Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Lyn B Designs February Polish of the Month: L'amethyste

Press Sample


Happy hump day, dear readers! This month has flown by, and it's almost hard to believe tomorrow is the start of a new one. What could be better to share with you today but the new upcoming Polish of the Month shade by LynB Designs! Presenting: L'amethyste!


LynB Designs is continuing the year off with her birthstone-inspired creations. As a mineral nerd, I am always excited to see collections with this inspiration! The February Polish of the Month is LynB Designs take on amethyst. L'amethyste is composed of a purple jelly base with gold holographic micro glitter and purple to pink to orange to gold shifty shimmer. I love the sparkle in this beauty, and I like that the final overall look is a warm shade of purple. Because it is loaded with so much shimmer and glitter, the formula is a little on the thicker side, but I didn't find it to be too thick by any means. I had no issues with applying it to my nails whatsoever. I used two coats plus top coat for a smoother finish for these photos.

Retail: $10

L'amethyste will be launching on the LynB Designs website this Friday, February 2nd. Whether you're a February baby, a gem nut, or just love the colour purple, L'amethyste is a great shade to add to your collection!

Are you looking forward to the start of another month? I'd love to hear what you have planned!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


Helpful Links
Connect with me on Social Media!

Monday, January 29, 2018

Literary Lacquers: As You Wish Trio

Press Sample


Greetings, dear readers, and happy Monday! The weekend was far too short, and here we are at the start of another week already! Hopefully you enjoyed the weekend and this week is already off to a wonderful start for you! To start off my week, I thought I would share with you a new trio from Literary Lacquers, inspired by The Princess Bride. I have never actually read the book, but I have seen the film that was adapted from the fantasy romance novel. Amy, the creative mastermind behind the brand, has developed two new core shades and a third limited edition glitter topper to complete the trio. Let's get a closer look at each of these polishes!

Princess Buttercup

Princess Buttercup is a white matte polish that has been accented with pink glitter and shimmer. This polish is a little on the sheer side and requires three coats for opacity. That being said, the matte formula dries quickly so it took no time at all to build up this beauty on my nails. While white-based polishes are notorious for having tricky formulas, I had no issues whatsoever with this stunner. In spite of the glitters and shimmer, the final look is relatively smooth overall. I added a layer of matte top coat just to smooth out the slightest hint of bumpiness for these photos.

The Man in Black

I have a weakness for black-based glitter polishes, so I am glad to see one in the new Literary Lacquers lineup! The Man in Black is much like its white counterpart: a polish filled with pink glitters and shimmers with a matte finish when dry. I LOVE IT! The formula is also a little on the sheer side and required three coats for me to cover all visible nail line. Again, because it is a matte polish, it dries quite quickly, so needing a third coat is far from an inconvenience. It also dries to the slightest bit of texture; I added a layer of matte top coat for a smoother look for these photos.

As I mentioned previously in this post, Literary Lacquers is also launching a third shade that is going to be limited edition. The limited edition shade is Mawage, a lovely glitter topper.

Mawage
(over Princess Buttercup)

Mawage is a clear-based glitter topper composed of  silver and dark pink hexagon-shaped glitters and larger dark pink heart-shaped glitters. The glitters are suspended throughout the base; however, because the heart glitters are larger, and therefore heavier, they do sink some to the bottom half of the polish bottle. Whenever you plan to wear this topper, I recommend propping it upside down for about twenty minutes or so while you start your manicure so the hearts are a little more evenly dispersed throughout the base.

I used a coat of Mawage over Princess Buttercup for these photos. Mawage utilizes a more shiny/non-matte base, and I added a layer of shiny top coat over my nails here for a smoother finish.

 Mawage
(over The Man in Black)

I applied a coat of Mawage over The Man in Black as my base for these photos above. I then added a coat of matte top coat. While it is pretty with a shiny finish as shown over Princess Buttercup in the previous set of photos, I am smitten over this matte look!

One other feature of Mawage of note is the smell. It is rather strong with its chemical fragrance, but it disappears quickly when it dries. I don't find it to be a deal breaker by any means, but you may want to be sure to paint your nails in a well ventilated area. Ideally we all should do so anyway, but in case you don't, this is a time when you will want to.


The As You Wish Trio will be launching at 12 noon MST on the Literary Lacquers website  this Friday, February 2nd.

