Finished Up / July

This month's theme was body scrubs, I went through these like nobody's business! Well I guess when you're self-tanning, body scrubs are your best friend. Because I am slapping on faux tanners like crazy (since I am not going anywhere yet and I still want that I-just-got-back-from-some-exotic-place kind of tan) I need to exfoliate my skin in between applications to get the best tan I can. Plus I really enjoy that super clean feeling you get after exfoliating, anybody feel me?

Lush Ocean Salt 

 The sole reason I ever bought Ocean Salt was because of the hype. I just don't see what most Ocean Salt users see. It's just a scrub. The only super cool thing about it is that you can supposedly use it even after shaving. It has such an abrasive texture and smells like some kind of an alcoholic beverage with lime - I wouldn't ever get it next to my freshly shaved skin to be honest. I don't think it's so extraordinary for me to shell out $$$ on it again.

DANI Sugar Scrub

 I picked up this scrub a while back because it was made with organic ingredients. It has such a gentle sugary texture and feels great on skin. I think the sugar particles could be less refined and coarser. I do like it and would purchase if it was more widely available and came with a not-so-hefty price tag. I do like the fact that it's made with organic goods though!

H2O Vanilla Body Scrub

It's kind of heartbreaking that H2O discontinued this amazing scent a while ago. I was just fortunate to have spotted at one of my routine Ulta trips. It has such an amazing scent which isn't really vanilla-y at all but more like a mixture of milky vanilla and amber and maybe a hint musk. Texture-wise it's what I wanted the DANI sugar scrub to be. It was coarser yet gentle and did a fantastic job exfoliating!

 EOS Shave Cream

This amazing EOS shaving cream is the best I have ever used. I have actually stopped using shaving creams because I was sick of wasting money on shaving creams/gels that don't do anything. Instead I had been using hair conditioners which also work. I love EOS products and when I spotted this shaving cream at a drugstore I wanted to give it a try. This particular one has a pomegranate raspberry scent which smells ah-mazing! I'm usually not a fan of cream products but this one I love. It's very moisturizing and I love that it leaves my skin smooth and soft to touch. Bonus: It's paraben-free! I will definitely be repurchasing!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

3 Minute Miracle is a great deep conditioner and especially coming from the drugstore it's pretty darn good! I don't use it after every shampoo, perhaps once every two weeks or whenever I feel like my hair needs a little pick-me-up. It leaves hair totally smooth, untangled and soft. It also smells like coconuts, yum!

Kérastase Bain Miroir Shampoo - Sample

This was just a little sample from the May Birchbox. Yeah I just got around to using it :) I initially thought it would only last me one shower session but I was wrong. A small amount of this shampoo lathers up quite good. So it took me a few showers to finish it up. It's a great product, has a light scent and leaves hair squeaky clean. I just don't know if I'd want to pay $30+ for a shampoo.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! ♥

What products have you finished this month?

A Little Haul

I haven't been shopping (for makeup that is) a whole lot lately, which cannot be a bad thing. For that reason I decided to reward myself with little treats. Okay the first two products aren't really a reward as they are more of a necessity, you will see what I mean in my "Finished up/July" post - let's just say I have been scrubbing like there is no tomorrow :)

While out thrift store shopping with a friend this past weekend, we decided to also hit up The Body Shop solely for purchasing body scrubs. I have used many, many different products from The Body Shop before but this is my first time trying their body scrubs so I am a little excited. According to my friend who already indulged in her Sweet Lemon scrub, it's AMAZING!

If you love citrus-y scents and happen to be looking for a body scrub then you must check out Sweet Lemon. I have tested it on my hand in store and it made my hand beyond smooth, I cannot even image what it will do to my entire body. I have also picked up Shea Butter body scrub because they had a promotion going on, and anyone that knows me knows that I have a problem turning down amazing deals/promotions. So the Shea Butter one says "For Very Dry Skin" which is not what my skin is like at all. But I don't care because the scent is just divine...I'll just pretend I have "very dry skin" while using this yummy product. By the way while taking the photo below, the two scents combined in the air creating an even more amazing scent. I will use a little bit of each for the ultimate exfoliation experiment. :)

Now onto the fun stuff!

I have been wanting the Beauty Blender for a long time and when I spotted it on Apothica's website (which I had a giftcard to) I just knew it was going to be mine!

Stila's gorgeous eye shadow in Diamond Lil was yet another product that had been eternally sitting on its spot on my list. To my surprise, it was on sale on Apothica's website. The price was just right! By the way if you were sad to have missed out on MAC's Smoke & Diamonds eyeshadow from Starflash collection, turn your frown upside down because these two are definitely twins!

