bad for your feet. Most of them don't give support to your heels, toe or arches. You can easily trip in them. If you were in a situation where you needed to run away fast, flip flops wouldn't allow you to do that. And a lot of them have such a thin sole, you might as well be walking on the bare concrete in your bare feet. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_flops" target="_blank">Wikipedia has a whole section on health implications and foot problems from wearing flip flops. </a></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But you're going to wear them anyway. I know this. I am the same way. With summer coming and depending on where you live, you may already been hoofing it around town in your flips. And guess what? The stores know this! The summer selections of flip flops are already out and ready for your purchase. And I have compiled a flip flop dos and don't list as you gear up for the kids to get out of school and start getting ready to go on those summer trips and do the summer activities. If you are a die-hard flip flop devotee like me, most of this stuff you probably already know...but you never know, you just might pick up a fun tip that will make your feet happier this summer, or something fun that you never thought of trying. So, here we go!</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">1.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">DO have painted toenails.</b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">To me, the first and foremost rule of wearing any open-toed shoes, especially if you are trying to pass off your flip flops as nice footwear, is to have painted toenails. I have friends that laugh at me because I will refuse to wear my flip flops if my toenails aren't painted. Call it a weird quirk, but no matter what people say, they do look down at your feet if you are wearing flip flops, and your feet will look nicer and more cared for if your toenails are painted, even if it is just a clear coat. If I'm in a rush to go out and I have a light color on my toes, I will do a super-fast paint job with a dark color over the light color just so they are painted. No one is going to get up close and personal with your toes, but from a vantage point of looking down, they will appear to be painted. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. <b>DO take care of your heels and toes.</b> Cracked heels and callused toes are a result of wearing these podiatrist's nightmare. It's true. They aren't quality footwear and we all know it, but we wear them anyway. The least you can do is care for your feet. With your feet being exposed to the air constantly wearing sandals and the heel and big toes rubbing on the surfaces and carrying the brunt of your body weight, they are going to show some wear and tear. So be kind to your feet. Use a Ped Egg (<a href="http://allthatsparklesandshimmers.blogspot.com/2014/05/ped-egg-vs-hoof-feet-3-step-miracle.html" target="_blank">see review here</a>) or a foot file to remove that dead skin and use a nice foot cream like O'Keefe's (<a href="http://allthatsparklesandshimmers.blogspot.com/2014/05/summer-feet.html" target="_blank">see review here</a>) to keep them soft and conditioned. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. <b>DO wear sunscreen if you are going to be outside.</b> The skin on your feet is tender and can burn very easily. Putting on sunscreen serves two purposes; it protects your feet from getting a burn and it also gives your feet some added moisturizer in preparation for being outside.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. <b>DO consider toe rings.</b> They are cute to jazz up your toes if you wear flip flops or sandals a lot. You can usually pick up inexpensive toe rings at <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart</a>, <a href="http://www.target.com/" target="_blank">Target </a>or <a href="http://www.claires.com/us/" target="_blank">Claire's</a>. I have a collection of toe rings that I wear on occasion to give my toes an extra twinkle. My suggestion with toe rings is to stay away from the kind that completely encircle your toe. The ones that are adjustable and have a space on the bottom are not only more comfortable but won't dig into your toe if you wear the toe ring for several hours. Same goes for ankle bracelets; they can make your feet look very feminine and pretty.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. <b>DON'T wear your flip flops if you are going to be on your feet for hours and hours.</b> Know ahead of time what you are going to be doing. I cringe when I go to the mall to do a serious shopping trip and see teenagers running around in their plastic flip flops. Flip flops, while very fashionable, cute and cool to wear in the summer, aren't meant for hiking the concrete jungle, and if worn over long periods of time can result in flat feet, fallen arches or plantar fascitis. I have walking sandals that I wear to shop at the mall and if I'm going to an outdoor event where I know I'm going to be walking for hours, like a festival or a theme park, sneakers it is. Your feet will thank you for it later that evening.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. <b>DON'T rule out discount stores for great places to get fun flip flops.</b> My favorite place to get flip flops every year is Target, although I have bought some great flip flops at <a href="http://www.ae.com/web/index.jsp" target="_blank">American Eagle</a>, <a href="http://www.kohls.com/" target="_blank">Kohl's</a>, <a href="http://oldnavy.gap.com/?" target="_blank">Old Navy</a>, <a href="http://www.skechers.com/" target="_blank">Skechers</a>, and this year to my surprise, Walmart! The flip flop style that I prefer are the wedge-style with a heel to take some of the pressure off my heels. I like foam soles because they are soft on my foot but firm enough to provide support, and cloth straps are the most comfortable between my toes. With bling being so popular, a lot of stores will sell stores with beads or jewels sewn onto the straps, which to me is like finding gold, but you can also make your own bling-y sandals if you find a pair of flip flops that you like and get industrious with a glue gun or a needle and thread. I'm usually not that picky...as long as they just look dressy enough to wear with capris and a nice shirt, I'm happy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. <b>DON'T spend an arm and a leg on flip flops that you could probably find something similar to at a big box store.</b> <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/" target="_blank">Nordstrom's</a> is one of my favorite places to buy shoes, but I shake my head in disgust when I see a pair of plastic shoes beaded to the nines selling for over $100. If they are leather, contoured, meant for walking, provide great support, or just look like they are meant to last for several years, that's one thing, but if they look like they were made in about ten minutes, they probably were and they might not last much longer, not to mention they are not going to support your foot. Why spend good money on shoes that aren't going to last? If you just want some cute shoes that you can wear sporadically over the summer, get them at a cheaper place.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. <b>DON'T hesitate to toss them when they are wearing thin.</b> Flip flops weren't made to provide your feet with a lot of support, but the thinner they get, the closer your feet are in contact with the concrete slab you are walking on in your house or out and about. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. <b>DON'T wear the wrong size.</b> When you are trying on flip flops, the end of your foot should be pretty close to the edge of the shoe and the strap snug but not overly tight. You don't want to be putting undue stress on your foot by trying to hang on to the shoe with your foot if it's too big, and you don't want your heel hanging out over the back of the shoe when you walk if it's too small. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. <b>DON'T wear them with socks.</b> Just...no. Don't do it. It just looks weird. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year as I mentioned above, I found my flip flops at Walmart and I was so pleasantly surprised. I wear a size 11 and it's pretty difficult for me to find shoes anywhere, so when I went to Walmart and I found not one but TWO pairs of cute blinged-out flip flops, one rainbow and one silver, in my size with foam wedge-style soles, I was a happy girl. These were each $9.98 apiece, and they were available in kids' sizes to boot. After examining them pretty closely, I do think that you could make your own if you were so inclined. My favorite color of flip flop is black, and there is never any shortage with those, but if you want, say, red flip flops with blue sparkly sequins, there's no reason why you couldn't get creative.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wish you and your feet a happy summer! If you have found a great source for great-looking albeit weak on support flip flops, please leave it in the comments; we'd love to hear from you!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-11473334189318459802014-05-20T23:56:00.001-05:002014-05-21T00:44:11.394-05:00Polish Review ~ Essie Bikini So Teeny<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I bought this bottle as my first Essie when I was getting to know all the different brands and branching out from <a href="http://www.opi.com/" target="_blank">OPI</a>. I bought an <a href="http://www.essie.com/" target="_blank">Essie</a>, a <a href="http://www.zoya.com/" target="_blank">Zoya</a>, a <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/" target="_blank">butter London</a>, and an <a href="http://www.orlybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Orly</a>. This color, a rich powder blue, just really attracted me since I didn't have any blues like it. Blue is my favorite polish color family, and I saw it as being a fabulous base for glitter and special effect toppers. I'm not sorry that I bought it, but due to the difficulty I had with the application, I doubt I'll be buying any more Essies unless I see a color online that I'm dying to have based on the swatch, a fantastic sale, or a color that I can't find in any other brand. (Right now, the one Essie I am on the lookout for is <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/367817494539624112/" target="_blank">Shine Of The Times</a>, so let me know if you see it, yes?) The one thing I have noticed from looking at the Essie displays is that they seem to carry a lot more cream polishes in a huge variety of colors than some of the other brands, so if you are a cream polish fan, Essie might be a brand worth checking out for you. I do like to buy cream polishes as they look very classy for elegant events, they are great bases for glitter tops, and provide a great formula for matte top coats from what I can tell thus far. I also think this particular polish would work well in nail art. The color is absolutely gorgeous.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">As it turns out, this color is the May Spotlight color for Essie, and as such, I found out that it was born in 1982. That's a long time for a shade to be around! It is described on the Essie website as "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">daring meets darling in pretty yet provocative cornflower blue. this sparkling nail polish bares it all with a wink and a smile and no strings attached." More importantly, Essie is doing a Summer Beach Essentials Giveaway in the name of this pretty polish, so <a href="http://www.essie.com/Hot-Now.aspx" target="_blank">take a few minutes to go to the Essie website and enter the giveway</a>. Again, who doesn't like free?</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://essie.com/">essie.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">It is a very pale creamy blue with almost a tinge of periwinkle in it...it reminds me of the afternoon sky in the east just as the sun is starting to go down in the west. I used Quimica Alemana as the base coat and HK Girl as the top coat. The glitter I used with this manicure was <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/fingerpaints/FPAINT1,default,pd.html#q=Copy+cat&start=1" target="_blank">FingerPaints Copy Cat</a>, which I will review in a later post. I am very pleased with the combination...it caught the eye of the cashier at Sally Beauty Supply which I consider a feat...those employees must see hundreds of nails every day!</span><br />
