Beauty and Gardens

In love with Chanel Amour (swatches and review)

2012-02-10T00:57:00.001-06:00

Released just in time for Valentine's Day is Chanel's newest collection of pinks called "LES ROSES ULTIMES DE CHANEL." Out of the 6 new glossimers and 4 nail colors I decided on the one featured on the model. Amour #166. The Frisson nail polish also looks pretty but I'm waiting to see some swatches of that first. It reminds me of Zoya Erika which I have already.

According to the website she's wearing Amour glossimer and Pink Sugar lip pencil together.

Levres Scintillantes Glossimer in Amour. My camera picked up the same pink as the promo shots so I would say it's accurate but what you can't see well is the subtle shimmer which reflects fuchsia under my fluorescent lights. I'd call this gloss a rich coral pink with iridescent shimmers.

Formula: Thick and smooth but never sticky.

Take a look at this swatch! Where it is misleading is how it shows up on the lips. It swatches thick but sheers out quickly once on pigmented lips. It's not too sheer that it does nothing for me though. It brightens up my lip color with a nice pink glow. I'd say if you have REALLY red lips this wouldn't show up at all.

If you were expecting the color in the ad you will need a lip pencil underneath. They've tricked us with a little bit of photoshop magic!

It does in fact go really well with my pink heart macarons I made this week! :)

Two pumps and a dress

2012-01-21T21:25:00.000-06:00

I definitely did not plan to buy dressy clothes this week but when a great sale comes around- I just can't pass it up!

First are the much raved about Perfect Pumps from Ann Taylor in Patent Dark Navy. The retail for $155 and I bought them for $35.93 online. They are surprisingly comfy and true to size! And that's coming from the girl who hurts in almost every shoe. I'm a big fan of the round toe shape and it's all around classy and beautifully made. 3.25" heel. Will a Perfect Pump ever get this low again? I don't know, but I hope so! I would buy another!

I popped by Banana Republic actually hoping I wouldn't find anything. Ah, and of course I would! There weren't many clothes left but there were many shoe styles and sizes to choose from. Something I didn't expect! Most of the shoes were marked down to $30-$40 PLUS an additional 25% off. I ended up buying these Mad Men Izzy Pumps in Dark Platino for around $24. Dark Platino looks more gunmetal in person. They are hidden platform 4" heels. It's my first hidden platform shoes and so far I can tell it's just comfy enough. I will say they run a little narrow so I wasn't sure if I should get a half size up, but I ultimately decided against it and stuck to my normal size. Now that I think about it, I've wanted Banana Republic shoes since high school! I'm so glad I found these!

Doesn't this dress look horrible on the model? It's too big for her, and the boots make it worse. It didn't look so bad on me.. I think! I bought this final sale at Banana Republic for $25 from $140. I love the color and silky material. It's nothing I haven't seen before but the grosgrain belt detail was cute, and I think this would work for my cousin's wedding in May. Plus it matches the pumps I just bought! A wedding outfit for under $50 - yes! You might be able to find it in stores- but if not this dress is cute too.

Did you find any good deals this week?

Sweet Azaleas

2012-01-21T02:09:00.001-06:00

Oh garden part of this blog- I have not forgotten you!

Since Asian New Year is in a few days the Asian markets and floral shops are FILLED with beautiful new plants. Last year I missed out on buying an Azalea plant. Bby the time I was ready to buy it all the blooms had died, and I thought I could wait it out another year for a "fresh" pick.

Well dang it the shop owner raised the price to $55 from $25 this year! Of course I was outraged but I still bought it anyway like an obsessed idiot. It is possible last year's plant was smaller. (what I tell myself for comfort) I googled around and the going rate for this is around $100 now so maybe it's not so bad? I really wanted it to be a twisted topiary and it is! The dark pink petals actually sparkle in the light like a shimmery nail polish/ lipstick would. It's so pretty! If I could afford more than one I would also pick the white and pink mix above but I'm happy with just the photo for now. :)

End of last year Freebies

2012-01-17T19:02:00.002-06:00

I found this post in my draft box that I compiled back in November of some samples and freebies that came my way. I think I thought of making it a monthly series like "what's in my mailbox" but then I changed my mind. If you have any questions about these products let me know in the comments below.

Target Beauty Bag - a cute pouch with mostly shampoo samples

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer- with my dry skin this season I'm really liking this primer! The texture is really unique.
from the Klout.com Perks program. Klout Perks are exclusive products or experiences that you earn based on your influence. It changes weekly.

I received a card in the mail from Sephora JCP to try out BareMinerals. Which I do not like so I gave it to my sister.

