Mani Monday – Nailuv Update!

20140106-232825.jpg
Last week I did a gel nail mini review of an at home gel nail system called Nailuv. They claim the nails will last 2 weeks, so I skipped a Mani Monday this week so see if these babies would continue holding up. What do you think?!

I’m really pleased with the results of the quality at this point. My nails feel strong and there’s no chipping. I have noticed the color changing a bit from nude to grey and now they kind of just look dirty :/ that might be just this particular color and honestly it doesn’t bother me that much lol. I’m weird. Also I feel like the tips are showing some wear, but not on top. It’s strange but it looks like the middle layer is fading o something. Again, that’s not really something that bothers me. I will probably take this color off soon though just because I want to play with other colors from this set. Yes, I will be jumping right back into another Nailuv gel set! I enjoyed using the system and my nails have held up wonderfully, in my opinion.

I’ll post about the removal process and how that goes! Any thoughts on at home gel nail sets like this one…have you seen other brands hold up better? Let me know in the comments and as always please feel free to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @missal_leigh

Mani Monday!

20131230-171421.jpg
This week and possibly next week (depending on how well this polish holds up) is brought to you by Nailuv 12 piece Professional at Home Gel Nail System in the color Rum Cola. Here’s the kit in the box.

20131230-172041.jpg
I received this kit as a Christmas gift so I’m not sure where it’s from, probably Ulta. I’ve never used anything like this before and it was really fun to use! Yes time consuming, but enjoyable. I think with more practice I could cut down the time. More practice is definitely necessary lol! I can feel parts of my cuticle that I glued to my nails because I wasn’t careful enough with where I put the polish. Although simple, there are quite a few steps involved in this process and I can do a full review or tutorial if requested. I will warn you, be careful of lint/string/thread etc hanging around. It will get stuck in the hardened polish! I’m not sure what the consistency of the polish was like after the first curing session Bc I was too afraid to mess with it, but once the whole process was done these babies were dry and hard as rocks. I love it! I felt totally comfortable using my hands right away. Also, I definitely felt professional using the LED light. This color seemed to pool at the tips but again, with more practice I’ll learn what thickness to spread the polish. Random fact: this stuff smells great! I thought it would smell very heavy with that alcohol/nail polish smell, but it definitely doesn’t 🙂

20131230-173806.jpg
Thoughts? Have you ever used at home gel nail systems or anything like this? Let me know your thoughts on all this! Feel free to follow me on Instagram and Twitter @missal_leigh

New Year’s Eve Make Up Look – Dynamite Editorials!

http://www.tnt-tauna.com/new-years-eve-make-up-look-by-missal_leigh/
A New Year’s Eve make up look Tutorial I wrote, featured on TNT-Tauna.com

Please read, share, and follow my other blogging endeavor at TNT-Tauna.com!

Mani Monday!

20131223-173116.jpg
Today’s Mani Monday is brought to you by O.P.I in the color “Rising Star”. This is from the Burlesque Collection. Does anyone remember that movie with Christina Aguilera & Cher? I never saw it but I wanted to.

This is the first time I’ve used this color.
As usual with O.P.I. products, I’m not in love with the square brush, but the pigmentation is great. I didn’t use a base coat :/ but two coats of polish and top coat worked just fine.
The quality of this polish is great. One coat was enough to create a base with very little streaks. You could’ve left it alone if you wanted a very sheer shimmery look. The second coat was perfect for filling in spaces and creating a super shiny shimmery look. I feel like my nails look like brand new pennies lol.
For some holiday fun and to add a little color contrast, I glued on some nail gems from the dollar store. We’ll see how long those last lol.

All in all, great color & I’m pleased with the turn out, but I already passed it onto my mom. I’m not a huge sparkle/shimmer person and this color is overloaded! I can tell it looks nice on my nails & I’ve gotten a lot of compliments, but it just doesn’t feel like me. I know, I’m weird.
Does that ever happen to anyone else – a beauty product that just doesn’t feel quite right with your personality? Am I alone in this weirdness? Lol let me know in the comments!

