Nicole by OPI A Gold Winter's Night Swatches

Today, my stomach was acting up and it was hard getting through the day as it got worst after lunch. I just can't focus on work when my stomach is all twisted. I wonder if that was the effect of the junk food I had last night. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Anyways, one thing I've noticed is that this nail polish looks awfully similar to the Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Millionaire that I've seen other bloggers receive in their November Ipsy (formerly MyGlam) bag. I did not know this until I've already purchased the polish but if you were interested in the Nailtini polish, A Gold's Winter's Night seem like it would be a dupe or good alternative to it. If you google swatches of Millionaire, I think you guys would think that these two are dupes as well.

The great thing is Nailtini polishes are sold for $13.00 but Nicole by OPI cost about $8.00.

AGWN has a clear base with fine light rose glitters, gold bar glitters, and holographic green bar glitters. I have 3 coats and applied a top coat in the swatches, you can still see a bit of visible nail line. Personally, I like it, I think it's a fun fuzzy glitter polish. Really different from what I typically have in my collection.

What do you think about all the fuzz?

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Fierce & Tangy Makeup Look

Hello beautifuls,

I decided to do this bright bold look a few days ago. I love it and I can totally see myself rocking this look in a different color. I picked orange because as I was looking through my stash, I've noticed that I barely touched my Fierce & Tango Color Tattoo so I needed to show it some loving.

Product used

Face

• Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminous Matte Pressed Powder Deep for contour
• Illamasqua Powder Blusher Nymph

Eyes

• I applied Maybelline Color Tattoo in Fierce & Tangy on my lids as a base and applied Coastal Scents hot pot CM04
• On the inner corner of my eyes, I used the light yellow browbone color from Wet N Wild Sparkle Til Morning palette
• With a small detail brush, I used the black eyeshadow from the Too Faced Eye Love palette and created a sharp cut crease line and I used Physicians Formula Eyebooster Ultra black to intensify the dark color on the outer edge. 
• With the PF liner, I also created a winged liner on my upper lash line and a bit on the outer lower lash line. I also used the black eyeshadow to smudge over the liner.
• For the bottom lash line and waterline, I applied Sally Hansen Forever Stay Eye Pencil in Deep Jade.
• I filled my brows with ELF eyebrow kit dark and Anastasia Eyebrow Gel Expresso.
• ELF Natural eyelashes

Lips

• NYX Matte Lipstick Maison. I originally picked a bright pink gloss but I felt like it was competing with my eye makeup so I decided to tone it down with Maison and I liked it much better.

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ICING Pampered & Primped Swatches

I am so tired right now and I think I'm going to hit the sack early tonight since I haven't got proper sleep lately. I wanted to post one or two post before passing out.

What I love about flakies is that they make your nail look like opals with their color shifting iridescent quality. It's like wearing a semi-precious stone on your nails. I purchased Pampered & Primped at Icing for just a few bucks. It is a sheer raspberry jelly polish with flakies shifting from gold to blue and purple. Just mesmerizing when I look at the bottle.

Beside glitters, I also love flakies but not all flakies are the same unfortunately and the flakies on this polish don't wanna lay flat, well most of them will lay flat but some with stick out, which is pretty annoying.
The base is a lot sheerer than I would prefer and the formula is thick and goopy, which makes this polish hard to get an even application. I definitely will need to put a few drops of nail thinner in there.
I have 3 coats on the swatches and I'm not really happy about how it looks on its own but I think might be able to make this work over another polish.


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Illamasqua Lipsticks Swatches and Review

Hello lovely readers,

Today, I will be reviewing these two Illamasqua lipsticks that I received with the Alter Ego Mystery Selection set, which currently retails for $60.00 at Sephora.com.

These lipsticks retails for $24.00 each so receiving them through the set was a great bargain. However, the flipside to this amazing deal is that you don't know which lipstick shade you will receive other than Fable.