BCBGMaxAzria EDP - from the Dillard's Beauty Event. So far I'm liking this scent!
Clinique Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser & High Impact Mascara - from the Dillard's Beauty Event
Green & Black's Organic Chocolate - from the Sephora VIB event

And a free panty from Victoria's Secret. I occasionally get cards for these that require no purchase. Why? I don't know, but it's awesome!

Paris Amour Body Lotion - If you know me than you know I hate Bath & Body Works. Very rarely do I find a scent that I actually like there. In comes Paris Amour. It's actually light and non-offensive so that's a winner in my book. This lotion will probably last me a few years. I kid not.

The rest below came free with purchases.

Sephora Fabric Tote from the Sephora VIB Party. It's plain enough that you can embellish it to make it your own.

Perfume Sampler from a Nordstrom.com purchase.

Perfume Samples from a Sephora.com purchase.

Anyhow I just wanted to release this post from the draft box as way to get back in the blogging mood. I have lots of photos I've been taking but not yet uploaded. I hope to soon!

Sephora's TEN $10 Black Friday Deals - Amazing!

2011-11-23T13:30:00.000-06:00

I've put together a list of Sephora's Ten $10 Deals for Black Friday. It's valid on November 25 ONLINE and IN-STORE for one day only! Some of the ~~deals~~ steals below are very tempting!!

Is anyone tackling the crowds this Friday in search of a good deal? I think I got most of what I wanted even before Black Friday, but I will still be poking around stores for the fun of it!

Tarte MultiplEYE Primer and Lights, Camera, Lashes Duo - $10 (value $30)

Stila Glitz and Glam Palette & Lip Glaze - $10 (value $76 LOL!)

Bare Minerals All Decked Out Set - $10 (value $44)

Sephora Beauty To Go Brush Set - $10 (regularly $15)

Tokidoki Cromatico Eye Shadow Palette - $10 (regularly $19)

Korres Guava All Butter Moisture Therapy Duo - $10 (value $22)

Kat Von D Adora Fragrance 1.7oz? - $10 (regularly $55)

Josie Maran Argan Color Stick in Petal Pink - $10 (regularly $22)

Buxom Welcome to the Party Mascara - $10 (value $33)

The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Travel Size - Lavender - $10 (value $25)

September Favorites

2011-11-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

September favorites are more about what kept me cool in the summer than specific items from that month. + a couple beauty items of course. :)

David & Young Floppy Hat $20, on sale $9.90
My hat is actually straw colored but I'm tempted to pick up another color at this price! Black (which looks blue?) or Olive? This hat has the perfect amount of floppy vs sturdiness without making you look old. The weave is tight so you can shape it and the hat won't fall in your face.

Rayban Purple Aviator Sunglasses RB3025, $60ish on sale
At first I wasn't sure about the purple but now I love how it looks on. My favorite shades EVER! The gradient is nice because it makes the glasses blend into my face. Knock-offs can't come close!

Mac Ever Hip Lipstick $14.50
Revisting last summer's must have lipstick.

Dior Blush Vintage Pink (Rose) $42
This originally came out in a lace pattern last spring, so when it was re-release I had to get it. I used my $20 voucher to bring the price down on this. It's a gorgeous peachy-pink!

Got 2b Rockin' It Dry Shampoo $5.99
This is my second favorite dry shampoo after Batiste. The smell is better and the price is good at a BOGO but sometimes the spout gets jammed and only powder comes out. Then all you have left is liquid. Which is not good because it then it won't work right.

So with this post I have officially done more than a year of Favorites! I don't know if I will continue on with regularity or not. If I do I'll be changing how I do this.

The last day for Sephora's Friends and Family Sale

2011-11-01T23:18:00.002-05:00

Today (Tuesday) is the last day for Sephora's Friends and Family 20% off anything sale! To get the code go here and enter your email address. Below are some of my picks! Please check them out. And no I didn't buy all of this! That's crazy! Let me know in the comment what you hauled!

Hypnôse Doll Lashes Set ($63 Value) $29.50

This set contains:
- 0.07 oz travel-size Cils Booster XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base
- 0.04 oz Artliner Precision Point EyeLiner in Noir
- 0.22 oz Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara in Black
A great value for the full size artliner or mascara alone! It's almost like buy one get one free!

Wild & Chic Best of MAKE UP FOR EVER Kit ($103 Value) $59

This set contains:
- 0.17 oz HD Microfinish Powder

- 0.21 oz Aqua Cream in 13 Warm Beige (champagne shimmer)

- 0.04 oz Travel Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 0L (black)

- 0.09 oz Lab Shine in Star Collection - S4 (pearly pink beige)

- 0.5 oz HD Microperfecting Primer

- 0.23 oz Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara
This is a good sampling of what MUFE has to offer.

