Free For All Beauty Friday: Almay Smart Shade Skintone Matching Makeup.

Hi guys happy Friday!!! Who is ready for the weekend?? I am, even though mine will be filled with working, school work and blogging. Although I do NOT mind the blogging part!

Today I have another edition of Free For All Beauty Friday for you! I have only done a handful of these over the last year but hopefully there will many more in the future!

There are lots of new amazing beauty products out at the drugstore right now. I have definitely been sucked into buying quite a few of them and loving them! This being one of them.

Almay has always been a cosmetic company that my mom mentioned to me when I first started getting into makeup. She informed it was makeup she used because she has sensitive skin and Almay was one of the only brands she didn't have a problem wearing!

I don't always get to purchase Almay at the drugstore, I always ogle at it but its a little too expensive where I live. However, I have owned a couple of pieces of Almay makeup in the past, eye shadows, a mascara, a blush and now a foundation I am completely in love with.

Let me introduce you to Almay Smart Shade Skintone Matching Makeup.

I first saw this at my local Rite Aid, you know as I do. I saw the display and that they had a tester out. I thought that this was tinted moisturizer at first, the tester was my shade so I tested it on the back of my hand. As I rubbed it in I realized this was something different and really cool and I would need it my life.

This skintone matching make up comes in three shades, light, light/medium, and medium.
Almay according to their website says that this: 

• instantly transforms to your perfect shade 
• Lightweight coverage with a soft satin finish 
• broad spectrum SPF 15 
• Hypoallergenic and Dermatologist tested. 

You can see I am shade #200 Light/Medium. You get one fluid ounce of product which is standard for liquid foundations.

What I like about this foundation is that it is light weight, has an SPF that is broad spectrum, is hypoallergenic, and has pretty decent coverage for being classified as a light coverage foundation.

Your probably thinking how does the smart shade technology work? Well here is a quote directly from Almay's website " it adjusts to the natural tones and nuances of your skin with breakthrough new almay tonemimic™ shade-sensing bead technology which intuitively transforms to your skintone for all day natural looking coverage in your perfect shade." 


That "tonemimic" technology is what made me want to try this stuff out. Take a look.

This is what the foundation looks like when it comes right out of the tube. It looks kind of grayish and you can see tiny flecks of the skintone matching beads throughout.

As you start to rub it into your skin with your fingers you can see that the beads break and start to release color and somehow starts to match my skintone.

I found this foundation to be really great at evening out my skintone, and moisturizing. I also found the best way to apply this foundation is to use your hands. Usually I am a brush using girl. I just don't normally like the feeling of having foundation on my hands, but this foundation I feel with a brush you do not get the best application and most of it gets caught inside the brush. I also think the heat of my hands helps burst the skintone matching beads.

As you can see or hardly see for that matter that this matches fairly well. I do set it with a setting powder just to get the shine off my face since I have naturally oily/combo skin. But I do notice the satin almost matte finish before I set it and if I didn't get oily I wouldn't use a setting powder.

Overall I love this foundation and have been using every day since I bought it. I will definitely be repurchasing this foundation sooner than later. If you want to try out the Almay Smart Shade Skintone Matching Makeup, you can find it at your local drugstore, Walmart, etc. I got mine from Walmart for $9.99 instead of the $14.99 price tag I saw at Rite aid.

I hope you enjoyed this review and I'll talk to you all soon!
<3 Nicole 

Free For All Beauty Fridays: Get to know me, beauty tag!

Hey guys! Happy Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful fourth yesterday! My best friend, niece and I hung out and we went and saw Despicable me 2 and then went to see fireworks at the local park. They were pretty awesome! Then we went back to my best friends house and lit off some sparklers at 11:30 at night! 

Today I have a beauty tag for you. I'm not sure how many of you really like beauty tags or any tag post/video for that matter but I like them. I love watching them on Youtube and they some pretty interesting ones out there. So for this weeks Free For All Beauty Friday, we have a get to know me, beauty edition. 

So lets get started! 

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

My hair is half curly and half straight, its a little annoying actually. I blame my parents, my dad has curly hair and my mom has baby fine straight hair. My underneath layers of hair are usually the straight ones and the top layer of hair is always wavy, curly. Its such a pain in the butt! 

