In February, I was contacted by Bolzano Handbags PR about sending me a purse to review for their just recently launched monthly subscription box. Of course, I said yes! The absolutely lovely Leylani was my customer service representative and she is a dream to work with. She made the process so easy!
I was sent the Alisse Messenger bag in brown and let me tell ya, I love it! Generally I am not a fan of messenger style bags because I find that they don’t have enough space to carry around all of the things I need. However, having a messenger bag has really helped me realize what I actually need and I do have enough space.
The purse strap measures 44 inches and it is adjustable so you can get the perfect fit. There’s also a lock and key on the purse so you can keep your wallet, keys, and everything else secure. When the purse is unlocked, just pinch together the buttons on the front and your purse will open. I personally love it for the rodeo and fair seasons that are coming up! I wish I had this purse a few years ago when I was at the Tulsa State Fair!
The purse is made from cowhide, so it is real leather. Bolzano also has handbags that are made from lambskin and cowhide/lambskin combination. If you are thinking about ordering an item from Bolzano but do not want to purchase a purse or wallet that is made from animal skin, they do have options that are fabrics. If you would prefer to shop from a brand that avoids using animal hides, Bolzano isn’t the brand for you, sadly. However, there are a lot of other amazing brands that are cruelty free!
The quality of this purse is so great and it is really sturdy, making it perfect for me! The Alisse messenger bag retails for $148. If you are looking for a well-made purse that will last you for a long time, make sure to check out this style on Bolzano’s website, which is linked above! When you tour their website, there is a chat box that pops up so there is a person to help you if you have any questions.
Thank you so much to the entire Bolzano team for sending me this amazing purse! Make sure to go check out their website and see if they have anything that suits your taste!
If you want to catch up on my previous post click here or scroll down and hit the previous post button! All of my social media links are also above and below, and I love talking with you guys on Instagram and Twitter!
What’s your favorite purse style? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I was not paid to review this purse or any other products from Bolzano Handbags. All opinions stated are my own and this post contains no affiliate links. Happy reading!
This is the first post in my series of Discover Self Love. I am going on a journey of truly loving and appreciating myself and doing so by working on my mind, body, and soul. One of my posts a while ago was over self love and body confidence, but I’m here now to take the extra step to be the person I want to be and I’m hoping you guy will join me on this journey!
Discover Self Love is more than just “well, it’s been fun and I think I am okay with myself now. I guess this is self love.” This journey is (hopefully) going to have a positive change on my main 3: mind, body, and soul. I’m combating the negative with only good thoughts, good food, and good everything. I have a few books I’m going to be reading, a few music playlists, and a daily To Do list prepared so let’s get into it!
The two books I am going to be reading are Unworthy: How To Stop Hating Yourself by Anneli Rufus and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Both books sound absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to read them. I ordered the first one and I should be getting it in the mail within the next few weeks and the second one I am getting from the library. (Note: if you aren’t a part of your local library, go get a library card! You have so many books and resources at your disposal!)
My daily To Do list is going to consist of the following:
Drink a lot more water, including a glass in the morning
Eat better foods
Do yoga in the morning, even just small warm up sequences
Read a book
Journal (I have a few prompts and ideas on my Pinterest, so if you want some good ideas, check it out!)
Listen to a good music playlist
Try. Not. To. Curse.
With all that said, I really hope you follow Discover Self Love and embrace truly loving yourself while I learn to love myself.
Today’s Blogmas post is a great one and a collaboration with one of my favorite bloggers, Cait from Lipsticks and Acrylics. She is tackling a holiday inspired drink and I tried my hand at a dessert! Make sure to check out her post!
When I was trying to find a good recipe for this collab, I took to Pinterest and searched the thousands of holiday recipes they have. I needed something easy and quick, as the days leading up to today were extremely busy for me. I found a recipe for Gingerbread Truffles and headed to the store!
These truffles are so incredibly easy to make, the most technical part being dipping them in white chocolate. I didn’t add as much cinnamon or ginger as the recipe called for because I didn’t want to overpower them. I also didn’t have any molasses but I did have maple syrup and it worked great!