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer $32
A creamy, weightless moisturizing concealer that blends easily into the skin for an undetectable finish.
It's my favorite concealer and a pricey one!

Fresh Mini Sugar Kissing Trio $28
This set contains:
- 0.08 oz Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
- 0.08 oz Sugar Honey Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
- 0.08 oz Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
If you're a lip balm junkie you can try three of the different balms in mini sizes. Perfect for all three to fit in your purse.

Danmari All About Cheeks Palette $65
This set contains:
- 6 x 0.12 oz Cheek Color in Hungry Heart (gold ivory), Super Orgasm (peachy pink with gold glitter), Desire (cotton candy pink), Casino (dark brown with golden shimmer), Orgasm (peachy pink with golden shimmer), Sin (berry with gold shimmer)
There was lots of buzz surrounding this palette but now it's back in stock!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube $19
Or stock up on your favorite staples! Even the Naked Palette, Mariposa, or Book of Shadows IV! Most things are back in stock!

Indulge in Dior Addict Lipstick if you haven't yet tried it. $28
Rose Déshabillé 260 & Tokyo 422 are beautiful shades!

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream $32
I tried a sample and this made my eye really soft!

Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her $75
Who doesn't love these minis? And you get a free full size perfume voucher!

There are so many sales going on now it's crazy! Ulta mailed me a 20% off coupon too! Plus the VIB 20% off party is coming in November too! .

Trick or Treating Makeup

2011-10-31T17:15:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! This weekend was full of free beauty samples and full size items! Who needs Birchbox?? Act quickly and you can still get these!

1) Nars Pro-Prime Eyeshadow Base deluxe sample - free at Sephora inside JCP only while supplies last. Bring this coupon.

2) L'Occitane hand cream 30ml - it was free for liking them on Facebook a few weeks ago. Nov 1 is the last day to redeem it after the coupon was mailed to you.

3) Aquolina Pink Sugar - free random sample from the nice Sephora girl.

4) BareMinerals Big & Bright Eyeliner - This full size liner is free at your Bare Minerals boutique only with coupon! Print this coupon. You have until Tuesday!

I hope everyone is handing out candy tonight! I hand out the GOOD STUFF thanks to CVS! :)

My delicious pumpkin macaron with fresh pumpkin puree! I more or less followed this recipe at Sweet Lady Sass.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

P.S. My brother went as Nyan Cat lol! I would post the photo but the costume is not around!

FNO: dessert porn

2011-09-10T11:12:00.001-05:00

Blah blah fashion, but look a cupcake!!

Stopped by Mozart Bakery to let me sister see how awesome it is. This is a peach mousse. Their smoothies are AMAZINGLY smooth. mmm, taro boba.

Macarons and whoopie pies from Tart Bakery at Neimans. The macarons were good, but the whoopie pies were far from good.

I loved the cranberry tarts! One of them rolled down my shirt... opps!

Read More

FNO: Les Jeans de Chanel

2011-09-09T11:37:00.001-05:00

The thing I was anticipating the most about FNO 2011 (Fashion's Night Out) was the release of Chanel's extremely limited new nail polishes. I've become a Chanel polish addict, and I heard these were only available for purchase on Sept 8 at Chanel Boutiques and select beauty counters. So I drove up to the only boutique in the area where I lucked out and got a sweet valet parking spot! I told the guy I just wanted to pop into Chanel real quick and he was very nice about it. :)

To celebrate FNO and the polishes, they brought in three nail techs from a local salon (Hollywood Nails on preston & royal) to offer complimentary manicures! It's my first time to use the base and top coat. (nothing fabulous btw) She did an okay job considering I told her I was in a rush.

It's kind of hard to take photos and dig in my purse with wet nails so my sister helped out while I waited for them to dry. Imagine me awkwardly waving my hands around at Chanel. Hopefully no one was watching me. The fun thing about FNO is you can waltz into any high end boutique, and they are less likely to be judging you.

Nail Swatches of Coco Blue and Blue Boy.

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August Favorites

2011-09-01T23:53:00.001-05:00

This month there was less makeup and more time spent baking. macarons and creme brulee specifically. This is my 12th favorites post! I can't believe I've done it for a year already.

Chanel Le Vernis in Morning Rose (557)
Surprisingly this rose with golden flecks polish sold out! The weird thing is there is no buzz about how it sold out like Chanel Jade. Morning Rose was not even the IT color, it was Mimosa (yellow). I managed to snag this during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in July, and I noticed that it had to be shipped from the downtown Seattle location. As if it was the last one. It also didn't seem completely full... compared to a brand new polish. I'll never know, will I? Out of curiosity I checked Chanel.com and it was sold out there too! I had just checked the week before, and it was still there! Apparently it was a sleeper hit or they just didn't make very many of them. I hope you got one while you could!

