Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

Kiss Everlasting French Manicure

First and foremost, I was recently sent the Kiss Everlasting French Nails to test and review as part of the Influenster VoxBox program, but I have been using these for many years now, originally purchased with my own money. All opinions on this product are truthful and 100% my own!

I hate my real nails because they are really frail and break super easily, so I don't really ever do anything to them. A couple of years ago, I was going to do a photo shoot that was essentially going to put my ugly nails on blast, and so I panicked. I hated the idea of going to the salon for fake nails because my nails become EVEN MORE frail once they fall off. And truthfully, I hate the idea of paying so dang much for nails, so there's that. I searched around for other alternatives and eventually ran across some great reviews for the Kiss nails, so I decided to give them a shot.

I loved them. Not only did my nails look beautiful, but the whole process of putting them on was so easy! I originally bought the Petite Short size option and it worked great. It did suck a teeny bit having to go through and find the right size for each nail, but I appreciate that there's options, as no nail is equal! And really, it didn't take that long. Another thing I really enjoyed was the fact that there's no real drying time, unlike using nail polish. That's usually what I hate most about painting my nails. The nails ended up lasting almost a full week. Truthfully, they may have lasted longer, but I started picking at them (not used to nails), so obviously they came off.

Overall, I think this is a great product and I recommend them. Kiss nails are my go-to for any and all events that I want my nails to look nice. Even used them on my wedding day! :)

Influenster Spring VoxBox!

I recently received the Spring VoxBox from Influenster full of goodies to test out and review. May I just say, first of all, how much I love the Influenster program?!

Okay, so included in the box was a Kiss Everlasting French Manicure set, the new Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara, a small bottle of Nivea Skin Firming Hydration body lotion, a box of Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons, the new Softlips Cube in Pomegranate Blueberry, and a Labor Day movie car air freshener. So here's a quick review roundup of each product!


Kiss Everlasting French Manicure: Love this! I've been using these for years now, actually, so I was excited to get a new box. I love how beautiful my nails look after applying the nails. It's easy to use and they fit great on my nails. No complaints!!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara: So, this was just okay. Wasn't flakey or TOO clumpy, but I didn't feel there was anything special about it. I feel like I only got the bold lash look with multiple coats, which ended up leaving me with some clumps by the end of it. The brush is really big, which I don't love because I feel like I can't get it where I need to. Overall, it's not a terrible mascara, it's okay. But there are absolutely a lot of drugstore mascaras that are better than this and so I will not be purchasing this in the future.

Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Body Lotion: I've used Nivea products a lot in the past, so this was nothing too new for me either. Smells fine, does keep me nice and hydrated. I can't really speak for the "skin firming" part. I haven't really seen much of that. I already have my favorite body lotions, so I likely won't go purchasing this in the future, but this is still an overall good product!

Playtex Sport Fresh Balance Tampons: Another product that I've been using for years! Playtex Sport are my tampons of choice, and so I liked getting to try the new Fresh Balance scented ones. Smell nice!

Softlips Cube in Pomegranate Blueberry: Ohh Softlips...I wanted to badly to love this. I swear by the original Softlips tubes. I love how smooth and silky it leaves my lips feeling! I thought it was interesting that they made essentially their own version on the EOS lipbalm, so I was excited to try it hoping that it'd be even better! Sadly, it's just like the EOS, which I stopped using because I felt like it wasn't hydrating and silky enough. I don't feel like this leaves my lips as hydrated as the tubes, and it feels like it comes off much quicker too. Smells just as amazing though! If you like the EOS lipbalms, you'll like this. For me, I'll just stick with the original Softlips tubes.

Labor Day Movie Car Air Freshener: A promotional car air freshener that looks and smells like an apple pie. Tacky and I don't like apple pie, so...um...thanks anyway?


So there ya go! Lots of good products! Thanks Influenster!!


***All products were sent to me for test and review courtesy of the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are truthful and 100% my own.***

Holiday Spirit

Happy Halloween!

Working Girl.

Have I mentioned before how much I love what I do? On set for the next SG video :)

Wedding Makeup

BLUE.

Classic Beauty

The look for our Classic Beauty episode on Makeup with Meredith (and Cynthia)! Photo cred to my awesome director, Jeremy Dickie-Clardy :)

Mrs. Erfourth

Had the pleasure of being bridesmaid AND makeup artist to the beautiful Melissa Erfouth on her wedding day last October. I love what I do :)

Palmolive Fresh Infusions

I was recently sent the new Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soaps to test out for Influenster. Honestly, I do the majority of my dishwashing with my dishwasher, but I was still super excited to receive these. We were sent 3 full size bottles in 3 different scents. They are Lime Basil, Ginger White Tea, and Lemon Thyme. So far, my favorite is definitely the Lime Basil one. Not only does it have a super fresh smell, but it also kinda smells like my grandmothers kitchen, so I of course love it! I of course have passed the Lime Basil dish soap on to my mother. It was her favorite as well, so I decided to be nice and let her have it :) So  far, I think it's safe to say that she is loving it!

