My Nail Polish Collection {2}: Save the Date by Sally Hansen

"...a lovely deep burgundy wine with pearlescent shimmer that flashes magenta. Depending on the light, your nails will look like a deep merlot one minute and like little pearly magenta gems the next." (glambunctious.com)

$3.49 at Target

This color is gorgeous! The polish, however, is just okay. It applies well but takes forever to dry. It's opaque in 1 coat. On my fingernails, I noticed it started to come off after just a few days. It stayed on my toes for a good 3 or so weeks, then it started to crackle (like the crackle nail polish does), which seems really strange to me. Do any of your nail polishes ever do that? I would, however, consider this one of Sally Hansen's best products.

Overall, I think I'm more drawn to the color than the polish itself. It looks beautiful on the nails, but doesn't last nearly as long as some of my other polishes do. If you're looking for a beautiful, inexpensive Fall/Winter color, this is the one for you!

Products I Use in the Shower

1. Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Shampoo: This shampoo makes my hair soft and shiny; it makes it look healthier! I've seen a huge difference in my hair since I started using this.

   

   $2.96-$6.97 at Walmart

2. Garnier Fructis Length & Strength Shampoo: My favorite shampoo! It makes my hair really soft & detangled. I can tell my hair has gotten a lot stronger since I started using it. 

   

   $3.99 at CVS Pharmacy

3. Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Conditioner: This stuff works! I used to have a problem with my hair falling out, but ever since I started using this conditioner, I haven't had to worry about it that much. It has really helped my hair not fall out so much. It also makes my hair really soft! Best conditioner ever.

   

   $2.96-$4.97 at Walmart

4. L'Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm: I did a review on this last week (I have also done a post all about Garnier Fructis products, go check them out). In short: I LOVE this stuff.

   

   $5.97 at Walmart

5. Up & Up Women's Shave Gel in Strawberry Tangerine: I couldn't find an online picture or price for this, but it is awesome (& it's the generic brand, so it's most likely cheap). It smells good & it works great! It makes my legs feel soft--& I have sensitive skin and Eczema, so that's saying something!
6. Sugar scrub: I make my own sugar scrub. If you haven't tried sugar scrub, google a recipe & try it! Sugar scrub is amazing for hands, feet/legs, underarms, and lips! If you'd like me to do a post on sugar scrubs or share a recipe, let me know :)
7. Equate Daily Freshness Spring Showers Antibacterial Body Wash: Although this is not a very moisturizing body wash, I love it! It makes me feel so clean & helps keep my skin clear. & it smells good, too!

   

   $2.97 at Walmart

8. Cetaphil Daily Cleansing Bar: This is my favorite bar soap. It's very moisturizing and great for sensitive skin!

   

   $3.47 at Walmart

Battle of the Mascaras: Benefit's They're Real! vs Maybelline's Define-a-Lash

These pictures are not mine, all rights go to their owners.

Maybelline's Define-a-Lash: This mascara really lengthened my lashes, but I was not a fan of it. It did not separate my lashes at all and it irritated my eyes. It also didn't hold my curl, so I had my eyelashes in my eyes. It made my lashes very stiff and was super hard to take off (& it was the "washable" version!). Wearing this mascara for an entire week (I usually try mascaras a few times before deciding if I like it or not) was horrible. I really didn't like this mascara, which is strange because Maybelline usually has amazing mascaras!

$6.97 at Walmart

Benefit's They're Real!: At first I didn't think I was going to like this mascara. Its brush was strange, but I was still excited to try it. I LOVED this mascara. I'm so glad they give you a sample one for your birthday at Sephora; that way I have a smaller one to take with me when I travel! It lengthened, volumized, and separated my lashes, it made my lashes look natural, yet false (does that make sense?), and it held my curl. It didn't smudge and stayed on all day & wasn't difficult to remove. I highly recommend this mascara!

$23.00 at Sephora

WINNER: BENEFIT'S THEY'RE REAL! ....by a landslide.

Tips for Straightening Your Hair

1. Lets start with the obvious. Don't use curl enhancing products! I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but people have told me they have a hard time getting their hair to stay straight & then they tell me they use mousse or some other curl enhancing product! Yes, curl enhancing products will make it harder for you to get your hair to go straight. Who knew? ;)
   
   
2. Use a straightening balm. Straightening balms changed my life. It takes a little practice to figure out how to use them without getting your hair tangled, but they really help so much. I apply my leave-in conditioner, then I apply my straightening balm, then I seal it with a smoothing milk. Straightening balm helps shorten dry time and help your hair dry straighter and stay straight longer. My favorite is the Garnier Fructis Straightening Balm.

