Collective Ulta Haul

I've been doing a little shopping in the last month and a half or so, having discovered that there is an Ulta right on my way back to school, and I'm really excited about my purchases.  I've had my eye on a Lorac palette since about January and have been stalking it online at Sephora ever since.  Today, while I was wandering Ulta, I found it!  The Lorac Unzipped palette might be better than the Naked and the Naked 2 palettes.  It has a really beautiful, rich combination of mattes and shimmers, and I realize this is not necessarily a "yes" for most people, but not a single one is black, dark blue, or silver.  They're all fairly warm toned bronzes, golds, taupes, and coppery browns.  I'm in love.  You can find it online at Ulta.com or on Sephora.com.  I highly recommend it if you love the neutral eye look and you're a fan of Lorac eye shadows.  I have been consistently impressed across the board with the Lorac eye shadows since I purchased the Little Black Palette.

I also picked up three of the newly released, new formula Urban Decay single eye shadows.  I purchased them in the cult classic Sin, YDK (from the Naked 2 palette, it's my fave!), and X, which I think might be a new eye shadow entirely.  Sin is of course the shimmery, pale, nudey pink that is an awesome high lighter or mellow all over lid color.  YDK is this totally perfect shimmery taupey-brown.  I've been obsessed with it since I got the Naked 2.  It makes the best day time smokey eye, ever.  X is a pale, peachy gold shimmer that I can just picture being perfect for an all over wash of color during the summer. Amazingness.  The shadows feel so soft and smooth and buttery, the new formula is fantastic.  The color pay off is out of this world.

I grabbed two NYX Jumbo eye pencils, one in Yogurt and one in Cashmere.  Yogurt is a pale creamy gold and Cashmere is a soft coppery color.  I can definitely see myself having fun with them and getting a lot of use out of them.

Aaannnd on to the nail polish.  This is almost embarrassing.  Notice I said 'almost'?  I love nail polish.  I have significantly bulked up my Butter London collection since my last haul.  I'm talking some serious additions.  I picked up Royal Navy, Yummy Mummy, Old Blighty, Saucy Jack, Trout Pout & Jaffa.  I also snagged Essie's Mesmerize, China Glaze's High Hopes, Mediterranean Charm, and OPI's Red Lights Ahead...Where? and What's With the Cattitude?.  All of these can be found online at Ulta.com.  China Glaze polishes can also be found at Sally Beauty Supply.

Gel Manicures vs. Traditional Ones

Okay, so gel manicures are the major rage right now, with at home kits and mini LEDs to set them, they're popping up everywhere. Now, I know, as a woman who works, that a manicure that can last more than two weeks without chipping, one that keeps going until it's grown out before it needs to be re-done (not unlike acrylics, but without the havoc they wreak on your nails), is too amazing to be questioned... but what happens when you should question it for health reasons?

I have more than a "normal" nail polish collection... okay, it is now bordering on obsession, addiction and needing intervention, so I have a pretty serious investment in going with a traditional manicure (and doing it yourself! Or at least bringing your own polish). All of that aside, gel manicures sound like the best thing since... sliced bread? Or those little toasters that cook a sunnyside up egg while they make your toast... However, I have discovered a couple serious flaws in the gel manicure camp.

One: if you don't go back to the nail salon to have them removed (and then put back on), they can destroy your nails, similar to the way acrylics did back in high school. Here's the thing: you have to soak your hands in pure acetone (not normal nail polish remover) to soften the cured gel enough to actually remove it from your nails. The acetone does soften the gel, but it also softens the nails. Then you have to use a metal cuticle pusher to scrape off the gel and if you're not careful (or over-zealous, like I was), you'll actually end up scraping/peeling off part of the nail itself. The whole thing leaves your nails weak, just like acrylics did. And, if you have any kind of ADD, you'll get bored of the manicure/color you got. By day 5, I was itching to paint my nails, I love me a nice French manicure, but not that much. Long story short: gels are no better than acrylics--they ruin your nails, you're stuck with one manicure for weeks, and you look ridiculous when you "need a fill" and spend $40 to get the whole manicure re-done. At least, that's my opinion.

