Jackpot Candles Pina Colada Candle Review

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I love love loooove jewelry candles! There's something about knowing there's another little surprise waiting for you inside that makes me twice as happy. I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful Pina Colada candle from Jackpot Candles to try out. Pina Colada is one of my favourite scents (and drinks!), because I love coconut and tropical fruit.

Jackpot Candles are 100% soy candles that have been hand poured, with a jewelry surprise worth $15 to $5000 in each one. You can pick between earrings, a ring or a necklace for your little "jackpot", which I really like. Not everyone wants a ring every time, so having the choice makes it that much more fun :) You can also pick your ring size (6, 7, 8 or 9) so you don't get stuck with a ring that doesn't fit.

The Pina Colada candle smells fruity and divine! It reminded me of being on a tropical island, drinking sweet pineapple and coconut cocktails :) It filled the big living room nicely with it's pretty scent after about 5 minutes. After the candle had burned down for a couple of hours, I started to see the little foil wrapped package. It's much easier to get out while the wax is still hot and liquid, but be careful! I ran the package under cold water to ensure it was cool and then opened it up to reveal my surprise...

Aren't my new earrings beautiful?? And they're my favourite colour, purple. They come with a little code that you can put into their website and get an instant appraisal. Mine are worth around $20, so while not $5000 earrings they're definitely a lovely bonus on top of the scented candle. I'm really happy with both my candle and my jewelry surprise, and enjoy the option to choose different types of jewelry.

Have you tried jewelry candles before? What's your favourite candle scent?

Born Pretty Store Nail Stickers Review

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I enjoy doing nail art, but sometimes I just want something easy and cute that looks good but takes very little effort. A while back I received these cute nail stickers from Born Pretty Store for review and they are the perfect accent to a mani when you don't have time (or energy) for nail art.

All of the stickers are adorable, but I love the diamonds sooo much! I decided to use a couple of  them over ORLY Fight On and Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter. After using a glue basecoat to assist with glitter removal, I did one layer of Pinky Glitter, one layer of Fight On, one layer of Pinky Glitter and one last layer of Fight On and then put two diamond stickers on the accent nail and top coated. The effect is extremely cute!

The stickers are light and thin and quite flexible so they lay very flat on the nail.Some nail stickers can curl up at the edges or feel raised, but these just felt nice and smooth under top coat. They stayed on perfectly the whole time I wore this mani and I will definitely be using the rest of the sheet! They are super, super cute and only 99c for one sheet of stickers.

Are you a nail sticker girl, or do you prefer to do more intricate nail art? I like doing both! :)

Check out some pretty nail art, nail art products and more on Born Pretty and use my coupon code "FBB10" for discounts!

System Hinoki Giveaway Winner!

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Thank you so much to everyone who entered! Here is the winner of the giveaway :)

If you didn't win this time, keep an eye out for future giveaways!

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Pink Hearts Valentine's Day Nail Art

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I had been struggling to come up with something for my Valentine's nails, but decided to stick with some tried and true themes: pink and hearts! Add a polka dot style pattern and glitter and voilà! Instant Valentine's Day nails.

The polishes I used are OPI Bubble Bath, Sinful Colors Pink Forever, Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter and white acrylic paint for the white accents.

What I did step-by-step:

1. 1 coat of ORLY Bonder base coat
2. 1 coat of OPI Bubble Bath on my index and middle finger and 2 coats of Sinful Colors Pink Forever on the other nails.
3. I used Pink Forever and painted heart shaped tips on my index and middle fingers. Rinse and repeat, this needs 2 coats to be even.
4. I put 1 coat of Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter over Pink Forever to give it some extra sparkle.
5. I then used a toothpick and white acrylic paint to trace around the heart shapes on my index and middle fingers.
6.  I attempted something I've never done before, which is using a toothpick to make little hearts and did a polka dot style on my ring and pinky fingers. You do 2 dots next to each other and then draw them both down in a v and connect them to make a heart. It's quite simple and looks cute!
7. I drew a heart on my thumb with the white acrylic paint.
8. Waited a few minutes to let the acrylic paint dry a little and then applied 1 coat of KB Shimmer Clearly on Top top coat applied generously to avoid smearing the nail art.

I'm really loving this, since it appeals to my love for all things pink and cute. I'm definitely doing the polka dot hearts again, since it's easy (although time consuming!) and acrylic paint just makes it that much easier. Whether this will last until Valentine's Day is another story, but if I get bored, I might just come up with something cuter :p

Show me your Valentine's (or Anti-Valentine's) manis!

Giveaway! System Hinoki Haircare Set

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It's the first giveaway of 2015!

If you haven't read my posts on the System Hinoki set for fine, thin or thinning hair, you can check them out here. I really like the whole system and this very generous giveaway is for $80 worth of product! It is open within the US only and ends on Feb 24th, so get cracking and enter!!


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Hayashi Worldwide, is offering a chance for one lucky winner to win System Hinoki, a boxed set of four haircare products formulated to improve the condition of both hair and scalp. Retail value: $80.

WHAT IT IS

System Hinoki is a set of four haircare products, made in the USA, by Hayashi Worldwide, consisting of a shampoo, conditioner, leave in scalp conditioner, and leave in body booster. The products are meant to be used together regularly (during every hair/scalp cleansing) over the long-term to provide cleansing, healing, and nutrition to both hair and scalp.

