Nail Polish Life Saver

It's time to let you in on a little secret that I've been keeping for a few months.

I finally found the most amazing nail polish in all the land. 

My first question when sampling new nail polish is always about the dry time. I can't tell you how many times I've had freshly polished nails and my hand grazes a pillow after 30 minutes and BAM - smudge! I don't know about you, but I just do NOT have time to wait hours for my fingers to be smudge-proof. Yes, I made that word up :)

Allow me to introduce you to my new favorite nail polish: 

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish.

They currently have 26 beautiful shades that I haven't even made a dent in yet. Did I mention these babies can be picked up at your local Walmart for $1.50. I can't make this stuff up. It's a gift from God!

Not only does the nail polish actually dry in 60 seconds but it's smudge-proof in under 5, which allows me to focus my time on other areas that I have yet to master a quicker drying time for, such as MY HAIR. One day, one day.

And just because this dang song won't get out of my head, I'm leaving you with Royals.

You're welcome.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

DIY Brush Cleaner

Typically, I wash my brushes with the MAC brush cleanser. I found a new easy recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. My brushes came out perfectly clean with no old makeup residue left behind.

Since it was so easy, I gave you guys a play by play below. I hope you like it just as much as I did :)

Here's what you'll need:

1. 1 tbsp of White Vinegar

2. Hot water

3. Dirty Brushes

Here's what you do:

1. Fill a cup with hot water and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar

2. Add the brushes and set a timer for 20 minutes. 

3. At about 10 minutes, I pushed the brushes down to make sure that all the old makeup was getting out

4. After the 20 minutes is over, rinse them out with hot water and then again with cold water.

When I rinse the, I hold the brush facing down to make sure it keeps the shape.

5. Lay them out to dry overnight. I like to use a t-shirt rather than a towel just because it's recommended for your hair so I figured it would be good for your brushes too :)

Clean brushes :)

***I've gotten a lot of questions about the smell of brushes after they are cleaned with the vinegar. From my experience, there was absolutely no smell after they were rinsed, just brushes that were like new again :)

IPSY: Glam Bag

This is the 3rd month of my IPSY subscriptions and they have yet to fail me.

Check out what they sent me this month:

 Now let's break down all the goodies I got :)

1. Cute understated bag - exactly my style.

2. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($19) - The color is called 'Zero' but it's jet black. My favorite thing about IPSY is that they give me colors that I would actually use. Unlike Birch Box who gave me purple eyeliner. Sure, it would be great if I go to an 80's party but I'm looking for everyday products. 

3. NYX Loose Pearl Shadow ($3) - The color I received was called 'Pearl' which is a pale pearly pink. While I would have preferred the gorgeous gold that some people received, I can always purchase it if I like the application.

4. Mai Couture Highlighter Papier ($28) - This highlighting paper adds a glow to your skin wherever you apply it. I'm really excited to see if these work. What a great alternative to bronzer.

5. Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss ($14) - The color is called 'Hot Mess'. I think it's going to be the perfect color for the holiday season. Can you imagine how adorable red lips and nails will be for a holiday party? 

6. Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes ($29) - I'm almost out of my Primer so this couldn't have come at a better time. This product contains Vitamin E that works as an antioxidant to smooth our lines as it moisturizes and protects your skin. Plus, it helps keep your makeup in place. Count me in.

This month they sent me all full sized products resulting in a grand total of $93. 

Did I mention I only paid $10 TOTAL?

Seriously, if you haven't signed up for IPSY yet, I don't know what you're waiting for.

This just might be the best decision I've ever made. 

Glam Bag

1. Nailtini Lacquer - Millionaire ($13)

My first thought was come on people I left my glitter nail polish back in '98 with my Bon Bons.

Since my nails were bare, I quickly painted them without using a base or top coat (GASP!). Without waiting for them to dry in between, I painted two coats & the result can be seen in the above photo. If I decided to use it again, I'd probably add a colored polish as a base to see if that doesn't spruce it up a bit. I love that it dried quickly 

2. The Balm Meet Matte Eyeshadow Palette - Matt Batali ($4)

I haven't used this just yet but the color is beautiful and can easily be transitioned from an office to nighttime look. Anything that's in a small package and can be more than one look is a go in my book. 

3. Chella Defining Eyebrow Gel ($18)

Again, another product I haven't tried out just yet. Just recently I started getting into grooming my eyebrows daily. I usually just got them waxed and let them be. I never realized how your eye look can change dramatically with proper eyebrow grooming.

