All Things Beautiful XO

Stephanie Louise Telford & her guide on beauty, style, & glitter!

Anastasia of Beverly Hills Holiday 2012 Sneak Peek!

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So I’m still testing wear (ha like I need to, these are always fabulous) but I wanted to give you a sneak peek & basic info for 2 upcoming sets. I’m pretty much in love with these lippies (every shade looks good on me…say what!) & this palette, OMG! Its like they made it specifically for me with those purples & neutrals. I’ll have lots of swatches & a full review on each this weekend so stay tuned!

For now, here’s the basic information for each so you know what to look out for & when it will be hitting shelves:

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The Want You to Want Me is a kit within a clutch…a nod to the glam and decadence of the 1970’s.  This set includes a deluxe eye shadow palette featuring an array of 70’s rock inspired shades for a beautiful holiday look. The mirrored compact with brush features nine matte and pearlized nude and plum shadows, Liquid Eye Liner, and Mini Clear Brow Gel to turn your eyes into a velvet goldmine. With shadow tints like Power Ballad, Jellies, Platform Wedge, and Ziggy…how can you go wrong!  Toss this gorgeous palette in your clutch for touch-ups wherever your night takes you.   The Want You to Want Me makeup kit retails for $34 ($90 value) and is available at Sephora and Anastasia.net.

The Kisses on My List gloss set features six high-shine glosses in matte and shimmer shades that wear all-day.  With three softly sheer, opalescent glosses, and three new Hypercolor Glosses that actually stain your lips…don’t be standing too close to the mistletoe if you don’t want to be kissed!  Each gloss is named after famous 70’s muses you won’t soon forget.  Lola, Maggie May, Sharona, Roxanne, Jolene, and Moi are sure to inspire your loved one to write a song about you! The Kisses on My List gloss set retails for $30 ($108 value) and is available at Sephora and Anastasia.net.

I’m so excited to show you guys swatches & such! These lippies…wowie! Consider them must-haves! & the packaging on the Want You to Want Me clutch kit? Perfection!Say tuned for reviews & swatches this weekend!

Both kits were provided by PR oh so sweetly so I’ll be able to give you the inside scoop!

Nail Challenge 2012 Day #9: Rainbow Spun Sugar Mani!

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Ever since I did my Yellow Challenge nails (they are black & yellow spun sugar!) I knew I would be trying rainbow spun sugar nails! I didn’t do a top coat on this one because it was a bit tougher to photograph. Plus you can see how ridge-y it is here 🙂

I used 2 Sally Hansen polishes & the rest are all from my Wet n Wild Saved by the Bell post! I wanted this to be bright & fun, so these were perfect!

Since you guys seemed to like seeing the pre-clean up post I figured I’d show you it again with this one!

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& after cleanup:

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Colors used:
RED- Sally Hansen in Cherry Red
ORANGE- Wet n Wild in Straight A Jesse
YELLOW- Wet n Wild in Pin’ Em Slater
GREEN- Wet n Wild in Nerd Alert: Screech
BLUE- Sally Hansen in Blue Me Away!
PURPLE- Wet n Wild in Fashionista Lisa

I’d LOVE to know what you guys think of this mani! Besides some clumping on my index finger, I thought it was pretty great! These polishes weren’t as easy to spin because they’re all new but I waited it out & moved it around enough to get it to work.

Here is the list of Varnished Vixens joining me in the Challenge:

 
If you want to join in on the 31 Day Challenge, just let Kimber know! She’s first on the list of participants 😉

Hair: Karité Special Line from nuNAAT Review (5 products total!)

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So I actually had a choice of which hair line I was most interested in trying. After much thought, I picked the Karité one. I’ve been using hot tools on my hair a lot lately (gearing up for tutorials, but I still need practice!) & I honestly just adore shea butter. Shea Butter smells so warm & nutty, & also a tad tropical like maybe coconuts? It also smells very sweet, almost a brown sugar addition? Either way, it has done some fab things for my skin, why not my hair? 

