Essie Fall 2012 Polishes in Don't Sweater It, Stylenomics - swatches, pics, review

Hello, Beautiful!

Did you pick up any polishes from the Essie 2012 Fall Collection? There are six shades in the collection but I have two shades to share with you in this post: Don't Sweater It and Stylenomics. The two shades I have are great for fall. A great creamy camel nude and a deep hunter green. Love them both!

Check out my pics, swatches, info, and review... click on pics to view them larger.

Essie - Fall 2012 Collection
Shades: Don't Sweater It, Stylenomics
Continue scrolling down for more pics of each individual shade.

Essie - Fall 2012 Collection
Shade: Don't Sweater It

Essie - Fall 2012 Collection

Shade: Stylenomics

Essie Fall 2012 Collection Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $8.00 (0.5 oz full size). Available on the Essie website and everywhere else Essie is sold. Click here to find an Essie retailer near you.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Kisses

I love Essie polishes, so that isn't even a question when it comes to this review. I'm reviewing the shades in this post from the Fall 2012 Collection.

Don't Sweater It:
This shade looked like a nice creamy light tan nude in the bottle, but translated a bit darker on the nail. I actually loved the outcome of this shade. It's a great creamy camel nude shade. Although the Essie site lists this as a warm, cozy and creamy mauve. Regardless of how you describe it, I love it!

Stylenomics:
This is a great deep, dark hunter green int he bottle but shows up close to black on the nail. It's not black though, so I don't want you to think it is. It's definitely a dark, deep green shade. I really liked this one too.

Both shades are nicely pigmented. You could probably use one coat to get the coverage you need, but out of habit I used two coats each. No top coat in the photos either, and you can see how nice and shiny the finish is.

The other shades in the Fall 2012 Collection are: Head Mistress, Miss Fancy Pants, Recessionista, and Skirting the Issue.

I recommend checking out the Essie Fall 2012 Collection!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of these polishes? Which shade do you like best? Discuss in the comments below.

Birchbox - March 2012 - Teen Vogue Edition

Hello, Beautiful!

I received an email from Birchbox asking if I wanted a special Teen Vogue edition Birchbox this month instead of my regular Birchbox. I said yes because even though I'm not a teen, I thought the products would be more fun. I'm glad I said yes, because I received two products I had wanted to buy for awhile now! I'll still receive a regular box through my husband's subscription, but that hasn't arrived yet so I'll make a separate post for that.

For more information on Birchbox, or to sign-up and start receiving your own Birchbox every month, CLICK HERE to visit http://www.birchbox.com?raf=eops9. Just $10 each month!

Check out everything in my box... click on pics to view them larger.

March 2012 Birchbox - Teen Vogue Edition











The Included Info Card:

 

Shipment Quick Stats:

• Value of this month's Birchbox shipment: $38.28 (value is approximate)
• Total # of Items Received: 5
• # of makeup items: 1
• # of nail items: 1
• # of skincare items: 1
• # of body care items: 0
• # of hair care items: 1
• # of fragrance items: 1
• # of other items: 0

Now I'll break it down, product-by-product...

ESSIE Luxeffects Nail Polish in A Cut Above

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: Layer this glittery top coat onto any polish for an eye-catching look.
• MY THOUGHTS: This was one of the Essie Luxeffects polishes I didn't buy originally, but had wanted to own. This was the first thing I noticed when I opened my Birchbox and was really excited.
• FULL SIZE: 0.46 fl oz @ $8.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.46 fl oz (full sized item)
• VALUE: $8.00

 

TARTE LipSurgence Lip Tint in Amused

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This long-lasting stain adds rich pigment and is designed to boost the moisture levels in your lips.
• MY THOUGHTS: I love Tarte's LipSurgernce lip tints (which I reviewed in the past here). I wanted the Amused shade, so I was really excited to receive this product in the exact shade I had wanted. Plus, it's full sized so that's a very special item in this month's box! Love the color - it's sheer enough to make it wearable everyday, but it's bright enough to be fresh for spring and summer!
• FULL SIZE: 0.10 oz @ $24.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.10 oz (full sized item)
• VALUE: $24.00

 

SHISEIDO Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: These mattifying tissues are coated with transparent rice powder to leave your skin perfectly shine-free.
• MY THOUGHTS: As the weather gets warmer there is one product I always keep in my purse: blotting papers. I know I'll use this in the near future, I just wish the packet they come in closed. I'll just wrap a hair tie around it to keep it closed when I throw it in my purse.
• FULL SIZE: 100 sheets @ $18.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 10 sheets
• VALUE: $1.80

