Stella Chroma: The Words of Dumbledore collection, Spring 2020

Good morning friends!  Hope you have a lovely weekend. It's going to be a hectic week for me starting out with a 7:30am conference at school this morning.  My younger kids get out early all week while my oldest is on regular schedule so I'll be shuttling back and forth one extra trip than usual, oh joy.  But really I'm just glad to have a healthy house going in to the week - all my kids were battling sniffles and fevers and coughs last week.  But what does that have to do with today's post?  Nothing.   So let's talk about the post.  If you've followed Stella Chroma for any length of time you will know she is a huge fan of all things Harry Potter.  The Words of Dumbledore collection is a set of 5 beautiful polishes that you can purchase as a set for $54 or individually for $12 each.  And you can still use my code MNPO to save 15%!  Let's jump in to the post. 

*press sample*

Stella Chroma: Shop, Facebook, Stella Chromatics Facebook Fan Group, Instagram 

March 2020 PPU & IPU: Ancient History

Quickie post featuring a few of the items available through the Pickups this month.  The March theme is Ancient History and as usual, so many interesting takes!  Plus lots of amazing polish and fun products to shop.  The Pickups will be open 3/6 - 3/9.  

*press sample*

Polish Pickup: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

December 2019 Polish Pickup: Winter Is Coming

Afternoon!  Are you ready for tomorrow? I just found out that my kids practices have been canceled (due to rain and lots of families traveling) so I'm thinking of hitting up the gym and then starting up on the dishes I'm making.  I'm making a cheesy brussel sprout bake, stuffing, burrata appetizer plate and cranberry jello shots.  What are you making?  

Well, to not waste any more time on food things, let's talk about today's post.  I have the December Pick Ups to share.  The theme is Winter is Coming (yes it is!  Rained most the day so far and brrrrr).  The Pick Ups will be open 12/2 - 12/6 so as not to interfere with Black Friday shopping.  I have a few amazing polishes to share and can't wait to gush about them, let's jump in!

*press sample*

Polish Pickup: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

September 2019 Polish Pickup: Magic & Alchemy

Good morning!  Hope you enjoyed your Monday off, or at least a low key work day.  My fam-bam did nothing but laze around the house and hang out.  Though we did leave for dinner and enjoyed some live music. So Tuesday is kind of like Monday this week. The kids are back to school today and I'm jumping on the old bloggy blog to share some upcoming products that will be available in the PPU this month!  The theme for the month is Magic & Alchemy and I've seen some real beauties with the blogger previews!  The Pickups will be open from 9/6 - 9/9.  Let's jump in and see what I've got to share. 

*press sample*

Polish Pickup: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Born Pretty Summer Stamping Package Review

Good morning and happy Saturday friends!  I woke up late so I'm re-watching the England v Sweden game.  But I'm really excited for tomorrows USA v Netherlands game....eeeeeeee!  USA USA USA!! I'm talking about the Women's World Cup in case you were wondering. So while I watch, I post.  Today I have a fun Summer set that was sent to me from Born Pretty.  It was a total package; stamping plate, stamper, polish, liquid barrier and no smudge topcoat.  I only needed to pull out one of my own stamping polishes to use the kit (I wonder why one wasn't included).  I will share the direct links and price for each product as I get to it.  But for now HERE is the general link for Born Pretty.  And of course you can save 10% using my code JTOW10.  Let's jump in and see the fun items!  

*press sample*

Born Pretty Store: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

May 2019 Polish Pickup & Indie Pickup; The 80's

Hulllllo!  Can you believe it's time for another Polish Pickup?!  The May theme is The 80s so as you guessed, there are lots of neon and vibrant colors, lots of nods to childhood cartoons and music.  I really enjoyed swatching this set because they are all such fun colors!  You'll be able to shop The Pickups 5/3 - 5/6.  I won't waste any time since you probably want to get your wishlist ready for tomorrow morning!

*press sample*

Polish Pickup: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Indie Pickup: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Del Sol Color Changing Nail Polish

Hello again friends.  I'm being forced to just lay low today as I'm fighting a pretty good cold.  But it gives me time to catch up on posts so I'll take advantage of my being sick to do just that!   Fun little post for you this afternoon with some super cool color changing polishes.  Unlike thermals, these are solar powered changes, they change colors in the sunlight!  And it's a very easy transition, not requiring a bowl or warm or ice water for swatches and photos.  So 2 big thumbs up from me for ease of use.  Del Sol has a wide variety of products available on their website, including nail polish, hats, sunglasses, t-shirts and accessories.  I have some of the fabulous polishes in this post as well as some cool hair clips that my daughter modeled for me.  The best thing is you don't even need strong sunlight for them to work!  I had an overcast day and they all worked perfectly as soon as I walked outside.  You can pick up these great polishes for $10 each.  Other items range from $4 to $60.  Let's jump in and check out the post!

