Thursday, March 28, 2013

Glequin Nails with Born Pretty - Review & Swatches


Hey ladybugs! I'm back with another review for the nail art (and way more!) online store Born Pretty - this time with glequins (glitter sequins)! If you missed my first review with Swarovski crystal nail art, you can check it out here!

Weight:84g
Diameter:approximate 1.5mm
Weight : 18g/ case

Here's the end result! Now let's see how to get there.

You will need: A clear top coat, whatever color glequins you want, a dotting tool or tooth pick.
  • Paint your nails with a base color. I used Essie Bikini So Teeny and Butler Please. 
  • Once your nails are dry, paint a thin layer of top coat on your nails.
  • Quickly, dip your dotting tool/toothpick in water (or lick it!) and pick up your glequins and place them on your nails.
  • Once all the glequins in place, paint another layer of clear top coat over your nails to keep your glequins in place.
Easy peasy, right? 


Born Pretty already has awesome prices ($7 for these crystals + FREE SHIPPING - say what!?) but to sweeten the deal, Daisy has given me an extra 10% code for my readers! Use NSL91 at check out to receive the discount.

Stay Connected with Born Pretty:

* This product was sent to me for an honest review! You'll get the truth and nothing but the truth! :)


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Girl Obsessed Polishes - Review & Swatches


Hi everyone! Have you ever felt like you found out about something cool before everyone else? That's me right now. On the blog tonight are swatches and a review from an up-and-coming indie line called A Girl Obsessed!
A.G.O., Fae and Monarch Butterfly

Fae is a clear base with pale pink, green and turquoise hexes.
This is one coat of Fae over Barry M.'s Mint Green. Super smooth application if just a little bit thick. Personally, I had no issues with it but I know some people freak if it's a little on the thick side. That being said, I didn't need a top coat because of the thickness.

A.G.O. is a clear base with neon pink hexes, black diamonds and various white squares, hexes and bars of various sizes.
This is one coat over China Glaze Platinum. I had mixed feelings about this polish. The good? I love, love, LOVE the neon pink hexes. To me, it just screams summer. The bad? For whatever reason, I had a hard time fishing out the black diamonds and all that good stuff. Bummer :( I think it was just the mini size bottle shape. The formula was good except on my middle finger, it pulled and wrinkled.

Monarch Butterfly is a clear base with yellow, black, orange and white hexes with holographic butterflies strewn in.
This polish right here! This is one coat over Wet N' Wild 2% Milk. Gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. Formula and application was perfect and I didn't have to fight to get the little butterflies out. 

Overall: Love 'em! I think you'll definitely be hearing about A Girl Obsessed's shop selling out fast. My favorite was Fae, for sure! It's the most perfect spring polish.

Check 'em out:

* Products in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for an honest review!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Fashionation Jewelry - Review & Pictures


Happy Sunday everyone! I'm very excited for this post because it's something I've never reviewed before but have always wanted to. So spit it out, Noelle! What is it?

Fashionation Jewelry!

I recently found this amazing little jewelry shop via Instagram called The Fashionation - it's filled with all the hottest trends in jewelry and accessories. Bows, eyes, crosses, infinity signs - you name it, they probably have it! What attracted me to it was how cheap everything was but the quality is A+. I'm a girl on a budget! Let's check out the goods!

Spiked Eye RingBuy
This ring right here is one of the coolest rings I've ever laid my eyes on. I love that this ring is adjustable because my fingers are so small (size: 6) so I have a hard time finding "one size fits all" rings that actually fit my size. Also, this isn't necessarily a knuckle ring, I just wore it like one.

Sparkly Wing Ring Buy
Another absolutely gorgeous ring! I received so many compliments on this. Again, this ring is adjustable so you can rock it as a knuckle ring or wear it normally. One size fits all.

Knot Ring - Buy
This ring is perfect for when you don't want to go so bold or chunky like the other two but still have a little somethin' fun on your finger. I'm a huge girly girl and am addicted to bows so this was right up alley. This ring is adjustable! One size fits all.

And if you're looking to add more "friends" to your arm party:

Bow Bracelet - Currently not available on the site.
Total twist on a "bow" and I like it! Double chains on each side with clasp in back take this otherwise girly bracelet into something edgy.

Cross Bracelet - Buy
Love this bracelet! Crosses are really trendy now (wow, that sounds weird to type) and for $5, you can't go wrong with this one! Clasp in the back. Comes in gold or silver.