This isn't my first Cargo purchase but it is my first Cargo blush purchase. I've been meaning to try one of their blushes since seeing them swatched and talked about on the gorgeous blushingpixie's channel on YouTube. I am so happy that I picked up Topeka and cannot wait to get even more colors. I don't think I've ever touched a blush so velvety soft!

Have you tried any of these products? What are some of your recent purchases?

Walking on Eggshells

I will keep it short and sweet. I've seen Walking on Eggshells many times at the drugstore while picking up other Wet n Wild trios or singles but I honestly thought it was just another boring  neutral trio. This was until the little lady behind Will Work for Makeup posted a comparison post of Walking on Eggshells and NARS Pleasures of Paris. While the two aren't dupes, couple shades are comparable. Oh I don't know, I just loved her post and had to get my hands on it. The rest is history...

Just like all of the trios Wet n Wild has been releasing lately, Walking on Eggshells is amazingly pigmented. This trio is great for everyday use and really for its price tag of $2.99 (and it's even further discounted during sales!) it's an amazing deal! All three shades are shimmery. The lightest or "browbone" is your typical brow bone color, pearly white. "Crease" color is bronze/brown and "Eyelid" color is pink-ish champagne. 

  I have used all the colors as Wet n Wild has suggested, I wasn't feeling creative :) Because I am self-tanning and darker than my natural color these days I felt like the crease color wasn't doing much so I did add a bit of the darkest shade from Wet n Wild's I'm Getting Sunburned trio to my crease.

I enjoy using this trio a lot. It helps create such effortlessly pretty looks both for day and nighttime. If you have lighter complexion than me, then you can definitely pull off the crease color as crease color. It doesn't not show up on me, I just prefer my crease color a tad darker.If you don't want to spend a fortune but want eye shadows with great pigmentation then you really cannot go wrong with Wet n Wild. I have purchased many of these little trios this year and have been absolutely amazed by all!

What do you think of Walking on Eggshells or other Wet n Wild trios?

Happy weekend! ♥

What's In My Bag + New Hair

If you didn't already notice, "what's in my bag" posts are pretty popular among us beauty bloggers these days. I have seen my good blogger friend J (who has an amazing style!) over at Lil Lady's Life do this tag recently and I knew right then and there I must *steal* this idea :)

I don't know about you but I absolutely love the what's in my bag, makeup bag, suitcase and even fridge type of posts! I don't think it's nosy to wonder what sorts of things people have in these places, it's in human nature!

My bag is from Target, I bought it about 4 months ago when I had a liiiitttttle obsession with crossbody/messenger type of bags. I just love its color, shape, size and versatility. It goes with almost all of my daily outfits! It's a great everyday bag and honestly even though I love it a lot, I won't be terrified if I spill something on it or something unexpected happens to it.

Contents

 Makeup Bag (you can see my What's in My Makeup Bag post here)

Hand Sanitizer - Say no to germs

Nail file - Say no to chipped, broken nails

The Body Shop Coconut Butter - Say no to dehydrated skin

Hair clip 

Grey Bag

I don't use a wallet for one reason - I'm simply sick of taking out my driver's license and debit card/cash from my wallet to put it in this bag every single night when going to the gym. Because after coming back I have to put all of these things back into the wallet and sometimes I just forget. I lost count of how many times I've realized I was driving around without my driver's license or money!

Phone

Surprise surprise! My phone goes everywhere with me. I don't want to imagine life without my iPhone.

Phone charger

I like to think ahead and I also hate seeing I have 5% battery left so to avoid that my charger goes everywhere with me as well.

Band-aids 

You never know.

Contact lens case/Glasses

These two items are total must-haves for me. I've been wearing contacts for 13 years and I don't even remember how many times a contact lens ripped while on my eye and I had to walk around with just one contact on. It's not even funny. In fact if your vision is -3.00 like mine it's seriously not funny. I like to be prepared just in case my contacts don't feel like doing their job that day and tear apart. So I can easily switch to glasses.

Polka dot pouch

I take thyroid medicine 3 times/day with meals so I carry my pills in this little pouch just in case I'm out for a meal.

Sunglassess

I wear them year round. This particular pair is from Tory Burch if you're interested. I love that they're huge and cover a good chunk of my face, love this style!

Keys

Self explanatory.

