COLOR CLUB Put a Pin In It

Hello, girls. As I said with my September Birchbox post, I would do a separate review/swatch on the Color Club mini I received in my box.

Put a Pin In It is a frosty, foil. It's exclusive from the Birchbox and Color Club custom collection. Described as a "gilded rose gold" which I think is spot on. It really has that rosey tint and yet has a pearly gold finish. I found that this formula was easy to work with. I would take a bit more care applying it because this foil does not like to be cleaned up off cuticles. It will leave behind a shiny mess from any acetone removal attempts. This is not because it floods into the cuticle, but in my case because I did it quick and I do not have the steadiest of hands.

COLOR CLUB Put a Pin In It - natural sunlight

COLOR CLUB Put a Pin In It

COLOR CLUB Put a Pin In It - artificial lighting

You can really see how rosey it is in the top picture taken in natural sun. The bottom picture I took indoors shows the gold in it.

I applied two coats with no top coat for these photos. I had full coverage from one coat, but depending on how thick or thin you tend to apply, you might need the second.

Thanks for popping in!

September Birchbox 2012

Hello all. My Birchbox arrived yesterday, woohoo! You all know how I feel about my Birchboxes. It's my monthly gift to myself. (:

This month I received a nail polish. Score! I ♥ boxes with nail polish.

September 2012 Birchbox

Twistband & Color Club polish

COLOR CLUB Put a Pin In It

I really like getting the twistbands in my boxes. I personally think they are overpriced to ever actually buy, so I like getting them as samples ($22 for a 12pack, that's 2 dollars for a small piece of elastic...no thank you!). I have 2 of the ponytail twistbands and 1 headband of the same material. They are comfortable and they don't snag and pull at my hair.

The mini polish from Color Club was a nice treat. As I said, boxes with polish are my favorite. I wasn't too sure about this color in the bottle, but I thought it was surprisingly flattering with my skin tone. I will do a separate post on this foil polish.

The WEI to Go Sleep Over kit is the perfect size to toss in a bag for traveling or to use after a workout at the gym. The full size comes in the same style resealable pack for the moisturizing face tint and a small tube for the gel cleanser.

I struggle with oily, acne prone skin so I love facial cleansing samples. I'm still raving about my Origins Checks and Balances cleanser I got in my January box. The Vasanti sample is an exfoliating cleanser.

I tried out this Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir perfume and I am not a fan. It is not my taste (or I guess my smell).

The Brush Guards are an extra treat as well as the Fall Lookbook. I usually use whatever applicator my makeup comes with because I haven't personally figured out brushes yet. I am sure these are fantastic for keeping your bristles like new. The few brushes I use for my nail art tend to end up with whacky bristles, and this guard would be just the thing to keep your expensive makeup brushes in-tact.

Well, that concludes yet another month of Birchbox. If you're interested in receiving awesome samples like these for only $10 a month delivered right to your door, here is my RAF link.

As always, thanks for popping in!

ESSIE No Place Like Chrome

Hello, ladies. I hope you are all having a fine Wednesday. I was hoping my Birchbox would be here by now, but alas, no such luck. Instead, I have another amazing polish loaned to me by Jessica. This one is a mirror metallic from Essie, No Place Like Chrome.

No Place Like Chrome is a shimmery, chic silver metallic polish. It's very fun to wear because I don't have any other mirror polishes at the moment. I am also a big believer that silver and gold polishes make for big-impact statement nails. Two thumbs up! This silver has a more of a shimmery metallic sheen in the the sunlight while maintaining more of the "mirror" effect indoors.

ESSIE No Place Like Chrome - shaded natural light

ESSIE No Place Like Chrome - direct sunlight

ESSIE No Place Like Chrome

No Place Like Chrome applied easily enough. I suggest using thinner coats for a smoother application. I applied 2 coats of polish with no top coat. Even with 2 coats, it's usually harder to get a completely smooth looking finish when working with a metallic.

In other news, this is my 100th post! I really appreciate my followers who take the time to stop by and check out my blog. Thank you and thanks for popping in!

