Body and Soul

Revlon Whimsical

2012-02-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

I've been on the prowl for Revlon Whimsical ever since swatches starting popping up on blogs, and the only place I was able to locate it was at Meijer. I love that Revlon is introducing these gorgeous glitter concoctions, and this one is so Spring-like. We even have blue skies and sunshine today, although it's very chilly.

I used a base of Misa Little Hands, which is a Tiffany Blue creme shade from their Spring Precious Moments Collection. My glitter placement was sparse after 2 coats, which was a little disappointing, because it looks more condensed in the bottle (below). This is still a lovely polish though, and it makes me happy! This shade combines pink and blue hex glitter with smaller silver glitter swimming in a milky aqua base. All of the glitters have some color shifting action--the blue and pink glitters shift to a coppery pink, violet, and brighter blue, while the smaller silver glitter takes on a blue green hue. The base is very sheer, which makes it ideal to use over just about any color of base. It will mute your base color, but it won't really alter it too much. So many layering possibilities with this shade! As you probably know, this shade is very close to Deborah Lippmann's Glitter in the Air, only with a much lower price.

I'll leave you with this image that caught me by surprise this morning. I bring all of my patio plants indoors during the Winter, and they normally become quite dormant and inactive. By the time it's warm enough to place them outdoors in late April, they look pretty pathetic with barely any leaves, and never any blossoms. I'm always afraid they're going to die before Spring gets here. For some reason, my Presidential Hibiscus is coming to life this week. It's covered in buds, so I should have 7-8 more blossoms in the next couple of days. Maybe a sign of an early Spring? I sure hope so!

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

2012-02-06T21:58:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday, almost Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I recently hosted a baby shower for my daughter-in-law, and my photo above is of the centerpieces I made for the event. It was a cold blustery day, so they were a nice reminder that Spring will arrive, eventually.

Congratulations to shasha, the winner of Friday's Follower Freebie giveaway! She will receive Stila's Love at First Blush set.

As you know, nail polish sales are way up as of the end of 2011 (I'm sure none of us had anything to do with that~ha-ha!), and I came across a couple of interesting stories this week that prove what we've known all along...nail polish is not trivial. It makes people happy, it's stylish, affordable, and it has the power to win a Super Bowl! Steve Tisch, a co-owner of the NY Giants, recently confessed that he let his daughters paint his toe nails back in December--red and blue, of course. He started to get superstitious about removing it, because they were doing so well during the playoffs. Afraid to remove it and break the spell, he left it on through the Super Bowl. We should all start following him on Twitter and give him tips on nail products! You can read the article in its entirety here.

I doubt President Obama would paint his toe nails, but hey, you never know. His re-election campaign will begin selling themed accessories tomorrow, including a make up bag that includes nail polish. The product launch is set to coincide with Fashion Week. The article is actually about the Republicans complaining that the pricing on these items may be a form of campaign-finance violations...once again I remind you of the power of nail polish. It's causing the Democrats and the Republicans to disagree. Again. Seriously, can they ever agree on anything? Maybe if President Obama would just paint his toe nails and belt out the entire version of Al Green's Let's Stay Together, the two parties would come together! You can read more on this article here.

That's all I've got for you this week. With Google Friend Connect disappearing effective March 1, can anyone tell me if it's possible to import all of the blogs I follow through my Blogger dashboard to BlogLovin? I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to transport all of the blogs to one location without having to enter each one individually. Maybe there's a better choice than BlogLovin? I so enjoy reading everyone's blogs, and if I'm understanding this whole Google fiasco, the blogs that are not on the Blogger platform will disappear from my reading list. Enlighten me, because I'm technologically challenged. Have a great week!

*photo source 1
*photo souce 2

Bath & Body Works Island Paradise Collection: Bali Mango

2012-02-05T11:18:00.002-05:00

Bath & Body Works has a trio of scents available that are sure to lift your spirits during the cold and dreary Winter months! From the colorful graphics to the luscious scents, these products give me hope that Summer is not as far off as it seems. You can read more about the scents, notes, and pricing below my mini review of the Bali Mango Body Lotion.

The Bali Mango Body Lotion has a deliciously sweet citrus scent that isn't too sweet, once it dries down. At first, this smelled more like bubble gum, which wasn't too appealing to me. Luckily, once I applied it, the true scent was delightful. It smells very natural to me, like a slightly tart mango with a hint of sugar. The fresh fruity scent definitely makes me think "tropical" and "summer", and those thoughts are inspiring to me in the dead of winter.

Here is some additional information about these limited edition scents from Bath & Body Works:

Although the weather is chilly, get in the tropical state of mind with Bath & Body Works Island Paradise Signature Collection featuring Aruba Coconut, Rio Rumberry and Bali Mango.

Aruba Coconut
Top Notes: Juicy Thai Mango, Fuji Apple, White Nectarine
Mid Notes: Passionflower, Vanilla Orchid, Casaba Melon
Dry Notes: Coconut Cream, Tahitian Vanilla, Indonesian Sandalwood

Rio Rumberry
Top Notes: Thai Papaya, Tangelo, Fresh Coconut Water, Sparkling Summer Lemon
Mid Notes: Tiare Flower Plumeria, Watery Starfruit
Dry Notes: Coconut Cream, Tahitian Vanilla, Indonesian Sandalwood

Bali Mango
Top: Sparkling Tangerine, Asian Apple, Peony
Mid Notes: Thai Lychee, Passion Flower, Pink Rose, Nectarine
Dry Notes: Raspberry Coulis, Skin Musk, Sugar Woods

Body Lotion ($11), Shower Gel ($11), Fragrance Mist ($12.50) Triple Moisture Body Cream ($12.50), Glowing Body Scrub ($14)

*Product featured was furnished by the manufacturer or PR firm for consideration.

