Zoya Gilty Pleasures Gift Set

Do you know what this little black box means?

It means boyfriend got me an amazing Christmas present!  I couldn't be more excited.  This is the Zoya Gilty Pleasures box.

Inside we have Zoya Purity, Zoya Gilty and Zoya Raven.  The white and black polishes are more extras but the crowned jewel is the 18k gold flake top coat in the middle!

This little gift box has you all set to give yourself a golden glowing mani.  The white or black are perfect colors to really show the flakes off.  

Of course I had to use it right away!  I used Zoya Purity for the base white and did dripping icicles of China Glaze Angles Wings then topped the accent finger with Gilty. It came out perfectly and I can't wait to use it more.

Simple Christmas Tree

I'm not sure how I feel about these nails.  I'm terrible at tape manicures and this was no different.  It came out okay but I so much prefer free hand painting!  What do you think of my red and green mani?

Gifted

Todays mani is a green and red water marble using Essie She's Pampered and Essie Mojito Madness.  The bows were then hand painted on top!  I love how this came out.  :)

Instagram Shopkick Nail Art Contest!

Greetings my pretties.

Today I have some exciting news!  Shopkick and I have teamed up to bring you a nail art contest on Instagram!  I was having trouble posting the rules there so make sure you read the rules here before entering. If you would like to join in just follow me on Instagram under the name DullLikeGlitter.

This contest will be Shopkick inspired so I want to see your Shopkick nails!  It could be the shopkick logo, use the Shopkick blue color, be inspired by the layout of the app or the participating stores in the app or even use that cute stitching effect on the app icon on your phones homescreen!  Get creative!

Rules:
1.) Create nail art inspired by the Shopkick app.  Go to www.shopkick.com/glitter on your phone browser and download the app.  Using this special link will reward you with a $25 restaurant.com giftcard  when you complete your first walk in using the app.  (The Shopkick app rewards you with points for walking into participating stores.  You can then redeem the points for rewards like gift cards! It's a great way to get totally free polish.)

2.) Since Shopkick is a US only app this contest will only be open the the US.  Sorry my international ladies.  I'll be making it up to you next time!

3.) Must be over 18 years of age to enter or have parental permission.

4.) Contest begins 12/17 and ends 1/14 at 11:29pm EST.  Finalists will be up for 24 hours of voting and then the winner will be crowned.

5.) To enter you must tag your entry #shopkickswag and have a handwritten paper with the same tag in the frame with your nails.  This will prove they are your nails.

6.) Enter as many times as you like on your natural or acrylic nails.

Prizes:
Butter London Thames
Butter London Chancer
OPI DS Coronation
Mor Lip Macaron in Cassis Noir
Medium American Apparel blue Shopkick hoodie (SUPER SOFT and dog approved)
Reposts of your nails with credit on Shopkick media pages!

ps - The winners hoodie is brand new and has not been worn by a dog. ;)

Happy Holidays!

I've written a message of good will today for all my lovely followers and for those I run into in the real world.

Hi Hat Cupcakes

Today on Instagram I posted a picture of some delicious Hi Hat Cupcakes I created awhile back .  Since I had quite a few requests for the recipe I thought I'd help everyone out. They are delicious and a real visual treat as well. These are very exciting for people who don't know about the almond creme filling ;) Here is the recipe if you would like to try these cupcakes for yourself!

Ingredients

• For The Batter

  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

• For The Chocolate Coating

  • 2 cups chopped (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

• For The Frosting

  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Prepare the batter: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and set it over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. On low speed, mix in melted chocolate. Increase speed to medium, and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat until mixture is creamy and color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream. On low speed, add half of reserved flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup water. Add remaining flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated.
4. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill each liner with enough batter to come 1/8 inch from top, about 1/3 cup. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
5. Use a small knife to loosen any tops stuck to the pan. Carefully invert cupcakes onto the wire rack. Turn cupcakes right side up, and let cool completely.
6. Prepare the frosting: In a large heatproof bowl, combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 minutes; frosting should register 160 degrees.on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and almond extracts, and beat for 2 minutes more until frosting thickens.
7. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain pastry tip. Leaving a 1/8-inch border on each cupcake, pipe a spiral of frosting into a 2-inch-high cone shape, using about 1/2 cup of frosting per cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.
8. Prepare the chocolate coating: Combine chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let cool about 15 minutes.
9. Holding each cupcake by its bottom, dip cupcake in the chocolate to coat frosting, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spoon more coating around edge of cupcake and any exposed frosting; none of the frosting should show. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
10. Carefully remove paper liners from cupcakes, and discard. Place cupcakes on a serving platter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let coating set. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours more. Serve cold. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Bloglovin

Just letting you guys know that I am now a member of Bloglovin!  You can find and follow me there if you'd like.

