My Nail Polish Collection

Soooooo, yeah, I have a LOT of nail polish.  Some of these bottles are really old and I keep them for sentimental reasons.  Like...10+ years old.  Over the years, though, I've justified having this much polish because I can count probably on one hand the number of professional manicures I've gotten.  I always polish my own nails, with the exception of my wedding day and a few other really important events.  I'm super picky about how they're done, and I just prefer to do them myself.  Besides, I get bored after a few days of the same polish color and I like to switch it up.  So rather than regularly spend $20 on a mani, I often bought a bottle of $8 polish and called it a day.

In terms of storage, I keep in-season shades in my polish rack, which is hanging above my vanity in my closet.  I purchased mine off Amazon, although I do not remember which one is specifically was.  I believe mine is a 90-bottle rack and I paid around $50 for it.  You can get them on Amazon or Ebay in that price range easily.

I keep off-season colors in ziplock bags in a plastic storage container on a shelf in my closet.  They are easily accessed, because I do like to use neons in winter and black in summer occasionally.   (There are no nail polish rules in my book!) 

I should probably get a Helmer, huh??  Oh well!

Here are the shades I own and love :)

Light/Sheer Pinks

 

Top Row: Rimmel French Tip White, Revlon White on White, Revlon Starry Pink, Orly Bare Rose, Orly Rose Colored Glasses, Orly Pure Porcelain, Ciate Strawberry Milkshake

2nd Row: (all OPI)  Don't Touch My Tutu, Sweetheart, Bubble Bath, Take the Cake, Passion, Barre My Soul, Care to Dance, Steady As She Rose, Pink-ing of You

3rd Row: (all Essie) Marshmallow, Allure, It's In The Bag, Like Linen, Hi Maintenance, Prima Ballerina, Topless & Barefoot, Fiji, Sugar Daddy, Au Natural

Bottom Row: Sephora by OPI Bare to Be Different, Sephora by OPI Going Nude, Eh?, Sally Hanson Princess Pink, Zoya Romy, Sinful Colors Easy Going, Maybelline Ballet on Ice, Milani Angel Pink

Bright Pinks

(still working on my photography skills lol)

Top Row:  Essie Mod Squad, Essie Lights, Essie Chastity, Essie Watermelon, Sephora by OPI Access 24/7, Loreal B. Daring, Loreal B. Powerful, NYC Pink Promenade, Zoya Aria, Essence Plum Perfect

Middle Row:  (the first 7 are China Glaze) Bottoms Up, Sugar High, Ahoy!, Sexy Silhouette, Pool Party, Hang-Ten Toes, You Drive Me Coconuts; and Sinful Colors 24/7
Bottom Row: (all OPI) Meet Me At the Bonfire, Cajun Shrimp, Charged Up Cherry, La Paz-itively Hot, It's All Greek to Me, Cha-Ching Cherry, Santiago Sangria, Kiss Me on My Tulips, Flashbulb Fuchsia

Oranges & Yellows

L-R:  Essie Haute As Hello, China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, Ruffian Fox Hunt, Ulta Sun-Sational

Reds

Top Row:  Sephora Formula X Ignite, Sephora Formula X Fahrenheit, Revlon Revlon Red, Revlon Firecracker, Essie Exotic Liras, Essie Toggle to the Top
Middle Row:  China Glaze Lubu Heels, China Glaze Pointsettia, China Glaze Riveter Rouge, Maybelline Night on the Town, Pixel (unnamed), Avon Ruby Slippers, Maybelline Succulent, Zoya Colbie
Bottom Row:  (all OPI) Dutch Tulips, Big Apple Red, Got The Blues for Red, A Man In Every Port-ugal, I'm Not Really A Waitress, William Tell Me About OPI, Every Month is Oktoberfest

Purples

haha clearly my photography skills still need help!