Friday Follower Freebie Valentine's Day Edition!

2012-02-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

We haven't done a Friday Follower Freebie Contest in a long time, so let's do it! Today's FFF features Stila's Love at First Blush set. I have one of these for myself too, but because it's too pretty to disturb, I don't have swatches to show you! Here's the description of this product from Sephora:

Love At First Blush Set
What it is:A limited-edition set featuring an adorable multicolored powder blush paired with two deluxe-size Lip Glazes.

What it does:Embossed with hearts in three ultra-wearable shades of pink, this microfine powder has a velvety smooth finish and subtle shimmer for a natural looking blush. A duo of deluxe-size Lip Glaze shades add high shine and understated color to complete your look.

This set contains:- 0.22 oz Love At First Blush Palette
- 2 x 0.05 oz Lip Glaze in Bubble Gum, Pinkle Twinkle

One follower will win this set, and this is open to International people as well. To enter, just leave me a comment using the Rafflecopter, and let me know if you enjoy Valentine's Day or if you're doing anything special. My husband and I don't do too much, but my daughter enjoys it so that's a good excuse for me to bake and decorate! An optional second entry is available by liking my blog's Facebook page. Contest ends at 12:01 AM Monday, February 6, and the winner will be announced in my Come Monday weekly newsletter, also on the 6th. Good luck!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lynnderella Lilacs in Love & Heart Strings

2012-02-02T20:20:00.002-05:00

Lynnderella Lilacs in Love and Heart Strings are two shades that are not part of any of Lynn's collections, and I don't really know if they may or may not be offered in the future. Currently, Llarowe is the exclusive distributor of Lynnderella polishes, so keep up with their Facebook page and sign up for their eMail updates on their site to stay informed of her stock.

Lilacs in Love, shown here over Misa Sweet Thing (a pale lilac), has a smoky violet tinted base and a multitude of glitter shapes and colors. It's almost impossible to determine all of the shapes and colors of glitter in this, but there are larger square and hex bright violet foil shapes, combined with multi colored iridescent micro glitter. I love how the micro glitter seems to glow or light up on the nail when the light catches it.

Heart Strings has a reddish/pink tinted base and is filled with red and silvery pink foil bar glitter. There's also a sparse amount of matching micro glitter mixed in. The photos below show two coats over Misa Bed of Roses, a bubblegum pink creme. I'm going to give this one a go over a black creme the next time I use it, because I think it would contrast nicely with a dark background.

Doesn't this macro shot look like something on a slide under a microscope?!!

Misa Precious Moments Spring 2012 Collection

2012-02-02T13:49:00.004-05:00

Misa's Precious Moments Spring 2012 Collection offers 6 creme shades that include a mix of neutrals and pastels. The press release refers to the colors as tender muted shades, which describes them well. I used 2 coats on all of these except Bed of Roses, which is shown using 3 coats. I did not apply a top coat, and these were photographed indoors with an Ott lamp for lighting.

Bed of Roses is a rosy bright pink shade with a jelly finish. This is a sheer polish--not necessarily a bad thing, but 2 coats left me with visible nail lines so I opted to add a third coat. The formula itself was just the right consistency, and easy to apply. This shade has an extremely glossy finish, and it has a milky quality to it. I'm not a big fan of pinks, but I do love this one. I would describe the color as a bubblegum pink.

Sweet Thing is a soft greyed out lavender shade. It's very subtle and soft, making it a nice neutral pastel for Spring. The formula on this shade was slightly thick, but that didn't give me any problems during the application.

Pinky Promise is described by Misa as a ballet-slipper pink. This delicate pink hue has a hint of lilac to it. The formula is very creamy, making the application a breeze.

Someone Like You is a soft beige-pink, and it also has a touch of dirty peach to it. This shade also has a thicker formula, but levels off evenly.

Deep Breath is described as a dreamy periwinkle, and the promo picture looked like a pale dusty grey periwinkle shade. While this shade is nice dove grey hue with a good formula, I don't see the periwinkle anywhere, so that was a little disappointing.

Little Hands has an official description of a pastel mint green. This is a pale aqua green shade that is almost a perfect match to a Tiffany's box, so I'll call it a Tiffany blue. The formula on this was again on the thick side and I will likely add some thinner to it the next time I use it.

This is a pretty Spring collection, but I'm not seeing anything entirely unique in this selection of colors. Misa is one of my favorite brands for a number of reasons, but I would like to see them introduce some more creative shades, because I know they have that ability. Misa's Dirty Sexy Money was very unique and original when they came out with it, and many other companies have since introduced similar colors. Embroidered Emerald is one of my all time favorite polish shades, and they have many other unique and truly gorgeous shades that they've come out with over the years.

I love their bottles, I think they have one of the best formulas out there the majority of the time, and their polishes always seem to have higher than average pigmentation. There are some pretty shades in their Spring collection, and the fact that Misa's formula is thick but very workable, practically guarantees a 2 coat even finish. It's not often I end up with such good coverage on pastel shades, but these worked out very nicely. That being said, they present some nice on trend shades in this collection, but I do love when they come out with some "off trend" shades that give the other companies something to copy.

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

Pixi Beauty Introduces the PixiGlow Tinker Bell Inspired Collection

2012-01-26T11:13:00.009-05:00

I've been excited about Pixi Beauty's Tinker Bell inspired collection for months now, and I received the information below earlier today and wanted to pass it along. The PixiGlow Collection is a Limited Edition Target exclusive that will be available January 29 at Target online, and in all Target stores in March. There's even a nail polish (not pictured)! If you're a Tinker Bell fan, check it out!

