Throwbacks Week: Rimmel Mania

Last week was supposed to be Throwbacks Week since it was the 3rd week of the month, but my brain blanked out on that. We'll pretend it's the 3rd week of the month! Today, I have an oldie Rimmel polish to share with you. I got this in a swap a couple years ago so I'm not sure of its origin entirely. I did look it up online and the earliest post I saw on it was in 2009, but even that blogger said it was older than that.

Mania

Mania is a peacock green with golden-green color-shifting shimmer.

Collection: Unknown?

Color: It's really neat to come across such a magical polish from years ago. I love this deep blue-green base color. We all know it's that color-shifting shimmer that makes the polish so special. It really gives this polish that lit-from-within glow.

Formula: This formula was great. I used 2 coats above. The formula hasn't suffered any over the years. It applied smoothly and easily.

Price: This is available on eBay for $6.98!

Overall: This is a great Rimmel shade. If I remember correctly Rimmel used to make some really great shimmer polishes, and they don't really do that anymore. Granted, drugstore nail polish brands haven't really created unique polishes in a long time. Mania is a rare old gem that I'm definitely holding on to!

My Rating: 5 out of  5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Monday!

Weekly Wax Wrap Up: 8/14/16-8/21/16

It was another pretty good week in wax for me. I think I also like knowing I'm not low on wax to review. I do have a handful of stuff for the future. I do wish my Walmart would get the entire selection of new wax from ScentSationals and Better Homes & Gardens, but I don't know if that will happen :(.

ScentSationals Pumpkin Spice
Scent Description: It's Pumpkin Time
My Thoughts: You know I'm not big on foodie scents, but I do enjoy some pumpkin scents. This is one I absolutely love! It's really just the perfect blend of straight up pumpkin and spice notes. There isn't anything cakey or sugary sweet which is where things can go awry for me. This scent is warm, cozy, and festive for fall. 
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

Better Homes & Gardens Bundled In Blankets (Cozy Winter Coat + Plush Fleece Mittens)
Scent Description: N/A
My Thoughts: This is another dual sided wax one. I melted these together. The Cozy Winter Coat Side has a warm cashmere linen scent with what I'm smelling as a slight coffee note. The Plush Fleece Mittens also has a cashmere linen note with some vanilla perhaps? This is a nice scent, but I think it's weak on throw and together it just kind of falls flat. I think it's because they're both so similar. I feel like it needs something to pop. 
Scent Throw: 1.5/5
Where To Buy: Walmart

Ten Digit Creations Blue Ridge Sunrise
Scent Description: fresh mountain air, dewdrops suspended from the tree leaves, and the rising sun in the distance
My Thoughts: This is a great fresh/clean nature scent. I really get a strong ozone airy note paired with fresh spring water. It's a very natural scent that makes you feel like you're outside in nature. The scent description is spot on with this scent. If you're a fan of clean airy scents you will want to try this one. 
Scent Throw: 3.5/5
Where To Buy: Ten Digit Creations

ScentSationals Yin & Yang
Scent Description: The relaxing scent of eucalyptus and mint
My Thoughts: I was curious about this one because ScentSationals also has a scent called Zen with a similar graphic and scent description. I'm pretty confident these scents are dupes of each other. This is basically Bath & Body Works Stress Relief. It's very a soothing scent. I will say one difference I notice is that Yin & Yang has a lighter throw than Zen. Zen you can easily get at Walmart whereas Yin & Yang you have to order from ScentSationals. Zen > Yin & Yang.
Scent Throw: 3/5
Where To Buy: ScentSationals 

If you're into wax be sure to check out the Retail Wax Facebook Group!

Happy Sunday!

KBShimmer Fall 2016 Collection (Partial)

*I received the following products in exchange for my honest review.

I have 10 of the 12 shades from the KBShimmer Fall 2016 collection to share with you. This collection has been released today, so you can stop on over the KBShimmer website to check them out and shop when you're done here! While supplies last, all fall collection orders will receive purple bat glitters that pair nicely with the polish Fright This Way.

