Influenster, YSL Black Opium Perfume Review

First, I feel like I should apologize because I've not taken the time to write a blog post in what feels like forever. I could come up with a long list of excuses about being busy, and life getting in the way, but let's be real........I've just been lazy. I know, I know, shame on me!! 

Now, onto what this post is actually about. I recieved a deluxe sample of YSL(Yves Saint Laurent) fragrance Black Opium from Influenster today. If You're not familiar with Influenster let me tell you a little about them. Influenster is an amazing way to get to try new products for free. There are no catches, and you never have to pay for anything. Influenster sends you products so that you can review them honestly. They can pass your feedback onto the company so they can better meet customer demands. They even have an app now which makes reviewing the products even more simple than it already was. 

If you're interested in giving influenster a try, here is my referal link: www.influenster.com/r/43677 
*I do not receive any monetary compensation when you use that link. It just lets influenster see how many people I refer and helps them know what kind of products to send me.

I was a little nervous when I first heard I would be receiving this fragrance, because I feel like picking fragrances is a very personal choice. First you need to smell them, and then you need to try them on and make sure they work with your body chemistry. Just because it smells great in the bottle doesn't mean it will smell great on you, and not everyone agrees on what smells great. Some people love smelling like a bouquet of flowers while others would rather smell like they rolled around in Willy Wonka's candy factory. I personally like my perfumes to be somewhere in the middle. Too floral and they give me a headache, and too sweet makes me want to gag. I love to have a perfume that is sweet, but love it to have a musky undertone with a just a touch of floral. I know, I'm asking a whole lot out of a fragrance. However, I was also very excited to give YSL Black Opium a try, I mean it's YSL so I thought it had to be great, right?

Here is how YSL describes Black Opium,

"With a glam rock aesthetic, this addictive gourmand floral entices with notes of black coffee for a shot of adrenaline, white florals to instantly seduce, and vanilla for sweetness and sensuality. Playing on the incongruity between the bitterness of the coffee bean accord, an ingredient never used before in such a high quantity in a feminine fragrance and radiant white flowers, BLACK OPIUM gives a sensation of light-headedness, bordering on ecstasy.

First there is the wake-up call. The coffee bean note hits you hard, jolting the senses. Next, it becomes softer and more feminine with the white flowers of jasmine sambac and absolu of fleur d’oranger to finish incredibly addictive and emboldened by the ambrosial appeal of vanilla and the woody notes of cedar and patchouli, giving a roundness, depth, and mysterious elegance.

Audacious? Perhaps. Addictive, electrifying? Definitely."

Notes: 

Coffee Accord, Orange Blossom, Cedar Wood Essence, Patchouli Essense. 

So, what do I think about YSL Black Opium? YSL is a luxury brand, that I really don't have much experience with. With a price tag ranging from $25 for just 0.33 oz  to $115 for 3 oz, my standards are pretty high. So, here is what I have to say about this product. Even though I only have a small sample, the bottle it came in is very beautiful. If this sample goes to show the quality of the full size it's sure to be even more stunning. It's the kind of perfume bottle that will make it to my perfume display shelf for sure. Even the little box my sample came in was beautiful! Now the part I'm sure is why you're even reading my review. How does it smell? First I want to say that I'm not great at describing perfumes, but here goes. It's an amazing scent, and perfect for fall. I find it a very warm, yet sweet scent. My nose isn't sophisticated enough to pick apart the scent and tell you how I feel about each note, but I will say I love it! It's the perfect scent for me. I think Goldilocks would have loved this perfume because  it's not too floral, not too sweet, and not too musky, it's all just right. Corny, I know, but I couldn't help myself. I think YSL has done an amazing job with this fragrance, and I'm looking forward to wearing it for the entirety of Autumn. If You like perfumes that are sweet without being overpoweringly sweet, you should give this one a try for sure. Plus, right now if you go to the YSL website they are offering free samples of Black Opium without any purchase or shipping costs. You can check that out here! So, You have nothing to lose, get your free sample and fall in love with this amazing scent! It will surely become a staple in my perfume collection from this point on!