It doesn't sound like this collection will be available on the Pixi Beauty web site, but I wanted to mention that if you'd like to receive discounts from Pixi, sign up for their eMail on their site. I often receive up to 30% discounts, and they also offer free shipping at $50.00.

Right on trend, Pixi creator and Target beauty design partner Petra Strand has teamed with The Walt Disney Co. to design the limited-edition PixiGlow collection available exclusively at Target. Inspired by Disney’s most iconic fairy, Tinker Bell, Petra worked closely with Disney character artist John Quinn in a unique collaboration. Together they re-imagined the Tinker Bell of childhood memories into a vintage-inspired beauty who will appeal to women of all ages. Petra shares, “In collaboration with Disney, we created a unique Tinker Bell collection that captures the fresh-faced, glowing, and timeless beauty of both a Disney icon and the Pixi brand by reinforcing that makeup simply enhances and perfects your natural.” Ranging in price from $8.00 to $34.00, the PixiGlow collection will launch on Target.com on January 29 and in all Target stores in March.

The PixiGlow Collection offers six color cosmetics, available exclusively at Target:

Catching Shadows Crayon ($18.00) – a waterproof cream-to-powder eye crayon

Fairy Dust ($14.00) – a glimmering loose dust that can be used on skin, eyes or even lips

Fairy Face Palette ($34.00) – A “whole face in a case,” this universally flattering palette includes 5 eye shadows, 3 color blush palette, 5 lip creams and applicators

Magic Tink Tint ($16.00) – a nourishing gel crayon that tints your lips, reacting to your lips’ pH level to deliver a perfectly personalized pink tint

Straight On ‘til Morning Liner ($15.00) – an intense waterproof pencil liner in an enchanting deep green hue and pure peek-a-boo glitter

Pirouette Pink Nail Colour ($8.00) – a bright pink nail lacquer with just a touch of shimmer

L'Oreal Colour Riche: Safari Chic, Now You Sea Me & VIP Status

2012-01-24T21:20:00.007-05:00

L'Oreal has released their new Colour Riche polishes, which if I count correctly, includes forty-two shades. You can view their color charts here. According to their Facebook page, these shades are "a brand new product launch separate from our Pro Nails collection. It will be available in retailers nation wide. The products available may vary from retailer to retailer. This is a product launch so it is Permanent but it will be updated with more great colors."

I picked up 3 shades, Safari Chic, Now You Sea Me, and VIP Status. I love that these bottles are still square, but they now have a round cap. My OCD tendancies won't go crazy like they do on their older bottles with square caps that always get out of alignment after the first use! I picked mine up at Meijer using some $1.00 off coupons and bogo half off, but they normally retail there for $5.29 each. The bottles look full sized, but because of the way the interior is formed, the product weight is actually only 0.39 fl. oz.

First up is Safari Chic, a creamy olive green shade. This has pale blue hidden micro shimmer, but it's a shame that it doesn't even show up. For all intents and purposes, this is a creme. I used 2 coats on all of my swatches, and the formula was excellent. I've always found L'Oreal's brushes to be a bit on the stiff side, but these seemed a little less rigid.

Now You See Me is another dusty shade, so of course I had to pick this one up too. This light teal has a touch of green, and I had a difficult time photographing it for some reason. Either my skin was bright red, or the polish was a bright sky blue. The photo above with all 3 bottles shows it looking much brighter and bluer than it really is. I finally was able to capture the true color in lower lighting.

VIP Status is a trickster, because it looked like a duo chrome in the store, so of course after my adreneline calmed down from that discovery, I had to have it! I held it up, turned it around, studied it intently...all of this in the store, and the violet and teal were just beautiful. Of course when I got it home, I took it near a window to see its beauty once again, and the duo chrome was no where to be found. It's still a beautiful color, but I think between the store lighting, the plastic label across the bottle front, and the thick glass base and interior curve of the containment portion, all factored in to what I thought I saw. I'm telling you, it was a duo chrome in the store!

Here's what you'll really see if you pick up this polish...unless you put on your 3D Duo Chrome glasses, that is. This is a beautiful blackened teal shimmer with a thinner formula than the 2 creme shades I picked up. It still covered well using two coats, and even though its duo chrome got lost somewhere between Meijer and my house, I do think it's lovely.

I didn't look through my polishes to see if I had any dupes, but I'd be willing to say that I probably do. These aren't incredibly unique colors to me, but they all have a very nice formula, and I've been fond of L'Oreal polishes since I first became obsessed with nail polish decades ago. Have you picked up any of the new Colour Riche shades?

Color Club Magnetic Force: Coming February 2012

2012-01-23T15:11:00.001-05:00

Color Club is joining the ranks of polish companies that offer magnetic shades! The photos below are from an ad I spotted in Beauty Store Business Magazine, so pardon the lack of quality from my photograph of the ad. If you'd like to get a better look at these, I see that they're up on Color Club's web site for pre-order. Magnetic Force is the name of the collection, and there are 6 shades. These are priced at $12.00 each, and the magnet is located in the cap.

New Sweetheart Balm From Besame Cosmetics

2012-01-23T13:31:00.003-05:00

I love Besame Cosmetics, and I wanted to share this information that just came across in my eMail. These look delicious, don't they?

Adorable packaging aside, Besame Cosmetics NEW Sweetheart Lip Balm is packed with antioxidants to condition and the colors are ripe for spring including Sweet Rose, Cherry, Peach and Tangerine.

