Yay! More Liebster Awards

How sweet! I've been nominated for another Liebster Award by two bloggers. Thank you very much to Drunken Beauty of http://drunkenbeauty.blogspot.com/ and to Cookie of http://charmingcheshire.blogspot.com/.

The Liebster Award is kind of like a pleasant rumor that you start about someone's blog. :) You choose blogs with less than 200 followers that you think should get some more attention and the Award keeps passing to blogs worth checking out. Here are the rules: 

• Each blogger posts 11 random facts about themselves
• Each blogger answers the questions the tagger has set for you
• Then you pick 11 new winners of the Liebster Award and link to them in your post
• Pick 11 new questions to ask the new chosen winners
• Go to the new blog winner's pages and tell them about their award
• No tag-backs

11 Random Facts about Me:

1. My hair is down to my waist.

2. I'm originally from Anaheim, California.

3. I've been to Canada, England, France, Spain, Barbados, Denmark, and Sweden, but never to Mexico. How silly, it's not very far away.

4. I am addicted to nail polish.

5. My husband is amazing at using coupons.

6. I am so light-skinned that my uncle-by-marriage asked if I was an albino.

7. My grandpa is Japanese. I am not; he is technically my mom's step-dad, but he's grandpa to me and dad to her. I never met her biological father.

8. I am constantly overwhelmed by how much I love my four-year-old cousin, Miss Blu we'll call her.

9. I am happily married for almost ten years.

10. I like to watch surgery on YouTube, but fishing and cleaning the fish later are horrifyingly repulsive to me. 

11. I would love to speak Spanish fluently. 

Questions from The Charming Cheshire: 

1) Are you a polish lover, or a makeup lover? (Only pick one!) Oh, that's difficult, but polish lover. 
2) What is the one beauty product you cannot live without? Mascara
3) Name your signature drink I honestly don't have one. I rarely drink alcohol. I guess the closest would be a Grande Iced Nonfat Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks.
4) What beauty trend (in the past year) do you think was totally ridiculous? Hmm...I am not sure if it was in the past year, but I never could get on board with the ombre hair dye. It just looks like grown out roots to me.
5) What would you say your beauty style is closest to? Classic, Trendy, Edgy or Boho? Closest to Classic, but in reality somewhere between Classic and Trendy.
6) Best moment in your life? (Other than receiving the Liebster Award obviously!) Holding Miss Blu for the first time after she was born. 
7) Most surprisingly awesome beauty product you've ever tried? Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
8) What song would you say is the theme song of your life? 'Creep' by Radiohead (edited version)
9) What movie would you love to just step into and why? Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp, chocolate, enough said.
10) If you had $500 to spend on beauty products, what would you get? REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm, more Tarte LipSurgences, and an obscene amount of indie nail polish.
11) What awesome beauty product do you wish you could invent? A cream that you could apply to your body that would make you slim and toned and heart-healthy without exercise or dieting. 

Questions from Drunken Beauty:

1. If you could only use/purchase one makeup brand for the rest of your life, what would it be? That's a hard one, but probably Urban Decay.
2. What is your go to shade of nail polish for spring? Mint green
3. Does cruelty free status impact your decision to buy a product? It is not a requirement for me, but it scores huge bonus points and I might be willing to pay a little more for it.
4. Are you a cat or dog person? Why? I am a cat person, because their sassiness cracks me up. I love dogs, too. Soooo sad--I've developed a cat allergy as an adult!
5. What is the last great movie you watched? Les Miserables
6. Do you prefer red or black licorice? Red, no contest. I despise black licorice.
7. Tell me about your favorite makeup brushes. I am not experienced nor picky about makeup brushes. My brushes that I use most often are cheapies from e.l.f. I have a couple of Crown brushes that I really like.
8. Can you recommend a good eye makeup remover? My new favorite is REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm; see my recent post here.
9. If you could spend a day with one historical person who would it be and why? Jesus Christ, honestly, because he is who I would like to be like. Secularly, non-religious choice: Louisa May Alcott, because she is my favorite author.
10. What is your favorite summer activity? Playing with my best friend and her kids in their pool. 
11. Do you wear the same makeup everyday? No. I change up my eyeliner and lipstick a lot, and eye shadow slightly less often. I do not, however, often rotate the rest.

