Fall 2013 nail color idea: OPI Wooden Shoe Like to Know

Hi there! More fall nail picks... I've been looking for a great milk chocolate brown polish for fall.

OPI's Wooden Shoe Like to Know ($9) is a nice brown, but it's not what I've been searching for. It's more of a dark chocolate with a purple tone.

Either way, it's still pretty so I wanted to blog about it.

It has very, VERY subtle gold shimmer. It's not really evident on my nails, actually.

Wooden Shoe Like to Know went opaque in 2 coats, and it wasn't streaky at all.

I topped it off with Seche Vite.

Ulta has a 2 for $15 sale this week for OPI, so I may try out a couple more.

Please let me know what polish you're loving lately. I'd love some recommendations. Thanks for reading!

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Sonicare HealthyWhite: Review + photos

Hello! Today, I'm blogging oral hygiene. Exciting, I know.

After using a manual toothbrush for years, I got tired of the plaque I could still feel toward the back of my teeth. And my teeth were also suffering from my love for tea.

I finally gave in and initally purchased the Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite rechargeable toothbrush at Target ($113 during a sale; usually $120) in hopes of getting them cleaner and brighter.

I saw that Costco carried a set of TWO for $109 (after an instant rebate of $40!) but it was sold out online.

Well, thankfully, a dear friend and I went to a Costco nearby after learning they carried the sets in store. Boom! A better deal right before my eyes.

So I returned the other one to Target and gave my boyfriend the second toothbrush. Such a great deal!

I have to say my teeth have never felt cleaner!

Sonicare HealthyWhite claims to make your teeth whiter in just 1 week, and I'm already starting to see change after a few days.

Without adding additional pressure, gliding this brush along my teeth makes such a big difference.

They feel polished every time, like I just went to the dentist. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's so true.

It comes in 3 modes: Clean, Sensitive, and Clean and White, which is what I like using the most so far.

It's timed, so after 2 minutes of regular brushing, there's an added 30 seconds of "White" mode to focus on your front teeth.

The package deal from Costco comes with the following:

--2 HealthyWhite handles
--2 DiamondClean brush heads
--1 UV Sanitizer (which the Target version did NOT have) with an integrated charger, cord wrap and brush head storage
--1 multi-voltage, compact travel charger
--2 travel cases

You just have to change out the brush head every 3 months or so. At Costco, they sell a pack of 6 for $50.

For the same DiamondClean brushes at Target, you'd have to pay $30 for just 2!

I haven't used the UV Sanitizer yet, so I can't complain about it if it doesn't work since this whole package is still SUCH a better deal than Target.

The product comes with a 2-year warranty, and then you can sign up for an additional 6 months online by registering your toothbrushes.

The instant rebate at Costco expires on Sept. 29, 2013, so I highly recommend grabbing this in-store deal if you're a Costco member (or if you have a friend/family member who is one)!

And even if this is long after the instant rebate, it's still a way better deal at Costco.

Do you prefer manual or rechargeable toothbrushes? Let me know! Thanks for reading.

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Fall 2013 nail color idea: OPI's Berlin There Done That

Welcome to Fall Nail Picks 2013!

I took a week-long break from polish to give my nails a breather.

So to get back into fall nail color picks (my last one was OPI's Lost on Lombard), I have to go with OPI's Berlin There Done That ($9).

It's a lovely taupe from OPI's Germany Collection with slightly purple undertones in natural light.

It's a beautiful everyday "nude" for fall, instead of my lighter go-to nude nails in the summer, such as OPI's Bubble Bath.

The formula for Berlin There Done That is a bit watery, but it wasn't streaky at all.

There are no shimmers - just a beautiful, creamy finish.

It took two coats to get it opaque, and I topped it off with Seche Vite, my ultimate top coat.

Sorry my hand looks so red in the indoor photo - don't know why!

Anyway, I'll post more fall nail colors in the coming weeks.

