Current Nail Care Routine

Ola Beauty Lovers! I know its been a week since I last posted but what can I tell you, my daytime job is at a busy period at the moment so by the time I get home I am pooped to go back onto the computer to post. But I figured its Friday and here in Canada it is the long weekend, so I should get you readers something to read for the long weekend we have here in Canada. Right before school starts for the kids (I don't have any, I just mean in general) we have Labor Day Monday September 2nd 2013, a national holiday of which is great!

Today I am here to talk to you about my current nail care routine. I have always a lot of people telling me how healthy and amazing my nails look. Well sweet heart, it takes work. You think I was born with these nails looking so groomed? Honey let me tell you, once upon a time, I used to bite my nails to the nubs and they would bleed! Yes those were my childhood years. Then once I got into high school I discovered the acrylic nails. Boy are those horrible for your nails! By the time I graduated high school, out in the working world/college world I discovered I can get my natural nails looking as if they were fake but they are in fact all N A T U R A L.

I change my nail polish every 2 to 4 days. Depending on how much I like the color/formula and if I am not busy, but I always find the time to paint my nails :) that is just me. My ultimate favorite nail polish companies are OPI (#1), China Glaze (#2), and Essie (#3). I still use other brands like L'oreal, Sally Hansen, Sephora by OPI, but those 3 are my top 3 brands of which I own the most nail polish from. You can get OPI, China Glaze, and Essie at any Beauty Supply outlet or drug store.

Now in order for your polish to look utterly fantastic, you must take care of your natural nails. Every time I remove my polish I use this process religiously.

1. Buff my nails slightly (not a lot, do not get carried away) to to ensure that there are no lumps or bumps on the nail bed surface so that your polish applies smoothly.

2. File my nails to the length I am comfortable having them. ( I don't do this step every time because there are times I like the length of my nails so I don't touch the length. Only if I get a split nail or they are as long as claws is usually when I take out the file)

3. If required I will use the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover to take away dead skin (Try really hard never to snip at your cuticles because that will make them mad!)

4. Wash my hands with my bath and body works hand soap. Yum.

5. Apply 2 coats of the "Growth Spurt" Nail polish base. This stuff is my holy grail. Any time I use this, my nails grow like weeds.

6. Let dry then apply 2 coats of my favorite color nail polish I am feeling at the moment. (Yes my colors change all the time, that's the fun in doing your nails girls!)

7. Let that dry then apply your top coat. My top coat at the moment is the Seche Vite. Love it! It dries instantly. Just what ever you do make sure when you use it that you have the window open so that you don't ingest those fumes. This one has a bit of a strong smell.

8. Lastly I apply 2 different kinds of cuticle oil. Sometimes I only apply one or the other and sometimes I apply both. The cuticle oil in the skinny tall bottle is suppose to promote strong, long healthy nails, and the cuticle oil in the small chubby bottle is just a mix of mango/jojoba/avocado oils. I mixed that small bottle myself with my own oils I have. ( Yes I am an oil freak. Comment below if you want me to post an article on beauty benefits of using natural oils).

Now you are thinking, my gosh woman that's a lot of steps. But for those true beauty lovers out there, you will understand that these steps are like a relaxing process. Once my manicure is done, I always apply the nail cream and cuticle oils every night before bed to help maximize my nails to their fullest potential.

Below is a photo of all the products I use except the nail polish. Its up to you which creams and oils you prefer to use, as everyone is different and also has their own preference. I usually switch up my cuticle creams after I finish one because I love to try out new things. But this is what I am currently using now. Also I will post here some photos of my nails after my manicures are done so you can see how well they are coming along. If you want to follow me on instagram, I post all kinds of nail swatches there on a regular basis. You can find me @Antoniettanacc

Please feel free to leave a comment and share with me your favorite colors you like to wear.

