China Glaze Swanky Silk

Today I have Swanky Silk from the China Glaze Bohemian Collection.  

Here is what they look like on a nail wheel.  There are a total of 6 Bohemians.  I really like them, the formula is decent on all of them.  They all need 3 coats to even out brush strokes and get full coverage.

L to R: Rare and Radiant, Swanky Silk, No Plain Jane, Unpredictable, Deviantly Daring, Want My Bawdy

This is the most neutral of the shades, and probably the most work appropriate if you need to wear conservative colors on your hands at work.  Swanky Silk is a shiny metallic taupey beige with a coppery or rose gold colored shift, every once in a while you get a little bit of green too.  It is also perfect for fall with the rose gold.  I think this is one of the more duochrome colors in the collection.  I normally don't wear neutral colors, but I had a professional meeting to go to and didn't know how a more bold color would go.  I went with this because it is neutral yet interesting.  It was tough to get a good photo of the flash and duochrome nature of Swanky Silk.

Attempting to catch the flash, you can see the rose gold on the right

My husband said it looked like Humpty Dumpty from Puss n Boots, which we had just watched with the kids, when he dressed up as the golden egg to steal the gosling that lays golden eggs from.  Needless to say mama goose is not happy wants her baby back.

The the formula is a bit sheer, but the pigment was great.  I had some staining from previous manicure, and you couldn't really tell after the first coat.  The formula is also a little thin, but not terrible.  I recommend 3 thin coats.  I had some pooling around the cuticle, but found that wiping the excess off the brush and doing thinner coats took care of that problem.  Once I got used to the formula I had no application issues and almost no clean up.  I did 3 coats for full coverage and to get rid of visible nail line and even out nail blemishes.  The first coat is a little streaky, but the 2nd and 3rd are better and the brush strokes almost completely disappear on the 2nd coat and are gone by the 3rd.  Dry time is pretty quick so I didn't mind 3 coats.  The camera is unforgiving with this polish, you can see the blemishes more so in the photo than you could on my nail.  I would have never taken pictures otherwise.  Since I already had take the photos I thought I'd post them and explain what happened.  You can see that it looks like I have shrinkage in the photo, but in reality the end of my nail peeled and it really shows in the photos.  I think next time I would use a creme polish as underwear if I have damage or get a ridge filler to help clear up damaged spots.

I purchased this with my own money and the opinions are my own.

Halloween Contest Nails

Check out my submission to the Polished Zombie's Nail Art Contest.  I by no means am an artist but this is what I came up with. I had been wanting to try out some different techniques and this was the perfect opportunity.  I also got to use some polishes I hadn't tried out yet.

Thumb - Mummy - Orly Decades of Dysfunction with China Glaze Stone Cold done with Striping Tape

Index - Monster Eye - Spoiled I Only Eat Salads with Sinful Colors Snow Me White and Black on Black and a mix of Orly Grave Mistake and Forever Crimson

Middle - Splatter - China Glaze Elephant Walk, Sinful Colors Black on Black, Spoiled I only Eat Salads, and Orly Grave Mistake - I used a cocktail straw and taped around my nail to make clean up easier. 

Ring - Black Wisdow - Sinful Colors Snow Me White and Black on Black, I used dotting tools to make the body and striping brushes to make the legs.  I used a the same mix of Orly Grave Mistake and Forever Crimson for the dot on the body
Pinky - Jack-o-lantern - OPI Deutsche You Want Me Baby and Sinful Colors Black on Black.