Grin And Gerbera It

Grin and Gerbera It is a warm deep pink leaning color that has a kiss of red to it. (2 coats)

Poppy Kisses

Poppy Kisses is a bright, orange toned red, this linear holographic polish. (2 coats)

Turning Pointe

Turning Pointe is a new Mega Flame polish that is a soft peachy pink smooth holographic glitter. (2 coats)

Tiers of Joy

Tiers of Joys is a wedding cake inspired polish with a soft cake batter color base is filled with pops of gold holographic glitters and pink glitters, while nutmeg and micro holographic glitter adds a hint of spice. (2 coats)

Sage It Ain't So

Sage It Ain't So is a soft sage green with copper, lavender, and silver glitter with some holo dust. (2 coats)

Flake Me Home Tonight

 Flake Me Home Tonight is a minty metallic polish is loaded with silver flakes and holographic sparkle. (2 coats)

Little Boy Hue

Little Boy Hue is a soft “baby” blue  inspired by the 2016 Pantone color of the year Serenity. (2 coats)

The Best Mum Ever

The Best Mum Ever is a deepened lavender color polish loaded with a pinky red micro flakies. (2 coats)

Orchidding Me?

Orchidding Me? is inspired by the orchids of Christy’s mother, this polish has a warm purple base that leans fuchsia, amped up with some linear holographic pigment for a fantastic rainbow flame. (2 coats)

Fright This Way

Fright This Way is a deep black base and a scattering of holo dust and loads of purple glitter. (3 coats with Bat $#*! Crazy glitter accent)

Collection: KBShimmer Fall 2016

Colors: What struck me most about this collection is how original it is in comparison to other fall collections. This isn't a collection of jewel tones or vampy colors and I like that. There is a nice variety of muted, neutral, bold, and transitional shades in this collection. These are colors that really work for any occasion, but still are warm and cozy for fall. My favorites of the ones I have are Grin And Gerbera It (yes a fall pink!), Tiers of Joy, Flake Me Home Tonight, The Best Mum Ever, and Orchidding Me?

Formula: KBShimmer has always had nice formulas but these were especially so. I used 2 coats on all except I used 3 for Fright This Way. Honestly, if it weren't for photography reasons you can get away with one coat with Grin And Gerbera It and Little Boy Hue. I usually have to do 3 coats with crelly formulas and Tiers of Joy and Sage It Ain't So only needed two. Fright This Way was the only slightly tricky one to apply as it was a bit thicker and harder to control, but that's like comparing gold and silver medals. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch really.

Price: These are $9.25 each and can be found on KBShimmer's website.

Overall: I'm really impressed with this collection. I like these subdued colors and original take on a fall collection. There are a lot of winning colors here and per usual KBShimmer offers so much variety in finishes and shades. The formulas on these are probably the best I've had from KBShimmer and their formulas were great already. You'll definitely want to pick a few of these up!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Friday!

Girly Bits What Happens In Vegas Ends Up On Twitter

*I received the following product in exchange for my honest review.

I've had one of those rare "Why do birds suddenly appear everytime you are near" moments with nail polish. I love a lot of nail polish, but these days it takes a lot for my a nail polish to make my heart flutter. That's how I felt when I saw Girly Bits newest What Happens In Vegas... polishes. This is the 4th polish in this series as every year at Cosmoprof a new one is made. Thankfully, these are not entirely exclusive. You can purchase it yourself too until August 22nd then it's gone as it's a single pour release!

What Happens In Vegas Ends Up On Twitter

What Happens In Vegas Ends Up On Twitter is a is a mid-tone dusty denim blue holo, with a pink flash and a scattering of aqua holographic glitter.

Collection: What Happens in Vegas...2016

Color: This is the type of polish I love because I could have never thought something so amazing and beautiful could be bottled into a nail polish. This combination of the blue with that pink flash is stunning. There is so much dimension and depth in this one polish that you'll just get a kick out of looking at it in the bottle for a few minutes. Wow!

Formula: Excellent and smooth formula. I used 2 coats here.

Price: This is $12.73 on the Girly Bit's website, but remember it's only available until August 22nd!

