Follower Appreciation Giveaway!!!! - CLOSED

A giveaway? Yes it is! In appreciation of all you lovely followers I have three nail polishes to give to one lucky winner. I felt like I was cheating a bit announcing my intentions for a giveaway at 20 followers when I promised myself upon starting my blog that I wouldn't host a giveaway until I hit at least 25. Well, I feel much better now that I have 25 followers! (New followers welcome!)

What are these nail polishes you ask?

Sinful Colors Cha Cha Red

Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor. (This one almost didn't make it into the giveaway once I saw this bottle in the sunlight.)

And finally, one of my favorite nail polishes, Wet n Wild Disturbia. (You can find my post on this color here for color information and swatches.)

You've seen the prizes, now for the rules.

• Must be a follower of my blog through either GFC or Hellocotton.
• Must be 18 years of age or older (or have the consent of your legal guardian). Prizes don't just show up on your doorstep like magic; I'll need your mailing address. Don't enter if this will cause problems.
• Must enter using the Rafflecopter widget and have valid entries. (Comments of 'enter me' or simply with your information do NOT count. Want to win? Use the widget.)
• Open to United States residents only. Enter only if you have a United States address or know a friend/family member who lives in the US who wouldn't mind receiving the prize for you.
• All three nail polishes were bought by me, are brand new, and will go to only ONE winner.
• Giveaway opens March 1st, 2012
• Giveaway ends April 1st, 2012.
• Winner will have 48 hours to reply before I choose a new winner. (Be sure the email address you enter with is correct and one you check often. You don't want to miss out because you used an old email address.)

I think that's all the rules. Now onto the Rafflecopter. I've tried to give you many, many ways to enter so everyone has a good chance of winning�even if you don't have a blog. :) First giveaway so let's hope I got everything right. *Open post for Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wet n Wild - Disturbia

Pink may be my favorite color but purple is definitely my go to nail polish color. When I'm feeling down, can't decide on a polish, or am just feeling lazy I grab the closest purple and am perfectly content.


This time, the closest purple just happened to be Wet n Wild's Disturbia. I didn't even know I had this color! It was a gift but, while the Disturbia bottle isn't miniature, it is small and a bit short so it got lost in the chaos of my nail polish drawers.


I am so glad I grabbed it this time though because it was just what I was looking for. The polish is thick and creamy and goes on like a dream. Wet n Wild (recently?) switched their Megalast brushes over to their new ManiCurve Pro Brush. Their bottles have also gotten bigger, now holding .45 fl. oz compared to the smaller .30 fl oz bottle I own. However, the Disturbia I have is an older bottle�smaller and without the Pro Brush. That's not to say the brush is small though. It's a goodly sized brush, like a miniature Sally Hansen brush, that holds a lot of polish and smooths it on nicely. It took two coats for full opacity.

As for the polish itself, besides having a great formula, it looks absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. The color is somewhere between a deep purple and a plum that can look completely different in different lights (as seen in the vast differences in purple shown in the pictures). Much like the very pretty shimmer the polish carries. The shimmer is nearly unnoticeable in certain lights but when you can see it sparks with what looks like flecks of red-violet and indigo. You can't really see the indigo here but the red-violet certainly sticks out.

You know me though, I'm not usually one to leave a nail polish to stand alone. First, I gave Disturbia a coat of China Glaze Snow Globe. I will definitely use this combination again. It was absolutely stunning!

Still, that wasn't enough to satisfy me. I took it a step further and gave it one more coat of polish, this time with Hard Candy's Matte-ly in Love matte top coat. Glitter polishes look awesome when you turn them matte. The flakes of glitter don't subtly shift colors anymore but they still shine and pop from a dull background in the light.

The nails got a bit streaky when I was applying the glitter. I didn't want to swamp them in glitter as I have with some previous nails so I was extra careful�probably too careful since the clear got tacky before I was done layering the glitter. I just had to keep going though or there would be large glitter free gaps. The matte top coat smoothed the streaks out fine and I'm sure a regular top coat would do the same.


