Just Another Mani Monday: Essie Sand Tropez

Hello, my Pretties!

I have an idea for a new series!

I haven't been that consistent with my Pink Wednesday posts but I have a new idea for another nail polish series.  Mani Mondays!  It will be just like Pink Wednesdays but without the pink!  I have run out of pink nail polishes!

Mani Mondays will showcase other nail polishes in my collection.  Any and every color except pink.  I will still do Pink Wednesdays when I have a pink polish to share with you.

And for my first Mani Monday post, I chose my favorite color of the moment.  My very first nude nail polish--Sand Tropez by Essie.

One coat.

Two coats.

I am in lust with this color.  I've always been a fan of bright flashy nail polishes but when I saw this shade sitting on the shelf, I just new I had to have it.  I adore it!  I hate saying this but it looks much better in person.

Thanks to Angie of Beauty Fashion Fitness, I used this on my toes for the first time and she was right, it looks fabulous!  This color is just so classy.  It's work appropriate yet feminine.

So, tell me what you think of my Mani Monday idea?  Would you like to see what other shades I have in my nail polish collection??

I think this Monday series will be good for me because it will keep me polishing my nails.  I can go weeks without painting them and I'd like to change that.  Let's hope this works and I can keep up with it!  I have loads of shades to share!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were bought by me with my own money. ♥♥

Empties: December 2011/January 2012

Hello, my Pretties!

Just like I skipped December's favorites post, I also missed my December empties post.  So, here is my collective post for my December/January empties.

December 2011 and January 2012 empties.

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner

Infused with coconut extract and vitamin E, this is used to the last drop because of it's scent.  It's lovely.  I adore coconut scented bath products, candles, anything!  It did do a good job in detangling my hair.  Other than that, it was just meh.  No wow factors.  It claims 2x more moisture on the bottle but I didn't notice.  Probably not a repurchase.

L.A. Looks Mega X-Treme Hold Gel

Since I do wear my hair up a lot, in buns or braids, I need something to slick back my frizzy atmosphere of hair I have going on on my head.  This is a 'sport' edition gel because my sweet-tart picked it out since he uses it too.  It is a bit sticky for my liking but it gets the job done.  This is the sweet-tart's go to gel so I'm sure it will be a repurchase.

Johnson's Baby Lotion

I love the smell of babies!  Who doesn't?  With two young children in the house, I always try to have this on hand.  I use it on my kids and I use it on myself.  I love the smell of it and it leaves my skin nice and soft.  It's clinically proven to be mild so I even use this on my face too before I apply my foundation and face full of makeup.  It doesn't clog my pores and doesn't leave me greasy at all.  Repurchase!

Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream
Sleek & Shine

This is geared towards frizzy, dry or unmanageable hair.  Frizzy?  Check!  Dry?  Check!  Unmanageable?  Ckeck!  I have hair that is all of the above.  I love this leave-in treatment.  It's rich and thick and it smells good too.  It works.  It leaves my hair much more softer and less frizzy.  My hair needs a lot of help and this helps so this is a repurchase too.

Dove Ultimate Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
in Nectarine & White Ginger Scent

I am usually a Secret or Suave anti-perspirant deodorant girl but this one was on sale at the time of purchase and it came with a mini body spray in the matching scent.  I finished the deodorant but still have some of the body spray left.  I loved the scent of this one.  It's smells fruity and clean and like summer.  The feeling of freshness lasts all day.  I do want to try the other scents available in this deodorant.  It worked very well for me.  Repurchase.

Avon Moisture Effective Eye Makeup
Remover Lotion

I always have this on hand.  I am actually down to my last bottle right now.  I have been using this eye makeup remover for years now and it gets the job done.  But now I want something different.  I've tried Mary Kay, Clinique,and Rimmel eye makeup removers and now this one is no longer my favorite.  I don't think I will repurchase this anytime soon.  I'm still exploring the world of makeup removers and I am having fun trying out new ones!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara
Dior Diorshow Mascara

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion:  This is my first tube of UDPP and I really did like it.  It goes on well.  A little goes a long way.  The lasting power is great.  It took me a long time to finish this.  I usually use my E.L.F. Eyelid Primer which I love to but for the price difference, I will probably stick to my E.L.F.  But if I have the money to spend, UDPP is a must have.

Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara:  I love Urban Decay and I love mascara but this one was not a pure love.  I did like the way this mascara separated my lashes but it seemed too dry for me.  I wanted it to coat my lashes more and make them truly black and stand out.  It didn't.  I would apply another mascara and top off with this one to separate my lashes and that's about it.  Not going to be a repurchase.  ♥This was a gift given to me by a fellow blogger friend.

