Halloween Nails: Maybelline Colorama in Black Magic with Swatches

It's that time of year again, Halloween. I've never been much into the holiday and I happened to have married a man who's birthday is November 1st, so he's not into it either. It's no fun to have your birthday overshadowed by a holiday and you can trust me on that one and mine's only memorial day. I've never been big into dressing up and this year I decided to add a little festive-ness to my attire by sporting fun nail colors. Yesterday I showed you Color Club Limelight and today I wanted to share with you Maybelline Colorama in Black Magic. This line has been discontinued but that's a shame because Black Magic is super sexy. If I'm going to go black (which I do very rarely) I want it to be black black and this one is. There is no shimmer and it doesn't look dull or gray, as a matter of fact one coat will do you, I promise. I also love the small bottle size since there is no chance in hell I will ever finish one as large as the regular OPI size.

I'm not a huge fan of dark polishes on me, I just don't like them at this point in my life. I always gravitate towards bright colors, especially for my toes. This year since I was in a Halloween-y mood I went for it on my tootsies. Take a look.

PS-The third picture was a finger swatch I did a while ago, you'll be seeing more of those in the coming weeks as I post my nail posts from the summer that never made it to the blog.

I have no complaints about the wear of this one but I will let you know if anything changes.

Halloween Nails: Color Club Limelight with Swatches

Hey guys! Sorry I've been away so long. I'd like to say it's because I'm so busy but in fact it's been the opposite. I'm been enjoying some relaxing before starting (hopefully!) two jobs early in November. I promise not to be away for so long again and I'm actually working on posts for the coming weeks today.

Today I wanted to share with you a polish I got a while ago but have never worn and you'll probably understand looking at the pictures. It's very much a neon green and on my long nails it'd probably look stupid under normal circumstances. Since it's Halloween weekend and all I decided to go for it and I'm glad I did. This polish is so fun that I can't stop staring at my nails and wanting to show them off to the world. Even though we got a couple inches of snow last night I still managed to have the most fun night with a few girls I haven't seen in a long time and a few I've never met and more than once the topic turned to nails. Take a look at these pictures of Color Club Limelight and read more about the finish and wear after.

Truth be told I had to do my nails two times this week with Limelight. The first time I didn't use a basecoat since I normally don't and ending up with major chippage on day two. Since I was actually leaving my house for once I decided to do them again Saturday morning and this time I used Sally Hansen Double Duty as both the base and topcoats and it seems to have worked like a charm. One of my actual nails is a little scraped and scratched up and I polished right over it and that is the only one that has a chip even after a night of partying and a day spent cleaning and doing dishes. I suspect that is just my nail itself and not the polish. Moral of the story with this one is to use a basecoat and a topcoat.

Dudesday Tuesday: Are Men Hiding Their True Selves?

So today marks the day that Darren Hayes (the former front man of Savage Garden) drops his new album. It's promoted worldwide, Australia, Europe, Japan, but here in America most people are like 'who?'. The sad thing about us as a country is that we don't tend to care for deep music, if it's not some meaningless words we can shake our asses to at a club, we don't want it. Darren Hayes is too soft for us, he's not flaunting his money, he's not hitting women, he's not bragging about being how bad he is. So we don't like him. Men especially, we hate him. Why? Because he's everything we aren't; sensitive, deep, caring, comfortable in his own skin, cool yet a dork at the same time and not afraid to admit it, spiritual, a guy most women would kill for. So let me get to the point here, are we actually more like him than we'd like to admit? Are men secretly all of those things but just don't show it? I would like to say yes, but sadly, I'd be lying.

Let me stop classifying myself as part of this 'we' because I am not part of that group and never have been. Being a man, I see men when they are actually themselves and to be honest, for the most part it is very disappointing. I've always looked for that something special in a person, sometimes it's just not there. A few things I've learned;

If he's quiet, shy, a mysterious loner, it doesn't automatically make him a nice guy. In fact, most of them are dicks, they're just shy so you don't see it. Yes, some of them are worth getting to know and you might be surprised, but please don't get your hopes up.

If he has a girlfriend, he must be a good catch. No. Men know when they have a girl they need to hold on to and some of them know what to say to keep her. Be careful of these ones, because you'll believe what they want you to believe.

If he's a musician, he's deep. Sometimes, but sometimes he's doing it because you'll think he's deep. I've known guys who pick up a guitar and write sweet things just to get girls. Then he laughs to his buddies about how that corny stuff he wrote actually worked.

If he sincerely says he wants to change, it means he's going to do it. That, or he just knows enough to say what you want to hear. At the moment, yes, he may want to change, but there's a big difference between wanting to do something and actually having the willpower to do it.

Does this mean all men are a waste of your time? No, it just means you have to know what you're looking for and not be blinded by the image of what you want, it may just be a mirage. Don't be fooled into thinking there is more beneath the surface because honestly, a lot of the time, there really isn't. Yes it's sad and rather depressing, so when you find one of those gems, hold on to him. They are out there.

Urban Decay Mariposa Palette

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter and here in the Northeast it's starting to get cold. It seems like every day is dark and dreary and it's starting to get to me already. The dank and drenched weather not only makes it impossible to enjoy being outside but it brings in darkness at 6:00. You know the only way to spin this into a positive right? Yeah, because it's night time earlier you can bring out your night makeup before dinner.

