Hot Ink

Now It's Time To Say Goodbye, Hot Inkers.

2013-03-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

I had an idea to start a beauty review blog with other women whose opinions I trusted. I wanted to share that with other people and see where it took us. I was so surprised when we celebrated one year of posts; when we were mentioned by the businesses and companies we reviewed; and when we scored free stuff for reviews! When our mental horses were fresh, we had a hell of a lot of fun with this project.

1020 posts later, the times have changed for a lot of us - I've moved on to writing trade news posts for Pajiba under my real name. Lainey, Dixie, Metric Jenn, Vee, Rusty, Figgy, Park, Nora, Boo, Mel Biv Devoe and Modern Replica have all chosen to pursue new interests. Hot Ink just isn't our biggest passion anymore - it's time to close it down. We had a great time crafting our reviews and link posts for our friends and readership, and we're grateful you've come along with us.

Thank you!
~Pinky McLadybits

I loved to chew the fat with you folks, and listen to all your dirty jokes - I'm so grateful for these friends I did receive!
~Modern Replica

It's been a slice...of my fragile little mind!
~MetricJenn

So long, and thanks for all the fun.
~MelBivDevoe

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night! I hate to go and leave this pretty site! (See what I did there?) Seriously, it has been a privilege to write for you all. Thanks for supporting us in our endeavor here.
~ Dixie

Wake Me Up When It's Spring, Please

2013-02-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

MelBivDevoe

I bet many of you were hibernating during Winter Storm Nemo, though probably not by choice. Storms like that are precisely why we moved south, although I do miss the joy of a good snow day every now and then. Check out the snowfall totals and pics of the storm here. (USA Today)

Pinky shared this link recently and I think it's worthy of passing on. If you've ever wanted to volunteer your time but feel you don't have much to give, this site is perfect for you - it lists "microvolunteering" ideas that you can do from home. (Help From Home)

I knew Lay's was holding a contest to create a new flavor of potato chip, but I didn't realize they'd started making the finalists already. Here are three flavors that have already hit some shelves around the country. I will just stick to the salt & vinegar chips, thanks. (Laughing Squid)

Here's some macabre (and expensive) bling, just in time for Valentine's Day. I dig it. But do the joints move or do you have to hold your hand like that while you wear it? (Geeks Are Sexy)

If you missed this week's "The Simpsons" episode due to the Grammy's, you missed Benedict Cumberbatch as Professor Snape in a send-up of "Love, Actually." Yeah. But you can catch the scene here, thanks to Entertainment Weekly. (EW)

Speaking of the Grammy's, it's been years since I cared about the actual awards - I watch for the performances and the outfits. Why do I not care about the awards? Have you seen the list of legendary performers who have never won? (BuzzFeed)

Look, I don't like kids blowing out birthday cake candles and getting spittle all over the yummy icing, either, but this seems a bit silly. (The Frisky)

In need of a delicious dessert idea for Valentine's Day? Try one of these 25 mouth-watering recipes. (Real Simple)

I guess redemption is possible for anyone - even a nasty boy. (Hark! A Vagrant)

Gah, I HATE this ad campaign from Playtex for feminine wipes. Feminine wipes and their partners-in-crime, feminine douches, are NOT good for your ladybits. Period. Advertisers and product manufacturers, stop trying to make us feel bad about our body parts!! (The Gloss)

Finally, there's a cure for hipster, the greatest scourge of this generation.

How Do I Love Thee Craft Projects, Let Me Count They Ways

2013-02-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Park

I love lists. Top ten movies, to do's, reasons to give high fives (I'm with Barney of HIMYM, consolation fives should be a thing). However, there is no list I like better then a list of different cool things you can do with a simple object.

The focus of today's links are folks that are not so much crafters, but magicians, transforming things in front of your eyes into things you never even dreamed of. Well, maybe you dreamed of it, maybe you have very crafty dreams. But still, these folks are impressive.

Oh and there's some cute Valentine's day ideas and life hacks thrown in, because I think you're swell.

35 ways to wear a scarf. I may never wear a shirt as a shirt again. (Knot Just a Scarf)

50 crafts from the humble cereal box. (Saved By Love Creations)

Life hacks that will change your life. Seriously! The cat one is especially brilliant. (Bored Panda)

Super cute, totally over the top crystal pendant necklace. Aka perfect! (Honestly wtf)

Rule of thumb measurements for home décor. Great rules to use, or break, in order to make your space more pleasing to the eye. (Driven By Decor)

This message in a bottle idea would be a super cute Valentines Day Gift. (Etsy Blog)

18 great idea for all of us with piles of scraps we that are “too good to throw out”. I mean all of you. I don’t hoard scraps *whistles while walking away*. (The New Home Ec)

An adorable and easy vintage buttons necklace. (Kreativnostivana)

20 awesome doll patterns to sew. (See Kate Sew)

Super sappy but adorable (and crazy cheap) valentine’s t-shirts. Would also be great BFF shirts for kids. (Dollar Store Crafts)

Easy and cute wire heart earrings. (Wobisobi)

Since it's the time of year we celebrate what we love the most, here's a video that unites what I love the most: No sew crafts and comfy loungewear.

Kickstart My Heart: We Love The Cast Of Kings Podcast, But It Needs Your Help!

2013-02-07T07:23:00.000-05:00

The Cast of Kings Podcast Kickstarter needs your help, loyal readers! Our friend Joanna is involved in this awesome FREE recap of "A Game of Thrones", but making podcasts can be time-consuming and expensive. In order to bring you another year of Joanna and her partner Dave talking theories, Lannisters, Starks, grumkins, and how Jon Snow knows nothing, they need some funds. Even just a few pieces of silver will be welcome! Let's help Joanna and Dave keep their podcast going, for the night is dark and full of terrors.

