Polish Of The Day~~Chanel 525 Quartz

It's a little hilarious that I love nail polish so much. The reason being is that I have probably the worst nails of anyone I know. Always have, always will. I think it's an unfortunate hereditary trait or something, because my nails are so thin and weak. It's really quite a bummer. I've done the whole solar tips thing but it's just so time consuming that I really don't have patience for it. I also do hold out hope that if I keep polishing them that eventually they'll grow and get strong like they have, oh, twice in my life. I have no idea how it happened but twice in my life they just got real strong, shot out and looked gorgeous for a few weeks only to then peel across right at the base again.

But I will not let that stop me from having a blast painting my little baby talons! We will paint and primp and face the day as if we are unchallenged nail girls! (I don't know why I'm using "we" here...LOL)

And I don't believe that you all shouldn't get the benefits of my nail polish purchasing habit just because my nails are handicapped. So I'm going to start putting up more Nail Polish Of The Day posts for you. I hope you enjoy!

So the color De Jour is Chanel's 525 Quartz. It's a beautiful soft smokey mink brown color with a hint of champagne. Stunning. Very elegant. Good for just about any occasion. Chanel nail polishes are expensive at about $25 per bottle and generally they have a bit of a reputation for peeling off too quickly, but I just can't keep myself from buying them when I get too close to the Chanel counter. It's a sickness. :) I do like the little brush that Chanel polishes have...they make for a lovely application. Very smooth and even, so that's a plus.

Oh, and for more really fabulous photos of nail polish, in case you just can't wait for my next POD post~~check out my Pinterest. I have a bulletin board FULL of gorgeous nail colors. Like I said~~it's a sickness! You can just click on the Texskiss Pinterest link on the top right corner of this blog page and then when you get to my Pinterest page, scroll down to the Bulletin Board titled "I'm Kinda Addicted To Nail Polish." XO

High Low Bath Products That Smell Like Oven Baked Heaven!

Softsoap Mega Moisture Heavenly Vanilla Body Butter Body Wash

Philosophy Cinnamon Buns

I LOVE products that smell like yummy things baking, hot in the oven! Candles, body scrubs, perfumes, etc. Years ago, I ran across a body wash by Philosophy that smelled just like Cinnamon Buns!! It's also actually is a fabulous product to have when you travel because it works as shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath! Personally, I'd never use it as bubble bath because pouring it into a large tub would seem just a bit too extravagant and I like using each and every drop of it as shower gel, but I DO take it along on trips to use as a shampoo and it works really well!

You can purchase it online at the Philosophy.com website or at any high end department store that sells Philosophy products, like Nordstroms. It comes in a 16 oz size for $16 or a 32 oz size for $25. I always keep 3 large bottles in stock so I never run out, but recently came across a really wonderful body wash option at Walgreens that costs WAY WAY less and smells just as yummy! It's the Softsoap Mega Moisture Heavenly Vanilla Body Butter Body Wash! This product doesn't work as a shampoo, but if you're looking for something in the shower or bath that will smell oh so scrumptious that it just makes you feel good all over, then this is your best lower priced option! 15 oz is just under $4.00! Crazy Good Dealio!

So there you have two fabulous options to take a regular bathing experience into something that feels more luxurious! Because, hey, we deserve it! :)

Let me know if you have a favorite body wash! I'd love to check it out~~

Pur Mineral Foundation

This is one of my favorite products. It's not as heavy as a lot of mineral products. It goes on smooth and covers imperfections like you've just had a session of micro-dermabrasion. It's also actually good for your skin! I usually purchase mine once a year at Ulta when they have a BOGO special in the summer months. I'll keep an eye out for it and let you know when it is in case you want to stock up. Otherwise you can just pay full price which is , I believe, $27. Totally worth it. It lasts a long time and makes your skin look young and natural.

Here's looking at you!

NYC Bronzer in Sunny~~Rave!

As we head into the winter months pretty full swing, I thought I'd do a little rave about this new inexpensive bronzer I've come across. It's by that little company that you see at the drugstore but always walk past because you're not sure what they have that might be any good. It's called NYC and the bronzer in Sunny is pretty fab. I've used bronzers from all lines from the top department store brands to drug store brands and I'm happy to say that this lovely matte bronzer holds it's own with the big boys. It's a soft touch of color that adds just a hint of color to your pale indoor winter complexion. It says "Yes, I'm still alive!" You can find it probably at any drugstore that sells NYS such as Walgreens , Ulta, or CVS. It's less than $3, I think, so go ahead and buy 2. One for home and one for your on the go makeup bag. Things are staring to look a lot more sunny!!

John Frieda Go Blonder Review

As winter has been approaching I thought I'd try this new product to see if I could stretch my sessions to get highlights just a little bit further in these months when I'm not outdoors as much. I had heard of this John Freida product called John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Collection. It's supposed to lighten your hair with time as you use it to shampoo and condition your hair. So here's my review~~Save your money! This product made my hair look TERRIBLE! I never noticed any change in the color (and I used 2 bottles) and during the day my hair looked limp and lifeless with fly aways...it was a mess. I've since chucked what was left in my trash and gone back to using Kerastase. I'm on the lookout for a new shampoo that will make my hair look full of body!! I'm next going to try the Bumble & Bumble Shampoo so I'll get you a review of that right away!