Two: you can get skin cancer from gel manicures. Yes, skin cancer. Since the lights used to cure the polish are UV lights, you're almost tanning your hands... like putting your hands only in a tanning bed. Since your hands are one of the most forgotten/overlooked parts of your body, they're at a huge risk for skin cancer. Think about it. Driving in the car: what's exposed? Your arms and hands. I have a girlfriend who literally drives with a coat or sweater at all times because she has such fragile, pale skin. Personally, I burn, then freckle, then tan. Any tanning whatsoever is terrible for you, but the concentrated UV rays are the worst. Further, how many of us can actually that we put sunscreen on our hands every single day? I sure as hell can't. And I always put sunscreen everywhere else. Women with darker skin tones are even more at risk, since spotting skin discoloration on a mole is made even more difficult because the differentiation between mole and actual skin tone are similar. Derms say women with darker skin need to be extra vigilant in checking between fingers and under the finger nails for small spots of discoloration, moles with irregular edges, yaddah yaddah yaddah. If states are banning or regulating the use of tanning beds, why are we still putting ourselves at risk by getting gel manicures???

The perks of gel manicures are clear: shiny, chip free manicures that last [sometimes] upwards of three weeks, they're your real nails, no added length or crazy tips, what's not to love, ladies? But there are alternatives that are really just as good, but don't leave your nails open to be ravaged by acetone and scraping off the polish (and possibly some of the first layer of nail), and don't put us at risk of skin cancer.... and they won't run your bank account into negative balance territory. My favorite, by far, is the Sally Hansen Nail Strips. They literally last just about as long as gels, and similarly to gels, you really only need to re-do them when they start to grow out and your nails look like they need a fill. They can be removed with normal nail polish remover, not pure acetone, and don't strip the top layer of your nail off. Plus they're cheaper.

And then there's just good ol' plain doing your own nails at home. With all the nail art trends around, and all the nail art blogs running up and down your internet pathways, not to mention the amazing nail tutorials that can be found on Youtube. This is where my obscenely large nail polish collection (and the guilt whenever I get a manicure without bringing my own polish, or doing gel) comes into play. How to justify going to a salon to have your nails painted by someone else and paying anywhere from $10-$70+ a pop (gels, regular manis, pedis, etc) is beyond me. Not to mention, I'll never get through my collection and have to throw them all away. (Probably have to do that someday any way, but hey!) Plus, there's the budget factor. Add up all the mani/pedis you've gotten in the last year, including gels. Pretty hefty chunk of change. In comparison, buying the right tools and your own nail polish, and doing it all yourself doesn't seem so bad. Plus, you can change it whenever you want, all it costs is 30+ minutes a day.

It all just makes you think. And it's an age-old debate: are the lengths we go to for beauty too far fetched? Are they just plain dangerous? Think about it the next time you're getting your nails done... [or doing them yourself].

Glitter Polish

Like just about all of my friends, and a growing chunk of the female population, I have a thing for glitter nail polish. It's so much fun, and I love to use it as like an accent nail or do a jacked up french mani with glitter tips-the possibilities are endless. However, like ALL of my girlfriends, and again, a growing chunk of the female population, I find myself getting so darn frustrated when I'm trying to get the glitter polish OFF my nails, I'm always wary of using it again. And then a couple months go by and I find myself in the exact same position.

There are several tried and true methods to get glitter polish off: soak your nails in nail polish remover (although I prefer pure acetone for this, if it takes of acrylics, it'll take off glitter) and then gently scrape off the remaining glitter hunks, or use a stiff toothbrush to scrub them off; chipping the glitter off with your other nails and/or teeth (which isn't great for your nails); or you can simply wait until the manicure has run its course and is chipping off on its own and wait till it's almost all gone before you whip out your nail polish remover. Each of those options is extremely time consuming, and, let's face it, not fun.

