Sally Hansen Salon Effects Glitz Blitz Nail Polish Strips

Hey everyone! I wanted to do a quick NOTD. I picked up some Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips in Glitz Blitz from Ulta the other day and I almost forgot how neat these are. They seriously look like actual nail enamel, but last forever. Right now I'm feeling busier than usual so having nail strips on really cuts down on all the time I spend on my nails...I'm kind of a weirdo and if I get a chip I have to completely redo my polish. My only issue with these is...well they are a little pricey at $10 and by the cuticles it can kind of peel up if you didn't press down enough on the edges when you first applied the strips.
I also saw a display of new Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips at CVS and I picked up plum colored nail strips which I'll be applying next :)

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips in Glitz Blitz

Also, I wrote a blog entry showing exactly how to apply these nail strips if you want to check it out: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips Tutorial

Essie Very Structured

I am so excited that it's almost officially fall and even more excited about Essie's Fall 2011 Collection! If you guys haven't had a chance to check out the newest Essie polishes you can view all of them on their website here: Essie's Fall 2011 Collection.
Out of all of the polishes in the newest collection my favorite is "Very Structured." I think it's one of the most unique polish colors I've seen. Essie's website describes it as a "classic burnt sienna." I don't have any reddish brown colors in my polish collection so I really had to get this one. I think it's a perfect color for fall, but I'm not sure if it's the most fitting color with my skin tone. I think it's a little dark and would look better on someone with a warmer skin tone...oh well I'll still wear it, but it's definitely not a favorite! Also, Essie's "Case Study" is an interesting color described as a "rich camel beige." Last weekend I went to several different stores specifically searching for "Very Structured" and I found every color from the Fall Collection EXCEPT for that one! Well, today I went to Walgreens and I was lucky enough to find it there (they only had 2!). I usually get most of my Essie polishes from Ulta, but lately they really are lacking on their selection. It seemed like Walgreens had ALL of the polishes in stock.
Anyway, here's some pics of Essie's Very Structured, it's a creme polish, my favorite!

With the flash on...no top coat. I think it looks a little more red than it actually is

Fall Favorites

Hey everyone! I am going to go ahead and do another entry today. It's one of those lazy days so I have nothing better to do!
Angela, or HoneyFlower3, is a YouTube beauty guru who I LOVE. She's super sweet and has some very creative and helpful videos on YouTube. Anyway, she just did a Fall Tag video and tagged me in it and said I could do it on my blog since I don't make videos. Well, I thought it was a neat tag so I basically put together a variation of the tag. If you want to do the actual/original tag you can go watch Angela's video at www.youtube.com/honeyflower3. She listed all the questions in the below box :)
Anyway, here's what I put together inspired by the Fall Tag video:

1. Some of my favorite things about fall are all of the warm spicy scents that get released at Bath and Body Works. I just bought one of the new scented candles in "S'Mores" and I absolutely love it! I also love amber scents like B&BW's "Sensual Amber" body mist and Hilary Duff's "With Love" perfume.
2. A favorite wardrobe item for fall is moccasins. I've never actually owned a pair, but I think the pair I put in the picture is super cute. They are from PacSun: Black Poppy Black Poppy Tessa 182 Moccasin

3. It seems like owls are especially popular in the fall and I can never have enough owls in my life. This is a cute owl pendant necklace from PacSun with an antique look that will compliment a fall wardrobe : With Love From CA Circle Pendant Owl Necklace

4. I love any nail polish from Essie's fall collection. I looked at 3 different stores today hunting for Essie's Very Structured polish which is a burnt sienna color....soooo pretty! (I never could find it though!)

5. I love skinny jeans for fall even though flares and boot cuts are coming back. Levi's has a new fit released for their jeans that are supposed to have a more custom fit depending on the curves of your body. This pair is the "demi" curve which PacSun and Urban Outfitters both carry. I think they'd look really cute with a pair of moccasins.

