Holiday Nails! OPI Nutcracker Collection

A nail polish post?! *gasp*

I haven't purchased any nail polish in a while. When I saw OPI's Nutcracker collection my eyes started wandering. When I saw these shades I instantly said holiday nails!!!! Here is what I picked!

Tinker, Thinker, Winker? - sparkling silver

Dazzling Dew Drop - shimmering glimmering gold

Black to Reality - dark daring red

Envy the Adventure - lovely luscious green

Today I'm wearing Tinker, Thinker, Winker? It is so pretty, metallic and sparkly but it's smooth. You do not feel the glitter. It reminds of some Zoya nail polishes that are similar. I was leery that it wouldn't build up but I am wearing two coats and I love the way it turned out. I'm curious on how Dazzling Dew Drop will look. I may have to go back and look at the other shades in the collection again LOL!!

September/October 2018 Hit List

Hey. Hey there. How ya doing? Can you believe that it is November! All I can do is shake my head. I couldn't get my act together to get my September favorites up then October came and went. Today was the day to get this post done or it wasn't going to happen! So now you get  two months of favorites.  Let's get to it!

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Paints

I mentioned picking up Nude Star last year. I picked up more shades and some were gifted to me. I hadn't used them in a while and decided to pull all the shades I had out when I was attempting to destash various lip products. Well these aren't going anywhere. These are some awesome lippies. The feel good on the lips, they don't dry my lips out and the color range is awesome. If you're looking for a long wearing lippie at the drugstore then check these out. I have some additional shades I want to pick up.

Sally Hansen Cuticle Oil

I got this in one the those Allure beauty boxes and it has been sitting. I finally cracked it open and I really like it. It's not greasy and it absorbs in my cuticles nicely. I also like that it a a brush applicator. It makes it easy to apply.

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Thousand Percent

I can't remember what made me pick this shade up but can I tell you I love it! I could wear this shade everyday. I took it with me on my last work trip. It is described as a rich chocolate cherry. This shade is also super long wearing. Check out the swatches of it on their website!

Makeup Revolution Reloaded Palette in Velvet Rose

One of my YouTube favs Jennifer Wan mentioned this palette. It's very inexpensive at $7, so I said why not and grabbed it from Ulta. On the Makeup Revolution website, the shades in the palette are described as "essential beiges and browns, multi-functional shimmery golds, burgundy hues and an ultra pigmented black with a copper glitter twist". I've really enjoyed this palette and it sparked me to purchase additional Reloaded palettes. I was very tempted to travel with this palette but I opted to take their all matte palette which I was kind of leery about but ended up really liking it as well. If there's a certain color scheme you want to try but you don't want to spend a whole lot on a palette then definitely check these palettes out.

LORAC Front of the Line PRO Liquid Eyeliner

If you have been following me for a while you know that a dark brown liquid eyeliner has been my go to. Since I haven't found a replacement for a previous favorite, I have been reaching for my LORAC liquid liner which is a past favorite. I've been liking the look of black liquid liner more and more. This one is easy to apply and lasts all day. I pick it up from Ulta when it's on sale for $10 and grab two of them.

Breathable Nail Polishes

If you've noticed, I haven't done a lot of nail polish posts. For whatever reason my nails have taken a beating over the last few months. I'm still painting them with regular nail polish but I have been reaching for various breathable nail polishes from Julep and Essie. With these polishes you get a hint of color on your nails and treatment. I've been using these for my mid week polish change. Or if I don't have a look going on then I'll reach for one of these. The super size Julep polishes I got from QVC. The Essie polishes I picked up from Ulta.

Mented Cosmetics Everyday Eyeshadow Palette

One of my makeup up loving Sorority sisters introduced me to this brand. I've been following them on Instagram. I've picked up several lipsticks and glosses. So of course I was curious abut the palette. When I got it in the mail I was surprised by the size. It's bigger than I expected which isn't a bad thing. It's only nine shades but it's just enough for a neutral palette. I feel like in the larger neutral palettes shades can be redundant. The shades are pigmented and easy to blend. My favorite is the dark matte brown Brown Out. Surprise surprise. I've enjoyed this on its own but I've enjoyed it more using it with other palettes. It's a good companion palette. The only downside is that the shade names are printed on a separate piece of card stock.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

This palette right here! I had the original (with the double ended eyeliner), got rid of it, saw that it was being discontinued, repurchased it then had buyer's remorse. Phew! When I received this in the mail I was excited but then I was tempted to return it since I've been on a clear out my makeup stash kit (which I'm kind of getting over). I used it a few times and remembered why I liked this palette so much but was still tempted to return it. The more I used it, I said nope I'm keeping it. It's a great mix of neutral shades and I've used it with other palettes which I never did previously and it made me like it more. So yay for having this back in my stash! I still feel like we're getting played and it's not really being discontinued.

