Top Coat Battle Update!

Hey there! Today I'm going to give you an update on the top coat battle I posted about a week or so ago..you can see this post here!

So these pictures were taken 3 days after my original post. 3 days may not seem like much to most of you but it's pretty usual for my nail polish. My job makes my polish wear off pretty quickly. But it's fine with me, I like to change my polish often!

The photo below shows the hand with Out The Door..

And this one shows Seche Vite

If I had to pick a winner based solely on which one preformed better, I couldn't. It would really be a tie. Even though bases on the pictures Out The Door performed slightly better.. I'd like to give some pros and cons for both polishes.

Out The Door

-Out The Door has a very thin consistency, very liquidy.

-It does dry completely within about ten minutes.

-Leaves the nails very shiny.

-Keeps the polish relatively chip free for at least a few days, probably longer if you're not rough on your nails like I am!

-it's cheap! I've seen it from anywhere between 3-6 dollars!

Seche Vite

-Seche Vite is a very thick consistency, you're suppose to let it bead up on the base of your nail and spread an even coat across your whole nail.

-It dries completely in about 5 minutes.

-Leaves nails very shiny.

-Again, keeps polish from chipping for at least a few days for me.

-It is a little more costly. About $8.00 and about halfway through the bottle, it becomes very gooey and very hard to use without buying the polish thinner for it. Plus, since you use a pretty good amount with each manicure, you go through it pretty quickly. Especially if you paint your nails as often as I do!

So, I like that Seche Vite leaves a thick coat on your nails, and it does dry completely and hard quicker than the OTD does. However, you will go through the Seche Vite a lot quicker than the OTD, and since OTD is a lot cheaper..

I like them both! But I think for now, I will be using Out The Door. I still love Seche Vite, I just feel it's more cost effective for me to use Out The Door.

I hope some of you found this post informative! It was a fun experiment for me to do! What are some of your favorite topcoats!?

Thanks so much for reading!!

--Nicole

 

 

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Autumn Eyes, 2 Ways!

Hey there! I've been trying to get this post up for a couple days and I feel like something went wrong everyday, not this time! So obviously it's now Fall and everyone's losing their minds, myself included. As much as I love summer and all the summer related activities.. I prefer fall. I love to wear hoodies and boots and drink hot chai tea and watch hocus pocus and pretend I'm going to go to a million haunted houses and halloweekends.. So I was inspired by some pretty fall colored items I've picked up recently, and created two looks for you. One is more smoky and dark and the other much more natural. So this isn't technically a tutorial, I was just playing around and came up with these looks and didn't take pictures of the steps or anything.. But they're both very simple so I'll just tell you what I did!

Empties #1

Today I'm doing my first empties post. I don't have a ton of products but I don't really like to collect my garbage for too long. It's always kind of exciting for me to finish a product. It feels like I've accomplished something, oh the little things.

 

Top Left: Sally Hansen Gel nail polish remover. I got the Sally Hansen gel polish kit for my birthday from my mom. This is just a regular 100% acetone polish remover. I ended up just using it regularly because I left my other bottle of polish remover at my boyfriends. It's obviously pretty harsh on your nails but works great for glitter and stubborn polishes. I'm not going to repurchase this because I already have a huge bottle of 100% acetone and other nail polish removers.

Top Right: Bare Minerals Foundation. I've used this stuff forever. It's my favorite powder foundation. Covers great, feels great. I know I could get a couple more uses out of this if I pop the bottom out but I have already repurchased this! Also we have Wet n Wilds Mega Liner. This is my favorite liquid liner. I like that it has a brush tip, and there's not a lot of space between the brush and the handle. I hate when it's super long, there's more control with a shorter one. Plus it dries quickly and super dark! I have repurchased this.

Bottom Left: 2 bottles of Viva la Juicy Perfume and a lotion. This is my favorite perfume. I have like.. 5 bottles of it. I've used it for years, and will always repurchase it. The lotion I don't think smelled as good as the actual perfume. It just didn't work for me in lotion form, but I used it all.

Bottom Right: Sephora Waterproof Makeup Remover. This is the best makeup remover I've tried. It takes all my mascara off which makes it a winner in my book. It's affordable and a bottle lasts a pretty long time. I have repurchased.

So all in all these are all great products, some of my favorites as I've repurchased most of them. If I could just stop buying makeup maybe I could finish some of that sometime! Haha, yeah right Nicole.

