Aveda and Sally's Goodies

Weeeell... I wasn't planning on coming home with more beauty items, but I did. I had to run to the day spa in my city that's a certified Aveda spa to get some more face cleanser. I ran out before Christmas and can definitely tell a difference in my skin. I picked up my Botanical Kinetics Gel Cleanser and the receptionist goes, "Oh, everything is Buy One Get One 50% off"... I was excited and was going to just get another cleanser, but figured this would be a good time to pick up a new product.

So, I picked up the Light Elements Smoothing Fluid - The bottle says it infuses all hair types with weightless movement and shine. It also mentions that it has lavender. The directions say that you apply it before blow drying, after to tame flyaways and can also use it before flat-ironing. I like that it has multi-uses. The smell is - not my favorite, but perhaps once I actually try it it will fade into something lovely. I'm a sucker for hair products and am very faithful to the ones I use, so we'll see kind I am to this product haha.

I ran to Sally's with the intention of picking up a gold or silver polish for New Years, but they, of course, had to go and have a big sale, too! Lots of things were 50-70% off, including the holiday polishes. All the China Glaze polishes were 2 for $10, so I picked up Medallion (the gold glitter polish) and Nova (the silver glitter polish.) They're both so lovely in person! I can't wait to try them out. I also picked up the China Glaze Matte Magic. I'm aware most people use the Essie version, but this was marked down from $4.99 to $1.99 so I figured I'd try it out. I was checking out and saw the two little vials of girly glitter for $.99 and couldn't resist. I already opened up one and of course they don't have great sticking power, but I'll find some good use for them!

So that's my little goodies for today... Hope everyone is having a good Tuesday!

KONAD Special Polish

I just wanted to expand on my mention of the KONAD special polishes I received along with two new plates. As you can probably tell in the holiday mani/pedi pics, the white is solid, opaque, and stands out. When I was using regular polish, it was working, but not half as well as the special polish. The KONAD polish is much, much thicker and probably has some extra chemicals thrown in there to help it adhere better. Anyway - I took a stab at the French manicure plate (m19) again and I actually did a much better job.




I made a few mishaps and had to take it off and redo, but all you need is a little practice to make it work. I also purchased the KONAD black polish as well, which as I've heard, is a mess to top all messes. I haven't used it on myself, but I did a black cheetah print on my 9 year old cousin and it was MESSY! Not so much messy as in it gets everywhere, but it doesn't come off very easily. It kind of leaves a stain... on your skin... on the image plate holder... on the stamper. So, I had to do some heavy duty scrubbing. Like with the white, there's a significant difference in its performance compared to a regular black polish.

Another thing I noticed was that my regular top coat (Beauty Secrets Hardener) does not smear the white, but it will smear the black. So - when I applied it on the black design, I "tapped" it on instead of swiping it on. But, I've used it with the white snowflakes and the french tip and there was no smearing to be had.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday!

Merry Christmas!

Lots going on... I actually had to go into Wal-Mart last night and as usual, it was a complete disaster. It hates me as much as I hate it because it NEVER fails something tragic happens - I set off alarms or I almost become roadkill. Hateful place. Anyway! I wore my new outfit I talked about in my recent video to a party and it turned out just as I had hoped... Kind of slinky, yet still pulled together. I didn't get a full length shot during the day that was decent enough to post, so I bring you a half shot haha and not even full on... and, my hand looks weird... I will try to be better!





I am so loving the Flirt! Cherub lipstick! Something about it... It has the texture of a great lip balm, but gives great coverage. I just feel good when I have it on... I'm wearing it in the picture above, but I'll try to get some better, up close shots.

More KONAD goodies came in the mail this week, too. I got two plates - M59 and M55 which have snowflakes and hearts on one and assorted fruits on the other. I also purchased the white special KONAD polish and the black special KONAD polish. I have to say - it was worth the money. It makes a significant difference in the stamping quality when you use the proper polish. It is a lot thicker than most nail polish not meant for the KONAD system. So, I would highly recommend purchasing those to get the most out of your experience! I suspect the bottles will last a long time though, because you're using such a small amount.

