I've got a secret! Beauty Secret Hardener

I have always had some serious trouble with my nails. They break, their brittle, they can never grow out, and when they try they are always peeling and getting chips and just looking awful in general.
I've always tried to keep my nails painted, just because it was something that I enjoy doing, as well as I think it's one of the absolute easiest things to change and make your day that much better! Over the years, I've stopped going to places to get manicures and pedicures because, let's face it, that adds up quickly, and I've found out that with a few select products I can make my nails look just as good as they do for a fraction of the price. And who doesn't love to save money?!
Well recently, I stumbled across something as I was looking for a new top coat, because even though I loved my old one, I'm one of those people that just wants to try everything they can get their hands on and I always feel like there is probably something better out there that I just don't know about it.
I can honestly say that since I have found the "Beauty Secrets Hardener" that my search is truly over. I don't think that I could find a better topcoat than this one!

Let me get into why I love this top coat so much.
Like I said, I have always had problems with my nails, and I started using this top coat about 2 weeks ago, and I barely have any of those problems anymore. Even after removing my nail polish I can see a huge difference in my nails. They are noticeably stronger, they don't peel, they are actually holding up and able to grow to a decent length! For someone that has never had nice nails before, this is extremely exciting for me! I can honestly say that I have natural white tips on all my fingers as of right now, and I'm pretty sure that that has never happened before.
I can also tell you that when I try and "bend" my thumb nail, it used to bend easily and it would put up barely no fight, and now I can't even bend it! That is how much this product has strengthened my nails. Now, just so everyone can understand, this is all I have been putting on my nails that has a hardener in it, I have not been using china glaze polishes or anything like that. In fact, since I've started using this two weeks ago, I've only given myself 3 different manicures!
Now that's the next aspect. If you're just looking for an awesome top coat, then you've found that as well! Like I just stated, I have only given myself 3 different manicures in two weeks, and even then they weren't really warranted. My nails had minimal chipping, and even then, it was only on my right hand, which is my dominant hand. And it was only on my index fingers and middle finger. Which I figure is accelerated by writing, and zippers. Nothing chips your nail polish faster than pesky zippers in my opinion!
But I alternated between an essie polish, wet n wild and now I'm onto sally hansen xtreme wear. I just took off my wet n wild manicure yesterday and it still looked as good as it did the first day except for those few trouble spots.
The last thing that I want to mention is the finish of this top coat. It is definitely a high gloss, which I personally love. It really makes my nails look like they are acrylic, and I have been asked by several people where have I gotten my nails done.
I know for sure that when I run out of my little bottle, I will definitely be purchasing the bigger bottle.
Now onto what scares some people, the price. For an amazing product, you are going to be paying....
$2.99 for 5/8 oz!
Yes. Less than half the price of Seche Vite, without all the harmful chemicals, and fairly easily accessible. If you have a Sally Beauty store, then you can find this there, or you can always order from them offline.
Link to Sally's
The bigger bottle is 2.5 oz and is just $5.99, but I purchased the smaller bottle before buying the big one, just so that I would be able to try it out!
Anyway, I hope that you all found this review helpful and that you will try out this top coat!
If you've already tried it, I would love to hear your thoughts! What are your favorite top coats beside this one?
Stay gorgeous! :)

Treat Yourself! Go on, YOU deserve it! :)

Hey lovelies!
Ok, I have been thinking about holding a "me" night, and pampering myself for quite some time. I know that we all have this same type of thought, but a lot of times we get so caught up in what we are doing and working on that we never try and take out time for ourselves. I believe that this is a huge flaw. I mean, we have to keep ourselves going and healthy even to be able to work! And your mental health is just as important as your physical, and I definitely believe that every now and then, we could all use a good bubble bath. I also know that a reason that some of us don't pamper ourselves the way we deserve to be is because we believe that we don't have the money for it. Trust me, I am right there with ya on that one! As a college student, I don't have the type of income that I can go pay someone $30 to paint my toe nails! I am compiling this list of cheap or do it yourself, at home spa treatments! These are tips and tricks that I have learned over the years, picked up and done before, and I can assure you that they work, and you will feel so much better after spending a little time on yourself! Some of these tips might be to help you look better, some of them might be just to help you feel better :)

