Maybelline Spring 2011

Before I begin, I blame Nouveau Cheap for this haul! She posted display pictures here of Maybelline's Spring Collection, and I knew I'd have to hunt it down. Surprisingly, both Walgreens stores I went into had them out already. With Walgreens offering 40% off of Maybelline this week, and the $1.00 coupons that are located on the display, the polishes were only $1.69 each. The register reward printed out another $1.00 off coupon for more Maybelline, but I think I'm all set for now!

Above & Below: L-R top Pink Glimpse, Pink Halo, Firefly. L-R bottom Blue Brilliance, Lilac Luster, Sunlight. Nail Wheels below L-R Pink Glimpse, Pink Halo, Firefly, Sunlight, Lilac Luster, Blue Brilliance.

All of the shades in this collection are micro shimmers. Blue Brilliance is a blue/lilac duo chrome--not a strong duo chrome, but I am required to have as many duo chromes as possible, regardless of their strength! Sunlight is absolutely gorgeous. This is not a yellow shade, but a rich pearl infused with massive quantities of gold shimmer. Think Chanel Pearl Drop on steroids. Lilac Luster is not what I'd call a duo chrome, but it does seem to have the slightest flash of a light fuchsia in it. Firefly, the peach-toned shade, is very delicate and perfect for Spring/Summer. Pink Halo is a pale pink with tiny iridescent fuchsia shimmer, and Pink Glimpse is a pearly baby pink with lighter pink shimmer that seems to be touched with gold.

All of these are on the sheer side, and I used 3 coats on the nail wheels. When I use these on my nail, I'll likely use Revlon Powder Puff as a base, then apply just one or two coats for a wash of color. This is such a pretty palette of pastels for Spring!

Below: With 40% off and $1.00 coupons, I couldn't resist picking up a few more items from this collection. I wear lip gloss 95% of the time, but I was intrigued with the shades of Colorsensational lip sticks. The eye shadow palettes are my go-to colors, so I picked up a couple of those also.

Above & Below: Pink Beam (l) and Glistening Pink (r) are the lip sticks I picked up. Look at that beautiful shimmer! The lip gloss I chose was First Light--no slacker in the shimmer department either.

I usually pick up the some of the polishes from Maybelline's seasonal LE collections, but for some reason, I was really drawn to many of the other products and their shades in this offering. What do you think? Do you see anything you like?

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

Happy Monday! One more day and it's March, closer to Spring and warm weather. I've already changed the page on my calendar because I am sick, sick, sick of cold and snow. Who else is ready for some warm sunshine?!!

There's not anything new and exciting to report in the world of nail polish, as it seems we're between collections right now. I am looking forward to Estee Lauder's new offering of polish shades--there's even a green called Wicked Green! I believe they're expected to hit the counters today.

Let's get to the winners in our Lynnderella Anniversary Giveaway! Many thanks to Lynn for sharing her creativity with us and for allowing 3 lucky winners to own some of her beautiful creations. The winners were chosen with Random.org and they are:

Terrenity

Jen

Ice Queen

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you all for your creative responses! I hope you enjoy your Snow Angel and The Glittering Crowd polishes. Winners, please send me your addresses (mej0620@hotmail.com) so I can get your prizes on their way to you. Lynn has hinted that she would like to do another giveaway, so don't despair if you didn't win this time!

Spring Cleaning Blog Sale!

I'm doing a little Spring Cleaning and I've updated my "Shoppe" page! This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I've realized that over the last month I've lost some of my spark for polishes and my blog in general, simply because I think I'm overwhelmed with too much stuff! I'll keep adding to the list, so check back to see if there's something you'd like.

My focus is going to be on older polishes and collections for my own personal use and satisfaction. I seem to get the most enjoyment from those, so while I'll continue to preview new polishes like I always have, I think I'm going to honestly ask myself how much I'll really use this or that once I've posted about it. If the answer is "not very often", I'm going to list it on my Shoppe page right away. No more "well, I might..." for me!

