Perfect Formula Nail Essential Discovery Kit

For the past couple of months I have been trying out a a few products from the Perfect Formula nail line which were offered in a discovery kit sold on QVC.

Included are:
*Original Gel Coat
*Pink Gel Coat
*Daily Moisture
*My Favorite Top Coat
Please note, these are not full size.

There were plenty of mixed reviews but, personally, I've had absolutely no problem. While I've been applying the Daily Moisture each night, everything else has been used on a weekly basis.

Gel Coats=The difference between the two formulas is that the original is clear, while the pink gives a little color to the nails, giving it more of a gel effect.

Daily Moisture=This is used to keep nails and cuticles moisturised in order to promote healthy nail growth.

My Favorite Top Coat=This helps my manicure last longer and gives a high shine finish.

The following are the benefits I've gained from constant usage:
*Quicker nail growth
*Stronger nails
*No more peeling or cracking
*Less of a need to file and/or buff

Other Notables:
*All four products have a thinner consistency
*The brushes are wide with a plastic texture

The only complaint I have is the fact that the base and top coats contain a very strong chemical smell so I recommend using these in a well ventilated area. Other than that I absolutely love how my nails look and the fact that these are fast drying is certainly an added bonus as well.

This kit cost around $30 (the same price of a full-sized bottle of Gel Coat) for a 60-day supply. I have gone beyond that time period and have a lot of product left.

If you're interested, you can read more/order this kit here or by visiting Perfect Formula.

As always, thank you for your much appreciated support :)


Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish:2/22-3/1

This week I decided to try out Ciate's Dangerous Affair, which is a really pretty deep red. One of the reasons I love it so much is because it reminds me of the polish Cher wore in my all-time favorite movie Moonstruck. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend you do!

As always, I thank you for taking the time to visit my blog...have a nice week :)

Found: Philosophy Just Release Me Dupe

About a year or so ago I discovered Just Release Me by Philosophy and instantly fell in love. It takes off everything in pretty much one swipe, is oil-free so it never breaks me out, and as an added perk, calms my skin after I pluck my eyebrows. The only con to this is that it costs $18 which wouldn't be so bad but it does add up considering I go through this rather quick.

In my search, I've come across some brands so bad that I just threw out the entire bottle (you can read more about that here) and others that were tolerable, like the L'oreal eye-makeup remover. I finally found the one which is almost identical to JRM, Neutrogena's Oil Free Eye-Makeup Remover.

After looking up some reviews, I decided to give this a shot and was shocked when I realized that not only does this have the same benefits as Philosophy but the ingredients are pretty identical as well...and for only a fraction of the cost!

It's a relief to know that not only is this cheaper but it's sold everywhere as well.

I can already tell this is my new H.G. product and definitely recommend this to anyone who has not tried it before.


As always, you're support is much appreciated.

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Cam & Zooey Blowout



After watching several Tiffany D. videos this past summer I started to fall in love with the pair of Henry Bendel hoop earrings that she wore. Since I couldn't afford that exact set, I began my search for a much more affordable version.

Unfortunately, at least in Jersey, this was not an easy task. All I wanted was a pair with just a little bit of something special to make them stand out....that didn't happen. Luckily, I happened to be on Hautelook one day and found exactly what I wanted during their Cam & Zooey blowout.

According to my receipt, I saved over $100 and for two pairs of earrings only spent $22 (including s/h).


The first that immediately caught my eye was the Orchid Flower Hoops-as soon as I saw them I knew immediately that I finally found what I was looking for. These have an antique silver look and have vines and little orchids wrapped around.

On impulse, I also added the Hummingbird Hoops because they were very different from anything I've seen before. Inside the hoop, there's a hummingbird and flower scene, which I found to make a statement yet in a classy way.

(Orchid Flower Hoops)

I've worn both sets on multiple occasions and found in the beginning that they needed to be opened up a little bit, especially the Hummingbirds. After doing that, they became so comfortable that I actually forgot I had them on. I feel like these can be great for casual or formal wear and I am quickly becoming obsessed with them.

(Hummingbird Hoops)

I have never heard of Cam & Zooey before and don't even have a clue as to where they can be found. I'd say if you're interested, your best bet would be to try Google or Amazon.

Thank you for reading this blog and showing your support.

Love

When I was in high school I had imagined my future to be a certain way...in a nutshell, I wanted to be a princess and have a fairytale ending.

