NOTD: Essence Space Queen & Sweet As Candy

My last few nail polish choices have all been from Essence. I recently discovered this brand and so far everything that I have tried has been awesome! I picked Sweet as Candy to wear for a job interview this week because it is a neutral pink that is definitely interview appropriate. I topped it off with Space Queen a multi colour glitter top coat to give it just a little flare.

 

Sweet as Candy is a light milky pink. With my pale skin tone I feel that this polish almost disappears making me look like I'm not even wearing polish. This would be perfect for a french manicure because even after two coats I could still see the whites of my nails a little bit. I think this polish would look great on tanner skin tones.

 

Space Queen is simply gorgeous! It is a clear base polish with multi coloured micro glitter. I really liked how it complimented the Sweet as Candy and gave it just a little bit of personality. I only used 1 coat of Space Queen and got a nice amount of glitter. The thing I didn't like about this polish is that it was very thick and it was kind of difficult to get an even coat. I might need to add some polish thinner to this one to make it easier to use.

 

 

5 Things I Heart Right Now

Found on Pinterest

1. Blogging

Lately I have really gotten back into blogging. I am trying to post every weekday and am doing pretty good so far. There is just something about blogging that is so relaxing.

 

Found on Pinterest

2. Glitter Nails

I have been obsessed with glitter nails lately! I really want the polish pictured above.

 

3. DIY

Ingrid's GIY Tote Bag video is amazing and I will be making my own as soon as I can get to the fabric store.

 

4. Dainty Necklaces

I got this camera necklace at Forever 21 for only $1.50 and love it!

 

5. Kittens

We had a stray kitten living on our deck for the past 2 weeks. We totally fell in love with him but unfortunately couldn't keep him :(

 

 

What have you been loving lately?

 

 
 

 

 

NOTD: Essence A Lovely Secret

This is the most frustrating polish I have probably ever used! When I saw it in the store it looked simple, like a bright but muted lilac purple. But when I picked up the bottle and took a closer look I realized that there was very fine purple micro glitter. I was so excited because I have really been on a glitter kick lately, but to my disappointment on the nails the glitter seems to disappear.

 

It looks like a light purple base with a darker purple grainy texture, but the polish dries completely smooth.I really wish that the glitter in this polish stayed visible and glittery because it would have looked so pretty in the light. Oh well, it is still a gorgeous polish and for only $1.20 its a steal!

A few of my local Shoppers Drug Marts have been getting the new bigger bottles of Essence polishes and I've seen some new colours, but this colour is still available for purchase. The bigger bottles still have the same $1.99 price tag as the smaller bottles so it is even more of a steal now!

 

Whats your favourite Essence polish?

 

 

 

 

Recent Empties

Over the past few months I started spending again and really haven't been using up that many products. While getting ready for a yard sale I started taking stock of what I actually own and I've realized that I have too many samples, nail polish, skin care, shampoo, makeup, and lip products. In order to save money, not only because I am not actively working, but also because one day me and my boyfriend would like to get our own place.

 

I cancelled my Glossybox subscription and will not be renewing my Glymm subscription in October when my one year runs out. I want to use the samples I have before they go bad. I probably have 100 various beauty samples to get through.

 

I used to do these type of posts to help keep me on track so I am going to start my monthly empties posts starting in September. Here are the empties that I have for June and July!

 

Dollarama Makeup Cleansing Wipes

 

For only $1.25 these wipes work surprisingly well. They always take off my foundation and eyeshadow in one or two sweeps and leave my face feeling cleansed and refreshed. I like to use these on those nights when I don't really want to fully wash my face. The only bad thing about these wipes is that they don't remove mascara that well.

Repurchase? YES

 

La Fresh Nail Polish Removing Wipe

 

I got this in a Glymm box and used one of the two that I got right away. It didn't meet its claim of only needing one wipe for all 10 nails and I found that the wipe was too oily and left kind of a gross feeling on my hands.

Purchase Full Size? NO

 

L'Oreal Youth Code Day & Night Cream

 

Got this sample in a magazine and I really liked it. I had enough for two applications and found that it spread easily on the skin and absorbed quite quickly. It left a bit of a residue on the skin, but I think that is because I used too much.

 

Purchase Full Size? MAYBE

 

 Marcelle Hydra-C Moisturizing Gel

 

Two uses from this sample has sold me on this moisturizing gel. Because I have oily skin I tend to gravitate towards gels instead of lotions and this sample rivalled my Holy Grail Clinique DD Moisturizing Gel. This made my skin feel heavenly, left no residue, and didn't make my skin extra oily. This magazine sample may have helped me find a new favourite product.