Chanel Rouge Allure in Desinvolte (86)
At a glance it seemed similar to Rouge Coco Peregrina, but I'd say it's more pink than peach which is why I like it better. Plus I've always wanted a Rouge Allure but the colors in the permanent line are either too brown or too bright. This was the right pink I was looking for. This is also a million times better than the Rouge Cocos because it doesn't have a gross fragrance smell and taste to it. It's also limited, so get it from Nordstrom while you can.

Dior Crush Glow Quint (659) LE
When it first came out last year I didn't think it looked all that great compared to the Ready to Glow quint, but for $20 via blogsale I decided to take a chance and get it. I'm so glad I did! It's gorgeous! I'm a sucker for the soft purples and golds.

Half Sheet Size Aluminum Baking Pan (about 12"x17")
It's extremely thick at 18 gauge, and it will probably never warp. It's heavy enough so the heat from the bottom of my oven won't cook my macarons too fast. It also doesn't burn the bottoms of cookies. Aluminum doesn't burn quickly like non-stick (dark coating) does. Remember to use parchment paper. I got these professional pans from a restaurant supply store for only $7.38 each!

KitchenAid Hand Mixer Whisk attachment
Adding this whisk attachment to my hand mixer gave me more control over beating my egg whites in a smaller bowl. I prefer this over a big stand mixer!

July Favorites

2011-09-01T22:37:00.000-05:00

My July Favorites are here! (yes I know it's September..)

1. Dior DiorSkin Shimmer Star Powder in Amber Diamond
A perfect finishing touch for the cheeks. I think it illuminates my cheeks without being too shimmery. It gives that light from within glow. Thanks Steph for the birthday gift!

2. Sigma Duo Fibre Powder/Blush Brush - F15
I bought this to use with the above powder. It's also workable with cream blushes. It's soft and deposits the right amount of powder with the duo fibre tip. Sigma actually makes good quality brushes!

3. Lmdb Rock and Romance Polishes
Perfect transition colors to fall. See my review here.

4. Dior Instant eye makeup remover
I received a sample of this, and I think it works slightly better than Lancome Bi-Facil!

5. Le Creuset mini cocotte in lavender
I found these cute mini cocottes on clearance at Dillards! My first Le Creuset, and I love the quality of it. It's perfect for single serving souffles or gratin! They were about $3-$4 from $20! I was also drawn to the Taro color likeness.

Apothica $25 Gift Card Giveaway

2011-08-08T21:32:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been getting back into the Stila products I own. I have a few single eyeshadow pans here and there. What I love is the soft texture, the generous size, and the pigmentation. It was one of the first brands beyond the drugstore that I experimented with. I just ordered an empty palette to hold my shadows in. If you're looking to get a good feel of Stila, checkout this Smokey eye bold beauty set. I've seen other bloggers rock a look using this palette and the result is easily gorgeous!

Starting today thanks to the kind folks at Apothica.com you have the chance to win a $25 gift card towards brand name cosmetics, skincare, and more! The gift card is valid toward three sites: (Apothica.com, skincarerx.com, and skinbotanica.com) which carry more thatn 80,000 products! Apothica.com is so great because they have many high end brands, have free shipping at $49, a great return policy, price matching, and no tax! (for most)

This giveaway will run from August 8-23 and is open internationally, but Apothica does not ship to every country.

You'll have three ways to enter the giveaway:

Option 1: Facebook

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica

Option 2: Twitter

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Tweet about @Apothica on your own Twitter Account

Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway @apothica

Option 3: Blog

1. Visit Apothica.com

2. Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica

Extra +1:

1. Comment below what product you would like to try from their site!

Please fill out in the form below and I will contact the winner!
Giveaway OVER: The Winner has been picked!

DIY Nail Polish shelf display

2011-07-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I decided to make this foam board nail polish stand using a tutorial I found on Youtube.

You can fit 9 bottles per row. I ended up making a smaller shelf than in the video for space reasons. Mine has 6 shelves.

It doesn't hold everything and takes up more space due to the tiers but it does look cleaner! Though it is a little rough looking in person from using a dull knife, you can't tell once the polishes are on it.

Before: here are my stacks of polishes.

After: it's nice and tidy! I also shoved things underneath it like the Konad stamps. It's not a space saver & I can live with that. Since the black boxes of Revlon couldn't even make it to the shelf. Perhaps I need another...

