Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover

I have a confession to make...    I have not been purchasing much makeup lately because I have finally convinced myself that I have more than enough; so much that I most likely will never use it all in my lifetime. When I think about it that way, it is kind of depressing...
So, I have been going through some of my tried and tested products that I already have and decided that I can still review some of these products because they are still available in a store near you!
We all need to take care of the appearance of out hands and nails, especially now that the cold weather is setting in and that typically causes my skin to dry out along with my cuticles. They need some extra special attention and love. 
So, about a year ago I discovered a great product from Sally Hansen called, "Instant Cuticle Remover", and it claims to 'dissolve dry cuticles in 15 seconds'.
The directions state:

"For cuticles, squeeze a thin strip around cuticles and under nail tips. After 15 seconds, begin to gently push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or manicure stick. Wash away excess immediately and throughly with warm, soapy water.
For calluses, apply to callused skin for one minute. Wash away excess immediately and throughly with warm, soapy water."

Let me tell you why I love this product and am on my second bottle. This is a very thick formula that sticks to the cuticle and softens the skin. After about a minute passes, I use the Kiss cuticle sticks that I bought on sale at Walgreens for 99 cents to push back the cuticles around my nails and the gross skin under neath the tips of my nails.
It makes the process of refining your cuticles a breeze as it is so effective. Once I wash the product off I use a cuticle product that moistens the cuticles and keeps them in shape, especially before I go to bed at night. (I will talk more about the cuticle product that I use for this step in a later post)
You can buy this product at Walgreens for about $5.49 and you get 1 fl oz that lasts you a long while. The price of course will vary by store and location. But, no matter what you pay you are saving yourself a lot of money and can buy yourself a bottle of a pretty nail polish to go with your new manicure!
Try this out for yourself and you you will be left with gorgeous-just-came-from-the-salon looking nails in pretty perfect shape. 
Nobody will know that you did them yourself at home, but once you tell them, they will sure be jealous!

Wonderful Wax Warmers To Warm Your Senses

I have a confession to make...   I am sitting in the comfort and coziness of my home right at this moment wrapped in my Snuzzle (yes, I said Snuzzle, a knock off of the Snuggie) enjoying the warmth and relaxation of a Spiced Pumpkin Pie. Not of the dessert variety ( I wish!) but of the candle variety.
My hubby and I went to Walmart last night and I am the type who cannot pass by the candle section of a store, especially when the store has an entire isle top to bottom full of candles! I had heard good things about the Better Homes And Gardens Scented Wax Warmers and wanted to give them a whirl and see if they are as fragrant as people say they really are.




I was impressed with the selection of Wax Warmers that they had on hand and I chose a rusty red colored one to go with the decor of my living room. That was not the hard choice, I admit. The hard choice was trying to figure out which two scented wax cube packs that I wanted to try. Of course, the hubby says he doesn't care, so I had to go it alone on this one!

There was TONS of scents to chose from: from the fruity to the fresh to the sweet and to the citrus. I love the smell of sweets and also pumpkin, so needless to say, I picked the Spiced Pumpkin Pie and also the Butterscotch Maple Cream. YUMMY YUM YUM! 
We burned the Butterscotch Maple Cream last night and after ten minutes of burning, the scent was thick through the air, it was amazing!
And the great thing about these cubes is that even though they melt, when you turn off the warmer and are left with this puddle of melted scented wax, all you do is take the top plate off of the warmer and pour the melted wax back into the pack were it came from and leave the lid open over night and the next morning it has hardened back into a cube! So, you can re-use and re-use! But, it does say that the fragrance cubes can become depleted of fragrance after reusing so many times, but when that happens, discard it and move on to the next cube!

EXAMPLE in the back of box what to do with the melted wax! EASY!

Spiced Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Cube

I just manipulate the packaging so that one cube will break apart from its space and I can slide it out easily. I am sure that using a kitchen knife would work just as well, if not easier.

