Color Club Angel Kiss

I was in Meijer the other day looking for something completely different and stumbled upon a full display of Color Club Halo Hues! So obviously I had to pick at least one. This is Color Club Angel Kiss. In the store I though it was a seafoam green but it's actually a light blue with just a hint of green to it. The holo on this? I die. It's beautiful and I can't stop staring at my hands. The formula for Angel Kiss was absolutely fantastic. It applied perfectly, I wish every polish was like this one. I did two coats plus Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. I'm on day three and absolutely no tip wear. I'm hoping I can go get a few more soon because this is so awesome!

Project Pan March Update

I have a lot to talk about today so we'll get right down to the update!

This started to dry up and get really hard to work with about two weeks ago and the last couple days it was just horrible. Definitely time to toss. I do think I got a ton out of this, at the end it took quite a few coats to get the same amount of color on my lashes. It's a pretty good mascara but I just don't think it's worth $23!
I'm not going to replace this with anything. I just need another month with only four products.

There has been more progress on my powder but unless someone really wants to see it, I'm not going to post monthly updates on that.

Ok, so there has been a lot on my mind regarding project pan this month.

I definitely abandoned the no buy part of project pan this month (you'll see a collective haul post next week!) and I'm ok with that. I feel like I did really well at the beginning of this project on the no buy part but now I'm cycling between forcing myself to not buy anything and going completely crazy. Neither is something I feel really good about so I'm going to try to practice some moderation in April. I'll definitely let you guys know how that goes.
Yes, I do realize that a lot of the products going through my project pan were less than $5. I feel better about using them up than throwing them away. I did do a big destash and gave a ton of barely used things to my sister and her roommates. But there were a lot of leftovers, things I didn't use frequently but I couldn't give them away in good conscience.
Anyone else make any progress on their project pan this month? I need some serious motivation to get through April!

Orly Fowl Play

So this is Orly's Fowl Play. I'm so torn on this. This picture is so beautiful. On my hands it's not as impressive. It's pretty to be sure but for some reason I'm just meh on it. This was originally part of the Birds of a Feather collection but it's now part of the permanent line. Fowl Play is a deeper purple base with micro shimmer and duochrome flakies. I did three coats, mostly because that's habit now. It would've been fine with two. Formula was fine. Nothing so amazing that I feel the need to rave about it but it wasn't messy or anything. Overall I'm just not impressed with this.
I wore this polish for the season premier of Duck Dynasty! I was hoping to get to do some nail art instead but I ran out of time. Does anyone else love that show as much as we do?

Spring Blush Love: Benefit Coralista

Our last Spring Blush Love is Benefit's Coralista!

Coralista is, surprise!, another coral color. Benefit calls this a warm coral pink, which is spot on (and also basically how I've described the other blushes I've showcased this month). I'd say this is the most peachy/orange coral I've show so far. It's very very shimmery and I do not use a highlighter with this. It adds a nice natural flushed glow to the skin.

Coralista is a very buttery blush. It's a little soft so you might kick up some powder with your brush but it's very easy to work with. The pigmentation on this is amazing! I just do a small tap of my brush at first and build up from there. You can sheer it out like I do or go full color, true to pan if you wanted. Coralista is very easy to work with, I don't have problems with blending or anything like that.

I got this mini Coralista from a Benefit set when I ordered for my birthday. Benefit actually does minis of their box o' powders in a lot of sets and the packaging of this one isn't as flimsy as you would think. I would definitely purchase the full size if I ever run out of this mini. I love all of the Benefit blushes I've tried, so if you're on the fence about them, I say go for it. Most of them are shimmery, but they are absolutely beautiful.

So that's it for Spring Blush Love! I hope you enjoyed this little series. Blush is probably my favorite makeup product and I enjoyed sharing the ones I've been wearing lately with you!

Studio M Spring Fling

Isn't this awesome? It looks just like a Prismatic from China Glaze. It's actually Studio M Spring Fling. Spring Fling is a light blue microglitter base with small fuchsia glitters and larger round silver holo glitter! This is my first Studio M polish and I'm completely in love with it. This was three coats plus Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat but this is a very top coat hungry polish. This is way more awesome that it's coming across in the picture. If you happen to have a Meijer near you, run and pick this one up! You won't be disappointed!
Studio M is a brand that, as far as I know, is only sold in Meijer stores. They have limited edition collections, which you can find in special displays on the side of an endcap, in addition to the core collection which hangs out with the other polishes in the cosmetics area. The limited edition collections seem to be a mix of limited edition colors, core colors, repromotes and rebottles of Color Club colors. I found this particular color in the "Hop Into Spring's Hottest Colors" display and I have not seen it in the core collection. Studio M polishes retail for $2.99.
I'll definitely keep an eye on Studio M from now on! This was a fantastic find and such a cheap thrill! Anyone else love Studio M colors? Any I need to pick up?

