Affordable Beauty Haul

Happy 12.12.12 everyone! :) I hope you are all having a great December so far!

Tonight I am posting another beauty haul for you. 

I wanted to share some of the items I have picked up recently because they are so affordable. Christmas is approaching us quickly and a lot of these products would make great gifts or stocking stuffers for any makeup lover on your list of people you wish to give gifts to this year.

I hope by sharing hauls like this one, it shows all of you ladies out there who may not have much money to spend on makeup that you can still access great products and look beautiful - without going broke.

If you are on a budget and want some great product recommendations or some budget friendly Christmas gifts for makeup lovers, keep on reading!

I went to Sally Beauty Supply, Wal*Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart and Dollarama. I saved all receipts and will be providing prices for all items shown.

Let's get into the haul!

Beyond B2 Belief lotions in "Pomegranate Fig" and "Vanilla Joy" ~ $0.99 each

I love these! I don't often say that about lotions - but they are moisturizing and soak into your skin almost instantly. They also smell delicious!

Real Colors Hydra Eyes waterproof gel eye liner pencil in "Beguiled Black" ~ $4.99

I have been trying to get my hands on this forever! I used to have a brown one, but I used it all and every time I would go to Sally's this one would be sold out. It was finally available so of course I grabbed it. It works just as good as the brown one did - waterproof, long lasting, very creamy and extremely pigmented. Amazing!

Sally Girl Angle Eyeshadow Brush ~ $0.99

For $0.99, this brush performs very well! It works great for applying shadows in the crease, I was pleasantly surprised!

China Glaze nail polish in "Ruby Pumps" (mini) ~ $1.69

This color is a popular favorite from China Glaze. I don't know what girl wouldn't love this stunning shade! It's a perfect stocking stuffer and a great price if you want to try it before buying the larger version.

Sally Girl nail polish ~ $0.99

This nail polish doesn't have a name, sorry ladies. It is a gorgeous polish with purple, pink and teal glitters. Sally Girl has many other shades and finishes to choose from for nail polish.

 

China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat ~ $5.50

 

When I was at Wal*Mart, they were sold out of the Sally Hansen top coat I like to use, so I picked this up when I was at Sally's as it is my second choice. This works really well for making your manicures long lasting and shiny. It also dries your nails in 60-90 seconds. I recommend it if you are looking for a good quick dry top coat.

China Glaze nail polish in "Get Carried Away" (from the Cirque du Soleil collection) ~ $5.50

China Glaze nail polishes were 2 for $11 so I decided to choose a polish too when I got the top coat shown above. I absolutely love this glamour in a bottle!! it is definitely the most unique in my collection to date. I can't wait to wear it! I will be sure to post swatches when I do for those of you who want to see it.

First off from Wal*Mart I purchased a few items from Hard Candy's 2012 holiday collection!

Hard Candy Beauty Glam Kit ~ $5

I have tried some of the shadows in this palette already and I must say, the pigmentation and color choice is amazing, they also last just as long as all the other Hard Candy eye shadows I have tried. Pretty good quality for the price, definitely a great Christmas gift! The only complaint I have about this palette is that there are no matte shades.

 

Hard Candy mini nail polishes and glitter lip gloss ~ $1 each

 

These are great products for $1, I will be grabbing more for myself and for others! The quality is just as good as Hard Candy's full sized products. The polishes and gloss do not have names.

Maybelline New York Color Tattoo Metal 24hr eyeshadow by Eye Studio in "Barely Branded" ~ $6.96

Once again, this is a product I have been dying to get my hands on. All of us beauty girls asked Maybelline to make a nude skin tone Color Tattoo and they listened to us and gave us what we wanted!! I have been using this as a primer for my shadows of all finishes every day since I got it. There is a slight metallic finish to this shade but it is very light and makes anything put over top of it last all day like all of the other colors from this line. I very highly recommend this product!!

I also purchased a Maybelline Color Show nail lacquer in "Twilight Rays" ($2.98) but I have already featured it in a tutorial on this blog - see my last post before this one for photos and swatches!

I just couldn't help myself! I had to go back to Shoppers and get some more goodies to try from Essence cosmetics. I really like the 4 products from Essence that I bought previously so I decided to try 4 more.