 Top Row:  Essie Island Hopping, Essie Bahama Mama, Essie No More Film, Sephora Formula X Haphazard, Zoya Marley, Zoya Julieanne, Ulta Celebutante

2nd Row:  (all OPI) Purple With A Purple, Anti-Bleak, You're Such a Budapest, Do You Lilac It?, Panda-Monium Pink, Talk About An Upgrade!, Louvre Me Louvre Me Not, My Auntie Drinks Chianti, Houston We Have A Purple

3rd Row: China Glaze Purple Panic, China Glaze Flying Dragon, China Glaze Grape Juice, China Glaze That's Shore Bright, Revlon Facets of Fuchsia, Revlon Perplex
Bottom Row: Finger Paints Pretty as a Portrait, Finger Paints Be A Pal-ette, Sephora by OPI What A Broad, Sephora by OPI I Don't Bite

A Few More Purples I Forgot In the First Picture ;)

L-R: Seche Vite Contemporary, China Glaze Seduce Me, Revlon Plum Seduction

Blues

Top Row: China Glaze Up All Night, China Glaze First Class Ticket, China Glaze For Audrey, China Glaze Midnight Mission, Essie Borrowed & Blue, Essie Smooth Sailing, Essie Bobbing for Baubles, Essie Dive Bar
Middle Row: OPI Ski Teal We Drop, OPI Can't Find My Czechbook, OPI Road House Blues, Illamasqua Raindrops, Butter London, Orly Blue Collar
Bottom Row: Loreal B. Fabulous, Sinful Colors Fly Away, Sinful Colors Midnight Blue (old!!!!), Revlon Royal, Ulta Bam-Blue-zled

Greens

Top Row: OPI Jade is the New Black, OPI Stranger Tides, Essie Navigate Her, China Glaze Emerald Fitzgerald, China Glaze Westside Warrior, China Glaze Re-fresh Mint, China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise
Bottom Row: Ulta Army of 1, Zoya Veruschka, Sally Hansen Emerald City, Hard Candy Sell Out (old!!!), Sephora by OPI Just A Fairy-Tale, Color Club London Calling, Butter London British Racing Green

Browns

Top Row: NARS Bad Influence, Essie Case Study, Essie Glamour Purse, Essie Lady Godiva, Zoya Codie
Middle Row: China Glaze Foie Gras, China Glaze Ingrid, China Glaze Fast Track, OPI My Private Jet (unfortunately not the holo one), OPI The World Is Not Enough

Bottom Row: Sephora by OPI Metro Chic, Orly Luxe, Orly Rage, Sally Hanson Golden Conduct

Greys

Top Row: China Glaze Icicle, China Glaze Hook and Line, China Glaze Pelican Gray
Middle Row: Revlon Carbonite, Sephora by OPI Run With It, Ulta Scene Steel-er, Ulta Concrete Evidence

Bottom Row: OPI Moon Over Mumbai, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, Essie Chinchilly, Essie Power Clutch

Blacks

Top Row: OPI Alcatraz Rocks, OPI Black Satin, OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Middle Row: Sephora Formula X Umph, Sally Hansen Black Out, Sinful Colors Black on Black, Zoya Dovima

Bottom Row: Sephora by OPI Never Enough Shoes, Sephora by OPI Dark Room, Orly Naughty or Nice

Top & Base Coats

L-R: Essie Matte About You, Sally Hansen Gel Top Coat, Julep Polymer Top Coat, NYC Polish in Grand Central Station, Gelous Base Coat, Seche Vite Top Coat, Ulta Ridge Filler Base Coat

Glitters

 Top Row: (all China Glaze) Snow Globe, White Cap, Bat My Eyes, Twinkle Lights, Some Like It Haute, CG In The City

2nd Row: Essie Stroke of Brilliance, Essie Beyond Cozy, Revlon Girly, Revlon Whimsical, OPI Pirouette My Whistle, OPI Teenage Dream, OPI Gift of Gold

3rd Row: Sephora by OPI Jewelry Top Coats (l-r) Don't Be Eggnog-ious, Be-Claus I Said So, Not Your Average Turquoise, Only Gold For Me, Sugar Plum Fairies Gone Wild, It's Bouquet with Me; Sally Hanson Big Money, Sally Hanson Perky Pink
4th Row: Sinful Colors Call You Later, Sinful Colors Frenzy, Wet N Wild Kaleidoscope, Color Blast by Orly (unnamed), Ulta Tink-Her-Bell, Sephora Formula X Chaotic, Milani Gems
Bottom Row: (all Deborah Lippmann) Stronger, Let's Go Crazy, Candy Shop, Happy Birthday (mini)

That's it! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed :)  Please share your collections, too!