In the last few weeks, trolling pinterest, I've seen a few pins of hands with tin foil wrapped around the nails, with the tag "how to remove glitter polish". This got me thinking: what if, instead of soaking your nails in a small bowl of polish remover, you soaked a cotton round in polish remover (I still love my pure acetone) and wrapped it around your nails? It WORKS. The other day I did my nails and had Butter London's Rosie Lee on my ring fingers, so I soaked two cotton rounds in pure acetone, wrapped them around my ring fingers and went about wiping off the nail polish from my other fingers. Less than five minutes later, I pulled off the cotton rounds, and swiped off, and sure enough, it came off just like regular polish. Amazing. The tin foil option I've seen lately, is useful if all your nails are coated in two or more coats of glitter polish. Just wrap 'em up, sit back, and about 5 minutes later, (depending on how many coats you applied) off they go!!! Great little trick.

Ulta Haul

So today I went to Ulta for the first time ever in my life and almost died. I was so excited when I walked into the store and I beelined straight for the Butter London display. Over the weekend I picked up the Butter London Nail Foundation base coat and the Hardware Quick topcoat, so I wanted to pick up some actual colors. I really was looking for Trout Pout, but they were sold out which was lame, so I compensated by buying three other polishes from Butter London and the matte top coat. I also picked up a few China Glaze polishes, including two from the Hunger Games collection, a Zoya polish (my first!) and a couple Essie colors. I also grabbed (and was so excited to see) the OPI Avoplex High Intensity Hand & Nail Cream and the Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go, as well as an OPI polish. Finally I snagged two NYX lip glosses in Beige and Natural. So far, I'm pretty much in love.

NYX lip glosses in Natural (left) and Beige (right)

Zoya's Avery (true nude)

Essie's No Pre-Nup (a jelly baby pink)

Essie's Absolutely Shore (almost white baby blue)

OPI's Road House Blues (true navy blue)

China Glaze's Aquadelic (true "Tiffany Blue" aqua color, even better than For Audrey, from the Electropop collection)

China Glaze's Fast Track (a true nude with golden yellow shimmer/glitters, from the Hunger Games collection)

China Glaze's Agro (a metallic olive green, from the Hunger Games Collection)

Butter London's Snog (a hot pink)

Butter London's Slapper (a true turquoise)

Butter London's Rosie Lee (pink glitter)

I'm so excited to play around with these polishes, I literally can't wait to use them all. I also can't wait to go back to Ulta. New playground/danger zone for me!

How to get clear, healthy skin

I do a lot of blog posts about nail polishes, or products I'm loving, but I don't do many on how to get and maintain anything. I've been lucky enough to have been born with more than decent skin, although as an adult I've had more problems with my skin than I ever did in high school, and as such, I've spent most of my young adult life on the search for the perfect skin care regimen. I've found some really great, reliable skin care products, and I've found a routine that really works, so long as I stick with it.

The number one rule with skin care is that you have to stick with it, you cannot skip steps or "ease up". If you skip steps, your skin will notice and you will pay the price. After that golden rule, the number one rule is wash your face twice a day. Make up remover wipes don't count, and I find that they often leave a residue on your skin which, for some, can clog pores. If you really want to get on the road to clear skin, scrubbing your face twice a day is an absolute must. This goes for when you're home sick, too. I know it's awful, but try to wash your face, at least once a day, even if you're feeling awful. It will make a difference. If you have drier skin and you think that washing twice a day will dry you out too much, use a cream based face wash in the mornings and a gel or foaming face wash at night when you're taking off your make up. The bottom line is to always have a clean face.

