Review: Bogue Systems Ultra Sonic Jewelry Cleaner with Blitz Jewelry and Gem Cleaner

I'm. In. Love!

Last weekend I order an ultra sonic cleaner to keep my e-ring nice and sparkly and I wanted something to really give my mom's old ring a good cleaning. I bought the UltraSonic Cleaner by Bogue Systems (with Blitz Gem and Jewelry cleaner) from Amazon for $35.97 (shipping and handling was $4.98) after reading some great reviews about it!

Back story of the ring I cleaned...
Before my parents got married, my dad gave her an emerald ring (her birthstone). After she passed away my sister said I could have the ring if she could get mom's Bible. Deal! Even though the ring is a bit old-fashioned with it's totally-80s vibe, it's hands down one of my most favorite pieces of jewelry and is so special to me! After they divorced when I was in 1st grade (I'm 24 now) she quit wearing the ring. Over the years (many, many years) it's collected dust and icky things! I never took it to get professionally cleaned before I'm a freak and am convinced that someone would pull a switch-a-roo and swap out the stone for some knock-off. I know, it's a ridiculous thought, but whatever.

About the ultra sonic cleaner...

• The instructions say it cleans in 3 minutes...it's actually 2 min. and 50 sec.!
• The machine does make a noise while it's cleaning. It isn't very loud and it wasn't annoying to me. Ross (who uses Ultra Sonic cleaners for work all the time) said that the sound is normal because it's the motor running.
•  This particular machine only has an on/off switch. You'll hit "on" to start the machine and it will automatically run for the allotted time. 

About the Blitz Gem and Jewelry Cleaner (Concentrate)

• The directions say to only use this cleaner for gold, platinum, diamond, ruby, topaz, sapphire  amethyst, aquamarine, garnet, peridot, and other non-porous gem jewelry. 
• According to the instructions, shake well. Use 1 oz. of concentrate to 5 oz. of water to dilute. Do not use unless it's diluted! 
• Note: Blitz makes a Delicate Gem and Pearl Cleaner. 

 The Cleaning Process. (Sorry for the crappy lighting)

Before. 

I had no idea that the ring is two-toned: white and yellow gold. 

I thought all that was dirt and grossness. 

1st cleaning.

The yellow gold is brighter and I could tell that the ring is two toned.

The diamonds on the sides aren't shiny, though.

2nd and Final Cleaning.

The yellow and white gold are brighter, the diamonds that are with the 

white gold are shining and I could finally tell the karat of the gold. 
I am satisfied with this cleaning, but will give it another once-over 
whenever I buy cleaner for porous stones.

♥♥♥

Extra, Extra! We did an experiment. 

Ross put his Schick razor in the ultra sonic cleaner (with just water, no solution) and the blade came out sharp again. Ross (a physicist ) was telling me that some razors have a diamond coating on the blades and that when they get dull it's because the diamond coating blades are covered in gunk...like shaving cream and stuff! He's pretty excited that he now won't have to buy new blades as often!

Review: St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer

Hi, Pretty People!
A few months ago I was on Pinterest and saw that Dr. Oz had recommended St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer (whew- what a name!). Intrigued, I picked up a jar at Wal-Mart and went on my way. The first night I tried it, my skin felt really nice afterwards and I liked how well it absorbed into my skin. The next morning, I woke up and my skin was radiant! I was over the moon! I started using this product day and night and after about a week I noticed my cheeks getting dry. Weird! So, I searched some reviews and noticed a few people had this problem. Keep in mind, for me, the dryness wasn't really that bad, but it was definitely something I noticed. As I sat scratching my head wondering how the heck a moisturizer could dry my skin out I did a little research. I searched for drying side effects with Safflower Seed Oil, Collagen, and more. Honestly, I really couldn't find anything. Whatever, I'm adaptable!  So, instead of using the moisturizer morning and night, I decided to just use it at night and use my Olay Original in the morning. It works like a charm!

Sorry the ingredients are hard to see. The round container makes it difficult to take clear pictures. 

Price: less than $5 (at my Wal-Mart) for 10 oz! Yeah, the jar is HUGE and I feel foolish for paying more money for a moisturizer in the past.

Scent: The St. Ives Timeless has a scent, but it isn't an offensive smell; it's quite pleasant. I am horrible at describing scents, but it kinda reminds me of a nice, light floral scent (maybe that's the Safflower Seed Oil?), but nothing too strong and grandma-like.

