NOTD: There are Pink Sparkles in my Ocean

I got these two colors last week and knew I needed to try them out together asap. Today I got the chance and I am so wowed by this combo. This is 2-3 coats China Glaze Shower Together with 1 coat CND/Creative Raspberry Sparkle. Shower Together photographs very blue so the color is a little off, its a bit more of a darker teal but still gorgeous.

NOTD: China Glaze Meteor Shower

I got this last night along with a bunch of other gorgeous colors that you'll see here soon enough. I had heard that China Glaze's Meteor Shower was hard to apply so I added some of Sally Beauty's np thinner before using it and it went on quite well. The first coat was a little blotchy but the second made it totally opaque and that was all I needed. Meteor Shower is a dark blue-black with blue, green, and orange glitter. It does dry quite bumpy, even with 2 top coats, but I think that goes with the character and name of the polish.

NOTD: Solar Lava

I dug out some of my older polishes and found Revlon's Solar, which I got a few years ago at the Dollar Tree. I also got two Nfu Oh polishes from http://www.fabuloustreet.com/ and used #51 (Nfu Oh has numbers instead of names) over Solar. Nfu Oh polishes run at $12.50 which is usally way beyond what I will spend for anything cosmetic related but they have amazing flakie polishes which are hard to find in any other brand. This was a late birthday splurge for me.

Unfortunately I had quite a few problems, though some were my fault. The polish was very thick and hard to spread evenly. I added some thinner so hopefully that will help next time I use it. The green one, #56, seemed to be thinner when I opened it but I didn't swatch it yet so I'm not sure. It also did a lot of shrinking (when your polish comes away from the edges, so you can see the tips of your nails) very quickly, this is due to Seche Vite's quick dry top coat but some polishes work better with it then others. I will have to experiment some more to see if I can prevent this. I also melted it on the tip of one finger when I was cooking dinner, that was totally my fault. And finally on one nail the entire sheet of nail polish started to slip off for a reason I don't know. All in all this hasn't been a good mani day so I'm going to take it off and try something else.

this is a discontinued color

#51 (left) #56 (right)

NOTD: Teal Treasure

This mani was amazing. I use Sinful Colors Whats That and Nail Junkie (this one is at Walgreens), two coats of each. Whats That is harder to find but you could use China Glaze's Sexy In The City, Sally Hansen's Fairy Teal, or any other shimmery teal with Nail Junkie.

Using Sea Salt to fight Acne, my 6 month update.

In July I wrote about how I had started using Sea Salt to fight my daily acne problem, and I just wanted to do an update and share this information with anyone who didn't read it back then.

I've had moderate acne since I was about 10-11 (I'm now almost 21). I've used Pro Active and a lot of drugstore products but nothing reduced my acne more than 20% if I was lucky. In June I read about using sea salt on your skin to fight acne. I didn't really think it would work but since I already had loads of it at home I thought why not try it.

Within a week I could already see that I wasn't getting as many breakouts a day as I usually did. Old breakouts were healing more quickly and my foundation looked better because I was exfoliating my skin every day.

After about 6 weeks 95% of my acne was gone. I wasn't getting more than 1-2 pimples a week and they were usually half gone before I noticed them. After two months I generally only broke out the week before or of my period.

My skin still isn't perfect but it hasn't been this nice since before puberty. I'm not ashamed to go around my house at night after I've washed my makeup off and have my family see my skin. I still wear foundation every day but I don't have to wear as much of it. I get a pimple every once in a while (mostly just when I forget to use the salt) but they don't get as big as they use to and they heal more quickly.

How I use it:

Its so simple, at night in the shower after I've used my regular face wash to remove my make up I put 1/2 a teaspoon of salt in my wet palms. I then gently scrub my face for 10-15 seconds and wash it off. Sometimes I'll do this in the morning too. I'm actually saving money because I don't use face wash in the morning anymore like I use to.

If my skin is acting up I'll put the salt on and leave it for 5 minutes. You can mix it with honey or your face wash and use it as a mask if you want a more intense treatment.

Also I've gotten one of those small travel size spray bottles from Target and mixed a tablespoon of salt with water and I'll spray that on my face at night every so often. This is good if you have body acne and can't reach some areas like your back or shoulders. Sometimes I'll add 1/2 a cup of salt to my bath just because I breakout on my legs.