Check The Fashionation out on:

* Products in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for an honest review!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

March Ipsy Bag - Review


Just when I was starting to feel better from the flu, I got whacked with food poisoning over the weekend so my sincerest apologies for the dead air here lately. I hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day! Today I have one of my most favorite reviews to do every month: my Ipsy bag review! 

This month's theme was "The Great Escape" and is described as: Whether you jet-setted or road tripped with your March products, show us the amazing Looks you created using your March goodies that were perfect for getting gorgeous on-the-go!

THE BAG! OMG. THIS BAG! I'm so in love with it. How absolutely adorable is that nautical print!? I'm such a sucker for nautical/summer themed stuff.

A sneak peek inside!

GlamRX Freestyle Palette Buy
"The GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette was made exclusively for ipsy Glam Bag subscribers. The magnetic base is the perfect spot to store pan-only eyeshadows (2 of which are included in this Glam Bag!), blushes & bronzers, or whatever you need for perfect for quick touch ups on the go! Whether you are headed off to spring break or just need a cute & clever way to store products in your bag, you can create the perfect makeup look and take it with you with your exclusive GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette." 

I really liked this. While it's meant for eyeshadow pans and make up, I also used this to store my bobby pins in - the magnetic bottom kept them from moving around and getting lost.

YABY Eyeshadow Refills in So Vein & Sand DuneBuy
Whether you want to make a dramatic statement or just add a veil of color to your eyes, the yaby eyeshadow refills are extremely easy to work with. Can be used wet or dry and the smooth texture allows blending with ease. All shadows are vegan friendly and the pans are reusable for mixing.

Another product I really liked! I thought it was smart of Ipsy to send these along with the GlamRX Palette so you have somewhere to put these. While I liked Sand Dune, I loved So Vein. It's the perfect summer turquoise! I recommend using a primer underneath for both of these eyeshadows otherwise the color pay off may not be so intense.

L.A. Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes - Buy
La Fresh® Travel Lite® portable towlette wipes are perfect for jetsetters, go-getters, outdoor enthusiasts and multi-taskers everywhere. Towlette packets are small in size, designed for practicality and are easy to apply discreetly. Each item is carry-on friendly and slim enough to slip into a pocket, purse or wallet. Perfectly portable, La Fresh® makes beauty a breeze when you’re on-the-go. For a refreshing getaway, grab any Travel Lite® and Live. Life. La Fresh.™ 

A girl can never have enough makeup remover wipes (believe me, nothing is worse than a face full of makeup at the end of a long night) so I welcomed these with open arms. The scent is pretty (although nothing compares to my Say Yes to Cucumbers Face Wipes scent - Yum!) and these wipes did indeed take off my make up.


Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist - Buy
Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist tones, hydrates, and refreshes your face and hair while on the go, anytime of the day. Hydrate with the refreshing blends of organic juices for a fresh, radiant complexion. 

Ooh, a hydrating mist! Lord knows I need one of these with my dry skin from the winter. While I wouldn't say this is a miracle worker and my dry skin awoke from the dead from it, I would say that this definitely is refreshing. I'm on the fence about the scent, but I think I like it. I opened this bag when I had the flu and couldn't smell a thing so my mom ended up doing sniff tests for me. One sniff of this and she was totally disgusted. So I guess to each their own.


So that's it for this month! What do you think? And for a total game changer, who's excited for the Pretty Little Liars finale tonight!?

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Priti NYC Sherbet Collection - Swatches & Review


Yahoo for the weekend! I'm finally feeling somewhat better from the flu and have been working on some swatches for you from Priti NYC's Sherbet Collection for Spring 2013! But let me warn you, these ain't your mama's pastels!

L-R: Happy Wanderer, Belle Courtisane, Remember Me, Mermaid Rose.


Remember Me is a fun creamsicle orange with a silver shimmer. 

Check out how vibrant that shimmer is - no subtly here! This is three smooth coats. This to me screams spring (and summer)! 

Belle Courtisane is a sweet and glowy lilac with blue shimmer.

Ahh, I absolutely loved this! I would say this would be my go-to date night nail polish because of how absolutely girly it is. The blue shimmer really gives this an almost iridescent feel to it. This is two very smooth coats with a little bit of visible nail line. I think China Glaze Sweet Hook as a base would be the perfect underwear for this if you didn't want to try to make this opaque on its own.

Happy Wanderer is a soft periwinkle with a hot pink shimmer.

Alright. Now given, the color is gorgeous and the application was perfect, but where is the pink shimmer at? Unfortunately, it's still in the bottle somewhere. For me, the intensity of the shimmer in the bottle did not transfer to the nail and I'm so bummed! 