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<i style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Application</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">It was very difficult to apply smoothly even after shaking the bottle well. This is the first time I have used it and the cap was on right. The first coat went on very streaky and was hard to get on smooth. The second coat smoothed out better, but unevenly as there were a lot of bald spots. The third coat went on better and was the key to smooth opacity. Two coats of polish may have been okay since I was planning on covering it with glitter, but I could see a lot of bald spots after the second coat. The shine is very pretty and a very glossy surface. The brush is perfect size for best application that needs minimal clean up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I woke up the next morning to a dent on my right thumb...a few hours after dry to the touch. The glitter covered it well, and there were no chips or scratches or tip wear after three days, which is when I changed my polish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Due to the amount of glitter and the total number of coats (a whopping seven), I anticipated a difficult time, especially since my Dip-It needs replacing. I used regular acetone remover from Walmart and cotton balls, and had everything off in less than ten minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Essie is available at a number of local retailers. I have seen it at ULTA, Target, Wal Mart, CVS and Walgreen's. It's a widely carried brand. <a href="http://www.essie.com/" target="_blank">The cheapest place I could find this color online was Essie for $8.50</a>; however, I purchased mine at ULTA with a coupon. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">FingerPaints Nail Color, to my knowledge, is carried only at Sally Beauty Supply and right now, <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/fingerpaints/FPAINT1,default,pd.html#q=Copy+cat&start=1" target="_blank">Copy Cat is on sale for $3.99</a>. Quimica Alemana, HK Girl and the items used to remove polish are all featured on our Pinterest board. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Don't forget to enter the Essie giveaway!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-19503464776847325232014-05-18T23:58:00.001-05:002014-05-19T07:41:39.551-05:00Polish Review ~ Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I first saw this polish featured on a nail polish board from a fellow polish diva and friend of mine who used this glitter alone over bare nails but in several coats so it was a solid sheen of mermaid scales. It snagged my attention, and I liked it so much when I found it at Walmart, I bought two extra to give as gifts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1rCwxS6TA80vvC8uOa9OgRSwP7VxFepTDj5t8U3sC57q2ZycTO0rQo5noJcvMiUPLYvJ058jPHq9DBUjsBLuMtoDWVqwqaE6HSXPN_r3yakKMT5mlr01jd9wJjDkNhKapl370guvjhns/s1600/Mermaid's+Tale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1rCwxS6TA80vvC8uOa9OgRSwP7VxFepTDj5t8U3sC57q2ZycTO0rQo5noJcvMiUPLYvJ058jPHq9DBUjsBLuMtoDWVqwqaE6HSXPN_r3yakKMT5mlr01jd9wJjDkNhKapl370guvjhns/s1600/Mermaid's+Tale.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="http://superdrug.com/">superdrug.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">This is a g</span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">orgeous hex glitter suspended in a clear jelly. The glitter pieces are dark blue (the color of the Pacific Ocean) and dark green (the color of a lagoon). The colors used and the size of the glitter pieces give the clear appearance of vivid blue and green "scales"</span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">. Originally when I bought it, I intended on layering it over black polish, but ended up layering it over butter London Royal Navy instead. The blue was a better choice than the black (although black always seems to be a great base for glitter), and I can't wait to try this next time over dark green to see if it accented the "scales" as well as the blue did. The glitter is the most stunning in the sunlight, but due to the size of the glitter, it really catches any light source wherever you are and whatever the time of day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">The end result is well-worth it, because it is on the difficult side of the spectrum of glitters as far as ease of application. The formula is very g</span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">oopy</span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"> </span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">to work with, it did not dry smooth and even, and in order to achieve an even uniform spread of glitter, two coats was needed.</span><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"> The brush is very wide and curved at the bottom "for the perfect manicure". This is good as I hardly got any polish on my skin, but not good because I have narrow nails. With the difficult formula, it was a little hard to manage. The next time I use this, I may try using an nail art</span></span><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"> brush to spread it or my Julep Plie wand and see if that helps.</span><br />
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<i style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Durability</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I am not sure if it was the glitter or the navy panties, but after two days of having the glitter on, my nails started showing significant tip wear, polish shrinkage at my cuticle line, and lots of the glitter pieces started peeling up even though I applied a hearty layer of HK Girl to smooth down the uneven application of the glitter suspension.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><i>Removal</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><a href="http://allthatsparklesandshimmers.blogspot.com/2014/05/polish-review-butter-london-royal-navy.html" target="_blank">If you read my review on butter London Royal Navy</a>, you already know that by the time I got to the removal stage on this manicure I was dealing with a large number of coats on my nails...ten to be exact. I started with a base of Quimica Alemana, applied two coats of Royal Navy, one coat of HK Girl, two coats of Orly Matte Top, another coat of Royal Navy, two coats of glitter, and one final coat of HK Girl. I fully expected a fight and pulled out the big guns, which is my Dip-It tub of our acetone with an internal plastic scrub brush. After soaking and working on them, I realized a few things...first, the glitter wasn't coming off without a fight. Second, when poked and prodded at with my finger nail edge, the glitter pieces dissolved into a teal green paste that ran all over my fingernails, fingers, and into my cuticle crevice, dripped onto my Dip-It container, and turned the acetone in my Dip-It a murky teal green and won't remove anything on my nails now without turning my nails green. To finish removing the ten-layer mermaid cake, I scrubbed my hands with dish soap, used cotton balls and acetone remover to take off the rest of the teal stain, and then thoroughly smoothed, buffed, and filed my nails with a cuticle trim to get my nails mani-ready. Ay carumba. However, the beauty of this glitter is such that it <b>is </b>worth it. I own two others in this line, and one is a glitter. It'll be interesting to see if the others give me the same difficulty.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This polish is part of the Complete Salon Manicure line by Sally Hansen, so pretty much anywhere Sally Hansen is sold, you will find this...Walmart, ULTA, Target, CVS, etc. It retails for $7.99 at ULTA, and that is the same price I bought it at Walmart for, but <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sally-Hansen-Complete-Salon-Manicure-Nail-Color-Mermaid-s-Tale-0.5-fl-oz/32244249" target="_blank">you can also buy it at Walmart for $6.48 online.</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Everything mentioned on this page is featured on our Pinterest board, which includes the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251664081/" target="_blank">Julep Plie Wand</a>, the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251693341/" target="_blank">Quimica Alemana</a>, the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251693346/" target="_blank">HK Girl top coat</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251728673/" target="_blank">butter London Royal Navy</a>, the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251663966/" target="_blank">Dip-It nail polish remover from Target</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251682568/" target="_blank">cotton balls</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251739381/" target="_blank">acetone remover</a>, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251739374/" target="_blank">the four-way buffer block</a>, and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853251664157/" target="_blank">Orly Matte Top Coat</a>.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-39021117488592826612014-05-17T22:55:00.002-05:002018-11-14T16:29:45.651-06:00Ped Egg vs. Hoof Feet 3-Step Miracle Foot Tool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I searched high and low, tried product after product, soaked and scrubbed my feet, filed them...you name it! My husband is just as particular about his feet as I am, and he purchased a product called Ped Egg. At first, I had heard things like "It doesn’t work", "Don’t waste your money", etcetera. I, on the other hand, give anything benefit of the doubt. I read the directions and if used correctly, it really does help.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/PedEgg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/PedEgg2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a></div>
