Empties #2

Hi guys! Long time, no see! I'm not even going to give any excuses of why it's been so long so let's just jump right into this long overdue Empties post!

Herbal Essences Drama Clean Shampoo - This was actually in my last empties post so I won't go on and on about it. I still love and have repurchased it, again.
Redken Smooth Down Conditioner -  I'm pretty sure I've said before anything I loved when I had long hair, I've hated since I got my hair cut. I like this but it's not fantastic. It just doesn't do anything amazing enough to justify the price tag. I won't be repurchasing.

pHisoderm Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin - I'm actually really surprised I haven't spoken about this before! This is my all time holy grail cleanser. It removes makeup, cleans deeply but doesn't completely dry out my skin. Best of all it's super inexpensive! I will repurchase this as soon as I use up the cleansers I have left in my stash.
Olay Fresh Effects Shine Shine Go Away Cleanser - I reviewed this here when I got it in my Influenster VoxBox back in the spring. I actually like this quite a bit. There are things I do enjoy more but this was pretty good. If you've been considering it or are just looking for a drugstore cleanser to try, I say go for it. But I already have a holy grail cleanser plus a couple on my list to try, so I won't be repurchasing.
Clean and Clear Finishes Pore Perfecting Moisturizer - For something that says Oil Free right on the bottle, you could have fooled me. This regularly separates. It's ok, I didn't think it was particularly "pore perfecting" but it hydrates deeply. It does kind of make me look a bit greasy but that's not a major problem for me. I don't recommend and I won't be repurchasing.
Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation - This is a great lightweight moisturizer! I felt like my skin was hydrated without feeling greasy. I highly recommend! I haven't repurchased but I would!
Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream - I got this as a deluxe sample in a gift set last Christmas. It's ok, not overly impressive. If it got even the tiniest bit close to my eyes it would burn. Wasn't impressed enough to repurchase.

Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton Body Spray (travel size) - This is my all time favorite scent! It makes me smell clean and happy. This is the second travel size I've used up. I have half of another travel size and half of a full size left and I'll repurchase this over and over!
Victoria's Secret Ravishing Love Body Mist - I was recommended this scent when my favorite VS scent, Berry Kiss, was discontinued. It's kind of the older mom or aunt of Berry Kiss and I just couldn't love it. I actually think it's discontinued now but I wouldn't repurchase it.
Suave Body Wash in Fresh Berry Smoothie - I bought a bottle of this years ago for a trip to Israel so the scent of this is just so nostalgic for me.Suave body washes are cheap and effective and I'd repurchase this again, if only to take me back to the memories of that trip.
Candie's Shimmer Body Lotion - This came in a gift scent from my very first perfume purchase many years ago, Candie's Heartbreaker. The scent is very generic and preteen. I hate shimmer, especially in body lotion. It wasn't hydrating, and was very liquidy. I don't know what possessed me to feel like I had to use this up and not just toss it but I did.

So that's it! I'm so ready to just toss all this crap. If anything, I'll always come back to post my empties because it gives me a great sense of accomplishment. Of course, I'm going to try to post again very soon but not making any promises!

Candles By Victoria Haul #3

Ok, so technically I bought these during the AUGUST 1st sale. Yes, August. But I still wanted to show you guys because it's been quite a while since my last CBV haul. I didn't get around to making a video for these so I'll do my best to be concise and short with my descriptions. I've also included a number rating. ALSO, CBV got a new website recently! I'll link my scents to their respective pages on her new site so you can see the official description as well as reviews from other people.

