Thursday, June 30, 2011

Help make a difference- Help Girls for a Change.



The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
-----

I'm taking a break today from the usual cosmetics fun. I want to share something important with you, something that means a lot to me. It's a chance to do some good in the world that doesn't cost money and barely costs any time, so hear me out, ok?

When I was a teen, I went through a lot of stuff that I'd rather have avoided. So much of it could have been different if I knew I had the ability to make changes, a voice to help inspire others and even myself, really. I felt alone and powerless, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who felt that way.

That's why I'm so excited to learn about Girls for a Change. It's a group that teaches young women that they have a voice, and that they have the power to create change in their lives, in their neighborhoods. Through Girls for a Change, they learn the skills to be an organized force for change.

Think about it- what things could you have accomplished if you knew in your teens what you know now? I wish I'd had someone to teach me these skills earlier!

I know, I know... beautiful concept, but what can we do about it? Easy. Change your start page to Yahoo by July 1, 2011. For every person who clicks this link to make Yahoo their start page, Yahoo will donate $10 to Girls for a Change. You don't have to sign anything, donate anything, talk to anyone... just click that link and make Yahoo your home page.

Yahoo will give up to $10,000 to Girls for a Change. Will you be one of the 1,000 people to help them get the money? I know I will.

And hey, even if you don't want to click the link, I still like you. The nail art will be back tomorrow. :D



This is a sponsored post, and it is 100% my own words and opinion.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Animal Print Week (continued): Rawwr!

Ok, this isn't all that different from your typical tiger print. Still, I wanted to jazz it up a bit, so I used my uber-gorgeous black glitter to hit the black stripes, giving them an understated sparkle that is seriously fun.

It's pretty easy to do, too! Start out with your favorite orange polish as the background color. I'm really partial to Deborah Lippmann's Lara's Theme. This orange is like a traffic cone! Add in some tiger stripes with the black of your choice- you could use a simple Art Deco striping polish in black, or a Migi NailArt pen. The Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens in black would be perfect for this too! It's really not brand-dependent.

The fun comes once you've got the base design created. I added glitter in two ways. First, I added a single stripe of sheer shimmer down the center of the nail using Love My Nails Dazzling. Then, I mixed some black microglitter with clear polish and touched it to the black stripes. This added some depth and subtle sparkle to the black stripes. Love it!

I added a coat of Seche Vite over the whole thing and then admired my sparkly tiger manicure! Fun, no?





Be good, and I'll see ya next time!

Some polishes may have been provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.
Hi !

Fireworks, barbeques and red, white and blue – these are all ingredients for the perfect 4th of July holiday this weekend.  Now, you can also show your American pride with style with Violent Lips and Streekers. Check out the hottest new way to celebrate Independence Day with these patriotic must-haves:

American Flag Violent Lips ($14.95 for a set of three); www.ViolentLips.com
These FDA approved, vegan temporary lip tattoos offer the ultimate form of self-expression. Because let’s face it, nothing says “I’m here and I’m proud” better than American Flag – patterned lips!
To Use: Shape It, Peel It, Set It, Wet It

Streekers in Blue and Red ($10.95); Select salons and cosmetic specialty stores, ULTA and www.Streekers.com
True temporary hair color allows you to streak your strands in any pattern you choose without the commitment of permanent color. Unlike other temporary hair colors like gels and sprays, Streekers hair color bonds to the hair, so you can brush your hair without dulling the color or flaking it off.  Use it like cosmetics for instant impact.
To Use:  Apply Streekers on small sections of dry hair, from root to tip.  Allow to dry.  For 2-3 color effects, wait a minute between colors. To remove color, simply shampoo as usual.  

Keep an eye out for another post about these items, once I can get it together. I just lost an hour on the Violent Lips side alone! Til next time!
Images were provided by PR.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Nail Art in Britney Spears' New Video "I Wanna Go"

I'm not sure if you've heard about this, so let me break the news: Britney Spears has a new video out. Whether you like it or not, she was wearing some interesting nail polish in it!

I must have spent an hour watching the video, hitting pause, capturing images. I finally figured out what she was wearing, and it made me laugh. It's a very simple look-white thumbs, black pointer fingers, red middle fingers, white ring fingers, and black pinkies. Very bold and graphic, it's a fun look that goes well with her outfit and the video.