I want to send a big thank you to influenster and YSL for sending me this sample, I love it!! I would also like to thank you all for taking the time out and reading my review. Give me a comment if you've tried this perfume, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from everyone, and see what you all have to say about it. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs.

Have a Blessed day,

Sephora by O.P.I Polishes for just $1.80?!

Hello again everyone! I have some exciting news for all of my nail polish lovers. I was recently at my local Big Lots, when I found a great deal on Sephora by O.P.I nail polish. I only picked up 3, but I've heard so much about these 3 polishes I couldn't resist. They had a ton to pick from, and I'm kind of kicking myself for having not gotten more colors. I hope they still have some the next time I'm in there. They have Sephora by O.P.I polishes for just $1.80! I can't get over how great that deal is! They had a huge color range, including lots of their glitter top coats that are raved about. This is just a quick post to tell you about my find. I hope you all run out to your local Big Lots and find some of these gems for yourself!  I'll include some pictures below to show you the colors I picked up. I just picked up 3 of their glitter top coats. 2 of which, are cult favorites and I can't believe I only paid $1.80 for each of them. I'm not going to get into too much detail, because I plan on doing an entire post on these polishes. So, run to Big Lots and take advantage of this great deal while you still can!  I'd love to hear from you. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs.

Have a Blessed day,

Meet Me At The Disco- micro fine holographic glitter top coat

To The Glitter End- Chunky hexagonal gun metal glitter top coat

Beam Me Up Hottie!- Chunky hexagonal holographic glitter top coat

Unboxing! Influenster Jolly VoxBox 2013

Hello again everyone! I have a fun post for you all today. I know my blog is normally about all things nails, but sometimes it's fun to do something different. Today I'm going to be reviewing my Jolly VoxBox that I received from Influenster a few days ago. What's Influenster, you ask? Influenster is a company that sends out boxes of goodies(VoxBox is what they call these boxes). All they ask is that your review the products. They are helping companies hear our voice on what we would like out of a product. They want our real opinion. You don't get paid for reviewing the products, but you do receive products to try out. The best part of all of it is that Influenster is FREE! You can sign up here, or someone can invite you. Once you sign up, you can write reviews on their site, and do other tasks to increase your score. The higher your score the more likely you are to receive something to review. So, go get signed up and start working on your score so you can receive some great products!!! Ok, now that I've explained a little about Influenster let's get into the fun part. What I go in my Jolly VoxBox!
Like Influenster on Facebook here
Follow Influenster on Twitter here
Follow Influenster on Instagram here

I did an unboxing video you can watch it here

Here is what my Jolly VoxBox looked like before I opened it. It was a nice festive shade of red. Perfect for Christmas!

Here is what I Saw when I first opened the box. As you can see this box is packed full of goodies. It's so exciting to see what comes in each box.

The front of the card reads,
Can you hear the children's laughter? Do you see the candy-colored lights lining the street? Can you taste the thrill in the air?

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Filled with treasure to keep you smiling from ear to ear, the Jolly VoxBox is finally here!

The back of the cared has all the information about the products that are in the box. I'll tell you what it says about each product and my opinion of each product with each picture.

The card says,
Skinny Cow Candy: $3.99 a box, or $1.09 a bar or pouch. TA DA! Presenting almost too good to be true Skinny Cow Candy! Unbelievably chocolaty. Melt-in-your-mouth madness. Perfectly yummy portions. Skinny Cow's line of candy weighs in at 110 - 130 calories. So if you've been avoiding the candy isle, welcome back. You're going to feel like a kid in a candy store.
Like them on Facebook Here
Follow them on Twitter Here 

What do I think?
I love it! I get to try a full size box, which includes 6 packs of Peanut butter creme chocolates. Each pack has 3 pieces, and is only 130 calories per pack.To be honest peanut butter candies aren't normally my favorite, but these really are great. They were very creamy, and the peanut butter flavor wasn't overpowering. They tasted almost like a caramel filled chocolate with just a hint of peanut butter. Which is just how I like it. I will definitely be getting more of Skinny Cow candy.

Hmmmm wonder which product we will look at next?

