Manicure Monday

This weeks nail color is about as simple as it comes--- YELLOW!!  I figured what better what to kick off the official summertime than with a color that represents the Sun.

This week I used Sally Hansen's Mellow Yellow nail polish.  This is the Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear formula. BUT BE CAREFUL--  Sally Hansen is in the process of changing the formula for some of their Hard As Nails, Xtreme Wear colors and this is one of them.  The original formula is creamy and opaque and glides on.  I haven't been hearing many good things on the new formula, but since I have yet to try it, I won't bash it yet!!

Here are a couple of pics showing my "always imperfect -do it myself because I am cheap" manicure, and yes I did clean up more around my cuticles, but I normally do that the next morning gin the shower:

Besides the annoying shadow, I like this pic best because it shows the color in natural light

So what do you have on your nails this week??

In all things there is beauty

~~~ Michelle xoxoxo

June IPSY bag

Ipsy is a beauty subscription bag that costs $10 a month.  You take a quiz to help Ipsy fill your bag with the products that they think you will enjoy the most and you receive 4-5 deluxe sample and/or full size products to enjoy and can earn points for more products or use special coupon codes to purchase these items.  I have been a member of Ipsy since February 2013.

I received my June IPSY bag this week.  The theme for this month's bag was Pretty in Paradise.  After last month's bag, I figured any bag had to better than that..and boy was I right.  I am actually super excited to start trying out these products.

This month's bag also caught my attention.  It is a Rebecca Minkoff for Ipsy bag.  Extremely cute, and since Rebecca Minkoff is known for her expensive taste and supreme quality, I have high expectations for the many uses this bag will serve for me in the future.

1. NYX butter gloss in Eclair- http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/p-191-butter-gloss.aspx    $5.00

This was a full size product.  Already one that I know that I will love as I already own one of these in my ever growing lip product collection.  I do not have this peachy pink color and cannot wait to try it out in this upcoming week.

2. Eau de parfum REALTREE for her - http://www.realtreebeauty.com/?1  $24.00

Received a sample of this perfume. The actual amount is not listed on the sample bottle unfortunately The full size product is 3.4 fl oz.  The scent is one that I like, but may be a little heavy for some during the summer months.  I tend to like the heavier scents and am actually planning on using this sample right away.  The REALTREE website describes the scent as, 

"Realtree for Her opens up with the sweet taste of pomegranate, a hint of persimmon and an exotic scent of orchids. It blends with lotus blossom and champaca flower and it’s followed by the rich scent of amber, the transient scent of violets and the depth of mahogany wood."

I'm thinking it's the mahogany wood and amber that give it that sort of "deep" smell.  

3. Nicka K Shimmer eyeliner in Blue - http://www.nicka.com/navigation-menu/eye/eyeliner/liquid/shimmer-eyeliner   $4.99

I received a full size of this product.  It is a liquid eyeliner that is could be described as a "foil" liner.  I swatched it on my hand, and am already impressed.  It is extremely pigmented and the brush allows for you to draw any width line that you are interested in.  It also dried quickly and stayed on my hand for the remainder of the day.  I can't wait to give this a try!

4. ORFA eyebrow pencil in UNIVERSAL - http://ofracosmetics.com/absolutebrowpencil.aspx  $13.00

Another full size product.  I have been experimenting quite a bit with my eyebrows.  I have only found a couple of pencils that truly match my eyebrows enough to make me feel comfortable.  Here's hoping that this "universal" color will be a match.

5. Carol's Daughter SACRED TIARE (anti-breakage & anti-frizz) styling cream - http://www.carolsdaughter.com/Sacred-Tiare-Styling-Cream.html?BCID=48BE04CAEDC0  $12.00

The sample I received is 0.5 oz...full size is 3.0.  This item is listed on the Carol's Daughter website as exclusively sold at Target, but I did find it available online through the Ipsy website on on various places like amazon, ebay, etc.  Seeing as how I have just recently started wearing my hair in it's natural state, I am very curious as to how this will work.  I haven't done much research on these products, but plan on giving this a try to combat some of my natural frizz.

This month's Ipsy bag has a retail value of $58.99.  Not bad since I only paid $10 dollars!! Lots of items that I am eager to try!!  Be on the lookout for a review in the upcoming weeks!!

In all things there is beauty, 

~~Michelle xoxoxox

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1i48

**This page does contain affiliate links.  Please note that by using the ipsy link above, I do receive points if you choose to sign up.  Do not feel obligated to use the above link.  You can always go to Ipsy and sign up on your own!!

1st BijouxbyMeg Etsy purchase

I have been watching Jen (OrganizedJen.com) on YouTube for about a year now.  One of the places she recommends for jewelry is a seller on Etsy ---- BijouxbyMeg.  BijouxbyMeg is a woman who makes handcrafted jewelry.. her jewelry is extremely "delicate" and "girly".  She focuses on personalization work, which I LOVE!!!

I had gone on to Etsy at several times in the past 6 months, but had never made a purchase.  Not because I didn't like any of the products, but because I liked so many things, that I just couldn't make a decision.

About 2 weeks ago, I stopped being so indecisive and chose a necklace that is hand stamped with the word faith on it!!  I am pretty sure that if you wanted to get a similar necklace, you can have anything stamped on it.  I actually wrote to Meg on her FB page when I placed my order, just to let her know that I was excited..and she was kind enough to write back, which is pretty important to me when it comes to independent business owners.  The more they interact with the community, the more I am willing to support them.

I don't know if all of her stuff comes packaged this way, but mine came in a simple box with a ribbon tied around it..  It is wrapped inside and also came with a card that tells you how to take care of your jewelry.

I have yet to wear my necklace, but think it is beautiful!!  Can't wait to pick out my next piece!  Don't forget to check out her Etsy website, BijouxbyMeg

In all things there is beauty, 