Essence Sun Club Glamour to go Eyeshadow Palette in "02 Long Beach" ~ $4.49

I have tried every color in this palette. Some shades are glittery, some are shimmery and the dark brown shade is matte which I love! These shadows are highly pigmented,  they last long and blend well. They are so fantastic for the price, the color selection in the palette is very pretty too!

Essence Stay All Day long lasting eyeshadow in "02 Glammy Goes To" ~ $3.99

These long wearing cream shadows from Essence are very similar to the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoos. Although I prefer the texture and color selection of the Maybelline ones more, I will say these work almost as well and they are almost half the price. The shade I chose is a gold-bronze shade with a vibrant metallic finish.

Essence Volumizing Lash Powder ~ $3.49

Unfortunately I have not been able to try this product yet. I will let you know though if it is a hit or a miss!

Essence Color & Go nail polish in "105 Party Princess" ~ $1.99

This polish is a pink gel over coat with multi-colored glitter in it. I have not tried it over any polishes yet but I did swatch it on my bare nail and it looked so sparkly and pretty, I am excited to use it and try more Essence nail polishes!

The last place I went to was Dollarama. I just grabbed some nail polish, lipstick and a couple essentials.

Revlon nail polish ~ $2 each

I am sure these shades are discontinued, as they are for sale at Dollarama, but they work fine as if they were just put on the shelves yesterday. Every time I see a new shade that I like, I always grab it. $2 is a bargain for Revlon nail polishes!

Names of polishes from L to R: "011 Sheer Rose" (sheer finish), "110 Really Rosy", "285 Oh My Magenta", and "400 Ignite" (Top Speed fast dry - shimmer finish).

Wet 'n' Wild Lipstick in "519A Hot Red" ~ $1.50

I really enjoy Wet 'n' Wild's eyeshadow and nail polish, so when I saw that they had lipstick at Dollarama for $1.50 I figured why not give it a try? Most of the colors available had a shimmer or a frosty finish which I personally don't like in my lipsticks. This bold bright red shade compliments my pale skin tone and has a silky creamy matte finish. I have tried it, it is long lasting and feels good on the lips. I will be glad to buy more if they have a creamy finish! 

The last two items I got from Dollarama are just some essential beauty items I needed for when I am out or travelling. I picked up some sparkly hair clips to keep my hair out of my face ($1) and some travel containers ($2) - these are great for your purse, you can transfer the products you love to smaller containers making it more convenient to carry your essentials with you!

 

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There you have it, that is my affordable beauty haul. 

I hope my product recommendations helped you out if you are on a budget or looking for price wise Christmas gifts for women. 

All of the items above are true bargains compared to some of the higher-end versions of them that you can buy.

Always remember, looking beautiful doesn't have to be expensive!

If you have any comments or requests, please leave them below, I love hearing from you!

:)

Peace and Love until next time.

Sparkly Black & Magenta Diagonal French Manicure

Happy Friday everyone!! 

How was your week? Mine was busy as usual, so last night I took some time for me and gave myself a manicure. Since I love how it turned out, I thought I would show you all how to do it too!

Achieving this look is super simple! This is a great design for nail art beginners and for people who may not have much time to do fancy designs on their nails.

Keep reading if you want to see how I did this nail art design!

Items you will need to achieve the look:

Base Coat

Two nail polishes (Colors of your choice, you do not have to do black and magenta...switch it up to your own taste)

Top Coat

Scotch Tape

Here's how easy it is!

Step 1

Apply your base coat, I used Rimmel London's "Base Coat Top Coat Pro".

Step 2

Apply 2 coats of your base color, I chose Revlon's Nail Enamel in "285 Oh My Magenta".

Step 3

Allow your base color to dry COMPLETELY. It's extremely important that your nails are dry before continuing to the next step, this will avoid any mistakes later on.

Step 4

When your base color is 100% dry, it's time to prepare your nails for the diagonal french manicure. I used Scotch tape for this step. You can use anything else you think may work if you don't have/want to use Scotch tape - eg. other kinds of tape, or nail art stickers designed for this type of manicure.

Scotch Tape Method:

Get a medium sized piece of tape and stick it on the back of your hand a few times to take some of the stickiness away.

