NOTD | I ❤ Barry M

Today's post is going to be a quick NOTD! I was recently gifted some wonderful and amazing Barry M Hi-Shine Nail Paints from my good blogging buddy Melissa who runs Melissa Knows Best. Anyone who follows me on twitter or chatted with me in previous General #bbloggers chats knows that I couldn't go 5 seconds without talking about these polishes, oggling at other blogger's swatches of them, or formulating a plan to get them over to me (without paying such ridiculous shipping costs!) I'm so happy and in awe of these polishes that they have been the only ones I've used for manicures on myself and my sister since I've gotten them (which has been a week!) I'm going to review these polishes soon but in the mean time I thought I'd share my latest manicure with them using Greenberry and Prickly Pear! I can't handle the pastel-y-bright goodness! I also feel so bad ass with the whole two finger accent nail thing that I also did for my IMATS NOTD, which was strangely inspired by Spring Breakers (that movie still haunts my dreams ... and I can't even enjoy High School Musical, anymore!) I can't wait to review these for you all! I love them so much and you've all probably heard a ton about them ... but what's one more review from an excited American? LOL.

Unfortunately, this manicure was completely ruined and squished because I spent all of today cleaning my house (it's my new Summer gig, haha!) I feel like Consuela from Family Guy (We need more lemon pledge ... we actually did!) It took me about 5 hours too make sure everything was spick and span and by that time my nails were chipped and fingers all prickly, yuck! But hey, it's a Summer job that'll let me stay home, wear any ridiculous cleaning outfit I want, and jam out to copious amounts of music on my iPod (I listened to 81 songs in the span of that 5 hours, oh my lanta...) And now I'm off to take a bath whilst re watching A Very Potter Musical (which if you haven't seen you must!)

What do you lovelies think?

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YouTube Challenges? We Accept!

Today's post is one to bring your attention to a video I have filmed and put up on my channel! It is a compilation of three various YouTube challenges that my sister and I have seen surfacing. We (well, she) thought it would be really funny to do them on camera and see how we did! We ended up making a little competition out of it and got really silly at times (well, I did). The challenges we attempted were the Cotton Ball Challenge, Chubby Bunny Challenge, and then the Saltine Cracker Challenge. The challenges were really fun and actually quite difficult! Okay, maybe not that difficuly, but when you're laughing and goofing around, they're tough! I'd love for you guys to watch the video and have a little laugh, I think you just might have a big one!

Here are the challenges in case you're not quite sure what each entails:

• Cotton Ball Challenge | Requires that one person be blindfolded, be given a spoon and a plate to be placed on top of their head. The other person fills a plate or bowl with cotton balls and has the first person scoop the cotton balls and see how many they can get onto their plate in 5 attempts. You can't feel wether or not you've scooped any cotton balls onto the spoon because they're so light! Really funny!
• Chubby Bunny Challenge | Each person puts one marshmallow into their mouth and has to say 'Chubby Bunny'. You can't chew or swallow any of the marshmallows. Whoever can get the most marshmallows in their mouth and still say 'Chubby Bunny' wins!
• Saltine Cracker Challenge | Each person gets six saltine crackers and has one full minute to eat them, crumbs and all, without the assistance of water or any drink. 

As always, let me know what you guys think! You guys should try out these challenges with your siblings or friends! It's great for some laughs and 'bonding', awwwww!

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First Impression | Revlon's Lash Potion

Happy Monday to all! The weekend isn't over just yet for those in the States because it's Memorial Day! Hope you're all enjoying your three day weekend and if not, hope you don't have a bad case of the Mondays! Today I'll be doing a 'first impression' post of a mascara I got recently after a stroll through the drugstore. It's Revlon's Lash Potion that's supposed to provide length and volume to your lovely lashes. It's also waterproof, which I'm not too happy about it because it'll be a nightmare to remove, but it's great for those who have more oily lids. Also, it'd be great to wear to the beach and the pool during the hot summer days! Okay, maybe it's not so bad that it's waterproof, haha! I was completely sold by the packaging. I didn't even know what this mascara promised to do when I got it but the metallic-magenta handle, and colorful metallic bokeh colored lights on the tube were too hard for me to resist! The brush of this mascara is super dense with bristles which allows it to catch and coat every single lash--from the root, all the way to the tip. I think that's what the 'lengthen' part of this mascara is. By coating from root to tip it creates the illusion of longer lashes, and I really think it lives up to the name. As for volume, I think it does an alright job of creating lift; it's more natural looking than dramatic. The entire effect of this mascara is 'natural' which will make it that much better for when you're not feeling up to a full face of make up. It's a great mascara and I think it'll be one I'll be reaching for a lot to use (and to gaze at!). 

Overall, I'd recommend it if you're looking for a mascara to accentuate the natural length and volume of your lashes. If you're not a fan of waterproof mascara's I'd pass over it, as it's tricky to get off. It'll be great for the summer months when you're going for more 'natural' make ups looks or when you're looking for some mascara that'll hold you over nicely at the beach or pool!