China Glaze White Cap

This beautiful gem is White Cap. Not one of the most impressive colors when you see it in the bottle, but it's one of the rare polishes I've actually considered getting a backup for. Ever since high school, I've been enamored with sheer white polishes. Nothing fully opaque, just sheer polishes that have a flash of something brilliant, like an opalescence or, in the case of White Cap, a fantastic golden shimmer. This is three coats and it's obviously still sheer but I'm over the moon for the way this looks on my nails. It feels like the polish a character in a fairy tale would wear. One of the great things about these types of polishes is the way they layer over other colors. They simply transform other polishes into something magical.

Swoon! This is over First Mate. It's just so pretty it hurts. And that's why I love White Cap. It looks pretty over basically everything.
So that's it for my picks from Anchors Away. Nautical is an interesting theme for a spring collection but all the colors fit very well. I would recommend any of these if you happen to come across them. I don't know how many are in permanent displays but if you can't find them in store, you should be able to find them on transdesign!

China Glaze First Mate

I know I've said it so many times while showing you this collection but oh my gosh, I freaking love this color! This beautiful blue is First Mate. It's a slightly lighter navy with a little teeny bit of dustiness to it. In natural light, like this picture, it looks bright and almost like a blurple but in artificial light, it looks darker, like a true navy. If you were very careful and did a thicker coat, this could definitely be a one coater for you. For me, it was two. I've worn this several times and every time I do I think the formula is odd (something else I've said a few times lately). It's just messy. It's not runny or thick, it's just a little harder to control, if that makes sense. I feel like I get this all over my cuticles when I put it on. I think it's just because it is such a dark and opaque color. Overall, a nice color and definitely something different from the royal, bright and baby blues that seem to dominate spring.
I have just one last Anchors Away polish to show you and it's a very special one!

Spring Blush Love: ELF Studio Blush in Tickled Pink

Just a quick word for you before we get down to the business of today's post: I'm sure by now you've heard that Google Friend Connect will be going away on July 1st. I've already imported all the blogs I follow via GFC into BlogLovin'. BlogLovin seems to work in a very similar manner to GFC so if you want to switch over here's a simple tutorial to import all your followed blogs to BlogLovin'.

Now, on to today's Spring Blush Love, E.L.F.'s Studio Blush in Tickled Pink!

Tickled Pink is a light neutral pink with just a little bit of peachiness to it. There isn’t any obvious shimmer, just a nice sheen. It looks like a healthy glow on the cheeks and pairs nicely with pretty much any look. I often wear this when I’m not sure what blush to wear or if I’m looking for something that won’t compete with my eyes or lips.

I think for some people this blush might be too sheer. It’s ok for me because I’m pretty pale. It’s pretty buildable and I don’t think it ever looks chalky or powdery on me. The texture is nice and buttery. I think for $3, the formula on this is really good. I own a couple other ELF blushes and they all seem to feel nice and soft without being powdery.

While I’m sure this color isn’t overly unique, it’s a great staple blush. Everyone needs a neutral blush that they feel confident wearing with any look. I do wear this all year round but in the spring time I do a lot of really natural, “no makeup” type looks so this gets a ton of use. If you haven’t checked out this line of blushes before you really need to!
If you have a favorite ELF blush, leave your recommendations in the comments! I've been meaning to place an ELF order for a while now. And anyone else feeling sad about GFC going away?

Influenster: Not Your Mother's She's a Tease Volumizing Hair Spray

And for our final Influenster review this week: Not Your Mother’s She’s a Tease Volumizing Hair Spray.

This hair spray promises to create volume and lift with a firm, non-crunchy hold.  I usually use as few hair products as possible, but I got a haircut a couple weeks ago and I've really needed extra volume. I prefer my hair to be very touchable and soft so I was definitely hopeful on the non-crunchy claim.

