AmourCBD - Advanced Pain Relief

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I'm still very new to the world of CBD and still don't understand all the properties, percentages, uses... When AmourCBD reached out with their Advanced Pain Relief creme, I was interested in finding out if this worked for me.

MegRhythm Steam Eye Mask

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Where has January gone?! It's been a stressful month and I'm determined to take "me time" and stop for a moment. Today, I decided to do that with a MegPhythm Gentle Steam Eye Mask.

Sphynx - Portable Razor

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Happy Makeup Monday! Today I'm giving my nails a break and wanted to share this really cute portable razor that I got at Cosmoprof North America last year! I went to their media luncheon and Sphynx was one of the beauty brands that was exhibiting. On top of the idea being awesome, the packaging is super cute. Sphynx comes in four colors - Pink Me Up, Teal The Deal, Berry Haute and Black In Style and is available for $14.99 on their website.

Save this spring with Groupon Coupons!

Sponsored Post (This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.)

Y'all know how much I love Groupon. I wrote a post a few years ago about how I used a Groupon to get a massage locally and a few times I've mentioned how you can get JulieG by Jesse's Girl Cosmetics polishes at a really awesome deal price through Groupon. But did you know that in addition to having amazing deals for over 500 cities and 28 countries around the world, Groupon also has a whole section dedicated to coupons?

PolishGalore at PolishCon

Nothing To Disclose
Where on earth did September go? At work, I'm already into Halloween mode and moving towards the holidays and on my desk at home, I have winter lines from several polish companies filling my available room. I always feel busy but I think fall and winter are my absolutely busiest times and I'm feeling the rush. What I'm also feeling is the fact that I'm going to Chicago tomorrow morning!

The Polish Convention [Facebook Event | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram] is a joint effort from Ever After Polish and Great Lakes Lacquer to bring Indies together in Chicago for one great night of polish fun, shopping, and tutorials. All the brands attending are indies - most well established but one lucky maker - NeVerMind Polish will be debuting at the convention.

The Polished Pathology has a wickedly amazing, extremely detailed list of each indie, and swatches of their limited edition and event exclusive polishes here.

The tutorial tables are really interested and I think are going to be really neat. Think mini-workshops, but you didn't have to pay extra. The sign ups for the tables happened earlier in the month and while all tables are currently full, I hope you can float around and watch from a distance. There's also talk about showing via projector in the ballroom and/or Facebook Live.

AND I am proud to announce that I will be at the Convention, covering for Nail It Magazine! I will be submitting a digital article after the event as well as a live Instagram Takeover during the event. I do believe it will be on IG only, not the IG Story, so I hope to post more to my IG Story and of course, I'll be posting to my Instagram as well. Check #PolishCon and #PolishCon2016 for all photos from the different makers, bloggers, and other attendees.

If you're heading out to PolishCon, please say hi. I love meeting new people or seeing old friends a second time. It's going to be a quick trip - less than 24 hours in Chicago, but I'm excited and looking forward to seeing the Inaugural PolishCon! 

La Palmera Presents The Ready Set Gold Fashion Show 2015

Sponsored Post 
Pediatric Cancer. Two words that no parent wants to associate with. As the mom of two young boys, I have been lucky to have them both be healthy thus far in their short lives. However, for some families, pediatric cancer is part of their daily lives.

La Palmera mall [Website | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Periscope | Pinterest | YouTube] located in Corpus Christi, partnered with the Ready or Not Foundation [Website | Facebook] and other local organizations and created the Ready.Set.Gold campaign [website] to help raise both awareness and funds for all forms of pediatric cancer. Today, I was invited to be a VIP at the Fashion Show held in Center Court.

The Ready or Not Foundation was founded in Corpus Christi by Barbara Canales following the 2006 diagnosis of her daughter Jackie's brain tumor at age 6. She ran into a tree, which caused a doctor's visit which ultimately revealed the tumor. As a symbol of everything the Canales family went through, a special fundraising tree provided by H-E-B was placed in Center Court of La Palmera. The branches signified a $100 donation while the golden leaves were $1 donations. Barbara stated that over 1300 leaves were on the tree and this was actually the second time they had filled the tree this month. That's over $2600 in local donations towards pediatric cancer research.

Image via La Palmera Facebook

I got to meet Jackie, who's in remission and continues to raise funds and awareness for pediatric brain cancer research.

My afternoon started with valet parking, provided by La Palmera. We rarely use valet parking, but it's something I really would like to utilize this winter with 2 little boys, holiday shoppers, and that price is right. Considering I just paid $42 a DAY for valet parking at the Riverwalk in San Antonio, I am definitely okay with this pricing.