Living Proof Full Root Lifting Spray: Get Back to the Lab, And See What's on the Slab

2013-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dixie

Countless ladies with hair on their head, be it curly or straight, want to achieve the perfect balance of healthy, full hair. Some of us may not wish to or even have the time to spend doing our hair, so it remains a wish released into the mirror. Others, like me, try in vain every miracle product they come across in the hopes that it will provide enough volume to avoid sad limp hair, but not so much volume that Kelly LeBrock travels forward in time to hand us a brush and tell us to tone down the mane already. So it was with the Living Proof Full Root Lifting Spray, all I wanted was some volume at my roots.

Living Proof is famous for developing their products in a lab. To make a long story short, a bunch of scientists got together and said to themselves, "Hey, all of the hair products marketed to women suck. How can we make it better?" So they whipped out their beakers, test tubes, pipettes, and other sciency stuff and made a few molecules that were unique to their products. And then they launched a marketing campaign. It totally worked, at least on me. Their first premise is mostly correct - a lot, if not the majority, of hair products for women suck. Every salon, cosmetic retailer, and department store is positively stuffed with products filled with silicones, waxes, and petroleums that no woman ever needs on her hair, especially if she is questing ever after the eternal Good Hair Day. Their second premise, "How can we make it better," well, Living Proof whiffed that one big time, at least with the Root Lifting Spray in the Full product line.

Normally, I have no problem with getting and maintaining good volume in most of my hair. It's the couple inches near my scalp that tend to fall flat without some serious help. At the time, I was using another Living Proof product (more on that in a future review) and getting okay results with it. So I figured that I might as well try the Root Lifting Spray because even only half-way decent results would be better than what I was getting (flat hair at the roots) and it would help me reach the $50 mark so I could get free shipping at Sephora.

The results I got were, shall we say, less than half-way decent. Holding the bottle the requisite 8-10 inches away from my head, I sprayed the product at my roots...and got a half-dollar sized spritz on my head. A one-inch sized application of product directly to my roots. Not exactly the volume I'm looking for. After applying one-inch sized spritzes to my roots all the way around my crown, I massaged my scalp a bit in hopes of breaking up the tiny application of product. Maybe if I had hair that I could get a brush through, it would have been different? I don't know. What I do know that is when I diffused my hair, I ended up with crispy rounds of product at my roots. Uh, not exactly volumizing so much as gluing my hair in an upright position. And on second day hair, it was downright gross.

Honestly, I'm not sure whether to fault the product or the delivery system. My thought is that a good product wouldn't end up crispy. But, a better delivery system, one that delivered more of a mist or at least a flatter line of spray, might have ameliorated the slight There's Something About Mary effect that I got with this product. Either way, the Living Proof scientists clearly need to go back to the drawing board with either the product, the pump in the bottle, or both. I give this product 3/8 tentacles. It earns the three only because it lifted my hair away from my scalp and because it might possibly maybe work if you have hair that cooperates with a brush. If you are so inclined, you can find the Living Proof Full Root Lifting Spray at Sephora or the Living Proof website for $26 for a 5.5 ounce bottle.

Rating: 3/8 Tentacles

Aveeno Body Wash: Energize Me So I Don't Feel Like Murdering Everyone At Work, Please.

2013-02-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Metric Jenn

It is the middle of winter, I have no vacation time left, and there is no winter sojourn down to Mexico in my future. My patience with everything and everyone is at an end, and it's a virtual Herculean Feat to get myself out of bed in the morning to go to work. Generally, I need SOMETHING new to motivate me, or just give me that little boost in the morning that isn't a ninth cup of coffee or meth-amphetamines. And so I turned to Aveeno for some help. I picked up the Energizing Body Wash with lemongrass, rosemary, and mint at Safeway about three weeks ago. I paid 7.99$ for a 16 oz bottle, a bit on the more expensive side for body washes.

BUT IT WAS SO TOTALLY WORTH IT.

You guys, it foamed up so nicely, you don't have to use a bunch of it. The smell is heavenly. The mint really perks you up in the morning, and not only is it energizing, it kind of clears your head. I'm not a big believer in aromatherapy as an institution, but the scent of this body wash really is fresh and made me feel more awake/aware than some of the other scents I've used.

This review is going to be a short one. I've ripped on Aveeno in the past (here) for having just terrible products, but they really got it right with this body wash. I mean, I have nothing BAD to say. Do you know how rare of an event this is?? I feel like there should be some sort of celebration... But instead I'll just give it a resounding 100% review!

8/8 Tentacles it is! Seriously, go and buy some.

Super Sunday is Over, Here Comes Hangover Monday

2013-02-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

MelBivDevoe

How about that major sporting event yesterday, huh? Both, that one team had such an amazing play! Ok, fine, I only watched the Super Bowl for the halftime show and the commercials. I spent most of Sunday lying on the couch and watching a "Bring It On" marathon instead. Try to contain your jealousy.

The biggest news of the night, according to Twitter, was the power outage that derailed the third quarter of the game. Here are the best tweets of the night - my faves are from Neil deGrasse Tyson. (BuzzFeed)

Lenny Kravitz was in New Orleans recently (for the big game, perhaps?) when he heard a choir performing one of his biggest hits. What he did next definitely made their day. (Entertainment.ie)

Forget flamingos and gnomes - dinosaurs are the cool new lawn ornaments. Check out Dug the T-Rex - he even likes to dress up for the holidays. (HuffPo)

This brilliant ad campaign for breast cancer awareness isn't new, but it's fantastic. And, honestly, anything that gets women to take charge of their health AND offers hot shirtless men is ALWAYS worth sharing, right? (Pinterest)

One of our very own, Rusty, has written a book about being a working artist in today's music industry. Check it out - it's available on Amazon! (Pajiba)

Why make a boring old pizza when you can make this awesome Octopizza?? (Instructables)

Watch in horror as Applebee's PR self-destructs before your very eyes. Seriously, who thought any of this was a good idea? (R.L. Stollar)

Netflix recently released the full first season of its very own, fully self-produced show called "House of Cards." Will appointment viewing soon become a thing of the past, replaced by marathon viewing? (Neatorama)

This is horrifying - the dark side of the Super Bowl (and other large-scale events): sex trafficking. (NOLA)

Time to stop ducking the camera. Don't let life's moments slip away while you wait for that weight to fall off, or that haircut to grow out, or whatever is keeping you from striking a pose in your family photos. (My Friend Teresa)

Here's a sweet little story about a high school robotics club that helped a physically disabled cat. Yes, this cat is half-robot... world domination can't be far behind!

