I know that I usually go a little crazy when Ulta has their 21 days of beauty. This time around, I just didn't see anything that I really wanted except for the Stila Smudge Stick liners & I already have the 3 colors that I like from them. There wasn't much of anything that caught my attention or I thought that I really needed. So I didn't even get anything from that.
I did however pic up a bunch of random things here & there. Plus, I had a few things leftover to review from the Wet N Wild sale last month.
I ended up finding 2 new favorites + a few amazing things I really love this month!
Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner- Target $5 each
(I got the daily treatment conditioner for free)
I did however pic up a bunch of random things here & there. Plus, I had a few things leftover to review from the Wet N Wild sale last month.
I ended up finding 2 new favorites + a few amazing things I really love this month!
(I got the daily treatment conditioner for free)
I instantly noticed a difference in my hair when I used this, & I mean instantly! The second I put the shampoo on my hair, I could tell that it was different from anything else I had ever used. It was thick & creamy & glided through my hair like butter! When I was rinsing it out, my fingers just glided through my hair like it was silk & I had never touched it with bleach or heat. The conditioner seemed slightly thicker then normal but, nothing to be in awe of. (I am sure that the conditioner did contribute to the end result) After I blow dried my hair, I instantly noticed that my split ends were less noticeable, I had fewer flyaways, & my hair felt so much softer! All of this was after just after 1 use! My hair felt thicker but, not weighed down too. Now, I haven't noticed as much of an impact since my first use but, I can say that this is one of the few shampoos I have ever been impressed with. Funny how I found this just days after filming my hair video & telling you that I've never found a daily shampoo I loved.
I had seen these a long time ago but, never really thought that I needed them. With the higher end brands coming out with tons of these, I thought that I would give this cheaper alternative a try instead. They were awful. I honestly think that the main problem was the magnet. It was fairly small, making it very difficult to get the pattern to go across the whole nail & then it would look strange just being on a little bit of it. Plus, it wasn't very powerful. Meaning, sometimes you would get a nice stripped effect, sometimes you would get just a tiny hint of an effect. These two thing made it so you couldn't get a cohesive look across all your nails & then it just ended up looking bad. I do think that the polish it's self was a contributing factor to this catastrophe as well though. I could not get the lavender polish to work at all! Not one single time did it do anything! Seriously, nothing at all! Now, I don't know for sure if this was just the polish or if it was the magnet & the polish because I didn't try it with any of the other magnets out there. Both of the polishes seemed to dry exceptionally fast though, which defiantly causes a problem when you're trying to do the magnet thing. By the time I would get the polish on & the top closed on the bottle & the magnet lined up on my nail, the polish would be half dry. This could be another reason that the magnetic effects weren't showing up too well. All in all, I would defiantly skip these. This is one of those rare cases where the high-end expensive one is defiantly better.
Essence Stampy Set- Ulta Stamp Set $3, Polishes & Extra Plate $2 each
I have always wanted to try the nail stamp stuff but I didn't want to spend $20+ on one of the kits. I have seen the Essence ones around for awhile but my Ulta never had the starter kit (with the stamper & scraper) in stock. I finally saw a lone one in the corner of the display one day & snatched it up, along with both polish colors & the additional plate! Let's just say, I'm extremely happy I didn't get one of the super expensive kits. As you can see from the pictures above, stamping is defiantly not my forte! But, I'm glad that I figured this out with something that was fairly inexpensive instead of having a ton of expensive junk I'm never going to use. I do a little bit better with the small designs but, in all honesty, I would rather just use nail stickers for stuff like that anyway. The big, full nail designs/patterns; I'm just a complete disaster. I did find that a coat or two of glitter helped make it look a little bit better from a distance though. As for the product it's self, it's fantastic. It does everything that it's supposed to & works just as well as I've seen with the more expensive ones. The only thing that I did notice is that the pattern bleeds just a little when yo put your top coat on. Now this could have been for a ton of reasons that are completely my fault. I know that each brand sells a topcoat for use with the stampy stuff & I just used my Seche Vite, so that could have been one of the reasons. I don't know if the special topcoat makes any kind of difference. I also could have used too much pressure or not given it enough time to dry (I'm not really known for my patience), who knows. I would defiantly suggest this if you want to try out the stampy nail designs or if you are just looking for a cheaper alternative. They don't have the design selection that a lot of the companies have but, it's good to use as a starter or if you just want to try it.
