Boots Botanics Complexion Refining

My skin dries out like mad during the winter months and I'm constantly looking for new ways to keep my skin peeling off.  Boots Botanics is a new to me company that sounds like it smells amazing.  Please enjoy the following press release.

While the climate may dry out your skin, rejuvenate it as the seasons change from fall to winter, with Boots Botanics Complexion Refining products. When the weather transitions to a cooler climate, air becomes drier and skin produces additional oil to compensate for the lack of moisture.

Boots Botanics Complexion Refining range of Rosemary-infused masks, moisturizers and toners, help purify skin, absorb excess oil and reduce shine, making them the perfect winter supplement to your regular cleansing regimen. Use the following mask, moisturizer or toner to your pre-existing beauty routine for an extra dose of shine control power.

When you need a little extra care, apply the creamy Boots Botanics Complexion Refining Clay Mask ($9.39), which works deep into the skin to draw out the most deep-rooted impurities.

In addition to protecting from harmful sun rays, the light-weight Boots Botanics Complexion Refining Day Moisture Lotion SPF 12 ($13.59) contains rosemary extract to help purify skin and promote a smooth, even complexion while oil absorbing powders reduce shine.

Perfect for normal to oily skin, Boots Botanics Complexion Refining Toner ($8.39) tightens pores with mattifying Amazonian Clay that removes excess oil and sweeps away the last traces of cleanser, leaving you with a matte finish.

All Boots Botanics products are available at ShopBootsUSA.com, Target stores and Target.com.

A Rhyming Dictionary Prince Bobo

I have really been fighting the indie movement after one bad experience but I'm really trying to expand my horizons and try Etsy sellers and other indie brands found on Llarowe, Overall Beauty, Harlow & Co and Ninja Polish.  (I can personally say that all 4 of those websites offer a great selection, excellent customer service, reasonable prices and well packaged/wrapped shipping options.)

A Rhyming Dictionary is an Etsy seller that asked me if I wanted to review her first collection based off the Wizard of Oz.  I've never read the book so a lot of the background stories were very new for me, but I love a good nail polish tie in.  Prince Bobo is mix of silver holo squares, tiny and medium gold holo hexes, and gold halo bars with light gold fine flakes mixed in.  While gold is my least favorite color ever, I was interested in seeing how this performed.

This is 3 coats of Prince Bobo on a clear nail stick.  You can see that while it's not opaque enough to wear alone, there should be good layering options available.  I decided to use my existing LVX Primrose, thinking the yellow base would be a good starting place.

I used 2 coats of Prince Bobo on the following manicure followed by Cult Nails Wicked Fast top coat.

The fine gold glitter gets completely lost against the yellow of Primrose but all in all, I don't think yellow was that bad of a choice to layer over.  I do love seeing the different types of glitter.  Please note that I received a mini bottle of polish - not that I have giant hands.

In the shade you can see the fine gold glitter better as well as the different holo squares and small hexes.

Indirect light for fun, but mostly it just masks the glitter - boo masking.

I do have to say that this was a bit of a thick polish.  Because of the mini bottle (perhaps?) no mixing BBs were included, so I added 2 of my own so I could shake the bottle and loosen it up a bit.  I also want to add a little thinner to the bottle to try and break up the suspension base that I believe she used for this polish.

A Rhyming Dictionary [Etsy | Facebook | Twitter | Blog] is big-3 free and sold on Etsy.  She does not send internationally at this time.  Full sized bottles are 15 mL and sell for $7.50 plus shipping.  Her Etsy shop does not have the mini bottle prices listed.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Dermelect Resort 2013

I cannot believe that 2012 is almost over - this year has blown past me.  While I'm still looking for fall appropriate manicures, this landed on my desk and seeing the sunny colors made me happy.  I have the coral to review in the coming weeks (as I'm backlogged a bit).  Please enjoy the following press release from Deremelect!