Level-Up Your Workout: Fitocracy

2013-02-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Rusty

It’s January, so I’m sure we've all got some resolutions we’re working on, or just some promises to ourselves that we’d like to keep for longer than a couple weeks. A lot of those sorts of things seem to center around working out, working up to running a 5K, taking better care of your body, or just gaining the ability to go up two flights of stairs without getting winded. But it’s hard to keep your motivation up for that first month or so when you’re not seeing any immediate improvement, and the gym is crowded, and it’s really cold to go outside. Determination can help. But so can points, leveling up, quests, achievements, and taunting your own competitive nature. This is why I’m a member of Fitocracy.

Fitocracy is a workout tracking website that also has free apps for the iPhone and Android devices. You log whatever activities you do, everything from walking for 20 minutes and taking the stairs instead of the elevator to dead lifts and burpees and get points for all of it. You level up as you get more points, and earn achievements for hitting various fitness milestones. There are also “quests”; activities that you have to do within a set amount of time, typically within one workout or a week. You get bonus points for completing quests and they show up on your profile. It’ll keep track of all the exercises you log, and your personal records for all of them so you can see your progress with a few clicks.

Personally I’m a bit hit or miss with it. It helps get me in the mindset of keeping up with exercise on a regular basis, but I stopped using it for a while in the fall even though I was still working out (partly because there was no Android app then and I had an Android phone) but when I do remember to use it, it’s a great incentive to push myself just a little further. To get one more set in. To do a few crunches or jumping jacks even if I don’t hit the gym so I can get the points I need to level up. Exploring the quests gives me workout goals I wouldn't have without that outside encouragement, and looking at the workouts other people have tracked is excellent motivation for stepping up your own game.

If you've got friends on it, there’s a nice social aspect too. You can give props to other people’s workouts and achievements, add comments, and create groups and challenges to help build up a sense of community around getting fit together. It also helps to know that there’s other people out there keeping track of your progress, and peer pressure can get your ass moving when nothing else can.

Being healthier or getting fit is one of those goals that’s hard because there are times you won’t see progress. There are days (many of them) when you feel like the last thing you want to do is go to the gym, break out the work-out DVDs, or strap on your running shoes. Fitocracy is a great way to give the immediate gratification part of your brain something to grab onto while you’re waiting for long-term results to settle in. The groups and communities there offer advice on every fitness topic there is, and it helps bring a little fun into the whole thing. You can compete against yourself, compete against others, and find new ways to challenge your abilities easily.

Fitocracy’s not perfect, I have some issues with the design of the app and trying to figure out what they call the exercise you’re doing can be confusing, but I’d encourage anyone interested in improving their workout habits to give it a try (with my referral link there, naturally) and see how it goes. After all, it’s free, and it can’t hurt.

Herbal Essences: Honey I'm Strong - Honey, You Ain't Lyin'

2013-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Metric Jenn

I haven't had much luck with shampoos and conditioners, you guys. I try and I try...but my hair is very crabby. It could be due to the fact that I haven't gotten a haircut in ages; but with my tight budget, some things take priority.

*ahem*doggyhaircutsinstead*ahem*

Anyhow, as I was waiting in Safeway for my prescription to be filled, I wandered amongst the hair care aisle. The Honey, I'm Strong by Herbal Essences catches my eye, simply because I'd never seen it before as a part of their product line.

Which, of course, means that I must try it.

The shampoo and conditioner were on sale for 3$ each, so the price is definitely right for my new frugal budget. The smell was rather soothing and warm. It lathered up nicely, and the conditioner was thick and creamy (heh heh heh).

After a week of using this shampoo and conditioner, my hair does feel stronger/thicker. I don't know if that means healthier, though...perhaps it just means it can withstand heat damage from the hair dryer and/or straightener. My hair does feel softer, and has more shine to it, so those are two definite improvements over the crap Aveeno shampoo and conditioner I was using (just you wait for THAT review to come out *angryface*).

Overall, I am rather impressed by Herbal Essences' Honey, I'm Strong line. So I'm going to generously bestow a good rating for this product. It loses 2 tentacles because it is harder to find - I've only come across it in ONE store out of the many I frequent, that's a hassle and half.

Rating: 6/8 Tentacles!

Ardell Brow Defining Palette

2013-01-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

Dixie

Until I started getting my eyebrows threaded, I never saw the importance of eyebrow products. Brow pencils and powders and gels mystified me. Why do I need those products? I have dark eyebrows already, so I don't need to enhance them!

Not true, ladies and gentlemen. My eyebrow artist impressed upon me the importance of the eyebrows to the overall look of the face. With just a touch of powder or pencil you can bring your face into focus, whether you're rocking an otherwise bare face or in full evening makeup. The eyebrow adds the finishing touch to the face.

I learned about the Ardell Brow Defining Palette from my eyebrow artist. It is literally the only one she recommends. So, when the lady who makes my eyebrows look fabulous tells me to buy a product, I do what she tells me. I found the palette at Sally Beauty for about $10. Each palette comes with two brow colors and a highlighter. There are three palette options - light, medium and dark; since I have dark hair, I chose the dark. The container itself is kind of genius. On the left side are a mini tweezer, a small angled brush for the brow powder, and a small sponge brush for the highlighter. The black plastic piece that holds all three angles up to reveal a small magnifying mirror! This type of good design is a little amazing to me. For $10 you get literally everything you need to do your brows.

