Zoya Nail Lacquer Swatches - Amanda, Bevin, Caitlin, Charity, Coco, Evvie, Jana, Jem, Kendal, & Yara

 Zoya Nail Lacquers retail for $8.00, include 0.5 fl oz. of product, and are available for purchase at Zoya.com. Each of the 10 Zoya Nail Lacquers I've tried are amazing! They apply wonderfully, they dry faster than any nail lacquer I've tried, and they go on opaque in 1-2 coats. I believe I've found my new favorite nail lacquer brand.

*Some images have been altered to depict a more accurate color.

Julep Nail Lacquer Swatches - Alma, Delaunay, Eva, Kiera, Otte, Portia, & Sienna

  

  Julep Nail Lacquers are available at Julep.com and Sephora for $14 each. Each bottle of lacquer contains .27 fl oz of product, which is less than half of what most bottles of lacquer contain. I've tried several Julep Nail Lacquers (more than are swatched in this post), and the vast majority of them went on smoothly and opaquely in just one or two coats. I quite like these lacquers, and if you don't mind the price tag, I'd definitely recommend checking them out.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream Review

  Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream is a light- to medium-coverage foundation that promises a "flawless, lightweight, matte finish," and is available in three shades: Fair/Light, Light/Medium, and Medium/Deep. The one I received is Medium/Deep. This product is available at Walmart and Target for around $12.

 The official purpose of this product is sun protection - on the packaging it says to apply before sun exposure and re-apply every 2 hours. (I'm not sure how well this would work, as it is a tinted product, and applying layer after layer might not look so good.)
 Each container of this BB Cream comes with 2 fl oz. of product, which is absolutely wonderful considering the vast majority of foundation-type makeup products come with around 1 oz. of product. It has a very watery consistency, which I hadn't anticipated, and a bit spilled onto the sink when I first opened it. Though it has a watery texture, once applied to this skin and massaged in (I used my fingers to apply it), it becomes slightly thicker and less runny. This product glides smoothly across the skin, is easy to blend in, and has a natural finish (close to matte, but with a tiny bit of sheen). It sets on its own after a minute or two, so applying a finishing powder isn't necessary.
  The coverage of this BB Cream is light to medium, depending on how much you apply, and covers redness wonderfully (apparent in the before & after photos - around my nose and my chin). If you have pigmentation that you'd like to conceal, you may find you have to apply a concealer over the area, as my little bits of pigmentation weren't entirely covered with this product (noticeable on my cheek).
  I really like this foundation. It's got the perfect amount of coverage for me, I can apply it with my fingers when I'm in a rush, and it doesn't require a setting/finishing powder. This BB Cream has replaced my previous spring/summer foundation, and I will definitely be repurchasing it!

*Product provided by BzzAgent for testing and reviewing purposes.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil

  Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil is an oil intended to treat dry hair, facial skin, and body skin. Each bottle comes with 5 oz of product that contains Avocado  Olive, and Shea, and is available for purchase at Walmart.com for around $4.97.

  For hair, you can apply it two ways. The first way is on damp hair: spray sparingly throughout the hair for hyrdration, and style as usual. Thee second way in on dry hair: spray onto already-styled hair to add shine. Before testing this product out, the hair oil I was using was the One 'N Only Argan Oil Spray Treatment. Both products are extremely effective in adding shine and moisture to my hair, and both smell lovely, but when it comes to and price and availability, the Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil definitely wins.

  For body skin, you can spray the product directly onto the areas that need hydration  For the face, spray the product onto your fingertips, then apply to the face with your fingertips. This oil is absolutely wonderful in that it soaks into the skin quite fast without leaving any kind of oily residue, and leaves the skin feeling moisturized and soft. I have extremely dry body skin, and unfortunately this product didn't provide enough moisture, but if you have only slightly dry skin, or experience dry spots occasionally, then this product will likely work wonderfully for you. For my face, since I have oily/combination facial skin, this product provided me with the perfect amount of moisture, leaving my face hydrated but not oily. I prefer using this oil over any moisturizer I've tried, as this oil feels light to the touch whereas facial moisturizers can feel a tad heavy.

  To summarize, I love this product on my hair and face, and I will definitely continue to use it.

  *Product provided by BzzAgent for testing/reviewing purposes.