I have a feeling I'm going to fall in love with this one. Stay tuned.

4. Starlet Cosmetics Intense Liner - Chocolate ($11)

I don't generally use brown eyeliner but this particular one goes on incredibly smooth.

I just may add it to my makeup regiment before a night out. I'm sure I can find a few Pinterest eye looks that incorporate brown liner.

5. Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss - Daredevil ($14)

I'm IN LOVE with this gloss. It's a beautiful gloss once it's on and doesn't have that dark look that you would expect - only a light glisten of color. 

It's not sticky but gives a gorgeous gloss over your lips. You also won't have to reapply in 5 minutes. Another perk, it's all natural :) I'll definitely be purchasing this once I run out.

If you lost count, that's a total of $60 worth of products all for $10. Plus you get a cute  bag to carry all your new products in. 

I'm only on month 2 of ipsy's Glam Bag and I'm one happy customer!

You can be happy to too by joining to get your Glam Bag here :)

Glam Bag

Look what I f i n a l l y got :)

My very first Glam bag!

This Glam Bag was a total 180 from when I used to subscribe to Birchbox. 

The products they sent were ones that I would actually use. Win. 

And, there were no health bars in it. Double win. 

Let's take a look, shall we?

1.) First and foremost, the bag is just adorable. Shockingly, it's good quality, too. I was expecting a cheap plastic bag type thing, but this is you typical make up bag that you would purchase. You get a different bag every month filled with awesome products. If you're not in love already, just wait...

2.) Be a Bombshell Onyx Eyeliner worked extremely well for me. I use pencil on my bottom, but this was perfect for my top liner. You can make it as thin or thick as you want. The application was smooth and dark with one swift motion. 

3.) The Balm What's your type? Black Mascara. It lengthened my eyelashes and made them thicker. Exactly what a Mascara is supposed to do so I was sold instantly. I'm going to check on the full size price of this one for future purchases.

4.) Mirenesse Lip Bomb #4. This is a very thick/bright stain for your lips. You'll definitely get a ton of use out of it because you only need a little bit to cover your full lip. At first, I put way too much on but now I'm getting the hang of it. I top it with my favorite gloss just to lighten the color a bit and I'm ready to go. The color is beautiful & it stays much longer than any other stain I've used. If you're like me and hate reapplying your lip color every 30 minutes, I would definitely suggest trying this out. 

5.) Coastal Scents Eyeshadow 4-pack. I haven't had the chance to try these out just yet. I do love how you can create your whole eye look with just the 4 colors they send you. 

6.) Couture Colour hair treatment oil. My hair only gets washed twice a week, sometimes less (I know, embarrassing) so I haven't given this a try yet. Moroccan Oil is my jam right now so it may be awhile. I'll have to do more research to see what the exact recommended use is for it. Stay tuned for what I find after my weekly wash ;)

I got ALL of this for only $10. You seriously cannot beat that.
The best part was that I signed up after this month's glam bags already went out but I had mine within 2-weeks of signing up. 

I'm officially a fan of Glam Bag. After my disappointing days with Birchbox I was reluctant to give another monthly beauty box a try but I'm so glad I did!

Thank you to Whitney for giving me the nudge I needed to sign up.

If you wanna sign up, you can do so here :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?

Neither can I, but you will not hear any complaints out of this girl.

My first what I'm loving Wednesday topic will be just that. I'm loving that it's already Wednesday and we're almost through the week and onto my favorite part of every week. I think you can figure out what that would be :)

I'm loving...

... my new Maybeline BB cream (Medium). I would highly recommend getting your hands on some BB cream if you haven't already. I've only ever tried the Dr. Jart so I was pleasantly surprised that the Maybeline one worked just as well and for a fraction of the price. Score!

... that my boyfriend has off this weekend so we get to spend some QT together. Love these weekends!

... that I have some time to read a new book. If you ladies have any suggestions on a good book that you've read, please send them my way!

... Song Pop. If you haven't downloaded it yet, do it NOW! It's the next Words with Friends, Draw Something, you get my drift :) Addicting!

... that I went to Home Depot last Friday to get materials to make the extra large Jenga that was made famous by college students tailgating. Girls got get ready for football season, ya heard?

The one below is similar to what I'm making. I'll include photos and instructions on how to make this fun game just as soon as I finish painting the blocks in my school colors.