*press sample*

Del Sol: Website/Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Born Pretty: Recall from the Mermaid Shell Series & Fairbanks Arts from the 3D Magnetic Series

Evening beauties!  I am very excited to share this post with you!  Born Pretty Store launched some new collections today and they are pretty fabulous!  The shades are all very pretty and the new bottles are cute.  I have 2 shades from different Series to show you now.  They range in price from $2.99 - $5.99 depending on the Series collection.  I have a polish from the 3D Magnetic Series (HERE) and the Mermaid Shell Series (HERE).  Don't forget you can use my code JTOW10 for 10% off!  Let's jump and check them out!

*press sample*

Born Pretty: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Bee's Knees: Miscellaneous Polishes

Hey hey hey! It's Sunday, normally I'd be kind of bummed out because back to the Taxi Mom grind tomorrow but not this Sunday!  Kids have a week off and we rented an RV to go road tripping!  So far we've been on the road for 6 hours and have made 3 stops and are no where near the destination, HAHAHAHA!  <-- that was me with a crazy mom laugh.  So the RV has this cool laptop tray thingy at the front passenger seat so I figured, why not jump online and bust out a blog post! 

Not so long ago I was swooning hard over some Bee's Knees polishes.  This was a new-to-me brand and also a new on the scene brand thats been pretty much exploding with popularity.  Well, mama had to try and boy is mama glad she did.  Bee's Knees prototypes are $8 and the rest range from $10 to $12.  1 of the 3  polishes in this post are currently available in the store...so let's get to it!

*nothing to disclose*

Bee's Knees: Shop, Girly Bits, Facebook, Instagram

Indies Outside the Box: Fan-Tastic Customs, August 2017

Good afternoon lovelies!  Summer is winding down and it has me blue.  I love having less responsibility each day, getting to chill with my kids at home or head off somewhere fun for the day.  This is their last week of swim lessons and I am so impressed with their improvement this Summer!  But I'm also ready for the schedule/routine to start back up again.  It'll have me back in the consistent swing of things like running and blogging.  So while I'm still trying to manage being on track it seemed like a good time to drop a post for you!  Today's post features the Indie Outside the Box, which will be avaialbe for pre-sale from 8/11 at 12am EST to 8/14 at 11:59pm EST.  You'll be able to pick this quad up on the Top Shelf Lacquer site during the pre-order window for $40 plus shipping.  Boxes will begin shipping on 8/30.  Let's jump in and see the polish!   

*press sample*

Top Shelf Lacquer: Shop

Indies Outside the Box Fan-Tastic Customs: Facebook Group

Zoya Wanderlust Collection, Summer 2017

Evening beauties!  I've got a loooooong post of you tonight.  The Zoya Wanderlust collection for Summer 2017!  I know you've seen this collection before, but I usually like to share towards the middle of the season so the polish stays fresh in your brain (or it serves as a reminder that you loved a specific color).  Anywho, I figured it was time to share so here I am!  Wanderlust is currently available for $10 each or there are 2 sampler sets for $60 each.  This collection is heavy on pink and orange/coral.  There are a few other shades thrown in that are lovely bit really stick out like a sore thumb amounts the other colors.  A few are going to be fabulous for the Fall!  Wanderlust also has 3 matching lipsticks for you to choose from.  Those are $12 each.  Let's jump in and check out the post!  

*press sample*

Zoya: Shop, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

LeChat Dare To Wear; Retro Remix, Summer 2017 Collection & Perfect Match Gel Retro Remix Summer Giveaway

Yo dudes!  I'm coming atcha with some Summer neons that'll make you feel like it's 1980 again!  LeChat, the brand that makes Dare to Wear nail polish, has created al lineup of colors that'll make your nails look totally rad!  These are available on Amazon, but in the very near future they will be selling their nail products on their own site!  The Retro Remix Collection is a set of 6 vibrant shades that have Perfect Match gel colors too!  I have something exciting to tell you...I don't use gel so I don't know what to do with my set of them.  I decided to have a giveaway and send them to one of you!  Enter at the end of the post.  But for now, let's ump in and see the polish!

*press sample*

LeChat: Website/Shop, Facebook, Instagram

ellagee I'm Peach

Evening all!  Hanging out with my fan watching the Warriors (I am by no means a basketball fan so I'm not really paying attention) and taking a break from cleaning my house.  I am pretty beat actually, the cleaning and few errands I did today really wiped me out.  I am fighting a cold so I'm super blah.  But this polish is the absolute opposite of super blah.  It's pretty fan-flipping-tactic actually.  And it has me in the mood for the heat...BRING IT ON SUMMER!  Alrighty, so I'm Peach is available now for $12, $8 of which will be donated to the ACLU in your name! Let's jump in and check it out. 