From nuNAAT about the Karité Special with Shea Butter Line:

  • Packed with vitamin A, D, E and F
  • Protects hair from harmful sun damage
  • No oily buildup or greasy residue
  • No clogged pores
  • Rehydrates, restores and revitalizes dry, damaged and brittle hair
  • Restores natural brilliance to chemically-processed hair
  • Protects hair from damage caused by daily flat iron use

My hair isn’t exactly dry right now except at the ends, but the system didn’t over-moisturize my roots either! In fact, I think it kind of helped to “regulate” the oily-ness that summer brings my way. Let’s look at each product individually shall we?

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Karité Special Nourishing Shampoo:
This is a lot thinner than pretty much every other shampoo I’ve ever tried. I think i used too much the first few times because of this. Experience noticeably stronger, healthier hair after just one shampoo. It claims you’ll be able to notice a difference after one shampoo & I think it was definitely more moisturized, then again, I also used the conditioner!

Karité Special Reconstructive Conditioner:
Again, way thinner than expected. It says: Apply to clean, wet hair and leave in for 3 minutes before rinsing. Most conditioners say 2 minutes so maybe the extra minute is what makes hair so silky. My hair was super soft, definitely moisturized!

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Karité Special Deep Conditioning Hair Mask:
 This is a really big tub, 17.6 oz to be exact! Directions say: Use twice monthly for deep, restorative conditioning. Works great on chemically-processed hair. Smooths and protects hair that’s been weakened with age. Apply to clean, wet hair. Leave in for 15 minutes. Rinse completely. Only 2 times a month? Wowie! Normally they suggest 1-2 times a week. I applied it about halfway down my hair then clipped it up. After 15 minutes, my hair was super smooth even wet & even better when dry. I approve. This isn’t thin like the others either & you only need a bit. It will last you a great while.

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Karité Special Leave-In Detangler (Combing Cream):
Tames and detangles, making hair more manageable for styling. It only takes a small amount. Distribute throughout hair and comb in. Use daily or as needed.
I used this every time after washing my hair except after using the hair mask or when leaving my hair curly. I even used it on my hair when it was a bit dry, just because I love the scent so much! Plus, they’re right, you only need a tad. This will also last a good chunk of time!I also like that this is a squeeze bottle instead of a spray because I didn’t want to accidentally get my roots.

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Karité Special Thermo Active Anti-Frizz:
Protects hair from regular blow-drying and flat iron use. This heat-activated styling product will maintain your hair’s natural shine. 
I put a bit of this on my hands & kind of scrunched it through my wet hair before flow drying. My hair seemed shinier & again, love the scent. I didn’t use it for flat ironing but this will likely replace my blow-dry type balm.

Overall, I guess you can tell I love the scent! I think this line will be perfect for winter, when my hair is most dry. I also love how soft this line made my hair without leaving that “residue” type feeling or making it heavy.

You can purchase this line & other lines from nuNAAT at Walgreens, Drugstore.com & Sally Beauty which is where I tend to shop for new hair products.

** Products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.

Wet n Wild Saved by the Bell Nail Polish Collection + Dupes!

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When I heard about this collection, I had to have it. Like immediately. So…its NEON, 99 CENTS, & Saved by the Bell? You bet I had to make it mine. I almost resorted to Ebay (true story) because it just wasn’t popping up anywhere. Then there it was, on the lowest shelf at my CVS in the back. It looked so lonely. I was the first one to hit it.

 So although the names aren’t exactly with the colors I would have picked, I like all of these shades. I’m actually sad they didn’t come out earlier so I could have worn them longer without being “that” girl who forces a trend to last on & on. For only 99 cents a piece, I had to have all 6, duh. What I DIDN’T expect was to see 3 dupes in this collection for the Fergie line, all of which I already own.

Weird factoid: All the colors actually photographed most accurately in the GROUP shot (the first photo at the top) but I’ll still throw these in along with color descriptions. Also, so you can see shimmer in the 2 that have it. ALL of these dry semi-matte.

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Pin’Em Slater: A bright highlighter yellow. Seriously, if you’ve ever spilled highlighter on anything, this is that shade! I actually saw this & immediately thought this was Zack. I wouldn’t have picked this shade for Slater.

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Straight A Jesse: A bright orange but not glaringly neon. Eh. I don’t put Jesse & orange together, but I don’t hate it. Kind of wish they had gone with a bright blue.