Steam Facial
For this here's what you are going to need:
Green Tea Bag
Water (no specific amount)
Pot to boil water in
Bowl to put water in after it has boiled
Towel

Here's what you do:
You're going to want to put some water in your pot to boil. It doesn't have to be an exact amount, you want enough to where the water will not boil away and that your tea will be diluted. I normally use about 4-5 cups I would guess.
Bring your water to a boil. Once you notice in boiling, pour your water out of the pot and into a big bowl. Place the Green Tea Bag in the bowl.
Let the tea dilute into the bowl for just a minute.
Grab your towel. Put the bowl in a position where it's going to be comfortable for you to hang your head over it. Grab the towel and place it over your head and over the bowl so that your head is hanging over the bowl and the towel is enclosing the space.
You are going to feel like your sweating, but a lot of it is the steam condensing on your face. Which is just what we want :)
The steam is going to help clean out your pores and the green tea is going to help tighten them.

Ice Facial
Starting out in the same way!
What you need:
Water
Pot to boil water in
Green Tea Bags
Ice Trays
Saran Wrap
Toothpicks

Now a few of you might have seen this from Michelle Phan, and I have to give her credit where credit is due. If you haven't ever watched any of her videos, she has some great tips and tricks.
Boil your water, and place the tea bags in the boiling water. Let them steep for a few minutes. Take the water once it's cooled (you don't want to burn yourself) and pour the mixture into your ice tray.
Place saran wrap over the ice try and then poke your toothpicks through the saran wrap and into the mixture in the tray.
Place it in your freezer and come back tomorrow! You will have green tea facials!! Just rub the ice on your face. I know it sounds weird, but you will seriously feel your pores tightening as you use it :)

Lemon Sugar Scrub
What you need:
Lemon Juice
Sugar
Cotton Balls
Cup to put it in

Take some lemon juice and squirt it into a cup. Mix enough to where you can save it, or just mix enough to make it so you can put the mixture all over you face. Mix in some sugar. Again, these do not have to be exact amounts, it's all relative to how much of an exfoliation you want.
Mix in together, then get some of the mixture on your cotton ball. You can apply this directly to your face with it!
The lemon acts somewhat like a toner, and of course the sugar acts like an exfoliant. And if you get any in your mouth, it tastes like lemonade! :D
Wash off with water, and your face should feel squeaky clean!

Lemon Toner
What you need:
Lemon Juice
Cotton Ball

If you don't feel like you want to exfoliate, you can just squirt some lemon juice on a cotton ball and use it to go over your face, just like a toner. But without that nasty alcohol smell! :)

Lip Exfoliator
What you need:
Olive Oil
Sugar

Similar to the lemon sugar facial scrub, here you need to mix some Olive Oil (I use Extra Virgin to make sure it doesn't clog pores) and sugar together. If your lips are really chapped, you might want to consider putting more sugar in the mix. This is what I did last week, and it helped soooo much.
After you have mixed the two together, just apply with your fingertips to your lips. Really rub it on there. You are going to have to do most of this work with your fingers, I wouldn't count on just rubbing your lips together to get the job done.
Get some water on a wash cloth and get off the excess. Your lips should feel silky smooth!

Nail Soak:
If you have recently applied a dark nail color and have taken it off, and now have the stain/residue left behind, you might want to try this trick.

What you need:
Lemon Juice
Water
Bowl to soak your hands in

Fill up your bowl with enough water that when you place your hands in it it will cover your nails, but the water will not overflow. Then squirt lemon juice in. Again, there is no specific amount or ratio, just whatever you feel comfortable with and want to use for this.
Soak your nails in the mix for about 8 minutes. Once you pull them out, your cuticles should feel smooth and some of the color should be faded from your nails.
You can also do this for your toes, I would just suggest using a bowl you don't eat out of! :)

Cheap Hand/Cuticle Cream

Vaseline Healthy Hand and Nail Conditioning Lotion

I have to tell you that I have been loving this stuff and have been using it before all my manicures that I have been giving myself lately, and I can definitely notice a difference in the appearance of my cuticles. A small tube of this will run your about $2.50, but trust me, it's worth it! I love it :)
It even claims to make your nails stronger too, which definitely can't hurt!

