tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25798580159277983992024-03-05T06:55:33.710-06:00Kirari*DreamA selection of my inane ramblings focusing mainly on makeup and beauty products.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-54102104698308533622013-04-09T15:18:00.001-05:002013-04-09T16:01:14.629-05:00Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Oil Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/tripleNutritionOil.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=0606756736&Campaign=2222899272&Uid=1333969&token=8dde0669c74d51d5f6d77a3184d3e0b9" /></div>
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Disclaimer: This complimentary product was sent to me in order to try and review.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There's been a massive influx of hair oils on the market lately, and Garnier Fructis made a bid for a slice of that delicious, oily market with their new multi-use product, Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil. Designed as a multi-use product, this is marketed to be used on your hair, face, and body. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: hair oil, as I understand marketing concepts.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Truth be told, I don't really care for hair oils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have as of yet to find one that actually works for my hair. Unfortunately, Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil is no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with a light touch, this product has a tendency to send me to greasy-land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a typical day of use, my hair started out soft and shiny, but by the end of the day, it turned lank and sad looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's definitely not what I'm looking for in a product at all. In fact, stringy mop-hair is pretty much the opposite of what I want. I tried this oil on hair that was wet, and on dry hair as well. I also tried spraying the product onto my hands before rubbing it on my hair instead of just squirting it on, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The saving grace of this product is that it isn't made just for hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also works for your skin, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, this is where the product shines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I absolutely loved it as a body oil, and it worked wonders on the dry skin on my legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> With the end of winter (supposedly) in sight, now's the time I start to realize that "hey, I'll probably be wearing shorts or some sort of leg revealing piece of clothing soon. Eek!" Time to shear, exfoliate, and moisturize!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It absorbed cleanly into my skin, and didn't make me itch the way some oil sprays tend to do. A lot of dry oil sprays tend to also really dry my skin, but I didn't have this problem here. Also, because it's a spray, I could be really lazy and just squirt it on, which I really liked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The label on the bottle of Triple Nutrition Dry Oil claimed that this was also meant for use on the face. However, compared to most facial oils I've used, it's really thick. So thick, in fact, that I only used it on my face a few times because I was afraid it would cause breakouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never really saw any breakouts related to this, fortunately. I'd still be leery of using this as a daily moisturizer, but the handful of times I used it, I didn't have any problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It just didn't wow me enough as a facial moisturizer to get over my fears. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My absolute favorite use for this, however, was as a bath oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only took a few drops to have a tub full of fragrant, soothing water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to take relaxing baths, and a dip in water infused with this oil really soothed my skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like most bath oils, though, if you use too much, the tub will get dangerously slippery and someone will fall and bust her ass (again).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I found it funny that I had such high hopes for this product hair-wise and expected so little of it skin-wise only to have to actual performance totally be the opposite.</span></div>
Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-57592177816442803322013-02-06T11:25:00.000-06:002013-02-06T11:25:31.645-06:00Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream<div style="text-align: center;">
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Recently, BzzAgent gave me the opportunity to try and review Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula hand cream. The 40 year old, glycerin-rich formula proclaims that it can undo seasons worth of damage to weary skin and improve the look and feel of nails. Oh yeah, it can also be used as a lip balm.<br />
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Wait... what? That sounds kind of gross. <br />
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Yep, one of the selling points is that this cream is a multi-use product and it is actually a pretty decent lip balm. I wouldn't replace any of my other balms with this, but in a pinch, it's not bad. I'm not found of the taste, though I found the original scent to have a better flavor than the unscented, which was kind of surprising. I could also see where some people could have some serious contamination issues using it for both hands and lips. <br />
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The company states that this formula fights the seven signs of damage: dryness, chapping, splitting nails, dry cuticles, scaliness and roughness. It's also very thick. The company also states that the small 2 ounce bottle is good for up to 200 uses. I laughed when I read that, because it is a very small bottle, indeed. However, it really does take only a teensy amount and after learning to use the proper amount, I can see a bottle lasting a very, very long time. The amount you use in one is very crucial, though. If you use too much, the stuff just stops being absorbed and the excess sits on your skin, leaving your hands a greasy, sticky mess. This is the main complaint that I've heard from people who try it. There's a really fine line between just right and way too much.<br />
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This is not an instantly moisturizing lotion. If you're looking for something to instantly soften your hands, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. This one has a cumulative effect, and it is a really nice one. I can indeed say that after using this for a couple of weeks, I can see a big difference in my hands and nails. In fact, in 2012, this cream won Good Housekeeping's Seal of Approval. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure what exactly this entails, except that Good Housekeeping has been around a long time, and I've never read it. Also, apparently I can return it. I don't know, I'm digging here. </td></tr>
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Fancy house cleaning magazines aside, this is a great lotion for someone looking to improve the appearance of their hands over time. This has become my go-to lotion for softness. I just wish it had a little more immediate oomph to it.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-16003487882647359622012-10-09T13:11:00.001-05:002012-10-09T13:11:38.032-05:00Desert Essence Coconut Shine & Refine Hair Lotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite items from Influenster's Naturals'12 VoxBox that I received for free in order to try and review was Desert Essence's Coconut Shine & Refine Hair Lotion. This extremely coconutty white lotion promises to make your hair healthier and shinier, while taming frizzies and fly aways. Also, it's very coconutty. Did I mention that? In fact, it's so coconutty that I can't wear it around my friend that's sensitive to coconut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're not kidding about the coconut part.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I have to add in here that I absolutely love the smell of coconut, and if I had to compare the scent of this hair goo to something, I'd say that it smells like classic Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen. I love the smell of Hawaiian Tropic, too. I remember being young and wearing it around the house just because I loved the smell of it. Plus, the bottle I had was a tanning lotion, and I could lay out in the sun just like the grownups on the telly. I did some strange things when I was a kid, but to be fair it was the 80s, lol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Since we have, in fact, established the scent of the product, we can now move onto its uses. It's advertised as moisturizing, strengthening, and smoothing. In the next breath, they promise that it helps bring out your hair's natural beauty and texture. This confuses me. On one hand, it helps smooth your hair. But what if your natural texture isn't smooth? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Personally, I have stick straight hair. It couldn't hold texture if my life depended on it. I remember once, a friend wanted to learn how to use hot rollers so I offered myself up as a guinea pig. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face as she pulled the rollers out and watched my hair instantly straighten back up, almost like a reversed time-lapse video of a vine curling around a stick. My whole family has this stick straight hair, too, so I've not been able to test this on someone with a different hair type to see how it would perform. I do know that for me, this stuff works wonderfully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: the cartoonish sound of a deflating balloon and the "wap wap wap" of failure.