Friday, September 17, 2010

PeaceKeeper Eco-Easy Vegan Nail Polish Remover


PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics Eco-Easy Nail Polish Remover is radically different from acetone based removers! I tried it with several different polishes and it works very well overall. It does take about 5-15 seconds longer for each nail but the benefits out way that bit of extra time.

From their website:

PeaceKeeper® Eco-Easy™ Nail Polish Remover made from natural fermented sugars and scented with rosemary and spearmint.
  • No Nasty Anything™
  • No Nasty Odor
  • Completely VEGAN!
  • No GMOs
  • Biodegradable
  • Moisturizing Oil of Spearmint
  • No Synthetic Oils or Petrochemicals
  • Farmer Grown Ingredients
  • Works on the TOUGHEST nail polish!
This delicious smelling nail polish remover contains moisturizing oil of spearmint which enriches the nail and cuticles. Imagine, five simple ingredients that when combined together create a natural and perfect solution to removing nail polish.
The days of alcohol, acetone, and FD&C coloring are over with this revolutionary formulation.

I normally remove my polish with Beauty Secrets Acetone with wheat protein & vitamin e. I tear up cotton balls into nail size pieces, soak them in remover and place one on each nail for about 30 seconds. I used the same method with the PeaceKeeper. The PeaceKeeper did leave behind more polish but it was very easy to finish the job with a little rubbing.

The differences in feel and smell are huge! PeaceKeeper smells very minty & refreshing as opposed to the typical yuck of acetone based removers. PeaceKeeper contains glycerin and I think this gives the remover a slippery feel. It took me a bit to get used to but I noticed that my hands felt moisturized after removal! They always feel dry when I use my regular remover.

Ashley also tried the PeaceKeeper and says she is a convert. She has been trying very hard lately to use more eco friendly products so she likes their commitment to organic farming. This remover is more expensive ($10 for 4 fl. oz.) but people who are committed to making more responsible product choices shouldn't mind the cost too much.

I wouldn't recommend this product for tough glitter removal or for clean up (I keep a bottle of straight acetone around for those anyway) but it's great for everyday use. I think it's a nice option for anyone concerned about their consumer habits or about frequent acetone use.

PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics is an "All Benefit" Company.

From their website:

What does an All-Benefit Company do?
  • Donates all of profits (after taxes, debt repayment, financing costs, reasonable working capital reserves) to charity and generates those profits responsibly.
  • Demonstrates a clear and explicit commitment to achieving best practices in all aspects of corporate responsibility.
  • Provides products and services that do no harm.
  • Distributes profits to 501c3 non-profit organizations which are non-violent, non-partisan, and non-denominational.
  • Demonstrates compelling business models that have the potential to successfully address market needs and multiply the company’s impact.

If any of this sounds good to you, check out the rest of PeaceKeeper's products.

You can see my review of their Nail Polish Grateful here.

Disclosure: I was provided a product sample by American Apparel. This in no way affects my opinions of the product. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

Thanks for reading!
April

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Peacekeeper Cause-Metics Grateful Polish


I contacted Peackeeper Cause-Metics because I haven't seen any reviews of their polish line and they sent me Grateful to try out. It's a metallic rosy purple with a nice formula. This is 3 coats.
Peacekeeper goes into great detail about all of their ingredients! From their website:
PeaceKeeper Nail Paints are made without Toluene, Formaldehyde, Acetone, Phthalates, Parabens, or FD&C/Lake Coloring in our products. And, PeaceKeeper does absolutely NO ANIMAL TESTING!

Since nature does not make a “real” fire-engine red, you will not find reds of those tones in our line. Fire-engine reds are made with FD&C coloring and are synthetic. PeaceKeeper uses minerals from the earth for coloring like Mica, Titanium Oxide and Ultramarines. We do however use Carmine (a pigment derived from carminic acid from the scales of certain insects) in Paint Me Stunning so if you are a vegan stay away from this colors. ALL of our other nail colors are VEGAN !