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I rarely dye my hair, I will get highlights done but its once every few years. However if I want to get anything done to my hair, cut, dye, I just have to ask my best friend. She is a licensed cosmetologist. 

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

During the cooler months I will usually style it differently. My hair and humidity do not mix at all and sadly during the warm months I am prone to sweating a little too much and my just gets horrible. If I try to straighten it, it curls up and gets all greasy looking and then I have to start all over with a fresh shower and everything. I usually just keep it up during the summer which I know isn't healthy for it but its the only thing that works. 

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do my own mani/pedi of course, if I didn't then I wouldn't have this blog. I have only been once to a salon for a pedicure and it was nice but where I live they sort of over charge for them since we get a lot of tourist. 

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

I change my nail polish probably two-to-three times a week, just because I am primarily a nail blogger. Depending on my schedule for the week if I have a day where I don't have anything going on I will have a 'swatch day' where I swatch two-four polishes in one sitting to get things going for the blog here. As for nail art post is more of a once a week thing. 

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Usually its just the summer. I think I still have the same polish on that I had on before I went on vacation. So what does that tell you. Lol. 

 

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

Depends on the situation of where I am going. If it is just going to run errands then I usually do a light makeup day. If I am going to work then I might do a full simple face. And of course for special occasions and holidays I tend to go all out. 

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

I usually do my face first then go on from there. 

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I don't have a ton of space or my own place to just collect makeup. If I was a makeup artist I probably would. I will buy makeup when I need it but if new products come out that catch my eye even if I already own it then year I might buy more than I need. But if I didn't then I might not be able to do beauty posts on fridays. 

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Never, I have never tried them, don't want to honestly. I am deathly afraid of gluing my eyelid shut. 

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Nope see the answer to question seven. 

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

When I am home alone maybe not so much but with family possibly if we are having a family dinner or BBQ. 

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

I have left the house without makeup before, and every time something happens where it would of been better if I had put makeup on before I left. So nowadays I don't usually leave without something on my face whether its just foundation concealer and lipstick. 

14. How many high-end products do you have?

Not many, I don't have a giant bank account to buy them, but I do splurge when I have a little extra money and my bills get paid first. 

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I decide when I am getting ready, it all has to do with the weather. Sometimes in NY it can be hot and cold in the same day. 

 

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Rarely, I like just having one that I can put everything I need into and then if it starts to rip or get worn out then I will change it or buy a new one. 

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

Since I work a lot of night shifts mostly I go to bed at like 12-1 o clock in the morning and wake up at 10:30-11 am. If I have to work early shifts then I try to go to bed at a normal  time but it never works out the way I want. 

18. How often or when do you workout?

I try to work out when I can but its hard and I admit I fail at it a lot. 

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right handed! 

20. How tall are you?

5'6"

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Nope. 

22. How many pets do you have?

One kitty named Scooter. 

23. How often are you on Blogger?

I always set a goal of at least three times a week but sometimes it turns in to one or sometimes none. 

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Always! 

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I definitely make mental notes to try a product I see or look in to it at least. 

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

When I started painting my nails, I couldn't think of one that hadn't been done, then one day I said they are my nails and its my polish, and hence forth My Nails. My Polish. was born. 

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I sometimes use my iPhone, to take photos that my digital cameras can capture, like bright neons. I just recently got for my birthday a Canon Rebel t3i which is how I will most likely be taking pictures from now on. I also have a Sony Cybershot Dsc-tx 66 which is a nice small compact camera 

28. How often do you clean your house?

I like to keep things as clean as I possibly can, I don't like clutter and try to keep everything nice and neat. 

29. What's your favorite color?

Pink, but I like all the colors! 

30. Do you swear?

Sadly, sometimes like a sailor but if you worked the job I do you might do it to. But when I am with family I try not to. 

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Well I am about to go eat a late lunch and then get ready and go to work for the night and then come home and eat a late dinner then go to bed and try to sleep so I can get up early for my morning shift at work. 

Hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all on Monday! 

<3Nicole 

Free For All Beauty Fridays! May Favorites!

* I have nothing to disclose, everything but the Simple Skin Care Protecting Light Moisturizer was purchased by me with my own money. The Simple Skin Care Protecting Light Moisturizer was a free sample I signed up for via the internet.*

Be prepared for a long post with lots of pictures! Trust me though its worth it!