NEW! Dermelect ‘ME’ Resort 2013 Collection

“It’s about HUE!”™

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

A follow up to Dermelect’s successful debut ME collection featuring six anti-aging nail lacquers (June 2012), the ME Resort 2013 Collection offers the brand’s signature peptide technology targeting fragile, weak nails in three new stunning shades. Inspired by colors seen at Resort 2013 designer runway, the ME Resort 2013 Collection was further influenced by the calming reflections of a tropical getaway. “Everyone can wear these on-trend hues, whether it’s from day to night or from work into the weekend,” says NYC-based celeb manicurist Elle. “I can see these colors, especially Moon Kissed, gracing the covers and red carpet because of how versatile and complementary the colors are to one another as well as to the season’s trend forecast.”

This trio of vibrant, 2-in-1 shades is formulated with a remarkable manicure extending recipe that will nourish and strengthen brittle nails, a common consequence of winter’s harsh weather. Infused with ProSina, a pure protein peptide extracted from New Zealand sheep’s wool, the lacquers deliver a fast drying, high gloss shine while providing an unequaled level of strength for stubborn nails to grow longer and more resistant to chipping, peeling and splitting.

HOW IT WORKS

The first coat instantly bonds to the nail, while the second fuses with the base coat to create a flexible web of color that resists chipping and improves brittleness (patent-pending technology). The ME Resort 2013 Collection’s 2-in-1 formula combines fast drying, high shine, and a healthy ‘green’ dose of vitamins, peptides, and moisture to offer a colorful and stylish solution to the contemporary woman’s beauty concern—aging hands and nails. For best results, two coats are recommended.

BENEFITS

Strengthens weak, brittle nails

Restores nail flexibility

Helps nails resist chipping and splitting

Provides long-lasting, high shine and bold color

Water and detergent resistant

Protects against UV rays

DBP, Toulene, Formaldehyde, and cruelty FREE!

KEY INGREDIENT
ProSina Protein Peptide

COLOR NAMES
All The Envy, a bright, metallic chartreuse                                               

Lust Struck, a bold coral cream opaque                                                  

Moon Kissed, a shimmy off-white with silver accents                           
                                                               

LAUNCH DATE
November/December 2012

                      

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
SRP: $14.00 (0.4 fl. oz. bottle)
Available on www.dermelect.com

ABOUT DERMELECT

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals is a forerunner when it comes to targeted, multi-tasking cosmeceutical skincare. Backed by its board of advisors and formulated with the most effective and sought out ingredients, Dermelect provides a refreshingly realistic beauty philosophy as it seeks to simplify skincare for the average educated consumer.

          

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/MyDermelect                                    

TWITTER
@dermelect

JulieG Holiday Collection

I've posted a few of the new JulieG Holiday Collection photos so far and will be sharing the rest this month - I'm super happy for Light It Up, a cheaper alternative to other bright multi-colored glitters that are coming out this year!

Image Courtesy of Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Facebook Page


Celebrate the Holidays in Style!

With the JulieG Collection by Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics

Tis’ the season for a glamorous manicure! Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics is proud to introduce the JulieG Holiday Collection.  This limited edition line of five festive nail colors was designed and inspired by top YouTube beauty vlogger Julie Gutierrez (JulieG713). With these shades, you’ll be sure to sparkle and shine with your manicure. And at drugstore prices, they make for the perfect stocking stuffer –or the ultimate accessory to your holiday outfit!

Julie is also the designer of the existing JulieG Collection, a line of 27 high intensity nail colors that range from pretty pinks to electric blues. A self-proclaimed girly-girl and self-taught makeup and nail artist, in 2008 Julie began filming makeup and nail tutorials on YouTube from her bedroom and has since reached a global audience of over 100 million views.

JulieG Holiday Collection (SRP: $3.99) will be available November 1^st at Rite Aid stores and online at www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com.