<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/LotionSocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/LotionSocks.jpg" height="200" width="88" /></span></a><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Most foot files, scrubs and products say to start with wet feet to get best results. The Ped Egg works on dry feet for best results. I like how it catches the dry skin I'm shaving off. It has a longer handle for an easier grip and a nice tight cap to cover the file that works on your foot. It's a fairly fast process; the entire time of filing the dead skin off my feet and applying the lotion was about </span></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">five minutes. </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Once I've gotten my feet cleaned up, I then load on a thick lotion like Aquaphor.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It can be purchased at WalMart for approximately eight dollars and it lasts a very long time. I also suggest washing your hands after applying lotion as it does leave your hands covered in lotion. </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I have a pair of thick sock-type slippers I put on my feet to catch the heat and soak </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">in the lotion.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/PedEgg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/PedEgg3.jpg" height="167" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I have to repeat this process about once a week. I was thinking as I was writing this article that if I used the Ped Egg and O'Keeffe's for Healthy Feet</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, it would be a winning combo with my feet. With the sock and lotion process, </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I usually do it hours before I go to bed and take the socks off and let them dry before bed. I</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">f you do this before going to bed, slippers are a must or the lotion will leave oil slicks on your sheets.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The photograph speaks for itself on the results!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy3KyRXAvjce3lu7p4hbRE3m4oA2_DAGNOXbtXnM26mq0ZkitBiVh-UTQEZgFK4HTvB1QqNH1pvCfTHV0a0RSLqIbHo7YuQ60CBsj6FC5yxubpRPK7OtjvH0HVFTaLfPcTi0qm4hpisbV/s1600/Hoof+Feet+3-Step+Miracle+Foot+Tool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy3KyRXAvjce3lu7p4hbRE3m4oA2_DAGNOXbtXnM26mq0ZkitBiVh-UTQEZgFK4HTvB1QqNH1pvCfTHV0a0RSLqIbHo7YuQ60CBsj6FC5yxubpRPK7OtjvH0HVFTaLfPcTi0qm4hpisbV/s1600/Hoof+Feet+3-Step+Miracle+Foot+Tool.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Photo from <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hoof-Feet-3-Step-Miracle-Foot-Tool/14648454#ProductDetail">walmart.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">To compare products, I also purchased the Hoof Feet 3-Step Miracle Foot Tool, which is a </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">foot file combined with a razor, to see if that helped with the hard-to-get spots. I found this tool to be not as effective as the Ped Egg. The Hoof Feet tool was to be used in the shower with very wet feet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What I liked about the Hoof Feet 3-Step Miracle Foot Tool: </span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The dead skin washes down the drain and you can get into those little spots near the toes or side of your feet. It didn't tickle my feet as much as the Ped Egg does, but I think that's because the feet are wet at the time of use. The foot does need a soak-in lotion like Aquaphor to rehydrate your feet after using this tool, which is when I noticed all the spots I missed that weren't as smooth as I thought they were in the shower. Filing them dry makes sure you get all those rough spots. If you can feel them when your feet are dry, you know you can correct that with a dry file.</span><br />
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What I did not like about this tool: </span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The ability to balance in the shower is impossible, which resulted in me having to sit down on the cold bathtub floor. This could be avoided with a stool or a tiled seat if your shower has one. Strike two: i<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">t took chunks of skin out of my foot and didn't smoothly run across my foot. The final strike is that the tool gets </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">clogged with dead skin, and needs to be taken apart and cleaned between each pass on my foot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the end I needed the Ped Egg to fix and smooth out what I missed from the Hoof Feet 3-Step Miracle Foot Tool.</span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've never ever had a pedicure. I hear all the time that I'm missing out and it’s the best thing since sliced bread. I get really squeamish with people touching my feet as it usually turns into feeling like I'm being tickled. I think the more I work on my feet to control that I can eventually move on to a professional!</span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What's your favorite tool? What have you found that works for you?</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All items mentioned on this page are pinned to our blog's Pinterest board. The Ped Egg with the handle as featured on this page can be found at Walmart and Target but <a href="http://www.amazon.com/PedEgg-Pedicure-Foot-File-Handle/dp/B001KYOHJU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1400384746&sr=8-4&keywords=ped+egg+foot+file" target="_blank">you can order it online here at Amazon</a> as well as the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/3-step-Miracle-Remover-Pedicure-Hoof/dp/B005HGWIMA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400384983&sr=8-1&keywords=Hoof+Feet+3-Step+Miracle+Foot+Tool" target="_blank">Hoof Foot 3-Step Miracle Foot Tool</a> if you want to give it a try. Aquaphor can be purchased virtually everywhere but <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aquaphor-Advanced-Therapy-Healing-Ointment-3.5-oz/11997312" target="_blank">you can order it online at Walmart</a>. The socks are just normal fleece socks, but if you want the kind that have the special lining inside rather than putting on the lotion, Bath and Body Works has a <a href="http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=30547126&cm_vc=200" target="_blank">selection of socks with shea-infused linings</a> that will get the job done with no mess. </span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Note from Erica: On Twitter today, I came across a <a href="http://www.shefinds.com/" target="_blank">SheFinds</a> drawing for Julep Trios. Apparently SheFinds has teamed up with Julep (one of my favorite polishes) to create seven limited edition polish trios, mostly for special events and things. They retail on Julep for $42, but <a href="http://www.shefinds.com/2014/we-love-our-julep-nail-polish-trios-so-much-were-giving-100-away-for-free/" target="_blank">if you enter this drawing</a>, they will give you a coupon code to use to cut the price to $29 and you have a 1 in a 100 chance to win one of the trios. I am a Julep Maven so it was hard to find a trio where I didn't have one of the polishes, but I asked for <a href="http://www.julep.com/love-at-first-swipe.html" target="_blank">Love At First Swipe</a> in my entry. You can check out the trios and the colors close up at <a href="http://www.julep.com/" target="_blank">Julep</a>; however, don't forget to enter the drawing <a href="http://www.shefinds.com/2014/we-love-our-julep-nail-polish-trios-so-much-were-giving-100-away-for-free/" target="_blank">here</a>! I have no experience with SheFinds but I do have a predilection for free goodies, especially when it involves my favorite polish! EG</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11279144613595671470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-66839251094737494782014-05-16T22:52:00.001-05:002014-05-16T22:52:57.090-05:00Polish Review ~ butter London Royal Navy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCFP3zQ0GMhcSKRtovwVrEnh-FjLMgGwUz3FZRdWTcDEQlDMUJKdLX2PPILwV430TGo2RQJbnageeAglWrI-hFh9YQ7ct5AAnL5l7_xWK65Cbfx25PI1xe0YGFmkSAO-FSWfbyLVZqQKc/s1600/Butter+London+Royal+Navy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCFP3zQ0GMhcSKRtovwVrEnh-FjLMgGwUz3FZRdWTcDEQlDMUJKdLX2PPILwV430TGo2RQJbnageeAglWrI-hFh9YQ7ct5AAnL5l7_xWK65Cbfx25PI1xe0YGFmkSAO-FSWfbyLVZqQKc/s1600/Butter+London+Royal+Navy.jpg" height="200" width="114" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Courtesy of butterlondon.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I just recently discovered butter London polishes when they were on sale at ULTA for half off, which according to my polish diva friends, only happens about once a year. When I decided to take the plunge and invest in a number of them as they were on sale, a friend of mine sent me a extra Royal Navy that she had in duplicate after ordering a duo. If you are reading, thank you again, Belinda!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">This navy blue looks on the nail just as it looks in the bottle...a classic marine navy blue and heavy on the shine. Inside, it does hover on the side of black, but under lamplight and in sunlight, it is true navy blue. To me, one of the best things about butter London aside from the great product are the Brit names and the funny descriptions. On their website, butter London describes Royal Navy as </span>"Hellooo Sailor. Nautical and naughty, this is the answer to your navy blue nail lacquer dreams." There is no doubt that it is a beautiful pure navy blue with an excellent shine.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/CroppedblRoyalNavywithshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/CroppedblRoyalNavywithshine.jpg" height="178" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please, forgive the dribbles; this was pre-clean-up!<i style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Application</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Butter London fans will tell you that the reason why butter is in the name is because this polish applies like butter. I can't agree more. It goes on like silk. If you are new to butter London, one thing that is a little unique is that it has the large cover cap that you have to pull off first, and then there is the brush top underneath which is about the size you would expect. It makes it very easy to handle when you are painting. I did have some overage on the edges as you can see in the picture above, but clean-up of butter London is a breeze and the next day it rubs off your skin easily.