China Glaze Fight Like A Woman

This is my Grandma and me, many years ago. She passed away in 2006 after a long battle with bone cancer that was caused from her breast cancer. I hope that one day, we'll have a cure for this killer.

I've never been really vocal about my fight against breast cancer.  It's not that I'm not passionate about it, because I am, but I'm scared of getting it, since it does run in my family.  I do donate to cancer research, and I have a pink ribbon pin that I like to wear in October, but I was really excited last year when I saw that China Glaze had 3 special pink polishes for Breast Cancer Awareness month.  This year, they are doing it again, and portions of the proceeds benefits IARC, an agency of the World Health Organization, so I'm super thrilled.  I have requested a PR sample but I have mentioned that I'm willing to buy them because frankly, cancer research needs all the help it can get.  I have already thought about having October be a "pink month", where I only swatch my pinks, but we'll see - that's quite far away!  Please enjoy the following release

Find Strength in the Power of Pink

China Glaze Nail Lacquer Gets the Gloves Ready to Join in the

Fight Against Breast Cancer

Los Angeles, Calif. (July 2010) – Join China Glaze Nail Lacquer this October in the battle against breast cancer, one nail at a time! The professional line of nail lacquers brings on the fight with three powerful pinks. Inspired by the women who fight everyday and those that support them in their battle, these fabulous shades are sure to help you defeat the toughest opponents with style and class. China Glaze representative Rachel Schafer voiced that “in an industry dominated by women, for women, it is important that we strive to work together towards finding a cure.”

The three colors in “Fight Like A Woman” include:

Encouragement – A baby pink shimmer that brings on the cheer

Endurance – Power through the punches with this raspberry shimmer

Empowerment – Stand up tall with this cotton-candy crème on your nails

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization dedicated to the science of cancer and promoting international collaboration in cancer research. 

The “Fight Like A Woman” Collection will be available at professional beauty supply stores and select salons this September. Availability will be very limited internationally.

China Glaze colors may change from season to season, but our formula remains the same amazing longwearing lacquer with hardeners. Designed with the professional in mind, our 220-strand brush is great for ease of application. Best of all, our non-thickening formula provides great coverage. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com.

About American International Industries

 For nearly 40 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Ardell, Andrea, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, Jeris-Lustray, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks,  Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s,  and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com

China Glaze [official website] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty [official website], Sally's Beauty Supply [official website] as well asTransDesign [official website].

OPI Flower-To-Flower

Oh OPI.  Today, in my spare time, I was reading their Facebook Fan Page [Facebook] and I was just reminded how much people like to complain.  Love them or hate them, OPI has made the decision to be sold by only approved professional salons and stores.  Trade Secret (which I just recently found out is a national chain) is one of these approved professional salons, and I'm lucky enough to have one only 30 miles away from me.


Back to today's nails.  Flower-to-Flower is a Barbie pink with this teeny tiny silver shimmer from OPI's Summer Flutter collection.  It's so subtle indoors that I thought this was a creme at first!  I used a base coat of Seche Natural, and 2 thin coats of Flower-to-Flower.  I may have been able to get away with just one coat, but I went with 2 to be safe.  I really do like the brush design of OPI.  Instead of being round, it's nearly flat so that you have this nice wide brush to work with.  Am I making sense?  Megan from Little Music Boxes has actually taken the time to take pictures of all the nail polish brushes she has [here].  Who knew there were so many ways to make a nail polish brush?


I didn't have any issues with application - even with my super nubbins!  I have to apologize - my hands are in horrible shape.  For the past 3 weeks, I've been working on my house (I'm buying it), and I've been staining and painting and moving and scraping and cleaning and yes I'm a mess.  Dry rough cuticles, stubby nails, you name it.  I'm a slight wreck.


First some sun pictures:

Boy do I hate super nubbins.  But look at that pink and that shimmer!  It's eye catching without screaming neon.  Also, before you ask, the reason (I think) that I have a black label (that's missing the ingredients flap) is because this bottle came straight from OPI as a press sample.

My fingers look all clumsy - it's the stress!

This is in the shade (!) and you can really see how hot of a pink it is.

Very subtle shimmer.


Now, I did use a top coat (as always!).  Last time I tried OPI, I had issues with using Seche Vite, so on my right hand, I used Seche Vite like normal.  On my left (swatching) hand, I used OPI Rapi-Dry Top Coat that came with one of my OPI Minis packages I purchased.  It's a teeny tiny bottle, check it out.

Only 1/8th of a Fl Oz or 3.75 mL.  In comparison as you can see, a bottle of OPI is 0.5 Fl Oz or 15 mL.  I put on one coat of OPI RapiDry, went outside to take my pictures (which was about 5 minutes) and came back in to touch my nails with my other hand.  The polish didn't wrinkle, pull or smudge.  I'm doing a slight wear test to see how it works in the morning but so far, so good!


I think this color would also be perfect for younger women - maybe it's just because I'm looking at my super nubbins and thinking "little girl", haha.  Either way, total win.


OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].  


Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Urban Decay Sale!

Oh man, two makeup blogs in one day?  Oh yeah.  This one is a BIG one.


I absolutely adore Urban Decay.  I own almost every eyeshadow palette (except Book of Shadows Vol 1 and the Alice in Wonderland palette), all three of the eyeshadow primer potions, and I just started dabbling in their 24/7 eye liner pencils.  I also picked up my first MAC pigments last week but didn't get the Urban Decay ones when they were on sale at Hautelook (kicking myself, I know).


So when I got this email this morning, I nearly died.


Urban Decay $5 Deals
Ultraglide Lip Gloss $17 - now $5
Smoke Out Eye Pencil $14 - now $5
Loose Pigment $20 - now $5
Vintage Brushes 50% off.


Why are you still here?  Go shop now! 
Urban Decay [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter]


Update!  I bought all 12 pigments myself ($60 total) and I got free priority USPS shipping, and TWO free samples.  Wee!

Dermelect Pore Revolution and T-Zone Mattifier

Dermelect is a new brand to me - I found them through browsing online.  They have their website [official website], Facebook Fan Page [Facebook] and Twitter page [Twitter].  They offer tons of products, from anti-aging to face, lips, nails, etc.  I haven't tried their products yet, but this came through my email (by accident actually!), and I'm interested in it.

As I've mentioned before, I live in South Texas... Mexico is a day trip away.  It's super hot and super humid down here.  I don't wear a lot of makeup because of it - normally just eyeshadow and sometimes lipstick.  Mattifiers are quite the rage right now too, with the heat and humidity - it's good not to look super shiny all day long.

Please enjoy the following release:

PORE REVOLUTION & T-ZONE MATTIFIER, $28

• Revolutionary, powdery cream that works to instantly control shine and reduce large, clogged pores resulting in a fresh, pure matte finish.
• Specially designed for the mid-face and t-zone area, containing salicylic acid which stimulates cellular turnover and penetrates pores to sweep away blockage, while watercress extract helps clarify the skin.
• Natural soothers such as willow leaf extract calm even the most irritant prone skins.
• Instantly helps diminish pore size and represses shine!
• Available on www.dermelect.com and at C.O. Bigelow in NYC.

400 Followers Giveaway [US & Canada] Winner!

Thank you again to the 40 readers who signed up for my CSN sponsored giveaway!!!  Only 40 people signed up for this one but there was only one winner (sorry!).


The winner has been contacted by email.  If I don't hear back by 17 July, I will choose a new winner.


Congratulations to 20: Tierney!