OPI Rumple's Wiggin', $2-8

How awesome is this Shrek 3 inspired lavender nailpolish from OPI? Pretty awesome if you ask me. Rumple's Wiggin' is an adorable light purple polish that is sure to make you want to ditch the dark shades (temporarily of course) and get girly.

I've sworn off Disney movies ever since Toy Story 3 so I probably will never see Shrek 3 (the first one was good) but I do think that these polishes are brilliant!

I think that a shade like this is very versatile even though you may not think so at first glance. I'm also digging the dark purple and a few of the green shades that are also found in the collection. OPI never fails to make at least half of one entire collection appealing to me!

Final verdict:
Cost: You can find it anywhere from $2-$8
How many coats to achieve the color in the bottle?: Two coats is perfect!
Repeat offender?: I love this polish, I will be hitting it up over and over again!

-M

Have a great weekend!

Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Shampoo, $6

I picked up Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Hair Defense Shampoo at a trip to Whole Foods. I've been looking for a more natural shampoo and even though this one isn't sulfate-free, I decided to try it out. I picked this one because I color my hair constantly (my natural color is so dull!) and need something that won't strip out the color or my natural oils. I have to wash my hair daily (otherwise it gets gross) so I have to make sure it actually cleans my hair, too.

The first thing I noticed about this shampoo was its awesome smell--it's like fruit punch! Mmmm . . .

I've used the shampoo for about 2 months and I must say I really like it. It's gentle but gets my hair clean. (I brought it with me to the beach and it worked great!) My hair has felt manageable and soft, and my stylist noted how well my color has lasted. I say it's a winner!

Final verdict
Cost: $6 is a great price. I was paying twice as much for my other shampoo.
Scent: Fruit punch! Soooo yummy.
Clean: It doesn't leave any build-up on my hair, and actually gets it nice and clean.
Colored hair: It works great on my (very) colored hair and hasn't faded it a bit.
Repeat offender: I'll definitely buy it again! It's a great shampoo. And I think I'm now addicted to the scent.

-T

Sephora Collection Lash Plumper Mascara, $12

I am so surprised at how much I love this mascara. This little jewel (show in the sample size) came in a little birthday bonus gift pack from Sephora (if you are a beauty insider they hook you up with a tiny gift on your birthday, it is pretty sweet!). I am completely obsessed with how awesome this mascara actually is. It doesn't promise a million little things but it delivers way more than you will expect.

First of all it is nice and black, and this isn't even the "Ultra Black" version. The mascara plumps and separates lashes perfectly and does not clump at all! I am in awe! It also works great on the bottom lashes which can often be tricky. It gives a nice full and soft lift to your lashes and doesn't clump--what more can you want?

The lashes aren't left feeling like there is no mascara on them but they also don't feel heavy, cakey, or have that weird plastic-like crust that other mascaras leave behind. The brush is awesome for getting even the tiniest lashes even though it is on the slightly fatter side. Oh and even though it isn't waterproof it doesn't budge all day! Just got back from the gym and I don't have any smearing!

Final verdict:
Cost: $12 for a full size bottle, free on your birthday for a tiny tube!
What would you rate it?: Out of 5 I'd give it a 4.5 because I don't think any mascara has ever blown me away to a 5. This is definitely one of the top mascaras I have tried in the last year though, and trust me I try a lot!
Repeat offender?: I may actually buy a full tube of this mascara the next time I place an order or stop by Sephora. It is just nearly perfect which is good enough for me!

-M

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails, $3

I've started to wear nail polish often, and I've found that my nails are starting to get weaker. I decided to try Sally Hansen Hard as Nails after reading favorable reviews on nail blogs. It's very reasonably priced for what it promises to do--strengthen your nails and prevent chipping, splitting, and cracking. It smells really strong, but it's very easy to put on and dries really quickly.

I've been wearing it under my nail polish for a while now. I've noticed that it acts as a really good base. No matter what color I use, it definitely stays on longer when I have this on underneath. By itself, it makes my nails look clean and shiny. And when I have it on, I feel like maybe my nails are growing stronger and breaking less. But when I take off my nail polish, I see it: peeling. This happened every time, even after clipping and filing the broken parts and trying again.

