January 2013 Favorites

I feel like I say this every month, but seriously, where has this month gone? This month for me has been crazy and stressful. Anywho, I have a few products that I have either loved or just simply reached for the most this month.

I'll start with hair products:

I have been loving my Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Shampoo. I will have a full review of this product up within the next week!

ABC Nail Challenge: Letter D

I'm back today with the letter 'D' for the ABC Nail Challenge. I had quite a few 'D' polishes to choose from, but I decided to go with one that I've hardly worn, Don't Be Jaded from Avon. After I got my nails painted, I just thought they looked too plain, so I added some dots using another Avon polish called Decadence. My husband kept calling my nails dinosaur eggs LOL :)

Shop my Stash #3

Out of last weeks items I shopped from my stash I was only happy with the Rimmel Royal lip glosses. I'm still not sure how well I like the City Curls mascara by NYC, I'm going to use it a little more before I make a decision about it. I was not at all impressed with the L.A. Colors Little Black Book of eye shadows Glam Edition. I didn't even use the Wet n Wild Cream eyeliner in Black, I'll probably try to use that some this week.

Below are the items that I'm shopping from my stash this week. 

What will you be shopping from your stash?

Shop my Stash #3

Review: Milani Total Lash Cover Mascara

Milani Total Lash Cover Mascara is a mascara with a special 3-zoned brush that is designed to define inner and outter lashes, build up your center lashes and curl them. It's a non-clumping, long wearing formula.

I really don't think this mascara is really anything special. I don't see any real difference in using this mascara versus any other drugstore mascara that I have tried. Then again I've not found a mascara that has really wowed me. I did not have any issues with it clumping on my lashes and it is a very long wearing mascara. I do like the look that it gave my lashes, I think it makes them look fuller. My only complaint about it, is the same complaint that I have with all mascaras, it did not hold the curl in my lashes. But other than that it is a decent drugstore mascara, and one that I would consider purchasing in the future. It retails for $4.99, which I think is a great price for drugstore mascara!

What is your favorite drugstore mascara?

Naked Lashes

One coat (several swipes) of Milani Total Lash Cover Mascara

Brush

Brush

ABC Nail Challenge: Letter C

Today I am back with Letter C from the ABC Nail Challenge. I am not at all impressed with the polish I chose to use, Smoke and Ashes by China Glaze. I chose this polish because it was one of my untried polishes and I bought it like 6 months ago on clearance from Sally's, so I thought I would give it a try. Honestly it just looks like I have on black polish, even though in the bottle you can see blue and green flecks of glitter.

I thought about changing it and using something else, but then the thought hit me, every time someone does their nails, they do not always come out exactly how we want them.

Try it Again Tuesday: ELF Eye Shadow Duos

Today's try it again products are the ELF eye shadow duos. When I bought my duos I tried to get both the cream and powder ones in the same shades. Last week I shopped my stash for my duos in the shade Mocha Swirl.

L-R Lightest cream and powder Darkest powder and cream. Top of each swatch has primer.

I do still really like these duos, they come in such a great selection of colors and for $1 each you can't go wrong. In the Mocha Swirl duo, the lightest shade is really light on the eye, using eye primer does help to make the color look a little brighter. The darker shade of the two is very pigmented and is great for a crease color.

Today I used the lightest shade from the cream duo, then used the darker shade from the powder in my crease and the lighter shade from the powder for my highlight. I really like the look I was able to achieve. I did have some creasing issues with the cream shadow, but when I just wore the powder shadows last week, they did not crease on me.

As with all ELF products they are hit and miss, for me these two duos were hits. Not really sure why I quit using them in the first place. I am going to try harder to reach for these more often.

Have you re-tried any product lately?

Shop My Stash #2

Sorry for bombarding y'all with three post today. This is the last for today, I promise! I meant to put this up yesterday, but was feeling a little under the weather.

