Rainbow Honey: The Summer of 199X...

Rainbow Honey's got a new collection coming out! 

The Summer of 199X collection from Rainbow Honey is inspired by the 1995 SNES video game, Earthbound.

Rainbow Honey's creator, Dee, has this to say about the new lacquers:

"Another video game that holds a special place in my heart! I wanted this collection to bring me back into the game, and I think each new lacquer takes me to a special moment or reminds me of a certain boss that resulted in one too many Game Overs...Part I is made up of 5 new glitterbombs bursting with shimmer and color - they all layer to opacity but can be used over other colors as well. Part II is 3 new shimmer-dusted cremes and 2 new glitter toppers that give each creme a bold or sweet look. I am so excited to add these to our lineup!" -Dee

I am so very excited about this collection, too. Rainbow Honey has been previewing it on their Facebook page for the last few weeks, and it's been driving me mad with want - I have to have every single one of these! I was lucky enough to have three of the lacquers provided to me by Rainbow Honey in mini sizes for review. 

I received I Miss You, Apple Kid, and Mint Flavor...

Rainbow Honey's Mint Flavor is described as "part aqua, part baby blue, part shimmer, this was hands down the best window flavor." This is a gorgeous baby blue creme with a spark of aqua shimmer that just makes it so unique. The formula on this was absolutely killer - two coats here, NO topcoat. Look at that shine! It flowed well over the nail and dried lightning-fast. Absolutely gorgeous and perfect for summer!

The glitter topper Rainbow Honey sent is I Miss You, a pastel rainbow of glitters and shimmers, hearts and butterflies. Gorgeous pink and blue satin glitters, iridescent glitters, really pretty over Mint Flavor, as you can see here! The formula on I Miss You was thick, but workable. It made it easy to dab the glitter and direct it where I wanted. I didn't have any trouble getting any hearts or butterflies out of the bottle!

I also received Apple Kid, and I'm glad I did because it freaking blew my mind. Apple Kid is a bright, rosy fuchsia creme absolutely packed with a spark of hot pink shimmer. The formula on this was one of the most amazing polish formulas I've ever used, and the polish was immediately entered into my top ten of 2013, if not all time. Look how smooth and perfect it is! The pink shimmer makes it really glow, more than any of my pictures could convey. It's lit from within, and absolutely gorgeous. This is two coats, no topcoat. It shines and glows all on its own!

Apple Kid topped with I Miss You is sweet, girly, and feminine. I think I prefer the glitter over Mint Flavor, but it is gorgeous nonetheless. And look at those butterflies coming out to play! 

From what I was sent, it's clear I'm going to be very impressed with The Summer of 199X...from Rainbow Honey!

If you're a Rainbow Honey customer, there is a presale TODAY, June 14, starting at 10pm - be sure to check your email for a code!

If you're NOT already a Rainbow Honey customer, come to the dark side! We have cookies :)

The Summer of 199X...collection will be on sale on Friday, June 21, 2013.

Seriously - look at the seven other polishes in this collection! Well worth getting the full collection - and she has minis and full sizes available!

Also, any purchase over $50 will get you a FREE secret polish and FREE shipping! That should sweeten the deal!

What did you think of the polishes I received from the Rainbow Honey Summer of 199X collection?

Love? Hate? Gotta have?

Love them - gotta have the rest! 

Birchbox: June 2013

Here we are again, it's Birchbox time!

I actually received this one really early - this past weekend! 

That's great timing on Birchbox's part. Sorry I haven't written about it until now, have been spending the last few days recovering from my laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)! So far I'm feeling okay, just a little bit of pain but nowhere near as bad as it was when I went into the hospital originally. 

If you're not familiar with Birchbox or you're just joining me for the first time, here's the rundown about it: Birchbox is one of my favorite monthly subscription sampling services. It's $10/month for around 5 deluxe beauty samples. It's a great way to discover new brands. If you're a product junkie like me, and you hate committing to products, this is the perfect subscription. You can review each item for points - save up enough points, use them for $$$$ off in the Birchbox Shop! If you want to sign up for Birchbox, feel free to click on my referral link here! I'll get 50 birchbox points for every person that joins!

To check out other Birchboxes I've gotten, click here. 

