Beauty Byte

Review - Kiss Stick-On Strips

2012-11-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

I'm an avid Dollar General shopper, so I was particularly thrilled when I spotted these Kiss nail stickers during my last visit. For $3 you get 18 stickers that are supposed to last up to 10 days. Not too shabby in my opinion, considering most of the other brands will cost you upwards of $8.

The application was really simple; apply sticker to a clean nail and not touching the cuticle. Then smooth down and shape. The way that I shape is fold the sticker down at the tip then run a file vertically down the nail tip to cut the sticker off.

The design I'm wearing in this manicure is called "All That Glitters." I thought is was fall appropriate and pretty, albeit a bit busy. I only did accent nails as I felt an entire manicure of this would be a bit much. The polish I had that was the closest match was Essie's "Mink Muffs" which is actually a touch cooler than the base color of the sticker, but from a distance it's hard to tell.

I bought 3 different designs of stickers, but get this, 2 of them have 2 different variations of the design so that's an added bonus in my book.

Wear wise, I'm on day 2 of this manicure and can note a slight amount of tip wear and no lifting. Do I think they will last 10 days? Hard to tell....I like to change up my manicure more frequently than that and will probably never know.

This is a fun and affordable alternative for nail stickers! Let me know how they work for you!

Garnier Ultra-Lift 2-in-1 Wrinkle Reducer Review

2012-10-31T22:40:00.000-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for great drugstore skin care. I have tried a few Garnier products in the past such as eye cream and the roller ball eye gel, but nothing for the entire face. I also like products that simplify my life and combine 2 products into one. Lets face it, counter top real estate is hard to come by! So the Garnier Ultra-Lift 2-in-1 Wrinkle Reducer seemed like it fit all of the above criteria.

Now, you guys also know I don't like to spend a whole lot or pay full price for anything....that's why I love Target! This face cream was on sale with a $2 off Target coupon and a $2 off regular coupon....so instead of paying $15ish I got it for around $10!

Ok, so the review portion:

First a bit of background on my skin: It is normal to dry with some fine lines and wrinkles on my forehead.

Day 1

The day 1 picture you can see the lines, uneven texture and some pigmentation issues.

So first of all, this product does not play nice with other products. If you try to add in another serum or moisturizer it will end up balling up and rubbing off. I have seen other bloggers complain about this with this product, but I only saw this when I tried to add other products.

Day 26

In the day 26 picture you can see a big improvement in the lines, texture and pigmentation. This was using the product at least once a day and sometimes twice a day. The improvement was slow and gradual, I almost thought it wasn't working, but the pictures prove otherwise.

Day 46

By day 46 the lines have softened tremendously in depth and width. Overall skin texture much improved and pigmentation better as well.

So yes, this product does reduce wrinkles....all by itself. The weird bally aspect of this product prevented me from adding in other products, so these pictures are reflecting only the Garnier.

I love the pump packaging, very hygienic and 1 pump is enough for your face and neck. Smooths on nicely and drys to a powdery silicon feel (great as a makeup primer).

As much as I like this product it does have a few cons to it. I found that it wasn't super moisturizing. I still had some issues with flaky skin in a few patches, but the biggest con was the congestion it caused on my chin. I developed a lot of black heads on my chin, which I combated with a glycolic acid face scrub.

Pros:
Improved wrinkle depth and width
Improved skin texture
Improved pigmentation
Price point

Cons:
Bally with other products
Not super moisturizing
Caused skin congestion on chin

NOTD - Agro & Show Me the Money

2012-10-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

Today's manicure is China Glaze "Agro" from the Hunger Games collection with Wet n Wild's "Show Me the Money" glitter on an accent nail.

I have to say, prior to this year I had zero green nail polishes. So, 2012 has been the year of branching out and trying new colors.

Am I ever glad I decided to try something new! Agro is an awesome golden/olive green foil which is....a one coat wonder! Yes folks....only one coat of both polishes have been applied! Show Me the Money has medium sized green glitter and very small gold glitter in a clear base. Application for both was effortless.

I feel like this polish combo can almost be considered a neutral look. The gold picks up in the light, but in a dim room the shade almost looks like a gray color. Regardless, I love this look and these polishes. I really like the thick brush on with glitter polishes, because we all know the more you mess with a glitter the goopier it will get.

