Lesson Learned - New Nail Accoutrements & Techniques

Hey There!

I've been playing with my nails a lot lately. I use to dread painting my nails. I can't color inside the lines, let alone paint inside them. I hated the waiting time for nails to dry and then, it never fails. Just as you've finished painting the last nail...you have to go to the bathroom!

Well, I've spend the last few months devouring every piece of information that I could on nail polishes, techniques, accoutrements, tips and tricks...you name it, I've been learning it. I figured, if I was going to fall in love with all the pretty nail polish colors, I'd better learn how to apply them and how to keep my hands looking decent enough for display.

In my research I've learned a lot of new things. I've also acquired a lot of new things. Some of those things have been great new discoveries. Some of them have been wastes of time. Learn from my mistakes good people. And save yourself some money.

First I'll start with some products that I've just begun using. I've mentioned many times that I got gel nails about 2 years ago and when I took them off, my nails were horrible. I've been fighting to get them healthy again and trying so many different nail treatments my head is spinning. The latest nail treatment is the OPI Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener. I've heard great things about it but the price is outrageous! Folks this stuff is $17.99 a bottle! I can't pay that for nail treatment products (but let a good lipstick for the same price come my way...). CVS always sends e-coupons and I waited until I got a 20% off coupon, plus my $5 Beauty Rewards AND a $3 ECB. That made this little booger $6.39. That's more like it. Now, I only picked this up a week ago, so I don't have a review yet. Y'all wait until it's been a minute and let me tell you what I think before you go run out and purchase it.

We all have nail polish remover. What I didn't have was this nifty bottle. This particular one if from Studio 35 Beauty (Walgreen's Brand $2.89). You just put your finger in it, swish it around and within seconds, the polish is gone. If you are my age, you remember the sponge ones that got gross and nasty fast. Well, this isn't sponge. It's like plastic bristles (or magic -- you decide) that are washable one the remover gets too gunky. I've been using it for about 2 weeks and I like it so far. 

I've owned this bottle of Seche Vite (Sally Beauty Supply, $5.49 with Beauty Club Card) for a year and a half. I had only used it twice until recently. I had been using my holy grail Sally Hansen Insta-Dry but then a few YouTubers said that this was the bomb dot com so I pulled it out to re-try it. It's supposed to make your polish super shiny and dry in less than a minute. You can go to bed and wake up streak free! This stuff is good...but not better than my Sally Hansen (you go girl!). It didn't dry in less than a minute (Sally Hansen does) and I went to bed 20 minutes later (and then stayed up flipping through Instagram for another 20 minutes) and I still woke up with 2 nails streaked. This does not happen with my Sally Hansen Insta-Dry. I can go to the bathroom or fluff my pillows after 5 minutes with my SHID (too much? probably - let's stick with the full name). Anyway, the Seche Vite is nice and perhaps I'll use it on my toes. I paint them during the day most of the time. But my nails will continue to get the Sally Hansen treatment.

I picked up a tiny bottle of California Mango Magic Cuticle Oil (Sally Beauty Supply .25 fl oz $3.49 with Beauty Club Card). I have plenty of bottles and containers of cuticle oil but they all have the same problem -- they are oily. You can't do anything after you use them. You have wait (and you know I'm not good at that) before can touch anything and you wonder, did that really just do anything? Well this stuff is an oil that soaks in quickly and you can do things minutes after you use it. AND, I can see an improvement in my cuticles. I think it's worth the money on the soaking-in factor alone! Oh, and it smells delightful.

The last thing that I purchased was a new small concealer brush for cleanup. I mentioned that I can’t color inside the lines so what I had been doing was painting my nails and then waiting for the next 24 hours' wear and tear to correct my coloring outside the lines issue. I know, tacky but honestly – how many of you do that? Raise your hands! Don’t be ‘shamed! We’re here to learn. What I learned was so simple. I now take my small concealer brush, plop it in a small amount of acetone remover and just clean up the area around the nail. I’ve been moisturizing like crazy so the tiny amount of acetone I’m using should be ok. You can also use regular remover if you’d like but it makes a world of different in the way your polish looks.

So good people, I don't know if you've noticed an improvement in my Instagram pictures but my nails look quite a bit better. I still have a ways to go and lots more to learn.

What tips and tricks do you use when you paint your nails? What time of day do you find is the best time to do them? Are you still going to paint outside the lines and let time fix them or are you going to try the clean up trick?

Be honest!

Shiseido Facial Cotton squares

Hey there!

A few of the good folks on YouTube have professed their love for the Shiseido Facial Cotton squares. That being said, they have also said that the love stops at the price tag. These little buggers are $9.50 for 165 squares! But, so many people said such good things about them I ran to my Sephora to pick up a pack.

I was so skeptical of these things at first. Come on, $9.50 for a bag of cotton squares? You have to be kidding. I love my CVS brand cotton rounds that I can grab for $3.59/100 (BOGO of course so $1.80). I go through a whole package of cotton rounds each month so even at full price the CVS cotton is a steal.

