SOCIAL MEDIA

Saturday, June 30, 2012

NOTW: Peach Power!!!

Hi My Loves!!!

I'm gonna do a NOTW (Nail of the Weekend)... Does that exist?? It does now :)

I LOVE these colors for the summer. I just love peach and corals.. I think I may have been a coral reef in my past life haha!! I thought I'd cutesy it up with some polka dots too :)



 For the polka dots I just used the end of a bobby pin.


Here's what I used.

From left to right: Peach Party and Coral Dream


Hope you like my nails :) 
I think I shall do something a little festive at the beginning of the week for the 4th of July! Red, white and blue baby!!!

Thanks for reading!

Hope you are having a lovely weekend so far :)

Sam

xxxxx

Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday Favorites & Fudgeroos! 6/29/12

Review: GHD Gold Professional 1" Styler!

Hi My Loves!!!

I've been hearing amazing things about the GHD Flat Iron for years now. I myself have never tried one until about 2 weeks ago. I instantly fell in love. I have used so many flat irons over the years, from inexpensive to expensive and this one has got to be my favorite. 

Get Your's Here: Folica

Here's what the company claims:

The GHD Gold Professional 1" Styler is GHD's sleekest styler ever, with a cooler, lighter body, smoother plates, and an bonus protective plate guard for storage and travel. Rounded barrel and contoured plates means you can not only straighten hair with this professional styler, but create curls, waves, and flips. Sleep mode provides added safety and universal voltage means no converter while traveling, makes the GHD your go-to styling iron.

Let's talk about the packaging first. The box is very sturdy and snazzy. Inside of it, comes the flat iron, protective plate guard (great for professionals or travelers) and the instructions manual. I may actually just re use this box to keep bits and bobs in because I really like it haha!











Features

  • Includes protective plate guard to cover hot plates for easy storage and travel
  • Cooler, lighter body
  • Smoother plates
  • Professional finish
  • Ceramic heaters
  • Contoured plates
  • Rounded barrel
  • Heats up to 374F
  • Sleep mode
  • Universal voltage
  • Authenticity guaranteed
  • 2-Year Manufacturer's Warranty


Onto what I think:

PRICE:
I must admit this is a huge expense to shell out. At $225.00, it's definitely the most expensive flat iron I have ever used, however it's also the best one I've used (and I've used a lot). I feel like if you have the money, you really need or like to flat iron your hair and will get a lot of use out of it... then go ahead! Splurge a little (ok a lot). If you are someone who occasionally flat irons your hair, then this might be a little much to spend. 

APPEARANCE:
It's sleek, chic and snazzy. Everything a flat iron should be. It's not too confusing, too many buttons. They kept it simple and I like that. The black and gold make it look luxurious.

USER FRIENDLINESS:
This is dummy proof! It has one button which you slide up to turn on, slide down to turn off. It's so easy! It beeps 3 times when it's heated up. There is no dial where you have to adjust the heat, its just either on or off, which I really like. 

CORD:
The cord is so long! I love that!! There is nothing worse than having a short cord and an outlet that it's a bit too far away. Especially when you are working in a salon, this is a must have! So whether you are a stylist or just like to look good in your own home.... you will not be disappointed with the length of the cord. 

HEAT: 
This flat iron heats up to 374F. It's plenty hot enough to smooth out and straighten even the toughest, most stubborn hair. I literally had to go over the piece of hair once and it was perfect. Some flat irons I do have to go over the same piece at least 3 or 4 times. I would say this would work beautifully on any hair type.

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT:
Obviously it's main purpose is to straighten and smooth our curly, wavy or frizzy hair. You can also curl, flip or create those snazzy beachy waves with it too. I haven't had the chance to play with it as far as the curls or waves go but I have used to flat iron my hair and I was in love with the result. It was way faster to get my hold head done than normal, it looks and felt shiny, smooth and sooooo touchable!  It glides through the hair without pulling or snagging any hairs (that's my biggest pet peeve with flat irons). It's easy to use and makes your hair look amazing. It just glides through it like butter! 

OVERALL:
I think this is great. It works super well, it's easy to use and it also comes with the protective plate guard. That is perfect for stylists that are on the go or if you travel a lot. I think it's also really cool that it has a universal voltage! BIG PLUS! I have fried 2 flat irons in my time, visiting family in England and not thinking about the voltage. I would definitely recommend this iron to anyone, if you are willing to spend the money. This will last you a good few years at least, so you will definitely get your money's worth out of it.

Hope that helps loves!!