Dior Diorshow Mascara:  Love it!  This is a love!  It was a rich black, thickened up my lashes greatly, and added length too.  Everything I want in a mascara.  I have two complaints.  1-the scent.  I didn't care for the overly floral scent it had but after applying it, it was undetectable.  2-price.  This is high end mascara.  No wonder it works so well!  And just for the price alone, $24.50 at Sephora, this will not be a repurchase.  Aw.  ♥This was a gift given to my by a fellow blogger friend.

And that's all for now, folks!  Lots of empties these past two months.  Some I plan on repurchasing, others not.  I hope my mini reviews on each item helps you in deciding whether or not you'd like to try any of these products.

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were bought by me with my own money unless otherwise stated.  These are my own thoughts and opinions. ♥♥

Favorites: December 2011/January 2012

Hello, my Pretties!

I don't know if you noticed, but I didn't get a chance to do a FAVORITES post last month.  With all the hoopla surrounding my birthday and Christmas and preparing for the New Year, it kinda sorta got overlooked.

And even though this favorites post is inclusive of two months, my favorites are few.  I have had long weeks of working 10-12 hour days and don't wear makeup that often during the week.  If I do, it's just a quick dusting of face powder and some mascara.  When the weekend comes around, I only wear makeup if I'm going out and about.  Which isn't that often either since my weekends are filled with laundry and Lifetime movies.

I apologize for my lackluster array of favorites but nonetheless, here they are:

Favorites for December 2011 and January 2012.

Victoria's Secret Secret Garden Scented Candle and
Refreshing Body Mist in Pure Seduction.

I included this body mist back in my November Favorites and I'm still using it!  I love this scent and I love having the matching scented candle.  Casaba Melon, Plum, and Freesia make up this scent and it's wonderful!  I'm almost out of my body mist so keep an eye out for that one in February's empties post!

Clean & Clear Advantage 3-in-1
Foaming Acne Wash

This is a 3-in-1 because it 1-cleanses the skin, 2-treats pimples, and 3-helps prevent future breakouts.  And it's oil free.  I don't suffer from acne prone but my sweet-tart does and that's why we purchased this one.  It's always in the shower and so one day I started using it and liked how clean my skin looked.  I started using it often, about 2-3 times a week.  I don't use it everyday because since my skin is not problematic for the exception of a pesky pimple every so often, the salicylic acid acne medication in this cleanser dries out my skin too much.  Using it once in a while keeps my skin clean and prevents any acne from popping up.

E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Avon Healthy Makeup Eyeshadow in Tiger's Eye
L'Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments in Tenacious
Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color in On and On Orchid

This E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner is one of my all time favorite liquid eyeliners.  It's so black and easy to apply.  It dries fairly quickly and it lasts all day without running or fading.  And for only $1.00, it's a steal!

I use Avon's Tiger's Eye eyeshadow when I am in a hurry and just want a touch of color to my lids.  I apply it easily with the doe foot applicator and the liquid shadow blends out easily and evenly with just my fingertips.  The color is pigmented and wears well all day long.

This HIP pigment is my first and it is beautiful!  I bought this a while back when CVS was having a 75% off sale and I paid peanuts for it.  It is a color unlike anything else I have.  It's like melted metal on my eyelids.  Sounds painful but it looks stunning!

This Maybelline 24 Color is also my first and I adore it.  The lip color actually lasts just about 24 hours.  It's amazing, really.  This one was given to my by my sweet-tart's aunt who bought it for herself but didn't like the color on her but thought it would look good on me.  It does!  I love it.  I applied it in the a.m. and it stayed on through eating and drinking and even sleep.  I woke up the next morning and it was still on my lips.  Crazy!

Swatches.

Left to Right:
E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Avon Healthy Makeup Eyeshadow in Tiger's Eye
L'Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments in Tenacious
Maybelline 24 Color in On and On Orchid

So, there you go my loves, these are the top products I have been using in my life for the months of December and January.  Are any of these your favorites too?

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me with my own money unless otherwise stated.  These are my own thoughts and opinions. ♥♥

YouTube: Show and Tell: E.L.F.

Hello, my Pretties!

I uploaded my E.L.F. Show and Tell last night and I forgot to include the link in my last blog post.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here it is:

And here is the blog post to go along with it.  Just click HERE.

Thanks so much for watching!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

Buy & Blog: E.L.F.

Hello, my Pretties!

Last year for my birthday on December 21st, my sister gave me some E.L.F. products as a gift.  Here is her sweet little gift.

Eyes Lips Face Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette
Eyes Lips Face Hypershine Lip Gloss Collection
Sunglasses

I was dying for this 144 eyeshadow palette!  I was thrilled to see that she had got it for me at Target.  Every time I went to Target, they were all out.  Being so close to the holidays, they were being used as gifts! The lip gloss collection is really nice too.  And just right now that I was trying to find the names of the lip glosses, I noticed that they are not named only numbered and the two on the outside are the same gloss!  Weird!!  The sunglasses are no name sunglasses but they are cute too.

