Monday, April 29, 2013

Ciate' Perfectly Polished Nail Palette

 



Ciate' is a UK based nail brand that, at least in my opinion, is mostly known for their various nail techniques (for lack of a better word) such as the Caviar Manicure...they're also certified as being "3 Free".
Antique Brooch

Amazing Gracie


I've mostly seen their products in Sephora but was never exactly pulled to give them a shot, mainly because of the price. I did, however, find a great deal a few months ago, which inspired my two-month long experiment...

Dangerous Affair
Heirloom


Onto the product at hand...
The Perfectly Polished Nail Palette contains eight mini paint pots with colors ranging from neutrals to brighter and more dramatic shades. I won't lie, the bottles are all pretty small but still so cute, especially with their little bows.

Looking Glass

Mistress 

The shades include:
Spending Spree-a glittery golden shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Power Dressing-a deep blue jean shade (sorry, I did not have a post about wearing this polish)
Mistress-a classic red shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Dangerous Affair-a burgundy shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Amazing Gracie-a soft pink shade (you can read my weekly polish post  Here)
Heirloom-a glittery purple/gold shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Antique Brooch-a glittery ruby/gold shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)
Looking Glass-a glittery silver shade (you can read my weekly polish post Here)

Power Dressing

Spending Spree 

The Good:
*long wear (at least five days)
*shiny finish
*quick dry
*gorgeous pigmentation

The Not So Good:
*could get a little streaky upon application
*the glitter in Antique Brooch actually pulled on my clothes

Overall, I was really impressed by the quality, however, at $15 a bottle (full size) I doubt I'll be picking up more anytime soon.

The nice part about this set is that it gives you the opportunity to try out several polishes from this brand for about $30.
If interested you can order or read more about this here. As of right now I believe this is a QVC exclusive. You can also find other products at Sephora, Nordstrom, and the Ciate' website.

As always, thank you for stopping by :)

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.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Happy Friday All :)

Hi everyone! This is the first time this week that I've been able to actually post something.

I had a little procedure done on Tuesday and have been trying to "recover" ever since. As much as I love working on this blog, I just was not up to it. Although, over the past couple of days I have been working on a side project, which I'm really excited about.
As of right now I don't think it will be connected to this page but if you're interested feel free to send me an email and I'll give you more information.

I should be back to my regular posting schedule by Monday.

Anyway, have a great weekend and as always, thank you for visiting :)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Check In Time: Perfume No-Buy: Falling In Love Summer



I want to start this post with a confession...I broke both my shower gel and perfume no buys with Philosophy's latest Scents of Summer TSV.  Please don't judge me...

That being said, since I just finished my bottle of Falling In Love I took out my new Falling In Love Summer spray. I have a feeling that this just might last throughout the summer since it is a 4oz.

This is basically a mix of Summer Grace and Falling In Love with sweet berries, coconut, a light floral and dries smelling very fresh.  I've noticed that unlike a lot of Philosophy's other fragrances, this seems to last longer.


As always, thank you for taking the time to visit my blog :)

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

bareMinerals Feel The Love TSV


Photo courtesy of QVC.com

If you enjoy bareMinerals then I suggest tuning into QVC on Saturday (4/20) for their Feel The Love TSV which is priced at $69.96 (not including s/h). As of right now the advance orders also give the option of easy pay (3 payments of $23.32), however, I'm not sure how long this will be available.This can either be ordered as a one-time shipment or on auto-delivery which would give two other shipments in August and December.

The kit comes with:
*bareMinerals Ready Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 with shade selection of Fair, Golden Fair, Fairly Light, Medium Beige, Golden Medium, Medium Tan, Golden Tan, Tan, Golden Dark, or Golden Deep
*Broad Spectrum SPF 20 concealer chosen to match the foundation
*bareMinerals Ready Blush/Luminizer in The Love Letter and The Daydreamer
*Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Starlet
*2in1 Cheek and Eye Brush
*Stroke of Light Eye Brightener
*2in1 Face and Concealer Brush

Photos courtesy of QVC.com


While I'm probably going to pass on this, I'm still interested in seeing what else will be available.

As stated online, bareMinerals will have shows at the following times:
*12a-2a
*3a-4a
*2p-4p
*6p-8p

If you're interested in checking this set out before it airs, you can find it here.

