Amberlee, Author at Starfocal

Architectural Mailboxes Floating House Numbers Giveaway Closed

July 26, 2013 By Amberlee 11 Comments

One of the first things that someone will see when they come to your house is the numbers that show your address. I always hate trying to find a friends house that doesn’t have the numbers printed somewhere clearly so that I can actually see when I have arrived! So why not show some style while making it easy for those friends to find you!

Architectural Mailboxes make many great things for your home, one of them being Floating House Numbers. At first I was very confused. It took a while to realize what they meant by floating. After doing some research on the matter I realized that I was just being a little slow and that by floating they mean that they are extended a little bit away from the wall so that they look like they are floating. They can also be mounted flush with the wall. Either way you decide to mount them the screws are meant to not be seen. I really like this idea as at times I can be very nit picky about what is on my house and how things must be even or I get upset. I think that these numbers would be a great addition to any home and can help your address “stand out” from everyone else.

Not only does Architectural Mailboxes sell these Floating House Numbers, but they sell a whole lot of items to make your house gorgeous. Just the way we like it! Here are some other items that they sell:

This is my favorite of all of their products! It is called an Elephant Trunk. I love this because I am always getting packages and having issues with either neighbors messing with my things, or even having the delivery drivers placing my packages in random spots. I love that it locks and would keep all of my packages secure while I am away.

Like the Elephant Trunk the Saratoga Wall Mount Mailbox locks, but instead of holding packages it holds your mail safely. I love the elegant curves to both of these items and would love to have them at my house!

They also offer Post Mount Mailboxes both for single family homes, or multiple homes that I wish I could have at my house! I think they are absolutely beautiful!

You can find these and other great options on their website here. You can find at store near your here.

Giveaway!

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**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, home

From War to Peace Giveaway! Closed

July 25, 2013 By Amberlee 8 Comments

This is another giveaway we are sharing! I absolutely love this bloggers story, and I think you should read it. The companies story is also very awesome, so I am very happy to be able to share this with you!

Giveaway Hosted by Beautiful Incentives

I love jewelry, but I love it more when it has a meaning behind it. It’s kind of like my love for tattoos, but only if they have a significant reason for being there, a story or metaphor if you will. I first found this company through a gift I received from my mother on my birthday. This company is like no other, in that the art and skill behind their creations is workmanship from military weapons.

From War to Peace is an eco-friendly company that recycles disarmed nuclear weapons into fine jewelry made of an alloy called Peace BronzeTM. I found this so unique and beautiful in thought that I had to review for them.

That wasn’t the only reason though. My brother was a Naval Officer who passed away during a helicopter mission in 2005. Well, technically his helicopter went down. He, being the pilot, and two others helping navigate the helicopter, went down. They nor the reminance of the crash were found. Seeing jewelry made out of weaponry reminds me of my brother and I feel like wearing this makes me feel closer to him in some way. I have unresolved anger towards the military and the needless loss of my brother, so I find some peace in what I don’t like, transformed into something beautiful. From War to Peace couldn’t have said it better “We turn weapons meant to destroy us into art meant to restore us, swords into plowshares, bombs into beauty, hate into love, & war into peace “.

I chose the Tree of Life pendant for review, to symbolize my brother’s life on this planet. It wasn’t very long, as he passed at just 28, but he made a huge impact on me and everyone around him. He was loved by all and worked harder than anyone I have encountered to this day. To bring light to this fact, the reason he was even chosen to make this flight was because the one before him failed the test required. They asked my brother who knew everything and he filled in. This tree of life necklace keeps him in my heart with ever growing love, growing eternally like the tree that symbolizes him. I feel a sense of peace when I wear or look at it.

The back of the pendant.

As you can see, the pendant is very detailed with gorgeous color. It sparkles in the light with a rainbow of colors. This piece as with all their pieces was recycled from weapons into alloy Peace Bronze TM.

