Kiss Everlasting French Nails review

 *Disclaimer: Everything in this post was given to me complimentary from Influenster. However, this post contains my 100% honest opinions and thoughts, as all of my posts do.

Hello lovelies! To continue my reviews from the Influenster Spring Fling VoxBox (you can read the first post here: http://lipstickxzombie.blogspot.com/2014/06/spring-fling-voxbox-review.html) I am reviewing the Kiss Everlasting French nails. I did a separate review for this one because of how long this review turned out to be. 

This is another product from the voxbox that I was excited to try. I love the Kiss Impress nails. Although I do not ever wear French nails (I prefer bold colored nails) this was a nice change.

These are glue on nails, not press on. A lot of people would have problems with this, but I have a little experience with fake nails and glue (ever lose the little stickers that come with press on nails??) so this wasn't a problem for me. The kit I received was in the length real short, which I thought would be perfect for me. Sadly they were still too long for my nails. I keep my nails very short, as I go a little crazy when they get much longer.

So how is this different than any other press on/glue on nails? These have tabs on them for easy application, which I really like. Each tab is numbered, so that you can easily find the matching nails. It also claims to be long lasting.

Hehe, if you look closely enough, you can see the line where my actual nails end

             

Packaging claims:
"Guaranteed no chip"
"Patented rich, white tip won't chip, crack or wear away for 7 days of normal wear"

The kit comes with 28 nails in 14 different sizes so you can find the perfect for for your nails. It also contains nail glue, so no need to buy your own. Also noted that on the bottom right corner on the back of the package, this is information about a demo video. A little nail file and cuticle pusher were included as well.

There aren't any additional instructions besides those on the back I'd the box. As the instructions are very simplistic, here are my tips:

• Make sure nails are 100% free of any nail polish
• Wipe nails with running alcohol or nail polish remover before applying anything, this will help the glue and nails adhere better, as the oils on your nails will be stripped away.
• Push back your cuticles. This makes for a more comfortable and better looking wear.
• Do one hand at a time. Just trust me on this one, application will be easier and smoother.
• When pulling the tabs off, hold the nail down. This keeps your newly applied nails from being pulled off or any glue being loosened.
• Do your thumbs at the very end. Application will be easier and smoother if you do so.
• Make sure nail is the exact size of your nail or even a little bit smaller. If you wear a nail larger than your real nails, it is more likely to get caught on things and torn off.

Also another neat little tidbit: I was able to paint over these nails. After testing them out, I painted them with nail polish and even shaped them! So even though I am not a big fan of French nails, it is nice that I can paint over these and shape them however I want. This factor makes me want to buy them.


How did these nails live up to the claims? Did they meet my expectations?



They definitely went on easily with the tabs, but the tabs even had their downfall. Some wouldn't twist off all the way (as pictured here:

) so I had to cut the remainder off with nail clippers.

As for 7 days of wear...within 3 days of me applying these, I lost an index finger nail and a thumb nail. I didn't do anything strenuous to cause me to lose them. I was able to glue them back on only to lose 2 or 3 more nails. Most of the nails did stay on the entire week, but I would not say that this is the best nail glue. So they didn't fully meet my expectations. The nails themselves are very sturdy, so no problems with breaking.

If you like french nails, I was recommend this kit or even if you want some fake nails to paint on. I would, however buy a better glue to use with them.

Spring Fling VoxBox Review

*Disclaimer: Everything in this post was given to me complimentary from Influenster. However, this post contains my 100% honest opinions and thoughts, as all of my posts do.

I got another VoxBox from Influenster!! For those of you unfamiliar with Influenster, they're this awesome company that helps you voice your opinion on products. If you're lucky they'll send you a free box of products to try in exchange for reviews. It's a fun program and I love trying all of the things they send me as well as completing all of the tasks and challenges. I've been working with them for two years now and it has been a great experience! If you would like to join the Influenster website, I have available invites! Send me an email or comment below with your email address if you would like to be invited (you must be actually serious about it).