And this is what the palette looked like when I opened the package.  It was broken.  A hunk of the lid was missing.  I was going to keep it like this because I didn't want to inconvenience my sister but then decided against it because I didn't want my shadows to get damaged.

She tried for a couple of weeks to exchange it for another one at Target but well into January, they still hadn't restocked them.  Then I saw on  www.eyeslipsface.com that you could get the 144 eyeshadow palette if you order $25 or more.  I can pick $25 worth of E.L.F. stuff!

I told my sister and she returned the palette and gave me the $15 she had paid for it.  I paid $10 of my own money and combined it with her $15 and this is all the goodies I got!

E.L.F. Essential Tools
Left to Right:
Blending Eye Brush, Defining Eye Brush, and
Eye Crease Brush.

Description on package:
"All e.l.f. Professional makeup brushes have been designed and tested by our professional team of makeup artists. 
Each brush has been ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into your hand and facilitates a flawless finish with every application."

Price Tag: $1.00 each.
Left to Right:
Blending Eye Brush, Defining Eye Brush, and
Eye Crease Brush.

Blending Eye Brush: "Expertly blends multiple eye shades while softening dramatic edges and fine lines.  Brush can also multi-task, use it to set powder or liquid concealer."


Defining Eye Brush: "The velvety bristles contour in the crease of the eyelid or right underneath the brow bone for added color."

Eye Crease Brush: "This domed bristle brush picks up a lot of eye color and sweeps it onto the eyelid to create bold definition.  Blends and contours in the crease and corners of the eye.  Great for smudging shadow into the lash line for a smoky effect."


♥♥ Product descriptions taken from respective packaging. ♥♥

E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow
NET WT 0.03 oz

Description on Package:
"Bring a touch of natural beauty to your eyes with these soft, translucent shades that add subtle highlights for daytime or increased drama for night.  With key vitamins A & B, these eyeshadows hydrate and minimize the appearance of fine lines.  Available in an array of light-reflecting color options they can be worn wet or dry, together or alone, for countless shimmering styles and trends."

Price Tag: $3.00 each.

Enchanting: Matte medium brown shade.
Dreamy: Metallic light blue/aqua shade.
Innocent: Matte cream shade.

Swatches.
Left to Right: Enchanting, Dreamy, and Innocent.

E.L.F. Cream Eyeliner with Brush.
NET WT 0.17 oz.

Description on Package:
"Creates smooth lines that are defined and precise.  Smudge-proof, budge-proof, water-resistant coverage.  Achieve thin or bold lines with ease."

Price Tag: $3.00 each.

Copper: Metallic dark brown shade.
Teal Tease: Metallic teal/turquoise shade.
Punk Purple: Metallic purple.

Swatches.
Left to Right: Copper, Teal Tease, and Punk Purple.

E.L.F. Lipstick
0.12 oz/3.5 g
Left to Right: Gypsy, Posh, and Voodoo.

Description on Package:
"Long lasting color and shine.  Hydrates, conditions and softens on contact.  Soothes and smoothes lips."

While I was filming my YouTube video on this, I read the name Gypsy and it caught me off guard.  The name sounded so familiar.  It was because I already had it!  LOL.  I came home and I checked the invoice and the invoice said Classy, which was what I ordered, but instead they sent me Gypsy.  I contacted customer service and got a reply within 24 hours and my Classy is on it's way to me.  Free of charge!

Price Tag: $1.00 each.
Swatches.
Left to Right: Gypsy, Posh, and Voodoo.

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color
Ocean Dreams
0.09 oz/2.5 g

Description on Package:
"Long-lasting easy blending color.  Instantly brightens and defines.  Eyes look fresh and wide awake."

Price Tag: $1.00.

Shades included are: a shimmery blue/silver, shimmery medium blue, shimmery dark blue with purple undertones, and a shimmery lilac.  Pigmentation is great for the exception of the last shadow swatched.  It is not as dark as it appears in the pan and it took quite a bit of product to get the swatched result.

E.L.F. Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette

And here is my freebie!  It's not in the holiday package but it's the same palette.  This one came in perfect conditions.  Eeep!  I'm so excited!

144 Eyeshadows.
Price Tag: $15.00 (free with coupon code)

Description on Package:
"This ultimate and convenient makeup collection for your eyes allows you to be your own makeup artist whenever, where ever.  A great value for any makeup lover!  The all-in one compact includes the must have eyeshadow shades for day or night and any occasion.  With 144 eyeshadow colors to choose from, create any look that reflects your personal style.  The sleek and thin design is perfect for organized storage so you can always look beautiful."


Sleek and thin, yes.  Convenient, not so much.  Variety of shades wise, yes, but size wise no.  It's a monster!

Swatches.

More swatches.