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

Best of Beauty 2013!

So many amazing products launched in 2013 that it was a little hard for me to really narrow down my top picks.  There were many products I didn't go for (Naked 3, really any of the MAC collections, Tarte Brazilliance, Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments...) but I also fell victim to a lot of new things, too!

So.  Since it was 2013....here are my Top 13 Products :)  (Some of these I know are not products that were launched in 2013, but they are all products that I personally discovered this past year.)

In no particular order....

1.  Sephora Formula X Nail Polishes.  The formula on these absolutely blew me away.  They're amazing.  They last longer than normal polish on me, and I find that I don't need to topcoat them.  The "new classics" shades seem to be the best formulas, but I've loved every one I have tried.  My 2 personal favorite shades are Haphazard (a dark neon purple jelly) and Ignite (a perfect classic red creme).

2.  Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Peppermint Lip Balm.  I am just obsessed with this stuff...that's really all there is to it!  It was the only lip product that really stuck out in my mind for this year.  I know it's a fairly recent purchase (early November), but I use it every single day.  It smells fantastic and gives the prettiest natural sheen.

3.  Hourglass Ambient Powder in Diffused.  I'm sure everyone and their mother is going to include an Ambient Power in their 2013 favorites, and I hate to be so cliche, but I honestly do just LOVE this powder.  I only have Diffused...which is meant to even out your skintone by reducing redness and to blur pores and imperfections.  I use this as an all-over setting powder, and I think it does exactly what it is marketed to do.  I don't see the powder on my skin (and you aren't supposed to), but I definitely notice a nicer complexion.

4.  Hourglass Ambient Powder Brush.  Before trying this brush, I thought it was for sure just a marketing ploy, but my opinion changed within 10 seconds of dipping it into my Ambient Powder.  It really, really does work better than any other brush I tried with the powder.  It keeps the product from flying up and out of the pan, so I feel less wasteful, and it does a great job applying a thin, even layer...just enough to make your skin look awesome but not powdery or cakey.  If I am going to be spending $45 on a face powder, I'm glad I spent the additional money on the brush that it really is meant to work wonders with.  You won't regret this purchase!

5.  The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer.  This is a great highlight.  It's the most pigmented powder highlight I've ever used, and the golden glow it gives is natural and gorgeous. 

6.  Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser.  Another product that I thought was probably a waste of money and just a marketing scheme.  After once use, though, man did I realize I was wrong!  This stuff actually works....and works much, much better than the liquid soaps I tried cleaning my Beauty Blender with.  I only use this on my Beauty Blender, so it will last me a while.

7.  Hourglass Veil Primer.  The best face primer out there...hands down.  It smooths your skin and actually does keep your makeup on all day.  It pairs well with any foundation, but it is beyond incredible when paired with #8...

8.  Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation.  Hourglass snagged 4 of my Top 13 spots this year...I guess you guys can tell what my favorite brand has been! ;)  They really do just make amazing products, and Immaculate is no exception.  This is HG foundation for me...I have never, ever used anything so amazing.  If you have oily skin, get your butt to Sephora today and get a sample of this stuff.  This is the only foundation that has ever stayed on me for 6+ hours without the need to retouch and that has also kept my blush/bronzer/highlighter from fading, too.  I stay matte and perfect all day long.  You absolutely cannot beat this stuff if you have oily skin.  (It isn't meant for anything but!)

9.  Urban Decay Eyeliner Vault.  Ohhhhhhh how I love this thing.  I have the original version, and while it was insanely expensive and probably really sort of a waste of money, I love that I own basically every single UD eyeliner out there.  And I actually do use most of them!  I find that experimenting with eyeliner is such an easy, fun way to add color to your look.

10.  Jane Water Resistant Eyeliner.  The first black pencil liner I've ever owned that actually stays on my waterline.  See my full review here :)

11.  Soleil Tan de Chanel Makeup Bronzing Base.  Loooooooove this stuff.  This is a product that is new to me, but has been talked about forever.  It is the only cream bronzer I've ever tried, but I can't say I feel the need to look anywhere else for a better one!  It's awesome.  It's very natural on the skin and I think it would suit anyone from the fairest girls to those somewhere in the range of a Mac NC/NW 38/40.  I love to apply mine with a damp Beauty Blender for a sheer wash of color.

