In a Hurry

Welcome back to my blog and back to another review. This time it's the In A Hurry Air Dry Top Coat. This polish came free from American Classics as a promotion for their new Instagram account. The review and the opinion are both my idea. We all know how I feel about Gelous and I also enjoy Bridge the Ridge Base Coat. Today we are going to talk about their In a Hurry Air Dry Top Coat. 

I expected this to be an oil that helps your polish dry quicker. I was wrong! This is a top coat which dries quickly. I am being honest when I say that it dries in a hurry. I was pleasantly pleased with how quickly this top coat dries. When I put this on I was expecting it to take a few minutes to dry but I can assure you it was dry to the touch within two minutes! If you are In a Hurry this is the top coat you want to use. It will dry quite quickly so that you can get back to the business of living your life. I am notorious for painting my nails before bed. It's silly I know but I still do it. It's not uncommon for me to wake up with blanket prints on my nails. I am VERY pleased to report that this has never happened to me with In a Hurry. I am completely sold. 

Usually I feel like a base coat is a base coat and a top coat is a top coat. I haven't found any that are significantly better than any others. I must say that this is the third product I have tried from American Classics and they all blow me away. The only fault I can find with this product is that once it dries it's not as shiny as Gelous. However, if you are pressed for time or don't need care if its super shiny, then this is the top coat for you. This is a must have for anyone who likes to quickly change their polish color. 

• We just had a 4.5 magnitude earthquake in the middle of Oklahoma. This is just weird!
• My ears have been hurting for days now due to cold front that has rolled in. It's making me lethargic and it's causing brain fog. I just can't think clearly.
• Since we got about 3" of snow we decided to spend the weekend at my Mom's again as she lives just a few miles from Boyet's work and we don't have to drive so far on bad streets.

Tags and Awards

Karen from KPsays created this Thankful for Blogger Friends tag and I was tagged by Pilar from Beauty and More by Pilar and Brittnee from A Beauty Product a Day. Both of these are amazing women and fantastic bloggers. I respectfully request you take a moment to check them out. This tag is all about recognizing the beauty friends you have met through blogging. I know some amazing and wonderful women who inspire me everyday to be a better version of myself. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and get comfy. It's a long tag. 

ABOUT YOUR BLOG (Please be specific in your answers, so we can all learn something!):

How long have you been blogging?
Well over 4 years now. I began June 21, 2009 which was one month before my 40th birthday. 

Are there any bloggers who helped you out/encouraged you when you first started your blog?

When I first began blogging? No. But I blogged for me rather than for any potential audience. I began blogging as a way to cope with my illness. So it was about the process of writing rather than hoping to gain an audience. 

What Social Media has given you the most traffic to your blog? Is there a platform that you don’t use?

Google + and Twitter definitely drives most of the new traffic to my blog. I am starting to use LinkedIn and Tumblr as well. I am really curious to see which flavors of social media helps garner an audience. 

How often do you post? Do you have a regular schedule?

I post about 3-4 times a week depending upon what is going on. Right now with Beauty Crown, Holiday Glam, Building a Better Beauty Blog, awards, tags and regular posts it has been more like 4-5 times a week. 

Where do you blog?

Typically I camp out on my bed and blog from there. The biggest reason is because I can multitask and relax while blogging. My body doesn't do well with stress, it increases my symptoms, so I tend to keep things very relaxed. Yes, I blog a lot in my pajamas. 

What camera do you use? What photo editing software do you use?

I use a Canon Rebel T1i which is 3-4 years old but it works beautifully and is an amazing camera. I will also take the occasional picture with my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone.  For quick edits I will use Fotor.com. It's quick, easy and does great collages. For full blown editing I use Photoshop Elements 7. 

How did you come up with your blog name?

Shalunya (shal-loon-ya) is a nickname I was given by my Russian teacher when I was in the Army learning to speak Russian.  It means mischievous or naughty little girl. But my real name is much less exotic; it's Michelle Renee. Most people call me Renee or Nay. Boyet (boy-yet) is the nickname my husband's family has always called him. His real name is Arnold. 

Do you do any regular “series” posts on your blog?

I do BBBB, Building a Better Beauty Blog, with the ever so fabulous Laurie from The Makeup Squid. Laurie does great posts about post content and I do more technical posts about customizing your blog. 

What draws you to a blog? 

I have to agree with Brittnee that photography will immediately catch my attention but it's content that will keep me coming back. Statistics say that most blog readers will spend less than 2 minutes on a blog post. But I am the type that actually enjoys reading posts. So you have to be interesting to keep me coming back. 

