This week I received a box of goodies to test and review from Covergirl and Influenster! I couldn't be more excited, as I've always loved Covergirl's mascaras (minus the Plumpify one, but that's another story!). I also wasn't even expecting to get this VoxBox, as it showed up in my mailbox a few days before I got VoxBox confirmation email. The VoxBox contained Covergirl's Total Tease mascara, and Katy Kat Eye eye liner. 

The mascara, like most of their brushes lately, seems gimicky with a different-than-the-norm brush that promises length and defined lashes. The brush is different from other mascaras because the brush has two sides. One side has short bristles which are very similar to the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara's bristles. These allow the wearer to get close to the eyelash roots to create volume and defined lashes. The other end has a smaller addition, with two rows of slightly longer bristles. This smaller end is to help tease out the length of your lashes. I found the best method to tease them out while still getting definition is to use to larger end, smaller end, then larger end again. However, I don't think that the teasing portion of the brush makes a very noticeable difference. Instead, I found that it works best to define my lower lash line, especially near the corners of my eye. I don't think the teasing end is something necessary or very handy, as I find that the normal brush does a very satisfactory job at giving my lashes volume and definition on its own. In my opinion, the mascara was fun to try and a rather decent one at that, but The Super Sizer mascara is essentially the same brush, sans teasing end.

I was excited to try the Katy Kat Eye eye liner because I knew that I needed to replace my current pencil liner soon. The colour that I received was Kitty Kadabra, which is a grey-black liner with some shimmer in it. I have to say that the liner was unfortunately not very pigmented, but it looks very nice for a neutral look because it's not very bold. However, I was hoping for a bit more of a pigmented colour from this liner.

The liner also has a smudge stick on the other end to help soften the lines that you create. But because the eyeliner isn't very pigmented to begin with it may unlikely that you would ever have a need for it. Overall, I can't say that I was "wowed" by this eyeliner, and it's definitely not something that I would go out of my way to buy. The only wow factor I found with this eyeliner was how I broke down crying when I got a new job, and it was the only part of my makeup that didn't budge. The mascara didn't fare as well. It didn't run down down my face, but it all came off as soon as I had to blot my face with some tissue. 

The products were nice to try, but I unfortunately didn't think they were very special or unique enough for me to repurchase. 



A special thank you to @InfluensterCA and @Covergirl for sending me these products free to test and review (#TotalTeaseMascara #contest).

*I received these products free to test and review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Cracks and rips on my nails are something that I've always been plagued with. My thumbnails are the worst culprits. I often get nasty cracks that start at the nub of my thumbnail that make their way across the nail. In the past, I used to just accept my fate. I figured the nail will just snag against various fabrics and my hair, so I may as well just cut it down to the nub, right?

Throughout my whole life, I've struggled with unhealthy nails. They've always been unable to grow very long without breaking, peeling, or cracking. At the beginning of 2016, I stumbled across Simply Nailogical's nail art videos on YouTube and was amazed to see how long and healthy Cristine's nails looked. Cristine often praises Bliss Kiss Simply Pure™ cuticle oil for her healthy nails. If you check out Bliss Kiss' Instagram page, they're regularly reposting pictures of successful improvements after using their cuticle oil.

I'm always looking for ways to help my nails grow and remain strong and healthy. So when I saw an article about how Khloe Kardashian keeps her nails long and strong I was tempted enough to click it. As disinterested as I am in the lives and exploits of the Kardashian clan, I'm not one to pass up on learning about new ways to help benefit nail growth.

The article (or ad, depending on how you look at it. The Kardashians get paid to advertise a lot of stuff through social media) went on to discuss how Khloe uses Barielle Nail Strengthening Cream to help keep her nails long and healthy. The product was originally designed to condition horse hooves to prevent splits and cracks when it was discovered to have the same effects on human nails. It sounded like a miracle cream, so I had to give it a try.

Of course, in addition to having nail art and nail care as hobbies, I also appreciate a good ol' bargain hunt. A quick look on Amazon told me that 1oz of Barielle cream was selling for $20.99 CAD with free shipping, and Nailpolishcanada has a .5oz squeeze-tube version of it for $10 + $4 shipping. After a bit of research, I scrapped Barielle's brand due to cost reasons, and went for European Secrets Hoofer's Choice Nail & Cuticle Cream. I easily found Hoofer's Choice in a shop near my residence, it was the same amount of product as the tub by Barielle, and was more inexpensive. I bought a 1oz container at Sally Beauty for under $5, but I've seen it at Trade Secrets as well (it's notable that Sally's had it a few dollars cheaper).

