Nailed It! Friday - Club Nail Polish

There is a new service making its way to Canada.  It's Club Nail Polish. There isn't too much info on when or how much the subscription will be.  I imagine, they are still working out the logistics of it.  According to their website you will be able to pick which subscription service you want. I'm not sure if that means 1 polish vs 5 or just nail art products.  I'm sure they are still working out the details.  The thing that I like about the service is that the nail polish is not something you get to see in advance.  The element of surprise is always so fun.  For someone like myself who own 500+ and counting, it may get a little tricky.  If you're someone who is picky on your colours, I'm not sure if this is for you.  It's something you can always try and cancel right away if you're not happy with.

The package that came to mail was one of these CD size mailers.  It was a fun silver package.  Please note that this was shipped from BC and I live in Manitoba.  The shipping on this package was a tremendous $12.58!  I hope that they can figure out a better system for shipping so this service can remain affordable.  Hopefully, they will have a business rate or a bulk parcel rate.  For a package like I received, I can't imagine paying more than $10.  I realize that the shipping was expensive but for myself I generally don't spend more than $10 on a polish and with brands like China Glaze I try to keep it around the $5 mark. What would make it worthwhile in my opinion; is if they decided to include little nail art kits.  A lot of us might be willing to try different techniques if we received a kit monthly.

Inside the package, was a little bundle neatly wrapped in silver and white tissue paper. Matches the envelope - and my scarf in the background!

When I opened the package, this is what greeted me. A China Glaze polish, 3 mini nail files and 3 cotton rounds.

The colour I received was 872 Pool Party from the 2010 Poolside Collection. I won't lie. This colour blew me out of the water!  I wasn't sure if I was happy or not to see it! lol.  It's intense. Light full on bright neon pink.  It may look orange in some pics because it was SUPER hard to photograph.  I was kind of disappointed in seeing a lot of the other reviewers receiving colours from the new Euro Centrale collection and I heard through the grapevine, the new China Glaze holos?  It kind of felt like mine was a leftover. lol.  That said, I don't hate the colour.  It's out there, it's loud, it attracts attention and I'm okay with that once in a while!

This is the best I could get for it to show up true to colour.  Just think full on neon pink. That's the shade!

Put on your shades, because this one is bright!!  My camera was NOT wanting to take pics of this colour! lol  My nails have 3 coats of polish on them..  They're almost opaque but not 100%.  This polish dries RIDICULOUS fast.  By the time I got to the fifth finger, the first one was already dry. It is a little runny, so it can pool around the sides of your nails a bit as shown on my pinky in the pictures below.   They dry a lovely matte. I love that.  I don't know if you can tell (because you're probably blinded!) but my ring finger (second from the right) has a topcoat on it.  I put one coat of seche vite to see how it looked glossy. It made a slight difference, but not overly noticeable. I'm sure that all has to do with the colour.

This is how my camera kept photographing it.  It didn't want to stay pink, it wanted to go neon orange! It looks so crazy that my nails look photoshopped on.  No, I didn't use the bucket tool to fill in my nails. ;)

Finally, you can see here that the bottle is pink...but still my nails wanted to show up orange.  I'm sure that may have something to do with the skin tone.  Anyways, it's a fun colour I'll probably wear in the summer months!  Or in the middle of winter when in a secluded area...at least I'll know I'll be found!

There you have it!  A trial run for Club Nail Polish.  I don't know yet what they have in store, but I wish them the best of luck and much success!  I have singed up for the wait list as I patiently await the details of the service.  If you want to stay up to date on what's going on with them, check them out on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

Thank you Club Nail Polish for selecting me to do a review for you!