MAC Nevermore Lip Pencil

This lip pencil was in the MAC Aaliyah collection and I didn't purchase it at first. One of my friends raved about it. MAC described it as black. My friend described it as a cross between Chestnut (intense brown) and Currant (intense reddish-purple). Her description had me intrigued so I picked it. When I applied it, the dark lippie lover in me swooned! It is perfection! If you are a dark lippe lover you NEED this in your arsenal! I've already purchased 2 back ups and I rarely purchase back ups anymore. It is smooth, creamy, pigmented and long wearing. I don't own any other MAC lip pencils but now I'm curious about some of the longstanding iconic shades that everyone raves about. So we'll see if more end up in my stash.

ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip - Shayla x ColourPop

I have both of the glosses from Makeup Shayla's ColourPop collections but I hadn't really used them. I reached for Drippin' on a day where I was doing a makeup no makeup look of sorts. Drippin's is described as a soft peach with gold & silver glitter. It is BOMB with a brown lip liner. I kinda want a back up of Drippin' but I don't really need one. If it's ever discontinued, I'm getting another one. So then I reached for Neat Freak. It is described as a peachy champagne with pink & gold glitter. It is super pretty as well. Both of these would make great topper glosses. I had looked at some more expensive glosses and said NOPE! I'm fine with these. I may check out some other Ultra Glossy Lip shades. These feel great on the lips too.

Julep Length Matters Buildable Lengthening Mascara

I ordered the Julep 4-Piece Fall Beauty Basics collection when it was a QVC Beauty IQ Steal. Of the 4 pieces, the Length Matters Mascara is the product that stood out the most. This mascara kind of reminds me of Tarte's Maneater mascara. The applicator is plastic which is my favorite mascara applicator and it is has short bristles. It really defines, lengthens and curls my lashes. I've enjoyed it on its own or as a first coat mascara and then layer another mascara on top of it. I would definitely repurchase it.

philosophy The Present

This was my go to primer. I've repurchased it many times. I had an oh no moment when I thought it was going to be discontinued. At some point while using this, my makeup just didn't look right. So I stop using it. I was so bummed. I reached for it again to see what was what. If I was still having issues with it then I was going to toss it. Well we're back in business! My makeup is going on nicely and lasts with this primer. I don't know what the issue was but I'm glad I tried it again.

Let's see what the rest of November brings! I'm hoping not a lot new wise because I need to pump the breaks on my beauty spending. We'll see how that goes bahahahaaa!!

Operation Nail Polsih Clean Out is a GO!

I was debating on whether or not I'd get a shop my stash post up for January. Then I said ok pick a few items and go from there. I started reaching for nail polishes but I started reaching for a lot questionable shades. Next I said ok let's do this from a let's clear stuff out standpoint. So now operation clear out nail polish stash is in effect! My nail polish collection has really been on my mind lately. So I filled up this basket with various nail polishes from Milani (old school Milani polishes and newer Color Statement ones) and OPI. There's also a random polish from Covergirl and one from Glisten & Glow. So obviously more nail posts will come be on the way. So yay!

My "goal" I guess is to fit my entire nail polish stash (including base coats, top coats, other nail care items, etc)into the Better Beauty Case I got from HSN. It's the XL size. Right now it's way too heavy I think the stitching my come undone at the handles. I don't have a magic number in mind. I just would like a nice curated nail polish collection instead of  crap ton of nail polish. I'd hate to just toss them but I've given enough away to family and friends but we'll see what I do. I have a feeling that this is going the be hard but it will be done! It is time! I hope this all makes sense.

Let's get to it!

#ManicureMonday Butter London Rich Gold

Hola!

The last Monday in the office for 2017! Woohoo! What happened to the end of the year workload being light? I've had so much work to do and really no motivation to it. *sigh*

Let's talk about the last polish from the 2017 Butter London + Pantone of Color Year collection I picked up. Rich Gold is described as a warm golden shimmering beige. It is my favorite of the 3 polishes I picked up. It's a nice subtle gold shade. Some gold shades can be "loud". This wears like a neutral. I am SO tempted to pick up another bottle and I rarely get back ups of nail polishes. It's no longer on Butter London's site but I did find it on Kohl's website. So we shall see.

