Halloween nails: Candy corn mani

Happy Halloween!

I picked a very simple, yet fun nail design to celebrate the day.

If you're needing a last-minute mani, decorate your nails like candy corn!

I used NYC Lexington Yellow ($1.99), Sinful Colors Big Daddy ($1.99) and China Glaze White on White ($7.50).

Just paint your whole nail yellow and then wait a few minutes to make sure it's relatively dry.

Start the orange two-thirds of the way up. Wait again.

And then finish it off with white for the last third of your nail.

I decided to go free hand instead of using tape because candy corn is never perfect.

I'm a righty, so my right hand (done by my left) does not look that great. (!!)

Oh well. It's a one-day mani for me :)

No costume this year, but I'm looking forward to a Halloween potluck at work.

Hope you have a wonderful, safe day!

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Review, swatches: Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Color Balms

Hello again!

I just picked up two of the new Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Color Balms at CVS and had to blog about them ASAP.

Lately, I feel like there are so many new, intriguing drugstore products (especially lippies), so I've been good about buying only 2 shades at most (at least initially).

In this case, I picked up the shades Blush Essence (pink-nude) and Fuchsia Flourish.

There was a surprising 30% off each item (don't know why but can't complain!) and I had CVS Extra Bucks and a coupon... so I only paid $4 total for both of them!

At CVS, they usually retail for $8.99, which I think is too much for a drugstore lip product. But I recommend snagging one of these with a coupon if at all possible.

With that said, oh myyyy. This is one of the BEST lip products I've ever tried.

The scent is slightly sweet but not overpowering. I seriously can't put my finger on it, but it reminds me of something from my childhood. It's driving me crazy.

As for the formula -- WOW. It is not sticky at all. As soon as I put my lips together, I thought, "Yep. I love this."

It really does feel "cushiony soft" like Maybelline claims.

Blush Essence is a nice everyday shade. It's not evident on my lips at all, really. I wish it was a little more pink, but that's OK. I know this will still be a makeup bag staple.

Fuchsia Flourish is VERY pigmented and bright. It's stunning in person, but I don't see myself wearing this often. It may be a fun color to play up at night when going out with friends or a party.

Please don't mind my asymmetrical lips!

Anyway, both of these shades made my lips look really healthy and smooth, even if they've been a bit dry lately. They also felt hydrated and comfortable.

Overall, I'm floored. With a balm formula like this, I'd think deeper the shade, the better because you'll get way more color payoff. But I cannot wait to try other shades nonetheless.

Have you tried them? What do you think? Let me know!

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Top drugstore makeup | 10 under $10

Hi there! Hope your week started off on a good note.

I have a different kind of post today: 10 products under $10!

I'd like to expand this series later on with other "10 Under $10" posts, so I figured this was a good place to start.

Instead of focusing specifically on lip products or blushes today, I'm covering a wide range of items that can almost complete our look. I'm just missing a foundation! Not bad, right? I'm all about finding great beauty products for a great price.

In the video, I'm wearing everything mentioned except the lip gloss.

Here's a breakdown of the products:

1. Neutrogena Shine Control Powder ($9.99)
Love this to set my foundation.

2. Wet N Wild Color Icon Bronzer in Ticket to Brazil ($3.99)
This is a great bronzer for contouring.

3. Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro ($8.99)
A beautiful rose gold that's lovely this time of year.

4. NYX HD Photogenic Concealer ($4.99)
Perfect, creamy under eye concealer!

5. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded ($5.94)
An awesome eyeshadow primer.

6. Revlon CustomEyes Shadow & Liner in Naturally Glamorous ($8.99)
Fantastic shadows in a tiny case that fits in any clutch/makeup bag.

7. Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Definer in Black ($5.99)
Creamy, pigmented and LASTS all day!

8. Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof Mascara in Very Black ($7.49)
The only one that keeps my lashes curled all day.

9. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Primrose ($4.99)
My go-to lippie, no matter what.

10. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige ($4.99)
I love this lip gloss on its own. It's definitely NOT beige.