You can click here to view everything I've listed so far. I get a little freaked out and wish I had an easier and faster way to delete things, so please know that I'll answer the eMails in the order they were received. Send me an eMail (mej0620@hotmail.com) with the items you're interested in and include your zip code so I can send you a total with shipping. I'll delete items from the list once I receive your payment via PayPal. If you eMail me for items/postage, I'll give you a reasonable amount of time to respond (24 hours). If you have asked me for an item that someone else has already asked for and I'm waiting for their payment, I'll respond and let you know that, and then follow up to let you know if it becomes available within 24 hours because they didn't finalize their order. No International shipping at this time.

Butter London Hen Party

Butter London Hen Party is one of the shades from their Spring/Summer 2011 Collection. This sheer pearly opal tone with iridescent pale blue shimmer applied well using 2 coats, but if you aren't a fan of sheer polishes, you may want to pass on this one. I actually like this shade, but there are probably similar ones out there with a lower price tag. This would work well in Frankening as a "secret shimmer" ingredient.

Below: Here is Hen Party shown over Sally Hansen Grey Area, so it also works nicely as a color-changing top coat, much like the CND Effects line.

Do I love Hen Party? Not really. While the formula is nice and the subtle shade pretty, there are other alternatives available without the $14.00 price tag. Nude Nightie from the Revlon Sweet Nothings line comes to mind, but the shimmer in that shade is pink-based. Do you know of a similar shade that has the blue shimmer?

Suave Naturals Lavender Vanilla Body Lotion & Wash

I picked up some of Suave's newest body lotions and body washes last month at Meijer, and today I want to rave about them! There are 3 new scents, Lavender Vanilla, Cherry Blossom, and Mango Mandarin. I chose the Lavender Vanilla and Cherry Blossom, and while I've only used the Lavender Vanilla so far, the Cherry Blossom smells equally delicious.

Suave Lavender Vanilla Body Lotion 18 fl. oz.: The scent is light and long lasting, while the formula is rich, thick, and quick to absorb with no greasy feeling. The quality of this lotion is much nicer than their older formula. It's very silky, it moisturizes extremely well, and I can't say enough about how wonderful this smells! The vanilla mixed with the lavender is a soothing scent, and it's light enough that it would pair nicely with similar fragrances, should you want to wear a perfume or body spray.

Suave Lavender Vanilla Body Wash 12 fl. oz.: This product has the same long-lasting, soothing scent as the body lotion. In addition to lathering up nicely in the shower, I've also used this in my bath to create an oasis of tranquility filled with calming bubbles. It rinses clean, leaving me with soft skin and no dryness. I love lavender as a relaxing fragrance, although it's hard to find a nice one that's not too medicinal smelling. Sauve may have created my perfect lavender scent with these products.

Suave compares these products to Bath & Body Works products, and while I remain a big B & BW fan, the Suave products may be even better. The scent seems to last longer on me, and more importantly, the Suave body lotion leaves zero greasy residue, which is something I do notice with certain B & BW lotions. If you want to feel pampered and feel like you're using a product that's high-end (but with a low cost), you might want to check these out. They're available at Walgreens and Walmart, as well as other drug store chains for less than $3.00 each. I found a coupon here on the Suave web site to download a $1.00 coupon for their body lotions.

Body Lotion Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Mineral Oil, Glycol Stearate, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Stearamide AMP, Polysorbate 20, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Blue 1, Red 33, Titanium Dioxide.

Body Wash Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide MEA, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Fragrance, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), PPG-9, Ammonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Blue 1, Red 33, Titanium Dioxide

Lynnderella Celebrates My Anniversary!

Today I have a special giveaway to celebrate my Anniversary Month! The lovely Lynn, better known as Lynnderella, has generously furnished two of her original Franken creations for three lucky winners. Each of the three winners will receive a bottle of The Glittering Crowd and Snow Angel. Read on for my pictures (which don't do these justice!) and the entry details.