I also took most of the truffles to a bowling party we had last night and they were all gone by the end of the night! If you have a holiday party to go to, these little babies are a delicious addition to a dessert table!
I also added some red and green sprinkles for holiday pizazz! If you take photos of your truffles, make sure to have good lighting and don’t wait until it is completely dark outside like I did!
Thanks for reading and happiest of holidays! Make sure to check out Cait’s post here!
Out of all of the shopping apps on my phone, Etsy is my favorite. I love being able to look at small businesses and unique shops while being in the comfort of my own home. There are thousands of different products to look at and you can look at the shop’s customer reviews, find other similar products, ask the seller questions, and have a great shopping experience. From candles to hand bags, there is something for everybody on your Christmas shopping list. Here is a round up of some of my favorite products for your holiday shopping guide!
Quick disclaimer: I have not been paid to promote any of the products or brands sponsored. I simply love Etsy and the shops mentioned and I want to share them with you!
I love patches and pins! All you need is a plain jean jacket that you want to give some pizazz and you have a brand new jacket! I have so many patches saved to my wish list on Etsy that it is close to being categorized as an obsession.
Photo owned by aweedmark
This “Happy Camper” pin from aweedmark is one of my favorites! They have a lot of pins and patches in retro designs for your nature lover. They have “Save the Bees” stickers, cool bumper stickers, and wooden gifts that are affordable for your shopping. Aweedmark is owned by Amanda Weedmark and based in Canada, but they have international shipping. How cool is that! And if it couldn’t get any better, aweedmark has 119 reviews and a total rating of 5 golden stars!
Photo owned by IronpatchTH
IronpatchTH is a really neat patch shop that is based in Bangkok and they sell really awesome patches! You can find patches for sports teams, college teams, and other items, but I am in love with their sunflower patch.
Photo owned by VictoriaKristine
The world needs a little more kindness and niceness so express that with a patch! VictoriaKristine sells patches, pins, and t-shirts on Etsy and there are so many different things to look at! The “Be Nice” patch is simple and very cute and only $6! VictoriaKristine is based in the US, so if you are a fellow American, you can feel great because you are buying from a US shop!
Photo owned by notmagicshop
Crystals have come on trend in the past year, both for healing and decor, and I have to admit that I am with that trend! I love all things crystals and I adore the purple amethyst quartz pin from notmagicshop. This shop also has other pins that look like crystals, so if someone you know would like something like this, go check out their shop!
Photo owned by AnnieLesperance
For someone you loves minimalistic accessories, take a peek at this lovely hair clip from AnnieLesperance! It’s simple yet elegant style will bring a smile to your gift recipient! AnnieLesperance also sells golden bee earrings and other fashion accessories at good prices that won’t break the bank!
Photo owned by TinyLumber
A really awesome shop that I just recently came across is tinylumber. One of my favorite products from them is the Tiny Lumber wood stud earrings. They are hypoallergenic and there are great reviews for them! The earrings are $15 but for these earrings, I would pay that price! They have a titanium stud and the rounds are made from bamboo wood and painted with acrylic paint. There are a lot of different styles of the bamboo earrings, so look around the shop on Etsy!
Photos owned by MaBrownMercantile
For $40, getting a small crossbody bag that monogrammed is amazing! MaBrownMercantile sells gorgeous bags for decent prices and they will make any fashonista happy. The bags are made from faux leather and you can have you pick of colored thread.
Photos owned by FreshRagsCincy
For your movie buff, take a look at this shirt! I am obsessed with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and when I saw this shirt, I might have shrieked a little bit. You can buy your “Save Ferris” shirt in multiple different shades from FreshRagsCincy, a shop based in (you guessed it!) Cincinnati! They also have a Burt Macklin FBI shirt from Parks and Recreation!
I love candles! If you hand me a candle that is sandalwood or cologne scented, I will run off in search of a candle or lighter. If you take me to Bath and Body Works, I am going to go sniff the Black Tie candle and wish there was a hunky man next to me that I could hug and never let go. Basically, I love woodsy and musky candles.