This weeks Mega Haul all under $50

Some of you may know that Sinful Colors Nail Polish is on Sale for $0.99  this week 10/21/12 through 10/27/12 at Walgreen's.  You have to get the new "balance rewards" card though.  I signed up and got a $5 off $20 purchase but it was only good for 48 hours, which I put to good use.  The nail art polishes are on sale too.  I picked up 13 on Sunday and a few more on Tuesday.  I only buy Sinfuls during this sale, they retail for $1.99 anyway, but why not save the extra $1. Here's what I got:

Muse, Jungle Trail, Smokin, In the Mist

Hot Spot, Gone Platinum, Hot Wired, Moss Have, Precious Metal

Last Chance, Irish Green, Happy Ending, Mesmerize

Also at Walgreen's, the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes are on clearance for $1.89 at my stores.  The CSM line is being reformulated and re-released so they are on clearance at Walgreens.  Target has certain colors on clearance as well.  They've been on clearance for a while so most stores are cleaned out, but I hit the mother load.  I found a store that didn't know they were supposed to be marked down.  They were on clearance in the computer but they didn't have the stickers out.  I had been to 2 other Walgreen's in the area looking for cheap polish as CSM polish is $7-8 or more depending on where you shop.  The stores I went to were pretty much wiped out, but the 3rd one I went to had a full selection.  I was able to get all of the colors I wanted except 1, but they didn't carry that color anyway.  I'm was on the hunt for Pumice, which is a Target exclusive color.  I got used my $5 off of $20, so I got 11 CSM colors for $16.74 after tax.  My receipts says I saved over 80% and over $66.  That's a great deal in my book!  If you can find a Walgreens that still has some of these I'd recommend trying them.  I never picked them up because of the price before. I went back to buy Halloween candy at another Walgreens and got 4 more which is all they had left.  Here's what I got:

Pedal to the Medal, Pat on the Black, Greige Gardens, Plum Luck, Good to Grape

Sheer Me Now, Pink Slip, Polar Bare, Hidden Treasure

Raisin the Bar, Wine Not, Haute Chocolate, All Fired Up, Right Said Red, Black Platinum

I shop at Target alot and polish is always on my list.  They had a bunch of L'Oreal stuff on clearance and some Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicures on sale.  Of course the first Target I went to didn't have Pumice which for some reason I had to have.  It was a LE color by Alexander Wang for Sally Hansen for Fashion Week to go with his new 2012 runway collection.   I went to another Target later in the week and I scored the very last one.  Pumice was really popular to begin with, and now they are starting to mark down the SH CSM fashion week Target colors.  I had coupons for the L'Oreal and the Revlon too.

Pumice, Rainy Piccadilly, Notting Hill Blues, Moon Candy Cosmic

I can't wait to swatch all of these!  I'm going on a no/very low buy now.  I have so many untrieds its unreal.

China Glaze Fast Track

I am looking for a new job so I've been doing tons of phone screens and phone interviews.  Of course I've got every color of polish under the sun and can't go to an interview or a meeting with a headhunter or staffing agency with crazy nails.  I have to get the job first.  I picked up Fast Track from the Hunger Games Collection when the collection went on clearance at Ulta and Sally's a while back.  China Glaze released a 12 polish collection in honor of the movie a while back, 1 color for each district in the books/movie, Fast Track being one of them.  I haven't seen the movie or read the books yet, but I plan to, I'm a busy mom and I rarely get to read or go to the movies.  Fast Track was one of the only colors I wanted from the collection, but it was one of the more popular colors in the collection and was hard to find even at full price.  I was able to get a whole set when they went on clearance and the stores were trying to clear out their stock.

Fast Track is a beautiful taupe colored nude with golden sparkles.  It is a great color for the office or a more conservative workplace.  I wore it for a coffee meeting with a staffing agency.  It is neutral, but the gold flecks dress it up.  I'm not a fan of neutral or nude creme polishes, but Fast Track doens't fit in that category at all.

I did 3 coats of Fast track for full coverage, depending on your application you might be able to get away with just 2, the first coat was pretty sheer.  The formula built nicely and I had no application issues.  Dry time was normal for China Glaze. 

I purchased this with my own money and the opinions are my own.