Disturbia has now taken it's place among my favorite purples and will be in the top three choices next time I'm feeling down, uncertain, or just plain lazy. :)

• Now, just a reminder of the giveaway coming up very soon. There will be three nail polishes, all bought by me. I am unsure about international shipping at this time. I'm pretty sure US laws state that nail polish has to be sent through ground shipping due to it being labeled a hazardous materiel. With this in mind, this first giveaway will be open only to those US residents or those who have a US address they can have it shipped to. When I ship the prizes for this giveaway, I will ask about the laws at my local post office. Either way, I promise I will have a giveaway of something open to any international followers in the coming months. I won't forget about you guys!!

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Docteur Renaud Cosmekits Review

I'd never tried or heard of this brand before sampling this kit.  This is a one-use kit containing a mask, vitamin c concentrate and a peeling solution. I love the idea of a 20 minute mini facial treatment that you can do at home. This is the Carrot Radiance version, claiming to brighten the skin. I know they also do some other ones.

The kit comes with easy to follow instructions and it was fun to do! 

Like I mentioned before, this is a one-use kit so the samples are quite small. My skin definatley looked brighter afterwards, I just wish the products were bigger! Also the brightness in my skin only lasted about a day. This retails for �29 but at the minute is on offer for �20.

You can visit the Dr Renaud website here - http://www.doctor-renaud.co.uk/


Whould you try something like this out? Also, I really want to buy Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation & L'oreal Paris telescopic Mascara after reading good reviews, have you tried either? 
I love you all, new and old! x

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Rimmel - Rags to Riches

Hello again! Two posts in as many days? You guys will be sick of me before the end of the week!! :)


I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I snagged a major deal�$50 worth of polish for $10. I got 4 Borghese, 2 Sally Hansen, and a Rimmel. The Rimmel is the focus of my post today. It is 286, Rags to Riches, which is a lovely metallic moss green with a champagne shimmer.

Natural Light

I tried a new top coat after I finished painting these and it didn't dry as quickly as I'm used to. They were dry to the touch but must not have been dry through because the tips bunched while I was cooking dinner. There was no fixing it by the time I noticed. :( However, I'm very pleased to say they lasted much longer than I expected given how I practically invited chips and didn't touch up the top coat. I'm sure this is one polish that would live up to it's 10 day promise if I hadn't messed them up before they dried. Even then, they only began chipping on day 5 when I nicked my index nail while preparing dinner. It always happens at dinner for me. The others still looked nearly exact to when I took these pictures.

Natural Light

The Rimmel brush is big and wide and absolutely perfect! It's near an exact match to Sally Hansen Insta-Dri brushes�which I love!  This color actually reminds me of Sally Hansen's Celeb City, different in color but both metallic with a lovely shimmer. If you'll remember, I adored Celeb City so it's a very simple leap of logic to say I love Rags to Riches too. I think I'm turning into a metallic girl and I won't have a problem with it if they keep looking this great on my nails!

Flash

I would like to add that the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro bottle is very handsome. Yes, I said handsome. It doesn't look very feminine so I'll use male descriptors. It's not so much heavy as solid (fits nicely in hand) and the silver crown on the black lid is simply charming.


Do you have a favorite Rimmel color?

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Red Leopard

Hello my lovely readers! I feel like I'm really late with my posting. It's been such a busy week and I've gone through my polish pretty quickly. I have this post and two others, and the polish I have on now is starting to show wear on the tips. But that just means more posts for you to read!


That said, I'm so excited! This blog has hit 20 (+1) followers. I never expected so many of you!! In honor of that number I've decided to do a giveaway. I already have the prizes ... bought by me with my limited funds�I just hope they're good enough to show the depths of my appreciation. Now I just have to figure out how hosting a giveaway works. I'll have it put together and posted soon!! I have high hopes to one day have great prizes, random giveaways, and lots more for milestone follower numbers. Be on the lookout in the next few days for your chance to enter.


