6:00am Beauty: January 2012

For this collection, Maria brings you 4 shades of nudes (Swanbourne, Baker, Tulum, and Mazo) amped up by a golden shimmer... and just to keep it fun, she added the exciting, very anticipated, limited edition green jelly with intense glitter and flakes known as Toxic Seaweed! Secure your set today!

http://shop.cultnails.com

The pre-sale event will offer the entire collection only. The collection will sell for $40 (USD) plus shipping. Pre-Sale offer is valid while supplies last. Colors will be available for individual sale for $10 (USD) each, as supplies allow, once all pre-sale orders have been shipped. (Pre-sale orders are expected to ship approximately the second week of February.)
VIEW SWATCHES OF THE COLLECTION ON MARIA'S BLOG HERE!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Press Release: Harlow Limited Edition - Siren's Collection

The Sirens Limited Edition Collection

exclusively from Harlow & Co.®

Greek mythology tells the tale of the Sirens; dangerous creatures portrayed as seductresses luring nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices, only to have them shipwreck on the rocky coasts of their island. Our Sirens Limited Edition Collection embodies that same seductive and nautical spirit. We promise that they won't leave you shipwrecked - unless you stare at the glitter and shimmer for too long! All three shades have been specifically designed to be used combined for nail art or on their own as stand-alone manicures.

Bad Atmosphere: a dark murky crème with hints of green and blue, this polish works well for nail art stamping or on its own. This mysterious shade is opaque in just one coat! 0.5 oz./15 ml

Precious Calm: subtle shimmer in a grey-teal crème, a shade that is reminiscent of calm, soothing tropical waters. Opaque in two coats and can be used as a base for stamping with Bad Atmosphere or for the glittery goodness of Sparkling Waters. 0.5 oz./15 ml

Sparkling Waters: a glitter packed polish with a hint of holographic! This polish is opaque in two coats or perfect for layering over our two other Siren Limited Edition Collection shades. Sparkling Waters is bursting with blues, teals, silver and holographic glitters, which complement Bad Atmosphere and Precious Calm beautifully. 0.5 oz./15 ml

As a limited edition collection - we are only making 10 sets, which will be released February 1, 2012 - they will retail at $32.00 USD for each collection. There will be no pre-orders and these will be available not only domestically, but internationally as well. If you're a Siren kind of girl, don't delay - they'll be gone before you know it!

Harlow & Co. limited edition polishes are proudly 3-free and animal cruelty free!

These will be available on the Harlow & Co. website on February 1st!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup - - January 19, 2012

Perilously Pale- Lise Watier 2012 Aquarella Collection Round-up and Face of the Day

Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom- The one with Julep Molly

Midnight Manicures- Friday 13th - My 13 favorite manicure and pedicure products from 2011.

Polish Insomniac- China Glaze Aquadelic - Comparisons and Dupe Search!

Blushing Noir- NARS Paramaribo Duo Eyeshadow Swatches, Review and EOTD - Spring 2012

The Beauty Delicacy- Winter Proof Your Skin

Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful – Zoya Fleck Effect Swatches January 2012

Creatively Yours By Ro- Top 25 Under 25 Sephora

The Kracked Kat- The Best Christmas Present...EVER!!! Unicorn Puke

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage- Nicki Minaj OPI Swatches

Monday, January 16, 2012

Julep Maven Intro Box for just 1 penny!!!

Please use my link on the right sidebar or this link http://www.julep.com/AP.aspx?ID=520&EID=14177073 so that I will get Maven Credit for it! If you have any questions about this, please send a comment or email me, I will be happy to walk you through it or answer questions. Use promo code: NewYear2012.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Friday the 13th - My 13 favorite manicure and pedicure products from 2011

Tonight I am bringing you my 13 favorite Manicure and Pedicure products of 2011. This is not a list of all the products I use or have in my possession that I haven't used, but it's my go to products as of now. I know everyone is thinking why 13? why not 10? Well, Happy Friday the 13th. Now on to the products that are in no certain order.

1. OPI Nail Envy for Sensitive and Peeling Nails. This product has been my go to for making my nails long and strong and to stop the peeling. There are other Nail Envy treatments such as the regular strength and maintenance formula. Prices varies online and in stores.

