Favorite stuff for March 2010!

How are you ladies doing? So, I'm excited about Easter coming up! :P I just love spending time with family, creating baskets for my boys and eating the food, candy and sweets! Anyways, this month has really flown by....For me it was a very busy month, I moved into my new home and was overwhelmed by all the mess that resulted....On a personal note, I still can't believe how much time has gone by so fast, I'm nearly due already, I just have 5 weeks left and there is still much to be done, but I love shopping at the last minute :)

My March faves aren't much but I did pick out some of the most grabbed for items in my makeup box. Anywho, let's start already!

Avon MAX Moisture cream for night-

It leaves your skin soft and moist, but never oily....it has a great light scent and is comforting.

MAC 'Blooming Lovely' lipstick

I thought that I could have something that looked like it but I was wrong, Blooming Lovely is unique and best of all it's Amplified, love it :)

MAC Blush in 'Peachtwist'

My first ever MAC blush, I can never get tired of wearing this color, it's the only blush that is perfect for my skintone and is always super pigmented, so a little goes a long way.

Maybelline Dream matte powder

The best setting powder there is at the drugstore...I love how it looks on my skin, flawless, airbrushed, perfection :)

Maybelline Line Stiletto

I'm amazed at how much this little pen has lasted me....I bought it a few months ago and it is still fresh and black as ever :)

Essie nail polish 'Lilacism'

I was skeptical if I'd like this color but once I put it on I fell in love. The color is perfect, not too pale and not too purply, I needed 2 coats and 1 extra just to be sure, if you love Essie you'll love this color!

My thoughts on Essence NP Colour and Go

I first spotted these cute bottles of color at my local Ulta and thought they were a new kind of brand, not soon enough did I realize they were a favorite overseas.....for a few years... oops :) Ok, but I admit that I wanted to find out more about the brand. I heard from very few bloggers that colour and go collection was meh...but to me, me thinking it was a new brand, haha, I actually liked the colors....At first I picked up only 1 color (Get the Fever)......but later returned to add 6 more to my collection....

I love the array of colors they offer...not only are they priced pretty good, 99 cents per bottle, but they are perfect in 2 coats, which in the world of nail lacquer addicts is good, really good :)

Def. Noteworthy.....

So, I tried out the Essence Colour and Go nail polish for the first time using Get the Fever, a rich, warm tangerine creme color....It was perfect in 2 coats and finished shiny, not streaky, and was smooth. Next, I moved on to the color What do you think? which is a creme apricot coral color which dries sort of like a orange-creamsicle color, it too was perfect in 2 coats. My final color test out was with No More Drama, a light pastel purple creme, to me resembles OPI Puerta Valarta Violeta. This color has outstanding purple hues without being too white nor too purply, it was the perfect pastel purple. Perfect in 2 coats.

So far so good......

Product: 5 stars out of 5

Packaging: 4 stars out of 5

Quality: 5 stars out of 5

Overall: 5 stars out of 5

Buy again? Yes

Pros: Fair color selection, smooth application, fast dry time, lasting quality good, fair price - 99 cents per .16 fl oz.*

*if regular bottles are usually .5 fl oz that would mean a full bottle of Essence would be about $3, which is a really good price!

Cons: only that the small bottle holds .16 fl oz, So you'll have to keep buying replacements when you run out....regular NP bottles hold .5 fl oz.

Scale of 1 to 10: I give this polish a 9!!!

If you like Essence nail polish, which is your favorite color?

:) Have a great weekend girls!!

Lush & Stuff: Things to get for my new home!

Since moving into my new home I've been dreaming of the day I can have a relaxing bubble bath.....I could not achieve one at my old home, the tub was too small....So our new luxurious bath tub needs to meet with me for an appt, ha!...I need to slip me one of those sweet smelling Bath Bombs from Lush....yes! Finally I get to shop at Lush and enjoy the products! So I've compiled a list of things I must get for my new home.....

MMM Melting Marshmellow moment

Rockstar Soap

Alkmaar Soap

Honey I washed the Kids Soap

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar

Honey Bun Bath Bomb

Also, if there is anything you recommend, let me know!