Thanks so much for reading :)

Happy Friday and hope you all have a lovely weekend!!!

Sam

xxxxx





Thursday, June 28, 2012

My Latest Obsession: Spinach Smoothie!

Hi My Loves!!!

I have been obsessed with this smoothie lately. Not only is it super filling, it's also delicious and gets you some good old nutrients in your body too :) WOOHOO!!!

I have one of these every day and it makes my sweet tooth craving so much better! So if you have cravings for cake and donuts like I do, but don't want to eat them (well you do but try to be good haha)... then try this :) It will make you feel good!

For some reason this picture won't go centered, which is really annoying me but it won't work, so sorry it's off to the side :(


WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

A Blender (that always helps)
1 Banana
5-6 Strawberries (I use fresh)
1 1/2 handfuls of fresh blueberries
5 Ice Cubes
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter ( I use Skippy Natural Creamy)
Your choice of milk ( I use 1% Cow's Milk)
3 Big Handfuls of Spinach

Add the ice first, then strawberries and blueberries, break the banana in half and plop it in there.... add your peanut butter, then spinach and then milk last. I usually just eye the milk, I don't measure. Just put enough in the bottom so that it's about 2 inches up from the bottom. Then put the blender to smoothie or whatever your blender says that's similar and leave it on for about 1 minute or until it looks nice and blended :)

If you don't like the taste of peanut butter, then I would suggest leaving it out and maybe adding greek yogurt instead for the protein. Or if you do like peanut butter, add both! Extra protein!!! I just didn't have any.

Hope you like this delicious smoothie! Let me know if you do try it ;) I'd love to know how you like it!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Thursday :)

Sam 

xxxx
Monday, June 25, 2012

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup Review & Swatches!

Hi My Loves!!

I promised a full review of the new Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup that I picked up. I feel like with foundation reviews sometimes I miss certain points when I film a video, as I get carried away blabbing, so it's a lot more informative to just do a blog post for the review and then just show you in a video the application so you can see the coverage etc....

WATCH THE APPLICATION VIDEO HERE:







This is me wearing this foundation with Flash. It doesn't cause a white cast :) This was not taken at night though so I can't say if you were out at a club and it's dark if you will end up looking like Casper??? But I'm pretty sure you will be ok :)



Onto the review :)

This foundation claims to wear up to 24 hours with a buildable to full coverage. The bouncy, whipped formula feels ultra light and silky smooth. It's Talc Free and Paraben Free (cool beans)....

Here's what I think:


Packaging:
I am very impressed with the look of the packaging. It's very "Chanel" like. Looks classy and chic. As far as function goes, it is a bit bulky and heavy. It's also glass, so maybe not the best for travel? But if you are like me and it stays in my makeup desk and that's it.... then cool beans, your fine and dandy! It does look like you get a lot more product from the outside, than you really get... so that's a bit sneaky haha!

Coverage: 
I would say medium to full coverage. I think if you applied this with your fingers, you could get a medium coverage. I apply mine with the Sigma F80 and I get a fuller coverage using that. It covers mostly everything you need to cover without looking cakey. I feel like it's not the fullest coverage foundation I've tried as I don't feel completely flawless but for most people I think it would be plenty.

Finish: 
It's a natural matte finish. It's not like wow you look really matte, but it's definitely not dewy or glowy. It's a nice finish for sure. You can feel it on the skin when you touch your face, I wouldn't say it's a foundation that feels like you are wearing nothing to the touch but it doesn't feel like you are wearing foundation on your face as far as just the feeling of it on the skin. Does that make sense?? I hope so.

Texture: 
The consistency is very interesting. It's like a creamy moussy whip or something... it's so hard to describe. You expect it to be super creamy when you touch it but then it's more like a thick whipped cream. I don't know, I can't describe it. It's kind of like cool whip but creamier.

Application: 
This foundation is a dream to apply. It apply's so easily, blends flawlessly, doesn't dry ridiculously quickly like the regular ColorStay. This is a great foundation for people who are not the best with blending, as you really can't mess it up. It's dummy proof ;) I apply it with the Sigma F80 for full coverage. However I think you could apply this with your fingers, or the beauty blender and it would still look fabulous. You do need a little more than I expected though, to cover everything. I wouldn't say a little goes a long way.

Wrinkle Friendliness:
This isn't great for wrinkles, but it's not bad either. It's in between. I noticed my wrinkles a tiny bit more than when I wear my Lioele Triple The Solution mixed with Mac Studio Fix Fluid but it's not like it instantly plonks right into them. 