   

   $3.47 at Walmart

3. Divide your hair into layers, spray heat protectant on each layer, then brush with a paddle brush and straighten immediately before moving to the next layer. This allows you to minimize waves, kinks, curls, etc.  When your hair is damp for a short period of time, brushing it will help make it straighter without it getting wavy again. Heat protectant will obviously protect your hair from heat. My 2 favorite heat protectants are by Garnier Fructis and Tresemme.

   

   Garnier Fructis: $3.47 at Walmart
   Tresemme: $3.99 at Walgreens

4. Use a good flat iron. Stay away from the Remington Wet 2 Straight (for damage purposes) and Conair flat irons (unless you have found one you absolutely love); I have yet to find a Conair flat iron I actually like, which is strange because their blow dryers and curling irons are great. I love Chi flat irons and the Remington Pearl. Take the time to research flat irons before purchasing one.

   

   Chi: $50.00-$120.00 at Target
   Remington: $32.50 at Walgreens

5. Tourmaline, Titanium, and Ceramic are your best friends, Plastic and Aluminum are not! Plastic and Aluminum contribute to the positive ions on your hair. Positive ions will make your hair dry, damaged, and frizzy. Therefore, it would only be common sense to use an element that cancel out the positive ions with negative ions. Those elements are Tourmaline, Titanium, and Ceramic. (I did my research, can you tell?) Purchasing a Tourmaline, Titanium, or Ceramic flat iron would definitely be an investment, as it would minimize damage, dryness, and frizz. 
6. Know your plate size. If your hair is longer than your shoulders, a 2" plate would be best for your hair. If your hair goes to your shoulders or shorter, use a 1" plate. 2" reduce the amount of times you have to run your flat iron over your hair before it is straight, which will result in less damage.
7. Blow your hair dry. I recommend only doing this if you have an extra hard time getting your hair to go straight. If blowing it dry still isn't enough, use a round brush. Blow your hair dry, then touch up with a flat iron. This step is very hard on your hair and will result excessive damage, so only do it if you have to. Remember to use cool air for best results (less frizz, results last longer, etc.). 

My Favorite Perfumes

1. Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift: I know, I am uber cliche. Everyone says they love this perfume, and there's a reason! It smells amazing! It's perfect year round, but it's especially great for Fall/Winter! $40.89 at Target.
   

   

   "Top notes are raspberry, dewberry, green tea, freesia, and apple blossom. Middle notes are sweet vanilla along with sun-drenched honeysuckle and white hibiscus. Base notes are golden amber, musk, sandalwood, and peach. This fragrance is classified as fruity." {target.com}

2. Pink Ice by Rue21: Rue21 is a great place to get inexpensive fragrances! It's a very girly fragrance, but there is nothing wrong with that :) I will continue to repurchase this perfume because it smells great and it's inexpensive. $9.99 at Rue21.

   

   "Refreshing and bursting with the unexpected. A touch of timeless sophistication, sparkling whimsy and a cozy finish." {rue21.com}

3. etc! by Rue21: This is my favorite perfume for Spring & Summer. It smells very tropical and smells like pineapple! Once again, Rue21's perfumes are very inexpensive. $9.99 at Rue21.

   

   "The notes combine glittering fruits, soft florals, and fabulous sweet tarts." {rue21.com}

4. Fantasy by Britney Spears: This is a fun, yet sophisticated perfume. I love wearing it in the Fall and Winter. It's very classy! $39.99 at Target.

   

   "The story begins with an enticing mix of lush red lychee, golden quince, and exotic kiwi. Chase. A playful tease, laced with a yummy cupcake accord, jasmine petals and sexy white chocolate orchid. Captivate. At the end, a spell is cast with a surprising finish of creamy musk, enchanted orris root, and sensual woods." {target.com}

5. Aero NYC 1987 by Aeropostale: This was my every day perfume all Summer. It works for any occasion and it's just an all around great perfume. $19.50 at Aeropostale.

   

   "Blending delectable hints of beach flower, coconut, and strawberry with a backdrop of velvet musk and driftwood, our Aero NYC 1987 Fragrance will deliver a fresh and fruity scent that you'll love experiencing throughout the day." {aeropostale.com}

6. Ed Hardy Born Wild by Christian Audigier: I get compliments every time I wear this perfume! It's such a beautiful fragrance! Like Pink Ice, this is a very girly scent. It's perfect for Spring and Summer, but works all year as well. $23.19 at Target.

   

   "Top notes are blackberry and black currant buds. Middle notes are magnolia and peach blossom. Base notes are flowers and wood lily of the valley and sandalwood.This fragrance is classified as fruity." {target.com}

7. Ed Hardy Villain by Christian Audigier: This is a subtle, yet sweet, perfume & it's great for Fall & Winter. It's a very universal fragrance that anyone can wear! $29.39 on Amazon.