If this video is a little raw it's because I edited and uploaded it with iPhone 4 only.

June Favorites

2011-07-19T10:19:00.008-05:00

First, I've updated my blog sale with Chanel and R&R!

Here are my June Favorites!

1. Lancome Color Fever gloss in Paradise Peach - moisturizing and goes on smooth. It gives my lips a pretty pink-peach glow. I thought the Lancome glosses would be sticky like the juicy tubes but these are very nice and not sticky at it. It's thick but it settles nicely. It's also pigmented enough to use without lipstick! It's limited edition, so I bought a backup! :)

2. fresh Citron de Vigne edp - it's a "fresh" citrus scent that's light and crisp but still complex.

3. OPI Nail Polish in Steady As She Rose - This creamy pale pink-purple polish is from the Pirates of the Caribbean OPI collection. At first glance I thought I wasn't going to like how light it is, but on my nails it looks very pretty! It's a tad streaky at first but workable.

4. Revlon Nail Treatment - This is a ridge filler, and I like how it provided a nice and smooth base to my nails. It dries quickly, and I can apply two to three coats to prime my nails for polishes that usually require more coats.

5. MAC 219 Pencil Brush - An essential makeup brush, no other pencil brush compares! Thanks Megan! <3

Le Metier de Beaute Nail Laquer Set review

2011-07-17T00:37:00.003-05:00

For a long time I've seen this brand, Le Metier de Beaute, on beauty blogs but I never purchased anything from them. Mainly because they are located in Neiman Marcus and their stuff is expensive! Thanks to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale going on NOW I can finally get my stubby fingers on them! All Nordstroms should have this in their nail polish section even if there is no counter. Check near the Butter Londons and Deborah Lippmans!

Nail polishes are like a beauty gateway drug. They are usually the most inexpensive product in the brand line and it's easy to develop an addiction from there.

Le Métier de Beauté 'Rock 'n' Romance' Mini Nail Lacquer Set (0.14 oz each) $25
The set includes:

Heat of the Night
True Romance
Chrome Passion
Midnight Rendezvous

Full size polishes are usually $15 at (0.25oz) and LE colors are $10 at (0.14oz). So the value here is $40!

Heat of the Night: a passionate black cherry, a beautiful vampy color. Drusilla from Buffy comes to mind. It's very pigmented in just one swipe!

True Romance: a delicate pale rose with a subtle metallic nude finish. This is what I wish Chanel Quartz was. The polish was streaky for me though.

Chrome Passion: a charcoal with holographic shimmer. So stunning and mesmerizing! I think holographics are my new best friend!

Midnight Rendezvous: a shimmering, steely midnight blue with blue and green shimmers. It's dark, mysterious, and spacey. I love it!

The last three are my favorites! If you're a polish fanatic you must check these out at your local Nordstrom! Even though the bottles are tiny, it's still a great value! Tiny things are cute!

The red and blue together remind me of the Moulin Rouge movie poster. I spent a lot of time obsessing over anything Moulin Rouge when it came out. It never leaves my mind. <3

The Body Shop Event recap + giveaway

2011-07-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

Back in May, Elissa of Dress with Courage put together an event at The Body Shop at North Park Mall in Dallas. It was the first blogger event for any The Body Shop so I was very honored to be a part of it!

Chick-fil-a was there to welcome us with coffee, yogurt parfaits, and mini chicken muffins!

The Body Shop district manger and store manager talked with us about the philosophy of The Body Shop and some interesting facts I did not know. Something new I learned was that they support fair trade. If say one of the villages they buy ingredients from cannot produce the product then they will simply wait and that product will be out of stock until they are able to buy it via fair trade.

One of my favorite things was the Peppermint Foot Scrub! They set up a couple of chairs where we could take mini foot baths using their 3 step foot care from the Peppermint line. My feet were so soft after the treatment it made me feel like a slob! A slob because I keep my feet in horrible condition all of the time.

There was also a makeup station where we could play around and the makeup artist was there to give makeovers (shown here on Katie). One of my favorites was the eye shadow in Chocolate. Usually I do not think of makeup when The Body Shop comes to mind, but they do have a nice selection of products!

At the last station the district manager applied their scrubs and body butters to our hands over their mobile sink.

This pampering also reminded me of how poorly I treat my skin haha.

It was great to see the blogger girls again! Thanks to The Body Shop for having us!

Before we left they handed out goodie bags filled with samples and coupons for us to try. How sweet!

Wish you could have been there? Well I have a special goodie bag for one of my readers! I adding to it a full sized eye shadow that I purchased. :)
All you have to do is comment below what product you would like to try or what your favorite product is.

