Ipsy, February 2014 - The Look of Love

Hey, friends!

Got my ipsy bag today and I was too excited to wait (and I'm unable to make a video right now), so I just went ahead and cracked it open. Obviously I'm really bad at waiting to be surprised, so I took a look at my Glam Room first, but you never know what colors you're getting until it arrives. 

Let's take a closer look:

Tini Beauty -Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base In One in Violette. When I first saw that I was getting this, I was a little hesitant to be excited. And then on top of that, I got the purple (a color that I RARELY wear). But I swatched the shadow and it's actually gorgeous! I'm not that familiar with cream shadow, but I can't wait to experiment with this!

 J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue in 747L. Another product that I wasn't too thrilled about, and I know that there's another pair coming in my Boxy Charm, but for $10, you're not always going to love every product. I'll be passing these along to my roommate.

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Fuchsia Freesia. So excited for this gloss! I actually put it on immediately after opening my bag and I'm really impressed with the coverage, the color, and the texture. This gloss is not sticky at all and has the perfect hint of color. I've becoming more and more in love with POP Beauty after receiving a mini palette from them in the December ipsy bag.
 

skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud. I'm so intrigued by this mask...can't wait to try it out, though I'm sad that it's only one application (but there is a great discount code on the ipsy site). I've been trying to spend more time making my skin beautiful and healthy, and I have yet to try a mask, so this should be interesting!

Zoya Nail Polish in Dot. Last, but not least...the Zoya! When I saw these in the sneak peek, I was over the moon and couldn't wait to try it. So glad I got the pink (again, I'm not much of a purple person). And these will go great with the new nail art bows that I just got (pictures to come). 

Overall, this bag is making me so ready for love and so ready for Spring. Reviews at the end of the month, but until then...

Stay Beautiful! Danielle

A Bittersweet Week...

Hey, friends!

This week has been oh-so bittersweet for me! I started my little subscription addiction back in November when I first signed up for Ipsy. I, shortly after, joined a Facebook group of amazing, makeup-addicted women that get Ipsy and every other subscription box under the sun. This group, though I'm obsessed with checking it, has NOT been good for my wallet!

In January, right after my birthday I decided to sign up for the elf Beauty Bundle and The Fantasy Box, getting each every other month. I have nothing but the best things to say about each of those subscriptions, but since then, I have actually cancelled those subscriptions and ordered Birchbox and BoxyCharm in their places.

The elf Beauty Bundle was fantastic and I really enjoyed getting products from them that I wouldn't have normally picked out for myself! But every couple of weeks, elf hosts a 50% off sale on their site and it's just a better deal to order things you really want, or want to try, in the shades that match you. During the last sale I placed two orders and decided that I probably have enough elf products to last me until next year. I may, in the future, re-subscribe...especially if these new subscriptions don't work out, but until then, I'll stick with the 50% off sales1

It really broke my heart to suspend my Fantasy Box subscription. Their boxes were fun and a really great value, but I saw a couple of unboxings of months ahead and I already have a bunch of the products that we get (sorry if that TMI). Again, it really is a great value, but I'm not looking forward to so many duplicates! I'll keep the option of resubscribing open, because I might have a change of heart, but for right now, I'm really excited to be making way for my new boxes!

Birchbox has been around for such a long time, but I've been really hesitant to subscribe. The reason being is that I get these boxes wanting makeup and hair care products, and Birchbox sends a mixture of makeup and skin and hair products. I have recently perfected my skin-care routine, so I didn't want to throw too many wrenches in the works, but judging by unboxings that I have seen, the samples in Birchbox aren't that big. I have also heard they repeat a lot of their products and they're guilty of sending a lot of foil packets. BUT! Despite everything I've heard, I went for it anyway (and REALLY loved my first box). Stay tuned for my unboxing of my first Birchbox!

It seems from my research that Boxy Charm just gets better and better each month. After I saw a couple of gals post their boxes and I spied a Nars nail polish, I knew I had to sign up. My box is in the mail and I couldn't be more excited. Stay tuned for an unboxing video (probably by next weekend).

Nails of the Week: Galaxy Nails :)

I've been really into nail art lately, and with a lot of time on my hands with my two weeks off, I decided to start experimenting! The first experiment that I'm sharing is my take on Galaxy Nails! If you know me, you know that I love space, Star Trek, the Air & Space museum, and basically everything else that has to do with the universe! So when I saw this trend on nails...I HAD to try it!

Take a look:

The Line Up of Polishes:

 

I used (in this order): Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat (Base Coat), Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (28) Black Out (Black), Pure Ice in Celestial (I didn't know that was the name of the polish, but that is fitting!) (Blue), Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (220) Celeb City MIXED WITH Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (300) White On (Silver/Grey), ELF Nail Polish in Smokin' Hot (Red), Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color in (25) Grape Going (Purple), Spoiled by Wet n Wild Nail Color in Shaken Snow Globe (Sparkles), ELF Quick Dry Top Coat

      

What I love about this nail art is that you can't do it wrong and it's REALLY hard to mess up! The universe is a beautiful, complex thing, and now my nails are too! For some tips on what to do, watch this amazing video by Cute Polish! You can use whatever colors you have on hand! I just ordered a lot of nail stuff (polishes, embellishments, tools), so I would love to re-try this when I get some new stuff!

Stay Beautiful! Danielle

Nails of the Week: Matte & Sparkles

Hey Friends!

So I'm not a professional nail artist, but I like to get creative and try out new things with my nails. So bare with me if some polish is on my figures, or the lines are perfectly straight (I do most of the line free hand). Here's what I played with:

Base Coat: Sally Hansen's Double Duty, Base & Top Coat

Bottom: Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (240) Twisted Pink, topped with Orly Matte Top

Top: Revlon's Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in (110) Pink Lingerie, topped with Sally Hansen's Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in (140) Aisle Be There.

   

Base Coat: Sally Hansen's Double Duty, Base & Top Coat

Accent Nail: Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (130) Blue Me Away!, topped with Spoiled Nail Color in (S002) Shaken Snow Globe

Other Nails: Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in (280) Jazzy Jade, topped with Orly Matte Top

Stay Beautiful! Danielle