Photo owned by BrandIron
BrandIron in Vancouver sells non GMO wax candles that are amazing and Insta-perfect. Oak & Moss is a candle that has “notes of earthy green moss balanced with subtle notes of soft woods.” How great does that sound? For $20, you get a 9 oz. candle with a 40 hour burn time. Just imagine how great your house (or rather, the gift recipient’s house) will smell!
Photos owned by EWARTWOODS
If you have someone in your life who is always carrying around a memory stick or who simply wants to keep photos with them but doesn’t have storage, check out this really cool USB memory drive that is made out of wood! The memory drive is encased in a regular sized case and you can choose which type of wood you want the case to be made out of. EWARTWOODS, the shop that makes these, is based in Latvia, which I think is really cool! I love the way these look and they will make a great gift for the techno-wiz in your family!
Photo owned by PuffyWoolDecor
Chunky knit blankets have seemed to pop up as of late and I see them everywhere on Instagram. Everyone has a really neat knit blanket that is its own fashion. PuffyWoolDecor has a lot of different colors to choose from and the blankets look insanely soft! A note on this shop, though: they only ship to select countries, so if you order from them, make sure they ship to your country! If they don’t, there are a lot of other amazing shops on Etsy that sell the blankets!
Photo owned by MCWonderland
I love home decor and simple signs can make any space look chic. Wire wall art, especially in gold or rose gold, is very elegant but easy to make if you are a crafty person. If you are like me, it is easier to buy one than make one because you weren’t terribly gifted in the arts department! MCWonderland from Italy makes a lot of wire crafts and signs that will spruce up your space effortlessly. This cute “Hello” sign is affordable and your gift recipient will love it.
Photo owned by RedwoodStoneworks
Last in home decor is something that I want to buy immediately and will cherish forever. RedwoodStoneworks out of California makes Rocket and Groot planters! Rocket and Groot are two of my favorite characters from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and I want these planters in my home pronto! You can buy the planters individually or as a duo! RedwoodStoneworks has a lot of cool planters in Star Wars, Disney, and Harry Potter designs, as well as a lot more! Everything is so affordable and your giftee will love their present. If you want to add a little something more to the gift, go to your local home improvement or garden store and pick up a baby succulent!
That is all for this Christmas Gift Guide! I send out updates on my Instagram and Twitter accounts so go hit the follow buttons!
I will see you next week with a special collaboration with Phy!
Note: ¹ I do not own any of the product images used. I took screenshots on my phone and cut them down. The owners are credited and ownership claimed in the descriptions of all photos. ² I am not being sponsored by any of the companies/shops mentioned, including Etsy. These are products that I would buy myself and for other people. Thanks for reading!
Today’s Blogmas post is one that I have quite been looking forward to and I am excited to share with you because I am hoping it might become a new chapter for Glitz & Glitter in the new year.
My faith isn’t something I have really ever discussed on here and it might be because I really doubt myself a lot of the time when it comes to how strong I am in my faith. I definitely have moments when I know that I am unworthy of my Saviors love and salvation and there are moments when I think my faith isn’t even as big as a mustard seed. I’ve had prayers go unanswered, or maybe they were just answered with a “not now, Mimi; there is better coming.” I have doubted and I have had my struggles, but at the end of the day, my heart is Jesus’s and He is my salvation. Even when I am at my lowest point, I know He is before me and He is making the way.
Another reason I don’t post much about my faith is because I am rather afraid of backlash I might get. I want to keep Glitz & Glitter a positive place and I know that I might get hate for being a Christian. I know that I shouldn’t be afraid of what others think because I know who I am but I do prefer to avoid issues. So I’m really hoping this goes well and that it can be a small chapter of the Glitz & Glitter in the new year. At the end of the day, I am not trying to force my beliefs on anyone. I just want to share a big part of my life with you guys and I like staying honest with you.
I’m losing track of myself again. Back to what I was saying. This post is hopefully a new chapter. I would like to start sharing more of my faith and things related to that in the coming year. Maybe I can use Glitz & Glitter as an outreach of sorts. This post is a round up of my favorite Bible verses that are Christmassy and always remind me of the joy of this season.
Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
I remember a plastic nativity we had while I was growing up. It had a button and would play a reading of verses and then have some music at the end. Luke 2:14 is one that was included and for some reason always stood out to me.