I've already use the snowflakes a couple of times this week... Here is my holiday themed pedi using OPI's Dutch Tulips, KONAD special white polish, and Orly's Tiara glitter




I've been using my normal top coat, Beauty Secrets Hardener and it has NOT smudged my KONAD design at all. A lot of people have said certain top coats will smear the design, but this one hasn't, so I'm very pleased with that!

My holiday themed mani using Essie's Mint Candy Apple (one of the most beautiful colors ever!), KONAD special white polish, and Sally Hansen's Disco Ball glitter




I don't have any new goodies coming in for awhile - I'm all tapped out due to holiday shopping, but I'm planning on doing quite a few new videos over the next week so be watching!



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Bloggy Blog Blog

It's so late and I really need to be asleep because I'm cranky if I don't get at least eight hours! haha. Anyway - I put a new video up tonight on my little mini haul. I realize I didn't talk about getting the NARS Casino in any of my other posts. I'm really liking it so far, but like I said I've been kind of sick and I haven't really put the effort into really observing the way it looks. Make sense? I haven't cared haha. I did my Metro Chic manicure tonight, so I'll take pics tomorrow and put them up along with the outfit I got, plus I want to show you guys those cute little flats I mentioned in the video! They're made by Coconut...? Never heard of them, but they're one of my favorite pairs of shoes.

About the lipstick... you can get them from flirtcosmetics.com or at any Kohls. I'm so bummed they didn't have the Angel color, but I think Cherub is a nice nudey pink and will be fun to wear every now and then. I like that you can put one layer on and it's very sheer, or you can build it up in its opacity.

Anyway - short and sweet is the motto of the day! Night!

Top 5 iPhone Apps of 2009

Okay, so as I stated at the beginning of my blog... this isn't going to be completely about makeup. Most of the time it will be though. I've had the iPhone since it first came out a couple summers ago - I was one of the crazies that stood in line for hours to get one. I have the 3G in white and love, love, love it! So, on to the good stuff. Here are my top five iPhone applications...

1) Ambiance - $0.99


Ambiance is an application for those of us who often wish to be somewhere else, or perhaps need some sleep noise. With over 500 exclusive sounds, you can fall asleep or wake to the sounds of Sardinia, a Quaint French Cafe, or the simple sound of rain. But - there are many different forms of rain you can listen to. You can listen to a thunderstorm, rain on a patio, rain on the windows, rain on a tin roof... you get the picture. Faced with many choices, sometimes it can be overwhelming to choose the perfect sound. I have about 30 that I have downloaded (all for free), but rotate between 3-4. The application comes complete with a timer, an alarm, and even a mix feature so you can create a playlist of your favorite sounds.

2) Kindle - FREE!


Okay, so we allll know what the Kindle is... BUT! If you have an iPhone you do not need to spend upwards of $300 on a Kindle when you can purchase the Kindle app on iTunes for free. It boggles the mind - or mine, at least. Read in landscape mode, bookmark, download straight from Amazon to your iPhone... it is amazing and one of my most prized applications that happily rests on the first screen of my phone.

3) Twitterific - FREE for the Original Version; $4.99 for the Premium Version


I have both version and as of right now, I can't tell a huge difference between them. If someone knows, fill me in, because I'm still new to the whole Twitter shebang. Anyway - I love this application because I can Tweet straight from my iPhone and I can also upload a picture and caption through Twitterific as well instead of having a separate application like TwitPic (which is equally a great app, but why have two when you can have one?) You can follow all of your subscriptions and reply, favorite, mention, retweet... it's amazing and all in your pocket! The only thing that I don't like is that you cannot accept a follow request through the application.

4) Run Pee - $1.99


One of the most useful applications to date. How many of us girls (or guys) are apprehensive to get that super duper, free refill, dishwasher safe cup at the movie theatre because we know we're going to have to take a potty break and possibly miss the most fantastic part of the movie? Go ahead and raise your hand - there's a lot of us out there! If there wasn't, the brilliant makers of Run Pee wouldn't be rolling in dough right about now. Run Pee lists all the newest movies out in the theatres and tells you when it's safe to go, well, Run Pee and not miss a crucial part of the movie. It gives you a "cue"... a scene, a line, etc. and tells you exactly how long you have to go do your business. There is also a feature that you can click on that will give you a rundown of the scene so if you still want to know what you missed, you can. It also lists if there are any additional scenes at the end of the credits.