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I applied two coats over Quimica Alemana, topped it with HK Girl and then, because I am testing out matte top coats, I covered it with two coats of Orly Matte Top. The first chip appeared roughly 48 hours later. However, as I have never had butter London lacquers chip that early before and my research into matte top coats states that matte finishes only last 2-3 days on average, I do believe that this was a result of the matte finish. I ended up touching up the chip and then covering all of the nails with an extra coat of Royal Navy, two coats of Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale and one final coat of HK Girl to seal everything in. This extended my manicure by two days and I noticed significant tip wear, shrinkage of the polish at my cuticle area, and an overall wearing down of the thumbs and index fingers on both hands.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/bLRoyalNavy-twocoatsOrly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/bLRoyalNavy-twocoatsOrly.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Topped with <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/orly-matte-topcoat/SBS-654805,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Orly Matte Top Coat</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Topped with <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod5100057&skuId=2252779&_requestid=749601" target="_blank">Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">All butter London polishes that I have used so far remove fairly easily with acetone nail polish remover which is what I use. The glitter polishes are very hard to get off and may require a dip-it solution or wraps on each nail to soak them. This one was one of the more difficult manicures I've removed, but I believe it was due to the glitter and had nothing to do with the Royal Navy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Butter London nail polish is considered a "premier cosmetic" by ULTA, and as such you can't use coupons or discounts towards it. At $15/bottle, it's pricey, I won't lie. But for $7.50, it's a little easier to pull out the wallet. ULTA carries the brand, it's available on eBay and Amazon, and of course, it's available on the butter London website that offers free shipping if you hit $50 in your shopping cart, which is VERY easy to do when the polish is $15. They do have a Last Orders section on their website which is where they usually will advertise colors that are about to be discontinued or colors that are on sale. <a href="http://www.butterlondon.com/Lacquers/Royal-Navy.html" target="_blank">However, currently this polish retails for $15.00 at Butter London.</a> It is the same price on Amazon, but you can always check eBay as butter London is frequently auctioned there as well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">And, as a last little treat, I joined Twitter today and one of the first "tweets" I read was a drawing for the new OPI Neons collection and a $100 Jeweliq gift card. I think we've all established that everyone likes free things, and I really like that pink and purple of the neon set, so...<a href="http://social.opi.com/neon/" target="_blank">here's the link for you to throw your name in the hat!</a> Good luck!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-17301523565922412592014-05-15T15:03:00.002-05:002018-11-14T16:28:52.609-06:00Paw Print Nail Art<div>
<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Every night I read blogs, mostly beauty blogs, and absolutely marvel at the nail artists that are out there. Terms like "gradient", "accent nail" and "stamping" are thrown around so lightly. I have to admit that I am utterly fascinated by the nail art that I see every night and, yes, I do aspire to do some of it. Every time I come across a how-to tutorial for a design, I scour it for the secret to success, and while I have picked up a few tips here and there, I still have a long way to go. I am patiently waiting for my Julep Creativity kit to come in June which contains a striping brush and dotting tool, and I look forward to seeing what I can do with that. I'm pretty good at sketching, and I enjoy drawing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, I think that on the whole, most women that do their own nails are probably like me...they admire the nail art, aspire to be able to paint sunflowers or Easter eggs or Christmas trees on their nails, but in the end just are proud of themselves when they can do a French manicure freehand without guides or tape and smile when they manage to paint their nails without having to do much clean-up. I'm pretty proud of myself that I taught myself how to paint my nails by the age of fourteen even though I am very dominant with my right hand. However, to all those women out there like me, I say, keep on keeping on, because there is a lot of polish out there and we have a hell of a lot of manis and pedis ahead of us. And...art is an expression...yes, even nail art! I think creating a beautiful look on ten very small canvases is quite an accomplishment, and with all the different colors, textures, glitters and objects that you can glue on your nails, it's a pretty freaking cool art form!</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I came up with the idea for my nail art yesterday when my yellow Lab Katie got very sick and we had to take her to the vet. My baby is thirteen which is about the end of a Labrador's life span, so we are gently preparing ourselves for the tough decision that comes with owning a pet. However, our vet, bless her, thinks that she might be able to stabilize Katie as she may have "old dog" vestibular disease. After researching this on the internet, I found out that this is pretty common and treatable, thank God, but we are still going to be waiting for the vet to release her. I just got a call a little while ago that she is doing great and her bloodwork is solid.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last night, as a good luck charm, I did a pawprint manicure which was a lot easier than I thought. I selected Brooklyn by Zoya from their Awaken collection, which is a pale rich yellow metallic lacquer, and matches my dog's fur, and Hard-Kourt Fashionista from a Nicole by OPI mini set inspired by the Kardashians. I would suggest always having all your colors picked out ahead of time before you start. This was my first time using either color, and both applied very well and very smoothly, although Brooklyn was a little on the thick side.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillZEwG9eGMxB0CCQ8irGl0UY3A6Q3WLfB5dc-H0DYx8k3a0xQZ3EUn79CUd57ezx32IpNJUAZgQvqE6z1IldqB3ocS5BjclLq4Aw8pqe5JNtzDPZzHTzuVcUjZ7m_QJamqxYrFzXPBPxR/s1600/Nicole-by-OPI-Hard-Kourt-Fahionista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillZEwG9eGMxB0CCQ8irGl0UY3A6Q3WLfB5dc-H0DYx8k3a0xQZ3EUn79CUd57ezx32IpNJUAZgQvqE6z1IldqB3ocS5BjclLq4Aw8pqe5JNtzDPZzHTzuVcUjZ7m_QJamqxYrFzXPBPxR/s1600/Nicole-by-OPI-Hard-Kourt-Fahionista.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Picture courtesy of beautyjunkiesunite.com</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7htPrbsy5iWxrU3JdHeR9eNdZStsQedgEVqTz3NMXwhp83N-QTyXLYLBFM1URuc8jDFR9H9ubEsofUrjiyZgdBFIVRux4HdB-xeQ1RTxGKuthiaMMAWbL_v5X6emc6vu3xaCY-_duuHt/s1600/Cuticle+Tools+with+Label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7htPrbsy5iWxrU3JdHeR9eNdZStsQedgEVqTz3NMXwhp83N-QTyXLYLBFM1URuc8jDFR9H9ubEsofUrjiyZgdBFIVRux4HdB-xeQ1RTxGKuthiaMMAWbL_v5X6emc6vu3xaCY-_duuHt/s1600/Cuticle+Tools+with+Label.jpg" width="235" /></span></a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. To achieve my mani, I started with clean, buffed and cuticle-free fingernails. I tried Blue Cross Cuticle Remover for the first time ever tonight, and was truly amazed at how much dead skin I removed. If you are looking for a great cuticle remover that is really mess-free, I would suggest giving it a try. This huge bottle is enough to last you and probably ten of your friends for thirty years worth of manicures. In order to fit into my cute basket, I filled up a small plastic squeeze bottle with it. To use it, I got a nail bowl of warm soapy water, a metal cuticle pusher, and several paper towels. I spread out the paper towels on my computer desk, which is where I do my manicures in bed, and used the squeeze bottle nozzle to flood the sides and base of my nail bed. I then took the metal pusher and gently pushed back my cuticles, moving the wedge back and forth to loosen the dead skin. The last step is to soak my fingers in the soapy water, using your other fingers to make sure all the dead skin is sloughed off. Repeat with the other hand. I moisturized my hands and applied Julep Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum afterwards as a conditioner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. For my base, I applied one coat of Quimica Alemana.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. I applied two coats of Brooklyn and let set for about ten minutes. When it comes to nail art, I have found, it is good to know the brands you are working with. A brand that is very thick and doesn't set fast is not going to be perfect for nail art as your colors you will be creating with may cut into the wet lacquer and then you have a mess. No bueno.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Before you start with your nail art, it's a good idea to have a clear vision of what you want to end to look like, even if that means doing a stencil outline of your hand and roughly sketching your designs. I didn't do this for this manicure since it was fairly simple, but several months ago I did a manicure inspired by the paisley curlicues and colors of the cover of the Rough Riders romance series by Lorelei James. That one, I drew a simple sketch of the design, and it made the painting go much faster. With this one, I decided that I wanted a simple puppy paw print, four toes, one per nail, and that I wanted each pawprint to be in a different spot on the nail and facing different directions so it didn't look like stickers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Starting with the center paw pad, I blobbed a nice circular spot of Hard-Kourt Fashionista in the middle of my right thumb and carefully smoothed it out using the end of the brush. I used the lacquer that was remaining in the brush to carefully dot four toes. You could also use a toothpick for this if you have a heavy or shaky hand.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6. I repeated the process with all nine of my remaining fingernails, never starting in the same place twice and mixing up which directions the toes pointed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">7. I waited ten minutes for the paw prints to set. I have read in many blogs that a lot of nail artists recommend waiting several minutes between colors so your colors don't mix on the nail. Another tip is to clean your tool between nails for a crisp, clean line. Since mine was just the brush, I just made sure that I checked it between nails for not an excessive amount of polish.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8. My final step was a top coat of HK Girl, a spray of my drying spray, and voila, my manicure is complete!