Zoya: Hot Lips!

For those of you on Twitter, you must have heard about the promotions Zoya does. Well there latest one they gave away three free Hot Lips of your choice. These are their glossy lip balms. It's a gloss that is also a balm. My picks were Fame (a pretty nude), GirlyGirl (a deep pink with a hint of shimmer)  and Babydoll (a barbie pink). I love all three. They have such a good smell to them and the colors don't disappoint. I also picked up Luna which is one of their new glitters. It looks like a disco ball. Very party appropriate. I haven't had time to try it on yet but have seen many swatches and it looks like New Years Eve in a bottle. They also included some catalogs which are a big help since they have over 300 polish colors! Be sure to follow Zoya_NailPolish on Twitter!

Recent Buys

I picked up the NYX palette for green eyes along with the blue eyes palette which was a gift for someone. I found a seller on ebay who sells these palettes 2 for $12.99 with shipping at only $2.94. She ships so fast! I got my eyeshadows in 2 days from California to Alabama. She wrapped everything so well and had the cutest invoice/thank you included with her logo on it. Her ebay name is Joy017 and the store is JOY'S cosmetics. I definitely will buy my NYX stuff from her in the future. O and the palette is so pretty. All the colors are perfect for my eyes and they go on so smooth. Some of them do have a lot of fall out but no big deal to just sweep away. 

I hate going to Walmart and last time I went to try and find the Hard Candy cosmetics- they weren't in stock yet. I thought they still hadn't stocked them until I finally found them squeezed between two other displays in an aisle. Everything looked pretty nice but this is what I really wanted so it's the only thing I picked up. Their lipstick is called Painted Lady if I'm not mistaken and this is a nude color in Fire Alarm. I don't really get the name but the color is so pretty. A perfect nude. The lipstick goes on really smooth and doesn't feel dry. As far as staying on, it's not horrible but I don't mind reapplying. Also, I love the tube itself. Really cute.

If anyone has a PS3 they must sign up for Netflix. As soon as I heard about Netflix coming to PS3 I signed up. I not only get 2 movies out at anytime, movies to watch on the computer, but also with this disk I can watch the instant movies on my tv. A lot of people were upset at the idea that it is disk based. This means every time I want to watch the movies I must insert this disk. To me, no big deal- I would have to put in a disk to watch a movie anyways. The only thing that bugs me is that I do believe they have the technology to just send us an update and make it where we don't need the disk. I know Xbox does it like this. Maybe they have an exclusive deal though. Like Apple and AT&T...

I picked up these Juicy Couture earrings for only $25 at TjMaxx! I really like them because they snap on securely and are just so cute! 

Anyone into body washes (i.e. the whole female population) should check out Suave's limited edition seasonal body washes. I picked this up at Walmart for $1.50! And it smells amazing! I got the Peppermint Bliss one and am going to go back and get more of this and the others. Great buy. The other scents include-Toasted Vanilla Sugar, Candied Apple(this is the only one that didn't stand out to me, and I love apple scents), and Holiday Pear but I didn't see or smell this one. 

Sometimes I like to go over to SlickDeals.net and see what the deals are. Well I stumbled over there not too long ago and found these business cards on sale at OfficeDepot.com for only $3.71! I have no need for business cards but between the price and the cute design I had to order some! You like? 

My Elfster Package!

I participated in a polish exchange over at Elfster.com for Christmas. We sent off our packages around the First of November and I received mine Friday. I was so excited when I seen my package in the mailbox. Turns out my "Elf" was Berry from HappyBerryNaiad blog. She sent sooooo much stuff! The picture doesn't even have everything in it! I also got O.P.I. Elephantastic Pink, there was another Clarins sample and even some jewelry! She even made the card herself which is why I showed the outside. I really enjoyed this exchange, I got to send a package to New Zealand and I received mine from Singapore. I hope we can do this again...soon! Thanks again to Berry :) 

Giveaway Winner!

I'm sorry it took me so long to post the winner. Also, ignore my nails in this as I've been fishing all day :) And for those who don't want to watch the video, the winner is SparkleMidori!

Zoya Giveaway!

My Little Pumpkin

It's a vampire. See it's fangs?

Happy Halloween!