This was the only product from the Sweetheart Voxbox that I was disappointed in. Initial use, I got a decent amount of volume. My roots felt a little sticky but it wasn't too bad. I’m definitely willing to live with that feeling if it means more volume. But after just a few hours, my hair would look flat and there was no sign of this had ever touched my hair. I’ll keep using it to use it up and I’ll definitely update you if I find a way to make it work but I’m just not overly impressed with this.

I received this product for free from Influenster for reviewing purposes. My opinions are always entirely my own. 

Influenster: Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response

Rolling right along, today I have Secret’s Clinical Strength Stress Response Antiperspirant to share with you. I know sweat is not a fun topic to talk about but I’m definitely going to be honest with this review and I hope it doesn't get too tmi for you.

Secret promises that this will protect you from sweat caused by heat, movement, or stress. From personal experience there aren't that many antiperspirants that work well under stress. It’s a problem I've dealt with a lot in the past few years so I was really excited to try this out. I've used the regular clinical strength line from Secret before and they are really great for my everyday needs but they don’t seem to make a huge difference when I’m stressed.

I was very happy with how well this worked. I noticed significantly less sweat at times when I should have expected to be a total mess. It completely convinced me to make this my regular deodorant. The scent on this is Serene Citrus. It’s a nice citrusy scent and it’s pretty strong too. I could smell it throughout the day.

There isn't much else to say about this. It’s always nice to find new products that work well for you. The regular Secret line doesn't cut it for me but I love the Clinical Strength line and plan to make the Stress Response my regular antiperspirant.

I received this product for free from Influenster for reviewing purposes. My opinion is always entirely my own.

Influenster: Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing System Review

One of the items I was most excited about using from my Voxbox was the Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid! Powered Contour Cleansing System! This system contains a cleansing brush and a shine controlling cleanser.

A quick background on my skin: I have dry/combo skin. I get dry patches on my forehead but my nose and chin tend to get shiny. I also have sensitive skin. It will breakout easily and gets red if I touch it too much.

The brush is really nice. The silicone bristles are a little rougher on my skin than I thought they would be but not painfully so. It does a great job of exfoliating without feeling like I’ve just taken sandpaper to my face. The small size is great for getting around my nose and temples. It also makes it more travel friendly than my Clarisonic.  I did use this to remove my makeup a couple of times but I wouldn’t recommend it. If I didn’t rinse my brush every couple of seconds it would start to feel like I was just smearing it around. Just something to note, after I used this my face was always really bright red. It didn’t hurt but it was noticeable enough that my boyfriend would ask me why my face was so red.

The cleanser is a thick and creamy consistency without lathering too much. It promises to keep shine away and I felt like it did a pretty good job of that.  It didn’t have a very strong scent to it; to me it just smells like soap. Mostly with cleansers, I’m looking for something that cleans without leaving a film and doesn’t break me out and this met both requirements. I’m actually considering buying a full size to keep in my beauty stash.

How does it compare to the Clarisonic? Honestly, they are two separate things. If you were hoping this was an affordable dupe to the Clarisonic, the answer is no. This vibrates and the Clarisonic oscillates and, in my opinion, that makes them perform very differently. The different bristles on each brush mean they both do the job in a different way. I do enjoy them both but I won’t be giving up my Clarisonic anytime soon.

As with any brush, they are not every day tools. You could over-exfoliate which would do more harm than good. At most, I would use a brush every other day but most of the time, I’m only using these tools twice a week.

I enjoyed this set and definitely recommend this. I feel like it would work with a variety of skin types and it’s really inexpensive for how good it really is. The kit retails for $12.99 and the full size cleanser is $6.99. If you can't find it in stores yet, it can be purchased at the Fresh Effects website or on Amazon. I will keep using the brush and probably buy a full size of the cleanser.

I received this for free from Influenster for review purposes. My opinions are entirely my own. 

Influenster: Skinnygirl Daily On The Go Bar

First up in my Influenster review week is the Skinnygirl Daily On-the-Go Bar. I have never tried anything from Skinnygirl but I do love snack bars so I was excited to try this out. These bars are suppose to be natural, kosher and high in fiber. According to Influnester these now have more protein (8g), more fiber (5g), less sugar (10g), and fewer carbs (24g). To me, that's pretty good, especially compared to some of the crap that can be hiding in granola bars.