Remember, you must be a public follower of this blog via google friend connect. :) Please leave your email in the space marked e-mail. Not the actual post. The giveaway will end on July 19, and I will contact the winner!

John Frieda Salon Tour recap

2011-07-12T17:51:00.000-05:00

Early in June I was lucky enough to attend the John Frieda Salon Tour in Dallas, TX at the Shops at Park Lane. From what I gathered, this is a yearly summer long event, and a first for Dallas. Last year they visited Houston.

A red carpet leading up to the fun inside. Everyone who comes will receive a complimentary 15-minute consultation and hair transformation. Since there was no one there early in the morning my consultation lasted a big longer!

The tools used. The set up was like a real salon and even nicer than some cheap ones I've been to. This is mobile so props to them. I was impressed at how nice it looked inside!

Okay I forgot my stylists name already, but she was awesome! She's from LA so if you're there you should get her to do your hair. It would help if I could remember her name! She asked me about the problem areas of my hair. I told her my number one problem would be volume and then dry ends.

She's working her magic, and it's so voluminous wow! I need her skills! It's impressive that we only used "drugstore" products of course. Go John Frieda!

After adding volume she then decided to curl my hair. I told her my curls never last and was up to the challenge. Sorry to report that they did not last... Anyhow, here on her iPad she is showing me what products she used.

The lovely blogger ladies who were also there. Tina, Julie, Elissa, and me. Props to Tina for the photos of me!!

John Frieda's new line of products. Loving it! She used the Protecting Root Lift Foam, the Perfect Ends Deep Infusion for my dry ends, and the Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer. *giveaway coming up*

Hair Care by John Frieda

They also used the new Anytime Volume Refresher on me! It's their dry shampoo! It's pretty awesome except a week later it stopped spraying the powder and only mist. Either it runs out fast or the design of the can is not good. I did really like the formula of it while it was working properly. I'll do a full review on this later.

Me outside feeling all happy about my new hair! :)

Elissa playing paparazzi with Tina.

Afterwards we stopped by Gordon Biersch for a delicious lunch!

I definitely like John Frieda a lot more after this event. While I used to see them as just another drugstore brand, I now feel like they are near-salon quality at drugstore prices. I'm interested to use more than just their shampoo. It's easy to forget they are a huge salon in NY and LA. They don't have a fancy salon here. They should!

The info for the last two tour locations! If you live nearby them and you're a blogger, shoot me an email asap! :)

MINNEAPOLIS, MN
MALL OF AMERICA
Friday, July 15, 2011
12:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday, July 16, 2011
11:00AM - 7:00PM

ATLANTA, GA
PERIMETER MALL
Friday, July 22, 2011
12:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday, July 23, 2011
12:00PM - 8:00PM

I hope that John Frieda comes back to Dallas next year. I heard the turnout was not huge but that would be due to the location. The shops at Park Lane does not get heavy traffic and the location of the truck was not visible to shoppers driving by. They would be better to park where there is more walking traffic or to do it inside North Park Mall. That's my recommendation for you PR people who set this up!

May Favorites

2011-06-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

It's now or never for my May Favorites! These are absolutely wonderful products I couldn't miss sharing with you!

1. Bvlgari BLV II edp - my new love! I love finding new fragrances, and I wouldn't have sniffed this out if not for birchbox putting this brand on my radar! It's light and fresh and instant love. The only downside is it doesn't last long enough on me. The SA at Nordstrom was kind enough to give me this sample for free! wow!

2. Lancome L'Absolu' Rouge lipstick in Lily Rose - it's creamy and the most beautiful pink that I can wear everyday! Sadly when taking the photo I dinged the lipstick ack! This is a limited edition color from the Spring collection. There are still some left, and I def need a backup! I've used quite a bit already!

3. Jouer lip gloss in Blush - Initially I was drawn to this brand because of the name, jouer. It means 'to play' in French. The texture is of a divine high end lipgloss and the color (creamy baby pink) gives my lips a glowy look!

4. Deborah Lippman polish in Naked - The perfect nude color and the DL formula is top notch, wow! Officially addicted to DL. Now I just need the perfect nude pumps.

5. Bio-Oil Scar Treatment - Effectively lightened the new sunspot on my hand by 80% in only a month. With more regular usage I think I can make the spot disappear completely.

swatch of the lip products for you. Love them! :)

Lipstick by Lancôme
Fragrances by Bulgari

what, you wanna be sexy now?

2011-05-31T11:38:00.000-05:00

Documentary : Sexy Girls Have It Easy from Bright Hand Pictures on Vimeo.

