Sally Hansen “Salon Effects” – Real Nail Polish Strips

I have wanted to try this product for a long time. I just couldn’t quite fork over the $10 for one set of nail appliqués. So for Christmas, my husband filled my stocking with lots of girly goodies including a set of the “Wild Child” polish strips by Sally Hansen. He made a wise choice, as zebra is my favorite animal print. I waited a few weeks before using these because I broke a few nails. I am a little OCD when it comes to my nails being even and wearing nail lacquer.

I finally used my zebra nail stickers! The box says that these should last up to ten days. Not so with this application. Mine lasted five days. The corners didn’t adhere very well to my nails. I did some dishes and laundry and the stickers just cracked at the tips and came off. I wasn’t all too impressed.

I thought maybe if I put a topcoat on after application that the strips might last longer. So I went out and bought another set of strips in “Laced Up.” I prepped and primed my nails, applied the polish strips, and finished with a topcoat. The second set of strips lasted five days. Again.

As cute and fun as these strips are, I wouldn’t buy these again. They might be convenient if you are going on a vacation and you don’t want to worry about your nails. Truth be told, I would rather paint my nails while on vacation. The application process for the nail strips is easy but tedious. Given that, save the $10 and put it towards getting a real salon manicure.

***Beauty Favorite***

China Glaze “Strong Adhesion Base Coat” and “Fast Forward Top Coat”

Where to buy: Sally Beauty Supply

How much: $5.99 each

A quality topcoat and base coat can be hard to find. In the past, my go to brand for these has been OPI. I’ve since become a “beauty club member” at Sally’s and I got this set from China Glaze for $10.

These work great. The base coat dries very quickly. The topcoat doesn’t cause the actual nail color to streak underneath. I found that some topcoats will pick up the color underneath and stain the brush. I haven’t had that problem with this product.

The only drawback about this set is that the topcoat smells a little bit like spray paint. If you can stand that, I think you'll like this set. It's totally worth it!

Birchbox!

A few weeks before Christmas, I stumbled across this product while watching some beauty videos online. After reading up on it, I decided to ask for a subscription for Christmas. My lovely husband gifted me a short subscription to Birchbox. I was so excited! I just received my first box last week and I am hooked. I will definitely be setting aside money for a monthly Birchbox allowance. Check out the site! http://www.birchbox.com?raf=l2swn

Simply put- Birchbox is amazing. I’m just sad I didn’t come up with this idea! What exactly is Birchbox you ask? Here is how the Birchbox website describes it: “Birchbox delivers the best products [four to five in each box] and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch.”

How much is this subscription going to set you back? Just $10. Now I am no salesperson but I think it is definitely worth spending $10 a month. Just think about other random things we spend $10 or more on each month. Chances are, we don’t even need the things we purchase either! AND- once you sign up, you can accumulate points for purchases and reviews. Once you have 100 points, you get a $10 credit to spend on any full-sized products from the Birchbox site. Can’t beat that! Sometimes Birchbox will slip in full-sized products here and there. That’s definitely worth it when you considered the price of these compared to the $10 a month.

As you can see in the photos, the Birchbox team encloses a post card with every box. Everything is hand-packaged in adorable boxes and wrapped with pink tissue paper. In case you haven’t noticed, everything is pink! I am sure, subconsciously; this is another reason why I love Birchbox. On each postcard is a note from the Birchbox staff and on the backside they list a description for each product in your box, as well as the prices for the full-sized products.

And now, that part you’ve been waiting for- the contents of my first box! Here is what came in the January box:

• Juicy Couture in “Viva La Juicy” – I must say, I’m a huge fan! I tend to stay away from fragrances that have flashy bottles because more often than not, those flat out stink! But this one, I like. “Wild berries flirt with mandarin and soft floral notes to create a fragrance that’s fun and happy.” This will definitely be my next high-end fragrance purchase.

• Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in “Birchbox Pink” – Well it’s that simple- it’s lip gloss and it’s hot pink! I love this color. It goes on sheer so it isn’t too loud of a color. Layer it on and the color becomes more vibrant. Unfortunately, the Birchbox site is sold out of the color but once it’s back in stock, I’m ordering a full-sized one!

• VMV Hypoallergenics “Re-Everything: Face-Hand-Body Lotion” – This is an all over body lotion. I wasn’t sure about this product at first because it felt a little sticky after my first application. Well, it’s winter in Idaho and my skin is dry. Now, I love this stuff. I have used it on my hands and face and the product does what it says: “… conquers dryness on both face and body in one fell swoop.”

• Zoya Nail Polish in “Kristen” – I don’t know if you’ve noticed but matte colors are the in thing for nail color. I love this polish. “A beautiful bluish gray, this cool hue from Zoya’s new Feel Collection is the kind of understated neutral you’ll never get sick of.” I use my hands a lot at my job and nail polish doesn’t last very long on my nails without a quality polish and top coat. Not only is color pretty, but it stayed on until I took it off. And it only took ONE coat. That’s right folks, one coat. I have found with other matte colors I have purchased, I always have to apply more than one coat. Not so with this polish. There are several colors on the Birchbox site and I want ALL of them. I am saving money now!

In every box you’ll receive a Lifestyle Extra

• EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster – “Perk up with this tangy citrus energy booster, which dissolves in water to give you a mega-dose of nutrients.” When it says nutrients, it means it. You should see the nutrition facts on this thing: 1,000mg of Vitamin C, 560mg of Potassium, and 2,500mcg of Vitamin B12. I’m not sure what “mcg” means, but that’s a lot! I haven’t tried this product yet, but I’ll let you know what I think when I remember to try it!

My next box should be here the first part of February. I can’t wait! It will be Valentine’s Day month so I can imagine that Birchbox will do something special for that box. Check out the Birchbox website and sign up! You can sign up for month-to-month subscription, a 12-month subscription, or gift a subscription. Check it out and sign up! http://www.birchbox.com?raf=l2swn

Welcome!

Welcome, welcome!
I've been toying with the idea of starting my own beauty blog. This has been a long time coming and I figured, new year, new hobby: blogging. I've never really understood the point to blogging until I started following some beauty gurus online. Then I decided that blogging doesn't need to be a tell-all about one's life. Instead, my blog will be about all things beauty!
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love me some makeup! But seriously- makeup is one of my all-time favorite things. I'm not an artsy fartsy person by any means. I mean, music is something I enjoy and am gifted at, but visual art is not my forte`. In fact, I can't quite doodle either. I'll be honest, my doodle flowers are pretty hideous. But makeup is something I can do. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I'm pretty good at it.
So I have decided to start this blog to lend my ideas and know how, as well as document my journey to find new products for my beauty routine and overall lifestyle. I will be sharing photos and maybe some video tutorials with my blogs. I'm hoping to get a few products for men lined up as well so the boys aren't left out. I'm on a waiting list for some men's products, so that project will be in the distant future. I also have to talk my husband into being my guinea pig. :) Along with every post, I am going to name one "Favorite Beauty Product," and give a mini review.
Well there you have it folks! I have many ideas lined up for my upcoming blogs so stay tuned. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions. I'm very excited for this journey and hope it will be helpful to all you readers!