essie 3-way glaze top coat {review}

I paint my nails all the time, but unfortunately my life isn't conducive to keeping a manicure.  Working, typing, and cooking make my average manicure last about 4 days before it looks atrocious.  I'm always on the lookout for  a product that will help keep polish on my nails, and I think I finally found one.

Essie 3-Way Glaze - get it here.

I first used this at my friend Ashley's house because I am that friend who waltzes into your home and uses your nail polish.  That was Friday, and my nails still look really good - even after a pretty grueling retail shift.

3 days in:

There are a few chips right at the end of my nails, but no big chips at all. These are the kinds of chips that you can trim your nails and your manicure looks like new (does anyone else do this?)

I'm really impressed with the staying power of this stuff.  It was very easy to apply - no globs - and dried super fast even though there were at least three layers of polish underneath it.

If you have trouble keeping polish on your nails, I would definitely recommend giving this a try!

product roundup

I would really love to be one of those people who has a certain product that they buy and rebuy.  Something about product loyalty seems sophisticated and grown up to me... and yes, I realize that's weird.
But I haven't found those products yet, and so I keep trying new ones out. But some of the stuff in this bunch might make me loyal, because I'm loving all of it right now.

Physician's Formula pH blush

Remember when that lip gloss that changed with your pH to become your perfect shade of pink was just coming out?  This is like that, but it's blush instead of gloss.  It's a lifesaver for me because I have a hard time finding a blush that gives a nice flush but isn't too pink.  The pH balance takes the guesswork out of buying blush so I can spend less time in the CVS aisle holding blush packages up to my face in the warped sunglasses stand mirror. Win-win.

BeneFit Some Kind-a Gorgeous Concealer

Does anyone else get that veiny, reddish look around your eyes when you wake up?  I do even when I got a solid 8 hours the night before.  This stuff erases it completely, and the formula is really silky feeling.  I've also used it to cover up redness when I break out, and it covers it up and provides a good base for powder foundation to go over it.

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

Remember what I said about product loyalty?  This stuff has a following, and after getting some I can see why.  It goes on clear and really moisturizes your lips, and looks pretty while it's doing it.  I've also used it on my jank cuticles and it really softens them up.  Go get you some. I definitely plan on rebuying this.

Not Your Mother's Texturizing Spray

Even though texture sprays are hyped by beauty blogs all the time, I've never been a huge fan until I found this.  It actually makes you hair wavy rather than just tangled and it smells like coconuts.  And, it's pretty cheap, which in my book is always a plus.  I spray this on before I curl my hair sometimes to give it some extra grip and occasionally as hair spray.  It's a great multitasker.

baby lash miracle: fast lash by japonesque

If you're reading this, I'm on my honeymoon! Yippee!

I got turned on to this product by the forums over at XO Jane, and lemme tell ya, it does not disappoint.  It wasn't exactly what I was expecting (I thought it was just regular mascara), but boy, it delivers.

Its called Fast Lash by Japonesque - and my teensy-lashed sisters, we have been delivered.

Don't be fooled by its mascara-like tube - this isn't mascara.  It's a bunch of white fibers that attach to your mascara and elongate your eyelashes to dramatic proportions, depending on how much you use. It looks like this in the tube:

And then like this on your lashes once you blink it on:

Warning: It WILL get everywhere.  But you kinda learn how to use it.  Just hold the brush under your lashes after you've put on a wet coat of regular mascara and blink it on.  Then add more black mascara, which will adhere to the fibers, making your lashes look longer.  You can repeat that process as much as you want until your lashes get as big as you want them.  I usually only do it once, but I have done it twice before and it was crazy.

I'm loving this stuff!  It's about 12 dollars on Amazon (here) but it lasts for a long time and makes it unnecessary for you to buy expensive mascara, since it will work with any kind.

Review: Claire's Nail Polish Remover Pads

You need to go buy some of these like now.

I have a hard time with nail polish remover. It either smells too strong or doesn't take off dark polish. Also I loose it all the time and find myself in situations where I really need to take my janky polish off but my huge bottle of remover is at home.

NO MORE!

Because these things have changed my life.

They are portable.

They smell fruity.

They don't dry out your nails.

And one pad takes off a whole set of polish.

Best part? It's 3.50 for 30 pads.

I had really dark polish on my toenails and just one pad took all of it off, just as well (a little better, actually) than regular remover.

My feet are not cute, but here's a reference for how well the polish came off and how dark it was to begin with.

My only issue is the oily feel of the remover can be a little messy, though infinitely preferable to the dry, icky texture of regular remover.

