Thursday, October 18, 2012

Orly Miss Conduct

Happy Thursday friends! Today I am wearing Orly Miss Conduct. This polish is a part of Orly's Holiday 2012 Naughty or Nice collection.






 Miss Conduct is a stunner. A glowing magenta base with a scattered holo effect. At first glance I thought maybe this would be a dupe of OPI DS Extravagance but it is not. Extravagance is a few shades darker. Application was good, I am wearing 2 coats shown below.
To give you guys an idea of just how awesome this polish is, I had to take pictures in different settings. The first being in my lightbox (shown above)
 This picture was taken outisde in the shade. Unfortunately I couldn't get the sun to shine my way, so I may add in a pic later on if I can get one.
This picture was taken indoors. (in my bedroom specifically) THIS is how it looks at all times indoors. It GLOWS! It's so gorgeous. I actually prefer this over OPI DS Extravagance!

What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know! I'm still in the process of taking lots of antibiotics and steroids trying to get over this sickness I have, so I apologize in advance if my posts are few and far between for the time being. I'm doing the best I can, promise! I  miss you all! Don't forget to enter my giveaway which ends in 9 days here.

XO,
Karly


Saturday, October 13, 2012

Cagedbird Nail Lacquer & Giveaway!

Cagedbird Nail Lacquer has been quick to take a strong hold on my heart.  Sarah has such a true blue talent for making the most simple yet classic polishes! I have done a review a few months back but I feel a second review is definitely deserved. Today I will be showing you 4 of their polishes......AND I will be giving away 3 mini sized polishes. Keep reading for more information!
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Crystalline: a multi-sized white matte hex glitter polish mixed with purple matte hex glitters. I am wearing one coat layered over China Glaze Something Sweet. I also used a matte top coat which I think looks fantastic. Application was easy; some of the larger glitters did need a little coaxing to come out of the bottle though.
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 Faerie Carnival: aqua, lavender, pink, green, blue and white pastel matte glitter with ultra-fine holographic shimmer. One coat is shown layered over China Glaze Re-fresh mint. Application was challenging. I have found that dabbing the glitters on to the nail works much better than applying as normal. This is my absolute favorite Cagedbird Nail Lacquer.
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Electric Angel: a mixture of teal matte, gunmetal metallic, and black matte hex glitter in three sizes. This polish was inspired by a certain synthesized songstress with teal hair. Mega brownie points to those of you who know who it is! I absolutely had to buy it once I found out where the inspiration derived from. Application was amazing. Absolutely no problems! This is one coat layered over Zoya Dove.
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Rose Golden: a metallic glitter in both medium yellow gold hexes and rose pink. This polish is just gorgeous. I believe Rose Golden was originally custom made as a gift for someone, and actually ended up making it's way into their etsy shop! And I am very glad it did. I am wearing 1 coat over Finger Paints Black Expressionism. I  had the hardest time trying to decide what to use as underwear! I wanted to really show off all the beautiful details in the polish so I went with black. Application was great. 
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You can purchase Cagedbird Nail Lacquer from their etsy store here. The 15 mL sizes retail for $10 and the 5mL go for $5. The shop is currently on vacation but will be back open and restocking on October 15th!
Visit Cagedbird Nail Lacquer on facebook here for updates!


Giveaway!
up for grabs are 3 cagedbird nail lacquer mini polishes. 
There will be 1 winner.
open to the 48 contiguous US states only.
18+ or parents permission to enter.
all products were purchased by legendary lacquers and this is not a sponsored giveaway. for any questions email me! legendarylacquers@gmail.com
from L to R: Electric Angel, Faerie Carnival and Midnight in Paris.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 1, 2012

September Favorites!

Hi guys! I'm trying something different today. I thoroughly enjoy reading peoples "monthly favorites" posts, so I decided to do one myself for my blog! My monthly favorites are going to include all sorts of beauty related products as well as an occasional non related beauty product (maybe!). If this is something you would continually like to read about, leave a comment and let me know! :)

The first product that came to mind for my September favorites was Moroccanoil - the Moroccanoil Treatment. I honestly cannot praise Moroccanoil products enough. This stuff smells SO delicious, and works wonders for my hair. The description straight from their website:
"Moroccanoil Treatment’s versatile, nourishing and residue-free formula can be used as a conditioning, styling and finishing tool. It blends perfectly with other products and even speeds up drying time. This treatment for hair completely transforms and repairs as its formula transports lost proteins for strength; fatty acids, omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine; and antioxidants for protection. It absorbs instantly to fill gaps in hair created by heat, styling and environmental damage."
I use 2 pumps of this treatment after I wash my hair when it's still wet/damp. I have very thick, frizzy and wavy hair and it helps gets rid of frizz and makes my hair insanely soft and shiny. The moroccanoil treatment retails for about $38 dollars. This may seem steep but it's worth every penny in my opinion.  I've had this bottle since the beginning of May and I've only used up about 1/4th of the product. This stuff lasts forever!


