What A Juicy New Year Giveaway!

Easy peasy giveaway here…what better way to start the New Year?! This is open to all followers of my blog, but be sure to read the entry rules carefully. I will validate them and want this to be as easy as possible for all of us. What’s the prize? How Juicy could 2012 be?

What A Juicy New Year Giveaway Prize

What else than a set of 3 Deborah Lippmann polishes in this Juicy Couture exclusive set! This trio is one of the 2 sets put together for the Juicy Couture & Deborah Lippmann collaboration for Winter 2011. The Precious Metals set includes the shades Believe, Here Comes the Queen, and Jewel in the Crown. The last 2 shades are new shades that are just released with this set (so far at least). While the bottle shape is the same as all the Deborah Lippmann polishes, the caps are different.

So what does it take to win these full-sized babies? You either have to be a follower of mine through Twitter, WordPress or be an email subscriber of my blog. Please leave in the comment section below how you follow my blog including your Twitter handle, WordPress name or your email address if you are a subscribed to it. Following my blog through GFC does NOT count. My blog doesn’t have GFC, so I can’t verify entries that way.

Contest is open to all readers (yes, my international readers!) and deadline for all entries will be February 14, 2012 @ 11:59 PM CST. I will check all entries to make sure they are valid. Those that wish to enter with the intention to unsubscribe afterwards will be noted and banned from future giveaways.

China Glaze METRO Swatches

These shades are out and you can still score them at ULTA stores if you haven’t yet. I don’t have all 12 shades, but these would hopefully help y’all. I’m posting swatches in the order of the press release.

First up is CG In The City.

China Glaze CG In The City

CG In The City is made up of fine glitter in gold, silver, purple, bronze, and maybe a few other colors in a clear base. Formula for this is pleasant for a glitter shade. Definitely would be good for layering over other shades. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze CG In The City (in shade)

China Glaze CG In The City (direct sunlight)

China Glaze CG In The City (close-up)

Up next is Traffic Jam.

China Glaze Traffic Jam

The creme shade that totally caught me eye is Traffic Jam. It’s my favorite creme from this entire collection. Formula was very rich and smooth. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Traffic Jam (in shade)

China Glaze Traffic Jam (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Traffic Jam (close-up)

Next is a red creme called City Siren.

China Glaze City Siren

Every collection has to have a red creme and in this collection, it’s City Siren. Formula was really good and it dried pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze City Siren (in shade)

China Glaze City Siren (direct sunlight)

China Glaze City Siren (close-up)

A red shimmer that I definitely wanted the moment I laid my eyes on is Loft-y Ambitions.

China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions

Described as “burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better”, this color definitely steals the spotlight. I have had several people asking me what this one is when I had it on. Formula was good to work with. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions (in shade)

China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions (close-up)

The most interesting one in this collection is Midtown Magic.

China Glaze Midtown Magic

I mean, just look at it. It’s amazing. It makes me think of shades like Wagon Trail. A mix of all kinds of goodness in this shimmery shade. Formula was great and it dries really fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Midtown Magic (in shade)

China Glaze Midtown Magic (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Midtown Magic (close-up)

Next up is a brown creme called Street Chic.

China Glaze Street Chic

Street Chic is one of the shades that surprised me in this collection. I didn’t think a light brown creme shade like this would be part of a Fall collection. I was expecting darker browns. This one applied nicely and gave me no problems. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Street Chic (in shade)

China Glaze Street Chic (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Street Chic (close-up)

Next up is Concrete Catwalk.

China Glaze Concrete Catwalk

This one’s described as a “steel grey” creme shade, but this ones much darker than what I pictured “steel grey” to be. Formula was just as good as all the other creme shades in this collection. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Concrete Catwalk (in shade)

China Glaze Concrete Catwalk (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Concrete Catwalk (close-up)

Last one I have is Westside Warrior.

China Glaze Westside Warrior

Everyone needs a camo green shade in their collection. In my opinion, Westside Warrior embodies this color perfectly. This rich creme shade applied onto my nails smoothly. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

China Glaze Westside Warrior (in shade)

China Glaze Westside Warrior (direct sunlight)

China Glaze Westside Warrior (close-up)

Overall, pretty good. There were more cremes than I expected, but Traffic Jam alone got me so excited about the entire collection. A clear win for China Glaze in my book.

I got 4 of these sent to me for review. I had to get the rest from a beauty supply store, but they were out of Skyscraper. Other than that, I pretty much have all the shades I want in from this collection.

*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*

ONE Natural Body Butter

I’ve been using this ever since I finished reviewing the ONE Natural Hand & Body Lotion. Here’s my take on ONE Natural Body Butter.