~~~~Michelle xoxoxo

 

Thought Provoking Thursday

I heard this quote at Brooke's college graduation last week and it just stuck in my mind.  As soon as the speaker started reading this quote, I had to grab my phone and look it up.

 A great lesson for all of us!!

Manicure Monday

This weeks manicure is sort of a failure, so while I will still post the pics, just know that I know that my nails look crappy!!  I was so tired last night and almost didn't paint them at all, but have been consistent for the past 3 weeks, and I didn't want to ruin that-- haha!

Don't worry--- I cleaned the area around my cuticles HAHAHA!!

I was drinking some pink lemonade before I painted my nails and used that as my motivation for this week. And yes, I still have accent nails- but I did do them a little differently this time around :)  I painted 2 nails on each had with a bright yellow color by Julep, called Abbie.  The other three nails were painted with a bright pink by Sinful Colors called Pink Happy Thoughts.  LOVE LOVE LOVE both of these colors, but really struggled with their application.  The bright pink, in the bottle, looks like it has muted streaks of yellow, but that didn't show up at all on the nails.  Sinful Colors formula is sort of hit or miss for me, but I don't mind because the polishes are so inexpensive.  This particular color was extremely runny.  In fact, more than once, it dripped off of the brush while I was applying it and got on my darn pajama pants....uuuggghhh!!!    I thought that after 2 coats, the color was completely opaque-- but as I look at my nails today-- NOPE, not so much!!  The bright yellow color was okay.  Julep happens to be a brand that I really like for nail polish.  I used to be subscribed to the Julep Maven nail polish box, but money got a little tighter, and I had to be mature and let that go.  But if you have the funds available, I would recommend checking out julep.com to get more information on becoming a julep maven and receiving 3 nail polishes a month.  I used 2 coats of this polish, and definitely could have done at least 2 more.

I did not use my ONM Out the Door topcoat and tried to just use my Nicole by OPI drying drops and after 3 minutes, my nails were dry enough for me to lay down and go to bed.  This morning when I woke up, my nails weren't smudged or anything!!  5 stars for these drying drops!!!