Below: The Glittering Crowd is a clear based glitter-packed array of colors and shapes that I used 2 coats on. This would certainly work well over a darker shade, but for a clear based glitter polish, it applies very evenly and works beautifully on its own.

Below: Even a coat of OPI Houston We Have a Purple can't contain this glitter frenzy!

Below: Don't think that Snow Angel has less photos because I like it any less! It's not as photographic (that's my fault, not the polish!) as The Glittering Crowd, but it's every bit as beautiful, just in a different way. From the name, to the shade and finish itself, Snow Angel is the epitome of everything that is pure.

First, I'd like to thank Lynn for her contribution to my blog anniversary, and more importantly, for her inspiration to all of us who enjoy the Frankening process. I wanted to make this fun (but easy!) to enter, so here's what I've come up with. It seems that many of us are inspired not only by the colors and finishes of polish, but also by the names of polishes. Who among us has bought a polish simply because of the name? I know I have! I personally am also inspired by music. I can hear a song and it has the power to take me right back to where I was when that song was popular. It can alter my mood, bring back memories--both good and bad, and I consider my music collection the soundtrack of my life.

To enter, in the comments section tell us a song(s) or an artist that might inspire you to Franken a polish or a collection of polishes! This little bit of information will confirm to you just how "off" I am!...I once made a holo collection of 7 shades, and I named one of them Holo It's Me, after the Todd Rundgren song Hello It's Me from way back! Two other shades also had song references--Holo Goodbye (Beatles song reference), and You Had Me At Holo (Kenny Chesney song reference). You can even describe the shade(s) if you like. We'll leave the entry period up through Sunday, February 27 at midnight. Three random winners will be chosen using random.org, and the winners will be announced in my Come Monday Weekly Newsletter on February 28. Followers only, please.

Lippmann Holiday 2011: Jessica Rabbit

Yesterday I mentioned a new shade from the Lippmann Collection for Holiday 2011, and I found a few more pictures from the recent New York Fashion Week showing it off. This shade is called Jessica Rabbit, and according to Deborah Lippmann, "I used the largest pieces of glitter possible to create this polish." According to me, "Look at how that glows and sparkles!". I'm anxiously awaiting Spring and Summer, but this definitely gives me something to look forward to when the time comes!

*Sources: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

I've been searching for products we'll be needing when we do some house updating this year, and I always seem to associate so many things with nail polish! In this case, the marble samples for the bathroom vanity top have given me some inspiration and ideas to try using the latest fad, crackle polishes. I'm going to try mixing some of them to get a wider selection of colors, and I'm also curious about how they might mix with non-crackle polishes. I imagine that will lessen the crackle effect, but that could be interesting also. Have any of you ventured into crackle frankening yet?

Check out Jessica Rabbit, one of the new shades in Deborah Lippmann's Holiday 2011 Collection here on Allure Magazine's site. It's not the best photo, but it definitely looks like something we glitter freaks may love!

I came across a couple of sales I wanted to pass along...Twilight Beauty is offering 50% off site-wide through the end of February, with free shipping at $50.00. MilaniCosmetics.com is offering a special also through the end of this month. Buy any Limited Edition Liquid Metal Nail Lacquer and get a matching Buzz Worthy Lip Gloss FREE $5.49 Value.

I've got some winners to announce from last week's Anniversary Giveaways! Congratulations to Amanda, who won the Stila Make Me Blush set! I need to do a review of my own set, but it's so pretty that I'm just enjoying looking at it right now.

More congratulations are in order for my Facebook Anniversary "Lavender" giveaway to Denniesha. Enjoy your Suave Lavender Vanilla products and your Jessie's Girl Spring Break (lavender!) polish!

Lastly, the winner of the FFF Anniversary Edition who will be painting their nails soon with the OPI Katy Perry Collection, is Goose! That reminds me, I still need to swatch my own, along with the Texas Collection--who am I kidding, I haven't even swatched the OPI Fall 2010 collection yet. Yikes!

