Broadway Nails imPress Press-On Manicure

*Disclaimer: I received these for free from Influenster.com for review purposes. This in no way has influenced my review*

imPress Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails

Introducing imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails, the revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPRESS is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPRESS, your nails will always be your best accessory.

 imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!

Color me impressed. I've worn artificial nails before both glue on and press on and really didn't enjoy either method. Glue on nails always popped off. Press on nails had too much glue that stayed tacky and picked up dirt. ewww. I had none of those issues with the imPress nails. 

I received the color Space Cadet. It's a black crackle with just a touch of gold glitter. It has a bit of a texture to it and I don't really care for that but it didn't catch on anything. This was fun for me because I never ever would have chosen this color on my own.

There are a few nails stored in the front of the nail polish bottle shaped container (so cute!) but the rest are just jumbled up inside. Finding the right size nails can be a bit of a pain. After that you use the peel off the little strip of plastic at the bottom and you guessed it...press them on. I pressed really hard and held it for a few seconds. 

imPress Press-On nails in Space Cadet

I found them to be the most comfortable artificial nails I've ever worn. I did everything I normally do. I cooked a lot, washed a bunch of dishes by hand, and washed my hair without incident. The only issue I really had was trying to peel the label of my apple everyday. I just couldn't do it wearing these nails. The right thumbnail became a little bent at the corner and chipped a little bit because of my efforts.

These claim to last for a whole week. I applied mine on a Friday night. I lost a nail on Monday night so I decided to pop the rest of them off. Easier said than done! Some of them popped right off but others just did not want to budge despite soaking in pure acetone and really getting it in at the sides. That did however take the polish right off them and I got a bunch of black sticky goo on my fingers. 

Overall, I think these would be great to wear for a special occasion or a weekend. I can't imagine wearing them an entire week. I plan on picking up a set in one of the French manicure colors before my next performance. I always one or two nails that just won't get with the program.These are considered short length so if you already have long nails you may want to look at the medium length. You can see my pinky nail sticking out in the picture. 

Pros: Comfortable, affordable, wide range of colors & styles, cute packaging.

Cons: Hard to remove, hard to find the right size.

Bat's Rating: 8  I would purchase these and wear them in the future. Marks off for being hard to remove.

Review: NYX Pin UP Tease Mascara

Some of you may recall that before I went on my no-buy, I was on the search for the perfect mascara. I picked up NYX's Pin Up Tease mascara when they were having a NYX sale. It typically retails for $6 from NYX. It's described as "Features a smudge-free formulation that adds major curl to the lash as it coats them with sexy, vibrant color. Hard bristle combs help separate lashes and shape their curl. Part of the Boudoir Mascara Collection, seven distinct NYX mascaras featuring unique formulations and wands."

 The wand is very curved and definitely stiffer than other mascara wands I've used. 

 I have to say that I'm in love. The formula is neither too wet nor too dry. You don't have to scrape a big gob of mascara off the end.  With one or two swipes, my lashes are longer and have a definite curl to them.

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

I find this doesn't cause any dark circles. It may flake a little if you rub your eyes a lot. It provides a nice soft and full looking lash without getting chunky or fake looking. My lashes still look great after an eight hour day at work.  NYX cosmetics are Cruelty Free.


Bat's Rating: 10. I really can't find anything I don't love about this mascara.

Review: Makeup Geek Lipstick in Delightful

I'm a huge fan of the Makeup Geek eyeshadows and brushes so I just had to try out one of the new lipsticks. Since I'm more of a gloss kind of girl, I limited myself to just one lipstick. I chose Delightful.

Makeup Geek Delightful Lipstick

They describe it as a warm pink with peach undertone. On me it seems more like an orange undertone than peach. The shade is also a bit brighter than I would normally choose for myself.

Natural Lip color

 

Makeup Geek Delightful

There's something about this color that I'm just not sure that it suits me. I may have to wear it a few more times before making a final decision. Maybe it would work better with a warmer skin tone?