John 10:27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.
This verse doesn’t necessarily scream Christmas but it definitely comes in handy with the new year approaching. I pray that I am going on the right path and that I will glorify God in my works, but there are days when I am so unsure of everything I am doing. There are days when I don’t think I hear God or that my ears have turned away from His call. To be honest, I am envious of others when they talk about how they converse daily with God and hear Him as plain as day. I am envious because that has never happened to me and I think that is where my biggest reason for lack of faith comes in. This verse helps fr my bad days.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that You may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is my prayer for the upcoming year. I hope that I learn to trust in God more and believe that He has only the best in store for me. Yes, I will have trials that I must face, but I know that I already have the victory. With God, all things are possible. There’s not footnote attached to that in tiny print that follows with *only some things*. Not some things, but all things. I hope that I become so in love with God that I become a beam of pure joy and happiness, and that others can see my joy is in Him and I can set a good example for others.
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” I have no words. Even though I know that I am not worthy of salvation or the love that my Father has for me, He still loves me and He calls me His child. The greatest gift of all that I have and that I will ever have is the love of God. No matter what, that is the greatest gift.
Luke 2:11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
This is probably one of the most well known Bible verses during the Christmas season and I truly love it. It is the beginning to an incredible story.
I know that was only a small handful of verses and I apologize that there aren’t more. I’m trying to make Blogmas posts that aren’t too dreary and drone on for a long while. Having shorter posts also means I can edit them in a shorter period of time and it means more time to write. This is also my first year of Blogmas so I’m learning as I go!
Welcome to the very first annual Blogmas on Glitz and Glitter! As I am typing, it is December 1st very early in the morning and I’m trying to ignore my allergies which are keeping me awake. But it is officially the first of December and honestly, I didn’t even know what day it was until a moment or two ago when I was on Twitter and saw a bunch of posts about it. So I looked at my calendar and was instantly hit with worry and slight dread that I hadn’t purchased any gifts yet, sent out cards (even though we have just started the Merry Month), and a feeling of inadequacy.
This year, like most other years, I am on a budget for shopping. I won’t be able to purchase everything I want for my family and friends and I do feel slight shame for that. But then I took a step back and realized that I had forgot the meaning of Christmas altogether. Did the 3 wise men try to out-do each other by trying to give the best give to Jesus? No, they didn’t. The entire being of Christmas isn’t to see if Aunt Ida can out-gift Aunt Lilian or to see which person can win over the family with presents. With this holiday should come love, joy, a sense of renewal, and all of the hope that comes in a new year. This time should be spent in the company of those you cherish and love. In the end, who truly cares if they received a physical gift at all? Growing up, I have been taught that people value more than objects, that good company is a gift. Just because I am unable to purchase something for my sister or mother that I know they would love, doesn’t make me inadequate or a bad person. And if you are in the same boat, you aren’t a bad person either. Christmas has become a competition of flashy gifts and bedazzled things. Would it be so horrible to receive an orange in a Christmas stocking? I quite like oranges.
Maybe it is just me, but I have found Christmas to be turned commercial. I hardly see ads anymore about the true joy of Christmas. It is always about someone buying something for someone at such a great deal or buying your child a fancy toy that they will grow out of next year. Maybe I feel this way because of the way I was raised and the values that I have. I miss the broth commercial where the turkey and veggies went running down the grocery aisle. It gets me every time! The Hershey’s commercial where the kisses are ringing? Fabulous! I love that commercial every year. Ads that treat Christmas like a buying extravaganza and an opportunity for big brands to make bank “in the spirit of Christmas”? I’ll take a pass on that.
I suppose this might not be the merriest way to start Blogmas, but I want this to be seen as a reflection for when you are in the middle of a crowd of people in a store and trying to figure out which shade someone would prefer for something or another. Giving is great but don’t get caught up in buying and go into holiday debt. There is so much more to Christmas than placing a wrapped box under a tree. Your family and friends love you and they shouldn’t care what you get them. Your company and ability to share the joy of the season is what matters to them. So take a deep breath and turn on your favorite Christmas tunes. We will survive this Christmas.