Ok after this nothing but FAVORITES for November, December and 2017! *nods head in approval*

Holiday Festive Mani with Butter London, OPI & Zoya

My office Christmas lunch was Friday and I typically do a festive mani for the occasion. I didn't really know what I wanted to do but I still wanted to show you guys Butter London's Greenery (vibrant, yellow green crème) from this year's Pantone collection. It's not a typical green for Christmastime but I liked the way it turned out with the red dots and darker green accent nail. The red dots are OPI's Big Apple Red (bold red crème) and the dark green shade on my index fingers is Zoya's Merida (evergreen scattered holo).

Pantone posted what the color for 2018 is going to be earlier this week. The color is PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet. Purple lovers rejoice! I can't wait to see the collection that Butter London comes up with.

Next up will be my November Top 5!

October 2017 Top 5

Oh boy this is hella late. But I still wanted to talk about my favorites from October. So let just get to it!

OPI This Color's Making Waves

I was looking for a dark green color and grabbed this. However this is not a dark green. It is described as a shimmery, lagoon blue on OPI's website. This color really grew on me and I wore it multiple times during the month. I think it's the perfect year round nail polish. It's not too bright or too dark. I also layered it over top of a black nail polish and it was really pretty. I'll try to get a post up of it on my nails.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Squeaky Clean Scrub

A friend passed this on to me. Years ago I used to use the Tea Tree skin care line at The Body Shop and I did like it. The Tea Tree Squeaky Clean Scrub was new to me and I LOVE IT! When I first used it, I used it after washing my face in the evening. I wasn't sure if it was a scrub that would also cleanse the skin but it is since it does foam but it does not dry out my skin. After that I have been using it in the morning. It is very refreshing and my face feels smooth and soft after using it. It is not an abrasive scrub. And of course I love the scent. If you have oilier skin and are prone to breakouts then check this scrub out! I definitely will repurchase this when I run out. I may travel with it for my next work trip.

Serious Skincare A Primer

This primer came in a set of Vitamin A products I purchased a while ago. I tried it when I first got it but wasn't wowed by it. I said let me try it again to see if I like or not. This time around I do like it. From HSN's website this primer is described as a "oil-free primer glides over the skin to temporarily fill in lines, wrinkles and pores. Its helps your skin feel and look polished and luminous." It does just that. Out of the tube it has pearl like finish which worried me at first. I said ok instant oil slick! This was not the case. It does give the skin the nice healthy looking glow. My foundation goes on nicely and holds up during the day.

Serious Skincare Creamerum Body Treatment

This is another Serious Skincare item I got in a set of items a while ago. I was curious to try it since I enjoy the serum and eye cream. From HSN's website:

"Pamper the exposed skin of your body with this sumptuous beauty treatment. It combines the ingredients of a serum with the luxurious hydration of a cream to help improve the suppleness and softness of your skin."

This is not your typical body lotion. As the name states, it is a treatment. It glides and absorbs into the skin nicely. It is not greasy and has a light scent but you can still put on a perfume or fragrance and it will not interfere with the scent. I use this from the chest down and I really enjoy it. I said I may grab another tube when it's on sale or I have a coupon. This is another product that would be great for travel.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Sarina

I took this lip polish with me on my last work trip to Florida. When I travel on a plane, I always use a Buxom lippie on my lips for a hint of color and to hydrate and protect my lips. I wore this lip polish a lot while I was in Florida and I've continued using it since I've been back too. It is describes as a chocolate sparkle. The Buxom line of glosses are hands down my favorite lip glosses. They have been for years. I'm getting the urge to do another clear of my makeup stash. I could potentially get rid of all the lip glosses I have except the one I have from Buxom and be content. We shall see if that happens.

There you have it short and sweet! I'm not going to even say what post will be next lol. So I'll see you in the next post!

#ManicureMonday Butter London Caramel Cafe

Hey there!

Happy Monday to ya! I am SO EXCITED that this is a short work week for me. Should have taken the week off but oh well. I am taking some extra days around the days I have off. So it's all good!

I owe y'all some nail posts. In my Top 5 - Travel Edition (Denver) post, I mentioned the three Butter London + Pantone Color Of The Year Nail Lacquers that I picked up. I also said I'd get some posts up on these polishes *insert strong side eye*. Well better late than never :D

So today I am wearing Caramel Cafe. It is described as a warm caramel brown and it is still available on Butter London's website and you may be able find them elsewhere. This is a shade I know I have more of in my nail polish stash but I do really like it. I am wearing two coats but could have gotten away with one. During my last work trip I tried to decide on a few nail polishes to keep with my travel stuff so that I have one less thing to remember to pack. I ended up picking way too many nail polishes and scratched the idea. I've been thinking about it again and I think Caramel Cafe may be a candidate. It's a very flattering and wearable shade. Once I make my final selections, I may do a post.