2. OPI Avojuice, this hand and body lotion has the best scents that are not overwhelming and works into the skin fast and leaves it feeling amazing. You can find this product online, in-stores like Ulta, size and price varies.

3. Qtica 3 in one Manicure/Pedicure Soak, I love this stuff! Qtica describes this as: Three in one, all-purpose soaks give you the perfect hand or foot bath to prepare for manicures or pedicures. Qtica Smart Spa Anti-Bacterial Soaks soften water, kill and prevent bacteria and provide relaxing aromatherapy with an advanced medical-grade formula. Cutting-edge foam control technology manages foam level even in whirlpools. There are 2 sizes and range from $20-$36. You can find this in some stores and at www.Zoya.com.

4. Barielle Total Care Foot Cream - this one works without all the mess! I use it a few times a week and it helps keep my feet moisturized and looking good for sandals and flip flops. Retails for $12 each and can be found online at Barielle and in some stores.

5. Julep Essential Cuticle Oil - One of the best smelling, easiest to apply because of the roller ball and easy to carry with you. I find myself remembering to use this and even enjoy using it since it works so well and it's not messy. Retails for $18.

6. OPI Glass Nail File - Very high quality and it lasts. It can be cleaned and re-used an infinite amount of times. Available online and in stores, price varies.

7. & 8. Seche Clear and Seche Vite. My favorite base coat and fast drying top coat. This base coat dries fast and helps prevent polishes from staining your nails and leaves a great starting base for your nail polish color. Seche Vite is one of the fastest drying top coats that I have and it leaves the best shine. Make sure if you have problems with shrinkage to wrap your tips on your nails. This is available online and in stores such as Sally Beauty Supply. Seche Clear retails for $6.99 and with your Sally Beauty Card it is $4.99. Seche Vite retails for $7.49 and with your Sally Beauty Card it is $6.49. You can also find this at other retailers and online.

9. Zoya 3 in 1 formula Remove +. A lot of people ask "does it really matter" and Zoya costs more. It's worth it! This flip top pump bottle is available online at Zoya.com or in Ulta stores. It retails for $9.99. Larger bottles are available at Zoya and they go on special often. This remover is good for glitters and hard to remove polishes also. It preps your nails to be polished. Other sizes are available for $4.60 to $25.00.

10. Nail Polish Remover Wipes - Now this is the shocker! Ebay and from China! Look for the seller that sells them for $1 and $1.29 shipping for a quanity of 400. This is the best deal and the best wipes. 2 of them can take your whole manicure off and not leave any lint or tear up. They do not dry out fast when you apply your polish remover and holds up well when taking off glitters and other hard to remove polishes. Here's the seller I use Lintless Nail Wipes It takes a few weeks to get them.

11. Deborah Lippmann's 2-second primer. For those of you that need a primer to help clean, dry and prep your nails to keep your manicures looking better longer, this is it! Very pleasant smell and it retails for $14. Available online at Deborah Lippmann or in finer retail stores.

12. All Season Fine Grit Yellow Finishing Block. This is the perfect buffing tool for natural nails. You can get it at Sally Beauty Supply or online, it retails for $1.19 each but it on sale this month for $.69.

13. Qtica - Smart Spa - Sugar Scrub - This is great for your hands or feet. Qtica says it: Reveals softer, younger-looking hands and feet with gentle, indulgent exfoliation. The QTICA Smart Spa Exfoliating Sugar Scrub goes on like honey and removes dead skin with delicate sugar crystals that dissolve completely to leave behind soothed, softened skin. Perfect for the spa or shower as it doesn't clogs drains or whirlpool jets and never leaves difficult-to-clean residue like some scrubs. Great on arms and legs after shaving or waxing, never dries or irritates. It retails for $18 for 7 ounces and you can order it from www.zoya.com.

I will bring you more products as I buy them or they are sent for me to review. I will also bring you more lists from now on from Favorite Polishes, Nail Art Items, Manicure Tools and maybe even some favorite beauty or skincare products. How did you like this post? Do you want to see more like it? Any products or groups of products that you would like to see reviewed? Leave a comment, they are always read and answered if needed.