What turns you off of a blog?

Negativity. My life and my health are too complicated to willingly bring more of it into my life. I enjoy makeup because it makes me feel beautiful. People with bad attitudes make me feel like a sourpuss. Therefore, I will just steer clear of anything that makes my attitude turn south. 

How many blogs do you subscribe to? Are they all beauty related?

I subscribe to close to 100 blogs. The vast majority are beauty related but some are chronic illness blogs. The only way I can keep up with that many blogs is by using Feedly as it's the most effective blog feed reader I've discovered. You can read more about why it's so awesome in my post.

When do you generally read blogs?

I read whenever I get a chance. I read on my computer at home and on my phone or tablet when on the go. Which is another reason why Feedly is so awesome. It keeps track of what I've read so I can pick up right where I left off. 

What is your favorite type of post and why?

I am discovering that I really enjoy collaborative posts. I love everything about them. I enjoy creating them, working on them and reading them. I am especially fond of linked posts because it's a great way to discover new blogs and to have your blog discovered by new readers. 

What is your least favorite type of post and why?

Posts that give contradictory, incorrect or false information. As beauty bloggers we have an obligation to relay correct and helpful information to our readers. Do not instruct readers to use a product in a manner which is not recommended by the manufacturer. Do not use pictures from the internet in a deceptive manner. It could land you in legal limbo and readers want to get to connect with the real author not some fictitious version of them. 

NOW ABOUT YOU!! (If there are any you prefer not to answer, just skip!):
Where do you live? Tell us a bit about your city!

I live in Oklahoma City which still has small town mentality. People here are super friendly and helpful. We roll up the sidewalks at 10pm. We don't sell beer or cars on Sundays. We were the last state in the union to legalize tattooing. We are fiercely protective of each other especially after a disaster. We've had more than our share of disasters with the Murrah bombing and repeated tornadoes. We created the term 'Oklahoma Standard'. If you don't know what it is you should read my blog post.  

What about your home?

Home is a place in your heart more so than the dwelling in which you live. Both Boyet and I feel that we have two homes. One in Oklahoma and the other in Philippines. We currently reside on a small acreage in rural Oklahoma with my sister and my niece. 

Single or taken?
Taken. Boyet stole my heart while we were playing Facebook poker together. It took a couple of years to get him to America. We've now been married for 16 months. 

Do you have children?
Three. My son, whom I affectionately call my critter, is 24. Boyet's daughters are 10 and 8. 

Do you have pets?

Sort of. My sister and niece own 2 dogs and 2 cats. The Bengal cat, Zoomie, has adopted us. If we are home she will be cuddled up on one of our pillows with us. 

Do you have a "day job"?

I have a part time day job. I work as the membership coordinator at the YMCA. It's a small corporate branch for a local hospital and our members feel more like our extended family rather than just members. I have very flexible hours which is important for taking care of my health. 

Do you have siblings?
I have one older sister and we are as different as night and day but we still love each other! 

3 words to describe yourself.
Friendly, positive, and quirky.

Who is your style icon and why?
I would have to say Natalie Wood as she could go from the girl next door to the Hollywood Starlet. 

3 favorite bands/ musicians

Lady Gaga. I'm a huge fan and have been to several concerts. Bowling for Soup, their most popular song was 1985. Their fun and they find the humor in everything. Boyce Avenue. They are an awesome cover band.

3 favorite movies

Splendor in the Grass with Natalie Wood. Dirty Dancing with the late Patrick Swayze. The Gospel of Judas which is a documentary about the physical canon which could have been excluded from the Bible. It also tells the story of the Judas Iscariot, the disciple who knowingly sent his best friend into the hands of the enemy to be murdered. 

3 favorite books

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It explains Taoist principles through the characters of Winnie the Pooh. The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. Several young adult series like The Hunger Games and the Divergent series. 

3 random/ weird facts about you
My body is very weird. I can hear the patch in my brain creaking. I can hear my pulse. I can taste IVs. I see and hear things that aren't there.
I am a die hard anti-iAnything technology junkie. I am currently typing this on miniature bluetooth keyboard for my android tablet.
My sister gave me an untold amount of Valium when I was a toddler. She was playing doctor and I was obviously a good patient.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing this tag and I would like to tag every blogger who has not done this tag. If you would like to do this tag please feel free to say that I tagged you. 