Packaging

• Glossy black rectangular shaped tube. I like that because it annoys me when my lipsticks rolls out of the surface I put them on.
• Net weight .14 oz

Product

• Fable - A matte light bubble gum pink shade. This lipstick feels so dry! It pulls and tugs on my skin. I highly recommend that you exfoliate your lips to get rid of any dry flaky skin you may have because this lipsticks is very unforgiving and will make them look worst. Also don't forget to prep your lips with a good lip balm. If you look at my picture below, you can see that it really emphasize my lip lines as well.
• Also, I think many people may find this shade difficult to wear. I personally don't think it looks flattering on my skintone but I think I can make it work with certain looks. I definitely could use a bit of gloss on top.

• Drench - ahh this color is gorgeous! It's a really nice berry red color that would look flattering on any skintone. I think if you are intimidated by red lips, this would be the perfect red to try cause it's a little more toned down. This color was easier to apply. It has just enough creaminess to make application effortless without feeling slippery. As you can see from the swatch, it looks smooth on my lips. Doesn't feel dry but doesn't feel moisturizing either. The pigmentation is excellent and though it is labeled as a matte, there's definitely a little bit of shine to it.
• They have a scent that reminds me of vanilla.

Final thoughts
These last fairly well on the lips, 3+ hours and have good pigmentation. The scent is nice. Packaging is pretty standard. There's inconsistencies between shades. These definitely need a bit of moisture, something I would want from a lipstick at this price point.

My rating: 8/10.


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Cuticle and Nail Care

Hello lovelies,

I've been working late these past few days on a project at work and it's likely I will be doing a lot of overtime from now till end of December...possibly longer if we are not done by then. Yikes! It's good to make extra money especially during the holidays and because I've been spending left and right.

How do you take care of your hands and nails? Do you also pamper them regularly or do you often neglect them?

As far myself, quite honestly they could use a bit more TLC but I do try to take care of them whenever I can or remember to. So on days, I have time to give my hand, nails, and cuticle special attention, this is what I do...

1. Clip and File
• I either clip and/or file and shape my nails about once a week. I can't keep them any longer than what you see in the above pictures otherwise, they'll chip and break very easily.
2. Remove Cuticle
• I use a cuticle remover to soften dry dead skins around my cuticles. I am currently using the Cuticle Eliminator and you can also get this from Sally Beauty Supply. It works wonderfully and really quickly too. I leave it on for a minute and then use a cuticle stick to push them back. With a warm wet cloth or paper towel, I wipe the product and dry skin off my fingers. I do this about once a week. If you don't have a cuticle remover or don't want to buy one, you can certainly soak your hands in warm water for 5 minutes before removing and pushing back your cuticles. I recommend that you do this before applying your nail color cause having a paint job over residual dry skin is just not attractive. 
3. Moisturize
• After I've done removing and pushing back my cuticles, I apply cuticle oils and massage them in. This will give them an instant boost and moisturize them. I am using OPI Avoplex cuticle oil.
• I also massage hand cream on my hands, fingers, and cuticles. My favorite is the Aveeno handcream, it's really great for dry hands but I use OPI Avoplex sparingly. It's not as affective as Aveeno but it absorbs quickly, doesn't feel greasy, and smells nice. During the cold months, I try to remember to use hand cream each time after I was my hands. They get very dry in the Winter.
4.  Strengthen your nails
• If you have weak and brittle nails, I'd recommend a nail strengthener such as the Sally Hansen Triple Strong. Honestly, this is the best I've tried so far and it's great as a base for your nail polish because it also smooth out your nail ridges and dries fast.

That's pretty much all that I do when I need to pamper my hands and nails. I'd like to hear how you take care of your hands and nails and which are your favorite products to use.

I hope this post was helpful.


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How to Cook a Juicy Badass Turkey & Our Thanksgiving Meal

I wished I could've posted this sooner but better late than never. I'm not sure how everyone else cooks their turkey but this is how we've done ours for years and it's always a hit during Thanksgiving because it's very flavorful and JUICY!!! Yep, this turkey is always juicy! And the secret is in the bag.

• But first, there are some preps that need to be done before cooking. The turkey has to be seasoned and marinated at least 24 hours prior to cooking. This will ensure that it absorbs all the flavors. For seasoning, we use salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fresh cut cilantro and green onions, fresh ginger, and fresh lemongrass.
• You will need one of these Reynolds Oven bags Turkey Size and a large aluminum foil pan.