And here is my new hair. Just chopped off about 2 inches, nothing drastic. I love that the layers are more noticeable now and I think it's safe to say that I have found "the one", as in the hairdresser I will be going to from now on. Very happy with the results and I always love a hairdresser that can chat, really knows hair and has a great sense of humor. ;)

I don't know what happened to the lower part of my hair on the left photo, please try to ignore it :) It was taken after I got home and I think by the time I arrived home my hair was already frizzing up thanks to all of the 100 degrees today! O.o

Thanks for stopping by, hope you all had a great day! ♥

Apothica Giveaway Winner

My Apothica giftcard giveaway ended last night and I have just chosen the winner - the old fashioned way!

The winner is....

Congratulations Erin! I will be e-mailing you shortly! :)

Deserves all the hype!

Back in March, I have done a "Too Much Hype" post in which I've discussed my opinions about some of the overly hyped products that many of us own. A few people suggested I do a post about those products that I think deserve the hype as well, I thought it was a great idea. So here I am, four months later, with the post those of you requested! :) Obviously my opinions about these products are based on my personal experience. They may or may not work for you. I love them and recommend them to everyone every chance I get because I think they are that great!

NARS Blushes

I cannot think of only one shade that deserves recognition in this post, so I am referring to NARS blushes in general. I think NARS makes the most amazing blushes hands down. There is a great selection of colors, all shades are truly pigmented and make you feel great when you put them on. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion

 I think this is one of the best makeup inventions, ever. It helps my eye shadows and even eyeliners stay in place all day even in the hottest and most humid climates. Thinking back to the times when this miracle product wasn't invented, oh how I suffered from creasing and how I'd rub it with my finger to smear the crease..it gives me chills! I'm so happy you exist UDPP!

L'oreal Voluminous

 Instantly gives me more volume, longer and fuller lashes. I can never go wrong with Voluminous. It's one of my two favorite mascaras, the other being Covergirl Lashblast. I love the curved brush for getting lashes in the hard to reach areas like the inner corner. Definitely HG status!
 

Too Faced Natural Eye

I can not have enough of Natural Eye, oh but that's nothing new as I talk about it all the time! I love the buttery soft colors, their jaw-dropping pigmentation and the fact that they're super easy to blend. These colors last all day on my semi-oily lids, in fact they do an amazing job lasting in disgustingly humid Chicago summers. I couldn't ask for more. All the shades are versatile enough to use for day and nighttime looks and you can even go from day to night in a snap using it! It's my go-to palette!

Dior Amber Diamond

I've tried many highlighters before and after Amber Diamond. Seriously, I cannot find anything that tops it! No it's not the Dior logo, it's not the packaging, it's the actual product and its power to create a glowy look! I think a lot of high end products are hyped up because...well, they cost a fortune! I've tried many high end products which I regretted buying shortly after believe me! Amber Diamond isn't cheap by any means, but it really brings the whole look together and gives a soft glow to my face :)

MAC 217

 If someone asked me which MAC brush they should buy first, 217 would be my answer. It's talked about all the time because it makes blending eye shadows so much easier and fits perfectly in the crease. Over the years, I have noticed how my eye makeup changed, in a good way, thanks to 217. I haven't always blended out my eye shadows simply because I didn't know what I was doing. Looking at old photos, I can see what a big makeup crime I was committing back in the day! Phew, glad those days are over thanks to 217!

Sigma F80

F80 is one of the newer brushes Sigma introduced not too long ago. Regardless there is a huge hype about these new Sigmax brushes. I love all 3 but F80 has a special place in my heart. It creates such a flawless, airbrushed look especially when used with Revlon Photo Ready. If you're thinking about picking up one of the Sigmax brushes, I'd say definitely start out with F80!

What are some products that you think deserve the hype they get?

Birchbox / July

It's Birchbox time again! This month's box got here fairly quickly, no complaints about shipping :) The July Birchbox is a special edition box. It was still shipped in the bright pink packaging as usual but this month, the actual box comes with a lovely Cynthia Rowley sleeve. The box also felt a bit heavier, so I was really curious to see what's in it!

Then I found out that the Redken Shine Flash 02 spray definitely had a great contribution to the weight! It's a glistening mist for a brilliant finish, which I'm looking forward to try. I love hair products, and can never try too many to perfect my hair! It smells great too! In my box, I also have a generous (for a brand like Philosophy) sample of Philosphy's famous Purity one-step facial cleanser which again I'm excited to try as I've heard great things about Purity used in conjunction with Clarisonic Mia. Let's see how I will like using the two together. Up next I have a little sample of Nuxe dry oil. I've never used a dry oil before so I can't really say much. I will use it and see how I like it. Even the small sample packaging looks kind of luxurious. The highlight of the July box must be the mini Zoya nail polish in Pandora which is part of Zoya's new Touch collection. Yay! The extra this month was a KIND Almond & Apricot bar which was happily consumed by yours truly while putting this post together. Holy yum is all I can say, I'll be making sure to look for this awesomeness in my next grocery shopping trip!