Until next time Beauty Lovers ❤
MacGirl25

Pauly D Bronze Beats- Tanning Lotion review

Ola Beauty Lovers! Yes I am back again. I am just on a roll. Today I want to take some time and talk about a favorite tanning lotion of mine. Normally in the summer time I do not use the tanning beds. I know what some of you may be thinking, "Tanning beds are bad for your blah blah blah," and that is fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I am not a hard core tanning bed goer. I usually only use the tanning bed in the late fall/winter time to help out my acne on my back and warm up my bones a bit every so often since I have a bit of arthritis. So when I do go and use the bed I make sure I use a fabulous tanning lotion that will bronze me up a bit so I don't look like a Cullen. (For those of you Twilight lovers will understand what I am referencing).

Any way, about over a year ago I discovered the Pauly D Bronze Beats Tanning lotion. When I was introduced to this product I thought to myself, isn't it a product only for guys? The lady at the salon say no, yes a lot of guys use it, however for those girls who are European and have a high olive complexion they are able to enjoy this product as well. So I said what the hell, might as well try it out.

The packaging is average, to me for a tanning lotion, I don't really care what the package looks like as long as I can comfortably fit it inside my purse. The bottle is around 360mL so about 12.25 fl oz. The prices  ranges depending what salon you buy it at so it ranges between $70-$80. Yes I know its a bit pricey but keep in mind this is a higher end tanning lotion, definitely not like those $30-$40 ones at the bottom of the shelf.

When you open the bottle, and squeeze the product out, it smells fabulous. The scent is very attractive and makes you feel fresh and clean. The color of the product is a dark bronze color. DUH it is a bronze lotion so obviously it will have color to the cream. No, to answer your next question, it does not stain your hands when you apply it to your body which is an amazing bonus.

Once you get out of the tanning bed you instantly have color with this lotion, which is why I love it so much. This lotion also helps to make your tan last longer than an average lotion does. The salon I go to usually has this lotion always sold out because a lot of clients love it and use it. Which is why I had purchased a back up last winter so that when I run out at least I don't have to hunt it down at a retailer or salon. :) always gotta think ahead.

Normally one bottle of this lasts me about 2 years. Like I said I don't tan often which is why it lasts me a long time. For those of you who tan a lot more of course you will finish it quicker. Common sense.

For those of you who do not know who Pauly D is, he is a DJ in New York, and has stared in the TV Reality hit series The Jersey Shore.

If you are interested in purchase this lotion, you can visit any tanning salon near you and inquire about it. Sometimes they may not have it on the shelf because they sold out, so it's always good to ask them as they are able to order it for you in the event you really want to try it out.

Until next time beauty lovers
MacGirl25

Limecrime Lipsticks Review

So I am back again with another review. I love lippies as some of you beauty lovers call them. As for the normal people they are lipsticks :) the lipsticks I am talking about today are Limecrime lipsticks. 

The packaging is cute. Purple plastic with holographic design of a unicorn on them. Very cute. The formula of these babies are heavenly. So creamy. Very smooth, and so pigmented. They last long on your lips even if you eat with it on. Amazing! When you wear the formula all day long they definitely do not dry your lips which is fabulous. The price is around $16 per lipstick. Which is a bit cheaper compared to the MAC lipsticks. Love all the colors that limecrime offers. They have a wide range of bright colors with a couple nudes.

Their website offers worldwide shipping which is a bonus.

If you want to check out their website here is the link below: 

http://www.limecrimemakeup.com/categories/lipstick/ 

The colors I own and are all my favorite in the photo are listed below from left to right:

Geradium, Cosmopop, Countessa Fluorescent,

Babette, Centrifuchsia 

Until next time beauty lovers ❤

Macgirl25

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm Review

Ola Beauty Lovers! I am back again to talk to you about the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm. I bought this BB Cream on line from BeautyBay.com. They have some good products at decent prices. Anyway so I was a bit nervous trying this out since it would be my first time ever trying out a BB cream period.

The Price ranges depending where you buy this but at Sephora you can get it for around $34.00 for 35ml or 1.18 fluid oz. The packaging is very slick and smooth, however you can not see through the packaging to see how much you have used up. So that is a bit if a bummer to track when you will need to pick up a new BB cream.