The formula for these lipsticks is creamy and applies easily. They also have a rich color payoff. Although I'm not quite sure this particular color is for me, Long lasting and neither drying or super moisturizing. I'd like to pick up Adorable (soft creamy pink) and Elegant (deep rosy red). Makeup Geek Lipsticks are available at the Makeup Geek online store. These sale for $7.99 each. MUG lipsticks are cruelty free. 

Bat's Rating 7.5: I love the formula and the price. Not sure about this particular shade.

Review: Cargo Cosmetics Argentina Lip Gloss Quad

I picked this up in my April LBB.  This lip gloss quad features the colors Plum,  Copper, Sparkling Burgundy, and Bronze. Retail price is $24

Cargo Argentina Lip Gloss Quad and Mia

The formula is very sheer and very glossy. I used two coats for all of the swatches and photos. This may work better layered over a lipstick. On its own I would definitely recommend two coats or a heavy handed one coat.  It's a bit more of a thin liquid formula than I'm used to using.

L to R: Plum, Copper, Sparkling Burgundy, and Bronze

I really like Plum. This is sort of gloss color I gravitate toward. It's a darker color without being too dark. It's a shiny gloss but not sparkly.

Cargo Plum Lip Gloss

I actually liked Copper more than I thought I would. I usually steer clear of warm colors like this but was pleasantly surprised. It gives a nice glow without being too coppery. This gloss is also really glossy but not sparkly.

Cargo Copper Lip Gloss

The Burgundy did not want to photograph well. This is actually my second favorite color in this quad. This color is glossy and sparkly but not disco ball sparkly. I didn't notice any change in texture between the sparkly glosses and the shiny glosses. This is a good choice if you just want a little hint of color. It is probably the most sheer of the four.

Cargo Sparkling Burgundy

Finally, Bronze. I would never just pick up a bronze gloss on it's own. So this is a nice exercise for me to step outside of my comfort zone. The color is rich and metallic. This one definitely has high shine. I expected it to be super yellow on me but I was presently surprised how it turned out. I'm not sure that I'd reach for this color a lot but at least I know it's not out of the realm of possibility for me. This color might work better for you sun kissed and bronzed beauties out there!

Cargo Bronze Lip Gloss

Wear time is a bit hit or miss. This did not hold up to eating or drinking. The darker colors like Plum seem to get about two hours of decent wear. Bronze definitely transferred a lot. I'm a bit on the fence about this quad. I want to really like Cargo because I've heard such great things about them but the staying power of these glosses and the sheerness leave me feeling it's a little lacking. I'm going to say Bat's Rating: 6.5

April Birchbox

Birchbox is a monthly beauty sample service for  $10 a month. They are now offering a Birchbox for men. April was my second Birchbox. I received Box # 10. I've been pretty happy with both boxes I've received so far. The April boxes gave a nod to Earth Day and featured products made from natural ingredients.

• Befine Skincare Sampler  Moisturizer and Gentle Cleanser .34 oz sample (Retail Full size 4oz $25 each)  Revive dull skin with this gentle cleanser and moisturizer duo. Both use rice extracts to restore skin's natural barrier.  I received three packs of moisturizer and two packs of the cleanser. These are very generously sized samples. I can easily get multiple uses out of the moisturizer. I've lost count on the first pack. I think I've gotten six uses so far. The cleanser is liquid which I didn't realize when I first opened it and spilled all over my counter. Normally this is the part where I say, 'eh it's a moisturizer" but I actually really liked the moisturizer and would consider buying it. There is only a light fragrance. It applies smoothly and doesn't feel greasy or heavy. I was a bit underwhelmed by the cleanser but I'll give it another go.  

Befine Skincare Sampler. 3 x Moisturizer, 2 x Cleanser

• Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift  Perfume Sample .04 oz (Retail Full size 3.4 oz $59.50) Inspiration for Wonderstruck came from Taylor’s favorite memories and scents. The fragrance is a gourmand floral; a charming and sparkling surprise of vibrant fruits, kissed by a bouquet of soft petals and a touch of sweet indulgence.  I don't typically go floral or fruity .
• Zoya TRUE Spring Collection Nail Polish in Bevin .25oz sample (Retail Full Size .5 oz $8) Lighten up fprr spring with this fresh shade. The non-toxic formula goes on opaque and lasts 50% longer than traditional polishes. Bevin is a sage green with faint teal undertones. I'm not a big nail polish person. I don't see myself ever wearing this color. I think it would just come out sickly with my pale complexion. I'd be willing to trade this for Cho.