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you all had a great weekend!

--Nicole

 

 

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Ulta Haul

Hi there. I got an Ulta package in the mail a few days ago and thought I'd share what I picked up with you!

First thing I got is the Naked Basics Palette. I've been meaning to get this for awhile I just never did. I love matte eyeshadows, and they're all matte with the exception of the first shade. I really love all these shadows, and just like the other 2 Naked palettes they're super pigmented. These are swatched over nothing so you can see just how pigmented they truly are! If you're on the fence about this I highly suggest it. It's a great addition to any collection, or perfect for a beginner. W.O.S and Faint are my favorites.

Next I picked up Dermablends Smooth Indulgence Concealer. I already own this concealer, but the shade is a bit too dark for me. Now that I've lost all my summer color I definitely can't use it anymore. This concealer is great, it has excellent coverage and isn't heavy at all. I'm not a big fan of cream concealers or ones that are too thick, even though they have great coverage. Almost all the concealers I own are a creamy thick consistency. This offers a buttery texture and blends into your skin very nicely. A little goes a long way with this stuff! Again, highly recommend this if you're looking for a great concealer.

Finally, they were having a sale on Real Techniques brushes. Buy one get one 50% off. I've been wanting to try these brushes for so long but never did. They only had a few to choose from on the website so I picked up the setting brush and the expect face brush. The setting brush is used to set concealer in the under eye area, and I plan on using the expert face brush to contour with. I included an Essie nail polish in the picture so you can see about how big the brushes are. They're super soft and I'm excited to use them! I could always use more brushes!

I've been doing a lot of hauling lately and dear god I know I have a shopping problem! I can't help it! It's a work in progress though :) I know I'm not alone either!

Thanks so much for reading!

--Nicole

 

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Seche Vite vs. Out The Door

Hi there, todays post is going to be about topcoats. I'm a nail polish freak, I've been using Seche Vite for a few years but always heard great things about Out the Door topcoat. I was recently gifted the Out the Door topcoat by a friend and decided I'd do a little showdown with the two. Plus I bought a new polish today so it works perfect!

L-R SecheVite, Wet n Wilds Bite The Bullet, Out the Door.

Sorry these next few pictures are kinda crappy. My room was a little dark and also I don't know about you but I feel the new ios7 update made picture quality go down?! Who knows..

So here's what I did. 2 coats of Bite the Bullet on each hand, Out the Door on the left hand, and SecheVite on the right. I'll post back in a few days to let you know how they're holding up and which one is the winner!

*my job makes it super hard for me to keep polish looking good, so I usually change my polish often. It's not unusual for polish to chip on me the next day, which is unfortunate but there's not much I can do!*

We will see if the Out the Door topcoat holds up any better than my SecheVite! Thank you guys for reading!

--Nicole :)

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Outfit & FOTD / This or that Tag

Hey there, this is gonna be a quick post! I just wanted to share with you my outfit and face of the day from yesterday. I haven't done any fashion related posts because let's face it, I'm not fashionable. I figured it was time for me to branch out though!

This is just a casual "going to the Halloween store with the boyfriend for lots of fake blood and liquid latex" outfit :) the sweatshirt is from Fox Clothing, I got it from a store called Gliks. Tank underneath is from Target. Yoga leggings are from Forever 21. My boots are from Meijer I think? My mom bought them for me last year.

For mah face, Dermablend concealer, Bare Minerals foundation. Hoola Bronzer to contour. KVD Heartagram blush. L'Oreal Telescopic mascara. Anastasia Brow Wiz, and Revlon gloss in Lilac Pastelle.

I was also tagged by Pilar from Beauty and More :) for the This or That Tag. Go check her out, love her and her blog!

1. Blush or Bronzer- Blush.

2. Lip Gloss or Lip Stick- Lipstick.

3. Eyeliner or Mascara- Mascara.

4. Foundation or Concealer- Concealer.

5. Natural or Colored Eye Shadow- I like colors more, but both.

6. Pressed or Loose Eye Shadow- Pressed.

7. Brush or Sponge- Brush!

Nails:

1. Opi or China Glaze- OPI

2. Long or Short- Shorter.

3. Acrylic or Natural- Natural.

4. Bright or Dark- Both.

5. Flower or No Flower- No flower.

Body:

1. Perfume or Body Splash- Perfume

2. Lotion or Body Butter- Lotion

3. Body Wash or Soap- Body Wash.

4. Lush or other- Never been to Lush, BBW

Fashion:

1. Jeans or Sweat Pants - Jeans.

2. Long sleeves or short sleeve? Long, but I guess it depends.

3. Dress or Skirt?- Dress.

4. Scarves or Hat- Scarf

5. Studs or dangling earrings- I rarely wear earrings.

6. Necklace or bracelet- Necklace.

7. Heels or flats- I love Heels but I wear Flats way more.

8. Cowboy boots or riding boots - Cowboyyyy.

9. Jackets or hoodies - Hoodies.

10. Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe - F21

Hair:

1. Curly or Straight- Mine is straight but I curl it a lot.

2. Bun or Ponytail - Bun

3. Bobby pin or butterfly clips - Bobny pin.

4. Hairspray or gel - Hairspray

5. Long or short- Long

6. Dark or light- Dark

7. Side swept bangs or fully bangs - Side swept bangs

8. Up or down- Both!

Random:

1. Rain or shine- Love the rain,

2. Summer or winter- Summer.

3. Fall or spring-Fall Fall Fall

4. Chocolate or Vanilla- Chocolate

Thanks so much for reading! Thanks again to Pilar for tagging me!

--Nicole

 

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Drugstore Haul!

Hello helloo. Today I bring you a small drugstore haul. I swear I didn't go to the store for 5 days and when I do they brought all the new collections out! Yippie for me!

 

First up is something I knew I wanted to get when I saw it online. Maybelline Great Lash mascara in "So Very Berry" I had a blue mascara from this same line they had out sometime last year and realized I was never going to wear it. This is a beautiful wine color, much more wearable. I actually bought a pair of wine colored falsies and thought they looked nice with my blue eyes, so I was excited to pick this up! I plan on doing a review/demo of this sometime soon :)

 

Next is this Fergie for Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette in Desert Festival. I have another one of these palettes and I like it so I picked this one up too. It's all neutrals but definitely has some colors I don't own. The swatches below we're done with nothing underneath, so they're excellent quality! Very soft as well.

Last two products are lipsticks. One is from Maybellines Limited Edition Fall 2013 Color Sensational Collection in Lavender Voltage. I've really been feeling the purple lips lately and died when I saw this shade. It's a really grape purple color. It's a tiny bit streaky on the lips but you can work with it! I think I'll rock this a lot this fall :)

 

The other is L'Oreal Colour Riche La Laque Lip Color in Lacquer-ized. This is a super bright Barbie pink color. It's probably a bit too intense for people but I like it a lot. This stuff feels great on the lips, it has a super creamy formula and almost melts right on. I have yet wear it all day so I can't speak for the staying power. Bt regardless it's beautiful!

 

See how super bright that pink is?! I can't even!

So that's it for my drugstore haul. I'm so excited for fall and dark lip colors and warm eyes. Also pumpkin coffee and Halloween of course. Thanks so much for reading!

--Nicole

 

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Beauty Blogger Tag

I was tagged for this Beauty Blogger Tag by 2 awesome girls Ashley and Pilar. I wanted to say thank you for tagging me, I love to do these! These ladies have great blogs, two of my faves! Please go check them out!

*Here are the rules for the beauty blogger tag* State who this tag was created by, tag some other beauty bloggers, and title this post so everyone knows what it about!

This tag was created by The Beau Bow!

Questions & Answers:

1. Name a beauty routine you rarely do.

Gosh, I barely ever moisturizer my face before applying makeup. I have oily skin though and its hard for me to find a moisturizer that doesn't break me out or make me a grease ball.

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly?

I try to do it every 2 weeks. It's such a pain in the ass.

3. How long will you last with chipped nail varnish?

Not long, I change my polish like every 2-3 days.

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it (i.e. - top coat,foundation, etc.)?

Not long at all, I shop constantly. It's a bad habit I'm really trying to break.

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

Again the face moisturizing thing, along with the makeup brushes.

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off all the time.

LAUNDRY. I never have clothes.

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

I like to have a lot of time to get ready.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

No! Oh how I wish I could!

9. How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?

Makeup is pretty organized. I have a post here about my everyday organization. The rest of my products are orgaznized by lip, face, and eye products in separate baskets. Nail polish is a different story. I have an ottoman that the top comes off of and I just put all 200 something bottles in there. I'd like to invest in a nail polish rack.