Urban Decay always catches my eye with their palettes but the Mariposa Palette is beyond words. These colors are anything but dreary. Many of them are dark but they're not a collection of blackened colors, they are also bright. I think browns and grays are my favorite colors to wear on my eyes at night and this palette has lots of them, not to mention beautiful shades of pink-purple, smoky blue and plum. I could see this palette taking you all the way through the winter. Imagine the possibilities.

It's $39 for 10 shades of shadow and a travel brush all packed into an adorable tin case adorned with a butterfly. I could see myself keeping the tin on display in my living room but I'm a dork like that. Pick it up only at Sephora for a limited time.

Stila Custom Color Blush in Coral

In the last few days I've been going through some of my makeup and I've come to the conclusion that A) a blog sale/makeup alley swapapalooza is in order and B) that I own some makeup that I love that just doesn't work for me. You know how it is. It could be too bright, too dark, too anything.

My conclusion came to me when working with a few blushes/beauty powders from MAC. They are so gorgeous that I just want to keep them but hello! they absolutely don't work for my skintone. I guess being cool toned is a little more rare (although most of my favorite bloggers are in this camp) and therefore MAC makes a lot of products that are too orange for my skin. What is a girl to do? Besides sell or swap the aforementioned items that is.

Well, my solution is easy. Pick a product that adjusts to your skintone. It's that simple. I know it sounds like a lot of baloney but really, they work! I'd like to introduce you to Stila's Custom Color Blush in Coral. It's orange in tone but with enough pink mixed in to work on both cool and warm skin. Genius! The key to making it work for you is adding color in layers. Apply just a pinch because the color is pretty pigmented and then add more if needed. As you probably know I'm extremely pale and it worked for me. Look how bright it is in the compact.

If you're more into pink you can pick up that shade too. Even though it's very bright in the pan you can wear it if you apply it properly. I swear! I love the way bright pink makes the face look alive and radiant, especially with a highlighter dabbed on the tops of the cheekbone. Way to make it through the winter looking alive.

Face-Off Friday: Pregnancy Style

I'm always trying to switch things up for Face-Off Friday. Sometimes the stars are facing themselves and sometimes, like this week, they are facing other celebs that they have something in common with. Right now I'm staring at a picture of Hilary Duff in Life&Style (my favorite tabloid btw) and I can't help but think how cute she looks pregnant. She just turned 24 and I couldn't imagine having a baby at that age, it means I'd have a two year old right now. Ummm, no thanks!

Hilary has always been a cutie pie, all the way back to her Lizzie McGuire days. Yeah I'll admit I used to watch that and Shia LeBeouf on Even Stevens with my bestie and my brother. We kinda loved them. She's been a brunette but I much prefer her as a blonde, it just works with her coloring better. She's been a rocker girlfriend and a WAG which stands for Wives and Girlfriends of professional athletes. It's great to see her so happy and glowing but I have to wonder if she intended to become such a young mother or embraced it when it happened????? Either way I think she's going to be fabulous.

On the other end of the spectrum we have long time married woman Jennifer Garner. Jen is so adorable but I feel like she's lacking some fashion sense gene. Don't get me wrong she looks more put together than I do most days but she's not stylish, at least not on her own. She owns that look and always looks comfortable in her skin and her mom jeans and damn, if I woke up next to Ben Affleck every morning and he thought I looked hot that's all that would matter to me. Now pregnant with her third child I can't help but hope that she has a boy to be the younger brother to her two oldest children, Violet and Seraphina (great names by the way). I'd love to see what that gene pool would come up with for a boy, if he'd be fair haired like his sisters or if he'd come right out of the oven with dark locks like both of his parents.

So now it's time for the two stars to face off. Who's pregnancy style do you like most? Who's would you most likely wear yourself? Chances are, at least for me, those will be totally different answers. I love Hilary's style but my bun in the oven look would look more like Jennifer's I'm sure.

Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar

We've all heard of rinsing our hair with vinegar to bring out the shine and reduce buildup on the strands but has anyone ever tried it? A long time ago I gave it a go and didn't really enjoy the experience of vinegar running down my face at the end of a shower. The hot steam only seemed to exacerbate the horrible smell. While I'll admit it worked I can't say that I would ever do it again. Just not worth the hassle.

Until now. I find many of my next great products in magazines. I like to see what is new and different out there and what everyone uses to look their best. This month SELF Magazine featured Yves Rocher Rinsing Vinegar. Hmmm, color me intrigued. This one's not going to leave you smelling like a salad in fact every single review I've read has said that the smell is amazing. Sign me up. At only $8.95 what have I got to lose? That salad dressing smell for one thing!

Used after shampoo and conditioner but before your final rinse this product is said to add shine and clear away residue that can dull your color. It's great at boosting your hair's radiance just that little bit to make the color stand out without adding any extra products to your final do. No matter how you want to wear your hair after this one's still going to do the trick and you don't have to worry about OD'ing on shine serum. Sounds like a winner in my book.

DKNY Pure Vanilla and Verbana

I have a confession to make: I like to wear fragrance to bed. I like all of my senses to be as calm as they can be and lingering cooking smells, my neighbors chain-smoking habit and a certain someone's stinky shoes can seriously disturb my slumber. When I sleep I want something cozy and warm and I often reach for an amber or vanilla based scent when I want to drift off into La-La Land. They envelop me in a cloud of happiness and when I wake up I still smell good and my bed doesn't seem any worse for wear.