------------

I use most of these products every day, so I'm definitely a huge fan of drugstore makeup.

When you find a gem that's also inexpensive, it's that much better!

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it somewhat useful. Thanks for reading/watching!

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Review: Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

Hi there! Hope you're having a relaxing weekend.

For anyone looking to have a lazy Sunday... boy, do I have a recommendation for you.

I tried out another Freeman product: Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask ($3.99). It was 2 for $7 at CVS.

WOW. WOWOWOW. When I rinsed this off with warm water, my skin felt BABY SOFT. No lie!

My face hasn't felt this nice from a beauty purchase in... forever? I don't even know.

I wanted to initially try the Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal Scrub because of the great benefits of charcoal, but it's $18.50 and sold only online. Freeman just seemed like the better/most convenient choice; plus it has great reviews, too.

Well let me tell ya... based on my first try, this stuff is AMAZING! I seriously can't stop using ALL CAPS to describe this mask.

HOW IT WORKS

This is a very interesting product. It's a mask and scrub in one. It feels like a normal sugar scrub but it's BLACK, which makes it unlike any other I've tried. (I know it looks pretty gross in the photo.)

Freeman claims that this mask "works double time to detox skin."

I used my fingers to apply the mask all over my clean face. Heads up: Watch for some product falling off your face since it's not the easiest to apply.

I waited 5 minutes from the time I started putting on the mask. You can feel the mask warming up from the charcoal, which is supposed to absorb oil and impurities.

Then I gently (ever so gently) massaged the mask all over my face, of course avoiding my eyes and mouth. I didn't put pressure on my skin at all. I just moved the product around for 2 minutes.

The black sugar (yes, it's a thing!) helps exfoliate and didn't feel too harsh on my very sensitive skin. Plus this mask has a nice clean scent.

Then I rinsed it off with warm water, and my skin felt very hydrated and amazing! I quickly cleansed my face again with a very mild cleanser to make sure everything came off.

THE RESULTS

Applying toner and moisturizer after all of this felt like a dream!

Just like when I use the Freeman Clay Mask Mint & Lemon, my skin looked calm -- no redness. And there was a glow.

The next day, my foundation applied really well, and my skin felt/looked hydrated and fresh.

For just $4, you seriously cannot go wrong with this. This is good for ALL skin types!

So now I plan to use this scrub/mask toward the end of the week and the Mint & Lemon mask on "Mask Mondays" :) I love Freeman! Great quality and so inexpensive!

Hope you can give it a go if you haven't already. Let me know if you'd try it. Have a great day!

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How To: Dry Shampoo + Review: Batiste, Oscar Blandi

Happy weekend!

Wrapping up another week, I wanted to go over something this working girl depends on: dry shampoo!

It has been not just a huge time-saver but also a way to strengthen my hair because I'm not washing it everyday anymore.

Here's a demo/review:

I used to feel like I needed to wash my hair every single day. Now I wash it every 3 or 4 days. Think about all the stress I'm NOT putting my hair through.

And it allows my hair to take in some of the natural oils and not get stripped of them each day.

THE KIND I LOVE

My favorite (and the reason I can now go days without washing my hair) is Batiste Dry Shampoo ($7.99).

It's a spray that comes in different scents and shades. So although I like the scent of the original formula, I've been using the "Hint of Color Dark & Deep Brown" version ($8.99) to prevent that gray powdery look you could get from the original.

They also carry one for "Light & Blonde" hair.

Batiste has been a big hit on YouTube, and I finally purchased it a couple months ago. I'm so happy I did!

BATISTE VS. OSCAR BLANDI

I've been using the Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo ($21) for a few years now. It's a powder, not a spray. I like this for touch-ups around the hairline, but I don't think it's great for taking you through several days without washing your hair.

I don't get that same "clean" feeling from Oscar Blandi's formula. It may be because of the powder vs. spray. This one is also a lot more expensive, so I guess it works out that I prefer Batiste!