... that I got the BEST news in the mail yesterday. If you know me pretty well, you would know that I've been dealing with the IRS for the past few months because they took away my education credits from 2010 and sent me a bill for over $2,600. Since you can only speak to these people after being on hold for over an hour and you never get the same rep, it's been a nightmare to get them all the information they wanted to prove that I was entitled my education credit and I was, in fact, in school during that time. Let's just say 4 faxes, over 8 hour long (or more) phone conversations and months of stressing. Today I got a letter saying that the entire thing has been closed and I owe nothing. Finally!

... SO many other things. I just can't fit it all into one post :)

Beauty Blender

If you aren't already familiar with this baby then allow me..

If you're anything like me, you hate the cake looking finish of applying your foundation with a brush. Sponges soak up more foundation than even gets on my face and the finish is never what I'm going for. And using your hands is just plain messy. 

After watching countless makeup videos regarding foundation, I noticed that many of them had one thing in common. 

The Beauty Blender

This egg dropped sponge allows for the most even application. The shape also allows you to reach under your eyes and in the creases of your face. 

Since there are no edges it also prevents you from having any visible lines. 

I ordered it two weeks ago and it just came in. I've only used it once (this morning) but I'm already in love.

Do yourself a favor and order this pronto.

My foundation is even and my hands are clean.

Win/Win

E.L.F Promo Alert

You get to pick 8 free nail polishes when you spend $20 or more on the E.L.F. website. Just use promo code 8NAILS. 

They really do have a nice color selection, if you ask me. And who can resist free nail polish?

I hope you enjoy :)

Primer substitution. Yay or Nay?

Before you think I've gone absolutely mad, please bare with me.

So I've been hearing about the similarities between some of the top primers (Smashbox, MAC, Sephora) and...

this little number

Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel. Yes, you read that right. 

I know it sounds disgusting to put this on your face, but I've read countless reviews and watched many YouTube videos from top make up artists explaining that the ingredients are the exact same. 

These well known primers run anywhere from $20-$50 and at only $6 this make up secret is sounding more enticing by the minute. Did I mention that you get more than double the product? 

The only downside is people having to see it in your make up bag. 

Problem solved.

Have you ladies heard about this before or did I just absolutely mortify you? Any thoughts are appreciated :)

E.L.F. Alert!

Hiya ladies!

I'm just stopping by to tell you guys about an ah-mazing deal that I saw today.

I just thought I had to share with you because I got these brushes a few weeks ago and I truly did love them. They are a great alternative to the pricey MAC brushes that I spent so much money on and it's nice to have a set that includes a cash, especially for travel!

Now run and check out these fabulouso brushes from my bargain cosmetics line, E.L.F. 

You won't regret it ;)

TEMPTU - again!

For those of you who follow my blog you're probably just as annoyed with me as I am with myself. Here we are 6 months later and I'm STILL trying to make the decision on whether or not I should make the leap and get the Temptu airbrush system.  

I've been having so much trouble trying to find a good foundation lately and I just can't stand it anymore. I'm dying for a change and this little beauty is exactly what I think I need. 

Right now, they are running a TV special on their website. It's $29.95 to try it out. If you decide to keep it, you will have 4 payments of $49.95. If you decide to pay for it up front, you can save $25 so the total comes to $205. I've been researching this for awhile and this is the cheapest I've found so far. 

It comes with the airbrush system, foundation, blush, highlighter, and an application CD. 

Based on my skin tone, I would get warm beige as the foundation

Washed Rose to make my cheeks the perfect color pink!

& for my highlighter, I would choose Pink Pearl. Reminds me of Softlights in Shimmer by Smashbox :)

I told you I have been researching for quite some time ;)

The only thing I need to do now is just hit the order button.

My birthday has passed and Christmas isn't for a few months. Maybe I can justify it by saying it's a present to myself before starting grad school in 3 weeks? 

I don't think I'll ever stop obsessing over this until I just take the leap and order it. 

Why can't money grow on trees? Life would be so much easier for me if it did.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm in such a good mood this morning, I figured I'd do one of my favorite linkups - What I'm Loving Wednesday with Jamie!

I'm loving that today is Wednesday and not Monday or Tuesday. 

I'm loving that I get to pick up my nephew from daycare today. Nothing is better than seeing that cute face light up when he sees you!