Each polish will retail for $10, or you can pick up the trio while all three shades are available for $27. Mawage, the limited edition glitter topper, will only be available for purchase through the month of February only.

Are you a fan of The Princess Bride? Do you have a favorite shade from this trio? I'm excited to see more matte polishes join the Literary Lacquers lineup, and I hope you are too!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

Helpful Links
Connect with me on Social Media!

Friday, January 26, 2018

KBShimmer for Polish Pickup February 2018: Rock This Way

Press Sample


TGIF, dear readers! I am really excited to share with you another addition to the Sugar Rush-themed February Polish Pickup! For the first time, KBShimmer is joining the lineup! It is always exciting to see brands jumping in on this fun project, and KBShimmer certainly knocked it out of the park! Named Rock This Way, Christy took her inspiration for colour and perfectly punny name from rock candy. Let's check it out!


For most children, there is nothing better than a sweet treat. A cool popsicle on a hot day, a handful of candy coated chocolates at the movie theater, candies that turned your mouth a rainbow of colors, candy is king. Pure sugar, vibrant blue color, and berry flavoring, all crystalized on a stick, rock candy and the blue mouths of children that love it is the inspiration for KBShimmer’s first Polish Pick Up shade.

Rock This Way is a vivid cobalt blue nail polish loaded up with KBShimmer's signatue holographic glow flakes. With an added does of blue shimmer, this shade is what all blue-lovers dream about! This polish glows and is sure to be the highlight to your daily wardrobe!


Those that have been following my blog already know I am usually a fan of KBShimmer polishes. The colours are well thought out and the formula is usually sublime. I am happy to report that the characteristics I've grown to expect from the brand describe Rock This Way as well! The formula isn't too thick or thin for my taste, and it applies effortlessly. While there is a substantial quantity of glow flakes to polish base, this polish spreads beautifully across the nails for full coverage with two easy coats. I then added KBShimmer's Clearly On Top top coat for these photos.


Rock This Way is an exclusive shade to the February Polish Pickup, and it will be launching on the Polish Pickup website next Friday, February 2nd. For those that are unfamiliar with the Polish Pickup, the store is only open for a few days; the February Polish Pickup shop opening will be from February 2nd through February 5th. Please note that all items purchased through the shop are made as a pre-order. It may take up to three weeks for items to ship from Polish Pickup shipping headquarters.

Retail: $10


Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful night and enjoy the weekend!
XO!

Helpful Links
Facebook Group (Polish Pickup Pack): www.facebook.com/groups/polishpickuppack
Instagram: www.instagram.com/PolishPickup

Connect with me on Social Media!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Ellagee for Polish Pickup February 2018: Truly Scrumptious

Press Sample

Happy hump day, dear readers! I don't know about you, but I am beyond ready for this week to be over! I'm running on very little sleep and lots of coffee right now, and while it technically works, it certainly isn't sustainable for any length of time. I'm particularly eager for my hubby to get back home so I don't have to handle all the middle of the night wake ups plus early mornings on my own. Thankfully he'll be home tomorrow, and I'll likely be passing out by 5pm and not waking up until I have to start getting ready for work Friday. I'm dreaming about it now.....


For this evening's blog post, I wanted to share with you the February Polish Pickup offering by Ellagee Polish. The theme for next month's Polish Pickup is Sugar Rush, and Ellagee was inspired by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This is where I confess I haven't actually seen it, but the storyline sounds really cute so it is on my list to watch one of these days. While I cannot vouch for the film, or the book that inspired it, I can say with certainty that Ellagee's polish is exquisite! Presenting: Truly Scrumptious!


Truly Scrumptious is described as a scattered rosy pink holographic polish with pink and iridescent flakes. I personally find the colour to be a little more of a mauve pink as it has a touch of purple that is magnificent! Truly Scrumptious is delicate and feminine. Whether you're looking for the perfect soft shade for a wedding, a date night, or a polish that is work appropriate but still beautiful, Truly Scrumptious is the perfect choice!


Not too thick or thin for my liking, Truly Scrumptious applies effortlessly. Those that usually wear mainstream nail polish brands may find the formula to be thicker than what they are used to, but the consistency is glorious. I ended up using two coats to cover any visible nail line, as shown in these photos. I also topped my nails off with Ellagee's Glass top coat for extra shine.