The top lid goes on top of the vase

See how the cube is so cute, waiting to be melted! Just put the lid on top of the vase and plug it in. The lightbulb inside will heat the wax and in just minutes the fragrance cube will start to melt and make your whole house smell yummy!

After twenty minutes

Doesn't it look like a little pat of butter!

It melt so nicely and even after you turn off the warmer, your home will still smell great for a long while after! 
Honestly, these are way better than any candles that I have ever bought. Not saying that I will never buy a candle again, because I think that candles bring another level of romance and warmth to your home, but if you want lasting fragrance, pick up one of these Wax Warmers. I got mine at Walmart for $15.00, which in my opinion is cheap and worth while. The wax fragrance cubes are only $2.00 a package and will last you a very long time. So, the most expensive thing to buy is the warmer, but even then, it is not that bad a price at all and totally worth it!
Its that time of year when candles are just yearning to be burned.The leaves are falling and cooler weather is setting in. Who doesn't want to sit in a homey house reading a book and relaxing as they smell their favorite fall like scent drifting aromatically through the air? 
Count me in! Next package I want to pick up is Cupcake!

Get Runway Eyes Like A Haute Model From NYX Cosmetics!

I have a confession to make...   I have been wanting to write this post for a vey long time and I am just now getting round to doing it, what with everything going on in my life keeping me busy, I am finally doing it! 
I think that we can all tell how huge of a fan I am of NYX cosmetics and I absolutely love trying their products and sharing with all of you what I love, like and could live without. With that said, let's get this review underway! 
I know I have reviewed one or two other NYX eyeshadow palettes, but honestly, the NYX Haute Model palette from their Runway Collection was the first ever palette I purchased from the brand. I wanted to test out a few different shadow colors and figured a palette was the best way to go about doing that. 
I picked this palette because it had a vast variety of colors, not just neutrals or brights but a subtle mix of the two.
What immediately drew me to picking this palette was the bright turquoise blue and gorgeous greens. 

FYI: Silly me, I photographed this upside down,
but we are going to roll with it!

Pretty colors!

What I really love about these eyeshadows are the pigmentation and build-ability of the colors, with the exception of the pale pink shadow. Pinks are hard to like because they can be either transparent and barely there. The pink in this palette comes off as more white with a touch of pink hue that is hard to pick up on. 

Top Row (Upside Down)

I have to admit that not all the dark colors come off true to color. I wish that the purple applied true to color, like a dark plum purple, but it comes off as more of a dark grey. Same with the emerald green; I have seen more true to color emerald green eyeshadows and this one applies more as a dark brown on the skin and lids.

Bottom Row (Upside Down and backwards, still!)

I must say that the bottom row is more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get eyeshadow row. I was surprised at how aqua the turquoise color really is and applies exactly as I would have hoped. I really like the second to last shadow, the bronze is very pretty.
My overall verdict is that these shadows are good, especially for the price. I got ten eyeshadows for $11.00. A steal, for sure! They are highly pigmented in color, definitely not sheer. And the packaging is slim and compact so you could definitely travel with this palette and it will not take up any room in your purse or travel case and that is a plus. 
The downfall, and this is a biggie for some people, and this is what kind of leaves me hesitant to use this palette often, is the tremendous fallout I get when applying these shadows. The consistency of these shadows are ver chalky and there are sparkles in the majority of the shadows, so the eyeshadow and sparkle will end up all over your face. 
You must take precautiouns when applying these shadows if you are going to use them. Tap off your brush before applying and for extra caution, apply a layer of lose powder (any kind will do, cheaper the better) right underneath the eyes to catch the fall out so that you can sweep away the powder along with the excess fallout after you are done making up your eyes.
I think that these are fun colors to add to your collection and you can make a pretty smokey eye with these dark colors, but you will need to incorporate some softer matte colors into the look for a balanced eye look.
This is a fun palette and if wearing these shadows helps make you feel like a runway supermodel, more power to you! That's what makeup is all about, making us feel confidant and pretty while having fun!