Now I do realize that the Hunger Games collection came out earlier this year....but, I don't like to pay full price for anything, so I waited a bit and picked up all but 2 of the shades in the collection for only $1.50 EACH at my Sally Beauty Supply! So shazam for being patient and saving a bunch of money!!! (HAHA....didn't realize that the glitter kind of emphasizes my money saving!)

NOTD - Spice It Up

2012-10-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

So the Eleventh Gorgeous sisters are raving about Ox Blood nails so I decided to look thru my collection to see what I had....guess what I found? Nothing!!! GASP!!

Thankfully Ulta sent out a 20% Loyalty Discount Card and I picked up a few things, namely drugstore items and this polish being one of them.

Revlon's "Spice It Up" is from 2011 Holiday Collection, but I was still able to find it at Ulta. I'm not sure if it's part of the regular line now or not.

It's a beautiful deep burgundy with tiny gold shimmers. It's a burgundy that can't decide if it's a brown...know what I'm saying?

Application is pretty straight forward, but don't go slow as this is the Top Speed formula. I'm not sure if the application was a bit dry because it is the quick drying type or because it's almost a foil type polish. I was able to get this depth of color with 2 coats.

Stephanie & Tracy....I got me some! Check out their post and YouTube channel, they're so cute!
Eleventh Gorgeous YouTube
Eleventh Gorgeous Nail Blog

NOTD - Halloween Edition - Red Eye

2012-10-28T00:05:00.002-04:00

I told you I liked the style of layering solid polishes with a crackle and glitter on top! This is another fun Halloween inspired look. I don't remember the polishes I used, but use it as inspiration...I know I did. I can't remember who I saw on YT that did this manicure, but it was inspired by it.

NOTD - Halloween Edition - Fire & Brimstone

2012-10-27T23:55:00.000-04:00

This Halloween inspired look started out as just a red manicure I wore most of the week at work. 2 coats of OPI's "I'm Not Really a Waitress" was topped by a black crackle polish then topped with China Glaze "Ring in the Red."

From a distance it looked like a sinister red, but up close the texture and shine made it much more interesting!

This is a style I'm eager to try out with other shades and glitters....stayed tuned!

HAUL: Ross & Nail Polish

2012-05-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things I wanted to show you guys that I bought recently. 8 new nail polishes....yes, that's alot, but they were inexpensive! The rest of the products were mani/pedi related items from Ross. I picked up some exfoliating gloves for the shower as I have terrible luck with shower scrunchies...they tend to just unravel and end up a long string :( So I thought I'd give the gloves a try.

I am very diligent about pumicing my feet in the shower, but no matter what I do they're still dry since it's officially flip flop season! Maybe slathering some lotion on then putting these on instead of regular socks will do the trick! Any suggestions?

Unfortunately the nail dryer didn't work and will be going back to the store....should have known it would be a dud, it was only $3.99. Sigh, I guess I'll have to continue to flap my arms around to get my nails to dry faster....or just give them a blast of the hair dryer! The Salon Express nail stamper I've had before, but gave it away. Now that I'm back into the nail kick I thought I'd give it another go!

Take care!

NOTD: Hard-Core Party & Strobe Light

2012-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hard-Core Party & Strobe Light

Today's NOTD is a "Replay" of my last NOTD! The original manicure was using the pretty pale pink "Hard-Core Party" by Sally Hansen. As you can see in the replay I just added this gorgeous new glitter polish "Strobe Light" also by Sally Hansen on my thumb and ring finger. Strobe Light has tiny dark pink glitter and medium sized holographic glitter. The color and size differences in the glitter make for a dynamic combination! I can already tell that this glitter will get a lot of use with many different shades beneath it!

L: Hard-Core Party
R: Strobe Light

NOTD: Hard-Core Party

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sally Hansen: Hard-Core Party

Today's NOTD is a simple mani using a pretty pale pink. I'm starting a new job this week and thought that this would be work appropriate. The polish is "Hard-Core Party" from Sally Hansen Hard as Nails line. To get the opacity that you see in the picture required 3 generous coats, perhaps too thick as small air bubbles started to form on a couple of the nails. I'm thinking multiple thin coats would work out best.

I went with this polish instead of investing in Essie "Fiji" nail polish which is a similar shade. I don't know what the color payoff for the Essie polish is like, but I opted to spend $2 on the SH polish versus $8. Did I make the right choice? Those of you that have "Fiji" let me know!

