Nails: OPI Tangled in the Tinsel Exclusive Polish Swatches + Review + Dupe!

December 1, 2012 By StephanieLouise 635Leave a Comment2012-12-01+15%3A22%3A00StephanieLouise

I totally stumbled onto this find…seriously. For the first time since we moved here, I had to go into a Sephora store to redeem something & there is only one within many many miles. Well…we got there & they were still closed for 2 more hours! While driving around this new area a store called to me called Beauty Brands. I’ve never heard of it before (ever) & apparently I’m not the only one because I asked you guys on twitter/instagram.

I expected it to be like some of beloved beauty supply stores that are kind of cruddy with great finds but this was simply not the case. Beauty Brands is absolutely lovely inside & also contained a salon. They carried lots of amazing brands including theBalm, Deborah Lippman, & many more!

As I walked around I checked everything out & although they had lots of great things, I ended up with one OPI polish that was on a special display called Tangled in the Tinsel. It was only $4.98! I thought maybe it was their way of getting rid of past stock but no! It is a shade exclusive to Beauty Brands which is why I haven’t heard of it!

Tangled in the Tinsel by OPI: A tinted grey base packed with silver & charcoal micro glitters that are very dense with the additional of scattered rainbow small glitters. I used only one coat! No top coat. It doesn’t dry glossy but it has a nice shine to it!

I adore this shade & am so sad to remove it today. I’ve been wearing it for 5 days with only one chip on my right ring finger! I don’t cover OPI much anymore but this reminded me why I love them so much. My nails normally chip in day 1-3 so this was lovely! But it is preventing me from swatching more shades for you guys so it has to go! My favorite thing about this polish is that you don’t get big hits of the rainbow glitter so it is more wearable. It would flash here & there & I found myself smiling all the first day!

Although I don’t have anything like this in my collection, another blogger did! According to The Daily Varnish, many of the Beauty Brands exclusive shades are recycled shades & this one (again I can’t confirm because I don’t own the other one) is from the Nicole by OPI collection & is called Follow Me on Glitter. I couldn’t really see the comparison that well in her photo so I headed over to the lovely PolishAholic’s blog who always catches the light juuust right! The one difference I do notice is that she had to use 3 coats while I only needed one!

Crest’s 3D Whitestrips + My Yellow Tooth + INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

November 30, 2012 By StephanieLouise 636Leave a Comment2012-11-30+22%3A20%3A00StephanieLouise

My teeth are one of my least favorite features. I have naturally discolored teeth (thanks mom!) so I’m constantly fighting to keep them white. I’m not innocent in all of this either, I seriously adore tea, coffee, & blueberry anything. Crest’s 3D White slogan states If You’re Not Whitening, You’re Yellowing & it is 100% true. When I am not actively whitening my teeth, I lose the white teeth I am desperately building towards. Keep reading for my funny family experiment, why I love these strips, & how you can WIN your very own set!

Click here to read more & to enter & win!—–

China Glaze Glistening Snow & Angel Wings Holo Swatches + Review

November 29, 2012 By StephanieLouise 637Leave a Comment2012-11-29+21%3A44%3A00StephanieLouise

When I saw the China Glaze holiday collection, I knew the gold & silvers had to be mine. I’m constantly searching for the perfect ones & these are absolutely lovely. Prepare yourself for lots of pictures!

Here it is pre-top coat. More on the texture below!

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Glistening Snow: A cool toned silver glitter with scattered holographic polish. Extremely fine, but still gritty glitter so it isn’t a shimmer. Opaque in 2-3 coats.

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Angel Wings: A slightly antiqued gold glitter with scattered holographic polish. Extremely fine, but still gritty glitter so it isn’t a shimmer. Opaque in 2-3 coats.