</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And the inspiration, my yellow Lab Katie. *smile* I miss her and can't wait for her to come home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.zoya.com/content/Search/?Description=brooklyn" target="_blank">Zoya Brooklyn is available for $9 straight from the manufacturer.</a> I acquired my NOPI Hard-Kourt Fashionista as part of a mini-set, but <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nicole-By-OPI-Kardashian-Kolor-Nail-Lacquer/17242747" target="_blank">I was surprised to find that you can get this great glossy chocolate brown at WalMart for $5.97.</a> The <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/cuticle-remover/SBS-246116,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Blue Cross cuticle remover</a>, squeeze bottle and <a href="http://www.sallybeauty.com/Chrome-Cuticle-Pusher/SBS-265660,default,pd.html#q=cuticle+pusher&start=4" target="_blank">metal cuticle pusher</a> I bought at Sally Beauty Supply, and the<a href="http://www.julep.com/mighty-nail-cuticle-serum.html" target="_blank"> Julep cuticle serum I got directly from Julep</a> in one of my monthly Maven boxes (and it is quickly becoming a staple in my manicure routine). All of the products featured here are pinned on our pinterest board...except for my sweet Katie, who is not for sale. *grin*</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Have fun with your nail art!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-87678311888518710262014-05-14T21:18:00.000-05:002014-05-14T21:18:15.732-05:00Eyelash Curlers: Do you need it and how do you use it?<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was blessed with very long eyelashes. They are so long that when my eyes are closed, they rest on my cheeks. My sister is the same way. I have never had to even entertain wearing fake eyelashes. I'm very thankful for this blessing.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, an eyelash curler is something that is part of my makeup routine. It's a tool that is not well known or probably even widely used. I myself acquired mine several years ago when my sister gave me an extra one that she had. I have bought a few others, like Revlon, but this one is my favorite and since it doesn't show any signs of slowing down soon, I anticipate it will be with me for a while. It is a gold-tinged metal curler by Sephora.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I admit I was a little curious about the history of the curler, so I did do a little research on Wikipedia. This cute little gadget was patented by William McDonell in 1931 with the purpose, obviously, of enhancing the appearance of the eyelash and the eye by making the eye look more wide-open and larger. I didn't even realize that until reading Wiki, you could heat up the curler with a hair dryer to help the curls stay longer. It makes sense...we use heated curling irons and flat irons for the same purpose on our hair, right?</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For me, the curler serves one purpose and one purpose only, so I never ever really saw myself heating it up and then putting it that close to my eye. The reason why I use a curler is to lift my eyelashes up off my cheeks prior to putting on mascara so that half of my mascara application doesn't splat onto my cheeks when I close my eyes the first time. However, in the interest of research, I decided to try heating it up first before I used it the last time. While I admit I was terrified of getting too close to my eye with a hot metal end, the end result was very worth it. Not only did my lashes curl better, but my mascara applied better as well and it went on like butter. So, I will be including that as part of my tutorial today and practicing myself in the future to get better.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I did discover also in my research that you can actually buy self-heating battery-operated eyelash curlers. Who knew. That's not something that ever occurred to me to look for, but it makes total sense. That may be something I invest in down the road.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, unless you have eyelashes of a decent length, I would not bother with purchasing one of these, heating or non-heating. They can be very dangerous if you aren't careful, and you do have to exercise caution in using it. If you accidentally generally clamp down on your eyelid, not only will it hurt a lot but you will create a horrible bruise since the eyelid skin is very thin and delicate. There is also the risk of causing damage to your hair follicles that your lashes grow from. Your eyes depend on your lashes to protect them from flying debris, and if you pull on your lashes to much, you can weaken your lashes or follicles or both. Just be very careful and do not attempt to do this while driving. I'll admit it...I'm very, very guilty of applying makeup while sitting at stoplights when in a rush, but I draw the line at applying mascara and curling my lashes, and after the ULTA pencil event, I'm not too sure I want to try that again either.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So...on with the tutorial.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Items needed: eyelash curler, hair dryer, mirror, eyelash comb, and mascara</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Start with a clean eyelash curler. I do not suggest sharing curlers with people. Just like mascara, there is always the chance of infection, and our peepers are too valuable. If you are like me and inherit one from someone who doesn't use it, just wash it with hot water and soap and disinfect it with some rubbing alcohol.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. It's not a good idea to curl lashes after you've applied mascara. Your lashes will curl better if they are clean and dry. My research also confirmed that curling your lashes with mascara may cause breakage, so curl first, mascara second.</span></span><div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. If you are going to heat your curler, this is the time to do it. I found on the net that you can heat your curler two ways: soak the clamp end in hot water until hot or use a hair dryer. If you use the water method, I would suggest starting with almost-boiling water and dropping your curler in the water before you start your makeup. For the hair dryer method, which is the one I tested, I turned my dryer on high heat but low air and directed the blast at the clamp end for thirty seconds. I tested the temperature of the metal with my fingertip to make sure it was hot and also the rubber clamp cover to make sure it hadn't melted. I can't even imagine what a mess it would be to get your lashes stuck in hot rubber and I don't want to find out. Some of the web sites I found suggested using the dryer for two minutes, but I thought thirty seconds was fine.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Place the index and thumb finger of your dominant hand in the handle of the curler, like you are getting ready to use scissors.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Use your non-dominant hand to hold your arm that is holding the curler steady. I do this to make absolutely sure that my hand or elbow isn't going to cramp or slip. This is your eye you're working around, after all.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. While looking in the mirror, move the curler so that your upper eyelash is in the middle of the clamp. Standing up in front of a wall mirror is a safe way to do this. If you are sitting at a vanity and can use a table mirror, that is also safe. I don't recommend trying to do this while holding a hand-held mirror unless you can put the mirror on a table and be hands-free.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Carefully squeeze the curler together firmly so that your lash is captured between the bottom and top edges of the clamp. I clamp my lash right in the middle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. Still using your non-dominant hand to support the curling hand, hold the clamp in place firmly for five to ten seconds.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Release carefully and don't move your hand away until you are sure all of your lashes are free.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. Repeat with the other eye. Don't attempt to curl the bottom lashes as they are too tiny.</span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">11. Apply mascara as usual to the top lash by starting with your brush at the base and brushing outwards, wiggling the brush as you go to separate the lashes. Make sure you remove any excess mascara on the top of your wand by tapping it on the lip of the tube or wiping off the end with a tissue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">12. If you like mascara on your lower lashes, use the wand in a side-to-side motion to lightly apply color to these tiny hairs. If yours are in the longer side, like mine, use the wand in the traditional way but sweep down starting at the waterline rather than lifting from underneath.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">13. If you like, use a lash comb to comb your lashes out to remove clumps and separate lashes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For most of the tutorial photographs, I used my curler cold. This is the shot of my lashes curled with the heated curler after I applied mascara.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really don't feel comfortable recommending any heated curlers since I haven't tried them, but I saw several available online. I doubt that I will ever get one, because I like my Sephora curler just fine. However, if you have one that you like or try one, please let us hear from you!</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the one I have, and judging from the number of reviews, I'm not the only fan. <a href="http://www.sephora.com/eyelash-curler-P0414?skuId=1369719" target="_blank">This Sephora curler is available for purchase in the store and online for $17.00.</a></span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The mascara I used in both photographs is Bare Escentuals' Lash Domination; <a href="http://www.bareescentuals.com/Lash-Domination-10-in-1-Volumizing-Mascara/US64420,en_US,pd.html" target="_blank">it is available in the Bare Escentuals boutiques, Sephora and ULTA for $18.00.</a></span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My lighted makeup mirror is by Conair and purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond. It has two views; one regular mirror and one magnified. <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/conair-reg-variable-lighted-10x-1x-mirror-in-satin-nickel/1018182920?Keyword=lighted+makeup+mirror" target="_blank">A coupon would bring the price down, but it retails for $59.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond.</a></span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My hair dryer is an Andis Professional 1875 Ionic Ceramic hair dryer. I honestly don't recall where I bought it, but it is available at a number of retailers, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andis-Professional-Ceramic-Ionic-Dryer/dp/B00092M2VO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1400059991&sr=8-2&keywords=andis+1875+ceramic+ionic" target="_blank">and on Amazon for $41.32 if you are a Prime customer.