ORLY: WINTER WONDERLAND

Lately I have been all about the glitter, I just can't get enough of it. So even though this polish debuted last year I still love it and I had to have it. I think I get blinded by all the glitter so I just start snatching up polishes left and right.

This polish has been described as looking almost like crushed ice on the nails, and I must agree. It is a beautiful shiny white with micro flecks of varying colors of glitter that intensifies the white shine when reflected by the light. I tried taking pics so that I could share the beauty of this polish, but, as with most glitter polishes, the camera truly doesn't capture its uniqueness. 

Keep in mind that this polish is very versatile. It can be worn on top of another polish to give it a frosted finish with a hint of sparkle. Or you can wear it alone and just layer the heck out of it so that it doesn't show up as sheer as some have described it.

The polish is currently available in stores at Sally Beauty Supply and retails for: $5.99.

OPI: UP FRONT & PERSONAL NAIL POLISH

Up Front & Personal
A golden glitter you'll really "spark"le to!

This beautiful sparkle-y champagne gold colored nail polish has micro flecks of opalescent green, silver and pink glitter that give off a shimmer that sparkles in the light. It is a gorgeous nail polish that is really hard to capture its true color with an ordinary camera. However, once on the nail, this polish truly shines. Up Close & Personal was first available in 2008 and has maintained a cult following that continues to make it popular year after year. It can be currently found at any Beauty Brands Salon and Spa store.

LOREAL: Color Riche leGloss

#160 VIOLET ATTITUDE

#154 WATERMELON CRUSH

#153 RASPBERRY SPLASH

Yesterday I was at Super Target and I saw the new display for the L'Oreal Color Riche leGloss. I had seen the ads in the August 2011 issue of InStyle magazine and loved how Jennifer Lopez looked wearing #159 Golden Splash. What caught my attention was the shine and how creamy the glosses looked. So I picked up #160 Violet Attitude, #154 Watermelon Crush and #153 Raspberry Splash. The gloss is really creamy and goes on smooth. I like how it doesn't feel sticky and it lasts about a good 2-3 hours wear time (wear time does not include eating or drinking anything).

The leGloss retails for $5.99 which is relatively cheap for a drugstore brand because the majority of them retail for around $8-$11 each. The only complaint that I have about these glosses is the color selection. The display that I saw only had about 12 different colors to choose from and the majority of them were nudes, peaches and browns. So other than the three glosses I bought yesterday I really didn't see any other pink ones, which was kind of disappointing.

JEWELMINT: MINT BLOSSOM BRACELET

JewelMint is the new and personalized way to shop for designer jewelry! Go to www.jewelmint.com and click "Get Started" to create your FREE style profile. You’ll then be introduced to your very own showroom filled with pieces chosen to best match your style. As a member you get access to the affordable luxury of exclusive jewelry collections designed by actress, Kate Bosworth, and her celeb stylist, Cher Coulter.

Each month you’ll receive personalized recommendations and style advice so you can get runway looks and red carpet style on your budget. Membership is just $29.99 per month and includes Stunning New Collections, Celeb Styling Tips and How-To tips and the jewelry piece of your choice.

Shipping is FREE, returns are hassle free and if you don't find something you love, SKIP THE MONTH FOR NO CHARGE. There’s no obligation.

Here is a link to the website: JEWELMINT

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When I went to the website I wasn't sure what to expect. My fear was that I would fall in love with something but the quality wouldn't be there. Or that the pieces would be be unique and beautiful but wouldn't match my style / taste in jewelry. However, my fears were for nothing because every piece that I saw on the JEWELMINT website was gorgeous. Now the only probably I had was which piece should I buy first. I wanted then ALL! Oh my, there are so many lovely pieces of jewelry to be found on their website. Each month new pieces are added to the already beautiful jewels that can be found there.

I decided to play it safe and go for a bracelet because, for me, I love bracelets. They are my go to jewelry pieces and I love incorporating them with various outfits and styles. Sometimes I will build an outfit around the bracelet that I want to wear that day rather than the other way around. Personally, I think every woman should have that one piece of jewelry that makes her feel like a million bucks and it doesn't have to cost that much either. That is what I love so much about JEWELMINT. Everything is just 29.99 for each jewel and the possibilities are endless.  

CHANEL: JULY FAVORITES / SHOPPING SPREE

So I have been drooling (I know not a very attractive picture!) over all of the Chanel products, new and old, that are currently available. I can't believe I have never tried them before. Well, at least anything other than their foundation and a few skincare products, which I must say are quite A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Anyway....

When I was at the mall a few weeks back I decided to splurge a little on some Chanel products. I had heard so many good things about them that I wanted to try them for myself to see if all the hype was well deserved or just that - hype. Here are the items that I picked up and a picture of a look I did as well.