Feel free to watch the video for yourself. It's cute, if you like that sort of thing. It'll be stuck in my head for a week now!

 
Til next time!
If it weren't for YouTube, I'd never see videos at all!
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Summer Messy Bun- tutorial?

Today's post is short and sweet. While I was in Gainesville, I wanted to put my hair up but still have it look cute. After a bit of fiddling, I came up with this messy side bun. It was simple and took all of 10 minutes to create, and I really liked the end result!

Since everyone was asleep, I didn't bother trying to film a tutorial for this one. However, if you're interested in seeing how to create a side bun like this, leave me a comment. It's super easy, and perfect for these 100+ degree days we've been having!

Til next time!


In summer, I often think about shaving my head!
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Animal Print Week- A Painterly Zebra of a Different Color

Click this photo to see a close-up view of
the loose, painterly quality of the print.

Another update for animal print week! (Also, animal print week may carry over to next week, since I seem to be failing at updating daily!) Today's how-to is a somewhat painterly approach to a zebra print.

Instead of making a zebra print with very crisp lines, I wanted something a bit more loose and zebra-inspired. Because of this, I didn't even bother to look at any photos of actual zebra print. Instead (since I've painted zebra print quite a few times) I just started in painting.

Exact polish colors and brands aren't really important here. Instead, pick out three or four shades that you think will go well. I went with a bright almost-neon warm red-violet, a cool lavender, a very pale grey and white. These colors are similar enough to work together, and yet different enough to really stand out. The cool lavender really pops against the warm background.

I began with my standard base coat (Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator),  then 2 coats of the red-violet background color. Once this was grey, I loosely painted in the base stripes. I then added the lavender bottom lines on, then the white at the tops of the stripes. A quick coat of Seche Vite then leveled the art out, making everything seem pulled together.

Click this image to see it full-size!
Tell me- do you prefer a sharp, crisp zebra print or do you like my looser, zebra-inspired print? Let me know in the comments!

Til next time!

Some products may have been provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Would you like to win an instant digital camera?

“LIKE” JORDANA ON FACEBOOK TO WIN A POLAROID POGO INSTANT DIGITAL CAMERA



Be the lucky winner to get a Jordana Polaroid Pogo Instant Digital Camera and start capturing your hottest summer looks! Encourage your friends to “like” Jordana on Facebook for a chance to WIN. Once you “like” Jordana you will be directed to the Pogo Giveaway where you can ENTER NOW to win. Simply click FACEBOOK below to be directed to Jordana’s page

“LIKE” JORDANA COSMETICS ON FACEBOOK

*Contest ends July 15h at 11:59 AM PST
Visit http://www.facebook.com/jordanacosmetics to enter.
Information and graphic were provided by the manufacturer.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

New Limited Edition Summer Items From Milani

OMG, I'm in LOVE!!! Have you seen the new polishes and eyeshadows coming out from Milani? I love the colors, and I cannot WAIT to get my hands on these shadows! Just look!


Milani presents its hottest and brightest shades that complement every summer glow
July Limited Edition Summer Products

STOP! Wardrobe change? No problem, create a gallery of nail looks with Milani’s New Limited Edition High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquerfast and luxurious, to get you on the GO – their new flat brush for fast and flawless application that dries in 60 seconds. For an additional pop of color use Milani’s High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquers for extreme shine and electrifying nails.  These high voltage bright pigments are available in eight high fashion shades and great for the summer season! 

Available Shades: Purple Rush, Instantaneous Blue, Racy Green, Fast Fuchsia, Jiffy Orange, Violet Dash, Yellow Whiz, & Hot Pink Frenzy.
 
 
Brighten your lids with Milani’s Limited Edition Paint Eyeshadow Palette---fashion forward neon colors in one super-soft, silk-like application. Brighten your eyes by using shades separately or swirled together to create your own unique hue of art. 


Limited Edition Items available ONLY the month of July at select CVS drug stores.
High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula Nail Lacquer, Retail, $3.99
Paint Eyeshadow Palette, Retail, $7.99


‘LIKE’ MILANI COSMETICS ON FACEBOOK OR FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER!

For additional information, please visit: www.milanicosmetics.com.