As you can see, not all the shadows are wow worthy but some of them are!  I haven't swatched all the shadows yet but the light ones I tried are very light and the dark ones I've tried are very pigmented!  I'm happy with it.  I cannot wait to try an eye look with these!

So that's my E.L.F. show and tell for you beauties.  Did you like it?  Is there anything that you would like to try or have tried?  What are your E.L.F. favorites?

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items were purchased from www.eyeslipsface.com All package descriptions were taken word for word from their respective packages. ♥♥

Pink Wednesday: January 25, 2012

Hello, my Pretties!

I've missed three Pink Wednesdays this year already.  January 4th, 11th, and 18th.  Today is the 25th and the last Wednesday in January.  I had wanted to do a Pink Wednesday post every Wednesday this year but oh well, I've gone and messed that up.  Shucks!

Today's pink polish is actually my daughter's.  We went grocery shopping at H-E-B and she wanted to buy a toy which I said no to because toys at the grocery store tend to be more expensive than like at Wal-Mart.  So, she asked me what she could by and I saw this display of Essence nail polishes for $0.89.  I said she could pick one.  I'm so cheap.

There were so many colors to choose from and she chose pink.  I knew she would.  And here is that pink.

Essence Colour & Go
Quick Drying Nail Polish
0.16 fl. oz./5 mL

08 Ultimate Pink

Two coats of Ultimate Pink.

After the two coats of nail polish, the end results look exactly like the color of the bottle cap!

Nail Accessory Stickers

My daughter bought these were tickets she won playing games at Peter Piper Pizza a while back.  She bought a pack for herself and one for me.  She's so kind...sometimes!

These are more like stickers and not nail decals.  They peel off and stick right on to the nail.

My accent nail.

I applied one of the little flower stickers to my ring finger as my accent nail.  I topped it off with a single coat of Avon Nail Experts Mineral Strength nail treatment.  It was the closest thing I had to a top coat.  Since the nail art is more like a sticker than a decal, I wanted to make sure it didn't peel right off.

My Pink Wednesday nails for January 25, 2012.

And there you go.  At least I did one Pink Wednesday post in January.  I'll try and do better in February.  Maybe I should just make a point to do ONE Pink Wednesday post a month.  I'm very low on pink nail polishes!

Luv & Luk,

--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me with my own money unless otherwise stated. ♥♥

YouTube: Quick Morning Makeup

Hello, my Pretties!

Here is YouTube video #3!  And this one is a tutorial!

I kept this tutorial so simple.  I didn't want to overwhelm myself with a complicated look so a neutral everyday, office appropriate look was what I thought the moment called for.  And also, I can save the fun looks for later!  That way you all think that I have improved a lot!

I recorded this video at my sister's house while I was babysitting my nephew.  It was a spur of the moment thing when I was getting ready to leave my house in the morning.  I grabbed what I thought I needed for a neutral eye tutorial and I put it all in my backpack.  It really wasn't even planned.  That's why I forgot my eyelid primer.  Oops.

Sorry that I didn't zoom into my eyes while I was applying the makeup.  I was recording on my iPhone so there isn't much I can do there.  I was impressed with the outcome of the video.  Not too bad for being filmed on my phone.  FYI, my others were filmed on the same phone too.

Here are a few photos to show you my makeshift set up, products I used, and the final look.

My "set up".

Here is my set up as I was filming.  This is in my sister's dining room on her dining room table.

My "tripod".

And here is my makeshift tripod.  LOL.  Don't laugh!  You have to use what you got!  It's all I could find to bring up the camera to my face level.  A can of Bush's beans holding up a can of Folgers coffee holding up my iPhone which is being help upright by a scented candle in a jar.  LOL.  Hey, it worked!

Products used.

FACE:
Vaseline Replenishing Moisture Fragrance Free Lotion
Avon Healthy Makeup Mousse Foundation in Medium Beige
Avon Anew Age-Transforming Pressed Powder in Tan Beige
Jillian Dempsey for Avon Sheer Glow All Over Face Powder in Sandy Corals

EYES:
E.L.F. Beauty Book in Smoky Eye Edition
Maybelline the Falsies Flared Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara in Black

LIPS:
Sally Hansen Diamond 12 Hr. Lip Treatment in In Love

Brushes used.

These are my favorite brushes.  I used these everyday.  I don't have a large brush collection by any means.  I have these and a few others and that's it.  I have been asked about my brushes of choice lately so I just might do a separate post on these.  These were a gift to me from my sister and are Kirkland Signature by Borghese.

And in case you didn't see my video tutorial, here it is:

I promise my videos will get better.  The quality isn't great but I do have a Sony camcorder and a brand new Samsung camera that I just need to play around with some more so that I can be comfortable using them.  I'm sure the quality of the video will improve drastically.

For now, I'm sorry for being so rough around the edges.  Bear with me :)

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me with my own money unless otherwise stated. ♥♥