I'm loving my new nail polish, Essie Ballet Slippers. I'm channelin' my inner Emily, know what I'm sayin'? ;)

I'm loving that I've been corresponding with the head of the Graduate department since last week and I'm so close to being all signed up for classes. It's been rather hectic and misleading but I'm hoping to have it all set within the next few days :)

I'm loving the new makeup I ordered last night from E.L.F. It's my old found obsession. I used to buy it periodically but after paying the high prices for M.A.C, Bare Minerals and even Neutrogena, I've found that E.L.F has almost identical products for literally a fraction of the cost. Check it out - you will not be disappointed. 

I'm loving that I brought a hot pocket and a peach for lunch today, don't judge. 

I'm loving that Real World is on tonight. Again, don't judge. I can't help that I'm mildly stuck in 2002. What's next listening to BSB and N'SYNC while working? DONE! ;)

I'm loving that the The Bachelorette is coming to an end and Emily is that much closer to finding the man of her dreams. I've heard speculation and I hope I'm not being misinformed. 

I'm loving that Big Brother starts in 12-hours. I've seriously been looking forward to this since last year. This will only be my 3rd season of watching but I'm hooked! My only hope is that Brenchel doesn't make an appearance on this season. Not my favorite people in the world to watch.

I'm loving that today is 7/11's birthday. You know what that means, Free Slurpees! I may be a little too excited about this because they are only $1 but I haven't had one in probably almost a year so it's almost just an excuse to go :)

What are YOU loving today?

Birchbox

What's a Birchbox you ask?

Well it's a super cute idea. You sign up at Birchbox.com and pay a monthly fee of $10. Every month you will receive a box of high end cosmetics samples. 

I don't know about you ladies, but I am wary of purchasing rather expenses new products. I'm completely willing to pay the money if something works, but I don't want to spend $30 on an eyeliner unless I"m going to like it. That's where Birchbox comes in.

I thought I'd share with you my first box. I haven't tried any of the products yet, but I'll definitely keep you posted as I go through them. 

1.) Dr. Jart Beauty Balm ($32): You use this product as tinted moisturizer or foundation. Beauty Balm made from a combination of glacier water, deep ocean water, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera and allows your face to look dewy. It's also SPF 25+.

2.) Beauty Blender Beauty Cleanser ($17.50): This keeps all of your brushes and sponges clean. It gets rid of the bacteria and dirt that accumulates over time.

3.) Color Club Foil Collection ($8): The name of this nail polish is Disco Nap. It's a metallic gold with a silvery finish. Perfect for ladies night out :)

4.) Arquiste ($165): This perfume is a warm and citrusy smell without being overly sweet.

5.) Twistband (6 for $20): These ultra skinny and light bands are perfect for working out or going out. The best part is that they don't leave a crease in your hair and don't give you those God awful headaches. Score!

There ya have it. That's what I amassed from my first Birchbox experience. Looking forward to trying all the products and checking out next months box :)

E.l.F. Haul

Everyone in my family is sick. As in they can't keep anything down. I know, sucks. Yesterday I had to go house-to-house to check on my Mom at one house and Justin on the other. Make soup,  bring gingerale, you know the regular dr kinda stuff ;) Come to find out, my sister got the bug last night and was up all night. I'm the only one left & I better not get it. Although it would be a great way to jump start my dieting again ;)

To be sure that little Landyn didn't catch what was going around, even though we believe he was the one that started it all, he spent the day with me running errands and playing at Chick Fila.

Even though, I had all that to deal with, I still managed to get to Target and walk away with some awesome E.L.F products. I can't even tell you how happy I am that I've found a brand that does the job of M.A.C. at literally a fraction of the cost. 

Have a look at what I got this time!

1. Pink Lemonade Luscious Liquid Lipstick (more like a gloss)

2. Hypershine Gloss- Berry Cherry

3. Mineral Infused Face Primer- Loved the smooth feeling I got from this before adding my foundation

4. Eyelid Primer - I hardly ever wear eye makeup but I did on the cruise and realized that I wasn't a huge fan of my Urban Decay Eye Primer & I've been out of my M.A.C. one for at least a year. Since I rarely wear it nowadays, I didn't want to splurge on it. I tested it out this morning and it works just fine! It created a very smooth surface and didn't clump my eye shadow together at all.