Here is everything that I received in my box!

•Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara
•Kiss Everlasting French Nails
•Peach Pie Car Freshener from the Labor Day movie
•Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons
•Nivea skin Firming Hydration Lotion 

Some lucky people also go the new Softlips cube in their box. Sadly I wasn't one of them :( .

Now, onto my thoughts on each item:

                 Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara in Extreme Black 003

I have tried another ScandalEyes mascara (which I love) so I was really excited to try this one! Especially since it is supposed to be a super volumizing mascara.

Packaging claims:
"bold, wide eyed look. No clumps"
"Exclusive hourglass brush shaped to the lash line to plump lashes, fanning them up and out for bold, wide-eyed volume."
"Coats lashes individually for big, false lash look in one simple stroke. No clumps!"

I'm not sure if this would be classified as a claim, but the packaging also informs that this is a suitable mascara for sensitive eyes. 

But did this mascara live up to its claims??

Picture from my personal instagram of the mascara in my cluttered train case

It mostly did! This mascara gave me so much volume! That paired with my already long eyelashes made my lashes look like false lashes! It definitely made my eyes look wider. My only complaint: clumps. I did get some small clumps and too much product settles at the tip of the brush. But this can be fixed by squeezing a tissue around the brush to take off excess mascara. It stayed all day with minor running (due to sweat on a humid day). I absolutely loved this mascara, it is even better than the regular ScandalEyes. I really liked the shape of the brush, which was a nicely sized hourglass shape. It felt like it hugged my lashes. I actually liked it better than some of the high end mascaras I've tried. I think I've found a new favorite!



                                                         Kiss Everlasting French Nails

I went pretty in depth with this review, so it will be posted separately right after this post is up.


                                                        Peach Pie Car Freshener

This was in my voxbox as a gift from  Paramount Pictures in honor of the movie Labor Day (that romance movie starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin) coming to DVD and blu-ray. I have not seen the movie, it does not seems like my cup of tea (I much prefer a horror movie or a Studio Ghibli film). This was a nice surprise though. Not much to review here. The air Freshener looks like a pie and smells like peaches. Not a strong scent. I don't drive, so I put this air Freshener in front of my air conditioner. Sometimes I will get a faint whiff of peaches but nothing strong.

                                                   Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons

Okay, I'll be up front. I felt weird and even a little embarrassed about reviewing tampons. It after all isn't something most women discuss. But, we are (I'm assuming) all ladies here and we shouldn't be embarrassed to discuss feminine hygiene products. This review will be done in a tasteful way, (no worries of any grossness!).

I am not a tampon person, as they just aren't comfortable to me but I will use them in emergencies or when needed. These particular ones are regular absorbency. They are also scented "lightly". I wouldn't say they are lightly scented, as soon as I opened the box I smelled them. I can even smell them through a closed box. I personally did not like the scent, to me it smelled like laundry detergent.

Packaging claims:
"360 degree protection + odor shield"
"360 sport level protection tampon design to fit your body and its every move for a protective leakage barrier"
"Flexfit interlocking fibers work quickly to trap leaks"
"Odor shield technology designed to neutralize odors"
"Contoured applicator for precise, comfortable, precise placement"

Did the tampons live up to these expectations?

It did indeed live up to the odor shield promise. However, it did not completely trap leaks. I do not play sports and on a normal day (especially during that time of month) I don't do anything extremely strenuous. They did not absorb and preform as I expected them to. I did not like these tampons and would only use them in an emergency.

                                                  Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Lotion

Lotion on my bookshelf. Yes, that is a Daenerys Targaryen figure. I am a big fan of the Khaleesi! And yes, Manga underneath if you look closely.

I use lotion a lot and Nivea is a brand I trust (they make my go to lip balm) so I was happy to see this product.

The scent is pleasant and not overpowering. It also feels nice on the skin and soaks in rapidly.