Truly Scrumptious will be available for purchase on the Polish Pickup website from February 2nd through February 5th. Please note it is only available for purchase for this short time and only at Polish Pickup. All orders are also made as a pre-order, and it can take up to three weeks for shipping by the Polish Pickup shipping crew.


If you've been wanting a beautiful and delicate polish, Truly Scrumptious is for you! Be sure to mark your calendars so you can order this beauty next weekend! You do not want to miss out!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful night!
XO!



Helpful Links
Facebook Group (Polish Pickup Pack): www.facebook.com/groups/polishpickuppack
Instagram: www.instagram.com/PolishPickup

Connect with me on Social Media!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

LynBDesigns for Polish Pickup February 2018: Saccharin Breeze

Press Sample

Greetings, dear readers! I hope you've been having a wonderful week! It's been a busy one around here with my husband out of town, but I'm taking advantage of nap time to get today's post published. Since I've got limited time to write, I'm going to keep the chit chat short and jump in on today's post.


The theme for the February Polish Pickup is Sugar Rush, and sneak peeks have been going up in the Facebook group. The brands have really delivered some stunning creations, and for today's blog post, I have the pleasure of sharing one of them with you! LynBDesigns took a fun spin on the theme and was inspired by Sweet n Low. Here is a look at Saccharin Breeze!


Saccharin Breeze is a bright watermelon jelly nail polish loaded with pink to purple to blue shimmer, blue glass flecks, and copper colored micro holographic glitters. This polish is sure to shoo away any winter blues you might have! The colour is so bright and cheery, and it will have you ready for pool lounging during spring break!


In spite of being loaded up with all the sparkled goodness, the application of Saccharin Breeze was, well, a breeze! Not too thick or thin, it applied easily for me without any issues. I ended up using two coats to cover any visible nail line, although those with longer nails most likely will need to use a third coat for opacity. I also added a glossy top coat for these photos.

I was really curious to see what Saccharin Breeze would look like with a matte finish, and I thought I'd try it out! Here is a look at Saccharin Breeze with matte top coat.


I just adore this with a matte finish! You can really appreciate all that is going on with this polish, and the blue just seems to pop so much more with a matte finish!


Saccarin Breeze will be available for purchase from the Polish Pickup website from Friday, February 2nd through Monday, February 5th. This is the only time this polish can be purchased, so if you want to add this beauty to your collection, be sure to mark it on your calendars! It will retail for $12 per bottle, and there is no cap in place on how many can be ordered of this particular shade. Note that all purchases through Polish Pickup is a pre-order; please allow three weeks for shipping.


What do you think about Saccharin Breeze? Do you prefer it shiny or with a matte top coat? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


Helpful Links
Facebook Group (Polish Pickup Pack): www.facebook.com/groups/polishpickuppack
Instagram: www.instagram.com/PolishPickup

Connect with me on Social Media!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team

Do you have a pair of Tweezerman tweezers or other implements laying around that are blunt and no longer function correctly? Jen from The Jedi Wife writes about her experience with sending her own tweezers to the company sharpening service facility for a firsthand and honest look at the process. 


If you are among the many people seeking to green-up your makeup routine, with eco-luxe lipsticks, then Lola's Secret Beauty Blog is thrilled to introduce you to AXIOLOGY Natural Lipsticks and Lip Crayons. They are ultra-pigmented, packed with good-for-you nourishing ingredients, and they put the luxe in eco-luxe. Check out the full review and swatches to see why this is a great brand to add to your collection. 


It's time to get your exercise game up and running. Lisa from Beauty Info Zone has a beauty helper from Yuni - the Reset & Rejuvenate kit that she thinks is the perfect companion. 


Pammy Blogs Beauty has some great Color of the Year 2018 Ultra Violet makeup ideas! 


Prime Beauty tested out the new Olay Skin Advisor Tool and learned her skin age is 6 years younger than her chronological age! Find out how easy it is to use the tool, get product recommendations and see her results! 


Have you ever gotten a Beautylish Lucky Bag, a limited edition luxury makeup subscription box that comes out every January? Allison from Never Say Die Beauty shares her impressions of her first one! 


Continuing her countdown of the Best In Beauty for 2017 this week Polarbelle brings you her Best and Worst Lip Products for the year. 


