L’Oreal Colour Riche Nail Color Eiffel For You ($5.99) – I completely forgot to post this, until I was reminded by K.T.’s Diva Mom.  I don’t remember much about the formula but I wasn’t please with it.  I found it to be too thick (yes this can be fixed with a drop of nail polish thinner), and after two coats I can see on my index finger where the polish had some dragging.  I do like the colors in this collection but I don’t see myself going crazy clearing out the stock.  I wasn’t able to wear it for an entire week, but did not see any chips during the 4 days I did wear it.  In fact, these pics were taken on day 3.

Milani’s New High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Formula is fast and luxurious. Dries in 60 seconds. New Flat Brush allows fast and flawless, on-the-go application.

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Fast Fuchsia

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Jiffy Orange

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Violet Dash

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Yellow Whiz

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Hot Pink Frenzy

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Rapid Cherry

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer White On The Spot

Milani High Speed Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquer Black Swift

Fast Fuchsia – crème hot pink…maybe I’m crazy but I just don’t see enough purple to call it fuchsia (but it is deeper than its sister color, Hot Pink Frenzy

Jiffy Orange – crème orange with coral tones

Violet Dash – crème wisteria purple but we can call it lavender

Yellow Whiz – crème bright sunny yellow that falls more on the cool side

Hot Pink Frenzy – crème hot pink with pink micro shimmer

Rapid Cherry – crème neutral cool red

White On The Spot – crème crisp white

Black Swift – crème black

These are wonderful!  I’m always excited when I see a drug store brand incorporating a wide flat brush for their polishes.  Most of my friends stick to using only ____ (insert professional nail polish brand that will not be named) because of the brush.  I will admit, having a nice wide flat brush helps with the polish application.  The brushes on Milani High Speed Fast Dry nail lacquers are great, but it also helps that the formula is great too; slightly thicker than their other formulas it easier to work with and made for a great application.  With the exception of White On The Spot, these colors could have been 1-coaters.  The colors are opaque but the slightest hint of and you’ll want to do a second coat, just for complete coverage.  Drying time has never been an issue with me since I do my nails before bed and normally use Posh Fast Dry Topcoat but I did notice these do dry fast.  I wouldn’t say it was as quick as 60 seconds but kind of fast.  I really think this line has a lot of potential outside of these basic colors, I would love to see them step out of the box with the colors and dimensions.  But don’t get me wrong, you always need a core collection of basic colors because they always come in handy.

Release date and locations:  MilaniCosmetics.com, Mass market retailers and drug stores, Spring 2012

Price: $4.99

Rating: A-

How young is too young for a hair weave?

Now this is a tough one.  I didn’t start wearing weaves until I was an adult.  I just didn’t have a desire to wear a weave and back in those days it was assumed that if you wore a weave, you were bald or had some serious issues going on with your hair.  Times are different now and I get a lot of questions from young girls looking to get weaves.  A couple things to consider if you are not of age to purchase your own weave (aka of adult age); what are your reasons for wanting a weave and how well do you understand your natural hair?  If you don’t take care of your natural hair maintaining a weave may not be for you, because you still have to take care of your natural hair and scalp.

What’s do you gals think an appropriate age is for a weave?

P.S. I adore Keke Palmer and love her hair!  I don’t know her but from older photos it looks like she took really good care of her natural hair and she can afford to maintain her own weaves; she’s of weave-wearing age in my book (but she’s an adult now so it doesn’t really count lol)

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Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Advance Therapy

I remember reviewing the original formula of Sugar Lip Balm and not being too impressed by it because it didn’t feel like it was doing anything.  This new Advance Formula is everything I could have hoped for from a higher-end lip treatment.  It made my lips appear smoother, feel super soft, kept me hydrated, and penetrated deep enough to fill them in without the look of a plumper.  It’s EVERYTHING!  It also has hyaluronic spheres.  What more can you ask for? Ehh…maybe a little sun protection because it’s absent in this formula.  I’d be willing to forgo the protection and spend a couple more dollars since the formula is so wonderful.

