NOTD: Salsa

This has got to be the most difficult polish to picture ever! In the bottle, KleanColor Nail Laquer in Salsa, is a beautiful pink that shifts to gold and sometimes looks peach. In the bottle it is absolutely gorgeous and I could stare at it all day, but once it is on the nails it is a different story.

This polish is extremely watery and two coats is barely opaque. The colour payoff on the nail isn't as pretty as in the bottle, but it is still something cool to look at. In some light it looks like a rosey pink, in others it looks gold, and sometimes it looks like a peach colour. This polish also has a metallic finish to it.

I buy my KleanColor polishes at Urban Planet and I believe they are around $4 a bottle. They have a pretty good colour selection and are a line I would recommend trying out.

It was so hard to take good pictures of this polish to show all of the different colours in it. Hopefully the photos below capture the beauty of this polish.

How Much Does My Face Cost?

I have seen posts like this on many beauty blogs and it sparked my interest. How much does my everyday face of makeup actually cost?? When buying products over months of time I think many of us really underestimate how much we actually spend on our beloved products. I decided to look into how much my daily makeup look actually cost me...with tax. In Canada tax is 13% which ended up being a lot on the makeup below.

Caryl Baker Visage Firming Eye Gel - $28.00

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - $31.00

CoverGirl Trublend Foundation - $9.99

NYC Loose Translucent Face Powder - $3.99

MAC Sheertone Blush in Tenderling - $22.50

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl - $20.00

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base - $8.99

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trio - $28.00

MAC Painterly Paint Pot - $20.00

Laura Mercier Eye Colour in Sandstone - $22.00

Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller in Light - $12.99

MAC Select Cover Up in NW20 - $20.00

Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black - $4.99

EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint - $4.99

Caryl Baker Visage Mineral Eyeshadow - $5.00

C.O. Bigelow My Favourite Lip Balm - $5.50

Annabelle Le BIG Show Mascara - $4.99

L'Oreal Carbon Black Liner Intense - $9.49

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart - $8.99

Total w/o tax - $271.41

Total w/ tax - $306.69



How much does your face cost? If you do this type of post let me know in the comments below. I would love to see what products you use on a daily basis. : )

NOTD: Canada Day Practice Mani

After the bubbling fiasco that was my last NOTD manicure I decided to try out an idea I had for a Canada Day mani. Now this is nothing fancy, no funky nail art, but I really like how the red and silver glitter look together. The red OPI polish was a mini bottle and didn't have a name on it, but after two coats it was perfectly opaque and a beautiful bright red. For the accent nail I did two coats of China Glaze Oxygen and then two coats of China Glaze Silver Lining. The glitter turned out almost opaque and really sparkles in the sun.

Polishes used:

Calvin Klein Splendid Basis Protective Base Coat

OPI Un-named red polish

China Glaze Oxygen

China Glaze Silver Lining

Seche Vite Top Coat

 Artificial light

 Natural light



FOTD: Dale Carnegie Graduation

The job I actually just quit paid for me to take this course 12 weeks ago. I was skeptical at first, but I can now say that this course has helped me alot. It helped me realize that I am strong enough to do anything I set my mind to and it helped me realize that I wasn't happy at my current job, therefore I left. Yesterday was my graduation from the course and here is the makeup that I wore for the occasion. It's nothing fancy but I want to try and put up FOTD posts more often, so I hope you enjoy.

I haven't really gotten the hang of lighting and angles for FOTD posts but bear with me they will get better. Hopefully, you can see how the makeup looked.

NOTD: A Little Bit of Sunshine

I wanted yellow nails this week but I don't think I am tan enough yet to have every nail be yellow. So I did two yellow nails and three hot pink nails per hand. To get the yellow more vibrant I put two coats of white nail polish as a base and then two thin layers of yellow over top. The hot pink polish needed two coats as well.

Overall, I was pleased with how this manicure turned out except that when I woke up this morning I realized that the yellow polish had bubbled. I'm not sure if it is because the yellow polish is kinda old or if it was from the crappy top coat I used but I don't like the look of the bubbles so I will be changing my manicure again soon.

Polishes used:

Calvin Klein Splendid Basis Protective Base Coat

Rimmel London French White Tip Pro

NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel 114A Taxi Yellow Creme

OPI Pink Flamenco

No Name Top Coat

Blogging = My Stress Reliever

I am a shopaholic and I can admit it. Some of my past hauls have been huge and I actually started calling them Hoards lol. I am a stress shopper for sure and I am convinced that that is the worst type of shopper to be. You buy new things to deal with stress, but when the high of buying wears off you become stressed again and therefore shop again. It's a vicious vicious cycle.