Now, onto the post. This was inspired by a Pinterest pin. I clicked the wrong thing before I could repin and the page reloaded. Sadly, I can't for the life of me find the picture again. I did a few searches but nothing. However, a google search brought up Reverse Rockabilly by The Daily Nail. The picture isn't the one I saw on Pinterest but the design is near exact. I feel I have to give credit somewhere so it goes to The Daily Nail. :)

I only managed to get one good picture of these nails completed. I have really got to finish making my light-box; I hate my pictures being at the mercy of Mother Nature. I did manage to get two pictures while I was working on them though that I'm willing to share.

Look at that mess! Not so pretty while I work on them, are they?

I was feeling extremely shaky the day I did these; so much so that I actually dropped my nail polish brush/cap and splattered gold all over my keyboard. That has certainly never happened before. I just didn't trust myself with a nail art brush; I was already imagining the absolute horror if I attempted it, so I just used my stamper and the leopard print image plate (Salon Express plate SE11). I'm really beginning to love stamping. I prefer to hand paint but it's great for those days when my hands are shaking too badly for detail work.

Here they are before I added the pearls. I went shopping with my sister that day and we got some sunlight while driving. Of course, I spent no time enjoying this little ray of sunshine. I used this break in cloud cover simply for picture taking. I have such a one track mind! Don't you love it? :)


Polish Used
Funky Fingers - Platinum Record
China Glaze - Poinsettia
LA Colors - BCC 585 (Black)


*Pearls bought from the Born Pretty Store. Definitely worth at least a browse through.

• Also, check out the new additions I added today. There are now Facebook like buttons below every post and if you look to the top left you will now see buttons to both follow me on Twitter and one to like my Facebook page. You can also look up at the top and find the new page additions�About Me, Contact Me, and my Disclosure. Take a moment to read them if you have time. :)

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Man Glaze Lesbihonest

Good morning guys! Sorry, I've been MIA for the past few days. I've been so busy with work, and have been working extra long hours, due to a big meeting my company put on for our dealers. It has been so much fun though, between just getting out of the office, socializing with our dealers, open bar every night, and I must say I was very well behaved at, but not everyone can say that, which made it even better, Eagles cheerleaders and magicians. I will say though, I am exhausted, and cannot wait to get home to bed.

I meant to have some posts ready for you guys, but I swear the time just flew and I didn't have any time. So I am sorry.

For this post, I wanted to share a new polish brand, to me, I know it's been out there for a while, but I just purchased my first one. Their formula is amazing, and I will say, you kind of need a sense of humor to appreciate the names and bottles.

This is Lesbihonest from Man Glaze. It's a bright fuchsia matte, and I of course had to see what it would look like with a shiny top coat as well :) I'm officially hooked on their polish, and cannot wait to try more.

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fake tan

Woah there, fake tan doesn't have to look fake. You can look naturally tanned without looking too 'essex'. I don't wear fake tan all the time, but I feel better with darker skin! England isn't the sunniest country & it's much healthier then a real tan.

Fake tan swatches same order as products below 

(that's my leg, encase you were wondering!)

Fake Tan Disasters...

One of my favourite things about blogging is sharing my beauty related experiences with you. My first encounter with fake tan was at the age of 11. Sounds really young but i've always been interested in cosmetics! Sneaking a bottle of mum's fake tan from the bathroom, I applied it on to my face wondering why my skin wasn't getting any darker. Several attempts later i gave up and put the bottle back. 

Monday morning i woke up only to find out the fake tan had developed and my face resembled the shade of a carrot. I went to school that day and denied any fake tan rumours  & tried my best to hide my orange stained hands. Ok, so it wasn't as bad as Ross's spray tan experience in Friends - But it was highy embarrassing & I stayed well away from fake tan for years after. 

A few of my favourites....

All i want from a fake tan is for it to look natural and to smell nice. These little beauties do just that. *LINKS*

Tanatomicals

Palmers

MakeBelieve

Xen Tan 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a lovely week!