While I don't see my life being turned into a Disney film any time soon, I fully believe that I have found not one but two princes.

As mentioned in previous posts, Jason and I met in a somewhat unusual place but from the moment I first saw him I immediately saw the spark and knew I could not let him go. We've been through so much in the past five years but it's only strengthened our relationship and is a reminder that this truly is something.

As for my mini-prince, well, that little boy definitely has my heart forever. I often look at him and wonder how I was able to live before he was born.

This week has not been the best for me but this morning I thought about how lucky I am to have so much love. Amazingly, just that one little thought has managed to completely brighten up my mood :)

Whether you have a valentine or not, no matter how you spend the day, I wish you a very happy Valentine's Day...and just remember that all you need is love.

Return To Radiance Collection

Last year bareMinerals had the Return to Radiance collection on QVC as a TSV, which I had regretted not ordering ever since. While $85 is defiantly a lot to spend, this kit itself truly is a great value, especially considering it has almost a $150 value.

~The Breakdown~
*Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer=$23
Unlike the original face primer, this one helps to reduces redness.

*Original SPF 15 Foundation (my shade is Golden Fair)=$27
The best foundation I have ever used and covers absolutely everything...not to mention has dramatically helped to improve my complexion.

*SPF 20 Concealer=$18
This gives the foundation an extra boost offering even more coverage.

*Prime Time Primer Shadow in Cameo Pink=$12
Eye shadow primer in a pinky coral shade...I have not tried this out just yet.

*Ready Blush in The French Kiss=$22
Another great blush from the brand in a watermelon-pink shade....warning to all the faired-skinned ones out there-use a light hand.

*Marvelous Moxie Gloss in Hot Shot=$18
This is a flamingo-pink shade...you can read more about my love for these glosses here.

*Full Coverage Kabuki Brush=$28
This is a full-tapered brush that I like to keep in my purse to use with my Ready Mineral Veil.

*Blush Brush=$15
This is a soft, round brush...since I prefer a retractable brush for on-the-go applications, this has not gotten much use.

Overall, this would make a great gift for someone who is looking into trying out bareMinerals, or even just makeup in general for that matter. The reason I ordered this was because it contains many of my H.G. items, which are now "waiting in the wings". Not only did it save me $60, but I was able to pay for it in monthly installments making my wallet sweat a little less :)

If you're interested, there are currently two different kits offered on QVC. The one that I have can be found here, and the original, which contains different shades for the blush, eyelid primer, and gloss (along with brushes) can be found here.

As always, I thank you for visiting my blog :)


Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Bag of The Month: February

 

I ordered this Coach bag (not sure exactly what kind) from ebay about four years ago and it still remains the purse I love to hate. While it's adorable, I feel like it's just too small. I think it'll continue to be used on a daily basis until I can find a larger replacement.

Keeping my eyes open....

Weekly Nail Polish: 2/8-2/15

Winter Storm Nemo inspired me to try out Ciate's Looking Glass, which is a sparkly silvery polish. What I love is that depending on how the light hits, it also comes out looking anywhere from green to pink and remindes me a lot of how pretty snow can be.

As always, I thank you for visiting my blog and hope you have a great (and hopefully warmer) week :)

Nemo=The Cutest Storm Name EVER!!!!

I recently looked back on my "Frankenstorm" post and couldn't help but feel like an idiot. At that time I thought, like a lot of others, that it wouldn't amount to much...oh boy was I wrong. We were lucky only having to deal with four days of no power (including the three spent by my in-laws' which was painful enough).

In my opinion, Nemo has brought back a lot of the eerie feelings created by Sandy. Sure, it's a different type of storm but I'm starting to get creeped out watching the news reports, packed food stores, and now even the snow falling.
I'm really hoping that this time around our power stays on (and no trees fall on or near our garage, like last time).

If you live in an area affected from Nemo please be safe...stay inside and keep warm with a nice cup of hot cocoa :)

...and have a great weekend...

Birthday Haul 2013

Nothing says "Happy birthday" like a giftcard (or a few) to a makeup store. It's like someone handing you money and setting you free....and that is just what I did this past week.

~Sephora~



Beauty Insider Gift



Sephora Samples



I initially went online trying to figure out what I'd want so I wouldn't go in blind-sighted. Yeah, that plan went out the window real quick.

