essie

Fall Essie Nail Hail!

Hi gals! I was recently at the drugstore and was inspired to pick up some new nail polishes. I found these from Essie: Meet the Parents (pale powdery blue), Dress to Kilt (red), and Skirting the Issue (deep burgundy). I thought these colors were perfect for fall and the transitioning summer weather, I’ve been absolutely loving the Meet the Parents shade! I really love Essie polishes, I was able to get these for only $4 each which was a real bargain! What shes are you guys loving currently? ❤

My Top Summer Essie Nail Picks

Hi everyone! ❤ I wanted to share my top Essie Nail Picks for this summer! I really like Essie Nail Polishes, they are super cute, and have tons of colors. They are always releasing new collections for each season and I absolutely love the names. All of these were released this year except for the glitter shade which came out last Christmas. I found that it was perfect for an accent nail. 🙂 Anyway, here are the colors!: Parka Perfect, Naughty Nautical, Resort Fling, and Hors D’eauves.

Top 10 Beauty Under $10!

Hi everyone! ❤ I’m all about finding great products for a bargain. Sometimes it is nice to splurge on a high end product, bu the drugstore does offer some great options! Here are my my top 10 beauty products under $10! : Essie Nail Polish, Real Techniques Makeup Brushes, Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner, Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation, Maybelline Color Tattoo, Sonia Kashuk Makeup Remover, Revlon Photoready Cream Blush, Loreal Infalliable Eyeshadow, Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm, and Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara.

Polyvore: fresh + pretty

Fresh + Pretty by deletetoast featuring MAC Cosmetics

L Occitane cherry perfume
sephora.com

Catseye cosmetic purse
$29 – johnlewis.com

Essie art deco nail polish
$18 – thehut.com

MAC Cosmetics face powder
nordstrom.com

BEST of Drugstore Makeup 2013

Here are my picks for best drugstore makeup of 2013!

Recent Makeup Swap Haul!! XO

Hello everyone! I had recently written a post about doing a makeup swap and the response was awesome!! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me and left messages to do one! Here are the recent goodies that I have gotten in the mail. These two swaps were from the US, so all the products are US based.

The first few things I received were these nail polishes and decal! I’ve never tried the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips, so I was excited to get one, and they’re NEON!!! Yay. Next I got an Essie polish in Shine of the Times, (here’s a great post with swatches) a really pretty holographic flakie topcoat! Next was the Revlon nail polish is Blue Mosaic, a gorgeous multi-shaped blue glitter polish. (swatches) Lastly was the Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order, a really pretty metallic turquoise/teal color! (swatches) Love them all!! 😀

Next were the makeup related items, I really got a medly, by the great thing about doing swaps is that most of the time you get items that you normally wouldn’t purchase for yourself!! I got an Urban Decay eyeshadow in Minx (blue-green shifter with glitter), a Loreal eyeshadow in Taffetta (light frosty pink), a NYX eyeshow in Senusal (dark shimmery violet/brown), and a Maybelline Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale (a squishy bright red/coral). The NYX shadow was definitely my favorite (Nars Night Shadows dupe!), it’s a deep sultry brown with dark violet undertones.

Swatches: Maybelline Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale, NYX eyeshadow in Sensual, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Minx, and Loreal eyeshadow in Taffetta.

Lastly are the lip items and other beauty/makeup items. I got a Loreal Colour Riche Colour Caresse Lipstick in Sheer Linen, a Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, a deluxe size Ojon Revitalizing Mist, and a Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer. I was super excited about the primer because it was one of those items that I always passed at the drugstore because primers usually break me out. However this one didn’t, yay!! The Ojon Hair Mist made my hair softer and left a pleasant scent in my hair. Also helped with tangles! The two lip products I was super happy about because again, these are two items that I kept passing at the drugstore!! I love the Loreal Caresse formula, and the Revlon Lip Butter is awesome!! I have one in a nude color, but this one definitely breaks me out of my comfort zone, which is good! 🙂

Swacthes: Loreal Colour Riche Colour Caresse Lipstick in Sheer Linen, and Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