The luminous lip moisturizing balm provides an elegant, long lasting finish. The healthy formula deeply moisturizes and conditions, while fortifying with antioxidant vitamins C and E fight free radical damage. It is highly emollient and protective as it drenches the lips with exceptional comfort and hydration in sheer, shiny pops of color.

Also included are beneficial ingredients aloe leaf extract and shea butter, known for soothing, healing and antiseptic properties, and jojoba, a naturally-derived oil that is easily absorbed into skin. Rosa canina extract, a fragrant extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

$18 at www.besamecosmetics.com and select retailers nationwide and internationally.

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

2012-01-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday to everyone! It's hard to believe we're heading in to the last full week of January already, isn't it? All the closer to Spring collection releases! The photos I post every Monday are usually my own, but this was such a stunning view that I just had to share it. This is a photo of the Mackinac Bridge from their web cam taken late last week. I live in the lower peninsula of Michigan, and this bridge connects the lower to the upper peninsula. It's a suspension bridge that spans nearly 5 miles, so if you're afraid of bridges, you might want to just admire it from afar. Below is a photo of it taken in clear weather to give you an idea of just how majestic this structure is. It always scares me driving over it...you know, that fear of being trapped and unable to escape?!! I get the same feeling when driving on the causeway to the Florida Keys, but the destinations are always worth the fear factor!

Here's a look at a lovely little collection from RGB Cosmetics for Spring 2012. I love the vintage simplicity of these colors, and I'm especially smitten with Dew.

MAC has several new collections coming out (what else is new!), but I am counting the days until their Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook collection launches on February 9. There are quite a few nice looking products in that collection, but I only have eyes for the Tendertones. I adore Tendertones, and am beyond thrilled that there are 4 of them in this collection. Who else thinks Tendertones should be part of their permanent line?

Cargo Cosmetics is on sale at Hautelook until 1/25, so if you're a fan of that brand like I am, check it out. Feel free to join us on Facebook for the Sunday Beauty Cafe Topic, which ends this evening. Our topic is Beauty Balm creams, which I am starting to become obsessed with! I'll be hosting a nice giveaway later this week featuring beauty balms and other great products, all from Miracle Skin Transformer, so I hope you'll join me for that. Have a great week!

NCLA Nail Lacquer: Hollywood & Vine Starlet

2012-01-22T22:52:00.002-05:00

NCLA recently launched their first nail lacquer collection, adding to their already successful line of adhesive nail wraps. The LA Collection contains a range of seventeen shades, along with a base/top coat combo product. Based in Los Angeles, their debut collection reflects all that LA has to offer. These polishes retail for $16.00, so they are pricey. The formula on the shade I was sent reminds me of the formula of a Rescue Beauty Lounge or a Deborah Lippmann polish, so it does have a superior formula. I don't see too many reviews online yet for this brand, but I would be interested to hear if their creme formula applies as nicely.

The photo above was taken from the NCLA web site, and what I like about their photos is that if you click on them, they enlarge as shown. This allows you to see how opaque the shade is using one coat and two coats because of the way the splatter of polish is displayed. So many times I find that color samples on web sites are not truly reflective of the actual polish color, so I like the way they display their shades.

The shade I received is called Hollywood & Vine Starlet. The product comes in a sturdy matte black box, and the product size is a standard .5 fl. oz.

Described as an ultra rich black with silver glitter, Hollywood & Vine Starlet is also ultra sparkly.

I used 2 coats over a base coat, and I also applied a top coat (Misa TopTopper) in these photos. There are a couple of very slight thinner areas near a cuticle or two, so I think the next time I wear this shade I'll just use a layer over an opaque black one coater. The glitter is very evenly dispersed, and it dired a bit quicker than average. This shade is sort of an off-black to my eyes--definitely black, but a softer black.

Below is a quick look at all of the shades in this collection, and you can view them more accurately on their site at the link above.

The packaging is nice, the rectangular bottle is heavy and substantial, and I didn't have any problems with the brush. Based on their color chart, they seem to have a very good variety of colors and finishes. They've also come up with some fantastic names, like Pick Me Up At Melrose Place, Rodeo Drive Royalty, and Santa Monica Shore Thing. Take a look here at Hollywood Hills Hot Number if you like sparkle, and be sure to enlarge/click it!

NCLA nail lacquers are 100% free of DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Camphor and never tested on animals. Free shipping is offered on orders over $50.00.

*Product featured was furnished for consideration.

Misa Spring 2012 Collection: Precious Moments

2012-01-20T14:38:00.004-05:00

I just received Misa's Spring 2012 collection details, and this collection is scheduled for a January 27 release! Click photo to enlarge.

Enjoy Life’s Greatest Pleasures With Misa Cosmetics Precious Moments Collection

January 2012 – Philadelphia, PA. Springtime: the season when new romances blossom, Mother Nature renews its bounty, and the cycle once again starts anew. What better time to celebrate the best that life has to offer with the collection of baby-soft pastel polishes in Misa Cosmetics’ latest collection, Precious Moments? These six tender muted shades, perfectly aligned with spring 2012’s biggest nail trends—neutrals and creams—will ensure that nails keep up with the times while paying homage to the experiences that remain in our memories forever.

Spring 2012: Precious Moments

Someone Like You: You know when you’ve found your perfect match—both in the romance department and when you nab the perfect polish. Envelop nails in a shade you’ll love forever, a soft beige-pink that’ll whisper your name and guarantee neutral manis and pedis that will always be in perfect harmony.