Facial Mask:

Queen Helene's makes a fantastic facial mask that you can find at Wal-Mart and drug stores. It's cheap, I don't think I have seen one over $5, and they really do get the job done. If you are looking for a cheap alternative to going to a spa to get a mask, try this first and see if you don't love it.

Of course, we can't forget bubble bath! The ultimate treat when you just want to relax. Wal-Mart has several low cost options, even some that smell like bubble gum! If you want to spend a little bit more, of course there is Bath and Body Works as well, but I have found that Wal-Mart options do the exact same thing and give you the same amount of bubbles! :)

An often overlooked aspect of the bath is bath salts. These salts are good for several different things depending on the type that you get. Some of them smell good and are supposed to release scent and moisturizer into your bath water, and some of them just smell really good. It just depends on what you are looking for.

If you are over 21, may I suggest a glass of red wine? Some scientists suggest that consumption of red wine might fight your risk of.... breast cancer! Red wines are rich in phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants (good for your skin as well!) and there fore might cut your risk of breast cancer. The wines that are highest in these chemicals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, and Pinot Noir.
I am in NO way suggesting that if you are under 21 that you should try this, it's illegal, and we all know it. I am also not suggesting that you should start drinking tons of wine to prevent your risk of breast cancer. As we all know, we are hearing that a lot of things these days help prevent certain types of cancer and ALL of it is still being tested to determine if it actually does or not. Drinking a ton of red wine in no way ensures you will not get cancer, all it does ensure is that you are going to help your liver right out the door! Please, if you do choose to drink, do so in a responsible manner!

I hope that you ladies can use these options as a low cost alternative to expensive beauty treatments! Enjoy and treat yourselves! :)

Olay Pro-X Facial Cleansing System Review

Hey lovelies!
I'm sure by now that a lot of you have heard about the Cleansing System from Olay Pro-x. Well, I've finally got around to posting a review about it on my youtube channel, and I hope you will take the time to watch it!
Enjoy! :)

Just started up on Facebook!

Hi there lovelies!
If you get the chance, please click on over to facebook and like my page over there. I completely intend for it to be a forum like place where we can all chat, talk, and share beauty/ life related stories!
Here is the link:
Makeup Managed on Facebook
It only takes a second, and of course, liking it is free! So why not?!
Stay gorgeous all!

Wet n Wild Swatches and Better Pictures

Hey there lovelies!
Today we've got swatches! YAY! :D
I know that I always love seeing what I'm getting myself into before I make a purchase, so hopefully this can help you make a decision on 2 of the new Wet n Wild palettes. I have, what I consider to be, probably the 2 most neutral palettes out of the bunch. But that's just what I like to wear! If you would like to see my pictures of the other palettes available you can check out my "Look What I Found at Walgreens" post here.
Anyway, on to what we all came for! The two palettes that I own (so far) are "I'm Getting Sunburned" and "Silent Treatment"
I feel like both of these could easily be used to go from a day look to a night look, and with how portable the palettes are, it would be nothing to toss one of these babies in your purse and take it with you!
For the first contestant, we have I'm Getting Sunburned.


HOLY PIGMENTATION BATMAN! I could NOT believe my eyes when I first put on this eyeshadow. I mean, this seriously has better color pay off than some of my high end shadows! Why would I ever pay more for eyeshadow again? These colors are so pigmented and they blend so well. I put the brown shade from the Sugar Plum Fairy LE palette that was a NARS dupe for comparison. I originally thought that the crease shade from "Silent Treatment" was a dupe, but as you can see, I think we have found our dupe for that color.
I seriously had to put my crease brush in this shadow one time in order to get enough shadow to have my crease look fantastic. They blend together perfectly in my opinion. Not to hard and not so easy that you are going to overblend either. I would say that in this palette, the only color that really benefits from a primer is definitely the pink highlight shade. But the texture of the gold is a little bit different on a primer. I know it's hard to see in the photo, my camera does not like the light in my apartment. I also know that it's hard to see in the brown, but there are definitely flecks of micro glitter. Do not get me wrong, this shade is NOT shimmery at all. There are just little flecks of glitter that are more bronze/copper toned and stand out a little in the light. In my opinion, all it does is add depth to the shade, and it's absolutely beautiful. I can not believe that this shade is in a $3 drugstore palette.
The final contestant for the day is the new palette in Silent Treatment.