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As long as I use a light hand, it tames flyaway hairs, adds a bit of shine, and leaves me with hair that I sit and sniff all day. The scent is very strong, though not overpowering, and really lasts. I keep mentioning the scent for two reasons: one, I love it, and two, I can really seeing it turning some people off. If you don't like the smell of coconut, you will not like this. If you don't like hair products where the scent lingers all day, this probably isn't for you, either. A quick warning though: too heavy a hand will leave you with a head that's delicious smelling, but quite greasy looking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As far as the moisturizing aspects, I can't say I've noticed a big difference in my hair. Dry hair isn't something that I have a big issue with. I can say that I noticed a dramatic difference in any split ends that I may be rumored to have, though. Now my daughter (who insists on wearing this every day) is a whole other story. It makes a huge difference in how soft her hair is. She's gotten so many compliments; it makes me sick and/or possibly jealous, lol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">In regards to the shine adding aspects, yes it does add a little shine. The more that you add, the more shine it adds until you slide right into grease-ball town. Does this add as much shine as a dedicated hair gloss? Nope, not by a long shot. If you want ultra-shiny hair, you'll probably want to go towards one of those. If you're wanting something to tame frizzies and fly-away hairs, help with split ends, remind you of summer, and do this using mostly all-natural bits, then this is definitely an item that you'll want to look into. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-11174110434211267082012-10-08T15:17:00.000-05:002012-10-08T15:17:58.466-05:00Lypsyl Intense Protection LypMoisturizer
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think it's the little bee-fly hybrid that gets me every time.</td></tr>
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One of the items that I received in my free 2012 Influenster Naturals box in order to try and review was LypSyl's Intense Protection Lypmoisturizer. <br />
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Superfluous ys ahoy!<br />
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When I opened this up, I was quite surprised by the heft of the tube. You get quite a bit of product for the money, and it's quite a bit bigger package than an average lip balm. The solid itself in in a a flattened oval stick, instead of the traditional circle of most balms. I could see this being a turn off for some people, but I found that I enjoy it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Length and girth!</td></tr>
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The next thing that caught my eye was the sliding mechanism. It's (supposed to be) shaped like a bee, and I love bees. I think they're adorable and/or possibly the perfect tool for vengeance. You know, the complete package all wrapping up in this tiny, buzzy, happy thing. I got the biggest kick out of this, and it made me giggle when I saw it. Oh ok, it made my giggle when I realized that it wasn't a fly, lol. One of the key ingredients in Swedish beeswax, so perhaps this is how Swedish bees look? No? Well, poo. Also, a classier blog wouldn't make a joke about Swedish fly.</div>
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<a href="http://www.diseaseaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/spanish-fly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" nea="true" src="http://www.diseaseaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/spanish-fly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm led to believe it's like this, only blonder.</td></tr>
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I found that the mechanism works well, but does have a tendency to slide the product back down into the tube over time. I don't know if I have a faulty tube, but if this tendency gets worse, that's going to be a major problem. :(</div>
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<br />Once I got over my giggles, I decided to break the puppy in. I won't lie, when I put the balm on, I thought it was possibly the nastiest tasting thing I'd had on my lips in a while. It definitely has a menthol twang to it. However, it felt so good on my lips that I didn't notice the flavor after a while. On subsequent applications, I didn't find that the taste was nearly as strong or as off-putting. I don't know if I got used to it, or if there was an extra shot in the tip, or what.</div>
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To give it this menthol twang, it's advertised as being full of mint flavoring. I don't believe this is peppermint, because it's definitely not pepperminty tasting, but I may be wrong. Because of all the mint (and possibly voodoo), this balm definitely has a cooling effect to it. I love the way this feels, but I suspect that someone with sensitive lips would probably hurt. It also has coconut oil in it, so people with coconut sensitivity (like one of my best friends) should watch out for it. Rounding out the natural ingredients list is Shea Butter (because this is in, like, everything now-a-days) and vitamins A&E goo.</div>
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I found this to be one of the longer lasting balms on me, which honestly isn't saying much. My lips absorb chap stick type stuff like a sponge. I felt its effects for an hour or so; bog standard chap stick tends to hold up for maybe a half an hour.</div>
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I found this to be a great balm, once I got over the taste. I've even went out and bought a couple more of 'em to stash in various places. </div>
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Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-89557481130854243482012-09-12T08:31:00.001-05:002012-09-12T08:31:13.430-05:00Covergirl & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation <center>
<img alt="" src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/covergirlOlay.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=1058041311&Campaign=3550050590&Uid=1333969&token=06e694da758888546627445b0471a508" /></center>
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When it comes to foundations of this type, I've never been able to get past the whole "it's for gracefully aging women of a certain age" thing that is implied. At least, it's implied to me. Is it implied to anyone else? Nope, I suspect that this one is my own special little hang up. However, this one I can get away with, because it improves skin tone and helps to increase radiance. Nope, not calling me old at all. No way, nuh-uh.<br />
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Yeah, maybe I do have a few hang ups on this gracefully aging thing. Though, to be fair, I couldn't be graceful at anything if my life depended on it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first result when doing a Google Image search for Grace. I could be this, but it'd take plastic surgery and some new bits.</td></tr>
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As I reported previously, BzzAgent invited me to take part of a campaign trying out Covergirl's new 2-in-1 Tone Rehab foundation. Maybe it's Tone Rehab 2-in-1 foundation. I can't remember; I always get this confused. Either way, Covergirl has expanded their partnership with Olay to bring out a new foundation and powder in their line of products for those that are gracefully (or not) aging. They sent me a complimentary bottle of foundation in Classic Ivory and a powder compact in Fair in order to try out and review.</div>
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<img border="0" hea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegsgXxK6bjjkKa5yJ5QlBe2wgtNcrMIHs9_c-QXERkPOplHFCjbEM1rD-t2qHYYrgCd3fyu99-0j4tfpF0leZ7WBmQKHyJpgKoTwGO33qpuVufDuZ58Gk82VGTElg1WxRBZhRVlmisco/s1600/cg_olay_pressed_powder_2.jpg" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCP_-cEN3Po9bZ7DJT05qVhH_hNCsu2KrCMflThLIco3RPMDlzagveCxfZIQ-FCCNrgmsZODBwvbk-UcX5KCctq6wlg9_guszIJppQSHRj54W8QM0Bvtc8lOLhoHy-odS1xYcK_zgZFY/s1600/cg_olay_tonerehab_foundation_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCP_-cEN3Po9bZ7DJT05qVhH_hNCsu2KrCMflThLIco3RPMDlzagveCxfZIQ-FCCNrgmsZODBwvbk-UcX5KCctq6wlg9_guszIJppQSHRj54W8QM0Bvtc8lOLhoHy-odS1xYcK_zgZFY/s320/cg_olay_tonerehab_foundation_1.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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The color of the foundation didn't really work well with my skin at all. It was too dark, requiring me to blend it down into my neck. However, a weekend trip to a theme park changed this, as I managed to burn myself crispy despite bathing in sunscreen every hour. Now it's only a hairbreadth too dark. Still, if I were to buy a bottle (and there's a good chance that I will be), I would definitely go a shade lighter. The shade definitely has that orange undertone to it that some foundations have. I think the powder's shade leans towards warm, as well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHv9DxNbzBXjQjG5GZwleN9cnAqlmphYT8ZjQvjRfdzJ0Pljc2CmFCPvMruFADTjHy34Edbh_co0Q-zn-A71g_sgGH6QG4pL2_qK_gzmysrMVc5Tel2Zmn5s8BoV84uXWvQMBg5-Wanr4/s1600/meafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHv9DxNbzBXjQjG5GZwleN9cnAqlmphYT8ZjQvjRfdzJ0Pljc2CmFCPvMruFADTjHy34Edbh_co0Q-zn-A71g_sgGH6QG4pL2_qK_gzmysrMVc5Tel2Zmn5s8BoV84uXWvQMBg5-Wanr4/s320/meafter2.jpg" width="180" /></a><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp3cDK13tBpcZjCjNGPNBPlfNWgWs4syElSVDfP9fmj9nsnvqQqQygsme1A4b_zZyKWg012Ed6_7yAO-J8oG3fO29TQxF-5Uh2uZoLFtPnMH9i_bIyKvVorfQZOzarvSK3A23aeryu44/s320/before2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="180" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the left, wearing the foundation after trying it for a couple of weeks. On the right, the before picture I took, sans makeup. </td></tr>