Zoya TRUE Spring Collection in Bevin

• WEI White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pad Single Sheet Sample (Full Size 6 sheets $68) This single-use face mask is soaked with a blend of Eastern botanicals and hyaluronic acid to give skin an instant moisture boost.  Hopefully, I don't like this too much because $68 is probably stretching what even I would be willing to pay for skincare. 
• MicrodermaMitt Face Mitt  Full Size (Retail $28.50) This all-natural silk mitt gently exfoliates away dead skin cells and pore-clogging debris.

Overall I'm pretty impressed with this month's box. I will probably try to trade the Zoya polish and the Wonderstruck. I know a lot of people get caught up on the monetary value of their sample boxes. This particular box has been judged one of the better boxes $$ wise. I'm not one to place value strictly based on the dollar amount. I judge the value based on how useful the products are to me. 

Milani Spring Nail Polishes

I was one of the lucky winners of the Milani Cosmetics MVP Giveways on Twitter.  I won six full size bottles of the Spring 2012 nail polishes. I'm a huge fan of Milani blushes but have not tried their nail polishes.

L to R: Beach Front, Sail Away, Key West, Orchidia, Deep Thoughts, & Silver Stilettos

I found the formula easy to use. It was neither too thin and watery nor too thick. A little does go a long way. So if you tend to be heavy handed with your polish like I am, you may want to be careful. It dries fairly quickly and layers nicely. I used two coats for the swatches. All of the colors except Deep Thoughts have a slightly glittery finish.

L to R: Key West,  Sail Away, and Key West

Key West is a light pastel blue. It's darker and less minty than it photographed in the bottle. Sail Away is a beautiful dark blue glittery color. Key West is a glittering emerald green.

L to R: Orchidia, Deep Thoughts, and Silver Stilettos

Orchidia is much more purple and less pink than it appears in this photo. Deep Thoughts is the only non-glittery color in the group. It is a beautiful deep grape purple. Silver Stilettos is a very shiny and metallic silver.

I normally only wear neutral colors on my fingernails but I will wear color on my toes.  However, if someone were to make a collection of nail polishes based of my belly dance costumes, it would be these six colors.  I can wear just about any of these colors for performance. I really enjoy the colors is this collection. I may just have to try out some more Milani nail polishes. Thank you Milani for a great giveaway!

Milani cosmetics are found at most drugstores or online directly at  Milani Cosmetics . Follow them on Twitter: @milanicosmetics

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Bonfire and Absolute Red

Awhile back I raved about how much I loved the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams. So I bought two more. I'm not one of those people that goes and buys every color in a collection but I really do like this formula. It is exactly between a lip gloss and a lipstick, gets a decent amount of wear time, and a little product goes a long way. They are also only $6.

Bonfire is a medium pink color and Absolute Red is a cool toned red. Bonfire is much more pink than I could capture in my photos today.

Natural Lip Color

Bonfire

Absolute Red

These shades are both very much on trend for the neutral face bold lips looks of Spring.  Of the four I have, Absolute Red is the most fussy. I did experience a little bit of bleeding and smearing. It would probably be best to wear it over a lip liner. It does have the most staying power of all the shades though.

I'm a big fan of NYX in general but I really believe they nailed it with this formula. Who knows I may wind up owning them all anyway.

Bat's Rating: Still a 9. Long wear for a gloss, great pigmentation, great value.

Review: Lorac Bejewelled Lipgloss Set

I picked this set up for 50% off when Gifting Grace was liquidating their inventory. This was my first purchase of anything from Lorac. I've heard alright things about them so I thought I'd check it out.

From the Lorac site:

Live the diamond life with LORAC's Bejeweled Lip Gloss Collection! These luxurious glosses are infused with antioxidants to help nourish and protect, while the natural emollients soothe and moisturize your lips. The bejeweled diamond wand, with its sparkly finish and custom pro-brush, hugs the curves of your lips for gorgeous, ultra-rich color and super high shine.
Receive 6 FULL SIZE Glosses for not much more than the price of one gloss! VALUED at $132!!