The card says,
Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong To Go Tissue Pack: $0.49/ single pack
Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong To Go is still our best non-lotion facial tissue to use in the car, for-on-the-go, wherever you go!
Like them on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter here

What do I think? 
Well I'm a little confused by the non-lotion portion of the card. Seeing as the very first thing I see on my package of tissues says "plus lotion". Aside from that, I love these tissues. They are very soft and gentle, but strong enough to do their job as well. I love having a pack of these in my purse at all times.

What the card says,
Ducklings Mini Rolls: $2-$3 
Excellent for repair, crafting, and imaginative projects. High performance strength and adhesion characteristics. Tears easily by hand without curling, and conforms to uneven surfaces. Ducklings are perfect for small repairs, trimming out projects or for when you just need a little tape. 
Like them on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter here

What do I think?
I think I would have been a little bit more excited had I gotten a different print. This one isn't really my taste, but that's ok. I will find something to use this on. I'm crafty, and I'm sure it will work perfect for one of my crafts. I love Duck brand tape, it's a little pricey, but worth it. The mini size is very cute, and will work better for many of your smaller projects. 

What the card says,
NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow: $2.99
HD Color Trio Eye Shadow delivers high intensity color with a silky soft texture. This lightweight formula blends effortlessly for the ultimate smoky eye look. 
The color I got was: Long Beach Sands
Like them on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter here

What I think?
This is the product I was most excited to try out. I love natural eye looks and this trio is perfect for that. I wore this trio to our family Christmas. I got many compliments, and it lasted all night. It did blend very easily, and the colors were perfectly pigmented. Not too heavily pigmented that they were hard to work with, but enough color pay off to look great. If you love natural eye looks, I would say run out and get this. I think I will do a whole post on this with pictures of the eye look I achieved using it. So, look forward to that!

What the card says,
Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer: $5.49-$5.99
It's the end of colors as you know it! The intense rich color of a lipstick combined with an invincibly smooth lacquer shine. Available in 14 shades. 
Like them on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter here

What do I think?
I was so excited to try this product out. I mean after all it is named after my Maltese Luna. I've heard so many good things about these lip lacquers. I wish I had gotten a more pink based color, but I did love the formula. I loved the applicator. It was very different from any I had tried before. It picked up the perfect amount of product without having to dip the wand over and over. It lasted well, and didn't dry my lips out. It was very pigmented, and felt very nice on my lips. I can't wait to try out the other colors!

 Now for the sad part.....the bottom of the box! I love getting my Influenster VoxBoxes. They are always full of fun new products, it's always sad when you get to the bottom of the box :-(. I want to thank Influenster for sending me yet another fun box packed with new products to try out! I hope you all enjoyed this post even though it's not nail related. Did you get the Jolly VoxBox? If so, comment down below on what product you liked most out of the Jolly VoxBox. If you didn't get the Jolly VoxBox comment down below and let me know which product you would have liked to receive, and which ones you'd like to see reviews on. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I'd love to hear from you. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs.

Have a Blessed day,

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

NOTD: Veterans Day

Hello again everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long again. It's been harder than I thought it would getting back into blogging. We're still remodeling the house, and have been busy with other things. That doesn't make up for the lack of blogs. I have the best intentions and not the best follow through it seems. So, what a better way to come back than with a Veterans day NOTD?! I hope you're all excited to see what I've got on my nails for Veterans day. I would like to thank everyone who has fought for my freedom. Without you all I wouldn't even be able to have this blog. If you have any questions feel free to ask. If you try these nails out I'd love to see, share them with me on any of my social media sites. I'd love to hear from you. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs.

Have a Blessed day,

Products used:

Base coat: Nail-aid, 3 minute artificials

Red Glitter Polish: Finger Paints, Romanticism Ruby

Blue Polish: L.A. Colors, Blue Lagoon

Silver Glitter: Sinful Colors, Queen of Beauty

White Polish: N.Y.C, French White Tip

Top coat: Sally Hansen, Insta-dri

Red, white, and blue acrylic paint

Red, white, and blue 2mm rhinestones

Cosmetic wedge

 I used a detail brush and blue acrylic paint to create the star base. Then I went in with the same detail brush and white acrylic paint to make outline the star. Then placed a red 2mm rhinestone in the center of the star.

