I'm Obsessed with This Affordable Lipstick & Lipgloss Storage Hack

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Review: Silicone Kitchenware for Makeup Brush Cleaning (Part 2)

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Review: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm (as Makeup Primer)

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Cute DIY Tip for Securing Your Makeup Palettes (For Under $2)

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Tired of using rubber bands to secure your makeup palettes when you travel? Here's a suggestion...

Keep reading for this cheap and easy (and cute!) tip...

Tutorial & Review: DIY Latex Skin Barrier from Sally Beauty

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If you're into nail art, I'm guessing that you've probably heard of latex skin barriers. And if you have heard of latex skin barriers, then you know that they're pretty expensive (anywhere from $10 - $25). Well if you've always wanted to try a latex skin barrier but you don't know if it's for you, I've got an alternative that may interest you, and it's just $1.99 at Sally Beauty.

For those who don't know what a latex skin barrier is, it's simple. Think of latex in liquid form, that you can brush onto the skin around your nail to protect your skin from nail polish. You can then stamp, sponge, or paint your nail as messily as you'd like and. once you're done, you simply peel off the latex and your skin is polish-free. No mess!

So now that you know what a latex skin barrier is, here's my tutorial and review...

Review: ArtBin Sew-lutions Slim Line Case (DIY Magnetic Makeup Palette)

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Well I finally did it! If you caught my original post about these affordable little DIY makeup palettes, then you know that I was really excited to FINALLY, after all these years, try my hand at depotting. At under $5, I couldn't resist picking up one of these ArtBin cases at my local Joann store a few weeks back.

So how did it work for me? What did I depot? Am I happy with the entire experience? Will I continue to depot in the future?

Keep reading for the answers to these questions (and more)...

A $4.99 Magnetic Palette You Can Find at Your Local Craft Store

If you are on #TeamDepot (aka: you de-pot your shadows, blushes, etc. and put them in empty magnetic palettes for ease of use), or if you've been thinking about joining #TeamDepot but you don't want to commit to higher-priced palettes, this post is for you!

How does a $4.99 palette with a strong magnetic base and a see-through (pink!) lid sound to you? If you're saying, "Heck yeah!" then keep reading for the scoop, and some pics of this palette in action...

Dollar Store Dupes for Silicone Makeup Brush Cleaners

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Up until a few years ago, I didn't even know that silicone brush cleaners were a thing. For a long time now, I've been washing my makeup brushes by mixing some warm water and my favorite brush cleaner (Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap) in the palm of my hand, and swirling my brush until the water runs clean. But after a few years of reading about the various silicone brush cleaners on the market, and seeing some affordable dupes on Pinterest, etc., I thought I'd give one a shot. (I'd also like to thank many of you for suggesting that I try one of these dollar store alternatives--your push was exactly what I needed to finally make it happen!)

First of all, if you're unfamiliar with the silicone brush cleaners currently on the market, two of the most popular ones are the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove (retail: $35) and the Brush Egg (retail: around $7). I wasn't willing to spend that much on a product that I wasn't even sure I truly needed, so a trip to the dollar store was in order...

Keep reading if you'd like to know how these dollar store dupes worked for me!

The next Time You're Debating Whether or Not You Really "Need" That Talenti...

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Yes. Yes, you do. 

I broke my cute Q-Tip holder the other day and noticed that Mr. G had saved our Talenti Roman Raspberry jar (probably to reuse for storing homemade salsa, trail mix, etc.). I grabbed it out of the sink, gave it a good washing and voilà!

My Halloween 2014 Manicure (So Easy, Even I Can Do It!)

At the start of each holiday season, I always have these grandiose plans to recreate really cute holiday-themed manicures that I see from my fellow bloggers. I have nothing but the best intentions, and for this Halloween I even chose a design that I felt pretty confident about recreating (oh how I love that patchwork/color-block manicure!).

But that's when reality steps in, slaps me (gently) in the face and says: "G., you know you don't have time for that, right? And if you try to do it quickly, you'll mess it up...like you always do."

Yes, reality, I know. This time of year is always hectic and my poor digits don't get the time they deserve.

But I still need a cute manicure for Halloween.

What to do? What to do?

Jelly sandwich to the rescue!

Spotted: NEW China Glaze Water Marble Kits

Earlier today, reader Ell left a comment on the You Tell Me page about some new China Glaze Water Marble Kits that she spotted at Sally Beauty recently. After I read her comment, I kept thinking about these kits, so I put the word out on my Instagram and lo and behold, reader @nailpolish_diva on Instagram emailed me some great pics of BOTH kits, and I'm so excited to share them with you (I also want to thank reader @msluckydee13 for sending pics as well, which I received just after I wrote this post and did not have a chance to include here).

But before we get to the pics: you may be asking yourself, "WHAT IN THE HECK IS WATER MARBLING?" If you're not familiar with this type of nail art, let me point you in the direction of one of the first YouTube tutorials I ever watched on the subject, and it's still one of my favorites. Click here, watch the video and then come back! The rest of this post will make much more sense, I promise.

There are two kits available at Sally Beauty right now--here is the first one:

 image credit: @nailpolish_diva for Nouveau Cheap

NEW China Glaze Spin Me Round Water Marble Kit

(retail: $14.99 at Sally Beauty)

DIY Holographic Hair Barrette Tutorial

I like to think of myself as a crafty girl but, in reality, I rarely have patience for most craft projects. I prefer low-effort projects that yield super cute results, and I REALLY love projects that take under an hour to accomplish and don't require a haul from Michael's.

So if you're like me and you prefer simple, quick and inexpensive craft projects, this DIY is for you! All you'll need is a barrette (or even a bobby pin), some cute nail polish and a quick-dry top coat. That's it!

Make a holographic hair barrette in less time than it takes to do your nails

Tutorial, after the jump...