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This is not a foundation that you'd want if you're going for an all natural look. This is a pretty heavy coverage foundation; it's thick and it sits on the skin. Truthfully, it'd have to be to live up to its claims of covering lines and evening out skin tone. It does provide good coverage, though, and I was able to get away with not applying concealer over a couple of blemishes. </div>
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Because of the moisturizer swirl, it has a very distinctive feel to it. I know I haven't tried a foundation that feels anything like it. Its actually a kinda slimy feeling, and it does retain this feel on the face until it settles in. However, this slipperiness made blending a dream, and application was very easy. Some liquid foundations are a pain in the butt to blend, glide, or get to do anything other than give you brush (or sponge) burns when you try to blend 'em.</div>
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The wear time is good. It definitely holds up through my normal work day, which is an office job. I've not had any problems wearing it out, either. It doesn't hold up to sweat, though. </div>
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As far as the powder goes, I don't particularly like it. It tends to sit on the skin in an extremely obvious way unless you buff it in hard. It's very chalky looking. I don't know if it's the powder puff provided, or if it's the product itself. Heck, it could even be user error, as this is the first time in years I've used pressed powder. I guess I'm just addicted to big fluffy brushes, lol. The one time I've used a fluffy brush with it, I don't get this effect. However, doesn't that defeat the whole blotting benefits of using pressed powder? That's what I've always been told, anyway. Another thing that I've noticed with the powder is that after a while, it got kinda nasty looking. It developed a weird sheen, and these little odd bumps. I'm guessing this is from skin-oil contamination. I do recall that every pressed powder that I've had has done this, though. Maybe its a special bonus feature? It lets you see what's incubating in your skin!</div>
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Eww...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took roughly 5 uses to get this icky. I guess I'm way dirtier than I thought.</td></tr>
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Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-16439193476457727492012-08-31T14:29:00.001-05:002012-08-31T14:29:37.663-05:00Circus by Andrea's Choice: Ringmaster and Spectacle<br />
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I had previously reviewed two other shades in this line, and they didn't fare too well. In fact, I'd go as far as labeling 'em pretty crappy. Because of this, I kinda groaned when my daughter and I received Ringmaster and Spectacle in our August Glambags. Still, I'm a polish fetishist, so I thought I'd give them a chance. I'm very, very glad I did. <br />
<a name='more'></a>If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have even guessed that they were from the same brand. The difference in the four colors contrasts as clearly as night and day. Ringmaster and Spectacle have the same kinda matte finish as Somersault and Reverso, but their coverage and wear are worlds ahead. <br />
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Spectacle is a lovely traffic cone orange. It's not really a neon orange, it's hue is too dark for me to consider it a neon. However, it is still very bright. Coverage and wear are quite good. I didn't have any problems with it chipping or peeling off. I only wore it for a couple days, so how well out holds up in the long run I couldn't say. I have polish ADD, so I don't wear them long enough to worry about it lasting several days, lol. It took 3 coats to get the creamy coverage shown above, but two coats really works just fine. With two coats, there are a few brush marks, but it's not too obvious.<br />
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<img border="0" fea="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBtHbs9R2t0As_fL343qeBOeuxVrCIAOKzWZxVRJ5XYPYifBptQ3vAU_BbTFFC1qU6TyuanDTQzYmHGRB5OQOQO-sKJUvspOfd-zb5AYnR4JVGA8du0JzypZ1MI-WuZBgP-Bsd3ecFOs/h120/mornailsa.jpg.jpg" width="200" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpY7M5NmfguAxmwbkLwtTJLeuBQ9XRA6yZHOCR-LcLT0AhFwvpMYwzQuLsztkY9ByZJWXLBMKKnQS5esPDuNKgiHnUtdNBCoxU1tJcnI9UFtXrn5iaX3Zujz6h3IITBuZyMV37veDTPo/s1600/ponails2a.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupiHptLs7irLM04mdkbchO5jbzCTGKrmZqxvzXjxiDeguQAbq5ywe8SjKYEPnALBEWDxJR1AwU2AO-ZqLROvCE5X0950CLKRI-CtemL2T1F2b0r-sp10hO7GIRImGsAem-6hppY8mJCw/h120/morenails2.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ringmaster</td></tr>
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Fun Fact: In all the promotional materials I've seen, Ringmaster has been labelled as Tightrope. I'm so confused!<br />
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For as much as I hated the white and yellow polishes in this line, I can not believe that this has become my go-to nail polish. I love coral-ly hot pink colors, especially on my toes, and this color is perfect. It may not actually be a coral-ly color, but it's not a true neon pink. In my mind, there's definitely a smidgen of coral. Don't break my fantasy! Coverage is really good, and again, I used three coats in the (bad) pictures above. Three isn't a necessity, but there are some brush marks with two. It also holds up rather well. It does do a weird peeling thing if it gets chipped, though.<br />
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Despite my initial reservations, I'm really looking forward to trying out the final polish in this line: a purple hue that I'm assuming is Tightrope. <br />
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Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-1202759086465080852012-08-31T11:37:00.001-05:002012-09-11T07:55:47.034-05:00Sugarpill Limited Edition Pressed Eyeshadow in @#$%!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhutQfjJSjuBXPX3IywNmOpsJR1bw7IB8W_mqizo0K72whelLbTmuugBWGjSZoulJuF1F_MBj7QsLc5Bt4wqAlPzxUaQZtsQp7GvzDi16uIxG3pkvKUOCgM3GbojXQ1wwiSugveywnreE/s320/@%23$!a.jpg" width="284" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3cwU4qBy6kb4zlQpvzN2FbGiwzlNSf0PCRclI2l7SyoGPRi0tb1bvChfW4IWaiWVtNbt3pRn7mVd_WD_fYY-h-L6cgKTcJDRHVvIg7Lys3YywuJyxi6jjcyh9XOgyF3HrocQj_ISYs/s1600/backa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3cwU4qBy6kb4zlQpvzN2FbGiwzlNSf0PCRclI2l7SyoGPRi0tb1bvChfW4IWaiWVtNbt3pRn7mVd_WD_fYY-h-L6cgKTcJDRHVvIg7Lys3YywuJyxi6jjcyh9XOgyF3HrocQj_ISYs/s320/backa.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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I have a slight obsession with Sugarpill eyeshadow, and when I learned that a limited edition shade was available at IMATS earlier this year, I really wanted it. Like oh so badly wanted it. Alas, I was unable to procure this treasure (or the ones from a previous IMATS).<br />
<a name='more'></a>For some reason, I'd been holding off on buying their new Heart Breaker palette. I don't know why, I just never got around to ordering it. I was surprised (and super stoked) when I saw that not only was Beautylish launching a boutique, but Sugarpill was going to be their first offering. They were also planning to sell a limited run of my coveted eyeshadow, too! I so totally signed up. <br />
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When the store was launched, the eyeshadow was made only available with the purchase of a Heart Breaker palette. My heart jumped! I'd be able to get both the single shadow and the palette for the price of the palette. Squeals were to be had, let me tell you. <br />
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Shipping from Beautylish was lightening fast. I truly did not expect their processing time to be less than a few hours. I placed my order on the evening it launched, and received a notification that it was ready to ship in less than five hours. Seriously. So far, their boutique is off to an amazing start. Also, when I got my package, everything was hand signed, and it included a card saying that I was number 50 out of 300. Whether or not that means I was their 50th customer, or I was the recipient of their 50th eyeshadow, I don't know. I still thought it was a really awesome touch. <br />
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Now I'm rambling. On to the goods!<br />
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@#$%! is a really pretty shadow, and I don't find it very similar to Love+ at all. This shade has a blackened look to it, and is sprinkled through with silver glitter. The pigmentation is up to Sugarpill's high standards, and it wears really good. I did have a little bit of fallout wearing it. It held up really well on its own, and was fantastic with a good primer. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDjQu5Fmx2tCpdvsD1j-s5NYADzWXBPYrAbOyveMcWJPkLVCzBJ0fyzdjKaxuRgaPGC3Xaie5zHUOks0x1ERFf5hxqikNjmlfNm2jYfTN7bx8z4Pnwm_GLcK-j42npo-ed0Zdnxnaa0o/s1600/@%23$!swatcha.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDjQu5Fmx2tCpdvsD1j-s5NYADzWXBPYrAbOyveMcWJPkLVCzBJ0fyzdjKaxuRgaPGC3Xaie5zHUOks0x1ERFf5hxqikNjmlfNm2jYfTN7bx8z4Pnwm_GLcK-j42npo-ed0Zdnxnaa0o/s1600/@%23$!swatcha.jpg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swatched on: bare skin (left), UD primer potion (center), Pixie Epoxy (right)</td></tr>
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I don't really find that the glitter shows up on the skin. Of course, glitter is a very coarse word for what it really is. Its really, really finely milled silver stuff. In fact, it almost looks like an over-spray. If it hadn't shed some of the microscopic glitter on the black case when I first opened it, I'd be highly suspicious of it being so. Well, and I've seen pictures proving that its not, lol. <br />