Deep Breath: Take a moment to meditate on this dreamy periwinkle, and you might find yourself momentarily breathless! A pulse-quickening combination of softness and unconventionality, this shade provides a hint of subtle grey color while enrobing nails in an ever-so-slightly unexpected hue.

Sweet Thing: The sweetest things in life may be free, but this gentle color will help you attain every last one of them. Lavender, revered for its calming and soothing properties, now translates to nails for manicures and pedicures that won’t compete with spring’s fashions—without venturing into wallflower territory.

Bed of Roses: The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and nature’s greenery returns in full force—let’s face it, springtime calls for a rosy outlook. Answer that demand on nails with this rosy bright pink shade, a universally flattering hue that’ll force anyone to look at life through rose-colored glasses.

Little Hands: Celebrate the birth of new life by making sure that nails are kept looking their freshest throughout the season. This pastel mint green is ideal for any lacquer lover, from the tiniest fingers and toes to women looking for a hint of unpredictable glamour to complement their spring wardrobe.

Pinky Promise: Do you solemnly swear to maintain perfectly polished nails all season long? Then grab this ballet-slipper pink, a neutral that will bring out the natural beauty of nails with a swath of sheer perfection. Keep your promises—and attain all of your dreams—with this creamy romantic hue!

About Misa CosmeticsMisa offers more than 164 nail lacquers that provide the richest and most intense coverage possible in nail color. An exceptionally high concentration of pigment, as well as mica, in a professional-grade formulation ensures that Misa colors last and last without chipping, wearing or fading. And unlike many polishes that can thicken with age, Misa nail lacquers stay perfectly mixed for a smooth, streak-free and even finish—even years after first use.

Misa Cosmetics’ TechnologyMisa continues to upgrade products, including the use of revolutionary nanotechnology. This nanotechnology helps Misa develop polishes that are smoother, resulting in a surface that allows light to reflect evenly. Nail polish performance is enhanced through ease of application and removal, high gloss, higher abrasion resistance and better stability. Better adhesion allows for longer-lasting results.

Safety is also a prime objective; therefore, Misa no longer uses DBP, toluene or formaldehyde chemicals in any of its nail lacquers. A unique 230-strand polish brush fits in the hand—just right for a steady polishing job—while the elegant and sturdy base ensures the bottle won’t tip. Discriminating nail professionals and colorful people everywhere have requested Misa since 1996. Beyond seasonal collections, Misa
offers an impressive array of frosts, sheers, French manicure and nail art colors for year-round indulgence.

Lynnderella Lovely Is As Lovely Does Collection: Part II

2012-01-19T13:28:00.001-05:00

Today I have a look at part II of Lynderella's upcoming collection, Lovely Is As Lovely Does. If you missed part I, you can click here to view it. As I did with part I, I'll be keeping my commentary minimal, because I've included Lynn's expert description with each shade. I used a top coat (Misa TOPtopper) over each of these, and the only shade I felt needed some glitter taming was Sweets to the Sweet, so Glitter Tamer was applied over it. Again, as with the first 5 shades, nice and easy application, good glitter placement without manipulation, and gorgeous, unique, creative colors, as always.

ChocoLotta Love is a blend of brown multi-sized hexagons and squares, black microglitter, as well as scattered yellow, red, purple, turquoise, lime and emerald "candies" in a sheer chocolate base. Like brownies with M+Ms baked in.

Macro shots are all taken of the bottle, not of my nails with a base color underneath.
Boy-Girl Party is a mixture of red, fuschia, pink, blue, turquoise and royal multi-sized hexagons, squares and diamonds in a transparent pink base. This really surprised me since the combination created an unexpected.

Nosegay (defined as a small bunch of flowers, bouquet or posy) is made with lavender and purple multi-sized hexagons and squares, with blue-violet shimmer in a translucent pale violet base.

Forget You Not is made with multi-sized periwinkle hexagons, pink sparks, blue sparks and cornflower-pink shimmer in a sheer blue base.

Sweets to the Sweet contains translucent white multi-sized hexagons and squares, with scattered yellow, red, purple, turquoise, lime and emerald squares and hexagons in a shimmering translucent white sparkling base. There are also small iridescent green hexagons to sweeten the mix.

Lynnderella Lovely Is As Lovely Does Collection: Part I

2012-01-18T09:09:00.002-05:00

Lynnderella will soon be offering another beautiful new collection called Lovely Is As Lovely Does. With a theme of love, romance, and true beauty, this glittery collection of ten shades contains both delicate and soft hues, along with some truly eye-catching shades that will make you swoon. I don't have an exact release date on these, but if you follow Lynn's blog (link above) and join Llrowe's mailing list or follow them on Facebook, you can stay informed.

Let's get started with these works of art in a bottle! If you click on the link above for Lovely Is As Lovely Does, you can view a variety of pictures and read the descriptions for each shade in Lynn's own words. Below is Part I, which will be followed later today by Part II. All of my swatches are used over a base color, and I did not use a top coat in the photos. I've included photos of my base color in case you're not familiar with it, and Lynn's official description is posted at the beginning of each shade. She does a much better job of describing the shades and glitter detail than I ever could, so my commentary will be minimal! All shades applied nice and easy, and I didn't manipulate any of the glitter because their placement was fairly uniform.

Mademoiselle Violette de Bleu is a mixture of royal blue, blue violet, navy, holographic royal blue multi-sized hexagons and squares with a touch of purple and iridescent blue hexagons in a sheer blue-violet base. Some people may know this shade as "Throwing Violets into the Ocean".

Lower lighting (below) brings out a touch of violet in the glitter.