WHO SHOULD USE IT

Men and women, with any hair texture (curly, straight, thick, or fine), suffering from thinning hair, hair loss, slow-to-grow hair, or dandruff, will all benefit from using System Hinoki products on a regular basis.

WHAT’S IN IT

The key ingredient in the System Hinoki products is Pure Hinoki Oil, or “Chamaecyparis Obtusa Oil.” This is a unique ingredient, known for its natural antifungal and antibacterial qualities, is not found in many haircare products today, however it has been used for over 2,000 years in Japan and other parts of Asia to treat different types of skin ailments. The shampoo and conditioner also include Retinyl Palmitate, a form of Vitamin A and one of the primary antioxidants found naturally in skin; it is FDA approved and used to stimulate cell renewal and enhance skin elasticity. Unlike many other products marketed to hair growth, System Hinoki is drug free so safe to use for long-term results!

WHAT RESULTS CAN BE EXPECTED

System Hinoki products’ unique formulations have been trusted by salon professionals since 1985 and have recently been re-launched for use at home. When the products are used together, the complete system promotes hair strength, volume, and scalp therapy, resulting in weight-free hair, improved hair texture, and a clean scalp that promotes healthy hair growth.^*

^* Note that no product can bring dead hair follicles back to life, but many people with hair loss simply have hair follicles that are still alive and in the dormant stage.

HOW TO USE THE PRODUCTS

The order in which you should use the System Hinoki products is 1. Shampoo, 2. Conditioner, 3. Hinoki Plus (leave-in scalp conditioner), 4. Hair Thickener (leave-in body booster). For best results, use all four products every time you cleanse and condition your hair. If your scalp begins to itch, only use the Hinoki Plus every third use of the other products. The shampoo and conditioner are used the same as any other wash out shampoo and conditioner. The Hinoki Plus should be applied to damp hair, directly on the scalp, by separating hair with fingers or a comb and spraying directly onto the scalp, then repeating until adequate coverage is achieved. Then, use your fingertips (never fingernails!) to massage the product further into the scalp. Finally, while hair is still damp, apply the Hair Thickener by squirting a generous amount into the palm of your hand, then rubbing your hands together and apply to hair from root to ends, working it in for full coverage of the lengths of your hair. Style as usual.

Note: Hayashi Worldwide makes other product lines that are meant to work in combination with the System Hinoki products for those who experience other hair concerns other than just hair thinning. They should be used as complete sets after every third application of System Hinoki. The Repair Zone system should be used by those with naturally very curly to kinky hair in need of added hydration. System 911 should be used by those who need added protein, due to styling damage, such as relaxers or heat from regular blow drying or flat ironing. System Design is a great option for styling fine/thin hair in need of additional body and shine.

For more information about System Hinoki, read my previous posts or visit www.hayashiww.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/systemhinoki
Twitter: www.twitter.com/systemhinoki

Neon Orange and Textured Teal Nails

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Is it Summer yet??? I wanted to share these screaming hot neon orange and textured teal nails with you, even though it's totally not seasonally appropriate ;) I'm sooooo ready for the beach!

The polishes I used are China Glaze Seahorsin' Around and ORLY Tropical Pop. 2 coats of Seahorsin' Around with no top coat and 2 coats of Tropical Pop over a coat of white (to really make it "pop"!) plus top coat. I did the dots with a dotting tool and I'm loving the effect! The contrast between the texture and the smooth creme polish is to die for.

I hope you like this look, even if it's not quite beach weather in many places yet.

Black, White and Silver Bling Nails for New Years

I haven't been in much of a holiday mood when it comes to my nails, but New Year's is a theme I can definitely get down with. Blingy and dramatic are what I think of when NYE rolls around and this black, white and silver combo will add that extra pop to a dressy outfit. I had seen a manicure in one of my facebook nail polish groups which had these pretty white 3D bows and I decided I had to incorporate them somehow into my NYE nails. Working around the bows, I arrived at this extra sparkly look.

I used a few different polishes to achieve this, the black is China Glaze Liquid Leather, the white is China Glaze White on White, the silver holo is Orly Mirrorball (my favourite silver polish to date!) and the glitter is OPI I Snow You Love Me, which I fished out and placed on the nail. CG Liquid Leather and ORLY Mirrorball have to be two of the best polishes I've used lately.The are both gorgeous and go on beautifully. The bows I got in a Secret Santa swap. but you can easily find them on ebay. They are so cute, I want AAALLL the colours. I usually use super glue to put them on, as nail glue doesn't quite cut it for staying power, whereas super glue usually stays on well until I remove them with acetone.

I'm in love with my nails right now! They are the perfect mix of elegant B&W and sparkle. The Mirrorball + I Snow You Love Me glitters are so ridiculously blingy that I catch myself just staring at them all the time. This is a simple design, but I think it works really well. Other than the black and white theme, the little rhinestone in the bow complements the silver sparkly nails perfectly.

I don't have any big plans for NYE, we'll probably just watch the countdown on tv and have some drinks, but I can still get festive with my nails! What are your plans/nails looking like for NYE?