The powders are good quality, too. They go on evenly and aren't so light they puff out past your eyebrow (you know how eyeshadow does sometimes? I hate that). You really don't need much powder, either. Just a couple of light taps with the brush against the powder then a few delicate swipes across your eyebrow and you have nicely defined brows. Seriously, if you've never applied powder to your eyebrows before, you will be astounded at the difference.

It should come as no surprise that I'm giving this product 8/8 tentacles. From the design of the package to the brow powder itself, Ardell has done a marvelous job with the Brow Defining Palette. I literally love it so much I bought one to keep in my purse and one for my makeup drawer at home. Go to your local Sally Beauty, the website, or Amazon and get you one. Or two.

Rating: 8/8 Tentacles

Monday... What a Bastard!

2013-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

MelBivDevoe

Sure, people can be bastards. You know what else can be a real bastard? Shelling out $5 bucks a day (or more) to feed your iced coffee habit. I'm not gonna tell you to cut back on the caffeine - instead, why not try making your own iced coffee at home? Don't worry, this blogger has even done the math for you! (Hostess With The Motzes)

Well, this is sh*tty. "Glee," that trainwreck of a Fox show that just keeps going and going, ripped off Jonathan Coulton's bluegrass cover of "Baby Got Back" - and then put it up for sale on iTunes. (Wired)
But wait! You can help Coulton stick it to them by buying his cover of their cover of his cover (whew!) on iTunes - and all of his proceeds will go to charity! (Geekosystem)

TLC's "My Strange Addiction" has hit a weird new low. Uh, slightly squicky footage ahead. And yes, I realize this woman probably suffers from Pica. (BuzzFeed)

Need a chaser? Here you go. (Cute Overload)

I hope you love the carrier you're using for your smartphone, because as of Saturday, it became illegal to unlock your phone. The penalties for this "crime" are insane. (The Atlantic)

Happy birthday to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," which turns 200 this week. Hmm, I think this calls for some Mr. Darcy eye candy, yes? (The answer is ALWAYS yes.) (NPR)

This lovely wedding announcement shows that love can blossom at any age. Uh, I just need a moment, guys, it got really dusty in here all of a sudden. (NY Times)

"Celery is an insult to human dignity." (Gawker)

A recent study found that people have an easier time remembering info presented in social media form - i.e. in Facebook posts - than in printed form. I know just what they mean - I could tell you what one of my friends said yesterday about her lunch, but I couldn't tell you the name of the author of the study I just read. (Salon)

Speaking of Facebook, will you be participating in the class-action lawsuit against those horrible "Sponsored Stories" ads? (Uproxx)

I know this song isn't exactly new, but damn if it's not my favorite thing right now. Here's Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with "Thrift Shop."

D.I.Y! Y? Because we want to!

2013-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Park

So here's something you might not know about me. I heart crafts. I like psychotically love crafts. I'm one of those obnoxious people that looks at stuff in trendy stores, rolls my eyes and says "I could make that myself".

I know, it's super gross. But, if you're completely honest, don't you secretly want to scoff at things in Urban Outfitters too? Thought so!

Well welcome to an ALL DIY LINKS! Time to make your friends jealous and/or make people a bunch of gifts that they will graciously pretend they like because you made it so they have to (oh the power we DIY'ers have)

Let's start this off with a woman who is my personal style hero: Paloma Faith! Faith's music is amazing and her style is so balls to the wall bizarre that I've wrecked many a glue gun trying to make my own versions. (What Renee Made)

I don't know about you, but I love those cute little ruffle tees. I want to just frounce around them and drink tea and eat tiny sandwiches. PS frounce may not be an actual word, but it is if you're wearing a ruffle tee. (Rookie)

Man, I sure do love Anthropologie. Man, I sure don't want to go into major debt buying $78 tank tops. Problem solved. (Henry Happened)

Okay, maybe I'm a wee bit too into Anthro-DIYs, but this is the cutest sweater ever. (Honey and Fitz)

Oh man, what about these space shoes? Yeah, you heard me, it's like your feet are in outer space! (Swell Mayde)

Are you a fancy lady on the go? Well how about this makeup brush roll? (The Beauty Department)

And for the fancy lady on the, um, stay, here's how a desk organizer can be used as a really cute makeup organizer. (Nouveau Cheap)

Do you love to lend out books but also hope to get them back at some point? Well, here's a way to remind people which books are yours without having to do a lot of passive aggressive sighing. I mean, you can still do that if you want. I don't want to tell you how to live your life (My Poppet)

Man, Pottery Barn stuff sure looks great huh? Wouldn't it be great if you could re-create it at home? You can? Ohhhh yeah! Suck it Pottery Barn. (The Yellow Capecod)

All this crafting has probably made you a bit hungry. How about some deelicious cookies (don't let the name "compost cookies" throw you) from one of my favorite craft sites ever (Thimble)

And now, for perhaps the ultimate in DIY (don't try this one at home) bear tagging with Canadian National Treasure Rick Mercer. Yes, it's funnier if you're Canadian, but it's still hilarious and adorable (quite like Mercer himself actually)

Aromas Artesanales De Antigua Luxury Hand Cream: Massage Me Like One of Your Guatemalan Girls

2013-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Metric Jenn

(This review may be a bit on the crazy side, as I am currently suffering back pain and the Doc gave me some sweet, sweet painkilling relief.)

I've been sitting on this product for about 3 months now. I bought it in Santa Barbara from this froo-froo hippie shop (don't ask me what it was called; I barely remember my own name). I was looking for more lotions to add to my hoarder-like collection at home. I smelled each lotion and made my choice based on how Lindsay Lohan-ish I felt. You see, I'd just visited the court house in which she was sentenced and it was like my Mecca.

