Category Archives: The Beauty Aisle

Summertime Nails

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Loved these nail stickers by Kiss.  They lasted longer than 10 days!

I’m playing a bit of catch up with posts, so they will float between posts I meant to put up and posts that were put up to be timely with recent events.  These are just some of the nail colors and stickers I’ve worn so far this summer.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

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I know it’s difficult to tell with this picture, but this lovely nude color called “Quick Sand” by Sally Hansen has a bit of glitter in it.

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This is the color I’m currently wearing:  “Paying With Platinum” by Spoiled from Wet n Wild.  They completely remind me of Miista’s iridescent shoes.  Miista agreed on my Instagram!

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I wore these Maybelline Color Show nail stickers called “Sapphire Jewels” to a recent wedding (post here).  Lovely, but definitely were meant to be worn for one day.

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Definitely my favorite nail stickers of the bunch, Salon Effects “Checkin’ It Twice” by Sally Hansen.  These also lasted over 10 days, but I kept forgetting to take pictures of my nails!  If I find them again, I’ll be sure to get pictures.  SO my style!

Put to the Test: Maybelline Color Show Fashion Print Nail Stickers

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Here is another product that I just had to try after I saw the pattern from afar: Maybelline’s Color Show Fashion Print Nail Stickers.  The print is called Metal Prisms, and I bought them because they reminded me of the pyramid studs that I love so much.  Being a fan of Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects nail strips (original post here) and after my friend Janice tried the Jamberry Nail Shields (post here), I was eager to try another easy to apply nail product.  These nail stickers were definitely easy to apply:  it took me only 30 minutes to apply both hands.  My only worry was that they are not actual nail polish strips but simply stickers, so I added a top coat in the hopes of making them last longer. These nail stickers are meant to be used for a night out and were not meant to wear for longer than a day or two: I applied them on a Saturday and really tried to make them last until the following Saturday, but they barely made it.  For the price point of $9.99 and because they are stunning, I would definitely wear them to a wedding, on a date with my hubby or a night out with the girls.

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Reminder: Jamberry Nail Shields Giveaway!

Hello all!  I’m back from my whirlwind European trip and ready to share some awesome experiences with you.  I’m still suffering from jet lag and have a ton of pictures to go through, so this is just a quick post to remind everyone that I still have a wonderful Jamberry Nail Shields gift pack that I will be giving away at the end of the month (pictured above).  For those of you who liked or left a comment on the previous post (seen here), you will be added to the total count for the random selection.  For those of you just seeing this contest now, please leave a comment on this post to be entered.  Good luck and thank you again for being patient while I get back into the swing of things!

Pump up the Jamberry: Nail Shields Review & Giveaway!

I have been playing dress up with my nails everyday since Mother’s Day, so I was very excited when I was approached to review a nail product called Jamberry Nail Shields.   They are similar to the Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips that I have been using since last year (original post here).  What I found special about these nail shields in particular when I was introduced to them, was the fact that they last up to two weeks on your finger nails and up to six to eight weeks on your toe nails.  They are salon-quality and come in over 250 different designs, with different designs added monthly.

When I received these uber-cute nail shields, my nails were in no condition to apply any kind of polish.  So I recruited my best friend and travel buddy, Janice to take them for a spin.  Here is her testimony a picture of the finished product:

I love the design!  Regular nail salons would charge extra for designs like these.  Once I got the first two nails on, the rest were easy and quick to apply.  Definitely a quick way to have stylish nails without the salon cost!

Janice Gutana

As a thank you for trying out these beautiful nail shields, Livvy Cunningham, a Jamberry Nail Shield consultant, has given me an extra gift package to give away to a lucky Any Second Now reader (the cute little package is pictured below)!  Just post a comment to enter the contest, and a winner will be chosen at random when I return from London (at the end of this month).  Thank you Livvy for providing the gift package, cheers and good luck to those who enter!

If you are interested in seeing their entire line and would like to purchase, you can contact Livvy at [email protected] and visit her site at http://www.livluvs.me/.  You can also visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/livluvs2jam.