This month, Birchbox rolled out a whole new look! 

The theme? Wanderlust.

Hi there,
Counting the days until your next takeoff? Mentally assembling the ultimate packing list for Bora-Bora? Corralling the family for a beach getaway? We feel you. When wanderlust strikes, it sticks. That's why this month's box is filled with samples from near and far that will serve you well on all your summer adventures.
And what better way to kick things off than with a beauty-travel mash-up: We teamed up with Color Club to create a collection of exclusive nail polish shades, each inspired by one of our global offices. They'll look fantastic here, there and everywhere in between.
Away we go,
Katia, Hayley & Team Birchbox

Looks like I got some exciting things this month!

Here it is all wrapped up. Birchbox has done away with the old tissue paper and ribbon, and instead are using these paper pouches to store the samples. I think they're really cute. Also, how adorable is the chevron design on the inside of the box?! That's something new from Birchbox!

All unwrapped, here's what I got:

Birchbox + Color Club Wanderlust Collection nail polish in Reign in Spain: Exclusive pastel shades inspired by four of our favorite cities. Two coats will give you an opaque, glossy finish. Okay, you guys know I'm a total nail polish junkie. This was definitely a welcome addition to my collection! The color club polishes I've received from Birchbox so far have not disappointed. Neon pastels like this tend to have wonky formulas, so I'll do what I can to make sure it's not too streaky and show you guys the results in a future post!

(Full Size: 0.5oz for $8. | Sample Value: 0.25oz, valued at $4)

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: Beloved by celebs, this award-winning oil-buster revives second-day styles. Hold about 10 inches away from your head. Spray evenly on your roots. I love dry shampoo. I don't like washing my hair every day, it strips your scalp of the natural oils it needs to thrive! I used this yesterday, the day after my surgery. I wasn't allowed to shower yet but my hair was looking/feeling pretty gnarly. The spray helped really target the greasy areas and definitely perked up my hair, but it smelled strongly of aerosol, which turned my stomach a bit. My favorite dry shampoo of all time is LUSH No Drought, and I think it stays a favorite for me! I don't need my hair to catch on fire from all of the volatile aerosol chemicals...

(Full Size: 3.2oz for $18.00 | Sample Value: 1.69oz, valued at $9.50)

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lipstick: This user-friendly pencil is a goof-proof way to score high-impact lips. Layer on for a glossy look or blot for a pretty matte stain. I received the shade Cheeky Kiss, which was a very nice, neutral pink - perfect for everyday wear. The pencil design made it easy to apply, and the formula felt good on my lips. Here's an up-close-and-personal lip swatch for ya! Also, this product is FULL SIZED, making it worth more than twice what I paid for the box! Heck yeah!

(Full Size: 4g for $26.55 | Sample Value: FULL SIZE! $26.55)

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss in Cheeky Kiss

Oscar de la Renta Something Blue eau de parfum: The brand's latest scent, a lovely blend of mandarin and linden blossoms. Spritz your wrists and neck before donning your finest frock. According to the packaging, this eau de parfum is inspired by the magical moments of life and also includes Stephanotis, Lily of the Valley and Lychee. It also claims a sultry finish with Bourbon Vanilla and White Musk. It's definitely a bright, watery floral from the top notes down for me. Lots of the mandarin and lily and the lychee comes out too. It's gorgeous and springy and not too cloying. Definitely inspires a hint of wanderlust for me!

(Full Size: 50ml for $85.00 | Sample Value: 1ml, valued at $1.70)

Lifestyle extra this month was the Twistband Birchbox Nautical Hair Tie Collection. Seaworthy hair ties that will charm even the landlubbers among us. Secure ponytails or buns, or just wear on your wrist. Birchbox introduced me to Twistband, and I have never looked back. These are awesome if you have long, fine hair like me. They secure without tugging or pulling, don't leave dents in my hair, and don't snag. Happy for the extra to add to my growing collection! 

(Full Size: 6 Twistbands for $14.00 | Sample Value: 1 twistband, valued at $2.33)

This month's Birchbox also included 4 cute postcards, one for each of Birchbox's global offices. 

This month's birchbox was a total win for me! I loved most of the products and I'm excited to have received a full size product. 

