Monday, December 31, 2012

Cult Nails Behind Closed Doors Collection


So here I have a post that is WAAAAAY overdue.  Believe it or not these were purchased during the PRESALE! I know. But exams, being sick, having surgery.... life just got in the way! But please do not think that that for any reason has anything to do with the GORGEOUSNESS and AMAZINGNESS that is in these beautiful little burritos! It amazes me that its been sooooooo long since my very first ever post on this thread of Maria's first collection. Not much has changed since then to be honest. The polishes are just as gorgeous, just as unique, Maria is still the same woman we fell in love with on her blog, and the prices while going up a tad in the new year, are relatively similar to when she started!




Disciplined is a "sheer but buildable soft grey with purple, pink and blue shimmer". This one is a pale slightly but just ever so slightly blue leaning grey with gorgeous shimmer. In person its the pale blue shimmer that really shines through. Opaque in three coats, its so pretty.


After Glow is "a copper infused polish with a subtle pink shimmer". This one is one of the two I had no intention of keeping whatsoever. And the FIRST one I put on! I am wearing it now! lol!


Bitten is a "a raspberry glass flecked polish". This one I would personally not call raspberry. its like a bright red tinged burgundy or wine that leans a little purple. It is STUNNING! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!! Its not too vampy. Its perfect!!


Flushed is "true Blurple (blue/purple) buildable sheer with an intense purple/pink shimmer effect that appears to glow through the polish". This one is kind of......alive? It really takes on a life of its own. its blue, and its purple and its got this intense and insane pinky purple shimmer, all at the exact same time. Every time I look at it another colour shade of blurple is kind of revealed. Its hard to explain. But its beyond gorgeous!



And last but not least, Coveted which is a "jelly deep green with metallic green flakes and subtle green shimmer.". This one I KNEW I didn't want, KNEW I was going to not wear and justified the presale in that it was a free polish to gift to a friend. Sorry unnamed, unverified, conceptual friend. YOU ARE NOT GETTING YOUR PAWS ON THIS!!! LOVE!!!! It is such an interesting and unique and pretty green. It is possibly (and by possibly, read IS) the most gorgeous green I have ever seen.

Who would have thunk?






And pre-clean up - here is AfterGlow. I was literally unable to stop myself from putting it on when I started swatching these!!!!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Beauty Stash To End All Beauty Stashes!

OH. MY. GOSH!!! Really. No words. Just....... Wow! So I was searching for info on a specific brand of beauty organization and I accidentally came across this. This is the Temptalia beauty stash. Its half an hour long, but the first seven minutes are just her talking. So I just spent half an hour watching it. If you want to kill half an hour, just make sure to keep a washcloth by your keyboard to mop up the drool!


And then, check out part two!! YES! There is a part 2!!!! 


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Orly Polishes For 3.99 And Less!



If you aren't signed up with Beyond The Rack, sign up HERE!! And if you are, go look! For those of you that do not know, Beyond The Rack is a private shopping site like Zulily.


They have a TON of Orly polishes on sale for 3.99 each and some for 3.49!! So go pick some up before they are gone! And the most exciting thing they have (at least for me?) - ORLY BLUE SUEDE!!!!


Did you, or are you shopping the sale? If so, what are you getting?

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Three Six Five Bloggers Secret Santa


So I took place in the Three Six Five Blogger Secret Santa this year. Check out info about that HERE. And while I am still waiting for my gift, something better than my gift coming happened today. My match got HER gift from ME!!!

My match was the lovely Middle Aged Beauty Queen. I do not think I have to tell you how happy I was to find out that my match was another nail obsessed junkie!!! I just wanted to post to share with you all Judi's blog! Here is her Secret Santa reveal! And now I can just look forward to my gift (which until now I wasn't. I was just stressing about why it was taking SOOOOO long for Judi to get her gift from me!).

Julep End Of Year Sale - The One Item You DONT Want To Miss!

The Julep end of year sale is ON! While there are many deals (the gem collection sold out in minutes but at 28.00 who could expect otherwise?). While you may be swayed by all the shiny bottles at INSANE prices, this is the item you MUST not overlook!


So what is there to say about this? I got it in a Julep Maven Box and was so unimpressed that I was getting it. I mean, come on! We all know the deal. Acetone-free polish removers suck. Sorry, but they do. The best we can hope for is a Zoya Remove+ type remover (Quo  makes a great one too) that is acetone that is mixed with moisturizing ingredients in hopes of somewhat combating the negative effects of acetone. The one highlight of this I could see was the pump. It is a wonderful pump.

THEN I TRIED IT!!

OH. MY. GOSH!! IT WORKS!!!!!!! It not only works, it works AMAZINGLY well! So well it leads me to two main questions.

  • Is it really acetone free? (I am not at all suggesting Julep would lie about it. But thats how well it works. so well you have to wonder!!)
  • If Julep can make it work THIS well, why cant other brands figure it out?!!!
So please, take my word for it, your nails will thank you! Mine sure do! So for 6.99 Don't by one, buy 5! I have 6 backups myself right now in my drawer! I do not pass this up when its on sale!


