Move Over Lush!

OK, so after some postal issues and getting over a bad cold, I can FINALLY give my review & plug for Pure Simplicity Soaps.And I just want to give a special thank you to Hilary for re-sending me soaps so that I could finally get my goodies. Thanks girlie, you rock!

 I ordered two bars, Candy Girl and Banana Split & she sent me two samples along with it.

This is Candy Girl, it's a dupe for LUSH's Rockstar. Need I say more?

This smells so good, I've got to hold myself back from  taking a bite out of it.

So, anyone who knows LUSH, knows Rockstar, but if you aren't familiar with it, the scent is a cross between a sweet smelling candy and vanilla. I've had this baby in my shower for the last week and every time I open the door, I'm blasted with the scent. SOOOOO yummy! What? LUSH who??

Banana Split. I can tell you this is the best banana split I've had in years, cause this one doesn't add any lb's to my already too wide ass. Bathing in chocolately-banana goodness without the calories? Yeah, that SO works in my book.

Two samples, the blue soap on the left is a sample of Seaglass.

This is not the type of soap I'd typically go for myself, I'm usually a sweet kinda gal, but I must tell you...this soap smells AMAZING!

The scent is very crisp and clean, definitely a fresh air - ocean type of smell. This is in my next order, for sure.

The white heart is a bath bomb. I don't know the name or the scent, but O-M-G it's brilliant! A VERY divine rich vanilla scent, it's truly to die for. 

I'll be saving this little gem till I can find a prime time to kick hubby and the kiddies out of the house for at least an hour. 

* Sniffs again * Yeah, better make that two hours.

All the soaps are rich in oils & completely hand made by Hilary herself.

You must go check out her Etsy shop and grab some of her amazing goodies!

YOU TUBE:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HilsHeavenScents

ETSY:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PureSimplicitySoap

 

O.P.I Hong Kong Collection

 

I must say, I wasn't overly impressed with this selection. Perhaps it's just me, but I felt most of the colors were too muted and dull to be considered a "Spring" collection. None the less, I decided to head to the store and check them out. The first color that hit me is "Jade Is The New Black"

I have been on a green binge as of late and this shade isn't like anything I have. The color is a hunter green cream. Really lovely.  As always, O.PI.'S formula stands true, giving a very nice finish with only one coat....two for good measure.

In the end, I decided to grab 2 of the colors from this collection.

Jade Is The New Black & Hot & Spicy

Hot & Spicy is a a red based coral/orange. I'm big on corals during the warmer months, they just tend to suit my skin. So I decided to pick this one up as well. Again, the formula is great, smooth application. Only 1 coat is needed, but I always stick with 2. Drys fast, keeps a nice sheen.

Over all the collection....meh. But I am happy with these two colors and will definitely be using them in future tutorials, so stay tuned!

REVIEW: Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure Collection

Sally Hansen has come out with a new collection.  Complete Salon Manicure. It claims to have all 5 steps, in one simple bottle.

Base Coat

Strenghtener

Growth Treatment

Color

Top Coat

Sounds too good to be true?? Well let's take a better look.

So here's a brochure I picked up from my local Walgreen's, there are 28 colors total in the new line. Retailing for on average for $7.99, these seem like a pretty good deal. I think the color selection is great. Polish formula is very similar to the Insta-Dry collection. something else that is the same; the flat tapered brush.

Many people are intimidated by this brush, and all I can say is, don't be. The large flat brush covers more nail space, equaling a quicker paint job and the tapered tip ensures you getting around the nail bed with ease.They go on easily and most with only a single coat.  Now, most of the time, i wear artificial nails, so it's difficult to test the durability of polishes, since they wear differently on real nails. So I had my gf try them out on her natural nails and for her to tell me her thoughts at the end of the week.. On her left hand, she wore 2 coats of polish and nothing else, on her right hand she wore 2 coats in addition to a top coat (Seche Vite). After 5 days of wear, her right hand was still in pretty good shape with only some very minor chipping. On the left hand, however, she had severe chipping and some peeling.

Would I re-buy these? Personally, yes. I'm loving the colors and the polish is great on artificial nails. But natural nail girls beware.....touch-ups will be in your future when using these polishes!

Here are 3 of the colors I picked up from Target.

"Gilty Pleasures"

This is a really unique burnished gold

"Thinking Of Blue"

A classic navy and a great dupe for China Glaze's "Bermuda Breakaway"

 

"Commander In Chic"

This is the fall "it" color. A great dusty gray-brown with a hint of lavender. It comes close to the infamous "Metro Chic" by O.P.I. by Sephora

So, while Sally Hansen makes a great claim on these polishes and they have a great color selection, the wear & tear on these polishes aren't great. My recommendation to you is if you pick up any of these polishes, wear a good base & top coat.  I give then 3 stars out of 5.

