Be Mine - 2014

VDay 2014 mani #2

Pink ombre manicure using (from L to R) Orly Soul Mate, Finger Paints Louvre This Pink, China Glaze Go Go Pink, and Zoya Purity; All topped with Finger Paints Kiss By The Tree.

Congrats Seahawks!

I don't really watch football, and I'm not from Seattle. While thinking up my manicure yesterday, I looked up the colors for the teams in the Super Bowl this year, and decided on silver and blue...Go Seahawks then...I guess! :)

This is two coats of Zoya London (grey) and Zoya Liberty (blue).

After the Seahawks' win, I learned it was their first Super Bowl win ever, so that was exciting to see. Congrats Seahawks! 

Birchbox - January 2014

About Birchbox: "For $10.00 each month, you'll receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras."

 Click here to Subscribe!

Birchbox - January 2014 (1 of 2)

Nail Rock in Velvet Navy

Size Received: Full Size

Value: $7.00

"Every kit comes with two pieces: a polish for a solid foundation and a pot that houses a textured topper. Accent options include Nail Sequin, for the ultimate disco-ball mani; Nail Glitter, to create serious sparkle; Nail Caviar, for a rich encrusted look; and Nail Velvet, which leaves a luxe matte finish."

Toni & Guy Prep Heat Protection Mist

Size received: 2.53 fl oz

Value: $7.59

"This leave-in mist goes to work in high temperatures, safeguarding strands from the styling tools we love to hate (and hate to love). Bonus: It bestows softness and shine to hair while banishing frizz."

Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster

Size Received: 0.12 fl oz

Value: $8.06

"A potent dose of 15% stabilized vitamin C starts working immediately to fade dark spots and leftover acne scars while also quelling redness. Antioxidant vitamin E, ferulic acid, and peptides help repair telltale signs of aging—like wrinkles and slackness—and stimulate collagen production, resulting in a smoother, tighter complexion. Bonus: The nonirritating formula is free of fragrances and dyes, and never tested on animals."

100% Pure Super Fruits Reparative Cream

Size Received: Three 0.067 fl oz packets

Value: $4.40

Ahmad Teas in Apricot Sunrise, English Tea No. 1, Green Tea Pure 

Size Received: 3 Tea Bags

Value: $0.53

"Ahmad's teas come in a variety of mouthwatering flavors, all perfectly blended with high-grade ingredients. Each order comes with two boxes for a total of 40 teabags."

Purchase & Value

Box Cost: $10.00

Box Value: $27.58

Birchbox - January 2014 (2 of 2)

Inika Mineral Eye Shadow in Eternal Marine

Size Received: Full Size

Value: $20.00

"Made using the highest quality ingredients, including mica and zinc oxide, these shadows are rich in pigment for vivid colors that stay on all day."

Nail Rock in Red Glitter

Size Received: Full Size

Value: $7.00

"Every kit comes with two pieces: a polish for a solid foundation and a pot that houses a textured topper. Accent options include Nail Sequin, for the ultimate disco-ball mani; Nail Glitter, to create serious sparkle; Nail Caviar, for a rich encrusted look; and Nail Velvet, which leaves a luxe matte finish."

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Creme

Size Received: 1.6 oz

Value: $8.00

"Fekkai’s encapsulated shine-release complex imparts softening olive oil into each strand throughout the day. Hair looks healthy, smooth, and oh-so-shiny."

Ahmad Teas in Apricot Sunrise, English Tea No. 1, Green Tea Pure 

Size Received: 3 Tea Bags

Value: $0.53

"Ahmad's teas come in a variety of mouthwatering flavors, all perfectly blended with high-grade ingredients. Each order comes with two boxes for a total of 40 teabags."

100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream in Pink Grapefruit

Size Received: Three 0.067 fl oz packs
Value: $0.38

"Packed with nourishing cocoa and avocado butters, as well as skin-softening fruit oils, this super hydrating formula replenishes and soothes dry skin. And, since they’re formulated without water, artificial ingredients, or fillers, the lotions are ultra-rich and concentrated."


Purchase & Value

Box Cost: $10.00
Box Value: $35.91

Floating Hearts

Let the Valentine's manicures begin!

This design began with a base coat and two coats of Zoya Godiva.

Over that, I used Bondi Horny Mistress + Bundle Monster stamping plate BM-H18 to create the heart design.

I usually leave Pixie Dust polishes in their naturally grainy/matte state, but since I wanted this one to be glossy, I added two coats of Sephora X top coat over the hearts to finish the manicure.