12.  Red Cherry Lashes.  I discovered these over the summer when I found Jaclyn Hill on YouTube, and I am SO glad I did.  They're super duper cheap (like $3 a pair!!) and they look gorgeous.  I've used my #43s a few times already and they're still in great shape.

13.  Makeup Geek Eyeshadows.  I finally placed my first Makeup Geek order this year, and I absolutely LOVE Marlena's eyeshadows!  They're the quality of Mac's permanent line at 1/3 of the price.  My personal favorite shade is Creme Brulee, which is a warm brown perfect for blending out the crease.  And they're cruelty-free to boot.  I definitely plan to purchase more of these in 2014!

What made your favorites list this year?

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

December 2013 Favorites! (And 1 Complete Waste of Money)

To wrap up the 2013 holiday season, here are my favorite products from this past month.  I do plan to do a blog post (but not a video) sharing my 2013 beauty favorites next week, but for now I just wanted to share the products I have been loving recently :)

Please share yours, too!

Products Mentioned:

Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Peppermint Lip Balm ($10)

I've talked this one to death.  You guys know I love it!!

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer in Milk Chocolate ($30)

I finally broke down and put away my NARS Laguna Bronzer, and broke this baby out.  This is my favorite winter bronzer.  It's matte, the perfect shade, and it smells heavenly!

Naked Palette (the original!) ($52)

I've been giving this one a LOT of love lately!  It's just such an awesome range of colors...you cannot go wrong.

Avon 8 In 1 Neutral Palette ($7 on Amazon, but it's an add-on item, so it only ships when you spend $35+)

I found this little gem stashed away in my collection, and I've been loving it this month!  It is a little hard to find, since Avon does not sell it anymore, but if you can get your hands on it, it's really worth trying.  The colors are all shimmery, but the payoff is great and there is a good range of lights, mid-tone browns, and darks in the palette.  It's also really travel friendly, since it is a nice small compact with a mirror.

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen in 03 Blackened Brown ($9)

This was my replacement for Mac's Penultimate liner that I really didn't like.  It's a felt-tip pen style liner and I love it.  The color is pretty dark, but is still noticeably brown.  It's very very easy to use, too.

Jordana Fabuliner in Black (normally $6, but it's only $2.99 here!)

Basically the same as the Revlon pen liner, but in black, and way cheaper!

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel ($22)

I finally caved and bought this, and I'm so glad I did!  It does leave your brows a little crispy, but they don't look flaky or stiff.  It keeps each hair in place all day.

Trim Eyelash Curler ($3.49 on Drugstore.com, but I snagged mine in-store at Target for $1.99!)

WHAT AN AMAZING FIND!!!!!  OMG!  I only paid $2 for mine in Target, and it is the best $2 I have spent in a long time.  This little beauty makes my lashes look SO much curlier (they're naturally curly) and longer.  It works SO WELL, especially for the price.  I cannot rave enough about it.

China Glaze Poinsettia ($5 with free shipping on Amazon)

This is by far my favorite holiday red.  It's a perfect true red without any warm/cool undertones.  It's a cross between a jelly and a creme in my mind, an I love it!

Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop ($19)

I just HAD to grab this with my Sephora VIB $20 coupon earlier this month.  I've wanted this gorgeous pink glitter forever and it's finally mine.  :)  I have to admit, I expected the staying power to be a bit better, but the color is so fabulous I don't even care if I only get 24 hours out of a mani!

Diamoncel for Sephora #20 Coarse Foot File ($38)

I know this is stupid expensive for a foot file, but my feet need it, big time.  I am really super hard on them, and I have awful calluses, so I need something really heavy duty to help them out.  I wanted a metal file after having a professional pedicurist use one on me, and this was the 2nd item I grabbed with my VIB coupon.  If you have terrible calluses, it may be worth a shot.  It really smooths my feet down better than anything else I've tried.

Stridex Soft Touch Pads Maximum Strength (2% Salicylic Acid) ($8 for 180 pads at WalMart, but I got mine in-store...90 pads for about $4)

I wanted to grab these after hearing Josh Collier rave about them, and hoped they would help my clogged pores and redness.  I don't have acne, but I do have oily skin and a lot of discoloration.  I've only used them for about 2 weeks so far, but I definitely have noticed that my T-zone (where I use them nightly) is a lot smoother.  I'll update as I use them more, but for now they really seem great.