Oh and apothecary jar to store these in, great idea I stole from Tiffany of MakeupbyTiffanyD :) I love her!

What would I do without Aubrey of youtube's Fafinettex3 and her great ideas? Ever since I saw her Jewelry collection and storage video I can't get over the cute mirror/Armoire she had....

...this would be perfect for my jewelry madness....

and it got alot worse : /
So I'm getting the black one from QVC.com. I do have my jewelry organized but seriously it is in 3 different places! I would love to just have it in 1 place!

More organization I need:

Nail polish collection is getting way out of hand, so I found this seller on ebay and for $25 I'm getting a 90 ct. NP rack that you mount on the wall, this will be a great space saver....You should see my nail polishes at the moment, some are here some are there.....yeah a mess : D

Hey girls, I'm looking for a nice and cute vanity since I got rid of my old one. I'm currently using my dining table to do my makeup :(

Where have you seen some pretty ones?

I got a few ideas from efurniturehouse.com....yeeeeeah, my makeup is all over the place too, lol!

On a different note, I'm getting rid of my Juicy Couture perfume, does anyone want it? I'll gladly sell it for $20, I've only sprayed it about 4 times and honestly I don't like the smell....maybe it's my pregnancy?

Let me know!

Anywho, if you want it please let me know in the comment section, remember to give me your paypal email....US buyers only since I can't ship liquids overseas....

Have a great week everyone :)

Forever 21 Nail polishes and March Haul #2

More polish? I better start searching ebay for one of those wall mounted 90 count nail polish organizer thingy's, lol!

MAC Hauling
It's funny because I forgot about the latest MAC collections and uh....couldn't care less, hehe. I know I ought to pay more attention to them to seek out collectables to add to my LE lipstick collection, but lately I've been MIA at Specktra, lol. Anyways, I actually stopped by the MAC store and took a look at the Give me Liberty of London collection colors....While some colors are very nice some are sort of regular, plain....

That day I only got the lipstick Blooming Lovely, a nice creamy pinkish lilac muted color (amplified) and I was regretting not getting Peachstock lipstick and the darkish greenish eyeshadow so I ordered those 2 via dot com so I'm excited to receive those later :)

Anywho, here is my latest haul, second one of March.

I was feeling a bit springy can you tell? haha!

-Santee Shape a Unique You blush in 02 and 03
These are really nice, they have a silky finish and the color is light and not too pearly. I got them at a local bargain store.
-MAC blush Coppertone
It's a matte finish, but I'm not sure if I like it : /
-MAC Blooming Lovely lipstick
-Essie NP Lilacism
-Orly Elsbeth's Rose
-SH Sunkissed
-OPI Suzi says Feng Shui
-An assortment of jewelry from F21 and the pinkish earrings my husband bought for me :)

I was also feeling a bit metallic....

Has anyone tried these love and beauty nail polishes from forever 21? I was curious to test them out so I swatched all of them and they are pretty good. I'm loving the charcoal colored one, the purply one looks a bit chunky on the nail while the blue one is a jelly-base which needed 3 coats...but overall they are really nice!

-Maybelline Bronze Beauty
-F21 blue/purple, Charcoal, Orchid
-Kleancolor Chunky Glitter

I should have mentioned this a long time ago! But if any of you gals are interested in buying Santee products please let me know....
Thanks for looking!

Clearing up break-outs and random pimples

I asked a favorite makeup guru of mine what she recommended I do about my stupid zits that I only get on my forehead.....I got tired of trying different things.....everytime I clear a few up, I get replacements....and I have a bad habit of removing them only for them to leave scarring.....I hate it.....trying to apply my makeup and having to constantly cover my scars and other acne on my forehead....I longed for it to look smooth, bright and clear...only it comes out uneven and weird, and cakey.

She suggested I use a good benzoyl peroxide acne treatment, make sure to exfoliate, and to apply a good moisturizer due to the dryness that the bp would leave...she also suggested I use a yellow based concealer to cover up the scars or redness. I knew that using the bp cream would dry out my already dry skin but I was willing to try anything!