Packaging claims:
"Improves skin's firmness in as little as 2 week"
"co-enzyme Q10 and hydra IQ deep long  lasting moisture"
"Skin Firming Hydration Body Lotion with Co-Enzyme Q10 Complex and HYDRA IQ technology firms and tightens skin's surface in as little as two weeks. Use daily for softer, smoother more toned skin.

Did it live up to these promises?

Yes and no.

This lotion is very moisturizing. The moisture is very long lasting and seemingly deep penetrating. I really liked this lotion! But I did not notice firmer skin. However as a lotion alone this is great.

Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask Shine Away Review

Disclaimer: The product featured in this review was given to me complimentary from Influenster. However, this is my 100% honest review. I was not paid to say any of it.

I received this mask in my J'Adore VoxBox from Influenster. I was pleasantly surprised to see this, as when the pre survey asked about face masks, I was expecting something from Freeman or Montagne Jeunesse. I am definitely a fan of Boots. My mom used to buy their products a lot when our local CVS carried the brand. She used to give me the eyeshadow colors she ended up disliking. Their products had always been top notch quality.

 I really like the packaging. It is very simple. Just a sticker wrapped around a clear plastic tube. Although I love pretty, cute and bold packaging, I like how this has simple packaging. Boots is letting the product speak for its self rather than the packaging. It has a screw top lid.


Even though I had high expectations going in, I was very impressed by this mask! I tried it on my weekly face mask night with my mom while we were marathoning True Blood (Anyone else watch? Who's ready for the new season?) . When I squeezed some product from the tube, too much came out. This is due to the watery formula. If you shake the tube before use it does help a little. I do like the consistency, you don't need a ton of product and it goes on easily. Just be careful when squeezing from the tube.

The mask is a dark grey-green color. It dries to a lighter green.

We sat for 10 minutes to let this mask work its magic until it was dried. When I looked in the mirror, I was amazed. There were all of these black dots on my nose where the mask pulled impurities from my pores. My mom had similar results. When I washed it off the spots were gone and my skin looked (and felt) very clean.

The 2nd time I tried it, I got even better results. More crud was pulled out of my pores.

This mask reminds me of a certain high end one, but at 1/6 of the cost! And it really does work. It will make your face feel dry, but apply a good moisturizer and you will be good as new. This is suitable for all skin types, especially those with oily skin.

I love this face mask so much, I may need to have a 2nd face mask night every week just so I can continue to use my other face masks! 

Influenster J'Adore VoxBox Review

Disclaimer: All products in this review were given to me complimentary by Influenster. As always, I am being 100% honest in my review. I was not paid to write this. 

It's been such a long time since I have gotten a VoxBox! I was very surprised when I got the survey email. For those of you that don't know, Influenster is this great website where you can share your opinions on different products. If you're lucky enough, they'll even send you a VoxBox full of products to try. This particular one is the J'Adore Voxbox, a Valentines Day themed VoxBox. Here are all of the products I recieved:

 Here are my thoughts on each individual product. I will be posting a separate review of the Boots Botanical Ionic Clay Mask later today so please check back for it.

Hershey's Kisses

There's not much for me to say about this, everyone knows about Hershey's kisses. They're great when in need of a little chocolate. I love incooperating these into recipes, such as peanut butter blossoms and chocolate covered pretzels. I also love shaving a little on top of whipped cream when I have hot chocolate.

Red Rose Simply Indulge Tea: Crème Caramel and Lemon Chiffon

I love tea. I'm not a coffee person, I always have to have my tea. I love trying new flavors, I was very excited to find some samples from Red Rose's new Simply Indulge line. 3 bags of Crème Caramel and 1 bag of Lemon Chiffon.

Crème Caramel:

This tea has such a great calming caramel aroma. There is a caramel flavor to this tea, but it is light and not overpowering. It has a hint of sweetness without being overly so. It is a fun tea to have when you want to indulge or just a little something different. I tried this two ways: with just steeped water and with a little half and half. When I tried it with the added half and half, it had a creamier and a little richer taste. It was heavenly. 