And the waste of money item is the Sonia Kashuk Brush Cleaner ($7).  The reviews on Target's website are a lie!!  It's just terrible...it really didn't clean my brushes well at all.  I tried it both as a spot cleaner (which just left a funky residue on my brushes) and as a soap-alternative.  I would not recommend purchasing this whatsoever!  Just go with Mac's Brush Cleaner instead, it's way better!

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you all have a fabulous New Year's!

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

The Little One and I Went Shopping :)

Yesterday, my daughter decided I decided to drag my little one to Ulta to spend our 20% off coupon that came earlier in the month.  (If you haven't received one, you should see it on Ulta's Facebook page if you Like them!  They've also been sending them via email.)

I didn't grab too much stuff since I did go a little makeup crazy in November, but I picked up a few items to share.  Plus you'll get to see my Christmas tree and meet my black lab, Molly, in the video :)

Products Mentioned
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel ($22)
Seche Base Ridge Filling Base Coat ($7) (all Seche products are B1G1 Free until 12/24/13!)
Seche Nail Lacquer in Contemporary ($7.50)
Sally Hansen Salon Gel Base Coat ($12.99)
Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish in Sheer Ecstasy ($12.99)
Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Waterpoof Mascara ($8.99)  (all Cover Girl is B1G1 50% off until 12/24/13!)
Cover Girl TruBlend Pressed Powder in Translucent Fair 1 ($8.99)

Have you tried any of these?  I'd love to hear some opinions on the Sally Hansen kit!  

(Not-so-funny story...after I filmed the video, that night I went to try out the gel polish system and my little UV light broke!!  The part that the a/c adapter plugs into came loose and the connection is now rattling around inside of the light.  I contacted Sally Hansen to see if they would send me a replacement, but I haven't heard back yet.  If and when I can ever get it working again, I plan to do a review of all the Sally Hansen gel products!)

Thanks for stopping by!!

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

Pick Through My Trash: Product Empties

One of my favorite types of videos to watch on YouTube are beauty girls' product empties videos.  I'm always trying to use things up, especially now that I have put myself on a serious no-buy and I'm trying to just enjoy and condense my collection!  I love seeing what people think of products and if they would re-purchase them after they've had a chance to fully use the products.  I take a lot of recommendations from these types of videos, so I figured I would start doing them myself!

I don't plan to do these on any regular basis...just when I have a full bag of items to share.  So without further ado...here are my product empties for the past few months.

Products Mentioned:

Beauty Secrets Pure Acetone ($6 for 32 oz. at Sally's, which is the size I buy)

I would and have repurchased

Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Antibac Hand Soap ($5.50 full price, but they're always on sale)

These are a staple in my house...I always have one of the B&BW scents in each bathroom and the kitchen.

Yes to Blueberries Face Wipes ($6)

Not a fan of these...see my full thoughts in this post.

Mac Wipes ($20 for 45 wipes)

My favorite wipes evah!  I already have repurchased them.

Mac Penultimate Liner ($19.50)

Not sure if mine was a dud or what, but I would not buy this again.

Gilette Venus Disposable Razor ($12.49 for 3, but again, buy on sale with coupons!)

I generally just buy whatever razors are on sale and have coupons, but I would get these again.

Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena Body Wash (Now called Coconut Lime Breeze...$12.50)

Love this scent, and again I'm a big fan of B&BW body washes.

LUSH Almond & Coconut Shower Smoothie ($22)

This was my 2nd tub of this...LOVE it.  Such a luxurious product.

Soap & Glory Hand Food ($12)

I would buy this again, but don't plan to until I'm out of other hand creams.  It was good, not amazing.

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo ($8)

Loved the scent, but hated the texture.  I likely would not repurchase this.

Oral B Glide Pro Health Dental Floss ($4)

This was fine, but I get so many samples from the dentist that I wouldn't buy it!

Lancome Absolute Eye Premium Bx Replenishing Eye Cream ($95 for 5 oz.)

Hated it.  No way I would buy the full size.  (I had a 1 oz. sample...NO WAY did I buy it for that price!!)

