Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Base and Top Coat Review

Happy Friday Friends~! How is everyone doing? I’m excited, my Mom is coming into town today to visit for a couple of days! So that will be fun, and we’ll be celebrating my little one’s birthday as well! So a very special weekend indeed!

We’re doing something a little different today! I know I usually bring you a recipe each Friday – but I was dying to share this review with you. And I will post a recipe for you early next week! Does that sound good? Who knows, if I have time – I might even post a recipe on Saturday! All depends on what’s happening, since we have my Mom in town~! Today though, I’m bringing you a review of Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure Base and Top Coat!

Hair Care VIP Product Review – Best in Hair Care for Your Dollar!

Posted
March 5, 2012
Categories
Beauty
Haircare
Reviews

Hello My Beauties~! How is everyone today? I’m doing quite well – and having a GOOD hair day today (thankfully, haha)! So I thought it would be fun to bring you a sequel to the “Beauty VIP Product List – Best in Beauty for Your Buck” seeing as how popular that post was! But this time – its all about the HAIR CARE PRODUCTS~!

A Wild and Exotic Manicure Reveal – Kiss Nail Dress Review

Posted
February 28, 2012
Categories
Beauty
Nails
Reviews
Tutorials
Comments
2 Comments

Hey Chicas – how’s you day going? Its a beautiful, sunny (albeit cold) day – but no complaints here! I love the sunshine, just puts you in a good mood and is a little reminder that Spring is coming!

I just recieved some products from Kiss Nails and I’m so excited to bring you this post and reveal my “Wild Manicure”!

Here you see three packages of Kiss Nail Dress, 3 packages of Impress Manicure, Kiss Everlash MD Eyelash Enhancing Serum and Brow Enhancing Serum.

I’ll be bringing you reviews of the Impress Manicure and Everlash MD Eyelash and Brown Enhancing Serums in upcoming posts! So stay tuned for that~! I’m excited to try both products, they look fabulous!

Now I’m not sure if you guys read my previous post on Wham Bam Instant Glam? In that post I talk about the different nail enamel strips and the pros and cons of each. Well as you saw, Kiss Nail Dress is my absolute fave! For several reasons, one being that it lasts the longest of all the nail strips I’ve tried, I find these don’t start “chipping” like some of the other brands do! And I’m definitely hard on my nails – playing with the kids (and their legos) , doing dishes and cleaning etc, all of which isn’t very manicure friendly! Also they come with 28 strips in each package which is a GREAT deal, the most strips per package of any set I’ve ever found. They’re easy to apply and easy to take off and you aren’t dealing with the regular nail polish smell! Definitely instant glam for us ladies~!

First thing I did was “prep” my nails. Filing them, taking care of the cuticles and buffing them.

Once they were adequately prepped, I applied a base coat. I use Nail Life Gripper from Sally Beauty Supply.

I applied the Zebra print to all of my nails except the ring fingers on both my hands, where I put one different strip from the other package. Makes for a fun and interesting manicure! I always love having either a different color or pattern on my ring fingers of both hands! If you want you can alternate regular polish with these strips, if the first time around you want a more subdued manicure. But I have to say I love “Wild” nails! When applying these, I’ll apply the strip to the nail bed and then cut off the excess; which I’ll apply to a nail on my other hand. So I only need 1 strip for 2 nails! Total strips used for this manicure is only 5!!! Not too shabby ! And don’t be afraid to trim the cuticle portion when applying it to your other hand, because it may be to wide, which is such an easy fix! Make sure to press down and smooth them out well, then file the ends off.

After you’ve applied all your strips, apply a top coat.

And it’s done, my wild and exotic manicure! Do you like it??? One thing that’s such a bonus, is when you are ready to remove them, they just peel off! Which I didn’t know the first time I went to take them off, and I was so shocked! Having them come off so easily – yet stay on your nails SO long and so well! Don’t know what kind of adhesive they use – but its amazing~! The smell of nail polish remover bothers a lot of people, so this is a great option for those of you who have that issue (like my mom )!

Big Kudos to Kiss Nails for creating these fabulous products for us ladies to stay looking glam so effortlessly and affordably~! I was at my son’s Football practice tonight and I got so many compliments and inquiries on my manicure – they are definitely a hit! I also wanted to mention, these packages come with wide enough strips that work perfectly for doing pedicures, so you can do either or both – a matching Mani/Pedi~! I’m excited to see what new designs they come out with next! I hope they expand their line to include some solid colors and of course more patterns! I love my patterns~!