• Turn the oven between 350 and 400 degree Fahrenheit. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of four inside the bag, close, and shake it. This is prevent it from blowing up.
• Place the turkey inside the bag and seal it with the included tie.
• Poke some holes in the bag and place the pan in the oven. 
• Bake for 3 hours and remove the bag. Be careful not to burn yourself with this process. 
• Bake for another hour and baste the crap out of that turkey during that hour, lol. 
• Please note that depending on the size of your turkey, your cooking time may vary. I don't know how heavy this one was cause my sister's the one who bought it but we had more than enough to feed 5 families and still have left overs.
• I don't know if you can tell from the first picture but the turkey remained juicy during the entire time. When you are ready to serve, carve the turkey in smaller portions and pour some of the left over turkey juice over it so that the meat can soak back the flavors and moisture :D.

An in case you are curious...this is the rest of the foodies we had at the party

• Green bean casserole
• Ham
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy
• Salad
• Rice
• Apple streudel
• Cheesecake
• Chocolate layered cake
• Pumpkin torte (not pictured cause I forgot)
• And a few other dish I forgot to take pictures of...

Everything was amazing!!! I love Thanksgiving! It's absolutely my favorite holiday. I'm so thankful for having my family, for the friends who are always there for me, for my wonderful children, and for the lovely readers who are reading this and my other posts. Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome and that next year your turkey is as juicy as ours, hehehehe.

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Illamasqua Nail Varnish Jo'mina Swatch

Whenever I look at this polish, I can't help but think of Essie Play Date. It's burried and lost somewhere among my collection. But based on the pictures Jo'mina seem slightly lighter and bluer. I probably don't need both but Jo'mina was part of the Illamasqua Alter Ego Set that I just recently purchased from Sephora. Let me know if  you want to see a swatch comparison between the two.

The formula applies flawlessly. Not too thin or too thick. You could get away with one coat  but I feel a second coat may be needed since some spot seem more sheer. The brush works well also. I really can't see any flaws in this polish. I have not tested for wear but from reviews I've read, they last at least a week without chipping and minor tip wear. I would expect an excellent formula once the nail polish price point goes over $10.00. So far, it appears that this polish delivers.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish retails for $14.00 and are available at Sephora and Illamasqua's website.


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Khroma Beauty Khloe's Kardazzle Palette - Review and Swatches

Hello Lovelies,

Today, I'll be reviewing this new makeup palette from the Kardashians. Well, let me just start off by saying that I'm not fan of the Kardashians or do I care to what they do. I really don't get why they are so famous, lol. Other than that I was drawn to the palette because it appealed to me for several reasons.

Packaging

• The packaging is compact, which is what I like most when it comes to packaging. The more compact, the better. 
• 8 earth tone colors eyeshadows to create that lovely neutral look everyone loves. What's exciting about that is you have 4 shimmers and 4 mattes. I love it when they include some mattes in a palette.
• 2 blushes. Both are matte. One is a lovely peachy pink color and the other is a peachy nude color. 
• 1 highlighter. It looks very similar to NARS Albatross, though Albatross feels smoother and more finely milled. 

Product

• The matte eyeshadows lack in pigmentation but the formula was ok. Not as dry as some of the matte I've come across so blending them was easier.
• The shimmer eyeshadows are more pigmented than the matte but they are really nothing to rave about either. I would prefer the shimmers to be more intense and finely milled but they have more of a frost finish to them, which is probably why the pigmentation isn't as good as I would have hoped.
• I think the blushes and highlighter are great! They work very well on my skintone and they are gorgeous neutral shade that won't make you look overdone. 
• Swatches were done without a primer.

Final Thought
This palette is decent overall. The pigmentation is just ok, not the best or the worst I've tried. They do show up fairly well and last through the day with a good primer. I'm still a bit disappointed with the eyeshadows and like the blushes the best out of the palette.
If you have fair to medium skintone, I think these shades will work for you otherwise, if you are darker, they probably won't. This palette retails for $12.99 and is available at Ulta. Personally, this palette doesn't meet my expectation so I will be returning it.

My rating: 7/10.

To view the two looks I've created with this palette, you can view it HERE and THERE.

Will you still give it a try or pass?

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