When The Fridge Is Empty......

So I was totally starving and there was nothing in the house. In the freezer I had ground chuck and boneless skinless chicken breast. The issue is I had no fresh veggies and I had bought chicken breasts that had been pre-boned, skinned and sliced for stir fry. So I had to get creative.

I made a peanut sauce, put the chicken breasts in a roaster, poured the sauce all over it (so it covered the chicken) and covered it in foil. I put it in the oven at 350 for 90 minutes.


For the peanut sauce, I used

  • 1.5 cups peanut butter 
  • 3 TBSP brown sugar 
  • 6 TBSP sesame oil 
  • 6 TBSP soy sauce 
  • 1 tsp paprika 
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth 
  • 3 TBSP pineapple juice 
I melted the pb in the micorwave until it was easier to mix, added the brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and paprika in to it until it was smooth and then mixed in the chicken broth and I would normally have used lime juice but I did not so I actually mixed in some fresh pineapple juice. 

That along with sweet corn and some arborio rice and dinner was done! What did you have for dinner?

Buy One Get One Free At Lush

So I was on a mission yesterday. My boxing day plans were to run in to Sephora to get the $12 Urban Decay Wallpaper Shadow Box. Then I was supposed to run to Bath & Body Works and we know how that haul went. The last thing that I was supposed to do was go to LUSH to pick up some magic wands. Last year there were ZERO to be had in the entire city on boxing day. They had sold out days before so I had no expectation that I would find any. I was wrong!!!


Now these are not mine! I promise! Only one of them! I was sent to pick some up for my mom (it is her favourite bubble bar hands down). Now to be honest she said to pick her up 2 or 4 but my dad was with me and said if she loves them and you can only get them at Christmas, get more! So she got 8, and I got one. I FINALLY get to try one!


And while the only stick/wand I have tried from LUSH was the carrot from Easter and I was not thrilled with it, the sales associate last time I was in the store said this Bubble Beard was her favourite of any of the wands by far. She swears this is the wand that kicks all other wands butts! So I had to try one of them! And I got the LAST ONE in the store! 


So all in all, I did not get much at the LUSH sale, just one magic wand and one bubble beard but I am super happy and can not wait to try both of these. I will review them as soon as I can (I am still not able to take a bath yet. Hopefully next week the surgeon will tell me I am not able to!) and even though the review will be kind of beside the point since the products will be gone, they might be useful next year if the products are re-released! 

Deborah Lippmann New Gel Lab Base and Top Coat


The New Healthy Alternative to Gel Manicures. 

No Lamps. No Tools. No Damage to Nails. 

Used with any traditional nail lacquer, the Gel Lab system gives the high-gloss finish and soft cushiony look of a gel manicure with extended wear. Simple removal with The Stripper or any lacquer remover. COAT OF ARMS Base Coat. Formulated with epoxy resin for extended wear and acrylic to strengthen the nails. High viscosity for protection. Infused with Biotin, Green Tea Extract and Aucoumea. Recommended Use: Apply 

COAT OF ARMS Base Coat. Wait 2 minutes before applying nail lacquer shade. .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL 

SHINING ARMOR Top Coat. Formulated with polymers, resins and acrylics for strength. High viscosity helps create more deposit on nail upon application giving a heavier layered effect with super high shine and yet ultra-quick drying. Infused with Biotin, Green Tea Extract and Aucoumea. Recommended Use: Wait 2 minutes after applying nail lacquer shade before layering on SHINING ARMOR Top Coat. .5 Fl. Oz. 15 mL 

The cost of the system is $48.00 and can be purchased HERE! What do you think?

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale

So this is what your stairs look like moments after I get home from a BBW Semi Annual Sale. 


These candles below were all 75% off!! If you do it right, that makes $2 a candle for the 12.50 ones. They are 12.50 each, and 75% off makes them 3.13. Ten of them is 31.30 and you can use a past reciept to get $10 off $30 purchase. That makes TEN candles $21.30!!!!! And oh my gosh do they smell AMAZING!! the large 3 wicks shown below are 22.50 each and 75% off they are only $5.63!! The oils I am not sure what the discount was but they were between $2 and $1.88 each. Not everything shown above was on sale, and the bubble baths, lotions and shower gels were all different. Some were full price, some were $3, some were $4 and some were 75% off.


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

LUSH Buy One Get One! It's ON!!!!!


For Fresh Sakes! We know you've been waiting for it and it's ALMOST here. Starting online at midnight (EST) tonight and instore tomorrow at opening, it's BUY ONE and GET ONE FREE on select items! Full details to follow at launch.

This was just announced on the LUSH facebook page!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Butter London Spring Collection - Two Days Away!!