6. Mod Cloth is coming out with some really cute tops for fall including this one, the Pumpkin Roulade Top. I love the colors burnt orange, mustard, azure and jade for fall :)
7. A favorite hair product for fall is Redken's Velvet Gelatine. It will definitely help you achieve soft bouncy hair...and in the fall I tend to go for a loose curled look, so Velvet Gelatine is a must. And it smells soooo amazing.

8. Fall and candy corn go perfectly together! Like Cadbury Eggs and Easter...yum.

9. I love scarfs like this for fall in jewel tones. This one is from Mod Cloth, You're the Pom Scarf.

10. A favorite fall makeup item for me is definitely Stila's Natural Eye Palette. I also like the Urban Decay Naked Palette for fall. Smoky brown eyes and a natural lip or neutral eyes with cat eyed liner and bold lips are always great fall makeup looks :)

One of the questions in the tag was what you plan on being for Halloween. I really have no clue what I'm going to be for Halloween! I want to put together something creative, but I'm really lacking in the creativity department lately...my mind has been focused on 1,000 other things blaaah. Anyway, what are you all being for Halloween?

Cover Girl Lash Perfection Mascara Review

I think it's about time I wrote a review on the newest Cover Girl mascara, "Lash Perfection." I just purchased a second tube of this mascara at Ulta today and that is extremely rare for me. I am constantly trying new mascaras so for me to repurchase this...it must be good!
First of all, I have medium length lashes that are pretty straight and definitely not full or fanned out by any means. I really love the Cover Girl Lash Perfection mascara for its ability to separate each individual lash giving a fanned out, feathery full effect, which is exactly what I'm looking for! I don't think this mascara is meant to provide any curl effect, but if I curl my lashes first with an eyelash curler and follow with this mascara it holds the curl all day. I also think it's great for lengthening your lashes without clumping or making your lashes look spidery. I haven't had any flaking or smudging and I love that the brush is not fat like the CG Lash Blast mascara so it reaches and coats the inner lashes and lower lashes really well.
I definitely think this mascara is better for a daytime look and creating a defined lash effect. It doesn't provide any dramatic volume or anything like that so when I am going out on the weekends I will do a second coat over top with Maybelline's One by One mascara.
A description of the mascara says, "Our innovative brush surrounds each lash with our amazing conditioning formula so each lash is individualized and volumized!" What I have noticed is that it really does have some sort of conditioning formula because my lashes do not fall out when I take off my mascara. It keeps them strong and soft...not brittle and breaking off!
Also, I should mention that the brush is made up of rubber bristles which I normally don't like, but the wand and brush are really sturdy unlike Maybelline's Define A Lash wand which is super flimsy and hard to control.
So if any of you are in the market for a mascara that creates feathery full and long lashes then check out Cover Girl's Lash Perfection mascara.

Mod Cloth Confetti Falls Dress

For my birthday, which was in February (!!!!), my good friend Sarah bought me the Mod Cloth Confetti Falls dress. She is so sweet! She actually read a blog post of mine where I had posted about wanting the Confetti Falls dress and she so thoughtfully got it for me. :) I think it was one of the nicest and most thoughtful gifts anyone has gotten me. I know it has been several months and I kept meaning to do an OOTD featuring the dress, but it is such a nice dress that I don't wear it very often. I feel really fancy when I wear it hahah. I definitely think it's going to make a great dress for "nicer events." It's one of my favorites and I thought I'd do a little update blog post about it. I only have a few pictures from my birthday of me wearing it and they are kind of goofy pics, but better than nothing!

Ulta Haul - Featuring Redken and Stila

Ulta is draining my wallet! There is an Ulta way too close to my apartment and I pass it every day on my way home from work. I keep finding myself creating little lists in my head and convincing myself that I need all of these random things. Well, that is exactly what happened in my latest Ulta trip. Check out some of the items I picked up:

I'll get the boring stuff out of the way first...let's see I picked up my favorite razor refills, Venus Embrace. I also got some dry shampoo. I really like Batiste! I think it's one of the best dry shampoos around and at Ulta they had two new scents, "blush" and "fresh." I think the fresh scent was the best while blush smelt too floral. I also bought a new black gel liner from Maybelline. It was a bit pricey, nearly $10. I like it a lot though. It's super creamy so you don't have to tug on your eyelids to create an even line and it stays on so well without fading. The brush that comes with it is not so great, but I still recommend it.
Now onto one of my favorite items that I picked up...the Redken Cooling Deep Conditioner from their Nature's Rescue line. On the Redken website it is described as an ultra moisturizing conditioner that helps rebalance hair while cooling and soothing the scalp. I am obsessed with the scent of the Nature's Rescue line. It seriously lingers in your hair and I love smelling my hair all day long, hah...I just love this line! My only issue is I wish this conditioner came in a tube like the Redken's All Soft Heavy Cream. I hate dipping my fingers into a tub.
Last but not least, I picked up a Stila long wearing lip color in Coquette. It is definitely a "my lips but better" color. It's sort of a rose color and I think it stays on a little longer than a normal lipstick. I wouldn't say it's long wearing though. At $20 I expected long wearing results....but at least I'm happy with the color :)

Stila Natural Eye Shadow Palette

Hi guys! I stopped by Ulta after work today to pick up the new Stila Natural Eye Shadow Palette. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and I literally went to Ulta every single week until finally I stopped driving and decided to call the store ahead of time and get them to hold one for me. Like I said, I went and picked it up today and I'm so excited to use it! I've owned the Urban Decay Naked Palette since last summer and I've hit pan on half the colors in that palette and some of the colors like Half Baked are completely used up. I reeeally like neutral eye looks so I decided that this Stila palette would be worth purchasing. It was only $39 which is about $10 less than the Urban Decay Naked Palette. It has 10 shadows that are .49 oz each while the Urban Decay Naked Palette has 12 shadows at .05 oz each sooo you're getting a lot more shadow for your money. It also comes with a full-size Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Damsel which is a matte chocolate brown. I tested these on my hand when I got home and at the store and I could definitely tell the colors were creamy and went on smooth without a lot of fall out. The pigmentation was pretty good except I think Urban Decay has better pigmentation. I like that the Stila palette is shimmery, but doesn't have tons of glitter like the Urban Decay Naked palette. Sometimes too much glitter can make shadows really un-wearable for daytime. I also like that the Stila Natural Eye palette comes with a lookbook with 6 different eye shadow looks. I can't wait to try all of the looks!
Here's some pictures:

Top: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone
Bottom: Champagne, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky, Ebony

My favorite colors in the palette are Champagne (pale gold shimmer), Kitten (shimmery nude pink) and Gilded Gold (bronzey gold shimmer).
There are 4 matte colors; Bare (matte ivory), Bliss (matte nude),  Sandstone (matte neutral brown) and Ebony (matte black). I think my least favorite color is "Ebony" because it's a plain black matte which I literally have tons of matte blacks in several different palettes. I guess it's convenient to have if you travel with this so I can see why they put it in there, but I wish that "Ebony" could have been replaced with a more unique color.

I also did some comparison swatches with my UD Naked palette....

First Row: Stila's Luster vs UD's Darkhorse
Second Row: Stila's Champagne vs UD's Half Baked
Third Row: Stila's Gilded Gold vs UD's Smog
Last Row: Stila's Night Sky vs UD's Gunmetal

I hope this post helped you if you were were thinking about purchasing the Stila Natural eye shadow palette. I really love both the Stila palette and my UD Naked palette....but I think if you had to get one of them get the UD Naked palette. It's just a really great palette. I got the Stila palette to try something new and because I already owned the UD Naked palette. So yeh, let me know what you think of the Stila Natural eye palette :)

New Dress - Urban Outfitters

Hey guys! I went to Austin last weekend with some friends and we did a lot of shopping. We stopped by the Urban Outfitters near UT and I ended up buying a couple of items including a purse, a dress and some flats for work. I'm wearing the dress I bought out to a restaurant tonight for my mom's birthday. I also wore it yesterday to work with a cardigan. I think its a great length and I'm in love with the back of the dress. There's also another pattern available, but I think the one I chose is the best out of the two.
You can check it out online here: byCORPUS Open Back Jersey Dress

Essie Resort Collection Summer 2011

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting as often. I feel like I say that a lot...but eh I'm trying to get a new apartment and I've developed a video game addiction that takes up all of my time hahah. Anyway, I still love nail polish so I had to blog about the Essie Resort Collection for Summer 2011. I found a four pack of minis at Ulta so it was perfect because I could try all of the colors out. All of the names in this four pack were "safari" themed.