Ok any girl who is obsessed with beauty products, makeup, nail polish, etc., and if they watch YouTube videos then its a safe bet that some of them have watched favorites videos. I know I love watching them from all my favorite beauty YouTubers.

So since I don't do the whole YouTube thing, ( yet, I want to start trying, and I am getting a pretty decent camera for my birthday so I might just start.) I thought that I would start doing favorites post for Free For All Beauty Fridays! 

And yes this post is going up Saturday night because yesterday I had technical difficulties with posting!

So on to my May Favorites!

First up is eye shadow. I have two drugstore palettes that  are super affordable and great for wearing to work or even going out with the girls, or your guy.

Wet 'n' Wild makes some of the most affordable make up in the drugstore, I have used many of their polishes and never really touched the make up but I'm so glad I finally have tested the waters. the "Comfort Zone" Palette is one of WnW eight pan palettes that will run you about $4.99 at your local drugstore.

 The first three colors on the left hand side of the palette are the colors I have been reaching for ever since I purchased this palette. The fourth color on the left to the last four on the right are colors I don't always use but have tested the waters with by playing with them n my own home. The very last shade is unique to this palette as it is a duo chrome shade that flashes a rusty brick color to an amazing green. One of the best things about this palette is that the shadows are labeled as to where they should go on your eye, and on the reverse side of the palette there are little guides to help you. The pigmentation of these are also amazing a little goes a very long way.

The second drugstore eye shadow I have is a quad from Maybelline. Its from their Eye studio line. These quads will run you a little more than the Wet 'n' Wild palettes but the color pay off is pretty nice and the color ranges are also good too.

Once again this quad has the ' wear to work' colors, not bright or stand out-ish. I don't really like to wear bright colors unless its on my lips and even then I don't wear too many. I purchased this quad off the recommendation from my absolute favorite YouTuber Emilynoel83. If you don't know who she is I suggest you do if you love all things beauty. She is amazing! She gives great reviews and great how-to videos! This quad was featured in her Color Lovers video featuring rose gold make up products!

The pigmentation on these is about the same for the WNW palette,  its small and thin which makes it great for travel and will be finding its way into my make up bag when we go to Florida in two weeks.

Next in makeup, I think I have become obsessed with concealer, I currently have three concealers I use to help conceal my imperfections and under eye circles. This is the newest of the three and currently my favorite.

I chose the Cover Girl-Olay Simply Ageless Concealer not because Ellen endorses it, or the fact that it was on clearance for half off, but for the fact that I have always wanted to try it and don't own many Cover Girl products. I'll be the first to admit Cover Girl is not my most favorite brand of drugstore make up. I have used one of their 'Clean' Foundations in the past but I didn't like it and so hence didn't give anything else a try. This concealer though is amazing!

I am the shade #215 Light/Medium. This concealer is great for under your eyes to conceal those not so flattering dark circles. It comes in a little pot which isn't too hygienic, having to dip your finger in each time but since I am the only one who uses this I don't mind. This concealer is swirled with Olay's Regenerist serum, so it helps with fine lines and doesn't sink into your fine lines either. That is something I noticed, this doesn't sink in to what I call my smile lines under my eyes and they are pretty deep, I have had them since I was a kid.

Next I have a blush that I can't believe I love wearing. When I first started getting into make up I wouldn't be caught dead wearing this bright color.

This is the Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in # 200 Flushed.

 My Camera makes the blush slightly brighter than it actually is. Its not really that florescent. It is pretty bright however. A little swirl on my finger gives me the perfect blushed look. Since the color is a bright pink/fuchsia you have to be light handed otherwise you will look like  a clown or a doll.  This blush is more on the higher priced spectrum at $9.99 I was hesitant on buying it.
Every time I walked past it in Wal-Mart it called out to me and I would pick it up and put it down, then finally one night while just out for some 'me' time I took the plunge and bought it, and I'm so glad I did.

Finally on the makeup front I have a lipstick that I think I have worn everyday since I bought it at CVS. This is the Milani Color Statement Lipstick in #26 Nude Crème.