 Next up is another favorite hair care product of mine. It's a 10 miracle leave in product. Again, I use this every single time after washing my hair when it's wet. I spray it all over my hair before I go to brush. My hair gets extremely tangled after I shower and this helps the knots come out easily. So you may be wondering why it's called "it's a 10." That's because it does 10 things for your hair! How awesome is that? So you wanna know what the 10 things are? Keep reading!
  1. Repairs dry damaged hair
  2. Adds Shine
  3. Smooths and controls frizz
  4. Seals & protects hair color
  5. Flat iron spray & thermal protector
  6. Detangles
  7. Stops hair breakage
  8. Creates silkiness
  9. Enhances natural body
  10. Prevents split ends
It's insane how many things this single product can do! Before I started using this I was probably using 3 or 4 different products to accomplish what all of this single product does. I've been using it for as long as I can remember and unfortunately my bottle is getting dangerously low! I buy mine from Amazon, but it is also sold at some Salons as well as Walmart and various other outlets. Depending on where you purchase the 4 oz bottle (pictured below) retails for about $10-16 dollars.


This product is my "HG" (holy grail) nail care product. Hard as Hoof has been the reason for my extremely strong and healthy nails for almost 2 years now! I use it 2-3x a day and it keeps my nails from chipping, cracking, peeling and bending. My nails are pretty strong to begin with (I must have good nail genes!) but this cream just puts the icing on the cake. I can't honestly tell you the last time I had a broken nail. It's been months, maybe even close to a year! Everyone I know that has tried this stuff, LOVES it! It smells really amazing too. I recommend this to anyone that has any sort of nail problem. Whether it is peeling, cracking, or just in general weak nails.. this stuff is for you! I get mine from Walmart, and it retails for about $6 dollars.


EOS. If you haven't tried any EOS before, WTF ARE YOU WAITING FOR?  No, seriously, this lip balm is the shiz. Target recently had a limited edition pack come out inspired by Alice in Wonderland. This is my back up case. With winter upon us, lip balm is a total must for me. Not only are EOS cool looking, but they actually work really well! They have tons of awesome scents and keep my lips hydrated and soft for a really long time. EOS also makes various other products such as hand lotion and shaving cream but I've yet to try those yet! EOS can be found at most drugstores or superstores such as Walmart and retail for about $3 for a single EOS lip balm.

This top coat has been taking over the nail world by storm lately! Move over Seche Vite, because Hong Kong Girl is taking your place! This stuff is a topcoat dream come true. Everything you could ever possibly want in a topcoat, HKG has, and surpasses. Quick dry time? You bet your ass! Shiny finish? It's so shiny you won't believe your eyes. Where can you find it? Jill the owner and CEO of Glisten & Glow can get you the hook up! Message her on facebook or visit her website here for more information! *This product is not made by her, she only repackages the bottles and sells*

For the majority of my life I've dealt with acne. Not your normal acne either, but the huge, painful, ugly cystic acne. I've used so many acne products with no success for as long as I can remember. Fortunately my older sister works at Ulta, and I was able to visit her at work and find some products to help with my cystic acne. One of the things I was recommended by the esthetician working at Ulta was the Mario Badescu buffering lotion. First let me just say i'm not so sure why it's called lotion, because the consistency is of a liquid. Whatever!
"This product is specially designed to treat large, deep, cystic acne. The buffering lotion covers large erupted areas for overall treatment. Formulated with nourishing B vitamins and amino acids for healthy skin as well as soothing anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to promote healing. Reduce cystic acne fast with this deep penetrating, fast absorbing formula."
Anytime I feel a cystic pimple rearing it's ugly head, I immediately grab this stuff and apply it where needed. It says to apply once at night, but normally I'll apply it twice a day.  I wouldn't recommend applying it twice in a day if you plan on exposing yourself to any sort of sun. This stuff works so great. Normally my cystic acne lasts for a week or two and is extremely painful. With the buffering lotion it lasts 3-4 days max. Since using this stuff my cystic acne has practically disappeared. I know not everything works the same for everyone, but if you have cystic acne I seriously recommend giving this a try. I purchased mine from Ulta for $17 dollars but it can also be purchased straight from their website here.

 Last but definitely not least is my all time favorite mascara by Benefit. Appropriately named "They're Real!" This stuff is the best of the best. My eyelashes are short and stubby with little to no curl, and after applying this mascara my lashes are long and curled. Absolutely no clumping either!  Mascara is my #1 favorite makeup product so I don't settle for anything but the best. It is slightly expensive retail at about $23 dollars per bottle, but with all the coupons and deals floating around I know you can get a good deal on it if you try! It is sold at Ulta and Sephora.
"What it is:
A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look.

What it does:
This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out."


So this sums up all of my favorite products for the month of September! I hope you guys enjoyed reading! Are you interested in trying out any of my favorites? Have you tried them before? Leave a comment and let me know!

xo,
Karly
 
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