Merle Norman | The Hussy Collection | Fragrance & Age Defying Lip Color Review

" Hussy " *giggles* I'd be lying if I said that the word Hussy didn't make me giggle every time I hear it.  So you can imagine how intrigued I was to learn about Merle Norman's newest collection, Hussy. The meaning behind the feisty collection actually tells a story different from what one might imagine. Merle Norman's nephew J.B. Nethercutt and avid car collector wanted to purchase a 1934 Packard from it's owner John Hussey which was one of only five that existed, but he refused to sell it.  Later J.B. found an abandoned one and bought it. He restored it to it's original condition and painted it a rich, unique red paint color which he named "Hussy" in honor of John Hussey. 

In celebration of its 80th anniversary, Merle Norman recently launched The Hussy Collection, inspired by the award winning car. The collection features an alluring fragrance, a selection of six red lipcolors and an exclusive OPI nail lacquer. 

Hussy Eau de Parfum

A seductive, sophisticated blend of exotic florals, aromatic fruits and sensual amber notes that create an alluring scent like no other. Dressed in a sleek, bold red package reminiscent of the world-renowned automobile for which this unforgettable fragrance is named.

- Top Notes: Bitter Orange, Raspberry, Neroli, Ripe Strawberry, Fresh Lemon
- Mid Notes: Orange Blossom, jasmine, Gardenia, Tuberose, Peony Petals
- Base Notes: Honey, Patchouli, Sweet Amber, Sandalwood, Musk 

Merle Norman Age Deying Lipcolor in "Hussy"

Available in matte and shimmer shades, this smoothing lip color with an exclusive age-defying complex increases moisture retention and helps diminish the appearance of fine lines while providing full color coverage.

The Hussy Collection was created with Color Travel Pigment technology. The multi-layered pigments allow the color to have many dimensions. With Hussy, lips are a rich red at first glance, but change subtly in undertone depending on the viewing angle with shades of rust, gold, orange, pink and blue.

Glow: I'll start with the fragrance, I really love the packaging. The bottle is elegantly designed and what I didn't show in my photos is that the fragrance bottle can actually sit in the base of the box included which makes a great display. The scent is very pleasant. I'm very much a fan of soft scents and this fragrance has sort of a floral yet soft musk smell. I got about 6-7 hours of wear out of it throughout my day which is pretty darn good! On to the Age Defying Lipcolor, the packaging is nothing overly extravagant just a simple silver, mirrored like tube. It's also super lightweight which I love! I like that the logo is embossed into the lipstick as well. The lipstick is super shimmery and I was a bit curious at how the pigment would deliver because I've tried lipstick's that look shimmery but don't translate that when you put it on. But to my surprise there was actually a hint of shimmer when I applied the lipstick on my lips. Its highly pigmented and provides great moisture, I didn't experience any drying out.

Glare: Not really a con but I did notice that the lipstick translates as more of a red'ish/orange tone on my lips whereas it appears more of a deeper red in the tube. This is probably because of the Color Travel Pigment technology that I mentioned above. My lips are a bit darker than my skin-tone so that may have an affect on the color variation as well.

Would I Recommend It? Yes, I would. I love the fragrance as well as the lipstick. Although Hussy is a small collection, I like that they have a variety of lipsticks to choose from; mattes, shimmers, creams and also  lip liners, fragrance and even an OPI polish designed specifically for this collection!

Where To Buy: The fragrance retails for $60 and the Age Defying Lipcolor is $15. The Hussy Collection is currently available at select retailers nationwide. To purchase or find a location near you, or to learn more please visit merlenorman.com

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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Covergirl Queen Collection | Lipstick Swatches + Review

Covergirl's Queen Collection has some of the prettiest shades of lipstick's I've ever seen. I always get so mesmerized whenever I look at the selections in drugstores because there are just so many to choose from! This isn't my first time trying lipsticks from the Queen Collection but I wanted to share a few shades that I've recently tried out. 