Lasting Power: 
AMAZING!!! It claims it's 24 hour lasting power. I would say that they are definitely on the ball park for the amount of time it lasts. I apply it in the morning, it lasts ALLLLLL day long... looking the exact same as when I applied it. I feel like this would be a great foundation for anyone who needs their makeup to last all day, looking fab. The only thing I would say, is that if you are oily it may get a bit dewy looking towards the end of the day. So maybe set it or bring a powder along to touch up? I didn't have to though, as I'm dry.

Color: 
I think there were about 6 shades at my local CVS. I honestly can't remember. I bought the color 200 Sand Beige. It's a pretty good match for the most part. I feel like it would be a little better if it had a tad more yellow undertone to it. It's a tad pink for me but it still blends out fine. I felt like a lot of the colors were on the pinky side. It's also really difficult to tell the color, with the packaging. I held up a bunch comparing them and they all kind of looked the same, so that may be a little difficult for some people.

Photo Friendly:
As far as I know it doesn't have SPF in it. I did take a picture with flash and it didn't seem to give me the white cast, so that's good. I would say you are safe to use this for photography.

Easy to Remove?
Easy to remove. It's not like the Revlon Colorstay where I feel like you need a thousand wipes for it to budge.... this comes off with one wipe and a good face wash :)

SPF: None

Scent: 
Not the most luscious. It just smells like foundation to me. A bit chemically.

Price: 
I paid $13.97 at CVS.... at Target it's $11.99

Who's it best for?
I would recommend this foundation to normal, normal to dry, combination, combination/oily but not super oily and not super dry. I feel like because it has the more matte finish, on dry skin it may pick up and show your dry areas a bit more than you would like. For oily skin it may get a bit too dewy towards the end of the day but if you set it with a powder you might be ok. It's hard for me to say as I'm not oily. I'm normal/dry. People who want a medium to full coverage foundation, that lasts ALL day long without the super expensive price of a department store makeup, will love this.

Would I repurchase? 
I don't think I would. Although I think it's a great foundation for the price and I do like a lot of the aspects of it, it's still not as nice on my skin as my current foundation routine (Lioele Triple The Solution BB Cream mixed with Mac Studio Fix Fluid NC30). Looking back at pictures of me wearing this vs my normal stuff, I think my skin looks better and more flawless with the mixture. I feel like this still shows my pigmentation problem areas more and the color isn't exactly perfect for me, as it has the pinkier undertone to it. However, if I hadn't found my current foundation mixture, I would probably re purchase this, as it is really nice. I would give it a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10. That's pretty good, as I am quite picky.

Thanks so much for reading!

Happy Tuesday!

Sam

x
xxx
Saturday, June 23, 2012

Baby Sistor's Bed Makeover!

Hi My Loves!!!

Today Baby Sistor and I were on the hunt for new bedding for her bed. Thanks to lovely little Bella (Baby Sistor's dog) her comforter was falling apart at the seams... feathers leaking out if it and all. Bella is a chewer :( 

So of course, being the fabulous big sister that I am.. haha (had to throw that in there)... I told her we should go to my favorite place ever to get home decor.... TARGET!!!!! YAH buddy, any excuse to go and browse the Shabby Chic section is a great day for me :)

I have always been the pink sister and BS has always been purple. We found this amazingly beautiful, feminine and delightful comforter and sham set in the Shabby Chic section. Incase you aren't lucky enough to have a Target in your hometown, here's the link to the exact one she got: Shabby Chic Lilac Tiara Ruffle Comforter Set $89.99 for a Full/Queen


She also picked up some new white sheets and pillowcases to go with the fabulous comforter set. They are seriously so soft, they feel like silk! I am so jealous!!! I may have to pick us up some because they are divine!!! Here's the exact ones she got: Room Essentials® Microfiber Sheet Set (White) $24.99


The little white tables were actually ours that we had found at a garage sale a long time ago and painted white. I gave them to her when she moved out :) We found the mirror this weekend at a garage sale too for $5! I told her if I find a big snazzy painting that matches, I will get it for her for above the bed to replace the mirror, but for now this works. It's hard finding the perfect picture!


I have no idea where she got the little plant doodad.


OK... now is it just me or is that elephants trunk slightly perverted.... HAHA!! Maybe I just have my mind in the gutter but it's a bit naughty looking :) She got this as a gift I think. My Mom used to always have elephants with their trunks up around the house, she said it was good luck. Well this thing is WAY up there!! Baby Sistor's got some major good luck coming her way!! Haha! DING....