My ladies at my Sephora had to go to the back storage room to get a pack for me. They all love the Shiseido squares but they too admit that the price tag gets them. But, they told me I should at least try them. You know my Sephora ladies don't steer me wrong.

I have to admit, the Shiseido squares are heavenly. They really are. Heck, the packaging is just as soft! They are just as strong as my CVS rounds. Because I use these little gems around my eyes, I have to make sure they are delicate enough.

Don't judge too fast! I've purchased cotton rounds from a different brand that weren't soft enough for my eye area. I am currently using those for getting polish off of my nails. I know you can get cotton rounds for $1.00/100 but you have to be careful with your eyes. As I explained before, even the cheaper version of the CVS cotton rounds aren't quilted on one side so they tear easily. I want to be able to gently rub my eye with my makeup remover. And, I want to use 1 cotton round to remove the makeup! If you have to use more than that, your bargain just stopped being a bargain.

Anywho, I haven't made a huge dent in my pack because I use them sparingly -- after masks or if I've worn more eye makeup than normal. They really are a treat and I use them that way. While they are very nice, I don't think I'll purchase them again. The price point is too high for something that is so close to what I normally pay a third of the price for (or a sixth of the price during a sale). If they were just a little bit better than my CVS rounds, I'd say to heck with the price and keep purchasing them.

But they are just too close and that means frugal wins.                 

What are you using on your eyes? Have you tried the Shiseido Facial Cotton squares? What did your wallet say when you did?

Bonne Bell Spring Items

I went to visit a friend and stopped by the CVS near her. It's at that CVS that I saw the new CoverGirl lip glosses. And, it's at that CVS that I saw the new Bonne Bell lipstick, lip lacquer and nail lacquer.

Bonne Bell evokes memories of pre-teen hood joy. I had Bonne Bell lip smackers in ever flavor possible. My favorite two were my Dr. Pepper one and my Strawberry one. They were perfect for the young girl who's mother wouldn't let her wear lipstick just yet. They were glossy and had just enough tint to make you think you were doing something. 

They were wonderful. 

These were not wonderful. 

I wanted to like them. I really, really did! I wanted them to work for history's sake.

The lipstick was in Calypso Coral. It was little more than a glorified Chapstick.  I had to very delicately keep adding gloss to get a hint if peach color. It wasn't much peach color either.  And I said delicately because the top kept breaking off. I figured it melted (how I didn't know because my makeup drawer isn't hot) so I put it in the fridge. It firmed up...for about 5 minutes. See the lipstick in the picture? That's an hour out of the fridge. The color payoff is little and the longevity is nil. I wore this for an hour and had to gently reapply. An hour later I changed lipsticks. I had no interest in trying it again. 

The lip lacquer in Bellini, wasn't any better. It was streaky and had the worst applicator I've ever seen. Do you see those bristles? Not good at all. The color didn't last long and I couldn't keep dipping the wand in the gloss. It seemed like it brush bristles were getting worse with each dip.

The nail lacquer was really the only saving grace. The color is Miami. It doesn't show very well on camera but it is a pretty color. I had to research that though because once you open the cap, the name goes bye-bye. I wish I have noticed that! The color is an iridescent gold color. It will be good as an overlay color I'm betting. I'm hoping it works anyway.

And, the nail lacquer is the only thing I'm keeping. I normally don't return lip products. I always feel bad because I know they can't return them to stock but I don't like these! They are horrible and I don't have room in my collection for horrible lip colors. I had such high hopes, I'm really sad about it.

What's the last thing that you purchased that didn't work out as well as you though it would?

Empties!

Hey there!

Folks, you are going to have to grab a snack. I have a large container of empties. It's ridiculous really.

So starting on the left - Assured brand Moisturizing Shave Cream for Women; Raspberry- I wasn't really finished with the container but it was about a year old. I don't know if that's good or bad but I decided I'd go ahead and just let it go. It's nice. It's shaving cream. I guess I'd buy it again.

Toothpaste! I am a Colgate girl. My dentist said it's best and I don't know if it's the truth or not but it's what I buy. The large one is Colgate Total Advanced Deep Clean Paste. The smaller one is Colgate Total Whitening Advanced Paste (see a trend -- I like paste not gel?). The other smaller one is a Crest 3D white. It was left over from a traveling jaunt. It's was fine but I prefer Colgate. Yes, of course, I'd repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Signature Vanillas Lemon Shower Gel. This is my FAVORITE shower gel EVA! I buy this in bulk the 2 or 3 times B&BW puts it out. I'm down to 1 bottle now and I am scared. I've been using the new bottle only on special occasions. Will I repurchase? Are you kidding? I will spend an entire paycheck on it.