</a></span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">My lash comb is by Bare Escentuals. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bare-Escentuals-Eyelash-Comb-Separating/dp/B00BFZDJO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400061030&sr=8-1&keywords=bare+escentuals+eyelash+comb" target="_blank">I actually just ordered this last night from Amazon for $6.44 after seeing my mascaraed lashes up close, so I'll review its usage later. </a></span></span><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All of the items listed in this article are pinned on our Pinterest board. I hope this article was helpful to you. I certainly learned a lot by researching! Enjoy and be careful with your curler!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-18356376590811019672014-05-11T15:10:00.002-05:002018-11-14T16:27:48.826-06:00Polish Review ~ Orly Purple Velvet<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Prior to receiving Purple Velvet as a birthday gift, I was a complete matte finish newbie. I usually like my polish shiny and glossy, and the more sparkly the better! However, since matte finishes have really been the rage since last fall, I decided that I really needed to start trying this look to see if I like it as it really is a different look. It is a wonderful way to tone down some really bright polishes when you need to be on the ahem, more sedate side for events like job interviews, meetings, funerals, etcetera. I'm so intrigued by them now that I am working on an article to find the perfect matte top coat, so be on the lookout for that over the next few weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today, we are talking about Orly Purple Velvet, which is from Orly's Matte FX collection featuring Purple Velvet, Iron Butterfly, Pink Flakie Glitter Top Coat, and Green Flakie Glitter Top Coat. The first two are solid mattes that dry to a gloss-free matte finish while the latter two are to be used as matte top coats with sparkles in them. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This picture is courtesy of <a href="http://www.orlybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Orly</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>Appearance</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">I was very pleased with the way that this polish looked. True to its description, it dried down to a perfectly matte finish with very little shine, and the color is a perfect plum purple with more red undertones than blue. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/OrlyPurplewithLabel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/OrlyPurplewithLabel.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Application</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">The application was very smooth and creamy, and easy to manage. I used two coats for pure opacity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>Durability</i></span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa8nGIplfEb_8tskKOLUOLQvbK5gXoUVwQPwDqbJ1gBMePAMrevkLKkH4sEmUWV-WQ5DVtSrZn9ZxohBIbloqrpQ9Ccrzh_LdifVhOUqkTnEpnlyc7L-p1ivphmPTMqiwHkfeNlqi0uW-/s1600/Dents+in+Orly+Purple+Velvet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa8nGIplfEb_8tskKOLUOLQvbK5gXoUVwQPwDqbJ1gBMePAMrevkLKkH4sEmUWV-WQ5DVtSrZn9ZxohBIbloqrpQ9Ccrzh_LdifVhOUqkTnEpnlyc7L-p1ivphmPTMqiwHkfeNlqi0uW-/s1600/Dents+in+Orly+Purple+Velvet.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The durability was not great, but that could have been due to user error as well. I was trying to apply Orly Matte Top over this to protect it since the thought of going top coat free to me is....strange. So I started with Quimica Alemana, two coats of Purple Velvet and one coat of Orly Matte Top. After I realized that topping a matte with a matte top coat didn't work, I applied two more coats of Purple Velvet. Needless to say, the next morning I woke up with track marks in my left index fingernail from falling asleep on my Kindle. Whether or not this is from six coats of polish on my fingernails with no dry-fast top coat or improper setting, I won't know until I use this polish again. I'll come back and update this entry when I do! However, the next morning I did notice tip wear on my left ring finger which did not make me happy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>Removal</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Difficult, but again the difficulty could be due to the six coats. I initially tried wrapping my fingernails in acetone-soaked cotton and letting it sit for a minute, but it didn't remove all of the polish, so I eventually had to resort to using my dip-it container and rubbing the nail polish off on the brush. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">You may be able to find this polish at Sally Beauty Supply or ULTA. It is of course available from Orly, which was the most expensive option. Depending on when you look, eBay is a great source. But the cheapest I found it was from Amazon. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="http://www.orlybeauty.com/purple-velvet.html" target="_blank">To buy at Orly, click here. </a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Orly-Collection-Purple-Velvet-Lacquer/dp/B00GFVYTY6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399678014&sr=8-2&keywords=Orly+Purple+Velvet" target="_blank">To buy at Amazon, click here.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers that take the time out of their busy schedules to read our blog. This article is dedicated to my own mother, who I attribute my skills of nail painting to since she started letting me paint my own nails at eleven. Even though she refuses to read my blog since she's not going to get "sucked in to all that", I am proud of her though...she has a Facebook account, an iPhone and loves her Kindle. </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-91826867440867392342014-05-10T13:22:00.001-05:002014-05-10T13:24:11.065-05:00Cosmetic Review ~ ULTA eyeliner pencil<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a general rule, I don't care for eye pencils. A big part of it is because I wear gas permeable contact lenses which aren't very cooperative with pencils because if you get one that drags across your eyelid, you may end up with your contact lens shoved into the corner of your eye. I prefer eyeliners applied with a brush.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, the only problem with the eyeliner in pots that are applied wet, dry or in gel format is that they are very difficult to put on when on the go. I have a very bad habit of being late quite often, and naturally when I am running late, the thing that gets chopped is makeup time, and I end up putting it on in the car. This is when eye pencils, sadly, are a necessity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fairly recently, ULTA had a promotion where if you spent a certain amount of money, you got a makeup kit in a little cosmetic bag. Who doesn't like free goodies? I certainly do! And ULTA cosmetics, while not the best out there, aren't bad at all for the cost. So this little collection came with a few of their shadow quads, a blush, lipstick, lip gloss, a mascara, a few other miscellaneous things, and...a dual-ended eye liner. I was rather excited about the eyeliner since one end was black and one end was brown, and for the most part, you can make one of those colors work with just about any combination of eye shadows. So I repacked my travel bag with the new ULTA goodies.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/ULTAEyePencil-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/emgonz/ULTAEyePencil-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">I used both ends of the eye pencil on two separate occasions. The first time I used it was the black end and it was pointy like it had just been sharpened. The second time was the brown end and I smashed it down a little to dull it before using so it would release more of the color. Both times were a negative. It just was too dry and chalky to be a good eyeliner. I tried using my fingertip to soften the line a little and that didn't work either. And since it didn't draw an even line, it just looked strange. I ended up getting it to work both days by using a shadow close to that color to fill in the spaces around the line, so at least I didn't look like a three-year-old playing with her mother's makeup. However, it's history...and I would not recommend ULTA eyeliner to anyone, even though it is frequently on sale. The drag is just too severe.</span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, I am pleased with their eye shadow, blush and lip products. Bare Minerals will always be my die-hard favorite, but if you need some inexpensive products to throw in your purse or travel cosmetic bag, I would definitely say ULTA is a good choice, especially if you can hit them up during a sale.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Currently, ULTA does have their brand of cosmetics on sale. Go to their website to check out their ad, but from looking at the flyer I got, it appears that their single eye colors and cheek colors are $3 apiece and their complete eye shadow and brilliant eye shadows are $4 apiece, plus their other products are on sale as well. This sale runs through tomorrow, Sunday, May 11. Their new sale flyer was also just released, but I don't see the classic ULTA cosmetics on sale. However, the ULTA brands go on sale almost all the time...so if you haven't signed up for an ULTAmate rewards account, I would recommend it as they send out emails with coupons and flyers with coupons all the time, plus every purchase you make accumulates points that you can use towards beauty items. </span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From looking at their website, it does appear that the items that came in my promo bag were special items that aren't for resale; however, the classic items, <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6500608" target="_blank">the eyeliner</a>, <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3570073" target="_blank">the blush</a>, and <a href="http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod3570089" target="_blank">the eyeshadow</a>, are available on their website and in the stores.</span></span></div>
