Influenster Spring Fever Vox Box! and imPRESS nails

This is my second Vox Box form Influenster. Its a neat program that sends out samples of full size products for bloggers to try out and share with the internet world.

 Sorry for the crappy photo, my camera's size setting was set at a smaller scale than I thought. I wasn't able to crop the crap

In the box was:

1. Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant - supposed to be good for 48 hours!
2. NYC New York Color Applelicious Blossy Lip Balm - delivers color, shine and moisture 
3. Tastykake Kandy Bad Kakes - mine was made with Reese's peanut butter, but there is also Smores and Peppermint flavors
4.  OSiS Dust It - mattifying powder that adds root lift, texture and control
5. Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-On Manicure - press on nails that supposedly lasts up to a week

What did I think?
I will be reviewing the imPRESS press on nails. So being a nail gal, I was sort of excited by these. There are cute (a water marble look), they are easy and fast. My nails have been growing out some. They are at the point where I am pretty proud of them. But I had an unfortunate incident and tore the nail on my middle finger. Perfect time to try press on nails, right? Sure.

 So these weren't too bad to put on. I had some issues finding ones htat fit really well. My pointer fingers have pretty flat nail beds, so I had issues finding a nail that would fit it. Also, I guess my middle finger nail is either wide, or has a really short nail bed. That one felt SO long.

You can see the edges of my nails under the pointer finger, but the white-ish edge of the middle finger is just fuzz that caught on the excess glue. The one was far longer than the edge of my finger, unlike the others. My current nails are about end of my fingertips which are good for typing and not scratching people accidentally. Actually my smaller nails, like my pinky, my nail almost showed at the end of the press on.

And worse. When I took them off they started tearing at my nails. Like pulling up a layer at the end and peeling it off. :(  I have two nails I claim as casualties to the press-on glue pulling up the ends. To be fair, they stuck on like CRAZY. If i was willing to wear them for a week or so until they came off on their own, they might have come off easier.

So easy and fast, yes. Thick acrylic tips, yes. Wear them again. Never.

If your nails are longer than mine, or you don't often have issues with peeling tearing nails, you can check out the fun colors and prints here. http://impressmanicure.com/

Maybelline Sandstrom and Hard Candy Black Tie Optional

Its summer! My laptop is fixed!

The kids and I have no been adjusting so well to a rainy beginning of summer (read TICKS!!! ewwww, and lots of messes, and no time for school), so I have had a little drugstore retail therapy this week. I got a few Maybelline limited edition polishes and knocked off a lemming with Hard Candy Black Tie Optional.

Maybelline Sandstorm is a light tan/beige cream. The first coat was pretty streaky, but the second coat left me with a perfect background for glitter. What? you don't look at neutral shades as great backgrounds for glitter? You poor dears.

Enter my lemming. To be fair my lemming was a black and white glitter top coat. I have decided I am not that into indie polishes in general. The ones I have I really like, but I just like walking into a store and walking out with polish. Its more exciting. I missed the China Glaze black and white glitter a few months ago, and HC Black Tie Optional has been sold out at most of the stores I have been to until Thursday afternoon. In a stressful store trip to buy paper towels for mess cleaning and Oreos for 'positive behavior reinforcement' I went down the nail polish aisle. And it was there. Actually they had more than one of every color in the display. But, I only walked away with black tie optional. *pat on the back*

It went on like a dream. I only needed one coat for this coverage. My other hand I applied the top coat a little thicker and I didn't like it as much.

I love this manicure! Its fun and still classy. I will totally wear this again. It chipped on the second day, but I was helping someone move in, so that manicure got a workout. (And hey no nails chipped so wohoo!)

Maybelline limited edition polishes run for $3 at Walmart.  The Hard Candy polishes were all $4. I buy all my polishes myself. With cash too, like a responsible budget following person. Or like someone not leaving a paper trail. You decide.