Let me know in the comments what sort of polishes you love in the fall. Thanks for reading!

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Makeup organizing ideas: Brushes + lipgloss storage

Hi there! Since I've been on an organizing kick AND my Vanity Girl Hollywood mirror arrived (post on that soon!), I've been looking for more ways to spruce up my beauty storage.

Just wanted to quickly share a couple additions:

1. A pretty dish (Skurar bowl 7") from IKEA ($4.99) to store my lip products. This keeps my favorite go-to items in an easy-to-reach place in an adorable way. I love it! I also picked one up in red for the holidays. I think it'll look cute with some candy on the coffee table.

2. A glass cookie jar from Target ($7.69) for makeup brushes. So excited about this one! I also picked up 2 bags of filler beads from Michaels ($5.99/bag; used a 25% off coupon) to keep the brushes in place. Since I started storing my brushes in a large acrylic organizer from The Container Store (previously mentioned in my organization post), I haven't been loving the idea of dust getting on them. With this jar, my problems are solved.

After finally figuring out a vanity situation with my mirror and an IKEA desk (that took a while to put together), I'm going to enjoy my new set-up and blog about it. More soon!

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Makeup organization ideas: Getting inspired + trying new things

Hi there! Today is all about organizing.

As my makeup/beauty collection grows, I realized I need a better way to sort everything.

First of all, I LOVE to organize, so this will be a fun project!

I currently have some acrylic pieces from The Container Store (one of my favorite stores EVER), including lipstick holders. Lovvve them. I could definitely use more!

The one in the photo actually came with a Large Acrylic Makeup Organizer, which retails for $34.99 but I'm pretty sure I got it on sale. This was a couple months ago. Target also sells similar ones.

I love displaying lip products like this because 1. They're colorful and fun to look at, and 2. Seeing them all displayed this way will encourage me to use them all, so they don't get lost in a drawer.

So now, I'm considering Muji drawers! They're a big hit among beauty bloggers/vloggers, and the thought of ordering them excites my sad, organization-loving self. The Acrylic 5 Case Drawers go for $27.95.

I definitely prefer organizing all my makeup in clear cases like these. Like the lip products, seeing everything makes me want to try different products I own, so they don't go to waste.

There isn't much room at my current apartment for too much display, so the drawers could be a huge help.

And last but not least... I'm getting a Vanity Girl Hollywood mirror soon! So so so excited. Ahhhh.

I'll definitely blog about it when that happens. This will allow me to transform my desk into a vanity. I use a laptop (currently typing in my dining area), so the desk will be more useful by transforming it into a makeup station. That way, I don't get stressed out by shoving my laptop/office supplies out of the way while getting ready, or carrying products back and forth between my bedroom (where I store everything) to my bathroom just to put makeup on. And with the lights, I'll be able to apply makeup in my room any time of day without having strange shadows.

Revamping everything will hopefully inspire me to blog more and try new things.

I'm looking forward to organizing and utilizing the small space I have. More to come!

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Pumpkin Cupcake Bath & Body Works review: Candle, soap and wallflower

Mmmmmm... I lit my first fall candle of 2013!

This is a good day.

As a lover of pumpkin scents (and cupcakes in general!), I was immediately drawn to Pumpkin Cupcake at Bath & Body Works.

I... kind of went pumpkin crazy.

After checking out the store's website, I purchased 12 items, which is pretty easy to do with Bath & Body Works because of their good deals.

I ordered six Pumpkin Cupcake wallflowers and six Pumpkin Cupcake anti-bacterial deep cleansing soaps.

Then I figured 12 wasn't enough (ha!) so I got six more Pumpkin Cupcake wallflowers and two 3-wick Pumpkin Cupcake candles. I luckily had some good coupons. I highly recommend looking for them before purchasing.

WALLFLOWER FRAGRANCE BULB ($6 but currently 4 for $20 or 6 for $24)

We have three wallflower plug-ins in our apartment: one in the dining area, bathroom and bedroom.