ONE Natural Body Butter

The 7 fl oz / 207 g body butter is housed in an aluminum tin container. As everyone knows by now, all ONE products boasts to have 100% recyclable packaging; from their cardboard boxes to the aluminum containers and packets. The body butter I received is in the fragrance You wild coconut, you! and all I can say about that is WOW. The front text reads “smooth that tired skin”. Also spotted is the now familiar “One moment to enjoy * One less thing in a landfill * One life to live * One planet to preserve” logo forming a circular frame around the brand name on the center of the front cardboard packaging.

Taken directly from the back of the product packaging:

DIRECTIONS: Slather on daily to scent your body and soften your skin. Apply in a circular motion, be sure to cover rough dry areas. Natural creamy shea body butter hydrates your body from fingertips to tippy toes. Soothes and smooths out overworked and dry skin. Hooray for Shea!

ONE Natural Body Butter in aluminum tin

ONE Natural Body Butter (very rich and creamy)

What I love about this product? Just like the packaging with their sugar scrub, ONE Natural Sugar Scrub, the aluminum tin container the product is housed in gives a nice luxurious touch for me. It has a screw on lid. Product has more of the greasy feel compared to their hand and body lotion version, but that is expected from a body butter or creme. The formula is rich and I can feel the slight grease, but it is quickly absorbed by my skin and it doesn’t feel heavy at all. I think that’s the main difference on the richness I felt from using this product compared to other body butters and cremes I’ve used from multiple brands over the years. My skin stayed very moisturized throughout the whole day. The smell is oh so good and heavenly. I LOVE coconuts. If you’re not a coconut fan, it might be worth checking out what other scents their body butters comes in. They have several other fragrances to choose from.

What I don’t like about this product? The thin film used to contain the body butter in the container and retain its freshness for use. I’m not sure what material it uses, but it’s very thin and it breaks open pretty easily. It was almost invisible really in the body butter I got. Little bits of it were on the product itself and I had to ensure I remove all those bits before using the body butter on myself.

It retails for $9.99 according to their website, but it is selling for a cheaper price in other places like Target.com and Walgreens.com. One products are also carried in Target and ULTA stores nationwide.

*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*

Adorée Early Sunrise 126

Hola! How you guys doing today? I’ve been on a nail polish buying spree lately. I purchased Cult Nails’ Let’s Get Nekidd! Collection on pre-sale yesterday and also placed an order with Adina of a-england for some of her new The Legends Collection shades. So while I’m waiting for those beauties to get to me, I dug into my pile of untrieds and came up with this one. Here’s Adorée Early Sunrise, also known as 126.

Adorée Early Sunrise 126

Described as “a coral shimmer with silver, micro-glitter inside”, this shade is pretty sheer. I liked it more in the bottle than on the actual nail for my skin tone. It just doesn’t pop with my skin tone. I do love the shade on its own though. I kept shaking and staring at the bottle for a good 10 minutes. Ha! Formula was really nice, but a little bit on the thin side. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

Adorée Early Sunrise 126 (in shade)

Adorée Early Sunrise 126 (direct sunlight)

Adorée Early Sunrise 126 (close-up)

Piling on another layer will still give me VNL, so I stuck with 2. Thicker coats may help. I can see this shade used to layer over other colors instead. That might be something to try later on.

You can purchase Adorée shades from Esther’s Nail Center or at your local nail salon where available.

Sally Hansen Teams Up with White + Warren

I’ve been reading a lot of tweets in my feed that addresses dry hands during this winter season, even when I think it’s been a milder one compared to recent years! This info just came to me recently and it might be of interest to some of you.

TO PAMPER AND PROTECT YOUR HANDS THIS WINTER

Frigid weather doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to flawless hands. Nail authority Sally Hansen is teaming up with luxury cashmere designer White + Warran to offer consumers the warmth of beautiful gloves that they can slide their perfectly primped hands into. For a limited time, every consumer who purchases a pair of White + Warren Fingerless Gloves from the White + Warren website will receive a complimentary Sally Hansen Manicure Set filled with manicure must-haves.