Oh and before I forget, I want to remind you ladies Kiss is having a giveaway on their Facebook Fan Page – when you go to there, click the “Freebies” tab on the left hand side. Or, you can go there directly from my site, by clicking the “Kiss Giveaway” banner on the top right hand side of my website! That way you can enter for a chance to score some of these little beauties! Keep your eyes peeled, as I’ll be bringing you reviews of the Impress Manicure and the Brow and Eyelash Enhancing Serums – always my honest and objective opinions! Till next time Chicas – keep it wild, keep it exotic and always keep it glam~! xoxo

“Eye” Candy – The Sequel! What Eye Shadow Palettes Did I Choose?

Posted
February 23, 2012
Categories
Beauty
Eyes
Reviews

Its funny how sometimes you get stuck in a rut. Whether its in fashion, in life or also in makeup. And I think I was stuck in one of these ruts! I was doing the same basic kind of makeup day-in an day-out. You find a sort-of groove, and you’re happy with it, its simple, but it starts getting monotonous, you know?

For me I was sticking to a natural look that I was happy with. But after a couple months of this – I’ve definitely been getting bored with that look. I was doing black eyeliner over my top lid, mascara, blush and cherry red lipstick. Simple, natural, but I needed to change it up – and its funny how a little trip to the mall with a couple of gift cards in hand could change that! And now, even the colors I have in my stash, I see myself using in new and fun ways~!

We went to the mall on Sunday, the whole family for a fun little outing. My hubby took our boys to see a movie they’d been wanting to see, while I took to the mall and got to browse uninterrupted for a couple of hours of bliss~! Armed with gift cards in hand, an Iced Peppermint Mocha, I was ready for some great alone time coupled with retail therapy! Worked out well for everyone, since they wouldn’t have been happy being dragged into all of my “girly” stores.

I had one gift card to Nordstrom and one gift card for Sephora. So I knew I’d pick up a palette from each store, and while they’re were several contenders at Sephora, Nordstrom was more “slim pickings”. I first went to Sephora, where I walked the store from end to end with a friendly gentleman who was helping me find just what I was looking for. I told him I was interested in a “fun, springy” colored palette – not neutrals, but maybe some soft pinks and amethysts. I will say they sure had SO many to choose from – truly something for everyone’s tastes! But knowing that I have an extensive collection, and the majority of my shadows are neutrals and/or shimmery shadows; I wanted to step outside that, and go for a matte or even a satin finish.

I was torn between 3 palettes that I saw: The Too Faced Matte Palette, Kat Von D’s True Romance Palette in Saint, and a Sephora 5 Color Palette in Amethyst (don’t quote me on that…lol…can’t quite remember its name). So after much consideration, a lot of eyeshadow testing – I made the decision.

It had to be the Too Faced Matte Eye Shadow Palette. ( <–Link )

Not totally surprising. But I felt good about the decision, because it was one I’d been eye’ing for quite some time now. And if I didn’t get it, I would have probably would have wanted to go back for it! Plus it had some colors that I didn’t already have in my stash, so it was a win-win!

One gift card down, one more to go.

Off to Nordstrom I went. I was pretty sure I was going to buy the new Mac Palette “Call Me Bubbles” ; but again I went with an open mind and went to each makeup counter to mill over other brand’s selections. What I discovered really affirmed my love of Mac Cosmetics. At Nordstrom, you have the Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Lancome and Laura Mercier Makeup Counters, in addition to the Mac counter. At each counter I was honestly disappointed with the color selection (and suffering a little bit of sticker shock! 5 Color Palettes that averaged $50! Eeek!). The palettes felt very uninspiring, many shades I already had – really nothing new for me. So I felt quite good going back to the Mac Counter. But the “Call Me Bubbles” palette was a tad too much on the “orangey” side for my tastes; I was hoping for more pink shades.

So I had a dilemma – a first for me. Armed with gift card in hand, ready to pick up a palette – yet I didn’t want a single one! How could this be? So of course, I was thinking, I’ll just save my gift card for another day. Wait until the next collection comes in, and hope I’ll find something that will tickle my fancy.