<3

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Ipsy December Glam Bag

I am BEYOND impressed with my Ipsy glam bag this month!  I seriously don't know how they make any money off of this subscription.  There is so much great stuff inside!

Of course I always get excited when I see that pink package in the mail. It can only mean one thing!

The bag this month is a silver flat bottomed make up bag.  I have been using all my previous bags to house various nail materials like my nail stamper and plates and various glitters and rhinestone wheels.  This one seems a little more higher quality and well made compared to others.  I would definitely throw in my daily makeup essentials and have this in my purse every day.

There were also a lot of inserts this month but it is the holidays!  The first insert lists the brands included in the bag such as Urban Decay (!!!), NYX, Mai Couture, Mirabella and Bombshell.  This month there is an Ipsy Collection look book thank includes a $20 promo code to JustFab.  JustFab customizes monthly collections of shoes and handbags for $39.95.  For those of you that would like to try JustFab out for half off the code is IPSYFAB.  In the look book are super cute bag and shoe combos.  Last is an insert for Glam Bag gift subscriptions which are new!  You can now buy a subscription to send monthly to a friend.  This bag is even cuter than I though.  The inside has a pink fabric with the Ipsy logo on it. 

EEEE! My goodies!  I didn't just get five items this month I got six!  This month there was a special promotion for Influenster members (which I had no idea about). In my bag I received Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero, NYX Ultra Pearl Mani eye shadow in Mocha Pearl (this lightly dusted everything I got with a light shimmer, it must have leaked in the bag), my extra Influenster perk Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm which isn't even released yet, Bombshell lip gloss in Hot Mess and finally Mirabella Prime for face and eyes.  

Like I said earlier, SO IMPRESSED.  The Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Paper contains small sheets dusted with highlighter powder.  When brushed on the skin it transfers and leaves a luminous glow behind.  The full size is 50 sheets but this is the mini size with 25 sheets.  Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil is in Zero or  black.  This is the mini size.  I am so excited to try this because I love Urban Decay products but they are usually too expensive.  NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Mocha Pearl is a full size shadow that is super shimmery and pigmented.  Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm is a sample size of an early release product.  This Beauty Balm won't be released until early January so I am very excited to try it out.  Be a Bombshell lip gloss in Hot Mess is a full size vibrant red gloss.  Finally Mirabella Prime for face and eyes is also a full size product.  I really hit the jackpot this month!  Three full size products, two minis and one sample in this one bag.

Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier Mini - $14

This highlighter paper adds radiance and glow to any desired area.  To use you just sweep the paper in areas like the cheekbones, chin and below the brow bone but the possibilities are endless.  The highlighter is a subtle shimmer in a deep tan base. Applying was easy and the shimmer transferred wonderfully.  However, I did feel bad throwing away a whole sheet when I was done because there was a lot of shimmer left over!  A lot of people reviewing I've seen have been claiming it is a full size but it isn't, full size is 50 sheets, this is 24. For $28 for a full size and $14 for a mini it felt like a bit of a waste. I think I would prefer a shimmer powder in a small container so I could use all of it.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Mini in Zero - $9.50

I was most excited about the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and I was not disappointed.  Another smash hit from Urban Decay!  This eyeliner was fantastic!  I love black eye liners and Zero was a perfect black.  The consistency is amazing!  It glides on smooth and creamy and is blendable for about 30 seconds before it dries.  The pigment is intensely dark and once I placed it I didn't need to go back over it.  This is a waterproof eyeliner!  Many waterproofs I've tried are waxy and sometimes pale but I didn't even realize this was waterproof until I looked up details on it.  Since I put my eyeliners on it has had an amazing staying power.  I have to pony up the $19 for a full size of this when I run out!

Please excuse my eyebrows, I'm growing them out thicker and I'm midway into my grow out.

Shown with Le Volume de Chanel mascara, NYX Mocha Pearl eye shadow and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil.