I used 3 coats of a fine silver glitter to get this effect.

I used a while nail polish as a base. Then went in with red and blue acrylic paint and a detail brush to make the lines. Then filled the center of the design with a fine silver glitter.

 I started with a blue nail polish as the base then went in with red and white acrylic paint and a detail brush to get the lines. Then added red, white, and blue 2mm rhinestones

 I used a white nail polish as a base. Once that dried I took my red glitter polish and did a gradient look with a cosmetic wedge. Once that dried I went in with the blue nail polish and did a little more gradient with the same cosmetic wedge. I let the dry and then went in with my silver glitter and a detail brush and made the silver glitter stripes. You could also use a silver glitter nail striper.

Once my design had a chance to dry for a few minutes I added a coat of my favorite top coat and this look was finished! 

NOTD: Mom's fall gradient glitter nails

Hello again everyone! I have a little bit of a different post today. I decided I would paint my mom's nails tonight(without even talking to her). We are finally almost done with painting the house. So, tonight was perfect for pampering my mom. She has the longest, and strongest nails perfect for nail art!! I'm so jealous! I thought I would do a post on the nails I did for her since I haven't posted in a while(again). I'm hoping to get some fall nail tutorials up soon. Fall is my favorite time of year for nails, so many cute things to do. If you have any questions feel free to ask. If you try these nails out I'd love to see, share them with me on any of my social media sites. I'd love to hear from you. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs. 
Have a Blessed day,

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Products used

Sally Hansen - Nail Growth Protein

Orly - Rockin' Rocket

Art Deco - Gold Glitter

Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri

1 cosmetic wedge

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 I did a simple Gradient glitter design. I already have a tutorial on gradient glitter nails. Check it out here! I went with fall colors. I love the redish color, it has very fine gold glitter in it. That makes for the perfect base for a gradient glitter design.

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Life Update!

Hello again everyone! I know it's been a very long time, and for that I'm very sorry :-(. I have had quite a bit going on, and my nails had to be pushed to the side. This will be an update blog, just to let you all know what's been going on. 

First off, For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, you should. I've been trying to keep everyone on there up to date with what's going on in my life. I post very regularly(more than once a day usually). Those of you who follow me on Instagram already know about this next guy I'm going to talk about. On July 21st we rescued a starving Great Dane. We decided to name him Gabriel, and he has taken up quite a bit of my time recently. If you want to read more on his story check out my mom's blog here. He has quite an extraordinary story, and it makes for an interesting read. You should go check it out if you're interested in Gabe's story. He also has his own Facebook page that you can check out here to see more pictures and get little updates on Gabe from time to time.

Next, We are remodeling our house. So that's also taking up a whole lot of my time. Between the mess from all the moving things around, demolition, and all that kind of stuff I've been being kept quite busy in that aspect as well. We're repainting almost the whole house. So, I haven't been painting my nails much knowing I would just mess them up. Or if I have painted my nails it wasn't anything special enough for a blog post. We only have a couple more rooms to work on and then we'll be done for now. 

Also, I've started dog grooming classes! They are just one day a week, and I only have 4 weeks left. So, they really shouldn't interfere with my blog. Tomorrow is our first class where we will be doing a full body cut, I'm nervous.

Here are a few designs I've done but haven't done a blog post on. Sorry for the quality of most of these pictures. Most of them are just from my cell phone. Just thought I would share them. If you would like to see a post or video on how I did any of these designs just comment down below and let me know!

Now, I hope I will be able to post more often again. I miss sharing my nail designs with you all! I miss having the time to work on my nails. I'm really going to try to get back into the swing of things. I have a couple videos filmed that I will work on getting uploaded to YouTube soon. Leave me some comments on what you would like to see me do! If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'd love to hear from you. Like me on Facebook to see more from me. I'm also on Instagram and Pinterest, and Twitter . Check out my other blog if you'd like to see non nail related blogs. 

Have a Blessed day,