Overall: This is a definite must have polish. Every polish lover needs this one in their collection. It's a stunning color that is complex and innovative. It's really rather mesmerizing. The formula was great and just go buy this one. You'll thank me!

My Rating: 5 out 5 *Golden* Paint Splatters

Happy Wednesday!

Talk It Out Tuesday: Disconnecting

Talk It Out Tuesday used to be a weekly feature on my blog where I'd discuss topics and issues that came up for me in regards to nails or blogging. This fizzled out when I ran out of things to talk about. I'd like to revive this feature on my blog, but I don't think it will be a regular feature, just when something comes to mind.

A little over a week ago I posted this post in regards to feeling on the outside of the blogging community because I feel like I have a different blogging style than most. I wanted to use this post to share an update what I've done and how I've been feeling since then.

I think something I've always struggled with in life is fitting in. As an adult, I've grown out the idea of feeling a need to be popular or special, but I want to feel that sense of belonging. I mentioned in my last post that I don't feel like I really belong in this community. I have felt you have to make an effort to really be a part of the nail community, but I'm starting to realize I don't think that effort is worth it to me, and I don't think it's really needed for my sake.

I think a good way to get involved in the community is to be involved in Facebook groups. While I like indies I wouldn't say I'm really a fangirl over brands, so those groups while I'm in some to keep up with updates I'm not involved in otherwise. Then there are groups that are really focused on the going on's and gossip in the community. I think some of these topics in these groups are very useful and beneficial to the community. These groups do tend to get immersed with negativity though and that becomes the forefront.

There is nothing wrong with groups like this, but I think when it comes to a hobby I enjoy and want to do for fun, these groups can start to tarnish that experience for me. I have also felt conflicted because sometimes people in the community hold you to standard to be "in the know" and you can be viewed negatively if you're unknowingly supporting a brand that has some drama because you didn't make an effort to be in the know. There are so many unspoken rules it seems in this community and now it seems like there are daily multiple dramas and it's exhausting. It's draining and it has been killing my joy. Again, I'm not saying groups like this are bad, but right now I don't think they're very good for me.

I asked in Hobby Polish Bloggers last week if anyone else felt this way about negativity in the community, and I was truly surprised a number of people felt similarly. I've been so immersed in this idea that the entire nail community is representative of the people involved in certain groups and in order to belong you need to be involved as well. I felt some of the people regularly involved in these groups were setting the standard for the community based on their opinions as if they were their authority.  I felt intimated by a lot of people and worried if I openly expressed a different viewpoint I would be shunned or frowned upon. I don't think this is really how it is, but that's how it felt for me.  I learned this really isn't that case at all. There are many nail bloggers who stay out of groups and comfortably do their own thing. I felt very relieved and it dawned on me that I've been putting expectations on myself that were unnecessary and truly suffocating.

That's when I decided to disconnect. I will say I have not actually left some of these groups, but I removed them from my feed and from favorites. I haven't felt compelled to check them either. The reason I stay in them is because there may come a time when I feel differently and can navigate my own blog life separately from what I feel are the expectations of the nail community. That time may come and I may try to re-evaluate that experience again.

Right now, the only group I'm really following is Hobby Polish Bloggers. I've cut out the negativity in my blogging life. It's been a week now and it's honestly I've noticed an immense difference in my mood and my experience. I feel a lot better and feel energized about blogging again. Yes, I'm in my own little world alone outside the blogging community right now, but I feel more like myself than I have in a long time. I feel free from feeling like I need approval from others and feel free to be myself.

I'm a really sensitive person, and a lot of people see this as a weakness, but I don't. My blog is very personal to me, and going into it with the intentions I had I'm going to be sensitive to negativity and the competitiveness that I think comes along with some bloggers. I think competitiveness in this field and building up your blog is completely fine if that it is your goal, but it's not mine. I need to sometimes remove myself from environments that feel that way to me to continue on the path I always wanted for myself with my blog. This blog is my baby and I need to realize I can continue it on my own terms.

Thank you all for your support and love throughout these years.

Have any of you had a similar experience to mine about a hobby or passion you have in your life? What did you do to help you refocus yourself so you can enjoy it again? 

Happy Tuesday!