French Tip with Band-Aid

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So I saw this on Facebook from Nail Impressions.  She used a round band-aid as a french tip guide.  I thought that was kind of brilliant.  I almost never use the round band aids that come in the first aid kit becasue they are too small to use on any substantial injury or they fall off after 10 seconds anyway.  They are the perfect shape for a nail guide and unlike the french tip guides I've used in the past and they actually stick.  I've used scotch tape and painters tape to get a straight line, but the band aids actually give you the curved line.  I've freehanded a white line with a brush and acetone before for a traditional french mani, but it never looks quite right and it isn't as crisp as I would like.  This way you can do a funky or a traditional french and you can actually tell where the line is going to go.

Start with a completely dry base color, here I have Pixi Real Rose, see the full post here.  Cover the dry nail with the band-aid.  You can do this on a bare nail if you want to do a traditional french o over your base coat if you are using white as your accent.

 

Add your french color, here I'm going with China Glaze Full Spectrum.  If you are doing 2 coats do it very quickly while the 1st coat is still wet.



Peel the band-aid off as soon as you are done while the accent color is still wet to get a clean line.



Pre top coat and clean-up
 

Let the accent dry for a minute and cover with top coat.  Clean up as you would normally.


The final product

A few tips:

• Make sure your polish is completely dry before you apply the band-aid.  You'll get weird marks on your nail if you don't wait.
• Make sure the band-aid is completely pushed down along the side of your nail so the polish doesn't leak underneath.  You can use a cuticle pusher or pointed nail file to help.  In the beginning you can use a dry nail.
• Make sure you don't get any polish on the back of the band-aid, it will transfer to your nail.
• Just like with any other tape, remove the band-aid while the accent polish is still wet to get a clean sharp line.
• Depending on how fast the polish dries on the top of the band-aid and the quality of the adhesive you can use 1 band-aid for all 10 nails, you might need 2.  I needed 2 for both hands.

So what do you think?  Would you try band-aids as a nail art tool?  I have a bunch of these in a drawer that won't ever get used.  I will totally use this technique again.  It was fast and easy, and used a household item I already had onhand.

Pixi Pink with Glitter Tips for BCA Month

So I'm not really a pink girl, but when I saw Pixi's Real Rose at Target I had to have it. Target periodically has $3 off coupons for Pixi Cosmetics on their website or in the Target Beauty bags. Pixi Cosmetics are a bit pricey and their polish is $8 for a 7ml/.25 fl oz bottle, which is half the size of a typical bottle. Pixi is one of Target's higher end cosmetic brands, so when I saw the coupon I thought I'd get a few polishes, I think I have 6. My Target carries a selection of Pixi polishes and other products, but you can also order the whole line of Pixi products from their website.


 



Since it is October, and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month I thought I'd pull out one of my few pink polishes that I have that I have yet to try. I wonderful lady that is one of my mom's best friends had breast cancer some years ago. I babysat her daughter from the time I was 13 until I was in college. She was like a 2nd mom to me. She is a survior, and is doing great. You'd never know she was touched by cancer. I had a scare a few months ago, but thankfully, everything turned out to be negative.  Get those mammograms, do those self exams every month, and get your annual check ups.

Real Rose is a pretty magenta color that reminds me of those Knock Out Roses that I see everywhere. I had a rose bush this color, but my dogs dug it up, so I don't have a pic. I was really happy with application. It was very smooth, not to thick and not to thin. It leveled nicely, and 2 coats was all I needed. The cap is a little small, but the brush is normal size. The bottle is tall and thin so the brush doesn't suffer like mini bottles sometime do. The finish dried glossy. Some of my Pixi's dry unexpectedly matte.

 



One of my other pink polishes is Full Spectrum from China Glaze's Prismatics collection. There is a magenta pink glitter in Full Spectrum that is a perfect match for Real Rose. I used a round band-aid as a guide, see the tutorial here. The Prismatics are tough to remove, even using the foil method, so I recommend using another polish as a base to make removal easier. I haven't tried the glue basecoat yet so that might work too. My bottle of Full Spectrum was a little thin and needed a good shaking to distribute the glitter and get good coverage, but I've had it for a while unused.

