Candy Corn from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics Samhain/Halloween Collection

Hello Lovelies!!

So for today I have a review of another polish from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics, this time a glitter polish from their Samhain/Halloween Collection called Candy Corn. This is a Limited Edition polish, so if you love it as much as I do hurry and order some!! I ordered a small bottle of this, which is 6 mL and sells for $3, she also has a medium sized polish, 12 mL, for $6, and a full size bottle, 15 mL, for $9. Candy Corn is a glitter polish with orange, white, and yellow glitters in clear base, all matte hexes from sizes ranging .008 to .060. And all of her polishes are 3-FREE and Cruelty FREE, which is super awesome.
Also her shop does have a FREESHIP15 coupon code that qualifies orders in the United States that are over $15 for free shipping!! Totally bitchin, right? She does ship her products internationally, but this coupon code is for people in the US only. She has some other deals listed on her page, as well as her Facebook page: Carpe Noctem Cosmetics on Facebook She posts on her Facebook regularly with all her new polishes and deals, so you should check her out to stay up to speed on what's going on with her shop.

Candy Corn over Gorgeous Gourd by Carpe Noctem Cosmetics

Okay, when I applied this I used one coat of base coat, 2 coats of Gorgeous Gourd (also from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics, you can see my review here: Gorgeous Gourd Review,) and then 3 coats of Candy Corn. Now, candy Corn looks just great with fewer coats, but I seriously LOVE the way this glitter looks so I loaded it up.
The base for this polish is thick enough to support the glitter, so you don't get a ton of settling. You still have to give it a good shake and roll to make sure it distributes all perfect like, but it hold up better than a lot of other glitter polishes.
This is a really fun glitter, it adds a really neat visual texture with very little tactile texture, which is amazing. I really like Candy Corn over orange and red, but it does look cute over other colors as well. My daughter was wearing a green polish from Zoya and she wanted some of the "pretty sparklies" so I put a coat over her green nails and it was adorable.
I wore this polish for 4 or 5 days without any chipping or discoloration or any other weirdness happening to my nails. It was not difficult to remove and it did not stain my nails. To me, that is pretty friggin amazing. I almost never have polish last on my nails that long without them getting jacked up one way or another. And I was wearing 6 coats of polish total!!!

Overall, this is an amazing polish. The glitter is really cute and looks great with a variety of colors, it's super chip resistant and long lasting, the glitter doesn't settle too much, and it's being sold for a very fair price. I already went back to her shop and bought the full size bottle of this glitter so I won't have to worry about running out after she discontinues the Samhain/Halloween Collection. I would highly recommend this polish for those of you that love really fun glitter and the color orange. Orange is my favorite color, so it was a pretty easy sell for me lol.

I hope you guys liked this review, I'm so in love with indie polish right now it's insane. Leave me some love in the comments and let me know how you feel about Candy Corn, or if you've ever ordered from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics, and make sure to leave me links to your fave indie polish distributor, I would love getting to find some more awesome companies to check out! Til next time!!

Gorgeous Gourd from Carpe Noctem Cosmetics

Hello Lovelies!!

So, like so many others, I have totally fallen in love with the Indie nail polish scene. There are so many awesome small/local distributors with some totally bitchin and just amazingly creative polishes. I know a girl who started a company on Etsy, Carpe Noctem Cosmetics, making polishes last year, and when she released her Samhain/Halloween Collection this year I was just like, "Yes... I must have these...." So I placed an order with her and got 3 of her Samhain/Halloween Collection polishes, as well as a medium size bottle of Gorgeous Gourd from her Autumnal Secrets Collection.
A medium sized bottle of Gorgeous Gourd sells for $6 at her Etsy shop, and it's a 12 mL bottle so it's a very reasonable price. She does have a FREESHIP15 coupon code listed on her Facebook page (Carpe Noctem Cosmetics on Facebook) which is good for free shipping on orders over $15 in the United States. She does offer international shipping, but she can't do free shipping over seas.
All of her polishes are 3-FREE (Yay!!) and cruelty free (double Yay!!) and she ALSO hand blends/grinds in small batches, which is pretty dope.
So now that we've hit the basics of the polish, let's move on to the pictures!!