Mac Brush Cleaner ($25)

Best brush cleaner I've used.  I would absolutely repurchase and will when I finish up the bottle of Sonia Kashuk cleaner I have already.

And a bonus item I forgot to mention in the video....

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara ($32)

I did really enjoy this, but it's no Benefit They're Real ;)

Hope you enjoyed :)

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

Mommy Makeup Monday: My New Favorite Topcoat

On Mondays, I share a tip, product or tutorial that will help you look polished and put-together quickly and with minimal effort.  You definitely don't have to be a rushed mom to benefit from these posts...anyone who needs to be out-the-door fast (and who doesn't?!) can appreciate Mommy Makeup Mondays!

The start of a nice short week!!  I hope you're all enjoying the last three days before the Christmas Season officially begins.

Image Source: Sephora.com

Today I have a nail polish topcoat that I was lucky enough to find recently.  A few weeks ago I snagged a mini of the Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat ($18) from Sephora as a 100 point perk and I am IN LOVE with this stuff.  It is the perfect solution for a mom who is trying to beat the nap time clock or who has to be out the door to do a ballet class pickup...you know what I'm getting at!

Julep says that this topcoat "sets" in natural light in 5 minutes, and I have to completely agree.  I get professional, salon quality gel like results with this polish and I am 100% smudge free in 5 minutes.  I will say that I don't get the long-lasting results of a professional gel mani, but I say that with the caveat that I am really hard on my nails.  A normal polish change will last me 2 days before I have to repolish.  With this topcoat, I can get 3 days (same as my other newest love, Sephora's Formula X Polishes.)

I know this one is pricey, but if you can grab the 100 point perk I would highly recommend "spending" your points on this!  I have a small stockpile of topcoats to go through (another Seche Vite, an Out the Door, a Formula X, and this mini) so I won't be purchasing right away, but when I work through my stash, I think I'll go for the full size Julep.  I absolutely love the fact that within 5 minutes of putting it on, my nails are completely dry to the point where I can do dishes, change a diaper, or (wishful thinking) go to bed!

Have you tried this topcoat?  What are your thoughts?

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

Ulta Haul!

As promised, here are the items I picked up during Ulta's 20% off sale!  I actually didn't go too crazy at Ulta, as I am trying to save most of my purchasing for Sephora's VIB sale (details here) to try to make VIB Rouge by year-end :)

The one item I skipped was the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Styling Heat Protect Spray ($23).  I do use this regularly when I curl my hair with a curling iron, and I love it, but I have a few other heat sprays that I need to use up, so I couldn't justify the purchase right now.  (Plus, I didn't realize that Sephora sells this, too, so I would rather get it there anyway!)

More details on what I grabbed below!




Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara ($20)
As I mentioned in my wish list post, I saw this on QVC one night and have been dying to try it.  I'm a total sucker for a new mascara, so this was my must-have item.  I can't wait to give it a shot!

Loreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara ($7.99)
When I placed my order, Loreal products were B1G1 50% off, so I decided to grab this.  Tiffany D claims it's the closest drugstore mascara to the Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara, which I haven't splurged on (cough*yet*cough), so I just had to add it to my cart.

Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara ($6.99)
Yes, another mascara!  Like I said, I'm a total sucker!  I loved Prestige My Blackest Lashes, but I prefer lengthening formulas, so I figured I'd try this one out next time around.

OPI All I Want for Christmas (is OPI) ($9)
So as I mentioned in my video, when I took this out of the box, I realized it looked an awful lot like OPI's I Got the Blues for Red and other shades just like it that I already own.  The swatches I had seen online made this polish look warmer toned than the polishes I already have, which is why I grabbed it.  However...as promised in my haul video...here it is swatched with other shades:

I can't even make this up.  These 4 polishes are identical.  Like, not even similar...identical.  Oops.  (Click for a larger image, but L-R, it's OPI All I Want for Christmas (is OPI), OPI I Got the Blues for Red, China Glaze Adventure Red-y, and Sephora Formula X Ignite).  So yeah, All I Want for Christmas is getting returned!