5. Therapeutic Lip Balm. It's still in the package, but I believe I got strawberry this time!

6. Black mineral eye liner. It's a little thin for my taste,  but I'd rather double up than have it too thick.

7. Essential Eye Shadow Brush #1815. Just felt like trying one of their brushes because I never have. Stay tuned :)

8. Praline Matte Lip Color- it's almost like a lip liner/stain that you never have to sharpen!

Hope you like it as much as I do :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving that yesterday de boyfriend and I, along with another couple, booked a cruise. Only 44 short days and we will be sailing off to the Bahamas :)

Oh, and how could I forget. Frozen Rum Runner in hand!

I'm loving that I just got tickets to the magic game next Wednesday against the Spurs. 

I'm loving that I'm going to dinner tonight to discuss bachelorette party ideas for Kate.

I'm loving it even more that it's going to be a destination bachelorette party!

I'm loving that I have went on 3 bike rides in the past few days and I've been eating healthier than ever before. Of course, I'm not starving myself, just being mindful.


I did splurge two nights ago when we went to dinner at 310 lakeside, right off Pine Street Downtown. 


I didn't think I would like the red peppered mash so I opted for french fries. Not to mention the fried calamari app, the bottle of Chianti, and the Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream for desert. 

My compliments to the chef. It was worth every calorie :)

I know this isn't the best thing to follow how well I have been doing on eating healthy but here we go...

I'm loving that I entered a contest to win a dozen of only the most delicious cupcakes in town. If you wanna help my chances click here and then 'like' my comment

My comment looks like this:

All votes have to be in by 11pm this evening. Any and all help is greatly appreciated :)

I'm loving that tomorrow is book club and I finished the book ahead of schedule!

I'm loving that I finally inserted in all my dates to my new Lilly Agenda.

I'm loving that you stopped by my blog today!

e.l.f.

For those of you who haven't heard of e.l.f. cosmetics, allow me..

e.l.f. stands for eyes, lip, face. 

Beauty necessities on a budget. Take a look at some of my latest pieces.

Black Liquid Eyeliner

Hypershine Lip Gloss- Blossom

Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm

Berry Merry Blush

Would you believe it if I told you that you could get all of that for $6! The blush is the most expensive, at a whopping $3, the rest is, you guessed it, a dollar a piece.

Pretty great deal if you ask me :)

I have yet to try the brushes because I'm still using my trusty MAC ones, but should they ever fail me, I know where to turn.

Last night, we painted Landyn's room Cobalt Blue. The theme is going to be Sesame Street with an emphasis on Elmo. I'll be sure to update you with pictures as soon as it's completed. 

I finished 'The Best of Me' on Thursday. If anyone is planning on reading it, let me just say, it basically mirrors The Notebook. Still a very good book, just don't like the common denominator that is inevitable in a Nicholas Sparks book.

I'll be starting 'Handle with Care' by Jodi Picoult sometime this week, if anyone wants to read along :)

It's Saturday night and I just got home from watching The Help at my Mom's. 

Amazing movie. Have a tissue, or 10, nearby.

Now, I'm just sitting at home, catching up on some TV.

Goodnight lovelies!

Temptu

Say hello to my newest obsession

If you are as late to the party as I am, Temptu is a revolutionary airbrush makeup system that is designed for us regular individuals to use at home on a daily basis. You mostly see airbrush makeup only on movie stars but this beauty can be yours for only $225. Plus the pods of makeup that run about 2 for $55. That is said to last about 4-5 months.

I know, it seems a little steep, but here me out. The initial purchase of the machine itself is a bit on the pricey side but after trying it out yesterday, I'm sold.

Well, that is, once I muster up the strength to spend that kind of money on something that that my life doesn't depend on, or does it? :)

They are sold at Sephora, which is where I went to check it out yesterday. I just heard of Temptu this week so I was eager to try it out and see what all the hype was about. I hooked up with a sales rep and she matched my colors and gave me a fresh new face in minutes. 

My skin looked flawless. Not to mention, it stayed on throughout the rest of the day. Even after a bike ride around the neighborhood, I was shocked to find that it was still beautifully in tact. 

She even gave me the list of which colors she used for my skin:

Beige foundation, Warm Glow bronzer, Champagne highlighter, and Sheerberry blush. 

Has anyone else heard of this machine? I've read the reviews, most are positive. However, there are some negative, which is why I tried it out for myself. Anyone heard any bad stories about this machine? I would hate to spend that type of money on it and then something break or not go as planned.

Until I hear any reason not to be daydreaming about this machine, I'll be doing just that. 

Too bad I can't use it to get all dolled up for New Years tonight.

Have fun and be safe :)