I'm always on the hunt for someone new to sleep with and this time I think I found it in DKNY's Pure. Best bedmate ever. This is a pretty powdery fragrance, normally not my favorite but perfect for slumber. It's very relaxing and the addition of vanilla just pushes it over the edge. I wouldn't mind smelling like this all the time, just sweet enough without hitting candy counter territory. Wouldn't you know it, one of the base notes is Amber, my all time favorite scent to sleep to. Here's what DKNY has to say about PURE: "Look good. Feel good. Do good. This pure new scent adds a drop of vanilla to a world that needs a moment of calm. More than a fragrance, it embraces a way of being that takes time out for the simple things, the things closest to the heart: love, joy, comfort, relationships, and community. The fragrance's top notes soar of the pure scent of vanilla. Accords of dewdrop petal, lotus flower, and Bulgarian rose harmonize with a floral heart of jasmine, freesia and lush orchid. It finishes in a cradle of warmth: white amber, creamy sandalwood."

If you're looking for something a little cleaner and greener I definitely recommend DKNY Pure A Drop of Verbana. Another confession, I have no idea what verbana is but I always love the smell of it. It's so clean and fresh and I think this would be the perfect sleepytime scent in the summer for me. It reminds me of fresh fallen rain, something I don't often smell at home but notice frequently when I'm out in nature.

Both incarnations source their main ingredient from Africa and make sure the workers are paid fairly for the product. They've also teamed up with CARE, a humanitarian organization that lends a helping hand to women in need.

DKNY Pure is perfect for lazy days at home, wrapped in a blanket on the couch watching movies or, my favorite, TV shows on Netflix. Retail price for a 1oz bottle is $45. It makes a great gift so add it to your holiday list.

Sephora Collection Color Flip Palette for Breast Cancer Research Foundation

I love to see the products for Breast Cancer Awareness Month every October. There are always some goodies but a lot stand out to me as being too expensive overall and/or not enough money going to the cause. If a company is making a donation based on sales then my measly purchase makes a difference, if it's the same amount no matter the sales, not so much. That's why I love Sephora's Color Flip Palette for BCRF. I've been wanting one of these charitable palettes for a while now. They are so cute it's pretty hard to resist them. They are small enough to permanently tuck in your favorite makeup bag without overwhelming the small space. This is also one that you cold leave on your bathroom counter and show it off.

I love it when palettes have pretty, universally flattering eyeshadows in an array of colors. I don't want to have to buy a palette targeted at my cool skin or one that is all neutrals, that's just not who I am. I like shimmer, color and flash and this palette has it all. There's also some great shimmery neutrals, shades for a perfect smoky eye and the requisite pink colors for BCA.

While I'm not a huge fan of palette lippies I do think they are a great way to try out colors you may not have considered before. It's not a big loss if they don't work out for you and you may even find a new favorite. I'm seeing a hot pink in there that I'm dying to take for a spin.

On the last tier of this palette there is a bright pink blush and a gorgeous gold highlighter. Both are perfect for all skintones. Brighter, yellow gold can be hard to pull off on my fair and pale skin but this one is closer in tone to champagne than lemonade. Bright pink is the quickest way to wake up your complexion and looks equally great on the very fair and the deep and dark.

This palette retails for $15 and $1 from every sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

OPI Pink of Hearts Shatter for Susan G. Komen For the Cure

I love the Rockstar Manicure. You know, to look like you've been strumming a guitar or smashing a drumset but you have better things to do like, you know, work, eat, get in your exercise, stare at Rockstars on the internet. You catch my drift. I'm not exactly a perfectionist when it comes to my nails but I just can't go all the way and sport chipped nails for the cause. No sirrey! Luckily you don't have to either. OPI brought back the shatter trend (does anyone remember CoverGirl Crackle?) and now you can get crackles in every imaginable color of the rainbow from many major brands. They look like a deconstructed nail but have the polish (haha, see what I did there?) of real manicures. You can wear this one to work and people won't think you neglected your manicure for weeks like I just did.

Now I know there are lots of girlie-girls out there and Pink of Hearts is the first pink shade of shatter. It's a really pretty mid-tone pink, not too bubble gum but not so dark that it's unbearable either. This is one of my favorite shades of pink and it looks good on everyone. You can get it anywhere you normally buy your OPI and if you're like me you'll probably be able to still find it on shelves, more metropolitan areas may require a little searching this late in the game.

OPI will donate $25,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the fifth year running so let's support them in that and pick up this fun shade. I can just see the options now, over black, silver, blue, purple........

Dudesday Tuesday: The Coffee Date

Okay, so I see it on TV and movies all the time, read about it in books, but do people really go on coffee dates? And if a guy asks you to get coffee with him, does it mean he's interested? You bet it does. But...

He doesn't know how interested he is yet. And, I don't think I've ever heard of it actually happening outside of fiction. Basically, if a guy asks you to go anywhere with him it means he's interested in you. Some of us are too simple minded to think about where to ask you to go with us so the stereotypical date is in order, dinner and movie. If it's just a movie it means he's more interested in sex. If it's something that involves talking, such as a meal or coffee, it means he actually wants to get to know you. It's more of a feeling out, the same for women I'm sure. If that initial getting to know a person process doesn't feel right, there won't be a second date so nothing was wasted. Coffee isn't exactly expensive, even if you go to Starbucks. It's what happens afterward that counts because if it went well, coffee will probably be the pre-date with the real one to follow probably immediately, or at least definitive plans for one.