This lipstick is a-mazing! It is the perfect nude color. It is a pink nude but basically its my lip color but a tad lighter and better. The formula is smooth and goes on nicely, it is a bit drying so I do use a lip balm underneath just so the lipstick doesn't settle into the lines on my lips. I definitely plan on investing in some more color from their collection!

The last four favorites are skin care related and one perfume. So lets get started.

First up is the Simple Skin Care Eye Makeup Remover.

I want to say that this makeup remover is like the famous Bio-derma. Its probably the best eye makeup remover I have found next to baby wipes. You can't tell from the bottle shot but I have already used half the bottle up and will be needing to repurchase it. All I do is moisten a cotton pad, hold it on my eye for ten seconds and swipe away all the makeup on my eye. Its even safe to use on my lashes and my lower lash line. It has Pro-Vitamin B5 to help soothe the skin, restore it and soften. Its oil free which so if you have oily skin this won't make you look like an oil field. The fact that all Simple products have no perfumes or dyes is just one of the benefits, I know in the past using certain makeup wipes my skin actually breaks out if things are too heavily scented. Its fairly affordable at about $7 a bottle. I got mine at Walgreens and it seems to be the only place I will be able to get it, none of the other drugstores carry it.

Next is The Simple Skin Care Protecting Light Moisturizer. I got this after signing up to receive a full size sample via the blog Vampy Varnish, she had done a review on it and had a link that offered the full size product to the first 500 people who signed up.

This moisturizer is pretty awesome, it light weight absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving you feeling sticky or gunky. It has SPF 15 which isn't super high but enough to protect you if you going to be running around doing errands. Put on a regular sunscreen if you are going to be at the beach all day in the sun that has a high SPF. I know that Simple doesn't add perfumes or dye to their products but there is a slight sunscreen smell to this, its not horrible I actually like that kind of smell. I use this under my daily makeup (which already has SPF in it) and my makeup goes on smoother. I'm pretty sure you can find this in the local drugstore for around $9.99.


The final skincare product I'm loving for the month of May is the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser.

I have used Clean & Clear products since I was teenager and started having pimple issues. It seems so long ago, actually  I haven't been a teen in 7 years (seems forever right? Kidding!) Anyway I picked this up because I wanted a cleanser that was just to make me feel clean, I didn't need anything that had anti aging, or blemish control because I have products for those problems already. I wanted something to just make me feel clean in the morning.

This lathers really well even with only one pump. I also like the fact that the pump locks so you don't accidently hit it in the bathroom and waste product. The smell is very pleasant its lemon and papaya, it also has caffeine in it to help wake your skin up! It is slightly drying but that's okay and it leaves my skin brighter and  matte. It also helps control the oil on my face. You can find this in drugstores for about $5.97, I got mine at Wal-Mart.

Finally the last favorite I have for you is a perfume that I'm glad I found. I absolutely love the Victoria Secret PINK body mist. My most used one is Fresh and Clean. It smells like a boys' perfume but for girls. I have had friends tell me it smells like Dolce and Gabbana. So when I was in Five Below last month I always check out their body sprays since they always do their own versions of the high end perfumes.

This is called BE Cool & Clean.

This tiny little flat bottle is great for travel, I have two of these and one of them is in my purse at all times just in case I need to freshen up. Its just about a half ounce of liquid so it probably won't last long but it was only $2 so you get what you pay for. But this perfume smells exactly like my favorite Victoria's Secret scent. So when in comparison its worth it to me. It smells so clean and crisp and I love that kind of smell when I am going to be at work or just not in the mood for a fruit-y scent. 

So that s it for my favorites of May! I hope you enjoyed and sorry this post was so long! But if you did get through it than Thank you for reading it!

Until next time! Nicole

Free For All Beauty Friday! Physicians Formula Super BB Cream!

I have nothing to disclose, any and all products mentioned are purchased by me.
Happy Friday!

Congrats to all of you who have the weekend off! As you are reading this I will be at work and praying for 4 o' clock to come quickly! I have Saturday off and its my dads 60th birthday! It is a very special birthday since he is finally home from his stay in the hospital!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

Okay on to my very first volume of Free For All Beauty Friday! I have been putting this off since I first mentioned it because I have been so nervous to write up this post! As much as I love nail polish I love make up and beauty products equally as much although the size of either collections vary.