After having 2 of my sample bags, I had to buy it. I also got a great coupon on my VoxBox to use towards the tea. Sadly none of the stores in my town carried it. I will however keep looking until I can get my hands on a box.

Lemon Chiffon:

This is yet another delicious tea. It has a light lemon candy scent. When I tried it, I tried it without adding anything. It had a light lemon flavor with a hint of sweetness, but not overpowering. I usually drink black tea with just lemon so this flavor was welcoming to me.

With how much I loved the two flavors I was given to try, I can't wait to try the rest of the line.

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Spray

To be honest I wasn't expecting to get anything from this product. Unless I curl my hair, have it recovering from being in a bun or braids or unless it dried weirdly, my hair is normally straight and I don't deal with too much frizz. 

I used this spray on my wet hair out of the shower, slightly towel dried. It was reccomended to use 7-15 sprays. I did 8 since I have really long hair. I blow dried and straightened my hair as directed.

The first thing I noticed: how silky and moisturized my hair felt! It also was shiny and had a little body. It felt and looked amazing!! As a person that has problems with dry hair, this is definitely a plus for me.

Kiss Looks So Natural Lashes in Pretty

Kiss came out with these new eyelashes and I think they're a great idea! They are meant to look more natural. Something I find pretty different is their tapered end. Most false eyelashes have blunt ends.

They went on just like any other strip eyelashes, but I had to be careful. The band didn't feel very sturdy and I thought I was going to break them a few times. 

I did like that they felt lightweight and not heavy like most lashes. I love the look of dramatic eyelashes. These aren't all that dramatic, but they were longer than my naturally long lashes and they gave me  some more volume. Although they seem too long to look natural to me, they are beautiful and as close to natural as you could get with false eyelashes.

They are good for when you want a little extra oomph, they would be good day time eyelashes.

Unfortunately, I had to trim mine down. I wear glasses and it can be very annoying when your eyelashes repeatedly bump your lenses. I even have this problem when I wear just mascara. Curling the lashes helped a little, but not completely. So if you wear glasses, these may not be the pair for you.

Overall, I did like these lashes. They're pretty and I love how lightweight they are.


Keep an eye out for my review of the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Shine Away mask, which I will be posting later today. 

Tutorial: How to apply false eyelashes

 I apologize for the lateness of this post, I had it scheduled to post last week, but for some reason it never posted.


All products in this post EXCEPT the false eyelashes were bought with my own money. I was given the false eyelashes complimentary from Influenster.

So many people are intimidated by false eyelashes, thinking they can never apply them. There are a few different types, strip lashes (which is what I'm using in this post) are super easy to apply! Still need a little help? I've got you covered.

First pick out the eyelashes that will work best for you. There are so so many brands and styles to choose from out there. Pick something that will work well with the look you are going for.

In this tutorial, I am going to use Kiss's Looks So Natural lashes in Pretty.

First what you need to do is take the eyelashes out off the box. Then slowly peel one out of the tray. Hold it up to your eye to see how it will sit, how it will fit.

If it seems too big or too long, no worries. Just take a small pair of scissors and cut them to fit you. You can cut pieces from the strip to make it fit you, like so (follow the red lines):

You can also trim the lashes if they are too long. Keep in mind if you trim them like this, you may ruin the effect. But it is possible to do.

Now that you've tailored your lashes to fit you, get your tools ready! You will need eyelash glue and one of the following:


 your fingers (of course)

(Optional) A pair of tweezers

or

(Optional) An eyelash applicator

 Eyelash glue

Many sets of eyelashes come with mini packets of glue. I do not reccomend using these. I reccomend buying a tube, eyelash glue isn't usually expensive.

Pick up your eyelash with your fingers, a pair of tweezers or an eyelash applicator.

