My Nail Polish Collection

I add a couple each season and I recently gave away A LOT of polish that was either old or didn't look very good on me. These are the ones that made the cut. Left to Right: OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress, OPI Flashbulb Fucshia, OPI Dutch Tulips, OPI Koala Beary, OPI Indi-A Mood For Love, OPI Don't Think Just Pink, Esse Mademoiselle, Ulta Enkore Pink, Ulta Golden Mauve. From Left to Right: Sally Hansen Salon Nail Laquer in Haute Chocolate, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, OPI Done Out in Deco, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Royal Romance, OPI Venus di Violet, OPI Bubble Bath, OPI Your Villa or Mine? From Left to Right: Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended Wear Top Coat, Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler from Sally Beauty Supply, OPI Rapid Dry Top Coat. My newest purchase. I just bought this yesterday at TJ Maxx for $3.99. Just as a side note they had a lot of Esse nail colors including whole sets from past seasons on sale for less than one polish normally costs.This is Esse Big Spender. This is the color I was hoping Koala Beary would be, just a gorgeous rasberry with two coats. Koala Berry is more of a dark wine color.

Tag: Best Drugstore Products

I think this was originally a tag for the 5 best or 10 best inexpensive products that can be purchased from any pharmacy. Since I'm not sure exactly how many I should list I'll just show the ones I use daily. 1. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara - I have this in Carbon Black in the original formula and the waterproof version. I cheat on it sometimes but I always come back to it. Love the brush, love the formula, love the look. 2. Rimmel Kajal Kohl Liner in Black - this stays in my purse for touchups and it frequently tags along in my lab coat at work. I have it in brown too but I don't use it nearly as often. 3. Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Moisturizer with Vitamin C - I use this every day. It absorbs quickly, makes my skin super soft, and has an SPF of 28. 4. L'Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer in Medium - I alternate this with a self tanner. I don't find the scent overwhelming and I also don't find it sparkly. I like the sheen it gives my legs especially when I'm wearing a skirt. I like that this is actually moisturizing as well, some of them aren't. 5. Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended Wear Top Coat - Love this, it gives a perfect mirror shine to my nail color. I use this on top of my fresh polish and usually touch up mid week. 6. Avalon Organics Skin Nourishing Vitamin C Refreshing Cleansing Gel and Balancing Facial Toner - technically I have only seen this in one drugstore chain but it is available at Target and Walmart. I cleanse my face morning and night with the gel and use the toner at night. I love that it doesn't dry out my face.

Tag: Most Worn

1. Lipstick: MAC Angel

My newest lipstick, I got this in a Back to Mac when I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago and I’ve worn it everyday since. I’m totally addicted. I’ve already added this to my list for my next order to MAC so I can get one to leave in my desk at work. Usually I’m a gloss girl so it’s nice to have a few lipsticks that are so wearable.

2. Earrings: Sterling Silver Love Knots

Love knots are classy and perfect for work. These never go in my jewelry box, they sit on my vanity and I wear them a few times a week. The funny thing is, my mom has two pairs and she wears them nearly every day.

3. Dress/Top: Gap Teal Dress

I bought this a few weeks ago and included it in a shopping spree post. It is my go to dress in the afternoons when I get home from work I can change into it and lounge around the house or go out to dinner. It has been 90+ degrees and humid here so this dress keeps me cool and chic.

4. Nail Polish: Esse Mademoiselle

This polish is easy. If I’m pressed for time I can put on one coat and go out or I can put on two for a bit more sheen. The formula is great for not showing imperfections, especially if you don’t have to time reapply a top coat in the week.

5. Shoes: Silver Sandals from Fahrenheit

These are new but I’ve worn them almost every day since I got them. These are the shoes that I reach for when I come home from work to run errands. It’s very convenient that they’re very comfortable and they go with all my skirts and summer dresses. I’ve abandoned my trusty Rainbow Flops for these because they dress up my casual outfits.

6. Hair Product: Chi Silk Infusion or Pravana Curl Enhancing Gel

Depending on whether I want to heat style my hair straight or wear my natural curls.

7. Perfume: Lancome Miracle

I’m bitter about perfume right now. I am trying to use as much of what I have and ask for new ones for Christmas. This bottle has been untouched in the four years I’ve owned it so I’m trying to use it up. This scent is the only one I have that isn’t too strong for work. I don’t love it in a “need it gotta have it” way but I am trying to use it so for now this is my daily perfume. I have two others I am trying to finish that I wear at nights or on weekends.

8. Handbag: Coach Bag

This is a dark red leather bag that I showed in my “what’s in your purse” post. It is my work purse, big enough for all my necessities and chic but not flashy. Which is good, because I work in an area of town that you wouldn’t want to flash any kind of designer logo.

Blog Update

So I went a few days without applying self tanner, mainly because I was so busy all week and wanted to go to sleep as soon as I got home. There was a striking resemblance to zombies you see in the movies, yeah. Not only was I white as a sheet but I also wore my same dark rimmed eyes and pale mouth. Yesterday I went through my normal exfoliation and self tanner application and VOILA! I'm back to my normal self. Lesson well learned. I took that Tanwise for granted, a mistake I hope I will not make again. I should have taken a photo of my uber pale self but I'm afraid the flash would have been blinding, so you'll have to take my word on it. In other news - I am trying a new name for my blog. I wasn't totally in love with the old one (even though my friends thought it was SO me). I'm not sure, I might switch it back. I wish before I started a blog I at least put some thought into the name of it. I'm still trying to think of new ones. Unfortunately I may be without a computer by the middle of this week. My new one might not get here until the last week of the month. I'll be able to read blogs via my iTouch and I will do a post as soon as my new laptop gets here.

