LUSH Grand Opening at the MoG

An assortment of LUSH goodies!

I've mentioned it in a few previous posts (here, here, and here) that I LOVE LUSH and how uber excited I am that there was a store opening in the mall closest to me, the Mall of Georgia. Well, the day finally arrived, and I had the distinct pleasure of being able to interview the store manager (the FABULOUS Ebony) and enjoy some of the grand opening festivities!

Beauty Blog Coalition-$400 Survey Giveaway!

The Beauty Blog Coalition is at it again! We want to give one lucky reader a $400 USD gift card just for being cool! Well, just for being cool and filling out our survey. It's totally anonymous and should be quick and easy to fill out. Think of all the beauty products you can buy with $400 if you win! Woo hoo!    Important: Please only fill out the survey ONE time - even if you see it on another blogger's website. Entering multiple times will invalidate all your entries. By entering, you agree to the official rules here. This giveaway is open to all countries. Ends August 1, 2012 at 12:01 am PST. Enter the survey below - everyone that enters gets an equal chance to win!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup

• Laura at My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog discusses her addiction: Taupes. First in her Taupe-tastic Tuesday series: Addiction Flashback!
• In the on going search for her Holy Grail skin care products, Mama Fashionista discovered Carol's Daughter Acai Skincare Collection. Is the search over?
• Jessika from polish insomniac gives Glossybox a second chance. Will she cave and order her first subscription box? Click to find out!
• Bailey, from Making Up the Midwest, takes inspiration from the beach to create a fun summer look using the Naked 2 palette!
• Jeanie from Midnight Manicures shows you why Jessica's Gelato Mio Collection, Summer and Italian Ice Cream all go together!
• Mina from Fabulous Awesomeness joined the Revlon Expression Experiment! Check out her photos and products used in the Bright Eyes Challenge, Perfect Canvas Challenge & Red Lipstick Challenge!
• Harshleen from BeautyTidbits can’t stop raving about her latest summer-proof makeup find for eyes & lips - Skinn Cosmetics Smudge Sticks 
• Straight hair without flat iron? Can someone explain the mystical transformation of TheFabzilla's long, tangled and wavy hair? Ever since she used Organix Hydrating Dry Styling Oil, her monster-of-a-hair became straight and tangle-free! Read her hairy tale with before & after pics
• The Stepford Witch shares with you her newest lipstick favorites from Edward Bess. Check out her review and swatches of Midnight Bloom, Night Romance and Forbidden Flower.
• The Body Shop is known for natural products that give back to social causes. Alison Blackman of The Advice Sisters checks out a new store model for The Body Shop, and reports on the latest and greatest Body Shop products for Summer 2012.
• What's in your makeup bag? Illamasqua's key makeup artist Mika Johnson wants to find out and will be sharing his own makeup must-haves.
• Want beautiful, healthy looking skin without the pricetag? Spontaneous Chick posted how to make sugar scrubs and added a few of her favorite recipes as well.
• Ever on the hunt for the perfect peachy pink lip color, the Beauty Professor shares her review and swatches of two Le Metier de Beaute lip cremes that just might fit the bill!
• Minx #1 nail stickers make having pretty nails easier than ever - no drying time required! Sheila has all the details over at Painted Ladies.
• Who needs to wait for Fall? Perilously Pale shows us why the Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Glosses in Caprice and Troublant from the Fall 2012 Les Essentials de Chanel collection are too beautiful to not wear year round!
• Fall is in full swing and Brooke from BlushingNoir has Premier Regard, the latest quad from Chanel!
• "pop of color" "gloopy" "cakey"--Kiss & Tell lists 30 beauty phrases to ban from your vocabulary
• Check out Beauty and Fashion Tech's under $20 look and video in the Makeup Wars $20 Challenge!
• Girl Gloss reviews CoverGirl Trublend Shimmering Sands Blush.
• Amber celebrates her One Year Nail blogging anniversary with a sparkly gradient and Zebra Stripes.
• Emily Hudspeth wants to thank you for all your support in the recent Smashbox contest. I WON! And that means that I want to share the prize with you. Enter to win the first giveaway!
• Retrodiva checks out the new Fall 2012 collection from Make Up For Ever, Black Tango. See what she thinks of it.
• Cosmetically Challenged graduates to Swatches with the Class of Sation 2012 Limited Edition Nail Polish Collection
• Can you make a "fantastic look with only $20"? Phyrra shows you how!
• Sporting her best natural curls to date, Polarbelle would like to tell you about the Marc Anthony Dream Waves collection of products that can leave you with fabulous beachy looking wavy hair.
• Birchbox and Glamour Magazine team up for the July 2012 Birchbox! Check out Pammy Blogs Beauty's July Birchbox Box Opening!
• BeautyJudy can't afford to go to Hawaii, so she decided on an EOTD using some of Inglot's new Hawaiian Bar eyeshadows and blushes!
• Are your feet on display this summer? If so you want to get some Lush to make them (and everyone else) happy.
• Destany from Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom thinks the cremes from the Zoya fall 2012 NYFW Designer Collection are perfectly pigmented!
• Have you ever tried Artdeco Lash Sensation Mascara? Miss L from Beauty by Miss L did and shares now her thoughts about it.
• Nidia from Lit from Within turns her nails into stained glass windows with this fun and easy colorblocked mani, and there's a step-by-step tutorial so you can do it too.
• Lola from Lola's Secret Beauty Blog declares that Rouge Bunny Rouge Scrumptiously Devious Lipstick & Cherry Clafoutis Glassy Gloss are the perfect Matchy Match Made in Heaven!
• Christina from Curls N Pearls test drives Maijan Pure Moroccan Argan Oil for body, skin and hair. Did she love it or leave it? Check out her review!
• Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful swatches & reviews Tuilleries by LEX Nail Lacquer, a gorgeous glitter with a great backstory!
• Clare @ cclarebear.com is making waves that are easy, gorgeous and glamorous using GHD Curl Hold Spray.
• Come enter to win a T3 Styling Iron on Blushing Basics
• Geniabeme tries Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Foundation and likes it!
• Drool over the swatches, enter to win the Bombshell Cosmetics Summer Giveaway with Glitter.Gloss.Garbage
• Oh So Lacquered is super excited about one of the nen Nails Inc Sprinkles Effects polishes, Sweets Way!
• When presented with the opportunity to work with Revlon, Media Maven jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with the renowned beauty brand to help empower women beyond their self imposed beauty limits!
• Need a quick manicure? This 6-in-1 Manicure Tool has all the tools you need! Enter to win one on Lipgloss Break!
• Hot weather calls for lightweight makeup and the Tinted Beauty Balm from Too Faced may be the perfect choice. Ashley from Peek Ponder Publish shares the details.
• The Lacquered Lady shows off some new Polish and Co. polishes.