Gotta ❤️ valet parking at @lapalmeracc! Super polite & fast service. #spon

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on Sep 27, 2015 at 1:20pm PDT

Next we got to meet the models who were going to be walking in the show. Their hair and makeup was provided by Aveda and some of the models had their nails done. Unfortunately, none of the models knew what brand or color they were wearing but gel was the favorite among the ladies.

Models' nails at the @lapalmeracc #ReadySetGold event. Vampy reds & baby pinks. #spon

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on Sep 27, 2015 at 11:23am PDT

Next we stopped at the H-E-B Giving Tree and took a photo.

#Repost @lapalmeracc ・・・ Internationally known style visionaries @dapeoplesbarber, @jelly_doll7, @polishgalore and @makeupxomadness were #ReadySetGold Fashion Show VIPs! Thanks to the whole crew for sharing their time and insight with us today! #MyRunway

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on Sep 27, 2015 at 1:19pm PDT

Then it was time for the Fashion Show! Fashions were featured by Macy's, street-savvy footwear by Journey's, stunning accessories from Michael Kors, and special appearances from Build-A-Bear, Sun Optics and Scrub Hub.

The crowd went wild for this Cowboys Themed dress and Build-A-Bear. Gotta love Texas!

This Twiggy inspired look was one of my favorites. It's just the right amount of black and sophistication that makes me want to Wednesday Adams out.

These black on black patterned pants were everything to me. I'd love to pair it with a white shirt to make it pop!

This local model has been affected personally by pediatric cancer. He was such a joy and rocked the runway!

This white and gold dress on the left model was to DIE for. It featured 3/4th" sleeves and fell just above the knee. The back also had a cut out for a little peek-a-boo effect.

Natalie Sanchez, local style maven who manages the Michael Kors Shop-in-Shop at Macy's helped organize the Ready Set Gold Fashion Show and provided both opening and closing remarks.

Barbara Canales (left), founder of the Ready or Not Foundation closed out the show.

You can still donate to the Ready Set Gold through September by visiting this link. After September, you can donate directly to the Ready or Not Foundation by visiting their website.

Thank you again to La Palmera for inviting me to be a VIP guest for this show!

Disclosure: Some services in this post were provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

And away we go!

I think I picked out my nails for #russelljoseph. @chaosandcrocodiles City In The Clouds with an accent of @orlynails Mirrorball. My baby will be on the outside in less than 12 hours!!!

A photo posted by PolishGalore (@polishgalore) on May 3, 2015 at 6:07pm PDT

Nothing To Disclose
If you've been following me on social media, you've realized that I'm having a baby today! It's crazy how fast time goes but today's the day! I had the hardest time picking out my nails but I went with the above Chaos And Crocodiles "City in the Clouds" from the Once Upon A Unicorn collection and ORLY "Mirrorball" as an accent. I was really happy with both polishes - I used a base coat of Cult Nails Get It On, 2 coats of polish on all nails and finished with Digital Nails Ain't Nobody Got Time For That. I hope that it just lasts while I'm in the hospital!

I'm hoping that while I play with my new baby squish, I'll also get a little more blogging in. Things are a-changing at my household from the new addition to job changes for me which will maybe give way to a little more blogging time. I'm still debating on Cosmoprof North America this year which is in early July - there are a few pieces to that puzzle that haven't been solved & tonight's not the time to do it.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram - that's probably where my first photos of Russell Joseph will end up. And have a fantastic week!

Father's Day Gifts

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I am habitually late. The only thing I was on time for was my own birth, and that's only because the doctor pulled me a month early. Otherwise, I'm a lost cause.  There are some things I'll be on time for - massages... I was on time for my wedding... dessert. Anyway.
I was a bit at a loss at what to get Mr. PG for Father's Day. Being a beauty blogger, you'd think I'd have some idea. It was through blogging that I learned about a sake-infused shave cream that Mr. PG was pretty obsessed with for a year. 
When I got this fantastic package in the mail last month, I was excited to give it to him for Father's Day. Instead, however, he saw it and ran away with it. Literally.
First off, it came in a camo toiletry bag "Chapter" by Herschel Supply Company. Mr. PG is former Navy, current Navy Reserves, so if it's camo, it's his. He didn't even wait to look inside and just "Ooh mine!" Now he knows how I feel when I see polish. You can get one at Nordstrom here.
Inside was this awesome treasure trove of items. Now, yes, Father's Day was yesterday, but if you're like me either you didn't get your gift out on time OR (and I swear this isn't my fault) if you're like Amazon, you didn't mail my gift out to my father-in-law. Do you see the side eye I'm giving you? (True story, I purchased through Amazon on the 10th with 2-day shipping, and it still hasn't arrived.)
SO don't wait any longer and go search for the following items to make the father in your life feel and smell good. It's so much better than another tie.