The amazingly beautiful Louise from Kinder Health and Beauty has awarded me the Liebster Award for the third time. It's an honor receive the award once again. The rules are simple: follow who tagged you and answer the 10 questions which the tagger made for you. Then nominate more people with your own 10 questions. Let's get into it. Since this is my third time being nominated I will not be nominating 10 more bloggers but I will answer Louise's questions because I adore her and would hate to disappoint her.  

1) What's your favourite natural beauty tip?
Coconut oil is your best friend. It can be used in so many different ways. 

2) Who do you aspire to be like the most?
Rather than aspiring to someone specific, I try very hard to be the best version of myself. I believe in being kind, being helpful and loving everyone regardless of our differences. 

3) Which beauty item could you not live without?
Moisturizer with sunscreen. There is nothing more important than healthy skin. Healthy skin is the key ingredient to aging gracefully.  

4) If you could only wear one item of makeup before you leave the house, what would you use?
I would have to say mascara. I have such blonde lashes and small features that my eyes almost cease to exist without lashes. 

5) What's your most-loved hair product?
I am going to say the Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Weightless Healing Dry Oil or Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist. Both spray super fine mist of dry oil which leaves hair shiny and healthy. 

6) What's your favorite cleanser?
L'Oreal Paris Ideal Clean Foaming Gel Cleanser. I love this cleanser because it leaves my skin feeling clean without feeling tight. 

7) What's your favorite way to relax and unwind after a long, hard day?
To sit at my computer with a lovely cup of hot green tea to read and write blog posts. 

8) Where is your favorite city in the world to visit?
My second home Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines.

9) Your favorite beverage?
Tea. Cold black tea and hot green tea. 

10) Your favorite meal?
A huge salad with chicken breast. There are so many different ways to serve salad. I could eat salad for the rest of my life and never tire of it. Followed by a small piece of my husband's amazing cheesecake.

Next up is the Versatile Blogger Award I was nominated by the beautiful and amazing Chelsea from Tiger Love Beauty. Chelsea has a delightful blog and you should take a moment to go check it out. The rules on this tag are super easy tell 7 things about myself and nominate 15 other bloggers. Since this is the third time I have been nominated for this award I will simply tell 7 things about myself. 

1. I can thread a sewing machine, change a tire, drive a standard and saddle a horse. 

2. My memory is awful. I can forget something you told me 5 minutes ago or the name of the movie I just watched. My brain doesn't file the information away properly if it doesn't think it's important.  

3. I know myself really well. I am opinionated. I talk too much. I am too loud. I talk with my hands. I have a flair for the dramatic. I'm stubborn. I'm an eternal optimist. I see all of these as good characteristics.

4. My zodiac is Cancer and I was born under the moon element. My Chinese zodiac is a Rooster. I easily connect emotionally with others and I don't well with superficiality. I am fiercely loyal, completely honest, humorous and can be very moody. 

5. I had stitches in my knee when I was 5 and I wouldn't let the doctor sew me up unless I could watch. I thought it was cool. 

6. Most people are either visual or auditory. I am one of the few that are exactly in between. Therefore I like to see and hear in order to learn anything. 

7. I love coconut in any form. When I go to the Philippines I could eat coconut 24/7. Pan de cocoa (soft, fluffy rolls stuffed with coconut), buko salad (delightful fruit salad with fresh young coconut), macapuno candy (soft chewy coconut candy), and so many more!!! 

Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate all of my blogger friends and my readers. I hope everyone is healthy and looking forward to Christmas.

Holiday Glam 2013

Welcome to my happy little blog where I talk about makeup because it keeps me sane.  Today's post was wonderful idea of my beautiful blogging buddy Jackie from Five Two Certified. Several wonderful bloggers are doing Holiday Glam looks for a variety of Holiday activities. My contribution is a Holiday Date night look. 

There are a couple twists on the traditional winged liner. The first of which is blue tipped lashes. Wearing blue mascara can be challenging; instead, try wearing it just on the tips of the lashes. You still get the richness of wearing black mascara but with a fun pop of color. 

The second twist is double winged liner with a metallic bright blue layered over a deep black. The great part is that you still get the deep sultry look with a bold winged liner and the bonus of a pop of color. 

Since all the fun is in the lashes and liner, you will want to keep the rest of the look simple and clean. Without the fuss of shadow I decided to go with a bold berry lip with MAC Rebel. 