UNTIL, the Mac makeup artist, after hearing the colors I was interested in, showed me the Mac Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Pretty and Prim and a single Eye shadow in Sketch. ( <—Link )

It was perfect! A true, soft, satiny pink with a pretty cranberry shade to compliment it. After “swatching” it on my hand – I knew that was exactly what I was looking for. And with a few dollars extra, she helped me pick out a single shade eyeshadow that would compliment the 2 colors in the mineralize duo. And it actually turned out to be a color I”d been meaning to get for quite some time now; But would always get side-tracked with other colors. I bought “Sketch”! The makeup artist at Mac also gave me some fun, new tips on how to use my new shadows; ways that were new to me! YAY! I love new tips and tricks!

I was extremely happy and very content knowing I’d strayed from my usual patterns of buying either neutral or shimmery colors. All the colors I purchased were either Matte or Satin finish and all were new shades! YAY! Definitely a successful shopping trip!

So, do you guys want to see the swatches? Well here they are:

Too Faced Matte Palette (From left to right: Tufted Suede, Chinchilla,Coffee Bean, Velveteen Bunny, Pebbles, London Fog, Fresh Linen, Vintage Violet, and Midnight)

From Bottom: Mac Sketch Eyeshadow, Mac Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Pretty and Prim

So, what do you think? Do you guys think I made the right choices? I’ll be honest, it was hard not “allowing” myself to buy neutral colors! I found a couple palettes that were definitely “calling” my name! But I’m SO glad I stuck to my guns and came home with NEW colors! Mission accomplished! Now I just can’t wait to play with all my new colors, and now – I’m even looking forward to using my old colors in NEW ways!

Till next time Chicas, step outside your comfort zone, try new colors and get creative with your makeup~! That’s the FUN part of “making” ourselves up – the part where we get to be our own makeup artists~! xoxo

The Grammy’s Top 10 Hits and Misses

Posted
February 13, 2012
Categories
Beauty
Fashion
Reviews

So how many watched the Grammy’s last night? There sure were some great performances, beautiful dresses, and makeup ~ but by the same token there were also some major fashion and beauty catastophes! Such is the nature of the awards shows, it seems celebrities are often willing to sacrifice good judgment in order to set themselves apart! Maybe that saying “No press is ever bad press” is the mantra they subscribe too? Well, I would definitely disagree! I understand their need to stand out and also to entertain; but I still do believe in keeping your sense of decorum. Well, that’s just me – and at the very least, these “wild and crazy” fashion statements definitely give us something to talk about! Right? So NOW onto a little recap of the highlights – in both “Hits” and “Misses”.

TOP 5 HITS

Adele

She was my number 1 pick for both fashion and beauty! Her dresses were so elegant, classy and really highlighted her figure perfectly~! (Adele wore a black sequined Giorgio Armani gown and a 12.4 carat diamond ring by Harry Winston.) And as you can see her understated “Retro Glam” makeup was absolutely gorgeous!!! Simple bold black eyeliner, complimented by cherry red lips – perfection!!! And if to seal the deal – her performance was beautiful, captivating and she won 6 Grammys – it was definitely a great night for her~! Adele, we <3 you!!!

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood was definitely a top choice for both beauty and style~! Her Red Carpet look was a backless Gomez-Gracia long-sleeve gown that she accessorized with diamond dangly earrings. She rocked some gorgeous, long lashes to compliment her smokey and very SPARKLY eyes and nude lips! She did a duet with Tony Bennett singing “It had to be you” and was a beautiful song! Carrie you are definitely a classy lady and we loved that you looked very “Rocker Chic”!

Kate Beckinsale

Kate looked like a Greek Goddess! I loved her updo, her natural, glowing makeup and her luminousity~! What a beautiful dress, an ivory draped Zuhair Murad dress cinched at the shoulder with a black bow and Salvatore Ferragamo pumps paired with her understated accessories – was an absolute “Win Win” But let’s face it – she could rock just about anything, and look goregous, right? Still though, as you’ll see in the “Misses” category below, being beautiful doesn’t make up for bad hair/makeup/wardrobe choices!!! (Ahem Fergie) Kate you looked absolutely GLOWING!!!

Miranda Lambert

Miranda was absolutely glowing in a cap sleeve sparkly Atelier Pavoni gown and Stuart Weitzman shoes. Her makeup was simple, understated, yet just highlighted her beautiful and radiant skin! And her hair was flowy and effortless! Miranda you definitely get an A+ !!!