Place the tape diagonally on each nail (try to do this as even as possible on all 10). I started from the far tip of my nail and brought the tape to just under the halfway point on the other side. You can adjust placement of the tape to how much or how little of your accent color you want showing. Hopefully you can get the idea of how to apply the tape from the photo above.

Step 5

Apply your accent color one nail at a time, I chose Maybelline New York's nail lacquer in "Twilight Rays" from their Color Show line. Then simply peel off the tape. Take your time with this step to prevent smudging, but don't take too long - you don't want the polish to dry before you remove the tape.

After you have completed this step on all of your nails they should look something like this:

Step 6

Let your nails dry again, then clean around your cuticles and touch up any mistakes. 

Step 7 

After your gorgeous design is done, finish it off with a shiny top coat. I used Sally Hansen's "Insta-Dri Anti-Chip" top coat.

The Finished Look:

I hope you all enjoyed my tutorial and that some of you beginners out there give this design a shot. I think it looks beautiful with all different types of color combinations and nail lengths. You can also glam it up by adding studs or diamonds along the line separating the two colors.

If you do this, please facebook or tweet me a photo! It would be great to see some other variations of this manicure. 

Thanks so much for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Peace. Love.

DIY: Jewelry Cleaner (for silver/white gold jewelry) -

DIY Jewelry Cleaner for Silver, Sterling Silver & White Gold Jewelry

Make your old jewelry look brand new again!

Good Afternoon ladies! 

Today I am going to mix things up a bit and post a DIY for you all.

Do you have old silver jewelry that has become dull looking over time that you want to wear again? Or silver jewelry that you wear often that has lost it's dazzle and shine? 

Since I was cleaning my husband and I's silver, I thought I should show you the secret to making any sterling silver, silver or white gold piece look brand new in 6 easy steps - using items you can find in your own home! 

This method works great, it's inexpensive and it's a more natural way to clean your jewelry.

 ITEMS YOU WILL NEED

1. Aluminum pan or (item of your choice) to clean your items in.
2. Aluminum Foil
3. Baking Soda
4. Salt
5. Dish Soap of any kind
6. Something to stir with
7. Old toothbrush (or something else to scrub with)
8. Boiling hot water

STEP 1

Place your aluminum foil in the pan or dish you chose to clean your jewelry in.

 Ensure the foil is placed shiny side up for best results.

STEP 2

Place your jewelry in pan/dish.

 STEP 3

Completely cover the jewelry in baking soda, add salt (just sprinkle a whole bunch over the baking soda) and then drizzle some dish soap on top.

STEP 4

Pour in boiling hot water ensuring it covers everything well. Let stand for 1 minute. It will make a bubble mixture like this:

STEP 5

Take your stirring tool and carefully move all the jewelry around in the mixture. It may have a funky smell when you do this, but it's worth it to get the end result.

STEP 6

Let your jewelry sit in the mixture for two more minutes. Once the two minutes are up, take your toothbrush and gently scrub your jewelry in clean warm water, dry your items and that's all there is to it!

You won't believe how shiny and new your jewelry will look after doing this DIY!

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

I am now going to show you some before and after photos. As I am not quite a pro in the photography department yet, I am not sure if you will be able to see the difference in the pictures but trust me this really does work!!

BEFORE

AFTER

 

I hope some of you try this yourselves at home and that it inspires you to make some of your old/dull jewelry look as good as new! 

I prefer to clean mine this way, because it doesn't use any harsh chemicals - which is better for your jewelry, your skin and the environment!

Please let me know if you do this and how it worked for you, I would love to know.

Comment below also if you would like to see more DIY posts from me. I had a great time doing this one and would be happy to do more, so send your suggestions my way!

Enjoy the rest of your Monday everyone!

Peace and Love till next time!

Collective Drugstore Haul - Part 2: Nails

Hey everybody,

I hope all of you had an awesome weekend! Mine was busy but a good one. 

Today, as promised, I am going to share the second part of my huge collective drugstore haul . This part of the haul will include nail polish and nail art goodies. These are new items in my collection that I have purchased at many different times and places over the past few months.

First I will start off with the nail polishes I got.