For more information about this new line of Palmolive Dish Soaps, you can check out their website here: http://www.colgate.com/app/Palmolive/US/EN/HomePage.cwsp

...As well as on the Influenster Review Page, here: http://www.influenster.com/review/palmolive-fresh-infusions

Of course, these products are available at Walmart! :)

*** This product was sent to me complimentary to test out via the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are my own. ***

Split.

Well...this one didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped. I really contacts for the "creepy" side to complete the look, but hey, I got an awesome picture out of it :)

This is Halloween.

HELLOOOOO OCTOBER!!

It has come to my attention that many have forgotten the true nature of this amazing holiday called Halloween - to be and enjoy all things horror. To kick off the Halloween season right, here I present the first of many Halloween looks.

The Evil Clown.

Disclaimer: We're doing things the right way around here. Under no circumstances will you see anything "sexy". If it happens to turn out sexy, well...that's just my inner sexiness coming out ;) Just kidding, just kidding!

But really, Halloween should be creeptastic and gory, not cute and sexy. Just sayin.

I MADE THE TOP 50!

Alright...time for a little shameless promotion.

 A few days ago I entered a contest on the MyGlam Facebook page for a chance to win an Urban Decay Makeup Vault! If you know me, you know how much I love Urban Decay, so I've obviously been dying to win. Of course, I love any makeup so I'd be dying to win regardless!

Well, I logged onto Facebook this morning to find out that I have not one, but TWO looks that made it into the Top 50!! Looks like I could have a chance! :) With that being said, in order to win, I'll be needing some help. They will select the winner depending on which photo in the Top 50 has the most likes. I'm doing okay so far, but I'm definitely not winning!

So my pretties, if you think I have any talent whatsoever and would like to make me a very, VERY happy girl, get your booties on there and VOTE! :P

 Here are the two looks up for winning! I'll post the links where you can vote (aka LIKE) directly below each:

Mermaid Inspired Look: VOTE HERE!

Neon Leopard Inspired Look: VOTE HERE!


Please please pleassseee and thank you! <3

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor Review

For my last Influenster Love VoxBox product review, I am going to write about the new Gillette Venus & Olay Razor. This was probably the one item that I was most excited to try out because I have used the Venus razors since I pretty much first started shaving. I have also used Olay products for years, so the combination of both these brands just sounded magical. Okay, a bit about the actual product. Here is the product details listed on the Influenster site:

> "Venus’ five-bladed razors shave you close and adjust to women’s curves for a smooth and comfortable shave, even over tricky shaving areas like knees and ankles."
> "Olay Moisture Bars contain skin-enhancing elements found in Olay products: Petrolatum helps lock in skin’s moisture for less dryness and Glycerin helps offer that goddess glow! Just wet the razor to release a light lather – no separate shave cream required."
> "As with most Venus razors, new Venus & Olay also features a rounded, pivoting head designed for women’s curves, and a soft-grip ergonomic handle for confident control, even in wet and soapy environment."

I must say, the details don't lie in the slightest.


I absolutely loved trying this product. It really did live up to all of my expectations. It was fantastic! The packaging is nice and the razor comes with a razor holder that you can attach in your shower. First impression - wow.

It was so smooth and moisturizing. I could feel how close of a shave I was getting with the five blades. All I did was wet the razor and started shaving. I had no trouble at all gliding it all around my legs, even in the tricky parts. I can't live without some kind of cream or shave gel to use when I shave, so that really says a lot for this.

I have very dry skin and I always have ashy legs after I shave. While I could still see some ashy-ness after using this razor, it was significantly less than it usually is. I would buy this razor for that reason alone. My legs felt silky smooth and I didn't even feel it was entirely necessary to put lotion on my legs when I was done.

If I had to say anything remotely negative at all, it could be that the moisture bars are so effective that it kind of makes your legs feel a little slimy. The bars produce a lot of moisture, so I feel like these moisture bars are using up pretty quickly. It seems like it won't last too much longer before I'll have to either get a new one or start using shaving cream with the razor. Honestly, that's pretty normal for any razor, so that isn't necessarily a complaint, but it's something to think about!

Overall, I am seriously impressed with this razor. I think I may have just found my new HG razor :)

For more information about the Gillette Venus & Olay Razor, visit www.gillettevenus.com.

*** This product was sent to me complimentary to test out via the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are my own. ***

Kiss Nail Dress Review

Next item up for review from the Influenster Love VoxBox is the Kiss Nail Dress polish strips! Here's what Kiss has to say about their new product:

"Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. On in minutes, off in seconds without remover. Nail Dress is available in 18 different styles, many of them featuring 3-dimensional jeweled designs. Check out Peplum, a deep black with multi-colored gems for a pop of color, or Babydoll, for a golden and glamorous jeweled look. Skip the topcoat, Nail Dress has it built in. With 28 strips in each package, you can cut up your extras to create designs that can be used on top of polished or artificial nails. Nail Dress doesn’t dry out the way other polish strips can, so you can save them to use on your next DIY mani. A nail design booklet is included in each package, just in case you need a little inspiration. And don’t forget about your feet! Nail Dress looks awesome on toes, too – just use the square side of the sticker for a perfect fit."