I've got some more giveaways during this last week of my Anniversary Celebration, so stayed tuned for those. My next post will mark post number 1,000~WoW! Have a great week!

More Old School Rimmel!

I had so much fun breaking out Rimmel Mania yesterday, so I thought I'd share a few more discontinued shades from their 60 Seconds line!

Color Club Wicked Sweet Nail Wheel

Here's a quick look at a nail wheel showing the Color Club Wicked Sweet Collection sent over from Yen at VNS. These are fruit scented when dry! This collection looks like a nice mix of bright, summery neon's, and the finishes include both cremes and shimmers.

These will be available at VNS any day now...they're on a truck somewhere and are overdue on their arrival, along with the Starry Temptress Collection.

Old School! Rimmel Mania

The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and it's the weekend! What better way to add to an already great day than to wear one of my favorite oldies, Rimmel Mania. This is from the "60 Seconds Extreme" line, so it not only dries quickly, but the instructions read "Perfect coverage in one coat." Deep turquoise, some teal, a golden veil of shimmer--and the best thing about it? A hint of duo chrome!

Is it just me, or is that not a gorgeous shade? This deep turquoise shimmer mixed with gold tends to look more emerald green in lower lighting. The turquoise is more prominent in brighter lighting, and the gold element just adds to this shade's perfection. Mania reminds me of peacocks and oceans. It's so lush and rich, and seems to have the appearance of a velvet texture with its ultra refined shimmer.

Friday Follower Freebie Anniversary Edition!

The winner of today's FFF Anniversary Edition will receive all 5 polishes from the OPI Katy Perry Collection! Just leave your eMail below in the comments if you'd like to enter. Followers only please, and I'll accept entries until Monday morning. The winner will be announced in my Come Monday Weekly Newsletter on February 21. Good luck, and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Stila Make Me Blush Valentine's Anniversary Winner!

Congratulations to Amanda! She was the winner in my Valentine's Anniversary giveaway and will receive the Stila Make Me Blush set, Massini Rudolf aka Slammin' Red, and a pink make up brush roll.

Amanda, since you're from the great Lone Star state of Texas, did you pick up any of OPI's Texas Collection?!!

Congratulations to our winner, and thanks to everyone for all of the entries. I truly enjoyed reading each and every one of them. If you get a chance, scroll through some of the responses here to see what everyone did for Valentine's Day. There were some very sweet answers, and some very funny ones! I appreciate you sharing your plans with us.

Butter London Spring/Summer 2011: Dosh

Dosh is one of the new shades included in Butter London's Spring/Summer 2011 Collection. Described as a molten apple green shot through with gold, this shade may not be for everyone, but for those of us who love greens, this one's for you!

Dosh looked a little more olive-y in the bottle, but applies just slightly brighter than the bottle look. This shimmer shade shimmers and glistens with hints of gold and iridescent lighter green shimmer flakes. I used 2 coats and while I had a few "bald" areas after the first coat, a second coat took care of that issue.

For those non-British people like myself, Dosh is a slang term for money. And yes, I did have to look that up!

Butter London Spring/Summer 2011: Lady Muck

Lady Muck is one of the shades from Butter London's Spring/Summer Collection, and I'm not sure why it's not on their site at the moment with the others. Is it possible that it sold out already? At any rate, this is my first time using Butter London and unfortunately for my wallet, it probably won't be the last time!

Below: Lady Muck is a pale blue-grey shade with delicate silvery blue micro shimmer. The official description is: Colour: Powdery periwinkle blue, slightly on the grey side and infused with pearl pigment for a soft, sexy sheen. Definition: A term for an arrogant, conceited woman; a snob. I don't consider myself a snob, but I do think I'll wear this shade quite a bit--it's dusty, subtle, a color that can be worn for any season, and it has just enough sparkle to add a hint of elegance.

Below: My first thought when I saw Lady Muck was that it resembled China Glaze Sea Spray. A side-by-side comparison proves that they are indeed quite different.

