SkinnyGirl

  I will admit I turn to a SkinnyGirl cocktail {a genius idea- why didn't I think of that?} to unwind after a long day. Usually that day consists of helping gals get more gorgeous, but as of late it's due to the stress of relocating my business.  All of that physical labor has me bringing Bethenny into the tub with me. No, I'm not pouring my cocktail in the tub- I would never waste a good cocktail! Now while sipping my SkinnyGirl cocktail, (I'm loving her cucumber vodka at the moment, but that's because White Peach Margarita was consumed at girl's night!) I can be relaxing in the tub with her new bath line.

These affordable gift trios ($15) available exclusively at Walmart include a body wash, body lotion & body scrub. You can use the wash in the shower or add some suds to your tub.  The scrub has been great in getting me squeaky clean after the move has left me covered in dirt, grime & the occasional dust bunny.  Her body lotion is very lightweight which is perfect for this hot summer weather.  The scents are based on the SkinnyGirl cocktail theme as well, I tried Margarita & Sangria.  Don't worry Girleens, you won't smell like booze! Margarita smells more like fresh lime with a hint of pear, while Sangria smells like a soft cantaloupe melon to me. My only request would be for the shower gel & lotion to have flip top caps for better ease of use for us girls on the go. Otherwise it's a great collection at a great price! I love me some Bethenny Frankel. Loved her on Real Housewives of New York, love her own series on Bravo & hope that her talk show will be making its way to Baltimore airwaves as soon as humanly possible.  For now, her SkinnyGirl products keep me company.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

*Sets gifted for review

Nars: Larger Than Life Lip Gloss

For some reason the 'doe' foot or sponge applicator that come with most lipglosses just never makes me as happy as a brush applicator.  These day the majority of lines have switched to doe foot applicators to eliminate the occasional brush fraying & to cut costs. So I was thrilled to discover at The Make-Up Show, that Nars Cosmetics' newly launched Larger Than Life Lip Gloss collection had brushes! Rejoice!  I feel brushes deliver more gloss & more precisely.  From the top I scooped up (t)Born This way, (c)Spring Break & (b)Piree.

These glosses definitely deliver on the high impact shine that they promise.  It has a substantial texture, but isn't very tacky or too thick.  Its staying power also impressed me, we all know most glosses wear off in an instant.  This sticks around for a while. My pick of my haul is definitely Piree. It's my lips, but oh so much better. Born This Way & Spring Break are rather pale, so the might wash people out.  They offer a nice opacity to them.  I'll use those shades in my professional kit in case I need to modify any lip looks I create. The collection includes 12 shades & I will definitely go back for some more. In fact I have my eye on 3 other shades- you know I'm an addict!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Polish Pic{k}s

I have been on a Zoya kick lately, I love that the shades are named after female monikers. No, unfortunately there's not a Madeleine shade (hint hint Zoya!), however there are more unusual names like Heidi & Tobey. Both my sister & one of my best friends are named Heidi, plus my cousin's name is Tobey. So I picked those shades as treats, because I'm sweet like that. However the Tobey polish never made it to Tobey, because I had to use it! 

Whether or my fingers or toes- the cool toned pink is so fresh & feminine. It's perfect for spring & summer.  I love it & that's saying something for this girl who gravitates towards dark polishes. I wear it with a tough ring to balance out the girliness, but I must admit I'm smitten.

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Fabulous Finds Friday

When leopard is this cute, it's a good thing they never change their spots! I adore Too Faced products- they are the epitome of glam & girly, just like moi;) I had been coveting their Pink Leopard Brightening Bronzer for a while, so of course I broke down & bought it.  Then I noticed at Ulta they had expanded the NYX line & this little copy 'cat' caught my eye.

NYX's Tango with Bronzer comes in 5 different color options. This one is When Leopard Gets a Tan.

Both of the compacts are equally adorable & chic.

The NYX version even comes with a half moon brush. Usually I'm not a fan of brushes that come as freebies in compacts. Often they get thrown right in the trash. This NYX brush actually has some substance, will stay in the compact & get some use for touch ups! I found mine at Ulta & utilized a NYX promo that was buy one, get one half off. With it coming in at $7.50(originally $10)- it is a true steal of a deal vs. Too Faced's price tag of $29.  Both lines have great products, but saving money means I can buy even more beauty loot!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Ultraflesh Black Magic