So last week I shopped my Stash for a few products and samples. I really enjoyed my WEI to go Beauty sample of gelled oil cleanser, but I did not like the ideal skin perfect finish that was with it. I put it on and my face looked a hot mess! I think the color was too light for me, so that came right back off! I also really liked the sample of Pixi flawless beauty primer, it was actually a colored primer, not white like all the other primers I've used. I think my ELF eye shadow duos will be getting a lot more use now too, more to come on them in my Try it Again Tuesday post! I didn't get much use out of my Avon Smooth Minerals lip gloss, I found myself always reaching for my Revlon Lip Butter. The Milani eye tech extreme eye liner I am still on the fence about. I had a hard time getting this to look good on my eyes. Will keep trying though.

This week I shopped my stash for the following products:
Wet n Wild Cream eyeliner in Black, City Curls mascara by NYC, L.A. Colors Little Black Book of eye shadows Glam Edition, I picked this up at the Dollar Tree back in March of last year. I really don't think I have used this at all! I also picked two Rimmel Royal lip glosses.

Will you be shopping your stash this week? If so what items are you using?

I have been awarded the Liebster Award

Dionne from Glittery Fingers & Sparkling Toes has awarded me the Liebster Award! Thanks so much Dionne! 

Just to explain the Liebster Award:

1. To be nominated you must have less than 200 blog followers.
2. You must share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. You need to answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you.
4. Then you need to share by nominating 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers and ask them 11 questions.

Since I have been awarded this award before I am only going to answer Dionne's 11 Questions ;)

1. What is your favorite polish color? Oh that is a hard one! I enjoy using a variety of colors, so I don't have one favorite color.

2. What is your favorite food?Pizza or Chicken 

3. What is your guilty pleasure?Reality TV shows LOL

4. What is your most embarrassing polish moment?I was working on a nail challenge and I only did one hand and I had to go to town and I did not take the time to take my polish off, so I went out with one hand of nails all did up in a design and the other hand was just polished red :/

5. Which do you prefer, glitter, matte, crème or a new finish?

Glitter

6. What type of manicure are you afraid to try or frustrates you the most?

Water marbleing always frustrates me! I can't ever get it to come out the way I want it and it's so messy.

7. If you could dress in any style from any age, which would you choose and why? (i.e. ancient Greece, the Roaring 20's, the sixties, etc.)
I don't know why, but I'm gonna say the 50's

8. Which do you prefer, mountains or beaches?I live in the mountains, and I love them, but I would love to have a place down on the beach too.

9. How old were you when you fell in love with polish?

Oh my goodness, I was young. My grandma taught me how to do my nails when I was a little girl.

10. If a genie came to you and gave you three wishes, what would they be?

Oh wow.... Hmmm..... Longer, stronger nails, some money, and maybe a bigger house.

11. Are you going to follow my blog?
Yes :)

Thank you again Dionne for this award!

25 Random Facts Tag

Jasmine from Green Eyed Monster tagged me to do this tag. If you have not checked out her blog you should head over there!

I had the hardest time coming up with 25 random facts about myself, but here they are. I also added some pictures!

1. I met my husband online. We've been together for 8 and a half years!

Hubby and I at a car show.

2. Been married for almost 6 years. (Feb. 10)

Our Wedding ♥

3. I am currently looking for a job
4. I have an Associates of Science degree for Medical Office Administration
5. I love the Lord.
6. I really enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes and even making up some of my own.
7. I'm a mommy's girl! I live 100 miles away from her and tend to call her on a daily basis.
8. I love going to car shows.
9. I enjoy reading, although I can not seem to find the time to do it.
10. I like video games!
11. I have two fur-babies. Smokey and Bandit. They came from a litter of 7 kittens and they were the only boys out of the bunch! Love my boys :)

12. I'm shy
13. I have met Larry the Cable Guy! Even have a autographed photo of him!
14. I collect unique 'piggy' banks
15. I am terrified of spiders. Seriously I freak out!
16. Once in elementary school, our class got to keep eggs in an incubator till chicks hatched, I could not eat eggs for several years after that.
17. I LOVE the beach! Took me 8 years to talk my hubby in to going, we finally went in September of 2012. He liked it so much he has been talking about going back!