How Do You Control Oil?

I have a confession to make...   of the not so pretty kind. I have oily skin. Not just here and there on the T-Zone oily, but all over my face oily. I envy those who complain of an oily T-Zone because they have so much less oil to contend with than I. 

I have tried a few different things through out the years, but one constant that has remained forever faithful to me are my Clean and Clear Oil Blotting Wipes. Yes, it is true, they are not a topical lotion for my skin to prevent oil from spilling out of my pores all day long, but they have been great at getting rid of the oil that is produced while leaving my make up in tack and my face feeling clean and matt. 
They come in a sleek packaging that can slip right into your purse. When you peel the sticker off inside it sticks to the sheet on top so when you open the packaging a sheet pulls out for your convenience. 
Clean and Clear claims:

"Instantly removes excess oil. Won't smudge makeup. Invigorating fragrance."

Of course, you can purchase the blue packaging that is fragrance free and works just as well. And let me tell you, it lives up to it's claims so much so, that I have been using these for over ten years now!

These retail for anywhere from $4.89 to $6.50, depending on where you purchase them. Thankfully I have a Big Lots down the way from me and I am able to purchase mine for $3.00 and they always have them in stock.  
About a year ago I also tried a product from Proactive called Daily Oil Control. It is a non-comedogenic product that it says helps to eliminate shine.This is what Proactive claims this product will do for you:

"...gently balances oil levels, while keeping skin hydrated, healthy looking and shine-free. our light, oil-free formula contains skin conditioning ingredients specially designed to reduce sebum levels while controlling acne blemishes."

I have to say that this was not a stand out product because after not too long  noticed oil spilling forth. Overall, it did not control the shine or oil as well as I would have expected it to.

This retails on Proactive's website for about $26.00. Big bucks and big fail. But than again, my skin is out of control oily.
Recently, I tried De-Slick from Urban Decay by Skindinavia, having high hopes for this high end product that I shelled out, was it $30 bucks or so, for. I tried it for a week and unfortunately it was another product that was not strong enough to hold fast against my permeating oily glands. I will say that it kept the oil at bay for maybe three hours and I had great expectations, thinking I found my holy grail. But, my oil did eventually seep through (yes, gross) sooner than I hoped.

Urban Decay claims regarding this product:

"...uses an innovative oil control system that both absorbs excess sebum and controls surface shine...mists on, feels weightless, and sets makeup so it lasts all day...even through moisture, wind and heat!..contains a powerful cocktail of high-tech ingredients: a cooling agent that chills makeup so skin feels as fresh as it looks, and light dispersing particles that deflect shine and deliver a matte look for up to 16 hours."

Holy Mole-y, that is a lot of promises to live up to. I have honestly heard great reviews on this product, but for my super oily skin, it did not work one bit. When I had read the back I had big hopes thinking that it would solve all my problems, but alas, no go. 
I am thinking of trying the Proactive product underneath the Urban Decay mist to see if that will work better, so I will keep you informed.
But, over all, I think that I would spray this product on when going some where nice when I want my makeup to be a little fresher a little longer. 
And the great thing about this product is that it is safe for you to use as it is paraben free. And for acne-prone ones out there, like myself, this product is oil-free. So, maybe you can use this product and not break out while controlling shine. 
And, lets remember, what works best for others may not work for you. 
Until then, I will continue in my battle to fight oil and we shall see who will win!

Oo-La-La-Lovely Lips!

I have a confession to make...    I am loving glossy lips! Now, personally, I have grown to become a lipstick fanatic only because I love the color payoff of lipsticks. Once in awhile I do break out my gloss and  find myself gravitating towards them a little more often. 
Well, I found some very much raved about glosses from E.L.F. that when I saw them in person at the store I knew I just had to have them. The E.L.F. glosses that I purchased I found in a package of three at Big Lots for $3.00 which I believe is the going rate for them at Target, and online I believe they are a dollar a piece. So, I snatched the prettiest set there and came home and fell in love.

