Beauty, Daily, Fashion, How I Style, Photos, Reviews

eBay purchases: rated

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This is becoming a reoccurring trend! My fourth eBay purchase “review” post.

View the rest here, here and here.  Well, let’s get started! Just to note, the item that was for sale is displayed on the left and the right image is a photo I took of my purchase.

Double--Ball-Necklace

Seller: wangdecheng9898 on eBay
Item: Two Hollow Ball Crystal Pendants Long Necklace
Paid: $1.29 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: China
Delivery: 24 business days
My opinion: It broke the first few hours of wearing, but it was easily fixable with pliers and some patience. It’s a nice little necklace, and wearing it a lot lately. Gotten a few compliments. It’s worth the buck twenty nine!
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Glossy-Frosting-bangle

Seller: panda-blossom on eBay
Item: Glossy Frosting bangle&bracelet Lovers Stainless Steel bangle
Paid: $10.75 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: China
Delivery: 14 business days
My opinion: It’s a pretty cute bracelet. It’s difficult finding bracelets small enough to fit me, which is annoying. So this fits about average sized wrists.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

bubble-bracelet

Seller: china.seller16888 on eBay
Item: Fashion Charm Style Friendship Bangle Contractile Bracelet
Paid: $6.99 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: China
Delivery: 12 business days
My opinion: It ended up being so much larger in person that I had imagined. I love the way it looks on my arm, but I can definitely see the silver “chipping off” with time.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

turquoise-bracelet

Seller: shopdashingdaisy on eBay
Item: Designer Style Silver Cable Turquoise Stone Thin Cuff Bracelet
Paid: $16.99 + $7.00 shipping. Worth the price? No
Location: United States
Delivery: 9 business days
My opinion: Apparently this is a knock-off David Yurman bracelet. I only noticed after I had purchased it. So that’s pretty decent, for $25. However, since I have tiny wrists this isn’t the most ideal bracelet. While it’s great looking on the arm, it “flips” over making the turquoise on the bottom of the wrist. I’d rather it stay in place. I don’t think I’d pay the price again if I had the time back.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 claw-ring

Seller: topitem.hsl on eBay
Item: Retro Style Punk Eagle Bird Claw Talon Ring
Paid: $0.99 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: United States
Delivery: 13 business days
My opinion: I have pretty narrow fingers and this ring fit on my pinky. Thankfully with a little work, I ended up bending it to fit my middle finger or pointer. It’s cute, but it’s hard to style, I find!
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

pump-dispenser

Seller: WhiteBear-2008 on eBay
Item: 2 Pump Dispenser Nail Art Acetone Polsh Makeup Remover
Paid: $3.19 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: Hong Kong
Delivery: 10 business days
My opinion: Been waiting for one of these for ages! Love the convenience of a pump dispenser. Just wanted it to close a little more tightly in case it tipped over. But other than that, it was a good buy.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

racer-back

Seller: Bigkeyboard on eBay
Item: Basic women’s solid tank top racer back
Paid: $3.69 + free shipping. Worth the price?Yes
Location: China
Delivery: 9 business days
My opinion: The reason I got this was because I’m in need of a few cami’s, and I only like to buy mine from Forever 21, since they’re so inexpensive at $3.80 a pop.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

hair-donut

Seller: Bigkeyboard on eBay
Item: Hair bun ring donut
Paid: $1.39 + free shipping. Worth the price? Yes
Location: China
Delivery:9 business days 
My opinion: Upon opening the donut looked like there were a few droplets of oil on it. I soaked it all up for a few days in tissues and used it in my hair. Works just as well as a sock, but this comes in 3 different sizes for whatever your preference may be.
Overall rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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Hair, Photos, Reviews

My hair routine, with Kérastase Initialiste

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I’m very particular about my hair, and I have been taking great lengths (heh) to keep it healthy since January 2012. Right now I’m washing it 2-3 times per week. I end up washing my hair on Tuesdays, Thursdays and sometimes (most likely) Saturdays.

The night before I know I’m going to wash my hair, I coat the ends with Josie Maran argan oil then sleep with my hair in a high pony. I go through my regular hair washing routine which is grab any type of shampoo that I see in the shower and use it.