TWISTBAND Hair Tie

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: Give your ponytail a makeover with these colorful, snag-free elastics.
• MY THOUGHTS: Ah, the Twistband again. I received one in a previous Birchbox shipment and a lot of people hated them. I admit, even I at first didn't like them because they're thick and my hair is so fine that I didn't think they'd work. However, I'd used the one I already have (a black one) and will use this neon green one too (which just happens to be my son's favorite color, so it will remind me of him when I wear it).
• FULL SIZE: 12 pack @ $18.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 1 hair tie
• VALUE: $1.50

ANNICK GOUTAL Petite Cherie

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: A blend of fresh fruity notes and musk, this French fragrance is the definition of understated chic.
• MY THOUGHTS: I hate perfume samples, so this the only product in this box that I wasn't a fan of. The scent actually isn't bad - I almost like it!
• FULL SIZE: 50 ml @ $85.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 1.75 ml (full sized item)
• VALUE: $2.98

 

Plus...

• There was also a card for $10 off $75 purchase at Modcloth. The code is MODPROM
• And of course there was an insert wanting you to subscribe to Teen Vogue. You can get 20 issues (2 years) for $10 if you go to teenvogue.com/go/birchbox

Let me know what you think...

Did you receive a Birchbox shipment this month? If so, what are your thoughts on your box? Did you get a Teen Vogue box or a regular one? If you don't receive Birchbox yet, click here to sign up! Discuss in the comments below.



CND Effects in 24K Sparkle: lots of pics, swatches, and my review

Hello, Beautiful!

I am really excited to share with you my very first CND polish and this one is a beauty. It's from their Effects line and the shade is called 24K Sparkle. For me, this polish is special because it's a flakie polish! The Effects line of polishes are designed for layering over any other polish you have but you can wear them alone; 24K Sparkle is very beautiful all on its own. I have lots of pics below to show you how it looks by itself and how it looks over various colors. Enjoy!

Check out my pics, swatches, stats and review...

** click on pics to view them larger **

CND Effects

Shade: 24K Sparkle

Shade Description: A sheer polish with gold flakies and gold glitter.

 

 

Shown below using 2 coats:

This is 24K Sparkle on a blank nail; no polish underneath.

All photos from this point on shown using 1 coat:

The black polish is Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Black Creme

The white polish is Wet n Wild Wild Shine in French White Creme.

The red polish is Sinful Colors in Ruby Ruby.

CND Effects - 24K Sparkle

shown over 16 different polish colors:

CND Effects - 24K Sparkle layered over H&M polish in Petrol:

CND Effects - 24K Sparkle layered over Revlon Top Speed polish in Royal:

Basic stats for CND Effects in 24K Sparkle:

Formula: 3-free!

Coverage: sheer (just one coat is needed)

Shade Info: 24K Sparkle is a beautiful gold glitter and flakie polish

Cost/Availability: $11.00 each (0.33 fl oz full size). Available at Ulta, Bloom.com, and everywhere else CND is sold. For a full list of retail stores (including some online retailers), click here.

Packaging: signature CND shaped bottle; triangular-shaped nylon bristle brush

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

Formula:

3-Free polish that adds that "ta-da" to any creme nail color. You'll have fun finding different layering combos; try it over shimmers, duo-chromes and whatever else your mind can think up!


Coverage:
The CND Effects polishes are sheer so you can layer them. You can wear them on their own; 24K Sparkle is beautiful enough to wear on its own (in my opinion). You only need one coat to get a beautiful effect.


Shade Info:
Available in a range of 15 different effects: Pearl, Shimmer, and Sparkle. I love the Sparkle ones! You can click here to view CND's website and see all their Effects!


Cost/Availability:
$11.00 each for 0.33 fl oz full size. Available at Ulta, Bloom.com, and everywhere else CND is sold. For a full list of retail stores (including some online retailers), click here.


Packaging:
Signature CND shaped bottle -- which to me, looking down at it, looks like both a C and a D. Each polish has a state-of-the-art brush with clear, triangular-shaped nylon bristles for flawless application.


CND Effects in 24K Sparkle Review:
If you couldn't tell by the number of photos I took, I am in love with this polish! 24K Sparkle is a beautiful flakie & glitter polish that adds something special to my nails. I couldn't wait to try layering it over a number of colors, but teal and blue were the two I decided to showcase on my nails. I did show it layered over black, white and red on my nail wheel, as well as showing it over various colors (but keep in mind it will look better on the nail than on a clear sheet being placed over polish already on paper).

The formula is fantastic; I had no problems applying it and just one coat is all you need. Although I did use two for some of my photos out of habit.

Seeing as how this is my first introduction to the CND world, I'm excited for more! In fact, I have another CND Effects in Sapphire Sparkle that I also can't wait to show you! That will be coming next week!

Overall, I highly recommend the CND Effects line and especially the shade 24K Sparkle!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of 24K Sparkle? Do you own this polish or any of the CND Effects? What are your thoughts? Discuss in the comments below.