Pixi Fairy Face Palette

I’ve never been the biggest fan of palettes that station the lip products near the eyeshadows but this one is much better since the eyeshadows and lip colors are far apart.  The palette consist of 5 eyeshadows (pale champagne frost with iridescent shimmer, pale golden pink frost, pink frost, taupe frost, and brown frost), 5 lip glosses (bubblegum pink, fuchsia, mauve, berry, and red), and 1 blush with a mosaic of pink, berry, and mauve.

I love the color but the quality wasn’t there.  I was able to get the job done and create a nice look but I had to keep going in product too much for my likings.  I also found the gloss to be drying and almost matte.  I was however surprised by the blush, which looked more like an illuminator on me but it worked.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Eye Illuminator

I’m not really sure where to begin about this eye illuminator.  I love the packaging and the iridescent green flat tube.  I think it’ll be great to toss in your bag…but it doesn’t really do anything.  It’s missing the main property, illuminators.  I literally did not notice anything, it looks transparent.  It also feels too runny and depending on how you plan on wearing it could really cause creases.  It also takes a lot to twist the cap off and I thought I was going to break it a couple times.  I guess it’s great that it’s hydrating so maybe I can use it as a night cream or under my sunscreen during summer.

L’Eau de Chloé

Ohh L’Eau de Chloé, how do I love thee?  This is truly spring captured in a bottle.  Cholé kept it simple with top notes of roses, citrus mid notes, and light patchouli dry downs.  It’s very crisp and clean and great for day wear.  Something about it is very dewy and refreshing…in a fresh grass type of way.  It immediately opens with the floral rose but almost immediate dissipates leaving mostly the citrus notes to play the major role.  I love it.  Not to mention the wide glass bottle, pale green color and bow and silver top.

NP Set Glamorista Mascara

This mascara just didn’t do it for me, I love the predominately high-shine white tube with minimal black lettering.  The concept is great but one tiny flaw with the wand really just got in the way.  The plastic brush gives us the best of everything; it has a slight curve to get those tiny corner lashes, and the multi-length bristles is great for applying mascara and using the longer bristles are great for cleaning up any clumps.  The issue is that the base of the brush that’s connected to the wand is slow flimsy I couldn’t apply the mascara.  Lash hairs are extremely light and delicate so working with a brush that bends too much really doesn’t do much and just makes sparse lashes look even sparser.

Pixi Straight on Til Morning Liner in 2^nd Star Twinkle

I love this eyeliner! It was smooth, has great color payoff, and I love the olive green and gold shimmer.  It’s even long lasting.

Neova Breakout Control Swabs

These little swabs are perfect for unexpected pimples!  Simply snap it at the red line and use the swab to apply the solution, easy peasy!  Since the formula is rather thick I like to use it under my sunscreen during the day and under my moisturizer at night.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

Nothing like a good makeup wipe to take off the day’s makeup or even just to freshen up.  These babies were great and got the job done and got it done quickly.  I also like that it didn’t feel heavy or like gel how some wipes can feel.

Jemma Kid i-Sculpt Shadow and Liner in Kings Road

This is a great purple shimmer liner and eyeshadow duo that’s great for traveling.  The chiseled tip is great for creating fine and wide lines for various looks and the shadow is nice to set the liner.  I’ve seen pencils like this before and can’t say that I’m head over heels in love.  The loose shadow is packed in a small capsule top and most of the time it’s a pain to use with the firm pointed brush (which is more of a smudge brush).

Oscar Blandi Heat Protection Spray and Dry Shampoo

I’m weave free soo…….yeah, this were a no-go.  I’ll be testing them next month .  But I’ve never heard anything negative about an Oscar Blandi hair product.

Click here to purchase your ticket and save 20% using code thechosenones

Natural Hair Parade and Savvy Parade has partnered for the UNCONFERENCE of the year bringing you what you need to upgrade your sexy.

Bloggers the world over in the fab world of beauty, fashion, and relationship blogging will participate in a hip, sexy and engaging event talking about subjects you WANT to talk about.