These are just phenomenal. I love that they are both GLITTER that you can feel & layer, not straight holos that don’t have a color of their own. They do dry quite gritty so I used 2 coats of Out the Door top coat over top. Once you add a top coat, they are even more impressive in the holo department. I hope I captured how amazing these are but honestly, you have to wear these in sunlight in person to see how truly necessary they are. Brava China Glaze.

Because these are part of the China Glaze Holiday collection, I recommend snapping thse up quick before they go away! I bought mine at my local Sally Beauty Supply.

Do you own Angel Wings or Glistening Snow? What are some of your favorite holos?

Birchbox & MyGlam Bag for November 2012

November 29, 2012 By StephanieLouise 638Leave a Comment2012-11-29+00%3A42%3A00StephanieLouise

So my Birchbox arrived awhile ago but I’ve held off reviewing. I have some personal issues with this box & I wanted to decide how I felt about it. I STILL recommend Birchbox to everyone who asks what beauty service to try fist. I just wanted to say that. But let me tell you, MyGlam has been blowing me away. Like POW BAM. I’ve skipped reviewing the past month because I pretty much just lost everything I worked on. ANYWAY. This is a Birchbox VS MyGlam (I don’t know if I should call it Ipsy so that’s what I’m calling it) & it is just so you can see the difference.

Let’s do Birchbox first. So my issue with this box isn’t even that I didn’t feel like it fit Birchbox. So many people got some wonderful things & I felt like my box was kind of a stab in the dark. The theme was pretty gimmicky to me & the new mini magazines feel a bit like a Glossybox rip off. 3/6 (so 50%) of the items are in foil packets AND from the same brand. On top of that, the brand is Masqueology which gave me a horrible allergic reaction awhile back. So these weren’t even a great value but I can’t really use them anyway. I don’t mind throwing out or giving up something here & there but half my box? Bummer.

Another item is a decent size sample of a body serum (which feels like straight oil to me…) was absolutely so overflowing that they had to put it in a plastic bag. Gee…thanks? Why didn’t they just get better packaging? It is a mess…I can’t even bring myself to use it. Birchbox made a HUGE deal about a MCMC Fragrance called Phoenix so I thought; “Yay finally a fragrance sample that isn’t tiny! They wouldn’t rave about a tiny one!” Well, they did…& the scent is just kinda meh to me. Not worth the hype for me.

The last item is a Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Rose Gold. I like this product, I really do. I like luminizers in general. But being that it isn’t a full size (it is a full size according to Birchbox BUT it is a full size from a set of 3 MINIS) this wasn’t exactly blowing me away. As always, I count my Birchbox points as $5 because I do shop on their store (I just bought some Zoya Exclusives) so that brings my box total down to $5. For the first time in a really long time…I don’t feel like my box was worth $5. I usually buy Stila during ridiculous sales so $5 for one sample is kinda a whatever thing.

Now let’s do MyGlam / IPSY!

I am blown away by this $10 bag. No, they don’t have a loyalty program, affiliate options, or even a referral code. Want to know why I don’t care? Because this bag rocked my socks. With items from 2 new brands & 3 I buy from consistently, the value was amazing. No skincare. No hair. Just makeup + a nail polish…& I think if you read my blog you know I love a new nail polish. This month the contents were contained in a chocolate bag with a gold zipper. I think they have actually been uping their bag quality.

The one maybe item in this bag was the Benefit They’re Real Mascara because some people got the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel. I would have been thrilled with either honestly. I have been using the Chella Mattifying Day Cream & I adore Benefit. I’m adding this to my mascara stash to try!

The full size nail polish is from a brand that is new to me called Nailtini. I got the shade Millionaire. Glitter-rific & on trend for the upcoming holiday season! I LOVED getting a polish that wasn’t from the Circus by Andrea line…those just weren’t good quality on my nails. This is a big step in the “makin me happy” direction. I’ll swatch this once I get through some of my accumulating holiday polishes.

TheBalm snuck a perfect little eyeshadow single from their Meet Matt(e) palette in Matt Batali. I love this shade, the mini-adorable-ness of it, & TheBalm in general. Smittened.

