Hey everyone! I just got back from an amazing vacation all over the state of Florida with my family. It was so much fun and I loved spending time with my baby sister! I will have a post up sometime this week with a few pictures from the trip!
Anyway, I was tagged by Mercedes at Beyond Beauty Lounge to do this Beauty Blogger Q&A Tag so you all can maybe get to know me a little bit! And I challenge you all to do it as well, its fun!
1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight? My hair is naturally super curly and BIG. I have A LOT of hair.
2. What is your natural hair color? Dark brown, almost black. Which is funny because when I was little my hair was SUPER light. It got darker as I got older.
3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon? When I dye it, I do it myself. I haven't done it in a while. For a long time I had unnatural colors like neon pink, turquoise, purple. etc. A few months ago I went back to my natural color.
4. How often do you wash your hair? It really depends on what I'm doing and how much products I've put in. I generally tend to wait as long as I can between washes because my hair dries out super easy. If anything I rinse with conditioner only and use shampoo sparingly.
5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it? I tend to change it up a lot. Lately, I'm loving wearing buns and topknots and accessorizing with bows and flowers.
6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon? I definitely do my own manicures and pedicures. Once in a blue moon I'll treat myself by going to a salon for a pedicure but that's really rare.
7. How often to you change your nail polish? A few times a week but if I'm swatching, who knows!
8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer? My toes stay polished and my feet taken care of year round. I live in South Florida so I wear sandals year round.
9. How long does it take to put on your makeup? If I'm just doing simple every day makeup then about 15 minutes, if I'm doing full face, dramatic/special occasion makeup then it can take me 30-45 minutes, maybe even more haha
10. What do you do first? Face or eyes? Depends on how dramatic my eyes will be. If I'm using dark colors on my eyes then I do them first so I don't mess up my foundation with fallout. Typically I do my face first every day though.
11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it? I am definitely a product junkie/hoarder. I think it sort of comes with blogging although I was this way even before blogging. I love trying new things and switching up my regular products.
12. How often do you wear false eyelashes? Very rarely. I have REALLY long and SUPER curly lashes naturally so its kind of hard to apply falsies. I do love the look of them though and wear them for special occasions.
13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day? If by full face you mean foundation then yes. I always wear foundation/bb cream to even out my skin tone.
14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)? At home? No.
15. Will you leave the house without makeup? I feel ashamed to say this but no. I guess that comes with major self esteem issues but that's getting into a whole different topic. Don't judge me!
16. How many high end products do you have? I have a rather large collection of products in general with a nice mixture of both high end and drugstore. I have no idea how many exactly.
17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes? I have such a horrible habit of just buying new ones instead of washing them so I end up with a ton of each kind of brush that I like. I really am trying to be better about this though.
18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed? I am very spur of the moment with my clothes and usually decide as I'm getting dresses unless its for a special event or occasion.
19. How often do you change your handbag? I tend to have one "every day" sort of bag at a time and use different ones for going out at night. I switch it up pretty regularly.
20. What time do you get up & go to sleep? I have the most horrible sleep schedule ever. I love naps though haha
21. How often & when do you workout? I'm really bad about this and definitely need to be more active.
22. Left-handed or Right-handed? Ambidextrous.
23. How tall are you? 5'7''
24. Do you speak a foreign language? None fluently.
25. How many pets do you have? I don't have any right now.
26. How often are you on Blogger? Every day!
27. Do you read the comments posted blogs? I read every single comment that is left on my blog. It is one of the best parts about blogging, knowing that people care about what you have to say.
28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts? Yes! I keep a list on my phone of products that I see and want to try or pick up.
29. How did you come up with your blog name? Well my blog was originally DIY Polish and I got that because I used to get my nails done in salons for years and started doing my own, hence DIY. But then when I got really into blogging, I wanted to branch out more into general beauty so a few of my good friends actually helped me with my current name, My Vanity Basics, and I LOVE it!
30. What kind of camera do you use? A Nikon CoolPix and I love it!
31. How often do you clean your house? It stays clean. I pick up as I go. I do a nice deep cleaning once a week.
32. What is your favorite color? I have two, a bright neon pink and orange!
33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine? I don't really have one specific one, I like reading a variety for different reasons.
34. Do you swear? Too much, never professionally though.
35. What are you doing with the rest of your day? Well its 9pm now so they day is almost over. When I am done with this post I am going to organize a bit.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this and maybe getting to know a little about me!