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics - Gorgeous Gourd - No Flash

Carpe Noctem Cosmetics - Gorgeous Gourd - With Flash

Gorgeous Gourd is an orange shimmer nail polish, and the color is absolutely stunning. The finely milled shimmer gives this color so much depth, making the shadows seem so much more intense and the highlights pop in sharp contrast.
I applied 2 coats of Gorgeous Gourd over a base coat and it was fully opaque, though the color was quite vibrant after only one coat. I did not apply a top coat, though after a day of wearing this color alone I did apply one of her glitter polishes over this. But that's a whole different post... :)
I wore this polish with the glitter polish for about 5 days without any chipping or fading or anything. I was really surprised just how well this polish stayed on, I'm particularly hard on nail polishes and I don't usually have them last more than 3 days. There was also no staining of my nails from this polish, which I also seem to have a problem with.

Overall, this is an amazing polish/color. The price is very fair, the color is amazing, it's long wearing, chip resistant, and 3-FREE & cruelty free. I would highly recommend this polish to anyone, it's friggin awesome.
If you want to give her shop a look-see, here's her link: Carpe Noctem Cosmetics Or you could just check out her Facebook page where she posts all of her new colors as well as specials going on at her shop, Carpe Noctem Cosmetics on Facebook.

Hope you all had a great weekend!! I went out with my family and my cousin and her daughter to go and get pumpkins for Halloween, and it was a total blast. I got to pet a cow!!! Speaking of Halloween, I will have a couple Halloween themed posts out this week that are going to be super fun. But I have a Halloween costume to make for the kiddo (I'll post a tutorial if you guys are interested) and I've got to get some sleep. Til next time!!

Super Fresh FOTD

Hello lovelies!!

I've got a quick FOTD for you guys today. Last night I was drying my hair after my shower and I was like, "Damn my hair is getting long." And I was staring in the mirror for a minute and decided it was time. Time to curl my hair. This probably doesn't sound like much of anything to you guys, but I have NEVER curled my hair before. I've worn my hair short since I was about 15 and never really let it grow out again. So this was kind of a big deal for me. And I only burnt my fingers 4 times, and only one of those times removed skin. I'm pretty proud of myself. I was so proud that I did my makeup at 3am just so I could take pictures for this post. I love me with curly hair!!!

Face Products Used: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc; Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation in Ivory 2; e.l.f. Studio Cream Blush & Bronzer Duo; NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in Paradise; Benefit Watt's Up!

Eye Products Used: Matte Light Brown and Matte Dark Brown eyeshadows from BH Cosmetics Malibu Palette; Watt's Up from Benefit; Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara; Rimmel Kohl Kajal Liner in Pure White.

Lip Products Used: e.l.f. Lip Tint in Nude Nectar; Collection Lock N Hold Lipgloss in Beat Box.

I decided to go for a really fresh look with my makeup because I feel like the curls were a very innocent and young look. I also opted to not do my brows to add to the youthful look. I've found that light, undefined brows make you look younger and more innocent. Which is just what I was looking for with this look.

So what do you think? Do you love the curls? I totally do. I am going to be rocking the curls this fall for sure. I know I'm totally rambling about my hair, but I'm just SO stoked about how awesome it looks!!! But it's late and I'm rambling, so I'm going to wrap this up. Hope you all have a great weekend!! Til next time!!

Sephora by OPI Blasted Nail Color

Hello lovelies!!

Hope you've all been having an awesome week, mine has been going pretty well. And today I have a quick review of Sephora by OPI Blasted Nail Color in white. I found this on sale for $3 at Sephora.com which is an awesome deal, and they have quite a few other colors if white isn't your thing.

I was not wowed with the packaging for this polish. First of all, it only says Sephora by OPI nail color on the bottle. I don't have a lot of Sephora by OPI polishes, so this isn't a huge thing for me, but if I had a lot of these it would be really easy to get this mixed up with a regular polish. Also, the wand and brush are a little flimsy for my liking. But it's not hard to work with and it's definitely not a deal breaker for me.