Over the past few weeks my stress levels hit an all time high, and I had many online shopping carts full of stuff. I never actually bought anything but the hours I spent filling them seemed to help. Then I quit my job and the stress melted away. I've had time to blog and really realized the reasons that I started blogging in the first place. Now when I'm stressed I take some pictures and write up a blog and I don't feel stressed anymore.

So here is my last stress induced haul.

This belt bracelet is so cute and I've wanted it ever since I saw it in a haul on Chelsea Morgan Beauty Blog. I saw it at H&M for only $6.95 and had to make it mine. It is going to look really cute with my watch and bead bracelet.

I finally found shoes to wear with the dress I showed a picture of a few blog posts ago. These are the perfect pewter colour to go with my dress and the height of the heel works with the dress and I can actually walk in them. These would also look cute with skinny jeans.

Got my hands on some Essence Beauty products from Shoppers Drug Mart. I've heard great things about this brand and at such cheap prices if I don't like it then it wasn't a huge investment.

This is blush number 10 Adorable. It is a really pretty light pink colour.

I was going to get some single shadows but thought I would just try the quad out to see how I like the formulation. I decided to stick it safe with a neutral palette.

If you've tried anything from Essence what you recommend for my next buy??

NOTD: Nubar Elegant Indigo

Lately, I've been wearing pastel and bright coloured polishes for Summer, but this week I went for something darker. Nubar's Elegant Indigo is a black base nail polish with blue-purple duochrome glitter throughout it. This polish was opaque in 2 coats and needed 2 layers of Top Coat to actually look glossy.

The thing I don't like about this polish is that it doesn't look smooth. No matter how many different ways you try to apply it, it always looks bumpy on the nails. I really like this colour though, sometimes it looks blue and sometimes purple. I've found that it looks really good underwater...I figured this out while swimming in my boyfriends pool. I also found this polish extremely difficult to photograph so I am sourcing a couple pictures from other blogs. The link to those blogs will be under the pictures below.

 nailpolishanon.blogspot.com

www.scrangie.com

A favourite thing and a new layout

As I was browsing my blog today I realized that it was kinda dark and depressing with so much gray and black. I felt like the heaviness of the background really took away from the pictures and the actual content on my blog. So I decided it was time for something a little more light and airy, thus what you see now. I really like how it turned out and I really like how simple it was to make the changes. I may start changing my blog layout every few months. Let me know what you think of my new layout below or if you have any suggestions for changes I could make!!

Now on to my favourite thing of the moment. It is a maxi-dress that I bought to wear to my friends wedding in July. This dress is not usually something I go for but it looks so good on that I just had to get it. It is from RW&Co and costs $88.00. It comes with the rope belt but not the necklace that you see in the picture. It is so light and airy, I cant wait to wear it to the wedding but I also think that it will be nice for everyday wear too!

June Glymm Bag

I tried to be excited for this month's Glymm Bag, I really did, but I knew that it was going to be disappointing. With such a good bag last month this one had to be bad, because Glymm never has 2 good months in a row. I kept hoping that with less packaging costs, because they are going green, that might mean better samples or bigger samples; but alas we got the same tiny samples we normally get. My 1 year subscription is finished in November and I have already decided that I am not renewing.

This month Glymm went even more "green" by not including a product card but by putting it all online. I like this idea somewhat, but Glymm if you are going green then don't wrap the bag in tissue paper when you put in the box. It kinda defeats the purpose. Also, something else I didn't like this month was that they included the cost of the bag into the value of the box. They sell these bags on their website for $12...no one in their right mind would pay $12 for this makeup bag. I don't think that it is right for them to include the cost of the bag in the boxes value to justify that it is worth more than it is and then think it is okay to give us tiny and awful smelling samples.

Now that I've let out my rant here are the products that I received this month.

Cosmetic Bag - Nylon Collection S/S 2012
Full Size: $12.00 Sample Value: $12.00
Say hello to your new cosmetic bag, in one of the hottest colors of the year.
- HOW IT WORKS -
This perfect bag makes your cosmetics look good. Keep your brushes, makeup, bobby pins and whatever else your beauty regime desires in here, zip it up and leave it on your vanity, or throw it in your tote bag for the day. Going on vacay? It makes a great travel case.
Sample usage: forever

My Thoughts: I don't like this colour as much as the pink one last month but it is still a nice makeup bag for travel or storage. I will use it but like I said above I don't believe that it should be included in the value of the box.