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Quimica Alemana, to me, is heaven on earth for nails. You can almost feel your nail soaking up the moisture as you apply it. It is easily the best base coat that I have ever used. Before I tried this base coat, my nails were weak, yellow-tinged and in very poor condition. The edges were separating to the point where I could slide one nail between the layers and pull one layer off, which of course, weakens the nail and makes it more susceptible to breakage. Now, after using QA for approximately two months, my nails are in the best condition they have ever been in. There is no peeling, the beds are a nice healthy pink, and the top nail growth is a pale white. They are very strong and make a clacking noise when I tap them. But the best benefit of all is the smooth surface for painting that it makes after application. It dries very quickly and smoothes out all the little ridges and imperfections that naturally occur in the nail bed. The most common places to purchase this wonderful base coat are eBay and Amazon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HK Girl is a perfect top coat. There are many, many top coats out there to choose from and I have tried a lot of them....OPI, CND, ULTA, China Glaze, but nothing that remotely comes close to the perfection that is HK Girl. Not only is it a very fast nail dryer, but it applies a crystal clear coat on the top of your finished nail that gives it glass-like appearance that lasts for days and that seals your manicure in for days. Other things I have noticed that it does as well are to fix oopsies. For example, last week I had just finished applying three coats of pale pink and two coats of Zoya's Monet cellophane glitter topper and then on accident, closed my laptop lid on my left thumb, leaving a small divot. Fortunately there was quite a few cellophane flecks in the dent to hide it, but after putting an extra layer of HK Girl on it, it was like it never happened. It is quite simply the best top coat I have ever used.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Using these two products in conjunction together is just perfect. It's the dream team for my fingernails. I have never been a woman to have rock hard fingernais in spite of the fact that my mother and my sister have always had great luck with fingernails. However, with using Quimica Alemana as my base coat and HK Girl as my top coat, I get a perfect manicure, every time, and it lasts for several days until I am ready for a polish change.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Both products are pinned on our Pinterest board; however, the best place to get Quimica Alemana is Amazon, especially if you are a Prime customer. It retails for approximately seven dollars and if you buy multiple bottles or go in with a friend, it can go lower than that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quimica-Alemana-Nail-Hardener-0-47/dp/B00126IXLO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399201048&sr=8-1&keywords=quimica+alemana" target="_blank">Click here to buy Quimica Alemana</a></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HK Girl can be ordered directly from Glisten and Glow for $6.99 plus shipping.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.glistenandglow.bigcartel.com/product/hk-girl-fast-drying-super-shiny-top-coat" target="_blank">Click here to buy HK Girl</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-21041134665019047452014-05-07T21:43:00.000-05:002014-05-12T14:04:18.106-05:00How to save a life...<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, okay...so I know we aren't saving any lives here, but we are going to save your manicure.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I know I'm not the only one here, but I swear nothing is worse than breaking or ripping a nail. Not only do they hurt like hell, but they are unsightly and irritating when you want to do a manicure with one short stubby nail and the rest looking nice. Since I have a <i>major</i> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/stptabby/all-that-sparkles-and-shimmers/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> addiction, I've seen all the different pins out there about doing the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/262545853249260529/" target="_blank">"Nail Band-Aid"</a> method, so I thought I'd give it a try and tell you all how it turns out.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After some research, I've found both pins and videos that either do the whole nail or just right around the area that is breaking. I think repairing the whole nail is a bit of a drastic measure for just a side rip, but to each her own and I guess it will depend on how badly the rip is. For me, I prefer to just do the part of my nail that is actually broken, so that is what I'm going to tell you about. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">List of Supplies:<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYTGIUhB9tpP3wh292NES5aHBL6PMF1VxRmBxQ6SzGncKWGk1eDIMVKobVz7veafIuCn6aaKVTpd58_NtxWacDHgXdM0gAqwmr9OulrN9q5FbblItzgKN_HDBq1uHYXyXoa2_5JtzVzPj/s1600/SBS-158250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYTGIUhB9tpP3wh292NES5aHBL6PMF1VxRmBxQ6SzGncKWGk1eDIMVKobVz7veafIuCn6aaKVTpd58_NtxWacDHgXdM0gAqwmr9OulrN9q5FbblItzgKN_HDBq1uHYXyXoa2_5JtzVzPj/s1600/SBS-158250.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1jfUV1u"><b>Sally's Beauty Supply</b></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">nail glue (I prefer the brush-on kind)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">tea bag (empty out the contents; you are going to need the paper)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">scissors</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">tweezers </span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">rubbing alcohol</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">cotton ball</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">nail files (I use one fine and one medium grit)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">nail buffer</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">nail hardener</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 1</span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You need to make sure you have no oils or lotions on the nail, so use the rubbing alcohol and cotton ball to take off anything that might be on your nail so you can start with a clean surface.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 2</span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cut a tiny square of the tea bag paper out using the scissors. You need a piece that is just big enough to go over the break with a tiny bit of excess.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 3</span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brush on the nail glue making sure to coat the area of the break well, but avoid your cuticle in the process. (I made this mistake and trust me-it is irritating.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 4</span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Using tweezers, position the tea bag square over the break so that it covers it, and pat down using the tweezers so that it has no air bubbles trapped and is flush and smooth with the nail surface.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 5</span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Allow repair site with glue to dry for at least thirty minutes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 6 </span></b></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brush on another coat of nail glue and allow repair site to dry completely. Ensure that you get the glue well into the break and allow it to dry for at least an hour.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Step 7</span></b></u></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once the repair site is completely dry, you can file down the glue, working outwards until the surface is nice and smooth. I use a medium grit file first, and then a finer one to smooth it out better. After that, use a buffer to give it a nice even shine. You will hardly be able to feel where that break is after this step.</span></span><br />
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<u><b>Step 8 </b></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Use a nail hardener to seal or a base coat if you are going to paint your nails after you are done.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you need a visual how-to on this method, you can find many videos on
YouTube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le1UcCmIbNM" target="_blank">This is the one that used a similar method to the one I just explained. </a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What you have, when finished, is almost a fiberglass-type finish for your nail repair. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All of the equipment that you will need is featured on our blog's Pinterest board with links on where to go to purchase them. For the tea bag, just use a tea bag from your kitchen.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now, I'm not saying this is going to be a complete savior for your nail, but if you have a tiny rip or break, it could help save your manicure. The rip that I just finished repairing on my middle finger seems to be holding up well, but only time will tell. I'll check back in and let you guys know how it's going a few days from now.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">****So in the process of finalizing this post, I managed to break the corner of my thumb doing laundry. I went through this entire process, and it seems to be holding up well so far. *crossing my fingers* ...or maybe I should my toes, so I don't break another nail* </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOamjx7sy3uYcRvqNAy9fTDUzDS0egqbt-JJqYeKKobDw1I2CvtTDSGMKfL60q0xgRdXR4_83iP6Sw9JgkQkwnIdThg_X2Kr4nc0Eb1Da8bXKbHwC1KvHhxDWT_5OS6tv33KtPD0z2f5E/s1600/20140507_185352_edited-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOamjx7sy3uYcRvqNAy9fTDUzDS0egqbt-JJqYeKKobDw1I2CvtTDSGMKfL60q0xgRdXR4_83iP6Sw9JgkQkwnIdThg_X2Kr4nc0Eb1Da8bXKbHwC1KvHhxDWT_5OS6tv33KtPD0z2f5E/s1600/20140507_185352_edited-1.png" height="180" width="320" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see that break???</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">*****Update*****</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">While the repair on my index finger lasted a few days, the thumb one didn't fair quite as well only lasting 24 hours. Now both of my nails have officially broken, but I still think that the logic behind this method of repair is sound. I'm still going to utilize it when I have a potential break on my hands, so we will see what the future holds. </span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-71549552147146974512014-05-06T22:39:00.001-05:002014-05-09T00:07:36.772-05:00Build Your Own Manicure Basket<div>
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since I graduated from college, I have had maybe one or two salon manicures, and they were both as part of a bridal party that was going to get manicures and pedicures as a group. I just don't care to have my natural fingernails worked on in a salon. Pedicures are a different story, but manicures, I actually enjoy doing myself. It is relaxing, it is fun and it helps me wind down at the end of a busy day before I settle in bed with a book.
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However, part of what makes doing your own manicures fun is to have the right tools and to have them all together in one place. Nothing is more irritating than getting ready to sit down with a glass of wine or a cup of tea to start your nails and realizing that you are out of polish remover or running low on cotton balls or can't find your nail clippers.