But here’s the truth…Our polishes are still made with copolymers, which the Environmental Working Group describe as being “Moderate” in terms of their safety rankings (Safe, Moderate, Hazardous). What they say is that copolymers can suppress the immune system and can be irritating to the skin. We'd like to take them out of our nail paint but they make up the base of the polish - so if you are going to wear our nail polishes you should be aware of this. Right now, these polishes are as clean as we know how to get them. But please call or e-mail us at ingredients@iamapeacekeeper.com if you have any ideas on how to improve the ingredients in our nail paints. We love wise input!


No green-washing here ladies! They don't have a huge range of colors but that is explained by the fact that they only use minerals for pigments. Their current selection can be found here.
Peacekeeper Cause-Metics seems like a wise choice for environmentally & socially conscious consumers.
PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics is the first cosmetics company to give donations to women’s urgent human rights issues. We focus on women who live at the base of the pyramid on a dollar or two a day or women living in exploitation or servitude.
I have lots more to say about this intriguing company, but I'll save it for tomorrow's post when I'll review their Polish Remover.

Disclosure: I was provided a product sample by American Apparel. This in no way affects my opinions of the product. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

Thanks for reading!
April

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Franken Fail, Paintball, Goofy Will & Nail Art!



Will & I played paintball last weekend and it was super fun! I've never been before but I can't wait to go again. I got the prettiest bruise ever on my thigh and Will shot me in the hand. The hand shot was hard enough to blast off some of my nail polish!

I didn't have enough time to completely redo my nails before we went out that night, so I used my smARTnails sticker stencils and China Glaze Ruby Pumps to hide the damage. Someday soon I'll have to use this sticker stencil for making comic book style word bubbles. POW! The base color is my first attempt at frankening a dupe for RBL 360 which is a dusty teal. This one is way too bright!

This next picture is just ridiculous! I was half asleep when we left for paintball and didn't check Will's outfit like I normally do. Believe me it's necessary! We stopped at QuikTrip for gas, I looked up and saw this coming towards the car. That's one of my wife beaters!! Geez Will. You can see more funny Will in this post.


Thanks for reading!
April

Monday, September 13, 2010

Weekly Giveaway Roundup


I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

NAIL POLISH & MORE
MAKEUP & SKINCARE
CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
CHOCOLATE & OTHER GOODIES
  • Sweeps4Bloggers is giving away Tifa Drinking Chocolate! 5 winners!! This stuff sounds so good! Ends 9/15.
THINGS FOR YOUR HOME
  • Fave Crafts is giving away on OTTLite Task Lamp! Ends 9/17.
  • I'm giving away a 2011 Nikki McClure Calendar! Ends 9/28.
MISCELLANEOUS
Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.
Thanks for reading!
April

Nikki McClure Calendar from Buy Olympia Giveaway!! Ends 9/28.


Buy Olympia is one of my favorite online shops! I've been using them for years to buy unique presents for my friends and family and myself. Here's how Buy Olympia describes their product range.

We're what they call a "specialty retailer" with thoughtful, intentionally designed goods that span the gamut from simple to sublime.

You'll find a variety of goods; from unique apparel and inspired books to artisan soap and 100% recycled paper goods. You'll find planners to organize your life and bags to carry them around with.

From Nikki McClure's amazing paper-cuts to Sarah Utter's Reading Is Sexy, we've got artists working in a diverse collection of mediums.

I fell in love with this shirt and Will got it for me a couple of years ago. You can still purchase one for yourself here. They have a great selection of nice shirts from different artists!


My sister has one of Ryan Berkely's amazing animal prints at her house. This one is my favorite!


Check out Buy Olympia's amazing books! I got this hilarious one as a present.


This beauty was a present for Ashley last year. It's from a series of spectacular kids books by Robin Mitchell & Judith Steedman.


Sarah Utter is one of my two favorite featured artists from this site. I adore these two images which can be found on several different items.


Nikki McClure is my other favorite! I got one of her calendars and some other pretties for Ashley a couple of years ago. Ashley sent me these pictures of the Nikki McClure's on her wall.