Come to think of it I've never even seen anyone on a coffee date either, but maybe that's because I live in Maine and a good portion of the population here aren't sophisticated enough. Either way, that first meeting where it's just the two of you is his way of figuring out what he wants out of you; friend, sex or forever. I'm sure you're thinking pretty much the same thing. It's a good time to see how he treats you, how he treats others, and how he treats you in front of others. When a guy's alone with you, he may be surprisingly different than when other people are around. This is also the perfect time for you to truly be yourself, let your guard down just a little and don't feed him any false information, it'll avoid wasting either of your time later. Something intimate like a one on one conversation generally means he legitimately wants to get to know the real you.

Please let me know if you've ever been on a coffee date and how it turned out but I really would like to know.

My Essentials Monday: Johnson's Melt Away Stress Body Oil & Jo Malone Red Roses Bath Oil

Since so many of my favorite bloggers are doing the Johnson's Challenge it keeps one of my favorite Johnson's products right on the tip of my tongue all the time. I can't tell you the number of times I've left a comment on a blog for someone to try it out. I can't let another minute go without telling you all about it. Ready for it? Here goes....

Johnson's Melt Away Stress line is fabulous, the scent is so relaxing and I truly do feel like it melts away stress. They claim that it's a lavender and chamomile scent but I don't pick up too much of the lavender, a huge plus for me who is allergic. I love the body wash, the body lotion, the thicker nighttime lotion and most importantly the massaging body oil. I've never been a big fan before mostly because body oils tend to leave me greasy. I've got a few of Sephora's seemingly discontinued dry oil sprays that I love but before Johnson's Melt Away Stress and I had a love affair I never would have touched them. The few that I tried before just did not work for me. They left me feeling like I had just wrestled another chick in hot oil and lost badly. Thankfully this one sinks into my skin pretty quickly so I can get back to my life in no time flat.

That's not the only use for it either. It's great for massages whether you're doing your own or letting a special someone have the honors. Or, if you're anything like me, you might want to try adding it to the bath. It's not specifically made to be a bath oil but it works amazingly well. Add a few squirts to the tub full of hot water. It will keep your skin from drying out as quickly so you can luxuriate in there for hours like I do. Just be careful when you get out, it can get slippery, and make sure to rinse down the tub right after use or you'll be left with that telltale bath oil ring. Then be sure to slather yourself in the night cream for even more moisturization.

If you're more in the mood for romance than sleepy sleep definitely check into Jo Malone's Red Roses Bath Oil. The seven types of roses are mixed with other ingredients to give them a perfect smell that is not overpowering on the senses. The complementary candle (perfect for the girl who likes to keep it coordinated) delivers a portion of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Awareness. Both are a little pricey at $65 but if you're a roses fan you're gonna wanna check it out.

Mascara Monday Extra: Josie Maran GoGo Instant Natural Volume Argan Oil Mascara

The very second I finished Mascara Monday I opened my makeup bag thinking about my next project for you guys. Guess what I found? Yeah, another mascara I hadn't told you about. I don't know how it slipped by me. Well, yeah, I do. It's because I love it so much that it's always on me, I never left it in my "to review" section long enough to type my little blurb about it.

As you know I'm a huge fan of mascaras that don't feel heavy on the lashes and part of that is making sure my lashes are soft not thick, spidery and dry. You know what I mean? I think this mascara is actually the most hydrating I've ever used and that's because it's formulated with Argan Oil, the miracle oil. I haven't done an extensive review on the oil itself either but I promise that is coming, it's my winter staple. Even better, this mascara actually works tremendously to give my lashes volume, length and great color.

For every Josie Maran GOGO mascara purchase the company will donate a mascara to City of Hope, a charity that helps women undergoing cancer treatment. Never underestimate the power of a little makeup to make you feel better. Plus, until August 2012 a $1.00 from every sale goes to City of Hope to raise money for cancer research, treatment and education. That's huge. Oh and your lashes will love you.

Philosophy Shower for the Cure and Ahava Hope Blossoms Bath Salts

We've all gotta bathe, it's an inevitable part of life so why not do it with a little charity on the side. Personally, I love a good old fashioned bubble bath, light some candles, don a face mask, do a quick body scrub but even if you're not the bath type of girl you can still do your part to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take a look at my top picks for bath and shower.

I happen to be a huge Philosophy fan and the 3 n 1 shampoo, bubble bath and shower gels happen to be a Holy Grail product for me. I don't think I could live without them so never make me okay? It could get ugly. I've never had the opportunity to sniff Shower for the Cure but online reviews say it's a clean, fresh scent that doesn't interfere with perfume. Sounds great to me. Philosophy never disappoints me so I'd be happy to give this one a go. Since it's described as so light and fresh how could you not love it? I guarantee it will make your skin soft, not irritate even sensitive skin and foam up nicely even in hard water like mine. The only thing I can't promise is that you'll ever want to get out of the bath or shower. Don't look for this at Sephora, it's exclusive to Ulta and retails for $20.

If you're a bath girl, how do you feel about bath salts? I have to admit I have ZERO experience with them. How sad is that? I think Philosophy and Victoria's Secret Bubble Baths have my bathtub on lock but that doesn't mean I don't have a little room in my life for something a little more exotic and adventurous and I can't think of a better place to start than Ahava Hope Blossoms Bath Salts for the simple fact that it's for charity. Let's get a damn cure for breast cancer so it's one less thing for us to worry about as we get older. With my family history of female heart disease I think I'm screwed as it is, let's take breast cancer out of the mix. Since this one is a white floral scent I know I'll be all over it. It takes pass me the salt to a whole new level. Pick up a 32oz jar for only $22.