The bracelet I received from my mom for my birthday is made of the same Peace Bronze TM, only dipped into silver. I love this one too. The seven circles of peace stand for an ancient belief of perfection. In this design by James Main, the circles form a 7 pointed star in the middle, signifying peaceful unity of all nations and faiths.

These are both gorgeous, really unique pieces of art and I think anyone that has a loved one in the military or not should consider purchasing one. They also carry dog tags that you can have personally engraved. Also, part of the proceeds go toward peace and social justice organizations.

This is just a small peak into what they offer. They have so many more awesome designs.

If you’d like to learn more and keep up with promotions from From War to Peace, follow their social media sites for the latest info.

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

AND now my lovely readers have a chance to win one of their own beautiful Tree of Life Peace Bronze TM Pendant! Good Luck! Ends 8-7 Midnight EST.

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**Disclaimer** Star Focal is in no way responsible for this giveaway. We are just helping out a fellow blogger!

Filed Under: Giveaway, shared giveaway

Therafit Shoes Giveaway! Closed

July 25, 2013 By Amberlee 8 Comments

We are pleased to bring to you this giveaway! I personally want to try these shoes, so hopefully one of you win so that I can hear about how great they are!

Giveaway hosted by Beautiful Incentives

I have had a bad back since I was in my early twenties. Due in part to bad genes and just plain growing up a monkey. As I got older It got worse and I eventually had to have back surgery TWICE at the age of just 25. The doctors said that my x-ray looked like that of someone who got into a bad car wreck. During my recovery I found that it was essential to have a good shoe and to this day I am very picky about what I wear. Flip flops are very bad for the back and legs, but we all love them, so I wear them sparingly.

Well, if you have a very picky and sensitive body like me with the added bonus of fibromylagia, you will love these sandals. With Therafit, by Dr. Lisa Masterson, there is an answer. We all know her from the entertaining Doctors show. If you don’t, you should definitely watch. She has manufactured a shoe that makes it so that you can be absolutely comfortable in your flip flops or sandals and fashionable at the same time, which is very hard to find!

I have searched high and dry for a flip flop or sandal that wouldn’t leave my back and legs in bad pain just after an hour or less. I have only found two types so far that have managed this and The Therafit style is my favorite of them. The design is very ergonomic with a WOMAN’S comfort in mind. Finally, A sandal that looks as good as it feels!

First of all, Therafit’s presentation was so cute and thoughtful. They wrapped up the box like a regular gift! I love the colors and i’m a recycle nut, so I will get use out of the ribbon.

I chose the Tiffany Black Sandal. This particular style also comes in white. Look at the gorgeous detail !

I chose the black, which goes with absolutely everything as we all know, and I love the added bling on the top. I have worn these with skirts, dresses, maxis, jeans and capris. They go with everything! The jewels on the top really take away from any kind of geriatric feel that you might get wearing clunkier comfort shoes. They are made very durable and I do not see them giving up any time soon. They look like they will last years.

Now that we have ooh’d and ahh’d over the look of the shoe, let’s get into the specifics. The reason behind the ergonomics and just why it is so comfortable.

The Therafit has a special 4 layer system for maximum shock absorption and comfort. It is meant to be supportive for those who are on their feet a lot. I do a lot of walking because I can’t run with the way my back is, so these were just meant for me. The cushioning of the sole is adjustable depending on how soft you want the shoe to feel and it is meant to have the ultimate comfort for at least 12 hours of the day. Those without a back condition I can only imagine how comfortable these would be on you!

They would also provide the prevention of added damaged from wearing flip flops and other non-ergonomic shoes!

See those little balls? Those massage the bottom of your feet as you walk and you can tell that these help keep that comfort lasting all day. They have very thick soles, but not too thick and perfectly contour to the shape of your feet.

The three circles at the bottom are where they can adjust to how soft you want the fit to be.

Look at that bling shine!

It took me all of 5 min to get used to walking in them and then I was addicted hardcore. My feet, back, hips and legs love these. They fit perfectly. I normally wear a size 8.5 – 9 so these run big at size 8. If you are a half size, it is important to size down, because they run big.