So! Guatemala is the 'inspiration' for this line of products. The website explains that "The rich volcanic soil of the valley, along with the warm climate in the region, offers the ideal condition for the growth of numerous fruits, plants and flowers, many of which have been the inspiration for the fragrances used in the Aromas Artesanales de Antigua range."

I can't remember where I was going with that paragraph...I'm sure it was something lovely about Guatemalan culture. But this strays from the product itself. If some place is the 'inspiration' for a product, it doesn't mean that anything was actually grown there, produced there, or made there. To that end; the whole Guatemalan theme is a marketing ploy. Which, to what may be your surprise, I don't hold against them!

The product itself, doesn't seem to differ from 99% of all the other lotions out there. The main ingredients being water, shea butter, cetearyl alcohol, and glycerin. I kept going back to the metallic tube thinking there would be grapefruit and tangerine extract listed, but...after the 6th check...nuthin'. This hippie product is a LIE. *This* is what I hold against them.

Now you are probably wondering how the lotion actually worked. It was greasy. It took forever to absorb into my skin. The smell still enchants me. This lotion has provided me with a love-hate review! Or it could be the drugs talking...No...nope - it's love-hate. The product is bad, but the smell! Ohhhh, the smell! And it was only $10.95. I've paid a lot more for a lot less in my time...

Alas, what rating can I give a product that only has one redeeming quality?

Rating: 4/8 Tentacles

I sorely wish that I could be kinder, but even this rating seems a tad high.

L'Oreal Nail Stickers In Seductive Temptress: This Is Not The Polish I Was Looking For

2013-01-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pinky McLadybits

Via

No, I never learn. EVER. I was at Target, browsing the clearance endcaps like one does, when I spotted L'Oreal's Nail Stickers. Apparently the brand teamed with Project Runway to create these python-inspired nail stickers called Seductive Temptress. Since the price was now $2.38 marked down from $7.99 and since this isn't *technically* nail polish, I was sold.

I had just painstakingly painted my nails, following all of the tips and rules people have given me. Base coat, two coats of polish, top coat, make sure that the polish goes over the edges of nails, etc. And that shit chipped in less than 12 hours. I was ready to give press on nail color another go.

The nail stickers have an odd smell to them, but they are a lot less odious than previous nail polish strips. They also aren't prone to chipping since I don't think any part of them are polish. However, they are stickers. This means that when I absentmindedly ran my fingers through my hair this morning, hair stuck to them. It's gross, man. It's gross.

I digress.

Applying the stickers sounded simple enough, but we all know I'm an idiot when it comes to Girl Things. The first two nails, my pinky finger and ring finger, turned out lovely. The sticker went on easily, smoothed properly, and the edge of the nails don't have weird chunks of sticker left from filing. Then everything went to crap and the rest of the nails have less than perfect textures and edges. I give up. It is clearly me and not them. I give myself an inking here. The nail stickers are a neat idea, but I also feel that they look stupid. I mean, it doesn't even give the illusion of polish. It just looks like I stuck stickers on my nails.

I wanted to love you, L'Oreal Nail Stickers. But I don't. We're just too different.

Rating: 4/8 tentacles

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr's Life and Legacy

2013-01-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

Five Ways To Honor Martin Luther King Jr.

The King Center

Biography

Internet Magic! So basically cool cat pics and general weirdness. Now with 100% more Samuel L. Jackson

2013-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Park

So it's mid-January and you're sick to death of hearing about the 20 bazillion diets you can go on and it's increasingly difficult to keep up the "go to bed early, eat right and be neater" resolution (just me?). Well, don't worry, the internet is here with great stuff to distract me, um, I mean you.

First, let's start with a website that may feature the best kitty cartoons ever, and trust me, I’m a connoisseur (Kitties & Bullshit)

Are you as tired as I am about hearing about people's cleanses? And, do some of them seem a little creepy to you too? (io9)

Here's a message I can get behind: love who you are. Yeah! Wear what you want no matter what your size! Style should about wearing what you love! (Rookie)

You know sometimes you meet someone and suddenly you don't know how you've lived your life without them up until then. This video of Samuel L. Jackson "singing" Taylor Swift is that, in internet vid form (Gawker)

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day, it often seems weird and boring. Well pinterest users have proven me half wrong. (The Gloss)

This is going to be an amazing year. We've already had the tweet of the year and it's only January (ABL)

There are some wonderful teachers out there. Men and women that challenge, inspire and support their students, and we don’t hear enough about them. Here’s one of them. Oh, and I’m totally not crying, shut up. (Buzzfeed)

Whoa! Did Google kill a donkey? (Jalopnik)

So the air in your place is yucky AND you're bored and looking for something to do AND you've always wanted to be MacGyver. Well, here's the perfect DIY for you. (Lifehacker)

And for the more fabulous among you, here's a DIY for you, how to "Swift" at an award show (Clearlydope)

LIVE ACTION TOY STORY!!! I'm going to start posting this video under all articles that claim that kids nowadays are blah, blah, blah. It's 100% proof that the kid's are allright

Time to Break Out your Winter Topcoats: Nails Inc. The Donmar Topcoat

2013-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Rusty

Nail polish is probably one of my more frivolous hobbies. I’m not especially good at it, I don’t wear it that often, and I’m terrible at not chipping it within two or three days. But I love nail polish, I’m too poor for manicures, and having a row of little candy-colored bottles lined up on my dresser makes me happy. So I look for deals, and recently I found a great one.

Sephora was selling off some nail kits and I found one for The Donmar Collection featuring the Donmar topcoat and Chelsea polish for $10. The topcoat features clear, iridescent bits that color shift in the light. The polish was a deep plum that looks almost black with two coats. Application was pretty standard, two coats of Chelsea, wait for it to dry, and then another two layers of the Donmar top coat. Right away it began to look good, with the iridescent bits shifting in the light. The effect was completed with a clear top coat and about ten minutes of walking around being very careful about touching things.