 

Purchase Full Size? YES

 

Estee Lauder Daywear Advanced Multi-Protection Cream SPF 15

 

Got this sample from the Estee Lauder counter and was told I would love it. I didn't. The cucumber smell was nice and it felt nice on my hands but on my face it just did not work. It absorbed great but left a very oily residue and sheen on my skin.

Purchase Full Size? NO

 

Rahua Shampoo and Conditioner

 

These were from a past Glymm box and I was very excited to try them as I have heard such great things about this company and these products. The woodsy smell was horrible and it lingered in my hair the next day. The shampoo didn't lather and left my hair feeling dry. The conditioner was very nice in fixing the damage from the shampoo but I didn't get anything that I can't get from a drugstore conditioner.

 

Purchase Full Size? NO

 

 Garnier Fructis Double Care Spray

 

I found this at Dollarama for only $1 so swiped it up quickly just because. This hair protectant and leave in conditioner was way better then I expected it to be. I used it after I washed my hair and it left my hair smooth, detangled, shiny and so soft.

 

Repurchase? YES

Quo Blush Brush

 

I got this brush not even a year ago and look at the bristles. Every hair broke at least in half and eventually it was just horrible to use. I repurchased a new one thinking that maybe I just got a fluke brush, because I take care of my brushes. But my new one is starting to do the same thing. For $13 I thought I would be getting a much better quality brush.

 

Repurchase? NO 

 

 

NOTD: Joe Fresh Hula

If I could only have one brand of nail polish for the rest of my life I would probably pick Joe Fresh. They don't have the biggest range of colours, but the formula and application of these polishes are a dream for me. The go on super smooth with little to no streaking. Colour payoff is always true to the bottle and the staying power is very impressive.

 

I added this little gem to my collection back at the beginning of this year because it was on sale for only $2! Hula is a pale peach colour with a hint of shimmer. The shimmer is hard to capture in pictures, but it adds a nice depth to the polish in person. I was wary about this colour at first because I thought it would never look good with my skin tone, but surprisingly I really like how this colour looks.

 

You can buy Joe Fresh polish for $4 a piece or 3 for $10 in any Zehrs Beauty Section. As far as I know right now they are only available in Canada, but I believe they are making their way to the States in the near future, if they are not there already.

 

 

FOTD: Date Night

Me and my boyfriend spend a lot of time together, but we don't always go out. Occasionally we will have a date night where we go mini golfing, get ice cream, or go out to dinner and a movie. Here is the makeup I wore on our last date night.

 

FACE

Covergirl Trublend Foundation in 410

Garnier Anti Dark Circle Roller in Light

MAC Select Coverup in NW20

PUR 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup

MAC Tenderling Blush

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl

 

 

 

EYES

Hard Candy Eyeshadow Primer

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Essence Quattro Eyeshadow in 05 to die for

Caryl Baker Visage Mineral Eyeshadow in Pillow

Cargo Eyeliner in 82 Black

Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Flared Mascara

 

LIPS

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

 

NOTD: Watermelon Rind

China Glaze makes some great polishes and I always find them on sale at Winners. I picked up this teal green glitter polish months ago. This polish goes on very easily and I've never had a problem with streaking. The staying power of China Glaze always amazes me as I can go over a week wearing their polishes and never have any chipping.

Watermelon Rind is a gorgeous teal green glitter that I cannot get enough of! It glitters in the sun and is just beautiful. 2 coats gives you an opaque nail but I think next time I will try 3 coats to see if it gives me more depth and a deeper colour payoff.

DIY - Depotting Your Lipsticks

I haven't done a DIY post in so long. This was the first series of posts I was going to do but then didn't have time to complete many DIY projects. With more time on my hands I may try and do posts like these more often. If you have any ideas for DIY Day email me at industrialdimestoremagic@hotmail.com.

Last week my favourite lipstick came to the end of its days. The Body Shop's lipstick in #10 Heather is the perfect "my lips but better" lipstick that I wear almost daily. It no longer turned up far enough to use, but I knew there was so much product left farther down in the tube. This DIY shows how easy it is to salvage the rest of your favourite lip products. It is crazy how much product is left in the tubes below the surface.

I took a toothpick and ran it along the border of the lipstick and the tube and the remaining product popped right out. Some additional scrapping got almost all of the product out of the tube. After that I just threw out the packaging.