Something very important for me to point out .

I just test drove a pair of new over 2 inch high flip flops. They looked comfy as can be and of course really cute, but not even an hour later I was in severe and I mean SEVERE pain in my feet. I didn’t even feel that kind of pain with Therafit at the END of the day. So that is just my glowing testament of how well these work.

One more time with a closeup of the bling bling, because I love it.

Another reason this company is so great is that they give back to a charity of YOUR choice with every purchase. So it’s a great way to feel good on your feet, along with feeling good helping others.

These sandals and fitness shoes come in every color and style you could want. Here is just a small peak at what’s in store.

Right now until July 31st, you can grab an awesome pair of full price shoes for a whopping 50% off!! These are pricey, though worth it, but this deal is amazing and I would take advantage while you can!

You can also take comfort in the fact that they have FREE Shipping and Exchanges!

BUT, the good people over at Therafit are also letting me offer up a chance for one lucky reader to receive a pair of their own!! Good luck to everyone! You will adore these!! Ends 8-7 12 am EST.

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**Disclaimer** Star Focal is in no way responsible for this giveaway. We are just helping out a fellow blogger!

Filed Under: Giveaway, shared giveaway

Crayon Rocks Review and Giveaway Closed

July 24, 2013 By Amberlee 7 Comments

My daughters 3rd Birthday was this last Sunday and instead of giving her more crayons to break in half we decided to go a different route. I hate finding pieces of crayons everywhere and hate how they break so easily. We were sent a package of Crayon Rocks to review for you.

About Crayon Rocks:

Hi, my name is Barbara Lee and I taught children with special needs for 23 years. I invented Crayon Rocks after being inspired by Jan Olsen, OTR, and the Handwriting Without Tears program. I learned from her how important it was to develop early a good tripod grip. Handwriting skills depends upon this.

Since a child’s first writing tool is usually a crayon, that crayon should be one that encourages him or her to use thumb, first and second fingers in a tripod grip. This is what makes Crayon Rocks a wonderful tool for fine motor development.

A Little Goes a Long Way

A really good crayon should take very little effort in applying great swaths of color to the paper. In fact, that crayon should be as much like paint as possible. Rich color that goes on smoothly and easily helps little fingers to grow strong as they spill their creative ideas onto paper.

I wanted a coloring tool that students with grip strength problems and disorders effecting fine motor control could use AND enjoy. It has been lots of fun to see what my students do with their Crayon Rocks.

What we think:

I love that Crayon Rocks are easy for children to hold and are non-toxic, vegan, and have zero phthalates! They are made in America from natural soy wax and colored with mineral pigments! With the exception of a few crayons, they are all very pigmented and very soft. When coloring with these crayons they do feel like you are painting instead of coloring with crayons.

My daughter was very excited about these crayons and has been obsessed with them since I gave them to her!

She loves them so much that she has been carrying them around the house and putting them in different containers along the way.

I love that they fit perfectly in her hand and do not break in half while she is coloring. The funny part is that my husband forgot about them and saw them in a cup and thought she had found colored rocks from outside. He even went to throw them away! Once he realized what they were he stopped of course, but I do like that they are pretty realistic looking (other than the bright colors of course).

I would recommend Crayon Rocks to anyone who has toddlers, or for presents for kids in your family. They are great to color with and perfect for kids hands! You can find Crayon Rocks on their website here.

Giveaway!

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**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, kids, toddler, toys

Gorgeous Easy Eyes With New York Color! Review, Swatches, and Looks

July 23, 2013 By Amberlee 8 Comments

While I love my makeup brushes, I always hate having so many different brushes for the different types of makeup I have. Which is why some of my favorites of my collection have built in brushes. However, I can never find a good pigmented eye shadow with an applicator built in.

NYC New York Color makes Sparkle Eye Dust in a container similar to a tube of lip gloss. At first I thought that being in this type of container would make this eye shadow hard to apply, but to my surprise it has made application so much easier! I was even able to apply this shadow on my toddler (she is a girly girl!) without any problems! She always is the first to try out the new products in Mommy’s boxes, most of the time she’s the first to the door when we get new ones!