Please keep in mind that these steps for clearing up pimples works for me on my skin and for my skin type...I'm not an acne expert, I'm just sharing the info about what works for me, so if you want to try this out for yourself please do so at your own risk! :)

On a nightly basis, here is what I do for treatment.....

1. Using a 10% Benzoyl Peroxide treatment cream: Before I go to sleep at night I use the cream directly on the zits or in places that I wanted clearing up, not sure why but for me the cream works on my scars....it really does erase them haha! I don't rub in until it vanishes but I smear on a good amount and leave it there til it dries up a white color. Here is what I've learned about these creams: You can buy them just about anywhere....I've noticed it doesn't matter what brand you use, Benzoyl Peroxide is the same everywhere, even the cheap Family Dollar ones are just as good.....Walmart, Walgreens, Dollar General, CVS, Rite-aid, wherever you may see them you can use them just as long as they are 10% Benzoyl Peroxide and hasn't expired.....I'm currently using the Family Dollar brand and I also use the CVS brand gel. Benzoyl Peroxide comes in a few concentrations, I just happen to like more concentration, that is why I chose 10%.

By morning it may have rubbed off but I rinse it off with water anyway and apply moisturizer all over my face.

2. On the Second, Third or Fourth day of treatment: I will began to have noticed quite a bit of flaking, dry patches, what have you, on the site where I applied the bp..... For this I will use a small amount of face scrub to remove the dry skin....I won't use this scrub everyday but only when I notice the dry flaking.....Honestly I've tried a few face scrubs but none have interested me more than my HG Apricot Scrub by St Ives. I use a pea-sized amount and scrub off the dry skin....My tip: let the scrub do the work, not your fingers....don't force scrub on your face, gently hold the scrub and let the scrub work it's magic. *Important - while treating, don't use a mud mask...those tend to reduce oil and cause more dryness....not good. Wait until a few days or weeks to use mud masks again.

3. Before makeup or during the day 'spot moisturization': I use a good quality moisturizer. Here are my faves -

- Avon pm Maximum Moisture

- Clinique Dramatically Diff. Moisturizing lotion

- Neutrogena daily moisturizer

I use the Neutrogena before I apply my makeup.....during the day if I notice a bit more skin flaking I will dab on the Avon cream only on those spots. The Clinique I use at night or sometimes before my makeup.

4. I patiently wait a few days for the final phases of treatment: This clearing up isn't something that will happen overnight...you have to be patient....I wait it out a few days....Yeah my skin might have dry patches and such, but that is the beauty of it all, going thru the tough phase and when all is said and done my skin comes out clear and back to normal again.....

My thoughts on the whole thing: Hopefully it will last, haha! Before my next breakout....then I get to repeat the whole process :)

Easter Nails! NOTD...

Inspired by....Easter, pastels, brightly colored eggs! The simple multi-colored tips are nice and a pleasant way to make them a bit different, unique and fun instead of the usual and boring but pretty white tips.....even those zebra or cheetah prints *yawn*.....

Anyways, these were pretty easy to do....All you need are 5 separate pastel colored nail polishes...You can use any color you want, just as long as it is obviously different from one another. Unfortunately I wasn't able to work in a nice butter yellow NP because I only have 5 fingers on each hand, lol, but I managed to make them colorful and well balanced....if that makes sense :)

You can also do a multi-colored tip but with neon colors, this is something I'll be doing as soon as it heats up in central Texas and for during the summer when we go to the beachhouse this June :) As you can tell from the color my nails are slightly different lengths...I blame this on my own natural karma...my nails are thin and fragile as filo paper in an Arizona desert so any little thing breaks them....I just do the best I can and look good in the process....

Tutorial:

What you need -

Scotch tape

5 different colors

a clear or jelly based pink non-frosty color for the nail bed

A clear top coat NP

1. Clean and dry your nails....don't apply a base coat....I didn't but you can if you wish, I just don't have time to wait for it to dry, plus you'll be applying the tape so when you rip it off some of the clear polish might come off too....mess mess mess,- so just leave it be, your nails will be ok, don't freak out :D

2. Get a piece of clear tape....you'll cover the pink part of your nail and align it to the first part of your white natural tip - where the pink meets the white, so that once you paint over it there will be no white nail showing...

