The Stripper Lavender Nail Lacquer Remover $16

This nail polish is from the Lippmann Collection and it contains aloe vera to soothe nails and cuticles and is lavendar scented. I thought both were a nice touch since most nail polish removers have a piercing and invasice scent. This is also an award-winning product! It was given an Allure Editor's Choice Award in 2003.

The Verdict

This is a great nail polish remover! First soak a cotton pad with the polish remover and then place it on your nail for at least 5 seconds. Then put some finger grease into it, push down and wipe the cotton pad and polish off your nail. I find the most polish is removed almost completely on the first and second nail. After that the acetone starts to evaporate and become less effective. I've got to rub the cotton pad back and forth on some of the remaining polish but it's still comes off easily. The aloe in this stuff really works because it doesn't leave my nails looking scratched up at all. I don't feel like there is any lavendar smell to this probably because the acetone smell is just too strong to overcome - not going to blame Sara for not being able to deliver on this.

I also love the packaging of this polish! It comes with a removable twist-lock cap. To dispense the remover, twist the top of the cap counter-clockwise to unlock it and then you can pump up the remover by pushing down on the top. When you're done, just turn it clockwise to lock the top in place. The best part is the whole top can be unscrewed so it's refillable too!

Ulta Sale Haul

Lookie all the stuff I got from Ulta for less than $6 each! Yippee! All items were on sale for 50% off or more!

Garden Botanika Vitamin E Stick $6 (originally $13)

I intentionally stopped by Ulta just to pick this guy up cause I was just about to run out. I got there and was devastated. The area where they usually keep the Garden Botanika line was in a complete disarray. Testers were used up, smudged or missing and the shelves were full of empty space with damaged product boxes scattered randomly. I felt this uncomfortable feeling creep up as I saw a sign that read "All Garden Botanika 50% off (while supplies last)". I desperately searched for my little Vitamin E lippy and finally spied the last 2 at the back of a bottom shelf. Of course I quickly snatched them up Golem-like and chanted devilishly (in my head), "My precious!"

I hate to see Ulta stop carrying this line because that means I'll have to resort to ordering them online or finding a replacement product. Not a huge issue but definitely an inconvenience. I really love this product and highly recommend it! I know Estee Lauder also makes a Vitamin E stick that is the exact same. I actually started using Estee's vitamin E stick first until I spied Garden Botanika's version at Ulta a year ago. It's cheaper and I like the packaging so much better. Estee's packaging looks like granny lipstick - You all know what I mean. Garden Botanika's packaging is so cute and green and delivers the same moisture kick I need.

The Verdict: Garden Botanika Vitamin E Stick

I just love vitamin E sticks because they glide on smoothly and the moisturizing effects last for hours. They have no taste, smell or color and they don't have any cooling ingredients added to them. I use these in place of chapstick or lip balm all the time. They give my lips a natural sheen and bring out the natural pigment. I always get compliments when I wear this and people always think I'm wearing lip color. Run, don't walk to your nearest Ulta to stock up before it's too late! I know I have a few Ulta's near me that I need to raid so that I can sleep at night.

Sugar Cosmetics: Lip Gloss and Eye Shadow


I've never tried anything from Sugar Cosmetics but they had fun "try me" products in the sale bin and I thought why not? Apparently Sugar Cosmetics has gone under already - I tried going to their website but it just doesn't exist anymore. I picked up two Sugar Shellac Lip Glosses in Watercolor $4 each (originally $17) and Sugar Cream Eyeshadow Color Sticks in Blue, Pink and Purple $4 each (originally $17).

Below are a couple of swatches that I did of the Sugar products (with and without flash). At the top is a smear of the Lipgloss by itself and blended. Directly below are the color sticks blended and the very bottom are the color sticks applied without blending.

The Verdict: Sugar Shellac Lip Gloss

There is a built-in brush applicator and it goes on sheer and a bit sticky with tiny specs of glitter. It has a strong sugar cookie smell and somewhat sweet taste too. After a few minutes the smell dissipates and the stickiness goes away too. I really like this as it give my lips a deep pink/fuschia tint without looking too reflective. I'm glad I picked up two because I can see me carrying this around a LOT! Again some more pics of the gloss with and without flash below.

The Verdict: Sugar Cream Eyeshadow Color Sticks

These reminded me of the MAC Sugarsweet Shadesticks and I think maybe what compelled me to buy them. The only difference is they are very glittery when applied. They apply opaque but become sheer when blended. The blue shows up on me the most, followed by the purple and then the pink. The pink is actually the sheerest of the three and almost looks a bit peachey on my skin tone. Same is true of the purple, it looks kinda pinky-purple on me. You can wear these as bright or light as you'd like just depending on how much you blend. I really like these colors and I can't wait to play with them!

Essie Nail Color: Looking for Love #634 $0.99 (originally $7)

I also spied some sale nail polishes and grabbed this pale blue Essie one. I really love the pale blue color! I think this color is versatile for both summer and winter. In the past when I've purchase Essie nail colors, I find that they chip very easily. I hope they've improved their formula and these don't disappoint!

OPI Spring Nail Colors

I wanted to get in the spring mood and decided to paint my nails! I didn't want to spend any moolah on new nail colors so I dug into my nail polish stash for these. I love OPI nail colors! The polishes always go on smoothly and if you apply the top coat, they're pretty hardy and resistant to chipping.

For my hands, 2 coats of OPI Kiss on the Chic $8.50. This color is a nude pink. If you only apply 1 coat the color is very sheer. The 2nd coat helps to make it opaque.

For my toes, 2 coats of OPI Japanese Rose Garden $8.50. Ok this is a bright pink! It's almost like an 80's neon pink and very obnoxiously in your face!

And 1 topcoat of OPI $8.50