 



I used Orly Bonder, Won't Chip, and Sec N Dry as the base and top coats.

I purchased this product with my own money and the opinions are my own.

Zoya Tao and a Comparison

Since it feels like a fall day here in PA, I thought I would try out one of my new fall Zoya colors on my super short nails.  Tao is from the Mirrors Collection from Fall of 2011 and has been on my wishlist for the last few months.  I picked it up during Zoya's Back to School BOGO sale at the end of August.


Tao is on the Index and Ring, Slate is on the Middle and Pinky

Zoya's description is pretty spot on, and is perfect for fall.  Tao is a light smoke grey with blue undertones and a muted, softened metallic finish. A cool metallic machine shade for a rock'n'roll look. I love gunmetal colors and I'm obsessed with grey polish right now.  I've picked up quite a few in the last few weeks.

Tao is a perfect alternative to silver, which tend I find to be streaky and shows every blemish on my nails.  I'm growing out some damage, which is why my nails are so short.  Tao doesn't show any of the damage and isn't streaky at all.  I love to wear colors like this on my toes too.  This is going to be a go to for me for a long time.  Two coats got me full coverage and almost no clean up.  I'm a messy polisher so that says alot.  The formula was great, and dry time was quick.

A similar color is Sinful Colors Slate.  They aren't exact dupes, but they are similar enough to get the same look for less.  Slate was released as part of their Start a Phenomenon Collection and I picked it up in July or August during the last Walgreens 99 cents sale on Sinfuls.  I got Slate and a few other that reminded me alot of Zoya's Fall 2011 Colors. 

In the bottle shot they look like they'd be the same.  You can tell Slate is lighter as soon as you open the bottle. 

Zoya Tao on the Left, Sinful Colors Slate on the Right

Slate is a just tad lighter on the nail after 3 coats.  They aren't dupes, but they are pretty close.  Depending on the light you can't tell, but up close you can definely tell Slate is a shade lighter.  If my husband can tell they are different you know they are different.

Tao is on the Index and Ring, Slate is on the Middle and Pinky

Slate is thinner than Tao in application.  It isn't hard to work with, just thinner.  You have to watch for pooling in the cuticle area.  Slate is pretty sheer on the first coat, while Tao is almost opaque after 1 coat.  I needed 3 coats of Slate for full coverage.  Dry time quick on the 1st coat of Slate, but was a little slow for the 2nd and 3rd coat.

The verdict, Slate is good but Tao is better.  If you are on a budget Sinfuls are a great alternative to the more expensive brands, and are available at Walgreens and Target for $2 or less.  Zoya is always running promo's on Facebook though so go like them and check out Tao and set up and account.  If you use my link you'll get a coupon for a free Zoya.  Add a second color to your cart and you'll get free shipping.  The coupon code will be in My Coupons/Promos in the My Account Section.

I purchased these with my own money and the opinions are my own.

The new and Improved Influenster Site

If you read my blog, periodically you see me post about stuff I received in a Voxbox or from Influenster.

What is Influenster you ask?

It is a program that is free to join, and based on your profile they send you boxes of products to test out.  In the old program you took surveys and earned badges.  Based on demographics and badges you've earned you may or may not get selected for the programs going on at the time.  I wish it was a little clearer on how you get selected.  Some people have a certain badge and don't get picked while other do.  You do get a survey if you are selected for the program and a few weeks later you get your box.  There is a score now that I'm sure will determine selection for new programs moving forward.  There are also some new badges in the new program.

