Sinful Colors “Strawberry Milk” Kandee Johnson Collection

Have you seen that Kandee Johnson released a nail polish collection?! She is a favorite beauty YouTuber of mine and that being said, I just HAD to try out one of her new polishes.

I did watch her review of the line prior to shopping and decided to only pick up one to start for two  reasons… I typically prefer gel polishes because they last longer and I didn’t know how much I’d love the matte finish. I opted for the shade “Strawberry Milk” because, for me, it’s hard to find a true opaque light pink and I wanted to put this one to the test. Well it did not disappoint! The photo above showcases the matte finish, though I did slap a top coat on top afterwards to make it shinier… pure preference. And for under $2 a bottle you can’t go wrong!

She has a few other colors in the line I’d like to try out and if I do, I’ll of course share my thoughts with you. Overall a great product, XOXO.

Winter Nail Polish Picks

I tend to go for a bold nail. I like color, I like texture, and most of all I just like to have fun with my manicures. Cold weather season is an extra special time for me to break out the dark, sparkly, shiny polish… which I clearly love! Here are my favorite winter nail polish picks from my own personal collection.

OPI – “Lucerne-Tainly Look Marvelous”
Ciate – “Dangerous Affair”
OPI – “Glitzerland”
OPI – “An Affair in Red Square”
Essie – “Aruba Blue”
Red Carpet – “Nominated For…”

Ipsy Review – November 2016

Time for my monthly unbagging! If you are unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription service. You get five deluxe or full size samples sent to you in a unique beauty bag. (Join by clicking here if you are interested.) Here is what I got this month…

Out of my mix of items I will probably get the most use out of angled eye brush because, let’s face it, no woman can have enough make up brushes! However why in the world any company makes brushes with white bristles is a mystery to me. I’ve already tried the Formula X nail polish and, while I LOVE this brand, the color isn’t much my style. I may use the Ofra Banana Powder but prefer a more full coverage powder. I like this product but would recommend it to my less acne-prone friends out there. For me, it just doesn’t provide the coverage I like. I was excited to try theBalm Mad Lash mascara but the packaging is super strange and after reading reviews I know I’m not the only person who thinks so! Instead of twisting the wand up you have to pull it out and it got pretty messy for me. Lastly I just don’t see myself using the NUXE facial serum and will probably pass it along to someone else.

I hate to be negative, but honestly I’m not overly thrilled with my bag this month. I find that the months tend to wax and wane… some months are just better than others and this month just wasn’t my favorite, XOXO.

Favorite Fall Nail Polish

Here are just a handful of my most favorite polishes for fall from my personal collection! To me, nothing beats a dark and vampy shade on my nails for cooler weather. Enjoy, XOXO.

Formula X – “Revved Up”
OPI – “Manicurist of Seville”
Revlon – “Fashionista”
Rimmel – “Rags to Riches”
OPI – “French Cognac”
OPI – “How Great is Your Dane?”

Ipsy Review – September 2016

Ipsy time!!!

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that allows you to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items items that you may not pick up on your own… AND it’s only $10 a month!!! Five customized beauty products are sent to you each much in an adorable new bag. Sign up by clicking here.

Here is what I got this month…

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics – Nail Polish: I received the shade “Holy Fuchsia” and think this will be oh-so perfect for fall! I love deep, vampy colors on my nails.

Eva NYC – Forget Me Knot Dry Conditioner: Never have I ever even heard of a dry conditioner. I honestly just used it like I would a dry shampoo to cover up oil on day three hair. It did work nicely and smells amazing.

Trestique – Mini Highlight Stic: Because I use powder on the daily, I don’t tend to reach for cream highlights. The shade I got is “Maldives Luminescent” and it does not show up well on me even pre-powder, so I’ll be passing this along to a friend. (Love this brand, though!)

Too Faced – Lip Injection Extreme: I haven’t tried a lip plumper in years and am totally in love with this one! The effects visibly show within 15 minutes. It goes on clear with subtle shimmer and tingles just a tad at first. The only thing I don’t care for is the scent and taste, which both remind me of candied grapefruit.

NUXE – Moisturizing Mask Creme Fraiche de Beaute: This will be super helpful for me in the colder months to come. I am typically pretty oily but when winter rolls around my skin needs a little bit more moisture, XOXO.

Ipsy Review – August 2016

Could the bag this bag be any cuter?! For those of you unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription. You get five deluxe or full size samples shipped to you in an adorable bag. Join by clicking here if you are interested!

Now on to the good stuff…

Marc Anthony – Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Deep Hydrating Treatment

Repeat offender! I was super disappointed to see this included in my bag because I have gotten it before and didn’t love it. I’m probably the only person on the planet who doesn’t like the smell of argan oil, but that is the reason I don’t use this product. I’ll be passing this along to someone who may like it more than I.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics – Neapolitan Palette

Pigmented shadows and I can totally create a full look using these shades. Overall I am impressed at the quality of these and think it will make a great travel product, especially.