When I applied it the smell was a bit yuck. Personally if something doesn't smell fresh and clean it just doesn't allow me to appreciate the product for what it does. I know that sounds dumb but scents matter to me when I use them on my face and body. So I wish they would improve the scent.

As for the product it self, it comes out of the tube as a skin color. But the best thing is that every woman can use this universal shade because it adjusts to your skin tone. Which is wonderful! It applies so smoothly and silky that it feels like your applying silk to your skin. So enjoyable. This BB cream comes with SPF 20 which is a bonus and I personally think the perfect SPF level.  The bottle also claims its a DNA Repair and is optical blurring. I can speak to that when I apply it I do notice that it does some skin color correcting with my redness and slight dark spots. So it does not lie to that. The bonus of this product is that its oil free! YAY since I am combination skin type I need something to control my oil. This does the trick. With this BB Cream my oils are top of the line in control and I do not look like an oil slick major by the end of the day which is nice for a change.

I use this BB cream every day. For work, for weekends, even when I go to the beach I use this as my sun screen since it has SPF :) as an overall rating I am really enjoying this BB Cream. I would purchase it again in the future once I have tried a couple more BB creams on my list. Definitely worth the $34 if you ask me!

I would love to know some of your favorite BB Creams out there, leave me a comment below as I am open to trying new products all the time.

Until next time Beauty Lovers
MacGirl25

MAC Select Cover up concealer

Hi Beauty Lovers! Ok so I wasn't planning on doing another article right away but I could not believe this. In my June beauty favorites I had mentioned I was digging the MAC Select Cover up concealer this spring/summer. Well let me just say that my opinion has changed since what happened to me this morning.

It's a typical day in the office, I make a pit stop to the bathroom to check my face and I discovered that my concealer has creased in my FINE UNDER EYE LINES that I DID NOT KNOW I HAD BEFORE!

I was mortified. I tried to smooth it out but it didn't work. What kills me is I normally use this product and apply the famous Ben Nye Banana powder after to set it and it usually works well. Let me tell you now I have noticeably under eye fine lines and I am seriously upset.

Now I am on the hunt for a good under eye cream to minimize the look of these fine lines. If any of you have any suggestions please leave a comment in the comments section!

Also I am thinking of switching up my concealer once I finish this one. I have a few already I purchased that I am gonna try out so  we will see how that goes.

Any way I thought I would share that with all my appreciated readers!

Until next time beauty lovers,
MacGirl25❤

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish: Nail polish review

Hey Beauty Lovers! Sorry I know I have been missing in action. My day job is a bit hectic at the moment. Today I am going to be talking to you about the CND Vinylux Weekly Polishes. I am a polish fanatic. There is not one color I don't have. But when I saw this new nail polish line in Trade Secrets, and they claim that the polish lasts up to 7 days on your nails I just had to test that theory out myself.

Now the catch for this 7 days long wear nail polish to work is only if you use their specific top coat. Each bottle of top coat or color is about $12 a piece. Which was around the same price as OPI once upon a time. I purchased a few colors, a nude, two summer colors, and two fall colors, plus the top coat. Now I haven't tried out the fall colors yet because I am still in summer mode so I only tested out the nude and summer shades from my nail polish spree. The line carries over 30 shades of different colors so there are lots to choose from.

Applying the polish is enjoyable. The formula is very thin, thinner then most polishes out there today. They dry pretty quickly which was a nice surprise. The top coat acts as a Gel Shellac type of finish. The formula of the top coat is a tinny bit thicker since it is a gel, but it applies very nicely onto the nail without it caking up looking like crap. It dries very quickly so you need to be quick when applying the top coat.

So I did a little experiment. I put this nail polish on myself, who does minimal house work since I still live at home. Then I put it on my mother who uses her bare hands with house cleaners for around the house. Dish soap, bathroom tile scrubs, pots and pans scrubs etc.