Chanel Bronze Rose

This beautiful bronzer debuted earlier this year in May. At that time I didn't give it much thought because everywhere you looked companies were flooding the market, online and in stores, with their own take on bronzing powders, bronzing creams, etc. The list was endless. Anyway, as a makeup junkie I will tell you that a bronzer is a must-have staple for anyone who wants to avoid the sun's harmful rays but yet doesn't want to look as though they have. In other words, a good bronzer should give a nice healthy glow to your skin and at the same time add definition to your face.

Another reason I didn't buy this right away was because I was slightly intimidated by this palette. It wasn't so much that I didn't know how to apply the bronzer or the blush, it was the design itself, that frustrated me. The side by side bronzer shades along with the blush at the end seemed quite messy at times and didn't leave much room to really pick up a blended mixture of the bronzer shades. So I'm still trying to find my groove on what is the best way to use / apply the various shades without it being a huge mess.

Chanel Taupe - Delicat

The next item that I purchased was the CHANEL OMBRES CONTRASTE DUO eyeshadow in Taupe - Delicat. This eyeshadow duo houses a beautiful taupe color that is nestled next to a semi-frosty shade of vanilla. This color combination can be worn as the most perfect "Natural Work look" which I have done several times since purchasing it.

Chanel Rouge COCO Shine Deauville

This last item I was a little unsure about purchasing. I'm not a huge lipstick fan and I already own several MAC lipsticks that I wasn't sure that I really needed another tube of lipstick. However I had heard so many people comment about how the CHANEL ROUGE COCO SHINE lipstick is so moisturizing and more like a really pigmented lipgloss that I decided to purchase it. By the way, totally worth it! Love it!

This is the look that I created with all of the Chanel products listed above along with a couple of other Chanel items that I didn't list (eyeliner, concealer, foundation, etc.). On average I get a good 10 hours wear time with these products before it starts to really fade. It is important to note that my current work schedule varies from day to day, but for the most part, I work anywhere from 10-14 hours a day and finding products that will last through the day is definitely a top priority for me.

OPI New Summer 2011 Collection Nice Stems Mini Set

As seen in InStyle August 2011

(l-r) Play the Peonies, Come to Poppy, Be a Dahlia Won't You?, I Lily Love You

Play the Peonies: A lovely soft pink that almost comes off as a light white

Come to Poppy: A beautiful shimmering coral-pink color that will go nicely with a summer tan

Be a Dahlia Won't You: A fun, fabulous fuchsia color that screams for attention

I Lily Love You: A light pink sparkle bug in the making

I was at Beauty Brands over the weekend and I saw the display for the new OPI Nice Stems collection. Some of the more popular shades had already sold out so I knew that if I wanted to get any of them my choices would be limited. Either I could wait and see if they got more of the polishes in stock or I could scour the internet. I really couldn't believe they were selling out that quick but of course this is a beautiful collection. So I decided to look around awhile and that is when I saw the mini collection sets. I knew I had to jump on this if I wanted them all and the price was just perfect. Instead of paying $12.50 for each polish I was able to get the whole collection for that price and I thought the mini sizes were really cute too!

CHANEL: MAKEOVER MADNESS

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to receive a free makeover at the Chanel counter at my local mall. The appointment was at 11AM but of course I showed up 30 minutes early so I wouldn't keep the MUA (Makeup Artist) waiting. Also, I was really excited to see what kind of look she was going to do.

When I initially scheduled the appointment last week, I made sure to ask if there were any costs involved. Sometimes when a cosmetic company offers a makeover it is not necessarily "free". It is often implied or expected that the customer will make a significant purchase once the makeover has completed. I was assured that there was no such cost but I had the SA (Sales Associate) set aside a few products just in case. Then the Friday before the big day, I made sure to deep cleanse my face and apply a generous amount of moisturizer so that my skin wouldn't look and feel dry or flaky during the makeover.

So the day of the makeover has arrived and I head on out to the mall. When I get there I don't see anyone so I walk around for a bit until a SA arrives. I tell her I'm there for my makeover appointment and she lets me know that the MUA will arrive shortly. Not to long after that the MUA shows up and we start chatting away about makeup, the weather, and each others plans for the rest of the day. We immediately hit it off and I start to get really good vibes about this whole experience. She then starts asking me what colors do I like to wear, am I looking for a day or evening look, did I have a special look in mind that I wanted her to do. I mention that I had been wanting to purchase the new Prelude quad but was hesitant due to the glitter in some of the shadows. She assures me the quad colors would compliment my complexion and would definitely enhance my green eyes. So I gave her free rein to work her magic on me.

Here is a picture of the finished look:

This is the special gift box that I received at the end of the makeover with several goodies inside.

And here are pictures of the products that I purchased:

Overall I had a really great experience and I think the MUA did a fantastic job.