Samplebar box!

I got this about a week ago, but what with pain meds and being one handed, I've put it to the side.  

Time to get onto it!

5 items, minus the toe separator which ended up in my nail box straight away.  $25 including delivery per month for sample products, most of which can be either bought from the website, or you are given discount codes for the suppliers.


First up:  Lash Cards.  Sounds like an epic idea!  Slip it over your eyelid and mascara away without the mess and pain of getting it on your perfectly blended shadow.  

 Is the text meant to be backwards?

 Smaller curve and large curve for most, if not all, eye sizes.

Lash Card: $7.99 for 10 double sided shields.  Get them from www.samplebar.co.nz.


Next:  Elf Bronzer.  I love Elf products. 

Mmmm.  Powdery goodness.

I like the subtle shimmer that bronzers offer.  I have olive toned skin, so this was close enough to my original skintone that it didn't look like I had layered on the makeup.

Elf Bronzer: $4.99 for a full size compact, and we got a discount code for 10% off till 17th march!


3rd up:  Tooth Spa natural toothpaste.  This stuff reminds me of orange sherbet lollies from my childhood.  Tastes pretty nice too, once you get past the baking soda. 

 Yummy!

It looks a little separated, but thats because it has no nasties to make it emulsified.  Still works well though.

Tooth Spa: $15 for a full size (70g).  The sample we got was 50ml, and worth around $10.70.  Perfect for the organic naturalist in your life.  Get it from www.samplebar.co.nz


Next:  Shiseido Night Recharge.  Honestly, this stuff seems a little "old lady" to me, but you never know, it might be the thing I need as I near the dreaded 30's.  
 

 Such a tiny bottle!! So cute!

Haven't used it, but I might start if I feel I need a pick-me-up.

Shiseido Night Moisture Recharge: $85 for a full size (50ml).  Our sample was 10ml, so about $17.
Get it from your local department store (or wherever shiseido is sold).


Last up: Booty Parlor's Flirty Little Secret.  This stuff is meant to make you firm, shimmery, smell like a tropical paradise and attract every male within a 20 foot radius (not really, but it'll get you a lot of attention!). I'm waiting till my Boy comes over to try it out.  No point in wearing it out if I'm not going to appreciate the attention.

Kinda wish it came in a tube or something resealable.

Booty Parlor's Flirty Little Secret Firming Cream with Pheromones: $67.99 for a full 135ml.  Our sample was 5ml, so about $2.50.  Get it from www.samplebar.co.nz


Bonus:  We got one little pink toe separator.  Worth $3.99 for two, so $2 for 1.  Get it from www.samplebar.co.nz

Total for this box was around $45 retail.  Not bad.  I'm loving that we have a box sample company.  The states have so many from so many places.  We will catch up!

The ladies at Samplebar like to see how we can up-cycle our boxes.  Mine was just big enough to hold all my BundleMonster nail art wheels.  

 Sparkle sparkle...

All in all, can't wait till next months box!

Disclaimer:  I paid for everything you see here, nothing in life is free (unfortunately) and this is my honest review of all the products received for the month of February 2013.

Memeopoly? Lets play!!

I love drinking, and I love games. 

One if my good friends invented his own drinking game, and its hilarious.

 Memeopoly in play.  So much fun! 

Also in view: Circle of Death cards.

Check out Memeopoly, it's a really fun drinking game like circle of death, but with a massive variety of drinking rules.

 Go to https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/Crowd/Details/744 to show your support.  He hangs out at Armageddons selling some cool stuff.  

If you just want to buy a copy, hit up Cardman on facebook.

I got the teals...

...instead of the blues!

 

Best foundation ever.  Living Nature from Kerikeri.

In artifical light, the holo blue is more vibrant.

Another awesome foundation - Covergirl Tru Blend Minerals.

Random no-name Depend with subtle shimmer, Jordana Pop Art "The Artist", 

Color Club "Blue Heaven".  Mash 40.

How often is it that you find a black holographic glitter striper that stamps!?

In natural light, the black stands out.

The Depend polish dried matte (totally wasn't expecting that) so I didn't top coat at all.  Not between stamping, not after stamping.  Lasted all day with minimal tip wear.  No loss of stamping, just a few mms off the very tip of a few fingers.

Super happy with this.

Liebster Awards and 11 questions.

Wow, things happen when I'm not paying attention!

I was nominated by Chrystal S for  a Liebster Award!

This award is given to bloggers with under 200 followers, and it is just a way of promoting each others work and making each other feel good about what we do.

Its a bit chain-lettery, but hey, it can't hurt, right?

TO DO:
1)Post 11 facts about yourself
2) Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you
3) Ask 11 questions to the people you are nominating
4) Find 11 blogs with less than 200 followers, and nominate them!

Send me a msg if you want to be "nominated".  I'll update this post as I get them, I guess.
(I wonder if I can post blogs from people who're non-nail-related...)

