China Glaze Crackle Polish Rocks!

China Glaze Crackle Glaze in shade Lightening Bolt

I finally got my hands on a bottle of the oh so popular China Glaze crackle finish nail polish at Sally Beauty, and I am totally loving it!  The crackle effect looks so cool, and the polish is super easy to use.  All you need to do is apply a shade of polish as a base for the crackle polish.  Once the base polish is completely dry (I can't stress that enough!), you apply a thin coat of the crackle polish on top.  The polish will instantly crackle creating the effect seen above.  After the crackle coat is dry, apply a clear top coat.  I think this polish is great for creating a salon look quickly and easily at home.

Piggy Polish Review

Piggy Polish in All That Glitters

I picked up this nail polish because it was so darn cute!  As you can see, it comes with a tiny flower toe ring.  The idea behind Piggy Polish is that it "goes on toes" according to the label.  When I opened the polish and started applying it, I immediately noticed that it had a very strong, toxic odor.  I mean I felt like I was in a auto body paint shop!  All nail polish smells bad, but I've never had one with such a potent scent.  The polish itself went on rather streaky and took FOREVER to dry!  The lesson: A cute concept does not a good polish make.

June Birchbox

My much anticipated June Birchbox arrived a couple days ago.  I was excited about this box because I had seen that other Birchbox subscribers had gotten full-sized Laura Geller Blush N' Brightens in their boxes.  However, I was hoping to get a blush color rather than the shade I received, which is more of a bronzer.  But $10 for a $30 product plus additional samples is still hard to beat!

Here is what came in my box:

• Amika Obliphica Oil Treatment:  This is a blend of argan and jojoba oils that you apply to wet hair for hydration and sun protection.  I think it smells really nice but cannot say that is makes my hair feel or look different, though I do not have frizzy or sun damaged hair in the first place.
• Kate Spade Twirl:  This perfume is okay but rather strong.  It reminds me of SJP NYC, which I prefer as it is a lighter scent.
• Laura Geller Baked Blush N' Brighten in Honey Dipped:  This product is more of a bronzer than a blush to me with my fair skin, and a little goes a long way.
• Pangea Organics Toner:  This toner is supposed to be an on-the-go refresher for your face.  I can't imagine spraying this on over my makeup, but it has a nice herbal scent and felt nice on my freshly washed skin.
• Dr. Dennis Gross Powerful Sun Protection SPF 30 Towelettes:  I am anxious to try these out at the beach this summer; I like the clean and compact concept of sunscreen in a wipe.

Laura Geller Baked Blush N' Brighten in Honey Dipped

e.l.f. Haul

e.l.f. High Definition Powder, mineral eyeshadows in Trendy and Sweet, Studio Eyeshadow "C" Brush and the Studio Small Smudge Brush

I finally broke down and ordered a few things from e.l.f..  I was hoping that Target would expand their e.l.f. selection but no such luck.  At least, I was able to save 50% on my order with a coupon code to offset the shipping costs; e.l.f. seems to have some sort of coupon deal going on all of the time.  Anyway, on to my reviews!

First, I have the e.l.f. High Definition Powder.  This is a great setting powder, comparable to CoverFX and Make Up Forever setting powders.  At $6 this is a steal; I totally recommend grabbing this over the high-end brands!

I also decided to try a couple of the mineral eyeshadows.  While I am not a huge fan of messy mineral eyeshadows, the color swatches I saw online made me want to try them out.  I adore the shade Sweet; it is a super shimmery pink, which is great for the summer.  The other shade I purchased is Trendy; I was not as thrilled with this shade.  This shadow looks paler when applied and had a lot of glittery fallout.  For $3 apiece, I think these shadows are worth a shot, especially if you like mineral eyeshadows.

e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow in Trendy (right) and Sweet

I purchased a couple more brushes from e.l.f.'s Studio line, the Studio Eyeshadow "C" Brush and the Studio Small Smudge Brush.  I tried using the "C" Brush to apply the mineral eyeshadows and was not very impressed; I will have to experiment a bit more with this one.  And, I have not tried the smudge brush.  Overall, I think e.l.f. makes pretty good brushes for a very low price.  My all-time favorite eyeshadow brush is their $1 Essential Eyeshadow Brush!

e.l.f. is a great brand for all you bargain lovers out there and for makeup newbies, too!

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Pink Mosiac

I was drawn to this shimmery blush as soon as I saw it in Sephora.  And, once I swatched it, I just had to have it!  The Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Pink Mosaic is a lovely, natural pink shade with a ton of shimmer in it.  Anyone who loves shimmery blushes will love these Shimmer Blocs.  You can use the colors individually or swirl them all together.  And, the lightest shade works great as a highlighter.  I recently took this compact on vacation because I could use it as both a blush and a highlighter which saved a bit of space in my makeup bag.  At $38 apiece, the Shimmer Blocs are rather expensive, but I have yet to find anything at the drugstore that compares.