This might be my new go to palette people. I have used this palette almost everyday since I've gotten it. The taupe shade is beautiful! It's so pigmented when used with a primer.
And on that note, I would definitely say that EVERY shade in this palette benefits from the use of a primer. When you use a primer, the colors seriously gain so much pigmentation it's not even funny. I know that it is hard to see the peach highlight on my hand, but it's a really light shade even in the palette. You can tell the effect of it on your eye, but on the hand, it loses what it was meant for. So don't just think you are getting 2 usable shades in this palette. The highlight definitely serves its purpose on the eye.
I also put the Sugar Plum Fairy shade next to this crease shade for comparison. The Sugar Plum Fairy shade is a lot warmer. I would say that the crease shade in the Silent Treatment trio leans more towards black, but the flecks of red-ish micro glitter really make it look like any other black I have found in the drugstore. The words red and micro glitter combined might scare you. Don't let it! This shade is extremely wearable! The glitter only shows up in light, and again, only adds to the shade, and is definitely safe for work.
The primer I used was NYX Eyeshadow Base in ESB 03. Pretty much just a beige skin tone.
I would definitely suggest that if you are thinking about purchasing only one of the new palettes, go with Silent Treatment. All the colors are just so gorgeous, and I will most definitely be repurchasing this again and again and again. You honestly have the ability to go straight from day to night with this palette, and really, can you ask for anything more from a drugstore palette!
I hope you enjoyed the swatches and that you will follow my blog! Of course, I'm just starting out, so if you have any suggestions, I would love comments or suggestions!
Thanks everyone and stay gorgeous! :)

Walgreens Sale!

Ladies, just a short blurb to update about something AMAZING happening at Walgreens starting on January 9th.
All Wet n Wild products are 50% off! Yes, this includes the new releases! Hurry and scoop them up before they are gone! I'm heading to my local Walgreens early in the morning! :D
Stay gorgeous!

Look what I found at Walgreens!!

Swatches of "I'm Getting Sunburned" and "Silent Treatment" can be found here.
Hey there lovelies!
Just wanted to give you a quick update on what I found at my local Walgreens when I ventured out today. I was actually completely intent on not buying anything unless I found the new 8 shade palettes. Well, I didn't get lucky there, but boy I love what I did find!
First off, I want to show you the display that I found. I seriously walked past it about 3 times and was actually on my way out of the store when I finally saw it! Be on the lookout for something similar.

As you can see, I was basically the first person there to scoop up these goodies! I almost felt bad taking them from their place.... almost!
Next, a picture of the nail polishes!

Don't these just look fantastic?! I truly believe that there is not a single shade in this entire line that I would not love to have! They all just look so amazing for drugstore shades that I wanted to take them all up to the cash register and buy them all! Unfortunately, I only walked away with 2 shades today, but the rest of these polishes time will come :)
I took really fast pictures of each of the new trios. Sorry for the quality, there was a Walgreens employee giving me the evil eye as I was taking pictures, so I didn't have time to make sure they were all amazing! At least this can give you an idea if you have not seen the trios elsewhere. They all look awesome! Some of them are more colorful than I would ever personally wear, but that's just me, you are entitled to wear whatever you so please!
First up we have "I dream of Genie" and "I'm Feeling Retro"

My camera truly does not do "I Dream of Genie" justice. The colors were much prettier in real life. Because that top shade is definitely not white like it looks here.
Next up "I Got Good Jeans" and "I'm Getting Sunburned"

These colors for the most part look accurate, I just wish there wasn't that darn glare!
And finally we have "Silent Treatment" and "Spoiled Brat"

The crease shade in "Silent Treatment" reminds me a lot of the brown shade in the Sugar Plum Fairy LE palette. Let's hope so, because this was also a Nars dupe, and an absolutely gorgeous shade!
I will update when I get a chance to play with my new goodies and let you know what I thought about them! But until then, you can find out everything I purchased in my short haul video! Enjoy, and until next time, stay gorgeous! :)