First up:

11 Facts about myself.

1. I collect Furbies.  I have 29 of them (28 and a Shelby).  I am always on the hunt for more, and I can post up pictures of my collection if anyone has some they want to give to a loving home.
2. I have never lived without an animal, other than the 9 months I was in Wellington.  currently have 3 cats.
3. I was named after the day I was born. 
4. I taught myself to write left handed, just as something to occupy myself with.
5. I can get very addicted to things very quickly.  Such things include TY beanie babies, kites, DDR, Parapara Paradise, costumes, nail polish...
6. Its not "hoarding", it's "collecting"!
7. I can almost name any Disney song (from the older animation at least) by just the first few bars.
8. My favourite PlayStation game is Singstar. Favourite x-box game is Dance Central. 
9. My craft stash is impressive, rarely used and always expanding.  I'm almost considering selling some of it just so I can get new stuff.  I have stuff for scrap booking, card making, beading, jewellery making, rubber stamping, sewing, etc.  If you want something, let me know and I'll see what I can do for you.
10. I love My Little Pony, and used to own some of the G1 toys.  Now I have some of the G4 toys, and have met a tonne of friends through the show and community.
11. I do paintings on occasion.  Watercolours are my thing at the moment, I usually splash some acrylic around, but I have been known to dabble in oils from time to time.  I do commissions for a couple of dollars if you want something.

My 11 Questions to you (from Chrystal):

1.) What made you start a blog?
It started out as a bitching and moaning blog.  I decided to change it, get some use out of it, and share my passions with the world.

2.) What do you like to do when you aren't polishing?
Painting, crafting, playing The Sims.

3.) What is your favorite nail polish? ( or color if you can't decide)
I have a lot of Kleancolor and L.A. Colours at the moment.  My favorite colour is pink, but I am always looking for that perfect orange.  My skin colour just doesn't like those shades much.

4.) How do you get inspired when you do your nails?
Challenges, new shades that I haven't tried, new nail art supplies in the mail.  I'll try anything once.

5.) Do you do nail art or swatches?
Both.  I will swatch something, and if it survives the day long enough to last till that night, I might stamp over it or tip it or add jewels.  

6.) How often do you do your nails?
Every few days.  If it doesn't peel off or chip off, I probably chewed it off.

7.) What are a few of your favorite blogs to read? (nail related or not?)
Not sure if they count as "blogs", but I watch PlasmaSpeedo, Jenna Marbles and Max Nosleeves on Youtube.  I watch the Rooster Teeth video podcasts and the Achievement Hunter lets plays.  I will read blogs that are posted on the groups that I'm in on facebook (Nail Polish Of The World, World Of Nailcraft, Crumpets Nail Tarts, Bronies New Zealand).

8.) How many polishes do you own?
Including nail art stripers, around 320 at last count.

9.) Are you looking forward to any upcoming collections?
The 2013 Color Club Halo Hues, the new Bundle Monster set, possibly a new plate from My Online Shop, Some of the China Glaze collections.

10.) Where do you keep your polishes?
At the moment, in foam-board racks.  They're just next to each other so I can slip them down behind a shelf, or the sofa, or anywhere that they are out of the way.

11.) What is your favorite nail design/technique?
I'm a big fan of gradients.  They're super easy and make an awesome base for stamping.


Now, its my turn to ask you guys the hard hitting questions.

1. What inspired your blog?
2. What is your goal in life?
3. What would you love to do for a living?
4. How you do you release your creativity?
5. What idea would you patent, if you had the means?
6. What is your favorite polish colour, if you have one?
7. Favorite polish finish?
8. Freehand or stamping for nail art?
9. If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be, and why?
10. What would you name your future children?
11. Is this the most random list of questions you've ever answered?

So there ya have it.  

Hit me up with a comment if you want to do this, and I'll edit to add a link to your blog.  I'm not going to go fishing around (ain't no-one got time for that!), but I figure that enough people out there will see it and think "hmm, I could use some more exposure, and I have less than 200 followers".

Swatchies

First up, seeing as its been about 2 weeks of me not blogging, I'll start with a swatch.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Crushed"

Extreme Wear?  More like Extreme Where?!

It didn't even last a day.  2 coats of base, 2 coats of colour the night before, no top coat, and it had visible tip wear by lunchtime the next day, and I had chipped 9/10 nails within 24 hours.

The colour was overly excessive against my skintone.  I might wear it again, you never know.  Its one of those colours that screams at you from across the room.  

It has a subtle shimmer that my iPod camera just couldn't pick up.

Day 31: Recreate someones design (MSMD)

What to MSMD.... Hmm...

Something colourful, something thats gonna smell really good...

From the talented honey at Peace, Love & Polish, I kinda stole her geometrics.

Mine aren't quite as good.

Mash Banana, Orange, Fruit Punch, Strawberry, CR mini 13.

I liked the colours, I liked the idea behind it, but I'm not happy with mine.  They're too splodgy.

Day 30: Favorite Technique

I chose Magnetic and Texture.  I have a couple of magnetic polishes but I never really use them, they just seem to fail.  

But I got the Layla Purple Galaxy in the mail from a wonderful girl on the polish group.

SO PRETTY!!

Had to add some caviar and some rhinestones.

Layla Magnetic Purple Galaxy,  Cherimoya black striper, 

Bundle Monster rhinestones and caviar.

I like it :)  It works a lot better than the other magnetics I have.  I have a bunch of other sorts of magnets I can use for different patterns.