• Showcasing the hottest lifestyle bloggers on the planet in makeup, natural hair, and fashion
• Bringing the finest brothers on the block speaking about how to bring it as a man and how to win their hearts
• Featuring some of the illest female writers and authors out there showing you how to keep it hot and what’s not
• Includes refreshments, exhibitors, speed dating and facilitated networking sessions.

In the City of Brotherly Love, you have to get to love and beauty. Our unconference will send you home hot like fire!

BWB Conference goers get upgraded seating at the door with proof of BWB conference attendance. Super Sexy Admission ticket holders who are BWB Conference goers get to sit at panelist tables to mingle with keynotes.

Confirmed speakers

Christen Rochon, Divasanddorks.com – @divasanddorks

Marie Denee, Thecurvyfashionista.com – @mariedenee

Aminah Hanan, Aminahhanan.com – @aminahhanan

Darryl Frierson, Ashy2Classy.net – @diggame

Derrick Smith, TheDerrickSmith.com – @thederricksmith

Angel, KisforKinky.com – @kurlybella

Ro,  creativelyyoursbyro.com – @creativelyyours

Ann!, Afrolicious.com – @afrolicious

Krissy, Addictedtoallthingspretty.com – @krissy90220

Yoli Ouiya, YoliOuiya.com – @yoliouiya

Lauryn Doll, Sexyfocusedambitious.com – @dulcedelauryn

Program

Upgrading Your Sexy – How To Be The Baddest Chic, Christen Rochon, Marie Denee, Krissy
The Dating Game 3.0 – GPS To Finding Love, Ro Mullens, Lauryn Doll, Ann!, Aminah Hanan
Natural Life Online – Browsing Natural Life & Style, Yoli Ouiya, Angel, TBD
This Mans Work – Being the Gentleman, Darryl Frierson, Derrick Smith, TBD

______

For more information, to be on the program, to become an affiliate, or for sponsorship opportunities, please email jasmine@jasminepowers.com

Follow:

Twitter at @loveandbeautyun

Facebook.com/loveandbeautyun

#loveandbeautybloggers

Captivating eyeshadow powder that features multiple infusion of colors baked on Italian terracotta tiles. All of these gorgeous combinations are designed to be used Wet or Dry.

Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble Must Have Fuchsia

Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble Green Fortune

Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble Copper Excess

Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble Must Have Fuchsia, Green Fortune, and Copper Excess

(bottom to top) Milani Baked Eyeshadow Marble Must Have Fuchsia, Green Fortune, and Copper Excess

Must Have Fuchsia – shimmer fuchsia with purple marbling.  Once all swirled and blended together the fuchsia really pops.

Green Fortune – shimmer green, turquoise, and plum, with copper marbling. Once swirled and blended it looks like

Copper Excess – shimmer penny copper with brown and copper marbling.

I swatched these dry and they still look pretty.  They may not have the best color payoff in the world but you can work with it.  By the time you add a primer and even a base they’ll really pick up in color.  I’ve reviewed these in the past and the formula seems to be the same, comparable to a higher-end brand of marbled eyeshadow, with less color payoff but great color.  Since I have oily eyelids I always use a primmer, so I won’t be much help when it comes to discussing the wear of these.  But for the price and color, they’re purchase worth if you’re willing to work with it and I wouldn’t go crazy buying a ton of these.  I’m sure Green Fortune will be the star of the show, making it a pain in the tail to hunt down.

Release date and locations:  MilaniCosmetics.com, Mass market retailers and drug stores, Spring 2012

Price: $7.49/ 1.5g

Rating: C+

I really wanted to watch today’s home-going service with the hopes of gaining some small amount of closure, or even acceptance of the situation but I still find it hard to believe that she’s gone.  Had I not watched Whitney laughing, singing, and enjoying time with her friends and family days before her untimely passing it may have been easier to cope with.  I’ll be 29 this year so naturally I grew up loving all her music and movies and I was a fan like many, but more importantly it simply pains me to watch a mother bury her daughter and child lose their parent. People liked Whitney for being Whitney and her music lifted spirits and put a smile on our faces.  Even at a time that the media considered the beginning of her downhill battle, she still put Bravo on the map when no one even knew about the network or were accustomed to today’s standards of a reality show.  Good or bad, up or down, Whitney will always be loved and remembered.