Mermaid Rose is a mellow yellow jelly with orange shimmer.

LOVE this yellow! The shimmer in this is just so fun and unexpected. Two coats with a visible nail line. I think four coats would make it opaque or just layer it over a yellow base.

Overall: Priti NYC Sherbet Collection is such a breath of fresh air in spring's sea of pastels. The shimmers in the polish really took this collection from sigh to "um HIIII!" My favorites would be Belle Courtisane and Remember Me

Which ones are your favorites? What spring collections are you excited for?

Check out Priti NYC:

* Products in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for an honest review!

Friday, March 08, 2013

Press Release: Hand Perfection





Women pull out all the stops when it comes to fighting aging: eating right, working out, Botox, fillers, hair color, sleep – you name it.  But the war against Father Time is usually fought from the neck up. One look at a woman’s hands and all those efforts are for naught.  

You’re looking at your hands now aren’t you?  Happy with what you see?

Ellen Sirot, the nation’s top hand model, not only wanted – but also needed – top quality hand care to perfect the tools of her trade.  Nothing on the market was able to provide her with the results she demanded along with the preventative care she desired.  So Sirot set out on a mission with CCA Industries to create a new category and offer women the most effective and affordable hand care possible.

Hand Perfection® is the only Anti-Aging Hand Care treatment line available at mass market.  The line consists of a Nourishing Day Cream and Revitalizing Night Cream which when used together, are clinically proven to help turn back the hands of time - guaranteed! The fragrance-free, non-greasy formulas go on smooth and absorb quickly for an invisible, weightless feel. There is also a Nail and Cuticle Treatment which is clinically proven to moisturize the cuticles and help improve the look and feel of the nail bed for an overall healthy and beautiful looking hand.  

“We dedicate so much time and effort to our faces, but then we totally neglect our hands,” explains Ellen. The skin on the hands is just as delicate as the skin around the eyes.  And think of what your hands go through in a single day.  It’s time to give hands the same attention as your face and body.

Hand Perfection Anti-Aging Hand Care products have been specifically formulated for the unique requirements of the skin on our hands. Powered by an exclusive and proprietary “RevitaStim Active Complex with Olivem-1000, Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid,” Hand Perfection visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and crepiness and delivers youthful radiance, improved elasticity and fullness within just 2 weeks.

Drew Edell, EVP, R&D and Product Development explains, “A liquid crystal emulsion contained in the Complex closely mimics and associates with the skin’s lipid barrier.  This compatibility helps to restore and maintain the skin’s natural barrier and speed delivery of the functional ingredients to the skin for maximum performance.  Additionally, the inclusion of SPF 15 in the Day Cream helps protect the skin from further damage.  On application there is an immediate improvement in the skin’s flexibility and appearance and within 2 weeks, signs of aging on the skin are significantly improved”.  

“Just as anti-aging products revolutionized the facial care market, the Hand Perfection collection will generate the same kind of excitement in the hand care market,” states Dunnan Edell, CEO – President of CCA Industries.

In clinical tests, 91% of consumers were shown to have a significant improvement in the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture and skin smoothness in just two weeks with noticeable results in as few as five days when using the Hand Perfection System.   88% had a significant improvement in the appearance of crepiness and there was a greater radiance & brightness in hands. When using the Nail and Cuticle Treatment Pen, 100% of the testers were clinically proven to have more moisturized cuticles and nails.  Overall, dry, aging, damaged hands were tremendously improved after using the Hand Perfection regimen.  

Hand Perfection is the first and only hand care system available today at mass marketers that both treats the signs of aging and works to prevent the premature aging of hands.

The Hand Perfection brand

Nourishing Day Cream with SPF 15 (SRP $14.99)

Rejuvenating Night Cream (SRP $14.99)

Nail and Cuticle Treatment (SRP $9.99)

Combo pack which contains the Nourishing Day Cream and Rejuvenating Night Cream 
(SRP $24.99)

Introductory Promotion Pack with the Nourishing Day Cream and Rejuvenating Night 
Cream plus a FREE Nail and Cuticle Treatment Pen
SRP $24.99 (limited edition through March 2013).

Hand Perfection will be available in January 2013 at CVS, Walgreens, Albertsons, Duane Reade, Harmon and other fine stores across the country.  Please visit us at www.handperfection.com and on Facebook@HandPerfection.

Hand Perfection is from CCA Industries, Inc.  CCA develops, manufactures and markets high quality, innovative health and beauty care products available at fine food, drug, discount and supercenter stores everywhere.  Other top brands include Nutra Nail, Bikini Zone, Plus White, Sudden Change and Shadow Shields.