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Mocha Pearl Full Size - $3

I got to see NYX Ultra Pearl eye shadow as soon as I opened by Glam Bag because it leaked a bit and lightly dusted everything with shimmer haha.  This shadow is a mineral based shimmer with intense pigment that gives a lovely pearlescent effect.  There are lots of shades of these eye shadows and all are as intensely pigmented as the last.  Mocha is a creamy brown with light white/silver shimmer throughout.  The eye shadow top screws off to reveal a small opening. This is where I had a problem.  My eye shadow brushes were too wide to fit in the opening so to access it I had to pour a little bit out.  Again, I hate wasting product and it would seem easy to widen the opening so brushes have better access.  I may pour the eye shadow out into a wider container for future use.  I loved the eye shadow itself.  It went on bright and easy and blended beautifully. With its fine ground powder I did get some fall out but it brushed off my cheek easily and didn't leave any pigment behind. In my application above I only did one light brush stroke of the shadow but it could be done much heavier to get a darker mocha color. For the price I would definitely consider getting some more of the NYX Pearl Mania eye shadows.

Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess Full Size - $14

I love experimenting with lip gloss.  I tend to go for nude or gentle pinks so I don't own any bright reds.  Be a Bombshells Hot Mess is a very bright red gloss. One application of this lip gloss gave a slightly sheer look and with more layers it became more opaque and red.  This lip gloss is a long lasting formula and stayed bright and glossy!  I probably won't use this gloss too much because I'm not really a red girl but I would love to try some other shades of Be a Bombshells glosses.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm Sample - $?
I have no clue how much this sample would be worth because the Naked Skin Beauty Balm isn't being released by Urban Decay until early January.  Urban Decay claims that Naked Skin Beauty Balm will minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness instantly.  It firms skin over 8 weeks time.  This primer will perfect by blurring pigment which helps even skin tone, minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness.  It also protects with SPF 20 and Pepha which inhibits DNA damage.  Vitasource and dGlyage firm the skin and improve elasticity.  This primer also hydrates!  It sounds amazing all together.  I used it under my makeup and it smelled amazing. It had a herbal scent and applied smoothly.  The formula was pigmented and slightly dissipated when spread. Naked Skin felt light and spread evenly.  My foundation stayed in place all day. While I can't review the longer effects of this sample I did enjoy it over a small amount of time and would definitely use it again.

Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes Full Size - $29
This is a clear primer that looks to be silky smooth.  However it is slightly oily which is funny because there is no oil in it.  The scent is actually quite chemically.  Vitamin E is infused inside to smooth lines and protect skin.  I've tried a few primers and I don't think I'd pay $29 for the small bottle they sell.  I've found others I like more that do more to protect and prime better.  Not a terrible product but I just couldn't part with $30 for a 12.85g bottle.

Overall I am so excited with my Ispy glam bag this month. I got over $70 of product in this $10 subscription bag and that isn't including the makeup bag everything came in and the Urban Decay Naked Skin sample.  Every month I get a substantial value on these but this is the biggest so far!

My favorite product was the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero along with the NYX eye shadow.  My eyes looked great with the combo.  The Urban Decay Naked Skin primer was really fabulous and I would love to use more of it to see if everything in there does as described. The Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess was a great formula but I probably won't wear it too much because of the intense color.  It could be a great color for the holidays though! I probably would not have purchased the Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier. For a shimmer I prefer something like Stilas All Over Kitten Shimmer where I have access to a full tin of product and don't have to do away with any excess.  The Mirabella Prime was nice to try but for the price I wouldn't pay for such a small amount of product that smelled chemically.

Thanks for another fantastic glam bag Ipsy!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

My first acrylic painted nails!  

I have always done my nail designs with nail polish.  Out at a craft store yesterday I saw some Reeves acrylic paint sets for $20 and I couldn't pass up the deal.  

I wanted to do some holiday nails so I went from some Rudolph nails!

They came out amazing!  Acrylic is so easy to blend and work with.  You can always water it down to make it more liquid and workable.  

I used China Glaze Glistening Snow for the background and Glisten & Glows HK Girl top coat to seal the paint in.  

I'm going to work on taking better pictures of these because these have a bit of glare on them but I was so excited by how well they came out I had to post them. :)

My Panty Box: Round 2

I received my second package from MyPantyBox today!
To see my first package take a look at my post here.  There's also an unboxing video so you can see what the packages look like.