Final verdict
Cost: $3 is a good deal.
Base: It works as a really good base and keeps my polish from chipping (noticeably).
Strengthener?: I did not find it to actually strengthen my nails. Once I took my polish on, I could see my nails peeling!
Repeat offender?: I wouldn't buy this again. Part of me is tempted to keep using it because it keeps my color on for a long time, but the peeling is gross. And I have this bad habit of picking my nail polish off when I get stressed, and this stuff will take your nail along with it! I think I'm going to try taking my vitamins on a regular basis and maybe giving my nails a rest.

-T

Essie Cute As A Button, $3-8

I started craving a really pretty and fun pink color polish last week so I popped into Trade Secret and picked out this bright pink polish by Essie, Cute As A Button. This polish is perfect for when you need a nice splash of color without being obnoxiously neon (not to knock neon but sometimes it is just a bit much!).

A friend of mine described it as a color that reminded her of 1950s bathroom tile. If you know me, you know that I love retro things--especially styles of the 50s--so I thought this description was perfect!

I haven't really been too satisfied with other Essie brand polishes but this polish was pretty good. I put on three coats to achieve the full vibrant effect. I think their formula usually requires three coats and a nice steady hand because it seems to streak a little more than other formulas.

Final verdict:
Cost: I got it for around $8 but I looked online and you can find it for about $3 on Amazon, but don't forget shipping adds a few bucks too!
Does it chip easily?: It did start chipping after three days but not too awfully. I think it was pretty good as far as lasting effect goes.
Repeat offender?: I would go for another pink since there are so many options but I definitely like this polish and will continue to use it for a nice feminine touch to my look.

-M

Lorac On Screen Duo, Fame & Fortune, $7 (on sale from 24)

I impulsively purchased this eyeliner/highlighter duo from Lorac last time I placed an order on Sephora.com. It was/is on sale for $7 from $24 so I thought it would definitely be worth it to try it out, especially since I've been wanting to try a cream eyeliner. Lorac's On Screen Duo comes in a nifty little jar that holds the pot of cream eyeliner in the bottom part and a small highlighter/eyeshadow in the top lid.

To apply the cream eyeliner I just used an angled brush and it worked out really well! I don't have much experience with cream eyeliners but I was surprised that I could get it on so easily and evenly. My favorite part about using a cream eyeliner is that you can get as close as you want to your lash line, so you definitely avoid that weird space that sometimes your eyeliner misses.

I applied some primer and topped that with the highlighter/eyeshadow. I didn't really like it as an eyeshadow but it really is the perfect shade to highlight your brow bone. I don't think I look too good in a pale nude shimmery shadow. The cream eyeliner goes over the eyeshadow fairly easily as well.

The cream eyeliner stayed on for the day but I contribute this to the primer. I feel like it might not stay on as well without it since it is so creamy. My other gripe is that I feel like it isn't black enough. I want my eyeliner to be super duper black and this doesn't feel like it is the darkest, purest, most pigmented black that it can be.

Final verdict:
Cost: $7! Can't beat that for a cream eyeliner, especially one by a brand like Lorac. Hurry and get it while you can for this awesome price.
What is the best part of using a cream eyeliner?: Like I mentioned above it is great for getting super close to the lash line, but it is also awesome to line the bottom eyelid as well. I found that I had way more control using an angled brush than I do with an eyeliner pencil. I was able to apply eyeliner to my bottom line without smudging and even doing it ever so subtly made my eyes pop. It is also great because you can definitely achieve a fierce cat eye with cream liner!
Repeat offender?: I think I have been converted to a cream eyeliner in a pot user. I really want to try the MAC kind because it is extra black. I like the Lorac cream eyeliner but I don't think I would get it again only because I'd prefer it darker. But it is a great product and a really good deal!

-M

Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color, DVD, $6.49

Me and Mirna are too funny. We weren't hanging out, not texting, didn't even contact each other, but on the same day we bought the same nail polish. She got Laser and I got DVD (actually, she told me later she got DVD, too). Great minds think alike!

The main difference between these colors is that Laser is much more blue, while DVD is a bit lighter with a lot of purple thrown in.