10. What is the longest time you've gone without writing a blog post?

About three days. I really try to do it daily! It's so fun :)

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger

1. How many hours a week do you spend writing/editing posts?

I'm not sure about hours but I'd say it takes me at least a couple hours for every post, from taking the pictures to writing the posts. I don't have a laptop so I do it all from my ipad which slows me down a bit. I enjoy every minute of it tho!

2. Are you a spender or a saver?

Spender :(

3. When is it easiest for you to blog?

I work during the day, Monday-Friday, so after work and the weekends!

4. What makes writing behind a computer comfortable for you?

I do it at my leisure, lounging in my Jammie's usually!

5. What’s your worst makeup/hair habit?

Not moisturizing my face!

6. One quote that you wish the world would live by?

Count your blessings, not your worries. I'm the one who needs to live by this! I'm a worry wort.

7. How long do you spend getting ready everyday?

Well the days i work, Like 5 minutes. But if I'm going to do my makeup and hair about 30-40 minutes.

8. Who is your favorite blogger?

All of you wonderful girls!

9. Who is a blogger that you read who deserves more subscribers than they have?

Again all you wonderful ladies!

10. One thing your excited about in the upcoming year?

Possibly moving?!

11. Your most awkward blogging moment?

I don't know if its considered awkward but I can't stand when I make a spelling mistake. I always try to check.

12. How long does it take you to prep for a post?

It depends what the post is on, I do a lot of tutorials and I like to take my time making sure it looks nice.

13. Are you wearing pants(jeans/skirt) right now or are you actually wearing pajama bottoms?

Pajamas! Well technically sweatpants but I will probably sleep in them.

14. What are you most proud of in your life?

Being a stong person. I dealt with the tragic loss of my dad 2 years ago and I'm proud of the person I was during and after.

I'd like to tag everyone I tagged in my last post, and anyone else reading this. I think this is a really fun way to get to know the bloggers you follow better! I'd also like to thank Ashley and Pilar again for tagging me.

Tomorrow ill be back with a new beauty post. I got some exciting new things!

Thanks so much for reading!

--Nicole

 

 

 

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The Versatile Blogger Award!

Hello friends! I've been MIA from my blog for a few days, I've been vacationing with my boyfriend in Northern Michigan at his cabin, it is seriously so beautiful up there. But I am back home and ready to blog! I was tagged for the Versatile Blog Award by the beautiful Pilar from Beauty and More :) I wanted to thank her for this, she always has great posts and the nicest comments, if you haven't checked out her blog please do!

 

"The Versatile Blogger Award is an award given to you from your blogger peers, for writing quality blogs that have somehow touched them, having good quality photographs, and the uniqueness of the subjects covered. The Award is to honor the bloggers who bring something special to your life :)"

How It Works: -Display the Award Certificate on your blog. -Announce your win and thank the blogger who nominated you. Present 15 deserving bloggers with the award. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.

-Post 7 interesting things about yourself.

1. I can turn any song into a song about my dog, Gemma. I just love her so!

2. I currently have a drawer with makeup packaging in it. Like if something comes in a box, I keep the box. Idk why, it's garbage! But I do it.. I have blushe boxes, foundation boxes, concealer boxes. I'm a weirdy.

3. I own more body lotion than I will ever use in my entire life. I had a love affair with bath and body works hardcore last year, we don't see each other anymore..

4. My boyfriend and I had a snake named Hendrix.

5. I have many knickknacks in my room and they all have special meaning. A few of my favorites are a pink Buddha statue, a cologne bottle of sand from the atlantic ocean, and a silver squirrel nutcracker. You all probably think I'm nuts now!

6. I've recently become obsessed with The Walking Dead.

7. I kayaked forever yesterday and I am so sore!

Now I tag..

Ashley

Ann

Lucy

Ella

Yasmeen

Danielle

Margo

Lolli

And anyone else who wants to do this! I always love to share little tidbits about myself, and read all of yours!

Thanks again to Pilar for tagging me! I really appreciate it!

 

 

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Kat Von D Makeup

Hello helloo. I've been having a major girl crush on Kat Von D lately, her makeup always looks beautiful and its very unique. So I decide to make a tutorial on her look! I've recently bought a few products from her makeup line and I'm loving them both. I would really like to purchase one of her palettes next! So if you'd like to see how I got this look, click below!