I paid $10 for this month's Birchbox, and mine was worth $44.08. Yes!

What did you think of this month's Birchbox? Did you get anything different?

The Influenster Something Blue VoxBox!

I'm excited to show you the Influenster Something Blue VoxBox!

This is geared towards ladies who have said "yes" to putting a ring on it and are in the process of planning a wedding! Influenster came up with a VoxBox full of items that will be great for prepping for the "I Do!" 

If you've never heard of Influenster, head over there now to check them out!

It's a social media site where you get badges and maintain your presence to be put in the running to receive free VoxBoxes full of awesome product, just like this one! It's no-fuss, fun, and free! I've received one VoxBox in the past. Check out the review here!

Alright, here were the products included in the Something Blue VoxBox:

I was really excited to receive the Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions ($6.99). I am just venturing into the world of wearing heels and these have been instrumental in making them a more comfortable experience! I already have a pair of these in one of my pairs of heels, and I'm excited to have the extra. They are specially engineered to avoid the dreaded ball-of-foot pain that women's shoes can dole out. They also prevent your toes from scrunching up due to the foot sliding forward.

Next is a new product to me: Urgent Rx Fast Powders in Headache Relief ($1.39): This is a flavored powder medication, and apparently you need no water to administer them. This has aspirin and caffeine to relieve headaches. The Urgent Rx brand also includes powders for heartburn relief, allergy attacks, upset stomach, pain, and critical care aspirin. This is lemon-lime flavor, which I'm sure will be interesting. Since I'm getting my surgery tomorrow, I'll be saving this for my upcoming week of recovery. I'm sure I'll get a headache somewhere in there.

Another favorite product of mine was featured in the Something Blue VoxBox: Q-Tips Precision Tips ($2.59-3.35). These amazing little buggers are tapered to a point instead of round and blunt on the end. They're great for touching up eyeliner, cleaning up your lip line, and manicure cleanup! So excited to have 60 more (and in cute purse-friendly containers, I might add) for my collection of them. The little purse size is perfect for stashing in a wedding-essentials bag! 

Another new product for me is the Luster NOW! Instant Whitening Toothpaste ($7.99). This toothpaste features Blueverite Technology to make the teeth appear whiter instantly, lasting for hours. I just tried this and my teeth did actually look a little whiter. I found that it made my teeth feel extra sensitive though, as most whitening toothpastes do. But it's a welcome addition in our house as we were almost out of toothpaste! And who doesn't want pearly whites on their big day?!

The final product in the Something Blue VoxBox was one of my favorites to receive! I was so delighted to see Kiss everEZlashes ($4.98 for a Duo Pack)  in my VoxBox! And FOUR pairs of them, to boot! I received two duo packs for review. 01 is a super black, super dramatic, super fringe-y long lash. 03 is a beautiful wispy lash that will add lots of fullness to my wimpy lashes! Seriously, false lashes are one of the easiest ways to play up the eyes and make them appear large and awake. I'll definitely be using them on my wedding day - nobody wants a bride with wimpy lashes! 

The Influenster Something Blue VoxBox also included information about MyTrioRings, which is 3 rings for a lower price: the engagement and wedding bands for the bride, and a wedding band for the groom. We already have our rings picked out/bought, but it's nice to see a cheaper alternative! 

This VoxBox was solidly awesome, and I was happy to receive it. It contained products I will definitely use, especially on my upcoming wedding day! Thanks Influenster! 

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. 

Nails Lately

Hey everyone! June is upon us already! 

Instead of a Monthly Favorites post, I figured I'd post some of my recent manicures. I had too much going on in the month of May (namely a car accident and lots of working!) to really use/love any products consistently. However, I did get through a few of my untried polishes - and bought some more! (Whoops.)

I hope the beginning of the month has found you all well. I found out a week ago I have gallbladder disease, and on Monday I'm getting surgery to have it out! Everything's happening so quickly, but hopefully I will be feeling better soon. I wouldn't even wish this pain on my worst enemy, y'all. So have some pretty nail polish swatches!

SinfulColors Glass Pink. I've worn this a bunch, but I keep coming back. 

Sheer ballerina pink with pink/gold flecks.

Delicate and feminine. Formula flows easily, but mine takes an extra minute to dry.