As always, thanks for reading! Please follow me here & on Instagram & Twitter @missal_leigh

Mini Review – Beautifully Disney: Fantasy in Flight!

Disney Haul!
You may be wondering if such a thing exists. When you work for Disney and get 40% off stuff during the holidays….yes…Disney hauls DO exist. I personally didn’t walk away with too much stuff, however, I did come away with two products from the newest collection from “Beautifully Disney” cosmetics line. This newest collection is focused on Disney fairies. Personally I think they could’ve shown some of the other fairies. They skipped any and all fairy godmothers. The main faces are Tinker Bell (of course) from Peter Pan, and The Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. Anyways, I picked up the Fantasy in Flighty Eyeshadow Palette ($36.95) and the 4 Nail Polish Mini Set ($21.95). They also had a brush set that looked really nice, but I have a ton of brushes already and I wasn’t sure what their quality was. They also had some new blushes that were really pigmented, but they had faces of villains on the front, and I didn’t want that. So anyways, here’s the pictures and some thoughts on what I’ve got. Enjoy!

Thoughts:
Nail Polish: Upon reflection I have no idea why I bought these. I have 393838 bottles of nail polish, and I really don’t need any more. I was probably stoked because with the discount these were fairly cheap. I’m annoyed because the two gold colors are pretty similar, which would’ve dissuaded me from buying them if I’d thought about it a little more at the store. I’m interested to see how the bigger pieces of glitter will actually lay once applied to the nails. I can do a full review on these nail colors if anyone would like – let me know! I’m most excited  about the red color, which I believe is “Star Struck”. I’m  not pleased that the names of these colors are not labeled on the bottles or labeled in any obvious way. Based on the ingredients in the packaging this is what I’ve decided – “Spriteful” is the darker gold with bigger pieces of glitter because the packaging says it has Red Iron Oxide & Yellow #5 in it. I figured the Red Iron Oxide is what made it slightly darker…? “Wish Come True” is the softer gold color because it only has Yellow #5. “Star Struck” is the red because it has Red #7 in it. Finally, “Something Sassy” is the blue because it has Violet #2 in it. I feel like a really dumb scientist right now. I hope those are right… 😦 I apologize if I’m wrong, and if anyone knows  for sure the correct names I would really appreciate if you let me know!

Palette: I know this is not the same line of products as the Disney by Sephora collection but I feel like they’re about the same quality, so I pretty much bought this based on what the packaging looks like lol, just like I did with The Little Mermaid palette. As you can see from the swatches, the pigmentation is mixed. I passed my finger over the colors at a medium pressure, you could see where my finger had left a trace in the shadow, yet the colors were hit and miss in terms of pigment. Perhaps with a proper make up brush and technique the pigment will go on nicely if you apply it with a patting motion. I think the colors are nice. Again, no names for these colors which makes me unhappy, but oh well. They all have shimmer in them so be aware!I’m really looking forward to trying out the white as a highlight, the rose gold next to it as a lid shade, and the copper brown in the crease. Another option would be the same highlight/crease, but using the yellow as the lid shade. For a more dramatic look, I would again use the white as a highlight, the blue (above the yellow) as my lid shade, then put the dark blue/black (above the white) as my crease color. Just some ideas! Were you inspired by any of these shades, share your ideas with me!

Let me know what you think about these purchases in the comments and let me know if you’d like to see some looks created or full reviews 🙂 Please follow this blog & follow me on Instagram and Twitter @missal_leigh

Mani Monday!

20131216-232331.jpg

Today’s Mani Monday is brought to you by Sinful Colors polish in the color “Mambo Melt”. It’s a very shiny purple, no shimmer, not metallic but it’s certainly not matte. I guess I’d call this a satin finish.