This polish dries and starts to crackle very quickly. And unlike some other crackle polishes I've tried before, this crackles really well. I really like the way this looks and it totally makes up for the flimsy wand. I did notice that when I didn't apply a top coat it chipped rather quickly, but after I reapplied and used a top coat I haven't had issues with chipping. I'm guessing that it really needs the top coat because of the texture of the crackle coat.

Overall, I would have to say this is a great product for $3. I love the way that it looks, it applies easily and dries quickly so you don't have to worry about smearing your awesome crackles. If you are in a position where you can pick some of these polishes up, I would highly recommend it.

So I hope you all continue to have a great week and weekend, I know I will. Let me know in the comments your experiences with crackle polishes, I'd love to know what your favorite brands are! Til next time!!

An Itty Bitty Birthday Haul from Sephora

Hello lovelies!!

Sorry for the brief absence but my kitties decided to go all crazy and wreck my wifi thingy, so I was without regular internet access on the laptop for a minute. But we got that all sorted out, so I'm back to the blog again. Today I have my birthday haul from Sephora to share with you guys. I didn't do any massive shopping or anything as I am *trying* to save money and be a bit more frugal, but I got a couple of things that sparked my interest largely so that I could get my birthday gift from Sephora. For those of you who don't know, Sephora gives out some pretty awesome deluxe sample items to the beauty insiders on their birthday. Great excuse to spend a few bucks lol. So here's what I got:

Alright, I purchased 2 Sephora Collection Color Hit Nail Polishes, and a Sephora by OPI Blasted Nail Color, and then I received from Sephora for my bday gift a Benefit deluxe sample of They're Real mascara and Watt's Up.

The 2 Sephora Collection Color Hit Nail Polishes I bought were in Black Lace and Blackjack. Black Lace is a black polish with a glossy finish and Blackjack is a sparkling black polish that is almost like a gunmetal color. They are $5 a piece and they are rather small. Definitely smaller than I had anticipated. But they're really pretty, not too pricey, and they have squared bottles as opposed to round which are easier to open.

And here's the Sephora by OPI Blasted Nail Color that I bought, I (obviously) got it in white. The Blasted colors are like the crackle coat nail polishes that were like all the rage for a minute. I got this on sale for $3, which is an amazing deal. I fooled around with this polish already, and it does crackle REALLY well. Totally worth $3.

And my BI birthday present from Sephora. As always, the gift comes in adorable packaging and it has little holdy bits inside for the actual product so if you are getting this shipped to you the contents aren't going to be jostled around all over the place.

I was so stoked when I saw that the birthday gift was a combo of They're Real! and Watt's Up! I've been wanting to try both of these for a while now, they get rave reviews from other people and I've never gotten a bad product from Benefit. I'm really excited to really play around with these products, I'm a total mascara junky, and I have been loving highlighters/luminizers lately. This was such a great pick for the birthday gift!!!

So yeah, I had a pretty good birthday this year. Nothing over the top, but I got to spend time with my favorite people and I got a few little things for myself. A great way to celebrate another year alive on the planet I'd say. A big thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday!! It's so nice to hear positive thoughts from you guys, it really brightens my day! I hope you're all having a great day, I'm hoping to squeeze in a workout before the kiddo gets home from day care personally as today is the beginning of the October workout calendar from Blogilates. If you're into the fitness stuffs, I would highly recommend you check her workouts out. She's a great fitness instructor and I LOVE doing her vids. But it's time to get my fitness on, so... Til next time!!!

Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple

Hello lovelies!

I've got a late night review for ya, I was going to post earlier when the kiddo was in school, but I totally napped instead lol. This past weekend has been just crazy, my whole family is sick, and then my cousin called me Thursday night saying that she was coming down for the weekend to celebrate my birthday with me. So I have been way busy with my birthday and hanging with my cousin and such.
But anywho, for tonight I am reviewing Cailyn Cosmetics Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple, which I received in my September Glam bag from Ipsy. The full size lip balm sells for $19, I'm not sure if this a full size or not as they didn't say the weight or volume of the full size product on Cailyn's website. I've used this product like half a dozen times or so and haven't even kind of put a dent in it, so you do get your money's worth with this product.