I chose to go with minis this time because they have become my favorite size to try out new scents. Affordable but a great throw and plenty of burns to allow me to form an opinion.
Left to right, top to bottom
Stress Relief - I bought this because it's the most often recommended for headaches. As the name implies, it's super relaxing. I love it and I'm definitely considering getting it in Bath and Body products as well. (4.5)
Rice Crispy Treats - I think this smells dead on for perfect rice crispy treats. It's sweet and has a hint of butter to it. (4)
Serendipity - This is my favorite of all the new scents I ordered this go round. It smells like crushed maraschino cherries, coconut and a touch of nuttiness. So basically the basis of every fruit based salad I had as a kid. (5)
Sweet Snow - This was the other scent everyone reccommends for headaches. I like but not as much as Stress Relief. I'll give it a shot for Christmas though because I think it will be really well suited for that. (3.5)
Emperor's Love - The product this is duping is one of my favorite products from that particular company. Victoria's scent smells perfectly like it. Dried fruits (raisins, currents, blackberry) and light florals. (3.5)
Marshmallow Banana Dream Cake - This was the only one I'm not too keen on. The banana and cake get lost behind an overwhelming powdery note. I'm hoping that they come out more when I burn it. (2)
Honey Spice Cake - Fall in a jar! Very spicy and warm with pumpkin in the background. It smells good enough to eat. (5)
Irish Cream - I'm not much of a drinker but one of my favorite liquours is Irish Cream and this smells exactly like it. Good strong coffee, some sweet creaminess and a touch of alcohol. It's something I'd have to be in the mood for but it's a really good cold weather scent. (4)
Bora Bora - I wasn't planning on getting this one but because the reviews were so great for it, I got it and I'm glad I did. It's just a really tropical, juicy fruit scent. I can't pull any specific fruits from this but I highly recommend giving it a shot. It's awesome! (4)

I also got a Cylinder Candle which is very similar in size to the Bath and Body Works 3 wick candles. This is the scent Bath Time With Pooh, which is currently my all time favorite scent from CBV. I'm actually burning the last of my mini jelly jar of it right now. 

I always try to include one of the specialty decorative candles, since they're what drew me to CBV in the first place. It being fall time I got one I've been lusting after forever, the Maple Butter Pumpkin Frap. My boyfriend was actually more excited if possible because he loved how seasonal and fall like it is. It smells strongly of pumpkin, cinnamon and butter with a touch of coffee in the background.

My free scent shot was Sunburst. It smells like Sunny D. Just a super strong, slightly sweetened orange juice scent. Not my favorite but not bad either. (2.5)

So that's it for my August CBV haul! I promise I'll try to not these get so far away from me next time! 

Fortune Cookie Soap Box Fall 2013 Haul and Review

I've said many times on this blog that I really wanted to do a subscription box again and I think I've finally found one that fits for me! This is the Fortune Cookie Soap Box for Fall. FCS is an indie bath and body company that puts out a box quarterly. The box is $20 but you get a $10 coupon. Each box contains all the new fragrances for that season and they usually put those scents up 2 to 3 weeks after the boxes are sent out so that you have time to pick and choose which scents you want to order.

Fortune Cookie Soap in Autumn Daze (full size) -  FCS says this scent has notes of apples, cardamom and pecans. I do get the apples and pecans but I don't know what cardamom smells like. I'm not a huge fan of this scent and I'm not sure if it's the cardamom or the soap that's not doing it for me.

Whipped Cream in "I Yam What I Yam" Said the Marshmallow (sample) - This smells exactly like what you would assume it would smell like, yams and marshmallows. In the container it has an odd sort of pungency but it goes away on the skin and just smells like sweet goodness. Bonus, I freaking love the formula of this. I'm not really a lotion person but I can't get over how much I love this one.

Bath Oil in <Insert Cookie Cutter Name Here> (sample) -  This smells like a lemon vanilla cookie. Not too much of either note and the citrus doesn't smell like cleaner. I like the scent ok, I'm just not a lemon scent person.

Personal Space in Pick of the Patch (sample) - Tis the season for pumpkin scents but this one is a bit different. Most pumpkin scents are a spicy cooked type of pumpkin and this one is more of a sweet fresh pumpkin. It's a great scent but I'm iffy on the product. Maybe I'm not spraying enough but the scent doesn't really spread out or linger. 

