The Drugstore Highlighter I'm Currently Loving: NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick

Hello Beautiful Ones!

We're in the months now where summer is starting to fade into fall. Losing the bright summer months can get me a little down. Although I will admit I am a little excited for apple cider and boots weather (shh don't tell anyone). I plan to make that glowy summer feeling last as long as humanly possible. Also, I've been on a major highlighter kick lately. That brings us to today's review: the Nyx Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in Lavender Lust.

What's better than a good highlighter? A highlighter in stick form. Yay for easy application and portability! The NYX Bright Idea stick comes in a range of 12 colors that includes highlighters, blushes, and bronzers. As I mentioned I'm a sucker for highlighters and I also have a love for purple so I really didn't even notice any of the other shades on the display at Ulta if I'm honest. I grabbed the highlighter in the shade Lavender Lust. 

As I said, I prefer my highlighters in stick form because they are fast and easy to apply no matter where you are. I find that this one is especially easy because it's the perfect size. Not too big or too small, it's just right (seriously Goldilocks would be proud!). It also fits easily in a makeup bag or your purse for touchups. 

Now let's get to the main event: the color. This shade is just so pretty. It gives you the perfect highlight with just a touch of violet hue. The color payoff really is good here. Just a few swipes on my face and I'm good to go. It also blends extremely easily. It doesn't stay forever, but the lasting power is still good. 

The bottom line? At $8 a piece this highlighter is a great value! 100% recommend. I'm probably gonna be rocking this long into the winter in an attempt to pretend it's still summer, ha! You can find the NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in drugstores or on the NYX website. 

Let me know if you've tried this, or any highlighters you're loving right now!

XO- Brittney

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Nails Inc. Paint Can Spray On Nail Polish Review

Hello Beautiful Ones!

We should probably file this one under "things I just could not resist trying for myself." We all know that at-home manicures are definitely cheaper (and you can do them in your PJ's!), but not necessarily easier. Enter in the Nails Inc. Paint Can which you literally just spray onto your nails like spray paint. I know what you're thinking: Does it work? Well today I'm putting it to the test!

When I texted my sister and told her I was doing this her first reaction was "oh my god!" And her second reaction was "wait, how does that work?" I don't even know why she's still surprised at this point. But how does it work? Well, it involves an accompanying 2-in-1 base and top coat that has to be purchased separately called The Paint Can's Best Friend. Here's the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Paint your nails with the base coat and let it dry.

Step 2: Shake the Paint Can and then spray your nails from about 4 inches away (the polish will also get on your skin and that's ok!). Let it dry for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Paint your nails with the top coat and let it dry.

Step 4: Wash your hands with soapy warm water to remove the excess polish (being patient and gentle here is key).

Some (hopefully) helpful tips:

-Be extra careful when painting the base coat because that's what the polish is going to stick to (so try to stay away from your cuticles and cover the entire nail).
-I highly recommend laying down some newspaper or an old sheet when you are spraying the polish because it does get EVERYWHERE.
-Spray as evenly as you can and don't be afraid to do a couple of thin coats instead of all at once. Make sure you're staying about 4 inches away and not too close.
-Try not to touch anything you care about until your have washed the excess polish off your hands (she says as she scrubs neon pink off her T.V. remote).
-As I mentioned above, washing off the excess polish works best if you take it slowly and gently.

Now that we've established how it works, let's talk about if it works. Honestly, the whole thing went much better than I expected it to. After reading some pretty negative reviews my expectations were less than high. It seemed like a lot of steps for something that claims to be fast, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the base/top coat dried pretty quickly so I didn't have to wait long between each step. 

Currently the Paint Can comes in only three colors: Mayfair Lane (light pink), Shoreditch Lane (metallic silver), and Hoxton Market (hot pink). I'm guessing there are plans to expand on the color selection depending how well this first run goes over. Obviously I opted for the hot pink. It's a gorgeous color with a light shimmer to it and the color payoff is pretty good.

Now let's talk about durability. This is where it gets a little rocky. I started seeing some chipping after the first day of wear, particularly on my thumbs. The chipping is mostly centered on the nails I use most often (thumbs and index fingers). Here's a shot of each hand after 3 solid days of wear:

You can get the Paint Can for $12 with an additional $8 for the Paint Can's Best Friend 2 in 1 Base and Top Coat. The Paint Can is available from the Nails, Inc. website and Sephora.

So what's my final verdict here? The entire experience of applying the Paint Can was actually really fun! It was a nice little break from the "normal" process of painting my nails. With that being said, I wish it didn't chip so quickly. But I think with some improvements to the formula Nails, Inc. could really be onto something here!

Is it perfect? No. But if you're looking for something fun and new to splurge on then this might be exactly what you're looking for! Let me know if you're planning to try the Paint Can in the comments.

XO- Brittney

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Nudestix Lip and Cheek Dual Pencil in Mystic/Whisper

Hello Beautiful Ones!

My love affair with the Nudestix brand began a few months ago with their Magnetic Eye Color Pencils, and I'm happy to report the obsession is still going in full force. You guys know I'm a sucker for anything that is portable and/or dual purpose so you can imagine my excitement with I discovered the Nudestix Lip and Cheek Dual Pencil.

If you're not yet familiar with the Nudestix brand (prepare to fall in love), their motto is "nude but better" and every product comes in the form of a pencil. That means that all the shades are very natural looking and not over the top, perfect for everyday wear. Plus it's all super portable, every product comes in their trademark tin (which can be reused for anything!) and is accompanied with a sharpener so you don't need to bother finding one that will fit. 

Now let's talk specifically about the Lip and Cheek Dual Pencil. I picked mine up in the shade Mystic/Whisper. 

I had dragged my Mom to Sephora with me when I picked this up, and when I explained to her that it was a dual pencil that worked for both lips and cheeks she commented that that was a little weird. I guess she might be right, but if I can get something that can do the job of two products in one I'm a very happy girl. I also love that you get two shades in one. Both of these shades would probably fall into the category of nude pinks with Mystic being a berry pink and Whisper being a lighter bubblegum pink. They're both perfect for my fair skin Here's a color swatch (please ignore my scaly hands it's been unbearably dry here in Nebraska!):

I've found myself using the lighter shade Whisper on my cheeks and the darker shade Mystic on my lips, but they could be easily worn the other way around. They are very creamy and blendable. The wear is also good. When worn on my lips they last just as well as any lipstick would. I've been wearing this to work just about every day this last week, but it would also be perfect for class or a light makeup day. And possibly the best part? You can snag this dual pencil for only $24! 

Bottom line: this is a lovely product that just about anyone could find useful!

Have you tried this or any other Nudestix products? Let me know in the comments!

XO- Brittney

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