American Crew Alternator is a styling and finishing spray that uses polymer based technology for all-day control while allowing the hair to remain flexible for styling and adjusting. The unique formulation of Alternator enables men to reshape their style and control their image. Unlike gels that can dry crunchy or tacky, Alternator is a pliable product that does not dry hard. Alternator provides a natural look with medium hold and medium shine. Suitable for everyday use and washes out easily. 3.3oz/100ml: $14.95 

American Crew Post-Shave Cooling Lotion is a dual-action formula that works as a lightweight moisturizer and calming aftershave. A blend of extracts promotes healing and healthy, balanced skin, while essential fatty acids help regulate sebum production. Active minerals inhibit inflammation and soothe the skin post-shave. Antioxidants in Post-Shave Cooling Lotion work to provide a barrier for skin against environmental stressors such as pollution and harsh winds. Post-Shave Cooling Lotion works well for all skin and beard types. Suitable for everyday use. 4.2oz/125ml: $9.95

CND Cucumber Heel Therapy is an intense, refreshing moisturizing complex to help heal and repair dry, cracked skin on heels, as well as knees, elbows and other areas prone to roughness. Thoroughly rub a dime-sized amount into the heels and other areas that are in need of intense moisture.  2.6 oz jar (US$15.50/Canada $18.80) or 15 oz jar (US $45.50/Canada $54.90)

SOLAROIL™ A “Manicure-In-A-Bottle.” A cuticle and nail oil made from an exclusive blend of four naturally light oils which penetrate the skin’s pores while sealing in valuable moisture. Massage into nail and cuticle area daily. SolarOil™ can also be applied directly to rough skin on knees, elbows and feet or poured into a hot bath for all-over body moisturizing. 1/4 oz. bottle (US $7.00/Canada $9.10) or 1/2 oz. bottle (US $11.00/Canada $14.30).

Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Rpr who helped hook me up for Father's Day. Mr PG thanks you too!

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

I disappeared.

It's been a bit rough in PolishGalore world.

Mr. PG and I found out I was pregnant which was awesome. However at the end of the month (right before my 9 week appointment), we found out that our little one stopped developing at 6 weeks 2 days. No heartbeat ever formed. I had a D&C the next morning.

I'm also preparing for Cosmoprof North America 2014 again this year. If you are a blogger or an indie brand that is looking to join, there is a Facebook Group already in full swing. I'm not in charge of the group, but definitely a member.

I have a slew of new polishes to share both mainstream and indie. I've tried to only buy what interests me and I'm slowly starting to purge polishes I bought and didn't care for. And hopefully by the end of the summer, I will have my own Mani Cave ala work/play/polish.

We are also in the process of replacing our front doors and all the windows in the house so my spare time gets smaller and smaller each weekend. Unless I can start photographing polish at work (don't tempt me), my blogging has been pushed back into hobby status for sure.

And tomorrow is another day.

I am alive - Promise.

Image Courtesy of ellageepolish 

It's been a heck of a month. I had surgery (again) late last month and recovery hasn't been fun... or happened. I still have an open hole in my stomach because the incision just won't heal. It's kinda neat - like a black hole or something. (Serious note: The doctor knows and said it's just taking time to heal.)

I also went all over the place this month. My favorites? Watching my dear BeautyJudy get married in New Jersey.

And then the ATXNailGirls meet up in Austin, Texas (photo at the top of this post). 

Then I got strep throat. Hah.

But now I'm preparing for the holidays which of course starts Thursday with Thanksgiving. Then I have my first wedding anniversary, my 30th birthday (holy crap), Christmas and New Years!

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, POLISHGALORE TURNS FOUR! What? Yep! I have lots of stuff to giveaway so I'm excited.  You should be too. Stay tuned!

iFabbo 2nd Annual Social Media Conference 2013

I joined iFabbo in June 2011 but I had been pretty quiet with them. They recently revamped their SHOP and I'm waiting for some awesome nail polish to possibly hit because PolishGalore is all about polish ^_^ (and well, sometimes I'll review something else but it has to be pretty special for that to happen). When they announced the 2nd Annual Social Media Conference this summer to be held in San Francisco, I wavered on going. What was I going to learn? How could this benefit me? After some brief inner dialog (and a small push from co-founder Sinead Norenius, whom I adore), I bought my conference ticket, booked my hotel and booked a flight to SFO!