I'm not sure if I'll get another post up before Thursday, so I'll go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! If you don't celebrate it then I hope that you have a fantabulous day nonetheless!

TTFN - ta ta for now!

November/December 2017 Shop My Stash

Hey. Hey there. How ya doin?

I'm coming off a recent work trip, had a ton of laundry to do, just basically getting back to real life. Plus Daylight Savings Time has been a real downer. It's dark at like 5 o'clock and I don't want to jack! So I'm trying to shake the funk off.

Since we're heading into mid-November (yikes!) and into the holiday season, I am going to combine my play post for November and December.

So here we go!

Shadow Play

I picked up two new palettes from Ulta. I got the Persona Cosmetics Identity Palette and the tarte Tartlette Toast palette. I've done a few looks with the Identity palette already and I'm really enjoying it. I think it will be fantastic for travel. I also wanted to play around with some Bare Minerals eyeshadows. I was moved to grab the Women of B.E. Collection. If you'v been with me a while then you know this is an oldie but goody from QVC!

Polish Play

For nail polish, I grabbed a bunch of Zoya nail polishes along with two reds from OPI. I also need to find my Sephora by OPI polish in Good Tidings We Bling. That's a staple every holiday season! It's the perfect red and green glitter nail polish that I pretty much talk about every year. Every now and then Sephora has brought it back for the holidays. If you see it, grab it!

Zoya Emilia, Kelly, Nimue. Ibiza, Neve

Zoya Storm, Marjorie, Finley, Merida, Aurora, Dream

OPI Big Apple Red, Amore at the Grand Canal

Fragrance Play

For fragrance, Lancome is on deck! I have three Lancome fragrances. La Vie Est Belle, Tresor and La Nuit Tresor.

And a bonus item...

I picked up the tarte Blush Bliss palette from Ulta when it was on sale. I think this will be a good travel blush palette. I purged all of my Tarte blushes from my stash and now I kinda regret it. I saw this and said why not. Sephora has a larger blush palette that's part of tarte holiday collection. I'm tempted to get it during the VIB sale or when they do the $20 off $50 offer.

I think this a good mix of item to take me through the end of the year. As always, thanks for following me along. Especially since I haven't been a consistent as I would have liked this year. We'll see what holds for 2018.

Next up will be my October Top 5 post. Stay tuned!

September/October 2017 Shop My Stash

Since it's already September is just about over *head palm*, I'm going to combine September and October. I'll also mention what I've been reaching using for the most part for September so far.

I had been thinking about what I wanted to play around with since towards the end of August for the month of September. Toyed around with a few things but nothing stuck with me. The main thing I wanted to start doing this month is tackle my nail polishes. I've gone through my makeup quite a few times but hadn't really touched my nail polishes. For eyes I randomly reached for two past MAC favorites and I did pick up the Butter London palette I mention in my Denver Top 5 post. For fragrance I have one that I want to try to use up this month if possible.

So here we go!

Shadow Play

I picked up the  Butter London + Pantone Color of the Year Eyeshadow palette on sale from Ulta. I have not used it yet. So we shall see if I like it or now. I've also pulled out my two MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows that are past favorites (Havana and Rich Core). I also pulled out my tarte Tarlette palette. Trying to decided if I'm going to pick up the Tarte in Bloom palette and I wanted to see how it compare to the new all matte Milani eyeshadow palette that recently came out. Then there's supposed to another tarte palette I think it's called Toast due out. I've seen sneak peeks on Instagram and it's pretty. I've also be on a Mally eyeshadow stick quick. They're nice to pair with powder shadows but they are so awesome on their own. My Juvia's place palettes may make an appearance as well.

Polish Play

I was going to tackle my nail polishes by brand. I was going to start with Essie and I did take a bunch of Essie nail polishes out. I've worn three and now I'm like meh. This basket has all my Essie nail polished and most of my OPI nail polishes. The above picture is an old picture of the basket. I've had it for a while now and it's coming apart. This is what started my whole "let's go through my nail polishes and get rid of some". So for now I'm just going to randomly reach in here and pick nail polishes to use to see if they are keepers.

Fragrance Play

I have some Bath and Body Works scents that I want to try and use up (Beautiful Day, Amber Blush and Be Joyful) along with philosophy's Amazing Grace Whipped Body Creme and Spray Fragrance.

Kinda boring *shrugs*.

For 2018, I'm thinking about switching this post to towards the end of the month and talking about what I actually reach for during the month. I think that may be better since I'm losing steam on picking out select items and using them for the month. We shall see.

Next up should be my Top 5 for September!

August 2017 Top 5

No babbling. Let's just get to it.

Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette

Even though I pulled out my Urban Decay Naked palettes to play with for the summer, I still played around with other palettes. Every now and then I pull out one of the twoLaura Mericer Artist palettes I have. This has been a favorite in the past and I have traveled with it multiple times. This was the second one that was launched and it's still available at Sephora. My last makeup purge I got rid of the majority of my Bobbi Brown palettes. I think that both brands are similar when it come to eyeshadows but I think Laura Mercier's shadows are a tad better. Also I like the shade selection more so that what I had in my Bobbi Brown palettes. My go to eye look with this palette was Truffle on the lid, Espresso Bean in the outer corner/crease and Fresco under my brow bone. All three eyeshadows are matte. You can wear this eye look with  just about any lip and cheek color combo. I've you are a brown and purple eyeshadow lover then this is the palette for you. It's pricey palette but I feel that it's worth the price. The shadow quality is very good they are easy eyeshadows to use and they blend nicely.

philosophy Candy Cane Shampoo Shower Gel & Bubble Bath

For some reason I was legit obsessed with mint, tea tree, eucalyptus, etc items in August. I probably could have done post just on them. The one that I enjoyed the most is philosophy's Candy Cane shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath. This is generally available around holidays and I got in November of last year. I think I have found my holy grail shower gel! philosophy shower gels are a long time favorite and I thought Fresh Cream would be the one that I would eventually use as my regular shower gel. Well now Candy Cane is it! It has nice fresh peppermint scent that now too overpowering but enough to pep you up in the morning or calm you in the evening. I picked up the 32oz from QVC. When it becomes available again I am definitely getting two. I'm tempted to take it out of my shower now so I can use up some other shower gels I have lol.

Bath & Body Works CocoShea Cucumber Foaming Scrub

I was in Bath & Body Works picking up some hand soaps and I noticed some new body scrubs that I saw in an email. I picked up the CocoShea Cucumber Foaming Scrub. When it comes to body scrubs I don't like ones that's too abrasive but  don't want it feel like I'm using a shower gel. I really enjoyed this one. It's just abrasive enough and the cucumber scent it nice. My skin feels super soft after using it. When I use this one up I want to try the CocoShea Coconut Body Buff next.

MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick

When I pull out lip products to play around with I always pull out a red lipstick. MAC's Ronnie Red was in rotation for August and I forgot just how much I like it. It is a fantastic red lipstick. It's a brightened pink-red with blue undertones and it's matte. It's a very flattering red lipstick. It wears very nicely throughout the day and it doesn't dry out my lips. The only downer is that it was limited edition. If MAC every brought this one back, I would definitely get another one.

Julep Super-Size Oxygen Nail Treatment Kit with Bag

This was a QVC TSV in August. When I saw it, I was curious. I paint my nails twice a week and I really don't let then "breathe". So I was intrigued by the Take a Breather Oxygen Nail Treatment that gave your nails a hint of color but also treated your nails. The two with color in the set are Sheer Pink and Sheer Ivory. The Be Strong Oxygen Nail Therapy is clear and I did use it as a base coat with other nail polishes. I used the items for about two weeks and I really liked them. My nails did look better. My favorite item in the set is the cuticle oil. It has a nice light scent. The oil over all is light but it absorbs quickly and it is not runny. I also like that it's a roller ball delivery system. The one item I did not care for is the nail file. I think OPI's crystal nail file is much better. An auto deliver options was available and I did order it when it was available and I think it's one I'll actually keep and not cancel.

September go!

Top 5 - Travel Edition (Denver)

Happy Monday all and Happy Labor Day to all my US folks! I so do not want to go back to work tomorrow. Dah well. Let's talk about Denver and some favorites shall we?

I wasn't expecting much going to Denver. Usually when we travel for work we peg some restaurants to go to and maybe some sites to see if we have the time. But nothing really came to mind since I've never associated Denver as a "food city" and there wasn't anything I really wanted to see. Well let me tell you Denver has some good food! Even the food at the hotel I was staying at was really good. Downtown Denver was pretty nice with a lot of shops, restaurants, and people playing music. The view of the mountains was pretty as well. I will say being at a higher altitude did a number on me while I was there. I was like oh I'll be ok. Yea not so much. I didn't sleep well, I had very bad headaches and I felt like I couldn't get hydrated. So if you ever travel to Denver take the necessary precautions and drink LOTS of water.

