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!

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

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. 

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 

Amazing Deal!

I was looking around for some cheap flats and having found my favorite pairs for cheap at Target last year I decided to check out the website. I found these great looking flats for $12.99! They have several colors and designs and at this price you can have a pair of each! Plus, all the flats have rave reviews from the customers that bought them. Check them out at Target.com.

Hungry Giveaway!

Kae over at The Hungry Asian is having a giveaway! The prizes are Mac Baby Goth Girl ,Hard Candy Mr.Wrong  and China Glaze Fortune Teller. 

All the info is on her blog, so click here and be sure to enter by October 16th!

Nail Designs

I had some extra fake nails left over and thought I'd try some designs out. Some didn't work out so well. All are three coats with Seche Vite topcoat except Essie Mid Squad has Essie 3way glaze as a topcoat. These are my Halloween themed ones. I love the jagged tip on the green one.  I used my Nailene French tip pen in black. The color I used was Sally Hansen InstaDri Lickity Split Lime. I love this color but it stains my nails so bad(even with every base I've tried) and the brush sucks. The left nail is Sinful Colors Cloud 9 and Art Deco black.

These are Christmas themed. From left to right- China Glaze Adore (amazing coverage in just one coat with this polish) topped with Jessica An Affair To Remember. The next one is L.A. Colors in Pink Crush (a red pink) topped with Art Deco silver glitter. And last is Jessica The Way You Look Tonight with Art Deco gold glitter for the tip. TWYLT should be called Ruby Slippers! So pretty!

Ignore my messed up nail art please. I posted this one to show you how similar Sinful Colors Forever Pink looks to my new Essie Mod Squad. Not an exact dupe as the sinful is lighter in real life. The Sinful doesn't compare at all to the formula of the Essie. I see what all the raves are about now. Love this polish! The tip of the left nail is Art Deco in baby pink and magenta.

So I wanted to show everybody my new phone! It's no blackberry or iPhone but I really like it and all I wanted was just a phone. I'm on gadget overload as is and the thing I use my phone most for anyways is the calculator. Swear. I hate talking on the phone. 

stock photo

My phone! <3

My Pretty Sample Bag

I got my pretty sample bag today! I got the three sample bag just to try it out. If you're not familiar- My Pretty Sample Bag is brought to us by the same Linda who runs My Pretty Pink Box. With the sample bag you can actually choose your samples from a really good variety of samples. Be quick though! I waited and some of the samples I wanted sold out. I just checked the site and she's actually lowered the pricing so it's a HUGE deal. I paid $6.50 for 3 samples and now it's just $5.50. That's $1 cheaper! The five sample bag has gone down fifty cents if I'm correct- from $9.50 to $9.00. This all includes shipping also, so no hidden fees to jack up the price! So anyways, here's my bag and thoughts- O yea, there was no actual bag haha! Which is probably a good thing cause I have plenty of bags laying around as is.

This was taken with my phone by the way.

What I got-

A 1.5 oz. can of BigSexyHair Spray&Play volumizing hairspray

A box of Revlon Runway Collection nails in minx/medium length (hope these are as good as the kiss nails which were amazing!)

A bag of 3 mark. skincare samples and one perfume sample 

Not bad considering the nails run around $6 by themselves! 

I would definitely buy this again! I love sampling products before I buy them or having smaller sizes for my handbag and traveling.

Tagged!

Yay! I got my first tag from Lacquer Laine.

"10 facts about you"

It says I'm supposed to tell you lovely readers ten things about me and then tag ten other blogs. 

1. I don't have any pets or children, but I want both! :) 

2. I'm 5'1" tall. I grew about 2 inches after the age of 18, which I didn't even know until my dad made me measure myself insisting I was more than 5 feet tall.

3.  My favorite color is pink followed very closely by purple.

4. I can wiggle my ears.

5. I can't whistle but have tried as much as humanly possible.

6. I'm left handed but I'm right hand dominate.

7. I don't wear dresses or shorts but continue to buy them anyways. 

8. I ask alot of questions.

9. I'm a Gemini.

10. I love the rain. 

I tag...

Kae from The Hungry Asian

Pinky from Beauty By Pinky

Em from Too Much Blush

Fashion Court

Ashley from A Little Left of the Middle

Kellie  from Also Known As...

Joanie from Joanie Loves Chachi

Celine from The Shoe Girl

Guitarrasara

Sylvia from Chaotic Cookie

Beauty By Pinky Nail Tutorials

I wanted to share these tutorials I found on YouTube. This girl makes these super cute nails look  so easy. 

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!

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

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!