Sometimes last week I was over at Makeupalley.com and seen a code for another Zoya promo posted on the nail boards so I hurried over to Artofbeauty.com and loaded my buggy with the three polishes that came to my mind as a want and clicked order. I wasn't sure if it would work, I mean three free amazing polishes? (just pay shipping?) Well I guess so! I received my polishes in the mail Thursday. These are my first Zoya polishes and I love them! I got one from the winter glitters, one from the winter mattes, and one I've had my eye on for a while. I love all three. I can see why they're giving these away now. They know once you try them you'll be hooked. I got Harlow(which is missing from the picture), Barbie and Nova. I want to paint all my shoes with Nova haha!

I've been messing with makeup all morning, trying to see what I'm going to do tonight. The makeup doesn't show up at all in these crappy pictures, it's so much more dramatic in person. Plus my hair is frizzy but the tutorial I used off of youtube.com said not to use any hair product...if you want to see the most amazing curls ever go here. I wish I would get mine to look like hers! 

I still haven't decided for sure if I'm even going to dress up but if I do I'll try and get better pics. 

Happy Halloween everybody! Have a safe night!

And thanks to everyone entering the contest so far! I love reading the polish ideas!

Giveaway! Barielle, Nailtek, and Nailene +

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to finally post a giveaway. Here's the prizes-

1 Nailene French Manicure Kit

1 Nailene So Real artificial nails set

1 Shades by Barielle polish in Lava Rock

1 Shades by Barielle polish in Pin Up

1 Shades by Barielle polish in Polished Princess 

1 sample pack of Philosophy Microdelivery Peel

1 Nailtek Foundation II

I gotta admit I was tempted to keep the Polished Princess for myself haha! But that would be greedy so I decided I'll just have to buy it...

How to enter:

• Must be a follower of this blog
• Leave me a comment telling me what polish would you create for Barielle if given the chance?? Leave your email address if it's not on your blog already!

Addtional entry:

• Post a blog post about this contest on your blog, be sure to leave me a link in your comment.

This is U.S. only, 18 and up. Winner must respond within 5 days of notification. Contest ends November 12th. 

Good Luck!

Olay ProX

I got home from work this morning and checked the mail since I forgot to check it yesterday and I was so surprised to receive my 28 day sample (I know, huge sample!) of Olay ProX wrinkle smoothing cream! Yay! I had signed up for it at VocalPoint.com and didn't actually think I'd get it because I was assuming it would be an overwhelming response for it. I've had my eye on this line since it was released even though I'm only 24. My problem is I work nights and have developed bags under my eyes which have made lines under my eyes. I know you're thinking...well get an eye cream but my bags are unusually low and so are the lines so none of the eye creams have worked for me. I'm really excited to try this! The quality of this jar is pretty impressive to be a sample. One more thing! They included 5 coupons for $10 off a single Olay Professional Pro-X product, expires 2/28/2010. If you would like one of these you may mail me your info and I will mail one to you. My email is sugar@sparklingpinkgorilla.com. This is a first come first serve basis, I'm sorry I don't have one for each of you :( 

If you'd like more info on this product or line, or to request a $10 off 2 products coupon, please visit OlayProfessional.com.

Free Nail Polish!

I never noticed this before but did you know Barielle has a monthly contest? The winner this month will win the full ALU collection (all12!). I just entered, wish me luck! And get over there to enter while there's still time! Click Here

Iron Fist Shoes: Halloween Ideas

I ran across this brand of shoes I never heard of before called Iron Fist (they make clothes also). I can't believe the designs...or the prices! These would be perfect for Halloween!

Going as Dorothy?These are perfect for the land of Oz! And the heels are striped black and white! <3

Hottopic.com $32.99

Zombie Shoes!Omg these are amazing! Journeys.com $39.99

Not a heels type of Girl?

I don't know where these are from but I'll do some more googling and update if I find them. I love the bows on the side!

Wow Barielle!

With all the technology today, I sometimes forget how easily other people (or companies) can find out what we're talking about. I posted my bottle of Barielle earlier which had a small defect-just so you know the color is to die for and Imma post some pics when I get a chance! Anyways, I got an email first thing this morning from Adam Pollock part of their customer service team and he said, "Dear “Sparkingpinkgorilla”,That should never happen…Send your address to me and we’ll ship you out a new one.We stand behind our products." Wow. I didn't expect that! I hear bloggers and beauty product junkies complain about various companies all the time and never get any response. Anyways, i mailed Adam Pollock back and asked him if they would mind if I used the replacement bottle in a giveaway since mines still usable and he said......(drumroll please).......Yes! That they will send a couple of different ones for the giveaway! Yay! So I'm announcing my upcoming giveaway. I'll post an official post about it when the polishes arrive. I've been collecting some stuff for one and just been waiting for when I had some extra polish to put in the group.

