Thymes Bergamot Vert

I recently received an email as a member of the Thymes Fragrance Panel with the opportunity to receive an exclusive preview sample of Thymes Bergamot Vert. Not a member of the fragrance panel? Send me an email at my blogger name @gmail.com and I'd be happy to invite you if they have any slots open. Granted, I ended up getting the sample after the promo code on the informational card was expired but I did enjoy the opportunity to try it w/o having to find a local store that carries it.

Want to find a store near you that carries Thymes?
http://www.thymes.com/Stores.aspx
It also details what stores carry the full line or those that only carry a few.

I have used the Thymes lip balm for YEARS (way back when they had 2 versions of it and the mint one was my favorite). Sadly the version I liked they reworked but I still buy it, even though I feel as if the new materials in it are not as effective as they once were.

The best part about the Testing panel is that many of the new lines that Thymes brings out I once tried in samples with lab numbers and helped with my feedback determine whether the line was good and the scent combo worked. Some of the latest two lines of products were samples I tried out in the testing panel up to a year ago. For instance, the fragrance I tested earlier in 2010 then was launched in June 2010 as Agave Nectar. Thymes emailed me to let me know that the # of the fragrance I tested had launched as XXYY named product in their line.

The email you get if you join the panel will look like this:

BunnyMasseuse thinks you would enjoy being a Thymes Fragrance Panelist

Bunny is a member of this testing panel, you can be too!

Thymes creates clean, natural-smelling fragrances for those who go beyond the simple act of wearing fragrance; but use it to add passion and variety to what they feel and discover more beauty in the everyday.

As a Thymes Fragrance Panel member, you will have the opportunity to try new fragrances in development, and share your thoughts with us. We will send you new fragrances to sample and, after you have used the fragrance for a few days, you will be asked to fill out a short, simple on-line survey. Here you will share your insights and preferences. Your feedback will is very much appreciated, as it will help guide us as we create more outstanding fragrances and product experiences for you.

Becoming a Fragrance Panel member is easy. To create an account and join the Thymes Fragrance Panel click the enclosed link.

This product specifically has the AHA addition that other scent lines have not had in the past. I have to say, I am already a fan of the scent of Bergamot, and even after 8 hrs of application after wearing the lotion I can still smell a faint scent of it on my skin.

I will warn lovers of Thymes that they in my opinion are known to discontinue scents w/o a lot of announcement, so always make sure you stock up on something if you love it a lot. I've seen a lot of Kimono Rose and Red Cherie? discounted at Ulta where they carry some of the Thymes line and that doesn't bode well for it sticking around long term. I agree, some stores have to determine what of the selling lines they decide to keep and give shelf space too, but if you love something enough of their products, always keep a few backups. That's something I wish I had done when I realized that their lip balm formula changed a while ago. I emailed their CS at the time to ask what changed and they said they were using a new formula, and of course most stores I went to find it at had either discounted that item and sold it or never carried a lot of them in the first place.

**These items used were either provided to me as a sample/gift, or were purchased by me or a friend for my personal use. No review of this product was requested of me by any manufacturer at any time.

Fun Summer Pedicure of Yellow and Orange-Red

After the wild weekend I had with my niece a few weeks ago I figured I should prep my toes ahead of time for our next engagement so that there is less reason to "paint naked toes" when they already have polish on them!

Since I can't do anything like painting my nails or toes in a manner that is "normal", I combined a yellow nail polish with a orange-red crackle top coat and glitter of course!

~Toes~
Chanel 557 Mimosa
La Rosa 04 Orange-Red Crackle Shatter
Nubar G180 Star Sparkle
Lynnderella Shape Shifter

Start with one color, Mimosa. Looks great by itself without anything added!

Add crackle, which when dried gives a matte appearance. I did small swipes of it on the toes diagonally.

Top off big toe with Shape Shifter and light applications of Star Sparkle to other toes for a light amount of reflection that won't take away from the bigger glitter from Shape Shifter. One thin coat for all toes.

At first I wasn't sure about putting a glitter top coat over the crackle but it worked out really well. I've tried using crackle as a "french manicure" for the tips but when it cracks it does not give the appearance of a French manicure at all. I felt if the big toe had all the glitter, that the smaller ones still needed something and the Nubar was a great choice. Other holographic or shimmery top coats would have done the same job too if you don't have this particular bottle of polish.

I really love the La Rosa brand of crackles, but they do tend to be harder to find. The pink and purple they made have shimmer in them, and I feel like more crackle polishes should have shimmer as I'm not a fan of a matte creme finish on my crackle polishes. La Rosa has made some metallic ones I believe as well, but I have not been able to get my hands on them locally.

I found the La Rosa at a local Asian nail supply store, Chanel Mimosa was a gift from a dear friend, the Lynnderella polish was from the First Edition I ordered recently and the Nubar was acquired through a friend who did a bulk order with me. That same bulk-order friend is a dear and fellow blogger who I have formed a great relationship with.


**These items used were either provided to me as a gift, or were purchased by me or a friend for my personal use. No review of this product was requested of me by any manufacturer at any time.

Swatch of NARS Galion

Hello, figured now that NARS Galion is available that I should put up some swatches of it so anyone who wants to check it before they buy it can do just that!

I bought mine through Sephora when they had their VIB weekend of double points earned.

Here are my pictures, swatched on my thumb (please ignore the boo-boo on that finger).