Honestly not sure where I picked this color up from. I’ve had it for awhile and never used it Bc of the finish, I generally prefer solid matte colors. However, this is what got picked out of the nail polish bin so that’s what I went with!

Quality wise, this isn’t great. The first coat was very streaky, a second coat was definitely necessary. I always use base, two coats of color, and a top coat, but something went awry this time. The second coat made the polish look thick and fully covered the nail, but when I applied the top coat, is stripped some of the color away! I tried to take a picture of this but it’s kind of hard to see…(see pic below) I definitely waited a looong time between color and top coat, so I know it was dry. I’m not sure why that happened, if it was the quality if the polish or something I did wrong..? Any thoughts please let me know!

I’m going to let this polish wear for the week and see what happens, but at this point I don’t feel a strong inclination to keep this in my polish bin especially when I have much better quality. We’ll see!

Have you ever used Sinful Colors or experienced the color stripping I experienced? Please let me know in the comments!

20131216-232552.jpg

Mani Monday!

20131209-122909.jpgToday’s Mani Monday is brought to you by Sephora by O.P.I. In the color “Break a Leg-warmer!” I believe this is one of the colors from the NY Ballet inspired line…which would make sense given the name.

Usually I don’t like square shaped brushes. I prefer the rounded brush like the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure. However, I didn’t want to stick to just one brand for the rest of my life so I picked up some Sephora colors during my Sephora haul that I blogged about in November.

This color is super rich and creamy, almost one coat is enough, but by default I did two, along with my normal base/top coat. I worry that this will leave my nails a little grey tinged when I take the polish off but hopefully the base coat stops that from happening.

Let me know your thoughts! Do you like this color? Do you like other Sephora by OPI colors? Other brands?

Mini review – Disney Ariel Storylook Palette!

FINALLY!!!!!! I wasn’t really too excited about Sephora’s collaboration with Disney for the Disney Princess Collection’s because I simply didn’t care about the princesses they chose. I was gifted the Cinderella travel sized perfume & the packaging was really pretty & was excited to add it to my perfume bottle collection – until the lettering started to chip off 😦 I was disappointed by the quality, so I vowed not to buy anymore products…until they picked Ariel, the Little Mermaid! She’s my number two princess,  & if they make a Belle Collection, I’ll camp out in front of Sephora to get my hands on that stuff! But supposedly they aren’t making anymore Collections 😦
I was frantically trying to buy it from Sephora, even had the palette in my cart on Sephora.com, only to have them pull it and sell it to someone else while I was browsing. :(( I had given up hope on ever getting the palette from Sephora because they kept selling out, so I resigned myself to the jacked up prices on Ebay. I somehow managed to win my first auction & only ended up paying about $10 more than what it was selling for in stores – so I’m pretty pleased!
The packaging is SO beautiful, it’s going to be really lovely to use as house decoration after the shadows are used up. One gripe…the shadows are housed INSIDE the main packaging and it’s kind of difficult to open. Here’s some photos of the packaging and swatches…mini review throughout and a final word about the palette at the end…

Outer Packaging

Outer Packaging

Back side; outer packaging

Back side; outer packaging

Back side; outer packaging

Back side; outer packaging

Close up of the back of the packaging

Close up of the back of the packaging

Actual palette

Actual palette

Palette Cover and Palette side by side

Palette Cover and Palette side by side

Cropped close up on shadows

Cropped close up on shadows

Cropped close up, row 1, from left to right, Blue Lagoon, Scuttle, Flounder, Sebastian, Flotsam

Row 1, Blue Lagoon, Scuttle, Flounder, Sebastian, Flotsam - uhmm where's the pigment!?

Row 1, Blue Lagoon, Scuttle, Flounder, Sebastian, Flotsam – uhmm where’s the pigment!?

