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? 

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!

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 

My Pretty Pink Box!

Ok so I got my box yesterday! Yay! It wasn't exactly what I expected but I'm pleased either way. I didn't get any of that Totally Texty (I think that's the name of it) shampoo or conditioner and I thought there was a bottle of that in every box but I must have misunderstood. Here's what my box contained:

• Kiss Everlasting French glue on nails in real short 
• Revlon Fantasy Lengths self adhesive false lashes in defining
• Nailene French Tip Pen in black
• Orglamix mineral blush sample in allspice
• Paint Fx pigment sample in silversham
• Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate masque
• Mark. Sophistique sample

A lot of these are products I never would have bought for myself but I'm really enjoying them. I put the nails on this morning, they are soooo pretty! Sometimes my nails get in bad shape due to my job and I can't keep a nice manicure, so these are a really good solution to that. They're not perfect, as you can kinda see the glue behind the nail bed. But it's not easily noticed unless you're looking real close. The kit includes 12 sizes, so it made it easy to find a match for each nail. I always see other people use these and I just haven't ever had luck with them because they fall off almost immediately and look so bad but these were easy to apply and the glue feels secure. The box states you can wear them for 7 days, I only plan on wearing mine til Friday so we'll see if they last til then. I really like these because I had a fresh manicure in under 5 minutes! I definitely plan on purchasing some of these nails.

Edit: The reason for the air pockets was because I didn't apply them right. I should have put glue on both the nail and my nail but I only put glue on my nail. They still look good but I'll know for next time. 

I also tried the chocolate masque this morning and it smells so yummy! I'm a big fan of chocolate and it was fun applying this to my face. It smelled and looked just like chocolate! I had to tell myself not to eat any. It says it's to relax and it was very relaxing. Plus it made my skin glow after I washed it off. I'd really like to try this mask again and maybe other mask by this same brand.

The Nailene pen I got is in black which will come in handy for Halloween. I tried it this morning on bare nails and it was really easy to apply. It says to use a top coat and I see why, when I washed my hands the polish washed right off. This was a good thing since I was only testing it and didn't want to keep it on, so it should be easy to experiment with this pen. It says it's for tips but you could do many designs. The tip is like a marker tip so it's completely goof proof, but if you do have trouble you can use tip guide stickers. 

I haven't tried my lashes yet but they look super easy to apply and are very natural looking. Dramatic but natural. It also includes more strips of self adhesive and an applicator in the box. The Orglamix blush is a nice warm color and comes in a good sized sample jar. The Paint Fx pigment sample is a beautiful silver color. Paint Fx also has a coupon included for one 7 gram pigment for just 1 penny. Kiss included a $1 off coupon for their nails. 

I really enjoyed my box! I actually even like the box it comes in. I know they started with another box and some people were disappointed with the change but this box is really nice and could be repurposed very easily. 

I can't wait for next months box and will definitely repurchase from My Pretty Pink Box again. If  you haven't gotten a box yet, there might be some left! Hurry! 

Also, Linda- the genius behind MPPB has started My Pretty Sample Bag where you can choose your bag size and what you receive. They have some great samples listed on the site, so be sure and check that out also!

Make It Big!

Here's a mascara I hadn't noticed from mark. til now. It's the make it big lash plumping mascara. I love the thought of this product for three reasons- 1. it's not one of those hookup things, I don't like those. I just want a single product, forget the gimmicks. 2. This looks like a dupe of my beloved Too Faced Lash Injection. 3. You can get it FREE! (full-sized! free gift is in black)

That's right, FREE! Use the promo code MAKEITBIG with any $10 mark. purchase from now til 10/1/09 at meetmark.com (value of $6.50)  

The coupon code - courtesy of the October issue of Cosmo- says for use only at meetmark.com but it works on avon.com also.

What they say about it on the website:

Build and lengthen lashes with this lightweight, smudge-proof formula that's paired with the super-sized brush.

It only comes in two colors-Espresso(brown) or Raven(black).

Most bang for you buck idea-

Right now you can buy a mark. flip for it in urban neutrals for $20 and get three mini brushes. Combine this with the free mascara code plus shopping with a Rep to get free shipping-and you get all this for just $20(plus applicable taxes). 

flip for it includes 2 eyeshadows, 1 blush, 4 lipglosses

My Pretty Pink Box

I ordered my first one this morning! Did you order one yet? If not, click here.