Are you looking for all natural, organic and chemical free skincare products to get you through the winter weather? See what Stacie from Makeup Obsessed Mom has been using to battle dry skin during the cold spell in Texas. 


Take a walk down nail polish memory lane with BeautyJudy this week with Zoya and Ninja Polish!

Friday, January 19, 2018

Press Release: Zoya Bridal Bliss Collection

ZOYA BRIDAL BLISS - 2018

Introducing...Zoya Bridal Bliss! From “something blue” to the most delicate shimmer, there is truly a color for every blushing bride. The Bridal Bliss nail & lip displays hold an array of shades meticulously chosen by our Color Specialist, giving you an amazing assortment to offer your bridal clientele. Perfect for salons, spas & bridal boutiques. Be the first to carry Zoya Bridal Bliss!


Bridal Bliss features one brand new shade – Zoya in Brighton – a full coverage, diamond holographic soft nude. PS – Brighton is featured in our Mystery Box!

Colors Included Left to Right: Leia, Brighton, McKenna, Chantal, Loretta, Erika, Bela, Avril, Rue, Abby, Blu, Snow White



AVAILABLE JANUARY 22ND 2018.
ZOYA.COM $10 ea.(US)

*10 FREE FORMULA: FORMULATED WITHOUT FORMALDEHYDE, FORMALDEHYDE RESIN, DIBUTYL PHTHALATE, TOLUENE, CAMPHOR, TPHP, PARABENS, XYLENE, ETHYL TOSYLAMIDE and LEAD.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

A Tweezerman Sharpening Experience

Happy hump day, dear readers! I hope you've been having a great week! It's been pretty uneventful this far, and I am really looking forward to a me-only staycation later this week! As much as I love being a wife and mom, I am in need of a break away from the chaos. It's still going to be business as usual- go to work and then work on blog content later, but with the bonus of extra quiet and personal space. My kids are the best snugglers, and while I do enjoy it most of the time, I'm feeling more than  little touched out and could use a little reset. It will also help get me in a good mental state to handle solo parenting when the hubby leaves town for a conference next week. I'm hoping to keep up with the posting while he's away, but I'm sure if would help immensely if I could stop yammering away, right? I'm going to follow that advice now, quit the chatter and jump in on today's post. Let's do this!


I wanted to do something a little different for today's blog post, but since it still falls in the realm of "beauty", I thought it might be helpful for you, dear readers! A necessary beauty item for everyone is a good pair of tweezers, and I've been using the Tweezerman brand for years. The brand is well known for high quality products, particularly when it comes to tweezers. They are a little spendier than some other brands at the drugstore or your local Target stores, but with their unparalleled accuracy and precision, it's no wonder why the brand has so many beauty awards throughout the years. One of the key differences between Tweezerman and other brands is that Tweezerman offers free sharpening on their tweezers, nippers, and scissors. How awesome is that! In truth, I have never used this service before in spite of using Tweezerman tweezers for at least 15 years now. I have always meant to do it, but my tweezers would always end up mangled beyond recognition, and therefore unable to actually be sharpened. I've found numerous tweezers in the garage, and there has been blood a stern talking to on a few occasions. I've had some just disappear into oblivion, never to be seen again. Up until now, I have just sucked it up and gone out and bought yet another pair. It's great for Tweezerman, and since it only happens once a year or so, not that big of an investment on my part. That being said, I was determined that my relationship with my tweezers needed to change. Once I started added in tweezers in vibrant colours and patterns, I knew I had to keep them under lock and key take care of them if I wanted to enjoy them long term. I suppose I can now call myself a grown-up, dear readers, because I have finally done it! Originally I had no plans to write a blog post about the experience, but if you've been thinking about picking up the brand to try yourself or have been toying about sending in a pair of tweezers or other implements to get sharpened yourself, maybe this post will convince you.


The first step to sharpening your Tweezerman devices is to visit the "Free Sharpening"page on their website and filling out the form. You start out with providing your shipping and contact information. Here you can also elect to receive emails and notifications from the brand. This is for all the "other" emails, so if you choose to not sign up for alerts from the brand, they will still send you email updates about the status of your sharpening event.