Another brand I am unfamiliar with is Starlet Cosmetics. They included a full sized Intense Eyeliner in Chocolate but unfortunately I found it a bit hard. I will try working with it a bit more before I decide but man is this packaging cute!

The last item is a Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss from Bare Minerals…which just makes me so happy. The shade I received is Daredevil which is a beautiful purple toned berry. Full of winning, I just love these, especially to layer. I adore purple leaning berries so this was especially nice.

They also added a bonus $20 off for JustFab. This site is similar to the site I received called Little Black Bag & I actually just ordered from them. I haven’t tried them yet but I had a hard time not overbuying like everything! I’ll be sure to haul stuff for you guys when I do get my 2 items in!

WOOSH! So much writing! Sorry guys, I know this post was long but it was also overdue! I am in love with MyGlam at the moment but I know some people got some great items as well. Pink Sith better watch herself, I want her Birchbox something fierce. Clearly my boxes are quite different this month!

What do you think? Have you tried either MyGlam or Birchbox? Canceled either of them? Have you tried anything I got?

**Affiliate Links have been used. Using them helps to support this blog!

NEW L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in So Over It! Swatches + Review!

November 28, 2012 By StephanieLouise 639Leave a Comment2012-11-28+14%3A03%3A00StephanieLouise

So hopefully you got my review featuring the brighter quad Neon Skirt but if not, this is the other new L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad I’ve purchased & this one is called So Over it! This is definitely the more neutral & wearable of the two I picked & I had high hopes. Sometimes brands have issues getting more vibrant shades right but I tend to love drugstore neutrals!

If you read my prior post then you know I don’t care much for the packaging of these quads so I won’t delve into that again. Basically…I’m not a fan of the packaging or the palette layout itself.

The L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in So Over It! is swatched below without primer & I used one medium pressured swipe each.

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Top Shade: This is a bronzy copper with the same texture & great pigmentation as the gold in the Neon Skirt palette. Love this shade & it applies like butter with nice density.

Shade #2: Again, a shade similar to the Neon Skirt palette & this appears to be an identical somewhat frosty white. Upon application, however, this is a bit warmer & a bit less sheer.

Shade #3: Super dark plum with fine purple shimmer. Not much shimmer, but definitely visible. I like this shade but I wish it was brighter or warmer to give the palette some variation. This applies with almost some chocolate-y base tones.

Bottom Shade: Black with antique gold shimmers. The shimmer is kind of in the middle & this shade applies a bit more sheer than I personally prefer.

This palette is just alright. Again, I love the top shade. Super pretty & pigments. A great neutral. The white is better than in the other palette & looks much less harsh. The plum, in my opinion, is just alright. It doesn’t blow my mind. Same with the sparkly black. Swatched…the top shade really doesn’t seem to paid with the others or is that just me? Again, I picked up So Over It! & Neon Skirt at my local Walgreens!

What do you think? Did you like Neon Skirt? Do you prefer So Over It! or neither at all? Have you picked up any of these quads? Intend to?

NEW L’Oreal Colour Riche Quad in Neon Skirt Swatches + Review!

November 27, 2012 By StephanieLouise 640Leave a Comment2012-11-27+23%3A34%3A00StephanieLouise

I’ve been anticipating these eyeshadows for quite some time. I also picked up some of the new L’Oreal lippies which will be coming in a later post. I picked up this quad as well as So Over It! which I will be reviewing next. Let’s dive into our first quad!

Neon Skirt definitely pops against the other shades available because it is so vibrant! You get a gold, white, teal, & purple. Not shy shades!

I find the packaging to be a bit disappointing. I love the new lippies packaging which feels a bit more new while these feel like they are a cheap vintage. I wish I liked it better but the metallic gold outter packaging isn’t very thick & doesn’t feel all that sturdy. I am also not a fan of the way the shades are laid into the palette. Sure, it LOOKS cool…but it isn’t all that easy to use day to day. The wave like shape made it hard to swatch & harder to get a fluffy brush into the middle shades.