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All and all, this is a beautiful eyeshadow. I'm in love with it, at least, lol. Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-91385190176466854962012-07-27T15:52:00.001-05:002012-09-11T07:59:03.767-05:00CIRCUS by Andrea's Choice polish: Reverso and Spectacle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock image of the polishes.</td></tr>
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I received two of these polishes via my (and technically my daughter's) monthly Glambag subscriptions in the month of July. I was highly looking forward to getting the polish, because I've been desperately searching for a white polish that I love. At the time, we were not aware of the alternate color available. My bag contained the yellow polish, <em>Somersault, </em>and my daughter got the white, <em>Revereso.</em> These colors won't be available until the fall of this year.</div>
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The marketing information was horribly creepy, and I don't think it was meant to be so. I'm not sure if they were going for a 90s Steve Madden-esque SD image, but it moves away from that into the uncanny valley. It's not flattering, and I'm not really sure how it ties into the polish. Why did I mention this? Because that's what I see when I think of the polish now, unfortunately.</div>
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The five colors that have been introduced are very bright, and very pretty. I love the colors of all of them, especially the pink and the purple. I love, love, love neon colors.<br />
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True to life, the yellow was oh so pretty. It's not quite as vibrant as my monitor (or three) would have led me to believe. I wouldn't call it a neon at all. It's more of a amped up banana yellow. As I said, it is really, really pretty. The white was, well, white. If I had to say if it had a base (but it really doesn't), I'd say it was a blue based white. Think liquid white-out.<br />
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The bottles weren't anything special, but the logo was cute. The brushes are rather thin; they made me think of Love My Nails' brushes, which really surprised me. I really expected better. They're not unusable by any means, but this is being marketed as fancy nail polish, not $.99, bottom rack, drugstore, cheap-o kind.<br />
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But quality's the key word here, isn't it? Oh yellow nail polish, how I wanted to love you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiDluOrxKDrKPnWthcBad2II8KF_TmaBLL3f6Nnl-0NPK1lzV4ig-vs59CfymrZ2y7R1ta5AZ_cZvH1C6d1osbeA3fdrfTvH8Idnz-etQDmU_XS4soOKvIJqjE473_n_6Nu7o52SLOrA/s1600/yellownails3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiDluOrxKDrKPnWthcBad2II8KF_TmaBLL3f6Nnl-0NPK1lzV4ig-vs59CfymrZ2y7R1ta5AZ_cZvH1C6d1osbeA3fdrfTvH8Idnz-etQDmU_XS4soOKvIJqjE473_n_6Nu7o52SLOrA/s400/yellownails3.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, look! It's almost one of those fancy pictures like on other blogs, except I did a really crappy job at it. Hooray! (Yes, I did clean up my cuticles later.)</td></tr>
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See that picture up there? That's after three coats. Three. There are still brush marks in it that aren't really visible in the picture. Really, really bad ones. I never thought I was one to be bothered by brush marks in polish, but I've never had a polish that's so streaky before. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z2txK1IftCpU3qLbDYeT18PEUjOwLaZs0UwayCKGJUoyVMezbNhGBKZpNHdc4hA-C91CPj8ArI4tV2NDVNzvM2DZYfrTocVZlynhobRml8UaUW2wsO49is_rYrrs48uW80EhoDGZM5c/s1600/yellownails.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Z2txK1IftCpU3qLbDYeT18PEUjOwLaZs0UwayCKGJUoyVMezbNhGBKZpNHdc4hA-C91CPj8ArI4tV2NDVNzvM2DZYfrTocVZlynhobRml8UaUW2wsO49is_rYrrs48uW80EhoDGZM5c/s320/yellownails.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One coat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz_KRZUx5xQ68nly5zc_6XfuM6D_CJKm-q3kwWB6q7_YW8M7ESYo5nGFIloXm9CfJXZbKqgtYQtsA1JMeg4ZAU-soLAXznXDU6MeOiND8H0mKjKSJI5ah_4GTtaRmPd9cSDtSLtAQOKk/s1600/yellownails2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz_KRZUx5xQ68nly5zc_6XfuM6D_CJKm-q3kwWB6q7_YW8M7ESYo5nGFIloXm9CfJXZbKqgtYQtsA1JMeg4ZAU-soLAXznXDU6MeOiND8H0mKjKSJI5ah_4GTtaRmPd9cSDtSLtAQOKk/s320/yellownails2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two coats.</td></tr>
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Now, this is definitely a cream polish, and cream polishes are notorious for their finickiness. However, I've never had one this bad. It could possibly be helped by putting a white undercoat under it. Unfortunately, I have two white polishes. One, I absolutely hate. The other is the Reverso that I'm now "sharing" with my daughter. I didn't steal it, it just stays with the other polishes and she can use it any time she wants, honest. The Reverso isn't nearly as streaky as the yellow, and is a quite nice white polish. It really makes me think of back in junior high when we would paint out nails with white-out. It even has the same "not really shiny, but not dull" texture to it. However, it suffers from the same problem as the yellow's major flaw: they flake. Badly. </div>
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No, I take that back. They don't flake; they chunk. As in, big pieces (sometimes the whole nail) come off. This hasn't been a wear issue, because honestly, this starts happening as soon as the polish dries. This has happened every time I have wore either polish. It hasn't mattered what I've had under it, or over it. I've tried purposely roughing up my nails just a tad to give it something to grip onto. Then I buffed them out, and that made it even worse. I've tried several different base coats, and several different top coats. I've only had one other polish do this to me before, and that's this absolutely perfect neon coral color (I think it might be Way Cool) from the Sally Girl line at Sally Beauty. Why do the ones I love always hate me back? I've read from several other reviewers that they've had this issue with this formula, too.</div>
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I had debated on possibly getting the other colors, even with the streaking issue. Streaking I can handle (to an extent), and it seems to vary color to color, anyway. However, if all colors flake the way these two have, I definitely won't be purchasing them.</div>
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Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-77989949343283676192012-07-27T11:46:00.001-05:002012-09-11T08:01:48.417-05:00BZZ, Covergirl, and Nostalgia.<div style="text-align: left;">
I was able to get into BzzAgen'ts promo for Covergirl & Olay's swirly foundation line, Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation. They will be sending me a free bottle of foundation and a free compact of pressed powder in my normal shade, Ivory, in order to try out and review. I'll post more on that when I actually get it.</div>
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Truthfully, like a lot of people, I've worn Covergirl ever since I started wearing makeup. It was my first makeup brand, so I've got a lot of nostalgia for both it and Max Factor. To this day, the smell of both Covergirl's Clean Liquid Makeup, and the old Max Factor pan cakes (do they still make these any more?) are among some of my favorite scents. </div>
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To this day, Clean Liquid Makeup in Normal is always in my kit. It's one of my favorite foundations. I don't necessarily think it has superior coverage, or magical gold wings, or what ever. There's just something about it that really works with my skin. I've always been lucky enough to not have very many noticeable skin problems (maybe dryness and the occasional zit), so I don't require a heavy coverage. Do I like a heavier coverage? Yeah, I do. I may not have those kinds of problems, but I corner the market on having under-eye circles and redness.</div>
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Yes, I'm aware of the existance of concealer and color corrector, lol. I do use them, but I'm just lazy.</div>
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When I heard that BzzAgent was doing this promotion, I got super excited, and then half scared that I wouldn't qualify for it. I did, though. The line that I qualified for was the Tone Rehab line, and I'm excited for this. Most high end foundations that I've tried have NOT impressed me at all. Most of them don't even have shades that work for me. Also, woe unto the MA that EVER suggests I tan or otherwise change my skintone. When I do find a shade that works for me (usually accompanied by a heavenly chorus), I have to pray and pray and pray that something else doesn't go wrong.</div>
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See, I'm also cursed with being uber picky. I want my foundation to be just right, though even I don't know what the parameters of being just right are. Its one of those things that I know when I see. It either works, or it doesn't. I've never had a time where the C.L.M. hasn't worked. Because of this, I tend to give Covergirl's foundations a lot more of a chance than I would most other foundations. Some of them I don't like, like the Smoothers line. I've never tried the Queen collection line of make up, as it's for darker skin tones. I've been wearing the TRUblend a lot lately, too. Kinda on the fence about this one, though.</div>
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I've seen the Covergirl/Olay match ups before, but I've never bought any. I've been tempted several times, 'cause hey, they're swirly and neat looking. However, I've never gotten past the whole "it's for gracefully aging women of a certain age" thing that to me is implied. Is it implied to anyone else? Nope, I suspect that this one is my own special little hang up. However, I can fly under the radar of this little hang up because this line is to improve skin tone and increase radiance. It's not at all calling me old. Nope. </div>