Products Used

Sephora X Nail Cleanser

One coat Nailtek Hydration Therapy II

Two coats Zoya Godiva

Bondi Horny Mistress + Bundle Monster BM-H18

Two coats Sephora X Top Coat

Pixie Zebra

Two coats of Zoya Dahlia, stamped with Konad white stamping polish + Konad plate M57.

Ipsy - January 2014

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service that delivers 5-6 deluxe and full-sized beauty items to your door for $10 per month, click here to subscribe!

Ipsy - January 2014

Theme & Bag

This months theme is '19 Reasons 2014 Will Be Amazing', and the bag is light blue with beauty product packaging print.

Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in Penny

Size Received: 0.7g

Value: $7.00

""The ultimate gel pencil that’s smooth like butter and packed with deliciously creamy colors. These velvety pencils glide on with ease, and contain just enough shimmer. They’re also waterproof and perfect to wear all day and night, a must have for all color lovers!"

MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta

Size received: 2.5g

Value: $18.75

"MicaBeauty's 24 hour Tinted Lip Balm conditions your lips without smudge while delivering sophisticated finish. Infused with Vitamin E, MicaBeauty's Tinted Lip Balm helps keep your lips soft, smooth and protected. For a sheer wash of color, one swipe is all you need. Do you want even bolder pout? Simply apply another swipe and this lip balm will create lips every woman covets.

Kiss-Proof!

Smudge-Proof!"

LeeAnni Eco 3 in 1 Revolution

Size Received: 0.35 oz

Value: $2.62

"With this 3 in 1 Revolotion, it's a toner, serum, and lotion in one bottle! Helps moisturize, even out skin tone by reducing scarring and promoting skin regeneration. Gluten free. "

Absolute! Makeup Cleansing Tissue in Pomegranite

Size Received: 10 Wipes

Value: $1.51

"Pre-moistened, refreshingly fragranced, water-based cloths designed to instantly remove even waterproof makeup without irritation. Infused with natural extracts and botanicals, Absolute! Makeup Cleansing Tissues are formulated to reawaken and soften skin, while helping to reduce puffiness. Made of delicate spun lace, our convenient, effortless 1-step tissues are gentle enough for use on sensitive skin and around the eye area."

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner

Size Received: 1.7 fl oz

Value: $3.59

"The powerful combination of Soy and Cocoa work synergistically to perfectly care for your hair! A conditioner that is both a nourishing moisturizer and mild protein reconstructor and safe to use on color-treated hair. This truly amazing conditioner reconstructs, moisturizes and combats environmental stress on all types of hair. "

Purchase and Value

Bag Cost: $10.00

Bag Value: $33.47

Brazen Butterflies

Today's manicure began with a base coat and two coats of Sephora X Brazen. Next, I painted small amounts of Starrily Euphoria onto a piece of cosmetic wedge sponge, and dabbed that to the tips of my nails until I achieved the desired glitter gradient effect.

 Euphoria has adorable little butterfly glitters that I just had to have!!

Lastly, I added a layer of Gelous gel top coat to smooth out the glitter, and finished with a coat of Sephora X top coat.

Products Used

Sephora X Nail Cleanser

1 coat Nailtek Foundation 1

1 coat Sephora X Base Coat

2 coats Sephora X Brazen

Starrily Euphoria

1 coat Gelous Advanced Gel Top Coat

1 coat Seohora X Top Coat

Sea Glass by Starrily

A short time ago, Ipsy sampled some Starrily glitter polish in their monthly bag. Since Ipsy offers discount codes for the brands they feature in their bags, I  decided to use my discount to pick up some Starrily mini glitter polishes. 

This manicure began with two coats of Sinful Colors At Sea.

Over that, I added one coat of Starrily Sea Glass.

Sea Glass is different sizes of shredded blue glitter in a clear base.

Lastly, I sealed the manicure with two coats of Gelous gel top coat, and a coat of Seche Vite top coat. Later, I added an extra coat or two of top coat to the nails that had a few bits of glitter sticking up. For the most part, the glitter shreds were not very difficult to work with or make smooth.

Products Used

Sephora X Nail Cleanser

1 coat Nailtek Foundation 1

1 coat Sephora X Base Coat

2 coats Sinful Colors At Sea

1 coat Starrily Sea Glass

2 coats Gelous Advanced Gel Top Coat

1-2 coats Seche Vite Top Coat

Happy New Year - 2014

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all have a safe and happy transition into 2014. Below is the manicure I will be wearing to ring in the new year :)

I am wearing black slacks with a red top and a silver clutch, so red with black and silver glitter just seemed like the right way to go!