Julep Limited-Edition White Lacquer Jewelry Box


I was super excited to see this offered and I ordered one then two days later ordered one as a gift. I was kind of upset when I received it. The bottom was dirty and damaged, the inside was damaged and I was really upset. I did call Julep and they are replacing the box. The new one has already shipped. I have not yet gotten the second one I ordered though so I thankfully had a backup idea for my girlfriends gift! 

I do have to say, be careful when you get the box! If you are going to take out all the inserts to use as a jewelry box, be careful. The inside seems to have a tendency to break off. I reinforced the sides with superglue, and fixed the damaged insert (again with superglue) and then played around with what would go inside. I will not show you the bottom of the box as it really is not pretty. I am sure yours will look much better if you order it!



As you can see, the suede-esque lining inside has the Julep logo and name embossed on the inside of the lid. But that is the only logo in/on the entire box. The outside is just white lacquer! 


And then I rearranged the entire inside to try other options! I think the above is what will go in my second one (when I get it) and this one will stay as you see below. It is great for all my costume and trend jewelry that doesn't fit (and I don't want in anyways) in my main jewelry box! 



Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale!


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Nars Beauty for Spring 2013


Fresh and fierce, strong and sexy: Nars’ spring 2013 collection introduces a vibrant, ‘90s-esque color palette that sets the tone for a season of audaciously feminine looks. The collection shines with rich, hyper-saturated shades, welcoming the season with a dramatically modern palette. Jewel-toned cheeks pop. Lips sparkle in soft metallic rose or pout in sultry shimmering fuchsia. Nails shimmer in iridescent silver green. Eyes flash in pink or flirt in blue and green. The collection is an ode to bold color and a modern woman –– and, as always, purely Nars. 
Created by founder and creative director François Nars, the color collection heralds spring’s arrival with shades ready to make a graphic statement. For the campaign, Nars chose to photograph iconic model Stella Tennant, renowned for her bold style and irreverent beauty. Tennant’s confident, almost cheeky attitude leaps through the lens for images that are at once personal and intense. François’ favorites? “I love the fuchsia rose color of Dressed to Kill and both shades of Bouthan. I also really like the combination of the colors in Mad Mad World — the palette really pops. On the opposite end, our Disco Inferno Nail Polish, even though it’s iridescent, almost works as a neutral; the silver green shade goes with everything.”

Clockwise from left - Light Reflecting Setting Powder (Loose), Dressed to Kill Lipstick, Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow, Light Reflecting Setting Powder (Pressed), Bhoutan Duo Eyeshadow (far right, you can only see half of it), Seduction Blush (cream blush)
To the best of my knowledge, the line up right now for NARS Spring 2013 looks like this:
Available globally on February 1, 2013:

  • Persia Single Eyeshadow 
  • Mad Mad World Duo Eyeshadow 
  • Bouthan Duo Eyeshadow 
  • Dressed to Kill Lipstick 
  • Cythère Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil 
  • Seduction blush Disco 
  • Inferno Nail Polish 
  • Light Reflecting Setting Powder (Pressed) 
  • Light Reflecting Setting Powder (Loose)
Available globally on Mar. 1 2013: 
  • Radiant Creamy Concealer (10 Shades)
Available globally on Apr. 1 2013: 
  • Satin Lip Pencils: (13 Shades)


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Now, apparently there will be 13 Satin Lip Pencils.

PHOTO SOURCE

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Now, my understanding is that the new Radiant Creamy Concealers will come in ten shades. I really, really hope that they are heavy coverage!!!

PHOTO SOURCE
And now here I will try to show you some close ups of some of the products! I will link the sources for the images (they are all over the internet but hard to find in one spot!!).

SOURCE

Never in a million years would I ever wear these colours of shadow, but oh my gosh are they gorgeous!

SOURCE

SOURCE

SOURCE

I got most of the images off of two sites, one site being HERE and the other site seems to have been taken down. I then got the bottom blush image and got further clarification on some of the ORIGINAL link sources  HERE.


Jesus' Brother Bob

I know that this time of year a lot of people think about G-d, Jesus and their religion and tend to get spiritual. Being as that I am NOT Christian and don't celebrate Christmas, I must say that this time of year for me (Chanukah was a few weeks ago) is really nothing exciting for me. But I do hear a lot about Christ and Jesus this time of year.

And WHENEVER I hear the name Jesus this is what runs through my head! I am sorry all, I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but its a great Canadian band that if you are friends with me you have probably heard at least one song of theirs already!


Lush Lacquer Camo Queen

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This is such an unusual polish in my stash. It is unlike anything else that I have. I have to say that the glitter DOES settle. And try as I might I could not get ALL the glitter to mix back in, but it didn't seem to affect the application at all. It is really really pretty.

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Camo Queen is a mossy green tinged sheer gold base with gold holo glitter and gold, copper and brown medium hex glitters.

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This is one coat

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This is two coats:

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This is three coats! I think it would probably be 5 or 6 coats before it was COMPLETELY opaque, but a good pair of undies under this could solve that issue.

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All in all, I think this polish is GREAT and I love how different it is.

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