Have a great weekend, ladies!
XO
~A

**Please note that the above products were sent to me for review. All opinions are honest and my own**

Starlooks - February Edition

'Ello, 'ello! :) I'm bringing today my Starlooks post.  Starlooks is my absolute subscription service.  Before I signed up to it, I didn't think it would appeal to me because I wasn't getting a bunch of different brands to try. I gave it a chance and I was pretty much hooked from the get go.  Yes, Starlooks Starbox is the companies own branded items.  The lovely thing is you're paying about $19 Canadian (exchange/shipping) and receiving 3-4 makeup items.  This is high quality stuff, folks!  I cannot stress this enough.  Of all the beauty boxes I have been getting now for a year, Starlooks products are the only ones I consistently use in my makeup routines.  The products in the other boxes just sit tucked away, never seeing the light of day!  I mean really...would you rather spend $20 on high quality items you'll use OR $15 on a box that has disappointed you month and month again with drugstore brand, or 3ml samples, or, or, or...  Anyways, that's the end of that spiel!  I'm telling you...give Starlooks a try!  You will be impressed.

This month was a special edition month that features makeup artist Lauren Clark.  It came in a pretty pink box with purple foil lettering and purple ribbon.

More purple! I love purple and pink.  Even though, this box is the February edition everything reminds me of spring! These thoughts are very much needed for us in Winnipeg.  We have a ridonkulous amount of snow.  Yesterday was -35 with windchill. Today, I was too depressed to bother looking! Anyhow...how pretty is this picture...it looks like a watercolour!

Inside...look at that stash of goodies!!! :D EEK! I waited SOO LONG for this box to get to me.  It was stuck in customs for a full 2 weeks.  So, I did receive it in March...but boy was the wait worth it!

Inside the box were some promotional materials for Lauren Clark.  This is an amazing opportunity for her! There is some info about her and some face charts to create a natural day look and a more dramatic look.

As always, Starlooks includes a crystal in the box!  I LOVE getting these crystals.  It's something I would definitely miss.  It's one of the first things I look for in my box before checking out the goodies!  I know I've given some to my kids along the way..but hey good energy all around!

Lipliner - K337 Tipsy. Retails for $9.50.

I'm super excited to receive this shade! It's a bright coral colour.  Coral is definitely one of my faves!  I know this came in last years birthday boxes.  Unfortunately, my birthday is in March and the program hadn't quite begun yet so I missed out on that!  But, now...I must get a Tipsy lipstick! :S

For this box and for a limited time, this one has been branded with Lauren's name.

Infinity Pot Liner (Satin) - y715 Princess Diaries. Retails for $15.

I am so beyond excited for this product.  Do I say that with all my Starlooks? Why, yes!  This is a waterproof, smudgeproof eye liner.  You can use this as a standard liner on the top lids or under the lash line.  Also, what I've already done, is use it as an all over eye shadow!  It's SOO pretty!  Definitely becoming a fave in my stash! I can't wait to play with this in many ways!

The colour is a beautiful shimmery baby pink.

Lip Gloss - S237 Pink Oasis. Retails for $11.

I will be honest in saying that when I first saw this I was a little nervous.  This is exactly what I love about Starlooks.  That may sound strange, but the reality is...the products always turn out to be something amazing.  It never fails.  If I receive and item thinking it will in no way, shape or form look good on me, I'm happily mistaken!  This is one of those products!  I adore this colour, the glisten helps to make the lips look fuller.  I will be doing a few complete Starlooks looks soon, so stay tuned!

It looks intimidating but it's a sheer lavender colour that glistens like the stars  I tried it on top of lipstick and it was gorgeous.  My readers already know how much I love the bling bling!  I'm a reincarnated magpie!

Fluid Blush - cheeky luscious. Retails for $15.

This is a newer product on their site and I think I've fallen in love.  It's a blush that comes out in a liquid cream consistency and then you rub it in quickly.  I have to warn you that it is EXTREMELY pigmented.  You need very little.  So, start off small and add more slowly as needed.  I promise, you won't need much unless you're going to be a clown for Halloween.  This product is amazing and I basically want one in every shade.  Blush over the past year has become one of my favourite things!  I'm in love with Starlooks creme blush.  I suggest using a beauty blender type of sponge to dab this particular blush on and blend quickly.