From left to right: Da Bush, Lion Around, Fair Game, Your Hut or Mine
In the picture I'm actually wearing Your Hut or Mine, but it was reeeeeally difficult to capture exactly what the color is. It's a corally bright pink color with hot pink and violet shimmer that you can see when the light hits it. I think in the picture above you can sort of see the shimmer. It's really pretty! I've been wearing it all week and my toenails are painted with it too. Perfect summer color! I will do blog posts/NOTDs about the other polish colors in the coming weeks. I'm super excited to try Da Bush!
I guess this blog entry is more like a haul because I also wanted to share with you guys the purchase I made at TJ Maxx. I found a trio from the brand Nail Tek called the "Beautiful Hands Complete Care Trio." It normally costs $25 but I got it for $12.99. What a steal! I already use the Nail Tek Intensive Therapy for soft, peeling nails and was running out. So, this trio comes with that AND a ridge filling and strengthening base coat as well as a advanced hydrating hand cream. It's normally about $10 for just the Nail Tek II Intensive Therapy polish so this was a really great deal! I never thought to look for beauty products at TJ Maxx, but they had a lot of stuff! I was surprised. I even saw Philosophy products there and bought some men's shave products there for my boyfriend. Do any of you buy beauty products at TJ Maxx?

Dark Circle Treatment

Hi everyone! I have been excited for this blog entry for a while now. About 2 months ago I purchased the Amazing Cosmetics Concealer from Ulta and it is now the only concealer I will use under my eyes. I first heard about it in a Michelle Phan YouTube video and was impressed by its coverage. You really only need a very very verrrry small amount and it covers amazingly. With other concealers you'd really have to cake it on and it would look unnatural. The Amazing Cosmetics Concealer doesn't need to be caked on to cover and it doesn't fade off and settle into the wrinkles under your eyes like other concealers I've tried. It was kind of expensive, but totally worth it.
Here are the products I use on a daily basis for my under eye care:

1. & 2. - I use either Yes to Cucumbers Eye Gel or Aveeno's Smart Essential Anti-Fatigue Eye Treatment in the morning. These two items are meant for under eye puffiness. I prefer the Aveeno Anti-Fatigue Eye Treatment because it has a little roller ball that's metal so when you roll it over your under eye area it actively de-puffs and helps with circulation as well as being cooling/soothing because of the metal roller.
3. C. Booth Black Licorice Eye Cream is what I use at night under my eyes. I apply it with my ring finger and it really just helps hydrate my under eye area. I'm hoping it will help prevent fine lines from forming. It also has avocado in it which is pretty cool!
4. My Amazing Cosmetics Concealer will cover any darkness I have under my eyes. For me, I can treat dark circles all I want, but I will still have darkness under my eyes because it is hereditary. My mom's side of the family has very dark under eyes....sooo I've had to deal with it forever. I remember in middle school kids used to comment on my dark circles and people thought I needed sleep. Well, I could seriously sleep for 3 days straight and still have dark circles. This is why I have given up trying gimmicky products and now just keep my under eyes hydrated and cover the darkness with concealer. It's about all you can do.

Before applying Amazing Cosmetics Concealer & After

Please comment and let me know if you suffer from dark circles. And if so, tell me what you use to treat them and conceal them.

My Favorite Blogs

I thought it would be great to share some blogs with you guys that I really like. They are mainly fashion/beauty blogs.Click the pictures if you want to visit their blogs.

1.) Keiko Lynn My friend Carr just told me about Keiko Lynn and now I'm addicted to her blog! I looooove her style. She even does hair tutorials and makeup tutorials. What more could I ask for in a blog? :)

 

2.) Selective Potential                      
Selective Potential is a fashion blog by Tieka. I really love her hair and her style. She is so cute! Tieka definitely has a Zooey Deschanel vibe happening.