Beyond washing your face like a crazy person, there are several other "rules" that should be followed. The first of these is exfoliation. Exfoliation is necessary whether you have oily skin or dry skin-a case can be made for both that each needs it more than the other, but every body reacts to exfoliators differently. For some, a traditional exfoliator, like a face scrub (Noxzema Clean Blemish Control Daily Scrub), can be too much, so an exfoliating toner or treatment with AHA's or LHA's (alpha hydroxy acids) may be preferred. The big thing about selecting an exfoliator is choosing one that works with your skin, not against it. If you have sensitive skin, and you want a traditional scrub, look for a scrub with very fine, uniform (in size) exfoliators. Stay far far away from scrubs with "natural" exfoliating beads (like St. Ives Apricot scrub) or scrubs with large exfoliating beads. The "natural" ones are ground up pieces of apricot pits or other rough substances and the edges can be very sharp, which can tear your pores and leave micro-cuts on your skin. When looking for an AHA type exfoliator, look for a gel or some toners have "exfoliating" properties. I prefer to use Ole Henricksen's invigorating night gel, which has AHA in it. I use this every night, so this is mild enough of an exfoliator to be used daily.

A lot of people say a toner is a necessity, and I'm not terribly sure that I'm one of them, although I have used toners in the past. People will tell you that a toner is necessary to balance out the pH of your skin, which I think is bullshit. I use Noxzema triple clean anti-blemish pads to act as a sort of toner/acne treatment. I use these typically only at night, as they can be quite strong with the astringent that's on them. I will say that these knock out oil and bacteria quite well. For the most part, I find that lots of toners leave a film on the skin that almost serves as a barrier, which doesn't let anything in as far as treatments go. There are a few really good ones out there though. The Neutrogena Black head removing astringent is great, and one of the only ones I really recommend as having long term and short term results. I don't think you need to use toner twice a day, as it can dry your skin out quite a bit. I prefer to use it only at night, as this is when your skin can really absorb all treatments and regenerate and heal.

Blemish treatment is something that is crucial for just about everyone I know, even people who only break out around "that time of the month" or when they're stressed. It's important to apply these to your face immediately after washing and using your toner and before you apply your moisturizer. I use a variety of different spot treatments, and it really depends on your skin what will work for you. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are the two most common over the counter (and prescription) spot treatments, but many people find that they are allergic to one or the other. Personally, I have never had any reaction to either, and use them both in my routine. Benzoyl peroxide can cause increased sensitivity to sunlight and sun damage, so I only use it at night. I use a salicylic acid treatment in the morning and at night, over the benzoyl peroxide treatment. It's really important that you apply treatment to the blemishes only, using it all over your face can cause over drying to occur.

Moisturizer is one of those things that you need, but a lot of us use the wrong ones. First, let me just say that just because you have oily skin does not mean you should be scrimping on moisturizer. It's actually been proven that if you strip your skin of too much moisture, your body will start producing more oil to try to even out the balance. Producing more oil leads to even oilier skin. The key is to use the right kind of moisturizer so that you keep your skin balanced and don't add too much or take too much away. A safe bet is an oil free moisturizer with spf in it for day time, because you're covering all your bases. People with oily skin may not want to apply a moisturizer at night, which is okay, but I find that even the oiliest skins get dry sometimes, so it's a good idea to have a slightly thicker oil free cream for night time use, especially in the winter. I love Clinique Moisture Surge and Ole Henricksen vitamin plus for both of those occasions.

Your skin will only be as good as you treat it. If you don't start taking care of it early, you'll be left facing premature aging, sun damage and more. Sunscreen is an absolute must, and no, having spf in your moisturizer or foundation does not cut it. You must reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours in order for it to make any kind of difference. If you don't want to mess up your make up, several companies have come out with translucent powder formulas, like Peter Thomas Roth. I carry mine around in my purse at all times so I always have some with me. If you make a concerted effort to take care of your skin-washing, treating, soothing-you will see a huge difference. With skin, nothing happens over night, you really have to stick with a routine or regimen for more than a month to see results. You really have to concentrate on building the skin care into your daily routine so that it becomes a habit. Listen to your skin-it will tell you when it's dry or too oily or needs a little extra tlc. And when you find what works, stick to it.