Not Your Mother's® She's a Tease™ Volumizing Hair Spray - Review

  Not Your Mother's® She's A Tease™ Volumizing Hair Spray is a medium-hold, "root-lifting" hairspray intended to provide volume to the hair. This hairspray is infused with Apple Blossom and Bamboo, which gives it a sweet, exotic scent. She's A Tease™ Volumizing Hairspray is available at Ulta.com, and retails for $5.99 for 8 fl oz.
  The directions are as follows:  Shake the can, (not too hard!) lift hair and spray root area evenly to create volume and hold hair for any big style you crave.
  I've extremely "flat" hair on the top of my hair, where I'd much prefer voluminous hair. I applied it to the roots of my hair, then I teased (back-combed) the roots where I'd applied the hairspray. I then combed the very top layer of the hair, then added some more hairspray all over to hold the style. It definitely created volume (even before I teased my hair!) and held the tease wonderfully.
  The efficacy and hold of this hairspray was on par with the Paul Mitchell Fast Drying Sculpting Spray ($12.49 for 8.5 fl oz) and Extra Body Daily Boost ($14.99 for 8.5 fl oz) that I'd used previously. I personally prefer the scent of the Paul Mitchell products, but seeing as this product works just as well and costs much less, I will be replacing my Paul Mitchell products with the She's A Tease™ Volumizing Hairspray, and I will begin exploring the entire range of hair products by Not Your Mother's®. I'm actually really excited about this brand! :)

^The above photo was taken after application of She's A Tease™ Hairspray in my hair.

* Product provided by Influenster for testing/reviewing purposes.

Influenster Sweetheart Voxbox 2013

  I was fortunate to be selected for Influenster's first VoxBox of the year - the Sweetheart VoxBox 2013! Below are the products that it included...

 1) The first product in this VoxBox is the Olay Fresh Effects Powered Contour Cleansing Kit. This system include one (1) Olay Fresh Effects {Va-Va-Vivid!} Powered Contour Cleansing System and one (1) 0.68 fl oz Olay Fresh Effects {Shine, Shine Go Away!} Shine Minimizing Cleanser. The Cleansing System retails for $12.99, and the Cleanser retails for $6.99 for 5 fl oz. This kit is available for purchase here.

  2) The second product in this box is one (1) Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response. This comes with 1.6 oz of product, and the active ingredient in it is Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex Gly 20%. This product retails for $7.99 and is available for purchase here.

 3)  The third product is one (1) Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bar. Each bar contains 180 calories and is natural, kosher, and high in fiber and protein, while being low in sugar and carbs. These bars come in a pack of five (5) and each box retails for $9.99.

  4) The fourth, and last, product in the Sweetheart VoxBox is one (1) 2 fl oz container of Not Your Mother's She's A Tease Volumizing Hairspray. This hair product is infused with Apple Blossom and Bamboo. This product retails for $6.00 for a full size (8 fl oz) and is available for purchase here.

* All products were sent through Influenster's VoxBox program for testing/reviewing purposes.

NESCAFE Memento Specialty Coffee - Caramel Latte, Cappuccino, & Mocha

  NESCAFE Memento Specialty Coffee comes in three different flavors, Caramel Latte, Cappuccino, and Mocha. Each box comes with 8 packets of instant coffee, and each packet makes one 8 oz cup of coffee. The instructions are simple: Empty contents of one (1) packet into a 10 oz cup and add 8 oz of very hot (but not boiling) water. Stir and enjoy.

  I have all three flavors, and I've tried them all. The one I thought I would enjoy the most is actually the one I enjoyed the least - Caramel Latte. The coffee didn't have as much of a caramel flavor as I was have hoped and seemed slightly watered down. Perhaps adding less water would increase the flavor, but there's a possibility that the coffee mix requires the full 8z of water to fully dissolve.

  The Mocha flavor had a creamy, almost chocolate taste to it, and wasn't lacking in flavor at all. I quite liked this one.

  My absolute favorite, though, was definitely the Cappuccino flavor. Once the water was added, it created a thick froth on top, which seemed quite fancy to me. The flavor itself was delicious, and it didn't seem watered down like the Caramel Latte one. 

  Each flavor didn't have much a sweetness to it, so if you prefer sweeter coffee I would suggest adding your own sweetener to it. If you prefer more coffee taste than sweetness, this extremely easy-to-make coffee might just be perfect for you.

^Contents of the Caramel Latte packet.

^Caramel Latte.

  *Product provided by BzzAgent for testing/reviewing purposes.