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I'm also hoping that it'll also impart some of the wit and grace of their spokeperson to me. We can't have everything from a foundation, though, can we? </div>
Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-26167914934187643192012-07-17T09:24:00.000-05:002012-07-17T09:29:47.228-05:002012 Allure Fall Beauty Box ContentsSo I've been scoping the <a href="http://allureaccess.com/#fall-beauty-box">2012 Fall Beauty Box from Allure</a> for sometime. This goes on sale July 24th at noon EST, and if similar to the other beauty boxes, it will sell out within hours. These boxes are fantastic buys, touting over $300 in products for $39.99 (plus shipping and possibly tax). Yep, all the items are full sized.<br />
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There was a sneak peek in the August edition of Allure magazine showcasing the first glimpse of the products. User Liziam (owner of <a href="http://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/">My Subscription Addiction</a>) posted a picture of the magazine ad on <a href="http://www.makeuptalk.com/t/126994/allure-beauty-box-fall-edition-launches-july-24th#post_1908148">Makeup Talk</a>. <br />
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It looks to me that the contents include:<br />
<ul>
<li>John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze Clear Shine</li>
<li>Jergens Daily Moisture Lotion</li>
<li>Lipton Iced Green Tea & Honey Mix in Mango Pineapple</li>
<li>Biomega Firm & Fabulous Hairspray</li>
<li>Buxom lip gloss</li>
<li>$15 coupon code to Zappos.com</li>
<li>John Frieda Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray</li>
<li>Aveeno Natural Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 30</li>
<li>Redken Smooth Lock Stay Sleek Leave-In Cream </li>
<li>Glytone Exfoliating Body Wash</li>
<li><div class="product-name item">
<span class="fn" itemprop="name">eclos 6-Piece Starter Kit</span> </div>
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<li>NYX Stick Blush</li>
<li><div class="product-name item">
Loose Eye Shadow: To me this looks like L.A. Color's Lollipop</div>
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<li><div class="product-name item">
Oscar Blandi Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray</div>
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</ul>
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There are five other products in this box. I'll update this as soon as I learn what they are. :)</div>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-71925104593375039642012-07-16T11:51:00.001-05:002012-07-16T11:52:29.248-05:00July 2012 Birchbox run down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbEoEHFfhahuc7J3uab-Mi1Y8sV44FdI8GfyMKhiqGoW6-ig1dDrqTOJ5KKjGfkzfD4n2TmrbCzjCzpyb0ZYnRZSwGcArMOuaPKmJX7bF8Kt1jIAvCoWDWv2iUAYngFiIqLMfPX9XhfM/s1600/1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbEoEHFfhahuc7J3uab-Mi1Y8sV44FdI8GfyMKhiqGoW6-ig1dDrqTOJ5KKjGfkzfD4n2TmrbCzjCzpyb0ZYnRZSwGcArMOuaPKmJX7bF8Kt1jIAvCoWDWv2iUAYngFiIqLMfPX9XhfM/s320/1034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is a quick run down of the box I received for Birchbox's July box. This box was a co-op with Glamour magazine and run under the heading of "smell it, touch it, taste it, hear it, see it." I was highly unimpressed with the products in this box. This box shows that they pay 0% attention to your "beauty profile." While they can't help that I didn't like the perfume, and that the eyeliner didn't perform well for me, they DO have the information in my profile that 1.) SUPER DRY SKIN IS MY MAJOR SKIN CARE CONCERN. 2.) MY SKINTONE IS SUPER FAIR. Gotta admit, though, I loved the packaging this month. <br />
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<em>Smell it:</em> <strong>Oscar de la Renta Live in Love:</strong> I think this stinks.<br />
<em>Touch it:</em> <strong>Boscia Blotting Linens</strong>: I have extremely dry skin. I could go for a month without touching my face, and still not have enough oil enough to justify using half of an oil blotting sheet.<br />
<em>Taste it:</em> <strong>Larabar Uber in Bananas Foster:</strong> I've heard such horrible things that I dreaded getting this. I tasted it and absolutely fell in love with it. This was by far my favorite thing in the box. I'm definitely going to being buying some of these.<br />
<em>Hear it: </em><strong>Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds </strong>in <strong>Neon Blue & Hot Pink</strong>: Always nice to have a spare set of these laying around.<br />
<em>See it: </em><strong>Eyeko Skinney Eyeliner </strong>in <strong>Purple</strong>: The most anticipated item in the box. Also the biggest let down. Crappy eyeliner. Also, <strong>Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint </strong>in <strong>Golden: </strong>This was the wrong shade. It might work as an under foundation light bronzer, though.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDDIIFV1T5o_vDlXLFXq1mErvOnn1kL8EvXILlY1p25MzZCDeeH7wa4x6MvBIHIId57-e0dJKI8UCmEnuxwtc4pTGbdKiyWZS-AfZJeAEOgteo1TbExWex3cPIyZkzd-Q-BjhJI2sO4s/s1600/bbjuly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img $ca="true" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDDIIFV1T5o_vDlXLFXq1mErvOnn1kL8EvXILlY1p25MzZCDeeH7wa4x6MvBIHIId57-e0dJKI8UCmEnuxwtc4pTGbdKiyWZS-AfZJeAEOgteo1TbExWex3cPIyZkzd-Q-BjhJI2sO4s/s1600/bbjuly.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't awesome how when the lid is taken off, the little card springs up and the blue tissue unfolds itself ever so gently?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-42255876072394189542012-07-09T15:50:00.000-05:002012-07-09T15:50:38.814-05:00Fing'rs Edge Nail StripsI spotted the Fing'rs Edge nail strips while wandering around my local Family Dollar Store one day looking for my daughter a box of sidewalk chalk. I had been interested in trying these newfangled nail stickers for a long time, but haven't been able to catch other brands at a cheap enough price point to justify a try-out. I usually change my nail polish on a daily basis. Can a person have nail art related ADD?<br />
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The first thing that caught my eye about these were that they were only one dollar. The ones that first caught my eye were a black roses and fishnet motif, but I ended up going with black based silver glittery zebra stripes. In retrospect, I should have bought all three varieties, even if the exact design of the third variety is currently slipping my mind. <br />
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As I said, I was a total nail sticker n00b. Sure, I've done the fake-nail thing a bunch, but that's not the same. I didn't really know what to expect when I cracked them out of the package. They were far thicker than I expected; they really made me think of electrical tape. I'm not sure what I was expecting, actually.<br />
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The kit comes with 22 nails, of various sizes. Here I had some difficulty in finding stickers that fit all of my nails properly. I wound up with two nails on each hand that were sized wrong. In both cases, I went with the sticker that was a little bit too small. I was able to touch up the gaps with a black nail art polish, and it wasn't noticeable. Honestly, even without the touch up it wasn't very noticeable. I'm just picky. I did buff my nails really well with a fantastic $2 Covergirl Queen buffer that I picked up at the same time. Seriously, that thing is the best nail buffer I've ever tried.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_ZxgP3q5GSeFi4iy9wH1vjWkJ8ooKL_flYFY322Iz-L2ZWdJIYySjNKNBiXqa7KlggIijjEuziehFchtYtFU2fU9aJ6p8AYv2giVri53EYQWDX2SwUVF6cMe8ewzVZsDt3bC_t-kyvU/s1600/zebranails1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_ZxgP3q5GSeFi4iy9wH1vjWkJ8ooKL_flYFY322Iz-L2ZWdJIYySjNKNBiXqa7KlggIijjEuziehFchtYtFU2fU9aJ6p8AYv2giVri53EYQWDX2SwUVF6cMe8ewzVZsDt3bC_t-kyvU/s1600/zebranails1.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamour length!</td></tr>
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Of course, before I could trim my hand, disaster strikes. I will say this, even untrimmed with their sticky backs vulnerable to being snagged on things, these puppies were sturdy. I also learned that "mu-ohm" screeches and potty breaks really need to be timed accordingly. Well, actually the nail application needs to be timed properly, lol.<br />
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Trimming off the excess was easy, as you just bend it over the tip of the nail and file. I was surprised at how well it worked, as the material really didn't feel like it would respond well to that treatment. After that, I followed up with a coat of Orly Top to Bottom. I did not put a base coat on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq1xvoP_BjoA9sGlL707nn_9zFnEFsKO4G6Ng4iJIfQQYaDfHJ_Mr7oVP56MvMVPFyr4wmBD8OTKkCAvE_OE-rGhpuXVEQp1hZt3on7svdOd1QOeUFbUuirzmarAOdjMguBQBgMf5yWc/s1600/zebranails2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq1xvoP_BjoA9sGlL707nn_9zFnEFsKO4G6Ng4iJIfQQYaDfHJ_Mr7oVP56MvMVPFyr4wmBD8OTKkCAvE_OE-rGhpuXVEQp1hZt3on7svdOd1QOeUFbUuirzmarAOdjMguBQBgMf5yWc/s1600/zebranails2.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I break my nails off constantly length!</td></tr>
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I wore these for two days without any issues of peeling. They looked fantastic, and I suspect that they would have lasted a good five days. The only reason they came off is because I couldn't stand it any more, and I pulled them off. Removal was really easy. There was a teensy bit of sticky residue left behind that was easily scratched off on a couple of nails. <br />