Update! It's September 6th and there are still some available. Usually these are sold out on the first day so be sure not to miss your chance and order one!

Maybelline Great Lash Goes BIG!

Many of you might have seen the ads by now but for those who haven't...

The famous, well loved Maybelline Great Lash now has a version sporting a BIG brush. Here's what it claims-

Why You'll Love It
Live Big! Great Lash Big™ has a Bigger Brush for Great Big Live-It-Up Lashes! 
The Great Big Brush provides a bigger, bolder lash effect 
Great buildable formula still conditions as it thickens with even greater intensity 
No clumps or globs

I used the original Great Lash for a while and didn't like the brush but liked the formula so this is a must try for me next time I'm at a drugstore. You can find it at Drugstore.com for only $5.99. So cheap! Plus, the pink and green tube is to die for.

Clumps Of Mascara didn't like this product so much- check out her review here.  

Plus, enter Maybelline's Live Big Win Big Sweepstakes by texting BIG to 49737 or by clicking here.

SweetShuGaHon Giveaway!

SweetShuGaHon is giving away the items of your choice from Mac Cosmetics!

You get to choose-

1 lipglass

1 lipstick

1 eyeshadow

1 blush

That's the best giveaway I've seen yet!

Here's my mini wish list of items..

lipstick in pervette

lipglass in nymphette

eyeshadow in stars n rockets

blush in well dressed

Go enter now @ http://sweetshugahon.blogspot.com

Rimmel New Product Launches

Rimmel is a pretty good drugstore brand in my opinion. They have some hits and some misses. But nothing in the line really gets me excited. I didn't even flinch at the sexy curves mascara- yawn. But these two new items definitely caught my eye! 

Stay Glossy Lip Gloss

Lasts up to six hours and comes in 11 shades.

The Max Volume Flash Mascara

Their biggest brush ever! Up to 14x volume.

Wow! Long lasting lipgloss and mascara with a big brush in a PINK tube! These are products I could get excited about! Except one thing- they're UK only releases! Boo!

Where's our exciting products Rimmel? Where's our pink tubed mascara and long lasting lip gloss?

Hopefully these will be released here in the States. Soon. 

Would you be interested in these products if they were released here?

E.L.F. Swatches and Comparisons

Concealers and Lip products

1. e.l.f. concealer pencil (and brush) in fair

2. e.l.f. eyebrow lifter (and filler) in ivory (ivory is the lifter color included with every brow shade)

3. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette nude shade

4. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette beige shade

5. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette green shade

6. e.l.f. corrective concealer palette lilac shade (this is listed as lilac but looks more pink)

7. e.l.f. lip definer (and shaper), definer side

8. e.l.f. lip primer (and plumper), primer side

9. e.l.f. lip (definer) and shaper, shaper side

Eyebrow Products

From left to right-

• e.l.f. eyebrow lifter and filler, filler side in medium $3

This pencil goes on very easy, maybe too easy. It's very creamy. Surprisingly though, this was the hardest thing to wipe off with my makeup remover cloth so it has amazing staying power. The shade for me is a little dark. I think this might work better applied with a brush with a powder on top. 

• Anastasia Brows in Bloom kit in brunette, color #2 $28

This powder is not so much too dark as not really brown toned. It seems grayish. Applies funny, the powder is very dry, and is the opposite of powdery, hard to explain the consistency. Very pigmented though and goes where put-not every where else. I think this shade would be good for a more mature woman whose hair has maybe faded over the years.

• Anastasia Brows in Bloom kit in brunette, color #1 

Same as the other color, only slightly better in tone.

• Rimmel professional eyebrow pencil in dark brown $3.19

Only pennies more than e.l.f., this is a great, easy to apply eyebrow pencil. The color is a little reddish for me, not everyone has reddish tones in their brunette hair. This only comes in 3 color choices- hazel, dark brown, and black. Hazel might be a better color for me. This blends really well and even has a brush on the cap. 

• e.l.f. eyebrow kit in medium, wax side $3

I love this! I like the little brush included also but I think I might need a little stiffer brush. This is an ideal color for me. No red tones, not too dark. A lot of eyebrow products go on so severely, you have to barely apply. Not with this, you can apply with normal pressure and it never looks like too much. Very natural. Doesn't hold brows in place as well as my other brow wax. Still a must have, and the price tag is the cherry on top. This will be a stocking stuffer this Christmas!

