IFabbo: Perlier Royal Elixir Facial Serum

A while back, I joined a website for fashion and beauty bloggers called ifabbo (ifabbo.com). They will send out samples of products for bloggers to try and review, much like any other review site. I had so much going on in the last few months, that I forgot I actually applied for the site. I received an email last week saying I was eligible to review Perlier Royal Elixir facial serum. I love trying new things so I jumped at the chance. And I know you all love when I bring you new products!!

So my package from Ifabbo arrived today

I was surprised to see a full sized product in the box!  And I love surprises like that!  I couldn't wait to jump in and play with it. 

While Honey was getting her pajamas on and I was overseeing her brush her teeth, I opened the box to see the packaging and what the product looked and smelled like. The first thing I do with almost everything I get (beauty wise) is smell it. I'm a smeller. 

This smells so so good!  Clean, with a hint of fragrance that isn't so harsh it will irritate your skin...just enough of a natural honey smell. And it has light reflection particles that make your skin absolutely glow!! 

As Honey finished getting ready for bed, I read the information card that came in the box from Ifabbo. It says the Royal elixir is an breakthrough anti aging serum that incorporates fresh royal jelly from African bees. The jelly stimulates collagen, while the water has been replaced with rose distillate, so the serum also has moisturizing and toning properties.

Based in what the card says, this is really the only other product you would need to use after washing your face. Like one stop shopping!

So I washed my face and put a thin layer across my entire face. I'm often weary of facial serums, usually because they have a strong scent that deters from any of the good properties it may have. And also because they seem to feel heavy and like they would cause me to break out. 

As soon as I put the Royal Elixir on my fave, I noticed a difference in my skin tone and how smooth and soft my skin felt. It feels really hydrated after washing it too. None of that tightness or dried out irritation. And no stickiness or heavy feeling. 

Now obviously I will need to continue using this for more than one night to truley see how well it works in the long run; but I will definitely keep you updated!

If you're interested in trying ifabbo for yourself, head to www.ifabbo.com and fill out the blogger application. And if you want to buy the Perlier Royal Elixir, it's on HSN right now and can be found at http://bit.ly/1m2kLEZ.   That is the specific Perlier page, just copy and paste it right into your browser. 

Let me know in the comments if you give it a shot!!

Indie Review:Big Spoon Laquers

Hey lovelies! Sorry I've been slightly absent; I've been planning, prepping and going on vacation. We took Honey to Disney for the first time this last week. We spent 3 days at the beach, and two days in Orlando. It was so relaxing and so so nice to be in warmth and sun!!

Before I left the wonderful Pauline from Big Spoon Lacquers sent me a wonderful swatch package!  She sent me three colors from her newest line Childhood Wonderment, all colors based on not only children's favorite movies but the messages they impart on us. 

And not only did she send me some beautiful polish but she sent a small sized Zoya polish remover and a roller of Sweet Baby by Donna cuticle oil in the Pink Sugar scent.  How sweet is that!?

One of the things I love most about indie polishes is how they arrive. Take a look at Big Spoon Lacquers packaging. 

How cute is the little spoon!?

So on to the polishes. My first is Friendship Beyond Infinity. I'm sure you can tell just by the name that it's based on Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear. It's a white crelly, jam packed with green, purple and black glitters. It's so packed that the downside is, it gets slightly thick or goopy. But still applies well and covers well in two coats. 

Next is my husbands favorite. He said never take it off, haha. It's called Dynamite Girl and it's based on Wreck it Ralph. I love Wreck it Ralph. I wish Audrey liked it more so I could watch it more. Dynamite Girl is a gorgeous jelly (super squishy jelly at that) red with different sized iridescent glitter that shine so beautifully off the red. Again two coats is perfect for coverage. And this goes on so smoothly and perfectly. All my pictures are with the colors on their own, and no undies. But I think a red under this would make it pop so nicely!!

Lastly, I received Eye on You. A grass green with tiny silver, holographic glitters. Named for Mike Wisowski from Monsters Inc and Monsters University. I love the color, but on my skin it just doesn't match well. I need a tan (which I didn't get in Florida, boo) and it will look better! But it definitely doesn't mean the color isn't beautiful!!

The Childhood Wonderment collection launches in April. For her shop visit bigspoonlacquers.bigcartel.com. And search Big Spoon Lacquers on Instagram for pictures of all her beautiful polishes!!

~Kat

China Glaze Sea Goddess Collection

Omg! I received the most amazing Secret Admirer swap package this month!  Another Instagram secret swap, put together by @nessduh, another success! And in it not only did I receive a ton of stuff off my wish list, I got the entire Sea Goddess collection from China Glaze. It's their spring/summer texture line and so pretty!!  

Some are easier to apply and use than others and I'll let you know my experience with then below!

The first is Teal the Tide Turns and it's a minty green with darker green glitters. And it's my least favorite of the bunch. I don't like the dark green mixed in with the light green. It just looks funny to me. And it could just be my bottle but the brush didn't fan out during application. It stayed kind of clumped together which made it hard to apply. And it would dry with a sandy like appearance. Almost like when sand dries on your feet or skin at the beach. A few others did this too with the first few coats. And I don't really think this is a "teal" color. But that's not that important. 

Second is Sand Dolla Make You Holla. I love the name. It reminds me of a summer years and years ago, when after having some drinks with my then fiancé and our friends at a large music festival in the area, we took a cab to a local bar and yelled out the window to random people "Holla for a Dolla!!"  Oh to be young and dumb again... 