JulieG Holiday Collection Shades:

Big Red Bow (red shimmer)           

Ornamental (gold shimmer)

Under Mistletoe (green shimmer)

Gift Wrapped (magenta shimmer)

Light it Up (multi-color glitter top coat)

LVX Primrose

I definitely love seeing the first of something and today I have the first LVX polish in their line.  Now I'm not sure that this was the first created, but it's #001 via their labels.  Primrose is a buttery yellow creme, with a slight green tint.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 3 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  Like most yellows, this was a little spotty but not unmanageable.  You have to have patience with yellows - thin coats with proper drying time between each layer is best.

Check out how pretty it is though!  Because it is a very bright creme, every ridge in my nail is showing. Next time I'd use a ridge filling base coat before polishing.

Here's that slight greenish tint I was mentioning above.  It's weird how this color changes in the shade.

Here in indirect light, it looks almost soft lemon drop candy yellow?  Whatever, I love it on nubbins.

Okay maybe I take back that "slight greenish tint" comment back because hello - in full flash, this is highlighter yellow without the neon properties.

This is pretty pricey for a spotty yellow, but again I'm biased because I hate yellows.  It's still a great polish in pigment and wear - just a bit spotty in application for full opacity. 

LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

ISSE Long Beach 2013

ISSE Long Beach 2013 The West Coast's Largest & Most Influential   Professional Beauty Event Brings Together Exhibitors, Education and Competitions January 26 - 28, 2013 │ Long Beach Convention Center │ Long Beach, California

Phoenix, AZ (October 17, 2012) - Produced by the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), the International Salon and Spa Expo (ISSE) Long Beach has become the West Coast's largest and most influential beauty event open exclusively to licensed beauty professionals, students and instructors. With more than 40,000 beauty professionals expected, ISSE Long Beach has evolved beyond the traditional "hair show" to a complete beauty event for hair, nails, cosmetics, esthetics and advanced education. With a sold-out expo floor of more than 400 top international beauty brands, almost 200 educational classes, live stage performances from top industry icons, and hair and nail competitions, ISSE Long Beach 2013 is the place for beauty professionals to stay up on the latest trends and advance their careers. Based on the highly professional nature of the show and large number of qualified attendees, ISSE Long Beach has also become the event to launch new beauty products, services and trends. From international beauty powerhouses to indie brands seeking to enter the market, ISSE Long Beach carefully curates the exhibition hall, including the EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion, to maximize the attendee's experience. PBA members continue to receive complimentary admission to ISSE Long Beach. Registration is required and exceptions apply. Details at probeauty.org/isselb. New for 2013 ISSE Mobile App. Coming Soon! From show times and class schedules, to a map of the show floor and directions, the ISSE Mobile App is the perfect way to plan your "ISSE game plan" and maximize your time at the show. Download the free app for your Android, iPhone, iPad or Blackberry device. Just search for: ISSE LB 2013. Highlights for 2013 The EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion featuring CIDESCO Section USA education continues to expand. Growing each year, the EstheticsAmerica & Wellness Pavilion provides exhibitors and attendees with a dedicated environment devoted to skincare, wellness and the latest in treatments and education for this rapidly expanding industry segment. Many of the largest esthetics brands will be on hand to offer advanced, hands-on training and certifications, including a line-up of CIDESCO Section USA education. Hair & Nail Competitions: Students and licensed professionals are invited to show off their skills, win career prestige and cash prizes at the ISSE Long Beach Hair and NailPro Nail competitions. For times, rules and to register, visit probeauty.org/isselb. Hair Competitions: All competitors use mannequins for entries and students and professionals compete separately. Categories include: Ladies Trend Cut, Color & Style; Long Hair Bridal; and Fantasy-Inspired by Hollywood. Nailpro Nail Competitions:The Nailpro competitions count toward the NailPro Cup. Categories include: Soak Off Gel Manicure; French Twist - One Hand; and Tip & Overlay. Stage Shows Featuring the Industry's Biggest Names: One of the most popular features at ISSE Long Beach are the stage shows featuring some of the biggest stars and hair teams in the industry. Attendees will see beauty experts such as: Faatemah Ampey, Nick Arrojo, BaByliss Pro, Steve Elias, Enzo Team, Mike Karg, Martin Parsons, P&G Salon Professional, Charlie Price, RUSK, Sassoon Academy, Lisa Yamasaki and more. ISSE Long Beach features three main stages, including Center Stage (formerly International Fashion Theater) and Stage Right (formerly Technical Theater), and the NAHA Stage. NAHA Stage: The North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) continues to be the industry's premier photographic hairstyling competitions. The ISSE Long Beach NAHA Stage features NAHA winners and finalists, showcasing their talents, reviewing what a NAHA win can do for one's career, and how to create a successful entry. From learning how to select models to directing a successful photo shoot, the NAHA Stage is the perfect way to learn how to advance your career with a NAHA. ISSE Long Beach will continue to feature group registration, making registering large parties quick and efficient. ISSE Long Beach is open to licensed salon/spa professionals, cosmetology students and instructors only. To maintain a professional atmosphere, attendees must present proof of license and a valid photo ID. For additional information on ISSE Long Beach and to purchase tickets, please visit  probeauty.org/isselb.