NOTD: Revlon Red & Brilliant Brushstroke

2012-05-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today's NOTD is a beautiful red combination. Revlon Red is one of my all time favorite colors. It is a great cool red cream that has amazing payoff! I always get compliments whenever I wear it! But, I wanted to spice it up a little bit and added Finger Paints Brilliant Brushstroke on top. Brilliant Brushstroke is pigmented enough to be worn alone, but I like to put it over a cream to add depth. It's a neutral red with tiny red shimmer. The picture does not do this manicure justice :(

I love red polish, it looks great! But....it's sometimes a pain to remove. Usually I'll remove red polish then jump in the shower. That technique works pretty well in getting any residual off of the skin around the nail bed.

Till next time!

L: Brilliant Brushstroke
R: Revlon Red

SHOPPING: Target & Ross

2012-05-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

I went to Target to pick up a few more things today since I had some coupons that were about to expire. I try really hard not to pay full price for anything and I also shop for Christmas all year long.

I picked up a couple of makeup and nail polish items at Target with my coupons. I got the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Sandstorm for $2.99. Pretty good deal considering some say it's a dupe for MAC's Mineralized Powder in Natural. I had the MAC powder, but gave it away...it was way too light for me! I have high hopes for the Rimmel since Mary of A Love Tart recommends it.

I had 2 Target coupons for $2 off of Revlon eye makeup so I bought 2 of the Revlon Colorstay Quads. I went with Addictive and Attitude, very neutral shades in both. I'm going to give either 1 or both as gifts...haven't decided if I'll keep one for myself or not. What do you guys think?

I also had a coupon for $1 off of a Revlon nail polish and used it to buy Rainforest. It's a pretty dark green with gold shimmer. I don't have any shades like it in my collection and I thought it would be lovely in the winter and around Christmas time. I will not be giving it as a gift since my family and friends tend to lean towards my tradition colors.

I did purchase one item at full price, but it was only $1.99 so I decided to splurge ;p It's a NYC nail polish in Wall Street. It's just a pretty light frosty pink. I had a nice polish in that shade that I recently parted with and thought I'd give NYC a try.

I've been having some trouble with my nails peeling on the tips, which I think was related to using overly abrasive emery boards. So I have been on the hunt to find a glass nail file. Lucky me, they had 2 at Ross today. The Sally Hansen file is ceramic, I'm not sure if that is much different than glass but I decided for $3.99 it was worth a try. The other file is not a brand I'm familiar with, but it is a glass file. It's housed in a pink plastic case and slides up and a small light illuminates it once fully extended. I think the light is a bit gimmicky, but I do like the cover which will protect the file from breaking. The pink file was only $2.99!

HAUL: Sally Beauty Supply May 2012

2012-05-18T16:43:00.001-04:00

So I stopped by Sally's today to pick up nail polish thinner and of course ended up with a few other things.

First of all I got a few great deals in the clearance bins. A China Glaze polish, "Some Like It Haute". It's a Gunmetal/pewter shade with grey/silver shimmer and larger holographic glitter. It's from 2011 3D Eye Candy Glitter collection. Looks beautiful and I will certainly post pictures of it on my nails. Even better was the price! Only $1.99!!!

Left: Gondola Before You Know It
Right: Sili-Coney Island

I also picked up a couple of lipglosses from Real Colors for $2.99 each. They're plumping glosses with lots of pigmentation. "Gondola Before You Know It" is a cool pink which reflects blue and packs a nice punch with the plumping sensation. "Sili-Coney Island" is a neutral rose shade with gold shimmer, it doesn't have that lip plumper sting to it like the other. Both are beautiful and are pigmented enough to wear alone if you want to skip lipstick.

Lastly I bought 3 of the Sally Girl nail polishes. They don't have names, but I got them with a specific manicure in mind....stay tuned to see them in action!!

NOTD: Rich & Famous in the Jetstream

2012-05-18T16:20:00.001-04:00

Rich & Famous with Jetstream on top

I did this manicure last night. I was originally going to wear Jetstream, but the color was too sheer and required something underneath it. Rich & Famous was a perfect match! Both polishes are by China Glaze and only needed one coat each. Rich & Famous is a lovely cool/blue pink cream shade, while Jetstream is a sheer pink with very fine shimmer that reflects blue and purple.