How did it taste? Pretty good actually. I got the Greek Yogurt Blueberry Crisp flavor and it tasted strongly of blueberries. The yogurt part was more of a creamy flavor than a strong greek yogurt flavor but I think it went well with the blueberries. It was also pretty filling which is great!
Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars are $9.99 for a box of 5 and come in other flavors like Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Coco-Nut with Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Multigrain Pretzel. I'd definitely recommend these if you are looking for a healthier on the go snack!

I received this for free from Influenster in the Sweetheart Voxbox. My opinions are entirely my own.

China Glaze Hey Sailor

Despite the picture, the polish you are seeing is actually much more red. This is China Glaze Hey Sailor. I'm not much of a red person but if I had to pick one, this would probably be it. It's a nice basic red cream with a super cute name. I wouldn't say this is a polish you absolutely have to have because I'm sure that there are lots of other similar colors out there but this one is definitely a welcome member in my collection. This was two coats but I still have a slightly VNL. The formula on this was much better than the others I've worn so far. It was on the thin side but much less so than the others.
I've been working on updating my collection list and it's been quite the chore. I discovered quite a while ago that about 5 polishes got deleted off the list so I'm working on hunting then down and adding them back on the list. Not a big deal to some people but I really really enjoy a nicely organized and accurate list!

Spring Blush Love: ELF Studio Cream Blush in Tease

Today, we are talking about the second pick for my Spring Blush series, ELF's Studio Cream Blush in Tease!

I love cream blushes in the spring, they look so dewy and natural. This particular cream blush has a soft, mousse like, whipped texture. I've found that it's easiest to apply with fingers so your body heat can help the product melt into your skin. You don't need too use very much to get it to show up but it builds up nicely if you want it to.

Tease is a muted coral pink. It's got some dustiness to it that makes it look much less bright than Fleet Fast. It leans more pink than coral, but trust me, the coral is in there. (I had a really hard time trying to get this to photograph true to color and not completely orange!) This doesn't have any shimmer to it and actually looks quite matte in the container but I've found that it tends to have a sheen to it that makes it look like my natural skin.

I really do love this blush! It's $6 from ELF's website, making it one of the most affordable blushes in my collection. My only real complaint on this is that the packaging is needlessly bulky. It tried to look like high end packaging and hit the mark entirely. For me, it's easily overlooked as it's a fantastic product and I don't take this with me when I travel. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Next week I'm going to do all my Influenster voxbox reviews but we will get back to my blush picks the week after that. Hope you are having a great day!

China Glaze Sea Spray

Ahhh, I just love this color. Sea Spray is a pale blue with hints of gray. You can see a white opalescent shimmer in the bottle but it doesn't really show up on the nail. It's basically the blue sister to Pelican Gray. The formula on this seems to fall along the same lines as the rest from this collection - runny and hard to work with. This was three coats and it was a painful process. It didn't really matter if I did thin coats or thick coats, it just looks wonky. Is it just me on these? I realize these bottles are basically 2 years old now but they seem really runny if age is the problem.

Surprisingly, I have three polishes left from this collection, because I bought these back when I only bought my absolute favorites and not entire collections. I haven't decided if I'll finish showing you this collection or show you some favorite greens in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day.

Spring Blush Love: MAC Fleet Fast

It's no secret that I LOVE blush. In springtime, I gravitate towards natural looking pinks and corals. So this month I'm going to be featuring four of my spring blush picks! I decided to start with MAC's Fleet Fast as it's easily in my top 5 of all time. 

Fleet Fast is a beautiful coral pink. It's a satin formula, but I don't have experience with any other MAC blushes yet so I couldn't tell you how this compares to other satins in the MAC range. It's not a buttery or soft blush by any means. It has a pretty stiff texture so it does take a little more working with than other blushes. It's not so hard that it's annoying but it's worth noting. It's also not powdery or chalky like a lot of drier blushes are.

I really love the color and I'm sure there are other brands out there that make something similar but for my collection, this is unique. I have corals and I have pinks but Fleet Fast is a great mixture of the two. Strangely, I also have very few blushes that I would classify as a true satin and this is definitely one of them. 

I love this color enough that I would wear it year round but it's definitely a spring/summer color. I've been using my trusty Sigma F40 with this and it works just fine. This was LE with Hey Sailor last summer but you might still be able to find it on Ebay or in a CCO. I promise, this is the only hard to find blush I show you in this series! 

Do share with me your blush picks for spring! I'm always on the lookout for more blushes!