SHOPPING: Target & Ross

I went to Target to pick up a few more things today since I had some coupons that were about to expire. I try really hard not to pay full price for anything and I also shop for Christmas all year long.

I picked up a couple of makeup and nail polish items at Target with my coupons. I got the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Sandstorm for $2.99. Pretty good deal considering some say it's a dupe for  MAC's Mineralized Powder in Natural. I had the MAC powder, but gave it away...it was way too light for me! I have high hopes for the Rimmel since Mary of A Love Tart recommends it.

I had 2 Target coupons for $2 off of Revlon eye makeup so I bought 2 of the Revlon Colorstay Quads. I went with Addictive and Attitude, very neutral shades in both. I'm going to give either 1 or both as gifts...haven't decided if I'll keep one for myself or not. What do you guys think?

I also had a coupon for $1 off of a Revlon nail polish and used it to buy Rainforest. It's a pretty dark green with gold shimmer. I don't have any shades like it in my collection and I thought it would be lovely in the winter and around Christmas time. I will not be giving it as a gift since my family and friends tend to lean towards my tradition colors.

I did purchase one item at full price, but it was only $1.99 so I decided to splurge  ;p It's a NYC nail  polish in Wall Street. It's just a pretty light frosty pink. I had a nice polish in that shade that I recently parted with and thought I'd give NYC a try.

I've been having some trouble with my nails peeling on the tips, which I think was related to using overly abrasive emery boards. So I have been on the hunt to find a glass nail file. Lucky me, they had 2 at Ross today. The Sally Hansen file is ceramic, I'm not sure if that is much different than glass but I decided for $3.99 it was worth a try. The other file is not a brand I'm familiar with, but it is a glass file. It's housed in a pink plastic case and slides up and a small light illuminates it once fully extended. I think the light is a bit gimmicky, but I do like the cover which will protect the file from breaking. The pink file was only $2.99!

HAUL: Sally Beauty Supply May 2012

So I stopped by Sally's today to pick up nail polish thinner and of course ended up with a few other things. 

First of all I got a few great deals in the clearance bins. A China Glaze polish, "Some Like It Haute". It's a Gunmetal/pewter shade with grey/silver shimmer and larger holographic glitter. It's from 2011 3D Eye Candy Glitter collection. Looks beautiful and I will certainly post pictures of it on my nails. Even better was the price! Only $1.99!!!

Left: Gondola Before You Know It
Right: Sili-Coney Island

I also picked up a couple of lipglosses from Real Colors for $2.99 each. They're plumping glosses with lots of pigmentation. "Gondola Before You Know It" is a cool pink which reflects blue and packs a nice punch with the plumping sensation. "Sili-Coney Island" is a neutral rose shade with gold shimmer, it doesn't have that lip plumper sting to it like the other. Both are beautiful and are pigmented enough to wear alone if you want to skip lipstick.

Lastly I bought 3 of the Sally Girl nail polishes. They don't have names, but I got them with a specific manicure in mind....stay tuned to see them in action!!

NOTD: Rich & Famous in the Jetstream

Rich & Famous with Jetstream on top

I did this manicure last night. I was originally going to wear Jetstream, but the color was too sheer and required something underneath it. Rich & Famous was a perfect match! Both polishes are by China Glaze and only needed one coat each. Rich & Famous is a lovely cool/blue pink cream shade, while Jetstream is a sheer pink with very fine shimmer that reflects blue and purple.                      
                                           
                                      CHINA GLAZE

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge - Update 2

It's been 10 days now and I'm down 5 lbs. My clothes are already feeling big and people are commenting that I look like I'm losing weight!

My energy level is great! I haven't felt this energetic in almost 10 years! And that's working crazy nurse hours!

The gassy side effects have eased a bunch! My gut doesn't rumble and growl all day, like it did in the first week.

Still haven't had any issues with jitters, feeling hungry and no feeling of deprivation. That's always one thing  that I hate about dieting, I always feel like I have to eat tasteless food. With this I get to have dessert 2 times a day!

I was mixing some Hershey's chocolate syrup in with my shakes which was yummy. But today I took inspiration from Starbucks and made a frozen mocha shake for breakfast and dinner I made a frozen peppermint mocha! Very yummy indeed!

I was recently diagnosed with a fatty liver and had problems eating foods high in protein. Needless to say, I was worried about starting Visalus as it is based around protein rich shakes. I am happy to report that I haven't had any issues with my liver while on this diet! I'm not saying that it's a cure, but my experience has been positive given my diagnosis.

So down 5 - 75 to go!

If you'd like more information or want to join the Challenge click on the link below or on the right side of the page!

beautybyte.bodybyvi.com

Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge - Update 1

Ok, so I've been doing the Visalus thing for 5 days and have already lost 2 pounds! I'm not feeling hungry or jittery at all!

This product is so awesome and easy! Believe it or not, but the shakes are good and I like the chocolate chip nutra cookie. I've never felt so good! I have a lot more energy and just feel better.

The only negative, which isn't really a big deal is the gas. There's a lot of fiber in the products so while I'm very "regular" my gut is kinda noisy. No biggy!

My friends have already noticed a difference in how I look and my pants are fitting looser!

Woo Hoo!!

My ultimate goal is to lose 80 pounds, so 78 to go!!

Body by Vi 90 Day Challange

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I last posted, but life has been hectic! Still trying to catch up on work after vacation and getting ready for the holidays!

If any of you have seen my YouTube channel you can probably see that I am overweight. Obese, to be exact. I have always struggled with weight. I just think about food and I gain weight.

Well, I've started on a new adventure and thought that I would blog about it so you could follow my journey.

I never heard of Visalus before last week, but a friend of mine introduced it to me. We were visiting and her husband gave me a smoothie. It was YUMMY! I asked what it was and they told me that it's a new diet that they are doing.

I signed up last week and received my box of goodies yesterday. I know you must think that this is just another fad, but I beg to differ. The shakes actually taste GOOD and the cookies are excellent. There is a lot of fiber in all the products which helps you to feel full (also very regular...ahem.).

I'll keep you posted!

GOLDEN BARK - Fall Inspired Nails

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lag in posts, still trying to recover from jet lag. My husband and I are both having a hard time adjusting back to eastern time.

As wonderful as vacation was, it did have a financial toll on us. I've decided to learn how to do my own acrylic nails and nail art. My first attempt was a nightmare, but I must say that my second attempt is decent. I learned that the brushes that come in the kits are crap. If you're interested in doing your own nails invest in a decent brush first!

The nails in this post had been on for about 5 days and they started growing out. I could see a gap between the smile line and the base of the nail. It was really bugging me so I decided to paint them and have some fun with glitter!

This look is great for fall. I've used the warm browns and golds that I associate with this time of year.

Base color - Deluxe Brown by Avon

Stippled color - Brisbane Bronze by OPI

Glitter mix on top

The nail on the left is using my own personal glitter mix. The one on the right is using Wet n Wild glitter polish "Fireworks."

If you'd like to see the tutorial for this nail look go to my YouTube channel!

Golden Bark Nail Tutorial