Mini Drugstore Haul

So I finally made a much anticipated trip to my local Walgreens,

and picked up a few great goodies:

Wooo!

My goal was to find some of the new Wet N Wild trios,

and I decided on these two (they were out of the other one I would have gotten, humph).

First up is 'Your 15 Minutes Aren't Up!'

*swatched without primer*

Odd name for a trio, but the shadows look pretty good.

Next is 'I'm Seeing Triples!'

*swatched without primer*

These are a bit bolder, and also look promising.

Both trios are mattes.

Stay tuned for looks and a review of them in the near future!

Also,

my daughter is almost 2 and OBSESSED with anything fairies.

SO, when I say NOPI had a Tinkerbell collection,

I obviously had to buy at least a couple.

Two very tame, lovely pinks by the looks of it.

I'll have a full post and swatches of at least one of these bad boys tomorrow :)

What do you guys think?

What have your experiences been with the new Wet N Wild trios?

Let me know! :)

Bahama Mama!

Hey everyone.

Though I haven't been to the Bahamas,

(& haven't even gotten to go to the beach at all this year, fml)

I'm feeling really inspired by the colors of the ocean in the Caribbean.

Thus, I wanted to use some of my most favorite & brightest blues to do a look.

Here's 'Bahama Mama!'.

I used:

Too Faced's Shadow Insurance

Sugarpill's 'Afterparty' & BFTEs 'Blueberry'- crease

Lime Crime's 'Atlanteal', BFTE's 'Peacock', & 'Gem'- lid

Sugarpill's 'Tako'- brow bone

Covergirl Line Exact eyeliner

Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Many of these blues are ones I haven't gotten to experiment much with yet,

and I loved them together.

It really makes me think of the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. 

What do you guys think?

'Sea Glass'

I have the second of my two new polishes from Starrily for you today!

This little number is GORGEOUS.

Here's 1 coat of 'Sea Glass' over 2 coats of CG's 'Kinetic Candy'

 & Essie's 'In the Cab-ana' as accent.

'Sea Glass' is a clear base with shredded metallic blue foil/glitter/confetti?

I. LOVE. THIS.

I don't own a single polish like it,

and the color of the shreds just really appeals to me.

It's lovely for summer and makes me want to go to the beach.

POLISH INFORMATION

Brand:  Starrily

Type: Glitter Topcoat

Formula: Awesome! 

Opacity (1-5): 1

Application: Great! I didn't have to pick out any glitters at all :))

Price: $9 

Get This: her Etsy site

What do you guys think of 'Sea Glass'?

Unicorns in the Mist

Finally! Another nail post! :)

I bought two super awesome looking nail polishes from Starrily recently,

and here is one of them!

This is one coat of 'Unicorn Chronicles' over 2 coats of Sinful Colors' 'In the Mist'.

'Unicorn Chronicles' is a clear base topcoat with differently sized pastel & iridescent glitter.

I really liked it over the deep green because it reminded me of a unicorn emerging from a mysterious, hidden forest. Or, something like that...

POLISH INFORMATION

Brand:  Starrily

Type: Glitter Topcoat

Formula: Awesome! Glitters like this can tend to be clumpy, but not this polish!

Opacity (1-5): 1

Application: Great! I didn't have to pick out any glitters at all. They came out like this in one stroke. How often does that happen?!

Price: $9 

Get This: her Etsy site

I was uber, uber pleased with this polish.

The formula and application were divine, especially for glitters.

This topcoat would look amazing on a lot of polishes;

I'll try to have it paired with others up soon.

What do you guys think?

Definitely check this indie maker out- some great neon glitters out right now, also!

*REVIEW* Tarte Brazlilliance Self Tanner

So I know this post is a little late since summer has been upon us for awhile now,

but I'm finally getting around to doing this review :)

If you're looking for a fast/easy/safe way to tan-

look no further.