All macro shots were taken of the bottle, not on my nails over a base coat.
Matter of the Heart has red, fuschia, pink, silver holographic multi-sized hexagons and squares with scattered holographic holo hearts in a sheer milky pink base with subtle pink shimmer.

Lovey Dovey contains translucent smokey lavender and pale lavender hexagons and squares, with gunmetal squares and scattered pink hexagons in a dove grey base spiked with subtle pink shimmer.

Love, Lace and Lilacs contains translucent and opaque white multi-sized hexagons, threads (bars) and squares in a shimmering clear base.

At first glance, Love, Lace and Lilacs reminded me to some degree of the hauntingly beautiful Snow Angel, so I wanted to show you a quick comparison.
These two shades are somewhat similar, but they're certainly not dupes. Love, Lace and Lilacs is a whiter white, while Snow Angel is a milkier antique white. The glitter configuration is also quite different in each shade.

LavenDear is a blend of lavender multi-sized hexagons and squares with a touch of holographic pink in a sheer pink-violet base with a hint of iridescent blue shimmer.

China Glaze Colours From The Capitol Bottle Pictures

2012-01-17T14:30:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick look at bottle shots from the soon to be released China Glaze Colours From The Capitol Collection. Smoke and Ashes (bottom row, third from left) is my personal top pick based on the bottle look, but this entire collection is gorgeous! March 1st needs to hurry up and get here!

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

2012-01-09T12:48:00.009-05:00

How's everyone doing today? I hope you all had a great weekend! I've got some more information on the China Glaze Magnetix Collection for you, thanks to one of my kind followers, Vivian. She took the time to send me an eMail and attach a photo (below) of a poster she spotted at her local beauty supply store recently. Here's what she had to say: I went to my local beauty supply store today, and found a poster saying that the estimated release date is Jan. 15th. This store has been spot on with most of the collections so far (including the new Nicki Minaj and CG Electropop collections), so we might possibly find them in stores before the stated mid February date! The poster also had a clear picture of the actual magnetic, so it confirms that the 10 dollar price includes all 3 designs. Thank you to Vivian for taking the time to update us on this collection!

I always enjoy reading articles about cosmetics, and I came across one on the Financial Times web site that discusses some of the technology that inspires various beauty products, including Minx nail wraps. You can view the article here.

Today while strolling through the aisles in Walgreens, I came across tons of new products. I actually had quite a few of them in my basket, including Garnier's new beauty balm cream, Revlon Colorstay nail enamels, and L'Oreal Infallible 24 HR eye shadows, and their new balm. Something came over me though, and I put them all back on the shelves! I guess I'm still in my cleaning and purging mode that always seems to present itself after the New Year, and I decided that I really had more than enough products at home that I've yet to use. I'm still thinking about those products, so let's hope I don't cave in and go back for them! One item I saw that I thought was interesting--even though it didn't make it into my basket only to be put back--was Goody Hair Care's new DoubleWear elastics. These are nothing more than pony tail holders and head band, dressed up with metal pieces so they double as jewelry if you're not wearing them in your hair. These were priced at $5.99.

Just a reminder that my weekly Sunday Beauty Cafe is still open for comments on my Facebook fan page. This week the topic is Monthly Beauty Subscription Services, and it's open for comments until this evening. One random commenter is selected each week to receive a surprise beauty product(s).

Have a fabulous week, and keep positive thoughts for me that I don't go back to Walgreens and load up on all of the great products that are coming out!

Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

2012-01-06T19:05:00.007-05:00

A while back, there was a miniature version of Revlon's Crazy Shine Nail Buffer attached to an ad in a magazine, so I took it out and used it until it could be used no more. I was impressed with how nice it made my nails look, and it didn't seem nearly as abrasive as other buffers I've used. Because I liked it so well, I picked up the full sized product at Rite Aid recently. This products retails for about $3.00.

The buffer measures 3.5"x2.5" and is just over 1/2" thick. The tear drop shape fits nicely in my hand, and the tapered point allows you to get right to the edge of the nail.

Here's a look at my nail before, during and after. In the "before" photo, you can see that my nail has more of a matte finish, and the light reflection on the right side of the nail shows some vertical ridges. After using the grey/green side of the buffer, the nail surface is very lightly sanded and smoothed. The white side of the buffer is then used to further smooth, and deliver a high gloss shine to the nail.

A side-by-side of a nail that was buffed and shined, and a nail that was not.

I've got a box full of buffers, and nothing gives me results as nice as this one does. I normally reach for a 4-sided buffer (Tropical Shine brand from Sally Beauty), but the Revlon product is much easier to hold and manipulate, and the end result is so much better. The buffing side of the Revlon buffer is gentler on my nails, and the shine side delivers an unbelievable glassy finish.

After using this product, my nails look like they have a layer of the shiniest top coat imaginable on them. I love that it doesn't take too much off of the surface of the nail when buffing, because there are many buffers that can cause damage if you're not careful. The shine side also does a great job of refreshing nail polish on your nail after you've worn a color for several days. It shines them up and makes it look like you just finished your manicure. The shine lasts for three days on my bare nails, just like it states on the packaging. The only negative point I can report about this product is that the tip of the tear drop section is the first part to start wearing away. That's the part that works best on the edges of your nails, so I then use a section further up the side, which doesn't enable me to get as close as I'd like.