Nailing it!!

I had a revelation not long ago, as I looked at the silver tray that was overflowing with oodles of nail polishes my daughter & I have collected. I realized that there was a much better way to organize them AND to clear up counter space in the process! I looked online for an "acrylic wall rack for nail polishes", the kind you see in salons, and this popped up! I wish I could recall the name of the company for you, but if you just google it, you'll find TONS of places to order one for your wall! I hung it behind my daughter's bathroom door and it's fabulous! All her friends love to come over and paint their nails, as well, so it's fun for them to be able to see all the choices! Just a little idea for you to get more organized! Now go have an awesome day! XOXO

Smoke & Mirrors Fall 2011 Nail Polish Collection by Zoya

I'm SO excited about these gorgeous new colors from Zoya for Fall. I'm especially eager to get my hands on the Jem, Jana, Petra, Anja, Marina, and Neeka!! You can find these at finer Salons and Spas. (Or go to the Zoya.com website for details on where to find them!) They're safe and non-toxic. Such beautiful colors and always elegant! Let me know what your current favorite nail colors are! XOXO

Favorite Things Friday A Day Late (LOL) ~ EcoTools Makeup Brushes!!

Hi Friends~~Now that summer is almost over, I'm going to be much more available to start blogging again! I'm sorry I've been neglecting you these past few months, but it's been a bit of a mad house around here with wisdom teeth surgeries and broken wrists!! Ahh~~Summer 2011~~~not so sorry to see you go. :) But I just found out that one of my FAVORITE THINGS is having a wonderful FREEBIE PROMO I wanted to share with you guys. Now I don't know if you know this about me, but years ago I was a makeup artist for a bit while my 1st daughter was a baby. I LOVED being a makeup artist because I've always had a love of makeup and products~~they're just one of my favorite things!! I did a lot of brides, which was so fun to be a part of their special days, but eventually the hours just weren't conducive to having a baby and hubby at home that wanted me around on the weekends. So I hung up my makeup brushes but still love to dabble and play with products when time permits!!

So these brushes I'm about to tell you about are my *favorite* brushes. I've had Chanel brushes, Trish McEvoy, Bobbie Brown, you name it...I've used them and these EcoTools brushes are the BEST! They're Eco friendly, as the name implies, and have **super soft fluffy*** bristles that never fall out all over you face! I believe the handles are bamboo and they are Fab Fab fabulous!!! And best of all...they're at your local drugstore! CVS, Walgreens, Ulta....they should all be there. (But call first to be sure) And right now, on their website, they're having a promotion that's pretty fabulous called the Choose To Live Beautifully campaign. All you have to do is send in an old or new beauty product that you have for them to recycle(LOVE!) and you'll get back a coupon for an EcoTool product valued up to $7.99! And you can get 2! I'll add the link below for you guys!

And even more than the wonderful quality of the brushes, I love the company. They are an earth-friendly company (Alicia Silverstone is the celebrity endorser so I'm pretty positive they're also animal friendly~~NO ANIMAL TESTING!! Yay!) On their site they say that, "EcoTools is a brand from Paris Presents Incorporated and a leader in eco-conscious beauty products, most notably known for its incredibly soft cosmetic brushes. We take pride in offering a collection of cosmetic accessories and bath products that feature innovative, earth-friendly materials. In a continued effort to give back, 1% of EcoTools annual sales is donated to 1% For The Planet®, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet." So there you go....run don't walk. I promise you'll LOVE these brushes! I just purchased them for a friend and my teenager and they both loved them. Have fun ladies!! XOXO http://www.choosetolivebeautifully.com/howitworks.php

Curlie Girlie

Hello Curls! I recently ordered a Caruso Steam Roller Set from Amazon. Summer is here which means lots of hot, humid, hair flattening days ahead. I have blonde baby fine rabbit fur hair that doesn't like to hold a curl...of any kind. It's just kinda flat. So in an attempt to look decent and not be too hot I've gotten in the habit of pulling it back into a ponytail. Ponys are fine but everyone once in awhile I'd love to wear it down and look good for longer than just a few minutes!! These steam rollers were mentioned on the Today show (Not this exact brand, just steam rollers) so I thought I'd give em a try! I'll let you all know. But while we're on the subject I'd love to know if you have an hair products that you just couldn't live without!? Do tell!

In Praise Of The Pony

Can I get an Amen in praise of the ponytail?!  This is my go-to hairstyle of many years now.  It's the easiest way to look pulled together with minimum effort.  I switch my ponytail from a high poof up-pony to a low classic nape neck-pony, or chignon if you want to get all fancy pants on me, depending on the day. 
Hey, it's hot here people...the ponytail is cool and chic.  It's in my "no-brainer file"~~which is a pretty awesome file, if I do say so myself!
Another option is the "not pulled all the way through pony"...ala, what I call the "Ponybun!"  If you leave a few of the wispy hairs out, it looks casually cool as if to say, "Hey I just roll out of bed this way!" 
Do you have a favorite go to hairstyle?  I'd love to expand my repertoire! 

