Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Bacterium

I got this the other day at the Sephora in JCPennys.  It was on clearance for $2. $2!!  What a steal!  I like this polish, but it's a little hard to describe and this picture does not do it justice. In the bottle it looks like a beige with an opalescent shimmer.  On the nails though it looks like a mix of beige and army green with an opal shimmer.  It's extremely unique.  The formula isn't streaky and the polish was opaque in 2 coats.  Illamasqua polishes tend to hold up pretty well.  They usually last for at least a week with very minimal chipping and some minor tip wear.  These polishes used to go for $14 a pop, but they now go for $17.

Honey I Washed The Kids Soap

Honey I Washed The Kids was the very first item I ever purchased from LUSH.  I think I first saw this in one of Elle Fowler's (allthatglitters21) videos.  The soap smells of honey, caramel and deliciousness.  And I like the decorative wax honeycomb on top, even though it can be a pain in the ass in the shower.  It's pretty creamy, but it doesn't lather very well.  I'm the type that likes to use a washcloth in the shower and it doesn't lather at all in a washcloth.  DO NOT USE THIS ON YOUR FACE!  This goes for all the soaps except for the Queen of Hearts soap.  The soaps are somewhat drying.  I also suggest cutting the soap into chunks because it melts pretty quickly in the shower.  In the end, it's a pretty good soap and worth a try.  It would make the perfect gift for someone is new to LUSH.

Honey I Washed The Kids

Wet 'N Wild Comfort Zone Palette

This is one of Wet 'N Wild's Color Icon Palettes.  It consists of 8 shades that are more centered in the neutral color scheme.  Each shade is super silky and pretty pigmented.

Swatches of Column 1: Top (l-r) Crease and Define

                                    Bottom (l-r) Browbone and Eyelid

Browbone: Frost finish beige

Eyelid: Frost finish copper

Crease: Medium brown, pearl finish

Define: Rusty brown, shimmer

Swatches of Column 2: (l-r) Browbone, Eyelid, Crease, Define

Browbone: Grayish beige, frost

Eyelid: Light, spring green with golden shimmer

Crease: Charcoal with subtle hint of green with gold shimmer

Define:  Brown with hint of red and a teal duochrome

I love the whole palette, but I find myself reaching for column 1 more.  Column 1 is more suitable for daytime or nighttime, while Column 2 is more suitable for nighttime only.  This palette is a steal at only $4.99.  The quality of the shadows is pretty amazing for a super affordable drugstore brand.  Definitely worth checking out!

Rant: Clean Eating and Thin Privilege

So if you've read my last Love/Hate post, you'll know that my favorite YT Beauty Guru is Shaaanxo.  Right now, she's working with Rapid Fitness and doing a detox by changing her eating habits dramatically.  She's transitioning into clean eating.  I've watched whatever videos she's done so far and figured, "hey, this is something I could get into."  Here's a woman who already loves her body, all she wants to do is eat healthy.  She's not even doing it to lose weight, although it may happen since all the crap is being cut out.  I think it's a fab idea and I'm on my way to start my own clean eating journey!  I can't wait to see how I feel as time goes by and my diet truly changes.  I've already started by cutting out soda (but I've been off the sugary shit for over a year now) and now I'm working on getting more fresh fruits and veggies into my diet (I eat them, just not enough of them).

Now, there are some people who think clean eating is a joke (Yeah, I'm looking at you Rachel Whitehurst).  "Oh my god, she's eating kale lol."  I'd rather eat kale then die from a heart attack from stuffing my face with Taco Bell.  The other thing that pisses me off is that the same people who laugh at clean eating are the same people who use the term "Thin Privilege."  It's bullshit.  I can see someone being frustrated about their weight because of a health issue like hypothyroidism or they're working really hard to lose the weight but they're still struggling to lose pounds.  I also know women who aren't necessarily considered thin, but they do lead pretty healthy lifestyles.  But if you're sitting there, shoving fast food down your throat and complaining how thin people are treated so much better...go fuck yourself.  I used to be stick thin and people used to think I had an eating disorder.  Does that sound like privilege to you? No.  I gained weight as I got older only to lose almost 20 lbs from being seriously sick from Graves Disease.  Does that sound like privilege to you? Absolutely not.  Gained 40 lbs. after being on medicine and I cried.  But I picked myself up, started eating healthier and started to exercise and as a result lost 20 lbs. What I'm getting at is, instead of bitching about thin people, think about how hard they worked for it.  Your body is a temple, treat it with love and fill it with all the goodness nature has to offer instead of that processed crap.  Believe me, your body will thank you with glowing skin and a ton of energy.  You won't get that in a bag of Doritos!