Nails

So I've been on a hardcore nail kick for the last two years or so, I went from having maybe two or three bottles of nail polish to well over 30 or 40 (Jeez! that's embarrassing). I was trying to stop spending quite so much money on manicure-pedicures so I started buying nail polish and trying to train my shaky hands (due to a medical condition) to actually paint my nails. Overall, I did pretty well, and I got into doing my nails about once a week. If I had a special event, or my girlfriends and I just wanted an afternoon to ourselves, I'd still go get my nails done, but overall, I cut back in a huge way. (I'm still crap at giving myself a pedicure however.)

In the process of this massive nail kick I discovered China Glaze and Kiss Nail Art Polish and, my favorite, Sally Hansen Nail Strips. Sally Hansen Nail Strips have to be the best frickin' thing since color t.v., sliced bread, and space travel combined. These things don't chip, smudge, move, fade, nothing. You can do anything with them, I'm a swim instructor and a life guard and my pool is harsh on the nails, if you get a manicure and get in the water within the next 24 hours, the manicure is ruined in 30 minutes. I wore these all summer long and they not only lasted forever, (14 daysish) the pool had no effect on them whatsoever. I was sold. This little habit got me out of my habit of painting my nails, obviously. Regular polish just doesn't hold up in comparison over the summer for me. Well, my obsession lasted way after summer was over. It lasted all the way to January when my best friend convinced me to go get a gel manicure with her.

I know gel manicures have been around for a while, my best friend has been doing them for a few months and I've heard all the hype, but in my mind, my little Sally Hansen Nail Strips lasted just as long and cost a lot less, so what did I care? Well, I'm on my second set of gels and I kind of love them. Before I went on my DIY nail kick, I was pretty much obsessed with two manicures: if my nails were grown out, I got a French, if my nails were short, I did dark colors. Needless to say, I haven't had a French manicure in over a year and a half. They chip the most obviously at work. I got a gel French and I love them. I might be back on a French kick if I can justify spending the money on it every few weeks. Although, since I got into nail art a little bit, I do have white nail polish with one of those teeny tiny brushes, so maybe I can string this gel manicure out a little longer. So far, I'm pretty impressed with the gels, I can't say much about how my nails are after I get them removed since I had my first set removed and another set done, so that remains to be seen. The quest for the perfect, fun, long lasting manicure continues!

the only perfumes I have ever (or will ever) repurchased...

I'm a make up junkie, I'm a perfume junkie, I love me some beauty products. And while there are definitely tons of make up products I have or will repurchase, there's only about a handful of perfumes that I have ever used all the way up and would ever consider repurchase.

This whole thing is really two-fold. The first part is that it is extremely rare for me to actually make it through an entire bottle of perfume. Since I started wearing "real" perfume when I was about 14, there have only been a couple that I have completely made it through. The second part is that there is a very small number of perfumes that once I've completed, I would ever actually really want to wear again. So this post is about the perfumes I either have repurchased more than once, or relatively new ones that I know I will be repurchasing as soon as they're gone.

1) Tommy Hilfiger-Tommy Girl: this was the first "real" perfume I ever used and I used it religiously all the way through seventh, eighth, ninth and part of tenth grade. Pretty impressive. This is partly because my mother used Chanel No. 5, which for me was too heavy, and that was the only perfume she used. I simply wasn't exposed to very much at that point in my life. I loved Tommy Girl well, but I outgrew it and although I repurchased it numerous times, it's not something I feel like I need to have now. It served its purpose.

I guess since I started with my first, I should just keep going in chronological order...

2) Chanel-Chance by Chanel: I first smelled this about half way through my sophomore year of high school, when a friend, Lily, pulled out the roller ball in the car on the way to rehearsal for some Marilyn Izdebski show (Annie?) and I smelled it while she was putting it on. I fell instantly in love and asked her if I could wear some too. I came home that day and my mom asked me what I was wearing and said she loved the way it smelled on me. (Very fortuitous, since I did, too) A few weeks later she bought me my first bottle for my birthday. I wore it every day until about half way through my first year of college, and went through quite a few bottles. I still keep a bottle of this at all times, it's the first perfume I had that was truly sophisticated and not too sweet or too girly. I can't tell you how many times I've repurchased, at least four, I think. And I still love it.