Essie Toggle to the Top ($8)
The swatch of this in Polishaholic's post on the Essie winter collection made this shade look incredible, so I grabbed it.  I don't have any sparkly or glittery holiday reds in my collection, either, so now I do :)

Jane Cosmetics Water Resistant Eye Liner in Black ($6, but on sale for $4 right now!)
After filming my haul video, I gave this liner a run for its money.  It actually did stay on my waterline ALL DAY.  I think I may have actually found my Holy Grail liner for my waterline.  This stayed better than anything else I've ever tried by far.  It's super black, transfers so easily, and hello...it's $6!  I have to give a huge thanks to Tati/Glam Life Guru for mentioning this one!!

Loreal Colour Riche Caresse Aqua Lacquer Lip Stain in Endless Red ($9.99)  This was the other half of my B1G1 Loreal purchase.  I grabbed it on a total whim, since I don't wear bold lips that often.  However, I've been really feeling red for the holidays this year.  This is also supposed to be a drugstore version of the YSL Glossy Stains, which I've been dying to try.  For 1/3 the price of the Glossy Stains, though, I figured I should start small and try this one instead.  Happy to report that I LOVE the red color, and it lasted me about 3 or 4 hours before I had to reapply.  I purposely brushed my teeth with it on (it was still perfect afterward) and drank a latte.  It was a little worn off after the latte, but I went another 2-ish hours without needing to reapply.  I'm a big fan!  (As promised in the video, here is a great post comparing the YSL and the Loreal stains!)

That's it!  Please let me know what you picked up during the sale in the comments!  I'd love to hear what you're going to try out :)

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

October Favorites!

Happy end of October!!  Such a cliche - but I seriously cannot believe how fast this month went.  September and October flew by for me.  I blame it on being so excited to share Halloween and the upcoming holidays with my favorite little girl :)  (My little one is going to be 8 months old this week.  How did that happen??)

The end of October also marks a first for me...my first YouTube video to share with my readers!  I love watching monthly favorites videos, so I figured now would be a great time to take the plunge and film one.  Besides, it's way better to see a product than to just read about it.

And onto the beauty products I've given a lot of love this month!





Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation ($12.99 at Ulta)
Love this for the great natural glow it gives your skin.  I have oily skin, but this still does great things for me.

Makeup Forever Mat Velvet+ Foundation ($36 at Sephora)
This really does stay matte on me most of the day, plus the color match (I am shade 30) is spot on.  It gives a good medium coverage but can be built up.

Beauty Blender ($19.95 at Sephora)
A ridiculously expensive makeup sponge, but I've found nothing that beats it.  When you use it damp, it applies any foundation flawlessly and keeps it looking so natural.  I've been using mine basically every day this month.

Mac Prolongwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre ($20 on Mac's website, but I found mine at a CCO!)
This is more yellow than the cult-classic shade Painterly.  It's the same shade as Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Eden, which really works well with my skin tone.  This works very well to block out redness and even out my lids.  Paint pots do crease on me, so I layer them over Primer Potion.

Nars Bronzer in Laguna ($36 at Sephora)
I've had my Laguna bronzer for-ev-er.  It's time for it to go, and I've been working on it for months now.  I LOVE the shade, but it's a bit dark for me in the winter, and I just have so many other bronzers I want to use.  I've been using this literally every day to try to use it up!

Burberry Blush in Russett ($42 at Nordstrom)
I absolutely love this color for fall - it is the perfect peachy brown.  It's actually the same exact shade as Mac's blush in Gingerly ($21), which I learned personally when I purchased Gingerly and compared them.  I have to say - Burberry's texture and blendability win by a mile, but the price is a little hard to stomach.  (In full disclosure, I received this as a gift...I did not purchase it myself.)

Mac 222 Brush (~$20, found at a CCO)
I love this brush because it is more dense and compact than a 217.  It deposits color more precisely in my crease, and I've been using it with a 224 to build up color and define my eyes more.  Mac no longer sells the 222, but Sigma's E35 brush ($14) is basically a dupe.  The brush that comes with the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is also very similar.

Loreal Lineur Intense Liquid Liner in Carbon Black ($7.94 at WalMart)
No liquid liner will ever replace my beloved Fluidline, but I have been reaching for this one quite a bit this month!  It is by far the easiest liquid liner to apply (I use the felt tip version, not the brush version) because the tip is just firm enough to give you a nice, straight line.  Plus, it's ultra black so you don't need to keep going over it.