Look at all of the product that lies beneath the surface! Almost as much as above the tube when you buy it new! I put the lipstick in a small 5 gram plastic jar that I bought from the Dollarama. I also made a label with the brand and colour for future reference.

You could leave the lipstick solid in the pot but I chose to melt mine with a blow dryer. It only took a couple minutes on high for the lipstick to melt. I mixed it together with a toothpick once melted to get out all of the lumps. Caution - The plastic and lipstick can get hot so be careful!

Once it is melted I just put it aside with the lid off to cool and harden or you could put it in the fridge. Once cool and hardened back to its regular consistency I put on the lid and now use it everyday with a lip brush.

I thought this lipstick was empty but ended up almost getting a full 5 gram jar of product by the end of this DIY. It will be a long time before I run out of this Holy Grail lipstick! :)

Have you ever tried to depotting your empty lip products?

NOTD: My First Finished Polish

The day has finally come, one that I never thought would. I finally finished an entire nail polish and it only took me 3 years...I think. I bought this NYC polish forever ago and have used it a half dozen times, maybe more. I pulled it out the other day because I wanted a glitter nail and saw that there was barely any polish left.

From sitting for so long this polish had gotten super thick and it was really hard to paint two coats on my nails and get it even. The layers were really thick and took forever to dry even with a Seche Vite Top Coat. Days later it felt like the polish was still tacky and when I went to remove it it was still rubbery and somewhat wet.

There was probably 1 manicure left in the bottle but the brush wouldn't reach the bottom so it got tossed in the trash. I cannot believe that I actually finished a whole full size polish! I have so many different colours that I thought it would never happen.

I would probably repurchase this polish if they still make it because I like the color but it is so hard to get off the nails because it is so packed with glitter.

Have you ladies ever finished a polish entirely before??

August 2012 Glymm Bag

This month I had two different reactions to the August Glymm Bag. At first when I was seeing what other girls were receiving I was very disappointed about this box with all the one time use samples. However, when Glymm sent me my product card by email I saw that I would be receiving a full size Coccolily Nail Polish and was really excited. I definitely think that the nail polish and bag paid for this month and all of the other samples were just bonuses.

Now I am excited that I was one of the lucky ones to receive a full size nail polish but I also think that it is wrong of Glymm to put out different bags with such a different value range. Glossybox did this last month and many girls including myself were very disappointed. Something Glymm should do is make sure that every girl is getting the same value of product in their bag. Something I like this month is that Glymm did not include the bag in the value of the box. Glymm you finally listened, good for you!!!

Vitamine & Sea Mineral Clay Mask

Sample Value - 5mL/$1.48

Full Size - 210mL/$62

Sample Usage - Up to 3 uses

- ON THE CARD -

This natural facial mask made with clay directly from the Dead Sea will tingle as it softly exfoliates, eliminates toxins, promotes circulation, cleanses and strengthens your skin.
- HOW IT WORKS -
This organic mask is enriched with vitamins B1, B2, C, A, D and E from sweet almond oil to pamper your skin and a touch of honey that will protect from daily free radical damage and balance your skins moisture, and work immediate wonders on all skin types giving a soft, tight, sexy, radiant glow.

- MY THOUGHTS -

I am getting more into masks these days so I am excited to try this one out. With the size of the sample I may only get 1 or 2 uses but it will still be nice to try a more high end mask. The full size is really expensive so I probably wont buy it.

Coccolily Nail Polish in #1 Fancy

Sample Value - 15mL/$12

Full Size - 15mL/$12

- ON THE CARD -

Exclusively created by Coccolily. These colors are unique just like you.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Coccolily’s favorite color is pink and so designer, Naana Tennachie Yankey created five different shades of pink for you. Wear one of these colors and you’ll feel the magic right away. Get ready to be noticed for all the right reasons and enjoy life with the color of love.

- MY THOUGHTS -

So excited for this polish! I got such a nice berry toned pink. It went on like a dream no streaks, dried quickly and was very glossy even without a top coat. I thought I already had a polish like this because it looks exactly like a Revlon polish I got at the Dollarama, but that polish turned out more red and this is a true berry pink.