Little H sporting Amethyst Dazzle

At the price tag of $2.99 at most retailers I was not expecting this shadow to be very pigmented or really very pretty at all. There has only been one other cheap company that I have fallen in love with, but their product quality can be hit or miss. I was very surprised to see how pretty and colorful these shadows are! The only issue I have found is that they do have a lot of fall-out but if you are careful and you tap the end over the bottle before application you will be fine.

I decided to put this eye shadow to the test and wear it at my daughters 3rd Birthday. I was very happy with how well this shadow stayed on, it even lasted as long as my $45 eye shadow! Here is the look I went with for this shadow:

What’s even more surprising is that these pictures were taken after I had gotten home from the party! I could not believe how vibrant the color was after such a long hot day! I really enjoyed this shadow, and for the price I think you will too!

You can find NYC New York Color’s Sparkle Eye Dust on their website here, or at a retailer near you!

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: beauty, makeup, women

Glamour Look by Mary Kay: Review and Looks

July 23, 2013 By Amberlee 3 Comments

I have reviewed boxes for you guys from Influenster before and recently I received a new box that I am very excited to share with you! I received the Glamour Look by Mary Kay VoxBox. This is what was inside:

This box came with so many great things! I was so excited to be able to try them out and share them with you!

Lash Primer

I loved this lash primer, but I mainly loved the brush. I have never seen anything like it! I loved that it separated my lashes and unlike mascara it doesn’t clump during the process. It goes on clear and dries an opaque white. I have never used a primer before, so I was extra excited to try this product! I was very impressed and will be using this primer from now on!

Lash Love Lengthening Mascara

Of course I had to use the Lash Love Lengthening Mascara and the brush is pretty cool on this one too. I love the curve as it helps curl my lashes without the extra curler. I hate having a bunch of unnecessary makeup tools when one product can do multiple tasks. This mascara went on clump free (I’m sure with help from the primer) and stayed on all night! The first time I used it was for my husbands birthday trip in Reno, NV and I was out until about 6am and when I came back to the room it was still in tact. Normally after that long my lashes begin to look a little funny, but with this mascara they looked like I had just applied it.

Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm

I was very excited to use the Cream Eye Color. For one it is purple (my go-to eye color) and two it looking like it would be super simple to apple (which it was). I can’t really say that I was disappointed with this product, but it is definitely not my favorite of the bunch. While it went on smooth, I had a hard time trying to blend it with any other product. As it is only one color I wanted to add more but every attempt was worse than the one before it. I did love the color, and will use it again. Another issue that I had is that it creased really easily. Hopefully I can find a way to keep it from creasing because it is one of my favorite colors of my collection, I just wish it was my favorite product.

True Dimensions Lipstick in Pink Cherie

I don’t normally wear lipstick, but I do enjoy having a pretty color for when I do want to change things up a bit. I fell in love with this color the moment I saw it! It blends perfectly with my skin tone and goes on incredibly smooth. The container was a little confusing at first, although now that I am used to it I really like it. Since having this lipstick I have worn it almost everyday. Like I said before, I don’t wear lipstick very often so that is saying something about this product!

Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush

Lastly I received this makeup brush. I LOVE it! I only have a couple of brushes in my collection but I only keep the ones worth while. Because of this brush, I have thrown out my old concealer brush. This on is firm, yet extremely soft. It is now one of my new favorite brushes!

Here is the look I created using these products:

I loved these products and I can’t wait to try more Mary Kay products! So far they all seem great!

You can find Mary Kay and their wonderful products on their website here.

**Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.**

Filed Under: beauty, influenster, makeup, women

Stand Out Nails With Sally Hansen Insta-Gel! Review and Swatches

July 22, 2013 By Amberlee 11 Comments

As you all know I absolutely love Gel nails and I love creating designs with my gel polish. Not all of us can create free-hand designs on our nails, let alone have them all match. So how do you get perfectly designed Gel nails without paying a fortune at the salon?