A England Tristam

HI LADIES! (= I have no good reason for neglecting my blog like I have been. I know I said in my last post I would post more and that it was nearly a month ago. Well, here is a BEAUTIFUL polish post for you today.

Jessica and I traded some polishes for a week or so. I lent her my Birchbox Blogger Trio, and she loaned me A England Tristam and Essie No Place Like Chrome as well as giving me a couple of polishes she had dupes of. Isn't she a great sister? :-)

So I am totally jealous of Tristam. Holy crap, the swatches I have seen do this polish no justice. It's absolutely stunning! All of the posts I have read and also the A England website list Tristam as being BLUE. However, I guarantee you arguments can be made that this polish is very purple. My husband refused to acknowledge it was blue at all and my sister even had it grouped up with her purple swatches instead of her blue. I mean, when you see it with other blues, it really sticks out as being deeply deeply purple, and yet when it's just being gorgeous on your nails, it shifts to being blue and purply-blue. Granted, I don't think any captured pictures of mine strike me as a good foundation for a purple argument. I suppose you should take my word for it or else buy this FREAKING AWESOME POLISH!!! okok, pictures now.

A England Tristam - direct sunlight

A England Tristam - shaded natural light

A England Tristam - indoor artificial light

Yes, my pictures definitely fit the polish description of being a midnight blue. Mmm, I loved wearing this so much. I had it as my mani and my pedi. It applied flawlessly and I only used 1 coat. I was mostly just trying to by frugal and not use up a lot of my sister's polish but also it looked great with just the 1 coat.

Well, that wraps it up for today. I have missed sharing my polish adventures with all of you lovely readers. Thanks for popping in!

August Birchbox 2012

Hello, ladies! It's been a while since I posted and I received my Birchbox today which I love to share so let's see if it can help me get back into the groove. Usually I get my box around the 11th so I was happily surprised when I opened my door this morning and saw my box laying propped up against it.

This month's Birchbox's theme is Beauty School.

August 2012 Birchbox

full-size Schick Hydro Silk razor - there were also some coupons attached to the back for Schick razor blades & shave gel

Shu Uemura Hair Oil & Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur perfume

stila waterproof mascara & Talika lash conditioning cleanser

I love everything in this box. I have always been a sucker for trying out new razors. I've used every venus that's been on the market as well as a few skintimate. I am actually totally pysched that there is a Schick razor in my box! Trying it out asap! The fact that it came with coupons was a bonus too.

The Shu Uemura hair oil is another product I cannot wait to use. I received Amika hair oil in my first ever Birchbox and it was a fantastic product. Using just a little in your palm after blow drying helps calm frizz and keep your hair tame. This Essence Absolute Nourishing Protective Oil is labeled as being great for dry hair.

I know I always am less than thrilled with my perfume samples (I'm building up  quite the collection) BUT this month's smells delicious! I really have a thing for Juicy Couture perfume because I got Viva La Juicy in a previous box and they are the only 2 I have used. Viva La Juicy La Fleur is a mixture of sparkling mandarin, wild berries, dewy honeysuckle & soft jasmine.

Okay, so I saved the stila waterproof mascara and Talika oil-free lash conditioning cleanser for last. I actually tried these two out already and have pictures to share.

I used 2 coats of Stila's black waterproof mascara. I actually really liked it. It wasn't clumpy at all and the brush was small and easy to use. I also wanted to try out this lash conditioning cleanser so I removed the mascara with it right away.

You can see in the first photo I didn't have to use much at all. Actually, I could have used less! It worked amazingly well, removing all traces of the waterproof mascara. It did sting my eye though. Right away too, so I had to be careful with it after that. The packet says, "Made from silk proteins and cornflower water, this gel removes mascara effectively and restructures weakened eyelashes."

Great box, dontcha think?! :-) I love my monthly Birchboxes! If you would like to sign up for $10 a month, here is my RAF link. There is a wait list for the boxes, but it's definitely worth it. I don't think I have mentioned this before, but there is always free shipping on the full-size products from your box during the month you receive them.

Thanks for popping in!