I'll mirror what she says: This nail polish is awesome. It's psychedelic, cosmic, and holographic. I think the best part about it is the very fine glitter--it gives it an amazing sparkle and a great amount of depth. It seems to be a different color depending on the lighting (which is why I ended up staring at my nails all day!).

(in the shade)
I had it on for maybe 5 days before I noticed any kind of chipping, and even then it was slight. I used a base coat, 3 or 4 coats of the polish, and a top coat.

One warning though--it took a long time to dry for me. I smudged it hours later. But, it's completely worth it. And it could even work as a thin coat of sparkle on top of a deep purple or blue.


Final verdict
Cost: Less than $7!
Color: AMAZING. This is one of the more interesting colors I've bought. It's so iridescent and sparkly!
Lasting power: Even with my reckless self, my nails lasted a good week before they chipped (and the chips were tiny).
Repeat offender: I would totally buy another one of these. I'm thinking of the really cool green shade. BTW, there's totally a contest where the weekly prize is to win all 8 shades! Oh, I think you could win a TV or an iPod or something too. :)

-T

Sephora by OPI, 212-Sephora, $9

Leave it to one of the best places on earth (Sephora) to create a polish dedicated to another one of the best places on earth (New York City). 212-Sephora is an homage to New York and a polish that you can only get through Sephora's website.

This special edition area code named polish was given to me recently by one of my close friends. She bought it because on the site it is described as a "smoky opaque black" but after trying it she realized it didn't come out as black as she hoped.


As you can see the color has more of an olive tone than a black one. It is definitely dark but the sparkles and the chunks of copper glitter make the color appear much more multi-demensional than you might expect.

I really love this polish because of its unexpected effect. Even as I write this I am having trouble really explaining it, this is why I have tons of pictures! I've got on three coats of polish and a topcoat. Two will do but I was feeling experimental so I went with three, it has held up nicely.

Final verdict:
Cost: $9
Does it live up to the name?: It is eccentric, not for everyone, lovely, unexpected, and pretty badass--I think it captures New York pretty well!
Repeat offender?: So hard to answer this with nailpolish . . . I'd wear it again and again, but I don't know if I would buy it again, there are just too many options out there!

-M

Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin Astringent, $6-$7

Sea Breeze is one of those brands that's been around forever. Their bottles are a familiar sight in the drugstore skincare aisle. I used to use the sensitive skin astringent when I was a teenager. What drew me to it was the old notion that alcohol smell + tingly feeling = clean skin! I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like that tingly, tight feeling left on your face by a clean-rinsing face wash or an astringent. So, even though my skin is much better than it used to be, I still have a ton of blackheads. I decided to try an old favorite to see how it held up.

Well, I'm going to be a Negative Nancy and give two bad reviews in a week. I didn't have luck with this. I used it right after the shower, running a soaked cotton ball over my face until it turned up clean. It kinda grosses me out that after my shower I still have dirt and oil on my face . . . anyway. It did give my skin a tight feeling, but it also felt like a film was left behind. And the alcohol scent is really strong, even though they try to mask it with a fragrance. After a few days my face didn't look any better, and actually felt worse--greasier and more inflamed.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$7. (So at least I didn't waste too much money on it!)
Experience: Will leaving your skin feeling tight, and will permeate the room with an alcohol-y smell.
Skin clearing?: Not for me. It felt like it left a film on my face, which made my face greasier and angrier.
Repeat offender?: No, I won't buy this again. It didn't clear up my skin at all, and actually made it worse. I guess that's why I stopped using it. Maybe next week I'll have some better products, guys!

Sephora Collection Harmony Trio Bronzer, Rose, $16

I made it my mission to get into bronzers a lot more this summer. This little compact was included in The Waterproof Bronzing Kit that I purchased a little while ago (and have been reviewing bits and pieces of it ever since then). This bronzer is a mix of three varying shades including a dark copper color, a rosy bronze, and a sheer yet shiny beige.

There are a few ways to make this bronzer work for you, they are all pretty straightforward. You can just take a brush and swirl it all on the compact itself, though you might end up mixing the colors a bit. You can even just stroke your brush across the palette and blend the different shades on your cheeks (with the brush) as you please. Another use for this bronzer is to just use the different shades individually for your eyes. The third tone would be a great highlighter and mixing the first two would probably create a pretty cool eyeshadow shade.