You can get yours at many different places:
NARS online
Sephora
and other department stores that carry NARS products including their nail line like Neiman Marcus


**These items used were either provided to me as a gift, or were purchased by me or a friend for my personal use. No review of this product was requested of me by any manufacturer at any time.

Nail Wear Wednesday!

I'm going to try to make Wednesday's when I highlight what today's (or my recent) nail polish is. I change it so often it's almost a different color or appearance every other day!

~Toes~
Chanel Rose Insolent
Lynnderella Connect the Dots

~Fingers~
Calvin Klein 235 Emerald Green
Lynnderella The Glittering Crowd

Notes:
I'm not sure if the Chanel was LE or not, but it's a great color considering it does not have shimmer and it's still attractive to me to wear! The Calvin Klein color was a gift from an overseas buddy of mine and she took it from my wishlist! What a great green to have, I am so fortunate to have good friends... even ones I have never met in person! The Lynnderella polishes are single coats, so if I wanted more bling I could have kicked up up a notch but I thought what it looked like was fine already!

**These items used were either provided to me as a gift, or were purchased by me or a friend for my personal use. No review of this product was requested of me by any manufacturer at any time.

Piggy Polish for more than just Toes!

Aunt Bunny here went up to see family on Sunday, and this included seeing my niece along with other family. Since I have a nephew on the way, this will be the only little one our family has around that's girly... my cousins have so far only had boys.

The last time I was up for a long period I introduced her to getting her toes painted. It was a big deal, apparently bigger than I imagined because every time she sees my black car in the driveway she's asking her mom if I've come up to paint her toes again. Haha, my car is now the NAIL POLISH vehicle!

So we sat down, in the hot and steamy weather in the 2-season porch to paint her toes where it would not stain horribly anything of value during the process.

Last time I used Zoya, today I figured I'd bring a large variety of my Piggy Polish for her to choose from. And like any related family member, she knew that you don't have to feel inclined to have to paint every toe the same color, so we had a party going on for sure! (it should be noted the colors and everything on both hers and mine was at her choosing, I will admit to having changed it all when I got home :) )

Hands~
Piggy Polish alternating between Smootch (I think) & Keep it Teal
Top Coat over all fingers: OPI Crown Me Already

Toes~
Piggy Polish on left 4: Lilac It That Way
Piggy Polish on right 4: Smootch
Piggy Polish on big toes: Haute Sun
Top Coat over big toes only: OPI I LILY LOVE YOU

Little one's hands and feet. I have a pic of her with this really happy face, but since nothing on the internet is ever safe I'd rather not post a picture of a small young child up. Especially without asking Mom & Dad, who knows where that picture would end up.

Hands~
Piggy Polish on left: Pink For Yourself (I think)
Piggy Polish on right: Green and Bear It
Top Coat over all fingers: OPI Silver Shatter

Toes~
Piggy Polish on left: Beach Break
Piggy Polish on right: Pink-ing of You (I think)
Top Coat over big toes only: OPI I LILY LOVE YOU

It was challenging since I have to pick B3F brands that are safe for her to use. Top coats that are quick drying don't always contain B3F materials in them which limits the products I can use. Children don't want to sit around, and you don't always have a long attention span to keep them in so you have to move and think quickly. She was a good sport, I look forward to the day she paints my brothers toes in blue as she suggested she will.

Keeping up with the Blogging

It would figure, the moment I try to make regular blogging a strive that work loves to get in the way (with the occasional visit from personal life events).

So far I have still to:
-Finish blogging the Alaska series
-Get back to NWW's
-Show all of my recent purchases
-Show all of my REVIEWS of recent purchases (including the Lynnderella stuff which is TDF! I highly suggest you pre-sale her next collection)

Hang in there, the demands of my work in the next 3 months will make it difficult, but I will strive to do my best and keep this as updated as I possibly can!

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Bunny Masseuse

Rivka Cosmetics

Ahhh, the frustration as a USA blogger when trying to get access to international brands can be so overwhelming!

However, I was lead today to Rivka Cosmetics, a Brazillian brand featured by many South American bloggers.

Here's their company's blog: http://rivkacosmeticos.com.br/blog/

Like many nail polish companies (as well as being a beauty company) they have the variety of the popular items out right now.

Crackles

Cremes

Pearl Effects

They also feature 3 base coat type products but I didn't screen shot them from their website.

What you won't see on their site however is their newer lines out (Cowgirls and the Holographic) so you will want to look at their blog above to see the swatches. There are a few bloggers who have provided comparisons to brands we use quite often (China Glaze OMG series, Color Club Worth the Risque, etc) that are Holographic in nature. You'll also find additional lines not on their website, so be sure to poke around!

The CowGirls line reminds me much of the Nubar Glass speck filled polishes they put out a bit ago, and well, there just never seems to be enough good Holographic polishes out there these days!

I will say that these are NOT like the B3F polishes we are used to.

Composition: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, nitrocellulose, Toluene, Alcohol, Tosylamide / Formaldehyde Resin, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isoprophile Alcohol, Stearalkonium Rectorite, Polyacrylate-4.

If you are looking for a B3F polish, it doesn't look like this brand will fulfill hat requirement. In the mean time, I'm talking with one of their marketing individuals about the potential to ship them to me here in the US, but no word yet. If it's successful, I'll be ecstatic to show off a Brazillian brand on this blog, not to mention swatches and colors we haven't seen good representation of in a while. If I can find a distributor online or internationally who will ship, I'll be sure to mention them if you find yourself also lemming these beauties!