In the new program, the same rules apply but now you have an influenster score.  The score is supposed to determines if you qualify for the latest programs.  You still have to earn badges, but to become more influential and earn a higher score you have to do reviews and answer questions that are useful.  You can post pictures, tweet, post on facebook, blog, etc. and it all affects you score.  Other influensters have to think that what you are posting is useful for your score to go up, so you actually have to post useful information.  Pictures and videos get you bonus points.  I feel like this may or may not be a good thing.  Really good if you write good honest reviews and answers to questions, which I try to do, but I feel like people may start writing reviews on stuff that they don't know anything about just to get a higher score to qualify for future programs.  I feel like people will try to game the system.  I've been very happy with all of the products I've gotten in both of the boxes I've received, but I try to give honest reviews.  If I got a product I didn't like I would say so.  I also don't spend all day on the internet, blogging, writing reviews, posting on facebook and tweeting.  I hope that the honest people that participate still get a chance to get a box and participate in the program.

How does it work?

Each box comes with its own tasks. You have challenges for each brand of product in your box that you are supposed to test as well as a survey to fill out. Not everyone gets every item that goes out in every box, some items go out to specific demographics. In my last box I got a bar of soap, while others got waxing strips, vitamins, or some kind of lotion to test. We all got a secondary survey to fill out for that specific product. That is different from my last box. I can't tell if it went through though. I did have some issues submitting my voxbox survey, but I used a computer with a different browser and it went through just fine.  Influenster's admin support is great and they have a quick response time.  They are always posting stuff on facebook and twitter so you can stay up to date on the new programs and when stuff is due for submitting surveys and challenges. 

As far as the site goes, I used to have problems logging into the old site all the time. I am usually able to login with no issues now. That is a big plus. It made it difficult to complete brand challenges and earn badges before when you couldn't login.

It has take some getting used to finding where things are on the new site, but overall I like the layout and think that the way to earn badges and up your score is fair. There are plenty of ways to participate and lots of programs for everyone. So far I'm happy with it and hope that I qualify for future programs. I enjoy being and Influenster and can't wait to see what products they have for us in the future.

Diamond Dry Top Coat Review

I recieved a bottle of ProLinc Diamond Dry Air Dry Top Coat free with purchase at Sally Beauty Supply during one of my many trips to buy China Glaze nail polish. They were running a deal that if you bought 2 China Glazes you got a free bottle of Diamond Dry.  Diamond Dry retails for $6.99 if you have a Sally's Beauty Club Card or $7.99 without the card.  The bottle says its Toulene and Formaldehye Free, but in the contents I don't see DPB listed either.  I've been using Seche Vite, but I'd like to find a good quick dry top coat that is 3 free.

Diamond Dry does dry really fast.  I used it over a polish that wasn't drying as quickly as I would have liked and this dried it pretty quickly (3 layers polish + base coat).  It isn't glossy, but it does have decent shine to it, see my post of Elephant Walk.  I've used it over a few manicures and it is pretty durable.  I've had some minor chips after a day or two, and that's really good for me.  My nails are really weak right now and I'm really hard on my hands.  I had no shrinkage with Diamond Dry the few times I've used it.

The verdict, I'll keep using this.  I'd buy this again if it was on sale at Sally's, not sure if I'd pay 6.99 for it, and I'd never pass up a free bottle.  I have a few other's to try out before I decide what my favorite is, but this one is is the running. 

2012 Naturals Influenster Voxbox

I received an Influenster Naturals Voxbox full of natural products to test.  The featured brands  in this Voxbox included were:

CleanWell™ Individual Hand Sanitizer Wipes check out my review here

GEODEO® Deodorant

NECTRESSE™ Sweetener

The Original™ Dish Drying Mat check out my review here

LypSyl™ Intense Protection LypMoisturizer™ check out my review here

EBOOST® check out my review here

Parissa® Wax Strips Face & Bikini

Country Life® Maxi-Hair® Maximized®

Desert Essence® Coconut Shine & Refine Lotion

SheaMoisture Raw Shea, Chamomile & Argan Baby Bar Soap check out my review here

I did not receive the Parissa® Wax Strips Face & Bikini, the Country Life® Maxi-Hair® Maximized® or the Desert Essence® Coconut Shine & Refine Lotion.