Take a soak, relax your mind and body and make a charitable donation all at the same time. Can't beat that!

Stila BCA Positive and Pretty Palette

Yesterday we talked about Stila's Empowered in Pink Palette and I didn't realize until hours after it had been posted that there is also the BCA Positive and Pretty Palette at Sephora. It is online only, still $14 (a $62 value) and proceeds go to breast cancer research. These colors may be more your style. Take a look....

The shades in this palette are decidedly more pink than yesterday's choice which was more of purple in tone. Since everyone and their mother (except me apparently) loves a light pink eye I think this one has broad appeal. Sephora says it comes with four shadows (got that), one blush (ditto) and a highlighter (huh?). I'm seeing more like another blush color than a highlighter but that might be because I'm Casper the Albino Ghost year round.

Again this palette is adorable and I think I like the girl's outfit better on this one. That would be a deciding factor for me if I had to choose between two palettes. Wouldn't it be for you? No? Don't lie to Jaime!

For $14 you're getting a great deal and this is a purse-tucker, a palette you'd never be without because you'd always have it stashed in your favorite bag.

Stila Empowered in Pink Palette Ulta Exclusive

You know those little beauty things you see all the time and think "I really need one of those" but you never end up buying any? That's how I am with Stila's cute travel palettes. First of all I'm not a palette girl for the most part. I like eyeshadow palettes but I never seem to use the cheek or lipcolors in other products. There's something about a palette lippie that just doesn't work for me, maybe it's having to apply it with a brush. The blushes are always great but I never leave the house without a little sparkle on my cheek and these usually are fairly matte. Such is life for a beauty girl like me.

What pushed these products back into my mind was when I saw the Empowered in Pink Palette in the newest Ulta flyer. It's exclusive to the store, retails for $14 (a $62 value) and benefits Breast Cancer Awareness. This cute little palette is so portable, not to mention the conversation starter factor of the sweet cartoon on the front. If I were truly into palettes I'd collect this one and all of its cousins, they're so cute.

This one contains four eye shadows, a light pink, mid-tone pink, plum and what appears to be a darkened plum-brown for liner as well as two convertible colors for lips and cheeks. The Convertible colors are easy to wear and very pigmented so a little goes a long way. They're along the same line as my beloved Tarte Cheekstains but in a more creamy compact formula and much smaller container.

If you're in a charitable mood and hit up Ulta, scoop this up while supplies last and do your part to help raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer.

Drug of Choice Music: ThemeSong Thursday with Evanescence

Hey guys! The suspense is over. Check out this week's ThemeSong Thursday over on Drug of Choice Music to see my review of Evanescence's self-titled third album. As always let me know what you think!

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads

Back in August I shared a little bit of info with you on Dr. Dennis Gross' Alpha Beta Peel Pads in my post on the lines Glow Self Tanning Towelettes, now I want to share with you the full story.

I should mention first that these are a definite extravagance, especially used daily as directed. I, never in a million years, could fathom spending nearly $80/month on skincare. I guess I just don't care. I can slap some foundation on and look fine, my skin is mostly behaving and I have no real issues to speak of. Sure there are a few pimples here and there and I'm not going to take heat for my freckles (they aren't age spots when you're 26) but there is nothing inherently disdainful about my complexion. That said, Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads make my face about 1000 times smoother, softer and generally more pretty. Every single time I'm in Ulta or Sephora I zero in on these babies and treat my face to a mini facial before trying on oodles of foundations, blushes and bronzers. Why not right?

If I were made of money (which I so am not) I would use these all over my body. You take the first pad and swipe it over your clean skin (although I admit to cheating and using this to remove my makeup and/or general facial grime) and feel the invigorating clean feeling you'll notice right away. After a few seconds of swiping you use a second pad to neutralize the first and finish up the application. Easy as that. Just toss them in the trash and you're done. If you're extra cheap savvy you can even cut them in half so you get double the use out of your product. Since you can use both sides of the pad you'll definitely be just fine with half. That's what I would do if I bought these.

I'm happy to announce that Sephora has been able to give us the exclusive on a just slightly better deal on this product. Now your 30pack comes with 3 extra strength peels for only an additional $2, bringing your total to $80. Sounds great to me. The extra strength peels will be a little bit stronger and therefore gives you results just that little bit faster. If you're interested in trying them out Sephora.com has a 5 pack for only $15 but it's currently out of stock.

I can't recommend these any more, they truly are little tiny round miracles. I swear my makeup and skincare go on like a dream after I use these and my skin looks alive and well rested even if it's not. Do you love these as much as I do? I can't be the only one!

Not Your Mother's Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder

Even though I have thick hair it can sometimes fall flat. Right now I'm desperately in need of a good trim and some layers, it restores bounce like nobody's business. My hair is waist long and my style can easily get dragged down with too many styling products, the wrong shampoo or even a bout of bad weather. What's a girl to do? Get yourself some Not Your Mother's Girl Powder Volumizing Hair Powder. I have heard great things about this wonder product.

What it is is a hair powder that you apply SPARINGLY at the roots, tousle into your strands and watch in amazement as it puffs up even the finest, flattest hair. Some say you'll have to get used to the texture it leaves on your hair but that's not something that would bother little ol' me. Plus, if you have hair of the silky variety you know how hard it can be to keep it in an updo. This product eradicates the need for 1000 bobby pins. It gives the hair unbeatable texture that keeps even the silkiest strands in place. Genius.