Next put some glue on the band.

Wait 30 seconds for the glue to become tacky. Then slowly apply them, starting at the outer corner of your eye. Press them on, hold and wait for the glue to dry.

 Note: putting on eyelashes will most likely screw up your eyeliner, as it did to me below. So make sure to have it handy after the application. I also totally forgot to take a better picture after I fixed my eyeliner -_-'.

There you go! Now you have applied false eyelashes. At this point, you can also apply mascara and curl the lashes to help blend them to your own natural lashes. Also fix your eyeliner if messed up.

Olay Fresh Effects S'wipe Out! Makeup removal cloths Review

A while back I showed all of the products that I won from an Influenster challenge with Olay Fresh Effects. I waited a while to review this product after really getting to test it out. I have been using these makeup remover clothes for months and now I feel I can give an adequate review of them.

The S'wipe out makeup removal cloths look like any other makeup removing cloth or wipe. They come in a pouch with a peel back resealable sticker for easy open close. I like this packaging because it is easy to just grab and throw into a bag. No matter how many times I opened and closed the bag, it would still reseal like new.

There is a scent to these, it is hard to describe what they smell like, but they smell good. The packaging claims them to be refreshing which they would be if it were not for one problem: they make my eyes burn! Oh, do they make my eyes burn. If It weren't for that, I would absolutely love these. They are really good at removing all makeup. After I bear through the eye burning agony, they do remove all of my eye makeup and when I use these on my face makeup, 80 -90% of it is removed. Sometimes I can deal with the burning as long as they clean well. I'm usually ok after waiting a minute and sometimes throwing water on my face.

I'm not sure if they would burn for everyone. If you buy these, I advise you to no use them around the eyes, they will not burn anywhere else (at least they don't for me).

Overall, I do like these wipes except for the fact that they burn my eyes like crazy. I am on my 2nd package of them, I'm unsure on if I will repurchase or buy something else.

Olay Fresh Effects preview

Hi everyone, I have some pretty exciting news. I was one of the Influenster brand challenge winners for Olay Fresh Effects. My prize was the entire Olay Fresh Effects line plus one to give to a friend.

                                  (Not pictured, I also got some more of the Va Va Vivid brushes)

I will be reviewing Bead Me Up, Long Live Moisture, the BB cream, and Swipe out once I have used them for a good amount of time. I have already reviewed Shine Shine Go away and the Va Va Vivid brush, you can read that review here: http://lipstickxzombie.blogspot.com/2013/03/olay-fresh-effects-vava-vivid-cleansing.html 

I will also most likely include feedback on each product from the person that I shared the second line with. Keep an eye out, these reviews will hopefully be posted soon!

UPDATED Review: Broadway Nails Impress Press-On Manicure

Disclaimer: All products discussed in this review were given to me complimentary from Influenster.

I know I have reviewed this product before. Since Influenster sent me another set of these, I thought I would write an updated review. This review is based upon my second time ever using Impress nails.

The design in this review is called Holla. It is such a beautiful design. A friend who also gets VoxBoxes received this design in her College VoxBox, I loved it when she wore it and I eventually planned on getting it. I was extremely happy when I not only saw a set of these in my VoxBox, but this exact design made me ecstatic.

How to apply: First select and then lay out the correct sized nail for each nail. Next, use the included alcohol prep pad to clean you nails, this helps the nails adhere better. Then begin to apply nails, just peel the plastic backing, stick and press. There you go! Remember to save the thumb nails for last.

Impress nails are a very cool product, they aren't your typical press on nails. They have beautiful colors and/or designs making it easy to have a good manicure. They are so easy to use, there isn't any dry time and best of all, they actually stay. The very first time I used these they lasted me a week, they would've lasted longer but I was ready to take them off. This time they started falling off around the one week mark.