Three coats plus topcoat.

The day I scheduled my surgery I was freaking out, so I had a cheap and awesome haul!

These are all Wet N Wild MegaLast polishes, found at Dollar General for $2 apiece! YES!

Top to bottom: Amethyst Rock, Black Light Party, Punch It Up, Tahitian Pearl, Retro Mint, 2% Milk

Wet N Wild Retro Mint.

BEAUTIFUL retro sea-glass green with beautiful, soft gold shimmer.

The formula flowed easily over the nail. This is two coats plus top coat. 

(Bald patch on my index finger was my fault - I dinged something. Haha)

Wet N Wild Tahitian Pearl.

WHOA DANG. Amazing, beautiful saturated teal with silver/blue shimmer.

Two coats plus topcoat. This one stained a bit, so be sure to not skip the base coat.

Absolutely freaking gorgeous, right?

Milani Lemongello.

I've had this one in my collection for almost 2 years and have never worn it!

Three coats plus topcoat. Gorgeous lemon yellow jelly with gold glass fleck.

Yellows don't always look awesome but I really loved this one.

Definitely a bright, positive, happy color! It has me thinking happy thoughts about my surgery!

Milani Lemongello + HARE Own Your Opulence. 

Own Your Opulence is a beautiful mix of gunmetal/black glitter with green and pink satin glitter!

Gives a lot of dimension and I thought it looked awesome against the bright yellow of the Lemongello!

What do you think of my recent manicures?

What have you been wearing on your nails lately?

Until next time.... xoxo

Rainbow Honey: The FAB Summer Set

If you're an avid follower of Rainbow Honey like I am, you'll know that they've been doing a lot of growing and branching out lately! Rainbow Honey has announced a few collaborations with sites like Fab.com that include exclusive polish sets!

One of these awesome new sets is the FAB Summer Set. I was drooling over these after just a passing glance.

What a summery, juicy combination from Rainbow Honey!

I was so excited when Rainbow Honey sent me mini sizes of the FAB Summer set to review! I love them so much I'm going to be buying the full-sizes for sure!

Okay, enough rambling. I've got some pictures to do my talking!

The FAB Summer Set includes three all-new, positively beautiful LIMITED EDITION colors from Rainbow Honey.

Schrammi is a deep coral with gold shimmer.

Costa del Sol is a beautiful mix of gold holographic hexes and bars in varying sizes. 

Tenda is a bright kelly green with gold shimmer. 

All of the polishes in the FAB Summer Set are the 15ml full size, and the set is only $25! That's a deal, yo!

Ok, here are some quick-and-dirty swatches:

Schrammi is the most gorgeous coral with a bright, fiery gold shimmer. This reads quite orange on me due to my skin tone - most corals do this! It's quite a deep coral, too! The shimmer sets it absolutely ABLAZE and I was absolutely mesmerized by the magic happening on my fingertips. I don't normally reach for coral because they pull so orange on me, but I really loved the way this looked. This is two coats, no topcoat. Great flow over the nail, and no staining upon removal.

Costa Del Sol over Schrammi is absolutely gorgeous. Brings that fiery gold shimmer to life!

This is one coat, no topcoat. The polish was thin and easy to use. The glitter came out easily and I didn't find myself having to fish for the ones I wanted, which happens often with other glitter polishes. Such a fun summer shade.

As you know, green is my favorite color. I was drooling over Tenda just based on pictures I had seen on Fab.com, and I was so excited to put it on. It fulfilled my wishes and hopes, that's for sure! It's a gorgeous kelly green, with that same fiery gold shimmer found in Schrammi. This seemed a bit similar to the base color of Essie Mojito Madness, but Mojito Madness is quite a bit dustier/more muted than Tenda. This is two coats. No topcoat. Any issues you see here are mine - I dinged TWO nails as I was taking photos! I was just like "meh" and kept calm and carried on.

Tenda is especially gorgeous with Costa Del Sol. Green and gold are a great combination, and the same applies here. I loved the holographic glitter, it gives Costa del Sol a depth that it needed. Of course you can't see it well in my pictures, but feel free to click any of them to enlarge them!

Rainbow Honey has outdone themselves AGAIN with the FAB Summer Set! 