Swatches

[ L-R: Classy Coral, See Red, Burgendelicious, Cofee Break ]

Classy Coral

Classy Coral is a really pretty peachy shade. It's vibrant but yet not over the top. I've honestly never tried a shade like this before mainly because I have a darker skin-tone and I never really find brights that quite compliment my complexion. It's a nice color but I don't think I'll be able to pull this off.

 See Red

See Red is a red/orange hue that is also very vibrant. I'm not too sure about this shade yet for me. I've just really gotten into wearing red lipsticks and right now I seem to be gravitating more so towards the darker shades. This color is actually more orangy than it is red, it's just a little too bright for me but I'm going to play around with it for a bit to see if I can tone it down and pair it with other shades. 

Burgendelicious 

Burgendelicious is a shimmery burgundy tone. This shade was definitely a hit for me because I feel like it's more wearable and complimenting to my skin-tone. I absolutely love the hint of shimmer and this is really a gorgeous color that can be worn year round. 

 Coffee Break

Coffee Break is a brownish/gold shade also infused with shimmer. I love this color! For the most part I'm pretty mild when it comes to lipsticks and I adore browns and nudes. This color has sort of a frost look to it in person and can be paired with bolder shades for a more striking look. 

Glow: I really love the formula of these lippies. They're very rich in color and moisturizing. The wear is really nice as well, for the most part the lipstick stays in place for about three hours before needing to reapply.

Glare: None!

Would I Recommend It? Absolutely! There are just so many wonderful shades to choose from so you can't really go wrong.

Where To Buy: The Covergirl Queen Collection lipsticks retail for $6.50 each and are available nationwide at various drugstore's and retailers. To find a location nearest you please visit www.covergirl.com .

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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China Glaze | ElectroPop Spring 2012 Collection | Swatches + Review

I had a little extra time this weekend to swatch China Glaze's entire ElectroPop Collection and I've gotta say that this was probably the most fun collections that I've swatched in a while. Full of brights, pastels and a holographic glitter, ElectroPop is definitely an eye catcher! Get a closer look at each color and read my full review below!

GaGa For Green

Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight

Aquadelic

Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun

Kinetic Candy

Touch the sky in light blue creme

Electric Beat

Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance

Wicked Style

Party cocktail tropical punch

Make Some Noise

Rock the mic in tangerine

Fuchsia Fanatic

Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all 

Dance Baby

Hit center stage in cotton candy pink

Sweet Hook

Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac

Gothic Lolita

Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple

Sunshine Pop

Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow

Techno

Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

Sunshine Pop paired with Techno

Glow: Soooo let me just start off my saying how excited I was when I first laid eyes on this collection! I absolutely LOVE that it's full of brights and I'm actually surprised that this is a Spring Collection and not Summer. There are a few pastels in the bunch that are more so springy to me but I definitely have an appreciation for all of them. It's really hard to choose favorites but I definitely side with the blues the most, soley because blue is my favorite color :o) Aquadelic stands out to me the most because it's a really fun sea blue'ish green. The entire collection is really pretty and reminscent of a rainbow, you really can't go wrong with any of these shades.  

Glare: None! The versatility is endless and I can see most of these being some of my staple polishes throughout this spring and summer.

Would I Recommend It? Yes, Yes and Yes!

Where To Buy: ElectroPop will be available February 2012. Individual shades retail for $7; 6 piece collections retail for $42. To purchase, find locations near you or for more information, please visit: www.chinaglaze.com .

Product(s) in this post were purchased by me. 

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Kera Plus | Keratin Hair Care Collection | Review + Photos

So I'm pretty sure that many of you are familiar with the Keratin trend that's been going around lately. Well if you haven't got on board yet what exactly are you waiting for? Kera Plus Keratin Hair Care Collection is a brand of hair products created by Dana Gibbs of dana’s loft HAIR Salon. She's created a Sodium Chloride, Paraben and Formaldehyde Free product line that will not only maintain smooth, frizz-free hair, but will help strengthen and bring back to life damaged hair and improve the health of all hair types. Kera Plus was formulated with high concentrations of keratin and with continued use replaces the keratin lacking in damaged hair and seals gaps that prevent split ends and breakage in weak strands. 