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Via Press Release – City parks have always intrigued us at Bond No. 9. These oases of serene greenery give New Yorkers a gathering place, an escape-hatch, and a time-out from the steel and concrete that surround and enclose us. What’s more, parks are filled with botanicals, so they smell good—and smelling good with a New York accent is what Bond No. 9 is all about. So it’s no wonder that thus far, we’ve designed 6 New York park eaux de parfum, starting with Central Park and Gramercy Park, followed by Bryant Park, the High Line, Washington Square, and Madison Square Park. Now, just in time for spring 2012, comes a 7th—Central Park West—inspired by the fabled thoroughfare that runs the entire two-and-a-half mile length of our greatest urban grassland, situated just across the street.

    Elegant thoroughfares with palatial buildings are in evidence elsewhere in Manhattan, but they’re the specialty at Central Park West, which urban planners and architectural critics regard as one of the grandest, most sumptuous addresses in America. Nowhere else can you find such an amazing line-up of neat and elegant grand-manner apartment houses—with the singular purpose of overlooking and honoring the magnificent greenery that, after all, is their front yard. For veteran insiders, the apartment enclaves of Central Park West—the Dakota, the San Remo, the Majestic, the Century—are quintessential New York, complete with their ballroom-size marble lobbies, private elevator halls, and banquet-style dining rooms And whether in Italian Renaissance, Beaux-Arts, or Art Deco style, many of these buildings look amazingly like the movie palaces of the Twenties—which may explain the street’s longstanding attraction for colorful celebrity-residents, including Zero Mostel and John Lennon. It’s also home to the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Society for Ethical Culture, the New-York Historical Society, the acclaimed gourmet restaurant Jean Georges, and the Hayden Planetarium. This street is so grand, it has its own high-power access to the stars in the heavens.

    Central Park West, the fragrance, has been designed to have the grandeur and largesse of the street itself. It starts off with a springtime wakeup call: Narcissus mingled with tangy ylang ylang and a pinch of piquant pepper. Then comes a beckoning white-petal mélange—orris, jasmine, and linden—surrounding their centerpiece, majestic gardenia. Sustaining and enriching this bouquet is an enduring base of white oak and vetiver, combined with the animal whiff of musk.

    The Central Park West bottle captures the essence both of the neighborhood and the season. Against a pistachio background is a classic but oversize houndstooth check pattern (as pedigreed as the local architecture), updated here in purple—adding pizzazz. And wound around the neck is a gift—a detachable, double-row bracelet of pink beads with a big pink floral blossom (designed in-house, we are proud to say), which, like the coveted flower on last spring’s Madison Square Park, can be worn on its own as a brooch.
Central Park West arrives on-counter March 15, 2012 and will be sold at Bond No. 9’s five New York stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and bondno9.com. Price: 100ml, $250; 50ml, $180; body silk, $130; candle, $110; shower gel, $75.

Launch date: March 15, 2012

Product name, price (USD) and sizing (fl.oz):
Central Park West eau de parfum, $250, 3.4 oz
Central Park West eau de parfum, $180, 1.7 oz
Central Park West body silk, $130, 6.8 oz
Central Park West candle, $110, 6.4 oz
Central Park West shower gel, $75, 6.8 oz

Available at Bond No. 9’s five New York stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and bondno9.com

China Glaze "Bahamian Escape"/ silver hologram, penny copper, and brown nail art polish/ Dare to Wear "Hologram Diamond" and "Happily Ever After"/ Essie "Yes We Can Pink", "Marshmallow", and "Go Overboard"

China Glaze "Bahamian Escape"/ silver hologram, penny copper, and brown nail art polish/ Dare to Wear "Hologram Diamond" and "Happily Ever After"/ Essie "Yes We Can Pink"

Dare to Wear "Hologram Diamond" and "Happily Ever After"/ Essie "Yes We Can Pink", "Marshmallow", and "Go Overboard"

I’ll compare Skylark Nail Supply to Beauty Zone (both in Garden Grove) next week….both are within walking distance of one another but very different.  I spent $41 on this entire haul which seems like a bit much.

