Happy New Year...Please Be Safe.

Praying that you have a Safe, Happy, but most importantly, a Blessed New Year.  2012 has been a year filled with laughter and tears, but through each and every trial, God has kept us.  I look forward to 2013 with great anticipation and am already praising God for his many Blessings, His Grace, His Mercy and His Love.  Remember, the same God that wrote Genesis, also wrote Revelations.  So always Trust, Believe, and Hope in God.  Again, Happy 2013.

New Years Eve Manicure. Time to Shimmer & Sparkle!!!

WOW! Can you believe that 2013 is just hours away. This year has gone by so fast. I pray each of you have a Very Safe and Happy New Year!

On to my New Year Eve manicure. I had been thinking about my NYE manicure for at least a few weeks.  Just in time, I received my very first Lancôme Nail Polish to review.  Lancôme's 2012 Holiday Collection consists of products for Eyes, Lips, Face, and Nails. 

I was anxious to try the nail polish and the shade I received was just what I was needing for my New Years Eve manicure. I received Lancôme Ginger Swing, which is a gorgeous cool, champange gold shimmer. 

As I mentioned this was my first experience with a Lancôme Nail Polish. So I had no preconceived notion on its application. The brush, is a wider, rounded brush-head, which normally I don't like, but in this instance, the application was impeccable. The flaring of the brush-head allowed me to get close to the cuticles without flooding them.  

Also, the formulation of this polish was close to the beloved "one coater".  In these pictures, I am wearing 2 coats of Lancôme Ginger Swing.

Just to add a little extra bling for the holiday, I added another newly acquired polish for an accent nail-Orly Halo; from the Orly 2012 Holiday Collection.

This collection is available everywhere Lancôme products are sold including, lancome-usa.com. 

What have been your experiences with Lancôme products? I think I need to give some of their other products a try.

Grace, Peace, & Blessings.

 

* At least one of these products was sent to me for review consideration by the PR department of the Manufacturer. These however are my honest opinions. I am not employed by nor was I paid by this company.

REVIEW: Sinful Colors...Another Lip Shine Collection

Last Summer, I did a blog post on a collection of lip glosses from the nail polish company, Sinful Colors. I really liked that collection. The collection was pigmented and contained a few MAC dupes.  If you would like to see that earlier post, click HERE. 

I recently came across another collection of lip glosses from Sinful Colors, and based on my first experience with the brand and their lippies, I wasn't hesitant to buty this latest collection.  At first sight, the colors looked to be perfect for Spring & Summer. The collection of this Summer was all creams, but this latest collections were mostly shimmers, with 1 cream.

 

 

The first is Flirt Alert, which is a pink shimmer.  This would work good alone for a soft look or layered over maybe MAC Sweetie or Up The Amp.



 Next is Always (not Really) Red. It is the only cream in the collection. If you have the red gloss from the original collection, Love Potion, you don't need this one.  I don't know if this is a re-release, but they look the same to me.

Then there is Strawberry Kisses, a warm pink shimmer. Of this collection, this is probably my favorite.

 

Fruit Cocktail, is a coral-salmon pink with micro shimmer. I guess this could add a shine to pretty much any pink, or nude lipstick. 

 

Lastly is Peach Me. This is the one I was most excited about as well as most disappointed.  As the name denotes, Peach Me is a pretty soft peach with a golden shimmer-in the tube.  On the lips, it is extremely sheer. I will be layering this over my nudes, bronzes, & corals.

What disappointed me the most about Peach Me was the applicator. My first time removing the wand from the tube, the wand was without the doe-foot sponge.  I will need to purchase some disposible wands during my next trip to Sally Beauty.  This is not my first issue with the Sinful Colors Lip Shines.  The first collection had packaging issues also. The squeggie thing that meters the amount of product that stays on the wand, came off 3 of the 5 lip glosses I purchased. I hope Sinful Colors makes an improvement to their packaging.

Fail-Where is the Doe-Foot?

 While these glosses all look very pigmented in their tubes, they each have a different level of pigmentation.  The early collection is definitely more pigmented. Also, I don't know if there is been a change to the formula, but this collection is more stickly than the first. So Lesson learned: I should not base future purchases on past experiences.  I'm kind of disappointed with this collection.

I mentioned in my original post that the Sinful Colors Website was under construction.  Since then their site is up but there is no mention of their lip shines. 

Have you tried any of these latest Sinful Colors Lip Shines, and if so what was your opinion? Do you prefer the shimmers or the creams?

Grace, Peace, & Blessings.