The form continues as you select the nature of the tools that need sharpening and the quantity. There is also a space to add any special instructions you might have. I'm not really sure what special instructions one might include, but it's nice that there is a space for that should something be needed. My sassy-self had to fight the urge to put in "please don't stab yourself with tweezers", but my sense of humor seems to be going unappreciated lately so I opted to leave it blank. At least I'm pretty sure I did anyway, but since I wasn't planning to write this post, I'm not 100% sure on that. If anyone from Tweezerman happens to be reading this and knows otherwise *waves* Hi, yeah, I'm not that funny, I know. Thankfully I have no plans to make a career in comedy.

There is also an area where you select whether or not you want unsharpenable implements sent back to you or have the device kept by Tweezerman and you would receive a 50% off coupon in return. I did not take a "before" photo of my tweezers, but in my non-sharpening professional opinion, I felt that two of the tweezers could easily be sharpened. The third pair, my straight pointed tweezers, had a slight bend at the tip after use from some unknown nefarious means. While I wasn't sure this particular pair could be sharpened, I figured it was worth a shot to send it out and worst case scenario, I was able to save money on a replacement pair.


Once you have filled in the form, you end up with a generated form like this. The top half is meant to be included in your package while the bottom portion is affixed to your package. This is where I have to briefly halt this dialogue and tell you two little facts about me that you may not know:

                       1. I'm difficult efficient, and
                       2. I loathe going to the post office.

These facts are important here for this post because Tweezerman is not responsible for the loss of any implements not sent in insured packaging. Rather than affixing the shipping label to a package, go into the post office, and purchase shipping to include insurance, I opted to just shove the entire form into a small flat rate box and purchase and print out a USPS label myself with PayPal shipping. I then had my awesome postal delivery guy pick up the box without having to get out of my pajamas step outside the house. The USPS flat rate box automatically comes with up to $50 worth of insurance, which is what I would have purchased anyway with shipping my three pairs of tweezers. While it's a little on the lower side of the value of Tweezerman tweezers, I felt that was a fair value given their age and the less-than-ideal condition of my straight tweezers. I also felt better knowing they were contained in a box and less likely to stab a USPS worker or Tweezerman employee should they pierce through a less secure bubble mailer.

Once my tweezers were out of my hands and on the way to Tweezerman sharpening headquarters, I had nothing left to do but wait the four-to-six week lead time noted on all sharpening orders. Naturally, I ended up at Target to pick up another pair of Tweezerman tweezers I could use while I waited. My eyebrows get scary when left to their own devices, and I did not want to impart that sight onto the world!

Three business days after USPS picked up my package for shipment, I received an email from Tweezerman verifying they had received my implements.


I was starting to get a little antsy when the six week lead time had past without word, but one day shy of seven weeks I received another email from Tweezerman stating that my implements where ready to be shipped back to me. There was no additional information included with this email, and since it was a generic email, I wasn't sure if I would be receiving one, two, three, or even any of my implements back in the mail. As I mentioned previously, I was reasonably sure I would be getting two of them back with my straight tweezers being the wild card. I didn't have to wait long to find out as four days later, my package arrived in the mail containing all three of the tweezers I had sent out.

Tweezerman returned my tweezers to me in a padded mailer with a note card stating that my tweezers were sharpened by Fausto Perez.


While I had wrapped them in bubble wrap and tossed them in a box (the paranoia of someone stabbing themselves with the straight ones in particular was very high), they were returned to me in their own little plastic blue sleeves.


Each of my tweezers also had a little plastic tip placed on them. These little plugs did make retrieving them out of the sleeves a little difficult, so you'll either have to cut open the sleeves or use another pair of tweezers to pull them out if you plan to use the sleeves for storage in the future. It is far from a deal-breaker for me, but I still wanted to mention it should someone be interested in this little tidbit.


At the end of the day, I had a great experience with getting my tweezers sharpened by Tweezerman. They made the process easy and straightforward, and I really appreciated getting email confirmation that they had received them from me and again to let me know they were on the way. It may have taken me fifteen years to actually get to this point, and I am happy to report it was overall a great experience.  My tweezers were returned to me sharp and ready for precise plucking action. Thank you to Fausto Perez and Tweezerman for taking such great care of my essential beauty tools!

If you have your own tweezers or other Tweezerman implements sitting around needing a little tlc, I wouldn't hesitate to ship them off to get them sharpened. Just remember to have a backup pair on hand while you wait!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


Helpful Links
Store: www.tweezerman.com
Connect with me on Social Media!

On Instagram

© Laugh, Love, Contour. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.