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple

I really like the packaging for this product, it seems pretty sturdy and the little brush is really quite nice. I like how it all fits together, you can just throw it in your purse without getting your brush all nasty and it stays together really well.
But the thing that stood out to me the most about this particular product is the formula. It claims to be a balm, and on the website it claims to be moisturizing, but it's not really either. It feels like a lipstick/lip pencil when on the lips, and it applies like a pot of lipstick. It is in no way moisturizing, and is actually rather drying on the lips. I apply this after applying a light clear balm and it works like a charm. The name is just misleading.
After you apply, you have a little bit of time before it really sets to kind of tweak it how you like it, it probably takes about 5-1 minutes to really set. But once it's set, it's set. I haven't had any issue with this product smudging all over my face or anything, and a little bit of this goes a long way.

I applied it kinda sloppy in these pictures, sorry, but it's late and I'm tired. As you can see it's a very bright red that is totally opaque with a gorgeous matte finish. And it's like a pretty natural matte finish, not one of those super matte fake looking finishes. So this is pretty wearable if you're comfortable with bright colors.

In this photo from the other day, I applied this lip product really lightly for a nice wash of color that wasn't super in your face. It's really a pretty color, and I'm loving it right now.

This is a picture of me and my cousin Katie about 7-8 hours after I applied the lip color. This color didn't fade much, it didn't smudge at all, and it still looks totally gorgeous. 

Overall, I'm really pleased with this product, even if it isn't what it claims to be. It's a beautiful lip color that's long lasting and applies like a charm. It's kind of on the expensive side, which is a bit of a deterrent for me at the moment, but if you can afford to spend that kind of money on a product I'd say give it a try. It really is a nice product.

But I've got to get to bed, morning comes all too early these days. Hope you're all having a great week so far, I'm anxiously awaiting a small package from Sephora (my birthday present to myself) and I can't wait to show you guys the goodies I'm getting. Til next time!

Butter London Nail Lacquer in La Moss

Hello lovelies!!

Today is the beginning of my new blogging schedule as it is my daughter's first day in pre-school!!! If I'm a little all over the place please excuse me, I'm all sorts of whacked out about my kiddo being in school. It's so insane for me to think about lol. But she's going to be in pre-school Tuesdays and Thursdays, so those are going to be my for sure blogging days and I'll probably have up random weekend posts as well.

Today's post is a review of the Butter London Nail Lacquer in La Moss which I received in the September "Classic Beauty" Glam Bag from Ipsy. This polish sells for $15 for 11mL (the polish I received is 6mL which is about half the original size, so the value is around $7.50) on Butter London's website, and I got it in my $10 monthly Glam Bag subscription, so before I go any further, Hells Yeah Ipsy!!!! You totally loaded my bag this month!!!

But on to the review...

The packaging for this nail polish feels really sturdy and I kind of like the square design. I've had issues before with round bottles as over time the caps tend to stick a bit and there's nothing to leverage your fingers against while trying to twist the cap off. Maybe I'm the only person who has that issue, but it sucks and I like the corners on this bottle.

The color is absolutely gorgeous. It's an oxblood red with a nice shiny finish, very vampy and perfect for fall weather. I've been wearing this polish for four days now and have minimal chipping, so it lasts fairly well.

The only issue that I have with this polish is that it applies... funny... It dries really fast and if you apply it thin you'll totally get uneven color. It also pulls when you get the uneven coat and try to correct it with another coat. Basically, if you want this polish to look nice you have to use an exorbitant amount of polish for each coat, and you'll need to apply a couple of coats. In the picture above, I'm wearing 3 coats of polish over a base coat. And fair warning, this color will stain your nails, but it's a really dark red so it should kind of be expected.

Overall, I like this polish. It's really pretty and I'm glad that I got it. However, I wouldn't pay $15 for this polish. It's just too finicky to work with for me to justify the price. But if you've got nothing but cash to burn on nail polish and you don't feel like looking for a cheaper version of this polish, by all means go for it.

So I'll talk at ya guys on Thursday with another review from the September Glam Bag. I'll either be doing the Jesse's Girl Liquid Liner or the Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm, so let me know which one you guys would like to see me review next in the comments or on Facebook. Hope you're all having a great day! Til next time!!