After plugging one in the dining room, I quickly decided this is a scent I only want in the kitchen/dining area. It's quite strong and... foodie?

It's just not something I want to wake up to in the bedroom. But I think it's a great fall/winter scent!

I exchanged six of the 12 wallflowers for Heirloom Pear. I'll use the other six Pumpkin Cupcake wallflowers in the dining area.

As I mentioned in my August Favorites post, Heirloom Pear smells just like Pure Seduction from Victoria's Secret!! So good.

DEEP CLEANSING SOAP ($5.50 but currently 5 for $15 or 7 for $20)

Pumpkin Cupcake as a soap is another story. I realized I don't like this scent as a soap. It doesn't smell totally like the candle or wallflower. It's a strange, soapy fake aroma. Blah.

My boyfriend doesn't mind it, so it's being used in the kitchen. I am planning to return the other five soaps and exchange them for something else.

My favorite Bath & Body Works scent EVER is Peach Bellini, but I believe that's only available in the warmer months.

I may pick up the Heirloom Pear soaps... Yes, great idea.

THREE-WICK CANDLE ($20 but often 2 for $20 or $22)

These are divine! I'm happy I picked this one up. Another pumpkin scent that I bet I'll love is Creamy Pumpkin. Wow, if I smelled that BEFORE getting Pumpkin Cupcake, I may have picked that instead!

Do they have it in a candle? I haven't seen it, but they should.

The throw on the Pumpkin Cupcake 3-wick candle is great! I have one candle going in the kitchen and it makes the whole living room/kitchen/dining area smell AMAZING.

We had to run out for dinner earlier, so we put it out for a bit. When we came back, the apartment smelled like we had baked pumpkin cupcakes.

I really have baked pumpkin cupcakes before, so I know how lovely it is. *swoon*

I highly recommend Pumpkin Cupcake as a candle more than anything. I'm looking forward to trying out other fall fragrances!

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Sunday Pinks: Lipstick photos + swatches

Baby pink lipsticks are a staple in my makeup bag.

They're quick, easy and flattering on almost anyone, if not everyone.

Since Sunday is a perfect day to kick back, have brunch and feel pretty... thought I'd swatch three of my favorite baby pink lippies of the moment.

And even if you're working today, these are perfect for the workplace.

They're subtle pinks that won't look garish. And you can definitely pair these with a natural makeup look, as well as a dramatic smokey eye. Gotta love versatile products!

I picked out (from left to right) MAC's Creme Cup, Revlon's Primrose and Rimmel's Pink Blush for this Sunday.

Why I love...

• MAC Cremesheen in Creme Cup ($15): I mentioned this in my August Favorites blog post because I reach for it quite often. This is the nude-pink out of the three, very similar to MAC's Angel but warmer and (obviously) creamier, in the way it feels and looks. It has a nice sheen to it. It doesn't accentuate dry parts of my lips, which I appreciate a TON because my lips are constantly dry. I wear a clear lip balm underneath, as I do with all my lipsticks. It lasts about three hours on my lips, I'd say, before reapplying. It's not great, but it's not that bad for me either. I never mind reapplying lip products. 

• Revlon Super Lustrous in Primrose ($5): This is probably one of my absolute favorite lipsticks of all time. I fell in love with it a couple years ago, and I've been raving about it since. Primrose is unique in the sense that it's a baby pink, but (maybe because of its blue-ish undertones) it really POPS. It just brightens up my look and makes me feel glam, but in a pretty/classy way. For a glossy look, I like pairing this with Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Crystal Lilac. (Note: I'm NW20)

• Rimmel Lasting Finish in Pink Blush ($5): For sure, this is one that doesn't get nearly enough love from me but I still love it so much. This blog post is inspiring me to wear it today, actually. It's a beautiful lippie that goes on creamy, feels creamy and doesn't accentuate dryness on my lips. It looks pretty bright in the photo above, but I don't find it to be that way on my lips. I think it definitely brightens up my look but NOT in an overbearing way. I'd say it was more of a bubblegum pink than the other two lipsticks, yet subtle enough for everyday wear.