Look, I've finally learned to include a 'before' and 'after' shot of the mascara so you guys can see it in action! :) *super proud blogger moment*

What do you think ladies and germs? Something you might be looking into?

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Whimsical Ideas by Pam

Who doesn't love a little whimsy in their life?

Hello dudes and dudettes! Is that unprofessional? I hope not. Anyway, today I have a unique and super 'whimsy' post to share with you all about these crazy beautiful polishes! They are from the small company called Whimsical Ideas by Pam. All the polishes are handmade (hand mixed together?) by a lovely woman named Pam, who truly is lovely. All her polishes are $10 a bottle and she sells everything through her facebook page which will be linked right here -> WHIMSY :D (she doesn't ship internationally though, sowwy oversea readers ): ) You can look through albums of all the different polishes she has to offer and then all you do is drop her an e-mail with the ones you want. She won't invoice you back until she knows she has all your polishes ready to go and when she has a new collection out it may take a while to get invoiced, but I think that's a good system because then you pay when you know your polishes are ready to be shipped out. They're totally worth the wait! 

The packaging of the polishes is simple, cute, and very whimsy. The bottles are square (which make the polishes line up so nicely) with white stickers that have the name of the color written really big and in really cute handwritten letters. The best part, my favorite part, are the little bows that she hand ties (yeah, hand ties) on every single black topper. They're aesthetically pleasing and don't get in the way when I try to paint my nails, in fact, you can just slide them right off while you paint!

It was really hard for me to narrow down my choices to the ones I did. At $10 a piece they're not totally expensive but they're not cheap either. Reading through her facebook page you'll see that there are so many happy customers so it just came down to choosing my colors. I ended up going with Kitty Glitter, In the Whole Wide World, and Eloise. The last two were a part of her Valentine's Day collection and when I saw Eloise I knew it was time to hustle up and order some!

• Kitty Glitter | This one has a light, pastel blue base with silver micro-shimmer and small, silver hexagonal glitters. This is my favorite out of the three because you get just enough glitter and color onto each nail. You don't have to fish around for any of them. This one also looks nice and semi-opaque layered in two coats on its own, but looks really opaque and vibrant over a similar colored polish.
• In The Whole Wide World | This one has a clear base but has so much more going on in terms of glitter. You've got your rainbow micro-shimmers, small-silver hexagonal glitters (I have no idea why it came out blue in the swatches... it might have bounced off of Kitty Glitter) and then adorable pink heart glitters. The micro-shimmers and hexagonal glitters apply smoothly to the nail but I find myself fishing for the hearts and having to place them onto the nail. At first this was a little disappointing as I've never experienced this with glitters but as you get the hang of how to apply it, the final effect is totally worth! This one looks great over any colored polish; lavender, pink, blue, and my favorite so far is over black. 
• Eloise | This is the polish that I was most excited for because of what it was named after (little Eloise at the Plaza!) and the crazy unique glitters. They don't sparkle like conventional glitter but boy do they shine. There are small white hexagonal glitters (lady loves her hexagons!), even smaller pink hexagonal glitters that have dark pink stripes or spots on them, and then huge black circle dots, in a clear base. I don't know why I called them dots, but they look like them! I've never, ever seen a polish with glitters like these. The smaller glitters place onto the nail well but, like the pink hearts in the previous polish, they take a bit of fishing around. I thought it would seriously peeve me a bit to fish for the bigger glitters but the effect is so awesome, that it's worth it!

With the last two polishes, which act more like glitter top coats, I'd recommend waiting for the polish underneath to dry completely before adding them on top. It'll allow the glitters to lay down much nicer and when you have to go ahead and place the larger glitters it won't goop or squish. Also, if you love to pick at your polish like me at times, def. recommend putting a layer of regular top coat after the glitter coat has dried. I find when I don't do that, some of the bigger glitters might start sticking out and I end up just picking them off, which is a bummer.

Overall, I really love the look and feel of all of her polishes and if I could afford it, I'd have them. The glitters and color combos, even the names of the polishes are unlike anything you've ever seen, guaranteed. She recently put up a Q&A were she says how she does her best to make sure she's not creating something that's already out there. I can totally respect that because it pushes her to be more creative and boy is she ever! I'd highly and seriously recommend you have a browse through her polishes albums. I already have my eyes set on La-De-Dots from her new Spring collection, as well as her Peanut Butter & Jelly polish which makes me crave a PB&J sandwich every time I see it!

Can't recommend her polishes enough. Seriously check them out and get you some whimsy!

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Shady's Back, Tell A Friend

What a title for a beauty blog post, yeah? LOL, I suck at non-review related post titles, forgive me!

HI GUYS! Guess what? I'm done, D-O-N-E, DONE with my sophomore year of college! I took my last final early this morning (which was awful to wake up for). It's so strange because I've been so busy with always something to do that I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that it's actually done. I can sit down and watch hours of Netflix without feeling guilty for procrastinating. Summer's here! Seriously, it's so humid and hot outside, haha. Today's blog post is going to be a chit chatty one. Just wanted to update you on some things going on and what's in store for my blog. I plan to churn out some posts for this week, and I've already filmed a HUGE haul video that'll be up on my channel as soon as it's done being edited. 