Not gonna lie, I was hoping to find a little makeup product in my box this month because of what I got in my box last month. But overall I am happy with this month's samples. My favorite product is definitely the nail polish. Based on the swatches I saw of Pandora, I think it'll be a great, everyday nail polish. I don't have anything close to its pearly blush pink color, so that's great! I am still on the fence about my subscription. I feel like the month I cancel, there will be great things in next box's month. Anyone else feel the same?

Have you tried any of these products before? Did you receive any different products in your box?

JULEP Nail Polishes

I have just discovered this brand thanks to MissJenFabulous on YouTube. When she swatched some of her favorites in one of her recent videos, I knew I had to get my hands on some!

Julep Nail Parlor is an actual salon with several locations in beautiful Seattle and surrounding cities (beautiful because I spent some of the most awesome years of my life in Seattle :)) Julep offers a wide range of colors in different finishes. They specialize in "healthy" products meaning their nail polishes are 3-free. They also donate $1 from each nail polish sale to Powered by Girlfriends program that helps support organizations empowered by women!

Anne 

An ultra-saturated violet, as described by Julep. Applies like a dream and only one coat is enough for opacity. Anne's finish is creme semi-matte; I personally am not a fan of matte or semi-matte finishes, so I apply a top coat for some shine! Of all the 3 shades, Anne was the hardest to photograph. In some of my photos, it came out as more of a cornflower-ish periwinkle, just try to imagine it with more violet/purple and less blue. I think the color is the most accurate on the photo taken with flash which is on lower right in my collage above.

Alicia 

Julep describes Alicia as sunny salmon. I agree, it's salmon-y coral/peach in creme finish. Again just like Anne, it passes the one coat opacity test. Application was a breeze.

Pippa 

Ok so I'm on a nude nail polish kick! Pippa is a camel/nude in creme finish. I just knew Pippa would be super close to one of my favorite nude nail polishes which is Essie's Topless & Barefoot. Yes, they are insanely similar. The only difference is application. 

Let's do some math.

1 coat of Pippa = 3 coats of Topless & Barefoot

I personally hate having to do 3 or more coats of any nail polish because it takes forever to dry! Pippa is just a bit more nude than Topless & Barefoot whereas Topless & Barefoot has a tiny bit more pinkness to it. It's nothing a non-nailpolish addict would ever notice but I do :)

I have compared Pippa (L) to Topless & Barefoot (R) on the right photo. I have done 1 coat of Pippa and 3 coats of Topless & Barefoot. They are darn similar! Like I've mentioned above Anne is much more violet/purple in reality. It's just physically impossible to photograph the real color.

Julep, China Glaze, Essie, O.P.I.

Brush is a decent size and very user-friendly. It reminds me a bit of China Glaze brushes. It's just as long as CG and OPI brushes, not as thick as OPI but not as thin as CG. It's safe to say that Julep brushes are right in between. Not even mentioning Essie, I think you can see why!

Verdict!

It's ♥

These nail polishes are just amazing. Pigmentation is out of this world. Only one coat is needed for perfect opacity. Due to that fact, drying doesn't take forever. Naturally one coat dries faster, I'd say in 5 minutes they dry to perfection. I happen to be stuck with bare nails a lot of the times I'm in a hurry. There is no way I can paint my nails (at least 2 coats 99% of the time), have them dry in a timely manner and be on time! I will be absolutely enjoying slapping on a coat of Julep nail polishes when I'm in a hurry from now on! :) I'm so looking forward to trying many more shades!

You can get $15 off on your purchase of $30 or more with the code "GIRLFRIEND", which is what I did. Julep nail polishes retail for $14 for 2.7oz bottles.

Have you tried Julep nail polishes? Any favorites?

*Also check out my Apothica giftcard giveaway if you're interested! :)

Top 10 Beauty Products

I was recently tagged by two lovely ladies; Danielle at Bloomin' Beauty and Yuliya, you may know her as Cutegingerbread :)  My top 10 beauty products include those I enjoy using the most and see myself repurchasing for many years to come.