I just wanted to let you all know this. I thought it was quite amazing since I had a small order from them (unfortunately) and I have a small blog but apparently even the "little person" matters in their book! :)

O and I wanted to say wow at their packaging my order came in. I could have sat on the box and nothing would have broke. 

You can order Barielle polishes and treatments from Barielle.com where the polishes are buy 2 get 1 free and they include samples in every order. You can also go to Scrangie.com and click the link on her blog. I had forgot to do this when I ordered and she's the main reason I ordered them in the first place with her amazing swatches. 

What The Hell Barielle?

I got my first Barielle Polish today...Yay! I hope this is not an indicator of their quality though... If I put it back on and twist hard it'll go back together though. The shade is Lava Rock- I'm so ecited to try it on! I can't wear black because it looks all kinds of wrong so I've been trying dark colors that lean towards black. The swatches of this I've seen are amazing!

Just A Cheap Shirt

I wanted to show you all my Miley shirt! I've really been enjoying it, it's really comfy and casual. A good $12 spent. My boyfriend washed it for me on accident and I'm not sure if he used hot water or what but I got some black bleeding around the cuff of one sleeve. Luckily you can't see it when I'm wearing it though. O and my brother asked me if I was pregnant while wearing it... haha!  I stumbled across this shirt at Bluefly.com for $60, so anyone interested in a higher quality version could look here. The name of it is Just A Cheap Shirt yellow plaid flannel western shirtdress...

Drugstore.com Haul

I decided to try this Philosophy On A Clear Day kit($65 on Drugstore.com) even though the reviews everywhere are iffy. I wanted to try it because I'm tired of benzoyl peroxide which makes my skin dry and flaky and has made all my washcloths, towels, and pillowcases look like I went on a bleach spree.  I used it today and even though it smells really really bad, it made my skin feel really good. Hopefully this is a good sign. They included a four pack of the microdelivery peel and I LOVED it. My skin actually felt plumper if this makes any sense. And so soft!

(from left to right) Oil-free Foaming Acne Cleanser, Oil-free All Over Acne Treatment, Oil-free Acne Spot Treatment, Retinol Clarifying Lotion( retinol makes me nervous :s)I haven't used these since they first came out , I was early teens and didn't even have blackheads! I can't wait to see how they do now.These sheets are small so you might need several but they do suck up the oil and make skin matte! I got this for headaches but as an added bonus it helps relieve eye puffiness! Just pop it in the freezer to chill.

365 Days Of Polish?!

i found a really neat blog while googling some random nail swatches. It's called dailypolish.blogspot.com and the girl in charge of it has committed to wearing a different shade of polish every day for a year. I know this sounds like nothing after reading All Lacquered Up and Scrangie's blog where they're constantly swatching whole collections of nail polish but for us mere mortals I find this an achievement. I got to admit as much as I love nails and love polish, I hate the task of doing my nails. I know I couldn't do it every day! Not to mention my boyfriend might think I was crazy if I had 365 bottles of polish stashed around the house...I'm slowly trying to bring him around though :) 

Anyways- go check out her blog, I can't believe she only has 9 followers!

P.S. she's on day 52 if you're wondering

Click Here

images via beauty-advices.com

Christmas Is Coming! Gift Ideas

As far as I can tell- every girl loves Victoria's Secret. I know I do! Even though there are simply too many great gift ideas to show you, I really wanted to share my favorites.

Gifts For All

These gifts are really great and affordable- so you if you're buying for many girlfriends you won't break the bank!

Victoria's Secret Pink®
Eau de Parfum Ornament
$10
Beauty Rush®
Holiday Gift Set
$15

Includes:
• Body Drink Lotion in Twinkleberry, 2.5 oz.
• Body Double Mist in Twinkleberry, 2.5 oz.
• Lip Gloss in Sugar High, a clear, shimmering shade

Victoria's Secret Pink®
Mini Gift Set
$15

 Includes Victoria's Secret Pink® Eau de Parfum, .25 oz., and Body Lotion, 1.7 oz. 
Secret Garden Collection
Hydrating Body Lotion Gift Set
$15

Includes:
• Amber Romance, 1.7 oz. 
• Love Spell®, 1.7 oz. 
• Pure Seduction, 1.7 oz. 
• Berry Kiss, 1.7 oz. 
• Sweet Daydream, 1.7 oz.