These three juicy, bright lacquers are absolutely perfect for the hot, sunny days ahead. I'm already rocking Schrammi on my toes and I've been wearing Tenda for the last three days! 

The Fab Summer Set is available HERE for $25. 

Seriously, their polishes are usually $10 apiece so this is a bargain!

What do you think of the Rainbow Honey FAB Summer Set?! I'm smitten. Yes I am. 

Disclaimer: The products in this post were sent for review consideration. 

All reviews are 100% honest and opinions are my own. 

Monthly Favorites: April 2013

Can you believe it's MAY already? I can't. 

I figured since it's the beginning of another month, I'd show you some of the products I reached for the most in the month of April. I reached for LOTS in the month of April, so it was hard to narrow it down to the five most loved products, but here they are!

First is LUSH Fair Trade Honey shampoo. This came out with the new haircare range on Black Friday. It's a lovely shampoo chock full of fair trade honey - so much of it, in fact, that they didn't need to add any preservatives. Honey is a natural preservative dating back thousands of years. The Egyptians used to use it to preserve things, and it's been found in tombs as if it was put there yesterday! Anyways, this has lots and lots of fair trade honey, linseed mucillage for a softening effect, and lots of oils and absolutes like geranium, rose, neroli, and bergamot. It's got an herbal sort of floral smell that took me a bit of getting used to. But the shampoo makes my hair look AMAZING. It keeps my fine hair from looking frizzy, giving it lots of shine and body. Which is a miracle when you've got fine hair! This is my second small bottle of this, and as soon as it's gone, you bet I'll be buying the giant size!

Keeping on the LUSH track, we've got Sikkim Girls from Gorilla Perfumes at LUSH. This is currently only available online and in certain stores in the US - sadly, mine isn't one of them. The story behind this is really interesting - apparently, musician Sheema Mukherjee was in a cafe in Darjeeling and was told a tale of the cafe owner's son, who had been seduced by the Sikkim Girls. They seduced him with a subtle sway of their bodies, a flick of the hips and a knowing smile. This is a floral fragrance, with heady, sexy jasmine, and lighter tuberose and frangipani, with just a hint of vanilla. It starts out sultry and spicy on my skin, and then the heady jasmine comes out and I smell just like fresh jasmine. I smelled this first at a perfume training and it absolutely HAUNTED me for months. I'm glad I finally bit the bullet and bought it - it's my favorite fragrance and I wear it every day! It's so amazing - something I've truly gotten excited about, and I'm not too much of a perfume girl. 

Then we have the Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45+. I've been on the lookout for a great BB cream since they hit the American shores. I've tried Korean BB creams, I've tried American renditions of BB cream, and this so far has been my absolute favorite. It comes in one self-adjusting shade and a little bit goes a REALLY long way since it's so creamy. Considering this is a pricier BB cream, I'm glad that I don't have to use much. The results mimic full coverage foundation for me, without the heavy mask feeling! I put this on, and maybe a little setting powder, and my skin looks GLORIOUS! I love how BB cream lets your real skin shine through. This is my favorite makeup product in my entire huge stash right now, and I'll be repurchasing over and over again. 

Last but not least, included in my monthly favorites are a basecoat and a topcoat from essie. Grow Stronger base coat was a bargain bin find at a drugstore, but I'm glad I got it. It really makes my nails feel harder and stronger and I found that it adheres to polish and makes it last just as well as my beloved Orly Bonder. I've run low on Bonder and haven't replenished my supply yet, but I found this base coat in my stash and I'm glad I did! 

Good to Go top coat has quickly become another favorite. It's a quick dry topcoat, but it doesn't bubble, or get gloppy, or cause my nail polish to shrink or peel. It works really well along with the Grow Stronger base coat to really hold on to polish and make it last quite awhile. I'm getting a lot more time out of my manicures due to this combination!

And it plays well with my Zoyas, which is a good thing.

Here's Blaze. Isn't it absolutely GORGEOUS?! Juicy berry with holo sparkle. Yes please.

Well there you have them - my favorite products for April 2013!

What were your favorite products last month? 