Ciate London – Paint Pot in “Dangerous Affair”

Love!!! This is such a perfect color for the upcoming fall season and I have been wanting to try this brand for forever and a day. I have heard some amazing reviews about Ciate and can’t wait to try this little baby out!

IT Cosmetics – No Tug Waterproof Mini Gel Eyeliner

If  you are looking for a creamy, easy-to-wear, glide on black liner then I would  recommend this one hands down. It stays put all day, even on the waterline, and does live up to the claim that it won’t tug at your skin. It also goes on matte plus is easy to remove with a wipe.

Beaute Basics – Three Tone Bronzer

While these shades are a bit on the darker side, I’ll be saving this little guy for next summer when I really want to bronze it up. I think it would make a really pretty shadow as well.

Blog-Inspired Beauty Wishlist

Today I bring to you my beauty wishlist, because nothing is more fun than shopping with fake money! I’m also taking the time to give a shout out to some of the bloggers I follow who have inspired me to put these items on my list. Each product mentioned in this post came from seeing someone else recommend it on their blog.

So thanks to each of these amazing bloggers for sharing the beauty love. I very much want to get my hands on all of these incredible looking items, XOXO!

 

NYX HD Finishing Powder featured by Beautify Brooke

MAC Charlotte Olympia featured by Derpy Pink

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Refresh Mint featured by Beckoning Beauty

First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist featured by Jeni Beauty

JCat Perfect Brow Duo Pencil featured by Belle Choice

Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm featured by Cincy Couture

Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter featured by Alicia Almond

NYX Lip Liner featured by Bella Bee

Ipsy May 2016 – Review

Have you heard of Ipsy?! It’s a monthly beauty subscription service that allows you to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items items that you may not pick up on your own… AND it’s only $10 a month!!! Feel free to sign up by clicking here.

This is what I got this month…

Aurora – Gel Effect Nail Polish

I’m skeptical of any nail product that claims to be gel but doesn’t require a uv lamp. This was streaky to go on and chipped within a few days. It would have required three coats to look decent, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

Pacifica – Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow Trio

The colors in here are so spring and summer appropriate although the pigmentation is lacking. The purple works well on me and I really like that one exclusively.

Crazy Rumors – HibisKill Natural Lip Color

I don’t always need a super pigmented lip. Sometimes I appreciate a softer tinted lip so I was  pretty open-minded in trying this product. The scent was so strong that I had to take it off in less than a half hour and the tint was nothing special.

NoTS – 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser

If you saw my preview post on this month’s Ipsy bag, you know this was the item I was most looking forward to this month and I generally do like it. It is very sudsy with little exfoliation and leaves the skin feeling really soft.

Smashbox – XRated Mascara

I enjoy this a lot! The wand looks a little out there, like it will massively clump up your lashes but I was pleasantly surprised with the effect it gave me… longer, thicker lashes with a smooth dark black formula!

My Review:

This is an Ipsy first for me, but the thing I loved most about this month’s bag was the bag itself!! I have been looking for something to keep travel brushes in and this bag is so perfect for that job. The bag is big and flexible and the print is too perfect for what I’ll use it for. Beyond that (and I hate to be negative on my blog) this was one of my least favorite bags I have gotten in my 9 months with Ipsy. It’s hard for me to 100% get behind any of the products with the expectation of the mascara. The cleanser and shadow I will use but am not overly excited for. The chapstick and nail polish I am planning to give away to people in my life I think it may work better for. Without the actual bag, this month would have been sort of a bust for me.

 

Any thoughts on your bag this month?

Jamberry – Grenada

The party nail seems like it is here to stay. My favorite spin on this trend has been using some of the clear/patterned Jamberry wraps to spruce up my mani. Have you tried Jamberry yet?! They are great quality, easy to apply, and have such a great selection to choose from. It’s a fun way to try out something different with your nails and get creative.

Here is what I’m sporting this week…

I used a plain pink polish for all of my nails and then covered one nail with a clear wrap that has a fun white pattern. The party nail wrap I used is called Grenada and you can place a Jamberry order here if  you are interested!  One sheet costs $15 and will give you around 2-3 manicures and 1-2 pedicures. An application lasts 1-2 weeks. It’s well worth the money.

Back in March I featured a leopard print wrap, click here to check that one out, XOXO!

Ipsy May 2016 – Preview

This month’s Ipsy theme is “Destination Chic” which I think is adorable. The bag itself I absolutely love! I’ve been on the lookout for a bag to keep brushes in for travel and think this one will be perfect because of the shape and print of the bag.

I am most excited to try the face cleanser because it is specifically for acne prone skin, which I have (and hate). The nail polish comes in either the pink shown above or an orange. If I get the orange it will be the product I least look forward to. Everything  else looks useful for me. I’m super excited to get my hands on the bag this month!

Be on the lookout for my review on this bag after I get a chance to try everything out, XOXO.