3) Chanel-Coco Mademoiselle: I discovered this one on my own. I was actually repurchasing Chance and happened to smell Coco Mademoiselle at the recommendation of the lady who was helping me. I loved it. At the time, it smelled like the perfect softly sexy, sophisticated date night perfume. (It still does, but I also wear it during the day). I love this scent, and my sister-in-law does too, I think it's her signature. I've repurchased this one maybe twice, I don't use it as often as some of my other perfumes, and as my perfume collection has expanded, the repurchasing has slowed down. I'm much more adventurous about trying a fragrance now than I was at 19 or 20. However, this is another one that I always seem to have in my collection, regardless of the other scents that rotate in or out.

4) Giorgio Armani-Acqua di Gio: I've had a love affair with this men's cologne since high school. My best guy friends, older brother and a few high school boyfriends all wore this. It is the least obtrusive of many of the other men's colognes I've experienced and it truly is a unisex scent. Finally about two years ago I bought myself a bottle, and my love affair turned into absolute obsession. It's pretty rare that I get stopped on the street and asked by strangers what I'm wearing or am told that I smell fantastic, but whenever I wear this scent I literally get stopped several times while wearing it. I even went on a few dates with this guy who also wore it and kinda made fun of me for wearing it, but then I wore it on a date and he looked at me and said "You smell incredible, what are you wearing?" Haha, best ever. I have repurchased once and am down to my last sort of third of the bottle, I will definitely be repurchasing again!

5) Bulgari-Omnia Crystalline: I found this probably my junior year of college and ended up having to repurchase very quickly. I love it. This is the cleanest, freshest scent I own and every time I wear it, I get compliments. This one is sort of funny though, girls don't seem to like it or notice it, it's one of those fragrances that guys seem to be drawn to. It's not sweet, it's not fluffy, sugary or girly. It's just clean. And I never get tired of it.

6) Benefit Cosmetics-Laugh with Me Lee Lee: I walked into Benefit one day junior year of college, with the intention of replacing an eye shadow and getting my eye brows waxed. They had just released this line of fragrances and of course I smelled them all. It just took one spray and I was hooked. I bought it as a gift for several friends, recommended it as a gift for several friends, and even bought it for my aunt because whenever I wore it she wanted to sit next to me. I've had to repurchase twice, but once was because I lost a bottle, so I don't know if that counts. This is playful and light, perfect for summer, beach days, date nights...whatever. And the little martini shaker bottle it comes in looks so darn cute on my dresser.

7) Dolce & Gabbana-#3 L'Imperatrice: I feel like this scent is really out of character for me, it's so sweet and floral, but I am absolutely in love. I will literally spray this all over my bed and sheets and myself before sleep because waking up with the smell on your sheets and in your hair is absolutely incredible. I love the softness of this and it's one of those smells that you could throw on right before a little nookie and have your man (or woman) be weak in the knees. I've repurchased twice, and used every last drop every time. It's almost time for a new bottle!

8) Giorgio Armani-Acqua di Gioia: this is my most recent perfume love find. I smelled it once right after it came out and bought it on the spot. In less than a year (seriously, so fast for me) I had all but demolished the bottle. I just repurchased a new one. This is definitely one of my all time favorites. If I could only have 5 perfumes, this would be one of them. And to me, this doesn't smell anything like its male counterpart, which is genius.

9) Coach-Poppy Flower: Scratch the first sentence of Acqua di Gioia. This is my most recent discovery. I'm not a huge fan of Coach Poppy, and kind of just ignored the brand's fragrances. Then one day in Sephora, someone else sprayed Poppy Flower and I almost died. I've only had it a few months (less than six) and I'm half way done with the bottle. I will definitely be repurchasing this perfume, I can already tell.

I highly recommend all of these. And am kind of surprised that given the size of my perfume collection, there's only nine that I've ever repurchased/will repurchase. These are definitely my most favorites, although there are other scents that I love, I just don't see my self ever needing to buy those again. This is a good mix of headier, date night type scents and fun, light, playful ones. Cheers!