Formula: It isn't a thick formula and it isn't that thin and runny either. It's a nice happy medium.

Who is this product good for? My step mom and her sister swear by this moisturizer. I am 24 and I really like it, too, so I think it's product would work well for anyone in their 20's and up! (:

Would I recommend this product: I would recommend this moisturizer, but I would caution you to only use it once a day. I haven't had any drying issues since I started using it once a day...twice a day was just too harsh for my skin.

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Bella got her haircut yesterday to fix the disaster and (thankfully) it's adorable. I mentioned in yesterday's post that she cut her own hair this weekend! Oh, and it's her 3rd birthday today! (:
• My final Spring Break ever starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to the break. I will be in Auburn visiting Ross, but I'll be pretty boring. I have a ton of reading for my Western Lit. class and a paper I should start on.
• Only one more assignment for my online class and I will be finished with Senior Seminar! 

What did you think of the St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer?

Review: Milani Purple Gleam & Sale Alert

Just a heads up, CVS is having a clearance sale...50-75% select items! I saw the sale on Nouveau Cheap's blog. The link will be below. You might want to scan the sale items before you check out because some of the sale items on the list were not on sale at my CVS.

I ended up buying four Milani nail polishes, the Revlon Colorstay concealer in light and a backup of my favorite light, Wet-n-Wild's single shadow in Brulee. I got all this for $9.06 with $22.93 in savings.

Whenever I got home I decided to try Milani's One Coat Glitter in Purple Gleam. I have been obsessed with purples lately, literally cannot get enough!

The polish...

One Coat. 

I really wanted to put this polish to the test since it's called one coat. On my index and ring finger I'm only wearing one coat of the glitter polish. On my middle and pinky finger I'm wearing Wet-n-Wild's Disturbia (a deep purple) as a base and one coat of Purple Gleam, Honestly, one coat of Purple Gleam alone doesn't cut it for me. I do, however, like the purple base with the glitter over it. Hopefully it will be easier to get off because there isn't as much glitter on that nail. 

Two Coats.

I have two coats on all the nails and I think they all look the same. In the future, I will use the Disturbia as a base and only one coat of the glitter polish because I don't think it makes that big of a difference and I don't have an extra layer of glitter to get off. 

Overall Thoughts...

I think this is a beautiful true purple glitter polish. Obviously the one coat claim isn't entirely true, but with either a base coat or two glitter coats, it's just perfect. I do reccommend this polish to anyone wanting to try it. It's gorgeous on the nails...and it's only $1.25 at CVS right now!

Glitter is tough to remove so use the foil method to remove this (or other glitter) polishes.

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I am overly excited about my wonderful deals from CVS!
• Ross' Christmas present came in today and the nail polish I ordered for myself came in too. What a pleasant surprise since it came a few days early! 
• I had a study session with a friend from class and I feel a little bit better about our final tomorrow. We met at Starbucks and I had the Gingerbread Latte (which is delicious), but since I don't drink things with caffeine, I'm a bit jittery. Lol

Click here to see the CVS clearance list on Nouveau Cheap's blog.


Which Milani polishes do you like?! (:

Review: T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel

I love using witch hazel as an astringent!
I started using witch hazel as an astringent about a month ago. Within that time, I can tell such a difference my in skin tone. Witch hazel is great for oily, irritated, red, damaged, blemished or inflamed skin. Being away at college has made my skin go a little crazy: some days it's fabulous, some days it's a blemished hot mess! I blame my bad skin days on a college diet (lots of frozen dinners) and lack of sleep. Since using witch hazel, my skin looks so much better, but I still get the occasional blemish during "that time of the month." Disclaimer: witch hazel does have a fairly strong scent. It smells kinda like a bonfire (burning firewood). When I first started using it, the smell disgusted me, but I don't notice it bothering me anymore. It took me about a week to get used to the smell. Also, T.N. Dickinson's witch hazel does have 14% alcohol in it but I haven't noticed that it's dried out my skin.

When I apply and how often...
I've incorporated witch hazel in my everyday skin care routine. After I remove all my makeup, I put some witch hazel on a cotton ball and go all over my face and neck. I was surprised after using this that I was never getting off all of my makeup- now I know I am. I don't always use witch hazel in the morning...only if my skin has been more oily than usual (Note: I have combination skin). After witch hazel, I apply my moisturizer, as usual.

Hope yall don't mind the houndstooth scarf. There was a glare on the clear bottle.