Photos and information were provided by the manufacturer's PR department for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Animal Print Week: Pink Leopard Print-ish

Wheee! I can't believe I missed Monday, but I was having technical difficulties. Whatever... I'm here today with a fun animal print-inspired nail design that I hope you love as much as I do! It's super easy, too, and I couldn't help but call it Glitterlicious

I have to admit, it's not exactly leopard print. I showed it to a good friend who wasn't sure exactly what animal would have this design, but who cares, right? It's hot pink and cool blue, and it's perfect for summer!

This design starts, like all the others, with a coat of your favorite base coat. This makes sure your art lasts longer than your favorite sitcoms. I've been using Qtica Natural Nail Growth Stimulator, and my nails have been growing like mad! They're seemingly stronger than ever, and they're growing longer than I think I've ever had them! YAY!

After that, you simply paint your nails in whatever color you choose for your background color. I chose a bright hot pink. Two coats should do it, but of course it varies based on which polish you choose.  Then comes the fun part!

To add the splotches, I used Sally Hansen's Nail Art Pen in Blue. This way I didn't have to worry about controlling a brush- I just doodled in vague spots from memory. I probably should have looked at a picture of leopard print, but you know what? This is inspired by... I can do it any way I want to! :D

One tip to remember- be sure your background color is completely dry before you try and use the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens. Otherwise, they just don't work, and that's no fun at all!

Once my splotches were dry, I decided I wanted a bit more color. I dug around in my nail art box til I found my Kiss Nail Artist Paint in Soft Purple. This was just the ticket! I used the thin artist brush to just brush a thin line of color right under the bottom sides of each little blob. I thought of it as if each blob were a 3d shape and I were shining a light from the base of the nail, and everywhere that light would hit I put a touch of purple.  Easy- remember, you can't really mess it up. Even if you do, it's just nail polish!

When I finished with the purple, I realized it still wasn't ready. I knew what I needed: GLITTER! I grabbed my superfine glitter in royal blue, tapped out a small bit into a plastic cup, and poured just a bit of clear nail polish on top of it. A bit of mixing, and it was perfect! I dabbed this custom glitter polish over the blue splotches, loving the way the glitter caught the light and made the whole design pop!

After that, it just needed a coat of Seche Vite and it was done! I love the finished result, and I'm seriously tempted to do this on my own nails now! (This was on a false nail, or I'd show you a whole set of them!) Check out the animation below for the how-to!


So, what do you think? Can you see yourself wearing this design? If so, let me know in the comments! I'd love to see what you come up with!

Til next time!
Some products may have been provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Win a Beach Bag FULL of Awesome Kiss Supplies!

Wow!! I just saw this amazing summer giveaway that might make me hate summer just a little bit less! It's doubly awesome because I love Kiss products!

Kiss Products, the leader in artificial nail technology, has teamed up with lovemyshoes.com for a “Step into Summer” Sweepstakes.  Each winner will receive the colorful beach bag shown above, a Kiss branded beach towel, an assortment of Kiss toenail and at-home pedicure tools, plus a pair of Havaiana Sandals from lovemyshoes.com.

                To Enter:
       Entrants must “Like” the Kiss Nails facebook page, submit name, address & email to the contest form (click on image)
       Facebook fans will have 4 chances to enter on 6/21, 6/28, 7/5 & 7/12 only.  One winner will be selected from each day’s entries using a third party random draw service.

To enter, visit:   Facebook.com/kissnails  & click on “Kiss Freebies”   

Til next time!
Information and photo were provided by KISS.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Tagxedo is AWESOME!!

OMG, I am having the most fun with this new web application! Seriously, Tagxedo is the coolest thing ever! I made the cutest word cloud using my Twitter ID... LOOK!
(oops, tried to submit the wrong thing... here we go!)



Isn't it cool?? It's so simple to make, and you have full control over the colors, shapes, and what words you use. You can even input your own list directly, or use a link to your blog if you like! I've only been playing with this for an hour or two... and I'm even considering a quick blog redo!

I hope you guys love this as much as I do! Show me what you come up with if you visit Tagxedo!
Penguins, penguins everywhere yet not a one to snuggle...
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Simple Fun Nail Art: LSU Nails!

Hi guys! This is just a super quick post to share a look I did over the weekend. It was so fun and so easy I wanted to share! It's perfect for any sporting events you may want to attend, or just for the fun of it!