Last month I loved what I got.  This month I got lacy fuchsia boy shorts!  They have silver trim throughout.

The package came in a discret white envelope from Spain with no markings other than that it came from Madrid.  They also included a folded over letter (the larger insert). This one just says 'Enjoy your panty box!'.  If you send these as a gift you can include your own personal message inside.  The other is a small guide. You can choose 1, 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions and include your preference of fabrics and colors as well as if you prefer panties, thongs, culottes or mixes of these!  One of my favorite things about MyPantyBox is they ship WORLDWIDE.  I have quite a few subscription services but this is the only one I am aware of that will ship anywhere in the world.  

All of their items are handmade specifically for them!  You can't find these anywhere else.  They have sizes all the way from XS-4XL.  I'm a medium and the sizing has been spot on both times so far.

I've loved what I've gotten so far.  I told them I loveeee lace and they have send me lace items every time so far!  This and last months have both been stretchy and comfortable.  I have one month left and I can't wait to see what comes next.  I think boyfriend is going to get me some more subscriptions after this :).  He benefits more than I do.

Check them out here for more info.

Christmas Tree Nail Art Tutorial

This is a great tutorial I came up with on my own for gorgeous glittery Christmas nails!  This is an easy tutorial and great for beginners or experienced nail artists alike.

Here is a mani I did using the Christmas tree look on a few accent nails.

Follow the simple steps in the video to get this look for yourself!

Music was done by my sister as part of her band Ailura Fate.

If you try this tutorial out I've love to see how you did!  You can post response videos of your nails on my tutorial video, post to my nail facebook or comment on this blog post.

December Julep Maven 2012

My last Julep Maven box of the year!

For this box I went for the It Girl style.  It included three polishes; Vivien, Ivy and Harper.  I added the instant warming foot scrub as an add on so I didn't miss out on this months product.

The box is filled at the base with a snowflake tissue paper to wrap the whole thing, glittery paper shreds and then all my goodies for the month!  My polishes were wrapped in a white baggie with a golden ribbon, I got a wintergreen flavored pillow mint and the extra this month is a DIY cabochon ring!

I'm very exited for the ring but beating myself up over what color to paint on it!

My polishes arrived safe and sound and full of glitter!

Vivien, Ivy and Harper in that order.

I went for Vivien first.  Vivien is described as a full coverage multi-dimensional gold glitter.  The gold shimmers were nice and the large champagne hexes do bring to mind a bubbly drink.  I wasn't too much of a fan of this polish though.  For a 'full coverage' glitter this took three coats and my visible nail line is still there.  I think it may look nice layered over other colors though.

This bottle shot of Vivien shows those great shimmers.

You can really see that this isn't really much of a full coverage glitter in the macro shot here. 

Julep Ivy is a beautiful sapphire blue.  Julep calls it a micro glitter metallic.  The glitters in this are almost flaky and catch the light at angles to reflect a violet back to you.  The color shift is very nice!  Again this was three coats and you can still slightly see through it.  I think I would prefer it over a dark blue base color.  I really liked this polish!

This bottle shot of Ivy more accurately shows the flakey glitters and gorgeous color shifting.

This macro more accurately shows the sapphire blue straight out of the bottle. 

Julep Harper is a full-coverage, opalescent, mermaid blue, multi-dimensional glitter.  It is a wower!  It has a teal jelly base with all kinds of beautiful light catching glitters packed in.  The base was a little thick to hold all the glitters in so it spread a little sticky but it is worth it for all the beautiful colors.  To make the glitters really stand out I could see this over a dark color anywhere from blue to black.  It is gorgeous on its own as well!

Ooooh, this bottle shot makes me drool a little.

I was amazed with the Julep instant warming foot scrub.  It is so sensational!  

Hits Trendy from the Mari Moon Collection on my nails.

This is a cucumber mint scented scrub that warms up on contact and is packed with natural pumice to exfoliate, chili pepper oil to stimulate circulation and vitamin E to nourish.  Upon applying to my soles it was very gritty and fully of pumice, great for bottom of the feet!  As soon as you start rubbing the scrub around it instantly warms pretty intensely for about five seconds. The warming sensation is wonderfully cozy. After that it fades and you can get down to the nitty gritty pumice for scrubbing your feet smooth.  Julep products never let me down.