Below: I may not be a snob, but I like my crack--China Glaze Crackle, that is! This is Cracked Concrete over Lady Muck. Nothing worse than a snobby crack addict!

Below: Macro Shot of Lady Muck.

Below: The crowned bird on the bottle cap!

I've been anxious to try Butter London polishes for quite a while, and this one did not disappoint me. The formula is on the thicker side, but the application was quick and easy. I used 2 coats and had no streaking after the first coat. The formula seemed to flow well and the drying time was minimal. The bottle size is a little smaller than average--.40 fl. oz., and they are priced at $14.00 each. They seem to have some beautiful shades, and thanks to everyone who commented on my earlier post about this brand for your color suggestions!

SPAresource Hand Cream & Body Butter Review

Today I have a review on some products from a "new to me" company, SPAresource. Their products are available at Walmart and on their web site, which is a very easy to navigate site filled with all of the information you need to learn more about this company and their products.

SPAresource is a Canadian family-owned business and their products are cruelty free. If you enjoy Bath & Body Works products, you're sure to love these too. Their prices are very reasonable, and they have a wide range of scents available in their products. They carry full-size and travel sizes which are great for portability, or if you'd just like to try a scent without committing to a full-sized product. They offer free samples to Canadian residents, so if you'd like to sample some of their goodies, check out the details here.


Above: The Vanilla Sugar Hand Cream is available in a 1.7 oz. tube and is priced at $2.00. Some of the hand cream scents are also available in a larger 6.8 oz. tube for $6.00. You can view all of the available scents here. Key Ingredients in the hand creams are: Shea Butter, Glycerin, Cocoa Butter, Mango Seed Butter, and Jojoba Oil. The Vanilla Grapefruit Body Butter comes in both a 6.8 oz. size ($6.00) and a smaller 1.7 oz. size ($2.00). The butter's key ingredients are the same as noted in the hand cream, minus the glycerin. Your can find all of the available body butter scents here.

Below: I was sent a number of sample packets in addition to the larger products, so I can tell you that all of the scents I received, smell divine! My favorites are the Coconut, Vanilla Grapefruit, and the Vanilla Sugar. The touch of vanilla in the Vanilla Grapefruit adds just the right amount of sweetness without being overpowering, and the combination of those two scents is a perfect pairing for an intoxicating fragrance.

Below: I wish you could do a "scratch to sniff" on your screen, because the Vanilla Sugar smells delicious! This photo shows how rich and thick the hand cream is. The body lotion is almost as thick, which I prefer over some of the thinner body lotions I have.

The products I tried were a variety of hand creams and body lotions, as well as the Moisturize Foot Cream. The three main things I noticed and loved about the hand creams and body lotions is that they weren't at all greasy, they were very hydrating, and their scent stays true. There are many times I smell a scent, but after wearing it for an hour or so, it smells completely different than it did when I first applied it. With these, the scent maintains the same notes that is seems to have at the start.

I'm getting my feet summer-ready, so I've been slathering on the Moisturize Foot Cream at night, and my feet are getting much softer and fit for sandal season. This product is packed with great ingredients including Shea Butter, Macadamia Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Tea Tree Oil, Vitamin E, Honey Extract, Orange Extract, Horsetail Extract, Seaweed Extract, Allantoin and Aloe Extract. This product is available in a 4.2 oz. tube and retails for $5.00.

It's always enjoyable for me to be able to try out new products, but the bad part about that is that I keep adding to my list of things that I want more of! SPAresource has me hooked with their low prices, yummy scents, and products that work well on my skin. I went to my Walmart in search of these, but I wasn't able to locate them in my town. Luckily, they offer free shipping (both US and Canada) on orders over $30.00, so I'll be able to replenish my supply easily.

In addition to the hand and body lotions and creams, they also carry body mists, shower gels, scrubs, gift and starter kits, and another product I'll be reviewing soon, cosmetic brushes.

Have you ever tried SPAresource products or seen them at your Walmart? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on their products.

*Products featured were furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for review.