Kelly Rowland

Kelly stunned in this creamy Alberta Ferretti design with silver applique on the bodice, accessorizing with jewels by Lorraine Schwartz. What a beautiful dress that showcased her figure perfectly! And she rocked some beautiful smokey eyes and more nude lips – SO stunning~! Kelly you’re looking as beautiful and GLAM as ever~!

Top 5 Misses

Lady Gaga

Ay ya yay! Well there are a couple good things to say here. First off, underneath that wierd netting over her face, she reveals what looks to be a beautifully done “retro glam” makeup look! And the second good thing I have to say is that I adore her courage, that she will wear whatever she desires. However, unfortunately what she usually wants to wear is usually a fashion catastrophe~! Here she’s wearing a revealing custom Versace sheer gown and tough metallic bustier, in addition to some crazy accessories! One fan on twitter likened her to “Jafar from Aladdin” and I wouldn’t disagree. Lady Gaga, will we ever see you in a “normal” outfit?

Fergie

Well well well, you know when you are spending thousands of dollars on dresses – you’d think one would expect more fabric? Or maybe that’s just me??? Well this to me looked like a glorified bathing suit cover-up!!! Fergie was quoted as saying “I had two choices and this was the safe one,”about her Jean Paul Gautier tangerine couture lace dress (um SCARY). Her makeup was okay – neither a hit, nor a miss. But I have a hard time focusing on anything else but this (lack of a) dress. Which I’m sure was her intention with the outfit choice – nothing says “Look at Me” better than a neon orange lace dress with black underwear! So, then I guess mission accomplished, right Fergie?

Nicki Minaj

At first sight, I thought “Oh look – it’s Little Red Riding Hood.”. Oh Em Gee!!!! What was she thinking??? Here you see Nicki Minaj arriving with a bishop in tow (almost like an accessory), coordinating his white priest’s costume with her red Versace cape with intricate black beading. Her makeup was ok – nothing amazing. And her performance was beyond wierd, didn’t like the song or the performance as a whole. All in all, I was vastly disappointed. Which is really too bad, because I was SO looking forward to her performace, seeing as how I do love several of her songs! But alas, although you are beautiful Nicki, I can’t get behind this performance, OR outfit~!

Katy Perry

So I’ll just start off here on a good note. I thought her makeup was cute – the bold eyeliner and pink lips were adorable! But I have to say, I’m not feeling the blue hair, nor the updo and also not feeling the dress. The dress, by the way, was a powder blue Elie Saab Couture gown which she wore with Norman Silverman diamonds. And to be honest – I’m kind of on the fence with the dress – I think I’m thrown off by ALL the blue! If she’d had her beautiful black hair, I think the dress could have worked. But with the hair – we’ve got TOO much going on here, you’re eyes just don’t know WHERE to go!!! Having said that, I did enjoy her fun and spirited performance! Sorry Katy, but its just TOO much blue for me~!

Taraji P Hensen

I don’t have too much negative to say about Taraji. She’s a beauty for sure – and her makeup was soft and glowy! So that’s a definite win in my books. But where she went wrong was with this dress – which didn’t make sense to me. The flow of the dress almost felt too matronly for the plunging neckline and wild print. Kind of like wearing an oxymoron. So sad – since she’s a gorgeous gal, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say either she didn’t have enough help in the stylist department or maybe had TOO much help in that department. Can’t say I know who’s at fault for this dress, but in any case – I still think your a gorgeous lady Taraji~! Better luck next time!

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS

~Although I enjoyed Rihanna‘s performance, I thought her dress could have used a bit more fabric. Even though she fit into it perfectly, I just don’t subscribe to the “Less is More” mantra when it comes to this dress and the amount of fabric.
~Giulana Rancic looked amazing – her makeup very “J-Lo” esque and beautiful!!!
~Taylor Swift also looked super cute and elegant in her gown.
~Jennifer Hudson stunned in her black, form fitting dress while performing a touching tribute to the late Whitney.
~I ADORED Bruno Mars’ performance – very retro and very cool!
~And I wasn’t feeling the hairdo that Miss Alicia Keys was sporting, but either way she’s gorgeous!

So there you have it my beauties – a little summary of the Grammys! It was definitely entertaining and fun to see all the performances, winners and seeing the celebs getting all decked out in their “finest”. (Well *most* of them) Till next time peeps, remember just because you CAN wear something doesn’t mean you should! Keep it glam and always keep it CLASSY~!

All posts in Reviews