Milani Nail Lacquer Review

After a little hiatus I'm back and ready to review, so lets talk nails! Recently I've been branching out in the nail department. Not only have I been using regular polish (not gel) I've also been shunning Essie (my go to non gel)! The first stop on my new budget nail adventure was Milani Nail Lacquer in "Power Periwinkle".  Read on for the results!

Milani Nail Lacquer in Power Periwinkle

It's been brutally cold in the northeast so I was immediately drawn to this spring like shade. Milani is not a brand I've seen reviewed too often but once I got past my skepticism, into my cart it went!

• Color - 10: The color was true to the bottle & beautifully vibrant 

• Application - 10: This bad boy went on like butter! The formula is so smooth, not too watery or too thick. Even a nail noob can apply this flawlessly. The brush is also nice & flat but not too small which is just the way I like it! 

• Staying Power - 10 Non gel nail color never lasts more than four days on me without chipping... if I'm lucky but Milani Nail Lacquer lasted about a week without a single chip! Once the chipping commenced I was able to squeeze about two days worth of wear before it got real raggedy looking.

  

  Milani Nail Lacquer in Power Periwinkle, after about a weeks wear.

  
  All and all it was a pleasure to wear this fab spring color and I can't wait to try some more shades from Milani. Have you tried this brand? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Let me know in the comments below!  

xo Kara Rose 

Olympic Figure Skating Costume Roundup.

Time really got away from me last week & as a result I missed my "Monday Update" post.  A thousand apologies for that but I'm trying my best to make up for it now! While the Sochi Olympics might be controversial there is one thing we can all agree on... figure skating costumes are the stuff of dreams! Here are my faves.

Ashley Wagner  of the United States

Tongues have been wagging over Ashely Wagner but one thing that has gone largely unnoticed is this gorgeous costume! Ashley, I would never give you a "bullshit" score for fashion!

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada

Kaetlyn's costume was gorgeous from the front but my favorite detail was the cascade of jewels on her back! 

Akiko Suzuki of Japan

Akiko Suzuki sported on of my favorite looks. The detail and the fairy vibe stole my heart the moment she stepped onto the ice. 

Tessa Virtue of Canada

Tessa looked like a queen in this gold embellished red dress. 

Meryl Davis of the United States

Meryl Davis rocked this beautiful number which was inspired by the ballet Scheherazade. 

Gracie Gold of the United States

Last but not least is Gracie Gold. Adorable, talented & stylish. What more could you ask for? 

 

Mini Drugstore Haul Video!

It's finally here!!! Watch my mini haul blogpost's corresponding video over on my YouTube channel & let me know in the comments what you think! I'm almost done testing out all the products and I can't wait to film the results for you guys. 

xo Kara Rose 

Monday Update

I've finally given up on writing a cleaver opening line. Here's the truth... I've spent most of this week procrastinating BUT fear not! Instead of blabbing on about my week I'm going to introduce you to a very special friend of mine! Meet Daisy! She is my beautiful kitty (who isn't really a kitten) and quite possibly the love of my life.   

In order to keep her introduction relevant to a beauty blog, she is pictured in a Christmas bow. She hated that bow but it looked fabulous on her! 

I hope you all had a great week! Let me know all about it in the comments + keep an eye out for my next YouTube video that is DEFINITELY going live this week!

xo Kara Rose 

Beauty Faves

Experimenting with new looks has been an obsession of mine for as long as I can remember.  Naturally I'm always seeking new beauty products to keep up with my ever evolving style! While I love to test the beauty waters, there are a few products I always come back to. I decided to film a "Beauty Favorites" video and this is my corresponding blog post.  Read up!

Skin Care

• Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser . Ask any derm what drugstore cleanser they recommend & I'm sure the answer is this one. Formulated for normal to oily skin types, who are sensitive to harsh products, you won't find any fragrance in this bad boy! Be warned you won't get a lather with this product but it does leave your skin squeaky clean (without a trace of makeup left).  

• Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Night Cream. I've tried several nighttime moisturizers & I am absolutely in love with this one. While I tend to have normal to oily skin, I do get some surface dryness from time. With nightly use, not even surface dryness can touch my face! The texture is strange, with a slightly watery yet rich feel, but the refreshing sensation you experience after application is unparalleled. You won't find any fragrance, parabens or animal testing involved in this product. Natural ingredients make up 99% of this cream including aloe & rice extract! 

• Kiehl's Creme de Corps Light-Weight Body Lotion. This lotion is a bit pricy but totally worth it. It's super light weight & absorbent leaving your skin instantaneously soft! Seriously, I think my hands owned the title of driest in the land but this lotion has ended that. I also love that it's fragrance free so it doesn't clash with my perfume!    