The effect of the top coat is really beautiful. It goes on very easily, and because the flakes are irregular no two fingers look quite alike. The colors shift from an orange-y gold to green as the light catches them, with hints of the plum base color in there as well. They really help brighten up a dark color of nail polish, but I also look forward to trying them with a lighter color. The flakes are clearly defined against the dark plum, and I think it’d be interesting to see them on a color where they didn’t stand out so clearly and the effect was more subtle.

Overall, I’d rate the Donmar topcoat an 8 out of 8. Application was easy but the effect is definitely eye catching. If I hadn’t gotten it on sale, I’d take a point off for the price, because it is expensive for nail polish, but with the discount it’s absolutely perfect.

Rating: 8/8 tentacles

Pour Me Another, Barista!: Trader Joe's Spicy Chai Tea Latte Mix

2013-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Pinky McLadybits

Hey, kids! I know we've been quiet around here lately, what with my losing a close friend, the holidays, and my new gig at Pajiba. However, we are hoping to get back up and rolling with reviews you can use! Dixie has been a key component in kicking my ass into gear and we should all thank her and give her lovely presents.

Onward to the review!

After an encounter with some exceedingly vile red grapes purchased from grocery chain Kroger, I have begun doing the bulk of my food shopping at the local Trader Joe's. Kroger has been demoted to bread, ice cream, and milk since TJ's bread spoils faster than we can eat it and I love my Ben & Jerry's. So I was at Trader Joe's today and decided to splurge on a treat for myself: Spicy Chai Latte Mix.

I generally only order chai tea lattes at Starbucks. If I'm feeling adventurous, I might try an actual coffee with one of the seasonal flavors. Chai tea latte is my drink, yo. It also isn't inexpensive to order it from the coffee giant on a regular basis, unfortunately. I find myself trying out different chai tea mixes and finding that I need to use more of it to get even close to the nirvana of Starbucks. It was frustrating.

Trader Joe's has never disappointed me and only the cheesy kale disappointed the husband and the kid. I finally decided to grab their Spicy Chai Latte mix today. As my throat is sore and I am slowly taking on more and more symptoms of a cold, I decided a steaming mug of my favorite drink would be in order. The directions say to add one scoop (provided) to 6 ounces of hot water. I did 12 ounces and used two scoops that were not full. The flavor is exquisite. EXQUISITE. TJ's isn't kidding when they say this chai mix is spicy and I find it exactly to my taste.

On the downside, the Trader Joe's Spicy Chai Latte Mix container is 10 ounces and you have to be near a Trader Joe's or you will have to search through Amazon for a price you are willing to pay. I wish I had saved my reciept to give you an actual amount that I paid, but I suspect it was less than the $7 I saw on one listing.

***UPDATE**** I found my receipt and I only paid $3.49 for the 10 ounce container.

Rating: 7/8 tentacles

Here's the Guv'ner, Mrs. Bagnet: Lush Guv'ner Powder Deodorant

2013-01-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dixie

So, it appears that I am still on my quest for a deodorant that suits my natural scent and works through the day. As I wrote in my review on the Lush Aromaco and Coconut deodorant, I felt the Coconut wasn't quite right for me, that it matched my natural scent too closely and therefore didn't really deodorize. I think that I still stand by that. (Who knows if that will be a permanent stance though. The body is weird.)

I continued on my quest for the Perfect Deodorant by ordering a bottle of the Guv'ner powder deodorant from Lush (say it in a bad plummy British accent). The big selling point for me, of course, was the patchouli powder in the formula. Y'all know how I love me some patchouli. Despite the bad rap it gets for combining with the odor of the particular brand of hippie that doesn't believe in bathing, patchouli is a great deodorizer and antibacterial. Plus, it smells good. The other ingredients ain't half bad either: rose absolute, sage oil, and lavender powder. All of those smell good. Smelling good under the arms is the object of deodorant, right?

The Guv'ner does a great job of deodorizing. I've given it a long enough test period to take me through from hot, sweaty weather into cooler and even cold weather. Like I said in my review of the Coconut deodorant, in my view reapplication is not necessarily a failure on the part of the product. With my job duties taking me in and out of warm and cool environments, my deodorant has to put up with a lot of abuse. I haven't found a traditional aluminum-based formula that works all day, so I can't really expect to find a natural one that does either. On most days, I only have to reapply around lunchtime and right before I go to bed. The reapplication is a cinch, too. I use the same method with this one as I did the Coconut - I fill a makeup powder sifter with the deodorant powder and use a retractable brush to apply it. All I need is a bathroom or similar private spot to reach up under my shirt and dust the powder on my pits.

My only hang-up with the Guv'ner is that it is gray in color. That means if you have light skin, your pits are going to look gray. Not so hot. The nice smell and the staying power of a deodorant is no good if I can't wear a sleeveless shirt. If you have darker skin or hairy pits, the color probably won't be a problem for you, so don't let my experience stop you.

My final verdict on the Guv'ner is a 7/8 tentacles. The staying power is great and the smell is even better, but the color makes it unusable for me once summer rolls around. However, I do have to note and commend Lush on the improved packaging for their powder deodorants. When I bought the Coconut it was packaged in an unwieldy sifter similar to a spice jar. The new packaging is a plastic bottle with a spout cap that screws off, so much easier to use. You can buy the Guv'ner at your closest Lush store or on their website (USA and Canada.)

Rating: 7/8 Tentacles

I'm Back on the Chain, Gang

2013-01-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

MelBivDevoe

(Chain, links, get it? I slay me!)

Good morning! How about those Golden Globes last night? Weren't they amazing/boring/so-so? (Full disclosure: I'm writing this at 7pm Sunday night because I don't want to blog and drink at the same time. It won't end well.)