I present to you Tarte's Brazilliance Face & Body Self Tanner:

*not my picture

Some of it's Claims:

- Creates a "healthy, faux-glow"

- Moisturizes

- Tarte's PUREShield formula creates a pleasant scent

- Skin will look firmer, brighter, and smoother

- Mitt provides an "easy, no-mess, streak-free tan"

Results:

I've quit doing tanning beds altogether because of just HOW FREAKING TERRIBLE they are for you. Girls that tan there a lot and have that deep gorgeous tan may look nice now,

but in ten years when their skin is leather & they look 20 years older than the rest of us,

we'll thank ourselves for taking care of our skin :)

PROS:

- Moisturizes while tanning definitely felt my skin get more smooth

- Dries FAST! Other self tanners i've used (like Jergens) take FOREVER to dry- this bad boy does in about 10 minutes!

- Doesn't stain clothing, sheets, etc :)

- Using the mitt, creates a natural, even tan

- Can often see immediate results, especially on the face

CONS:

- A bit pricey, at $37

- Not really a con, but the revolutionary scent they talk about... didn't seem to be there to me. Though it certainly didn't smell bad, it smelled like other self tanners that i've personally used before. Not bad, though.

- I used it twice a week as directed, but I felt like the tan, though it showed up quickly and was gorgeous, didn't last very long- even though I was supplementing it as directed. So, that kind of sucked.

Verdict:

Despite being $37, you get what you pay for- and this bad boy is definitely worth shelling out a few extra bucks. I saw results fast and it made my skin feel and look great. I LOVE that it dries fast and doesn't stain most of all I think. The mitt is an interesting idea. I used it each time, but it was still possible to get streaks if you weren't realllllly careful. So that's just something to watch out for. I'd still use the mitt over my own hands any day :)

RATING (out of 10): 8

Was this review helpful?

What's your favorite self tanner,

or your view on self tanners?

Let me know!

Cocktail Makeup Series- Gin & Sprite w/ Lime

Hey everyone,

I have another look for you today.

( i know i've had several makeup posts lately;

not to worr- i've got some new polishes in the mail that i'll feature soon).

Today's look was a request by a good friend when I asked for suggestions for my cocktail makeup series.

She wanted me to try a Gin & Sprite w/ lime.

Shockinly, i'm sure you can imagine what makes up this drink :)

Using the  colors as inspiration,

here's my look!

I used:

Too Faced's Shadow Insurance

Sugarpill's 'Tako'- brow bone

unnamed silver & light green from Sephora palette, Lime Crime's 'Seahorse Discourse', 

& Urban Decay's 'Homegrown- lid

unnamed dark green, Sleek's 'Cricket' & 'Dragon Fly', & Sugarpill's 'Midori'- crease

Urban Decay's 'Uzi' all over for an 'iced' effect

Covergirl Line Exact eyeliner

L'Oreal Volumious Million Lashes mascara

I was worried this would be reminiscent of my 'Margarita' look,

but the fact that I used NO yellow and a few other shades helped a bit, 

i hope :/

'Uzi' is a chunky silver glitter that I had hoped would look like ice,

but it didn't translate in the pictures quite as well as it did in person.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about it all?!

Newest Nighttime Neutral look

How's that for alliteration???

:x sorry.

Anyway, despite all the crazy and bright shadows that I own,

I rarely wear them out. 

During the day I have a super basic neutral look that I wear,

but when I got out to grab drinks or something at night,

I spice it up a tiiiiiiny bit.

Ocassionally I'll post my latest nighttime neutral look

(see the last one here, which was many months ago),

and here is my current one!

I used:

UD Primer Potion

UD's 'Deep End'

SYN Cosmetics' 'Trace', 'Blaze', 'Synfused', & 'Down'

Covergirl Line Exact liquid eyeliner

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

I don't usually do this (though maybe I should more),

but i'm giving a step by step process for this one!

No pictures of the process though, so not a legit tutorial :/

1. Apple primer on lids.

2. With a fluffy brush, apply 'Synfused' over the brow bone.

3. With a skinny, thin brush apply 'Deep End' in the crease lightly.

4. With a blending brush, apply 'Deep End' and then 'Down' over the crease.

5. With a fluffy crease brush, apply 'Down' over the crease.

6. With a shadow brush, apply 'Synfused', 'Trace', & 'Blaze' respectively.

7.  With an eyeliner brush, apply the previous 3 shadows on the waterline.

8. With a wedged makeup sponge, dab a small spot of foundation on it and sweep the sponge under the eyes and the corners to get rid of any fallout, and enhance the wing effect of the shadow.