I'd have to say that it's a great moisturizer for my nails to use in addition to my cuticle oil. I like to keep it in my purse because it's great for when I'm on the go. I like to use cuticle oil pens when I'm out and about, but apparently oil pens aren't a very common device. I can't seem to use them in public without someone asking me what they are and what I'm doing with them! I wanted to be a bit more low-key, so I think that this cream is great because it looks like a normal tub of moisturizer... minus the horse logo and name. Be prepared to explain to friends what you're using on you nails, because whenever I use the product it seems to turn heads! I try to explain it to my friends as "Mane 'n Tail but for my nails."

The product itself is of a thick consistency, similar to Vaseline. I personally find that it doesn't make my skin feel very greasy which is great. However, the smell is really peculiar! It kind of reminds me of Vicks VapoRub. I hated the smell at first, but after awhile it grew on me. I also find that a little goes a long way. A tiny dollop can be spread across all ten fingers. It's recommended that this product is used once or twice a day, but depending on how dry my hands are, sometimes I'll use it more frequently. This means that one small and inexpensive tub can last me awhile. This product, in addition to cuticle oil, has helped me combat flaky nails and reoccurring splits on my thumbnails. Overall, I'd say that this product is great for anyone with dry and brittle nails in need of a little bit of TLC. That is, as long as you can handle the smell!

Pigment powders of all sorts have been burning up in the nail art world. There's chrome, holographic, and chameleon – some of which are also called "mirror" pigment powders. Chameleon powders are called as such because they make the nail shift between two colours, but they can also be called mirror powders because of their ability to make the nail shiny and reflect the light sources around it. Chrome powders can also be called a mirror powder because it makes the nail's surface shiny enough to reflect its surroundings onto it.
I recently purchased all three types of pigment powders from Born Pretty Store to see if these powders truly live up to their hype.

All of the powders came in a cute little container similar to a pot of loose eyeshadow, and they all came with an application tool which are basically little eyeshadow application brushes. When you apply the product to your nails, you may need to take preventative measures so that you don't make a mess. These powders get very messy and will leave glitter all over your workspace. I strongly recommend doing your nails over a piece of paper or paper towel so that you can easily contain the mess and just throw it away when you are finished. I used white paper which turned out to be very convenient, as I was able to roll the paper into a funnel and tap excess powder back into the pot for future use.

In order to apply pigment powder, you will need a gel topcoat and a UV lamp. However, I've seen many nail artists using gel formula polishes that do not require a UV lamp in order to create pigment powder nail designs (e.g. Essence The Gel Nail Polish Top Coat, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat). This important to note when doing chrome nails, because just like when using nail foils, pigment powder designs can crack when using traditional top coats. Water-based top coats are also acceptable for pigment powder designs because they will also not cause cracking in the design (Suncoat Water-Based Nail Polish). However, your base coat and coloured polish do not need to be gel formulas. I used a regular base coat and black polish paired with a gel top coat from Born Pretty Store. When my black polish was finished drying, I applied the gel top coat and cured it under my UV lamp. Once cured, I buffed the silver chrome powder onto my nails. The powder applied with ease and instantly transformed my nails from black to chrome. When I was finished applying the powder, I sealed it in with one last coat of cured gel top coat.

If you've been keeping up with the nail pigment powder trend, then you'll have probably noticed that many nail artists have been expressing their difficulties trying to remove excess powder off of their skin. Many have been using liquid latex barriers around their nails so that they can peel off and discard the glitter. Some have also been using acetone and a cleanup brush to remove the small particles from their skin. I personally found that just rinsing your hands under water was a very easy method of cleanup. Just be sure that if you are not using cured top coat that your nails are completely dry before using a hand towel. If your nails are not completely dry, you may accidentally dent your design on a hand towel's fibres.

Overall, my chrome nails looked incredibly chic and I received many compliments on them. They were very shiny and reflective and I often found myself ogling my nails and watching the different reflections appear on their surface. If you are interested in trying out chrome or mirror nails for yourself, be sure to check out Born Pretty Store's website. All of the products that I used to create this look are listed below.