My nail polish lasted about five days on my hands with very minimal chipping. Which is great because if you know me, I change my nail polish every 2nd to 3rd day. Only because I enjoy the change in colors. My mom however, with all the heavy duty cleaning she does daily, the nail polish started chipping by the second day. So you may ask me , is it worth the money to go and spend on this line? Well it depends who I am talking to really. If you are the type of woman who does the heavy duty cleaning daily, then maybe don't use this line as a daily polish. Save this line for special occasions or if you go away on a trip. Not worth the money if all you will keep getting is chips by the second day because your a clean freak, stick to you normal nail polishes of OPI, china glaze etc. If you are the type of woman who saves her cleaning for one day a week, then by all means knock your socks off with this line, you will definitely enjoy it. And if you are the type of woman who doesn't clean at all because you have a cleaning lady, then hell you are probably capable enough to buy this entire line!

The Shades are very pigmented out of the ones I purchased, and are very enjoyable. As for the claim to last 7 days, well I think that all depends on your lifestyle and not the polish.

The color I am wearing in the photo below is Tropix.

The colors I purchased are listed below:
Lobster Roll (coral)
Tropix (bright pink)
Faux Fur (dark chocolate brown)
Rock Royalty (royal purple)

Impossibly Plush (nude)

Until next time beauty lovers
MacGirl25 ❤🍹💋

July Beauty Empties 2013

Ola Beauty Lovers. Today I have a July Empties for you, these are all the products I finished during the month of July. If you want to check out a video on this then go check out my YouTube Channel MacGirl25Antonietta.


1. L'oreal Paris Hair Expertise Ever Pure Sulfate-free color care system: Conditioner in Rosemary Mint
- I finished this conditioner a lot later then I finished the shampoo. But all the same the conditioner was nice. Smells amazing and is a medium formula for hydration. What I love most about this L'oreal line is that is anti fade for colored hair. Protects from UV rays from the sun. Is sulfate free. Has natural botanical and is 100% vegan.  I will re purchase again but I like to rotate shampoo and conditioner so it will be a while until I go back to it.

2. Sensodyne Tooth paste in the Iso active formula
- I know you may think tooth paste in this entry but come on, everyone needs to keep a healthy clean mouth going and I used up this tooth paste to get it. I had some sensitive teeth towards cold items and so I used this bad boy and it helped me out a lot. I change up my tooth paste once I finish a bottle. Sometimes from the same brand, sometimes a different brand. So stay tuned to the next empties to see which bottle I finished next.

3. Vaseline Hydrant Spray & Go in Cocoa Radiant
- This product was in my last Favorites. Loved this item. I can not describe to you the moisture it provides. It's quick to apply when you are in a rush and the hydration is amazing. Very affordable you can get this at your local drug store. I definitely will re purchase once I run out of body lotion. (I have so many more bottles of other brands to go through) .

4. Beauty Treats Make up Remove tissues in cucumber
- Love this make up removing cloths. They come in a pack of 30 for $4.95 at trade secrets. They are very moist and they remove all your make up without having to scrub hard. One of these packages should last you at least one month if you use 1 cloth per day. Love these, I repurchased already :)

5. Bath and Body Works Anti Bacterial Foaming Hand Soap in Sweet Pea
- I have all kinds of Bath and Body works had soaps. Love them so much. I change up the scent every time I finish a bottle. So you will see this again in the next empties article in a different sent. They don't dry out your hands which is why I love this brand.

6. Barielle Skin Polish Exfoliant in Pomegranate
- I got this exfoliate as a gift from a girlfriend of mine for Christmas. She had said it was a great exfoliate so I was so pumped to use it. Well this was a cream consistency and did jack shit to my skin as an exfoliate. LOL Hey I am being honest that is what all you Beauty Lovers need when it comes to product review. Don't get me wrong, this cleanser was very moisturizing but it did not do well as an exfoliate like the jar says. Not a re-purchase for me.  I believe you can find this brand at the Sally Beauty Supply and when I checked this exfoliate it was going for about $17 to $20! Save your money and go the St.Ives which is cheaper and does the job right!

7. One n Only Argan Oil Color Cream Developer in 20 volume
- I color my hair and I love this cream developer only because it doesn't leave my hair feeling like straw after you color your hair. This developer makes your hair feel silky and smooth as if you were born with that type of gorgeous hair. I found this at the Sally beauty supply, not to positive on the price but I would say it is around $8. I have already Re- purchased :)

8. MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Dark
- This was in my last favorites as well. Loved this tinted moisturizer. It is very light, not greasy and does the job well. A bit expensive. For more details please go check out my review on this from a while back. Will re purchase this in the future.

9. Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
- I got a sample of this a while back and finally finished it. I have to say I enjoyed this product a lot. I would wash my face and then apply this gel, let it sit for 10 minutes and wash it off. I can not describe how moisturized my skin actually felt. It was very refreshing. You can get this line off BeautyBay.com I will probably get this mask in full size in the future but I will be finishing off my other masks first before I purchase any more. Not to sure of the price on this one but I am sure if you search it on BeautyBay.com you will get a price from there. Very enjoyable sample I must say.

10. OPI Nail Envy
- Loved this nail base coat. It says it prevents splitting but which it did for a while, but it doesn't ever prevent splitting because near the end of the bottle my nails began to split again. Not sure if it was because the formula got more dry from all the uses I got out of it. But it did the job while it lasted. This nail envy is around $17 in salons, a bit pricey for my liking. If you can find it cheaper then great, if not then there are other alternatives that are cheaper that can do a better job.

11. Clarins Liquid Bronzer for the face
- I am not a fan of self tanner lotions. I know that they say too much sun is bad for you, but think about it, those self tanners are probably worse for you than the sun with sunscreen on since there are all those chemicals in those self tanners. This liquid self tanning facial bronzer did squat to my face. The smell stunk of self tanning creams, and there was no good outcome to it. This was a sample size I got from Shoppers Drug Mart. Thank god I didn't buy the full size. Waste of money. Clarins isn't cheap either just so you know.

12. MAC Penultimate Eyeliner in Rapid Black
- Hates this eyeliner. I don't beat around the bush. This eyeliner sucked. The felt tip was too flimsy so you cant even get a good cat eye out of it. The formula dried up way too quickly, I think in total I maybe used it for 2 weeks straight and after that its done, it starts to skip when you attempt to apply it and the fine tip is shot. Not worth the money at all (about $15) . So many other liners out there, I wont be re purchasing this one ever again.

13. Avon Eyeliner Glimmer stick in Blackest Black
- This eyeliner too me forever to finish. I don't mind this liner in the winter, but in the summer it is definitely not water proof. Love the mechanical pencil application but I need a water proof smudge free liner in the summer since my skin gets oily and I sweat. I'm human people c'mon. Very affordable around $4 from your local Avon representative. Not bad definitely workable in fall and winter. I have a tone of eyeliners so I doubt I will be re purchasing this, but if you have an Avon Rep check it out for the fall time since the season is approaching.

14. Bakel Cool Eyes cream
- Got a sample of this eye cream with a purchase I made at BeautyBay.com. I love this eye cream. The cooling sensation on my under eyes is amazing. Puts me to sleep like a baby and the next morning my under eyes are so hydrated it is so much more enjoyable applying make up to it.
Not sure of the price, but once I finish my other eye cream samples, I will be looking forward to purchasing this one in full size.

15. Proactive step 3 repairing treatment 

- I love certain proactive products. Like their lotions are awesome. I loved this treatment I used everynight and it would help keep the breakouts at bay. The only problem is that it's expensive. I am not sure if I will repurchase again only because of the price. We will see because their lotions are very good. Non greasy formula is so pleasant. 

Well my Beauty Lovers, I hope you enjoyed this mini review. Let me know some of your products that you enjoy to finish.

Until Next time Beauty Lovers
MacGirl25

July 2013 Beauty Favorites

Ola beauty lovers! I can't believe its August already! I have for you a list of my July 2013 Beauty Favorites for the month. I have some products that I have raved about already and I have a couple new items as well. So lets get is started: Note I have purchased all these products with my own money and these are all my honest opinions as always. :) Enjoy.