My favorite of the three is the baby pink one, and unfortunately the name of the gloss is not on the package. But, it is super shiny and pretty. When it is applied it gives my lips a subtle hint of pink.
The next one, going from lightest to darkest, is a watermelon shade that has glints of glitter. The glitter does give my lips a reflective look, which is beautiful. 
The next is the darkest of the three, yet the sheerest. In the packaging it looks like a spectacular pink fuchsia color, but it sheers out on my lips. Disappointing, yes, but for a dollar I will wear it over lipsticks to give them a shine.

This is a picture of the gloss going from darkest to lightest of the three

Am I thrilled with these? Um...yes I am! I am happy that they are so cheaply priced and they smell like a lollipop, giving my lips a special little treat. I know that there is so many more shades to chose from online at the E.L.F. website and now that Target is carrying the E.L.F. brand it is more easily accessible. 
The texture of these is hard to describe, as it is thick, but does not slide on my lips. It has great staying power. Are they a sticky? Yeah, a little bit, but not to the point were it bothers me and I will never wear it again.
Next, I purchased two Milani Lip Flash gloss pencils on cherryculture.com  for $6.99 a pop. I have been salivating over these babies since I saw Cora from Vintageortacky on Youtube talking about these and swatching them. She has all of the swatches for every single Lip FLash, so check her out!
I purchased the colors Hot Flash and Lip Flash after many hours of debating. 

What I love about these is that they are in a fool proof pencil form, so you can trace your lips and color them in; so simple and easy! You do need a jumbo sized pencil sharpener to sharpen them as you use them and I just recently purchased a dual sharpener that I am loving by Loreal that works perfectly and doesn't break off the tips.
These go on so creamy and smooth and are highly pigmented. What you see is what you are going to get. 
Lip Flash is a gorgeous almost purple-brown color with flecks of gold sparkle that gives it an even more unique appeal.
Hot Flash is an extremely bright hot red-pink color that delivers on pigmentation! There is no sparkle to this only shine, which I think is brilliant. 
I like how the packaging explains that this is a full coverage shimmer gloss pencil, kind of like a lipstick and gloss in one handy product.

Hot Flash and Lip Flash

Do I love these? Yes, please, I do! I would purchase every single one of these bad boys, they are that amazing! I just wish I could find them locally instead of having to order them online and waiting a week or two for me to actually get my hands on them...

So, yes, everybody, this is what I give to you, a gloss for every lip to enjoy!

NYX's Glitters and Pigments!

I have a confession to make...   I have five little bottles of goodies that I am obsessed with. And they all are so very pretty that I just cannot keep them to myself; I must share my love of them with the world so that they too can discover the beauty in these bottles!
I am talking about NYX's Ultra Pearl Mania pigments and NYX's Glitter Mania eye glitters. I must start by proclaiming how very much I adore pigments because they are so, well, pigmented of course! And glitter, come on! What girl doesn't want a touch of  glitter to glitz up a look every once in a special while?
What I rave all the time about NYX is the fact that they have such creative high quality products that are affordable for those of us who are on a budget but still want to look pampered and pretty.
I purchased these products through beautyjoint.com, a website that I am sure you know I love because I talk about it all the time. They sell NYX products (the cheapest I have seen anywhere!) as well as Milani products now, too. 
I picked out two pigments out of the vast variety that I had to chose from. The colors I picked were Walnut, which is a gorgeous deep coppery brown color with a brilliant sheen to it. The second was a color that I had always been drawn to that I love but am not sure I could ever pull off but am still daring to wear, is Jade. It is the prettiest, brightest almost sea-foam green I have ever seen before.