Let’s look at the shades from top to bottom! All of these shades are one medium pressured swipe without any primer:

Top Shade: My favorite (by far) is the gold shade. So metallic & shimmery! This one applies like butter & is soft but blendable.

Shade #2: The white is also very shimmery & comes off frosted. Not as dense as the gold.

Shade #3: The teal shade actually has white micro shimmer in it but it isn’t very dense. This color can be packed on & I don’t think it would look very good sheer.

Bottom Shade: This is a red leaning bright purple/pink with a blue flash. This applies a bit grainy but it can be smoothed out. Super sheer application as well. When you blend it in, you can wipe away pretty much the entire shade except the shimmer.

There you have it! I’m not impressed. I LOVE this gold & find it to be very comparable to my Too Faced Return of Sexy shadows. The rest of the shades? Eh. Maybe I had too high of hopes that these bright shades would be great because you don’t see many from L’Oreal. My other palette is much more neutral so we’ll see if they got that one right!

These should be available at your local drugstore soon if not already. I found mine on a top display at my Walgreens. I’ll have the next quad up soon! What do you think? Was this worth the money or will you be passing?

Luster Premium White 7 Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth Review

November 27, 2012 By StephanieLouise 641Leave a Comment2012-11-27+22%3A32%3A00StephanieLouise

So I am always trying to find a great toothpaste. I tend to prefer something for sensitive teeth (since I have been whitening especially) & one with some kind of whitening component is nice as well. Obviously taste is a factor but I’m not too picky about mints. I just want something that tastes & smells fresh. This toothpaste has a pretty mild flavor that actually leans a little bit sweet & soft.

About Luster Premium White 7 Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth:

✦ See a beautifully whiter smile after brushing twice a day for only 1 week
✦ Specially formulated for sensitive teeth
✦ Clinically proven to whiten 2X more than the leading brand
✦ Contains active peroxide for powerful whitening
✦ Includes therapeutic-grade essential oils for whole mouth health
✦ Guaranteed to be sulfate-free (SLS free)
✦ Enamel-safe formula with fluoride

When you use whitening strips, get your teeth professionally whitened, or use some type of home remedy at home, sensitivity can be a big issue. My teeth have always been somewhat discolored & sensitive so this is something I have to take into consideration. I’ve been using this in conjunction with a whitening product (more to come on that later this week!) & have really been enjoying it. This isn’t TOO harsh but it also isn’t letting my teeth yellow at all. Has it made a huge difference? I don’t think so. But with continued use…it will help you maintain white teeth!

You can pick up a tube of Luster Premium White 7 Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth at your local Walgreens & at multiple sellers online including Luster Premium White themselves! It will cost you a bit more, but I really enjoyed it! I think I will pick up another tube & highly recommend it for others with sensitive teeth!

**Product provided in hopes of a review. Not a sponsored post.

Clarisonic Mia 2 Day #1!

November 27, 2012 By StephanieLouise 642Leave a CommentClarisonic+Mia+2+Day+%231%212012-11-27+15%3A25%3A00StephanieLouise

So I have been begging hubby for the Clarisonic . For like…ever? Yes. That is how it feels! My skin has been so bad lately & since I was getting it for Christmas, he let me get it a bit early! I got the new Mia 2 in Pink which is a new version This one has 2 speeds & while I don’t know how important that will be, it sounded cool!

I thought I would update you guys on my thoughts & progress one week from now then a few more times afterward. My biggest concern before buying it was if it would actually made a difference. I figured I couldn’t be the only one right?