Products Used*:

Silver Mirror/Chrome Powder ($2.65 CAD)
5ml UV Topcoat/Basecoat ($3.18 CAD)
Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Manicure Starter Kit ($69.97 CAD)
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear - Black Out ($2.47 CAD)
Revlon Colorstay Gel Smooth Basecoat (discontinued)

*Product price points are subject to change based on the current exchange rate.

If you live in Canada, or basically anywhere that isn't the United States, then you'll probably understand the struggles of online shopping. Shipping internationally isn't cheap, and after conversion of the dollar, shipping costs, and sometimes even duties, it almost isn't worth it to shop online at all.

I scoured the internet for the cheapest stamping mat I could possibly find. I really had my heart set on the Simply Neat Miracle Mat by Bliss Kiss, but it just wasn't a good financial decision for me. After adding it to my cart and going through the checkout process to figure out how much it would cost with shipping, it came to $34.72 USD. Which isn't entirely bad... But when you work conversion into this equation, that's about $46 CAD. Yikes! I am NOT paying nearly $50 for a stamping mat. Cue the as-seen-on-tv "there has to be a better way!"

I searched high and low for a cheaper alternative to the Miracle Mat. After shipping costs, duties, and conversion, I had come to the conclusion that I wouldn't ever shell out the cash to purchase one. Thinking I was doomed to use the plastic baggie method to create decals forever, I stumbled across the Fairy Mat on Aliexpress. For only $9.21* + free shipping, I thought it was too good to be true. And when you buy off of sites where the products primarily come from China, it's always a bit of a gamble of whether or not the product will be of good quality. I couldn't find a single review for this mat anywhere aside from the reviews on the seller's page. And when you're purchasing from an online vendor, it's hard to know which reviews are real and which are paid for when they're all positive 5-star reviews.

*Prices may vary depending on the seller and/or exchange rate of the current time.

I took a chance on the Fairy Mat, and of course by the time I had received it in the mail, Born Pretty Store had released their new stamping mats on their website ($11.97 CAD for the larger size, or $7.98 for the smaller one). AND, they also offer free worldwide shipping. C'est la vie, right? But the Fairy Mat from Aliexpress still works out to be the most inexpensive stamping mat I've found to date online.

Now let's do some math now boys and girls. My measurements are based on a conversion widget that I found on Google, so don't take my 100% word on these numbers, okay? The Fairy Mat is 33*24cm which is a pretty decent size for a stamping mat. That is roughly 13*9.5 inches.  The Miracle Mat is 16*12 inches, which makes the Fairy Mat a bit smaller. The BPS mat is 11*8 inches (28*21cm) which is smaller than the both of them. They also offer an even smaller mat that is 8*6 inches (21*15cm).

I was pleasantly surprised by the Fairy Mat's excellent quality, and I now use it all the time when I do my nail art. The mat is made of a bendable and durable white silicone, which has yet to stain from use. Any polish residue can be cleaned off of the mat with 100% acetone and a cotton ball. I've used it for reverse stamping which was very fun and a new experience for me. In the past, I used to create decals for my nails by using the plastic baggie method (i.e. you just paint onto a baggie and wait for your designs to dry, then simply peel off the design). I found that my decals dried faster when I painted them onto the stamping mat than when I painted them onto a baggie. I'm not sure why, but I'm blown away and will probably never be using a baggie for nail art ever again. If I'm not using the Fairy Mat for actual nail art, I love to paint my nails over the mat because if I make and accidents, it's super easy to clean. It also has a bunch of little stencils that you can use as guidelines to create decals, a little ruler on the bottom right corner, and two sets of fingernail templates that you can use as approximate guidelines for your designs. If you really want an inexpensive stamping mat, then I would recommend giving the Fairy Mat a chance.

Be sure to check out my video below! I'm still playing around with my Fairy Mat and all of the different things I can do with it. Reverse stamping is fun and all, but I've learned that stamping mats can be used for lots of interesting nail art techniques. I saw someone else do this trick on Instagram, but I have no idea who it was. If you figure it out, please let me know so that I can credit them! If you recreate this design, please tag me so I can check it out (@blondiesnails).

Matte polish is trending, and you can make some really cute nail designs with matte polish. However, some matte polishes don't last as well as glossy polishes, which means chipping down the road. And we all hate it when our freshly painted nails start chipping early. One typically wants at least a couple days of wear out of their nails.