OCD Hand Sanitizer in Indian Summer (full size) - The scent description says notes of blueberry, woods and musk and that's so dead on. The musk is obviously the strongest note but the blueberry and woods hold their own. To me it's a manly scent. I like it, just not enough to want it in a body product. 

Milk Bath in You're Insecure, Donut What For #fall (sample) - If you're looking carefully you'll notice the label is upside down. That's because the bag came with a small hole in the bottom that quickly grew into a giant hole. The scent is delicious. If you've ever smelled Vanilla Bean Noel from Bath and Body Works (or CBV!), this is a slightly sweeter version of that. I can't tell if there is cinnamon in this or not but FCS says there is.

Bath Fizzy in Leeeaaf Piiiile!! (sample) - I love this scent! It's an apple and acorns scent that's just perfect for fall! The apple is juicy and fresh smelling and the acorns give it some depth and woodiness that almost makes it a bit perfumey. This was my immediate favorite of the bunch and it still is.

Wax Tart in Cranberry + Apple = FTW (sample) - Again, as the name implies, this is an apple and cranberry scent. It smells like Thanksgiving or Christmas. You probably already know that I'm not a wax melter so this product isn't going to get any love from me but I do quite enjoy the scent.

I did use my $10 off coupon and this is what I got! I chose two of the whipped creams in Leeeaaf Piiiile!! and You're Insecure, Donut What For. I also decided to try the Sugar Scrub and I got that in I Yam What I Yam. My free sample was Gin Gimlet bar soap. It smells like a men's lime scent but I like it. It does lean a bit towards kitchen cleaner but not enough to be offensive. I probably won't make another purchase before the winter box arrives but if I did I would buy something in Pick of the Patch or Cranberry + Apple = FTW. I also want to get a full size of the Milk Bath and try some more of their body products, like the body mists or the shower gel.

Thanks for sticking with me through this super long post! Has anyone else tried FCS? What products do I just have to try from them. If you haven't and want to get the next box, SIGN UP ASAP! They've warned on their FB page that it will sell out quickly! They do ship internationally!

September 2013 Favorites

Hey guys! Long time no see! I'm sorry about my extended absence. I'm back now, and I'm going to try to get back to a regular(ish) blogging schedule! I figured we could start with a monthly favorites!
Mary Kay Timewise Night Solution- My sister started selling Mary Kay products at the end of August. While I was skeptical of both the products and the selling strategy, I'm quite impressed with the Night Solution. It's touted as a super charged Neosporin type product for your face. I have noticed quite the improvement in my skins tone since I started using it. It heals blemishes really quickly and even did wonders for the post waxing blisters I get when I do my brows.
MAC Fix+ - I've had this little guy for a year now and I go through phases with it. Right now I absolutely love it as a setting spray. It really brings down any powdery-ness and makes my skin look soft and natural, even when I'm wearing a ton of makeup.
CBV's Caramelized Pralines- With fall being here, I decided to start busting out my candles again. Caramelized Pralines is a warm nutty scent that just screams cozy and fall to me. I've been burning it a lot and I just love it more each day.
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - I've already reviewed this here so I won't chatter on too much about it. I've just been using this every time I do my makeup. I've especially been loving using Crave as a nice soft liner and I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to pencil liners now.
ELF Hypershine Gloss in Flirt - I used up one of these glosses for my project pan but that definitely doesn't mean I don't enjoy them! It's not really that pigmented but that just means it can go over any lippie. I like the formula and it doesn't dry out my lips!

I'm glad to be back blogging! I've missed you guys! I start a temporary position with Ulta tomorrow and I'm super excited! If any one is interested, I'll be happy to write about the experience for you when I'm done.

Friday Favorites! #2

Not an overly eventful or exciting week for me but I tried to include a wide variety for today's favorites.