This is two coats of Sephora X Flashy, with China Glaze Razzle Me Dazzle Me dabbed onto the tips, sealed with Sephora X Top Coat.

Moon Sugar Decals - Review

Today I will be sharing a nail product review! Moon Sugar Decals was nice enough to send me a sample of their water slide decals to try, below are my thoughts and several designs I created using their decals, and a discount code for your next purchase!

The water decals come in sheets of varying amounts, depending on the design you choose. I chose a sheet of Christmas decals that are normally $3.99 for 50 decals, my sample sheet contained 25 decals.

Step 1: Cut the decal to fit the nail. 

Step 2: Place your decal in a bowl of warm water. It will curl up and then straighten out again. Once they are laying flat again, they are ready to slide off the paper backing and onto your nail. 

I did not get the curling effect they say to watch for, so I just left my decal in the water for 30 seconds or so before fishing it out and sliding it off the paper backing. I couldn't find my tweezers, so I used the back end of a nail art brush to help me position the decal onto the nail.

Step 3: Place the decal straight onto the nail in desired position.

These decals are printed on clear film, so some can be very transparent depending on the decal. Moon Sugar recommends placing them onto a white or very light background for maximum effect. The Christmas tree was pretty dark in color, so I was able to place it on the light blue background without seeing any of the background through the decal.

I found that, depending on how wet the decal is when you apply it to your nail, you might have a few seconds to slide it into position before it fully sticks, but some of mine stuck immediately allowing me no time to slide them. Be sure you place the decal where you want it, just in case it will not slide for adjustments.

Step 4: Dab dry with a tissue and finish with a layer of clear acrylic or top coat to seal.

Below is another design that I created using the Christmas Decals. 

For this design, the decals definitely needed some white behind them to make them bright and vibrant (especially the snowman & santa). Using a dotting tool, I filled in some white where I wanted to place the decals. You can see that I was a bit off on the right side of my gingerbread man, you can tell that he would have looked very different with no white background.

Moon Sugar included a bonus strip of breast cancer awareness ribbon decals with my sample, so below is a design with one of them.

In conclusion, I found these decals to be of good quality, and reasonably easy to use. The decals fit my nails well, and lasted a long time with a layer of top coat over them. The edges stayed flat and did not lift and curl after the top coat was applied. I would personally prefer to use decals that were printed with white so I could use them over any color and still get the same effect, but that wouldn't stop me from purchasing more of these.

To receive 25% off of your next Moon Sugar Decals order, use 25DYNAMITE at checkout through 1/21/2014!

Big thanks to Moon Sugar Decals for the sample of their product, I very much enjoyed testing them out and can't wait to place my first order!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

For this manicure, I began with a base coat and two coats of Sephora X Thrilling. Next, I used Zoya Chita to draw in the trees. For the ornaments, I dropped a little bit of white polish onto a metal stamping plate, and used a dotting tool to make white dots where I wanted ornaments to go. Then, I dotted each ornament color onto the white dots. I sealed the design with two coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Products Used

1 Coat Nailtek Foundation 1

1 coat Sephora X Base Coat

2 coats Sephora X Thrilling

1 coat Zoya Chita for the trees

Zoya Purity, Zoya Solange, Zoya Liberty, Zoya Chyna, and Zoya Destiny for the ornaments

2 coats Seche Vite Top Coat

Deck The Nails With Pixie Dust

Deck The Nails With Pixie Dust.....Christmas Gradient!

For this manicure, I began with a base coat and a layer of Sephora X White Matter, a white polish, to create an opaque background for the gradient. Over that, I added one coat of the lightest color in this gradient, Zoya Tomoko. Next, I dropped some of Zoya Chita, Zoya Chyna, and Zoya Tomoko side by side onto a metal stamping plate. I then took a piece of cosmetic wedge sponge and dipped it into all three colors at once, and dabbed that to my nails where I wanted the gradient to be. I repeated this process, giving the layers time to dry in between dabbings, 2 or 3 times until I had the desired gradient effect.

Birchbox - December 2013

Birchbox - December 2013 (1 of 2)

Hair Rules Quench Conditioner

Size Received: 2 fl oz

Value: $3.50

"This hair-taming conditioner has an impressive number of star actives. Honey and glycerin enhance your hair’s moisture intake while fortifying strands. Other moisturizers like shea butter, coconut, and olive oils give hair added sheen."