Nars Orgasm Blush

I have been wanting this for a very long time but could never bring myself to actually buy it...ironically, I've probably spent more money than what it actually costs picking up all of it's more affordable dupes.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I must have walked past this about five times before I finally decided to go ahead and get it. I really like UD shadows but for all the neutral shades I own, I really didn't think this was something I needed. The funny part is that the general response from my family and friends once they saw it was "Oh, you've been talking about that a lot"...yeah, I didn't realize...

~Ulta~
bareMinerals The Next Big Thing Quad

This came out pretty recently and is from their Remix collection. From the moment I first saw this a couple months ago, I knew I wanted to pick up these shadows. I love the quality of these but not all of them have really wowed me as far as shades, however, this set really caught my eye (no pun intended).

Tarte Lights Camera Splashes

Being my HG mascara, I figured it couldn't hurt to pick up an extra. I've said this before and I'll say it again-this is the best mascara I've ever used. They're not joking when they say this is waterproof.

Last but certainly not least...

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette

Jason had ordered this a few weeks ago and was disappointed to find that the company sent the wrong product. I have been lusting over this ever since it came over and can't wait to use it!

I was really surprised and appreciative by everyone's generosity...and the fact that they were more than willing to cave into my addiction ;)

I'm going to go and play with my new makeup now...

As always, I thank you all for of your support...have a great weekend :)



Treat Yourself To Gorgeous: A Review

Back in December, Tarte had a TSV which was truly a great value, the Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Collection. This company is known for their wonderful holiday palettes and this one certainly was no exception. In fact, it sold out before the night was over.

I meant to review this sooner but in a way I'm glad I waited. Initially I had planned on returning this  but having had more time has granted me the ability to give it more of a chance.

The set comes with:
-4 Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Glosses
-4 Cashmere Waterproof Eyeliners
-20 Amazonian Clay Eye Shadows

The nice part about this is that the glosses are in one gift box, eyeliners are packaged in another, and the shadows are in one large box that slides open. All three are magnetized which makes it easy to keep everything together or you can chose to separate them.

Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss
*Darling (soft pink)
*Brazen (bright rose)
*Genuine (creamy pink)
*Giddy (coral pink)

photo courtesy of qvc.com

This was the only part of the set that I truly did not like. The glosses are packaged in a click-pen, which made it very difficult for application. There were times when I either could not get the product out or a ton came out of the tip all at once. I did try these on several occasions but they ended up either looking solely like a clear gloss or resulted in a gluey look. Eventually I just gave up.
I tried keeping everything together for this review but somewhere along the line I ended up losing these...

Cashmere Waterproof Eyeliner
*Black
*Black-Brown
*Bronze
*Black-Orchid

These are automatic pencils, meaning, they do not need to be sharpened. I quickly learned to be very careful when twisting the top to bring up the pencil because you can't bring it back down...I actually almost lost one of them that way even before trying them out. The pencils themselves are really great quality with wonderful pigmentation and staying power. If I had to rate these on a scale of one to five, I'd give them a four (I took one off due to the packaging). Out of all the brands I've been playing around with, I think these might be one of my favorites.

Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow

This is more of a neutral palette that ranges from a light buttercream to a deep charcoal. Of course, there are also some gorgeous purples thrown in as well. Basically, this set gives you enough options to go from the most neutral to a great smokey eye. The shadows are nicely pigmented and feel amazing. They're so soft and silky, not to mention apply quite easily.

Overall, I really like this kit...it's great to give as a gift for others or even just for yourself. Aside from the glosses, I feel like Tarte certainly did not disappoint.

For more information and/or to place an order, you can find the Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Collection here.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this blog :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Weekly Nail Polish: 2/1-2/8

This week I decided to go with Amazing Gracie by Ciate', which is a very lovely pale baby pink shade.

As much as I enjoy dark nails, wearing a lighter color, especially during the cold winter months, really helps to brighten my mood. I find that it also gives hope that eventually spring and summer will return.

As always, thank you for visiting and have a great week!

Check In Time: Perfume No-Buy: FIL

Another one bites the dust...(That song always seems to creep into my head whenever I finish a bottle of perfume...)

Anyway...
Since I finished up my Too-Too rollerball, today I started using Philosophy's Falling In Love, which is quite fitting for the beginning of February.

It's such a pretty and slightly sweet scent that reminds me of a mixture of cotton candy and berries...absolutely love it!

Note: You can read about my no-buy here.


Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and have a great weekend :)