I've genuinely missed you guys. I miss the interaction on here in the comments and on my twitter. I'm usually really good replying to every single comment on my posts and it kills me that there are comments in some posts that I haven't got a chance to reply to. I'll be doing that as soon as I'm done typing up this post. I don't care how many comments I get on my posts, 5 or 20, I can't just leave them there without at least a 'thank you' or a smiley face :) Also, hello to all my new followers! Whenever I had the chance to check on my little blog it put a smile on my face to see that there were new readers. Especially since I hadn't made a proper post in a couple of weeks. I'm usually a constant poster, so get ready! 

Ah, it just feels so good to be sitting here and just typing. I thought I would forget what to say or how to write! I have so much in store and so many new products that I want to share with you all. I'm also thinking about doing a series of posts culminating in a video each week in June. Like, I'll review all my 'base' products for my face that week and then Friday would be a foundation routine. I think that's really cool and will motivate me, plus give me some sort of structure. I've gone back to writing in my blog journal to keep everything organized and stay on top of my posts. 

I think that's it. I cannot believe summer vacation is finally here. I can honestly say that after this semester it is well deserved! How are you all? I hope you're finishing up on your last stretch of school and if not, I hope it's at least going smoothly! The end is near guys! (That sounds apocalyptic!) Haha! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow in an actual, honest to goodness, beauty post!

Ah, I missed this :)

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My (itty bitty) Nail Polish Collection

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Car gone, beds empty, no note! (Read that as Mrs. Weasley, please, for the full effect)

Hiiiii, guys *sheepish wave* I took an impromptu hiatus and didn't bother to tell anyone. Why? Well mostly because I was too busy to even get to writing out a tweet or post letting you guys know and not so mostly was I didn't know when I was coming back. I have a week, YES A WEEK! left of this gosh darn semester! Then I can get back to my old posting habits and just annoy you guys with post after post ;)

Surprisingly enough, I managed to find time to film a collection video! Don't ask me how I had time for a video/editing session but not to write a post. (I'm just so tired of writing as of right now!!!) ANYWAY, I asked if you guys would like to see my nail polish collection and you all said *thumbs up*, haha. So here it is in its (itty bitty) glory. I don't show my face in this video because I got a facial and came out looking like a spotted leopard. Even make up couldn't mask that polka-dotted mess. No face, but loads of pretty polish colors to look at. It's a very modest collection compared to many larger collections you're no doubt used to seeing; heck even I'm used to seeing those! If you guys are interested to see which nail polishes I have then you can watch the video below! I'd love for you guys to leave me recommendations of your favorite polishes below in the comments, as well. I'm trying to expand my collection of colors and could use your help on color selection!

Thanks so much for watching!

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Lipstick Picks for Spring

Morning everyone! It's my 20th birthday! & I just needed to get that out of the way, haha! Today I have a really exciting, and super colorful post to share with you all and that is my Top 5 lipstick picks for spring! It's a guest post I wrote for the lovely Sandra at The Puzzle of Sandra's Life and if I do say so myself, it's a good one! There's a nice mix of light, pastel shades, as well as some of my favorite brights (couldn't exclude those beauts!) so hopefully you'll be able to find some lip-spiration (oooh, I quite like that!) for the warmer months! If you guys are interested, do head on over to Sandra's blog through this link -> here and have a read! I'd really appreciate the support (it's my first guest post ever, eek!) and would love to know what you guys think! Don't forget to share your favorite spring time lipstick with me when you get over there!

Have an awesome day everyone! (Almost wrote 'birthday' LOL)

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NOTD | Mermaid's Tale In The Cab-ana

The title of this post ... I can't. I feel like it's my cleverest moment (It's probably not), but it just fits in a cute way and that makes me feel accomplished. ANYWAY, this post was not planned but last night I was repainting my nails to start the month of May off fresh with my new polish, Essie In The Cab-ana, from their Resort collection. When I finished, I looked at them, and said 'WHOA, this needs to be shared!' I have been lusting after In The Cab-ana ever since I randomly stumbled across it in CVS. It's a fun light blue creme polish, that's also a bit bright so you know it's going to be a favorite in the summer time! It's my favorite shade of blue and I'm already in love with this polish! It applies opaque in one coat, but you know me, I had to apply two. I seriously could not recommend this polish enough to any of you! If you see it, nab it! It's going to be PERFECT, 100% PERFECT for the summer time and even now in the spring time! Everything about this polish makes me giddy which sounds mental, I realize that, but it's that gorgeous of a color. 

I also love doing the accent nail with creme polishes, so much so that even Rico Suave has noticed this and asked why I never just paint all my nails the same color, haha. I paired it with another new favorite polish of mine that I got at IMATS, Julie G's Mermaid's Tale. I adore the way these two polishes go together and compliment each other. The bright blue of In The Cab-ana paired with the dark, but shimmering Mermaid's Tale makes me ache for the beach, warmer weather, and summer time!

I'm totally, and utterly obsessed with this manicure! What do you think?

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