9. Apple eyeliner.

10. Apply mascara and curl lashes :)

Pale Peacock

I'm stoked to use some of my newest SYN Cosmetics shadows today :)

Now that her shop is back online,

I can't wait to buy more :)

The shadows I ended up picking reminded me of those in a peacock,

thus the name of this look.

I used:

Too Faced' Shadow Insurance

'Pandora'- crease

-'Trance', 'Breezy', & 'Bermuda'- lid

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

Covergirl Line EXact liquid eyeliner

I really love SYN Cosmetics.

I like this look okay.

I may use different colors next time,

but the shadows do not disappoint!

What do you guys think?

Cocktail Makeup Series- Tarte Sangria

It's been a bit since I've done another cocktail look for my makeup series,

and after making this drink myself last week-

it was perfect timing to post it.

Today's look is based off of a tarte Sangria.

* not my picture*

This calls for Pinot Grigio (but any white wine will do- i used chardonnay), limes,

kiwis, rasperries, sugar, and ginger ale.

IT's DELICIOUS.

Though I just now finally made the drink,

I did this look a couple months ago,

and I feel like i've gotten a litttttle bit better in my makeup looks since then,

so bear with me :)

I used:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Sugarpill's 'Tako'- inner crease & brow bone

Sugarpill's 'Love+'- crease

BFTE's 'Envy' & 'Green Apple'- lid

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

Covergirl Line Exact liquid eyeliner

I've gotten a couple great suggestions for this series from you guys,

so look for that soon!

Thanks for reading/looking.

Sally Hansen 'Platinum'

Hey guys.

I have a polish for you today that i've had for a couple years now,

and for some reason- have yet to wear.

Turns out, it's a lovely little number!

Hears 2 coats of Sally Hansen's 'Platinum'.

'Platinum' is a silky, gorgeous, pearl duochrome shimmer.

It's very tame, but definitely pretty.

Would be great for a wedding or some other formal event :)

Zoya 'Thandie'

Hello lovely readers.

I'm back again today.

I finally have almost all my moving done, and one of my summer classes is almost over,

so I have more time now to blog :)

Today I have a gorgeous orange creme for you today.

Here's 2 coats of 'Thandie'.

'Thandie' is a "citrus orange creme" that is vibrant and perfect for summer.

It's from Zoya's 2013 summer collection,

and I'm so glad I scooped it up at ULTA a few weeks ago.

I definitely want to get the rest of the collection.

POLISH INFORMATION

Brand:  Zoya

Type: Creme

Formula: Awesome!

Opacity (1-5): 5

Application: Great!

Price: $8

Get This: here

*GUESTPOST* by NailsLikeLace

Ok guys,

I've been a little busy lately, so i'm on the hunt for people who want to guestpost for me.

(email me at: taylorhelana@gmail.com if you're interested!!)

I'm super stoked to have NailsLikeLace guest post for me today.

I've followed her blog for quite awhile now,

and her nail art (among other things) is FANTASTIC! :)

Hey everyone! 

This is Amber from NailsLikeLace, posting for Taylor, today!

I was playing with some new polishes, trying to come up with an idea for a good guest post, 

and I ended up deciding on Grease inspired nails (if you haven't seen that movie,

you are really missing out!).

On all of my nails, I started with a gorgeous, vibrant, neon pink, ORLY Passion Fruit,

then topped off most of my nails with Sally Hansen Star Burst,

one of the very few crackle polishes I actually kind of like.

On the middle nail, though, I wrote the word 'Grease', loosely based off the logo image,

with black and white acrylic paint.

A final coat of Seche Vite to smooth everything out, and I was good to go!

I love how these turned out, and I hope you do, too!