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I got a lot of compliments on these decals, and my daughter was able to wear her own set from the leftovers. I'll most definitely be purchasing these again.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-68559822506279024262012-07-03T09:23:00.001-05:002012-07-03T09:24:23.793-05:00Product of the Month: Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VWncZhTUi1tQF97oQeIlHwEB2MBlqD-yMzwb36PFBDaVwCMo8d1xeVNk4UKSgG42SAkdOJ90s2MoC6kblV1T11mZjHH5WfWIOjkMTq4h665hvVaKBQSc0KJ75obJjdq0WdMuo5APbKk/s1600/vi-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VWncZhTUi1tQF97oQeIlHwEB2MBlqD-yMzwb36PFBDaVwCMo8d1xeVNk4UKSgG42SAkdOJ90s2MoC6kblV1T11mZjHH5WfWIOjkMTq4h665hvVaKBQSc0KJ75obJjdq0WdMuo5APbKk/s1600/vi-small.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"He wove through the crowd when suddenly his heart quickened. That scent. It was hers. He had worn it first until she stole it for herself. Now, there she was before him and the magic of years past came flooding back in a moment." </em></td></tr>
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When I was first given this perfume, I rolled my eyes. I absolutely despise vanilla based perfume. One of my worst nightmares is that I'm stuck back in the early 90s, and a horde of female zombies absolutely coated with Coty's Vanilla Fields have me trapped in a tiny room. The zombie part I can handle; it's the Vanilla Fields that gets to me. Blegh. If there's a symbol for everything I never want to be, that perfume may very well be it. <br />
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Being that I'm an uncultured mook, when I was first introduced to this cologne my first association with it's name was "Vanilla Insence." To me, though, it does have an insence smell to it; this has a vaguely Nag Champa-ish scent. Nag Champa happens to be one of my absolute favorite scents ever. The website says that the cologne contains lime, cedrat, coriander, jasmine, oak, vetiver, Madagascar vanilla, oakmoss and amber. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXls_M6V5ma3qVkzpjLEhnDzwsXRbHa9Qm8mG_0whfso9VQy9Hp_cc3vh-vNbj28oPM6tG3VdwO3q4l7ujsxIVnP19JA3vtP0IW66FsPxpkZ8mvjKbRI04N4AimV5erHv0YlTZ8wDVu_M/s1600/rat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXls_M6V5ma3qVkzpjLEhnDzwsXRbHa9Qm8mG_0whfso9VQy9Hp_cc3vh-vNbj28oPM6tG3VdwO3q4l7ujsxIVnP19JA3vtP0IW66FsPxpkZ8mvjKbRI04N4AimV5erHv0YlTZ8wDVu_M/s200/rat.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ced?</td></tr>
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I'm sure those are all in there somewhere, along with such fancy terms as <em>sillage</em> and <em>hesperidia. </em><br />
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I know that I'm in love with this perfume, cologne, or whatever. Frankly, it smells like pure sexuality. It's raw, myseterious, and heedy. It's vaguely woodsy, and just a hint of masculine, which emphasises strength. I also suspect that it could be extremely overpowering if one is heavy handed.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-37574893789244793362012-06-27T21:26:00.000-05:002012-06-27T21:26:30.062-05:002012 Influenster "Mom Box" rundown<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.makeuptalk.com/e/ed/466x640px-LL-edba7fd1_photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" rca="true" src="http://cdn.makeuptalk.com/e/ed/466x640px-LL-edba7fd1_photo.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you mean, clean off the table next time?<br /></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Here is a quick rundown of the items I received in Influenster's 2012 MomVoxBox. Through their program, I was able to get a whole box of goodies to try and review. Yay!
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<b>Quaker Oats Soft Baked Cookie</b> in <b>Oatmeal Raisin:</b> Oh cookie, you were so tasty. It's a shame I refused to share you. Isn't it?<br />
<b>Ivory Soap: </b>Microwave it. For science! Actually, Ivory has a lot of interesting uses that don't involve giving your bathtub soap scum.<br />
<b>DenTek Flossers: </b>The white ones are a household staple here. Also, they can be used as a makeshift home defense weapon (they're really pointy)<br /><b>Nektar Honey Crystals: </b>These are supposed to be for sweetening tea, but they're amazing in baking.<br />
<b>Impress Press-On Manicure </b>in <b>Stiletto:</b> Nothing revolutionary; a cute press-on nail.<br />
<b>Stash Tea Superfruits Sampler: </b>Surprisingly good.</div>
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Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-71608305090380692452012-06-27T21:10:00.000-05:002012-07-09T18:32:02.395-05:00ImPRESS press on manicure<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z4tmU1HvqXLENvNSiBtro7cPniyfLYkcSjKHTiit4Ae8qA0XoV-D6XfgSwQBRdzCxQoU6lqLjrJFvJnAHFYovxiQgRwNJHnYNmSeoLkmDqP10JbgI45hCiZFdfWws38vgmNdUAVmdMY/s1600/6aa87c9da9bip210-sep20201111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z4tmU1HvqXLENvNSiBtro7cPniyfLYkcSjKHTiit4Ae8qA0XoV-D6XfgSwQBRdzCxQoU6lqLjrJFvJnAHFYovxiQgRwNJHnYNmSeoLkmDqP10JbgI45hCiZFdfWws38vgmNdUAVmdMY/s400/6aa87c9da9bip210-sep20201111.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The promotional image for the nails. They're nowhere near that dark.</td></tr>
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One of the items I received as a freebie to try and review from Influenster in their MomVox was the <a href="http://www.impressmanicure.com/">Impress Press-On Manicure.</a><br />
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The advertisements promise:<br />
<ul>
<li>NO DRY TIME! (It's an adhesive backed plastic fingernail, so why is this an issue?)</li>
<li>SUPERIOR LASTING SHINE (They are quite glossy and pretty)</li>
<li>EASY REMOVAL (As long as you're done wearing them. I couldn't get them off without messing up the nail to reposition them)</li>
<li>LASTS UP TO A WEEK (I've never had press on nails last more than a day - after an hour, the first one fell off.)<br /><a name='more'></a></li>
</ul>
The EASY REMOVAL and the LASTS UP TO A WEEK both have caveats, of course. Easy removal: <i>Remove in seconds: Gently peel off from sides or apply polish remover around edges, wait 1 minute, peel off.</i> They remove in seconds, but you have to let them soak for a minute? That's like when someone tells you they'll be with you in a few minutes, but then you sit there for an hour. I really think they need to reword that statement. The LASTS UP TO A WEEK is naturally: if applied properly. <br />
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The nails come in a cute little plastic polish-shaped bottle. Like real polish, you have to unscrew the top to pull it off. Unfortunately, mine was messed up and I had a devil of a time getting it off. Once the top is off, you squeeze the sides and pry the front of the case off. Naturally, fake nails went flying everywhere. If a mess can be made, I will manage to make it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pLFm9zi7rfCAA1k2octztNkjNTBC-oknhDYhUnPGymmmoKYR5JSz94ENuAjwelPE6NGY0g9f42g9985b6DT_Tx78oE3wTYGJ3W6tiw8hxfT4_z9-blxrRiswvrPU0J2WTYO9RKnmY9Y/s1600/photob.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pLFm9zi7rfCAA1k2octztNkjNTBC-oknhDYhUnPGymmmoKYR5JSz94ENuAjwelPE6NGY0g9f42g9985b6DT_Tx78oE3wTYGJ3W6tiw8hxfT4_z9-blxrRiswvrPU0J2WTYO9RKnmY9Y/s320/photob.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before calamity struck.</td></tr>
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My next step was the select the right nails for my fingers. Well, I say fingers, but I now believe I have stubby little sausages with claws. I'm not sure if this is a step up or a step down from the "monkey-man hands" I normally believe myself to have. Another thing I'm not sure of is the market Broadway is aiming for. The package contained 24 nails, and I have a devil of a time finding ones that fit. There were three sets that were too big, five sets that half-way fit, and four sets that were super-tiny. I suspect that a lucky mom would be able to squeeze a Mommy-and-Me manicure out of one set, which is really nice. I also thought they were kinda short, as they weren't much longer than my natural nails. I don't consider my fingernails to be long, so this surprised me. However, these are a really good length, and you're not using the awkward hand motions of someone not used to their nail length.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhI30xkPnPurb-52DQpQ9zYWUtUEjNLqvv75l2zBbXATRokGY49nWrHFsq_kDnMM8oBABT4gRb9KKeoKAqzLpxKrxyUogMegZ-24MYVviBhad9ZRIcIP9Uy08pBivmdV8LlAFolHA1d6o/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhI30xkPnPurb-52DQpQ9zYWUtUEjNLqvv75l2zBbXATRokGY49nWrHFsq_kDnMM8oBABT4gRb9KKeoKAqzLpxKrxyUogMegZ-24MYVviBhad9ZRIcIP9Uy08pBivmdV8LlAFolHA1d6o/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I normally don't think that I have long fingernails, or fat ones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The nails were really uneven, with major flash (those little plastic bits that connected them to the mold) on almost all of them. Some of them also have noticeably wavy tops. This isn't anything that couldn't be fixed with some determined filing, but they're advertised as instantly salon perfect. I don't expect perfection from fake nails, but I also don't expect to spend twenty minutes attempting to file the s curves out of them, either.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised at the strength of the adhesive (or at least at first). When these puppies first go on, they're on. I was unable to reposition them once they were down. After an hour, my left pointer finger came partially off, and my left ring finger came completely off in two. They withstood the rigors of my day job decently, and I do a LOT of typing. They also mostly survived a small bit of gardening. If I was going to wear them again, I'd definitely get some nail glue.<br />