Essence Matt Top Coat- Ulta $2
I never really got into the whole matte nails for some odd reason. When I saw this, I was already on an Essence nail stuff spree, so I just decided to throw it in my cart. I have a few matte nail polishes & I never really liked the texture of them. They feel all dry & crumbly when they're dry. I was pretty much expecting the same thing with this (so I'm not really sure why I got it, impulse shopping I guess). I was surprised to find out that this isn't anything like that. It has the same slick, smooth feeling as my high gloss top coats. It also drys super quick (I've noticed this with most matte polishes). I've also found a new look that I absolutely love with this. While it's nice over your typical cream type polish, it looks amazing over a super shimmery polish. Something about the shimmer without the super glossy effect looks so beautiful. (the finger with the heart is a shimmer with a gloss top coat & the other finger is with the matte top coat) I'm really happy that I ended up getting this & would defiantly suggest trying it out.
Sally Hansen NailGrowth Miracle in Gentle Blossom- Walgreens $6
(mint used in stampy set pictures)
This was the polish I picked up while I was looking for the perfect mint color. In the bottle it does have quite a bit of shimmer but on the nails, this shimmer gives a strong white cast. So, unfortunately, it is not the perfect mint I was looking for. As for the polish it's self, I really like it. It went on nice, with 2 coat opacity. It lasted perfectly until I took it off about a week later but, it was really super hard to get off. I would see this as a good thing if you don't really like to change your polish often but, be warned if you change it up a lot. All in all, a good polish but not what I was looking for in the end.
Wet N Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in Rain Check, Hallucinate, & Night Prowl- Rite Aid $1 each
I really like the glitter one of these (Hallucinate- see stampy pictures above) & think that I will defiantly get some more of those ones. As for the regular colors, I think that they are nice & defiantly worth the price but, not a must have. I didn't find that they were any shinier then most shiny polishes (ie- not creams) & are a little bit sheer. They lasted a long time though & the colors are nice. I think that they are a good buy for the price but they probably won't be replacing my Sinful Colors addiction.
Essence Nail Art Special Effects Topper in Hello Holo- Ulta $2
This is a nice tiny rainbow glitter polish to have. It's a little bit on the grainy side but, I don't mind that. Super short review but, there isn't really anything else to add.
Wet N Wild Fauna Collection- Rite Aid $5
This is the first let down I've had from Wet N Wild in a while. I can honestly say that I didn't really like anything about this. The fast dry nail polish is a color I already have & have reviewed before. They are nice to have for when you're in a hurry but aren't something I use on a regular bases. The blush is awful (my first from them but, I've heard good things about the regular full size ones). In the pan it looks like an ugly orange color but, when swatched on your finger it's a nice spring coral. Then, when you put it on, it sheers out to nothing with a ton of super shimmery gold glitter crap everywhere. It looks bad! The gloss is a super shimmery nude pink & looks awful on me. Plus, it is super super super sticky! I don't mind sticky glosses at all but, this feels like when you get a thin layer of gum stick on your lip. The main reason I bought this set was for the eyeshadow trio. I loved the colors in it & thought that it would be a perfect spring addition to a soft brown smokey eye. The gold any purple have pretty much no pigmentation & you can't even get a pretty glitter pastel effect with them. The teal/green is so soft in texture & over powering in color that the tiniest amount completely overpowers a look. The smallest amount of blending just carries this color all over the place. I'm very disappointed with this set.