These are .11oz. each. Typical Lorac glosses are .17oz and retail for $22 each.

The colors are Red Ruby, Peach Moonlight, Bronzed Topaz, Hot Pink Sapphire, Rich Garnet, and Pink Diamond. I like the packaging. I'm a sucker for a little bit (or a lot) of bling. The glosses have a small brush instead of a doe foot. I find the application a bit uneven with the brush. The formula is a bit sticky. These also are vanilla scented. I'm not a fan of scented cosmetics. I'm even less of a fan of vanilla in anything other than food. These all have a sparkly glittery finish.

L to R: 

Red Ruby, Peach Moonlight, Bronzed Topaz, Hot Pink Sapphire, Rich Garnet, and Pink Diamond.
Red Ruby is not as pigmented as I would like. I found that it didn't wear that long either. Peach Moonlight is a nice neutral gloss. I've only swatched Bronze Topaz,  Hot Pink Sapphire and Pink Diamond. Hot Pink Sapphire and Pink Diamond were very sheer. Pink Diamond is a very very sheer iridescent shimmer.These would probably work best if layered over a lipstick. Rich Garnet (while being nothing close to garnet) is my favorite of the lot.  It's a nice berry color and I seem to get the longest wear out of this one. I keep this one in my purse actually. I'm pretty disappointed in all the others except maybe Peach Moonlight. I'm just not a fan of sticky or scented lip glosses. If I had paid full price for this I would be even more disappointed.

Bat's Rating: 6. Sticky and scented. Rich Garnet is the only saving grace.

Little Black Bag Second Month

March was my second month subscribed to Little Black Bag and I'm still very satisfied.  Little Black Bag  is a monthly subscriptions service for $49.95 . It's unlike other subscription services in that you can trade with other users for different items before your bag ships.   I go into the details a bit more in my review of last month's bag.

I had a bonus item from one of my friends using my referral link and someone traded me two items for one of mine.  So my total items wound up being five!

The item I had to have was the Steve Madden Owl Cuff Bracelet which retails for $55.  I wouldn't normally go for this but something about it just appealed to me. The wings are paved in rhinestones and the feathers are delicately etched. I've worn this once so far and I really enjoy it.

The Nica Celia Wallet is an item I had my eye on last month but wasn't really aggressive about trading for it.  It retails for around $10.  It's a good size for me and I really like the purple lining.

My sister really like the Kitson Buddha Charm Bracelet which retails for $15. It's a woven aqua colored bracelet with a rhinestone embellished Buddha. It's cute and playful and a perfect color for Spring.

I've been getting more into nail polish lately but it will never replace eyeshadow in my heart! This teal blue polish from Butter called Slapper (retail $14) caught my eye and I had to have it. Some furious trading ensued and I eventually snagged it. It's definitely more teal in person than in photos.

Really more green in person

Finally I got this earrings from Robert Rose which retail for $10.  They are a nice medium sized earring and could go with any outfit.  I haven't worn these yet. There is a nice texture to the finish that will catch the light nicely.

The retail value of my bag this month was $104 which is a little less than last month. I had a lot of items but I didn't have a big ticket item.  I'm really looking forward to my next bag.  I'd like to snag a handbag and some Cargo cosmetics.

Review: Cover Girl Exact EyeLights Mascara

I picked up this Cover Girl Exact EyeLights Mascara for Blue Eyes in Black Sapphire (730) awhile back. I've been wearing it over the last week since I finally used up all of my Maybelline Define-A-Lash and I'm trying to work through some stuff in my collection.

Cover Girl claims:
"Get 4x brighter eyes* with Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Mascara! Light-reflecting metallics and a hint of tint bring out your blues, browns, hazels, and greens, while our patented, no-clump brush helps define lashes."


I certainly didn't notice any brightening effects. I also felt like I needed to use more product than I would like to see any results at all. For my everyday mascara, I want to just swipe and go.  I really had to work this product to see any color. It did clump a little. I do like the size and shape of the wand.