PS - I got in my first car accident of sorts last night! A truck driver hit a bridge overpass and started losing his load of steel all over the road. I hit one of the pieces of steel and destroyed a tire. Eight other cars had varying levels of damage due to this heavy steel being all over the road! My options were hit the piece and lose a tire, or swerve into another lane and most certainly cause an accident. I'm not hurt, just shaken up and annoyed. But be safe, everyone!

Beauty Bar Sample Society: April 2013

I can't believe it's April already!

Well, April showers bring May flowers, and the beginning of April also brings Sample Society. 

If you're new to my blog or just want a refresher, Sample Society is a beauty subscription service offered by BeautyBar.com. They've teamed up with the folks at Allure to deliver five beauty samples to your door for $15 a month. The samples are generally deluxe size - meaning you can get more than one use out of them! The best part? Every month, you get a coupon code for $15 off a $50 purchase - as long as a brand from that month is in your order. Each box also comes with a mini-magazine from Allure, with helpful tips and tricks (related to the products you're getting). Also, a subscription to Sample Society includes a free year of Allure! I've been subscribing since their first month - March 2012. I have been impressed with EVERY SINGLE BOX. If you want to check out what I've gotten in Sample Society boxes, feel free to click here!

Every Sample Society box contains a helpful postcard full of info about the month's products!

This month's Sample Society had a lot of really interesting products. 

April 2013 is about Easy Spring Updates. The word of the season: simplify.

Borghese Gel Delicato Makeup Remover: At the end of the day, scrub it all away with this gentle, oil-free formula suitable for all skin types. This is an easy-to-use gel makeup remover. It's gentle enough to use around the eye area. I like to put this on and then wipe it off with a warm cloth. This smells really good too! (Full size: $30.50 for 8.4oz. Sample Value: 0.5oz, valued at $1.82)

Hanskin Hydro Sheet Mask: Smooth, supple skin in as little as 10 minutes, this moisturizing mask features seaweed extract and hyaluronic acid to replenish your complexion. Okay, this thing looks crazy! It's one of those white sheet masks you put on your face, and it makes you look like a mannequin or Jason the serial killer or something. But lots of moisturizing ingredients! Interested to try this. (Full Size: $18.00 for 5 masks. Sample Value: 1 mask, valued at $3.60)

Stila Cosmetics Prime Pot Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer: Make sure your shadow's in it for the long haul with Stila's innovative primer. The polymer formula adheres to eyeshadow, keeping it creaseless (and flawless) all day. What an adorable little pot of primer! This is in the shade Taffy, which is a great neutral that closely matches my skintone. Swatch below! (Full Size: $20.00 for .33oz. Sample Value: 0.07oz, valued at $4.24)

Caudalie Premier Cru: Revive your skin while you sleep with Caudalie's coveted Cru - perfect for nighttime wear. Again, I really love anything Caudalie because I'm a fan of their use of grapes and natural ingredients! I've tried Premier Cru the Eye Cream and it was wonderful. This cream is a great all-over face cream, and it feels so lovely on my skin. Light, penetrates quickly, and just the right amount of moisture. (Full Size: $150.00 for 50ml. Sample Value: 2ml, valued at $6.00)

Jane Tran Hair Accessory Sampler: Get a great updo (easily) with this hair-perfecting set, featuring a chic bobby pin and hair clip. This sampler is adorable! A really great patterned bobby pin for keeping my hair out of my face, and a cute clip! Perfect for getting my hair back for the warmer months ahead. I just have SO much hair - I've been considering getting it cut recently! (Full Size: $12.00 for 8 clips. Sample Value: 2 clips, valued at $3.00)

CoTZ Face Natural Skin SPF 40: Bonus sample! Prep for sunny season with our new favorite mineral sunscreen, which blends ultra-smooth for a matte finish. I'm a big fan of sunscreen, being a pale porcelain princess! I usually venture outside in no less than SPF 30, and I prefer 45. This SPF 40 sunscreen blends well into my skin without feeling greasy, and doesn't feel heavy or sticky. (Full Size: $20.00 for 42.5g. Sample Value: 3g, valued at $1.41)

What a great box full of useful things! 

This month's box is worth: 

$20.07

Not the most expensive box I've ever had, but not the most worthless either! Definitely full of things that will get put to good use. What did you think of April's Sample Society box?! Did you love it as much as I did?