CHINA GLAZE

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge - Update 2

2010-11-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

It's been 10 days now and I'm down 5 lbs. My clothes are already feeling big and people are commenting that I look like I'm losing weight!

My energy level is great! I haven't felt this energetic in almost 10 years! And that's working crazy nurse hours!

The gassy side effects have eased a bunch! My gut doesn't rumble and growl all day, like it did in the first week.

Still haven't had any issues with jitters, feeling hungry and no feeling of deprivation. That's always one thing that I hate about dieting, I always feel like I have to eat tasteless food. With this I get to have dessert 2 times a day!

I was mixing some Hershey's chocolate syrup in with my shakes which was yummy. But today I took inspiration from Starbucks and made a frozen mocha shake for breakfast and dinner I made a frozen peppermint mocha! Very yummy indeed!

I was recently diagnosed with a fatty liver and had problems eating foods high in protein. Needless to say, I was worried about starting Visalus as it is based around protein rich shakes. I am happy to report that I haven't had any issues with my liver while on this diet! I'm not saying that it's a cure, but my experience has been positive given my diagnosis.

So down 5 - 75 to go!

If you'd like more information or want to join the Challenge click on the link below or on the right side of the page!

beautybyte.bodybyvi.com

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge - Update 1

2010-11-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've been doing the Visalus thing for 5 days and have already lost 2 pounds! I'm not feeling hungry or jittery at all!

This product is so awesome and easy! Believe it or not, but the shakes are good and I like the chocolate chip nutra cookie. I've never felt so good! I have a lot more energy and just feel better.

The only negative, which isn't really a big deal is the gas. There's a lot of fiber in the products so while I'm very "regular" my gut is kinda noisy. No biggy!

My friends have already noticed a difference in how I look and my pants are fitting looser!

Woo Hoo!!

My ultimate goal is to lose 80 pounds, so 78 to go!!

Body by Vi 90 Day Challange

2010-11-20T18:53:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I last posted, but life has been hectic! Still trying to catch up on work after vacation and getting ready for the holidays!

If any of you have seen my YouTube channel you can probably see that I am overweight. Obese, to be exact. I have always struggled with weight. I just think about food and I gain weight.

Well, I've started on a new adventure and thought that I would blog about it so you could follow my journey.

I never heard of Visalus before last week, but a friend of mine introduced it to me. We were visiting and her husband gave me a smoothie. It was YUMMY! I asked what it was and they told me that it's a new diet that they are doing.

I signed up last week and received my box of goodies yesterday. I know you must think that this is just another fad, but I beg to differ. The shakes actually taste GOOD and the cookies are excellent. There is a lot of fiber in all the products which helps you to feel full (also very regular...ahem.).

I'll keep you posted!

GOLDEN BARK - Fall Inspired Nails

2010-10-31T18:49:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lag in posts, still trying to recover from jet lag. My husband and I are both having a hard time adjusting back to eastern time.

As wonderful as vacation was, it did have a financial toll on us. I've decided to learn how to do my own acrylic nails and nail art. My first attempt was a nightmare, but I must say that my second attempt is decent. I learned that the brushes that come in the kits are crap. If you're interested in doing your own nails invest in a decent brush first!

The nails in this post had been on for about 5 days and they started growing out. I could see a gap between the smile line and the base of the nail. It was really bugging me so I decided to paint them and have some fun with glitter!

This look is great for fall. I've used the warm browns and golds that I associate with this time of year.

Base color - Deluxe Brown by Avon

Stippled color - Brisbane Bronze by OPI

Glitter mix on top

The nail on the left is using my own personal glitter mix. The one on the right is using Wet n Wild glitter polish "Fireworks."

If you'd like to see the tutorial for this nail look go to my YouTube channel!

Golden Bark Nail Tutorial

Hawaiian Vacation

2010-10-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

Our vacation is about to come to an end. We are scheduled to leave tomorrow evening, provided that we get on the flight out. There is a little anxiety about flying standingby since there's only 1 flight a day out of Lihue.

Personally, I wouldn't mind being stuck here, but I think my boss may over other ideas.

I will post my pictures and blogs of our trip once I get home with my computer.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator - Day 28 Pictures

2010-10-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

Well, almost done with the Rimmel challenge! I'm not sure how I feel about this product. I think I'll reserve final judgement for a few more weeks.

What I do like is the price and the lengthening power of this product.