 

3.) Sometimes Sweet
Danielle's blog, Sometimes Sweet, kind of chronicles her life. I guess the reason I love her blog so much is because she has such an awesome life. She has a great husband and an adorable son named Henry and she is health conscious with great style. She seems very genuine and sweet and gives great advice on life.

 4.) Beauty by Clara
Clara's blog is mainly about nail polish, which is something I obsess over! She also shows off her different eye makeup looks and gives tutorials on them. Anyway, if you're a nail polish freak like I am then you should definitely check out her blog:
 

5.) Honeyflower3
Last but not least, Angela (Honeyflower3) is another favorite. Her blog is very informative and gives great product reviews. She also has a YouTube channel which is one of my favorites in my subscriptions: http://www.youtube.com/honeyflower3
You should all check out her blog and YouTube. She's so sweet and always responds to comments/messages! :)

Ulta Haul

Hey everyone! I really need to start blogging more. Some days I'm just not feeling it, well maybe most days. When I get home from work I just want to veg out on my couch playing video games. Also...other bloggers I aspire to be like are just so amazing that I feel like I should give up because my blog will never be as popular or as informative. I also wish I had a better camera, ehhh one day! I guess in the mean time I will continue to do the best I can. Today I felt like I should go ahead and talk about a trip to Ulta I made. I absolutely love Ulta! They usually have pretty good deals.
Here's some of the things I got:

CoverGirl was on sale buy 2 get 1 free so I repurchased my CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation in "Alabaster." I also got a CoverGirl pressed powder for setting my foundation in Translucent Fair. The most exciting purchase was the new CoverGirl Mascara called Lash Perfection. I think it's the best mascara I've tried in a looooong time. I am extremely pleased with it. After using my eyelash curler my eyelashes usually lose their curl because mascara can weigh them down, but not with this mascara. It makes them look soooo good. Not clumpy at all! I think I will do a review on it soon showing my lashes before and after and maybe going a little more in depth. I also got one of Maybelline's new "Fit Me" blushes in Light Pink. It's really not that good. The pigmentation is terrible. Oh well. Anyway, if you shop at Ulta a lot then you know about the Ulta Rewards program. I got a level 2 reward this time so I was able to pick out a free eyeshadow by the Ulta brand. It's a nice gold color called Gold Leaf, but I really have to pack the color on with a flat shader brush and even then the fall out is bad and the pigmentation is seriously lacking.
Finally, I got this hair powder from the brand Not Your Mother's called "Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder." I think hair powders are the new thing for achieving volume these days. It seriously adds massive amount of texture. I just sprinkle a little directly into my roots and rub it in. I don't really have to tease my hair at all anymore! I was thinking about doing a review on this and showing my hair before and after with the hair powder. I know Got2B has a hair powder out for volume now as well. I'm sure that many more brands will be following this hair powder trend. We'll see!

Anyway, upcoming blog posts will be product reviews, a few OOTDs, and a post I'm extra excited about - "Hiding and Treating Dark Under Eye Circles" yeh something I've been plagued with thanks to my awesome genes. Maybe it will help someone out there who has the same issue :)

Essie Smooth Sailing

Hi everyone! I just got a new Essie polish tonight from Target. I have been dying to get some colors from Essie's Braziliant collection, but every time I see a display for it all the best colors are sold out. I was lucky enough to find "Smooth Sailing" at Target which was one of the colors I wanted. I'm still searching for Essie's "Absolutely Shore." I neeeeed it so bad! Anyway though, Smooth Sailing is really pretty. I don't have any polish color like it in my collection. It's kind of a lavender blue with a pearly shimmer in it.
What color are you wanting to try from the Braziliant collection? :)

2 coats, no top coat

Tribal Trend Pieces by Store

Hey everyone! My last OOTD had a bit of a tribal trend happening so I decided to post some of my favorite tribal/native pieces from each of my favorite stores - Mod Cloth, Urban Outfitters and PacSun. I think the tribal/native trend is great, but I like it in moderation. For example, you wouldn't wear a tribal printed dress with tribal printed shoes and a feather headband...but I guess you could if you really wanted to? hahah
Anyway, tribal print is a nice change from the usual floral pattern.
Check out the pieces I picked from each store:

1. Southern Exposure Sandal 
2. The Six Senses Dress
3. Fuchsia Infusion Dress
4. Beyond Be-leaf Necklace
5. Rising Tucson Top
6. Best Festival Headband
7. Style Takes Shape Shoulder Bag

1. Tribal Stone Bobby Pins
2. Leather Navaho Cuff Bracelet
3. Ecote Front Embellished Swing Cami
4. Ecote Ikat Dress
5. Ecote Beaded Sandal
6. BDG Tribal Print Legging

1. Roxy Runabout Canvas Bag
2. With Love From CA Circle Stone Ring
3. With Love From CA Seed Bead Stretch Headband
4. Keds Champion Jute Slip On Sneaker
5. Billabong Sea Saw Tank
6. O'Neill Chris Cross Body Con Dress
7. Billabong Tribal Corset Cami

OOTD - Tribal Trend Inspired

Hi! I thought I would post an OOTD featuring a top I just purchased at Target. I absolutely loooove it! It has a yellow and white tribal print pattern, a lace trim at the bottom, unique tribal cut out detailing at the top and adjustable straps. You can purchase it at Target stores or online here: Xhilaration® Juniors Lace Trim Tank Top

I also had on some sandals I got from DSW and black skinny jeans from PacSun. I wore this outfit when I went to my boyfriend's grandpa's 80th birthday party...I can't believe how old he is because he actually looks and acts much younger, it's pretty crazy! Oh, and I also wore this out at night to my friend's pool party thing.

So I'm really liking this whole tribal trend. I liked it a lot last summer too! But lately I've been hearing people say that they can't wait for this trend to end and they hate it. What about you guys? Do you like the tribal trend?

Bath and Body Works Haul

Hey! I have a Bath and Body Works haul to share with you guys. I loooove B&BW! I have an obsession with candles and saw online that the 4 oz. candles were on sale 2 for $10. Soooo I went there after work and picked up 4 candles. I got a Japanese Cherry Blossom candle and two Kitchen Spice scented candles. Both of those are repurchases because I love the way Japanese Cherry Blossom smells and I am addicted to bakery/sweet scents like Creamy Nutmeg and Frosted Cupcake. Kitchen Spice is definitely one of my favorite scents. I also picked up a candle in the scent Coconut Leaves which is described online as a "rich blend of coconut milk, juicy tangerine, papaya nectar and warm vanilla." It smells amazing! Mango Cilantro and Beachside are also new candle scents that were released with Coconut Leaves.
While I was there I also picked up some body sprays for my boyfriend in Ocean and Citron that smell pretty fresh. I especially like Ocean...it reminds me of Nautica or something. Bath and Body Works also released these new scent stacker things. I thought it was cute how they stacked up and they came in the Country Chic scent that was newly released for Spring. If you haven't smelt Country Chic yet you need to! I love it and it's definitely a new favorite scent of mine.The scent stackers at my store were 3 for $12 so I also picked up a Japanese Cherry Blosson to go along with my Country Chic spray and lotion. Next, I picked up a little Scent Portable thing for my car. It's a blue snail in the scent Vanilla Coconut. They also had other cute shapes like a cheetah print peace sign and a floral patterned flower. Finally, I picked up a free travel size lotion in the scent Coconut Lime Verbena (I must really love coconut...it seems like everything has a coconut scent!) If you are going to Bath and Body Works sometime soon and want to pick up a free travel size item you can click here to print a coupon good till May 18th.
OH! And I also got a full-size Country Chic body wash but I forgot to put it in the pic below and I also got a Sweet Pea Scentegg that I have at my office at work.
Here's a pick of most of the items I purchased:

My Bath and Body Works Haul

Most Wanted Dresses

Hey everyone! I think I'm going to start doing a blog series of most wanted items. For now I just wanted to post about a couple of dresses I reeeeally want.