NAILS

REVLON

From L to R: Revlon Nail Polishes in: "305 Sublime Strawberry" (scented), "210 Electric Pink", "315 Pretty in Papaya" (scented), "350 Raspberry Rapture" (scented), "507 Fire Fox" (matte suede finish), "Black with Envy" (black/green duo chrome finish), Revlon Nail Art Frenchmix in "Moonstruck".

Revlon Scented Nail Polish: These are great polishes if you are into scented ones, because they truly do smell like the names suggest they should. They come in multiple finishes, with and without glitter. They are very pigmented, easy to apply and cost about $4-6 depending on where you get them. I even purchased some of the ones above for $2 at Dollarama! I love these!

Revlon Matte Suede Nail Polish in "Fire Fox": The finish is exactly as it says in it's name, it looks very matte with a suede finish. I found it to be super interesting since I don't have any like this. This polish is truly unique and I would love to try out more shades from Revlon that give this effect.

Revlon Nail Polish in "Black with Envy": This polish has a black and green duo chrome effect to it. It changes between the two colors depending upon the lighting you are in. I really enjoyed this one, once again I would love to get more polishes from Revlon in this type of finish.

Revlon Nail Art Frenchmix in "Moonstruck": This product is absolutely gorgeous! I have used both colors separately and together in many different ways. The pigmentation on this particular one is medium so I did need 2-3 coats to get good color pay off but applying the extra coat is so worth it for the effect it gives. If you can get your hands on these double ended nail art polishes from Revlon grab some!! I want to get my hands on a few more myself of course.

 ***please excuse the appearance of these polishes, some of the writing on the products has rubbed off, I got most of them in the summer time and it was so humid it came off while I was applying.***

SALLY HANSEN

Complete Salon Manicure in "640 Plum Luck" (creamy plum color), Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in "240 Twisted Pink" (hot pink color with orange and gold glitter), Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in "220 Celeb City" (metallic glittery silver shade), Crackle Overcoat in "10 Coral Collide",  Magnetic Nail Color in "905 Red-y Response", Insta Dry Anti-Chip Top Coat

Complete Salon Manicure in "Plum Luck": I have a lot more shades from this line and I am a huge fan of all of them! This one is no exception - it's a creamy dark plum color - perfect for fall/winter!

Hard as Nails Extreme Wear Polishes: I would have to say these are my all time favorite nail polishes from the drugstore.  They are only $2.47 at Wal-Mart and the range of colors and finishes that they offer in this line is incredible. I am sure everyone in the world who can access Sally Hansen products has tried these, so that's all I will say about them for now.

Crackle Overcoat in "Coral Collide": I adore this so much, it provides a sparkly coral shattered effect and looks beautiful over so many different colors. I will have a NOTW coming up on this soon!

Magnetic Nail Color in "Red-y Response": Unfortunately I don't have anything to say about this product yet because I haven't got the chance to use it. I may feature it in a future nail of the week or tutorial, so look out for that!

Insta Dry Anti-Chip Top Coat: I used to use this top coat years ago before I tried other insta dry top coats such as Seche Vite and Essie's Good to Go. This one has become a favorite again and I have been repurchasing it for the past few months. It is $6.88 at Wal-Mart. I give this top coat a 5 star review because it helps your nail polish last long, dries it within 60 seconds, provides a glossy shiny look and most of all I love it because it doesn't smell bad on your nails for hours after you use it! Try this if you haven't, you won't be disappointed!!

WET'N'WILD

Wild Shine in "Kaleidoscope" (beautiful glitter finish), Wild Shine in "Red Red", Wild Shine in "Pretty in Pink", Megalast in "Tropicalia"

Wild Shine Nail Polishes: These polishes are some of the most affordable you can get at the drugstore. In Canada Wal-Mart is the cheapest place to buy makeup, so I buy most of my drugstore stuff there. These cost less than $2 and come in a decent amount of colors and finishes. For the price, you can't go wrong - they don't last the longest but they are pigmented and apply nicely.

Megalast Nail Polish in "Tropicalia": I really am impressed with the formula of this polish and I have heard the other polishes in this line are just as nice. These cost less than $3, so at that price I will be trying more soon! I think there are only less than 10 shades in the line, but from what I have seen the colors in it are pretty. This particular polish is a creamy coral color, it is very pigmented and never streaky when applying. It has a very large brush on it as well, so it covers your whole nail in nearly one stroke!  Let me know if you have tried these and what shades you love!