What I don't like is how easily it runs. If my eyes water the slightest bit, the mascara starts to run. I don't think they have a waterproof version of this yet, will wait and see.

I think that the fullness/number of lashes has improved, but I haven't noted the long curly length of lashes like I do with the Latisse. I may notice that over time, it remains to be seen.

Check out the pictures!

Hawaiian Monk Seal

2010-10-15T13:34:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you guys know this, but there are only 2 animals that are indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. The Monk Seal and some kind of bat. Everything else has been brought here by humans.

I had the rare pleasure of seeing a Monk Seal last evening! Aside from being incredibly endangered they are very beautiful.

We saw this little female, she's 3 years old and has been coming to this spot on the shore to rest everyday for the past week. I couldn't help by notice how much she looks like my dog when he's sleeping. The Hawaiian name for the seal stands for "the dogs that play in rough waters."

I plan on returning to this area of shore line to see if she is still resting there. I'd love to get more pictures of her and perhaps a juvenile that has been there as well. From what I've been told he is going through his first molting.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator - Day 21 Pictures

2010-10-15T13:17:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been three weeks....the optimism of last week is turning into disappointment. I think the last of the Latisse lashes are starting to fall out d/t the regular lash cycle and now I'm stuck with my old lashes. Yes, they are fuller and there are more of them, but they're not long and fluttery.

Perhaps I had my expectations too high for a drugstore product...I dunno.

I'm on vacation right now and do not have my Latisse with me so I'm forced to complete this experiment. However, if I were at home I'd be starting back with the Latisse. I'll document the progress with the Latisse the same way since I'm basically back to square one with my lashes.

Do you guys agree that there is little change or am I not seeing things clearly?

ULTA - Lovely in Luna

2010-10-13T01:26:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! This is another teal look I did using Ulta shadows. This look is not as bright as Tealtastic, but with the addition of lashes it is still dramatic!

Don't be like me and fear blues and teals....give it try. Pick a day that you have free and play with your makeup. Your first attempts will probably look awful...I know mine did. Trust me, if I had recorded my first attempts you would definitely laugh!

Use the bright colors on the lid or as a liner and transition with neutral "blendy shades." Don't forget to BLEND!

And most importantly.....HAVE FUN!!

Check out the tutorial for this look on my YouTube channel!
ULTA - Lovely in Luna Tutorial

NYX Runway Palettes

2010-10-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

I am now the proud owner of 4 NYX Runway Palettes!

They are gorgeous and a great value, especially when you can get them on sale and use a coupon!

At my Ulta they run $9.99 regular price, which for 10 high quality shadows is a steal. They frequently run specials such as buy 1 get 1 at 50% off, or in my case 40% off all products which brought the total to $5.99. I then used my $3.50 off coupon that comes in the mail weekly. So I got the palette for $2.44! What a bargain!

I have done 1 look on my YouTube channel using the Secret Garden palette and am very pleased with the results.

I'll write a full review on the palettes I have once I use them all. I'll also include swatches!

We Finally Made It - Life on the Standby List

2010-10-11T11:32:00.000-04:00

We finally made it!

Right now I'm sitting in the living room sipping my Kona coffee and enjoying the sound and smell of the ocean that's outside the back of our condo. There are 2 roosters crowing and a lovely breeze blowing in from the sea.

Yes, I said roosters crowing....they run around all over the island. They're not the typical white feathered fowl you maybe thinking of. They have beautiful colored plummage and patterns. I will post some pictures so you can see how pretty they are.

We don't have anything planned for today, but that's part of the beauty of vacation. I would be perfectly content to walk along the beach or read a book everyday....I'm pretty easy to please.

My only gripe is no internet...I'm writing this post on my cell phone! Thank heavens I have small hands!

H

Rimmel Lash Accelerator - Day 14 Pictures

2010-10-10T23:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's been 2 full weeks. I'm not having panic attacks or withdrawal symptoms from my Latisse. I'm starting to become a believer....

I think it's awesome that I can get great results with a $7.99 product vs. $125! Granted, the Latisse does last a long time, but $7.99 just sounds and looks better.

I definitely feel like the lashes are getting longer and fuller. The day 14 picture was taken at the end of the day, so the one coat of mascara was a bit worn off.

The little short spot of short lashes has certainly grown to be level with the rest of the lashes. They're starting to curl as well. That always seems to make things look better.

Check out the pix and you be the judge!