Overall I am very pleased with the box!  I loved Harper and Ivy but wasn't too thrilled with Vivien.  I'll probably swap it or add it to a giveaway.  The foot scrub is fantastic!  It claims to give you softer soles in 2 to 3 uses, which I am looking forward to.  

To try out your own Julep Maven subscription just click here and take the Julep style quiz!  They will match you to one of five styles that fits you best.  Each month they will send you a box of polish, extras and products for $19.99.  BUT to try your first box for only 1 cent use the code JULEPVIP when you checkout your maven subscription.  If you don't like it you can always cancel afterwards and keep your 1 cent box.  It's a great deal!

Influenster College Voxbox 2012

I was lucky enough to be selected to receive Influensters College Voxbox!  They must like my blog ;).

There is a whole bunch of goodies in here!  I got NYC New York Color Show Time Glitter Eyeliner in black, Necco Tropical Wafers, Sheets Energy Strips in Mint Boost and Pentels RSVP fine blue pen.  I see how it's geared towards a college girls tastes!

The Tropical wafers were the first thing to go.  I woulddddd have taken some photos but they were gone.....within a half hour....I ate all of them.  So here is a picture from Neccos facebook page!

These wafers vary from the traditional flavors of lemon, lime, orange, clove, cinnamon,wintergreen, licorice, and chocolate.  These are a little more exotic!  Included in the tropical flavors are coconut, passion fruit, strawberry, lime, banana, and mango.  Necco wafers tend to be dry and powdery and they were crunch when you bit them but I found them enjoyable when you allowed them to melt on your tongue.  For a college student I found that the fat free flavorful bite sized wafers were great to carry around for a quick treat when you're on campus.

The energy strips from Sheets were easy to try!  These little sheets come in an almost cigarette like box that is easily portable.  

These may be one of my favorite products that came in the box!  Each box has 10 strips.  Two sheets gives you the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.  I took two in the morning before class and a few minutes later I felt a rush of energy!  I was surprised it worked so fast.  The flavor of the strips was both invigorating and breath freshening.  The suggestion that came to mind for these was the packaging. Each strip is individually packaged in these large foil wraps.  It seems like excess to me!  With such small strips it would be easy to cut out some of the waste. 

I was very surprised by NYC New York Colors Show Time Eyeliner!  

At first I was not looking forward to trying it that much.  I don't tend to buy eyeliner at the drugstore so I wasn't expecting it to be too amazing. However, when I applied it I was so pleased!  The liner went on very creamy and spread nicely.  The glitter is very small and doesn't draw too much attention.  I did a dramatic lengthening line around the eye to show it off.

While the original eye liner was creamy and pigmented it did fade quickly and does not have very strong staying power.  

The positive to this eyeliner being fadable is that you can use it to create a smokey eye look by blending or smudging the liner.  My favorite part about this liner is I always have trouble finding a pencil that will create a dark line on my lower water line for a perfectly lined look, Show Time applied deep and dark and clung to my water line perfectly!  Wonderful!

This was my not my first time using Broadway Nails Impress nails!  Before I got into nail art awhile ago I tried a set out myself.  This is Broadway Nails Impress in Hola! I love the design I got. they even come in these super cute boxes to hold the nails that look like mock bottles of polish!  I have seen plain solid colors and great prints from Broadway Nails.  The delicate lace design I have over a nude nail is gorgeous. 

The nail adhesive works great.  It is already applied directly to the nail so that all you have to do is pull off the protectant and apply by pressing firmly to a clean nail.  There are many sizes to choose from so you can find the best sizes to fit onto your fingers.  For a college student on the go these work great.  There is no dry time and I have an awesome look to my nails.  

For me however, these nails were too short!  My natural nails were longer than the press ons.  I asked my 13 year old sister to try them out for me.  She enjoyed them but said a few started falling off after a day or two.

I have also used Pentel pens before!  I got the RSVP fine in blue.  I love fine pens because of the exact line they give you.  The ink was very streamlined and clear.  It was easy to read and well put together so you don't have any exploding or leaking ink anywhere.  I whipped up this fun little doodle to show the different shading you can do with Pentels RSVP.

Altogether I felt that this box would be a great care package for any college student to receive.  My favorite items were the Sheets Energy Strips and the NYC New York Color Show Time Glitter Eyeliner.  The Tropical Necco wafers were delicious.  The nails are nice but I really would have liked if they were longer to try out myself.  Thanks for all the goodies Influenster!