I'm from south Louisiana, so of course LSU pride is thick. We're brought up to know purple and gold before we know our own names, almost! While I was digging through my polish box trying to figure out something to wear, it hit me- purple and gold!

I used Maybelline Express Finish Matte Gold as my base color, because it's one of my absolute favorite golds. Also, it's one of my only golds... I need to remedy that! Then I added a layer of Sally Hansen's new Crackle Overcoat in Vintage Violet. I love this one because it's got a gorgeous blue shimmer in it.

These polishes did a pretty good job of showing Tiger Pride, imho! They were lots of fun and they made me want to spend some time on campus at LSU, maybe lunch on one of the indian mounds or just tossing the frisbee at the student union. Talk about fond memories...

One thing I love about this look is that it's not polish dependent. You can use any color pair you like, and with crackle polishes being so popular you can find lots of them! I even found some crackle polishes at Walgreens last week for $5 each! There was a great selection of colors too, from metallic gold and silver to basic black and white to fun colors like orange and green! All in all, I think there were 8 or 10 colors total. It's definitely worth a look!

So tell me, are you enjoying the crackle trend? I wasn't that interested in it at first, but it definitely seems to be growing on me. I'm dying to find a way to incorporate it into more elaborate nail art! Maybe this weekend I'll get a few minutes to work on it... :D

Til next time!
Crackle polish was provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Best Nail Treatments- Irish Rogue

Wow, I am so happy to share this with you! I recently learned about a fairly new brand of nail polish that looked really interesting. I was offered the opportunity to try out the color of my choice as well as their topcoat and base coat.

Since I absolutely love it, let me introduce you to Best Nail Treatments by the makers of Poshe products! After an agonizing time looking at their color chart, I chose to try a color called Irish Rogue, which is part of their neon shades. I also received the basecoat and topcoat so I could do my manicure the way they suggest.

First off, let me just say that this color is absolutely gorgeous! The color didn't photograph well for me, which is a huge disappointment. In reality this color is almost like the green on a can of Sprite, deep and saturated and absolutely dense with color. The best part was a surprise for me: Irish Rogue has almost-hidden shimmer that's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. This photo shows the shimmer beautifully, and is closer to the color I see on my nails as I type this.

Unfortunately, I have to be honest about my experience with this polish. The basecoat states that it's quick-drying, and the topcoat states that polish will be dry to the touch in 1 minute and completely dry within 5 minutes. This absolutely was not the case for me. I attempted to paint my nails with this twice, and the first time I painted my nails, I gave up waiting after 15 minutes and applied a coat of Seche Vite. My nails didn't dry at all, and about 10 minutes later I removed it all out of frustration because it was all still horribly wet.

The next time I tried I decided to be patient and give the polish more time to dry. I know I've been spoiled with Seche Vite, but I can be patient when I need to. While my nails were nowhere near dry after 5 minutes, I'm willing to assume that's because of something in my body chemistry. My polish was dry within an hour, and since then it's worn like a champ. The only issue I had was with drying, and I assume most people won't have that problem.

Back to the positive points, since there are a ton of them! I have to share the selection of colors, since it overwhelmed me completely! You can choose between cremes, shimmers, glitters, pearls, and metallics. There are even two special effects polishes that I'm absolutely dying to try! Honestly, I believe everyone can find at least one or two polishes here to fall in love with... I know I've found at least 12!

Then there are the topcoat and basecoat. First of all, let me share my favorite part of this: they sell their topcoat in larger sizes! You can get a single bottle, a larger bottle, or you can even get it in a gallon! The basecoat is clear and extremely fast-drying. As are the rest of the BNT polishes, the topcoat and basecoat are big-3 free,  which is reassuring to those of us who do our nails so often! They also sell a polish thinner, in case your polish or your topcoat gets a bit goopy over time. I've found that a good polish thinner is an absolute must!

Also, let me take a moment to address a question I get frequently- how to make your polish last longer. This is probably the question I get asked most often, and I say this every single time. In my opinion, the brand of polish you wear isn't what makes the most difference in how long it lasts. Instead, I find even cheap polishes can last well when you use a good basecoat and a good topcoat. Also, a good basecoat does not work well as a topcoat, because the properties that make it a good basecoat prevent it from making a good topcoat (and vice versa). I'll write more about this a bit later, though... it's worth its own post.