3. Apply the colors on your tips only, I used 2 coats for each nail...but use as much as you wish to obtain the opaqueness....

4. Please peel off your tape from your nail while it is still wet so that you don't rip off part of the color too!

5. Once they have dried a bit get your french color and lightly but entirely dab on the color on the pink part of your nail making sure not to touch your freshly colored tips. I did not apply the nail bed first because...well, see why on instruction #1 !

6. Wait a bit for the nail pink bed part to dry then apply the clear top coat over the entire nail....

7. Finished! Now you have fun Easter nails!

The little monkeys that made this all happen:

OPI Shorts Story
Sinful Innocent
Essence What do you Think?
Maybelline Pie in the Sky
Essence No More Drama
NYC Love Letters (for the nail bed pink part)
LA Colors clear top coat (my fave)

Enjoy!

Early March 2010 Haul

I'm suddenly feeling very sleeeeeepppyy.......Zzzzzzz.........

Oh snap! Sorry everyone for such long breaks between blogging but I've officially started feeling way burned out due to me hitting my 30 weeks mark and still working full-time. I love to haul though and thought that one sure thing I love to do is show pictures of my haulage, especially for those that love to see it!

This is an early March haul since I'm certainly not done shopping...Actually I did pretty good considering I'm super busy....Me and the family are moving into a new home next week so I've been pretty wrapped up in all that excitement! As soon as I'm settled into the new house I'm taking a long deserved trip up to the outlets for baby shopping.... and makeup shopping perhaps? Anyways lots of catching up to do in my blog, I hope you all stick around to see it! :)

I got a perfume from Avon called Windscape since I can't hardly stand my Viva La Juicy, I've been meaning to shop for some perfume but loved the way this one smelled so I decided to get it. I got that along with a Solutions Maximum moisture cream for the face for PM, remember I blogged about needing a nighttime cream a few posts ago? well I love it so far, very soothing and smells great.

On a recent trip to the mall I decided to pick up a long-time favorite, the Clinique Dramatically Diff mois. lotion and an Essie polish (bright orange) called Bright Tights - I must return this one because I wore it yesterday for the first time and it was a 4 coater, actually it could have used another, yikes :(

The Revlon lippie called Hot Pink Chocolate I found at Big Lots during my lunch break last week, I also found these cute earrings at Steinmart and then decided to get on the highway to go get NARS Orgasm blush, which to me is meh....I may return it, I'm not sure.

The Essie Matte about you and OPI DS Mystery I got from Ulta.

Bargain hunting!

I was looking for a chocolate colored cream nail polish and happened to see these 2 KleanColors at a local dollar store and love them! Mocha and Cappucino, both are smooth and need only 2 coats, wonderful!

And more polishes?

I separated the following polish hauls because I didn't want to over-crowd the first picture, haha!

Claire's nail polish in Marine Blue, a gorgeous teal greenish creme which is very nice in 2 to 3 coats, dries a little suede-ish but looks nice with a shiny clear top coat.

Orly's Liquid Vinyl is a rich true black creme, there were a few colors on sale for $4.99 at Ulta and this was one of them so I decided I had to have it because I never owned a really good black polish. This one is super pigmented and smooth.

Sephora's Just a Fairy Tale is a clear based nail polish with teal, silver and irridescent tiny sparkles, here too they had a few colors on sale for $4.

From Walgreens I got Xtreme wear in Rockstar Pink, Maybelline Pink Shock and Tropez Island Pearl.

The Maybelline was on clearance for $2.14.

I traded in a polish I got from Claires and found this great creme hot pinkish-coral color called Fire. The CQ color is called Halo Pink....actually little story about this: I once had a polish just like this one when I was in high school and I'd been searching for a dupe and this is quite close! very excited about that, it is a hot pink jelly with irridescent frost/flash.

The Essence polish Get the Fever I found at Ulta but I've seen in only 1 more store...I love this line....they had a wide variety of colors, mostly creme! These cute little polishes are only 99 cents, I'll have to indulge and get some more colors!

Winner of MAC Giveaway!

Winner of my MAC Giveaway is

Diane

(dianefreedom.blogspot.com) 

from Romania!

Thank you to all that entered!