As always I try not to take a lot of beauty stuff but then I'm gone a week. So it is what it is once I pack it all up. Here are the five items that stuck out the most.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy

First of all I love the name of this lippie. Shout out to Prince. Let's Go Crazy is definitely in my top 5 of Prince songs. I think I got this as a point perk from Sephora. It is described as a vivid pink. NARS lip pencils are very nice. They are not drying on the lips and wear nicely. Since it's NARS they are on the pricey side. I would love more colors but the price gives my pause. These lip pencils are $27?!?!!! So whenever I can grab a deluxe sample size with points I jump on it if I like the color.

philosophy Microdelivery Wash

This stays in my travel bag and I use it as am morning face wash. This is a long time favorite and I have been debating if I want it back in my routine on a regular basis. I don't know if it was because of the drier air in Denver or just the stress from traveling or the meeting but my face was like YES the week I used this. It really helped smooth out my skin and in turn my serums and moisturizers absorbed into my skin nicely. My foundation application was also very nice. Getting that layer of dead skin off your face is major key to any skincare routine. If you're looking for a face scrub that is not abrasive then this is the one you want to try. You can catch some nice deals on the various sizes so keep your eye out at various retailers.

Butter London + Pantone Color Of The Year Nail Lacquers 

I go these polishes some time ago from Ulta and hadn't used them. I don't see them on Ulta's site anymore so I guess they've sold out. But looks like they are still available on Buttler London't website and on sale. When I got them I was kinda annoyed by the fact that these are the normal full size Butter London polishes and I paid the normal full sized price. I was going to return them but that's a hassle in itself. So I kept them. I picked up Greenery (vibrant, yellow green crème), Caramel Cafè (warm caramel brown), Rich Gold (warm golden shimmering beige). All three are very nice. My favorite of the three is Rich Gold. I think I may have found my holy grail gold nail polish. It's not super bright which I like and it very flattering on. I'll get a post on these up in September. There's also a palette in this collection that I've had my eye on. Let's see if it ends up in my hands.

NYX Perfect Filter Shadow Palette in Golden Hour

I went back and forth, round and round and everything in between on what doggone palette I was going to take with me. It was very annoying! I really need to decide on set eyeshadows, blush and lippies that I will take with me when I travel. We'll see if that actually happens. I don't know how I decided on the NYX Golden Hour Palette but I was happy with my choice. I also took the 4 matte NYX eyeshadow (mention in my June 2017 Top 5 post). They are good companion shadows for this palette. I mentioned this palette back in my February 2017 Shop My Stash post. I thought I had mentioned this as favorite. Guess not. If you're look for an inexpensive warm neutral palette check this one out. The shadow quality is very nice and I enjoy the mix of shades in this palette. Also you can catch NYX on sale at various stores, so you can get this for less than the list price of $19.99. I picked up another Perfect Filter Shadow Palette that's a perfect Fall palette. So stay tuned for that.

Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion

When I used up my favorite Neutrogena toner this was next on my list to use. I got this in a giveaway with a bunch of other Mario Badescu items. I had never tried anything from the brand. When I was packing up my skincare items a thought came to me. Maybe it isn't a good idea to take a new skincare item. What if I have a reaction???! I was like well whatever, we'll go with it. I did not have any issues and really like this cleansing lotion. It smells really nice and feels refreshing on the skin. Here are the claims from Ulta's website:

"Refresh and re-balance combination, oily skin. Natural astringent and skin-softening properties found in cucumber extract help minimize T-zone shine while nourishing skin with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Oily skin gets the cooling, clarifying cleanse it needs to look healthy and revitalized."

I can say a big YEP to this. Would I repurchase this again? Most definitely. I have quite a few toners on hand now (don't know how that happened *shifty eyes* lol!!!) so I don't really need to repurchase the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion right now. But when it's time I will get another bottle.

And here's the view that I had from my room.

My next work trip will take my to Florida at the end of October. So we will see what that brings.

Next up my top 5 for August. Slowly getting back on track here. Slllowwwllyyyy!

Shop My Stash Summer 2017 Edition!

Welcome to the Summer edition of Shop My Stash!

I'm kind of getting bored with these posts. They do help me go through what I have and rotate out my items. But then I'm like ok ok ok what are you using because you need to get this post up! That's not fun for me. Also sometimes I don't actually reach for the items I pull. For the most part I do but sometimes I end up reaching for other things. Plus life is in progress. I have another work trip coming up, house stuff to do, blah, blah blah! You know adulting. So I decided to pick out a bunch of items to use for June, July and August.

So here's what I playing around with this summer!

Shadow Play

Naked 1, 2 & 3

Vice Ltd.

I feel like I haven't shown my OG Urban Decay Naked Palettes any love in while. So Naked 1, 2 and 3 will be in the rotation for the summer. Have you heard that there's a new Naked palette coming out!!?!? It's called Naked Heat and it warm toned palette! *twirls* I also picked up the Vice Ltd palette via a blog sale. So I'll throw that in for some color.

