New Mani Technique

Hello Lovelies! So I don't know about you but I have always struggled to complete a decent manicure using my non-dominant hand. I used to clean it up using a q-tip or a brush but I would run into the same problems when using my non-dominant hand. So I was pleased to find a new idea on Pinterest. Basically, using a brush you apply petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) around your nail and on your cuticles. That way nail polish that goes astray can be wiped off once the nail polish dries. This neat little trick made the world of difference and will be a staple from now on. I think that I will be doing my nails more often from now on since this method is less frustrating. This was the end result after a couple of days.

On my nails: China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat,
Sephora by OPI in Bare to Be Different, and
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I would recommend giving this technique a try if you are frustrated by non-dominate hand manicures.

P.S. This had nothing to do with this post but I love turtles and I was able to get this on my nail prior to Bare to Be Different.

Empties!

Hello Lovelies! Welp I decided to go ahead and do an empties blog. So far there are no makeup products but I am working on it.

For starters I have 2 body washes. Both are from Bath and Body Works and both are from a stash that I am desperately trying to work my way through.

Sheer Freesia Creamy Body Wash. First thing you should know is that I am in LOVE with Bath and Body Work's sheer freesia scent. And that explains why I went a little spend happy years ago purchasing a number of sheer freesia products during a semi-annual sale. Now this creamy body wash does nothing special. It cleanses and it smells nice...and that's about it. But, as that is all I need from my body wash I'll take it. Due to my indulgence in this scent it is a product that I will not repurchase because I am getting a little tired of the scent. But do expect to see more sheer freesia products in the future.
Cancer Vixen Wild Berry Body Cleanser. This C.O. Bigelow product came out a couple of years ago. I believe that the point was to support cancer research. I however got it on sale for pennies on the dollar, so of course I got a few of them. Again nothing special here. In fact I am really tired of the scent and looking forward to not having to experience it anymore. I do have a couple of body lotions to get through of this scent so I will have to continue to put up with it.

Staying with cleansing products

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Complete Care Shampoo. This new hair line has left me impressed. I do have to deal with oily hair and dandruff (sucks I know). This nourishing anti-dandruff shampoo does control dandruff, a feat that was previously only possible of Redkin products. I did not repurchase because I wanted to try other shampoos for the sake of seeing what else is out there. However, this is a shampoo I would recommend for those afflicted with dandruff. At a price point of about $6 you can't beat it.
eos Shave Cream. I bought this in pomegranate raspberry and liked the scent. I can't say that I loved this product. I have another bottle of this that I am working on so who knows if it will grow on me. The thing that I really did not like was the fact that it is in pump form. There is significant product that is stuck in the bottle with no way of getting out easily. I would rather see this in a squeeze tube so it can be more user friendly.
Soap&Glory Face Soap and Clarity 3-In-1 Daily-Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash. This is one product that I had high hopes for. It claimed to smooth, clean, and scrub. Now I have oily combination skin and this did nothing for it. It is mild so I would think that this would be a product that many skin types could use. This is a product that I am considering for a giveaway because I am interested to see what others think. At $16 a pop it is not a product that I would repurchase for my oily combination skin.
Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Face Polish. So I only had a sample of this, enough for one use. I used this with my Clarisonic and loved. It left my face feeling clean and matte. For a gal with oily combination skin this was major. Definitely a product I will purchase in full size form.
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes. I am a huge fan of cleansing wipes. I use them to take off my makeup so I am constantly on the look out for cleansing facial wipes. I gave these a try and I am a little torn. The brand claims to be the sensitive skin experts so maybe I hopes were too high. What I did love about these wipes is that they leave no oily residue as some other wipes do. After each use I felt that my face was indeed cleansed. What I did not like was the actual wipe material. I felt that it was a little rough for my liking and therefore not very comfortable to use compared to some other ones. So far I'm feeling like I have to choose between softness and non-residue. The search for the perfect wipe continues!

Two extras

Living Proof Hold Firm Hairspray. This hairspray has amazing hold just like it claims. I liked that there was no ashy look to my hair after the product had been on for a while. The smell is not that bad either considering that it is hairspray. I also like that it is available in 1.8oz for traveling purposes. This is a product I would recommend and would repurchase in the future.

Clear Care Contact Solution. This one is for the contact lens wearer. I am in love with this product. I used to be a loyal Opti-Free user but after trying this I am not going back. This has triple action cleaning- it deep cleans, loosens dirt, and enhances protein removal. It comes with a little container that you put your contacts in to neutralize the solution while it cleans your contacts. I say neutralize because the solution is made up of 3% hydrogen peroxide. It comes with instructions for you so you can use the product safely. I would go ahead and give this one if you haven't already done so. It is amazing...and watch the container bubble up is also kinda fun.

Well that's it for this empties entry and I am already working on the next one.

Better Late Than Never

Hello Lovelies! As you can tell from the title of this post, I am glad I gave this product a try. I was never one for tinted moisturizers because I didn't buy into the hype. I used to think, "A moisturizer is a moisturizer, if I want color I'll put on some foundation." But then came the BB Cream. When the hype first started I wanted to try it out, but I couldn't get my hands on one. Online reviews talked about another product that was similar to a BB Cream. Thus my impulse purchase of the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. I tried it once and thought, "Eh no big whoop." This summer I decided to give it another go. The first day I wore this out I got several compliments on my skin. People wanted to know what makeup I was wearing. The ONLY thing I had on my face was this tinted moisturizer. 