I tag College Polished, Peace Love Lacquer and Jilltastic Nail Design and anyone else who wants to play!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra Thin Flat Iron
*The products in this post were provided free of charge from the company itself or a PR firm on behalf of the company for my honest review. All opinions are my own, as always*
Hey lovelies! If you are anything like me, you love browsing and shopping online! Flat Iron Experts is an online beauty shop. They carry all sorts of things including hair products, styling tools, even nail polish and much more.
They were kind enough to send me a BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra Thin Flat Iron along with a Flat Iron Experts Iron Holder, KQC Thermal Shine Spray, and Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo so that I could review them all for you guys!
Let's start with the shampoo. I've been wanting to try products from this brand so this was a perfect chance.
First of all, I LOVE the smell of it! Lately, I've been having major issues with shampoos smelling too artificial, for lack of a better description. This Macadamia Natural Oil shampoo has a light, natural scent. It definitely isn't strong or overpowering. It left my hair feeling very clean and removed built up product.
Overall, I really like it. I want to pick up the conditioner to try that out along with this.
Now, I have pretty curly hair naturally. My hair also tends to be coarse, dry and SUPER thick. I have A LOT of hair so straightening it is sometimes a chore.
I washed my hair the night before and let it air dry naturally to reduce the heat damage from blow drying and straightening together. When I woke up, my hair was extremely poofy and frizzy. I started by evenly spritzing the KQC Thermal Shine Spray which can also be used as a heat protector. I combed through my hair to make sure it was evenly distributed and noticed right away that with the spray alone, my hair felt AMAZING and was so very soft.
Here is a picture so you can see what my hair looked like before I straightened it. DON'T LAUGH AT MY FRIZZ BALL! haha
Have you tried any of these products? What are you favorite styling tools and hair products?
*The products in this post were provided free of charge from the company itself or a PR firm on behalf of the company for my honest review. All opinions are my own, as always*
Hey lovelies! If you are anything like me, you love browsing and shopping online! Flat Iron Experts is an online beauty shop. They carry all sorts of things including hair products, styling tools, even nail polish and much more.
They were kind enough to send me a BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra Thin Flat Iron along with a Flat Iron Experts Iron Holder, KQC Thermal Shine Spray, and Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo so that I could review them all for you guys!
Let's start with the shampoo. I've been wanting to try products from this brand so this was a perfect chance.
First of all, I LOVE the smell of it! Lately, I've been having major issues with shampoos smelling too artificial, for lack of a better description. This Macadamia Natural Oil shampoo has a light, natural scent. It definitely isn't strong or overpowering. It left my hair feeling very clean and removed built up product.
Overall, I really like it. I want to pick up the conditioner to try that out along with this.
Now, I have pretty curly hair naturally. My hair also tends to be coarse, dry and SUPER thick. I have A LOT of hair so straightening it is sometimes a chore.
I washed my hair the night before and let it air dry naturally to reduce the heat damage from blow drying and straightening together. When I woke up, my hair was extremely poofy and frizzy. I started by evenly spritzing the KQC Thermal Shine Spray which can also be used as a heat protector. I combed through my hair to make sure it was evenly distributed and noticed right away that with the spray alone, my hair felt AMAZING and was so very soft.
Here is a picture so you can see what my hair looked like before I straightened it. DON'T LAUGH AT MY FRIZZ BALL! haha
Whew! Check out that mess!
Here is a picture a little more than halfway through so you can see the BIG difference!
RAWR angry face!
And finally here is a picture after it was all done!
Oh hey look, I can smile!
I'm sorry the pictures aren't great quality, its sort of hard to take pictures of yourself to showcase your hair. But anyway, you get the point. I wish I could begin to explain how amazingly soft my hair felt! It was so smooth, shiny and flowy! (I know, its not a real word!)
I am by no means being paid to say this, it is definitely my own very honest opinion, I LOVE the BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron AND the KQC Thermal Shine Spray. I will without a doubt be repurchasing the spray, it made my stubborn hair feel so great and manageable.
The BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron has 1'' ceramic plates designed to distribute and retain heat evenly across the surface. The iron itself is extremely lightweight but sturdy. You can find lots more information on the flat iron HERE.
I've never had a flat iron holder so when I got this I was really excited! No more burning my counter tops or vanity! It has suction cups on the bottom to hold it firmly in place.
Overall, I definitely love all of these products and am so excited to keep using them. They made straightening my hair and styling it so easy and nearly cut the total time in half.
