Bangstyle Names Their Top 5 Beauty Bloggers to Bookmark...& Guess What???

I'M ONE OF THEM!!! WOO HOO!!! How exciting and extremely flattering!!! Thank you, Bangstyle!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE!!!

I also would like to congratulate:

ML Hauken

A Yellow Brick Blog

Style on the Side

Late Night Nonsense

Quick history lesson... what is Bangstyle?

Bangstyle is the ultimate hair photo sharing community and current arts resource for stylists to connect and share with artists worldwide.

Visit their website to learn more!!!

Layla Ceramic Effect Nail Polish for the Holidays

I idolize red nail polish for the holiday season. A friend of mine wanted me to try a purple nail polish the other day and I turned it down because I pretty much wear nothing but red when it's Christmastime!  So when GlamAlley.com asked me to pick out two Layla Ceramic Effect Nail Polish for my review and evaluation, I knew I had to go with red so I can come up with a festive look. 

The Layla Ceramic Effect Nail Polish perfect nails in a single action. Shiny, smooth nails thanks to the "ceramic effect" of the polish's special density and thickness. This Hi Shine Nail Polish does not need a base coat, and the top coat is optional. Neither will the polish stain your nails yellow. Applies easily and smoothly and is quick drying and long lasting. All Layla nail products are free of toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and DBP.

• Formaldehyde free
• Opaque, shiny coverage
• Easy to apply with no cracking or bubbling
• Quick drying
• Not tested on animals

The first color I chose was Oh My Red (CE 40). This gorgeous, classic red is creamy and extremely wearable for any look, whether it's low key gathering or fancy cocktail party. The formula is absolutely fantastic. I did put a base coat, even though the description states that I don't have to. However, I did not put on a topcoat because I planned on putting a coat with an effect on top. The photo below is one coat of the polish and NO top coat. Very impressive!

The second polish I chose was CE53, which I thought was called Rudolph, but I can't seem to find it on the website anymore. Perhaps it was discontinued. I googled CE53 and the shade Killer Red popped up. Not sure what happened to Rudolph, so I'm all confused right about now. Anywho... this mystery shade has a red/ruby opal glitter flake effect. Sounds pretty cool, right? Just look at how it sparkles?

Sorry... can't get a great photo of the actual effect, but trust me when I say it's pretty cool. I think I am going to try another look putting this on-top of a black or deeper red. We'll have to see. However, a bright red shade and this polish is just perfect for the holiday season! Talk about festive!

So these polishes are great. Love the formula. Very thin, yet packs a huge punch! Love it and must try some more colors!

Layla Ceramic Effect Nail Polishes are available at GlamAlley.com for $10.95.

Laura's Etsy Holiday Gift Guide

I’m not sure exactly when Etsy launched, but I can track my account back to 2008. In honor of 5 Years of being a member, I thought I would put together a little Etsy Appreciation post. For any that aren’t in the know, Etsy is an e-commerce website which focuses on vintage and handmade items. Over the years they have greatly expanded their vendors to include those which provide crafting supplies and even some factory-made items.    

Being an artistic person myself, I try to go to Etsy first when looking for a unique gift for someone. Supporting someone’s small business or side-job makes me feel SO much better than chucking my money at a big-box store. I’ve gotten everything from my wedding veil to knick-knacks, a vintage handkerchief, lots of jewelry, a custom journal, unique art and SO much in-between.
 
I can’t say enough good things about Etsy and I hope you’ll consider going this route this holiday season. In fact, I’ll even throw together a little Gift Guide for you!

MOM: I think its a rule that Mom's love monograms. Why not get her one of these super-classy classics?

Shop Minimalist Designs

DAD: Ooft. Dad's are hard. But, I know my dad would be happy to give any of these a try. 

Shop Tommy's Gourmet Popcorn

BROTHER: Make him laugh and get him these. **P.S. I actually bought these myself a few years ago. Deviously awesome fun. 

Shop Mixed Species

SISTER: Something pretty, something sparkly. She's your sister after all. I've gotten several things from this shop. Love it all.

Shop Edor

GRANDMA: Who are we kidding, of course Gran would love this hand-made hot water bottle cover for the cold winter days ahead!

Shop Rowan Knits

GRANDPA: Take the strain off holding heavy books, or working on a puzzle with this cool customizable handmade lapdesk. I wouldn't mind one of these myself! Choose the finish that best suits him.