I can't handle long nails, I just go a little crazy when my nails reach a certain length. Needless to say I was going a tad bit out of my mind when I first put this set on, so I cut them shorter. I applied these at night and waited until the next day to cut them, to make sure that they had a good amount of time to adhere to my nails. You can cut them just like your natural nails and you can file them to shape them as well. To me it is extremely important that this is possible, if I had to wear Impress nails at the length they started at I'm sure they wouldn't last as long and I would hate them. I also throughout the night continuously to firmly press down on the nails, which I think helped them adhere better. Here are the Impress nails after I cut them:

I really love these so much. They're perfect for when I don't feel like painting my nails. I wish these were around when I was in high school, they would've made the perfect manicure for my senior prom. I love these Impress press-on Manicure so much, that I actually bought a few pairs and I definitely plan on getting more in the future.

Although some previously stated, here are some tips to help your Impress manicure last:

- Absolutely be sure to use the alcohol prep pad and make sure there aren't any sort of oils left on nails
- Press firmly down on the nail once you put it on, and continue to do it throughout the day/night to help it adhere better.
- Cut nails shorter rather than keeping them long, shorter cut nails will last longer.
- They cut and file like normal nails

Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antipersperant/Deodorant Review

Disclaimer: The smaller size of the product  mentioned in this review was given to me complimentary by Influenster.

Not going to lie, I was excited when I saw this in my VoxBox. I will admit that I needed a new deodorant. I really wanted to purchase the Secret Stress Response that I reviewed from the last VoxBox (http://lipstickxzombie.blogspot.com/2013/03/secret-clinical-strength-stress.html) but it is expensive. So I have been looking for a good alternative...and here it is!

Secret Outlast Clear Gel as the name entails is a clear gel deodorant. It goes on and stays clear, so there are zero white marks. It is incredibly great that a deodorant like this exists because I've been getting tired of white marks on my clothing.

As I did last time, I used this deodorant at many different times to give it a fair test. I used is before bed, in the morning, on comfortable temperature days and very hot days. Every time, my underarms remained dry. The packing claims that it has 48 hour wetness and odor protection. I don't feel that it lasts for 48 hours, but it definitely lasts a long amount of time.

This deodorant smells great. The scent doesn't last as long as I would like, but it protects from odor very well.  Compared to Secret Stress Response this is a steal. I actually bought this after trying and I'm so glad I did, at $4.59 this is a steal!

Here is the deodorant Influenster gave me and the one that I bought. The store I purchased this at didn't have the completely clean scent so I had to settle for protecting powder.

NYC (New York Color) Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm

Disclaimer: Everything in this review was given to me complimentary by Influenster

When I initially saw this in my VoxBox I thought "Awesome, more lipstick!", I am quite the lipstick junkie. Upon closer inspection I realized that I had gotten a tinted lip balm. Even better! I have many lipsticks but very few tinted lip balms.

I opened the lip balm and the first thing that hit me was the amazingly yummy apple scent. I actually still find myself wanting to use this just because it smells so good!

The shade I am discussing today is Big Apple Red. It is a beautiful red color. This tinted balm is sheer but buildable. It contains shea butter, vitamin E, avocado oil and jajoba oil, which explains why it is as moisturizing as it it. It feels very nice and glides on just as nicely. It is very light weight and there is a glossy
 finish.

 On the right is the product applied with a few layers, on the left is the product applied sheerly:

There is a little apple imprinted in the middle of the lip balm, it is so cute. It almost made me not want to start using it because I didn't want to ruin the little apple. The packaging is great, just a simple twist tube and a cap. The tube is the color of the balm which is great if you just toss it in a bag, the color will be easy to find.

I really love this product, it is perfect. It is a great product to keep in your purse. It is quick to apply and you could wear it for any event or place. I have many friends in college that this would be perfect for. I actually really wish this product existed while I was in high school, I would've worn it so much.

The Applelicious balm has to be the best tinted lip balm I have ever tried and even better it isn't expensive at all! I would love to get this in more colors.