1. Clarisonic Mia
Best beauty investment I have made this year. It isn't cheap but it is something I will use for many years, so in the long run it's worth it. My skin has seriously benefited from using this amazing tool. My face is much clearer, much much less acne-prone, softer and looks healthier overall. Mia has also helped a lot with annoying blackheads!

 2. Dior Amber Diamond
Amber Diamond is my HG highlighter, in case you didn't already know. I just love the glow it gives to my face without being shimmer overload. Read my review here.

 3. Revlon Photo Ready
HG foundation, hands down. I always say this foundation was made with me in Revlon's mind. I love this stuff, it gives my face the perfect coverage, concealing my imperfections, and has a beautiful, matte "Photo-ready" airbrushed kind of finish. I think it's my 3rd bottle, now that says a lot!

4. Too Faced Natural Eye
My HG eye palette. I love all the colors, the consistency, the finishes. Read my review here.

5. Benefit Bella Bamba
I never thought Bella Bamba would get this much love from me one day but it does! It's the perfect shimmer baby pink/coral blush. Also does a bit of highlighting with its shimmer content, so I usually don't wear an additional highlighter when using it.

6. Illamasqua Lover
Lover is my all time favorite HG blush. This shade has my name all over it. I wear this blush year around because I cannot get enough of it. Pigmentation is amazing! Read my review here.

 7. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
 Chocolate Soleil became my favorite bronzer in such a short time. It's the perfect bronzer color for my complexion, looks very natural. And an added bonus, it smells just like chocolate! Read my review here.

8. Shu Uemura Painting Liner in Black

HG gel liner. Stays put until I want it vanished. Perfect pitch black color, great pigmentation. The formula makes application a total breeze. Read my review here.

9. Urban Decay Primer Potion
This product is seriously heaven-sent. It's a must have in every eye make-up addict's collection. 

10. L'oreal Voluminous
My favorite mascara of all time. I just cannot go wrong with it. My eye lashes are already long but I can't ever turn down a product that makes them longer, fulled and blacker...which is Voluminous :)

I'm not tagging anyone in particular because this tag has been around for a while, and probably those I'd tag have already done it! :) If you feel like doing this tag, go for it! I'd love to read everyone else's top 10 beauty products!

Wishing all my U.S. friends a very happy 4th of July, and thanking all those for defending our nation! ♥

Apothica Giftcard Giveaway! - Closed

Hey everyone!

Today I am excited to present you a giveaway sponsored by Apothica! Apothica.com is an online cosmetics boutique that carries some of the finest selection of brands in cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance and aromatherapy. Too Faced is one of the many premium brands that is available at Apothica. Since launching in 1998, Too Faced has gained quite the popularity for creating sophisticated products and packaging as well as naming some of their shades with great sense of humor. I believe Too Faced really takes it a step further and truly stands behind their philosophy "Why be pretty when you can be gorgeous?"! As most of you know, I am truly amazed by the quality of Too Faced products and enjoy using them as part of my daily routine. Some of my personal favorites, needless to say as I talk about them all the time, include Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and Natural Eye Palette.

One of my lucky readers will win a $25 Apothica gift card! What better way to check off an item from your wishlist that you've been wanting for a long time!

Rules:

•  You must be a public follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect.
• There are 3 possible ways to enter but you're required to complete only one. Feel free to do more if you like!
• Let me know about which option you've completed in your comment. If you've tweeted, leave me your twitter handle. If you've commented on Apothica's Facebook wall, please leave your Facebook username. For blog posts, don't forget include a link.
• Make sure to include your name and your e-mail address.
• This giveaway will end July 15, 2011 11:59 PM CST. 
• I will randomly pick the winner on random.org.
• Winner will be announced on July 16, 2011.

Option 1: Facebook

                1.Visit Apothica.com

                2. Write on Apothica's Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica

                Bonus: Opt in for Apothica's newsletter

Option 2: Twitter

               1.Visit Apothica.com

               2. Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter account

               Bonus: Retweet Apothica's tweet about this giveaway!

Option 3: Blog

               1.Visit Apothica.com

               2. Blog about what you think of Apothica

               Bonus: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica

Please note:

• Apothica will contact the winner to verify the information is correct.
• After verification, Apothica will email the winner a code for the gift card to be used at SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com, and SkinBotanica.com
• The contest is open internationally but Apothica does not ship to all countries. Cost of shipping for each country that Apothica ships to will be determined at checkout.
• Please make sure to add SkincareRx to your address book in your email to avoid emails going to junk/spam folder.  

 Good luck to all!!! :)

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Apothica. I did not get compensated for conducting this giveaway.