Macadamia Natural Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo - $17.99
Flat Iron Experts Iron Holder - $14.99
KQC Thermal Shine Spray - $13.99
BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Ultra Thin Flat Iron - $119.95
*The products in this post were provided free of charge from the company itself or a PR firm on behalf of the company for my honest review. All opinions are my own, as always*
Monday, March 25, 2013
Review & Swatches: COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balm
*The products in this post were provided free of charge from the company itself or a PR firm on behalf of the company for my honest review. All opinions are my own, as always*
Hey everyone, happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! I was able to spend some time with my mom and get a little bit of shopping done on Friday so that was nice. Then I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and resting since I wasn't feeling well.
I've been into all things beauty related for as long as I can remember so it'll come as no surprise to know that I have a larger than average collection of products. I've noticed recently that when shopping for cosmetic and beauty products I tend to obsess over a certain kind of product for a while. For example, foundations. I'll buy and try a ton of different foundations for a little while then I'll move onto something else. Right now, I seem to be switching between a foundation and lip product obsession.
Which brings me to today's post, I have two of the new COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms that were provided to me to review for you guys!
Now, a little more background information, when it comes to regular lipsticks, I tend to prefer a rich, matte look. Since I tend to wear a lot of matte lipsticks, I love to keep my lips hydrated when I'm not wearing a matte lipstick and these COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms are great for that.
COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms are balms (obviously, ha!) that are fortified with shea and mango butters for a smooth and hydrating feel but they also provide a tint of color and shine.
They feel great on, so smooth and light. Definitely a nice change from my usual matte lipstick. They are so very soft and not at all sticky feeling.
First I have Blush Twist which is a soft, light pink with a slight shimmer/frost finish. It is very sheer but provided a pretty tint of pink to my lips with a beautiful shine. This shade is so girly and soft.
*The products in this post were provided free of charge from the company itself or a PR firm on behalf of the company for my honest review. All opinions are my own, as always*
Hey everyone, happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! I was able to spend some time with my mom and get a little bit of shopping done on Friday so that was nice. Then I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and resting since I wasn't feeling well.
I've been into all things beauty related for as long as I can remember so it'll come as no surprise to know that I have a larger than average collection of products. I've noticed recently that when shopping for cosmetic and beauty products I tend to obsess over a certain kind of product for a while. For example, foundations. I'll buy and try a ton of different foundations for a little while then I'll move onto something else. Right now, I seem to be switching between a foundation and lip product obsession.
Which brings me to today's post, I have two of the new COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms that were provided to me to review for you guys!
Now, a little more background information, when it comes to regular lipsticks, I tend to prefer a rich, matte look. Since I tend to wear a lot of matte lipsticks, I love to keep my lips hydrated when I'm not wearing a matte lipstick and these COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms are great for that.
COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms are balms (obviously, ha!) that are fortified with shea and mango butters for a smooth and hydrating feel but they also provide a tint of color and shine.
They feel great on, so smooth and light. Definitely a nice change from my usual matte lipstick. They are so very soft and not at all sticky feeling.
First I have Blush Twist which is a soft, light pink with a slight shimmer/frost finish. It is very sheer but provided a pretty tint of pink to my lips with a beautiful shine. This shade is so girly and soft.
Next up is Rose Twist, a soft rosey mauve color and unlike Blush Twist (above) it has no shimmer/frost. It is a cream finish.
For some reason, this one photographs a lot darker than it actually is.
Here is a picture of swatches on my arm of these two shades side by side.
Here you can see the shimmer/frost finish of Blush Twist vs. the creme finish of Rose Twist.
Overall, these two are both really pretty. Of the two, I prefer Rose Twist. It is so light and natural. Would I recommend these? Yes. They are great for moisturizing and hydrating your lips while also providing a light, natural looking wash of sheer color.
My absolute favorite part of these is the jumbo twist pencil packaging. Instead of having to sharpen it, you just twist it up!
The COVERGIRL LipPerfection™ Jumbo Gloss Balms retail between $6.99 and $8.99 depending on where you get them.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Another Important Information Post!
I know, I know lots of important information tonight! If you follow other blogs, you've probably already heard that Google will be doing away with Google Reader by July 1, 2013.
Google Reader is what most of you use to read and follow this blog, along with many others! (GFC) So what this means is that if you'd like to keep reading and following my blog you'll need to find another way to do so. My favorite option available right now is Blog Lovin'. It is what I currently use and what I can recommend to you.
The best part of Blog Lovin' is that you can very easily import the blogs you currently follow from GFC over to Blog Lovin'! Blog Lovin' also gives you the option to receive email updates with new posts from blogs that you follow.