So do you prefer you tans porcelain or are you a fake tan fan? 

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Claire's - Magnetix

Hello, everyone! I've been told recently that I can sniff out a sale or a great deal on nail polish from a mile away. I'm beginning to think that's true since I recently snagged $50 worth of nail polish for $10, but that sale isn't what today's post is about.


I was in Claire's last week grabbing some things to send to my best friend for her birthday. I got her haul all picked out and was checking out when the wonderful woman behind the counter pointed out the container beside me that held their brand of magnetic polish, Claire's Magnetix. Now, I have seen tons of posts on magnetic polishes and I have never been very impressed. I remember asking what the big deal was.


Well, now I know what the big deal is! This woman popped open one of their display polishes and showed me right then and there how it worked. I was so impressed that I bought two at their buy one, get one half off price. Two awesome polishes at a great price? What could be better??


I haven't tried the gold on my own nails yet but it's the color that convinced me to buy the magnetic polish so that should say something about it. I also picked up their dark blue and I have to say I'm in love!! Check it out.

In direct sunlight. It's truly stunning, isn't it? I don't know if this has micro glitter or if it's just the iron powder but there are sparks of blue-ish purple and light blue that seem to be only visible in direct sunlight. Sadly, it doesn't seem to show up in pictures.

With flash. While the flash washed them out a bit the magnetic designs are still very visible.

Here is the actual magnet. It sits like a cap on the bottle, fitting over the actual screw on cap that holds the brush. There are resting places that sit comfortably against your finger as you hold the magnet over your nail. Yes, that is polish on my magnet. I sometimes let the magnet droop while using it and it settles onto the wet polish. It's something I'm learning not to do.

Pros, Cons, & Tips

(in no specific order)

• The cap is slightly hard to open for me. It's short and stubby and I find my fingers slip a bit as well.
• The brush is large and wide. Not as large or as wide as some of the Sally Hansen brushes, but the Claire's bottle is smaller so it fits that the brush would be smaller as well.
• The polish is near the perfect consistency, not too runny nor is it goop-y.
• To me, the polish also doesn't have an unpleasant, overpowering scent. I find it very light and what I can smell is slightly flowery to me. (Scents are all very personal though so don't quote me on this!)
• Remember to shake the polish well. You need to reincorporate the iron powder for mega eye-catching designs.
• Do two layers. One on all nails that you let dry and another on each nail individually that you use the magnet on.
• Hold the magnet for shorter or longer times to find the design you like. I held mine for 15-20 seconds. Designs start to appear in about the first 5 seconds.
• Hold the magnet for a few seconds and then roll it slightly for another few seconds to get the design over the entire nail.
• Turn the magnet different ways to get different designs.
• Remember not to let your magnet droop where it hangs over your nail! That polish is still wet and you're likely to ruin it!!

Well, that's that for this post. I hope you enjoyed. What do you think of magnetic polishes? Something you've tried? If so, which brand is your favorite?

Stay tuned until next time for my new, shorter nails!!

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2012 Color Club Blossoming Swatches!!!!

Morning guys! Yesterday when I got home from work, I was so excited to see the new collection, Blossoming, from Color Club waiting for me!Kim from Color Club sent them to me so I could show you guys.

These are all 2 coats :) Diamond Drops is part of the collection, and I did do 1 coat over each color so you could see. I must say, I'm really impressed with Diamond Drops. I was afraid it would be thick, and feel chunky when I had it on my nails, but not at all!!

Hydrangea Kiss (excuse the way my camera insisted to change my skin color)

with Diamond Drops

Sweetpea

with Diamond Drops

Blushing Rose - This is my 2nd favorite of them all. I just love the soft girly pinks!

with Diamond Drops

Lavendarling

with Diamond Drops

 and for my FAVORITE of them all, Blue-Ming. It was actually the fave with me, Jack, Chloe and my mom. I even wore it for my mani today :) Oh and of course, I accidentally deleted the other pics I had of it :(

with Diamond Drops

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