I had one other small problem, but it wasn't a huge deal. The brush that came with my bottle of basecoat had a few long hairs on it, which made application a real bear. It would poke over my cuticle and make a mess!

It was easily fixed. I simply grabbed my manicure scissors! I took the brush out of the basecoat and wiped it off carefully, then held it up sideways in one hand while putting the scissors right up next to the flat part of the end of the brush. A couple of snips and the brush was as good as new!

Bottom line? I love this polish!! It's such a vibrant shade that it's perfect for the summer months. Plus, I've had several compliments on my nails since I put it on! (More than usual, which makes my day!) They're available at the Best Nail Treatments website, and polishes start at $5.99!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go start my wishlist at the website. I have some polishes to mark before my birthday in August! Til next time!


Polish, basecoat, and topcoat were provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Doctor's Remedy Enriched Polishes

When people find out I'm a beauty blogger, they tend to ask questions. How do you get started, how do you figure out what to write about, how do people know to find your blog... there are a lot of questions. But the one I seem to get most often is about my nails. People are convinced nail polish is bad for your nails, and maybe even bad for your health!

You can imagine how excited I got when I learned about Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Nail Polish: a nail polish line made by doctors! It's not only free of the typical nasties (DBT, toluene, and formaldehyde) but it's also enriched with natural ingredients to help make your nails stronger and healthier! I know, it's crazy!


OK, they're doctors, but what do they know about color? Are we going to be stuck with the same old traditional colors that everyone has? I have a serious color addiction! Enriched is nice, but if it's just nudes and pinks, I'd definitely have to pass...


Thankfully, as you can see, there are lots of absolutely gorgeous shades- pinks and mauves, of course, and reds to die for, but also some really fun edgy colors like heather grey, royal blue, and stunning violet! I feel comfortable saying there's something for everyone here!

So, my next question was about the quality of the polishes: how well do they wear, how pigmented are they, etc. Happily I wasn't disappointed at all. I tried three polishes, and they were all absolutely wonderful. If you were to apply a single thicker coat, they would all be one coaters! Instead, I put on two thin coats for each of these photos.




First off is Heather Grey. Honestly, this color doesn't work at all with my skin tone, but that's the only complaint I have. It's beautifully pigmented and applies like an absolute dream. This is that gorgeous cement color that's so popular at the moment.





Then I tried the Dark Brown. Omg, this color is utterly delicious! When I first saw this color, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. but WOW did that change once I put it on! This deep rich chocolate color can look almost violet in some lights, or almost black in others. So freaking gorgeous!!


And finally, I got to try Ruby Red, an absolutely stunning shimmery red that makes me want to dance! This red is, like the others, super-pigmented and easy to apply. I imagine wearing this under a layer of ruby-red glitter, as if I were wearing Dorothy's ruby slippers on my nails.

Also, when I say that? It's good. I have my own ruby slippers I wear every chance I get. I think everyone should have a pair of ruby slippers!!

The final verdict? I have no idea if these polishes are any healthier for your nails than the ones at your local big box store, but they're really gorgeous and I love them lots!! They're perfect for painting your nails, for doing nail art, for mixing and blending... they're just perfect!

Also, don't forget to tune in next week, because I've got a treat for you! Next week is animal print week, a full week of gorgeous nail art inspired by animal prints! Zebra, tiger, leopard, cheetah... if you like the animal prints, you'll love these!

Til next time!



Polishes provided by the manufacturer for consideration.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Camp Trip- Dropping the Kiddo Off!

Wow. I totally intended to write this sooner, but I seem to have spent the entire week resting. Well, most of the week, at least. But hey, last weekend was a hell of a whirlwind!

This trip totally snuck up on me. It seemed like one minute it was January and the kiddo was pestering us to register him for camp and the next we were leaving in an hour or two! Seriously, y'all... if time continues to speed up like this the older you get, then by the time I'm 80 days will last about 20 minutes each!

Thank goodness for the husband, who managed to pack everything, get the car ready, buy the snacks for the road and everything else. I was utterly useless other than the occasional snuggle and pep talk. He swears it's not the case, but yea... it really is! Fibromyalgia sucks!