Review: NEW Orly Matte FX Matte Flakie Top Coats

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In the world of nail polish, rarely does a new product come along that 1) is a time-saving solution and 2) produces a really cool effect on the nail.  When I spotted the new Orly Matte FX Flakie Top Coats at a local beauty supply last week, I immediately though that these might actually do both (save time and look really darned cool on the nail). So naturally I bought them both, to find out for myself!

NOTE: As of the time of this post, the Matte FX collection is now available on the Sally Beauty website. There are four polishes total in the collection. The other two are Iron Butterfly (matte multi-chrome)  and Purple Velvet (matte purple).  My local beauty supply only had the Green Flakie Top Coat and the Pink Flakie Top Coat, but I will definitely review Iron Butterfly and Purple Velvet when I get my hands on them.

 NEW Orly Matte FX Green Flakie Top Coat and Pink Flakie Top Coat

(retail: $8.99 each, 0.6 oz)

Review: Fing'rs Color Splash Nail Art Kit (my very first fan brush manicure!)

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The title of this post is actually a bit misleading, as I am only really reviewing the brush here today, and I'm not using it for its intended purpose (more on that in a bit). I have to confess that when I first spotted this kit in the Fing'rs Heart 2 Art display that's now at Walmart, I wanted it solely for the brush.

You see, I've been wanting to try a Fan Brush Manicure for a while now, but for some reason it's hard to find a fan brush at the drugstore. Well, I confess that I haven't been looking too hard for one, but when I do remember to check the makeup brush displays at my local drugstores, I can never seem to find a cheapie (under $10) fan brush. And of course I refuse to use one of my good fan brushes for this, since it's going to get covered in polish and acetone.

So instead of ordering some fan brushes online or visiting my local art supply store, I decided to pick up this set, which is very reasonably-priced:

 Fing'rs Color Splash Nail Art Kit

(retail: $6.48 at Walmart)

So just like the Fing'rs Striping Kit, I'm taking you along with me on my first Fan Brush Manicure attempt! Keep reading to see the results...

Review: Fing'rs Heart 2 Art Stripe Out Nail Art

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For as much as I obsess over all things nail-related, would you believe that I've never actually worked with striping tape? There are some incredible things you can do with these thin little pieces of tape (just do a google image search for "striping tape manicures" and you'll see what I'm talkin' about it!).

So when I saw that Fing'rs offered some striping tape sets in their big Heart 2 Art display, I picked one up (you can see the polishes I purchased from this collection here, and the Get Spotted kit here).

Since this is the first time I've ever used striping tape, I thought I'd take you along on my journey!

 Fing'rs Heart 2 Art Stripe Out Nail Art 

(retail: $2.48 at Walmart)

Fing'rs Haul

Here's a quick post containing everything I bought when I found the new Fing'rs Heart 2 Art Collection display at a Walmart here in San Diego--on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. to be exact (a HUGE thanks to reader Jolie Mann for the tip about that--I really appreciate it!).

I kind of wanted everything, but I limited myself to the following (for prices please see my original post):

 Get Spotted Nail Art Kit

I will be reviewing this kit TODAY, so please check back soon if you'd like to see how this worked for me.

My Weekend Manicure (fun with stamping)

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For this weekend, I decided to dust off my stamping tools and try something fun. It's been a loooong time since I stamped, so it was fun to do it again.

For this manicure, I used the following:

Base color: L'Oreal Limited Edition Water's Edge from the Spring 2010 Passport to Paradise Collection

Stamping color: Flirt Nail Art Stamping Polish in White from the Fing'rs Flirt Nail Art Stamping Kit 30270

Stamper: from the Fing'rs Flirt Nail Art Stamping Kit 30270

Plate: SE10 from the As Seen on TV Salon Express Nail Art Kit (the design I used it highlighted above)

Top coat: Essie Go To Go Quick Dry Top Coat (not pictured)

My Weekend Manicure: Sinful Colors Polka Dots

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Question: What do you do when realize you have a bunch of Limited Edition Sinful Colors polishes that you never finished swatching from a few months ago?  The polishes from the Spring 2013 Sugar Rush Collection are probably close to impossible to find now in stores, but they're so pretty that it would be a shame to not even post a single picture of the shades I own, right?

Answer: Do a dot manicure with ALL of them! That way, even if you can't find these polishes in your area, you can at least get an idea of what they look like (in case you get lucky and find them at Big Lots, Dollar Tree, etc.) without having to endure full-on swatches.

Sinful Colors Limited Edition Spring 2013 Sugar Rush Collection nail colors in:

1173 Orange Cream, 1172 Cotton Candy, 1174 Candy Coated, 1180 Sweet Tooth, 1171 Sweet Nothing, 1169 Sugar Rush

Reader Results: L'Oreal Feria Wild Ombré Hair Color Kit

Last week I posted about the new L'Oreal Feria Wild Ombré kits and received lots of feedback on that post. In fact, reader Dawn was nice enough to share her thoughts about the kit she purchased, and even shared some "after" pics with us.

image source: lorealparisusa.com

New L'Oreal Feria Wild Ombré hair color collection

Keep reading to hear all about Dawn's experience with this hair color and see how it turned out when she used it...

Cute idea for your extra glitter

 Glitter from Dollar Tree

I'm willing to bet that a lot of us have extra glitter lying around. Whether it be from past craft or nail experiments, or maybe even cosmetic-grade glitter previously used for a Halloween costume, eye look, etc. I know for a fact I have vials and vials of beautiful glitters in my house that are just not getting any love.

For a few bucks and a trip to Michael's, you can turn your surplus glitter into an adorable ring. Click right here to find out how easy it is...

Do you have any other fun, inexpensive ideas for surplus glitter? Please share in the comments!