   

   "Top notes of lychee, watermelon, blood orange & tangerine. Mid notes of water lotus, magnolia petals, & freesia. Finish of crème brulee, sandalwood, & orris" {amazon.com}

Review & First Impressions: L'Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm

I finally purchased this hair mask after hearing so many great things about it on YouTube! At first, I noticed it wasn't as thick as I was expecting it to be. I put it in my hair & it felt like I wasn't even getting any in my hair! I let it sit for about 5-10 minutes & then rinsed it out. My hair didn't feel as soft as it does when I condition it with a normal conditioner, so I was kind of disappointed. I went to bed without putting any products in my hair & when I woke up my hair was incredibly soft and shiny! It has noticeable results, it just took a while for the product to work on my hair.
I do recommend it. I haven't seen a huge difference as far as damage goes, but it has made my hair look so healthy! & it smells good, which is always a nice touch.

$5.97 at Walmart

*This is not a sponsored post.*

3 Ways to Accentuate Freckles

1. Use a medium or light coverage foundation. My favorite is the Clean foundation by Covergirl. Using a light/medium coverage foundation will allow your freckles to be visible, but it will also even out your skin tone.
2. Use translucent powder. Starting at the top of your nose, swipe your favorite translucent powder (my favorite is Smoothers by Covergirl) across your cheeks. Swiping will disguise your pores and make your skin look almost airbrushed.
3. Wear blush. Blush is probably the easiest way to accentuate freckles. A beautiful peach toned blush will bring out the darker pigment of your freckles, making them more noticeable.

There are so many ways to accentuate your natural features, rather than try to cover them up. Let me know if you want to know how to use makeup to accentuate another specific feature. :)

My Nail Polish Collection {1}: Channing by Zoya

This is the PERFECT Fall color! 

"Zoya Nail Polish in Channing can be best described as a rusty or coppery red metallic. Gorgeous and sultry color!" (zoya.com)

I would describe Channing as orange/copper-colored with fine red and gold glitter. 

I think we all know that we can never trust a nail polish based on how well it stays on our toe nails. The real test is seeing how long it stays on our finger nails. I used Channing with my favorite base coat and my favorite top coat & it went a little over a week before I saw any chips. I was very impressed! I got so many compliments on this color; it's gorgeous. This is a must-have nail polish for Fall. I got mine at Ulta for $8. You can also purchase it at zoya.com for $8

This is not my picture, all rights belong to owner.

*This is not a sponsored post.*

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Review & First Impressions: Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm {Plum Twist}

About a week ago I did a post about the Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist. I loved it so much I had to go & buy another one! I was in need of a new berry colored lippie since Boots No7 stopped selling my favorite berry-colored lip gloss from last Fall. I decided that (based on the color on the packaging) Plum Twist was my favorite berry-colored jumbo gloss balm, so I bought it!
I'm not going to lie, I really wasn't a huge fan of the color. It's much more hot pink than the packaging makes it look. I was expecting a red-violet color, but it was pretty hot pink/red instead. I've come to like it, not nearly as much as Blush Twist, but it's still a good color. I recommend looking at it in person (online it looks way darker than it actually is) & consider getting a color more purple if you want the color it appears to be. Overall, it wasn't the color I wanted it to be, but it is still a great lip product! You can wear it sheer or build it up to be very pigmented. This would be a great color for a glamorous/vintage/retro/hollywood look!

$6.64 at Target

*This is not a sponsored post.*

Best Products For Sensitive or Dry Skin

I have suffered from Eczema ever since I can remember. It used to be so bad that I wasn't allowed to have baths or long showers because the water would irritate my skin so badly (even soft water). My mom also used to cover my hands in thick creams and put socks over them at night. I live in Utah, so it is very dry here--especially in the Winter, and I remember that when I was in 2nd grade my teacher bought me lotion because my hands were cracking and bleeding and constantly covered in rashes. It was so much fun.

Over the years, I have tried many different products to keep my Eczema under control. I hope you find this post helpful :)

• Aquaphor: I started using this when I was around 3 years old after my pediatrician recommended it. This is what my mom would cover my arms with. It's a miracle worker! I would go to bed with the worst skin & wake up with super soft, healed skin. The only thing that I don't like about this product is that it makes your hands feel really greasy for quite a while, but that is how it heals and moisturizes. Make sure you wear gloves or socks on your hands when you use this product. I recommend using it before you go to bed at night, after you shower.

$14.26 at Walmart

• Vanicream Cleansing Bar: This works well. It's not my favorite bar of soap for sensitive skin, but it still gets the job done. The only problem with it is it stinks; I think it smells like wet dog. 