With the Sally Hansen Salon Insta-Gel Starter kit! I love that this kit is so easy to use! Unlike other gel systems this kit only has really only 2 steps to get a beautiful manicure that all your friends will be jealous of! Each kit comes with a mini LED lamp, Gel cleansing cloths, 16 Gel polish strips, Gel top coat, a file, and a manicure stick. The starter kit comes in 3 different colors: Red My Lips (red), Wine Not ( shimmery dark red), and Shell We Dance (light pink).

This kit is super easy to use! First you lightly buff your natural nail, but make sure to LIGHTLY buff your nail otherwise you can damage it. Then you wipe your nails with the gel cleanser (I like to go over each nail twice to make sure that they are completely clean). Next you take the strips out of the package and stick them on your nails according to size ( I find this to be the hardest part because of the shape of my nails). After that you add the top coat over the stickers and cure under the LED light for 30 seconds. Last but not least, use the last cleanser wipe and remove the tacky layer off the top. Viola! You now have salon quality gel nails at home!

If you are like me and the colors available in the kit are not your style they have lots of other colors and even pre-made designs! So of course that’s where I run to! I received 3 different strips, two of which I am going to show you in this review (the other I’m sure you will see soon!).

First up is Pretty ‘N Poppy.

One of the main reasons I love the Insta-Gel kit is that you get everything you need when you buy a new polish. You don’t need to constantly buy refill kits of the necessities which can be very pricey after a while. In every kit there are 16 nail strips, Gel cleansing wipes, Top coat, a nail file, and manicure stick. Sound familiar? It’s pretty much everything included in the original kit but the LED lamp!

I was very surprised with how easy they are to put on! With other Gel kits it can take forever to do each layer, but this was simple and fast! After some bad experiences with nail strips I half expected these to turn out horrible, but they turned out perfect!

In the light

Indoors

I love how shiny they are, and I love how easy it was to get a perfect design! I have spent hours before painting my nails with Gel polish so I was very happy with my results! On the box it says to put one coat of top coat, but for these pictures I put 2 coats. I like my nails a little thicker so that they don’t break so I added 2 more coats later on.

Next I decided to use the Amazing Lace Nail Strips. I absolutely love the way these ones turned out. They have a gold color for the base and a realistic black lace design on top.

Outside

Indoors

This is one design that I have been wanting to do for a long time! I have seen some simple lace designs that I thought might be easy enough, but I just don’t think I have the patience to do a free hand lace design without messing it up. So I was very excited when I saw this product.

Tips for using Sally Hansen Insta-Gel Strips

LIGHTLY buff your nails! You want to make sure you get the whole surface area of your nail, but if you are too rough or file too much you can ruin your nail.
Make sure to clean your nails with the cleanser, like I said earlier I like to do this twice to make sure they are clean.
Stretch the strips to the end of your nail and then file off. This way the strip is stuck to your nail. If it is not stuck to the tip of your nail it will peel off.
Make sure to keep the clear polish off the edges and cuticles of your fingers. If you get the polish on your skin it will cause lifting of your nails.
The clear coat is pretty thin so make sure you go slowly and take your time putting the clear coat on so that you don’t get any on your skin.

The only thing I did not LOVE in this kit, was the LED Lamp. While it worked great I do wish it was a little bigger. It did have it’s upside though, because of it’s shape it was very easy to hold and it is also very easy to travel with. Other LED Lamps can be big and bulky and hard to find room for.

I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for salon quality nail designs that you can do at home! I loved the way these nails turned out and I loved how easy they were to apply!

You can find Sally Hansen Insta-Gel Products on their website here, or at you local retailer!

What do you think of these products? Let us know in the comments below!