For this look, I used Physician's Formula Eye Booster Eyeliner in Black. I topped that with MAC Liquidlast in Blue Herizon. I added a pair of spiky Eyelure 116 lashes which I coated with L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly. Then I added Hard Candy Lash Call Lengthening mascara in Peacock which I am pretty sure is discontinued. But I know they have two other blue mascaras available and sometimes Maybelline offers colored mascara as well. I lined my lips with NYX Long Pencil Lip Liner in Prune and then applied MAC Rebel. 

I hope you enjoyed this modern twist on the winged liner with a pop of color. This is actually a look I enjoy wearing. If you think the exaggerated blue liner is a bit much for you then try adding blue mascara to the tips of your lashes for a mesmerizing look. I really enjoyed posting this look for you and I hope I've inspired you to try something a little out of the ordinary for your date night. If you enjoyed this look I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

The No Buy is Over Haul!

Welcome to my happy little blog where I use a lot of love and plenty of beauty products to overcome a chronic neurological condition. I was a very good girl during the month of November and did not purchase cosmetics even with all the great Black Friday sales. I am now happy to report that the no buy is now over and I was able to purchase a few cosmetics. I used some restraint and did not go wild when I went shopping. 

The first thing I bought was at Walgreens from the Wet N Wild Holiday 2013 collection which is called In The Spotlight. It's a trio of cream glitter shadows for $2.99 called I'm Not a Blonde Glitz. It's a beautiful trio of Holographic glitter in a translucent base, copper microglitter and gold micoglitter which swatches almost a bronze color. 

I am not certain how these will wear but they are absolutely beautiful when swatched. I am less than impressed with the holographic glitter but I expected that to be the case. I purchased this for the gold and copper shades more than the holographic shade. You can see from the swatches the holographic glitter is lackluster at best.

Next up is the No Neutral Ground palette for $4.99. The top row is super shimmery with glitter that seems like it would fallout all over the place but it's hard to tell from swatching without a primer. The middle row is shimmery but without glitter and the bottom two are satin. 

The dusty pink, champagne and gold top row are super pigmented with chunky glitter. The middle row of dusty purple, light brown and forest green are deeply pigmented as well. The chocolate brown and evergreen are in between a satin and a matte. I chose this palette as it has the most neutral colors of all the palettes. 

Next, up is the Physician's Formula Gel Creamliner trio was on clearance at $5.49 at Ulta. This brown eyes trio is a gorgeous set which includes a rich chocolate brown, a deep purple and a jet black. I haven't tried these yet but I remember reading good reviews on these liners. 

Next up is the Maybelline quad in Amethyst Smokes which was on clearance for $2.99. It looked like an interesting take on the traditional smoky eye. I am looking forward to playing with this palette. 

Granted these were swatched without a primer but they are moderately pigmented but are nicely buildable which is perfect for a smoky eye. It makes it a bit easier to work with them and blend them when they aren't super pigmented. The purple shade in the top right corner has a blue duo chromatic effect which is just stunning. The bottom charcoal grey color has some glitter but it's not too much. 

These next few items were inspired by my friend Shannel from A Little Over Thirty. She does these wonderful hauls from Watsons and she buys the most delightful Essence products. Well, I was in luck today as Ulta was having a several Essence goodies on clearance. The first of which is this lovely Long Lasting eye pencil in Coolest Chic. I don't normally wear pencil liner but I figured for $1.19 I couldn't go wrong.  

I am anxious to give this the Essence Stays No Matter What waterproof eyeliner pen. I am quite curious to put it to the test to see if it does really stay no matter what. This little guy was on clearance for only $1.49. 

The Essence Quattro Eyeshadow was the one essence product for which I actually paid full price. Yep, a whopping $1.99 which is amazing when you see the pigmentation. They only have a few of these quads they are well worth trying! 

For a value priced shadow one would expect these to fall flat but nothing could be farther from the truth. These shadows have amazing pigmentation and are super creamy. The champagne and the olive/taupe shade are full out shimmery and the deep purple and bright magenta are satin in texture. I am truly blown away just after swatching these guys. 

Next up is the Essence 3D Eyeshadow. All of these have full on shimmer and are so silky and creamy. I am completely flabbergasted by the quality of these shadows. These are a bargain at the usual price of $3.49 each but this was an absolute steal at $1.69. 

 

This duo, Irresistible Caramel Cream, is a perfect pair for daily wear. It is so easily blendable and swatches like a dream. I can only imagine how much better they will get when applied over a primer. Simply a-mazing!  I now feel like one of the cool kids because I have great Essence products like Shannel. I need to extend a huge thank you to Shannel because I probably would have overlooked this brand if it hadn't been for her. 