Row 2, l to r, Sea Shells, Les Poissons, Caspian Sea, Your Voice, Unfortunate Souls

Row 2, l to r, Sea Shells, Les Poissons, Caspian Sea, Your Voice, Unfortunate Souls

Row 2, l to r, Sea Shells, Les Poissons, Caspian Sea, Your Voice, Unfortunate Souls - the shimmers have much better pigment than the row above, but still not great, & Unfortunate Souls hardly shows up at all...

Row 2, l to r, Sea Shells, Les Poissons, Caspian Sea, Your Voice, Unfortunate Souls – the shimmers have much better pigment than the row above, but still not great, & Unfortunate Souls hardly shows at all…

Row 3, l to r, Atlantica, Fins, Sick of Swimming, Ursula, Sha La La

Row 3, l to r, Atlantica, Fins, Sick of Swimming, Ursula, Sha La La

Row 3, l to r, Atlantica, Fins, Sick of Swimmin', Ursula, Sha La La

Row 3, l to r, Atlantica, Fins, Sick of Swimmin’, Ursula, Sha La La – They pigment keeps improving – so that’s a good sign!

Row 4, l to r, Triton, Wanderin' Free, Jetsam, Sea Witch, Treasures Untold

Row 4, l to r, Triton, Wanderin’ Free, Jetsam, Sea Witch, Treasures Untold

Row 4, l to r, Triton, Wanderin' Free, Jetsam, Sea Witch, Treasures Untold - Like I said, the pigment just keeps getting better, very shimmery but beautiful shades

Row 4, l to r, Triton, Wanderin’ Free, Jetsam, Sea Witch, Treasures Untold – Like I said, the pigment just keeps getting better, very shimmery but beautiful shades

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not the best quality eyeshadow I’ve ever owned. I’m not surprised though. I think Disney/Sephora saw a good market, mid 20’s women who grew up with Disney, now wanting adult products & willing to shell out the money, no matter what the product really consists of. The colors are mostly super shimmery, not very pigmented, but there’s definitely a way to incorporate them into a look – you just have to figure how how to suit your style. For me, I’ll probably use these as highlight or lid shades for everyday use, for a night out/special occasion, I could probably be persuaded to use the darker shimmery shades as a crease color with really heavy blending. I’ll have to play around with it. You will definitely need a good eye shadow base/primer!
The packaging is awesome. Upon further investigation I found there’s a way to completely remove the eyeshadow tray and use the velvet box and “Dare to Dream” cover as a jewelry box or simple bookshelf decoration – I’ll probably end up doing that.
I do not regret this purchase at all, although it was fairly expensive and the shadows aren’t really colors I’ll reach for on a daily basis, I’m an early 20’s girl that grew up with the Disney Princesses & I want my adult merchandise & I’m willing to pay for it no matter what it consists of!!! Now seriously…where’s the Belle Collection? I’m waiting Sephora…

Sephora Haul! 9/25/13

Last Wednesday I did some Sephora shopping, I was thinking of putting up a YouTube video haul, but I don’t have time to record a video, so I’m just gonna throw a post up here, attach some pictures from Sephora.com and explain why I made the purchases I made. Maybe you’ll see something you want to buy too – enjoy! 🙂

Sephora “Draw the Line” Eyeliner Sampler $30
I desperately needed a new black eyeliner, I used to use pencil eyeliner, but was introduced to Peter Thomas Roth “Lashes to Die For” Liner, which has SymPeptide in it to help enhance lash growth. I was a fan of the PTR Lashes to Die For serum – really saw results with that! Unfortunately I didn’t see the same results with the liner, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve strayed away from a smudgy “punk” look and now I like a more precise thin line, so the felt tip applicator was perfect for me & I wanted something more like that, but wanted to branch out in terms of brands, so this little sampler was perfect!
It contains Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner 1.2g, Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil 0.7g, Sephora Collection Long Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner 2.324 mL, Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray 0.28g & Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner 0.25 mL, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion & Demolition, both 0.5g