JENsations Shooting Star

The other JENsations purchase I made was for this beauty - Shooting Star.  The item description is "silver holographic star bar glitter" but I am really not wanting to call this holographic anymore - I almost want to call it rainbow, because it's reflective of rainbow colors.  I think holographic needs to be a reserved term now a days.  I don't know.  Sound off in the comments.

I decided to layer this over my existing Style Icon manicure because I wanted to see this over a red.  I should have picked a different red, I think but this works.  This is one coat of Shooting Star topped with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  This polish is MUCH easier to brush on and while I still had to fish a bit for the stars, I was able to get them out of the bottle without too much effort.

The bar glitter is so iffy for me.  I like the way it looks but at the same time, I have trouble making it lay flat on my nails from time to time.  I had to use nail clippers to cut back some of the glitter that wouldn't lay down.

I actually ended up using this polish for an accent nail for my Election Day polish.  (For those still following it, I lost my local election.  I only received 36% of the vote to the incumbent.)

Very pretty - and I'm sure more coats would have made this more opaque but I was just looking for a little pizzazz to my manicure - not a glitter war.

I purchased my bottle in August for $7.50 but it appears her prices have gone up slightly.

JENsations [Etsy | Facebook | Personal Blog] is available through her Etsy store for either $8 or $8.25 a bottle.  She also creates custom orders for $9.00 a bottle + $0.20 listing fee.  She ships both domestically and internationally and is currently offering a Holiday Sale for orders over $50.

Pretty Serious Emma Louise

As of press time, this shade is still available.  Only 300 bottles were made, so if you really want it, go now!

Introducing EMMA LOUISE, our very first Limited Edition shade! 

EMMA LOUISE is pure magic in a bottle. This rich purple jelly with green-gold duochrome glass fleck, purple microglitter and large green & purple hex glitter was designed by Pretty Serious friend Emma Durney in honour of a very special birthday. She chose to donate half the proceeds from all sales of this spectacular shade to the Cancer Council of NSW. Each bottle and box will be individually numbered with only 300 being produced. Once they're gone, they're gone so don't miss out. 

EMMA LOUISE will be available for purchase for $9.95 for a 11ml/0.37 fl.oz bottle from 9am AEST, October 10th. Due to the limited nature of this shade, we are imposing a limit of 5 polishes per customer. We ship worldwide too!

Pretty Serious Cosmetics are Vegan and Cruelty Free. We also love Beagles.

Come visit us at http://www.pretty-serious.com

Color Club Style Icon

Skipping around through brands and collection - today's post is from Color Club's 2012 Fall collection titled In True Fashion.  This was a 12 piece collection that was split into 6 cremes and 6 shimmers.  This is Style Icon, a blue based red jelly that was a bit vampy on the nail.  I used a base coat of Poshe, 2 coats of polish and a top of Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

Here in the sun you can see a bit what I mean about it being a jelly like polish - it looks almost watery on the nail instead of fully opaque.