After the dust had settled....

So, after all the craziness, otherwise known as Christmas, I got a chance to sit down with my gift. Just 1 gift you say? Well, yeah, that's all I got but I assure you, it was intentional. Not only do I find it completely unnecessary to have a boat-load of gifts, the truth is...I only asked for one thing & surprisingly, I got it! Behold.....the Kindle! ( cue the magical music! )




Alright, so for those few that have no idea what this little gadget is, let me explain. It is an electronic book reader....in lamens terms, it's an IPod for books.
Books, magazines, newspapers, even blogs can be read on it. You can purchase books from online & in 60 seconds, BING, you've got the entire book on your Kindle. You can even do direct ordering and downloading straight from the Kindle itself. It even has voice over, if you are lazy or just like to be read to, you have that option. I tell ya, it's pure genius. Here's the best part, it holds 1,500 books AND most of the books are cheaper in Kindle form, and the damn thing only weight 10 ounces!! For those of you who know me well, you know that I am an avid reader. I kill a book every 2-3 days. So this was almost a must-have with me, and I've wanted one for over a year. Now, not only can I carry it anywhere(have you ever tried walking around with 768-page Breaking Dawn? I rest my case.) and chose from any selection of books that you may have, but you also don't have to worry about where to store yet another book. My poor bookcases, they are busting at the seems, I think I can actually hear them sighing in relief. So, for any of you who are regular readers, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up one of these bad boys. It'll set you back about $300. depending on which type you get, but trust me, IT IS WELL WORTH IT!!

New Moon - A Review

Friday, November 20th, the LONG awaited day! My theater did not sell advance tickets, so at 9am, I stood online and proceeded to by tickets for 3 different shows. Ok, before you look at me like I'm nuts, my reasons are justified....at least they are in MY mind. It was SO very important for New Moon to blow the roof off the box offices sales for it's opening weekend. Not only to prove to all the Twilight-haters that we are not going away & we are a force to be reckoned with. 2nd, it was important to prove to Summit(the company response for making the Twilight Saga)that YES, this is a "cash cow". Normally, I wouldn't encourage that...I've got better things to spend my money on...but I, as well as millions of other Twilighters wanted to ensure that the 4th installment, Breaking Dawn is indeed made into a movie. So, one week later & New Moon has grossed 473.7 MILLION dollars worldwide. Summit, I think we've made our point....GIVE US BREAKING DAWN!! But I digress, back to the topic at hand. New Moon was utterly beautiful, & I cannot give enough praise to Chris Weitz. The man is a genius. I didn't fully absorb the movie until the 3rd time I watched it. Kristen & Taylor did an amazing job. GREAT performance's. I cannot say the same for Rob, since he was hardly in it. But truth be told, he can do no wrong in my book. He was beautiful and gut-wrenchingly tortured. A true Edward through and through. I always get bummed about the minimal screen time the Cullens get, but I do realize it's necessary to tell the story correctly.This is why I am SO looking forward to Eclipse & Breaking Dawn as the Cullen's become more part of the main picture. The wolves were breath-taking. And even though I am 100% TEAM EDWARD, I truly enjoyed watching the pack. I must give one more thumbs-up for Melissa Rosenberg...now I know she gets ALOT of flack for her lame screenwriting( I've bitched a time or two myself)but I must give her KUDOS for linking Harry Clearwater's death with Victoria. Absolutely brilliant.

So, now for the negatives. OK, don't get yer panties in a bunch, they are minor complaints but I still feel the need to voice them.
#1 - The Score. Or should I say the lack of one. I personally feel it's the music that drives the base emotions of the movie. The Score( not the soundtrack)was seriously lacking, not only physically, but emotionally as well and I strongly feel that if Alexandre Desplat stepped it up a few notches, New Moon would've been even more thrilling. Chris Weitz's only misstep. Carter Burwell, you were missed on this film.
#2 - Edward's hair. I'm sorry, I know Rob bitched about them fussing too much over the hair, even complaining about having to stop because a hair was out of place...BUT.
BUT, he fought a little too hard and got his way by leaving him with a more laxed "do" His hair looked like Robert Pattinson hair NOT Edward hair. Minor, I know but it bothered me. Physically, he fit the bill in Twilight, but not so much in New Moon. SUMMIT, if you hear me, please fix this! Sorry Rob, you know I still love ya.
#3 - The Cliffhanger. Ok Summit, was that really necessary? It's not like that in the book. 90% of us know what's going to happen next, so I just felt that the way the movie ended was kinda pointless. Shrugs, maybe it was just me.

OK, so that's about it. I've seen New Moon 5 times so far and plan to see it at least a couple more.Now let the NEW countdown begin......209 days until Eclipse!! And Summt,can you please announce the filming info for Breaking Dawn already? :-D