The claim...
"Our 100% natural astringent gently cleanses and conditions skin without removing essential moisture."

The price...
It's about $4 at Wal-Mart and about $6 or $7 at the drugstore (prices may vary by location).

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I've finally rotated my closet to my fall wear. While doing that, I went through all my clothes- spring/summer and fall/winter- that I'm going to give away/donate.
• Last night I made the best pork chops EVER! Ross really enjoyed them, too!
• Is anyone else amazed at how fast October went by?! I can't believe November will be here in a week and a half.

What are some of your skin care favorites?

Review: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream

Hello, everyone! I feel like it's been ages since my last post, but my classes have been so crazy that I haven't had a chance to blog. 

I am so in love with the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream. I bought this about two (maybe three) weeks ago and I can tell the biggest difference in my skin. At 24, I never thought I needed a specific night cream. To me, it seemed like something for maturing skin. However, a few weeks ago, my skin was awful, dry and dull. I purchased this night cream from Wal-Mart for $6.47. It retails for $8.47 (prices may vary by location), but there was a $2 off coupon on the box so I got it at a cheaper price. This night cream contains 2.7 oz of product. Also, Palmer's does not test on animals!

The claim...
This fast absorbing anti-aging formula is loaded with targeted skin firming and smoothing ingredients. Powerful antioxidants and peptides work together with Cocoa and Shea Butters to leave skin soft, smooth and radiant. The unique combination of these ingredients provides a luxurious cream to maintain moisture levels throughout the night for smoother, softer skin.

Beneficial Ingredients... 

• Cocoa and Shea Butters: deeply moisturize and nourish 
• Retinol: encourages skin's renewal
• Peptide Complex: supports skin structure and integrity
• Vitamin E: powerful antioxidant
• Aloe Vera: soothes and calms skin
• Milk Proteins: helps improve skin's texture and tone
• Evening Primrose: soothes stressed skin

The claim and benefits are listed above in case this is too small to read. 

My Thoughts...

After the first use, I could tell a difference in my skin; it was so much softer and continues to improve with each use. I really love that it absorbs so quickly. Whenever I used it for the first time, I wasn't sure if I liked that because I was concerned that it wasn't properly moisturizing. But, now, I love the fast absorption because I know that my skin truly is locking in that moisture. The box claims that there's a fresh white lily fragrance. If you're sensitive to fragrances, this might not be the product for you. I really enjoy the smell and have noticed the more I use this night cream, the more I get a faint whiff of Cocoa Butter...which I really like.

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I have a review that will be up in a day or two on Witch Hazel and how I've incorporated it in my skin care routine. 
• Ross is coming to see me tomorrow! I can't wait! (:
• I talked to my grandmother the other day and found out she and my aunt made 21 fire balls for (around) New Years. I will post pictures of fireballs and what they are in a few months whenever we throw them. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it! 
• I've picked out my classes for my last semester at Troy! I cannot wait to graduate in May and get a big girl job! (:

What is your favorite night cream?

Review: Concealers: NYX, Covergirl, Hard Candy, Almay and Maybelline.

Let's talk Concealer...
I absolutely love concealer. It's great for covering up dark circles, pigmentation, blemishes, sun spots and more! I think what so great about concealer is if you have amazing skin, you can just pop a little concealer on your imperfections and have a beautiful, clean canvas to work with. Or, if you have more imperfections (scaring, blemishes, dark circles, etc) and uneven skin, concealer is a great way to camouflage without piling on foundation. A lot of girls pile on a full coverage foundation, trying to cover everything and then apply concealer. Foundation is only supposed to even out your skin. The magic of concealer is to give you a little more help, when needed. Today, I'm reviewing five concealers for people with different coverage needs.

Top L to R: Hard Candy Glamoflauge in light, Covergirl Invisible in fair & NYX HD Photogenic in CW02 fair.

Bottom L to R: Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in brightner & Almay bright eyes concealer and eye base.