Lash Dash!!



Ladies, who among us doesn't want long, gorgeous, real lashes?  It seems to be THE hot beauty trend of the moment~~LASHES!  There are loads of super expensive lash serums out there and I've tried a few of them.  Most didn't work for me, but now, there's something on the market, that practically every woman can afford to at least try.  It's the new Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum.  Run, don't walk ladies, this is the coolest stuff!!  It's eyeliner with the lash growing serum built right in!  I love it!!  All the other serums are to applied at night, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired at night and barely get my makeup off, let alone have the wearwithall to remember to apply serums to my lashes!  So this is perfect~you just apply in the morning  as if it's your eyeliner for the day...which it is, but more!! And if you've always had a the bit of a problem applying a nice straight line to your upper lashes, this applicator is fool proof.  It's a beautiful little brush that just gliiides over you lid, oh so loverly!  And as an added bonus, they have a free rebate offer going on!  I'll add the link for you!  Check it out~~I promise, it's worth a drugstore run!! 

Click here: http://www.physiciansformula.com/rebates/2011/EyeBoosterRebateForm.pdf

Sew Psyched! My latest Nail Polish Haul~~

I had a little nail polish haul the other day at Ulta! It was so fun. I went in looking for one color and came home with 4!  The color I've been wearing for the past few days is Essie Sew Psyched.  It's a little shimmery khaki green. I actually wish it had a tad bit more sheen to it but it's still very pretty. 
Here's a peek at what it looks like indoors~It photographs a bit darker than it looks in person.

The other colors that got to come home with me are:  OPI The Color To Watch - it's an iridescent purplish brown.  (More purple than brown.)  And Borghese's Menta which is a pretty green.  I'm eager to see it on. And Borgehese's Mochaccino...which I LOVE!  I wore it the other day.  It looks a lot like a cross between Chanel's PARTICULIÈRE and Paradoxil or the famous Sephora by OPI's Metro Chic. I wanted a tad bit more shimmer to it, so I added a little bit of OPI The Color To Watch to it and now it's perfection!
The week before I had purchased Borghese's Stellar Notte (GORGEOUS~~very close to Chanel's Black Pearl~~the hot color of the moment) and Zoya's ELKE.  I took a few photos for you~~can't decide which photo gives a better representation of what they look like, so I'll add both!
XOXO

Nailing It!

Anyone who has ever been cursed with cruddy nails knows the pain of having to deal with acrylics, solars, manicures, searching for just the right cure for the weak nail syndrome that causes your nails to break off as soon as they grow.  Well this has been my life long ordeal.  And it's really not funny...it's been a big deal my whole life having to deal with my weak brittle nails.  I have to confess to even having a few bad habits of picking and gnawing but not anymore, friends!!  Today is a new day and I have no idea how, but now, my nails are feeling stronger and growing on their own without any supernatural hocus pocus.  Now, they aren't as pretty as newly applied Solar tips or anything, but I'm just so happy that they are stronger and my own!  I've been painting them a new color almost every other day and am HAVING A BLAST!!  The other day my youngest daughter was in the basketball playoffs for our area and I painted our digits what I called, "Mystic Blue!" (It was actually Sally Hanson Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear "Blue Me Away.")  It was a fun mother/daughter mani moment!  :)  I've gathered all my nail polishes onto a pretty silver tray here by my computer so I can pamper my nails at a moments notice.  I've been researching what the "HOT" colors will be for the oncoming season and plan to shell out a few bucks for some fun new colors. (I'll keep you updated.) Right now I'm wearing Sally Hanson's Complete Salon manicure "Commander In Chic" and I love it!  It's a big grey/purple/brown-ish.  Sounds ugly~but looks good. 

Eyelash Growth Products

I'm SURE you've noticed the new craze for long lashes that's sweeping the country! I have to admit, having long full lashes is something that I long for, especially after seeing the results on several of my friends and the ladies at my Dentists office! I could barely finish filling out the paper work due to the freakishly long spiderleg lashes all the gals had at this particular office! I asked them what was the dealio and they explained that they all use Latisse.  Now with Latisse you'll need a prescription and $120.00 and, upon further research, I learned that Latisse has a few serious drawbacks, especially for gals with blue eyes so I've decided to go another route.
The 1st product I tried was Revitalash.  Revitalash is a better price point at about $70 per tube. But sadly, it took FOREVER to see any results.  I'm an impatient person so I knew I'd need something a little bit more, well...rapid.  Thus my 2nd product tested was called Rapidlash.  Rapdilash costs a mere $25 on the Internet which is quite a deal compared to the prices of the other products.  I purchased this product with a friend who had AMAZING results, but as for me...not a single lash grew in 6 weeks with this stuff.  Nada.  It was a bust.  When I called the company that I purchased it from they blamed "body chemistry." Hmmm...so on to my newest trial with Neulash.  It cost $85 but I'm only 3 weeks in and already I'm seeing results.  I'll take a photo every few weeks to give you an update.  But for now, I'm kinda sorta liking this new stuff Neulash.  I'll keep you updated on my lash progress!  ;)