* FTC: These products were bought with my own monies. These are my honest opinions. I am not employed by nor was I paid by and of these companies. This is not a sponsored post.

NOTD: Color Club Ho-Ho-Holly...

With the Holiday Season and Pantone announcing Emerald as the Color of the Year for 2013, this polish is perfect. I was recently in Sally Beauty looking to pick up some new polishes and to my surprise, I spotted a small Color Club display.  This was my normal Sally Beauty and they had never carried the Color Club brand so you can imagine my delight.  I picked up two, the first that I will share with you is Color Club Ho-Ho-Holly from their 2012 Holiday Collection. It is a gorgeous Emerald Foil Green.

Prior to this purchase, I only owned one other Color Club polish. I had been wanting to get more but just hadn't yet.  At first sight, I picked this polish up and was taken by the beautiful emerald green with a golden highlight.  It is a foil finish that is not too "in your face".  But this is one of those polishes that caused me to continually admire my manicure throughout the day.

I really do need to get some more Color Club polishes, but just need to remember to make sure the room is well ventilated when I'm polishing my nails.  What are some of your favorite Color Club polishes? I need to start my shopping list, LOL!

 

Review:

• Opacity: As pictured, 2 coats for full opacity
• Price: At Sally Beauty, $3.99 for 15ml,  0.5 oz
• Availabiltiy: Some Ross Department Stores, some Sally Beauty Stores, and Online retailers
• Application: Smooth with no flooding of the cuticles.
• Con: There is a definite strong scent. Even after 2 days, the chemical scent was noticable.

 Grace, Peace, & Blessings.

 

* FTC: This product wase bought with my own monies. These are my honest opinions. I am not employed by nor was I paid by this company. 

Holiday Prep Tips w/ Celebrity Makeup Artist

We are in the midst of Holiday Season which for most includes tons of picture taking. Celebrity Makeup Artist, Amy Oresman, has provided us with 5 Easy Steps for achieving that Picture Perfect Holiday Look.

During the holidays when you're running from one event to the next, your makeup can take a beating. To help you look picture perfect, it's important to start with a good base.  The Healthy Skin Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15 instantly smoothes skin imperfections so makeup applies more evenly and lasts longer.

Between parties, shopping and cooking, the holidays can leave many women feeling and looking rundown, often showing up as bags and dark circles under the eyes.  Healthy Skin Brightening  Eye Protector is a do-it-all product that not only brightens and conceals but is clinically proven to de-puff and treat dark under eye circles, formulated with optical eye brighteners, this silky formula instantly boosts radiance and lightens shadows around the eye area, leaving skin looking refreshed and more even-toned, so you're close-up ready!

Often times, the photo flash can make our look washed out. To really make our eyes pop, eyeliners is a girl's best friend. Nourishing Eyeliner contains a specialized blend of light-reflecting pearls that help make the whites of eyes appear whiter, while the rich color instantly brightens and defines eyes.  What's more, the formula is enriched with skin-conditioning ingredients including olive oil, rainforest shea butter and Vitamin E to help nourish the delicate skin at the base of the lashes.

My must-have accessory for any holiday look is mascara! My personal preference is Healthy Volume® Mascara because it builds lash volume by 400% with the triple benefits of olive extract, Meadowfoam seed and sweet almond for fuller, more conditioned lashes.  The exclusive super sized visible volume brush quickly coats and builds every single lash, without clumping, smudging for flaking, resulting in beautifully defined lashes that are conditioned from the inside out.


Personal Experience: I have used several of the Neutrogena skin care products, but never their make-up. My first impression of the Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara is that I need to visit other Neutrogena make-up products. This is a a great product; with just 2 coats, I achieved the full volume look I strive for. There was an evident increase in volume with just the first coat. The formulation is more dry than wet, but still good, and created no clumps. The one thing I would change would be to make the brush a bit smaller. However, Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara is a product you should give a try; I know that it is one I will be revisiting.

No holiday look is complete without the perfect pout to round off the picture perfect look!  Every woman wants soft, luxurious lips, but achieving them isn't always so easy since many products can leave lips feeling dry, especially during the winter months.  Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20 is formulated with ion2complex ™ Technology that offers a surge of moisture and improves lips' overall appearance.  In just one week, this sheer tinted balm is clinically proven to improve the texture of lips while restoring lips' rosiness.

What are some of the products you use for that Picture Perfect Look?

Grace, Peace, & Blessings.

 

 

* These sample products were sent to me for review consideration by the PR department of the Manufacturer. These however are my honest opinions. I am not employed by nor was I paid by this company.