Wet N Wild Perfect Pair Lip Wand in Passion Plum & Hanky-Pinky- Rite Aid $3 (40%off)
I wasn't really expecting much with these & was pleasantly surprised. First thing that I was rather surprised with was that the lip liner is about 2 shades darker then the lipstick part. This is nice because it is something I always do because it helps define your lips better. I don't really like the consistency of the lip liner because it drags & is hard to get a super crisp line. All in all, it works pretty well though. The second thing that surprised me was how well the lipstick lasted. It is super creamy, so I wasn't really expecting it to last through a single cup of coffee but, it lasted over 5 hours. It did fade a bit but still looked nice, so I'm happy. I wouldn't say that these are a must have but, they are good if you need something to throw in your bag or take on a trip.
Essence Stay All Day Eyeshadow in Coppy Right, Galmmy Goes To..., & Stars & Stories-
Ulta $ 3 each
These are amazing & I love them! They blend perfectly, they're creamy, they are nicely pigmented, & they last! They even have the perfect metallic sheen that isn't too little or too much. If you have next to no time to get ready, just put twilight from Ulta in your crease, one of these across your lid, & a bit of liner & mascara; Done! I really hope that I can find the other 3 shades!
Wet N Wild MegaSparkle in White Icing & MegaShimmer in White Lotus- Rite Aid $2 (40%off)
These two are really great for any girl that likes to add shimmer & glitter to her looks. They are have the perfect iridescence, making them go with any color you have on. No need to try to find that specific shade of glitter or shimmer, just grab one of these. The shimmer one has the same effect as my Jessie's Girl Baby Blue loose shadow but goes with anything. The shimmer goes on fine by patting or sweeping it on with a flat brush but the glitter needs some sort of a cream or sticky base to adhere to. I suggest that everyone grab these because I can not describe how beautiful they look on. (PS- don't let them sit on their sides or you will end up with a huge mess like I did! Keep them sitting flat)
CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Foundation- Gift (retails for $14 at Target)
There's kind of a funny story behind how I started using this foundation. I love the undereye concealer from this line so much but, it's so very creamy I didn't think that my oily skin would mesh well with a full face of this foundation. So I never tried it. A friend of mine has really dry skin, so I recommended this to her. Seeing as how the concealer is so moisturizing & creamy, I thought it would be perfect. Well, she hated it! She gave it to me, figuring that I could write review about it & I love it! But I do see why she hated it. This is the only foundation I have ever used that covers up a decent amount of my redness & discolorations without me feeling it on my skin. My skin doesn't look or feel like I have makeup on! I can touch my face (not that I do often but something I could never do with my other makeups) & my foundation doesn't smudge around or feel like it's there at all. It doesn't get super oily through out the day & I don't need a ton of powder to set it. I did find that it works best without a primer underneath though & it really emphasizes any dryness you have (which is why she hated it). I would not say that this is a holy grail foundation. It doesn't quite have the full coverage to make you look flawless for going out or special occasions; but for everyday wear it's fantastic!
Revlon Self Adhesive Eyelashes- Walmart $6
I would normally never pick something like this up, knowing that the chanced of it working are slim to none, but they came highly recommended by Makeup By Alli so I thought I would give them a shot. They are kind of expensive compared to the lashes I normally get but, for the convenience I was willing to let that go. I almost never wear lashes just because I'm not patient enough to deal with them most days. So, I thought that these would be a perfect way to wear lashes on more of a regular everyday basis. These didn't work worth a crap for me. It was a pain to get them on correctly & took longer then just using regular glue on lashes. Then I spent the whole day fixing the ends until they just wouldn't stick anymore & I had to take them off. Thank god I was able to return them. I guess everyday lashes just aren't in my future.
Sorry that some of my reviews are really short.
I've been a little spacey lately & didn't know what else to write.