My 11 Nominated Blogs:

http://beautymadn3ss.blogspot.com/

http://beautyonrehab.blogspot.com/

http://dynamitedoesnails.blogspot.com/

http://glamorable.blogspot.com/

http://missglammygirl.blogspot.com/

http://soulystones.blogspot.com/

http://marinewife22.blogspot.com/

http://onlyaveragemom.blogspot.com/

http://www.blackmagicrose.com/

http://prettypurchases.blogspot.co.uk/

http://missprisstiff.blogspot.com/

My Questions for Nominees:

1. If you have siblings, are you friends with them?
2. From what company would you love to receive samples for review?
3. Have you ever slept in your makeup?
4. Shaving your legs: Are you for or against?
5. Have you tried any beauty product that you hated?
6. Where you would you like your blog to be in 2 years?
7. What beauty product makes you feel pampered?
8. Do your friends share your excitement for beauty products?
9. Are you loyal to certain brands, or do you like to keep trying new things?
10. Are you allergic to any makeup?
11. What is your favorite recent post by another blogger?

Thanks again!

Essie Lady Like Swatches

Essie's Web site describes Lady Like as "an elegant soft mauve". My search for Essie Lady Like began quite a while ago when my best friend found a photo on Pinterest of a pinkish nude that she liked. I eventually found the source of the photo and blog post that told me what shade it was: http://mixedmama.blogspot.com/2012/01/valentines-day-mani-youre-only-on-for.html.
*I purchased Essie Lady Like with my own money and I am not affiliated with nor compensated by any of the brands, stores, or Web sites mentioned in this post.*

I bought Lady Like for my best friend, but once I saw it I knew that I needed it, too. I purchased one of the bottles at my local CVS, and I had some CVS Extra Bucks (their rewards program; you can learn about it here: https://www.cvs.com/extracare/landing.jsp?t=Howitworks) and a coupon that I used, so I paid only a few dollars. The second bottle was purchased from http://www.dermstore.com/, and I had a coupon for $25 off of a $50 purchase, so the price balanced out on that one to be very low as well. If it weren't for coupons and sales, my nail polish collection would be pretty small. It's the only way that I shop for beauty products.

For the photos I'm wearing three thin coats of Essie Lady Like and one coat of top coat (I believe I used Seche Vite). All of these photos are under artificial light of differing levels.

I believe that this mauve polish would lean toward a nude on many skin tones, but on me it definitely appeared more colorful, showed up more of the grayish rose and lilac.

As you may have noticed on my blog, I am all for green, blue, purple and glittery goodness. But sometimes I just want something classy and pretty. Essie Lady Like fit the bill for that purpose. I told my husband that I loved this polish because "Lady Like is just so...ladylike!" If your workplace is conservative regarding nail polish, I think this is a very work-appropriate shade.  

I didn't have any issues to report with the polish formula or application. 

Essie nail polish typically retails for $8.00. Lady Like is not available from Essie's Web site, but it is still in stores such as CVS, Target, and WalMart.

*I purchased Essie Lady Like with my own money and I am not affiliated with nor compensated by any of the brands, stores, or Web sites mentioned in this post.*

REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm Review

REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm is now on my list of favorite products. I just finished using it for the third time this week, and I love the way that my skin feels.
*I received this product as a free consumer sample, not a press sample, from REN. I am not affiliated with REN and my opinions are my own.*

After using this balm, my face feels completely clean but also moisturized and slightly exfoliated. My favorite part is that it thoroughly removed my eye makeup, even my waterproof eyeliner, without irritating my sensitive eyes. (I'm sure it would still be an irritant if it came in direct contact with an eyeball, but it was fine for me on the eyelids.) I have read that some consumers experienced eye irritation. My other favorite balm for removing eye makeup, One Love Organics Skin Savior Waterless Balm, is wonderful but not as thorough for this purpose.

I took a photo of the consistency for you; it is similar to petroleum jelly (a.k.a. Vaseline). It is free of parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petrolatum, and a long list of other junk that you may be trying to avoid. (See ingredients list at the bottom of this post.)

My sample is in a squeeze tube, which I prefer, but be advised that the full-size product is packaged in a pot with a screw top. Follow the instructions; if you use this the way use a regular facial cleanser, you will not have good results. (I haven't experienced it, but have read consumer reviews where people didn't like it because it didn't rinse off. It's not supposed to rinse off, but be wiped off, then rinsed.)

REN No. 1 Purity Cleansing Balm can be purchased on REN's Web site, Sephora.com, or Beauty.com, 5.1 oz (150ml) for $48.00. (I have also seen it for sale on Amazon.com in the old pump-style packaging for about $39.00 including shipping.) Yeah...I'm not too fond of the price. However, you only need to use a very small amount at a time, so maybe it balances out. And, if I remember correctly, it is still less expensive than my beloved One Love Organics Skin Savior. I would definitely pay more for this product than I would for most.