NYC (New York Color)

NYC in a New York Minute quick dry nail polish from L to R: "276 Big City Dazzle" (gorgeous glitter top coat), "224 Times Square", "238 MoMa", "294 Lexington Yellow"

NYC in a New York Minute quick dry Nail Polishes: At my local Wal-Mart these polishes are 2 for $3, so I picked up 4, for the $1.50 price tag, these polishes are definitely worth it! If you are on a budget or can't afford much nail polish but want to own a larger variety of colors, get these! They are pigmented and the formula is just as good as an expensive polish. I really like these and have quite a few more in my own stash.

MAYBELLINE NEW YORK

Maybelline New York Color Show nail polishes in "220 Orange Fix", "30 Purple Possibilities" (shatter/crackle effect), "310 Iced Queen"

Maybelline New York Color Show Nail Polishes: Again, I have to point out that drugstore brands are stepping up their game lately. I was so surprised at the pigmentation and how gorgeous these polishes are. Maybelline offers so many finishes in this line from matte, to denim, to shatter. The cost $2.98 at Wal-Mart. I highly recommend these!

RIMMEL LONDON

Base Coat Top Coat PRO and Lasting Finish PRO in "400 Lava Red"

Base Coat Top Coat PRO: This works amazing as a base coat, which is what I use it for. It keeps anything from staining my nails and does it's job well. It works nicely as a top coat too, but it is not as good as a quick dry as it takes longer. Cost: $4-6 depending on where you get it.

Lasting Finish PRO in "Lava Red": This shade has a duo chrome finish, in some light it looks black or very dark brown, and in other light it looks like a beautiful dark red color. It's like no other polish I have seen and I got lots of compliments on how neat this looks when I was wearing it. All the polishes in the Lasting Finish PRO line are fantastic and they really do last 7-10 days on your nails. Cost: $4-6 depending on where you get it.

NAIL ART

KLEANCOLOR  

Kleancolor Nail to Toe Nail Art Lacquer: I got these for only $1 at Everything For A Dollar Store! They are the polishes with the very thin brushes on them so you can do various types of designs like stripes and even french tips. They are pigmented and work so well, I am sad that I only picked up 5! $1 is such a great price for a product that preforms just as good as a high end one. I apologize for not being able to provide names for these, they don't have any.

CHARM MAX

Charm Max Nail Art Pens: I also got these at Everything For a Dollar Store for $1! They have very thin, fine tips on the end of them. You can use them to do just about any nail design you want, including small drawings. I have used these a lot for cheetah print and half moon manicure designs. PHENOMENAL quality for the price. I apologize again, no names are on these ones either.

SALON EXPRESS

 

Salon Express Nail Art Stamping Kit: This is an As Seen on TV product. Salon Express claims you can instantly stamp pre-designed images on your nails. They also claim it is great for manis and pedis and that it is fun, neat and easy to use. I haven't even taken this product out of the package so I have nothing to say about it right now. I may do a review on this or write a post on it if I recommend it. Please comment below if you want a review on this product and I will do one for sure! I am excited to try this, I think it will be super cool if it works like they claim it does!

BODICO

Bodico French Manicure Tip Guides: I can't wait to use these! I have so many ideas for french manicure type designs. These will most likely be used in a tutorial very soon!

RANDOM ITEMS

The last two random items in my haul are just a glass nail file (which I have been enjoying much more than the regular ones lately!) and a cuticle clean up pen (I usually use an orange stick to clean up around that area, but I thought I would try the correction pen).

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So there you have it ladies, that is most of the nail goodies that have been added to my stash in the past few months. All of the nail polishes featured in this post are some of my favorite from the drugstore, so if you are new to makeup, check out some products from the brands shown above - they are all so affordable, you will have a massive nail polish collection in no time!

I hope you all enjoyed my haul.

What have you purchased lately? What are your favorite brands and polishes from the drugstore that you would recommend to anyone? I would love to know so leave me a comment below!!

Have a good Monday tomorrow. More posts are definitely coming soon!

As always thank you so much for reading and supporting!

PEACE and LOVE until next time!

:)