• You keep the phone numbers of local nail polish retailers in your mobile phone to place new releases on hold
• You take your own nail polish to the salon
• You can always name the brand, color, season, and a possible dupe when you see someone wearing a color….90% of the time you’re right, the other 10% of the time the wearer doesn’t know what they’re wearing
• You’re easily annoyed at the tiniest sight of chipped polish on your nails
• You search for nail polish storage solutions online
• You can never quite understand how people can wear the same exact color for years at a time
• You speak, read, and write in a second language called Color.  Only painters, artist, and designers understand; a complex language that often confuses regular people.
• You have multiple colors that look exactly the same, but YOU know they’re completely different
• You buy nail care supplies in bulk or from warehouse supply stores
• You can be seen over analyzing a bottle of polish before you purchase it

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer Jewel FX Fuchsia

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer Jewel FX Lavender

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer Jewel FX Teal

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer Jewel FX Hot Pink

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer Jewel FX Red

These glitters are EVERYTHING…but not quite perfect.  While the color and glitters combinations are purchase worthy and stunning on the nails, I found the coverage and consistency to be all over the place; some took 1 coat and others 2…if not 3.  In all honestly it’s okay if you plan on using these at toppers over more opaque colors or Frankining with jellies.  Milani also has a collection of single-coat glitters, but no worries here.

Fuchsia – clear base with small fuchsia glitter and large chunky hexagon fuchsia glitter.  It looks more hot pink than fuchsia to me.

Lavender – clear base with small lavender glitter and large chunky hexagon warm-toned lavender glitter.

Teal – clear base with small blue glitter and large chunky hexagon emerald green, silver, and blue glitter.  This is one you’ll want to snatch up as soon as you see it.

Hot Pink – clear base with large chunky hexagon hot pink and holographic glitter.  Another stunner!

Red – clear base with large chunky hexagon warm red and holographic glitter.  I don’t think it’s a must –have but I do like how it flashes orange.  I promise it’s only red.

Release date and locations:  MilaniCosmetics.com, Mass market retailers and drug stores, Spring 2012

Price: $4.99

Rating: B

The Man and I normally don't make much of a fuss about Valentine's Day but this year we decided to give it a try. After 14 years he's forgotten that I'm allergic to pineapples. Guys are so funny lol.

Thanks Mom!

Something simple.  I wasn’t feeling hearts this year; normally I’m all about hearts, butterflies, and balloons.

Thumb:  Essie “Lady Like”

Index and Middle:  China Glaze “Who’s Wearing What?” with bubble gum pink stripes

Ring:  China Glaze “Who’s Wearing What?” with deep lavender stripes

Pinky:  Milani “White On The Spot” topped with Milani Jewel FX in Lavender

Poshe Base and Topcoat

UPDATE 2/14/12 9:51 AM:  Violent Lips is deleting and blocking users on their FB wall for posting this information and has yet to retract their statement. 

Glitzy Lips

Katy Perry wearing Glitzy Lips "Pink Couture"

But ...yeah...Katy wasn't wearing your product...womp womp womp. But what made it really bad is that Violent Lips never removed the tweet or even issued any clarification even after being advised that it was incorrect information.

Ehhh...well at least she retracted her statement.

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Katy’s Pics

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More Lord & Taylor…

I don’t think I ever been underwhelmed by Rihanna  but there’s a first for everything.  Is she hot? Duhhh…shecan walk around with 2 day old funk wearing a garbage bag and still be gorgeous.  But she just looks like old school Goldie Hawn.

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I really don’t know how I feel about Kelly’s look.  It feels so Diana Ross…in a good way.

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Taraji is getting better but I don’t expect much from her when it comes to the red carpet.

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Either you’ll love Fergie’s dress or hate it.  Outside of Rih, only Fergie can get away with this type of dress.

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