1. Palazzolo's Toasted Coconut Almond Fudge Gelato

This was a complete impulse purchase at the grocery store yesterday. I wanted a snack to eat during my show and thought this looked yummy. And it is just soooo good! I love it! The coconut flavor isn't fake or overly sweet, it's perfection. And apparently, this is locally (relatively) made and doesn't have any crap ingredients!

2. One N Only Argan Oil Restorative Mask

I found this at Sally's Beauty Supply more than a month ago and they had the baby travel size so I figured I'd give it a whirl. It makes my hair feel so soft and healthy. I've been using it about once a week and I'm so tempted to try out the daily conditioner from this line as well.

3. Postcrossing

I've used this site on and off for more than 7 years now. The idea behind it is simple. You send a postcard and then you get a postcard. If you want more in depth info, you can check here. It's a fairly cheap hobby to have and it's not very time consuming but it's just so much fun. These are the two postcards I received this week, one from Taiwan and the other from Turkey!

4. MAC's Shale and Satin Taupe

Cora of Vintageortacky did an awesome eye look with Shale and it convinced me to get it. I got Satin Taupe at the same time because from what I could see in swatches, they looked like they would play well together. I've been wearing a really simple kind of smokey eye with these two and that's basically all I've worn since getting them.

5. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines
I'm obsessed with this song AND IT'S ALL JENNIFER'S FAULT!

I am so happy it's finally the weekend! I hope you all have a great Friday!

Butter London Lillibet's Jubilee

Something you might not know about me is that I'm a major Royal watcher. I'm a complete Anglophile and I think I love the Royal family more than any US celebrities. Waaaay back, this time last year, when Sam was here (OMG, Sam, I can't believe it's been a whole year!), I had this on my list of polishes I HAD to get while she was here, because obviously I need polish to celebrate the Jubilee! And I just could not find it! I was pretty devastated. It was LE so I figured I'd never get my hands on it. Then, to celebrate the birth of Prince George, Ulta had an exclusive Butter London set of three polishes, including this one, No More Waity Katie, and Pitter Patter.
So ANYWAYS, this is a beautiful lavender foil with some serious pink tones in it. I have no idea why it bubbled a bit on my middle finger, as I didn't notice until I took the pictures. The formula was impeccable, two fantastically easy coats plus top coat. I'm not a super fan of the brush, mostly the handle part is a little short for me but I freaking love how cute the square bottles all look together. If you find this polish, don't think, just buy it! It's perfect.
And speaking of, I've got an extra bottle of No More Waity Katie. I'm considering selling it on Ebay or having a blog sale, as I do have a few things I'd like to get rid of. Would anyone be interested?

Friday Favorites! #1

Hi everyone! I'm sort of feeling ready to get back to blogging after my break so I figured I could start with a little Friday favorites post for you all.

1. Big Brother 15 (US)

Guys, I'm seriously addicted to this show. As in, I have a subscription to the live feeds and I can't stop talking about it. This season isn't even close to the best but it's still pretty good. I could write a whole blog post about and I'm really tempted to but in the meantime you can read my thoughts on my BB tumblr.

2. Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton

I had been working on using up a different body spray but we had a huge heatwave last week and that's always my signal to pull out my most worn scent ever, Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton. This is the only scent I've ever used multiple bottles of. It's so fresh and clean smelling, exactly what I'm looking for when its a million degrees outside.

3. 32 Perks of Living in Michigan on Buzzfeed

Ok, so it's less "perks" and more of just things I love about where I live. I'm pretty vocal about loving the state I live in and these are all so legit.

4. Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion

I'm very good about putting on sunscreen often during the summer, when me and MonkeyToes have our arms and legs bare and burnable. And we both have really sensitive skin so even if we are wearing sunscreen, a little pink irritation is common. This lotion is so soothing and cooling. I like that it helps keep your tan from fading as I don't tan that much in the summer but my freckles blossom something fierce. Plus it smells absolutely amazing!