NYC - New York Color Liquid Lip Shine

NYC - New York Color Liquid Lip Shine straight from the city that never sleeps (sound familiar?..hint my blog name). This Lip Shine is uptown style a with down-to-earth price. With pure pigments that create a 3-D gloss effect and vitamin E that provides shine and moisture, this product is perfect to keep lips looking and feeling fabulous this season. Comes in 10 shades from neutral nude, to berries & fuchsias.

This product is worth the price! It is really smooth and the colors are great. I wore it for 3-4 hours before I needed to re-apply. It was a little sticky/tacky at one point, but I've experienced the same with products that cost $20 each. I will purchase more of this product.

Start shopping for NYC at these stores nearest you: Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS, Family Dollar, Duane Reade, Kmart, HEB, and others. Visit newyorkcolor.com to check out all shades and fun products from New York Color!

*This product was provided for my review by Influenster.com in my Holiday VoxBox for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Montagne Junesse Fask Mask in Strawberry Souffle

Montagne Jeunesse Fask Mask's are jam packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious juicy fragrances. After using this product, I kept asking myself "why have you passed this product up so many times before?". I won't anymore. It left my face feeling wonderful and having sensitive skin, it's hard to find products than I can use. I actually took a picture of myself using this product, maybe next time I'll be brave enough to post it!

Montagne Jeunesse beauty treats are free of parabens, vegetarian approved and never tested on animals. So treat yourself today to a masque that will hydrate, nourish and leave your skin cleansed, smooth and glowing. Available at ULTA Beauty, Walgreen’s, Claire’s, Walmart, Kroger, CVS Pharmacies and other retailers across the US, these masques are available in a variety of succulent flavours, including:

Cucumber Peel Off
Passion Peel Off
Dead Sea Mud
Fruit Smoothie
Strawberry Souffle
Chocolate Mud
And many more!

Have you used this product before? What was your experience with it?

*This product was provided to me by Influenster.com in my Holiday VoxBox for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails

This is a follow up review of imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails. It is a new revolutionary way to apply nail polish featuring advanced technology. You simply peel off, press on and your done, no dry time and they promise a salon-perfect manicure in seconds. Im-PRESS comes in 36 colors and patterns, including trendy brights, fun prints, classic darks and animal prints. I received the Space Cadet pattern.

imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!

When I received this product my nails were longer than the length of the press-ons, which in my opinion is not a bad thing. How many times have you gone to use press-on nails or stickers and they were way too long? Also, I have small nail beds and I compared these to my nails and I will be able to use almost all of the product. I have expressed in my review that maybe they come out with two sizes which I haven't seen another company do yet. By the way....don't you just love the package they come in?..... looks like a nail polish bottle!

It took me a few minutes to pick out the nails to fit my fingers, then I used the pad they supply to clean my nails. It took just a few minutes to apply all of the nails on all 10 fingers. I'll add a follow here when I see how long they last, it says up to 7 days on the package. What do you think? Do you use products like this? If not, will you now?

*The product above was provided to me by Influenster.com in the Holiday VoxBox for my honest and unbiased review.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Influenster - Holiday VoxBox Reviews

Tonight, I am bringing you more than just nail products. I signed up to review a variety of different health/beauty products from Influenster.com who sends out VoxBox samples. This is my first review for them and I hope I do them justice.

The first product for review is ImPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails. It is a new revolutionary way to apply nail polish featuring advanced technology. You simply peel off, press on and your done, no dry time and they promise a salon-perfect manicure in seconds. Im-PRESS comes in 36 colors and patterns, including trendy brights, fun prints, classic darks and animal prints.

I am going to bring you a special blog post about this product. At this moment my nails are longer than the length of the press-ons, which in my opinion is not a bad thing. How many times have you gone to use press-on nails or stickers and they were way too long? Also, I have small nail beds and I compared these to my nails and I will be able to use almost all of the product. I have expressed in my review that maybe they come out with two sizes which I haven't seen another company do yet. By the way....don't you just love the package they come in?..... looks like a nail polish bottle!

Next is the SoftSoap Coconut Scrub Bar that is enriched with crushed coconut extract. This bar soap gently exfoliates to renew your skin's surface while helping retain natural moisture for soft, supple skin. It also comes in two other exotic fragrances: Juice Pomegranate & Mango Infusions and Sweet Honeysuckle & Orange Peel. Softsoap products are something I use in my everyday life. I had already picked up this exact product and my family is on their 4th bar. I am totally in love with the Coconut Scrub Bar Soap and can't wait to try the other 2 scents.