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The color that I received was a cinnamon color, with the fanciful name of Stiletto. It's quite pretty, and good for a vixenish evening out. Or my normal every day wear, which is more accurate. They're really glossy, and I really like that they're square, but neither extremely so or some monstrous squoval. Yes, I hate shaping nails with a file. Does it show?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmfwmhXSVMRcD8x_QgQY3kHJCo_Qv_rDSqV4iVtt7iNxC59AvnSVCYM18dLN4Z2WlTPDgaK80uJNof7Uk1711Y06vfAQPZ8DLaVuGA9K2T-G_hkiFsRMZAU8ZhE5EalyZmWeXNwgC8MQ/s1600/photoa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmfwmhXSVMRcD8x_QgQY3kHJCo_Qv_rDSqV4iVtt7iNxC59AvnSVCYM18dLN4Z2WlTPDgaK80uJNof7Uk1711Y06vfAQPZ8DLaVuGA9K2T-G_hkiFsRMZAU8ZhE5EalyZmWeXNwgC8MQ/s320/photoa.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do these nails make me look fat?</td></tr>
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Would I go out of my way to buy these again? No, probably not. If I was wandering through a store, and saw them on sale, would I buy them? Most likely. There's nothing revolutionary about the nails, and I'm not thrilled with the sizes, but the line has some amazing colors and patterns. At their price point, they're perfect for when you don't want to go to a salon (I hate artificial nails with a passion), you want something fancy, but you're too lazy to go through the taping. I absolutely adore some of their prints, and they have some amazing metallic shades.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-30325013152677344102012-06-26T13:41:00.003-05:002012-06-26T13:42:30.068-05:00June 2012 Birchbox<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwrITeqb4kgvnOIR9KeRQjINVsuFKiuF6Ep_XasG76KfsQALekb-Z4XFpJvgC1fzIDpnPrkMMqE213bjIO7GwvaaGQE7MMItWns_pL6jtzERQpP_rff3xRdsi6ljDgVByBpjuy0enDh0/s1600/959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwrITeqb4kgvnOIR9KeRQjINVsuFKiuF6Ep_XasG76KfsQALekb-Z4XFpJvgC1fzIDpnPrkMMqE213bjIO7GwvaaGQE7MMItWns_pL6jtzERQpP_rff3xRdsi6ljDgVByBpjuy0enDh0/s1600/959.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock image of my June Birchbox</td></tr>
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In June, the theme for the Birchboxes was a travel/summer fun theme. This is a quick rundown of the box I received.<br />
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<strong>Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream:</strong> sticky until dries, and smells funny. It works rather well, though.<br />
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<strong>Scalisi Skincare Anti-Aging Moisturizer: </strong>good moisturizer, has a broad spectrum 30 SPF which is really nice. It's never too early to start an anti-aging regimen.<br />
<strong>theBalm Staniac </strong>in <strong>Beauty Queen: </strong>dried my lips, tasted bad, and didn't leave any color on them. I don't wear blush often, so I can't comment on its qualities for that.<br />
<strong>CleanWell Wipes: </strong>err... they cleaned well? I liked the smell on them, and they were good for wiping off my hands. I would probably buy some to keep in my purse or truck.<br />
<strong>Band-Aids</strong> <strong>by Cynthia Rowely: </strong>"bad-boos" get used a lot in my house, and I thought these were super cute. I'll definitely be buying them again. <br />
<strong>John Varvatos Star U.S.A: </strong>men's cologne. Wasn't too thrilled getting a man's sample. Smells good, though. I described it to a friend as "masculine, bordering on gender neutral. Kinda woodsy/herbally but not over powering."<br />
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</h3>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-11442707392671286082012-06-26T11:40:00.001-05:002012-06-26T11:46:27.157-05:00BIC Soleil Savvy Razors (Bzz Campaign report)A few months ago, I signed up for a promo company called BzzAgent. If you are accepted into a campaign, companies send you products to try out, and if you honestly like the products, recommend to people you know. For my first campaign, I was invited to try out BIC's new Soleil Savvy Razors.<br />
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In a nutshell, they're standard triple-bladed cartridge razors. However, they're made with the idea that replaceable cartridges are friggin' expensive and most people don't buy them. </div>
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The first thing that I noticed when I opened the razor (after the initial "ooh, glittery") was the fact that it came with four cartridges. My normal razor (the Gillette Venus Breeze - what can I say, I'm lazy) comes with two cartridges. A pack of the BIC Soleil Savvy runs at my local Wal*Mart for around $7.00. My usual runs around $8, so that's a fantastic value if they're worth it. <br />
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The handle feels nice; it's got a good weight to it. The cartridges are sturdily made, with the connecters being solid and sturdy. One of the things that aggravate me most about razors is the fact that my heads tend to break at the point where they join to the handle. Granted, I'm not the gentlest person in the world, but I don't smash them with hammers either. Well, not usually. I haven't experienced this problem with these yet. <br />
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As far as shaving goes, I really didn't expect too much from them. After all, the BIC line is usually known for cheap disposables. With razors, you usually get what you pay for. I was pleasantly surprised when they really did live up to the advertisement. They really did provide a super-close shave. In fact, they performed better than any other razor that I've used in a long time. The blades stayed sharp fairly well, and I got several shaves (full ABL) out of the head before I noticed a difference.<br />
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The only thing I wasn't fond of was the fact that the cartridges were just thrown in a little plastic case. Unlike most cartridge razors, it didn't come with a case to keep them in. It doesn't bother me too much, it just makes it that much easier to lose the small box.<br />
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I really liked these razors. If they made a version that didn't require shaving cream, I'd be in total heaven. Still, I think I may be switching to this line. The price point and features make it a really attractive package.<br />
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<br /></div>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-92157256637026507842012-06-22T11:39:00.000-05:002012-06-22T11:50:15.471-05:00June 2012 Glambag (part 1) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♪ Eyeliner and lipstick and bags covered in glitter.... ♪</td></tr>
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This month was my first ever Glambag, and I was quite excited to get it in. Included this month were: Marbella felt eyeliner, NYX round lipstick, Philosophy Take a Deep Breath moisturizer, and Living Proof <strike>frizz</strike> nourishing styling cream.</div>
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The theme for this bag was "Out All Night." The bag for this month was a small, glittery, gold snap bag that's really quite cute. My particular bag doesn't have a whole lot of fallout, so I've been able to use it without having glitter everywhere. Then again, everything near me is usually covered in glitter anyway, so I highly doubt I would notice a little extra. </div>
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One thing the Glambag bags are notorious for is their odor. While this bag did have a funky fish smell to it, I could only notice it when I stuck my nose down in the bag itself. I have not noticed this smell transferring to any items kept in the bag. I've bought some clothing in the past that came from overseas that had a very similar smell. I really think it's coming from the adhesive used on the bags.</div>
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The first item I tried was the NYX Round Lipstick. I'm normally a "dark as your ex's mother's soul" type of chick (unless it comes down to a neon pink), so the color I received was not something I'd normally wear. That's a good thing, though, as I've joined all these sampling services in order to find new things that I wouldn't normally buy.</div>
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Vitamin is, depending on the light, either a neutral tone or glowingly orange. I highly prefer it in the neutral tone, as orange looks terrible on me. The texture on this is very creamy; it's actually almost slimy feeling. It doesn't have much staying power, either, as it seemed to wear off very quickly. It was also fairly sheer. After a while, the color all seemed to concentrate towards the edges of my lips. I applied this without a lip liner, so you mileage will probably vary. However, at this price point (website retails for $4 a tube) and their vast collection of colors (126, to be exact), these flaws wouldn't stop me from purchasing colors that I like. </div>
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The next item I tried was the moisturizer by Philosophy. I am cursed with dry skin, and I'm always on the look out for a new moisturizer. Normally, my go-to is Clinque's Dramatically Different Moisturizer, but this may just be the one to knock my old faithful out of it's standing. Their Take a Deep Breath moisturizer claims to "breath new life into your skin with take a deep breath oil-free energizing oxygen gel cream moisturizer, detoxify, and help protect for a healthy-looking glow." I don't know about all of that, but I do know that the stuff stinks. However, it feels fantastically cool and tingly going on. I've aslo noticed that after a while it makes my skin feel tight. Not painfully or burningly so, but the sensation is there. The formula is absorbed into the skin quickly, and doesn't leave a sticky mess behind. Its moisturizing properties lasted all day, and I didn't find the little flakies cropping up in the corner of my nose that I'm prone to getting. </div>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-87277169643056302442012-06-15T12:59:00.003-05:002012-06-22T09:33:43.746-05:00MAC x Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Creme in Dear Diary <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtmKG2258hYNaSDVozkLSGW9pFjQ9M8bVi19mGzanGmekf93JyiJW6mwRseP9HWWYZ7CXQMu4xVRnt7tgUCUuaIBZZN9u5-bCvmLY1cqaX5yfND1sUUHBlyepZeJhBlvPVy5nN-FazbY/s1600/tube1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtmKG2258hYNaSDVozkLSGW9pFjQ9M8bVi19mGzanGmekf93JyiJW6mwRseP9HWWYZ7CXQMu4xVRnt7tgUCUuaIBZZN9u5-bCvmLY1cqaX5yfND1sUUHBlyepZeJhBlvPVy5nN-FazbY/s1600/tube1a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My glorious stick, in a totally original pose.</td></tr>