I'd also like to note that this will most likely be the last day Leslie Blodgett, creator, will be on QVC. She has recently posted on her facebook page that she's going to be taking a sabbatical from work. While I wish her the best, it's still sad that I won't be able to watch her anymore.


As always, I thank you for visiting my blog.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. 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.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Weekly Nail Polish: 4/15-4/19

 

This week I'm wearing two polishes that I've been really excited to try out-Sally Hansen's Coral Reef (melon-pink) and Hard Candy's Gummy Green (glittery mint green).
I feel like this combo screams, "Go away cold weather!!!"



As always, thank you for visiting my blog :)
(p.s. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by the Boston tragedy.)

Get to Know Me: The Beauty Blogger Tag

This was originally found this on Emilynoel83's blog and especially considering that I rarely see these, as they're more popular on Youtube, I thought it would be fun to give it a shot...I'd also like to note that this particular post took about two weeks to complete as I only answered a few questions a day.
Enjoy!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
I've seen in a lot of older pictures that my hair used to be really curly but now it's mainly wavy. In fact, it basically has a mind of it's own and does what it pleases. One day I can wake up with it flat and the next I could find a few curls...

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
I've only dyed my hair three times-twice red and once purple, otherwise, I love my natural blond too much to color it.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?
For the most part, I wear it down but for second and third day hair, I generally either tie it half-up or clip it back all together. Especially on the weekends, I usually just prefer to keep it all out of my face.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
I have a lot more fun doing my own nails at home as opposed to going to a salon...the last time was probably about four years ago when I tried out gels (those did a lot of harm and didn't last long...not to mention the price).

5. How often do you change your nail polish?
I usually repaint my nails once a week (late at night during the weekend). It's easier because not only am I not exhausted but I can take my time without worrying about having to wake up early for work.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
I have a thing about toes so I always have them painted. During "sandal seasons" I repaint them once a week and as it gets cooler, I can wait anywhere from two to three weeks before fixing them up again.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?
During the week it usually takes at least 45 minutes but on the weekends sometimes it can be well over an hour. For me, it's more like an enjoyable experience as opposed to a job and I really like being able to experiment with different techniques and colors.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?
In this order:
Face (foundation & concealer)
Eyes
Face (contour, bronzer, blush, highlighter, finishing powder)
Lips

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I wouldn't say that I collect makeup but I do have a decent amount of products. I used to have everything in a small makeup bag and now I have several drawers filled up ranging from face products to nail polishes.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Never. They've never really pulled me, not to mention, I'd be too afraid of damaging my real lashes.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?
Oh yeah, I feel naked without having a full face on. Recently, I couldn't wear eye makeup for a couple weeks and it was driving me insane.

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?
I basically always have makeup on, especially when I'm around others...not to mention the fact that a few of my family members could be pretty blunt. "Put on some makeup! You look like the walking dead!"

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?
The only times I walk out of the house without makeup is if I'm really sick or exhausted. Last Aug. my mom went in for heart surgery and I woke up at 3am so I could have my makeup on. I realize that probably sounds bad but it I suppose in a way it's a security blanket.. Btw, my mom made it through just fine :)

14. How many high-end products do you have?
I have a pretty decent amount and within the last couple of years, it's certainly grown but at the same time there are a lot of drugstore brands that I use as well, especially Wet n Wild and Revlon.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?
I like to plan out my outfit if I have something special planned or need to be out of the house early. Otherwise, I play it by ear.

16. How often do you change your handbag?
I tried to change my bags on a daily basis but it got to be too much of a hassle so I now switch them out monthly. (I love my bags!)

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?
Actually, that question should be "What time does your child wake up and go to sleep?"
Wake Up: I wake up either with my son or my alarm-this means it can be anytime 4-5am, 6:30, or 8am (on a good day)
Sleep: I usually go to sleep around midnight but I'll occasionally stay up until 1-1:30 (and then end up paying for it later)

18. How often or when do you workout?
I don't have a full blown work out but I do try to stay active. Mostly, I like to walk around with my son.