• e.l.f. eyebrow kit in medium, powder side

Again, just like the wax side, this is the perfect shade. Not overboard. You can apply like a normal product and don't have to worry about your brows looking fake. The little brush is perfect for applying this powder. Love. 

Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

From top to bottom-

• Bronzing Powder applied with finger, 2 swipes

• Bronzing Powder applied with e.l.f. blush brush, one time

• Blush applied with blush brush, 2 times

• Blush applied with finger, 3 swipes

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer- Liner Sealer Side

I tried the liner sealer side with Loreal Hip Shocking Shadow Pigments in Valiant. It took several times to get a decent line, but I think it would work better with a mineral pigment as this shade sometimes doesn't work well in general. The bottom is the liner sealer with the pigment plus more pigment patted on top. This one was the easiest to wipe off. I will have to work with this product a little more. Also, you just wipe the brush before replacing in the bottle, there was some concerns that this might not work but so far it does and even though the brush stained the color doesn't transfer in the bottle and the brush works like new on the next color. Although I think they should package this in an eyedropper type bottle and sell it like that. 

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer- Primer sideTop is with primer, bottom is without. NYX pearl mania (not sure of color). Several swipes on each. I like how this is sticky and holds loose products well. I also wear a concealer under it and haven't had an issue with creasing so far. I don't have any experience with UDPP or TFSI so I feel unqualified to even say this product is good as a primer. I have Loreal Hip paint in secretive which is just too dry for me and makes my eyeshadows look cakey. So this works well for me since it feels oil based. It does have a weird smell though. Smells like the makeup you buy for Halloween. Like chemicals. Smell doesn't bother me though, it's the thought of what's making it smell that way that bothers me. 

New e.l.f. product! 

2 in 1 conditioning gloss 

You might be saying to yourself...this looks familiar. When I first seen this my initial thought was, lame. I mean, I'd really like to see them come out with some amazing lip gloss in an amazing package. Then this pops up on the website. I started reading about how everyone thinks it looks like Smashbox's hybrid lip gloss. But I kept thinking I'd seen it somewhere else. Well, I have. I've seen it several places...e.l.f.'s version, 2 in 1 conditioning gloss $3Smashbox's version, Hybrid 2 in 1 color and shine lip gloss $18 but on sale for $13.50 right nowTarte's version, Double Dose $21

Laura Gellar's version, Lip heal and seal lip gloss $18

So maybe e.l.f. is on to something here and theirs looks just as nice for a lower price! 

Keep it up e.l.f.! But I'm still waiting on that ultra chic lip gloss so get to working on that!

Too Much Blush Giveaway!

Too Much Blush is having an amazing giveaway featuring Jemma Kidd products! Here's the loot-

Pretty nice huh?? Well all you have to do is head over to her blog by clicking here and entering.

Everyday Minerals Sample Kit

A few weeks back I ordered the 5 piece sample kit from Everyday Minerals and received it about a week later. The kit was free but I had to pay shipping which equaled out to $3 and some change for me. You get to pick three base colors, one concealer, and a blush. They arrived in the cutest little containers which I plan to find use for after they're emptied. There seems to be a good amount of product in them. And as much as I don't feel like I'm a mineral kinda girl...I really like this product. I've used each color and of the three I chose, two of them seem like a decent match. I chose fair, golden fair and ivory. Fair was the one that seemed a little off but I'll have to try again to be sure. The concealer doesn't seem real effective for me, I've tried applying it with my fingers then also with a brush. I'm going to try a few different brushes and maybe a regular concealer with this on top would work good. The blush is so pretty, I got it in pink ribbon which describes it perfectly. All the blushes have the cutest names. The only complaint about any of the items is- it's drying! I'm really oily, but have dry patches so it was good in some places, bad in others.

I looked on the sight today and see they've changed the kits and now have different try me kits which are $5 each but you can pick one free with your order. They also took down the starter kits from what I can see. I can't find them anywhere on the site, but maybe I missed them.

Here's my kit- 

I recommend anyone looking into minerals or already using them to try this line, I love it!