Sigma Face and Eyes Brush Set

I purchased the Sigma brush set after seeing such great reviews from EnkoreMakeup and MakeupbyTiffanyD. I provided the links if you click on the youtuber's name, EnkoreMakeup actually did a 3 part series reviewing these brushes. The consensus is the brushes are similar to MAC brushes. I personally do not want to pay for a full set of department store brushes, if a unique brush comes out then of course I'll consider it. I have used the professional brush line from Sephora and I love the ones I have (except a few that shed like crazy). The set comes in a great brush roll; easy to clean and it has 3 extra spaces for brushes from other collections that you have. Mine came with a free gift, an elf eyeshadow quad in Drama which I haven't used yet. There are 5 brushes for face: From top to bottom: SS194 Concealer Brush, SS190 Foundation Brush, SS168 Large Angled Contour Brush, SS187 Duo Fiber Brush, SS150 Large Powder Brush There are 7 brushes for eyes: From bottom to top: SS252 Large Shader Brush, SS239 Eye Shading Brush, SS275 Medium Angled Shading Brush, SS224 Tapered Blending Brush, SS209 Eyeliner Brush, SS266 Small Angle Brush, SS219 Pencil Brush The set together: I have washed them and I've used them twice, certainly not enough for a review but so far I love them. I think I'll keep my Sephora Bronzing Brush and my cheapie eyebrow brush but otherwise I'll probably use these for daily makeup use and retire my others as my travel set.

Tag: 10 Honest Things

Another tag that was going around, I wanted to join in. I love easy assignments!

 1. I'm allergic to fire ant stings. I discovered it last summer when one attacked my foot and I had difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, swelling, rash, nausea, dizziness, and a fever. All from one tiny ant! Unfortunately now I have to carry an Epi-pen so tiny gorgeous clutches are out for me.

 2. I'm still on the fence about mineral makeup. I get suckered in to trying it but it really emphasizes dry patches of skin and some of it makes my pores look bigger. I have had great experience with mineral blushes.

 3. I love Shirley Temples and I drink them all the time. When I'm in the mood sometimes I'll make a Dirty Shirley.

 4. Love love love wine. I prefer Merlots or Pinot Noir but sometimes in the mood for Cabernet.

 5. I much prefer Pepsi to Coke. I drink a couple of soft drinks a week but it's either Pepsi or not worth it.

 6. My eyes are very large (think Bette Davis or Christina Ricci) and I have to rim them with black liner in an attempt to make them smaller.

 7. I'm not tech savvy. I usually have to enlist help from friends before I buy gadgets for my home.

 8. I'm petite (5'3) and slim but not very strong. My resolution this year was to exercise for strength and I think I have improved. I love cardio but I'm trying to incorporate strength training - I love Ellen Barret from FitTV because she ties cardio, strength and flexibility into every workout.

 9. I'm a clinical dietitian. I work in a hospital now but eventually I'd like to work exclusively with patients with kidney failure on dialysis.

 10. My favorite item in my home is a hand sewn king-size quilt that my grandma and mom made and gave me for Christmas last year. The fabric it at least 50 years old so I'm really timid to use it. I'm hoping to buy a quilt rack to display it in my new apartment.

Review: Tanwise and Model Co Airbrush Tan in a Can

Review: Tanwise I picked this up from Sally Beauty Supply for about $10. It has some really great reviews online. Apparently there was a product called Savage Bronze that was discontinued at Sally and this was what replaced it. I've been using it for 3 weeks, every other day and I have had great success with it. The product comes in as an orange/brown mousse which really scared me at first. The St Tropez that I had been using is dark green and I felt that may be what kept me from turning orange. I do have to keep shaking it every other pump or so and the actual amount of product per pump isn't quite as much as what comes out in one pump of St Topez. I love St Tropez because it doesn't have a smell. This product does have a smell when it comes out of the bottle. It isn't terrible - just smells like a salon, but it quickly goes away. It dries quickly; I haven't had any problems with it coming off on my sheets so far but a little comes off on my night gown underneath the arms. The end result is a nice bronze tan; I prefer the end results of this product to the St Tropez because it lasts a little longer and gives me more color. My skin just doesn't take self tanners that well so I have to dig to find one that will: 1. Deposit color (that isn't orange) and 2. Keep the color for more than 1 day. I alternate using this product every other day with L'Oreal Daily Tinted Moisturizer and alternate it with this product for the remainder of the bottle. I have already seen the next product I would like to try; it is a tanning system from SunLove that Allthatglitters21 reviewed, (see summer wish list post for more information). I would buy this again, in fact I think this product is good for summer but it will be great to use for color all winter long. Review: Model Co Tan Airbrush in a Can I've heard a lot of good and bad things about this product. It was on sale at my local TJ Maxx for $12.99 so I thought I would give it a try. Basically I don't think I'm a spray can tan kind of girl; tanning mousse is so much easier to apply. To use this product I had to stand in the shower, hold this product 12-14 inches away from my body and continually, every few seconds, shake the can so it wouldn't come out in streaks. If done correctly it is a fine spray that covers well and deposits fairly natural looking color. I can't say anything bad about the end result but the process was a pain in the rear and I think I'm very lucky that it didn't streak. After I finished spraying I blotted some areas with bath tissues. I also had to take a cloth and wipe down my shower because I was afraid the remainder would stain it. I wasn't brave enough to use this on my face so I use my St. Tropez on the face instead. This is already collecting dust in my cabinet; I will probably swap it as there seem to be a lot of fans.