19. Left handed or right handed?
right handed

20. How tall are you?
Prior to the back surgery I had about ten years ago, I was 4' 11'' but I'm now 5' 1''

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?
very (very) little Italian

22. How many pets do you have?
I have a Sheltie named Lady, who has been in our family since I was in 8th grade.

23. How often are you on Blogger?
I'm basically on at least once a day reading other people's blogs and working on my own, of course, I usually post about twice a week.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?
Not so much on blogs as youtube videos

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
I don't make lists very often, mainly when all of the holiday sets come out.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?
The initial idea for this blog was to serve as a place where I could freely discuss makeup and shortly after I realized there were other types of posts that I wanted out of my head and onto the computer...and from there, "from the mind of a beauty addict" was born.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?
For the first year I used my phone's camera, which not only had bad quality but also took too much time when it came to lighting so a few months ago I splurged and bought myself the Sony Cyber-Shot.

28. How often do you clean your house?
I try to keep up as much as possible but for the most part, I like to clean during the weekend.

29. What's your favorite color?
Pink :)

30. Do you swear?
Yes...more so when I get really angry (I've shocked a few of my coworkers that way...lol) I, no, both my fiance and myself, really have to watch when our son is around because I've heard certain words coming out of his mouth that I wish I hadn't.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
I don't have anything planned at the moment but probably just vegging out in bed.

Well, there you have it....thank you for sticking with me and as always, your support is greatly appreciated :)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Fun Fact Friday: Volume 5

It's always funny how fast some weeks can speed by...last week, starting on Monday was draining, thankfully things have seemed to improve since then. Is it just me or can some moments, even if they were recent, feel like it took place long ago?

Anyway, enough of my rambling...onto my five random facts:

1. One book that I never tire of reading is The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom. Ironically, I can never watch the entire movie because I start to cry to the point where I almost can't stop.

2. My son and I like to have dance parties at night after he's in his pjs...I'll either play the radio or put on some of his music and we just bounce around like fools. I absolutely love listening to him sing or hum along...not to mention his adorable giggles :)

3. Billy Joel supplied my song for last week, however, presently I can't seem to stop playing Muse's "Madness". I haven't heard too many of their other songs but I'm really interested in checking out more of their work. Someone else I recently discovered off of youtube is Eric Wuest, a very talented violinist who records covers of popular songs. I highly recommend checking him out!



4. My hair is naturally blonde and I absolutely refuse to touch it's color, however, years ago I dyed the under part purple. I got bored and wanted a changed...my family absolutely hated it, of course. The freak in me misses it a little but I love my blondness too much.

5. I absolutely love looking at different views, especially of the NYC skyline...I don't know what it is but I could look at it forever.

That's all for the edition...have a great weekend :)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Laura Geller Haul

 
Recently, Laura Geller had her Semi-Annual sale in her store and online, naturally, I decided to take advantage and order a few items that I had been curious about...



Beauty A La Mode kit including Blush & Brighten in Dreamsicle and Baked Eye Pie Shadow Trio in Apple Peach Pie

Baked Cheek Dreams in Banana Split

Baked Marble Eyeshadow/Eye Rimz in Cinnamon Swirl/Mint Chocolate Chip and Toasty Pink/Berry Flambe

Italian Marble Lipstick in Berry Vanilla

Color Drenched Lip Gloss in Berry and Cafe Au Lait


Air Whipped Lip Wear in Praline Mousse and Sweet Candy Mousse

I've been playing around with these for a decent amount of time and have really been enjoying all of the different products, especially the lip glosses. I also learned quickly what needs to be applied with a light hand as I am fair skinned. The lovely Laura Geller has not disappointed.
If you've never tried her products, feel free to visit her website.
As always, thank you for stopping by :)


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.


Monday, April 8, 2013

Weekly Nail Polish: 4/5-4/12



This week I'm embracing spring with a couple pastel polishes that I picked up last weekend-Royally Yours (a baby blue creme) and Creme Puffs (a cream shade with a pearly finish) both from L'Oreal's Versailles Romance Collection.
Now that the weather is finally starting to get warm, I feel like I'm able to have more fun with different nail colors.




As always, thank you for visiting my blog :)

Friday, April 5, 2013

Philosophy TSV on 4/6



Summer Grace
Photo Courtesy of QVC.com

Starting at midnight on Saturday April 6th, is the Scents of Summer Philosophy TSV on QVC.
I haven't exactly been pulled by the last two or three collections, however, I'm seriously considering ordering this one. It's reminiscent of the past December sets they bring out in the fact that it's focused on bath and body as well as fragrance, as opposed to skin care.

Included are:
*4oz spray fragrance
*5.8oz satin finish body oil mist
*7oz body polishing scrub
*16oz 3in1

Note: You have a choice between Summer Grace or Falling In Love Summer. There's also a single shipment or auto-delivery, which would offer a second shipment in about 90 days.