* July 4th look *

Happy Independence Day!

For those of you from the US :)

In honor of this holiday,

I've recreated a patriotic look from one I found quite some time ago on Pinterest,
so this is by no means my own creation-
I just always thought it looked fun!

'Murica!

The red eyebrows are crazy and fun.

I see Phyrra color her eyebrows all the time and it can look cool,

although red eyebrows is never something I would wear out of my house, personally :)

I had a blast recreating this look.

Reminded me why I love makeup!

And Sugarpill & BFTE couldn't be better cosmetics to work with :D

I used:

Too Faced's Shadow Insurance

Sugarpill's 'Tako'- browbone

BFTE's 'Blueberry' & Sugarpill's 'Afterparty'- crease

MUG's 'Razzleberry' & BFTE's 'Addicted'- lid

BFTE's 'Blue Bayou'- waterline

Covergirl Line Exact liquid eyeliner

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes

'Razzleberry' over eyebrows

What do you think?

Have a safe & happy holiday!

From the Vault- 'Anita' & 'American Pie'

Happy Wednesday, guys!

I have two throwback polishes from last year for you guys.

Here is Darling Diva Polish's 'Anita' (2 coats)

over Essie's 'Blue Rhapsody', with Milani's Red FX & Pure Ice's 'Strapless' as accent nails.

'Anita' is from DDP last year, and is a clear base with holo microglitter, tiny holo hexes, and medium red, white, & blue hexes. 

You can tell the Milani somehow missed my eye & got totally clumped and gross.

I was super pleased with the Pure ICE polish, though. Reminds me of the Pixie Dust polishes that are big now :)

'Anita' is a nice little topcoat, though a little gloopy.

Still love it over the Essie though.

Next up,

Candy Lacquer's 'American Pie' from last year over Sinful Colors' 'Sugar Rush':

'American Pie' is a clear base with red & white microglitter, medium red, white, & blue hexes, and white & blue bar glitter.

I can't figure out why I've never tried this indie brand again,

because it goes on flawlessly!

(although, it looks an awful lot like the polish form yesterday, doesn't it?)

Welp,

closing the vault back for now.

STAY TUNED for my July 4th makeup in tomorrow's post!

:D

DDP- 'Home of the Brave'

Time for my first July 4th post!

I should have started them at least a week ago,

 but oh well.

Today's post is my newest indie polish purchase-

'Home of the Brave' from Darling Diva Polish!

Pictured here is 2 coats of Sinful Colors' 'Sugar Rush' & CG's 'Icicle' as accent.

'Home of the Brave' is a clear base filled with white, red, blue, & silver holo microglitter, medium red, white, & blue hex glitter, white and blue bar glitter, large white hexes, large blue and red stars, and large white hearts.

This baby is jam packed with tons of different glitters!

I loveeeee it :)

POLISH INFORMATION

Brand:  Darling Diva Polish

Type: Glitter Topcoat

Formula: Awesome!

Opacity (1-5): 1

Application: Fantastic!

Price: $10

Get This: her Etsy site 

What do you guys think of this polish?

'Tropical Punch' remix!

Now that summer's in full swing,

i'm obviously going hard with the summery posts.

Today's look is a recreation of an amazing, bright look from Phyrra

that I saw on her Instagram awhile ago.

Since seeing it, the colors just kept sticking out to me,

and it's given me a great chance to try out my other new Sleek palette.

Here's my version of Phyrra's 'Tropical Punch'!

I used (all shadows from Sleek):

Too Faced's Shadow Insurance

'Bammi'- inner corners

'Strike' & 'Pout'- lid

'Pucker' & 'Sugarlite'- crease

'Cricket', 'Chill', & 'Bolt'- waterline

Covergirl Line Exact eyeliner

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

I LOVE the bright colors Phyrra used in this look,

and I recreated it as closely as I could using different products.

This was my first time using this particular Sleek palette,

and I was nothing less than impressed!

They blended wonderfully & were super pigmented.

Couldn't be much happier with this look!

(minus the atrocious eyebrows, which have since been plucked)

:D

What do you think?