Mally Beauty Introduces an At Home Gel Polish Kit

Mally 24/7 PROFESSIONAL GEL POLISH SYSTEM

Nail polish is one of my all time favorite beauty products. For a time, I loved going to the salon to get them done (first tips and acrylics, then later just manicures and pedicures on my natural nails), but now I truly do enjoy being able to do them myself at home. Not only is it less expensive, it's so much easier to fix chips, change colors often, etc. when you have the right tools at your fingertips (ha). 

I personally have never gotten a gel manicure (it's literally been at least 2 years since I've gotten my nails done), I have heard nothing but rave reviews about their shine and endurance. But from what I understand, a gel manicure can run at $30 each time, and for me, that's just not the business!

But with the introduction of Mally's 24/7 Professional Gel Polish System, I may soon be experimenting with gel polish at home. Here are the details:

July Birchbox (Glamour Edition)

This month's Birchbox was curated by the beauty team at Glamour Magazine. The box corresponds with the July issue of the magazine, which celebrates the five senses of summer, so each item in the box relates to one of the five senses. Here's a peek at what I received...

Tracey Cunningham and Redken Color Your Summer

I have been infatuated with red hair since I was very little. I believe I was around 13 or 14 years old when my mother allowed me to use my first semi permanent hair rinse and for years following that I continued to experiment with different products to achieve the perfect shade of red for me. I dabbled in highlights and a little bit of blonde from time to time, but red was always my main objective; my hair was never entirely in it's natural hue until I was pregnant with Lo. That was about 5 years ago, and I haven't colored my hair in over 6 years (the hubby likes my hair exactly the way that it grows out of my head, so I'm okay with keeping it that way...for now). My hair is the same shade as my eyes-the darkest brown it can be, so dark it appears to be black until the sun hits it, allowing you to see its true richness. I have 2 gray hairs on my head (and one gray eyelash and a few grays in my eyebrows as well) and I sport them proudly (right now I view them as a badge of honor and as something that I have earned, though I do pluck the grays in my brow).

I still am fascinated by red hair and hair color in general, especially as I see the great advances in products, techniques, and shades lately. As is the case with most trends in fashion, the warm weather of the summer signals the time turn up the heat, even in hair color! This season, the most popular hair colors are golden brunettes, vibrant redheads and platinum blondes.  Moving away from the cooler brunette and red tones of last season, Tracey Cunningham, Celebrity Colorist and Redken Creative Consultant for Color has the latest in Spring/Summer hair color trends and professional haircolor products to achieve these trends and get the hottest looks for the season.


To make these Spring/Summer haircolor trends accessible, Redken is launching the newChromatics prismatic permanent haircolor that will result in 2X fortified hair.  

This Zero Ammonia, Zero Odor formula provides 100% coverage, multi-dimensional, 4D color results and unlimited color possibilities.