NYX Setting Spray in Matte Finish ($8 at Nordstrom)
I forgot to include this in my video, but I have been absolutely loving this spray.  It's the first setting spray I've used that actually does keep my makeup in place all day, let alone keep my face from getting shiny after a few hours.  One thing I didn't expect that I was so happy to see was that this spray really keeps my eye makeup from budging.  I typically get a lot of black smudging under my eyes from mascara, but this keeps them looking perfectly clean all day.  

Formula X Polish in Ignite ($10.50 at Sephora)
Holy cow - I never expected to love a nail polish as much as this!!  I will do a full post reviewing these polishes when I grab a few more with my VIB sale coupon, but for now, suffice to say that these are AMAZING.  They wear much longer and better than typical polishes, and you absolutely don't need to topcoat them.  They're just as shiny with Seche Vite as they are without it.  These things are going to be a new addiction for me, I can feel it!!!

What are your favorites this month?  Let me know what I'm missing out on!

 

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.

Top 5 Fall Polishes

Hello pretties!  I have a quick post today to share with you my top 5 nail polishes this fall.  I haven't picked up too many new bottles recently...not much really spoke to me this season.  Instead, I've been shopping my stash and enjoying polishes I've picked up along the way.  Here's what's been on my tips the past few weeks.

All my swatches are 2 coats of polish, without a base or top coat.  (Please excuse my nubs of nails!  A bunch of them recently broke, but I wanted to get this post up before we get much further into fall.)

(taken in shade to be
more true to color)

1.  OPI I Got the Blues for Red.  This was part of OPI's Chicago Collection, and I don't believe it's been made permanent, but it's still readily available online.  (Here, on Amazon for $7 with free shipping!)  It's just a perfect red - not too bright, not too dark.  I also recently found what is almost a dupe for this shade...China Glaze's Adventure Red-y from the On Safari collection.  (I got mine on cherryculture.com for $4!)

2.  Essie Bobbing for Baubles.  This shade was part of Essie's Winter 2011 collection, but it's still a fall/winter favorite of mine.  It's a really pretty dark greyed blue.  You can likely still find this color in stores, and it's still on Essie's website.  Ulta has it in stock online, too.

3.  Essie Beyond Cozy.  This is one of the newer polishes that I picked up.  I was browsing the beauty aisle of WalMart and randomly spotted this one, and I knew I just HAD to have it.  This is from Essie's Winter 2012 collection, and I honestly don't know how I missed it until just this past month!  It is a gilded silver glitter...the color is really unique to my collection.  Two coats give you a completely opaque glitter.  Removal is what you would typically expect with glitter.  This is a total top coat eater, so I wouldn't even bother with one.  It's still available on Amazon for under $6 with free shipping.

4.  OPI Alcatraz...Rocks.  This is another new polish to me.  It was released in OPI's Fall 2013 San Fransisco collection, and is a liquid sand texture.  It's a blue base with holographic glitter and I absolutely love it!  It's not done justice indoors or in shade, but get this gem in the sun and it really sparkles.  It should still be available in stores, but it was very popular, so online may be a better bet if you want to grab a bottle.  Ulta still has it available.  Removal is a little easier than your typical glitter, but it still takes some work.  This is another top coat eater, but it does look stunning with a top coat.  You'll get great shine for about 24 hours before the top coat disappears.

(taken in shade to be
more true to color)

5.  Revlon Plum Seduction.  I am a huge fan of Revlon's polishes, and I always get them inexpensively at Ulta or one of the drugstores.  (Online, Ulta has this bottle for $5.)  This had exceptional wear time on me...at least 4 or 5 days with just some tip wear, which is unheard of for me, since my hands are always in water.  The bottle color in my swatch is a little more true than what appears on my nails.  It's a purpley-pink that is super flattering and pretty for fall.

So what do you think?  Will you try any of these?  Have you picked up any must-have fall polishes that I'm missing?  Do you know of any dupes out there for these shades?

Thanks for stopping by :)

As always, everything in this post is my honest personal opinion.  No affiliate links were used.  I have not accepted any consideration for sharing these items with you.  Unless indicated otherwise, all products were purchased by me with my own money.