My swap with a beauty junkie in London (pic heavy)

It all started out so innocently. Over a year ago, I reviewed a UK hair product for weheartthis and I absolutely fell in love with it. Sadly, it turned out that you could only purchase this product in the UK, so I decided to ask the wonderful Jen over at A beauty junkie in London if she'd be interested in doing a little swap. I know that UK gals cannot easily get Milani and CoverGirl products across the pond, so I was hoping I could entice her with the prospect of some new drugstore goodies! And of course you know I'm obsessed with UK drugstore products as well, so it would be a win-win situation for both of us!

Well, one year later and here we are! This swap was never meant to be in negotiations for a YEAR, but as they say in life: good things come to those who wait! I think Jen and I were so excited by all the wonderful goodies we could send each other that this swap eventually took on a life of its own.

Week after week, I discovered more amazing UK brands and products I found myself wanting (Barry M! Sleek!), and she thought of some US brands and products she wanted (Sonia Kashuk brushes, etc.) so it became this ongoing project that was just so fun we couldn't stop ourselves.

So even though this swap might appear to be one of the biggest swaps in US/UK history, remember that these products were purchased here-and-there, over the course of a YEAR. I've found that it's quite easy to pick up one or two things a month for a year and then, before you know it, you've got quite a collection to send to your swap partner!

Opening this package was like an early Christmas and birthday rolled into one. Naturally, I am beyond excited to share every single product Jen sent to me, but I'll limit my commentary when possible because this is going to be loooooong.

Deep breathe: here we go. Oh, and PLEASE NOTE: I'm including all of the official swap products and the extras (items that Jen sent out of the kindness of her heart, above and beyond the "official" swap products).

First, the product Jen sent that made me GASP:

Can you believe it? This polish by Barry M has to be one of THE most talked-about and coveted products of the year! I cannot believe she got it for me and I can't WAIT to show you how it works. It is soooo cool that I'm going to post a video of it in action. You've got to see it with your own eyes!

And of course here's the product that started it all! This curl taming cream works pure magic on my wavy hair and I am THRILLED to have another tube of it.

Yay for yummy lip balms!

My very first Sleek palette!

How cute is this little kit?

These colors are so me it's not even funny.

My camera washed out these polish colors--they are so much prettier in person. How cute is that box?

My very first GOSH product! And a volumizing mascara to boot!

The name of this product cracks me up.

I LOVE how this packaging is made to look like someone took a bite out of it.

Who doesn't love a mini gloss?

I love the embossing on this little shadow duo.

I cannot believe I am finally the proud owner of a Dazzle Dust.

The bottle shape of this polish is adorable.

I have no words to describe how I feel when I look at these Barry M polishes.

Yeah for mini bottles and yeah for mint green!

How cute is this shoe bag? I normally use an old plastic bag for my shoes when I travel--not any more!

I cannot wait to try this.

Could this be any cuter?

I specifically asked Jen if she could purchase this for me after reading about it on a haircare forum (but I had no idea she'd get me a pink one--that totally made my day!). I am SO excited to review this for you--if you have long hair that tangles easily, you have got to stay tuned for my review. This thing is unbelievable.

And last but certainly not least, I asked Jen if she could pick up a curlywurly bar for me and she is so sweet that she sent me FIVE! If you don't know what a curlywurly is, it's the UK equivalent of a long-ago discontinued US candy bar called the Marathon Bar. Marathon Bars were my favorite candy of my childhood, and I still curse the day they were discontinued. So I have no way of expressing to you how it feels to eat this candy bar again!

Thank you SO much, Jen, for making this one of THE most memorable swaps ever. It took us a while to get there, but it was SO worth the wait!

If you see any products above that you would like me to review, please just leave a comment on this post and let me know! In the very near future I'll be reviewing the Barry M Instant Nail Effects and the Tangle Teezer, but after that I'll review anything you request!

And definitely stay tuned over at A beauty junkie in London to see what I sent Jen! I went a little crazy for her earlier this year when CVS was having their semi-annual beauty sale!