Another day, another fantastic tumblr to share. This one mashes the gorgeous poetry of Pablo Neruda with images of adorable cats. (Neruda Cats)

So the 2013 Miss America pageant took place on Saturday. All I know is, they fed the losers doughnuts. Yup. Makes sense - sugary fried dough masks the salty taste of one's tears oh so well. (The Gloss)

Nerds petition White House to build a Death Star; White House responds, brilliantly. (White House)

Someone needs to start producing these Avengers-inspired dresses ASAP! (io9)

Could you give up Facebook? I'm way too addicted, personally. Not that that's a good thing! (Salon)

Did you catch the "Archer" live tour? If so, do you know how insanely jealous of you I am? For those of us who missed it, here are some of the highlights. (Uproxx)

Coca-cola is being sued over claims that their Vitaminwater products are unhealthy. Their defense is fighting back by basically saying that no consumer is dumb enough to believe Vitaminwater is good for you! Uh, I think that's EXACTLY what you've led consumers to believe! (HuffPo)

Some of these t-shirts for kids are absolutely baffling. (BuzzFeed)

Over on Angry Black Lady, one writer discusses the hubbub over the President's Cabinet nominations and boils it all down to one clear point: feminism is more than a headcount. (ABL)

It took two years and a LOT of work, but two filmmakers have successfully recreated "Toy Story" in its entirety using real toys. Definitely worth a watch if you've got the time! (Gizmodo)

Did you know that there's a Guinness World Record for loudest purr? Now you know. Meet the winner. (I find purring to be a very relaxing sound, don't you?)

Joico Leave-In Detangler: Happy Happy Joy Joy?

2013-01-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Metric Jenn

Hey all, it's Metric Jenn here, once again! Now, I'm not going to lie...this review sat up in my brain, brewing away because I wasn't sure how to properly convey how this product works, not to mention how I felt about it. And so the image that you see of darling Ren & Stimpy may be a a macguffin...OR IS IT?

YOU MUST READ TO FIND OUT...after the jump!

Joico is a more expensive product line than regular grocery store/pharmacy/Wal-Mart fare; and yet I found this leave-in detangler in Shopper's Drug Mart for a whopping 21.99$. AND OF COURSE I BOUGHT IT, BECAUSE IT'S WHO I AM.

Ok, ok, on to the good stuff: It certainly does what it's supposed to, which is to detangle. It also smoothes out *some* of the grossness of split ends. ...and that is all I have to say about that.

Ohhhhh, but I do have more to say. The bad stuff, if you will, is a-comin'. I'm just getting my typing-rage fingers all limbered up.

OH-EM-EFFING-GEE this product is just so awful. It smells like a hospital, but with a bunch of elderly person urine stench mixed in; and may Jebus help you if you spray too much on, it's like a damn ice skating rink on your head. Not greasy, per se. Just slippery. Weirdly, weirdly slippery. And to pay over 20$ for this crap? It was a definite kick to my vagina by The Man. Now, I know you can get it cheaper online at amazon.com and drugstore.com, but even then it's not worth it. Spend that cash on something equally useful, like a belly-button cleaner, or buying 200 crickets to let go in the wild where they will surely die within 20 minutes of release. Especially since it's winter...whatever...I'm tired and I think the detangler may have caused brain damage. So...another reason to hate it.

Verdict? This detangler is a bloated sack of protoplasm. I'm only giving this product a 2 out of 8 tentacles of terror.

Rating: 2/8 tentacles

Hot Ink Presents: The Ultimate in Golden Globes Fashion

2013-01-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

Park

The Golden Globes: it's one of Hollywood's biggest and most glamorous events. Mega-stars will help set the trends of tomorrow with their sartorial choices. Who will be on the cover of newspaper's worldwide tomorrow and who will be slammed by Mr. Blackwell? Wait, is he still alive? Okay, maybe they'll just be made fun of by snarky bloggers.

Anyways, just because you're not a megawatt super star with hot and cold running champagne and a guest house built out of those Franklin Mint Collector's plates you used to be able to buy off late night tv (you know that Angelina Jolie has that) doesn't mean you have to be a slouch in the style department. We at Hot Ink want to help you out, and with this is mind we present the best in Golden Globes (watching) fashion.

First, for that effortless Hollywood cool, it's the classic monkey face pyjamas. Perfect for hanging out with friends (if they have given up on any idea of success in the world) or showing that sassy sense of humour of yours (that monkey's wearing sunglasses like it's a person) this unique look will really set you apart

Are you more of a James Dean-like rebel? Or perhaps James Franco having a nervous breakdown (two months away, tops)? Then we suggest the comfy, yet anti-establishment (well other then Walmart) pyjama jean

Ah yes, the pyjama jean. It'll have people everywhere wondering "why are those jeans just distressed at the top?"

And last but not least, our #1 Golden Globe pick: futuristic, pan-sexual, weird couple at the party that no one wants to talk to, crotch snug, sleep-onesie. It's the best sperm costume you'll buy all year.

It's the uniform for a sale associate at a futuristic Best Buy that sells only copies of Woody Allen's "Sleeper". Nope, that's not it either.

Wait, wait, I can do better. It's just the exact outfit to let the world know that you apparently don't have genitals (look at Mr. nervous on the right). BAM! Nailed it!

2013 is here. Let's Celebrate Awesomeness Style (Sorry Gangnam Style)

2013-01-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

Park

Woo! It's 2013! Time to get weird whether thou be a haver of boners or not!

Okay, I know it’s been 2013 for a few days, but you have to ease into these things, recover from hangovers etc. So therefore I declare that 2013 starts…NOW!

I’ve decided to make my resolution for 2013 to have more awesome things in my life, and I’m going to start with today’s links.