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Fashionista Lisa: A violet with somewhat pink tones. I really like this shade but I wish Lisa had been something flashier!

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Nerd Alert: Screech : A bright lime green with golden/lime shimmer. Love this shade & so fitting for Screech. There’s a dupe below.

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Chick Magnet Zach: A slightly bright teal with teal shimmer. You know what, I would have put this one as Jessie probably & done the orange for Slater. Anyway! Love this shade oh so much & there’s a dupe below!

Somehow I missed photography Pom Pom Kelly on its own, but here it is next to Fergie by Wet n Wild in the shade Fergalicious. Exact. Now these had to be seriously color corrected (neons uhg) but it is a hot HOT pink.

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Left is Pom Pom Kelly & right is Fergalicious. 
These are super hot pink (most accurate in first photo) that dries with at semi-matte finish. You’ll need a few coats.

These 2 dupes might look slightly different but I promise they aren’t. Because the Fergie bottle is so different, the light hits these differently. I assure you, they are identical in the whole shade/shimmer ratio.

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 Left is Chcik Magnet Zack & right is Miami Spirit.

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On one hand, I’m excited for the people who couldn’t get their hands on this line because 3/6 you should be able to find at Walgreens. On the other hand…3/6 (at least) weren’t original shades. I wonder if I looked hard…could I find that the other 3 shades were re-releases of something else?

What do you think guys? Did you get your hands on the Wet n Wild Saved by the Bell collection? If not, are you happy about the dupes? Coming up, I have all 7 of the Fergie by Wet n Wild polishes I own so stay tuned for that! Some gems in there!

Nail Challenge 2012 Day #8: Metallic Gold & Silver Nails featuring CND!

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Woohoo! It is now the 8th challenge & this one was metallics. I’ve picked up quite a few…supposed to be huge for fall! I thought I’d go with my 2 CND metallics, Gold Chrome & Silver Chrome. Each of these are rather unique & lean slightly in an nontraditional sense. I thought I’d do a gradient since gold & silver just look fab together. I REALLY wish I had the Copper shade form CND! Since I haven’t featured these before, here they are on their own pre-art.

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Gold Chrome by CND is a really soft gold, super wearable & definitely not in your face. Silver Chrome by CND is kind of a nickel type silver. I love it.

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& my final design! I sponged it on, nothing crazy. I think these would be great work nails even, they aren’t in your face & come off quite soft. Maybe they they just seem more demure since I’ve been wearing crazy deigns lately haha. I love them though!

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Here is the list of Varnished Vixens joining me in the Challenge:

 
If you want to join in on the 31 Day Challenge, just let Kimber know! She’s first on the list of participants 😉

*The polishes featured in this post were provided by PR. This in no way alters my opinions.

EOS Alice in Wonderland Trio Review + Secret Packaging!

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So if you saw my post yesterday about the release of the Alice in Wonderland EOS trio, then you know I went on a mission. I HAD to have them. So I went on a mission! I got loads of hits on the post from yesterday so I know I wasn’t the only one! If you missed that post, I also got information from my contact at EOS & they explained why out of all the Disney characters they went with Alice.

So here’s the display at Target:

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& here it is at home!!!! This is definitely adorable packaging! I had some comments on my press release about how these didn’t look very “Alice” & instead looks more Disney. I think I said this in my post, but I am really hoping the reason for that is maybe more Disney collaborations in the future! I personally like the Mickey Mouse ears, but maybe they will do some more snazzy packaging in the future? My husband uses these too (usually the sweet mint or lemon!) so he probably appreciates the lack of girly additions.

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So here’s my take on this trio! I love it, go figure. The Sweet Vanilla Nonsense is actually (surprisingly!!!) my favorite! It smells like vanilla sugar, so yummy & warm without being overpowering. The Watermelon Wonderland was the one I was most looking forward to & although I like it, it is very subtle. It won’t be a too sweet smelling at all. The Blueberry Potion is actually wonderful. Normally I dislike blueberry scented items because they tend to smell bitter but this smell wonderful. These all taste good as well…not that I suggest eating them.

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Here’s Blueberry Potion next to my Passionfruit one! Love those ears!