 

Naked Princess Naked Shine Lip Gloss in Barely Coral

Sample Value - 0.25g/$2.20

Full Size - 2.96mL/$26

Sample Usage - Up to 14 uses

- ON THE CARD -

This sexy gloss stimulates collagen, is non-tacky and plumps your lips ever so gently.
- HOW IT WORKS -
"Infused with Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Moroccan Vanilla, & Antioxidants for radiance & shine. A collagen-producing Peptide helps to plump lips without irritation to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It may be worn alone or over other lip products. Apply a single coat for a sheer effect or layer for more intense color. This gloss was inspired by the notion that a lip gloss can a healthy formula. Studies show that women ingest over 2lbs of lip products in their lifetime.

- MY THOUGHTS -

This the tiniest lip gloss sample I have ever seen! But it is so flippin' cute! :) I love the color it is the perfect nude on my lips. This gloss is very smooth and not sticky at all and the scent is really nice too! If Glymm had a promo on these on their website I might buy one.

Mai Couture Blush Papier

Sample Value - 2 sheets.$0.90

Full Size - 50 sheets/$22.50

Sample Usage - Up to 4 uses

- ON THE CARD -

The Papier collection by Mai Couture exudes novelty and modernism. Whether you need coverage, color or highlights you’ll find a quick and effective solution here.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Beauty on-the-go? Mai Couture has the solution: Blush, foundation, bronzer and it’s all without a brush! Add color to your cheeks anytime with highly pigmented blush papier or get an illuminated and flawless complexion and touch up your makeup with their one of a kind foundation papier. Just rub the paper on your cheeks for instant results.

- MY THOUGHTS -

I am so glad that I received the blush papers this month instead of the bronzing one I got last time. The bronzing paper was way too dark and shimmery so it went right into the trash. These papers look like they will give a nice pink flush so I am excited to try them.

Bentaberry G-1 moisturizing Face cream for boys and girls - Regulating line

Sample Value - 3mL/$3.30

Full Size - 30mL/$22

Sample Usage - Up to 7 uses

- ON THE CARD -

This cream is made from 100% natural active ingredients: burdock, jasmine, mandarin, blueberry, white dead-nettle and zinc pidolate.
- HOW IT WORKS -
Enriched with the BENTA BERRY regulating moisturizing complex, it combines white dead-nettle with the botamix (jasmine, burdock and mandarin), to control excess sebum and purify skin. Skin is mattified, soothed and balanced. Redness and blemishes on the face are diminished. Its subtle fragrance was designed by a famous perfumer for both boys and girls.

- MY THOUGHTS -

Although this sample is really tiny I am very excited to try it out. I tried it on the back of my hand and it was really light and absorbed quickly into the skin. It didn't leave an oily residue and I really like the clean fresh scent. If I really like this cream I may buy the full size.

Value of August Glymm Bag - $19.88



Giveaway Winner!!

After a very exciting two weeks my birthday giveaway has finally come to an end. After weeding through all of the entries Rafflecopter has picked me a winner!



Julia E. from http://roseamour.blogspot.ca/

I have already emailed Julia and she has 24 hours to reply back. If I do not hear from her I will be picking a new winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and made it such a huge success!

As soon as I hit 50 followers I will be having another giveaway so spread the word!

: ) Chelsey

NOTD: Tiger's Game Mani!

So this NOTD post was inspired by the Detroit Tigers. My boyfriend got us, 6th row right behind first base, tickets for my birthday. I wanted to paint my nails in the classic Tigers blue and orange because I originally didn't have a shirt to wear to the game. I ended up getting a shirt at Target so I was Tigerfied from head to toe.

This mani is by no means fancy because I am totally unable to do any sort of nail art so I went for the classic accent nail mani. I used Essence Nail Polish in Wake Up! and LA Girl Disco Polish in Dance Studio. These polishes went on super easy with no streaking and dried fairly quickly as well.

I had some chipping the next day so I wouldn't say that the quality of these polishes are the best. Usually with other polishes and the Seche Vite Top Coat I can get through almost a week with no chipping.

July Glossy Box

Today I finally received my July Glossy Box! And I also cancelled my Glossy Box subscription today! I originally signed up for GB because of all the full size products we were getting for only $15 a month. However, this month I received the V3 box which was the lowest value box. I am kinda disappointed with what I received this month and decided to quit because I have too many samples.

I want to try and work through all of the beauty stuff I've amassed already and use the $15 a month towards buying the books for the Book Club I joined at my local Indigo Books & Music. Maybe down the road if the boxes get better and I'm in need of some new samples and products I will subscribe again.

Now on to the products...
 