During the month of October, Not Your Mothers (such a cah-ute name!) is donating 10% from all sales of this genius product at http://customnails.com/nymgrlpwdr.html to the Young Survivor's Coalition. That should put a smile on your face and if it doesn't maybe the fact that it's only gonna set you back $6 will! Go out there and be voluminous!

The Premiere of Drug of Choice Music with 5FDP

Hey guys! I told you today was going to be exciting. If you're a rockaholic like me then shake a leg and get over to Drug of Choice Music and see my review for the new Five Finger Death Punch album American Capitalist. Even if you aren't take a look at my layout and the pretty work I did on the site. Stop by, say hello and follow me!

The goal is to eventually launch Drugofchoice.com with different sections for beauty, fashion, music, decor and various other items of interest but there was never a better day to launch the music section than 10.11.11, the day two of my favorite bands dropped their 3rd albums. Check back in on ThemeSong Thursday to see the other review and to find out just who I'm listening to non-stop between midnight Tuesday morning and post time Thursday AM. I think at least a few of you will be satisfied.

Have a great day everyone, I know I will.

Dudesday Tuesday: Why Guys Love Dumb Girls

It's something I'm sure you've noticed. It's probably pissed you off before, confused you, maybe even cost you a guy or a job you desperately wanted. So why do men seem to love dumb girls? Let me do my best to break it down for you.

For starters, men don't actually love the dumb ones, well, most of us don't. Generally speaking men want to screw the dumb ones, marry the smart ones. Dumb girls are easy or at least they appear to be at first glance. A smart woman won't typically sleep with a guy right away, they're too smart for that, too guarded to be defenseless enough to let some random man take them home and do with them as he pleases. The dumb one either doesn't have the brains to resist or the self confidence to realize she doesn't have to do that. Men want what's easy, for the night, but they want something more for life. The smart girl is going to be more difficult but worth it in the end so if he's not looking for something long term, odds are he's going after the chick with the lowest IQ.

Another big part of men liking dumb girls is the fact that it makes them feel better about themselves. Let's face it, most women are smarter, more practical, understanding and better multi-taskers than men. It can be quite intimidating. Well, the dumb ones are an exception. A lot of guys like to feel superior to women in some way. The dumb girls won't be smarter than the guy so he automatically has something over her and it's easy for him to make fun of her in order to make him feel better about himself. It's depressing but yes it happens all the time, even if it's behind her back or sometimes even inside of his own private thoughts but yes, he is thinking it. The dumb one will laugh at his jokes, even when they're not funny, mostly because she doesn't understand but laughs anyway. It's a great way to stroke his ego.

Basically, if he wants a stupid girl it's because he needs to feel better about himself. Sometimes it's for a night, sometimes for life due to some kind of mommy issue he should probably be on a couch across from a therapist for. If you're trying to get a man to take home for the night, play dumb. If you want him to marry you and start a family, smart is the way to go. Of course some of us find the incredibly stupid girls to be not only irritating but extremely sad as well, no matter the size of their hearts because some of them are sweet and otherwise very likable. So please remember, smart is always the way to go and if you find yourself playing dumb for the night, don't lose yourself in the charade. If he wants a dumb one, forget him, he's probably got more issues than you want to deal with anyway.

Internet Issues

Just a quick update to let you know that I'm currently without internet. Ever since Hurricane Irene my cable internet has been spotty and now I'm afraid my modem has crapped the bed. Thank goodness I got so many posts ready in advance so you probably haven't even noticed that there's any issues. I hope so anyway.

I type this now sitting in the Subway parking lot, currently roasting in the heat even though it's October.

Tomorrow is hopefully going to be an exciting one for DOC as long as I can get the internet to cooperate. I'm just hoping that the technician can fix the problem on so that my launch will go off on time. Do tell me what you think when you see it!

Charlotte Ronson Cosmetics

If you follow fashion you've probably heard the name Charlotte Ronson. Her affordable line for JCPenney was a huge hit a few years ago and every celeb was wearing it. If you haven't heard of her you might have heard of her equally famous siblings, twin sister DJ Samantha (Lindsay Lohan's ex) and brother Mark, also a DJ. Now Charlotte has branched out into cosmetics and I couldn't be happier. I'm loving the look of her line and can't wait to check it out in person. Here are the deets.

A Perfect Kiss Lipgloss (as we've learned from Mr. Dudesday most men prefer to kiss bare lips but such is life). All the colors look sheer and wearable for every occasion. At $14 it's comparable to MAC and tastes like lemon mint in case you're sick of cupcakes and vanilla. I'm most excited for Sophia and I'm going to tell myself it was for Sophia Bush even though it's for Sophia Rossi from Hellogiggles.com.

The four shadow palettes are amazingly gorgeous, I think I'm in love with Dani. Dani is one of the character's names in a book I'm writing (well I've only written the first couple pages of this one but I've planned out the entire thing). If purples aren't your thing there are plenty of neutrals in the other three palettes. For only $22 any of them could be yours. Bonus, they supposedly adjust to your lighting to give you the perfect look morning, noon or night.

I'm a little less enthusiastic about the Closer Finishing Powder only because of the applicator. I've never been a fan of the brush style applicators because I've had absolutely ZERO success with them. Usually a couple clicks yields you no product so you keep clicking until you get a puff of powder in your face. This one self adjusts to your lighting as well and was inspired by Rashida Jones. If it can work for Charlotte and Rashida it can work on a variety of skintones. Good to know since some powders tend to be ashy on darker skin.