*I received this product as a free consumer sample, not a press sample, from REN. I am not affiliated with REN and my opinions are my own.*

List of ingredients for anyone who might be interested: 

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate, Glyceryl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Tribehenin, Glyceryl Behenate, Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter , Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Parfum* (Fragrance), Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Viola Odorata Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Lecithin, Benzyl Alcohol, Oryzanol, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Eugenol, Linalool.
*100% Natural Fragrance - Parfum 100% Naturel --Source link

Mint Candy Apple In the Spotlight

Essie Mint Candy Apple is a beautiful polish. I still wanted to dress it up, but without detracting from it. I decided glittery accent nails would do the trick.
*I purchased this product with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*

The glitter accent nails are painted with two coats of Sinful Colors In the Spotlight over my original Essie Mint Candy Apple mani, which I posted about here.

I was happy with the contrast between the finishes; the metallic aqua color of In the Spotlight with its rainbow glitter and the soft green creme of Mint Candy Apple.

Look at all the different shades of glitter that In the Spotlight has to offer:

I used one coat of Seche Vite over the accent nails to smooth out the glitter, although the glitter was not overly rough. 

It seems like you could build up In the Spotlight to be opaque and wear it on its own. The aqua base seems to have a foil finish.

I purchased Sinful Colors In the Spotlight at my local Walgreen's. I believe that they usually retail for $1.99, but I combined a coupon and my loyalty card and got three Sinful Colors polishes for only 99 cents each.

You can also purchase Sinful Colors polish in the U.S. at Target, Rite Aid, and WalMart. They are available at other retailers, too, according to their Web site, which has the complete list of where to buy.

Application was very nice and easy, but the polish chipped quickly. But for the price, I still got my money's worth, as I had a full day of staring at the sparklies. 

I have several other shades by Sinful Colors, as they are constantly putting out different ones that call to me. A similar brand, to me, is Spoiled. These are made by Wet 'n' Wild at the same price point as Sinful Colors. I buy them at CVS. I don't see as much variety in the Spoiled line as I do in the Sinful Colors line, but I really like their shades. Several of them are dupes of expensive polishes.

What do you think? Do you have any inexpensive polishes that you like to use?

*I purchased this product with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*

Essie Mint Candy Apple Swatches

This post is mostly photographs. All photos are three thin coats of Essie Mint Candy Apple with one coat of top coat.
*This product was a gift to me from my closest friend. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any brands mentioned in this post.*

 



 

 

 

 

I had no issues with application, formula was pretty good. I adore the color. I am attracted to almost all mint green polish, even if it's only slightly different than those that I already have in my stash.

 



*This product was a gift to me from my closest friend. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any brands mentioned in this post.*

Review and Swatches--Zoya Breezi

Zoya Breezi was the base color for my Autism Awareness Manicure the other day. I liked it so much that I wanted Breezi to have its own post. 
*I purchased this product with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*

I found Breezi to have multiple personalities. When I first looked at it in the bottle, I thought Breezi was a simple, medium blue. But as I wore it on my nails and took photos in different lighting, I started to see a slight teal twinge.

In all of these photos I am wearing three thin coats of Breezi topped with one coat of Butter London Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat. I used natural light, both indoors and out.

Application was easy; the first coat was slightly patchy, but evened out nicely by the second coat and everything seemed to self-level by the third.

Again, Zoya is my favorite nail polish brand so far (excluding indie brands). I looooove their formula and color selection.

It seemed like this polish dried a little bit faster than my Zoya polishes typically do. My top coat sped things up in the end, but the good dry time that I noticed was between coats.  

In my personal opinion, Zoya Breezi is a keeper. It will obviously flatter cooler skin tones, but I think that its almost hidden green personality will peek out and flatter warmer tones as well. 

If you've always wanted to try blue nail polish but were afraid of being too bold, I think a polish like this might be a good way to go. It is definitely blue, but it's not shocking like a cobalt blue or midnight blue and not potentially stark like a baby blue.

Zoya has some of the loveliest creme nail nail polishes. I enjoy all different sorts of finishes, but I have a special place in my heart for creme polishes. I think perhaps it's because I didn't have them most of the time I was growing up. At that time, the finishes seemed to be mostly brush-strokey-frost or tiny glitter. Maybe the cremes were out there and I just didn't see them. It was revolutionary to me as a teenager when Hard Candy came out with pastel cremes. 

What do you think? Do you feel comfortable rocking a blue nail polish?

Zoya nail polish typically retails for $8.00 and can be purchased on their Web site, ULTA, and various beauty salons. "Nail lacquers by Zoya are free of toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) - chemicals that are known to cause cancer and birth defects."--source

*I purchased this product with my own money and I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the brands mentioned in this post.*