The conference was held at the Merchants Exchange Club in the Financial District so I took an UberX car (affiliate link where you and I both earn $10 off our next Uber ride) down there (which was only $55 with my $20 iFabbo Credit woo!) and arrived JUST as the conference started. I actually ran into Sinead right away and it was like no time had passed between our last visit (which was summer 2012!). I missed the Welcome/Opening Remarks but I was able to grab a seat before the PR Panel started, which was fab.

I tried to live tweet and Instagram for the bulk of the conference. Highlights for me included meeting Laurie Mueller, Product Manager at Facebook & Lifestyle blogger at Eye for Elegance; Jen Mathews, President of Top Tier Media & Founder of My Beauty Bunny; Serge Jespers, Evangelist at Adobe, and the one I squee'd about the most, Sarah Price from Google Glass who was sitting behind me during half the conference.

I won't tell you EVERYTHING about the conference because thanks to the wireless sponsor/PPV sponsor Spreecast, you can watch the entire conference via PPV! Check this blog posting by iFabbo to purchase the all access pass or just watch a few panels.

I also got this fantastic press bag that had SO many goodies in it that the handle broke before I even left the conference. But even better, PolishGalore will be giving away some of the amazing goodies to readers! Stay tuned as I review the product and then give you a chance to win it for yourself. (How cool is that?)

Finally, I wanted to just share a few of the awesome fellow bloggers I met while out there. I was awake for 21 straight hours and I can tell I was on cloud 9 to begin with, but I was so impressed with the caliber and professionalism of each person I met at the conference.

First up is Linda from Beautzyblog [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram] - we just randomly said hi to each other and gushed about nails. Oddly enough, we are both members of the Beauty Blog Coalition and I didn't even realize it at the time! She has a great beauty blog, so be sure to check her out!

Next was Lisa from The Makeup Social [Website | Facebook | Twitter]. This girl is a go-getter. She is all about pro-self esteem for all people and is looking at hosting a conference next year in the midwest. I'm really excited to watch her grow and I gave her a few nail contacts to help her hopefully get started. 

At one of the breaks, I got to talking to Claire who works with Vitabath. Vitabath [Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest] was one of the Goodie Bag Sponsors (so look for a giveaway soon!). Their tagline is luxury in a bottle, so I'm pretty stoked to try out the goodies I received.

Our keynote speaker, Jacqueline Wales of The Fearless Factor, told us to turn to our right and ask the person next to us who they are and what they need. I was sitting next to Brandy from Will Bake For Shoes. Okay for starters, let's talk about that name. HOW cute is it?! Brandy is a fashion blogger and cake decorator in California and she was just so super cute. I hope she gets a chance to update her blog soon because I really enjoyed it. You can follow her social media here - bloglovin', Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Twitter.

During the cocktail hour, I bumped in to Elba from Live Colorful. She is a designer and big lover of color! She was a bubbly person too so it was neat to run into her. You can follow her on various social media channels as well - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+.

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was getting to finally meet my nametwin Krystal from Beauty by Krystal. She is SO fantastic. I could have spent hours with her, just chatting about makeup and our kids. Follow her social media already! Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, & Pinterest. I'd love to do a collaboration with her in the future - Twin Power!

With Krystal was the online clothing and accessory boutique IndulgEra. If you're looking for a cute new look, check out her site!

While iFabbo was full of amazing bloggers, there were also some great brands there too. Crown Brush is a professional private label makeup brushes, brush sets, cosmetics and more. They are currently looking to revamp their online presence so be looking for some great things very soon. Their social media is as follows: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and Flickr.

Finally, I wanted to say thanks to Jen Mathews for letting me take an Uber to her hotel before I headed back to my own hotel. Jen was rooming with Cheryl of Unite Socially & The Skinny on Beauty who was very nice and helped me down to my Uber back home.

Sorry for such the wall of text - want to see my nails?!

I wore a gradient of Zoya Sunshine and Carter from the Pixie Dust collection.

I ended up wearing this manicure for 5 days before it finally chipped on my index finger of my Cinderella hand so I took it all off to let my nails breathe. I wore a base coat of Cult Nails Get It On, put a full coat of Zoya Sunshine and let it dry, then dabbed on Zoya Carter from the cuticle up. I used an e.l.f. Concealer Brush for my clean up (my favorite - and only $1!) and off I went!

The iFabbo conference really helped me recenter myself. PolishGalore had gotten away from the polish and I'm not willing or able to turn this into a beauty blog. My passion is in the polish! I also was really glad to make new contacts, see Sinead, and just get out of town for a bit. I was barely in San Francisco for 24 hours but it was so worth it.  Be looking for new great things!