The 3x a Charm Luminizer, Blush and Bronzer in Soshanna reminds me of the Blush/Bronzer Trio by NARS. How cute. These shades are pretty universally flattering and you get all three for only $28. Great deal!

Liquid bronzer is one of my favorite types. It's a little more fun to work with and a little more natural on my dry skin. I can't wait to try A Summer's Kiss Face and Body Glow. This "summer in a bottle" product works on a variety of skintones and skintypes, is weightless and reflects just the right amount of light in any setting to make you look glorious.

Lastly, if you're in the mood for something for your hair and you're in the mood for boho loose waves you need to look into Charlotte's A Perfect Mess Beach Hair. As a curly girl I know the power of products to make your hair look just right and this is the perfect one to amp up straight or wavy locks to give them a beachy vibe. I've never tried anything like this on my curly hair but I'm curious. What about you?

Thinking about picking anything up? Let me know in the comments.

My Essentials Monday: Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Golden Tourmaline with Swatches

You might remember in my Nails Inc post that I mentioned I'm in love with holographic polish, well that fascination started a long time ago with the Sally Hansen Nail Prisms line. I remember seeing ads for it in just about every magazine I read back in 2002. I was 17 so I was reading Seventeen, CosmoGirl, Teen Magazine and YM as well as my beloved Cosmo and Glamour (did you know I've collected every issue of both Cosmopolitan and Glamour since 2003? Oh yeah, now you do!). These nail polish ads were everywhere. They showed you both the color you'd normally see and the color that the holograph would reflect back at you. I think with most of them you have two main colors but you always get a rainbow hologram as well. So pretty.

Today I'm going to show you Golden Tourmaline. Tourmaline is a semi-precious stone that's actually really popular in Maine, the first state where it was mined back in 1822. Since Maine Tourmaline is usually a strawberry pink-red color I thought it was appropriate to mention with these swatches. Take a look...

Sorry for the peeling paint, this one is getting up there in age.

I popped this color on quickly over last weeks Sinful Colors in Boogie Nights but the color is definitely still true to Golden Tourmaline.

Drug of Choice Fashion: Timberland Winter Boots

From Drug of Choice Fashion

It's that time of year again, time to start thinking about the snow that's going to be flying. Better to get prepared now and save yourself the trouble when the weather starts to get rough. If you think ahead you can look great all winter long, especially with the help of winter boots from Timberland. Check it out here.

Nails Inc.

This post should keep you busy for the remainder of the weekend. I can't tell you how excited I was to read about some of these trendy nail polishes released by Nails Inc and exclusive to Sephora. If you're lucky enough to live near a Sephora I hope you'll get a chance to check these out in person, I'm stuck here lusting after them for the time being.

Nails Inc has a lot of great colors to choose from. Some nail polish brands tend to stick to certain shades for the most part (Essie I'm talking to you) and others follow trends blindly when they can't really pull them off. I want a brand that brings me great shades that aren't too trendy but just well done collections. Their primary collection has a little something for everyone and I love the British themed names since they are based in London. Adorable. At $9.50 they are pretty comparable to OPI, China Glaze and Essie but still a little more than I would like to spend on a bottle of polish. Thankfully they have some pretty amazing colors that I would definitely be interested in trying out but I'm more interested in their special polishes. Take a look at these.

Magnetic polish. How freakin' sweet is that? You apply the polish like normal and then a magnet in the cap brings out this awesome texture on the nails. This is more my style than crackles. You still get the amazing effect without the peeling polish. Genius. I'd definitely spend $16 on this. I just wish the magnet would work on some of my other colors, unfortunately it's only going to work with Nails Inc Magnetic polish. I want both the purple and the gray!

If you are into the crackle look they also have a crackle polish. The colors they have look amazing, I'm especially loving Clapham Teal, Hoxton Purple and Hackney (a silver glitter crackle). These ones are only $9.50.

There are 3D glitters and a fun matte topcoat but I'm ecstatic over the holographic topcoat. Everything is better in a holo. I loved holos even before I knew what to call them. They're those shimmery polishes that reflect the entire rainbow back at you and look gorgeous doing it. I love that the glitter in these polishes is smooth and you can't even feel it. I like my nails to be soft, not rough and bumpy. Plus holos are a heck of a lot easier to remove than glitters. I'm a firm believer that every nail polish would look better with a little rainbow holo!

ROC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream

As a 26 year year old I've already started preventative aging practices. My 48 year old mother shunned eye cream that I tried to pass on to her because she's "not an old lady". Sigh! I, for one, want to prevent aging before it starts but if genetics are in my corner I know I'll be doing fine. Despite living with a smoker for the last 9 years my mom still has pretty amazing skin. She's got some lines but she doesn't look "old".

Retinols are the most effective products for aging and they have the added benefit of being great for acne as well. I picked up ROC's overnight retinol but found it a little too strong for every day use. If I use it every night my face starts to peel and flake although it never gets red and raw. What I started doing was layering it over Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Serum. I let the serum soak in for five minutes and then add a light layer of the retinol. The baby powder scent is a little much for me but it's not annoyingly strong. And I ALWAYS end up with an itchy nose about 10 minutes after I apply this stuff. What is up with that? I can still only use it every other day but most nights I forget anyway.