Nails of the Week: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Brilliant Glosstinis Mini in Appletini

This polish is part of the Summer 2013 collection.  It's an acid lime color and is a jelly finish.  While I absolutely love the color, I wasn't impressed with the formula.  It took 3 coats to look somewhat even.  The first coat was extremely streaky.  The second coat evened out the first coat but not enough.  Finally the third coat evened it out enough to where it looked presentable.  Dry time was pretty good, considering I used three coats, but I also used my Nicole by OPI Drying Drops so all my polish dries pretty fast. For me, the brush was a little hard to maneuver because of the size of the cap. Size-wise, I think the miniature collection is great for travel. I was only able to find the collection at Target where they were priced at $2.99 each.  This can be considered a dupe for Essie's The More The Merrier, which is part of their Summer 2013 collection.

Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

Well that's a mouthful lol.  This has been getting a ton of hype on YouTube and oher beauty blogs, so I had to try it. This has truly become my favorite foundation.  It has been marketed as "the lasting power of a primer, the coverage of a concealer, and the blendability of a foundation."  It definitely does all of those things.  It doesn't leave my face feeling greasy. It also feels light on my skin. More importantly, it doesn't break me out. I'm actually a big fan of Cover Girl foundations.  The last one I had tried was their Clean Foundation for sensitive skin. I liked the way it looked and felt on my skin.  Everyone applies their foundation differently but let me show you how I like to apply it.

I put about 2 pumps of foundation onto the back of my hand.

I like to apply the foundation with the E.L.F. Studio Powder Brush.  I like how dense this brush is.

Then I pat the foundation on to my face.

And buff it onto my skin.

And the finished product!  Even skin tone, not cakey, nice light coverage.

This foundation is definitely worth trying.  It is really pricey in drugstores, anywhere from $12-$15.  The best place to purchase it would be at Target or Walmart where it will be just a little over $9. 

Love/Hate: YouTube Beauty Gurus

I'm a big fan of YouTube.  I enjoy watching all kinds of videos, but I especially love watching beauty videos. There are some gurus who I absolutely love and some that I, as horrible as it sounds, despise.

LOVE: Shaaanxo.  If you haven't heard of her, she's a vlogger from New Zealand.  I like her because she's down to earth.  You can also tell that she loves doing what she does.  I also really like her vlog channel Shaaanxovlogs.  Her Random Topic Vlogs are my favorite as well as her new Rapid Fitness Detox vlogs.  Definitely check her out.
Shaaanxo
Shaaanxo Vlogs

EmilyNoel83 is another one of my absolute favorites.  She's a mature blogger who is consistent with her videos.  I like her One Brand tutorials and The Emily Awards are the best.  She gives extremely honest reviews and is always pleasant in her responses to questions.  You can tell she really loves what she is doing, I mean, she quit her news anchor job to do this full time!
Beauty Broadcast

HATE: Icallitambrosia.  Rachel Whitehurst.  Where do I begin?  I used to love her back in the day.  I loved how bluntly honest she was, her videos were fresh and comedic.  Her videos seem so forced that they're lacking the quality they once had.  Also, where are the makeup tutorials?  She's a beauty guru who hasn't had a decent makeup tutorial  up in a while.  They way she treats her subscribers is absolutely horrible.  She recently bashed subscribers for suggesting a hair dye that didn't work for her. I also find her sense of fashion to be horrific as well.  She's gone from looking pretty good to unkempt.  If I'm going to watch a beauty guru, I expect her to be pretty put-together.  And the cursing...I curse, whatever.  But do you really need it to be every other word in a hair tutorial?  No. She is the least classy of any beauty guru I've ever had the pleasure of watching.  Also, her Word Vomits are the worst vlogs I've ever seen. She's just gross to be honest and I seriously have no idea  how she still has subscribers.

Well, those are my Loves/Hate in terms of YouTube.  Seriously, go check out both channels by Shaaanxo and Emilynoel83.  And if I were you, I'd stay far, far away from Rachel Whitehurst.

Who are some of your favorite/loathed YouTube Beauty Gurus?

What It's Like Shopping At Sephora

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/what-its-like-shopping-at-sephora?s=mobile#http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr05/2013/6/4/14/anigif_enhanced-buzz-27506-1370370587-34.gif

Funny article! :)

LUSH Herbalism Face Cleanser

Herbalism is my Holy Grail face cleanser.  It is a clay based cleanser designed for oily/combination faces.  It is made with almond, rose, rosemary, nettle and rice vinegar.  It's not the best smelling product in the world but it works absolutely fantastic.  Let me show you how to go about using this strange cleanser.

You need about a pea-size amount of cleanser.  I use just a bit more because it's crumbly and I end up losing a little in the sink.  You then take the cleanser in the palm of your hand and wet it.  Don't wet it too much though.  It should look like a paste.  If you add too much water, the cleanser will be too runny and becomes ineffective.

Some people like to rub it in between the palms of their hands and work it onto their face like that.  I like to cover my face like a mask and wait about 30 seconds before I wash with it

Then after you are done washing, just rinse it off like a normal cleanser.