Montagne Jeunesse Fask Mask's are jam packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious juicy fragrances. I received the Strawberry Souffle and it smelled delicious. The other flavors available are Cucumber Peel Off, Passion Peel Off, Dead Sea Mud and Fruit Smoothie. I do think there are other flavors available. After using this product, I kept asking myself "why have you passed this product up so many times before?". I won't anymore. It left my face feeling wonderful and having sensitive skin, it's hard to find products than I can use. I actually took a picture of myself using this product, maybe next time I'll be brave enough to post it!

New York Color Liquid Lip Shine straight from the city that never sleeps (sound familiar?..hint my blog name). This Lip Shine is uptown style a with down-to-earth price. With pure pigments that create a 3-D gloss effect and vitamin E that provides shine and moisture, this product is perfect to keep lips looking and feeling fabulous this season. Comes in 10 shades from neutral nude, to berries & fuchsias.

I'm sure you've all seen this product while standing in a check out line. It's Mentos Pure Fresh Gum, but did you know it also comes in a sugar-free variety? Whether it's before a holiday party, date or meeting, pop Mentos Pure Fresh Gum for a quick refresh! The crunchy outer shell conceals a green tea extract core that provides an immediate burst of coolness for long-lasting fresh breath. Its unique container keeps gum protected in your purse or where ever you store your gum. I had to hide this from my 18 year old daughter or I wouldn't have gotten to review it, she loves this even more than I do.

Larabar is made from only 2-9 ingredients, each Larabar is a delicious blend of just fruits, nuts and spices. Pure and simple, just as nature intended. Larabar comes in 19 delicious flavors. I received the Peanut Butter Cookie flavor, it took some getting use to the texture and taste as the consistency of the bar is very dense. I love Peanut Butter and I'm sure I would have loved one of the chocolate flavors more. If you are anything like I am and having a hard time going healthy....I am just now getting into health bars so this is probably going to take a while for me to totally come around and recommend these, but I do think they are worth giving a 2nd try, especially compared to the other brands I have tried already. It is one of the better tasting brands.

Garden Botanika Heart Fragrance is described as a light, sheer breeze of fragrance to refresh you throughout the day. Heart fragrance blends the sheer scent of floral with tones of cedar, citrus and a hint of musk. This is Garden Botanika's best selling fragrance. This fragrance is not for me, it did not go well with my chemistry. I have seen more praises than not on it though, this will be passed to my daughter.

I hope I am chosen to review the next Voxbox that is a "love themed" Valentine's Day box. I have thoroughly enjoyed stepped outside of my box and reviewing other kinds of products. What do you think about my review? Have you used any of the products above or have any comments about the brands? You can also follow Influenster on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Influenster and on twitter at http://twitter.com/influenster.

*All the products above were provided for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Zoya's Veruschuka and Deborah Lippmann's Boom Boom Pow

Bringing you another one of my Holiday manicures, this is Zoya's Veruschuka with a top coat of Deborah Lippmann's Boom Boom Pow. Veruschuka can be best described as a deep blue-kissed emerald evergreen garnished with strong metallic shimmer in a velvety matte finish. Boom Boom Pow is described as a glamorous gold gleam (glitter) that contains 24K Gold Dust. This combination together is magic!

I used 2 coats of Veruschuka, mattes are known to be a little more difficult to apply that other polishes, but the more I use them the easier it gets, she is also beautiful alone matte. I then applied one medium coat of Boom Boom Pow, I can not believe how easy this glitter went on. I didn't have to try to even any of the glitter particles out or apply more in spots, this polish just happens! I wore this combination several days with no chips or wear. You can find Zoya Nail Polish on their website, Ulta or Whole Foods, you can follow them on Facebook, they retail for $8. Deborah Lippmann can also be found on her website, online retailers or high-end department stores, they retail from $16-20.

What are your thoughts on this combination?