This Christmas, spend time with your loved ones and embrace all of the snow flakes that kiss your cheeks, the first inhale of hot cocoa steam, and the best holiday movies.
I promise there will be happier and brighter Blogmas posts coming up very soon! This post is a product of my late night self and probably allergy medication.
Merry Christmas, everyone. Cheers!
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. – Luke 2:10
Today’s post is one that I am very excited to share! Earlier this month, I went to a blogger event in Tulsa with my friend Tiffany and we had such a great time! The Macramé and Mimosas event was hosted at the Retro Den in Tulsa and we were taught how to create a gorgeous macramé planter by Natasha from House Sparrow Fine Nesting.
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells (@abbeywellsphoto)
We each made a cute macramé planter and made it home to succulent plant. There were mimosas, churros, and lots of coffee to go around. Ashley and Ashley, owners of the Retro Den, made everyone feel like they were at home and they had everything we could possibly need at the event. Their store has a lot of amazing couches, planters, glassware, prints, and so much more! If you are ever in Tulsa on Harvard street, make sure to stop by and tell them that Mimi from Glitz and Glitter sent you! I had a hard time not buying everything in their store, especially the retro couches and pillows! You could turn your home into your modern Pinterest dreams with all of the furniture and artwork they have!
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells (@abbeywellsphoto)
Tiffany and I (photo above!) made a day out of it and went to Utica Square while we were in the area: Starbucks and sitting outside on the patio. Tulsa is such a historic city and there are a lot of cool digs if you know where to find them! Utica Square, Cherry Street, and Downtown are just a few of my favorite spots!
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells (@abbeywellsphoto)
We met a few new bloggers and the setting was so relaxing and chilled out.
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells (@abbeywellsphoto)
Macramé is an art, one that is well worth the time and effort! Natasha has a shop on Etsy and she has really amazing patterns for sale so you can make your own macramé creations!
The Retro Den hosts really cool events so make sure to go follow them on their accounts so you can stay updated on all of their events!
Me (left) and the ever lovely Tiffany from The Phoenix Diaries (right). Photo courtesy of Abbey Wells (@abbeywellsphoto)
Abbey is such an amazing photographer! I hardly ever love photos that are taken of me, but I absolutely love the photos she took!
Next week’s post is going to be a very fun Christmas guide that includes a lot of really cool Etsy finds that I love, so stay tuned for that! I hope you have a great week and that you had an amazing Thanksgiving, if you celebrate the holiday. We are currently dressing up our house for Christmas and have tunes playing in the background.
Feel free to connect with me on all of my socials! Links will be below!
Have a great week, babes, and don’t forget to smile!
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells
photo courtesy of Abbey Wells
photo courtesy of Abbey Wellsphoto courtesy of Abbey Wellsphoto courtesy of Abbey Wells
Hi, loves! I hope you have had a great week! For those in college, let’s try to survive the upcoming finals! I know I’m stressed out about them!
Today’s post is one that is near and dear to my heart because it is something that I fully support and that I recommend to others. Back in 2010, my parents decided to let me adopt a dog from one of our local animal shelters. A few years before that, I had been given a puppy from a neighbor of a friend of our family but she later died from colic while I was at camp. It had been around 2 years, if I remember correctly, before my parents considered letting me get another pet. My mom took me to our local no-kill animal shelter and we looked around for a half an hour before we came to my future dog’s outdoor kennel. She was a well-behaved dog, a Labrador and Rottweiler mix, who needed a good home and a few extra pounds. The shelter let us take her out and let her run around for a while and get to socialize with her. Fast forward 7 years and I’m sitting here on a Monday night with my rescued dog snoring behind me in her bed. She’s spoiled, a little bit overweight, but well cared for and rather happy with her home and humans. I remember walking up to her cage and wanting to break down the door to pet her. Granted, the 10 year old chubby me probably wouldn’t have been able to, but I thought I was the Hulk!