NYFW Spring Summer 2014 Round Up

I was actually very interested in New York Fashion Week this year. I even considered hopping a plane and going to watch! Instead, I ended up watching from my computer screen and even though it's come and gone (and London had theirs too), I thought you might be interested in some of the show highlights that I enjoyed.  (All images courtesy of the companies that they represent unless otherwise noted.)

CND

When I think of Fashion Week, I think of CND and how hard they work to create amazing designs. This year, they unveiled 36 unique designs at The Blonds Spring/Summer 2014 Fashion Show at MILK Studios in NYC. 

butter LONDON

I didn't realize butter LONDON was hitting the US soil so hard but now I see it EVERYWHERE. This year, they launched their own exclusive Fashion Week shade The 444, a champagne glitter.

However, I felt like butter LONDON played it safe with fashion week - lots of nudes & matte top coats. One show that did get wild was the LIBERTINE show where lead manicurist Katie Jane Hughes, butter LONDON Global Colour Ambassador started with Union Jack Black and then added holographic foil & applied several colours to the nails includes crystals and studs and finally a small red pom-pom on the accent nails.

Morgan Taylor

I still need to share my brand overview on Morgan Taylor - both lovely fashion forward young women who are really digging in their heels with their brand. I was happy to see them at fashion week, such a young brand to have such a powerful position.

BUT THEN they also went the nude, light, and matte way. Rawr.

The stand out was the Betsy Johnson show (duh). Lead artist Danielle Candido created an "Aurora Borealis Mani" using a silver base of Could Have Foiled Me, layered with Adorned in Diamonds and finished at the tips with Sweetest Thing.

Zoya

Can't forget them! Zoya has been providing custom nail colors for their designers in recent fashion shows. Each designer nail palette was created in direct collaboration with Zoya Color Developer Rebecca Isa (who officially has my dream job). Once again, the designers tended to go with soft colors but the Peter Som set spoke to me most. 

Zoya Edie (blue cream), Zoya Alexa (green cream), and Zoya Stella (peach cream). “The inspiration for the Peter Som custom trio was - Where land meets sea… - the serene marine blue represents the water, the vibrant green represents the lush plant life surrounding the water and the soft peach is the delicate first bloom of spring flowers. Eddie and Alexa are full coverage and very pigmented so that a shaded half-moon mani can be achieved; which is exactly how the shades were worn coming down the runway”.

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed my picks from Fashion Week!

The beginning

I found this today and just had to share - I "got obsessed" with nail polish in the summer of 2009, and I found my first "stash" photo. All China Glaze, my first love.

I was so proud of myself.

iFabbo Social Media Conference: October 12, 2013

Image via iFabbo Facebook Page

Earlier this year, iFabbo announced that they would be having a Social Media Conference in San Francisco, California this coming October. I have been a member of iFabbo since June 2011 but have never really taken full advantage of my membership, including the wealth of knowledge that is available to bloggers.

I met iFabbo owner Sinead Norenius last year in Vegas during Cosmoprof North America 2012 and after talking a little back and forth with her and looking at my schedule and available airports, I decided to just go for it and booked my ticket.

This will be my first blogger oriented convention, and I look forward to the different panels. In addition to my day job, being a mom, and writing for PolishGalore, I'm also the Social Media Strategy & Development Manager for Y! Public Relations and I'm a social media contractor for another public relations firm, so this trip will play double duty in helping my blogger duty and in my PR jobs.

So what if you want to go too? First, you must be a member of iFabbo already. Secondly, get your ticket here. Presale ticket prices have expired so the current price is $100 USD. Please note that the cost at the door will be $175.

Next, get your airfare and hotel figured out. I had booked everything before iFabbo came out with the handy "where to stay" cheat sheet and opted for a hotel closer to the airport that has an airport shuttle. However, I will have to get from the hotel to the conference venue, the Merchants Exchange Building (465 California Street San Francisco, CA 94104). I am highly considering Uber. I used to work for one of their strategic advisers and have only heard good things about them. It will cost me about $100 in car fares but knowing that I have a car that will be right where I need it, when I need it, without having to fumble with cash or cards? Priceless. I do have a referral link here where if you use it for a ride, we will both get a $10 credit. And this is not just for San Fran, Uber is in 41 cities globally.  

The rest is up to you. I am going to be getting new business cards through Moo - which I have a referral link here which gives me $7.50 if you place your first order, and you get 10% off said order.  Go crazy!

Are you going to iFabbo's Social Media Conference? Have you been to a blogger conference before?