I bought the pillow for her as an early birthday present (and then I end up forgetting I got it for her and buy her tons more so let's just say it's a "Thanks for being my sister" gift haha) because I felt like she just couldn't have a snazzy set and no fancy pillow. I wanted to get two but the other one had a big stain on it :( But seeing it put together I actually think one looks perfect. This one was in the teen bedding section. Here's the exact one: Xhilaration® Flower Decorative Pillow - White (On sale for $18.99) It's super soft material too!!!


Here's a close up of the little ruffled edge.... so dainty!


So there it is! A beautiful bed for a beautiful Baby Sistor! We had so much fun getting it all snazzied up. BS loves it and now I'm super jealous and want to re do our room. Poor Jay! 

Hope you like her bed makeover. I didn't post before pictures because the comforter was just a complete feathery mess!

Thanks for reading :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and sweet dreams in your beautiful beds. (I had a horrible dream last night... don't you just hate that??)

Sam

xxxxx


Friday, June 22, 2012

OOTD & FOTD: First dress of the Summer!!!

Hi My Loves!!!

Here is a list of products I'm wearing in my latest Friday Favorites & Fudgeroos, as well as my outfit. 

WATCH MY FRIDAY FAVORITES & FUDGEROOS HERE:





I looked everywhere for my white sports bra but typical.. I couldn't find it :( So ideally my bra would be white and not black, as the dress is navy blue but oh well.....



OOTD:
Black Bra: Walmart
Dress: Ross
White Sandals: Payless Shoe Source
Earrings & Necklace: From my hubby :)








*FACE*
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 200 Sand Beige
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer in Fair
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder in Sunny
Milani Baked Blush in 05 Luminous
Lorac Perfectly Lit in Luminous
Blue Line Cosmetics Mineral Veil (under eyes)

*EYES*
Mac Paint Bare Canvas
Maybelline Define A Brow in Medium Brown
Avon Super SHock Gel Liner
The Balm Nude'tude e's Palette in Sassy (browbone) & Serious (over liner)
Maybelline XXL Pro Extensions

*LIPS*
Mac In SYnch Lip Liner 
Victorias Secret Soothing Lip Balm in Pink Sugar

*BRUSHES*

There will be a tutorial for this look coming next week :)

Thanks for reading/watching!!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sam

xxxx



Thursday, June 21, 2012

Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer!

Hi My Loves!!!

I recently picked up the new Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer. I finally got a chance to re paint my nails and so I thought I would give my new colors a go :)

Please excuse that they are a bit messy..... I did them super quickly haha!



320 Green With Envy:
The mint green is very opaque, you almost don't even need a second coat. It goes on really smoothly and not streaky at all. It does take a little bit longer to dry but once it's dry and settles super nicely. I would definitely recommend using a clear top coat on these though as they don't dry shiny by themselves.

220 Orange Fix:
The orange is on the sheer side. With two coats I can still see where my own white tip would be underneath. Again this applies super nicely, not streaky at all. It dries quite fast and settles beautifully. This would need a clear top coat as well as it does not dry shiny.



It's my second day wearing them today and I can see the very tip of the white on my nails starting to peek through. I did use a base coat and a top coat. I can't tell you the longevity of these as it's only been 2 days but so far so good. I wouldn't say they are the best polish in the entire world and that they will last a good amount of time without chipping but for $3.89 and available at most drugstores, I would say they are definitely worth picking up :) I'm happy with the colors and the formula.

Hope that helps loves!!! I'll try at the yellow one I picked up next week :)

Thanks so much for reading!

Happy Thursday :)

Sam

xxxx
Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Drugstore Haul Swatches!

Hi My Loves!!!

I picked up a few things from CVS and Target last week and thought I would share my goodies with you. Here are some pictures and swatches of the things I got :)

Watch my Haul video here:


Milani Baked Blushes in Luminous & Dolce Pink (AMAZING... A MUST HAVE)


Without Flash...



With Flash...
01 Dolce Pink


05 Luminous



From Left to Right: Luminous & Dolce Pink (No Flash)


With Flash....


Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in 200 Sand Beige
 ( I will do a full review and application of this next week)





With Flash....


Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer 
(can't wait to try these out)



I don't know the actual names of the colors of these :( They came in a set....


Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Stain in 95 Touch of Toffee 
(Wouldn't buy this again, it dries up so quickly, but the color is nice)



With Flash....


Hope you like the goodies I got :) 

Thanks so much for reading/watching!!!

Happy Hump Day!

Sam

xxxx