And for those who are interested…

Some Basic Makeup Swapping Rules!!:

Always discuss your preferences, brands, skin types, facial features, hair color and type, ship dates, budgets and locations before hand!! It’s really important to create a relationship with the person you are swapping, so you can build trust!!
Specify on getting items that they specifically requested or make it a surprise! Sometimes it’s a combination of both, which I personally like!
Always buy and send NEW/UNUSED items, unless stated otherwise. It’s not nice to send used products, it’s not hygienic, and it makes the other person feel very disappointed!
Always uphold the budget value and ship time. Also communication is key!! If something comes up or you have a change, let the other person know!!
Pack your items carefully! The post office is usually not nice when it comes to packages, it’s up to you the pack the items safely and securely! It’s also nice to include a note/list of items.
Enjoy your items! Be happy that you received such an awesome package, and hope the other person likes your gift as well! 🙂

Most of all, have fun with it! It’s especially fun to do swaps from different countries because you get to try things that you don’t normally see in your area! I got introduced to tons of brands and items that I LOVE through swaps, also been able to get things that I’ve been lusting for buy couldn’t get!

What do you guys think?!

Mini Summer Drugstore Haul!

Hey everyone!! As you all know, the summer months are finally here!! I’ve been carousing the makeup isles in hopes of inspiration. I was at Walmart last night and stopped in front of these little beauts! It’s the Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula 131, and the Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow in Skinlights 730. Hard Candy I’ve been a fan of for a while as well as Revlon, but the creme quad was a bit of a surprise for me!

This is the Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula, all their bronzers are an enormous size, and of course LOVE the face that they do not test on animals. I was really attracted to this because it is a mid-tone bronze and not too dark!

Here’s the back of the compact, gives a nice little description, the color, and a disclaimer! 🙂

There is A LOT of product in this thing, and I am so glad. I paid around $9 for this and it has .44 oz of product, almost HALF an oz!!! Considering Mac Mineralize Skinfinishes only have about .35oz and are close to $20, this is an amazing deal. The color is an amazing smooth, lightly warm natural bronzy color, with hints of golden swirls. I’d say this is perfect for anyone with light-med skin tones looking for a natural tan look. It also has the slightest amount of illuminating particles to also give a nice glow! Totally recommend!!

Ok, this was the surprise find. I always walked past these little quads because I’ve been so on the fence about creme eyeshadow products. I love how they feel, but the staying power or finish never really sold me on them. These were about $5 each, and I decided to give it a try after seeing these summery neutral shades!

This is the quad in Skinlights, but there were many other shades ranges and colors to choose from!

I really like the packaging on these, very sleek and minimalistic, pretty good for $5! These will easily slip into my makeup bag without taking up too much room! It also has a mirror the entire length of the palette, so that is a great bonus!!

Here is the palette (excuse my reflection!! lol) gorgeous wearable, summery shades!! The texture on these are really great, super light, creamy, and blendable. You can wear them sheer or build up the color. I’ve also discovered that they work INCREDIBLE as a base for power eyeshadows and makes them more vibrant and lasting!! I really like all the colors in this palette, very appropriate for everyday summer looks!!

Here are the left two shades, it is a shimmery brown/bronze color and a shimmery cream color! These are perfect to wear on their own for those lazy summer days by the pool!! No hassle, but gives such an amazing glow on the eyes!! Love the light shades of a quick shimmery all over the lid look!

Here are the other two shades, an AMAZING coral-pink color with gold shimmer, and a more matte peach shade. The coral shade looks amazing on the eyes, as well as on the cheek bones as a highlight! The peach shade is a great neutralizer or blending color and have also tried it under the eyes as a concealer! Really like how cream products have multiple uses, great value for this little jewel!

Swatches: Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula 131 and Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow in Skinlights 730

Here is a little morsel I pulled out of my nail polish drawer this morning, it’s the Essie Nail Polish in Peach Daiquiri. I absolutely LOVE this color and decided to paint my nails for the pool!! Essie polishes are great quality and go on so nicely on the nails, they run for around $7, totally worth it!