Okay, so quick pros and cons.

PROS:
> Super quick to apply.
> Super quick to remove.
> No mess.
> Long lasting.

CONS:
> Limited to tacky designs; no solid colors.
> Slight struggle with smoothing out edges.

So, I must say that these are pretty cool. I'm not huge on painting or doing anything with my nails, so I haven't tried any kind of nail polish strips before. My nails are really hard to maintain because they are constantly breaking and getting hangnails. I just don't like doing my nails, but I was really excited to at least try this. The design that I got was a an interesting black and silver pattern which I was thankful for. I had seen some of the other designs they have available and I was cringing at the possibility of having to wear a pink striped design with rhinestones on it (I'm obviously not super girly). I tried doing the "cute design on the ring finger, solid color on the rest" look, so it turned out to be much more wearable for me.

I took a picture of what I did. Again, my fingers aren't pretty. You've been warned.


So, my thoughts. I think this is a really great product for people that like designs on their nails. The application is quick and pretty easy. All you really do is take the appropriate sized nail strip and stick it to your nails. Smooth it on and cut off the excess. The only trouble I really had was smoothing out the edges around my nails, and that's mostly a problem people with shorter nails will have, such as myself. Short nails make it harder to trim and file off the ends.

I love that there is no mess and absolutely no trying time. I get impatient, so drying time is one of my biggest complaints about painting my nails because I somehow always manage to mess them up. So, no drying = giant plus!!! The package says that they last about 10 days. I honestly didn't make it that long before I removed them, but for as long as I had it on, there was no chipping. Another plus. I could see it lasting the 10 days okay. To remove, you just peel it off. No acetone needed. Another plus!

But of course, my absolute biggest complaint, and honestly the reason I will not purchase these myself, is the designs available for these strips. I hate that they don't offer any solid colors. There are some pretty cool designs, but it's not anything I would personally wear myself.

Overall, I recommend this product to anyone that loves having designs on their nails. They have a good variety of designs and there are so many ways that you can wear these. These nail polish strips are good, just not good for me. Gotta say, I'm so happy I got to try these. Although this particular brand did not work for me, it has showed me how great nail polish strips are. I'll definitely look into other brands that have these kind of strips with solid colors that I would wear. And if Kiss ever does that with this line, I'll be sure to get them.

*** This product was sent to me complimentary to test out via the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are my own. ***

Truvía® Natural Sweetener Product Review

I'm starting my first Influester Love VoxBox review with Truvia.

Ohhh Truvia....smh.

First, a bit about it. According to their description, "Truvía® natural sweetener is the first natural, great-tasting, zero-calorie sweetener born from the leaves of the stevia plant."

I'll give you natural and good for you, but let me tell you, great-tasting it is not. I really wanted to like this product. I had heard a lot about it and had contemplated buying it a number of times. After trying it, I wasn't diggin' it too much.

I put one packet in a cup of coffee and after taking a sip, I immediately tasted that something was off. Definitely wasn't enough of a sweetener for me. I decided to put in another packet, and while the sweetness of it improved, the taste of it was actually a little worse. I had pour it out. Later, I gave it another shot and tried it in tea - still a no go for me. I ended up taking my finger to taste just the sweetener alone and yeah...not good at all. I'm not really sure how to describe it. It's kind of...chemical. The aftertaste is just not good!!

It's zero calories, so that's always nice, but for me, that's not worth losing the delicious flavors of my teas and coffees. I'll be sticking to sugar. Everyone's taste buds are different though so it's always worth trying at least once, especially if you're into the whole zero calorie thing. I won't be purchasing this, though.

For more information about Truvía®, visit www.truvia.com

*** This product was sent to me complimentary to test out via the Influenster VoxBox program. All opinions are my own. ***

Influenster Vox Box Program

VAIN•GLO•RY (Latin, vanagloria):

The desire to be important and/or attractive to others; Also known as: Vanity. Associated with the Seven Deadly Sins, the term vainglory, or vanagloria, is a derivative of PRIDE - the 7th and most "deadly" of the seven sins.


Vanagloria is a term tainted by negative connotations. It is pretty much half of a deadly sin, after all. The truth is, all of us feel and experience vanity at some point in our lives. We're only human, and sometimes it can make us feel so damn good.

And that, my friends, is what should be most important - to feel good about yourself.

Personally speaking, a lack of self-esteem has always been the giant mountain blocking me from being fully content with my life. It wasn't really until I started my "makeup experiments" that I started gaining a little self-esteem. Some will say that makeup is no way to truly gain esteem - that it somehow seems a bit contradictory to love yourself by altering your appearance. Maybe that's somewhat true, but in my opinion, whatever helps. After all, it's not always about how you look, it's about how you feel. And you know what? I've been feeling pretty damn good about myself lately. I may not be the best at makeup by any means, but at the end of the day, I see the beauty of inspiration and I feel proud of myself for it. Feeling good and accepting yourself is always the first key towards happiness.

So, be vain. Love yourselves. Find happiness.

Just don't be a b*tch about it, okay? ;)