In the indirect sun you can see the vampy red coming out a bit - it's much lighter than the bottle but still not too jelly.

Finally indoors you can tell that this is light and jelly while still being a bit vampy like corn syrup blood that's too thin.  Or not?  Either way, I'm not sure I'd purchase this for the sake of owning a red jelly.  I would like to test it in a jelly sandwich but I may need to just go with 2 coats tops.  Pretty, but not really my cup of tea.

Color Club is located on several etailers, including Head2Toe Beauty which has it for $3.50 or on their own website for $8.50 each.  You can also Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, follow on Instagram, follow on Pinterest and subscribe on YouTube.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Pretty Serious Monster Mash

I've been admiring Pretty Serious nail polish from afar as this company is based in Australia.  As much as I'd love some of their pretties, I have to wait until I can afford the shipping.  But you can still ogle over their newest collection - the Monster Mash!  This collection launched last month but is still available.

Pretty Serious Cosmetics is proud to present our Halloween 2012 collection - MONSTER MASH!

That's right, we've gone batty here at the Pretty Serious labs and this year, we're trying our hand at MAD SCIENCE! We've taken some ghastly little Halloween monsters and thrown them in a blender, finishing them off with some hair of the spider* and a little eye of newt!**

We've got six amazing new shades to help you get your scare on this Halloween!

CREATURE CRUSH

a haunting mix of black and silver glitter in an inky blue-green jelly base with large black and silver holographic hex glitter

GARGOYLE GANACHE

a multichrome shimmer with flashes of green, gold and purple through a stony gunmetal base. 

LIQUID LEPRECHAUN

Multi sized golden and green glitter particles floating in a radioactive green jelly base

MUMMY MUSH

a gorgeous golden glass fleck mulltichrome, shifting through baby blue to pink

POLTERGEIST PUDDLE

an intense blurple shimmer with a pink flash and a slight golden duochrome

VISCOUS VAMPIRE

a red jelly base that's so bright you can almost call it fluorescent, with multi-sized red and fuschia glitter

If that wasn't amazing enough, our new Halloween shades will be packaged in sensational new holographic green boxes with new Halloween art by Leigh Young!

These fabulous freaks go on sale at 9am AEST, October 10th from http://www.pretty-serious.com. RRP is $9.95, with a 10% discount for buying all six shades! Pretty Serious Cosmetics also ships worldwide. Check out our site for more details.

Bottle volume is 11ml/0.37 fl.oz. Pretty Serious Cosmetics is 100% Vegan and Cruelty Free.

JENsations Stars In Space

I have seen these pretty star bottles from JENsations on blogs and finally decided that it was high time for me to get some.  This is Stars In Space, a silver & holographic star & hexagon glitter in a clear base.  I decided to layer it over my LVX Avireo manicure to spice up the fall look a bit.

I will let you know that I did have to fish out the the stars from this beautiful polish which makes me a little sad, but I was able to get some on my nails.  I topped my manicure with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

As you can see, I barely got anything on my pinkie finger but I was able to fish out some stars for my middle finger.  This is 2 coats of Stars In Space on all fingers in direct sunlight.

I normally choose a very dark color to layer this kind of polish over but I just wanted to mix it up.  I think I would try this over a red next.  This was taken in indirect sunlight.

Probably one of my favorite pictures of the bunch!  I love how the light plays off the glitter - and this picture was taken in the shade!  In fact, I ended up buying more JENsations last night!

This is the only picture (flash in doors) where it looked like the clear base wrinkled my Avireo manicure.  I don't know if I smudged it or what but regardless, it still looks pretty awesome.

I purchased my bottle in August for $7.50 but it appears her prices have gone up slightly.