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: beauty, nail art, nails, women

Keep Your Home Squeaky Clean With Home Right! Review and Giveaway Closed

July 19, 2013 By Amberlee 6 Comments

I’m sure you have heard great things, or seen commercials about steam mops. If you are like me you were too afraid to invest the money into a steam mop just to find out that it didn’t work. I found a great company called Home Right that makes a product called a Steam Machine that is not only inexpensive compared to some other steam products, but has multiple functions as well!

What Home Right says about the Steam Machine:

Looking for a quick and easy way to remove wallpaper? The SteamMachine is the absolute fastest and easiest way to remove wallpaper, plus its chemical free! Simply use the steam plate to apply steam and peel the paper away. Get the most out of this multi-purpose steamer by using the attachments to sanitize and clean floors, stovetops, ovens, bathrooms and grills. The SteamMachine leaves behind no chemical residue and kills 99% of all germs and bacteria.

Use the steam mop to sanitize your hard floor surfaces; such as tile, vinyl and linoleum. The high pressurized steam blasts the surface clean and the cleaning pad wipes the surface clean. The canister comes equipped with two wheels to move with the attached floor steam mop as you clean.

The SteamMachine uses pressurized, high temperature, steam to loosen and dissolve dirt, grease, grime and kill bacteria. Its many uses include; kitchen counter tops, ovens, stovetops, bathroom fixtures and barbecue grills

What I think:

I love how much this machine can do! So far I have used it on our stove, our bathroom, our floors, and so much more! We have a lot of places in our house that have caked on dirt or grime that just will not come off! With the Steam Machine all I have to do is spray it down with the machine and wipe away the dirt. It makes cleaning those hard to reach places so much easier!

Before cleaning with the Steam Machine

After

My first plan of attack was my stove. It was never really cleaned before we moved in and for some reason the pieces don’t come off of the stove itself. So there is always oil and grime stuck around the burner. When we first moved in I scrubbed for hours trying to clean them and couldn’t get it all off. The Steam Machine helped remove the majority of the grime with ease! I was very impressed since I knew how hard it was to try to get the little bit that I did get off before by just scrubbing.

The Steam Machine is very easy to set up too! You just add your water, add the attachments you want, turn it on, and within about 8 minutes you are ready to clean! I also love that it has a storage compartment in the front so that you can keep all the little attachments safe and of course in a place you can find them! The only thing I do not enjoy about this machine is that since I clean my parents house on occasion I wanted to be able to use this machine to make the job a little easier. The Steam Machine, at least from what I can tell, does not have a way to wrap the electrical cord or hose around the machine. However, I am very thankful for the built in handle!

After how good it cleaned the stove I decided to take it to the bathroom. Our bathroom is very small so not only is it hard to reach certain areas, but if I am using chemicals I can only clean for so long before I feel like I am going to pass out from the fumes. The Steam Machine does not use chemical to clean! So I can clean the whole bathroom in one go and trust that it is clean and germ-free! and the machine itself is pretty small so I can fit it into the bathroom with me and not feel crowded while trying to clean.

After asking around, I found that some machines either have the spray button on the machine itself or in a very awkward place. This Steam Machine has a trigger button that makes it super easy to use with any of the included attachments. I especially like the trigger when I am using the Steam mop attachment, because it is at the perfect level so that I don’t have to bend down and hurt my back trying to use it.

Another great use for this product is to clean up after pets. Our new kitty can make a mess with his food and his litter box, and I want to make sure that any mess he makes is completely clean and sanitized so that my girls don’t get into it. I love that I can use this machine for those quick clean ups and know that it is actually clean before they get to it. It is nice to know that this machine is easy to turn on and can be used at any time!

Overall I would recommend this product to anyone that would like to have a squeaky clean house without the use of harsh chemicals! I love being able to clean around my children without worrying about them inhaling the harsh chemicals I am using!

You can find Home Right’s Steam Machine on their website here.

Giveaway!!
Thanks to the wonderful people at Home Right, you have a chance to win your very own Steam Machine! Enter to win below! Please make sure to follow the wonderful bloggers helping keep this giveaway going!