There are other options available but this is the one that I personally use and recommend. I hope you'll all continue to follow and read this blog, I adore each and every one of you!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin also, check out the adorable little makeup buttons on the top right hand corner of this page to find other ways to keep up and get updates!
Google Reader is what most of you use to read and follow this blog, along with many others! (GFC) So what this means is that if you'd like to keep reading and following my blog you'll need to find another way to do so. My favorite option available right now is Blog Lovin'. It is what I currently use and what I can recommend to you.
The best part of Blog Lovin' is that you can very easily import the blogs you currently follow from GFC over to Blog Lovin'! Blog Lovin' also gives you the option to receive email updates with new posts from blogs that you follow.
There are other options available but this is the one that I personally use and recommend. I hope you'll all continue to follow and read this blog, I adore each and every one of you!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin also, check out the adorable little makeup buttons on the top right hand corner of this page to find other ways to keep up and get updates!
Important FTC Information!
Hey everyone!
I have some important information regarding a few changes to this blog. If you haven't yet seen or heard, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has updated the way they want bloggers to handle disclosure to our readers.
If you have been a reader of mine for a while, you'll know that when I receive a product for review from a company or PR firm that deals with a company that I include disclosure at the end of my posts. Something along the lines of "*This product was sent to me for my honest review, as always my loyalties lie with my readers" It is never a secret or hidden from you all when a product I am writing about was sent to me.
With the changes to the "rules", bloggers are now required to disclose at the beginning of each post that a product was sent for free to review, as well as whenever an endorsement is made (in the post itself) AND at the end! Whew, can you say overkill a bit? I mean, I get why it's needed but man, that is A LOT!
Anyway, my point in writing this is to let you all know that every review post from now on will include these disclosures whenever a product is provided to me for review.
If you would like to read the official policies and more in depth information, you can find it here.
I have some important information regarding a few changes to this blog. If you haven't yet seen or heard, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has updated the way they want bloggers to handle disclosure to our readers.
If you have been a reader of mine for a while, you'll know that when I receive a product for review from a company or PR firm that deals with a company that I include disclosure at the end of my posts. Something along the lines of "*This product was sent to me for my honest review, as always my loyalties lie with my readers" It is never a secret or hidden from you all when a product I am writing about was sent to me.
With the changes to the "rules", bloggers are now required to disclose at the beginning of each post that a product was sent for free to review, as well as whenever an endorsement is made (in the post itself) AND at the end! Whew, can you say overkill a bit? I mean, I get why it's needed but man, that is A LOT!
Anyway, my point in writing this is to let you all know that every review post from now on will include these disclosures whenever a product is provided to me for review.
If you would like to read the official policies and more in depth information, you can find it here.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Luck of the Irish Nail Art Challenge Day 2: Pot o' Gold/Rainbow
Today is day 2 of the Luck of the Irish Nail Art Challenge and today's theme is Pot o' Gold/Rainbows! I instantly had an idea in my head and ran with it!
I used the beautiful Zoya Blu as a base, you can find my swatches of it here.
I also used a thin stripper brush to create the rainbow. Once that dried a bit, I free handed the black pots. For the gold, I used loose gold nail art glitter applied with topcoat so it would stick. I then added the green for the grass and the look was complete!
(RAWR THE CLAW!)
Make sure you check out the other amazing, talented ladies taking part in this challenge!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Luck of the Irish Nail Art Challenge Day 1: Anything Green!
WHATTTT!?!? I've decided to join a St. Patrick's Day themed nail art challenge, I usually suck pretty bad at keeping up with challenges but I started this one way ahead of time and took my time at getting it done. Also, it only has 5 themes haha! Plus the other ladies are really awesome so I had fun with these.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to check out the other ladies participating!
When I first got the themes, I got an idea in my head for the first one. Although it is really simple, my goal with doing this challenge was to try techniques that I haven't yet or that I don't have much practice with.
For the green theme I selected Zoya Gemma, a beautiful olive green with a blue/violet duochrome shimmer. I got this polish a while ago and it is still one of my favorites.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to check out the other ladies participating!
For the green theme I selected Zoya Gemma, a beautiful olive green with a blue/violet duochrome shimmer. I got this polish a while ago and it is still one of my favorites.
I then taped off triangle shapes near the cuticle base and added Zoya Raven, a black creme base with a very subtle silver shimmer. I thought it was still missing something so by hand I added Zoya Ziv, a gold metallic foil.
In my opinion the 3 colors really work well together. Like I said, its really simple but for some reason I really like it.
I hope you all enjoy and don't forget to check out the awesome artwork from the other ladies!
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