Falling In Love Summer
Photo Courtesy of QVC.com

Philosophy isn't the best when describing their scents but I'll try:
Summer Grace=reminds me of the beach with it's light coconut notes
Falling In Love Summer=a mix of Summer Grace with the sweetness of berries mixed in

While this is priced at $79.76 (not sure if easy pay will be available), it actually comes to $96.50 with the addition of tax, shipping, and handling. While I haven't done the math for each separate piece, it looks like a good value, especially considering the spray and 3in1 together would cost about $70-$80.

According to the email I received, the show times are scheduled for 12-2AM, 3-4AM, 2-4PM, 6-8PM, and 10-Midnight.

If you're interested, check out one of their shows throughout the day or click here for the one-time shipment or here for the auto-delivery.

Considering the fact that I missed out on Falling In Love Summer last year, I might have to hint around that this would make a great Mother's Day gift ;)

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

Note: This is not a sponsored post. 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.

Fun Fact Friday: Volume 4

Well, it's been quite a week...and that's all I'm going to say...

Anyway, here we go.....

1. Some of my major cravings during my pregnancy included waffles with strawberries, hot fudge, unsweetened iced tea, and french fries. The food that I could not even talk about without getting sick were crab cakes. In fact, it was at least a year before I could eat them again.

2. Three major crushes I've had for a very long period of time are Johnny Depp (once upon a time, my walls were covered with his posters), Adam Pascal, and Chris Caffery (as previously mentioned).

2. One of my favorite parts of the day is basically once my makeup is off, I'm in my pj's, and vegging out in bed....Yeah, I live an exciting life.

4. It seems that the past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions and exhaustion. As a result, I've been playing  "Vienna" by Billy Joel a lot. Ever since I was in high school, that's been what I turn to in times of crisis. After all this time, it still remains one of my favorites.



5. After hearing the news about Jason's friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer, I've decided to grow out my hair to donate to Locks of Love. I did this about four years ago and ended up cutting 12in. (10in is the minimum). If I'm not mistaken, I believe it took about two years to grow out so this is not going to happen in the near future. If you're interested in learning more or making a donation click here.


As always, thank you for supporting my blog and please know how much it's appreciated.
Have a great weekend :)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

What's In My Shower: Spring Edition



I don't know about you but I was thrilled to switch out my shower gels for the spring season. Don't get me wrong, I love winter and the holiday season, however,  I'm always more than happy to welcome back the warmer weather.

So far, I've found myself pulled more towards fresh scents, with a touch of warmth to them and have been using the following...

~Sweet Scents~

*Bath and Body Works Be Enchanted
*Philosophy Falling In Love
Both of these make me think of berries mixed with light florals...so nice and not overpowering!

~Fruity Scents~

*Bath and Body Works Orange Ginger
*Philosophy I'm Dreaming of...White Cranberry
*Philosophy Bubbly
*Philosophy I'm Dreaming of...White Peach
*Philosophy Fruity Berry Funnel Cake
For the most part, these have a light fruit scent, with the exception of Fruity Berry Funnel Cake, which has a bit of a buttery element to it.

~Food Scents~

*Philosophy Full of Fortune Cookie
*Philosophy Pink Frosted Cut-Out
*Philosophy Fresh Cream
Even for "food" scents, these are all very light and could probably be used through the summer as well.

~Warmer Scents~

*Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods
*Bath and Body Works Pearberry
*Bath and Body Works Country Chic
These scents have a slight musk to them, which is perfect for those "spring, but not really" kind of days.

I feel like I actually have a little less of a selection than in the cooler months but these are a perfect mix for a season that can tend to be slightly confused (for lack of a better word).

As always, thank you for your support :)

Note: Orange Ginger, Pink Frosted Cut-Out, Twilight Woods, Pearberry and Country Chic were given to me as gifts. Bubbly was given as a free gift with purchase. All of the other products were purchased by myself. 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.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Weekly Nail Polish: 3/29-4/5





This week I'm wearing Revlon's Girly, which is a sheer pink with chunky glitter...in my opinion, it makes my nails look a little like a mix between an Easter egg and a jelly bean

 
.

This was my first time trying this polish out and was a little disappointed in the way it came out, at least for a primary polish. I think next time I'll probably use this for an accent nail.

As always, I thank you for your support :)