5) AOL Radio - FREE


My want to belong to part of the Sirius/XM snobs ended the day I downloaded AOL Radio. Like Sirius/XM, AOL Radio offers hundred of channels broken down into genres. If you like the classic Sinatra music, Motown, the Elvis Presley channel, Christmas music, Talk Radio... They've got it! It doesn't possess everything Sirius/XM has to offer, but it's darn near close! Not only can you listen to the variety of programmed channels, you can hone in on channels throughout the country. For example, while I'm sitting on home getting ready in the morning, I can turn on my AOL Radio and listen to the John Tesh Radio Show right out of Palm Springs, CA. I can finally listen to Delilah while I'm going to sleep! What's also wonderful about this is you can plug it up to your car the same way you would listen to the music from your iPhone. It only works on 3G or WiFi, so if you're in a non 3G driving zone, you may experience some problems but all in all this is an application very much worthy of your download.

The Mean Reds and Studio 54

I came across a quote while watching one of AllThatGlitters21's videos... "Some girls are born with glitter in their veins." I'm such a girly girl and always have been ever since I can remember. I used to beg my parents to buy me Lee Press On Nails... anyone remember those? I would put those babies on and think I was hot stuff haha.

Sorry, I got off reminiscing about my childhood...Anyway, to the topic at hand! I've been hearing all sorts of yummy things about China Glaze's For Audrey polish and how it was the quintessential Tiffany and Co. blue. Anyone who really knows me knows that I adore Tiffanys and even my iPhone cover color is called Tiffany Box Blue. I found it at my local Sally's and although I was a bit skeptical, it really is a dead ringer. I was going to do a KONAD design, but I decided I would just enjoy the blue by itself. I think on days I can't visit a Tiffany store, I can slap this on and it'll cure my case of the mean reds. A Breakfast at Tiffany's reference if you didn't catch it.



Speaking of diamonds, I pulled out my NARS Glitter Pencil. It's a wonderful highlighter that you can use anywhere, but I mainly use it to accent the corner of my eyes and my brow bone. I have the color 54 which is described as "platinum with silver glitter." It retails for $24 and will last - who knows... forever? The cap is worthless though... It cracked within a couple of weeks and has been gone ever since so I usually leave this at home, but it will stay put all day. It's very sheer and blendable, so you don't have to worry about looking like Edward when you go outside as long as you use a light hand and blend! I tried capturing a decent picture with it on my eyes, but it's so subtle it's just not picking it up. So, I bring you a swatch instead...

Twitter

I've joined the Twitter community world! Follow me on Twitter @ MsVintageVogue

It's the most wonderful time of the year... to bronze!

So I did a review on my favorite bronzer/self tanner at the moment and that's Too Faced Tanning Bed in a Tube. Now, I have used my fair share of bronzers. I first started self tanning about five or six years ago and I think the first one was Toma's Tan Perfect. Why did I think that looked good?? I remember being so dark I'm sure I looked ridiculous. Then, I started using the tanning beds and I used those for about 4-5 years and finally gave those up recently because I do not want to get skin cancer. I'm fair and I've had some moles removed already and it's just not worth it. I've used Fake-n-Bake and it was all right. I have also used Bare Escentual's Faux Tan and I really like it a lot - I would definitely use it again! Their lotion, Faux Tan Lotion, that helps extend and moisturize the self tan is a great product as well. It has a slight color to it and I like it almost as well as the self tanner itself. I have learned the thing to make a self tan look natural is not not overdue it. Don't get too dark - it doesn't look natural and that when you start seeing all the uneven patches. Stop with a few days worth of color.

Anyway, back to Too Faced. I purchased it off of Sephora when they listed it as one of their special products and read some great reviews over at Makeup Alley. The instant bronzer is pretty dark... a nice, warm, nutty brown which is great if you want some instant color for a special event. However, the next day when you shower a lot of that bronzer is going to come off. This may confuse some people who think that their tan is washing away. It's not - that is just the INSTANT color. The self tanner is a gradual tanner and will take a few applications to see a color that may suit you. I'm on my second application and I will probably apply another two nights before I get a color that I'm satisfied with. However, I'm pretty fair so for us fair gals, it may take us a little longer.