I came across this video where a woman did a social experiment to test wheter or not sexy girls can get more free stuff than a plain Jane "based on looks alone." While it was entertaining I thought it wasn't fair how she acted differently in her different clothes too. In her sexy version she was confident and cheeky, but in her plain Jane she was dowdy, demanding, and not charismatic. I would like to see her do the experiment again but act exactly the same, regardless of her clothes. So I don't think it's purely that she looked sexier, she was just more confident and acted like she deserved the free stuff. Also, did plain her have to be wearing a fanny pack?

Ex: Her plain self directly asked the bus driver for a free ride. denied. Her sexy self smiled at the bus driver and walked past him. accepted. I'm still curious what would happen if Sexy her asked the bus driver.

I am by no means sexy on most (any) days, but I HAVE gotten things & drinks for free. Mind you these were only coffees or sodas, but it happened to plain ole me! It's just timing and circumstance. And no I was not demanding or cheeky- just innocent? I seriously have no idea why it happened... So PLAIN girls can get free stuff too okay?

There was this one time I went to pick up my sister from work and later she told me the guys asked if I was her mom.... WHAT? I was so enraged! How dare they assume that? So the next time I went in I made it a point to put on the makeup, big lashes, and high heels to see if I would get the same comment. To my delight they asked if I was her friend. phew! Otherwise some heads would roll. The interesting thing is I felt more confident and sexy wearing false lashes and high heels. I think it would be amazing if I could figure out how to feel that way in just my everyday getup.

Left: my plain look (old pic)
Right: my dolled up look (on that day!)

Please tell me your thoughts on the video and your thoughts on looking plain vs sexy.

Dior Pink Boa Swatch

2011-05-25T14:49:00.000-05:00

Dior Pink Boa 349 or Rose Fanfreluche.
A jelly baby pink.

Revlons Free after coupon at CVS

2011-05-24T02:02:00.001-05:00

A swipe here, a swipe there, and now I have two-toned nails. I think these two are fun together! I've warmed up to the thought of yellow nails. Possibly a dupe for Chanel Mimosa?

Tonight I picked up two Revlon Top Speed polishes at CVS because they are on sale (FREE) this week. Pictured are Electric and Hazy. Both swatch opaque on the first swipe. That's what I love about the Top Speeds!

I'll explain how the sale works.

Each polish is priced at $4.99.
You receive a store credit called an EXTRA BUCK for $4 on each polish you buy. If you buy two you get $8 and you can buy up to 6 total with your CVS card.
When combined with a $1 off coupon the polish is essentially free!

for example, your 1st transaction:
Polish $4.99
Coupon -1.00
-----
TOTAL $3.99 + tax
EARN $4.00 EB (extra bucks)

Now you have $4 EB to use that expires in one month. If you had previous ones you could've used that in your first transaction. It's called ROLLING. Now that you have a $4EB we'll roll it to the next polish

2nd transaction:
Polish $4.99
Coupon -1.00
EB -4.00 (from the first transaction)
-----
TOTAL -0.01
BUT you can't have a negative balance so either your cashier will ADJUST your EB to 3.99 and you'll walk out free OR you'll need a filler item like their .33 cent caramels.

2nd transaction alternative:
Polish $4.99
filler $0.33
Coupon -1.00
EB -4.00
-----
TOTAL 0.32 + tax
EARN $4.00 EB

You may repeat this process until you have reached the limit 6 polishes! Woo hoo!

So if you had no EB to start with you will have $4EB, 6 polishes, and you only spent $4 + tax!

You will have already needed to get several Revlon coupons before this sale to maximize your savings. If you don't have any coupons then $1/polish is still a good deal.

Where to find coupons? Try ebay or coupon cutting services. like [here]
This particular coupon came from the Smart Source 4/10 edition.

Now the best thing about this deal is the beauty club. (ask your cashier how to join) For every $50 you spend on cosmetics you will get $5 EB back. So after you bought all 6 polishes you can add $29.94 to your tally, and not the few cents you paid. woo hoo!

But wait there's more! If you go back once a day this week and scan your "green bag tag" you will earn $1EB after every 4th scan! $$$

I hope this helped and got you running out to CVS! I've posted swatches of a few Revlon polishes previously. Try clicking the Nails tag.

Glad to answer any questions!

Hidden Treasures in the Sky

2011-05-23T12:14:00.001-05:00

Revlon Top Speed Cloud Polish with Sally Hansen Hidden Treasures on the first finger. Hidden Treasures really makes everything pretty, but especially with this blue. I love how subtle it is.

From looking at the bottle I didn't see the potential, but I'm glad my sister made me buy this one. It's quite opaque in one stroke too, and I love that!

May Birchbox, is it worth it?