Today I will be giving my thoughts on the Physicians Formula Super BB Cream. I have always used liquid foundation when applying my makeup, so when I heard about BB Creams I didn't really know who or what they were. I had heard of Japanese BB Creams and how amazing they are. Sadly I know I would probably never get my hands on one so I would have to give the American counterparts a try.
After watching many reviews on YouTube, I decided to give it ago and see what I could find. I also wanted to try a BB Cream for when I go on vacation this summer so I don't have to pack a glass bottle of foundation in my suitcase.

I chose Physicians Formula because well I'll be honest, it was partially the brilliant white packaging with the holographic design on it. But I did choose it because it supposedly had 10 plus benefits, an SPF of 30 broad-spectrum and was recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation for daily use to help protect your skin from the sun.

Here is what the packaging looks like. Plus a close up of the 10 plus benefits.

 

As you can see after you open the box you get 1.2 fluid ounces of product. Now I purchased mine back just around Valentines Day, and its now the almost of end of April and is sill have just about under a third of product left. So its lasted me about two and half months. It will most likely make it to the middle of May before I have break in to the back up that I purchased.

As for the 10 plus benefits I could go through them individually but then this post would be super long. So I'm going to break them in to sections. The first three are  smoothing, moisturizing, and protecting, I have to say these benefits prevail to be true, the BB cream goes on smooth and blends really well, I do feel like I put on moisturizer with this, my face doesn't get dry or cakey, I still put on a separate moisturizer before putting this on though, its just in my routine. As for protecting well duh it has SPF broad-spectrum 30 in it so its going to help. Obviously you wouldn't use this as regular sunscreen but for being out and about on a girls day or just sitting outside its really good for that, if your going to be in the water or on the beach in direct sun clearly you want a higher SPF sunscreen!

The next 3 Firming, Priming and Filling, and Perfecting, I would say for I don't really notice a difference, I don't like primers but this doesn't feel like one, I definitely don't get that silicone feeling when applying it. Since I'm still young I don't have to worry about firming if it does firm anything I don't see it. Perfecting, I don't think it does that, I still have to spot conceal and conceal my under eyes.

As for the last four Concealing, Brightening, Line Softening, and Long Wearing, I feel it does even out my skin tone well. The only downside is that this product only comes in two different shades. Light/Medium which is what I wear and Medium/Dark. So if you fall outside the two shades or stuck in the middle you might like this product. Some say Light/Medium is too light and Medium/Dark is too dark, and its sad there is no in-between color. For brightening I think it does lighten my face a little but that goes with evening out my skin tone. For Line-Softening and Long Wearing, once again I'm on the younger demographic for this so I can't tell if it works for that, as for long wearing I think it last well up to about the 6-7 hour mark. I have worn this to work and come home and still have a nice face but not as nice as when I first applied everything, When I wear this on a regular day and not really doing much it can last much longer as long as I'm not touching my face which is a bad habit of mine.

So here is what the product looks like.

 

 

 

I get about light to medium coverage out of this BB cream, if I don't have many blemishes (which is a rare day) it makes my skin look nice, but like I said above I do have to use separate concealers to finish the covering up when I want to wear a full face of make up. If I have a lazy day and just I am just running to the store and don't have to put a lot of make up on then this can actually work well by itself and I just set it with powder and be on my way.

 

 I do like this BB Cream, I think it will be good for Florida because it is light weight on the skin and with the humid weather down there I think it will be an excellent choice to a heavy liquid foundation.

 

For price point it is on the expensive side of the drugstore makeup lines. If you want to purchase this it will run you about $10-$13. But there is a brighter side to it. I have seen a lot of these in stores with $3.00 coupons on them and drugstores like CVS and Rite Aid are always having sales on Physicians Formula. When I bought mine I got it for 40% off which brought it down to $7-$8 and then with the $3 dollars off it was brought down to $4-$5! Not bad at all if you ask me.

 

So if you want to give it a go wait for it to be on sale and then you won't feel like you are investing large amounts of money on a drugstore product.

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this first FFABF post and I'll see you next time !

 

<3 Nicole

 

If you guys have any comments or questions or even suggestions on what you would like to see for any future Friday post please leave it in the comments below! I would LOVE to know! Thanks!