In the past 7 years, we have had happiness, sadness, and so many good memories. In 2015, our Chihuahua-Rat Terrier mix dog had to be put to sleep due to a long going battle with an infection that couldn’t be cured. Lately, I have thought about her a lot lately and I wish she was still here with us. And though she be but little, she is fierce. She fought off multiple snakes, survived a few bites and stings, and protected me and my sister on several occasions from slithering pests that worked their way into our yard. She had gotten bitten once by a venomous snake and ended up so swollen in her jowls that she looked like a baby hippo for a few days! She lived with us for a long time and she was also a dog that we rescued off of the streets, or rather, she rescued us.
Roxy, my fur baby, has been my security guard for 7 years. She has been my cuddle buddy when I get cold and she has been an emotional support when I feel low. Her weight has fluctuated, her hips now have arthritis, and her chin is going grey, but she still acts like a puppy when you toss her the gross and dingy tennis ball that she won’t seem to give up. She sleeps with me on my bed (I still say she fights off the monsters while I sleep) and groans when I try to get more bed space back or move the covers, but she cuddles closer to me when she thinks I don’t notice. When she gets moved to my room while we have company, she pouts and her brown eyes get big and almost child-like. Some people may think dogs don’t have personalities but I know Roxy does. She will purposely stay where she is at even when I call her and she will sashay down the hallway when she is through with my company, ignoring my calls for her to come back, so believe me when I say that she has a personality!
The shelter we adopted her from will always hold a special place in this town for me. They took care of their animals and made sure that they were adopted into good homes with loving people, they vaccinated them, and they were already spayed or neutered. The adoption, at the time, was completely free (but I think they asked that you made a donation) and after my mother signed the papers, we had adopted Roxy.
So with 7 years under my belt, I have learned a good bit about dog adoption, what it is like to have an adopted dog, and all that jazz! I love dog adoption because you are taking in an animal that has been taken from a bad home, in most cases. They may have been abused, mistreated, and have been unloved for a long time. I know when we adopted Roxy, there were a few things that we learned she wasn’t a fan of. Anything that made a loud noise that was incredibly close to her, she hated. To this day, I still can’t use a dryer after giving her a bath. She doesn’t like hitting, be it playful or other. Whenever my sister and I would wrestle, Roxy would go bananas and try to break it up. She has also become extremely protective, especially of me. I remember one time my neighbor was over and pretended to go to hit me with his cane and Roxy jumped up and barked up a storm, while at the same time getting ready to bite him to bits!
Another plus about certain adoption is that you have a new animal companion that is past the puppy stage. Roxy was 10 months old when we adopted her and she was already toilet trained and listened well when we would walk her on a leash. I was also rather happy that I didn’t have to clean up any piddles on the floors! But the biggest pro is that you get healed by having an adopted pet. I know that may make no sense at all, but there is something about adopting a pet that heals you. For an animal, it is that they are finally be chosen, they are finally being loved, and they finally have a family. They ended up in the shelter because they weren’t picked. Yes, there are a few cases where they are placed into adoption by owners who can’t take care of them anymore, but the majority of shelter pets have been rescued by the shelter in hopes that they are adopted into a good home. Adoption rates aren’t typically too high and some shelters are rather accommodating if you have another pet. You can bring your pet in to meet your potentially future animal to make sure that they get on okay. Overall, shelters just want their animals to be adopted into a loving home.
So 7 years and here we are. Roxy goes by “booboo”, “pretty girl”, “little bear”, “nugget”, “schmoo”, and just about anything else. She likes her ears and back to be scratched and she has been sprayed by 2 skunks while in a heated chase. 7 years later and she still makes me smile when she wags her tail in her sleep and sticks out her tongue while dreaming. Yes, it is annoying when I get comfortable on the couch and she decides that she has to go outside (almost every time when I sit down), but she is my fur baby, my security guard, and my monster repellent while I sleep. I love her to pieces.
She let me take 3 decent-ish pictures of her before she ignored me and wouldn’t cooperate..
If you are looking at adopting a pet, check with your local shelter to see if you can schedule a visit and check into their information. Your next furry best friend is waiting for you to walk around the corner.