Too Faced also makes a face component to the body lotion. I haven't tried it and I probably won't just because I do break out easily from products and I think this just screams clogged pores. But... I love NARS Laguna bronzer and I'm going to order Casino because I've heard it's an upgrade up from Laguna. Also, Bare Escentuals makes a bronzer - Faux Tan - that works amazingly well, too! They also have a product called body glimmer, which has a hint of shimmer and some tan color to it. This stuff is amazing! I use it all the time on my neck, collarbone, shoulders, chest, etc... it helps even out color and really make your skin look luminous. It can make a mess if you're not careful since it's a powder, but for the most part it's pretty simple to use.

I've uploaded a new video about a couple hair care products I love, so check it out!

Review and What's in Your Bag

I gave in to the disease that is What's in Your Purse/Bag video on YouTube. Really I find things like this fun so I was excited to do it! Usually my purse is overflowing with junk I've accumulated but I recently switched bags. Any Coach fans out there? I'm a big one. I have about four, which is small compared to some people I know, but I'm thinking about selling one or two and buying some leather ones instead of the signature print. You see Coach/Goach (knockoffs) everywhere and it's kind of boring to see your purse on ten different women's arms in the span of thirty minutes. Right now I'm using the Large Zoe in Platinum/Khaki. It was a $300 dollar bag I got for $18 because I originally owned a Carly, but it started to fray. I was given store credit, plus I had a PCE card that week so that was a great deal. I have to say my favorite Coach purse I have those is the Ergo Pleated Metallic Leather purse in Platinum. I can't even find any pictures of it on the internet to show you, but it is gorgeous. It's a $400+ bag that I was able to snap at a Cabazon Outlet in Palm Springs last year for half the price. Amazing deal and a purse that will never go out of style. Hm, well... How did I get on purses? Oh yes, the video! Check it out... www.youtube.com/misssvintagevogue Yes, there is an extra s in there because miss was already taken.

Also, check out my review for Too Faced's Tanning Bed in a Tube... my favorite self tanner and a much needed boost to my skin this winter. It's a keeper! :)

Newest Konad Design and Video Tutorial Upload

I gave myself a manicure today and used my KONAD stuff. I've uploaded the tutorial on how I did it on my YouTube page, youtube.com/misssvintagevogue You can also view the video on the strip to the right. I have not ordered the KONAD special polish yet, so I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White Out and it worked pretty well! However, I am really excited to use the special polish so the designs will really pop. Sometimes it good to go subtle though =) If you have any questions, let me know!




Polish used:
OPI in Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear in White Out
Beauty Secret's Hardener

New KONAD design and video upload

Here's my latest KONAD creation...

With flash:



Without flash:



It was a bit more of a challenge than the cheetah print. I would highly recommend buying the KONAD special polish to stamp your designs. Otherwise, they are not going to be as vivid and bright as they would with the special polish. I've uploaded a new video to YouTube that includes a rundown of my purchases from OCNailArt.com as well as a tutorial on how I achieved this look. I'm going to try some designs with white polish as a stamping color this week, so stay tuned!

New video!

Just wanted you all to know I posted a new video today on YouTube going over the purchases I made at Sephora with a quick peek at my KONAD nails... I will be putting up a tutorial on how to work the stamping kit soon.

Late night

Hey guys! I was hoping to have a few more videos up by now, but no such luck. I went to Sephora yesterday and came out with the Smashbox Photofinish Primer - I'm loving it!, NARS Greek Holiday - fabulous!, and NARS Pressed Powder - my HG! Anyway, I will be doing reviews and tutes on these soon. Also... my KONAD came in! So exciting! I think I did a pretty good job for my first time... I was a little disappointed with my polish though. I did not purchase the special Konad polish, however I've heard of a couple of tricks and some equivalent polishes that will work well. It's not that the polish doesn't work, but it's not as thick as the Konad Special Polish so it is not as dark. I am going to mess around with it some though. I will also be posting tutes on how to use the Konad set as well. Have a great night!