ZOYA NAIL POLISH

Colour Name - Wednesday

Sample Value - 15mL/$8.00

Full Size - 15mL/ $8.00

- ON THE CARD -

Summer 2012 is going to be a super stylish season for nails with the latest offering, designed by the Zoya experts. It is kissed by sea and sand with the famous, full-coverage Zoya formula. FULL SIZE!

- MY THOUGHTS -

I have never tried a Zoya polish so I am excited to get to try it and a full size to boot. However, I already have 4 different brands in this exact colour. It would have been nice to receive a colour I don't already own but I am glad I at least got a colour I know I will wear. My mom tried this polish with one coat and it looked really nice.



ALESSANDRO INTERNATIONAL

Sample Value - 30mL/$5.99

Full Size - 100mL/$19.95

- ON THE CARD -

Pedix Heel Rescue Balm protects and nourishes your skin with Shea butter, allantoin and tea-tree-oil.

- MY THOUGHTS -

We got a foot cream last month so I wasn't thrilled to see another one but my feet have been super dry lately so this will be of use. I didn't open the seal but from what I can tell it smells really good.

 JOHN FRIEDA FRIZZ-EASE XTRA STRENGTH SERUM

Sample Value - 24mL/$7.20

Full Size - 50mL/$14.99

- ON THE CARD -

Instantly and dramatically transforms coarse, wiry, unruly frizz for ultra-sleek, purely polished, super-shiny results. FULL SIZE!

- MY THOUGHTS -

I just received a sample this size of the Frizz Ease Hair Cream for FREE from John Frieda directly so getting this in a box I paid for isn't ideal but I will use it. GB said that this is a Full Size on the card but actually it is only a sample because the full size is actually 50mL and we only received 24mL.

EUCERIN

Sample Value - 5mL/$0.30

Full Size - 200g/$12.00

- ON THE CARD -

Eucerin Calming Creme is a daily soothing moisturizer that prevents the reoccurrence of itchiness and reduces the risk of further irritation due to dryness. Calming Creme contains Natural Colloidal Oatmeal and its fragrance-free glycerin formula provides hydration for 24 hours.

- MY THOUGHTS -

This is the sample that got me and everyone else who got a V3 box so outraged. This tiny sample is something you can get for free at any store or directly from the company. It is not a sample we expect to see when we are paying $15 for the box. Also, people were seeing it as unfair that V1 got a full size John Frieda and Burt's Bees, V2 got a full size Burt's Bees and we got this.

DOVE SOFTENING CREME BODY WASH

Sample Value - 200mL/$5.99

Full Size - 200mL/$5.99

- ON THE CARD -

Get visibly more beautiful skin in just 1 week. Use daily for soft, smooth skin. FULL SIZE!

- MY THOUGHTS -

I have really dry skin on my legs and arms so I am excited to try this product. However because it is a Limited Offer product if I fall in love with it I may not be able to buy it.

BEAUTYSOCLEAN SANITIZER WIPES

Sample Value - 4 wipes/$1.04

Full Size - 48 wipes/$12.50

- ON THE CARD -

These convenient cosmetic sanitizer wipes are effective for sanitizing makeup that accumulates visible debris like dust, lint and food particles.

- MY THOUGHTS -

I am excited to try these. I had to throw away a bunch of makeup because it just wasn't sanitary anymore. I might buy the full size of these.

OVERALL VALUE - $28.52

GIVEAWAY REMINDER

Hey, ladies this is just a reminder that I am having a giveaway to celebrate my blogs first birthday! You can see the prizes in the picture below that Kristy over at My Glittery Obsessions so kindly merged together when she featured my giveaway on her blog.

You can enter my giveaway HERE at the original post, by using the Rafflecopter form. This giveaway is only open to Canadian citizens and I would love for it to be a success!

In this post I also wanted to verify the rules for this giveaway, as I have been getting entries for comments and followers who are not actually commenting or following my blog. I will be verifying every entry so that only people who are actually entering by following the rules will have a chance to win.

1. You must be a follower through GFC and I have to be able to track and see that you are following me. Please make sure you follow by clicking the GFC follow link at the top left side of my blog.

2. If you have entered that you have left a comment then make sure that you leave one as I will be verifying. Entries for leaving a comment that didn't actually do so will unfortunately be deleted.

3. If you post my giveaway on your blog you must leave me a URL in the Rafflecopter form to the exact blog post. I have been having people enter that they did a blog post when they actually didn't.

I don't want to be a stickler for the rules, but this giveaway is for people who actually want to follow my blog and enjoy reading it.

I want to thank all of the ladies who have entered and are following me for your continued support for my giveaway and my blog!