Now Buy Olympia is offering a Nikki McClure 2011 Calendar to one of my lucky readers! Open worldwide! Here are a few months from this stunner.


RULES:
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE RULES BEFORE ENTERING.
  • This giveaway is open to followers worldwide!
  • This giveaway starts today, September 13th, and will end Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 11:59PM Central Time.
  • We'll select the winner with random.org's random number generator and notify the winner by email on Wednesday, September 29th.
  • The winner will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner doesn't reply within 24 hours, that winner will forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be selected via random.org.
HOW TO ENTER:
Everyone has the opportunity to earn up to two entries per person. You only need to fill out the form once. This works MUCH better than comments, so I've turned them off for this post to avoid confusion.
  • Mandatory Entry. Leave your name and email in the form below. That's all that is required for this one!
  • Become a follower or tell me if you are already following. (optional)

I did not receive any compensation for this giveaway in the form of product or payment of any kind. I just love you all and wanted to share my love for this great company! I love to share! Thanks to Buy Olympia for sending the prize to the winner of the giveaway!

Thanks for reading!
April

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Golden Rose 134


This is 3 coats of Golden Rose 134. It's a lovely silvery blue foil with a nice formula.

I'll be announcing another international giveaway tomorrow! Yay!

Thanks for reading!
April

Friday, September 10, 2010

L.A. Girl Amethyst


I love purple shimmers and L.A. Girl Amethyst is no exception! Slightly reddish purple jelly loaded with turquoise and hot pink shimmer. 3 coats.


Thanks for reading!
April

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Claire's Mood Peaceful Confident


This is 3 coats of Claire's Mood Peaceful Confident. These are so cool! I took tons of pictures and this was the only one that came close to the real color. It's a super bright sea green except for the tips which are more turquoise. These are super fun for longer nails especially since you can see the color changes almost all of the time. They change with heat so the tips are cooler and therefore a different color. I would love to try some of the other colors from this series. This one is not really for me, but such a great idea!

Thanks for reading!
April

Monday, September 6, 2010

Weekly Giveaway Roundup


I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

NAIL POLISH & MORE
MAKEUP & SKIN CARE
  • Nouveau Cheap is giving away a set of Palladio Shadow & Liner Herbal Crayons! Hurry! Ends tonight!
  • Flip Out Mama is giving away 5 mineral eyeshadows from Overall Beauty! Ends 9/13.
  • Babbling Brooke is giving away Revlon Fantasy Lengths Eyelashes! 2 winners! Ends 9/13.
CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
MISCELLANEOUS
Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.
Thanks for reading!
April

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Franken I Won From Black Nail Polish & Lip Gloss


This beauty is a franken that I won from Andrea of Black Nail Polish and Lip Gloss. Drop dead gorgeous aqua jelly loaded with pink & turquoise flakies! Andrea doesn't have an exact recipe for this one but she does remember that the flakies are from Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Nfu-oh 50 with random pigment for the aqua base. Check out Andrea's cosmetic line, Evil Shades!


Thanks for reading!
April

Reader Apreciation Giveaway! Ends 9/21 (Closed)


Still having tons of fun with the blog so it's time for another giveaway! Everything is brand new. Some are items I've won but can't use or don't need since I already have something similar. Some items were purchased just for this giveaway. Open internationally!

One lucky winner from anywhere in the world will receive:
  • Sally Hansen Celeb City
  • NYC Lincoln Center
  • Finger Paints Up & Coming Artist
  • NYC Charming Rose Creme
  • Milani Starry Pink
  • Essie Buy Me a Cameo
  • BB Couture Painted Lady
  • NYC Taxi Yellow Creme
  • Nina Ultra Pro Salsa
  • American Apparel Passport Blue
  • China Glaze Midnight Ride
  • Toma Chromicolor
  • Wet n Wild Hallucinate
The star of this giveaway is definitely the Toma Chromicolor! Here are a couple of old pictures. It is an amazing one coat wonder, that dries in less than in a minute! If you have to do your nails and leave the house immediately, this is your polish! This Toma has no dupes that I've seen and dries to a gorgeous purple chrome.