Bath & Body Works Mini Candles - I love these minis. They let me "try before I buy" the large ones. I have Island Margarita, Pink Lemonade Poundcake (oh yes, baby!), Pineapple Mango & Peach Bellini. I would buy them all again. They smell really nice. Yes, I reuse the jars too.

Organix Rejuvenating Cherry Blossom Ginseng Conditioner - This is a fabulous conditioner. It smells good and it makes my hair nice and smooth. I will definitely repurchase.

CVS Keratin Straightening Conditioner - I thought it would be just as good as the Organix. It's good, yes, but it's not as good as Organix. Will I repurchase instead of Organix and save some money? Nope. Not worth it.

CVS Energize Moisturizing Body Wash - Oh yes ma'am or sir. This body wash is so nice and smells so citrusy and fresh. I like CVS brand body wash. They are just as good as some of the others that I buy. I buy them all the time.

Avon Blushing Kiss Bubble Bath - I keep Avon Bubble Bath a plenty. I love their bubble bath. It doesn't break me or my kiddo out and a little bit makes a ton of bubbles. This particular fragrance is a no. It smells like roses crushed and sprayed with rose scent. It's overpowering.

Secret Antiperspirant - Holy Grail deodorant. Can I say that? This one is in Powder Fresh. I don't buy anything else because nothing else works. I won't buy anything else EVER! Love it.

Annie eye razor - Yep. I use these bad boys to take care of the eyebrows. I like the curved shape of this brand. I'm already scared every time I shape up my brows. The curved handle makes me feel like I'm in control. I just bought a 3 pack and realized I currently have 3 other 3 packs with 2 left in each. LOL!

Covergirl Flamed Up Mega Curl Mascara, Almay Intense i-color Eyeliner in Purple Amethyst & Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in Paranoid Purple. I love all three of these products. I wasn't done with any of them but they are casualties of my eye issue. Because I didn't know what was going on, I tossed them. I did find out recently that it's a pollen issue not some eye disease like I first feared. But, I had already put it in the empties bin and repurchased others so...

That baggie with a white tube with a red stripe is my prescription Clobetasol Propionate. I have a scalp issue that isn't dandruff. I use this every 3 days and I really don't have a choice but to repurchase it.

CVS Eye Makeup Remover Pads - First off, this burns the crap out of my eyes. I purchased like a super pack of them and then after the first pack experienced the burn. I used this pack to wipe swatches off my hands and clean up makeup mistakes. I will not repurchase and I will be soooo glad when I'm done with them.

Body Prescriptions Anti-Aging Facial Cleansing Wipes - meh. They didn't take off makeup or do anything at all. They were wet. I will never buy these again.

White Cloud Cotton Round - Nope. Not all cotton rounds are created equal. These were soft but if they got wet they would disintegrate. They were horrible when it came to removing eye makeup, which is why I purchased them. I prefer the CVS brand, which I have purchased

Elf Professional Bronzing Brush - This wasn't a good bronzing or blush brush at all. It wasn't full enough and it shed like crazy. Also, the color bled. Yep, red was everywhere. I love the Studio Blush Brush that ELF makes though. I have 2 of them. It just goes to show you that ELF brushes are hit or miss.

I also have some Sephora samples that I finished/discarded. I was going to tell you about those but I think I'll save it for another day.

And that's my cosmetic trash! Aren't you glad you grabbed that snack?

Organix Shampoos, Conditioners & Treatment Products

I have been using the Organix line of shampoos, conditioners and treatments and I must tell you, I think I have fallen in love. I know, I know.  I am totally late to the party but I showed up! And, I brought chips and dip. So it’s okay, right?

Seriously, I bought the Moroccan Argan Crème Shampoo and Conditioner and the Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner from CVS when they were on sale several months ago. I have relaxed hair and I have to be really careful about the products that I use.  The wrong products will dry my hair out. The hair blogs and youtube channels  had been touting the benefits of certain oils for relaxed hair so when I saw the CVS sale (and used some CVS bucks!) and decided to give it a try.

The first time I used the Moroccan Argan Crème Shampoo I was delighted that it smelled so nice. I only had to use a dab and it had a good lather.  When I squirted a dollop of conditioner on my hand and ran it through my hair I had to take a minute to go back and read the bottle. I thought I had put more shampoo on my hair. The conditioner glided through my hair like a dream! I covered my hair, used a conditioning cap for 20 minutes and rinsed out. My hair was so soft and it smelled glorious.

I tried the Brazilian Keratin Therapy and while it smells good too, I didn’t get the earth shattering conditioner experience so I probably won’t buy that one again. I just purchased the Cherry Blossom Ginseng and after one use, I feel happy with it but I will probably go back to my Moroccan Argan Crème. 

My hair really does feel healthier and smells great. I do plan on keeping the Moroccan Argan Crème in the mix and I’ll let you know about any new ones that I try.

Have you tried any of the Organix line? What’s your fave?