Polish Play

First Row: Tiana, Cindy, Bar, Cece, Merida
Second Row: Zooey, Brita, Aurora, Finley, Dream

Ivy League, Twisted Pink, Violet Voltage, Lacey Lilac, The Real Teal, Pacific Blue 

With nail polishes for the summmer, I said ok I'm going to grab some Zoya nail polishes and be done. Then Sally Hansen popped in my head. Then I ended up with a whole heap of nail polishes.

Fragrance Play

I already knew that I wanted to play around with philosophy's summer scents for summer time!. It's only fitting right? I will be playing around with Summer Grace, Falling Love Summer and Sea of Love. I have the spray fragrances for Summer Grace and Falling in Love Summer. I'm debating if I want to pick up the Sea of Love spray fragrance. I'm also going to throw Wen's Summer Mango Coconut into the mix to get my coconut fix.

I will still do my Top 5 posts for June, July and August. I'm sure some other random posts will pop in my head to do.

So see you in September for another Shop My Stash post!!

#ManicureMonday Butter London All Hail the Queen and Sally Hansen Spark in the Dark

Hellllllo!

I hadn't planned on doing a nail post today. I literally just painted my nails and I liked the way it turned out. Today I am wearing Butter London's All Hail the Queen and Sally Hansen's Spark in the Dark. All Hail the Queen is described as "a holographic beige shimmering nail polish". I really like how it looks against my skin tone. I'm sure it's flattering on a variety of skin tones. Spark in the Dark is a black and gold glitter in a clear base. It's not super thick and you somewhat can build up the glitter. So there you go!

TTFN - ta ta for now!

May 2017 Shop My Stash

Hellllooooooo!

Long tine no see! I am back from my work trip and I have some posts to catch up on don't I? Plus I have a bonus post of sorts that popped in my head while I was away. But first, here's what I'm playing around with for May.

Shadow Play

I went back and for on what eyeshadows or palettes to play around with and I drew a serious blank! Then I said let me play around with some single eyeshadows. These are mainly from Makeup Geek. I have a couple of eyeshadows from Anastasia and one from Obsidian that I think came in a Allure Box. I recently purchased some magnetic palettes from tarte that are very nice. Trying to decide if I want to purchase some more eyeshadows to fill this palette up. I have my eye on single eyeshadows from Juvia's Place.

Polish Play

Butter London nail polishes are on deck for May. I traveled with some of these and I was annoyed by the fact that there was some serious chipping going on. I'm thinking it's the base and/or top coat I was using. I've used these polishes in the past and never had chipping issues. So I'm going to pay close attention to chipping while using my regular top and base coats. If the chipping is still an issue then these are going in the trash.

Teetotal, Sprog, Wallis, Brown Sugar

Pistol Pink, All Hail The Queen, Lovely Jubbly

Fragrance Play

Drew another blank here on what fragrance to use. Then I decided on philosophy's Falling in Love.

Phew! Annnnnnd go!

#ManicureMonday China Glaze Violet-Vibes and Point Me to the Party

Another Monday on deck and another Manicure Monday!

Today I am wearing Violet-Vibes and Point Me to the Party by China Glaze. These two polishes were from their Electric Nights collection. Violet-Vibes is bright berry creme. I'm wearing two coats. Point Me to the Party is a clear glitter topper with neon green, pink, blue and orange hex glitter. It's very pretty and the various glitters are different sizes. It applied nicely and it's not too thick. I think they pair nicely together.

TTFN - ta ta for now!

#ManicureMonday OPI Politcally Polished

Hey there. How ya doin? What's good?

I meant to post this earlier in the day but time got away from me.

This is not one of the polishes I'm supposed to be playing around with for the month. This is from the OPI Washington DC Collection. This was an Ulta exclusive and I couldn't get my hands on it. One of my beauty loving sorority sisters scooped it up for me and sent it to me along with an Urban Decay lip palette that I'm digging. So naturally I had to try it out. It's described as dark plum brown and I digs it. I like it against my skin tone. I'm wearing two coats but could have gotten away with one. This joker was hard to photograph. It doesn't look dark in the pic but it is a tad darker in person. I may travel with this polish and a couple of others from the collection. We shall see.

See you next Monday!

#ManicureMonday Beach It Up

Back at it again on this here Monday!

Today I did a full manicure with China Glaze's Beach It Up.  It's described as a dense rose gold and copper glitter in clear base. The color is a bit washed out in this pic grrrrrrr! None of the rosey coloring is coming through. I'm not sure how I feel about it as a full mani. *shrugs*. I'm wearing two coats but could have gotten away with one coat. It's not a smooth glitter polish even with a top coat. I think that's why I'm not liking it as a full mani.

