If its pink and its got glitter...

...then I definitely have to own it! This is exactly how I felt about Essie's polish in Pink-a-Boo from the  Resort 2012 Collection. Its a sheer light pink with glass-fleck shimmer in it- both blue and hot pink. I decided to free-hand a french manicure with it today:

It's a little rough but hey- not bad for my first try, right? The application on this one was tricky- you definitely want to wait a bit between coats or you will get bald spots. Also, because there is so much shimmer and the formulas is so sheer, the finish is noticeably gritty. However, since the shimmer is so unusual and so pretty, while this would usually bother me, I don't mind it with this polish. It reminds me of the Nicole by OPI polish in "Kim-pletely in Love" from the Kardashian Kollection, except with that one there's just light blue shimmer and its much more subtle.

Here's a closeup of the polish so you can see how the shimmer translates on the nail:

And lastly, here's a macro shot of the bottle so you can see all the gorgeous shimmer:

I just love this one. Have you checked out the 2012 Resort Collection? Any colors catch your eye?

Lush Goodies!

Two of my must haves from Lush are the Glitterbug and Black Stockings massage bars.

Glitterbug on left, black stockings on right

Glitterbug is a clear massage bar that has pink-purple iridescent glitters in it. Just like the other massage bars, you rub this little egg-shaped bar onto your skin until it gets warm. The product then gets melty and distributes the glitter for a fun, glam look. I've heard others say that this smells like vanilla, but to me it has that typical "Lush" smell- you know, that smell you smell as soon as you walk into a store? I know this is extremely helpful lol. The smell doesn't bother me at all and it isn't overbearing and awful like some of Lush's other products (I'm looking at you Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter!) Anyone who knows me also knows that I LOVE anything with glitter in it. Unfortunately, the Glitterbug is discontinued, but the good news is, you can recreate the same look at home! All you need is your favorite moisturizer (I would recommend using your favorite Lush massage bar for staying power) and body glitter or shimmer of your choice that you can pat (sparingly!) anywhere you choose. I love the iridescent glitter, so when my Glitterbug runs out (tear!) I will definitely be using this trick.
Anyway, here's what Glitterbug looks like up close:

I intentionally blurred the picture so you could get a better idea of what the shimmer looks like. I'm soooo sad that this product is discontinued (wth, Lush!). If this type of glitter is too full-on and/or you prefer something that has a more subtle sheen, then Shimmy Shimmy would be the product for you. It is a heart-shaped massage bar that has fine golden shimmer in it and also looks beautiful. It is not discontinued so run, don't walk to your nearest Lush ◕ ‿ ◕

The next product is Black Stockings. This product is meant to be a temporary bronze tint used on the legs or where ever to amp up the skin's healthy glow. It also works really well for those who are a bit pale and would like some temporary color just to warm up their skin tones. There are two versions of the tiny- Silk Stockings which is the same idea but a lighter tone, and Black Stockings, which is the darkest. To me, this product has a light cinnamon scent which disappears quickly.
Here's what it looks like:

I love to use this on my legs and decollete for a night out. On me, it translates to a rose gold, bronzey sheen which I really like as it makes my skin look bronzey, healthy, and moisturized. It sounds expensive at $9.95, but you do get a good amount of product and because a little bit does go a long way, you can get at least 10 or more uses from this.

Finally, here are swatches of Glitterbug and Black Stockings on NC25 skin:

Glitterbug on the left, Black Stockings on the right

Have you ever tried Lush massage bars? Which are your favorites? Any you hated? Let me know!

Orly Royal Navy

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to show you a beautiful nail polish I recently picked up at Sally's. Its called Royal Navy and it is by Orly. As far as I could tell, it is part of their core collection and I'm glad it is because it's gorgeous!

It is a bright blue that's almost a neon. Its hard to tell from the picture, but it has the most amazing light blue teal-y shimmer to it. Application was above average - a creamy, smooth formula, opaque in two coats and dried pretty quickly. When it was fully dry, I did notice that it wasn't glossy- it dried down to a satin finish which was probably due to the neon-ish quality. Wasn't a big issue for me because I always finish my manicure with a top coat!

What's your favorite blue nail polish?