I don't know if my tube had been in the store for awhile or what but I found this mascara to flake as well. The last thing I want to see are little black flakes all under my eyes. If I still had the receipt I would have taken it back to CVS.

Bat's Rating: 4.5 It does give some color to the lashes. Very Minimal lengthening. Flakes off.  

I had cut myself off from buying any makeup after my last Ulta haul but I declared a mascara emergency and had to stop by CVS to get a new tube of Define-A-Lash. The only other mascara I have right now is the Maybelline Falsies and that's a bit more drama than I want to wear to the office.  Luckily I exercised EXTREME self control in the face of a buy one get one 50% off sale and only bought the mascara I needed. It was very difficult. whew.

My First Little Black Bag

In the mail today, I received my first Little Black Bag! I'm so excited I had to open it and share it with you right away. I explain how this subscription service differs from all the others in my previous post about LBB. The short version is you choose one item to add to your bag and then they add two items to it. Then there is an interface on the website that allows you to trade items with other users before your bag ships. Trading is highly addictive!

The contents were well packaged. Everything was in individual bags, then wrapped in tissue paper, and then bubble wrapped. There was also a return shipping label included if you want to make any returns.

LBB packaging

The item I had to have in my bag was this Kenneth Jay Lane bracelet.  I believe they had it listed at $100 retail value. I could only find it for sale in one place for $88. Love this! It has a nice weight to it and brilliant sparkle. I love sparkle.

KJL Stretch Bracelet

The second item in my bag was this headband by Robert Rose. This is listed at a $30 retail value. It is a satin ribbon over a metal band.  The embellishment is rhinestone and feathers. I don't normally wear headbands but I thought I would give this one a try. At the least I could wear this for a belly dance performance.

Robert Rose Feather and Rhinestone Headband

The next item in my bag were a pair of silver textured earrings by Lydell NYC. I don't remember how this were priced. I think it was somewhere in the $20 range. These have a good weight to them but don't feel overly heavy. I don't think this will pull my earlobes too much.

Lydell NYC Rhodium Earrings

A convservative estimate for the contents of this bag would be $138. I think $49.95 for all of this is a good deal. I really like that you can skip months as well. I will definitely be taking advantage of that. I just don't see myself buying accessories every month.  I do want to snag a handbag one of these months though. Overall, I'm very pleased and very excited to see what they have to offer in the coming months.

Check out  Little Black Bag  for more information or to sign up and start trading!

NYX Round Lipsticks Doll & Peach

I finally got around to test driving my NYX lipsticks from My Ulta Haul.

NYX describes these as "our classic lipstick for all-year round. The mineral-based emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated color and it resists wear and smudging. It’s your go-to lipstick."

I picked the colors Doll and Peach. Both shades gave me about three hours of wear without applying a lip liner beneath. I had better results if I applied a lip balm first. But hey it's the desert. They glide smoothly. They can smear a little bit so be careful. They also tend to transfer if you're eating or drinking anything.  Overall though they can't be beat for the price ($3.99).  So you can experiment with different colors without making a huge investment. I'm just starting to branch out and try different lipstick colors. Before my lipsticks were either red or red.

NYX Round Lipstick in Doll

Doll: I would describe Doll as more of a mauve color. I've heard it described as pinkish berry shade. I wouldn't call it a totally matte shade. It has a tiny bit of sheen but is not glittery.

Doll Swatched

Doll is fairly opaque in one pass. I found it to be slightly more long lasting than Peach. It also stains a little bit more than Peach but overall staining is moderate. Bat's Rating: 7.5

Peach: I'm really not sure why they named this shade peach. It doesn't look like any peach I've ever eaten! The color is very similar to Doll. Peach is a little bit more pink shifted and shimmery.

NYX Round Lipstick Peach

It applies very sheer. I'd definitely recommend pairing this with a lip gloss. It lasts for about two hours of wear. Bat's Rating: 6.5

NYX Peach Swatched (daylight)

NYX Cosmetics can be found online at NYX Cosmetics.  You can also by them online or in store at ULTA