The last item on my haul is an early gift from my darling Boyet. My critter (son) bought himself a new Samsung Galaxy S4 phone and qualified for a $99.00 tablet. Once we discovered that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 was available for only $99.00 my wonderful husband immediately purchased it for me. My current phone is the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket and it isn't eligible for an upgrade for quite a while. So he bought me the tablet to hold me over until my upgrade. My husband is too good to me and I'm not sure I deserve him. Although, I am most definitely grateful for him and I am very thankful for my new tablet.

I hope you enjoyed my immediate haul on the day after No Buy November but I think you can see that I didn't go crazy with beauty purchases spending less than $20.00. I did score a $5.00 off of a $15.00 item coupon valid 12/2 - 12/8, so I might have to make another trip within the next few days. 

• We enjoyed house sitting and dog sitting for friends over the Thanksgiving weekend.

• Boyet had the pleasure of cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the Golden State Warriors.

• I am in love with the A Note HD app and am quite sad that it only exists on the Samsung Galaxy Note, iPhone and iPad. I wish I existed for my phone as well.  

Beauty Crown Week 1

The Beauty Crown Awards are a yearly favorites collaborative effort including beauty bloggers around the globe. The Beauty Crown Awards were created by Lily from Beauty with Lily Liz from My Pretty Obsessions, Jackie from Five Two Certified, and myself. We felt that a collaborative effort from a large number of beauty bloggers would be much more interesting to our readers and would garner more attention. The Beauty Crown Awards are a 5 week event with each week covering types of products.

Week 1 - Personal Care Products - Dec 2 - Dec 8, 2013

Week 2 - Facial Products - Dec 9 - Dec 15, 2013

Week 3 - Lip & Nail Products - Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2013

Week 4 - Eye & Misc Products - Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2013

Week 5 - Facial Care Products & Tools - Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2014

Week 1 of the Beauty Crown Awards covers Personal Care Items. Below are my Week 1 Selections:

HAIR

Shampoo
Pantene Ultimate 10
 I don't think it really does 10 things and make my hair flawless but it has become my favorite. 

Conditioner
Pantene Ultimate 10 Conditioner
I don't believe the conditioner does 10 things or make my hair flawless but it's a great conditioner.

Hairspray
Garnier Fructis Style Sleek and Shine
I usually have a couple of different levels of hold going on. I love that it works, it smells nice and the price is awesome! 

Styling Product
Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly
Since I have naturally curly hair, I need a product that can tame the curls without weighing them down. This provides a nice hold without being crunchy and sprays in a super fine mist!

Hair Mask
L'Oreal Total Repair 5 
I don't know that this repairs up to 1 year of damage but it's a great hair mask that I use about once a week.

Dry Shampoo
Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion
I have tried all sorts of dry shampoo but once I found this I quit searching. I love everything about this dry shampoo!

SCENTS

Body Mist
Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea
I have always loved and will always love Sweet Pea. I have been through several bottles of both the shimmer and non-shimmer versions.

Perfume
Vera Wang Princess
My all time favorite scent is definitely Vera Wang Princess. I have been through 2 bottles before this one and I will continue to go through them!

SKIN CARE (Non-Facial)

Body Wash
Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub
What can I say I am a sucker for anything coconut. I love this body wash because its creamy and moisturizing while providing light exfoliation. It's the perfect combination.

Bar Soap
Ivory
If I use bar soap is good ol' fashioned Ivory. They've been doing it right for years!

Body Scrub
Dead Sea Collection Salt Scrub in Coconut
I have tried several different scrubs but I keep going back to Dead Sea which is available at Big Lots. I have found that I enjoy it just as well as the expensive brands. There is always a jar of this hanging around my shower.

Moisturizer
Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Lotion
I love this lotion it's so rich and creamy; yet sinks into the skin easily and quickly. It smell heavenly and leaves my skin feeling soft but not greasy!

Hair Removal
Venus & Olay
I keep going back and forth between Venus and Hydro Silk but the Venus & Olay is easily my favorite. I love the way it leaves my legs smooth and conditioned.

I really enjoyed making my Week 1 selections and am looking forward to reading everyone's selections. For those that are participating with us I sincerely thank you! If you would like to join in on the fun and publish your yearly favorites along with us then just click in the box below for instructions on how to join us. Please remember once your post has been published to add your link below so that our readers can easily go from blog to blog reading everyone's favorites!