JENsations [Etsy | Facebook | Personal Blog] is available through her Etsy store for either $8 or $8.25 a bottle.  She also creates custom orders for $9.00 a bottle + $0.20 listing fee.  She ships both domestically and internationally and is currently offering a Holiday Sale for orders over $50.

Candie's Launches Polish!

I'm a bit behind in my beauty news but love to hear that more and more companies are jumping on the nail polish trend.  

It appears that their core line contains cremes and glitters and each bottle is 10 ml for $8.00.  That's a bit pricey considering I can get unique cremes and glitters from Cult Nails for $10 for a 15 ml bottle but I cannot speak about Candie's formula or wear.

Have you tried any of them yet?

NOTD: 4 November 2012

While I'm pushing through fall and winter collections, I also wanted to show you a little NOTD that I wore to my alma mater's football game in September.  I took the plunge this year and bought season tickets and got them on the 50 yard line!  It hasn't been the best season for them, but still - I have loved going to each game.  I actually had soon-to-be Mr. PG pick out the blue for this manicure!  He doesn't have much interest in nail polish but will occasionally look at what colors I want to wear and give me suggestions.

I started with a base of Poshe, 2 coats of China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic and then topped with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  Next I added a thin coat of Nicole by OPI Gold Texture Coat and topped that with another coat of Wicked Fast.  Cleanup was a little messy with a dark blue and then the gold shimmer but it worked for the game.

As you can see, my pinkie didn't fare too well.  I paint my nails from pinkie to thumb, so it was first and the crackle flat out didn't crackle.  If you have a crackle polish that is too thick, add a few drops of your favorite Nail Polish Thinner (Seche Restore, or a generic brand) and roll the polish in your hands (or shake if you're REALLY impatient like me) until it becomes liquid again.

Random Krystal trivia.  I didn't realize that the China Glaze logo was a "C" and a "G" until about 2 years into owning several hundred bottles.  I just thought it was a fire flame or something.  Nerd.

Crackle is iffy - sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it.  For this game, it worked but this manicure didn't even last 24 hours before I took it off.

I purchased Rodeo Fanatic from the etailer,  Head2Toe Beauty and the Texture coat from Nicole by OPI was a press sample.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

PBA: How to Help after Hurricane Sandy

PBA Disaster Relief Fund Now Accepting Donations and Applications for Aid from Beauty Professionals Affected by Hurricane Sandy

Phoenix, AZ (October 29, 2012) - Since 1955, the PBA Disaster Relief Fund has been there to assist salons/spas and beauty professionals recover and rebuild after devastation caused by natural disasters. As Hurricane Sandy and related storms continue to move across the greater Northeast, PBA is reaching out to beauty professionals and companies to contribute to the PBA Disaster Relief Fund so we can continue to help professionals in our communities rebuild their careers, businesses and lives. "The PBA Disaster Relief Fund is a perfect way for our industry to come together and help support fellow beauty professionals in their time of need," states Steve Sleeper, Executive Director of the Professional Beauty Association. All donations made to the PBA Disaster Relief Fund are tax deductible and 100% of all funds raised go directly to beauty industry professionals in need. Make your donation online, by mail or by phone.   Contributions can be made online by credit card by simply completing the online donation form at: www.probeauty.org/disaster-relief-fund. Check or money order donations should be made payable to PBA Disaster Relief Fund and mailed to 15825 N. 71st Street, Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Contributions can also be made by phone by calling the PBA toll free number at 800.468.2274. Please help us spread the word. Salon professionals that have been affected by this natural disaster can apply for assistance from the PBA Disaster Relief Fund by downloading the Application for Aid at www.probeauty.org/disaster-relief-fund.   Please send completed application and any additional documents to: PBA Disaster Relief Fund C/O PBA 15825 N. 71st Street STE 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 The PBA Disaster Relief Fund is a program of the PBA Foundation, a 501c3 tax-exempt organization. 100% of donations made to the PBA Disaster Relief Fund will be used to help rebuild careers, businesses and lives. Donations are tax deductible as charitable contributions.