Hair Products

Batiste Dry Shampoo. Because I have color treated/fine hair i'm always looking for a good dry shampoo. I've tried all the fancy/pricy brands but Batiste is my fav! It's amazing at extending time between shampoos, which I love due to all the damage my hair suffers at the hands of dye, & it serves as an amazing styling tool to boost volume! In case you're wondering... my favorite scent is cheery but there are many to choose from!

• Bumble and Bumble thickening hairspray. Not only is this hairspray non aerosol it HOLDS your style! It's totally heat and sweat proof! I love it for my blunt bangs & as a nice bonus it smells great!  

Makeup

 

• Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream. My main skin problem is redness & this BB cream is just enough coverage to even out my skin tone without looking cakey. It's light as air, non greasy, moisturizing & it has an SPF 35 which is prefect for my pasty face! How could you not love a product that does all that in one step? 

• Smashbox High Definition Concealer. I didn't include this in my favorites video due to time but it's certainly worth a mention. While my BB cream is great most days, I do get a spot or two from time to time. On my spotty days nothing beats this lovely concealer + I use it daily to eliminate the dark under eye circles that I'm prone to. 

• Cover FX Bronzed in Pink Topaz. Unfortunately since posting my favorites video I've discovered that this blush appears to be discontinued. It was a beautiful dusty rose color with a subtle shimmer & I will definitely be scrambling to find a replacement when I run out.

• Maybelline Expert Eyes Expert Wear Twin Brow & Eye Pencils. I only use this as a brow pencil (I don't recommend it as an eyeliner!) & a wonderful brow pencil it is! Blonde is the shade I use. It's a subtle ash blonde which I love because so many light brow pencils are way to warm/red for my taste. One of my pet peeves are brows filled in with a warm/redish shade! Another nice bonus is how cheap it is & it comes with two in a pack! 

• Urban Decay original Naked Palette & Naked 3 Palette. So much has been said about these palettes that don't think I even need to go into why they are great... you guys all know! 

• Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 13. This is perfect on days when I have zero time for my makeup but I need to look fab. Once you apply this it's not going anywhere, seriously I have to fight to get it off! They have so many colors but 13 is my go to. I love to wear it alone with some mascara and a bold lip! 

• Benefit They're Real Mascara. Unlike most mascaras you don't have to choose between length or volume! This one truly gives you both without looking clumpy or spidery. With the special domed brush, equipped with bristles on the tip, you can easily reach every lash! 

P.S.  Make sure to watch the corresponding video HERE  to see some bonus faves! 

Monday Update... on Tuesday

One thousand apologies to all my sassy peeps. Things have been a bit busy for me but now I'm back and ready to recap the week!

Fashion

Lets kick it off with GRAMMY FASION! I haven't always been the biggest fan of Tay-Tay however, there is no denying her place as the best dressed at the 2014 Grammy Awards. She was absolutely stunning from her hair, to her makeup, to her jewelry to that dress. Well done Taylor *claps*

Taylor Swift in Gucci 

Now lets talk about Ciara. This awards season seems to be filled with pregnant women who look better than me...sometimes the best thing to do is sit back, admire and move on. 

Ciara in Pucci

Moving on, Rita Ora can do no wrong in my book & last Sunday was no exception. 

Rita Ora in Lanvin

That hair, that makeup, that beautiful lime dress! She's absolutely gorgeous. I wanna know where I can sign up to be her? Honorable mentions go to Christine Teigen, Anna Faris, Kelly Osbourne & Giuliana Rancic.

Entertainment

Every year I try really hard to see as many Oscar nominated movies as I can. This week I chose "August Osage County" I'm really sorry to say it but it wasn't one of my favs. The acting was excellent, especially Julia Roberts, but it was three long & depressing hours filled with people I didn't even want to spend fifteen minutes with! Literally every character was a despicable person that I just didn't want to root for. Of course, this is only my opinion & I'm in no way a qualified film critic but if I'm to be honest this is my least favorite of all the nominated movies (I have seen) this year.

Wellness 

Last Tuesday my cousin texted me, she started doing a beginner Pilates workout regimen found online. I've been wanting to get into better shape so naturally when she told me to do it with her I agreed... fast forward to next week & I'm so sore that I can barely move! I'm sure it will be worth it in the end but for now I'm hurting!! Are you interested in joining us? I know it sounds crazy but if you are heres the link! Pop Pilates for beginners workout calendar! 

That's all I have for this week's "Monday Update". Keep on the lookout for my next YouTube video that will go live this week! Be well my lovelies, & have a fab week! 

xo Kara Rose

Another drugstore haul!

I've done it again... I've done a little drugstore damage.  As always I will be reviewing the products I got and sharing that review with you all. Here's a photo sneak peek of the goods!

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick, Revlon blush in 002/Haute Pink & the Balm blush in Argyle

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids in 875/Vivid Rose, Maybelline ColorSensational Vivids in 885/Vibrant Mandarin & Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 440/Cherries In The Snow

The haul video I filmed will be up next week & as soon as I've tested all the goods I'll be filming the my review!

xo Kara Rose