I have always wanted to try the nail stamp stuff but I didn't want to spend $20+ on one of the kits. I have seen the Essence ones around for awhile but my Ulta never had the starter kit (with the stamper & scraper) in stock. I finally saw a lone one in the corner of the display one day & snatched it up, along with both polish colors & the additional plate! Let's just say, I'm extremely happy I didn't get one of the super expensive kits. As you can see from the pictures above, stamping is defiantly not my forte! But, I'm glad that I figured this out with something that was fairly inexpensive instead of having a ton of expensive junk I'm never going to use. I do a little bit better with the small designs but, in all honesty, I would rather just use nail stickers for stuff like that anyway. The big, full nail designs/patterns; I'm just a complete disaster. I did find that a coat or two of glitter helped make it look a little bit better from a distance though. As for the product it's self, it's fantastic. It does everything that it's supposed to & works just as well as I've seen with the more expensive ones. The only thing that I did notice is that the pattern bleeds just a little when yo put your top coat on. Now this could have been for a ton of reasons that are completely my fault. I know that each brand sells a topcoat for use with the stampy stuff & I just used my Seche Vite, so that could have been one of the reasons. I don't know if the special topcoat makes any kind of difference. I also could have used too much pressure or not given it enough time to dry (I'm not really known for my patience), who knows. I would defiantly suggest this if you want to try out the stampy nail designs or if you are just looking for a cheaper alternative. They don't have the design selection that a lot of the companies have but, it's good to use as a starter or if you just want to try it.
I never really got into the whole matte nails for some odd reason. When I saw this, I was already on an Essence nail stuff spree, so I just decided to throw it in my cart. I have a few matte nail polishes & I never really liked the texture of them. They feel all dry & crumbly when they're dry. I was pretty much expecting the same thing with this (so I'm not really sure why I got it, impulse shopping I guess). I was surprised to find out that this isn't anything like that. It has the same slick, smooth feeling as my high gloss top coats. It also drys super quick (I've noticed this with most matte polishes). I've also found a new look that I absolutely love with this. While it's nice over your typical cream type polish, it looks amazing over a super shimmery polish. Something about the shimmer without the super glossy effect looks so beautiful. (the finger with the heart is a shimmer with a gloss top coat & the other finger is with the matte top coat) I'm really happy that I ended up getting this & would defiantly suggest trying it out.
(mint used in stampy set pictures)
This was the polish I picked up while I was looking for the perfect mint color. In the bottle it does have quite a bit of shimmer but on the nails, this shimmer gives a strong white cast. So, unfortunately, it is not the perfect mint I was looking for. As for the polish it's self, I really like it. It went on nice, with 2 coat opacity. It lasted perfectly until I took it off about a week later but, it was really super hard to get off. I would see this as a good thing if you don't really like to change your polish often but, be warned if you change it up a lot. All in all, a good polish but not what I was looking for in the end.
I really like the glitter one of these (Hallucinate- see stampy pictures above) & think that I will defiantly get some more of those ones. As for the regular colors, I think that they are nice & defiantly worth the price but, not a must have. I didn't find that they were any shinier then most shiny polishes (ie- not creams) & are a little bit sheer. They lasted a long time though & the colors are nice. I think that they are a good buy for the price but they probably won't be replacing my Sinful Colors addiction.
This is a nice tiny rainbow glitter polish to have. It's a little bit on the grainy side but, I don't mind that. Super short review but, there isn't really anything else to add.