Hits:

• NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in CW02 Fair. I love this concealer. It is so creamy and pigmented and doesn't settle in tiny fine lines around the eye. The shade I bought is a tad light for me so I will be going with the CW 03 fair next time. The brand has a great shade range. Being pretty pale, I am most always at the end of the lightest spectrum of shades and usually the shade is a touch dark. With this specific line, I was the second shade, which is a bit light for me. There isn't a whole lot of product (.11 oz) but I've had it about a month and a half and still have plenty left because you don't need much at all.
• Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in Brightner. I have never used the actual concealer, but I've heard great things about it and plan on trying it at some point. As far as the brightner, at first, I didn't like it. I wasn't crazy about the pinky tone, but I've come to love it. I find that the pink tones really, as the name implies, brightens up the eye area and makes you look more awake. I will be repurchasing because I never want to be without it. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is the sponge tip because you can't clean it. 
• Hary Candy Glamoflauge in light. This is a great heavy duty concealer for those of you with more pigmentation, scaring and dark circles. It's pretty creamy and don't find that it settles into fine lines and wrinkles. I cannot use this concealer everyday because it's way more coverage than my skin needs, but it is nice to have whenever my skin is at it's worst. Also, be aware that the light shade is very light. Medium might be the best shade if you're any darker than I am.

Misses...

• Almay Bright Eyes- concealer and eye base  I do not recommend this product at all! I got this concealer about a year ago. It was on clearance for $2.49 and I had a $2 off coupon, so I got it for only .49 cents. Thank goodness I got this for a massive deal because it really, really sucks. The color is way too yellow and the pigmentation is okay, but not great and doesn't really conceal that well. Although I'm not crazy about using eye primers, I do use this from time to time so it isn't a total waste, but I guess for .49 cents, it's not that serious. 
• Covergirl Invisible in Fair. I can only wear this product on really good skin days. The reason why it's a miss for me is that sometimes it can shift around because of my eye cream. My under eye area is so dry, so I have to wear it and I don't like how this can shift on me and make everything worse. Before I turned 24 and I didn't need an eye cream, this concealer was great and if you have young, amazing skin, I think this would be great for you, but it doesn't work for me anymore. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I bought some new nail polishes today from the Sinful Colors Muse Collection- $1.99 each. I will be reviewing them sometime this week.
• Found a rediscovered blush favorite today. Loving Wet-n-Wild's blush in Heather Silk. It was one of  favorites last year and I'm remembering how much I loved it.
• Going to see my old roommate today. Looking forward to catching up!

What's your favorite concealer?

Review: Airspun Loose Face Powder

A little secret to saving some money on face products...
To save some money on face cosmetics, go with a loose powder instead of a compact powder. Why, you may ask? Because for about the same price, you get twice (sometimes three times) the product! Although, this isn't throw-in-your-purse friendly, it's great for setting your foundation before leaving the house. If you get oily throughout the day, just use oil blotting sheets, if you don't want to add more product to your face. FYI: I use Elf's oil blotting paper. These blotting papers are only a dollar and you get 50 of them. I have combination skin (oily T-zone) and I've found that my skin looks so much better when I'm not adding more product, but if you need a powder, go with that. Back to the Airspun face powder, this is hands down my Holy Grail face powder and I feel like no one ever talks about it. I've used this for years. It was actually the first face powder I ever bought. I'm not a sucker for pretty packaging, but I do care about functional packaging. I actually quit using this product for a few years because years ago the packaging was so horrible. Why?!

Story Time...
When I was in high school, I was running late, as usual. I was in the bathroom putting on my makeup and accidently dropped the Airspun loose face powder on the floor. The problem with the old packaging was that the container was cardboard and there wasn't  a hard plastic hole sifter, it was thin plastic (like saran wrap) that you had to punch your own holes. So, when I dropped the container, loose powder went everywhere: all over me, the dog (that was sitting by the door), all over the bathroom and some even got in the hall way. It was a disaster! Because I was running so late, all I had time to do was change clothes and clean the dog and hall way. I had my mom call my step-dad at work to tell him not to go in there until I cleaned it up after school. I was so mad that I swore I would never buy the product again, because of the crappy packaging. Fast forward a year ago when I repurchased the Airspun Powder, four years later. I was in Wal-Mart on the hunt for a good face powder. I almost bought the Loreal one, the one I used after my incident, but saw Airspun had new packaging. Thrilled, I put the Loreal one back and got the Airspun.

About the Loose Powder...
Airspun Loose Face Powder is so unbelievably silky smooth! There is a slight baby powder fragrance to it, but I really enjoy the scent. I have expression lines on my forehead and smile lines and I don't find this product settles in those line. I remember my mom still used this product in her 40s and never said anything about it settling in her fine lines. I think that's another reason of why I love the fragrance-  it reminds me of her. :) This product is about $6 at Wal-Mart, but you can get it at most drugstores for a few dollars more. I have the color Naturally Neutral and it's a tad dark, but I don't think it's too dark where I can't use it. You get 2.3 oz of product- which is huge - and it comes with a powder puff! I've had this one for about a year now and haven't even put a dent in it. Unfortunately, the shade range is pretty limited. They do offer a translucent powder, so if you're interested in this product but have deeper skin or are the fairest of the fair, maybe that would be a good option for you.