Walnut and Jade pigments

Jade and Walnut

With the pigments they are highly pigmented but you can also choose to build the color intensity up or sheer them out depending on how you feel that day. I have worn the Walnut color and have gotten many compliments on it already!
The lose glitters are just as glamorous, as you will see for yourself in the pictures. When I look at them in the bottle they look unpromising and boring. But, when you put them on your lids you can see just how these glitters can really kick a look up a notch or few!
Now, I used clear gloss to adhere the glitters to my skin in the swatches but a glitter adhesive that I love and is really inexpensive is Sally Girl's Glitter Glue. I believe the tube is just under a dollar and a little goes a long way, so I recommend using that for your glitter looks.

Silver, Gold and Purple

Left to Right: Purple, Gold, Silver

I really like how you can use as little glitter as you want for a subtle shimmer or you can use layers of it for an intense look, almost like shimmery foil, if you will. No matter how you wear these, you are definitely guaranteed to catch everybody's eye!
The Ultra Pearl Mania pigments on beautyjoint.com are $1.99 each and they have thirty shades to chose from. Some are shimmery and some metallic. For the price you pay you receive 0.06 fl.oz. Not bad, I do say!
The Glitter Mania lose glitters on beautyjoint.com retail for $1.99 each, also and you are paying for 0.09 fl.oz of finely milled glitter. The website says:

"The Glitter Powder is vibrant yet soft and non-irritating. A double-shot of glitter to sparkle it up!"

That is something that I can agree with!

Left to Right: Jade, Walnut, Purple, Gold and Silver

The only thing that I absolutely despise about these products is the packaging. The bottles that they come in are impractical for use since a person has to turn it upside down in order to get product out which wastes a lot of unnecessary product. The opening of the bottle is thin and small so not even a brush can fit in there; not that you would want to put your brush in there, as that would be unsanitary. But, what I am going to do with these is buy small round containers from the craft store to put the pigments and glitters in to solve those issues!
Overall, I am obsessed with these bottles of beauty and am looking forward to buying even more (just don't tell my husband, wink wink)!
So, guys, kick your look up a few kicks with colors and glitters that are sure to please!

NYX's Cinnamon Spices Things Up!

I have a confession to make...   I think that pretty coral cheeks are just fine and dandy to wear any time of the year. Who cares if fall is here, even though over here in my area of the world it's still pretty darn hot! Some say we need to embrace the fall like colors now that the season is turning, but come on! Who is it that dictates what we should wear and when we should wear it? Only ourselves, of course!
As you know I love a coral lip and finally found some very gorgeous coral lipsticks and lip glosses to satisfy my craving (for now) but I was also thinking that it would be beautiful to find a nice coral blush to add some peachy orangey color to my cheeks.
Well, I was in luck when a while back I placed an order on beautyjoint.com because I checked out the NYX blushes that they had on their website and let me tell you, pure makeup heaven! I ordered two blushes and one of them was definitely a daring color called Cinnamon. The bright orange is not for the faint of heart, but I knew that this could be the orange blush that I have been on the search for my whole life (okay, exaggeration, but this summer at least...). 

 When I received the product, I immediately swatched it and loved it! I have worn it many times since then and trust me, all you need is a tap of your brush along the top and tap off the excess because this is a highly pigmented blush, much to my appreciation! 

I love how NYX created this product with the pretty diamond peaks!

You can definitely sheer this blush out or build it up and it
is beautiful either way!

This picture was taken more in the shade so the lighting is different
but I thought that it might be good to show this picture anyways to
capture some of the pigmentation. 

NYX blushes have a good variety to choose from for every skin tone and every creation. In this packaging you are getting 5.2 g which will last you years I am sure with how little you need when you go to apply it. 
The packaging is very small and compact so I know we all are thankful that it is not bulky so it won't take up needed space in our collection.
So, even though fall is upon us and it is time to break out our scarfs and sweaters remember not to turn your nose up at those pretty coral cheeks, because with a blush like this one, trust me, you won't be able to wait till next summer to wear it!