Speaking of resolutions here’s a great one: make positive changes in your life WITHOUT letting yourself get overwhelmed and terrified. This guide is a great start (Rookie)

As many of you might have, I spent my new years in a cute outfit that made up for the many times I just grabbed two things and decided that was an outfit (just wear it with confidence, people will think you’re “quirky”). I paired this cute outfit with some good ol’ Spankx. And I admit, that I had the same thought every Spanx wearer has had at some point “can you have sex in these?”. Well, can you? (NyMag)

Oh Sex and the City, I have so many mixed feelings about you. And it seems like someone has distilled all those feelings down into one supercut. (The Gloss)

Oh The Simpsons, I don’t have any mixed feelings about you (well, not the early years anyways). Here are the stories of some great guest stars. (Uproxx)

You know what else would make a great 2013? A theme party! You know what makes a great theme party? Themed drinks! You know what makes the best theme? Pop Culture! (Mental Floss)

I’ve decided that instead of just awkwardly slapping make-up on my face this year, it would be fun to have cute eyeliner like adorable stars like Taylor Swift (I, however, won’t use a Sharpie. Not doing that anymore should be your resolution Ms Swift). Anyways, here’s some great eyeliner tips (HuffPo)

Another personal resolution is to try to see other people’s side in arguments. This article is a great look at women who believe in saving themselves for marriage. And, guess what, there’s a lot of really smart, interesting things here. (The Hairpin)

Since we’re on the topic of religion, how about some badass Mormon ladies protesting sartorially? Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the story to see the most adorable whole family protest (Feministing)

Diets are weird and gross. Want proof? Just look at these cards. (Candy Boots)

Is being “God of all Nerds” your goal for 2013? Well this chronological look at Tarantino’s pop culture references is a good first step. (Vulture)

And just because I like you, here's the best thing EVER: the amazing and hilarious comic Paul F Tompkins doing a cover of Skyfall. Oh, and he can really sing. My ongoing crush on Mr. Tompkins continues:

Oi! To The World: Dixie's Christmas Playlist (Part 1)

2012-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dixie

I love Christmas songs. As soon as Advent starts, I start playing Christmas music non-stop on my car radio, iPod, Pandora, WHATEVER. I love it. Except for the stupid boy band Christmas songs, humbug to them. This Christmas, I give you my boy band-free playlist. No matter what your taste, I have a song for you.

Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth) - David Bowie and Bing Crosby

The David Bowie song appears at the top of my list because of course it does. But besides my bias towards anything Bowie, this is a beautiful song. In light of recent events in America, wanting peace for this generation and the next is something we can all ask the Three Wisemen to bring us for Christmas.

O Holy Night - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with soloist JoAnn Ottley
O Holy Night is hands-down my favorite Christmas song and this version tops all other versions. It's not even possible to talk or do anything else when you hear this song. You will find yourself stopping whatever it is you're doing and just listening. Ottley's solo is amazing. A-friggin-mazing. AMAZING. Her voice soars up into the highest registers and threatens to shake your speakers apart. It's a little tough to find online so here is the link to listen.

Christmas in Killearny - Bing Crosby

This song is so cheery and peppy and Christmasy, I want to put on my kilt and dance an Irish jig while drinking egg nog. If you don't like Bing Crosby Christmas songs, then I just can't with you. I'm sorry, but I am unable to can.

Blue Christmas - Elvis

Oh, Elvis. I'm glad you never enunciated your songs. No one mumbles and jives their way through as Christmas song as well as you did.

Silent Night - The Dickies

The whole concept of this version amuses me. Silent Night...sung by a loud punk band. Glorious! (Also, how would you like to have this in your neighborhood? I'd be amused for, like, three nights.)

Oi! To The World - No Doubt

What I love most about this song is the surprisingly heartfelt and, I think, true sentiment in the middle of a ska beat - "If God came down on Christmas day, I know exactly what He'd say. He'd say "Oi!" to the punks and "Oi!" to the skins but "Oi!" to the world and everybody wins." Amen to that.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

It's The End of The World As We Know It And I Feel, Well, Pretty Indifferent Actually

2012-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Park

Well according to a bunch of weirdo nuts, this is our last day on earth. We better really enjoy it, because apocalypse crazies have never been wrong before, right?

Well, what better way to go out then with LINKS? Ha! Trick question. There is no better way to go out.

Here's some tips to deal with the upcoming end of days. Or more accurately a bunch of reasons why you aren't going to deal and instead will, like, blow up or something (Pleated Jeans)

You know when there's an emergency and 9 months later there's a bunch of babies. Well what if there were some kind of nerd emergency? Like not enough Vulcan ears for the premiere of the new Star Trek movie or something? Well it would probably be something like this: literary nerdiness meets crafty nerdiness and they have a bunch of cool paper sculpture babies. (io9)

Adorable? Slightly terrifying? Super Cool? Japanese? Did you want all of these in one image? Well, I've got your fix. It's Studio Ghibli characters in real life (Andrew Michael Golden)

A series of portraits of unrelated people who like like family. Guess there really is a "family of man". Sorry, couldn't resist (My Modern Met)

Well it's near the end of the year, so it's time for the Top Blah De Blah of 2012 lists to start coming out. However, there is no such thing as Blah De Blah when it comes to Lifehacker. There's just coolness, so much coolness (Lifehacker)

Old, but amazing: it’s a fake “Little Golden Books” style version of some of your favorite not for kids movies (Slash Film)

Man, Christmas shopping can be the worst. Well how about a free, pixel-ly gift for your whole list? Capcom's giving you the gift that keeps on giving. A FREE VIDEO GAME (Buzzfeed)

Speaking of the gift that keeps on giving, here's something to help those made sad by this time of year. Yes, for everyone jumping with Christmas Joy, there are others saddened by the festive season. Why not help those in need by letting them laugh at your flat-out cray Rudolph-themed hairstyle? (The Stir)

Okay, there's this thing. This thing that's the greatest thing ever in the history of great things. Like in the entire recorded history of great things: this thing is the greatest of all things. This thing is Neil Patrick Harris hanging out with puppets in "Neil's Puppet Dreams". See? Told ya it was the best (AV Club)

Guys, I'm going to admit something: as funny as this video is, I totally do some of these dances (the video IS really funny though).