Packaging

Packaging

Packaging & open box

Packaging & open box

Actual size of products

Actual size of products

Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings $20
I was also on the hunt for a matte bronzer and eye-shadow primer. I had been looking at Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, but wasn’t 100% set on it – then I saw this sampler which had the bronzer, a primer, AND Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara – something I’ve been lusting after for months after Sephora promoted it as a VIB gift, so buying this was a no brainer!
It contains Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer .4g, Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer .5g, Better Than Sex Mascara 4.8g, Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer .5g

Packaging and actual size

Packaging and actual size

Mascara & bronzer open

Mascara & bronzer open

Close up of mascara wand and bronzer color

Close up of mascara wand and bronzer color

Sephora by O.P.I nail polish 3 for $10
I don’t need nail polish, I can admit that, but I couldn’t pass up a 3 for $10 deal.
Each color has 15 mL

From left to right Break a Leg-Warmer!, Neutral Beauty, Frankly, I Don't Give A-dam

From left to right
Break a Leg-Warmer!, Neutral Beauty, Frankly, I Don’t Give A-dam

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer in ATF $19, Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup in #4 $39, Urban Decay Naked Skin Pressed Finishing Powder in Naked Medium Light $34
I was looking for a new foundation routine because right now I’m using drugstore makeup, which is fine, but wasn’t really cutting it because it didn’t cover of all my acne/scars adequately unless I really caked it on. So the whole reason for this Sephora trip was to do the Color IQ and figure out exactly what shade I was and what products would work best for me. The process was really easy, you take all your make up off, put on a moisturizer, and they snap 3 pictures with the Color IQ scanner. The pictures go into the machine and it figures out your combo, I’m 3Y06 – which resulted in the purchase of the Urban Decay Naked line. The girl I worked with was less than enthusiastic about her job, but I got what I came for – new makeup – so I guess it doesn’t matter.
Concealor = 3.5g, Foundation = 30 mL/1 fl OZ, Powder = 7.4 g

Urban Decay Concealer in ATF

Urban Decay Concealer in ATF

Urban Decay Liquid Foundation in #4

Urban Decay Liquid Foundation in #4

Urban Decay Finishing Powder in Medium Light

Urban Decay Finishing Powder in Medium Light

Urban Decay Finishing Powder, Travel Case, & UD Sponge

Urban Decay Finishing Powder, Travel Case, & UD Sponge

So that’s it! That’s all my new stuff, I’m excited to rotate these items into my everyday makeup kit. I also got a Sephora eyeliner for $5 in the little boxes by the checkout, but I didn’t think I needed to put a picture of that up. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products, want to try them, or would be interested in a review!

 

 

Welcome! & Mail Box treats :)

Hello everyone! This is my new blog to accompany my new Youtube channel, MissPrincessAlLeigh – welcome!

As I said in the video, the products I received for free to test because I’m part of People StyleWatch A-Listers. It’s a free program that People StyleWatch has & they occasionally send out surveys about beauty products & such. Even less frequently they have opportunities to try new products. Below I’ll show pictures of the products I received except for the conditioner, b/c it looks just like the shampoo, so that everyone can get a closer look because I know the quality on the video is NOT excellent – don’t fret, I have a nice video camera…I just have to find it. 😀

Also, once again, as I said in the video, yes, I received these items for free, but I’m not being compensated by any of the companies to talk about them, nor am I affliated with these companies. Right now I’m just showing the products and saying how I feel right off the bat, a more in depth review will follow once I’ve used the products for two weeks, but I won’t be paid for that either. Okay, here we go!

Available at most drugstores/Ulta

Credit goes to echemist.co.uk

Credit goes to lorealparisusa.comCredit goes to shoppingnexus.com

Credit goes to overstockdrugstore.com

Okay, if you want more information just ask in the comments or email me at Missprincessalleigh@gmail.com

Please watch the video on Youtube, rate, comment & subscribe 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/user/MissPrincessAlLeigh?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/2JFmru2f7wU

Thanks! I’ll talk to you guys again soon.

Love, Al-Leigh