Update: China Glaze Magnetix Pricing

2012-01-04T13:54:00.008-05:00

I haven't seen any pricing yet for the China Glaze Magnetix Collection, and I just spotted the information below on Drugstorenews.com. According to the news release, it states that the polishes will retail for $10.00 each, and that the magnets are sold separately for $10.00. It's written in such a way that I'm not certain if the magnets are $10.00 each, or $10.00 for all 3 patterns. Probably $10.00 each, wouldn't you think? But then again, when I look closely at the promo picture, the boxes in the front center of the display look like they could hold 3 magnets. I do like that China Glaze is offering 3 different patterns though. These will be available mid-February.

For reference, Nails Inc. runs $16.00 and includes the magnet, Layla runs $15.50 and also includes the magnet, and LCN runs $9.95 for the polish and $19.95 for the magnet.

LOS ANGELES — China Glaze, which makes nail lacquers sold at salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide, has announced the launch of its limited edition Magnetix nail lacquer collection.

Infused with iron powders that move when exposed to a magnet, China Glaze Magnetix uses magnetic force to create three different designs — starburst, repeating arrows or diagonal lines.

Inspired by bold, sleek, futuristic fashion and art, the China Glaze Magnetix collection features six shades:

•You Move Me — Luxe gold metallic

•Cling On — Gorgeous green metallic

•Pull Me Close — Crystal blue metallic

•Instant Chemistry — Sophisticated metallic berry

•Drawn To You — Subtle metallic lilac

•Attraction — Chic metallic chrome

China Glaze Magnetix will be available mid-February. Individual shades retail for $10; the China Glaze Magnetix magnets retail for $10 and is sold separately. The collection will be available in a 12-piece counter display and as open stock colors and magnet.

*Source

Butter London Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

2012-01-03T15:28:00.001-05:00

As if I needed to see another new collection to tempt me! I noticed that Nordstrom has the Butter London Spring/Summer 2012 collection up on their site, although I'm not sure when they'll be available on Butter London's site.

Click on the photo to enlarge, but I may need Knackered because it looks like it has some duo chrome action going on. Slappy and Bossy Pants also have my attention. Do you see any shades you love?

*Source

Color Club Spring 2012: Blossoming Collection

2012-01-03T10:16:00.002-05:00

I've been wondering what Color Club had in store for their Spring collection, so I checked their web site and spotted the Blossoming Collection. It appears to be a pastel palette with a shredded silvery holographic glitter included.

Color Club often releases 2 boxed sets/fourteen shades for their seasonal collections, so I don't know if this will be their only offering for Spring. They released an overload of nice collections in November and December, so this may be it for Spring.

*Source

Come Monday...weekly newsletter

2012-01-02T12:09:00.003-05:00

Happy 2012 to all of you! I hope everyone has a wonderful year filled with good health, happiness, and lots of sparkly, colorful beauty products! I'm still recovering from all of the Holiday festivities and have spent this long weekend getting reorganized and recharged. Everything but the tree has been put away for another year, and hopefully I'll get that taken care of later today. Many thanks to all of you for spending time on my blog this past year, and I hope you'll join me again this year. My personal resolution with regard to beauty products is to read reviews before purchasing cosmetics items. I often get so caught up in the hype of a product or the pretty packaging, that I don't take the time to learn anything about it before I purchase it, so I'm going to try to be a more savvy shopper this year. Do you have any beauty resolutions?

One of my most recent disappointments was just yesterday with the launch of Beauty Army, a monthly subscription service similar to the Julep Maven or Birchbox service. They've been flodding my Twitter and Facebook with promo information, so I signed up several weeks ago. When they launched yesterday, their servers basically crashed under all of traffic trying to get in on their service. By the time I was finally able to get in to their site, they had already sold out of their initial 300 boxes or kits. This was actually a blessing to me, because I wasn't impressed by any of the products they were offering.

I am excited though about signing up for MyGlam, yet another monthly subscription beauty service. My first Glam Bog is set to be sent this month, and after viewing some of the items in their December Glam Bog, I have set my hopes high that I'll enjoy this service. My Glam was started by Michelle Phan, a YouTube Guru and Lancome make up artist. The service runs $10.00 a month, and each month you receive a make up bag filled with 4-5 deluxe samples from brands such as Urban Dacay, Tarte, and NYX. I do have the Julep Maven subscription also, and I'm going to try not to fall victim to any other subscription services this year. We shall see how that goes!

In nail news, I haven't heard much about Barielle after they were purchased by Fisk Industries about a year ago, and they seem to have fallen behind releasing collections. I just checked their web site to see if there was anything new available, and I saw their Gem Stone Earth Collection, which is new to me. Lancome is set to launch their Rogue in Love and Vernis in Love line mid-February, which contains 24 new nail polish shades. Scroll down in this post from BeautyAlmanac.com to view the shades. Lancome also has a beautiful collection coming out for Spring 2012 that contains 3 delicate polish shades, including the one that caught my eye called Green Almond. Scroll through this post from Beauty-Boks.com for a preview. For those of you looking all over the internet for swatches and information on Lynnderella's gorgeous polishes, one of the the blogs I follow has done a fantastic job of putting together a page that is All Lynnderella All The Time! Check out SparklyVernis.com here for a virtual Lynnderella encyclopedia.

A little off-topic, but a good reason to stay indoors and swatch for me! We live on Lake Michigan, and we always have long cold winters with lots and lots of snow. The older I get, the less I enjoy it, and it was extremely unusual for us to have a green Christmas this year. Not that I minded, because even though it's pretty and festive, I don't enjoy it at all anymore! We've had no measurable snow fall yet this season, but that will all change today. The red dot is my location and I am not looking forward to it.