The hidden picture is shown below, & I plan to cut it out & add it to my “this-n-that” board. It is SO cute & fabulous & ALICE. I also LOVE the little Alice in Wonderland details on the packaging.

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So there it is! Everything! I’ve switched off wearing all of them since last night to make sure there was nothing “off” & personally love all 3! I picked this up at Target, but if you want to know when it will hit other stores check out the link at the top for my Q & A with EOS & the PR info! PLEASE let me know if you love these as much as I do! I sure hope they release more with Disney…hopefully with SPF!

EOS Limited Edition Alice in Wonderland Lippies + Why Alice? from EOS

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So when I saw this trio available, you know I had to have it. #1 I love eos balms & talk about them endlessly here on the blog. #2 Its Alice in Wonderland. No explanation needed! & #3 THEY INCLUDED WATERMELON! Just ask hubby, if I could have pretty much every lippie flavored/scented with watermelon or vanilla, I’d be one happy blogger.

Below is information from the EOS PR:

eos limited edition lip balm collection
Inspired by Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

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Why Alice?

We wanted to choose a character that embodies out ideal ‘eos Girl’- fun, smart, stylish…and with a healthy dose of curiosity. Alice in Wonderland has been brought back to life and reinterpreted for multiple generations, but is still a timeless tale of imagination and discovery.

Delightful Design
Our Spheres grew ears! Since this is our first collaboration with another brand, we thought we’d commemorate the occasion with a distint design update: our eor ‘dimple’ grew ears! We’ve added Mickey Ears to the imprint of our Smooth Spheres to symbolize our partnership with Disney and their iconic character for this special limited edition collection.

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Delectable, Alice-Inspired Flavors
-Blueberry Potion
– Sweet Vanilla Nonsense
– Watermelon Wonderland

available at:

  •     Target stores starting September 2012
  •     Walgreens and Ulta stores starting November 2012.
  •     Target.com, Walmart.com, and Drugstore.com starting November 2012.

Sale: September 2012 thru February 2013
Suggested Retail Price:$8.99

Unfortunately my contact said these will only be available in the trio, not separately! So if you want one, buy it! I am totally digging the Mickey Mouse ears on the sides of each sphere. It brings in the Disney touch without totally changing the whole product. Wonder if they plan to work with Disney again & maybe that’s why they went with Mickey Ears instead of something Alice related? Hope so! & now I’m off to go buy it at my local Target! I’ll post it when I have tracked it down with my review 🙂

Nail Challenge 2012 Day #7: Black & White Newspaper Nails!

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So when I thought of Black & White (the basis for this challenge) I immediately thought of newspaper nails. I have seen them all over the blogosphere but never physically tried them myself. I didn’t have regular newspaper so I actually used a CVS ad I had layer around that looks like it’s printed on something similar. I even have a black & white photo, booya!

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Maybe it was because it wasn’t printed on regular newsprint, but this didn’t transfer all that well. It just looked alright. My right hand actually turned out a bit better, slightly darker. I found I had to topcoat it super fast or else it would smear though. Again, not sure if that’s because of the newsprint I used. My base is Circus by Andrea’s Choice in Reverso. It isn’t my favorite base but it worked alright. I didn’t want to use a great white since I was just trying it out.

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I felt like it needed a bit of pizazz so I went the my favorite black & white polish, Black Tie Affair from Nails by Laura. I swatched it here & actually wore it to IMATS 2012 over Zoya’s Wednesday. Its definitely a winner. The black half is Wet n Wild’s Black Creme, hands down my favorite black. I also needed a healthy dose of Seche Vite 🙂

The method I found worked best for Newspaper Nails:
1. Paint your nails a super light color, I chose white.
2. Make sure your nails are completely dry but not with a top coat.
3. Soak your nail in alcohol for like 15-20 seconds. Make sure its completely in there.
4. Going only one nail at a time, place a piece of newsprint over it. I found rolling it over & pressing firmly worked best. I did this for probably like 20-30 seconds each.
5. Lift off the newsprint with a rolling motion.
6. Repeat on your other nails
7. Seal with a top coat.


So that’s it! There is my black & white! I’m really glad I gave it an accent nail too. It lets the white glitter show on one side & the black on the other. I’m super excited to see what the rest of the ladies have come up with!