You need these in your life.

Get thee to the mall.

Review: ELF HD Blush

Blush and mascara are my two go-to makeup products.  If I've got those two, I can forego the rest. Consequently, they are also the two products that I buy the most of and experiment with the most.

If you haven't heard of E.L.F products, you're seriously missing out. They make quality makeup products for pennies on the dollar. This is my favorite product I've tried so far, but I'm also a fan of the cream eyeliner and the makeup brushes.

This color is called Superstar and it's a pinky-peach that looks really nice in the summertime.

It comes in a handy-dandy little bottle with a squirt top.  Sometimes liquid makeup can get super messy, but so far the way this dispenses has kept that from happening.

Honestly, my only issue with this blush is that the bottle spits out WAY more than you need.  A little goes a long way is an understatement.  I've got a peach stripe down the middle of my makeup bag from having to wipe off excess blush from my fingers because its really hard to only get out as much as you need.

This is how much comes out with one (tiny) pump.

This is how much you really need.

As far as application, its simple.  I just smile so the apples of my cheeks stick out and blend towards my temples.

All in all, I'd really recommend the HD blush - besides being a little squirt-happy on the dispensing, it looks really pretty, blends well, and it's four bucks. You can't beat four bucks for nice makeup.

Get yours here.

*photos edited with VSCO and ABeautifulMess

Dry Shampoo Showdown: Powder vs. Spray

Everybody and their mother has jumped on the anti-hair-washing bandwagon, and as a result dry shampoo is now a "big deal." It seems like every hair brand is making some form of it.  However, most of the formulas for dry shampoos are the same, so you really only have 2 choices: spray or powder.
I've used both, so in this post I'm going to go over how to use them for best results, the kinds of results you get, and the pros and cons of each.
And I'll tell you my favorite, but not until the end :)

Formula 1: Powder

This usually comes in a regular bottle like lotion or shampoo would come in. You shake out however much you want and scrub it through your hair.

This is No Drought by Lush, whose praises I have sang before. I've had this since November and have barely made a dent in it. It's slightly pricey (about 12 dollars for 4.6 oz), but it will last you a reallllllyyyy long time.

Here's how to use a powder dry shampoo:

1. Shake a quarter size amount of powder into your hand.

2. Rub your hands together to distribute powder over your palms (warning: this will be messy.)

3. Flip your head upside down and rub your palms through your hair, concentrating on your scalp and places that you know are oily. I sometimes use a tiny bit of it behind my ears because my hair tends to get oily there.

4. Flip your head back over and make it lay the way you want. Rub away any lingering white left from the powder.

And you look like you bathed! Hurrah!

The Pros: Powder give your hair awesome volume and its so easy that you can throw it in your bag and use it through the day to perk up your hair. It also smells really nice.

The Cons: Application can be messy and it's hard to spot treat oily areas.

If powder isn't your thing, you can try a spray formula!

Formula 2: Spray

This will come in a bottle similar to a hairspray one. In fact, I almost bought hairspray instead of this because the bottles were so similar. So yeah, watch out for that. I'm using Pure Renewal by Aveeno.

Here's how to use spray:

1. Take down your hair and shake it out. This stuff will be sticky at first, so make sure your hair is going to be comfortable for at least 10 minutes.

2. Spray. It'll go on white. Hold the can as far away from your head as you can and still be accurate with your aim. Spray it anywhere you have oil.

3. You're gonna look like Rogue from X-Men for awhile. Let the white stuff sit so that it can dry. If you try to mess with it too early, it'll just be a sticky mess. I normally do my makeup while I'm waiting for it to dry.

4. After about 10 minutes, rub the powder into your hair with your fingers. If there's still lots of white, your can brush the extra out.

The Pros: You can spot treat problem areas and make sure you're reaching your whole head.  Its also easier to find and cheaper than powder.

The Cons: These usually have a less-than-pleasant smell, it's not easy to reapply throughout the day, and it takes longer.

I personally like the powder formula better than the spray one, because it smells better and can be used more than once without much of a hassle.  But it's really depending on how oily your hair gets, how you're wearing it that day, and a whole bunch of other factors.

I hope this helps when you're trying to find a good dry shampoo! :)

Salon Graffix Conditioning Cleanser

I'd been curious about the "no-poo" craze and the Wen shampoo that seemed to be at the forefront.  In my quest for mermaid hair, I'm willing to try pretty much anything that promises faster hair growth... but 30 bucks a pop was WAY more than I'm able to spend on hair stuff in my poor college student state.
But then, on a trip to Rite Aid, I came across this...