Upon stepping out, I wrap my hair up in a towel and let it set until it’s just about dry. From then I use a wooden wide tooth comb that I bought at The Body Shop more than a few years ago. Sometimes I take my time and I graze through my hair ever so gently with the comb. Others? I’m ravenous and in a hurry and just comb from top to bottom. Tsk tsk tsk, I know ladies. There’s always a concern with my delicate hair — it breaks sometimes since it’s so fine! I cringe, hunch, and make a sour face when I hear my hair get stuck in my wooden wide tooth comb and I hear this “SNAP”. Dangit! I tried so hard this wash. All I can do is clean off the comb and try to be more careful. Next time.

Then, my friends — we have the oompf–maker–extrordinare. Meet my hair’s new best friend: Kérastase Initialiste. Ain’t she pretty?Kerastase

I wasn’t expecting to open it and be greeted with an eye dropper tool like this. I should probably explain what it is, shouldn’t I? Kérastase Initialiste is a leave–in treatment that you put in your towel dried hair. It’s the first ever hair and scalp serum (by Kérastase) which helps make our hair thicker, look shinier and become more resistant to breakage.Kerastase2

The YouTube video explains on how to apply it with the eyedropper:

Usage: 2-3 pipettes for fine hair and 3-4 for thicker hair. Since your hair is delicate when it’s wet or damp, massage the serum lightly with your fingers, to evenly distribute over your entire scalp. Like all  Kérastase products, the Initialiste smells great — like the scent of a nice ripe big ol’ green apple, if I had to put my finger on it.Kerastase-Initaliste

 Kérastase uses stem-cell technology which comes from the skincare products, this serum is another new way to take care, and baby your hair all the while it improves the quality of it by starting from the scalp.

I received this product at the beginning of March, so I’ve had quite a few hair washes since then. The appearance of my hair feels thicker when I touch it at the root, and since I have fine limp hair, I don’t notice the  Kérastase weighing it down at all. The shine, and silkiness of my hair has nothing to do with this product at all, however. I have pretty silky hair naturally and I haven’t noticed a difference in shine. Maybe I should dye my hair more often, that usually does it!

I don’t like my reviews to be all positive, and saying everything I review is the bee all end all. I do have a con about the Initialiste, it’s expensive – you can’t doubt that. Would I buy it myself for that price?

The suggested retail price for Kérastase Initialiste is $55 for 60ml and will be available at salons in May 2013.

Find Kérastase on twitter, facebook and youtube.

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Beauty, Photos, Reviews

Nail biters unite!

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I remember in elementary school, I used to bite my nails so much that it must’ve annoyed my parents. Because soon after, I was sitting down on the kitchen table with my finger nails getting painted with some god awful clear polish that made people stop biting their nails. It worked.

It has this disgusting bitter taste to it that doesn’t even really go away when you brush your teeth.

How do I remember it so vividly? Mavala

I received Mavala Stop from Nail Polish Canada to review on my blog, and though I don’t bite my nails anymore, I do take the skin off, around it. Gross, I know.

I applied a thin even coat to a few nails, and let it dry for a minute and get this — I licked it off.Mavala-Stop

At first, I couldn’t taste it and I’m like, well this product is total junk. There’s no taste at all. How is this even working? Then literally, not more than 2 minutes later my mouth filled up with this taste that made me want to vomit. It was bitter, that’s all I can tell you. I had to brush my tongue TWICE with toothpaste to get it off entirely. Then, I removed the bitter polish from my nails, with nail polish remover.

The instructions were correct.Mavala-instructions

Are you a nail biter? I only do it when I’m thinking about something that’s either bothering me, or when I’m concentrating hard, or if I’m watching a  movie. Wow, sounds like I do it a lot, don’t I?

This product works. That’s all I’m going to say on that. It’s just SO disgusting I don’t know anyone who would be willing to put this on their fingers. Though, if biting your nails really ticks you off, then of course apply it.

Instructions for use:

  • Apply one coat of Mavala stop on the entire nail.
  • Wait 1 minute for it to dry (try not to lick it).
  • Repeat the application every 2 days until you have broken the habit of biting your nails.

Things to know:

  • You may remove the Mavala Stop with nail polish remover.
  • After 10 days your nails should have grown normally, but may require strengthening.
  • The efficacy of this product might be compromised on younger children, as their taste buds are not fully developed and they could like the bitterness of the product (!!!?).
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