Shop Home & Yard Treasures

BEST FRIEND: Well, these are the coolest things I've ever seen. I can't think of ONE of my friends who wouldn't LOVE getting these.

Shop Wander Sketch

BOSS: You can't go wrong with a cool desktop calendar like this one. A word to the wise- when buying things like cards or printed items look out for words like 'Printable' or 'PDF Download'. You'll just be buying the file, not the finished item. In some cases, this is great, esp if you have a really tight-budget and a good home-printer.

Shop Michelle Brusegaard

HUSBAND: Last year, I had the guy from this shop make my husband the most beautiful/cool valet tray for his keys/wallet/etc. Give this man your business. He was amazing to work with and created something really special. (I even offered to design him a new shop banner and he gifted me two of his gorgeous business card holders as a thank you.)

*Just click: 'Request Custom Order' on the left and let him know what you're looking for. Let the creative process begin!

Shop Inelastic Goods

WIFE: As a wife myself, I'll go out on a limb and say there is almost nothing on this entire page of planters that I don't like!! 

Shop Planters

NIECE/NEPHEW: Show me a kid, young or old who wouldn't have fun with this. Heck show me a HUMAN who wouldn't have fun with this!

Shop Tweet Toys

FIDO/FEE-FEE: Laugh in the face of winter-weather with this. And for the the more genteel species: Cat-nip fortune cookies of course.

Shop My Optimus

Shop K. Grant Designs

I'm quite proud of my 30-somethign Etsy purchases. And it's rare for me to fell GOOD about spending money on stuff!

November Faves

November picks were a bit difficult to choose this time around. Not sure why. I think it has to do with the fact that I’ve been enjoying every product I own lately, which is a rare occurrence. Well, after much thought, I narrowed my faves down to six. Not bad, eh? So let’s go!

1)     Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

2)     Sigma Beauty F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

3)     Lorac Pro Palette (Light Bronze shade)

4)     Clinique A Different Nail Enamel in Black Honey

5)     Jordana Lipliner in Plush Plum

6)     Lush Cosmetics The Comforter Bath Bar

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation hasn’t actually hit stores yet, but when it does, I suggest you get your butt out there and pick up a tube! Influenster sent me this amazing foundation to review and I can’t get enough of it! I love the texture, I love the coverage, I love everything! See my review HERE.

Sigma Beauty F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

The Sigma F80 Brush has always been one of my top 5 makeup brushes. However, I stopped using it for a little while there. I like to bounce back and forth between a beauty blender and brush, just to refresh my mind about how much I love the other. A strange process, I know. I decided to push the Beauty Blender aside for a bit and rekindle my relationship with the F80. I’m glad I did. This brush is just amazing and there are so many bloggers in the beauty community who adore this tool!

Lorac Pro Palette (Light Bronze shade)

The Lorac Pro Palette has always been a favorite and while I love the palette overall, Light Bronze has been my favorite lately. About a week or two ago, I decided to not use my beloved black liquid liner. I wanted to go for a more simple, natural look and decided to use this shade on the lids. It is more golden then bronze and it brightens up my eyes perfectly. I’ve had issues finding a nice gold for my lids and I think I’ve finally found it and it’s been right in front of me all along! I reviewed this palette this past January. See the review HERE!

Clinique A Different Nail Enamel in Black Honey

Clinique’s A Different Nail Enamel in Black Honey has to be my new “go-to” polish. Not only do I love the color, but the longevity! I know that if I apply it on a Thursday evening, that it will last me through the weekend with no chips or anything. I know that I will have gorgeous deep nails that remain perfectly manicured for days! The best part… it’s a shade that I can rock all year round!

Jordana Cosmetics Lip Liner in Plush Plum

I love trying out different liners, expensive and cheap, and this product proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to get quality! Jordana’s Lipliner in Plush Plum has to be my favorite liner, probably ever! It does make my lips a tad dry, but not enough to make me dislike it. It applies beautifully, is highly pigmented and the deep berry color is right up my alley.

Lush Cosmetics The Comforter Bubble Bar

At the end of the day, nothing beats a relaxing, beautifully smelling bubble bath! The Comforter Bubble Bar from Lush Cosmetics is my all-time favorite bath bar, and I’m sure you know based on my Instagram that I’ve tried my fair share of bubble bars. This one is my “go-to” bath product and I love it. Not only does it smell amazing, but I can get at least four baths out of one bar. I just cut it in fours and a quarter of the product goes a very long way!