My favorite producs were the GEODEO, the LySyl, the SheaMoisture, and the Original Dish Mat.  I would purchase the CleanWell wipes and the Nectresse products again in order to give them a longer trial.  I probably won't purchase the EBOOST because it is a little expensive for my budget, not because I didn't like it.  Overall, I was very happy with my box and really liked all of the producst I was provided to sample.

CleanWell Natural Hand Sanitizer Wipes

I  received a sample of CleanWells All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipes in my Influenster Naturals Vox Box.  I really like these wipes.  They have a light lemon or citrus scent that isn't over powering.  It doens't smell like perfume like other wipes which is nice.  I used this wipe on my messy 2 year old who had just eaten lunch.  Most of the time I need several paper towels or wet wipes to clean his hands and face after we've eaten or played outside because let's face it wet wipes don't stay wet very long and they don't really get the job done.  I was pleasantly surpirsed by CleanWell.  I only needed the one wipe to clean the ketchup off his hands and face and the wipe was still wet and could have cleaned more if I needed.

I like that this doesn't have alcohol and didn't dry out my hands or his skin when I used it like other wipes can.  My kids get diry playing Tball and soccer and going to the playground.  We can't always get to a sink to wash hands right away so I keep antibacterial wipes in my car or bag, but they dry out the skin and they are full of chemicals. 

CleanWell has several different types of wipes and sanitizers as well as other products on their website and other retailer, pocket packs similar to baby wipes and canisters of wipes like you would see other wet style wipes in.  Their prices aren't outrageous either which sometimes all natural products can be.  If I see these I would definetly purchase them.  A Whole Foods just opened in my neighborhood so I'll be on the lookout for these.

Additional information about CleanWell:

CleanWell believes in eliminating germs safely. That's why they developed their patented formulation of natural thyme oil that kills germs yet contains no harsh chemicals. CleanWell truly is a better way to clean.

Life is messy, sticky and germy. CleanWell helps clean it up and kill germs without any unwanted ingredients. These convenient pouches are perfect to pack in a lunch box or carry in your backpack or bag.

In a 50-count box, you'll find enough individually wrapped hand sanitizer wipes for a couple of months worth of lunches, to take along in your pocket for your next meeting or trade show (just THINK of all the hands you're shaking!) or just for your family to use while traveling. Their size and one-use packet make them ideal for taking them along when you're out in the world. They are great for both hands and faces.

And CleanWell doesn't use alcohol or benzalkonium chloride - so no concerns about dry skin, skin irritation, or irritating Mother Nature. Our all natural hand sanitizing wipes are great for hands (and faces) large and small.

Available at Whole Foods Market, Amazon.com, Cleanwelltoday.com, and most natural products retail stores.

The Original Dish Drying Mat

I received an Orignal Dish Drying Mat in my Influenster Naturals VoxBox to test out.  The mat I received is 16" x 18" and is cream colored.  I'm so excited that I received one of these.

I don't even have to test it out to tell you that I already love this product.  I already own 4 of these in grey, and I've been meaning to get more.  These things are wonderful!!!  I've been using these for about a year and a half now.  I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond, this size is $4.99.  I've seen the cream in a bigger size, and they do come in other colors.  I used coupons to buy each of mine.  BB&B coupons have an expiration date, but they always take expired coupons so don't throw them out and you can use multiple coupons in a transaction.

I use these when I take my dishes out of dishwasher and they are still a little wet.  I put the dishes on the mats to air dry.  I always have 2 Original Dish Mats on my counter.  I don't use the drying cycle on my dishwasher, 1) to save energy, and 2) because I have toddlers and the drying cycle melts the plastic cups and bowls that we use alot.  These are also perfect for those dishes, pots, and pans that you have to hand wash.  I usually can't find my dish towel because one of the toddlers has run off with it so I just put the hand washed items on one of these and it absorbs all of the water within seconds.  Then I can come back after I've found a clean towel and finish the job.  They also perfect for delicate items like Grandma's China Platter that comes out for special occasions and needs to be handled with care.  These mats are are thin but cushioned from the microfiber making them perfect for delicate China, or Stemware.

