NYE Nude Nails

Hello, Fireflies!

Happy NYE! Whether you're going out and partying, or bringing in the New Year with the TV, you can still have fabulous nails, right?  For me, the trend was nude, with a little (or a lot) of bling!  I reached into the vault to bring up some looks you might want to try to ring in your 2015.

Ipsy-stravaganza! March and April box review

Hello, Fireflies!

I'm excited to show you TWO months of Ipsy bags!  I love Ipsy.  For $10 a month, you get to try all kinds of cool new stuff.

Let's start with March's bag.  First off, the BAG.  It's mega-cute, and designed by a new artist that they're giving some exposure to.  Which, if I could have remembered to save the tag, I would share with you.  Oops.

This was a great makeup month! Lots of goodies.  First up, the Pixi Primer, with a little bit of shimmer to it, for that luminous glow.  In the third pix, you can see how it shimmers.  I'd pair that with a nice BB/CC cream and let the glow come through.

Probably my favorite item this month was the Marvelous Moxie deluxe lipstick in Get Ready.  This is a perfect 'your lips but better' pinkish-nude shade.  Great formula, too.  I used the code to order something from their site and got a sample of the mascara and free shipping - and, because they said they were having some problems with their site, they gave me a code for some more freebies.  It was awesome.

I wasn't that excited about the NYX palette, not because it isn't good, but I have a ton of neutral palettes, and I probably won't reach for this one as often.  Then Chella liner is a gorgeous bright blue.  I didn't have any problems with my swatch, but I understand that other bloggers had problems with application and the tip skipping.

Here's all the swatches - Get Ready lippie across the top, the three eyeshadow shades from the NYX palette, and the Chella liner on the bottom.

But wait, there's more! I also have April's bag to show you.  Another cute bag! Beauty Rocks!

When subscribers found out that the Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Black Velvet was included in this bag, it drove everyone into a tizzy - and rightly so.  It's awesome.  Nice, soft black, easy to apply and wear. 

The Elizabeth Mott shadow is a nice color that everyone can use - and everyone probably has a bazillion pans of.  It's a nice shimmery champagne color, great for highlights.

I have some Cailyn products, and I really like the packaging - the applicator brush is part of the top! So far, I've enjoyed my two gel eyeliners from Cailyn, and now I love this tinted lip balm in Apple Pink, too.  Another great color.  It's a balm, so it's not going to last for long - but it's so much fun to reapply.

Here's swatches of those three products - U/D Black Velvet, Elizabeth Mott Champagne, and Cailyn Apple Pink.

I haven't tried the Dr. Brandt exfoliator yet, but I've heard it's pretty awesome.  I have been experimenting with a couple of different physical exfoliators lately, and I didn't want to overdo it with a chemical one, too.

I have a roll-on perfume in Sea Salt from Demeter, and I love it, so I was excited to get this one in Jasmine.  It's a really strong, clear jasmine scent.  Very pretty, but not very complex.  I think this would appeal a lot to people who like to layer their scents to create something unique.  If you like bath products with a jasmine scent, this would be great to apply after a bath to make it linger a little longer.

Have you checked out Ipsy yet?  Personally, I don't think there's a better subscription for the money.  If you're interested in subscribing and sending a few Ipsy points my way, click through my affiliate link HERE.

My #NailArtForNubs post goes live at 9am Eastern - it's a cool half-moon mani featuring Aly's Dream Polish!

Sunday Stamping - Over The Rainbow - #GetLuckyNAC

Hello, Fireflies!

It's always a lucky day when I can combine two challenges into one mani.  Is it extra special that one is a "Get Lucky" challenge? Only if one of us actually does, I say.

Hope it's me. uh, you.  Who am I kidding.  I hope it's me.

I started with a couple of coats of Revlon Spirit, and then stamped with Maybelline Bold Gold using Winstonia W11 and Mash 40.  I don't seem to have an accurate rainbow stamp, so I had to fudge things a bit.

And then, I let my freak flag fly.  Rainbows!

I freehanded the little pots and added glitter galore for the gold.  I thought about doing a decal, but sometimes I like the zen experience of just painting, and I didn't want to wait for all they drying time for a decal.  Granted, they probably would look better. 

But topcoat covers a multitude of sins.  Pretttttyyyy colllorrrsssss.....  ooooooohhhhhhh..... ahhhhhh...

Bottle shot:  Revlon Spirit, Sinful Colors Energetic Red, Wet 'n Wild Straight A Jesse,  Wet 'n Wild Pin 'Em Slater, Wet 'n Wild Nerd Alert: Screech, Wet 'n Wild Chick Magnet Zach, Pixi Amazing Amethyst, Wet 'n Wild Fashionista Lisa, and nail art stripers in black and gold glitter.  (Not Pictured - Maybelline Bold Gold.)

Do you think if I found a leprechaun, he would grant me the wish of perfect nails?

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