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska (Light 2)

While I still have not tried out a BB Cream, I think this product will definitely hold me over. It gives a sheer cover that evens out my skin, and provides a subtle glow. I am not sure if you can tell from the swatch above, but in person you can certainly see a difference. A major bonus of this product is that contains SPF 30. Go on give tinted moisturizers a try! Oh, and let me know which BB Creams you are loving.

Experiment With Old Regrets

Hello Loves! I am not sure if any of you spend time on Youtube, but if you do then you might be aware of the Pan Project. Basically it is a challenge to use up beauty products so you can make room for new ones. As someone that teeters very close to ending up on Hoarders, I was all about the Pan Project. More than anything I have tons and tons of lip products. From lipsticks to lip glosses to lip butters, they make up the majority of my makeup products. I found lip products that I either wanted to use up already or regretted purchasing in the first place. But, I didn't want to just chuck these products considering that I had spent money on them. After watching Youtube tutorials I noticed the difference lip glosses can have when layered on top of lipstick. So, I got creative with my makeup. Take a gander:

L: Clinique Pink Bamboo  R: Clinique Pink Bamboo with Lorac Trend Setter

Clinique Pink Bamboo with Fresh Sugar Kiss

From Left to Right: Clinique Sugared Maple, Clinique Sugared Maple with Lorac Trend Setter, Clinique Sugared Maple with Fresh Sugar Kiss, Clinique Sugared Maple with MAC Pure Magnificence

From Top to Bottom: MAC Gaga 2, MAC Gaga 2 with Korres Raspberry, MAC Gaga 2 with Korres Pomegranate, MAC Gaga 2 with Korres Quince

From Left to Right: MAC Mlle, MAC Mlle with Korres Rose, MAC Mlle with Urban Decay David, MAC Mlle with MAC Sweetie

You can see what a difference a lip gloss or lip butter can make when paired with a lipstick. After pairing lipsticks I was not fond of with other products I was also not that into, I found new wearable colors that I am looking forward to trying. So go on, get to exploring with your own not so lovable products!

Full list of products mentioned:

• MAC Viva Glam lipstick in GAGA 2
• MAC lipstick in MLLE (glaze finish)
• MAC lipstick in SWEETIE (lustre finish)
• MAC cremesheen glass in PURE MAGNIFICENCE
• Clinique long last lipstick in BAMBOO PINK
• Clinique long last lipstick in SUGARED MAPLE
• Urban Decay pocket rocket in DAVID
• LORAC couture shine in TREND SETTER
• Fresh sugar lip gloss in SUGAR KISS
• Korres cherry lipgloss in ROSE
• Korres lip buter glaze in POMEGRANATE
• Korres lip buter glaze in QUINCE
• Korres lip buter glaze in RASPBERRY 

Attack on Germs! (Haul)

Hello Lovelies! So I thought what better first post than one that helps you stay healthy. Now I am not a big fan of antibacterial hand sanitizers because I know that overuse can actually be harmful. BUT in moderation they can be really helpful. I went a little overboard on the hand sanitizers because I may soon need them. I am hoping to start a job soon that will require me to these a couple of times a day. I figured, if I have to use them then I might as well find some in nice scents! I bought these online at Bath and Body Works a while back. Let's get started :)

I bought three of these for $4 a piece. These are the larger hand sanitizers with pumps. I figured that I could share the wealth by leaving these on my desk. I just checked out the website Bath and Body Works and they have a couple of more scents on there. 

The Fresh Lavender smells like lavender and alcohol in the bottle. Once I put it on though, the alcohol smell wore off and just the lavender smell remained.

The Summer Escape smelled just like alcohol in the bottle. Once I out it on it smelled just like cotton and linen. I thought the picture on the bottle was a nice indicator of what the scent would be like.

Of the three, this was by far my favorite. In the bottle is smells like a peeling orange. When I out it on it still smelled like oranges being peeled. However, as time went on it started to smell more like mango. This is a scent that I would like in a PocketBac version.

I picked up 7 of the PocketBacs for $.80 a piece. These are small and a perfect size to stick in your handbag. Bath and Body Works constantly changes up their scents so it is worthwhile checking them out from time to time. They usually have a special on the PocketBacs. (Note: the tub is from The Container Store)

The Hoot Berry smelled like sweet, cough syrup in the bottle. The smell did not change much once I put it on. This was my least favorite, but not a regret. More like one that I would not repurchase.

The Jungle Fruit had a pleasant, fruity smell in the bottle. It reminded me a little bit of what a dragon fruit drink would taste like...if that makes sense. The smell remained the same once it was on. This one is in my handbag right now.

The Pink Daisy had a floral, soap scent in the bottle. I'm not really sure what daisies smell like...so yeah. Not a bad scent if you like florals.

The Raspberry Pink Peony had more of a floral scent in the bottle. Once it was on there was only a hint of raspberry, and more pink peony.

The I <3 Watermelon Cherry smelled more like cherry in the bottle. I reminded me of what a cherry jolly rancher would taste like (again, does this make sense?) Once I put it on it had a sweet smell that reminded me of strawberries.

The Baa Black Cherry smelled more like grape in the bottle. Once it was on it did smell more like black cherry. 

The Wildberry Dahlia had a good mixture of a floral and fruity scent. Once it was on though, the floral scent dominated.

On a side note, I love the packaging of the PocketBacs. Okay, until next time stay your amazing selves.