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**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: Giveaway, home, Kitty

Everything’s Better Sugar Coated! Nail Swatches and Review

July 15, 2013 By Amberlee 9 Comments

One of the most popular nail trends recently has been textured nails. I have seen just about everything from furry nails, bumpy nails, nails with little balls glued to them, and of course matte nails. While some of them I are amazing, others (like furry nails) I still have not learned to love. I received some really awesome polish from Sally Hansen that they call Sugar Coat.

When I first heard of the textured polish craze I thought I would freak out if I had nails with texture! I hate it when there is a flaw in my nails, so the thought of every nail having “flaws” on them just did not seem like a fun idea. After trying them I realized that the pictures make the texture look a little more rough than they really are. I find textured polish to be tolerable and have started to like certain ones. I was pretty excited to try Sally Hansen’s Sugar Coat Line, and I am proud to tell you that they did not disappoint!

I was sent two colors to review for you guys: Cotton Candies and Bubble Plum. I think that the Cotton Candies color is my favorite of the two!

Bubble Plum and Cotton Candies with Cotton Candies bottle

Bubble Plum and Cotton Candies with Bubble Plum Bottle

They really do look like someone poured sugar into the bottle, but that are not sharp even though they look it. I was very surprised with how fast they dried! I was expecting this polish to take forever, but I was even able to paint my two year old’s nails with it! By the time she got up it was already dry! With most polish it ends up getting smeared or smudged because she doesn’t like to sit still long enough for it to dry. Mainly because she likes to go show them off!

In the light

Indoors

Because of my experience with the last Sally Hansen polish I thought that I was going to need at least 3 coats with this one, but to my surprise I only needed 2 coats and they were perfect! The polish glided surprisingly easy, and was the consistency of a slightly watery polish, but as it dried you could see the texture popping up.

For this review I just did a regular manicure because I was excited about my next review of the Sally Hansen Insta-Gel System, but next time you see these I will attempt at a texture color blocking design. I have see it done a couple times and I think they look pretty awesome! You can see what I’m talking about on the Pinterest post here. Be sure to follow us on Pinterest to see all of out designs, as well as all of the cool designs we find along the way!

If you have not tried a texture polish I highly suggest you do! I thought I would hate them, but it is one of those love/hate relationships. Not only that but the colors in this line are absolutely gorgeous!

You can find the Sugar Coat line on Sally Hansen’s Website here.

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: beauty, nail art, nails

Fall in love with Gem Crush Nails- Swatches and Review

July 13, 2013 By Amberlee 4 Comments

I LOVE sparkles! Especially when it comes to my nails! I always find it hard to find the right polish color that has the right amount of sparkle. I finally found a polish that has tons of sparkle and also comes in lots of gorgeous colors!

This is Gem Crush by Sally Hansen. There are 8 full coverage glitter polishes in the collection and consist of two different shapes, sizes and colors. I was really impressed with how easy they were to apply! I hate glitter polish that takes 10 coats to get anywhere with and that doesn’t have very much dimension.

I received Glitz Gal and Be-Jeweled to review for you guys and I am happy to report that they are amazing! I decided to do all nails but my ring finger with Be-Jeweled and my ring finger has Glitz Gal for an accent. I don’t know why but I really like to have at least one thing different on my manicures!

Glitz Gal bottle

Be-Jeweled bottle

The bottle itself says to add 2 coats, but for these pictures I added 3 coats to get complete coverage on my nails. I was really impressed by how fast it dried considering how thick the polish itself was. The polish glides on really well for how thick it is! My nails are generally pretty flimsy so I like having polish that is a little thicker than normal. Just so that not only do my nails have a little extra cushion from breaks, but so that they are less likely to peel right off.

In the sun

Inside

Gem Crush is now my go-to glitter line, and I am very happy I was able to try them! If you get the chance I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes glitter, or looking for a full coverage, long lasting polish.

You can Find Sally Hansen and their Gem Crush Polish here.

Check out the ad for Gem Crush!

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here .

Filed Under: beauty, nails