Friday, March 08, 2013

February Ipsy Bag - Review


Happy Friday, everyone! I'm currently home, snowed in with the flu :( I'm refusing to lay down and take it easy which I'm sure will bite me in the butt come Monday, but for now I have my monthly Ipsy bag review to share with you all!

February's theme was "Get Red Carpet Ready" and to "channel your inner celebrity with star-worthy products from Coastal Scents, MicaBeauty, Lash Card, Pixi, and POP."

The bag is a weird black plastic-material. I don't even know how to describe it.

The inside is bright red! Like I said in my last Ipsy bag review, I love when bags have a surprise pop material inside but the weird shiny plastic bag kind of ruined this bag overall for me.

Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer - Buy
I've heard so many amazing things about Pixi so I was pretty excited to see this in the bag. This is a primer that claims to "smooth out fine lines and minimize pores". For me, this made my make up definitely go on smoother but I can't really say that it minimized my pores that much.
The primer itself is "skin colored" but as soon as you rub it in, it disappears and melts in.

MICA Beauty Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner - Buy
Another product that I was pretty excited for because I've been dying to try a new gel eyeliner. Pretty smooth application. I have really oily eyelids but this didn't seem to give me raccoon eyes after a night out.

The Lash Card - Buy
At first, I was like, "Seriously?" but I applaud Ipsy for throwing in something different. Granted, I've been applying mascara since I was about 16 so I'd like to say I'm a some-what pro at it, but this is cool for someone who may be in a rush or someone new to applying mascara. That being said, there's a cheaper alternative: your credit card or a piece of paper. Just sayin'.

Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Sample Set in Glitz and Glamour - Buy
CS has a special place in my heart since one of their palettes was what really started getting me into makeup. I really liked this little sample set. The colors were perfect for a gold smokey eye that was perfect for Valentine's Day. I recommend using a primer underneath these for the full color payoff. The shades from top left are: Candlelight, Gunmetal, Incognito and Ashen.


POP Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara Buy
I'm just going to go out and say it: this did nothing for me. It's does lengthen and volumize but it's nothing to write how about it. As someone who has a pretty big collection of mascara, I feel like there's better (or equal) ones out there for much cheaper like basically any mascara from L'Oreal and Maybelline. This mascara didn't flake nor smudge.


Overall: This bag was 50/50 for me. I really liked the primer, eyeliner and eyeshadow set but had no use for the lash cards or the mascara. The bag itself was a bit weird, but I really cannot complain for $10. That's the whole joy of being sent new products to try - some you'll like, some you won't. 


For those who received a bag (and those who are either one the fence or are looking to subscribe), what do you think of this month's bag?
Thursday, March 07, 2013

LCN Blossom Sorbet Collection - Swatches & Review


Hello chickadees! Tonight I have swatches and a review for LCN's Blossom Sorbet Collection. This is my first taste of the new spring collections coming out and let me tell you all, I'm getting excited!

L-R: Lilac Blossom, Vintage Rose, Soft Daisy and I Love Mint

Lilac Blossom is the prettiest lilac base with a gorgeous silver shimmer.
This is one polish I'll be using over and over again in the spring. The subtle shimmer just gives it that something to stand out from every other pastel lilac that'll probably be out this spring.

Soft Daisy is a soft buttercup creme.
Another awesome and totally perfect for spring polish! I'm such a sucker for yellows. I did have some weird streaky issues. Not sure if you can pick it up in this picture. Still, I tried to make it work because I really liked this color. This is butterLONDON Cheeky Chop's younger, more subtle sister.

 Vintage Rose is a bright coral-y pink creme.
My second favorite of the bunch. A bit lighter in person, (dammit camera, get your crap together!) but absolutely stunning. Again, formula and application was A+!

I Love Mint is a fun pistachio creme.
I'm sure this'll be in a lot of upcoming spring collections but for me, you can never have enough of these turquoise/mint colors. I love 'em all. No issues here.

Polish Seal is a light curing top coat that doubles the life of your nail polish with a high gloss coat and scratch resistance. Polish Seal hardens in about 4 minutes under an LED or UV lamp or a minimum 60 Watt light bulb. Now thankfully, my mom had a UV lamp for her nails sitting around so I was able to try this. I would say that my mani lasted for about a week with no chips until I had to take it off. I really like that you can remove this with non-acetone remover.

Price: $24.90 for the entire set!

* Products in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for an honest review!

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