Dress #1:

I am obsessed with this dress!! It's from Urban Outfitters and is called the Ecote Ikat Dress ($69.00). It actually comes in two other colors. I went and looked for it at my local Urban Outfitters and couldn't find it anywhere. I may just order it offline and hope that it looks good on.

Dress #2:

The green dress above is from Mod Cloth and is called the Kites in Flight Dress. I reeeeally love this one and it's fully lined. I noticed that a lot of Mod Cloth dresses are unlined and I try to avoid having to wear slips. This one is only $47.99 and was in stock yesterday and is now out of stock! grrr....I hate how Mod Cloth items go out of stock in a matter of hours. Hopefully they will replenish it soon.

Dress #3:

The last dress is another Mod Cloth dress called the Wrapped Around Your Finger Dress. It's a little pricey at $74.99, but I really like the unique shape/cut and the bow is adorable. Mod Cloth has by far the prettiest dresses.

OOTD/OOTN Featuring Urban Outfitters

Hey everyone! I have another OOTD/OOTN. I wore this outfit to get my hair cut at the salon my friend Heather works at. Then...Heather, me, my boyfriend and Heather's boyfriend all went out to eat and to a couple of bars.

So I'm wearing my Roxy "Cut Off Indigo Shorts" again from Pac Sun and my top is from Urban Outfitters and it's by the brand Ecote. It is the Ecote Front Embellished Swing Cami and comes in a blue/purple color too. I'm also wearing this braided bracelet from Nordstroms that I got a long time ago and a pair of Ecote Shoes I got on clearance at Urban Outfitters that I'm currently obsessed with.
Here's a better pic of them that I took off of their site:

Ecote Lateral Woven Peep-Toe Skimmer

Essie Splash of Grenadine

I've got yet another Essie NOTD post. I definitely consider myself an Essie girl. I think OPI is great, but I always find myself gravitating towards Essie instead. I actually think Essie doesn't chip as easily and I prefer the thinner brush. Anyway, I'm wearing Essie's Splash of Grenadine. The Essie website describes it as a..."playful magenta pink." It's a pretty unique cream pink/purple color and reminds me a lot of an Ulta nail polish I wore a couple of summers ago called "Pink Flamingo." It's a pretty color for summer and I think it would look great with most skin tones...especially those with cooler undertones  : )
And just in case you're interested, one of my favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus, BrittanyMakeup, has an Essie collection video up on her channel:  Essie Nail Polish Haul

Essie's Splash of Grenadine - 2 coats

Maybelline One by One Review

I have been using the Maybelline One by One mascara for a couple of months now and I probably should have reviewed it a long time ago, but better late than never. I actually won this mascara as part of a prize pack thing from a YouTube banner creation contest hosted by MacBarbie07. Bethany (aka MacBarbie07) considers it to be one of her favorite mascaras at the moment. For me personally, I find that it is an okay everyday mascara. It doesn't add any volume or curl, but it does add length and definition. I prefer a mascara that gives a more fanned out and full lash look like Maybelline's Full and Soft. Another thing that really bothers me about this mascara is the rubber brush. I really try to avoid rubber mascara wands. Natural bristles tend to grab my lashes better. I also think this mascara flakes. I notice little black specks under my eyes throughout the day and I HATE flakey mascaras! The one plus about this mascara is the bright fun colored tub aaaand I will say it lengthens pretty well. Mascara reviews are very dependent on the individual because everyone's lashes are different...so if a defined and lengthened lash look is what you are after then try out this mascara. 
Overall, if I had to rate Maybelline's One by One mascara out of 5 (5 being the best) I would give it a 2.5. There are way better mascaras out there and also way worst mascaras so it's just average for me.

Maybelline's One by One Mascara - bright fun packaging

Rubber bristle mascara wand

Me with Maybelline's One by One mascara on

You can see that it creates long and defined lashes, but had to use my eye lash curler for the missing volume and curl.