Here is the list of Varnished Vixens joining me in the Challenge:

 
If you want to join in on the 31 Day Challenge, just let Kimber know! She’s first on the list of participants 😉

In case you missed, Day #1 was RED Nails, Day #2 was ORANGE nails, Day #3 was YELLOW nails, Day #4 was GREEN nails, Day #5 was BLUE nails, Day #6 was VIOLET nails, & the next Challenge will be METALLIC  nails.

Fall Into Autumn Challenge: Apples Nail Art

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What’s that? Crazy Stephanie joined a 3rd Challenge? Why yes, yes I did. I love doing seasonal nails & happened upon a post from the lovely Polished Prisms & thought why not? Its not like doing 3 challenges is completely insane…right? Meh, I’m still on track so whateves!
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Blue background: Skylar by Zoya
Leaves: Spoiled in I Only Eat Salads(bright) & Essie’s Navigate Her(lighter shade)
Dark brown wood: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth in Real Royal
Copper wood accent: Wet n Wild Chrome Nail Color in Penny for Your Thoughts
Red apples: Rekha by Zoya
White “shine” marks: Circus by Andrea’s Choice in Reverso
No top coat pictured! Base coat was Essie Grow Stronger.

I’m not 100% sure this looks like an apple tree, but I honestly love it. I think it looks really pretty & fall friendly. Really love the way the leaves turned out as well. I would have gone with fall shades but then the apples would have just blended right on in there!

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Here are the other ladies participating in the Fall Into Autumn Challenge:
Hannah from Polished Prisms
Stephanie from A Little Polish
Sharra from The Blahg
Ashley from One Nail to Another
Karine from Karinea0a
Kelly from Nails for the Sake of Sanity
Amanda from Mandy’s Polish
Kayono (aka Johanna) from Neues vom Kellerkind
Charlotte from Charlotte’s Nails
Alyson from Beads. Nails. Food.
Becky from Glam Fiend
Angie from Our Painted World
Alethia from Never-Ending Nail Art
Sarah from Dakila’s

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I hope your Thursday & I’ll have another challenge up tomorrow! Excited!

See Stephanie Read: Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay

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 & for our next installment of See Stephanie Read we have: Trust Your Eyes

From Amazon:
Trust Your Eyes– Thomas Kilbride is a map-obsessed schizophrenic so affected that he rarely leaves the self-imposed bastion of his bedroom. But with a computer program called Whirl360.com, he travels the world while never so much as stepping out the door. He pores over and memorizes the streets of the world. He examines every address, as well as the people who are frozen in time on his computer screen.

Then he sees something that anyone else might have stumbled upon—but has not—in a street view of downtown New York City: an image in a window. An image that looks like a woman being murdered…


 After the last few chick-flick type books, I was so ready for something a bit more gritty. Okay, so I like reading some pretty dark books normally, but this was a solid in-between. Spoiler: No one wears anyone else’s skin. This is more of a thriller/mystery with that whole “I wish my brain worked like that” type jealousy to it. If you watch Alphas & obsess about the brilliant Gary then you are totally on my brainwave.

So Thomas is pretty wicked. I get he’s got all kinds of hardships going on, but his attention to detail both shatters his life & creates a new one. Barclay does a really good job of not making this into a total pity victim scenario which I appreciate though! His brother, Ray, has been tasked with taking care of him. He’s pretty much the go-between for Thomas & the real world. He pretty much humors him about the whole “I saw a chick get murdered” thing…until he gets the feeling it might be legit.

This story has a lot of twists & turns, another thing I actively look for in a plot. If I know what is coming next all the time, you’ll find me not reading it much. I finished this one in 2-3 days because I was really busy. On a more laid back week, it could have easily been 1-2. If you’re into mystery/abilities stories, this one would probably be a good fit for you. There’s like 3 plots going on here, you’re bound to latch onto at least one of them!

Check out our discussion on BlogHer’s Trust Your Eyes page & please do comment below if you have any questions!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

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This blog at times uses affiliate links, sponsored material, & receives some products as samples in hopes of review. This in no way alters the articles/posts written & all opinions are my own or that of a guest writer. Please see my disclosure tab above header for more info.