This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Essie has launched a new range of gel nail polish — Essie Gel Couture — and I love Essie so I wanted to give it a try. These gel polishes don’t need a UV or LED lamp to set the color and they’re supposed to last up to 14 days. With so many pretty colors to choose from, I decided to try it out and see how these gel nails hold up.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I’ve been incorporating the new Josie Maran Argan Milk into my nightly skincare routine and I’m excited to review it. I love the Josie Maran Argan Oil and I love how Josie Maran Cosmetics uses organic ingredients in all of its products.
Packaging
The Josie Maran Argan Milk comes in a sleek 1oz bottle for $56. Similar to the Josie Maran Argan Oil, the Argan Milk is dispensed through a glass dropper. The construction of the rubber-squeeze end of the dropper is more solid that the older bottles of Argan Oil — the stopper in my little bottle of Argan Oil sometimes pops out of the top :/ But the Argan Milk bottle has a substantial weight and the dropper seems durable much like the new bottles of Argan Oil.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water)** (and) Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil* (and) Propanediol** (and) Glyceryl Caprylate** (and) Glyceryl Undecylenate** (and) Phosphatidylglycerol** (and) Sodium Benzoate** (and) Xanthan Gum** (and) Citric Acid**.
*ORGANIC **NATURAL
Essentially, this Argan Milk is just Argan Oil and water. The Argan Milk doesn’t contain any parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. Yay!
Use
Apply 3 -5 drops of the Argan Milk day and night. The applicator is similar to the dropper that comes with the Argan Oil, but the dropper part is slightly more tapered off so you can really control how much is released. It’s recommended that you follow with a few drops of the Josie Maran Argan Oil/Argan Oil Light.
Consistency
The Argan Milk is lightweight, smooth and silky feeling. I try to lightly spread the Argan Milk all over my face with my fingers before pressing it lightly into my skin. The Argan Milk’s silkiness quickly absorbs into your skin and leaves a slightly tacky feeling. The Argan Milk absorbs like a serum, but with a slightly more creamier consistency than a gel-like consistency.
Results
The Argan Milk really preps the skin for the Argan Oil/ Argan Oil Light. It’s quick-absorbing and definitely hydrating. My skin’s texture is more even and those winter dry spots are gone! I’ve actually been using the Argan Milk on the back of my hands as a treatment the last couple of nights and following with the Argan Oil. Even my hands are looking and feeling softer! If you aren’t a fan of the Argan Oil (which is amazing! Try it if you haven’t!), then I still think the Argan Milk would be a good addition to any skincare regimen as a way to get the benefits of Argan Oil without sacrificing your regular moisturizer.
I’ve been using the Argan Milk as a night serum, but I think this would also be great for the day time as well. Again, it’s so light and absorbs quickly, that I think it would work well under makeup. Overall, I love the new Josie Maran Argan Milk. It’s the perfect way to get the added benefits of Argan Oil and long lasting hydration.
❤ Bonus: Even Svetlana loves Argan Milk!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I love the gelshine kit from Sephora by OPI. Gel manicures last so much longer than regular manicures and aren’t harsh on your nails like acrylics. The entire gelshine kit from Sephora costs about $160, but like I’ve told you HERE; it’s worth the price. They have 17 only 9 colors to choose from online now, but I’ve seen more of a selection in the stores.
Today, I used the French Manicure kit that I got in my last Sephora Haul. The kit comes with 2 of the gelshine colors: True Romantic and White Hot, a french tip applicator brush, and some nail decal stickers — all for $29 which is a really great deal considering that each of the polishes alone costs $17.50.
Here’s what I used to get that clean, classic french manicure look using Sephora by OPI gelshine.
After cleansing the nails, I applied the base coat and two coats of True Romantic.
After my base was cured, I painted on the White Hot onto the tips of my nails using the applicator brush.
I cured each nail after I painted on its tip and then I sealed everything in with a layer of the Top Coat. 🙂
Click HERE if you want to see step-by-step how to apply the gel polish/curing.
*UPDATE: After a few days of wearing the True Romantic pink color, the pink begins to fade. It is no longer a clear bright pink, but it turns in to a almost “opaque cream” color — not pink. It looks fine with the french manicure, but it’s definitely no longer any shade of pink. You’re better off using Bare To Be Different from the same Sephora by OPI line if you want a clear/pinky color that lasts.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
My last Sephora Haul was back in August when they were having that promotion to earn 3x’s the points for VIB’s. This time, I had a 10% off coupon code from the “Beauty Fall” promotion and a gift card that my Prima gave me for my birthday. Thanks Prima 🙂
So, I bought a couple of things, redeemed some beauty insider points, and of course got some free samples! Yay!
BENEFIT COSMETICS – It’s A Love Fest
This set is Limited Edition and Exclusive to Sephora. All I really wanted was the POREfessional face primer (because I got a free sample in my last Haul and loved it), but for only $6 more dollars, I get a full sized POREfessional, a full sized They’re Real mascara, a mini SunBeam highlighter, and a mini Coralista lip gloss! Yay!
Such a great value. And it all comes in a cute “collector’s” tin which I can use to store things in. I’ve never used the SunBeam or Coralista so it’s nice to get to try out new products.