Myrtle Beach, SC 2012

18. Sometimes I wish my hair was naturally straight, instead of curly.
19. I love to take pictures, especially of animals, scenery and landscapes.

One of the otters at Grandfather Mountain 

A view from the Blue Ridge Parkway

20. I enjoying playing games like, Monopoly and Uno!
21. I used to create signature tags using PSP. There is a whole online community for this! I was known as Her Royal Tagstress

22. I have an addiction to chocolate and Dr. Pepper
23. I'm a crafty person.

A pine cone Christmas tree I made.

24. I enjoy decorating cakes
25. I am still trying to learn to play guitar  Hubby got me one for Christmas in 2011 and I was doing good then I quit playing in 2012, but would like to give it another try.

This tag was a lot of fun to do! Thanks again for tagging me Jasmine! I hope you all enjoyed reading this.

I am going to tag everyone that reads this! If you do this tag, please leave me a comment below with the link to it. I would love to read your random facts and learn more about you.

Review: Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves

Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves claims that it helps encourage natural curls by giving them that extra oomph, eliminates frizz and flyaways and adds bounce. It's a curl defining hair cream and is infused with natural grape seed and jasmine.

This is the first curl cream that I have used for what it's made fore. I've used Miss Jessie's but only for taming flyaways when I pull my hair back. Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves works great in my hair. It truly does reduce frizz and flyaways and I feel like it does give my curls a little extra bounce. I like to use it before my hair gets too dry, so I'll just leave my hair up in a towel for just a couple of minutes. The directions say to saturate locks, scrunch curls and style as desired, then blow dry upside down or air dry. I do not like to scrunch my curls, because I feel like it leaves my hair feeling too puffy. So I'll apply the product with my hair upside down, flip my head back up and use my fingers to comb through my hair. I'll let it dry for a little bit, usually while I do my make up, then I like to lightly, well a little more than lightly, spray it with hairspray. I can usually get two good days out of my curls when I use this product. I'll just take some smoothing cream from Got2b and smooth over my curls and I'm good to go!

Smelling the product straight from the tube smells really good, but once I squeeze some out in my hand, I feel like the smell is a little over powering. Once I've got the product in my hair, it does not smell over powering, and I get little whiffs of it throughout the day. I do like the way it smells, reminds me of grape Kool-Aid!

This will be a product that I will most likely repurchase. You can find Not Your Mother's at Walmart for $4.74 The product comes in a 4 fluid ounce tube.

Final Say

Quality: 5/5

Price: 4/5

Packaging: 5/5

Scent: 4/5

Overall: 18/20

Review: Garnier Frucitis Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment

I have been wanting to try some argon/moroccan oil on my hair for quite some time now, and I seen an affordable option at Walmart by Garnier. Garnier claims that it's Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment will get your hair 10 times smoother and keep it sleek for three days even in 97% humidity. Says it is instantly absorbed, delivers concentrated conditioning, softens and shines. Restore smoothness, mends roughness and intensifies shine and won't leave oily residue.

You can use the sleek oil treatment in one of three ways: mix with conditioner in the shower and rinse out, apply to towel dried hair as a leave in treatment, or use it to tame fly-aways after styling.

I have been using this product for two weeks now and am completely in love with it. I have used it in all the ways that I listed above. I did not notice any big results/changes when I used it with my conditioner. Didn't work too well for me on dry hair to tame fly-aways either. But it has worked wonders for me when using it as a leave in treatment. I noticed a lot of changes in my hair. When I wear my hair naturally, which is curly, it looks so much shiner and healthier than it ever has. I flat ironed my hair and it was super soft and shiny. It rained while I had my hair straight, and if you have naturally curly hair  you know the rain/humidity is bad news, surprisingly my hair stayed straight and smooth! It has not made my hair greasy at all. Usually if I plan to flat iron my hair, I will wash it at night, let it air dry a little, then pull it up before I go to bed and straighten it the following morning. I have found with most products I apply to my hair when doing this, tend to leave it very greasy looking when I straighten it. This oil, surprisingly did not. I love the smell of this oil too! I can't describe the smell of it, but it is very pleasant

This will be a product that I will re-purchase. I think it meets all the brands claims and it's an affordable product. I picked it up for $4.97 at Walmart and you get 3.75 fluid ounces.