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Zoya's Noel and Twila

Tonight, I am bringing you a beautiful combination of Noel and Twila from Zoya's Gems & Jewels Collection. I wore this manicure over the Holidays and everyone loved it. I didn't have time to take too many pictures and I think this one says it all. This is 2 coats of each polish and both went on smooth. Even though Twila is a bar glitter, it was not bumpy or hard to apply.

You can purchase Zoya through their website at www.zoya.com or from Ulta, Whole Foods and some local salons. They also have a wonderful Facebook group at Zoya Nail Polish. Zoya is a 3 Free polish and is available in over 300 colors, they retail for $8 each.

What are your thoughts about Zoya and their Gems & Jewels Collection? Have you seen their new Spring 2012 Collection? If not, I did a review for them and you can find it here Zoya True and Fleck Effects Reviews.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Press Release - SPARITUAL INTRODUCES WATER 2012 NAIL LACQUER COLLECTION

SPARITUAL INTRODUCES WATER 2012 NAIL LACQUER COLLECTION

Portion of proceeds donated to Surge

Benefits Clean, Safe, Drinking Water

SpaRitual is pleased to introduce Water 2012 for spring, which is inspired by the creative flow of energy that travels through us, much in the same way water travels throughout the earth. The collection encourages us to listen to the undercurrents of our subconscious that allows positive thoughts, emotions, and creativity to rise to the surface of our conscious mind. Each nail lacquer also serves as a gentle reminder that protecting our natural resources for generations to come is vital.

The global water crisis does exist and as SpaRitual ritualistically supports an organization that is aligned with the brands environmental, health, and wellness platform, this spring they have chosen to collaborate with the organization Surge. 20% of proceeds of the Water nail lacquer collection will be donated to the organization whose mission is to deliver clean drinking water to those who are in need.

Surge, co-founded by Chicago-based activist Shilpa Alva, is a U.S. non-profit organization that improves access to clean, safe water for communities around the world that need this resource for drinking and cooking. Surge increases public awareness of the global water crisis through education and investment in sustainable solutions that can alter peoples’ lives worldwide.

"Water is a necessity that no one should have to live without and together we hope to make sure that everyone has access to clean, safe, drinking water. This is a valuable partnership for us because SpaRitual sees the importance of expanding our reach to enable clean water to be part of every community. “– Shilpa Alva, www.surgeforwater.org

“The Water Collection represents the importance it has for our physical wellbeing (up to 70% of the human body is composed of water) and our emotional health (it’s a proven fact that water provides soothing benefits). Sadly, communities around the world lack access to clean drinking water,” says SpaRitual founder, Shel Pink. “We’re pleased to be involved with Surge, and to support the foundation’s efforts to help provide clean, safe, drinking water worldwide.’’

As a philosophy-driven brand, SpaRitual is deeply committed to helping one person at a time whether it is through direct support of safe drinking water or by sourcing safe ingredients. SpaRitual’s Water 2012 lacquers are free of DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Formaldehyde Resin, and are formulated to compliment slow-beauty practices.

Water shades include Hidden Reef, a shimmering coral, Deep, an iridescent reflection of moonlight, Ripple Effect, a creamy & dusty mauve, Lucid, a lilac blue hue, Undercurrent, a dark blue like the ocean floor, Ebb & Flow, a light aqua like the sky. The complete collection is available February 1, 2012 and will retail for $10.00 each in fine salons and spas nationwide, including Spa Halekulani, Canyon Ranch, and the Mandarin Oriental. SpaRitual products are also available online at skinstore.com, beauty.com, and skincarerx.com

For more information, please contact Kera Morgan or visit us online at www.sparitual.com.

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About SpaRitual - Founded by lifestyle futurist Shel Pink, SpaRitual fuses a mind, body, spirit connection with healing spa traditions to create a world of Slow Beauty. Specially sourced vegan, certified organic and fair trade ingredients from around the world are used to create SpaRitual products for body, hand and lifestyle. Our natural formulations never use synthetic dyes or parabens, and our vegan Nail Elixirs and Lacquers are also free of toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and DBP. SpaRitual stays on the pulse of sustainability issues to ensure our products; processes and packaging are as environmentally responsible as possible.

Our brand philosophy encourages women to understand beauty as a holistic connection to oneself and to the environment. Only by slowing down, can we allow our inner beauty to radiate outwards.