Generally its better to use Sea Salt rather then refined salt because it has more 'nutrients,' for lack of a better word, but refined salt will work in a pinch. Try it out, its cheap and doesn't take much effort. I hope it works for any of you who have the same problem I did.

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

This is another wonderful cheesecake recipe that is so easy to make. I made it for the first time yesterday. I was going to make apple pie for Thanksgiving but I think I'll make this instead.

for crust:
pre-made graham cracker crust

for filling:
12 oz cream cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped)
1/2 cup frozen concentrated apple juice, thawed
1/4 cup sugar

2 thinnly sliced apples

for apple glaze topping:
1/2 cup frozen concentrated apple juice
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp butter

directions:
1. mix cream cheese, sugar, and apple juice
2. add whipped whipping cream
3. pour into crust and refrigerate for 2 hours
4. cook sliced apples & butter in skillet until tender
5. for glaze mix cornstarch, cinnamon, butter, and apple juice in pan over stove until thick
6. place apples around cheesecake, pour on glaze and refrigerate another 2-3 hours or more (I would suggest making this the day before)

The easiest Cheesecake you'll ever make.

I know this is totally off topic but I've been doing a lot of baking lately and I'm getting excited about making fun things for the holidays. Cheesecake has been my #1 favorite dessert for my entire life so I looked on allrecipes.com (which has become my favorite source of food inspiration) and this was the first one that popped up. It looked so easy so I had to try it, and it turned out really good. Here is the original recipe, I did make 2 small changes.

Here's what you'll need...

Grahamcracker Crust (I used a reduced fat store bought one but there is instructions on how to make it in the link)

Filling:
12 oz cream cheese (recipe said 8 oz but I think this gives it a better texture)
1/3 cup sugar (recipe said 1 cup but its already very sweet with 1/3)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipped cream

1. Before starting set the cream cheese out for 30 minutes to warm up so its soft enough to mix. Or you can put it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until its soft. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix together (you can do this by hand or with a mixer).

2. Pour the whipped cream in another bowl and whip until it forms stiff peaks (you'll need a mixer of some sort for this). Add it to the cream cheese and blend it together.

3. Pour the cream cheese mixture into your crust and refrigerate at least 3 or more hours. Add fruit or eat as is.

If anyone is interested in more recipes like this I'll post my cherry/raspberry/strawberry pie recipe next time.

My Favorite Hair Care Products

I've gotten so many request for what I use on my hair, so here it is. I'd like to mention that I have oily hair that is thick and usually straight.


Shampoo Conditioner: Pantene Pro V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance. This duo leaves my hair soft without any chemical build up. Typically I have to wash my hair everyday because after 24 hours it get very greasy, but the Pantene Nature Fusion shampoo lets me get away with washing my hair every other day. The conditioner keeps my scalp from feeling dry and makes my hair really soft. They both smell really good, in a nature-y, clean and comforting way.


Heat Protectant: TreSemme's Heat Tamer. This product has been great at protecting my hair from semi-regular use of flat irons and curling irons. I just spray this on, comb my hair, and I'm good to go. I've never had a problem with this making my hair look greasy, I've heard that some other heat protectors do that.


Hair Spray: I use TreSemme's Ultra Fine Mist Hairspray. This gives my hair good hold without making it stiff or crunchy (and I tend to use a lot). It doesn't have much of a smell. I've gone through almost 2 bottles of this and still love it.


For split ends: Sunsilk 24/7 TLC. This won't reverse or heal split ends but it seals the split ends together and keeps them from getting worse. I usually only use this if I've been flat ironing a lot.


Favorite Heat Tool: Cortex Clipless Curling Iron, 1 inch. Out of all the hot tools I've used I love this one best. It curls my hair without pulling on it (like a flat iron will) and the curls stay in ALL DAY & the next day my hair is still semi-curled but its a more natural look that you don't have to do anything with. Its so fast and easy to use.

Review: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

Quality: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Size: .15 oz
Price: $3.00
Where To Buy: eyeslipsface.com
Would I Buy Again: Yes

God bless the people at ELF who made this product! It is amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing, especially for just $3.00!