Please check out the video if you're interested in seeing my quick demo. I know my hair doesn't look super healthy yet, but I'm hoping it gets better over time. I just recently started using the dry shampoo regularly, so this is a pretty new routine :)

Thanks for reading/watching! I'll be posting about another facial mask I love very soon.

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Ipsy October 2013 Glam Bag "Unboxing" + Review (My first!)

Hi there!

I'm happy to say I'm now an Ipsy Glam Bag subscriber!

To change it up, I uploaded a YouTube video showing my "unboxing"! I figured this would be the most effective way truly get an idea of my initial reaction since I made sure to avoid spoilers about what was in my bag.

For anyone not too familiar with Ipsy, it's a monthly subscription beauty bag that you get in the mail for $10/month. You get several beauty products each month, which is a great way to try new things. Plus they come in a fun makeup bag! It was created by YouTube beauty guru Michelle Phan.

I signed up for the waiting list in late August. It took a little more than a month to get an email letting me know a spot opened up. So October was my first month -- and I'm already pumped for November!

Here's a breakdown of what I got in my Glam Bag:

• Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush ($2.49)
• I love trying new brushes, so more the merrier, I say. And this is my first Coastal Scents item!
• Zoya polish in Neve (full size $8)
• This is a sapphire blue/purple metallic with what appears to be multi-colored shimmer. Very, very subtle shimmer. Can't wait to swatch it!
• Style Sexy Hair Spray Clay (travel size $8)
• I didn't know what this really was when I opened it haha. But it's a texturizing spray with a dry, non-waxy hold, according to ULTA. I'm looking forward to playing with this on days my hair has too much slip.
• Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion (1 oz. -- full size of 8 oz. costs $9.99)
• Although it says coconut, this lotion doesn't have the traditional coconut scent. Bummer! But I'm still planning to keep this in my handbag or maybe on my nightstand to moisturize my always-dry hands. It wasn't too greasy and my hands felt nice. I honestly can't describe the scent... it's like a strange type of candy? No, I have no flippin' clue.
• Bella Terra Mineral Cosmetics Shimmers in Emotion (2g -- full size of 2.5g costs $14.99)
• Such a pretty purple! I initially thought this was just used for eyeshadow, but it's apparently an 8-in-1 product, including creamy eyeshadow, mascara (by dipping clear mascara into the shimmer) and body glitter, according to their website. I'm not familiar with loose pigments, so I'm excited to play!

Overall, the worth of my Glam Bag isn't too high, considering I've seen reviews from previous months saying bags were worth about $70! But I'm still thinking anything more than $10 is good for now. Plus this is my first bag, so I have nothing to compare it to. More than anything, I enjoyed the "surprise" factor :)

But that's about it! I hope the video was a nice change of pace. Thanks so much for reading/watching!

Did you get the October 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag? Let me know what you got in the comments! xo

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Review: Sally Hansen "Gold Roses" rose gold nail polish

Happy Sunday, lovelies!

I'm back with my Fall 2013 nail polish pick #5 -- a beautiful ROSE GOLD!

Rose gold has been my thing lately. I think it's the perfect fall staple, a great way to wear pink in the fall without going the pastel/spring route.

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Fall 2013 collection includes a beautiful polish called Gold Roses ($8 at CVS, I believe). I had a coupon and CVS Extra Bucks, so the polish was $2-ish!

I've been searching for the perfect rose gold polish for a while now, and this one nailed it!

It's a chrome polish, which gives it a slightly edgy look, yet it's still subtle and classy because of the nude/rose gold hue.

I only needed ONE coat for it to be opaque.

As for the brush, I do love big polish brushes, but Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure brushes may be TOO large for some. I had to tilt the brush a bit to get the edges of my nails. Just a heads up if you've never tried this line!

Otherwise, this polish is perfect. What do you think of the rose gold? Have you picked this up or any others from the fall collection? Let me know in the comments.

And if you're interested, I've linked my last 4 fall picks below.
Fall pick #1 | Fall pick #2 | Fall pick #3 | Fall pick #4

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. Thanks for reading! Have a great day!