 

These mats really are super absorbant.  I've never had one get so wet that it couldn't take any more water.  I leave mine right next to the sink under the dish drainer and they get pretty wet.  They dry pretty fast too.  I usually wash right away them if they get really wet.

These mats are machine washable, which is why I have 4.  I can wash 2 while I'm using the other 2.  You can hang them up to store them, or lay them flat which I how I store them on top of my crockpot box in the pantry.  As I said I already had 4 of these and plan to buy atleast 2 to 4 more. 

I love these mats!

Some additional info:

Introducing The Original™ Dish Drying Mat!

The new solution to the age old tradition of placing dish towels on the counter when hand-washing pots, pans, dishes and glassware. Hardworking and super-absorbent, the Dish Drying Mat protects countertops and dishes, dries fast and stores easily. Discover the exciting range of “The Original” products hre.

· Holds 4 times its weight in water

· Cushions delicate dishes and stemware

· Machine washable and highly durable

· Folds and stores easily

· Has multiple uses: try it underneath your dish drying rack in place of the plastic drain board. Place it underneath your appliances (mixer, blender, etc.) to protect your counter top from scratches and scuffs

Care:For best results, allow The Original Dish Drying Mat to thoroughly dry between uses. Frequently machine wash, with like colors, in cold water with a liquid detergent , and before first use. Tumble dry low. Do not iron. Do not use bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets.

CAUTION:The Original Dish Drying Mat should not be used as a pot holder, oven mitt or hot pad.

Where to BuyThe Original Dish Drying Mat is available exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Suggested retail price: $4.99

*Also available in an Extra Large Size 18” x 24” for $7.99!

Fall 2012 Target Beauty Bag - Last One Ever

Get your Target Beauty bag here while you can http://tgt.bz/FallBB.  The post on Target Style's Facebook page says this is the last bag ever.   Looks like this bag will be leopard prink and contain some of the products in the pictures below.  Photos were taken from Target Styles Facebook Page.

The bags contain several samples of beauty products such as lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and makeup.  They also contain Target coupons that can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for extra savings.

EBOOST

I received a packet of EBOOST in my Influenster Naturals Voxbox to test.  I got the orange flavor.

I was pleasantly surprised by the taste.  I've used similar supplements that tasted horrible, like you crushed up a multivitamin and added it to whatever you were drinking.  This didn't have the medicinal aftertaste.  It wasn't too fizzy either.  This would be perfect if you had a cold, which is when I've used the other supplements, when you really need the extra "boost" to get you going.  I like that it uses Stevia instead of Aspartame or Saccharin as the sweetener.

The Natural Energy Booster with a tangy citrus burst and a lasting natural energy boost! This EBOOST formula is loaded with green tea, vitamins and super nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin D and B-12 in an easy to mix effervescent packet. It's low calorie and sweetened with Stevia too.

Additional information about E Boost:

Americans are busier than ever but we’ve relied on bad energy to keep up…until now.

EBOOST is a boost that does more. It’s a mood boost, focus boost, immunity boost, natural boost, a no-crash boost.

EBOOST uses real ingredients, stuff you’ve heard of like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Green Tea, Vitamin B-12 and Folic Acid. And the stuff you might not have heard of: Quercetin, 5-HTP, Resveratrol, Huperzine-A — it’s all good too. What could be sweeter than that? Well, we even sweeten our product with Stevia, a plant, not a chemical.

What started as a celebrity secret for A-Listers like Madonna, Shakira, Oprah Winfrey and Amar’e Stoudemire is now a necessity for the multi-tasking generation. We took the time to formulate a multi-purpose product that really works so you don’t have to waste time with mediocre products that sort of work.

Get your boost with the convenience of a shot, or an easy-to-mix powder packet in four delicious flavors: Super Berry, Orange, Pink Lemonade and Acai Pomegranate. No matter how you boost, you’re sure to feel great. All day, every day.