 FTC Disclosure:  I received product and was asked to review the product in return.  Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own and that of the person I asked to review the product.

Put to the Test: Hana Flat Iron by Misikko

Last week, I had the pleasure of using the Hana Professional 1.5″ Flat Iron given to me by Misikko.  I had read Tweets and reviews by other bloggers, so I was very excited when they contacted me.  The flat-iron came in a very nicely arranged and beautifully decorated care package, along with lots of little surprises.

Nestled in a tin case, the Hana iron also came with a heat-resistant storage bag and a silicone heat proof mat, both of which are ideal for traveling.  It also came with Shine Shield, which is an advanced lightweight leave-in treatment that protects your hair from heat styling.  Finally, there were a couple of make-up goodies from Elf, nail files and a sleep mask.  I could have taken this package anywhere!

Once I tried it, I was impressed.  I didn’t really include any before and after pictures because my hair is not particularly wavy, so the visible difference wouldn’t be as apparent.  The true beauty of this flat-iron is in how my hair felt after using it.

Because of the thickness of my hair, I usually blow dry it, add product, then style with a flat-iron.  When I used the Hana flat-iron, I immediately felt how conditioned and smooth my hair felt.  I have had problems with other straighteners where it made my hair feel coarse or slightly burned.  But because my hair came out feeling nearly moisturized, I didn’t feel at all like I used any kind of styling tool.

The real test was when I tried it after I let my hair was air dry.  Since I’m growing my hair out, this is what I worry about the most because I know blow drying will only be done when I am going to work due to time constraints.  Again, I was impressed at how straight my hair was and how conditioned it felt.  I didn’t really even need to add that much product, which would be a cost savings in the long run.

If you are looking for an easy to use styling tool that conditions your hair as you use it, I think the Hana Professional 1.5″ Flat Iron is a great product.  This iron normally sells for $214, but is currently $129 on their website and comes with a travel pouch and heat pad.  For Any Second Now readers, you can get an additional $10 off for any orders over $100 with the code Any2nd.  Click on the picture below to take you directly to their site.  Happy styling!

Babyliss Flatiron

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Hana

FTC Disclosure:  I received free product and was asked to review the product in return.  Although I did receive free product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Nifty Beauty Find: Nail Polish Strips

I noticed a couple weeks ago that one of the gals at work had a very intricate houndstooth pattern on her nails. She mentioned that they were done at her friend’s house, and not at a salon. Another friend also had her nails done up in a very pretty floral pattern, and she said that she did them herself at home with a “nail polish strip” kit.

On my next trip to CVS, I looked for these strips. Lo and behold, I found them in the Sally Hansen section. They are called Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. Basically, they are truly strips of nail polish that are ready to be applied directly on to your nail, with no drying time needed. They come in several colors and patterns, and I saw more solid colors at CVS than what is shown on the site.

After my co-worker’s testimonials, I was ready and willing to try these nail polish strips because I’m finding that I just don’t have the time to apply liquid nail polish at home due to the drying time. I waited until Dominic was asleep before attempting to apply the nail polish strips. To my surprise, the process only took me 45 minutes for both hands, and I was able to wash dishes and take a shower straight away!

Here is the finished product, which is called “Misbehaved”. The color appears to be a nude shimmer, with a fish net pattern. For a mother of a 2-year-old with almost no time to get to the salon twice a month, this is a revolution in a box. It looks even better in person, and I was asked several times at work where I had my nails done. If you have about an hour to spare and $10 in your pocketbook, take time to try out this truly fantastic product.

Nifty Make-Up Find: Brow Fix

I found this cool little kit while grabbing some quick items at my local CVS. It’s the Milani Brow Fix Eye Brow Powder Kit. I originally bought it in the medium prior to checking out their online store, but I definitely will be purchasing the dark instead. I love it because it’s everything you need to groom your brows in one kit: straight-edged tweezers, slanted brow filler brush, brow bone sponge applicator, 3X magnifying mirror, brow bone highlighter and two tone-on-tone powders (light & dark). For the price of $6.49, it’s worth adding to your daily beauty routine!