2011-05-21T11:07:00.004-05:00

So what is BIRCHBOX?
From them:

Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products... you'll receive a selection of 4-5 samples...

The membership is $10/month and so far I got what they claimed. I did get beauty samples, but curated? Yes they chose them but they are not handpicked for each of their 20,000 subscribers.You will get 4-5 samples but not all of them will be "luxe." My advice, don't expect 4-5 deluxe samples. 3-4 more like!

First of all, I love the outer packaging. The bright pink and graphic design are eye catching (and it makes me happy). It's one of the reasons why I wanted to get this!

Inside is a sturdy kraft colored giftbox style box.

Under the first layer of tissue, a welcome card outlining the products.

Most of my samples wrapped up in matching pink tissue paper.

Four "deluxe" samples for May:
1. Archipalago Pomegranate Soap triple milled - gross
2. Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir sample - musky
3. Ahava Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream - nice but not special
4. Stila eye shadow in Terracotta (full size) - awesome, but not my usual color

So how well did Birchbox work?
1. Pretty much I wouldn't want to buy anything in my box, but I saw that other people got a Jouer lip gloss sample, and that peaked my interest. In fact, I bought one! A haul for another post. (I love it btw!)

2. Also, it got me to look into Bvlgari fragrances, and I'm so glad I did. I sniffed the other ones at Nordstroms and I love them much more! Especially BLV Eau D'ete! (new fav)

3. I'm REALLY curious about Pangea Lip Balm that I saw in other people's boxes.

So in a sense it DID work to get me to buy products!

Also included was a pretty card from tinyprints. I really like the quality of paper, and I'm a bit of a paper snob so I want you to know this is really nice paper! The print is a fun graphic that reminds me of my julu logo. ;)

Pros:
Receive a 20% off coupon for one week only after your first box.
Fairly good rewards system
4-5 Samples to try (duh)
Free shipping on products and no tax either!

Cons:
you may hate all the samples
subscription service- you must email them to cancel

With all of the money that goes into putting it all together, $10 seems like a fair price. I think even "my pretty pink box" cost more than $10 when it first started. I wonder if alone shipping and packaging costs Birchbox $5 already. To me it's kinda of an exciting start-up company. Bravo to the women entrepreneurs! Seems more profitable than starting up a magazine...

Gotta admit it's kinda fun and next month is my birthday month so I'll just do it one last time. I bet the box will be "summer" themed so I'm curious- I can't help it! I'll put my money on sunscreen and tanning products! BUT it's not worth it unless you like tossing your $10 up in the air and seeing what comes down. I'm crazy and I do! It's the THRILL! It's not like I need more samples to try... I get enough on my own, and I"ll be doing another post on this.

Plus if I get 50 more points I'll have enough for a $10 credit. I'm a sucker for rewards programs. damn.

You get 10 pts for each box, and 10 pts for each product feedback you give so I have 50 pts right now. I did 4 feedback surveys because I received 4 samples this month (40 pts). You also get 50 pts for each friend you refer via e-mail. At 100 points you can redeem a $10 credit! One more box would put me at 100, yay! [more info]

Is it worth it?
Yes BUT only for 1-2 months at a time. I don't need a steady stream of samples each month b/c it is so easy to get samples for free. Plus with all of the blog reading and YouTube watching, my list of things to try never ends!

Let me know if you think Birchbox is worth it! If you do decide to sign up, please do so through this link. It would really help me out! :) Thanks!

2 year blogging anniversary

2011-05-19T09:20:00.000-05:00

Today marks my 2-year anniversary of beauty blogging! (blogiversary?) It's been a blast, and I've met lots of sweet friends and even made several close ones I hope to meet someday. I've learned a ton I never thought I would and read quite interesting gossip too. Of course it's more than that!

Blogging is something I want to continue to do because it is just FUN to put it simply. I think stopping would just be going backwards. Everyone blogs now. Moms, grandmas, dogs, babies, fake boyfriends..

Is my blog where I wanted it to be? Yes and no. I like it because it is what it is, but I regret that I didn't post more over the years. I still have drafts from two years ago! Why did I originally start blogging? Back when I only had about 3 blogs to read I got bored with them not updating every second so I started one to get my own two cents out there. The name- beauty and gardens. I'm not the type to make up a name like QueenStephieCutieLovesStuff so I tried to combine two things that I liked at the time. Also no one had put a beauty and garden blog together before. To look back I don't think it was a great idea because I barely post garden related things now. I would love to change the name to Chasing Beauty or something else I scribbled somewhere.

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who are still reading this from the beginning and hello to those who have just discovered me.

P.S. In celebration, I will be having a giveaway! :) stay tuned!