SEPHORA BY OPI – Gel French Manicure Kit
I selected this kit because it was a great value as well. Also Limited Edition, it comes with 2 gel polishes (White Hot and True Romantic), nail decals, and a applicator tool.
I prefer gel nail polish to regular polish because they’re easy to do and they last so much longer. (See application process HERE ). Plus, with this kit, I get everything for less than the two gel polishes would cost separately! (See what I used to create French Manicure gel nails HERE)
VIKTOR & ROLF – Flowerbomb
I redeemed 250 points to get this mini sample of my favorite fragrance. This is a great little travel size and it comes in the same signature bottle. Super cute!
Samples
I always like selecting the three free samples when ordering online. This time I got:
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Back in August, I told you about my Sephora haul where I picked up the MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation for my birthday. I’ve had a couple of months to use the product and I’m ready to give a review!
First off, there is NO SPF in this foundation and I am all about protecting my skin from the sun’s UV rays. I’ll use a sunscreen (usually Neutrogena’s dry touch SPF) as a moisturizer before applying the foundation.
Cost
$48 for 1oz. Kind of pricy, I think, for what you really are getting.
Packaging
The foundation comes in a sleek glass bottle with a shiny black cap that removes to reveal a pump dispenser. I always prefer a pump because it allows me to control the amount of foundation I use and it’s more hygienic than an open bottle or compact. The bottle is very substantial, and I’m sure that it’s part of that high price tag, but it’s heavy and kind of bulky if you were to travel with it.
Consistency
The formula really is different than other liquid foundations. The “gel” is almost smooth like a primer. It’s still runny like a liquid, but thicker and very light weight. The gel does make it nice to apply though and a little goes a long way. One pump can give me light coverage for my face and neck.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Yay for my birthday month and 3x’s the points at Sephora!
I’m super excited because I picked up some awesome things at Sephora, I received a special VIB samples pouch with my purchase, and a great VIB birthday gift….AND i earned triple points!
First off, I tried out Sephora + Pantone Color IQ device to help me find the perfect foundation color for my skin tone.
The device takes pictures of your skin and tells you your Color IQ number. I’m 4Y06 — then you take your Color IQ number and plug it into your phone or their iPads they have at the makeover station and it’ll tell you what foundation colors will be the perfect match for you in each brand.
So, I picked up the new MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation in shade 22 Bisque Light. (See my review HERE)
I also picked up the Korres Lip Butter in Mango (they didn’t have the pomegranate kind in stock).
And this awesome eyeliner from Sephora. The design is perfect for your finger to wear like a little claw. It gives you a lot of control and the felt tip gives you a precise line. Yay!
Then, as extras for being a VIB, I got a deluxe samples pouch and a free birthday gift! So Great!
I’m very happy with my purchases and my freebies! Happy Birthday to me!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Sephora by OPI gelshine™ At-Home Gel Colour System is do it at home gel nail kit. It costs $160 and you pick your own color to include with the kit. Additional colors are $17.50.
The kit comes with:
Gently buff the surface of the nails with the Buffing Block
Spray some Nail Spray onto one of the Nail Pads and clean the nails
Apply Base CoatApply a thin layer of the Base Coat to your thumb. It’s super important to use a thin coat!
Cure the gel polish under the LED light
Cure the thumb first, then apply Base Coat to the other finger nails and cure them. The polish isn’t going to “dry” on it’s own, so you’ll want to do the thumb separately so it doesn’t smudge before it cures.
I used a super pale pink “Bare to be Different”, but Sephora offers 14 different shades on its website.
Thin coats! If you apply the polish too thick, it won’t last as long. Your manicure should last up to two weeks. Cure after each application of polish
Cure your top coat and clean nails with the Nail Spray again to remove the tacky feeling.
This Gel Nail kit is awesome! You no longer have to wait for your nails to “dry”. After 30 seconds under the LED light, your manicure is safe. You can tell by the formula that it is professional quality. Use thin coats of polish to get a professional, long-lasting manicure.
I would like to see Sephora offer more colors of gel polish, but really you can use any LED gel polish you want.
In fact, I’ve done a gel base coat, a layer of regular nail polish, and then sealed it with a layer of gel top coat. Just make sure that if you’re going to layer in a “regular” nail polish, you let it dry completely before applying the gel top coat.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Pearl system is unlike any other teeth whitening kits I’ve seen. The kit comes with the Pearl ionic handheld whitening unit and lots of individual tubes of whitening gel.
What makes this unique from other at-home whitening kits is the ionic whitening device — which won’t even activate unless you disperse the whitening gel evenly so all the contacts are fully coated
According to the website, your teeth can get up to 10 shades whiter, by using the device twice a day for only 5 minutes at a time. Ten minutes a day is definitely worth it to achieve a whiter smile.
Compared to Crest whitening strips, this system seems to give faster results, but also seems to get deep down into the crevices that Crest whitening strips may not reach.
The system is quite expensive at $195, but for a “professional” teeth whitening at home the price is worth it. There are additional tubes of the whitening gel sold separately for $50, so if you continue using the device, the cost isn’t that great.