I feel naked without my black cat eye liner. It's like the feeling you get when you've left your cell phone at home. I just don't feel like myself, when I'm not sporting my signature look. I love all liners, but tend to favor cake liner versus pencils. I've read about Ultraflesh & have wanted to try it for a while. Spotting that this Black Magic Palette was on sale at Sephora was all the incentive I needed. The compact is large, imagine the size of a wii remote- so it's not ideal for travel. It is filled with every possible black liner a girl could dream for! Matte cakeliner, shimmer cakeliner, cream liner, a shimmer pencil liner & classic black pencil liner round out the mix. The formulas are a nice quality. The one thing I would mention is that the layout of the compact is a little awkward to operate. Though it's cool how it fans out, I end up often digging my nails into the cake liners. Not a great thing when you're dealing with black pigment. All in all- you get a lot of product for it's sale price of $20!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M

Dr. Jart BB Cream

Well the BB craze is in full effect across the country. Never have I seen companies jump on a skincare trend as quickly as this.  Every one from Dior to Garnier has launched a BB cream this year, with L'Oreal & Maybelline joining the group with launches this month.  Dr. Jart was introduced to me at the CEW Product Demonstration this year. This BB cream boosts a high SPF of 45PA++ which gets a thumbs up & appeals to the skin care specialist in me. 

The texture is moisturizing, the coverage it offers is medium to full. It imparts a slightly dewy finish so I would steer normal to drier skin types to it.  I reached for it over a lazy weekend & though the tint is supposed to be universal, my best friend laughed at me when she saw me.  I thought I looked like a bronzed Goddess, I guess I looked more like a Florida Grandma whose face does not match her neck. She literally said, "we can't leave with you looking like that." I keep telling myself I'll be one good looking 70 year old, because I stay out of the sun!  I then handed the product off to both my mother & a friend- with the first saying it was too light & the other saying it was too dark.  I felt like Goldilocks, then my friend Gouldylox ironically said it matched her perfectly!  Lesson learned: always test 'universal' tints when possible before purchasing.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss

Polish Pic{k}s

Sometimes the packaging of something is just so cute, you have to have it. Such was the case with this Scandal nail polish that I picked at a recent skincare conference. The corseted top was to die for!

The polish, called Black Pearl, is a little naughty being black- with a touch of glam thrown in with the silver glitter. The glitter in this polish was a little rougher than a micro glitter though- so I could feel it through the top coat.  I also felt the texture cut through the shine of the top coat a bit & you know this girl loves shine!

Peace. Love. Polish. M

Fabulous Finds Friday: Smashbox's Shades of Fame

How smitten am I with Smashbox's Shades of Fame Lipgloss Collection? Pretty smitten. I love these bite size samplings of color- which are perfect for travel. It's like a box of chocolates, but with this collection you won't take a bite of one & put it back in the box! I even like this slanted tip applicator & tube over their standard doe foot applicator. What can I say? Mama likes a lot of gloss.

Don't be alarmed by thinking any of the colors will be intense, as they might look in the tube- they're all beautifully sheer. Swatched shades listed from top: Star, Buff, Hibiscus, Papaya, & Candy. As always Smashbox's glosses are never tacky or sticky, so they're ideal to not have that oh-so-sexy-my-hair-is-seriously-stuck-in-my-lipgloss look.

My favorite of the bunch is Papaya. There's something about a soft peach that brightens your whole face, while still looking completely natural. These glosses are good for your pucker, too- they're packed with vitamins & hyaluronic acid.  So scoop up this limited edition collection while you can. With the kit coming in at $29- it's a steal of a deal getting 5 Smashbox glosses for under $6 a piece!

Peace. Love. Lipgloss. M
*Gifted for review

Polish Pic{k}s

I always love a good polish- especially during optimal pedicure season. So when I heard that the founder of Me Bath, a scrumptious line of body treats, launched a nail line- I wanted to check it out. First & foremost, I was thrilled to find out that it was vegan. An added plus is that the Whet polish formulas are what the company calls "Three Free." That means that their the lacquers are free of harmful chemicals like Formaldehyde, Tolune, and DBP(dibutyl phthalate.) That is a perk, especially since my nails are still brittle & breaking after a gel experience. 

I tried out Faux Pas on my piggies. It's a vibrant coral with the tiniest bit of shimmer to it. It's a great pop of color on the toes during sandal and flip flop season. There are 9 shades + a clear top coat in the initial launch of the line to 'whet' your appetite.  Expect some fun & fabulous limited edition shades, too!

Faux Pas on left, Nonchalant on right. Nonchalant is the color to reach for if you're loving the skin type foundation colors craze. Whet polishes retail for $15 &can be found here.

Peace. Love. Lipgloss.
*Gifted for review