White + Warren Fingerless Gloves

Sally Hansen Manicure Set

Protect your hands against the drying effects of cold winter weather with White + Warren’s luxe cashmere fingerless gloves, and beautify your nails with Sally Hansen’s ultimate manicure kit. The nail essentials set includes:

Expert Nail File – to help you achieve the perfect shape for your nails;

Nailgrowth Miracle Serum – for instantly softened and smoothed cuticles that resist dryness and damage as they grow;

Complete Salon Manicure in Right Said Red – an all-in-one formula that delivers base coat, vivid color, growth treatment, strengthener and top coat in one smooth polish;

Dry, Chapped Hand Cream – an ultra-moisturizing, gentle lotion that leaves hands touchably soft all season long

Pure Ice Crackle Duo Gold & Red

Ringing in the Chinese New Year today is a duo from Pure Ice. Pure Ice Crackle Duo Gold & Red consists of the gold shade, known as 313CP and the red crackle shade called Show Stopper.

Pure Ice 313CP

313CP is a warm gold shimmer shade. Formula was very nice and it dried pretty fast. Shown is 2 thin coats with no top coat.

Pure Ice 313CP (in shade)

Pure Ice 313CP (direct sunlight)

Pure Ice 313CP (close-up)

Show Stopper is a bright red crackle shade with a creme finish. I applied it right when I figured that 313CP is completely dry.

Pure Ice 313CP with Show Stopper (in shade)

Pure Ice 313CP with Show Stopper (direct sunlight)

Pure Ice 313CP with Show Stopper (close-up)

Can’t go wrong with red and gold for Chinese New Year. Well done, Pure Ice!

*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*

Valentine’s Look with Violent Lips and Nail Rock

Sooo….Valentine’s is soon creeping up and I had this idea of pairing a lip tattoo from Violent Lips and nail wraps from Nail Rock for a fitting look. I had some trouble with the Nail Rock nail wraps, but I think more practice with this will yield stunning results. I had the perfect lip tattoo picked out for it.

Enter Violent Lips temporary lip tattoo in The Red Glitterati. I matched this with Nail Rock designer nail wraps in Metallic Silver.

Violent Lips The Red Glitterati & Nail Rock Silver Metallic

I’ve used lip tattoos from Violent Lips before, so application was very easy for me. It’s pretty straightforward really. Measure the lip tattoo against your lips, cut to the size and shape needed for both upper and lower lips, take off the plastic backing on the sticky side and place against your lips stretched out, and apply moisture by dabbing a wet cotton ball or wet fingers on the cardboard side. The cardboard will soon slide off and you can pat out the creases with wet fingers and apply lip gloss over it. These lip tattoos have always lasted me for up to 12 hours. I just eat and drink carefully when I have them on.

Now these Nail Rock designer nail wraps is another story. I absolutely love the foil shine with this pattern and had really high hopes for this product. I followed the instructions located on the back of the packet and that was my first mistake. The instructions listed is a condensed version. I didn’t even bother stretching the nail wraps much because I didn’t think I have to or was supposed to. The result was some wrinkly parts of the nail wraps on my nails. I then read the instructions located on a sheet inside the packed. This one had a couple more steps and actually stated to stretch the nail wraps. The result is a much better fit for my nails. As you can see in the picture, my ring finger looks like it had the almost perfect application while the pointing and pinky fingers in particular looks like nail wraps gone wild. That’s the difference with the instructions on the back of the packet and included inside the packet. Now, even when I did follow the instruction, I couldn’t quite get it to behave the way it’s supposed to as you can see on my middle finger. I took off the very wrinkly nail wrap and decided to give it a go again on that finger. I followed the instructions carefully, but still could not get the same result as I did with my ring finger. For fingernails that are more curved, you will need to do more stretching for it to fit well. Another thing is compared to other nail decal or polish strips type of products, I find that Nail Rock designer nail wraps are less pliable. This in turn makes me hesitant to stretch too much. I certainly don’t want to compromise the lovely print, which I must say is awesome….it’s like a mirror finish almost!

What I really love about this product is that it’s pretty easy to apply (just follow the instructions IN the packet), it does last a long time (7 days for me even with those darn creases), and the huge bonus for me: unlike similar products from other brands, any leftover strips will keep well for another use. Yes, you read it right. 2 of my favorite brands for this type of product is Sally Hansen and Incoco. The problem I have with those is that if I manage to have some leftovers, I can’t keep it for another use. The adhesiveness disappear, even if you store it in an airtight plastic bag. Such a waste.

With that said, I still have 2 patterns or prints on hand to try my hand again with this and I do anticipate better results. And yes, I am definitely buying this product again…in the Metallic Silver or their other metallic prints. I love how you can achieve that look on your nails. It’s really stunning.

Violent Lips can be purchased online here and I’ve spotted them at my local ULTA store. Nail Rock products can be purchased online here for UK customers and for US customers, they’re available at Nordstrom retail locations and on www.nordstrom.com.

*Some products in this review may have been provided by the PR company or manufacturer for an honest opinion.*