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Enter, the manicure basket.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Granted, this is such a simple concept, but ever since I really started my nail obsession, I have been asked several times for a list of the items in my basket. </span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Originally, I kept all my polishes and materials in a little three-drawer Sterilite box in my closet years ago but several years ago decided to create a manicure basket so that I could have something that was more mobile. Sometimes I do my nails at the dining room table where there is great light, but after I broke my foot earlier this year, I found myself doing my nails on the couch in my living room and on my bed in my bedroom. Sometimes I even do my nails in my home office while I am on conference calls or doing a webinar. My nail polishes are all stored in acrylic wall racks mounted on the wall of my office, so when it's nail time, I Just grab the colors that I want for my nails and my basket and I'm all ready to go. It also is very handy to have everything together in a basket for if you have a chip in your polish and need to make an emergency touch-up or snag a nail and need to trim and file. Lastly, if you ever have a nail night with your girlfriends where you plan on doing nails and girl time, a basket travels easily. Pick out your five favorite nail colors, throw them in a cosmetic bag, and you'll make your girlfriends very happy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first thing you will need is of course, the basket itself. It can be as small or as big as you like, but for me, a shoebox-sized one was the perfect size and I chose one that was lined with cotton fabric. You can get ones like mine at Bed Bath and Beyond or Babies R Us. I actually think mine was a leftover from a baby shower gift that came with baby supplies. If I were to replace mine now, <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/burlap-storage-totes-set-of-3/1042252504?categoryId=12208" target="_blank">I would get something like this that has handles to make it easier to carry.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keep in mind that your nails will be most likely wet, tacky, or unpolished while you are working with this basket, so having things organized in a way that they are easy to grab without having to rummage through it is a good idea. You can use small plastic tumblers to group tools and files together, like pen cups, or plastic dividing baskets from Wal-Mart. I use a long thin basket for my top and base coats and two plastic tumblers, one for my tools and one for my lotions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is the overall picture of my basket. Right now this basket is sitting on a dresser in my bedroom, but it floats around from my dining room table to my office to my living room couch. If you have little ones or puppies, keep it out of reach. Don't store this basket near any candles or heat sources as acetone and the chemicals used in some of the products are flammable. Please note that everything listed below is featured on the Pinterest page for our blog. If you click on the pictures, the links will take you directly to a source where you can purchase them if you so wish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">List of Items:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">1) cotton balls (to remove polish)</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">2) bottle of acetone nail polish remover (If you are sensitive to acetone, they do make non-acetone remover.)</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">3) Dip-It nail polish remover (This is for removing glitter or flake top coats as it has a plastic scrubber inside the tub with bristles. However, be very careful as it is pure acetone, is highly flammable, and make sure to wash your hands and use lotion afterwards. My fingers usually are very dry after I use it.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4) Zoya non-acetone polish remover</span></div>
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">5) Q-tips (for clean-up)</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">6) long-handled eyeshadow brush (For clean-up; I dip the brush in remover and gently press it wherever I have blobbed lacquer to clean it up. Be careful not to press too hard though or the remover will run over your polished nail and make a mess. I prefer to use this over Q-tips, but it is personal preference.)</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">7) Julep Plie Wand for nail art and tips</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">8) Beauty Secrets Nail Polish Dryer</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">9) Zoya 3 in 1 Remove + nail polish remover</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">10) Julep buffer blocks</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">11) Sally Hansen gel cuticle remover</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">12) Julep Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">13) emery boards</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">14) Julep cuticle pusher</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">15) 4-way smoothing block</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">16) toe separators</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">17) Orly Matte Top Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">18) So Easy For Rhinestones Only Top/Base Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">19) China Glaze No-Chip Top Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">20) Nail Magic Nail Hardener</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">21) Quimica Alemana</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">22) Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">23) HK Girl Fast Drying & Super Shiny Clear Top Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">24) China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">25) OPI Lay Down That Base</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">26) OPI Nail Envy Natural Nail Strengthener, Soft and Thin<br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">27) OPI Ridge Filler</span><br style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><span style="line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">28) CND Air Dry Top Coat</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">29) American Classics Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">30) OPI Matte Top Coat</span></span><br />
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<span style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add a bottle of your favorite hand lotion and hand soap (no manicure is complete without clean, soft and delicious smelling hands) and you are all ready to go! Happy manicuring!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664856905096611432noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055679288111460427.post-48021523008136667932014-05-05T17:00:00.003-05:002014-05-12T13:28:20.374-05:00Summer Feet<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlx4CxWi7fEw-dMIr0WCgsFUkBnKqHUvKuhedQWVlI2R_-eRPNeDbo0NpehXaF8SbxNxoCX1PmyGJcdKt8UUotF0SvrEtKgdyS6KgwcgrCJRAKpxkNbGEpbF314yimfD83G4iU2DKgxBo/s1600/29f09c900f17f9fab4d86578efe2a622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlx4CxWi7fEw-dMIr0WCgsFUkBnKqHUvKuhedQWVlI2R_-eRPNeDbo0NpehXaF8SbxNxoCX1PmyGJcdKt8UUotF0SvrEtKgdyS6KgwcgrCJRAKpxkNbGEpbF314yimfD83G4iU2DKgxBo/s1600/29f09c900f17f9fab4d86578efe2a622.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1milqUp" target="_blank">Amazon</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">I don't know about you guys, but the summer tends to dry out my feet from wearing open shoes (mainly flip flops for me). Over the years, I've tried every product on the market, it seems, and nothing helps. I've done the exfoliating scrubs, cream lotions, harsh chemical-type treatments, and home remedies I've found on Pinterest, and nothing seemed to work. The last time I went for a pedicure, the guy made fun of me with his coworker about how dry and cracked my feet were. Needless to say, I stopped going for what used to be a pleasurable and relaxing experience out of shame. Overall, I just felt like I was doomed to just having ugly dry cracked feet, and was completely embarrassed to let them be seen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">I was sitting talking to my mother-in-law a few weeks ago, and we were discussing our woes with different beauty products. She told me about this foot cream she found at the local hardware store of all places, and I had never heard of it. (I must have been living under a rock, because now I see this stuff everywhere.) I think I had just given up the search to be quite honest, because like I said before, it just felt like I was doomed to having ugly feet. She recommended O'Keeffe's for Healthy Feet Foot Cream to me, and I can wholeheartedly say I do not have ugly feet anymore! This stuff is fantastic!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Each container is 3.2oz and will run you just around $7. Since I purchased mine at the local hardware store, I've now seen it in a variety of locations such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. You can also purchase it on Amazon too. They have a Healthy Hands cream for those of you dealing with dry hands as well, and I think that it would be fantastic for those of you that have husbands who work with their hands a lot. Mine was a bit hesitant to allow me to give him a manicure (because it is such a girlie thing to do *rolls eyes*), but he enjoyed the hand massage I gave him with the Healthy Hands Cream. Oh and trust me... it may benefit him, but those benefits definitely extend to you as well. *wink, wink*</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Now, how did it work, you ask??? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">I'm telling you that because I had such bad dry cracked feet, I took it a bit further than the average person actually needs to. (I'll spare you the pictures, because I wouldn't dare show those to anyone.) I started every day by putting it on after I got out of the shower, and I wore flip flops around the house until it was soaked in. You definitely need to wash your hands after, because the foot cream has this weird feeling on your hands if you just rub it in and is almost kind of sticky. At night, I would put the cream on and then my lovely aloe gel socks that make my feet sweat a ton. (I generally end up taking them off in the middle of the night, because I hate my feet to be hot). It only took about a week to see noticeable results. After two weeks, I was able to drop it down to just putting the cream on after a shower, and doing the sock treatment once a week because my feet were so incredibly soft! I'm talking they were so soft that it actually hurt to wear flip flops, because the callous on the side of my arch was gone! Take THAT, evil pedicure guy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">After having ugly feet for so long...I have definitely developed a new shoe obsession and I'm loving it. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">If you want to be wowed like me, you can purchase O'Keeffe's products locally or I can be helpful by providing you the links to Amazon below.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OKeeffes-Healthy-Feet-Creme-3-2oz/dp/B0002QB9NE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399307750&sr=8-1&keywords=healthy+feet" target="_blank">O'Keeffe's for Healthy Feet Foot Cream</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OKeeffes-Working-Hands-Cream-3-4/dp/B00121UVU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399307861&sr=8-1&keywords=healthy+hands" target="_blank">O'Keeffe's Working Hands Cream</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OKeeffes-Working-Hands-Cream-Healthy/dp/B004MUG8V4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1399307750&sr=8-3&keywords=healthy+feet" target="_blank">O'Keeffe's Working Hands & Feet Combo Pack</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b>For this and more of our favorite products, visit our </b></i><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/stptabby/all-that-sparkles-and-shimmers/" target="_blank">A</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">ll That Sparkles and Shimmers Pinterest board.</a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0