OOTN

Hey everyone. I decided to post an outfit I wore last night. It's nothing special, but I got a request to do more OOTD/OOTNs on my blog. Anyway, I wore this to a venue last night where a band called Black Lips was playing. I probably should have worn pants because it was kind of chilly..Oh well though!

Soooo....the shorts are by the brand Roxy, and I got them from PacSun. They are called the Roxy Cut Off Indigo Short. My tank top is by the brand Free People and I got it a long time ago so I don't think you can find it anywhere, but yeh I like the whole tribal pattern happening on it. I'm also wearing a cardigan from Urban Outfitters called the Pins and Needles Sheer Cardigan in red. I really like it for summer and I've been wearing it a lot to work. I don't own many red clothing items so I decided to switch things up a bit. Also, I have on some sandals from DSW.

OOTD - Featuring PacSun

Hey guys! I hope you all had a nice Easter holiday. I went to Ikea for Easter...which is totally normal? hah Yeh, my life has been uneventful and I haven't seen much of my friends or family for a while now. Life can get lonely, but I try to occupy my time with work and shopping. Ugh..
Well, this is the outfit I wore to Ikea on Easter:

Top from PacSun, Levis, DSW sandals & an owl necklace from PacSun

I got the owl necklace from PacSun, but it looks like it's unavailable on their website. Maybe you can try and find it in stores? If not, I see owl necklaces all the time. So it's not like a rare find or anything.
The top is also from PacSun and it comes in 3 different colors. It's called the Kirra Smocked Bottom Challis Tube Top.

OPI Done Out in Deco

I just painted my nails with OPI's Done Out in Deco. I've actually had it for a while, but I was finishing up my bottle of Essie's Lilacism, which I actually prefer over Done Out in Deco. I think it's a nice color for any season, but lavender shades are especially great for spring in my opinion. I'd probably like it more if it had less grayness to it. Overall though, it's a pretty nice shade and it covers well. I usually just do two coats and I'm good to go! I also love that it is a creme polish.

John Frieda Full Repair Line

I have slowly been collecting different hair products from the new John Frieda Full Repair line and I'm finally ready to write up a little review. In my opinion, John Frieda makes some of the best hair products that you can get at a drugstore. Sooo when I saw that a bunch of new products were coming out I got pretty psyched.

John Frieda Full Repair Products

The first thing I purchased was the "Flyaway Tamer." I was so excited about this product because nothing seems to help the little hairs that stick up on the top of my head. After blow drying and teasing, the hair at my roots sometimes breaks and I've tried everything to keep them down. Before this, I was using pomeade or hairspray, but the John Frieda Flyaway Tamer works so much better. It's basically like a clear mascara. It literally has a mascara wand. The only con I can find is the product is very wet feeling when first applied and if you apply too much it will make your hair stiff feeling in some spots.

John Frieda Full Repair Flyaway Tamer

Before & After Flyaway Tamer use

The next product I tried from the line was the "Perfect Ends Deep Infusion." My ends are insanely dry and to make matters worse I am in dire need of a haircut. I normally use Redken Anti-Snap to moisturize my ends and help prevent split ends. The past couple of weeks I've only been using the John Frieda Deep Infusion on my ends and they look sooooo much better. My hair actually looks shiny for a change. After one use I could tell that it was going to be a great product. Another plus is that it actually protects your hair from high heat. So, some facts about the product:

•  It is formulated for medium textured hair
• Contains Inchi Oil which is rich in Omega-3
• Safe for color treated hair

Literally the only down-side to this product will be the price at around $10.

You can see the serum consistency in my hand

Last but not least, I tried the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo. I have bought this in place of my Redken Color Extend shampoo and I was so close to not purchasing it until I saw that it is also safe for color treated hair. That is always a huge concern for me because I dye my hair and highlight it every so often. To be honest, I have only used it one time, BUT after one use it made my hair feel so soft and less tangled. I I also noticed that it lathered really nicely. That's one thing I was missing when using the Redken shampoo. Anyway, the shampoo costs around $6. There is also a conditioner from the line, a root lifting foam, and a sheer mist spray for your ends. The whole line seems great and I also wanted to note that everything from Full Repair smells amaaaazing!