I've started a little beauty topic discussion on my Facebook page for 2012 called the Sunday Beauty Cafe. Each Sunday I'll post a topic for discussion, and my hope is that we can learn a little more about beauty products and style from each other. Every Monday night, I'll randomly select someone who joined in and left a comment to receive a free beauty product(s). If you'd like to join us, please do. We'd love to have you! If you're not already a Facebook fan, just click the FB logo in the upper right corner.

That's all I've got for you this week! My daughter is still off the rest of the week for Winter Break, but I'm trying to get some swatching done today with my husband home, so I can post a little more frequently over the next several days. Last week I didn't do so well in that department, but she and I did have fun. Have a great week, and if you're in the same snow band we are, stay warm!

New From Zoya! True Collection & Fleck Effect Collection

2012-01-01T00:01:00.010-05:00

2012 SPRING NAIL COLOR by ZOYA

TRUE

HONESTLY, BEAUTIFUL COLOR

A fresh bloom of dewy color. Inspired by the runway looks of top designers this collection features slightly muted and unexpected spring shades in six easy to wear,
full-coverage creams and metallics.

· Cho (ZP585): Full coverage, vanilla shimmer metallic

· Farah (ZP586): Full coverage, latte beige cream

· Bevin (ZP587): Full coverage, pale sage green cream

· Skylar (ZP588): Full coverage, silvered slate blue metallic

· Tru (ZP589): Full coverage, gilded purple orchid metallic

· Lotus (ZP590): Full coverage, light lotus purple metallic

FLECK EFFECT

MYLAR FLECK TOPCOATS

Zoya Nail Polish presents - three new mylar fleck glazes that can be worn alone or layered over the new ZOYA TRUE collection colors for a unique and beautiful nail look!

· Maisie (ZP582): Blue tint with mylar green fleck effect

· Opal (ZP583): Green tint with mylar green fleck effect

· Chloe (ZP584): Pink tint with mylar green and gold fleck effect

Sug. Retail $8.00 per 0.5 fl.oz. bottle (US)

Available January 13, 2012

Find Zoya TRUE & FLECK EFFECT as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at www.zoya.com.

As always, each and every Zoya color is made for women so we name them after women.

Jessica Cosmetics Peacock Queen Swatches & Chanel Fall 2011 Comparisons

2011-12-31T12:45:00.003-05:00

When I initially saw the promo picture for the Jessica Cosmetics Peacock Queen Collection, I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking that the shades looks extremely similar to Chanel's Fall Illusions d’Ombres de Chanel Collection. The good news is that if you held off on the Chanel collection, you can purchase the Jessica collection in its entirety for less than you would pay for just one of the Chanel shades. The Jessica collection is indeed identical to the Chanel collection, for all intents and purposes.

Color-wise, there really is not a noticeable difference, as you can see on the nail wheel above. Formula-wise, both brands have a nice formula that allow for an easy application. The Jessica polishes have a bit more opacity after one coat, and the sparkle and micro glitter is somewhat more intense in Jessica's Smoky Feather than in Chanel's Graphite. When I study these colors very closely, I see that all 3 of the Jessica shades are ever so slightly darker than the Chanel shades, but I honestly don't think the average person would notice this difference at all. The Jessica polishes retail for $7.50 each, while the Chanel polishes retail for $25.00 each. Below are swatches of the Jessica collection using 2 coats.

Bronze Tailed is a beige/taupe neutral shade with multi colored shimmer. This is my least favorite of the three, just as Chanel Quartz was my least favorite of their collection. The shimmer is primarily silver, but it tends to take on a slight silvery/aqua shade in lower lighting.

Smoky Feather, a medium silver grey pewter hue, is filled with multi colored micro glitter that sparkles and glistens beautifully against the base color. The gold glitter seems to be the most prominent, and like Chanel Graphite, this shade can flash a bit of olive green in lower lighting.

Iridescent Eye is a gold to olive duo chrome that also exhibits shades of a brighter green, antique gold, copper, and bronze, depending on the lighting. Like Peridot, this shade seems to show more gold than green.

If you love the shades in the Chanel collection but didn't want to pay the price, this collection is an excellent alternative, albeit certainly not an original collection. Chanel is Chanel, and personally, I do like to splurge on some Chanel cosmetics because I do love them and I can't afford their clothing and accessories! Some may say they're not worth the price, but I say they're worth what they're worth to you, not to someone else. I am also very fond of Jessica's formula, and even though it's not a brand that seems to get a lot of attention for some reason, they have an excellent formula that I highly recommend.

The Jessica Cosmetics Peacock Queen Collection is available on their web site.

SpaRitual Spring 2012: Water Collection

2011-12-26T15:08:00.001-05:00

Shimmering corals, deep watercolors and dense pastels rise to the surface. The effect is fluid, weightless and glistening. See a shimmer of coral in Hidden Reef. An iridescent reflection of moonlight in Deep. Sink into the creamy, dusty mauves of Ripple Effect and lilac blue Lucid. Feel the pull of the ocean floor in Undercurrent, or just float along in the aqua of Ebb & Flow.

Our collection is inspired by the beauty and life-giving energy of one of our most precious resources, water. To help raise awareness and protect our resources for generations to come, SpaRitual will be donating 20% of sales to Surge. Bringing water to those in need, Surge is a U.S. based 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that improves access to clean safe water for life. Surge increases public awareness of the global water crisis through education and investment in sustainable solutions.

Hidden Reef - Shimmering Coral
Deep - Iridescent reflection of moonlight
Ripple Effect - creamy dusty mauve
Lucid - lilac blue hue
Undercurrent - dark blue like the ocean floor
Ebb & Flow - light aqua

Available February 1, 2012