Over the course of my trials I've tried a few different retinol products, one from Neutrogena and one from ROC as well as prescription retinoids. Wow were those strong. I got immediate peeling and redness after just one use, I guess my skin is too sensitive. Now ROC has a new product Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream. How great is that? Retinol for sensitive skin. I can skip the extra step of adding a serum and get the full benefits of a retinol product. At $23 it's also highly affordable and available at most drugstores and mass market stores like Walmart and Target. Check it out if you wanna head off looking "old" before you're actually O-L-D!

OPI Touring America and Muppets Collections

I can't keep up with all these nail polish lines. As a girl who didn't do much with her nails in the years before starting this blog I have a lot of catching up to do. As I've mentioned before I was always painting my nails in middle school but after high school I just couldn't be bothered. I used to get so many chips that I basically gave up hope of ever having a good manicure. Stupid, stupid, stupid! All it took was a good topcoat and I was good to go.

Still there are times when I miss a collection and this is no exception. The OPI Touring America Collection had me at I Eat Mainely Lobsters. Hello! I'm a Mainer and I LOVE me some lobstah! I've seen swatches of this one around the web and I must agree that it is spot on, the exact color of a cooked lobster. Yummy! I'm drooling just thinking about it.

If you're not into the orangy-red of Mainely Lobsters I can't think of a better line to try out from OPI, this one is so diverse there's literally something for everyone, just like America.

I might have missed the Touring America release date but I'm not going to miss the Muppets Collection. This one comes out in time for the movie on November 23rd and just in time for all your holiday shopping. If you have a sister, mother, neice, aunt, cousin or bestie you better give them some OPI love.

Here are the names in order:
Animal-istic: bright red
Meep-Meep-Meep: saturated fuchsia
Wocka Wocka!: deep, dark berry
Pepe’s Purple Passion: dark, plummy purple
Designer…de Better!: light bronzey metallic (a DOC fave)
Warm & Fozzie: copper metallic
Rainbow Connection: rainbow glitter (DOC fave)
Excuse Moi!: pink glitter
Gone Gonzo!: bright blue glitter
Fresh Frog of Bel Air: green glitter
Divine Swine: magenta glitter
Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It!: red glitter perfect for the holidays

Don't miss out on this one when it hits stores in November. Let me know which ones you picked up.

Drug of Choice Fashion: Celebrity Lines

My goal for this coming winter is a post each day for DOC Beauty as well as a post on any of my various other sites. At this time Drug of Choice Fashion is up and running with blogs on home decor, fitness, reading/writing, music and celebrities in the works. I hope to have them all up and running by Christmas and hope to be able to post more on each page as they grow into something you know and love. So anything you'd like to see covered? Shoot me a line at Drugofchoicebeauty@yahoo.com and I will definitely do my best to get it going for you. In the meantime here's my latest DOC Fashion post on celebrity fashion lines.

Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Stick

You all know how big a fan of Buxom by Bare Escentuals I am don't you? Yeah they're right up there with Urban Decay for my favorite brand. If I had to pick two companies to wear every day for the rest of my life those would be it. I'd have a hard time choosing between the two. I love everything Buxom puts out and the Waterproof Smoky Eye Stick is no exception. That Sephora promotional picture caught my attention right away in InStyle magazine. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even though the model and I couldn't look any more different I think I could totally rock this look and Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Stick is a big part of making it happen.

When Karla Sugar posted swatches of these a while back I couldn't stop fantasizing about Nunchucks, a bright metallic blue. Even though most people call them numbchucks (which I hate) the correct term is nunchucks lol. Now I think I want them all. Ice Pick was the one used in the look above and I was hoping it would be a little more blue than gray, for the look I was going for anyway.

These can be used as a liner or as a shadow and Karla says they're more blendable than my beloved 24/7 Shadow Pencils. As much as I love liner I think I might love shadow more and I usually end up using it as my liner too. The only thing that can top that is a shadow pencil or crayon like this one, I love me some of those!

This look also features Dior's shadow quint 008 Smoky Design and Make Up For Ever (MUFE)'s Smoky Lash which I featured here. At $18 the Buxom stick is the most affordable of the bunch, there's no way I'm shelling out $59 on the Dior quint no matter how gorgeous it is, it's not in my nature.

Gucci Guilty for Her and Him

His and Her perfumes cute or corny? Well when they smell as good as Gucci Guilty (or if you look as good as Chris Evans and Rachel Evan Wood) then I say go for it.

It's always nice to wear a scent that coordinates with your hubby's. You don't want to clash but you don't want to match either. Save for the times when we're both wearing CKOne I don't think we could really get away with wearing the same scents. I love all of his but I don't see myself wearing them out in public and I'm sure he'd say the same about mine (not that he wears mine in private either, I think!).

When we were on vacation and hit up Ulta I just had to spritz Gucci Guilty pour Homme on Matt. I love Gucci Guilty for her and the spicy oriental is right up my alley. I fell just as hard for the guy's version although I think Matt was a little less excited. I think he thought I was going to spend money and buy it for him, that might have been his issue.

For the rest of our car trip I kept telling him how good he smelled even though I smelled equally good with my Elizabeth Arden Green Tea scent. What is so great about this you ask? It smells kinda foodie but not ridiculously so. It's still manly under the vanilla/cinnamon scent I detect. It's not too heavy but powerful enough to be noticed and didn't give either of us a headache, a huge feat in its own right.

Even though it's not parmount to the quality of the product itself I'm in love with the bottle, the Sephora picture seriously doesn't do it justice. I'm a little miffed that it looks absolutely nothing like the also incredibly hot women's bottle pictured below.