  

  $3.49 at Walgreens

• Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream: This is a great cream! It works well for both hands and feet. It's almost like Aquaphor, just less greasy and a little less moisturizing. 

  

  $13.99 at Walgreens

• Vanicream Lite Skin Care Lotion: This is probably my favorite hand lotion for sensitive skin. My hands seriously can't get enough of it. I find myself going through bottles and bottles of this because I love it so much. My grandpa loves it too- probably even more than I do; he has a bottle in every room in his house (& I'm not even kidding). It's super moisturizing and works wonders!

  

  $12.49 at Walgreens

• Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: I really like this lotion, it's my go-to lotion. Since Vanicream is fairly hard to find in stores, this is the next best thing. I like using it on my legs especially. I load it on my legs after I shower & I put socks over it. After I take the socks off, I can still feel the moisture from the lotion for the rest of the day! 

  

  $9.27 at Walmart

• Cetaphil Daily Cleansing Bar: This is the best bar of soap for dry/sensitive skin. It works very well! I use this on my arms and legs.

  

  $3.47 at Walmart

Overall:

Favorite hand lotion: Vanicream Lite Skin Care Lotion

Favorite foot lotion: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

Favorite Cream: Aquaphor

Favorite Soap: Cetaphil Daily Cleansing Bar

That's all for this post. I was able to mention my current favorites, but this is just a handful of all the products I've tried over the years, so you can definitely expect a similar post in the future with even more products :)

*This is not a sponsored post.*

How I Store My Nail Polish

I have decided to start a new series, which will be all about my nail polish collection. The 1st post is scheduled to go up on Tuesday (October 8th) & there will be a new post for the series every Tuesday following that. Before I start this series, I wanted to show y'all how I store my nail polish! I absolutely love the way I store my nail polish & it's definitely worth sharing!

I got this 96 bottle nail polish station on Amazon. It's awesome! I was able to fit 104 nail bottles of nail polish on it, which isn't my entire nail polish collection, but it's most of it. I have about 40 bottles that didn't fit & I keep them in a shoe box in my closet. I'm hoping to get another nail polish station soon so I can display all of my nail polish :) 

Here are some similar nail polish stations on Amazon- unfortunately I don't remember which one I have.

1. http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Polish-Dispay-Holds-Bottles/dp/B004VN31JO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380845665&sr=8-1&keywords=96+bottle+nail+polish+station
2. http://www.amazon.com/Nail-Polish-Display-BRAND-Bottles/dp/B00BB8NPHK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1380845739&sr=8-5&keywords=96+bottle+nail+polish+station
3. http://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-Organizer-Holds-Bottles-Polish/dp/B00DRPMOAY/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380845739&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=96+bottle+nail+polish+station

*This is not a sponsored post.*

Pink Frosted Animal Cracker Lip Shine by Philosophy

A few days ago I picked up the Pink Frosted Animal Cracker Lip Shine by Philosophy. This thing now goes everywhere with me! It's the best. It tastes amazing & the color is perfect. It's pretty moisturizing for a gloss & it doesn't dry my lips out. It looks beautiful when paired with the Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist. As of the moment, it is my favorite gloss. I LOVE it! I definitely recommend it :)

$10.00 at Ulta

*This is not a sponsored post.*

Review & First Impressions: Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm

Yesterday I picked up the Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist. I had heard so many girls rave about them on YouTube & felt it was time I picked one up. I chose Blush Twist because it is a pretty pink color that anyone can pull off.
First Impressions: It wasn't very pigmented (not that I was expecting it to be- it says "sheer color" right on it), but it did have a nice tint to it. It was very moisturizing and didn't dry out my lips.
Review: This is a great product for anyone of any age. If you're like me & you don't like to have to worry about how lip butters or lipstick look on your lips half an hour after applying it, this is for you. It's basically just an awesome tinted lip balm! Great for on-the-go or just a carefree day. I believe they come in 15 colors, so I am excited to try more! Go get you some.

$6.94 at Walmart

*This is not a sponsored post.*

My Favorite Foundation

My absolute favorite foundation is the Covergirl Clean Oil Control foundation.I don't have particularly oily skin, but the oil control formula is definitely my favorite. I think this foundation helps keep my skin clear too. I have used this foundation for somewhere around 3 years & I have found that I tend to breakout more when I'm not using this foundation than I do when I am wearing it! The finish is not dewy, but not matte; it's a happy medium & looks very natural! It's definitely not a full coverage foundation (it's light/medium coverage) and pretty hard to build up coverage with. I apply it with a sponge or the Real Techniques Stippling Brush & it blends very well either way.I love this foundation & it really does make your skin look clean! Go check it out :)

$5.94 at Walmart.

*This is not a sponsored post.*