OPI Polish in Koala Berry for the base and Maybelline Express Finish in Black. You can see what I mean about the black not being very vibrant, but all in all I think it turned out well!

Sephora stop and new videos coming

Hey guys! I'm making a much anticipated trip to Sephora tomorrow. I have a couple things on my list I already use that I'm going to pick up, but there's a few new items I want to try. Here's the rundown:
1) Smashbox Photofinish Primer
I've heard lots of good things about this and I've been curious about it for awhile now, so I'm thinking about picking up a bottle



2) NARS lipgloss in either the color Striptease or Greek Holiday
My favorite nudey gloss, Garden from Bare Escentuals, was discontinued and I've been wanting another one for awhile and I've read up on these and they seem like they might be a good match

Striptease:


Greek Holiday:



3) Smashbox Brow Tech
I've used Anastasia's brow products for a couple of years now and I like them fine - I have a kit that came with four pots that's lasted me for awhile! The only thing I don't care for is that all my wax is gone and I still have a pot of the darker brow color that I'm not really crazy about. With the Smashbox, you have one color and one wax in a little compact. This way, I would hope, you would use the powder and the wax together and you would be less likely to have a lot of one or the other left over.


I have some new videos coming... hopefully within the next day or two! I'm going to do a few reviews on some great products I've enjoyed using for awhile as well as my new purchases from Sephora tomorrow.

All photos borrowed courtesy of Sephora.com

Konad Haul

I'm going to go ahead and put up what I bought from OCNailArt.com this week so you can have a look. I definitely think OCNailArt.com is the BEST place to buy your Konad products. They accept retailer's coupon codes, so how can you go wrong? She offers free shipping on orders over $20 as I said before, and the discount code nailphile will save your an additional 30%!

This is the two-sided stamper and scraper - $6.99



Image Plate Holder - $3.99



M19 Plate



M57 Plate



M60 Plate



These are just a few of the plates that had caught my eye before, but once I try them out I will definitely be ordering more! I'm already spying the snowflake and candy cane ones for the holidays :)

First reviews on YouTube

I've completed my first videos for YouTube - One is an introduction and the other is a review of M.A.C Select Sheer Pressed Powder. The introduction is to the Konad Nail Stamping system. I was introduced to Konad through www.purseforum.com where there are many talented ladies that are doing very, very cool manicures! Manicures or pedicures like this would cost at least $40 if you were to go to a salon - however, now you can do it at home and with professional results! I shopped around to find the best deal and found that www.ocnailart.com had the absolute best deal! Everything was the same price as most other retailers, but she offers FREE shipping on orders over $20, plus honors competitors discount codes! I used the code: nailphile and received 30% off. So, all in all I saved about $20 paying on $22 for (3) image plates ($6.99 each), (1) Two sided stamper and (1) scraper ($6.99), and (1) image disk holder ($3.99) An amazing deal! They also ship within 24 hours, so hopefully I will receive my kit by the end of this week and will put up some tutorials on how to use it!

The second video is a makeup review of the M.A.C powder. Now, I am a religious Bare Escentuals and Nars user. However, Sephora is a good hour drive from me and I needed some pressed powder, so I mosied on over to my local mall and bought the Select Sheer powder in NC5 (their lightest shade.) I was very disappointed. I describe more in my video, but ultimately I will probably never use this product again. I think it's good to branch out and try different products if not to try something different, then to know what works for you and what you like the best.

First post

Hey guys! This is my first post as Miss Vintage Vogue. In my blog, I will be discussing many things including, but not limited to - makeup, hair, manicures, photography, old movies and music, sometimes new movies and music, decorating, and whatever else comes to mind. I have a YouTube account that I have recently started that deals with makeup reviews and tutorials. Visit me at www.youtube.com/misssvintagevogue when you get a chance! If you have any special requests for makeup, hair, or nail tutorials please let me know and I will be glad to do one for you! I have long been a fan of makeup and hair products so I am just going to put my love of these things into action and share with others! I am a true fan of classic movies, old time music (Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald), black and white photographs, traveling - If there is anything in particular you would like for me to discuss, just let me know! I look forward to sharing my love of these things with you. God Bless!