This gentle and completely sheer Eyeshadow Primer has key vitamins A, C and E to help prevent aging and moisturizes the skin. The formula glides on easily and disappears instantly to create longer-lasting, crease-proof eyeshadow. The Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is designed to be used with your favorite mineral eyeshadow to provide ultimate staying power for beautiful and vibrant color that lasts. 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.

I think we all know about Urban Decays Primer Potion. We all know that its a bit expensive, and we know that the packaging sucks so you have to cut the sucker open just to get your money's worth. ELF has made a affordable alternative that, in my experience, works just as well as Urban Decays more expensive primer.

I'll start by saying that I have very oily eyelids. Without a primer my eyeshadow creases within 2-3 hours. With ELF's Mineral Primer my eyeshadow lasts about 8-9 hours (as long as I'm not out in super hot weather) with only a bit of fading. It stays vibrant most of the day.

The primer is totally sheer. The tube I got is kind of watery but I don't know if this is the norm. The tube is clear with a doe foot applicator so you can see how much you have left inside. It easy to blend and you don't need to use a whole lot.

PROS:
-very affordable, $3.00
-makes e/s vibrant
-last a very long time (8-9 hours)
-no parabens or dyes

CONS:
-none???

INGREDIENTS: Isododecane, Cylopentasiloxane, Octyl Palmitate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Triacontanyl PVP, Propylene Carbonate, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163).

_______________________________

Coming Soon: LOOK OUT FOR MY UDPP vs ELF-MP COMPARISON POST.

Don't forget to use the code CAROLINA at the ELF website for 50% off orders up to $15. Also use Ebates for 4% cash back.

Review: ELF Studio Powder Brush

Quality: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Price: $3.00
Where To Buy: Eyeslipsface.com
Would I Buy Again: Yes!

This brush is so great! Its the first flat top brush I've tried, and it'll probably be the last. I had been thinking about getting a more expensive one from Coastal Scents but kept putting it off, finially I decided to try this one since its $10 cheaper. I've used it for both powder and liquid foundation with great results.

For powder foundation it gives great coverage and I've never had powder foundation look so good. It was easy to get the foundation around my nose but harder to get it around my eyebrows.

Applying liquid foundation with this brush was so much easier then any other brush I've used and quicker then using my fingers. Plus I got a great smooth streak free finish with zero effort. Today was really the fastest and easiest time I've ever had applying liquid foundation.

This brush is super soft, and it was easy to wash out my stubborn Revlon CS. Also there was very little foundation left on my brush, I expected there to be more on my brush then on my face like with other brushes but that doesn't happen with this brush.



PROS:
-super soft
-no shedding
-no smell
-applies both powder & liquid foundation like a dream
-cleans easy, doesn't suck foundation up into the bristles
-affordable for everyone
-vegan, bristles are synthetic

CONS:
-takes a few hours to dry like most synthetic brushes

Don't forget to use the code CAROLINA at the ELF website for 50% off orders up to $15. Also use Ebates for 4% cash back.

NYX Round Lipstick On-Lip Swatches: 27 Total

L-R: Margerita, Femme, Fire, Twist, Saturn, Doll, Hebe, Snow White, Ulysses


Margerita

Femme

Fire

Doll

Saturn

Twist

Hebe

Snow White

Ulysses



L-R: Thalia, Tea Rose, Paris, Harmonia, Jupiter, Narcissus, Lousiana, Spellbound, Fusion


Harmonica (had to be applied with a brush, very difficult to work with)

Jupiter

Thalia

Tea Rose

Paris

Narcissus

Lousiana

Spellbound

Fusion




Circe & Honey are very similar but Circe is more orange & Honey is more yellow. B52 is just slightly less intense then Milan but basically the same color. Darling has more bronze then Ceto, I don't really like either color, maybe just because they are so frosty. Taupe is an awful color on me, it basically looks like I smeared chocolate all over my lips.


L-R: Summer Love, Circe, Honey, Mars, Milan, B52, Darling, Ceto, Taupe


Summer Love

Circe

Honey

Mars

Milan

B52

Darling

Ceto

Taupe