Now, be prepared to be blown AWAY!!! Here are all the swatches!  Are these colours NOT amazing! I just want to stare at this picture all day.  These products are all high quality and the colour payoff is amazeballs! If you haven't tried Starlooks yet, I'm so sad that you're missing out!

L to R: lip liner, pot liner, lip gloss, fluide blush.

Here is the whole box this month...amazing!  I think this has to be one of my favourites thus far!  I payed $19.50 give or take and the value is $50.50! In the words of Wilbur - First Class!! :)

What do you think?  Would you like to try Starlooks?  Head on over to their site and sign up!  If you are outside the US contact them at info@starlooks.com and they will set you up!  Don't forget to let them know Aleksandra sent you! :)

I bet you're all looking forward to Friday as much as I am! :)

XO
~A

Ipsy - March Edition

Hello ladies!  I am jumping ahead of myself a little bit here, as I have yet to post February Starlooks!  I had thought this was February Ipsy but ooops...it's March! :)  Anyways, this months theme was The Great Escape.  I just LOVE the card that came with it.  It's very scrapbooker-ish and reminds me of my days scrapbooking and cardmaking!  The bag this month was definitely a welcome change from the shiny pvc bags/dark coloured bags!  My only beef with it, is the fabric.  I wish it was a bit sturdier like canvas.  It's a thinner type of umbrella material!  Anyways...it's super cute and it's going right into my purse!

La Fresh -  Travel - Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. Full size 8 wipes - $1.99.

To be honest, I'm not really enthused about this product.  I bought 2 boxes of 48 makeup remover wipes from them in the past thinking I was making a wise investment and I ended up being super disappointed.  I had to use 2 and sometimes 3 wipes before I could wash my face.  They weren't overly thick.  I'm not sure if this packet is either of those 2 kinds, but I'll definitely use them, because they're here!  I just know now from trying several different things from La Fresh I'm really not a fan.

WEBSITE: La Fresh

Juice Beauty - Hydrating Mist. Full Size: 6.75oz - $24. Sample Size: 1oz -  $3.55.

This is a spray that use on your face to give you a boost of moisture that leaves your skin feeling toned and balanced. The nice thing about the product is that it is certified organic.  The results of this product were clinically proven that skin retains 11% moisture in the first hour and 7% up to the first 3.   I've tried it and it does seem nice, I'm just not sure I'm sold on this type of product.  We will see how I feel after trying it several times. Also, the face of Juice Beauty is Alicia Silverstone, which is not surprising!

WEBSITE: Juice Beauty

GlamRX - Touch Up Palette. Full size: $16.50.

This is one of those cases that is magnetic and holds your loose pans of eyeshadow/blush or whatever.  I think the concept is neat, but I don't tend to purchase shadow like that frequently.  I really prefer everything to be in it's own case with it's own brand.  The size of this case is about the size of a credit card, so it's not very large.  I can't imagine having too many shadows in here.  I imagine not more than 4 regular size shadow pans would fit in this.  Anyways, I know a lot of people were excited about this one, but I was pretty meh. :P

WEBSITE: GlamRX

I held this in my hand to give you an idea of the size.  The inside dimensions are quite a bit smaller than a credit card. It's the perimeter of the case that is the same size as a card. The top part is a mirror.

The next two products included were both from the same company.

Yaby Cosmetics - Eye Shadow in es192 Seashell.  Full Size: 3g - $3.15. Sample Size: 1g - $1.05.

These shadows were ITTY BITTY!  I was a little disappointed with the colours received because I did see some bright fun colours floating around.  It seems that a lot of people did get these, and I guess they're safe colours.  The thing I really like about this brand is that it's Canadian.  I actually had my husband weigh it and it was flip flopping between 1 and 2 grams.  So, taking the metal pan into consideration, I'm going to estimate this at 1 gram.