5. Sheryl Crow - Easy

I'm not a big Sheryl Crow fan by any stretch of the imagination and I actually think this video is a little hokey but I really really love this song.

So that's it this week! I have no idea how often I'm going to be posting or what I'll be posting because I'll be easing myself back into this. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any requests or suggestions for posts, leave me a comment!

Be Right Back

I'm not quite sure how to write this so I'll just come out and say what I need to say.

I'm going to be taking a short break from blogging. I had made a commitment to myself to get four posts up every week but I've made the decision that quality should be more important than quantity. Truth is that life is extremely hectic for me right now and I simply don't have the time to get four really well written post up each week.

So I'll be gone for an indeterminate amount of time. I wish I could give you an exact date of when I'll be back to regular posting but I just can't. I don't anticipate being gone for more than 2 or 3 weeks. I will still post my Samples Stash post and my Project Pan post while I'm gone. When I get back, I'll be posting a giveaway so hopefully that will make up for my absence.

On a side note, Google will be removing GFC on July 1st. If you are using GFC to follow my blog, you will need to find an alternative way before then. I suggest Bloglovin'. 

I hope to see you all again very soon!

May 2013 Favorites

I feel like it's been forever since I've done a favorites post! May felt like it just went on forever but it was a particularly good month so I don't mind! I'm a little late with these so let's just dive right it.
L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm - I had gone a little while without a deep conditioner and desperately needed one so I picked this one up on a whim. It smells like a salon product and makes my hair feel as fresh and nice as it is after I get it cut. It doesn't weigh my hair down and actually gives it some bounce and smoothness. I use it once a week or so.
Philosophy the Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash - I walked into Ulta looking for a new toner and the salesgirl somehow sold me on this. I've been using it every other day, at night. It's a very gentle physical exfoliater but it's really effective too. My skin has been much smoother since I started using this. This big bottle was pricer than I prefer for cleansers but you only need a small amount to cover your face.
Wet N Wild Fergie Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer - I've been wanting to try this for a while because one my favorite youtubers, allinicoleee, uses it a lot. It's more of a liquid consistency but it does the job very well. If you are looking for a drugstore eye primer, this is it!

Benefit Hoola - I'm not much of a bronzer person but if I could have only one, Hoola would be it. I'm super timid of bronzer because I'm so so fair but Hoola is so fool proof. I have a back up of the sample size like this one but if I ever run out, I'll be getting a full size immediately.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipsticks in 104 and 17 - These are a new purchase for me as well and I'm completely obsessed with them. The formula is perfectly smooth and fantastically pigmented. The colors are perfect for me and look absolutely gorgeous on. If you know of any shades from these lines that I might like, let me know!
So that's it for my May favorites! What were your favorites this month?

Empties #1

In case you couldn't tell by my numerous other related posts, I'm really trying to work on downsizing my stash. I've found that I've been using up a ton of stuff and I personally love empties posts so I figured it was time to start doing them myself. All of these empties are from the very very end of March through May.

Herbal Essences Drama Clean Shampoo - Shampoos are actually not something I have in abundance in my stash. The only shampoos I have on hand are actually in my shower. Drama Clean is fantastic! It cleans my hair thoroughly without completely stripping it. We go through the big bottles regularly because it's actually the shampoo my boyfriend uses every day.
Aussie Sydney Smooth Heat Protector and Leave In Conditioner Spray - I used to love LOVE this stuff. It was discontinued quite a while ago and this was my very last bottle of it. I've found with a lot of things that if I loved it with long hair, I probably won't like it now that I've got short hair. That's the case with this. If it was still available for purchase, I probably wouldn't run out and buy anther bottle.
Head and Shoulders Green Apple 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner - Head and Shoulders is always a staple in my shower. My favorite is the Smooth and Silky formula (pink bottle) but sometimes it can be hard to come by and the other work pretty much the same. This was the Green Apple scent which is pretty good too. I currently have the Damage Rescue kind in my shower.