Please excuse the dirt puff. I've used it all week and didn't wash it before taking the picture. 

Also, the powder looks a little lighter than it does in real life. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I slept in until noon! As a college student, I can't tell you the last time I slept in past 8am.
• I am fixing to heat up some left over pizza...pretty excited about it! 
• I bought a new dress yesterday! It's a gorgeous deep purple maxi that I thought would be super cute with a scarf and cardigan for fall.

Do you like loose powder? If so, what's your favorite brand? 

Review: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone

All I can say is WOW! 
Wet-n-Wild has hit this one out of the park! What an amazing palette (and it's super affordable)!
This palette has a wonderful selection of bronzy- browns and gorgeous greens. If you're into earth tone shades like me, you'll love this palette! The pigmentation is amazing, to say the least, and I didn't experience too much fall out. These are not chalky or powdery at all and glide on so smooth; they have a kinda velvet smooth texture. Also, I don't use a primer/base for these shadows. I'm a firm believer that I shouldn't have to use a primer (because I don't have oily eyelids) to make a shadow vibrant- it should preform well on it's own.  Wet-n-Wild eyeshadows are hands down some of the best from the drugstore. This 8-pan palette is more on the warm side and doesn't have any matte shades. In general, I prefer a palette to have a nice assortment of  matte, shimmer and satin...these are all satin (which is my favorite finish), but I love the colors so much that I don't mind them all being the same finish.

Introducing the shadows...
Left Side: Bronzy Browns

The top shade is listed as the brow bone color. It is a gorgeous shimmery golden ivory shade. This color makes a wonderful inner corner shade. I have used this color as a brow bone highlight, but I prefer a matte shade for my brow bone.
The next shade is listed as the brow bone color. This one is hands down my favorite color in the entire palette. It's an amazingly beautiful coppery, golden brown. This color looks great all over the lid and really makes my blue eyes pop!
The next shade is listed as the crease color. This is a midtone brown and looks great in the crease. I love pairing this with the coppery, golden brown. It makes a beautiful day look that could easily be taken to night.
The final side of the left side is the definer color. It is a dark, sultry brown and I'm seeing just a smidge of purple. This color is gorgeous in the outer-v and even works great on the lower lash line.
Right Side: Glamorous Greens.

The top shade is listed as the brow bone color. It is a beautiful greenish taupe. I use this shade all over the lid and it's stunning.
The next shade is listed as the eyelid color. It is a really pretty green that's more on the cooler, brighter side than any other color in the palette. I used this color a good bit in the spring/summer, but now that we're moving into fall, I'm not sure I'll be reaching for it as much this season.
The next shade is listed as the crease color. It is a dark, smoky olive green that is stunning in the outer-v. I find myself reaching for this one a good bit because it's a great alternative to browns, in case you want to switch up you're look.
The final shade of the right side is the definer color. This is definitely the most interesting color of the bunch. It's a green and brown duo-chrome very similar to MAC'S Club. Honestly, I didn't think I would use this color as much because I'm not a huge duo-chrome fan, but I love it. I've only used this on the outer third of my lower lash line, but I think the effect it gives is pretty cool. Maybe I'll be a little more daring in the future and use it in the crease or outer-v.

Overall thoughts...
This is an excellent palette and you can't beat the price. I think it was $4.99 at my Rite Aid...that's less than a dollar per shadow. What a steal! I cannot say enough good things about this palette. I will definitely be buying a backup because I never want to be without it!

Note: All of these shades have MAC dupes or very similar alternatives. The first picture shows the dupes or alternatives. Credit: I found out about these dupes through Youtube's ToMyMakeupFans

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I am fixing to go to the grocery store to stock up on munchies for my long study weekend.
• I talked to one of dearest friends today that I don't get to talk to as much anymore...so nice to catch up with great friends!
• This is my very 1st blog post and I'm kinda excited about it. Special thanks to my friend (and old roomate), Holli, for helping me with a few things! :)

Have you tried Wet-n-Wild's eyeshadows?