*press sample*

ellagee: Shop, Girly Bits, Facebook, Instagram

Beauty Review: Rimmel London Lip Products and Sally Hansen Color Therapy

Morning lovelies.  This fine day I have some fine beauty products to share with you!  A couple from Sally Hansen, a couple from Rimmel London.  These are great makeup brands that you can pick up at your local drugstore (making life SO easy) for an affordable price.  What I've noticed is that lots of the drugstore brands are venturing out into new ingredients and jumping on trends (sometimes not so quickly).  The products I have for you today do both of those and do the well in my opinion.  I'll go in to detail for each product once we delve in...so why don't we go ahead and do that!

Sally Hansen: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Rimmel London: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

*press sample*

Morgan Taylor Beauty and the Beast Collection

Morning again loves!  If you've been paying attention to Facebook or any media outlets you've probably noticed the huge hype over the upcoming Disney Beauty and the Beast movie.  I am very excited to see it because it's always been one of my favorite animated films and Belle was always my favorite heroine.  I love her independence, intelligence and strength.  And the songs!  They are so darn catchy!  Anyways, now you know my love for Beauty and the Beast and I'm excited to share the Morgan Taylor collection inspired by the upcoming movie!  This collection is available now, online and in select beauty supply stores (Ulta).  It's also available as a mini Gelish set!  The polishes are $9 each and the mini Gelish are $12.99.  Let's jump in and check out the polishes!

*press sample*

Morgan Taylor: Website/Shop, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Alter Ego Body Care Products; Nail Polish & Body Product Review

Good morning my lovelies!  I've got a big post to share with you today, featuring products from Alter Ego Body Care Products.  Cynthia really upped her game and has some fantastic products in her shop.  She really puts care and effort into making safe and gentle items that anyone in your house can use.  I let all 3 of my littles use the perfumes and lip balms - you'll see more of them later in the post.  All the products in this post are available on the site now so you can start shopping right away!  Without further gabbing, let's get started because I have a lot to share!

*press sample*

Alter Ego Body Care Products: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Paint Box Polish LE Valentine's Day Set; Love's Keen Sting & Mani Fizzies

Good evening and sorry for the late post.  Valentine's Day is just around the corner and brands are rolling out their collections!  Paint Box Polish just released a new set including a gorgeous polish and 2 mani fizzies.  2 reasons you should buy this set...1. Paint Box Polish has been releasing total stunners lately and 2. the mani fizzles from her shop are the absolute best I've tried.  The LE Valentine's Day Set is a steal for $12.50!  And you can get it right now!  So let's not dilly dally and let's jump right in to the pictures!  

*press sample*

Paint Box Polish: Shop, Facebook, Instagram

Saturday Spotlight: Texture

Good evening.  Hope Saturday has treated you well.  Didn't really do much over here, a little running, a little tv watching, a little cooking, a lot of lazing around.  I really only wanted to leave the house for froyo, so maybe I'll rally the troops to make that happen soon and that totally just happened.  But I really do need to kick it in high gear to share my Saturday Spotlight with you!  For this one I decided to feature texture polish!  This became a trend about 2 years ago, but I still thoroughly enjoy a nice texture polish.  I like how they have a great matte finish and have a slight sandpaper feel.  Of course most have sparkly glitters or shimmer so that helps in my adoration towards texture polish.  So whether it's a fad or not, I still like the finish and will continue to buy new ones that I feel are pretty and unique.  Let's jump in to the post and check out some textures!
*nothing to disclose*
First is China Glaze Sand Dolla Make You Holla.  This came out last spring as part of the Sea Goddess collection.  This is a lovely whitish-pink full of dark pink, white and blue glitters.  The texture is a bit loose but it's still there.  The formula was easy to work with and I used 3 coats.  No topcoat. 

Rimmel London came out with a set of texture polish (last year?) and the collection was called Sweetie Crush.  I think it was Soda Shop inspired.  I picked up a few because the soft pastel shades were nice and I liked the metallic finish.  This pretty yellow is called Sherbert Sweetheart.  The formula was a bit sheer but despite that I enjoyed the color, especially the golden shifty-iridescent glitters.  The one thing I would complain about was the wide brush, it was like a Dior brush but bigger and the texture polish saturated it more so it was wide and thick causing it to be a little difficult to manage.  I used 3 coats and no topcoat.  