But there we were, with the car loaded and everything ready to go. Husband even went to the library to get a couple of books on tape! We probably started our book 45 minutes into the trip, and before long we were all enjoying Christopher Moore's Bite Me. I love that whole series, and Abby is such a fun, complex character.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason I was so incredibly exhausted. I ended up sleeping most of the way there! Instead of having to stop every hour or two for me to walk, I think we stopped twice? We made the drive up in really good time (9 hours instead of the usual 12) and managed to check into the hotel early enough to actually get some good rest! At least, I got good rest... :D

The next morning I woke up to the kiddo's perky voice telling us he'd gone down to the continental breakfast to get breakfast for the husband and I! That's right... breakfast in bed! I'd say it was because he's a sweetheart but he was just really dying to get to camp. He'd been up for an hour or two already and just couldn't wait anymore!

So, by 7:30am or so we were back in the car to drop the kiddo off. OMG, everyone was so happy to see him! Counselors were calling his name, hugging him, campers were running up to him and leaping onto him with giant bear hugs... everyone was practically exploding with excitement! Then when we got through all the paperwork and drove him to his cabin, he actually got mobbed by campers and disappeared into the cabin without even saying goodbye! We teased him about it, but he did come back out (after a counselor said, "What, you're not even going to say goodbye?") and give us each huge bear hugs.

After that, we headed back to the hotel for some more rest before the drive home. I went back to sleep and didn't wake up until almost 2pm (our check-out time), when husband woke me. He'd packed the car, so we got back into the car again and made the trek home... and since I was awake this time, it took us the usual 12 hours. Go figure! :D

So yea, I've been pretty wiped out since then, but I am working on some fun stuff. Keep checking back... til next time!


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My New Manicure CleanUp Brush!

OMG, y'all, I have the BEST news.

Some of you may think I have super-amazing nail painting skills and never ever make a mess. You couldn't be further from the truth. I have shaky hands, and I end up with quite a mess around my cuticles. It's ok, though, because once I learned how to clean up with a brush and some acetone (or regular polish remover, whatever) my nails looked great!

I went through a lot of brushes, trying to find one that would be perfect. Big enough without being too big, nice angles, the right shape. Finally, I found one that I fell in love with. Wet n Wild makes a creme eyeliner that is freakin' amazing, and the brush that comes with it is perfect for cleaning up your nails. (It sucks for lining your eyes, though- get a new brush for that!) Best of all, the eyeliner costs a whopping $4, so I don't feel like I'm breaking the bank when I need to replace my brush.

Unfortunately, that brush is almost a year old and it's pretty much died. Acetone isn't the nicest to brushes, and these poor bristles have lost their oomph. When I went to replace it, I couldn't find the Wet n Wild liner ANYWHERE!!! This was QUITE a problem!

Well, on the ride home from dropping the kiddo off at summer camp, we stopped every few hours to stretch our legs and walk a bit. Lucky for me, I checked the cosmetics section in one of these tiny little towns and found a new brand of makeup called Black Radiance. It's a lovely cosmetics collection for darker-skinned women, and they had my brush!!

At that point, I didn't care if the cream liner worked or not, or if it was even in the package. I just wanted that brush! The good news is that it cost even less than my original Wet n Wild liner! This lovely package cost a grand total of $3.88- a price I was more than willing to pay.

Well... ok. I won't lie here. I actually picked it up and carried it in the buggy with me for a good 15 minutes while I decided whether I was going to buy it or not. Cheap or not, we're broke and we still have to go pick up the kid in 3 weeks! But eventually, I decided to go wild and bring it home with me, and I'm SO glad I did! The brush is utterly gorgeous and even works for putting on eyeliner, if you don't have any other brushes. I'd still recommend using a nicer one, though.

As if this wasn't enough good news, the liner is actually amazing! I have a feeling it's the same liner as the Wet n Wild, since it comes in the same colors and is made by the same parent company as Wet n Wild. Since I already have black liner, I went with the chocolate brown and couldn't be happier. I applied a test line onto my hand just to see how well it lasts, and after countless times washing my hands, sleeping with it, etc, it was still looking exactly the way it did when I put it on. This stuff STAYS!

I also love it on my eyes... the brown is dark enough to really make my lashline look thick without screaming "Look At My Eyeliner!" I'm loving this stuff!

So if you're looking for a new cleanup brush, head to your local cosmetics department and look for some cream eyeliner. If you can find the Wet n Wild, grab it, but the Black Radiance is just as good!

Til next time!
I bought this one with my own money, and I'll buy another when I find it!
See my disclosure statement for more information.