ItIsDream
Full Size: 60 ml/$54.00 Sample Value: $1.80
This fragrance radiates romance, tenderness, optimism and joy. If you’re artistic and love to dream, then this is the fragrance for you.
- NOTES -
This scent has a fruity-floral-woody composition. Flowers symbolize a gentle femininity, fruits denote joy and a sparkling energy while the woody notes represent sensuality and deep emotions. The scent opens with fresh notes of grapefruit, black currant and apple. The heart features pink floral accords of rose, magnolia and hyacinth, while white cedar, amber and musk linger in the background.
SAMPLE USAGE: 35 Sprays

My Thoughts: Gross, gross, gross! That's all I have to say.

Perfect Skin Solution
Full Size: 45 ml//$68.00 Sample Value: $4.50
This miracle serum is 100% natural blend of vitamin E and essential oils. It will leave your skin flawless.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Each ingredient plays a crucial role in keeping your skin looking perfect: carrot seed to fight acne, jasmine and geranium to immediately smooth, soften and even skin tone, rosewood and evening primrose to greatly reduce fine lines and other signs of ageing , vitamin E to repair damaged cells and avocado oil to protect your skin from everyday environmental toxins. It even works for the most sensitive skin types. At night, gently massage 2-4 drops of serum onto damp, cleansed face and neck until fully absorbed.
SAMPLE USAGE: up to 5 uses

My Thoughts: I like the concept of this and I'm excited to try it out. I am just worried that it will be too greasy for my face, and my face is oily enough on its own.

Smoothing Marine Cream
Full Size: 50 ml/$115.00 Sample Value: $11.50
This exfoliating and moisturizing cream will leave your skin feeling smooth as can be.
- HOW IT WORKS -
This luxurious face cream gently exfoliates and leaves the skin intensely moisturized. Glycolic Acid and Algae Extracts soften the appearance of fine lines, while Jasmine Absolute helps soothe and nourish stressed-out skin. The Glycolic Acid will tingle gently as it exfoliates and boosts your skin’s natural collagen production. Apply evenly to entire face once or twice a day. Follow with sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher). Never apply this product to red or peeling skin. Clark’s Botanicals donates a portion of sales to The Christopher Reeve Foundation.
SAMPLE USAGE: 10-14 uses

My Thoughts: I'm really excited to try a fancy and expensive face cream but I am hoping I don't fall in love with it cause there is no way I could ever afford to buy the full size.

Eco-Beauty® Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover
Full Size: 18 pads/$9.99 Sample Value: $1.11
Remove your nail polish in the most eco-friendly way possible. It does no harm to you or the planet, and it smells so delicious.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Remove polish and condition all 10 nails with just one pad. This acetone-free nail polish remover is packed with aloe, glycerin and vitamin E to moisturize and natural Rosemary Horsetail Extract to keep your nails strong. As the smell of natural Tuscan orange fills the air, you’ll be elated to know that this product is free of harmful chemicals and uses the least amount of water possible – also, no need to rinse.
Sample usage: 10 nails/wipe. My Thoughts: I got 2 of these wipes in my bag and I tried one. It didn't take all 10 nails worth of polish off and it got super greasy and oily while I used it. I found that these really didn't work like they said they would. I would not buy the full size.

Duo Lipstick | Harmony
Full Size: 3.4g/$20.00 Sample Value: $20.00
Everything your lips need for a night: some balm and some color in one lustrous package.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Not only will your lips feel their finest with this soothing formula, but they will look just as good with long-lasting color. This eye-catching and plush applicator makes for a conversation piece, while its purpose is super convenient. You can bring any combination of colors with you to achieve the ultimate lip experience.
Sample usage: up to 16 months. My Thoughts: This product saved the box! But I am also kinda getting tired of getting lip products almost every month from Glymm. I've got so many lip products, I'll never use them all! I am really glad I got the Soft Pink color, it looks really good and the balm is very moisturizing.

Overall, this month's bag disappointed me, but here's to always hoping that next month will be better!

Value of Box w/ Bag - $50.91

Value of Box w/o Bag - $38.91

What was your favourite product in this month's Glymm Bag?