But back to the polish. And this brush didn't fan out at all and stayed stuck together making application difficult. This is almost like an indie companies "crelly" but seems to lack the full execution. It also took a few extra coats to be opaque. The bottle looks like the polish would be a white polish with multiple colored micro glitters, but on it takes a more nude colored appearance. Not a favorite of mine. 

This is where the collection started to take a turn for the better for me! Wish On a Starfish is a gorgeous pale pink with a beautiful golden shimmer. I wish I could have photographed that shimmer better, but you can somewhat see it in the bottle in the photo above. Again, brush problems with this one too. But it's the last one I had a problem with. This will compliment a golden summer tan perfectly!

Tail Me Something is a purple with silver micro glitter/shimmer. Great application with really nice coverage in two coats. This one did that weird drying sandy thing that the green did. And that's my only complaint about this color!!

Shell We Dance is a darker raspberry pink with darker pink glitters that seem to appear gold or silver in some light. This is three thin coats, and the brush was perfect in this one. 

Seahorsin' Around is my absolute favorite from this collection. This picture is two coats, but to be honest you could get away with one!  It's got amazing coverage, and went on so smooth and easy. There is nothing negative about this polish. Not one. This is definitely a go to color for me from now on. The blue is gorgeous and flattering to all skin colors, and has a golden shimmer through out that you can see in the light. 

Overall I think this whole collection is worth buying. I'm sure the brushes were a fluke, but since I only have my collection to go off of, I can't be sure. But if you're looking to only purchase a few, Seahorsin' Around, Tale Me Something, and Wish on a Starfish are my suggestions!

Enjoy!

~Kat

Giveaway Update!

I had the wrong code in the first giveaway post. So if you went to the blog already to enter, and it wasn't there I'm very sorry. It's up and running now. Go enter! Kat

**GIVEAWAY!** Montage Jeunesse Skin Care Masks

Remember a few weeks ago, I reviewed those **awesome** Montage Jeunesse skincare masks?  I had originally received them from Influenster in my Violet VoxBox, and was accepted into their VIP Blogger Program.
These masks are SO NICE. My skin felt great and looked great, after using them.  After reading my review, the company has offered to host a giveaway for my readers!!  They will give one lucky reader a full set of the three masks I reviewed:
Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask
Super Fruit Mud Mask  and
Creamy Coconut Mask

All you have to do is enter with RaffleCopter!  A few of the entry requirements are mandatory, including following my blog, Facebook page, and Montagne Jeunesse's US Facebook page.

The giveaway runs from today, January 22nd, until February 14th at midnight.  The winner will be contacted via email and posted on my Facebook page.  Enjoy!

Kat


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Some Updates and Some Manis

Hello lovely ladies (and daper dudes?); I hope the new year has treated you well so far!  Mine has been busy and full of polish!  The best type of year; so far. And full of fun manicures of course. I wanted to share some of the goodies and manis I've done so far this year. One was even featured as one of Bundle Monster's manis of the week!  I'll save that one for last. 

First, for the Chinese New Year, liquid Sky Lacquer (@whimsicalcolor on Instagram and liquidskylacquer.bigcartel.com) created a gorgeous shimmery thermal. 

When cold, this indie polish is a beautiful golden red that shimmers in the sun. 

And when warm, a beautiful shimmery golden nude. You can see the stunning transition in the above picture. This is probably my favorite thermal that I own. 

My family does a Secret Santa (extended family that is) at Christmas. And my cousin Nicole had me this year. And does she know me or what!? 

Mariah Pure from Mariah Carey's second OPI collection. It's a top coat packed with 18 karat gold and silver flakes. The mani shown is the Pure over a steel colored Clinique polish I also got at Christmas. It's a little difficult to work with, since the flakes seem to be heavy so they sink a bit. But it's worth it when you finish the mani!

Along with the top coat, I was also given an Amazon giftcard. So of course I bought more nail polish goodies. I bought Bundle Monsters newest stamp set and a new stamper. I love the newest stamps, they are so creative. And were all submitted by fans!  

I did this lightbulb mani using Orly Liquid Vinyl and stamped with Pure Ice in Silver Mercedes. SM is the best silver for stamping. It's so thick and color dense. You get great coverage. 

Another mani I did using the new set was using two different stamps. 

I used Orly Coachelladweller Dweller and stamped with Essie Good as Gold. I love the octopus!  And his little tentacles!

And last!  Another stamped mani. My favorite mani, probably of all time. It was not anywhere near what I imagined when I started, but it turned out even more amazing than I could ever imagine! 

I stamped Zoya Mason and Orly liquid Vinyl over Color Club Harp On It. Of only it had been more than -50 outside, I would have been able to take a real picture in the sun! This was the one that Bundle Monster picked as one of their manis of the week. I've never been chosen for anything like that before and to me it feels like I really know what I'm doing and belong in the nail community!!

I also wanted to say thanks to all of you who follow, both my blog and on Instagram, and comment. I love every comment I get!  Thanks!!  And I am finally getting my Facebook page up and running!!  So search Diary Of a Polishaholic on Facebook and follow there too!

And finally, check back soon!  Those Montagne Jeunesse masks I love so much will soon be up for a giveaway, right here!  By the end of the weekend; promise!

~Kat 

Followers?

I know there was talk about Google Reader shutting down last year, and to be honest, I have no idea what that means.  But today, as I was updating my Influenster widget, I noticed all my Google Friend Connect followers were gone. It says "No followers yet.  Be the first!"  Huh!?
I know I don't have very many followers, theres about 30 of you from GFC, but I still want it to show that people do read my blog!!  And I know there are followers on Bloglovin, but those don't show on my page!!  Wah.  I'm really saddened by this and I hope it's just a quick glitch that is being fixed!!