I think I will start out using it twice a day then use it less if I have some form of irritation. I picked up a new cleanser since I don’t see myself purchasing a full size of the Clarisonic one. I got the Simple gel cleanser which seems similar in texture & won’t irritate my skin. I used it as directed for the first time today! 20 seconds on my forehead, 20 seconds on my nose + chin, then 10 seconds per cheek. It feels cool but not harsh at all. I’m not sure if it had any effect yet…it is just day 1!

One thing I can say is I love the charger! It is like a magnet so I don’t have to mess with it much. The Clarisonic itself is waterproof so I don’t have to dry it off before charger if I use it in the shower. I just think that is really cool haha

If you own a Clarisonic , what do you think? Has it made a big difference in your skin? Any tips? Do you regret your purchase?

**I purchased this with my own money. Affiliate links have been used.

ULTA Door Busters Haul from Black Friday!

November 26, 2012 By StephanieLouise 643Leave a Comment2012-11-26+17%3A08%3A00StephanieLouise

So when I looked at all of the Black Friday deals the Tarte ULTA door buster definitely caught my eye. I also picked up 2 other door busters. How you ask? I was first in line at the newest local ULTA. I had a plan. I even involved my husband…you can bet he was thrilled!

Tarte Balanced & Beautiful Set
This set was only $22! How crazy is that! Everything was full sized too! I finally got a full sized Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Flush! I LOVE this shade! Gorgeous right? This also contained a full size Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow in Slate & a full size Bamboo Cream Eyeshadow Brush. I’d never tried their waterproof creams & I’m glad I got a sample. It looks too sheer to use on its own but maybe it will make a nice base? The brush is fab! This set is worth $59.

LORAC Sweet Luxuries Eyeshadow Palette
For only $12, you get a perfect little neutral palette containing 5 LORAC shades. These are good sized too! You can see there are 2 shimmery shades & 3 that are nearly matte. There is a little bit of sparkle but it goes away once applied. These are my first LORAC shadows & I am very impressed! This palette is worth $79.

Urban Decay Travel Duo
I picked this little duo up for only $9 in anticipation of IMATS 2013. This duo contains Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray ( 0.51 oz ) & Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion Makeup Base ( 0.46 oz ). I love the Skindinavia setting spray & because Urban Decay uses the same(ish) formula, I thought I could use this bottle when I travel instead of bringing my giant one. I haven’t tried the face primer yet but I have high hopes!

So that is everything! I think I snagged some seriously great deals! What did you get on Black Friday? Are you shopping Cyber Monday?

Sephora 20% Haulage 2012 + Why You Might Want What I Got!

November 25, 2012 By StephanieLouise 644Leave a Comment2012-11-25+14%3A33%3A00StephanieLouise

So after getting to play with these items a bit I finally can give you some mini reviews! With my 20% off I went a bit crazy but I can honestly say I like everything I got! Check out the mini reviews + what each kit contains!

Sephora Favorites In The Glow Set
Why You’ll Love it: If you love blush/bronzers & are looking to try more then this set is definitely for you. I so rarely hit pan due to my vast hoarding abilities so having minis of some I’d love to own is awesome. I’m fair so I didn’t know how much I would use Laguna Beach from NARS so this mini will let me know! I also haven’t been able to pull the trigger on the TARTE Stain so this is perfect. For the items I DO have in a full size, these are the PERFECT size to travel with!
This set contains:
– 0.13 oz Benefit High Beam
– 0.08 oz Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder
– 0.17 oz Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Flush
– 0.07 oz Stila Convertible Color in Peony
– 0.11 oz Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor
– 0.106 oz Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight
– 0.02 oz bareMinerals All Over Face Color in Pure Radiance
– 0.14 oz Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic
– 0.08 oz Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip
Why You’ll Love it: If you love lip products, this is a great little set. I personally wanted the TARTE lip tint in Hope anyway so this was a steal for me! The only issue I have with this set? It is definitely geared to lighter skin tones. I made sure & checked the comments on Sephora & they agreed! These are perfect shades for me although they are all kind of in the same color family or somewhat sheer.
This set contains:
– 0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Rosé’ Tinted Lip Treatment (sheer berry rose)
– 0.12 oz Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Child (sheer nude)
– 0.1 oz Bite Beauty Lip Shine in Vintage (sheer mauve)
– 0.1 oz Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Baby Doll (soft pink shimmer)
– 0.1 oz Tarte LipSurgence™ Natural Matte Lip Tint in Hope (warm rose)
– 0.5 oz Sephora Collection Glossy Gloss in Precious Pink (very sheer pink with iridescent shimmer)