I love this product because it cleanses the skin without stripping it.  I don't have that extreme dry feeling afterward.  I also love it because the almond shells in it act as a gentle exfoliate.  The one thing I'm not a huge fan of is the smell.  It smells just like what it's called, very herbal.  It's definitely a smell you have to get used to.  However, it doesn't deter me from using this wonderful product!

Herbalism Face Cleanser

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Just bought this! Super excited to try it!!

Nails of the Week: Sally Hanson Fuzzy Coat in Fuzz-Sea

I'm not madly in love with this nail polish, but I do like it.  This polish is a clear one with multicolored (blue and yellow in this one specifically) confetti mixed in.  I like that it has a unique look to it.  I wouldn't say it looks fuzzy though.  I like the mix of colors in this particular one, it's very wearable for spring/summer.  The fact that it dried really quickly is a real plus in my book.  The one thing I wasn't crazy about is the fact that it didn't cover the nail quite the way I expected.  I did 3 coats and there were still some bare spots on my nails.  Maybe next time I'll try it with a white polish underneath.  It might work a lot better that way.  I do like it enough that I would purchase another shade.  I would love to try All Yarned Up.  Have any of you guys tried this polish out yet?

e.l.f. Essentials Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Summer Nights

I bought this on a whim while I was at Target a week ago.  I have a Clinique Chubby Lip Balm in the color Pudgy Peony that I'm absolutely in love with, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try the more affordable alternative.  I was drawn Summer Nights for some reason.  It looked like a nice bronzy nude with some shimmer to it, perfect to wear at the beach this summer.  I am sooooo disappointed in this product.  At first I got home and swatched it on my hand.  Okay, it's a bit glittery then I thought, but the color seemed nice.

Then I swatched it on my lips.  Huge chunks of glitter and you couldn't see any color.  It reminded me of those glitter lip glosses you wear as a kid.  It felt very waxy on my lips.  But the wax was only a minute part of my dislike for it.  It was the glitter.  I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to get the less "shimmery" shade.  I think I will try one of the not glittery shades like Movie Star or Pink Umbrella.

Night time LUSH Skincare Routine

I love LUSH's skincare products.  I find that their products have really helped to clear up my skin (although I still get an occasional breakout due to my time of the month).  Their products are natural, many of them vegan.   My night time skincare routine consists of mainly all LUSH Products.  I cleanse with  Herbalism face cleanser.  I use Breath of Fresh Air toner water to get any excess cleanser off my face.  Then I moisturize with Skin Drink, which is a heavier moisturizer. I follow that with Grease Lightning spot treatment on what ever active breakouts I may have.  It's a fairly simple night time routine, but these products have done wonders on my skin.

The only small gripe I have about LUSH is that their products are pretty expensive, but it's definitely worth it if it helps keep my skin looking good!

LUSH USA

P.S. I will do individual reviews on all products and on LUSH itself :)

BeFit Yoga

I've never been a yoga person.  I've never had the patience to stand in a pose, just breathing.  I'm more of a rapid cardio person.  I feel like I need the fast paced movements to keep my maximum attention.  I think the one thing that turned me off to yoga was the Yoga X portion of the P90X program.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE P90X (it's how I lost a majority of my weight), but the yoga portion was just too dull for me.  There are just so many times I could do a sun salutation and still like it.  So I just gave up on it and did an extra cardio session.

Fast forward 6 months.  I had to take a few months off from P90X because of some minor health issues.  I also gained almost 10 of the 25 pounds that I had lost.  Meh.  A friend of mine was down from Boston, so we met up in the Flatiron District in NYC.  It had been a year since I had last seen her.  She looked absolutely fantastic!  I asked her what she did to get such a kick ass body.  You know what she said?  Yoga.  We talked about yoga for almost our whole meet-up.  She talked about all the benefits: concentration, posture, stress relief, etc.  She suggested I try it again, but to give it a few tries instead of giving up on it after the first try.

I didn't want to do an hour and a half long video, so I searched the web for some shorter video and behold, on YouTube I found a channel called BeFit.  They have a plethora of yoga video ranging from very short, one pose videos to near-hour long videos.  You can do one or you can mix and match to make your own routine.  I like doing different ones each day and doing This PM routine before I go to bed.  I've been doing this for about 2 and a half weeks and I'm starting to see a difference in my concentration and even a bit in my stress levels.  I truly recommend this channel if you are just starting out with yoga or even if you are just looking for a few short routines.  Namaste!

BeFit Yoga

Nails of the Week: NARS Orgasm

This color is one of my very favorites for summer.  It is a beautiful coral with golden shimmer. I prefer to wear this polish when I'm tan.  I also think it looks better on my fingernails than on my toes.  It just doesn't look appealing on my toes.  The polish is VERY sheer and becomes opaque in 3 coats.  I don't recommend doing anymore than 4 coats, it will look less coral and more orange and it will take forever to dry. The formula doesn't seem streaky and with the right top coat, seems to last a good amount of time.

NARS Orgasm Nail Polish