This innovative new hair care collection was directly inspired by her salon experience. After doing a lot of keratin treatments on clients at her salon, she found that some clients did not have the time to do the repeated treatments needed to maintain smooth hair or they wanted to avoid the formaldehyde in traditional keratin treatments. With Kera Plus, she created a formaldehyde-free keratin enriched system that combats frizz, strengthens the hair and allows clients to maintain smooth, frizz-free hair at home without having to commit to a salon keratin treatment. 

I personally got the opportunity to try out a few of the products from the collection for myself which include; the Kera Plus Keratin Infused Shampoo, Conditioner and Serum. Check out photos of my results and my full review below. 

Kera Plus Keratin Infused Shampoo Ingredients

This is my hair after I washed and combed the conditioner through

Blow Dried

Flat Ironed

Glow: Well for starters I'll just say that my hair really seems to like keratin based products. I've only tried one other brand with keratin prior to this but they both delivered equally satisfying results.  The Kera Plus shampoo and conditioner both smell amazing. What I loved most about the conditioner is that it made it easier to detangle my curls. I also really liked that the scent lingered in my hair for a day or so, that's definitely a perk I mean who doesn't want great smelling hair? I also noticed that when blow drying my hair it seemed less frizzy than normal.

Glare: No cons, I truly like all three products! I have to admit though that I was a little hesitant at first  about using the Keratin Infused Serum. that's mainly because I have oily hair so I can't really put a lot of product on it without it looking greasy or weighed down. But to my surprise the serum wasn't oily at all, nor did it cause any issues; it actually helped to keep my hair from frizzing up.  I applied the serum post shampoo and conditioning to my damp hair. I normally use moroccanoil if I'm going to flat iron my hair but I didn't with this because I feared that it might create a build up if I used both products. And honestly after seeing how the serum works I think I could still add the moroccanoil if I wanted to without creating any issues.

Would I Recommend It? Yes, definitely! It's a great product. Being that my hair is natural I know how important it is to find products that can tame my tresses especially when humidity gets a hold of it and on those days when I want to wear my it straight. It's definitely a great addition to my hair regimen!

Where To Buy: The Kera Plus Hair Care Collection is comprised of 4 hair care products formulated for all hair textures to cut down frizz, keep hair smooth and repair damaged hair, while adding body, bounce and shine. The 4 products are: Keratin Infused Shampoo, which retails for $6 - 2fl oz, $20 - 8fl oz. Keratin Infused Conditioner, which retails for $6 - 2fl oz, $20 - 8fl oz. Keratin Infused Serum, which retails for $10 - 2fl oz, $20 - 4fl oz. Keratin Infused Masque, which retails for $6 - 2fl oz, $20 - 8fl oz. The products are available at dana’s loft HAIR Salon and at danasloft.com

Product(s) in this post were provided for post consideration. Read our disclosure policy here. 

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China Glaze Introduces "ElectroPop" Collection for Spring 2012

Where heavy metal meets rocker chic, China Glaze® introduces the Spring 2012 collection, ElectroPop. Inspired by all things girly, edgy and fun, the 12 shades of ElectroPop bring out the inner rock star in all. For flash and glam this spring, China Glaze® hits the stage in style!

Techno

Glitter confetti polish for a dazzling topcoat finish or all over finger tip bling

Kinetic Candy

Touch the sky in light blue creme

Electric Beat

Periwinkle nails for a wink worthy performance

Aquadelic

Pool blue for nighttime gigs and daytime fun in the sun

GaGa For Green

Green lacquer for the girl craving the limelight

Sunshine Pop

Shine in the spotlight in bold yellow

Make Some Noise

Rock the mic in tangerine

Wicked Style

Party cocktail tropical punch

Fuchsia Fanatic

Fuchsia pink for the rocker diva in us all 

Gothic Lolita

Steal the show on girls night out in seductive purple

Dance Baby

Hit center stage in cotton candy pink

Sweet Hook

Blow a kiss in dreamy lilac

ElectroPop will be available February 2012. Individual shades retail for $7; 6 piece collections retail for $42.

China Glaze is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde. China Glaze nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze

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