Hi, babes! Welcome back to Glitz & Glitter, the best little place on the internet. Here at Glitz & Glitter, we (and by “we”, I mean me, myself, and I) stand for happiness, uniqueness, and all things lovely. If you want to be a part of the Glitz & Glitter Tribe, hit that follow button and you are automatically a part of the tribe!
Today’s review should have been up a while ago, but Blogtober called and then things in my life blew up, so the schedule was thrown out of whack. A while back, a lovely gal named Laila sent me two sample packs of Jamberry nail wraps to try out and review and I can’t wait to tell you about them. You have probably seen nail wraps before (they are also called nail stickers) in your local shop, but if you haven’t here is a picture of them!
Nail wraps are nail stickers that apply to your nail and seal with heat (I used my hair dryer). They last for a while and they don’t chip like nail polish does! There is no drying time spent worrying about accidentally denting a nail and redoing anything; just apply, heat, press, and voila! I heated the wraps multiple times while they were on my nails and while I shaped them so I would get the best seal I could. I did have problems with the wraps lifting, but that was my own fault. I am a novice at applying the wraps so they definitely weren’t perfect. There were creases at the sides and I picked at them throughout the week (I know: BAD. Piece of advice: don’t pick at them, no matter how tempting it is!) so that did factor into the short wear time.
The nail wraps are great and I still have some left over! The next time I use them, I am certainly going to have a nail station with everything prepared in front of me so I won’t be scrambling for anything!
I stupidly forgot to take photos of when I wore the wraps, so I don’t have a picture of me wearing them. I do plan on trying the nail wraps again and hopefully perfecting them, so when I do, I’ll be adding the images on this post!
Thank you so much, Laila, for sending me the nail wraps and for being so understanding about my late posting! I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!
Laila’s links will be down below, so make sure to check them out!
I hope you have a fabulous week and don’t forget to smile and listen to amazing music!
We are so so close to fall and I am already feeling the fall vibes! I’ve been trying new makeup looks for a fall collaboration coming soon and I am so excited to show it to you guys! It will be out sometime this month, so be on the lookout for that! Also: I am going to be doing a small Blogmas series in December and I am already have a few ideas going for that! There is already one collaboration planned out for that, BUT I am looking for more bloggers to collaborate with! If you would like to collaborate with me for a Blogmas post that is all things festive and glitzy, please leave a comment below with your information or send me an email at glitzandglitterblog@gmail.com! I would love to work with you!
Okay, now that the announcements are out of the way, let’s jump into the reviews!
I went to Ulta this past Thursday and I was looking for a few things that were affordable and good quality. Granted I have never tried any products from Essence before now, so I had no clue if their products were great, but when I saw the display and how affordable the products were, I knew I had to give them a try! I picked out the Essence Cover Stick in “10 Matt Naturelle” and the gel nail polish in “53 Rock My World”. The cover stick was around $3 and the nail polish was $2, so they are really affordable!
The cover stick is fantastic! I was in desperate need of a good concealer and while I am not really a huge fan of concealer sticks, this one is one of my favorites now. It has great coverage without feeling super heavy and it is buildable. I just put some on my under eyes, nose, chin, and some on my forehead and blend out for great coverage and a good look. I don’t wear foundation much anymore, so a good concealer is great for me. Essence has done a marvelous job! The formula is really creamy and smooth, not streaky or too thick.
The nail polish is a dark grey/charcoal color that I am now in love with. I do recommend using two coats and not just one, like I did. It does cover really nicely, but there are a few streaky spots. If you are in a rush and only have time for one coat, be generous and you’ll do fine!
Next up is the Lip Amplification lip gloss from Makeup Revolution! The Makeup Revolution glosses were on sale for $2.49 that day, so I figured I should pick one up! I purchased the shade “Conviction” and while it looks like a dark brown in the package, it is actually a dark berry shade. When you build it up, it almost looks brown/black, but I rather like it. The formula is pretty good and it goes on smoothly. I had to apply it twice to make sure I had an even look and zero streaks. I’m a big fan of Makeup Revolution and I loved this gloss!
All of the products are absolutely awesome and I hope you check them out the next time you are at Ulta!
Have a great weekend, my loves! Don’t forget to smile and take your fabulous sass wherever you go!
Mimi In Motion 