I used my bottle more recently for my first ruffian. My application is much better now than in the old pictures and, as you can see, an almost brushstroke free chrome finish can be achieved if you're careful!


RULES:
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE RULES BEFORE ENTERING.
  • This giveaway is open to followers worldwide!
  • This giveaway starts today, September 5th, and will end Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 11:59PM Central Time.
  • We'll select the winner with random.org's random number generator and notify the winner by email on Wednesday, September 22nd.
  • The winner will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner doesn't reply within 24 hours, that winner will forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be selected via random.org.
HOW TO ENTER:
Everyone has the opportunity to earn up to two entries per person. You only need to fill out the form once. This works MUCH better than comments, so I've turned them off for this post to avoid confusion.
  • Mandatory Entry. Leave your name and email in the form below. That's all that is required for this one!
  • Become a follower or tell me if you are already following. (optional)


I did not receive any compensation for this giveaway in the form of product or payment of any kind. I just love you all and wanted to share! I love to share!

Thanks for reading!
April

Friday, September 3, 2010

BB Couture Butt-Naked Bronze


This is 3 coats of BB Couture Butt-Naked Bronze, a caramel colored shimmer polish. Nice color and great formula as expected from BB Couture. The boyfriend and I really hated this one on me! It looks good in the pictures though and would look lovely on dark skin tones!


Thanks for reading!
April

Thursday, September 2, 2010

BB Couture Dragon's Breath


This is 3 coats of BB Couture Dragon's Breath. Man it's gorgeous! Dragon's Breath is the number one selling purple on Overall Beauty and I can see why. It's a very unique plum jelly with super fine silver glitter. Great formula too. I say this is a must have for any purple lover, maybe any polish lover period!

I won this polish from the lovely Audrey of Le Vernis Chocolat. Audrey sadly just announced that she will be leaving the blogging world for health reasons. Go wish this classy lady a fond farewell if you haven't already done so.


Thanks for reading!
April

Monday, August 30, 2010

Weekly Giveaway Roundup


I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

NAIL POLISH & MORE
  • Mon Coin a Moua is giving away tons of European brand polishes and more! 3 winners! Ends 8/31.
  • Lucy's Stash is giving away 19 polishes! Ends 8/31.
  • All You Desire is giving away the China Glaze Cat's Meow Vintage Vixen set! Ends 8/31.
  • Body and Soul is giving away the Orly Cosmic FX, Color Club Untamed luxury & Essie's Fall Collections!!! Ridiculously awesome giveaway!!! Ends 8/31.
  • Delta Cephei is giving away 2 Glitter Gal Holographic polishes! Ends 8/31.
  • Olivia Writes is giving away Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream and more! Ends 8/31.
  • You Nailed It is giving away your choice of China Glaze polish. Ends 9/1.
  • Imperfectly Painted is giving away 9 polishes! Ends 9/1.
  • Perfection is Possible is giving away nail polish and more! Ends 9/1.
  • Reaching For the Stars is giving away your choice of Barry M polish and lots more! Ends 9/1.
  • Playing With Polish is giving away 6 polishes! Ends 9/2.
  • Leslie Loves Veggies is giving away CND Solar Oil & Glossing Buffer Block! 5 winners!! Ends 9/3.
  • Magic Maid is giving away 23 polishes and more!! Ends 9/3.
  • For Your Nails Only is giving away 2 Orly Cosmic FX polishes a your choice and OPI I'm Not Really a Waitress! Here are the updated rules. Ends 9/3.
  • Tigirlyly is giving away lots of Essence nail art goodies! Ends 9/4.
  • The Perfect Drug is giving away lots of Essence goodies! 2 winners! Ends 9/5.
  • Glam Geek Chic is giving away 10 China Glaze & OPI polishes! Ends 9/5.
  • Beautopia is giving away Nail Fraud Kits! 3 winners! These look like fun ladies! Ends 9/5.
  • Spooky Nails is giving away 3 polishes! 2 winners! Ends 9/5.
  • Delta Cephei is giving away 2 H & M polishes! Ends 9/5.
  • Contests and Such is giving away 2 BB Couture polishes! Ends 9/6.
  • Frazzle and Aniploish is giving away the Maybelline Denim Collection!! Cool Giveaway! Ends 9/6.
  • Manicure Mommas is giving away 2 polishes including Hidden Treasure! Ends 9/6.
MAKEUP & SKIN CARE
CLOTHES, BAGS, JEWELRY, & SHOES
  • Moms Wear Your Tees is giving away your choice of shirt from 191 Unlimited! 3 winners! Ends 8/31.
MISCELLANEOUS

Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.
Thanks for reading!
April

ManGlaze Hot Mess


This is 3 coats of ManGlaze Hot Mess with no top coat. Super cool matte silver! It's supposed to be a topcoat but I think it looks pretty amazing all by itself!

I won all of the ManGlaze polishes from Sara of Daily Polish. Thanks again Sara!

And thank you for reading!
April

Friday, August 27, 2010

ManGlaze Fuggen Ugly


This is 2 coats of the amazing ManGlaze Fuggen Ugly. I got so many compliments when I wore this one! From guys and girls. Gorgeous gunmetal perfection! This is shown without a topcoat to keep the matte finish. I love it!

I won all of the ManGlaze polishes from Sara of Daily Polish. Thanks again Sara!

And thank you for reading!
April

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

China Glaze Ruby Pumps


Here is China Glaze Ruby Pumps. This polish is beloved by many with good reason. It's the only red glitter that I will ever need!


Thanks for reading!
April

Monday, August 23, 2010

Weekly Giveaway Roundup


I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

NAIL POLISH & MORE
NAIL ART CONTESTS
  • Nailswatches is having a Harry Potter Nail Art contest. Enter until 9/17.
MAKEUP & SKIN CARE
  • Mommy Mandy is giving away Eucerin lotions and a $50 GC to Sunglass Hut! Ends 8/26.
  • Babbling Brooke is giving away a set of Overall Beauty Minerals Eyeshadows! Ends 8/31.
JEWELRY, BAGS, SHOES & CLOTHES
CHOCOLATE & OTHER GOODIES
  • Mon Cheri is giving away your choice of 3 Newman's Own Organics! Ends 8/25.
MISCELLANEOUS
Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.
Thanks for reading!
April

Sunday, August 22, 2010

China Glaze Strawberry Fields


I don't own many polishes in the red/pink/orange family. I'm just not usually drawn to them. China Glaze Strawberry Fields is a major exception. I truly think this is one of the most gorgeous nail polishes ever! That golden glass-flecked sparkle sets this one above and beyond other pinks.


Thanks for reading!
April

Thursday, August 19, 2010

OPI Atomic Orange & My First Ruffian


This is OPI Atomic Orange. Not a color I will wear on it's own much, but a great orange creme with a perfect formula. No clean up on this one!

This ridiculous color combination was inspired by these shoes that many players wore in this year's World Cup. I used this Toma polish because it is opaque in just one coat, which seems necessary if doing this freehand. It turned out pretty well, but I found this technique kind of difficult.

Thanks for reading!
April

Monday, August 16, 2010

Weekly Giveaway Roundup


I love giveaways. Each week I'll post giveaways that I think are awesome! I'm trying to catch any giveaway that has nail polish & I always post them on the Monday before they close. I figure some publicity towards the end of the entry period is a good idea, so don't worry that I've forgotten yours if I don't post it immediately! On the other hand, I know that I will occasionally miss a giveaway or two. If I miss yours, please know that it was accidental and nothing personal!

NAIL POLISH & MORE
MAKEUP & SKIN CARE
  • Second Time Around is giving away 5 Overall Beauty Mineral Eyeshadows of your choice and a makeup bag! Ends 8/22.
FOR YOUR HOME
MISCELLANEOUS
Please feel free to post your giveaways in the comments of the Weekly Giveaway Roundup posts! Let's keep them all on these posts and not on regular posts.
Thanks for reading!
April