So far I've used this on my cheeks over some blush for a subtle bronzing effect. I was wearing a deep cut dress on Friday at the beach and decided to bronze up the exposed area of my chest. It definitely made a difference! It made me look more tan but didn't look weird because I didn't use too much. Just a little tip, I know you guys aren't dumb but seriously only do this if you are wearing dark colored clothing. I can just see a pretty light-colored top getting ruined by bronzer because we want to bronze our boobs (lol).

Final verdict:
Cost: $16, I think this is a little too expensive because this is a pretty small compact. Last week they had it on sale on the site for half off so if you are interested I would just keep my eye out for a sale. The set it came in was $28 total and came with a lot more stuff.
Is it hard to get an even bronzing color because there are 3 shades?: Not at all. The three tones blend beautifully to give you the glow you want. You don't really have to worry about it looking like you have three different colored streaks on your face. Just remember: Blend! Blend! Blend! It really does wonders.
Repeat offender?: Though I'm giving it a good review I'd say no. It is a little too small for $16 and with so many bronzer options out there I'd feel lame just sticking to one kind.

-M

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden, $18

You know I love my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer. LOVE it. In fact, it was one of our very first reviews. I use it in Original (clear) and Sin (sparkly pink), though I'd say Original is more versatile. After trying it once, I determined that I can never wear any eye makeup without it. Simple as that!

Recently they came out with a new shade, Eden. They call it a "tawny matte shade." My first reaction was, well, why? Original is totally clear, and Sin makes sparkle, so why would I need anything else? They said that this matte, natural, and neutral shade would hide bluish discoloration and still do its work as a primer. So, I got a sample of it with my latest Sephora purchase and decided to try it out!

I don't really have much to say about it except that I really didn't like it. Here's how my trial went: I opened the container and put some on my finger. I tried to blend it into my eyelid and was immediately surprised by the opacity of the color and its thickness. I tried to blend it around but it felt thick and sticky and wouldn't blend easily. It started to dry but it still wasn't evenly smoothed over my eyelid. I didn't feel like trying to work with it, so I took it off. Sorry I don't have any pics of it on my eye, but I just really lost patience with it.

Final verdict
Cost: $18, same as the other colors.
Color: The color is like a medium shade of foundation, matte and opaque. It didn't match my skin tone and I wonder how it would work on a variety of skin tones.
Texture: For some reason it felt thicker and stickier than the Original or Sin. It didn't blend easily at all and dried quickly.
Repeat offender: No, I would not buy Eden. I will continue to buy Original and Sin because they're amazing but I would not recommend this one. It really missed the mark (and I still don't even see why they made it at all).

-T

Sally Hansen Hi-Definition Nail Color, Laser, $6.49

The other day I made a quick stop to CVS to pick up a few essentials for my weekend beach trip. The minute I walked in the door it's like they knew I was coming and they had lined up the bright shiny display case full of different colors for me to walk directly into. I immediately grabbed this holographic multidimensional nailpolish by Sally Hansen in the color Laser. They were having a buy one get one 50% so obviously I had to get two.

I thought about whether it would even be worth getting this nailpolish because a lot of the time anything other than OPI sucks but I took a chance, and I am glad I did!

I put on three coats of polish (one is definitely way too thin, you might think it isn't even going to work with one coat) and a nice thick layer of topcoat. I have had this on for the last 3 days and I haven't really had any chipping so it is definitely worthwhile!

I love the color because it is metallic yet has this cool holographic tint to it as well. You are going to get a very unique polish if you get any of the other colors from this collection. They all have this awesome cosmic vibe to them which I am really feeling right now.

Final verdict:
Cost: $6.49, you can find it cheaper for sure!
Does it hold up to other higher brands?: I think it has been holding up just as well as my OPIs. You really just have to make sure you wear topcoat.
Repeat offender?: I think I would definitely try another Sally Hansen nailpolish, they seem to come out with different "styles" like this one is Hi-Definition, so I would probably give it another shot!

-M