Same basic idea as Wen - its a cleansing conditioner rather than shampoo, so it doesn't have all the harsh sulfates and soaps that make your hair lather and tangle.  This stuff takes the place of shampoo AND conditioner, and can be used as a leave-in conditioner as well. Pretty nifty.

The niftiest part? It's $8.00.

So I decided to give it a go.

I really like it so far... I have noticed a difference in my hair, it seems much softer and more manageable within the 2 weeks I've been using it. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to clean quite as well as regular shampoos - my bangs get limp by the end of the day.  But there's always dry shampoo to the rescue!

All in all, this is definitely worth a try, especially if you have damaged hair. And since it's shampoo and conditioner, it actually saves you money too.

There's a brand called Ren that makes a cleansing conditioner as well... I haven't tried it but it's the same deal for about $10. So there are lots of options that don't cost an arm and a leg!

Product Review: Hot Tools stick rollers

I am always excited about non-heat ways to curls my hair, because A) naturally my hair is this weird in-between where its really wavey in the back underneath but there's this stick-straight layer on the top and the sides are just whack. So. There's that. Also, since I'm trying to grow my hair out for my wedding (a whole post on that, here), I'm trying to fast heat styling as much as possible.
So I snatched these.

Yes, I ripped the packaging in my zeal.
I knew that Hot Tools was one of those fancy brands that my cosmetologist cousin used in her salon, so I was excited.  And with good reason. These suckers work.
Like, Shirley Temple-effect work.

Yeah.
I tried these two ways; one shortly after I got out of the shower, so my hair was still damp.  I left them in for about 2 and a half hours, and dried my hair on low while they were in. This result wasn't that great; it gave my hair some body, but there wasn't really any curl.  So last night I put them into my dry hair and slept on them, and when I woke up I resembled the Cowardly Lion.
The trick with whether or not these will give you the kind of curls you want is if you know how to twist your hair - a skill which I lack, thus the poof. But I will hopefullly master it eventually.
So, these are super effective. Getchu some.

Sharpie Nails: Not as Cool as I'd Hoped

I recently pinned this post from the Beauty Department and was really excited about it. I like nail art but my lack of ambidetrous coordination makes doing tribal patterns and whatnot difficult. So metallic Sharpies seemed like a solution to this problem.
Not really.
My nails looked really cool at first

I was REALLY EXCITED about them.
However, after a couple hours when I had used some Spray and Wash on a dress that had an unfortunate coffee incident and washed my hands and things of that nature, the Sharpie was almost completely gone, and the bits that weren't gone were really smudged.

Disappointing. I just ended up painting another layer of the base color (Sole Mate, Essie) to cover it up.
So I guess this would work if you only want your nails to look good for a certain event, but if you're looking for a couple days of wear, its a dud.
The search for easy nail art continues.

Product Review: Ink Joy Pens

THIS IS NOT A LIE THESE THINGS ARE ACTUALLY A JOY TO WRITE WITH.
As a writer and chronic doodler/note taker/pen user, I am always on the lookout for good pens.  There was a stage where I was strictly a ball-point girl and held the conviction that pens you grabbed from hotel rooms were the best.  Of course, I had a gel pen stage.  But earlier this week I picked some of these up and they are officially my favorite pen ever.

How lovely and dense the consistency! How flowing and smooth the ink emits from the pen as you make a list of questions to ask your wedding florist!
These things are great.  I am joyful.  And you can get like 4 pens for 5 bucks.

JOY. PURE PEN JOY.

Product Review: Gel Nail Stickers from Claire's

I love Claire's.  I do not care that it is geared towards twelve year olds and a majority of the products are One Direction and Hello Kitty themed. I have shopped there since I was eight and I probably will continue to until I'm like 35, when it would get weird.
That being said, Claire's is kinda my happy place during the school year, because let's face it, where I'm from there aren't many choices.
So when finals arrive, a trip to Claire's followed by Tech night at Zaxby's is definitely in order.
And on this particular trip, I picked up some get nail stickers, because I like leopard print and I am a weak human being.

I am actually pretty pleased with them!
A topcoat is necessary, because otherwise they'll peel off.  But once you have a few top coats on there, they stay on quite well (assuming you use a good topcoat. Do that.)  I've had them on for 3 days and not a chip in sight, plus I have been able to accomplish all of my daily tasks with no nail interference, such as
Opening mason jars (full of baking soda, NOT cocaine, just fyi)

And peel off stubborn peanut butter safety seals

So if you're into nail art and are terrible at doing it yourself, I would highly recommend these.  I've felt cool for three days, all for minimal effort.