Willa Lavender Facial Towelettes

Size Received: 10 Wipes
Value: $2.33

"Each soft cloth comes pre-soaked with a botanic cleansing formula. Aloe hydrates and heals irritation, lavender calms, and antioxidant-rich green tea helps skin look fresh and glowing. Plus, willa™ never uses potentially harmful ingredients like parabens and sulfates."


Borchese Superiore State-of-the-Art Mascara

Size Received: 0.1 oz

Value: $6.50

"A silk-powder foundation binds to lashes for extended wear and definition—and no flaking, smudging, or clumping. The Acqua di Vita "Living Water" Complex®, a unique blend of minerals and botanicals, adds moisture and conditions. Available in black and waterproof black."

Pure Botanica Botanic Bath Infusions in Moments In Mint

Size Received: 1 Sachet
Value: $9.33

"Choose from four scented varieties: Stress-busting Lost in Lavender contains Bolivian sea salt from the Andes Mountains and hints of chamomile and lemongrass, and calming Moments in Mint utilizes mineral-rich salt from the Atlantic and notes of eucalyptus. Refreshing Pick Me Up blends orange, lavender, and pink Himalayan sea salts, and Rosé Retreat recreates the aroma of fresh roses while harnessing the restorative properties of Atlantic and Andes salts. Each fragrance comes with a set of three biodegradable pouches."


Emily's Chocolates Chocolate Covered Fortune Cookie

Size Received: 1 Cookie

Value: $1.00

"Each box contains six individually wrapped cookies. Choose from Love, milk chocolate dipped cookies featuring romantic messages; Friendship, dark chocolate dipped cookies packed with affectionate fortunes; and Truth or Dare, fortune cookies covered in creamy milk chocolate with cheeky messages inside."

Total Box Cost: $10.00

Total Box Value: $22.66

Birchbox - December 2013 (2 of 2)

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk

Size Received: 1.06 oz

Value: $6.46

"Made with softening oat milk extracts, plus corn and rice starches, this ultra-fine powder spray leaves nary a trace of residue behind. It performs a heroic array of functions. For starters, it soaks up oil and sweat from your roots and helps revive second day hair. Next, it amps up volume and helps extend the life of blowouts. You can also use it as a texturing aide when you’re trying to perfect a tricky updo. We love taking it with us to the gym for a post-workout hair refresher, and it’s great for times when we’re on the road."

Bliss That's Incredi- 'peel'! Spa Strength Glycolic Resurfacing Pad

Size Received: 1 Pad

Value: Estimated $1.00

"Each that’s incredi-‘peel’ pad simulates a gentle-yet-effective facial as you sleep, thanks to a patented time-release technology. Glycolic acid targets wrinkles and dark spots, while witch hazel and licorice extract soothe."

Miracle Skin Transformer SPF20 Face

Size Received: 0.17 fl oz

Value: $4.80

"The formula uses a combination of active ingredients to improve skin tone and texture. Vitamins A, E, and K are rich in antioxidants, while Ecophysalis extracts, sourced from the Brazilian rainforest, create a shield against pollutants. It’s free of synthetic fragrances, dyes, wax, mineral oils and talc and comes in six flattering shades. (My shade is not marked on the tube.)"

Camille Beckman Body Butter in Morelia Monarch

Size Received: 0.25 oz
Value: $0.71

"Each body butter is packed with shea butter and sweet almond oil which leave dry skin softer, smoother, and healthier. Choose between three scents: Midnight Monarch has top notes of jasmine and bergamot over a base of patchouli and sweet vanilla amber, the fresh scent of Morelia Monarch features green tea and amber over a base of vanilla orchid, and the rich, earthy No. 25 has notes of green pear, pepper berry, and florals over herbal wood and amber resin."


Laqa & Co. Fat Lip Pencil in Ring of Fire

Size Received: 1 'Lil Lip' Pencil

Value: $8.00

"Formulated with a blend of oils and healing vitamin E, the pencil provides lasting moisture in addition to a glossy finish. Choose from five high-impact shades: Wolfman (a pale pink), Fairyblood (a polished pink), Lampchop (a neon fuchsia), Bossy Boots (a velvety red), and Ring of Fire (a bright red)."

Total Box Cost: $10.00

Total Box Value: $20.97