1. Centrum Pro nutrients Omega 3 mini gels

• For a long time I tried the normal fish oil caplets. But they were too big for me to swallow and I ended up choking on them half the time, which was a turn off for me so I stopped taking them. Then I saw on a commercial one time that there are fish oils in mini gel form so they are easy to swallow. I was amazed and I went to the local drug store to check them out. I like taking fish oil for my nails and hair. They are suppose to improve those two things on your body plus fish oil is good for development of brain cells. I purchased this bottle in the small size to try them out first. I love them! they are a perfect size small enough for me to swallow and I get my daily boost of omega 3. They range between $15- $20 depending on the size of the bottle. Well worth it. If you are lacking in the omega 3 area of nutrients then go check these out.

2. Schwarzkof Bonacure Repair Rescue Intense Leave in Treatment

• This leave in treatment is my number 1 favorite leave in treatment of all time to date. I tried this from a sample given to me at the Toronto Hair Show and I fell in love with this instantly after one use. This treatment you use after you get out of the shower, towel dry your hair, and spray this product throughout your hair. It does not leave your hair greasy, but actually does what it says. Your hair is left soft and shiny and when you blow dry it, you will think that your hair has done a total transformation. I ended up going to buy the full size of this because I cant live with out this item in my hair care routine. Love Love Love! The full size bottle is between $15 to $20 depending on where you get it. But its well worth it. I found this at my local beauty supply outlet.

3. EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

• This was my first time trying the famous EOS lip balms. I heard so many great things about them and so I gave in and purchased one. Since its summer hear in Canada I went for the scent "Summer Fruit". This balm is my ultimate favorite balm before applying lipsticks when I am doing my make up. It moisturizes your lips without leaving a really thick coat of chap stick on your lips where you then can't apply any other product. I bought this one at Wal-Mart for under $4. Very affordable and lasts a long time.

4. MAC Studio Moisture Tint with SPF 15 in Dark

• This has been my go to tint moisturizer for years. I love the MAC Studio Moisture tint. I normally use this product during late Spring, all throughout Summer, and even in early Fall if the weather stays warm in our area (Indian Summer). You can purchase this at your local MAC counter for around $31. Yes its a bit pricey however the tube lasts you a long time. I did a review on this product a few weeks ago, if you are interested go check it out for more details.

5. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Peach Satin

• I think I had this in one of my last favorites, but I love it so I added it again. This has been the only blush I have been using all Spring and Summer long. It is a very light weight formula cream satin blush that blends amazing into your skin for that perfect healthy glow. I do not leave the house without using this product. It is very affordable ranging between $5 to $7 depending where you go to purchase it.

6. Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer

• I have been using this Smashbox lid primer every time I apply eyeshadow. Sometimes if I don't feel like applying shadow, I will just use this primer to even out my eyelid skin tone, pop on some eyeliner and mascara and I am good to go. I find that this primer is better used in the colder months, as when I use it on hot humid days, I sometimes find that my lids still slightly get oily. But nonetheless its still a good primer and blends well into the skin. This primer is around $20 at the Smashbox online store. This primer is a bit cheaper than some other high end primers out there. Worth a try if you can get your hands on it.

7. Coconut Oil Extra Virgin ;)

• I have been using my Coconut oil in extra virgin all month long. I used this for my lashes to make them a little fuller, and I use this for deep conditioning my beautiful hair. Very inexpensive you can get this at your natural food store or any grocery store. Just make sure you get the extra virgin coconut oil. The more "virgin" it is, the less processed it has been through, therefore the more benefits you will get from the nutrients of the oil when you use it on your hair/skin/nails.

8. Vaseline Spray and Go in Cocoa Radiant

• Love this body moisturizer. It is quick to apply, non greasy, and inexpensive. You can find this at any drug store. Leaves your skin feeling rejuvenated. Highly recommended product.

9. Lush Sea Spray

• I just did a review on this spray. So I will not go into detail. But I love this beach hair spritz. Keeps my hair in tact with amazing beach waves, and smells great. You have to be careful not to apply to much spray because it will tend to get your hair oily. You can find this at your local Lush store for about $12. A little goes a long way so the bottle does last a while.

Let me know what your favorites have been for the month of July, I would love to hear from you all.

Until Next Time Beauty Lovers ❤💋
MacGirl25