You can find EBOOST at Whole Foods Market, Vitamin Shoppe, Duane Reade, Equinox, 24h Fitness, local gourmet stores and natural markets, and at www.eboost.com.

Quick Fix for Chipped Nail

I frequently read Allure's online magazine, and I get their emails which contain trends, tips, and tricks.  I recently read an article about how to fix a manicure.  Check out the article here.

As a working mom, I'm always getting chips after a day or two.  After I work all day on a computer, I've got soccer, T-ball, swim lessons, dishes, laundry, and the to-do list goes on and on.  The article had several tips and tricks to quickly fix your manicure without removing all of your polish.  I'm all for that since I don't always have time to redo my nails every day or even every other day.  Chips bug me so much that I'd rather have naked nails than chipped ones.

I painted my nails on a Tuesday, and then had to take the kids to swim lessons later that day.  Of course I chipped a nail.  I tried what I read in this article and it really worked.  I put a little drop of polish on the chip and let it dry for a minute.  Then I dipped my index finger on my other hand in remover and patted the drop of polish until it was smooth.  I covered it up with top coat and you would never know I had a chip this morning.  Time to fix the chipped nail - about a 2 minutes!

My chip wasn't that big, so I'm not sure how this would work on a larger one.  I would highly recommend trying this if you don't have time to redo a whole nail or your whole manicure.  I'll definelty try this the next time I get a chip and don't have alot of time.

 

A Grey Polish for a Grey Day

It was raining when I started writing this post, and thought Elephant Walk was fitting.  It has been gloomy for the last few days, so I thought I would go with grey polish to fit my mood and the weather.  I am loving the grey polish trend for fall right now.

 

Elephant Walk is from China Glaze's Fall 2012 On Safari Collection.  It is a graphite grey with a suble shimmer.  The shimmer really adds something so it is not just a boring grey creme.  The shimmer is barely there though.  It isn't frosty, so there are no brush marks which is a plus.  The color is unique because it shifts from light to dark grey depending on the lighing in the room, and occasionally it looks teal or green.  When it is grey, it does remind me of the color of an elephant.

Shimmer Shot

The formula is good, creamy and easy to apply.  I did 2 coats and got full coverage, almost no clean up too.  Dry time was pretty good as well.  The finish isn't glossy, but it isn't matte either.  I used Diamond Dry Top Coat to keep the non-glossy effect going.

I purchased Elephant Walk with my own money and the opinions are my own.

SheaMoisture Baby Bar Soap

I received a bar of Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Baby Exzema Soap in my Naturals Voxbox from Influenster to test out.  I couldn't be happier with this product especially as someone who has dry skin and a son with eczema.

I've been using the soap myself since the box came in the mail a few weeks ago and I've noticed a difference in my skin.  I love anything with shea butter in it, and I have dry skin so I thought I would try it out too.  My son has eczema on his arms almost all year round and he's had some pretty bad breakouts of it in his short life, so I was happy to try this soap out on him.  I've noticed that the patches on his arms have softened with use of the soap.  My skin is also softer and less itchy.  With winter coming up, I know dry skin and eczema flairs are inevitable.  I need to stock up on this soap.

Shea Moisture products are available at Walgreens stores and select Target, CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Christmas Tree Shops, Harmon Face Values, Duane Reade and Meijer stores.  I'll be looking for their products at my locals stores as I'd prefer a body wash over a bar and I would like to try out their lotions.

Additional information about Shea Moisture Soap:

This creamy, sulfate-free bar soap, enriched with luxurious natural and organic ingredients, is gentle enough for the sensitive skin of babies, children and adults. Use daily to cleanse and moisturize. Naturally soothes the symptoms associated with eczema such as inflammation, irritation and itching. Formulated with a special blend of unrefined, "raw" shea butter, argan oil, chamomile extract, frankincense and myrrh.

Winner of the Organic Beauty Talk Award for Best Natural Baby Collection.