For more beauty and lifestyle posts, please subscribe or "follow by email" on the top right hand corner of the page. I'm also on Instagram @erisaxo. Happy Sunday!

OPI Lost on Lombard: Review + photos (San Francisco Collection)

It's not quite fall yet, especially in Phoenix with the 110+ degree heat, but I'm ready for the next season to arrive!

To get in the mood, I've been thinking about fall nail colors. I'll review some in the coming weeks, so hopefully, it can give you ideas for your next polish purchases.

My first dark polish of the season is OPI's Lost on Lombard ($9) from the San Francisco Collection, the brand's 2013 fall and winter lineup.

This polish is beautiful and easy to apply. Not streaky at all, and this is why OPI is my favorite.

With just one coat, it was opaque. But to make sure it was nice and rich, I added another coat. (I wait several minutes between coats to make sure I don't end up with bubbles.)

There's no shimmer. It's just a deep, deep red/burgundy, which I love for the cooler months. (My favorite summer red is OPI's Cajun Shrimp.)

Then I topped it off with my usual Seche Vite.

I highly recommend this polish to get you in the fall mood!

Score: 5 out of 5

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August Favorites 2013

Two posts in a day is definitely unheard of for me, but I'm glad I got to stay in on Labor Day and catch up.

I thought I'd start posting my favorite products of the month. And since we're already a couple days into September, figured I should hurry.

To ease into this, I don't have many products. But these are all items I highly recommend, so I want to explain them a bit. Mini reviews, basically. So the post may end up rather long.

There are some other products (mainly for my skin) that I've been loving, but I want to wait a little longer so I know I truly adore them. Sometimes, my skin doesn't show signs of breakouts or clogging until a few weeks in, so if these products continue to be great, they will most likely show up in my September Favorites.

Here are my favorites for the last month:

--Aveeno Positively Nourishing Antioxidant Infused Body Wash with White Peach and Ginger ($6.99): Wow, what a mouthful. This body wash smells so good! I've been on a huge "peach" kick for a long time now, so I'm a sucker for anything that smells like it. My usual go-to body wash is also Aveeno, so this isn't much of a surprise, but I think this is a great spring and summer product. For winter, I'll probably switch back to my usual Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash, which is great for those of you with sensitive skin like mine!

--L'Occitane Aromachologie Soothing Shampoo ($30): This one should actually have a blog post of its own because it's that good, but I guess I'll just have to deal with putting it in my monthly favorites :) I've been looking for something to help my sensitive scalp. I never thought about my scalp too much, but it had been getting itchy lately. And it makes sense that my scalp would be sensitive since my face and the rest of my body is definitely that way. Before this shampoo, my HG product was TIGI Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 2. That stuff makes my hair feel AMAZING. And it's still great, but lately, my scalp needed some extra lovin'. So this shampoo, with five essential oils, has been what my scalp needed! And it's treating my hair very well, too. Since I have extremely oily skin, I've always avoided oils of any kind in my products, but now I'm learning that some essential oils are ESSENTIAL for a reason. This is my new HG shampoo. It's pricey, for sure, but so worth it. And I still use the Bed Head conditioner!

--Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Fragrance Mist ($12 but on sale often): Smells so good! What more can I say? My boyfriend loves it as well. Plus, I just found a Bath and Body Works Wallflower that smells just like it: Heirloom Pear.

--Too Faced Pretty Rebel Beauty Eye Shadow Palette ($46): These shadows are buttery! I don't have to worry about any fallout with this palette, and the shadows have great pigmentation. This is my first Too Faced purchase, and I'm excited to try more. This is a limited edition palette, I believe, so get it while you can. I may end up swatching the shadows in a future post.

--MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup ($15): My favorite MAC baby pink lipstick for years has been Angel, but Creme Cup has taken over. This is a beautiful, everyday shade for me. My lips are very pigmented, so I tend to lean more toward these sort of shades to mute the color of my lips a bit. And I love the Cremesheen line.

--Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold ($5.94 at Target): I love Color Tattoos. I have them in Barely Branded, Bad to the Bronze, Inked in Pink and my current love... Bold Gold. This one goes well as a primer for me, under shadows like Urban Decay's Half Baked. It just brightens up my eyes really well and it's not too glittery.

--Milani Coming Up Roses Blush in Romantic Rose (about $8 at CVS): This Coming Up Roses line is limited edition, so I don't know if they're still in stores, but I was able to snag all four shades at the end of July. The packaging is just stunning. Surprisingly, my favorite one ended up being the one I almost didn't get because I thought it looked too dark for me. It's very pigmented and matte. I couldn't find a good website to link to, so it must be hard to find these at this point.

--Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink ($7.99): This is a Milani blush that's NOT limited edition, so I highly recommend these! I have them in four shades: Luminoso, Rose D'oro, Corallina and Dolce Pink. They're all amazing, but I've been loving Dolce Pink lately. It's such a pretty, girly pink. These are very shimmery, so a little goes a long way. They double up as a highlight that way, so I avoid additional highlighting products when wearing this blush.

--Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel ($21): Wow wow wow. Love this! After hearing Holly Ann-AeRee talk about this in her YouTube videos, I decided to try it out. I've been having love/hate relationships with brow products lately, so I needed something new. I'm so glad I got this and went with the Caramel shade, which is what Holly uses. I realized that I've been using brow products that are too dark for me. Since my hair is naturally black/very dark brown, I figured I'd go with similar colored brow products, but now I know to go with lighter shades like Caramel and it makes a huge difference. Plus, the Brow Wiz pencil is so easy to use. It looks so much more natural than powder, in my opinion. I never would've thought!

So that's the end of my August Favorites. More posts soon!

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Trader Joe's Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser review

I have extremely oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin. It's pretty difficult to find products I love.

With that said, I have been LOVING Trader Joe's Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser! It's been only a week, so it may be too early to know for sure, but so far... so good!

Before this, I've been using the Clean & Clear Essentials Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin for the last year or so. I still like it and just repurchased it again because it's so inexpensive (about $3.50 at Target) and does the job.

It totally removes my foundation or BB cream and doesn't leave a residue. (I remove eye makeup with Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover first.)

But I couldn't quite call it my Holy Grail face wash because it didn't really do MORE for my skin. It didn't have antioxidants and vitamins to really make my skin look even better.

So when I was looking up face washes online and came across the Trader Joe's face wash, I got really excited! (Check out the ingredients at the end of this post.)

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's a lot more in the last few months, so it just made sense for me to try this. Many reviews raved about this product and said they were surprised to find an HG product at Trader Joe's.

It costs $5.99, which is a great deal for 8.45 fl oz.

On the bottle, it says it's dermatologist formulated. I read in some online reviews that this dermatologist is very well-known and sells a similar product for a lot more money under his name. Not so sure about this part, but sounds intriguing!

As for the product itself, there's barely any fragrance, which is how I like it, and you can easily get a lather going.

I first go over my face with this gel, barely lathering it up, and just massage it into my skin to remove makeup.

Then when it looks like my makeup is off, I lather up a bit more of this cleanser and just cleanse my face. I rinse quite a lot to make sure I don't have any product left.

Then I go over my face with a cotton pad and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner.

My face feels instantly smooth, clean and NOT tight at all. Then I put on my moisturizer.

If you have similar skin to mine, I highly recommend this cleanser. If it continues to work this well for me, I will be calling this my HG cleanser.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-10 Sorbitan Laurate, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Phytonadione (Vitamin K), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q10, Green Tea Extract, Copper Peptide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid

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