This is the first let down I've had from Wet N Wild in a while. I can honestly say that I didn't really like anything about this. The fast dry nail polish is a color I already have & have reviewed before. They are nice to have for when you're in a hurry but aren't something I use on a regular bases. The blush is awful (my first from them but, I've heard good things about the regular full size ones). In the pan it looks like an ugly orange color but, when swatched on your finger it's a nice spring coral. Then, when you put it on, it sheers out to nothing with a ton of super shimmery gold glitter crap everywhere. It looks bad! The gloss is a super shimmery nude pink & looks awful on me. Plus, it is super super super sticky! I don't mind sticky glosses at all but, this feels like when you get a thin layer of gum stick on your lip. The main reason I bought this set was for the eyeshadow trio. I loved the colors in it & thought that it would be a perfect spring addition to a soft brown smokey eye. The gold any purple have pretty much no pigmentation & you can't even get a pretty glitter pastel effect with them. The teal/green is so soft in texture & over powering in color that the tiniest amount completely overpowers a look. The smallest amount of blending just carries this color all over the place. I'm very disappointed with this set.
I wasn't really expecting much with these & was pleasantly surprised. First thing that I was rather surprised with was that the lip liner is about 2 shades darker then the lipstick part. This is nice because it is something I always do because it helps define your lips better. I don't really like the consistency of the lip liner because it drags & is hard to get a super crisp line. All in all, it works pretty well though. The second thing that surprised me was how well the lipstick lasted. It is super creamy, so I wasn't really expecting it to last through a single cup of coffee but, it lasted over 5 hours. It did fade a bit but still looked nice, so I'm happy. I wouldn't say that these are a must have but, they are good if you need something to throw in your bag or take on a trip.
Ulta $ 3 each
These are amazing & I love them! They blend perfectly, they're creamy, they are nicely pigmented, & they last! They even have the perfect metallic sheen that isn't too little or too much. If you have next to no time to get ready, just put twilight from Ulta in your crease, one of these across your lid, & a bit of liner & mascara; Done! I really hope that I can find the other 3 shades!
These two are really great for any girl that likes to add shimmer & glitter to her looks. They are have the perfect iridescence, making them go with any color you have on. No need to try to find that specific shade of glitter or shimmer, just grab one of these. The shimmer one has the same effect as my Jessie's Girl Baby Blue loose shadow but goes with anything. The shimmer goes on fine by patting or sweeping it on with a flat brush but the glitter needs some sort of a cream or sticky base to adhere to. I suggest that everyone grab these because I can not describe how beautiful they look on. (PS- don't let them sit on their sides or you will end up with a huge mess like I did! Keep them sitting flat)
There's kind of a funny story behind how I started using this foundation. I love the undereye concealer from this line so much but, it's so very creamy I didn't think that my oily skin would mesh well with a full face of this foundation. So I never tried it. A friend of mine has really dry skin, so I recommended this to her. Seeing as how the concealer is so moisturizing & creamy, I thought it would be perfect. Well, she hated it! She gave it to me, figuring that I could write review about it & I love it! But I do see why she hated it. This is the only foundation I have ever used that covers up a decent amount of my redness & discolorations without me feeling it on my skin. My skin doesn't look or feel like I have makeup on! I can touch my face (not that I do often but something I could never do with my other makeups) & my foundation doesn't smudge around or feel like it's there at all. It doesn't get super oily through out the day & I don't need a ton of powder to set it. I did find that it works best without a primer underneath though & it really emphasizes any dryness you have (which is why she hated it). I would not say that this is a holy grail foundation. It doesn't quite have the full coverage to make you look flawless for going out or special occasions; but for everyday wear it's fantastic!
I would normally never pick something like this up, knowing that the chanced of it working are slim to none, but they came highly recommended by Makeup By Alli so I thought I would give them a shot. They are kind of expensive compared to the lashes I normally get but, for the convenience I was willing to let that go. I almost never wear lashes just because I'm not patient enough to deal with them most days. So, I thought that these would be a perfect way to wear lashes on more of a regular everyday basis. These didn't work worth a crap for me. It was a pain to get them on correctly & took longer then just using regular glue on lashes. Then I spent the whole day fixing the ends until they just wouldn't stick anymore & I had to take them off. Thank god I was able to return them. I guess everyday lashes just aren't in my future.
Sorry that some of my reviews are really short.
I've been a little spacey lately & didn't know what else to write.
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