Victoria's Secret Pink®
Pink with a Splash All-over Body Mist Gift Box
$25

Includes:
• Fresh & Clean, 4.2 oz.
• Fruity & Bright, 4.2 oz.
• Warm & Cozy, 4.2 oz.

Victoria's Secret Pink®
Must-have Gift Set
$25

 Includes Sheer Fragrance Mist, 4.2 oz., and Body Lotion, 3.4 oz.
Victoria's Secret Pink®
Tank & panty set
$19.50
Tee & pant set
$39.50  

The price for this set is a REALLY GOOD PRICE for one of their shirts and sweatpants! This could be for a best friend, sister, or even your mom-my mom loves Pink!

For Makeup Lovers
POPbeauty
Hello Gorgeous
$20

Includes:
• 10 lip glosses
• 6 cheek shades
• 36 eye shades
• 2 duo applicators

Omg at the price for all this plus- BONUS! When you're done with the makeup you can pop it out and it doubles as a jewelry box!

VS Makeup
Heidi Klum Eye Shadow Palette
$24

Even though she had an adorable palette last year-she had her face plastered on the front! I prefer this. Plus the shades are gorgeous!
POPbeauty
Goddess Clutch
$32

Includes:
• 8 eyeshadows
• Lip gloss
• Highlighter
• Blush

Such a pretty way you can carry your makeup. Another deal from POPbeauty and another BONUS! Pop(haha! no pun intended) the makeup out and carry this clutch out on the town. 

For The Polish Addicts

Victoria's Secret Pink now has polish apparently. The top on these even house nail bling! Victoria's Secret Pink®
PINK ME UP™ Polish & Bling
$7 or Special any 3/$15 

(shown in sweet, love it, and amazing and available in 6 shades)

Anyone seen or used these yet? I'd love to see a swatch.

For The Girl Who Has It All

Let her pick her own gift, now or later. (I wish all giftcards were so pretty)

Deals Going On Right Now

Pink's "natural" line is on sale right now for $5- that's anything in the line! Hurry while they last!

Codes

• Free Pink limited edition tote  VSPINKBAG 
• Free Beauty Rush Lip Set  FREERUSH 
• $15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250, $150 off $500 FALL09 

All valid until November 18th 

Lust

Sabina Leather Satchel in Emperor Purple $198 @ UrbanOutfitters.com

The Beauty Chick takes a look a Go Girl's practical line of products.

Beauty Junkies Unite swatches of one of the hottest new nail polish shades, Jade from Chanel!

It's "Armani Everything" at Best Things in Beauty, where you can read all about the new Rouge d'Armani lipsticks and Crema Nera OMC3 and enter a giveaway contest for OMC3 ($185).

Denim Debutante talks about why she didn't go to Fashion Week.

"Match you nails to your emails!" Dell and O.P.I. at FeroHHHsh.

Kelly of Gouldylox Reviews sits down with Leslie Blodgett of Bare Escentuals.

Hot Beauty Health is giving you the latest jacket trends for fall!

The Informed Makeup Maven gives away her must have Napoleon Perdis essentials.

Krasey Beauty explores glamour's Gothic side with Illamasqua Dystopia.

Lipgloss Break is giving away Pure Silk shaving cream.

Check out review and swatches of Chanel Glossimers at Makeup4all.

theNotice tries on Fall's dark lip trend -- and throws some blue and violet into the mix!

Obsession Confessions of Glamour and Love has tips for dry hair and skin in colder weather.

Prime Beauty learns that thin is not always in, with hair at least.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Sicka Than Average wants you to dip into a sea of pink with these BCA-themed fashions and cosmetics

Visit our website for more information about The HLMN or how to become an affiliate.

What is this feeling?

More From Nailene

After wearing the couture nails from Nailene for about a day they started popping off a bit ( I think it was because they are so arched and my nails are fairly flat) so I took them off and out the So Natural nails on for my Saturday night out. They held up much better but I still had one pop off, which was probably my fault. I like these nails a lot but they do have their cons. Here's my list of the good and the bad.

The Good:

• Cheap 
• Easy to apply
• Sturdy-thick enough to not break or chip but thin enough to feel natural.
• Very lightweight-I can't even tell they're on my nails.
• These have a slight sparkle to them which I really like.
• Contour to your nail really well. 
• Short length-I know a lot of people don't like the short length but I prefer this length.
• Natural looking tip-not bright white and no noticeable line between the nude and white.

The Bad:

• Tip wear started on day one and the top coat of the nail is flaking off. I think this could be solved by putting your own clear coat over the nail initially.
• Kinda plastic looking.