Bath and Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Cream - Lotions are something I have far too many of and this one has definitely been hanging around a bit too long. I love the Black Raspberry Vanilla scent but most of the products in this range are online only now. I'm not a super fan of BBW Body Cream formula but I'd probably repurchase in a sale or something.
Meijer Strengthening Nail Polish Remover - A decent nail polish remover for around $2. I've gone through multiple bottles of this before and I will continue to repurchase this.
Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Cream - I received this in a goodie bag I won from OH's Facebook page around a year ago. It's become my Holy Grail night cream. It's soothing and deeply hydrating. Ole Henriksen has really turned into the brand I check first when I'm looking for new skin care. Facial moisturizers are another thing I have too many of but as soon as I start my last bottle from my stash, I'm ordering the full size.
Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towlettes - I got a sample of these and it hung around for a while. When I did finally use them I went out immediately and purchase the full size. They are my favorite makeup removing wipes and I'm kicking myself for not buying them when Ulta had them on sale.

Since I bought so many Candles By Victoria, I've made an effort to use up some candles from my stash as well.
Yankee Cherry Lemonade - I bought this from my sister's Relay for Life fundraiser last year. It's actually really strong but I struggle to get this jar to burn all the way to the edge. I'd still buy this scent again.
Mainstays Fresh Cotton - I LOVE this scent on cold throw but it's strange warm and a really light thrower. Unfortunately I'll look elsewhere for my fresh laundry scents.
Celebrating Home Crisp Apple - I have no idea where you can get Celebrating Home candles but my boyfriend bought this from someone at work (fundraiser? or one of those catalog comapanies?). We both love green apple scents but this one was a super light thrower. Loved the jar though!

That's it for now! I have many products getting low so I'll hopefully do another one of these posts very soon! What have you used up recently?

Samples Stash June Edition

One month of the Samples Stash gone! Let's see what I liked from last month's stash and then I'll show you what I've got for this month.

Origins Mega-Bright Skin Tone Correcting Serum - It made my skin feel amazing and I noticed my hyper-pigmentation fading right away! I will definitely be purchasing a full size of this.
Etude House Baking Powder BB Deep Cleansing Foam - Not overly impressive but certainly not bad. Just not interested in buying a full size.
Tony Moly Expert Triple BB Cream - I'm torn on this. On one hand it makes my skin look absolutely amazing. On the other hand, it seems like it's only going to be a summer color for me. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy a full size or not.

Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner - These made my hair feel soft and silky and nourished and didn't weigh it down. I really want to buy a full size of both!

This month's Samples Stash is:

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer, Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion

Link up with us so we can see your Sample Stash this month!

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Essie Sunday Funday

I am over the moon excited for Essie's Summer collection, Naughty Nautical. I've been hunting for them everywhere and finally Anna at Business Lady Polish posted about finding them at Target. I restrained myself from getting all of them and just went with two. This is Sunday Funday. It's a bright corally orange shade that feels positively summery on my nails. It's hard to see in the pic but I still have an ever so slightly visible nail line. I did three coats, so next time I'll probably do a coat of white first. This also has a very subtle shimmer to it. Like I said, I'm completely in love with it. I'm trying to decide which two to buy next!
Did you pick up any polishes from this collection?

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette Review/Swatches

Here it is, the last Urban Decay palette I have to show you, the 15th Anniversary Palette. It's one of those things in my collection that I keep around because it's a showstopper. The packaging on this is GORGEOUS. The lid lifts off, has a full mirror inside and that lovely filligree detail along the sides. If you don't have this, I'm really really sorry. This was limited edition, released Summer 2011. Still, feel free to drool over the following pictures.

