Revlon's Gold Coin Nail Polish

I have a confession to make...    I was at Walmart just yesterday buying a few items that I needed for the pantry and of course,  had to go and check out the makeup isle! I was actually on a mission to seek out a specific hard to find product that just hit stores a few weeks ago but is not readily available in everyones area yet (that would be my area!).
So, instead I settled on looking at nail polishes, another love of mine. I was drawn towards the selection that Revlon had and seriously, I could have bought more than I did that day. But, I was good and I only bought two. One of them I was just dying to try for myself when I got home. 
It is called "Gold Coin", and I cannot tell you just how long this nail polish has been available from Revlon, but I have to let you guys know that it is so pretty!
It is a metallic finish, just as the bottle says and WOW does this polish shine! To me, it almost looks like it has extremely small barely there glitters in the polish. Maybe it does, but whatever it is, it sure does reflect gorgeously! And it dries super fast, which for me is always a plus because I am constantly doing something and honestly, I hate to sit around and wait half an hour for my polish to dry. 
Another plus, this is the second day that I have this polish on and it has not chipped in the slightest. So, great lasting wear so far!

Revlon seems to be coming out with some nice colors lately and not bad for the price. I paid under four dollars for this bottle. Because of that I bought two nail polishes since I have always been a fan of their polish, so I knew I would not be disappointed.
This is definitely a fall color, so hurry out and get your "Gold Coin" before they run out!

Eggnogg'n Tea! Don't 'Nog' It Til Ya Try It!

I have a confession to make...   When the weather outside turns into cold and blustery days, I love getting comfy and cozy on my couch and wrapping myself up in my Snuzzle. Yes, I said Snuzzle. It's a knock off of the Snuggle that my hubby found at Ross and I laughed at him for buying it. Long story short, I fell in love with the Snuzzle and have become very territorial over it. That is another subject....
Any-who, I adore a nice hot cup of tea during the cold weather when I am snuggling up and getting cozy on the couch. I have a variety of teas in my pantry ranging from peppermint to orange-spice to peach etc...But one tea that comes out only once a year right after Halloween when the stores set up for their Christmas rush, is Eggnogg'n tea from Bigelow. My mom got me hooked on this tea two years ago when she bought it and thereafter I have searched many stores for this box and came up empty handed. Let me tell you, it is a very popular drink and it goes FAST. 
I happened to be at grocery shopping two weeks ago and had it down on my list. I was planning on buying two or three of these to stalk up on for this winter. Well, guess where I happened to find it? On the same display as the Pumpkin Spice tea by Bigelow (that I had already purchased weeks ago) and this was the only one among the dozens of Pumpkin Spice! So yeah, I snatched it up and I did search through the other boxes to make sure it wasn't buried under the Pumpkin teas. 
I searched the tea isle and the other displays in the store and this was the only one I found. Wow, these suckers go quick. I am glad that I was able to get my hands on this one and hopefully when I go back they will have more on display. 
Why is the such a coveted tea, you may ask? Well, besides the fact that it only comes out once a year, it is such a unique flavor. Now, I hate with a passion eggnog in general. My husband, he loves the stuff and always has to buy a jug of it at the store when it comes out. What I do love about eggnog is the smell. To me, it smells just like buttercream frosting for some reason. Yummy! 
This is what this tea delivers on. It has that subtle scent and taste of frosting and it tastes great with a little bit of sugar mixed into your cup. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with this tea. It is the go-to tea that you will want every night after your day is done and it is time to unwind before bed with your favorite book or TV show.
So, what's your favorite drink that makes you feel all peaceful and warm during these cold months ahead? I know what I'm snuggling up with tonight!

Lemon Butter For Your Cuticles From Burt's Bees.

I have a confession to make...   Yes, there are times when my hand look less than girly and more like a rough and rugged rancher man's hands. But, that's because of the cold weather and washing my hands incessently several times a day. We all know just how drying that can be on our delicate skin.

So, I have to make sure that I take notice of how bad it is getting before it gets worse and I must moisturize moisturize and moisturize before skin begins to crack! A product that I have been in love with for over a year now and am on my second tin of this, is Bert's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. Let me tell you, I have not purchased anything else from this product line before but heard great things about it from the YouTube community and decided that since my cuticles were in dire need that I might as well just give it a go.
I purchased mine at Target, although I have bought this from Walmart before and it retails for around $6.00 depending on your area and place of purchase. In this tin you receive 0.60oz of product and from my experience this will last you several months, but of course it depends how much you use and how often you use it.
This is what the packaging on the back reads: 

"A soothing blend of natural ingredients to nourish weak nails and soften dry cuticles. Massage cream into and around nails." 

The product itself is a waxy balm and it applies smoothly into the skin with a nice faint lemon scent. Honestly, you don't need a lot of the balm for it to work, just swipe your finger onto the balm and rub it into your cuticles and you will notice immediately how soft they get. Even the appearance of the nails seems improved!

For myself I may use it once during the day but I always apply it before I go to bed at night. I rub lotion into my hands first to moisturize my hands and after that I will apply this product onto my nails paying much attention to the cuticles. The results are much more soft and pleasant feeling skin. 
The product itself is a waxy balm and it applies smoothly into the skin with a nice faint lemon scent. Don't worry about feeling greasy because I promise you, you won't. The cuticle cream is just like butter in the sense that it will melt right into your skin.
This is something that I use not only in the winter when I get really dry skin, but I use this all year round to help with the appearance and feel of my nails. I highly recommend that you give this a try; your nails will thank you!

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!