Sephora Favorites Glitz And Glam Party Sampler
Why You’ll Love it: Besides the NARS Body Glow being super weird (& Sephora wouldn’t replace it unless I sent everything back….) this set is fantastic. I love the Stila eyeliners & Starfish is great. The bag is a nice side & not glittery so it won’t shed everywhere. I love the Laura Mercier Baked Eyeshadow…it is tiny but beautiful foiled especially. The only I haven’t tried is the mascara yet but everything else is fab!

This set contains:
– 0.09 oz Stila Duo Shimmer Powder in Kitten
– 0.018 oz Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color – Wet/Dry in Black Karat
– 0.02 oz bareMinerals Eyecolor in Good Fortune
– 0.125 oz SEPHORA by OPI Nail Colour in Looks Like Rain Dear
– 0.11 oz Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara in Black
– 1 oz Nars Body Glow
– 0.17 oz Lorac 3D Liquid Lustre Gold
– 0.15 oz Bare Escentuals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Trail Blazer
– 0.01 oz Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Starfish

Sephora Favorites Collector’s Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her
Why You’ll Love it: I think a lot of people have bypassed this one. MISTAKE. If you don’t look at any other sets…LOOK AT THIS ONE! For $75 you get all of these super deluxe samples & onf of the fragrances in a full size! FOR FREE! You get a little pamphlet that takes about each fragrance & a card where you check off which one you want. The variety is awesome & perfect for someone who likes to hoard fragrances….like me.
This set contains:
– 0.05 oz Calvin Klein euphoria Eau de Parfum
– 0.21 oz CLEAN Warm Cotton Eau de Parfum
– 0.17 oz Dior Addict to Life Eau de Toilette
– 0.24 oz DKNY Golden Delicious Eau de Parfum
– 0.13 oz Givenchy Ange Ou Demon Le Secret Eau de Parfum
– 0.25 oz Jennifer Aniston Eau de Parfum
– 0.17 oz Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum
– 0.17 oz Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum
– 0.33 oz Philosophy Amazing Grace Eau de Toilette
– 0.17 oz Thierry Mugler Angel Eau de Parfum

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pro’s Picks Lip Tar Set
Why You’ll Love it: This was an AMAZING deal. Even without the 20% off, you pay only $49 for 5 lip tars plus a lip brush, normally a $98 value. You get a decent variety while still getting some fun shades. Believe it or not…these are my FIRST lip tars….right? How crazy am I? I am super impressed & plan to review each shade for you guys.
This set contains:
– 5 x 0.33 oz Lip Tar in Pretty Boy (super-rich fuchsia), Melange (terracotta neutral), Vintage (deep burgundy), Stalker (true blue based red), Grandma (classic coral) + a Lip brush

I picked 3 fragrance samples I had actually smelled before. The only one I’m not lusting after is the Justin Bieber but it honestly isn’t bad. If you have seen the packaging on the bottle though…it is ridiculous. Zero interest in that. I LOVE the DKNY Be Delicious fragrance & already own it. Perfect for my purse. I actually prefer the new, red bottle fragrance from Taylor Swift but this one is nice as well. I’m still contemplating pulling the trigger on the red bottle though.

There we go! I love everything I got & am picking up my full size fragrance tomorrow. I am totally in love with the lip tars now. I’m prepared to be broke. Did you get anything at the Sephora Friends & Family Sale? Anything you’ve been checking into for the holidays?