WEBSITE: yaby cosmetics

Yaby Cosmetics - Eye Shadow in es133 Azalea Petal. Full Size: 3g - $3.15. Sample Size: 1g - $1.05.

This is an idea of how big (small) the pans are.

Here is how they look in the GlamRx palette.  Maybe 10 of those minis would fit in here?

Here is the whole bag.  It was definitely not my favourite.  This bag costs $15 US and the value this month was $24.14.  So, we did get our money's worth...it was just a little blah to me.  What do you think? What I really do like about this subscription however, is that there is discounts for every brand that we receive!

Currently, there is a wait list for Ipsy, but if you're interested in signing up you can go to this link HERE. 

Hope you're all having a wonderful week!

XO

~A

Beauty Box 5 - February Edition

February Beauty Box 5!  I've been with them since the second box...are they really on their first anniversary?  This is a box that had started off slow but has grown to be one of my favourites!  They include amazing, unique products.  I get a ton of brands I've never heard of and the price is right at just $12 a month US!  You can get it cheaper if you subscribe for a year!  If you're interested in trying it, you can go to my referral link HERE. If I were to keep 3 subs, this would definitely be one of them! 

I want to mention that there were items in here that were a tiffany blue sort of tone...and I'm curious to know if they were going for that them with their anniversary box or if it's just a happy coincidence!

They included a cute anniversary card!

The inside.

They included this note in the box.  They did actually post it on their facebook page so people could start referring before boxes got to us.  I don't generally do that sort of thing, because I don't like to be pushy with referrals.  If someone stumbles across a link, or when I once in a blue moon post it on facebook...great!

Also included was a $50 gift card to iTRAIN.  I haven't looked too much into this yet, but I will be checking it out since I am actively trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

The first thing was a set of Brush Guards.   I'm on the fence with these so far.  I can't wait to try them on my brushes and see what the fuss is about.  They are pricey though... 4 of them will set you back $5.50!

Inside the package there were 3 brush guards; 1 for each of 3 different types of brushes.

Here are the directions to use them, it's really straight forward.

This is what they look like unstretched.

As you can see, they stretch quite a bit!  This is the biggest one I put over my thumb.

Next, is a Coolway Boost serum that is meant to be used with the Coolway system for optimum results.  This to me is basically a one time use.  You need to drench your hair in this stuff.  This is speaking from Coolway experience.  I hope to have a review of that soon! I'm not sure what the benefits of this product would be if you didn't have a Coolway System. It is really pricey... 8 oz is $39.95.

This is an H20 Bath Aquatics shampoo.  I don't mind receiving shampoos to try, but I prefer them to come with a conditioner.  For over half a year I've been using sulfate/paraben free shampoos.  This one doesn't say it is, but I would still be willing to try it. It has a unique non shampoo smell, it almost smells like it would be bubble bath.  It's $14 for 8.5oz.

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Lime.  I really like the body butter we received previously and I am really looking forward to trying this product as well!  I have a lot of body stuff to catch up on...this stuff doesn't go very fast!  It smells AMAZING...like something from a spa.  I'll probably fast track this one to use ASAP.  I think I'm going to fall in love with it!  Especially, if you have bottles of it laying around! lol  18 oz retails for $7.49.

Look how pretty and blue it is!

The last item we received was...this!  Do you have any idea what it could be?

A folding brush/mirror set!  I've never seen round one and this is really cute!  Don't mind the mirror smudges...my 5 year old son was trying to be helpful by rubbing the fog from the cold off of it. ;) It sat in the mailbox while I was at work.

Out pops the brush!

This is the whole box!  I was pretty happy with it!  We get some neat products and good sizes from BB5!  I really wanted to get this post up quickly, so I will be back tomorrow with an edit on prices/sample sizes and value of the box!

 Hope you've all had a great night...and I am off to bed!

XO
~A