I forgot to take a pic of the bottle on its own. So here it is again with Essie's Angora Cardi. It's also pictured in my April Shop My Stash post. And as always Google is your friend.

See you next Monday!

#ManicureMonday Bobbi Brown Turquoise & Cult Nails Dance All Night

What happened to the days when you had aches and pains and all you had to do was take some Tylenol and lay down? Sheesh. First I had a knee issues. I got that worked out then my back wants to start acting a fool! I tell you. Smh. Dah well. Let's talk nail polish!

Today I'm wearing Bobbi Brown's Turquoise. The color of this polish is self explanatory. It's a pretty shade. It's a shade you can definitely find at a cheaper price point. At first I was only going to do an accent nail with Cult Nails Dance All Night. I liked the way it looked so I did it on each nail. Dance All Night is described as "multi sized blue and green glitter intermixed with a color shifting micro glitter that goes from gold to orange". The base of the polish is clear which is nice for layering with other polishes. It's a bummer that Cult Nails is no longer in business. They had some pretty polishes.

Going to keep the nail posts going in April. So see you next Monday!

#ManicureMonday Essie Angora Cardi & China Glaze Beach It Up

Hellllooooooo!

Here we are. Another Monday on deck. Traffic this morning was THEEEEE worst! I swear one day, I'm going to just turn around and go back home! I definitely need a shorter commute or the ability to telework.

Ok enough adulting ranting. Let's talk about some nail polish.

Today I'm wearing Essie's Angora Cardi. This is the polish that I mentioned in my March Shop My Stash post that was all the rage recently. It was their #1 most pinned shade for fall 2016 on Pinterest. It's supposed to look go on any skin tone. It's described as a lush, deep dusty rose polish. This is my second time wearing it and I really do like it. This may be one of my go to nail polishes for work travel. As an accent nail I am wearing Beach It Up by China Glaze. I picked this up yesterday at Sally Beauty. I always troll the nail polish displays whenever I pop in there. It is from their 2017 Spring Fling collection. It described as a dense rose gold and copper glitter in clear base. I like it. I want to see if I'll like it as a full mani. Stay tuned for that.

Now let the rest of Monday proceed. -______-

TTFN - ta ta for now!

March 2017 Shop My Stash

Here's an update to my February Top 5 post. I decided to return the Mally Eyes on You 4-Piece Collection that included the Ageless Eyes V.2 Eyeshadow Palette. After looking at it some more, it is very very similar to her Nude Attitude palette which I do own. Also I forgot to mention that I did experience fallout with the lighter shimmer shades which didn't bother me a whole lot. The Ageless Eyes palette is still a favorite for the month. It's just not a keeper in my collection.

Ok now on to March! Here is what I'm playing around with for the month.

Shadow Play

More new brands on deck! I picked up two Makeup Revolution palettes from Ulta. I have done some serious damage at Ulta recently. Oy vey. I came across the Ultra Eye Contour palette (left) and I was like ok this is a dupe for the Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette! I also picked up the New-trals vs Neutrals palette (right). I was poking around on Ulta's website (trouble trouble!!) and came across the You Had Me Aloha palette by Cargo (top) The colors spoke to me but I went back and forth on purchasing it because I do not need anymore palettes! Guuuhh!!! But as you clearly can see I caved. Let;s see if these are keepers.

Polish Play

For nail polishes this month, I pulled out some of the higher end nail polishes I have from Bobbi Brown (Twilight and Turquoise), Dior (Amazonia), Dolce & Gabbana (Mint) and Chanel (Black Pearl). I also pulled a couple from Sally Hansen (Spark in the Dark and Bare Hug) and one from Essie (Angora Cardi) that was all the rage this past Fall. I can't remember who did the post, but the claim was that this nail polish looks good on any skin tone. From there it was sold out everywhere. I recently just go my hands on it from Ulta. Sorry for the lack of nail posts. My nails have taken a beating. I've been trying to get them back in shape and they seem to be on the mend. So hopefully there will be more nail posts this month.

Fragrance Play

I mentioned Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Sucre Eau de Parfum in my February Top 5 post. So of course I still want to play around with it some more. Cashmere Glow from Bath & Body Works is back. I also have the shower gel and body cream. Come the end of the month whatever I use up is what I use up. I'm ready to be done with this scent. Another new scent I recently picked up is La Nuit by Lancome. I've only worn it twice. So I need to give a good go to see if I'm going to keep it, Isn't the bottle pretty? Lancome is becoming another favorite for fragrance.

And here we go!