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I do not understand my obsession with bright pink lipsticks. Currently I own around 7, and I currently wear 0 with any regularity. Every time I see one, I'm like a magpie. I have to stop and stare at the shiny. MUST POSSESS. It never fails. The kicker is that they really don't flatter me at all. I'm way too pale to pull off a shade like this. Fortunately (maybe? I'm not sure on this one) that's never stopped me from wearing what I want. I think this obsession started around the time that MAC launched their super-hard to get Dress Camp collection featuring the drool-worthy (in my not-so-humble opinion) Too Fab. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I can't have.<br />
Just look at that tube. Rawr.</td></tr>
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I bought this lipstick on a magpie whim at 3 am of the day it was released. No previews, no swatches, just based on a rumor that it was very similar to another lipstick that I want but can't get: Candy Yum-Yum. Well, I can't get it until August when the By Request collection comes out at least. Candy Yum-Yum is another 'stick that I've drooled over since it was released. The comparison swatches that I've seen have shown them to be very similar indeed, with Candy Yum-Yum being matter and having a bluer undertone. </div>
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Dear Diary is very bright and very pink indeed. MAC describes it as a bright neon pink, and it very much lives up to that description. It's a super bright, blue based pink, but its not what I'd call a candy-colored pink. It's too dark to live up to that description. The formula is creamy, and very long wearing. I didn't find it too drying, which long lasting lippies have a nasty tendency to be. Despite the decidedly slimmer tube (which did take some maneuvering), I didn't have any problems with application. I had good coverage and color with a few swipes. After a while it wears down to a matter, but still vibrant finish. I made the mistake of falling asleep in it, and woke up with it still partially on - mostly around the edges of my lips. I also had a pretty pink stripey pillowcase.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swatched on my arm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really crappy lip picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-58519856107030398912012-05-14T15:13:00.000-05:002012-07-09T20:46:31.500-05:00May 2012 Birchbox Glamour Girl box<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The subject of whelm.</td></tr>
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Pictured above is Birchbox's stock image for the box that I received during the month of May, which was their Glamour Girl promotion. Like a dummy, I never took a picture of my actual box or any of it's contents, lol.<br />
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I don't watch television, so I'm not familiar with the show at all. If I were to guess, it revolves around late teen to mid-twenties girls living in New York and having a lot drama. Possibly gossip is involved somewhere. I was, however, very familiar with the brands that they advertised prominently during the campaign. I didn't receive any of them, though. <br />
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Due to the whole expired samples fiasco I didn't get a box in April, so May was the first time that I received one. I had a mixed roller coaster ride of emotions getting the thing. When I did a sneak peek to see what I was getting, I had myself believing that I was getting a box with wrinkle serum in it. I was kinda miffed that Birchbox was calling me old. Then the USPS "misrouted" my package. I've never had that happen to me before, and I was terrified that it would go into postal limbo. That was when I learned two things: 1.) The Dr. Jart BB was turning up empty, and 2.) I was getting the Dr Jart BB.<br />
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I was feeling quite underwhelmed by the time I got the box in. When I opened, I immediately noticed that they had sent me two tubes of the Dr. Jart's Water Fuse Beauty Balm. They were also full, as between them I got FIVE uses of the product. I'm either extrodinarily lucky or I have a freakishly small face. <br />
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I absolutely love this product. It flatters my (uber-pale) skin tone, and it smells fantastic. I'd sniff my fingers after applying it. While it didn't give me full coverage, I really liked it for mornings when I got out of bed late and had to rush. Ok, so that may be most mornings. It really evened out my redness, and partially concealed any flaws that I refuse to admit that I have. I will not be using it in place of a good foundation, though. To me, this product is good for those times I can't be assed to wear makeup, but can't be assed to look bad, either.<br />
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The next item I tried was the Fresh Sugar Rosé Lip Treatment. It smells and tastes good, but I'm just don't like this product. I had really looked forward to this item, because I've heard so many raves about it. It's tinted (supposedly) but the tint does not transfer to my lips. The acutal product is extremely narrow (a trait that extends to the full size) and breaks really easily.<br />
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I also received a Twistband hair tie. This turned out to be a piece of orange elastic tied togethor with a knot. It held my thick hair really well, but when I forgot and laid down, the knot was really uncomfortable. It also came untied. Boo.<br />
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As far as the Color Club Foil polish in Disco Nap, I really loved it. Of course, I'm a sucker for shiny as well as nail polish, so a shiny nail polish made my day. This is a gold color, though it's a softer, neutral gold color. I found that the formula held up well for the few days that I wore it (polish ADD), and the coverage was good. I only needed two coats.<br />
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The last product I tried was the sample of Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensée Cologne Absolue. I rolled my eyes when I read that it was a vanilla based perfume (cologne, whatevs). I usually hate vanilla based perfumes; I don't really even like vanilla flavoring. However, to my nose, if there is vanilla in this, it's hidden under the sultry, sexy, almost Nag Champa like scent. Nag Champa is one of my favorite scents, and I'm in heaven when I smell this cologne. I'll definitely be buying a full sized bottle of this.<br />
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Of course, I can't forget the note card. Ok, actually I did. I have no clue what I did with it. I do remember it being made of good quality card stock. The envelope was kind of crappy, though. That's where the train of thought ends, though.Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-75780188062729846852012-04-10T20:46:00.000-05:002012-07-09T20:48:18.338-05:00Hit ListItems that I'm currently drooling for:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O5YIr98wrEB347HT_o73SAAj2Wkwy8XkIwkinukWXGgT2410aT45sRHT_r93DmrfbebNWi_a0sf5YJ8YoYnXeBeQvfAZySjy7JsrM9qh7HnH_gH2OhSTimnqOcvrrI3IRslPqCx4Crk/s1600/Deal%2520With%2520It.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O5YIr98wrEB347HT_o73SAAj2Wkwy8XkIwkinukWXGgT2410aT45sRHT_r93DmrfbebNWi_a0sf5YJ8YoYnXeBeQvfAZySjy7JsrM9qh7HnH_gH2OhSTimnqOcvrrI3IRslPqCx4Crk/s200/Deal%2520With%2520It.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cult Nails: Deal With It</td></tr>
This page is randomly updates as I remember too. I'm willing to negotiate and/or trade for anything listed here. :D
</tbody></table>Fina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579858015927798399.post-13625213311277637522012-04-01T13:07:00.000-05:002012-06-29T13:08:17.566-05:00About MeHi there! I'm Christina/Kirari and this is my blog. I like to write about beauty items, brag about my latest finds, and get uber excited about upcoming things that I probably shouldn't get quite so excited about. I'm an early thirties plus-sized pseudo-goth social worker who likes to refer to herself as a drag queen in a woman's body. Two of my favorite things are dark lipstick and glitter.<br />
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I started this blog to collect my thoughts on some of the purchases that I've been making. I spend a massive amount of money on beauty products every month, lol. I love bold, daring looks, and I wear what I want. My makeup is part of my art; I do it because I love it. I do what I do to be me, not for attention. If I wanted attention, I'd wear a wedding dress and run screaming down the road with a frying pan on my head.<br />
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My opinions are my own. I don't sugar coat them. I'm sure I could be bought for the right amount of money, but I've not been offered it yet. :( That means that no matter how I obtained the item I review, my review is going to be honest. Unless there's a serious pile of money. Then I'm sure I'll talk about miracles while posting pictures of me reclining in said pile of money.<br />
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Did I mention that I would like to recline in a serious pile of money? My contact information is up top. :DFina Timehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18021300340524098155noreply@blogger.com