Kiko also answered the call to texture polish (a few times) and released the Cupcake collection.  It's actually one of my favorite collections because the colors were so different.  I actually have the majority of this collection (and would love the rest!).  This one is 655, AKA Menta.  Yup, this color is definitely refreshing and minty, like a mouthful of Colgate.  It's full of blue and red glitters for added interest.  The formula and application were both great, very on par with all the other Kiko's I have tried.  I used 3 coats and no topcoat.  

Another great brand from across the pond that also threw their hat in the texture ring was Barry M.  The Royal Textured Glitter Collection (fancy pants name) came out in 2013.  Princess is from that collection and it's a soft pink full of gold shimmer.  It really screams princess to me, it brings up  memories of a satin pink princess gown with gold trim I wore one Halloween.  The formula and application were both great.  I used 3 coats and no topcoat.  

Ok ok, I was totally in love with this polish when I put it on!  It's L'Oreal I Like It Chunky and it's a coppery-orange dream!  It it going to be a perfect Fall polish.  It makes me think of caramel apples, or basically anything drenched in caramel.  Not only do I love the base color, but the gold and pink shimmers and gold glitter are just breath taking.  Also the feel is exactly what I have come to expect from a great texture polish.  Formula and application were both fabulous.  I only needed 1 coat for full coverage!  No topcoat.  

And rounding out the post is the deep and vampy Chameleon Crush from IsaDora.  I wish IsaDora were easier to obtain, but I am very happy with the few that I have (all textures actually).  This is a totally gorgeous polish and the finest texture of all the ones in this post.  The colors are a deep purple with some green shift and loads of gold shimmer.  The first coat was sheer but it built up perfectly in 3 coats.  No topcoat used.  

Bubbles-n-Balms: Kat's Pajamas, On the Town, Dragon Scales

I sure hope you enjoy reading about these brands as much as I like reviewing them!  Bubbles-n-Balms is not a new brand per say, they have been around since 2009.  But they are new to me!  This is another exciting etsy shop because aside from very beautiful polishes, Renee makes some amazing bath and body products to chose from including body scrub, body mousse, milk soaps and lip butters!  I was sent a sample of the Sea Salt and Lotus Blossom scrub...wow, call me impressed!  I'll review that in this post as well!  I thought I'd try a group post today so you could see all the polishes in one big review. 

Before I delve in I want to share that you can purchase Bubbles-n-Balms on etsy.  You can also follow their Facebook page for product information and updates.  Now let's get this party started shall we?

First up is Kat's Pajamas.  This was the first polish that caught my eye and turned out to be my favorite.  I love all things peach, coral and pink!  Kat's Pajamas really spoke to me.  Renee describes it as "peach jelly with pink and green matte glitters and tons of iridescence."  The gold shimmer in this peach base is a stunning combination.  I love how the glitters match, but still peek out to play!  The matte glitters read more yellow to me, but it works.  Everything in Kat's Pajama's is very complimentary and pretty.  I used 2 coats of Kat's Pajamas over 2 coats of Sinful Colors Orange Creme.  The polish had a great formula and I had a god amount of glitter come out with each brush dip.  Everything lay nice and smooth.  I finished it off with 1 layer of topcoat.  

Nest up is On the Town.  I loved this polish.  OTT has an amazing fuchsia to gold shifting shimmer.  The shimmer adds an amazing amount of sparkle to the polish.  This polish is also loaded with matte pink and white glitters, black hexs and holo glitters.  Since it's meant to be a topper you can layer it over any color you choose!  I picked Sinful Colors Sweet Tooth and used 2 coats for a full coverage base.  I then used 2 coats of On the Town.  The glitter came out easily and spread well on my nails.  I used 1 layer of topcoat.

shade

indoor picture to show off the shimmer

Last but not least I have Dragon Scales.  Renee has this to say about Dragon Scales, "This polish has loads of gold, red orange and yellow glitter with iridescence, all in a sparkly light Tangerine jelly base."  I have been having an orange-peach-coral moment and Dragon Scales definitely helped satiate that craving.  I used 3 coats for full coverage and great glitter payoff.  Application was great.  I used 1 layer of topcoat.  

shade

shade

Renee was so sweet, she included a sample of her Sugar Body Polish Sea Salt and Lotus Blossom.  I love it!  This scrub is amazing!  I tested the scrub on my hand and around my nails.  I found it to be non-oily, which I was very happy about because I do not like when my body feels oily.  I want a scrub to make me feel clean, not greasy.  The scrub had a nice fine-grit texture, but not too abrasive that I wouldn't use it on my body.   The scent was a very light and subtly floral.  Not over powering at all.  When I washed it off my hands were left feeling soft, moisturized, and lightly scented.  If you are a fan of scrubs you need to try the ones from Bubbles-n-Balms!

*Bubbles n Balms products were sent for my honest opinion and review