 Final Say:

Quality: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Packaging: 5/5

Overall: 15/15

ABC Nail Challenge: Letter B

For the letter B I chose a polish that I have not reached for in a very long time. It is Bali Mist by Sinful Colors. Sinful Colors is one of my favorite nail polish brands. They have a lot of colors to chose from, the are inexpensive at $1.99 a bottle. I think they wear well also.

Bali Mist is a sheer purple color, that looks much darker in the bottle than it does on your nails. I used two coats, and for me it was still not dark enough, but I had other stuff that needed to be done, so I let it go at two. Next time I use this polish I think I will try three coats and see if I like it better. It does have a small amount of shimmer to it. I like the color, it's just too sheer for me. Great thing about this challenge I'm reaching for polishes I haven't reached for in a while :)

Shop My Stash: #1

Since I have more makeup than I really need and because I really need to save some money, I have decided to shop my stash instead of doing actual shopping! Each Sunday I will be shopping my stash for a few products that I have not used in a while, or just some that I want to use up. I will be incorporating them in to my daily routine during the week. If I use products that I have not used in a while, on the following Tuesday, I will do a Try It Again post and let you know if I will be tossing or keeping the products. I will also be including samples in my shop my stash posts. I am the worlds worst to get samples, toss them aside and forget about them. I will probably also be including hair products, lotions and fragrances.

For this week I shopped my stash for the following products:

A sample of Pixi flawless beauty primer, WEI to go Beauty sample of gelled oil cleanser and ideal skin perfect finish, Avon Smooth Minerals lip gloss, Milani eye tech extreme eye liner, ELF cream eye shadow duo in Mocha Swirl and the powered version of the same shade.

Be sure to check out next Tuesdays (1/22) post where my try it again product will be the ELF eye shadow duos!

Will you be shopping your stash this week? If so what items are you using?

Influenster: Palmolive Fresh Infusions

A few days ago I received a package from Influenster that contained THREE full-size bottles of Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soap! I love trying new products weather it be beauty related or not and this was no exception.

Palmolive Fresh Infusions

Palmolive Fresh Infusions comes in three fragrances that are naturally inspired and combined with the cleaning power that you would expect from the Palmolive company. The fragrances are; Lime Basil, Lemon Thyme and Ginger White Tea. You can find this product at Walmart for around $2.96. When looking for a dish soap I want something that cleans my dishes well and is able to cut tough grease. I would prefer that it have a pleasant smell and for it not to be too harsh on my hands.

Here are my first impressions: All three of these smelled amazing! I gave the Ginger White Tea to my Mother-in-Law and kept the other two. I have been using the Lemon Thyme, because lately I have been loving lemon scents. I really like the packaging, I think it's sleek and the bottles have nice photos that represent the scents and looks real. Palmolive Fresh Infusions bottles do not look like any other dish soap bottles I've seen. It's a decent size bottle, you get 16 ounces of product. It cleaned my dishes very well, and worked great for cutting the grease from a pan that I used to fry burgers in. Creates a nice amount of suds with out having to use a ton of product. While the Palmolive Fresh Infusions did leave my hands feeling dry, it did not leave them feeling as dry as my other dish soap does.

Final thoughts, this is the first Palmolive product that I have tried and I love it! I may have just found my new dish soap!

Have you tried the Palmolive Fresh Infusions? What did you thing about it?

* I received these products for free from Influenster to try and review. All thoughts and opinions about these products are my own and 100% honest. *

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Ginger White Tea

Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lemon Thyme