I won't harp on about Urban Decay eyeshadow formula too much, considering this would make the fourth time I've talked about it but a couple things to note. While I do have struggles with UD's glittery shades, this palette has some of the worst offenders. If I'm going to use this palette, I do eye makeup first, remove the fall out and then do face makeup. That doesn't stop me from loving this palette the most.

The shades are a mix of neutrals and brights, with lighter, more glittery neutrals on the left, brights down the middle and darker, smokier neutrals on the right. By now you know I'm not much of a brights gal. Even so, I love playing in the shades from this palette that are out of my comfort zone. I know there are a lot of people who hate UD's various Midnight iterations but I love the two in this palette, Midnight Rodeo and Midnight 15. Overall, it just makes me giddy when I use it and I'm so glad I splurged on it when I had the chance.

So, that's it! Do you have this palette and love it as much as I do? What's your favorite UD palette?

China Glaze Spontaneous

This is the very first China Glaze nail polish I ever purchased, China Glaze Spontaneous. It's probably the second oldest nail polish I have (OPI's Kyoto Pearl being the only polish I had before that). It's a fairly basic medium purple. I did two coats, but really it deserves three. The brush was quite odd, it struck me as being oddly skinny. This polish feels so fun and summery on my nails and I'm in love with it. It will always remind me of the time in my life when I bought it and that brings a smile to my face.
Tell me what your first China Glaze polish was! Those kinds of tidbits fascinate me.

Project Pan May Update

Another month has gone by and for the second month in a row, I haven't hit pan or used anything up. And just like last time, I'm ok with this. I made serious progress, I'll have at least one, if not two, things to show you next time. I also really tried to work on some deluxe sized samples and samples that had been made for me from various visits to the MAC counter. Plus I worked on my Samples Stash Challenge. So while I don't have anything to show, I did actually feel like I made progress this month! Knowing that I will probably use up one product within the next week or so, I'm going to add a sixth product to my project.

Rimmel's Lasting Finish Foundation! This is actually a nice foundation but it's a touch dark for me so it's definitely a summer color. It's also supposed to be sweat, heat and humidity proof. I do actually like it but it's been hanging around my collection for far too long and this is the perfect time to use it all up.
If you are doing a project pan, leave your link in the comments!

Wet N Wild Through The Grapevine

First of all, excuse the giant scratch on my pointer finger. I have no idea how that happened. Anyways, this is Wet N Wild's Through The Grapevine. My picture came out a bit brighter than in real life, but it's still fairly close. Through The Grapevine is a dusky grapey berry color. It looks a little dustier in the bottle and it dries a little lighter than bottle color. I love the color but I'm not over the moon for it, if that makes any sense. This was two coats, but I think it would have been better with three. It's not a super fast drying polish even though I use a fast dry top coat. Right now these are buy one get one 50% off at Rite Aid, which isn't a super big deal but enough to justify going to get a couple.
This month has just flown right by. I can't even believe we are getting into Memorial Day weekend now. Anyone have any big plans? I have no idea what we are going to do but it's probably not anything extremely exciting.

Urban Decay Naked Palette Review and Swatches

Ok so everyone has at least heard of the Naked Palette and there isn't anything new I can bring to the table on this so maybe the title of this post should have been "Jessica Spends An Entire Post Gushing About How Awesome The Naked Palette Is".

The Naked Palette was one of my first higher end makeup purchases and it was definitely my first bigger palette. I have always been (and probably always will be) a neutral eyeshadow girl and the Naked Palette is the poster child of neutral eye shadow. I purchased this right before Urban Decay revamped their formula so I don't really know if these are the new formulation or the old. They are buttery and smooth and highly pigmented.

If I could only keep one palette, this would be it. It's not really lacking much of anything, although Naked Basics makes a nice sidekick. The colors play well together and I can get a ton of different looks from just this palette. Some favorite combos of mine are Naked and Buck, Sin and Gunmetal, Half Baked and Smog, and Toasted and Hustle. Really, if you love neutrals, just assume you will love this.
I hope I didn't gush on too long. This palette gets a ton of hype and I feel like it really is deserving of that. So now the million dollar question is, if I have this one and Naked Basics, is it worth getting Naked 2?

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

I almost completely forgot to blog this polish! This is Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream. And my picture just does not do it justice. It's a beautiful shimmery turquoise/sea green base with blue glitter. I did three coats with two coats of Insta-Dri. It feels just like what a mermaid would choose for nail polish. I'm very smitten with it. And if the price tag is scaring you off, don't let it. This is such a unique color and you definitely won't be disappointed.
And now I've swatched both of the DL's that I own. Any recommendations for more? I'm probably not going to run out right away to get a few more but I've been highly impressed by the two I've got and would be open to some other joining my stash.

My Nail Polish Collection and Storage

Since we've moved, I haven't been super happy with my beauty product storage. We definitely took a step in the right direction when I picked up a Helmer from Ikea for my nail polish! Honestly, the room I keep my beauty products in is incredibly ugly, so for now, I'll just stick to the Helmer and what's inside.
On top, I keep a long Skubb box (love those things!) with a bunch of products I use regularly, plus nail polish remover.

Top drawer is random nail related things. Top coats, base coats and thinner in the paper boxes (Jenn made those). My manicure set in the bag. Sally Hansen Color Quick pens (I hate them), Reinforcement stickers, labels, superglue pen, and nail stickers.

Second drawer is China Glaze. I can fit 13 more bottles in here, so yeah, I'll be surprised if I don't overflow into another drawer by the end of the year.

Third drawer is OPI. I can fit 15 more bottles in this drawer. Again, I would not be surprised if I overflow.

Fourth drawer is randoms. It's only about half full. I've got Orly, Zoya, Color Club, Sally Hansen, ELF, Wet N Wild, Illamasqua, Essie, Nicole By OPI, Ulta, Nails Inc, Butter London, Studio M, and Deborah Lippmann.
The fifth and sixth drawers aren't worth showing. One has just a bag of cotton balls and the other is empty. I'm not gunning to fill this baby up any time soon but it is nice to know I've got a couple open and available drawers.
And that's it! I know it's a lot of polish, but hey, at least I only need one Helmer and not multiple. How do you store nail polish?

Wet N Wild 2% Milk

So after wearing Bite The Bullet, I had to head out and see what other Megalast polishes were out there. I was very intrigued about the nice off white creaminess that is 2% Milk so I decided for $2 I could give it a shot. And I love it far more than I could have anticipated. This is three coats, it looks a little more opaque in real life but I definitely still see my nail line. It's a fantastic palate cleanser, especially considering how blah I've felt about a lot of the colors I've worn lately. It feels clean and elegant and refined. I love it.
Any other Megalast polishes I should go looking for? I'm loving everything about this line right now.

Urban Decay Feminine Palette Review and Swatches

Continuing on with my Urban Decay palettes, we have the Feminine Palette. I have the old school, cardboard packaging and I definitely prefer it to the new zip around Feminine Palette. I actually got this on clearance from the Urban Decay website for like $12.

I got this palette, besides because it was super cheap, but also because the packaging was so cute and I thought it would be a good travel palette. It's probably the least used of all my Urban Decay palettes. I do like the colors but invariably, I have to pull out another palette to feel like I can get a full look out of these and that kind of defeats the purpose for me. I still really do enjoy it when I pull it out though.

I believe these are actually Urban Decay's old eye shadow formula. They are quite buttery but the second and third shades, SWF and Midnight Cowboy, are chunky and a touch hard to work with. They kind of pill up. I love Aquarius every time I wear it. It's just a really nice light aqua color. Darkhorse is actually one I have in another palette.
So, like I said, not my favorite but I do pull it out time to time. Urban Decay does excellent palettes and I feel like this one misses the mark. Anyone else have major disappoinment with an UD palette, despite all the hype they get?